 Mothers Day is just around the corner--that one day a year we take to celebrate all that moms do (which let me tell you, is A LOT!) So what could you possibly give to the mothers in your life to adequately thank them for all the love they give the and sacrifices they've made? Well, I have some ideas for you! Speaking from my personal experience as a mother, these are all things I would love to receive, so I'm guessing other moms might like them, too. For the Nonstop, Multitasking, Drowning in an Ocean of Laundry Mom...Give her a "Spa Day," because moms often put others before themselves and could really use some R&R. (And you don't need to spend a lot of money on this either. I swear, moms love the THOUGHT and effort put into things more than the dollar amount spent.) So create a spa experience for her at home with candles, bath salts, tranquil music, a plush robe, a bubbly beverage, and then take the kids to the park so that she can enjoy this moment of tranquility alone. (And don't forget to clean the bathroom first!) Alternately, you could opt for a spa day gift card, but then you need to make sure she actually has the opportunity to use it. ;)  For the "Words of Affirmation" Sentamentalist...Give her jewelry with meaning, because moms too often go without hearing "thank you" for all that they do, and knowing how much the work we do matters and means to others can make all the difference in the world. So tell Mom how much she means to you with jewelry that, well, tells her how much she means to you. That reminder on her wrist will reassure her of how much she matters, even when no one is saying it aloud. I love the company MantraBand because their jewelry is high quality, the messages have meaning, and it looks just as good years later as it did when you first bought it, even if you wear it in the water. Here are a couple of top picks for Mother's Day. (And Mother's Day jewelry is on SALE right now, too!)   To the Moon and Back Bracelet (5 color options) They have a lot to choose from though, so you may find some words that better say what you want her to know every day. For the nurturer... For the gardener (or want-to-be gardener) in your life, this indoor Gardyn is something she'll use year-round. And every time she harvests her produce for fresh meals, she'll think of you. Yay! Best part, it takes up very little floor space and you barely have to do any work to bring this pesticide-free produce to life. The app that comes with this system makes things super easy, reminding you when it's time to do each step, so it won't be adding extra work to a busy mama's life. In fact, I don't have a green thumb at all, and my plants are thriving. The 2.0 is 30% off right now, and you can use code THATBLISSFULBALANCE for an extra $100 off of that! So this is an amazing deal right now if you want to nurture the nurturer in your life with an array of easy-to-grow produce.  For the Mama with Young Kids... Give her a night in a hotel...all to herself. Book her a room at a nice hotel with plush bedding and blackout curtains. Have her order room service. Let her sleep for as long as she wants. This is something I think every mom of young children fantasizes about, because breakfast in bed doesn't really feel like pampering unless you don't have to worry about cleaning up the crumbs.  For the Relaxation-Challenged (aka stress mess / aka me)A sauna blanket for when she just needs a moment to sweat out the stress (because almost all moms probably have adrenal fatigue from running on all cylinders 24/7...yes, 24/7...because even in the night our brains don't turn off.) In addition to all the health benefits, this HigherDOSE sauna blanket takes up way less space than a traditional sauna, is a fraction of the cost, and you can take it anywhere (like the bathroom...your bedroom...a closet...or you know, when you travel, I guess...) PLUS, they're doing a Mother's Day Sale right now and you can get 20% off with the code: DOSEFORMOM  I hope those ideas give you some inspiration for how to celebrate Mom this Mother's Day. Just remember, most of all, moms want to feel appreciated. Mamas work so hard every day, so whatever you do, make sure she feels seen, cherished, and loved.
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 It had been almost 3 hours since he woke from his short slumber, and I had a raging headache from the amassing sleepless nights and fussy days. I had already changed him, nursed him, burped him, and attempted to put him in his bed twice to a protest of screams, and now, as I rocked him in my arms in the darkness of our bedroom, I found myself thinking that I couldn’t wait till we got to the point where he sleeps through the night because maybe then I could function. But as that thought fired off in my sleep-deprived brain, a more potent thought erupted from my soul and went straight for my heartstrings: he is not going to be this little forever. Sleep suddenly seemed so trivial.
 One week ago today, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, but just days before that, I was crying daily worrying about why my little boy hadn’t made his appearance yet—wondering why I had zero signs of impending labor (and I’m sure the pregnancy hormones played a large part!)
