Being a Parent is Hard: A letter to my son

Posted on by May 24, 2017
Being a parent is hard. The hardest part isn't what you think!

Being a parent is hard. I remember bringing you home from the hospital two years ago. You were small and helpless. We felt secure in our abilities, but you were still a lot of work. It was, at times, hard. There were a lot of sleepless nights. Nursing quickly became quite the chore. I would never have imagined that what would be the hardest part of being a parent had yet to hit me. It’s hard to get you to choose healthy foods over peanut butter cookies from Grandpa. It’s hard to convince you that you are safe in your bed, in our home, with Dada and me in the next room, especially when we aren’t entirely sure why you’re upset in the first place. And it’s hard to keep calm when you continue to try to do things we’ve asked you over and over not to (like stand on … More…

Give yourself permission to take a break

Posted on by May 20, 2017
A great reminder! We're creatures of constant progress and constant productivity. Sometimes, to get our best work in, we need to give ourselves permission to take a break.

Has there ever been a time when no matter how much you tried, you just couldn’t complete the task you set out to? No matter what you did, your focus wandered, your mind drifted, and before you knew it hours had passed and you accomplished nothing? I have. It’s so frustrating! The more you think about the fact that you’re getting nothing done, the rose your focus gets. It’s moments like these when it’s important to remember that it’s okay, and even essential, to step away and take a break sometimes.   Give yourself permission to take a break! We’re creatures of constant progress and constant productivity. Sometimes, to get our best work in, we need to give ourselves permission to take a break. Unfortunately, that’s something many people struggle with. Many of us, especially moms, feel like we have to continually be working at something. We work at being … More…

5 Simple, Fun and Inexpensive ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Posted on by April 30, 2017
5 awesome ways to celebrate Mother's Day! My mom loved 1, 3 and 4!

Let’s be honest. Coming up with simple, fun and inexpensive ways to celebrate Mother’s Day each year can be tough. When we’re young, it doesn’t matter what we do, but as adults, we feel the pressure to go big. We feel like simple and inexpensive doesn’t work unless there’s an element of excitement or elaboration. Why do we do this to ourselves? Mother’s Day is about showing our moms that we appreciate them. We appreciate what they’ve done for us as we’ve grown. It’s about spending time with someone we love, who loves us more than anyone else (besides our dads), and who just wants to be with us.   I think it’s safe to say we can let ourselves off the hook a little. When Zach is an adult, I’m not going to expect extravagant plans, expensive gifts, or detailed activities. I’ll just want to spend some time with … More…

Grateful Living- April 2017

Posted on by April 30, 2017
Take a moment to be grateful and appreciate the little things in life. Realize that those little things are the big things.

Welcome, May! April was a busy month with work, Easter, and trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather in between all of the rain. As usual, we celebrated Good Friday and Easter with lots of family time and traditions. No Easter Egg hunt this year, but definitely next year. I think this year it would’ve been more for me. He doesn’t need that much candy (he got plenty from the Easter Bunny, Nana, Grandma, and GG). I’m also not certain he really gets the whole searching for eggs thing yet. This month was super rainy but had some beautiful days mixed in between. The project in the basement is now done and we have a beautiful new living space, just in time for Summer. It will be great for those hot days when we don’t want to turn on the air conditioner but need to cool down somewhere. … More…

Affordable Mother’s Day gift ideas any mom will absolutely love!

Posted on by April 23, 2017

I love giving gifts. It gives me great joy. I love seeking out the perfect gift to make someone’s day. Mother’s Day is no exception. In fact, it’s more important. There are few holidays where the entire purpose of the gift is to show appreciation. This isn’t like a birthday where we’re saying “Congratulations on making it to another year.” Over the past few years, I’ve been the lucky recipient of some amazing gifts that I think are awesome Mother’s Day gift ideas. Some are sentimental and tug at the heart strings and others are more practical. I’ve also added to the list a few things that I’ve yet to receive but would love to have and would be great Mother’s Day gift ideas for any mom. (This post contains affiliate links.) All of these gifts are great for family-focused mamas. Those whose heart is in their home and whose daily … More…

A Simple Coupon Strategy to Save Money Every Day

Posted on by April 16, 2017
A simple coupon strategy to make saving money with coupons less time consuming and easier!!

