More Than A Mom

10 Precious Tips To Help You Get Better At Staying True to Your Health Goals

2016-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I reviewed my health goals to check in if I have been staying true to my 2016. I asked myself a lot of questions as to what I was doing well and where I could improve.

Here are some of the tips that I believe will help us all stay true to our health goals.

1. At the end of your day, empty your mind of what you need to do. This will let you sleep better.

2. Clean your kitchen sink so that when you wake up in the morning you have a shiny sink to greet you! If you can, do a quick pick up of the main areas and you will start your day without a cluttered home.

3. Meditate daily – even if it is just before bed to consider the joys of the day and let the negative moments float out of your mind. Let the thoughts come but don’t let them stick and your conscience will be cleared.

4. Stretch for 20 minutes each morning to open your body up for the stresses of the day. It also clears your mind! Check out YouTube for some guided stretching routines that are geared for your current physical level.

5. Aim to workout each day for 30 minutes. It can be a simple walk or a rigorous workout. Your choice, just get moving – your body was meant to move!

6. Be present – it’s so easy to get lost in our electronic games and social media friends. Put your device down and focus on the person right beside you, especially at meal times!

7. Reduce stress – be aware of your stress triggers and come up with some tools you can use to reduce them in your life or put them into perspective. Even something as simple as touching a tree before you enter your home and let that tree take on your day’s stress so you can be ready for a positive time with your family.

8. Scheduling rules – do you want to take time off when your children are on school break or holiday? Book it into your planner. Do you have a lot of traveling for business? Set prep days before the trip so that you don’t have to do a last minute packing scramble.

9. Regularly review your goals – are you where you thought you would be? What can you do today to move you closer to them?

10. Menu plan – this can save time, your budget and your waistline! Plan your menu around what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer. The more you plan the less temptations and hungry binging will take over.

That’s what I’ve come up with. Do you have any others to add?

New Direction: Blog Update

2016-03-10T17:37:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that the blog has been on pause for a little bit while I determined the direction I wanted it to go.

When I started the blog in 2008 after my youngest was born, it was a Mommy Blog and a way for me to have a safe outlet of all things children-related. My interests and topics have grown with me to the crafting projects and more recently to my craft business, The Ruthless Crafter.

I tried to merge More Than A Mom with my business blog and, while it worked for a little while, I found I really missed writing about my personal adventures.

After a lot of consideration and planning, I have decided that my tutorials and stories of quilts that I am creating for clients will be on my business blog, TheRuthlessCrafter.com, and my personal blog will remain here at More Than A Mom!

I’m very excited about this approach and I cannot wait to share my new content with you!

Elizabeth

Goal Setting 2016: Tools to Keep It Fun

2016-01-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

What I Didn't Know I Didn't Know
I’m am the creative entrepreneur behind theruthlesscrafter.etsy.com, where I sell memory quilts, baby quilts, and t-shirt quilts.

When I first opened my shop in 2014, I had no plan, no goals, no idea what I was doing! I basically made an item, took a quick photo of it with my phone, and listed it to sell, waiting to see if it might sell.

This was my first year and, as you can imagine, it wasn't very successful. It wasn’t until the next year that I decided I wanted my hobby to grow into a business. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do though or where to start in terms of goal planning and organizing myself to take this next step.
I started with brainstorming a new product line to give my business focus. My new ideas were good in theory but I really had no idea how to implement them. Developing a product line is apparently a little more work than just making a quilt and throwing it online!

Getting Organized
To figure out where to start, I decided to follow someone who knew more than I did; someone who had actually written a book about goal setting.

Read more »

Declutter Your House: FREE Challenge

2016-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Before we get started, I want you to know that it is 5 days until my wedding collection is released!!

I don’t know about you but I tend to think clearer when my home is organized.

Part of my 2016 goals are to get my home decluttered so that it looks and feels larger and I don't feel the stress of all the "stuff" surrounding me. I find that, especially in the winter months when I’m stuck in the house, it seems like there’s a bigger mess. The walls start to close in on me and I respond to it by purging everything. I look in corners and think, “How did we accumulate all this stuff?!”

Do your 2016 goals include decluttering the house? What is the area of your home that bothers you the most?

Today I'm going to share with you my process for decluttering.

Read more »

Smart Ideas for Living Room Storage

2016-01-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you to today's blogger, Patricia Cornwell.

The living room is a central place in every home because people spend most of their time lying on the couch, listening to music, reading a book or watching a TV program. Despite its size, you need to figure out clever ways to store your stuff so that it looks and feels bigger. There are a variety of options. Stores are fraught with shelves, cabinets, coffee tables and furnishings that do a great job at beautifying your living space as well as providing enough storage space. All you have to do is consider all the options and find which things will work for you. Let us give you a hand. Read our clever ideas for living room storage to make the best decision.

