Tag: Lifestyle Bloggers

Guest Post- Resources For Positive Parenting.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 19 Comments

A Positive, Empowering Approach to sibling Conflict

by Isobel Mary Champion, Parenting Coach (aka The Mummy and Toddler Calmer!)

It is important to try to forge a positive relationship between siblings early on. The relationship between siblings will probably be the longest relationship of their lifetime, and they need to know that they are playing for the same team (not batting for opposite sides!).

Be the team coach!

Having spent over a decade working as a top London nanny (yes, I am a real-life Mary Poppins, and yes, I do have a magical bag full of everything everybody could possibly need!), caring for groups of siblings numbering up to six, I can tell you for a fact that looking after siblings is hardly ever easy! But it is such an important job, and such an important role to play, because siblings are their own little team, and more than anything they need a good team coach. They need tolearn to protect each other, defend each other, and care for each other. They need to know that family comes first! But they also need individual space, individual possessions, individual interests, and room to develop individual personalities. They need to learn that It is ok to be different. Learning to grow as a team outside and inside the home will be a bumpy ride, but as long as you have your positive coaching hat on, you should be able to lead them in the right direction, and empower them to be their best as individuals, and as a team!

Let them play rough sometimes!

Your home environment is your kids’ rehearsal space for the outside world, and this is often where much of the conflict between siblings arises. The home is their safe space for practicing the situations and conflicts that they may come across in the real world – therefore you will often find them honing their skills in arguing, fighting, name-calling and roughhousing! This does not mean you are failing as a parent, or that your team leadership skills are not working! This is natural, your offspring are practising for survival in the outside world- think lion cubs play-fighting in the safety of the family unit. As long as this play-fighting is supervised andtakes place in a controlled environment, and is gentle enough that nobody gets any real scars, try not to worry too much! Gentleness and empathy can be taught go hand in hand with a little rough-play and arguing.

Things will change over time!

The numbers and ages of siblings can raise or lower the conflict stakes (this will be fluid and will naturally change over time), and individual personalities will come into play. One group of siblings is totally unlike any other, and your little gang will require a different team management strategy from that of your friends and neighbours! The grass may be greener on the other side, but no doubt your neighbours are peering over thinking just the same thing! As a parent there is only so much you can do – the personality, temperament and developmental stage of each child will play a big part. Think back to your own childhood, and your own siblings. What was the power balance like? Who was the leader? Who had the strongest personality? Where were the alliances? And did things change over the decades? How about now? Are those relationships the same, or have they transformed or blossomed into something new?

Go Team!

Just try to remember – you are not the referee (keeping score and issuing penalties), you are the team coach! Think of your little crew as a sports team, or a boyband on tour. Your goal is to make them perform as best as possible as a group, to teach them strategies for good sportsmanship, personal growth, group ambition, and resilience in the face of disappointment – and to share your own wisdom and experience with them. But you have to acknowledge that it’s not always going to be perfect. There may be injuries, time-outs, one membermay leave the group and go off and start a solo career or join a rival team, but in the end the bonds between the team members will be strong enough to hold them together in the long run. Give yourself a pat on the back, and shout “Go Team!”!

Here are my 5 top tips for a positive, empowering approach to conflict resolution between siblings:

1. De-escalate

Your first job is to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible. Charging in as a “peacemaker” with a loud voice and your finger pointing will only raise the conflict stakes, and give your children the wrong kind of attention (a shared desire for your attention might be the hidden cause of the conflict!). If you get angry and raise your voice, you will only provoke the “fight-or-flight” response, and risk making things worse. While it may feel like you are avoiding dealing with the issue, de-escalating is actually the most effective way to deal with the immediate problem. Don’t worry, you will address the conflict later when everybody has calmed down (see tip 5!).

Use Reason – a calm, firm, matter of fact explanation or resolution to the issue.o Use Humour – joke about it (encourage sense of humour!).

Use Distraction – turn their attention elsewhere (let’s Skype Grandma!).

Use Alternatives – offer a high value alternative (time for a movie?).

