I LOVE your beautiful mess.

Truth.

The other day I was out with K grabbing some groceries. When I got home my husband said my friend stopped by.

First thing I thought.... "Oh my gosh.... Please, oh please, tell me she didn't come in."

My house... was beyond messy. It was worse than a herd of elephants running through. Wait... Maybe even worse than that. It was HORRIBLE. I had fantastic excuses (Headache, feud with trash man, about to pack for a trip, just cooked, dishwasher broken, my give-a-damn is busted). Anyways, it was bad.

She came in.

I started to tear up out of embarrassment. And.... started to clean. Not sure why because she has already witnessed this horror show!

I sent her a text. "I absolutely LOVE you but I am mortified you saw my house such a mess."

She replied with "I LOVE your beautiful mess."

That's just it... Our life is not always pretty. We spend so much time trying to polish ourselves on the outside to make people think we have it all together on the inside. We want our kids to behave like angels in public when in reality they climb the walls at home. We want our guests that visit our home to think w don't live there. We don't want to be in family pictures because we want FB to think we are 50 lbs. lighter. We want people to think we don't have a dog... when in fact he was the best 4 legged thing that happened to us! And black yoga pants? Yes, please!! Make-up and matching clothes are optional over here sister girl!

Why can't we just love our beautiful mess? Why do we try to paint some crazy picture of life when it never goes as planned? It's ok to be normal. It's ok to admit... "HEY, THIS IS AN OFF WEEK FOR ME."

Well.... This is ME. I'm screaming on the to of my lungs that I'm NOT perfect. I have 6 loads of laundry piled on my bed. No wait, it's now overflowing TWO baskets on the floor because I'm about to go to bed. There's dishes in my sink. Dog hair. Yep, I said it. My towels are just thrown on the rack. My kids pretty much get their clothes out of the dryer. What's a closet for anyways?

You always dream about finding a friend you can show your "mess" to. (Although, I still wish my trash was taken out!! BUT We are feuding with the trash truck guy and he skipped our house last week. That's another story though.)

This year I am going to learn how to love me. My beautiful mess and all. I am going to be BRAVE... and 100% honest.


*Side note: Are y'all wondering why my friend stopped by?? Ok, ok... I'll tell you. She brought me a 12 pack of soda (It has Christmas holly on the package...I'm obsessed with Christmas) and fresh flowers. She is the most amazing friend. I feel so incredibly blessed that God emailed her to me. (That's how we met, over email. Ha!) You got mail. No seriously, you do!

She is an amazing woman and a great example of selflessness. I want to learn from her.

She gets me.

 

I've watched Grey's since it started and for people who watch it.. They will understand.

I LOVE your beautiful mess.

Truth.

The other day I was out with K grabbing some groceries. When I got home my husband said my friend stopped by.

First thing I thought.... "Oh my gosh.... Please, oh please, tell me she didn't come in."

My house... was beyond messy. It was worse than a herd of elephants running through. Wait... Maybe even worse than that. It was HORRIBLE. I had fantastic excuses (Headache, feud with trash man, about to pack for a trip, just cooked, dishwasher broken, my give-a-damn is busted). Anyways, it was bad.

She came in.

I started to tear up out of embarrassment. And.... started to clean. Not sure why because she has already witnessed this horror show!

I sent her a text. "I absolutely LOVE you but I am mortified you saw my house such a mess."

She replied with "I LOVE your beautiful mess."

That's just it... Our life is not always pretty. We spend so much time trying to polish ourselves on the outside to make people think we have it all together on the inside. We want our kids to behave like angels in public when in reality they climb the walls at home. We want our guests that visit our home to think w don't live there. We don't want to be in family pictures because we want FB to think we are 50 lbs. lighter. We want people to think we don't have a dog... when in fact he was the best 4 legged thing that happened to us! And black yoga pants? Yes, please!! Make-up and matching clothes are optional over here sister girl!

Why can't we just love our beautiful mess? Why do we try to paint some crazy picture of life when it never goes as planned? It's ok to be normal. It's ok to admit... "HEY, THIS IS AN OFF WEEK FOR ME."

