Tag Archives: teens

Mom Warriors and True Arrows

 momwarriors

I remember before I had kids, I would watch misbehaved children and think, “MY kids will NOT act that way.” I had many theories about discipline and raising kids. Now I have eight kids and no theories.

What I never factored into disciplining our kids was the deep love and attachment I would have for them. It never dawned on me that I would care if they liked me and I certainly didn’t plan that one minute they could turn my world upside down and make me crazy and the next minute become the cuddliest, cutest little human being EVER.

Two of our kids are married with babies of their own and our third is a senior in college. We still have 4 teens in the house and a 10 year old, and with that comes some perspective (not to be confused with having all the answers). They still sometimes turn my world upside down…and then win my heart back in a split second with a simple gesture. I never imagined I could get so frustrated and angry and still love so deeply. The wildest roller coaster can’t even begin to compare to this ride of raising kids.

In so many ways, I’m a very different mom than 24 years ago and, in hindsight, some of the hills I thought were worth dying on, weren’t. But the flip side is that I can see more clearly (than ever) the ones that are. I see the necessity for our kids to hear the truth about sin and our deep need for a Savior. I feel the urgency to make sure that I do everything I can to help them grasp the value of what Jesus did on the cross for us and understand how important it is to own their own relationship with Him. I want the Word of God to be what they filter EVERYTHING through: work, church, relationships, culture.

God says that our children are like arrows. In order for an arrow to to fly so it won’t veer off in the wrong direction, it needs to be “true”. “True” as in straight. God also says that these children are like arrows IN THE HANDS OF A WARRIOR and anyone who has been a mom knows that motherhood is NOT for the faint hearted. We are warriors…MOM WARRIORS. This means that we are in a battle, a battle with a very REAL enemy. He wants our children’s souls and we have to FIGHT for them.

Our kids come into this world helpless, but also as sinners who need a Savior. They are crooked and by the grace of God, we fight to straighten them so that when these arrows are released by our bow, they fly “true” and straight and fulfill the purposes to which God has called them. We do this through training and discipline. Disciplining them for their good, out of love for them, out of a desire to help them avoid foolishness, which God says will lead to destruction and, instead,  point them toward wisdom, which He says leads to life and blessings.

So much of this is done by example, but above all it happens on our knees, because the truth is that the deep work that needs to happen in any of our hearts is only done by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Ultimately only HE can turn our hearts toward Him and straighten what is crooked.

No greater battles are fought than from the humble position of prayer, asking for God’s grace and mercy on our kids’ lives and for wisdom to raise “true” arrows.

signature_durenda

Great tips on coaching your kids through their teen years!

Coaching Your Teen…For Life

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We’ve all been warned: Parenting teens is very different than the elementary years and it is NOT for the weak spined. The saying, “Little kids wreck your house and big kids wreck your mind” sounded so heartless and cold…until I found myself in a puddle on the floor after our first real conflict with our teen, not really sure what exactly had just happened. Reeling with emotion, I felt beat down, under condemnation and wondering why God thought it was a good idea to give me eight kids.

We have raised 3 kids through the teen years, and they still like us in spite of all the times we’ve messed up. We currently have 4 teens in the house and I am finding myself with a different perspective on this season of parenting.

I want to share with you what I wish someone would have shared with me so many years ago: parenting teens looks more like coaching than anything. There is that occasional situation that requires us to simply “be the parent”, but, more often than not, it looks like encouraging, being their biggest fans, and asking lots of intentional questions in hopes they will start to “own” their own lives. These questions should encourage our teens to think about the decisions they are making and give them the freedom to express their thoughts in a safe environment…even if they seem to make no sense to us. I’ve often found that when it seems like their reasoning is senseless, there is far more going on than meets the eye…something they haven’t identified yet…an insecurity, fear, etc. This is why asking questions with the right spirit is so vitally important and that’s much easier to do if we take on more of a coaching role.

What does that look like? What characteristics make a GOOD coach?

A coach is student of his players. He watches to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are, because unless he knows his players, he doesn’t have the information he needs to help them reach their full potential.

A coach cares deeply, has a goal plan in mind and works toward that. It’s about being intentional, but also flexible. He is willing to adjust to fit the personality, strengths and weaknesses of the players, but also challenging them to push beyond their comfort zone without exasperating them.

