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In a world increasingly full of text notifications, virtual arguments in the form of social media comments and rising email inboxes, come see how I found absolute stillness via a much-needed rest at Maligne Lake in Jasper, Alberta.Continue reading
Do you get the “winter blues“? I sure do. That time after Christmas and before Spring can feel extra cold and long; especially if you live up north like I do where it’s extra chilly and daylight is fleeting. I usually feel burnt out, too. The Christmas season and the months leading up to it are a very busy time for online creators and it’s easy to feel tired and lacking in creative drive after it’s all over. If you’re a creative person like me – whether you have a blog or not – I think you’ll love this community I’ve found and how it’s really helped me overcome my winter blues and my creative slump this year!Continue reading
Brought to you by Interac Association and TheCo
Since becoming a full-time blogger, people often ask me how I work at home with 3 young kids. I’m the first to admit that I’m no Supermom, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that help me make my hectic WAHM (work-at-home-mom) day a little easier. It’s definitely a challenge, but a bit of multitasking and flexibility goes a long way! With the help of Interac Flash® who’s sponsoring this post today, let me share with you a glimpse into what a day looks like for me and how I juggle mom life and work life.
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Hitting up a music festival is a fun & memory-making way to enjoy summer to its fullest. Today, I want to share with you some easy DIY ideas for mom-friendly summer festival style plus share with you Canada’s biggest faith based music festival – the No Greater Love Festival.Continue reading
Brought to you by TENA and TheCo.
At first glance, I hated it. I hated the photo that my 8 year old daughter had taken of me and my other two daughters sitting on the couch and cuddling. The very first thing I saw were my stomach rolls bulging out of my pants, and then my eyes were drawn to my double chin that was highlighted by my joyful smile. Then, Little C looked at me and said, “Mom! Isn’t this the most adorable picture of you and the girls? I’m going to use it as my background on my tablet so that I can see you every time I open it up. You are so pretty.” This isn’t the first time one of my children has reminded me how beautiful my “mom bod” is, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
I know a lot of you – my dear readers – are mamas too, so today I want to chat about our mom bodies. I want to write honesty about the changes my body has gone through since becoming a mother and how I’m owning each change. I’ve wanted to write about this here for some time now (I touched on it a few years ago), so I’m so thankful that TENA has inspired me to do it and is sponsoring this dialogue today.
I’m embracing my fuller beach body and summer swimsuit look!
With each pregnancy, I gained over 50 pounds. That’s a lot of weight for a petite woman! It was really hard for me to lose the weight after all 3 pregnancies – hardly any of it came off until I stopped breastfeeding each baby, and I’m still heavier than I was pre-babies. How I’m owning this? I’m slowly getting used to my curvier self, and learning to love my fuller figure. I do want to be a healthy mama for my girls, so my main goals are to eat healthy foods (like lots of veggies and whole grains) and exercise daily. When I’m busy, it’s hard for me to do both, but I’m trying not to be too hard on myself and reminding myself that each day is a fresh new start!
My hair fell out in clumps postpartum. Did yours? It was frightening! My head of hair has never been the same since. It’s not as thick as it used to be, and it’s a lot different to style. How I’m owning this? I’ve discovered the wonderful world of dry shampoo, and I can usually go 3 days without washing my hair. A quick spritz of dry shampoo in the morning gives my hair some body and texture, and if I feel like styling it, a large curling wand can add even more bounce to my locks.
It was so weird – I didn’t have one little stretch mark for my first two pregnancies and then – boom! – baby 3 brought with her a host of marks on my stomach, breasts and thighs. I was surprised after I found my way out of the 3rd newborn fog to find these little stretch marks all over my body. How I’m owning this? I honestly don’t give them a second thought. They’re like little trophies that prove I’ve carried 3 precious babies in my womb and helped them enter this world. How do you feel about your stretch marks?
Is it just me, or does a person’s skin chemistry change after giving birth? I’ve always had problems with large pores and acne, but my condition only got worse postpartum, and it’s still difficult to manage now. Not only do I still have acne at 34 years old, but I’m starting to battle under eye circles and sagging skin like most tired mamas. How I’m owning this? When I see the bags forming beneath my eyes, I’m reminded that I need to REST. It’s such a foreign word to us, right? We often put our children and husbands before ourselves and forget that we need to take care of our bodies in order to take care of our clan. Better sleeps and taking a little time to give myself a DIY facial helps me take care of my skin.
Before kids, I could jump rope, sneeze, laugh and bounce on the trampoline without a care in the world. After 3 babies, my bladder can cause unexpected problems. Sometimes I’ll even pee a little when I sneeze or cough.1 out of 3 women experiences stress urinary incontinence at some point in their livesKegel exercises are easy to do any time of day and they help strengthen my pelvic floor. I’ve also been using TENA Intimates Light Ultra Thin Pads to help me feel fresh all day. I hardly notice them, and they really help me feel more confident as I go about my regular daily routine.
