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Shared Oct 23, 2015 comment

The Beauty of Motherhood

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 23, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I came downstairs after finishing my morning Periscope show to find this waiting for me.

Silas looked up from his schoolwork and said really sweetly, “I made that fruit for you, Mom!”

In that moment, I wasn’t noticing the spilled milk or the laundry that still needed to be finished or the yogurt container that someone had forgotten to put away or the mess in the middle of the living room. Instead, I saw a bowl of beautiful, nourishing fruit that my son had taken initiative to make to bless his mommy.

Today as moms, let’s look past the spilled milk and messes and laundry piles and see the beauty and the gifts all around us. A grateful, cheerful attitude is one of the best gifts we can give to our family!

Shared Oct 23, 2015 comment

I Used to Be So Organized (part 3)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 23, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

So I’m a little behind in getting my Book Club posts up this week on the book we’re reading. (I guess that might be because I’m still working on getting more organized. ;))

I do have good news to report and that is that I’ve been faithfully sticking with my commitment to not check email before 12:30 p.m. each day. It’s made SUCH a difference in my mornings! I’ve found that email was taking up so much brain space and energy… because once I checked it, then I would start composing responses, thinking through issues, and problem-solving — even for a long time after I had left my computer.

I’ve also been doing a much better job getting places on time and being ready on time for my daily Periscopes. Not perfect, mind you, but much better. And that makes me so happy!

Two quotes that I loved from the last two sections of the book were:

“At any moment, giving full attention to the one thing at hand is a hallmark of high performance.” -David Allen

That’s how I want to live. Fully present exactly where I am. Embracing the moment. Being 100% all there — instead of constantly feeling torn in five different directions. Making the change with my email this week has definitely helped with this big time and I’m excited to see how that plays out long-term.

“No matter how many times you’ve tried to get organized before, know that today is a brand-new day. Leave behind your past failures and weaknesses, You are the only one who places limits on your ability or disqualifies you because on your past.” (page 215)

Isn’t this such a great reminder?? Don’t stress over what you haven’t done or how you’ve failed in the past. Just get up and take the first babystep in the first direction. Right now, right here. Today is a new day!

How are YOU doing on the small habits you committed to wanting to stick with this week? I’d love to hear!

Next week, we’ll be going through Brene Brown’s book, Rising Strong. I’m so excited about reading this book as I’ve read all three other books by Brene Brown and my life will never be the same as a result of reading them.

So I can’t wait to dive into this one! I’ll be blogging and scoping through it beginning on Monday. Let me know if you’re joining us!

Shared Oct 22, 2015 comment

Q&A: “What would you say is your greatest key to success?”

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 22, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I am often asked what my greatest secret to success is. Honestly? I never know how to truly answer that question, because I think you’ll be surprised by my answer.

There are no secrets…only hard work. There have been grueling and exhausting seasons for me over the years, but the commitment, drive, and consistency have paid off.

Watch the video above to hear about what I think is the greatest marker of success in any kind of business.

Looking for more tips & advice? Sign up for my FREE 5-day How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home course!

Shared Oct 22, 2015 comment

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Cheesecake Recipe

Published: by crystal on October 22, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Head over to Kojo-Designs to check out this dairy-free, gluten-free cheesecake recipe!

Shared Oct 21, 2015 comment

Q&A: “Help! I’m so overwhelmed from trying to run a business!”

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 21, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you feeling overwhelmed from running a business? Do you feel like the work is never finished, and you’ll never catch up on your to-do lists?

When you’re on a mission to make money, your life can quickly become busy. In the midst of all of the hard work you’re investing in your business, it is SO important to not lose sight of the life that is happening all around you. Remember to savor the moment, slow down, and breathe.

Want to know a secret? The work will never be done. There will always be something else to do. In this video, I encourage you to put parameters in place and be your own boss. Do what you can do, do the best you can do, and be good with that.

Looking for more tips & advice? Sign up for my FREE 5-day How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home course!

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!

Shared Oct 21, 2015 comment

How I Juggle Homeschooling, Running a Business, & Life

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 21, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Hi Crystal! I am new to your blog. I was wondering if you could explain how you handle homeschooling with all of your other responsibilities? I own my own business in addition to homeschooling, so I was hoping you could give me some tips on how you juggle it all. I feel like I’m drowning sometimes and just mediocre at everything, but not really excelling at my job or homeschooling. Thanks! -Sara

Hi, Sara!

