Growing up, I thought the plastic masks and flimsy costumes were the height of Halloween costumes. My mom wasn’t crafty, though she did sew on a cat’s tail for one of my costumes one year even though it was cold out, so I had to hide my tail under my bulky coat. Halloween seemed like a lot of work for little pay off when I was a kid.

Honestly, Halloween hasn’t always been a favorite, but I discovered a hidden talent once I became a mom.

Over the years, my kids and I have made some fun and unconventional costumes with the most basic supplies. My kids will start to brainstorm about what they want to be starting in August because it has become such a fun tradition, not because they feel pressure. They come up with the idea, and then we research how to make it. We go to the dollar store and get the supplies we need. Some years we have had to go to the craft store or hardware store if we needed something specific, but the dollar store is a treasure trove of costume-making materials. Some of the recent favorites we have made have been a Unites States Postal Box and the Empire State building. 

Last year was a bust for many kids trick or treating, and we are excited to have our small-town parade and trick or treating back. Though my son was a mime and my younger son recycled our T-Rex skeleton. I think homemade costumes are the best and don’t have to be overwhelming to make. I once made my son the Hungry Hungry caterpillar out of a knitted hat we had and a puffer jacket, so simple.

So to encourage you to get creative, I will share my favorite supplies.

Things I have found at local dollar stores or craft stores:

• A glue gun- I am not a great seamstress, so I have used my glue gun instead of sewing. If you have a glue gun you can make anything.
• Bungie cords or paracord- use them to make straps 
• Spray paint- Use a mask and do it in the grass for less mess. We have painted in the past but spray paint cover and dries quickly
• Foam boards- They are light, easy to cut, and come in colors.
• Poster boards if you need a more flexible material to create say a dome roof
• A bag of poly filler- To stuff anything or create clouds
• Foam (Foamma)- I used this to make a T-rex skeleton and giant toast
• Battery operated candles or string lights
• Fabric

Things you will find in your home:

• Boxes – all shapes and sizes from all those amazon orders 😉
• Duct tape and Packing tape
• Scissors
• exacto knife (only for grownups to use)
• old hats or gloves – add cut-up foam for claws or horns
• old sweaters or old dress clothes

The only thing you can’t buy, which is the most important thing, is a spirit of fun and creativity. As I tell my son, we don’t want them to look perfect; otherwise, people won’t know we made it.

There is plenty of time left to create your homemade costume and make some treasured memories in the process.

The post Small budgets are the best for creative and memorable Halloween costumes. appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

For years I struggled with falling asleep at night. I was exhausted, but the minute my head hit my pillow, I was thinking about all the things I needed to get done or hadn’t done, going over conversations that I wished I could change, or simply worrying about my kids.

I laid there tortured each night by these endless thoughts. I would then end up scrolling Instagram to get my brain to shut off. The next thing I knew, it was 2 am or later. I’d wake up exhausted in the morning and repeat again and again.

Sound Familiar?

I was miserable most mornings waking up with this cloud of dread that stayed with me all day until I established two habits that cured those sleepless nights.

Three years ago, I started a simple habit called Morning pages (or Mind Dump pages). I had heard about them in my early 20’s from the book the Artist Way by Julia Camron but was never committed to doing them. 

Basically, you just write stream of consciousness for three pages first thing in the morning. Just dump everything that is on your mind. No worries about spelling or grammar or even making sense. Just let it all go on the page. 

It usually takes me about 15 min and I enjoy my morning coffee while I write them.

They work best if you do them first thing, but that is not always easy for moms. I do set my alarm to wake up before my kids, but that might be hard if you have early risers. On the days I sleep in or my kids wake up before me, I carve out the 15 minutes once I have met the morning needs.

I find that it still helps no matter when I do them.

There is magic in handwriting your thoughts. Most days, it’s “I’m so tired, I can’t write,” but other times, I have moments of clarity in figuring out problems I have been worrying about. I find my thoughts become inspiring, and I get a boost of energy after writing them (though my coffee probably helps with that).

