This month, I wanted to give a glimpse into what you can expect to see as a member of this Patreon page in the future. Some of my works will be fictional, however, this is a piece I’ve written that is based on my experience with a very special student. She and her parents have given permission for this to be shared. I hope this piece touches your heart the same way that MaKenzie touches mine.
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This week I am sitting down to craft my FMF post after a short hiatus. A lot has been going on in my personal life and so I decided to take a week and focus on myself and my family. Today, I feel recharged and ready to tackle the weekend and days ahead. I am excited to reunite for my weekly check-in with the other members of the FMF communuity. Today’s prompt is: Spring.
After many months indoors and working during the hours when the sun was visible, I am overjoyed to enter springtime. This is the time of year when we shake off the cacoons and awaken to the beauty of nature. Morning birdsongs remind us that life is good and that there is room for joy in our lives.
I do not have a favorite season, because each serves a necessary purpose and contributes to the cyclical pattern that regulates our world. However, during Spring is when I am at my happiest. Reuniting with the outdoors is usually all I need to lift my spirits. I find strength in the promise of new life. As flowers bloom and trees begin to clothe themselves once more I am reminded that life is good and that we are all created with a purpose.
Engaging with Spring is also among some of my favorite activities. I love:
a walk in the woods
a bike ride on the trails
planting new seeds
painting the sunrise or sunset
clothing myself in the bright colors inspired by nature
strolling the neighborhood with my family
picnicking after a hike
eating a meal on the porch
As we enter into the first weekend of Spring are you doing anything to celebrate? In Ohio, the temperatures are falling back in to the 40s for the weekend, but I still plan to bundle up and enjoy some outdoor activities with my family. What about you?
I’m back this week and excited to join the writing community for the link-up on Five Minute Friday. Checking in each week with these writers has been such a positive experience. This week our common prompt is: Easy.
There’s an old saying found in many of variations of, “The right thing is never the easy thing.” We live in an age when the easy thing to do is to look out for oneself. It’s far easier to rise to the top on the backs of those with less power than to set your feet firmly and remain unmoved in your values. The easy thing to do is to follow the crowd, because making any type of statement comes with all sorts of backlash.
What if we stopped pursuing easy and instead started chasing after what is right?
It’s easy to see injustice, but just to continue swiping. The challenge is to educate yourself on the wrongs of this world. It’s easy to think about poverty and racism and think that it’s not your problem to solve. However, if we all made small actions focused on helping victims then we make the move from the easy position into one of hard work and activism.
When you look at the world today what problems do you see? Which needs can you meet? Where can you make a stand? How can you help?
If you consider these difficult questions you begin to shuffle your feet from inaction to ACTION. Little by little you become the hero in the story and not just the person who chose the easy route.
Reading about Enneagram Sixes this week was difficult.
In the past, I have typed myself as a Six. However, when I’m feeling good and at my best I gravitate more toward a One. This week, personal struggles have brought out some of my most unhealthy traits. In the midst of conflict I tend to exhbit some of the unhealthy attributes listed below. This sentiment of being a Healthy One and Unhealthy Six is not totally aligned to the Enneagram as illustrated in The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron, but whether or not every page is accurate I am loving the way that this book is giving language to my emotions and experiences.
To be honest, there is a lot I cannot talk about, but the details are not important. What I want to do today is share with you one way I cope with anxiety.
In 2018 I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder following a traumatic life experience. I’ve been on low doses of medication ever since. Most of the time I am able to regulate my own emotions and fears, but when big, unexpected things happen (like what I experienced this week) I have a difficult time resetting and getting back to normal.
Writing has always been therapeutic for me. When I don’t have the words to verbalize my feelings I turn to the page and let the words run from my heart to my hand. This morning I am going to take a deep breath and re-center myself in a practice that always seems to work: Self-Regulation Sensory Exercise.
Below is a graphic that I created to illustrate how I use my senses to self-regulate. I am not a mental health specialist and I recommend that if you struggle to come down following difficult experiences that you check in with someone trained to provide you strategies or medication.
Save this image for future moments when you are looking for ways to calm yourself. If you like this template and are interested in other creative writing templates, consider joining my Patreon site. Each month my patrons receive videos, free edits, and beautiful graphics to inspire and encourage. I would love to have you on The Ameri Brit Mom Patreon team.
Last month, my design was a bit illustration-heavy so as I looked toward March I sought inspiration in a more simplistic design and layout. I used a minimalist approach and used very few supplies when designing each of the spreads and pages below. At the end of the post I share what I used to make this month’s spreads so be sure to check that out.
February Review
At the end of February, I scrapped my usual layout and used the final spread to reflect on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. I filled the page with a summary of the event as well as a prayer for all that is going on in Eastern Europe right now.
Cover Page
The theme I settled on in March was this color blob theme with teal, pink and green scheme. For lettering, I chose to go with a simple bubbled style. I wanted something that would be easy to carry on throughout this month’s pages, but that also elicited happy feelings and good vibes. The idea of loose tracing or echoing of color blobs is really popular on Pinterest right now and so I pulled inspiration from some of those that I pinned recently.
Calendar
This simple calendar layout is great for visualizing and planning the month at a glance. Each box is 5×5 sqauares in my dotted notebook. The size of the calendar itself allowed for plenty of room for color blobs to be added and helped to balance out the white space in the margins.
Fitness and Diet Tracker
These two spreads followed the layout pattern that I’ve been using all year so far. I left most of the pages clear for tracking workouts and meals, but decorated the frame of the spread with the color blob design to tie this spread in with the rest of the monthly pages.
Blog and Self Care Tracker
These are new spreads this month. I decided to try out a space in my bullet journal for tracking the posts for The Ameri Brit Mom as well as for all the moments I set aside for self-care in March. Both of these areas are things I want to focus on more in and so it seemed fitting to devote an entire spread to tracking these goals.
Weekly Spread
This rolling weekly layout was inspired by The Plant Based Bride. On the first page, there is space to record upcoming events for the week. Additionally I used this space to jot down things to remember or to know for that week. On the second page, I use the task migration system and habit trackers to make sure that I am productive and efficient throughout the week. These are great spaces to quickly make note of what needs done and any tasks that have been completed.
The supplies I used this month are very minimal. In order to recreate these spreads all you need is a bullet journal and…
As I continue on my journey of understanding each of the nine Enneagram types, I cross the threshold of half-way this week . I am using Ian Morgan Cron’s book, The Road Back to You, as I explore the attributes of an Enneagram Five, also known as the Investigator.
My father is an Enneagram Five.
There is no doubt in my mind that my genius, computer programmer, quiet, and anti-social father fits the description of a Five to a T. He is the perfect balance for my emotional overloads as a One. Growing up with a Five as a father was amazing. I always felt heard and supported. I also learned to give him solitude and spaces where he could go to recharge. So all of the descriptions below resonate with me and helped draw up the image of my very first superhero…DAD!
Here are some other Enneagram numbers to check out:
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Happy Friday and welcome to the latest edition of Five Minute Friday‘s link-up. Each week bloggers around the world use the same prompt to inspire short pieces that they spent five minutes crafting. For years, this community of writers has been a great inspiration to me and supported my blog and business. I love showing up to share pieces and read posts from my FMF friends.
This week the prompt is: Carry.
Educators are in the midst of a discipline upheaval. Even the most seasoned teachers are experiencing a lack of respect and discipline from students in their classrooms. Teachers around the world are leaving the profession at disturbing rates and many blame the pandemic of student apathy for ending their careers.
Like all educators, I have faced some of these problems this school year. I have outrageous stories about the actions and words of students in my school that I would never share on the internet. Most days I find myself disheartened by the way in which students disregard their own learning and expect the teachers to cater to their needs and desires.
While many are tempted to blame the blatant lack of appropriate social skills, I believe that the issue facing students in 2021-2022 is of a different origin. Sure, the pandemic hasn’t helped. But in my humble opinion, we are teaching students who are carrying more than any other student population of the past. And this calls for a shift in our mindsets as teachers.
There have always been students living in poverty, unsafe homes, and states of mental health crises. But what the students of today carry that is exclusive to this crew is the collective experience of the past two years.
They have grown up in a world where the grown-ups have set poor examples on self-control and peacefulness.
They have traded much of the primes of their adolescence for a world of fear and apathy. Life has been uncertain for most of the days that their memory serves.
As adults, we are equipped with the ability to perservere and we remember a world before all of the disruptions. These students have no True North to which to look when they need to remember that these struggles are temporary.
