SelfCare Sunday: Summer Skin Care with @TULA

Summer Skin Care

Hey friends! Happy Sunday! I’m coming off the back of a quick trip down to NYC and it was SO good to get away and refresh even if it was only for 36 hours!

I wanted to touch base with you all to talk skincare! Although summer is more than halfway over and even though we are all eyeing fall ….I know we will have another month of hot, humid weather!

Summer can really take a toll on our skin: sun, swim, sweat & humidity (and in 2020, mask wearing) and wanted to share some of my favorite skincare tips and products for summer livin’.

1.     Stay out of the sun. I cannot stress this enough. I NEVER lay out, and if I am outside I have a minimum of sunglasses and SPF on to shield my eye area. I also wear hats a lot to protect my head and my neck (that area goes under the radar a lot) There are so many cute baseball hats as well as fashion hats to wear that can look cute AND keep your skin healthy.

2.     SPF, SPF, SPF. I wear SPF every single day, whether its 20 out, or 90 out. You would be surprised at the damage sun can do just being in your car driving to and from work!

3.     Hydrate: I drink so much water! Water is the key to helping your skin stay youthful and supple.

4.     Sleep: I do prioritize sleep as much as I can. I definitely don’t get as much as I’d like (especially the last few years, ha!) but sleep is where your skin rejuvenates. It can be tough as a parent, but I try to get around 7 hours a night!

Summer Skin

My skin is definitely different over the summer with the heat and humidity. I also tend to wear less makeup, because I hate sweating with it on and I want my skin to breathe! I try to cover my face with SPF, hats, and sunnies, but the reality is you will get some sun on your face and it will affect it!

As you all know, I rely on TULA skincare for all my skincare needs and I want to highlight which products are my go-tos in the summer months! #TULAPartner

For those of you who don’t know, TULA is a doctor-founded, clean & effective skincare and wellness brand built on the power of probiotics & superfoods. 100% of their products are formulated with probiotics & superfoods to feed your skin the good stuff™.

TULA also focuses on being healthy, not perfect & empowering our community to feel confident in the skin they’re in, which I can 100% get behind! #embraceyourskin.

1.     TULA SPF: Lucky for me (and you!), TULA now has a SPF and guys…it’s a game changer. It’s light, protects against UVB and UVA, smells good, doesn’t clog your pores, and lasts all day. This broad spectrum sunscreen that provides daily SPF 30 plus protection from damaging pollution & blue light—a must have for indoors & outdoors. Leaves a gorgeous glow that wears well under makeup or on its own. On top of that, it is incredibly affordable! I used to use a high end expensive brand for SPF and I genuinely like my TULA better.

2.     Face Filter: I use this product on a daily basis. This blurring & moisturizing primer instantly smooths the look of uneven skin tone & redness for a “filter” like finish. Probiotics & superfoods like licorice & chia seeds help balance & nourish skin.  If I’m not wearing makeup, its usually my last step and it helps blur out any imperfections. If I’m wearing makeup, I use this before I put my primer and foundation on!

3.     Day and Night cream: I use this cream on a daily basis and I love how light it is on my skin. Its incredibly versatile (can be used day or night) and I love that I only need one cream for my skin.

4.     Courtney Shields Glow Hour eye balm: If you guys follow me on IG, you know that I love the glow and get it eye balm by TULA. Courtney Shields just recently did a collab with TULA and launched a different eye balm and I’m obsessed with it. It helps take away under eye circles, and gives a little brightness to your face (which is much needed especially if you’re a mom). Grapefruit & algae brighten the look of tired eyes while lingonberry protects from the damaging effects of blue light. Each swipe cools, hydrates, luminates & transports you to the magical time of day that is glow hour. I also love how compact it is and you can literally bring it with you in a small handbag!

5.     Last but certainly not least ….the cult classic. This is the first product I tried from TULA and its my favorite. The Purifying Face Cleanser is a refreshing probiotic gel cleanser that goes deep into pores to remove impurities. Probiotics + superfoods help condition skin without stripping or over-drying. This cleanser takes all of your makeup off, and hydrates my skin like no other cleanser has before!

 I know that if you guys try TULA, you will LOVE it.

You can use my code “SAHLEN2” to save 15% on your order whether its your first order or 100th order!

Thanks to TULA for gifting me these products. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

Xo

Alex

The Willow Pump Review

My Willow Pump Review

I’m so excited today to be finally sharing my review of the Willow Pump! For those that don’t know, the willow pump is new(er) on the market, and is the first wearable, mobile and tubeless/bottle-less pump!

Caslon(R) Tie Front Top • Caslon • $23.40–26.98
Cake Cotton Candy Seamless Nursing Bra • $45
Madewell 10-Inch High Waist Button Front Crop Skinny Jeans • Madewell • $135
Madewell 10-Inch High Waist Skinny Jeans • Madewell • $135

I first found out about the Willow at the end of my breastfeeding journey with my middle son and was so jealous of those who were currently pregnant and able to try the willow! Fast forward a year later, and I was pregnant again! I was looking forward to trying the Willow pump when I had my baby. I remembered how hard it was to manage my time and make time to pump when I was away from baby with only two kids (much less three!). I knew this pump could only help me, especially going into “zonal defense” of raising three boys under the age of 5.

Breastfeeding is probably one of the hardest (mentally & physically), but also the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. The bond I had with my sons through nursing was truly incredible. BUT the thing about breastfeeding that I dislike the most is …..

The pumping. The time it takes. The cleaning of the parts. The sound. Being tied down every couple hours.

Although I had gotten pretty good at multi tasking and figuring out how to be more efficient, I still hated pumping and dreaded it. Trying to juggle work, meetings, events for my older son…it was crazy, I feel like ½ the time I would have to pump in the car (using my ultimate favorite hands free Ollie Gray bra!)

Other times I would come home from being at work, or running an errand to find that the baby coulden’t wait and needed to be fed, regardless of how I tried to time it. This ultimately meant that the babysitter would be leaving me with an awake baby, needing to pump!  Trying to pump while being plugged into a wall with a  2 year old and a newborn is virtually impossible if you’re on your own. AND, yeah, sure you can pump while your kids sleep. But really?  Using your time while the kids are napping to pump is not really high on your list of things you want to do during that time!  

Imagine being able to live a life where you could make dinner while you pumped. Fold clothes. Hang up laundry. Put your makeup on. Blow dry your hair. Go for a walk.

You can.

Enter the Willow.

How does it work? You simply put it together (minimal parts), wait the initial 3-5 min stimulation phase, and you’re on your way once you hit expression (let down).

FREE TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS. Even lay down #winning.

I thought I would break down pros/cons of the Willow, if I like it better than my hospital grade, and my ultimate thoughts on the pump and whether it is worth getting.

Pros of the Willow Pump:

1.     It’s wireless. You can literally pump anywhere, anytime! Rejoice, mama’s! Go for a walk? Yes. Clean? Yes. Read a book to your toddler? Yes. Prepare a snack or meal? Yes. ANYTHING you want to do, you can do.

2.     Not many parts and easy to clean: I love this about it, its so easy to clean and no super small part to lose.

3.     The bags are easy, and take up less room: I like the bag for the purpose of storage in the fridge, also when traveling I could fit more in a cooler than I could with the bottles!

4.     It’s Quiet: Anyone else feel like their pump sings to them? Do you have to press mute if you’re on a conference call while pumping because yours is so loud? Not with the willow!

5.     It’s Smart: Willow has an awesome app that helps you keep track of how much you’re pumping, what phase you’re in, how much battery life is left as well as great support If you have issues.

6.     Customer Service: The customer service and support team is excellent if you have any issues. There are so many different avenues available for assistance whether its chat, text or phone. Also, there is support on the app.

7.     Battery life is really good: I took the pump with me to NYC for the day and didn’t have to charge it all day and I used it 4-5 times!

8.     Compact & Easy to Travel with: As I mentioned above, I travelled with this pump to NYC (as well as Florida) and It was such a relief to not have my huge hospital grade pump. I swear I have to have a bag JUST for my pump and bottles! The willow can fit this in my purse/backpack and its so compact and much more lightweight. LOVE.

9.     FREEDOM!!! Need I say more?!

Cons of the Willow pump:

1.     The learning curve is REAL. This took me a good 3-4 weeks to get the hang of and I am experienced with nursing and pumping. I could see if you are a new mom this could be hard to get at first. However, as I mentioned above, they do have good support and help via their app, phone, and text. Stick with it! Its worth it!

2.     It’s pricy: This pump is not covered by health insurance. However, if you have a HSA/FSA, you can purchase the willow using that (this is what I did so it wasn’t out of pocket)

3.     Bags: The Willow 2.0 holds 5 oz, so if you’re an over supplier like me, it can be frustrating to have to stop and put a new bag in. Usually this only affects me in the mornings when I have more milk. The bags are also a little expensive and can only be used once.

4.     Stimulation/Expression: The stimulation setting is already set and you can’t change in manually. For those that don’t understand, this is the phase before your milk lets down. This is probably the most frustrating part for me and what I wish I could change. I find I need a lot of suction during stimulation and I can’t adjust the suction until I’m in the expression mode.

5.     Charging: You can only charge one side at a time. I really wish that you could charge two in one with the charger.

Other things to know:

1.     You can only buy their items online (bags, flanges, etc.) on their website.

2.     The flanges only come in two sizes!

3.     I’ve found the most important part of the learning curve is figuring out your alignment! Once you have that down pat, it should be smooth sailing.

4.    Your bra matters. They have a few different ones on their website that they recommend, but I love the Cake Maternity Bra and the Ollie Gray’s nursing/pumping bra!

So what pump do I like the best?

I find that I rotate and use both my Willow and my hospital grade for various reasons (as listed above). As most of you know, you get a pump through your insurance (hello, free!!) and regardless of whether or not you plan on using it, I would definitely get the hospital grade pump even if you think you only want to use the willow.

VERDICT:

All in all, I think the Willow pump is seriously the most amazing, incredible concept and feel so fortunate to be able to utilize one of these pumps! The fact that I can go for a walk, do household chores, drive, etc. while pumping makes me so much happier of a mom and less stressed. All in all, while the willow has some areas it can improve (which I’m sure they will- its only been out for a short time!), this pump is such an empowering tool for breastfeeding moms. Anything that makes #momlife and #nursinglife easier is a WIN in my book.

I definitely recommend this pump to anyone who feels they are going to be giving their baby a bottle 3-4 days a week. I still use my hospital grade pump at work because I’m usually sitting at a desk anyway, and its cheaper (no need to buy bags like with the willow) but I use my Willow on average once a day at home. I use it in instances where I need to do extra pumping session or if I’ve been out running errands. It allows me to not miss a beat taking care of my baby, older children, as well as do ALL OF THINGS we mamas do while still providing milk for my baby which I’m so grateful for!

Happy Pumping friends! Xo

Alex

** This post is not sponsored or affiliated with the Willow Pump. All thoughts & opinions are solely my own.

Motherhood: 6 Ways its Changed Me & My Mothers Day Gift Guide

Motherhood may have given us gray hairs, wrinkles, loose skin, stretch marks, and a lot of other physical side effects that we might not want (ha), BUT I know its given me SO much as a person to be thankful for. I’ve grown leaps and bounds as a human being, and I’ve no doubt become a better person because of my 3 little guys. In honor of Mothers Day next week, I’m highlighting how motherhood has changed me:

1. Showed me the purest form of love: They always say you never know love until you have a baby. Having kids is like having a piece of your heart walking outside of your body. It actually aches when they’re hurt, when you miss them, when they’re going through hard times…its an incredible feeling that you would literally do anything and everything for their well being and happiness.

2. It’s slowed me down: Gone are the days that I need to be on the go …going somewhere, doing something, being busy, never home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s something to be said about actually soaking life up and slowing down. I actually LIKE staying home or doing simple things like playing outside with the kids, long walks in the neighborhood, playground days, and trips to the library. Call me boring, but I’m cool with it. Seeing life through their eyes is the best feeling ever…how they learn, grow and experience new things is amazing.

3. I’ve become more easy going: Ok, anyone that knows me knows I am superrrr Type A. I’m all about schedules, routine, and things being perfect, and I’m UBER competitive. Well, if you’re a mom you know that living up to this is pretty much impossible if you want to maintain your sanity! It probably took me up until having 3 kids to really just embrace this, truthfully. But, proudly, I’ve learned to roll with the punches, missed naps, tantrums. crying, messy clothes & house, and tough days. Yeah, sure does it bother me sometimes? Of course. Am I still a little uptight? yes. But I am able to take a deep breath and just go with the flow ((most of the time)).

4. I’m more patient: Patience. One of the most coveted virtues there is. Becoming a parent MAKES you more patient whether you want to be or not. Dealing with babies crying for hours (my first), epic toddler tantrums (my second), or dealing with no sleep with your third baby and having 2 others to look after…yup. Patience is earned, and you don’t have a choice.

5. I don’t take things for granted as much: Little things used to bother me so much…work life, social things, etc. Now…if something happens I know that all is good because at the end of the day as long as our family is healthy we are ALL GOOD. That’s not to say I don’t get fired up every now and again (ha) but I definitely am able to take a deep breath and take things in stride A LOT better now. I don’t take a single day that our boys are healthy for granted and now thats what really matters.

6. I’m more focused and efficient: Time is your biggest enemy when you become a mother. It goes by so dang quick. Your time with them, and your time away from them. I’ve found I’ve become so much more efficient with my time now that I have kids because I want to make it count if I’m away from them. If I’m working out, its going to be a killer workout. If I’m at work or at an event, I’m going to make it worthwhile because I know what I’m giving up to be there! Time=the most precious thing in life!

So, Motherhood. Probably the most challenging, yet rewarding thing in life you’ll ever do. I know that I no doubt appreciate my mom more now that I’m a mother myself. Truth be told, there’s no way you can ever repay your mother for their sacrifice, life and commitment to you…but we sure as heck can try!

I wanted to share a few of my favorite mothers day picks for your mother, MIL, grandma, etc.

1.Dyson V8- This thing is a game changer. I know it seems like a lame gift, but this guy cleans sooo fast and when you clean faster, it means more time to do other things! WINNING.

2. Dyson Blowdryer- you guys know I’ve pledged my love for this blowdryer. Another time saver, makes your hair so soft, and is just all around amazing quality. An amazing gift to give.

3. Apple Watch-Another one of my go-tos gifts

4. Airpods- These are so good for everything- exercising, listening to podcasts, talking hands free. Great gift.

5. This crockpot is hands down the best crockpot I have ever used. the food cooks great and the food NEVER sticks to the actual dish. I can’t say enough about it. I know its pricy but the quality is amazing and the food turns out great-so much better.

6. This air fryer is a great gift. I swear I’ll never cook fries in a oven again. The air fryer takes away all the grease and makes them nice and crispy. There’s so many great recipes also to put in a air fryer.

7. Bath bombs make a great gift!

8. I have a kitchen aid mixer and although I’ve never used it (haha, I never bake) its supposedly one of the best. My mom LOVES hers.

9. If your mama or MIL is into scrapbooking, snag her a cricut! This is the best way to scrapbook!

10. You can never go wrong with a new pair of slippers. I love these.

11. Barefoot dreams is always a go-to for me for gifts. They have amazing sweaters/cardigans as well as blankets and throws that are so cozy!

12. Real Simple is a great mag to send to Mom!

13. The Vitamix is a top blender and allows you to make shakes, soups, etc.

14. My mom has a roomba and loves it! Another gift to make her life easier.

15. My holy grail product- Dr. Brandt baggage no more. TRUST ME this stuff is legit.

16. I haven’t tried Drunk Elephant but I have heard amazing things about their products. A mask would be an awesome gift idea!

17. The Clarisonic is a basic essential and makes a good present!

18. Tory Burch Miller Sandals. These can be dressed up or down and look good on a 20 year old, or a 75 year old! Iconic!

19. I love Birks more than anything in life and these are so comfy and GOOD for your feet. The gift that keeps on giving-great quality, last forever!

20. Last but not least…this is my FAVE Tula product. I swear by this and how it brightens your under eye area (hello, all moms need this!!). This is a great present for any mom, any age. If you don’t buy it for your mom, buy it for yourself!

Have a great Sunday!

xo

Alex

Pregnancy Fitness #2: Swimming/Aqua Jogging

Pregnancy Fitness: Swimming (Aqua Jogging)

Hi babes! Hope you are all doing well! Happy weekend! Hope you are all settling in ready for the big storms hitting this weekend! Yikes!

We are currently settling in at home now and big brothers will be joining us tomorrow. I have so much to share about the birth of baby Sammy, but I have honestly just been trying to rest, recover and soak up every moment so far!

Before I had baby Sammy, I wrote up a “series” of pregnancy fitness posts for the blog to post during the first couple of postpartum weeks (the first post I wrote was about Running while pregnant), and I’ll be posting 2-3 more that I wrote up throughout pregnancy.

Today I’ll be sharing Pregnancy Fitness: Swimming. In each of these posts I’ll talk about what workouts I did, what I liked/didn’t like about the particular form of working out, and my must haves for each! I linked my aqua jogger…and a ton of bathing suits that I am loving right now …a few maternity and the rest just regular (sooooo excited to be out of maternity clothes woot woot!!!!!)

Some super cute Bathing Suit Picks!

Super cute $35 flattering H & M blue and white striped suit | gingham. yes plz | AErie cute lace up. On sale!! | Love me some leopard | ‘I’m getting this Anthro bikini!!! | Another HM suit!! | Dying to buy a tularosa suit. I love their style!! | M I C K E Y suit!! So cute | my all time fave flattering suit for EVERYONE | This bikini is so frilly and feminine! LOVE | Classic black suit for everyone- on sale!! | Gorgeous maternity suit | striped maternity suit | Barbie suit!! | Cute tankini maternity | Black basic maternity suit!

My swimming background

I’ve been swimming ever since I was a baby..I’m pretty sure my mom had us in the water at like 3 months old! Partially this was due to the fact that she never really learned how to swim and she wanted to make sure that we didn’t turn out the same way. So, we were in the water ever since we were babies and also took swimming lessons. I didn’t love the lessons; but as a kid I did enjoy swimming. As you all know, soccer was obviously my passion so any swimming I did was leisurely. But let me be clear that I’m no Michael Phelps ha.

Intro to Aqua Jogging

Fast forward to college, where my roomie was a cross country runner. Because I have quite good endurance, when she would have extra mileage to do for her workouts for the week, sometimes I would run with her at night. The family that runs together, stays together..amiright??!! LOL.

The Aqua Jogger & some Amazon swimming picks!

Cupshe is awesome quality/price for suits LOL!!!!

Anyway, she ended up at some point getting injured and not being able to run for an extended period of time. The coaching staff and trainer instructed her to head to the University pool and swim with an aqua jogger. I had never heard of it and had no idea what it was! But, being the great friend and roomie, I decided to join in with her to make it less boring for her!

What is aqua jogging you ask? Aqua jogging is basically where you run in the water! You have a belt that goes around your waist and you are able to swim upright and run in a running motion.

There are all kinds of positive studies that show using aqua jogging as a form of cross training/injury prevention allows you to maintain your current cardiovascular level and fitness without the impact of actually running. In fact, they have done studies where participants have actually replaced 1-2 runs/week and still maintained their fitness level. In addition, aqua jogging is a great form of cardio for runners or ANY athlete with running in their sport who have an injury to continue exercising without impact.

Honestly , i am SO thankful that I was introduced to aqua jogging during my collegiate soccer career. It certainly isn’t the most “fun” workout (its a little bit boring at times) but there are so many benefits and it helped over the course of my professional career ( and AFTER!!) recover faster after travel, games, and also was a GOD SEND when I was injured! It allowed me to stay active, keep a good fitness base, and manage my weight while injured.

When I found out I was expecting with my first baby, swimming was one of the most popular forms of exercise that I read about for pregnant women. It was a great cross training option for me that I mixed in with my running, walking, and lifting. With each pregnancy I found I utilized the pool more and more, and this last baby especially. It also gives me a different option for a workout when not pregnant- if I’m sore, tired, etc!!

Reasons why I loved swimming/Aqua Jogging while pregnant:

1. Weightless: When you’re in the water you’re said to only feel 10% of your body weight. That literally has to be every single womans dream when pregnant! Feeling weightless for that 30-45 mins is amazing!

2. Reduces swelling: I always got a lot of comments from people about the fact that I had little to no swelling during my pregnancies. When you’re pregnant, your body produces 50% more blood and fluids to support the needs of your body and growing baby. I attribute low swelling during my pregnancies to good diet, staying active, but also my time in the pool. When you are submerged in the water, the outside water pressure pushes the extra fluid tissue water into your veins and kidneys …and out of your body into your urine! I swear i have to go to the bathroom 4 times after swimming! I’ve even weighed myself after and there is no doubt I lose a pound or two of fluid retention.

3. No impact: I love the fact that I can get a workout in without it hurting any of my joints or muscles. Pregnancy is a huge demand on the body and being active without impact is a WIN. No uncomfortable pounding (like running when you get bigger)…and the bigger you get the heavier that uterus, placenta and baby are! The pressure is unreal…to not feel that..AMAZING.

4. Calorie Burn: The calorie burn for any activity in the water is HUGE. Obviously you have to work harder because of the resistance of the water, and aqua jogging is said to burn anywhere from 8-12 calories/minute depending on how much you weigh. That’s 80- 100 Calories for 10 minutes; similar if not more than running!

5. I don’t need to get my hair wet: haha. I know this one is kind of vain but I love aqua jogging because I don’t need to get my hair wet :)

6. Refreshing: Last but not least, I always felt so refreshed coming out of the water. If you are pregnant during the summer months, get. in. the. water!! And, even thought this last pregnancy ended in january, I still enjoyed getting in the water even though it was so cold outside. The first minute or two might be a bit chilly, but once you get going its totally worth it!

My workouts:

I usually have two forms of aqua jogging workouts: Intervals and steady state.

During this past pregnancy, 75% of my aqua jogs were steady state mostly because that is what I felt my body could do at the time. Earlier in the pregnancy, and when I utilize swimming for cross training, I definitely do more intervals. This basically means I “jog” steady state for 5 mins as a warmup and then pick either time or distance to “sprint” in the water, and then jog. So, 30 seconds “sprint”, and then into 30 seconds “jog” and repeat. This gets the heart rate up, makes the workout go faster, and burns more fat/calories!

The cons of swimming/aqua jogging:

1. The first would have to be obviously access to water! I am lucky and have access on a personal level (indoor) as well as belong to a fitness club with a pool.

2. Comfort level in a public pool while pregnant: I know some women can be self conscious working out, being in a swimsuit while pregnant, don’t like being in a public pool…etc.

3. Boring: It can get a little boring. I try to play music, or get someone to join me (my mom, or my husband)

4. Time consuming: It does take up more time than a simple run or walk— driving to and from the pool (if not at your house), changing, full shower after…etc.

Bottom Line: Swimming is a WIN

The pros clearly outweigh the cons IMO and I honestly feel so grateful to have been able to swim and stay active throughout my pregnancy. It was so amazing to have the option especially in the later stages of pregnancy where just moving seemed challenging! Also, I missed running so much and this filled the void a little bit.

I definitely recommend getting in the water if you can- whether that is at your house, a friends, a local high school/college or the YMCA that you belong to! In addition, the aqua jogger is fairly inexpensive!

Have a great weekend xo

Alex

Tips for Surviving pregnancy with littles

Perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

It’s amazing how as you walk along the journey of life, perspective changes as you are faced with different circumstances, grow older ((and wiser LOL)).

My pregnancy is finally coming to a close, and its amazing how my viewpoint of pregnancy has changed with each child. Some of thats due to experience, some of it maturity and age. And some of it is just down to rolling with the punches and taking things in stride even if you have no idea how you’re going to cope.

First pregnancies

I definitely didn’t think pregnancy was hard with my first from a physical standpoint-I felt good, slept pretty well, etc. , but looking back there are so many things I would have changed about my mindset.

There’s something so special (and EASY LOL) about your first and I was so devastated about missing a year in my professional soccer career that it consumed me. I can’t blame myself, but its always a thought on my mind how I never soaked up the pregnancy. I find with the second and consecutive pregnancies you have no TIME to enjoy it because you’re so frickin busy!

Pregnancies with multiple kids

Anyway, fast forward to my second and having a toddler to run around after while being pregnant made pregnancy sooo much harder. From getting more sleep/rest, having time to get things done, to fitting workouts in it was for sure a challenge. But I thjnk with everything we are faced with, you somehow get it done.

When we found out we were having a third, I knew it was going to be extremely challenging with a toddler and preschooler. But, as I close in on 38 weeks, somehow I made it through in one piece!!

I wanted to share my thoughts and some tips for those of you embarking on the pregnancy journey with 2 ((really really)) young kids and some things that helped me get through the pregnancy. Now the postpartum period? haha. We’ll see how I survive that…wish me luck. haha :P

Tips for survival!

