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4 Tips for work at home mommas finding balance

4 essential tips for Balance as a work at home Momma:

As a work at home momma for the past 7 years (wow!) in all combinations of part time work at home, full time employee working 2 days from home, consultant working inside and out of the house, and now business owner working part time hours and happy full time momma, here are some things I’ve learned along the way…I hope these help!

  1. Drop the guilt. Period. Why bother? It’s a waste of energy. Some days your house will be a hugely blessed mess, and other days you will have it spotless but the kids will be melting down and you’ll be hours behind on a deliverable, and you’ll just have to laugh, pour yourself another cup of coffee, and do the best you can (and let everyone around you understand you’re doing just that). I know it’s hard, I’m working on it too, but life is too short to get caught up in the guilt traps, and by nature what you’re doing is a very intricate juggle, not
  2. Set up a culture of support: by this I mean: explain to your spouse, family and support network, what you’re up to, and how they can help. Discuss what them what an ideal day looks like for you, and what success looks like. As the boss, you get to define that…so go ahead and get your whole team on board with it!  Sometimes this support will be with the literal juggle (can you pick up so-and-so while I have this meeting?)…and other times it will mean: I’m working towards this big goal in my business (last year it was a dream vacation in Mexico for the family that we aimed for as a measure of growth)…and when your family has moments of “what is this all about?/this is hard” we remind each other–this is our bigger why, what we’re working for, and we’re on the same team, each doing our part! When you finish a big project or hit a deadline, celebrate with a nice dinner; so the family knows how important it all is–for them as well as for you.
  3. Take care of yourself! This cannot be under-emphasized. You’re setting out to do superhuman things each day–mothering and raising little ones, while also changing lives through your work in the larger sphere. Give yourself the structured self-care that allows you to be your best self; adjust things and realize each day will look a little different, and find the tools to energize and renew often. (Email me for our current 30 days Renew Me challenge–targeting busy and influential mommas–finding a tribe of like-minded folks has made all the difference for me in this area)!

This is excerpted from this original article, published this week.

http://www.mindfullyaugmented.com/reflections-from-work-home-mother/

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4 Quick ways to Declutter your schedule for joyful, grounded living

Photo by Andrew Galligan Photography.

This is a topic that is very close to home indeed.

I am converting from being chronically busy, over planner, over committed, running around lady…to someone who truly enjoys an afternoon at home with my kids, no plans, or a morning with space for peaceful strolls, errands, and a few work moments from my phone, but with ample time to explore new places or just let the kids be kids. I savor the slowness of some days, and still mix it up with energized out and about days…but overall, we’re chasing slow, as part of our move to a slower pace that happened 6 months ago.

It’s been incredible to watch a shift in the culture for many of us, as we wake up and realize that busyness has been glorified, we feel guilty, boring or unmotivated if we have space in our life? How and why did we let ourselves get so busy with individually good activities and commitments, and then over-whelmed by it, in a vicious cycle…to the point where we’re spending more time out of our homes than in it, or hours of carpool/drop offs? Or for single folks, how did work and other commitments mean that you have less than 7 hours a day in your own dwelling or for your own pursuits!

I’m learning from children.. life outside of a schedule.

You know how kids can go to a playground or out in the yard and play for hours; literally lose track of time? What a gift.

For someone like me, that’s challenging but a blessed reminder that our days are not just about checking off tiny boxes, but about expansive BEING in the moment. In each moment that is given to us.

So, clearing the schedule is like inviting magic back in, and letting yourself get curious, what will the day bring?

Potentially, you may get lost in an activity that you’re passionate about, you can, thanks to your newly prioritized life.

This is my first time writing out these new principles of living, so share your thoughts with me, and we’ll keep embracing this new life together, the life of “chasing slow“.

