What Are You Grateful For This Fall?

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Fall is my favorite time of the year, but I am sure you already know that. This time of year, I take time to reflect on life. It’s like a fresh start of realizing how good life is, and how grateful you are for the people in it.

I am so grateful for the men in my life, my husband Chad, and 8 month old son, Asher. Chad has transformed my life, and the way I approach it. Asher has completely changed the way I view life. I thought my wedding day was the best day of my life, and then we had Asher this past February. Everything changed.

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Our marriage changed, our personal needs changed, and our life completely changed. The first three months were pretty rough, since we were first time parents. The lack of sleep is so hard to get used to. I remember getting 8-10 hours of sleep during the third week, and felt my body shutting down. Then came week six, and my doctor told me I had PPD (Postpartum Depression). Receiving this diagnosis is shocking, especially how quickly they are to diagnose it. They gave me antidepressants and sent me on my way. Pulling into my driveway, I still couldn’t swallow the doctors words. I told my mom and just cried. But then I realized, “Hey, this is life. First time parenting is really freaking hard, but that doesn’t mean I truly have PPD.” I did not take the antidepressants since I was breast-feeding, and things turned out completely fine.

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Fast forward after those first three months, I am still not able to recall what those days were like. I believe my body and mind purposely blocked it out. Rightly so, I did not want to remember how hard it was. By the time Asher was three months, life got so much easier. We figured out how to balance the push and pull of parenting, and learned how to eliminate fighting. We learned that waking our baby up in the morning, and seeing his face gleaming with joy is what life is all about.

I obsess over my son daily. He learns new things every day, and I am in awe of how much he is constantly changing. Asher is a touch of Heaven. He is truly a gift from God, and changes how we perceive life. I thank God every single day for him, and cannot wait for what is to come.

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What does this season of Fall make you grateful for? How excited are you for a new season and a fresh take on life? I encourage you to take out a sheet of notebook paper, and write down all of the things you’re grateful for today.

Cheers to Pumpkin Spice Latte’s and playing in the fall leaves with your kids!

The 5 Best Activities To Do This Fall

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It’s my MOST favorite time of the year! Fall has finally begun!

I don’t know about you, but every time fall comes, there is something about this season that is so liberating. It might be the perfect temperature, the apple orchards or the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but it is glorious!

Now that I have a little baby, I find myself being such a mom. I want to go out and ACTUALLY go to the pumpkin patches and apple orchards, I want to sip on hot apple cider. I want to rake up leaves and play in them. Whatever I do, I just want to make the most of it because fall is such a short season.

This year, we are going to do our best with soaking up the last of this beautiful weather. The list below is so far what I have planned, and you should add to your calendar.

Organize a Fun Fall Fest

I can’t even tell you how FUN this is for everyone. I put together a fun obstacle course for my family that involves (1) pumpkin rolling, (2) the egg/spoon carry, (3) bobbing for apples, (4) the bucket fill up and (5) the bat runaround. Afterwards, we painted the pumpkins and drank hot apple cider (and maybe some wine…okay, a lot of wine).

Apple Picking

Because who doesn’t love going to the orchard? We always bring home a gallon of the worlds best apple cider, as well. It just screams fall, and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.

Pumpkin Patches

The kids love it, and therefore, so do the adults. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Rake up Leaves

Okay, this might not be the #1 option for parents, but the job has got to get done, right? And, as an added bonus, the kids get worn out! Hello, good nights sleep!

Hiking with PSL’s

Aint nobody ever complained about beautiful fall foliage while drinking nice, hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Dear Starbucks, you’ve ruined everyone’s lives in the BEST way possible when you created those. THANK YOU.

What are some of the best activities you enjoy in the fall? Leave a comment below!

4 Top Time Saving Strategies for Mom’s

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Being a first time mom is NOT easy. Heck, just being a mom is not easy!

Here are a few strategies you can use to save you time (and sanity, because we all need it).

1. Get up 20 minutes before baby does

If you are like me, and have a small baby at home who does not sleep through the night, this idea may seem unattainable due to the lack of sleep you’ve been getting. However, I promise you it will change the way your entire day will flow.
I get up 20 minutes before baby does so that I can have time to myself. As a new mom whose husband travels 100%, you might as well call me a single mom who also works full-time. To keep my sanity, I wake up 20 minutes early to have “mom time” which includes sipping my hot coffee during sunrise, but more importantly, allowing me to truly be in the PRESENT. Being in the present, and focusing on yourself for that mere 20 minutes to think about everything you are grateful for, or how on earth you have the sweetest baby in the world when college seems like yesterday is so important. It will automatically give you a different perspective on your day rather than waking up to a hungry baby, and focusing all of your efforts on your baby and work.

In that 20 minutes, you can also pick up your house, organize your closets, or do anything you need to that will eventually save you 5 minutes later!

With a clear mind comes a clear day.

2. Pump while getting ready or feeding the baby

This was HUGE for me as a new mom. I was SO tired from pumping, then bottle feeding, then pumping, then bottle feeding that I barely had enough time to wash those (godforsaken) bottles.

I finally figured out a way to hit two birds with one stone. One morning, I woke up, and literally had 45 minutes to get ready. Knowing that feeding took 30 minutes and pumping took 15 minutes, I would be going to work in my pajamas.

In a desperate attempt to save time, I put my baby in the bouncy chair on my bed, sat by him and hooked up the pump, and bottle fed him while I pumped. And guess what? I still made it to work on time.

To tell you that I was AMAZED was an understatement. That pure trick right there gave me 4 hours of time back in my week! Boom.

3. Tell your time what you want it to do!

Uhm excuse me? Life is not happening to you, it’s happening FOR you. Make time work for you!

In that 20 minutes of morning “Mom Time”, I RPM my day. In simple terms, I have an 8×11 sheet of paper that I write down every single hour in 30 minute increments.

I then pencil things in to each 30 minute time frame of items that I would like to get done, or accomplish.

Guess what? You now have a snapshot of your ENTIRE day and how it’s going to go. You are in charge of your day right then and there. You just told your day what you are going to do instead of going to bed that night wondering where in the hell that day went.

I also copy this schedule into my iPhone calendar and set alerts to notify me of when I need to be completed with a specific task. So handy!

Go momma, go!

4. Dedicate People to Do Things for You

How often do you tell yourself “I don’t have time” or even hear others say they don’t have time? I absolutely hate that saying. You ALWAYS have enough time, suck it up, Sally. But, time is money, right? Take 30 seconds and ask yourself “how much time did I have to take last week to clean my house/go grocery shopping/meal plan/mow my yard?” If your answer is “too much”, then you better be hiring someone to do that work for you.

I hadn’t realized how much effort I was putting into this until after my husband was traveling 100%. He was the one in charge of keeping the outside of the house looking nice, and I was responsible for the inside of the house (cooking/cleaning/groceries). With him being gone Monday-Friday, we found ourselves taking 10 hours on Saturday to do all of that, and that took time away from investing in us, as a married couple, and in spending time with our little baby.

To get those 10 hours back, all we had to do was pay $100 for a house cleaner ($50), grocery delivery ($12), and yard mower ($40).

What have been the best time-saving strategies for you? Please share in the comment section!

The Best Schedule for Productivity

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Planning out my weeks has been an absolute MUST in the last few years. The busier we get, the more we cannot focus on what we need to do. A part of this also revolves around being able to have a strong work/life balance. This is very important to your daily life — being able to have balance, whether it be with family, friends, personal, marriage, financial, physical or spiritual, will create a more sound day for you.

To have a balanced life, I make sure to treat my life like a business, and schedule the 7 most important things to me: (1) Marriage (2) Spiritual (3) Physical (4)Personal (5) Family (6) Friends (7) Financial

I have been using the “Weekly Schedule” from Pinch A Little, Save A Lot’s Blogspot to run my “life business” and print out a new one each week! Below is an example of how I set it up. Let me know what you think, and how it has helped you manage your work/life balance!img_2813

Happy 2016! The Best Resolutions to Become a Better You

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A new year, a new you! This time of year is always an exciting opportunity to start fresh, to start new, to remember all of the things you may have not been happy with last year, and to forget about those.