Well.... This is ME. I'm screaming on the to of my lungs that I'm NOT perfect. I have 6 loads of laundry piled on my bed. No wait, it's now overflowing TWO baskets on the floor because I'm about to go to bed. There's dishes in my sink. Dog hair. Yep, I said it. My towels are just thrown on the rack. My kids pretty much get their clothes out of the dryer. What's a closet for anyways?

You always dream about finding a friend you can show your "mess" to. (Although, I still wish my trash was taken out!! BUT We are feuding with the trash truck guy and he skipped our house last week. That's another story though.)

This year I am going to learn how to love me. My beautiful mess and all. I am going to be BRAVE... and 100% honest.


*Side note: Are y'all wondering why my friend stopped by?? Ok, ok... I'll tell you. She brought me a 12 pack of soda (It has Christmas holly on the package...I'm obsessed with Christmas) and fresh flowers. She is the most amazing friend. I feel so incredibly blessed that God emailed her to me. (That's how we met, over email. Ha!) You got mail. No seriously, you do!

She is an amazing woman and a great example of selflessness. I want to learn from her.

She gets me.

 

I've watched Grey's since it started and for people who watch it.. They will understand.

I'm THAT mom... and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Motherhood.

It's kind of like a club.... or maybe I should say a cult. Once you join... the only way to get out is to cross over to heaven. Seriously.

Some days you want to scream. Who am I kidding? Every day you want to scream.

I spend my days filtering my thoughts. What would people think if I posted this on Facebook? 

"How much Disney JR did I let them watch today? Did I really just say yes to cookies and milk for breakfast? Did my kids eat a vegetable with all 3 meals today?... Seriously, I just want to make sure they had 3 meals! Has the dog had food today? Oh my goodness... we have a fish. Has the fish been fed at all this week? A week... when was the last time I showered? I really think I just sent the kid to bed without brushing their teeth. Do I dare wake them back up to prevent cavities in teeth that are about to fall out? Wait... Did I brush my teeth this morning? Oh crap... it's 10 pm and my coffee is still sitting on the Krieg machine. Cold. Speaking of cold... I need to get my kids winter jackets. Winter in TX? Yeah I know... last year we all wore flip flops in the snow. Could I chance it again this year? Probably not. I'll go look tomorrow. Oh man... Tomorrow I have so much to do. Laundry. Yes, THAT'S what I need to do tomorrow. I have about 7 loads washed and dried. I think we have crossed over to Mt. Laundry... instead of a slightly filled laundry basket. Great... I just realized I wore the same thing I wore yesterday. I hope no one saw me while grocery shopping. Grocery shopping... can't believe I forgot half my list. The list would have worked better if I didn't leave it at home. Home sweet home... Or should I say Home Sweet Mess. I need to clean. How can I clean when all I want to do is rest? Do you hear that?? All the kids are resting. It's silent. I guess I'll go take that shower. Water running... BAHHHHHHHH!!!! Someone flushed the toilet. Old houses mean you can't flush the toilet while someone is showering or you will give them a 3rd degree burn! Maybe that was my husband. Wait... he is home? I feel like we haven't seen each other in days. We need a date night. What is a date night? Can we date at home? Speaking of dating... Did the kids eat dinner before they went to bed?"

I read an article someone posted on Facebook about "21 reasons you should be thankful you don't have kids yet." Not going to lie... I could have written it. It was so true.

I'm not saying don't have kids. What I'm saying is... My house is an amazing form of birth control. Instead of showing "16 and pregnant" in hopes that it will help lower the percentage of teen pregnancies... just film us.

Tonight I looked at the clock... It was 11:37 PM. Yes, I basically said midnight. All THREE kids... (not 1, not 2, but 3) were all awake dancing around the living room. Ok, not the baby. She was just watching and saying a "coo" every now and then. I took a deep breath and I said to myself "Mallory, you're doing a great job. Give yourself grace. The babies are loved and they are the happiest they can be. Nothing else matters at this very moment.

Throw the parenting books out. Stop asking FB if you're doing the right thing. Just love them. Let them be kids. Let them learn every minute of every day. Show them they are all you ever dreamed of. Lead by example. You can't teach your child to stop and smell the roses if you don't stop yourself my friends. You're going to make mistakes. You will probably lose your temper more than once. It's ok. Children are forgiving little humans. They don't care if you don't make everything you pin on Pinterest. They won't hate you for always having your phone in your hand. They won't hold it against you because you formula fed or breast fed in public. They won't even notice if you didn't make all their organic baby food from scratch. *Gasp, I know.* They will remember all the good and how much they were loved. I look back at my childhood and my mom didn't have all the books telling her what she was doing wrong. She yelled! She grounded us! She made mistakes! And I love her more than ever because she was HER. I'm so thankful that she instilled pieces of herself in me.

