The Teal Poppies

03/13/2022

❤https://www.becomingminimalist.com/future-you/

Your future you will be here before you realize it—might as well be the one you want it to be.

11/04/2021

Love this❤
https://www.facebook.com/100050313917232/posts/419821649704962/

Reasons someone might not have a poppy on when you see them:

It fell off.

They grabbed a different jacket.

They haven't been out of the house in a week and haven't grabbed one yet.

They don't have one safe for wearing while holding a baby.

They came from work where they can't wear one.

They haven't yet come across a poppy box.

They have an emotional personal connection to loss around Rememberance Day and haven't yet worked up to putting one on.

None of those reasons are people being disrespectful.
They are people being human.

Are there other reasons?
I'm sure there are.
But a glance won't tell us a story any more that a string of lights will.

As for me, I'm excited this year to wear my handmade sealskin poppy that was sent to me as a gift last year.

And if I forget running out the door one day...

I promise I still remember.

10/24/2021

Love this article.

How many towels do you need? This was the surprisingly life-changing question I faced on a Saturday afternoon in early 2012, as I scrutinized my linen cupboard.

10/06/2021

❤

09/19/2021

https://www.facebook.com/100044162002649/posts/394609702021093/

Story time! Why am I holding up a giant head of broccoli? Glad you asked. (This is not a braggy "Look how amazing I am" post, because hello, you know me—that's not how I roll, so if it seems that way at first, please keep reading.)

Today, I was efficient AF. I registered my son for tennis. I rented a clarinet for my daughter (she's trying out band!) I dropped my other son's epi-pen paperwork at the pediatrician's office to be filled out (school starts Wednesday for us).

I grocery shopped, including buying chicken to grill and veggies to roast (like this broccoli) for tonight's dinner.

I bought more allergy meds for my son.

I had a painter come by to give us a quote on a painting project.

I picked up my son's friend so he could have a play date (or whatever middle schoolers call it -- a hang out?)

I paid bills.

I came home, grilled said chicken and roasted said broccoli, and worked out (I'm still sweaty in this picture).

Also, I work full time from home, so guess what else I did? Worked a full day. Created a presentation, wrote an article, did 900 other things my job requires of me daily, and communicated all day with my coworkers.

I also drank 6 glasses of water AND ate a salad for lunch! A SALAD people. Like, I killed it today.

Seriously. EFFICIENT AF.

How did I do it all? What's the magic secret? Lean in, friends. Lemme tell you.

My kids were on screens all the damn day. I barely saw them. They fed themselves breakfast and lunch (food foraging was the only time they emerged from the basement) and I'm pretty sure they ate ice cream for breakfast and Oreos for lunch. I don't even know. There were definitely zero fruits consumed.

Also, the house is trashed. We just got back from a 2-week vacation Saturday night and still haven't finished unpacking. Sh*t is everywhere. Like EV. ER. Y. WHERE. No one can find underwear or socks. Or that's all they can find and they're basically naked. There's no in between.

That's how I managed such an "efficient" day.

Listen, anyone who tells you that you can do it all—that you can parent the way you've been guilted into believing you need to parent, and maintain a career you very much deserve and likely need to support your family, and do all the 843 errands moms always need to do like rent fricking clarinets and buy Zyrtec for your allergy-ridden child who ran out last night, and cook healthy meals for your family, and exercise and eat salads and drink water (self care!) and keep your house clean and actually know where your kids are and what they're doing—anyone who says you can do all of that is lying.

Do you hear me? LYING.

Something HAS to give. In fact, many things have to give. There is no other way.

I did a million things today. Go me, right? But guess what? I also didn't do a million things today. Maybe tomorrow I'll finally unpack and put everything away and find everyone's socks. Maybe tomorrow I'll make my kids take screen breaks and go outside and read books and not be screen zombies. But then, maybe I won't work out and won't get all my work done for my actual job and we'll end up ordering takeout or eating cereal for dinner.

You can't do it all. None of us can. Be proud of what you do—however long or short that list is—because tomorrow's another day with another list. And you'll rock it tomorrow, in some ways. And in some ways, you won't.

Because that's motherhood.

(Also this pic is blurry because I took it fast while burning the chicken on the grill, so.)

08/20/2021

Hahahaha🤣🙋‍♀️

08/09/2021

🤣

08/03/2021

Love this❤

My Child
you spoke to me this afternoon
something about what you hoped to find
I smiled and said, 'oh, that's good'
but the washing was on my mind

you spoke to me this evening
something about all you'd like to try
I smiled and said, 'oh, that's nice'
but the dinner was on my mind

you spoke to me at dinner time
something about something left behind
I smiled and said, 'that's wonderful'
but the dishes were on my mind

you said how much you loved me
as I closed your bedroom blind
I said, 'I love you too my child'
but tomorrow was on my mind.

and as I lay inside my bed tonight
with the sound of peaceful sleeping
I felt a sobbing cry within my heart
a quiet and gentle weeping

for words were playing in my mind
as if recorded on a tape
and I finally heard your voice child
and I wished you were awake.

a silent tear escaped my eye
because I wanted you to know
that I had honestly heard your every word
that my attention didn't show

you see,
sometimes I just get so caught up
in what's important in my day
and I may not show how wonderful
you are to me, in every way

and sometimes I'm so damned busy
and sometimes I fail to see
the beauty of the experience
by what you're telling me

so, I speak these words to you my child
with much love and joy and pride
that regardless how it seems to look
I am always on your side

It's not only in your winning...
It's not only when you've tried
It's Love in every single moment
Because You are My Child.

