Category: Maintaining Me

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Maintaining Me

Mother’s and Daughter’s Show Grace Today

As Mother’s Day is approaching, I have been reflecting on my relationship with my daughter as well as the one that I have with my mother.

Ever since I found out I was going to have a daughter and soon to be two, I was determined to nurture that relationship to the best of my ability. 

You see, my mother and I have a very complex relationship. When I was younger I would say that it was a very cold relationship. But I just think we did not understand what the other one needed from each other. 

To some people, my childhood would be considered tragic, to others, it is just the typical “American story”. My mother had me when she was 19 and soon separated from my father when I was three. I have no memories of my mother and father together but a lot of her dating other men to which I hated with a passion.

My father had a lot of health issues from having Type 2 Diabetes since a child and ended up passing away when I was 12. With my mom having to work a lot and still being “young” my grandmother took on the primary role of raising me for most of my childhood.

When my mother and I talk about my childhood we both have two very different views on how it went and why it was like the way it was. But since becoming a mom I have come to realize that most people feel that way about their childhood.

I was unaware of a lot of the hardships my mother had to go through and never thought about how she felt when I was younger. I was just so angry she wasn’t like “all the other moms”.

To be honest, I did not make it any easier on her. I would be so cruel with my words just to try and get a reaction from her. Even to this day I sometimes fall into my same old habits with her when we are experiencing a hard time.

What I have come to learn through my self-development journey is that she did the best that she knew how to do at that time. We all have our own demons we are working through and raising children through that time can be tough.

No, I do not agree with all of her decisions but I have learned to accept them and believe that she did the best she could do.

She often said “just wait until you have children of your own” or now she says “just wait until Melina is older”. I am not going to lie when I first had my daughter I had these expectations that I had to be the perfect mom and that I was going to be.

You want to know the truth? I am not. But I still love my daughter more than anything. 

My mother was not the perfect mom, but I can see that she loved me very much and still does.

No matter what life throws at us, we have been able to work through it together. Sometimes we are walking through life very angrily and hurt but we always find our way back to each other and know that we are there for each other.

In the past couple years we have experienced some very trying times with each other. Accepting one another for who we are and continuing to move forward has been a game changer in our relationship.

I like to say that we have a very open communication policy between the two of us, good and bad. My mother has most definitely seen my ugliest side and heard my cruelest words.  While I am ashamed to admit that, it is the truth.

And yet she would drop anything in a time where I really needed her. The same goes for her, there have been times where I swore I would not talk to her and then I realized she needed my help and I was right there with her.

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Because that is what mothers do. They are always there in the best way that they know how to be.

I hope my daughters can one day realize too that even though I am not a perfect mom, I love them with all of my heart and have done the best that I can do for them.

If you are going through a difficult season with your mother or daughter, choose love. Choose to love each other even though your opinions might be conflicting. Choose to love each other through the pain of the past.

Choose to love them anyway and show grace.

Happy Mother’s Day to every Mama out there!

 

 

 

 

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Maintaining Me

The Spring Cleaning List You Don’t Think About But Should

Springtime is here everybody! Have you started your spring cleaning yet?

If you haven’t check out my post about safer cleaning products that won’t harm your health: Spring Cleaning With Safer Alternatives

We are expecting a little girl at the end of June so I think my nesting is starting to kick in! I want to clean and organize everything! If only I physically had the energy my mind does.

I decided that I was going to tackle a little bit each weekend until my list was done. But then I started thinking that there is more than just “house cleaning” that I would like to do to this spring.

I have been waiting for the weather to start to change and it is finally happening here in Michigan. Lately, we have been able to enjoy some outside walks with our pup and Melina. Pretty sure our pup is just as happy that the weather is changing as we are!

Something about springtimes sparks energy inside my soul. I start to get all of these ideas of what projects I want to do.

This year I sat down to write my spring cleaning list and realized that there is more than just housework that needs to get down in order to get our lives refreshed and on track.

In the past year, I have been on a mission to simplify and reset our lifestyle.

So often I found us too busy with the nonimportant tasks and overwhelmed with our schedules. This is the year that I decided to drastically cut down on our belongings and what we bring into our home as well as what we commit ourselves to.

If you want to know more about our decluttering journey and how minimalism has played a part read Why Decluttering Is Essential for Your Family. 

Springtime is like the New Year to me, a new beginning, or a chance to start again. So here is my list of tasks to do that are not housework but just as important.

Spring Cleaning For Your Life

Go Through Your Phone

Ever since becoming a mom, I take pictures all the time! I have wanted to capture the precious moments of my daughter’s childhood so we try to take pictures often. The problem is that I take 5 photos of the same thing just hoping one of them is going to turn out really good. Hoping that Melina is not moving in all of them and her eyes are open and maybe I even got a really cute one of her smile. If I am lucky!

But more times than not I forget to delete the crappy ones. So my phone ends up with thousands of pictures that need to be gone through. It is such a simple task but it is so tedious that I dread doing it. I know this task weighs in my head as extra clutter so it is important that I designate times for me to sit down and clear it out. The same thing goes for old messages and unused apps.

After my photos are gone through I plan on backing my phone up to our external hard drive that we save all of our pictures too. I have lost so many photos in the past from switching phones or the phone malfunctioning that I now back my photos up to Google Photos and the hard drive for us to keep on hand.

Clean Out Your Car

If you are a mom and have a spotless car, I am jealous! I just got a new 2019 Equinox in October and I felt that the car was disgusting all winter. My daughter and I drive an hour to my uncles multiple times a week to Nanny so we are in the car a lot. I feel bad not giving her a snack or drink since we are on the go so early and come back during dinner time.

But really it has been such a pain in the butt. More times than not the snack and drink gets chucked throughout the car ride. There have been a few times where she even figured out how to get the cap off. Talk about a mess!

Last week we had a pretty mild day outside and I decided it was time to tackle the mess during naptime. I got all the crumbs vacuumed up, floormats washed, seats wiped down, and cleaned all those little fingerprints on the window.

Boy did it feel good to get in that clean car!

It is funny how once you become a mom, small things like a clean car feels like a luxury.

Clean Up Cosmetics

I hate to admit it, but I am not as faithful at cleaning my makeup brushes or hairbrushes as I should be. It is something that I just seem to overlook for a little too long. This is my time to go through my beauty products and discard empty/expired products, clean makeup brushes, and hairbrushes. Also, check the hairdryer and make sure there is not dust and hair stuck in your cooling fan to prolong the life of the dryer. Another thing that I forget about!!