This is one of the questions I am asked most often! I think people somehow think I’ve discovered some secret to “doing it all”! 🙂 Yes, I do juggle multiple balls, but I can I assure you I don’t have it all figured out.

I’m not superwoman. I struggle. I sometimes feel frazzled and frustrated. And I often drop balls on accident. So please keep this in mind.

Superwoman doesn’t have any clones — or at least none whom I’ve ever met before. 🙂 We’re all learning, growing, and making mistakes in life. All of us have strengths and weaknesses and none of us have uncovered the magic pill for perfect execution of life.

Over time, I have discovered different tricks and tactics that help me be able to juggle more and have more of a healthy balance and I’ll happily share them with you in hopes that might inspire you. But remember that I’m often a hot mess and if you dropped by our home unexpectedly (or even expectedly!) on some days, you’d know this is definitely the truth!

1. I Try to Be Organized

Try is the key word here, because I am definitely not perfect with this. I’m not always as organized as I’d like to be, but I try really hard to keep everything in order to the best of my ability.

I’ve found that if you never let things get completely out of control, it makes such a difference in your ability to juggle multiple balls and wear multiple hats — without feeling completely overwhelmed.

A few specific strategies that help me:

I use Google Calendar to brain dump and schedule tasks.
I use time blocks to organize my to-do list each day.
I aim to clean out my email inbox every single day.
I also try to stay on top of clutter.

Setting up boundaries for different areas and responsibilities in my life helps me compartmentalize and stay focused. When I am focusing on one area, I want to be all there — not distracted in 10 different directions.

If I am working on business, I try to close down all other outside distractions so I can focus 100%. If I am spending time with my family or homeschooling, I leave the computer and phone in another room so that I can be 100% present.

In addition, I’ve found that clutter not only clutters my home, but also my life and my mind. Being really ruthless about getting rid of clutter helps me be more organized. We have systems for how we keep our house clean on a daily basis so that it rarely gets out of control and usually stays 15-45 Minutes to Company Ready.

These are just a few of the many ways I try to maintain an organized life and business. This organization allows me to be efficient and productive, stay on task, and knock out huge chunks of my to-do list each day.

2. I Say No a Lot

Almost every single day, I say no to an endorsement request, a speaking gig, a special project, an invite to be on a podcast, or some other opportunity.

I have to say no constantly. Not because I want to, but because I know that I can’t do it all. As a result, I have to be very careful about what I say yes to that is outside of my normal responsibilities.

A few examples:

I say no to many extracurricular stuff. For example, we’re not in a homeschool co-op. Right now, our children are each in one activity (Kathrynne is on swim team, Kaitlynn does ice skating, and Silas does baseball), and that’s what we set the limits at so that our family doesn’t have too many obligations each week.

I don’t have very many regular weekly commitments. Right now, I’m in a six-week Bible study, we have our Monday Group, and we are involved in a community group at church. Aside from those commitments and our kids’ activities, I know we don’t have any room in our schedule right not to add new regular weekly commitments. Not because we wouldn’t love to, but because we know we need white space in our schedule or we’ll start feeling harried and hurried.

I also say no to busyness. I am very intentional about carving out time each week for rest, because I know that it’s something I need. For example, I don’t blog on Sundays. I pre-schedule stuff on social media, but I’m usually not on email or my blog at all on Sundays. Sunday is my day to recharge and I carefully guard it. I sometimes even turn my phone off all day long just so that I can really unplug. As an introvert, I have to take time to recharge. I have to make time for rest. Otherwise, if I try to keep going and going and going, I will burn out.

When I say yes to one thing, that means I’m saying no to something else. I want to make sure every yes is carefully considered and fits into our priorities as a family.

3. I Have Help

This is really important and I want to be completely honest about the fact that, at this season of my life, I have a lot of help.

Because I’m a work-at-home mom, I have had to come to terms with the fact that I will not be able to do everything. Homeschooling, my marriage, time with family and friends, and rest are priorities in my life. In order for those to be a priority for me, I’ve had to delegate other things — without guilt.

There are many, many areas I have help in:

My husband is amazing. I always say that I am not superwoman, but I am married to superman. 🙂 He wasn’t this way when we got married, and he will really admit that as well. It’s been incredible to see how God has changed his heart and my heart in this regard. He does half of the homeschooling — math, science, and language arts. He loves cooking and planning healthy menus and trying new recipes, so he does almost all of the menu-planning, grocery shopping, and cooking for our family right now. He also takes care of all of our bill paying and anything to do with the finances. We sit down and discuss it together and we are on the same page with our goal planning and budgeting, but he’s the one who carries it out.
We go out to eat once per week. We budget for this, and we love that it gives us a break as a family together once each week.

