intentional living Archives - Page 4 of 14

Housework makes you ugly.

I saw this on Becky Higgins (the creator of Project Life) Instagram feed:

So I’m wondering if that means I need to take this down?

It’s on my wall right when people walk through the front door. Just so they understand why my house is a bomb most of the time. And it makes people smile.

Truly, though, this made me reconsider how I approach housework (and cooking dinner, and putting kids to bed, and getting kids to do homework, etc.). My attitude and disposition will teach my kids SO much more than the actual chores (or whatever it is we’re doing) will.

My attitude, about everything, “will have a deep and lasting impact” on my children’s attitude, about everything. Maybe it’s best that I start to instil a sense of positivity towards chores and housework (even if just to see them do the vacuuming for once – I will get them cleaning the floors with our Bissell vacuum yet!).

I’m still not taking down my sign though.

Summer Bucket List 2014

Each summer we sit down as a family and plan out what we’d like to do for the summer. My kids contribute and then Mike and I fill in.

I try to balance summer between work and play. It’s nice to have a little extra time to teach them new chores and have them help a little more around the house. Last week Jaida said “summer just means we have to do more chores.” And I added “it also means we get to have a lot more fun”. But yes, I do expect them to help more around the house. It’s good for them.

We also try to use summer as a time to challenge them a little. Get them to do more things that scare them (stuff behind the boat) or they think are too hard (hiking). Say Yes to adventure! And spend as much time as possible together as a family.

I print off the summer bucket list and hang it up where we can all see it. My kids keep me accountable to make sure we do the things on our list. There are usually a few stragglers on the list we never get to (like food fight–they keep adding this every year and we’ve never done it). But we do our best to fit in what we can.

Here’s this years list if anyone needs some ideas.

If you need a little extra motivation, you can join the Summer Bucket List challenge that my friend does and win prizes for completing your list.

100 Burpee Challenge

I get a little burned out on my various workouts every now and then and am always on the lookout for new things to help me stay in shape.

I’m planning to run the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon this September so I’ll be doing a lot of running, but I’ve been looking for something new for cross-training throughout the week.

In my searching I came across a site called the 12 minute athlete. I haven’t fully looked into it yet, nor have I done any of the workouts so I can’t say it works, but I saw her post something about a “100 Burpee Challenge”.

So today, I decided to try it. I’m always up for a challenge. And she said “Doing 100 burpees in a row is an awesome way to gauge your fitness level”

Here were the guidelines for time:

12+ minutes: You’re an athlete in training! Way to work hard, and don’t stop pushing.

10-12 minutes: You’re an athlete! Awesome job getting past those mental blocks.

8-10 minutes: You’re a super athlete! You’re strong and in great conditioning shape

6-8 minutes: You’re a total badass! You have some serious burpee skills.

4-6 minutes: You’re the ultimate badass! Be very, very proud.

I’ve never done a burpee before. I’ve done a few things that are kind of similar in Insanity, but never done an actual burpee. Like, ever.

And I ran 8 miles last Saturday. So I’d like to think I’m in pretty good shape.

I did the 100 burpee challenge. After I did 20 I was seriously questioning whether I was going to be able to finish.

I finished.

And it took me SIXTEEN minutes. 16. 16 1/2 actually. But I didn’t cheat on a single burpee. I went all the way down and I jumped after every.single.one. I did consider lying about my time just now. But I resisted.

It was humbling. And made me realize I have some work to do on my overall body strength. I’m going to work on my burpee skills and try again in a month. I’m blaming it on my arms.

Anyone want to try this with me?? It kicked my butt, but I’m up for the challenge of improvement.

{I wore a Heart Rate monitor while I did it and will post about the benefits of having a HRM and how many calories I burned during this exercise in a future post coming soon.}

And because no post feels complete without a picture. Photo Credit: Carter, 4 years old. Added blur for artistic expression.

“Real Life Stories–Women of Inspiration”. Jenny from The Happy Family Movement

I first met Jenny at the Breathe Intensive in Las Vegas several years ago. We were only with each other in person for 4 hours, but have kept in touch ever since.

