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The transition

Today is the last day of our Connection focus. Tomorrow we begin working on Transitions. Schools are getting out for the summer, the season is changing, vacations are upon us. Our schedules are about to get switched up…and our children are going to feel it. Write about what transitions are on the horizon for your family next month or this summer.

Confidence

Think about how asking questions and making more eye contact has influenced your confidence level this month. Are you more confident and find it easier to engage with others? Do you walk with your head up more often? Do you look around more? Write your observations about your own confidence levels.

Thank you

Each month there will be a few Bonus Days at the end of the four weeks. We use at least one of those days to write meaningful thank yous. Take a moment to write in your journal about who and what you are grateful for, then transfer those thoughts over into a meaningful card, letter, text, or phone call to let that person know you appreciate them.

Connect before Transitions

What’s something no one would ever guess about you?

Many of our parenting frustrations happen during transitions—from the house to the car or car seat, from school to summer break, from nighttime activities to going to sleep. Have you tried making more eye contact during these times of transition? Knowing what you know now about the power of eye contact, do you think making more eye contact could make a difference during these times of transition? Why or why not?

Connection

What’s the craziest thing you did as a kid?

Write your own observations about how eye contact, asking questions, and listening has influenced your connections with family, friends, and daily interactions.

Recap: Questions

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

What were your favorite questions and answers from this month? Write them down. Did you take a moment to answer the question of the day when it popped up each day (even if just in your thoughts)? Why or why not?

Slowing Down

Do you believe in destiny?

Were you able to slow down a bit this month? Slowing down is a critical part of connection. It allows us to focus without a time crunch or wanting to move on to the next thing while we “listen.” What are your road blocks when it comes to slowing down? A busy schedule? Your own thoughts? Expectations? The habit of feeling on the go? Guilt? Write about them.

Eye contact & empathy

If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?

Has making more eye contact made you more empathetic? In other words, do you feel like you’ve been better able to understand how others might be feeling by using more eye contact? Have you been able to pause and see others, understand their feelings, or even share those feelings? Write about how working on eye contact this month has changed how you understand the feelings of others.

Recap: Eye Contact

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

How have your feelings about eye contact changed since the beginning of the month? Is it coming easier? Still a struggle? Are your children making more eye contact? Write down your observations about your/their progress.

Bonus activity: “What color are their eyes?” You can turn eye contact into a sort of game with older children. If you’re at a restaurant, ask them what color the server’s eye were (after the server has walked away). At the grocery store, ask them what color eyes the cashier had after you’ve walked away. Ask them the color of their friends’ eyes, their grandparents, neighbors, etc.

Questions

What have you done that you are most proud of?

Come up with your own questions of the day! This is an easy and fun way to bring your family in on your conversation. Write them all down (include everyone’s answers if they start to answer while making up questions. Writing down someone’s thoughts in front of them can be very powerful. It shows them their thoughts are worthy of notation).

Make it a game: Write your questions on slips of paper and put them in a jar. Pull them out at the dinner table for instant conversation & engagement.

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“Are you telling your soul to sit down and shut “Are you telling your soul to sit down and shut up so you can do the ‘more important’ work of getting through the week?” -Allison Fallon

A lot of writers worry that their writing isn’t going to be any good—but then find a way through that doubt during their writing. A lot of moms worry that what they’re doing isn’t any good either. What if moms had a tool to work through that doubt? Today’s guest Ally Fallon makes a solid case for how writing could be just the tool we need. She brings all kinds of encourage and insight about the sacred act of making space for writing in our lives and how to not get stuck in our to-do lists or lost in distractions. 💕

Ally is a new mom with a new book: The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life. She’s going to help us see the myths surrounding writing (including the one that writing is for some people and not for others). She shares how writing has been transformative in her own life and shows us how it can reveal things we didn’t know about ourselves before we wrote them down. Writing is revelation and learning through play…things that we see and encourage in our children on a daily basis. Ally shows us how we can now turn that same philosophy and encouragement inward and apply it to ourselves as moms. 

