PART I: Could You Pass The Bean Dip Please?

From the moment you announce your pregnancy you are bombarded by your family, friends, coworkers, and complete strangers on the street with advice, opinions, stories of experience (whether they relate to you and that moment or not)....people telling what to do, what not to do, what to buy, what not to buy, what names they like, what names they don't like, what to eat and drink while pregnant and breastfeeding and what not to eat and drink, when to stop breastfeeding, when to start supplementing with formula, how your baby should sleep, why he/she isn't sleeping at night, when to feed your baby solids, what foods to feed him/her, why your baby is crying, how to soothe your crying baby, what you're probably doing wrong, how to reprimand your child, etc., and most of the time it is unsolicited (and usually unwanted).

There is a technique often called the “pass the bean dip” approach, which works wonderfully and basically means “do not engage, and change the subject”. As in:

“You’re nursing her again, didn't you just nurse her an hour ago? You’ll spoil her!”

“We are following his/her pediatrician's advice to feed on demand when she's hungry, it could indicate a growth spurt. Can you please pass the bean dip? It’s really good today, what did you put in it, did you do something different?”

"Don't you think she's getting too old to be nursed?"
"I am following the advice of the American Pediatric Board. Hey, did you here about Tim Tebow getting picked up by the New York Mets?! Good for him! I can't wait to see him play, he's such a well rounded athlete."

"Your really should let her cry it out instead of picking her up so much and always holding her."
"That is not our parenting style, we feel she is too young to cry it out, but we will probably consider that when she's a toddler if and when bedtimes become a issue. Hey, basketball season is about to start! I can't wait to watch LeBron bring another championship to Cleveland."

“You make your own baby food? That's great but who really wants to deal with that!?”
“It’s really not a problem, we enjoy it. Hey! did you hear about Lego portrait of Derek Jeter gifted to Derek Jeter as a retirement gift? What in the heck?! haha, what an awesome gift!!”

Keep it short and simple, make a point in your response if you must but if you start discussing baby's feeding, baby's sleeping, your parenting style, or your discipline strategies then you are going to give the impression that the subject is open for discussion. And if it’s not then it’s not, don’t confuse the matter by getting drawn into an argument/debate with your parents, in-laws, other new parents, friends, family, coworkers, or strangers on the bus. And use "we" and "us", it shows strength, a solid bond, and a good co-parenting relationship.

As a young and new parent this unsolicited advice often makes you feel judged, inferior, insecure, and unsupported. We just get so overrun by unsolicited advice that even the most innocuous, harmless advice becomes intolerable and grates on us. However, it is in your best interest and for your own sanity to remind yourself and to remember that most advice comes from good intentions so try not to take it too personally. It is human nature to want to share and help and teach and in the case of grandparents their advice is usually out of concern (anxiety) for the baby's/child's safety and their sharing is them  reminiscing and reliving their own intimate and precious moments that they had with their now grown babies.

What I have learned is people will always want to share and help but you are mom and you will instinctively know what your baby needs. So smile, nod politely, keep it short, make a point in your response if you must but don't engage, and most importantly try not to  let it get to you or take it too personally. In other words, pass the bean dip please.

This is Part I of a several part blogging series on how to handle the peanut gallery.

This is in regards to the general, harmless, advice and sharing. In the near future I will be blogging soon about the constant negative comments, unsupportiveness, rude comments, jealousy from other moms, malicious/attacking comments, etc. because we all know and have those one or two (sometimes more) who just can't seem to help but judge and point out what you could be/should be doing instead.

Postpartum Anxiety

Everyone talks about postpartum depression but no one discusses postpartum anxiety. Often times with postpartum depression you have postpartum anxiety, in-fact the two often go hand in hand, about half of women who have postpartum depression also have postpartum anxiety; but you can experience just the postpartum anxiety on it's own, with no depression what so ever, but because you don't feel depressed, you're not totally drained of energy, and you're not feeling anything out of the ordinary except for this unexplainable completely irrational and overwhelming fear that something may happen.

"We call postpartum anxiety the hidden disorder because so few moms recognize it and it goes undiagnosed," says Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D., associate chairman of psychology and director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It hasn't been discussed or studied much, even though it's a lot more common than postpartum depression (PPD)." In a study that tracked 1,024 women during the first three months after they gave birth, researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany found that more than 11 percent fell victim to postpartum anxiety disorders, while roughly 6 percent developed postpartum depressive disorders. "If you're anxious and it's getting in the way of your life, you may begin to feel depressed about that and vice versa," Abramowitz says.

