Science Fair Queen

Hello working mothers!!!! It has been such a long time, please forgive me, but I have truly been mothering while working like never before! So much so, that I have not posted in weeks, however my thoughts have been with the blog and this week I felt called to the blog to express thoughts about this all important balancing act of "mothering while working". This week was filled with "Aha" moments for me. The type of "Aha" that requires rethinking how much can one continue to mother while working. At some point we have to make a decision to do for ourself so that we can truly and effective be the mothers God calls us to be. It is such a duality that sometimes I can't believe I am doing it, despite all that life has thrown at me lately (remember life is happening while we are working, mothering, living, its all how we respond). My goal is always my family first, I never sacrifice beyong reason when it comes to my family. It helps to have a wonderful support system in my husband and children. Each day is a new experience and a trial that I welcome. It forces me to stay in my prefrontal lobes when my limbic system wants to take over and my brain stem wants me to throw a temper tantrum-LOL.

I hope all of you working moms are doing well and are doing even better at mothering while working. Just to give some context to my week: I trained every single day this week in different towns throughout NC including a presentation for a national conference. In addition, I balanced promoting my business (http://www.enterngome.com/) and helping my 3 superstars with their science projects. Talk about exerting some serious brain cells. Can you say "Wore Out"! I am learning to accept that there is no rest until you take your last breath. God willing, my time will be enough to witness the fruits of my seeds.

The payoff came today when the children set-up for the science fair at their school. Although I was restless, listless, irritable, on the brink of collapsing while trying to help get all the last minute details of each project in place before they set-up, I became instantly inspired when I saw a room full of children and their parents engaged with their projects. The little battery life I had left suddenly recieved a jump that lasted til the end of the science fair. For some reason almost half the children including one of mine decided to do volcanoe's. Somewhere there must be a volcano on the brink of erupting because these children exhibited every variation and modality of a volcano that you can imagine. Glow in the dark volcanoes, trash bag/soda bottle volcanos, plaster volcanos, you name it, they had it.

At a time when schools are struggling with parent participation, I bear witness that each and every time you put children on display, the parents will come out and support their children. The science fair judge even gave my husband and I a gold seal sticker for participating. Trust me when I tell you I was not ashamed to ask for one, it was so pretty and shiny, and I felt I deserved one-LOL! I worked so hard this week as I do each day, but the reward is always the children. Today it was not just my children, but all children. Oftentimes, I receive praise for the way I parent and to some it may look easy. Somehow, I manage to put my family first, it doesn't happen perfectly and I have my husband and children to remind me when I am not putting them first.

As mothers who work we have to retrain our brains to making children and family our priority, not our jobs and career. That is the ego at work when we allow decisions which may cause us to neglect our families to arise. There is a theory which holds that you can pick up the pieces from your job but picking up the pieces from failed relationships is much harder and not always worth the risk when it comes to your family. So start saying no to menial job duties, plan to have lunch with your children, pledge to make time to help them with their science fair project (no matter how many children you have), allow them to lead activities and discussions, go to the park, work-out together, play together, plan together, it's the little things. Get off your gadgets and pay attention to your children. It will break your heart to hear "Mommy played with her phone more than she played with me."

It's not easy, but we can do it. With great purpose, intentionality, and consciousness, the possibilities are endless. Put children and family first. This is what must me done in order to inherit the kingdom our children are entitled to : )

Science Fair Superstars

Mothering with great Intentionality,

Donellia

Savvy Working Moms Save Money

Who wants to save money, raise your hand! This post is inspired by several things, one being the need for my household to save more, as we spend hundreds of dollars a month on food for a household of 5 (where's an EBT card when you need one-LOL), the other inspiration came by way of watching the coupon savvy divas on tv, and the final inspiration came from bearing witness to a couponer save over $180.00! Her final bill was $20.44 at Target! Okay, I'm sold! Bring on the scissors and the Sunday papers please!

