My Mama Morning Routine and Free Morning Routine Checklist

Having a stay-at-home-mom morning routine with a baby that starts you off on a productive foot is no small feat. Last year, I wrote about my struggle with getting started for the day and how I developed a morning routine to combat the feeling of chaos and exhaustion.

The biggest takeaway? Carving out some time for self-care.

Holidays, changing weather, and a baby growing into a toddler caused my morning routine to eventually slip up, but the beauty of a routine is that they are allowed to shift, to evolve, to change completely.

Over time, I've found that there are a few constants to set me up for a productive day. Develop your own morning routine with my tips, or print out my fill-in-the-blank free morning routine checklist at the end of this post. 

So, I chose to give myself some grace and embrace the new season.

Gentle Newborn Routines to Strengthen Your Bond with Baby

My third trimester was filled with anxiety, and then depression ascended, and my days ebbed and flowed. Panic, anxiety, and a never ending list of tasks led into a spiral of inner thoughts that convinced me my husband and unborn child would thrive if they had a different woman in the house.

Someone more efficient, more cheerful, more kind.  Don't get me wrong, I did a LOT to reduce my stress during pregnancy, but postpartum depression and anxiety still found a way to meet me in my newfound motherhood. 

By week 3, my husband went back to work, and family wouldn't be making another visit for awhile.

I was facing my first week alone with my baby during the day, and I was scared. 

What if I get frustrated? What if we don’t bond? What if I make a mistake because I’m too tired? My mind kept thinking a schedule would protect her, but I knew it was impossible to schedule a newborn.

3 Simple Ways to Worship God with Your Toddler

We've been doing family devotions at home with Anna since she was about 12 months old, and I wish we had started sooner!

Not only does our 3-step approach allow God time to minister to my heart and my husband's heart when we were otherwise skipping over family devotional time, but it lays a foundation for our daughter to know God's love for her.

Family Devotions at Home with a Toddler

There's not much to it. The best part? It takes 5-10 minutes and can be achieved in three easy steps:

1. Sing a song of praise
2. Read a bible verse out loud
3. Say a prayer

Sing a song of praise

We are lucky that my husband plays guitar. In fact, his talent for music is, what I believe, a blessing from God, but he has gone years without playing it. The act of doing this with our daughter has brought his guitar out of its case on a daily basis.

Matt and I will pick a song for the week and sing it every day with Anna. Sometimes, it's a favorite hymn. Sometimes, it's as simple as Jesus Loves Me.

The point is that we are worshiping together, and God loves that, no matter how simple the song.

If you don't play an instrument, play a recording of the song and sing along!

I recommend doing this step first as most toddlers can't resist a good song and opportunity to get the wiggles out.

Pumpkin Patch Express in Durham NC

We are sitting on the Pumpkin Patch Express, children all around us "choo-choo-ing" and chattering excitedly. I lean my head on Matt's shoulder and close my eyes as Anna wraps her little hand around my fingers.

Speeding through the wooded terrain of the Museum of Life and Science, I feel whole and at home with my little family, all squished in this tiny train car, quiet and observant and at peace with one another.

Before I was a mother, I remember thinking things like this were more for the children than the adults. I didn't realize how strong the feeling of joy would be in seeing my own child delight in something.

And Anna will find a way to delight in anything. We call her the Joy Bringer for her smiles are like little secret treasures that make you feel like you're her most favorite person in the world.

I repeat the words, "My little family," in my mind over and over, relishing this moment. I squeeze Matt's arm and he presses in closer. We both sneak little kisses on Anna's cheeks, and she pats our hands and happily babbles in response.

As long as these two are beside me, I am always at home.

Books for Babies Under 1 - October Library Book Haul

Finding books for babies under 1 seems like an easy task, but when you want to be intentional about the things you're reading to them while also holding their attention, you often find some books just don't engage babies very well - or mom and dad for that matter. 

The result? You find yourself knee deep in baby books that no one wants to read. 

The library has been a godsend in terms of exploring new titles before we make a financial commitment. It's no secret that I'm a book lover raising my daughter to love books too, and I really want to work on building her a permanent collection of children's books that are not only appropriate for the current stage she is in, but also remain engaging as she gets older. 

One of the things I enjoy doing with her is visiting the library weekly. The children's section of our local library has a shelf dedicated to baby board books. Anna loves crawling over to the shelf to practice standing while I select some I hope she'll enjoy. 

