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Stop, Sit, and Play
I was on cloud nine. My seven-year-old son was actually letting me hold his hand…and we were skipping! What could have induced this amazing turn of events? Why the “Happiest Place on Earth,” of...
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Light at the End of the Tunnel
Every mother has “tunnel” experiences. Maybe you’re in one right now. These are the times when at least one part of your life feels low and dark and uncertain. I recently asked our Power of Moms...
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Introduction to The Power of Optimisim
Photo by dan at www.freedigitalphotos.net “To think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all — such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to...
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Introduction to October’s Value: Kindness and Friendliness
Introduction Simple kindness and friendliness is both a skill and a value. It involves parts of other values, such as the empathy of sensitivity and the boldness of courage, but it is a very separate...
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Spiritual Sundays: The Parable of the Swing
Editor’s Note: Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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Book Summary: The Power of a Positive Mom
Editor’s Note: The Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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Mini Catastrophes and an “Attitude of Gratitude”
It’s a Friday morning, 6:50 am, and I’m still asleep. With 10 minutes to spare, I leap out of bed to see if my teenage daughter is awake and getting ready to leave for school by 7:00. I find her...
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Exchanging Papayas for Peaches
Over the course of about three weeks, my husband and I made the decision to take on a new job and move our family across the United States. We knew it was an abrupt change and would be extremely...
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Thought Replacement Therapy
Photo by www.freedigitalphotos.net I read this article in a magazine last week that really struck a chord with me. It talked about how our thoughts can really drive us forward towards the things we...
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Three Simple Steps to Accepting Imperfection
Photo by myacademy at www.flickr.comLet’s admit it. Sometimes we get a little too obsessed with perfection: Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect outfit, perfect children, perfect dinner, perfect...
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It’s Not the Playdoh I Love
The other day, my three-year-old, Spencer, asked if we could get out the Playdoh. In my mind, I was screaming, “NO! It will end up all over the kitchen, you always mix the colors, you’ll need too much...
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Book Summary: Happily Ever After
To listen to the radio show April Perry recorded with Trista Sutter, please click here! Title: Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart Author: Trista Sutter Basic Overview:...
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Spiritual Sundays: He Has Carried Me
Editor’s Note: Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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Let Go and Love
Today, I am celebrating. No, it is not my birthday or anniversary; it’s better. For the first time ever, I’m celebrating sticky Popsicle kisses and messy floors covered in Goldfish crumbles. And let’s...
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How I Justify Mommy Fun
This post is a Power of Moms Favorite–featured in the brand new book, Motherhood Realized. Please help champion the cause of deliberate motherhood by ordering on Amazon TODAY!...
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A Mother’s Day to Remember
A year ago, I was dreading Mother’s Day. It isn’t always a holiday I necessarily dread, but I knew beforehand that this particular year was going to be rough for two reasons: first, my husband was...
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No Leprechauns, No Valentine’s Boxes, No Elves, and Why That is Okay
Holidays could easily make me feel like a “mom fail.” As I scroll through Facebook and Instagram, it is obvious my little ones are getting the raw end of the deal. My kids are the ones dressed in old...
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Building up Family Members and Ourselves – Episode 65
It’s so easy to see the things that are left undone, not done to our standards, or forgotten by ourselves and family member, that we often overlook all the good that we and others are doing. How can we...
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Book Summary: Making Grateful Kids
Title: Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Builiding Character Author: Jeffrey J. Froh and Giacomo Bono Basic Overview: We all want our children to be happy. We have heard and seen stories about...
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What Our Challenges Make POSSIBLE
Sometimes I have meltdowns. The stresses of life seem to pile on top of me, and occasionally life feels too hard. I know you know exactly what I’m talking about. Challenges are just part of life,...
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Taking a Shot on the Goal
Like many parents, I spend the fall on the sidelines of a soccer game. I watch clumps of kids chase a ball, kick each other in the shin, get turned around, only to gaze off into the distance. But then...
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3 Tools for Moms of Little Kids – Episode 99
Janelle and kids getting ready for church (isn’t Edision a great helper?) Little kids are SO sweet and fun. But being the mother of small children with unpredictable needs and behavior can sometimes...
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Spiritual Sundays: When It Feels Like Someone Knocked Down Your Blocks
Editor’s Note: Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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Why Gratitude Matters
This week has been a hard one for me. For the third day in a row, I’ve felt in-over-my-head—not like this is too much, more like this isn’t much fun. On Monday I thought I was just coming down from...
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This Is Enough
To say that it had been a long week was a gross understatement. I wearily reviewed my long to-do list and calendar, feeling disappointed and frustrated. Too few check marks and too many regrets–none of...
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Who Wants to Live on Stinky Shoe Lane?
This article was originally published in 2011, and we wanted to bring it back! Stinky Shoe Lane? Who in their right mind wants to live on a street that constantly reminds them of, ugh, gym socks and...