My kids are a huge help. They help with laundry, cooking, some business stuff, and cleaning/picking up.

We have cleaners that come once a week. This was hard for me at first. It seemed so extravagant and ridiculous, but I quickly realized that they were saving me at least 5 hours a week and the time I was “buying back” was so worth the money we paid each week. They dust the house, deep clean the floors, and clean all of the bathrooms, among other things. I’ve also found that it motivates me to keep my house more orderly and picked up for when they arrive on their cleaning day. {Yes, we clean up the house for the cleaners to come!!}

I have a great team of people who help me with my business. There is NO way I could run this business without a great team of people. We are focusing as much as possible on getting me to a place where I am the community engager and content creator — writing posts, doing periscopes, responding to comments, etc. We’re not quite there yet, and I’m still involved in many more details than I need to be, but we’re slowly working toward that!

It’s not always easy juggling everything, and I have to give myself grace on those hard days. I can’t do it all! Instead, I want to focus on doing what I can do and not stressing about what I can’t do.

So bottom line is this: my best advice is to determine your few priorities worth focusing on, delegate or say no to everything else you possibly can, remember not to shoot for unattainable perfection, and give yourself grace.

For those of you who are juggling multiple responsibilities in life, what other advice and suggestions do you have for Sara? I’d love to hear!

Shared Oct 21, 2015 comment

Enter to win two Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day prize packs from ePantry!

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 21, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Did you see the amazing Mrs. Meyer’s Seasonal Scents deal that ePantry is offering exclusively to MoneySavingMom.com readers? (It includes over $29 worth of FREE products!)

In addition to this great deal, the team at ePantry is running a fall giveaway that is also exclusive to MoneySavingMom.com readers!

Just head over here to their giveaway page and enter your e-mail address for your chance to win two sets of all the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products in your favorite scent – that’s one for you and one for a friend!

Giveaway ends on October 22, 2015 at 8 pm CT.

The winner will be chosen and contacted on Friday, October 23, 2015.

Click here to enter ePantry’s Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Prize Pack giveaway

Shared Oct 21, 2015 comment

4 Questions To Ask Before You Decide to Work From Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 21, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Brittany of Equipping Godly Women

Two years ago, when my son was born, I quit my teaching job to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. I figured I would only be able to stay home for a few months before I would have to find some type of part-time job to help cover our bills. After all, babies aren’t cheap and we didn’t have much in the way of savings.

Eventually, I would have to go back to work, but I hoped we would at least make it through the holidays with me at home.

Little did I know that just a few weeks later I would come across an article that would change my life forever.

When I read “4 Websites Absolutely Anyone Can Use to Make Money Online,” a guest post on MoneySavingMom.com, and signed up for Textbroker, I didn’t think much of it. I figured I might make a few bucks here and there until the day I had to go get a “real job”.

Well, it’s been two years now, and I’m now a work-at-home mom. I absolutely love it!

Are you looking for ways to increase your family’s income, pay down your debt, or provide a little extra breathing room in your budget? Do you need or prefer a job you can do from home while still taking care of your children? If so, working from home might be a good option for you!

Here are four questions you should ask yourself when considering if working from home is right for you.

1. Do You Have the Time?

Working from home may be much more flexible and convenient than working in a traditional office setting, but it is still a job, and jobs require time. If your schedule is already jam-packed with church and family commitments or if your children are very young and require a lot of time and attention, you may not have the time to be as successful as you’d like.

This doesn’t mean you can’t work a little, or that you can’t wait and find a work-at-home job when your schedule clears up. It just means you need to be realistic with the amount of time that working from home can take. It’s more than you might think.

2. Do You Have the Drive?

Of course, all of the time in the world is not going to be enough if you don’t have the drive and motivation to use it properly. When you work from home, you don’t have a boss staring over your shoulder, making sure you get things done. It is up to you to find or make the time to complete your responsibilities, whether you feel like it or not.

I’ll be honest. There are plenty of times when I’d much rather lay on the couch eating cookies and playing on Facebook than sitting down to write. There are plenty of distractions and plenty of other things I’d rather be doing instead. Yet, I know if I don’t get my work done, I’m not getting a paycheck that week. Self-discipline is a must.

