A July Mash-Up: Newsletter Preview
The following is a preview of a Motherhood Mash-Up Newsletter. Each month’s content will vary but this gives a general idea of what you can expect from a monthly newsletter. Note—there will often be short and sweet mash-ups sent during the month (usually once or twice, and one longer one as seen below). I hope you enjoy it!
Originally Sent as a Newsletter to Subscribers July 2023
photo taken from a vintage Better Home & Gardens Magazine (can’t remember the year!)
Well, June flew by mighty fast!
I honestly did not feel like I even caught my breath from the whirlwind that was spring. If you have been following along, I created an outline for a June/Summer Reset and guided my readers on how to do one, if they felt inclined to do so.
After assessing how the month of June went, I came to the conclusion that I am REALLY bad at slowing down. However, I have enjoyed embracing a slower morning of not having to rush out of the door with little ones. I am extremely mentally fidgety, always feeling like I need to be doing something. I now have ALL the time to accomplish the never-ending task list I have for myself, and yet, when I get a day where I have had a bad migraine and need to just R E S T, my mind fights me that I am never doing enough.
I was really excited to finally be at home with the kids and taking care of the home again full-time, and I am still immensely grateful we were able to do this, but I had this idea that all of my anxiety would suddenly vanish once I left my full-time school job. Unfortunately, the anxiety is still present in other ways. I should know this about myself by now. I am an anxious person, and I will almost always find a way to ruminate about one thing or another.
Taming my anxious thoughts is a work in progress.
This is why I created the reset. I needed to get my body and mind in a more grounded state.
I have to constantly remind myself that there is no rush. Even though I want to get to all of these things, like finally going through the mounds of clothing that I have to sell or donate, there is no timestamp on when these tasks need to be completed. It is just my own internal, very rushed, clock that is telling me everything has to be done in a week.
I now realize, and trying to be okay with the fact, that it is going to take me more than one month to truly unwind from this burnout. I have to break free of the societal mindset (*brainwashing*?) of needing to do, do, do, and go, go, go.
The point of this “sabbatical” was to get away from the “hustle and grind” culture and learn how to embrace the slower, intentional lifestyle that I know would benefit not only my mental and physical health but the health and well-being of those I love the most.
So, after one month of reflecting, writing, resting*, and limiting my exposure to all types of media that I felt were draining me, here is what I figured out and am enjoying.
*resting as in, my body forced me to, because my burnout left me with a migraine cluster for almost 2 weeks
THE SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX
I finally pulled the plug on Instagram. In my June newsletter, I wrote about how social media (well Instagram in particular) has become a place of extremism and how any time spent on there made me feel so drained, I knew I needed to take a break for a month. But after a month free and many “signs” along the way, I have decided to just leave that world behind.
I might eventually write another longer post about this. But to spare you from my ramblings, I would like to share some VERY inspirational articles I read that helped validate me (I like validation…), that I do not need to be in that false reality to do what I have set out to do…
If you are looking for some extra motivation around digital detoxes and minimalism, I invite you to read the following.
School of the Unconformed
-Reawakening to the Freedom of Limits and From Feeding Moloch to Digital Minimalism
2024 UPDATE: Adding this book as a MUST-read resource if you are looking to find a different way to have technology used in your family
The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't
NUTRITION FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Also, as mentioned in the June newsletter, a purge of the junk food that was accumulating in our home had to take place. With this, there was also some success, we have been ADDING in lots of fresh foods, and replacing the sweets (my cookie and ice cream addiction) with more nutrient-dense treats (cookies and ice cream, but made with *cleaner* ingredients).
I truly beat myself up a lot this month about how much I neglected my health. The shortcuts that I took in food, that was not healthy for my kids or myself. I know we have all been there and it is impossible in our world to be eating 100% clean and healthy all of the time. Even in my healthiest days, I still adhered to the 80/20 rule, I never deprived myself, I just always preferred *because I would feel better* making the more nutrient-loaded treats over the empty calorie ones.
