Getting Back Into the Blogging Swing of Things!

It's been a while since I've blogged consistently--

Honestly, it feels like it's been a while since I've done anything consistently-- clean my house, take library books back on time, make my bed.

Ahhh, mom life...the land of a bazillion tasks, unexpected crises that must be taken care of (big and small), and time that flies by faster than you can say, "Wait, stop! I wasn't ready for you to be asking me about razors and Snapchat! Can we just go back to story time at the library?!"

We're at the (hopefully) tail end up a bitterly cold winter. My January and February were full of so many unexpected snow days,  sick days, half days for a myriad of reasons, winter break, a 10 year old birthday celebration, and a couple of "small" house projects that turned so "big" that as of earlier this week I wasn't sure which way was North.

But, I'm here, at Starbucks, with my day planner, lots of paper, my colored ink jet pens and lots of ideas-- for life, books, blogposts and re-visiting my goals for the coming year...

I'm ready to jump back in-- back into posting here once a week-- on Mondays. I'm not sure that I've ever done that consistently...go figure (LOL!)...but, I'm here to try again...

In theory, I should be able to follow through this time because all of my kiddos are in school for the first time this year. In theory, that should mean that I have lots of extra time...

In theory...

But, somehow, the days get filled just as fast, and my "theory" of feeling like I would suddenly have a steady handle on life once the 'kids went to school' doesn't seem to be holding as true as I would have thought...

I'm planning to blog about that one of these days (;





Leave me a comment if you know how-- it's always nice to know who is stopping by. If you can't leave one here, feel free to leave it on my Lisa Littlewood-Writer Facebook page. 

7 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues!

Friends, I have good news for you…

There are 32 days until Spring!

Someone please queue the marching band and let's sing that from the rooftops!

If you don’t live in the Northeast let me just tell you, it is bitter, bitter cold in these parts. It’s gray, windy, slushy, dreary, and just plain miserable to walk even from your car into the grocery store. The runner in me is longing for slightly warmer, less windy days, to get out on the roads, and a friend of mine in Michigan recently told me her kids were on their 9th snow day! Ack! 

By the end of last winter I ended up buying a light lamp on Amazon- I'd set that little thing up on my countertops in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner, or in my office if I was working on a project. I can't say I saw a huge difference, but I also can't say I used it as consistently as recommended. We've since had recessed lighting added to our living and to my office--"If I'm going to live in Buffalo," I told my husband, "We're going to install lights ALL over the house!"

And, so we have.

While this winter continues to be cold and gray, my moods have been steadier, which I'm thankful for. I credit this to several things-- more light in the house, my awareness of how the gray can affect me, and my intentionality to do things to combat how the gray affects me. 

I should also be honest about one big piece of the puzzle here—all three of my kids are in school this year!

As a woman who can speak from the experience of being a full-time stay at home mom for 11 years, Northeast winters at home with toddlers in the house can be hard, hard, HARD.  So, for you mommas out there at home with your little ones, and to my homeschooling friends—I’m sending extra amounts of love and hugs your way! It's no easy gig- I get it. 

So, while I live under no illusion that March 20^thwill actually bring about warm temperatures and flower buds here in Buffalo (it usually just means gray, rainy days for another month), just the idea that there are only 35 more days of winter inspires some hope in my cold, winter-weary soul. 

In the meantime, I thought I’d share with you my own personal “winter survival kit”, or 7 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues:

1. Seek Beauty

I know I’ve been winter bashing a little bit here, but we all have to agree—there are pieces of the winter landscape that are breathtakingly beautiful. My family tries to get out skiing several times during the season, and while I’m not the best skier  I LOVE being outside with the kids, and I really love the chair lift.

Laugh all you want, but the fresh air, the time to sit and observe the landscape, and eating gummy bears with my 10 and 11 year old (a chairlift tradition they started), these things always help me to enjoy my winter days. (Hint: Learn how to ski just enough to make it down an easy hill, and simply ride the chairlift with your kids all day!)

