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Next Month: Friendship

Tomorrow starts the beginning of a new Guided Journal. October’s topic is all about friendship. When you hear the word “friendship,” what are your very first thoughts? Write them down!

See you tomorrow, friend!

Thank You Day

The first bonus day of each Guided Journal is all about thank yous! Write a thank you note to someone who helped you this month. This can look like a text, call, handwritten card, email, or in-person thank you. Reach out! Unexpected thank yous are always appreciated. Gratitude feels good to both the giver and receiver.

Thank YOU, mamas, for joining me on this Guided Journal journey! I appreciate you showing up! Mahalo!

Recap

Recap this month. Recap the last 6 months. How much time did you spend outside? Did you meet your goals? Did you make an effort to be outside more? How did your efforts affect your kids? Do you see a shift in yourself? Your children? Your family as a whole? Write about it without judgment.

“The women whom I love and admire for their strength and grace did not get that way because shit worked out. They got that way because shit went wrong, and they handled it. They handled it in a thousand different ways on a thousand different days, but they handled it. Those women are my superheroes.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

A Page from Our Kids

Take a page from your kids. Watch how they play and interact with nature. Watch how they let go or interact with nature and give their version a try.

“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full or wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantment of later year…the alienation from the sources of our strength.” – Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Resilience

There is a notion that the most resilient adults were also resilient as kids; specifically, they were children who went outside in all types of weather. What do you think of this notion? Does it ring true to you? How resilient are you? How much did you go outside as a kid? Did you go out in all types of weather? How resilient are your kids? How much do they go outside? Are they okay with or afraid to go outside in all kinds of weather?

“Turns out, the most beautiful things in my life were never on my to-do list.” – Rachel Hollis

Virtual World

Doing an honest analysis of yourself, how much do you feel you live in a virtual world of devices? Are you able to look at and analyze the difference between your life online (social media, video games, tv shows, movies, etc.) and your life offline? How much time do you spend in each? Are you happy with the balance between the two? Can you see that nature does not exist in the virtual realm? Do you use nature in your offline life to balance out the lack of nature in your online life? Write about it.

“Man must live, not only exist; he must do, not merely be; he must grow, not just vegetate.” – Spencer W. Kimball (Miracle of Forgiveness)

Connection Over Convenience

We are constantly fed the lie that parenting is supposed to be convenient, that if we buy this baby product or do this thing our lives will be easier, better, and just convenient. I’ve asked many, many parents to name one thing that is “convenient” about parenting or motherhood. No one has ever given me an answer. That’s because there is nothing convenient about having children. It’s not supposed to be about convenience. Mothering is about connection. It’s a relationship, a journey with ups and downs…but it always comes back around to our connection with our child. Write down your thoughts on this. Have you aimed for convenience? Have you fallen for the illusion of convenience? (I know I have). What do you feel parents need to focus on instead of convenience? What real tools or ideas do you rely on as a parent in your relationship efforts? Does nature or being outside appear anywhere in those tools or ideas? If so, where? If not, do you think outside could have a place in those tools and ideas?

“Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.” – Herodotus

Make a Commitment

Being outside is as essential to the human spirit as water and food are to the human body. Make a commitment to yourself, your children, and your family to make experiencing nature a priority. Write about it. What do you need to commit? What do your kids need to commit? How do you feel about this commitment? What do you need to make it sustainable?

“Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose – and commit myself to – what is best for me.” – Paulo Coelho

Make a List

Think about your family’s values. What are they? Make a list of them. Do any of the items include an appreciation of nature or being outside? Do any of them include valuing time to de-stress?

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” – Roy E. Disney

September Week 4: Family Values – Goals

You’ll be asked during the yayamamas Guided Journals to think about, evaluate, and write about your family’s values and goals a lot. These can be ever changing. This week looks specifically at how nature fits in with your family values and goals.

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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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