3. Is Your Family Supportive?

The decision to work from home doesn’t just affect you; it affects your family too. Who will take care of your children while you are working? If you will limit your work times to when your children are sleeping, when will you spend time with your husband? Will your family still expect you to complete all of your typical household duties in addition to working, or are they willing to help out?

Even if time isn’t a factor, many people are under the mistaken impression that work-at-home moms just hang out at home on Facebook all day. Will you be able to handle the criticism if people start telling you that you need to “get a real job?”

4. Have You Considered the Downsides?

As much as I absolutely love being a work-at-home mom, I have to admit that it does come with some downsides. For example, working from home often means you get limited adult interaction, you have to keep track of your own taxes (which are expensive!) and you really have to be proactive about going out and finding work.

Finding the balance between work and home can be tricky, since you’re always at work, and the hours can be quite long.

Even with the downsides, though, working from home can be a fantastic solution for individuals who want to be able to spend time with their children and still contribute to their family’s income. It’s the perfect solution for me, and it might be for you too!

Have you ever considered working from home?

A devoted Christian, wife and mother, Brittany loves helping other women grow in these roles as well. When she isn’t busy taking care of her growing family, you can find her at Equipping Godly Women, where she regularly shares tips, tricks and encouragement to help you be the amazing woman God created you to be. Brittany is also the author of “Putting God First: How to Make God the #1 Priority in Every Area of Your Life,” now available on Amazon.

photo source

Shared Oct 20, 2015 comment

How to Build a Business Without Completely Exhausting Yourself

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

“I was wondering how a mom of three little ones (mine are ages 5, 3, and 1) can find the time to grow a blog without killing myself? – Sarah on Twitter

I often get questions from many of you who are wanting to build a business but feel frustrated by the lack of time you have to devote to it. Maybe you are like Sarah and have young children at home, or maybe you’re working another full-time job and you’re not sure how to find the extra time to devote to that business idea you’ve always had.

Whatever it is, here are a few tips to help you build your business without completely exhausting yourself:

1. Make The Time.

Look at your schedule right now. Is there another activity that you’re doing that maybe isn’t as important to you as building a business is?

Maybe it’s social media, TV, mindless browsing on the internet, or something else. None of these are necessarily bad things to be spending your time on, but maybe you can find one activity to replace with business-building time.

2. Borrow The Time.

If every single minute of your day is filled with important things, maybe you can’t make the time. If that’s the case, you may need to borrow the time by cutting something else out of your life.

When you say “yes” to one thing, you have to say “no” to something else.

It could be a good thing that you have to cut, but if it’s not as high of a priority as building your business, then you might have to choose to say no to something in order to borrow the time to put your business idea into motion.

3. Buy The Time.

This may not be something you’re able to do in the beginning, but as you get further along in your business, it might be a great idea for you. Sometimes hiring help is so worth the time you get back.

Maybe you need to hire a babysitter to give yourself a couple hours each week to invest in your business. Maybe you need to hire someone to do your laundry. You could even swap services with someone — perhaps another mom who needs time to invest in her business, too. Maybe it’s picking up takeout once per week to save time on making dinner and cleaning up the kitchen once per week.

In my book, Say Goodbye To Survival Mode, I tell the story of the moment when I realized the best thing I could do for my family and sanity was to hire a Mother’s Helper. When my children were very young, I was stretched way too thin and found myself very overwhelmed.

So we hired a young girl from our church to come over one day a week and help us with laundry and other tasks around our house. I felt like it was an extravagant choice, but it ended up being one of the best decisions we every made.

photo from Melissa at the ATimeforEverything Etsy Shop

How Much Time Do You Need?

When deciding whether you need to make, borrow, or buy time, you need to set goals and figure out how much time you’ll need in order to meet them.

Ask yourself what your goals are. Where do you want your business to be and where you’d like to be financially within 3-6 months, or even a year? What season of life are you in? What is realistic at this time of your life?

Set some realistic goals and then break those goals down into bite-sized pieces. This will help you figure out what kind of time you need each day in order to meet your goals. Once you have those time blocks figured out, add it to your calendar each day.

Treat it as an appointment, set your timer, and start chipping away at your goals slowly over time. This will help you gain traction towards your goals without feeling overwhelmed.

An Important Reminder

Everyone is in a different season and situation. Don’t compare yourself to other people, or you will always feel like you’re coming up short. You’ll try to run yourself ragged trying to do what other people do.

