Upgrading To A Better Me

Thank you to Kelley Blue Book® for sponsoring this post. All opinions remain my own. 

I'm always left in wonder trying to figure out how time passes by so quickly. Here we are, another month coming to an end and a new one about to begin. My birthday was at the beginning of the month, on the first to be exact, and as I sit here on the last day of the month, I'm realizing now more than ever that I'm one month closer to hitting a milestone birthday next year. You guys, I will officially be in my mid-thirties. How in the world did this happen? 

If I'm being honest, getting older used to scare me. I was never one of those people that wanted to rush to my 21st birthday or wish time away. I enjoyed birthdays, but also realized there was nothing I could do to make myself any younger. Since having kids, and I guess you could say maturing a bit, things have been put in a new perspective for me. I now realize that birthdays are always important. They're a gift. They're a time of celebration. And they're a great time to do some self reflecting.

I recently saw a friend post a question on instagram. It asked, if someone where to ask you if this is where you saw yourself in 10 years what would your answer be? I thought about this one for a while. When I was younger I would just go through life taking one day at a time. I don't think it was until I was around 25 and got married that I started having more of a life plan. You know, all those adulting type things. Managing your house, thinking about kids, getting more serious with your career, etc. I'm happy to say that in answering this question, I feel that things are even better than I thought they would be. I know it can be so cliche, but I'm not going to sugarcoat things, I feel incredibly blessed, and every year truly does feel better than the last. For that, I am so grateful.

You know that saying, age is nothing but a number? Well, I feel like I really get it now. I'm not exactly sure what someone in their mid-thirties is supposed to feel like, but I know that I don't feel much different than I did before. Ok, maybe that's not entirely true. The tired factor weighs in more, and I certainly feel some aches and pains more than I did before. But aside from that, I still feel like I can connect with all different age groups and have friends in many different circles. I really hope that's something I hang onto and don't lose over time. 

I'm a firm believer that even when things feel like they're going really well there are always different areas we can look to improve on. Especially taking a look at things like wanting to make some upgrades, initiating new habits, or goals to work towards. That's why I've decided to put together a list of things I want to work on throughout the year to prepare myself for entering into a milestone age with confidence.

UPGRADING MY CAR:

While there are many things I want to work on specifically for myself, there are also things that I want to take into consideration that would be a benefit for my whole family. I think that's the adulting part of me talking ;) One of those things would be to upgrade my car. The last time we upgraded our car, which was six years ago, we were just about to become parents. We had an idea of what we wanted in our family vehicle, but after having multiple kids and now needing it for other purposes (like trailing our Airstream), there is a lot we would like to change about our next purchase. That's why I love having resources like Kelley Blue Book℠ Instant Cash Offer to help reach a milestone decision like upgrading your car. There are some specific things we would want to focus on for our next purchase, like the third row having three seats across the back instead of two, a larger trunk space, and a great towing capacity for our travel trailer. What I love about using Instant Cash Offer is the different features it provides to you. You first start by plugging in the information needed about your vehicle. Then, once all of that is indicated, Instant Cash Offer allows you to receive a redeemable trade-in offer available at participating dealerships across the country. It also has the options to use the Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer towards the purchase of a new car, or you can receive a check for your vehicle. How awesome is that?! I was so curious to see what my car was worth. I love having a better idea now of what direction we can move in for purchasing our next vehicle and having the confidence I need when going into a dealership. You can find your Instant Cash offer by putting in your vehicle information, seeing how much your car is worth, and then finding a participating dealer for your trade-in to work on getting that upgrade.

HEALTHY EATING: 

Somehow I feel like I've let this one slip by me. I used to be a lot better about the things I eat. Somewhere between stopping to pump for the baby and spending a lot of time driving back and forth to his doctors appointments, I found myself eating and reaching for things that were quick fixes and not always the best options. Eric and I did a fast a few months back and I felt so much better after. Unfortunately, the challenge of those everyday life moments came into play and we slipped back into that comfort zone. We still try to incorporate a meatless night at least once a week, and I have been trying really hard to add more fruits and vegetables back into our menu. I think the tough part for me is know I'm capable of doing so much more and just needing to stay committed to it.

