chocolate gravy

Yes, you read the title correctly...Chocolate Gravy! That's exactly what I made for breakfast this morning, served over homemade biscuits and topped with strawberries. And every bite was sooooooo delicious. :) Then tonight I topped off the evening with some authentic Italian cooking from the Skinny Italian cookbook that I checked out from the library the other day. (I even took the time to work in some table etiquette for my boys during dinner.)
All of this run down on what we had to eat today because it was part of what made my day so fulfilling. I was energized and had a fresh outlook on how I could tweak things in my home to make them a little nicer--sweeter. I organized a few things, and in the process got to take a look at all that the boys have accomplished in school this year. They (and by they, I mean "we":)) have done a TON this year, and that truly encouraged this little old mother's heart of mine.
Then I decided, "Hey, my end tables in my living room could use a fresh look. Why not paint them?" So I got one of the tables almost finished.
Oh, and did I mention that I got 4 miles of walking in today?
It was a supermom day for me today. Tomorrow may not be so grand, but today I will bask in the glory of every single one of my accomplishments and believe that I truly did deserve every drop of chocolate milk that I just drained from my glass.
What was your supermom moment today?

A Fresh Coat of Paint

I have been reading a new book to my boys called THE RICHEST KIDS IN AMERICA. I want my boys to develop an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age and to really pursue their goals and dreams, but it begins by example; and I have to say that I wasn't quite raised to think "outside the box" in these areas. So I am having to reach outside of myself for inspiration to really tap into what my own passions and dreams are.
Library day was yesterday , so my boys and I loaded up on books about--well, all kinds of things! I checked out 2 cook books (The Skinny Italian and Paula Deen's Just Desserts--go figure :)), a DIY book on home projects, and 3 books on starting your own small business. Can you tell that I am a woman of many interests? My boys checked out books on earthworm farming, a biography on Sam Walton and a few other fun books.
One of the questions posed in the book we're reading is, "What do you really enjoy doing so much that it makes you lose all sense of time when you do it?"
Well, today, I thoroughly enjoyed refinishing 2 chests of drawers that someone gave me for my boys' room. The other day, I sanded and painted an old rocking chair, and I enjoyed every moment of that too. This past weekend, I enjoyed "painting" my face and getting ready to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. :)
Tomorrow though, I might find that I lose myself in baking a cake or putting my childrens' pictures in albums (finally!). These things may never put millions into my wallet--In fact, they may not even toss a $20 in there, but for today, that fresh coat of paint was what I needed to feel like the creative woman I was created to be.
What is it that you would love to lose yourself in today? JUST DO IT!!

Dance of Joy

My moment of inspiration that I'm sharing with you today, was gifted to me by my eldest son this past weekend ...
This weekend, my niece was married in a simple and lovely ceremony, and afterwards, of course, there was dancing. Coming from the upbringing that I do, dancing has definitely never been a public activity, and has only been a private activity on occasion (slow dancing with my hubby and crazy dancing with my children).
My eldest son, who just turned 12, was not only excited about this being his first wedding to ever attend, but was also ecstatic about there being DANCING!!
Well, not only have I not danced publicly, but my children have never danced publicly; and I have seen them dance privately, and let's just say," We're all very white. :)"
There was no stopping him, however. (In fact, I think the groom had to shoo him off the dance floor, just so that he and the bride could have the first dance.) At the first signal that it was okay for everyone to join in, there was no hesitation on his part. With complete and utter abandonment of all self-consciousness, my son DANCED!! I could never tell you the names of any of his dance moves because I don't think there are names for them yet---They were all very original--but I can tell you that there was such a look of joy and happiness on his face as he twirled and kicked and snapped and jumped, and goodness knows what else. The joy was contagious. I laughed and smiled as I watched him, and I've been laughing and smiling about it ever since.
Have you done something today with complete and utter abandonment of self-consciousness? Have you allowed yourself to just DANCE?!

Today you are

I am going to confess on my very first blog that I am fascinated by the tv series of "Real Housewives of...(fill in the blanks)" I watch them with the fascination with which one would watch a terrible accident on the highway, and wonder, "Where am I?" This doesn't portray my reality at all. I don't live a multi-millionaire lifestyle in which my days are filled with sessions with personal trainers, the hiring and firing of my nannies, scheduling time for my mani/pedi sessions and botox injections, and maintaining a socialite status while creating a multi-million dollar business of my own.
My reality reads much differently. I live in a home in the country where I try to fit in the occasional 2 mile walk while homeschooling my 3 boys and struggling to whittle away the extra 20 pounds that I've packed on since I married my hubby over 12 years ago. I struggle with the insecurites of, "Am I challenging my children enough in their education?" "Am I being frugal enough?" "Am I feeding my family nutritious foods?" "Should I be contributing more to the family finances?" And on and on the voices in my head shout at me.
I find no inspiration in these televised women---warning, yes (Believe me, I now know that you can take plastic surgery toooooo far), but inspiration, no.
I find inspiration in the women who feed a family of 8-10 on a meager family budget, in the women who take ordinary items and make them extraordinary by putting them in just the right place in their home, in the women who patiently train their children into thriving, creative beings who know their place in the world. These women are you and me! We are the real housewives, or as I now label us, "The Authentic Housewives."
We are us. We have been created in an array of all shapes, sizes and colors, and are bringing life and light to our homes and gaining victory in areas that we struggle with daily. Each of us has a story to tell. Each of us is on a beautiful journey, and today I want to encourage you to live your life to its fullest. Recognize that only you can be the best mother to your children, the best lover to your husband, and the best you God created you to be.
Right now, I'm off to save the day by washing my hubby's best blue jeans so that he can wear them to work tomorrow....
Tell me about your inspirations and aspirations.