Money Saving Mom®

Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I’m loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.

What’s Going On At Our House This Week

It was a summer of adventure for us. Filled with lots of spontaneity, memories, late nights, family togetherness, and a really, really relaxed routine.

It was good. So good. An amazing change of pace! And soul-filling for all of us.

But I’ll be the first to admit that my organized and structured personality is ready for a good schedule for everyone again! And I’m pretty sure the kids are, too.

So I was okay that this past week marked “Back to School Week” for us — even though there were a lot of mixed emotions along with it!

Kathrynne started 7th grade by heading to camp with all the 7-12th graders from her school (see below for more on that!), Kaitlynn started her homeschool year (Jesse’s homeschooling her in the morning and I’m homeschooling her in the afternoon), and Silas started 2nd grade.

I can already tell that this working full-time, homeschooling part-time, plus being a wife and mom and friend, and trying to get enough sleep + exercise + breathing room is going to be an interesting adventure! But this first week went really well!

I’m still tweaking our schedule somewhat and experimenting with a few things and I think it will be a few more weeks before I land on the right routine for this season, but I’m very hopeful based upon how this first week went that this year is going to be much smoother and less exhausting than I expected.

One of the biggest changes I’ve made is to get my focused work done from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. — I’m finding that’s when I’m freshest and most inspired and I get so much more done to work during my most ideal time versus waiting to start in on business work later in the day. Then, I’m focusing on homeschooling, time with the kids, and homemaking stuff in the afternoons. And then the evenings are reserved for chill time, hanging out as a family, exercise and reading.

What I Read Recently

I recently finished reading Ordering Your Private World (I savored a chapter every morning for the last few weeks. Highly recommended!) and A Long Way Home (fascinating story!)

{See my Reading Goals for 2017. Also, see the 60 books I’ve read so far in 2017 here.}

What’s Been Saving My Sanity

Systems are the key to a mom’s sanity! One of our systems: having the kids pack their lunches, pack their backpacks, and lay out their outfits (including shoes) for the next day — before dinner.

It makes mornings SO much easier and laid back. No scrambling to find missing shoes or clean uniforms and no stressing over discovering we’re out of sandwich ingredients.

Plus, having the kids do it themselves and me just checking on it gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership — and saves me time and effort! What are one of YOUR systems that save your sanity?

What I’m Pondering

Kathrynne went to camp for 4 days this past week (her school kicks off 7th-12th grades with 4 days at camp).

This is the first time she’s ever done something like this (we’ve never done sleepovers) and I found that I was constantly wondering about her… Is she sleeping okay? Is she doing okay? Is her introverted self feeling people-d out? And on and on it went.

The point of parenting is to raise adults to be sent out into the world to make a difference. But sometimes, I’m not so fond of thinking of that whole “sending out” thing. I want to keep my babes close to me forever!

But this slow letting go and letting them experience the world and learning how to function without my help for a few days is a good thing for both of us. And it reminds me that ultimately, I’m not in control of my kids’ lives and decisions.

I can do my best to make sure they are loved and cared for and nurtured, but I need to release them and their lives to God. My babes are His first, not mine.

There is so much more joy and less stress in parenting when I rest in that.

What I’ve Been Thinking About

“Crystal, I feel like you’re getting more done than you ever have before and yet you’re working less.” This remark from one of my employees last week caught me off guard.

I hadn’t really stopped to think about it, but after he said that, I mulled it over and realized it was true. The more I thought about it, the more I realized why I’m so much more productive these days than I ever used to be.

It’s two things, actually: 1) I stopped finding my worth in what I did and accomplished and checked off my list. 2) I’ve given myself permission to make REST a big priority in my life.

And by rest, I don’t just mean getting enough sleep. I also mean taking time to do things that restore, recharge, and refresh me. Not just once a week, but (usually) every single day!

I’ve stopped waiting until I was exhausted to take time to rest and recharge. I’ve started making it a part of my regular lifestyle.

Yes, it takes time — time that I used to think I didn’t really have! But now I realize that taking time to rest and refuel is some of BEST spent time!