I used to be an extreme couponer. Huge basement stockpile and all. I spent my free time cutting tons of coupons every week, constantly searching for the best deals, and shopping all the time so I’d never miss a bargain. I saved a ton of money, but it also took up a LOT of my time and energy. That’s time and energy I now find better spent playing with Zachary and doing family activities. Another downside, besides the time and energy it took, was that I also bought a lot of unnecessary things. This caused me to inevitably spend more than I needed to in many situations, even if it was cheap. I just couldn’t pass up a great deal. Most of those items ended up being donated or given to family. Some of it even expired and was thrown out. Ultimately, this made me realize that extreme couponing isn’t for … More…

A valuable lesson in how to be a failure

Posted on by April 9, 2017
Excellent tips to remember for when I am feeling like a failure! So true!

Failing is never fun. It makes us question our abilities and our value. If we experience a hard enough blow or a few in a row, then we start to doubt ourselves altogether. However, failure doesn’t have to be so soul-crushing. It doesn’t have to define you. A failure is not who you are. “There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man’s lack of faith in his true self.” -William James   My recent experience with failure Recently, I interviewed for a job that I really wanted. At the time of the interview, I had little interest. There was a lot I didn’t know about the job and I wasn’t sure if it was going to fit my needs. However, by the end of the interview, I really wanted it. It was everything I was looking for. The compensation, the location, the industry, and the team … More…

Grateful Living- March 2017

Posted on by April 9, 2017
Take a moment to be grateful and appreciate the little things in life. Realize that those little things are the big things.

Hello! March was a pretty great month for me and I hope it was for you as well. I have lots to be grateful for with Spring on the way, lovely weather, lots of family time, and Zachary’s development flourishing. For the longest time, he didn’t seem to care about speaking. Now, he’s saying tons of new words every day. I think he finally figured out that learning to speak does have benefits and might be worth the effort. I don’t know about you, but this month flew by. It’s April already! Doesn’t it feel like the year just started?? We’ve just begun the planning for Zachary’s birthday party, which I’ll be sure to post about in a couple of months (hint: lots of Snoopy). Andy is also wrapping up the basement project of installing carpet and laminate that he’s been planning for months. As usual, work has been pretty … More…

How to be more efficient with a household cleaning schedule

Posted on by April 2, 2017
Simple but effective solution to overcoming the overwhelm by creating a cleaning schedule!

I have a confession. I never clean my entire house. At least, not at once. There isn’t a single day where I dust, vacuum, mop, tidy up, and do the dishes. Ever. And no, it’s not because my husband does part of it. Although he does do a lot around the house. Thanks, Hun! Even though we don’t do all of that every day, my home is quite clean, aside from the occasional dog fur tumbleweed. No amount of vacuuming can stop that, though. #HuskyProblems So how do I do it? A household cleaning schedule.   Hello, My name is Kira, and I’m a recovering obsessive cleaner. A few years ago, I finally had an allergy test to determine what I had been allergic to for years. As it turns out, I’m allergic to quite a lot. I am allergic to several kinds of tree pollen, various molds, dust, ragweed, and dog dander. It was … More…

Quarter 1 Update: Progress on My New Year Goals

Posted on by March 28, 2017
My quarter 1 progress update on my New Year goals! See where I've nailed it, and where I failed it!

Every year, my family and I create a list of goals for the new year. I posted our goals for 2017 in the beginning of January. As promised, I will be posting quarterly progress updates to hold myself accountable. Overall, quarter one went pretty well. I definitely made some progress in the financial category and a little in business. Health didn’t go quite as well. As I expected, that’s where I struggled most. So let’s get into it. We’ll take a look at where I’ve nailed it, and where I’ve failed it. Then I’ll go over why I might have failed and how I can do better next quarter!   Goals and Progress so far   Family & Financial Finish fixing garage door (by summer)-not done yet, waiting for nicer weather! Schedule monthly date nights (scheduled by end of January)–Nailed it! All planned out through the rest of the year. We’ve … More…