Clean Out Purse/Baby Bag

Since I have become a mom I rarely use a purse. I am lugging enough stuff between the baby backpack and chasing my toddler that I mostly just carry our baby bag with my essentials in it. Less is better when you have a very active toddler!

It seems that no matter how hard I try, the bottom of a bag is a black hole. I even have a zipper in the back of the bag so I can reach the items at the bottom but always forget to use it. I continuously replenish the diapers, snacks, and outfits in our bag just in case we need them. And more times than not I am just adding extra stuff, burying the previous stuff I packed.

So every now and again I like to dump everything out, wipe down the inside and start over. Soon we will be packing for two little ones so it is especially important that I get organized and stay that way so all of our necessities can fit in our one bag!

If you are wondering what baby bag we use and plan to continue to use for two children, check out my guide to preparing for a new baby here: Everything You Need For Baby For First 3 Months

Gift Ideas for the Classy DadSimplify Your Family’s Wardrobe

When seasons are changing it is the perfect time to go through the closets and reevaluate our items. Especially with children grow so fast.

I find it helpful to stay up to date on switching sizes out and taking inventory on what they need for the upcoming season. I like to buy our clothes on sale so I usually buy my daughters clothes the previous years season when they are discounted down a bit.

It is also a good time to get winter coats and gear washed and packed away for next years season.

My husband and I frequently like to go through our closet to see what we can eliminate. Within the last two years, I have drastically cut down what we keep and purchase for clothing.

I really recommend going through your clothing if you feel overwhelmed with your belongings. We hold onto so many items that no longer serve us.

TIP: Only keep what clothes you fit into and love right now. Even if you are planning to lose weight, most likely you will want to get new clothes to show your progress off.

Not only is it easier to pick out outfits but it also cuts down on laundry when you own less. I am still working on building a capsule wardrobe of quality items rather than quantity,

Evaluate Your Calendar

Many of us feel that we do not have much control over our time. As if our lives are pretty much scheduled for us. We have set work schedules, family obligations, and other commitments that we have agreed to. Sometimes we end up saying yes to commitments even if they are not what we truly want to be doing with our time.

I like taking a step back and evaluating where my time is going every now and again. Am I spending it the way that truly makes me happy? If the answer is no then I look for areas where I can change that.

I am willing to bet that there are some small commitments that you are able to say no to in order to gain some of your time back to spend it more intentionally.

It seems that I continually give more of my time away than I plan on and have a hard time getting it back as I often feel obligated to keep my commitments. But when I am honest with myself and set boundaries with those commitments I am much happier and less stressed.

 

Get To It!

Creating some time to complete these tasks will get your life a bit more organized and easier to manage. When having kids, anything to make your life easier is something worth doing!

I always feel more confident when I feel that I have my life in order and while these tasks are simple they are important.

Let me know what other areas of your life you feel important to freshen up during the spring!

 

 

 

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Maintaining Me

Improving Your Relationship One Date Night At A Time

With Valentine’s Day just passing, I am sure you and your partner have thought about how your relationship has been going this past year. While it is nice to celebrate Valentine’s Day with love and acknowledgments for your partner, imagine what your relationship could be like if this was done more often?

Sometimes we get comfortable with our partner and forget to continue to make them feel loved and special all the ordinary days of the year. Male and female are both guilty of doing it. In fact, I believe it is what just happens naturally, no matter how head over heels you once were.

It takes a conscious effort and intentionality to continue to make your partner feel special and desired in the busy times of life like starting a family or working on career goals.

My husband and I have been together since sophomore year in high school so we have experienced some trying times in our relationship. Especially when it comes to finding the time to make for each other between work and college. Now we are trying to balance work, raising a family, my husband continuing his education, and making time for our marriage.

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It may sound like we are at a time where we should just wait to make time for our marriage. But you see that is where I feel most couples go wrong. If we put our relationship on hold until life is not busy, we will be waiting until we are in rocking chairs on our front porch. And I am just not okay with having a mediocre marriage.

It is that reason why I feel so strongly of continuing to connect with my husband and continue to move towards improving our relationship every day, week and year.

In order to handle what life throws us as a team, we must work at keeping that team bond strong. If we want to make sure our children know what a healthy relationship looks like, we must model it for them and hope they replicate that someday.

We must show them how we prioritize our love and cherish it, as it is the foundation of our family.

Two things I have noticed to improve our relationship and continue to grow us stronger together is communication and setting aside time for each other.

Communication meaning both you and your partner are open about your feelings instead of holding grudges or ignoring what bothers you.

I used to think that my husband should know why I was pissed off. Like he was a mind reader. So I would be distant and pissy until he asked repeatedly what was wrong. Boy, do I feel stupid for making him go through that.

Now I say what is bugging me right away so I do not let my feelings fester. I still have much more work on this part of our relationship. But this slight change has made a world of difference on how our conflicts are solved.

Communication also means speaking out your love and appreciation for your partner. Everyone needs affirmation that they are loved and valued, whether you have been married 6 months or 45 years.

Even if it is for something that is just part of their routine. Tell your partner,

Some examples of appreciation are “thanks for taking care of the trash”. “Dinner was delicious, thanks for making it tonight”. Or “I  appreciate you listening to me vent about my day even though the basketball game is on and I know you would much rather watch that” 

The more you incorporate this into your daily talk with your partner, the more connected you will feel with them and increase positive thoughts about them.

Sometimes as a mom it can be easy to have resentment for all of the tasks that are on our shoulders to handle. But when you start to observe how much your partner handles as well, it might start to change how you feel. It can transform daily tasks into acts of service that you are proud to be doing for the family.

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Now the other transforming tool for couples is actually setting aside time for each other! Yes, I mean more time than just in the bedroom. Connecting on emotional and physical levels.

Since our daughter was born, date nights have become very difficult to come by. At least that is what we thought for about two years. But honestly, that is because we weren’t putting in the effort to make it happen.

In the past few months, we have recently decided that at least two Wednesday’s out of the month we would set aside at least two hours to have a date. Currently, Wednesday is a day that we both have off from work and it works out where my mother in law can watch our daughter without it interrupting her schedule.

So even though it is not a Friday or Saturday night, we are still going on a date! Whether it be in the afternoon or later at night, we make it work with our schedule and value the time we get to be alone with each other.