  1. This is one that’s helped me tremendously…to clear mental space and enjoy the days more: Menu Plan, and shop the plan. It doesn’t sound ground breaking and it doesn’t have to be fancy. For whatever reason, having that set up on Sunday when you go into the week, can change everything about the flow of Monday and the week ahead. I love a good menu planner/shopping list template, and I snatched up a similiar one at anthropology earlier this year, which helps us tremendously, to not only cut down on mental space, but on frequent pesky trips to the store…such a time suck!–but to also better use the things we get from the store. I also strategically use Blue Apron.
  2. Look at your schedule for the week, with potential obligations, and do 1-2 LESS than you had already committed to on each day (and I don’t mean flake out on people)…On the days when things are packed, even with the good stuff, we tend to enjoy it all less because we’re thinking logistics…getting from point A to B. It’s a luxury to be able to savor and enjoy each activity without having to think ahead or worry about squeezing things in. I’m learning this lesson, and it helps tremendously. I’ll look at my week ahead and slash or move things around in my planner to allow 30 min to 1 hours in btwn…does anyone else do this? It’s a true joy to not always be rushing.
  3. Batch your errands. This is like #1…so obvious but so helpful when implemented. If you have to run to the post office, do the grocery run then too, or wait and do all your errands on specific days and times of the week when you know it’s a lower productivity timeslot for you. You can take a great quiz here if you’re someone who has flexible work or just needs to figure out when they are most productive. Plus…we live in an era of online shopping, and I’ll share another post with my top 10 time-savers using sites, while also being able to indulge in local, conscious consumption
  4. Finally…while saying NO to over-scheduling, overwhelm, constant running around, you’re saying YES to meaningful moments with friends, and loved ones. Schedule in the social time as much as you schedule the other stuff. This is a large part of what we look forward to when looking at our planners, day by day, and, according to Blue Zones author Dan Beuttner, is an important indicator of how long we will live, and how healthy we will be.

What do you do to create space, peace and joy in your week? #slowisthenewbusy

 

I know for myself, as I’ve begun saying yes to less…I’ve thought alot about what I’m creating space FOR…and those priorities help drive the motivation for the rest of it to be simpler. We discuss that and so much more in my Life by Design course starting in the new year…I hope you’ll join us!

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So what’s the big deal about probiotics?

This is a question I get all the time. Whenever I’m chatting healthy kids, this comes up as one of our daily supplements for the kiddos, so it’s always helpful for me to be able to clarify based on questions about which strains are best, why some are refrigerated and others aren’t etc.
I’ll dive in with a bit of context if you’re new to this conversation, and then share some compelling facts and ideas about which ones are most beneficial for little tummies and little immune systems.

(As well as big tummies and immune systems of course, I take the same ones in fact)

In recent years, there’s been a large amount of studies done that link gut health with not only immune health, but also overall well-being, brain health and mood. Which makes sense if we understand the gut is like a 2nd brain. “Trust your gut” they told us. Well, we have to work extra hard in this day to feed our guts what they need to be able to work properly and have us “trust them”:) This is because the standard american diet is a gut flora killer–tons of sugar, tons of processed foods, and gluten, are some of the main triggers of depleting a gut of good bacteria. Then, we add the common cycle (yes, we were there too, you can read more of our story here) of antibiotics prescribed for little ones’ ear infections and more, and then we get to a new level of gut depletion and the need for replenishment, on top of months of sugar and indulgence from Oct 31 through January 1. No wonder so many parents dread the winter months, and all the bugs that they expect to cycle through.

Here are some of the sources touting the benefits of probiotics:

http://cdrf.org/home/checkoff-investments/usprobiotics/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523124119.htm

Thankfully, some of my health coach mom friends shared some invaluable knowledge with me, and early on, after a year and a half of regular sickness and poor immune health, my daughter was able to build up her immunity with precisely this program. She has only really been consistent with 3 supplements, and her diet changed slightly with less sugar and processed foods, but essentially nothing else changed. So I’m very grateful, and you can connect more with me about all of that via email or by 15 min health consults, which I love to do for moms, focused on their families overall health.

Back to probiotics. Here’s a great infographic about food sources, which, while super helpful, are not the complete answer. Why? Because our stomach acid kills of most of the good live bacteria before they can reach the small intestine.

I’ll do a FAQ in hopes that handles most of it. Tons more resources to offer, so if you’re intrigued by this, definitely check out the link at the bottom, or email me and we can connect about it all. Fascinating stuff, and I’m immensely grateful for the complete healthy gut transformation we’ve all experienced over here from about probiotics and finding the brand that’s most effective for delivery of those lovely flora.

Q: I’ve seen that there are so many strains of probiotics, and some supplements advertise that they have more than 10 different types of prob strains. What’s the  of that?

A: Well, it’s actually more of a marketing gimmick than anything, as most probiotic strains haven’t been widely studied. There are 2 main ones that all the research has been done with, and so it’s safe to stay if you stick with those strains, and simply increase the dosage if need be, you should be getting what you need.