By Melody Keogh.

I was sent this poem today in my DM’s by a mum. Chanelle had found this poem in one of her mum’s diaries.♥️ It really hit home. https://www.instagram.com/simplicityisthenewextravagance/?hl=en

Follow for more: https://www.instagram.com/themotherhoodprojectnz/?hl=en

Illustration by the incredible O Trocatintas

06/14/2021

❤

If you are skinny, you are on drugs. If you are fat, you need to lose weight. If you smoke w**d you’re a druggie. If you drink, you are an alcoholic. If you get dressed up, you are conceited. If you dress down, you’ve let yourself go. If you speak your mind, you are rude. If you don’t say anything, you are snobbish. If you are sociable, you’re a party animal. If you stay to yourself, you are detached.
You can’t do anything without being criticized. We live in a society where people can’t survive if they are not judging the next person. Let’s build each other up. We are all the best we can, in the same game called life.

Author unknown.
Shared from Aberdeen Guardian

05/16/2021

http://www.groundedgirlsguide.com/toxic-people/2016/10/20/name-calling-emotional-weapon/

Learn the 4 reasons why toxic people call other people names and what you can do about it. Speak up and let people know name calling is unacceptable.

05/14/2021

🍪🍪🍪🍪https://www.mother.ly/state-of-motherhood/moms-suffering-from-pandemic-burnout

93% of moms say they're burned out. Let that sink in.

04/28/2021

🤣

04/16/2021

https://filterfreeparents.com/moms-seem-angry-because-we-put-ourselves-dead-last/?utm_source=ti&utm_medium=social

Moms seem angry because our job is a tireless, thankless, suck the energy out of you kind of job. We will always put our family first. And ourselves last.

04/06/2021

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/remain-calm/

If you’re ready to feel more peace and less inner angst, here are some ways we’ve learned to remain calm and centered, even when those around us can’t seem to contain themselves.

03/15/2021

❤

So here’s the thing about parenting teenagers.

It sort of makes us into liars.

Like when someone asks how our tall kids are we say things like...

Great! They’re starting football in the fall!

Or

They just got into a great school!

Or

They’re doing the play right now and it’s so much fun.

All this may be true, but we are all only telling one side of the story.
Because our tall people now demand privacy we can no longer spill our guts and instead we only show our shiny side.

Plus what would people think of us if we said...

Actually, they’re failing 2 classes right now and we have no idea why.

Or

Well, I just found a giant bottle of vodka in their closet so I’m pretty freaked out.

Or

They’re being treated for depression and anxiety and it came out of nowhere.

Not only would that lead to a conversation that’s way too long to have in the aisle of Aldi, but we also would tell a story that’s not really ours to tell.

Just like we wouldn’t spill the story of a friend who’s having marital problems or who’s dying to quit their job, we can’t share so much of what’s going on with our kids.

And yet we’re supposed to parent them through unchartered waters and we desperately need to tell the hard truths to someone who can support us so we can support our kids.

And so often I just want to yell...is anyone else experiencing this madness?? What the heck am I supposed to do?? Help me out here man because it seems like all your kids are just fine and we are a hot mess today my friends.

The truth is...we are all a hot mess even if we can’t tell each other why.

So when that friend answers you with the shiny side of their lives...telling you about the honor roll and great job their kid got, remember there are things they are not saying.

Just like there are things you are not saying.

So after sharing our shiny side, I say let’s look each other in the eye and give a little wink to show behind the scenes things are so hard you’re not sure how you’re standing. Although I tend toward the awkward so maybe that’s weird.

Maybe instead just know in your heart their kids struggle too so be extra kind just in case. Maybe open up about the hard parts where you can. Maybe have coffee with people who you trust with your own private life to help you navigate your kids’.

And always, always know no matter what you are hearing you are not alone.

Life is hard for everyone and these years spent parenting teens are no joke. No one is making it through unscathed.

Let’s not forget that fact, even in the middle of the night when we’re staring at the ceiling. Know there’s bound to be another parent just a few blocks away doing the same thing.

We’ve got this and we have to have each other...let’s be there friends, even when we don’t know the story because we don’t have to know the details to know it’s probably darn hard. And we parents of tall kids need a village more than ever.

01/22/2021

🤣

Quension:
This is Mummy.
Mummy has a full time job, 3 important phone calls to make, a house to clean, 4 loads of laundry to put away and another 2 billion things on her to-do list.
Mummy has two children called Bob and Dave.
Bob and Dave need homeschooling but are incapable of working independently or going for more than 2.7 seconds between snacks.
If Bob and Dave dick about all day, talk incessantly about trading legendary fly-ride sloths for ultra-mega-rare neon unicorns and can't even remember how to spell the word dog then how much work will mummy get done?

Answer:
Fu***ng none.

01/19/2021

Great new year trick to try..
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/15-minute-rule/

You don’t need to add more to your already full life. You just need to clear the space, maybe just for 15 minutes.