Pat Layton is a busy Speaker, Author and Life Coach specializing in “Dream Design” for women. Her post abortion recovery bible study Surrendering the Secret was published by Lifeway in 2008. She has recently published a bible studies gift book series called Born to Bloom, A Surrendered Life was released by Baker books in August 2014 as well as her latest release (March 2015) called Life UnStuck “Peace with the Past; Purpose in the Present and Passion for the Future”. Patricia K. Layton, Wife of 37 years, Mom of 3, Mother in “love” of 2 beautiful young women and “G” (grandmother) of 5 (3 boys and 2 girls).
I’ve seen a huge number of articles on surviving Mother’s Day. All well-intentioned, but they just all came too late- the Friday before Mother’s Day is not enough time to put healthy thinking and guidelines into place.
But a month? A month I can work with.
So I’m putting a note on my calendar for April 10th to remind myself to read this article, and put a plan into place to make sure I’m well-taken care of for Mother’s day. It all some down to having a plan in place. Here are my three steps:
1. Plan Something
If you do not belong to a “planning family” (in other words, your kids are too young, or too unaware to plan anything, and this isn’t your husband’s strong suit,) make sure you plan something
yourself – whether it’s for yourself or your own mom, mother-in-law, or stepmom. There is nothing worse than sitting around on Mother’s Day, scrolling through your Facebook wall, looking at all the posts of well wishes from adoring husbands and cute kids.
Plan something and get off of Facebook. On Mother’s Day, Facebook is not your friend.
Get out of the house. go to the movies. Go on a hike (far enough away that you are out of cell range.) Go out with a friend, go out with your husband.
We celebrated on Friday night – which was great. We had most of our kids there, we had kabobs, it was lovely. But Sunday? Let’s just say I should have planned a hike. Next year – I’ll know better.
2. Order something.
Whether it’s flowers or a great book from Amazon, have a package ready to be ripped into for Mother’s Day, even if it’s for yourself. We ordered Shari’s Berries this year and boy – everyone was glad we did. We had more fun with strawberry pic with everyone (and they were so delish. I may have eaten more than my fair share. But it’s Mother’s Day.) I’m placing an order for next year. These turned our time together into a celebration.
3. Ask Something
Not every gift needs to be a surprise. Ask your kids to do something they are talented at to contribute to your celebration. My boys bought gifts (Jer can always be relied on to bring flowers, and Justen always shows up with a book he knows I’ll love,) but the girls contributed talents – Kimber made the cake, and Amanda did henna tattoos for each of us. Utterly unique, utterly special. Make your special request far in advance. Your child will be flattered you asked, and you’ll get to brag on your kiddos.
Be intentional. No one wants a martyr mom on Mother’s Day. Be sure to celebrate you.
I’ll be posting this again April 11th, 2016. See you then.
You hardly have time to eat or shower… how are you supposed to have time for sex?
Are you ready for a clutter free romance?
Our new series of books, “Hot Mama,” was written just for busy women like you—women who want fulfilling, intimate and hot sex lives without all of the clutter that makes our marriages ho-hum. And to kick it off, we’re talking about decluttering your life to make room for… sex. Listen and hear how to:
Keep your bedroom a place that’s romantic and sexy, not depressing and cluttered.
Find room in your busy schedule for sex and intimacy.
Making sure your lingerie drawer is full of cute things.
Make room in your life for all of the flirty fun things that happen in a marriage. (And find out exactly what Kathi is talking about when she says “her salad kit.”)
When you’re done, head over to http://www.kathilipp.com/fridaynightlights to sign up to get a free sex tip delivered to your inbox every Friday for ten weeks to help you keep your sex life fun, fulfilling and yes, even hot.
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
Not familiar with the book? Here’s what it’s all about:
When was the last time you flirted with your husband? Was it before you had kids? Do you spend more time on the couch with your wife watching movies or with a bag of chips watching The Game? Does your idea of a hot date include a drive-thru and springing for the extra-large fries? What would your marriage look like if for 21 days you turned your attention to happy habits that will better your relationship? Plenty of books describe how to improve a marriage, how to save a marriage, even how to ramp up intimacy in a marriage. In Happy Habits for Every Couple, Kathi Lipp and husband Roger show you practical, fun-filled ways to put love and laughter back into your marriage. Here are just a few of the results you’ll see when you put Happy Habits for Every Couple into practice: new levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship; a deeper sense of security with your spouse; and a marriage filled with fun and flirting.
If you haven’t given up the dream of being head-over-heels with your spouse again, following this 21-day plan will give you just the boost you need to bring you closer together.
Why not start today creating some new and happy habits?
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
Are your kids acting entitled after the Christmas craze?
Mary Hunt, the author of Raising Financially Confident Kids, walks you through how to kick entitlement and irresponsibility to the curb this year and teach your kids that just because they have $3 doesn’t mean they need to spend it on bubble gum and Pokemon cards.
A no-fail plan to help your kids become financially responsible.
How to keep your kids from falling into ugly habits of entitlement and financial irresponsibility.
A step-by-step plan to teach your kids about finances.
Eliminating entitlement and growing gratitude in your kids.
Listen in and find out how you can start the year off with a huge dose of financial responsibility and a heaping dose of gratitude.
Meet Our Guest
Mary Hunt
Mary Hunt is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 23 books, as well as a sought-after motivational speaker who helps men and women battle debt. She is founder and publisher of Debt-Proof Living, a highly regarded and popular consumer organization consisting of an interactive website, monthly newsletter and personal finance tools. Hunt’s books have sold more than one million copies, and her syndicated daily newspaper column is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Everyday Cheapskate readers nationwide. She speaks widely on consumer finance topics and has appeared on shows such as The Today Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, Fox and Friends and Focus on the Family. She and her husband live in Southern California.