                                                 Over in our house.... We are living folks!

For real now... Everyone is asleep. Even K who is spending the first night in her BIG girl bed. She was having a rough time so her knight in shining armor came to her rescue. Seeing him do things like this make me fall in love all over again. I love this family. To the moon and back. Now... Off to get my 4 hours of sleep! Goodnight

I'm THAT mom... and I'm perfectly fine with that.

Motherhood.

It's kind of like a club.... or maybe I should say a cult. Once you join... the only way to get out is to cross over to heaven. Seriously.

Some days you want to scream. Who am I kidding? Every day you want to scream.

I spend my days filtering my thoughts. What would people think if I posted this on Facebook? 

"How much Disney JR did I let them watch today? Did I really just say yes to cookies and milk for breakfast? Did my kids eat a vegetable with all 3 meals today?... Seriously, I just want to make sure they had 3 meals! Has the dog had food today? Oh my goodness... we have a fish. Has the fish been fed at all this week? A week... when was the last time I showered? I really think I just sent the kid to bed without brushing their teeth. Do I dare wake them back up to prevent cavities in teeth that are about to fall out? Wait... Did I brush my teeth this morning? Oh crap... it's 10 pm and my coffee is still sitting on the Krieg machine. Cold. Speaking of cold... I need to get my kids winter jackets. Winter in TX? Yeah I know... last year we all wore flip flops in the snow. Could I chance it again this year? Probably not. I'll go look tomorrow. Oh man... Tomorrow I have so much to do. Laundry. Yes, THAT'S what I need to do tomorrow. I have about 7 loads washed and dried. I think we have crossed over to Mt. Laundry... instead of a slightly filled laundry basket. Great... I just realized I wore the same thing I wore yesterday. I hope no one saw me while grocery shopping. Grocery shopping... can't believe I forgot half my list. The list would have worked better if I didn't leave it at home. Home sweet home... Or should I say Home Sweet Mess. I need to clean. How can I clean when all I want to do is rest? Do you hear that?? All the kids are resting. It's silent. I guess I'll go take that shower. Water running... BAHHHHHHHH!!!! Someone flushed the toilet. Old houses mean you can't flush the toilet while someone is showering or you will give them a 3rd degree burn! Maybe that was my husband. Wait... he is home? I feel like we haven't seen each other in days. We need a date night. What is a date night? Can we date at home? Speaking of dating... Did the kids eat dinner before they went to bed?"

I read an article someone posted on Facebook about "21 reasons you should be thankful you don't have kids yet." Not going to lie... I could have written it. It was so true.

I'm not saying don't have kids. What I'm saying is... My house is an amazing form of birth control. Instead of showing "16 and pregnant" in hopes that it will help lower the percentage of teen pregnancies... just film us.

Tonight I looked at the clock... It was 11:37 PM. Yes, I basically said midnight. All THREE kids... (not 1, not 2, but 3) were all awake dancing around the living room. Ok, not the baby. She was just watching and saying a "coo" every now and then. I took a deep breath and I said to myself "Mallory, you're doing a great job. Give yourself grace. The babies are loved and they are the happiest they can be. Nothing else matters at this very moment.

Throw the parenting books out. Stop asking FB if you're doing the right thing. Just love them. Let them be kids. Let them learn every minute of every day. Show them they are all you ever dreamed of. Lead by example. You can't teach your child to stop and smell the roses if you don't stop yourself my friends. You're going to make mistakes. You will probably lose your temper more than once. It's ok. Children are forgiving little humans. They don't care if you don't make everything you pin on Pinterest. They won't hate you for always having your phone in your hand. They won't hold it against you because you formula fed or breast fed in public. They won't even notice if you didn't make all their organic baby food from scratch. *Gasp, I know.* They will remember all the good and how much they were loved. I look back at my childhood and my mom didn't have all the books telling her what she was doing wrong. She yelled! She grounded us! She made mistakes! And I love her more than ever because she was HER. I'm so thankful that she instilled pieces of herself in me.

