Self-Care is Critical for Health & Happiness

April 2, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

No matter how busy you are in your day-to-day life, it is important that you take time for yourself. Spending the day focusing exclusively on potential stressors, like your commitments at work and chaotic schedule at home, without providing time to allow your mind to rest and recharge can cause you to develop dangerous conditions, like high blood pressure. Neglecting your care routine can make it more likely that you will catch a cold. It can also lead to severe anxiety, depression, and low self-worth. Self-care is the term generally applied to the process of taking time for the simple things from day to day — even things as simple as getting enough sleep and reducing your stress can have positive consequences for your physical and mental health alike. Here are some of the easiest ways you can start to incorporate self-care into your daily routine.

How to reduce stress

A huge part of self-care is reducing stress in general. Since each piece of self-care works closely with the others, reducing your stress will make it easier for you to sleep, which in turn will reduce even more stress. There are two major ways you can cut stress out from your life. First, if you feel yourself being overloaded with things to do, whether they are in your professional or private lives, practice saying “no.” Your friends will understand if you miss an engagement or two, and the quality of your work will increase if you aren’t constantly worried about the amount of work that’s still on your plate.

Another way you can reduce stress is by making your environment as relaxing as possible. At home, this means cutting out clutter. Clutter significantly adds to stress and reduces your home’s relaxing qualities — but a clean home helps foster calm moods.

How to fix your diet

Kicking bad eating habits isn’t as easy as some people might initially believe. When it’s easier to swing by a fast-food restaurant on the way home from work than it is to spend an hour in the kitchen, convenience often trumps health. However, there are several ways you can defeat those bad habits and embrace a healthier lifestyle. One way is to subscribe to a meal-delivery service, which will provide you with the ingredients you need to put together delicious dishes with little fuss. And when you add an electric pressure cooker to the mix, which can make cooking food much easier, eating a homemade bowl of chili at instead of heading to the closest restaurant suddenly became much simpler — not to mention a lot healthier!

How to get enough sleep

Another critical step in your new self-care routine is getting enough sleep. While it may seem trivial, getting a good amount of sleep each night is crucial because your nightly rest sets up the pattern of your entire next day. If you wake up refreshed and energized, you will be able to jump into the tasks of the next day with more fervor, performing more efficiently, with heightened mental abilities and a greater ability to reason your way through and past potential problems. However, if you did not get enough sleep the night before, it is likely that you will wake up feeling groggy or achy. This inhibits your ability to get a move on in the mornings, which – in the short term — may make you late for work, but will also greatly affect your ability to process situations and be aware of your projects in general. Even if you end up working at a decent pace throughout the day, it is likely that the quality of the work you produce will not be as high (or as quickly created) as if you had gotten a good night’s sleep.

This is why sleep is so important, but an increasing number of adults say they have difficulty sleeping through the night. There are several things that you can do that will help yourself fall asleep at the end of the day. First, make sure that your bedroom is cool and dark. Cover up your windows with blackout curtains if you need to (just remember to be diligent about setting your alarm in the morning!), and turn your thermostat down if the outdoor temperature is 70 or higher. If your bedroom is too dry, considering getting a humidifier because dry air can cause cold-like symptoms which can disrupt your sleep. You should also try to foster as quiet an environment as possible — turn off the television and don’t listen to music or a podcast, even if it helps you sleep. If external noise typically interrupts your sleep, you may want to use a sound machine or a similar type of app on your phone to create a cushion of white noise.

No matter how chaotic your schedule, it is important that you find time for self-care. By getting more sleep and making your home more relaxing, you will help your physical and mental health.

Guest Article from Stephanie Haywood

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Finding Your Passion

January 3, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

It’s 2019

It’s your year.

What are you waiting for?

With the new year upon us I really wanted to provide you all with some amazing content to get this year started right and make it your best yet! I am doing a sneak peek at my book “The Sweetest Little Life” with revealing chapter one in how we break down and set goals for actual success!

