No More Perfect Moms!

Hearts at Home encourages moms to embrace imperfection!

You always knew you would be the perfect mom. Then you had children.

Now that you know more, it’s probably safe to say that most days haven’t turn out like you imagined.

We’ve all been there.

When life doesn’t measure up to our expectations, it’s easy to feel like we’ve failed as mothers and we begin asking, “What’s wrong with me?”

The truth is nothing is wrong with you. You are normal. Your frustrations, your disappointments and your struggles are the same frustrations, disappointments and struggles that every mom is going through.

Hearts at Home is offering two opportunities for moms to embrace and celebrate their imperfections right along with others who are doing this “mom thing,” too!

No More Perfect Moms, the newly-released book by Hearts at Home Founder and CEO, Jill Savage, will help moms rid themselves of the “Perfection Infection.” With refreshing honesty, author Jill Savage exposes some of her own parental shortcomings with the goal of helping mothers everywhere shelve their desires for perfection along with their insecurities of not measuring up to other moms.

And, if you purchase the book any time between February 3-9 (online or at a store…and yes, electronic versions such as Kindle and Nook count too!) and send a copy of your receipt to NoMorePerfectMoms@moody.edu, you'll be given access to well over $100 worth of resources that will help you on your mothering journey - absolutely free! 

What will you receive? Click here (link to: http://www.hearts-at-home.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1832&Itemid=381) for a full list of audio workshops, printables and books and all the details about how to buy the book!

Then plan to join thousands of moms, just like you, as they celebrate their imperfections on March 15-16, 2013, at the Hearts at Home 2013 National Conference, on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, IL.

Registration is open!

Choose the two-day Friday PLUS! option for a main session and three or four workshops on Friday, plus choose three or four additional workshops on Saturday or choose to attend either Friday or Saturday. Add Moms Night Out on Friday for a great day – or two – away!

Main sessions feature keynote speakers Candace Cameron Bure  (link to: www.candacecameronbure.net) – mom, producer, New York Times’ best-selling author and actress, and best known for her role as "D.J." on Full House – and Jill Savage (link to: www.jillsavage.org) – author and CEO and Founder of Hearts at Home.

Moms Night Out welcomes Anita Renfroe (link to:  http://www.anitarenfroe.com), well known for her pop culture parody of the William Tell Overture-Mom Style and special musical guest Meredith Andrews (link to: http://www.meredithandrews.com).

More than 30 workshops with titles including Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moms, Real Ways to Connect With Your Kids, Boys R Us--Raising Boys from 2 to 22, and Wise Women Raising Wiser Daughters, give you the opportunity to design the day around your own needs.

With a sell-out crowd at last year’s conference, early registration is encouraged. The Best Value Registration Deadline is February 20, 2013.

Click here (Link to: www.hearts-at-home.org/index.php/events/national-2013) for full descriptions of all speakers and workshops and to start the registration process. Group discounts are available!

Third Thursday Thoughts: Super Mom

This month, Hearts At Home is asking........

"We all have days when we feel like just an 'ordinary mom'. If you could have any super power that would help you in your mothering, what would it be?"

I think the superpower that I would want would be multiplicity! Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to nurse a little one, clean up spilled juice, and read a book to another child all at the same time???

But in this day and age even if there were three of me, one for each of my children(we better throw in another me for my hubs!) I still don't think everything would get done. :( One of me would take on more projects, one of me would spend more time on FB, and one would probably spend the day napping!

We need to remember that God does give us super powers, through Him.....the power to choose patience, to choose downtime to be with our family, the power to choose His will first.....and I think that's plenty for all of us!

It's time to register for the 2012 Hearts at Home conferences!

It's time to register for the 2012 Hearts at Home conferences!

Do you need to get your mom batteries recharged? Need some fresh perspective? Want to do something for yourself that will really benefit your family?
You’ll find that and more at one of our 2012 Hearts at Home conferences!

Keynote speakers Michelle Duggar and Focus on the Family’s Dr. Julianna Slattery, will partner up with over a dozen different workshop speakers to bring you the continuing education you need as a mom!