If you can only work on your business for 15 to 30 minutes every couple of days, that’s okay. Do what you can do, and focus on that.

Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. You have to give yourself grace if you want to be in it for the long haul and be successful without completely exhausting yourself.

Want more ideas, inspiration, and advice on how to build a business from home? **Click here to order a copy of my brand new Money-Making Mom book!**

What other suggestions do you have for finding time to build a business without becoming completely exhausted in the process?

Shared Oct 20, 2015 comment

Register for tomorrow’s FREE event in Franklin, TN!

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you coming to my FREE event with the MOMS group of Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN tomorrow morning?

I just found out that they’d love to get a head count on who is attending. Can you do us a HUGE favor and register here (it’s free!)?

This will be a small and intimate event — which is one of my favorite kinds because it means I get to spend more one-on-one time with attendees!

Here are the details you need to know on tomorrow’s FREE event:

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Harpeth Christian Church, 1101 Gardner Drive, Franklin, TN 37064
What: I’ll be giving my Say Goodbye to Survival Mode presentation as well as sticking around for a short Meet & Greet after the event.

Note: This presentation is great for any woman who feels harried and hurried. Tomorrow’s presentation will be specifically geared toward young moms, but anyone is welcome to attend.

Any questions? You can call 615-790-0104.

Register for this FREE event here.

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!

Shared Oct 20, 2015 comment

I Used to Be So Organized (part 2)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today, we’re reading section 2 from I Used to Be So Organized (pages 47-83, chapters 4-7). I loved this quote:

“Success with small, solid, disciplined habits leads to achievement with greater projects. Which is why making your bed and being on time for church are important habits to master.”

I told you yesterday that I was going to work on two small habits this week: the habit of timeliness (especially being on time for my daily Periscope shows) and the habit of not checking my email until after 12:30 p.m..

Here’s the thing: both of those seem pretty small and simple. They don’t require tons of effort or time to pull off. They require intention and planning ahead — but not in massive amounts. Just little tweaks and changes.

But by making those two small habits a priority yesterday, it made a HUGE difference in my day. I felt so much more at peace. My house stayed cleaner. I was able to be more present with my family. I got more done, too!

And things like this large laundry pile that is staring me in the face today don’t feel so overwhelming or stressful. It’s amazing the difference small tweaks and changes can make in our overall outlook, energy, productivity, and joy!

Also, be sure to catch the end of my scope this morning where I shared another quote from this book that I especially loved.

How are YOU doing on the 1-2 habits you committed to yesterday? Tell us in the comments. (And if you didn’t commit to something, go ahead and leave a comment telling us what you’re committing to.)

Shared Oct 20, 2015 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Happy Tuesday! How is your week going? It’s only Tuesday, I know, but so far, it’s been SUCH a great week for me! Here’s how I did on my goals list last week:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

~~2. Have an at-home Movie Date with Jesse.~~

~~3. Finish reading a book with the kids.~~

~~4. Watch the Democratic debate as a family~~ (my kids are loving watching all of the debates and discussing all things political right now!)

Personal Goals

~~5. Start working on a new handwork project.~~

~~6. Finish at least one book.~~

Business Goals

~~7. Finish article due for my book launch.~~

~~8. Do a Money-Making Mom scope each afternoon at 3 p.m.~~ (Are you joining us for this? If not, you can download the Periscope app and search for my name or @MoneySavingMom to join in live. Or, you can watch the replays on Katch.me/MoneySavingMom)

~~9. Everything done for special Influencer Boxes to go out to about my new book.~~

~~10. Write emails to go out to email lists about book launch.~~

Here are my goals for this week:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Write a love note to Jesse.

2. Have an at-home Movie Date with Jesse.

3. Finish reading a book with the kids.

4. Watch (or listen to!) the Royals games together. {GO ROYALS!}

Personal Goals

5. Keep working on the boot cuffs I’m knitting.

6. Read through I Used to Be So Organized & blog about it every day.

7. Work on being on time for my daily Periscope shows.

Business Goals

8. Don’t check email until after 12:30 p.m. every day.

9. Do a Money-Making Mom scope each afternoon at 3 p.m. (Are you joining us for this? If not, you can download the Periscope app and search for my name or @MoneySavingMom to join in live. Or, you can watch the replays on Katch.me/MoneySavingMom)

10. Send out the very first Money-Making Mom email newsletter (want to be on the list? Sign up for my free 5-day course on How I Make a Full-Time Income from Home here.)