We talk about all the things: writing, motherhood, misconceptions, spirituality, connection, life-long learning, the power of getting to know ourselves, and what you can do to get started today. We’re going to bust through some learned writer’s block and show you how to use writing as a vehicle to get to know your truest self.  This is a great episode for all moms—whether you identify as a “writer” or not. And if you’re a homeschool mom, it’s easy to see how these writing ideas can crossover into homeschool as well. 

Ally’s Bio: Allison Fallon is an award-winning author, sought after public speaker, and nationally recognized writing coach. She has worked with thousands of people to realize their writing potential and become published authors. Check her out: @allyfallon 📚😘
Writing has been a huuuuge part of my life for a l Writing has been a huuuuge part of my life for a long time. I have two master’s degrees in literature and creative writing. I love journaling and write guided journals. I jot things down on napkins, receipts, and piece of scrap paper surface I can find...

AND YET.

I still learned so much from reading @allyfallon ‘s newest book The Power of Writing It Down. 🙌 Ally is on the @elevatingmotherhood podcast this weekend talking about her book that is available this week! Tune in and be inspired! 💛😘
Do you study or appreciate or follow certain educa Do you study or appreciate or follow certain educators or education philosophies? 📚 The work of Charlotte Mason has been an extremely positive influence in our homeschool and in my motherhood journey. I’m curious to know what quotes, notions, & ideas influence you 😘
Did you read the title of this episode and think, Did you read the title of this episode and think, “I can’t seem to get ONE type of rest as a mom let alone 7!?” I know I did a double take when I first read about Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s idea that there are 7 different types of rest and that we need all 7, but…my curiosity was peaked! Diving into her explanations has brought me so much personal clarity, I’m so grateful for her work and all the ways she shows up and encourages mothers. 

This episode is so life giving—Dr. Saundra is articulate, kind, authentic, and just so generous with her insights. She teaches us what we need to show up as our true and best selves. 

I left this conversation feeling so understood—and I know you will, too. As Dr. Saundra presents these 7 types of rest, she doesn’t do it in a way that’s overwhelming but rather shows us a bigger picture and that we really are all quite unique. The types of rest I need most in this season of my life probably aren’t the same types of rest you will benefit from the most right now. There is no one size fits all answer for everyone, but when it comes to rest, there are a lot of options! These ideas about rest will help you learn more about your true self so that you can understand what you need—and then confidently meet that need armed with information and insights about these 7 types of rest. 

This topic is also a great conversation starter. Once you hear the different types of rest and take the quiz online (www.restquiz.com), I bet you’ll want to send this quiz to your partner, spouse, sisters, friends, and moms group so you can dive deeper into this topic with them! It’s the resolution we didn’t know we needed going into the new year. Learning about rest is a great way for us to become more self-aware so we can support and nourish our true selves, recover our lives, renew our energy, and restore our sanity. 

Dr. Saundra’s Bio: Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a Board-Certified internal medicine physician, speaker, and author. She is an international wellness expert featured in numerous media outlets including Prevention, MSNBC, Women’s Day, FOX, Fast Company, Psychology Today, & as a guest on Dr. Oz show. More in the show notes on the EM website!
You know what most of my “top posts” in 2020 c You know what most of my “top posts” in 2020 contained? Baby goats. 🐐😋😂🥰 

They are pretty life giving, stinking adorable, and fun to be around. (New life, new hope and all of that). 💕

If you’re one of the mamas who liked the baby goat pics, I have some good news for you! 😍 One of our other goats, Eddie, is (most likely) pregnant and due around Mother’s Day! I say “most likely” because it’s always hard to tell if it took, but she’s moody and bossy and acting like she did the last time she was pregnant. 

