Inspire Motherhood Conference

Yesterday, a fellow daycare parent and I attended the Inspire Motherhood Conference in Davenport (www.inspiremotherhoodconference.com).  I first came across this event on the Quad City Moms Blog (citymomsblog.com/quadcity).  This conference was a day-long event based on the theme "Being Bold and Brave" featuring speakers, various workshops, and "Pop-Up Shops" including a wide variety of vendors.  Erin Haluska founded the conference.  Her mission in organizing the event was to inspire mothers to celebrate the gift of motherhood with its trials and triumphs while offering this day as an opportunity to "fill your tank" in order to re-energize. 

I enjoyed every minute of the day.  Starting with the breakfast bar, there was a lot to take in from the coordinating table decor to all the various vendors.  The first keynote speaker, Stephanie Flies (owner of City Moms Blog Network) touched on being bold and brave in friendships.  Her main points included the importance of investing in friendship and entering into friendships with an intentionality, bravery, and grace.  Using words of affirmation to celebrate our friends' accomplishments instead of falling into constant comparisons was also a key point.  Stephanie listed 8 traits she looks for in a friend; honesty, integrity, deep thinker, candor, other-centeredness, acceptance, spiritual depth, and love of life.  She also branched off into talking about her own kids and how important it is to allow them to be different and to make mistakes as they navigate this world. 

Being bold and brave in motherhood was the topic for the next speaker, Jennifer DeWeerdt (leader of Original Women's conference and pastor of Rockford First).  My favorite part of Jennifer's talk was her description of motherhood as a journey; just as many things in life that we pursue are more of a marathon than a sprint.  As parents, we are the personal trainers of our kids.  She also spoke of the importance of maintaining the courage to keep trying even after failed attempts; each day is a gift to begin again.  The idea of making comparisons to other parents was brought up and how we need to "tend to our own yard" and make the most of the gifts God has given each of us to raise our kids along with the idea of "don't hesitate to celebrate" others' achievements instead of being envious.  Taking one day at a time while not worrying about what the future may bring allows us to be more fully present in day-to-day life.  Your thoughts can greatly "affect your effectiveness."  Seeking out perfection will lead to continuous discontent.

The third speaker, Natalie Lesnefsky (creator of "Happy Mommy Box" and blogger:  www.thebusybudgetingmama.com) focused on how to be brave and bold with your spouse.  Fostering a loving relationship with your spouse is truly a gift to your kids.  I especially love how Natalie infused a strong faith-based theme throughout her message, as she stated the ultimate goal for us as parents is to help our kids get to heaven.  Often the busyness of our day can take over the simply joy of living.  Communication with eye contact, admiration through words and actions, and simple acts of intimacy are all building blocks in a solid foundation of a relationship between husband and wife, who should be an example of what married love is to their kids.

Each attendee at the conference also had the opportunity to choose 3 workshops to sign up for in advance.  I chose Photography 101, Social Confidence, and "Supermom Must Die."  Now that I traded in my point and shoot camera for a DSLR, I was hoping to learn more about how to take pictures in the manual mode rather than having it set to auto, but the photographer of this workshop (Sarah Sunstrom) covered topics such as minimizing distractions, lighting, and angles instead.  I still learned some helpful, practical tips.  As an introvert, the Social Confidence workshop was meant for me!  The presenter, Olivia Ryan, went over different breathing techniques to help transform a nervous or tense situation into a calmer one along with using visualization of a courageous moment to overcome new ones.  I also liked her point of embracing who are you rather than trying to be someone you are not.  She gave some practical tips, such as allowing yourself opportunities to participate in social events instead of attempting to avoid them.  Sparking a conversation with a compliment, common interest, or even a simple smile can also help.  Lastly, Leslie Klipsch spoke on the idea of "eradicating Supermom."  This notion of a mother who does everything and does it all well leads to feelings of inadequacy and incompetency when comparisons are made if we try to be this idealistic "Supermom."  We need to learn to silence these voices of comparison, know we are enough, and shed the superhero cape. 

Aside from the three workshops I attended, they also offered sessions including:  Health/Nutrition, Mompreneur, DIY/Crafting, Beauty Bootcamp, Finances 101, and Essential Oils. 

At the conclusion of the day, there were giveaways along with a "swag bag" for each person with lots of coupons and free samples.  I am really hoping this conference will be offered again.  Who wants to join me next time?  :)  I came away from this day with a renewed perspective of motherhood and a renewed commitment to this calling as I continue on the journey.