sooo

Anyone else struggling with this book or is it just me?

Book Clubbers

Hey ladies!
Just a little update. I know Amy and I just barely received our books, so I will be starting it today. More posts to come ; ) Also, Delaina can't make it to the meeting this month and we don't know the official status of anyone else we invited, annndd our ward is having the Ward Blitz thing that morning that we should go to. So, bottom line: Lets try out a virtual book club this month. That does mean we need to hold ourselves accountable and make sure to post on-line okay? If we like it -- and if we can't find anymore people looking to expand their horizons by joining the book club -- then we could always keep it a virtual book club and potentially invite people who live far away. Anyway, just some thoughts. We'll see how this month goes.

-Marcie

Awesome product for us mommies!

Hey ladies! Since we're young moms, I just thought I would share a product review about one of my favorite nursing products!

You've all experienced it. You're sitting in some public setting with a Sesame Street blankie thrown over your shoulder. You're trying to look calm and in control, but in reality you're rigid with fear that your bundle-of-joy will grab the said blankie and expose your baby-feeding-goods to the whole world -- or worse, to your father-in-law! With my first child I nursed behind closed doors, inside bathroom stalls, and underneath baby blankets. By the time I had my second child I wasn't looking forward to another go of breastfeeding hide-and-seek. Luckily, I found an incredible breastfeeding tool: THE MOMMY COVER by JOIA (www.themommycover.com). Not only is the product stylish and fun (good bye teddy bears and duckies), but it is functional and comfortable. Thanks to the expandable reel in the back, the nursing cover stays comfortably in place (unlike those other "apron" versions on the market, which still left me feeling exposed). I've told all my friends about the product because I know how important breastfeeding is -- and this product just made it easier:)

Time to call quits

Hey gals! sad to say I won't be making it to the meeting on Sat. and unfortunately will probably not be part of the book club anymore. :( things are just wayyyy too crazy. I just found out that we are closing on our house tomorrow and so Saturday will be spent packing up and we are going to move Tuesday!! I'm super excited, but sad to leave! Happy Reading to ya'll! =)

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Rededicate. Recommit. Lead your family. This is a daily exercise. Take time out for you. Take time out for your family. My body, mind and spirit are what need personal rejuvenation so that I can concentrate on the other 6 habits and really lead the life I want. My renewal process is kind of scattered at the moment. I don’t have a routine. This is one thing that I want to commit to doing. I want to feel the value in my life and the value I create. I want to know that my presence here on earth made a difference. I have to “sharpen the saw” in order to make that happen!

Long term and short term planning is required to do this successfully. However, spontaneity is also a great thing to “leave room” for. Have traditions. Plan vacations. Have one on one time with family and yourself. Go on dates with your spouse AND your children.

Treat your family table as an altar. This is a special time. Spend it with them. Just talk. Love. Laugh. Have fun. Be serious. Renew your family at the dinner table.

Have FHE no matter what you have to do to make it happen—make it happen. Have family councils. Know your family. Know their likes and needs. Love them. Help them. Pay the price for what means most to you!

Habit 6: Synergize

Synergy = The whole is greater is than the sum of its parts. This is based on relationships and how they relate. Your family’s synergy is vital to its culture. Synergy is cultivated in a win-win situation. Synergy is realized when all parties involved are working towards that vision—family mission statement.

There is a saying that says energy flows where attention goes. If our families are unified, their attention will go towards activities, actions and relationships where positive energy creates synergy and takes steps toward the personal and family vision. You can’t have a synergistic family that hates its family culture and don’t get a long. I love the concept of synergy and I believe in it wholeheartedly. When there is synergy that means that a lot of other facets to the family are successful.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then Seek to be Understood

I think this concept is easy to grasp but rarely used? Why? I think that we all have this dire need to feel understood and so there is this urgency that comes with being understood. The problem is the other person you are communicating with feels the same way. Then we turn our needs inward and we stop listening to the other person.

My heart broke as I heard the story of a man who punished his little son every time he went around the corner. The boy kept going around the corner and the dad kept punishing the son. Out of tear filled eyes, the boy finally asked his father, “What does corner mean, Daddy?” Wow! What a lesson. The dad was stuck in his own world and sought to be understood NOT to understand. Because of this gross error, the little boy unknowingly and innocently made an action that resulted in undeserved punishment.

I can see how so much miscommunication and problems can be solved before they start if we would just try to understand others first. This will take practice I am sure. In my experience I am more likely to try to be understood first when I am reacting instead of being proactive. When I am making my choices based on emotion rather than understanding and insight I tend to have a more selfish environment instead of self-interest which would actually lead me to understand.

When we show that we understand the other person, you are showing them that you validate them. You see their perspective and it matters to you. You connect with them. You have filled a great need in their life just by understanding them, even if you don’t agree.