Mimi – Page 47

Living

S E V E N Years in the Blog Game

Blogging started for me on August 10, 2010 with this very first post. Seven years have passed, seven years of me documenting Addison’s first Christmas, first days of school, changes in hairstyles, the very aggravating process of us building/selling/buying our current home and a bunch of other life stuff. There are times when I’ve wanted to shut this place down, times when I find the insatiable desire to give it all of my creative energy and times of indifference and silence.

Two years ago, Unlikely Martha transitioned out of Lipgloss and Binky as a natural progression in my life. I haven’t quite developed this space into the vision of excellence it presents itself in my head, all masterpieces take time I tell myself as I make one small transition at a time. I am so thankful for those of you that have become my friends in real life, those that talk to me on social, share my posts and connect with me. Whether you have been here from the beginning or yesterday I am appreciative that you choose to come by here.

If you want to see the daily happenings in my life be sure to give me a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat at @UnlikelyMartha

As I move forward into another year of blogging, I have learned that we have not because we ask not! I would like to ask for your help, if you see content here that you love or think might be useful to your community, a simple share to your FB page would help me grow this space and I would really appreciate it.

No blog anniversary is complete without a journey down memory lane. Here are a few of the major happenings and photo progressions from the last seven years!

First Blog Post

Addison’s First Christmas

First annual trip to the pumpkin patch

Adrian’s First Day of School

Addison’s First Day of School

Finally Closing on Our House

: Austin Texas

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Living• MOMing

The Curated Reality of Glam Mothering

We all have seen those IG pages, perfectly curated memoirs of fab moms dressed to the nines with million dollar strollers, coiffed hair and perfect meals. Tens of thousands of followers stroll their timelines daily taking in these perfect images, some taking them for face value and others crying in their coffee at the mere fact that their IG page would be littered with poorly lit photos of their homes in disarray as they question, “how does *insert perfect IG feed name here* do it?

” I mean, she has a thousand kids and still manages to look put together and I have one and can’t seem to get my life, let alone head out to Target with a beat face.”

Sometimes I just want to disconnect from the internet, the very internet that has introduced me to so many amazing and powerful women. The internet that over the past 7 years has allowed me to subconsciously document my feelings and life for memories that years from now would have been a distant memory.

The curated reality of the internet will get you if you let it, especially when it comes to motherhood.

I follow sites for nothing more than inspiration and ideas, and can easily decipher reality from what you want me to see. My concern is for those mothers who are struggling with just trying to get the basics together and feel like they keep dropping the apples because as a mother they don’t look as put together, or their clothing isn’t as expensive, or their business isn’t thriving or their Starbucks would be photographed in front of the steering wheel of a non luxury vehicle.

If motherhood is a community, then I think it is time that real moments start out numbering the curated ones. We all love a pretty photo, but as an influencer I have started to ask myself what good am I putting out into this community for that mother trying to find her way. I fully understand every woman and mother has her own free will to think and perceive things as she pleases but the caring nature in me wants to see that mom know she is winning in her sweatpants and messed up brows. If only a suggestion for a quick meal or a Dollar Tree hack to keep her home together I don’t want to feel untouchable in this motherhood space. I don’t want y’all to come look at me be pretty and tell me how hard I slay, I want this online space on the internet to be a source of inspiration and connectable moments that we all experience in life in the realm of parenting, fashion, beauty, home and life.

I want to feel real. The thought that someone could look at my online personality and think that I’m perfect or have a perfect life makes me want to barf. Have you seen my Snapchat and the mess of my life that I document there?

I’ll admit. Some of us really do have things a little more together than others, and are genuinely happy but the reality is likely it hasn’t always been that way, and while we may be strong in one area, we are undoubtedly weak in others.

*talking to myself here*

Take what makes sense to you from this curated community of glam motherhood and don’t feel bad about your reality not being theirs or the one they want you to believe in. We are all just works in progress.

Some a little more curated than others.

As you were.

Photo credit: It’s Really Kita

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Food• Recipes

Quick Back to School Breakfast Idea + Giveaway

Thank you Revolution Foods for sponsoring this post. My kids like pancakes and I need quick options!

The re-entry period back into the hustle and bustle of back to school is brutal. I think adrenaline and excitement pushed us last week. It was short lived, this week the 5a alarm has been introduced to the snooze button and everybody is starting to drag in the mornings.

We’re just a week in folks. Just a week in.

The awesome part about re-entry is you can add something back into the routine weekly to ease the transition. This week, extracurricular activities are being reintroduced and next week I am getting back to batching things during the weekend to make our mornings less hectic.

One of the best time saving activities that I have done in the past is cooking breakfast for the week and simply reheating in the morning. I’ve shared my make ahead breakfast sandwiches, however they require a little more work, cooking and clean up time than I would like for days that I am in a hurry. When I just want to get it done pancakes are the move.