We are finally back to from-scratch cooking and weekly meal planning (for health and budget reasons), I thought it could be helpful to share our meal plan for the week with you as well.
WHAT WE ARE COOKING
Healthy-ish Meal Planning for the Week
Sun:: Greek meatballs and salad with crispy potatoes
Mon:: Beef*and broccoli with fried rice and zucchini hibachi
Tues:: Tostadas
Weds:: Pasta with vodka sauce + baked eggplant + mixed green salad
Thurs:: BLTs + homemade fries
Fri:: Pizza (shortcut TJs crusts; one regular one cauliflower) + mixed green salad
Sat:: Chicken Cobb salad
*I use my standard chicken and broccoli recipe, just replacing the chicken with shaved beef and the chicken stock with beef broth.
Sweet Treats::
Edible cookie dough/bars
Yogurt parfaits (berries, granola, chocolate chips)
Snacks::
Tortilla Chips and salsa
Veggies and hummus
Nuts, cheese, and fruit plate
Pineapple coconut green smoothie
Breakfast::
Eggs with sweet potatoes and bacon
Breakfast tostadas/ burritos
Blueberry Almond (GF) pancakes
Yogurt parfaits — fruit granola almond butter
***PSA:: a few affiliate links are included below***
CURRENT Obsessions
FOR THE MIND
READING:
Around the Internet– blogs & such
Nell O’Leary, my favorite blogger from years ago, started on Substack, and I have been devouring her content each month. Her writing on motherhood, faith and life is so refreshing and always leaves me more motivated—and less alone in my own struggles.
The Antidote to Anti-aging Scam, by Haley Stewart, If you are in your late 30s - 40s, I highly recommend the read all about how we are constantly being fed nonsense about how we should be aging!
In searching for *more* validation, that social media is not necessary to share my writing. I stumbled across this beautiful website called Soul & Self —
“Soul and Self is an online space to untangle from the striving pace of the world and soften into a creative, joyful life, fuelled by the radiance and heart of natural feminine being” - Belinda Marie
If you have been looking to fully withdraw from the intensity of the “hustle culture,” this was a beautiful and motivating corner of the internet to explore.
Books
Reading many, many books has always been my favorite thing to do. I think back to before I had kids and social media, on how many books I would consume each month. I had made a commitment to myself after leaving my job to get back into my reading groove because it is something that has been missing for far too long. Currently, I am reading A Mother’s Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot.
OTHER MEDIA (magazines, movies, shows and music)
MUSIC
Currently listening to the first season soundtrack of Outlander. I still have not started the current season, but it is one of my favorites. And I just love this music. There is nostalgic love that I have had for Scotland for a really long time, not sure where it originated from, I must have lived another life there. Anyways, this music has been on in the background and I find it quite soothing.
FOR THE BODY
As mentioned above, I have been dealing with a lot of migraines this past month, so I have been trying to relax my body in every way I can. Some of my favorite things I am loving right now::
Ice Roller – It feels amazing on my neck and jaw and over my achy eyes. I am also trying to keep up with this when I don’t have a migraine to keep the tension down in my jaw. I know people say this works to tighten your face too, but I have not used it for this purpose, all I can say is that it feels heavenly.
Body Scrub – I had a leftover Beautycounter scrub from Christmas that I had tucked away to use during the summer months, and glad I did! It felt so good to get all of the ick off and left my skin so refreshed! You don’t have to buy a scrub though, once this one is all used up I will go back to my basic recipe:
DIY BODY SCRUB RECIPE
1 ¼ cup of sugar (brown or granulated work great)
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup coconut oil
If you want to make it extra, add some of your favorite essential oils
Almond oil also is a great sub for olive oil if you have some!
Diffuser—Speaking of essential oils, the diffuser has been running every single day. My current favorite blend is vanilla, lavender, lemon, copaiba, and peppermint. I also made this into a body spray!! I spray it all over myself and the kids before bedtime, and it calms all of us down!
FOR THE SOUL
Scripture that I am reflecting on::
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
a reminder
to reflect, remember or journal
Slow Progress, is still Progress