Essential Maternity Basics You’ll Love

It’s true – I’m a creature of habit with the clothing items I love! Especially when I am pregnant, and even more so when I have found the perfect level of comfort! After two pregnancies, I can confirm that these items are my very favorite go-to’s. Most of the items are shown in black but most do come in other colors as well – I just tend to wear a lot of black when pregnant! Black tends to be a bit more slimming while lighter colors and patterns add to the cause. 🙂 All items are linked below, trust me, these are the very best – I wouldn’t steer you wrong!

Aerie Real Me Boybrief Undie

Comfort Slip On Memory Foam Slippers

Surplice Front Jumpsuit

Full Busted Seamless Nursing Bra

Play Real Me High Waisted Legging

Pure Body V-Neck Long Sleeve

Pure Body V-Neck Short Sleeve

Maternity Tank Dress

Maternity 3/4 Sleeve Dress

Ruched Waist Sleep Shorts

Secret Fit Shaping Panty

Jill & Joey Maternity Belt 

Here are some images of me wearing these items over the past 9 months:

I’m so basic 🙂

Which items will be you be grabbing? What am I missing from this list? Let me know which items you try!

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Moms Matter Too: Post-Partum Stress/Anxiety + The Importance of Self Care

Alright guys, I’m going to do it, I’m going to be another #momblogger writing about self care. Honestly, before I was a mom, I didn’t even understand what “self care” meant and I sure as hell didn’t understand why so many moms were talking about it. I mean, it’s not that hard to take care of yourself, right? But at the beginning of this year, I feel like I got hit by a truck in my understanding of it and why self care should be our #1 priority. Yes – I said #1, before baby, before husband, before work, etc. If you aren’t talking care of yourself, ALL of these things suffer. I have felt it first hand.

I am bringing this up because I think a lot of moms read my blog probably think that I have it all together – a good job, a beautiful and healthy baby, a great fiance, a blog with pretty pictures that I am able to keep up even when life gets crazy…but that doesn’t mean that this shit is easy or that the last year has been all fairies and rainbows. In fact I sincerely hope from some of my other heartfelt posts that I don’t come across that way. It wouldn’t be honest of me if I didn’t talk about this part of motherhood.

For the second half of 2016, I was doing okay on the outside, but literally scraping by on the inside. The stress of returning to work and a normal life, only now with a baby, was probably the hardest life transition I have gone through. Having a baby that didn’t (still doesn’t always) sleep through the night and then going to work all day, left me exhausted by 7pm each night. I curbed that exhaustion with an excuse to not exercise and eat cookies every night if I wanted, because.. I (didn’t) GAF. I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning because lack of exercise was leaving me even more lethargic, and my body started showing stress in many different ways that I had never experienced before (grinding my teeth, headaches, muscle twitches in random places.) When I ended up seeing a doctor in January for unrelated issues, I brought up my concerns. She is the one who explained to me that stress can present itself in many weird ways and my concern that I had developed a muscular disorder resulting in muscle twitches, was probably just stress.

If all of this sounds concerning to you, it’s because it is. I finally realized at the end of 2016, right around the time I stopped breastfeeding, that I had slowly bottled up a lot of Post-Partum Anxiety (I don’t say Post-Partum Depression, because I don’t think it got to that level) on-set NOT ONLY by life with a baby but stressful work, wedding planning, expectations on this blog, family health issues, and LIFE. I know it wasn’t anxiety caused by baby alone. I have explained this feeling to others as feeling trapped…that’s the best word I have for it. Not depressed, just trapped in a cycle that I couldn’t get out of. I had never once felt anxiety before having a child, and suddenly I was consumed by it. Craig asked so many times how he could help, but he was already pulling so much weight and I realized it was my responsibility to start taking care of myself and figure out how to make it better.

I have become extremely passionate about making sure that Moms Matter – once we have baby, we tend to shift the focus there, lose ourselves, and then fall into an anxiety ridden state of no longer having your own life, goals, and significance. Please tell me this isn’t just me, that others have longed for freedom and time to just focus on what YOU want for once.

 For me, PPA was not immediate upon the birth of my son like it is for some – it was a gradual decline starting at about 4 months PP until about 10 months PP. Only now can I look back, reflect, and write about these things, because I finally feel that I am coming out on the other side. I was too deep in it before and too STUCK to be able to realize what was happening, how to get out of it, or how to help other Moms. In that same doctor appointment that I referenced before, she gave me a mini therapy session on small steps I could take to relieve some stress and anxiety – I had no choice but to try and take her advice.  These are the things that have helped me feel more like myself, defend against PPA and create more energy in my life:

Consistent Exercise

I went from exercising 5-6 days/week before pregnancy, continued exercising until 20 weeks, and then pretty much stopped completely. I started again when Calvin was 8 weeks and felt amazing. Then I went back to work, then I made excuses, then I completely fell off the wagon. Turns out it is the most important wagon of all. Once I got back into a consistent (still not as much as before!) routine, a lot of stress and anxiety subsided, grinding of my teeth lessened, and I just felt overall better about myself and had more energy. If someone is going wrong in your life, I suggest taking some time to get moving and see if that helps.

Do Something you Love for YOU

I’m sure a lot of people in my life have wondered why I haven’t given up blogging when things get busy or I get overwhelmed – I mean it’s just an extra THING that takes up more TIME, right!? WRONG. This blog is what I started when I was pregnant for ME. When I was suddenly unexpectedly pregnant, working in a stressful environment, and newly living 600 miles from all friends and family, I needed an outlet…I needed to create something to focus on outside of the other stressors. I posted on instagram here that this blog started out about ME and trying to inspire others, but the opportunities that have come to me and the people I’ve met have inspired ME and I now write for all of YOU as well. I think everyone needs something of their own to work towards, a creative outlet, a business, a platform, that they can be proud of. I’ll be announcing soon Part II of RwS soon – aka my latest endeavor. What can you do for you?

Find a Strong Relatable Community

ALL Moms want to come across strong, like they are conquering the world, and let’s be honest, we are. Moms often answer with, “good!” when we first ask how it’s going…but if you really sit down and talk to a new mom, a veteran mom, or anyone caring for other humans, they will get real with you. I don’t think we feel like we can really say how we are feeling often enough and we think that everything we are experiencing, everything we are feeling is just “normal” for a new mom. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t. I know we can all relate to the tough stuff, and having a community in which you can talk with, helps so much. Just to know that someone else has been through or is going through the same challenge you may be facing is really helpful. So, please reach out to me and we can chat if you feel so inclined – I would love that!

