It has been more than 10 years since the birth of my first child, 5 for the 2nd, nearly 3 for my 3rd and 19weeks since the birth of my 4th child. It has also been 11 years since my husband and I got married, and almost 15 years since my husband and I met online! WOW! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday I was pregnant with my first child. But as I see each of my child in various ages and activities, I realize just how precious life is. It goes by all too quickly.
Each day seems to go by quicker than before. Between school, extracurricular activities, Church, group activities, cleaning house, laundry, driving to and from places it seems like every minute of the day is spent doing something. But is it being done effectively? Are you managing your minutes effectively? So many days it seems like I am doing something but nothing gets done! That is quite frustrating for this mother of 4 children.
Lorrie Flem, a mother of 8, also had to deal with managing her minutes. She wants to help mothers so much that she wrote a book about time management. "Managing My Minutes. Do I Really Need to?" was written to help give guidance to moms about how scheduling will help you accomplish more with your time.
I can't tell you how much I needed to read this. It gives so much inspiration and hope that I know I can do it! But it won't just be through my own strength, it will be with God's help! For it says in Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me." (NKJV) I have struggled with schedules and routines. Reading and coming to understand that I am not the only one is refreshing. Not that I delight in others troubles, but knowing I am not alone is somewhat helpful.
Lorrie gives some GREAT Biblical advice and support for schedules. You maximize your time when you are on a schedule. She explains the difference between schedules and routines and how to implement them. I feel so much better having read this and am now ready to tackle the scheduling of my family. This is something that we shouldn't be afraid to do. It will not only benefit you but others as well. When everyone is on track there seems to be more time. I can't WAIT to get the rest of this bundle so I can work on my schedule! :)
"Managing My Minutes. Do I Really Need To?" is part of Lorrie's Scheduling Bundle. The bundle has 3 parts to it and this is just one of them. It is due out in the Eternal Encouragement store SOON! As soon as it arrives there I will post the link for the actual product.
UPDATE: The product is now live! :) Here is the link as promised. http://www.attentionmoms.com/
** I was given this product in exchange for my honest review of the product and was not compensated in any other way.
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What happens when the unexpected happens? We started school back in July. With 1 subject at a time we slowly introduced a new subject every 2 weeks. Well on Sunday, August 19th, I suffered a major gall bladder attack. I wound up going into the hospital on Wednesday. What I thought was going to be a simple gall bladder removal wound up being 6 days and 1 surgery. My extended stay wound up being due to liver and pancreas issues as well as my gall bladder.
Needless to say, our school schedule went absolutely out the window. Friends and family rallied to help us with our 3 boys that needed to be watched as I was in the hospital with my husband and Cordelia. Our school plans that I had worked on got derailed and now I am in the process of re-evaluating and organizing. I think from now on I am going to plan maybe 2 weeks at a time. To quote the late John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."
Today is our first day back and we are going slow. But that's ok. I am only 3weeks post-surgery. Still have to take things easy. My husband has been great! My kids are adjusting to the schedule and necessary things they need to do to help around the house. It has been a challenge. We had things we planned on doing this summer that just haven't worked out. Life goes on. We are adapting. It's good to be flexible. I applaud my family for being so resilient.
So in the end, if life throws you a lemon, make the lemonade and enjoy it. Work through the challenges and changes that are thrown your way. Do what you can to be flexible.
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I received The Sugar Creek Gang story "Swamp Robber" on CD for my family to try out. I had seen the Sugar Creek Gang books in many catalogs and had been wanting to purchase them for my son, Jonathan. So when the opportunity came to do an extra review as a Gabby Mom, I was thrilled!
The Sugar Creek Gang books have been around since 1940. I had actually never read the books, but as a mom of 3 boys I felt that they would be good for them. My oldest loves to read but also loves audiobooks. The boys have several on the iPod in their playlist at night. My oldest loved it! He didn't even want to fall asleep till it was over.
I got to listen to it the next day. It was very well done. I almost felt that I was there with the boys on their adventure and could see why my son stayed up to finish the story. The mystery definitely kept his attention. As a mom, I loved the character lessons also taught in this story. I believe that is important for a child to learn good character lessons in life. They are important in all stages of life.
Now that we have had a chance to try these cd's, I know we will be purchasing more of them. They are great to listen to and will be something to treasure for generations to come.