The strains are: bifidobacterium longum and Lactobaccillus acidophilus. These are the ones found in the recommended brand below.

Q: Why do I see some probiotics stored in the fridge with “live cultures” signs on them, and others aren’t?

A. Similarly to yogurt and other foods with probiotic qualities, the probiotics that are in the fridge are active and are meant to be kept alive. However, the sad news is that similarly to food, without a protective coating, they will be killed of by the stomach acid and less than 10% will reach their final destination to be maximally effective.

Q. What makes the biggest difference in a high quality probiotic?

A. The encapsulation and delivery system for the bacteria is the measure of whether they are effective or a waste of money.

 

I’d like to try the probiotics you’re discussing.

I’d like to connect more about all of this info (submit below).

 

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That Life Shake Life

It’s not hard to love the life shake…

It does what it says it will (gives life, energy and a spring in our step).

It comes in so many flavors and protein types, there’s pretty much something for everyone.

*Non soy vegan

*Non-GMO Soy

*Non-GMO Soy (no flavor no sugar)

*Grassfed Whey Build shake (lowest sugar, 1g/serving)

*Whey

It’s low glycemic, counts as a full meal replacement, and is packed with 1B CFU of probiotics, the benefits of which I discuss over here…but in the shake are found in spore form, also absorbed in the gut. It’s full of fiber and a balanced protein/carb blend for muscle building while burning fat, thanks to a proprietary Leucine blend.

And…the results are staggering. I have clients who have lost 70lbs or more by adding in breakfast (a shake!) changing a few daily habits, and committing to a clean eating lifestyle for years along with exercise. I have other clients who crave the shakes during pregnancy and rave to me that nothing else gets them their protein needs for the day quite like these shakes. Others of my clients adore using them for regular resets/cleanses/healthy lunches, and send me pics of themselves happily slurping away. I drink mine daily, especially for meals I might otherwise skip, like running out the door to school pickup, etc. Or I’ll have one while making dinner to energize my evening and reduce my hunger so I don’t over eat the evening meal. Right now as I type this I’m tempted to go make one for my dessert.

Because healthy should taste good.

So here’s some of my favorite recipes, and the links to the protein are above. If you haven’t tried it yet, I dare you to take the challenge during the holidays as part of our strip and shake, or in the new year to support those incredible resolutions you already have forming.

Oh, and did I mention I sneak it into most of my baking projects (it enhances the flavor and doesn’t lose it’s beneficial chemical properties when heated)…and can be drunk warm in the winter.

Cheers!!

 

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Our favorite after school snacks

After school snacking! 

Giving them the good stuff.

Mine so often come home from school ravenous… and the ideal of making them fresh baked cookies with no refined sugar, or a home made meal at 4pm, is thrown out the window in the need to compete with the quick and easy to access snacks that are crunchy and taste good but don’t leave them hungry an hour later, or don’t refill their bodies with healthy fats for brain power and mood. These are just a few of our favorites, the other one not pictured is cucumbers/broccoli/red peppers and other such veggies, with ranch dressing. I find it to be a great way to sneak some veggies in them with a satisfying crunch, before the dinner hour even starts.

From top to bottom, here they are:

  • Rice cake with almond butter and cinnamon sprinkled on (if I’m feeling like fun mom I will do some sprinkles too) with a side of berries–super antioxidants and easy for little fingers
  • Guac & chips with an emphasis on beans and corn dishes as well. This is a total favorite for Emma and I love that she’s getting something with protein, fats, it’s filling but not too heavy to spoil a dinner. Homemade guac is awesome, but let’s be real, store some in the fridge from brands you trust for the days you’re just not going to have the extra time to make the guac from scratch 🙂
  • Delicious oatmeal date bars…have to try them for yourself!
  • Pomegranate. While this is not a complete snack in itself (I might serve it with crackers and hummus, etc) it’s fascinating that my kids go crazy for it; something about the satisfying crunch of the little seeds, and it’s so rich in antioxidants and keeps them busy breaking and gathering the little seeds that I love it. Let me know what your littles think, and be careful of the stains.
  • Super easy energizing protein bites. Can’t go wrong with these sweet/salty protein filled balls for little fingers and tummies. Even my 1 year old loves them. Yum.
  • Apples and peanut butter/almond butter. I remember this was MY afternoon snack of choice in middle school and to this day I love the balancing sweet and salty, the crunch of apples and the filling nut butter that doesn’t serve as a full meal.

