Dream Big, Devote Everything

Dream Big, Devote Everything

May 3, 2022 | Faith

“Dream big, devote everything.” For my family, this is a motto that has not only informed how we raise our own children but what we want to impress upon the children we work within our Devoted Dreamers Foundation. I frequently hear my husband, the dreamer of our family, shout these words with passion and dedication. But it has dawned upon me as of late, that while I may be reciting the words, I’ve forgotten to actually dream myself.

Giving in to Fear

I try so hard to be a person that practices what I preach, but sometimes the actions slip away from me. I found myself paralyzed with fear and doubt, kept from dreaming of anything outside my family and faith. I’ve witnessed harsh judgment, ruined relationships, and failure and somewhere along the line I internalized these visions. I made my world so small it consisted only of the 4 walls of my home, the 6 members of my family, and God.

Permission to Dream

A few months ago I found myself beginning to dream again, beyond the confines of serving my family, and I found myself frightened. Was I giving in to distraction? But God reminded me of something: how can I encourage my children to boldly dream, when I am not encouraging myself to? I needed to give myself permission to expand beyond my comfort zone, to leave my perfectionism and fear of failure in the rearview mirror, and dream.

Write It Out

I began to take my dreams to paper, spilling out countless ideas, thoughts, and future plans. The more I wrote, the more my heart began to pound with excitement, the wider my smile began to spread, the bigger my dreams became. God directed my hand and helped the ideas to flow rapidly and naturally. I felt truly myself for the first time in a while, a person who believes in the power of dreams!

 

Maybe you, like me, have become fearful. Maybe you’re scared of loss or mistakes. Maybe you just forgot how to dream. Whatever it is that is holding you back, I want you to trust in God and encourage you to not get lost in the routine of your life. Someone else’s freedom, growth, and salvation may be on the other side, empowered by your ability to dream it! Regardless of what your life consists of in this moment, as long as you have breath in your body, God’s intentions in your head, and kindness in your heart, know it is possible to dream big and devote everything.

 

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Distraction

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Distraction

May 1, 2022 | Faith, Family & Home, Parenting

“A distracted parent is a frustrated parent.”

This is a phrase that I’ve used for many years, but admittedly, I frequently become preoccupied with a laundry list of tasks that threaten all my “intentional parenting” tools, forcing me into old habits that I preach against. 

As I reflect over this past week, I’ve been confronted with an ugly truth. More times than not, I was distracted from my littles, which led to many frustrations with their mistakes, an overload of questions, and countless messes. Finding myself a little teary-eyed, I discovered that my family didn’t always move to the beat of my drum. I’d also been distracted by other idols of mine, so when things began to occur outside my control, I couldn’t help but become annoyed. Thank God for conviction, conviction led to repentance, and repentance led to me apologizing to my people for putting unfair expectations on them – expectations that I can’t always meet myself. 

I’m sure I’m not alone in falling guilty of this and I want us all to place our failures before the throne, find ways to implement new tactics, and know that giving ourselves and others grace will assist in bearing fruit.

Here are a few tools on how to limit distractions and frustrations:

Set Boundaries on Your Screen Time 

Cell phones and social media can be so distracting at times, and we may become frustrated or annoyed by comparing ourselves to what we’re being exposed to through our devices. In order to limit my screen time, I place timers on my cell phone, turn off many notifications, and set ringtones for my husband and a few others that I’m okay responding to throughout the day. Then I can carve out specific time to tackle emails and text messages from others. These boundaries help me keep my thoughts organized and my focus sharp.

Don’t Let the Mess Control You

 I’ve told y’all before that I’m OCD (not using the term lightly), so cleaning is an idol for me. Although I view it as a good one to have, I’m often distracted by it. This distraction causes me to miss memorable times with my family, become overwhelmed when messes occur and turn into a drill sergeant to my entire village. I’m learning to remind myself that accidents happen, kids can sometimes be messy, and living in spaces can’t always mimic an RH showcase room. 

If you’re anything like me, I encourage you to create a weekly, monthly, and daily cleaning routine. In doing this, you will also find a few things that can be left undone. Whether it’s closing a door, having a junk drawer or closet, placing things in a basket, or hiring a housekeeping service, there are ways to manage your surroundings without having to tackle everything on your list.

Remember Your Purpose

I love to serve, so I’m extra when it comes to my meals and cookware. I love to serve my family food in cute dishes, create adorable themes… the list goes on. Although I can become distracted by creating these elaborate experiences for them, they’d rather have me focused, patient, and full of joy rather than serving heart-shaped waffles without a smile. Let’s not become too distracted creating beautiful moments we can’t enjoy because we’re frustrated with the very people we’re making them for.

These tips can help you reduce future frustrations, but sometimes life can just get in the way. When you’re overwhelmed, schedule non-negotiable time away, take a 5-minute potty break, or be vulnerable with family or friends and tell them you could use some help. Above all else, remember to submit our distractions and frustrations before the throne.

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My Calling to Homeschool

My Calling to Homeschool

Apr 28, 2022 | Family & Home, Homeschool

I know for many families the decision to homeschool is a difficult one. In the U.S, roughly 3.3% of school-aged children are homeschooled. According to the U.S Census Bureau, this number has only recently increased due to the global pandemic. It certainly requires commitment, both of your time and your energy. But for me, it was the path that God laid at my feet! While His guidance has often asked me to sacrifice, this is one area that I feel He truly provided a step that was easy to take.