FITNESS:

With healthy eating also comes fitness. I have a tendency to want to blame my lack of movement on having a busy schedule and not enough hours in a day. The truth is, if I wanted to make this a priority, I'm sure I could. I have resources available to me that I can take advantage of, but instead, I find myself laying in bed at night instead of getting up and pushing myself to move. This time around, it's also been a lot harder for me to drop the baby weight. I chalk that up to getting older, my body changing, and also not breastfeeding for the extended amount of time like I did with my others. Again, I don't want to make excuses, so I'm going to just start moving more and holding myself accountable to it. 

INCORPORATE MORE SELF CARE:

I try my best to take some time for myself. As moms, as women, as people in general, we all can get burnt out. I do little things for myself here and there, like a face mask, or trying to fit in a few chapters of reading, or lighting a candle to unwind. But I feel like there is so much more I can be doing for myself. Most of the time when I am trying to focus on self care, I'm piggy backing it with something else and trying to twist it into also being self care. Like a two for one thing. Oh look, I took some time and watched an extra episode of that show I really like, let me cross off self care for the week. I take time for me as it comes, but this is something I know I could do a better job at. 

BETTER ORGANIZATION: 

Oh boy, I have to swallow my pride here and admit that I am not the most organized person around. I like to consider it organized chaos. Ok, maybe I need to give myself a little more credit, because it's not that bad, but I know there are so many things I can improve on in this category. For one, my kitchen island and our beverage area need to stop being a dumping ground for all of our paperwork and random things. I also can't stand my junk drawers. I know they're supposed to be junk drawers, but I seriously cringe when I open them. And yes, there are more than one. I'd also like to have the kids bedroom drawers more organized and be better at packing away things that are out of season or too small for them. I think I need to just really focus on certain areas and tackle this full force. There are other areas I feel like I am really organized in, like my closet, or my jewelry, but others that I fail miserably at.

UPGRADE MY CAMERA LENS:

I don't know where I would be without my camera. Maybe I'm a bit more old school with this, but I love using my big girl camera. I know it can be a pain to carry it around, but to me, the pictures don't compare to what I'm able to capture that my phone just can't. My camera also has built-in wifi so I can easily grab the images and upload them here or to whatever social site I'd like. So for me, it's not much a hassle to have it with me. I have several prime lenses (fixed focal lengths) and a stock zoom lens that I don't even bother with using, because to me, it doesn't compare to the other lenses I have. What I really want, is to upgrade to a really good zoom lens so I don't have to constantly switch back and forth between my other prime lenses.

CONTINUE TO SHARE MY VOICE:

The closer I get to reaching another milestone the more I realize how much I have evolved in my blogging career. When I look back at where I started, and think about where it's taken me, it's pretty amazing. What started off as something more so for fun, has changed into a viable platform for me. I want to continue to have the confidence to share my experiences, recommendations, brand awareness, and my joys and struggles with all of you. It's a place where letting your guard down and connecting with others will always be a focus. As different seasons and milestones approach, the content may shift, but that's what I love about having a platform of your own. I always want this space to be an outlet where there is a bit of something for everyone.

As I think about all of these things that I want to work towards within the next year, I can't help but wonder how many of you are similar. Do you reflect on things you would like to upgrade or work towards as you approach those milestone moments? Do you use milestone moments to think about upgrades like a new home, technology, or trading in your car?

Honest Thoughts About Going From Two Kids To Three

One kid. Two kid. Three kids, so many kids. More recently both Eric and I have gotten so many questions about how is it transitioning from two kids to three. There were a lot of people that told us that going from two kids to three was a really easy transition. Maybe they are super parents of some sort, and I love hearing positive things from others, but it hasn't been as easy as many make it out to be. 

Now I completely understand that our situation is a bit different since our youngest son was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip and palate, but he is just as much a normal baby in every way possible minus some big feeding challenges and some other common cleft hurdles. Regardless if your little one is born with special needs, a colic baby, or a baby that is as sweet as can be, you are now out numbered (for a typical two parent household, single parents you all are the real MVPs) and with that comes new adjustments.   

We are almost four months deep into this parenting three kids gig and I finally feel like we are finding our groove again. Can I get an amen for parents getting their groove back. HA! Hmm, maybe that should be a new movie idea. Hollywood, I'm open for auditions. 