He encourages with a positive attitude and enthusiasm, inspiring them to “own” their responsibility in the game and to be a team player (being others-oriented). He provides direct, yet encouraging feedback. He reinforces key messages and acknowledges success. . He is consistent in his expectations. He is tough when necessary, but also tender when needed.

These are some good things to try and remember, but keep in mind, NO parent does all of these perfectly. We are imperfect parents with imperfect kids. Every last one of us desperately needs a Savior and that’s where the grace of the gospel comes in. “His grace is sufficient for us, His power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)  I can’t tell you how many times I have blown it with our teens. It’s required me to humble myself and ask forgiveness from our kids and God many, many times, but I’ve found that His grace covers more than I ever thought possible.

The enemy will work HARD to discourage us as we parent/coach through the teen years, but I want to remind you (and me) that because of what Jesus did, “There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the spirit of LIFE has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1)

Let’s walk in this freedom and be a living example to our kids of what the gospel looks like in REAL life. It will speak more loudly to them than any form of “effective” parenting.

signature_durenda

Don’t Let Your Youth Pastor Raise Your Kids

There is no substitute for a good parent.

Sweet mom—do you know how important your job is? The questions this generation is asking are big.

They’re soul-altering big.

They’re too big to ignore. I believe the questions this generation is asking will define our culture.

Several years ago, I found this soul-nugget in the book of Luke:

“When a child is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

Little children who are playing blocks on the kitchen floor will soon be standing on the Senate floor—sent there by another generation of children who are, at this moment, sitting on the laps of their mothers.

Sweet mom, you are in the soul-training business. It's a holy calling. Stay in there. You are doing an eternal work in the lives of your children.

Many years ago, I sat and listened as a tearful mom from a small Illinois town told me a cautionary tale about her daughter. Christian home. Good parents. Church-going. All-the-right-stuff … and her daughter was gone. Anne’s daughter, heavily influenced by a school counselor and deeply entrenched in a community of kids who did not share her family’s faith, had decided to walk away from God, and from everything their family held dear. She moved out shortly before graduating from high school.

… when a student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.

Anne felt blind-sided.  “We sent her to youth group every Wednesday! She was at every youth event they had! Our youth pastor knew my daughter better than I did! Why didn’t he say something?”

Devastated, Anne struggled with voices that echoed in her soul. She felt the familiar sting of guilt, a favorite tool of the enemy, as it spoke condemnation into her life, carried along by  a cruel consequence of poor choices: regret. Anne regretted not being more involved in her daughter’s spiritual life—but even more than that, she regretting believing that her pastor could take her place in the life of her daughter.

She was telling me a story I had heard many times in my seventeen years as a pastor’s wife—and I share it with you, because I want to speak for your pastor: He wants you to know that he doesn’t want to raise your kids. In fact, he can’t.

Parents, there’s no substitute for being in the Word of God. Your pastor’s job is to rally the troops—to teach, to admonish, to encourage you to do what only you can do: walk with God daily on your own. A youth pastor’s job is to encourage your children toward right thinking and right relationship with God—but he’s no substitute for you. 

I have heard it said that we have “lost” this generation of kids, but I don’t believe it. You don’t just “lose” kids. You lose their parents first. Parents are lost to discouragement, disillusionment and fear—but we must not give in to fear. We can’t simply drop our kids off at school or church and leave the parenting up to others. It is our responsibility alone.  Now is the time. My generation of parents is fully up to bat. We must not fail in teaching our children what it means to live our lives for Christ. We do that by modeling.

Words are not enough.

Our kids need to see us taking God at His Word by being IN His Word. I love my pastor but I don’t want to take his word for God’s Word … I want to read it for myself—and that’s what any pastor worth his salt would want me to do.

Today’s parents need to be in the Word of God. We need to know it. To live it. To teach it to our kids.

The questions that are being asked right now need an answer. Sit down with your kids and take them to God’s Word for the answers.

Sweet tired mom—you are not alone. It’s tiring work, this business of shepherding the next generation. God will give you strength.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”
Psalm 138:3

This generation of children and young adults need God’s truth in them now more than ever —to be dug down deep, planted in the rich soil of God’s Word. Stay in there. The work is too important to pass off to someone else, even if that someone else is your pastor.

Your work carries eternal significance with it. It carries the weight of glory—the hope of things to come. Your work carries Jesus to the next generation.

 

 

 

 

Give Them Grace

grace

ɡrās/
noun

Something that’s given but not deserved;
The free and unmerited favor of God; demonstrated when He sent His son as atonement for my sin

Psst! Scroll down to watch a short video from Heidi!