According to Postpartum Support International, postpartum anxiety affects about 10% of new moms. A mom experiencing postpartum anxiety may have constant worries about the baby's health, well being, and/or development, her ability to be a good parent, and/or how she's going to balance work and home or care for multiple children. She may become restless and/or moody, and can even experience physical symptoms like a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), dizziness, nausea, and/or insomnia.

"Some worry is adaptive, anxiety is a natural response to protect one's baby, and often that's expressed with hyper-alertness and hyper-vigilance," says Margaret Howard, Ph.D., director of postpartum depression at Day Hospital at Women & Infants' in Providence. That's why, according to the Mayo Clinic, eighty-nine percent of all new parents find their minds racing with questions and thoughts like: What if the baby suffocates? What if he/she slips under the water during a bath? What if someone breaks into the house and snatches her? "For most parents, this is just mental noise," says Abramowitz. "They learn to dismiss it, so the thoughts stop cropping up." On the other hand, if you know your worries are irrational but you can't get them out of your brain, that suggests you may be tipping the scale. The same is true if your anxiety isn't tied to any particular threat, or if it leads you to dread everyday situations like driving or going back to work, or if panic attacks come out of the blue, or if it interferes with your ability to function because you can't go back to work because of it and/or you can't function because you check on him/her constantly throughout the night to make sure he/she is still breathing. "Anxiety is a (real) problem when it overshoots reality," Howard says.

You may assume your symptoms will go away, but that can be risky as your anxiety may only worsen and worsened and heightened anxiety could affect the bond between you and your baby (as well as many other aspects of your life: work, spousal relationships, friendships, etc.). Seek help if anxiety is disrupting your sleep, if you are missing work, if you can't concentrate, can't eat, or are constantly preoccupied with worrisome thoughts.

Only you can bring it to a doctor's attention so tell your ob-gyn, or your general family practitioner, or even your child's pediatrician and ask for a referral to a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Therapy can give you the skills you need to change your thinking and behavior patterns that lead to your anxiety. "This isn't about positive thinking, it's about being rational," says Abramowitz. An expert can teach you techniques to help you relax, such as: meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and mindfulness training. If done before bedtime, they can even set you up for a good night's sleep which in turn will help ease your overall anxiety levels. Getting up and getting out and getting moving can also relieve anxiety by helping you feel more in control. A study done by The University of Georgia showed that six weeks of resistance training or aerobic exercise led to a remission rate of sixty percent and forty percent, respectively, among women ages 18 to 37 with generalized anxiety disorder. A good support system is also highly beneficial. Be open and honest with your loved ones and close friends, explain that you know your anxieties are irrational but you cannot help it at the moment and you need time and space when your anxiety is kicking in. They should all be understanding and supportive and give you the space you need without poking fun or making you feel badly. If they do poke fun or make you feel badly for your anxieties bring them to the doctors with you so the doctor can explain postpartum anxiety to them.
For more severe cases of postpartum anxiety, medications can be used, even if you are nursing. "The use of medications needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis," Dr. Fitelson says. "Your mental health and your ability to take care of and bond with your child are so important that at some point they take precedence over the low or theoretical risk to your baby of taking an antidepressant."

I know first hand how difficult it is to live, function, parent with postpartum anxiety. I could not sleep at night when everyone else slept, I was literally terrified that she would stop breathing. I was awake constantly looking for my daughters chest to fall and rise with each breath, I would try to feel for her breath if it was too dark to see, I would listen for the sounds of her tiny snores, I would stand there with tears in my eyes and a tightness in my chest and throat and this was on going through out the night. It wasn't the occasional wake up and the occasional check, it was literally every ten minutes throughout the night. I could not sleep when everyone else slept because I had the thoughts of what if?!?! What if someone took her, what if she dies, what about SIDS, what if she spits up while laying on her back and chokes, what if she messes herself and doesn't cry to wake me and she lays in it for hours before I get to her, what if I fall asleep and I don't hear her cry for a feeding or diaper....WHAT IF! I also had a very hard time going back to work.... I took the entire three months off and attempted to go back full time but that only lasted two weeks before my anxiety was so bad that I was hyperventilating in the bathroom with tears running down my face anxiously waiting to be able to get home and hold her because what if when I said goodbye was the last time I'll see her. So I ended up working part time for the first 18 months and even then I took off when I could, left early at every chance I had, and went in late because I had such a hard time saying goodbye. The first time her father came home later than expected I basically had his face and hers on a milk carton. I called his phone probably 10 times, sent numerous text messages, called his sister, called his mother, called his cousin, sent numerous texts to other family members, paced in my living room sweating and crying....he was 10 minutes later than what he had said he would be. It was at that moment that I realized my fears and worries were completely irrational and out of control. While I could not stop these thoughts and could not stop the anxiety, what I could do was talk to him about my anxieties and tell him I know they are irrational and I know they seem silly to you but emphasize that it is real to me and I simply cannot help it. It took him a bit of time to handle my anxieties with ease, I know it was frustrating to him at first because he didn't understand, but he never made me feel insane or weird or badly for it. He took it all in stride and over time we were able to look back at some of my "moments" and laugh, and that helped me more than anything else.