Cheers to cozy afternoons with your little ones, let me know what you think of this roundup and share your favorite snacks too, so we can be sure we try new  things and don’t get stuck in a rut!:)

 

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Delicious Oatmeal date bars

 

These bars are scrumptious. I had a feeling they would be because my amazing friend Monica posted the original recipe on her foodblog, and I trust her, completely, with my taste buds. But, I had to use what I had on hand, and dried blueberries weren’t forthcoming in my very quick supermarket run (with 3 kids, I don’t do that too often, believe me:))

So, here’s  my adaptation, with my favorite protein source added in, and I’ll link to the original recipe at the bottom so you can compare and contrast:) Can’t EVER have too many bars around for snacking kiddos, although since my kids go to a nut free school, these are not lunch box acceptable…so we save for before and after school (they are great for breakfasts if you warm them slightly).

Oat Date Protein Bars

  • 2 scoops vanilla life protein
  • 1 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup dried dates
  • 1/4 cup almond butter (I used the delicious maple almond from Justin)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • Large dollop (1 tbsp) coconut oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg, whisked.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan (I used good ol butter), and a pie pan just because I wanted them to come out that way; square pan 9-9 works well too.

Blend the dry ingredients together in a stand mixer.

Mix in the wet ingredients, starting with the almond butter, milk last.

Stir well (I might have overstirred but it gave them a nice light effect when cooked).

Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly on edges and slightly brown.

Enjoy!!! Especially with tea and some loved ones or friends. Good things aren’t meant to be kept to ourselves:)

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My all time favorite (quick) energizing protein snack

This has to be the easiest snack to make, it requires no baking, only a few ingredients, and serves us so well for snacking all day long. Sometimes, if need be, Corinne has a few of these as she runs out the door for school and I feel great about the fact that they are packed with a high quality protein, and sweetened with honey, not sugar.

During the holidays you can dress them up with sprinkles, and bring them to your parties, everyone will love you, and you’ll be giving them the good stuff 🙂

 

No Bake Energizing Protein bites

*1 Cup organic oats

*1/2 cup honey (organic, raw, local is best)

*1/2 cup almond butter or peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice, sunflower seed could work too in a pinch)

*2 scoops Shaklee life shake powder. I make it with all the flavors but my favorite is cafe latte because it’s such a subtle but lovely addition flavor. Vanilla and chocolate work great too.

Optional:

Coconut flakes

Chia seeds

Choco chips (minis are better)

White choc chips

Flax seeds, etc

Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mold into balls and put into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. Then serve! They are best when left in the fridge to stay more solid, they can do fine at room temperature for up to 8 hours.

 

Enjoy! And comment below what your family and friends think of them when you make them!

(Want to stock up on life shake for your pantry? We certainly use it in all our baking, as you’ll see from the blog. Ask me about preferred membership discounts!)

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9 quick ways to energize your day

Well, as you can imagine, life with 3 kids 7 and down, and running a business is no cake walk, so I’m grateful for every ounce of energy I can get.

The questions I get most often surround the general “how do you do it?” and with themes of “you make it look easy”….well clearly if you’re saying that you haven’t stopped over for tea between the hours of 4-6pm very often recently–life is anything but “easy” in certain moments, but I also know I wouldn’t trade this fun juggle for the world. I have learned a few tricks along the way, about both conserving energy (no 5pm grocery trips here, we’d rather skip the 1 ingredient we’re missing)…and about using energy on the things that matter! (mid-day jaunt at the playground, or stroller jog, yes please! Time for after school cuddles and fire time, without yawning, and the extra energy boost for my own time after the kids are asleep, for projects like this post, or having quality time with hub. You all KNOW the things that you would do if you had a bit more energy in each day, so let’s take that and translate it into reality with these fun tips.

So, here are 9 quick ways (I don’t like the word hack, it sounds less than meaningful, and these are very meaningful moments of self-care, awareness and overall intentional habits) that I’ve found will bring renewed energy to my day, and focus to my steps, no matter what I have going on around me with kiddos, or on my list for the day.

