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From Susan Merrill

The Blog

Passionate Mom

JOIN THE DELIVERY TEAM AND GET A FREE COPY OF MY NEW BOOK BEFORE IT’S RELEASED!

We are so excited about the delivery of our new baby, The Passionate Mom, Dare to Parent in Today’s World. The book was a daring journey for me–so much reflection about my own parenting and all that I have learned from reading and working with other moms at iMOM.com. I am deeply passionate about you and your desires as a mom and I am hoping and praying that this book will: inspire moms to passionately become the best mom they can be provide moms a plan on how to parent with confidence encourage moms with stories of ways that I have struggled to be the best mom I can be. I am inviting 150 moms to join me as members of our virtual “Delivery Team.” As the book’s release date gets closer, Delivery Team members will help “deliver” the exciting news about the book to other moms. Delivery Team members will be selected based on a simple form due by midnight on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Everyone who joins the team will get a few perks in return. TEAM MEMBER BENEFITS Members of the Delivery Team will get: A free, electronic review copy of the book before it’s available to the …

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Encouragement

When You Can’t Live Without Friends

There are times in a mom’s life when she simply cannot live without friends. I have been through one of those times. Years after I received my first pacemaker at seventeen, it gave out. I had three small children ages 5, 3 and 1. New doctors did new tests and gave me a new diagnosis. They felt that I probably didn’t need a pacemaker. They put me on steroids instead. I was not the same person. After a year, I had an appointment with my old doctor in Houston for a second opinion. We flew in for the appointment, but when we got there we had to see his partner instead due to an emergency. The partner was rather rushed and told us that if the steroids weren’t working don’t take them. Period. So I stopped. I didn’t know any better. I didn’t even really know that what I was on was a true steroid. It took six days before I felt the effects of not slowly weaning off the steroid. I became really sick. The combination of complications from coming off the steroid and trying to keep my heart beating regularly were debilitating. My children were 6, 4 and …

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Encouragement

I Feel Better When I Cook

I have been resolutely cooking now for 6 weeks–not every night, just twice a week. I skipped one week because I was traveling. The results in my mind are clear–home cooking is good for the soul. Not only is it better for your health, it’s better for your family. You feel more connected. Setting the table, the smell of simmering deliciousness, tripping over hungry, hovering peeps trying to get a taste–it’s all homeyness. And I really mean this–for a working, busy mom like me I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it without eMeals. Enjoy! This recipe is from the Clean Eating Family Plan… eMeals

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Encouragement

Get Less, Give More

Our giving got away from us this last year for the first time in our married life. I still get a pang in my heart about it. Since Mark and I married we have always been very purposeful about giving a set percentage, and more if needed, of our gross income to church, several non-profits, missionaries and individuals in need. We gave last year but not at the level I would have liked. The year just got away from us. The house flood and renovation were more than expected, the replacement of what we lost was more than expected and the condo rent to live while our house was completed was more than we expected. And still we were paying for college tuitions and life with five children. Sounds justifiable, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t feel that way when I sit in my new, old house. It feels selfish. I did not put the giving first. I was busy and I wasn’t thinking, I was surviving. And then the end of the year came and it was all there in black and white – the getting and the giving. We fell short on giving. I know God forgives me. …

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Parenting

13 Ways to Keep Your Clan Together: Duck Dynasty Style

The 10-day Duck Dynasty 2013 countdown begins today! And the Merrill Men can’t wait. What is it about this clan that made it A&E’s most-watched series? Why did 6.5 million viewers tune in on December 5th for the season 2 finale? What makes this somewhat kooky camo-clad clan so cute? family The Robertson clan is a family with traditions. And those traditions make them unique and give them a point of connection. And that connection keeps them together. Season 3 will be more of what we love. Apparently the Robertson men will be preparing for the beginning of duck season next week and the traditions abound. Phil has two rituals that don’t go over well; a date night with Ms. Kay and abstaining from baths. Meanwhile, the guys carry out their tradition of camping out on the land but the group is divided into those who’ll rough it and those who want comfort. Is that not every families major camping dilemma–who will rough it and who won’t? Certainly is ours. The point here is that in the daily life of the Robertsons there are traditions that must be kept. And those traditions are almost never carried out with naively optimistic family harmony. Nope, …

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Parenting

Too Young to Date AKA “Go Out”

