Living Archives - Lisa Samuel

Motherhood and Self-Care

I became a mother for the first time one month before my 41st birthday. I don’t know if my experience as an ‘older’ mother is much different from someone who becomes a mother at 21 or 31, but I suspect that it is. Partly because I had 41 years to practice selfishly focusing on myself and my own desires. I don’t use the word ‘selfish’ negatively, but just that I had the freedom to only take care of myself for all those years. Obviously, I was married and I had a career and other obligations, but Elie doesn’t need me to take care of him 24/7 and I could make decisions about how much to work or what other commitments I wanted to take on. But a baby changes all of that. A baby needs you all the time.

by Lisa Samuel January 17, 2018June 20, 2018.

The beginning of a year always feels like such a blank slate, doesn’t it? A new notebook, a clean page, ready to be filled with the messy, beautiful, aspirational and mundane details of daily life. I love this time of year, with it’s reflections and gratitudes, planning and goal setting. It suits my personality well–the…

What is Your Story?

by Lisa Samuel December 26, 2017January 27, 2018.

I had planned on writing a longer, more thoughtful Christmas post, wrapping up all of my feelings about this season, this year. But here we are, on the 26th, and I’m scrambling to piece together a few words while Theo takes his afternoon nap.

Theo’s Gift Guide for Toddlers

by Lisa Samuel November 29, 2017June 20, 2018.

I can’t wait for Christmas this year! I’m writing this over the Thanksgiving holiday from sunny Arizona, where we are here visiting friends. But as soon as we get home, we’re launching into full Christmas mode. Many of my favorite childhood memories come from Christmases past, and few of them involve presents, except for the…

Special Surprise Birthday Dinner

by Lisa Samuel March 21, 2017January 27, 2018.

When it comes to husbands, I hit the jackpot. Elie wakes up every morning with a smile on his face and fills our life with his joyfulness. If God loves a cheerful giver, then God surely cherishes my sweet husband, who gives of his time and talents, his love and his resources, to Theo and…

2017 Intentions

by Lisa Samuel January 8, 2017January 27, 2018.

If you visited our home last year, the floors were probably less than sparkling, the dinners simpler, there was probably a basket of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, and I was likely wearing yoga pants and sporting a ponytail. Elie probably made you a delicious coffee, and I hope you got a…

10 Essentials for New Mamas

by Lisa Samuel May 2, 2016June 20, 2018.

When I was in labor with Theo, Elie timed my contractions for me on an app we had downloaded to our iPhones–how long they lasted and how far apart they were. At some point, well into labor, our doula suggested that we might not need to time the contractions anymore.

2016: Intentions

by Lisa Samuel January 10, 2016January 27, 2018.

I still have the first diary I ever received, a small, red, leather-bound book sealed with a gold lock and key, sitting under the tree on Christmas day in 1983, a gift from Santa. I wrote in that one sporadically, and in the dozens I’ve kept in the years since, sometimes faithfully writing every day…

The Friday List

by Lisa Samuel March 27, 2015January 27, 2018.

I love reading the lists that other bloggers share–what they’re reading, eating and thinking about. It’s a great way to discover new books, articles or recipes, or nudge me toward new ways of viewing the world or myself. I’ve been working on a blog post about turning 40, but I haven’t yet been able to articulate…

The Best Olive Oil Granola

by Lisa Samuel March 9, 2015June 20, 2018.

The world probably doesn’t need another granola recipe. There are certainly enough out there to choose from. But, here goes anyway, because you never know when the next one you make might become your favorite. And, because this is what we’re eating this week as we sit in the hospital and wait for Moe’s heart…