Like a lot of new moms out there, I found myself in a bit of a slump after settling in to life as a mom of two. Not in a clinical sense for me, but in an existential crisis kind of way. Who was I, beyond my life as a mother? What were my goals, what were my individual interests, what did I want for my life? With a baby and a preschooler who decided to give up napping, my life as a stay at home mom had changed drastically. There were no double naps anymore, no break for me during the day, and certainly no time for myself. I was a little bit adrift, and a little bit lost, and I just needed SOMETHING to get me back on track. Enter: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
Category: MicroLuxuries
Bullet Journaling in a Passion Planner
This post contains affiliate links. We were also fortunate to receive giveaway items from Passion Planner and Hal Elrod. We’d like to thank them for their support, and think you’ll enjoy their products as much as we do. For more information, see our legal disclosures. Thank you!
As followers of the blog know, Christine and I are BIG fans of bullet journaling. We love the organization it provides, we love the pretty trackers and layouts, and we LOVE the supplies. It was everything I wanted from a planner system- until it wasn’t.
The number one question I always got asked about Bullet Journaling was, “But doesn’t that take up a lot of time?” And the short answer is yes, it does. Creating weekly layouts, monthly calendars, elaborate trackers- all of these things take up precious time. And as long as you’re enjoying the time spent making those things, it doesn’t feel like work at all.
But then Lila started elementary school, Abe became a person with his own activities to keep up with, and I got the part-time job of my dreams. There were blogging deadlines and birthdays to remember and things to buy. And spending time making pretty weekly spreads suddenly went WAY down on my priority list. I needed something with better functionality, but that still left room for the things I loved most about bullet journaling.
Enter: the Passion Planner. Continue reading “Bullet Journaling in a Passion Planner”
MicroLuxury Monday: Get Lost in a Book
Growing up, I always had an enthusiastic love of reading. Self-taught at four, my parents didn’t even believe I could read, and instead assumed I had deftly memorized the books they read me so often. Challenged to read from the newspaper, I stunned them all by reading straight from the page. Then came school, and reading for fun quickly fell out of fashion. I was required to read so much that the thought of adding extra “work” voluntarily seemed silly. So I took a two decade long hiatus from my hobby. Through high school, college and graduate school, I read what was required of me, no more, not much less. After grad school my brain was broken. I had used up too many brain cells digesting the works of Foucault and Aristotle, Kenneth Burke and bell hooks. Some loved, some….not so much, but brain cells just the same.
I needed a BREAK. So I bartended. I went out at night. I spent lazy days on the beach flipping through magazines. I rode my bike wherever I could as much as I could, especially on the weekends when I made it a point to not get in my car unless it was absolutely necessary. I found myself riding my bike past a huge, beautiful library, both inviting and intimidating at the same time. On a particularly hot day I decided to go inside even if it was just for the cool, yet musty, air. I walked the aisles, my hands gently touching the spines of the books. Always a tactile person, the idea of reading a book any other way was borderline offensive. The smell, the feeling, the colors of the books called me in a way I couldn’t resist. Continue reading “MicroLuxury Monday: Get Lost in a Book”
Five Minute Drug-Store Make-Up (And One AMAZING Splurge!)
This post includes affiliate links in addition to a giveaway provided by Chrysalis Beauty Co. The Salty Mamas may make a small commission from items purchased after clicking through the links. As always, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are our own. Thank you for supporting The Salty Mamas!
I know there are some fabulous mamas out there, but ladies, I am not one of them. Sure, I used to spend big money on make-up back in the day. But those days are loooong gone, and I’ve spent years and years with the same routine- drug-store foundation, drug store eyeliner, drug store blush, and LOTS of drug-store mascara. I just didn’t have the time, the energy or, frankly, the money to put towards my day to day look.
And then my son spent five minutes as a model, and, as a result, so did I. And I received two glorious makeovers as a result. I wasn’t the focus of the shoot, so my makeup was light, natural, and simple. But I still felt like a million dollars, and decided I wouldn’t wait until the next photo shoot to find that oomph again, but that I would find it on my own (which, thank goodness, as there was no next shoot).
I was lucky enough to stumble upon Mama’s Beauty Bar, a Facebook group run by a kind, funny, and talented makeup guru by the name of Beth Griffin. Beth is the owner and operator of Chrysalis Beauty Co. One facet of her business is a makeup line offered up by Younique, a company that offers incredible mascara, lip products, and other makeup. I thought I wasn’t ready to take the Younique plunge, but I watched her incredible Facebook live videos, learned some tips and tricks, and my style started to evolve. And when I won a Lip Bon Bon of my own? I realized that this makeup really was worth every penny!