Don’t wait any more, get out of the rut and start living your passion today. If you are unhappy only you can change it! START WITH 2019!!!!!!! Start while you are excited, while you are motivated, and most of all while there is TODAY!

Without further a do let’s get to work!

First things first, finding our path and direction.

How do we set goals, take-action, leap into our journey if we don’t even know our destination? This needs to be crystal clear!

We need to know roughly where we are going so we can create the steps to get there.

When starting my makers journey, I knew I wanted to create an income crafting, and that was about all I knew. The goal was to create a job doing something I loved which would help supplement my family and allow me to stay home with my children.

Now let’s review that concept: I knew what I wanted to do, (setting a goal) and why I wanted to do it (motivation). These are the building blocks of your foundation.

If you don’t know exactly what you want to do, that’s okay! We do however need a general direction to get your running shoes on. I said in the beginning this was going to be very direct and to the point as I want you to get the absolute most out of this book.

First, you need to first create a list – I highly encourage a pen to paper. There is just something about connecting and writing it down, like a commitment to yourself. Your subconscious picks up more on hand to paper vs. typing or texting. On your list you are going to write down your passions, your hobbies, what makes you feel like you could go for hours and not be tired?

Fill your paper with every idea that comes to mind.

Is it running, walking your dog, painting, talking to people, helping people, filing documents, creating, inventing, writing, acting, filming? Remember, it can be anything.

Try and write down as many things as you can think of in 20 minutes. – Set your phone timer and do it!

When you’re finished writing your list, close your eyes and imagine what you see yourself doing. What do you think these passions lead to? If you don’t get the answer right away that’s alright. Maybe a light bulb just went off, maybe you already know what your goals are and you’re ready to dive straight in. Whichever category you fall in, writing down hobbies and passions is never a bad thing! It helps to make a promise to yourself, to have it on paper as a reminder that YES YOU CAN DO THIS. It’s time to throw excuses out the window, get clear and concise, and make some commitments.

The following pages are for you to journal and brainstorm about what sets your soul on fire. Be honest with yourself and let no barrier stand in the way.

Goals + Passions + Hobbies

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Way to go goal seeker! Now you have your goal list and a general idea of where your heart is at.

Work time.

If writing is your passion, what speaks to you about taking writing to the next level? Is it a blog or a book you want to write?

If its dog walking, do you want to be a walker, a trainer, own your very own high-end dog hotel?

If it’s running and exercise, do you want to be a professional racer, host a marathon, open your own gym?

If it’s being creative, do you want to open an Etsy shop, launch an online market, host a craft fair, or participate in craft fairs?

If it’s photography, do you want to be behind the camera or in front of it, do you want to motivate, do you want to connect? Whatever your passion or idea, do you want to do it for financial stability, personal fulfillment, or material reasons?

Once you find the general idea of what you want to do we can get specific in creating our goal and ultimate finish line. Once you reach your finish line you will of course have bigger mountains to climb, and more goals to set. Life is this amazingly beautiful, endless climb that is growing and changing right before our very eyes. The wonderful thing about goals is they sometimes evolve into what we need right where we are in our lives. Our personal seasons of life.

It’s going to be hard but hard is not impossible. If your goals are important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find excuse after excuse of reason not to accomplish it.

Now we’re getting down and dirty! We’re doing the goal list again but with a little twist. These questions should help you to see on paper if you are an owner, merchant, independent worker, or homemaker. I am sure you are catching my drift at this point. This page will help you get an idea of where you should run with your passion.

Do you prefer working alone or in a group? __________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you rather drive to work every day or work from home?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Are you able to stay on task with no one to answer to?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you thrive on team work?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have an assignment, are you more likely to be motivated on your own timeline or do you need direction and deadlines? __________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your work style? Fast Paced? Pressured? Relaxed? What makes you thrive? __________________________________________________________________________________________

Now let’s get real. We all want to start a business, make millions, and live happily ever after! Right? If this was the case everyone on the planet would be making millions and highly driven. However, the reality is that it takes blood, sweat and tears that make a business successful. You will have overhead (in most cases), you will have things you have to budget for, scenarios to plan for, a target market to think of and the list goes on. A good rule of thumb is to expect it to be an expensive hobby for the first year and THEN plan on strategizing for the money to start flowing in. I didn’t promise this would be easy, but I did promise it would be straight forward, honest, and nitty gritty in creating your happy place that is right for just that, YOU!

