Can't do all the things

I'm a sucker for a good quote. Pretty fonts, words that have meaning....big fan over here. Lately the ones I choose to share have a common theme which is being gentle with yourself, accepting that you can't do it all and things aren't always perfect. Sometimes a little reminder helps bring me back down to the ground when my head is in the clouds. When I'm working like a maniac and striving for the perfect balance between work and home I need reminding. When I'm on a break and home with the girls trying to find time for them AND myself...I need reminding. When I'm striving for "wife of the year" status....yup, reminding.

There is this pressure to make sure I'm "being productive" and packing as much into the day to be sure every moment counts and is worthwhile. Thankfully I don't at all have a husband who has any kind of expectations on how I am spending the day with the girls. Obviously I'm the only one putting this pressure on myself...but why?!? I KNOW I'm not alone on this.  

Surely many of you know the feeling. For me, the day begins with an unrealistic grand plan and when I reach that point where it's obvious things aren't going the way I first envisioned...it almost feels like failing. I'm beginning to really see how ridiculous it is for me to feel the need to justify every moment of the day. It's a lot of work and frankly I'm over it. I posted this on instagram the other day and it completely sums up how I'm feeling...

My summer vacation is coming to an end, and there are many things on that summer to-do list that just won't be happening. Every year I go through this. Summer starts and I'm thinking "this is my chance to accomplish everything I've been wanting to". I'm going to organize my life and make every moment meaningful.

In a perfect world, this is what my summer vacation would look like:

-Organize, organize, organize! My closet, the kitchen, the girls toys....minimalism looks nice...try that out!

-Craft! This includes, crocheting, and my latest obsession that I'm doing research/buying materials for but haven't actually done....bracelet making. You could learn anything from YouTube tutorials...my "watch later" list is a LONG one!

-Read! Oh, there are so many things I want to read! I've gotten into a bunch of essential oil books and cook books. Non-fiction is fitting into my life the easiest at the moment, but oh how I long to dive into some good chick-lit! I've also got a new Marzano book that is calling my name. 

-Cook! From those cookbooks I've been poring over, I've got some big plans. I'm picturing the movie Julie & Julia!

-Oils! I want to learn everything there is to know about essential oils! I'm part of several amazing communities I would love to keep up with, read everything that's shared, learn about the latest products, watch all the live videos, participate in all the classes! 

-Document! I want to take a million pictures (which I do), blog all the important moments, and capture every milestone in some way!

-Be a #fitmom! Eat well, exercise at least 4-5 times per week. 

This is just a glimpse at a few of the things that have my head spinning. I want to do all the things! Ummmm, helloooo! This list is insane...the reality is I can't do all the things. Balancing my work and home life doesn't mean that I have to spend every home moment jamming in a ridiculous amount of accomplishments in every minute of free time. I know this...yet sometimes reminders still help.

Who cares about a to-do list anyway? All I really want to do is sit on the floor and play with my babies! They are only little once, and in 10 days, our summer vacation will end and I won't have the option to spend an entire lazy day with them like this.