This is Postpartum January 2019 The true insight on motherhood and what postpartum is really all about. This is a time to reflect on the good, bad and ugly that comes along with motherhood. Sure, some moms on Instagram make it look sooo easy and have this flawless life but don’t let there photo shopped posts fool you! Motherhood is hard gruesome work that requires you to be on call 24/7 365. Yes, it is one of the most rewarding special things that you will ever do in your lifetime, but it comes at a cost. Not only to your body, but your medal health too. Being a mom is one of the greatest and honorable titles a woman can have. It is such a magical and amazing things to call yourself. I think of postpartum as a journey of acceptance. Over the course of your journey of motherhood we are constantly being tested and challenged by our little ones as well as family. We are learning new tips and tricks on a daily basis. We are educating ourselves on trends, nutrition for our kids and trying to remember to also take a shower once in a while.
It seems like the time and days slip away with the endless chores and tasks we need to get through in the day just to stay afloat. My postpartum journey really began after I was 100% recovered from labor. After the hemorrhoids went away and episiotomy stiches were healed, I started to really look at myself in a whole new way. I stopped caring so much about what the scale said, I didn’t focus too much on what other moms looked like and I certainly didn’t mind the stretch marks or extra cellulite I acquired. I started to see these new changes to my body as bookmarks of my experiences. Kinda like battle scars or even small pieces of evidence as to what my body was capable of doing. It is a really empowering feeling to see yourself and your body as an experience rather than a place for negativity and comparison. The more I flipped my perspective on my body image, the more positive I began to feel towards my changing body. SO began my enlightened journey if you will toward positive thinking and the acceptance and embrace of my new body. I love my body now more than I ever have. I have put on weight and watched my stomach grow to an unspeakable size to give me the greatest gift and title of all… Mommy. I am a mother and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to grow a child in my belly, deliver them and be a mother to that tiny little human. I love the skin I am in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is postpartum.
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Nothing says family time like a home cooked meal at the dinner table. I am all about the good foods for dinner. If I can make something that the whole family will like without a lot of work behind it, I am winning! Here are a few great and simple recipes we cook during the week to save us time. Pasta Dinner Sunday is usually a day filled with family. The quicker we can make something, the more time we can spend together without having to e in the kitchen preparing food and cleaning up. A simple pasta dish is always a great way to start off the week. Here is what you need: 1 lbs store bought spaghetti noodles 1 jar of marinara sauce (any brand you prefer) 8 leaves of chopped fresh basil 3 cloves of minced garlic ¼ cup of fresh minced parsley 1 loaf of French bread 1 stick of room temperature salted butter Serving size 6 In a large pot, boil 8 cups of water with 1 tbs of salt When water comes to a boil, add pasta. Read direction on box and finish noodles until they are cooked through. In a separate pot, add marinara sauce, minced garlic, minced parsley and shopped fresh basil on medium heat. Once sauce starts to bubble, reduce to simmer. In over 350 degrees, place French load of bread on cookie shoot and place in over for 8 minutes until bread is nice and warm. Once bread is at desired temperature, remove from oven and cut into slices. Serve with room temperature butter. Once the noodles are completely cooked, strain and add to sauce pan. Mix will and serve. If desired, you may add Parmesan cheese on top. ENJOY! Steamed rice, veggies and Chicken Having a fresh cooked meal is always such a treat. Why not make it a healthy fresh cooked meal? Making basic ingredients and putting them together to make one great dish is always such a rewarding feeling. Here is what you will need: 2 cups basmati rice 2 cups chicken or veggie stock 1 cup of fresh sliced zucchini ¼ chopped white onion ¼ chopped green onion 3 garlic cloves minced 2 tbs soy sauce 2 chopped and cubed boneless chicken breast 2 tbs sesame seed oil 4 tbs of teriyaki sauce (any store brand is great) Serves 4 When cooking rice, you can either do it on stovetop or in a pressure cooker. If you are using stove stop, use manufactures guideline on cooking rice. Use equal parts rice to liquid. The chicken or veggie stock is going to act as your liquid. Cook rice until it is fluffy and ready to eat. Add salt to taste. In a large fly pan, add sesame seed oil to med/high heat. Add cubed chicken, soy sauce, garlic, and onions. Cook chicken fully. Once chicken is cooked, add zucchini. Place pan lid and reduce head to low/medium. After about 3-4 minutes remove lid. Place a scoop of rice onto a place and place the fly pan mixed on top of the bed of rice. Add your teriyaki sauce and fresh green onion on top. Enjoy! Grilled chicken skewers I am not a big fan of using the grill. I tend to think it is too much of a hassle and not worth the time. BUT, this dish is super quick, easy and SOOO delicious. Trust me, this is one of our absolute favorite meals to eat. Here is what you will need: 2 chopped and cubed boneless chicken breast 1 can of pineapple chunks 6 strips of thick cut bacon cut into 1 inch pieces ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley 4 large cloves of garlic mined 1/2 cup of olive oil Salt Pepper 1 bag of frozen cubed potatoes (local grocery store carry this in the frozen section). Season salt 1 large Ziploc freezer bag 10-12 bamboo skewer sticks Foil Place a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of bacon and lastly with a piece of pineapple on a skewer. Repeat this step until the skewer is filled and all the chicken, bacon and pineapple are used. Place the skewers into a large freezer Ziploc bag. Once skewers are in baggie, place in a small bowl the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix well. Pour these ingredients into the baggie and coat the skewers as best you can. Place baggie in the fridge until you are ready to grill. *NOTE: the longer the skewers marinate, the better the flavors will be. In a medium fry pan, add ¼ olive oil to medium/high heat. Pour frozen bag of potatoes in skillet and season with Season salt to desired taste. Follow instruction on bag for cooking. Once golden brown, you are ready to go. On outside grill, turn temps on high and preheat until about 350 – 400 degrees. Place skewers on grill and continue to flip to prevent charring. Cooking time is very fast. Cooking time can range from 5 minutes – 8 minutes. Make sure chicken is cooked through and bacon is crisped to desired taste. Remove from heat and wrap finished skewers in foil on plate. Plate and enjoy!! Hope fully you were able to find a great recipe for dinner tonight or tomorrow. If not, then maybe ordering a pizza for dinner is a good idea.