And last week, when everything melted and then froze, and the tree branches were encapsulated by ice, it was stunning. I stopped and took photos with my I-phone, thankful for the incredible display of God’s artistry.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” says Psalm 19:1.

2. Practice Gratitude

It sounds so cliché, I know, but it’s true and it works. When I am intentional about thanking God for my blessings, my heart changes.

In One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp depicts this so poignantly: 

“I cut extra squares of chocolate-melt bars in half and the knife slides clean straight through. A ladybug walks the windowsill, spring stroll all in parade of red and black dots. Her back parts into wing, then shies. I jot her down, 366. I slow time! It’s ridiculous how much joy a moment can hold.”

Isn’t that the truth? It’s ridiculoushow much joy a moment can hold! 

It’s ridiculous how much joy is in those moments on the chairlift eating gummy bears with my girls. It’s ridiculous how much joy comes from watching my 5-year-old cackle when her big sister makes a silly face at her. It’s ridiculous how much joy there is in stopping to observe iced over branches.

The joy filled moments are there, waiting to be observed, felt, held, noticed…redeemed. They're ready to capture your soul, and remind you that life is good. 

Two ways I've learned to practice intentionality in  noticing these moments is to take pictures on my I-phone and journal regularly (even if I just jot down some bullet points from the day).  I find that capturing the moments, even a few of them, in a concrete way like writing or taking a picture helps to secure them in my mind and is a concrete way to combat the winter blues.

3. Worship

A friend once told me that she turns worship music on in her house daily as a way to fill the air with God’s goodness.

Isn’t that a beautiful way of putting it?

She swears it decreases fighting, and increases positive attitudes in her family of six!

I say it’s worth a try!

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged, and weary and have tuned into a worship station on Spotify—within minutes my heart is moving in a different direction.

Worship doesn’t have to be accomplished through playing music on the radio, though it can be. Worship can be a prayer walk outdoors, a song sung in your car, it can be writing your gratitude list down on paper.  Worship can be going around the table at dinnertime and having everyone name a blessing in their life. 

Any act that shows reverence and adoration towards God is an act of worship.

4. Get Out of the House! 

I know you might not feel like it, but it’s good to get out! Even if you just bundle up and drive to Wegmans for some eggs, milk and dark chocolate bar with sea salt (c’mon, there’s got to be something fun!) it helps to get you out of the funk that you can find yourself in when we hibernate all winter.

Go for a 20-minute walk if it’s not too cold. Take your kids sledding, even just for an hour. Throw everyone in the car and grab hot-cocoa and Timbits from the Tim Horton’s drive through. Anything will do, but I promise fresh air, and seeing other human beings is actually good for you. 

5. Take a Nap

Give yourself permission…it’s ok. It is winter and it is cold. A nap can do a lot for the spirit! I'm a short napper and find a way to integrate this practice into my schedule almost daily. I simply set a timer on my phone for 15-20 minutes, close my eyes, and let me body re-set (I've even done this in the backseat of my minivan if I'm out running errands or carpooling that day).

I've heard friends say they can't do this because they're groggy afterwards- that doesn't happen to me, but it's probably because I don't actually fall asleep. I'm just letting my body and mind rest.

I do have a friend with a newborn who takes longer naps because she's so stinkin' tired and I say that's ok to! Our bodies need rest-- sometimes just a little rest in the middle of the day- so, again, give yourself permission. 

6. Make Soup

Last winter I took half a dozen cookbooks out of the library and researched soup cookbooks on Amazon. I LOVE soup, but was bored with my recipes. Even just the act of looking through the pictures in the cookbooks cheered me up! There is a reason that comfort food has earned the title "comfort food".

If you need a place to start, here are two of my favorite winter soup recipes:

https://twohealthykitchens.com/crock-pot-italian-wedding-soup/

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/smoky-chickpea-red-lentil-vegetable-soup.html

7. Send a GIF

The humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.”

