Are you tired of being surrounded by clutter and unnecessary things in your home?
Do you feel like you spend most of your day cleaning and organizing, but nothing seems to be making a real difference?
It's time to take charge and join our 5-day challenge for moms to declutter and throw away 5 things a day!
Starting on Monday (2/27/2022), we're challenging you to let go of 5 things each day that no longer serve you.
It could be anything from old clothes to expired pantry items, broken toys or gadgets that have been sitting in a corner for years. By the end of the week, you'll have thrown away 25 things and feel lighter, organized and refreshed!
Here are some tips to help you get started on this challenge:
- Start small: Pick an area that's bothering you the most, maybe a corner of your closet, your pantry or your kids' playroom. Spend 10-15 minutes each day going through it and decide what you want to keep, donate or throw away.
- Be ruthless: As you're going through your stuff, ask yourself: "Do I really need this? Do I use it regularly? Does it bring me joy?" If the answer is no, it's time to let it go.
- Don't procrastinate: Once you've decided what to throw away, don't put it aside for later. Get rid of it immediately by donating, recycling, or throwing it away. This will prevent you from second-guessing yourself and holding onto things you don't need.
- Get your family involved: Encourage your kids and partner to join you in this challenge. It's a great way to teach your children about the importance of letting go of things that are no longer needed and the value of organization.
- Join our challenge group: Share your progress with other moms and get motivated by their progress as well. Simply comment below or send us a direct message with your email address to be added to the group. Let's declutter together!
By the end of this 5-day challenge, you'll be amazed at how much lighter you feel and how much more organized your home is. You'll have created space for the things that truly matter and made your home a more peaceful and joyful place to be.
So, are you ready to accept this challenge? Let's declutter together!
I remember being 22 and being pregnant with my first child and sitting in on a birthing class. When I think back to that class I can't help but think how empowered I was in what I wanted my labor and delivery to look like. I knew I wanted an uneducated labor, I wanted to birth my baby naturally because in one sense it seemed to be so bad ass. On the other hand I was reading and learning about labor and delivery and I believe I really wanted to experience the full experience and have limited intervention.
Little did I know that my labor and delivery wouldn't go as planned. On my due date it was unclear as to weather or not my water had broke, since the test all came back inconclusive they decided since I was at my fue date they would keep me amd start and induction. Pretty standard practices for hospital labor/births to prevent infection in the presence of a broken sac.
What I wasn't informed of I that time was that medication (pitocin) would not only indices labor, but also make it more intense. That when being induced it can lead to longer labors, stalled progress and need for further intervention. Ultimately I labored through a few hours, requested an epidural because the contractions became so intense and within 10 hours of being induced (which is pretty amazing for your first baby) we welcomed our first child into the world through a medicated vaginal birth.
Now that seems like a pretty good, safe, effective success story right? At the time it was. I was elated with becoming a mother & had just welcomed a beautiful health baby girl into our world. Now years later being more empowered, educated and aware I realize how my "birth plan" was never actually a factor in my labor and delivery. Having now birthed four babies and currently pregnant with my fifth child I now realize how medical intervention, not knowing my other options & advocating for myself impacted the deliveries I have.
If I was coached that piticon would increase contractions I might have chosen a different option. If I was given the full 24 hours to see if my body went into labor itself I might have had less pain or need for medical intervention. If I was taught about the stages of labor, especially the "transition" period I may have never asked for an epidural.
Now having gone through this process a few times I know that my dream "birth plan" very much accessible with my current fifth pregnancy. I have learned that not only choosing a good Dr. and medical practice for my care is important, but that I should also choose one who's scope of practice aligns with my needs. My first child I went the traditional OB/hospital birth route. This round I'll have chosen a midwife practice/birthing center that a part of a local hospital.
The choices we have and make can very much get us closer to the labor/delivery of our dreams. Natural, uneducated, informed and empowered births are very obtainable & if that's the route you would love to pursue I know 100% in my heart you can bring that vision into reality.
My top tips for having a natural, un-mexicated & empowered birth would be as follows:
1. Choose a practicition or midwife who aligns with your beliefs & view on labor & delivery. Having a midwife doesn't mean you will be putting yourself pr your unborn child in danger in any way and you can find one who fits all your needs. Midwives are popping up in more conservative hospitals, birthing centers and of course their original origin in homes for home births. You can definitely find the perfect fit for you and your partners comfort levels.
Also having an un-medicated natural birth doesn't mean it can't happen in the traditional hospital setting, but definitely talk to your provider and ask how they could support you in that choice & their success rate for such labor & deliveries.
2. Don't just have the dream and wish for your perfect labor & delivery, but have a written plan & discuss it with your team. When labor starts and you are progressing through you moat likely will be to preoccupied to mention all the details & wishes you have for each stage you progress through. If your partner, birthing team & everyone involved is aware of your wishes they will better be able to support you in the process to achieve the outcome you deserve.