The boy/girl fascination starts for some around 4th or 5th grade. By middle school many kids start “going out.” The problem with “going out” is as follows: They can’t go out because they can’t drive and if they aren’t mature enough to wisely handle a car they aren’t mature enough to wisely handle each other. The thrilling roller coaster of “going out” and “breaking up” can become an emotionally unhealthy way to get attention and gain popularity. The emotional stimulation is often physically stimulating as well and boundaries are crossed that shouldn’t be at any dating age. So what do you say to your child about “going out?” How about no? When my kids first started talking about kids they knew going out, we talked about the following: I told them that it was silly to go out when you couldn’t even really go out without your parents driving you. We talked about the disruption to their friendships that would occur if all of sudden they had to eat lunch with their boyfriend and about how their friends would feel. We talked about how short lived these relationships were and about how many boy/girl friendships were destroyed by drama before …

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Lessons I Learned

Platform Prepping For The Passionate Mom Book Release

I am in the zone–the two months to book launch zone. The pressure is building to prepare a platform, build my home base, expand my social media reach, and create a WOW experience for moms. I am out of my comfort zone. Growing iMOM.com was much more comfortable than growing my platform for The Passionate MOM book release. So, I am at the Platform Conference to learn from the master, Michael Hyatt (above with Courtney Rohrdanz, our resident iMOM.com web and social media expert). I am not here to be comfortable but to take risks. It is risky to try to do something you never thought you could do or even wanted to do. I don’t really want a “platform.” I just want to help moms be the best they can be. But Michael says if you want them to see and hear you above the noise of the world you have to build your “platform.” I would do that for you, in the hopes that you will hear me. Because when the book releases I am hoping you will leave your comfort zone and read The Passionate Mom…Dare To Parent In Today’s World. And I am hoping that you will …

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Love This

Comfort Food: Cubed Steak With Peppered Gravy

It is month number 2 on my 2013 resolution to make more family meals. Thanks to eMeals I am still going! This one I had to share. It was what I call country fried steak and it was the perfect comfort food for a cold day–filling, crispy and hot. I added twice baked potatoes and an easy salad–spinach, strawberries, walnuts and a little balsamic glaze drizzle. Try this recipe and try eMeals–I am loving not having to think about what to make! 5 – 4 oz cube steaks (1 t salt, divided) (1. c milk, divided) (2 large eggs) (. c plus 2. T flour, divided) 3 c corn flakes, crushed (4 t canola oil) (2. T butter) 2. c unsalted chicken stock Sprinkle steaks with . t salt. Whisk together . c milk and eggs. Dredge 1 steak in . c flour. Dredge in milk mixture. Dredge in corn flakes. Repeat with other steaks. Heat half of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of steak to pan; cook 3 minutes per side or until crust is browned and steak is done. Repeat. Keep steaks warm. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high …

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Parenting

School Involvement for Moms 101

Getting involved is a must for moms. Now I want to acknowledge that if you are on this blog you are probably an involved mom. Therefore, I am preaching to the choir but I am going to preach it anyway! Spending time in your child’s school is the BEST way to get to know other moms, teachers and administrators–all people that will come in contact with your child. That is one of the reasons we started iMOM Morning in schools. At an iMOM Morning you will meet other moms, discuss important topics for kids, and bond over breakfast. This is a great program–so find out if you have an iMOM Morning in your school, if you don’t talk to the PTA or an administrator about starting one. It is extremely easy and the program has everything your need.

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Encouragement

Book Release Hair Drama

The drama began last Friday. I was up before dawn to hit the highway for a 25 minutes trek to fetch 36 different kinds of donuts from Nicola’s — they’re worth it. The purpose was to surprise the Family First team because iMOM hit 1,000,000 unique visitors in the month of January. As I drove, I was tuned into the JOY fm. I love Carmen the comedic radio host and soon became caught up in her dress drama. She was invited to a big wedding in Nashville and needed a dress. A dim bulb went on in my barely awake brain. I was going to Nashville in 10 days to film a video for The Passionate Mom book release. She said the problem was that she didn’t like dresses. I don’t have to wear a dress in the video, but I do need to look presentable and did a quick check in the review mirror. Note to self: Color hair and when was the last time you had it cut? Carmen said the other problem was that everyone in Nashville was like super hipster? I think she did say hipster. So she felt pressured to look really good. The bulb in my brain …

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