There are plenty of milestones a new mom has to look forward to as she watches her child grow. Rolling over, crawling, laughing, clapping, saying mama, and walking are some of the sweetest moments of mommy-hood. We watch our children grow and become more independent, but what happens if our child isn’t quite reatfdy?

Nothing prepared me for this moment. Not the expecting books, not the blogs, not the friendly advice – nothing. I entered into breastfeeding with the idea that it wouldn’t go the way I wanted to. I had unsuccessfully breastfed one child, and my second wasn’t getting enough milk. I was encouraged NOT to continue breastfeeding – thats a topic for another blog – but I ventured on! Now I am feeding a toddler and its a bit of uncharted territory.

When my son was in his early months, he would cry a soft – a la – type cry. The sweet and soft type of cry that melts a new mama’s sleepy and drained soul. Now, my walking, talking, clapping, toddler – with a mouth full of teeth will say a-bee’s and I know exactly what that means. He is ready to breastfeed for this 12th time… this hour.

I realize many toddlers can have separation anxiety and need comfort that only the breast can bring, but I find myself unable to do even the most mundane tasks without risking a full on tantrum or finding a way to maneuver myself, often standing, while my child clings and breast-feeds like a hanging sloth.

Thankfully, I am a work from home mom and I have the time and the patience to dedicate to my son but will admit it is harder than I ever expected. It weighs on my sense of self, my well being, and my time management. When I finally do have a moment I just want to pack it full of cleaning, cooking, and catching up. Relaxing isn’t always on the front of my thought. This has to change!

I have made a list of 7 things I treat myself to at least once a week.

A Long Hot Bath

Using bath salts and bath bombs, even all over bath tea, is a great way to unwind, relax aching mommy muscles, and even can promote the production of more milk. I always leave a little bit more refreshed and the time to myself helps me appreciate my time with my baby more

I love to support small businesses so I use Legend of The Spa Bath Salt. It smells amazing and all heir products are vegan and made without preserves.

A Whole Pot of Tea

I know it sounds EXCESSIVE but tea has amazing health benefits. Green Tea has antioxidants and less caffine than coffee while Rooibos has anti inflammatory benefits. To treat myself, I make a whole pot of Almond Papaya Tea from Dollar Tea Club. Its only 8$ a pouch and the reusable mesh ball means less waste!

Netflix and Chill

It’s not just for tinder dates and hook up’s! Cuddling on the couch with my baby, and sometimes even my husband and older son while we binge watch a season of a show or a great movie is just therapeutic. It’s also great to remember that cuddling helps to remember that cuddling helps produce all those feel good hormones that not only release milk more easily but also lift the mood. Some of my favorite shows of the moment are The Crown, Rachet, and The Cosmos.

Skincare is Selfcare!

This one is for anyone that’s been following me a long time! I think skincare is so essential that its selfceare. The way we care for our bodies and how we maintain our bodies is important. Skincare goes beyond just our faces and is about our whole body. Are we exfoliating? Are we treating our dry skin on our arms and legs? Are we addressing our flaky and itchy scalp? You may think these are little things but they can impact our daily lives. When we are more comfortable in our skin we feel better throughout the day.

I love using DermaE Scalp Relief Shampoo and Conditioner. Not only does it have an invigorating scent that just wakes me up, but it feels cooling and refreshing on the scalp. I love how it relieves scalp itching and makes my hair look fuller and shinier.

Cleaning

I feel such a sense of calm when the house is cleaning. You may not find cleaning to be something you want to do as part of treating yourself but let me convince you otherwise. When I clean for me, I clean things that no one sees. I clean up my jewelry drawer, my skincare counter, my records get reorganized, and sort photos. These are things just for me and seeing them organized just makes me feel a greater sense of self. When I have to clean the house, I make it a little more tolerable with products that smell amazing. I have been obsessed with the holiday line of cleaning products from Mrs Myers.

Cooking

I have some favorite foods that the kids aren’t necessarily fans of. I love fish roe. A little bit topped on some sour cream and a baked ritz cracker and I am in heaven. I take some time to make myself this snack when the baby sleep. Even if he’s asleep on me, I can eat this with one hand and it makes me feel like I’m indulging. I also like to treat myself to “fancy” salads that contain arugula, chopped herbs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions. I shake it with some salad dressing and pretend I’m bunching.

Candles

Aroma therapy is a real thing! Wether I am in the bath, cooking, cleaning, breast feeding, or even Netflix and Chillin, lighting a candle makes everything so much better. The holiday season is right around the corner so scents of pine, cinnamon, and baked goods are my favorite!

The candle I can’t stop lighting is from Shalant Candles. Not only do they small amazing but they look beautiful for the holiday season.

To all my mamas out there, I hope this advice helped, I hope you are able to take some time out for yourself, and I hope you’re able to connect and enjoy this time with your babies!

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