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Shared Oct 20, 2015 comment

31 Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Crockpot Freezer Meals

Published: by crystal on October 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Kelly from New Leaf Wellness has put together a list of 31 gluten-free, dairy-free crockpot freezer meals. You can download her free printable that includes all of the recipes and a grocery list.

Shared Oct 19, 2015 comment

Q&A: “What is your best time management tip?”

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 19, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Do you have multiple goals you’re hoping to accomplish? Do you feel overwhelmed with your business ideas or to-do list?

It can be difficult to reach your goals while also tending to everyday tasks and responsibilities. It is so easy to jump into multi-tasking mode, but I actually recommend doing the exact opposite!

Learn about my best time management tip in this video and how it can propel you towards reaching your goals.

Looking for more tips & advice? Sign up for my FREE 5-day How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home course!

Shared Oct 19, 2015 comment

The Best Birthday Present A Girl Could Ever Hope For

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 19, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As you all know, I celebrated my birthday while we were in South Africa. It was one of the most memorable birthdays ever… and for a number of different reasons!

The day before we left for South Africa, our Monday Group planned a surprise Birthday Party for me complete with streamers, cake, candles, a birthday banner, balloons, a specially-decorated birthday seat, flowers, and brand-new grown-up coloring books. And then they ended the night by praying over our family before our South Africa trip.

It meant SO much to me that they’d go to all that effort for me and our family. The best part was that when we walked in and I saw all the decorations, I was feeling terrible that it was someone’s birthday and I didn’t know whose it was.

I thought I must have missed a text or something… And then they all hollered “Happy Birthday” to me as I rounded the corner and I realized that it was MY birthday this week!!

I guess that’s what happens when you turn 34. You start forgetting things right and left — including your own birthday!

The next day, we boarded a plane for the 15-hour flight to South Africa. It was not the calmest of flights — and we arrived in South Africa feeling tired and ready for bed.

But that night and the next morning were hard. As I blogged about before…

I lost my really important bag with my medicine, supplements, glasses, and contacts at the airport. (They never found it and we can’t figure how or where it disappeared.)
I had been up for a few hours in the middle of the night with very cranky, jet-lagged kids.
I had tried to blow dry my hair and burned up the motor my blow dryer + flipped the breaker to a bunch of outlets.
I was tired, couldn’t see (because of not having contacts), and my head was throbbing because I didn’t have my allergy meds.

Lisa-Jo’s parents had prepared this beautiful breakfast spread for us.

And they gave me this amazing print of South Africa that is now is a special place in our room.

But as you can probably tell from the photo above, I wasn’t feeling well. I was tired, my allergies were acting up, my head was throbbing, and I was feeling stressed about not having my medicine or contacts. I can’t see enough to really function without contacts and I will have throbbing headaches from allergies without my meds.

So I knew it was going to be a really, really bad week if I couldn’t find replacement contacts or medicine. I had soaked my contacts from the day before in contact solution overnight and knew I could probably get one or two more day’s use out of them, but beyond that, I knew I was going to be in trouble.

And then our kids were having a very hard time waking up. They had bad attitudes, they were crabby, and they plain just didn’t want to get going.

We finally all got out the door and then Silas threw up.

It felt like it was starting off to be the worst birthday ever. I had so looked forward to being in South Africa. We’d been planning this trip for months. I’d been giddy with excitement about bringing my family here. But honestly, I was trying so hard to choose joy, but wondering if maybe we’d made a big mistake in coming to South Africa.

I decided that instead of being frustrated over things I couldn’t change or fix, I instead was just going to trust God and rest that He was going before me in this. And it was beautiful to see how the day ended up being so much better than I could have ever imagined!

Our first stop was to visit this wood-working shop. I was utterly blown away. Like I wanted to squeal and cry all at once.

You see, when I was in South Africa in January, we had many discussions about the possibilities of helping the locals learn more marketable skills (most can’t think of jobs outside of being domestic workers or security guards or gardeners).

It was just a dream in January, now they have a real live work-working workshop, suppliers, trainees, and customers!!

And they have big, big visions of how this small operation might someday be a big scale operation making a huge difference in the lives of this very needy community!!

As I wrote when we were in South Africa:

This is Peet. He is spear-heading the new wood-working shop. I wanted to stay and talk to him all day long!