To check out more of my work book designed in finding your direction and all my tips for being successful in blogging, IG, I phone photography, & Etsy head on over and get yours today for $10.50 – Purchase Yours Here

Happy New Years

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How to increase your milk supply FAST.

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

As a nursing mama it can be frusterating when your body decides to protest providing the goods for your little growing peanut! Don’t fret though, you are not alone and there are tricks to get you motivated – we are spilling all the beans today!

Every child is different and every nursing experience is completely unique in its own way. I personally never wanted to admit with baby number three that there may be an issue with my supply, but soon came to the realization a preemie baby is a completely different ball game and I needed to research sources to get more milk and fast. I wanted to share what has worked and what has completely not in the production of more milk. The scale will be 1 – 10 (one meaning not a thing changed and ten meaning a complete game changer.)

Pumping – 8

Pump every 1-2 hours for atleast 15 minutes per breast. Once the last drop of milk comes out in the bottle, pump for an additional 2-3 minutes after to let your body know it needs to keep it coming! Pumping has definitely been a saving grace for me on this journey, especially having a preemie who is required to supplement 12 oz a day with Neo Sure. (Ya all this is ALOT of supplementing and the pump and I have become besties.) I am almost positive it is the only reason I have not dried up through our NICU stay and post partem adventures.

Fenugreek – 6

First off…What is Fenugreek? It is a ground seed which is super high in fibers! You can take it in a capsule form, tea, make cookies, or order a pre made cocktail which already contains fenugreek. I chose to just take the capsules as all of my research said that they are the strongest and fastest way to increase milk supply! I take two in the morning, afternoon and night (a total of 6 capsules per day.) Make sure you are drinking a ton of water as well mixed with this much fiber!

Mothers Milk Tea – 4

I have only been doing one cup a night so maybe if I upped it I would see more of an increase but I can only consume so many liquids per day! If I drink it and then pump an hour later there is really not much of a difference.

Beer – 7

Mama’s told me drink a beer or two at night and you will see a difference. I laughed and thought they were crazy and how oxymoron is this? I then got desperate and tried it. My first night I leaked over night on my sheets which is huge for not having a drop on my typical sleep. The next night I was able to pump a full 4 oz. in less then 2 hours. THIS WAS HUGE! Being a why woman, I always need facts as to why something works. Here’s the skinny ladies. Polysaccharide is in the Barley used to make beer, polysacccharide is also a stimulate to prolactin which helps mamas make more milk. There is a ton of mixed research on this.

Drinking at least 64 oz. of Water a day – 10

Okay,this sounds like a lot, however it’s so little if you think about the amount of liquid leaving your body. It’s absolutely crucial to be hydrated for healthy breast feeding habits. When your not thirsty drink water, you should be running to the ladies room every 30 minutes to one hour if your hydrating correctly.

Oatmeal -5

We all know oatmeal is a wonderful source of iron. Heres the deal….Some women do not realize they are lacking iron and if this is the case with your particular situation it will effect your milk supply. The best recipe I have found so far with effectiveness is this…

1/3 cup old fashion oats.
1 tbs flaxseed.
1 tbs brewers yeast.
1 tbs brown sugar.
1 cup milk. (I go with almond)
1/4 cup craisins.

Rest – 4

Rest is so important for our bodies. With a new born (and especially if you have other littles) you may be rolling your eyes at me right now with a big fat “yeah right”. Just like anything in your body though, for it to work and run properly you need proper nutrition and sleep, hands down. If babies napping, no matter how long your to do list is… take a 20 minute snooze…

Seven has always been my favorite number…(I know, kind of basic over here. ) I put together a list of seven foods to search out and include in your every day meals. These honestly make a huge difference in nutrition for your baby and for your milk supply.

