Surviving Motherhood

Surviving Motherhood

I'm going to share with all of you the secret I've learned about Surviving Motherhood.

Please come close to the screen, a little closer, little closer please.

That's perfect, now are you ready?  I'm only gonna tell you this one time.

Are you ready?  The secret is, "There isn't a secret.  Motherhood is survival of the fittest"

However I have learned a few Do's and Don'ts I will share with you.

1.  Do get out of the house, don't become a hermit because you gave birth and are tired. 

2.  Don't stick your finger in your kids diaper to see if there is something inside it.  

3.  Do Exercise - and I'm not talking about running the house like a mad woman.  Set yourself up with some type of physical exercise that you enjoy and just DO IT.  I've started walking my neighborhood pulling Jacob in a wagon, those hills are killers but I feel better when I'm done.

4.  Don't loose your temper.  Remember the old saying "don't let'em see you sweat" .  Basically don't sweat the small stuff and in the grand scheme of life, most of it is small stuff.  If you kid pours milk all over the floor, don't sweat it, wipe it up and get on with your day.

5.  Don't cry over spilled milk unless it's breast milk that you just pumped and you accidentally dropped it.

6.  Do laugh when you want to cry.  

Learn to laugh at yourself and life will be a little easier and a lot more fun.

Stuff happens, get used to it and get on with it.  After all, is whatever you want to cry about anything you'll remember or care about when you kid is 18 and leaves for college?  Laugh, you'll feel better.

7.  Housework this is a toughie.  My house doesn't look like it used to.  Sometimes I'm just to exhausted to care.  I've got toys everywhere, stains on the furniture, baby wipe containers EVERYWHERE.  But I've had an amazing revelation about my house; "We live in it and we have a toddler.  I'm doing my very best.    

If you are my friend you can overlook a little messy sometimes. If you're my friend you won't mind stepping over some toys to come visit me.  If you're not my friend, then I don't really care anyway so why give it a second thought."  

8.  Do eat a healthy diet.  Junk food is so easy and convenient but in the end it just weighs you down.  I have to admit that I've never met a donut that I didn't like.

9.  Do find some balance in your life.  Find some "Me" time in your busy schedule. I'm struggling really hard with this one.  Find time to be creative, turning off creativity will make your life torture.  You need that outlet.

Patience will help you to overcome almost anything.  Simplify your life; don't make things any harder than they have to be.  Remember KISS.  

10.  Do remember that if being a mother was easy, men would do it.

11.  Do learn to Forgive, yourself and others for mistakes.  You're never going to be Perfect and neither is anyone else. 

Self Portrait of what All Moms want to be

I've ran companies and worked hard all my life but no job I've ever done was 

as hard or as important as being a Mom.

I'm sure you all have learned Dos and Don'ts of your own.
Hope you will share with us in the comments section.
I'd love to hear from you.

till next time

Angel

$600 Cash Giveaway

Hello Friends

I am so happy to be a Sponsor in a huge give-away with What Jean Likes.  If you would like to enter the Birthday Cash Giveaway or become a Sponsor then please, read on.

Two years ago in May I started blogging on What Jean Likes.  I had the blog name for years (since 2008, I think), back when I had an idea but was so busy running my other site that I never did anything with it.  After I quit my job as a beauty blog writer/editor/photographer, I decided to take a break but missed blogging so much... I decided to write about a large array of things I like so I came here and sporadically posted every few months when I had time, no biggie.

Over the last year or so I really started actively posting here, finding my voice and sharing the things I like with this blogosphere.  My blog has grown so very much and I want to do something super special not only to celebrate my bloggy birthday, but to thank all of you for being a part of the family and sticking with me through it all.  Did I mention I'm having a 50% off sale on all ads for my site in May to celebrate?  Just enter the code: MAY at checkout to get half off ALL ads!!  Sponsor & Advertise

I am putting together a cash prize for one lucky winner of at least $600.  I get tons of emails asking me about how to do giveaways, how to find giveaways to get involved with and so on.. I thought, what better opportunity to allow others to chip in, help this prize grow and get new followers along the way?  If you want to be part of this giveaway, I'm accepting sign ups now.  Giveaways are an amazing way to get followers, I've gotten tons of followers by hosting or co-hosting several giveaways.  If you'd like to buy links into the rafflecopter prize widget (which will be mandatory follows for anyone who enters the contest), you can do so below.

Here's how it works:

1 link = $10

2 links = $20

3 links = $30

and so on..  OR

If you would like to co-host this giveaway which will get you a top spot in the giveaway post and in the rafflecopter widget.  This includes 3 mandatory follow links and 2 extra follow links for $40.  If you choose this option, it's only $40.  Nothing more, nothing less. Sorry I forgot to specify that and got questions in my email about it.  Co-hosting is a flat $40 rate.

ALL the monies received for this giveaway will go to the winner.  If I get more than the $600, then the giveaway will be much larger and will get a TON more traffic.  If I don't get enough to make the $600, I will put the rest of the money up myself.  I want to make this a fun and easy way for people to enter.  This giveaway will be featured on my blog regularly for two weeks and will also be mentioned in the Aloha Friday Blog Hop email every week that goes to over 1,000 people.  Super fun and easy way to celebrate and get followers. 

This contest is open to anyone in any country (open internationally).  Payment will be made via PayPal.  No companies are sponsoring this giveaway (I get asked that a lot), it's just something I wanted to do for all of you.  I have other giveaways coming up this week with Blogs Jean Likes and my April Sponsors Team Giveaway as well!!  

You can sign up below or click this link to go to the form to sign up: May Giveaway Sign Up Form.  Get in on this now because I want to have it live on May 15th so enter now so I can set it up and code it and get it all ready.  I will stop accepting entries/contributions to be part of this giveaway on May 11th.