Creative Entrepreneur 2016 Goal Planning

2016-01-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am a creative entrepreneur. I make special occasion custom quilts. Today I would like to share an invaluable tool I use to create my business and personal annual goals and plans.

I am very good and planning - it is so easy to come up with numbers and plans out of the air but how do you qualify them and track them? That has been my downfall to date.

Read more »

My Personal History with Goal Planning

2016-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have had a creative Etsy business since November 2014. In the beginning, I did what I like to call “hope marketing.” I crocheted a hat, put it on my Etsy shop and I hoped it would sell. That’s called “hope marketing.” I sold a few things but it wasn’t until August 2015 that I decided to take it seriously.

Read more »

Our Wedding Collection Is Coming!!

2016-01-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

This month we are premiering our Wedding Collection!

The line is full of modern and traditional quilted pieces that embody the love of friendship and family that work with any budget.

Stay tuned for more details. Can't wait? Get exclusive updates on this exciting line by joining our newsletter!

>> Yes, Sign Me Up!! <<

Setting Up Your Pantry So Your Kids Can Help Themselves

2016-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Kaitlin Krull, today's guest blogger from modernize.com.

Picture this: you’ve just arrived home from school, your kids have settled down at the table to start their homework or gone upstairs to play, and you have finally sat down for five minutes’ peace. All of a sudden someone wants you to come and make them a snack. Break time over. If this scenario sounds familiar to you (and happens day after day after day), then never fear. We at Modernize have come up with a solution to your snack time problems. Here are some practically foolproof tips to help you organize your pantry in such a way that your children will be able to help themselves.

Read more »

Halloween Spider Craft for Kids ~ Tutorial

2015-10-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome Katy from Queen of the Kings! Today she's sharing a great craft to do with the kids to decorate your home for Halloween!

* ~ * ~ *

Hi there! So glad to be back guest posting for Elizabeth! If you're anything like me, then you are counting down the days until fall officially arrives! I love everything about it - the smells, the sweaters, the soups and the super cute crafts! I especially love projects that include things we already have AND that the kids can actually truly participate in!

All you need is paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and egg cartons.

Autumn 2015 Collection

2015-09-15T08:55:00.000-04:00

I have been very quiet for the last month because I've been rushing to get out my Autumn collection! I'm so very proud of my first attempt at a collection and I know there is more planned (I have the next 3 started in my mind!).

I’M SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE AUTUMN COLLECTION FOR 2015!

Why put on the same accessories year after year? Your outfits are BEGGING for fresh, new fashion! Your outfits are begging for our Knit Scarves, Shawls & Wraps!

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!

For a limited time, you will be able to grab our new Knit Fashion Line made to compliment your casual, business, or nightlife outfits!

We will have new colours, completely exclusive for our Fall line.

If you want to take your fashion to the next level, you have come to the right place. They are limited and will be gone quickly!

I urge you to sign up now (link below) so you can be the first to get the designs you want. It’s quickly approaching and you’ll want to ensure you have first pick!

Just for our new customers, we have a 30% off coupon! How amazing is that?!

FOR AN INSTANT 30% OFF COUPON, AND FIRST ACCESS TO THESE AMAZING DESIGNS,PLEASE SIGN UP HERE —> I WANT 30% OFF!

OUR NEW AUTUMN COLLECTION WILL RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2015!

Enjoy the eCatalog - I'd love to read what you think of it!!

eCommerce Is Inspiring & Stretching Me

2015-09-09T20:35:00.000-04:00

Image Source

It's hard to be a creative eCommerce business entrepreneur! Not only do you need to create but you also need to learn about how to have an online presence to let people know that you have made items and have them available to sell!

What has been keeping me so busy?
In my research to become a savvy ePreneur (is that an official term? it should be!) I have spend the past few weeks learning a ton about social media and eCommerce. I've been getting my online shop ready for holiday sales and I've been creating an Autumn AND a Holiday product line, complete with eCatalogs!

My Autumn collection will be live on September 15th and I'll be sure to give my blog and Facebook readers a sneak peek!

This was just a quick check in to let you know what I'm up to - now I'm off to get more items photographed and ready for next week. I am so excited!!

Menu Plan ~ September 2015

2015-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Menu Plan ~ August 2015

2015-08-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have a home daycare so this is family friendly.

To view the image larger, right click on the menu and "view in new tab".
You can also "save as" to your computer and print it from there.

Guest Post: Make Favourite Baby Clothes Into Art

2015-07-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Guest blogger is Jennifer from A Splendidly Messy Life. We met online but, fun fact, we physically live within an hour from each other! Welcome, Jennifer.
Read more »

Olga's Quilt

2015-07-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

My great Aunt Olga asked me to make her a quilt.

