Oh No...It's Swimsuit Season!

Yes, summertime is in full swing and there's one thing that strikes terror in the new mom...the thought of putting on a bathing suit, in public! Talk about a prayer request - ha ha! So moms, here are 3 tips to make the most of swimsuit season:

1. Choose a bathing suit that is most flattering to your figure. This may be your maternity swimsuit. Use a cover up when you're not in the pool. A sarong wrap that ties around your waist and covers up that post-baby belly works great.

2. Don't focus on the way your body looks. Focus on having fun with your friends and family! Remember that almost every woman in the pool or on the beach feels conscious about her body too!

3. Set a goal for yourself to get back into your pre-baby bathing suit. Why not use that pesky bathing suit as incentive? It may take several months, but make it your goal to put your old bathing suit on next season. Here's a video tip I made about this and you can see me in my old bathing suit (after some hard work of course!).

So are you ready moms? Put on that bathing suit, smile, and let the good times roll! If you're not happy with the way your body looks, use it as motivation to lose weight! Bathing suits aren't nearly as serious as what Joseph endured in the Bible, but remember what he said? "What you meant for evil, God meant for good!" (Gen. 50:20). Bathing suits may seem evil at the moment, but God can use them for good - to motivate to shed pounds and get healthier this summer!

So here's your chance to vent...how do you feel about getting into that bathing suit?

Summertime blues

Oh yes, you read correctly.  I've got the summertime blues. I've got a few friends who would  confess to having the same problem, the  rest would never admit it!  I have three kiddos and now we're finally all together for this wonderful season of summer.  So why are they driving me insane??!!  I think it takes awhile to adjust to not having much on the schedule.  No lessons, no school, not much in the way of sports--we have a lot of down time right now.  It isn't helping that we just moved seven days ago to a new town.  We have no one to play at the park with or go swimming with.  My daughter could really use an invitation to something, anything.  And I'm not the most creative mom, I must confess.  I think kids should be happy playing with their toys and going to the park here and there.  I enjoy trying all the new fun places.  But my kids would prefer that every day was like a trip to Disneyland.  We need to have a bunch planned or my kids fuss and fight.  Why on earth is that?  What monsters  have I created along the way?  Truth is we're all homesick, we miss our Minnesota routine and friends.  Sure, they'd be bored there too, but we'd have friends to take away some of those natural blues.  Now it all just seems worse.  Between the two-year-old wanting to play with our neighbors (who aren't our neighbors any more), the six-year-old missing buddies and soccer, and the nine-year old missing everything and everyone in the world...we're a pretty sad lot.  But one day at a time we will meet people, we already have.  We have a play date set for next Monday!  Praise God for the little things.  Right now that play date seems like a huge thing.  We've also been invited to lunch next Sunday after church.  I think God knows how to handle our summertime blues as well as our moving blues.  I've got to trust him fully and teach my kids to do the same.  Some days I feel like I just want to go "home" but I know we're in the right place and God will provide.  And before I know it my big kids will be back in school and I will miss them all over again.  

Psalm 31:7

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.  

Making the most of summer,

Sue