When I read a blog, I love seeing a photo of the person. For some reason, it’s really nice to put a face to the words. This is a picture of me and my husband. I’m 50 years old, have been happily married for 17 years and have two children with this amazing man.
I know what you mean about trying to eat healthy and cook healthy for your kids. But I have come to the conclusion that all the people who do and that write and go on TV about it do so because they have assistants and they buy healthy meals. With Kids its hard because meal time always sneaks up on you. The only thing i can tell you is to turn making the food into an activity itself with the kids. They love pouring stuff and preping stuff.
@Robert It’s true, isn’t it?! Half the time, I feel like a chicken with her head cut off, running around in no direction and trying to get seven things done. And then it becomes so easy to say, “Oh well, we’ll just go get McDonald’s tonight.”
But I’m working on it…. working on it…. And my husband cooks with the kids all the time, and they do love it. It’s nice to hear from another parent wrestling with the same issues. 🙂
Wow. I’m not sure how I found your blog, but you are sure the inspiration that I’ve been looking for. First, thank you for the planner pages. Next, so how do you make money?. I can’t believe that the pages are for free. Please add me to your email list. Thank you so much.
@Andrea
Hiya Andrea,
We don’t make money off the planner pages or the website. 🙂 I’m a stay-at-home mom of two preschool children, and my wonderful, awesome husband earns all of the money in the house.
I’ve always had a planner and a calendar. I am the “cruise director” in my family because I am the most organized. I’m always the one, along with my mom, putting together the events. I was creating my own planner pages on the computer when I stumbled across diyplanner.com one day. That is such a great site. So I started downloading planner pages from there and contributing back to the community.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. 🙂
Sincerely,
Angel.
Angel,
I was looking for a to-do list and stumbled across your site. I received double rewards!!! One incredibly cool to-do list/planner….I love it and just reading your blog has made me feel not so alone. I’m 44 and have been going through a lot of changes and stressful situations over the last 5 years to the point I’ve gotten used to being unhappy and after a breakup am extremely lonely. I have no children but reading your blog made me realize that it’s not the external things necessarily that make us happy….they’re the icing on the cake. Your joy therapy list has really inspired me. You see, someone I think I’m going to meet people and live a very satisfying life right here in my home or that one morning I’ll wake up and everything I’m not happy with in my life will have magically changed. Or at least that’s what my actions say! I can’t wait to continue reading on and also listening to your podcasts! I’m so excited. Thank you for sharing a part of your life.
Sincerely,
Mary
Dear Mary,
This is one of the kindest, most honest and wonderful comments we’ve ever received. One of the reasons that I decided to start sharing my stories online was because, during dark times in my life, I have found light in the online journals of other women, such as Andrea Scher (http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/) and Jen Lemen (http://jenlemen.com/blog/).
Thank you for posting such a lovely comment. We’re both wishing you love, luck, and awesomeness! 🙂
Sincerely,
Angel
ps. Another thing that lifts me up every day is Mike Dooley’s Notes from the Universe — it’s a hopeful, inspiring email that he sends out every weekday. (http://www.tut.com/theclub/index.php?page=join)
I, too, discovered this page by accident and it touched my heart. My first thought was I need to print that paragraph/blog(about making choices and initially blaming others then realizing it is up to you to do it) and putting it on my 10 yr old daughter’s wall. People DO have to make things happen, and so many of us are so passive about that. I try to encourage my young friends to travel as much as possible before they have families, but not because “kids tie you down” as many people say, but because when you become a mother, you often do not WANT to leave your children until they are older. As a parent we often really feel like being an active influence in our children’s lives, help shape their thinking and encourage them as much as humanly possible. I am like that. But I am doing as much as possible to make them think outside the box, be creative, be proactive, and don’t believe everything you hear; research it yourself. I am a physician hoping to do more medical missionary tours in underserved and impovershed countries but have decided that any long tours will have to wait until retirement. For now, I am happy with 1-2 week tours so I can continue to positively influence my children as much as possible while they are young. Thanks for your highly motivating, thought provoking site…Ann
@Ann
Thank you thank you thank you. What a lovely comment. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave such a kind and wonderful comment. And thank you for the encouragement and the attention.
And I totally agree with you with regards to children. Our lives stretch around the children to love them and help them grow and succeed. Some things may have to wait for awhile, but that’s fine with me. I’m happy where I am right now.
Good luck with all of your work! It sounds like you’ve chosen a fulfilling — if sometimes difficult — path.
All the best,
Angel
Angel…
You ARE an angel! Your selfless gift is such a blessing to me! I have tried and tried to learn Excel, but with an ADD brain I have been unable to do it. And since I’m an entrepreneur (photographic artist, direct salesperson, proofreader, doing market research gigs and etc., I definitely need to be organized! Finally, I made a decision there are certain things I wasn’t meant to do…I guess Excel is one of them! HA! HA! It’s so important to know the strengths God has given to us, and not try to be someone we’re not. I have found so much freedom in that understanding! May you continually be blessed in whatever you do…not only for others Angel…but for yourself. I humbly thank you for this incredible effort! With respect and blessings…Diane
This is an amazing blog! Have you considered doing personal coaching, or more to the point – personal uplifting of spirits? I think I have read through every post in your blog, down to the 2009 ones…. and would love to hear you in person! So when you plan a speaking tour, please come to North Carolina.
I downloaded your planner pages today, thank you so much for posting them.
I just found your diary pages and I LOVE them! I use an A5 diary system though. Do you (or anyone else reading) know whether I could change the size? I apologise in advance if it’s a silly question.
The things I love about your diary pages are that everything is included – meals, appointments, todos. Plus you divide todos into wants and needs – so important!! The quotes are a beautiful touch too. If I can’t find a way to make it work A5 I may consider changing size just to use them 🙂
@Em
Hiya Em,
I had to look up the dimensions of A5. It’s similar to the American “classic” size which is 8.5″x5.5″. Others have tried to scale the template, but it has not worked successfully.
Have you tried diyplanner.com? Click on the Templates tab, and there is all sorts of wonderful planning goodness that folks have uploaded. You might find an answer there as well.
Good luck and thank you so much for the compliments. I’m so glad that you found my work useful. 🙂
Sincerely,
Angel.
@Magda
Hiya Magda,
You left a comment on my blog over a year ago and it was probably the most encouraging comment anyone has left me. For a year, I’ve been meaning to write you and tell you thank you for such a lovely comment.
When I write my little blog entries, I wonder if they are helpful and meaningful or do the fall on the deaf ears of the universe. And your comment let me know that I connect with at least a few folks out there, and that’s really at the heart of what I want to do with my blog.
So thank you thank you thank you.
Sincerely,
Angel.