Haul & Mama Said Monday

sweater, Old Navy (old similar here)  |  shirt, Gap (may find in stores)  |  jeans, Old Navy  |  booties, Jack Rogers  |  bag, Coach (similar)  |  necklace, CWonder (sold out, find similar in stores)  |  bracelets, Stella & Dot (here & here)  |  watch Michael Kors

snaps  |  LosPhoto

My mom and sis came out to visit this past weekend.  We did what we always do together, shop!  It was so great to have them, just not enough time.  Here's a little collage of my new purchases, I can't wait to show them in new outfits!  Continue reading for Mama Said Monday!

Mama Said Monday - Purposeful Parenting

Life is busy.  Much of my day feels like running here, running there and everywhere in between.  Often when we're out (especially when the nuggets were babies), running errands, people would say, "how adorable, are they twins?"  And as much as I love to hear, like every mother, that my kids are cute; I love to hear even more, "your kids are so well behaved" or "your kids are very polite" or "your kids get along so well".  That is satisfying!

Being a mom was one of the things I wanted most in life.  You can read here about my struggle to become a mom.  I had plenty of time to think about the kind of mom I wanted to be.  For me it comes down to 2 things, love and discipline, together, and in that order.  I have since thought more about what I want to teach my kids and actually wrote it down.  That's why I'm calling today's Mama Said Monday "Purposeful Parenting".  

When life gets busy, parenting is not the first thing on my mind.  But making my list was/is being a purposeful parent.  I look at it and think about it often.  I constantly pray that the Lord would guide me in being the mom that Jack needs and the mom that Ella needs.  They need a different love style, discipline technique and understanding.  Not just because Jack is a boy and Ella is a girl, but because each of them is incredibly special and unique.

Here's my list.  What's on yours?