Ms. Single Mom - Yes, You Can!

2011-12-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

It's Holiday Time

What Gift Will You Give To Your Child This Year?

When it comes to the things children want, there always seems to be an endless list. No matter how many times we get them something off that list, they always add new things to replace it.

Ms. Single Moms, you can certainly torment yourselves with their wanting, especially when they want something you can't afford at the time or can't find.

It's in cases like these that it might be fruitful to entertain the idea that maybe they should be happy with what is right in front of them. Maybe when you're so busy trying to give them more things it distracts them from truly engaging the blessings they already have. It may seem like that doesn't make sense, yet we do it all the time.

Don't let your children get caught up in the chase of constantly adding more stuff and forget to enjoy the beauty of what they already have right in front of them—like a child who never wants the toy in their hand but always the one just out of their reach.

Take a moment today to consider the many things you child already is holding in the palm of their hand and how they might best play with them.... Don't let yourself get caught up in the holiday media blitz of spend, spend, spend!

2011-12-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Spreading Joy

The power of joy is awesome at this time of year, especially for children... To have joy in your child's life is pretty simple - just give joy to your child's world.

The opportunities to express new joy are everywhere. Don't wait until conditions are perfect because it's doubtful that will ever happen. Marvel at the big things, and find delight in the small things.

You can add joy to almost every experience... Begin with feeling how truly fortunate you are to be living at this moment with that incredible little person known as your child... Give joy and live joy, just because you can!

Ms. Single Moms, please take a moment to share some of the ways in which you add joy to your child's world, especially during the holidays...

Reflections

2011-10-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Your Child Reflects the Beauty Within You

Within you there is now peace... know it, feel it, and let it grow. Throughout you, there is a new love for life's beauty and goodness. Keep that love at the front of your thoughts and let it guide your perceptions and choices.

Around you are endless possibilities. You now realize that life changes with every moment so pick the possibilities that will enable those changes to uplift your world.

At the heart of you is a unique and beautiful purpose...
Surrounding you, is a universe overflowing with magnificent beauty...
Let yourself be amazed and sincerely thankful for this endless wonder...

Flowing through you, is the energy to live, to love, to make a purposeful difference and to experience unique fulfillment in the possibilities that your child represents. Ms. Single Mom, make this your most beautiful day yet!

Why Not Today?

2011-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

The kids are all settled back in school now and the holidays are not quite here yet. There is something you've always wanted to do. There is some desire that you've always told yourself you would someday pursue. Well, why not today?

Today is the perfect day for you to begin. Of all the days you have available to choose from, today will give you the eatrliest start and the best advantage.

There is an ideal version of you that you've always dreamed of becoming. You can start right now toward becoming that person, toward living that life you've always wanted. Taking the first step is not difficult. It is well within your reach.

It's your life we're talking about here. Don't you want to do everything possible to make it as great as it can be? Why should you want to spend even another minute waiting to get started? Get up and go for it!

Why Not Start Today?

Play Dates

2011-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Summer Play Dates

The long days of summer are usually filled with small children who are full of energy and looking for something to do. Don't let this cause you to pull your hair out - arrange a play date!

Play dates for small children can be so much fun and they don't require a lot of extensive planning or large amounts of money. There is absolutely no reason for you to make this complicated or stressful because small children are much simpler and more creative than most adults give them credit for.

Choose entertainment activities that will utilize whatever resources you already have available. For example, ask each child to bring a couple of their their favorite toys and games to share. Now, suddenly the toys and games that each child took for granted becomes a lot more fun, when shared with their friends.

And, keep the snacks simple too. Some peanut butter & jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches are always a big hit. Add some milk or juice to drink and now you have a tasty treat when those small hungry stomachs begin to growl for lunch.

If you have a safe back yard - then use it for their playground that day.
If you have a "child-friendly" family room - then use it for the playroom that day.

The children can play together, entertain each other, and free up your time to do other things around the house. Play dates are really so much easier to do than most moms think - now let the fun and games begin!

