Let’s face it…Mom life is insane. I don’t even know why I do it. Oh, wait. Those cute little mini-me's that bring joy and happiness...and mess, disaster, tears, and fighting. But, I remember now, the snuggles, hugs, and laughter out way all that. . Since I’m slightly OCD, I’m obsessed with finding ways to make my crazy mom life less crazy. It’s either that or run far away. Here are some tips I have for you to reel it in and stress less: 🔮 Time block your week. Highlight (in BOLD) your set-in stone plans, non-negotiables, and meetings. Then pencil in those less important tasks around the pockets of time in between the big, bold items. We all know things shift around throughout the week and we need some flexibility. Having those penciled in times helps you know when you can make a shift without impacting those important BOLD items. 🔮Delegate tasks. I’m the worst at this because we all know mom does it best. Categorize those tasks by age group. Then divvy them up across your kids, spouse, whomever. Build a weekly chore chart for motivation for the littles. If you can outsource it to someone else, then take advantage of that shit! For instance, find a local catering mom who has a small business catering weekly meals. Choose one night a week to get dinner catered so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting. Don’t take on everything or else you’ll get the dreaded mama burnout. And no one in the house wants that. If it’s not a dealbreaker task, then let it slide and don’t stress over it. You’ll get around to getting it done. 🔮 Plan your meals. Not only does this save time throughout the week, but it also helps you stick to a healthier diet. Instead of reaching for some high sodium, prepackaged bag of crap, you’ll reach for your nutritious option. Also, this is a great way to cut down costs. You’ll be less tempted to stop and pick something up, which I hate to break it to you sister, that drivethru junk costs waaaaaay more than whatever you could have prepped at home. To block this during my week, I prep as many meals on Sunday as possible. I make the kids lunches so I can toss them in their lunch box first thing in the mornings. I portion out snacks, and any salad toppings, meat, cheese, etc. for my lunches. If you need help with meal plans ideas, hit me up and I can help you with that by providing meal plan programs, recipes, tips and tricks. 🔮 Set aside mama time. If mama’s not happy, ain’t nobody happy. So, set some of that time block each week as non-negotiable MAMA time. That’s right, put special mama time IN BOLD on your calendar. Do not let that become one of the penciled in items because, truth be told, you’ll always find something else to take its place. It’s important to get time in to relax, regroup, and do something you enjoy. Go for a walk listening to your favorite podcast. Take a long, hot bath with your fav bevvy and book. Take up meditation and find a quiet corner to sit, breath, and reflect on life. Whatever it is, factor it in AT LEAST once a week. Hell, make it once a day. P.S. No, laundry does not count as alone time. Make it something FUN, relaxing, and rejuvenating! 🔮 Let the little shit go.
This is probably the hardest for me. Choose your battles. Ask yourself, is this really worth the upset? If not, then take a deep breath and walk away from the issue. You’ll feel better about your response later on. Hanging on to little, meaningless things just takes up space in your mind and clutters it from being the most efficient, effective, HAPPY mom possible. So, take a DEEP breath and woosah that ish away.
0 Comments
Me too. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out the solution to that. What I have figured out is how to keep mom from opening the car door on the highway while on a 12-hour road trip. I’d say that’s a win! . Last week we went to one of our favorite places to visit. New Mexico! We usually visit the Santa Fe area, and made sure to pass through on our way to our final destination. We stayed in an amazing cabin in the Jemez Mountains, about 2 hours northwest of Santa Fe, isolated from most people and spotty cell service. If you’re ever in the area, or looking for a really neat Airbnb, check out The Freelove Cabin in Jemez Springs, NM (linked HERE). You won’t regret it! We broke the road trip up over two days and stayed in a small, unknown town in West Texas. We spent the week hiking, playing in the freshly fallen snow right outside our door, bathing in hot springs, eating New Mexican food (hello red and green chile!), and visiting historic sites and national monuments. Check out some of our vacation pics. We found a local photographer Counterpart Creative, to come take some pictures of us in our element. It was SOOOOOOOO cold during our shoot, but I think the pictures came out great! Then, keep reading to find out my tricks to staying sane during a loooooong car ride with small children. I knew the 12-hour road trip with 3 littles would be a battle. So, here are my tips for staying sane with small kids cooped up in the car:
☝️ Snacks. Enough said. Make sure you stock enough easy to grab snacks that don’t make too much of a mess, easy to open, and don’t spill. ✌🏼Sticker books and no mess markers and color books. 🤟🏽Order seat organizers for each kids’ seat to hold trash, toys, tablets, colors, paper, etc. Also snag a couple of bins that will fit in between aisles or on the floorboard to collect toys and the random stuff that appears in the car. 🖖🏾 Clean and organize the car BEFORE you leave. And then do a good sweep every time you stop for gas or food. 🖐🏿 When things get really crazy, pull out those freshly charged tablets, pre downloaded with all their fav shows and movies. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. 😂 . Of course, we still had our moments where someone had a meltdown along the way, but overall, I’d say it was one of our least chaotic road trips! . What are some tips you have for staying sane during long road trips?
