Motherhood

Comfy Leggings for Curvy Moms That You Can Buy Online!

Thank you, 2020. I have now graduated up a size in leggings. I have a favorite pair of leggings that, until recently, had fit me well and were super comfortable. I’ll share those with you in just a bit. However, those leggings were bought at a time when I was working out a lot. And, well, I’m just not exercising as much as I should be right now. So I reached out to my community and got a boatload of recommendations for comfy leggings for curvy moms that you can buy online. And boy did they come through! I guarantee there will be at least one variety of leggings here that you’ll want to add to your cart.

Comfy Leggings for Curvy Moms

First things first, I have my own definition of “comfy”. The leggings should hold you in (no jiggly thighs/booty), they can’t be see-through, and they need to stay around your waist. Oh and pockets are a big plus! Personally, high-waisted leggings are my favorite because they hold you in and don’t roll down.

Where to get Comfy Leggings for Curvy Moms Online

You will want to add these to your cart!

AFITNE Yoga Pants High Waisted Tummy Control with Pockets

These are the ones I have and I LOVE them. They're under $20, they have pockets, and they're super comfy for working out or just chillin at home. The reviews say they fit true to size (mine did).

CRZ YOGA Women's High Waisted Yoga Pants with Pocket

These are famous for being very similar to LuLaRoe. They are $30 or less, have pockets, 4-way stretch, high waist and they have reflective dots on the inner ankle. The reviews say they run true to size.

Torrid Premium Legging

Photo Credit: www.torrid.com

Torrid has great pieces for curvy moms size Medium/10 to 6X/30. These leggings only come in black, but they have high waist with a thick stretch waistband and soft, stretchy construction. They run true to size. Sadly, no pockets.

Fabletics Full-Length Leggings

Photo Credit: www.fabletics.com

These are like the Porsche of leggings. Super high quality and they come with pockets. If you're not a member they are pretty expensive, averaging about $70. However, you can sign up for a VIP membership and get 2 pair for $24 and cancel your membership at any time.

Colorfulkoala Women's Buttery Soft High Waisted Leggings

These have some compression so are good with holding things in, but they also have a high waisted buttery soft legging that super comfortable too. They are under $25.

Fengbay 2 Pack High Waist Tummy Control, 4-Way Stretch Yoga Leggings

Can you believe this is a 2-pack?? What a deal. And they have pockets. Reviews say they fit true to size or a little small so don't order down.

High-Waisted Elevate Compression Leggings

These come highly recommended. They are "squat proof", and don't roll down when you bend at the waist. Reviewers love how they can be dressed up for leaving the house as well as dressed down for comfy workouts. A downside is that they only come in black.

ODODOS Women's High Waist Yoga Pants with Pockets and Tummy Control

These are available in a variety of sizes and lengths, including a capri length and a longer, bike short length that you could wear under skirts!

High Waist Yoga Pants with Pockets Workout Leggings for Women Non See Through Tummy Control Sports Pants Royal Blue

Empetua� High Waisted Layering Leggings

Photo Credit: shapermint.com

From the website: "These everyday companions are perfect for lounging at home, or even wearing to sleep. Need to do some adulting outside? Just slip your outfit over them to stay extra cozy, smooth and warm while facing the world. It’s like taking home with you, everywhere you go!"

Most of these leggings are best for working out, or you can use them to layer under your favorite babydoll dresses. And I truly hope this is not the size I will be forever. If you need me I’ll be in my living room doing a free small space workout online. I’ll be adding to this post as I find more awesomely comfy leggings for curvy moms. If you found this post helpful, be sure and pin it or add it to your bookmarks!

The Pandemic Pushed Me to My Parenting Limits-And I Rose Above Them

I don’t know about you, but these last 5 months have been the longest of my entire life. When schools first closed I was actually excited to have more time to spend with my kids. We were going to bake things, make crafts, read books, learn at home and work out together. Pandemic parenting was supposed to be so chill.

Pandemic Parenting is Basically Just Surviving Chaos

Fast forward to day 150+ of quarantine closures and no personal time/space/anything. My nerves are thin, patience is MIA, and waistline is… well, let’s just say it’s making sure it gets noticed. It turns out I just didn’t have the stamina to keep up the supermom facade for this long.

Then our district’s distance learning plans were announced, and they actually pushed me to be a better parent.

Distance learning and I do not get along. It hasn’t even started up again and I’ve already wasted countless hours being ticked off about all the things I don’t like about it. Instead of feeling frustrated about things that are out of my control, I took that energy and focused it on a new plan. Because unlike most parents, I’m in a unique position where I have the skills and time to teach my own children. So I pulled my kids from public school.

To clarify, our district is doing the best they can. I appreciate the hours of planning and committee meetings that went into the final distance learning model. It’s clear that this model was created with the safety of both kids and faculty in mind. Not to mention, pretty much all the moms I talk to are so incredibly thankful that they no longer have to teach their kids because of how well the district is bringing qualified public school teachers into their students’ homes. But it doesn’t work for me.

Thankfully, I am a trained educator

Instead of complaining about distance learning, I took a proactive stance and instead we will be fully homeschooling this upcoming year.

The instant I made the call to the school to withdraw my kids, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. You guys, my kids are going to be in kindergarten and second grade. In California, kindergarten isn’t even mandatory (meaning we could totally skip it if we wanted to), and I have taught second grade 3 different times, in 3 different districts. This is totally something I can do, and in fact I’m really looking forward to it!

The last district I worked for gave teachers complete flexibility over what and how they teach. That sounds cool, until you read between the lines and discover what that really means: They give you a computer and a limited curriculum library, and leave you to figure the year out on your own. Because I switched grades each year (by choice), I created a scope and sequence from scratch for 3 years in a row. I am fully confident that I can put together a year of learning for my kids, and would even go so far as to say that we are going to be happier as a homeschool family.

So now my pandemic parenting has come full circle. I went from my “practically perfect in every way” attitude in March, to the depths of despair in July, and now I’m back on top and ready to go. I have risen. I’ve found my patience, my love for seeing the world through a child’s eyes, and I’m taking both of these with me into our next chapter as a homeschool family.

Pandemic parenting was supposed to be so chill. After it pushed me almost to breaking, I rose above and found my joy in motherhood once again.

Affordable Workouts for a Tiny Living Room

Well it’s almost here. You know what I’m talking about-the most stressful time of the year? Bathing suit season. We live in a pretty cramped place. When you’re limited to working out at home in a small living space, that tiny living room can be a challenge. I’ve been on the hunt for workouts you can do in a small space, and was pleasantly surprised to find many AFFORDABLE small space workouts to choose from!

13 Affordable Small Space Workouts

Short on space? Working on the Baby Steps? These 13 affordable workouts are perfect for tiny living rooms (or wherever you get your sweat on!). I promise you they will get your rear in gear AND fit in your budget!

FREE YouTube Workouts

I filtered through oodles of YouTube workouts and found top mom-recommended workouts for small space living.

POPSUGAR Fitness

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

SO.MANY.WORKOUTS. All very well-produced.

Orangetheory Fitness

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Again, many full workouts to choose from.

Trainer Kaitlin

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

You have to find one that fits your equipment needs but she’s pretty good about suggesting alternative equipment options (ie., a bundle of books instead of dumbbells).

Chloe Ting

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

I love that Chloe offers low-impact and beginner modifications when possible.

Free~ish streaming workouts

If you have Amazon Prime there are some really great workouts you can do in your living room that will get your heart rate up and burn that pesky quarantine 15 right off your buns! If you don't have Amazon Prime, you can get a free 30-Day trial here!

15-Minute HIIT 1.0 Workout or 15-Minute Full Body Burn by Maggie Binkley

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Free with Amazon Prime!

Zumba Fitness Concert LIVE

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

16 high-energy routines in a booty-shakin' 70-minute workout! Free with Amazon Prime.

10-Minute Cardio Fat Burning Workout

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Free with Amazon Prime. Also by the same trainer: Hourglass Figure Workout for Beginners, Burn 500 Calories in 40 Minutes, How to Lose Weight Fast: Weight Loss Workout (35 Minutes)

Peloton Workout App

Photo Credit: www.peloton.com

No bike? No problem! The Peloton app offers more than cycling classes, such as yoga, running, bootcamp, meditation, and running.

Single DVD Workouts

Some DVD workouts are really a workout plan or system, like BeachBody, and they’re expensive! I prefer workout DVDs that I can pop in whenever, and not have to commit to long-term.

The Firm: 500-Calorie Workout

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Reminiscent of the step aerobics classes from back in the day but with more sweat! (60 minutes)

Cathe Friedrich's XTrain Series: Hard Strikes

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Fun boxing-style workout (40 minutes)

Jillian Michaels 10-Minute Body Transformation

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Any of Jillian Michaels' workouts will kick your butt!

Online Workouts

These online workouts came highly recommended by moms.

Fitness Blender

Photo Credit: www.fitnessblender.com

Fitness Blender has tons of free (and paid) workouts you can sort through and filter by duration, difficulty level, and equipment.

Honorable Mention

There are a lot of workout apps out there, but this one is worth a second look.

7M Fitness - 7 Minutes Is All It Takes

Photo Credit: www.workoutinc.net

7M is a free app that you subscribe to monthly, but at only $2.99/month (on the Apple app store), the 7-minute workouts are a pretty good deal.

100+ New Year’s Resolutions for 2020

Committing to New Year’s Resolutions can be stressful. For me, just the thought of being able to take on any new habit for the next 365 days makes my head spin. This year I started by thinking about some cool stuff that I would be proud to say at the end of 2020, “Yeah. I did that!” Instead of having a high-pressure “resolutions” mindset, I came up with a list of new things to try in 2020.

One of my goals for 2020 is to get better at thinking long. I sure do love to celebrate, so this year I’m going to take on a challenge or two that I can give a real big hooray about in 12 months once they’re completed.

A friend of mine completed a 52-hike challenge in 2019, going on one hike a week. A cool aspect of this challenge is that you can “bank” hikes if you do more than one in a week. That way if there’s a busy week at work or a week of bad weather you don’t have to give up the challenge over a missed week.

This got me thinking that, if I could use the same tactic and credit myself a few extras for a later date, what personal challenges could I complete in 2020? So I started coming up with ideas and compiled a list of 100+ New Year’s Resolutions, that are more like new things to try in 2020. Obviously I’m not going to do them all. I have a few that I’m particularly leaning towards, but I thought I’d share the whole list to maybe inspire you as well.

100+ New Year’s Resolutions for 2020

Health and Wellness New Year’s Resolutions

Take a yoga class every week in 2020

Cut sugar from your diet

Go for a 20-minute walk every day

Grow your own herbs

Take the 52-hike challenge

Go organic

Drink enough water each day

Make a weekly meal plan

Spend time outside every day

Go to the gym once a week

Make a sleep goal

Get weekly massages

Take a daily vitamin

Go gluten-free

Run in a race a month

Eat an apple a day

Train for and complete a Mud Run

Personal Growth New Year’s Resolution Ideas

Write in a journal every day for a year

Don’t complain

Use kind words

Repeat daily positive affirmations

Read for 20 minutes a day

Hug and kiss your kids every day (this is harder as they get older!)

Make a personal connection with a different Facebook or Instagram friend each week.

Take the 365-Day Happiness Challenge

Meditate every day for a year

Write down your weekly goals

Stop comparing

Read the morning paper

Begin each day with a to-do list

Finish each day by writing something kind, positive, or cheerful about each of your kids

Send a kind text to someone every day

Donate monthly to an organization that you feel strongly about

Don’t gossip

Write in a gratitude journal every day for a year

Stop trying to be perfect

Be more environmentally conscious

Write a letter to someone every week

Create a box of memories for the year. Kind of like a time capsule!

Write thank-you notes for all gifts

Resolutions to Improve your Finances in 2020

Take the 52-week money saving challenge

Do a 12-month budget challenge

Eat out no more than once a week

Start a side hustle

Join a couponing Facebook group and start clipping!

Save your coins all year and cash them in in December (hello, Christmas money!)

Check out The Budget Mom’s 12 months of savings. There is a different thing you do each month to save money. Each month is a different challenge!

Save for a trip and pay for it in cash

Bring your lunch to work every day

Use the envelope system

Things to Learn in 2020

Learn a new language

Learn a new word every day

Learn to quilt

Read a book a week in 2020

Take a class

Learn to sew

Learn to code

Learn to play an instrument

Learn to do hand lettering

Digital things to try in 2020

Take a Photo every day

Start a Facebook group

Use an app like 1SE to document 1 second of every day in video

Make a video or vlog every day

Write a blog post every day for a year – like a digital diary!

Turn off technology (phone, computer, TV) for an hour a day

New Things to Try in 2020 Around the House

Organize your home in 52 weeks

Cook with a new food each week

Keep your room clean

Alternatively, if you have kids, be ok with the mess

Schedule weekly “me time”

Hold a weekly family meeting

Try a new Pinterest project each week

Take a decluttering challenge

Cook as a family one night a week

Keep a plant alive for a year (you laugh, but this is impossible for some of us! *cough* *me*)

Fun Things to Try in 2020

Volunteer an hour a week

Take your dog for a walk in a new place every week

Date your spouse every week in 2020. Check out Friday We’re in Love and Intentional by Grace for inspiration

Watch one award-winning movie a week

Go to a concert a month

Choose a word to live by this year

Each month, have a “Mommy and Me” date with each of your kids

Write weekly notes of encouragement and appreciation to friends and family

Complete 365 random acts of kindness

Take yourself on a date once a week

Make every birthday present you give

Visit a different museum each month

Write a bucket list of weekend adventures, then go do them!

Visit one new place in town each week

Use a different scent in your diffuser each month

Do something creative every day

Read with your kids every night

Host a monthly dinner party or gathering

Set aside one night a week for family fun

Jump in every puddle you see, all year

Make a playlist of songs for each month

Faith-Based Resolutions for 2020

Pray for 15 minutes a day

Tithe monthly

Read your Bible every day in 2020 (I was *so close* to finishing this! I missed just a few days)

Volunteer in your church

Learn a new Bible verse every day in 2020

Go to church every week

Learn a new worship song every week – bonus if you can play it on an instrument!

Read the whole Bible in one year

Attend a Bible study or home group

Take the 2020 Christian Challenge and get daily scripture, reflection questions, and monthly prayer prompts

What Mommies Do

The sweet smell of a baby’s hair, the softness of their little cheeks, and big belly laughs are my favorite memories of my little ones. As the days turn to years and those little ones grow up, my love for them remains the same.

Our littlest still has some maturing to do. His preschool teacher is helping him to write his name and solve problems by himself. But at night he still wears a pull-up to bed, and sometimes needs help to dress himself. We’re taking things day by day, one load of bedding at a time.

It was while I was washing his sheets one day that I realized how literally everything I do for my children springs from a heart overflowing with love for them. Because that’s what Mommies do for their kids. I am 100% not nearly as thoughtful and considerate towards other adults. You’d never see me sacrifice as much for one of my neighbors. But because I love these tiny humans with every bone in my body, I give all I have without complaint.

What do Mommies do for their precious children? Well here’s what I’ve done recently:

What Mommies Do

-Re-stuff a teddy bear after all his fluff came out in the washer, and then sew its tattered fur back together.

-Scour the house to find a 5-inch plastic Wonder Woman action figure that by no standards qualifies as a bedtime toy, but that nonetheless must be taken to bed each night.

-I consistently stay up late in the evening to wash dishes or fold laundry just so I can spend more time with my kids while they’re awake.

-Sneak into their room at night, and swap a tooth for money in true Indiana Jones-style.

-Stand in shin-deep water at the beach to teach them how to ride a boogie board even though I’d rather be flaked out on a towel reading People magazine.

-I have to wear sunglasses on the first day of school every year to hide the inevitable tears (mine, not theirs ). Oh, how they grow up so fast. Every new grade at school is a reminder that the years are racing by.

-Peek in on them while they’re sleeping. I mean, could I really get away with that if they weren’t my own babies?

-Read, read, and read again the same scribbled-on, taped-up book about a hungry caterpillar.

-Show kindness to people who don’t deserve it. Because darn if our kids don’t imitate our behaviors, especially our worst ones. The best way to raise a kind human is to be one.

Yes that is my oldest and he’s SO much taller than me!

But here’s the thing, friend. While I can’t stress enough the importance of making wonderful memories with your children, there are some things that Mommies just shouldn’t do. One of the biggest destroyers of our joy in this season of motherhood is when we get swallowed up in raising our children… And we lose sight of what used to make us feel alive.

I love my four babies tremendously, but I’ve found that they will still love me just as much if I

-Go to a friend’s house for a spa night. A cute little foot spa and peel-off face mask are all the pampering I need.

-Take up a hobby that they can’t be a part of, like playing the guitar or learning hand lettering.

-Keep a tight budget but not so tight that I have to wear the same 2 hole-y bras over and over every day.

-Let them play in the Kids Club while I work out at the gym.

Because let’s face it. The years are short. But when these little birds fly, will I even know what to do with myself? I can’t let who I am become swallowed up in my kids. My identity has to stay me, the girl who loves hiking and rock climbing and snowboarding… plus the mom that loves her kids.

On Instagram, I shed light on the need for moms keep sight of who they are. I know I can’t be the person I was before kids, but I can still bring that same fire and energy and passion to things that light me up inside. Use the hashtag #MomPlusJoy as you share your photos on Instagram.

Live well, friend.

Nikki

Losing Teeth and Other Signs of Growing Up

I remember, about 6 years ago, the twins started crawling. They had a whole world literally at their fingertips and the entertainment possibilities were endless. For small moments of their day, as they fearlessly roamed our apartment, Mommy was off the hook. I felt all those things that moms feel whenever their kids reach new stages in development: Overwhelming joy at this new tiny bit of increased free time, pride in my brilliant “grown up” kids, fear that they’ll get in over their heads, sadness at the loss of baby-ness… It’s in that place in between elation and sadness where a mother’s love radiates from within her.

This is where I find myself again. I’m amazed that my girls can even eat things like raw carrots because they only have a few resilient baby teeth determinedly clinging to their mouth. On the plus side, flossing their teeth at night has gotten a lot easier!

In the “Losing Teeth” Stage of Childhood

For the longest time, Madeline was the unique twin because SHE had lost her 2 front teeth at the early age of 4. She had knocked them out while attempting to use the linoleum as a dry slip ‘n slide. I’m sure she was thinking that she could ride her soft pillow and perfectly glide along the floor if she just got a big enough running start. With the pillow between Madeline and the linoleum, she had thrown herself down and attempted to sail across the kitchen floor on her belly. Sadly, the linoleum refused to play nice.

Madeline rolls with the punches pretty well. Her empty front gums made it so she could make funny faces that her siblings couldn’t, due to them still having all their teeth. In the end, not having front teeth turned out to be pretty cool.

Since that fateful event, both girls lost several more teeth at a natural progression. Madeline is in the lead and I think she’s up to SEVEN. Emily has nearly caught up to her toothless twin, and now they both have adorably gummy little-kid grins.

This week Emily lost another tooth. We celebrated with a trip to Dollar Tree to spend the $1 bill left by the Tooth Fairy. Be sure and follow our Instagram stories for our adventures in extravagant spending and fast-lane-living.

Independence is in Our Reach!

These 3 ragamuffins have been so busy giggling and tearing my apartment to shreds (thank you, summer vacation) that I almost missed a few more milestones. I am happy to announce that, every day, I have gained precious seconds of free time, thanks to my kids now being able to

-dress themselves, although Johnny’s shirt is usually backwards.

-put on their own shoes. We’re in full flip flop mode because, summer. Still working on learning to tie those pesky laces. I welcome any and all shoe-tying tips.

-open their snack packaging. If Johnny can’t get his string cheese open, his sisters step up. Thank goodness for older siblings!

They can also get toothpaste onto their own toothbrushes with minimal gobs of sticky blue paste on the floor. They scale the kitchen cupboards and help themselves to cups, crackers, and basically everything they ever dreamed of. Learning how to get onto the counter is much like learning to crawl. Mobility level: expert.

What to do with All that “Me Time”?

That’s really what it’s all about, my friends. Let’s be honest. We birth children, we love them dearly, but deep down we’re yearning for some alone time. If you scrape together all those seconds of free time I’ve recently acquired, they add up to one gloriously kid-free trip to the bathroom. From which I will likely emerge only to find that my darling 4- and 6-year-olds have consumed an entire bag of grapes in under 2 minutes and there is a suspiciously toothless bite mark in the butter.

