Making time for self care….

 

Can I be honest? Fitting in workouts has been the biggest challenge for me! I have a nasty habit of putting my needs on the back burner. Raise your hand if you can relate!! I run around making sure everyone else’s needs are met and allow myself to have the left overs. I recently saw a meme that said, “My kids look like they stepped out of a GAP ad and I look like I stepped out of an episode of the Walking Dead!” It’s funny and it was true!

You guys, I know better! Self care is a must. It’s important to take care of your soul, mind and body. Without getting too deep….I had to really look at how I viewed myself. Why do I insist on the best for my husband and kids but, not for myself? I felt the rumblings of change beginning to happen. You know the feeling, God starts stirring up things he wants to change in you. It hurts but, it’s necessary.  After some much needed time with my Creator and acknowledging deeply rooted “I am not enough” insecurities, I focused my attention on self care and self love.

I came up with 3 things I must do daily to care for myself.

That seems easy enough, right?

1. Nurture my relationship with God through meditation, reading and prayer.
2. Center my attention on Thankfulness.
3. Care for my body through nutrition and exercise.

I have so much to say about all of these areas and I promise I will share more!

But…..

 

Let’s chat fitness!

Your body needs to move! When you work out your body produces endorphins. The link between exercise and mood is pretty strong! I start to feel a shift in my mood fairly soon after I begin….it’s getting myself going that is the struggle.

Never enough time! I am eyelash deep in babies, house cleaning, memorizing scripts and the countless other things that seem to creep in and takeover my day. I often feel like I don’t have time and the time that I do have I want to throw myself into a comfy bed and sleep. And, sometimes you need to indulge and do just that. But, I am in control of my day and if I want to see change I have to chisel out time. The first few days of my self care journey were filled with half attempts at failed workouts. I definitely try to be gentle with myself and extend grace. What I found that keeps me accountable is setting health goals and remembering why I need to be fit and healthy….my family! So, I fit my work outs into the nooks and crannies.

My babies are always with me so, naturally I came up with ways to include them in my work out!  We make it fun and easy. I love that it introduces fitness to them at a young age. When they understand that I want to keep my body healthy and in shape, it motivates them to be healthy too!

When we work out together I do things that they love like kicking the ball and tag.  I also introduce a few exercises that their little bodies can handle. I am not going to lie, it’s pretty cute watching them attempt burpees. I am sure the added laughter increases the amount of calories burned, right?

Here are a few exercises we like to do together!

1. Planks
2. Squats
3. Push-ups
4. Lunges
5. Burpees
6. Leg raises
7. High Knees

 

And…..we run! My favorite Jogging Stroller is the Joovy Zoom 360. It’s lightweight, comfy and easy to maneuver. Seriously, this stroller has the most amazing ability to go over any terrain and make smooth turns. I actually prefer this stroller whenever we are cruising around town running errands! Thank you to Joovy for allowing me the ease of running with a great stroller!

You can get your Joovy Zoom for under $220 here! Its Properly Stylish and affordable! Definitely a mommy must have!!

To make sure my body is getting all of the nourishment it needs I follow a healthy diet and take Plexus’ plant based supplements. Don’t worry, I will fill you in on all of the details. I love veggies and Plexus! Both have changed my health game!

Nothing motivates me more than my babies! If you need inspiration, look at the faces of your loved ones.

I hope my journey with self care will inspire you to take time for yourself. You are worth it! Both you and your family deserves to have the best version of “YOU.”

Be gentle and extend yourself a healthy serving of grace. Workouts don’t have to be perfect and you do not have to have a gym membership to exercise. Work with what you have, love on your family and get that body moving!

XO,

Wendy Wynne

 

Our trip to Disney…

We finally planned a trip to Disney and let me tell you….it was Magical!!

Im going to let you in on a little something about me. I am a perfectionist. There, I said it. I revel in the details….which at times can overwhelm me. Two things that were must haves for a trip to Disney were someone who knows every magical detail about Disney travel to help me plan this adventure and an amazing double stroller. Not too much to ask…in my opinion.

Joy Walters with Travelmation, and Joovy came to my rescue!

