This week we go back to school. We did our last bit of back to school shopping last week, everyone got haircuts (I used to dream of a whole bunch of little boys piling in the bathroom and me cutting their hair one by one, and now it's a reality!) and the boys look so grown up and handsome. I ordered a few things from
Nordstrom for this year because they have such dang cute things.
Tucker + Tate and
Mini Boden are two of my favorite brands that Nordstrom carries, and I love being able to pick up everything for them all at once.
This summer I discovered
these People slip-on shoes. They're light and breathable, easy to pull on, and super comfortable (my boys
love wearing them). And I love that they come in a bunch of colors and in a huge range of sizes. I'd picked up
a pair for F a few months ago, and he loved them so much that I picked up
a pair for B too.
I've been reflecting back on this summer and I've learned a few things over the last few months. I've been working through this list for a few weeks as I've thought about the summer, and I wanted to share.
These are 7 ways that have helped me be a happier mom.
1.
Block out your time. I really like to multitask because I feel like I'm getting a lot of things done at once, but I've come to realize this year that I'm
really bad at multitasking. If I try to do multiple things at once, my brain isn't fully there with either of them
and it takes nearly twice as long. I've discovered that if I block out specific afternoon, then I'm not tempted to work in the morning when I'm with my kids. I'm certainly not perfect, and having my phone around always makes it harder, but I'm trying every day to be better about keeping my work time and my mom time separate so I can give 100% to both.
2.
Find your own sunshine. I wrote about this last year (
you can read the post here if you'd like) and when I went back to read it, it was a great reminder and I still think it's all so true. You're the one who is responsible for your attitude and happiness. Don't rely on other people. Find something to look forward to every day. Smile! Do things that make you happy. Make little things special. I fill my home with flowers, go get a random manicure, decorate our table to make dinnertime special, or whatever other random thing makes me feel happy.
3.
Take care of yourself. Motherhood is not an easy task. So much physical, mental, and emotional exertion is put forth in taking care of these little people, so make sure you take time to take care of you. For me, it's usually putting on makeup, doing my hair, and putting on
a pretty dress for the day (seriously, I love
this one and it's so comfortable!) It makes a world of difference in how I feel. For others, it's exercise, meditation, taking a nap, getting a manicure, going to a movie...anything. Just do what will make you feel happy and recharge those mom batteries.
4.
Be kind to other people. My sweet friend
Tara is the best at this, and I've learned so much from her over the past couple of years since I've known her. She compliments
everyone, especially other people's children. She finds specific features or traits and then mentions those. It's an instant ice breaker because all barriers come down when you're kind. Every mom is obsessed with their baby, so having someone notice your child is such a wonderful feeling as a mom. And if you're making other moms feel good, you're guaranteed to feel good too.
5.
Connect with other women. This is huge for me, especially as a mom. It's easy to get bogged down in the day to day, and feel like you don't have time to attend parties or playgroups or church/community events. And you don't have to attend every single one. But getting out of your house and out of your comfort zone to meet other women (especially other moms) is a life line. I will always make this a priority.
6.
Learn to say no. I struggle with this one because I'm a pleaser. I want everyone to be happy, and I always think I can do it. The reality is that you just can't do everything, and trying to do it all will cause stress, unhappiness, and resentment. Save yourself all the trouble and learn to say no to anything that's not going to make your life better.
7.
Laugh it off. Don't take yourself so seriously. When something goes wrong, find the humor in it and don't let it bother you. Don't take offense. After almost ten years of marriage and six and half years of parenting, I've loosened up a lot. I used to get so bugged by little things and let it ruin my day...but I've realized that helps no one and never ends well. So I've learned to take a split second when something happens and have a little debate in my head about how to react. And I try to always just laugh it off, and that changes everything.
What things help you be a happier mom (or woman in general)? Leave me a comment below!
SHOP THE POST
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.
photos by rad and happy
created in partnership with Nordstrom
When I think about the key pieces that every woman (and man) should invest in, a camel coat is in my top three. In my opinion, it looks good on any complexion and instantly elevates any outfit. While I already own a few camel coats myself, I cannot stop thinking about 