And here’s a hint–though I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee, none of these energizing tips involve caffeine! No one has time to be relying on that…the repercussions can be great, especially when you’re worn down, as I discuss in this post on adrenal fatigue…

  1. My super energizing pomegranate tea with chia seeds. This is the little secret I’m letting you in on which will change your life. The tea has very little caffeine, tastes AMAZING, comes in these super convenient packets that I always keep on hand in my car (tricky moves of busy mommas), and I mix it with chia seeds when I’m at home, then let it sit for 10 min, and the result is unreal. You have to like some texture…it’s almost like bubble tea or something with soft pearls in it. The combination of the fiber/protein/super food qualities of the chia, with the energy tea amino acids which are feeding your brain and making it more alert, always have me feeling awesome for hours. Just the thing for after school pickup, or when you might want to do a workout, a focused work session, or just have extra energy midday. If you stop reading here, you’ve still gotten all you need out of this article;) If you try it out, let me know in the comments what you think!

2. Go outside. Yes, we’re getting into the winter months here in CT, a blast of cold air from being out on my porch immediately brings new life to my brain and bloodcells as everything reacts & activates for warmth and survival. It works for my kids every time (they get sent out to get their energy OUT and somehow come back in with more energy–go figure:), and I send myself outside from time to time when I need it. The fresh air will definitely replenish your oxygen stores, and get you thinking and grooving in new ways. It’s easy and free, so why not? Plus the outdoors always sparks my spiritual and creative side, who doesn’t want that?

 

3. 10 minutes of yoga or barre. Sometimes you’ll find me in my living room, with messes everywhere, just embracing my moment to do a few poses and stretch/gather my thoughts, release any tension I’m carrying in various parts of the body, and to return to life with new focus and energy. Some great 10 min yoga videos from yoga with adrienne, and the Barre3 workouts I love come in 10/30 and 60 min increments. Every little bit of movement helps.

Here are the links:

http://mbsy.co/jnLl9

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcqW72d5JjI (I like this one for the background), she has hundreds.

4. A brisk walk. This is one of my favorites, when I can make it happen. I’ll often plan errands time around nap times for my little guy, and let him crash in the stroller, get a few miles of walking in (2-3 is a sweet spot for me, time and energizing-wise), and then have time in one of the little towns near where we live for the trip to post office/shops/coffee etc. The walking clears my head, and brings awesome energy into my day. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us, we just have to get creative. Park further, or pick a trail near you, and WALK more today.

5. Drink an apple cider vinegar cocktail (with a syrup chaser);) This is a laughable but awesome one which I rely on many days of the week.

More about the benefits of ACV here. Let’s just put it this way. I have a grandma who is an incredibly robust lady. She’s had diabetes for years, but is going strong at 94. She swears by her ACV daily (and it’s known for managing blood sugar levels), so I’ll take it.  I make mine with roughly 2 tbsp ACV (Braggs or unfiltered/organic is best, and 1-2 tsp maple syrup or your sweetener of choice).

6. Read a few pages of a favorite book. So much of our energy ebbs and flows throughout the day I believe are tied to our emotional and mental state. So, I like to keep good juicy books on hand that I can flip open and begin turning a few pages of (we’re not talking a huge reading session)…something that fires you up and allows you to head into the next part of your day in a more responsible and focused mental state. If you’ve got car time or commuting time, podcasts are great! To get some ideas of my favorite books on personal development topics (and to start the conversation around it, because I’m very into all of it! As you can see—and related to # 7)…go here.

7. If you’re an extrovert, be around people! If you’re an introvert, respect your body’s need to be quiet and alone for parts of the day. Play to your strengths, and you can learn more about all of this here. I feed off of other people’s energy, so a low energy morning or day could be entirely changed/solved by a coffee date with a good friend, or even some good ol fashioned playground time meeting up with new folks and running around with kids. Be aware of what helps your energy flow shift throughout the day, and work with that, mindfully:)

 

8) Grab a healthy snack! People often forgot this one, but it’s obvious. If you’re running 100 miles per hour and then wonder why you’re crashing, it may be because starbucks grande soy lattes only get you so far (or start the day with a coffee flavored protein shake instead:)). We have to eat real food, and a well placed snack can be one of the best parts of the day for both moms and kids, as well. I recommend something with some healthy fats for brain energy/fuel, and simple carbs which are easier to digest, such as apples and almond butter, or a rice cake with sunflower butter & coconut/cinnamon (yum)…also…my favorite energy bite snacks. The recipe can be found here. I also always keep the 180 Snack & meal bars  (white chocolate cinnamon, toffee crunch, and PB meal bars) around for myself and my kids, because they are packed with high quality vegetarian protein (10g in snack bars, and 20 in the meal bars!) and super convenient. Better than reaching for sugar, caffeine or junk when you’re feeling a crash. Enjoy nibbling mindfully and watch your energy levels rise with the right kind of snacking!