After the baby years, it doesn’t really get easier. It just gets different.

Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

When I was young, we didn’t talk about our bodies. Maybe it was a cultural thing or maybe it was just my family. As a mom of girls, I’m coming to realize how important it is to talk to my kids about their bodies. Because of some recent- and honestly quite jarring- conversations with my girls, I’m being more intentional about raising daughters with positive body image.

Girls’ Body Image Impressions Happen at a Young Age

Lately I’ve been noticing that my girls are almost obsessed with “fat”. And they’re only 6 years old! They see “fat” things everywhere: The fat stuffed animal in the check out aisle at the store. The fat cartoon character on TV. They crak=ck up with laughter at things that are “fat”. There’s a song their teacher plays at school called “subtraction cat“. They think it’s hilarious. Their little ears somehow misconstrued the lyrics to “the cat is fat” instead of “subtraction cat”. When they sing it, the song goes,

The cat is fat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mouse or you might get fat!

This is followed by uproarious laughter.

I guess I do talk a lot about eating food that is good for our bodies. But I always make the connection that good food helps our bones and muscles to grow strong. I’ve always done my best to keep the focus of the conversation on making healthy choices because they help you grow, and not because of calories or gaining weight.

The Mistakes I Made with My Girls and Body Image

I do worry that my kids are too skinny, and I worry about them not having enough meat on their bones. That’s probably how I might have screwed them up just a little bit.

My family had the stomach flu for a week. One of the girls had to be taken to the Emergency Room after 3 days of not being able to eat or drink anything. When she was feeling better I made a comment like, “I’m so glad you were able to eat dinner tonight. I was getting worried, your little arms and legs look so skinny after being sick for so long!”

I didn’t even think about how what I said might contribute to my young girl’s body image. But later that night as I was tucking her into bed she looked at me nervously and said, “Mommy am I still skinny?” Like being skinny was preferred. As if she was worried she might not be skinny anymore, now that she wasn’t sick.

Good Lord how do you respond to that? I don’t know what I said but I’m pretty sure I deflected the conversation to how happy I am that she’s healthy. Unfortunately, I didn’t address the important, glaring concern: My daughter wants to make sure she is skinny. My beautiful, perfect little kindergartener is worried about getting fat.

What I Know Now about Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

That conversation with my daughter made me feel like I didn’t know how to talk to her about a young girl’s body image, and how it shouldn’t matter what shape you are on the outside. Here are some strategies I’m using to give them a more positive body image:

Talk about body image. This is one big thing that I hadn’t been doing. Talking about your bodies is such an important conversation to have with your kids. I have to be intentional about bringing up in conversation more often. We need to be having discussions about puberty before it hits. Body changes should be addressed and appreciated. I can’t just not talk about this stuff and hope that body image won’t become a problem when they’re teenagers.

This is how we were designed, and our design is perfect. As a Christian, I also want to emphasize that their Heavenly Father made them just the way they are. He made people of all shapes and sizes, and we are all beautiful to Him. Ephesians 2:10 says we are His workmanship, in Latin His poema, His poem. We are a masterpiece, something thing of beauty.

Set an example. A girl’s positive body image starts with her Mom. I’m not happy with my weight, and it’s possible that I’ve talked about dieting in front of my girls. I can’t be sure. But I know that now I have to watch what I say. After all, being kind to myself about my own body figure can only benefit my daughters and myself, right?

Listen to their concerns. Thankfully, my girls are still young and they aren’t critiquing their own bodies. But there will come a day when they’ll nitpick the parts of themselves that they aren’t happy with. When that happens, I want to hear them out. Acknowledge that they’re not happy with their body. I can even admit to them the parts of myself that I struggle with. But ultimately, I want to turn the conversation around and point out aspects about both of our bodies that are beautiful.

Celebrate women for their achievements. A woman has gifts that make her unique, unrelated to her body shape. Now more than ever I need to watch movies and read books about strong women with my girls.

Monitor and talk about media. My girls are still many years from being on social media, which gives me plenty of time to talk about how social media can give you a false sense of value. You are worth so much more than the number of likes and “thumbs-up” under your latest selfie pic. We will continue to have open conversations about how bodies are used in marketing and TV shows.

Communication is the Key to Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

What it all boils down to is that we have to talk about these things with our kids. We have to keep lines of communication open, about all things, or they won’t want to come to us when life hits them hard.

I wonder how many moms have talked with their daughters about body image? What have you found that helps? Or that has contributed to a young girl’s negative body image? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below.

It’s Okay to be “That Mom”

After 16 years of motherhood you’d think I have it together more than I do. I mean, I’ve successfully raised 4 children and I’m still a hot mess. At this point I should be at parenting level: expert, but I’m nowhere near that mark. And I’m here to tell you it’s ok to be “that” mom. How bad do things have to get until you are considered “that mom”, you ask? I’ll illustrate with some recent parenting episodes in the life of a hot mess mom.

Hot Mess Mom Item 1: F-bombs in church. In front of a pastor. TWICE.

Oh yes, you read that right. In my defense, the F-bombs didn’t come from me or my child. Not directly, at least. I was in the church office with my 16-year-old, Logan, and sitting next to us was the children’s pastor. Logan was on his phone (because, teenager), and he says, “Hey Mom check out this funny video.” He rewound the video he was watching so I figured, we’re in church. He’s not going to share anything inappropriate, right? He’s already screened it for curse words, right? Wrong! Out pops a big ol’ F-bomb from the YouTuber’s mouth. I elicit the expected shocked responses, apologize to the pastor, and tell him that’s quite enough of that video. Not 5 minutes later he comes across another video he thinks is funny and wants me to see. By now I’m thinking, he’s already goofed once there’s no way he’ll blast more F-bombs from his phone for all to hear, right? Obviously you know where this story is headed. More expletives from the phone, followed by more apologies and fiery mom-glares at the teenager. Logan wisely decided to listen to his phone in his ear buds after that and keep his videos to himself.

Of course, teenagers are known for their edgy behaviors. You could even say that a mishap with a teen doesn’t equate to being a hot mess mom or being labeled as “that mom”. So I present further evidence from the parenting files:

Hot Mess Mom Item 2: Floor Snacks

One day I was in the grocery store with my 4-year-old, Johnny. We were prepared for a long trip of shopping for the week’s groceries and he was babbling away while sitting in the cart, happily snacking on some things from home. He was telling me all about how much he loved his fruit snacks and how his favorite, favorite, really really favorite is yellow and this was the last fruit snack AND it was yellow! Could life get any better for a 4-year-old? Then as he reached to put the favoritist fruit snack on the planet in his mouth, the fruit snack tragically slipped through his fingers and dropped on the floor of the grocery store.

And what did I do? First ask yourself what would you do??

He looked down at the lost fruit snack with big, sad alligator tears welling in his eyes. So I did what any hot mess mom would do. I blew a puff of air on that fruit snack, wiped it on my pant leg, declared, “All clean!” and handed it back to him. And because he trusts that his mother would never steer him wrong, he ate it.

I feel like I’ve trained my kids well in regards to what food is clean and what is not. We wash our hands, brush our teeth, and have pretty good hygiene. It’s not all my kids’ fault that they eat food that fell from the floor. It’s definitely partly mine.

I’m sure I have more confessions from the hot mess mom files, like this earlier one about how I accidentally exposed myself at a wedding. I’ll spare you any further exposure to my life as “that mom” (for now).

To all the other hot mess moms out there -and you don’t have to raise your hands, you know who you are- we stand with you. You’re a hot mess and it’s ok. Well, as long as your kids are relatively healthy and no one gets hurt it’s ok. Keep on hot-messin’ on and we’ll all meet at the coffee shop for our monthly support group. Just kidding, there’s no support group. But you can find me on Facebook and we can commiserate and confess over there.

30 Things to do in Spring

Warmer weather is on its way, and spring is in the air! The freshness of spring and cool, sunny days go by all too quickly. There’s still time to enjoy this sweet season before the long hot days of summer arrive. If you need some inspiration, try some of these things to do in the spring.

