New Space

Sorry for not updating here lately, I have been working on a new space for my blog and you can now find me at:

www.blissfullysunnysideup.com

I am slowly but surely still working to get my site finished but I hope to get all my readers over there now and to watch my site grow and help others in different areas of their life :)

When You Feel Like You are Spinning

Do you ever get that feeling that you are spinning in circles? Well this momma does for sure. I work full time outside of the home, then when I come home I have a long list of things to get done before bed, which never seem to get finished. Then I wake up the next day and do it all over again. The problem is, when I accomplish one thing the night before, it is already time to re-do it the next night. I would love to say I have a family that helps momma pick up and do things but sadly (not totally complaining...I love you hunnie) I don't. Usually it is the "if I want something done, I guess I will have to do it myself" feeling we get. For me it isn't even the doing it "right" kind of thing, it is more of "just doing it" kind of thing.

As long as I can remember I never had a good sense of good home organization or tidiness even though I grew up with a mother that was totally a "perfectionist" when it came to things. I guess I never allowed myself to "learn" it. Well I have my own family now and of course like most, I dreamt of that great "Disney" like family where the mother stays home and takes care of the kids and the home while the dad works all day, then when he comes home dinner is ready and we all sit down to eat then I would clean everything up he would play with the kids then we would do a family nightly routine together and off to bed............. Well it isn't, but that is okay because God put us all together for a purpose; wired us all differently, etc. I have a wonderful husband that works hard all day long, I work outside the home all day long and when we get home with the kids at night it seems like a rush of an evening where I start dinner, kids play in the living room or their room while daddy watches TV. After dinner, I work on getting the kids in the bath as quick as possible so they can be winding down for bed. Once I get Weston to bed, I proceed to clean up the mess from dinner while Reba rocks with daddy in the recliner watching TV until she falls asleep. By the time that girl falls asleep I am usually in our room winding down myself doing my blog posts, watching YouTube, and doing my time with the Lord. Now I crash, leaving them out in the living room. Our routine of bedtime is totally chaotic, I hate it, and I don't know how to change it....

Friday, I worked nine and a half hours which by the time afternoon came around, I was pretty well fried. I had nothing left and all I could do was think about sleeping but as soon as I felt that feeling, then here came my "to-do's" flying through my head. Oh dear was that the most un-relaxing feeling. As a momma that is completely disorganized at home and lazy, my house is a disaster and I need help. My head is about to spin off my shoulders.

With that all being thrown out there, today I have my to-do list of what I want to accomplish in only one room. I need to focus on one room otherwise I start here, then there, then back here, and so on. The only way to get anything accomplished is to stay focused. This morning I have a photo shoot but after that I will be getting things done. More than likely I will be vlog my day and upload for you to see my progress and how the day went.

My question for you is...what tips do you have for a stubborn child(ren) bedtime routine?

Vlogs to Check Out

Some of you may have seen on a previous post that I am also a new vlogger (MyChannel) but I have been literally obsessed with YouTube for several months now. I had never really watched much YouTube or even realized that it had SO MUCH informational videos. Well I came across plan with me channels from many YouTubers which then caused me to really want to use my planner more if I used some fun stickers and decoration...who knew?! That became an obsession to watch those in my free time which wasn't much. Then somewhere I came across a channel that today has become my ultimate favorite and a new friendship in the making. The channel is a stay-at-home momma that homeschools her kids, and she vlogs daily as they go about their day. I watch her daily, sometimes watch her videos multiple times because I just love them; her name is Christy over at organizedMOM! I really hope you hop over to her channel and just take a peek at her videos. She is so inspirational, especially when it comes to organizing.

On one of Christy's latest videos I heard her mention a YouTube channel that she watches and it was also one that I had stumbled upon that I had never actually officially watched but saw that she had some great videos that I wanted to watch and she is over at She's In Her Apron! She has some inspirational videos as well when it comes to cleaning, cooking, organizing, etc. 

These two channels are amazing and I do hope that you hop to their page, take a look around, subscribe and join in on some daily fun!