9. Nap! You never thought I’d say that right? This momma has finally embraced the philosophy that sometimes rest is more important than exercise, caffeine or charging ahead:)! If you have the ability to take a 20 min power nap (or longer!) it could do wonders not only for your energy levels physically, but also for your mental state during the rest of the day.

I’ll be taking all of these into my daily arsenal–they help both energy and mood! Let me know which healthy habits you already use for managing your energy levels, and which of these look intriguing to try!

I also find that when I’m living the life I love, in integrity with my goals and commitments that I’ve prayerfully designed with God, spouse and kids in mind, that in itself brings me such an energy that I’m jumping out of bed in the morning. It certainly wasn’t always that way, and I’ve enjoyed mapping out my journey to get here, as part of some of these programs….perhaps you’ll want to work together to create your own roadmap to an uber-energized life using the tips above and all the juicy topics on becoming our best selves through personal development and growth mindset! It’s fun stuff.

Perhaps some of my life by design courses where I explore my own journey to tap into our natural energy sources, will be helpful as well! As always, I’m grateful for your comments and feedback, and I can’t wait to connect, here and #IRL 🙂

Cheers to an energized winter ahead!

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Pumpkin Spice Fudge

This is such a simple fall recipe, and it’s ridiculously good.

But don’t take my word for it:)

I make other variations using the other life shake flavors–especially cafe latte…since this one is seasonal.

*1 cup almond butter or another nut butter of choice.

*1 cup pumpkin spice life shake raw protein

*2/3 cup honey

Heat the honey and nut butter over medium heat, stir well, then slowly add the protein powder, stirring continously.

Remove from heat, place in a glass pie pan (round or square) and refrigerate 2 hours min or freeze 1 hour, if you’re feeling impatient:) I store mine in the fridge as well.

Bon Appetit!

Enjoy with a fall tea like chai, preferably by the fire with some loved ones.

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Life lessons my children are teaching me right now

Oh my goodness.

This moment in time is one I want to remember for many many years to come. My 3 littles are these incredibly beautiful, blossoming ages, and I just am blown away by all that they are doing, becoming, and how much they are showing me about life, and the many facets of what it means to be alive, and to be in the present moment, while embracing growth. So much is learned from these simple, beautiful, un-tamed hearts. Sure, they make me crazy and some days, exhausted, but I decided for this post to share with you my focus on the incredible lessons that they are teaching me, and for myself, so that it sinks in deeply and I can treasure these lessons for what they are…beautiful gifts from God, who is always putting the people in our lives (literally, plopped into my body and heart) to teach us needed lessons about life and love, and becoming more of who we are truly meant to be.

Emma L. Pidel

My eldest girl, my absolute joy, she’s a ray of warmth and lightness and is so sensitive to beauty, to others, to sadness, she’s like a beautiful wildflower, growing in the sun, but delicately battered by rain. I remember even as a baby, how sensitive she was to the world around her, and that challenged and stretched me at the time, and it continues to! She’s never happier than when creating–primarily with color and paper (art of any media) but also now with writing; her stories, imaginary games and worlds become the focus of the other children, and we all get swept up into them, so powerful is her imagination and her desire to make it real.

The other day she said to me, coming from out of the blue, or perhaps when I was brushing off something that had happened in the midst of a busy moment…”Mom. but it’s OK to feel sad. You can’t just be happy and feel positive all the time.” Those words hit deeply with me and I realized that she needed to see another side of me from time to time. She knows that I have my down moments, as we all do, and she was encouraging me to let that be part of my mothering, rather than putting on a good face and mustering along. What wisdom of spirit! And that vulnerability chosen as strength is where Emma so excels, and where she teaches me so much. She may be little (she’s always been one of the most petite ladies for her age) but she shines so brightly due to her generosity and her desire to expand other’s hearts and their deep joy–all while telling them (and us)–it’s OK, you don’t have to be happy all the time…that’s not how life works. Her melancholic understanding of life coupled with her trained optimism that we’re always working on, is something that inspires me daily, and that I know will richly bless so many others.

