It has been 11 months since I slept in past 7 am and chasing after a very mobile baby is exhausting – momma needed a little break and so I packed up my bags for a solo night away in Whistler.
The best ways to make mom friends in your community
I was extremely nervous when I saw those two pink lines on a pregnancy test. My husband and I were excited, but of course a little scared – especially since we were the first of our friend group to take the baby plunge. I had never held a baby before, or met a newborn, I was so scared and felt so alone. (Now 3 of my close friends are pregnant and all due a month apart from each other and all I can say is you’re welcome for jumping odd the cliff first).
Thankfully for me, Squamish is a hub for young families. Taking a drive down any street you will see as many Thule strollers as you do cars – but the question was – how do I become friends with these other moms around town? I wanted to share some tips for moms that might be in the same boat as me, finding new mom friends outside of your friend group (While I will share some specifics for Squamish these tips go across the board in any community).
Join a pre-natal fitness class
I signed up for local classes with Carrie Charlton. At first it was a way for me to do workouts that were safe and help me stay healthy throughout my pregnancy. In the end it helped me with that, but it also helped me make some friends. Through these workout classes I made a mom group and we did weekly activities throughout our pregnancy and postpartum as well. In fact last week we celebrated two of their little ones first birthdays – how special is that?
Same goes for post natal workout classes, and the best part is as babies get older and mobile it is a great way for you to get a workout in and for your babies to socialize with friends.
Check with the local library
A lot of libraries have baby activities. Our local one has a bi-weekly half hour baby story time. Every week I bring my son here where we sing, dance, and tell stories for 30 minutes. It has also been a great place to connect with other families and a lot of the time we will head to the park for a little hang out afterwards.
The Park
Speaking of the park -what better way to tire your kiddos out while also potentially meeting other moms. Max has a love for the swing and so at least once a week we head to our local park and I have had a chance to meet so many other parents there, it just takes a bit of courage to start up a conversation.
Local Community Services
I am so lucky to live in a place that prioritizes young families. The Squamish and Sea to Sky Community Services offer so many incredible free programs for mom and baby. Through the SSCS I have learned about the Health Pregnancy Outreach Program – which is a bi-weekly opportunity to connect with other parents, they also offer pre-natal vitamins, baby vitamins, diapers, clothes, you name it. Another great program through the community services is Mother Goose – a free in the park sing along opportunity.
Check with the local rec centre
I have signed Max up for both swim and gymnastics through our local rec centre. It has been a great opportunity for him to get exercise and learn some important life skills while at the same time a great way for me to connect with other moms in the community.
I know how overwhelming it is to be thrown into the role of new mom and you can feel so alone, but I know my mom group has really helped me get through the tough times and so I hope you are also able to find your own go to group to make this crazy yet beautiful experience a bit more fun
Sending love to all my mommas out there,
xo
Mia
Home renos: closet addition with Stor-x Organizing Systems
When my husband and I moved into our house in Squamish 3 years ago we decided to forgo the closet upgrade… we later learned this would be one of the biggest mistakes of our marriage. Here is a little before picture of our closet – a mess of wire hangers everywhere. Clutter, unorganized, and I definitely didn’t have enough space ( I mean questionable if I ever will) but it was a big contention in our marriage.
And so when we decided to make some changes to our house, the closet was first on both of our lists. Being a big research guy, he looked around at different options – not to name any names, but may of the more popular closet companies didn’t quite fit the bill. Very expensive and not enough customizing options to make full use of our space.
After days of searching, he came across Stor-x Organizing Systems and Stor-x Sea to Sky. In his words “it maximized space and organization and was modern and clean looking.” Also as parents of a newborn, we didn’t have time to do the work, and Stor-x would come and install everything. My response was something along the lines of “As long as it will fit all my clothes I am on board.”
The whole process was quick and easy. The team came in for install day and it took just a few hours for them to completely transform our closet. See below.
After a few days once all the glue had dried we were able to hang up our clothes and I have never been happier. I finally feel inspired to keep my side of the closet organized (and if you know me you know that is in fact a very big deal) on top of that it has added a lot of value to our space.
