I think like most of us I’ve come out of the pandemic kind of used to all of that isolation and I now have a lower tolerance for being over scheduled and too social. I really like to be home in my bubble and in my routine.
Here I am in my late thirties and although I’ve never had a really big friend circle, I’m finding that there’s been a shift for me lately. A lot in my life has changed which has inevitably impacted my friendships and shifted some dynamics.
But something great has happened too. I have made a lot of new friends lately… through work, and my kids’ schools and in my neighbourhood. I think that has been important to branch out and have some new “fresh” friends that only know me as Joanna now, not Joanna before.
During the summer I would get together with my new friends and although I would have an amazing time and feel truly connected, a loneliness would sometimes creep in.
It took me a bit to pinpoint what that was and then it hit me… it’s the four kids, solo mom and entrepreneur thing. I don’t know anyone who is living life like I am. Being a solo parent in a sea of coupled up parents can feel a little isolating.
I know I am not single, I do have a partner Ben. But we live in our own houses and go through life day-to-day separate from each other.
Every chore, grocery shop, grass cutting, kid emotional cup-filling and being the referee is on me.
It took for me to acknowledge that this is my (our) choice. I know I love being solo right now with my kids and to blend both families wouldn’t be the answer at the moment.
So taking some time to acknowledge what that lonely feeling was, be okay with it and prepare myself for conversations of husbands cooking meals and the stories of shared life experiences will inevitably happen and to be happy for them and okay with my friends not one hundred percent getting what life is like on this side of things.
So then I was thinking… I bet this is a similar feeling that women who have lost a child or have miscarried feel. Mothers who have lost a spouse or partner. This feeling a little like you are a square peg fitting into a round hole navigating conversations full of unintentional minefields.
Since that epiphany I have really been able to work through those lonely feelings and truly enjoy my friends in this phase of life.
And the friends that truly seem to accept me and see me as a strong determined woman and mom and never make me feel bad for having extra limitations are those relationships that I am happy nourish to pour from my very limited cup of energy into which in tern fills my cup back up where I can go back into my little bubble happy and so much less alone knowing I have my own little village there for me.
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This post was created in partnership with LG.
baked Lake Erie Pickerel and Local Strawberry Fluff (I have shared the recipe with you below), I was able to take a sneak peek at LG’s InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator,
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Where do I start this one? I feel like I haven’t checked in with all of you here on the blog, in terms of me, personally in quite a while. Let’s talk health, lifestyle and the blog.
Motherhood. It has added many layers to who I was pre-kids. I have become stronger, more sensitive, intuitive, brave, resilient and resourceful. Although it has added some great qualities to my resume of character, I wouldn’t say that it has all been positive.
The moment we walked through our house I knew I was home. It was ugly. No, really, it was so ugly that it had just been sitting on the market for months. Even when everything else was selling and despite it’s oversized yard. It just sat.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFM) is the WORST. I have four kids, and over my six years as a parent we have experienced chicken pox, 
By Sunday, Mia had a full body rash, concentrated around her mouth, on her arms, feet and the worst area being her thighs, torso and bum. In fact, I have read that having the rash around the buttocks is very common.
Hand, foot and mouth disease rash on 18 month old.
Once we arrived at the front of the store in Beau’s special seat, the makeover began. I have to give it to Disney, the entire time, all of the Fairy Godmothers-in-training stayed in character and continually complemented the little girls, boosting their confidence.
The Disney Frozen Makeover package included: an Elsa hairstyle with braided hair piece and sparkling snowflake hair accessories, an Elsa costume, shimmering make-up, face gems, BBB Princess sash and cinch sack, nail polish and a 12″ Olaf Plush Toy, for $194.95. Beau was able to keep everything including the makeup, brushes, face gems, nail polish etc…
The entire Bippity Boppity Boutique appointment took about 45 minutes. This was one of both Beau’s and my favourite memories from our whole trip. As you may remember, 
The day finished with Holden’s Jedi training, something that Mike had booked earlier in the day. Despite being terrified while waiting his turn, the actual experience is Holden’s favourite memory from Disney World.
Looking back on our first day of Disney World, a part of me is disappointed that I had to miss out on so much. I think that I made the right choice staying back so that Mia, Everly and I could rest and regroup.
We did it! We drove from Toronto to Orlando with four kids ages six and under. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Growing up, I always did the same drive with my family, so this to me is almost a right of passage. Plus, I would never try buying six flights over the holidays, because it would cost a fortune.
A Holiday Inn bathroom selfie
For lunches I typically eat salads. Not only are they healthy, but they are a great way to used up left overs. I just raid the fridge and pile on a variety of sometimes unusual dinner leftovers. On this particular fall day, I stumbled upon the most incredibly satisfying salad I thin I have ever had!
Recently, I confessed a dirty little secret of mine on Nesting Story’s 
After years of trying to clean it, clear it and announce that there would be no more crap dumping to the rest of my family and constantly failing, I finally realized I needed to approach this problem in a different way. 