Use Food – if this has happened just before a mealtime, hunger might be the cause. Try giving them a breadstick!

2. Encourage apologies, empathy and affection

Encourage both siblings to apologise nicely (eye contact, kind voice, kind face) to each-other for their part in the conflict. Encourage them to give each-other a hug and a kiss on the cheek (nice for little ones), and make sure that the other is ok. Highlight any scratches or bruises that need extra care! Enlist their help in first aid if necessary! This will teach empathy skills and strengthen the bond between siblings.

3. Share the blame (and the punishment!)

Don’t always blame one sibling, especially if he or she has been exhibiting more challenging behaviour lately(sometimes the “good” or smaller (more innocent!) sibling is to blame! If you are dishing out a punishmentor consequence, share it between siblings (e.g. no TV for all, or they all have to pick up the toys on the floor!). This will not only encourage all siblings to behave better, but your children may even bond unexpectedly over a shared punishment! PLEASE NOTE: it takes two to have an argument! Even your most innocent little angel may not have been as innocent as you assume – even a cheeky pout can set off a battle given the right (or wrong!) circumstances!

4. Have a “Team Talk” later

Discuss what happened later when everybody is calm, quiet, and have full tummies! It can be nice to do this when you are all cosy together in your pyjamas (near bedtime?), or sharing a special treat together. Make sure to give all siblings affection and physical contact. Kindly and quietly bring up their dispute, and acknowledge that it wasn’t very nice for anybody, that you love them all very much, that they all love each-other, and that they need to look after each-other. Try asking them if they have any suggestions for how they could have managed their own behaviour better.

5. Anticipate conflict situations

If a situation is coming up where you can anticipate a conflict, try having a “Team Talk” beforehand (I always do this before playdates with a visiting guest of one sibling, or a multiple guest playdate!). This may sound a little corny, but imagine your family are a baseball team about to go out to bat, or a boyband about to go on stage. Take a quiet moment to have a team huddle, say some positive words, acknowledge that this might be tricky, give them some encouragement, tell them that you love them, and that you want them to do their best. Outline a strategy of what you would like them to do if tempers start to fray (e.g. come straight to you and speak quietly about the issue, rather than starting a fight). Add in a high-five and a group hug if you can manage it! This will start the situation off on a high for everybody, and is a good way to teach them leadership skills!

Good ground rules to set (for adults as well as children!):

1. No shouting

2. No interrupting

3. No hitting

4. No hurtful name-calling

5. Always take turns and share

Visit my Parenting Coaching website for more positive, holistic, empowering parenting solutions and guidance:www.isobelmarychampion.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @isobelmaryc

Isobel Mary Champion, Parenting Coachwww.isobelmarychampion.com

Guest Post- Mindfulness + Motherhood.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 12 Comments

When we women first discover that we are pregnant, we begin a journey in which we expect our lives to change – in the most wonderful of ways. We watch in awe as our bellies grow into these sweet bumps that hold our growing mircles, our wonderful little babes. We excitedly prepare a nursery in our home and we begin shopping for the smallest, sweetest pieces of clothing. We stock up on necessities like diapers, booties and the softest blankets you can imagine. It’s such a thrilling time for expecting parents and we allow our maternal instincts to go into overdrive as we prepare for the arrival of our first born babies.

We love counting down the nine months of pregnancy week by week, celebrating each milestone – we take monthly bump pictures, updating our social media followers, friends and family members on the size of fruit or vegetable our growing baby currently is. We wait for the tiny flutters of kicks and we enjoy the feeling of our babies rolling around inside our bumps until the grand finale of pregnancy is upon us and we are ready to deliver our baby. We are more than excited to meet the tiny person inside of us that we have created.

Then, suddenly….. it happens. Labour. Delivery. Birth. And, ahhhhh, the sweet arrival of our newborn.

It’s a whilrlwind of excitement and hormones and the biggest love you’ve ever known; and then – if all goes according to plan – you find yourself bringing this tiny bundle home, ready to begin your adventure as a new parent to this precious gift.