2021 is really giving 2020 a run for its money. The past couple of months have been some of the MOST trying. To say the least!
. The harder the situation, the further and further away I get from the goals I’ve set. It’s almost like self sabotage! The more I do the things that take me further from my goal, the more I give up and give in to those things that drive me further away. It’s a vicious cycle. . For instance, letting my sweet tooth dominate my nutrition. I have one treat and then I let myself have all the treats! Then I feel like crap and do it all over again. I skip one workout, next thing I know I skip all the workouts! And the cycle continues. . Today I decided to start with a renewed sense. I put the past behind me, gave myself some grace, and focused on my new goals. A baby step at a time. Today I chose to start my Day 1 with yoga. Yoga has always been a positive, calming, renewing practice for me. So, I found a comfortable space, pressed play, and completed a VERY imperfect yoga routine. The great thing is, I didn’t care one but it was imperfect. In fact, that’s lit a fire under me to keep working to get back to the calming center I once had. . Check out one of my favorite, calming yoga sequences on my YouTube channel!
I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease when I was in my early 20s. Thyroid disease to be exact. If you suffer from autoimmune disease, you know the physical and mental impact it has you. Almost 20 years later, I wish I knew then what I know now. Though I will always have to treat my disease, there are things I can do and change that have a HUGE impact on the way I feel when I have my downs.
. For starters: ?Taking better care of my body. Fueling it with more of the good stuff, and eliminating the bad stuff. It already has a difficult time, I don’t need to add things that make it harder to operate at maximum capacity. This includes eating more fruits and veggies, meal plan and sticking to it! ?Moving my body more. Stretching, walking, or more intense workouts when I feel my body is up for it. I make sure to get at least 20-30 minutes of continuous activity that gets my heart rate up! ?Taking time for mindfulness. I sit with my thoughts, work through them, and try to find the root cause of any discomfort. Meditation and yoga has become a HUGE help in this area. And yoga is a two-fer; I get my exercise and my mindfulness. . Thankfully, I have an arsenal of tools to help me stick to healthier choices and actions, I don't have to do it alone. I have access to an endless number of streaming workouts to fit my mood and fitness level, I have meal plans, recipes, and grocery lists outlined for me, and I have an army of women who support me, encourage me, and lift me up to keep going! . If you struggle with autoimmune disease or chronic illness, don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s not something you have to live with alone. We can talk about the suckiness that is chronic disease. And I can share what works to help me have more good days. ? Smoothies are my go-to breakfast choice for me and MY KIDS! Between the "chicken nunnets" and pizza, it's hard getting in all the servings of veggies and nutrition me and my kids need. That's why I'm taking the month of March to Go Green and share the best smoothie recipes for your nutrition! Whether your goals include getting in your daily veggies, improving your complexion or regulating your digestion, download the PDF below for my favorite Going Green Smoothie Recipes! Making a green smoothie every day eases my mind knowing my kids are getting the nutrition they need in a quick and simple way. I also use an EXCELLENT green smoothie mix that's super simple to scoop right into the smoothie. You can get it HERE. Did you know, you are what you surround yourself with.
. That’s right. The people, places, and things you spend most your time with dictate your life. You want to be healthy? Surround yourself with healthy people and healthy things. You want to be rich? Surround yourself with things that direct you toward more wealth like people who know and have money. You want to be successful at your passion? You know it. Surround yourself with successful people and spend time on the thing your passionate about. . Energy is contagious. If you are constantly around toxic people, negative environments, and dull things, then that’s the type of life you’ll live. So, start replacing those things that don’t serve you with the people and things that will! . If you’re looking for a positive, healthy, and supportive group of people focused on improving lifestyle, I can introduce you to mine! The more the merrier in our judgment free world! Check out all the details on my happy, healthy, SUPPORTIVE community HERE! The answer is CHANGE! We all know change can be good, so why are we so afraid to take that leap and commit? Change is what makes things HAPPEN. Instead of hoping for things to just happen without effort, why don't you just MAKE it happen? . We all know the drill. ✔️ I want to feel better in my skin. But, I’m not willing to eat better and exercise. ✔️ I want to make more money to buy the things I want. But I’m not willing to work more. ✔️ I want to go back to school or get that certification. But I’m not willing to block out the time to study. . It’s amazing all the things we want. All the things we daydream. All the things we envision our future self’s having. But, we aren’t willing to put in the work to make it happen. . The truth is, everyone has the same opportunities in front of them. The difference is those who make them happen and those that just keep hoping they’ll happen for them. We all have the power to be skinnier, be richer, be smarter it’s just only some of us focus hard enough to make the changes in life to achieve those goals. . Plenty of people have been in your shoes. And many of them dig deep to find the strength to change, be consistent, and maintain the discipline to make it happen. So, which person do you want to be? The one who takes the bull by the horns, or the one who’s still waiting for their dream life to happen to them 20 years from now. The choice is yours. And if you’re ready to make a change, let me know. I can help you navigate the path of least resistance. I have two ways of helping change your life. Choose the option that fits your needs:
Moms don’t get vacation days.
