Friday Faves – Ways To Love Your Family

Happy Friday beautiful people.

Here are some fun ideas for how to LOVE ‘EM UP!

What is Love ‘Em Up anyway? After Light ‘Em Up swept the world (kidding) and captured my heart, I truthfully got a little convicted and challenged. Was I being nicer and more thoughtful to strangers than my own kids? Why is it SO HARD to love the ones that we are with?

Insert Love ‘Em Up – a way to light up the hearts of our own family with kindness.

Just take your same creative and joyful spirit about strangers and turn that inside the walls of your home.

How does it work best?

• When we aren’t forcing it. (Laughter over lectures)
• When we get the opinions of our kids. (Can you think of a way to surprise daddy with love?)
• When we keep it simple and don’t stress. (Meaning do ONE or TWO things if every day is too much.)
• When we ask great questions and challenge them to action (Girls, think of one way you can make mom’s life easier this weekend. Surprise me!)
• When we realize God moves their hearts. (Don’t get discouraged when the attitudes come. Pray that God will move the hearts of your kids and believe they are good kids. And human just like us.)
• When it’s not perfect. (It’s easier and less messy to do these things without the kids. However, they get it in the process of making and creating. Let them in.)

I believe it’s in the practice of loving others that changes us. Each of us. It’s realizing it REALLY is better to give than to receive. It’s in the practice of loving others – that we realize our words and actions matter. It’s in the practice of loving others that we prepare our kids for the future. They will be wives, husbands, coworkers and roommates before we know it. I intend to send out selfless kids into a very selfish world.

Fun Ways To Love Your Family

Kiss Em Up

Larson and I left hearts and notes all over Daddy’s mirror. She had more fun joining me for the kisses. Red lips everywhere.

Coupons

Mom, can we have ice cream? No. Mom, can we stay up late? No. What if our kids had some coupons that would hold us to a YES. And our husbands had a few coupons. I love this coupon book by Kristen Duke.

Words

Let’s not forget the power of words. Get VERY specific with why you love our husband or kids. Think how these words lift up your soul. I LOVE this A to Z booklet by Lauren at Thinking Closet. So great.

Carpool Fun

Can you pick them up today (or any day next week) with a treat in their seat? What about heart notes all over the windows? Or a gatorade and balloon in their seat.

Time

My girls love time. Give your family the gift of your time with NO PHONE. Unplug baby and go on a walk.

Dance

Press play on this and swing someone around until they can’t breathe with giggles.

In This House, We Will Giggle by Courtney DeFeo from waterbrook multnomah on Vimeo.