Break Free of Comparison & Social Media Pressure

I read an article recently talking about how parenting now is harder than parenting was 20, 30 years ago because of the insane amount of pressure put on us to do it all, have it all, while looking and feeling amazing. I don’t think that our parents had it easy by any means and can’t say I totally agree with that statement BUT I think social media is the cause of this statement. The only pressure we should feel is from wanting to better ourselves and our family. If you feel that pressure from other moms or what you see on social media is messing with your parenting, I would highly suggest taking a break. Now that is easier said than done – if you’re a blogger or business owner, your success likely is dependent on your social media presence and interacting with others. Find the balance. Set aside time to be 100% engaged with your family and set aside time to be on your phone (after work until Calvin’s bed time I am in 100% family mode.) Remember that REAL life is happening and passing quickly as your scroll through your feeds. Stay in your own lane, know what your goals are, and don’t let someone else’s success or statements bring you down.

If you’ve been here and can relate in any way, I’d love to hear from you – any other suggestions? Like I said, I finally feel like I have broken free from the PPA cycle and can talk about it with other moms. Thanks so much for reading and for all your support along the way.

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5 Habits To Develop in 2017 for a Healthier, Happier YOU

Hi Friends! How are you doing? Are we surviving the beginning of the year?

It’s ironic I’m sharing this post today on health as Calvin has been sick all weekend. Luckily this is only the 2nd time he’s been sick…ever, but this means we aren’t used to seeing him like this and we want our lil’ Calvin back. We went to the doctor and he just has the really bad cold that’s going around…so guess who else has it now? Yours truly. Isn’t this true to life though – you’re feelin’ good, feelin’ good, and then a detour comes along, which can throw a wrench in the entire week. January…you’re winning, but not for long…

I shared this instagram post last week about my new year goal. It’s not something I WANT to do – it’s something I NEED to do in order to keep my sanity. Or did I lose it along time ago? My goal this year is to put my physical and mental health first. I seem to have put myself on the back burner for too long at the end of 2016 and honestly it’s really taken a toll on every aspect of my life. I know I will write more about this in the future because I’m realizing just how important making time to take of yourself truly is – and how easy it is to not. Having kid(s) means having to deliberately set aside time for yourself – one of the biggest things I’ve had to overcome as a new mom. So, in 2017, I’m making this a priority.

There are 5 things I started committing to consistently and I already am starting to feel a bit more grounded & on track for the year. They all seem like common sense but are super easy to slack on or forget in the midst of such busy, busy weeks!

|Keep Fresh Groceries in the House|

Anyone who knows me well knows that I really dislike grocery shopping – one my least favorite activities, but so important! It’s kind of like going to the gym…once I’m there, I don’t mind doing it! Shopping on the outside parameter of the store and having fresh, natural ingredients in stock at home guarantees you’ll have something healthy to grab or make at any time. It’s the best decision for your health and your wallet. Now that Calvin is starting to eat “real” foods it’s really stretching us to make sure we have a surplus of good food ready. It’s one thing if we slack on our healthy eating momentarily, but we cannot for Calvin. Honestly, in the busyness of 2016, we ate worse than we should have, and slacked in this area big time. Craig usually goes to the grocery but I am going to try and take on this responsibility more often and make it a weekly (quick) trip.

What are some common items on my grocery list?

Organic, lean meets (chicken, ground turkey, turkey burgers) – we probably only eat red meat once a month

Carrots, raspberries, bananas, peppers, lettuce, avocado

Bagged salads – easy to grab for lunch (choose ones with oil based dressings)

Natural lunch meets and cheese from the deli section

Brown rice, oatmeal

Steam fresh vegetables – so easy for dinner sides!

Red Onion (one of my favorite ingredients for cooking), Cilantro

Cheese sticks/Eggs/Yogurt – vanilla greek or the 100 cal greek chobani mix-ins (so good)

Salsa, hummus, guacamole

Organic Beech-nut baby foods and pouches – I try to buy organic or natural while I can still control what he’s eating!

Whole wheat tortillas & english muffins (with PB is one of my favorites)

Calvin’s current favorites? bananas, cheese, raspberries

What am I missing? Any recommendations?

|Keep a (visual) Calendar|

^not the fanciest, but it works!

Get a monthly dry erase calendar and put it somewhere you look every day. Mine is on the countertop in the kitchen and I use it to write down appointments, events and most importantly, plan workouts. This is much like writing your goals – if you jot them down, you are more likely to commit and see  it through. It’s not the end of the world if I miss a workout as I will just adjust the schedule, but this is helping to keep me accountable.

It also helps on the days that you just DON’T want to get moving. You can look back and see how far you’ve come that month and use it as motivation to keep going. Check off the days as you go. Put up pictures of what inspires you, or write out a new favorite quote for that month. Get creative, and keep it in front of you! The quote that is helping me this month: “You cannot pour from an empty cup.” I have to do these things for myself and keep up with them in order to provide for and be the best me for the others in my life.

Get mine here.

|Make Coffee at Home|

I think we are all guilty of going through phases where we buy coffee every day, aka me on maternity leave and then for a few months after…. this is another habit that is bad for the waist line and your bank account. If you drink coffee every day, make it at home! I have a 30+ minute commute so I like to take that time to enjoy my coffee. Since I only need one cup, I have the single serving Keurig. Get a to-go mug that you love, take 2 minutes to pop in a k-cup (hello Starbucks from home) and buy natural ingredients for fixing. My personal favorites are natural creamer & either Organic Honey or Organic Blue Agave as a sweetener (in very small doses because these are still added sugars) Say this with me: I WILL STOP USING ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. There are already enough hidden sweeteners in the foods we eat, don’t add them into your daily coffee where you can actually control the ingredients.

|Drink More Water|

GUYS. I also don’t like drinking water. What’s wrong with me? Sometimes I feel like my thirst button doesn’t work. This year I am MAKING myself drink more water. For my energy levels, my skin, my hydration and overall well-being. I noticed I was starting to get headaches every day around 3 pm and often felt nauseous. And no, I’m not pregnant again – it was because I wasn’t drinking enough water. I have also been trying to get in the habit of drinking a large glass in the morning before I eat or drink anything else and then at least 50 ounces throughout the day. I have noticed a huge difference in sustained energy.

