Modern Hipster Mama

The world is especially heavy right now. And I’ve added my own personal heaviness too. There are a million things up in the air for our family, from big decisions for our child with special needs, to still not knowing if everything will come together for us to buy a home this year or not. As a type A enneagram 3 (🤓) I’m so used to striving and working toward goals that I’ve felt absolutely lost and paralyzed by the uncertainties. But I’ve felt God telling me this is a season of preparation. It’s a season to rest, to listen, to learn something… because the pieces will fall together at some point and it will be time to get to work. 💪 I never thought spray paint would be so therapeutic! But bringing new life to these rusty old things was a picture of the internal work I’ve been doing in this season. You better believe I’ll be getting my hands dirty when we do buy a home, but in the meantime, I’m working on contentment and finding beauty in the little things. Now for a less serious question: Have you ever transformed something with spray paint? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! 🎨

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the 1918 pandemic. I inter-library-loaned books from across the state that were bigger than my head. (Yes, nerd 🤓) I read all about what happened in history, but also the major steps they were taking in modern times - like finding and analyzing virus samples from frozen bodies discovered in the arctic. I even read about the backlash against masks and mandates - yes, even back then. And yet I remember my fascinated little mind asking nearly everyone I knew - and almost NO ONE had heard of the 1918 pandemic! Well, it turns out that reading about a pandemic is MUCH more fun than living in one… and I’m so grateful to take my first step toward a life after the 2020 pandemic. 💪🙌 #notthrowingawaymyshot

How to release COVID-19 trauma in your body: -Do physical activities with upbeat music to release lots of feel-good chemicals and hormones. - Limit your intake of stressful content: News, Facebook, talk radio, that crazy cousin who’s always sharing something crazy. -Create a healing ritual. Journal, light a candle and read, give yourself time to cry or scream, or maybe sit in the sunshine on your lunch break. -Honor your experience. Celebrate your strength and perseverance by creating a special, fun memory with your family or close friends. -Reach out for community and help if you feel especially down and overwhelmed. -Give yourself grace. You have been through a very difficult year. You’ve survived. You’ve gotten stronger. It is absolutely normal and expected to feel trauma right now. Check-in time: How are YOU doing through all this? Have you found a good way to process or cope? Let us know in the comments so we can all get some good ideas! . . . . . . . #dailyparenting #joyfulmamas #bloggermom #momgoals #momssupportingmoms #motherhoodintheraw #stopdropandmom #mymotherhood #unitedmotherhood #parenthoodunveiled #nestingly #momsquad #ohheymamas #parentblogger #honestmom #realmom #mommin #momslivinghappy #sharetheeverymom #messy_motherhood #honestmomconfessions #momlifeunfiltered #motherhoodco #mamaswithcameras #messymotherhood #pocketsweetness #mommood #vanwa #portlandblogger

🙋‍♀️ Do you feel like your personality has changed during COVID? Mine definitely has! We talk a lot about getting “back to normal,” but I’m definitely not going to view the world the way I did a year ago. The first couple months of stay at home orders were really rough for me - a lot of anxiety and stress that was compounded by my husband working from home and my special needs son not going to school. 😭 But pre-COVID, my schedule was dangerously unhealthy. In fact, our family had just committed to creating better boundaries between work and home, because my husband was always working and we were all running all over the place every day. It’s just a little ironic how we committed to family time, and then got stuck in our house together 24/7/365. 🤪 The adjustment period was ROUGH, and there’s no doubt that 2020 was devastating to everyone in different ways. I wish the whole thing never happened - but I can definitely say that our family is so much closer and healthier now. How did you change during COVID-19? Leave me a comment - I’m so curious about your answers!

