My love language is gifts.

Not expensive ones. Not ones that take a lot of time and effort. Just thoughtful, simple, heartwarming gifts are where I feel loved the most.

A card, a bar of chocolate, a cup of coffee, a care package...just little gestures that ensure my heart that I matter to others. That I'm worth someones time. That's where it really gets me.

And you know what? My God knows that about me. He created me that way.

And He speaks to my heart in that way...IF I am willing to open my eyes and see the gifts He has so thoughtfully given.

I could tell what kind of morning it was going to be the second they woke up.

Legos dumping, bed jumping, car zooming, and the mischievous laughter before 7am did not bode well for any sort of calm morning...despite my deep desire for it. 

I'm not sure how my kids wake up with more energy in one morning than I am alotted for the year, but one thing's for sure, that energy turns to CRAZY real fast if I'm not careful.

Too much freedom can lead to too much craziness in our home, and for me, it's a serious frustration trigger.

Rewind to having only 1 child (I now have 4), and I could already sense we needed some structure to the days that had no structure.

My oldest needed some gentle boundaries as he played or two things would happen...

1. He got CRAZY (and destroyed stuff)
OR
2. He got BORED (and destroyed stuff)

It's a lose lose...no matter their age, no matter how many there are.

Independent play time has always been important for me to instill in my children. As much as I LOVE to get down and play with my kids and believe that the INTENTIONAL time spent with them is incredibly important, I don't want to be seen as their only source of entertainment. I've got things to do too!!

I knew I needed a plan to save my sanity yet still entertain my kiddos (and back then, with one child, I had time to plan).

I knew I needed to step in and guide his "free play" to maximize the minutes in our day FOR GOOD, cut back on the craziness, cut back on the destruction, cut back on the discipline, and give him an environment to thrive!
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Snow days, Spring Break, Summer Break...whatever your need for some sanity saving activities, these 15 Minute Activity Stations will sure help break up the crazy and bring some sort of structure to your days.  

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"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring."

Don't you just WISH you were THAT OLD MAN in in the song?

Able to sleep away a rainy day...

Able to drift off to sleep with the sound of raindrops and thunder rolling in the background...

AH! It's sounds glorious.

HOWEVER....

If your house is anything like mine, a rainy day just means EXTRA LOUD FOOTSTEPS in the house,  EXTRA COMPLAINING because there's "nothing to do," and an EXTRA CUP of coffee for you...cause you're not really sure what time it is.

In our house, we try to embrace a good ol' rainy day and make the most of it...so momma don't go crazy!!

So, if you're stuck at home, here are 10 of our family's favorite rainy day activities...

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"What am I doing wrong?"
"When is this going to get easier?"
"Why are they not listening to me?"
"When is the chaos going to end?"
"I just can’t do this again today."
"I just wish things were different."

Does this sound familiar? Are you in a season of HARD? Are you down in the trenches day after day, struggling to make it? Do you feel like an emotional mess? Is it hard to find the joy in your days?

I HEAR YOU! 

I AM YOU! 

AND I would love to encourage YOU!