Ten Resources that might just Change your Life View

Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash

I'm really passionate about self-development and each person becoming the best version of their self. For me, becoming a Christian really changed my world view and was the catalyst for me starting to work on some of my more challenging character traits. 

For around the last 16 years I've been reading books, listening to podcasts, watching TED talks and attending courses that are helping me to shape into a less materialistic and more selfless person.

I thought it was high time that I shared with you some of the resources that have had a profound effect on me. Some are Christian resources, and some are totally not, so you don't have to share my faith to be interested in this list.

1.  Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
Back in 2002 I started to listen to some cassettes (yes it was that long ago) in the car on my hours’ drive to work and the wisdom in these recordings really started to help me realise that life is too short to get hung up on the silly things, or small stuff, and realistically it is all small stuff. There are a variety of spin-offs from the original like not sweating the small stuff at work, in your family or with teens.

These short, manageable chapters have titles like - stop blaming others, count to ten, choose being kind or being right and seek first to understand. The thing that always sits with me and has been life changing is Carlson’s lesson about us all living in separate realities and how that plays out. Truly when I first heard this story and learnt the concept it was mind blowing to me. 

The book is currently £3.52 on Amazon. 

Spring and Easter Inspiration - 30 Great Ideas for Families

Tulip Garden Image, thanks to Shutterstock

Hip, hip hooray Spring is finally arriving. There are gorgeous yellow daffodils all over my house, the sun has been out more days than not this week and Easter is only five weeks away. Spring is my favourite season of the year, the days get longer, it’s sunny without being too hot and I just adore seeing the cherry blossom everywhere.

It, therefore, seems perfect to share this round-up of Spring and Easter inspiration from loads of amazing bloggers. Read on....

Crafts

1.  Fancy some fun with Easter crafts with the kids, then Cat has nine great ones for you, including chick bookmark corners and paper bunny ornaments.

2.  Make your own Easter Egg Sun catchers from Hodge Podge Days

3.  If you need to craft your little one a costume for some Easter celebrations, then what about a donkey costume to remind you of Palm Sunday.

4.  How to make a complete Easter tree for under a tenner. I love any excuse to have a decorated tree even when it is not Christmas.

Without Me...

• The kids wouldn't get up, ready and out on time each morning for school
• They'd have to walk the 5 miles to school along the main road with no paths
• No homework would get done
• There would to no holidays organised or enjoyed
• Planned family day trips would be sparse
• Christmas and birthdays would pass by unnoticed
• No-one would receive a thank you, how are you or greeting card
• Family members would never get visited
• The bills wouldn't get paid
• All the insurances would lapse
• The mail, household paperwork and forms from school would create an impressive stack
• The car would cease to a halt or cause an accident through lack of maintenance
• The family wouldn't have home-cooked meals all together at the table
• In fact, there might not be any food in the house, as the order might get forgotten
• School lunch bookings and payments would be forgotten
• The house would be in disarray, things wouldn't get tided away until weeks later and the dust would build
• Everyone would have to dress from the laundry pile
• The kids would look quite humorous in clothes and shoes a couple of sizes too small, as nothing new has been bought
• The items to go to the charity shop or dump would build up and up
• All the regular dentist, doctors and eye checks would be forgotten
• Everyone would look like a shaggy dog without any haircuts
• Various charities would be one volunteer down  
• My blogs would fester, unloved

Designing my Dream Kitchen.... One Day!

Image Credit: Custom Kitchen Design from Shutterstock

I've got to a point in life where I really am very content. I've achieved the things I want and now I am content to follow God's will and see where He leads me. Right now that means I am down in East Sussex volunteering, mothering and supporting my husband in his work.  In the future who knows...

But if I am really honest there is one thing that I am a little sad I'll probably never get to do and that is design my own super stylish kitchen. My husband and I bought our first house in 1997 and we changed the old-fashioned brown tiles to a mix of bright and cheerful ones but that was about it as eighteen months later we were moving into a house that came with our work and we knew we'd only be there short-term so no point in doing any more than a lick of paint. The next place we bought was a brand new flat where we got to choose the tiles, worktops, cupboards etc which was nice but it was only a small place and I wasn't that excited.

