I recently had the privilege of joining Katy Weber for an interview on her top rated podcast, Women & ADHD. I shared my experience getting diagnosed as girl with ADHD in the 80s and how much changed for me when I became a mom.

LISTEN HERE

Katy does great work and I highly recommend checking out her podcast. She's created such a beautiful platform for women with ADHD to share their stories and I think you will be encouraged and inspired.

LISTEN HERE

Hugs,

Amy

p.s. If you are looking for support in your ADHD journey, check out Master the Mundane. I provide weekly accountability and support through a weekly call. I would love to help you find the lifestyle and rhythm that works for your unique family.

Okay, confession time! I hate clutter. It drives me nuts. I also don't like my own handwriting. So many ADHD folks use post its and white boards to track all of the things and that just doesn't work for me. It's hard for me to use a system if it's not pretty. And a system is only good if you use it!

My favorite thing about homeschool is the ability to focus on life skills and habits. It's also the hardest part! With two very easily distracted boys, I can feel like I'm nagging ALLLLL day long. And then add in their easily distracted and easily frustrated mom (that would be ME!) and it's kind of a recipe for disaster.

I've tried so many things and slowly been tweaking our daily life to find a plan that works for us. Here's what I've been working towards...

1. A way to track daily habits that must be done throughout the morning and afternoon in order to earn screen time.
2. Giving them ownership and responsibility to control whether or not they get screen time.
3. Clear way for...

Those with ADHD are 6x more likely to start our own business!  We dream big and think outside the box. We also aren’t great being told what to do so being self employed is a great fit. 

Social selling is a great low risk entry point in to entrepreneurship. You can learn sales skills, social media, and mindset in a very hands on way. And for those of us Stay At Home Moms, it's such a great way to build an income stream in a flexible way. I 100% believe that having an outlet for growth is essential to thriving in ADHD motherhood. It's so much more than just making an income. More on that here!

Social Selling can be a great fit for us ADHDers but here are a few things you need to keep in mind.

1. What works for neurotypicals might not work for you! Don’t let anyone tell you that you HAVE to build your business a certain way. Trust your gut and your creative ideas! There are so many ways to grow a business and forcing yourself to do something that’s boring...

It's my favorite time of year! I love planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas and gift shopping. I tend to be a little obsessive about finding the perfect gift. I really don't like clutter and want to give gifts that delight but are also practical and functional. I definitely over think it!

 In case you are the same, I wanted to throw together a few recommendations on things that I'm loving that I think would be crowd pleasers for those on your list.

Okay, I'll be honest, this is all stuff that I personally love to give and get! 

This Adorable Pink Hoodie from Target is only $25 and so comfy.

The Hydroflask is the cool water bottle of the moment. I love a BIG water bottle with a straw so that it doesn't spill if knocked over.

I'm a big fan of eye masks and the silk ones are extra special. Target is carrying them this year in some really pretty colors and they are only $15.

Target is also carrying silk pillowcases in the same colors as the eye masks for $30. Silk...

As an Entrepreneur with ADHD, I LOVE email. Well, actually, I personally hate emails. Ha! My inbox is an absolute disaster. #sorrynotsorry

But, I do having an email strategy in place. I lead a full and busy life and want the energy I spend in "work mode" to be spent on the creative things that give me JOY and on loving and helping others. I'm HAPPY to outsource follow up. And that's what email enables me to do.

Are you a little confused about what kind of emails you should be sending out and why? I was! I kept reading posts and seeing ads telling me that I needed an email list. I was sending newsletters out on the regular but I felt like I was missing something. I was getting communication out but it didn't seem to resonate with people and wasn't getting me sales. I began experimenting and trying new things and here's what I learned.
 
1. Personal and Authentic is Magic. Pictures of my family, real life updates and stuff like that was WAY more effective then a...