So I adjusted my makeup budget a little. I did some serious Google Searches, and some serious trial-and-erroring, and stepped up my game by finding the best drug-store make up around (which helped me free up my budget for my favorite splurges from Younique).
Maybelline Fit Me Dewy & Smooth Foundation, applied with this brush. A little goes a long way when applied with the brush, and it is everything it says it will be- full coverage, but with a little glow in the finish to leave you looking fresh and sunny.
Maybelline Fit Me Blush– based on my face shape, the Make Up artist I worked with at the photo shoot gave me the suggestion to use only a bit of blush or bronzer low on the apple of my cheek. After a little searching, I found this blush, which comes in a multitude of shades and adds just the right amount of color for some definition, without going over the top.
CoverGirl Outlast Mascara– While I use my Younique 3D+ Fiber Lashes Lash Enhancer for special occasions, I still prefer my old-school, orange-tube CoverGirl Mascara for the day to day. I get it in ebony black, and lay it on thick in several layers. My mama always told me that a lady doesn’t leave the house without her mascara on, and for the most part I follow her rule.
Younique Lip Bon Bon from Chrysalis Beauty Co. I love the bold lipstick look when I see it on others, but for whatever reason it just doesn’t work for me. The Lip Bon Bons are creamy, subtle, and leave your lips feeling fully hydrated, soft, and lush. They come in five colors, and one of you lucky readers will be winning one of your own in Beth’s favorite color.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a model in name only, and only wear makeup about half the time. But all I was really looking for was a way to look better when I wanted to do, and between Beth and that Hollywood Make Up artist, I found a way to do just that.
Looking to see the makeup in action? Check out our Five Minute Makeup Tutorial over on Facebook!
The Super Salty Giveaway!
This post includes affiliate links in addition to items that have been generously donated by some wonderful companies. As always, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are our own. You can read more at our Legal & Disclosures page. Thank you!
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Giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to our winner, Vicki Wilkinson!
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As you may remember, The Salty Mamas loooooove October. Jaymi, Christine, and Lil Salty Izzie have birthdays in October, Christine and Chad have an anniversary, and we all love Halloween. And so we feel like celebrating- with YOU!
The Salty Mamas have compiled some of our VERY FAVORITE products into one HUGE GIVEAWAY just for our favorite readers! We contacted companies, told them about how awesome you were, and they agreed. So they sent us some amazing products that we think you’re going to love.
A few highlights:
A Passion Planner– This is the system that Jaymi uses to plan her months and weeks, get focused on her goals, and even as a bullet journal system using the blank pages in the back. We’ll be focusing on it in more depth in a future post, but trust us-it’s awesome. (Color included in the giveaway may vary from the listing).
A Copy of “The Miracle Morning“- if you are feeling adrift, or like you never get enough time for yourself- this book could truly be a game-changer for you. This book is all about carving out time and setting your intentions for the day- and your life!- first thing in the morning.
A Lip Bon-Bon from Younique (courtesy of Beth Griffin)- this is the best.lipbalm.ever. Jaymi is kind of obsessed with it, and we think you will be too!
This adorable unicorn tank top that Christine wore to Izzie’s Unicorn-Themed Birthday Bash. It is perfection.
A copy of our next book club selection- “Only Dead on the Inside“. This book is hilarious, and we’d love for you to read it so you can watch and laugh with us as we talk about it on Facebook next month!
Some Chick Fil A Swag. Because we’re obsessed, obviously.
This time around we are using Gleam to help you keep track of all the ways to earn entries for our grand prize drawing. Share our Facebook posts, visit us on Instagram, leave us some Blog Post Love- choose as many (or as few) entry options as you’d like (or as many as you can get to before someone demands milk or hits their sister). Click on the link below, which will take you to our Gleam landing site and show you all the ways you can earn entries for our big giveaway!
To win, you must be a resident of the United States or Canada (sorry, International Salties, we aren’t rich enough to ship to you just yet). The contest will run from October 15, 2017 through October 31, 2017 at midnight. The winner will be announced by November 5, 2017. Once announced, winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize and provide their address to The Salty Mamas. Good luck to all!
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Giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to our winner, Vicki Wilkinson!
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Happy Birthday to YOU!
One year, for Jaymi’s birthday, she made it her mission to travel around to all the different places that would give her something free on her birthday. She ruled out the free ferry ride to Catalina, but she vowed to tackle every.other.thing.
She’s never been so sick in her life.