Most importantly, they help me to stay in touch with myself. By writing your thoughts, you learn to listen to what you need. 

As moms, we are so busy listening to everyone else’s needs that we forget to listen to our desires. The pages help connect you to you.

Once I started doing the pages regularly, I found that at night once I laid my head on my pillow, my mind wasn’t racing anymore. I had found a little island of peace and could close my eyes without being bombarded with coulda, shoulda, and woulda thoughts.

The other habit I started was putting my phone on the charger in my bathroom. That way, it was not on my bedside table calling to me to check on. So if I was having a hard time sleeping, I wasn’t tempted to start scrolling. This simple trick has saved me from mindless scrolling and losing hours of sleep in the process.

The bonus was that I also had to get up to hit snooze on my alarm which helped me not sleep through it.

I am not perfect in these habits. There are times when life catches me off guard, and I miss writing the pages or keeping my phone next to me. It’s ok if that happens to you when you try them, but the beauty is that you can start over each day.

These two habits helped me conquer my sleepless nights, and though I don’t always wake up refreshed and full of energy (that’s why coffee is my best friend), I wake up lighter and without feeling dread for the day ahead.

I encourage you to try these for a week and see how you feel. All you need is lined paper and a pencil to get started.

I’ve created a coloring and journal book called ART of a MOM if you want some inspiration to start writing those morning pages. The coloring book has some of my most popular illustrations but also has journal prompts that can get those words flowing 

Click this link to buy it on Amazon.

The post 2 things I did that cured my sleepless nights appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

In my recent Instagram post, I shared that I’ve struggled with negative self-talk a lot in my motherhood journey. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of how bad it was until I heard my son repeat the same things I said in a whisper to myself.

When I had minor mishaps or careless mistakes, I’d say, “I’m the worst or “how stupid of me,” and much worse. Then he was saying the same things to himself when his blocks fell over. I felt heartbroken hearing him talk to himself that way but knew where he had heard it. 

It was my negative words coming out in his sweet toddler voice. 

Our children are always watching and hearing us. We know that to be true. 

The thing is we sometimes don’t see it till our sweet babies reflect it back to us.

We don’t want our children to talk down to themselves, so we need to be aware of how we are talking to ourselves.

So now that we have brought our awareness to this sneaky behavior how can we change it?

First start we have to start with what exactly is it that we are saying to ourselves. Most of us will have a loop that plays in our heads unconsciously. Start making notes of what that voice is saying. Does it sound like “I’m so tired and lazy” or “I’m so gross” or “I’m just not good enough”  

Whatever is your go-to thought, you need to hear it for what it is. It’s that lower self keeping you down. 

Next, replace the negative go-to thought with something positive. We need to change the script. Sometimes it will be a whole new phase, or sometimes it is just adding the word Yet.

Here are some examples of what I am talking about.

When I hear “I’m so tired” I turn into I am full of energy.

Or “I’m so disorganized” to I am learning to be more organized”

It’s not easy to change these patterns, but it starts with awareness and the willingness to change.

To help you with this process it’s important to expose yourself to positive thoughts. I am a big fan of affirmations or mantras. They can be simple or specific. You have to seek out the positive instead of focusing on the negative. If you don’t know where to start, I created an email series called 7 days of affirmations to restore the light to your motherhood. You can sign up for it here. 

The last step is to practice gratitude.

It’s hard to say negative things when you are in a place of gratitude because you see all the blessings around you. I practice gratitude first thing in the morning as I sip my coffee and as I drift off to sleep at night. I’ve found that rattling off the things that I am grateful for helps my brain calm down when I am stressed or anxious. Gratitude is a simple but powerful tool to banish those negative thoughts.

My negative thoughts once plagued me, and it was spilling into my family.