Couponing for me is one of those things I want to do, mean to do, but don't prepare and make time to do. It seems like an all day task that I do not have time for, but i do have time to save more money, so I am willing to make the time sacrifice. If I can save $180.00 in a single bound, I will do what it takes to clip some coupons. I asked the woman who I witnessed save all this money how she does it, she gladly told me she hosts an online coupon class every Tuesday from 7-8pm. At this point, I know God is speaking to me, if I bear witness and get an invitation to something, the door is wide open and the money saving angels are upon me-LOL!

Now, I am starting as a novice and I must say that I have used a few coupons here and there but not to the point where I have an arsenal of coupons when shopping. The best I do at this moment, is using the store flyer of the store I am shopping in to use for savings. Apparently that is not enough and yields very little in the way of saving big time. As a working mom, I will be working into my schedule a few minutes a day to search and collect coupons. This will require me to get plenty of Sunday newspapers. Now I am at the point where I dont want to purchase anything without a savings. I out it out there and I am not a cheap person but I like to save when I can (we have 3 that are going to college). This is a good thing because I now have the desire to get the best deal at the best price which will increase cost savings. Another idea is to have a coupon date with moms to clip coupons, trade and maximize couponing.

I am at the point where I dont want to purchase food without a savings. This week for instance, I went to a particular grocer (Kroger) who had Capri Suns, fruit, and an organic cereal on sale for .99. I must have purchased about 7 boxes of cereal and 10 boxes of Capri Suns and several pounds of organic pears, organges, grapes, kiwi, nectarines, mangoes, plums, limes, bananas and apples. The sale was too good on some decent quality food. If it were not for the sale, I would not have been in the store at all this week.

Working mothers have to be savvy savers and savvy chefs to keep our households healthy and happy. Eating healthy can be expensive, however we can be savvy and bigger savers using coupons from healthfood stores. WholeFoods, EarthFare, and TraderJoes all have savings and coupons. The Farmer's Market and food co-ops offer great savings on good quality foods.

Raise your coupons up, get your carts ready, and get to shopping for the best food at the best price! I'll keep you posted as I master this coupining thing! Feel free to post any great deals out there and Ill be sure to do the same! Here's to smart saving and savvy shopping!!

Click below to access the online coupon class:
Online Couponing Class

Raising Tech Savvy Children

As parents, how do we compete with the Wii, laptop, iPod, iPhone, iPad, XBox, PS3, DS3D, Kinect, Leapad, cable TV and every other tech gadget on the planet? Simple: we don't compete! What where we (80's babies) doing before all the electornics: talking, having dinner, playing outside, exploring, being children. When I grew up in the 80's, we had an Atari, VHS player, stereo, typewriter, and a computer in the home (Im dating myself b/c all of those items minus the computer are OLD-LOL). I remember being outside far more than I used or played with any of the electornics we had. We also had a set of encyclopedias, magazines, books, and artwork in my home. I was fortunate to grow up in an area where nature was abound and abundant. Naturally, I was an inquisitve and creative seeker of knowledge. I had a balance of both worlds. Nowadays children are getting more of the devices and less of the experiences. Children want, need, and appreciate boundaries and rules including limits with their gadgets. Okay the last part is an overstatement, they dont like limits on their gadgets, which makes for good priveledge tools.

My children have (courtesy of their gracious grandparents) all the latest tech gadgets. We set limits, no gadgets during the week so that they will focus on their school work (we cave in every now and then, but stick to this for the most part). On the weekends we try to plan activities outside of the house to get them moving. We sometimes play the Wii togther which is good for family fun. On their Ipods, we play games like Scrabble (yes we are semi-nerds) and Monopoly. Lately my 6 year old has been wearing me out with Scrabble.

