The Great Failure

Recently I've been having many conversations with women about how difficult it is to be a mom.  The constant struggle of trying to keep the house together, the kids alive, the husband happy, the laundry done, and looking beautiful during all that.... not to mention all the others things but I don't want to bore you.  Then, we are constantly bombarded with images of all these amazing ideas on Pinterest of perfect mommies making beautiful food, having super organized homes, and children that are surprisingly clean and stylish.  In the midst of all this I find myself feeling like a failure on a daily basis, and in talking to other women about this subject I have found that I am not the only one in this boat of failure.

I began to think about the things that make me happy and bring a bit of light to my dark world of failure.  I am a photographer and I LOVE photographing people, I think photos are priceless treasures that capture moments in our life that will never happen again.  Being honest with myself I also enjoy when people compliment me on my work.  It brings a smile to my face and makes me feel great!  As a mom, I feel like it's almost wrong to take such praise when I have failed day after day in house work or disciplining my children but the other day I realized why these small moments in my life are so important.

If you don't read any other part of this blog this is what I really want to share....
"The reason we need to do things we are good at is so that we can be reminded that we are not failures." 

We all have something we can do well... some of us can run fast and long and that makes us feel good. Some of us are creative and can make things that people rave over.  Some of us are just amazing at throwing a party that people talk about for years.   We all have something that we know deep inside that we do well and when we choose to take the time to do those things in the midst of giving everything we have to our families it keeps us from flipping out.... literally.

I'm not suggesting we give up on our families or being an amazing mom, I'm just suggesting that we pay attention to when we need to give ourselves a reminder that we have amazing beautiful wonderful gifts inside of us that need to come out.  I've told my husband many times that I don't want to get lost in the world of taking care of everyone else and end up not even recognizing myself.  In turn he has supported me in my creative endeavors and moments of being myself.  I don't think it is fair to us or our families for them not to see who we really are... honestly what is that teaching our children?

I would love to hear what some of the things are that make you feel good about you, or that make you who you are... please leave them in the comments, you might just remind someone else of something they love that has been lost over the years.

*Why not end this post with a hilarious picture of me taking pics in the dark morning hours with my snuggle bugs?*

Paleo Garden Chicken

2 Chicken breasts, pounded flat
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C. Almond flour
1/4 C. Coconut flour
Sea salt & Pepper to taste
Coconut oil
Guacamole
Broccoli Sprouts
Tomatoes, sliced

Drudge chicken breast in egg and then in flour and seasoning.  Fry in coconut oil until juices run clear and crust is golden brown.  Spread guacamole on chicken breast, top with tomatoes and sprouts.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Taco's with Spicy Slaw

 Spicy Slaw

*This recipe is great with any Tacos, fish tacos, a side dish for fajitas, etc...

1/2  head of cabbage slices thin
1 jalapeno diced
3 green onions
1 small bunch cilantro

Dressing:
1 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Vinegar
1 lime zest, and juice

Mix it all up and pour on dressing and toss.   It's spicy, tangy and crunchy!

Tonight we used this recipe for our shrimp taco's: Lettuce (in place of tortilla),  Shrimp (seasoned with lime, cilantro, & garlic powder), Spicy Slaw, & Salsa.  Delicious!

Toes and accountability.

Last night I made a quick run to the grocery store for a few things... as I was heading inside my mind was wandering thinking about the possible gang members living in our apartment complex (this was in the days previous conversations) and I somehow tripped as I stepped up onto the curb.  Tripped meaning I ended up laying on the sidewalk with a throbbing toe.  This morning when I woke up this is what I found:

A nice bruise across my toe and a difficulty bending it in either direction very well.  I wanted to go to the gym this morning and I thought Crossfit makes me feel better all the time why not my toe? 

I entered the gym with some apprehension of even being able to complete the workout being that today was 4 rounds of 800 meter running.  Oh yay my favorite running :(   Now, I have never enjoyed running and have never really done it much but Crossfit has really taught me that you can learn how to do anything and there is always room for improvement.  So off I ran... my first 2 rounds I got the same time 6:22.  As I was starting my third round a visitor from a Crossfit gym in Anaheim, CA named Al joined me on the run.  I assumed he was just starting his own round until he asked me what time we were going to beat? I was a bit confused and he then explained he was just warming up and was there to help me beat my time.  He stuck by me, always running just a bit faster so I wouldn't slow down.   I made it to the top of the hill where we turn around and head back to the gym, this is when it got more challenging.  He told me to relax it's just down hill from there, then the closer we got to the gym the faster he had me running and by the end we were sprinting and he was cheering me along.  I came in and had beat my previous times by almost a full minute!  Was it easy? No way, but it felt great accomplishing something that I walked into the gym not even knowing I could finish let alone improve.  It also shows the power of accountability in our lives and that other people can see our potential especially in an area we feel weak in. Why is it so easy to not strive as hard when were are alone with no one challenging our standards or method?  

A big thanks to Al from Anaheim Crossfit for challenging and believing in me today! 

And... my toe is feeling a bit better than it did this morning : )