good morning.
this is what i have been working on in my yard….mulch.
i spent several hours yesterday moving it.
it's mindless exercise.
and i barely made a dent in that mountain of mulch.
good thing i have three strong men in this house….
………………………………………………………………..
jeanne oliver has her new line of goodies out today in her shop.
she sent me the photos to preview…..gorgeous.
i meant jeanne at silver bella in 2009.
i liked her from the start!
i love to see her taking herself SERIOUSLY as an artist.
so cool.
on her blog today she is giving away a $500 gift certificate to her shop!!
that is amazing.
go check out her new shop.
you will find something you love i am sure!
………………………………………………………………….
so how did mother's day go?
be honest.
this is the project i had my 3 & 4 year old sunday school class do.
i brought them jars, the sticker, ribbon and a big stack of flowers to pick for their mom.
they were so cute when their moms came to get them!
i made myself one too.
so…..i told you i got the weekend off.
and it was great.
but i will also tell you that i also had EXTREME guilt all week before about it.
i changed my mind everyday of what i wanted.
i felt guilty i wasn't going to the basketball games….because a "good mom" wouldn't want to miss even one!
i felt guilty that i wanted to be alone….because a "good mom" would never want that.
there was a lot of guilt on many levels.
but when i really thought about mother's day….
and recalled all the others that i have had over the years…..
and the kind of family we REALLY are….
remembered the stage of life we are in right now….
and i was honest with what i wanted to happen on my "special day" and what is my reality…..
i decided that the quiet time…..the time to think….the time for NO voices or questions or yelling…..
was what i needed to be a good mom.
and i was right.
Robin - My weekend plans include sanding (and hopefully) painting some used cabinets we bought right out of someone’s garage. We put them in my laundry room where I now have LOADS of storage. Even tho I have a bad back and its really bugging me today I simply must try and get these cabinets painted. They are battleship gray in color and oh so depressing. I’m painting them ‘cotton white’ in semi-gloss and the walls will then have to be painted (next weekend). Just got that paint color today and it’s called ‘Moose Mousse’ – a lovely tan that looks like delicious mousse! Gotting stop commenting and get busy!! 🙂
Kat - Good on you for trusting your instincts and going with what YOU wanted for Mother’s Day.
I too suffer from waaay too much Mother guilt. Why do we do it to ourselves?
How on earth do we get past it?!!
My Mother’s Day was okay, but I ended up having “words” with my Hubby and I was not really the happy Mummy I should have been on that day 🙁
My kids (aged 2, 4, 6 and 8) gave me all the lovely little handmade gifts and cards and I truly LOVE that bit.
I also got a sleep in and some time to read in bed ALONE, so that was my wish 🙂
Tracy Fisher - First I have to say, I love your honesty about mother’s day. I asked for a nap and 3 hours to finish a painting. And it was amazing how productive I was… it finally won over guilt. But I hear you on that one! Second, I love love love the Jeanne Oliver stuff. I immediately ordered the blonde girl print that says “I Love My Life” and a BLESSED leather cuff for my daughter. Thanks for encouraging her.
And finally… happy mother’s day. It’s YOUR day everyday!
Tracy Fisher
Karen Gerstenberger - I’m so glad that you had a happy Mother’s Day – and that you used your voice and asked for what you truly wanted. And that they gave it to you! My day was good – you can read about it on my blog. =)
AshleyAnn - That is a crazy amount of mulch. Mulch is the one part of a garden I don’t enjoy – I always end up with splinters. I’m a better mom too if I get time alone.
happygirl - My mom’s day was WONDERFUL. My son remembered to call me (I only had to send 4 texts) And, I LOVE mulch. Your garden will LOVE it.
Gemma @ Musings Of A Gem - Hi Meg!
Cute idea for your sunday school…I love the flowers : )
Don’t feel guilty about your time alone on mothers day. Having a break from it all makes you a happier refeshed mum!
Gemma x
Vonda - Amazing pink fridge!:) My absolute favorite color! My daughter gave me the sweetest handmade card(she’s 11). I also got a beautiful card from my Mom. We’re supposed to spoil her and it always turns out the other way. Brought flowers to the cemetary for my beautiful sister(can’t wait to see you again sweetie). Had lunch and then dessert with both Moms. Busy day! My boys took me out for lunch today. It was special. Being a Mom is very busy…..and very wonderful!
