Moms Giveaway & Upcoming Online Study

A heartfelt welcome to those here after reading my devotion at Proverbs 31 Ministries or on Crosswalk.com. If you haven’t read it yet, click here. Be sure to come back for a giveaway & announcement!

So, have your hats got you frustrated?

Wife, mother, lover, chauffeur, cook, maid, worker, referee, nurse, counselor, and Facebook friend!?!?!

Tired of switching back and forth throughout the day?

Growing weary of the delicate balancing act that nearly topples them all over and sends your emotions crashing too?

Ever want to chuck them all, let your hair down, grab a good novel and head for the beach…..all alone!!

Try these 5 tips for Maxed Out Moms:

~Make your motto “I’ll do what is next, not what is easy.” Too many times we gravitate toward what is easiest rather than what most needs attention.

But activity does not always equal productivity. Determine the next chore that should be tackled. Then, get started on it, even if it is unpleasant. You’ll gain momentum from just getting out of the chutes.

~Plate Scrape. Twenty years of parenting has taught me an important lesson about moms who do too much. We must plate scrape.

Ask yourself why you are doing what you do. Is it to be liked? To appear to be Wonder Woman? To feel needed and included? Because you’ve always done that task or held that position?

Hold your too-full plate up to God, ask His opinion then get a rubber scraper and rid your schedule of what He has not called you to.

~ Don’t Freak Out. Instead, Farm Out or Opt Out. Don’t try to wow your friends and amaze the church ladies with how you “do it all”. It will make you freak out. Realize is okay to farm some things out. And sometimes, to opt out all together!

Whenever someone seems to imply that they don’t know how I “do it all”, I look them straight in the eye and say, “Why honey….I don’t even try!”

Yes, I am a homeschool mom of three. One is grown. The other two have co-op classes taught by other parents as well as me & a weekly math tutor who is worth her weight in dark chocolate. I do what I can do (speak & write) to get money to pay her to do what I can’t (Algebra & Geometry). This, I farm out.

Secondly, I do not scrapbook. When I tried, it was pitiful. My kids’ books? Partially finished. But hey, all my childhood pictures are in an old trunk in my mom’s house and I haven’t needed professional therapy. I love looking at others’ scrapbooks and am in awe at their talent! It just isn’t my gig. On this one, I opt out.

Housework? I don’t clean bathrooms or do laundry. My theory is that if a 12-year-old can work an Xbox controller, they can run the washing machine and fling a toilet brush! These tasks? Farm out to the kiddos.

You see ladies, trying to “do it all” will only do yourself in. Pick what you are gifted at and hire, beg or barter to accomplish the rest. Hey, even the woman in Proverbs 31 had servant girls!

~ Carve out calm. Running at break-neck speed with a frenzy of activity all around makes our spirits restless. Slow down. Get alone. Turn off the noise-making gadgets. Listen to nothingness for a while. God is in the silence.

If you are a mom of young children, find another mother who will partner and swap with you. You take all the kids one morning so she can be alone. The next week swap. This practice saved my sanity when my kids were small & still does now that they are all teens.

~ Don Your Crown First. As I said in the devotion, perhaps the points on our tiaras as daughters of the King keep all the other hats in place. Trying to tuck God in around the edges of our day rarely works.

Time gets away; family fires need to be extinguished; out the window go my best intentions.

My P31 sister Luann Prater recently said in a conference call with our team that when we think of having time alone with just God and our Bibles each day, we must think of the word “non-negotiable”.

Crucial. Mandatory for a successful life. And necessary if we want to keep our hats in balance!

Now, I have two practical take-aways for you today to help you juggle those hats! First, a giveaway!

One gal who comments will receive the following:

~ A copy of Holiday Cooking with Kids by Williams Sonoma.

~ Colorful kitchen gadgets including a rubber spatula, pan scraper and cookie dough ball maker.

~ 2 warm vanilla sugar Bath & BodyWorks melting tarts.