What I’m Learning

See those flowers? No, not the colorful roses. I’m talking about the white tissue paper flowers. They represent something really transformative in my heart.

You see, my Kaitlynn (10) painstakingly made them and splattered them with gold paint for an extra special touch. They are absolutely beautiful.

But for years, I didn’t see much beauty in her creations. I only saw the “messes” she made in her wake. (Which to creative hearts aren’t messes at all but spaces where beauty and life is being birthed!)

I missed out on so much beauty because I only saw the mess. I didn’t appreciate the way God had wired my daughter because I tried to stuff her into my neat and tidy box. All the while, I was inadvertently crushing her spirit.

Her soul needs to be creating. She can’t not create. It’s in her DNA. Just like I am fulfilled by crossing things off a to do list and by having my kitchen clean, she feels fulfilled from creating.

It’s so different than me, but instead of being frustrated by it like I was for so long, I’m slowly learning to really savor and embrace it.
God knew that I needed a jolt out of my utilitarian, minimalist, INTJ, Type 8 world, so He sent me Kaitlynn.

And the more I fully accept and embrace her for who she is and how she is wired, the more I realize how much she adds to our home and to my life.

I don’t want to try to stuff her into that little box anymore! I want our home to be a canvas for her soul to breathe. So I’m proudly displaying these tissue paper flowers crafted with joy and sprinkled with gold!

They serve as a reminder to me to embrace everyone in my life for exactly who they are, instead of trying to make them into who I think they should be.

Links You Should Check Out:

• Looking for a work-at-home job? I highly recommend checking out this course! It’s an extremely well done, very encouraging course packed with advice, and offers a great listing of 100+ companies that hire at-home workers! (Read my review here.)
• If you wish you had more time for creative projects, be sure to read this post on Pocket Time.
• Need some parenting encouragement & inspiration? Check out this offer to  get a HUGE bundle of parenting resources for just $29.97!
• Are you a mompreneur? Do you live within driving distance of Nashville, TN? If so, I’d love to invite you to join me on August 17, 2017 for a FREE Dream + Do event.
• I finally finished blogging about our East Coast Road Trip! You can read all the posts by following the links at the top of this post here .
• Are you in the middle of Back-to-School Shopping? Be sure to check out all the best deals we’ve been sharing .

Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I’m loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.

We spent this past week at Bull Shoals Lake with all of my extended family this week (a tradition we’ve had since before I was married!). I was mostly been offline and it’s been fantastic to have time to just hang out with my family, have in-depth conversations, laugh together, enjoy swimming and water sports, and just have time to breathe and savor a quieter pace of life.

For the past 10 years or so, there’s been angst for me during this yearly lake vacation because I’ve felt the stress of trying to run a business plus take a “vacation.” So I’d either wake up really early or stay up really late or miss out on a lot of the activities and fun because I “had” to be back in the cabin blogging.

This year, even though I didn’t have as much time to prep ahead like I’d hoped, it truly has been a vacation for me. It’s not necessarily because my workload has decreased, but because my mindset has changed.

For instance:

• I’ve stopped living life feeling like I was a victim of my calendar and my inbox.
• I’ve stopped feeling like so many things were urgent and must-do’s.
• I’ve stopped believing the lie that I was the only one who could do most of my business tasks.
• I’ve stopped sacrificing sleep on the altar of productivity.
• I’ve stopped feeling like I have to post something every single day or at a certain time every day.
• Instead, I’ve started realizing that I am in control of my calendar and I can choose to say “no”.
• I am not obligated to say “yes” to other people’s requests (or even demands… because unfortunately, there are quite a few people who think that because I have a blog, it’s okay to get pretty bossy about what I should and shouldn’t post.).
• It’s okay if I disappoint people. It really and truly is.
• I can choose to get 7+ hours of sleep at night instead of feeling like I must wake up really early or stay up really late working.
• I can guiltlessly be offline for half the day and know that it’s going to be okay. As one of my friends reminds me often, “Did anyone die while you were offline? No? Well then I think you’re okay!”
• I’ve gotten really good at deleting emails and tasks that just aren’t really essential or necessary.
• I’ve gotten a LOT better about trusting my team to take care of things for me instead of exhausting myself by trying to micromanage all the tasks.
• It took a lot of heart work and personal healing and letting go for me to be able to get to this place, but the more I adopt this mindset shift, the more fulfilled and at peace I feel. The more I’m able to enjoy the present moment, savor what’s right in front of me, and love my life!