Do you have any idea HOW MANY PLACES will give you free food and drinks on your birthday? It’s kind of ridiculous, but also, it’s kind of awesome. So, without further ado, a list of places that will give you something FREE for your birthday (food, drinks, and otherwise!).
1.Kohl’s- As part of their Yes2You Rewards program, you will receive a coupon for $5 off a $5 purchase (aka the holy grail of coupons). That’s $5 free dollars to spend on the item of your choice!
2. Baskin Robbins– When you sign up on their website, you will get a free scoop of ice cream for your special day.
3. Cold Stone kind of gets in on the action as a part of their eClub, but they’ll send you a Buy One Get One coupon instead of an outright freebie.
4. Dairy Queen wants to offer you a BOGO Blizzard, which they’ll send you if you sign up here.
5. Einstein Bros. Bagels–By registering for the emails (adorably called the Shmear Society), you’ll earn yourself a free breakfast sandwich when you purchase a drink.
6. IHOP– One stack of free pancakes, coming right up! You can sign up here.
7. Denny’s will give you a free grand slam, and you don’t even have to sign up for anything for that one. Just show your valid ID on your birthday, and breakfast is on them!
8. Starbucks– As long as you have an account, you will get one free drink of your choice. Any type, any flavor, ANY SIZE. So that means if you want a Venti Maple Pecan Latte with Extra Whip and a Shot of Espresso, they’ll give it to you for FREE, along with a complimentary tummyache.
9. Red Robin– Get a free burger anytime during your BirthMonth when you sign up for the Red Robin Royalty program.
10. Old Navy gives their email subscribers a free gift on their birthday. Head to their website at oldnavy.com and then scroll down to where it says “Sign Up For Email.” Make sure you update your preferences when prompted to do so, as that’s how you’ll get your birthday email.
11. Victoria’s Secret– Sign up on their website here. They want you to think you have to sign up for a credit card for this, but you don’t! Just scroll down to the bottom where it says “Get Exclusive Angel Offers.”
12. Krispy Kreme– sign up for their eClub, and you’ll get a free donut when your birthday rolls around.
13. There are plenty of other places that will give you something, like a free dessert, on your birthday, but honestly, that’s a LOT of places (Black Angus, Chili’s, Applebees, TGI Fridays, Outback Steakhouse, etc). So if you’re heading to a restaurant to celebrate, make sure you check their site or ask your server to see if they offer something to the birthday boy or girl.
So there you have it, our (partial) list of places that want to help you celebrate your big day (or, in some cases, your big month!) in style. Got any that you would add to the list? Tell us about it in the comments below!
MicroLuxury Monday: Find YOU
It’s a little sad that this has to even be said. Because truly, the MICROEST (and yes, that’s a word now) luxury there can be is taking five minutes and finding yourself again. Not you the Mom, or you the Wife, or you the President of the PTA, the Brownie Mom, or the Soccer Mom.
Just. YOU.
The you that you were before all the other stuff. You can still LOVE the other stuff – and for your own sake, I hope you do! But that doesn’t mean that deep down inside there isn’t a part of you that you’ve lost a little.
There are parts of me that I try so hard to make sure stay present in my life. Me the reader. Me the crafter. Me the Aunt. Me the sister and friend and bowler (yes, bowler!) and roller coaster lover and dancer. 
And me the PSYCHO FOOTBALL FAN.
Oh, was that not where you thought this was going? Sorry. Because the truth is, pre-kids, from September to December Football. Was. Life.
When my husband and I got engaged in November 2010, he asked if I had any dates in mind. I immediately said, “next October 8.” He was a little taken aback that I’d already had a date totally selected and wondered how I ever picked that so fast? My response? “Well, let’s be honest, I sort of knew this was coming and I want a fall wedding and so I checked the football schedule and we have a bye that weekend so everyone can come and no one will be checking the score all night. Plus, it would totally ruin my wedding day if we lost. So this just makes sense.”
So it was that Saturdays were spent off to the game or parked in a bar, friends house or our living room stuffing ourselves with snacks and beer and cheering until our throats were sore. Sunday was church, rinse and repeat. It was an exciting way to spend the weekend, and let’s be real, we didn’t have a whole lot of other commitments or responsibilities. The house stayed cleaner and there was way less laundry to do back then too.
Then, kids. And for a while we tried. We took each of the kids to a game or two as babies. We watched games on the weekend but had to stifle our cheers so as to not wake said babies. We got distracted and missed the big play because we were rocking a baby, feeding a baby, changing a baby. Slowly but surely, our priorities shifted.
