busy mom Archives - Nesting Story

5 Minute Face For The Busy Mom

Being a mom usually means early morning wake-ups, getting children ready for the day, running around managing the household, and staying up too late trying to soak up every last second of alone time you get once the kids have gone to bed. When you think about how much time all of that takes up, it is hard to imagine trying to fit in where you can get yourself ready for the day.

I’ve been there, and I know that it’s easier to run out the door with unwashed hair up in a bun and last week’s makeup still on, but I can bet you don’t feel your best when this happens. I know personally, finding a couple of minutes in my day to put myself together, even just a little bit, can make the biggest difference in my mood and tolerance.

If getting ready for the day feels like mission impossible, then you’re going to love this post. I’m going to share my tips to help you find the time in your busy days to get back to feeling your best with this 5-minute makeup look (and how to keep the children entertained while you do it!)

The first thing that needs to be tackled is how to keep the children busy while you throw yourself together. If you’re an early riser, consider waking up 15 minutes before your children usually wake up to get ready! This way you’re up and dressed without having to balance everything else at the same time. If you need those couple extra minutes (and I’m definitely with you on this one!) my favourite technique is to toss the kids in the empty bathtub with some toys and do my makeup in the bathroom. The children are contained, happy, and busy (for about 5 minutes until they realize what’s happening) and gives you the space to work. If bathtubs aren’t your child’s favourite place, the laundry hamper works just as well. Even better if there are clothes in it that they can throw out of it.

The next step is figuring out what you want to focus on in your makeup routine. With only a small amount of time, you want to make sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew. Nobody wants to have to stop halfway through their contouring routine because they ran out of time. I like to focus on making myself look awake and fresh (both of which I am usually not) so I try to keep everything simple. Everyone will have different things they want to focus on but the most common things that people want to tackle each day are dark under eyes, dull-looking skin, and accentuating their facial features.

The last step is to use products that are multi-functional and don’t take a lot of work to apply. Choosing products that you can use in different ways in your makeup routine will give you the flexibility to easily change up your look without feeling overwhelmed. I use an illuminating moisturizer to brighten my face and add a healthy glow, concealer for under my eyes and redness, brow gel to tame and darken my brows (remember, the eyebrows frame the entire face), mascara to make my eyes look bigger and more put together, and lastly bronzer to bring back some structure to my face. All of these products can be used in multiple ways such as bronzer in the eyes as eyeshadow, mascara on a q-tip smudged in the lash line as a liner, and illuminating moisturizer under the brow bone and inner corner of the eye to create a more lifted look. This kind of look can be done with minimal brushes and products, easily and quickly. For a full 5-minute makeup routine including my favourite drugstore and high-end products to use, check out my 5-minute mom makeup here – https://elysemorency.com/5-min-makeup/

When the days feel long and the nights even longer you can start to lose the essence of who you are outside of motherhood. It is equally as important to take care of yourself as a mom as it is to take care of others. Remember, you have to put your own oxygen mask on first. Finding 5 minutes in your day where you can get ready can be the difference between a stressful day which feels unwinnable and a stressful day that you come out of feeling okay because you took the time to do something for you.

If you want to learn more quick makeup tips that you can add to your everyday makeup routine, check out www.elysemorency.com. You can also find Elyse on Instagram at @elysemor where she talks about the real and raw life of motherhood and makeup!

How To Up Your Toddlers Daily Fruit & Veg

It’s the eternal struggle of parenthood; how to get your kids to eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Willow hasn’t been a particularly picky eater. As an infant, she would devour whole avocados, eat cucumber sticks and happily gobble down broccoli. But as she’s gotten older, and is learning to think for herself, she sometimes refuses point blank to eat what we put down in front of her.

Meal times have become a complicated dance of bargaining and trying to convince her how yummy her food is by eating some myself, which usually backfires as she starts to feed me instead.

She is hard to convince sometimes, so there have been many days she misses out on some aspect of her meal.

I know lots of kids, especially toddlers, can go through this phase and thought I’d share two fruit smoothie recipes I like to use to sneak more fruit and veggies into Willow on days when her eating is erratic.

These recipes make roughly one glass, and can easily be split into two servings for little ones. They are such a great snack or drink to accompany breakfast. It’s also a nice way to include toddlers in the kitchen as it’s easy to measure out ingredients and let them tip fruit into the blender. Willow absolutely loves doing this and takes her smoothie making duties very seriously.