It’s a moment where you realize you have 365 days ahead of you, and today being the 1st of many exciting, refreshing, life-changing moments.

In thinking about New Years Day, there are a few things to reflect on and to try to incorporate in to your “new you.” Many people say “I want to work out every day”, or “I want to lose 20 pounds” and they think it’ll come quickly and easily. Well, guess what folks? Anything good doesn’t come quickly OR easily. It takes time, dedication and focus.

How to make it stick? Refocus on new resolutions every MONTH, instead of every year. By breaking these down every month, it will help you take baby steps to achieving a fulfilled life this year.

Here are the best resolutions YOU can make and focus on every day to become a better you!

1.Move… EVERY day

That’s right. I didn’t say “workout every day” or “lose weight”… all I said was MOVE. What does moving mean? It means to get off of your butt, and do something, ANYTHING. Go outside and walk for 10 minutes, get some fresh air. Stretch. Do yoga. Clean your house for 20 minutes. Guess what? The more you move, the more you’ll want to move. The more you’ll want to move, the more you’ll find that LOVE for yourself, and that LOVE of feeling good, which will motivate you to  EXERCISE. It’s that simple, folks. Just move. Move for 20 minutes a day. Period. Now… GO!

2. Be Grateful

If you’re not grateful for your life every day, how will you find peace with your life? Be happy about everything you have. Too often, we find ourselves seeing how messy our house is, how our husband leaves his socks on the floor every single day, how there is your child’s throw up on your sleeve. Guess what? You HAVE a house, a safe haven, a place to call HOME. You have a husband who married YOU, who chose YOU for better or worse, to love you forever. You’ve created so many life adventures together, and have so many exciting moments to go! You also have a beautiful child, who you get to call “yours”. Be grateful that you can create that life, that beautiful child who will forever call you “mom and dad”.

3. Take Care of Yourself

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the daily chaos we call “life”. We are always trying to do it all and to cram to much in to our already packed schedule. This leads to burnout, unhealthy eating, stress and loss of self. Please, if you don’t remember one thing in this entire article, remember to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. If you aren’t in a good state, how can you be good for your children, your husband, God? Guess what folks, it’s not possible.

Every morning, take 10, 20, 30 minutes to be in the now. Sit in your safe haven (a place in your house you feel most at ease in, most comfortable in), and just be there. Sip on coffee. And remind yourself of what day it is today, where you are now versus where you’ve been, and how to make today GREAT.

Also, don’t forget to pamper yourself. It’s amazing what a simple hair cut or manicure can do for the soul. The better you feel about yourself on the inside will reflect on what people see on the outside. If you physically take care of yourself, you’ll feel more beautiful, and thus more confident to take on life by the horns.

4. Travel & Be Adventurous

There is never enough time to go out and LIVE your life. Do fun things. Experience adventures. You can always stay at home and go to the same places. Don’t do that. Go LIVE. Pick one place per month that you want to go to that you’ve never been to, whether it’s 10 minutes away, an hour, 3 hours, and GO.

5. Feel my Emotions

Be in tuned to you, yourself and your emotions. Know what you’re feeling. Be in the NOW with your job, family, life. Truly feel what makes you happy and unhappy. If there is something unhappy going on, change it.

6. Be more Present (Less Phone Time)

That’s right… Put that damn phone down. It’s time for you to sit in REALITY for once. Have you ever just turned off the TV, hid all electronics, and sat on the couch and thought about your life? Do you realize that it’s 2016? It will be a rude awakening when you realize how fast life speeds by and you don’t take one second to soak it in. Don’t forget to sit with your husband, and just talk, as well! My husband and I always take 30 minute after dinner with no electronics, to just be with each other, whether that be playing SlapJack, or another fun game. Also, this is a great time for reflection with God! Thank Him for what you’ve got.

CHEERS to a NEW YOU in 2016!