What’s Saving My Life Now- Mom Edition, Part 1
Let’s pretend we are sitting down for coffee and you ask me, “what is saving your life right now as a mom?” And then I just tell you everything I can think of. This is what today’s post is all about!
I can’t believe we wrapped up another school year with the kids. And now that the dust from Maycember has settled, I am adjusting to a new routine with two boys home, balancing work and home duties. It’s definitely been an adjustment, but I found this exercise of thinking through what is saving my life really opened my eyes to what is around me!
So…I wrote down everything that was saving/enhancing my life. But then I paused, prayed and really contemplated it, and came up with the things that really keep me going through the days. And the best part about this list? They don’t cost anything. (I do have a list of products that are blessing my life right now, and I’ll share those in a future post.)
With that said, I am grateful for other blessings I have been surrounded with:
-Jesus. #1 thing saving my life. His presence is full of love, grace and patience. Actually saving my life. He gets me through each day. Grateful that the longer I walk with him, the more real He becomes to me, the more I hear His voice. I’ve been reading my Bible and parenting devotional every morning, and look forward to this ritual daily.
-My husband. My mainstay and support that I do life with. Grateful to have him as my best friend, #1 fan and incredible father to our kids. So so blessed.
-Moving my body. Everyone is different. I LOVE going to Burn Boot Camp, but in summer, I am acknowledging the season I am in with kids at home and giving myself grace to adjust what moving my body looks like. So for the summer, this looks like more walks/runs and weights at home with an ankle support brace, simple morning exercises, jumping on the trampoline and playing basketball with the kids, mailbox walks (more on that later), etc.
-Morning coffee. I’m convinced it never tastes as good as first thing in the morning, with a quiet house and a cozy blanket as I watch the birds outside or read my Bible (It also tastes good iced in the afternoon with some protein powder!)
-Pushups. I know, stick with me. I’ve gotten into the habit of doing 10-15 pushups (and a few ab exercises) every day in the month of May and trying to continue this month. I do it first thing in the morning coupled with 10 minutes in the Bible and it is so life giving- awakens my body and soul and makes me feel stronger all around. Join me for 10 + 10, you’ll be glad you did!
-The library. Nothing better than finding your next great read…and for the kids too- we love to read on the porch outside. The kids also love Playaway audio books, and we’ve been doing 90s themed family movie nights on Friday nights showing them all the classics we get from the library…because I’m convinced the movies were better back then HA! (And though not from the library, I’d also put podcasts in this section. They are free and so many I listen to are so richly packed with life giving stuff. I’ll try to do a post on my faves soon!)
-Porch hangs. Giving me so much life. There’s something about fresh air and being comfortable in the shade. We eat our meals there, play board games, chat, take naps, entertain there, you name it. It’s one of my favorite spots in our home, truly.
-Mailbox walks. Something about moving your body and thinking, being in nature, praying. One of the greatest gifts. Plus, a great way to get some steps in. We have a longer driveway, so it’s lovely to take a 8ish minute pause to get the mail if I need a break from a stressful day. We also try to walk the driveway as a family after dinner when we don’t have baseball! It’s amazing the conversations that occur during this time— kids just open up.
-Hot bath or long shower. Dump in some epsom salts, grab a book or just dim the lights and sit. Use the fancy soap/scrub you never use to make it more indulgent. It’s like bookends in the day: hot coffee and a hot bath/shower- perfection!
-Eating good foods and drinking water. Real, nourishing food and hydration make me feel SO much better in so many ways. Vital to me functioning well, being a good Mom, worker, etc. I’ve been enjoying planning our family’s weekly menu and making as much food as home as possible. You can check it out on Instagram stories.
-Meaningful connections with friends. While life is busy and social time with friends can often take the back burner, it’s important to set aside time to meet with friends, share experiences and encouragement and touch base. I’ve been grateful to have a handful of women that I can Marco Polo, meet for coffee, walk or Costco run, sit in a sweaty mess with after a workout, have our families over, etc. that demonstrate what true Christian friendship is, and it’s life giving!
All these things are SO life giving. And yes, coffee and food do cost money, but this is the good stuff of life that I like to prioritize and focus on.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
This post is in partnership with Responsival.