Using a cup that holds 20+ ounces and has a straw makes me drink the most. I’m loving these type of cups: Plastic Mason Jar Tumbler.

|Be Present|

Sometimes I get anxious that I haven’t been present enough mentally during this time in my life. As an extreme multi-tasker, it doesn’t always allow me to focus on ONE thing and take it all in. Having a baby, a full time job, a blog, a fiance…the list goes on and on of different areas that need my attention each day. I want to try to minimize the things I’m trying to do at once and BE PRESENT. I want to make a conscious effort to focus on one thing at a time – and remember that right after work, it’s strictly Calvin time where we can play and enjoy each other’s company uninterrupted. When I’m exercising, I’m taking those 20 minutes to give it 100%. When I’m writing, I’m not trying to answer work emails and vice versa. When I’m talking to Craig, I’m not browsing instagram. I definitely need to dive into this one a bit more – let me know if you have any tips for growing in this habit.

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Okay friends, what am I missing? What are your goals for 2017? Any of these overlap with yours? I need to know 🙂 Catch up with you all soon!!

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5 Easy Ways to Set Yourself up For Success in 2017

The holidays have come and gone in what feels like a huge blur – it was an awesome time with family, time off work, and seeing the bright lights of the season through my babies’ eyes for the first time. This time of the year is stressful yet fulfilling, chaotic yet relaxing – and usually positioned as the biggest climax of the fiscal year.

And then…

JANUARY.

I don’t know about you all but I feel like January is the least exciting, roughest month of the year. We are back from holiday “break” and responsibilities of life start to set in big time. In the midwest, it’s always when it starts to get brutally cold, gray, and there’s really not much going on.

It’s also a time where expectations are high…aren’t we supposed to have huge resolutions and lose like 10 lbs in this month? It’s seriously overwhelming and such an anxiety ridden start to the new year you are supposed to OWN.

I have gathered here 5 small steps you can take to make it all seem less daunting – and allow you to kill it in the new year.

1.) Write down your goals

I have wrote about this topic when I hit 1 year of blogging and how it helped me, but I need to reiterate it again. Take 5 minutes, grab a journal and write down 5-10 small things you want to accomplish this year. It can be within your career, your family, your side hustle, your blogging/social media goal, your health. Just get it on paper, and make them specific! For example: don’t write “I want my blog to grow.” Write, “I WILL increase my following by 500 on X platform and post at least 2 times/week.” I’m no analyst, but pretty sure it’s scientifically proven that you’re more willing to stick to goals when you get them physically written down. By doing this, you are also putting into the universe that you want opportunities to come your way.

2.) Get moving!

Going to the gym after eating your body weight in Christmas cookies, candy and holiday ham is THE. WORST. Like on the level of vom – but you HAVE to get moving! The hardest part is getting dressed and going. Start small and work your way up. Just do a few minutes, if necessary. I went for the first time this week after about a week off and just did some cardio & abs to get myself moving again. Once the junk is out of your system you can increase intensity and set your gym goal for 2017 in which you will write down with the rest of your goals. See where I’m going with this?

3.) Determine the next big event to look forward to

This is so key for me. I am a big advocate of having things to look forward to. Not that I don’t look forward to every day with my babes but after Christmas, Hanukah, NYE is over, find another big event in the NEAR future to look forward to or prepare for. For example, my birthday is 2/4 and Calvin’s 1st birthday is 2/18 – 2 events that I will look forward to and get excited about!

4.) Find something that inspires you

What inspires you or keeps you going? It is a book, a podcast, a friend, a child? For me, taking action is what inspires me to keep going. I want to grow my blog because it is my favorite thing I do for ME – if I don’t write for a few days, have an idea brewing, or post something, I honestly get anxious (what am I doing with my life?) and antsy. That’s how I know I should keep going. Maybe action is uncomfortable for you but you get inspiration by reading from your favorite author or listening to a podcast on your commute – keep doing those things.

5.) Buy or do one small thing that makes you happy

Alright – materialistic Kayla is coming out. I’m not saying you have to go get a $150 massage or buy a new Michael Kors purse – but go do something small or buy something small that will make you happy. I know we just got holiday gifts but let’s be honest – the holidays are all about the kids now. Go buy something you maybe didn’t get and enjoy it. For example, a new coffee/tea mug, a pair of warm gloves or a comfy blanket for relaxing at home. Maybe you should go get that hair trim or color that you’ve been putting off due to little time. Tell your significant other that getting out for an hour or two would help you and go do what you want. It’s the little things, ya’ll.

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What are we wearin’?

Calvin

Navy Vest (similar)

Vest (similar)

Boys romper

Brown Boots (similar)

Beanie (similar)

Kayla

My navy sherpa coat is originally from GAP and is completely sold out! I’m so sad – I searched the internet high and low for some similar options.

Coat (similar)

Coat (similar)

Coat (similar)

Coat (similar)

Boots

Plaid shirt

Beanie (similar)

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We are in Cincinnati until Sunday and will spend New Year’s Day heading back to NJ. What are your plans? Have an amazing New Year with the ones you love! Talk soon, Friends!

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A Day in the Life: Balancing Business Blogging & Baby

Hello, Friends! Can you believe that this was the last full week before Thanksgiving?! This has been THE FASTEST year.

PS – I got a notification today that another one of my blog posts was published today on Elite Daily here! The original article all about the “5th Trimester” can be found here and is still one of my favorite posts I’ve written to date.

We went home this past weekend for my sisters wedding (which was amazing BTW) and I had so many questions and comments about my blog! It makes me happy because I know that people are reading and engaged with my writing.

 Two of the most common questions were: when do you blog and how do you have time to blog? Or comments of “I don’t know how you do it.” There were also comments saying that I must be spending a lot of time on it. Which is true, but I have to be very strategic about when I can work on this, and yes, I wish I could do way more. Craig says I spend more time working on the blog than I think.

I decided I’ll write about a day in the life of a working, blogging, Mom for some perspective – I know so many working Moms can relate so I’d love to hear from you on how you balance it all as well!

  I’ll start at midnight so we can include the entire day. Pretty much every week day is the same routine:

• Sometime between 1am and 3am: Calvin is not consistent about sleeping through the night even at 9 months, so once a night, Calvin usually wakes up whining in his crib. Craig is on this time of night duty so he will go in to rock him back to sleep if he doesn’t go back to sleep on his own. I don’t feed him during the night anymore.

• Sometime between 5am and 6am – Cal wakes up again. At this odd time of the morning, I don’t have the time or patience to rock him back to sleep. If it’s earlier than 6am, I grab him and lay with him in our bed with me so I can get just a bit more sleep. He will almost always snuggle back up and sleep for a bit longer.