What I’m Feeling Bittersweet About

He starts SECOND GRADE on Tuesday! How did this happen??

We went to the back-to-school meeting yesterday. We met his fellow classmates. We saw his classroom. And the whole time my mama heart was all torn up inside.

Seeing our kiddos grow up is a beautifully bittersweet thing.

On the one hand, I’m SO proud of him. He’s grown up a great deal this past year. He’s come out of his shell in a big way. He’s thriving and living life with zest and gusto.

He’s become fiercely independent and highly responsible and so capable of taking care of himself… and he needs very little oversight from me.

And he’s going to Grammar School all by himself this year instead of with his two older sisters like last year. (Kathrynne is going into 7th grade so she’ll be in Lower Division this year and we’re homeschooling Kaitlynn.)

I know this is the best decision for him. I know that this is where he’s going to excel this year. And I know that he’ll be just fine, but it still makes my mama heart feel all the feelings to realize that my baby has grown up into a self-sufficient boy!

However, I’m so happy that in spite of how much he’s grown up and matured this past year, he still begins almost everyday telling me, “I love you, Mama!” And then coming and wanting to snuggle next to me for 10 minutes or so. It’s one of the best parts of my day!

Despite all the responsibility and self-sufficiency, deep down, he still loves and needs his mama! 😉

What I’ve Been Contemplating

“How do I make you feel most loved?” “What do I do that makes you feel most unloved?”

I asked my kids this question in the car on the road trip and then I listened to their honest answers, without defending or explaining myself.

You guys, I learned so much about my kids through these two simple questions.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E. And they want lots of it. Quality and quantity.

They want to know that their voice matters. That I care deeply about what they are interested in.

That I’m really listening when they are talking. That I want to hear about what they are excited about.

When they show me their artwork or creation or experiment or project, they want me to show genuine interest and enthusiasm and ask questions about it, praise specific parts of it, and appreciate the effort they put into it.

It’s so easy to get busy with life, with our own projects, with keeping everyone fed and clothed and on track, that we fall into a rut of not really paying attention.

Sure, we might act like we are listening, but when they are talking a mile a minute, we’re actually thinking about our projects and to-do’s and saying “uh-huh” and nodding along and responding “oh wow” or “cool” without really stopping to appreciate these amazing people and their gifts and their talents.

They are more perceptive than we realize. And if we stop really listening and paying attention when they are younger, they will eventually stop talking to us and find someone else to share their accomplishments and excitement and interests with.

I want to be my kids’ biggest cheerleaders. I want them to know that I’ve always got their back. I’m always FOR them. And even if no else else cares, I will always care.

As a result of my conversations with them, I’m more committed than ever to make really listening, really paying attention, really noticing, and really genuinely caring about what they care about my priorities as a mom.

It requires work, effort, sacrifice, and time. But I truly believe it’s one of the best investments I can be making right now in my life.

A few links for you to check out:

• My favorite menu-planning service is on sale for as low as $1.21 per week through tomorrow only (August 7th). Read all the details and my full review here.
• I shared my favorite Bran Muffin recipe this week on the blog. These are so healthful and yummy!
• As I mentioned above, we’re homeschooling Kaitlynn this coming year and I’m really excited about it! See what curriculum we’re using & more details here.
• Haven’t gotten a copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode yet? The Kindle edition is on sale for just $0.99 right now and you can get the hardcover book for just $3.33!
• Starbucks is offering all customers buy one, get one free Macchiatos through tomorrow (August 7th), from 2 to 5 p.m. each day. You’re welcome!
• My friend, Bekah, is starting this amazing monthly gathering for women called Pasture. It’s going to be incredible and if you’re in the Nashville area, I’d love to invite you to come! Read more about it here.
• I’m hosting a free class on Wednesday how to make a part-time income every month with my friend, Chandler Bolt. Sign up for free here.