Pineapple Strawberry Slushy Smoothie

1 cup water

1 cup spinach/kale

1 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1 tbsp chia seeds

Green Pineapple Mango Smoothie

1 cup water

1 cup spinach/kale

1 cup fresh (or thawed) pineapple

1/2 cup frozen mango

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1 tbsp chia seeds

Blend water and greens first until you have a green juice and there are no large chunks of spinach/kale left.
Add in your fruit, ground flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
Blend and enjoy!

These recipes are two of our quick and easy go to smoothies, but the fruit combinations are endless. We’ve had days of greens, strawberry and blueberry smoothies, greens, mango, banana and strawberry smoothies…

Whatever you decide to add into your smoothies, I recommend keeping the frozen fruit to 1.5 cups. Any more and it’ll be too thick to blend. However if you’re using some fresh fruit or thawed frozen fruit, then you can play about with the ratios of water to fruit to see how you like it.

Blending greens with fruits make a delicious smoothie any picky eating toddler will love. — ***Willow has always enjoyed her regular smoothies, here pictured devouring one at 18 months old***

As you can see I’ve used frozen pineapple for one recipe, and fresh for the other. Using frozen pineapple or fresh (or thawed) pineapple will change the texture of the smoothie. If you want a more frozen “slushy” texture, then keep it frozen. Want something a little thinner and more like a thick juice? Then opt for fresh pineapple, or simply pop a bowl of your frozen pineapple in the microwave to thaw it out before adding.

Pineapple is a great fruit to use as it’s so sweet and can make the smoothie taste more like a treat than a healthy glass of spinach for those skeptical toddlers. It also creates a nice thick foundation to add more fruit to, and I like to use it as my main fruit in smoothies.

Whether you have a picky eater, or simply want to up your kids fruit and veg intake, a smoothie is easy to make, affordable, nutritious and delicious! — ***I often make a double batch so we can all enjoy smoothies together!***

I either use spinach or kale (or both!) to give a good serving of greens alongside the fruit. A great tip for keeping greens from wilting, is to pop your fresh clean greens in the freezer! This seriously improved my smoothie game as I was never having to rush to make smoothies before our produce went off, and I always have fresh greens on hand for when those smoothie cravings hit!

Buying large bags of frozen fruit from Costco is extremely cost effective and last quite a while if you buy a few different fruits and like to mix up your smoothie flavours as we do.

I also use flax and chia seeds in every smoothie our family drinks. If you’re unfamiliar, flax and chia seeds are nothing short of a magical superfood.

Both are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, a great source of omega-3 fats, full of fibre, protein, and lower the risk of stroke, heart disease, cancers, and all sorts! They don’t taste of anything, and can be added to just about everything! They’re an effective way of incorporating a nutritional boost for your little ones without any effort.

Whether you have a picky eater, or simply want to up your kids fruit and veg intake, these two smoothie recipes are easy to make, affordable, nutritious and delicious! Comment below and let me know what your favourite fruit smoothie combinations are!

Roseanne is the blogger behind the honest and inspirational personal blog Roseanne Writes. Native to Scotland and now calling Canada home, Rosanne helps mothers navigate motherhood while remaining true to themselves. You learn more about Roseanne and follow her personal blog here.

5 Nail Polish Colours You Need To Try This Summer

5 nail polish colours to try this summer.

When you’re busy, finding time to put yourself together can be challenging. One of my favourite ways to spend my self-care time is doing my nails. I’ll usually do it after I’ve put the baby to bed, with a glass of wine, and while it may seem simple, you’d be surprised how effective having your nails done can be at making you feel easily put together!

There is always such a huge selection of nail polish colours available that trying to pick a colour can be so hard! Don’t worry, I’ve picked the top 5, most universal colours that are guaranteed to suit everyone and anyone. These are my favourite nail polishes ranging from neutral and discrete, to bright and bold.

A little nail polish is an easy way for a busy mom to feel more put-together.

OPI- Lisbon Wants Moor

If I could only wear one colour for the rest of my life, this would be it. It’s a beautiful creamy pale pink with neutral undertones. It’s the kind of colour that doesn’t look washed out on lighter skin tones and pops on darker skin tones. It’s a great colour if you just want an everyday polish that goes with everything. The classic pale pink and a staple for any nail polish collection.

Essie- Clothing Optional

If you are looking for the perfect dark neutral colour, look no further! This sienna brown toned polish the perfect compliment to every outfit. It’s flattering on every skin tone, in every light, with every outfit. I love this colour going into the end of summer and beginning of fall when the temperature starts to drop and I start pulling out my comfy sweaters.