Ain't that the truth.

Did I mention that I was home full-time with my kiddos for 11 years?  Let’s just say there were a bazillion moments that I learned to laugh, otherwise I might have cried…a LOT!

All that to say, Erma is on to something here.

My Buffalo friends and I, we send each other links, and images and GIFS on a regular basis. You should have seen the L-O-N-G text message string that 4 of my girlfriends and I had going the day I figured out how to use the GIF tool on my I-phone. It STILL cracks me up just to think about it! 

So, send a friend a GIF about motherhood, or the crazy weather—either way, it will get you both laughing, and, as they say, Laughter IS the best medicine—even for the winter blues.

This is SOOOOO true! Bahahaha! 

I LOVE this sign! Lol! 

Leave a comment about your best tips for getting through the winter! 

When Your Morning Doesn't Quite Go As Planned...

"Everything is falling apart...it's all just going B...A...D!" 

Those were the words of my 9-year-old as we struggled to pull our things together to get out the door by 7:15 a.m. this morning.

I must admit, part of me agreed. A lot of the varying pieces of the morning felt a little ragged, all over the place, and just plain BAD to use E's words. It was just one of those ramble shamble, can't quite get out the door on time mornings.

Kids have a way of speaking the plain old truth sometimes, don't they? I mean, I know they can be dramatic (believe me, I have 3 girls, I KNOW they can be dramatic!), but sometimes truth is truth.

This morning truth was truth.


This is what our morning was supposed to look like: 

5:30 a.m. Mom gets up, fixes a cup of coffee, reads her Bible and journals for a few minutes. This is supposed to help me start my day on a positive note!

6:15 a.m. Mom starts to make lunches and pack her own bags because she is heading out of the house for the day to work on some freelance and writing projects at our office space (a temporary space that we've been renting, but are giving up at the end of this month).

6:30 a.m. A and E (my 11 and 9 year old) and Dad wake up.

6:30-7:15: We make lunches, pack bags, make breakfast, get dressed, take vitamins, get out the door.

7:15: A, E and mom get in the car, drive to school. Usually they take the bus at 7:13 a.m., but A had a morning meeting and it was leaf raking day at the school, so she needed to take a rake, which obviously requires a ride in the mini van because bus drivers aren't so keen on rakes on the bus.

7:30-8:30: Scott finishes getting Aubs ready for school and on the bus.


I should point out that this isn't our everyday routine. I do try to get out of the house before 8 a.m. one day a week to work on my writing/freelance projects so that I can put a whole day of work in and be available for the girls when they all get home at 3:45. My needing to get out of the house early with the big girls did add some extra stress this morning, but the reality is  that many of the hiccups this morning are issues we often deal with whether I'm trying to get out of the house early or not.

As it turns out, we actually hit most of our time markers... the breakdown was in the in-between, and our lack of preparation the night before.

The breakdown is always in the in-between, isn't it? 

It's like looking at a family photo with everyone smiling. That's what is supposed to happen... in theory.

But, what actually happened in the moments before and even the time in-between each photo? I bet you ALL have a story about that.

The in-between is always where the real story is.


In the end,  the morning actually looked like this (read the in-between in parentheses)...

5:30 a.m. Mom gets up, makes some coffee, reads her Bible and journals for a few minutes.

(I do wake up around 5:30, but I am not feeling ready and chipper to start the day. Aubs, our youngest,  had a pee accident in the middle of the night and ended up in our bed, which made for restless sleep. I also felt anxious about the day at hand- nothing in particular, just the many pieces I knew were about to unfold, and about some personal issues I have been working through in regards to dreams, goals, intentions for the house and the family...you know, all of that "light" morning stuff. Unfortunately, mornings can be the most anxious time of day for me. I don't know why, I just know that getting up, journaling and praying seems to be the only antidote for it.)


