• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Many Little Joys

  • Shop
  • Parenthood
  • Crafts & Activities
  • Food
  • About
  • Disclosure
You are here: Home / Archives for self talk

self talk

What you DON’T see when you look at my picture-perfect photos

Next time you look at a picture-perfect photo, remember that there is almost always more to the story than meets the eye.Next time you look at a picture-perfect photo, remember that there is almost always more to the story than meets the eye.We just got our family portraits back and I couldn’t be more thrilled! My kids look adorable, and I’m so excited to finally have a beautiful photo of the people I love to put on the wall above my fireplace.

And yet, when I look at these photos, I also have to laugh a little and shake my head. Why? Because getting those perfect shots and precious smiles was actually a pretty awful experience….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Dear Moms, You don’t have to enjoy every moment… (overcoming mom guilt)

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the popular phrase, “enjoy every moment”? If so, try these mantras to overcome mom guilt…Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the popular phrase, "enjoy every moment"? If so, try these mantras instead...From time to time, when I’m wandering through the home decor aisles of a craft store, I’ll see a lovely little sign that says in beautiful, scripty lettering, “Enjoy Every Moment.”

It’s a lovely sentiment, really.

But whenever I read that phrase, I am suddenly filled with a strong desire to gently take the sign off the shelf and THROW those lovely, artistically-rendered words across the store….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

I am THAT mom…

If you ever feel discouraged that you are “that” mom you always said you’d never be, take heart and remember that you are doing more good than you think you are.If you ever feel discouraged that you are "that" mom you always said you'd never be, take heart and remember that you are doing more good than you think you are.I am that mom. You know, the one you used to look at before you had kids and say, “I will NEVER do that when I’m parent.” Yep, I used to think that, too.

Well, now I’m her….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Letting go of perfectionism: understanding opportunity cost in motherhood

Moms have to do it all…or do they? When we understand the full cost of the choices we make, we are able to let go of perfectionism and better utilize our time and energy to focus on what matters most in life.
Moms have to do it all...or do they? When we understand the full cost of the choices we make, we are able to let go of perfectionism and better utilize our time and energy to focus on what matters most in life.I am a perfectionist by nature. I like things neat and organized, and I abhor clutter. I even eat my Skittles in reverse rainbow order for goodness sake (I know, I’m weird).

In many ways, my perfectionism has served me well in life. I was always a good student in school, I had a successful career as a teacher, and I have a box of certificates and plaques for countless hours spent trying to produce the best possible work in any situation….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Things we forget when we grow up

In a world that seems to make our little ones grow up so quickly and pushes all of us to be high-achievers, my kids are a constant reminder to me to remain childlike regardless of my age.

things-we-forget-when-we-grow-up-cover “Grow up, already!” I sometimes plead inside my head to my children on a long, hard day.

I don’t really want my kids to grow up yet…at least not all the way. But sometimes it seems like it would be nice to have them grow up just a little…just enough to be able to tie their own shoes and get their own drinks of water without leaving puddles on my kitchen floor.

Other times–when I’m not too sleep-deprived or exhausted from refereeing sibling rivalry wars all day–I see my children for more than the messes, the fights, and the constant need of something from me. In those moments, I see them for…

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Motherhood Uncropped

In a virtual world of “Pinterest perfection,” let’s remember to celebrate the beauty of the everyday, imperfect realities of life and motherhood, even when they don’t seem particularly share-worthy.In a virtual world of "Pinterest perfection," let's remember to celebrate the beauty of the everyday, imperfect realities of life and motherhood, even when they don't seem particularly share-worthy.I have a love/hate relationship with the Internet. With technology in general, really, but especially with the Internet and all of the images on social media that bombard us every day. I love all the things I can look up quickly to answer my four-year-old’s questions about things like “What is a water tower for?” (In case you’re now wondering, here’s the answer.)

I love that I can get ideas for teaching my kids preschool, cute Halloween costumes, and limitless recipes. I love that I’ve learned how to refinish furniture, start a blog, and get my whites truly white again….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

The one piece of advice every mom-to-be needs to hear

Becoming a mom is exciting, exhausting, amazing, and overwhelming. This is the single BEST piece of advice I was given as a mom-to-be that saved me in the first week of motherhood.

Becoming a mom is exciting, exhausting, amazing, and overwhelming. This is the single BEST piece of advice I was given as a mom-to-be that saved me in the first week of motherhood.

A few weeks before I had my first child, I was talking to a friend (who had just had her first baby a few months earlier) about all my excitement and fears about what was coming. During that conversation, she gave me some advice that ended up being my lifeline the first few weeks of motherhood. To this day, it’s the single best piece of advice that I was given while preparing to meet the little boy who turned my world happily upside down.

Today, I want to share that advice with you in hopes that if when you find yourself overwhelmed by all the changes to your life, your emotions, and your body that first week of motherhood, you can find a little hope.

…

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Motherhood is like running

Have you ever thought about how each day of motherhood is like a morning training run? 
Have you ever thought about how each day of motherhood is like a morning run? Here's what I realized while running.

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a runner.

I will never forget my first week at college when I thought it was a good idea to go running with my new dorm friends. I’m in shape, I thought. I can keep up. Considering that one of the three girls ran cross country and track at our university (which happens to often win the national championship in cross country) I was a little lot out of my league. Not to mention the fact that the previous week I had been living at about 300 feet above sea level, and now I was attempting to run at 4000 feet. Oops….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

The wonders within us

We carry within us the wonders we seek around us.

Today is just going to be a quick post. Life is crazy around here right now (stay tuned for more on that next week), but I wanted to share this thought that has been stuck in my head for a few months now. I first read it in the book 365 Days of Wonder. Have you read Wonder and its companion books?…

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

How to beat a bad mood and get back to being a happy mom

What do you do when you’re in a funk and there’s no one to relieve you from mommy duty?  Here are my top tips for how to beat a bad mood & get back to being a happy mom.

what do you do when you're in a funk and there's no one to relieve you from mommy duty? Here are my top tips for how to beat a bad mood & get back to being a happy mom.Some days, I just don’t want to be the mom anymore. Whether it’s that I didn’t get enough sleep, have something stressing me out, or am just overwhelmed by all the demands of motherhood, sometimes I just want to hide in my room with something yummy to eat and a good book, and let the rest of the world melt away….

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Let’s be friends…

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework