10 Resources for a Better You This Year

12.31.2017 by Marie // Leave a Comment

We are back and ready to party at the Merry Monday link party. In honor of this special New Years Eve party, we are focusing on self-improvement for 2018. This week, I’ve rounded up 10 resources for a better you this year. Below you will find resources to help you plan out your goals, get organized, and rock your finances. This year will be the year you reach all of your goals when you put the work in now.

Don't miss these 10 resources for a better you to make it easier than ever this year. Click To Tweet

Practical Tips to Help You Choose Your Word of the Year (Moms Choose Joy)

With so many great words to live by, it is difficult to choose the best one for your goals. These tips will make it easier.

The Mental 80/20 Rule (Healthy Helper)

This is a fascinating take on the 80/20 rule. It is all about you. Learn how to set your priorities and think of you, finally.

Vision Board Worksheet to Help You Define Your Dreams (Second Chance to Dream)

If you read Vision Boards Are Not Intuitive, then you know how hard it was for me to make mine a few years ago. This worksheet would have been a lifesaver. Check it out to dominate your vision for 2018.

Learn How to Transform Your Life by Doing One Thing at a Time (Moms Choose Joy)

I love this idea of making your life better by changing one small thing at a time. Moms are overachievers and forget to take care of themselves until their bodies force them to. This is a great way to add that care into your daily schedule.

Why I’m Selfish and You Should Be To (Pink Fortitude)

This is another great reminder to put you first. You can’t take care of your family if you don’t take care of your needs.

How We Paid Off $5,000 of Debt in One Month (Jessi Fearon)

This is a great motivation to finally pay off your debt. I’ve included it in this round-up because she shares some unique ideas for how she earned more money to sock towards their debt.

Free Goal Printables for 2018 (Second Chance to Dream)

If you are looking for a quick way to line out your goals for the new year then these printables are for you.

Free Printable Daily Planner Half Pages (DIY Home Sweet Home)

Do you need a no-frills way to plan your day? These daily pages are the perfect way to keep you organized without distraction.

How I Made $91,000 from Home This Month (The Busy Budgeter)

If you’re looking to start a blog in 2018, this post is absolutely inspiring. See how one of the best in the business is providing for her family with blogging.

Colorful Candy Planner Sheets for Your Big Happy Planner (DIY Adulation)

Speaking of planners, these sheets will help you organize every party of your life. Track your habits, important dates, dominate your budget, and more with these printables.

These 10 resources for a better you this year will help you lay the ground work for an awesome year. After you’ve set your goals and gotten organized, come back and party at the Merry Monday link party. Link up your amazing posts and projects. Then hop around to see what everyone else is sharing. Last, but certainly not least, have a safe and Happy New Year!

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5 Reasons to Be a Proud Minivan Mom

10.30.2017 by Marie // Leave a Comment

I will admit it. I was a minivan snob. I looked at my SUV cars and nothing else. Then the time came that I had to replace my beloved Durango. Every SUV we looked at that had the upgrades I needed, such as 3^rd row seating, were simply out of our price range. My family finally convinced me to try a minivan. That was nearly 5 years ago and now I can’t imagine driving anything else. If you are an SUV snob like I was, here are 5 reasons to be a proud minivan mom.

If you are an SUV snob like I was, here are 5 reasons to be a proud minivan mom. #ad #CarsCom Click To Tweet

Easily Accommodates Cars Seats

At the time I bought my van I had one child still in a booster seat, one child still in a rear-facing car seat, and a baby on the way. The 2 car seats fit fine in my Durango but it wasn’t going to work when the new baby arrived. When you have a minivan, all of your young children can fit safely secured in their car seats, even with multiple rear-facing ones. That is a reason that any minivan mom can be proud of.

Find out more about car seat safety and which vehicles fit more 3 or more at a time on Cars.com.

Allows Easy Access

In addition to safely accommodating many car seats, minivans also allow you easy access. You can let older children climb into their boosters in the back of the van. This makes it easy to get little ones in and out of car seats from the middle seats.

Bonus Tip:

With three kids, we usually keep one of our stow-and-go seats stowed allowing us, and the kids, easy access to all of the seats. It works best once only one child is still rear-facing.

Perfect for Family Vacation

When you have a big family, most vacations are within driving distance so save on airfare. Minivans are perfect for these vacations. They are roomy enough to hold your entire family and their luggage. They also are reasonable on gas helping your family save money for more of the fun stuff.

If you have a family road-trip coming up, these DIY Road Trip Survival Bags are a must!

Group Event Are Easier

No matter what you, your friends, or your family thinks of your minivan, it will always be requested for large group events. They will ask you to drive everyone because it is convenient and comfortable. We have driven our adult family members to concerts, zoo outings, and more. It’s great because we fit everyone and we only have to pay to park one vehicle instead of many. Who doesn’t love saving money?

Towing Capacity

No, I’m not talking about trailers and campers (although they can totally do that, too). You can haul furniture, mattresses, and more in your van. Minivans are especially great when you need to haul items in the rain. It is automatically protected with no worry of the wind shifting your tarps or worse.

Have you been swayed with these 5 reasons to be a proud minivan mom? They truly are the best family vehicle which is probably why it is such a stereotype of mom life. Now it is a stereotype that I proudly wear. Nothing can beat the protection and comfort minivans offer growing families. Don’t forget to check out Cars.com before running out to buy yours. An informed momma is always a smart buyer. They have tons of reviews and information to help you make the best decision for your family.

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8 Tips for Dealing with Depression

02.20.2017 by Marie // Leave a Comment

Dealing with depression isn’t easy. Cultural stigma tells you to get over it. Friends and family don’t understand it. Then add on the fact that everyone is different so there is no standard treatment and it feels like a battle you can’t win. I would love to tell you I have a magic cure but I don’t. Instead, I can share with you my 8 tips for dealing with depression after nearly 20 years of doing so.

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Dealing with depression is hard. These tips can help make it easier. #depression Click To Tweet

Plan Ahead

It sounds so simple but you need to be specific. Bad days are going to come when you can’t function like you need to. Right now you’re trying to power through but that can actually make it worse. Don’t try to power through and instead plan ahead for these days.

Have freezer meals ready to throw in the oven or in the Crock-Pot.
Stash a set of clean clothes for each of your kids in case you can’t do laundry.
Batch your work so that you are ahead when bad days hit.

Have a Bag of Tricks

Keep a physical list of things that can improve your mood. Think of this list as your bag of tricks that you can pull from on bad days.

Maybe getting lost in a good book helps you pull out of it. It may take some time but any time an activity helps make the bad days a little better, write it on your list.

My top 3 activities are:

Throwing on headphones and blasting music: I usually start with sad songs but put my IPod on shuffle so upbeat songs eventually come on. This keeps me from wallowing.
Getting sunlight or visiting a tanning bed: In the summer this is easier because I can go outside and the sun physically warms me up. That helps warm my mood, too.
Taking a nap or going to bed early: When I sleep it helps my levels go back to normal. While this one isn’t always an option, it does always help.

Be Open About It

I’m not saying have an all-out breakdown in front of people. None of my friends or extended family have seen me on the days that I am literally rocking in a corner bawling my eyes out.

However, everyone in my life knows that I have depression and also that some days I am just going to be different. Trying to hide it isn’t worth it. Let people know when you’re having a bad day. If they can’t handle that, you don’t need them in your life.

Meal Plan

This goes along with planning ahead. If you have a weekly meal plan in place you can easily shuffle meals if needed.

Move frozen pizza night to Tuesday and switch stir fry to Friday. Also, don’t forget about lunches if you have little ones at home during the day.

Don’t feel guilty about heating up leftovers or serving a cheese sandwich for lunch. Your kids will love it, anyway.

Create Kid Kits

Speaking of kids, being a mom doesn’t stop when depression hits hard. Creating kid kits will make life so much easier. Keep a bag stocked with new, quiet toys and activities.

When a bad day happens, surprise your kids with something from the bag. They will love getting a new surprise and it will help keep them entertained when you don’t have the energy.

To help you out, here are some ideas for what to put in the bag:

Be Specific

Friends and family don’t know what you need. Be specific when telling them what you need, how they can help, and what is currently going on. If you need your husband to take the kids outside so that you can have some quiet, tell him.

When friends keep calling and you can’t deal with it, tell them. Not everyone is going to understand and that’s okay. They simply have to respect it.

My mom doesn’t love the fact that I can’t always bring myself to respond to her but she respects that sometimes it may be 24 hours before I can let her know that I’m okay. If I’m still not up for talking, a simple text will suffice. These are the specifics and boundaries that you need to set.

Keep Your Home Clean

Trust me; I know how hard this is. I have small kiddos, a tiny kitchen, and too much stuff. My house is always a mess.

When you add a bad depression day to that mixture you get so far behind that it is a monster to tackle. If you can’t keep your whole house clean, aim for one room. For me, that room is my office because it is the only room in the house that no one else is allowed in.

However, I actually recommend that you do it with your bedroom. If you can keep your bedroom clean then you will have one room to retreat to that doesn’t feel like it is adding to the chaos going on inside of you.

Don’t Be Ashamed to Take Meds

Honestly, I see so many people who write, post, and talk about avoiding medicine at any cost. Decide right now that your life is worth more than that.

My body is sick and cannot produce the chemicals that I need to keep from spiraling into depression. No amount of positive thinking, therapy, or homeopathic remedy can “fix” that.

It is the same as needing to take insulin to process sugar. So don’t be ashamed if you need medicine and don’t be afraid to speak up when it’s not working. There are a ton of different kinds in a variety of strengths so that you can find the perfect fit for your body and your depression.

Dealing with depression is hard. These tips can help make it easier. When the bad days come you can have tools to get through them. Even better, when you come out on the other side you won’t be as behind because of you planning ahead. Don’t let depression define you. It is simply a part of you and you are so much more than a single part.

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