I've gotten asked for advice many times recently about how to help kids with ADHD. Whew. It's not easy but man is it a HUGE blessing. But really, is parenting every easy? All kids come with their own unique challenges and blessings and our job is to help them become the best version of them. And to ask for LOTS of forgiveness in the process.

There is so much misinformation out there about ADHD and SO much shame. Way too much shame!

What is ADHD? 

ADHD is a neurological disorder that impacts the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus on, and execute tasks. There are 3 subtypes of ADHD and it can present very differently based on age, gender, personality and secondary concerns. The cause is unknown but it's highly genetic and linked to levels of dopamine in the brain. 

What are the Symptoms?

Inattention

Lack of focus

Poor time management

Weak impulse control

Exaggerated emotions

Hyperfocus

Hyperactivity

Executive dysfunction

Not everyone has ALL of these...

We've decided to homeschool the boys this next year and are actually excited about it. I'm as surprised as anyone!

I homeschooled our oldest for kindergarten and it was sweet and special but also really hard. Back then, he was an only child so he needed my attention 100% all the time. I had an idea that he too was ADHD and knew he wasn't ready to sit all day in the classroom. It was the right decision for that year but by May as we were beginning our foster care journey, I was ready for him to go to school full-time.

He has LOVED his school. He's been attending a sweet, small private school near our home with many of his dear friends. He's excelled there and feels seen and known. It's been such a gift. 

Our family looks very different now. My big boy is now 9 and entering 4th grade. He's a voracious reader and creative thinker. He adores being a big brother to his little brother (5, now entering kinder) and his baby sister (19 months). 

Over the last few months of this...

Have you ever read a quote in a book and felt like your heart just leapt out of your chest? Or that you wanted to jump up and give the author a huge hug and scream YES, YES, YES! You know, that feeling that you aren't alone in the world after all and your experience of the world makes a little more sense?!? I read these words a few days ago and that's pretty much what happened.

Does that give you the chills or is it just me? It's like someone just confirmed my deepest feelings. This is absolutely true for me though it took me years to really understand it. For me, work is 100% part of my mental health strategy. It's about so much more than a paycheck.

You see, I didn't have huge aspirations for a career. In fact, in college I believed the lie that since I have ADHD and did't want to be on medicine long term that I would never be "successful" in business. I opted for a joke major that was actually incredibly boring. I didn't understand my brain. I didn't understand my...

Once upon a time, I was a runner. Okay, not a fast runner. But like I RAN. I even ran a marathon. SLOWLY. One time. But, I did it!

About three years ago, I developed almost debilitating pain in my feet. At the time, I was in great shape and working out regularly. I was working out a lot and not making good shoe choices and BAM it hit. It.was.awful! That summer I could barely walk around my house. I would go to the grocery store and then stay in bed the rest of the day with ice packs on my feet. As a mom to a five year old little boy, it was not ideal!

The pain finally subsided but the only way that I've really found to manage the pain is to avoid flare ups. For exercise, I opt for the elliptical over long walks or runs. I stopped doing planks, lunges or anything that might aggravate my feet. And then I've added a few different practices that have helped keep the flare ups away.

1. I stretch my feet and ankles regularly. I've tried so many different contraptions out there...

I'll be honest, I've always been pretty pro-medicine for my ADHD. I went through a few years in college and post-college where I took myself off medicine and let's just say it wasn't pretty. I was an anxious mess. So much of my time and energy went to self medicating. I was literally walking for like 2 hours a day just to be able to sit still through my classes. I wasn't sleeping and couldn't turn my mind off. I was constantly rehearsing things for my life and worried that I was going to mess something up.

I tried several different things but in terms of prescription medicine, I've found that a mix of Cymbalta and Concerta are the right mix for me. I'm no doctor so please talk to your physician about what they'd recommend. I tried several things before finding the right mix. The stimulants are easier to tell if it's working but the anti-depressants take a little more time. I found that as an adult my ADHD looks very much like anxiety and the anti-depressant is an important part of...