I think boundaries start at home when they are young. We are teaching them now how we schedule our time, what we are spending our time on and to what extent are we willing to ware ourselves down for our agenda. 

When we set boundaries with our schedules and we choose to be intentional with the things we choose, people see very clearly what our family holds as valuable. Our children see the things we love and value most through their everyday routines. 

As you go throughout your day-to-day pay attention to what is filling up your time. Stay curious about what you say you value and what your children might make up that you value. 

If you already know you need a priority shift, to stop living reactionary and start living intentionally, I would love to help with that. Message us and we will make it happen.

Cheering you on! 

Laura

We all have the best intentions with goals for our kids... We want to read more with our kids, we want to connect and communicate so we can deeply know them, we may want to talk about faith and have big life conversations, or teach them skills and family traditions. We have so many things we want to teach them but life always seems to get in the way. The tyranny of the urgent rips us away from what we know is most important. 

Through much trial and error, I’ve found that creating physical spaces and organizational systems to help us be intentional is the best way to not be robbed of what we desire. 

James Clear says, "Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. A handful of problems arise when you spend too much time thinking about your goals and not enough time designing your systems."

The bottom line is… you can have all the goals and intentions you want about being proactive with your kids, but the...

I missed you on Valentine’s Day! I basically took February off from my Mama Systems emails, so I want to love on you today as if March 29th was the new V-Day! It’s never too late to spread some love, right?!

Sometimes as a mama, YOU get lost. Between carpools, doctor appointments, dinner, laundry, practices, and anything else you can add to your resume, it’s not hard to see how this happens.

It is hard to prioritize yourself when we live under the tyranny of the “urgent.” And it’s everyone-else-we-care-for’s urgent, isn’t it?! Our “urgent” tends to get pushed under the rug.

Today, I am challenging you to pick two ways to love yourself.

First, I'm going to make a list of things so that you don't have to use your valuable brain space trying to think of an idea. This also eliminates your excuse that you can’t think of anything. I’m here for you, Mama.

The List:

• Take 5 minutes to...

Receiving this feedback from Veronica was such a gift to me! 

I hope the progress in her home encourages you to keep working on anything you’ve already learned from my courses or our coaching. 

Or… if you’ve thought about trying coaching, maybe this will be the nudge you need to finally invest in this gift to yourself and your family. I’m here for you!

Veronica said, “Mamas sometimes need extra help in different aspects of life. We don't know it all, and no one has it all together. We all need coaching and guidance at some point. I love that God has given each of us gifts and talents that we can use to help each other.

You guys, this blessed chaos needed an intervention. I felt I couldn't catch up and keep up with our crazy life.

I knew we needed a system to get things running and not fall into chaos the minute mom and dad got distracted, but it was so overwhelming I didn't know where to start. God sent me...

For today's episode, we have invited Jerrod Brown. Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma, and other life adversities, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuropsychology, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). Jerrod has also conducted over 200 workshops, webinars, and on-demand trainings for various organizations and professional and...

When there is STUFF all over the counters… even if it’s just a little STUFF… the whole kitchen feels like a disaster.

Here’s my go-to method for counter-clearing:

1. ALL dishes go in the sink. We are going to deal with them later.
2. Pass through the whole kitchen and throw out the trash.
3. Group the things that are allowed to stay by the location they are headed… tools to the garage, toys to the playroom, paperwork in files, food in pantry or fridge, etc.
4. YOU STAY PUT. Have your people put things away so you don’t get distracted in another part of the house.
5. While they put things away, do the dishes!
6. Have a kid wipe down the counters and maybe even sweep.
7. VOILA. Your kitchen is decluttered and you’ve gifted yourself some mental brain space, too. 

It’s that easy and you deserve it. I’m doing a time-lapse of a kitchen declutter on my Instagram this week. I’d love for you to take one and share it with...

Happy March!

I love March for so many reasons. I love the bursting out of bright green buds that turn to blossoms, the respite from routine that comes from Spring Break, and even spring cleaning! There’s nothing better than those first warm afternoons after winter when the grey days clear, the sun comes out, and you can throw open your doors to let the sunshine in and the dust OUT.

I want to share with you my mom hack for Spring Cleaning. Since implementing the Ticket System in my house, I tackle all the same projects I did before but I also have HELP! And not whining, complaining, dragging help. Kids who are BEGGING to help.

You heard me right… I tackle my big projects and my kids WANT to help. Yesterday they were cleaning bathrooms, washing down the brick by the fireplace, and mopping the floors. They wanted to help because they were earning tickets for something they wanted… nerf guns!

This isn’t a generic and wishy washy...

In today's episode, we have invited Angela O'Brien. Angela is a wife, mother of two, professional organizer, and certified Enneagram coach. After college and graduate school, Angela worked at several Fortune 500 companies in various sales, marketing, and brand management roles. When her daughter was born with Down Syndrome, she made the switch to stay-at-home mom to focus on her daughter’s extra needs. Thirteen years later, her family again experienced multiple life transitions all at once. Feeling a bit lost and unsure of her next steps amid all the sudden changes in her life, a friend suggested she look into the Enneagram. This prompted Angela to begin a journey of self-awareness and reflection that helped her realize, finally at 51, the gifts she had to share with the world.

You can check her at IG: @yourspacereclaimed 

FB: Your Space Reclaimed

Website: https://yourspacereclaimed.net/ 

Podcast: https://yourspacereclaimed.net/podcast

You can find Laura in...

In today's episode, we invited Laura Adams. Laura is a passionate champion of children from hard places and their families. Laura is the Founder of FACTS4safefamilies.com providing education, support, and advocacy to improve understanding of adoptive and foster children and complex trauma. Through over 20 years of work with international adoption and parenting her own adopted children with special needs, she saw firsthand the challenges that exist in getting the proper assessments and support in schools, especially in mental healthcare. Laura is a strong advocate for attachment-based interventions and today works to transform school social work to provide better outcomes for adopted and foster children. She is the Founder of Sequoia Family Ministries supporting adoptive families in Northern Illinois and serves on the Unique Abilities Advocacy Council (UAAC) for One Chance, Illinois, empowering families of unique learners in education. She has worked as a reading instructor in...

Today kicks off “Birthday Season” in our house! Woo hoo! Within the next month, we have 6 birthdays in our family. I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate my sweet people. I love making their cakes and doing favorite activities for each person on their own special day. 

I am also beyond grateful that I have the time and energy to do the extras. As mamas, we take on so many of the tasks in our house and it can leave us feeling burned out and overwhelmed. 

This may seem like a roundabout way to get to where I’m going, but hear me out.

In order to get to the good stuff like the homemade cakes and special meals (or amazing blow-out themed birthday parties… however you do it!!), you have to have life a little bit under control. Sure, you could throw a party in the middle of chaos, but it just leaves you (and your house) feeling MORE topsy-turvy.

Here’s one small way I can help you get your house a little under...