Just what I needed to hear

I have a pretty large family and when you add in my husband's side, its like a small town. haha One of my favorite things about having such a large family is having all the wisdom of its matriarchs and patriarchs at your disposal.  

My husband's aunt posted this to her Facebook tonight and, for me, her timing couldn't have be more perfect. 

"Living a life in Christ 

Do you struggle with trying to "keep it all together" in the midst of life's hectic pace? Genuine happiness and contentment don't come from achieving perfect "balance." They come from knowing how to make your expectations fit your circumstances—and focusing on the bigger picture.

Jesus doesn't necessarily promise us perfect "balance." But He does offer us peace. His peace is the peace of knowing that He has our situation in hand (John 16:33). Come what may, His love for us will never change (Habakkuk 3:17-19; Philippians 4:7). Our God is the God of peace and not of confusion or disorder (I Corinthians 14:33). Because of this, we can know peace by disciplining ourselves to walk with Him. It's a matter of learning to discern His voice and partnering with Him as we make our plans, confront our daily challenges, and establish our priorities for living.

As you identify what matters most to you—and to the Lord—you'll eliminate non-essential demands and gain a sense of focus and purpose. Remember that life in Christ isn't about being "Supermom," "Superdad" or "Super-Christian." It's a question of learning how to channel your time and energy into the fulfillment of your own unique God-given calling—and thriving in it. (from Focus on the Family)" 

--Irene D.

As a young mom and wife I constantly struggle to find the balance of those roles with my own desires and needs. There is a lot of public pressure to be perfect and do things that would label you as a "Supermom". It is easy to get wrapped up in that the world has to offer and forget about what really matters.

I am currently trying to bring in a child (to nanny) so I can afford to stay home with my daughter. It is really hard in our culture to live in the city as a one-income household, but this is something really important to our family. It is our strong belief that if we wanted to bring a life into this world that we should be the ones that raise that life...not daycare. I'm not dogging on daycare. I used it while I finished my college degree....just last week. Whoopie! I digress. 

God blessed me with my daughter and it was difficult to have her. So I feel it is my duty to raise her, which is part of the reason I am working so hard to get my Etsy business going.

So, if you haven't done it recently. I urge you to take a moment out of the day and have a conversation with someone older than you in your direct or extended family. You might might be surprised of what you didn't know or needed to be reminded of.

Locket: A truely the easiest way to make money

In the fast and crazy world it seems pretty difficult to come up with 

something completely unique, but I think I've across one. 

This one is genius. We see advertising everywhere we look, but which one of those actually pay you for looking at them? With the Locket App you get paid simply by unlocking your phone.

Your phone? what? Really? Yes. 

Download the app and disable your current sleep lock settings and get ready to get paid. Earning up to 1 cent per unlocking your phone with a quick swipe and you're gettin' paid. 

There is a 3 swipe per hour maximum, but for you insomiacs out there you can earn up to $262.30 a year just by unlocking your phone. Sure it may not be much, but hey...it's $26.30 more than you started with.

Don't need it? You can donate it to charity! How awesome is that?

So, you're interested in giving it a try follow my link here and give it a whirl. Did I also mention there's a $1/person referral fee? How many friends do you have on your Facebook page? There's money to be made here people. lol 

Do you run a small business or start-up? What a fantastic way to get across via a new way that has people talking 

They can click the channel. They can put down the magazine. They can recycle the Yellow Book. But that MUST look at their phone to answer a call or send a text. 

Why not look at your business before having to do so?

So, check it out and please go via my link so I get credit for referring you. 

http://getlocket.com/r/?a0f90ad6

Wedding Weekend

My cousin got married down south in Virginia over the weekend and that got me thinking about what crazy and funny southern weeding videos I could find. So here are a few that I came across that you're really gonna like.

The Proposal...not country but it was SO great because of how 

crafty the hubby-to-be is and the adorable pups:

Entering the wedding.

The craziest bouquet toss I've ever seen. haha That's so country! I love it!

The first dance..

It's a rough day in the neighborhood

Oh the balancing game of life. As a mother, it feels like I am up against unmountable odds. Wife. Mother. Student. Business owner. Me. How long does it take to learn how to balance everything without putting your own needs last? Is that what being a wife and a mother means? You are last? What you want is less important?

This week my husband and daughter are at our annual family beach week in Bethany Beach, DE while I stay at home for my last two weeks of my college course. I'm retaking this class. Last fall was supposed to be my last then over break I realized I had one more class together. Loan payments being due, I decided to work and attend class. So, during the spring I signed up and gave it a go.

Boy I have to give it to all the single moms out there, because I couldn't hack it. My husband was gone the first two months and my mother helped by watching my daughter when daycare ended and my class was still going on. With only a few hours a night to cook, shower and study, I couldn't keep up. So, here I am retaking this class so I can graduate and put 11 years of college to an end. The irony is I'm still struggling and in danger of not passing. I don't want to put my family through any more stress because of it. Please say a little prayer for me to have the ability to retain this stuff. I have an exam Tuesday. I really need to do well to keep me in a position to pass. Lord help me.

So, needless to say, that is why I haven't written a blog post in a while. However, I do have some good stuff brewin'. Thanks to my wondering fabric merchant Stitch Stash Diva, I will be featuring a tutorial later this month on how to upcylcle tires into ottomans. You may have see them on Pinterest, but I am going to shine a new light on the project. Until then...