Balance

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked pensively. “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” – Trina Paulus

That is one of my favorite quotes. It reminds me that I each day, I should do things that bring me closer to the goals and dreams that make me happy, and work on eliminating the things that get in the way. Over the past year I’ve made lots of small changes to my life that help to brighten each day – Things that help me stay centered and balanced, so that I’m able to be the best me that I can be!

Building a Healthy & Happy Day!

Here are the two routines that have really helped give me a better start to my days. I had noticed that it was the same few spots that always challenged me – but a little tweak here and there, and those problems were so easy to fix. Use these as a launching point to figure out some easy solutions to your own busy mom challenges, and simplify your life too!

Starting the Day Better – I used to be stressed in the morning. I’d just get started on work, then the baby would get up and need to get dressed. Next I’d need to lasso the boys and drag them away from the Xbox long enough to get ready for school. Things always felt really hectic, and I was always so tired. So now, even though it’s a bit tough some mornings, I get up at 6 am before everyone else wakes up. I can enjoy my coffee and my newspaper, go over my blogging planner and household schedule to plan my day, and start things much more peacefully! By the time everyone else finally gets up, I’m bright and cheerful {and caffeinated!!} and ready to face the morning challenges with a smile.
Ending the Day Better – I hate messes. But, with extended family living with me and an busy blogging schedule, the house gets super messy! With so many people – including kids and too many dogs! – there’s really only so much I can do. I’ve learned to do my best, and forget the rest! But each evening I take 15 minutes to do a quick clean – A basket to pickup forgotten toys, dishes loaded to the dishwasher and counters wiped clean, throw pillows and blanket fluffed and straightened. It’s an easy task, but makes a big difference. You feel less stressed when you go to bed, and it’s nice waking up to a {mostly} clean house in the morning.

What do you do to live a healthy & happy life?

The small routines in my life help me reduce my stress a ton, which leads to a much happier and healthier mom of the house. I’d love to hear your own busy mom solution tips as part of this discussion sponsored by Quaker Instant Oatmeal – A great option that can help you get a great start every morning. Simple, and super delicious!

Join the Discussion and Share Your Best Tips!

“Small Wins, Big Rewards” Sweepstakes

You can join the discussion here – Share Your Small Wins! Other busy moms will get to benefit from your great ideas, and YOU will get a chance to win some amazing prizes, just for joining the fun!

At the end of each discussion one lucky participant will be chosen at random to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, to purchase anything from your favorite Quaker Oatmeal products to exercise clothing to help them get off to a perfect start each day!
All of the participants of the 3 discussions will also be entered to win the Grand Prize – a $1000 Amazon Gift Card! So the more discussions you participate in, the better chance you have of winning!

Discussion Details

Remember, the more discussions you join, the more opportunities you’ll have to win – Can you imagine how much great stuff you could get to brighten your mornings with a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card?! Here are the dates of each discussion, and the topic for each one:

2/9 – Small Wins: What small wins can you accomplish as part of your morning routine to help start your day right?
2/23 – Future Wins: What morning small wins will help contribute to a successful future?
3/8 – Healthy Rewards: What small steps in the morning do you take to keep healthy?