I was so inspired and challenged by his passion, compassion, and vision. This wood-working shop is located in a very poor area of South Africa (Hammanskraal) and the long-term goal is to train and equip young entrepreneurs and provide a desperately-needed source of income for this community.

I wish you could have met Peet! He not only wants to teach South Africans craftsmanship, but he wants to help them develop a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and an entrepreneurial spirit — three things that are not commonly taught or exemplified to the young people in this area.

As we left the shop, Peet handed me this beautiful tray that he had made especially for me. I was touched beyond words and cannot wait to display this new piece of South Africa in our home. It will serve as a constant reminder to me to pray for Peet and his family for God to richly bless their self-sacrificial efforts to make an impact in this community.

Next, we drove to Reagoboka — where a crowd of children had been waiting for quite a long while to greet us.

And I got to see the first on-the-ground glimpse at the two-room classroom that YOU ALL HELPED TO BUILD.

Again, I was blown away. Again, I didn’t know whether to cry or squeal. I had goosebumps and was overcome with emotion.

Because folks, it’s utterly humbling to think that God would use me — the girl who never went to college, the girl who was shy and insecure, the girl who still struggles with anxiety, the girl who is often a hot mess — to be a part of making this classroom possible.

There aren’t adequate words to describe how humbling and exhilarating it feels. As I wrote when we were in South Africa:

Each of you who bought a copy of Make Over Your Mornings the day it launched helped pay for the bricks and the concrete and the local labor and the classroom supplies to build this brand-new two-room classroom!!! And we got to unveil it to the teachers and children this week.

It. Was. Amazing!!! To think that all of us together are having a little part in making a BIG difference in this community of very vulnerable children — it’s surreal, humbling, and goose-bump-inducing.

THANK YOU for partnering with me to be the hands and feet of Jesus on this project!!! I wish you could have been there to share in the excitement and see and hear the gratitude they expressed to us.

And then there were no words to describe how beautiful it was to see my husband and kids falling in love with everyone in South Africa, too.

Be still my heart.

My boy, Silas, was very nervous about this trip. He doesn’t do new or change or different very well. He’s shy. He introverted. And he would usually prefer to be right next to his mama when we’re in unfamiliar situations.

So when I looked over and saw this, my mama heart just about broke in two.

These boys put their arms around Silas, held hands with him, and embraced him — like they knew he was awkward and shy and they wanted to make sure he felt welcome and one of them. It was beyond beautiful.

Seeing my kids face their fears, jump outside their comfort zone, and love beyond language barriers was one of the greatest gifts I could ever have been given as a mom.

And just as I suspected, they fell madly in love with these kids — just like I had in January!

Brian, my manager and friend (who came with us on this trip) fell in love with these kids, too! As I knew he would!

After spending time with the kids — singing and dancing and hearing them share some special songs, it was time to get the classrooms ready to unveil to them.

We had brought a number of special items to outfit the classrooms (all that your contributions helped to pay for — including furnishings, school supplies, and more.)

We all helped to get everything situated so that we could unveil the classrooms.

We took a before picture — this is the classroom that all of the kids had been squeezing into and taking turns using. I’d say the may have outgrown it just a bit. 🙂

These pictures don’t really need explaining do they?? I can’t begin to tell you how excited the teachers and kids were. It was SUCH an amazing experience!!

Truly, the best birthday gift a girl could ever wish for. I kept feeling like pinching myself thinking, “I can’t believe I’m really here! I can’t believe this is really happening!”

Aren’t these classroom colors so fun??

We brought some fun toys and dress up clothes for the kids — which they had a blast trying out and trying on!

And then we all put our handprints on a poster board that they are going to paint and put up in the classrooms… so that we left a little piece of us back in South Africa! 🙂

That night, they had planned a beautiful party for me. And while the day started on such a bad note, by the end of it, there were no words to describe just how blessed and happy I felt. I think this picture speaks a thousand words.

It was worth all the effort to get to South Africa. It was worth the tiredness and the mishaps and the throw up and the cranky children.

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And it truly was the best birthday a girl could have ever hoped for.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

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1. I Try to Be Organized

2. I Say No a Lot

3. I Have Help

1. Do You Have the Time?

2. Do You Have the Drive?

3. Is Your Family Supportive?

4. Have You Considered the Downsides?

1. Make The Time.

2. Borrow The Time.

3. Buy The Time.

How Much Time Do You Need?

An Important Reminder

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Business Goals

Business Goals

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