So, who wants a FREEBIE! I am so excited to share with you the "Swamp Robber" story of the Sugar Creek Gang! For your freebie, click here. It is about 1/3 of the way down the page.
For those of you who would like to purchase this and other sets, I have a discount code for you! :) I love giving good deals and freebies! Use this code "Lorrie12" (minus the quotes) to receive a $12 discount. Gotta love discounts! I hope you enjoy your freebie and use the discount to get some awesome audiobooks.
** I was given this product in exchange for my honest review of the product and was not compensated in any other way.
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I want the best for my children. I want them to be strong & healthy, to have a sense of right and wrong, to be able to make good choices as they grow older. As a mom I try so hard to train them up in the way of the Lord. To have good character traits. It isn't easy and there are so many options out there.
This month I received ARTISTS & Authors by Lorrie Flem. This is such a great idea for character training and I absolutely love how simple it is to use. When I received this in the mail, my oldest (who is 10), was practically chomping at the bit when he found out it was for him to use. He is my artist (though he loves to write too) and to encourage that natural ability, I chose this particular book for my review.
I could have also chosen AUTHORS & Artists which focus' more on the writing aspect rather than drawing.
The lessons in this book are short but easy to understand. I share the lesson with my boys and ask a couple of questions then let my oldest do his drawing. The book is labeled by theme so that way if you want to focus on something, such as honesty or forgiveness, then you can work on those first. It also has themes for the holidays and their birthday. In glancing over them (cause it's not time to do them yet), I am excited to see what my son draws for them. :)
I can't wait to see how he continues to grow as we work through this book. I definitely plan on getting another one for my 2nd school aged son. :) These books will be a great treasure for years to come and I am excited to have this in our tool kit for character training.
Now for the fun part! There is a giveaway for EACH book over at Lorrie's Blog, Randy's Rib.
Giveaway for ARTISTS & Authors - http://www.randysrib.com/artists-authors-giveaway/
Giveaway for AUTHORS & Artists - http://www.randysrib.com/authors-artists-giveaway/
You can also purchase ARTISTS & Authors from the Eternal Encouragement website. It is a great value at $9.97!
** I was given this product in exchange for my honest review of the product and was not compensated in any other way.
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Well last November I was blessed with the book, "Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure" by Lorrie Flem. I always felt like I was yelling at my 3 boys. Now granted I was also a hormonal ball of nerves back in November due to being pregnant. But that isn't an excuse. It was an underlying trigger that would get tweaked quite often.
Lorrie's book, "Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure" was very important to me to read. So much so that I actually had purchased it before knowing I would be reviewing it. The days spent yelling at my boys outweighed the days not yelling. I noticed my two younger boys even yelling when they got frustrated/upset at little things. It broke my heart to see the example I was setting be lived out by my children. I knew SOMETHING had to change. That something was ME.
There were 11 tips of advice from Lorrie that helped me identify what needed to be done. I won't give them all away cause you just need to read them for yourself. It was very eye opening and humbling for me to read but also very kind in the way that Lorrie approaches the subject. She wants to help us mom's and does so out of love for us. God gave her a gift of reaching women.
So an update on my "yelling" problem. Have I stopped yelling? No, not completely. Am I following the steps suggested by Lorrie? Yes, as much as I can. I need to do better and I am working on each step. #1 is the most important one and I will give that one to you. Pray to your Heavenly Father. He loves you more than you will ever know. He knows how you feel and wants to help you. Give it to Him. (this is hard for the control freak in me)
I am trying to wake up in the morning before my children so I can exercise and have some Bible time. I need to do though and not try. The scene from Star Wars Episode V comes to mind. "Do or do not. There is no try." ~ Yoda. That said, it is a struggle for me as I am a night owl, have a newborn who nurses before bed and 3 boys who want to wake up at 7am. (though sometimes earlier) But those are excuses. If I REALLY wanted to, I would be in bed earlier so I can wake up when I need to begin my day the right way. This is essential and the days that I have been successful in waking up and spending time with the Lord have gone SO much better.