Jenny and her husband, Josh, started The Happy Family Movement, a site dedicated to helping families create a more meaningful life together. And they are also about to launch a Kickstarter campaign for their newest idea to help families, the Phone Monster. AND, they started the Summer Bucket List challenge to help families have a more adventurous, intentional summer with their families. They’re busy people.

Jenny grew up in less than ideal circumstances. But instead of letting a victim mentality consume her, she changed her story and is making a positive impact on the people around her. She LOVES her kids and is constantly trying to create a great life story for her family.

1. Give me a quick peek at your life story.

Oh, wow… a quick peek? Um… I grew up in a bad situation. My dad died when I was a kid and I never got to know him. My mom was into drugs and we had a bad relationship. I worked hard through high school and got a full ride scholarship to go to college. I got married, got my Master’s Degree in Accounting, became a wedding photographer with my hubby, had three kids, started a family blog called The Happy Family Movement, and now I’m starting a new business called Phone Monsters. I’ve just leased a van for my business, so if you need vans for your business, check out Intelligent Van Leasing! Whew! Life is BUSY but wonderful

2. Tell me about an “every day moment” you are grateful for

Every night at bedtime, we crawl into bed with each of our kiddos for our nightly ‘snuggle chat’. We snuggle and talk about their day, their hopes, their fears, their dreams. It’s really the only part of our day that’s not usually chaotic and I love connecting with them.

3. Tell me about one ambition you have right now

I just launched my new business Phone Monsters and I’m really focused on getting that off the ground! I want to build a company that creates products that help families connect more.

4. If you could speak on anything to a large group of women, what would you talk about?

I’m lucky enough that I get asked to speak to mother’s groups fairly regularly and the one thing I always talk about is living intentionally and creating memorable experiences for your family. I believe that it’s SO important for every family to sit down and figure out exactly what your family values are. Once you know what your values are, work on setting up habits that help you live intentionally within those values. It benefits your family and it helps teach your kids more about living intentionally!

5. What does the phrase “create a good life story” mean to you?

I love this phrase!! To me, it’s all about creating space to let good things happen. It’s about saying yes to adventure. It’s about going out and doing things instead of just talking about doing things. It’s embracing your fears and going for it anyway. It’s about turning off the TV or computer or the cell phone and going outside to play catch, or tag, or ride bikes. It’s about giving back and doing good in the world and teaching your kids to give back and do good. It’s about love….it’s always about love!

6. Tell me something someone taught you that made an impact on your life

We’ve learned so much about life and embracing who you are from SO many people we’ve met in the photography industry and other creative entrepreneurs.

7. Name one event in your life that has made a significant impact on the course of your life story

I quit my job to go back to school and get my Master’s Degree. We started our photography business at the same time. It was the riskiest, craziest thing we had ever done and I’m still shocked today that we made such a crazy decision considering that up until that point, we played everything safe.

8. What is something you want to accomplish you haven’t yet?

I’d love to give a TED talk!

9. What photographs are you most grateful for from your childhood or teen years?

I’ve got two photos of my dad that my grandpa gave me before he passed away. They’re the only connection I have to a dad I never knew and don’t remember.

10. What are you most proud of?

That I broke the cycle of neglect and abuse. I’m not a perfect mother, but I’m a really good one and my kids know without a doubt that I love them.

11. What is the best parenting advice/tip someone gave you?

I read a magazine article written by husband/wife nutritionists one time…Most of the article was how you should only give your kid a cupcake or treat on their birthday, etc. But there was one nugget of info in there that was amazing! They said you should give your kids HUGE servings of veggies at every meal, but never force them to eat all the veggies. So I give my kids as much as a whole cup of veggies at every meal. Sometimes they eat half the bowl, but sometimes they eat ALL the veggies. I guarantee they eat WAY more veggies than they would if I gave them a smaller serving. I know it’s small thing, but it really works!

12. Tell me something you are sure of

I am sure that every person on the planet has a special talent that the world needs. We don’t always know what it is immediately, but when we find it, it’s our responsibility to share it with the world and make an impact.

