Bright Light Mama

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Rescuing a “Mean Mom” Day

Tips & tricks for coming back from a "mean mom" day before bedtime.

Whenever I have a “mean mom” day, I think of you, mama. I know you would understand.

For a long time I thought I was the only one.

The only one who sat on the sofa and scrolled through Instagram, ignoring the chaos unfolding at the kitchen table as the kids ate cereal for dinner (again).

The only one who sometimes wished fervently that my littles didn’t want to snuggle and hug and be right near me 24/7/365.

The only one who messed everything up and my hurt tiny people’s feelings because I was just grumpy and tired and done.

But now I know I’m not alone–and it feels so good to not be alone in the struggle.

Bad days are part of this motherhood thing.

Bad days are normal.

So that’s why, whenever I have a “mean mom” day, I think of you. Partly because I want to give you some solidarity. (You’ve got it. I’m here with you, mama!)

And partly because I want to give you some of my hard-earned tools to help you hold everything together.

[Read more…]

The Quick Way to Clear Out a Too-Busy, Over-Full Brain

Organize your frazzled brain in three easy steps. #productivity #momlife #plannerlife

It’s 3:42 AM, and your brain is too busy to let you sleep.

You got up to pee (because part of that body-after-baby deal is a semi-permanently crushed bladder), checked the time on your phone, and crawled back into bed because (thank goodness!) there are still a couple hours of sleep-time left. You snuggle under the blankets, adjust your pillow until it’s juuuust right, close your eyes and…

and…

Cue mental to-do list.

*whomp whomp*

You’re not trying to do this. You’re trying to sleep!

But it’s happening anyway: your too-busy brain is running a scrolling list across the back of your eyelids. All the left-undones and haven’t-done-yets you’ve ever contemplated are pouring into your consciousness, and your hopes of sleep are plummeting like a (screaming) toddler’s scoop of rainbow sherbet falling off an unbalanced cone.

I’ve been there, mama.

In fact, this used to be a scene that played out for me every night–until I learned a simple trick to clear out my over-full brain. [Read more…]

10 Little Life Hacks That Made My Year Way Better

10 Surprising Things that Made My Year Way Better

Do you ever feel like finishing out a year is like being dumped off at the end one of those insane old-school wooden roller coasters? We’re already over a week into the new year and I still feel like I’m scrambling to wrap up the old one in my brain.

One thing I love about finishing out a year is reflecting on what went well. What changed me for the better? What brought me more joy? What am I glad I let go of?

In the spirit of sharing the good stuff (both the fluffy/superficial and deep/meaningful), here’s my list of 10 things that really worked for me this year: [Read more…]

3 Simple Things that Transformed my Year for the Better

3 Simple Things that Transformed my Year for the Better

In January of last year, I felt utterly crushed–still reeling physically and emotionally from a year of intense struggle, growth, and change.

It was a heartbreaking, wave-after-wave kind of year, and while I definitely saw massive growth in myself, and clear evidence of the hand of God in our lives, I admit I was feeling gray, wrung out, and very discouraged by the time we celebrated the new year.

I kind of wanted to climb into bed and just snuggle under the covers for the next 365 days. How could I even start digging out of this emotional exhaustion and physical unhealthiness?

I craved hand-holding, comfort, validation, and guidance. So when I stumbled across an inexpensive e-course from a mom I trusted called 15 Days to a Healthier You, I figured it was worth $15 for a shot at improving my well-being.

I needed to lose weight. I needed to feel stronger. And I needed help figuring out where to even start. So I signed up.

I got so much more than I’d bargained for.

[Read more…]

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