. Being a mom is a full time job. We don’t get to call in sick. We can’t just skate by on our mom duties and hope no one notices. Let’s get real, our little bosses always notice 😆 . That’s why self care is so important. We need to stock up on all the me time for our reserves because that tank gets drained FAST. Also, I can't wait around being sick hoping to feel better. In addition to eating healthy, drinking TONS of water, and keeping up with my essential oils and holistic meds, my go-to get better quick trick is IV therapy and Ozone Therapy. . If you’ve never tried IV therapy, I HIGHLY suggest it. Here’s my recent self care sesh; kids asleep, relaxing in my own bed, cleaning my blood and pumping it full of immune boosting goodies to help me get back up and running FAST! If you’re local to Dallas Regen IV Wellness is your best choice for ozone therapy and IV nutrition offering clinic, drive up, and concierge services. Here's a run-down of my weekly routine to set myself up for success. . Sunday’s are my “get it together” days. It’s the day I start screwing my head back on from the weekend festivities and set aside some intentional time to set myself up for success for the coming week. . I’ve always followed this habit. For some reason, it used to go a lot more smoothly, and take less time. I’m just kidding. I totally know why it takes more work than it used to. Their names are Zoë, Saylor, and Mathéo. But, being a full time, working mom, with a collection of side hustles doesn’t mean I get to slack off on my planning. It just means I need to do it even more to maintain my sanity. Here are a few of the things I focus on getting setup before Monday comes:
🏆 Use my digital planner to time block my week; I block out meetings and appointments I know I have coming up, as well as those tasks that I need to get done such as meal prepping. **Ask me which planner I love! 🏆 I make a todo list of things I need to get done throughout the week (i.e. call the water company, cancel subscription, email contractor, etc) 🏆 I write out my meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) and collect the grocery list for these. Luckily, I have a library of tools that help me do this to take the legwork out. **Ask me how! 🏆 I start prepping as much of my weekly food as I can. I portion out snacks, or the ingredients I need to put the snacks or meals together. For instance, one of my fav snacks is plain Greek yogurt with a touch of honey and topped with berries. I’ll premix the yogurt and portion out into containers. Then I portion out berries into baggies. It makes it super simple to grab a bag of berries, toss them on top of my yogurt and go. 🏆 I run any errands I need to get done so I don’t have to think about them during the week. In this bucket I also knock any chores (hello mountain of laundry!) . Making sure I’m set up for the week is critical to having a smooth (sane) week. Once Monday comes, the days become a whirlwind of meetings, carpools, and practices. What are some ways you make sure you’re set up for success? I sneak food off my kids’ plates when they aren’t looking. 😳 . Ok, I totally just admitted that. It’s true. Please tell me I'm not alone. I also eat what’s left on their plate so it “doesn’t go to waste”. Well, let me tell you. All those little tastes, licks, and bites add up to some major extra food intake my body doesn’t need. 👎🏼 . That’s why I have to be very intentional about portion control. I need to know how much of what I need to eat before I sit down to eat. Otherwise, I’ll eat all the things. Thankfully, I have some great tools and tips for helping me stay on track with my portions. In addition to my portion control system and endless library of meal plans and recipes (that also align with my portion control system), here are some tricks I use to help me keep my meal portions on track: 🥘 I use my portion control system to help me meal prep. 🥘 For those meals I haven’t prepped, I use a smaller salad plate. A larger plate means I’ll fill all the empty space with food my body doesn’t need. 🥘 I refrain from seconds. I tend to get into a bad habit of loading up on seconds. Truth is, my body doesn’t need it. My brain thinks I need it. 🥘 I drink a glass of water before my meals. Many times, we associate thirst with hunger. That leads to overeating. Filling up on water curbs appetite and adds to my hydration points. . Hopefully, you find these tips helpful. Try incorporating them into your meals this week. If you're interested in finding out more about my portion control system and how you can get access to all the goodies click HERE.
. Gimme all the ideas on how to control binge-fests. What are some tips and tricks you use to help you not overeat at meals? |