We changed both their names to Toby. 🙅‍♀️😴 . . . . . #mamablogger #boymomlife #motherhoodinspired #littlefierceones #parenthood_moments #toddlermomlife #storytellingmama #realmotherhood #documentingmotherhood #motherhoodjourney #candidmotherhood #rawmotherhood #mommymode #dailymotherhood #rememberingthesedays #theeverymom #motherly #lovewhatmatters #motherhoodisdarling #legitmomstyle #momstylelife #boymomproblems #mamahoodinsquares #inspirationintheeveryday #newmomtips
#mymotherhoodjourney #mamahoodinspired #vancouverwashington #pnwkids

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Turns out the person annoying me all the time... was me. . . . . . #dailyparenting #joyfulmamas #bloggermom #momgoals #momssupportingmoms #motherhoodintheraw #stopdropandmom #mymotherhood #unitedmotherhood #parenthoodunveiled #nestingly #momsquad #ohheymamas #parentblogger #honestmom #realmom #mommin #momslivinghappy #sharetheeverymom #messy_motherhood #honestmomconfessions #momlifeunfiltered #motherhoodco #mamaswithcameras #messymotherhood #pocketsweetness #mommood #vanwa #portlandblogger

A friend and I were talking recently about the metamorphosis we experienced as moms. As hard as childbirth was, it was nothing compared to the intense battle of simply *finding* ourselves after years of sleepless nights, nursing, doing dishes, and wiping butts. As someone who previously went through life chasing accomplishments, I found myself at home with children who rewarded my efforts with tantrums, not titles. And as my husband went out every day into the “real world,” full of paychecks and performance reviews and, you know, actual real adults, it was really hard not to feel absolutely insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I loved my kids so much, but I secretly missed my pre-kid life so much, too. Nobody talks about it. I’m pretty sure everybody feels it. And if we’re all feeling it, we SHOULD be talking about it. As I was watching Meghan Markle’s interview last night, it struck me that our generation is doing the hard work. We are willing to shed light on our feelings and experiences so that others don’t feel alone. And I want to do my part to help other moms not feel so alone… because if we’re not careful, our job is the loneliest one on the planet. Can I challenge you to be really transparent and honest about where you’re at on this pandemic motherhood journey? Can you be the one to reach out and initiate a deeper friendship with that mom you don’t know so well? There’s a good chance she’s also desperately wanting community but is afraid of rejection and betrayal just like you are. We can stay in the shallow end of our relationships - or we can jump in the deep end. And at the end of my days, I don’t want to look back and wonder what it would’ve been like if I took the dive.

My husband is flying back in tonight after being gone TWO WEEKS! 🙌 He’s traveled a lot before, but the kids are at an extra high maintenance age I guess- because I am WIPED OUT. 😪 (They look pretty cute in this photo, but they were actually in an intense wrestling match that only one of them consented to…) These 2 weeks have reminded me of 3 things: 1. Single moms, military moms, oil field moms, fill in the blank moms- you guys are the REAL DEAL. You are my heroes for holding down the fort and being incredible moms! 👏 2. My husband is AMAZING. I don’t know if I realized just how much he contributes to our household beyond the stereotypical “bringing home the bacon” thing. There is a gaping hole when he’s not here and I have a deeper sense of gratitude for him! 👏 
 3. Parenting is exhausting and we are all just getting by. Full stop. 😬 We need to keep growing in grace and understanding with each other because this gig is HARD YOU GUYS. 👏 With all the fighting and division in our country, can we all agree that these kids are all CRAZY? Like, they’re crazy awesome, but they’re also full-blown crazy and conspiring against us. I think we can all come together on that one. What’s the hardest part about your husband being out of town? The most annoying part for me is the garbage, but the hardest part is definitely having to tackle two bedtime routines on my own!

🎉 GIVEAWAY!! @erinselderberries & I are teaming up to give away a beautiful glass trio of elderberry syrup, aronia syrup, and her genius Yum Punch to one lucky winner! @erinselderberries is an amazing mom-owned business helping us all have healthy and happy families. My family has used elderberry syrup for years to boost our immune system, and Erin’s is absolutely delicious! 😍 I LOVE supporting moms who are following their passions to help provide for their families, and I’m so excited to give away this prize to one of you (swipe left to see)! Entering is easy: 1. Follow @modernhipstermama and @erinselderberries 2. Save this post (tap flag on right side) 3. Tag as many friends as you’d like in separate comments (each tag is an entry). 
Share this post to your stories for an extra entry (must be public and tag me so I know). Giveaway ends February 28th at 11:59pm PST. USA only. Good luck!!

