Mental Health

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for everyone but moms. I take that back. It is a wonderful time for us moms, but it comes at a cost, like all of our time and money. Every year is a constant struggle between the creative side of my brain that wants to do all of the adorably magical Christmas things and the practical side of my brain that is saying “WTF!?!” on a 24-hour loop. This year, though, I am determined to find a balance between the two. And lucky for you, I’m here to tell you how we are going to do it. Find something that you can skip this year. I have always said that I’ll never...

There are a few sayings that go around every now and then about having a clean home when my children are grown and missing their fingerprints. I do see the point of that, I do. We need to cherish the days of messy projects, sticky fingers, and SLIME. For me and my house, we do all the fun things but end the day with a clean house. There are a few reasons for this. First, it makes me happy. This keeps my anxiety at bay and I can be in a good space mentally to love on my family. I am a better mother and wife when physical and mental clutter is at a minimum. Second, it teaches my children responsibility....

I'm sure reading my title, you may have thought I was speaking about the couch in my living room. But no, I am talking about that amazing couch I sit on every 2-4 weeks for my counseling session. In 2019, I decided that I would focus on me; not for a specific reason, I just wanted to better myself -- for me, my child, friends, and family. There was nothing in my life that happened for me to do this for myself but I wanted to experience it. I also feel as if my generation is getting better about speaking on counseling and the benefits of counseling. I reached out on social media (typical millennial, right?) for a possible therapist...

Did you want to know a secret? My partner thinks I buy Target Brand Up and Up Cucumber baby wipes because they are more affordable than name-brand wipes and because they are gentle on our baby’s sensitive skin. This is only a half-truth. This brand has other wipes as well, like the unscented kind. What he doesn’t know is that these wipes are gentle on the eyes. They soothe the red splotchiness that occurs from excessive crying … it almost disappears automatically and I can go about my day without anyone knowing I’ve had an hour-long crying session. They make my face feel so much better and they’re great at cleaning off mascara stains in a jiffy (if I can...

For years, I have been a firm believer in taking what I like to call mental health days. With two kids and ever-increasing responsibilities at work and home, it is more important than ever for me to take that time. My mental health days are my self-care. What’s a mental health day? These are days that I choose ahead of time to do whatever I need to do for myself. Yes – I said it. I "selfishly" take time for me. I usually take one day every few months or after a particularly stressful period at work and/or home. My time is spent doing whatever I want to do – or nothing at all. My mental health days don’t all look...