When Mommy Can't Make a Pinterest Worthy Craft

My four year old asked this week to do a craft, to which I finally pulled out our craft box to look and see what I had. We surfed Pinterest together and she'd point to this craft and that craft, and I wouldn't have the materials and had to let her down easy until we settled on one. 

Finally, we settled on some adorable popsicle fish craft that seemed easy enough. I loved watching her excitement sitting down to finally conquer a craft this week (she's obviously missing that time since preschool is out for summer), so I pulled out my camera to snap some photos to remember these sweet moments. 

This was on Monday and today is Wednesday and the fishes are not finished. Well some are, but not all of them. And there's no after photo to show right now because honestly they look so sad that I almost cried while assisting with them. 

For whatever reason, I failed terribly at this craft and typically I'm decent with crafting. Granted my four year old did a lot of it on her own, but the pieces and things I assisted with look nothing like the original photo we were trying to accomplish. Total mom fail over here. My mind probably wasn't in the game completely because I was trying to do so much during the process. 

My mind is always thinking of a million things that I HAVE to do.  

I  mean it was a Monday, a day of recuperating from the weekend and trying to piece the house back together. Pick up this, wash that, mail this and post that. It's almost like everything just wouldn't stop. Pieces were glued to the fish in between this and that and truthfully, it sucked. I sucked. 

Do you ever feel like you just totally and completely suck as a mom? Not all of the time obviously, but just certain days where you can't catch up and you feel like you're sinking? And forget those that say "housework can wait;" I call bullshit on that because then who else will do it? Sure my husband doesn't mind if he comes home to a house well played in with toys and clothes everywhere, but let's get real, most of us want our husbands to come home to a clean home at the end of the day. I at least want to look like I somewhat have my stuff together. And my husband is amazing and gladly finds things that need to be done when I seem overwhelmed (or sometimes just because) and does them without me asking. But still, during the day...it's non stop.

Why do we feel the need as mothers to be so perfect all the time?  

It sucks when you can't catch up and your patience is on thin. You feel bad when your kids want to do things and you say "in just a minute" but truthfully, 100 minutes has passed and you still can't sit to do it. Or you do, but your mind is elsewhere. You're always thinking of everything you have to do; how to possibly improve your routines; and how badly you just want some damn sleep. Like if only I woke up before the kids, then so much would get done sooner I bet. 

Mothering is tough on days like this. You feel like you're failing and you're ready for bed because you just want to start over and pray that the fairies set everything perfectly in place over night so that you're able to wake up to a fresh start. You want all of the minutes in the day to work on popsicle stick fish that don't even resemble a fish and you want so badly to sit on the floor and play for not just minutes, but maybe hours with your children. You want to cuddle with your husband when he walks through the door without thinking about how you still haven't cleaned up the bedroom or that dinner is a flop again because it turns out that Pinterest is a liar. 

Screw you Pinterest. 

So this is when it's hard. This is when I can guarantee that most of us go to bed and pray that you'll wake up better, more refreshed and with more patience and joy than ever. That maybe tomorrow you can put your cape back on. 

And usually, you do. That's what I've learned. Mothering isn't always perfect and is definitely not always easy. And yes, some days you totally suck. But chances are, you only suck in your eyes. I think back now to how excited my daughter was to finally get to sit and do a craft (by the way we do paint and art a lot -- I'm not a total slacker), and I realize that it made her day. She was so excited to show her daddy when he came home from work.

She didn't notice that mommy didn't make the prettiest, Pinterest worthy fish and she probably didn't care that we forgot to finish them right away. She just knew that we worked together on them and that I helped. That's what she will remember...and that's what I need her to remember. 

She doesn't need to remember the house a mess, or mama being overwhelmed or short with her. No, she definitely doesn't need to remember that and I wouldn't want her to. 

So let's find the holes in the minutes, the moments through the messes and the joy through the exhaustion to create the memories we want. Let's find the grace to forgive our sucky days and find the moments to do the things that matter.

