Mom Based Business: Thirty-One

Our Mom-Based Business of the week is ....Thrity-One! 

Kimberlee is our Mom-Based Business of the week! She has two little ones, and one on the way. She has shared her MBB with me, and I have to say I love LOVE these products!  Thirty-One offers the cutest embroidered bags, packs, carry-alls, wallets, purses ...you name it. The fabrics are beautiful, the embroidery fonts are precious!

Kimberly says, "...When I started reading Courtney’s blog, the themes of organization and less stress immediately made me think of many of Thirty-One’s products... "  ...gotta love that :)

Kimberlee says about her business ...{my husband and I} decided that for $99 a start-up kit worth over $300 in product & supplies, I had nothing to lose. Here I am, almost a year later, with a team of 4 and growing, more confident, having a blast, bringing in extra income to pay those unexpected bills & working with a company that never fails to impress me.

 The fall catalog just came out this week, and I know I have really enjoyed checking out the new stuff! Its all so pretty and I love the personalization of the monogramming...which is $1 this month!

Kimberlee says, "... the product I use the most is the Organizing Wallet. As a busy mom of 2 (going on 3), I found it to be a pain to dig out my wallet, my checkbook, my coupons, etc out of my diaper bag every time I needed to change bags, or when I was going to the store alone. "

Kimberlee is offering LPLS readers a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to go towards the new fall catalog! 

To enter the drawing, which we will do next Tuesday leave a comment and tell us about 

what areas of your home you are (or would like to) organize your home for the fall!

Dont forget to leave contact info or a link back to your blog!  

(Oh..and there were some AWESOME potential Car Buckets in there ..I'm just sayin' :)

The Perfect Day

I am a ponderer ..which you may have picked on if you have spent any time with me or read anything I have ever written :)  I like to consider things while I am going about my day and doing things that dont require my brain to be fully engaged.

Lately, I have been considering what my perfect day would look like ..not a single, "perfect" day (like a walk on the beach, dinner at sunset, blah blah) but rathe a day that I wouldnt mind repeating over and over again. What would a day look like that I would want to be the template for every other day of my wonderfully chaotic life?

Here is where I am right now ...

* Get up around 0530 ..I love early mornings before the kids get up.
* Start the coffee pot, then do a 20 minute strength training workout (yoga or weights)
* Drink my coffee while doing my bible reading, and a days worth of bible study
* Pray and prioritize the day
* If time allows, do some writing on the blog or on my book

Kids should be up by then ....

* Eat a healthy breakfast with the kids
* Clean up the kitchen from breakfast
* Give the kids a quiet activity (and them cooperate) ..while I take a shower, get ready
* Learning/School time ..started off by memorizing scripture and a bible story
* Kids playtime with eachother and on their own while I do chores
* Lunch time ..a healthy lunch for all of us
* Quiet time for the kids, email/blog/chore catch up for mommy
* Playtime with the kids when everyone is awake and done being quiet :)

Then the crazy time ...

* Dinner ..healthy, at the table and while talking about good stuff
* Evening playtime and cleanup routines
* Kids to bed without me yelling, having their room and the playroom picked up
* Mommy's evening routine ..pickup the house and get school stuff ready for the next day
* Write blog posts for the next day
* Spend a few minutes each evening catching up Project Life, the Budget, etc.

Bed at a decent time, but awake for when our daddy comes home after midnight (he is working evenign shift right now)

In there I need time to spend with hubby, time to do deep cleaning, time to plan meals, grocery shop ..yadda, yadda ..

Thing is, my perfect day cant really be repeated indefinitely because our days and responsibilities are dynamic and fluid. I can have a general idea, though cant be too committed to it because then I wont be flexible enough to enjoy the sweet unplanned moments :)

Our "perfect day" scenarios give us a goal to work toward, and give us a clue into what is stress relieving for us, though. It helps us see what kind of schedule will give us the most calm ..at least it does me.

Clearly, I desire routine and being at HOME ..that says alot about the goals I should have, the priorities I should make for our home and family.

What does your perfect day look like? 

What does it say about what you would find the most StressLess for you?

Give it to GOD, again

"Trust in the Lord, with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5

So often things are simply beyond our control. We cannot do one thing about it. Getting rid of it, getting over it, getting control of it, making a new plan, getting an new perspective or getting it done may not work as a solution. There is nothing to do BUT give it totally to God, and trust that in His wisdom it will work to His glory. Giving it to him is certainly not a last resort, but the first resort..again! :)

Certainly, doing so is easier said than done. It is a skill, that deserves practice and constant assurance that you have still left it there. God's hands are more capable than ours, and dont forget that really we know too little of the whole story to make the proper decisions anyways!

Again, only time with Him on a constant basis can ensure that your heart is fully surrendered to His bidding. Only constant reminding via scriptures of His promises, His truths and His faithfulness can keep our little forgetful brains focused in that direction.

There is true peace waiting, for those hearts that allow Him to bear the burden of your heart, soul, mind and body. Never underestimate Him, and His ability to give you peace beyond understanding...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Welcome ifellowshippers..thanks so much for your encouragement

Get a New PERSPECTIVE!

Perspective has so much to do with the things we identify as stressful. And, we misuse alot of our resources because we have the wrong perspective on things. Being able to put things in their place, so to speak, can go a long way to our being able let things go and let God take control of them.

Changing how you see people, how you view your resources, how you see your work, how you view the time you have with your kids, how you see blessings or suffering in your life ..all can enable or deter you from being able to find peace in those areas.

The only way we can ensure that our perspective is such that peace is the result, is when our perspective is based on truth. That can only be found in our daily interactions with the Truth Giver and His word. Our eyes will only see with wisdom, if we learn from the Teacher the things of eternity as they lie in contrast to those "light and momentary" things.

Daily time with God is essential for having the right perspective on the world and situations around us.

If you dont already, make daily time for God and ask for His eternal perspective for your life. It will not only decrease your stress, but more importantly, therein lies the only true peace.

When it comes to your Stress List ..are there things on there that could use a different perspective? Are you stuck at home with a sick kid...or do you have a great excuse to sit on the couch and read to your little one? Do you have the pay the bills...or are you blessed to have a job and finances to cover it? Are you "stressed out", or misusing your resources somehow?

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Can a change in perspective help your Stress List today? Do tell!

Making Plans

In the spirit of getting a new plan...at one point I had my calendar in my SLJ but that system wasnt working as well as I would have liked. So, I had to get another plan! :)
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Here is what I have done with my board ..its been great to have all of my stuff in one place.

One thing I have found helpful is that I have put a sticky note on my board ..its for those grocery or household items that I think of we need next grocery trip. I write on there, and then just grab that note off the board when its time to go to the store.I had that in my SLJ but it was getting lost, and I found it a pain to have to get the book out to write it down in there. Then, I didnt remember to grab it when I went shopping. I like this better.

Also, I have written down a verse of the week. We are working on "Do everything without complaining or arguing." Philippians 2:14 ..its nice to have it right there to remind me of the truth, as well as to review it with the kids.

The headings I have on my note side are: Daily (drink water, one load of laundry, Bible study, etc.), Weekly (scour bathrooms, elliptical x3, catch up budget), Honey Please Do, Memory Verse, Prayers, and To Do.

Some of things I have on my calendar are meals planned for each day, birthdays/anniversaries, playgroup activities, school activities, daily prayer focus (each day of the week has a different family member), and deadlines.

I use different colors because I am very visual, so having it designated that way is very helpful. It helps remember things, and I find it less cluttered.

Everyone would not find this helpful, but I do. Whatever works for you, that is what you should do!

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