When I expressed my concerns last Tuesday, my midwife scheduled me for an ultrasound Thursday morning as a precaution to make sure my placenta could continue to provide him nutrition while we waited for him to arrive. I think just knowing he was going to be monitored for safety was enough to put me at ease because Wednesday was the first day I woke feeling calm and didn’t cry once that day. I still had no signs of labor arriving, but I did not feel distressed for his safety. Then, at 1:40am Thursday morning I woke up from painful contractions. I had to get out of bed and walk around our bedroom in the dark because of how painful they were, & right from the get-go already 2 min apart. After 30 min of breathing through them I realized that I was really in labor, so I woke Evan and we got ready to head to the hospital. The drive was excruciating, and when we arrived I was 5 cm dilated. They started picking up in intensity, so the nurse brought me to my room. I wanted to use the jet tub for pain relief so we went to that immediately. When I started to overheat, I moved to the bed. At that point the pain was so intense and contractions coming so quickly that I didn’t think my body could handle it and I asked if it was possible for me to get an epidural, but Evan reminded me to consider what choice I would be happier with when it was over. My wish was to do it drug-free, and knowing there was a chance I might not be in my normal state of mind when I went to labor land, I had told Evan to remind me of my wishes if I asked for pain relief in the moment. I’m so glad he did. The nurse checked me again and I was already 9cm. I was progressing quickly.  Pregnancy is not at all like it's represented on TV. Perhaps you are a smart cookie and you already knew this, but for the vast majority of the population (myself included), that's our only real exposure to what it's supposed to be like until we experience it first-hand (unless you are someone who does their research, which I was not...at least not until I found out I was pregnant and then I hungrily read any book I could get on the subject.)
So for the sake of transparency, here is a list of 10 things I had no clue would be part of the experience of pregnancy, until I was already pregnant. 1. The beginning of pregnancy feels exactly like PMS. (Hello cramps, bloating, & crying at commercials!) 2. Extreme fatigue is a common symptom (You’re growing a human inside you, so it makes sense.) 3. Your boobs are going to hurt A LOT in the 1st trimester (And your SO will want to touch them all the time because they’ve gotten bigger, which is kind of a cruel joke for them because between the pain and hormones it’s “All Hands OFF Deck!”)  The nursery trend these days seems to be a mix of modern simplicity and classy sophistication. I wanted a subtle theme to keep the room from being too over-stimulating, but with touches of colorful whimsy. I'll probably still be rearranging and adding new things (as you will witness in the photos below!), but I'm happy with how it came out overall.
 I knew I wanted to be a mom. I also knew I was someone who was never great at planning far into the future. Yet by some strange magic, this mothering instinct seemed to sit at the back of my mind, influencing the other goals in my life. The underlying goal in all aspects of my career was to earn enough to put a significant amount into savings so that I could sustain raising a child. Then, over the past couple of years, I started focusing on my health to prepare my body to give my baby the nutrients he needs. A former sugar & carboholic, I began cutting out more processed foods and replacing them with fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Last Spring, I transitioned this even further, switching to organic produce and grass-fed/pasture-raised meats. For someone who was never great at planning the future, without even thinking about it too much, I was making all sorts of changes for a person who was only a dream at this point. This maternal instinct was so strong that for years I was essentially “nesting,” preparing myself for motherhood.
Of course, my goal date for this new adventure kept changing. When I was 25, I thought 35 sounded like a good age to have a baby, but after Evan and I married and bought our first house, the maternal instincts got stronger and my “goal age” kept creeping lower and lower. We bought our second house, moving from Boston to rural New Hampshire, and the goal age for us to start trying creeped down to 31--just a year into the future. Then, just 2 months after buying our new house, we got a dog, an adorable but incredibly needy Boston Terrier. After experiencing the hurdles of puppy training, we decided we wanted an extra year before trying to be parents. Fate, on the other hand, had other plans. Really, Fate seemed to be set on our “pre-dog” plan to start trying on our 5 year anniversary trip to Rome. So on our trip there this past November, the night of the November New Moon and our last night in Rome... |
AuthorWife. WFH mom to a 4 year old (& Boston Terrier!) All about fitness for stress-relief, yummy food for fuel, and all the shortcuts that allow us to still be healthy while saving time since life is busy enough as it is. Writing about momlife, health, and life hacks as I take on this adventure called life. Hi, I'm Luna. Categories
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