Search Results for: wannabe organized

November 7, 2018 · in Podcast

Ep #34: Why I’m Quitting Instagram

First of all, I’m not quitting completely. Let me explain…

For years Instagram has served me well, and at the same time has also been the source of much suffering. I’ve tried every trick in the book to “keep up with the Instagrammers” and it’s been a fun thrilling ride. But it has also left me feeling depressed for many reasons. In my book, My Life As a Wannabe Balanced Mom, I wrote a chapter about this and made it clear that I did not think the way to end all suffering around social media was to quit using it, I believe the goal is to learn the lesson and perhaps even take a break if necessary.

So I’m taking a break in order to learn the lesson. I will still be on Insta stories because to me, Insta Stories allows me the freedom to be real and authentic.

In every Instagram class and course I’ve taken, they always emphasize having beautiful pictures and a color cohesive feed. Although I’ve enjoyed the creative process of curating my pictures to be in alignment with this effective way of gaining traction and building a following, I just feel at this point I’m burned out with it all. I’m tired of following the Instagram “rules”.

Is this Instagram suicide? Possibly… Do I care? At the moment, no. How long will this break be? I’m going to say, indefinitely.

I am digging deeper into my soul and trying to follow my intuition. Right now this is what my intuition is telling me to do. It feels right for the evolution of my soul. If I feel inspired to post again, I will absolutely do so. But for now you can find me on Insta stories.

This move is just another step on my spiritual journey. Peeling the layers off one at a time. I’ve left organized religion because it felt right for ME! I’m taking a break from posting perfect pictures on my feed because it feels right for ME!

I love all the amazing talented photographers who continue to use their creative juices to keep things fresh. I’m in no way shaming those who post pretty pics, because I’m sure when I come back, I will continue sharing my best pics.

I will still be ON instagram engaging with you wonderful peeps. I’m not REALLY going anywhere, I’m just choosing not to post on my feed.

For me I feel I’m more drawn to Podcasting and that’s where I’m choosing to put my focus for now.

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August 16, 2018 · in Podcast

Ep #22: My New Beliefs

I had such positive feedback from last weeks episode where I revealed my decision to no longer belong to any organized religion. But, of course there is always the negative that comes with any worthwhile endeavor, or anytime you choose to speak your truth. Overall, the feedback was great and I realized there are so many people experiencing the same thing I am.

I believe my message is very much a positive message, not one that instills doubt. I simply want people to know they have a CHOICE. I believe God loves everyone and does not care what religion we choose to be a part of or not be a part of. He is there for us always, with or without a religion. All that matters is the desire of our hearts.

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April 28, 2018 · in Podcast

Ep #13: Time Management

For as long as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with routines, schedules, notepads, day planners. The earliest I can remember creating my own schedule was when I was in 3rd grade. I remember writing out my daily routine and placing it on my neatly made bed. I was kind of a perfectionist. I liked things organized and tidy even as a 9 year old girl.

Motherhood has taught me sooo much about time management. I quickly learned that my idea of a perfect routine and clean house was not going to be the way I envisioned it to be. I’m constantly having to adapt to new routines and schedules.

Today I want to share 3 things I’ve learned when it comes to time management. And this applies to anyone, even if you’re not a mom. After I share these tips, then I’m going to walk you through what my week looks like, and how I’m able to accomplish all the things I want to accomplish each week.

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March 1, 2018 · in Home decor and remodeling· organization

Master Bedroom Makeover Reveal!!!

BEFORE

AFTER

Check out my bedroom video tour on YouTube.

I loved the way my bedroom looked before, but I was getting sick of all the color and wanted to change it up and go with more neutral tones. I’m absolutely LOVING the way it all turned out. I spent some time decluttering and organizing it, so not only am I loving the decor, but I’m really enjoying a more minimalistic look, with less furniture and decor. Be sure to check out my master bathroom and closet before and after video. I got rid of so much stuff!

