Today I’ll be reviewing Lisa Leonard Designs jewelry, a well-known maker of custom stamped jewelry. To give you some context about the design I chose, I want to talk about making the transition from full-time worker to full-time mommy. How do I describe what the past month has been like as a new stay-at-home mom?
I could tell you that it has been hard, and that would be very true. A young toddler has boundless energy and a fierce sense of curiosity that keeps you on your feet at all times, constantly sweeping the horizon for potentially dangerous items (and sweeping the inside of your little one’s mouth for the dangerous items they spotted first!).
I could tell you that it has been scary, and that would also be true. We have less than half as much money as we did just a month ago, and we are now paying a rent in Chattanooga plus a very high mortgage in Memphis. Ouch ouch ouch. This is a source of much worry for me, and it is difficult, at times, to have faith that it will all work out.
I could also tell you that it has been a bit alienating, and that would also be true. I didn’t fully realize that I had a whole other family I used to be a part of between 8-5 on weekdays. I miss my colleagues and my students and all the great conversations we used to have.
But more than any of that, I have to tell you that this transition has been liberating. I feel so free!!! Darah and I have the world as our oyster each and every day, and we are free to explore, imagine, create and play. It is a magical time, and even in the face of all the struggles, right now I am soaring like a bird let out of her cage.
As I was getting ready for this transition, I had the opportunity to work with the reputable company, Lisa Leonard Designs, to do a review. I wanted to select something that would usher in my new job, and remind me that what I was doing was really going to be worth it. I was going to be experiencing a rare gift: freedom.
“Freedom” is exactly what I decided to have stamped onto the beautiful songbird necklace I chose (unfortunately, they no longer carry this style). It serves as a daily reminder to me that I am richly blessed to have the time I now have with Darah. Freedom doesn’t mean “easy living,” but it is a blessing, all the same. It is up to me how I use this freedom. I can fuss about how I can’t get anything done while watching Darah, or I can embrace the fact that she’s my #1 job, and anything else is a bonus. I can stay up at night developing ulcers over our super tight finances, or I can pray for peace and do my part to keep us fiscally sound without letting it get the best of me. I can sit in my house and wonder why I have no friends here or I can get my butt out the door and meet some folks. I have the freedom to do all of these things, and I hope that I do a great job of making choices that bring my whole family joy, happiness and peace.
Thank you, Lisa Leonard Designs, for making custom jewelry that sums up exactly where I am in my life right now. I love this piece!
Buy it!: Lisa Leonard Designs makes a wide variety of breathtaking pieces, each of which can be customized for you. Check out the shop and put something there on your holiday wish list!
Win it!: LLD has a special treat for one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! You will get a $50 gift certificate to their store so that you can create your own special piece of jewelry! Woo hoo! The contest will run until September 30th at 11:49pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Tell me the word that sums up what’s going on in your world at this season of your life. If you’d care to explain it a bit, I’d really love to hear why you chose that word!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to Lisa’s blog
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