Up until this point, chances are that not too many things have caught you off guard. You were probably well read on and prepared for the pregnancy and birth of your baby. You likely had everything in place, planned and arranged. And – if you are anything like me – you kind of thought that caring for a newborn would follow in that suit. You did your homework, you were knowledgeable and prepared. You were ready.

And – if your experience was anything like mine – you quickly realized that, despite your best paid plans, you were in for a surprise.

Having a newborn is hard. Every single second of every single day is suddenly consumed by your brand new baby and any notion you previously had of being in control quickly goes O-U-T the window. Nothing is as you expected it to be. Your body is a strange place you now inhabit. Sleep is just not happening. Personal hygeine is nothing like it was before and you kind of feel alone in this, despite having a partner there with you. After all, YOUR body is the one recovering. YOUR body is the one feeding the baby. YOUR heartbeat is the one that’s familiar and comforting to your infant. It all feels as though it is 100%, completely, solely on YOU.

And, sweet new mama, if you truly are anything like me – you’re not going to ask for help. You are going to do it all yourself. You are going to fight to stay in control and you’re not going to open up about your struggles as a brand new momma. I get it. I didn’t want to, either.

Well, it’s been two babies and five years now since the first time I was a brand new mama and I am here to tell you that if you don’t reach out, speak up and validate the way you are feeling; if you truly do take the weight of the world on your own shoulders – you are going to crack. Life, parenting, and raising children is not a one woman show. And it certainly is not a show you can put on when you are not maintaining your own health – mental, spiritual, physical and emotional. It is imperative, new mama, that you are prioritizing your own wellbeing, even though your life has drastically changed and chances are you’ve probably put everyone else at the top of your priority list.

It turns out that is is not just a slogan we have all joked about, heard or on a t-shirt; the old adage ‘if mommy’s not happy, nobody’s happy’ – it’s the actual truth. You NEED to take care of yourself, for your baby. For your family. For yourself. This is a lesson that I personally learned the hard way and, even when it isn’t comfortable or doesn’t come naturally, I am learning to ask for help and to lessen the amount of pressure and expectations I have put on myself.

There are a lot of ways to practice self-care and everybody’s practice looks different. But, what I am going to share with you today, are seven really awesome ways that most momma’s will enjoy that are designed to cultivate mindfulness as a way to help restore sanity and promote self-love and self-care – even when you have a newborn and a circus of a household around you.

* If I had written this article prior to being a mom myself, I probably would have suggested waking up before your children in order to secure yourself some quiet time in the mornings -which actually is a beautiful way to begin your day – but if your children wake up before the crack of dawn like mine do, that might not be a realistic option. Therefore, it is crucial that you intentionally take time during the day to practice mindfulness.

1) Something I like to do in my home is to set up little ‘stations’ that serve as little reminders for me to take a quick moment to decompress. For me, my ‘stations’ each have a diffuser, some essential oils premixed and ready to drop in as well as a roller to apply, a book with a short reading and some flowers, just because I love them. I can quickly pause what I am doing, read something inspirational, get some oils going and take a few deep breaths before I continue along my day. I have several of these throughout my home and not only are they beautiful, but they serve as a physical reminder for me to pause and reconnect to the present moment.

2) If space allows it, having an alter or area to lay your yoga mat, meditation pillow and some relaxing essential oils readily available is the perfect way to offer a gentle reminder for you to practice a short flow during your day. Stretching our bodies, getting the blood moving in our system and allowing ourselves to breathe is a beautiful practice to employ when you have a minute or two to spare. My space like this now has two mats because I have a little blonde three year old yogi who likes to stretch alongside her momma, but that’s just fine by me. Whether she and I stop for five minutes or thirty, having my mat ready reminds me to stop, stretch and breathe and I hope it models that same practice for her, too.

3) A mindful practice you can employ on the go, whether you are out dropping your children off at day care, in like at the grocery store, watching their sports practice or on the phone is a breathing exercise. One of my favourite ones is a learned practice from Gabrielle Bernstein – my personal guru, picutres below – called ‘Nodi Shodhana’ or Opposite Nostril Breathing. It is designed to calm your mind, relax your nerves and help you focus as you balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain. There are many ways to practice this, but what I like to do is simply doing a full exhale, then covering your right nostril with your right thumb and doing a full, deep inhale. Hold for 3-5 seconds and then remove your thumb and exhale. Repeat on the opposite side with your left thumb and nostril. A few minutes of breathing this way helps settle our bodies and minds, as well as our emotions. Often times we find ourselves feeling frazzled, anxious and ‘out of sorts’ because we are unbalanced. We can find ourselves doing too many things at once, having ‘too many tabs open’ in our minds or are simply overwhelmed by our surroundings. This practice helps restore this balance and is a wonderful way to reconnect to the present moment.

4) Something I love to do at least once a day is a quick, 5 minute Journalling + Gratitide practice. To make this quick and easy, I literally use The 5 Minute Journal because it’s a simple way to jot down my thoughts for the day and it’s a guided writing practice. Meaning, I fill in the blanks and carry on. It’s designed to be written in in the morning and again in the evening, but you can create your own ritual with it. It’s a proven fact that being grateful for what we have helps adjust our mindset and can help us attract even more things to be grateful for. Especially for new moms, when the days truly blur into one another, having a keepsake like this will be a beautiful thing to look back on for years to come.

5) EnVISION your future. OK, this is kind of a cheat one because it can sometimes turn into a little bit of a ‘mindless’ mindfulness practice – if that makes sense. This form of mindful practice is a Pinterest Vision board. Done on your tablet or cell phone, use the Pinterest app or website to design a Vision Board. I like to do one for each year. I save pins that have inspiring quotes, trips I want to take, moments I want to create with my family, big ticket items I would like to puchase, renovations I would like to do to our home, goals I have for myself, etc. This is something I can come back to when I need motivation or inspiration and something I like to add to all through the year. It’s fun to look back on year after year to see how my dreams and vision change. The reason I say it can be mindless is because I do often tend to get lost in the endless scrolling that’s available on Pinterest, but it can be a useful tool to take a mindful minute, grab a coffee, relax a bit and save some dreams – big or small – to your board.

6) If you need some guidance in getting into a more positive frame of mind, or you simply need some assistance in being mindful, I suggest giving a walking medititation a try or testing out an app like ‘HeadSpace’. A walking meditation allows your mind to wander as your senses take in your surroundings, allowing thoughts and feelings to come and then be released as they pass. An app like ‘Head Space’ helps guide you through a meditation, so whether you are practiced in meditating or are brand new, you can spend a few minutes getting zen with the guidance from a pro. When practicing either (or really any form of meditation) I apply + diffuse oils, tell my husband that I need some time alone, and truly cherish some time to be alone with my thoughts. I am slowly learning through meditation that it is safe for all my feelings to come, to validate them, and then to allow them to pass – knowing that both good and bad emotions serve a purpose and that they are tools I can use to help learn more about what is really going on inside of me.

7) Of course, my mini-list here of ways to be mindful would be incomplete without incuding a truly mindful practice – albeit one many new moms truly may not have time for – and it is reading. Reading for joy or to further your learning and self-development, something all new moms can do for their own mental well being is to rest, relax and read. My favourite author, Gabrielle Bernstein, is a wonderful source of inspiration for me and I use her works as guides for my own spiritual journey and to improve my mental wellbeing. I also like to read romance novels, books about spirituality, home design inspiration and cookbooks – the options are endless for topics to discover and read about. If you’re not a reader, but still want to tune in, Audible or PodCasts are great, too. Anything that you can read or listen to that directs your thinking and gives you the sense that you are doing something solely to benefit you momma, is great.

Like I said, there really are so many wonderful ways to practice self-care and sometimes it takes testing several out before you find the one that works for you. Sometimes even just loading the kids into the stroller and getting out of the house to go for a walk is enough to get you – and them – out of your environment and into some fresh air. Maybe you’ll find that a creative hobby is what moves you and makes you feel mindful, maybe it’s cleaning your home, talking to a friend, writing or journalling, cooking or building something – whatever it is that works for you, it is important that all moms – whether you’re in the newborn days or are a mom to teens now – find ways to take some mindful moments, to create space and to intentionally focus on mental health and wellbeing in whatever way suits you best.

Please remember; if you are truly struggling with being mindful, if life seems unmanageable, if your emotions truly are not in check and you feel your anxiety/depression heightening – seek professional help. Whether its an online counsellor, a therapist, a service you can call into or something else. Connect with your family doctor and discuss what’s going on, making sure to consider your environmental, sleeping, eating and substance use habits. Speak to someone you trust, someone who is educated in the field of maternal mental health and who can direct your best on the path to healing.

We moms spend our entire lives giving our love to our families – it is imperative that we practice self-love first. Taking mindful moments in our day is a beautiful way to show our own selves that love, to honour our needs and to create space in our day to care for ourselves.

Parenting, mothering, nurturing and raising babies is a beautiful, messy, unpredictable and hard season. It is one to be honoured and celebrated and enjoyed, too. Our hard moments help us grow and our joyful moments help us cherish our days. Wherever you are in your journey, know that your worth is important and that self-care is not selfish.

Take some mindful moments, momma, love on yourself and then share that love with your babies.

Thank you so much to Marlys Morden for guest blogging for us!

To connect with her be sure to visit her blog and website for a healthier lifestyle!

Read her blog here

Visit her website here

Instagram link

Embrace The Chaos.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 38 Comments

Sometimes I just feel like life flies by right before my eyes but when I look, I’m still sitting in the same spot.

Each day is a new day but it’s the same routine.

So what do I do?

Embrace it.

Embrace the chaos.

That’s my motto for 2021.

The mess of toys.

The long sleepless nights and days.

The dirty laundry.

Dishes needing to be done everyday.

The screams and giggles and little feet padding down the hallway.

The crayon marks, the carpet stains.

Everything under the sun being under your couch. (Literally, I have no clue what some of the things even are…)

And under the stove…

And of course we can’t forget the refrigerator.

The feeling of there’s not enough coffee or wine in the world to help you today.

The deep breath you find yourself taking to keep your patience going.

The ache of your feet after a long day at work.

Embrace it all because how lucky are we to have it? Honestly.

I would never want to imagine a life without it. The chaos.

Embrace it all.

You’ve got this.

Happy New Year, I am Back!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 17 Comments

HI FRIENDS! Happy Monday!

Long time no talk. Were the Holidays crazy or what?

I was feeling so down because of how different everything was and what we couldn’t do. So I just focused on myself and my family and what we could still do.

It was definitely needed but guess what!? I am back and I thank you for being so patient. I have so much news and so many new ideas I can’t wait to dive into.

The cutest news?

We added to our family in December, we have a fur baby!

His name is Boomer and he’s an adorable Golden Retriever. So now I am officially super outnumbered with all boys in my house.

It’s definitely been an adjustment with an 18 month old and a puppy but it’s been fun! I will definitely talk more on that in another post.

But for now I just wanted to hop on here and say hi and let you know I’m still here!

It’s a new year and I can’t wait to freshen things up and get some new content rolling out.

Also, remember we do Saturday guest blogs and would love to line some up for the new year so email us at quirkyworkinmoms@gmail.com if you are interested please!

Again, thank you so much for being patient and I’m so glad to be back to writing for you all!

My Fall Bucket List!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 19 Comments

I love fall, y’all!

Pumpkins, apples, Halloween, THANKSGIVING! It’s my favorite time of year.

I love waking up on a chilly morning with coffee in my hand, taking the pups out for a morning run (the dogs, not me!). I go check on the chickens, and Pauly our rooster let’s put his cock-a-doodle-doo!

Fall mornings seems like everything moves a little slower for me.

My youngest had me print out our fall bucket list! I’ll insert it below!

I created my own bucket list for fall. Mine is going to look a bit different.

