On the First Weeks of Motherhood... Again

So as I look back on the piece of garbage that the year 2016 was, I have to really just concentrate on one thing, the newest blessing to our family, Theodore Robin Light or "Teddy", who was born just a few days before Christmas. I have to concentrate on this one thing because at it's core, I could not find a ton to be grateful for this year. I did my very best to be positive after the death of David Bowie (a serious loss if you know me), through an exhausting pregnancy, after what was the most tumultuous and ultimately the most supremely disappointing election cycle on absolutely almost every personal level for me and a work project that went from one month of 50 hour work weeks to four months of working like a dog up until, literally my water broke... I'm sitting here, writing this, and even with my newborn sleeping like an angel by my side, I am still finding it really hard to be appreciative of what I have and how good I've got it- healthy family, great support system, blessed with a home and everything we need and the list goes on...

Perhaps you're saying to yourself "Amanda, maybe you shouldn't write blog posts with only one week under your belt with a newborn. You need perspective." To that, I say, I most certainly should be writing a blog post and I'll tell you why. Life with a newborn is motha effin' hard. Like super hard and I need to get this off of my chest. On one hand, you have this precious little creature who is dependent on you for every single thing at every hour of the day and on the other hand you have a precious little creature who is dependent on you for every single thing at every hour of the day. Besides the human child, there's everything happening in/on your postpartum body. I guess I don't remember being that irritated after Wes was born but my body is reacting all sorts of cray right now. Post labor healing aside (which is maje don't get me wrong), I have a rash on my chest and stomach. I've totally broken out on my face, like more than I ever have in my entire life. My hormones are manageable yet still all out of whack thus making me sad. I'm happy to have the baby living outside my body but I still look pregnant so that's a bummer to the already limping self esteem... You know, all these things add up when you're running on 3-4 hours of non-consecutive sleep a night at best. As if that wasn't enough, I have mastitis which, simply put, is a breast infection, that hurts like a mother, that you basically have to breast feed through with antibiotics. Yikes, that's a lot to deal with, right? But you have the help of your husband, no? Well, yes and no. Both my husband and toddler have been sick with the plague since we came home from the hospital so while my husband has been taking care of the two of them, I've been basically using my person to block my newborn from anything having to do with the other male peoples in order to hopefully keep him from getting sick... but all it's really doing is stressing me out. We've been to the pediatrician's four times this week because Teddy is/was jaundiced and has been monitored consistently. Each visit required an extensive blood draw which left a screaming 8lb munchkin melting in my arms. A nurse told me on the other day "this too shall pass"... that's the line I use, and it's not working this time, sistah! I'm kind of friggin' exhausted and can't help but live in my "now"!

I know myself and I'll get through this because this is peanuts compared to what some people have to deal with but I'm SO ready to say a big "SEE YA 2016! DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YA!" I already love my new family with our sassy little butterball as the newest addition. I know I love our little family despite being absolutely miserable otherwise... it's going to be a matter of workin' some stuff out on the homefront here. I feel like this post can be a cleansing breath that is much needed. 2016 wasn't ready to let me ease on out! I'm going to take this weekend, hopefully with a little more sleep, and really reflect on what I should be grateful for, what I am looking forward to this coming year and what I hope to achieve with this precious time that I've been given with my peoples. I know I've got some ass kicking to do in 2017 so it'll be time to mentally prepare for it! Now to swoon over my newborn because newborns, if nothing else, are just so sweet to look at, and hold, and smell, and love on ... and they also have no problem staring you down, wide awake at 2am lol.

Local Lovin': Seaduced Sea Glass

I was introduced to Seaduced Sea Glass through The Perpetual You Marketplace at the W.E.L.L. Summit.  I love Seaduced Sea Glass' ocean energized vibes! Each Seaduced Sea Glass piece is organically shaped by natural nautical properties, man-mined from sanctuaries in the sand, and infused with powerful ocean energy. Being drawn to beautiful things (I mean, take a look at this Lucia Nautical Twilight Necklace, swoooon) and learning that the lady behind SSG is based out of Connecticut, I knew that I wanted to reach out to have a chat with Jenn Skiba, owner and creator, Local Lovin' style!