Now I know how to control them with these simple yet powerful steps. I was allowed to change that loop in my head, and now I get to share the steps that helped fill my cup with light.

The post How do you fill your cup? appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

I found myself sitting on a picture-perfect day on my sofa in our den lost, bingeing back-to-back Grey’s Anatomy episodes and making excuses to my friends about why I needed to cancel meeting up at the park and just felt like I couldn’t move. My kids were happily making a mess of our living room and watching Disney Jr in the background. I was still nursing my youngest at the time, and he would tottle over to me when he needed me. I was using my children’s needs as a cloak to hide behind and why I couldn’t get anything done, but I was spiraling into a depression. 

Somehow my dream of motherhood had turned into a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from—the 24/7 neediness of my children that I had craved as a young 20 something had consumed me. The occasional glance in the mirror showed someone I no longer recognized. I looked to have an ideal life to the outside world, but inside, I was in a dark hole.

Here is the story of how I lost myself and then found myself and why I am so passionate about inspiring other mothers to find themselves.

After that day I knew I had to change something or I was going to be lost forever. I realized it was in my hands, but I didn’t know the first step to take, and I was scared. I was scared of the shame and guilt I felt for having failed my family and ultimately failed at motherhood. 

See, I had always dreamed of being a SAHM. This was what I would write in my journals about staying home and raising my children. I wanted to have a husband and family and bake and volunteer, and I was blessed to have the ability to live out this dream. My husband was wonderful and supportive and my kids were loving and sweet.

What was my problem? Why was I feeling despair and frustrated? I had time and support but yet I felt frozen.

When I had my first son, I had superpower energy. I was a homemaker extraordinaire, found wonderful mom friends, and even started my own family photography business when he was 9 months old. I thought motherhood is great and I had found my happily ever after. Even when my husband was let go of his job around our son’s first birthday, I was making enough money to help out through my photography business. He went back to work 6 months later and my photography business continued to grow. I had regular playdates with my mom friends and was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Soon we were expecting our second child, and I felt great! I felt like I had mastered motherhood and it was everything I dreamed it could be.

Then after I had my second child I saw a slow change in myself. I found the hustle of 2 kids to be very draining. My body wasn’t bouncing back and my hair was getting more and more greys. I closed my photography business because I didn’t want to be away from my family for sessions, plus my second wasn’t a napper, so I didn’t have as much kid-free time anymore. I was generally happy but had lost the joy in the everyday. The mom friends I had cherished became busy with school activities and our little pod was breaking up. The children were growing up, and I was slowly falling apart.

My oldest started Kindergarten and my baby started nursery school, and I thought I would have the energy back like that first year of motherhood. But it didn’t come back. The schedules and errands of mom life took over. I found the occasional pocket of time to work on my photography and art projects but was constantly distracted by the kids and family obligations. I kept saying things would get more manageable, and I’d have time to figure out what I wanted from life.

Then my dog died. He was my first baby and had been a constant guardian during the newborn phases with both my boys. He was a constant companion and support during those long days of motherhood. His death was unexpected and sudden and it devastated me. 

I stopped doing things I loved and just lived for my kids and husband. I let myself get lost in being a mother as a noble and selfless act. Chasing my passions and dreams was a distraction from my one true mission, to only care for my family and make their desires come true. I turned my grief into a mission to be the best mom my family could have, and I thought I was doing just that.

Then the wheels came off. My son was diagnosed with extreme anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. He had just turned 8! My baby was languishing and I had missed it. In striving to be a perfect mom by sacrificing myself I had failed. 

How could this be??? I thought to myself. I have done everything  “right” just as society had taught us to believe, from feeding organic low sugar foods, never being late for pick up to reading endless bedtime stories, saying positive affirming statements, and so on. My husband and I created a loving home, meeting his every need or so I thought.

 I realized that day we can’t grow in darkness. By shutting myself down I was draining the love and life of my family. Though I was there on the surface, my sensitive and loving son absorbed the darkness I thought I was hiding. By not pursuing my creativity, passions, and dreams, I was, in essence, poisoning my own family.

As mothers, we are the hearts of our homes. Our energy is what our family grows from, and so it is so important to know yourself and allow yourself to find your joy.

Being a mother is my dream but it is not all I am.

I started to heal myself and reengaged my passions. I took art classes and allowed myself to have dreams outside my motherhood. I started journaling which lead to creating illustrations and collaborated with other like-minded moms. That’s how I started growupbrite. It started as an Instagram page to inspire other families dealing with ADHD and other diagnoses but became my outlet to heal through. I shared the beauty and painful moments in motherhood and left moms to feel seen and inspired.

I came home to myself, and the most amazing gift happened. My family began to bloom again. I realized the more I connected with my dreams, the happier my family became, and in turn, I became too. I realized that just living for my family was not truly living at all.

I believe that every mom has a creative dream to live. I see how we use our abilities and skills to create in every aspect of mothering, and sometimes we just need a little help to uncover it. I use my story to help other moms regain their spirit. The Greeks use the term muses to describe someone that inspires creative ideas or artistic expressions. My goal now is to be a muse for modern moms to help them find the inspiration to live their dreams and grow the next generation of dreamers.

During this time of intense mothering, we can be in danger of allowing ourselves to be swallowed up, and then once our children become adults, we no longer know ourselves anymore. I don’t want moms to go through what I went through to find themselves. 

I believe that by cultivating your creativity during this intense time in motherhood, you can find your north star so that it is always there to guide you, but sometimes we need a muse to show us the path, and that’s why I’m here.

The post My Story appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

Over the years fathers have done an amazing job setting boundaries for themselves and creating peaceful places for them to go and get away from the real world. And it’s an approach that overall has been widely accepted by society, enough so that a father’s sacred space has even coined itself a name,  a ‘man cave’. 

And in seeing the benefits that having one’s own personal space provides we have even found time and room to create this same idea of sacred space for our kids by setting up designated playrooms, or less commonly known as ‘kid caves’. And these spaces, just like the man cave, have become so instilled in society that entire homes are being designed  with playrooms in mind. 

But my question is why did we stop there?

I don’t know if it was the motivation springing from the start of a new school year or the burnt out summer version of me coming to the surface, but either way over the last few weeks I began to realize more and more how much I was missing a sacred space for myself. 

Somewhere where I could go and hide, even if it was for only 5 minutes, but a place for me to just decompress, cry, laugh, read, eat chocolate, or anything else that my heart desires. 

And that’s when it hit me… I needed a ‘Mom Cave’.

Then right after that thought I felt a pang of guilt creep up from within. I started to have thoughts like ‘who am I to take an entire room away from my family?’ or ‘that space could be used for so much more than just my hideout.’

However, these thoughts are part of the problem. We have spent years normalizing sacred spaces for our family but we have neglected to normalize sacred space for ourselves. 

Instead of taking some time and some space to allow ourselves to thrive as individuals, we continue to give and give. 

Moms, it’s time that we learn that it’s okay to take and in fact it’s down right necessary if we want to continue to be the amazing mothers that we are. Because taking time to ourselves or space to ourselves is how we recharge our battery in order to help our kids flourish. 

Not to mention how important it is that we demonstrate safe and healthy ways to set boundaries and perform self care so our children don’t grow up with the old antiquated mindset that a man cave is okay but a mom cave isn’t. 

So this week take some time to decide where your sacred space is going to be. Whether it’s an entire room or your bathroom, just decide where it is and then make it yours. Bring in some magazines or artwork that inspires you. Light some candles to relax you. Or find a place to stash all the good candy this Halloween. And finally use it! 

Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, sad, excited, motivated, whatever it is. Go ahead and take 5 fully selfish minutes to yourself. 

