HOW DO YOU GET THE KIDS OUT OF BED?

There was once a time when I would go wake the kids up myself. I would go into their room, rub their backs and talk to them, trying to get them up. That method seemed to work against me! I’d have a little groggy person trying to brush their teeth or want to come downstairs and watch cartoons and then we’d have to go back upstairs and get dressed and so on…I felt like I was just constantly nagging my kids about how it was time to go, or to put their shoes on or asking why they weren’t ready yet. I was spending more time hovering over them and I found myself getting more and more irritated. I wasn’t having a fun, chipper morning like I wanted. By the time we left the house, we were all mad at each other. So, that was the way I had done things in the past.

Then one day I thought, I am tired of constantly watching over them and telling them what they should be doing. It seemed like when I gave them more independence, they responded much better. So I started a plan with Lily and then followed later with Luke. When they started first grade, I took them to the store and let them pick out their own alarm clock a few weeks before school started. I gave it to them as though it were a prize for going to first grade and I also gave them a white board to stick outside their room with task written on it like, make your bed + brush your teeth + put your clothes on + bring down your backpack and whatever it was that I needed them to do. I am telling you guys, DO IT! They felt like big kids and were eager to do everything on their own. It took a little time for the adjustment, I would have to stand at the bottom of the steps and yell up to help them keep a good pace at first, but that only took about two weeks max. You can instill any habit for your kids in two weeks. I got my daughter to stop biting her nails in two weeks! It was honestly the best thing I could have done for my kids.

Now they get up completely on their own, make their beds, brush teeth, hang up towels, turn their lights off and come downstairs completely dressed. I don’t like for them to come downstairs and have to go back up again, I want to set them up with healthy habits of getting out of bed and getting ready to go. That isn’t how I get ready, I like to go get my coffee in my robe, but my husband is able to get right up and go which I have always been so envious of. I wanted to teach my kids better habits than I have! They are awesome at it now and I couldn’t be more thankful that I thought up this idea all those years ago!

WHAT ARE YOUR GO TO FLIP FLOPS?

I am a Florida girl, so flip flops for me are like second skin. I don’t like having anything on my feet when I am at home, so I am either barefoot or in flip flops. I am a Tory Burch fan when it comes to flip flops. I decided to invest one year and I never took them off! I wore those things down until they were as thin as a sheet of paper. I don’t like calling too much attention to my feet, I have a size ten foot, so I usually like to go with a nude shoe even if it is a heel. It elongates your leg and I just feel like a nude shoe is a go-to for me. I don’t have to think about it, they go with everything, all I have to do is slide them on! This year I found a great rubber snakeskin pattern from Tory Burch that are just so fun! I am not much of a pattern or color girl but I will work in a cute animal print every now and then. I also love the TKEES neutral flip flop. You can actually get them in different skin tones so you can match your foot depending on how tan or pale you are. I will even pick up a cute pair at Target or Old Navy when I am already running into the store for other things. I don’t think you can ever have too many flip flops and these are some of my favorites!

HOW DO YOU STAY CONFIDENT EVEN WHEN YOU AREN’T FEELING IT?

necklace | top (in pink) | denim

From afar, you might see me as someone who is always super confident and upbeat. I’m not going to lie, that is my natural demeanor. You can ask anyone who knows me, I am a very positive person. So when I am down, it is very noticeable to those around me. Of course there are days when I feel like I am in a rut or don’t feel good about myself. I don’t know how many women can relate to this, but there are times when you are getting ready in your bathroom, you are feeling good, your eye makeup looks amazing, your outfit is on point, your hair looks like someone did it for you, everything is just coming together! But then when you arrive at where you are going, suddenly you don’t feel that good anymore.

I don’t know why that happens but I suffer from it too! This world is full of competition and I think for women, we are our own worst critics and we pick ourselves apart. One of the things I have been working on myself is how to take a compliment. I am so quick to challenge a compliment and quickly follow it with a negative, when all you really need to say is thank you! I had a friend who was always so good at graciously accepting a compliment and I really admired her for it! Working on taking a compliment is the first step to start feeling good about yourself. Another thing I like to do is to take time to affirm myself! You work hard! You are doing the best you can and that is enough! Go in with a smile and appear confident and a lot of the time, your mindset will follow.

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