Give us a little background as to how Seaduced Sea Glass came about. What initially drove you to start your brand? 

As a native to the Connecticut shores of Long Island Sound, the beach has always been an integral part of my life. From an early age my mom exposed me to the transformative powers of the ocean's energy; unique combinations of currents, wind patterns, moon phases, and sand rotations kinetically refine discarded glass into frozen sea crystals. I was mesmerized by the spiritual process of how something damaged and broken could be formed into something of such rare beauty. This also seemed symbolic with my journey in life and that being beautifully-broken was an extraordinary part of me that I needed to embrace. This provoked me to convert my sea glass into jewelry; wearable treasures that are infused with ocean-energy and captivate a sense of excitement.

When creating your products, where do you take inspiration from?

I've always felt that jewelry is a way to introduce someone to my mind. It tells the most intimate stories of who I am and what makes my soul shine. When creating jewelry I find inspiration in the harmonious state of being free; unconstrained from the demands of modern life, taking risks without fear, and drifting into the timeless state of flow. In order to transmit this feeling into a piece of jewelry I fuse eclectic elements with sea-sliced glass; retro expressions, rebellious compliments, and accents of wanderlust. For example, in June I visited the Amalfi Coast of Italy and experienced the Italians' passion for life. While by Capri I noticed jellyfish free-floating through the electric current of the Blue Grottos. When I arrived home from Italy I began creating my aura moon jelly design for a necklace. It consisted of a round piece of frosted-white sea glass (jellyfish's body) with a handmade chain-link tassel (the tentacles) that drifted below. The inspiration to specifically attach a chain-link tassel came from my lifelong relationship with vintage fashion jewelry.

I love that you have shaped your business to connect with the energy and elements of the ocean. Why is this important to you?

We live in a chaotic, fast-paced world that constantly sets standards for what we should do and how we should live. This many times can feel like we're drowning in our journey through life. I permanently felt like this at one point in my life and I would find solace in walking along the beach shores. There was something magnetic about the ocean and how I would visit it daily, but wasn't quite sure why. At some point during these walks and collecting sea glass, I thought about the existence of the glass and its individual life journey. Starting out as heated sand, it is manufactured into glass, sold to a consumer, who eventually no longer needs it so it's discarded (in the water), breaks into pieces, and drowns on the ocean floor (sound familiar?) During this period of drowning ocean elements begin to refine it. The glass tumbles through the surf in unpredictable ways continuing on its life journey. While this is happening, the ocean produces extraordinary combinations of energy that reshape, resize, recolor, and redefine the shard of litter into a nautical diamond. I began to find all sorts of life messages from the ocean that became a life preserver to that drowning feeling I had. Like glass in the sea, I realized how one breaks before they can shine, to embrace waves of change, and how the most beautiful things can come from what may appear to be a dark, blue place.

What do you love to do in New England, when you aren't busy running your business?

New England has this way of unintentionally blurring that line between business and pleasure for me. The various personalities of each season brings different activities, events, traditions, and of course, different tide tosses that make glitter-litter treasure hunts especially exciting! The fall and winter are my favorite New England seasons and I find a peacefulness in being outdoors. This primarily includes walking the shores of the beaches, but also includes hiking, snowboarding, riding my bike, rollerblading, reading, and meditating. I am easily bored by continuity and it surpasses my creativity, so it is important that I have variety and options for how to enjoy my personal time.

You have certainly found some fantastic early success! Where do you see Seaduced Sea Glass jewelry headed in the future?