Then in 2002, we moved into our forever home. My husband and I could see ourselves living in this house for the rest of our lives. It might only have had three bedrooms but we quickly converted the garage into another room which became JJ's bedroom and the plan was always to put an extension on the back and to knock the kitchen and dining room into the extension so there was a large, open-plan and very light space that I could pour my heart into and design.

I had the vision of how it would look, a light kitchen probably with simple shaker style kitchen units, a large island where I could cook and prepare the food whilst the kids sat up on high chairs on the other side and did their homework or some drawing. We'd have one of those enormous American style fridges with a water decanter on the front and all the white goods would either be built-in or hidden away in the utility room at the back.

The kitchen would open straight into the dining area which would be able to seat eight or ten so we could happily have guests around and then a comfy sofa and TV would encourage the kids to relax close by so that our lounge could remain an adult sanctuary to be enjoyed in the evening. I remember costing and planning it all out one evening and discovered that to achieve what I desired we would need around fifty-thousand pounds, that was a big wake-up call and the project quickly became just a dream. What I should have done is have a look at Kitchen Warehouse for an affordable solution.

My top 10 #AYASummit Moments

I've got so much going round my head at the moment and it is just becoming a big jumble. I sit down at the computer to put my thoughts into words and nothing comes and then I get cross with myself and try to focus, realistically it is a bit of a vicious cycle.  I know myself well enough to know it is time for a bloggy break and that's coming but I've just got a few things to sort out first.

One of the things I really did want to capture before taking a break is all the amazing moments I experienced when I was in Washington DC with ONE for the #AYASummit. As I've said before this really was the most inspiring and all-consuming conference that I have ever had the privileged to attend. I just need to get my head in order so I can use all the information and experiences I gained.

Here is my top 10, I thought about doing a count-down but it would seem wrong to place the events in any kind of order of importance or relevance as they were all so impacting -

1.  Listening to Marquesha Babers read her poem she had written as an entry to the Girl Rising competition to attend the Women in the World summit. What was remarkable is that 19 year old Marquesha has spent most of her life homeless and yet her spirit and morals are fabulous, she talked after about protecting her cousins for poor TV choices and getting an education.

Giving is receiving

All the Operation Christmas Tree shoeboxes that have been collected at my local church.
My family and I were happy to give quite a few from us.

Recently I've discovered the Pigeon Pair and Me blog written by Nell, she is embarking on a journey for a year to gift things to other people. All sorts of things. It makes for interesting reading, go and take a peek.

On 17th December she is hosting the BritMums carnival and has set the theme as a carnival of gifts and she is asking people to share where they have given something away.

This really got me thinking about the act of giving and how important it is as a biblical principle. As Christians we understand that everything we have is a gift from God and as such it is just loaned to us and we do not really own it. There is no point in accumulating wealth for the sake of it, money is to be used wisely and not stockpiled. I have to be honest and say this is a lesson that takes some getting used to when you become a Christian, as our society teaches us that if you work hard you can do well and have it all. Wealth and status are seen as indicators of success and actually this is so off the mark. Some of the most successful and content people I know are not wealthy.

Things like regularly giving other people money, putting credit on their electric meter, buying them shoes when they need them or doing grocery shopping for someone else are not the norm here in the UK, but truly they are lessons in humility and gratitude for all you have. Why should some have so much and others so little? It is easy to try and justify it by how hard you work or how lazy they appear to be but we are all Gods children and it makes Him proud to see us caring for each other. My last Church family taught me some amazing lessons in how to share what I have and I was so blessed by the progress I saw in the lives of others as the love and care we show makes a difference to them. Also just think what a great example it is showing to my children as they grow up knowing some people had very little and we opened our house to them and helped make their everyday just a little bit more comfortable.