Here in Michigan, February is prime time for winter weather so scheduling unique dates is a bit tricky. We have decided that we can only go out to eat for our date if it is a new place we have never been to. Last week we tried this Mediterranean Street food that was delicious but I would have normally not been that interested to give it a try. Followed by a coffee date where we got to talk to each other like grown adults with no interruptions, plus we had these cute cappuccinos!!

A few weeks before that we did Painting With A Twist for the first time. We have been wanting to do this for a long time but again just never made time to actually do it.

Of course, we decide to do it when I can’t have any wine since I am pregnant…UGH!

But it was still a lot of fun to just do something new together. We both were a little vulnerable because we were afraid our paintings would suck but in the end, it didn’t even matter.

Being pregnant while trying to think of unique ideas for our dates have made it a bit of a challenge, but there is still a lot to do out there.

Here are some winter date night/day ideas on our list:

  • Couples Massage
  • Dance Lessons
  • Cooking Lessons
  • Kickboxing Lessons
  • Painting With A Twist
  • Try New Restaurant (Spice it up and choose each other’s meal!)
  • Go To Local Museum
  • Double Date
  • Game Night (We do this on the Wednesdays where we cannot get out of the house!)
  • Goal Planning (Open dialogue about dreams and wishes, make vision board together)
  • Volunteer Somewhere Together
  • Bowling
  • Comedy Night
  • Movies
  • Local Concert at Pub
  • Workout Together
  • Couples Yoga
  • Go To Sporting Event (Maybe do surprise tickets for no reason at all!)
  • Go Ice Skating
  • Go To The Zoo
  • Karaoke Night
  • Start A Project
  • Trivia Night
  • Coffee Date (We have some of our best conversations over coffee!)
  • Escape Room
  • Go Paint Cermanics
  • Pottery Class
  • Schedule Romantic Photo Session

Hopefully, some of these ideas sound fun to you and your partner! Whatever it is that you do, make sure to start being more intentional about the time you spend with your partner.

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A great relationship does not just happen. It requires patience and a lot of effort on both parts. Incorporating some open communication along with intentional date nights will set your relationship up for improvement.

Remember, it may seem like there is no time for your marriage and that the kids need to come first. But your relationship with your partner is the foundation of your entire family. You must nourish that relationship in order for the rest of the family relationships to flourish.

I promise you your kids will not hate you because you are having a date night. In fact, they will most likely look forward to that time with the babysitter or relative looking after them!

So get your next date on the calendar tonight!! No more excuses!!

Date Night

Categories
Maintaining Me

Podcasts That Have The Power To Transform Your Life

Looking to pass time listening to podcasts that have worthy content?

To get yourself thinking and changing your life in the right direction?

About a year ago I decided that I wanted to take action in my life and start transforming into the woman that I really wanted to be. I decided to tackle my anxiety and personal insecurities head on.

I knew that I could not grow in these areas by myself. I decided to seek professional therapy along with diving into the self-help world of knowledge of podcasts and books.

If you are anything like me when you are looking to read or listen to a podcast you are doing it for a particular reason.

I look for podcasts that are going to get me thinking. Show me a NEW perspective and address areas where I could improve on.

Everyone can improve their lives, little by little. Transforming it into the life they have always imagined having. You can start just by listening to quality content that others have to say with an open mind.

I have learned how to simplify my home, communicate more effectively with my husband, and most importantly, I have learned the importance of living an intentional life and being true to who I am.

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They challenge me to be better. Do better. And live better.

And they have the same potential to do that for you.

The Minimalists Podcast

The Minimalists

The simple thought that living with less could actually INCREASE my happiness intrigued me so I decided to give them a listen. I have always been one to self soothe with shopping bags to then be donating most of it six months later because I was just impulse buying. I never felt fully satisfied with what I had and always felt that if I had more of something I would be happier, especially if I got it on sale! Turns out, it is just the opposite.

The Minimalist’s do a great job at opening your eyes to what it means to be intentional and live simply. If you feel that you have lost control of your life or are on the wrong path, I encourage you to give this podcast a try. Most of us are stuck in this rat race of life working most of our days and overspending our money on unnecessary items. We essentially become slaves to our lifestyles just because everyone else is doing it.

What if you slowed down and lived simply? Letting go of all of the unnecessary items and activities in your life. Imagine how much freedom you would have. This podcast is all about finding the real you and what adds value to your life. Josh and Ryan have a great friendship and relatable personalities that make you feel as if you are having a conversation with one of your friends.

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversation

Craving to talk about topics that are more meaningful than what your friends had for lunch or what they just ordered online? Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations discuss topics that get you thinking about what really matters in life such as how you connect with your soul and find your true purpose in life. Connecting health and wellness to the mind body and soul experiences that we have throughout our lifetime.

It shares truths about struggles and keys to success from well-known authors to celebrities. They are conversations that you feel in your soul and leaves you thinking about it the rest of the day. I have found this podcast to show light on the deeper meanings in life that we overlook most days. It is a good reminder of the importance of slowing down and focusing on deep connection with the world around us, from the trees and animals to the strangers on the street.

ONE Extraordinary Marriage Show

ONE Extraordinary Marriage

I recently started listening to this podcast and have fallen in love with the couple that runs the show, Tony and Alisa. They are open about their own personal struggles that they have worked through in their marriage from childbearing years to raising teenagers together and growing a business together.

Sometimes it can be hard to communicate with your spouse about the areas that need working on. Or maybe you don’t even know something in the relationship just isn’t right. I have found ONE Extraordinary Marriage a great conversation starter with my husband. We often have a difficult time communicating our problems and this podcast has given us many tools to help us.

Marriage is the most important relationship we have. We need to nurture it the best we can, longer than just the honeymoon phase. Marriage is truly the foundation for our family. By demonstrating a strong and healthy marriage encourages your children to build relationships that are modeled that same way.

I did not listen to this podcast in a time of struggle with my husband, instead, it was out of curiosity and fear of future struggles. Being a young married couple with a toddler, I was looking for some real-life advice on how not to go down the wrong path and become the typical mediocre relationship.

During the parenting years, it can become so easy to put yourselves and your relationship with your partner on the back burner. Tony and Alisa give constant reminders and examples of why it is so important to make time to work on your marriage.

RISE podcast

RISE Podcast

If you are familiar with the self-improvement/motivational speaker movement, you should know the name, Rachel Hollis. She is the author of Girl Wash Your Face, which if you have not read this book, you need to get it ASAP!!

