My Little Patio Garden Tour

It's been a while since I have posted on this blog. Life has been so busy raising my 1 year old and 3 year old children. So today I decided to share something near and dear to my heart, my garden.

I have always loved gardening. There is something so healing about working with my hands, being in the dirt, and hopefully getting some good food out of it all.

In previous years, I have had large gardens, but since we moved to a new house in a new state, we decided to have a small container garden on our front stoop. We weren't going to plant anything at all, but experiencing spring without planting anything proved to be an impossibility for me.

Our new home is on one and a half acres and eventually we will put up a big garden again. But until then my little container garden is filling my heart with joy, and filling my stomach with delicious produce.

Our little container garden has been so much fun. My 3 year old daughter has been so excited to plant little seeds, and see things grow.

If you do not have a large space, and perhaps you have a patio, or a porch or a small yard, you can grow some vegetables and flowers in a small space! hope this post inspires you.

First, let me show you the space I am workign with. This photo was taken a couple of months ago, when my plants were still small. You will soon see how things have grown!

So here here on my front stoop, I am growing various vegetables in about 30 containers. This year I have grown:

• Cilantro

• Tomatoes

• Potatoes (But they got eaten by worms! sigh...)

• Bell peppers

• Cucumbers

• Tomatoes

• Ginger

• Turmeric

• Thyme

• Rosemary

• Basil

• Squash

• Swiss Chard (planted recently for a fall harvest.)

Now the Garden Looks like this:

Even though I had such little space, I am very happy and grateful for all that I was able to do with it.

I hope this post inspired you!

Blessings,

Maggie

Christian Encouragement for the Tired Mom and Fighting Discouragement

Several weeks ago, I was up at night crying my eyes out. I was exhausted, I hadn't had a good night sleep in weeks. My body and my mind were reaching a breaking point. And as I cried, I rocked my sweet baby, trying to get her to sleep, so that I could have a few hours of sleep before my toddler woke up for the day. I cried out to God, why? Why won't my baby sleep? The baby at the time was around 9 months and even at 9 months she still was not sleeping through the night. In fact, on most nights, she woke up every 2-3 hours. 9 months of little sleep, ( oh plus the 9 months of pregnancy in which I had pregnancy insomnia) made my body weak and my mind weaker. I was desperate. I had nothing left. All I could do in those moments was to cry out to God, "please help me."

Now, a few months later, my baby is almost a 1 year old! Thank God she is sleeping through most nights. The constant brain fog, and every day headaches are lifting. And as I look back at that difficult time, I see how God helped me to get through each day. Helping me to be present for my children. It was a struggle, no doubt. But God is with us through the struggles.

Each day, I would read Bible verses and promises to help me have strength, and patience. I would read uplifting and encouraging quotes for tired moms. I would remind myself to not be discouraged, because it is in discouragement we loose the fight for ourselves and our families.

Perhaps you, like me have gone through seasons of extreme exhaustion. You feel like your body will beak down at any moment, and each day you are trying your hardest not to have a mental breakdown. Perhaps you, like me have a toddler or older children who need your love and patience, and you try your hardest to give it to them despite having been awake all night with a crying baby. I wrote this blog post in hopes to reach a mom who may be feeling like she will fall apart. I pray the these promises will encourage you, lift you up, and help you face another day with strength, patience and love. For your self, and your family.

Bible Promises

1. Joshua 1:5 "...as I was with Moses, So I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." I often repeat this verse to myself through out the day. Moses went through hard times in his life. He had doubts and fears. But God did not leave Moses, and God will not leave you and your family.

2. Psalms 127:2 "....for He gives his beloved sleep." God is the God of rest, and sleep. Let us claim this promise over ourselves as mothers, and over our children.

3. Psalms 127:3 "Behold, Children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the is a reward" I find it interesting that God tells us in the verse before that He gives his beloved sleep, and then in the next verse that children are a blessing from Him. These two verses are so precious to me, because, to be honest, sometimes my children didn't feel like a blessing when I was so exhausted. But they are precious blessings that I prayed for, and blessings that God will give me the strength, wisdom and yes even sleep, to raise.