30 Things to do in Spring

Make a bouquet of wildflowers
Sit quietly in a nature preserve and observe wildlife
Have friends over for a brunch
Go “polar bearing” at the pool, beach, or lake
Paint a picture of a nature scene
Count the butterflies or bees as they fly past
Go to the park and have a picnic
Throw rocks and sticks off the side of a bridge in a game of “pooh sticks”
Visit a pond and feed the ducks
Make pinwheels and place them in the front yard or in potted plants
Make blended fruit popsicles
Visit a nature center
Stock up on winter clothes for next year at end-of-season clearance racks
Take pictures in the rain (while it lasts!)
Frost and decorate Easter cookies or flower-shaped cookies
Go on a nature walk
Stock up on sunscreen
Start planning your summer vacation or staycation (check out our 25 ideas for a staycation with kids!)
Enroll the kids in swim lessons
Go see a baseball game at the stadium
Spring clean your home
Check out some children’s books on spring from the library to read as a family
Organize the kids toys
Bake blueberry muffins
Go for a hike
Decorate your kitchen table with a fun spring centerpiece
Inventory your camping gear and replace items before summer
Spruce up the patio for summer barbecues
Rearrange the furniture in one room of the house for a fresh look
Send your child’s teacher a thank-you gift

Important March and April dates:

March 20: First day of spring

March 21: Purim

April 1: April Fool’s Day

April 10: Sibling’s Day-share a pic on social of you and your siblings!

April 14: Palm Sunday

April 19: Good Friday

April 19: Passover

April 21: Easter

April 22: Earth Day

April 24: Administrative Professionals Day – thank an office assistant!

April 25: Take your daughter to work day

We’ll be sharing our fun spring adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Join in the fun and share your pictures with #makespringhappen. We can’t wait to see what fun you’ll have this spring!

Saying Farewell to January 2019

We’re now 1/12 of the way through 2019. Can you believe it?! Personally, I hate to see good things end. At first thought, I didn’t think all that much had happened in January. If you’re lalso feeling like this month wasn’t anything special, do yourself a favor. Scroll through the photos in your phone and I bet you’ll be amazed at how much you accomplished this month! As proof, I’ll share with you my month in reverse order because it’s more fun that way 😉 It wasn’t until I got about 2 weeks back that I realized I was really on my game this month! Except for that basketball thing (keep reading, you’ll see).

This week started off with a run – Woohoo! I’m trying to lose 2 pounds a week and so far I’m on track! I couldn’t believe it, and you’ll see why soon.

One of the girls got hives. How is it I’ve been a mom for almost 16 years and this is my first experience with hives? Counting my blessings, I guess.

I got sick and gave up on my healthy eating plan. Red Lobster biscuits for breakfast? Yes, please!

I got sick the day AFTER baking 5 batches of chocolate chip cookies for my moms group. Then proceeded to eat most of the cookies since I couldn’t take them to the potluck.

I cleaned my kitchen!

One of the girls got the stomach flu.

We made a blanket fort for the kids to sleep in over the weekend. This is their favorite thing to do on non-school nights!

All the kids got pinkeye. Boo.

There was a super blood wolf moon and we kinda sorta saw it through the clouds.

We cooked at home every.single.night! Think that’s easy? You do it! This is our Google calendar family meal plan. The blank nights were when we had leftovers for dinner or something random from the cupboard.

I found out what kind of dinosaur I am. This is important information, my friends.

We read Christmas stories. In mid-January.

The girls started playing basketball.

This is how they looked on team picture day because it was raining and one of them lost the sneakers I sent to school with her to wear at the game. They let her play like that. Mom fail or mom win? I say win!

Johnny got an ear infection.

I met my new big boss. There are lots of pics from work this month but I liked our name tags for this staff meeting so it gets to be in the January highlights.

I started listening to free audiobooks from the library. I’ve burned through 4 this month already!

I found out why my walls are always so dirty.

It rained! We had a week of rain, then a week of 80° weather, then more rain. I love San Diego!

I get to be mom to 4 wonderful kids, 3 of whom need me for every little thing and I love it. The older one still needs me, he just doesn’t think he does. 😉

I went to Ikea. And bought stuff! 😀 Oh, how I love Ikea.

And finally on day 1 of the year 2019 I went on a moderately challenging hike with a friend. The perfect way to ring in the new year!

January was definitely a months of highs and lows. Illness was a constant visitor in our home but we battled those germs off like pros! What will February hold? I can only imagine…