                                                 Over in our house.... We are living folks!

For real now... Everyone is asleep. Even K who is spending the first night in her BIG girl bed. She was having a rough time so her knight in shining armor came to her rescue. Seeing him do things like this make me fall in love all over again. I love this family. To the moon and back. Now... Off to get my 4 hours of sleep! Goodnight <3 nbsp="" p="">

 

Guest Blog- Are you at the TOP? By Sharyn Jackson

Are you at the TOP?

Priorities.  You have a lot of them, right?   Your kids, husband, house, work, kid’s school, kids extra curricula’s, dog, car, cleaning…YOU?  Wait, what?  Yes, I just said YOU! Bet you never thought that YOU were one of those TOP priorities…BUT dang right you are!

Trust me, it took me a long, long time to actually put myself ahead of everything and everyone else for about an hour a day BUT I can tell you that as soon as I did it, it changed me.  I am a person too.  I have needs and I WANT to feel the best that I can!

So where did it all start? Well, I have always been very into being healthy…until I had my girls.  This is completely unacceptable but I was that pregnant lady that kind of just shoved whatever I felt like eating at that moment into my mouth and it WASN’T always healthy.  I was sick with all three of my kids, very nauseous and also I had so many headaches that I can’t even say I was very active.  I tried but I felt like an alien in my own body.

So in between my babies I exercised here and there but never really did not get into a solid workout regime nor was I really watching what I was eating.  Being a personal trainer prior to having babies, you would have thought that I would really be fit and healthy.  And as much as I wanted too, I had ZERO motivation and the exhaustion was not helping.  Mama’s you KNOW what I am talking about!

Then, one day I woke up and decided that I didn’t want to be that tired, grumpy Mama anymore.  I felt awful every day walking around with that fog around me.  My kids and husband deserved so much better and I was really the only one to change it! 

So I picked up Insanity.  You have heard of it, haven’t you?  It’s that crazy and intense at home workout program that you may see on infomercials late at night!  A girlfriend of mine was hosting a virtual fitness group for women so I decided to join her and complete my Insanity program.  I so desperately needed the accountability and support so I could get through it.  And it was the BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE…AND NOT JUST FOR ME BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO SURROUNDED ME.

My point in telling you this is that YOU too can do this.  Why should you just become less of a priority because you have children? They need to be the REASON why you ARE a priority.  It is just normal in our house now when I push play and workout with Shaun T or Chalene Johnson.  They are household names and I freaking love it!  And more often than not your kids will join you.  Do you have any idea of how much an impact this will have on them for the rest of their life?  Plus, it’s such a great way to tire them out too…lol!  They may even sleep better for you!

And it’s not just about exercise.  I find the hardest part is what you eat…ya know?  Bad food is EVERYWHERE and it is always so easily accessible.  So the planning of what to eat each week and how to actually begin can be very overwhelming.  But I am going to list a few books for you, to help you get started.  And if being healthy and fit is something you have always wanted you have to know that if you put your mind to it, YOU WILL SUCCEED!  Your body only does what your mind tells it too!!

So, I really want you to sit down, take out a sheet of paper and write down your priorities with YOU being at the very top!  TRUST ME…it’s okay!!!  There is NO need to feel guilty. Mom’s need their time too.   It WILL make you better. It WILL make you happier. It WILL make you more confident.  It WILL get you your body back.  It WILL just be freaking awesome J 

Now, here are those books I promised you…

Clean Eating: A Home Cooks Guide To Clean Eating Recipes  - By Jessica Ray

The 20 Minute Guide to Clean Eating  - Jeannette Phillips

Clean Eating for Busy Families (Kindle Edition) 
by Michelle Dudash 

The Best Of Clean Eating: Over 200 Mouthwatering Recipes To Keep You Lean And Healthy 
by Clean Eating Magazine

What to Eat (Paperback) 
by Marion Nestle

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (Hardcover) 
by Michael Pollan

Remember too, this is not a quick fix to fit into those jeans for that special night.  This is a lifestyle change. It’s NOT always going to be perfect, but if you stick with it the best that you can, YOU will be a SUCCESS!

