Mamas Make Happy

Today's tip & trick - On BEING A GREAT MOM! It's not about how pretty you are, your wardrobe, how many followers you have, your # of graduate degrees, skills in the kitchen, the quality of your photography skills, how crafty you are, how athletic or artistic or cool you are.... It is about what you do with who you are. You. Exactly YOU. You are enough for your kids. Being a great mama is about mastering the ability to harmonize the best version of your self with the unique needs of your child(ren). Find that harmonious (albeit loud, chaotic, & exhausting) path that allows you the freedom to be (& continually become) who YOU were created to be while providing the life space and energy to empower your child(ren) and other moms with that same freedom so that together we all comfortably and mostly-happily thrive. Not just co-exist. Because together we are raising the next generation of leaders, professionals, inventors, athletes, spouses, and PARENTS. Co-existing is NOT good enough. You have to be aware of your own needs and open to understanding the needs of your child(ren). You also need to be open to THE REALITY THAT THERE ISN'T ONE WAY TO DO EVERYTHING. It is all a very delicate balance. As long as a mom (or dad) isn't abusing, neglecting or exploiting their child then choose to respect them and even if you aren't close friends, choose to love them for being every bit as valuable to their kids as you are to yours. Today's Thrift - Keep an eye out for the awesome Instagram auctions! That is how I scored my gorgeous camera strap in the photo =)

Myth: Whatever doesn't kill ya makes you stronger. BUSTED. For months I've planned this (long) post. It never felt quite right. Today was supposed to be the day. But I hesitated at every opportunity. BECAUSE..... My heart is in at LEAST a million pieces right now. There's no single reason. It is a breaking point of sorts, the convergence of so many stressors. And I speak this not to point toward any reasons or garner pity and sympathy or solicit care packages at my door. (Though I do love mail). Rather, I say this to encourage you all to stay true to yourself, be open to reconciliation, and believe the best in others whenever possible. I encourage you to choose to listen and push yourself past your fears and assumptions, to understand others and love, love, love whenever possible. Keep chasing your dreams even when you are wounded by defeat. It is not the experience of defeat that makes you stronger -it is your response. I say all of this so *you* know *you* are not alone in your pain. Not one of us is alone. We all have scars, losses, fears, & regrets. Do NOT lose hope in your self, in your respective pursuits of becoming exactly who you were created to be and do ALL the things you were created to do. And if you have tiny humans then give them that same foundation. Reconciliation (within our selves, in relationship to others, in faith, & in society) is always possible. Reconciliation, whether intrapersonal or interpersonal or in larger contexts, is arguably the most powerful human experience.that exists. . I've seen reconciliation and restorative justice work in the most unimaginable contexts. The journey is never easy and sometimes the pain lingers for a long time. That is okay. You will heal. And if all else fails, fall back on these wise words, "I SHAKE IT OFF!"

Because I think a vacation would be amazing right about now.... #TellUs if you could get on a plane right now and go anywhere where would it be and why? {{@mamasnak💋}}

Now that we are lice-destroying experts, we want to share our experience and "knowledge-learned-the-hard-way" with Top 10 myths you need to understand about dealing with lice. You will have to visit our tumblr for the full list later today but most importantly is this MYTH #1 BUSTED: There IS NO SHAME in finding lice on your children or your self. There IS NOTHING WRONG with you as a person or with your parenting or lifestyle or with your kids or your home. You do not suck as a person, a mom (or dad), even if you don't notice until the infestation gets bad. TRUST us when we say that you will FEEL A LOT OF NEGATIVE FEELINGS when finding and treating lice in your home. There will be NO ENERGY left for shame. And there's no reason for it. In fact, as your treating and combing and washing and cleaning for hours and days on end, remember that there are SO SO SO MANY kids out there whose parents don't take care of it and that is why lice will never totally go away. It spreads like wildfire (literally) and will make you consider shaving everyone's head and throwing away everything you ever touched. It is THAT awful. But, you will get through it. And your kids will be fine before you are. #MythBustinMonday #bustbadmyths #createnewmyths #mamasgetreal #momlife #dadlife #pitfallsofparenting #justbreathe #top10 #mythbustinmamas