Treasure Hunt

2011-06-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

HIDDEN TREASURE

Wow, can you believe it's Summer 2011 already?

It seem's like we were just getting ready to start school and now school is out, again! Well, that means it's time for more tips on what to do with your children and how to keep them entertained for the next three months - without spending a lot of money.

Children are remarkably easy; it's usually the parents that make the process complicated. Okay, have you ever considered a treasure hunt? Yes, a game of hunting for hidden treasure is easy, inexpensive, and loads of fun. And, the discovery process often gives a whole new perspective on how your children see the world.

Use the natural resources that you already have and keep the rules simple and straight forward. Let the hunt for treasure begin!

Look at the ocean from the shore, then look at the ocean while swimming beneath the waves. What will your child find - What would your child keep?
Watching a spider spinning a web in a corner may seem drab, frightening, and mysterious. Looking closer your child can see a weave of silver snowflakes between the branches of a tree that actually resemble colored jewels.
Let your child bury his/her face in the grass and look at the world from a bug's vantage point. Water drops left over from the sprinkler become lakes and pools - rocks become mountains to climb and conquer.

Kneeling down sometimes helps your child to see more closely when looking for lost treasure and standing back can help your child to appreciate the broader picture of what they are looking at.

When you encourage your children to see the world differently they'll discover all types of hidden treasures.

2011-05-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

FORGIVE, RELEASE & BE FREE

Choose to forgive and free yourself to move forward...

The act of forgiveness is a conscious choice to let go, to move past feelings of resentment and to move forward in light and love. Holding on to unforgiveness is like carrying a bucket of stones - with each step the bucket becomes heavier and heavier until it is exhausting to bear.

Find a quiet place... examine the stones of unforgiveness that fill your bucket. One by one, take them out, lay them aside... now, release them!

... forgive, release and remain free of resentment as you gather peace.

2011-02-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

Struggle, Stress, Strain

As you take on the responsibilty of dependents - whether young or old - it can create varying times of great STRUGGLE.

In the middle of your Struggle - whether financial, mental or physical - there is certain to be an unexpected amount of STRESS.

How you handle the Struggle and the Stress - partially or completely - will determine if your life experiences or manages to eliminate the crippling STRAIN.

(to be continued)

It's A New Year & I'm Back with Some New Dependents!

2011-01-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being silent these past few months but I had to do what many of you may have to do one day...

Go from raising your young children to assisting with your elderly parents.

My parents are each disabled senior citizens and I've been busy helping them manage so many of the day to day activities that most of us take our ability to do for granted.

That includes running their errands, getting them to the doctor, writing their checks to pay bills, hiring & firing nurses, etc., etc. After years of living exciting, vibrant, independent lives, they now face life using walking canes, having in-home care workers, and being pushed in wheelchairs.

If you are fortunate enough to still have your parents alive, don't begrudge them the time & care they need from you, just be thankful that you can provide it.

After all, remember that it was your parent(s) who took care of you first... and hopefully your children will take care of you one day, too (our children do watch how we treat our parents!).

School's In Again!

2010-09-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

The school year has started again and there's is a lot of NEW excitement!

New clothes and supplies to buy; new teachers to meet; new friends to meet; new schedules to learn; and sometimes even a new school to go with all that.

Give yourself a couple of weeks to recover from the frenzy and then settle into the new structure of it all. Speaking of structure, I'll share a few tips that will make your child/ren's morning & evening routine go smoother.

Put a list of "Morning & Evening Routines" on your child/ren's wall (you can also use a large calendar) to prevent any confusion about what they should be doing before school and what they should be doing after school.
Morning routines are things like - wash face, brush teeth, comb hair, make bed, eat breakfast.
Some evening routines include - do homework, do chores, playtime/tv, bathtime, bedtime.
For younger children, you need to lay out their clothes for the next school day.
And if you make lunches, doing it the night before is less hectic.

As you settle into the school year routine, you can also begin to think about extra-curricular activities. Yes, all those sign up slips will be coming at you very soon. But go ahead, relax for a moment in your new found structure and we'll talk about extra curriculars in the next post!!