Barley – In beer. You can also use in stews and soups.
Barley Malt – Use with chocolate or cocoa.
Fennel & Fenugreek – Amazing with salads or chicken.
Any whole grain – Think breads, pancakes, etc. Any where you can read a label and swap the white for the grain do it!
Brewers Yeast – If you bake throw it in some delicious cookies.
Vegis – Dill, Apricots, Papayas, Asparagus, Garlic, Red beets, Sesame Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Anise Seeds, Coiander Seeds.
Oats – Use with fruit, muffins, granola.

Most importantly, remember this is a journey… Every child is unique and different so why should your body behave any differently? Remember to give your self grace and know that you are a mama bear doing your best to give your baby everything you can. Hopefully you can take one or two things from this article and it helps!

Happy Milking Mama’s!

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11 Delicious Cocktails and Mocktails To Celebrate The Fall Season

September 22, 2018September 22, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

It’s fall, y’all! Now, let’s talk about kicking back on a crisp fall evening with a few friends and a cocktail or mocktail. Here are a few yummy concoctions that are on my list. Let’s start with the cocktails…

Fall Cocktails

Pumpkin Pie Martini Cocktail from Wicked Good Kitchen

Apple Pie Sangria from Sugar and Charm

Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mules from Freutcake

Amaretto Apple Cider Cocktail from Who Needs A Cape

Salted Caramel White Russians from Inspired By Charm

Plum and Thyme Prosecco Smash from My Diary of US

Now let’s talk mocktails, ’cause sometimes you want or need to go alcohol free. Maybe you’re expecting, the designated driver, or just want to be fresh for the next days’ festivities. So for those times, here are a few yummy mocktails…

Fall Mocktails

Caramel Apple Pie Mocktail from Merry About Town

Non-alcoholic Sparkling Cranberry Pomegranate Drink from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Apple Pie Moscow Mule- Mocktail Version from The Cookie Rookie

Non-Alcoholic Apple Pie Punch from Frugal Mom Eh

Sparkling Berry Apple Mocktail from The Epicurean

And there you have it, 11 fabulous fall drinks. Which fall cocktail are you most looking forward to?

-Kristen M. Rodgers

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Overcoming Procrastination

September 21, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Where my makers at?! Most of us are so guilty of the procrastination gene! It’s in our DNA – So how do we use it for good? What is it? Were getting down and dirty with it all today!

Procrastination is the act of prioritizing less urgent and more pleasurable tasks over the more important stuff.

You procrastinate because you have a fear of doing something, because of unreasonable expectations, or because you haven’t generated enough reasons to get the job done.

Now, procrastination is not always “bad” nor “good”. I personally thrive when I have a dead line and need to get hustling the day before, but if it’s too much and not organized procrastination I will fail every single time to meet my deadline. I become stressed, overwhelmed, and start the hamster wheel of accomplishing absolutely nothing productive.

So why do we do this? How do we avoid procrastination or organize it to help us effectively? Today I am spilling all my tricks on what I do to stay on top of task that are not pleasurable or “exciting” to me. The ones that often get pushed to the back burner!

Get the hard stuff out-of-the-way – Every evening before bed I always make a list of what needs to be done the next day. This 1, helps me clear my head and sleep better and 2, allows me to strategically place the things i want to do the least top on my list.

(When I whip out the hard stuff first thing in the morning, there’s not enough caffeine in my system to talk me out of it, and then I am energized with the attitude of “Yeah I just did that, and it wasnt that bad.” “I am ready for more!”)

Set specific, measurable and realistic expectations of yourself – Do not over book yourself and realistically create timelines that allow you to not feel stressed out or like you need to skip a meal to accomplish everything. Remember a healthy you is going to be the most productive you.