I got this white IKEA desk from Amazon. I never knew having a desk as my night stand could be so amazing. I have an office, but it’s nice to have my work space in my bedroom. It feels more cozy and I actually prefer working in my bed anyway. Much more comfortable than sitting at a desk. Also, I’m extremely proud of the fact that I put this desk together ALL by myself, haha. That’s huge for me. I hate following instructions and usually make Sean do all of that kind of stuff.

The bed and night stand is from Ashley Furniture, and the bedding is from Cariloha, my all time favorite bedding EVER. So unbelievably soft and made from Bamboo.

White Desk Chair

Round Mirror

Hand Made Knitted Wall Hanging Feature

Tripod Table Lamps

The pillows are from Target and the other decor are just things I found at random places like TJ Max.

We have an awesome little terrace off our master bedroom. I LOVE relaxing out there and reading a book. But who am I kidding, when do I really get a moment to sit and read a book, haha. I layed here long enough to snap a pic then I was off to wipe a bum, make some food, and clean up toys. Not necessarily in that order.

By the way, don’t you love this rug? I got it from RugsUSA.com

P.S. Did you know I am officially a PODCASTER now? Wahoo! It’s been one of my goals for a couple of years now and I’m so excited to finally have it up and running. Check it out if you want to get a behind the scenes scoop on my life as a “WANNABE” Balanced Mom. My husband will even be popping in from time to time to talk business, marriage, and all things family life.

Click Here to listen to the Podcast.

September 19, 2017 · in Activities For Kids· back to school· Making Dinners

5 Simple Back to School Dinners

Ever since I first became a mom, I’ve known the importance of family meal time. Have I been very good at making it happen? NOPE

Having all these babies has given me plenty of excues NOT to do it, since babies don’t let you sit for very long, and I feel like I’m constantly making separate meals for each child based on their pickiness and moods.

This year I REALLY want to make an effort to make family meal time more meaningful and fun. So I’m getting myself a little more organized and have found some great resources to help me out (I’ve listed them below). I also LOVE getting festive, and so do my kids. I’ve decided to create one of these blog posts with meal ideas for each month of the year. This month being the Back to School Theme. I have a lot of fun and festive ideas for next month too so be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter in order to be notified when I post.

First of all, I created this free printable for you. It’s 5 simple dinner ideas with a grocery list included. You can find all my free printables in my RESOURCE LIBRARY. Also, be sure to watch my YouTube video demonstrating how I make all these meals.

Here are some great resources I’ve found on Amazon. My goal is to make meal time, festive, spiritual, and fun! So with these two books and dinner games, I’m finding it that much easier to do.

Family Time Fun Dinner Games and Activities

One Year of Dinner Table Devotions

Mealtime Devotions: 90 Faith-Building Ideas Your Kids Will Eat Up! (Adventures in Odyssey Books)

&nbs

May 26, 2017 · in Activities For Kids· Life of a Wannabe

Amazing San Diego Vacation ~ Traveling With Small Children

If you’re planning a family vacation soon then this post might be helpful. I’ll share exactly what we did on our recent trip to San Diego as a family of 6. Sean and I have never really gone on a vacation without the kids, so traveling with small children has become the norm for us. We usually do one big family trip a year and I’ve learned a few things over the years. I think the hardest part about traveling with small children is GETTING THERE. A few years ago we took all the kids to Hawaii and I was really nervous about the long flight with 3 kids and a 9 month old. So I spent a lot of time on Pinterest and came up with a plan to keep the kids happy and entertained.

I created 5 different boxes or bags for each child and placed them all in their own back packs. Every hour of the flight they all got to open a new box or bag I prepared. Each one of them had 3 activities, and a snack or treat. I included a little piece of paper in each with an inspirational thought for the hour, and the list of things to do with the items in the bag. Here’s an example.

This hour for Lily was to play checkers with Olly, play math war with Sean, then tell Brooklyn the story of Goldilocks And The Three Bears using the finger puppets provided.