Rachel writes openly about the common struggles that many women face from the misconceptions we have of ourselves. As someone who struggles with confidence and self-worth issues, this book gave me a new perspective of why I had the feelings that I did and the tools to work at overcoming these lies that I had about myself.

She is awesome at breaking down how to work at achieving your goals and how to stop making excuses for why things are not happening in your life. Her advice and motivation is a game changer and will be sure to leave you in the mood to get moving in the right direction.

RISE Together Podcast

RISE TOGETHER

After listening to the RISE Podcast I decided to follow Rachel on Instagram to continue to get daily motivation from another outlet because she is just that amazing!

I am currently in the process of transforming my social media to become a motivational platform rather than a comparison playground to my peers.

Rachel and her husband, Dave, do an Instagram Live video daily to start their followers off in a positive note discussing relatable topics such as comparison, goal setting, and life-changing habits to incorporate into your daily routine. So after seeing their playful connection, I was happy to come across their podcast that they do as a couple.

The journey of self-improvement is much more successful when you are incorporating it into all aspects of your life, including relationships. I am very fortunate to have a husband that is as excited to try new techniques and routines with the intentions of improving our lives for the better as I am.

Rachel and Dave encourage couples to keep each other accountable when working on their relationship goals, along with their personal goals. Identifying how difficult it can be when switching roles in the family, such as the wife working outside the home. They also discuss issues such as when one person in the relationship seems to be growing and transforming into a better them, but the other partner is resistant.

Many couples struggle with this, especially if an individual has insecurity issues.

There was a point in our relationship where my husband became very focused on working out and transforming his body into what he had always wanted. At this point in my life, I was struggling with severe anxiety and became resentful at him for having this goal of making himself better.

I feared that I would be left behind if he found success. Now that I am in a better place myself and have more confidence in myself, I see how selfish and insecure this was of me to feel this way.

I have acknowledged my feelings and been open and honest with my husband about why I reacted the way I did at that time. I have become my husbands biggest supporter when it comes to bettering himself.

Rachel and Dave will make you laugh with their cheesy jokes and remind you to appreciate the friendship you have with your partner. After all, your spouse should be your best friend that you enjoy spending time with even when life seems to busy to sneak in date nights.

 

The Purpose Show

The Purpose Show

After starting to simplify our home I started to look for resources for how this works when you have children. We currently have a two-year-old girl that seems to have more clothes than her father and I put together. It is mind-blowing! And we just found out that we will be expecting another little girl in June! I am over the moon for Melina having a sister, however, terrified of the amount of stuff we will be accumulating again!

So I figured there had to be someone out there to shed some light on how a simple lifestyle is possible with a family. That is when I found Allie Casazza. She is a mother of 4 that has transformed her life into a very intentional lifestyle.

The Purpose Show provides content to moms who are looking to simplify their lifestyles and make motherhood more enjoyable. It does not have to be hectic and busy every moment of the day. It is okay to say no to activities and have downtime with the family.

Allie provides tips on maintaining a peaceful home, working mom tips, and how to be an intentional parent in today’s world. She is super sweet and genuine with her message. Every Mama could benefit from Allie’s advice.

So next time you are doing household tasks or driving in the car for twenty minutes, give one of these podcasts a try.

There is an unbelievable amount of knowledge out there that can help transform your life into the one your heart desires.

Now obviously your life is not going to change just by listening to these podcasts. You have to be listening with an open mind and be willing to incorporate these tips into your life to see the transformation.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of these podcasts! Let me know if there are any other podcasts that have been inspirational in your life.

I am always looking for a good listen!

 

Categories
Maintaining Me Raising You

Become The Mom You Were Meant To Be Not The ANGRY Mom You Have Been

I am ashamed to admit that I have had more angry mom days in the last few months than I would like to have in a year. 

Not sure if it is the fact that I am very hormonal and pregnant or the that we are in the trying times of a two-year-old little girl testing out her boundaries. Maybe it’s the fact that I have this never-ending cold for over two months and currently sleep training our daughter to sleep in her toddler bed which means no one is getting their best sleep right now.

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Whatever the reason is, it has been exhausting and frustrating and I have felt so guilty for being such an angry mom in those moments. 

Our days will start off so sweet and loving and then it is like a switch goes off and all hell breaks loose. Some days it seems like the simplest tasks end up becoming huge battles like trying to put a clean shirt on her or to get her coat on before we leave.

If we take her down from climbing something, guaranteed 5-10 minute melt coming our way. And of course, she really isn’t interested in playing with her actual toys. Nope climbing everything in sight is the game to play right now. (Shouldn’t we be past this stage at two??)

Somedays it feels like it takes a week for my husband to return home from work and I feel guilty to be so happy that I now don’t have to be the one to primarily deal with our daughter. I take the backseat and let my husband see what I have been dealing with all day long as I am counting the minutes before bedtime.

upset child

When I thought of motherhood, I never envisioned how angry I would become when she reached the defiant toddler age. It feels as if my whole life is dictated by this little person in order for it to run smoothly. Dodging ticking time bombs one right after another.

After reading Positive Discipline: The First Three Years By Dr. Jane Nelson, I realized my approach has been wrong. Very wrong in fact.

Too many days I am trying to control my daughter’s behavior, especially when it is a bad day and I am not feeling my best self. I realized that by reacting to her in anger actually encouraged the behavior and damaged the relationship. Two things that I had no intention on doing.

Read my post on How To Stop Being Such A Serious Mom

Most of the time I am thinking about how tired and aggravated I feel and forget she has all of these big emotions too that are hard for her to express with words.

She can’t tell me that she is overtired from being too busy, or that she’s frustrated because she cannot do certain things independently like she would like to. Heck maybe she is still not feeling the best because of this never-ending cold we seem to have picked up.

Honestly, a big problem is my expectations. I have these huge expectations for this little girl that is so young in her developmental journey. I forget some things she is just not capable of yet, like processing her emotions calmy and fully understanding the directions I am giving her.

Steps that I am taking to become a less angry mom every day:

  • Avoid burnout – this is a huge set off for me. If I am hungry, overtired, anxious or even too hot I become angry at the littlest of actions. Ask my husband! He does not like it when I skip a meal.
    • Taking care of myself is key to being the happiest and calmest mom I can be.
    • Also, setting aside time to for myself is huge. I need the relief of just being able to worry about my own needs whether that be running out by myself to complete errands, a lunch date with a friend, or even a routine hair appointment. It helps me come back a refreshed and energized mom.

