I had on my “to write” list — “Hearts at Home Conference.” I, of course, really should have written about this right after I got back from the conference so that it was more fresh in my memory. You’d think a 30 year old could hold things in their minds longer than two weeks, but with three kids around, it is sometimes a marvel when I hold on to things in my mind for more than two minutes. (“Yes — I know I said I would get you juice, Jack, but I started the laundry and I forgot — I’m sorry.” [10 minutes later] “Sorry Jack! I went to the kitchen for your juice, and then the dishwasher caught my attention.” Yes, you know the routine.)
Anyway — so on March 17th, I drove to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois to attend the Hearts at Home national conference. Hearts at Home is an organization that promotes the profession of motherhood. (And, of course, if they were a Catholic organization, I suppose they would probably say that they promote the vocation of motherhood.)
Anyhoo — I went with the one day option with the “quick lunch pick up” instead of a leisurely lunch. The quick pick up allows for you to sign up for four workshops instead of three. And, since I drove there just especially for the event, I was going to get my money’s worth!
Our first keynote speaker was Jill Savage — founder of Hearts at Home. I had heard her speak on “Is There Really Sex After Kids?” at my MOPS group, and so I looked forward to hearing her again. She did not disappoint! Her keynote talk was funny and insightful, and left me with tears as she encouraged us to gaze into the eyes of our children (we had been instructed to bring photographs — though I brought my video iPod) and think of how much they mean to us, and how important we are to them.
Then, I went to four workshops — Living a Life that Says Welcome, Your Closet: Friend or Foe, The Balancing Act, and Redefining Romance.
The first workshop was presented by Karen Ehman, and gave lots of great ideas to be more welcoming to guests. She also gave great cooking and cleaning ideas, as well as decorating ideas. Thanks to this talk — I decided that I believe I will be painting my downstairs bathroom in yellow sometime soon.
Your Closet: Friend or Foe gave me some great wardrobe ideas. I tried to figure out what my “colors” might be — maybe I’m an Autumn, I think. I loved hearing about paring things down to a more basic, but useable wardrobe. This also inspired me to clear out my closet and drawers of some unflattering items, as well as things I never wear. I actually just took the stuff to Goodwill yesterday.
The only workshop of the day that I did not enjoy was “The Balancing Act.” It was written up to be about time management and such. Instead, I believe it would have been more accurately named “Finding God in the Difficult Times.” While a vital practice — it wasn’t the workshop that I signed up for.
Redefining Romance was one I was unsure of. Jill Savage was the speaker, and I was afraid it might be too much like the talk she gave to my MOPS group. But, I was very pleasantly surprised, and was so glad to have picked that session! She gave so many great ideas for fostering your marriage.
The second keynote speaker (for the afternoon session) was Lisa Whelchel. You know — Blair from the Facts of Life. She was so enjoyable to listen to, though she seemed to wander from topic to topic. I was disappointed that I hadn’t signed up for any of her workshops. Unfortunately, with 20 minutes left, I started weighing my options. Listen to the end of her talk or miss it, but be able to quickly go to the bathroom without waiting in line and then drive right out of the parking lot with no waiting. Finally, I decided to go with less stress, and I cut out just a little early. (Hey — I figured when almost 4,000 women left the auditorium, I would be waiting in line for the bathroom for sure!)
Overall — it was a great day! And, I think I will go again next year. I urge all of you to check out their site and consider a trip to the conference next year!
No related posts.