I knew I could never fully keep this place clear of clutter. As a busy family of six, we sometimes just need to put stuff up and out of the way. So I brainstormed and finally came up with an idea that is so genius, it has now been working for our family for a couple of months!
Now, when someone dumps their sunglasses, trading cards or lip gloss on the counter, I just quickly pop it into their box. When the boxes are full, I hand them out and ask the owner of the box to put the contents away. BAM! I am telling you, this actually works!
I made the decision to evict everything Play Doh from the cupboard and store them inside a closet, in a cart on wheels. Seeing that I have to be in a particularly good and stress-free mood to break out the Play Doh and the mess that goes with it, having it out of our kitchen made a lot of sense.
I then assigned a shelf to each kid. I gave them letter trays to keep drawings and school work in. I also created an a space for colouring books and their art supplies container to go.
I sat there, upright in my hospital bed, watching Holden breathe, feeling the love inside of me bubble over. “I am going to do this right,” I thought to myself. “I am going to love every minute of being a mother.” I started to think about all of the simple things I wanted to enjoy with my son. Like, reading books, singing songs, play dates and running errands with my adorable baby in tow.
Many of us parents tend to strive for this perfection that we naively think is going on behind the closed door of every other household where children reside. Truth: that is not the case.
Your family has to define what “survival mode” means for you, and when it is required. We have had “survival mode” last anywhere from a day to months. Six years in, we know that there will always be moments of crisis or extreme stress. It is part of the package.
Grocery List: sliced almonds, apples (I prefer royal gala), large flake oatmeal, skim milk, cinnamon, raisins, ground chia seeds, vegetable pasta, whole wheat pasta, spinach, fresh basil, lemons, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sun dried tomatoes (julienne cut in oil), red peppers, yellow peppers, red onions, walnut pieces, sweet potatoes, potatoes, spring mix pre-washed salad, turkey and chicken cold cut meat, sea salt, pepper, fruit for snacks (kiwi, bananas, plums), nuts, trail mix, fish (cod, tilapia, salmon etc…), vegetables for steaming (broccoli, asparagus, carrots etc…)
Rules go out the window when accessorizing a nursery. This is the time to get creative and have fun! When it came to Accessorizing Mia and Everly’s nursery, I wanted it to feel airy, whimsical and cheery. I kept the palette fairly neutral and light and brought in pops of colour with yellow accents. I did as many DIY projects as possible, including the flower art and nest and yarn wreath. I wanted to add a sentimental touch, and to do that I hung a yellow dress that I wore as a baby and framed it. This also added more texture to the wall. Anywhere I could use natural and reclaimed items, I did. The result: a very serene and calming nursery, which still to this day, is everyone’s favourite room in our home. 
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Leaving my family for a few days to head to 
Heres from top left: 
Beyond being inspired by my heros, I met some of the most incredibly strong, smart, beautiful and inspiring women, that I can now call my dear friends and mentors.
From left: 
Above all, I was able to focus on myself, which is rare when you have four kids. I was able to dress up and feel pretty, have nerdy blogging conversations with like-minded people instead of boring my girlfriends at home once again and rediscover who I am in this stage in life.
The Investment I can honestly say I’ve never found a more flattering and comfortable pair of jeans. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to trying on Madewell’s denim and I can’t believe it took me this long. I went into the store with the intention of testing out the different fits, and I left with two perfect pairs of high waisted skinnies – one classic and one grey. While American Eagle will always have a piece of my heart and sell my favourite budget-friendly jeans, Madewell takes the cake overall and is well worth the $120+ investment if you ask me.
I immediately contacted the leggings manufacturer 
Above Leggings: 
Above Leggings: 
I love that leggings pull up nice and high. Yes, I am showing my tummy, after having four kids (eight months postpartum with twins), scandal! I love that these outfits hug in all the right places, and have a little more room where you need it. Especially if you are healing from a C-Section.
I finally made the decision that I would disassociate my body from my mind during my 
I get it, I am the thirty-something mom now with four kids and I am really proud of that. I am so much more confident with my body than I ever have been before. Anytime I start doubting my new curves or war wounds I look around the room and ask myself, how many other people in this room grew two people inside their body at once?
Then the OB doing the c-section entered the room to discuss the day’s events. Due to some last minute scheduling changes I had to switch from my regular OB to another (both of whom are rockstars). Following a little small-talk she started to explain that after taking a closer look at my ultrasounds she was a little concerned about how she was going to get baby B out. You see, baby B had been pushed way up out to the side past my ribs by baby A who decided to get very cozy and take up all of the real-estate. My OB continued to explain that if the they have exhausted all of the tricks to help get baby B out including using gravity by rotating the hydraulic table to an angle (another thing I had no idea they do) she would have to make an additional vertical incision. I was also warned that there may be a twenty minute difference between when baby A and baby B came out. At this point I decided not to freak out and know that the name of the game is about getting both girls out safely. Any idealistic thoughts I had of delayed cord clamping and immediate skin to skin did not take precedence anymore.
Our girl’s positions in the womb, the shape my belly took, ultrasound showing their heads together