On top of trying to start my day with the Lord, I have found myself trying to use a quiet voice so the children have to quiet down to listen to me. I also take a breather before I respond to them unless it warrants a quick action (like seeing the 2yo with scissors and running). Something else that you wouldn't think helps is exercising in the morning! It puts me in such a better mood because I did something for myself (and essentially my family). I feel better and thus it impacts my day. Now granted, if the kids push the right buttons, I can spew but I am picking up on what causes the spewing/yelling sprees and trying to think before I speak. These are just a few of the things I am doing.
If you want a book that I believe can truly help you like it has been helping me (as I am still a work in progress), I definitely recommend this book. It has been a true help to me. I believe it can help you too.
So, how do you get this book you might wonder. Well, I bought it as an e-book/pdf from Eternal Encouragement. But it is no longer available there. Now relax. I wouldn't leave you hanging like that! Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure is now available on the Kindle! WOOHOO!! If you have a PC, Smartphone (Android or iPhone base), iPad or other tablet you can download the Kindle app. Of course if you have a Kindle you can use that too. ;) The book is $4.99 and is worth every penny! Now, I am a frugal mama and do I have a surprise for you! The book is going to be FREE on Tuesday, July 24th! See, I knew you would like that. Free is always a good thing. Also, if you are on Facebook, stop by the party hosted by Eternal Encouragement on the topic of Yelling and Parenting. These parties are so much fun! You get to meet moms who go through the same things you do and offer idea's to help. This party is also on July 24th. It begins at 2pm. I hope you will join us there.
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Who LOVES to party? I do! I especially LOVE Facebook parties. The discussions, prizes, making of new friends is so much fun! Well I wanted to invite all my readers to join Eternal Encouragement for their upcoming Facebook Party! :) To Yell or Not To Yell: That is the question in Parenting is being hosted by Eternal Encouragement. It is Tuesday July 24th at 2pm. Join us as we discuss parenting without yelling and also find out the details for Lorrie Flems first Kindle Book! Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty and The Cure. This is her 1st e-book that will be available on the Kindle format! WOOHOO!! :) I should also say that on July 24th the book will be FREE! Yes, you heard me right! A FREE e-book! WOOHOO!!! (can you tell I Love free??) It is only FREE on July 24th. So don't forget to stop by! :)
Lorrie is a wonderful woman with a heart for ministering to mothers. She is honest, funny, kind and uses God's word to help us through our challenges. So join us on July 24th for what I am sure is going to be a great party! :)
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Mom! What's for dinner?!? I can't tell you how many times I hear that in a day. It starts early too. Right after breakfast one of my 3 boys will ask me what I am planning for dinner. Typically I tell them "I don't know" or "I'll be deciding that soon". It gets frustrating not having something planned or prepared for the evening meal. (or even have a plan for lunch)
So, this month, I got to review Lorrie Flem's book, "What's For Dinner, Mom?". There are 2 parts to the book. Part 1 gives several different ways to cook in bulk and freeze it. How to get organized and not feel overwhelmed. Lorrie describes what has worked for her & what hasn't worked for her, but leaves it so you can choose the best option for you because we are all different and like different things. She also has a great sense of humor and personality that shows in her writing. I really enjoyed part 1 because of how helpful it was to see that I am not alone in being slightly intimidated by the thought of preparing 1 months worth of meals. It was good to read how it can be implemented to save time and can help make things smoother in the evenings. I am actually excited to give this a try!
Part 2 is probably the best part. You may wonder why, or you may know. The recipes! She has meatless, chicken, beef, pork and many other recipes. Not all are freezer meals, but are relatively easy to cook. And I love to cook. My mom gave me that love early. I also love to make up my own concoctions. It's something I enjoy a lot.
So why haven't I tackled once a month cooking before? Probably the fear of making so many meals. I have several books about it, but the thought can be overwhelming. Lorrie definitely helps with her tips, thoughts and recipes. Even the tips from the moms who tried out the recipes were good to have. I love that she had friends help her out in this book writing adventure. It's good to see others advice.
I must say that while I am still somewhat nervous about cooking for a whole month, I do feel better equipped to do so.
You can get this book one of 2 ways.
#1 visit the Eternal Encouragement store. It is nearly 200 pages and is $12.97.
#2 comment on this blog and leave your e-mail address for a chance to win this helpful book! :) The winner will be chosen on June 23rd.
** I was given this product in exchange for my honest review of the product and was not compensated in any other way.
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