I gave Joy my list of “must” haves, would “love” to haves, and would “die” to haves. She came back with my top resort, The Beach Club, at an amazing price. Her magic did not end there! She arranged our meal plans, made our reservations, helped with our fast passes and set up a birthday celebration for my sweet Stella! Joy was my very own Fairy God-Mother! She planned a magical trip that we will never forget!

Stella met a new friend along the way!

Well, we met several friends actually. I can’t quite narrow down a favorite. Liam was pretty smitten with Joy and Sadness. Look at the toothy grin and sweet hand holding going on here!

Traveling with a family of 4 to a place where we would walk several miles a day had me researching double strollers like a maniac. As I searched through the many, many, many double strollers on the market I could never find the “one.” Well, that was until I came across this beauty! The Joovy Scooter X2 has so many wonderful features!

The Joovy Scooter will give Cinerella’s carriage a run for its money! Its 30 inches wide, fits through standard doors, can accommodate up to 90 pounds of kiddo sweetness and will not turn into a pumpkin after midnight! Hallelujah!!!

You can recline seats and adjust footrests independently of one another, which was vital having a busy 6 year old and sleepy 1 year old. We took advantage of this cozy coup while sister was playing around in Toy Story Mania. I’m in love with the extra large canopy. It creates the perfect little nook for nap time.

It’s definitely a carriage fit for a princess and her tiny prince. The true test of any carriage is in how much of your ball gown it can hold!

The Joovy Scooter X2 has large wheels which allow you to maneuver the magical streets of Disney with ease! It handled the roads well as we ran from dinner reservations to princess meet and greets and then off to catch shows located on the other end of the park!  It reminded me of the scene from Home Alone where the family is running through the air port. You know which one I’m talking about! Well, that was us, but the Disney and Joovy version!

Can we just all stop for a minute and admire the glorious basket? I packed so much in there! There were snacks, blankets, extra clothing options, souvenirs, a diaper bag, a map, my purse and possibly Cinderella’s little mice friends. The basket is the Mary Poppins bag for strollers!

There are also places to easily store your drinks and generously sized zipper pouches that can hold cell phones, keys and other trinkets.

Traveling the parks was quite easy with this companion! We stayed on property at the Beach Club Resort and took buses and boats to each park. The Joovy Scooter X2 is lightweight and is easily stored using the one handed fold feature. We were on and off of those buses faster than you could say Bippity-Boppity-Boo!

My love for the Joovy Scooter X2 runs deep. It is a great economy double stroller with immense storage! It comes in 5 different colors which allows you to be uniquely Properly Stylish! Joovy also has a “call us if anything goes wrong” guarantee and all their products are JPMA certified. We are totally in love with this stroller!!

Couldn’t help but do a review of the amazing Joovy Scooter X2 Stroller and how it helped us during our entire trip.

Thank you  Joy Walters with Travelmation for being my Fairy God-Mother and planning every detail of this magical trip!  It was an amazing time for our family and we made so many wonderful memories! And to Joovy for the Scooter X2 Stroller which was the perfect carriage for my little prince and princess!  You helped us enjoy the magic of Disney by allowing us to travel the parks with ease! The Joovy Scooter X2 kept my babies from turning into little pumpkins by keeping them well rested and happy the entire trip. Last but not least…thank you Disney, for bringing out the inner child in us all with this magical experience.

What Burning Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Taught Me….

Today was one of those days in motherhood that was just down right hard. Momma’s, I know you all have had those days!

Months and months of sleepless nights have piled up. My baby is struggling through teething and I hate to see him in so much pain! Let’s be honest, shards of bone breaking through tender flesh is not fun for anyone!! Today, I had moments where I lost my patience and used an unkind and unwarranted tone with my sweet babies.  I burned the grilled cheese sandwiches while I was trying to console an over tired, teething baby.  My perfectionistic tendencies really took a blow…..I DO NOT Burn food! Of course this wasted 4 pieces of bread and 3 slices of cheese, not to mention what little energy reserves I was using.

These were not my most Properly Stylish moments but, they happened.