OPI- Gelato On My Mind

For a bright colour that is still discrete, Gelato On My Mind is your colour. It’s an almost robin egg blue which is bright enough to feel different than your neutrals but is still modest enough not to draw too much attention. It’s a great starter colour for the ladies looking to slowly step out of their comfort zone and try something different!

China Glaze- Pool Party

This colour is NOT for the faint of heart. It’s the brightest, boldest, and most beautiful tangerine orange nail polish I have ever seen. It is perfect for the summer months and guaranteed to be noticed when you wear it! The formula is great but it does best with a glossy topcoat as it dries down matte.

Sally Hansen- Strobe Light

No best nail polishes list would be complete without a glitter polish! Sally Hansen’s Strobe Light polish is the only glitter you will ever need. For a subtle look, apply one layer on a clean nail but to amp it up, apply a couple of coats for a more opaque colour. You can also layer it on top of your favourite colour to give a different look to your usual solid colour!

Finding ways to feel put together doesn’t have to mean spending hours on your makeup everyday or having perfectly styled hair! Something as simple as having your nails done can make a huge difference. Bonus, you can do it at home which is super cost-effective for the mama’s on a budget. Enjoy!

If you want to learn more quick makeup tips that you can add to your everyday makeup routine, check out www.elysemorency.com. You can also find Elyse on Instagram at www.instagram.com/elysemor/ where she talks about the real and raw life of motherhood and makeup!

I was chronically busy and it had to stop

“How are you?” a friend asked me at a conference a couple weeks ago. I could feel an inner push and pull as to how to answer this question. I had just checked into the hotel and was crossing the threshold from frantically getting deadlines done, making lunches, breaking up my kids’ fights, and keeping my home afloat, to two days away, to take a minute, reflect and reassess.

“Truthfully,” I started, “I’m burnt out.” I immediately felt guilt bubble up inside of me, scolding me for complaining about life, when I had it so good on paper. My business was booming, my kids were healthy and doing well in school, my marriage was solid and my house was in the midst of getting much needed upgrades and renovations.

But then if you scraped just below the surface, you’d see that my work was so busy that I was neglecting myself and my kids, leaving my body feeling tired and out of sorts, and my kids edgy and vying for my attention. Although date night was keeping my marriage copacetic, Mike and I have been craving more day to day free time to play with our kids and be intimate with each other.

And then there’s our house, oh our house… every room told a story. Whether it was my dining room table, unrecognizable under the boxes of products, random fall and Christmas decor scattered throughout leftover from hosting and filming videos, or my seven-year-old daughter’s room, so messy it was begging for little critters to find it, each room was screaming “I NEED ATTENTION.”

As I continued answering my friend’s harmless question, I heard myself robotically say, “works crazy, and life is a bit off balance, but that’s a good problem, right?” a nervous giggle followed.

“Not always,” she replied.

As I sat in on inspiring panels, and delighted in a mid-afternoon nap, (which only happens when I am away at conferences), it became clear what I had to do going home.

I had to fight for balance.

Balance, less stress, less frantic, how ever you want to put it, wasn’t going to walk up to me one day and say, I’m here! No, it was up to me to fiercely fight for time and to create a life which is less busy, but more manageable and healthy.

So, how am I going to fight for what I so desperately need?

I am going to say no.

I have a lot on my plate between now and Christmas. Social gatherings and work commitments and piling on top of each other. Now, it’s one thing to properly tackle what you have committed to. It’s another thing to close the flood gates and say, “I’m at capacity.”

I am going to drop perfection.

I can tend to have this personality that is very all or nothing. As a kid and teenager it made me tip into the “I don’t care” category, leaving me failing classes and skipping school. But as an adult, it’s tipped the other way. Perfection with work, neglect with myself and home. I will leave a little on the table when it comes to work. Know that I am putting my heart into everything, but quitting the second guessing and the tinkering and just get on with it.

I will make plans.

We’ve booked a BIG vacation. I will document it all, don’t you worry. But what this has done has created a hard end date to my busy schedule. I will take time off a hit the reset button coming back.

I will stop wasting time.

I know, I was squeezing them lemon pretty hard. But guess what? I have been setting my alarm pretty early each morning and doing a pathetic workout and playing on my phone. But today was different. I went to a 6am fitness class where I was held accountable and phones were not allowed. I plan to go to these classes every weekday.

I will stick to my work hours.

