Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
Top knots over crop tops 😜 Top knots over crop tops 😜
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Life & Finances, Motherhood · November 3, 2015

How to Crave Coffee less

 I started to get kind of sick of being bossed around coffee and hence decided to do something about the vicious cycle. | How to Crave Coffee Less

I don’t know about you, but I’m the kind of person who needs their coffee by 9 am or a massive headache starts to kick in. And when this headache decides to come, there’s no changing its mind. I might try to have a cup of coffee to appease the pain but alas it’s too late and my head is pounding for the next few hours. Luckily my 11 month old is usually up by 7 am and I have plenty of time to get the first cup in before my 9 o’clock deadline. I started to get kind of sick of being bossed around coffee and hence decided to do something about the vicious cycle.  

Drink (warm) water

There are times when I feel like I’m craving a nice warm cup of coffee but at the same some, I’m not really in the mood for coffee. Anyone else ever feel that way? In these moments I’ve found that it’s not really the coffee I’m craving, but really just a warm drink in general. I’m always trying to up my water intake as well because coffee can badly dehydrate you. So, even if it sounds kinda weird, try getting a warm cup of water and see if it helps the craving at all. You’ll be warmed by the temperature of the water and hydrated as well. Win win!

Drink tea (with or without caffein)

I used to drink coffee at all times of the day- morning, mid morning, afternoon, night. And then I found myself laying in bed thinking, “Why do you keep doing this!” Now there is the option of decaf coffee but I usually try to shy away from decaffeinated coffee when possible because I know that certain chemicals are used that aren’t beneficial to our bodies. I have learned to love teas. Even if a tea doesn’t taste all the great, if it has some sort of supplemental value, then I will love drinking it.

Some of my favorite teas are:

  • A good Green Tea with Matcha which is a type of green tea that is ground up. Green tea is full of antioxidants which aid in cancer prevention.
  • Detox teas. The one I have most recently found uses dendelion and stinging nettle (of all things!) as herbal detoxes. The taste is very herbal but I honestly feel great the day after drinking a cup at night.
  • Right after I had David someone gave me Mothers’ Milk Tea which uses fennel as a way to promote natural breast milk production. The taste is a little like licorice but I learned to love it especially when I saw how well it worked. This is a gift I would give to any expecting mom who plans to breastfeed and I still drink this myself from time to time!

Exercise

Sundays are usually a lazier day for me but this Sunday was a little different. It was pretty nice out to Josh and I decided to go for a run with babe and do some home exercises. And even though my body was tired afterwards from the exertion, my mind was fully awake a ready to go. I found that I didn’t crave coffee for the rest of the day because I simply felt like I didn’t need it. Not to mention the extra water intake that goes along with working out.

Make/buy smaller portions

  • Our bodies can become not only addicted to caffeine, but addicted to the amount of caffeine we’re used to having. A brewed 8 oz cup of coffee will contain anywhere from 95-200mg of caffeine. a specialty drink from a coffee shop will contain anywhere from 63-175 (also 8oz but no one really orders those sizes. A tall [small] cup measures 12 oz and a grande [medium] is 16 oz. These are most likely the sizes you will buy from a coffee shop).
  • Green tea (known to have the most caffein of the teas) will have around 24-45mg whereas black tea has 14-70mg. You should be able to find the caffeine content somewhere on the packaging of the tea box.

*caffein measurements are taken from this article from the Mayo clinic.

Have you ever tried to cut or cut back on your caffeine intake? What methods did you try and how well did they work for you. Cutting back on caffeine is a struggle but we coffee addicts need to stick together!

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In: Life & Finances, Motherhood · Tagged: addict, caffein, coffee, crave, dependency, exercise, Health, sleep, tea, water

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Comments

  1. April says

    November 4, 2015 at 4:53 am

    My husband is always trying to get me to back off the coffee! I used to be really bad years ago. Three or four cups a day! Two in the morning, a run to Dunkin Donuts in the afternoon (with a shot), and possibly one snuck in there somewhere else during the day! Now i am lucky if I can finish the second cup I pour in the morning. I’ve gotten better though. I opt for green tea in the morning, it helps if I get the correct amount of sleep. A big problem I used to have too was buying coffee instead of making it. The struggle is real!