Last week we checked out seven baby board books, and below, I'm sharing why I picked these books, along with Anna's reaction (or as much as a reaction a 10 month old can have), and my final thoughts on these books which will reflect if I found the book worth adding to our permanent collection.

Preparing for Baby: How I Reduced Stress During Pregnancy

Stress during pregnancy is inevitable, especially if you're a first time mom, and I had my fair share of it. With so many life changes hitting me all at once (like moving to another state, selling our home, quitting my job, and having a baby for the first time), I was having a hard time handling the transitions. 

More than ever, I needed to figure out how to reduce stress during my pregnancy not only for my own sanity, but for the health and well being of our baby. 

When I was pregnant, I ended up developing a mood disorder that remained with me six months postpartum and was officially diagnosed as Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. During my pregnancy, it manifested itself in severe anxiety that often left me struggling to sleep at night, not knowing when the next panic attack would show up.

How I Reduced Stress During Pregnancy

1. Limit Daily To-Do List to Three Essentials

When I would share that I was struggling with anxiety, a few people said it was normal during pregnancy, that hormones are just all over the place, but Matt and I knew that something was off. I know for some, they just wanted to help me feel better about what I was going through, but often, I left the conversations feeling misunderstood.

In the end, it was my concern for my baby that put me in front of a therapist. I wanted her to have a healthy mother.

The therapist helped me give myself permission to relax. We looked at what was causing me severe anxiety and she helped give me the tools I needed to handle it in healthier ways.

One of the areas of anxiety for me was being overwhelmed with the amount of tasks and chores I felt I needed to be doing, so one of the tools my therapist helped me with was to limit my daily to-do list to three essential things where one of those essentials needed to involve some kind of self care.

For me, those three essentials were getting out of the apartment, preparing for the baby, and completing a house task (like dusting or doing laundry)

I would also add some lavender essential oil to my diffuser during the day and have it on while I completed my tasks to help me stay calm and relaxed.

Tip: If you have a scent that you associate with happy memories, find a way to have it near you throughout your day whether you wear the scent or burn a scented candle. For me, my cousin gifted me a lavender scented moisturizer that I also used on my honeymoon. Ever since, lavender has been my signature scent that transports me to a joyful and peaceful time.

A Legacy of Grief or a Legacy of Joy: My Battle with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

There is fury and despair beneath the surface of my soul and it will get out if one more thing goes wrong.

And it always does.

I am afraid. I am sad. I am no one. I am nothing.

These phrases were on repeat in my head during my pregnancy, and they slithered into the first few months of Anna's life, robbing me of joy. Robbing me of all the hopes and ideas and stories I dreamt of whispering to her.

I lived this way for over a year.

For over a year, I smiled and nodded through finding out I was pregnant, quitting my job, moving, and navigating a new city.

For over a year, I smiled and nodded when people asked how I was doing.

But bubbling under the surface were lies, fears, and paranoia. They took over me, distorting my thoughts away from what was good.

DIY Book Page Art - How to Print on Book Pages

Did you know you can print on book pages? It's rather easy. You just need access to a printer, a graphic of your choosing, and book pages. I've put together this step-by-step tutorial to walk you through the process. When you're done? Frame it for a great gift or practically free wall art in your own home!


I love a good gallery wall, don't you? Whether we own our house or are renting an apartment, I always have at least one gallery wall going on which means I need a lot of unique wall decor to mix and match depending on the layout and needs of a room.

A couple of years ago, I made these quick book page art pieces to fill in a few gaps for a gallery wall and they've been such an easy, neutral addition to any room.

This project is SO EASY. No need for photoshop. You can do this DIY project in Microsoft Word for the cost of some printer ink, a picture frame, and a few ripped book pages.

How to Find Joy in your Morning Routine with a Baby

In my mind I can see the mother I want to be and when I wake in the morning, she is not there.

I am exhausted. Everything aches and I am resenting my daughter for needing me. I am jealous of my husband who gets to drive to work in silence. I am bitter from the memory of mornings spent in solitude and hot coffee.

I am not a morning person.

But the moment I entered motherhood, I was called to something greater and this morning grouch was not the woman my husband and daughter deserved.

In my selfishness, God met me through the giving heart of my husband who makes me breakfast everyday and tells me to forget the dishes when the baby naps and do something I find fulfilling.

So with my husband's lead, I set out to create a structured routine for my mornings. After all, our bedtime routine with the baby works so well, even the dog knows all the steps.

