Week 7 of The Mum Challenge

This weeks challenge is to Take Time for YOU.

So this week's challenge is to set up a date. A date with yourself. Tell the hubby (or find a sitter) to come watch the kids (or take the kids out!) and do your own thing. This does NOT include: running errands, cleaning up the house, surfing Pinterest looking for dinner ideas, or doing laundry. This time is just FOR you. And YOU only. Go get your nails done. Meet up with a girlfriend for appetizers (and a margarita), go shopping (for yourself!!), go see that chick flick, head to the flea market, take a nap! Do something for yourself! You deserve it!!

I knew about this challenge earlier I just didn't post it, maybe I should blog every Friday instead of Tuesday, then I will never be late.

Anyway this week I have been on a walk with a friend, been visiting teaching (trust me this was ME time I had SO much fun) and tonight I have book club. Granted book club is at my house but Haydn is in charge I just get to sit there and eat strawberry's and cream cake which I will be making shortly.

I also plan to go shopping (for kids clothes (FAIL)) by myself tomorrow and I am in DESPERATE need of a pedicure, my feet are so dry, so maybe I will do that to warrant calling it me time! Seeing as I haven't had any me time in a long time I have some money saved up and I can justify wasting it on a Blissful pedicure!

Isn't it amazing how refreshed you feel after alone time (which I never get) and how much more you appreciate and love your kids when they aren't IN YOUR FACE 24/7 (like seriously while I was washing my face and getting ready for my walk this week Haydn and Gracie were playing the drums ..............ON MY BUTT!! thanks Haydn and Grace you made my walk and alone time all the more enjoyable!)

Even if you aren't following my blog and you read this I think you should all take some me time this week no matter what.

Week 6 of the Mum Challenge

This weeks challenge is to prepare your Mum's Mission statements.

This week I want to focus on our hopes and dreams for our children. What exactly do you hope that your children learn from you? What

do you want to pass on? What kind of person do you want your child to grow up to be?

I think that taking just a few minutes of reflection is such a wonderful way to make sure

that each day counts!

I am totally late for this post AGAIN, sorry, I actually have no excuse, and I am actually not that sorry cause I am so proud of myself for even doing 5 weeks reasonably well.

Anyway this week is an easy one and it should only take a few minutes.

The quote above is a canvas I have in my house, my Mum gave it to me as a 21st birthday present and I don't know whether she got it just cause it looked cool or whether she actually really liked the words, but I LOVE it. I have it on display in my house in a place where I read it almost every day.

My mission statement for my kids would start with this.

Things that we have a talent in tend to be things we love and things we love tend to be a big part of what we want to do and who we want to be in the future. I truly believe that our Heavenly Father gave us all different talents and interests to help this world run smoothly. If we all loved cooking then we wouldn't have anybody to help with our finances and if everyone loved teaching then we wouldn't have enough people to fix our cars. We all need different talents to help the world go round and I believe to find our 'place' in life we all just need to do what we LOVE!

Work doesn't feel like work when we enjoy what we do right?!!.

This is why this quote is so important to me. We should go confidently in the direction of our dreams because we have the talent or the ability to develop the talent that will help us get there.

Of course this isn't all I want for my children, there are certain other things I would want them to know/remember.

I want Gracie to be herself and not worry about what others think of her. I want her to act the way she know's is the right way to act and not worry about people around her ridiculing her for it. (Something I struggled with as a child/teenager) I want her to remember she is a Daughter of God and to not let anybody treat her like she is less than that. I also don't want her to wear make up like EVER and I will flip my lid if I ever see her wearing a mini skirt LOL (does it make you feel old when you finally understand everything your parents told you to do/not to do?)

For my Joshie I want him to be a gentleman, I want him to recognize that every girl is a Daughter of God and treat them accordingly. I want him to be a great example to his brothers and sisters, and to learn from his Dad that doing a job you really love and are passionate about will give his future family the greatest security and peace of mind. I want him to serve a mission and always give me hugs no matter how old he is.

Last weeks challenge was to celebrate the simple things. I FAILED, I went food shopping the very next day and Gracie was an absolute angel she made it so much easier for me than it normally is. I decided when I saw the helicopter at the bottom of the ramp at pak'n'save that I would let Gracie have a ride in it. I put her in and gave her the 2 dollar coin and it started..............and so did the screaming!! She HATED it she was terrified. I couldn't understand it because she had been on it once before and loved it. Oh Well.

I pretty much gave up for the rest of the week until last night when Gracie decided that she would start doing poohs on the toilet again instead of her nappy at bed time. WOOHOOO, she has done a few now because she gets ice cream every time she does one. Don't worry it won't last long, it's just until she gets the hang of it and I thought it was fitting with my challenge for the week.

Gracie turned 2!!

The Pinata I made for Skye and Gracie's birthday dinner, I am SO glad that it fell down

on the first hit and I got to take it home to use in Gracie's room lol

Bath time at Nanny's house

Opening her prezzies after lying in till 8.30am!

My first try with fondant, don't think I did too badly, I am excited for my next one

Haydn thinks I should make a warriors cake for Joshie's first birthday LOL

Birthday Lunch with her party guests

Uh, these guys look like they are having heaps of fun....

that's better!

Cuzzie's Joshie and Lucy chilling while the big kids took over

My Gracie baby! xx

After everyone left I put her down for a nap but I think she had too many lollies cause

an hour later I went in to find her sitting in a pile of clothes in tears and modelling this little number! Weirdo!

Fish and Chips at the park for dinner

Having the time of her life

Visit from Nanny and Granddad to deliver her gorgeous new dollshouse

The perfect end to the perfect day, falling asleep hugging her pink balloon

Both angels asleep by 8pm and Mummy and Daddy not far behind!

Week 5 of the Mum Challenge

This weeks challenge is to Celebrate the simple things.

Find something that your child does that makes you proud - and celebrate. It doesn't have to be a giant party but do something a little more than just telling them! I think this can be such a fun challenge and one that is unexpected! You don't have to spend a lot of money or even a lot of time. The point is for the child to be acknowledged for something and for you to go out of your way to tell them awesome job - you rock! It feels so good to be appreciated and acknowledged. Show them that the little things matter!

Here are some examples:

Learning to tie their own shoes - get a fun colored pair of shoelaces

Doing their homework - surprise them with their favorite dinner

Putting away their toys - rent a movie from Red Box

Waking up on time for school (perfect for those of you with kids who either don't like to get up or high school kids!) - make a cake and write awesome job for waking up!

Spot your child reading - pick up a few new books

Paint an awesome picture at preschool - frame it and put it up

Write a note, bake something, take them to a movie, rent a movie, post a picture, pick up a favorite candy bar, let them have a Sprite with dinner (this is a big deal at our house!!) do something!

Last weeks challenge was to stay positive and to be honest I didn't really consciously do it LOL. But I had a good week. I have been a little bit more relaxed with keeping house etc, and I have been happier for it. I am not ready to let it all go, I mean my standards are what makes me ME and having a clean and tidy house with everything in it's rightful place makes me happy, BUT it wasn't working in with my kids and my kids make me happy too so I had to find a balance, it's still a work in progress but I'm doing well!

I've also been doing a lot more crafts and things from my pinterest page which I have really been enjoying and sort of charges me up mentally for when my kids are awake and just gives me a bit more patience and a bit more positiveness. So I think staying positive isn't so much changing how you think about things, but taking time to do things that recharge you so that when the bad times come you are in a much better mind set to deal with it.

Can't wait to do this weeks challenge.