**Guest Post from Keri at Living In This Season**

I am so excited to introduce you to my sweet friend, Keri!

Keri and I met in college, and Facebook has allowed us to stay in touch and watch each other's happenings as we journey through our days as wives and mommies!

I know that you are going to be encouraged by what Keri has to share with you today, and you will not want to leave without checking out her blog: Living In This Season. 
You can also find here on Facebook.

 

Hello, my name is Keri and I am so excited to share with you all today. I am a wife to a wonderful guy who is an English teacher and in graduate school and we have 2 crazy precious boys with a little girl on the way! Being a mom was always my dream and I absolutely love it- even the insane moments that make me want to pull my hair out.

Routines, structure, organization- I live and breath it all. I'm a firm believer in organizing your day and having some kind of routine as it creates a sense of calm. In the past I have shared how I structure my day using this dry erase daily schedule:

And yet, here I am being honest and real... You know what? Some days I throw my beloved routine out the window. Shocker I know- it completely contradicts all I have said- but in order to truly be real in my sharing, I need to share about these days too... the throw the routine out the window days.

Some days, well many days lately as I am 30 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child, I simply cannot seem to get into the routine in the morning.  Instead of emptying the dishwasher and getting laundry running I find myself pouring more coffee and praying for strength for the day. Instead of organizing the events of my day, I sit and wonder if I can get by wearing yoga pants, tee shirt, and ponytail all day (and my conclusion is always yes because at least I change out of my pj pants!).  Whether one of my son's had a rough night or I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed- there are these mornings where when I try to hop into my routine, it just is not working.

It is easy to let these mornings turn into a catapult to an overall bad day... the mom guilt starts to roll in and you find yourself beating yourself up for the fact that it is 11am and you are still drinking your coffee.

One of the greatest truths I have come to accept as a mom is that it is okay to have these kind of mornings. Read that statement again and let it wash over you... it is okay.

On such mornings, I need to let go of the guilt and willingly throw out the routine. The laundry will get started eventually and the dishwasher will be emptied at some point. If it is a linger over breakfast, 3 cups of coffee morning- accept this and throw out the routine. Chances are if I give myself some grace and let go, I will end up being much more refreshed. And I promise you this- every mom, if she is honest, has this kind of a morning- so let go of the guilt and accept these mornings.

Motherhood is tough, it is draining physically, emotionally, and mentally and we are human beings not superheroes. So dear friend, I encourage you from my own experience, give yourself some grace. Sit  back and drink that extra cup of coffee after a particularly rough night of sleep- the world will not stop if we do this.  Snuggle on the couch with your little ones while you drink your coffee and take a moment to relax.  Remind yourself that tomorrow is a fresh morning where we can get get back into our morning routine (or maybe the next day- it's okay).  Today we can choose to simply embrace this crazy morning, and drink that extra cup of coffee... taking the day moment by moment.

 

A sweet friend of mine, Sarah, makes these amazingly cute mugs and today we are offering one in a give away. To enter, simply answer the following question in the comments below: What is your favorite beverage to drink from a mug? The winner will be chosen at random!

**Contest Ends Friday, April 4th**

From Elizabeth:

Isn't this SUCH a beautiful mug?

I can imagine these words encouraging me every morning as I start my day with a hot cup of coffee.

Sarah's Etsy shop can be found here.

 

If you are a small business owner, an independent consultant, a blogger, a creator that uses Etsy as a marketplace, a collector that sells on Instagram, etc. I would love to hear from you! I am passionate about seeing small businesses grow, and I would love to help you reach a new audience! When advertising with "All Kinds of Things", you will receive a customized blog post (which will include any and all information/photos you would like to share) as well as exposure on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Looking forward to working with you to expand your business!

 

Don't miss Mia and Amanda's recent guest posts!

If you are a new blogger or an old pro who is simply looking to reach a new audience, contact me about connecting with others through "All Kinds of Things".

 

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway from Sandy - an independent Avon consultant!

**Contest Ends Friday, March 28th**

 

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