Corinne E. Pidel

Oh, my spitfire. Every since she popped into the world on July 5th, weighing in at 9lbs 12 oz, my little firecracker has been making sure that people notice her in every way, every day. Sometimes, that takes ugly temper-tantrum on the sidewalks form, but other times it means she runs into her school and her entire class comes and hovers around her, eager to hear what she has to say, and to follow her around (I kid you not). We’re always working on the leadership side of things and channeling all that CEO mentality she’s already got bottled up inside her. Believe me, she wants to, and probably could run the household for a day if I let her…and I’m tempted but I know in just a few years she’ll be such a brilliant lady to have on my team, so we’re always navigating the sources of power, in all ways large and small. She teachers me, with her fiercely beautiful stubborn streak, that we should STAND UP and fight for what matters to us, large or small, and to know deep down what it is that we want, and what we are about in the world.

She has a piercing sense of fairness and the need to keep agreements in place, so I watch, and marvel, as this little human navigates all the people, situations and environments that she has in front of her. She takes risks whenever possible–OK, sounds like someone else we know. But her enthusiasm and confidence are at such heights when she’s flipping on the playground or trampolining across my living room on these winter eves–she truly marvelously pushes herself to go further, faster, harder, and boy, don’t we all need a little bit of that drive and energy sometimes? Since she has a tender heart under her tougher exterior, I learn much from her about finding little ways and opportunities to let love shine through; it’s not going to look the same for all of us; and in her case, sometimes love looks like laying down clear boundaries and even a few rules, with much explanation of course.

She’s finding her way with full force, and I am so humbled that I get to be her mommy and learn so much patience, trust and peace along the way. Being 4 and trying to understand all that life throws at us is TOUGH. In fact, it’s tough no matter what the age. We can’t always just lay down and have a good cry, but being OK with that reality and the mystery of our power to shape our existence, is certainly always something to grapple with. She’s taught me this, and so, so so much more.

I have no doubt she’ll be a CEO, or running her own company, or non-profit, or doing some other such incredible things some day, and I’ll look back and smile and chuckle over all those moments when she lost it because she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t in charge of the whole show at age 4.

Ambrose. J.T. Pidel

Oh, my babe. I start to tear up when I rock him for his naps and think about the fact that he’s growing up, he doesn’t really need me in the way that he used to, a year ago. This year has been SUCH a gift and he’s taught me some incredible lessons. His gentle, loving, upbeat and fun personality is contagious-how he is in turn affects his sisters and their moods, and it affects me.

He’s constantly smiling at us to get us to smile back, and he now has this sweet trick where he’ll come running over and pull on me until I sit and cozy up with him on the couch, and he’ll sit contentedly in my lap, chatting away and telling me (in gibberish) everything that he’s thinking about, complete with serious facial expressions and chuckles. He’s teaching me, with his absolutely fearless and fierce nature, to push ahead towards the things that are beyond me reach just yet, or are hard for me. That’s how we learn, that’s how we grow.

Seeing him tackle obstacles like the nearest chair, or navigating getting down a flight of stairs (hint; It ends well), he does so smiling widely, and when he falls, he just grins and goes right back at it. Isn’t that all that many of us can aspire to be like, failing forward and seeing the bumps and bruises of life, as a sign that we’re on the right path and we’re learning, it’s not supposed to be perfect and seemly, and together all the time. And his sweet fascination with literally everything that comes across his path or sight reminds me to dive in more deeply to understand  how something works and why it came to be. He reminds me that I love phemonelogy for this reason…the power of experiencing an object and the joy, suprrise and all that it gives.

He’s teaching me to love and give second chances no matter what history is there (with his sisters rough housing him) and his beautiful wide open approach to welcoming the new day—running off to explore something new with sheer delight at being alive. Yes, I’m learning so much from him too, and it’s all so wonderful to watch unfold.

These children, grace and hope are abundant in their spirits, may they always live the deep and bright mysteries of the present moment, as they are doing now. I’m so humbled and truly lucky to be their mother, and as much as I wake up and pray for the wisdom to guide and form them, they are teaching me lessons that are sinking deeply into my core and changing me.