End of Summer Activities

2010-08-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, August is Almost Over!!!

No matter what part of the country you live in these last days of Summer are long and sunny and the temperature is consistently hot.

Have you run out of ideas to keep your child/ren entertained? After all, they still have a few more days of Summer vacation left.

Well, it's not too late for your girl(s) to plan a pre-school backyard Tea Party complete with dress up make-overs and snacks. And, your son(s) can pull out the tent and plan a backyard camping adventure or build a go cart from scratch.

Whatever you decide that they can do, keep it simple, make sure they are careful, and let them have loads of fun doing it!

Summer Sizzle

2010-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Put some sizzle into your Summer!

Use your endless imagination this Summer; Create some great ways to entertain your child/ren and save money in the process.

Hint: Many stores have already put their summer merchandise on clearance.
Now's the time to shop smart and load up inexpensive water toys and other outdoor gear for a fraction of their normal cost.
That's right, you can purchase summer items for as much as 25%-75% off the regular price.
Encourage your child/ren to learn to sew doll clothes, knit or crochet a scarf, build a model airplane or model car, have a water balloon fight, build a treehouse, or plant a flower garden using seeds.

The possibilities are endless; as endless as your and your child/ren's imagination.

Summer Success Tips

2010-05-12T20:54:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day and Independence Day are just around the corner so that means we need to get ready for some really Hot Fun In The Summer Time!!

It's officially Summer so plan enough activities to keep your child/ren busy for the next few weeks. If you're not sure how or where to start, let me give you a few ideas.

Ranked at the top of my list of things to do are:

Hours of swimming in the pool or ocean; playing tennis; roller skating in the park or ice skating at the rink; mix in summer camp and vacation bible school; before you know it the entire summer will be crammed full with a very long list of things to do.
Don't forget to check amusement parks for summer discount specials; as well as your local park & recreation programs.
Shorts, sandals, and enough SPF-30 sunblock should be considered essential as you prepare to settle into the season of heat.

Springing Right Along

2010-05-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

The New Year has settled in nicely & Spring is now beginning to look like Summer.

Well, it's true... Easter and Mother's Day have both already occurred and at this time we find ourselves springing into the middle of May.

The economic strain is still affecting most of us and that means summer camps and other programs may not be doable this year. How are you planning to keep your child/ren occupied and entertained once school is out?
What is the plan for childcare, if you still require it? And, with children getting out of school in a few short weeks you will definitely need to have extra food on hand, especially if your child/ren will be home all day. Where will the surplus come from?
Get out your pen and paper and, start to develop a game plan NOW.
Don't get caught springing forward unprepared!

Share your Summer Survival Tips with us... we would love to hear your comments!

Break into Spring!!

2010-04-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ms. Single Mom, doesn't it seem like January was just here? And now, we're already into the second quarter of this new year. For many of you, the Spring holidays seem to hit all at once.

It's April and that means April Fool's Day, Easter and Spring Break happening in the same month. Who's bright idea was that anyway? Doesn't that usually mean your children want new clothes, and trips to the amusement park, and snacks ALL DAY long?

Okay, so how and where are you supposed to find extra money to make these things happen for your children? GET CREATIVE!

1. Let your child/ren redecorate last year's Easter hat with buttons, beads & shells to give it a fresh new look. They'll have a load of fun.
2. Let your child/ren use your yard (or a relative's yard) and design their own play area. Children have great imaginations and this is an awesome way to occupy their time for hours on end.
3. Let your child/ren make cupcakes, cookies, or brownies. They can also use their imagination to create new sandwich ideas using the usual ingredients. Encourage their creativity, occupy their time, and save your money in the process.

Break time will be over soon (Laugh Out Loud)!!

Balanced & Stable

2010-03-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Plan your Work, Work your Plan, then Proceed to Succeed.

It's important to have a plan to work from. I suggest that you use a pencil to write your plan instead of a pen. That's because no matter how carefully you plan your work, life seldom goes completely as planned. Periodically, you will have to make some adjustments to your plan in order to remain balanced.