Other things that helped me were:

• Redirection. Constantly reminding me that she was fine and my fears and anxieties were unfounded, I had to keep telling myself that I was being irrational and had to literally fight with my brain to change my thought process.
• Distraction. I would distract myself with a fun and upbeat song, or get caught up in something I was interested in. Pinterest worked wonders and made the time fly by when I needed it to.
• Positive Thoughts. I would remind myself of what a great man and a great father he was, remind myself that my mother is just as OCD as me when it comes to child care, remind myself that the babysitter has been doing this for nearly 30 years and what a great lady she is.
• Meditation. I would close my eyes and breath in deeply then exhale slowly, all the while clearing my head. I would do this for 15 minutes several times a day. It helped to lower my overall anxiety. I also have happy spaces that I try to visit often and spend 15 minutes or more at a time there clearing my head.
• Reaching Out. I reached out to other moms who had the same struggle with postpartum anxiety as me. We shared stories, fears, moments, whatever you want to call them and it helped me to feel connected and not so crazy.
• Avoidance. I avoided triggers and anxiety enhancers. I stayed away from the negative Nancys, cut out caffeine and alcohol, and stopped watching all cop television shows (Law & Order, Bones, NCIS, Blue Bloods, and anything on Discovery ID).
• Exercise. My daughter is now at the age of two years old and I finally just signed back up for the gym and my only regret is not doing it sooner. This has helped to lower so much stress and anxiety. I feel like I can breath again.  
• Time. With time my anxiety eventually started easing up a bit. And like most things, time is all it takes. So have patience.
• Support. Without the support, the understanding, the patience, and the love from her father I do not think I would have been able to pull through as quickly as I did. Yes, I still struggle, but having him there to support me, laugh with me after a moment, and help me through makes it a thousand times easier.

Regardless of whether your anxiety falls on the moderate or more severe end of the spectrum, it's better to seek help sooner than later. Think of it this way, Dr. Fitelson says: "Taking care of yourself is taking care of your baby." So in closing, take care of yourself, seek the support and help needed, you don't have to do this alone and you don't have to be alone as you go through this.


http://www.postpartum.net/get-the-facts.aspx

http://perinatal.anxietybc.com/new-moms/recognizing-post-partum-anxiety

http://www.postpartumprogress.com/the-symptoms-of-postpartum-depression-anxiety-in-plain-mama-english

How To Be 'Green-er'

Despite all the education out there and all the alternative and greener options available, many people still struggle with going green or living a greener life. They argue that it's too time consuming, they are already too overwhelmed, they cannot afford many of the greener alternatives and options out there, they don't think that there small actions will make a overall difference, etc.

So, I came up with some simple, time manageable, and cost effective ways to try and live a green-er life style without necessarily recycling. Here are of my some simple tips and tricks which will help make a impact in the long run:

• Reuse water where you can. Put a barrel at the bottom of your gutter, collect your rain water, and use that to water your gardens, flower beds, plants, lawn, etc. When making pasta you can drain the noodles over a large bowl instead of the sink and you can use it to water your house plants as well. Into canning sauces for the winter? Save the huge pots of boiled water and use it to mop the floors and wash the woodwork.
  
• Get online and with a bit of research and very little effort on your end, you will discover the cleaning miracles of budget friendly supplies such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, vodka, vinegar, coconut oil, oranges, essential oils and many other natural herbs and oils.
  
