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Scrolling… scrolling… scrolling… oh what’s this… hmmm… nevermind.

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling…

Ah, Pinterest. Why am I even on here again? Oh yeah. Planning my son’s birthday party. Right. Sharks… shark party stuff.

Oh, look at that kitchen *click* I love that backsplash. Herringbone subway tile is so trendy right now. I wonder if I could retile my kitchen myself? I would LOVE that backsplash.

*Looks up from phone at kitchen covered in dishes and food from the past two days*

Sigh…

*14 month-old walks shakily to me sitting on the couch crying for me to pick him up*

Yeah, right. If I can’t keep my kitchen clean how in the HECK would I be able to RETILE my freaking backsplash. And this guy…

*14 month-old looks up at me with tear filled eyes*

He prevents me from having two hands to clap together. I’m barely hanging on here.

*Looks down at booger covered, cracker and fruit pouch stained hoodie and pajama pants*

Yup, BARELY hanging on. How embarrassing. Why can’t I get it together?

Sigh…

Scrolling…scrolling…scrolling

And so continues the Pinterest spiral of death. I know I’m not the first to fall into that blackhole. For some it might not be Pinterest, some its Facebook or Instagram.

I work in digital marketing. I KNOW what it takes to carefully curate these perfect Instagram accounts. The pristine lifestyle boards. I KNOW. I’ve seen first-hand.

Even knowing that these perfectly crafted images don’t happen by accident, I still fall into the trap. The trap of comparing, judging, WALLOWING in self pity and doubt.

I’ve been using the Mother’s Who Know Planner for 5 years. Ironically I found out about it on Pinterest. I knew I needed to find something to manage the increasing responsibilities of motherhood and household management. I quit my job to be a mom, stay home and run my household and I knew I didn’t have all the tools to do so successfully.

The Mother’s Who Know planner gave me direction, tools and resources to put my dreams and plans into ACTION. I’m not perfect at it. I still get sucked into destructive cycles of thought and behavior. But every year I buy one of these planners I use more and more of it. And the more I use this planner and every so often see success from my careful and prayerful planning, my convictions about the importance of a mother’s role in the family strengthens.

I use this planner because I am a mother who KNOWS. Julie B. Beck said:

“Women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate and things matter to that family if they matter to her.”

I use this planner to manage the things that matter to me. And what matters to me? My family.

It matters to me even when I’m sitting on my couch, scrolling through Pinterest, imagining all the ways my life could be picture perfect while my toddler son cries at my feet. My family matters to me even when I sigh in exasperation because this is the umpteenth time he has done this today. It matters even when I decide NOT to do two day old dishes and take a few minutes to myself to escape. It matters to me even when I WANT to escape.

It doesn’t make me less of a mother. I can still be a lionesses at the gate of my home. The Mother’s Who Know planner helps me make that happen in real actionable ways.

Give Suzanne credit for your purchase by clicking here: http://share.intheleafytreetops.com/VbCGmNL3?u=1547090456488