Life With Mrs. Martin

Have you ever found a penny worth more than its face value? Tell me what you found! 👇✨

My little guy is looking for the penny worth over $200k so he can buy a new Nintendo switch because he broke his. 😆 The motivation is so strong that he took a photo of each coin and search it on Google 🤑😆😅

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 🙏

There’s something beautiful about the life of a wild duck. 🦆🌿

They wake with the sunrise, search for food, paddle through quiet waters, and travel wherever nature calls. Their lives may look peaceful from a distance, but the wild teaches them to be alert, adaptable, and resilient.

Wild ducks remind us that life isn’t always about having a perfect path. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to stay, when to move, and when to simply go with the flow. 🌊

They find joy in the little things—a calm pond, a warm patch of sunshine, a safe place to rest, and the company of their flock.

Nature has its own way of teaching us: be free, stay adaptable, appreciate the simple moments, and keep moving forward—even when the waters get rough. 🍃✨

Maybe that’s the quiet beauty of a wild life: freedom, resilience, and the courage to follow your own current. 🦆💚

Levi’s Mind is Learning All Day Long!

Toddlers may look like they’re simply playing, exploring, and getting into everything—but behind those curious little eyes, so much learning is happening! 💛

Every question they ask, every object they touch, every puzzle they try to solve, and every new word they learn is helping their little brain grow.

At this age, cognitive learning happens naturally through play, exploration, repetition, conversation, and everyday experiences. 🧩📚

When your toddler:
🌟 Builds with blocks, they’re learning about problem-solving and spatial awareness.
🌟 Sorts toys by color or size, they’re developing early math and classification skills.
🌟 Looks at books and tells you what they see, they’re building language and memory.
🌟 Pretends to cook, care for a doll, or talk on a toy phone, they’re developing imagination and understanding of the world around them.
🌟 Asks “Why?” a hundred times, they’re developing curiosity and making connections. 😂
🌟 Tries something over and over again, they’re learning persistence and cause-and-effect.

The beautiful thing is that you don’t need expensive toys or elaborate activities to support cognitive development. Talking, reading, singing, counting, cooking together, going outside, and allowing them to safely explore can all become meaningful learning opportunities.

So when your toddler wants to do something “by themselves,” let them try when it’s safe. When they ask questions, take a moment to answer. When they make a mess while exploring, remember that sometimes the mess is part of the learning. ❤️

Childhood is their classroom, and curiosity is their teacher. 🌱🧠✨

Let them explore. Let them wonder. Let them ask questions. Let them try—and try again.

Because every little moment is helping build the foundation for a lifetime of learning. 💕

What will you choose, freedom of yourself or peace of mind? 🤔

If I had to choose, peace of mind is more important BUT I would love to have both. ❤️

Free time is valuable because it gives you space to rest, recharge, enjoy yourself, and reconnect with who you are. But if your mind is constantly overwhelmed, worried, stressed, or surrounded by negativity, even having free time may not feel peaceful.

Ideally, you want both:

* 🌿 Peace of mind — feeling emotionally calm, secure, and not constantly carrying unnecessary stress.
* 🕊️ Free time for yourself — having moments where you can breathe, do what you enjoy, and simply be you.

Sometimes protecting your peace means creating free time and boundaries for yourself. You don’t have to choose between taking care of your responsibilities and taking care of yourself.

Your time matters, but so does the state of your mind while you’re living it. ❤️

Having a very active toddler is a full-time workout I never signed up for. 😂❤️

My little one is constantly on the go—running, climbing, jumping, exploring, touching everything, and somehow finding new ways to keep me on my toes every single day. If there’s something to discover, they’re already there. If there’s somewhere to run, they’re running. And if the house gets quiet for more than five seconds… I already know I need to go investigate. 😂

Most days I’m exhausted before the day even begins, but then I look at that little face and remember just how special these days really are. Their curiosity, energy, laughter, and endless excitement about the world are little reminders that they’re growing, learning, and becoming their own tiny person right before my eyes.

Raising an active toddler can definitely test my patience, my energy, and my ability to keep up—but it also fills my days with so much laughter, love, and unforgettable moments.

One day I will absolutely miss these little footsteps running through the house, the constant “Mama!” calls, the random adventures, the messes, and even the chaos.

For now, I’m just trying to keep up, keep them safe, soak it all in, and enjoy this wild little season of motherhood. 🥹❤️

My toddler may be busy, curious, and ALWAYS on the move… but I wouldn’t trade this beautiful chaos for anything. ✨🥹❤️

SELF-CARE ISN’T SELFISH — IT’S NECESSARY. 🤍✨

There comes a point in life when you realize that constantly being there for everyone else can leave very little of yourself left for you.