Slow down

Enjoy the little things. Enjoy the way the leaves turn, and enjoy how the air gets more crisp. Enjoy family time with the hubby and my daughters. They grow so quick, so enjoy the little moments.

Make time for my husband.

We get so lost in taking care of the kids. We do everything we can to make sure they are happy and healthy. We often lose sight of what started it all, our love. Making time to enjoy each other is essential. Wether it’s date night, or just a quiet night on the couch.

Prepare for Winter

Winter is dark and depressing, honestly. It is not my most favorite time of year. I’m going to enjoy and mentally prepare for the dark ahead. Start taking care of my body, and my mental health. Do things for me, to make winter a little more bearable.

Get more organized

I can’t stand clutter! My goal this fall is to get more organized. That should always me my goal, but like I said, I hate winter. Hopefully being more organized will make me enjoy the winter months a little bit more!

Little changes can make a big difference. Hopefully my bucket list for fall will help me enjoy it just a little bit more!

Don’t get me wrong, my youngest girls bucket list sounds fun too!

Keeping busy while social distancing!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 19 Comments

We are still trying very hard to social distance.

It’s been tough not surrounding ourselves with the many people we love, but also trying to find things to keep our girls occupied!

I’m gonna share some of the things we’ve enjoyed doing.

Crafts

Painting, modeling clay, slime making, bracelet making! You name it, we’ve done it! We love doing crafts, it’s been something the whole family can enjoy. Our favorite has been the clay, though. The girls love making little sculptures, and painting them. I’ve already gotten a few new jewelry dishes. 😉

Lots of Reading

Who doesn’t love curling up with a good book? I know we have really enjoyed it. A lot of our summer reading is done outside in our hammocks. It’s our favorite spot to chill. My youngest (A) loves the Mercy Watson series, written by Kate DiCamillo. My oldest (C) loves The Never Girls series! I will read anything, but I’m a true die hard Twilight series fan. I know 🙈

Video Games

I know what you’re thinking, video games?! Really?! But we honestly enjoy playing so many video games as a family. Minecraft is one of our all time favorites. We also enjoy all of the Super Mario games: Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Mario Party, etc. I also started getting the girls into Animal Crossing, although that’s not a multi player so we don’t play it often.

Outside Play

Sprinklers and pools were a huge part of our summer fun! Riding bikes, scooters, roller blading, swinging on the tree swing, playing fetch with the pups! So much fun stuff to do outside, and the fun is honestly endless when you’re outside. We also have a wooded area on our property which is fun for nature hikes and scavenger hunts! In September all the mushrooms around the yard pop up, and it’s fun to go around and identify some of them.

It’s definitely been an interesting year for us all. Trying to find things for the whole family to enjoy can be challenging.

Hopefully this gave you some ideas if you needed them! ❤️

Top Favorite Summer Activities For You And The Kids!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 20 Comments

I love summer! The sunshine and being outside all day truly does the body good.

The kids are out of school, and I FINALLY took some vacation time to enjoy these long summer days, and these warm summer nights. But what are you going to do with your vacation?

I love when we all go camping as a family. We have done a trip to St. Ignace to visit Mackinac Island, Port Austin to kayak around Turnip Rock, we even took a trip to our most favorite spot, Great Wolf Lodge in Ohio!

Summer Time is the best time to make lasting memories with your family. Some of my most favorite memories as a kid would be camping with my mom and my siblings, or showing animals at the local 4-H fair.

I wanted to share with you all some of my families favorite summer activities!

Swimming

We love to swim! We are surrounded by so many beautiful bodies of water, and we are so fortunate to live just miles from Lake Huron. We love a good beach day. Just us on our “secret” beach and some snacks. It’s like heaven on earth!

Camping

We love to camp! Just last weekend for Father’s Day, we decided to pitch the tent in the back yard. We love going to different camp grounds here in MI too! Michigan is so beautiful and there is so much to explore, camping can be a good low cost way to travel and see your home state. Our favorite part would probably be the s’mores though!

