Moments of Musing

Mom “Me Time”

Filed Under: motherhood //

This post is sponsored by TRISCUIT Crackers but all opinions are my own.

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It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since I’ve been working with both kids at home, too. There’s been some tears (from us all) but many more memories and laughs. It can be overwhelming and exhaustion can be high. 

Sometimes, it feels like the time drags on, and sometimes it flies by. Many times, I’ve wished I could get more “me time” in, and more time for breaks for myself. As flattering as it can be, it’s also stressful feeling like I’m everything to everyone in the family. 

mom me time, mommy life, mom life, working mom, career mom, wahm

With the spring weather and increased daylight here, my mood has been so much lighter, too. I’ve been making it a point to do more of what we enjoy. So, we’ve been getting out more (because we all need it after a winter in hibernation) and getting ready for the new baby, which is really exciting. We’ve also gone on a couple trips, which has been fun. I’ve recently found that the days are going quickly now, and sometimes feel like they run together. 

Snack time is a great way to get me to step away from my work and take a quick break from whatever I have going on at the time. 

TRISCUIT Crackers help to break up the monotony of the afternoon and helps me add wholesome variety to my usual snacks. TRISCUIT Crackers are my new go-to snack option because they’re wholesome, and I can create many different varieties by simply switching up the toppings. I’ve topped mine with yummy avocado, cheese and fruit spreads. Honestly, the possibilities are limitless. You can buy TRISCUIT Crackers at your local Target!

mom me time, mommy life, mom life, working mom, career mom, wahm

Choosing Kindness, No Matter What

Filed Under: motherhood //

This post is sponsored by Penguin Random House but all opinions are my own.

As a mom I try to teach my kids to be kind to everyone, but more importantly, I try my best to model kindness so they see it in action and know I am true to my word. I have to admit it is not always easy – there are some people who make choosing kindness more difficult, especially when I am being treated unkindly. But I’ve made it a point not to become sour just because others are. I will not change my disposition or my character based on others. 


The same is true for Yeti, the main monster character in the new children’s book, Not Yeti. Yeti always chooses kindness, no matter what the other monsters say or do. Monsters are usually loud and rude. They like to smash things and they always need to be right. But not Yeti. Yeti bakes banana bread and sings to whales and always has a nice word to say. 


Going against the grain is not always easy, though. Yeti finds that to be true since he’s different than the other monsters. Sometimes we can be ostracized and left alone when we’re different than others. Little does Yeti know, though, there’s a special surprise in store for him at the very end of the book’s story.


Not Yeti is a fun and colorful book to read with your children. My kids loved the illustrations, and my younger son enjoyed reading about one of his favorite characters, the Abominable Snowman, in a different light. Enter to win a copy of your own! 

Menu Planning + 1 Month Plant-Based!

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

This post has been sponsored by Cinch! but all opinion are my own.



It’s already been about a month since my husband and I have adopted a plant-based diet! I have kept it kind of on the down-low because I am not one to really share what I eat and I do not want to seemingly impose my dietary beliefs on anyone else.


That being said, we’ve really enjoyed this time. I have always joked I could do it because I’ve never been a huge fan of meat. So when Tim mentioned cutting meat and dairy from our diets, I didn’t really think twice. I sort of had been waiting for the day he’d be open to it haha! Having him on board for such a big change is a huge help to stay on track.


Another big help is meal planning! It’s so much more efficient for grocery shopping and when it comes to dinner time. Our dinner meals are usually plant-based for the whole family (though our kids still consume some meat and dairy), so it’s nice to see what’s for dinner each day of the week rather than scrambling to put dishes together at the last minute.



The Cinch! Magnetic Dry Erase Menu Board has been especially useful for menu planning. It has a cute design with bright neon liquid chalk markers that erase effortlessly with a paper towel or napkin. It has dedicated spaces for each day of the week to help lay out our meals, a grocery list area and a to do list portion so we can be prepared and organized together. If my husband is wondering what to pick up from the grocery store or I’m trying to remember what’s for dinner, all we have to do is check the board. Use code 10MOMENTS for 10% off Cinch! products on Amazon (for a limited time). 


I should note that we’re a pretty flexible family, so our menu is never rigid. We order out some days and change up what we want others but having a drawing board to bounce off of rather than a blank slate each dinner time helps a ton. I think every family could find this Cinch! menu board helpful!


We’re Springing Back Outdoors

Filed Under: spring //

This post is sponsored by NABISCO but all opinions are my own. 


Spring is proof you don’t have to like every part of a season in life to be able to enjoy it.

Spring’s rainy, cloudy days are admittedly not my favorite. But I love the cherry blossoms and blooming flowers, the longer days, and the increased warmth. 
 


With the weather warming up, I’ve been able to take the kids outside more. It’s been such a treat because we all love getting some fresh air!

Having conveniently packed snacks, such as NABISCO Multipacks, is a huge treat, too! I just grab them and go so we can have more time to enjoy our spring activities. It’s one less thing to stress about and makes for an easy clean up. If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about. 😉

These snacks are even adult-approved. I’ve been a fan of them for as long as I can remember. 

If you’re heading out more with the nicer weather, check out the Chips Ahoy! 18 Count and RITZ Bits Variety 20 Count Multipacks! They’re available at your local Walmart in-store or via online grocery order. 

Maternity Photos – Spring 2021

Filed Under: maternity shoot, motherhood, pregnancy //

During my first maternity photo shoot, I was self conscious about how big I was since it was toward the end of pregnancy (we had to reschedule our original date due to the weather). When I got the photos back, though, I loved them and was so grateful to have them. We skipped newborn photos that time and took our own. 

Next pregnancy we did the opposite: I took my own maternity photos and we got newborn & family photos professionally taken. This pregnancy, we’ve decided to go all in. We did a maternity mini shoot (Now, Tim’s new favorite thing is mini shoots if taking photos in public! haha) and are getting family photos taken after the baby is born, too–both with Cait from Cait & Will Photography.

We recently got our maternity photos back from Cait and I almost cried. I can blame it on the pregnancy hormones or the fact that these capture our little fam in the current stage we’re in perfectly …or both!

All in all, my advice to current and future pregnant mamas would be to embrace your beautiful body that’s doing an amazing and miraculous thing–growing a human. If in doubt, go for the maternity shoot AND the family shoot! 

This is a time to celebrate ourselves, our growing bodies and growing families, not put ourselves down.