~A signed copy of my book The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized.

~ A fun shirt given to me by a sweet gal at a Hearts at Home conference. The front says “What’s Your Day Look Like?” with the verse Prov. 31:30 on it. The back sports a long list of all the P31 woman did “Get up before dawn. Prepare breakfast. Plant a vineyard. Bring food from afar. Speak kind words. etc….” Size XL

Finally, beginning June 1st, I’ll be hosting a free 4 week online study designed to help busy women get their acts together. What better time to start than at the beginning of summer? Turn those lazy days into an opportunity to finally get your home in order and your time under control!

This will be based on my book The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized. (So if you haven’t got a copy you’ll need to get your hands on one). We’ll have discussions on concepts and ideas in the book (de-junking, time management, handling paper piles, cooking, cleaning, involving kids, etc),  giveaways, practical take-aways, a few evening conference calls, guests and goodies all inspiring you to get those hats, and your homes, in order!

Since this will be done on Facebook, you can hop on at your convenience to comment, enter the giveaways, ask questions and share ideas and struggles. There will be a few evening conference calls that are optional.  And, although we’ll hit the topics from all the chapters, it won’t be tied to a strict reading plan so you can go at your own pace.

If you’d like more information, head over to the Facebook page where this will be happening by clicking here. Click on the “Like” button and you’ll be set!

Get started reading and mark your calendar for June 1st when we launch the official 4 week study! Oh, I can’t wait!!

Now, don’t forget to leave your comment here to be entered in this moms giveaway! Winner announced Monday (along with the winners of this post, and this one too. You can still enter both!)

And finally, if you have a few minutes and want a good laugh, check out my Hats of a Mom skit here. Have a fabulous Mother’s Day!!!

Happy Hat-Juggling!

306 Comments

  1. Loved this! We have friends that we swap kids for a weekend. While it may be a struggle at times (since she has more kids than I do), it is well worth the swap. We don’t do it every month, but a few times a year. I would encourage others to do the same once in a while if you can.

    Also, loved the skit!

  2. I really enjoyed this devotion and blog post.

    I wish I could do your online study but I am not on facebook.

    Thank you!!!

  3. In believe that all women should be celebrated on Mother’s Day. Last year I had a hysterectomy. But I have bunches of “spiritual” kids. But that doesn’t make me feel much better. But I have 2 wonderful great-nieces. Tristan is 4 and Teagan is 2…………so as a great-aunt!, I strive to be a GREAT aunt!

  4. I am so thankful for the instructions in righteousness!! Sometimes, we need to be told it is okay not to be supermom/woman.

  5. This was just what I needed to hear today. I am looking ahead at my very full calendar for the week and thinking, how can I do this? I can’t, but God can! If I put Him first, everything will fall into place. Thanks for your words!

  6. I really appreciated this devotional. It came at a very good time for me; but God always works that way! I am a pastor’s wife with 4 girls (ages 7-22) who works full time everywhere it seems! I have a calling on my life to be a pastor’s wife, so this is not a chore, just a very busy schedule! As I read the devotional about the hats, I was reminded of the classic children’s book of the man who sold hats. As he sat down to rest under a tree, the monkeys came and took his hats. When he awoke, he realized what had happened and had the most frustrating time getting his hats back!
    Sometimes we put our hats on as we think they should be. When something or someone comes along and messes with the order, we get frustrated like that salesman trying to get them back in place. Maybe God sent that situation or person to get our attention and right our perspective.
    I’m so thankful that God loves me so much that He will get involved in every area of my life at every moment to make sure that I’m the daughter He and those around need me to be!
    Thank you, again! God bless your ministry and your Mother’s Day!

  7. I recently moved and have been so unorganized! I feel like I’m always running here and there and having so much to do that I finally just made a rule that 2 days during the week are our “stay at home” days. I’ve often joked, “Stay at Home Mom, is that a title or a direction/suggestion?” I feel as if I’m pulled in a million directions. Just as one area gets tended to another gets upheaved! I could really use some good organization advice!