This was one of the first renos that we did in the house and we are excited to continue to make the house a home with these customizable options.
xo
Mia
How hard is it to get clear skin?
For years I struggled with my skin and terrible breakouts. I think it had a lot to do with playing tennis outside all day and the combination of sweat, sunscreen, and of course teenage hormones really did a number. I tried everything from creams to prescription medication to fancy facials, and many skincare routines.
Throughout my struggles I found a few tricks that really worked to give me the best skin possible and I wanted to share some of those with you.
Work Out Your Skin Type
The first step in any skin care routine is to work out your skin type. Do you have normal skin, or is it on the dry or oily side? Maybe you’ve got combination skin that can be hard to work out? Whatever type of skin you have, it’ll form the whole basis of your skincare routine. You’ll be able to pinpoint beneficial products a lot better, and select the right antioxidant rich essential oils to give your skin much more of a barrier.
Stay Hydrated
One of the best things to do (and also the easiest), is to drink more water. If you’re hydrated inside, you’ll be hydrated on the outside, and that makes skin sheds and repairing a lot easier to handle. Your skin is much more likely to bounce back after a stressful week or a messy day, and you won’t need so much of your moisturizer to keep things feeling smooth. Moisturizing creams can be a little too heavy sometimes, especially if you already have oily skin, and topping up a water bottle can really help.
Change Your Pillowcase
This is one of the simplest and yet most overlooked tip to help your skin. When you sleep, a lot of dirt and debris can fall out onto your pillow case. Not many people realize it, but that’s where a lot of your spots can come from if you don’t change your bedding often enough. And if you suffer a lot with acne, the oils from your skin are much more likely to seep in and clog up your pores during the night. So try changing your pillowcase every other day, if you don’t have time to strip your sheets more often than on a weekly basis.
Think About a Cosmetic Procedure
If you still seem to be struggle with blemishes, there are different none invasive skin procedures that take things a step further. I for one have tried a few different procedures when my skin was really acting up and I really loved UL Therapy. Light therapy for skin care is a good way to dial back on things like sun damage, which can prematurely age your skin and make wrinkles appear a lot sooner. If you’re always investing in anti-aging products to help give your skin much more of a glow, this could be a good consideration for you. But be sure to do your research and get more information before fully leaning into your decision – your skin might just need a new moisturizer!
Getting that TV ready skin (which is something I aim for but alas at least there is always makeup to help on those PMS days) isn’t impossible but it does take work and effort and a consistent routine. I hope that these tips help you reach your skin care goals my friends
XO
Mia
Why VIIcode beauty eye mask is my must have beauty product
I haven’t had a proper sleep in 7 months, hello new mom life. While it is slowly getting better and now I am having one 5am wake up instead of a 1, 3, 5, and 7 – it is still an adjustment. Oh and on top of that I then am required to entertain a tiny human for an entire day. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job as mom but it sure is exhausting.
While pre baby I would find the time to take care of myself, that has now been put on the back burner. Gone are the days where I would have time for a facial, I mean I barely have time to wash my face twice a day anymore, and it was starting to show (the bags – oh the bags). That is why I was excited when I came across VIIcode eye masks.
About the VIIcode Eye Masks
I ended up getting the VIIcode 02M Oxygen Eye Mask for all night repair. You apply these gentle eye pads under your eyes and they go to work right away. The best part is, is you put them on at night and can leave them overnight for the best results so it doesn’t take away anytime from playing with my son.
The pads are made up of natural antioxidants that help nourish and rejuvenate the skin. They are safe for the eye area and can be on for up to 8 hours. I woke up the next morning noticing such a difference in my eyes. The skin around them was soft and smooth. And since using them for the last 3 months I have felt that my eyes just look more awake – even after a sleepless night.
You can find out more about these eye masks on their website: https://www.viicode.com/ but from one mom to another I have to say this is one must have postpartum beauty item
xo
Mia
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