My Background in Education

Some of you may not know this, but before meeting my husband I was in the process of pursuing a career in education. My coursework and experience in college was focused on Early Childhood Education, allowing me to work in the public school system as both a substitute teacher and a standardized test specialist. It was a future I was highly invested in and excited to grow into, but something even more wonderful happened… God placed my beautiful life partner before me and gave me a new calling.

Separation Anxiety

Admittedly, the transition from pursuing education and deciding to educate my own children wasn’t a clear one. In the early days of our marriage Demario and I had once joked about me homeschooling our children, but at the time it seemed like a very foreign concept. I only started truly considering the idea once my first child was about 10 months old. I found I was getting some severe separation anxiety. Call me over-protective, but we tried 3 schools in less than 3 months, and I just didn’t feel comfortable being apart from my baby girl. It was then I realized that perhaps God was calling me home!

Making the Transition

It took a little bit to create a plan of action, but I began setting up learning stations around the playroom and spent time daily on educationally stimulating tasks. It was a system that worked for us until my firstborn was about 3 years old. Around then we began integrating a few days a week into preschool to help her socialize, but I never felt truly satisfied having her educated outside our home. I decided to trust God and homeschool her full time and I haven’t looked back since!

 

Take God’s Cue

He does not put things in our path that we cannot take on (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you are considering homeschooling your child(ren) I will suggest you first pray over this calling. Ask God if this is what he has set before you and once you receive confirmation research an online curriculum within your home state to help you get started. My experience homeschooling has reminded me that His wisdom united a passion I had early on with a family life that was new to me. He provided the opportunity to put the tools I had at hand to use. God gave me new purpose, vision, and boldness to enact something I had never seen modeled before.

Over the years, with 5 children, I have certainly re-evaluated my homeschooling methods, even applied for schools at times, but He is always there to remind me that my course of action is the one He designed. He has granted me my dreams: I get to spend unlimited time with my kids, I get to nurture them as whole children, and I have flexibility in my schedule, discipline, and curriculum.  I am thankful everyday that I answered His call, trusted his wisdom, and made home the center of my children’s education!

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Childproof Your Kitchen

Childproof Your Kitchen

Apr 26, 2022 | Family & Home, Home Organization

This may come as a shock (note a little sarcasm here), but food is one of the deepest foundations of my home.

 I connect with my family and the people around me through my cooking. My love for creating food makes my kitchen the heart of my house. My love for creating food makes my kitchen the heart of my house. But with five kiddos running amok, it isn’t always the safest place for them to be. It’s important to me to make food as much a part of their lives, as it is in mine, which makes childproofing the kitchen an absolute must. With a little help, my kitchen has become an environment where they can be present, participate, and explore without danger.

Out of reach, out of danger. Here are some of my favorite tips for childproofing your kitchen:

Get on their level!

The best way to determine what dangers your kitchen presents is to view it from your child’s point of view. Get down to their height (even if that means sitting your booty right on the floor) and look around. What objects or drawers are in reach? Are there electrical outlets present? Does your island have sharp corners at head height? By seeing the kitchen through their investigative and curious eyes, you can determine what dangers are the most accessible for them and get a starting point for what to address first.

Out of reach, out of danger.

This may seem like an obvious statement. But the first true step to childproofing your kitchen is to put objects out of reach of your kids. Move refrigerator magnets high up to prevent choking hazards. Place heavy pots and pans or appliances with blades into upper cabinets. Slide anything displayed on your countertop away from the edges toward the wall. And please, please, please don’t make a step-ladder easily accessible to your kids!

Secure, secure, secure!

If it opens, spins, or slides, secure it! Little fingers find a way of getting into things they shouldn’t and getting squished by things that hurt. I started with the old-school rubber band method on cabinets, but learned quickly to put drawer locks on everything. These can be found anywhere from Target, to Amazon, to Home Depot. For the most part, they are inexpensive, easy to install and use, and can be removed without damage once your kids are old enough.

When all else fails, hire help!

If you’re a new mom, or even a third-time parent, sometimes consulting an expert can make you feel more confident. You aren’t expected to know everything so please don’t be scared to ask for help from an individual or a company with professional experience in childproofing.

Do you have any childproofing techniques that have worked for you?

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Easy Easter Roast Recipe!

Easy Easter Roast Recipe!

Apr 15, 2022 | Dinner, Food, Holiday Food

This roast is great for Easter, but it’s something you will enjoy cooking year-round! It’s a perfect family dish that will bring everyone together. While it takes a while to cook in the slow cooker, this allows you to cook other dishes for your celebration.

This roast recipe will work for beef or pork, take your pick! It’s also versatile; feel free to shred it up and make a sandwich out of it or have it as a main course with your choice of sides to compliment it.

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of ranch seasoning mix 
  • 1 pack of Lipton onion soup mix 
  • 1 pack of McCormick slow cooker roast blend
  • 1 onion
  •  1 green pepper 
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 stick of butter or ghee butter 
  • 1 tbs avocado oil
  • 1 tbs of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable broth 
  • 4 potatoes diced
  • 2 carrots diced

Instructions

  1. Wash the roast in lemon juice and trim the excessive fat.
  2. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray.
  3. Dice all veggies (add everything except carrots and potatoes). 
  4. You will then add carrots and potatoes when there are only 2 hours left on the roast.
  5. Poke holes in the roast on both sides with a fork or meat tenderizer.
  6. Coat meat with oil.
  7. Combine all seasoning and sprinkle all over the meat on both sides.
  8. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth.
  9. Cook on slow for 8 hours.

 

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