Happy Mother's Day

. . . to all of you lovely mothers out there! What a gift bestowed upon us are our children.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." -Psalm 127:3

. . . and what a responsiblity we have of incredible proportions as mothers!

"do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4

The other day on KHCB, a Christian woman was interviewed and she said something that resonated with me: "Being a stay at home Mom is the one true full time job. It truly is 24/7."

There are so many things I have learned in my journey as Mommy, but there is a practical tip I learned from an organizational video from my dad. Keep a diaper bag always ready. It seems so simple and obvious, but it has helped me loads. When I come home from being out, I try to replenish the diaper bag right away and have it ready to just pick up when I leave the house.

Some of the things I try to keep in Carmelita's bag is:

2 diapers
plastic throw-away bags
a pair of pants and a t-shirt
a bib
a sippee with water

The sippee the one thing I usually grab right when we leave and fill it up. When my babes were infants, I would use a big backpack and have a lot more little things in there, but not so much anymore. Her little bag is a panda backpack small enough for her to even carry around.

By the way, we started using these Thermos Funtainers last year and absolutely love them. They are made of stainless steel and don't impart a funny taste when left in the van or used all day. The kids love them. Although, when open, they leak. So this is not a cup for very young children who don't know how to close the lid.

Tip #2:
I keep a plastic bin of wipes in the van at all times. We are constantly using them before/after eating, going to stores, cleaning up my own coffee spills, etc. I have never regretted having that bin in there.

Tip #3:
Keep one or two diapers in the front tiny storage bin at the front of the van. If for some reason, we've run out, or don't have the diaper bag, or something, we always have a couple on hand. We have also been able to give some to others when in need!

Tip#4:
Keep a "swim bag" always prepared and together. We have a huge Ikea bag we keep all of our swim stuff in: everyone's swimsuits, four or five huge towels, sunscreen, a couple plastic bags to throw wet things in, hats, extra flip-flops. I think I got this tip from my friend Teresa. It has helped us many, many times. The other day, we found a water park near our house had opened (the kind with water shooting out of the ground). We went home and pulled in the garage, I ran in and grabbed the bag and left in no time! What a time saver. No gathering swimsuits in everyone's respective drawers, grabbing towels in the linen closets, looking through under-sink cabinets for sunscreen. What a time saver!

I would love to learn more tips you might have. Please share!