Thank you! The early success of Seaduced Sea Glass can be contributed to many amazing people (both new and old) that have helped to support my dream over this past year. Continuing to maintain their support while also expanding this network are essential. In addition, it is my ultimate goal is that Seaduced Sea Glass jewelry grows as business, but also grows as a mindset- that of revolutionizing and empowering one's self. I find a deep sense of value in the concepts of handmade items, helping others, and breaking societal barriers. I'm not quite sure how these collectively connect to Seaduced Sea Glass jewelry in the moment, so the future will definitely include creatively exploring what this may look like.

You can catch up with Seaduced Sea Glass on their online shop and Instagram!

On Being a Woman of Power

You may have noticed that I went to the Massachusetts Conference for Women a couple weeks back. I've been percolating on some of the messages that I received and honestly, I've been pregnant to the point where motivating myself to write a motivational blog post has been a struggle... but here I am, wanting to share how this year's conference really resonated with me, not on a professional/career level but on a personal/woman of power level. Be forewarned that there's the possibility that I was affected, in part, by pregnancy hormones but I firmly believe that for the most part, I was moved by the incredible women that I had the honor to hear speak at this year's event.

I'd like to think that I am capable of keeping it together first thing in the morning, but I have to say that I teared up quite a bit before the clock struck 9am. The breakfast keynote speakers were uplifting but also told stories of strength, perseverance and ultimately, on being a woman of power. A woman who takes control of her own business and pushes her life on the trajectory that she was meant to be on. If you have a couple of minutes. I urge you to take a listen to both Anita Hill and Carla Harris' keynote speeches from the morning. I dare you not to be inspired to take some notes and to bring out your woman of power. Anita Hill, a pioneer against sexual harassment in the workplace and Carla Harris, a Wall Street banker, Gospel Singer, Author and motivational speaker started the morning by really, just making me proud to be in that room with 11,000 other women. Whether you need to hear the words or be moved by the emotions, I love to go into conferences or talks open to taking in what I need to hear, if that makes sense. You have to have a "game plan" but I also like to be led where I think I need to be on that day... and that instinct led me to some amazing sessions.

Marla Aufmuth/ Getty Images for The Massachusetts Conference for Women

Marla Aufmuth/ Getty Images for The Massachusetts Conference for Women

I knew that I wanted to get it on Glennon Doyle Melton's session. I was introduced to her site and writing by my friend Laura, who recommended her when I needed to feel somewhat uplifted. I know that there are a lot of women whose lives have been changed by Glennon and her writing, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Glennon talked about us all having pain and a lot of the time we run away from the battle because we think that we can't handle it... but news flash, we can handle it. Again, it was a part of the theme that I was building in my day, that we can and should take charge of our personal stories, be women of power and drive our own destinies in our decisions, big or small. Glennon had a nugget of truth that I completely appreciated. She noted that no matter what we do as women, we are going to be criticized and it's because we're likely doing something right. As a "people pleaser" who sadly, really hates being criticized, this was pearl of wisdom that I tucked away from the day because #Truth.

Marla Aufmuth/ Getty Images for The Massachusetts Conference for Women

Mallika Chopra was my treasure of the day, you know that one lady you didn't know you needed to hear from. I had sauntered/waddled over from Glennon's sesh and sat down front and center to get in on Mallika's Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy. I'd not experienced any of Mallika's previous talks nor had I read any of her writing, whether in books, her site or on Intent.com.  I think this "blank canvas" of sorts helped me take the sweet, humble, friendly words that Mallika spoke and molded them to the current state of my life. It's easy to say that we want to live with intention, with purpose but it's a completely different animal living that in our everyday lives. I find myself struggling to keep on track, not getting mired down in the negativity and self imposed stress that can sometimes overtake my days. Mallika gave us some exercises, led a group meditation and overall inspired me to, yet again, take control of my business and move it in the direction that I want it to go. I snagged her book, got that bad boy signed obviously and told Mallika in the calmest manner that I could muster that I really appreciated her message and that it was something that I needed to hear. She seemed to genuinely enjoy that feedback and I went on with my day, gushing to anyone who would listen to me, because when you crush on someone immediately, it's usually for good reason.