Kait - Mother’s Day was rough. I cried because my little boys are still in Africa, waiting to come home, and I thought these adoptions would be DONE by now. (incidentally, the doll I bought off your website as a fundraiser for your Africa trip is in their room. which just drives home to me how very long we’ve been waiting!) I cried because my baby is sick and I had to spend the whole day on the couch while she shared her fever with me. Then I cried because I realized my little boys don’t even have someone to spend the day holding them if they are sick.
It was rough. It’s better now. But I think it’s amazing you got your quiet weekend with no kids.
Lisa Currie-Gurney - A FEW YEARS BACK, I DECIDED I NEEDED THE DAY, CALLED MOTHERS DAY, ALL TO MY SELF. N0 KIDS, BLUE EYES, NO ONE. JUST ME. ALONE. SO I GO TO BREAKFAST AT FAVORITE LOCAL DINER, THEN HEAD TO BARNS AND NOBLE. I GATHER AN ARM FULL OF BOOKS AND OFF TO A COMFY CHAIR I GO. PANERA BREAD FOR LUNCH. THEN A MOVIE, MAYBE A LATE AFTERNOON DRINK WITH A FRIEND AND HOME. SO YEAH, A QUIET WEEKEND SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME.
HUGS FROM MY HEART
Sarah - That is a heck of a lot of mulch! I was wimpy on the mulch this year, and will pay for it all summer long. And I secretly wish Mother’s Day was never invented…too much pressure for EVERYONE…and none of us moms need more pressure, nor do our husbands!
Allison - I am the oldest of four kids (we are 24, 22, 18, and 16), and I remember my mom having some not so great Mother’s Days when we were in the age range your kids are now. This year she did have a nice quiet weekend (my 16-year-old brother, the youngest, was the only one home) and when I called her she said that she was finally getting to a point in life where she actually wanted quality time with her children on Mother’s Day.
Wendy - Love the rock’n pink fridge … and u drink BEER! Woo-hoo!!!
karen - my husband was working. he asked me if it was okay…and i said sure…it was lots of overtime…and we are doing our front yard landscaping this summer. So i had lunch at his parents and went over to my parents in the afternoon. For me.. i still feel like i’m a kid…I feel Mother’s Day is for my mom and hubby’s mom…not for me. I guess because my kids are still very young. The best part of the day was the weather..finally some heat!!
Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - You are so tootin’ cute and honest. Yes, real mommies like their time off but we love our families the best.
Nina Diane - because you are such a great mom is why you deserved the weekend you had!!! (I would “bold” “because” and “great mom” if I knew how….
heather - i’m so glad you share how you really feel.
i love that about you.
happy mother’s day!
Amy - I saw you working in your yard this weekend! We also worked hard in ours over the weekend!
I LOVE me some pretty yards!
Sarah Wolfe - Love the flower thing you did with Sunday School class. Such a pretty, simple idea. I wanted to be by myself for Mother’s Day too. And I didn’t feel guilty at all 🙂
georgia - Hope you had a happy mothers day. It was in March in the uk, so my mum celebrated a while ago.
Hope you had a lovely weekend to yourself, a little alone time is good for you once in a while. 🙂 xx
Regina - I received my copy of SUMMER today…and I LOOOVE your pages! (just like I knew I would!)Great job!!! <3
Judy @Considering the Options - I love your honesty Meg. I blogged about this very subject Sunday and was hesitant to post it. I read it to all my guys first and by the end I was sobbing. A good cry. My day was not what I would have dreamed of – and yes, I feel a little guilty for dreaming something so different. But I came to the realization that it’s about enjoying the life I have. I love my husband and sons very much and I am blessed by them every day!
As Moms we need to tune out this hyped-up expectation of what the day is supposed to be and enjoy our life as it is – imperfect.
And btw the guys all though it was ok for me to post:).
Emily Zimmerman - My birthday last month was so bad that I had no expectations for Mother’s Day and it was great 🙂 My birthday fell on a busy weekend and week and it didn’t turn out the way I thought it would in my mind. I like to celebrate birthday week and it just didn’t happen. I thought it would be a week of celebrating, spoiling, treating myself, babysitter, it just didn’t happen and I was crushed. So as mother’s day grew closer I kept reminding myself not to have any expectations. Little hugs and kisses from my kiddos would be enough for me. But my hubby did get my a necklace from etsy…ok I have to admit I sent him the link to it…but he actually pulled the trigger and got it for me! I also had the stomach bug, but was able to enjoy some alone time with my little girl while my husband and son went to church. And the day before my husband actually participated in cleaning the house and helping me get rid of some things. Nothing turns me on more than a man cleaning 🙂 So Mother’s Day weekend was great because I just let it be about me being a mother and having these two precious babies in my life.
becky - thank you SO MUCH for your honesty. i have two itty bitties and it always makes me feel bad when i think about shouting when the precious hubby gets home: “i need a break!!!!!!” but you’re right. we need them occasionally. even regularly – to be better mommies. and wives. and daughters & friends! hope you still feel relaxed & refreshed by the end of monday!