Find out what motivates you and eliminate distractions – For my personal motivation I love Podcast. While I am working in my office I feel like I am learning new things from some of my favorite entrepreneurs while getting motivated on every word they say! Some of my favs to listen too for motivation are

Rachel Hollis – Rise
Jenna Kutcher – Goal Digger
Lori Harder – Earn your happy
and Julie Soloman – The Influencer Podcast
Mel Robbins – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Method

All of these women fire me up and make working enjoyable and not boring or lonely. I eliminate my text and phone alerts, the television, or any other ding that may distract me from accomplishing the one task at hand.

Complete small new tedious task immediately – Have a phone call to make? A form to sign for the kids? A volunteer obligation? A dish you borrowed but have failed to return? Just do it. All of these tedious task can haunt you and turn into giant mole hills for absolutely no reason. The minute something comes in that I can handle right away I do. This will completely avoid you forgetting later on down the road, or saying “Ill do it after dinner” and becoming to tired and pushing it to the next day.

Find your peak performance time and use it – We all have that time of day that we just kick ass and take names. For some they call it being a “morning person” or a “night owl” others its awareness, either way we all have a time that is perfect for our own individual peak spots.

Don’t get “stuck” on your time and know that as life circumstances or body changes happen your peak performance times may change as well. Perfect example – I am usually a morning person. I wake up before everyone in my house, enjoy my coffee and quiet time, and start busting out hard projects before any one wakes up. Than…. I got pregnant….and I am pretty positive this baby is going to be a night party animal. I’m worthless in the mornings and some days can barely move until 3-5 p.m., then I perk up and can rumble til 1 in the morning. Ya all, this is UNHEARD of for my body, but Im rolling with the punches, Im listening to my peak energy, and utilizing it to the best of my ability. With a few quick changes I just have my “work performance” hours after the littles are tucked in. Be open and accepting to change.

Focus on one thing at a time – Dishes, Etsy Orders, Local Orders, Kids Event, Volunteer Obligations, Date night, Dinner Plans, Laundry OH MY – I’ll take the lions and tigers and bears any day. Slow it down girl friend…..This is where list are crucial. Take ONE THING and ONE THING only. Nothing else matters until that one thing is complete. Are you writing a blog? Then you are only focused on doing your best and writing the best piece you can at that moment. Are you doing the dishes? Then you’re not on the phone, your finishing up the dishes so you can get the next meal moving and grooving. I often remind my self “I am only doing this right now.” I literally hold my self back from squirreling and starting 5 things at once but completing nada.

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Five Tips to a Productive Week

September 9, 2018September 6, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

We all love Sundays right? It has to be my favorite day of the week by far.

For my family it’s a day to spend together baking, adventuring, exploring, or finishing projects. The freedom of this day leads to endless possibilities. Sometimes we cuddle up watching movies and some days we re arrange the entire house, either way, we are doing it as a family.

The most common question I get asked is “how do you do it all?” (Which is funny because as entrepreneurs we are so hard on ourselves.) I often think goodness I am so behind, I should have done this, I need to do that. Some times you just need a little grace and peace. This is where proper planning for your business is so crucial.

Boss babes need days off too!! Don’t get me wrong, rest is so important!

For me personally, I use Sunday evenings to plan my week ahead and I’m sharing all the secret tricks I use to navigate through and tackle it all with very little stress.

I am still not convinced “balance” of mommyhood and entrepreneurship is a real thing, but I think I have gotten pretty darn close to the secret recipe it takes to make it all go round with very few hiccups. Ready Mama Bears? Lets get to it…

Plan your social media ahead of time. Yes this is totally doable. I use PLANN – an app that allows me to pre post for the week everything I want to talk about and deliver to my audience. The app also allows me to review my color schemes and appearance of all my content before my actual IG and Facebook post go live. Make sure you are delivering quality content that you would be wanting if you were a reader. Nine times out of ten your target audience is someone just like yourself (This means they most likely have the same interests, goals, and want to spend their time reading something valuable.)

Get a planner and write it down. I am all about hand to paper. I just feel connected and it helps me remember vs. typing it in my phone and forgetting about it til an alarm goes off. Call me old school but I am convinced pen to paper is the best way. I write down all of my kids practices, games, and schooling events first. Then I orchestrate around their schedules my work. When will I blog each week? What are my topics for the week? When will I complete my Etsy orders? How much time do I need this week to connect and reach out to companies for work collaborations? Respond to emails? Make appointments? What ever it is that is lingering on your plate – write it down.

