This post was created in partnership with DSW. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of DSW.
May brings us Mother’s Day, I feel beyond blessed to welcome this holiday with our brand new daughter Noah. Her new addition makes us a happy family of six, (seven if you count our dog Jeffrey) a looong-time journey for our family, but I’ve got to be honest, while being full of love and joy, motherhood doesn’t always look the way I imagined it would when I younger. It isn’t Pinterest perfect, (despite the adorable photos you see here) often I’m covered in Noah’s spit-up while helping Jackson rehearse lines for a school play, while helping Ford color a picture of a dragon breathing fire, and then kindly asking Sawyer to turn down the volume of his favorite video game. That’s on a good day. Then there are the days when my only goal is to keep the boys from hitting each other while mommy tries to write her next cookbook. It’s a constant juggling act, wonderful, beautiful, but if I’m being totally honest, it’s also tough. In fact, it’s my most difficult job, and I own and run a company. That’s why when DSW asked me to share about how I “March on” as a Mom I couldn’t help but sit and reflect on all things motherhood…the good, the bad, and the ugly. I believe that no matter what though, we as moms need to march on and we can do that with patience, grace, and a really killer pair of comfortable shoes. So how do I march on? A whole lot of maneuvering with ninja-like precision, so I’d like to share a few simple ways that I continue to laugh, cry, and sometimes drink, in order to march on as a mom.
Be grateful for the little things- I make sure to take time each day to really embrace the smaller things as they are happening, especially with my brand new baby girl. The smell of her sweet head, the weight of her tiny little body on my chest as she sleeps, how she can pull off a bow like a darn supermodel, I mean just take a moment to appreciate our matching outfits. All of these smaller moments help me bounce back when those bigger moments seem to take over.
The Power Of Listening- My job, family, and simply trying to do all of the things keeps me busy. With all the constant chaos, there are times when the noise of life gets so loud that it feels like I can’t even hear over it. That’s when I take a breath and just listen. Jackson and I have conversations like this all the time where he tells me about how him and his friends becoming Greek Gods and Goddesses at school. Whether we are sitting on the front porch (in our DSW shoes) or going out for ice cream I always make sure to take time with each of my guys to listen to their stories and take in what the are saying because that keeps me present.
Plan Your Next Forward Steps- Life comes at us a mile a minute. To help me feel in control, I prep and plan as much as possible. I’m probably the most organized person you’ll ever meet, obsessively in love with list making, and I live and die by a great calendar. The reason I try to plan ahead so much is because it actually helps me create the time in my busy life to then let go and not have to worry, if I know where the backpacks are and that I’ve got my comfy pair of sneakers (that I just snatched up from DSW) laid out for our mother-son play date with Sawyer in his sneakers, then I’m able to live it up in that moment.
When in doubt DANCE- Basically my life motto. In my experience, an epic dance party with my kids or really anyone for that matter can solve most things. In the times when parenting seems overwhelming, I turn up some Lady Ga Ga and bust a move with the boys. Ford is my main man when dancing because he can not only sing every song but he has cool moves. And of course we have to make it even cuter by wearing his favorite color RED. The extra touch are these super cute sandals and of course Ford in his favorite color converse. I invite you to try it, the next time you feel like giving up, instead, get down. I tend to find that these are the moments that I live for and remember most. The instant silliness factor gives me a positive outlook and helps me to overcome and be the mom that can march on.
