How do you do it all? All you Women of Steel.

"How do you do it all?"

It's a phrase that I hear quite often. Sometimes directed at myself. Sometimes a phrase heard about others. Sometimes words that come out of my very own mouth. We, as women, tend to look at another person's life and wonder how they are able to pull it off and, more importantly, make it look it so easy and effortless. Naturally, we wonder--How do they do it all?

Look at that woman and the way she is mothering her children. How does she juggle that many children and keep her sanity at the end of the day? Or the woman who works multiple jobs, yet manages to make time for herself. She actually has time to shower, put makeup on, and look like she stepped foot out of a magazine cover shoot? The one who is the breadwinner but also the housewife at the same time. When does she possibly sleep? And the one who writes books, creates recipes, and inspires others to live a healthier lifestyle, and yet never forgets to attend a single soccer game or dance recital.  I'd love to see what her day planner looks like.

There are so many women out there. So many women with so many talents and so many inspiring stories; Mothers. Wives. Writers. Photographers. Lawyers. Doctors. Nurses. Artists. Photographers. Teachers. Mentors. Volunteers. Supporters. Givers. Advocates.

And I love that. I love that I am surrounded by so many beautifully talented women that are using those specific talents to help inspire people like myself. Even when they do not realize that they are doing so. Their talents give me reminders. I'm a mother that has flaws. I'm a wife that has growing to do in this role. I'm a nurse that is learning every time I work. I have a home that I am always looking to improve to make it more safe and warm for my loved ones, and a kitchen that needs to teach me how to cook tastier and healthier recipes.

My mother, a woman that has, in my eyes, always done it all, is one of those inspirational people that pushes me to want to do better in certain aspects of my life. For years, I watched this woman work every day, sometimes multiple jobs, and yet still have time to come home, prepare a home cooked meal, and in between the preparations, scrub the toilets, floors, and do loads of laundry. While never complaining about it. And if I'm being completely honest here, I never truly appreciated those home cooked meals until I became a mother myself.

Because of this, today, I want to instill the importance of cooking for my family, teaching them about healthy food choices, and the importance of appreciating a warm meal made by mom. No matter how busy life gets, no matter how many other things and responsibilities are thrown our way, I want our children to know that dinner means---6 pm, all gathered around the table, and thankful for all that we have and all that we live for. Especially the meal in front of us.

So when I ask myself how I manage to do it, or how she manages to do it, or how we all manage to do it, I just look at all the women around me, specifically those that are in my life every day, and remind myself that everyone has a story, everyone has struggles, and everyone has responsibilties that they juggle in their life.

They do it all because that is all they know. They do it all because they strive to work harder, be better, and live fuller. They do it all because they have examples around them showing them that they can.

So thank you.
 
Thank you to the women who dress up, throw together these beautiful ensembles, and remind me that I am still beautiful and to always try to make time for me.

Thank you to the women who have three, four, six, and nineteen children who go out in public, who do normal things like grocery shop, and who do it with such patience. You remind me that if you can do it with that many, I can do it with my two.

Thank you to the women who work a 9-5 job and then come home to the job that never ends--being a mother. Who put in long hours for something that they believe in. You show us the importance of hard work, and are a great example for all children.

Thank you to every stay-at-home mom out there that has devoted all of her time to raising children. You have the toughest, greatest responsibility of all and you are doing an amazing job.
 
And a special thank you to my mom for showing me that I can. That I can do anything and everything I put my mind to, and to always believe in myself.

I can, I will, and I do.
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And because there are also things that make our lives easier, I wanted to share a recipe with you that takes 5 minutes out of your day, creates a beautiful ensemble, and makes for a tasty mouth-watering dinner. All because of greatest invention on Earth- the crock pot.

Original recipe found here: 

Ingredients:

• 2.5 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme {I used fresh}
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large chicken

  Instructions:

1. Combine all the spice.
2. Chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Wash the chicken, remove any giblets from the chicken, and then pat dry with a paper towel. Then rub the spice mixture all over. I put leftover spice inside the kitchen.
4. Put chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker.
5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or cook for 4-5 hours on high (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken). 

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This would make a great recipe for a dinner party, and I guarantee someone will be so blown away that they will say... how do you do it all?!

Is there a woman in your life that inspires you? Nominate her for the Samsung Women of Steel contest going on now!  

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions stated are that of my own.