Like making popsicle stick fishies with our kids. Yea, let's do more of that. 

The Cutest Birth Announcements

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links and this product was sent for a review and received my honest opinions. Names have been blurred out on photos for children's privacy. 

I'm birth announcement junkie through and through! I love making them for my babies and I love sending them. I also love having that memento in my baby's book as such a precious keepsake. I put a lot of time and love into designing what feels like the perfect card! But sometimes it can be overwhelming when you receive all of the coupons in the mail on which printing service to use. 

When it comes to designing stationary and cards, there are so many options out there. I have used several different printing services through the years and I have to say that the guys over at Minted really have a good thing going! 

The designs at Minted are so sleek, so modern and just beautiful! I love that it can take my photo and quickly fill it into many designs for me to actually see what I like before I start working on it and I love how there are SO many options. Whether you want gold foil, rounded corners or catchy backs, Minted makes the cutest birth announcements and stationary and the cards are SO thick. I love the quality! 

When my package arrived it was personalized to let me know it was carefully packed and inspected; and I even received a cute card about the designer who designed the layout I had chosen. I also received the cutest address wraps that had our return address with a wrap around sticker on the back of the envelope that catches the recipient's attention. 

Minted has so much to offer, not just cute stationary cards. Although if you're dying to see cute photos of sweet babies, I recommend heading that way to see the adorable ones on their site. But seriously, they have some amazing art work, beautiful framed photos, gift items and more. I would have loved to have worked with them for my wedding seven years ago since they also provide wedding invitations and save the dates. 

The website is easy to navigate and totally easy to design any card - seriously, anyone can do it! Head on over and design your perfect card there and thank me later when you receive the prettiest package in the mail! ;)

I highly recommend the foil stamped cards too. They are stunning in person! I have always wanted to do foil stamped and finally was able to. I am actually considering framing my son's announcement for his nursery -- which was actually a discount purchase I could have made after I checked out. I had like an hour to make a few discount purchases and totally forgot to go back do it. That's what procrastination does to you, folks! You miss good deals! With that said, head to Minted and I bet they have a great deal for you for whatever your print needs may be! 

The design we chose (not my baby by the way) 

How cute is this backer? It was so fun to put this together for my son (again, this is just a premade example from their website). 

Lastly, I'd love to hear when you send out your birth announcements. What's your timeline protocol? Mine can never seem to make it out before two months, but it's usually done by then! 

10 Tricks to Simplicity in Motherhood and the Home

I'm no expert here and I know I'm not alone when I say that I wish we were back in the days of no cell phones, less TV, wholesome home cooked food and big yards with babies running around barefoot. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a millennial mom - heck my businesses thrive off of the Internet. But I love simplifying my life, my home and my mothering as much as possible. Soon when we move, I'll hopefully get to embrace that life even more with more empty spaces and room around me. Plus, who doesn't love a good purge during a move? 

I'm guilty just like many...our TV stays on way more than I wish sometimes. Oreos find their way into my kid's snack bowls and despite my constant purging of toys, there are still mounds of them (seriously it's like they reproduce over night or something). But in the midst of the chaos, I'm always striving for life to be more simple, minimal and natural. So below are some of my favorites tips and tricks to trying to simplify motherhood and the home. 

1. Purge. I do this frequently. About every two months I purge my clothes and it is not because I am buying new things, but because I am finally willing to part with certain pieces.  Same goes for my home -- I don't like clutter and I don't like a lot of stuff. Living in a smaller home with the kitchen and living room open as one, it's frustrating because I feel like there is so much. I like to cut the knick knacks as much as possible. No little pointless knick knack pieces for decor unless they mean something or truly capture my style/spirit. I've been trying to really take this into account when I shop and see cute things for the home -- I remember that in the end, it's just stuff.

