Don't worry...I got it!

Stress: n - mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension.

Life has a lot of stresses and a lot of different types of stress. My husband has a very stressful job. As for my son, while very intelligent, he deals with a lot of social anxiety and becomes very stressed at school. What does this have to do with me? Well, as a Stay-At-Home Mom one of my responsibilities is to maintain a happy household. Sure, I get stressed too! However, I feel like it's my duty to keep the stress levels in the house as low as possible. Think about it…the word “Home” should invoke a warm fuzzy feeling of security. It should never cause your blood pressure to rise!

First and foremost: We have a strict rule of no raised voices in the house. (Exceptions are only made for peals of laughter!) Yelling and screaming in anger results in nothing but hurt feelings and wounded pride, followed by bouts of guilt. There is a zero-tolerance policy for aggressive and erratic behavior. The interior of our home is a sacred, safe place and will always be treated as such. There is great security in knowing that once you cross our threshold there is no judgment, condescension or anger. Only love, acceptance and respect.

Moving on!! One of the primary ways to keep my family relaxed and happy is to keep the house clean and organized. A dark, cluttered and dirty living space creates a heavy atmosphere where no one is truly comfortable. Digging through piles stacked around the house to find an item adds unnecessary frustration. If the dining table is covered as a “catch-all” family meals cannot be enjoyed there. (And I believe family meals are a great way to connect with your family, which will reduce stress!)

The art of Feng Shui is a good tool to use in creating a comfortable living space. Here is a great site to help you declutter and open up living spaces.  http://www.ehow.com/how_4471856_feng-shui-house.html

Another way I help lower my family’s level of stress is to take care of their basic needs. For me, part of the responsibility of staying home is to make sure my family’s needs are met and to make sure my husband has minimal responsibility and stress at home. His long hours are enough to keep him on edge. I’m not going to dump more on him as soon as he walks through the door. When he’s at home I want him to relax and unwind. The same goes for the little guy when he gets home from school. Instead of instantly doing chores, swinging in the back yard for 30 minutes can do a lot to clear a little boy’s head and improve his spirit. Allowing the boys to unwind creates a more harmonious atmosphere for everyone.

I have my designated “jobs” and I make sure they are done completely so the responsibility doesn’t fall on someone else.  Sure, my son has the responsibility of picking up after himself and doing chores. However, he doesn’t have to worry about whether or not he has clean clothes to wear. He doesn’t have to worry about whether or not there will be a hot meal on the table. My husband doesn’t have to worry about whether or not the bills need paid or creating time in his hectic morning to pack his own lunch...My Motto? "Don't worry...I got it!"

Sometimes I like to do a little extra to perk up my household. Celebrations always create a light-hearted atmosphere. A celebration shouldn’t be reserved for a birthday or holiday. I try to create 1 or 2 “mini-celebrations” a month. The mini-celebrations not only create a light environment, but they make the recipient feel special. Sometimes that extra bit of recognition gives them the boost they need. When my son graduated from preschool I made him a Sponge Bob cake and his grandmas stopped by and we had a “Graduation Party”. I spent less than $5 on party supplies: A bright green disposable tablecloth, napkins & dinnerware along with a Sponge Bob Mylar Balloon.

Aiden's Preschool Graduation Cake!

If my husband is having a rough week I will make one of his favorite meals along with a “special dessert”. If it’s a really bad day I’ll make him an Oatmeal Pie, which is very time-consuming. He knows it is not an easy dish to prepare and seeing the big deep-dish pie on the kitchen table always lifts his mood.

Celebrating Aiden losing his first tooth!

I’ve also jumped on the bandwagon of “cake pops”. They are ridiculously easy to make and SO much fun! Not to mention they are a delicious bite-sized treat. They can be crafted into virtually any shape to fit the occasion. My son lost his first tooth this week. So, to celebrate I made him a batch of tooth-shaped cake pops. Based on the hugs, kisses and “thank-you Mommy!” I received… I think they were a hit! From the moment he saw them his mood was instantly lifted. You see? We really do celebrate virtually everything in this house!

Yes, there are and will always be external factors to stress out my family. I cannot make my husband’s job any easier and I cannot make school a fun place for my son. However, I can make their home-life happy enough that at least they have something to look forward to at the end of the day.




Do you want to make fun & festive cake pops? Here’s the easy recipe!

Cake Pops
Yields approximately 30 pops, more or less depending on how big they are.

·        Bake 1 cake according to package directions.

·        Allow the cake to cool & crumble it into a large mixing bowl.

·        Add approximately half a can of store-bought frosting and mix together until your concoction becomes a large ball of dough. (it should be a semi-stiff dough, too much frosting and the “pop” won’t stick together)

o       Flavor ideas: Strawberry cake mixed with Strawberry frosting…Chocolate Cake mixed with Chocolate Frosting….yellow cake mixed with vanilla frosting…there are a ton of possibilities, be creative!

·        Form the dough into small balls and insert a pretzel, lollipop or popsicle stick.

o       OR sculpt them into simple shapes...again be creative! Easter is coming up; an Egg shaped cake pop would be easy and adorable!

·        Put them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill and dip them in melted white chocolate or colored candy melts. Add sprinkles, decorate or just leave them plain!