Read my post about why self-care is so important for moms and how to incorporate it into your daily routine.

  • Take a breather when the tantrum has started – After making sure my daughter is not in harm’s way, I will step back and just breathe deeply for about 5-10 seconds until I can feel my rational thinking coming back.
    • Within the next year, I will be implementing a cool down spot for my daughter as well to go and calm down when she has gotten upset. I will not call this a time out because it is not a punishment. Simply a tool for handling those difficult emotions.
    • For right now, I simply ask her for a hug. This restores the connection between us and helps us both calm down together.
  • Use distractions instead of words – At this age, Melina is not understanding my lectures about why she should not be climbing through the house like a monkey. Instead, it is best to simply remove her from the situation and redirect her attention to a positive situation. Most times this works very well in avoiding the tantrums.

When I use only words and expect her to understand and listen, this is where I get myself in trouble and become irritated and angry.

  • Basic needs are met and our routine is on schedule –  Most parents know that if a child is sleepy, hungry, or simply way out of their routine there are going to be some behavioral problems.
    • Figure out if there is another reason why your child is misbehaving and having difficult emotions. If one of the needs is not met, try to fix it as soon as possible to get back on the right track. Children find routines comforting in knowing what is going to happen next and build a sense of trust with that routine.
    • Obviously, there are going to be sometimes where these needs are not met right away and the routine is off, but understanding that the child is not misbehaving on purpose and is simply just responding to those feelings will help you be more patient with addressing those feelings with your child.

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So instead of getting angry at the constant tantrums, I try to understand that this is a stage we are going through. My goal has transformed from trying to control her every action and emotion to doing my best at teaching her how to handle her own emotions.

And in this process, it is teaching me that I too need to learn better techniques to handle my own emotions that are in response to her youthful actions.

If you are looking for positive ways to discipline your children or simply looking for a different approach I highly suggest you read Positive Discipline: The First Three Years By Dr. Jane Nelson.

It can be refreshing to hear how other parents handle difficult situations and how to handle them in a positive way to ensure you are building a deep connection with your child.

Read my post about the power of positive affirmations for children here.

Related Content:

30 Affirmations Every Child Needs to Hear

Basics of Positive Discipline

Perfectionism In My Motherhood

How To Stop Being Such A Serious Mom

How To Make Time For Yourself

Even though there are some situations that I am ashamed of how I handled them, like slapping my daughter’s hand after she decided to continually throw everything out of her toy box angrily.

Even though I swore I would never be a parent that smacked or spanked their child. I viewed her acts as intentional to me rather than reactional and therefore become angrier than necessary.

 

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I remind myself that there is always next time to improve. I evaluate how the situation got out of hand in the first place and what could have been done to avoid the misbehavior from Melina and the angry reaction from myself. I give myself grace and the hope that next time will be better.

So for any of you Mama’s that are going through some trying times whether it be toddlers or teenagers, give yourself some grace. (I am terrified of the teenage years ahead!)

Motherhood is not all cute matching outfits and fun coffee dates like a lot of Pinterest images present it to be.

It is messy, loud, and ever-changing with your children. 

But you can learn to thrive in the difficult moments with a little bit of patience, a lot of love, and continuous grace for yourself. 

Categories
Maintaining Me

Guide To Ditching Mom Excuses

Do you ever start a new project or routine with full speed ahead, only to have life stop you right in your tracks?

Well, it seems to happen every time I try to make a life change for the better. Like seriously I never can follow through with anything I want to change in my life.

Most the time I get bored with the idea and convince myself that it wasn’t for me and decide to try something new.

That is what happened with this blog. I started gaining momentum and felt that I had such a good start to launching this blog for more Mama’s to find.

And then it happened. I finally became pregnant! (We were trying for a few months.) And sick. And exhausted. And I literally had zero motivation to move from my couch.

Seriously, ask my husband, if I sat down at night, most likely I was passing out.

So I did what most people would do and gave myself the excuse of it not being the right time for this project for me. I was too busy and tired. And what does someone expect of a pregnant mom of a busy two-year-old? Everyone knows that there is no time left over to do something for yourself.

I kept telling myself I will work on it later. But it didn’t feel right this time to forget about this project. I literally thought about it every day and how I just wanted to be able to accomplish finishing something in my life. Heck at least just getting it out there to more people.

I have this longing feeling like I am meant to express all of these crazy thoughts, ideas, and emotions in my head in hopes to help encourage and motivate other women to be their best version of themselves.

Especially during the trying times of motherhood.

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So here I am 18 weeks pregnant, deciding to show up. Putting the work in. No more excuses that I don’t have time because I am a working mom that is pregnant.

No more wasting away my days letting my dream getting farther and farther away because I don’t have the motivation I hoped for.

No longer waiting for the day when I wake up early and don’t feel tired because I honestly don’t see that day coming in the next decade! And I am not willing to sleep on my dream for that long.

I know this is something many people struggle with, especially mothers.

Many women give themselves excuses for not making the changes in their lives that their hearts are longing for and I am one of them.

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Maybe for some of you, it is losing weight, eating healthy, or even giving yourself more “me” time. Others it is can be getting in control of your home and ridding yourself of all the junk around. Even creating a better marriage with your spouse.

I hear it all the time when talking to other women. They feel paralyzed in their life and truly believe that the only thing that can be accomplished is working and raising their children. On the good days. maybe they will have some time for self-care. They don’t feel that their lives can be changed right now and they are literally stuck in the same routine just getting by resenting that they are stuck in a rut.

Now I believe that raising your children is one of the most important things you do in your life.

However, I believe taking care of yourself physically and emotionally is the most important thing you do every day.

What I mean by that is creating a life that serves you and makes your heart and mind happy and healthy is crucial to your overall well being. Because you cannot be the best mom if you are not the best version of you.

Do not rob yourself of the time to take care of your dreams and goals just because you are in a busy season of life right now.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, all seasons of life are busy and messy and completely unpredictable.

We just need to learn how to endure and continue moving forward. Even if it is the smallest strides.

So let’s make a promise to ourselves to pick one goal or one dream that has been on your mind and go for it. Just start today doing something  TODAY that moves you in the right direction. You are worth it girl!

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Here are some tips for you to start to tackle your goals today :

  • Write down your goals EVERYDAY

    • Be as detailed as possible on what you are hoping to achieve. Reminding yourself daily will help you stay on track.

  • Wake up before the kids

    • If you are not doing this now, you need to start asap girl! What’s that, you want to lose weight? Do a 30-minute workout video first thing in the morning and you are already headed in the right direction.
    • This is a goal of mine that I work hard at every day, I am naturally not a morning person, and this pregnancy makes sleeping through the night impossible. If I wake one time during the week and get stuff done it is a huge accomplishment for me right now. Be easy on yourself and start small.

  • Start saying no to less important commitments

    • Pretty sure I have said this before, but I know there are some commitments that you can start to turn down to free up your time to more meaningful activities.
    • Sometimes we get stuck in our routine that we forget to evaluate if our commitments are still serving us like they once did.
    • If they are not, do not feel guilty about moving on, that is how we grow and transform through life.

  • Ask for help with the kids

    • I struggle with this one because I want to be like superwoman and handle it all: the kids, clean house, self-care, and becoming more than just a mom. But the real reality is that I cannot do all of these things and do them at my best potential.
    • Let go of your ego and ASK. Your mind and body will thank you later for relieving some of those duties. And so will your husband and kids because I am pretty confident you will come back feeling refreshed and energized to spend time with them.

  • Find an accountability partner

    • Sometimes we need a little help from the outside world to get our butt in gear. We are less likely to let someone else down than ourselves.
    • Make a promise to a friend or relative that relates to accomplishing your goal and make sure they keep you accountable. Having someone to keep you focused and on track is a huge help in making sure you continue to make progress towards your goal
    • Every night that I passed out, my husband would remind me that I should be working on the blog or he would offer times to take our daughter to make sure I had some time to myself. He knew I needed a little nudge to keep going during this time.

  • DO NOT GIVE UP

    • Maybe you will fall short of making these changes to move towards your goals, that is okay Mama, try again tomorrow.
    • Can I be honest with you? It took me over a week to finish this blog post. A stinking week!! That is crazy, especially when I had two-thirds of it done the first day I started it. But I kept making excuses and pushed it off until I refocused and decided to show up again.

So after reading this, get out a piece a paper and write down what you want to accomplish.

List everything out, then circle the one goal that you want to accomplish first.

Make a realistic plan on how you are going to work every day towards accomplishing that goal.

Next, you need to decide to show up and get work done!

I believe in you girl!

 

 

 

 

Categories
Maintaining Me

The Mom Conflict: Deciding to Stay at Home or Return to Work

For the majority of moms, deciding whether or not to stay at home with their children while they’re young is a decision that weighs on their conscious.

Not only do women evaluate their financial ability to stay at home, but I believe a lot of women nowadays look at what society expects of us. Most women are settled into their career before they are having children and that makes it even harder to decide to stay at home when you have invested in your education and worked so hard to get where you are in your career.

Here’s what to consider when deciding whether or not to stay home: Are you going to regret your decision in the future? Is your heart agreeing with your decision?

If you answer that you can’t go back to work because it doesn’t feel right, that is okay. And if you feel that you will lose your sanity if you stay at home with your kids and you need to work financially, that is okay too!

As long as you are confident with your decision and know that what you decide is in your family’s best interest.

There is so much mom shaming in every decision that there is to be made in parenting. But none of us have the right to judge another mama, we don’t know what season of life they are going through right now. Some mom’s do not have a choice in whether or not they can stay home with their babies. And we are all learning as we go! No one has this whole mom thing figured out.

There is nothing wrong with your children attending daycare or entrusting someone else to take care of your children. In fact, sometimes, it is very beneficial for children to have some time away to grow as a person themselves. kids-2985782_1920-min[1]

To be honest, my decision about being a stay at home mom was based more off of what I was comfortable with. My daughter would have thrived going to a daycare and playing with all the children. She is a social butterfly. However, I just wasn’t ready to give that time up just yet.

 

Here’s our story on deciding what was right for our family.

My husband and I had our daughter fairly young, at 22. Neither of us was done with college and were still trying to figure out exactly what our path was. I had a feeling when I was pregnant that I would not be returning to a professional job anytime soon.

I worked as an accounting assistant for almost a year and then the plague of morning sickness hit me. I was unable to continue to work during my first trimester and half of second due to having Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I literally felt like I was dying!!

After I had my daughter, I knew for sure that I was not going back until she was closer to nursery or preschool age. Since I did not have a career that was well established, I was able to make that decision based on what my heart was telling me.

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I knew that it was my opportunity to soak up all of this time that I will never have again. I felt that everything aligned in our lives for that reason. And I was so grateful for it.

I remember any time a stranger stopped my daughter and me, the one thing they would all say is “Enjoy these moments, they go by so fast.” And every time someone spoke those words to me, my stomach would drop. Because I know our time with her is not guaranteed.

I know life can happen to us at any given moment. So while I have it, I am going to steal every moment with her that I possibly can.

It is what feels right in my heart.

You may be wondering how we handled our finances. I can tell you that we made changes in our lifestyle for sure. I no longer compulsively shopped for myself or the home, which I always did when I needed some retail therapy. (Goodbye target! Well maybe I see you every few weeks now instead of every couple days!)

In fact, I hardly ever buy anything for myself unless it is on clearance. And I mean more than 50%. In order to prepare for our daughter, we bought clothes and items second hand and continue to do so today. Along with tons of generous gifts from our friends and family.

My husband picked up overtime hours when needed. For our housing, we were lucky to have a situation where we did not have to worry about rent for a year and a half which was a tremendous help.

While I chose to spend most of my time with my daughter, I still wanted to bring home some money for our family. After about 3 months of exclusively staying home, I was getting a bit stir crazy in the house, to be honest! I needed something else to do. I needed another purpose.

I previously worked as a staff for a special needs young woman who is very close to my heart. Really I do not view her as a job, but a sister to spend time with. Her family was sweet enough to allow my daughter to come with me when I returned back to work.

About 5 months after working part-time as a staff, my Uncle and Aunt needed a nanny for their two children. So I jumped to the opportunity to work for them. They have a son that is about a year and a half older than my daughter and a daughter that is about 8 months younger. This job has been the ultimate opportunity for our family.Stay At Home Mom

Not only do I continue to be with my daughter, but she is also enjoying the benefits of socialization with children her age! We are so very fortunate to have this experience.

When I first fell pregnant, I wasn’t sure of our plan. But my husband always reminds me that everything will work out. No matter what, we will be okay. And so far he is right.

It is not going to be perfect, our situation sure isn’t. I drive 2.5 hours round trip to my Uncle’s 3 times a week. But that 2.5 hour drive time is worth the 30 hours I spend with my daughter instead of being away.

I am not sure what the other season’s of our life look like.

Will we always continue down this path long term? Probably not. But I will continue to look for opportunities that fit our values at each season of our life.

If you are in a situation where you have no choice to work, make sure you’re able to spend your time doing something that you find meaningful. It is so important that we find value where we are spending our time. Especially when it is time away from our children.

It is the key to being happy with one’s life; spending our time according to our values.

So my advice to you mama is to do what you feel is right in your heart. Do not worry so much about the money. You will always figure that out.

Where there is a will, there is a way. You just have to be willing to fight for it.

 

Categories
Maintaining Me

How To Stop Being Such A Serious Mom

Mama, it is time you stop being such a serious mom!

Your husband comes home and within twenty minutes he has the little ones giggling like crazy. You think to yourself “gee where was that? You were just having a tantrum, AGAIN”.  You feel frustrated and honestly a bit sad.

I know I sure do.

But then I start to observe how my husband acts with my daughter. He gives his WHOLE undivided attention and acts so silly. At least almost all of his attention.

We have an extremely jealous pup that makes it pretty difficult to ignore her.

Yes, my husband acts a little crazy and runs around when he is playing with her. Honestly, she would probably be laughing and happy whether or not he was a crazy man.

Because she has ALL of her daddy’s attention.

Now I am not saying that I don’t have moments with my daughter where we are laughing and having fun, but I have noticed that we experience these moments a lot less together.

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Think back to most of your days with your children.

Are you juggling too much?

Cleaning the house, paying bills, trying to cook, or maybe you just have a hard time being present in the current moment with them.  

Trust me I know that struggle.

But what if you took more time out of your day to be silly with your children? What if you forget about everything that is stressing you out and overwhelming and just let it go?

Little ones can feel YOUR energy mama.

Maybe they don’t laugh and be silly because YOU don’t.

Maybe they aren’t all smiles and giggles because YOU aren’t.

Be Present.

Give them 100% of your attention for a while. SMILE MAMA, LAUGH MAMA, and have FUN!

I bet what you see is a complete transformation.  In fact, I know.

The days where I am FULLY present. Well, they are amazing with my little girl!

We connect deeper, the giggles are more abundant, and the smiles make my heart full.

It is worth letting the dishes get a little piled up, and the bill paying getting pushed back until later. Forgetting the to-do list for a little bit. Ignoring all the notifications on your phone.

I still struggle with following through with slowing down and prioritizing what matters most. It is a process of changing your habits and changing your expectations of yourself. 

Realistically, this is not how every day all day is going to be, some days there are tasks that just have to be completed or issues that have your attention.

However, even on those days, there is nothing wrong with trying to capture some of these precious moments.

During the times where your child is driving you absolutely crazy and constantly acting out, take a step back.

Think about how the day has gone. Why is your child acting this way? What are they trying to communicate with you? More often times then not, you will be able to find the answer. Most likely its just your undivided attention they are needing.

Designate a time slot where you can give your little one(s) ALL of you. Whether it is 30 minutes or 3 hours, it will be sensational to your child to have that undivided attention.

Children just want to know they are loved. They do not feel loved by receiving toys, money, or any type of material thing. They need your attention.

My uncle once said, “kids do not remember who bought them their toys, but they remember who sat down to play with them with those toys.” 

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Many couples are waiting to start a family now until they are completely settled into their careers and large suburban house.

Their intentions are good, but in reality, just because you have those things does not mean your children are going to have the perfect childhood.

Somehow parents have been misguided to believe that career and a big home is what makes a happy family. 

It is hard to find the perfect balance in life, but not impossible. 

It can become overwhelming and stressful trying to juggle a family, career, and keeping up with household tasks. Managing your time can become extremely difficult during this season of life, but it is so important that you prioritize your time and remember what matters most!

The amount of love that children feel is not measured by the size of the house you can provide for them. Or the brands of clothes that they wear. And most definitely not the number of toys in which they own.

I promise you none of that stuff is the key to a happy FAMILY or a happy YOU.

Think back to your own childhood, what moments stand out to you?

Most likely it is moments of deep connection.

When your children are looking back at their childhood, what will they see? Do they see parents that made time for them? Were their feelings valued? How about a mom that was too stressed or preoccupied to have fun with them?

Don’t let your daily stressors become the face that your children see you as.

Ditch the seriousness and just slow down to enjoy your time with your children.

Remember children are only little for such a short period of time.

Enjoy it.

Play.

Get Dirty.

Laugh.

It is important to take a step back and look at our lives from different perspectives. Our children are not going to see their childhood exactly how we see it.

However, it is important to be aware of how they might perceive it one day. Looking at their childhood in our children’s eyes is the best way to see areas in which we can improve in.

It is our responsibility as parents to do the very best that we can to raise beautiful children inside and out.  

Giving children your TIME is what really speaks to their heart to know they are loved.

TIME is the most valuable gift anyone can give.

Go give your time mama and have FUN, don’t let the seriousness get the best of you!!

 

Categories
Maintaining Me

5 Self Care Tips Every Mom Should Do Daily

Whether you are a new or a well-established mama, finding the time to take care of your needs may feel impossible.

Being a mom is not only physically exhausting but also emotionally exhausting! As a mama to a toddler, some days we ride the emotional roller-coaster!

Self-care seems to be a trending topic these days. It seems that a lot of people are in some type of distress physically or emotionally. Mental health has become an open discussion now that we know how many individuals are really affected by it.

When I refer to mental health I really mean how healthy you are emotionally. It is important to be honest with yourself and take action when you can tell when something is out of line.

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Motherhood is such an overwhelming emotional time. You are overjoyed with love for this tiny human being and overwhelmed figuring out how to manage your time prioritizing all of the daily tasks that need to get done.

In this day and age, most families consist of two working parents of full-time jobs. Creating a very busy and hectic schedule for the entire family. Often leading to some of the most important things getting categorized into “I just don’t have the time” excuse like your own personal needs and desires.

Let’s address that excuse….you have the time for whatever you choose. Even with working and raising children there is time for you to incorporate activities that add value and bring happiness to YOU. Sometimes that means letting other less important tasks like routine household chores go longer without completing, spending less time on social media and saying no to commitments that no longer bring joy into your life.

That means its time you get honest with yourself and evaluate where your time is going. Making sure you are filling your day with activities and commitments that add value to your lives, not just because “you have to”.

