With the end of the school year right around the corner, I’ve been getting all my summer “documents” out (lists of things to do, summer schedules, brochures for camps/classes, etc.) and thinking about doing a post on getting ready for summer. However, when I went to our website, The Power of Moms, and did a search, I discovered we already had the bases covered pretty well. With four children ranging … Continue reading
I’ve been the mother of a teenager for about five months now. It’s been mostly great, but Alia and I still have our moments. She’s trying to figure out that transition into adulthood, and I’m trying to accept the fact that I now have a daughter who borrows my clothes. This is my 13-year-old daughter, Alia. (She does like to borrow my clothes, but this dress she is wearing … Continue reading
It’s not about me. Of course I need to take care of myself and nurture the me inside the mom, but in the end, being a mom is really about putting my children first. There’s this sentiment floating around that warns women they will lose themselves to motherhood. They’re right! But the woman I “found” as a result of “losing” myself to motherhood is someone I like much better. Making sacrifices of … Continue reading
Mother’s Day can be such a wonderful day. It’s a great time to be with our kids and think about our mothers and celebrate all that we have and are as moms. But Mother’s Day can also be stressful. What can you do for your mom, grandma and mother-in-law that would mean a lot to her? What are your husband and kids planning? Sometimes our hopes and expectations … Continue reading
In celebration of Screen Free Week, We’re posting podcasts and scree-free-related posts each day. If you are completely unplugging this week, we’ll be here when you get back! Screen time is an issue for most deliberate mothers. How much time do your children spend in front of a TV, computer, tablet or phone? Do you struggle to know how much is too much? In this episode, April and Saren discuss their own experiences with … Continue reading
In honor of Screen-Free Week, we’re posting a podcast. Happy listening! Do you ever feel like you move from one task to the next but never actually get the most important things done? Join April Perry, Tiffany Sowby and Briana Johnson in their “Post-Retreat Slumber Party” as they discuss practical ways to structure our days and weeks so we’re not running around simply putting out fires. Here are some … Continue reading
You see them everywhere you go. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They appear harmless, even friendly. You’ve been exposed to them your entire life, but they still have the power to intimidate you. They’re in the grocery store, the car pool line, the park, even your own neighborhood. You see them on TV and read about them in your favorite blogs and magazines. Who … Continue reading
Editor’s Note from April: This excerpt from Katrina Kenison’s Mitten Strings for God really struck a chord with me. The more I read about mothers’ experiences turning off the TV, the more excited I am to try it in my own home. We thought this would be a great featured post as we prepare for Screen-Free Week April 29th – May 5th. Our lives are a series of choices. Some we deliberate … Continue reading
I’ve been thinking about a couple of popular blog posts lately. This one about why it’s probably OK for a mom to be on her smart phone at various times of the day (even when her children are awake), and this one about why mothers shouldn’t expect to love every single millisecond of motherhood. Both come in response to the hordes of books, articles, essays and blog posts that exhort mothers to live … Continue reading
Yesterday, all of us were shocked by the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing. The news rapidly spread through social networks and became the major subject of discussion — and heartache – within families worldwide. I (April) heard about it 30 minutes before my children got home from school, and, initially, I wasn’t quite sure when (or how) I was going to talk about it with them. During … Continue reading