• If you're like most you have a whole slew of electronics plugged into an outlet strip or two. Almost all of those outlet strips have a power switch on the strip itself, when you are leaving the house for the day or for a long period of time, turn the strip off. This will save energy and you may even see a decrease in your electric bill. (I did!)
  
• Store left overs and food items in reusable and recyclable containers (plastic, glass, metal). On a budget or want to be uber green? Wash out used up deli containers, butter tubs, jars that contained oil, etc and use them in place of purchasing containers (a useful and budget friendly trick from my grandmother). If you have a little extra to spend I highly recommend investing in some glass or stoneware with lids. You will have them forever, you can reheat in them, and you're not exposing yourself to any chemicals from the plastics.
  
• If you must of have to store left overs of food items in something other than a container try to opt for a sealing plastic bag. Locking bags that slide or grip are great, they keep the freshness in and the odors out after you are done, depending on what you stored in them you can even wash out and reuse some of them a couple times.
  
• Buy local and organic (if you can). Help sustain your local farmers and local community.
  
• Support farmers in less wealthy nations and buy fair trade coffee, wool, cotton, hemp, bamboo, chocolate, etc. Not only will you help promote sustainable farming practices, you'll also help prevent further rainforest destruction.
  
• Have a garden? Try composting. It is easier than you think. Instead of scraping food off your plate into the garbage, or tossing waste from cutting up veggies or fruits, toss the food waste into a container that you'll use for composting. You can go to Pinterest and find all sort of ideas for composting bins
  
• "BYO_ " Bring Your Own Bag, Bring Your Own Mug, Bring Your Own Bottle, etc. Bring your own bags to the store and cut down on the number of annoying plastic bags floating around, plus many stores now offer a bit of a discount for BYOB. Bring your own mug to your local coffee shop, like the grocery stores, some coffee shops offer a small discount for bringing your own. Bring your own water bottle, either purchase and carry your own water bottle or carry just one bottle of bottled water and refill either at fountains and faucets through out the day as opposed to constantly opening new bottles of bottled water.
  
• Purchase products and foods with the least amount of ingredients, less ingredients = less chemicals, less toxins, less damage to the earth (and yourself!). This includes but is not limited to cleaners, beauty products, toiletries, food, paints, etc.
  
• Buy products made from or packaged in recycled materials if you can.
  
• Use the energy saver mode, when you can, on any appliance that has it.
  
• Always wash your clothes on cold and hang dry what you can when you can.
  
• Do as much shopping as you can online, call a store ahead of time if you are on the hunt for a particular item, keep you're gas tank above the half way mark, and keep your tire pressure at the appropriate PSI for your tires.
  
• Lastly, use common courtesy and common sense: See litter on the side of the road or street, pick it up if you are in the position to and able to do so; turn the water off as you brush your teeth. Walk or bike when you can, where you can.

I do highly urge all of you to recycle where you can and when you can but for those of you who simply do not have the time or who cannot afford the recycling option in your waste management contract, I want you to realize is that no matter how small your actions may seem to you, they make a difference in the overall scheme of things.

The Real Secret to Curbing That Sweet Tooth

We have all heard and read about all the many different ways to cut back on sugar in an attempt to eliminate it completely from our daily diet. There's the 21 day sugar detox, the 5 (Realistic) Ways to Curb Your Sugar Cravings, 7 Days So Sugar Free, 12 Ways to Cut Back on Sugars, Tips and Tricks to Curbing Your Sweet Tooth, Break The Sugar Addiction, Sugar Detox, 13 Tips to Sugar Free, 10 Tips to Curbing Your Sweet Tooth, How to Curb Your Sweet Tooth Naturally,  The Simple 3 Step to Sugar Free. We have read articles after article, blog after blog, we have bought countless books, and we have spent way more money than we are comfortable admitting on costly sugar detox programs guaranteeing us weight loss, higher energy levels, and an overall life transformation. These programs range anywhere from three day to thirty days. There is the three day detox, the five day detox, the seven day detox, the ten day detox, the fourteen day detox, the twenty one day detox, and the thirty day detox and we have tried them all! And the majority of us are still looking for the simple answer to curbing that sweet tooth of ours. Well, at least I know I was!

So what is the answer? It's actually quite simple in theory, make the conscious effort, practice self control and will power. Now, this is easier said than done. This can actually prove to be rather difficult and overwhelming. So here are some tips and tricks that I have found help me cut back on my sugar intake and curb my sweet tooth naturally and without artificial sweeteners.
(I will have another post on artificial sweeteners soon!).