6:15 a.m. Mom starts to make lunches, and pack her own bags because she is heading out of the house for the day.

(I don't start  to making lunches until 6:30, which I know is not enough time. I was tired and needed a little more coffee, and the couch and fleece blanket felt nice. Plus, it was still dark outside!)

6:30 a.m. A and E (my 11 and 9 year old) wake up.

(The Alexa alarm goes off in both girl's bedrooms, they groggily make their way down the stairs. I become overwhelmed by needing to get out of the house in 45 minutes-- My lack of preparation, and what that means for the morning, leads to some edginess on my part. We all start chipping away at our tasks, but nothing seems to be easy on this particular morning...)

6:30-7:15: We make lunches, pack bags, make breakfast, find socks, pack backpacks...

(All of this happens, but not without stress.  It's about 7:07 a.m. when E starts to lament that nothing is going quite right...she can't find matching socks, she can't find a warm fleece (because it's now Fall and she needs something warm to wear for leaf raking day), her backpack isn't completely packed...I totally understand how she feels, I'm kind of feeling that way myself.

At this point I'm also feeling like I should get a bad mom award for not having gotten everyone's cold weather stuff out of the basement sooner, not sorting the socks over the weekend, and not making more effort to make the morning run more smoothly.


We do get into the car at 7:15 (though honestly we should have left 5 minutes sooner to make it to school for Ava's 7:30 meeting on time).

Even though I'm feeling a little frayed from the last 45 minutes, and I'm also rushing through traffic, I know I need to say something positive. 

We all exhale.

I gaze over at the girls, my big one next to me in the front seat, E behind us in the back. I let out a  laugh/smile/what the heck just happened look. 

Listen girls,"  I say, "Being upset over how crazy our morning was isn't going to help anything. Let's talk about the things we could have done differently and make a plan for them."

I tell them I like to think about things in terms of "Problem" and "Solution"...

"So, I ask, "What were some of the problems?"

I don't really give them time to answer...Mom is on a mission to sort this out verbally.

"E, your socks... Could we make sure we have matching socks the night before?"

"Yup."

"And your lunches. I love making your lunches, but could use some help. If you guys could pack your chips and snacks the night before, that would help as well, right?"

"Yes!" They both agree.

"My stuff...I know. I could have prepared my own bags sooner and had them by the door."

We all agree.

"The rake," Ave chimes in. "I could have gotten that out last night."

We all nod in unison.

We go through a list of other things that would be helpful; making sure to sign permission slips at night, filling water bottles (which we usually do), knowing which shoes they need, making sure they have their gym clothes, library books, etc.

"Girls, I'm sorry. I've tried to start these routines before, but I haven't done a good job following through either. Here's the thing. I could use your help following through. Can we all try this together for the rest of the week?"

We all agree. We feel hopeful. 

Phew...It's hard to believe that so much commotion and emotion can happen within the first hour of the day sometimes, isn't it?! 

Mornings can be crazy, plain and simple...

Honestly, our crew, we're not always the most disciplined bunch, we know routines are good for us, but struggle to implement them. Then you throw in the variables-- Aubs waking up in the middle of the night, the leaf raking episode, the mis-matched socks-- the next thing you know, molehills have become mountains to our morning.


About 5 minutes before we approach the school parking lot, I offer to pray for our day...

Dear Lord, Thank you for this day. This IS the day that YOU have made and we WILL rejoice and be glad in it. I pray that you would go before us, be with us, and behind us in all that we do today. I pray that you would bless the girl's day and the work of their hands. Give them focus and wisdom. Help them to be a light to all they come into contact with. In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen. 

After I dropped them off I still felt a bit flustered about the events of the morning. Mom life is tough stuff in the most mundane ways sometimes  (Dad life too!). There are a lot of moving pieces, and as Scott has often said, it's like we're trying to hit a moving target some days.