Although I may have to still do some work on the weekends due to the nature of the projects I am working on, I will stop working after my kids get home from school and shift into mom-mode. Even if I am not entertaining them, (which isn’t my job), I can be a listening ear while prepping a healthy dinner, making lunches, or tidying up. Actually my kids seem happiest when I am occupied with mom tasks instead of sitting at my desk, shut away in my office.

It’s been a week now since pledging these changes to myself amidst this busy season, and I am happy to report that the “frantic” is gone. Life feels more manageable. I will never get it 100%, but who does? What matters is a calm has come over me and my family. We have slowed down. That burnt out feeling has dissipated.

I am fighting for balance.

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10 Reasons I Might Not Text You Back Right Away

Before I was a mom, I was a social butterfly. I loved to get together with friends, talk on the phone and have lengthly text-conversations that could go on, back-and-forth for a few days.

When my first child was born, the sporadic phone conversations stopped. My mother and I would have to schedule a phone conversation during my baby’s nap time. Once our second child was born, talking on the phone disappeared almost altogether. Having a toddler and a baby didn’t leave a lot of room for quiet moments. Anyone who was trying to get a hold of me knew that the best way was to send me a text.

But after my twins were born, the texting that I so enjoyed during night feedings quickly disappeared as my girls went from babies, to two busy and demanding toddlers.

despite my best efforts, there are days when an unanswered text may sit there. No, I am not abandoning my family and friends. In fact, would love to leisurely text back and forth with another adult. But there seems to be a series of events each that occur each time I try to reply to a text.

Here are 10 reasons why I might not text you back right away…

1. Someone injured themselves. This is the most common reason that I don’t get right back to you. I have just read your text and it has put a smile on my face. I go to type a witty response, and wham! Waaaaahhhhhh…. the wailing begins. One of my toddlers has smacked their head on the kitchen table. Instead of replying, I am holding her tight, looking out the window, distracting her from the pain by asking to point out each cloud, while giving her kisses.

2. A fight broke out. I am currently away from my phone at the moment because I have morphed from a mother into a referee, a lawyer, a judge, a prison guard and a therapist, all-in-one. Although I really do want to finalize the plans we were making, at the moment I am trying to quiet two hysterical children enough to get each side of the story so I can decide suitable punishment.

3. I just realized that the mystery item in my toddler’s hands is poop. Occasionally I will change a diaper and forget to move it out of my child’s reach. I think I can stop there and you will understand.

4. I am mid-text and was interrupted. On occasion, I have been mid typing a reply when one of my kids insists they desperately need me right at that exact moment. No, not two seconds later like I suggest. At this point I put my phone down to go see what is so urgent. The person on the other end is left with this cliff-hanger …

5. Someone threw up. When you have four kids in school and daycare, vomiting is a pretty common occurrence. This also sets off a series of events that involves cleaning, changing, sterilization, isolation and often some investigating to figure out who patient zero is. There is a good chance you won’t be hearing back from me for a couple of days at this point.

6. I have “gone dark.” Every once and a while, life gets so busy, hectic and stressful that I have to pull back and go into survival mode. I may not get back to you right away because I am literally so busy, I can barely find the time to pee, or mentally I need to check out for a bit and regain my sanity. Don’t ever take me “going dark” personally, trust me, I am probably not much of a conversationalist at this point anyways.

7. I imagined I already replied to you when I actually didn’t. I blame this one on mommy brain. More often than I’d like to admit, I will honestly think I have replied to you. I know exactly what the reply was and can even picture myself typing it. But in reality, I was in such a mommy-fog that I forgot to reply. This is typically on the same day I have put the milk into the cupboard instead of the fridge and my underwear on inside-out (yes, that is possible, trust me)!

8. I can’t string a sentence together even if my life depended on it. The words are floating around in my brain, but to actually organize them into real sentences is more than I can handle some days. Days when I am running on two hours of sleep can do a number on my IQ. You may get a random emoji on days like this. Take is as my version or morse code… i. need. sleep….

9. Everyone is hungry and I am the chef. I think about 80% of my time I spend with my kids is feeding them. “I’m hungry” is probably the most common phrase in our home. As much as I try to hold them off until dinnertime, nine times out of ten they break me down.

10. One of my kids just emptied and entire (fill in the blank) bottle of baby powder, pack of wipes, box of cereal, jar of diaper cream, glass of water, pack of diapers, box of crackers, garbage can, drawer of folded clothing, cupboard of tupperware, (I can keep going).

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