1. Grocery shop after eating, this way you are satisfied and shopping with your grocery list and not with your stomach.
2. Have a list and try to stick to it, it's ok to detour from it a bit but try not to detour too much, caving to impulses will lead to sweets and treats in your cart.
3. Avoid temptations, out of sight, out of mind. Examples:
• Our local coffee shop has the best carrot cake and I like to go there for lunch and the occasional coffee. So what do I do? I know what I want before I head in, I go straight to the counter to place my order, I do not peruse the fresh baked goods or give the menu a second look. Once I order I sit around the corner and away from the baked goods and other treats.
• I completely avoid certain aisles and sections at the grocery store. I steer clear of the ice cream aisle, the bakery, and the baking aisle (I have a weakness for frosting!)
• Before going to dinner at or with friends or family, I have my own appetizer type plate (veggies and hummus, piece or two of fruit, toast with avocado, etc.). This way I know when I get there I won't be in starving mode and I can focus on making healthy choices and after my dinner there will simply be no room for dessert! (works every time!)
4. Keep it out of the house. This is not as easily done for those who have family members who are not concerned about it and continue to have their own treats. I do not think many people realize just how hard it is for the person who is trying to cut something out of their diet to have visual temptations every time they go to the freezer and/or pantry. It's not fair, it's unsupportive, it's insensitive, it's even down right rude if you've voiced your known struggle and asked for consideration....but alas, this is your decision and your battle, so what you can do if they seem to be oblivious to your struggle? First, ask them nicely to keep it elsewhere so you don't have a constant and daily reminder and temptation. If they refuse to acknowledge you and your feelings then to make your journey easier you should keep your food elsewhere (a back pantry, a closet that has space, a lost cupboard that has nothing in it, get your own small fridge with a freezer, etc.)
   
5. Stock up on healthy yet filling foods, if you are full you won't have room for sweets!
   Want something semi sweet? Grab an apple and slice it thin, go for an orange, get a small bowl of grapes or berries, etc.
   Want something with some crunch? Grab some carrots, cucumbers, or celery and dip into humus.
   Want something filling? Grab a banana or two, have a pea protein shake, make a piece or two of whole grain toast with a light spread of olive oil and topped with avocado (healthy fats!)
   
6. Brush your teeth when a craving hits, for me, once I brush my teeth and get minty fresh breath I do not want to ruin it. This has saved me several times!
   
7. Go to bed by 9:30/10pm if you can. A lot of late night cravings strike around 10pm.
   
8. Find time for you, a lot of us who struggle with sweets and cravings are 10Xs more likely to cave in and indulge when we are stressed out. I know in our busy and hectic schedules it's hard to squeeze in much more but try to set aside 30-60 minutes a day of you time. Morning coffee in silence before the kids wake up, an hour of mindless television or silence when the kids go to bed). Go for a walk, exercise, meditate, read, listen to music, draw, paint, whatever it is that you can do for just you to "reset" your mood and mind and let go of stress and feel refreshed.
   
9. Keep your fridge and your freezer full of fruits. The natural sweetness in the fruits will help take the edge off. A bowl of pineapple is not quite the same as the dark chocolate truffle melting in your mouth but over time your tastes will change and your cravings will change and soon the fruit will be enough. It takes time to reset your taste buds and retrain your brain; you are essentially breaking an addiction and that takes times.
   
10. READ LABELS AND BE PATIENT AND FORIGVING WITH YOURSELF.

In short, reducing and curbing your sugar cravings takes education, time, patience, and forgiveness. In our fast paced, instant gratification filled world everyone now a days wants the three day miracle pill or the five day cure all plan, but that is not the case. Reducing the sugar in your life and breaking the sugar addiction takes time and patience. Now there will be slip ups on the way and you will fall off at some point down the road but do not beat yourself up just get right back on.

Now when I just can't take it anymore and absolutely must have a little sweet something, I make it! Homemade will always be better than store bought because you can control the other ingredients that go into it. (Seriously, have you ever looked at the ingredients on a can of frosting?! Gross.) And this is one of the few times I will praise the internet, it is great for so many reasons in this aspect because there are blogs, postings, websites, Pinterest boards, etc., and dedicated to nothing else but quitting sugar, detoxing from sugar, breaking the sugar addiction, or whatever you want to call it. Yu will find with a bit of research and very little effort on your part that there truly are so many fantastic recipes out there that you can use without adding sugar or artificial sweeteners and in my opinion they are better than the sugar filled items!

