A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

Mother’s Day Roundup

It’s so much fun when someone works secretly with your kids to make a special gift for you on Mother’s Day. My mom helped Will and Lily make these sweet handprints a few years ago. The kids painted the frames then Mom helped them each make a handprint on a white tile. She attached ribbons to hang the pictures with, too. I don’t remember if she bought the tiles separately and glued them into the frames or if they came in one piece. Maybe she’ll chime in here and let us know.

I also love when the kids make those little “All About My Mom” books at school. They always know to answer that my favorite food is Häagen-Dazs Chocolate-Peanut Butter ice cream and that I like to read. Things get a little dicier when they have to answer how much I weigh (20 pounds was one answer) or what I do. Sometimes I don’t know how to answer that last question, either!

Here are a few ideas that you might like for Mother’s Day:

Mother’s Day Giveaway: AM Charmed Designs

I’m very excited to host my first giveaway AND introduce a new series called “Dreamers and Doers.” It will feature people whose creativity I admire, whether they’re creating art and music or creating a fascinating life. My first guest is Angie Miner, creator of AM Charmed, whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know during our Wednesday tap classes. Not only is Angie a talented dancer, but she is also a truly lovely person. Enjoy this interview with Angie, and then read on to find out how you could win one of her beautiful creations. Just in time for Mother’s Day!

How did AM Charmed get its start? AM Charmed was inspired by a WAY over-priced necklace that I purchased on an emotional buy at a boutique. Having always been drawn to personalized items, I just had to have it. I quickly discovered that other moms were interested, too. I’d get asked frequently where I got my necklace and received numerous compliments on the uniqueness of the sparkle chain. I spent some time doing research and determined that I could make the same quality product, sparkle chain and all, at a fraction of the cost, making them more attractive to a broader market. A friend and I started the business and immediately began taking orders. When my friend moved I decided to continue the journey as the newly-named AM Charmed in 2010. It has always meant a lot to me to be able to create the pieces and to see how happy they make others. I have many customers, especially new moms, who wear them every day.

Describe your perfect day. My perfect day has a plan! I find my best days have some sort of map for the tasks and events. I left my sales job three years ago to create a more balanced lifestyle for my family. Having lived as if I were being chased for several years and seeing the effect that was having on myself and my family, I happily welcomed days with a calmer yet still productive and satisfying flow. So my perfect day starts with being able to see the kids off to school and being there when they get home. I am greatly satisfied when I have the opportunity to put a load of laundry in and head to my work bench to work on inspiring projects, be that AM Charmed or the numerous other small jobs and things I support. Part of my perfect day definitely consists of being there for the kids and getting the opportunity to see them in their activities, but the best days are when we all sit down to dinner to talk about “our favorite part of the day.” I guess to sum it up my most perfect day is in control and always meaningful.

What’s your favorite way to make time for you? My favorite time for me is when the kids are in bed and I can sit down to read a book or watch one of my recorded programs.

What would people be surprised to find out about you? That I am actually more of an introvert than an extravert. Although I appear to be social, I prefer small groups and even one-on-one to large social events.

What lesson do you most want to teach your children? One of my mom’s (yes, I am a huge mama’s girl) favorite quotes is that our role as parents is not to give our children the world but rather to teach them to live in it. Within that, I strive to teach them that no matter what they do to have love and kindness toward others.

What goals or dreams do you have for yourself over the next few years? My goals and dreams have changed so much throughout the years. I used to panic that they were not big enough but then one day I realized that I was already living my big dream. Being able to do the things I love and still be there for the kids is a dream come true. If I am able to keep doing what I’m doing right now, I’ll be one lucky girl! I really do love my life!

You’re a busy mom of three, you run your own business, you tap dance, you volunteer. How do you do it all? I do it all by loving it all. I am careful to respect time and never overcommit or actually try to do it all. I also have a very supportive and helpful husband; we are a good team. Neither of us like to sit much and we both agree never to complain or overuse the word “busy.” We laugh that there will be plenty of time to sit in recliners but for now bring on the activities and all the other things that come with making life work as a family. Like the song by Kenny Chesney says, “You’re going to miss these days.”

Thank you, Angie!