Technology is not a bad thing. It is a very good thing, this advancement of knowledge and the capacity to absorb, communicate, translate, transfer and trancscend knowledge. Technology has endless capabilities. We have the proverbial story of a 2 or 3 year old who knows how to operate a remote or cell phone better than an adult. There are 4 things we as parents should be concerned with. One is getting children to have a balance so they understand and value human interaction. You can not text your job interview, you cannot text a speech to your corporation (maybe if you were Steve Jobs or are Bill Gates), and you still need to know how to answer a landline correctly. Two, children need to be safe while using technology, so many people exploit children through technology. Parents must monitor and advocate for safe use of technology. Thirdly, how technology is shaping a child's mind, inspiring creativity, and promoting learning. Finally children still need to have their heads held high, nowadays everyone's head is down, buried in their phone. I fear we'll be walking on all fours soons because our heads are so low. Next time you're in a public venue, notice all the people with their head buried in their phone, laptop, or tablet, you will be shocked. Make sure your children keep their heads up! Read more below:

Here is some insight from www.gigharbor.patch.com:


Are we teaching our children to lead a balanced life?

This generation of children is able to grasp technology and its advantages. But some of the simple, common-sense things we know are slipping through the cracks of knowledge that kids are getting from home and school.

For instance, most children do know about text messages on cell phones. On the flip side, some college-age students do not know how to address a letter, where to buy stamps and the importance of a thank-you note sent swiftly (within two weeks).

How about seven-year-olds who learned to Velcro their shoes and still do not know how to tie a bow on the sneakers? This is convenient for fast-off and on shoes because parenting these days is a speedway of trips in the car with places to go and things to see.

But kids need to learn fine motor skills. These small, muscle skills are important to developing handwriting, picking up and placing things and hand-eye coordination. Coloring, drawing, and, yes, even video game playing can help this small motor skill develop.

The family often is running from place to place, and grab-and-go dinners happen far too often. Do our middle school children know how to work a can opener? Can reading a recipe teach them some survival skills? Yes, we have been told that family dinners are important for building relationships, but they can teach knowledge of a life time skills too. How to make a salad, when to start the vegetables so they are ready with the chicken casserole can be passed onto most middle schoolers.

This generation has gained technology information and speed, and there is a label being placed on this challenge. It is called "growing up Google". Can we help them become problem-solvers without sending them to the search button on the computer? It's okay to research for knowledge, but there is another type of knowledge search, only this one is gained from a lifetime of experience.

By being involved in the family, community and school, children young and old can be well-balanced in learning.

There is a benefit to common knowledge given to children through example, parental teaching and life learning. Things like taking a walk, studying nature, seeing how the sun comes up and goes down at night can all be told through pictures. But doing it yourselves and seeing it in real-life provides another life time learning. Skills that are developed while experiencing things hands-on can be balanced with technology like cell phones, computers, DVRs, and the Internet.

Let's make sure that our children can ride a bike, throw a skipping stone, tie their shoes, know how to read a recipe and follow it. Teach common skills. The benefit for our children will last for a lifetime.

Keeping your Children Healthy While Working

One of the best kept secrets for healing to ward off cold and infections during the cold season for children is, Elderberry syrup. When my youngest child was in preschool a mother shared with me this natural herbal remedy which is particularly good for children. It's no wonder as it has a sweet, pleasant syrupy flavor. As I did some research on the Elderberry it became clear that Elderberry in its purest and most concentrated forms is safe to give children and to boot it has a tasty flavor that will likely have kids asking for more. I dont endorse a particular brand but do encourage mothers and caregivers to be highly selective in choosing a brand and doing all your research before jumping on the Elderberry bandwagon. It is expensive but compared to taking days off from work and missing days out of school, it's worth the investment. Dont feel like you won't get your money's worth, the syrup is also a cooking aide, you can use it for pancake syrup, sauces, and as a sweetner. More bang for your buck for SURE! This is definately a remedy to keep close at hand during the season and throughout the year to help working mothers keep their children healthy and well.

Here's what www.herbwisdom.com has to say about elderberry:


Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.

Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not.

Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries. According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage.


Elderberries were listed in the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs as early as 1985, and are listed in the 2000 Mosby's Nursing Drug reference for colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.


At the Bundesforschungsanstalt research center for food in Karlsruhe, Germany, scientists conducting studies on Elderberry showed that elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease. Further research indicated that anthocyanins found in elderberries possess appreciably more antioxidant capacity than either vitamin E or vitamin C.