• 630-730am: wake up and feed Calvin (I am still breastfeeding in the mornings and evenings) then we “talk and play” for a bit.

• 730-830am: Get myself ready for work while entertaining a baby. Calvin plays & rolls around in his pack ‘n play, I pack my lunch, coffee and english muffin with peanut butter while Calvin stares at me sitting on the kitchen floor, get Calvin changed & dressed while he screams because he doesn’t want me to lay him on his changing table.

• 8-830: I leave for work, Craig finishes getting Calvin ready and takes him to daycare. My commute is 30 min.

• 830ish-530ish: Work work work work work – meetings, calls, project work, emails, and more meetings.

• 6-630pm: Get home from work. Craig has usually already picked up Calvin and they are both waiting for me at home.

• 615-630pm: Feed Calvin dinner (1 jar beech-nut baby food & gerber rice cereal or oatmeal) while the other starts dinner.

• 630-730pm: Play with Calvin/Eat Dinner

• 730-8: Bedtime routine: bath, pajamas, books

• 8pm: Feed Calvin then let him lay with me for cuddle time for at least half hour.

• 8-830pm: Craig takes Calvin and puts him in his crib.

• 830-? pm: “Personal” time – this is usually when I do all of my blogging/social media work. The end time is “?” because sometimes I am too tired to do anything and sometimes I am up until midnight.

  I am committed to continuing my blog, with some other long term goals in mind as well. At this point, I’m definitely feeling like something always has to be given up in order to balance business, blog & baby – at this time in my life, usually it is sleep or exercise! I know, I know, I’m working on it.

You can probably tell by this schedule that I need efficiency – I need things to be quick, simple and easy for me to fit everything into my day. No time for BS. I was actually looking back through some old blog posts and realized pretty much everything I support and write about is related to making my life easier and more efficient. Here are some mom hacks I live by every day!

*I only wash and style my hair once a week – usually on Saturday. The rest of the week I wear it half up, in a pony tail, in a bun, etc to mix it up and make my blowout last. I was #blessed/cursed with very dry hair that allows me to do this. I wrote about “2nd day hairstyles” here – but really they can be used for 3rd, 4th, and 5th day styles too!

*I put on the same makeup every day – watch my 10 minute every day makeup tutorial here 

*Microwaveable vegetables & bagged salads – need I say more?

*Draft settings on wordpress, instagram, facebook, outlook, gmail and other social channels are life savers! If you ever see me post something during the week, it’s likely because I took the time the night before or on the weekend to create drafts of social posts/blog posts or emails.

*Crockpot Meals! I wrote about my favorite easy meals here and here.

*The Keurig coffee maker – one quick cup that I can grab & go!

*Flossing in the shower – anyone else?

*Low maintenance hair color – I really love getting a fresh cut & color but it takes such a long time from start to finish that I can only really find time to go about 3-4 times a year. I recently had my stylist take out my blonde that goes all the way up to the roots so that the color can gradually grow out and still look okay. This allows me to go longer between visits.

*Lastly, I have become more and more open about my honesty on when I need help. It’s just natural that a lot of responsibility falls back on Mom, especially when the baby always wants you or you are still breast feeding. Lately I am very open about when I need help on ANYTHING. For example, I really dislike going to the grocery store so Craig will stop on his way home from work. It is one thing off my plate each week.

Who else’s schedule feels just as crazy as this? Moms of multiples, I don’t know how you do it!!! What are your hacks, daily efficiencies, or tips? Would love to hear about how I can cut more corners! LOL

Have a great weekend!!!

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To The Working Mom: So your Child Goes to Daycare (& why it’s okay!)

Like everything I write, I want to start this post off by saying this is 100% my opinion and experience. I know everyone has their own way that they feel about childcare and who they want to watch your babies…and that’s okay! I know Moms who will ONLY leave their child with family members – and I know Moms who will leave their child with anyone who will take ’em. I can only speak to my experience with Calvin, but hope that this helps to ease at least one new working mama’s pain of returning to her job. For most Mom’s, the decision to return to work isn’t a choice, it’s necessary for her family. And even if it is a choice, it’s still not easy to spend so many hours away from your baby-ever.

A few weeks ago I was in Calvin’s school picking him up and I saw the tiniest new baby in his room. A few minutes later her mom came in to pick her up and we got to chatting. She proceeded to tell me that her daughter was a preemie of 4lbs when born and at 3 months she was just over 8lbs. It was her 2nd day back to work and she teared up telling me how hard it has been on her. Calvin weighed more than her baby of 3 months, WHEN HE WAS BORN. I cannot even fathom having to leave him at that size. My heart hurt for her and I wanted to hug her and tell her repeatedly it does get better – in time. Us Mom’s have to do what’s best for our family, even if it’s returning to work earlier than we want. It’s okay to be sad at the beginning.

Leaving your child for the first time in the hands of essentially, strangers, is a very strange concept and hard time for new moms. For being someone who is so focused on her career and motivated in the professional aspect of my life, I was absolutely shocked at how quickly my priorities changed. I became obsessed with maternity leave and can say that those 3 months were the some of the best times of my life with my new little guy. While I don’t necessarily wish I was a SAHM, I do wish I had just a bit longer before I had to leave him. Signing up for daycare, going back to work, and adjusting to life as a working mom, was and has been the most challenging time of my life.

For weeks I worried about the care of Calvin, how much attention he was getting, how he was developing, etc. The primary colors everywhere and the smell of the place made me nauseous. I would hardcore question the teachers, heavily scope out the landscape of the room, and avoided drop off duty 100% of the time.

I still worry about those things but 100% feel that the positives of taking your child to a care center outweigh the negatives. Calvin has grown to love his school, his teachers, and is developing right on target!

Here are my favorite benefits – I think the pictures will speak for themselves in these areas 🙂

Social Interaction 

 ^leading the team meeting

^rollin’ with my homies

Creative Development

^ my all time favorite – facepainting day!

^I’ve tried to get Calvin to color with me at home once and it was a disaster

^Calvin’s “art” that I will save forever

Independence

^food>sleep lol! ^dumping toys all over the place and making a mess somewhere that’s not my living room^playing while the other babies sleep

Some other positives I’ve noted of sending Calvin to daycare:

• Adult interaction – He is able to get used to being with other adults outside of just Craig and I – he loves his teachers and more importantly, they love him!