3. Trust yourself. I wish the 22 year old me was not only educated on the type of labor and delivery she wanted, but that she was empowered enough to be her own best advocate. I wish I knew that there were other options out there that might have meet my needs a little better with my first go around. That I was empowered enough & confident that I knew my body better than anyone and what I was capable of. Do your research, educate yourself about labor and delivery & all the types of options available to you. Make decisions that you and your spouse are comfortable with & don't worry about conforming to social norms or the concerns/needs of those around you. You are Mother, you know yourself & your baby best, trust that.
I pray that in reading my story you find that little courage of hope & empowerment inside yourself to chase after the labor and delivery of your dreams. I pray that your pregnancy feels just as empowering as you hope your labor and delivery feels.
Enjoy every step and stage of this journey to becoming a mother, it's one of the most empowering transformations you will undergo.
Humbly Gina
Level Up: 3 Easy Steps To Morning Routine Success
Do you wake up feeling more sluggish then when you drug yourself to bed? Does your day feel like you are always trying to play catch up? No matter what you do you just can't seem to get out of your own way!
Let's get serious a second with some hard facts. The reason your day is happening to you & not for you is because you are missing the most important part of your day, your morning routine. You can't be a successful holistic health business owner if you aren't taking the steps you need to create a healthy balanced day for yourself. While we can be successful business woman, winging it through the average day as we dish out chicken nuggets & goldfish crackers, we WILL take others to new heights of holistic wellness if we ourselves are a hot mess express when we start the day.
So let's get started by creating a good enough morning routine that will take us sailing through mom duties & our business back office.
YA GOTTA COMMIT Momma you won't get your tired butt out of bed if you have a one foot out the door commitment. So ask yourself "Why do I really want to create a morning routine?" Do you hate the fact that you always feel anxious as the day unfolds & you haven't gotten a head start? Maybe you are sick of the mom guilt after you lose your cool one more time because your kids just can't seem to find a pair of socks. Mind you they don't have any in their drawer & you didn't give them any time to transition from their tablets to getting going. We will talk about that later, MOM GUILT is the devils work. Once you know why you want to get up & how that would make your day look differently I 100% guarantee you will see a difference when that alarm goes off.
- Start getting to bed 20 minutes earlier. You can't be productive working from exhaustion.
- Turn off the snooze button. Yup, I said it! Subconsciously your brain knows you have worked in 30 minutes of procrastinating.
- Give your alarm an encouraging name. "GET UP LOSER" isn't going to motivate you to get out of bed, but "YOU'RE WORTH IT" just might give you just enough umph to get those feet on the floor. HINT HINT "You are so freaking worth it"
DRESS FOR SUCCESS If ya wanna talk the talk, ya gotta WALK THE WALK. Now i'm not talking about the cat walk pulling out your
stiletto heels, but still wearing yesterdays yoga pants if gonna play with your head. You are a business owner, it's time to act the part.
- Get up, grab a shower & finish your morning skincare routine..
- Get dressed, whatever makes a feel good, just make sure you are in different clothes than yesterday.
- Put on that one extra little thing that makes you feel good (Lipgloss, Fun necklace, Cute Baseball Hat)
PUT FAITH FIRSTI might have just lost some of you, but let me finish. Is your life exactly where you want it to be right now? Is your business where you want it to be? Are your kids driving you crazy? Do you continue chasing that shiny new object that is going to fix everything? Don't worry that was me too just a short time ago. Nothing will change if you are fighting the battle alone. Maybe God isn't your jam and that's okay, I would never force my faith on you. However, there is something that you believe in that is bigger than you and it's time to reconnect.
- Stay off your phone in the morning until you checked in with that higher power & did some work there. My life is drastically improving the more I give my first moments to God.
- Surrender- no it's not always easy to put control in others when you are hanging on by a thread, that's the whole purpose of connecting back to your faith. What do ya have to lose?
- Stay consistent. Working hard to be intentional means doing the things you know you SHOULD do verse what you WANT to do. because habit tells you it's easier.
You know you have it inside of you to make these changes. You found the courage to push out an 8 lb baby for the first time & you looked past fear when you started your business. So what's to think you can't tackle a morning routine? Remember you don't have to do all these things at one time. Start by moving up your wake time by just 5 minutes. If you start there & increase it by 5 extra minutes each week over then next four weeks you will gain 20 whole minutes of alone time. Just imagine it... 20 whole minutes ALONE to gather your thoughts & get ahead of your day (and kids). Rome wasn't built in a day & neither is your overnight success. It all starts with willingness & a dream for a better tomorrow.
What is one thing you love filling into your mornings to get started in the right direction? Let me know in the comments.