My sister called me the other day because she needed help with a fantasy draft and I had no clue what to tell her. It didn’t happen overnight, but the realization still stung: I wasn’t a football person anymore. It was like a crushing blow to who I always thought I was. I still have all the sweatshirts, put up the decorations, and love the game. But I just. Can’t. follow it like I used to.
At this point I could either accept the new normal and keep falling farther and farther out of touch with this thing that I loved, or make a change.
I opted to change. Not completely. I still have important obligations on Saturday that mean I can’t spend every weekend glued to the screen or sitting in the stands. But I made a pact with my best friend. Once a year, we were going to pack our bags and travel to an away game for our favorite team. No husbands, no kids, just two best friends going to a football game together. Like old times.
Which brings us to today. Fresh off a plane from Oakland where the USC Trojans took on the Cal Golden Bears. I would like to tell you that it didn’t matter if we won or not. That sharing a great weekend with my girlfriend is the real win. That making myself a priority is a win in itself. Because what the weekend was really about was finding me. But guess what? If it didn’t matter, then I wouldn’t have found me! Because football is NOT about the journey. It’s about the destination – and we. are. WINNERS!!! That might not matter to Mom/Wife me, but pre-kids football psycho me? Went. Crazy. Just as it should be.
Today I’m back to being the Wife, the Mother, the person that does everything for everyone else. But this weekend? I was the psycho football fan. And I loved it.
Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Coffee?
Hi, my name is Jaymi, and I am addicted to caffeine.
I first discovered my problem a few months ago. We ditched the kids and went away to a wedding, and had the best time ever. We were surrounded by people we’ve been friends with for decades, and it was absolutely amazing to get to do all the adult things I wanted, whenever I wanted to. Tops on my list? Hot coffee. And lots of it. Isn’t that every mom’s dream?
Continue reading “Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Coffee?”
MicroLuxury Monday: Bujo to Pick Your Favorite Kid
As I’ve mentioned, I love me some bujo (bullet journaling). And God bless Pinterest for giving me all kinds of awesome inspiration – it’s a FABULOUS resource when you’re looking for monthly or weekly spreads, list ideas and trackers, ALL the trackers! But I have noticed a serious lack of bullet journal spreads for Moms. So today I’ve got some tips for Moms that bujo and a couple page ideas I hope you’ll love!
Pick a weekly spread that is realistic.
I had to go through a few spreads before I found something that was functional for me, and that I could keep up with. Do not give up if you haven’t found yours yet. There is something for everyone – that’s one of the awesome things about bullet journaling.
I started with this. Because it’s beautiful. And it’s got all the detail I could ever want in my life. I was gonna track my steps and my water and what I ate for every meal and snack and the WEATHER and I customized it a little so that I could have a cute little section at the bottom of each day to write something about each kid. Holy overkill, Batman. Check out how much I didn’t finish – and that was just the first three days. I fell off that one FAST.
Then I tried this spread which little less info…I was only tracking one meal a day (better) I added some trackers for housework (for the record I did more than this, just didn’t track it) and health habits and then realized I hate daily trackers. I did like the little To-Do list and I thought it was an attractive layout, but after a few weeks I was over this one too. I still needed to simplify or this wasn’t going to be fun anymore.
Then I went SIMPLE. And I LOVED it. Big ol’ blocks where I could write everything and a bonus space where I could add a family saying, something cute the kids did, etc. In the middle space I would write what I was reading, watching, anything over-arching for the week. I kept this spread up for a couple of months and then only switched it up for something different – but at least I’d found the kind of spread that works for me. Once you do, I promise it will improve your bujo satisfaction by like 500%.
Mom Friendly Pages
Monthly Stats
With three kids, I have fallen off the baby book bandwagon. Hard. When I had two, I would say, “Cole was born at 10:56 in the morning. Evie was born at night.” With three? It got even worse. I did one of those Line a Day books with Cole that I kept up for like a year. With Evie I had little notes and post its and stuff in my pockets and purse and always was totally going to write them down somewhere permanent. With Izzie, I have just accepted that Facebook memories are going to remember for me. If Facebook shuts down I’m screwed.
Now I do often have a spot in my weekly spread to write a little something about each kid – whether daily or weekly. But it’s very open ended, and I know there are going to be a billion things I wish I remembered! So, inspired by Back to School printables with likes and dislikes and other kid info, I made a simple chart I can fill out for all the kids at the end of the month. Because like with the weekly spread style, I have to find a balance of what’s reasonable for me to commit to – and so far this feels good. I set it up at the beginning of the month so I can fill in as things happen or cram at the end. (Let’s face it – I cram at the end!)