And now for the giveaway. Please check out AM Charmed and leave a comment below today and tomorrow (May 4 and 5) to win one of Angie’s gorgeous, customized creations. The winner will be selected on Friday, May 6, using random.org and then notified right away. Thank you and good luck!

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER! I went to www.random.com and entered 32 (the number of participants) and the generator announced—drum roll, please—Number 29! Which, when I went to see who had the 29th entry, is Penny! Congratulations, Penny, and thank you to everyone for taking time to leave a comment. Let’s do this again some time.

Just Do Your Best

I saw this mini-print at on-hand + modern today. The smaller text is a quote from Julie Beck that says “When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves.”

It’s just what I needed to hear on a day when there was so much I wanted to do, but so little I actually did. But the most important thing—Andrew’s band concert—went well and that’s good enough for today. And there’s always tomorrow.

In the meantime, I’m printing out this little inspirational gem. You can visit Celeste’s blog here if you’d like to print out a pep talk, too.

Arrivederci, D.C.

We’re home again after a terrific long weekend in Washington. Papaw (Tim’s dad) was such a good host and made us feel like we were staying at a comfy bed and breakfast. We made it to the places the kids had selected, and then some. And, best of all, we enjoyed visits with good friends. Some we see fairly often, others we hadn’t seen in years, but we picked up right where we left off.

On our last day, we took the kids to my favorite sculpture, the 12-foot statue of Einstein at the National Academy of Sciences. Tucked into a grove of elm and holly right off Constitution Avenue, the huge bronze figure somehow manages to be cuddly. I love how Einstein always maintained his sense of wonder, which is captured in this quotation written on a bench: “Joy and amazement of the beauty and grandeur of this world of which man can just form a faint notion.” The star map at his feet is wonderful, too.

(For the photo, I told the kids to “look smart,” and this is what I got. Boys.)

It is impossible to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial without becoming emotional. We stood near a man who showed us his father’s name on the wall. So heartbreaking to watch him gently rubbing his finger back and forth across the name. My father was missing in action in Vietnam when my little brother was born, and I can’t help but think of how close he came to having his name etched into the wall.

It’ll be 19 years this Fourth of July since Tim and I met at this house on New Jersey Avenue. We actually were first introduced down at the party my roommates and I threw on the Mall earlier in the day, but back at the house after fireworks we stayed up talking until the wee hours of the night. Not long after, we had our first kiss under that very magnolia.

We also spent several hours at the National Zoo, where we saw seven (!) lion cubs. We watched them for the longest time as they switched between wrestling, pestering Mom and Dad, and lounging. We also saw one of the pandas, who sat with his back resolutely to us, chomping away on bamboo. He absolutely refused to turn and look at us. It was very funny, really.

And now it’s back to real life. I hope I can keep the energy and the memories from this trip fresh in my mind. Do you have a place that represents the road less traveled for you? Do you think that, knowing how way leads on to way, you’ll ever go back? Would you even want to at this point?

P.S. I found a penny at the Lincoln Memorial. I think it must be 100-times luckier than a regular penny.

Greetings from D.C.

We’re having a great time in Washington, D.C. The city still enthralls me with its beautiful buildings, flowers and trees (azaleas and dogwoods are blooming!), and history. We enjoyed delicious seafood last night in Annapolis with friends from my Special Olympics Intl. days. Today we had a truly wonderful private “tour” of the Pentagon with Papaw (Tim’s dad). My favorite moment was walking with our best manners down the corridor that houses the office of the Secretary of Defense. We glanced in as we walked by, but there was no sign of him. A friendly assistant did wink at us, though.

We also enjoyed a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I’ve never been there even though one of our dearest friends works there. It was wonderful to see Julie, who managed to look beautiful as always despite hosting a four a.m. tea party in honor of the Royal Wedding. I was tempted to go, but couldn’t imagine trekking around the District on so little sleep. But I’m sure there’ll be lots of coverage to watch online.

Tomorrow we’re off to the National Zoo with Amy to see the pandas. A kind reader (who’s a D.C. native) let us know that there are baby lions there, too. And we’d also like to get a closer look at the memorials. We’ve driven past them a few times (including once at night, which is so dramatic), but now we need to walk around and really see them.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We’re hoping that spring will finally have arrived for good by the time we get home.