As much work and worry as it is, I’m grateful that we have something to look forward to that gives us purpose and hope. 🙏 

Are you finding that you need to lean into future fun or hope at the beginning of the year here now that Christmas and New Year’s Day is over? 😘

Photos: @mrsmeganmiller
My word for 2021: Motherhood. 🌺 No, seriously. My word for 2021: Motherhood. 🌺

No, seriously...I know that my podcast is called Elevating Motherhood and that the way I show up for others is aaaaaaall about motherhood, but this year I’m also going to be reflecting on what it means to ME. 💕

I’m going to use it as a way to focus my writing (I’m working on books about and for mothers), a way to focus on our homeschool (thinking about motherhood first will help me lean into connection over things like grading systems), a way to focus on my marriage (let’s be real…a lot of disagreements among spouses center around parenting differences), and even as a way to learn more (I want my kids to see their mom learning and growing and reading and dreaming…to understand that that is part of what motherhood is, too). 

“Motherhood” is such an unglamorous seeming word when compared with others that are being shared in the New Year and doesn’t seem to be at the top of anyone’s list. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Honestly, I didn’t intend to choose a word—I feel like this one chose me. 💗 I’m not big on resolutions (I see them as incognito expectations and those lead me straight into funks), but I am into guiding lights.🌟 So motherhood will be my guide this year—I’m excited to see what that looks like, feels like, and what it grows within me. 🥰

What is your word for 2021? Do you have one? Would you consider choosing motherhood? ✨

Photo: @kristycopperfieldphotography 😘
Welcome to 2021! 🥳 The New Year brings with it Welcome to 2021! 🥳 The New Year brings with it a lot of talk about expectations, health, & overhauling our lifestyles and diets with goals, resolutions, & the best of intentions. 

To be honest, I find all of the expectations surrounding the New Year really overwhelming. 🙈

And if our main goal is a healthy body, mindset, & lifestyle—what does that mean? What does that look like? Over the years, I’ve come to believe that true health varies for each person—& the more we can learn and broaden our understanding of “health,” we can easily begin to apply a wide variety of perspectives, ideas, & teachings to ourselves & our own health journeys. There is no one size fits all answer when it comes to our children’s health, our family’s health, or our own health. 

I’m really excited for the opportunity to introduce you to @holistichilda —someone who has been very influential in my own personal health journey. In fact, her voice & work is such an everyday presence in my life & learning that I realized it’s probably time I shared more about her & her work with you. She’s frequently referred to as “Holistic Hilda,” (which, the idea of holistic is just one more layer in the “what is true health” conversation). In this episode, Hilda & I talk about @westonaprice + the realities of modern motherhood, what holistic means, ancestral concepts of nutrition, how we can nourish ourselves & our children, intuition, connection, ideas for improving our diet & overall health, as well as myths & expectations surrounding the idea of health & wellness in our modern world. 

Hilda’s Bio: Hilda Labrada Gore is the host and producer of the Wise Traditions and Tradiciones Sabias podcasts. A certified health coach, she has traveled the world exploring traditional practices for optimal well-being. Hilda shares the best of experts, experiences, & epic adventures on the podcasts, her Holistic Hilda YouTube channel, & on ancestral health tours that she leads. Hilda is also a podcast coach & the author of “Podcasting Made Simple.” Hilda has energy to spare thanks to her love for sunshine & liverwurst. 😉
Wow, y’all. 🤩 There is some silver shine that Wow, y’all. 🤩 There is some silver shine that seems to have popped up overnight! Wowza! I love it! 😍

#cantstopstaring #silverhair #silverhairtransition #silversisters #silversisters2020 #greyhair #greyhairtransition #grayhairrevolution #silverhairdontcare #silverhaircolor #grayhairmovement
Today is the #vigilforem This week Emily and her u Today is the #vigilforem This week Emily and her unborn child passed away. She was a light in the homeschool community & we are feeling the loss. More of her story can be found over at Wild & Free’s page. I’m humbled by her messages & teaching. Today I am grateful for my children, my husband, and my life. Praying for peace and clarity for her husband, children, and friends.

Baby Tula

Tula

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