How to Measure Which Kid is Your Favorite
Okay at the risk of tooting my own horn (toot! toot!) this is probably my favorite thing I’ve ever bujo’d. I was in a dark place with my baby’s sleep patterns. She was up. all. night. And then the other ones were getting up so early. (Or at least it felt early at the time). I felt like I had to channel my frustration with her into something tangible.
Enter: Kids Sleeping In Chart. 
As you can see, Evie, my little lavender dot, was clearly my favorite child that month. It was neck and neck for Cole and Izzie for a while, but Izzie had those God Awful open circles (which means she woke up but I eventually got her back to sleep). It was a silly chart, but the kids and I had fun doing it – every morning they would help get their colors and watch when I put their dots. Evie will still find the page and point to hers and say, “That’s me Mama?” Yep, my lovely little sleeper, that’s. you.
The cruel irony is that when I made that page – I thought the kids were getting up early. But these days they mostly get up in the 5:00 hour…..so I’m thinking it might be time to figure out which one’s my favorite again 😉
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What kind of bullet journal spreads would you love to see to help you as a Mom?
MicroLuxury: SLEEP
Once upon a time, I was a young, naïve person, that thought sleep was just a basic human right. Maybe it was written into the Constitution even…the Ten Commandments? I command thee to sleep! It made sense to me. Because whatever the case, I basically went to bed when I wanted to and woke up when I wanted to. Sure I had a job that required me to get to work by 8:30, but I – perhaps foolishly – considered myself a “morning person” and never had a problem with that schedule.
I wasn’t one of those losers that sleeps the day away.
Then kids.
And I realized that sleep is no right. It’s a privilege. Nay, it’s a down right luxury.
In case I forgot? My kids got me up at 4am today – while I’m on vacation. I took a walk with the baby in the pitch dark. Watched the sunrise. Got some work done. And was grumpy as hell about it. Because I may be a “morning person” but I have a strong belief that anything before 6am is NOT the morning. That is the middle of the night.
If you’re caught in the complete physical and mental mind eff that is zero sleep, and absolutely understand why sleep deprivation is considered torture, here are three little tips to help you enjoy the sweet, sweet, luxury that is sleep. At least once in a while.
- Sleep in.
This will probably work a MAX of one day a week. But hell, it’s gotta be better than zero days a year. Just think, if you play it right maybe you could sleep until 7 or – gasp – EIGHT! Like FIFTY TWO TIMES next year!! All you need to do is get the buy in from your partner. Have a loving conversation where you gently explain that you are so tired you might die. And make a deal. You’ll get up and keep everyone quiet on Saturdays, if they do Sundays. Or vice versa. Or trade off days. Whatever it is, make a deal. Reap the benefits. My loving conversation looked like this:
Me: Dude. I need you to get up with the kids once in a while or I’m going to die. Or you’re going to die. I’m not sure which yet, but someone’s gonna die if I can’t close my eyes.
Him: I don’t wanna die.
Me: Then you get up tomorrow with the kids and make them quiet. Take them in the yard. Take them to breakfast. Take them to Mexico. I don’t care. Mommy sleeps.
- NAP.
Hold on, lemme give you a minute to stop laughing.
Cool? Okay, hear me out. This may only work if you have nap-age kids. Or kids in school that are gone. Or you can use your partner on the weekend using the same conversation strategy as in tip #1.
If you’re working with nap age kids or school age kids and you’re home, it’s actually a pretty simple plan. You just. Freaking. Sleep. Yes, you have a MILLION things to do, so you can’t do this every day. So once a week the laundry piles up a little more. Or the dishes don’t get done. You’ll survive. The house won’t burn down. The mess can get cleaned up later. But you NEED to sleep.
If none of those are options, this is the one time you actually can throw money at the sleep problem. Hire a babysitter to watch the kids, while you nap. Yes, this is a thing. No comment on how I know.
- Go the eff to bed.
I’ve never been a late night person. I like to go to bed. But I had some built in sense of shame that knew it was super pathetic to fall asleep before ten. So I didn’t. I stayed up. Sometimes I had stuff to do. Other times, I tried to relax. (Because let’s face it, relaxation can be as elusive a luxury as sleep!)
But recently? I decided that if I wanted to go to sleep at 8:18, three minutes after I got all the kids down? Then that’s what I was going to do. Because I was going to be up all night with the baby, and up at dawn with all the kids, so let’s at least go to bed early AF.
Now, will this fix how chronically exhausted you are? No, not even put a dent in it. But once in a while, it’s nice to just indulge in the little luxury of sleep.