I wanted to see if it was possible to have a stay at home mom morning routine that not only fulfilled my personal needs, but also pushed me to find order and peace at the start of my day. 

I found myself in need of the mental energy to manage the house, devote time to my daughter, and pursue a project. 

So I asked myself: What is it about my mornings that leave me zapped before 9AM hits?

Here's what wasn't working:

• I wasn't showering until Anna's first nap
• The kitchen was left in a disaster until noon
• I wasn't spending time in God's word
• No time to myself

Once I saw the pain points, I made a list of five solutions I wanted to achieve in the morning that could help alleviate some of those problems.

Those 5 solutions were:

1. Eat breakfast as a family
2. Read a devotional
3. Listen to a podcast
4. Unload the dishwasher
5. Get out of the house

I found that I was already doing some of those things. We were already eating breakfast together and when we moved into our rental home, I started going for walks with Anna every morning. All I had to do was figure out where I could fit the rest in.

10 Newborn Essentials We Needed After the Baby Arrived

Before Anna was born, newborn essentials meant finding the most beautiful-yet-comfortable-welcome home outfit for our little baby.

It also meant countless hours of finding the safest-yet-affordable-yet-stylish baby gear.

While I'm happy to say all of our baby gear selections turned out to be great for us, I still had no idea what daily life was going to be like. Once we got home from the hospital and lived a week or two with our little baby, there were definitely a few key items we were scrambling to acquire after we brought the baby home.

If you're looking for a beautifully curated collection of perfectly matching items, this isn't the place to find them.  If you're looking for a post providing a million research-backed analysis on baby items, this isn't the place for that either. The following items were purchased out of exhaustion and desperation. These items are no-fuss and served us well in our need to problem solve on a whim.

Here's a list of 10 newborn essentials we bought after we brought Anna home

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases through some of the links in this post. Thank you so much for supporting me!

1. Seventh Generation Diapers

We started out with Pampers Swaddlers for sensitive skin, but around 1 month, we noticed a heavy duty rash appear no matter how clean we kept her. By accident, we ended up with a huge supply of Seventh Generation diapers which we didn't like at first as the newborn size was huge on her, but they turned out to be the only diapers that didn't irritate her as we fought night and day to get the diaper rash to go away. These diapers were also the most affordable disposable option in terms of bleach-free, all natural materials.

2. Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment

To help ease the diaper rash, we use Aquaphor. No fuss ingredients and it keeps moisture at bay without drying her skin. One tub got us through 2 months and for at least one month, we were applying it at every diaper change.

12 Days in Italy: An Itinerary

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links

It was the end of twelve glorious days in Italy with my husband, and we were sitting outside a tiny cafe on one of the oldest highways in the world: the Appian way, eating croissants with the rest of our Walks of Italy tour group. A young couple was mid-way through their one-week blitz through the country, and I was dizzy from the sound of their itinerary.

"You're going to visit how many cities in six days?" I nearly choked on my cappuccino. I felt like we barely saw the country in two weeks of travel, so I couldn't comprehend how this couple was going to visit twice as many places in half the time.

I made eye contact with Matt and smiled. I knew he was thinking about that day in Positano he wanted us to do too much and how, after we left that beautiful town, he would have been just as content sitting on our hotel balcony the whole time, soaking in the beautiful Mediterranean view. There were definite moments during our 12 days in Italy where we wasted more time trying to figure out how to "see everything" than actually seeing everything.

But the key to travel is always less is more. This isn't your how-to-see-ALL-of-Italy-in-12-days guide. This also isn't the perfect guide to Italy either. We made a lot of mistakes, and some of those mistakes turned out to be our favorite memories from the trip. Here's how we explored Italy along with a few recommendations and highlights.

Our Newborn's 5 Favorite Baby Books

I come from a family of book lovers and storytellers. My parents were always reading, and looking back, I find myself incredibly lucky to have witnessed them not only enjoy reading to me, but reading for fun on their own too.

My mother had shelves and trunks filled with books on nearly every subject from Colonial Williamsburg to Japanese cooking.  My father always had a book in the car and it would accompany him in waiting rooms or even to the movie theater right before they dim the lights for the previews.

Both of my grandmothers were filled with folk lore and rhymes, and aunts and uncles on both sides shared their favorite tales with me and my cousins. It was only natural that I chose to go to school for writing; after all, my love for a good story is in my bones.