You will be thrown some curve balls when you least expect it but you can handle that. When the curve balls come at you, be sure you have enough flexibility to adjust. Shift your gears, take those curves, bend with the twists and turns... Regain Your Balance & Stabilize.

Check and change your plans accordingly to continue on your Path to Success!!

Balancing Act

2010-03-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ms. Single Mom, if you take a second to blink your eyes it seems that the day or week will have jumped ahead of you, almost instantly. It's the month of March already!

Are any of you still working to complete your Goals List from January? If that's you, hurry and finish it! As in the life of every single mom, time management requires a careful balancing act. We all fall behind schedule sometime because it's just plain hard to always predict your day and to keep up with your own plans. Trying to manage the day to day activities of life is hectic enough, and now you have to check what you're doing against a list?!

And you do all this just to be sure you're still on the track that know you just fell off of. No worries. Pick yourself up, Shake yourself off, Steady yourself, and Get back on track. Find Your Balance!!!

Priority & Balance

2010-02-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

Ms. Single Mom, the year is already off to a flying start!

We are halfway through the 2nd week of February... where is the time going?! In January I talked about goals, you were to make a list of goals to accomplish in 2010, and then we both should have revised our lists.

This month we'll determine and organize priorities.

Focus and decide what's most important when it's ALL important.
Realize that it's only so much time to work with in a day... you have barely 24 hours and your responsibilities usually require double that amount of time!
Work to balance what you have to do for yourself, what you have to do for your child(ren), and what you have to do for your employer (if you work).

I'll share more ideas in the next post... and I always appreciate your feedback!!

Goal Tending pt.3

2010-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ms. Single Mom,

Try this suggestion: Do some really good planning and invest a little hard work so that you can experience prosperty. We all try to find a few extra minutes in the day, or to shave a few minutes off here and there in order to get things done because it doesn't seem to ever be enough time in an hour anymore.

This is the fourth week of our New Year. Revisit your Goals List. Make some changes if needed so that you have a realistic list and give yourself a fair chance to achieve your desired goals. Be careful though because if we take hasty shortcuts that usually leads to poverty in one way or another. Lazy people want much but get little in return.

Goal Tending pt. 2

2010-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Single Moms, we are already more than halfway through the first month of this new year. I have decided to use a few minutes today to review my List of 2010 Goals. As I look over my list I am absolutely determined that I will win in 2010.

Ms. Single Mom, I believe that it is critically important for all of you to have that attitude about yourself, and about your life. Your world is going to feed off of your positive and determined energy.

You will succeed this year because You Can!

Goal Tending

2010-01-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Ms.Single Mom, don't be nervous about the idea of starting the New Year off setting goals for yourself. The secret to achieving goals is getting started.

Make a list of five goals and then work on them, one goal at a time or if you're more aggressive then you can work on them all simultaneously. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, keep it simple. Your list can be as simple as:

Have your small child in bed everynight by 8:30p.m.

Find 30 minutes at least 3 times a week to exercise.

Go through your stacks of clutter & throw out old papers that you no longer need.

Return all phone calls within 48 hours.

Ask for help when you need it!

You will score a slam dunk and succeed in accomplishing your goals if you check your list regularly and make sure you're not slipping behind on any one of them.

Are You Ready to Goal?

2010-01-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Single Moms!

I am extremely thankful for our safe passage through 2009, and I have already claimed a victorious 2010!! Are you excited yet? It's a brand new year, so let's get ready to goal.

This is when we should take time to reflect on what was accomplished during the past year. Now, shift your focus to what needs to be accomplished in the year ahead. Create a list of realistic goals for yourself. Begin to adjust your mental, physical, and emotional attitude so that you can achieve. Balance yourself, take one step at a time, stay focused... You Can Do This!

Swallow Your Pride

2009-12-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

Ms. Single Mom, you will need help in a variety of ways from time to time. Please provide your answer to one or all of the following questions:

Do you know when you need help?
Do you know where to find help?
Do you know who to ask for help?
Do you know how to ask for help?