    Reply
  2. Abeer says

    November 4, 2015 at 6:48 am

    I need to pass on these tips to my hubby who’s a major coffee lover. He’s been trying to curb down his intake but struggling with it…sighs :S

    Reply
  3. Chel says

    November 4, 2015 at 3:52 pm

    I’m trying to curb my addiction to coffee, never really tried doing warm water or tea… thanks!

    Reply
  4. Aishwarya S says

    November 4, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    I drink coffee at least thrice a day. I think that passes for an addict. Thanks for the tips! I’ve found that drinking water really helps! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Susannah says

    November 4, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    These are great tips… If I’m ever ready to give up coffee…. 😉

    Reply
  6. Cori says

    November 4, 2015 at 5:09 pm

    Interesting idea about drinking warm water instead of coffee.

    Reply
  7. Emily says

    November 4, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    I’m trying to cut out a few cups of coffee from my daily routine but I can’t seem to give it up! I have tried to switch coffee for tea but it doesn’t have the say affect! I’ll have to try some of these tips!

    Reply
  8. chrissa - Physical kitchness says

    November 4, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    Weirdly enough I really enjoy hot water. I need to cut back on caffeine. I need it with my crazy one year old but am becoming too reliant!

    Reply
  9. Jill @ RunEatSnap says

    November 5, 2015 at 1:20 am

    Luckily I’ve never gotten into coffee (or caffeine). It just doesn’t do anything for me!

    Reply
  10. Britany says

    November 5, 2015 at 1:46 am

    I agree that coffee is amazing, I’m obsessed with pour over coffee makers! However, exercising in the AM usually wakes my body right up, so I don’t feel like I have to rely on coffee.

    Reply
  11. The Southern Thing says

    November 5, 2015 at 2:34 am

    I like the idea of replacing coffee with green tea!

    Reply
  12. Ann says

    November 5, 2015 at 4:05 am

    I have been on a coffee detox. Once per week, when I first launched my blog last month- it was 3 times a day. lol

    Reply
  13. Erin @ Very Erin says

    November 5, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    Great tips! I’ve learned to limit myself to 1 cup of coffee per weekday. Sometimes on a lazy weekend day I’ll have another mid-afternoon. But I NEVER drink coffee at night, I limit myself to caffeine-free tea. In college I would drink coffee at all hours of the day and I slept horribly! Now, normally only drinking coffee in the morning, I sleep much better!

    Reply
  14. Jessica says

    November 5, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    Great tips and so helpful for preggos like me!

    Reply
  15. Molly says

    April 5, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    I’ve been so bad since I got a Keurig!!! It’s just too easy, lol. People in Japan (I think it’s Japan) suggest warm water every AM & before meals as part of weight loss. Any suggestions as to where to get some good dandelion tea? Sadly, I’m a smoker. I’ve heard it warms the lungs and gets rid of tar…

    Reply

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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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Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?

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Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
Top knots over crop tops 😜 Top knots over crop tops 😜
Josh and I have been doing a lot of reading on par Josh and I have been doing a lot of reading on parenting recently and I love so many of the lessons we've been learning on creating structure while also being empathetic to your child's needs. 

One of the concepts that's stuck with me is how we should "sandwich" our criticism or corrections with positive things. Kids can get discouraged pretty easily but we can help make sure they feel reassured and loved by complimenting them and noticing & verbalizing their growth as well. 

So for example, saying, "I'm very proud of you for putting away your toys. I want you to work on not bossing around your sister - I'll be the parent in charge. Ok? But the way you put your clothes in your drawers was great!"

Idk about you but I would love if other adults sandwiched their criticism too 😂

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