Make a weekly goal list. Mine this week went a little something like this –

Finish painting kitchen and updating cabinets to all white.
Create content for IG for the week.
Schedule September’s Home look photo shoot for blog.
Reach out to 10 new people about my book.
Touch base with 5 companies about possible collabs for projects.
Start building nerf obstacles for Liam’s birthday party.
Finish up volunteer project for Liam’s Library.
Learn something new on Pinterest Marketing – ( Okay totally squirreling over here….eeeeek I love learning new things and am totally including all of you as I learn to navigate traffic through pinterest this month!)
Finish all Etsy Orders.

Now that I have my goal sheet I have big things I can cross off and feel super accomplished through out the week as I put a check next to each one of those bad boys. I chizzle out time to multi task the best I can while my husband works. (I have the kids do crafts when I do Etsy, I’ll have them play out side while I do stuff in the garage.) It is SUPER IMPORTANT to have just time with your children and shut it all down, but running a business from home you also need to get creative with how to be present and in the moment while also tackling milestones on your business and not falling behind.

Finish your laundry. There is just something with mammas and laundry. DAMNIT. I am telling you what girlfriend, if you get the laundry done and put away during a great show Sunday night when the kids are in bed, the week goes smoother. You start out fresh and clean with no lingering giant “chores” at home deterring you from your work and mom goals. (I also try to squeeze in a quick clean up of the house to just start Monday off right.) It’s like Monday has a magic new beginning of whats in store for our stories. I love it!

Get some zzzz’s. Nothing has healing powers like water and sleep. For children, for adults, for animals, for any living thing. A good nights rest and h20 can fix pretty much anything. Make sure to get a solid eight hours and wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Grab your favorite book and get those eyes feeling heavy.

Take an hour and just plan, each week it gets easier and you will know how to navigate your time better and better.

Heres to a Productive Second Week of September –

Who has their fall decor out?

Thats on my agenda as well!!!

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Love Letter To My Cleaning Hack

September 7, 2018October 9, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!

I don’t know about you, but I appreciate any cleaning shortcuts that work. Less time cleaning means more time I can spend with my family and working toward my goals. I’m not sure if it is technically a cleaning hack, but my iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner has made cleaning easier. In fact, I wrote a love letter to mine a few months ago (because I’m weird that way, that’s why). Here goes…

Dear robot vacuum cleaner,

Thank you for cleaning my floors while I passively sit and sip coffee. Thank you for letting me feel like I can relax with a book while still “cleaning” the house. I love that you travel through my house like a little pet exploring room to room, humming a sweet pet tune, yet I don’t have to feed you or give you water or remember your name. I am also not allergic to you, don’t have to take you outside for walks, clean your cage, or pick up your poop. You do not eat my shoes, favorite books, or 1 each of several matched pairs of socks.

Dear robot, I want to say thank you for making me feel tech-savvy so that even though I still can’t figure out Facebook (what the heck is messenger & where are these group boards coming from?), I can say that I have a robot in my house.

In summary, thank you for picking up the crushed Cheerios, crayon pieces, pencil shavings and boogers that my child leaves on the floor. Thank you for picking up chocolate crumbs so the evidence is gone before my child and husband get home. Thank you for making my life a tiny bit easier.

Sincerely,
One tired momma

-Kristen M. Rodgers

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Back-To-School and BatShit Crazy

September 4, 2018September 14, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Does back-to-school have you feeling BatShit Crazy? Not to worry momma, you are not alone. And there is help. Based on a recent study (that included myself and three other tired, BatShit Crazy mommas), we have found proven ways to move from BatShit Crazy to “I Can Make It One More Day Before I Lose My Shit”. The effective treatments? I’m so glad you asked…

The 1^st treatment is a simple 5-step process:

Open a bottle of wine.
Drink from the bottle of wine.
Pass to the friend on your right.
Continue this process until said bottle of wine is empty.
Repeat as needed.