  

• Structure – I was horrible at structuring our days while at home with him and basically let him do whatever he wanted…they keep him on a set schedule for when he eats and he naps as needed throughout the day

• Opportunities for us to connect with other parents – they host events such as “back to school night” and a Halloween parade for us to take part in with him and the other families. I discovered another Mom of a baby in Calvin’s class had the same midwife who delivered her daughter that delivered Calvin. Such a small world.

  ^Halloween Parade

• Trusted professionals – these caregivers are professionals at watching babies and it is their focus all day. If Calvin were at home with me, I know I would be trying to do a million things at once. They can recommend how much he should be eating, call out anything that seems abnormal, and give us advice on what to watch for. As a first time mom, I don’t have anything to compare to!

• Daily updates – we get daily updates to our emails through a program called Life Cubby. At the end of each day we have a summary on when he ate, slept, and even how often they changed his diaper. The picture updates from Life Cubby are how we have been able to save all of these great photos of Cal.

  So – yes daycare is seriously scary to a new mom. It’s scary when they get sick for the first time, or when they get hurt for the first time, but those things are going to happen either way. I’m here to tell you that  it does get better and you will see your child learn to love it. Are there days when you just DON’T want to go to work – or when you DON’T want to take your baby to daycare? All. the. time. Pretty much every day. But because we have time apart during the week, our nights and weekends are treasured. They are special, and they are enjoyed to the fullest extent.

To the working mama, you are doing great. It’s going to be okay – you will spend your days kicking ass at your job and still come home each day to the biggest smiles you have ever seen. You CAN have both and you will learn to find the beauty in balancing it all 💙

^post daycare kisses

Leave me a comment below or send me a message if you want more info or to connect – I love hearing from all of you! 💕

Personal Days and Ponchos (& why both are necessary!)

A personal day? What’s that?

If you are asking that question to yourself or thinking, “SERIOUSLY!” – hear me out! I’ve just recently discovered the single best #momhack #lifehack whatever you want to call it hack.

Early on after having Calvin and going back to work, a co-worker gave me the advice that I should schedule days off work to get personal things taken care of.. aka suggesting that I would have to plan ahead to be productive, a super foreign concept to me. I put this in the back of my mind up until now, as it seemed like a waste of a vacation day, or that it wouldn’t be worth setting aside work or emails for a full day.

It has been a busy and stressful summer & fall back at work, and I have slowly started to fall behind on “life.” So at the end of last week, I decided I needed a personal day – to keep both my physical and mental sanity!

My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.

[Every vacation day for the past 18 months has been spent traveling (usually to and from holidays), which in itself can be extremely stressful and tiring. If we weren’t traveling, they were spent at home in Cincinnati staying at others’ homes and juggling how we can maximize time with every loved one we want to see and while in town.]

This was not the personal day where I sleep in until 10am, slowly enjoy my coffee cuddled on the couch with a nice book and then make my way to the salon for a day of pampering.  It was time – this mama needed a day to herself to just get. shit. done.

I never thought I would be the Mom that was off work and still taking her child to daycare, but I can now put myself in that category. It is almost impossible to get anything done when taking care of an 8 month old at home, so off to daycare Calvin went. Because my personal time is so valuable, I did not feel bad… he did get to go late and was picked up early. Either way, Calvin loves daycare (thinking of writing a post on daycare pros & cons) so it was just another chance for him to play with his “friends.” 🙂

I honestly can barely even believe I was so productive. I felt “free” and was able to check so many things off of my to-do that would’ve otherwise eaten into my entire weekend or taken a lot longer than 1 day to accomplish.

Some ideas for fully utilizing a personal day:

Drink your coffee out of a normal mug as opposed to a travel mug (it’s the little things)

Clean/pick-up your home

Laundry

Work on your side hustle

Go to a work-out class

Grocery shop/buy items for a new recipe

Go to brunch or lunch with a friend

Shower and actually get ready

Spend extra time with your child in the morning and afternoon

*I may or may not have been able to do all of these things and more*

If you are a busy mom, or hard working professional and feeling overwhelmed with work, life and responsibilities, I suggest putting some time aside for yourself. Even if ‘personal time’ means you are checking things off your list that involve others – if it’ll make you feel better to accomplish these things that you know need done asap, it’s time.

As a mom, you likely schedule everyone else’s lives around you – what about scheduling some time of your own?

So – my top 3 reasons you should take some time for a personal day – 1) get a bunch of shit done in one focused day 2) revive your mental sanity and 3) you deserve it!

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OUTFIT INSPO:

Boots (similar)

Dress

Necklace

The poncho I’m wearing in these photos is almost like a blanket, super big and warm. It’s from marshals, or maybe TJ Maxx last year and LITERALLY doesn’t have a brand on the tag. (You can probably tell by now that I’m not a big brand snob – I buy what I like, don’t care where it’s from or what the brand is.) I also swore by ponchos when I was pregnant and they are actually what inspired my very first post.  They are probably my favorite cold weather accessory and I’m so glad it’s finally chilly enough to pull them out! Here are some of my other favorites for you to choose from:

Here’s to my two favorite things at the moment: personal days & ponchos! How do you feel about either? What is your plan of attack for completing “life” tasks and not getting overwhelmed? Any hacks I should know about?

Talk soon!

{Month Seven} + Thoughts on Having a Baby Away from Family

We are officially to seven months!! How? Why? What’s happening? I have had 2 people in public say, “he’s almost one year!” Whoa people, let’s slow it down – he’s still my little cuddly baby. That is one exaggeration where I’d rather people round down. I’m so excited for our future but wanting to cherish every moment that I can. Every night after Calvin eats and falls asleep, I still hold hold him on my chest for about 30 min – 1 hour (and I wonder why I have no time to do anything) but I know that these moments will be gone so quick so – IDC!

I mentioned in my Instagram yesterday that he is seRIoUsLy giving us a run for our money! He is teething, not sleeping through consistently and extremely crazy rolling everywhere. The teacher at daycare told me that he loves taking the full bin of toys and pouring it over his head. I’ve never heard a more true metaphor for my life, LOL! I’m frightened for when he full on crawls, walks and then runs. #notready

In Month 7, I am officially feeling the stress of having a baby while living far away from the help of any and all family. {We do have friends here, but coincidentally (in a positive way) they all have babies or are pregnant themselves!} The first few months were great while I was on maternity leave and I had all the time in the world to focus on Calvin, while still getting personal items taken care of. Months 4-7 have been a bit of a different story. I’ve shared my working mom woes, but I think I have realized why the past few months have felt so challenging and straining. We have no help or moments of “relief.” It hit me like a ton of bricks this past weekend.