Do you have a channel on YouTube you would like to tell us about? 

A Little Down Time

Well I am needing to get my dining room finished so you guys can see the finished product of my cleaning and organizing. Sadly I haven't felt all that great this week so far to be able to get it finished or a post started. But I do have it in my planner to get done no later than this week.

Do any of you ever have that down time whether it's intentional or not? Man as a momma it seems like it happens a lot; at least for me. There are always so many things on my to do list that I truly want to accomplish but something or someone else always needs momma. A daily routine is something I am really striving for in this challenge and last night was my only night I didn't get done what needed done before bed. I just decided to take a little down time for myself and rest.

Tonight and the rest of the week will be better. Again you can always catch me on my vlog channel.

Valentine's Day, Love, & Unveiled Wife

This day comes around every year and it seems like more and more it has become about gifts and how much or how big your gift will be for that special for someone. Unfortunately when people are on a tight budget there is no room for gifts; honestly is that all we think about is gifts?

Well I was surprised by my husband getting coverage to watch the kids all night so he could take me out to dinner & a movie. It definitely was something I did NOT see coming because I knew we had so much to get done throughout the evening and weekend. So he has shown me the love he has for me by making this evening special. Daniel and I have not had the chance to go on a date for over 6 months and that has taken a slight toll on our relationship. We had been making a point to have at least one date night a month so we could just spend quality and intimate time together to just catch up with one another. It was a wonderful evening.

Anyway back to looking into that "love" word and what it may mean in our marriage...

I have read this amazing book by Jennifer Smith, well-known for the blog www.unveiledwife.com. 

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it because she really opens up about her marriage and her spiritual walk with God. Within the first couple of chapters I had marked a few paragraphs that really spoke to me and stood out to me.

"How would you ever learn unconditional love if you were married to someone who met all the conditions?... How would you ever learn mercy, patience, long-suffering, or heartfelt compassion if you were married to someone who never failed you? Who was never difficult with you? Who never sinned against you? Who has never slow to acknowledge their sin or ask for forgiveness? How would you ever learn grace to pour out your favor on someone who did not deserve it if you were married to someone who was always deserving of all good things?"

"The main purpose of marriage is that through your marriage you become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.... You are married to a person who does not meet all the conditions so that you might learn unconditional love. You are married to a person who needs mercy so that you learn to give it. You are married to a person who does not deserve so that you learn to lavishly pour yourself out on a person who does not respond appropriately. And thus you become like the God you worship!" 

"Over the last several years, as God continues to transform me and my marriage, I have also learned the value of what it means to be unveiled: to embrace those moments of raw vulnerability in order to draw closer to others in a real way. I have gained a rich understanding of how intimacy is cultivated in relationships by allowing myself to be made known. God gave me the courage to be transparent with Him and with my husband, revealing more about me--my true identity, my heart's desires, and my personal struggles." 

These three paragraphs really spoke to me, do they speak to you? All too often do I forget what marriage is truly about. Marriage is not meant to be easy, we all will struggle at some point no matter how hard we try. Remember to always talk to God and ask him for guidance in every situation you may be facing. In my personal testimony, I could've and almost did lose my marriage a few years ago but we both committed to one another when we said our vows and we immediately decided to start counseling and focusing on putting God first in our home again.

If you are struggling in a situation and need someone to confide in, someone you just need to listen, or whatever the case may be, I am one of those individuals that would love to help. Contact me at anytime and I would love to chat.

God Bless & Happy Valentines Day!

Prepped Veggies

As stated in my previous post I would be posting what I did with the rest of my veggies I had cut up for my daughter's Valentine's Day party. I thought what better way than to prep them for grabbing in the mornings for my lunches, or for snacks when we get home in the evenings, etc. I took this idea from several different YouTube channels (Mind Over Munch, The Domestic Geek & Cambria Joy)

Check out their channels because they are all amazing ladies; plus they are so encouraging for everyday health and fitness. Not only that but they show you some amazing recipes as well!