Studies at Austria's University of Graz found that elderberry extract reduces oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is implicated in atherogenesis, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease.


Check out this website for additional information:


http://naturalmomhealthychild.com/my-favorite-things-elderberry-syrup/


DISCLAIMER: Always check with a physician before starting any remedy. This information is for informational purposes only and it not intended for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition or illness.

Who say's You HAVE to cook everyday?

It is well intentioned that we aspire to cook a healthy and balanced meal everyday and plan meals for the week, for the ,and all the stuff that the magazines tell you, but really who has time? We have to be realistic with ourselves, how many meals can you cook during the week that are cost-effective, nutritious, and delicious? To be honest it can be done with a little planning and a little help from those sources and philospohies which are in alignment with our own.  One idea is to gather all your friends on a Saturday and have a cook and swap healthy meals party (casseroles, quiches, salads, soups, etc.)

Let me be the first to say that I often lack the energy and motivation to cook everyday. Take tonight for instance, my husband suggested we go to EarthFare (a healthfood grocery store) for groceries. It's Thrusday and I compltely forgot that kids eat free on Thursday with the minimum purchase of a $5 adult meal. Now they are talking my lanuage because not only does this store give great weekly coupons and freebies during the week (when you sign up for their email list), they also want to feed your whole family for nearly free! To boot we had warm cider while we shopped for groceries afterwards. They get an "A" for the day in my book because Thursday's are now a no brainer for dinner. Our adult dinner total was $11.71. I spent $40 in the store but the trade-off was worth it (I can be lured with good free food-LOL).

I say all of this to say, make dinner a priority but also make it easy and inexpensive by signing up for coupons, email lists, and checking to see who's offering free meals for the kids. Also, WholeFoods has a kids membership where kids sign up and earn a free snack each time they are in the store. Can somebody say "afterschool snack" made easy and free! Hello out there, we can eat good, eat free, and be healthy all in one. Any more ideas, please share on the blog as we build a strong network support of working moms! Don't forget to pencil in that family walk from time to time and to keep up prayer : )

http://www.earthfare.com/FamilyDinnerNight.aspx

What Alicia Keys has to Say about Mothering

According to WebMd the Magazine, working moms can relax and take a deep breath because it's really not that bad! Translation, the latest research shows that children of working moms, particularly girls, are more well-adjusted than their stay-at-home peers. Can you believe it? I was just as shocked. The article continues by saying "The British study found that by age 5, children who lived with two working parents had the fewest social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Five-year-old girls whose moms stayed home, on the other hand, were twice as likely to have behavioral problems as those whose moms worked." WOW! What do you think?

Alicia Keys was featured in this months edition of the WebMd magazine and gave awesome advice on mothering and taking care of self: "If you can't love yourself, how can you take care of others? Watching what you put into your body and eliminating anything that could possibly hurt you in any way are extremely important........It's really important to care for yourself first, then you can give your love to everyone else."

Real talk , real advice : ) On to the next one-LOL!

WebMd the Magazine

Breakfast Made Easy and Nutritous

Make breakfast simple and nutritous by always keeping a few staples on hand that make for a wholesome and nutritious option. I learned from my grandmother how to keep the basics on hand: brown bread, eggs, cheese, grits, and coffee. Nowadays, I add a few more of my own flavors with grandma's voice always reminding what to keep on hand : )

I add a little fruit, nutritious juice, some vitamins, a superfood mix, turkey instead of pork for the carnivors, brown bread, brown eggs, a few veggies for a veggie omelet, butter with olive oil, farina instead of grits, and tea. This is of course for a nice Saturday or Sunday breakfast or brunch. I enlist the help of my daughters of course who are becoming little "How to Eat to Live" chefs! I have the youngest who is the "toastmaster" and the oldest who is now the "eggmaster". Breakfast made easy: enlist your children, keep healthy food on hand, a good breakfast menu, good music, good vibes: "Breakfast Made Easy and Nutritious!"

Breakfast Made Easy & Nutritious