Instead of finding myself burnt out like so many other educators, I am looking for ways to help students to carry these loads. I find that when I try to ask about the issues they shoulder and give them voice in the classroom then many of the discipline issues subside. Being reactive is no longer an acceptable role of a classroom teacher. We must meet our students and give them space to let down the loads that they bear in order to rest. We must help them learn to carry the loads that show no sign of disappearing anytime soon.
As much as we long for our controlled environments before the pandemic, we have to admit that those days are behind us. We will never again live in a world that Covid-19 did not touch. So instead of trying to run things the way we always have, we must remember that the goals of teaching have shifted. Before we can teach a student to read, we have to build their strength as individuals so that they can continue to carry those things that weigh heaviest on their shoulders.
On March 8, Stephanie Mund is releasing her debut children’s book, The Love Light. I am so inspired by her journey toward publication and growth as a writer. Stephanie and I both work for the same school district and at one point were neighbors as well.
The Love Light was inspired by the uncertainty of the pandemic and offers a story of hope and encouragement for young readers.
To purchase a copy of The Love Light check out Stephanie’s website.
Stephanie’s love light shines bright in her first grade classroom and I am so looking forward to seeing how her debut book will brighten the lives of her readers as well.
10 Questions with Stephanie Mund
Where did you get the ideas or inspiration for your book?
During the summer of 2020 the world felt so heavy and uneasy. I could feel the shift, like a boat capsizing. Everything was turning upside down and people weren’t sure how to move on. On a morning jog the book began to unfold. If I could paint a visual picture the words seemed to tumble out of Heaven, falling from the sky and right into my heart. God reminded me of the very words I speak to my first graders and my own girls every single day, “Shine your light!”
What is your favorite genre to read? How many books do you read monthly/annually?
I read everything my first graders are reading! I love both fiction and non-fiction. When reading for my own pleasure outside of my classroom, I enjoy non-fiction books. I love learning new things! I try to read at least one book a month, but when writing and publishing a book as well as being a teacher, mom and wife full time, it’s a miracle if that happens! :)
Describe your process of landing an agent.
I am published through a hybrid publishing company, so I don’t technically have an agent. All of my communication is with my publisher and CEO as well as my marketing manager.
What was the process like as you queried publishers?
I went back and forth on whether to self-publish or traditionally publish. I know a few friends that self-published and they shared with me how difficult it was, however, researching traditional publishing I found it could take years to get your book published in the current market. Then I came across BiblioKid Publishing, a hybrid publishing company. They do so much of the legwork, but you still have a say in everything. It was a perfect fit!
How long did the editing process take? What all did it entail?
The editing process took around two months to complete. My book went through 5 edits. My book started with 847 words and ended up with 305! I also had to change my story from 1st POV to 2ndPOV. I had a lot to learn about writing a children’s book!
What tools do you use to strengthen your craft?
The biggest tool that helped me during my experience with The Love Light was my publisher, Brooke. I attended her KidLit Launch School during my publishing process and learned so much about the marketing side of publishing a book. This has truly made all the difference in getting my book out to the world.
What was it like to open that first box of your books? Describe the feelings and thoughts involved.
I actually did two unboxings. I wanted to share the first moment with my husband and my girls. They’ve walked every inch of this journey with me and have been an intricate part of this book. Opening the first box was very surreal. It was like all of my hard work was coming to fruition at that very moment. I was truly watching my dreams come true! Right away my girls started screaming and jumping up and down! Tenley began to read it out loud and I just stood there crying. It was pretty amazing. My second unboxing was with my first graders. That was so fun! They too have walked this journey with me and I felt like they needed to be a part of this as well. After all, they’re the ones I wrote The Love Light for!
What are you looking forward to in your future as an author?
Through this journey of my first book I have discovered such a love for writing! I believe having the courage to step out and be vulnerable was the push I needed. I actually have a second book started and the title for a third.
What does your writing practice look like?
I’m definitely not the traditional writer! So far, all of my books have started with the title. From there the message appears and then the story unfolds.
What advice do you have for writers who dream of a published book?
Go for it! Be brave and courageous. Be willing to accept constructive criticism and grow not only as a writer, but as a person. In life there are so many opportunities to grow if we’re willing! Anything is possible with God!
The Ameri Brit Mom 