For a while I think I thought we were invincible and that we could do anything we set our minds to – which we can, BUT it would be better with people to help. Do a lot of people successfully raise their children away from family? Yes, and we are successfully doing it too, but it really is much harder. Our personal endeavors are very few and far between – and our time for each other is limited. Legit, I sometimes struggle finding time to shower. I am exhausted at night and he’s up between 5-6am each morning. Even if we only get “behind” on life a bit each week, it starts to add up. Before we know it, we have 6 bins of laundry waiting to be folded (we have to re-dry things like 3 times or they’re wrinkly as shit), I haven’t worked out in 2 months (more on this later), we’ve eaten dinner “out” 4 days in a row, and it looks like Hurricane Katrina has gone through our living room. While I know that this stage of our lives is short and fleeting – it is still extremely overwhelming and unlike anything I have experienced in the past.

All I want are mom-made casseroles and cookies on demand, and someone to do all my household ‘chores’ -is that too much to ask?

In true fashion to my writings, I want to also talk about the positives we have experienced while on our little Cantor family adventure away from home. While it’s been challenging, there has been no shortage of amazing moments that we are extremely grateful for.

*Craig, Calvin and I have become so much closer because of this. Even though Calvin doesn’t know it yet, I think he will be proud of the fact that we took a chance on moving away, getting out of our comfort zone, and then overcoming to provide as much love as we can to him in his early stages of life.

*We have learned to do everything on our own through trial and error – the best form of learning.

*When we DO have help, it’s such a blessing. Something we might have overlooked or expected while living close.

*This is only preparing us for our future and the challenges we may face with more than one child. Yes, we plan on sibling(s) for little Cal.

*Because this area is very full of “transplants”, three of our best couple friends are also going through the same thing – having new babies far away from family.

*Calvin goes with us everywhere and has become Mr. Social Butterfly. He’s so good when we get him out of the house!

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Calvin Updates

Likes:

• Not sleeping all night

• Waking up early

• Showering himself in toys

• Bath time

• Being tickled

• Holding Mom’s cell phone

• Eskimo Kisses

• Toys that rattle

• Soft blankets

• Rolling everywhere!

• Riding on Dad’s shoulders

Dislikes:

• When Mom leaves the room

• Chunky baby food

• Sleeping in

• Naps

• Getting his face wiped off

• Being constrained in any way

7 month photo update:

Who else lives away from family and is feeling some of these challenges? I definitely want to connect – feel free to send me a message in any way 🙂

Stay tuned this week – I’ll be talking about one of my favorite new, quick, easy to watch, relatable shows and hosting a giveaway along with it!

Talk soon!

My Summer Post Recap: All things Baby, Back to Work, Engagement, Re-branding & Travels!

It’s been a summer for the books! So much growing, traveling, fun & so many firsts in our life! As I was rounding these up, I went back to re-read some of my posts – I need to take some of my OWN advice and remember why I wrote the things that I did.

The post that hit me the hardest was “The 5th Trimester: Learning to Balance Time & Give yourself a Break.” This post is very near and dear to my heart – definitely the most honest words I’ve written to date. If you are a working mom, or will be…check it out!

The most exciting thing that happened personally this summer, is that Craig and I got engaged! We are so official now!

The most exciting thing that happened blog wise, is that I re-branded from “Kayla Marie” to “Running with Strollers.” I finally found my niche and can’t wait to keep writing & bring great content to all my readers!

Here is a recap of this summer’s posts. I have re-linked for easy reading if you may have missed one in the craziness that summer can bring 🙂

Calvin Turns 4 Months + The challenges & rewards during this time 

Back to Work! + My Working Mommy Essentials

The 5th Trimester: Learning to Give Yourself A Break

*My favorite & most honest post of the Summer <3*

My Favorite Way to Order Prescription Glasses + Pics of this Baby Bear!

4th of July Inspired Family Photos

We got engaged! + Our Favorite Vacation Photos 

Calvin turns 5 Months + How Having a Baby Changes Your Priorities

Our Day Trip to NYC + Getting Out of your Comfort Zone 

Mom goes to Nashville + Increasing Your Happiness + How to wear Shorts & Boots

*Blog Re-Brand!!*

Flying with an Infant + Travel Necessities! 

Calvin turns 6 Months + Remembering to Live in the Moment 

Calvin Tries the MamaRoo!

Shirt Dresses: Perfect for the Transition to Fall

Here’s to a new season, more firsts, and finishing out 2016 strong.

So much love for all of you! ❤

How often do you get out of your Comfort Zone? + Baby’s Big Day in the City

Hello hello – the first day back from Labor Day weekend! It was a super fun 4 day weekend for me so today was a BIT of struggle city getting back into it!

I don’t think it’s a secret that the past 18 months of my life have been a bit crazy – relocating for the first time away from all friends & family, taking on a new leadership role with increased responsibilities, finding out we were pregnant, moving apartments 3 times, making all new friends, having Calvin, getting engaged, and the list goes on! Yada, yada, you guys have heard it all. That is so much to fit into 18 months and people have often looked at me like I’m crazy or asked me how this is possible.  NOT that I think i’m the expert on any topic, as most of the time I’m writing about something when experiencing it for the first time. I also DON’T think others haven’t gone through crazier changes or experiences in even shorter time frames or that I’m special!

BUT the past 18 months are what have inspired me to write -the challenges and rewards are what inspired me to continue on this blogging journey and allowed me to discover something I love to do.

But why do I keep talking about this? Why do I say the back half of my twenties has been a ‘life changing’ time?

It has all been done completely out of my comfort zone.

None of it this has been comfortable – it has stretched me (both mentally and physically, ha) but all of it is preparing us for our growth, success and new opportunities in the future. I sound so responsible! But for real – Nothing rewarding I have ever accomplished has been done in comfort.

I didn’t WANT to relocate initially but I knew I needed a change and to challenge myself professionally.

I didn’t WANT to move apartments after only 6 months in the other one, but we needed more space.

I didn’t WANT to live away from family when we started our family, but we stuck to the decision we committed to, and have made it work very well for us.

Even going back to college, I didn’t WANT to practice with my dance team 16+ hours a week, but I wanted to be on a team where I could win a world championship more than anything else in my life. *humble brag moment*

Sometimes the right thing isn’t the most fun (initially.) If you want the outcome more than you don’t want to feel uncomfortable, it will be worth it.

I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone more recently than I even care to admit, but making the best of the situation, overcoming, and moving forward, I think, is where you start to see rewards and new opportunities. People may look at you like your crazy but if you have a feeling deep down that what you’re doing is right, you have to try.

