happiness Archives - Page 4 of 7

Exploring Helen, Georgia with Kids

By sunshineandholly on September 4, 2017

I’ve been visiting Helen, Georgia, a replica Bavarian Alps town in North Georgia, for longer than I can remember. My parent’s have a timeshare at a beautiful resort right on the river, and we’ve spent so many weeks relaxing and exploring the small town.

Exploring Helen, Georgia with Kids | Sunshine and Holly

Now that I have my own kiddos, it’s been so fun going back and doing all the things I grew up doing. Some of them are just as wonderful and fun as I remember, and some seem a little strange now that I’m older. (Like watching the birth of a baby doll out of a cabbage…)

But if you live in the South East, you may want to put Helen, Georgia on your travel bucket list. The town is cozy and quaint, and you can find some great eats and some amazing outdoor views and adventures!

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The Promise of September

By sunshineandholly on August 23, 2017

August is always a difficult month for me.

Most of the public schools have started back, but our church-run preschool doesn’t start until after Labor Day. Usually by August, I’m burnt out, exhausted, and in desperate need of some kid-free time. Mama needs a break!

August days are long and hot (or rainy seems to be the case for this year). The kids are bored, I’m bored. By August, we’ve done all the fun summer activities so many times that they don’t seem fun anymore. We’re over it and ready for school to start. I seem to loose my cool more often than not. And then there’s the cycle of yelling and guilt that seems to control me on my bad days.

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Homemade Pasta Using the KitchenAid Mixer

By sunshineandholly on August 14, 2017

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I mentioned in the recipe for my caramelized onion bolognese that we served the sauce over homemade pasta. If you’ve never made homemade pasta – you should at least try it once. It’s not that hard – I promise! Our kids love helping us make pasta, almost as much as they love eating it!

Although on this day, Maddie was the only one interested in cooking. Graham decided he would rather play on the iPad. Silly boy.

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5 Lazy Mom Tips

By sunshineandholly on July 14, 2017

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I’m all about making things easier in life. If there’s a way to get something done quickly and efficiently, I will always choose that way. I’m not a perfectionist. I’m a realist. I think about each task and decide whether or not I need to spend time doing it “perfectly,” or will “adequately” suffice. My husband, on the other hand, is a perfectionist. He drives me nuts taking 10 years to get something done. (Dude – it’s a dishwasher. Not a game of Tetris. Just load it up!)

That being said, I’ve figured out a lot of short cuts for mom-life. I love semi-homemade recipes, and craft projects that start out with store bought items. As far as housework goes – if you’ve ever been over to my home, you know I’m definitely not a perfectionist in that area of life! Pretty sure I only make my bed when I need to fold laundry on top of it. And my appearance? I might brush my teeth and put on makeup, but I’ll skip on drying my hair. Messy mermaid hair is totally in right now, right?!

So if you’re a mom with the same mentality about life as me – that perfect and pretty is wonderful, but just not something you can live up to, check out my top 5 lazy mom tips below!

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10 Ways to Fight Postpartum Depression

By sunshineandholly on July 9, 2017

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*I am not a medical professional. Please talk to your doctor if you are experiencing postpartum depression.*

I’ve mentioned before that I experienced postpartum depression after each of my children were born.

Postpartum depression is something that isn’t talked about enough in our society and something that a lot of people still don’t understand. It’s not just feeling sad and crying all the time. It’s a medical condition, usually caused by a combination of imbalanced hormones, lack of sleep, stress, and lack of support. A mom suffering with postpartum can’t just “cheer up” or “get over it.” Something is wrong in her mind, and being judgmental about the condition will only make things worse.

If you feel like you might be suffering with postpartum depression, please please please reach out for help. Reaching out for help is the hardest part. Once you’ve asked for help (from someone who will take you seriously) everything gets easier from there. It’s scary to admit that something is wrong because of the attitude our culture has regarding depression and mental illness. But for your sake, and for your family’s sake, please get help.

That being said, I wanted to share 10 things I’ve found helpful in my battle with postpartum depression.