positivity Archives - Moments of Musing

Celebrate Everyday Moments (Frozen 2 Carvel Cake Party)

Filed Under: carvel, frozen 2, motherhood, positivity // December 28, 2019

This post is sponsored by Carvel but all opinions are my own.

If you have followed me for a little while then you know I am an optimist. I like to focus on the
good and celebrate everyday moments.

carvel, carvel cake, carvel ice cream, carvel ice cream cake, ice cream cake, frozen 2, frozen 2 cake, mom and sons, mom and boys, mama

Some things never change. Since I was a young girl, I have loved and asked for a Carvel cake
for celebrations. I usually have one every year for my birthday; we’ve had one for my husband’s
graduation celebrations; for dessert on summer nights and just because on any given day or
night. The chocolate crunches are my favorite part!!!

While grocery shopping one day this past fall, I picked up a Carvel cake just because. I was
hesitant at first because it wasn’t a “special” occasion … but then I thought “who makes the
rules?” Today’s as good a day as any to celebrate.

That’s why I loved celebrating Frozen 2 with my boys. We got to have our favorite cake while
celebrating girl power and sisterhood. My boys absolutely loved it and our celebration went on
much longer than anticipated. It was the perfect reason to pause my seemingly never ending
holiday to-do list. You can enjoy Frozen 2 off-screen with your kids, too, with a beautifully
themed Carvel cake!

I think it’s important for boys and men to recognize girls and women as their equals. I am
happy to show my boys that girls can be strong, smart and independent. I am equally happy to
show them that we don’t need a holiday or birthday to celebrate — there are so many beautiful
reasons to celebrate in life!

That’s why we loved celebrating Frozen 2 with Carvel!

Chalk it Up to Luck … or Hard Work?

Filed Under: career, family, hard work, inspiration, luck, motivation, positivity, work, work hard // September 30, 2019

Sometimes when speaking with my husband about our life, I call ourselves lucky. But then I remember how much hard work we’ve put in to get here.

I think about hyperventilating and feeling overly anxious when I had to go back to work after my first maternity leave.

I think about crying in the shower thinking up plans to be able to live a life more closely aligned with my vision of motherhood.

I think about my plans, my hopes, my dreams.

I think about what I did each step of the way to lead to me to the next step.

I think about how much studying, hard work and perseverance I put in and practiced to get to where I am today.

I think about my husband’s difficult transition into civilian life. (Side note: The military does not help as much as they should but that’s a post for another day.)

I think about his decision to get a college degree to better our future.

I think about his decision to get his MBA to advance his career.

And then I think about his life story and how hard he has worked to get to where he is today.

So though I do think sometimes luck plays a part in life, I don’t think we would have gotten anywhere near where we are without putting in effort.

While I don’t know where exactly our journeys will take us, I am trusting our decisions and growing more and more excited (while still a little nervous) for us. We have worked hard to become the people, couple and parents we are. And we won’t stop working to become better.

Get Out of Your Own Way

Filed Under: empowerment, encouragement, kindness, positivity // September 17, 2019

Photos by Captured Group

I remember reading other blogs and then scrolling on Instagram and feeling tinges of inferiority. How could I get there? What did I have to do? Eventually, I decided to focus on my goals and on community (versus competition) and slowly but surely saw a difference.

What I’m trying to say is: I got out of my own way. I stopped waiting for tomorrow. I stopped judging. I stopped merely wishing. I stopped letting doubt, fear and worry consume me. And I started believing. I started connecting and collaborating. I started doing.

Though I am not yet where I hope to be in my career, I am closer than I was when I was just standing still and stagnant, when I was keeping myself from growing at all.

So to you who wishes to be more and/or who so badly wants more, I say:

YOU hold your power to do more, to have more, to be more. Stop standing in your own way.

Get out there and take that chance you have been wanting to take. The dream you have dreamt of executing. The plan you have thought about for what feels like every waking minute of everyday. Do what it is that you want. Do what it is that will make you excited.

You might succeed. You might not. We do not know what will happen for sure. But at least you know you will have believed in yourself to take the next step. And do not be discouraged. If you fail, learn from it… and try and try again.

I know you can do it.

I’m rooting for you.

Take Care of Yourself

Filed Under: positivity, self care // February 20, 2019

Putting oneself first is harder than it seems, to me at least. Since becoming a parent, I naturally think of my kids first. What do they want? What do they need? Are they happy? Are they tired? Are they upset? How can I help them?

I rarely ask myself how I can help myself. Others ask me that even less. I don’t fault them — or even myself, though. Society puts an onus on women who are wives and mothers. When we become those things, our priorities shift both in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. Oftentimes, we take a backseat.

It shouldn’t be like that, though. It doesn’t have to be like that. So, take care of yourself, mama. I’m going to try to do it, too. In fact, it’s one of my new year goals. Live the mantra “Self-care is the best care.” I need to embrace it. And actually do it…

It might seem selfish but it’s like takeoff. You’re instructed to put your oxygen mask on before helping others. As a kid and young adult, I didn’t understand why. Why wouldn’t a parent assist their baby first?, I often wondered. It seemed bizarre to me.

As an adult and parent, I get it. I comprehend why. We must be okay to help others, especially our kids. They’re depending on us. They’re watching us. More than what we say, they’re mirroring what we do.

That’s why self care is important. We must take care ourselves in order to best take care of our babies and loved ones.

It’s not selfish. It’s smart. It’s necessary. Self-care is our best care, mama.

That Someone With You

Filed Under: positivity // February 11, 2019

There’s someone with you.

The person is your biggest critic and also your greatest fan. Your biggest cheerleader but also sometimes a doubter, too.

The person knows your heart and your mind. How each works and leads you to the decisions you make. The person knows you better than anyone else.

Look around you. Look inside you. Do you know who that someone is who’s with you, and within you?

That person is you.

It’s you who knows you like no one else — who knows your strengths and weaknesses, the depths of your love and sorrow. It is you who you can always count on.

So, listen to yourself.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Take care of yourself.

Forgive yourself.

Most importantly, love yourself.