Influencers made me feel like a crappy mom. 😭 When I was struggling with postpartum depression, not being able to breastfeed, and definitely not bouncing back to my pre-baby body, Instagram was like a toxic drug that I’d binge on during pumping sessions, midnight feedings, or when I sunk into the couch in mid-afternoon exhaustion. I kept coming back for more, but my guilty pleasure left me feeling even more inadequate. Years later, here I am. A “mom blogger.” 🙊🤣 It’s a constant temptation to nip and tuck and present a perfect version of myself on here - but I specifically started this account to be the person I NEEDED to find on Instagram 5 years ago. There are a thousand voices all telling me their secret to success, brand deals, and popularity - and none of them involve posting photos with no makeup, 4 year old baggy sweatpants, and a child who refuses to wear anything other than bright orange pajamas every day. And did I mention the screen time? Like, I’m not even trying to hide the fact that my kids use tablets ALL. THE. TIME. I love makeup. I definitely wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to lay on a beach in Mexico in all my fake bake glory. I adore an organized and spotless home. But if I only showed you the idealized version of my life, I wouldn’t be letting you into my reality whatsoever. And I would HATE to make any mom feel like she’s all alone in this crazy parenting thing. So thank you for being here as I do this crazy experiment of mine. Thanks for letting me be real. If it encourages even one mom, it’s worth it. 💗💗💗

Ryan & I lost over 75 pounds with the keto diet, and so many people have asked for our tips and tricks. I’ve finally put together a blog post (link in bio) with everything I wish I knew when I first started keto and low carb! 🙌 While I’m not keto now (in maintenance mode and indulging in moderate carbs these days), Ryan continues to be super low carb, so we do lots of keto recipes every day! 😋 After having two kids, doing the keto diet was much less about how others viewed me, and much more about pursuing health in every way. Keto taught me SO much about moderation and controlling my emotional eating, and it truly changed my life. Check out the blog post (link in bio) and please share with your friends! 💪

It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on 10 years of marriage!! 😱 As the snow piles up today, I’m reminded of the snow day when Ryan & I realized we were falling for each other. 😍 In the spirit of nostalgia, here’s our #ValentinesDayChallenge! But I wanna know in the comments… how did YOU meet your significant other? 💗 How you met: The 1st day of my 2nd semester at the University of Memphis! 💗 First date: Bubble tea 💗 How long have you been together: Almost 11 years 💗 Married: 10 years this May! 💗 Kids: 2 💗 Age difference: 6 years 💗 Who was interested first: Him... apparently I had been on his radar the previous semester! 😏 💗 Who said I love you first: Him 💗 Favorite tv show to watch together: The Office obviously 🤣 💗 Most sensitive: Me 💗 Loudest: Him for sure 🤪 💗 Most stubborn: Might be a tie 🙊 💗 Falls asleep first: He could fall asleep during an air raid 💗 Cooks better: We both hold our own! 😋 💗 Better morning person: Him for sure 💗 Most competitive: We are both too competitive 😬 💗 Funniest: Him 🙄 💗 Where do you eat out most as a couple? Thai or authentic Mexican 💗 Who is more social? He thrives on social interaction - I have to recharge after it 💗 Where was your first kiss? The El Porton parking lot 🤣🤣🤣 💗 Do you get flowers often? I build my own custom bouquets at the farmer’s market bc I’m bougie 🤣 💗 How long did it take to get serious? When he asked me to be his girlfriend on April Fools Day, he already knew how and when he would propose 😭 💗 Who plans date night? We take turns (they’re all at home these days) 💗 Who has more tattoos? Him 💗 Spends the most? Him… I was the one who didn’t use air conditioning during Memphis summers to save every penny of my $5.25 minimum wage 🤣 💗 Where is the furthest you two have traveled together? Jamaica on a cruise 🚢 It’s YOUR TURN! Tag me in your Valentine Challenge photos… but in the comments here, tell me HOW you met YOUR love!