MOMMIEKNOWSFRESH: HAPPY NEW YEAR: WHY EVERY MOM NEEDS A VISION BOARD

My toddler's Frozen themed vision board, lol.

It's that time of year again where we make resolutions to be better versions of ourselves.  Not me though, I'm a mom, we're perfect! (Yeah right, lol)

Whether you want to lose weight, take up archery or run a marathon, January 1st offers up a fresh start.

One of the things that I always do is prepare a vision board. It helps me set personal goals for the upcoming year using photo clippings and quotes that have meaning to where I want to be in life.  I think they’re important because knowing what we want is good, but actually seeing it in front of us can be a great motivator.

Why I think every mom, no every parent should have one is because when you have a child you're not just living for you, you're living for them. So what better way than to create a visual plan for your best life!

Don't know where to start? Here three easy tips for making for very own vision board:

Write it down

Make a list of your goals for the upcoming year.  It's an easy way to plan what you'll put on board.

Get to clippin'

Now this is the fun part. You can use magazines, newspapers, computer printouts, whatever you heart desires to visually create your board. Get your kids involved by asking them to contribute, it’ll be fun for them and maybe one day they’ll make their own.  Once you pasted your images/words hang it in a place where you can see it every day for inspiration.

Now get to work

My pre-baby vision board

Finally, a vision board without effort is just a grown up collage.  You've got to get out there and do the work. Focus on those dreams and do your best to make them reality.

Will you be making a vision board? Do you find them to be helpful?

MOMMIEKNOWSFRESH: I'M A GOOD MOM, AND YOU ARE TOO.

What does it mean to be a "good mother"? As a mother I ask myself this question often. Before I became one myself, my idea of what constituted a "good mother" was a mix of the mothers I knew (including my own) and the fictional mothers I saw on television.   But what I realized early on is that motherhood is nothing like you what you see on TV, being a mom is hard work.  You have this child who you love so much that you feel like you're going to explode, and you wonder "Am I working hard enough?" "Do I spend enough time with them?" "Am I doing the right thing?" Mom guilt is enough to drive you head first into a pint of Haagen Daz on a daily basis.  Not that I know anything about that…

From birth it’s the love that makes you "crazy", that swells your heart, and makes you want to be the perfect mom.  I look at my daughter and the feelings are indescribable, she makes me want to be the best version of myself.  So I fuss, and I worry, and I want everything to be perfect because I love her so much.  And you know what? It’s not.  Sometimes I forget her favorite cup, sometimes I grab pizza for dinner, sometimes the spinach isn’t organic, and you know what? That’s all right, because I care and that’s what good mother’s do, they care.  I want you to think about that the next time you feel like you’re falling short as a mom, when the spaghetti burns, or you give them food from a jar.  

You’re doing your best and as long as it comes from a place of love, well that’s what matters most.