We get so used to taking care of everything and everyone. We show up for our families, our friends, our relationships, our jobs, our responsibilities, and the people who need us. We check on everyone else. We make sure everyone else is okay. We give advice, encouragement, love, patience, understanding, and support.

But somewhere along the way, we forget to ask ourselves a very important question:

“How am I doing?”

Not how everyone else is doing.

Not whether everyone else is happy.

Not whether everything on your to-do list is finished.

How are YOU doing?

Sometimes self-care means doing something beautiful for yourself. Getting dressed up just because you feel like it. Doing your hair. Taking yourself out for coffee. Buying yourself flowers. Taking a long bath. Listening to music. Reading a book. Going for a walk. Sitting somewhere peaceful and enjoying your own company.

But self-care can also look much quieter.

It can mean saying no without feeling guilty.

It can mean putting your phone down and disconnecting from the noise.

It can mean going to bed early instead of trying to accomplish one more thing.

It can mean stepping away from conversations that constantly drain you.

It can mean protecting your peace.

It can mean admitting that you’re tired.

It can mean allowing yourself to rest without feeling like you have to earn it first.

And sometimes, self-care means simply giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing.

You don’t always have to be productive.

You don’t always have to be available.

You don’t always have to explain yourself.

You don’t always have to be the strong one.

You don’t always have to carry everything.

You are allowed to pause.

Give yourself time to breathe.

Give yourself time to think.

Give yourself time to heal.

Give yourself time to laugh again.

Give yourself time to rediscover the things that make you happy.

Give yourself time to become reacquainted with the person you were before life became so busy and demanding.

There is something incredibly powerful about learning how to enjoy your own company. When you can sit alone without feeling lonely, take yourself somewhere without needing someone to accompany you, and spend time with yourself without constantly reaching for distractions, you begin to understand yourself on a deeper level.

You start noticing what makes you feel good.

What drains you.

What inspires you.

What you no longer want.

What you need more of.

What you have outgrown.

And sometimes, giving yourself time means realizing that you have changed — and that’s okay.

You don’t have to remain the same person just because people are comfortable with who you used to be.

You are allowed to evolve.

You are allowed to change your mind.

You are allowed to create new boundaries.

You are allowed to want different things.

You are allowed to choose a slower life.

You are allowed to prioritize yourself without becoming selfish.

Because taking care of yourself doesn’t mean you love other people less.

It means you’re learning to include yourself in the love you so freely give to everyone else.

Think about how often you tell the people you love to rest when they’re tired.

You tell them to take care of themselves.

You remind them that they deserve happiness.

You encourage them to walk away from things that hurt them.

You tell them not to be so hard on themselves.

Now imagine giving that same grace to yourself.

Imagine speaking to yourself with the same kindness you offer someone you love.

Imagine no longer criticizing yourself for needing a break.

Imagine understanding that you don’t have to have everything figured out.

You are human.

You will have good days and difficult days.

You will feel motivated sometimes and completely exhausted other times.

You will have moments when you feel confident and moments when you question yourself.

That’s life.

You don’t have to be perfect to deserve rest, love, peace, or happiness.

So take the time.

Take the trip.

Take the nap.

Take yourself out.

Light the candle.

Play your favorite music.

Wear the outfit you’ve been saving.

Sit outside and watch the sunset.

Laugh until your stomach hurts.

Turn the notifications off.

Spend an afternoon doing something that has absolutely nothing to do with productivity.

And if you need to, start over.

Start slowly.

Start quietly.

Start by giving yourself ten minutes a day that belong completely to you.

Because your life is not supposed to be one long list of obligations.

You are here to experience it, too.

Don’t wait until you’re completely burned out to realize that you deserve care.

Take care of yourself while you’re still giving.

Rest while you’re still moving.

Pour into yourself while you’re still pouring into everyone else.

And remember:

You deserve the same love, patience, kindness, attention, and compassion that you so freely give to other people.

Make time for yourself.

Not because everyone else has stopped needing you.

But because you matter, too. 🤍

And sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself is simply stop, breathe, and say:

“Today, I’m giving some of my time back to me.” ✨

Evening stroll with Levi! 🚲💨 Burning off that last bit of toddler energy before dinner! 😆 The weather has been so nice lately—we could stay outside all night! And one of his favorite not to see are the ducks 🦆 ✨

We met Bambi 🦌 on our trail walk. And whenever I call it Bambi, it reacts like “I hear my name” 😂