yayamamas - Strong Women make Strong Mothers
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Custom 5
  • RSS
Menu
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • High Five
  • LB’s Library
  • We Love
    • Products
    • LB’s Library
    • yaya Swag
  • Guided Journals
    • Monthly Guided Journals
    • June 2019: Mom Style
    • May 2019: Legacy
    • April 2019: Detox
    • March 2019: Food
    • February 2019: Fitness
    • January 2019: Finance
    • 2018 Guided Journals
      • December 2018: Expectations
      • November 2018: Philanthropy
      • October 2018: Friendship
      • September 2018: Go Outside!
      • August 2018: A Sense of Home
      • July 2018: Family Fun
      • June 2018: Transition
      • May 2018: Connection
      • April 2018: Date Night
      • March 2018: Alone Time
    • yayamamas Journal Club
  • Where We Are
  • Ask
    • Questions & Answers
    • Meet the yayas!
  • Homeschool
  • Babywearing
    • Information
    • Babywearing 101
  • Childcare
  • Contact

Archives

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

Join Our Email List!

Stay up to date on the latest articles, giveaways, journal topics, blog posts, product updates, and so much more!

Subscribe

Follow the yayas!

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Custom 5
  • RSS

Instagram

Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure We caught t Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure 

We caught the travel bug in Glacier. 😍 Now we want to see all the parks & RV everywhere! 

Last fall we rented a travel trailer (to test out a trailer vs motorhome) and drove to Glacier National Park for a few days. We stayed at the West Glacier KOA… full-time travelers told us it is one of the nicest KOAs in the country and that we set the bar too high for a first trip 😂 

Stay tuned for more about our #roadschool adventures ⛰🚐
Align your actions and your values. It’s how tru Align your actions and your values. It’s how true change happens and where peace resides.

I was such a “good customer” with Target, they moved me to the front of the line to speak with a customer representative. I was referred to as a “frequent” for years. No more. I’m walking the walk and deleting everything Target from my life. If you feel convicted, stirred, or uncomfortable with the swift downhill slide of Target, I want to encourage you to sit with thise feelings…then align your actions and your values.
Imagine if more of us could see that living is lea Imagine if more of us could see that living is learning and learning is living. And that we spend our whole lives learning well past any graduation ceremony. The world would be a different place if we embraced and encouaged a #lifelonglearning mindset. Childhoods would be different…dare I say happier? Easier? More fruitful?  I’m not going to give up on the paradigm shift that is happening, one homeschool family at a time 🙏🏼 #realeducation #realeducationreform
I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” Chri I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” 

Chris & I are planning on sitting down and recording our “why” in an @elevatingmotherhood podcast episode (sorry it’s taken us so long 😂), but I’ll give you the short list. 

We were looking for a place that was:
1. Majestic (Maui is majestic…we were hoping for water and mountains and North Idaho has those things in spades) 

2. Homeschool Friendly (Idaho is the most free homeschool state in the USA) 

3. Freedom Loving (check!) 

We came to Idaho for those 3 main reasons and have discovered 100 more reasons to stay! The people, the community, the churches, the small businesses, the beaches, the lakes, the big sky, the accessibility to other places…the list goes on. It’s the people that touch us the most. We have been embraced by the community—I am overcome with gratitude. They show up in for each other in small and big ways. To be part of something this amazing has blessed us beyond beyond! 

So “Why Idaho?” Pull up a chair—I’ll our you a cup of PNW coffee—plan to stay awhile, because the list of reasons is long and amazing. ⛰☕️🥰

#idahome #mauitoidaho #homeschoolidaho #northidaho #idaholife
There was an election this week. I don’t miss an There was an election this week. I don’t miss an election. 🇺🇸 I vote in person out of conviction. I take my kids with me every time. I share the whole process with them so when it comes time for them to cast their vote, they won’t hesitate to let their voices be heard. 

The volunteers at our voting place are so kind to my family. They recognize us, encourage me as a mother, and dote over what “happy voters” we are. It makes for an incredibly pleasant and empowering experience. I’m so grateful to live in a place where voting is taken seriously and honored as the important responsibility that it is. It’s one of my favorite life tasks…which means it’s one of my favorite homeschool activities. #alloflifeislearning The conversations we have within our family about elections, issues, politics, and community is more inspiring than any conversation I’ve ever been coerced into in a school. 

From Kindergarten to Grad School, I always felt like my thoughts were being guided in one direction—that of a teacher or an agenda. It was one filled with peer pressure and conformity. As an adult and parent outside of that space I can see clearly how my opinions were guided by people who were not invested in me. They did not share with me in a way that instilled confidence  in who I am, what I *actually* believe, nor did they give me a spirit of knowing it’s okay for me to have opinions that are different than others. 

That ends with me. I’m doing things differently. I’m educating my children differently. Change doesn’t look like talk—it looks like action. And action is more do-able than most people would have you believe. It’s as simple as taking your babies with you to vote. It’s as do-able as having open conversations with your children (with lots of listening). There are many different ways to approach heated topics like politics and elections that don’t involve division and hatred…ways that include less talking and more action. Don’t be afraid to take action, mamas. Your growth, example, and bravery make the biggest impact 😘

#vote #idahovotes #homeschoollessons #lifeschooling #lifeschool #homeschoolmama #mamabear #lesstalkmoreaction #homeschoolidaho
Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱 We’ Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱

We’re not gonna wait until we have more land to start living an Idaho homestead life. 🥰 We’re filling pots, digging holes, keeping chickens, sowing seeds, and farming as best we can. People like to share the end results of their garden, but I figured I’d share this growing season’s humble beginnings 🥰

So far we’re growing echinacea, borage, yarrow, onions, garlic, strawberries, squash, zucchini, cinderella pumpkins, thyme, basil, jalapeños, bell peppers, dill, cucumbers, beans, raspberries, roses, lilacs, mock orange, rosemary, sage, & tomatoes 👩🏻‍🌾 

What are you growing? 😍🌱👩🏻‍🌾
Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼 *wait until then t Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼

*wait until then the end…we saw a baby 🐐 on the beach*

The last few days I’ve reflected on how grateful I am to be in Idaho. This is where my family is supposed to be right now. We are surrounded by beautiful scenery & beautiful people…just like we were on Maui.

It turns out the world is filled with beauty. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise 🥰 

#idahome #mauitoidaho #mauinokaoi #idaho #idahome❤️ #idahomom #homeschoolidaho #homeschoolfreedom #openroad #godisgoodallthetime #northidaho
Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all you’ll get from me in Mother’s Day photos 😂

Happy Mother’s Day!!! 😘😘😘
I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was ope I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was opened 3 times. Even the cat is reaching under the door. 😂

I know this isn’t my usual encouraging post, but there are a lot of expectations around Mother’s Day. And as the planners, event coordinators, and celebrators in our homes, Mother’s Day can feel…all kinds of things. Disappointing. Extra. Frustrating. Cute. Messy. Grief ridden. Charming. Memorable. Did I already say disappointing? 

Mother’s Day disappointment is real. A lot of moms experience it. I just wanted to acknowledge that with a bit of humor. I wrote a blog post about it on my original blog years ago and it remains my top article. If I find a minute today I’ll try to link to it in my stories 😘

Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day whatever kind of day you’re having 💜😘

Baby Tula

Tula
Site made with ♥ by yayamamas
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes