I had an encouraging thought the other day. It has been established that being a mom is a tough gig. I often find myself wondering how it was for my mom when I was young. She had 3 under 5 at one point and that makes my head spin. Although I am sure she had support in various forms, we know that she didn’t have what we have as moms in today’s world, the social media connection.

We have virtually everything we could need or want at our finger tips. When it comes to parenting I can’t get enough encouragement, tips, and support from other moms just like me. It makes me feel like we are all on the same team. This inspired me to write about some of the things in my day to day that make life just a wee bit easier.

I am ALWAYS eager to find out about other people’s favorite things. I would love to hear from you if there is a specific meal you always make or a stroller you can’t live without, you get the idea. Hopefully my list can inspire and introduce a few new things to your repertoire. Enjoy. 

*Disclaimer: I LOVE AMAZON PRIME! It is safe to say that I do the majority of my shopping there. With prime it is free shipping and typically they are super speedy. Just food for thought. 

1. Kitchen: My Crock-pot Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker, 6.5 Quart. I got it on Amazon, of course. I recently had to replace my old one and boy am I glad I did. Being that I use it at least one day a week, every week, I need a reliable and efficient pot. My favorite features are that the lid doesn’t hold water after cleaning and the timer is simple and effective (Just remember to press START) I learned that the hard way A FEW TIMES.  

 

2. Clothes: Madewell T-Shirts and Tanks. I just recently discovered this brand. The material is ridiculously soft and forgiving. I am on a mission to find my daily “uniform” that makes me feel comfy and confident. My goal is to have pieces in my closet that I love and feel good in every time I put them on. Hanging onto something because you feel guilty for getting rid of it is not doing you any favors.

 

3. Book: “Pretty Happy” by Kate Hudson. This is part of my time just for me. Kate talks about health, fitness, and meditation. All are things that get me inspired and motivated. I am reading this in bits and pieces and loving it. She writes so it is easy to read and relatable.

 

4. Dinner: Quiche. I always try to have a frozen whole wheat pie crust in the freezer (because let’s be honest, who has time to make one from scratch?) Then I have my go-to quiche recipe and switch up the fillings, mixing and matching veggies, meat, and cheese.

 

5. Treat: Enlightened Ice Cream Bars: my favorite is Mint Chocolate. Because every now and then you need something sweet, without the guilt! So far I have only found these at Whole Foods and other similar type health food stores, but I’m on the lookout!

 

6. Kids: Lands End Kids Clothing. The time has come to go through the old clothes and update for summer. Pretty much every year at this stage of growing the kiddos need all new: EVERYTHING. That is why I love a good kids resale shop, I definitely recommend finding one near you, they typically have everything from shoes to toys. However, I am learning that we all need a few key and quality items to live in everyday. I have tried a few different stores for the kids and recently found Lands End Kids (Online shopping is so easy if you know their size). It is reasonably priced and in my opinion great quality. My kids are the best clothes testers, putting them through the ringer.

 

7. Blog: Coffee and Crumbs. My cousin introduced me to this blog. It is a mix of writers talking about a variety of topics related to motherhood. Always inspiring and thought provoking. Definitely worth a look.

8. Workout: Kickboxing. I cannot say enough about this wonderfully intense and addictive workout. I highly recommend giving it a try. It was out of my comfort zone for sure and now I can’t picture my routine without it. Not to mention you have the potential to burn 800 plus calories during every 1 hour class.

9. Music: Brett Eldredge: Drunk On Your Love. When I find a song that gets me energized and puts a smile on my face, you can bet it will be on repeat for a while. I generally go for country but I like to fancy myself open to trying new things. That’s the beauty of music, it’s always new and exciting. I need music to get me motivated for my workouts, especially running. I am constantly working to update my workout playlist, if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears.

10. Snack: Quest Bars. They were selling these at my kickboxing studio, and after a particularly hard workout I was starving. They recommended the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor, and after one bite I never looked back. These are now my go-to protein bars when I need a little something extra to get me through to the next meal. They boast low sugar and minimal ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

 

All in all the more I write about things I love the more I want to add to the list. I look forward to similar posts like this in the future to keep sharing what I’m discovering. 

I believe that we can all benefit from a sense of community.  Whether its through Facebook; Instagram; this blog; or a face to face convo with your bestie, staying connected to others who are in a similar season of life is so important. 

Until next time, I hope you have an awesome week!

Sarah