mom advice
Struggling with selfcare, momma? Get inspired with this list | 7 Thing I do weekly just for me!
If you’re a mom then you know creating time and space for yourself isn’t always the easiest. With all th things we have to manage throughout the day, more often than not we put ourselves last. One thing I’ve learned in my motherhood journey is that I am at my best, when I make the time for myself, and do the things that I love to do just for me! Even if it’s just for a few moments, I am so much more present, grounded and just ready to face what comes my way when my cup is filled!
So, if you’ve been struggling to find the time for yourself, check out my list of the 7 things I do every week just for me, that keep me at my best!
1 Workout.
Every week I workout. The benefits of working out, especially as a mom are unmatched! From a 3 mile walk, to a 20 minute HIT workout… I’ve committed to myself (and my accountability partner) that I will workout a minimum of 3 times a week, and its been everything I’ve needed. There have even been days when things just felt off, and I set up shop for a quick 15 min HIT and it got me all the way together. My workouts are strategic and concise, and most often take place while Dream is right there, and it still counts as time just for me! I will always find time to maintain my snatch!
2. “Read”
Every week I’ve committed to reading a few pages a day. My 2021 goal is to read 1 book every month, and I’m already 7 books in and we’re just getting to May. Now this may be misleading because sitting down with a physical book doesn’t work for me, In this season of mommyhood. The secret? I listen to my books and I’ve become well acquainted with Audible and Libby. Yaaassss! And let me spill this tea real quick… these earbuds have changed the game, and only cost $20! Seriously, I love that I can turn on my app, put in my wireless earbuds, and listen discreetly while Dream is playing or while we’re on our walks and drives! If you haven’t switched to audio books, I Highly recommend that you consider!
3. Show up and Slay
If you follow me on social media you know I love to slay! I absolutely love to get dressed, I love makeup, and I love to look as good as I feel! So at least once EVERY week, I plan a whole look… sometimes I do it daily, depending on our schedule. I get dressed up, beat my face (sometime full glam), and I live my best snatched mommy life in the playroom with Dream. lol. Most times I have nowhere to go, and I do it just for me, because it makes me feel amazing! I no longer wait for an invite, or for the perfect moment to show up and slay. I create those moments for myself, and it’s been crazy fun. Even on the days when I don’t feel my best, getting dressed is such mood and confidence boost! So weekly, this momma is going to show up and OWN it.
4. Create
I love to create content. So every week, I take the ideas I’ve gathered and batch create my content. Video is my jam, I even created a whole Video Bootcamp to help women show up and slay using the power of video to build their own platforms! It’s been amazing. And for me, creating gives me so much life! It’s an outlet, but it also fuels me. From creating videos for IG, blogging, creating courses and ebooks, and even just sharing my mommy journey….whether for 30 mins or 3 hours… I get so excited when I make the time and space to just sit and flex my creative muscle.
5. Uninterrupted Showers
Yes, I do shower everyday. I also know some have said “this is basic maintenance”, but for me… enjoying an uninterrupted shower and just getting lost in thought is soooo good for my mental! Most times my showers are super quick and efficient because I have Dream. But when hubby is here to take over, I’ve committed to enjoying a longer than usual shower at least once a week. For some this may look like a bubble bath. But seriously, I cry, I pray, I get ideas, and sometimes I just sit in stillness with worship on in the background. And every time I get to enjoy a shower like this, it gives me the boost I need to continue to thrive as a whole mom!
6. Rest
I’ve never been one to sleep when baby sleeps because I usually have other things to tend to during those precious moments of freedom, lol… but thanks to my mommy schedule and the flow it has created for my life, I’ve been able to created space and time for myself to rest. I’ve committed to sit and pause once a week when Dream naps. I’m not always sleeping, but I told myself that I will sit in stillness, and rest for those 60-90 minutes while Dream sleeps. Ooooh, but when I do drift off into slumberland, it’s always blessed and anointed! lol!
7. Wine down
When hubby is on bedtime duty, momma is enjoy a glass of wine and relaxation. No work, no laundry… just a moment to breathe and release the day. Some days “relaxation” is sitting on my comfy living room couch, staring out the window. Other days I’m on my deck letting the breeze grace my face. And some evenings I’m curled up in the basement watching my fave episodes of Frasier. No matter what, it’s always just what I need when I need it!
Momma what’s on your weekly list? What are you doing just for you to keep your cup filled? How will you make time for yourself this week? Comment below, or share on social!