Marla Aufmuth/ Getty Images for The Massachusetts Conference for Women

At the end of this long day at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, I was certainly glad that I went, despite being completely exhausted (hello, 8 months pregnant over here!). I didn't attend necessarily to further my career, get help with my resume or any of those professional tracks (which are great, don't get me wrong)... I attended with my personal development in mind and I left with a better sense of self and my inner woman of power. We all have the power to move the needle, whether it's in our careers or our every day lives. It's up to us to feel empowered and to do things that will keep us empowered to make a difference not just in our own lives but in those around us as well. I sincerely recommend attending events like this one, local to you, or even online because personal development is an awesome thing. I promise you that. Next on my woman of power to do list? Having this baby!

What's your favorite way to call out your "woman of power"?

Mass Mutual realPERSPECTIVES

*This post was sponsored by Massachusetts Mutual Financial Group (MassMutual). All opinions are my own.

When MassMutual reached out to me to take a personal look at my financial health, as a millennial with a young family already established, I thought it might be a little late at this point to discuss our finances in a major way. We own a home and have 401ks so we’re good, right? Well, not exactly. What I learned through the realPERSPECTIVES campaign is that it’s never too late to take your financial wellness into consideration and you can always improve… because yes, being confident with money, investments and your insurance is a form of wellness. That’s how I choose to look at it and I think you should as well.

Propah tip: Educate yourself. I started with the MassMutual Facebook quiz, to see how much I really knew, or rather how financially savvy I am, in 11 quick questions. I thought for sure I would ace it because I consider myself to be an intelligent woman. Well, I only scored 7 out of 11. I was actually kind of bummed that I didn’t do better. That being said, I knew where my knowledge was lacking and was able to tackle some new-ish topics that I didn’t know about except for on a basic level. Like I mentioned before, we have 401k’s but after viewing MassMutual’s Retirement To Do List, I was much more aware of the reasons behind what my husband has been telling me about my retirement contributions and financial priorities. If you’re reading this honey, I’m sorry I wasn’t a better student until now but am vowing to keep myself up on our financial health!

Propah tip: Don’t be discouraged by temporary setbacks or bumps in the road. We are parents of a feisty toddler and have our second baby on the way any day now. It’s an interesting position to be in, not super young any more but not close to retirement. We wanted what a lot of millennial home buyers wanted, to find our special place in the suburbs. We wanted to start a family somewhere cozy and secure. We wanted to save for retirement while also living comfortably. A very important part of this vision was to be financially stable and to make smart choices for our future, building our financial pyramid, if you will. One thing we are always talking about is how we need to start to put money aside for the kids’ education. We’re actually kind of disappointed in ourselves that we didn’t get our act together sooner but are now motivated to make it happen. Yes, we could have got the ball rolling earlier but when dealing with your finances, don’t get discouraged, we just have to keep on truckin’ towards our set goals, even if there are setbacks.

At the end of the day, you and only you can take responsibility for your financial goals. Whether you’re still paying off student loans, looking for financial security, searching for your first home or trying to build and protect a young family *raises hand*, it’s super important to know what decisions you have to make and more importantly the why behind those decisions. We eat healthy, exercise, try to lower stress so why not add the financial element into our personal wellness? It’s the smart thing to do and while not as zen as yoga, being financially strong will allow our family to be flexible now and in the future.

Did you take the quiz? How did you do? Like me, did you have areas to work on?

Cheat Sheet: Pregnancy Skincare Must Haves

You guys, pregnancy is not the most glamorous thing to ever happen to a woman's body. I know that they say that pregnant women have a "glow" and while that may be true for some, this Mama and Mama to be has needed to keep her skin in check throughout the course of the pregnancy. I have some of my normal skincare faves that have seen me through and I've had to supplement some new items into the rotation but I've found the perfect combination of items that have kept me looking the best I can at this point! 