Check out some of the workshops offered this year:
Top Ten Messages You Want Your Kids to Get – Linda Anderson

Confessions of an Imperfect Mother – Julie Barnhill

Frumpy to Fabulous in 30 Days – Shari Braendel

Are You Living In Chaos?- Marla Cilley aka The Fly Lady

Practical Parenting Tips – Michelle Duggar

When Our Kids Make Decisions We Don’t Agree With – Brenda Garrison

What To Do When God Says “Wait” – Jami Kaeb

Get a Grip On Your Finances – Marianne Miller

Encouragement for Overworked Working Moms – Sabrina O’Malone

Tried and True Ways to Earn Money From Home – Marilee Parrish

The Smart Stepmom – Laura Petherbridge

Thriving As A Single Parent – Laura Petherbridge

Three Gifts of Sex – Lorraine Pintus

50 Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Your Husband – Marilee Parrish

Help Your Child Develop a Dating Philosophy – Jill Savage

You Don’t Have to Be Extreme to Save Money – Jill Savage

How To Fight For Your Marriage – Dr. Juli Slattery

The BEST VALUE REGISTRATION Deadline for the March 16-17 National Conference in Normal, IL, is February 15 (that’s next Wednesday!)! You don’t want to miss this year’s conference…it promises to be an incredible weekend of life change.

Registration is also open for our two Fall conferences:
Western Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, October 12-13
North Central, Rochester, MN, November 9-10

If you live too far away to attend one of our events or you have a conflict or are nursing a baby and just can’t make it this year, check out the Conference-To-Go option.
Don’t delay…register today!

Third Thursday Thoughts: A Chip Off the Old Block

This month's Heart's at Home Blog Hop question is:
How are you like your mom? How are you different?

I love my mom so much, she is such a wonderful, Christian example to me. She is a great mom, wife, friend, and Christian and is just plain fun to be around! She has the patience of a saint and a really looooonnnngggg fuse. I asked her how she managed both of these things once and she told me her secret. She used to be a hot head and impatient, some qualities I possess, but said that one day she realized it was wrong and asked God to take those things away from her.....and being the faithful God He is, He did just that. Obviously there are still times when she has to really work at it, but God really helped her realize that He wanted better things for her. I always seem to be praying for patience and I know with time He will help me too!

We are both compassionate people that love to get involved and help others and we both love to volunteer to serve when we see a need. We are both hard workers and have great work ethics and morals. I'm thankful that I received some of her positive qualities and pray that God will bless me with more as I grow as a mom, wife, and Christian!

Third Thursday Thoughts: Back in Time

This weeks Hearts at Home Blog Hop question is:
If you could go back in time and tell your teenage self one thing, what would you say?

I think I would tell myself to remember to always rely on God, because He always has my best interest at heart. Even during the rough, hard times, He is growing me, refining me, and shaping me into the Christian woman He wants me to be.

What would you have told yourself??? Join the Hop!!!

Third Thursday Thoughts: Favorite Recipe

This week's post was so hard for me to write.....I love food, I love to cook, I love to bake!! So picking one recipe to share was really hard! I finally narrowed it down to something that is easy, can be frozen, and is a favorite at our home.

Southwest Casserole

In a skillet cook either

1 lb of hamburger meat

or

2 chicken breasts

After meat it cooked, drain and then add the following:

Half a log of Velveeta Cheese, cubed (I use the Wal-mart brand)

1 can of cheese soup

1 can of milk

3 T of Southwest Marinade Seasoning

Let everything melt together in the skillet on low. Stir.

Tear up 6 large tortillas and line bottom of a 9X12 baking dish with some of them.

Pour in half of your cheese/meat mixture, then layer with the rest of our tortilla shreds. Pour in the rest of your mixture, making sure to cover all the tortillas.

Top with shredded chesse.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Let it set up for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

This filling is also great to wrap inside tortillas, then top with extra sauce, shredded cheese and bake. I love to double this and then after it sets up, cut it into meal sized portions, wrap in tin foil, and freeze. Just throw your tin foil packet in the oven and you have a quick dinner!

Hearts At Home: Miracles

I've been a member/supporter of Hearts at Home for some time now, but just recently they have regrouped to start a wonderful Third Thursday Blog Hop! It's a great way to share one's thoughts on a certain topic, get encouraged by other people's posts, and support one another in our journey as moms! I hope you will enjoy these discussions and be renewed by the topics!

