Working Mother.

It's frustrating that the term 'working mother' is typically only applied to mother's with jobs outside of the home. Aren't all mothers 'working mothers'? A stay at home mom doesn't have a 9-5 job in an office somewhere, but she does have a "job". I often think being a stay-at-home-mom is like running a daycare, a cleaning service and a cafeteria at the same time...without your two 15 minute smoke breaks...and some days don't we all need a smoke break!? Ok, maybe not a nasty cig, but that sweet cup of coffee and scheduled 15 minutes of silence would be super.

Here's part of an interesting article I found:

What mothers are really worth
Stay-at-home mothers wear many hats. They're the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator. Based on a 90-hour work week, Salary.com has estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be well over $90,000 for executing all of her daily tasks. Factor in overtime, and the appropriate salary takes a leap of around $25,000.

"Mothers are responsible for the mental and physical well being of the family - putting a price on that isn't easy," said Lena Bottos, compensation market analyst for Salary.com. "But we looked at it as what you would have to pay other people to do the same work if the mom weren't there."

Even if these mothers were getting paid what they'd be worth on the market, Bottos added that they still wouldn't be adequately compensated. "When you take into account that it represents a 90-hour workweek, and doesn't even begin to factor in that they are on call 24 hours a day, it's not so large. Plus, stay-at-home moms get no benefits in terms of pension or 401(k)."

Change your mindset.

Phil sent this link to me today:

http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2009/07/be-content-save-money-and-be-happier.html

Here's an excerpt:

Through all phases of life you are likely to see something or someone that you feel looks better than you or has something you want.

Let me paint a picture for you; You show up to a party and your girlfriend has on a beautiful dress with the purse, shoes and accessories to match and there you are with a dress that is 5 years old and flip-flops. Meanwhile, your husband is downstairs checking out the finished basement, with a projector TV and movie style seating. Now what? Do you completely blow your monthly budget, head to the department store and duplicate her outfit? Does your husband want to empty out your savings account or charge your credit card so he can have a movie theater in the basement? OR are you happy that you both have friends to visit, dress and shoes to wear and that fit, a means of transportation to the party, and a house to live in?

I hope you choose the latter, but chances are you will be pulling out the credit card!! It’s natural to feel envious and jealous, but these are also 2 of the 7 deadly sins. If we are constantly being jealous of others, how are we being thankful for what we have? God wants us to be like Paul and Job, who were content when they had everything and when they had nothing.

The act of being content is a challenge that one cannot face alone. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given us, so use it. When you are feeling envious or jealous, pray for God to remove those thoughts and allow you to be more thankful and content for what you have. Instead of thinking about everything you don’t have, think about everything you DO have. Be happy that you are alive, have a family, can see, hear, walk, talk, drive a car, have a car to drive, clothes in your closet, food in your refrigerator, water in your faucet, a computer to read this article, the money to pay for the internet, a bed to sleep in, sheets on the bed, and most important a God in Heaven to call Father. When you see someone with something nice, be happy for them. Tell yourself that they work hard and God has blessed them and will bless you!

Change your mindset, change your life.

Kids want to learn.

I was listening to something today when I heard a man talking about the kids he was working with (can't remember doing what exactly) when asked what they would like to sing, all requested "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". He said kids want to learn in contrast of just wanting to be entertained. That's a pretty heavy hymn not some silly happy clappy Jesus song. Those children saw value in that song, in singing it, so they wanted to.

I see the love of learning everyday with Lily. Her mind is a little sponge. She wants to know what everything is. It's such a delight to see her begin to understand what we say, to follow directions (at times) to anticipate what will happen next. And a joy to see her fold her little chubby hands when we sit down at the table to eat! She knew it was time to pray. Kids are born to learn. What will we give them to learn? What will we teach them is important to learn?

Time Saving.

I came across this today:

Moms everywhere seem to share the same problem: There's not enough time to get everything done, let alone do it well and quickly. Meanwhile, we're tripping over piles of toys and can't find anything in our closet because we never have time to organize it.

Our families are counting on us, too, which means more pressure to whip through all our duties, from grocery shopping to scrubbing bathtubs. "Moms are always on call," says Susan Newman, mother of five and author of The Book of No: 250 Ways to Say It — and Mean It — and Stop People-Pleasing Forever.

"You're on call with your cell phone. You're on call with e-mail. You're on call 24 hours a day. You're on call when the baby wakes up in the middle of the night."

When we add our regular on-call status to our already long to-do list, we're left exhausted, wishing we had more time just to be with our families instead of running errands.

Some "Time Saving" tips:

6. Skip ironing and get wrinkles out of a shirt or pair of trousers by putting them in the dryer for 15 minutes with a damp hand towel.
7. Stop wasting time looking for things you use often, like scissors, reading glasses, or baby wipes. Stock up and keep duplicates in the rooms where you spend the most time.
8. Designate 30 minutes after dinner for cleaning —
9. Organize your favorite articles, parenting information, and recipes so you can find them more quickly. Place pages from online sites, magazines, and newspapers in page protectors and stash them in a three-ring binder.
10. Shop for holiday and birthday gifts year-round. Whenever you see a great gift for someone you love, buy it and set it aside for giving later.
11. Set the table the night before and put items like bowls, utensils, cereal, fruit, toaster, and bread out to avoid a morning rush.
12. Limit personal e-mail and computer time to twice a day.
13. Hire a babysitter for a couple of hours on the weekend so you can tackle household duties and errands without kids in tow.
14. Chop all your vegetables, fruits, and herbs for the week's meals at one time so everything will be ready for cooking.
15. dd important appointments and activities to a master calendar in your e-mail in-box and set up reminders for up to one week ahead.
16. Sort belongings into clear, labeled bins that can be stacked and stowed so your child can easily find things like DVDs and toys without your help. Use brightly colored labels and picture labels for toddlers and preschoolers who can't read.
17. Keep disinfecting and glass wipes in the bathroom for quick cleanups around toilets, sinks, and mirrors. You could even do a speedy wipe-down while you bathe the kids.
18. Keep cardboard boxes labeled "donate," "trash," or "consign" in the garage or storage closet to routinely rid your house of unused items and clutter.
19. Designate a cabinet in your kitchen for medicine so you'll have easy access to everything from pain reliever to bandages when and where you need them. Make sure it's secured with a child-safe lock.
20. Sort medicine into small, labeled storage bins — one bin for children's medications, one for adult cough and cold remedies, one for first-aid supplies, and so on, and keep them in the locked cabinet.
21. Keep a pack of thank-you cards in the glove box of your car or in your daily planner so you can write notes while sitting in the car or waiting for a doctor to see you.
22. Keep an assortment of greeting cards on hand, filed by occasion. You'll save time on trips to the store, and you can quickly take care of an unexpected birthday or send off a heartfelt condolence.
23. Forget sorting laundry. Wash everything in cold water.
24. Soak before you wash. Fill your sink or a bucket with soapy water and place dirty dishes, bottles, and other cooking and eating items in there. When you get around to them, they'll be much easier to clean