Sharyn Jackson

-Fit Mama Posse Founder, Virtual Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer

 

 

For fit tips, inspiration or motivation you can follow me on Instagram @FitMamaPosse or on FB at www.facebook.com/sharyn.jackson7.  My blog is pretty cool too, check it out www.blog.fitmamaposse.com

Guest Blog- Are you at the TOP? By Sharyn Jackson

Are you at the TOP?

Priorities.  You have a lot of them, right?   Your kids, husband, house, work, kid’s school, kids extra curricula’s, dog, car, cleaning…YOU?  Wait, what?  Yes, I just said YOU! Bet you never thought that YOU were one of those TOP priorities…BUT dang right you are!

Trust me, it took me a long, long time to actually put myself ahead of everything and everyone else for about an hour a day BUT I can tell you that as soon as I did it, it changed me.  I am a person too.  I have needs and I WANT to feel the best that I can!

So where did it all start? Well, I have always been very into being healthy…until I had my girls.  This is completely unacceptable but I was that pregnant lady that kind of just shoved whatever I felt like eating at that moment into my mouth and it WASN’T always healthy.  I was sick with all three of my kids, very nauseous and also I had so many headaches that I can’t even say I was very active.  I tried but I felt like an alien in my own body.

So in between my babies I exercised here and there but never really did not get into a solid workout regime nor was I really watching what I was eating.  Being a personal trainer prior to having babies, you would have thought that I would really be fit and healthy.  And as much as I wanted too, I had ZERO motivation and the exhaustion was not helping.  Mama’s you KNOW what I am talking about!

Then, one day I woke up and decided that I didn’t want to be that tired, grumpy Mama anymore.  I felt awful every day walking around with that fog around me.  My kids and husband deserved so much better and I was really the only one to change it! 

So I picked up Insanity.  You have heard of it, haven’t you?  It’s that crazy and intense at home workout program that you may see on infomercials late at night!  A girlfriend of mine was hosting a virtual fitness group for women so I decided to join her and complete my Insanity program.  I so desperately needed the accountability and support so I could get through it.  And it was the BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE…AND NOT JUST FOR ME BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO SURROUNDED ME.

My point in telling you this is that YOU too can do this.  Why should you just become less of a priority because you have children? They need to be the REASON why you ARE a priority.  It is just normal in our house now when I push play and workout with Shaun T or Chalene Johnson.  They are household names and I freaking love it!  And more often than not your kids will join you.  Do you have any idea of how much an impact this will have on them for the rest of their life?  Plus, it’s such a great way to tire them out too…lol!  They may even sleep better for you!

And it’s not just about exercise.  I find the hardest part is what you eat…ya know?  Bad food is EVERYWHERE and it is always so easily accessible.  So the planning of what to eat each week and how to actually begin can be very overwhelming.  But I am going to list a few books for you, to help you get started.  And if being healthy and fit is something you have always wanted you have to know that if you put your mind to it, YOU WILL SUCCEED!  Your body only does what your mind tells it too!!

So, I really want you to sit down, take out a sheet of paper and write down your priorities with YOU being at the very top!  TRUST ME…it’s okay!!!  There is NO need to feel guilty. Mom’s need their time too.   It WILL make you better. It WILL make you happier. It WILL make you more confident.  It WILL get you your body back.  It WILL just be freaking awesome J 

Now, here are those books I promised you…

Clean Eating: A Home Cooks Guide To Clean Eating Recipes  - By Jessica Ray

The 20 Minute Guide to Clean Eating  - Jeannette Phillips

Clean Eating for Busy Families (Kindle Edition) 
by Michelle Dudash 

The Best Of Clean Eating: Over 200 Mouthwatering Recipes To Keep You Lean And Healthy 
by Clean Eating Magazine

What to Eat (Paperback) 
by Marion Nestle

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (Hardcover) 
by Michael Pollan

Remember too, this is not a quick fix to fit into those jeans for that special night.  This is a lifestyle change. It’s NOT always going to be perfect, but if you stick with it the best that you can, YOU will be a SUCCESS!

Sharyn Jackson

-Fit Mama Posse Founder, Virtual Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer

 

 

For fit tips, inspiration or motivation you can follow me on Instagram @FitMamaPosse or on FB at www.facebook.com/sharyn.jackson7.  My blog is pretty cool too, check it out www.blog.fitmamaposse.com