Mental Health

2022 was a year of loss for our family. We lost two of our oldest, most cherished pets only months apart. One was expected, and one was certainly not. Our 18-year-old cat, Fat Boy, had reached the end of his life - a long life filled with unconditional love, cuddles, and captivating memories. We were able to not only say our goodbyes but also say all the things we needed for proper closure in his final days. His death definitely left a hole in our hearts, and it was the first death of a pet that our 6-year-old daughter had experienced. There were lots of tears, and the heartache didn’t come immediately. The tears came in waves, most often...

Curious how to freshen up your skin routine? We suggest you try slugging. Looking for a faster way to fix your hair? Try the lazy mom’s guide to hair. Wondering if there’s a better way to cook bacon? Try this mom hack for cooking the best bacon ever and thank us later. What’s motherhood without perfecting your bacon, are we right? Maybe you want to create your own workout space at home. We even have you covered there! Now on to some spring cleaning. My Spring Cleaning List It’s that time of the year again... Spring cleaning! While I love a good purge and house cleaning, I’ve decided to get rid of some inanimate objects that have been cluttering my soul for far too...

Hey Mom, Mommy, Mama ... where is, what is, when is ... Hey honey, hey employee, hey sister, hey friend ... it can be exhausting wearing so many different hats. Often times we forget about the most important person, the most significant hat: "me." Mom, I see you, I see me, I see all of us and we're busy and tired and feeling overwhelmed. We're constantly bombarded with messages about what we should do. Family, work, meals, exercise, and don't forget self-care. Well, instead of internalizing all of those messages and feeling like there is one more thing you need to add to your "to-do" I have a radical idea for you: a Do Nothing Day, and you know...

A former counselor of mine once taught me an important tool for communication that is great to do in any relationship whether it be a marriage, family, or friendship. I was encouraged to talk to my family each day about three things that happened during the day and how this made me feel using this list, SoulWordList. Then each family member took their turn doing the same thing. This can be a great dinner table conversation without technology present. For example, I had a call with my mother, catching up on 'life' and this made me feel 'peaceful.' This emotion makes me feel relieved, at ease, calm, comforted, cool, relaxed, composed, and protected. First, it's very important that, when speaking with others,...

Most moms feel super guilty about needing “me time.” And when we do make the choice to take that break someone else will come along and add to that guilt.  I’m always amazed at the plethora of comments on my husband’s social media posts telling him how much he deserves a break and saluting him for being a dad. However, if I dare to say, “I am tired,” I’m usually met with “that’s what a mom does.” We have been conditioned to teach moms that they MUST burn both ends of the candle and be ok with it.  Especially if you’re a working mom … jobs expect 110% of you, kids need 200%, and a spouse wants 300%. At the...