Have I experienced any miracles in my life?

Yes, as a Christian, I think the most amazing miracle in my life has been that God chose me to be one of His children. I think alot of times I forget and take for granted that being saved was not my choice. God didn't just offer this fantastic gift to everyone in the world and then it was my great idea to accept this amazing gift. When I think about the awesome God that chose to bring me into His family as one of His children, I realize the amazing miracle that has occurred in my life.

I've also seen God's miracles in my everyday life. I've seen my husband walk away from a wreck that totaled our vehicle and should have killed many. I've seen Him provide for our family when we thought a door had slammed shut on us. He opened a fantastic new life for our family and gave us the wake up call we needed to remember that He is in control of our lives, not us. I've seen Him miraculously multiply our resources in order to take care of our family, bless others, and grow more dependent on Him. I've seen Him bless us with two healthy little boys and protect another little one still growing that will hopefully make her appearance sometime in June.

I think miracles happen to us everyday, but we take for granted the fact that God always takes care of His children and always gives us what it best for us. Miracles may seem like a negative or a trial sometimes, but what a miracle it is that God loves us enough to take the time to mold, chisel, and refine us to be more like Him everyday.

Motherhood Mondays: Guest Interview

Today I'd like to welcome author and speaker Susie Larson. Susie's new book Growing Grateful Kids has just released and I've invited her to share a little bit about this great resource.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

My husband and I have been married 25 years and have three grown sons (all in their early twenties). Our oldest son Jake works on the business side of the Christian music industry. Our middle son Luke is married to his beautiful wife Kristen; he works full time at a bank and part time as a worship pastor. Our youngest son Jordan is studying to become a surgical nurse. My husband Kevin is a commercial construction manager by day and manages my ministry by night (and weekends). Bless his heart.  I am an author, speaker, and an on-call radio host for Christian talk radio. Together, Kevin and I serve as advocates for justice on behalf of modern day slaves and human trafficking victims.

Tell us about your new book, Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places.

Even when economic times are tight, our children enjoy an abundance of material possessions. Yet, amidst all this wealth, discontentment and competition seem to be on the rise. Instead of teaching children virtues such as gratefulness and patience, many parents are bending over backwards to get their children the latest and greatest item - or feeling guilty when they can't. In spite of the currents of materialism and entitlement that flow so strong, it is possible to raise children who are simply grateful. Though teaching perspective and gratitude to our children is critical, it is not difficult.

Why did you want to write this book?

To be completely honest, I never wanted to write a book on parenting. I wanted to protect my kids’ privacy and give them time and space to become the men God wants them to be. But in the last few years, I have been especially burdened with the level of selfishness, entitlement and disrespect I see among children today. Furthermore, moms seem more stressed than ever. When I asked my sons their thoughts on writing this book, without pausing they all said, “Do it, mom; that book needs to be written!” I think I wrote a book that not only equips young moms to raise humble, grateful world-changers, but also one that nourishes the soul of the reader and encourages her personally.

Throughout the book you remind the reader that we cannot impart what we do not possess. Can you explain?

If we never deal with our own fears, insecurities, and hang ups, but we try to teach our children to believe in their divine value, over time, our words will not ring true to them. First God wants to do His work in us before He does it through us. They say that lessons are more often caught than taught. If we parent from a place of conviction and real freedom, our children will be affected by what we teach them.

One of your chapters is titled, “Take Time to Play.” How does taking time to play teach our kids to be grateful?

To me, taking time to play says a lot about the level of faith we possess.

If our children hear us confess that we love and serve a BIG God and yet they see us striving and straining through life, they will come to believe that more is on our shoulders than on God’s. If we can trust God enough to step away from our busy-important lives, to make a fort in the basement, or play a game with our children – even in the most desperate of economic situations – we will give our children a sense of much needed security and that all is well in their world.

What do you want readers to take away from this book?

To answer this question (I hope you don’t mind), I would like to share an endorsement from one of my sample readers. She expressed my deepest desire for my reader:

“Growing Grateful Kids is such a great source of conviction, encouragement, and inspiration to spur me on to finishing this parenting race well and not sputter out along the way. This book compels me to submit my own character to the refining of the Holy Spirit that I may be equipped to impart those lessons onto my children. Thank you, Susie, for taking the time, for submitting in obedience, and writing this down for a generation in desperate need of this kind of parenting book!” –Gail Miller

Any closing thoughts?

