How to Be Your Kids’ Hero When You’re Not the Supermom Type

Pinterest is fabulous.  It's a treasure trove of incredible ideas.

But many times the ideas you find are completely unrealistic for normal people.

It may seem like every good mom makes teddy-bear shaped pancakes for her kids to eat for breakfast.  It may seem like every good mom carefully plans out complicated crafts for her kids on a regular basis.  It may seem like your children are missing out because you've never made a homemade water blob or braided your daughter's hair like a princess.

Let me tell you something.  Most of the moms I know are happy to stick a piece of toast in front of their kids and call it good.  Doing a craft means pulling out the construction paper and some crayons (markers only if mom's in a really good mood).  Homemade water blobs?  Sorry kids, not that, but you might be allowed to play in the sprinkler if I have any clean towels for you to dry off with afterward.  And the hair thing?  In the amount of time it would take me to watch enough YouTube videos to figure out how to do that, you will have outgrown the desire to have your hair braided like a princess anyway.

But it is still possible to do fun stuff with your kids even if you are regular old, plain jane, boring type of mom.

Here are some ideas of fun things to do with your kids when you don't have 3 hours to assemble craft supplies or watch youtube videos about doing girl's hair.

1. Go outside and play with them.  Play with a stick, a ball, a bike, anything.  Your kids will be thrilled to have you outside giving them your full attention.  No homemade water blobs required.

2. Read books to them.  When I was growing up I loved nothing more than for my mom to read to me — and I learned to read and write before I ever started kindergarten.  Regardless of what you might learn from Pinterest, children can learn to read and write without creating letters out of playdough, cutting their sandwiches into letter shapes, and tracing letters in the sand.  (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those learning activities, but if you're the non-supermom type, rest assured that snuggling your child in your lap with a book is just as exciting and educational for them.)

3. Buy store-bought treats.  Guess what?  Your kids will like fruit snacks from the store every bit as much as the homemade ones you saw on Pinterest.  (Disclaimer: the homemade ones are probably more healthy, but you can find store-bought organic options without a lot of nasty additives — like these.)  The secret is to make treats be…well…treats.  If you give your kids treats every single day it's no longer a treat and they will always be wanting something bigger and better.  But when a treat is really a treat, you will absolutely make your kids' day when you bring home something fun from the store.  (And their health will be a lot better off too.)

4. Let them help you cook.  You have to cook anyway, so you might as well let the kids join you.  You'll be getting dinner made and spending time with your kids all at the same time.  Cutting cheese slices into animal shapes won't be necessary, as it will be all the fun your kids need just to be with you, feeling all grown up about cooking.  Not sure what the teeny tiny ones can do to help?  Here are 10 ways kids can help in the kitchen.  If you want some more in-depth info, Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has a couple great e-books: “What to do With Your Kids in the Kitchen” and “Teaching Your Kids to Cook“, or this 12 Week Cooking With Kids Curriculum is awesome!

5. Do crafts together.  Personally, I think a kid gets a kick out of doing crafts regardless of complicated they are.  The opportunity to use scissors and glue puts a smile on my kids' face.  There are hundreds of incredible craft ideas on Pinterest, but many of them make me shudder at the thought of trying to help my kids complete them without their having a meltdown that their melted crayon art didn't turn out exactly as they'd hoped.

image via craftfail.com

Instead of going for the super-complicated crafts on Pinterest, keep it simple.  Your kids will probably actually enjoy it more anyway due to their short attention spans, and you'll be a lot less stressed.

Oh, and if you want to spend a few dollars to take even more stress out of the whole craft thing (can you tell I'm not the crafty kind of mom?), you'll want to take advantage of this free box from Kiwi Crate!  This is one of those things that will make you look like supermom without your having to do any work.  I normally wouldn't spend extra money on stuff like this, but when you only pay $3.95 for the cost of shipping, I say it's worth it to do something that your kids will think is totally cool!  (Just please don't forget to cancel your subscription after you receive your free box – unless you want to keep the subscription of course.)  You can get that free box here.

All right, you other non-supermoms –  what other ideas can you share?  What makes your kids' day without giving you gray hair in the process?