How Italy Cured Me of the Internet

I am known, from time to time, to run away from the internet. There's something unnatural about this digital world, about the way it beckons me and keeps me captive.

It all started with two weeks in Italy a few years ago. Late night dinners with my husband that lasted for hours, twilight strolls in piazzas, quiet breakfasts overlooking the Mediterranean. No computers, limited phone data, and a different time zone from the majority of my community back home showed me that surviving without the internet in today's society isn't impossible.

It's amazing what fresh air and walks and food made from scratch can do for the body. It's amazing what a society, drenched in history and art can do for the soul.

The First Time: A Birth Story

The apartment is quiet and we are slow dancing to Tchaikovsky in the living room. Your little arm fits just so around my shoulder; your little head rests in the crook of my neck as you gaze out the window. You are six weeks old, and I am crying.

I'm thinking about my grandmother, your namesake. It is hard to explain to others how you embody her, for it is her character, her expression that lives in you and only those who knew her well can spot it. She was story come to life and as a storyteller, I am haunted by what I cannot provide for you: a story with a beginning, middle and end of how you came to be.

Civita di Bagnoregio: The City that Must Live

We were climbing a bridge to a city floating in the mist. A quiet mystery swirled around Civita di Bagnoregio. Our lungs fought to expand through our anticipation of what we would see beyond the gates.

A man asked if we would take his family's photo. In exchange, he would take ours. As the man raised our camera in front of his face, he asked if we were on our honeymoon.

"We've been married for five years," my husband said. His arm was wrapped around my shoulder, and I could feel it tighten in acknowledgement. In pride. We still looked like honeymooners.

It is in this dying city that I look at my husband, at the drops of mist gathered on his glasses, at his silent wonder over scenic views, and I am awakening to all the things I forgot I already knew.

Magic + Mood: A Garden Story

There is a sense of dramatic mystery with florals against a dark backdrop.

The combination of dramatic darkness and soft bright foliage always reminds me of another era, another time, and when I look upon my own azaleas arranged prettily in the darkness, I'm instantly transported. 

My grandmother used to have azaleas blooming in her yard when I was little. The bushes were much taller than me with large pink blooms so overwhelmed by their abundance, they seemed to silently crush into one another. It was in front of these mammoth azaleas that she would sit me down so she could take my photograph.

Family Secrets: I am my grandmother, reflected

When I was little, my grandmother called me her kindred spirit.

"We're February's children," she would whisper. "You're Tuesday's child," she would emphasize. "Full of grace."

It was a spell, I imagined. A spell to bind my spirit to her, to cause myself to wander through life, developing into another version of her.

Staying Inspired through Creative Gardening

I always used to be intimidated by gardening. The thought of developing any skills of creative gardening was chased away by proof that I had a hard time keeping plants alive.

But then something changed.

I stopped telling myself that I didn't have a green thumb, and started telling myself there was no such thing as a green thumb.

Everything has a season. Everything has its place in life.

When I was little, my family never referred to gardening as gardening. We called it yard work. It was so hot and humid in Florida, and I never got to plant pretty things. I was mainly put on weed duty.

You know, a girl can only take so many bugs crawling through her fingers while she picks at pesky weeds before she throws the gloves off and begs her parents to go back in to the air conditioning.

It wasn't until I started paying attention to Ecclesiastes, and then later, dove into Voltaire's Candide, that the idea of cultivating, of gardening, of life and seasons and experience began to show me that the act of digging in the dirt and merely trying to love and tend to living things was green thumb enough.

Ice in the South: It's not a laughing matter.

For those of you who follow the news, you know what happened in Atlanta this week regarding the winter storm.

I'm exhausted, and I don't feel like discussing much, and kind of emotional. My mother suggested I do something nice today, so Matt and I played with Chester in the yard for a bit and I brought my camera for a little creative therapy, but I'm still processing my 9 hour commute from Tuesday.

I'm so glad to be home with my boys. I know there's plenty of people out there who find it necessary to call Georgia residents cowards and idiots...goodness, I've seen so much nastiness online, but so many people rallied together in this city of mine, delivering food, water, gas and medical aid on foot to so many stranded individuals.

I'm thankful for my neighbor who was up at 2:45AM, relieved to see I had finally made it home; I'm thankful for my friends and family that talked with me on the phone to keep me sane...and awake...in the car, and I'm thankful that what I went through was nowhere compared to what could have happened.