We’ve all heard of the man cave and now it’s time we start normalizing the mom cave.

The post Why You Need a Mom Cave appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

I’ll be the first to admit my kids are not my whole world. But before you sputter and gasp at this cringeworthy admission, hear me out. 

My kids are my number one priority and play a central role in my life; but they are not my world. Why? Because it’s an expectation I refuse to place on myself or on my children.

Now don’t get me wrong, when I became a mother my entire being shifted. I found myself viewing the world through a completely different lens now that this little sweet but often smelly, being moved in. I found as my baby grew I was closing my eyes during the scary parts of movies again, gauging everyday household items based on the degree of danger they posed, and I slowly started to morph myself into the expectation of motherhood that society spoon feeds us on a daily basis. 

Between mommy bloggers and the never-ending Pinterest boards, I began to place unreasonable expectations on myself and on my child. 

Our time quickly became consumed with various crafts, activities, and playdates; and my calendar quickly filled with endless to-do’s and household chores. 

It wasn’t long before we both succumbed to a level of exhaustion that would never have happened if I would have followed one piece of advice: relax and enjoy the ride. 

It’s the piece of advice that unwelcome strangers give us as we walk through the grocery store with a screaming toddler in tow. The advice of: ‘Enjoy it while you can’ or ‘You’ll miss this one day’ that we often dismiss or try to ignore. 

As a new mom I was less worried about enjoying the small things and more worried about doing it right. Making sure I was giving my child the best experiences, the best opportunities, and the best of friends. And in doing so I began to lose myself and lose sight of what’s really important after all: the journey. 

It’s not just the little things I needed to enjoy but also the big things, and everything else in between. We were missing out on opportunities for growth because that’s what the journey is all about. It’s about growing as individuals, us as mothers but also our children. And in order for us to grow we need to have space. 

But so often we pack our schedules so tight that we leave little to no space for the miracles to happen. 

Space to find the parts of motherhood we love, and the parts we don’t. Space for us to embrace our strengths and delegate our weaknesses. Space for us to evolve not only as mothers but as individuals as well. 

And the much-needed space for our children. Space for them to make mistakes on their own and to discover who they are and what they like. Space for them to play and pretend. And most importantly space for them to be bored and create. 

For a brief period of time, I had made my child my entire world, and it wasn’t good for either of us. 

So now instead of a packed calendar and endless playdates, I’ve decided to schedule out space for both of us to play, to grow, and to enjoy the ride together.

The post My children are no longer my entire world and we are all the more happy for it. appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

It’s back to school time and the excitement of new beginnings is in the air. Getting our kids ready for school with all the new supplies and clothes brings me back to that familiar feeling of September when everything was fresh and exciting . School wasn’t always my favorite but I do love to learn. Now we are the moms and back to school is for our kids. 

Or is it?

What if we recreated our own little You-niversity and called it MOM U. It would be just for you. A chance to focus a little time each day on the forever student inside us that wants to learn and grow. I used nap times to learn photography so I could take pictures of my children I treasure today. They were too little to remember me reading and practicing but I have all the proof in the images displayed in my house. Now I am teaching myself digital art and how to grow a business and my boys benefit from seeing that learning never stops.

If you are interested in starting your own MOM U, here are 5 steps on how to create your own.