I am very excited about the message in this book. It is my prayer that every one who reads it will be nourished, encouraged, and equipped to parent from a place of fullness, conviction, and confidence. Raising grateful, confident kids will be one of the most heroic, important things you do in your lifetime. God’s blessings to you!

Motherhood Mondays: Guest Interviews

For the next two Motherhood Mondays, I will be featuring some guest interviews from the authors of two wonderful new books from Hearts at Home! I hope you enjoy hearing about these great books and the wonderful ideas they have presented in their books! Enjoy!

Today I'd like to welcome Jill and Mark Savage. Jill and Mark's newest book Living with Less so your Family has More just released and I've invited them to share a little bit about this great resource!


Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

We have been married for 27 years…17 of them happily. After finding ourselves in a marriage counselor’s office around year 8 or so, we realized that we really didn’t know how to be married. We worked hard to turn things around and now we like to share that hope with other couples.

We have five children ranging from 13 to 25. Our oldest three are married. Anne (25) and her husband, Matt, live in Zion, IL, and are expecting our first grandchild in April. (We are very excited!) Evan (22) and his wife, Julie, have been married a year and a half and they live just a few miles from us. Erica (19) married her husband Kendall last September. They live in Augusta, GA, and wherever else the Army takes them.

We have two teenagers still at home. Kolya just turned 16. He’s learning to drive and we’ve nearly worn a hole in the carpet on the floor in the passenger seat trying to find that non-existent brake pedal. Kolya is the newest member of the Savage family. We adopted him at the age of nine from Russia.

Austin is 13 and in the 8th grade. He wants us to make sure and tell the world that this “living with less” life is a real bummer because he’s the ONLY kid in 8th grade who doesn’t have a cell phone.

Tell us about your newest book Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

The world screams the message that bigger is always better, but we have found that is not often true. When it comes to raising a family, less materially can actually result in more relationally. Children don’t need the best houses, the best lessons, the best cars, or the best clothes. What they really need is the best home life and the best family relationships we can give them.

Why did you want to write this book?

We didn’t start out with the “less is more” mindset. We started as a double income family wanting to have the “best” of everything. Then Mark decided to pursue ministry. We went from the “high life” to the “frugal life” very quickly as we moved to another state for him to go to Bible College full-time.

That experience introduced us to the concept that less is more. We definitely had less money, but we had more time. We had less stress and more peace. We had less activities and more fun.

Since that experience, we’ve continued to live primarily on one income for the past twenty years. We’ve had to battle cultural peer pressure and make different decisions for our family than many other families in our neighborhood have made. But we’ve never felt that we were materially depriving ourselves or our kids…instead we’ve focused on what we’ve actually been able to provide for them emotionally and relationally.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?

We hope the reader is encouraged to evaluate how they are living their life, spending their money, and thinking about family matters. Our goal is to introduce families to the “less is more” concept and then equip them with the attitudes and actions to actually make that happen.

For families that are already committed to less is more, we hope to bolster their resolve and help them stay focused on the long-term goal of providing relationally for their kids.

In today’s economy, there are many families being forced to live with less. We want to help them see the opportunity they have with this unexpected downsizing they’ve been forced to do.

And for those who have just been a little discontent with their life and saying things like, “I’m tired of the rat race of life,” or “Is there more to life than drive-thru meals for dinner?” we hope to help them see other choices they have and how they can lead their family in a different direction.

What unique elements will the reader find in Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

For couples who want to read the book together, we’ve included discussion questions at the end of every chapter. This helps move the readers to discussion and eventually actions. Even a single parent can use the discussion questions for personal evaluation.

Readers will find this book a practical guide to changing your attitude and your actions to live a successful “less is more” life. They’ll find our writing style to be a warm, casual, honest discussion where we not only share our victories but our mistakes along the way. We are an average couple living successfully on an average income who want to help others to see the possibilities before them.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

Any closing thoughts?

It’s healthy for parents to occasionally pause and evaluate their vision for their family and the choices they are making. We hope this resource will help them do that together and that it will lead them to live a life of little regret.