Despite all of that, there is action that can be taken to make things easier and more manageable, and I need to be more consistent in doing those things. I'm feeling a renewed sense of determination to establish a rhythm for the family that works for all of us-- sometimes that means implementing new systems, sometimes that means letting go of old ways of thinking and bad habits.

I'm ready to do both.

 I also realized that the most important part of what had happened this morning was not the "bad" stuff, but the conversation in the car-- the part where we came together, offered conclusions, and prayed for the rest of the day.

We all needed to remember that while our morning hadn't gone as planned, today was still the day that the LORD had made-- that there was beauty to be found in the ashes of our morning shenanigans.  That it gave us an opportunity to discuss how we could make things better and that there was SO much of the day left to unfold.

By letting the distraction of a less than ideal morning keep us from seeing what else the Lord might have in store for the day is undermining the gifts and lessons that God may want to bestow on us for the rest of the day.

We needed to remember, and even declare, that He has made this day, that He is going to fill it with blessing, and that He wants us to invite Him into our family routines, our comings and goings, and even our shortcomings.

Let's declare it one more time, "This IS the day that the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad in it." 

Amen, right?

I hope sharing this story encourages someone today-- to be ok with what isn't, to be ok with what is, to look forward with expectation to what can be...as we ask, seek, and pray over all of it. 

Hugs to you all.

Hello, again! A Summary of My Last Two Months of Life...

Oh Friends-- those of you who still stop by to read this space despite my lack of consistency...thank you...I love you...that is so kind of you...

(I couldn't resist this meme when I found it online--it's for you-- my favorite people!).

I'm hoping, one of these days, that I will be more consistent in many things-- blogging, making my bed, sticking with a meal plan that works for my family, and washing my girl's socks, underwear and gym clothes every Friday so that when Monday rolls around I don't start the week with this,  "Oh shoot-- no one has clean socks or underwear again?  And where ARE your gym clothes....Wait I'm supposed to know? You gave them to ME?! They're probably at the bottom of the laundry pile in the deep recesses of the basement. I promise I'll find them...maybe...by the end of the day...or month...or year." 

Um. Yeah. Sorry, kiddos.

Isn't it funny how as adults our lives become this huge conglomeration of details that we are supposed to manage and keep up with-- disparate details that feel like they have nothing to do with each other and yet they're all part of this one big, full life.

My brain has been swimming in details lately--

And so, even though I hoped to write a post in September right after Aubrey (my littlest!) started kindergarten...somehow it's almost November and that post never got written.

So here, in lieu of a lovely, organized, well-thought out post about how life has changed now that my littlest has started school, I'm offering a random smattering of photos from the last two months because it seems that my I-phone is about the only place I remember to capture life on a daily basis.

Honestly, as I sat down to write this I started thinking "Where have the last two months gone? What in the world have we been doing?"

As I scrolled through the over  6,198 photos on my phone, I was reminded that while life has been busy, it has also been blessed! And busy. Busy and blessed!

Thank you I-Phone for that reminder.

My photo capturing reminded me that since September 1st we have:

• Shopped for sneakers, back to school supplies and backpacks. All of which was eventually taken to school for supply drop off and set up with smiles. 
• We successfully started the school year- Ava in 6th grade, Ella in 4th (Ella switched schools, so we have two kids at Christian Central Academy this year) and Aubrey in kindergarten!! (Bah! that's a whole other blog post all together!). 
• We navigated getting up early again, (Ella getting up an hour earlier!), new bus numbers, new bus schedules and some separation anxiety from my sweet-faced 5 year old. 
• We re-started our moms group at church (yay!), which I'm facilitating. We've enjoyed re-connecting after a busy summer, and have welcomed 3 newborns already!! 
• I attended two retreats- one local church women's retreat in Sept., and one day of a 2-day writing conference in Michigan in Oct. (I drove 7 hours to the retreat on a Friday morning, slept at a friend's house and drove 7 hours back the next day to have dinner with my husband to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary! WooHoo!). 
• We've navigated the crazy, costume collecting days of Sprit Week at the big girl's school (with  more than one late night trip to Rite-Aid or Target!)
• I managed to write one freelance article for a local magazine (it is about urban living as a family and highlights my friend Heather's journey to move her family from the suburbs to the city, and how fun and crazy that can be sometimes!). It will be featured in the HOME section of Buffalo Spree at the end of November. 
• We had a new roof put on our house! Yay. Who knew that picking out shingles could be so complicated. I've never looked at so many roofs in such a short period of time. 
• I've been on several field trips already-- one to the farm with Aubrey and one to see a play with Ella, both of which were delightful. 
• We traveled to Columbus, Ohio one weekend to visit Scott's mom and to see the puppies that his sister and brother-in-law just helped to deliver (they had been fostering a pregnant dog all summer, and then delivered, took care of and found homes for the pups! Isn't that amazing?!)
• We celebrated our 15th year anniversary with cookie cake- and each bought each other cards, which we haven't actually signed yet!! Oops! 
• We've picked pumpkins and apples, have eaten cinnamon donuts and have watched the weather turn cold and rainy. The leaves are bright and the gloves are slowly being trudged out of the basement--  Fall is in full swing, and cold weather is upon us...

Here are a few photos of some of the shenanigans....

Have you ever accidentally started a favorite tradition? Um,  yeah. So, now the kids always hope for cake on the first day of school because one year, like 4 years ago, it seemed like a good idea to buy one from the grocery store bakery while I was there. This year we got an ice cream cake-- Yummy!

I could NOT pass the balloon up. I mean who doesn't want a massive helium unicorn to greet them after a long, hard, first day of kindergarten?! 

The Kissing Hand. Need I say more?! (: 

First day! 

So, maybe I went a little crazy and also picked up some little $1 Store gifts on the first day of school as well...

And, made a sign for Ava and Ella (Aubrey helped me with this- her first day was the next day! She got a sign too, but I can't find the picture...)

And found these cookies at Wegmans...I know...it was all a little over the top! But, it was fun and sweet, and in my defense the treats were spread over two "first-days"- the big girls first day and Aubrey's first day. 

Ahhh...the bus stop in September. When t-shirts are all you need...that doesn't happen again until May in these parts! 

I ACTUALLY stopped to smell (and take a few photos) of these wildflowers the first week that all of the girls were in school...just because I could! 

I bought myself some sunflower because they're my favorite. 

More "stopping to smell the flowers" photos...

This is the way you say "Happy Anniversary" when you've been married 15 years and knows your husband loves cookie cake! 

One of many spirit day photos! 

My 24 hour trip to Michigan- and the picture of the mini camper that I dream of owning to do my writing in some day (I'm not kidding! haha!)

LOVED every minute of the 8 hours I was at the Breathe Writer's Conference.

This photo of our trip to Columbus really needs no explanation....Ava's face says it ALLLLL!

So, there you have it friends. Several months ago I set a goal to write 40 blog posts in my 40th year...I haven't given up on the 40 blog posts, though at this rate it might take me more than a year to get them all down (this is #6/40).

We'll see.

Besides all of the busy family stuff I have been doing a LOT of journaling, praying, and seeking wisdom about where God might want to use me in this new season of life.

 It's a season that I thought would be quieter than it actually is so far...a season that has left me with a lot of deep questions  about who I am, how God can use my gifts to bless others, and where my dreams to write more consistently and perhaps even professionally fit into all of THIS-- from the car trips to mis-matched socks and everything in between.

Hugs to you all. I'm working on a piece about what life is like now that all of my girls are in school and hope to post it next week..

Until then may God bless you abundantly, may we see His abundant blessings (even when life feels like a never-ending ride on a Tilt-a-Whirl) in our daily lives and may we be all find a way to be light and life  to those around us, because heaven knows this world needs a little more light!