Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
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Feminism, Health, Life & Finances, Motherhood, Sponsored, Work · June 18, 2018

How to Thrive as a Working Mom

I’ve been a working mom, stay at home mom, and a work from home mom. In each and every case, we all have our good days and our bad days. But in the post, I want to help you to have a few more good days than bad days this week. Days where, after you put the kids to bed, you feel like you did get enough done and you really can just take the evening to relax. Currently, I have a full-time remote job working for a NYC based tech startup. On the side, I also blog and I just started writing my first book. Oh, and did I mention I have two kids? Trust me, I’ll be the first person to look at my schedule and call me crazy, but that’s the stage of life we’re in now, and although it’s most-likely temporary, I still want to be my best all the way through it. That said, here’s how I do my best to thrive as a work from home mom:

 

 

Get up before the kids

Picture this: A morning where you roll out of bed when your alarm goes off. You get yourself a cup of coffee and proceed to make your way through your morning routine. Once you’re done getting yourself ready, then either you wake up the kids or they get up when you expect them to.

Now, picture this: You might have gotten 30 more minutes of sleep, but the kids come to your bed and wake you up by touching your face or whisper-yelling that they’re hungry. You multitask by making your coffee while their toast is cooking but forget about it while you’re spreading the peanut butter and pouring the orange juice and by the time you remember it needs to be reheated. It’s almost time for you to start work but you haven’t put on a lick of makeup so you’re forced to slap on what you can with one hand because the baby is feeling clingy this morning.

Now. Which sounds better to you? The multitasking morning or the morning where you get your time and the kids get theirs? I thought so.

I know it means getting up earlier than you have to, but I think a smoother start to the day might be worth it, don’t you?

Lists, lists, and more lists

I have a list for everything- a separate list for every area of my life. A grocery list, blog post idea list, “work stuff” list, to-do list, and things to buy online list.

If I lie down to go to bed and I begin to feel stressed thinking of all the things I need to remember to do the next day, I start to make a list of all the things that need to happen that day, or even that week and I’ll organize it by day. This way, I no longer feel stressed about having to remember everything because I know it’ll be right there on my list in the morning when I wake up.

Do something that makes you proud of you every day

 

Sometimes if we have a goal or dream for our lives that we never end of working towards, it can make us resent our work and/or simply just make us feel bad that we’re not where we want to be. I’ll use fitness as an example but it can be many different things. If I have a day where I work hard at my job, but I don’t workout or eat healthy, I’ll feel down that I’m not meeting my goal of being healthy. However, if I do make the time to even do a short home workout and choose to not break out the cookies, I’ll end up feeling proud of myself and feel more motivated and happy when it comes to my job.

Another example could just be taking the time to take care of myself. Since most of my work is done from a computer, there’s really no need to get dressed, do my hair or makeup, or really brush my teeth for that matter (just kidding, always brush your teeth). But when I don’t do any of those things, my mentality when “going” to work is much different when I’m in my pajamas than when I’m fully dressed and ready for the day.

Of course, being ready for the day will look different for everyone, but whatever makes you feel “put together” do that on days when you know you need to be your best at work.

Collaborate with your husband or support system

I get it. It comes naturally to a mom to feel like she needs to take care of everything herself and asking for help is usually more of an afterthought. Don’t let it be. Part of being successful in any job is learning how to delegate and choose which tasks need to be done by you and which ones can be done by someone else. Be sure to speak openly and often to your husband or those in your support system of busy days or upcoming projects where you may need extra help. You don’t have to do it alone!

Don’t let the little things slow you down

You know what makes women push through the flu better than men? It’s because we don’t have the time for it. The same goes for any other little mishap or wrench in your plans, especially your period. You know, that little monthly wrench in your plans. That’s why I trust Always® Radiant from Walmart to always have the exact pad I need, when I need it. The size selector tool helps me choose what pad I should get based on what I need, when! Find your unique Always® Radiant at Walmart and don’t let the little things get between you and thrive status!

 

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.

In: Feminism, Health, Life & Finances, Motherhood, Sponsored, Work · Tagged: always, better, feel, income, independant, mom, noads, pad, period, sahm, sponsored, stress, strong, support, thrive, wahm, wfhm, woman, Work, working

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Comments

  1. Ashley says

    June 29, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    Soooo many great tips here! And hello gorgeous pictures too mama!

  2. Nicole says

    June 29, 2018 at 11:19 pm

    Your intro totally sounded like i wrote it. I’ve been all of those things as well and it’s made for one busy mom of two. I love the tips you have here, especially lists, they are a must. the one I really need to work to incorporate is getting up before the kids. that one is so hard to master when you feel like you never get enough sleep. You’ve inspired me to give it a go once more though…thank you for that!

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉

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Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?

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