Monthly Archives: June 2019

Lessons in the Kitchen

Posted on June 1, 2019     2 Comments

Last December, my girls unwrapped children’s cookbooks on Christmas morning. This was one of the gifts I was most excited about – as giving something with the potential to create memories and shared experiences together always feels far more meaningful than gifting a toy that will likely be played with only a few times before […]

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Hi, I’m Kayla! I’m a mom of three sweet toddler tornadoes who have taught me that parenting is one great big oxymoron. My life is controlled chaos, full of contradicting elements, ideas, and thoughts! If you enjoy stories of real moments and raw parenting, then you’re in the right place! Thanks for stopping by!

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One of my all time favorite quotes is to, “Be kinder than necessary... because you never know the battle someone else may be facing”. . We all need a fan (or five), right? A tribe of people we can count on for encouragement and praise... And the bigger our circle, the easier it will be to face that inevitable battle when it comes. So praise hard work. Compliment courage. Support in struggles. Cheer on. Lift up. Be a friend. Back ‘em up. Reinforce. Reassure. Boost. Applaud. Advocate. Push. Rally. And as my friend at @ordinaryonpurpose says, “Whoop and Holler”! . Be a source of positivity and surround yourself with people who do the same. Remind each other that you’re one another’s biggest fans. These are the things that drive us to be better people. These are the things that matter. These are the ways we become our best selves. #controlledchaostruths #womensupportingwomen #momssupportingmoms
“Relax and be proud, momma. You’re doing great. And they are too”. . Earlier this week I took my van into the dealership for service. It was 7:30am, the auto shop was full of techs & associates, and I had all 3 kiddos with me (ages 6 & under). As I stood patiently waiting on a rental vehicle, I felt frazzled. Anxious. Overwhelmed. And very aware. You see, I was trying my best to keep the kids quiet but they were literally bouncing off the walls. They wanted to explore, I needed them to sit quietly. They wanted a snack, I needed them to eat the doughnuts I’d just bought 10 minutes earlier. They wanted to leave, I needed them to wait. I saw some employees cupping their hands over their phones, pushing the receiver closer to their ears. In their defense, they were just trying to hear the customer on the other end of that call. I also saw 3 rowdy toddlers, and hey, in their defense, sitting on the floor at a car dealership at 7:30am for what seemed like an eternity really wasn’t their idea of a good time. Maybe part of it was my own anxiety. Maybe part of it was in my head. I don’t know for sure but in that moment, I felt thick air. I felt silent judgment. Mom insecurity is a real thing guys. In that very moment, an employee who was walking past us stopped in his tracks. He glanced at my 3 toddler tornadoes, looked up at me, smiled, and said, “Relax and be proud, momma... You’re doing great... And they are too”. . That anxiety and insecurity I was just telling you about? GONE. Out the window. Disappeared. As those sweet words gracefully fell from this kind mans mouth, I relaxed. I instantly felt better. It was exactly what I needed. Friends, I’m sharing this story not only because I think we can all benefit from the validation that all of us sometimes feel nervous judgy anxieties.... but more important still, because if you see an overwhelmed momma, a loud toddler, or an uncomfortable moment... I’m here to remind you that the best thing you can offer is your GRACE. A helping hand may have made a few minutes go by more smoothly and a sucker might have provided a quick distraction... but your GRACE? That’s invaluable gold.
Oh hi. It’s me. And this is my kitchen. Fully gutted. We’re in the middle of a great big remodel so in case anyone has noticed my absence or wondered where I’ve been... it’s right here. Amongst the chaos of knocking down walls, carrying debris to dumpsters, making phone calls, appliance shopping, countertop selecting, cabinet designing, and countless trips to home improvement stores... I’m surviving the chaos and looking forward to showing you some seriously awesome before and after pictures soon! (And also getting a fully functional kitchen back!). I hope you all are having a great summer!
I hope you do something today (and every day!) that makes you feel good! Happy Monday! Image credit - the very talented @veronicadearly . #mondayvibes #behappy #itsagooddaytohaveagoodday
My favorite way to start each day is by sitting on my porch and enjoying a warm cup of coffee after watering all the landscaping flowers... It’s quiet. It’s relaxing. The birds are chirping and the sun is shining and I get the opportunity to soak in a few minutes to myself as I plan out the rest of my day. This morning, after telling the kiddos to stay inside with daddy, my 6-year-old daughter snuck out of the kitchen and onto the porch. She walked up to me and quietly muttered, “Hey mommy, this is for you”. With a smirk in her eye, she then quietly turned away and crept back into the house. Her surprise gift? The sweetest and most simple poem accompanied with some flowers that will last forever because they’ve been drawn onto post-its. Oh my sweet girl. You make my heart sing. Happy Sunday, friends! #controlledchaostruths #sundayvibes
Bedtime with toddlers. Mommy! I need one more kiss! One more hug! One more song! One more drink! I need to go potty. I need to say my prayer! Alright, Harrison. Say your prayer and then GO TO SLEEP. Ok mommy.... . “My God is good. My God watches me. My God gives me goldfish. My God loves me. My God gives me toys. Amen.”. . Sigh. I dread bedtime with my kids and then I melt at bedtime with my kids... the paradox of parenting! You know what, my dear son? I love listening to you talk to ‘your God’ and I’ll hang around every night for ‘one more prayer’ because you’re right, your God is GOOD! And nothing fills your momma’s heart more than listening to your big grateful heart talk with big faithful confidence to your big awesome God. Even if those talks are centered solely around thanking God for goldfish crackers and superhero toys... you’re making your momma melt with big mommy pride. 💙 . #controlledchaostruths #bedtimewithtoddlers