To make note, every woman's skin is different and heck, it changes based on our hormones whether we're pregnant or not so sometimes it's best to try different things. A lot of brands will even give you samples if you ask them. You can also head into stores like Follain or Detox Market, if you live in those areas. They are always happy to help you find what works for you. OK so back to what I recommend? I love all of these brands, for real and I urge you to check them out regardless.

Organic Bath Co.'s PeaceFull Organic Body Butter and Stress Less Organic Body Oil: First of all, the smell. So glorious and full of lavender that I just can't help but be drawn to it... pregnancy is a funny thing though. Smells are like a major deal and if something smells even a bit "off", you just won't want to use it! Besides loving the smell, this duo has kept my skin super moisturized, especially as the seasons have changed and my usual preggo dry skin is getting Winterized. I keep a large jar of body butter in the bathroom and the travel size at my work desk for any spot treatments! Full Body Honorable Mention: Thesis Beauty Organic Lavender Fields Body Oil

Khaki's Bomb Balm Flower Power Healing Toner: Since starting to get regular facials, my esthetician has given me a routine to follow after cleansing. She's especially recommended things due to the discoloration that I've been experiencing on my face due to #PregnancyHormones so I've been really trying to work things in that may not have been there before... toner is one of those things. I met Khaki at the W.E.L.L. Summit so decided to give her toner a try... and I love it! She herself is an esthetician, makes her skincare in small batches and best of all, she's local and you know that I'm always on board for that. Toner Honorable Mention: Jacques Organics Balancing Carrot con Leche Face Toner.

Thesis Beauty Lullaby for Dry Skin: I think it's safe to assume that everything I am recommending comes with the same passing grade on "smell". This face oil, being directly under my nose, smells great and isn't overpowering. This face oil has been a part of my normal routine and has seamlessly remained in said routine because of it's ability to moisturize without leaving my face feeling greasy. It absorbs quickly so that I can move on with my facial routine and my day. Facial Serum Honorable Mention: Josh Rosebrook Herbal Infusion Serum

Splurge Skincare Melted Buttah Repair Balm: This is one of those handy little jars that I've been bringing with me everywhere, especially recently because #ColdSeason. I use this for my cuticles, I use this for my raw nose nostrils (from all the tissues, glamorous I know), I use this on a itchy scratch elbow. It really is very multi-purpose and has a light and sweet scent that I love... I really think it's the smell that has made this my pregnancy favorite all purpose balm. Repair Balm Honorable Mentions: Skincando Combat-Ready Balm (my usual go to) and Organic Bath Nourish Night Balm

Derma e Psorzema Body Wash: Itchy, Itchy, Itchy, Itchy... it's what can happen when your body is all like hey, we have to keep growing this baby so something's got to give. I, personally, felt WAY itchy this pregnancy so had to combat it from a couple of different angles. This derma e body wash is technically geared towards those with dermatitis and the like but it's a natural, gentle formula that cleanses away scaling and flaking skin while soothing itchiness, redness and irritation on the bod... so yeah, thumbs up.

True Moringa Calming Bath Soak: Taking a bath... it's a small luxury that I don't take advantage of quite enough but I did enjoy trying one of my fave local brands newest creations and used my delicate state as a reason to take the time out for the extra self care. This calming bath soak has THE MOST AMAZING smell (see a theme here?) and when you sprinkle this under your hot water, it makes for the most aromatic and relaxing bath that just calms and soothes the skin. I've also got it in my head that I can do a facial steam with this over the sink but haven't yet tried it... but me thinks it will be amazing. It's really one of my fave "new finds" and it's like creating a spa at home!

21 Drops Sleep Blend: I can't say enough about 21 Drops, especially the sleep blend. It's absolutely the best at calming me down at sleepy time. I've tried other essential oil blends and this one is my favorite. Roll a little on my wrists, under my nose and at my temples and breathing deeply as I lay down is a great calming routine in itself but I truly believe that there is power in essential oils.

What are some of your favorite recommendations for Mama's to Be? I'd love to get your feedback, though this may be the last time I'm personally pregnant! 

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