Giving is an everyday part of my life and that is just the way I like it. I am a different person to who I was  eleven years ago before I became a Christian. I can say for sure I am a better person for all the giving I have done in that time and I look forward to finding out what else I need to give away in the future. Some might say we gave up our security when we sold our house this summer and moved to East Sussex, we now live in a borrowed house and earn just a third of what we earned before but actually the freedom we have gained has been worth it. We are now tie free and can go where God asks us to.

We are all called to be good stewards of everything God has gifted us, we must not waste the money or resources we have but discern the best way to use them. I don't always get it right but I'm learning and I'm willing and that is important.

I'm excited to see what my future holds and I know one thing for sure I receive far more than I give and in giving I receive a great deal of satisfaction.

How about you, what is your stance on giving? Does it need to be reciprocal? Or can you literally just gift it?

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This time last year.... #OneMums #OneMoms

Image Credit: Karen Walrond

My life was so different. I never would have imagined that I'd be where I am now, living the life I now have.

This very day last year my life was being changed and moulded for the future. I was being impacted forever and I was having one of the best times of my life.

I can never forget the times I shared in Ethiopia with all the amazing #OneMoms and #OneMums. I owe each one of them such a debt of gratitude that I never can repay it, they have to just know that the words 'thank you' and 'you are awesome' are so heartfelt and meant.

But more than the British and American women I spent such a lot of time with in the 8 short days there are all the amazing Ethiopian women and children that I met and got to know just a little.

Women who inspired me to love more, try harder and have faith. On the surface they appear to have nothing, one meal a day if they are lucky and no spare cash for clothes, medical care or clean water but talk to them and you find they have so much and in the face of adversity. Such a lot of love, faith, friendship, community and belief. Each week they go to Church and they are thankful and loyal, that is an example I really did try to take with me.

I long to go back to Ethiopia to feel her warm heart and see the joyous dancing and smell those coffee beans slow roasting. I want to meet more amazing people like Gebeyehu who is working hard to change the future of children living in the slums and Cherry who helps to take women off the streets and is part of their clean and healthy future. I can't even begin to put in words how I feel about these inspirational people. I want to be like them, I want to be able to help and I want to serve.

I don't know what my future holds but I do know that the ONE Campaign will remain a part of it. Together we are stronger than the single parts and that is what ONE does, bring all our voices together and campaign for a world where there is no more poverty or hunger. It can be done if we all play our parts. My part is not special or inspirational like Gebeyehu or Cherry's but it is still important and so is your part.

Image credit: Karen Walrond

Have you signed up with ONE?

It is dead easy and all you have to do is sign the odd petition or tweet or have a real life conversation with a friend. All quite simple and all only take moments. Of course you can do more, you can talk to your MP, blog for them or any other number of things if you want more, but do not underestimate the power of us all coming together. This makes change happen.

You can be part of the change, you just have to care and do something.

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

Kitchen inspiration required - share your ideas

As you know I've moved house and I'm super pleased with our 18th century stone cottage, it is really beautiful and has so much potential.

The kitchen is pretty big, bigger than we had before and I choose to have it painted a soft green, which I like. The cupboards are cream shaker style and we have mock wood work surfaces, it is not a designer kitchen but it is nice and has lots of potential. For how big it is, it actually lacks storage space (which is a shame) and the white goods look a bit of a mess in my opinion but I love the fact I have enough space for a small table for the kids to have breakfast/ do homework at and I'm enjoying sitting here with the radio on and my laptop open during the school day.

But I need your help to know what I should do with this kitchen. Excuse the mess in the photos, that will obviously get cleared up but I need some inspiration - what sort of colours for accessories shall I go with? What should I put on the walls, especially above the cooker?

Help me with a scheme for the kitchen please. I'd really love to hear your opinions.

Take a look what I have to work with -

View from the door into the kitchen, looking to the right

View from the door, looking straight ahead

To the right, sort of a utility corner

To the left again

Go on then, what can I do?

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!