It’s funny how burning a grilled cheese sandwich can send you into a self deprecating tail spin of feeling inadequate. I immediately began to see all of the ways that I do not measure up as a mother and wife.  As I was spiraling  out of control in my thoughts, Stella was encouraging me in her sweet little way.

Stella : “Oh mom, you burned the grilled cheese. It’s ok! You can make another and next time turn the fire down and watch it very closely. Wow! My tummy is growling so loudly…I must be realllllllly hungry.”

I both laughed and cried listening to her. I took a deep breath, told myself “I AM enough,” and began to prepare the second round of sandwiches.

As women, we are often times juggling many responsibilities and trying to excel at every one. We leave very little room for failure or acting in any way that is less than perfect. The truth of the matter is that none of us are perfect and never will be! It’s an unattainable trait that we try so desperately to achieve. I would never want Stella or Liam to feel the pressure to be perfect in anything they do. As a matter of fact, I tell Stella very often that her best efforts are enough and she never has to feel like she has to be “perfect.”

Parenting can be the best teacher and failing can be one of the greatest gifts! Both require us to strive to be the best version of ourselves!

With both babes on my lap, I apologized for losing my patience and burning the grilled cheese sandwiches. Stella immediately said those beautiful words that set us free and give us room to grow, “I FORGIVE YOU mommy and I LOVE YOU even though you burned the grilled cheese!” Forgiveness is such a beautiful gift!  All was well!

As I prepared the second batch of sandwiches with a crying babe on my hip, I gave myself permission to fail. I gave myself permission to have a less than spotless home, to sleep in my makeup and have messy hair, to not always have the perfect meals prepared with the best ingredients, and to fail without it defining who I am.

I want to be a positive example for my babies. I realized that striving for perfection does not set a realistic example for them. Thank you God for grace and forgiveness!

What truly matters is that my family feels and sees the love I have for them.

Even though I am enormously flawed, I am enough in this moment!

I hope my challenging day encourages you! You are doing a wonderful job and you are so loved!

Lunch may have started black, crusty and undesirable but it ended up pretty fantastic! Oh the lessons we learn!

Failing can be Properly Stylish….as long as you give your best efforts and learn from your mistakes!

Take care of yourselves and love yourself well…..that is Properly Stylish!

XOXO,

Wendy

Fall and Pumpkin Patches…

It’s finally fall here in Atlanta…..well, kind of. There are still a few days where the temperature sneaks into the 80’s. Gotta love those southern seasons!

Anyone who knows me, knows of my love for the holiday seasons! I mean, I am seriously ready to put up the Christmas tree and it is only the middle of October! I love all of those warm fuzzies that come along with holidays.

This year we have been to both an apple orchard and a pumpkin farm.

Burt’s Pumpkin Farm in Dawsonville, GA is my absolute favorite! It has become a yearly fall tradition for my little family. It is about an hour drive through the most beautiful landscape. Farm land, cows, horses and little antique shops guide you all the way to the farm.

The pumpkins at Burt’s are amazing! There are hay rides and yummy eats to enjoy. They also have a little country store where I have been known to pick up a few jars of the most delicious Apple Butter. You must buy the Apple Butter!!

These baby pumpkins are always a favorite of Stella’s. She takes in every detail before selecting the perfect one….just like her momma.

My sweet Stella pondered long and hard over which baby pumpkin was chosen to come home with us. She’s my detailed girl and I love that about her!

 

Liam took the pick it up and throw it approach. My propriety was kicking in hard as I apologized to other farm goers for the flying pumpkins. 🙂

Man, I love watching this little one explore!

Have you noticed Stella and Liam’s sweet little pumpkin monogrammed shirts? I absolutely love them! They are perfect for the fall season! Jennifer at Plum Happy is responsible for all of this cuteness! http://www.facebook.com/plumhappyclothing

You guys, my heart breaks a little with each passing day as this amazing little lady grows older! She is growing into such a wonderful person. Her heart explodes with joy, love and compassion. I’m so happy she is mine!

I love this shot of me and my little honey!

 

You guys, the pumpkins at Burt’s are the size of small children. It’s pretty spectacular!

 

We love visiting Burt’s Pumpkin Farm!