Loosing my Motivation!

There is nothing worse than to loose your motivation for anything! And noone is exempt from this.... What should I do when all of the sudden I just want to give up and throw in the towel? This can happen with exercising, dieting, trying to look good or even with relationships. Everything requires work otherwise it is usually not worth it. We tend to treasure those thing we work so hard for! For example, one is most likely to stay away from unhealthy foods if you worked so hard to loose weight, etc.

I struggle with time management and wanting to do so much! I want to give up exercising and eating healthy and just trying! It's those stubborn last 10lbs that does it to me....

So how did I get that motivation back? Well by speaking up my frustration and surrounding myself with positive people that will not let me give up! If I am lacking in the mommy hood dept then I have my new mommies to help me up. If my relationship/marriage is lacking I have people to give me words of wisdom! And when I want to give up working out and eating well I have my positive people to motivate me. So the key to increasing your motivation is to surround yourself with positive people!!!!

Baby Fashion on a Budget

Before I became a mom I heard a mom state that she refuses to look good and have her kids look bad! That statement stuck with me for years and I realized how many moms spend their times looking great and neglect their children's fashion. Other moms believe that keeping up with their kids' just cost too much money. Whatever the reason is, kids' are sometimes out of season fashion (because its cheaper) or just not matching.   I can already hear comments in the back of my head telling me how this is only because I am a first time mom and a new mom and this fad will fade away.  I refuse to believe this lie! I also refuse to believe that I cant dress up my baby cute without spending tons of money.....so this is what I do so far....

I always make sure my daughter matches from head to toe. Keep in mind this is just my fashion sense and everyone is different. I buy my daughter's clothes at Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross. These stores are very affordable and are not out of season bargains. I do shop out of season sales because sometimes is not really out of season. Let's talk about bargains. Define what is a bargain for you. For me, a bargain is an outfit for less than $10 and separates for less than $5. I don't spend more than that and I don't buy too many outfits from a specific size. Truth is kids out grow their clothes very quick so I budget quantity and price! Do not be afraid of major department stores like Macys, Bbaies R Us and The Children Place. You will be amazed with their sales and clearance. These stores are a season ahead so they will clearance out summer clothes in summer etc. I bought bathing suits for $1, outfits sets for $6, etc. I have gone to thrift stores and I get better bargains at regular stores and the clothes are brand new. Children can be expensive with diapers, food and wipes so why not save every time you can!!!!

Here are some of the outfits my daughter is rocking!!!!!

Proud Mommy and Baby

Spring Baby Fashion

Fun in the sun 

Baby Spring/Summer Outfit 

How to be a Happy Mommy!

http://m.parenting.com/article/how-to-be-a-happier-mom?src=SOC&dom=tw

I found this article very interesting and helpful! Enjoy.....

Don't Forget Him!

As I am doing this new transition I realized how easy and quick you can forget about your partner! Between working full time, new baby, trying to work out and house chores, I tend to totally neglect my husband! Huge NO NO!!!!!

So it's important to take time for date nights even if you are staying inside. Call a babysitter or a fellow mom and go enjoy your partner. It takes dedication but its not hard. I plan to sacrifice an hour of sleep just to hang out with the hubby after the baby is asleep. I also have date nights once a month. Another cool thing is to make an outing out of errands. Like take a quick break for lunch and sit at a park or grab a bite.

My ultimate favorite is setting a night routine for my baby and enjoying a talk or even play around with the hubby. Whatever you decide to do will work and don't forget to have sex!!!! Yes, we must keep that fire going.....

Healthy on a Budget

One of my interests is eating healthier and somehow exercising. Momma gotta loose all that baby weight!!! However, if you look at grocery stores you will quickly realize how expensive healthy food is. (Side note: never understood how all these experts wants America to loose weight and not make healthy food affordable) I am determined to start making better choices and healthier choices without breaking the bank.
The first thing I did was download all my groceries apps! I am an on the go mom so I need all the apps out there. With my groceries app I can see what's on sale and what coupons are out there. The App automatically uploads the coupons to my store card and makes a shopping list for me. Another step I started was to follow some delicious recipes from eatingwell.com! They are awesome and super easy. They also have diet plans if you want to loose weight. I recently read a psych article that said to loose weight we have to diet AND workout. So I will try it. Another cheaper option is that grocery stores started their own healthy store brand. For example, Safeway has the Eating Right brands and King Soopers has Simple Truth brand.
I usually buy all my fruits and veggies from a farmer market because it is way cheaper than any supermarkets. Our farmers market is Sprouts! Another good tip is to limit yourself to the perimeter of the store. It's usually where all the good stuff are! I can't always do that but you can try it. Parenting magazine has an article about 10 healthier fast food choices when you are on the go and they are affordable. You might want to check it out.

Give yourself a break!

There will be moments were you just want to throw in the towel and not care about anything! I sure felt like that yesterday. It's like you want to do all these great things but sometimes doubt that you can do it. My solution to this problem was "catching a break of myself"! It's really easy to take a break from everyone else but it's hard to give yourself a break from yourself. Did you know we are our worst critic? At least I am. Well I took a break and I ate whatever I wanted, didn't work out, left the baby in onesies and ordered a pizza and ate it on the couch with pjs! Funny part is my husband loved it and my baby even decided to go to bed earlier. Needless to say, I didn't care and it turned out good!

Quick Tip: Find a Support Group

There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child! There might be some truth to that. We moved to Denver where we knew no one and have no family. So when I got pregnant I knew I had to create a support group or I was going to feel real lonely.

So a very good tip is meetup.com. I found great friends who supported me thru my pregnancy! If you don't know what meetup.com is look it up. It's a great site to find groups of people with your same interest. If you are pregnant or just had a baby check out whattoexpect.com and loom for community groups in your areas.

I am currently in a small Denver group of moms and its great to have ladies going thru the same going at the same time! We do monthly meetups and play dates where babies play and mommies have wine! Here is a fun pic of our last play date!