Of course this is all opinion based and it really depends on the temperaments and personalities of your kids. I happen to have a very strong-willed older son, a threenager who used to be my sweet child, and now a new born. Yes, your prayers are always appreciated. I'm also not naive and know this list will probably look very different in a few years when they grow out of certain stages and new ones come about. But for now, this fresh season of navigating life as a parent of three leaves me with these thoughts...

Not Enough Hands: 

I happen to think that whether you have one kid, three kids, or five kids (God bless my mom) you never have enough hands. They say it takes a village and that can be so true. When I had my first son I had this supermom mentality like I could handle it all and asking for help made me feel like I didn't have it under control. Let's fast forward to three kids and I crack up at that Luv's commercial where the mom hands her child over to mechanic. It's so true and relatable. I think like most things in life you get more comfortable as time goes on, you allow others to lend a helping hand, and baby wearing becomes so important. That's my secret right now to getting anything done. Having both hands free but still having those sweet snuggles for your little one is a great compromise. I wear my classic moby wrap almost every day, if not multiple times, and it makes such a different. I've also heard great things about a ring sling carriers but I haven't personally tried them yet.

Age Differences: 

right now I have three kids five and under with my first two being 22 months apart. At first that seemed crazy to us but the more I think about it the more I love it. Sure they have their crazy moments and get into their little tiffs. The other day I had to break them up because they were playing cats. What's that you say? I asked myself the same thing. All I know is it ended up in them scratching each other. Oh yes, fun times. Ok, cats aside, seeing them grow together and have built-in best friends makes my mama heart so happy. I pray that their relationships over time will grow and strength even more.

You'll Pray A lot:

speaking of prayer, I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and it seems like with each child I find myself praying even more for them. Maybe it's adding in another person to pray for but I end up praying for each of them, collectively, and for Eric and myself as parents. I also pray that God will place positive influences in their lives as they grow and give them a strong sense of right and wrong. This world can be a scary place and covering them in prayer before those critical teen years where peer pressure and tough decisions come into place can be so important. 

You Might Cry, You Might Laugh, You Might Do Both At The Same Time:

it's ok to feel emotional on this wild ride of motherhood. There are days where you'll feel like you got this and other times you are counting down the hours until bed time. Somehow in between all the craziness we always seem to find the joy in it because our kids are our greatest gifts.

It's Ok To Give Responsibilities:

if you caught my instagram (@beautifully_candid) you might have seen that I shared about some emotions I was feeling and how I unintentionally was putting a lot of responsibilities on my second son (I don't like to label him as the middle child) and had to remind myself that he's still only three. On the other hand, I also saw him flourish when we gave him and his older brother appropriate responsibilities. As much as transitioning from two kids to three is an adjustment for parents, it's also a big adjustments to your kids. This responsibility chart really helps to manage all of that and give them goals to work towards. We've done things like once they accomplish certain areas we'll do a big boys day and go to the movies, chuck e cheese, jump zone, things along those lines. They're also both great at lending a helping hand with the baby which makes me happy to see.

Life With Three Is Busy: 

we knew one thing for sure that adventuring into this parenting of three zone would without a doubt make life even busier. I kind of feel like that goes without saying, but I also want to be transparent here. You think you have an idea of how busy it can be but I'm not really sure anything fully prepares you until you have to go through the trenches. A is starting T-ball this year and little nugget wants to play soccer again. I'm already trying to figure out how we're going to manage it all. Like anything else in life you always find a way to make it all work.  

You Somehow Become An Expert: 

I think I first noticed it when we were in the hospital and the nurses would come in to check on you and asked if this was our first. Once they found out it was our third they were all like, oh yeah well you know what you're doing then. Even now if I go out somewhere with just the baby while the other two are in school, as soon as someone finds out it's my third they back down from offering any unsolicited advice and shake their head like yeahhh, you got this. It's kind of funny and also empowering at the same time because we do have this, as best as we can.

If you're on the fence with transitioning from two to three kids it's always best to go with what you feel is best for your family. It won't be easy (in my opinion) the days will feel long at times, you'll need to evaluate your living situation, financial situation, career, and the list goes on. But, if there is a passion in your heart to expand your family and you are worrying about if you can manage it all, you eventually find a way. Motherhood has a funny way of making even the craziest of days fill your heart with so much joy.