2. Less TV, more music. I say more music because you may be like me and enjoy a little background noise. I did a pretty great job at restricting TV times for my first child until she was around 1.5 but ever since then I just do the best I can and accept it. However what I love to do is turn the TV off and turn to Pandora. I leave some Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Bing Crosby and more singing in the background. I actually find life more joyful this way. The kids run to their rooms to play because there is no TV and then there's occasional dance parties. I also like to expose my children to soothing, classic tunes. 

3. No electronics (or restricted). We are a no iPad/no tablet home. Not completely by choice though, I lost my iPad a year ago and decided it was good for us. My daughter occasionally says she'll ask Santa for one, but I can tell you Santa isn't bringing her one anytime soon (he already told me). P.S. Electronic toys don't last long here either and it has to be very well loved for me to replace the batteries! P.P.S. I am not against electronics or learning apps. I do find them extremely beneficial just sometimes overused.

4. Cook with real food and have a real dinner. I will be the first to say that I dread the thought of cooking 90% of the time (however I love baking, sweet tooth!). There's just something about going in the kitchen and making a mess that makes me dread it -- or perhaps more so because my kids drive me nuts in the process (and again, I have a small kitchen). But truth be told, I feel happier and more wholesome when I cook. I feel better knowing I cooked dinner rather than relying on takeout or quick things. It's also budget friendly and healthier to cook at home. It almost seems silly to remind people to eat dinner together, but you should. We do dinner with NO TV or if there is TV it's the news for background noise. Kid's shows go off and soon our table will be nowhere near our TV and I can't wait! 

5. Do the aggravating things. No matter how much you hate the mess of play dough or no matter how much paint they get on the table when they paint, do it. Kids don't get to do as much arts and crafts nowadays in schools, so just do it. It may not be simple, but in my opinion it's only natural. I struggle with this one sometimes...

6. Turn to nature. This is for so many areas of life. From taking the kids outside, to growing a garden (I wish!) and to relying on plant based health care, medicines and cleaning products. Cut the chemicals and toxins from your life as much as possible. The only chemical filled product that gets used in my home daily is hairspray. ALL of our home cleaners, hand soaps, beauty care, skin care (not my husband's) are ALL natural and plant based. Turn to essential oils for certain and frequent ailments. Use essential oils for fragrance within the home and clean with them too! Essential oils, vinegar and baking soda can go a LONG way. 

7. Say no, but say yes. I'm definitely beginning to find the courage to sometimes just say no to the things that seem too hectic and time consuming. Or perhaps there's a weekend with 5 invitations -- there's no way that is happening. Life isn't about running back and forth and feeling frazzled. Say yes to the meaningful things like when your kids ask to go to the park but say no to the things that you just simply don't want to do (like your co-worker's daughter's wedding). Why live doing things that don't bring us joy? 

8. Let them be bored. Sometimes when I can tell my daughter is "bored," I like it. I like it because I know she'll soon be forced to find something creative to do - and she does. Boredom pokes at imaginations and feeds them. One thing I hope to always remember is to keep their extracurricular schedules manageable so that they have the freedom to come home after school and be bored. I want them playing outside until dusk. 

9. Find a pile of clutter. Each day find one new pile of clutter or one new junk drawer and go through it. Throwing things away (or donating) is one of the most freeing feelings in the world and I enjoy the heck out of it! 

10. Buy things with love. I used to be one who purchased the cute dress or a cute wall hanging for the home just because it was cute and super cheap. But then what do you end up with? Just a bunch of super cheap things with little meaning that are just meh. I now try to shop with two things in mind 1) do I truly love it 2) will it last. I rather splurge a tad on one item that will last a long time that I love rather than three items that are cheap and just okay. 

There is no right or wrong way to mother. There is no perfect way to perfectly achieve this list. These are just the tricks I use to make my life sometimes feel a little less crazy and a little less "millennial." I want my children to know nature, to know real food and to know the joys of play. I want our life to be as easily natural as possible. 

But hey, no one is perfect. And if you're a hoarder, we can totally still be friends. ;)