4. Jeremiah 31:25-26 " 'For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.' After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me." God will fill your weary soul, and body with His strength. Do not be discouraged. Cling to him, and we will give you and your baby sweet sleep.

5. Mathew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This is my favorite of all the verses. I can come to Jesus. I can bring my children to Jesus, and He will fill us with His rest and peace.
   

I pray that this blog post has been encouraging to you dear mama. It's encouraged me even to write it. May your heart and home be filled with the peace that God gives us.

With love,

Maggie

5 Fun and Affordable Activities to Enjoy with Your Children

The best part about being a stay at home mom is that I can spend all day with my kids and do fun activities together. However, sometimes it can be hard to come up with things to do, especially if you are trying to keep to a budget, and not spend too much money. In today's blog post, I have put together a list of our favorite activities to do with my chidlren throughout the week. These activities will get you out and about, keep your kids engaged, and reduce the temptation to spend too much money or have have too much screen time.

1. Going to the Library

We love going to the library. I've been taking my kids to the library to sine my first daughter was about 8 months old. Many local libraries have programs for children, including babies and toddlers. Our favorite is the story times for little kids. Check your local library website to see if they have a story time for your child's age group. Such programs are often fun, engaging, and educational. My daughter absoulutely loves story time.

We also check out a lot of books to bring home to read. We've been reading to our kids since they were babies. At first, my eldest daughter who is now nearly 3, did not care for books. But today, sitting on the floor and reading together is one of our favorite activies. Reading has brought us closer together as a family. Her vocabulary has grown immensley as she learns new words everyday in the books we read. She often astounds doctors by how well spoken she is.

A trip to the library is a free and fun outing for children of all ages. The added benefit of being able to checkout book and bring them home, also for free, opens a world of learning and fun for the whole family.

2. Going to the Park

Our family has been participating in the 1000 hours outside challenge. If you are unfamiliar, the 1000 hour outside movement encourages families to get outside in nature for 1000 hours each year. This program has changed my life, and that of my children for the better.

Since we spend so much time outside, going to the park is our favorite place to be. My kids enjoy play on the play structures, and often times, there are other children there for them to engage with.

Parks are also a great place to have playdates. Giving you, the parent, some much needed adult conversation, and your children playmates to keep each other busy.

Green spaces such as parks are so beneficial for our own health, and that of our children. Being outdoors sparks creativity in children. There many times I've seen my daughter keep herself entertained and occupied with sticks and rocks and and dirt. She can play for hours coming up with all sorts of games.

The best part in my opinion about going to the park and spending time outdoors is that my children sleep better! Yep, no more defiance at nap time, and refusing to sleep at night. They are too tired to fight the sleep.

3. Going for Walks

Along with spending many hours at our local parks, we also spend a lot of time going for walks. Walks in our neighborhood, or local nature trails. My chidlren love doing this. Just like nature time at the park, nature time on a walk can be equally fun for children. My own children love to look for insects, play with sticks, and observe various leaves, flowers, and trees. My children get some excersise and so do I. This makes for a perfect free activity for all in the family to enjoy.

4. Children's Museums

Museums can sometimes be pricey, but, there are often children's museums that are very low cost, or even free. Or often times, local museums will have a half price day, or even free day for kids. Check out your local museums to see what they have to offer.

Museums often have childrens programs which can be fun and engaging for both kids and adults. Check out your local museums to see what they have to offer.

5. Playdates

We love playdates. These can be so helpful especially when you've got small kids. The best part is thatyou can meet other parents with small children at the places I mentioned above. Some of my best mom friends I met while taking a walk, or at the park. Playdates especially come in handy during the cold winter months, when it's too chilly to be outdoors.

I make a point to invite friends over to my house at least a couple of times a month, and their kids can play with my kids, while we moms can enjoy a cup of tea and a chat.

Conclusion

I hope today's blog post is helpful to any mom out there is looking for ways to get out of the house, and make new memories with their kids without breaking the bank. I'm curious about what are your favorite low cost, or free activities that you like to do with your children. Please post a comment below!

If you are a new stay at home mom, I wrote in my last blog post how to thrive in this new phase of life. Read here and I hope it is a blessing to you!

Blessings,

Maggie