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Book Summary: The Lost Art of Ladyhood
Title: The Lost Art Of Ladyhood: 12 Essential Skills to be Confident and Classy in a Crazy World Author: Jessie Funk Basic Overview: When you hear the phrase, “How to be a lady,” what do you think...
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Spiritual Sundays: If You’re Struggling, You’re Not Alone
Editor’s Note: Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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Loving the View: How Perspective Changes Everything
Although Mother’s Day is half a year away, I am still reflecting on what I learned this year. That Sunday in May brought homemade cards, thoughtful gifts, and a few un-redeemable coupons (“Mom takes a...
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4 Ways Single Parenting Can Be Amazing
Chances are good that you know at least one single mom. And single parenting is really hard, especially the kind that I do—the kind that doesn’t involve any substantial presence of the other parent....
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Look Back and Laugh
Five years ago, my husband and I took our two young sons and baby camping for a weekend at the beach. Upon arriving for our first night there, we set up our sleeping bags on the sand and got ready to...
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Good “Mom”ents: Finding Appreciation and Positivity in Motherhood
A fight over a prized stuffed animal broke out between two of my children. When they approached me, I calmly guided their thinking with a simple, “How can you solve this problem?” They ran off together...
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We’re Singing in the Rain!
**This article was originally posted in 2012, but we wanted to bring it back for all those moms who may be planning camping trips or other adventures this summer. I had my reservations when we decided...
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A Mom’s Look in the Mirror
A full-length mirror ended up making its way into my son’s nursery. It’s not fancy, and quite frankly it could use a good cleaning. It just leans up against the wall and has been in various places...
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When Mothering Doesn’t Come Naturally
The birth of my first child, CJ, was a shocking experience. When we arrived at the hospital, my husband rushed me down the hall, while I bellowed long, guttural screams past nurses who panicked and...
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Are You Depressed?
This article was originally published on January 20, 2012. Editor’s Note: The suggestions in this article are not intended as medical advice or as the sole treatment of major depressive disorder. We...
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Spiritual Sundays: Waiting for Children to Rise
Editor’s Note: Power of Moms is a website for mothers of all religious preferences. Our Spiritual Sundays section is a place where our authors can write about thoughts that are more spiritual in...
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The Day I Compared Myself to Myself
Sadly, I generally have the weakness of comparing myself to other people. Usually it is the state of their house, how they parent, how they bake, or how they run their lives. I try hard to push these...
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These are the Times that Try Moms’ Souls
Ever have those moments when all of your children need you at the same time and you just want to cower in the corner because it would be easier than facing the task ahead of you? I have. Often. For me...
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Mommy’s Monday Meltdown
It was Monday morning, and time for me to return to work after a particularly sleepless weekend. Sunday night was legendary: one of those nights when I was up nearly every hour, stumbling zombie-like...
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Mommy’s Report Card: Five Ways to Gauge Your Progression
“Mom’s a great cook.” Most mothers would find a sweet sense of pride as this phrase is uttered by her child. I suppose I should too. This statement from my eight-year-old son is a result of our family...
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The Unseen Work of Mothers
As a new mom back in the late 90’s, I received this funny story via email from a friend and it’s still one of my favorites: A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in...
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Our Thoughts Matter: Defeating Fear, Mini Catastrophes & Holiday Self Care...
These three posts were a wonderful fit under a recurring theme that our thoughts do matter. Cindy Kolbe shares her story with fear- and how her deliberate choices to fight fearful thoughts after a very...
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What is Your Problem?
“What is your problem?” the counselor asked. “Do you view your children as the problem?” I froze because I didn’t want to own the first thought that came into my head. “Yes.” I thought. “I have been...
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What NOT to Regret
I remember, after I had three children, I needed to do some soul-searching and life-changing. Out of necessity, I had grown a hobby into a business. I was still at home all week, but I would fit...
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My Life is Full…Maybe a Little Too Full
Anyone who shops with children has had “the conversation” with another mother. On this particular day, a grandmotherly woman in a motorized shopping cart pulled up next to me in the crowded produce...
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Oscar The Grouch’s Guide to Sunny Days
The Grouch AnthemGrouches of the world unite!Stand up for your grouchly rights!Don’t let the sunshine spoil the rainJust stand up and complain! Let this be the grouches’ cause:Point out everybody’s...
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WOW MOM
Did you know that MOM written upside down spells WOW? I never realized the implication of this until my son handed me a folded pink piece of paper that said, “WOW.” “Oh,” I thought. “That...
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Building the Junior High Bridge
It has been an emotional day for this mother–comparable to those days leading up to the start of kindergarten, what seems like just moments ago. My oldest son went for junior high school orientation...
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Even Mommies Make Mistakes
If there is one thing I criticize about myself as a mother, it is my lack of organization. Here is the funny thing: in my former life (read: prior to children), I was a raging perfectionist. Type A,...
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