Love what you’re seeing? Don’t want to miss any other posts or videos? Well, be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE! And be sure to connect with me on Instagram @Reese__Dennis♥️♥️
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Feeling overwhelmed at home all day with your toddler? Here are 7 things that will help you!
1. Start the day before your toddler wakes up.
As much as I enjoy “sleeping in” I know that I have to wake up first. My day is so much better when I do, even if it’s just for 15 mins to gather myself as I prepare for my day. And I’m not always up “doing” something. Most mornings I’m up praying and just enjoying the moments of stillness before the crazy starts… it can get very “Wild Wild West-ish” over here real fast and those moments help me to “be ye ready” lol.
2. Create a mommy schedule.
Having a mommy schedule has transformed my life! I’ve talked a great deal about my mom schedule (click here for the deets) and this has given my day a sense of Rhythm. From when we wake up to when we go to sleep, for the past year I’ve been following a schedule with a set of routines that have helped me tremendously. Trust me, knowing what comes next, creates flow… and you’ll find that you have more time now that you’ve been intentional about what you do with it!
3. Have a routine for those every day activities.
So let’s break this down real quick… Your schedule helps guide you to know what to do, the routine is how you do it. For example, I know that every night Dream needs to sleep, so we created a bed time routine. Our routine is super simple… bath, moisturize hair, brush teeth, cuddles, turn on bed time music and we end in our rocking chair til sis is knocked out. The routine doesn’t have to be extensive, it just needs to work for you and your family!
4. Get outside.
I didn’t realize how much I came to rely on going out for my long 3 miles walks with Dream until this winter. It was rough. I was so used to being outside for the fresh air and the workout, and I not being able to get outside due to the weather… I didn’t like it. Add that on top of the already restrictive access to so many places because of the pandemic… it was a lot. I knew that I needed to do something for my sanity! So I decided to do mommy and me drives. Most often I would set out to take a drive when I knew I had a mobile pickup at Target or Wegmans! It was mostly for me, and it helped every time we took off! And on the days when I couldn’t go out for a full walk or drive, I’d often step outside for a few deep breaths. Everyday I make it a point to get outside…even if just for a few moments. And now that the weather is warmer, and Dream is older we go out twice a day! Our community has a playground so in the mornings we walk for mommy, and after nap time we get outside for playtime!
5. Screen free activities!
Now don’t get me wrong we watch circle time and other educational shows… some days more than others because mommy needs her time… but admittedly I find that my day with Dream is so much better when I intentionally engage her with non-screen activities. So I went to Pinterest and found some pretty dope toddler activities! We color, we read, we play games to review letters, numbers, shapes and colors, we play with building blocks, we dance, we sing… and so much more. Having a catalog of activities to use throughout the day has been so good for us and the flow of our day!
6 Reset the room.
Being home with a toddler can get messy! I remember one day it looked like a tornado flew through my house. Stuff was everywhere. And I said “well I have a toddler, so it just is what it is”. But I realized I was feeling this tightness in my chest every time I walked into those spaces… well because it was a mess! That’s when it hit me, this messy mom life ain’t for me if I can help it! I want my house to be in order, as much as possible, and I’ve been “resetting the room” ever since. Basically all you’re doing is cleaning as you go or putting things back in place once you’re done in that particular space in your home. It started with me cleaning and putting toys away, and now that Dream is older she’s been helping me out! I also have learned to layer my tasks… so while Dream is eating lunch I’ll reset the kitchen… or if we’re in her room, I’ll put things back in her closet… etc. You get the point.
7. Make time for yourself EVERYDAY!
Finding a few moments just for me…everyday… has become nonnegotiable, and it is always what I need, when I need it! Making time for yourself doesn’t have to be anything major, You don’t even have to “do” anything… it may just be a moment to reflect, to sit, to rest.
For me I’ve recently decided that at least 1 time every week I’m going to nap when Dream naps… and on the nights when hubby is on bed time duty I’ve scheduled “Reese time”. Yes, on my calendar! This week I’m giving myself a pedicure and I have my fave show to catch up on. Everyday in this season Dream takes a nap, so for at least 15 mins of her nap hour I try to just reset, practice gratitude, stare at a wall, stare out the window… just intentional stillness.
Making time for yourself is a deeply personal and requires that yo be intentional Do whatever works for you but find a way to do it daily!
xx
Love what you’re seeing? Don’t want to miss any other posts or videos? Well, be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE! And be sure to connect with me on Instagram @Reese__Dennis♥️♥️
Not for you? Share with a momma in need!
Create the Life that Excites You!