#soupsonsaturday I am SO glad it is cool enough to eat soup tonight! My oldest and youngest children are EASY at mealtime. IsaBella is an athlete so she typically makes excellent food/eating choices for herself. Plus she has allergies/sensitivities and hates to feel yucky after eating non-nourishing foods. Dominic loves real food over anything from a package (and ice cream). He eats everything I make just like the girls at that age. But Josephina now? She is super picky at dinner. Just dinner though. She will always eat some salad but I consider it a win if I get her to eat 1 other thing I make at dinnertime before I break out the almond butter and a spoon. She can literally inhale something one night and refuse it two days later. And don't even think you can mix things together. in the evening, everything must meet her taste, temperature, texture requirements and they can change day to day. All this to say, the roasted pumpkin soup I made tonight WAS A HIT! What issues do you guys face getting kids to eat meals?! What strategies do you use?! I am always looking for more ideas for the picky one! #pumpkin #roasted #paleo #organic #local #grassfed #instayum #foodiemama #raisingfoodies #instafood #dinner #yum #realfood #eatrealfood #farmfresh #vitamix

I am up WAY TOO early getting kids BACK to sleep. So here I am for #mamasfoodiefriday with Roasted Brussel Sprouts #organic #eatlocal #realfood #eatreal Though all of my children have gone through various phases of compliance with our family eating philosophy, I have always been able to get ALL of them to eat my salads, any smoothie or soup that I make, & BRUSSEL SPROUTS! These little beauties are frequently consumed at our house. We roast them in my homemade balsamic vinegarette or we shred them up and sauté like a salad (with other veggies) in the same dressing or bake them in delicious "casserole" with other veggies. I often add shredded Gruyere cheese and, if you eat meat, try adding shredded #bacon #grassfed of course. #goodeats #instayum #instafood #wellness #wholeness #paleo #paleofied #nourishyourbody #benourished #raisingnourishedkids

#mythbustinmondays are my #faveyfave - someday, you won't have to wait till the next day. Today's myth to bust: A woman cannot be a feminist or supporter of feminism and simultaneous be fully content and joyfully fulfilled by her role and her identity as a wife and mama. SO NOT TRUE. Feminism is defined by a movement that began in the late 19th century aimed at identifying, establishing & defending equal rights for women across political, economic, social & cultural realms. That is, gender equality. Not that women can do anything men can do, better. Not, women should want to do anything men can do. Not that women should feel ashamed if they want to be devoted wives and stay at home moms. Not that women have to hate men and shave their heads but stop shaving everything else. Not that women must supress their emotions and instincts. Instead, my friends, it is EVERYTHING that makes us women, & exactly who we are, that we deserve equality for. Women and men are different in significant ways - differences that should not be tossed aside in a blind battle for gender equality. We are all humans and equally valuable in our humanity. And we are all equally valuable in our contributions to society even when our contributions are not equally valued by society. Ponder that one for a bit. Over the years, MANY strong and courageous women led this movement together from a variety of unique perspectives and experiences. True feminism is representative of a movement that inspires and empowers every woman to dream to and embrace the freedom to become EXACTLY who she is created to be. From housewife to stay at home mom to teacher to dancer to surgeon to olympian to secretary to military general to President of one's country..... feminism should cover EVERY woman's dream and never exclude those who are unafraid of traditional roles. Feminism is about every woman finding the freedom to be secure in her body and in her choices for her self (& her family) and knowing that the choices she makes for her body and identity are equally valued by society as those of her male counterparts.

2nd night in a row of smoothies for #dinner and this is what #dominicjxander had to say to me: "You are dee best mama evah evah howe wide wirld" #mamasfoodiefriday #tgif #itshothere #itsREALLYhothere #vitamix #healthful #nourishing #organic #natural #goodeats #instayum #fruitsandveggies #local #realfood #wholefood #paleo Raw coconut water Coconut Kefir Frozen cherries Frozen blueberries Frozen beets Frozen carrots Spinach Kale Dates Gelatin Raw Almonds

Picked up this awesome magnetic wood puzzle from Costco for only $20! (They have a world & US one.) When you think Costco mostly you think bulk items & food but Costco has a great little book section & this time of year they tend to carry lots of good learning books! #tipstricksthrifts

In wrapping up the month of September and our "What is Peace?" unit for #escueladelmundo, we focused most of our energy today as 'imagineers' - I give them a scenario that needs a peaceful intervention and they go to the scrap boxes and imagineer a solution. Today they each built a machine that could feed all the starving children in the world by creating and transporting highly nutritious meals contained within a single seed. Each child receives a packet of 52 seeds that they plant at the start of the week. The seeds grow into flowers and meals for every day. The flowers produce more seeds that the children then replant continually and can never get hungry again. They did a second project that focused on rescuing the young Nigerian girls that were kidnapped. #mamasmakehappy #instasissies #unschooling #homeschooling #freedomschooling #freeschooling #free2imagine #freedom #raisingimagineers #siblings #peace #peacemaking #nonviolence #resistance #inventing #humanrights #birthright

people aren't always going to "get" you but my wish for you today is to remember that you are enough 💛

