the secret is...visit a park.

There's something about a Sunday afternoon that calls for quality family time. It is the breath of fresh air that everyone needs before the long week ahead. It is the short break in between rounds. After church yesterday, Ernie and I packed lunches and headed to the park to meet my parents and brother. Aren't parks amazing!? Free of charge fun. Open space for little ones to explore the world around them. It was so nice to spread out our big brown blanket under the trees and smile at our curious little one pulling grass and eating cheerios. I'm beginning to think park visits might become a weekly, after church tradition!

Here are some photographs from yesterday's adventure!

The secret is...keep a chalkboard around!

Happy Valentines Day!

Every holiday, big or small, calls for celebration when you have a little one! Tons of cute photos are a must! If you're looking for an easy way to step up your photo themes, purchase a small chalkboard. I started using the chalkboard to take monthly pictures of my baby but today it made the perfect prop for some cute Valentines Day pictures!

the secret is...enjoy the sunshine.

As a stay-at-home mom, I often feel a little restricted to the apartment (especially as a one car family). Today, I felt great about getting a ton of things done in the morning so I decided Malachi and I need an intermission in our day. I usually keep the windows open to avoid rising electricity bills and noticed what a beautiful day we're having!

Malachi and I grabbed a huge blanket, some toys and my camera and enjoyed some play time in the sunshine! Here are some photos of our special time together.

When you need a break, go outside and soak in the sunshine!

The secret is...the midnight hour

I recently started another semester of grad school and on the first day of class my professor urged us to carve out a small amount of time each day to write for our thesis paper. As the only mommy in class (even my professor is single and childless), I felt a clear disadvantage from my peers. How in the heck am I going to carve out a quiet time to write when I have a hard time finding time to eat meals throughout the day!?

However, I was encouraged by my reading that week. Wendy Laura Belcher wrote that parents tend to do better at finishing their writing projects because they become experts at multi-tasking and making the most of their precious alone time. Yes! Thanks Wendy for including this in your book!

A few days later, I was sharing this with my mom. I love having "mommy chats" with her because I know she'll understand and she usually has some practical advice or encouragement for me (something I hope to inherent for my talks with my own kiddos). She said that she used to get us kids to bed, and then fulfill her "wifely duties" with my dad and then after everyone was asleep she would take one to two hours to herself at night to mark things off her to-do list. Being a night owl, I loved this idea! So that night, I tried it out :) What a special time this was! I cleaned, listened to relaxing music, worked on my Bible study, finished some reading and went to bed with a smile and sense of accomplishment.

The next morning, it felt amazing to wake up to a clean apartment. Malachi and I cuddled that morning and I hadn't the slightest hint of guilt for staying in bed for an extra hour.

I kept this up for the week and was amazed at what a difference a quiet work hour each night makes! I finished all my homework, I stayed on top of the cleaning, I even read an extra book for fun! Taking time to yourself is so important as a mom and it really makes a difference...even if it is at the midnight hour.