Which leads me to our next favorite activity…

Campfires

We probably have a fire going in our little pit 3-5 times per week. We don’t always have s’mores at the campfire, and maybe we’re just burning up some sticks after we picked up the yard, but we’ve made some great memories around the fire. We like to play little games like “Would you Rather?” or “Never have I Ever” while we sit around the fire. It’s such a good way to bond with our girls!

Slime Making

Our girls are little chemists, I’m telling you! Slime is the messiest, grossest, and hardest thing to clean, but the girls LOVE it! I need to buy stock in Elmers glue, and food dye. LOL! We are constantly making it, and most recently the girls found “Slime Baff”. Yes, you read that right. It’s a slime bath, and they can’t get enough of it!

Games

I went to Five Below, and picked up some fun outdoor activities! We got Velcro ball, a new basketball, a giant checker board, and a frisbee game. It’s not super expensive, but it keeps them occupied. We even made our own paper airplanes, and had a little race. Dad won of course!

Summer comes and goes so fast, so we really try to make the best of it. It’s hard during the week since both my husband and I work out of the home, but what ever time we do have with them, we make it count!

What are some of your favorite activities you do with your kids? Or if you don’t have kids, what do you enjoy doing?

Let’s Talk about Mom Friends…

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 25 Comments

This is always something I personally have struggled with.

Just think about it, a person that is going through the same thing you are at the moment. It’s 3 AM, and this is the fourth time you’ve been awake with the baby. You just WISH there was someone you could reach out to, someone that would understand the total body exhaustion you feel. Messy bun, yesterday’s makeup running down your cheeks because the tears streamed down your face, wet t-shirt from the spilled milk.

This is something that we STRIVE for. The perfect friend.

I’ve surrounded myself with so many people, it’s hard to say that I have that BEST friend. The person I tell all my secrets to.

For some people it’s your mom or sister. Someone you that has known you from the beginning of your life. Some one that understands every thing that has made you, you.

It could be the friend you met at the Mommy & Baby music class, at the downtown library. Kids who are the same age, and you know they would make a great long time friend to your daughter.

Maybe it’s your husbands coworkers wife. They are the couple who is older and wiser, and will always give you the best advice. Someone who you became friends with their whole family, and know that your village is getting bigger, and stronger.

Your high school best friend, that even though is worlds away, and when her world is completely different, you know she is always just a text or phone call away.

It could be a new friend. An unexpected friend. You know that she would never judge you, and would do anything to keep you and your family safe and happy.

The sister in law that is always there for your children no matter what. Someone you can share all of the best memories together. Watch each other’s kids grow up. Enjoy big life moments, like marriage, child birth, birthday’s and so much more.

And, your person. The person that chose you and you choose over and over. The one you know has seen all your darkest days, but will easily brighten them. The one you will do life with in the bad, and the good.

These are crazy times, and we all need that friend. So when I say “mom” friend, I don’t mean a friend that IS a mom. I mean any friend that you know you would never want to do life without.

These are my true friends. This is what my village is made of.

Love you friends. ❤️

Making Time For Self-Care As A Busy Mom

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 43 Comments

Putting yourself last, I feel like that’s a mom mantra.

We are so busy taking care of our little ones that by the end of the day we barley have enough energy to make it under the covers. Which I know, because I am guilty of it myself.

Being a first time mom, I find myself trying to pack a million tasks into one day. Instead of sitting down and enjoying a simple hot cup of coffee during nap time I am running around switching out laundry, folding laundry.

Seriously though who else hates laundry!? By far a moms worst nightmare.

Vacuuming, picking up toys, emptying the dishwasher…

It’s like there is not enough hours in the day for some me-time and sometimes there really isn’t.

Trust me mama’s, you are not alone in this.

The thing is though, self-care isn’t a treat, it is a necessity.

We need it.

To be a better mom, to be a better partner, to be a better person.

These little ones have the power to drain us, but we need to have the power to take care of ourselves.

So luckily, with Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday I am here to give you some great self-care ideas that are sure to make you feel a little more refreshed.

