I walk the line…

walktheline

As a Mom and even as a wife, there is definitely a line of demarcation in the sand.   You want your family to be independent, but you also want them to need you. You want your children to be able to enjoy their childhoods as much as is possible, but you also want to teach them a sense of responsibility and accountability.  What falls into the arena of things that they should be responsible for and what are things that I should be responsible for?  And, like most things that come with raising kids, there is no manual.  We are left mostly to our own devices.

With my oldest, I held his hand way longer than I should have probably.  But, I blame that on the fact that he was an only child for almost 9 years.  Rounding the second trimester of my second pregnancy, I realized that I couldn’t possible take on the responsibility of being a new Mom, and continue to hold his hand too.  So, we went through a crash course on things he could do himself.  To my surprise, and probably my relief, he already could do most of the things that I had been doing for him, but wasn’t, simply because I was doing it.

Fast forward 9 more years, and that little baby I was pregnant with is now 9 years old.  And, I find myself in a similar predicament.  Except there are other existing variables.  1.  I have a 4 year old, who I think was born independent. 2. My oldest daughter has an significant speech delay   Because she had such a challenging road ahead of her, I again I did most of the things that she should have started doing earlier.

But, now that we are coming up on the other side of her circumstances, I find that we are constantly having to remind her to do things, she should know how to do already.  I even think she has gone backwards a bit, because Mom always swooped in and saved the day.

I know.. I know.. Bad Mommy. Hubby and I have had to stay on both girls to make sure that they keep their rooms cleaned, do their chores, don’t leave their things all over the house, etc., etc.

All of this had me thinking about exactly what kind of children I want to raise. So, I started doing some research talking to other Mothers that I admire, Mothers whose children have succeeded in life and excelled, and even Mothers who gave their all and had their kids go left instead of right.  I was shocked at what I learned, or at the very least humbled.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will share those findings, books, printables, and conversations that I have had. Hope you all will let me know what you think of my findings, what wisdom you want to impart to your own kids, and what worked for you, and even what didn’t.

April Goings On…

April is always a particularly busy month for me.  But, more of a Fun Busy than a BUSY BUSY.  Well this year, it has been a combination of both, and I can not complain about either.  April is my birth month, and the month that I married my dh.  In addition to that, my God Daughter’s Birthday is in April as well. So, I happily squeeze a lot into this month.

This year, after launching our Etsy Store in February, we have been particularly busy with Custom Orders and trying to increase our inventory. But, Like I said even though its been a “BUSY BUSY”,  I can’t complain.

Working for yourself, as opposed to working for a business or corporation is a HUGE change.  And, dare I say, requires a little bit more discipline than one might think.  Especially with Marketing and Social Media being like they are today.  But, I am truly enjoying it.  There’s something about creating a plan and seeing the pieces slowly fall into place, that is both fulfilling and exhilarating. And, sometimes a little frustrating, but, its your vision and your dream, as opposed to you being a team player executing someone else’s plan.

And, having a hubby who supports my ambitions and contributes to it, just makes it all the better. So, in short, I guess that is my apology for being a ghost in the blog-o-sphere this month.  And, yes I made that word up.

I just wanted to drop in and share with you all some of the Lovely things going on in my world.

Right now, we are getting more requests for custom orders than anything else, so we have been playing around with the custom fabrics, packaging and branding.

image (48)

We are also adding some Teen/Tween Friendly Hipster Pillows to the Shop.  Even I, am crushing on these pillows to hit the Etsy Store in the next week.

image (47)

Lastly, I finally finished my “Oh So Simple”, but cute Easter Table Centerpiece, literally the day before Easter.

image (45)

So, I am off to enjoy my Birthday Weekend!!

J’Adore 8

I think I am part of the “Energy Crisis”.  I have been soo sleepy lately.  I am hoping that since this week is Spring Break and hubby is off, I will be able to sleep in some days and maybe even score some day time naps.  [Scoffs!!]

That being said, right now…

eef3d0319e11b4953882de774ec99662

 

Now, that I am done decorating my Spring Table:

Fotor040615294

and added a pop of color to the kitchen window sill with my colorful chalkboard planters and fresh herbs.

photo (85)

and put up my re-purposed spring wreath.

 

photo (87)

The only thing I have left is to decide on is planters for the front door and whether or not I am doing just greenery or flowers.

photo (86)

In my search, I ran across this – 100+ Spring Planters.  Soo many choices, so little time.  Also, living in Georgia, I tend to want flowers and greenery that deter mosquitoes.  I only recently realized that this was an option.  Which is a good thing because the mosquitoes love me and the kids. Ugh!!

Fotor0406155344

 

And, yes I am still obsessing over Easter Egg Decor Design.   Check out these links here and here.

I think I am going to cheat and work on the Easter Eggs with the kids this week, over Spring Break.

Finally, here are some cute Easter Printables.

Hope you all have a great week!!