1. Pick a topic or hobby you have always wanted to try. Maybe you want to learn Italian cooking, photography, yoga or how to build a bookcase . The world is at your fingertips so let yourself explore. Choose a combination of podcast, YouTube videos, books or an influencer that you love that educates you on your subject. Really have fun with this and let yourself dream big. I’ve always loved Skillshare, it’s great for quick videos by talented creatives if you are looking to learn art.
2. After you pick your subject for the semester, treat yourself to some new supplies. It doesn’t have to break the bank but a fresh new notebook and a fun pen or pencil can really bring you back to that youthful energy. Maybe even a new sweater that is super comfy and scholarly or coffee mug that inspires you as you sip and listen
3. Create a space where you can “study”. It can be a corner with a comfy chair or clear off a table and make it your “desk”. If you’re learning about something that needs space to practice then the garage or outdoors may be the spot. Just make it your spot to be inspired. Decorate it and make it special. Tell the kids you’re going to school when you enter that spot. Maybe let them pack you a snack, if they are old enough. You will be modeling such great study skills during your semester at MOM U.
4. Give yourself a daily goal to complete or mark time off each day to concentrate on the subject of your choice. Maybe it’s when the kids are watching their show, naptime or when they are at school if they are school age. I used to sit on my porch and watch video on photography while my little one was napping in the stroller. Most importantly, don’t let the chores or errands take you away or use them as an excuse to skip MOM U. It can be as little as 15 minutes a day but be consistent in however you choose to show up.
5. Share what you are learning about with a friend or your partner or even on social media. You can even create a “study group” with other moms to share. By sharing it will help you stay accountable and you may inspire another mom to learn from you. When we share what we are learning it really helps us to stay motivated.

This list is just a starting point. It can be as serious or simple as you wish. It’s your YOU-niversity so you make the rules and grading criteria. Some days you will not want to go but those are the days you will need it most. Carving out these pockets of time to purposefully allow your brain to grow will be a gift and your future self will thank you.

I hope this list encourages you to start your own MOM U. You deserve to have new beginnings even as a mom. It’s a beautiful thing to never stop learning and growing! 

The post Back to school isn’t just for the Kids appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

We do our best to be the best moms we can be.

We roll ourselves out of bed at unbelievably early hours, feeding and clothing our little ones before the caffeine has even hit our bloodstream. We scroll Pinterest for dinner recipes and cute DIY crafts, that we may or may not even do. We spend our days feeding, cleaning, chauffeuring, planning, organizing, and so much more. 

I would accomplish so much yet when asked that one cringe-worthy question I’d seem to buckle at the knees and forget all that I’ve done. It’s as if my entire self-worth is boiled down into that one question and how I respond- 

‘So, what did you do all day?’

Instead of looking back on our day with pride and glory, we look around and the dishes not done, the pile of laundry not folded, or the toys strewn across the floor. Our perspective is immediately drawn away from all the amazing things we did to all the little tasks we didn’t do.

It’s a tale as old as time. We become mothers and we suddenly expect ourselves to be able to manage it all, the household chores, the kids, the volunteering, the car-pooling, the playdates, the side hustles, everything. We expect ourselves to become productivity machines.

And we have set these expectations all while relying on a skewed, society driven definition of what it means to be productive instead of creating our own. 

It’s the hustle mentality, the work hard mentality that we learned in school, in corporate America, and in the media that we have allowed to seep into how we define and value ourselves as mothers.

We have tied our self-worth to someone else’s definition of what it means to be productive.

But it’s time we start rewriting history. It’s time that we take back and redefine what it means to be productive. Or maybe it’s time that we give up the idea and the expectations all together and start cherishing the unproductive days.

That’s what I did. 

I cherished the days where I rewashed the same load of laundry for the third time because we were too busy playing hide and seek to put it in the dryer.

I cherished the days where I cuddled and read stories or  we watched movies all day forgetting about the sink full of dishes.

I cherished the days where all I do is wipe away tears, give hugs, and do my best to manage those big emotions boiling out of these little people.

Next time we’re asked, “what did you do all day?” Don’t be shy. These are the days that we should be most proud of.

These are the days that we’re connecting and caring. These are the days we’re going to miss the most.

And these are the days that our kids will remember, not the days when the dishes were clean or the piles of laundry were folded. 

But the days where we played, we cuddled, and we loved with all our might.

They remember the days we were not only there, but truly present.

So let’s take back our days, let’s redefine productivity in motherhood. Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your child is to be completely unproductive.