My goal this summer is to appreciate my mom bod and not let any of these changes prevent me from enjoying life to its fullest with my girls. I want to swim in the lake with my daughters – instead of thinking about the size of my thighs, I want to think about the size of my smile. I want to go camping with my family – instead of thinking about the state of my hair, I want to think about the state of my heart. I want to ride my bike around the neighborhood with my girl – instead of thinking about unexpected leaks, I want to discover an unexpected adventure.
Tell me: How are you feeling about your body post-pregnancy?
Thank you for letting me be transparent with you today, and thank you to TENA for helping me open up about my mom bod
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by TENA. All of the opinions here are my own.
Raise your hand if you’re a busy mama who spends far more time on her kids’ well being than her own? If you’ve raised your hand, we need to chat. I’m talking to myself here, too. I know exactly how hard it is to spend a little bit of time on YOU when you have young children at home who clamour for your attention and fill your every thought – I get it! However, I’ve found that if I don’t take care of myself, I end up being a tired, cranky, impatient mama to my girls. It’s OK to indulge in some “me time” and it doesn’t have to take hours or cost a lot of money. Here are 5 of my favourite things to indulge in when you’re a busy mama on a budget. (And make sure to read the bottom of this post to see how you can get a free coffee from 7-Eleven!)
Sometimes it’s not feasible to have a professional manicure and pedicure done professionally each month, but it’s not too hard to do it at home. I like to soak my hands and feet in water mixed with a little epsom salt and then I moisturize both with my favourite moisturizer. Rubbing cuticle oil on your nails and cuticles make them feel soft and luxurious, then finish the treatment by applying your favourite nail polish. For an extra flourish, I like to draw quick designs with nail polish and a toothpick on my thumbs.
Grabbing some inexpensive candles in your favourite scent and lighting them for a few moments while you read a book is a great way to escape a busy day for a few minutes and have a breather. I love floral scents, but a rich spicy scent or a rustic woodsy scent might be more your thing. Find a scent that helps you relax and enjoy a little time to yourself.
Toss in a bouquet of seasonal, inexpensive flowers when you’re doing your next grocery run. Then, try a simple DIY arrangement like I’ve done here. I found my favourite, thrifted bowl, cut the flowers a few inches below their heads, and made a simple and easy floral arrangement that looks lovely on our dining table. The look is luxurious, but the cost isn’t!
I’m a huge fan of YouTube workout videos, so if you like to do yoga as stress relief (or pilates, or cardio, or almost any exercise you can think of), try subscribing to a YouTube channel that offers free workout routines. One of my favourites is Yoga with Adrienne, and you can find more of my favourite YouTube channels right here.
As much as I enjoy making a DIY latte at home, I don’t always have the time to do it when I’m running errands with my girls. A treat that I love to indulge in is buying a coffee and a sweet snack when we’re on the road! Ever since a 7-Eleven opened up on the way to dance class from our home, the girls and I stop there weekly for our regular Slurpee and latte run.
My favourite 7-Eleven coffee mix has always been their skinny vanilla latte topped with some freshly brewed, hot coffee. Their pastries are baked fresh in store and they’re delicious too! My latest favourite? Their tasty cinnamon bun. Do you love delicious but inexpensive coffee like me? You can download the 7Rewards app to try a FREE cup right here. Then, simply go in, pour yourself a coffee, and customize it the way you want. You can get your first and every 7th cup of coffee free with the app! (And pssssst: a 12 oz. coffee is half-price on weekdays from 2pm-5pm with the 7Rewards app!)
With these quick and inexpensive indulgences, you now have NO excuse not to take a little me time this week, mamas! I encourage you to give yourself a little break now and then – even if it’s a simple cup of coffee out – and take some time for YOU.
Download the 7Rewards app on iTunes.
Download the 7Rewards app on Google Play.
Tell me: What are YOUR favourite indulgences that don’t cost a lot?
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by 7-Eleven. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.
Happy 2017! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas break. We are technically still on holidays as the kids are home from school for one more week, but both the Hubby and I are ever-so-slowly getting back into our work this week. For the last few years I’ve chosen a word that I want to focus on for the year. My long list of resolutions has slowly morphed into a single word, and I’m loving it. I do like goals, but I find that it’s more meaningful and simpler to find one word that I can aspire to.
This year, my word for 2017 is a fascinating one. It’s not even in English; it’s Danish! The word is HYGGE.Continue reading
I'm Christina - a DIYer and decorator living on the Alberta prairies in a home we built ourselves. My goal is to inspire you to create a cozy home and life you love!
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