80/20

Since I am new to this, I thought it would be best to start with some posts that, well....are about ME.

Let's start with my RULE OF LIFE.

I live my life with an 80/20 rule. This applies to all areas and you have no idea how much this 'rule' has changed my life. You see I am an "all or nothing" kind of gal-someone who thinks that if you cannot commit all the way, then really, what's the point. I am sure I am not the only one who starts a diet, has a bag of chips and then says-well, since I had one, I mids' well have a chocolate bar...

When I became a parent, this all or nothing attitude really became troublesome. I had such high parenting ideals on how I thought a "good mom" was, the type of environment I wanted to raise my children in, the food they ate, the toys they played with-you get the picture...Well as you can imagine, things came crashing down around me pretty quickly when the demands of motherhood interfered with my ideals. Bring on the guilt, the self-condemnation, the flustered and overwhelmed feelings. I didn't know really what to do with myself. Like Paul in the Bible -"I don't know why I don't do what I know I should do".

On to my rescue: In the midst of a really not so nice day, I had this moment of clarity that God does not require perfection from me, my husband does not require perfection and certainly the 3 year old looking at me really doesn't require perfection!! and that's where 80/20 came to my rescue.

So, 80% of the time, I do what I know to me is right...

80%, I provide my children with healthy, natural, organic food; 20% McDonald's drive through
80%, toys from natural materials that are beautiful and stimulate imagination; 20% plastic Leapfrog Fridge Magnets
80%, no vaccinations, no mainstream medicines; 20% Tempra and Graval are my best friends.
80%, only organic and natural cleaning products, shampoo, soap, 20% is there anything that smells better than Johnson and Johnson baby lotion???

I know it sounds like such common sense; it sounds simple and obvious. But for this girl who always struggled with feelings of just not being good enough, just not measuring up-it gave me freedom-freedom from myself!!!

Me