Sleep In

Doesn’t it just make a HUGE difference? Sleep has such a big impact on your body and the way you feel, so for your well-being and mental health, get some extra sleep as much as you can.

Read A Book

Some of you who know me already probably could have guessed this would be on my self-care list. I love reading and I try everyday to sneak away to get a couple pages read in the book I am currently reading, which is, Where The Crawdads Sing and it is AMAZING.

Drink A HOT Cup Of Coffee Or Tea

Seems like such a simple task. For most moms this is probably a long ago wished for thing, but me being a new mom since my son is only 9 months old it’s still fresh for me. I miss a hot cup of coffee! I don’t like having to re-heat the same cup five times in the span of 30 min. So yes people, being able to sit on the couch with a hot cup of coffee or tea is most defiantly on my self-care list.

A Mini Spa Night

See if your partner will hold the fort down for bedtime routines. Run a hot bubble bath, put that new face mask on, moisturize your skin, paint your nails. You will feel like a million bucks after a night of pampering yourself.

Write In A Journal

You may have already figured this out, but I love writing. I try as much as I can to write down all my thoughts, all my worries, my happiness in journals or by blogging. It helps so much and it’s so relaxing to curl up on the couch or in bed and write your heart out.

Light A Candle Or Diffuse Essential Oils

So relaxing, and you know what? while you are at it turn on the Netflix or Hulu show you need to catch up on.

Take A Walk

During this crazy quarantine situation this has defiantly been one of my biggest self-care things I have done. It just refreshes your whole mindset and burns off nervous energy in these uncertain times.

The list could go on and on but the most important thing is to find something that helps you feel like yourself again and make time during the week to do it!

Being at home all the time right now, it is so needed and you know what?

We deserve it!

Now if you will excuse me, my self-care is going to start with a glass of white wine tonight!

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome To Quirky Workin’ Moms!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 15 Comments

Hello everyone, we are so happy you dropped by on our new blog!

We just wanted to take a few minutes of your time to say hi and introduce ourselves and what you can expect from Quirky Workin’ Moms.

Meet the moms behind Quirky Workin’ Moms.

We are Amanda and Marissa. We both live in Michigan and we are actually family by marriage but best friends by choice. We both work in Optometry and love it and you guessed it we are both moms!

Here is a little about what we both will be bringing to the table on this new blogging adventure.

I’ll start off, I’m Amanda.

I’m twenty-six and married to the biggest sports fanatic. We have a sweet 9 month old baby boy named Easton. He currently runs the house even though he can’t even walk yet. I’ve actually been blogging for about five years now and when Marissa & I decided to start Quirky Workin’ Moms I was excited to jump right in! I love spending time with my family, devouring romance and thriller novels, eating cheeseburgers and having the occasional glass of wine or margarita when I’m out and about. I’m excited to bring to you the struggles of being a first-time mom, the happiness with hitting every new milestone and just what juggling being a wife, a mother and working full-time is like for me. So I hope you will stick around and be sure to check out my posts every Monday.

Hi! I’m Marissa,

I’m twenty-eight, I married my high school sweetheart, and we have two of the most beautiful girls. When Amanda approached me about writing a motherhood blog, I just could not resist. I enjoy baking and doing crafts with my girls. I’m excited to learn more about my most recent hobby: gardening. As a mom of two older girls, 9 & 6 (and a 1/2), I want to show you that those long nights with the teething baby to those long days with a crazy and sassy toddler are worth it. That what you do in those first few years, will cultivate your children to be little ladies, and little gentleman! I’m so excited you’re here, and can’t wait to share with you the many adventures of motherhood. Be sure to check out my posts every Thursday.

Here on Quirky Workin’ Moms you will find real life parenting tips, fun family activities, family recipes that are kid and baby friendly. You will get first time mom stories to seasoned mom advice with two school aged kids and lots of every day life chit chat in between.

So grab a glass of wine every Monday and Thursday night and follow along with us Quirky Workin’ Moms! We are so happy you are here 🙂

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