I’m a whole mom and I’m creating a life that excites me…
From how I show up and slay (imma be that snatched mom 💋💁🏾♀️)… to the time I spend with my family, my child my spouse…. to the way I create 🤩… even how I have to shift as the seasons of my motherhood journey change (learning from the different circumstances I face🙌🏾😭)… I’m create the life I desire through it all🙌🏾🙌🏾
Periodt.
Idk who needs to be reminded, but Moms can absolutely SLAY and experience amazing, fulfilling, purposefully abundant lives…
and we don’t have to wait until our kids are grown.
Idk about you but I’m doing just that! Creating a life worth bragging about… not bc of me… but to be a living witness of just how dope God is and what He can do in and through me as I surrender to Him and stay in alignment… yes… as a WHOLE mom!
How about you, momma? What are you willing to do to experience the life you desire? Are you courageous enough to say “YES” to you?
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” Ephesians 3:20 TPT
Xx
Reese
Behind the Smile | Let’s talk about it!
I posted these two images on IG and I’m sure many of my followers weren’t sure what the actual emphasis was regarding “How it started vs. how it’s going”
In both pictures, from the outside looking in:
✨I look happy
✨Dreams is happy, and clearly cared for
✨mom life looks good on me! right?!
You see social medial will do that to you. Make you look like you have it all together when in reality you are fading fast behind the scenes.
That was me. Behind the smile, in the first image I was struggling. I was struggling with my purpose, and how to “balance” it all… my home, my child, my marriage, my businesses…etc! It was a lot. I was all over the place, I cringed at the word “schedules”, and quite frankly I didn’t think anyone could really relate to my situation. Yes, I had moms who prayed for me, offered amazing advice along the way…and moms I could call on (an often did) when I felt myself spiraling! But even with all of that, I so stuck, and my limiting beliefs were running the show. smh.
I remember distinctly having a conversation with my business accountability partner, telling her all the things “I can’t” do because I’m a mom! Listen, my husband goes out to work all day, my family lives miles away so it’s just me… and I convinced myself that there wasn’t enough time in a day to do anything other than “mom stuff”. Even though I knew I wanted M.O.R.E!!! I literally talked myself out of the overflow God desired for me, simply because I couldn’t see past my current place of overwhelm.
You see you can never manifest overflow, when you’re stuck in overwhelm.
And for me that overwhelm became unbearable! I’ve shared this story several times, but I had a serious mommy moment on my bathroom floor… crying out to God saying “If You don’t take over, I’m not gonna make it”.
It was a true moment of surrender. It was not pretty… but oh my God I’m so thankful!
Since that moment, I’ve been doing the work to get my life in alignment. I had to address and dismantle the limiting beliefs that I’d let guide me in my mom journey, and begin to apply the principles of God’s word to implement systems and strategies to create not only the harmony I desire in my life as a whole mom, but also to ensure that I never SIT in overwhelm or struggle again!
Will challenges come? Yes! Any mom who says otherwise is a whole lie… lol. We are moms, and things happen that are out of our control. This has nothing to do with perfection, and being in control of everything momma! The perfect mom life doesn’t exist! If it did we wouldn’t need God! What I’m talking about has everything to do with alignment, and learning how to remain in a place of victory throughout the seasons of motherhood! It’s possible, I’m a witness!
I’m super pumped for tomorrow evening! My self and some other mommas are gathering for an intimate training, where I’ll be sharing my proven 5-step process to overcome the overwhelm! This is the very process has transformed not only who I am as a mom, but more importantly who I am as a woman and child of God!
I’m confident in my abilities as a whole mom. I can now say without hesitation “I’m a great momma, and I deserve the best”
I’ve given myself permission to unapologetically manifest overflow in my life. No more waiting and wishing, I’m claiming and manifesting EVERYTHING I DESIRE!
I’ve created routines and systems that support the work/life harmony that is my promise as a mom! My life is in alignment, and the areas of my life from being a wife, business owner… even my wardrobe… all work in together and are in agreement!
I’ve overcome mom guilt, overwhelm and burn out, and have strategies in place to help me to remain in a place of victory. God does not want me to sit in overwhelm, I am His daughter and I am more than a conqueror!
I am now a top priority in my life, and give of myself from a place of overflow. I make time for me, and hold the space to process, grow, learn, shift, release, receive and feel all that is needed on this journey of being. I love myself, and treat myself with the utmost care, love and respect.
I really don’t have much else to say, except to extend an invitation for you to join us! With just hours left before registration closes, I don’t want you to miss out! So click below to register today!
You don’t have to sit in overwhelm, and I’m here to guide you to the other side!
Can’t wait to see you there!