Healthy Chicks

When I became a mama 13 months ago, my greatest wish was fulfilled — I had my baby girl. But at the same time, I really struggled with my identity.

WHO AM I? IS “MOM” A JOB TITLE?

Taking on the new mom role (the hardest and most fulfilling job I’ve ever had), I naturally cut back on other things — taking on less freelance writing, dropping a few clients and skipping networking events in favor of baby snuggles. Yes I felt a little guilty, but that’s where my heart wanted to be: with my baby girl.

And I loved every minute of it. Sometimes I’d feel embarrassed or lazy for not “doing enough” for my business, and on the days I prioritized my work I’d feel tired or guilty for not being a “present” enough mom.

Now that we’re over a year in, I’m starting to get that itch again to get back in the groove with my business — I’m opening myself up to new freelance writing opportunities, going out of my comfort zone, teaching myself sales (in my own authentic way) and signing up for holiday vendor fairs while also being a mom.

Sometimes this means … Read More!

It takes a village. 

This phrase has never rang more true to me since becoming a mom.

For those who don’t know, two months ago my husband and I packed up our two-bedroom apartment, left Massachusetts (where we met, lived for the past 10 years, got pregnant and gave birth to Isabella) and moved back to Connecticut to live with my parents for the time being while we house-hunt.

The main reason we moved back home was to be closer to family — and once Isabella was born we knew we wanted to do it sooner than later. As a hybrid between a stay-at-home and work-from-home mom, I’ve been busy this past year taking care of our baby and taking care of business. It’s not perfect, and I’ve started to realize I can’t do everything 100%, 100% of the time. And that’s OK.

That said, it’s been difficult not having close family and friends nearby to lend a hand, cook a meal, or even just be there to remind you that you’ve got this or for some good ol’ fashioned adult conversation. For the most part it’s been me, myself and baby.

Since moving, the past month or so has … Read More!

Now that I’m approaching the one-year mark into this journey of motherhood (seriously, how?), I’ve been spending some time reflecting on the past year. Along with the joyous memories of baby coos, snuggles and those first giggles — which are seriously heart-melting — I can’t forget those challenging early days.

Being a mom is the most rewarding thing in the world, but taking care of a newborn is no joke!

While I was so overjoyed by my little bundle of joy finally being here in my arms, I was also overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness, confusion, doubt, and yes — sleep deprivation. This post from a week-and-a-half in sums up my feelings perfectly:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Today was tough. Hubs went back to work this week, and little one has been cluster feeding during the day a.k.a. glued to the boob and nursing on the hour. 🤱 She screamed at the top of her lungs from 1-5pm unless I was holding her, and peed all over the changing table and her new outfit. I attempted to toast and reheat a waffle 3 times, which ended in one super burnt mess that I never got to eat

I mentioned before in this post that I have been making a conscious effort to cut back on social media use. And while I tried everything from putting my phone on “Airplane Mode” at night to deleting Instagram for a few days, nothing seemed to stick.

Try as I might, I somehow always ended up right back where I started — in a deep, dark hole of insta stalking.

It wasn’t until one evening putting our baby girl to bed that I realized this was a real problem and something had to change…like now. While nursing my sweetie during her bedtime routine, I caught myself once again mindlessly scrolling through other people’s lives on the gram (while my own life was happening right in front of me).

I had some serious FOMO, but this time it was fear of missing out on my own life. That’s when I decided to go on a weeklong social media detox — and get serious about it.

You can read all about my experience over on WELL Insiders, including how to set yourself up for success and my key takeaways. Spoiler alert: I became a much happier, better version of myself.… Read More!

One of the best pieces of advice we were given when becoming new parents was to keep living your life, and just bring the baby with you. It’s been so much fun taking our sweet baby girl with us to do some of our favorite things — whether it’s hitting up a new brewery (hubs idea), apple picking or going for an early bird dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Last weekend we finally bit the bullet, tossed the Pack ‘n Play in the car and took her on an overnight trip to Cape Cod! Our little family was lucky enough to spend a night at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, the perfect weekend getaway destination for us new parents.

Today on the blog I’m sharing all about our experience staying at a hotel with an eight-month-old including wining, dining and splish-splashing around in the waterpark. Spoiler alert: I’m not sure who had more fun, us or baby!

Getting to Cape Cod & Exploring Hyannis

Road trips under two hours are my jam, and getting to Cape Cod couldn’t have been easier for us! From the Providence/Foxboro area (where we were coming from) it’s just a … Read More!

Mother’s Day is a little over a week away, but there’s still time to send some love to your favorite mamas in your life!

Here are 7 gifts that are perfect for new mamas and will make her feel super special on her first official Mother’s Day. Bonus: They’re all under $25!

1. #MomLife Mug

image via Pearhead

This one is for the mamas who love their morning coffee — even if half the time it goes cold before they have a chance to drink it! #MomLife isn’t always pretty, but it sure is sweet.

$7.95, Pearhead

2. Earth Mama Organic Milkmaid Tea (2-Pack)

image via Earth Mama Organics

Tea lovers, rejoice! This organic Earth Mama blend is specially crafted with soothing herbs to help support breast milk production and healthy lactation. Plus it’s the perfect way to wind down after one of those days. Win, win.

$11.88, Amazon

3. Spark Your Bliss Affirmation Card Deck

I gotta toot my own horn for a minute! My Spark Your bliss deck — including 36 positive affirmation cards to set your soul on fire — is a great gift for a mama to take some time for self care. Practical action … Read More!

image courtesy of LesserEvil

There’s nothing worst than being a hungry, hungry mama — especially when you’re trapped nursing, trying to cram in some work (before the coffee gets cold) or out and about running errands with babe.

Here are some of my go-to healthy snacks for mom fuel! Let’s face it: the diaper bag is pretty much just one giant purse to stash mom snacks when you need something stat!

1. Chomps Grass-Fed Beef Sticks

Where have these been all my life? I discovered these gems right after I gave birth — and they’ve been a must ever since! I’m usually not a fan of beef jerky (it kind of creeps me out), but these grass-fed beef sticks are legit!

I’ve tried a couple of the flavors but the original is by far my favorite; I love that they’re made with simple clean ingredients like grass-fed beef, without any gluten, nitrates or nitrites. Get ’em at Trader Joe’s or snag your own pack online here with free shipping!

2. Larabars

Larabars were my go-to in my twenties, then I kind of forgot about ’em for a while. I always grab a few every time I’m at Trader Joe’s, and … Read More!

TRUTH: The most beautiful I ever felt was when I was pregnant.

Despite gaining nearly 40 pounds, not fitting into my favorite clothes, and treating myself to any foods I wanted, I felt like a freakin’ Goddess.

I loved watching my bump grow month after month, nourishing my body (and baby), and of course my glowing skin was a nice perk. More so, I loved how I felt in my body — especially when the baby kicked, I was in the zone doing laps in the pool, or meditating with my hands gently rested on my belly and heart.

I felt beautiful and connected in a way I had never felt before, in a way that’s hard to describe. I was simply so amazed and grateful for my body growing a tiny human — especially after struggling to get pregnant — and that to me felt beautiful.

Here’s the thing: beauty is an inside job. It’s 99% how we feel and speak to ourselves. 

In my teens and early 20s, I struggled a lot with my body — my thighs were “too fat,” my boobs were too small, and I wasn’t as skinny as the rest of my friends. … Read More!