I was inspired to create this post after listening to the latest episode from Nancy Ray on the Work and Play Podcast. It’s one of my favorite podcasts! Nancy is encouraging, loves Jesus, has a soothing podcast voice and gives great tips on learning to work and play well. Episode 164 is all about ten things that are saving her life. It inspired me to think of things saving my life. So without further ado, here are the five things saving my life right now.
Quiet time with Jesus in the Morning
I try most mornings to wake up before my kids. I make some coffee, read my Bible, pray and just get my day started the right way. It’s SO nice not to wake up and hit the ground running taking care of my kid’s needs. I NEED that time with just me and my Bible. This isn’t always easy to accomplish. Also you may not be in a season of motherhood that you can do this. That’s ok. But I highly encourage you to wake up early for solo time if you can. It just makes all the difference in how your day goes!
Meal Planning
I have been meal planning for years and it’s amazing how much smoother it makes my late afternoons go. It’s already planned out ahead of time what I’m going to make. Once a week I sit down, make a grocery list and plan my meals. There is a running list of our favorite suppers on a sheet in the front of my daily planner for reference. Sometimes I change up what I have written to accommodate leftovers or schedule changes. Having a general plan though is so life saving!
Rest Time/Quiet Time in the Afternoon
My kids know every day we have Rest Time. Hunter lays down for a nap and the older two have to find something quiet to do. They get a snack and a little piece of candy during this time. I encourage them to read, play Legos, draw, listen to Adventures in Odessey or occasionally they can watch a movie. I often take a short power nap, finish up a project or edit photos during rest time.
Claw Clips
This one seems silly but I’m really loving the claw clip trend. Having my hair up in a claw clip has become part of my new mom uniform. 😉 I got this great set of gold claw clips at the recommendation of my sister. They are the best! I can’t recommend them enough!
The Library
My kids and I love our library! Our love of books could be expensive, but having a library card makes getting our hands on fun books and DVDs so affordable. It only costs the time and gas to get there. Right now our library is doing a Summer Reading Program with fun coupons as rewards for getting your reading time in. We are chugging along through our charts. This also is a great way to keep my kid’s minds fresh with reading when we aren’t doing book work for school.
If you are in need of more encouragement for your summer, check out my last post Slow Down Summer.
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