Getting inspiration to come up with easy and delicious meals can be a really hard task. But have no fear; these simple and easy recipes are HERE! What is a simple meal your family likes to eat during the week? We have done a bit of traveling since Benjamin has been born. He is currently 13 months old and we have been in planes, cars and more. After the first few trips, I have gather a lot of knowledge on how to travel with children. Yes, Traveling with little ones can be a challenge… "Did you pack enough clothes? What is they get bored? What will you do for food? Will they get carsick? Are the iPad’s charged?" Some many questions!! Here are 5 great tips on traveling with children. Tip 1: Make sure to have their favorite entertainment tools If your little one likes the iPad or has an activity book that will keep them occupied, then bring it! Charge the iPad and make sure to download Netflix or another form of movies to the device. *Note: Netflix allows for you to download movies that work offline. This is great for any kind of transportation that doesn’t come allow Internet. Tip 2: SNACKS! Yes, it is not safe to allow your child to eat when you drive due to a choking hazard, but its always a good idea to pack a few snacks for any trip. The easier, the better! Applesauce pouches, granola bars, pretzels or even trail mix. Things that don’t require refrigeration are always a plus. *Note: some airlines will allow for you to being unopened containers of food for your children. Always ask in advance with security. Tip 3: Packing for your little one When it comes to packing up a baby for a few nights, if may seem like you have 12 suitcases for them. Yes, be prepared for the unexpected but you can also travel light by eliminating unnecessary items. These include: Extra pairs of shoes, extra pajamas, larger bottles of lotions and shampoos, toys, and blankets. A lot of these items can either be reduced in quantity or placed into smaller containers. When your getting ready to fly, most airlines allow 1 piece of luggage for your little one and 2 additional pieces of baby equipment such as a stroller, pack n play or a car seat. Tip 4: Prevent sickness or motion sickness while traveling. Some of the easiest ways to get your child sick while traveling is through contamination of germs. Places like airports have so many people in them constantly. As soon as your little ones blanket touches a planes seat or they push their noses up against the window begins the process of viruses being spread. Make sure to watch your little ones as they are traveling. Try to prevent them for putting things in their mouth, especially their own fingers. When it comes to motion sickness in a vehicle or train, you can purchase some great natural remedies for this. Dramamine makes a great bracelet that applies pressure on your write to a pressure point for nausea.. I know it sounds silly but it actually works! Try it out! Tip 5: Stick together When traveling with children, every parents fear is a situation where someone gets lost. Yes, traveling itself can be stressful and a bit chaotic, but remember that your children are precious and can easily get lost in crowds. Traveling with matching shirts is a great way to pick someone out of a crowd. Also, making sure to have a serous talk wit your children with a game plan incase someone gets misplaced from the group. Lastly, you can always purchase a small backpack or toddler travel harness. Hopefully, your travels are seamless and as stress free as possible. By taking these tips with you on your voyage, you may just be able to have a great family vacation.
What other helpful tips have you learned while traveling with your little ones? Comment below! Here is a quick Q and A on goals for this New Year. I don’t usually have new years resolutions. I am not someone who thinks that the new years is really a ‘restart’ button of some kind. I get that this is a great way for some people to see it as an opportunity to track goals, but for me, I try to make goals when it feels right for me. Either way, here is a short Q and A on the New Year and what it will look like. What does the middle of the year look like for you? I am hoping to be able to expand my following, build out my blog, spend lots of time with my family and hopefully be able to travel at least 3 times in a plane! How do you stay motivated on your goals throughout the year? The biggest thing that I find helpful when it comes to staying focused is to have small reminders around me all the time that motivate me. I am a big believer in self-motivation being the key to success. For example, for me to stay focused on positive body image, I make sure to surround myself with others who are also preaching positive body image. Same goes with a diet. Don’t hang outside a pizza place if you’re trying to watch your weight. What is one thing you regret from last year in 2018? Hmm that’s a tough one. I wouldn’t say I regret anything, but I will say that I wished I had taken the initiative sooner to start my blog. I have only been blogging since September of 2018 but I wish I had started a lot sooner! Does it feel like 2019? No! I am defiantly going to struggle with writing the date correctly. For the first few months I will need to keep white out with me or write in pencil. Did you make it to midnight on New Years Eve? Nope! I haven’t made it til midnight for the last 5 years… I was in bed by 9:30pm that evening. Do you see 2019 being a better year than 2018? I am always hoping for each year to be better than the next. Unfortunately, we got some pretty hard news on New Years Eve. My father in law suddenly passed away so I would say so far this year hasn’t been off to the best start. I am hoping this year will get better and bring our family joy. What is your biggest goal for the upcoming year? My biggest goal and ambition would be to be happy. Always my happiness comes first before anything else. I want to make sure that those around me are also happy. An actual tangible goal would be to travel more! Happy New Year everyone!
Hope 2019 is filled with positive vibes & great memories. What are some of your big goals for 2019? Comment below! |
-Hello-I'm Kristyn from sunny Peoria, Arizona. I'm married to my amazing husband Jeremy, a mother to our incredible boys Benjamin and Bowen. I love inspiring and empowering others to see their true beauty and fight against the stigmas that society has created about beauty. Archives
September 2020
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