Coffee&Kids&Yoga

Where to begin. Loss is something I fear so very deeply. I've lost so many treasured loved ones and each leaves a hole in my heart. I feel my breath catching as I think of them. It doesn't feel real most days. Certainly I can just give them a call and they will just pick up the phone, right? Surely I'm just imagining they are gone and they aren't REALLY gone.  But reality hits. Death is so final. SO final. We all know this. But our minds sort of trick us most of the time. It tries to protect us by just pushing those thoughts away but it's true. It is SO final. And that reality hits SO many times. It still hits me, many years later. My mind is trying to be kind to me but it isn't doing me many favors. When that reality hits several times a day, the pain comes rushing in all over again and tears sting my eyes.  It's exhausting. Loss is exhausting. It's so emotionally draining. All the tears. All the pain. all the grief. all the sadness. Then, mo...

Have you ever been surrounded by so many people but still felt lonely? With the abundance and popularity of social media/phones, etc. This feeling makes total sense to me. While technology is amazing and I am SO thankful for it, being 1,000 miles away from all family... it really shouldn't be used to totally replace those relationships.  Do you ever just sit and chat with a friend in person and feel totally renewed after? Being at home with little ones 24/7 makes me realize just how much I appreciate those relationships even more. For friends to make me a priority and willing to visit even though they know with certainty that we will be disrupted, means everything. I go through stages where I want to get out of the house every day... and then stages where I never want to leave. This highly depends on the weather and also the stage of life I'm in with littles. I have learned a better balance. I have paid attention to what makes me feel renewed and what totally stresses me out. T...

As I sat here with my kiddos, and scroll through some memes and things, it all sparked an idea for this post. So often we are told we are broken. So often we focus on the negative. So often we focus on where we need to improve, we focus on the guilt, we focus on the things we handled poorly today. In some ways, it can be beneficial to us. Improvement is something we always need to be striving for. It helps us grow, learn, change. But what if we focused today, on the things we do really well?  What if in the morning, we remind ourselves of the things we are great at? Maybe you can't think of anything right now.... so keep thinking! Make a list! Sit on it, pray on it, get out that pen and paper and write it out. What did you handle well today? Maybe it was a minor (or major) conflict that you would not normally handle with grace. Maybe you made a really awesome meal for your family. Maybe you kept the counters clean? Maybe it's just that you kept the kids alive... that's a ...

In a perfect world..... what would you choose your gifts/talents to be? I always wanted to be good at volleyball.... or singing.... why? I have zero clue but it sounds fun. Plus, watching all the talent at church really blows me away. Their singing is INCREDIBLE. Now, focus for a moment on what you ARE good at. Are you good at being a friend? Do you have a hobby that could benefit others?  Are you a good listener?  Are you great at motivating others? Are you a morning person? Are you good with numbers/budgeting? Now think of how you can extend that to others. I think so often we focus on what we can do to make money and that makes sense, we need money to live. But what if you choose to give/help others just because? What if you did it just to spread kindness? What if you extend your gifts and talents onto your community because... because it's really awesome to be giving? I pray every day that my children remember how giving we are as parents. How giving we are with our ...

Holidays, big and small, have always been "my thing." Much to my husband's dismay sometimes, I make a big deal about them all. To me, this doesn't mean spending a ton of money or being insanely over the top. Of course I am a HUGE advocate for showing your loved ones that you care ALL YEAR LONG, especially after losing my mother and realizing just how precious time is with our friends and family.   I know a lot of people become sort of angry and annoyed with these holidays but it doesn't have to be this way. Easy for me to say, right? Since I have a husband and family but even if you don't have that, there are still ways you can make the most of it!  This year, I am the coach of about 30+ volunteers and I made them little goodie bags for valentine's day. Nothing super crazy but just a little something to show them that I am thinking of them and appreciate them! My daughter also made a valentine for her karate teacher, some family members, and some friends...

I have wanted to do this for awhile now buuuuuut just now found the motivation to actually do it. Do you struggle with too many toys in your home? I know most of my parent friends do.  It has taken me a few years to get to this point BUT.... I am finally getting somewhere with it.  SO.... I came up with a challenge. The challenge is this..... how much time do you want to spend cleaning up toys each day? Do your kids struggle with clean up time? I will say, my three year old is slow as a turtle when it comes to clean up time but my almost 8 year old is finally getting to the point where we are quick and  efficient in the clean up department.  For the three year old, it helps to pick up a few toys, hand them to him, and excitedly ask him to put them in the ______ box. Whichever box the toy belongs to.  We have our toys pretty well organized to make clean up a breeze.  In our play room, we have a train table, ONE mixed toy box, a kitchen, and a market. ...