Grace. It was the last thing on my mind last night when I noticed it was 9:30 p.m. and the kids were still going full-tilt—after I put them in bed for the third time. I just wanted them to go.to.sleep. I’ll be brave and admit that occasionally, I have to muster grace simply to be kind to my husband after an exhausting week of stress and challenge. He wants to come close—but, caught up in my own thoughts and weariness, I see him as “one more thing” on a list that presses me at every side. I push him away.  Yeah. I can be awesome like that.

The truth? I have to work to be gracious. My nature is not to extend grace at every opportunity. I wish it was. And yet, God has blessed me with an amazing man to love and honor—and wonder of wonders, He saw fit to entrust us, a couple of kids ourselves, with with seven kids of our own.

It’s daunting to realize that my kids are learning about grace … from me. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if God got the wrong girl. You see, I came to this motherhood thing broken in a thousand ways. I needed healing and grace. In short, I needed Jesus.

Over the past 24 years, God has shown me ten-thousand different kinds of grace. He’s good like that.  God, through His son, Jesus, is grace personified. In fact, whenever you read the word grace in the Bible, you can substitute the name of Jesus. What does grace look like? It looks like Jesus. What does it sound like? It sounds like Jesus. Last week, as I sat alone on the floor of my bedroom, I had to ask myself: do I sound like Jesus? What are my children learning of God’s grace from me?

When you read the word "grace" in the Bible, try substituting "Jesus." Jesus was grace personified.

Sometimes, I admit, I don’t sound very much like Jesus to my kids. And honestly? If I can’t get that right, my witness isn’t worth very much. My kids know the “real” me.  They will reflect to the world the kind of grace they learn at home. It matters now more than ever—because the world is asking important questions right now.

Christianity is on trial—and that means the very name of Jesus is on trial.

What do our lives say about our Savior’s love and grace?

Do you have a child in need of a special touch? Show her grace. {Jesus}

Have friends let you down? Give them grace. {Jesus}

Are there unwise “friends” on social media driving you crazy? Say grace-filled things, or say nothing. {be Jesus-filled}

You can tell the truth and still be gracious.

We’ve got to know how to give—and receive—grace.

Why? Because God wants us to teach it. To testify. To bear witness to the faithful goodness of God.

Paul understood this. He wrote:

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

He knew his ministry was to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. He knew that grace was the big deal.

The word grace is as over-used as “cool” these days, and I think we’ve forgotten how powerful grace is. Grace is love, personified. Grace is underserved favor poured out over a lost world in the name of Jesus.

If you are not talking about what grace is with your kids, now is the time. We need it big-time in this country right now.

Need some help communicating what grace looks like with your loves? Read stories of grace to them. Kids resonate with stories. Jesus knew this. He used stories to illustrate many things.

Need a place to start? Read with your kids. In Lee Strobel’s book, A Case for Grace for Kids, I found stories of God’s grace. Powerful stories. Ugly-cry stories, if you wanna know the truth. If you have kids ages 9-12, this is a good option for you—but I’ll admit: we read it with our little and not-so-little loves. It’s powerful to hear about the redeeming power of God’s grace.

Give—and receive grace, sweet moms.

You are loved,
signature-heidistjohn

 

PS: Here’s a little shot in the arm for you —a little more on Psalm 127. Don’t mind the noise in the background. It was laundry day and there was a woodpecker at war with my husband. It’s a little crazy, but it’s my life. 🙂

Waiting Until Your Child Is Ready

We face a lot of pressure as moms. From the moment our wee one is born we are presented with a variety of options for this tiny bundle that we are now completely responsible for. Will we co-sleep? How about baby wearing? They grow and there are more choices – what will we feed them, how will we dress them, what will we let them watch on tv  (if we let them watch tv at all?!)…

In fact, I don’t think the choices and decisions have slowed down at all. In nearly fifteen years of mothering, the decisions to be made haven’t lessened, they have only changed. Last week it was choosing to “parent teach” driver’s ed and choosing which curriculum to use! The fact remains that we are still, consistently, one hundred percent responsible for these little humans who are ever-growing into little adults.

Often we don’t see the results and benefits of the choices that we make. Sometimes…we do. And it can be so, so sweet. 

As homeschool moms we add a new set of choices and pressures to our already full plate. We feel the pressure for our children to succeed and do well. We have to fight the voices (and possibly the state regulations) that tell us what our children need to know and when they need to know it. Sometimes we know that this child is different or that child isn’t ready and we fight the fear that someone might think less of us, or our child, if they can’t read or write or do math at the right age.

Truly, one of the hardest and best things we can do for a child that isn’t ready for something.. is to simply wait until they are.

I will say it again: Waiting for our children to be mentally, emotionally and physically ready to learn something is better than pushing them too soon. It’s hard, . . . but it’s worth it.

When I taught my oldest daughter to read–well, it was a piece of cake really. She wanted to do it, she was eager, she learned easily. She was reading Dick & Jane and The Cat in the Hat by five years old. She progressed quickly and sped through 2nd and 3rd grade “I can read” books like nobody’s business. In 4th grade she was easily at a 6th grade (or higher) reading level.

{I’m not going to lie; I thought I was pretty good at this. Look at how well my daughter is reading. I’m so proud of her. I did a good job teaching her. Homeschooling for the win!}

You know where this is going don’t you?

That’s right; my second daughter came along and she was completely different. She is wired differently, she learns differently, she has different strengths. Reading wasn’t one of them. It was harder for her and the same approach that I used with my oldest wasn’t working. At all. Every time I pushed, she resisted and backed off.

So we regrouped and tried a different, more hands on approach. We slowed down a little and took things at her pace. Once she saw that she could do it, everything clicked. I saw the light bulb come on and she began reading, too, at age 6. Now, she may not have ever really “fallen behind” but I learned an important lesson at this point. Step 1: Ignore the social pressure. Step 2: What my child needs is a gentle, steady, patient teacher. 

That would be a very important lesson I would need to know, and remind myself of frequently, when my third child came along.

My son, as boys are in many ways, was very different from my two girls. At first he seemed to thrive with letters and numbers and I was t-h-r-i-l-l-e-d when he could identify, name, and write all of his letters by age two. (Thank you very much to Barney and Blues Clues.) I have the cutest video of him sounding out some simple three letter words at age 3 or 4, while eating a popsicle and just looking hands-down-adorable.

And then everything changed.

Reading came to a complete, total, grinding, screeching halt. 

For whatever reason, my son was not mentally and emotionally ready to move on. He could do it, I knew he could. But he wouldn’t. And I was afraid to push too hard for fear of making him hate reading. I reminded myself of what I knew inside-that I could be patient and it would be okay. But he was four then,. . . and there was plenty of time.

And then he was five.
He turned six.
And then seven.
He didn’t. Want. To. Read.

How long is too long? How long are we patient? How long do we wait??

By age seven I was getting questions and comments. I would rebuff them gently and positively. “He will get there,” I’d say, “There’s no hurry.” I would come across articles that would assure me that I was doing the right thing. I had friends who had been there before to encourage me. It’s hard to tell that Mom Worry to keep her voice quiet, though. You still wonder if you are doing the right thing.

As time passed, I just kept to my gentle and steady approach. Lessons were very short and simple. The first sign of frustration signaled the end of the reading lesson. Many days there were no lessons at all. We looked for opportunities to sound out words elsewhere – in the free Lego magazine, on the Sonic menu board, in the Netflix episode list. Any opportunity to read that didn’t ‘look’ like a reading lesson was seized. In the mean time, I was patient. Eventually, like a heavy locomotive slowly coming to motion, the wheels began to turn again. 

At the beginning of one school year, a few months before turning eight, my son stopped arguing as much over his reading lesson. He began to show a little more interest. And the most amazing thing happened. He began to learn and grow again. 

It was beautiful. He had still learned and grown during his years of waiting, because I never backed off entirely, and he could read a lot more than he had allowed himself to realize. But until he was ready to embrace the idea of reading with willingness, he was never able to flourish.

That’s what we were waiting for, that’s what he needed. Once he was ready to move forward with reading he was able to do so with great speed, making up for all the “lost time.” In two years’ time he went from a beginning-of-first-grade reading level to an end-of-third-grade reading level.

Even better: since turning nine my son has shown an increasing desire to read for pleasure.

He takes books with him, he has asked for bigger books to read. I won’t forget the day, only a couple of months ago, when he took a book to church “to read while you practice for worship.” Did he read it? Yes he did. Since then I’ve been finding him with other books and magazines. Only last week he asked me to install the Kindle app on the tablet he worked and saved for, “so I can read books on here, too.” He’s in the middle of Stephen Altrogge’s “The Last Superhero.” My momma heart swells with joy beyond words. My boy reads! He reads well. And he likes it.