The post How being unproductive was the most productive thing I’ve ever done as a mom appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

As moms, we are the curator of our children’s memories.

We keep the finger paintings, the scribbles on note pads, the mother’s day projects, and endless other papers that fill our homes.

It is another burden that can weigh on our motherhood journey and make us feel trapped.

I have been guilty of holding one saying I will make photo books out of the endless “art” they bring home. But I don’t, and it ends up stuffed in drawers or bags that fill my closets. I can’t bear to throw them away, but also I can breathe from the weight of all of it.

But approaching the paper piles without a plan can spell big trouble.

One time I did start throwing away any school paper my son’s teacher had checked only to find out that he was supposed to keep his state of the week sheets for an end-of-the-year project. Total mom fail that then made me stress to never throw anything out with double checking again.

I had a chance to talk with Tamar Prager  (who is an expert on dealing with “paper weight” ) about coping with the end-of-school papers on their way home in the backpacks of children as the end of the school year quickly approaches.

Tamar gave helpful tips on ways to approach the paper clutter so that everyone feels lighter from it.

The top 3 tips I took away from our insightful conversation were.

1) Know your child -Is everything a must keep or do they even care? She said some kids have no attachment, and you can quickly go through their papers with or without (though I now always go through with them to avoid the mistake I shared above).

Other kids are attached to every piece of paper. In those cases, she suggested having a waiting period to allow for the energy of the end of the school year to disperse and showing a few pieces at a time. It’s not worth fighting over the papers but allow for a contained space to hold them while you go through the process.

2) Have a Bin or box ready so you know where you are keeping and how much space you have. 

You can get a fancy plastic bin or just save an amazon box. Label what you are putting in it and have space where you will store it.

3) What is your intention for keeping the paper/project?

Knowing why you are keeping it helps to figure out if it’s essential or just extra. Tarma said, “As moms, we are the containers for so very much. Finding ways to let a lot of it go, is such a worthwhile path.” Have a conversation with your child beforehand to help them think about what they need or want and what they can let go. Holding on to papers creates hidden burdens that we will need to process at some point. Teaching children to let go of these unnecessary papers will help them to let go of other weights in life that hold them back.

In the end what we keep we allow to hold a place in our lives. Allowing ourselves the freedom to let go instead of being a prisoner to these memories can help us to treasure the present moments with our family without the burden of stuff.

Go check out the live for the entire conversation and leave a comment if you found it liberating. Also, check out @tamarprager for more tips on getting rid of paper weight. 

The post Letting go of your children’s memories so you can both feel Liberated. appeared first on Growupbrite Illustrations.

Good Mom Friends are like knowing Unicorns exist.

What makes a mom friend a Unicorn friend?

These moms that are chill, make you laugh but can sympathize with your challenges. They make you feel on-trend but unique at the same time. They are always is prepared and know all the fun places but don’t make you feel self-conscious or like a hot mess when you arrive late for the playdate. Moms that show up with the correct beverage of choice and whose advice never fails. They are magical in a way that after you leave them, you feel inspired and uplifted.

They make you feel like you are not alone on this journey called motherhood.

Finding Good Mom friends may seem as elusive as spotting a Unicorn.

Where do you find them, and how do you become friends with them?

Traditional ways have been pouncing on them at playgrounds or sitting next to them at mommy and me classes. Other ways are through social media apps, especially my favorite Instagram. But in a case of fate, you end up on their front lawn with the town police helping you to catch your run-away dogs and discover your best friend.

However, you come across them celebrate it for finding a unicorn mom friend. It is hitting the lottery of mom friends.

Mom friends are a constant source of

Though we all have our struggles and different viewpoints that can challenge us, there is comfort in knowing that we are growing and changing together. Having a chance to share about nighttime feedings, diaper blowouts, and how our bodies and hair are changing allows us to feel connected.

Motherhood with mom friends that support you is worth their weight in gold.

So may you find them but more importantly be one!

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