I guess my question to you is, are you consistently finding ways to stretch yourself or do you stay with what is familiar? Are you unhappy in some aspect of your life but you keep doing the same thing every day? What have you been wanting to do but are too afraid of what others think?

Getting out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to be moving across the country – it can be sending that email or setting up that meeting at work that you’ve been putting off. It could be finally introducing yourself to another Mom you’ve been wanting to connect with in your “circle” of acquaintances. It could be going to an event that takes a hell of a lot more effort to attend than to sit at home on your couch eating chipotle.

What can you do this week to get out of your comfort zone in order to grow a bit? Seriously, I want to hear the “scariest” thing you’ve done recently! Let me know below!

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One thing that we’ve made sure to do is to keep living our lives and truly incorporate Calvin into the things we enjoy doing. I’ve learned that having a baby doesn’t mean you no longer have a life – yes things are more difficult, and there are certain things you can’t do, but remembering you CAN still do things is key.

Since he was born, we have never shied away from taking him places – to restaurants, parks, the beach, friends houses, the city.

Earlier this summer my sister and brother in law let us know that they’d be coming into NYC in August and asked if we would be able to meet them for the day. We live in NJ – about an hour outside of the city, a 75 min train ride on the NJ transit. For anyone who has been to NYC, you know it is a different world – overwhelming, mesmerizing, full of opportunity. Before we got pregnant we went into the city a few times, always leaving exhausted but feeling grateful that we live so close to such a buzzing atmosphere. The east coast is no joke – it is fast paced and you can get lost in the shuffle easily.

When given the opportunity to take our 6 month old baby into the city with us, we could have easily said no or come up with a million excuses to why it isn’t safe, he’s too young, or that it’ll be too hectic. We knew it all of these things could be true in some capacity, but we were excited for the challenge and adventure of the day trip with Calvin. Plus, if we can take the babe into NYC and explore, we may just be able to take him anywhere!

It turned out to be the best day – even with an unexpected torrential downpour and we can’t wait to take him again.

Here are some of our fam pics from the trip!

^Cal’s first train ride

^view from the Boathouse in Central Park^reppin’ the Bengals in NYC^central park

I hope you all have an amazing week and start to your September!!

Talk soon,

Increasing Happiness: How you Think about Current Life Situations & Apply a Shift (+ boots & shorts style inspo)

Happy Weekend!!! We are in NJ again this weekend, pretty much in chill-ax mode before we are traveling again next week!

Can I be transparent and say that pretty much everything about the past 3 months has been challenging and life changing? It has forced me to be intentional with my thoughts and seek out information that will allow me to grow instead of shrink down into the pit of #stress.

I had a conversation recently with a co-worker and they were asking me what I wanted and made the comment that they wanted me to “be happy.” It was interesting to stop and think about this – because I haven’t actually thought about me, my goals, my future… in a very long time. I am constantly thinking about what will make Calvin happy, what will make my family happy, what will make my co-workers/team members happy, what will make my clients @work happy. Although it’s true that if all of those individuals are happy, so am I, but I also got to thinking about what makes ME happy and how can I have more of that in my life?

Sometimes it’s the little things, right? Like a cup of coffee in the morning, getting an extra hr of sleep on the weekend, a new lipstick shade, or the feeling when you can tell fall is on its way.

But most of the time in the midst of busy days, weeks, long days and long nights, true happiness takes effort and a commitment to saying, “I’m going to remain positive, no matter what is thrown my way today.” Unfortunately, it does take effort to count your blessings and remember how amazing your life truly is. The realization of this comes from the self-awareness of NOT remaining as positive as I could when challenges or tough situations have come my way in the past.

I also recently listened to a podcast and it was talking about and listing activities that are PROVEN to increase happiness on one’s life. Some examples were silently meditating, journaling each night, committing to 5 random acts of kindness each week, and taking brisk walks 3x a week. While I’m sure these are proven to increase happiness, I couldn’t really relate. Can you imagine me silently meditating each morning in addition to feeding & changing another human being, getting myself ready and commuting to work all before 830am? As a super busy working mom, I’m not in a spot where I can ADD things to my life. Yes I want to achieve ultimate happiness and overcome stress, but I feel like there’s things I’m already doing, that when viewed with a different mindset, could really change my outlook on love, life, and happiness.

These are some every day realities that could (and often do) weigh on me and prevent me from feeling fully accomplished, fulfilled, and happy. When I change my mindset and develop a PMA (positive mental attitude) these situations are suddenly a blessing instead of a burden:

Situation: Spending weekdays at work, while others get to stay at home with their babes

Shift: You are a strong, hard working, ambitious mom who gets to go to a great job and make money for her family. This job allows you to give your family things and do things together you might not be able to without your income. Your family will look up to you for the things you have accomplished professionally and the success you were able to achieve while balancing both.

You have a long commute

This is YOUR time – time to think, fill your brain with positive info via podcasts or listen to music. Take a deep breath, think your thoughts, and enjoy your cup up coffee the whole way there.

Situation: You’re freaking tired

Solution: Stop and get that damn iced latte if you want it. You deserve it. DUH.

Situation: You don’t have enough time to workout so you’re feeling down on yourself and your body image

Solution: I can’t say we’ll ever have more time, but I’ve been told that if you have a small baby, don’t fret on this. This stage of your life is so quick and fleeting, enjoy it spending time doing what needs to be done (dishes, dinner, baby cuddles, breastfeeding, etc.) Another thing I’ve thought about on this topic…if you don’t have time to workout, you DO have time to eat and drink water (or else you wouldn’t be alive), so make some healthy swaps and it could take some of the stress off of fitting exercise in your schedule.

 Situation: You’re worried about your quality time with your significant other 

Solution: Even being aware of this is key! Keep it top of mind and talk about how you can solve for it. It could be as simple as making sure you eat dinner together, talking about your day each night, or committing to going to bed at the same time each night.

Have you thought lately about what makes you happy? What are your “situations” and “solutions?” How do you view happiness and make sure you are intentional with your thoughts? Any ideas or recos!? Seriously need to hear 🙂

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 *Shop my look*

Black Fringe Boots 

Black MK Watch

White Shorts

Flannel Shirt

Choker

Tank – Similar

More boots/shorts inspo: for when you still want to summer (shorts) but you’re ready for fall (boots!) Love this trend.

Have a great weekend, all!!

