Kitchen Floor Nachos and Focusing On What Really Matters

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For so many, the words life, love, family, and home represent openness, comfort and connection.  Colorado Springs Moms Blog wants this same thing for all of you. We invite you into this space with the hope of making you feel unguarded, fully open and connected with other moms.  How is it that we connect?  To start off, we try seeing all the other moms out there for the souls that they are, instead of, dare I say, the stained clothes, the disheveled appearance or even just the opposite; the pristine outwardly appearance of having it all together.  We all have our good moments and we certainly all have our bad. Want proof? Check out our au naturel selfies!

Lay down your armor with the knowledge that we are in this together. No more comparing, judging, shielding others away or trying to keep up. Personally, I know this concept all too well after having worn this so-called armor for way too long. I felt like I never quite fit in. Years later, I realized that no one gave me the armor; it was self-imposed. 

Let it go. Remove every last bit of it. Feel the weight lifted as we all surrender our defenses, looking around to see faces and hearts soften and hear among the chatter, “Me too”. This acknowledgement, my friends, is where connection begins.  Begin to focus on what really matters in motherhood and in life – the intangible and invisible forces of love, gratitude and grace. 

Now that we have removed the mother-load of heaviness, you can show up in your life being your whole authentic self with no mask, no pretenses or veils.  JUST BE YOU!  Accept each and every mom for who, what and where she is. This motherhood journey has no end.  Once a mother, always a mother.  Extend grace to yourself and to others.

Since we are all feeling light as a feather now being our full selves, I have to ask, “What is the state of your home right at this very moment?”  

Would you invite someone over for dinner?  Does the very thought instantly put you at ease or send you into a downward spiral?  If it does send you spinning, and excuses come flying in of how you couldn’t possibly have someone over for dinner with the current state of your house it’s time to lay down the armor.  Surrender to the idea that you don’t have to touch a thing.  Leave the piles of books, dishes, clothes or toys intact.  Let it all be.  Reveal the authentic space where you and your family live.  There is no need to run around doing a frantic cleanup thinking we will be better liked or perceived differently if everything is in order.  Guess what? It won’t help.  Do you know why? Because it’s just a façade and no one likes a fake.  We all want to walk into the fullness and realness of your life just as it is.  JUST BE YOU.  Our lives can be so buttoned. Let’s unbutton for a second and let everyone breathe out an audible sigh of relief.  Can you imagine, no rules?  FREEDOM!!!!

Relish in the idea of throwing all the mealtime rules out the window because in all reality, there really are no rules.  Eat at the coffee table or the sofa, or better yet, chow down in the car.  On second thought, forget the car. We all spend enough time running kids around that it would be the last place we would want to reveal ourselves!  Instead, find the comfiest spot in your home to share a meal — a place you never want to leave. So, together, you can kick back, share and tell stories, create memories and toss away any expectation of what sharing a meal “should be”.  No stressing or fussing allowed.  The thing is, when it comes to sharing a meal – it doesn’t really matter where or what we eat – the whole point is that we are together and we get the opportunity to connect

Do you know where I would pick to eat in my house?  None other than the kitchen floor!  Remember, this is a judgment-free zone gals!  Do you know why I would invite you to my kitchen floor?  The kitchen floor became symbolic to me many years ago, when trying to come up with a quick (and easy) dinner with three cranky, hungry kids in tow, all under the age of 5. My husband  was traveling and there was nothing much left in the house to eat except beans, cheese, salsa and tortilla chips. In that instant, a flashback came to me of how my mom would fix nachos growing up and carry them down the basement stairs on a large baking pan for all of us to eat in front of the TV.  Yes, that’s right. We were given carte blanche to do something we were never allowed to do – eat in front of the TV.  My mom broke the rules and it’s probably why I connect so deeply with the memory of piping hot nachos straight out of the oven.  Recalling this at the time made me think that I could recreate the very same off the wall moment for my own family. 

In that very moment, I got to work making the nachos.  A beach towel was laying nearby so I threw that onto the floor and told the kids we were having a picnic on the beach.  “What beach?”, they asked.  Never mind that, we are imagining the beach is right here, right now. It worked like magic. The crankiness disappeared as the magic of childhood wonder and imagination swelled within them and lit them all up like a Christmas tree. In minutes, the pan of nachos was devoured and we sat back realizing how much fun it was having a meal “on the beach”. 

We broke free from what we thought we had to do for dinner.  Yeah, maybe it was not the most nutritious of meals. But it worked, and it is a tradition we have continued each and every winter since.

Where does your mind wander if I ask you the question– if a meal could be whatever, and wherever, with absolutely no rules where would it be for you? Comment below and let’s share our ideas and photos with each other and see if we can inspire one another to break from conformity and put the focus on what really matters – being together wherever and whenever sharing life, love and food. 

 

P.S.  If kitchen floor nachos sound like “your thing”… 

[yumprint-recipe id=’21’] 

 

 

1 COMMENT

  1. I love this idea, Elayne because not only is it easy it breaks the mold of having to prepare a big dinner and mess. What a win-win!

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