Tanya H - I understand completely. I spent most of Sunday with my kiddo’s while my husband made fresh salsa for snacking, a carrot cake from scratch (not my favorite but it was tasty) and a yummy italian dinner. Then they all watched a movie while I went and scrapbooked. That’s what I wanted to do and I am working on the kids’ books but I felt guilty for being away from the people who made me a mother…..! Oh well, I think it ended up a good thing and it WAS a good weekend so no real complaints here!
amy jupin - being completely honest here, that pile of mulch scares the bejesus out of me! 🙂
i am proud of you for listening to yourself and enjoying some alone time.
it does not make you a bad mother, so shush!
and if only someone could stop texting you, you probably could have gotten so much more done! haha!
Christy - I LOVE, love your honesty. 🙂 For me as a mother, I can’t say anyone went our of their way for me. They did what I asked, for the most part, went out for bagels & a quick hike, I received a card, a potted plant (a tree to be planted in the fall – IOU) & the most wonderful coupon book from my 7 yo. It wasn’t so much what I received as what we did for my mom, that will last to the end of time. 🙂 That made my day special.
Julie - oh I WISH we were sitting together in your kitchen and we could get to the bottom of it. the freedom to be honest?… thank you. i have been stewing over who i could share these thoughts with – not husband, it is about him and i don’t want to be petty and “emotional.” not mom, because once i am over it, she is still not. not friends, because i only want to share with them uplifting things about my husband, not drag his name through the mud. could i share with you? i never have high expectations – i have learned that the hard way. i expected nothing from my kids because they are too little to get the spirit of the day. but my husband? should know better. i don’t want gifts. didn’t even need to spend a dime on me. but wasn’t there SOMETHING he could have thought of to make me feel special and appreciated? i can think of 100. i did enjoy and feel blessed to be able to celebrate my mom and mil. but went to bed wondering why i wasn’t valued as the mother of his children and the woman who takes care of everyone else. i was hoping just sharing these feelings would make them less intense and they would go away. but i still feel hurt. even though it felt like any other day, it was still a good “any other day.” i like my life – i just wanted to feel a little special.
julia - I love that “be honest” bit. It feels like we’re sitting at the counter in your kitchen and you just handed me a mug of tea and you’re going to get to the bottom of things.
Your Sunday School project blows me away. You are so creative! I’m sure those mamas were thrilled!
jodi @ back40life - good for you – those moments of quiet, while much needed, are seldom found with 2 kiddos around…can only imagine what adding 3 more does!!
my day was excellent…kiddos gave me their cards & a Lowes GC the night before, great time at church, then time spent with my family and Dh’s…then on to a pleasant date night while the kids spent the night at Gma’s – about as close to perfection as it gets! A day to be treasured for sure!
your flower project was awesome – know those moms loved it!
Kristy - we had a great day.
but i feel for so many women that don’t have kids and are longing for them. my heart goes to them before me. i wish i could make it better for them.
love your flower project. love it!!!
happy you got some quite time 🙂
Holly - So glad you had a lovely Mothers day! I spent mine painting our family room. Hopefully it will be done tonight so I can blog about it tomorrow!!
Jenny Logan - Every good mommy knows she needs a break every once in awhile! It’s what makes us good mommies. Glad you had such a great weekend! :0)
Necole - I think I have worked every Mother’s Day I have been a mother. My girls made me some cute gifts, and I am awaiting my cute necklace from the Vintage Pearl. Thanks by the way for the post about it. I cannot wait to buy more.
Heather R. - We did nothing and it was great. I would love a night in by myself. 🙂
Amy Giffin - I LOVE that you had time to yourself! After I read your post I knew what I was going to ask for next year. 🙂 I have four kids and I also need a break from the noise, constant questions and requests . . .! All I asked for Mother’s Day was a “work day.” It was the first time I really asked for what I truly wanted and not what a “good” mom would ask for. And I LOVED my day! Glad you had a wonderful day too! Here’s to a week starting with happy and rejuvenated moms!