My kids loved this so much and it made my mama heart proud to see that it actually WORKED! Everyone was happy, nobody complained about how long it was taking to get there and it was just an all around great trip.

I put together something similar for our 6 hour drive to California. Except I included my older two in the preparation. I took them both to the store with me to buy a few new little toys and things for the kids. I gave Lily the responsibility to do Brooklyn’s bag and Oliver was in charge of Owen’s. This not only helped me a lot, but it also gave Oliver and Lily a sense of excitement and pride when watching the younger two unveil the bags in the car ride. Traveling with small children gets easier when you have older kids!

For your older kids it’s always a good idea to get them a new audio book to listen to and to download some new music or movie on their phones, IPads or tablets.

I would also highly recommend getting yourself a nice car storage organizer to help keep the car tidy. It’s always a good idea to have a place to put all your snacks, drinks, garbage, and extras. I’ve also learned to come equipped with Dramamine Motion Sickness Relief for Kids . I have a few kids that get car sick real quick, so it’s always good to have this on hand.

One other little piece of advice that might be somewhat controversial as I’m not sure how others might feel about this, but I brought some natural Melatonin Chewables for kids. Owen, my 3 year old absolutely REFUSES to nap even though he desperately needs them at times. So on the car ride around nap time, I slipped him a little melatonin candy to ensure a peaceful ride. There were a couple other times during the trip that I had to give it to him because he was absolutely losing his mind and needed SLEEP. He’s out within 20 minutes. Life saver I tell yah.

I also created a FREE Vacation Printable for traveling with small children as a helpful guide throughout the planning process. Designed by Heart Take The Wheel.

My favorite bags are these Jujube Bags. Not only are they SUPER Cute, but they have so many different pockets and compartments in there to help keep all the different items organized and separated.

Our first stop was Anaheim CA. We had to do Disneyland one day of course. So we found a place to stay near Disney so that we could come back for naps if we needed to. And we DID need those naps. Brooklyn and Owen quickly burned out so it was nice to take them back so we could go back and stay late for the parade. Be sure to watch our highlight video I uploaded to our YouTube Channel, and subscribe if you wanna be notified when I post more videos.

This was Owen’s first time at Disney and the highlight for him was getting to hug Mickey Mouse, see video.

After 2 nights in a hotel and one day at Disney, we made our way over to San Diego. Sean wanted to surprise me with a beach house as my mothers day gift so he did all the planning and even blind folded me a few minutes before we arrived. He did a Facebook live of the whole thing, I added a couple clips of it to the YouTube video.

I was absolutely blown away by the place. It was more than I ever expected. Such an amazing place right on the water, and the entire back wall opened up to the beach. The owner of the place said that even Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s family had stayed in this place. Needless to say I felt pretty spoiled.

P.S. If you are wondering where I got my swimsuits, bags, clothes, ect. Check out my Instagram feed. I usually ALWAYS tag the brand I’m wearing.

We spent one day at Sea World and the rest of the time was spent hanging out on the beach, paddle boarding, boogie boarding, bike rides, collecting shells, building sand castles, catching crabs and having much needed family quality time. One thing I love about traveling with small children is that my kids are forced to hang out with each other, haha. No friends, just good ol’ fashion family bonding. Brooklyn was loving every minute she got with Lily. It was her dream come true to get to share a room with Lily and have her undivided attention the entire time. She followed her around like a little puppy. It was the cutest thing EVER!

It’s not ALL sunshine and seashells. We did have some hard days. This was one of those days that called for some Melatonin for sure. This little guy needed a nap.

Our day at Sea World was absolutely perfect. It was perfect weather and a small crowd. Something I ALWAYS appreciate when I’m traveling with small children. Big crowds can really increase the anxiety levels right?

One thing I would HIGHLY recommend you do at Sea World would be the Dine w/ Orca’s experience. This was an all you can eat buffet right next to the Orca’s tank. While we ate we got to hear from the trainers and watch how they interact with the Orcas. Pretty incredible experience, not to mention the food was delicious. Watch our YouTube video to see what it’s like.