Some Atlanta people are tired of seeing the happy snow day photos, but I feel relieved every time I see someone post a photo of them playing in the snow with their children: it means they weren't one of the thousands of parents trapped on icy roads while their children were stranded on buses or in schools for the night.

It means they are safe, and I would be in agony if I knew a loved one was still stranded out there.

I hope you all have been safe and warm this week. I plan on using my snow days to unwind and cozy up with Matt and Chester.

(I've also been gobbling up the Call the Midwife series on Netflix. Any of you seen it? Is not the most amazing show ever??)

Read with Me: A Year of Books - Weekly Recap

A lot of you really enjoyed my blog post about my reading goals for the year, so I thought I would take the time to update you all on my progress in my Friday posts. So far, I've read three books in my attempt to read 14 books this year. I have a feeling I may read far more than this if I keep going at this rate, but I've been known to get a bit ahead of myself with things like this, so no promises yet!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases through some of the links in this post. Thank you so much for supporting me!

Below you'll find three mini reviews for the following books I've crossed off my 14-in-2014 book list:
 

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

FIRST IMPRESSION

This book had so much potential for awesome, and it kind of was if you're into using your imagination to give detail to every non-chalant mention of something quite fantastic.

Neil Gaiman's style is reminiscent of those old tales that you hear as a child in which things are rarely described in detail because it's the what and how that's the point, not the why.

Stardust is a fairytale. Nothing more, nothing less which is fine if this were something told word of mouth. As a novel, it was really lacking in interest for me.

What's It About?

The synopsis is enchanting: a young man vows to travel into a magical land and bring back a fallen star for the woman he loves. Enter pirates who sail ships in the clouds, a witch hell bent on restoring her power and beauty, and a few power-hungry brothers competing for their father's land and you have the inkling that this will be one epic novel.

But it's not. In fact, by the end, it's so anti-climatic, you find yourself wondering...well, what was the point in writing this in the first place? There are interesting themes of compassion and heartache, and grace, but they're just sort of flopped on the table as if to say, "I could have put more effort into this, but I'm not going to waste my time."

Final Thoughts

I may have missed the point completely with this book, because don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable to read. There are tons of places in the book where you find yourself saying, "Oh my gosh, what's going to happen here? Are they going to find out that one important detail before it's too late? Will they survive? Will they get captured? How will they know what to do?" And then that hanging-on-the-edge-of-your-seat moment that comes because you, the reader, have backstory and important information the protagonists don't, becomes really insignificant and turns out to not matter at all.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling

First Impression

I've always been interested in Mindy Kaling and so I picked up this book mainly because 

1. I Adore her
2. It had a floral print cover
3. I wanted to read something light and funny

I didn't read any reviews or really even the synopsis on Amazon. I just bought the kindle version and dove right in. 

What's It About?

What I found in Kaling's book were really little essays rather than chapters that create one chronological story. Some "chapters" are little anecdotes about her personal views, some provide insight into how she got on The Office, and some are just silly little lists about being a best friend, or a collection of phone selfies that she finds embarrassing yet felt the need to share. This could also be evidence for the chapter in which she talks about hho

Final Thoughts

It was fun and cute and great for those in-between moments of busy. You can read one chapter and put the book down to go do something else. There were moments in this book where I greatly identified with some of her insecurities and fears. I'm glad there was some seriousness in there. This is a fun little book to go back to and pick out excerpts to read to friends for a good laugh and to delight in just how FUN Mindy is, but that's it really.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

First Impression

Now that Downton Abbey is back, I need something to fuel the wait between episodes. This book takes place during that intriguing Interwar period where the characters are rebuilding their lives after WWI and have yet to suspect another world war is just around the corner. 

What's It About

The book opens with Maisie Dobbs setting up shop in her new office as a private investigator. It's implied that this is her first time working on her own as she was accustomed to being the protégé of another. Through working out her first case, the book travels to times before the war and during the war, unearthing Maisie's life as a maid, her time as a nurse in the war, and the people that have supported her throughout it all. 

Final Thoughts

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It's so much more than a mystery novel. It really gives you a ton of backstory into how Maisie is so good at solving cases, how her mind works, and why. I really enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs flashbacks, the signs of change in the English class system, and the conflict in emotions between characters. There's danger, love, intrigue, and it's all done with taste. I was even more pleased to find out that there's (gasp!) 11 books to this series. I can't even handle it. I may not even get to the rest of my books on the list if the rest of the Maisie Dobbs books are as fun as this one.