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Motherhood & Guilt: How to Stop Comparing & Feel like a Badass

I recently read an article on Women & Guilt, and I can’t stop thinking about it – so you know I had to talk about it here. This blog is suddenly a catch-all for my thoughts – thoughts I think all 20-somethings, new moms, or young women have probably felt at some point. I was actually going to wait until I had the *perfect* images to go along with this post, but wanted to get it published before the start of another week.

 This particular article titled, “Why Women Need to Stop Feeling Guilty About Literally Everything” on Elite Daily, had a bit more substance than most of the articles I’ve read on the site. (Side note: I contribute for Elite Daily but usually have to simplify or make my posts more generic to get them picked up. They are sometimes a ‘dumbed down’ version of what I would post here and the titles are chosen by E.D.) This particular article begins to describe how most women feel guilt in their daily lives, whether you’ve had a child or not…but even more so after they’ve given birth as there is now another human in the picture.

 The problem with the article is that it doesn’t actually talk about WHY we feel the guilt or HOW we can stop feeling this way. It just talks about the issue – yes awareness helps issues, but it doesn’t solve them.

I hadn’t labeled some of my newly found anxiety as “guilt” until I read this – I realized in the past 12 weeks I have felt guilt for some of, but not limited to, the following reasons:

Putting Calvin down for periods of time during the day (Should be holding him or interacting 24/7 instead of trying to get things done? I only have one maternity leave.)

Waking up Craig in the night to help with diapers or rocking back to sleep (I wouldn’t want both of us to feel tired tomorrow.)

Eating a piece of cheesecake at 10pm on a weekday (I’m supposed to be watching what I eat.)

Signing Calvin up for daycare (Will he forget me? Will he have a worse childhood for me not staying home? Which isn’t an option BTW.)

Taking 14.5 weeks of maternity leave instead of the 12 my company expects (Even though most Moms can, and do, take 18 full weeks in my state.)

Missing a company leadership retreat during this time (It was a 3-4 day trip to New Orleans.)

Not living near family (They can only see Calvin during designated and planned times this first year.)

Meeting friends in NYC for several hours on a Sat (Should I never do anything fun independently again?)

Writing this blog post while Calvin watches in his swing (Literally, feeling guilty while I’m writing a post about feeling guilty.)

Leaving a mess everywhere (Dishes in the sink, clothes covering the whole floor, stuff all over the bathroom sink, breast pump parts all over the kitchen counter.)

Being a jerk and making Craig get us coffee one Sunday (His spilled on the way home and he didn’t even get to have any.) 

Only 12 weeks into motherhood and I literally feel bad about everything or am constantly apologizing – in other words, HELLO GUILT.

I think talking about this issue of guilt – how, why, and what we can do, can help some of us to find peace in everything we are trying to accomplish. Your priorities are different than mine and mine are different than yours, yet we still compare and feel a sense of failure when we can’t accomplish the same thing that Suzy Home-Maker, Business Betty, or Workout Barbie accomplished yesterday.

WHY do we feel guilt?

There’s this image that is portrayed in which women/mothers are supposed to have and do it all: contribute financially for the family, take care of both the children and husband, spend quality time with family and friends, cook healthy and well balanced meals daily, remember everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries, & special events, exercise and maintain a healthy body image, etc etc etc. The list seriously goes on and if we can’t give 100% in all of those areas (which we, as humans, physically cannot) a sense of failure or guilt beings to creep in. These are the biggest areas I can think of, but then we are hit daily with the small things that cause us to feel bad as well. We take on too much. So basically we are always feeling bad about something.

I believe this sense of guilt is heightened by the rise of social media – a topic I’ve discussed before but is becoming an increasing issue. Even the most popular social media ‘stars’ will tell you that it is not reality. Fitness guru and big name brand with 5 million followers, Kayla Itsines, recently posted on Instagram stating, “On my account, I’ll tell you now, you don’t see a lot of things. Not because I don’t want to show you, but because I cannot physically take a photo of them…the 5am wakeups, the late nights, the constant bullying, the lack of support from friends.” Basically, you can’t always show the tough moments in photos.

I post a ton of smiling, happy, feel good pictures with my family because these are the good moments, right? You don’t see the 4am feedings where I’m so tired I want to gouge my eyes out, the screaming fits he throws when he won’t nap, the afternoons when I pace around the apartment for up to an hour before going to the gym because I’m exhausted and procrastinating from making myself go, the weekend I had mastitis with a fever of 102 and was so sick I couldn’t even get out of bed, when I had such a bad cold on Mother’s Day, I could barely taste my lunch. The list goes on. So never look at social media and think that someone has it all – because they are just doing the best they can like the rest of us. I promise everyone has their own struggles/complicated story.

HOW can we eliminate some guilt?

I don’t have the magic answer for this but I am going to share with you all an idea on how we can begin to stop the comparison and feel great about what we have accomplished, opposed to feeling bad about what we didn’t. 

Set nothing in stone. Our priorities will change daily, weekly, monthly, forever. But for the purpose of this, let’s talk weekly priorities. I’m also not going to say, “write this shit down” because then it’s just adding to the list of things you have to do. You’re a woman, you can likely keep 5 billion thoughts in your brain, effortlessly. 

Each week, say Sundays, just think about what is most important to YOU for that week (outside of the given ‘go to work’ or ‘take care of children.’) IF you feel so inclined, or already write in a journal, or already make lists – feel free to jot them down. Maybe they are (1) cook a healthy family dinner 3 nights, (2) get to the gym twice, and (3) spend 30 minutes of quality time talking with my husband each night before bed. You’re going to do a million other things in this week as well, but these 3 are the most important to your well-being, this week. By mentally separating these things, or writing them down, you’ve now organized your priorities. Think about them often, or keep the list in front of you. Feel great when you accomplish these 3 things that you’ve deemed as most important, instead of feeling guilty about the 10 other somethings you may not have gotten to. You’re now focusing your mind on what’s important to you & what you accomplished. Life is a big mind game, anyways – the body will often follow what you focus on and think about consistently.

My 3 for this week, would probably be (1) Pick-up & clean the apartment in its entirety – it’s getting bad, (2) Make a dinner at home with the groceries I just bought, as opposed to going out and (3) tackle the tasks I already have planned relating to this blog. If I can do those 3 things I will feel accomplished.

You guys, this is not tried and true, it’s just an idea I have. Who wants to try this with me and feel badass about what we can accomplish this week?

Let us remember how awesome we are as individuals, give ourselves credit for just being us, and know how lucky we are to be surrounded by the loved ones in our lives.

❤ Kayla

Original referenced article here.