 Oh, yes.  I'd be bad not to mention this book that is a lifesaver for so many frazzled moms who are trying to get a little housework done without kids making messes behind them as they go.  And of course, these are all non-supermom activities!  Get more details here, or get it now:

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7 Reasons You Need to Drink More Water

The need for water is so often overlooked, yet the effects of inadequate water intake are some of the most detrimental you can experience.

Here are 7 reasons you need to drink more water:

1. Your body needs water to flush out toxins.

2. Dehydration can cause your body to produce excess histamine, which can trigger allergies.

3. Lack of hydration causes blood volume to drop, making the heart work harder to supply the skin and muscles with oxygen and nutrients.  The harder your heart has to work, the more fatigued you feel.

4. When your body does not have enough water, it will pull water from your colon, causing you to become constipated.

5. Without enough water, your brain cannot function properly, resulting in mental fog, poor short term memory, dizziness, and headaches. Depression, fear, anxiety, anger and other emotional turmoil can also occur as a result of water deficiency in the brain.

6.  Too little water restricts blood flow, causing muscle aches and pains.

7. Dehydration causes you to be more susceptible to infections.

Perhaps you feel that you do a good job of drinking enough liquids and that you are likely not dehydrated. It is actually very easy to become dehydrated if you are drinking beverages besides water. Other beverages like tea, coffee, fruit juices, and soft drinks may contain water, but they also contain other ingredients like sugar, caffeine, or artificial sweeteners which can contribute to dehydration. Even though you are consuming water within these beverages, the more you consume, the more you are dehydrating yourself. For example, in the case of caffeine, your body must relinquish up to three cups of water for every cup of caffeinated beverages you consume in order to flush the caffeine from your system. You may think you are drinking plenty of water in addition to the caffeine, but you would have to drink three times as much water as caffeinated beverages just to “break even”.

You may also assume that because you do not feel thirsty that you are not dehydrated. When your cells are a little low on water, the brain receives a signal in the form of thirst. When your cells become dehydrated, however, they are no longer able to function properly and send the brain the “thirst” signal.

Once you begin to rehydrate yourself, your cells may have hardened to the point that they do not absorb or retain water very well. You may find yourself needing to use the bathroom frequently. Many people make the mistake at this point of thinking that they are now drinking too much water and begin to scale back again. If you will continue to power through this phase with drinking the recommended amounts of water, your cells will become more efficient at absorbing water and you will begin to feel more energetic.

You should be drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day. A good way to start the day is to drink a solution of water concentrated with mineral-rich salt, such as Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt (I personally use Redmond Real Salt.) Add ½ teaspoon salt to 2 ounces of water, drink, and follow with another 8 ounces of pure water. The salt water will help balance the pH of your cells as well as to encourage the cells to absorb water more efficiently.   You can tell if you are properly hydrated if your urine is a pale yellow color. Darker urine indicates a greater concentration of waste products due to the kidneys’ efforts to conserve water.

How do you rate?  Are you drinking enough water every day?

And don't forget to sign up for the 10 Week Healthy Living Challenge!  Each week we'll be focusing on one simple change that will have a big impact on our health and energy levels!

3 Characteristics of a Godly Father

I realize this is a blog for homemakers, and therefore there may not be a whole lot of fathers reading this.  You can share this post for the fathers in your life to read, or you can use it to pray these things for them.

As I mentioned in my Characteristics of a Godly Mother post, I was blessed with Godly parents, and have learned so much about parenting through watching their lives.

I wanted to take the time to share some of the things that my own dad did right.

1. He admitted when he was wrong. 

No one on this entire earth is perfect, and that includes my father.  When he made a mistake, he was willing to admit it.  He didn't try to pretend that nothing was wrong.  Instead he apologized when he'd lost his temper or failed to walk in the Spirit.  Instead of thinking less of him for making mistakes, we children learned valuable lessons from those instances.  We saw by example how to handle our own failures – by confessing our sin, getting up and going forward rather than trying to cover things up.