Motherhood Mondays: Less is More

I've been fighting with this problem for a while. We have so much stuff!!

Where did all this stuff come from?? When we moved to Michigan we had to pack TWO moving trucks. I begged Tom, my mother and dad to go to storage and help me drag everything we owned out, go through it and donate/trash tons of items, but I think that they just thought this was the request of a crazy 9 months pregnant woman.

I think most of the problem is that we moved out of our townhouse, into my parent's house, since we were going to be on the road 7 months for out of state rotations. Then with everything, but bare essentials, packed into storage you start needing other items, so you buy them. Then you pack even less and load it into your SUV and travel from Oklahoma, to Texas, to Florida, to Pennsylvania, to New Jersey, to Pennsylvania, to home(not to mention your husband flies 8 different places during these same months to interview with programs as well) and you find you need more items........so you buy them. Do you see where I'm going with this??

We ended up with duplicates, triplicates, and tons of stuff we only needed once and will never use again. Not to mention we weren't the best judges of NEEDS when we first got married and neither were the people that bought insane items to celebrate our marriage (Did I mention we DIDN'T register for a 9 piece champagne bouquet. For those of you who don't know what this is, including me, this is a glass vase with long stem champagne glasses with NO bases-meaning you can sit the glasses down, they only stand in their vase and are multi-colored glass. For people who don't drink and aren't at the height of the social ladder, these proved to be the chocolate milk and soda cups we've ever had)

Anyway, we've finally realized what our priorities should be and stuff to tote around the country or store, didn't make the top 50. So, we are in the process of scaling back, giving away, and selling all this unneeded stuff. We found that our stuff was making my life harder, in that I had to clean it, organize it, look at it, and live with it. It started to weigh us down and after living in a house with unpacked boxes for 9 months, we realized that if we hadn't used it in months, possibly years, then we really didn't need it and it needed to stop taking up precious room and time.

We live in a country where we are so blessed by the Lord. We take so many things for granted and are so dependent on our stuff, instead of God. We are always looking for new ways to cut back, live simpler, save money and give more. That's why I was so excited when I received this email from Hearts at Home this week. I can't wait to read this book and I hope that it might bless you too!

I am excited to share a fun opportunity with you!

To celebrate the release of Hearts at Home’s newest book: Living With Less So Your Family Has More, by Jill and Mark Savage, the Hearts at Home blog is launching the Living with Less Contest.

Email Hearts at Home a story or money-saving tip that gives a peek into your daily experiences representing the humor, richness, or spiritual aspects of what it’s like to live with less.

Better yet, blog readers will benefit as many of the money-saving entries will be posted on the Heart’s blog throughout the month of February!

For contest details go here!

Hearts At Home

Everyone loves a good sale, Right? We'll let me tell you about a great one:

It’s a Hearts at Home
Black Friday after Black Friday Sale Dec. 7-11

Did you sleep in on Black Friday? Did you drag yourself out of bed, but still miss out on some awesome deals because you were standing in line too long at one store? Do you still have shopping to do, but dread the crowds, traffic, and cost? Let Hearts at Home help!

Their Black Friday sale has been extended to the week of December 7-11. Shop in the convenience of your own home and receive an unprecedented 25% off all of Hearts books and merchandise. They have great gifts for everyone in your family.

Find gifts for friends, teachers, bible study leaders, bus drivers, and everyone else on your list. You may even find something for yourself. This is a great time to stock up on all those Hearts at Home books you’ve been wanting to read.

Let your family know how much you would love a Hearts at Home gift certificate so you can use it for your Hearts at Home conference registration and/or Mom’s Night Out tickets.

Go to Heartshoppe.com, choose your gifts, and enter code “HEARTGIFT” upon checkout. You will receive 25% off your total purchase (before tax and shipping).

I also want to fill you in on a couple of other great opportunities!

Be sure to check out Jill Savage's blog this month (she is the founder and CEO of Hearts at Home). She is doing one giveaway A DAY through Christmas.

And, if you stop by the Hearts at Home blog December 8 - 11, you will have an opportunity to win a Heart's at Home prayer journal. The prayer journal is a brand new resource from Hearts at Home.

Merry Christmas from Hearts at Home!