Tam - I”m absolutely jealous of your weekend! Good for you, you deserved it! I had an ok day, I kept my expectations wicked low this year, (I’m not a fan of the day). I worked outside and the weather was beautiful, typical Sunday for me. I asked my kids at breakfast to not argue and be mean to each other for the entire day, it lasted maybe an hour…ugh 🙁
melissa rice - I like the fridge!! Good mother’s day. Got gifts where my family actually thought about me!! 2 bottles of wine yay! and new glasses. and stuff i said I would like. i really think satan has a hay day with the minds of mothers ohhhh the guilt. we need breaks alot alot alot.
posted mothers day feelings on my blog
http://www.theshabbyfarmchick.blogspot.com
Ann Griffin - I dread Mother’s Day every year. Every year I get my hopes up (God only knows why) that Mother’s Day will be an amazing day filled with lots of love and laughter. Every year I am mistakingly wrong. Yesterday was horrible. I feel guilty for complaining because I know there are single mom’s out there that have to make the day special themselves. I’ll never understand why my husband can go shopping every year for a gift to give his mother but I end up empty handed. I don’t ask for much. Just something simple, even homemade would be nice, to show me that I’m appreciated for spending 99% of my life chasing after the kids and taking care of his needs.
Jennifer - Good for you! All mothers need time to themselves to recharge their batteries. 🙂 My Mother’s Day was wonderful–enjoyed the day hanging out with my two best fellas…my hubby and son. I must admit though that Mother’s Day for many years was a painful day for me. I dreaded it with a passion. My husband and I have lived with infertility for years. But the greatest blessing of our lives happened in 2006 with the adoption of our son. I learned on that special day that God does hear our prayers, they just are sometimes answered in a different and more meaningful way. He knows what is best for us- it took me a while to fully understand this. Mother’s Day is now a joyful and blessed day for me! 🙂
Oh, and I love Jeanne Oliver…she is so sweet and an amazing artist. I’ve come to this conclusion through following her blog- would love to meet her in real life someday. So glad to see her business taking off!
mel @ the larson lingo - Happy Mother’s Day Meg! I also got the weekend “off”….I was able to sleep in, go on errands without the girls & just be mellow. It was SO nice…and SO needed. I feel so refreshed today!
Lauren - sounds like you made the most of YOUR time & that is good for the whole family 🙂 happy “moms” day!
I’ve been sicker-than-a-dog and found out three days before mothers day why….I’m pregnant. with our 4th. our youngest is 8 1/2 so this was no expected. this year’s day was very different than I had planned but God is good and we will enjoy our little blessing due December 26th 🙂 take care!
Leah - Honestly, I think this is bogus holiday because it sets up this expectation that we – as moms – will have a blissfully pleasant day for us. And as moms, we know that’s probably never going to happen for an entire day. My day had its moments. But I did find myself annoyed with my husband at times and the “celebration” for my mom was less than fun. So all-in-all, the day was fine. The best part of the day was sitting at the dinner table and Sophie saying to me, “Mommy, I forgot to tell you: Happy Mother’s Day.” That made it worthwhile.
Tricia - I’ll be honest: My Mother’s Day started out pretty well, but ended with my almost-six-year-old son telling me that I never play with him. Um. Never mind that he said it because he was cranky and upset at his dad. Never mind that it’s not true and that I spend 99.8% of my life taking care of his every need. It made me feel like the worst mom in the entire world. It made me feel like running away from home. It made me feel guilty, sad, tired, ANGRY… And then I went to bed and was awakened by my kid three times because he wasn’t feeling well. I may not be much fun, but if you need Tylenol in the middle of the night, I’m the one for the job. So that’s my life as a mom. Ups and downs. Guilt and happiness. In sickness and in health. Glamorous, isn’t it? 🙂
T. S. - Last year for mother’s day I went out with a friend in the morning. Later we went to my MIL’s house and my husband told everyone what I had done that morning. Very proud of himself for allowing me to have some “me” time. My MIL was shocked that I didn’t want to spend mother’s day with my children. Hooray.
Linda - My mother’s day was just so so. It’s not a Holiday I love. For some very silly reason it ends up making me feel like not so good of a mom. But I did get to spend it with my mother who is here visiting which was awesome. My kids loved having grandma here too.