The 2nd treatment involves a high-end gym. (By high-end, I mean they have childcare and allow members to bring guests). Now wait, hear me out…even if you are on a tight budget (raising my hand), you can make this happen.

Make friends with a momma who is a member of aforementioned high-end gym. Yes, you can do this. It’s for your sanity. If you don’t want a new friend, see step #1a. (#1a.Tell the momma that if she doesn’t invite you, you’ll have to visit her at her home frequently to feel relaxed. You’ll get an invitation to the gym verrrrry quickly).
With your invitation, go to the gym and drop your kids off at the gym childcare. Tell your kids you are going to exercise. Make sure you look miserable.
Lounge by the pool with music or a good book. Can you remember the last time you were able to lounge by the pool? I couldn’t either until yesterday when a friend took me to her gym! Heaven.

*Side note: Do not, under any circumstances, pick your kids up in a bathing suit cover-up and wet hair. Even if they are young. I did this. The 4 year-old busted me.

The 3^rd treatment for tired, BatShit Crazy mommas is as follows:

Buy and hide a chocolate bar. Don’t hide it in your tampon box. Kids (and husbands) are getting wise to this spot. Hide it in an empty box of prunes. No one will look there.
When the time comes, make sure you are wearing yoga pants. Trust me.
Loudly announce your stomach hurts and get out the box of prunes.
Quickly, place the chocolate bar in the waistband of your yoga pants. Cover with shirt.
Casually walk through the house and into the bathroom with the chocolate in your waistband. Because you have complained about your stomach, and “taken prunes”, you will have approximately 2.3 minutes of uninterrupted time. Enjoy!

Keep hanging in there, BatShit Crazy mommas! You are amazing!

-Kristen M. Rodgers

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How to add texture to your decor

July 28, 2018July 28, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

You have the perfect find. The piece looks beautiful in the store under the perfect lighting, with the perfect placement, and you get home to put it in your “perfect” spot and it looks lonely.

It’s all about the textures…

So what is texture and how can you apply it to any decor?

I have the secrets for you ladies and tonight were spilling them! How to have a Pinterest worth home that is completely swoon worthy made easy.

Step 1: Layer your levels of height – If a shelf or mantle is completely symmetrical it tells no story and has no appeal to the eye. You want to have different levels of heights throughout your decor placement – For example put some greenery on a couple of books and then your centerpiece mirror with some taller candle holders on the other side to finish your look.

Step 2 — Play with materials: It’s always okay to mix and match, it builds character to any space and makes it interesting! I love using metals, wood, glass, greenery and fabrics when combining pieces in a small space. Below is an easy play by-play to get the imagination wheels spinning on how to mix and match properly. blesserhouse.com does a fabulous job at visually explaining this breakdown of different materials and how to work it!

Step 3 – Shelving and Throw Pillows are always a yessssssss.

(My husband hates my throw pillows because with children they get thrown everywhere but darn it for those few hours they are in perfect placement it looks like pure bliss and adds the perfect amount of dimension to any furniture piece.)

Step 4 – Do not over clutter

Guilty as charged…I am a picture fanatic… There are just so many special family memories I want blasted all over my home, however too many pictures will kill any room and make it feel overwhelming, pick a few designated spots just for a fun wall gallery or a few cute frames but KEEP IT SIMPLE. Just like when you were learning how to apply makeup and your mama told you less is more, the same goes for putting your entire instagram gallery in your living room.

Step 5 – Lighting is everythanggggggg

Nothing brightens up a space like good lighting and fixtures, you can even diy and spray paint old pieces if you’re a DIY girl on a budget. Light creates space to be bigger, just as dark paint colors make spaces push in and appear smaller, whites and airiness make rooms appear twice their regular size!

Hopefully this gets you inspired to create the perfect shelf or little space that just makes you smile when you walk in the room. Simple & Sweet.

