Mom vs Pre-mom self

Today I had  a little chuckle to myself, as I reviewed my day in my head and compared it to my pre-mom days of not so long ago.  Here’s a quick recap:

I was woken up by my super cute adorable toddler around 6:30am.  This is the typical wake up time these days.  My pre-mom self would still be sound asleep until at least after 10am.

Breakfast was my Plexus Slim pink drink to balance my blood sugars, followed by some healthy oatmeal and fruit and one cup of coffee.  My pre-mom self would most likely have skipped breakfast or opted for something unhealthy, and had a pot of coffee.

Our morning consisted of mostly cartoons and toddler movies, and me getting dinner started in the crockpot.  My pre-mom self would still be sleeping, or if I was awake, watching something at least pg-13-R.  I would also not be worrying about dinner yet.

While little one napped, I was busy washing dishes and doing things around the house.  Pre-mom me would be napping or just lounging around, or getting ready to go out.

I did manage to squeeze in watching the last 15 minutes of the Packers-Cowboys game, sipping on water and feeding my kiddo a snack.  Though, pre-mom me would’ve been drinking some beers and probably watching it at a restaurant with friends.

That’s when I noticed how different my life is now.  But I have to say looking at my kiddo and my hubby, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  We had a great family day at home and I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

how are you different than you were before kids? or than you were 5 years ago?

Great dad

Just gotta brag on my hubby for a minute.  We have all been sick for 2 months, yes 2 MONTHS!!! The little one brought it home from day care and we just keep passing it back and forth.  But for some reason, I was hit the hardest and most frequent.  My hubby wins the best dad award for sure during this time.  He has been doing basically everything: cooking, dishes, picking up, bath and bed time routine for our little guy, and sometimes even letting me sleep in or get a small nap in.  And doing all this while is fighting off the cold germs.  I know I’m not an easy person to deal with when sick, and he has been taking it in stride (for the most part) and has stepped up his dad game (even though he was an awesome dad already).  I am very thankful for him.

For the Mama’s

Today’s blog challenge prompt was “who do you admire the most and why”.   My answer is simple:  MOMS

No offense to the dads out there, but moms have it harder.   We give up our own body for 9 months. We gain weight, have ridiculous mood swings/hormone imbalances and cravings, we get a barrage of questions from everyone about the baby, we even get touched by complete strangers who want to feel the baby kick.  Then there’s labor/delivery (no need to expand on that).  Then theres all the feedings and a majority of the diaper changes, making sure your kid(s) have everything they need whenever you leave the house, which sometimes leaving the house in and of itself can be very hard to do sometimes.  Then making sure your kid behaves (at least somewhat) while out and about and making sure they come home with what they left with.  Theres arranging all doctor appointments, play dates, parties, party favors, eat. On top of managing the household, making dinner, doing all the laundry, bath times, teeth brushing, bed time stories, kissing all the ouchies, spraying monster repellant in the closets, and on and on, all while trying to maintain some semblance of the person you were before you had a kid.  And then there are the superMOMS that have more than one kid.  I’m in awe and admiration of you.  I applaud you when I see you out and about and you look like you have all your sh*t together with your perfect kids and perfect life (yes I know that no one is perfect).  I have no idea sometimes how people can manage more than one kid.  Though I would give anything to have another and find out.   This parenting stuff is hard work, but oh so rewarding.  So when you see a mom out there, give her a high-5, or go hug your own mom.  Tell a mom she is doing a great job, regardless of the way she looks or the way her kids are acting at that moment.  Call your mom and let her know how much you admire her.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Coarse sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 bunch Swiss Chard or Kale stalks removed, leaves coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 can white beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 5-6 cans beef broth (or chicken or vegetable broth)
• 2 cups ditalini pasta
• Optional:  grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
3. Add Swiss Chard or kale, basil, and crushed red-pepper. Cook, stirring, until greens start to wilt, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Add all the beans to the pan, as well as tomatoes with juice and 5-6 cups broth. Cover and simmer, until veggies are tender, 15-20 minutes.
5. Add ditalini pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes more.
6. Serve with grated Romano/Parmesan, if desired.

Pair it with some nice crusty bread or rolls.

Notes:  You can also add other root vegetables, such as potato or butternut squash for a more hearty soup.  And another option is to add some bacon (because who doesn’t love bacon).

 

BALANCE: my word of 2017

I have seen a few of my friends posting the last 2 days about picking a word of the year for themselves.  I wasn’t too sure what all that entailed or meant to them so I did a little research and came upon the website OneWords365.com.   Here’s what they say:

(shared from OneWord365.com)

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember a few weeks from now anyway!

Choose just one word.

One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.

So after a quick reflection on my life over the last year and reviewing some goals I have for this year, I want to give this a shot.   My word for 2017 will be BALANCE.

 

I need more balance in all aspects of my life, especially at home.  Since we bought our house and live farther out, and living in Southern California, my commute is typcially 1.5 hrs one way becuase of traffice.  By the time I get home, it is already late, leaving just 30-50 minutes to finish dinner with my family and get the little one ready for bed.  This also means that most of the cooking falls on my husband now.  By the time the weekend rolls around, I’m just worn out from the work week, and dont want to spend much energy on cooking, or taking care of things around the house.  So I know he would love it if I could bring more balance back in that area.

I also want to add balance to my overall well-being.  We need to take care of ourselves, including emotionally.  I want to set aside at least 1 day a month where I get to do something that is truely just for me. Whether its a night out with the girls (or even just myself), getting a mani/pedi, going to a paint night, etc. where I’m able to relax and have fun and just recharge emotionally.

For work, to continue finding my groove with scheduling all my appointments and getting all the reports and such done.  It’s been only a year in my current position, and it is always changing, but I have managed to keep up for the most part.

What would your word of 2017 be?  Have you done this before?  Any tips and tricks are always welcome in the comments.

For those of you that might be thinking about doing this and are stuck on finding the right word, below are some suggestions from OneWord365:

Rebuilding, Strength, Forward, Fortitude, Possibility, Risk, Commit, Minimize, Transition, Today, Faith, Perspective, Connect, Action, Love, More, Dare, Courage, Confidence, Trust, Health, Brave, Growth, Uplift, Momentum, Truth, Generous, Breathe, Embrace, Awake, No, Enjoy, Diligence, Ambition, Imagine, Balance, Integrity, Choose, Focus, Soar, Relentless, Opportunity, Invest, Slow, Stewardship, Learn, Revel, Joy, Ignite, Selah, Sacrifice, Reflection, Shine, Write, Finish, Optimism, Unstoppable, Be, Thrive, Adapt, Discover, New, Different, Freedom, Pause, Relax, Determined, Believe, Appreciate, Direction, Persistence, Battle, Progress, Change, Transformation, Silence, Celebrate, Adventure, Reduce, Live, Mindfulness, Push, Open, Present, Resolve, Grace, Purpose, Empower, Peace, Listen, Organize, Simplify, Together, Create, Curious, Release

About me

If you’re new around here, here’s a little quick info about me and my blog.

I started this blog 6 years ago because I love writing and creativity and wanting to connect to others.  Blogging was (and kinda still is) new to me, so I liked the challenge of it.  There was not a specific focus for my blog, just random stuff about my life, my thoughts, and adding in things that I love, for example, I love cooking so there is a section on recipes.  I love photography, so I sometimes will post pictures.  I have started getting into painting, and I love being creative and making things.  I have an Etsy shop that I sell custom party decor and gifts.  I also love party planning.

Since starting my blog all those years ago, I am now in my later 30’s, I am married, and have a gorgeous baby boy. He will probably be the subject of some of my posts, as he is now an early toddler and does the funniest stuff.  I’m also an auntie to 20 nieces and nephews, and the oldest just got engaged.

My full time paid job has changed as well.  I still work with kiddos with disabilities, but now I work with the at-risk babies 0-3yr.  It has been amazing to watch them grow and change and learn so much in that short time, and my new coworkers are great!