My exciting thing for the weekend was I got my Summer with Matthew Meed Magazine! Fabulous. The only thing I didn’t like was that there wasn’t more of you. Really it could just be a Meg Magazine. Your home is just amazing and so inspiring I just love it! Thanks for being so willing to share your beauty and your style with so many people.
Taiya - Yesterday was fantastic as a day, but I gave myself a little pity party about the fact that it wasn’t even remotely mother’s day-ish for me. As a Sunday, though? It was just perfect and amazing!
nicole@deliajude - every year i have a sneaky suspicion that i don’t like mother’s day. turns out that i don’t. next year i want a day to myself, by myself. alone and preferably at a spa. seriously how painful is breakfast in bed when you can hear the chaos in the kitchen, knowing you’ll be the one cleaning it up???
i must add though, i love being a mom and i love my mom…it’s just a faux holiday.
Sarah @ this farm familys life - I am with Michelle in that mine wasn’t the greatest. The hubs and the kids made it wonderful but others made it horrible. In-laws!!! Ugh!
Penny - Yes, you deserved to do something for you! And I am glad that you did. It is always nice to have the special alone time, but I do know some of the guilt!
I had a surprise call from my mother-in-law saying her little place on the lake might not be ready for her to get into. (She spends the summers here in Michigan, winters in Florida.) She informed us that she may have to “bunk” with us for a day or so! Ahhhh panic. The house looked ok, but not for overnight guests!! She is a neatnik and we are a busy family! Ekkk. The girls pitched in and we got things looking much better, quick. Then she called and said, all is fine at her place, won’t need to stay after all! At least things in the house were really clean.
Fun times. I need that pile of mulch. I love beautiful flower beds, just no desire to do the work. Glad you have helpers. My hubby is great, just strapped for time.
jen smith - #1-i love that you have a pink fridge with beer in it. in your craft room. awesome. i hate beer so if i had a fridge it would hold malibu rum and coke :O)
#2-my mother’s day was fairly good. except when my kids were fighting all the way to my moms and i had to yell at them that it was mother’s day and i was so disappointed that they couldn’t get along for one day. sheesh.
#3-as a mother you have to do what you have to do. if it’s alone time them so be it. i have a friend who walked around target for hours…alone…on mother’s day. she was ecstatic. just what she needed and sounds like just what you needed to.
Michelle - Mine was sucksville, but after going to bed early last night and getting a luscious 12 hours of sleep, I’m ok with that. Stupid pregnancy hormones will turn you into a lunatic.
Jacci - It started out a little rough – Hubby is still learning how to handle our emotional older girls (ages 9, 10) who had definite ideas for how they wanted the morning to go. My oldest took too long doing her hair and came down all upset because I had already seen the flowers and the other kids had already given me my card. A few tears before church. Me, too. I’d much rather they had all gathered together and made it “special” (for the kids! they love that), but it was more like, “Look flowers. Here’s a card.” And they all felt a little weird about it, I could tell. Hubby was spreading himself too thin, trying to make breakfast, too, and nothing seemed special, just rushed and feelings got mushed on a little. He’s still learning, just like me.
BUT, then we got Chipotle for lunch, everyone was smiling, then Hubby rounded up al four kidds to clean the house and get it ready for the small group we hosted last night. I made a really big deal out of what a BLESSING and what a BIG GIFT this was for me, and I think the kids wound up feeling like they got to give me more that way. Hubby sent me upstairs to *read* and *rest* and I did. For two hours. And when I got up, small group was in 30 minutes and the house was all ready to go.
Rocky at first, AWESOME overall.
Alicia @ La Famille - we all need a break! and a good mom knows when to take one. i even have a small private fantasy of renting my own apartment so i can go there to be alone sometimes 🙂 how’s that for “good mom”!! Ha!! have a great week!
Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Meg, mommy guilt plagues all of us. But Im a firm believer that we’re never better moms than when we’ve had a chance to BE refreshed ourselves. We cant give give give all the time unless we’re FILLED from time to time. Otherwise, we run on empty and then everyone suffers(If momma aint happy, aint nobody happy at all”).
Im glad you got time to yourself. And Im sure the kids had a fun weekend with Craig!
Have a wonderful week lady:)
xo,
Sarah
Dana Banana - Saw you yesterday in your front flower garden. You looked great. No really, wish I could have been doing the same in my yard. Went to KC with Jamie last week to see Wendi. We celebrated her birthday…….maybe we can all get togehter sometime this summer. Wendi is sure to be moving to the area soon. 🙂