This post is sponsored by fairlife ultra-filtered milk. I got to visit their flagship farm in Indiana, see my trip on this post.

I was reading a story yesterday about a man who had just come home from a business trip. He only had 4 hours before he had to go back to work for a meeting so wanting to help his wife who was on her own during his trip, he started fixing the washing machine that was broken. His wife came out and told him, “Richard, go play with the children.” He told her that it was okay, that he needed to fix the washing machine first. His wife then said to him again, this time more firmly, “Richard, please go play with the children.” So he listened to his wife(smart man!) and went and played with the kids instead. They ran around, chased each other and rolled around the leaves. That night at 4 a.m, he was woken up by two little arms around his neck and a whisper in his ear, “Daddy, you are my best friend.” He went on to say that if you are having that kind of experience in your family, you are having one of the supernal joys of life.

READ MORE

0

Red coat(on sale + 40% off!) | Rain Boots

Anyone struggle with moodiness? As an empath, I struggle with mood swings. I take in people’s emotions and it affects me. But the last week or so, my husband said I’ve been “just a ray of sunshine!” Which was me before I had kids. I was always happy, optimistic and upbeat. But since I’ve had kids, it doesn’t come naturally 100% of the time like it used to! But recently I’ve been more upbeat. It could be because it’s not that time of the month, but I also think it’s because I’ve been reading the scriptures everyday and also watching out for what I’ve been reading, hearing, or saying. The higher the universal law that you abide by, the higher the blessings you receive. The more good you associate yourself with, the happier you’ll be. I believe our energies exchange with one another with whatever we associate ourselves with. If I read a book, I’m exchanging energy with the author, with their feelings, emotions & purpose when they wrote the book. If I’m watching a t.v show, I’m exchanging energy with the people behind it and their purpose & intent with the show. If I talk to someone face to face, I’m exchanging energy with that person. This is why after you watch something or hang out with someone, you feel either energized or drained. Our energies are constantly exchanging with something or someone. By you reading this, my energy is going to you and your energy is going to me. Oh, how intimidate and tender, we are basically BFF’s now!

I once read about a girl who went to Heaven and came back. God showed her Hell and told her to go back to earth and draw what she saw.

1

Sometimes I get overwhelmed. I read an article once that said people are choosing to have children later on in life and one of the effect of that is how their kids will have to take care of young kids and their aging parents at the same time. Even though my parents started having children in their late 20’s, I am the last of 5 children so by the time I was born, they were both in their late 30’s. Me being the only child that live near them and the next closest one lives 10 hours away, I am the sole responsibility of my parents and it does get overwhelming at times.

Just as I was working on writing this post that was due this morning, my mom called to tell me that my dad’s car won’t start and she stopped driving her car a few years ago(because of my dad’s paralysis, he can’t drive her SUV), so she needed me to take her to her doctor’s appointment(that I had called and made an appointment for since she doesn’t understand English sometimes and doesn’t know how use the internet). So I had to drop everything I was doing and got my toddler ready and drove my parents with my toddler in tow, drove back, I have just a little bit to work on this post, then I have to go pick my parents up, pick up my son’s friend for carpool, take them to their school 20 mins. away, then 15 mins. later, I have a parent teacher conference for my other child. Then I will have a little bit of time to work on this post again, then the kids will come home, feed, help with homework, read, make dinner, and clean the house before Jay comes home. Oh! And I need to go vote! But I don’t have time to stand in a long line so I am not sure what I am going to do. Writing this all down is making me have more anxiety haha!

I am not pitying myself or complaining, I am merely explaining to you why I feel overwhelmed at times. I am not unhappy about it, it’s just the way my life is and I am okay with that. I was just texting my husband today to let him know just how lucky he was that his spouse is a stay at home parent. Do working parents who have a stay at home spouse realize just how lucky they are? It is such a luxury! I don’t think my husband works less than me, he probably does more than I do since he is the most hardworking, not-lazy person I know but when he goes to work, he only needs to worry about his work. He can put 100% of his attention and focus into whatever he needs to be doing. I envy that so much! With me as a stay at home parent, I don’t get to put myself first, even if I make an income and I have a part-time job. With Jay, he gets to put his deadlines and reports and presentations first and put everything else on hold for that moment, but with me, just like this post that was due 4 hours ago, I am dealing with my kids’ schedules, my parents’ schedules and they come first. I so wish I could put 100% of my focus and time into one thing at a time

As I was thinking about this on my drive home after dropping my son off at school, I decided to shift my perspective a bit. Instead of feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, why not realize that being in a position to help someone else is such a blessing in it of itself? I am healthy, I am happy, I have a car, my parents trust and rely on me, my kids trust and love me and depend on me, and my husband trusts me completely with taking care of things while he’s at work. What a blessing that I am in the position to help others! If I am in a position to need help, what a blessing it is that I have so many family and friends that love me and deeply care about me that they would help me? And why not ask the Heavens to help me to feel energized and not overwhelmed? To ask for the strength, the energy and optimism to help those in need? When my perspective changed, I immediately felt more energy and I felt a calmness wash over me. I rely on myself so much and try to do everything myself but I need to keep reminding myself that I have help from the universe who’s power is limitless.