Self-care is one of those things that seems to get left out of our busy schedules, Maybe it is because a lot of women feel guilty taking the time away to take care of themselves. I know I did. 

I like to think of self-care as refreshing. Sometimes, there are times where I feel burnt-out, overwhelmed, and just not my best self. I know my patience is a little bit shorter, my tone in my voice is a little less playful, and I am not being the mom I want to be. I take a step back and think what can I do to take care of me right now? What do I need?

Some days it’s just another cup of coffee, others maybe a healthy snack and some water. But then there are days where I need some ME time. I need to be able to just worry about me for a while.

I used to feel ashamed that I needed to take time to take care of myself. Like I was broken and a bad mom for stepping away for a little bit. Then I really thought about it and addressed my feelings.

I am no less of a mom because I need to take care of myself.

Read that line again and believe it! You would not neglect your families needs and desires, so why should you neglect your own?

Self care tips for moms

I want to show my kids what self-respect looks like. I want them to understand that emotions and health is a complex issue. It takes work to be happy. It takes making the time to be happy and healthy.

And it takes honesty to know when something needs to be addressed.

I admit there are some days where I am just too damn tired to do anything but crash on my pillow. But like most things, creating somewhat of a routine help get some mama time even on the worst days.

Here are some practical ways to incorporate self-care into your schedule.

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1. Draw yourself a hot bath/long shower

Light some candles and get your face mask on and just enjoy the calm!

I encourage you to be open to your partner and communicate when you need some time to yourself. When my husband can tell it has been a long day, he will recommend I go take that bath to refresh and recharge. And I appreciate his support and respect that I invest the time to take care of myself.

My husband and I have a good routine whereas he is rocking our daughter and getting her settled in for the night, I have some me time to unwind from the day. This is where I typically take my bath if I am feeling the need too.

 2. Have a cup of your favorite tea/coffee 

There is something very soothing about a nice hot cup of tea/coffee. One of my favorite times to enjoy my coffee is the first thing in the morning before my daughter is up. If the weather is enjoyable I will go sit on our patio and enjoy the present moment. Starting the day off grounded makes a huge difference!

I started drinking tea about a year ago and have fallen in love! Herbal tea works wonders when you are stressed out or feeling anxious. There are a ton of different herbal mixes to soothe whatever you have going on!

My preferred brand is Yogi tea. They have little inspirational sayings on the steeple paper that I enjoy reading over. These are my go-to flavors currently to help unwind and relax for the night.

Ensuring you are getting quality sleep is crucial to maintaining a healthy state both physically and mentally. Tea has been very beneficial for getting my own sleep schedule under control. I usually enjoy a cup of Sleepytime tea or Relax tea about an hour before bed.

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3. Read a book

I took a break from reading for a while and the past six months I have incorporated it back into my routine. Boy did I forget what I missing out on! Reading is the perfect way to escape your worries and let your imagination just wander and not worry about the to-do list in your life for a while.

Let me guess, your thinking you don’t have the time for reading with your busy schedule?

Wrong.

There is always time for you! You just have to take it. 

Reading is possible first thing in the morning, during nap time, lunch break at work, or before bedtime. You do not have to be reading for hours for it to help you relax.

Try scheduling just 15 minutes at first.

If that seems to not fit in your schedule try audiobooks when you are driving or doing household tasks.

4. Get physical & Clean up your diet

I am sure you hear everyone telling you to get moving, but there is a reason for that! Any form of exercise for at least a half hour a day will make a huge improvement in how you feel! Especially once you build it into your schedule on a consistent basis.

So your thinking again…yeah right no time for that either Chelsea!

Wrong again!! Like mentioned before, I really hate that excuse. Please, please stop lying to yourself. Prioritize what you spend your time on.

Take your little one on a walk with your…preferably with them in a stroller so you can set your own pace and not chasing them around!

If your child is in school, find a friend that you can meet up with and walk with them. You are not the only mama that needs time to get fit and socialize! 

Or what I have been doing lately is at home yoga videos online! This can be done by yourself, partner or even with your little ones!

Yoga is very effective for calming the body down and focusing on the present moment. Plus it gets you more flexible and in shape. Everyone could benefit from adding yoga into their routine.

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Along with exercise, eating is a form of self-care. The food you choose to nurture your body with incorporates with how you feel mentally and we all know the physical effects.

Small changes can be made to get on the right path such as removing soda out of daily routine, limiting processed foods to a minimum, and getting a grasp of those sugar cravings!

5. Honor Date Nights

Relationships after children seem to go into a survival mode of what needs to get done so we can get through each day at a time. Over time it is very easy to start prioritizing our children’s needs before our own or even our partners. And sometimes we don’t realize this until we look back at the last few months.

For some reason, we believe that this makes us better parents, when in fact it might end up doing more harm in the long run.

Schedule time for you and your partner to reconnect on a romantic level on a consistent basis. It is important for a woman to feel she viewed romantically and not just as a roommate or the mother of their children. Resentment is sure to brew if this is the path the relationship goes down.

Continuing to improve your relationship is not only crucial for the two of you as a couple, but really to maintain a happy and healthy family as a whole long-term.

Finding the time to take of your needs may not always be easy.

But I promise you it is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

They need you to show up and be able to put your best self forward.

Taking care of yourself is just as important as you raising your little one! 

Go take care of YOU mama.

Categories
Maintaining Me

Hello and Welcome to My Blog!

Hi there, I am so glad you stopped by!

My name is Chelsea, and I am so excited to start this journey with blogging! I am a mother to a very active two year old and just recently married to my high school love, Thomas.

The past year has been a year of transformations so I decided to keep going and launch this blog. I have debated starting a blog for over a year now and am finally just going for it! No better time than now, right?

So far it has been a bit overwhelming figuring out the technical side of the website but I am very excited to see what the future holds for us. I have so many interesting topics lined up to get you motivated to a happier and healthier family. 

It seems that many families face the same struggles; not having enough time, can’t seem to eat as healthy as they would like, the house is always a mess etc. Life is meant to be MORE then the routine hustle that so many of us have become accustomed too. Tweaking little things here and there towards your goals makes a BIG difference.

I believe you can learn something from EVERYONE’S story. I hope to provide valuable content that will help you get intrigued and inspired to live your best life while raising children! I look forward to connecting and learning from you as well.

It’s time to take control of your life and live the life you CRAVE in your heart.

Come and follow me on this journey!