2. He was submitted to the Holy Spirit.

It was obvious to me even as a child that my dad was humbly submitted to the Holy Spirit's work in his heart. I watched him study scripture, pray, learn, grow, and change. Wherever God led him, he followed. He still does to this day. I enjoy having conversations with him about what we are both studying in scripture and what the Holy Spirit is revealing to us through it.

What better way for a father to encourage his children to walk with the Lord than to focus on his own relationship with God?

3. He was a nurturer.

When I think of what a Godly father should be, I immediately think of Ephesians 6:4, which is directed specifically to fathers:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The word “nurture” brings to my mind the idea of a tender plant.  In order for that plant to grow and thrive, the caretaker must tend to it regularly — pulling weeds, watering, fertilizing.  It requires lots of time and careful attention, and neglecting it will either cause it to die or at least come close to it.

My dad paid careful attention to his children, always finding time to play with us and listen to us.  Because of that fact, his tender plants grew and thrived.  A father who berates, ignores, or makes his children feel unimportant will find that they will wilt. But a father who encourages and tends to the hearts of his children will strengthen them.

So, while my dad wasn't perfect a perfect human, these are some of the things that impacted me as a child and that I still appreciate about him today.

I am thankful that I had such a loving father who pointed me to the loving heart of God!

My dad with my little boy

The Secret to Living Debt Free

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10 Week Healthy Living Challenge

Do you want to take some steps toward a healthier lifestyle, but aren't sure where to start?

Join me for a 10 week healthy living challenge!

(You can jump in to this challenge at any time.  There is no particular start or end date, so the best time to start making positive changes is NOW!)

This will not be anything overwhelming; instead it will be one simple change you can make in your household that will have a big impact!

You'll find yourself more energetic and happier about the way you are caring for your family.

Sound good?

Enter your email address to join the fun!

(Note: if you are already subscribed to email updates, you WILL need to sign up separately for this challenge.)

How to Pray for Missionaries (With Free Printable)

A couple years ago I posted about how we keep all our missionary prayer cards in a photo album.  We can flip through it and pray for a different missionary at each meal.

I hope you have some sort of system in place that you use to pray for missionaries as well.  And I hope that your prayer is more than just “God bless the missionaries.”  They have specific needs, and it is our responsibility to intercede for them as they face the obstacles that the adversary sets before them.

It is easier than it ever has been to pray for the specific needs of each missionary that we know.  Most of them send out updates by email, and you can get their most up-to-date prayer requests right in your inbox.  I try to pray for specific requests that come through immediately as I read them.  Later we add those requests to our family prayer time as well.

A couple months ago, we had a missionary in our church (Brenson Jennings, missionary to Niger) who preached a message on How to Pray for Missionaries.  He gave some general ways that we should be praying for our missionaries on a regular basis.  I am not sure I got 100% of the outline down as I was trying to hurriedly scratch it on the back of a receipt, but here is the gist of what he said: (posted with his permission)

1. Pray for their Deliverance

• from Wicked Men – there are many who oppose the work of the Lord and will do everything they can to hinder it
• from Wasted Time – they need wisdom to use every minute wisely
• from Weary Bodies – one of Satan's weapons against those doing God's work is to attack with illness
• from Worldly Attitudes – they need to remember that all things work together for good — even when it doesn't seem like that is happening at the moment
• from Wrong Choices – they need discernment to use their resources wisely, to know who to trust in a strange country, etc.

2. Pray for Acceptance

• of the Message – that people would respond to the gospel
• of the Motive – they need people to understand that they've come because God loves them

3. Pray for Encouragement

• In times of Stress – sometimes it seems they are all alone as they face trials
• In times of Sickness – we all have a tendency to feel discouraged when we're not feeling well
• In times of Sowing – it's discouraging when it seems no one is listening or responding to your message
• In times of Separation – being far away from friends and family is hard

There were so many specific examples that this particular missionary gave which illustrated each of these points.  I'm sure that you can just imagine the missionaries you know and why they would need you to pray these things for them and how they would apply in their particular situation.

I wanted to remember these things, so I created a simple 4×6 printable that can go into the front of our missionary album.  If you'd like to print it, you can do so by clicking on the photo above or the link below.

How to Pray for Missionaries PDF