Another thing that has helped me feel more calm and have less anxiety is having Bay Alarm Medical in my parents’ home. Bay Alarm medical let me try out their product for 2 months and even though I live just a few miles away from my parents, I don’t feel it’s close enough. My mom doesn’t have a cellphone nor does she use the internet and while my dad has a cellphone, he always forgets to charge it so it’s as if he doesn’t even have one. I think in the past 6 years of him having a phone, I’ve called him twice on his cellphone. He never carries it with him!

I wish I had this installed at my parents house when my dad had a heart attack last Christmas. No one knew he had a heart attack until my mom woke up in the middle of the night and went to check up on my dad in the computer room and found him unconscious. I was in Hawaii and was pretty shaken up when I heard about it, but knowing I was too far away to be there for him. It is super simple and easy to set up, you just need to plug it in, then plus in the phone cord and that’s it! It comes in a necklace, a presser and also as a bracelet to make sure my parents will have easy, instant access whenever they need help. Luckily for the last 2 months we’ve been using it, there was no need for them to press HELP but knowing that immediate assistance can be there when I am away has given me such ease and calm. My parents will continue to age and get less dependent and more reliable on me and I know I can’t do it all by myself. I am all about finding outside resources and help to ease the responsibly that has been placed on me, a responsibility that I am lucky to carry.

This post is in partnership with Bay Alarm Medical.

49

3 Looks with 3 Layers

Pants & Puffer Vest : Gap Factory

I’ve been feeling blah today. I had a migraine, I was burnt out from motherhood, I cut my finger while cooking lunch, so I thought to myself, “Ugh, today is going to be a crappy day.” Then the kids seemed to be more whiny, I noticed more bad drivers on the road than normal, things didn’t seem to go right. Then I had a thought come to my mind, ‘Each word you think or speak has a consequence. Words itself have energy and power and if I speak or think negatively, it changes my energy to more negative which will attract more negativity to my surroundings.’ So I quickly said out loud, “You know what? Today is going to be a good day. I am going to choose to be happy.” Then immediately, my mood shifted! Happiness really is a choice!

It’s not the circumstance that determine our happiness but our choice to be happy. One of the 5 things people regretted on their deathbed was that they realized happiness is a choice. It’s not, “When I get a nicer house, nicer job, nicer body, when this happens, when I get there… I’ll be happy.” You can choose to be happy along the journey, not just at the final destination. If you want to be happy, BE.

After I changed my attitude and spoke positive words, things seemed to go right again. Jay came home and watched the kids while I was able to finish what was on my to-do list. The kids played with each other so sweetly and tenderly. Then right before bedtime, my 3 year old son said to Jay, “Daddy, you are the best daddy in the whole world! Mommy, I love my family. I have the best family in the whole world!!!” And literally just now as I am typing, my son just said to me, “Mommy, did you know that Heavenly Father said I am going to give you the best mama in the whole world?” Oh, my heart.

So while the day didn’t start right, it sure finished just right. I believe if we really knew the literal power and the effect thoughts and words have, we would be very careful to not think or utter a negative word ever again.

I think I get more moody and melancholy at the start of Fall season. I feel lazy, wanting to do nothing productive but just cuddle up in a blanket with a good book. And watch movies and nap. Even though I don’t get to do any of that, that’s what I wish I could be doing! Does anyone else feel like this in the Fall season, or is it just me?

I have partnered with Gap Factory to style their puffer vest and pants to get ready for the Fall/Winter season and since I have never owned a puffer vest before, I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but I like it a lot! It is super lightweight but very warm and cozy, I had no idea! I need to get me more of these! It feels like I am wearing a cozy blanket. But not like a puffer coat where you get hot, this is just right, like April 25th(name that movie!). And I got the pants in size 0 and I was prepared to sew it if it didn’t fit, but to my surprise again, it fit perfectly. I’ve owned size 0 Gap Factory pants before and they were just a tad too loose so either they changed sizing or I got bigger haha. The vest is such a versatile piece and I plan on wearing both the vest and the pants  a lot during the cooler season.

Get the pants here, vest over there, both only $20!

96