Happy Decorating Mama

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The Course that Changed my Parenting

May 24, 2018June 26, 2018by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

People come into our life for very specific reasons at very specific times. I will always be a firm believer that the universe provides us exactly what we need when we need it if we are open to receiving it.

I met a woman named Christina Fletcher a while back, little did I know this woman would change my outlook on parenting forever.

Spiritual Kids was designed by Christina and the course I took with my oldest son. After asking Christina why she decided to start this program and how she designed it I received this email.

“I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 and from even when my daughters were little I was eager to pass on more than just an education for them. I wanted them to know themselves and to know how to navigate and appreciate their feelings. I was passionate to pass them on the gifts of meditation and how to create a space where they could feel better, as well as learn how to create a better life for themselves, day by day.

The exercises in Spiritual Kids are really what came out of that passion years ago. I kept gathering them up and then expanding the collection when my son was born. The more they grew, the more I learnt about Spirit myself and so, the Spiritual Kids course is really a representation of my own journey as well as what I felt other parents were searching for. We all want to give our kids the gift of themselves, in their full power. So, that was really my intention.”

Powerful. Am I right? This woman made me question myself. Question my beliefs. Grounded me in my beliefs. Allowed me to get to know things about my son that I had no idea he was experiencing or feeling. Life Changing Stuff People! I mean common our goal as mamas is to raise these amazing humans who go out and do amazing things with the life their given and still love and stay close to their family. This is my life goal atleast.

Lets rewind a bit. This course is a week by week course that gives you and your child exercises to complete, stories to read together, and activities to grow and nurture your soul. When I started out on week one there is a beliefs questionnaire, and well I like to think I am very grounded in what I do or don’t believe in, I realized three things….

1. I stared at that blank sheet of questions for 2 hours with no answers that were MINE, but ones that had been embedded into me from my parents and their beliefs.

2. I realized and got real clear with where I stood with my spirituality and what I wanted my children to learn.

3. I was able to define who I was and so I could be a better guide to my children in learning to love who they were meant to be.

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A certain part of the opening week really hit me. One of the Activities is to have your child look in the mirror at themselves and tell you what they see, and then at a later time ask them what they see and feel about themselves. A good time for me is always while driving so that’s when I do the asking of questions with my little ones.

My son looked in the mirror for a few minutes and responded “I see a bunch of polka dots on my face, I hate them.” – He was referring to all of his freckles which I adore.

Later in the car I asked him the same question and his response was “I feel excited I get to play all the time, a lot of kids can’t do that.”

This may not seem like a big deal but watching the difference of my son from exterior to interior and what he felt about himself showed me as a parent where I needed to help him see the beauty of who he was designed to be.

Christina also has meditations at the beginning of each week which I still listen to at bed to fall asleep and be motivated for the next day she is just phenomenal in moving your heart and motivating your soul.

We worked on sensory, relaxation tips and tricks (my little guy suffers from being a little high stressed at times) and through this a 7-year-old learned how to re center, re direct, and become aware of his feelings vs. reacting immediately and thinking later. A – MA – ZING.

In today’s society we are so trained on social media platforms, electronics, media, to feel a certain way, look a certain way, be a certain way….This way is bull shit and not who we were designed to be. We are not following our way but yet conforming to what someone else wants us to be. I joke that it’s a curse I have such strong willed children, but I know what a blessing it is to have such free-spirited peanuts, as a parent it can be challenging, but it is amazing to sit back and watch them beat to their own drum not follow what others want them to be. Spiritual Parenting just makes you slow down and allow your self to feel and question your emotions instead of running away or stuffing them. (Mom confession – I needed this more than any one as I just keep running instead of stopping and looking around.)

In the day-to-day aspects I couldn’t see an immediate change, but months later I look back and I see how much more peaceful my household is run, there is a calming effect in knowing yourself and the trust you earn between yourself and your children.

It puts a smile on my face to know that these tools were so powerful, provided me so much growth as a mother, I Just had to share with you other mama bear’s because when I find something that changes my day-to-day life in a simplifying way, its roof top shouting worthy!