  8. This is so timely as I struggle b/w doing it all and finding the true reasons why I feel I need to do it all. Thanks for the insight!

  9. I am humbled at feeling overwhelmed when I read how many others have even more on their plate than I do. Karen, what a blessing you did in writing about a real issue that obviously is troubling many of us.

  10. Your Proverbs 31 Ministries email I received was exactly what I needed to hear today! That verse was right on the money for me.

  11. Today is my daughter’s 1st birthday and I determined this morning I wouldn’t stress out about all I needed to do for her party. Presents are wrapped, cupcakes baked, and even though the house isn’t as clean as I’d like, we spent the last 2 hours “opting out” by playing outside. Thanks for the reminder about which hat is most important!

  12. Thanks! I have 2 small children & teach part-time. There are so many things out there to do – between being a good mom, a good wife, a good teacher, keeping a clean house, feeding my family health meals, saving money, staying fit, ect. I often feel like I can’t keep up. This was a good reminder that I can’t do it all!

  13. How do larger families find the balance between church/kids activities and family time, while allowing their kids to pursue their interests? My schedule has become dictated by my kids’ activites!

  14. I felt my lack of wearing the hat, daughter of the king. That put me at a standstill, thinking about how I neglect to allow God to be first as I do my daily tasks. That was a great reminder. Speaking of the Prov. 31, women she knew order and kept it, that’s the key.

  15. Thank you so much for this! I especially appreciate your view on having others help. I get into this “must-be-perfect-like-the p31 woman mode, and I guess in all the times I’ve read and meditated on Prov 31, I never really noticed of the fact that even she had some help! Thanks again!

  16. Thank you Karen for reminding us again that we don’t have to do it all. I am in need of help in organizing my busy home and life lately. I love that you encourage all of us to ‘farm out’ for pitching in at home. I have felt guilty for giving my kids chores, and realize I need to keep doing this for all of us. It helps me, but also gives them a sense of responsibility. Looking forward to hearing more from you!! God Bless!

  17. great reminder and encouragement. can’t wait for the online study! Happy Mother’s Day!

  18. You have no idea how timely this devotion is. My sister sent this too me knowing my conviction to declutter and simplify. Looking forward to June!

  19. I used to think that when my boys were off to college I would have time to slow down,get organized and finally finish all my projects. The boys have been in college for several years and somehow that extra time went with the boys. I’m still struggling to juggle all my hats and sadly, my crown is dented from all the falls. Thank you for reminding me to set my crown on first and then prayerfully place on the hats. I am looking forward to reading your book and joining the study group.

  20. This is a much needed reminder for me. Lately the first thing on my mind in the morning is getting a jumpstart on house work. But now that I think about it, there’s always house work to be done. Having house work on the brain had caused me to “Chase my tail”…how exhausting. Thanks for reminding me that time alone with God is non-negotiable.

  21. A few years ago, I started pulling back on the # of activities for our family and there were lots of “nasty” comments made by people in our own church. I don’t understand why people feel the need to pressure you to be involved in everything. Being overwhelmed not only takes away from time with God and family but also discourages the heart that you give.

  22. Only if I put on that crown first, then everything else falls in line. Thanks for that simple reminder of God’s order. With four children, an aging dad, a hubby, and my hand in several pots, oh how I would love to win that book. Blessings to you. Theresa

  23. This is something that I would love to share with my daughter-in-law. She has 4 girls ranging in ages 10, 7, 4yrs, and 16 months. She works as a music teacher in the local school system; teaches private piano lesssons; is in charge of children’s ministry at church; and several other things. Every so often she has to decide if she should continue wearing all her different hats. My son is trying to help her and be a “stay at home dad” but with demands other people make on his time, etc. something like this would be helpful to both of them. God bless you and all those who write for P31 devotions and all the books and helpful things you make available to persons who need your kind of help and encouragement.

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