Her favourite colour is purple.

This was so much fun to put together - and I got to use up some of my fabric collection also! It's a Schnibbles pattern.

Read more »

Spring Clean 2015 - Basement Play Area

2015-07-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

In last week's Spring Clean 2015 - Basement Family Room post, I mentioned I was on a tight deadline to finish decluttering and cleaning the basement. This area had become a dumping ground for what I was decluttering in the upper 2 floors and I didn't know what to do with it. I am happy to say that school let out and I was ready for an added play space for my schoolagers!

Read more »

Guest Post: DIY Valence

2015-07-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hi! I am so excited to be a guest today. I must admit, I'm a little nervous, because my crafting skills are nothing compared to Elizabeth's. I mean, I buy those little quilting squares at HobLob, but I use them to make fabric garlands because I can tie a knot around some string. I am also good with a glue gun, so try not to be too underwhelmed. Besides my attempted craft or two, you can find me running my own little monarchy as The Queen of the Kings. I also dabble a bit in crazy with my bestie and we run a little corner of the internet from July-December helping people plan their Christmas cards at Your Merry Mailbox.

But enough about me, today I am excited to share a fun, simple, CHEAP project that anyone can do! We had lived in our house for 3 years and 50 days when I did this, and I had wanted to do some type of window treatment in our family room for 3 years and 49 days. (The first day I was worrying more about getting everything out of boxes).

Read more »

Spring Clean 2015 - Basement Family Room

2015-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I finally got up the courage to tackle the "scary basement".

This was where everything had gone from my decluttering and sorting of the upper two floors. I realized that school was going to be out for the summer and I was hoping to have movies and big kid activities in this space. It took me a little longer because I chose to do sections and then deep clean the sections as I went. Our windows have never looked cleaner and isn't it amazing the cobwebs and dust that can accumulate even when buried under "stuff"!

In the before state I knew that wasn't going to happen.

Here is how it all played out.
Read more »

Guest Post: Spicy Coconut Cashew Eggrolls Recipe

2015-07-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

Today we welcome Amber as our guest blogger!

Photo Credit: The Hungry Mountaineer

Hi! I'm Amber and I blog over at The Hungry Mountaineer. I love to share my adventures in travel, trail running and the great outdoors in general. Whether I am camping or fishing or just taking my dogs for an early morning forest hike, crazy things seem to happen to me. I love to write about all my mountain adventures above six thousand feet. In the last two years I have been trying to transform myself into an athlete and trail runner and turn my diet into one that's extremely healthy (but without giving up my one true love, cheese!).

Read more »

Dan's Quilt

2015-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Dan wanted a masculine pantograph design for this quilt. I think we nailed it with "bluster" which now happens to be one of my favourite to quilt and use on quilts. The golden thread works so well with the fabrics also.

My Post Partem Depression Story

2015-07-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

In January 2008 my second child was born. After the birth I felt fantastic. I was even into my pre-pregnancy clothes by my 6 week follow up appointment. The day before the 6 week appointment, tragedy struck and a girlfriend who I met in prenatal classes with for our first children (who are exactly one week apart) died during a routine C-section.
Read more »

June 2015 Crafts

2015-07-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

June was spent mostly with panic decluttering and cleaning before school let out on the 26th. I am happy to say that the main areas I needed to get done were completed just in time!

Goals that I had that were not completed:

Make PM shams (sew & quilt)
Sew Santa Gift Bags
Etsy Item ~ Knit or Crochet Elsa Hat & Cape set

Projects that were completed:
Knit TR hockey sweater (purchase and install zipper)

LongArm Quilt (client) ~ Complete June 30

Charity ~ Quilt & Bind 2 Victoria's Quilts ~ 1 Complete June 13

Sew Label to PM Quilt ~ Complete June 13
(no photo)

Etsy Item ~ Knit or Crochet American Girl Doll Sweater #2 ~ Complete June 12

Etsy Item ~ Knit or Crochet American Girl Doll Sweater #1 ~ Complete June 10

3 Crochet Bikinis (client) ~ Complete June 9

Crochet Alpaca Baby Hat & Sweater Set (Etsy Store) ~ Complete June 2

*BONUS* C2C afghan ~ In Progress

*BONUS* Crochet Dishcloths

Menu Plan ~ July 2015

2015-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have a home daycare so this is family friendly.

To view the image larger, right click on the menu and "view in new tab".
You can also "save as" to your computer and print it from there.

Jean's Modern Quilt

2015-07-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

This lovely modern quilt was a pleasure to longarm for my client, Jean.

Since there were so many hard lines in the piecing of the quilt top we decided to go with a modern swirl pantograph titled "Bubbles" to soften the look of the quilt using a white thread colour.

Enjoy the photos.