13. What is your favorite quote or life motto?

Say yes to adventure!

14. What is your favorite part about yourself (not a physical trait)?

I’m very driven and focused. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to get things done. And if I believe in something, I won’t let it fail because I won’t give up until it succeeds.

15. What type of photographs do you wish you had more of?

Photos of my brothers and I as kids

16. What is something you do to help drive away fear or anxiety?

I write myself encouraging notes on the good days so I can read them on the rough ones. Even when everyone else believes in you and is encouraging you, sometimes you just need to remember that YOU believe in yourself too.

17. What is your favorite part about being a mom? Your least favorite part (just keepin it real on this question–I know you love your kids)?

My favorite part of being a mom is seeing my kids be amazing…sometimes that’s sharing a cookie with someone, writing a nice note, standing up to a bully at school, picking up trash on the beach. And sometimes it’s Lia’s silly dance moves, finding Ava hiding behind the chair with a book, and Max’s serious obsession with whatever he’s obsessed with at the moment…which right now is sharks.

My least favorite part has got to be bedtime. Seriously! Kids have no sense of urgency! On the nights we don’t have activities bedtime is much smoother. But anytime we get home late and need to do super-fast-bedtime as we like to call it, I always feel frustrated at their stall tactics and when they get out of bed thirteen times. Tell me I’m not alone in this!

18. Tell me something about yourself that may surprise people

I’m an incredibly Type A, organized, plan everything kind of person, but I’ve learned to be spontaneous and be okay with that.

19. What’s one thing you wish you would have known when you were younger?

That’s it’s going to be okay. That perfect attendance doesn’t count for anything really. That nobody will ever ask you or ever care what your GPA was after you graduate. That you can find a way to make a living doing just about anything you love…seriously.

And for fun:

Favorite book: HARRY POTTER!

Favorite family tradition: oh my gosh…we have so many. Probably riding bikes to the park on the 4th of July. We watch the city fireworks display then bike home. Our city allows people to shoot off fireworks, so the whole bike ride home feels like a fireworks serenade!

Something you enjoy doing with your spouse: Exploring and adventuring. we love to do active things!

Talent you wish you had: I SO wish that I could sing

Favorite meal: hmmm..Depends on the day, but I love good pizza, pretty much all Mexican food, and anything on the grill.

If you never had to do one specific thing again, what would it be: EMAIL

Favorite show on TV: I would say HIMYM, but it ended this week and they totally blew the ending. So probably Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Parenthood.

Something that scares you: Something happening to my hubby or kids

Favorite thing about your husband: he loves to act ridiculous just to make me laugh

Something you can’t live without: Pepsi…I know it’s terrible for me, but I love it so much!

What’s something you think about often: money. I wish I had a better answer, but it’s true. One of the down sides to being an entrepreneur is having to constantly figure out where the next payment is coming from 🙂

THANK YOU for doing this interview Jenny! And thank you for doing everything you can to do GOOD things in this world.

If you want to read other “Real Life Stories–Women of Inspiration” interviews, click here.

We’re mom’s. We save lives.

Sometimes when people ask me what I do, I like to say “I save lives”. Because truthfully, I do. All day long. I’m a mom. And I think toddlers spend 80% of their day doing things that could kill them. And we save them.

And then those toddlers grow up and they continue to do things that could kill them, either physically or emotionally. And we save them.

This video is worth your time.

The girls say their mom did someting unimaginable. But she actually didn’t. Because I know EVERY SINGLE MOM out there would do just what that mom did and jump in front of the car. Because her babies were inside. And we love them more than we love our own life. Notice I didn’t say we love them more than we love ourselves. I hope we love ourselves just as much as we love our kids. But we’d definitely be willing to sacrifice our lives for theirs.

So please, please, please, Mom’s, don’t spend your days feeling guilty or sad. Celebrate. Celebrate the love you have for those kids. And the lessons they have taught you that you probably couldn’t learn any other way.

These girls said their mom continues to save their lives every.single.day.

We save lives. And you love your kids. And those kids need YOU. And THAT makes you a remarkable woman and mother.