So is it worth it to wait until your child is ready? Should we shuck tradition, state standards, and cookie cutter models? Do we ignore the naysayers and the genuinely concerned and press on down a path that looks an awful lot like “doing nothing?” 

Listen, I can’t speak for every child. And I can’t speak into every situation. There may be legitimate learning issues such as dyslexia that is hindering your child that would *need* to be addressed and helped. But I believe whether the child is struggling, or simply not ready, that pushing hinders more than it helps. I believe the best course is to always set sail in the general direction that you want to go, at the speed that your child needs for that time, and let the rest of it go–give it to God. Be gentle, steady, and patient. Slow and steady really does win the race sometimes.

I pray that whatever worries you have for your child, that you able to find peace in the middle of the hard decisions. I pray that while you wait for your child to embrace learning you find strength and hope. I pray that you are renewed and encouraged to not give up but press on. Waiting for our children to be ready to learn is one of the hardest and best things we can do for them.

Amber

Confession: I Have a Comparison Problem

 

TBM The Problem with Making Comparisons March 2015

I have a problem with making comparisons. Sometimes making comparisons can be a good thing, like when one is comparing prices when shopping in order to get the best deal. There are other times when it’s a very bad thing! For example, it’s a bad idea to compare your husband or children to someone else’s. That does not usually turn out well! In those situations, comparisons simply serve to make us feel “less than” someone else, feel sorry for ourselves, and make us look at our circumstances and choose to be unhappy.

I was talking with another mom recently, and she shared that her husband was very unhappy with their teenage daughter. The daughter is very bright, but she just doesn’t apply herself to her school work. She’s also not very motivated when it comes to helping around the house or in the yard. She’s a talented musician, a very creative writer, and a sweet girl who is always polite and kind to others, yet her father isn’t happy with her because he sees other young women her age who make straight A’s and help in the house or yard without being asked. Instead of being thankful for his daughter and the gifts and talents she possesses, he sees what she doesn’t possess.

As I was listening to this mom tell me about her sadness because her husband is so displeased with their daughter, I realized that I often do the same thing! Instead of being thankful for my children and their own unique personalities and talents, I often find myself wishing they were different in one way or another.

For example, my 18-year-old son does not enjoy his school work and really isn’t terribly motivated to make good grades (except that, because we homeschool, he has to redo assignments until I’m satisfied with his work). Over the years, I’ve wished many times that he would do his school work cheerfully and that he might even be able to enjoy it to some degree. Guess what? He’ll graduate from our homeschool next year, and he still doesn’t enjoy doing school. And he still doesn’t really care a whole lot about making good grades—except to keep from doing assignments over again.

But I’ve begun to realize that, although school may never be something he enjoys, I can be proud of him for the other talents he possesses. For example, he’s extremely smart and creative. From the time he was a little guy, about 2 or 3 years old, he could tell you nearly anything you wanted to know about any dinosaur that ever existed. And he could take blocks or Legos and create quite a complicated habitat for his toy dinosaurs.

As he’s gotten older, he’s branched out into building wonderful Lego ships and elaborate space stations. He’s also quite talented at strategy games (both board games and video games). So, while I admit that I would have loved to see him take pride in his school work and be motivated to make good grades, he is definitely talented in other areas and in other ways, and I’m thankful for that.

Isn’t it a good thing God doesn’t decide how much He loves us based on our achievements and talents or any other criteria? He loves my children and me simply because He made each of us! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were that way? If we could (or would) simply stop worrying about what our children (or we ourselves) don’t have and be thankful for what we do have? If we would stop comparing our husbands or children or houses or cars to others and be grateful instead?

God loves each one of us unconditionally! He loves each one of us simply because He made us! If we never make good grades or go to college. If we never have a job with a fancy title or earn a degree with lots of letters behind it. If we never bring thousands of people to salvation. If we are simply His children living quiet lives of service to Him, that’s enough. If we’re never well-known. If we never make a lot of money. If we simply remain faithful to our husbands and take care of our children and teach them to love Him, it’s enough.

So next time you feel discouraged, remember that God loves you. The next time you feel worthless, remember that you have worth simply because God created you! The next time you wonder if God loves you, remember that He loves you simply because you belong to Him. The next time you wonder if what you’re doing really matters, remember that it does because He gave you your job as wife and mother. And that is enough.