On the left: This is what I looked like upon arriving home at 5pm yesterday. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE field trips with my 3 lil' learner cubs. But.... crazy heat, farm animals, yellow jackets stings, 120 miles of driving (which I don't like), pumping gas (which I hate), one 6yo's hypoglycemic breakdown, an emergency smoothie stop, saying goodbye to friends I wished lived next door, and 9 total hours later, I just wanna shower us all, feed 'em leftovers or sandwiches (or almond butter on a spoon) and relax together on the couch, sipping tea, reading and watching Wild Kratts. But WAIT, the magical illusion breaks down before we even enter the house because we still live in a FULL ON construction zone. Boxes are still everywhere. It's a mess. My kids are exhausted. They will argue about what episode to watch. D will once again destroy the neatly organized PILES of clean laundry I still haven't put away and my husband will have left a mess for me to clean up in the kitchen. So...... my Natural Calm is pretty much my saving grace and THE ONLY way I relax these days. I've used it consistently to prevent migraines & heart palpitations, improve general magnesium intake, and aide in relaxation since I was pregnant with my first baby (because our life was super unstable then as well). If you are like me, you may get plenty of calcium (& vitamin D) in your diet but you likely do NOT get enough magnesium for your body to make full use of the calcium. Do you struggle with getting enough rest? Do you have migraines or heart palpitations or feel stiff and fatigued too often? I challenge you to try this amazing supplement for 30 days and tell me you don't feel better!!?? Seriously. Get the best price through Amazon Prime.

Often times there are misconceptions about homeschoolers not wanting outside influences to infiltrate or indoctrinate their children, that homeschool moms must know it all or that you have to be really smart in order to homeschool your children. Guess what it's a myth! There are a lot of things that I do not know how to do or that I am simply just not good at. I love having the time and freedom to be able to enlist the help of friends, family, and even professionals that can help teach our children the specific things that interest them. This allows them to be able to become masters of a craft or at least try it for a time and see if it something they wish to continue pursuing. For instance I do not know how to sew and my daughter is interested in becoming a fashion designer and making clothes. This week she will begin a personalized sewing class with my grandma. I am thrilled that we can carve time out of our weekly schedule for such enriching activities. Have you ever thought these myths were true? As a home educator how do you enlist the help of others in educating your children? #mythbustinmondays

Thursday means it's time to share some #TipsTricksThrifts... I love taking our kiddos on field trips but let's be real museums, galleries, and even amusement parks can be a major expense! So 2 tips today... 1. Be sure to check in with your favorite museums for monthly free days, homeschooling days, and sometimes even grandparents days! 2. Check with your local library for free passes. I had no idea these existed until a friend told me about them. Ask your local librarian if they offer free limited time passes for your favorite museum! ---> any tips or good deals to share with us this week? Comment below or even better post it on your page and tag us & we'll be sure to repost it to share with all of our friends!

I have so many #education -related #wishes for my 3 little cubs (& any more that come our way) but above all the knowledge gained, achievements made, and competitions won, it is my wish they our pedagogical approach will ensure that they remain FOREVER CLOSE and ALWAYS INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING ONE ANOTHER in their respective journeys towards their truest selves. I wish for them to #forever and #always be each other's greatest #champions. One of my favorite benefits to home-based education (though it also happens to be one of the biggest challenges at times) is that they spend SO MUCH time together unlike siblings who attend traditional schools. Every day they individually contribute to the collective experience. It is exactly what we want. I know it doesn't work for everyne but it makes this mama's heart sooooo #HAPPY #itshappyhere #mamasmakehappy #free2behappy #free2become #freeschooling #momlife #siblings #wishful #wishfulheart

Being that we are now in full swing with our school year I thought this week let's share wishes that pertain to our children's education... I wish for my children to always be hungry for knowledge. There are always new things to learn & discoveries to be made. I hope they will continue to embrace learning & be excited about their endless possibilities. What is your wish for your babies?

Sorry I am getting this in late. I've had it planned for over 2 weeks. It is a double-faceted bust, my friends. Here goes: *To ALL the young mamas, most of us (less young) mamas aren't judging you or questioning your abilities as a mama to your sweet babes so don't assume that all of us are! And *ALL older mamas, if you are one of the few making young mamas feel judged or criticized, do NOT assume every young mama is lacking in mama skills. Age does not determine "mamabilities"! It seems that many people in society assume that young mamas are directly linked to all sorts of problems like child neglect, child abuse, & child poverty. Actually those links are purely anecdotal and not backed by research. There is no magical AGE that makes a woman ready or worthy to become a mama. In fact, there are huge advantages to having babies when young and there are advantages to waiting until later in one's life. Either way, don't judge a mama by her age or assume she is judging you for yours! #mamasneedeachother #mamasmakehappy #happyhashtagaday #mythbustinmonday