1. Take advantage of bursts of energy/days you feel good! This one is huge! When I’ feeling physically good, I tackle bigger projects/chores etc. so on the days I’m more tired or feeling super heavy I can do some lower key things.

2. At night wait to sit down: This one was huge for me. I always felt like a hot mess in the morning if after the kids went to bed that I just sat on the couch. Taking 15-20 mins, no matter how tired I was, at organizing things made mornings SO much smoother. Especially since I wasn’t really being productive on the couch anyway! Straightening up, and setting things up for the next morning really made my life SO so much easier in the long run. It also allowed me the option of sleeping a little later in the morning knowing things were set up downstairs. Once I sit down at night I feel like I can’t get up and then the morning is chaotic. because I’m playing catch up!

3. Have your older sibling help as much as possible: my oldest is 4 1/2, so I try to get him to help me as much as possible. I think this is probably even easier with a girl, but my little man has done a decent job. Helping his brother take shoes, coat, etc off, hanging things up, grabbing something for me upstairs, filling up sippy cups for him and his brother full of water, fixing a toy for his little brother has been really important because it limits putting me in awkward positions with the bump. Also, when baby comes my youngest will be used to his brother helping so it won’t be a big deal if I’m busy with baby.

4. Making them independent: Piggy backing off the above- I have tried super hard to make them as independent as possible over the last few months. Not only for me physically right now, but trying to set the stage for arrival of baby 3. Max is a really early riser (like 6 am) SO…we’ve trained him when he wakes up, he dresses himself and comes downstairs on his own and plays (even though 90% of the time I am already up right now…I might not be in a couple weeks haha). He can obviously dress himself with coats, hats, shoes, jackets, and Getting his own school bag ready, buckling his own car seat are all examples, I’ve tried to work hard with getting Seb to get undressed on his own with shoes, coat, etc. but that process is a little slower because he has just turned 2.

5. Enlist help: This one is obviously a given. I have someone come to the house for when I’m at work but its pretty much for when I’m at the office. If you have friends or family offering to take your kids or even ONE (because one is one and two is twenty amirite??!!) just take them up on it. I definitely need to be better asking for help at times but this pregnancy I asked some family and friends every now and again to help, especially when the kids were sick.

   I am lucky because both boys nap at the same time, so if I wanted to nap when I’m home and not at work I can ( probably have taken 3 naps this whole pregnancy LOL, I’m not really a napper) but if your oldest doesn’t nap anymore, and you need a rest, get yo self some HELP!!! YOU DONT GET A MEDAL FOR DOING IT ALL ON YOUR OWN. end of story.

6. Get amazon prime: LOL. This is kind of a joke, but not really. Especially because I work, I do a lot of shopping online. It allows me more time with either my kids, resting, or doing things I want to be doing and not stressing with traffic, lines in the store, and maybe moving around when I’m not feeling great. Also see: LUGGING TWO KIDS to the store.

7. Pick and choose your errand time: This is piggybacking off the above- I try to avoid bringing them to any store with me especially if I’m not feeling great. Some days I have no choice (grocery day) but if I have to run to target, I might wait a few days until I know when they’re both in school or my husband will be home. I’m more focused and efficient when I’m on my own for sure. With that being said, I’ve made my fair share of trips with both boys (way too many!!!) and sometimes you just get it done!!

8. Lower your expectations: Your kids are kids. they don’t care if they have an activity every day, Ignore pinterest and anything that makes you feel like you’re not doing enough!! Kids actually love routine. Embrace that and don’t try and reinvent the wheel and kill yourself with activities and trips making your day super busy!! Both of my boys are pretty content outside or playing with their toys in all honesty so don’t kill yourself trying to cram things in. THEY DON’T CARE!! As long as they are with YOU thats all they care about. That being said, know when to get out of the house- sometimes its necessary…like when all they are doing is fighting lol.

9. Find me time: I know self-care is a HUGE hype word right now but for me, setting aside 15 mins for a bath, or putting my makeup on in the morning is what I NEED to feel good about myself and happy. Carve out a few minutes here and there for things that you want to do whether its work out, pamper yourself, read, whatever…

10. Lastly, just remember that as long as they are healthy and loved, you’re doing a great job. That means its ok if they have PBJ two days in a row, or watch too much TV one day because you’re tired. You’re growing a human. Thats hard AF.

Have a great day loves xo

Alex