5 Homemade Face Masks For The Busy Mom

5 Homemade Face Masks For The Busy Mom I thebusymom.com

I rarely find the time to get out and treat myself to a spa afternoon. In reality, even if I did find the time I’d probably fill it up thinking about the zillion things I could be doing at home! I just prefer to find ways to relax and spoil myself at home. I guess you could call me a homebody.

Over the last year or so I’ve tried out a few different homemade face masks, and today I’m sharing my favorites! I turn to these all the time and they never fail to impress me! The coolest part is that I can find most of these ingredients in my pantry, so I can do these anytime I want!

I love to start out my spa sessions with a lip and face scrub. For each of these, you only need a few basic ingredients, and if you are missing some you can still make a mask with just a few of the ingredients.

  • Brown Sugar (key, must have ingredient)
  • Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil)
  • Vanilla (optional)
  • Honey (optional). Honey is great for so many things – acne, aging, boost in complexion, and clarifying.

My go-to recipes

Recipe #1

  • 1cup of Honey
  • 1cup of Brown Sugar
  • 2tbs of Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil)

I prefer using the Coconut Oil and like to use it in its solid state. This way I can mash everything together and it forms a creamy paste. I also store a portion of this batch in my fridge. It makes a lot so feel free to adjust the measurements to make less. You could add a few drops of Vanilla to this too. Vanilla is a great antioxidant!

Recipe #2 (I use this mostly for my lip scrub)

Equal parts of:

  • Brown Sugar and Coconut Oil (I use about a tsp each). You could use Olive oil in place of Coconut Oil.
  • Splash of Vanilla

Mash everything together, store in a container. When you go to use it just dab your finger in the mix and apply to lips in circular motions to exfoliate. You can use this for your face too.

Face Masks

Okay, now that you’ve prepped your face it’s time for a nourishing face mask! Here are 5 face masks for different skin types/purposes.

Grapefruit/Oatmeal Mask (this is a great post winter/winter mask)

  • 1 Red Grapefruit
  • 1 Cup of cooked Oatmeal (great for calming inflammation)
  • 1 Cup of Milk (soothes skin)

Mash up grapefruit, mix all ingredients together, apply to face. Leave on face for 15-20 min. Rinse with warm water and apply your favorite moisturizer as needed.

Blemish Prone or Acne Skin Mask

  • 1 Tsp of Oats (ground it up to make a flour like consistency)
  • 1 Tsp of Baking Soda
  • A few dashes of salt
  • Warm Water

***If you’re sensitive to Baking Soda you can reduce the quantity and increase the oat quantity accordingly. So if you do ½ tsp of Baking soda you’ll use 1.5 tsp of oats.

Mix all dry ingredients together, add warm water until you reach a pasty consistency. Apply mask, leave on until hardens. Rinse with warm water, apply moisturizer.

Anti-Aging Mask

  • 1 Banana Mashed
  • 4 Tbs of honey
  • 2 Tbs of Water

Blend ingredients together, apply to face. Leave on face for 20-25 min. Wash off and apply moisturizer as needed.

Combination Skin Mask

Combination skin is typically oily in the “T” zone and try around the rest of the face.

  • ½ of a Banana mashed
  • 2 Tbs of Honey
  • 1 Tbs of water

Blend ingredients together, apply to face, leave on face for 20-25 min. Rinse off with warm water and moisturize as needed.

Combination Skin Mask #2

  • 1Tbs of Graham Flour (for absorption and also evens skin tone)
  • 4 drops of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (nourishes and revitalizes skin)
  • Full Fat Milk  (just enough to form paste)

Apply to face, leave on for 10-20 min. Rinse with water, and apply lotion.

5 Homemade Face Masks  Mother Daughter Date Night I thebusymom.com

Mother Daughter Spa Night

My two girls just LOVE it when we have our Mommy Daughter Date Nights! And of course, one of our favorite things to do is to have a Spa night while watching a fun movie together. If you’d like to keep things super simple, I often use this recipe for my youngest daughter. She tends to have super dry skin and she raves about how good this feels on her skin. I’m sure that has more to do with the excitement of the night, but I’ll take it! 🙂

Simple Honey Face Mask (Bonus Recipe)

  •  1 Egg (raw)
  • 1 Tbs of Honey

Apply to face, leave on for 15-20 min. Rinse with water.

Do you make any homemade face masks? Let me know what your favorite one is in the comments! If you try one of these let me know too! 

signature_marlene