Breakfast Hero by Revolution Foods makes light work of making pancakes in a hurry. I can grab a pre-filled carton out of the freezer, let it thaw and pour. With decent sized pancakes I can easily get 15 pancakes out of one carton, enough for a week’s worth of breakfast. A 15 second reheat in the morning beats cooking every morning hands down.

The first week of school, my daughter’s teacher sent a note home specifying their lunch time and mentioning they are hungry before then and feel free to send in a snack. While I do send an additional snack, my goal is to make sure they walk out of here having eaten a healthy breakfast, and with 12-14 grams of whole grains, six grams of protein per serving, and no artificial colors or flavors Breakfast Hero meets the criteria in a variety of offerings.

To effectively store your pre-made pancakes you will need:

Plastic or Glass Storage Container with Airtight Lid

Plastic Wrap or Aluminum Foil

Pancakes

Once I’ve cooked all of the pancakes, I let them cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and insert them into a container with an airtight lid. In the mornings, I either reheat them in the oven or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 10 sec.

Our schedule this year involves activities in the evenings Monday – Thursday. Being able to eat and snack with minimal effort in minimal time is the goal. Revolution Foods offers a variety of meal options that are perfect for on-the-go nutrition for school, work or play and quick meal solutions from breakfast to dinner. They are hosting a fun Giveaway that will provide you with month’s supply of Revolution Foods to help ease the re-entry transition to back to school.

Enter to win the Revolution Foods Giveaway here!

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Living

5 Ways to Get Organized for Back to School

Getting your mind right for back to school and all of the routine it brings can be stressful after a few weeks of leisurely coming and going. Calculating bed and wake up times, thinking of lunch box ideas, coordinating drop off and pick up times.

Back to school time is a lot, especially when you have more than one child. Setting a plan in place ahead of time, really helps to keep things running smooth during the week.

As cumbersome as sitting down once a week and planning seems, keep in mind your children will likely be calmer and on a routine that ensures they get enough rest and aren’t rushed through things.

Here are just a few things that I do to stay organized throughout the school year. I’m constantly tweaking the plan based on what’s working and what isn’t based on activities and the season but these actions are always in some type of rotation around our home and they really and truly help keep me sane.

Setup a Separate Email Address for School Correspondence

~~Yes. My inbox is ridiculous.~~

With school budgets getting cut and the increased adoption of technology more and more correspondence is being sent through email. I appreciate this because it keeps paper clutter in my house to a minimum and I don’t have to worry with physically keeping up with things. Before you go all don’t add another thing to my list just think about the fact that something important like 50’s dress up day may go unnoticed among your Gap sale email. I’m pretty sure this goes without saying but please make sure to check the email, like set it up to push to your phone OKAY.

Get Your Children Involved

My daughter is not tall enough to reach her hung clothing so I took a command hook and affixed it to the inside of her closet door. Nightly I place her clothes on it for the next day. One less thing I have to do in the morning and it allows her to get dressed without my help while I pack her lunch.

For children that are old enough to take some responsibility in getting themselves ready for school post a fun check off printable they can use daily. This super cute morning printable from Baby Shopaholic makes sure your little one knows what to do daily.

Meal Plan Based on Your Weekly Activities

Don’t just meal plan, meal plan with a purpose. Kids have activities on Wednesdays? Plan a crockpot meal for that day. Eating out is such an easy and expensive cop out. One thing I am going to try my hand doing is cooking 2-3 meals on one day which means I would only be in the kitchen actually cooking a few days a week.

Batch Activities on the Weekend

Ironing/laying out clothing, combing hair, signing all paperwork in advance for the week when feasible, laundry, creating snack baskets, and creating chore lists are great activities to batch on a free day to save you time during the week. My children like fresh pancakes, sometimes I batch cook them so they can easily reheat them in the mornings or I make these for and easy heat and eat breakfast.

Set Reminders on Your Phone

Don’t force yourself to have to remember everything. Set reminders on your phone to keep you on top of the little things. I am notorious for forgetting to make my son practice his piano. I have a reminder set for when he has to start and another for when he can finish. Set one for when it’s time to start homework, dinner, leave for practice or for that daily activity you have to do that constantly slips your mind. Over time you won’t need it but its great to not have to remember those things.

I’ve also found it easier to input a date or reminder in my phone at the moment I find out about it. It is so easy to say I’ll remember or I’ll do it later. The few minutes it takes you to do it right then will remove one more thing off your list of things to remember.

As we all know back to school time is multi faceted. It isn’t just lunch ideas, and getting organized. It’s adjusting to new grades and school transitions. It’s finding snacks that work for children with food allergies.

The Fab Five and I are happy to bring you this Back to School series to hopefully give you some ideas on how to be ready for back to school. Be sure to stop by the other ladies for additional tips and tricks for back to school!

Bernetta | Bernetta Style – 5 Ways to Handle Back to School with Multiple Children & Schools

Kita | It’s Really Kita – 5 Tips to Get Through Middle School

Lashawn | Everyday Eyecandy – 5 Gluten Free After School Snacks

MJ| Fab Haute Mama – 5 Daily Affirmations for Kids

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