I want to stress that these tips and tricks are what have helped me to slowly get to where I am today but I was not perfect and still had the occasional slip up and would allow myself the occasional indulgence. I have now completely cut out all white refined sugars and added sugars and obtain any sweetness I may desire from natural sources (fruit, dried dates, fresh real maple syrup) The key to long term success is to go into it knowing it is long term and knowing that is takes time, patience, and self forgiveness. Those 3 day plans, 7 day detoxes, 21 day whatever set you up for failure at the end because you have given yourself a time frame and there is no time frame. This is a life change, a brain pattern change, and a process that takes time, will power, and persistence. Do not give up, you will get there

Hmmm....Morning Workout or Quiet Morning on Couch with Coffee While Child Sleeps In a Bit Longer....

As I sit here feeling a little 'fluffy' and wanting to go to the gym I also realize that my daughter is still asleep.....what to do, what to do?! I look at the clock, it's still semi early but the gym only has child watch for a limited time on Saturday mornings so I would have to try to get out the door in the next fifteen minutes so I could squeak out a rushed yet decent workout. So, do I rush to get myself ready and get her up, take her to the potty (we are potty training so the morning potty take anywhere from 2-22 minutes!), brush out her bed head, have her brush her teeth, feed her, and get her dressed and packed up and out the door just so I can rush to the gym and squeeze in a rushed 45 minute cardio workout OR do I savior the quiet on this beautiful morning and have a nice relaxed cup of coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet?

My daughter is two and I am just getting back into the work out scene; I am just now feeling rested enough and not so overwhelmed and not so fatigued (almost fatigued to the point of literally collapsing) that I can get back into the workout scene! This is week three of working out so I hate to skip out on the gym, I am just getting back into the groove of things and feeling good. If this was pre-child, I would not have missed my morning workout for anything! But then again if this was pre-child, I would not be in such a constant rush on a almost daily basis nor would I be so fatigued and overwhelmed day in and day out and in desperate need of a quiet morning moment (even if it is just ten minutes). I would also still be able to get up, work out, and come back home and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee while I lounged in the sun on the couch with the breeze from my window gracing my face. But I cannot do that, I have a child, who is two, so I have about a minute to make a decision.... I can still get in a decent workout and have someone there to watch my child......my time is ticking away, I am completely torn......

What did I do? I walked to the kitchen, ground some freshly roasted beans (thanks dad!), prepped the pot, waited for it, then poured a fresh brewed cup of coffee. I indulged with a splash of decadent caramel macchiato creamer and sat down to enjoyed the quiet and savior the moment.
I felt guilty for not getting to the gym but after a few moments of quiet and a few sips of coffee I realized how precious this actually was. I took advantage of the opportunity in front of me to finally have a quiet moment and sip a hot cup of coffee. This moment was so much better than rushing around and finally sipping on cold stale coffee or grabbing a cup to go from the local drive thru and sipping one of their disappointing blends...either the watered down blend or the overly bold burnt blend. So I sat there, holding my hot cup of fresh brewed coffee, letting the steam from the cup bathe my face, breathing in the aromas. With each deep breath and with each long exhale I felt the stressors of my normal every day life start to melt away. I felt my mind ease, I felt my muscles loosen, I felt my heart beat slow... It was as if time stood still for that cup of coffee. The wind seemed slower and more gentle across my face and neck, the street noises seemed to cease, everything seemed so calm outside and in. I could hear the birds, I could sense the warmth of the sun on my face, my mind was no longer racing with that days to do list or yesterdays to do list I never quite finished.

The moment didn't last too long, maybe twenty minutes but as a parent, moments like this are rare and when they present it is important to try and seize them and savior them for as long as possible. As a parent constantly on the "go! go! go!", it is imperative that you indulge in the little things when the opportunity presents; savior a cup of coffee, take the time to literally smell the flowers, indulge in a hot bath, watch your favorite show on DVR or ROKU when the children go to bed, take in the fresh air and beautiful scenery around you. This is good for so many aspects of your mental health; emotional well being, mental well being, and physical well being; and that small break, no matter how short, is good for your soul, it recharges you. So, take that time to slow it down and enjoy that morning cup of coffee when the little one(s) are sleeping in and skip the gym! The gym will be there tomorrow....the next quiet morning you get may be months away.