Dear Friend,

My ADHD impacts so much of me and even I have a hard time making sense of it. As my friend, I think there's a few things you should know to better understand my unique brain. These aren't excuses but I do think they'll shed light on how you experience me.

What is ADHD? 

"ADHD is a lifelong, neurobehavioral, genetic syndrome that leads to a structural, chemical, communication, and arousal differences in the brain that subsequently impact what is called the "executive functioning" system of the brain." Sari Solden and Michelle Frank in Women with ADHD

Inattentive ADHD: Struggle to get going or activate to to do things, forgetful, disorganized, zoning out, hard to manage time, and emotional sensitivity.

Impulsive ADHD: Emotionally and mentally hyperactive, hard time sitting still, impulsive, interrupt others frequently, and often have an inner sense of restlessness.

Combo ADHD: A little bit of both above and have many characteristics of the inattentive type but...

I’m telling you this smoothie recipe is life changing. Like FOR REAL! Add this stuff to your grocery list and start your day with it. I honestly don’t love smoothies for breakfast normally. I always feel great when I have one but this one has made such a huge impact by body is craving it!

1 cup filtered water
1/2 an Apple
1/2 a pear
1/2 a frozen banana
2 stalk of celery
1 small cucumber or 1/2 a normal one
2 cups spinach
1/4 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 scoop of high quality collagen

Hey mama!  I seriously love talking about Time Blocking and truly believe this one simple discipline will help you in a huge way. It's been a game changer for my life. Time blocking has helped me to live out my priorities, develop consistency in many areas, and better understand my capacity to take on new commitments.

If you love a paper calendar, I encourage you to at least set up an online calendar system for accountability purposes. Having the reminders on my phone and/or watch are very helpful at keeping me on task. It also helps that you can use the reoccurring function when setting things up so that you can adjust your time blocking every few months as needed but not weekly.

Just like any habit, Time Blocking takes intentionality at first but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. Habits are powerful. It's our daily habits that shape how we spend our days and how we spend our days shapes how we spend our life.

Watch the video and download the FREE...

If you are like me and growing a business, it can feel so overwhelming to show up on live video. Here are my tips for making video a consistent part of your business growth strategy!

1. Take a shower! I know it sounds so basic but as a work from home mom, it can be so easy to stay in pajamas or yoga pants all day. Taking the time each day to get ready and put on real clothes makes me feel like I'm showing up for my day and my business. When I feel put together, I'm more likely to press play. I also recommend going LIVE or recording right after you get ready. Your energy will be at its highest. Though LIVE videos always get great interaction, recorded videos are better than no video! Do what works for you.

2. Start with stories! Story videos are short and they go away after 24 hours. Start showing up on video each day for 1 minute. Talk about your day. Talk about something you learned. Share a tip. Just start showing up and see what your audience resonates with the most. You'll...

A friend posted this morning about looking for advice on Christmas traditions that celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. I feel like it’s something we all asked starting out. It’s seriously the best being able to be the mama at Christmas time and yet it also can feel like such a big responsibility. Here’s what I wish I could go back and tell myself 8 years ago. What would you want to tell your earlier self?

1. Don’t stress out about starting life long traditions right away. Take one year at a time. Certain things will stick and others won’t. As your kids personalities come out, they will help shape what stays. The things that they will love and be special to them might be the super random stuff you never intended to be a lasting tradition. Enjoy this season where you are and find a few age appropriate things that are fun for your little family. We tried to rush sooo many things. It’s our third year trying the same advent devotional and Bowman...

I love Thanksgiving! This is my first year in a long while not hosting at our house or cooking the turkey. My mom usually hosts Christmas but they'll be traveling this year so we swapped. It's actually kind of nice to switch things up and means I'm a little less stressed this week. I'm bringing four side dishes that can all be made in advance so I'll get to spend Thursday morning at our local Turkey Trot and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade with the kiddos.

Do you have favorite recipes that you make each year? I'm not a huge traditionalist but I do stick to these tried and true recipes every year. I thought I'd share in case they help you!

My Thanksgiving Favorite Recipes

Hot Onion Dip

Good Eats Turkey

Sweet Potato Casserole (I'm NOT a fan of the marshmallow version)

Pioneer Woman Mashed Potatoes

Skinnytaste Green Beans

Martha Stewart Chocolate Pecan Pie (my favorite pie)

Martha Stewart Pumpkin Pie

Barefoot Contessa's Apple Pie 

Rolls: Sister Shuberts Parker House...

I love the holidays and over the years I’ve learned that a little bit of intentionality goes a long way during this busy time of year. Busyness is a choice and if you take time to plan well before Thanksgiving, you will minimize the stress and mom guilt. Here are a few tips on how you can save time, money and your sanity this year. 

HAVE A PLAN. Take a few hours to journal out your goals for this holiday season. Life changes and it’s unrealistic to assume that each year will look the same. What new constraints do you need to take into consideration? What special experiences do you want your kids to have this year? Who do you want to see this year? 

 FOCUS ON THE LONG GAME. There are so many fun things we can do this time of year with our kids but they do not all have to happen this year. Pick 1 or 2 traditions that you want to happen every year for your family and then pick 1 or 2 new things you want to do this year. It will help you think wisely about...

One of the interesting things about having kids 4 years apart (almost 9, almost 5, and almost 1) is that it gives you a chance to see what toys actually hold their attention over the years. Here's our list of favorite things if you are needing some inspiration for your kiddos this year. 

The Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon We bought this for Bowman at 9 months and he LOVED it so much that we are getting Libby one this year. It's well built and sturdy. He loved it long after he could walk.

Step 2 Whisper Ride On Push Car. Again, Bowman loved this so much we are getting one for Libby. 

Magna-Tiles These seriously are the BEST toys ever. All kids love these. My 8 year old still plays with them and the baby loves chewing on them.

Kinetic Sand Sand Box w/ 2 Pounds of Sand. Great for sensory play! Easy clean-up and both boys love playing with it.

Lifetime Climbing Dome. Our kids love to climb! We got this 3 years ago and the boys still use it...