We made it to the last Self-Care Sunday!
When I started this newsletter back in February, I had zero plan. I didn’t even have concepts of a plan.
Over the first few weeks, the format took shape, though, and I committed to writing once a week. I needed something to kickstart my writing again and keep the creative juices flowing, and this was the perfect way to do that.
In the past twenty weeks, I am happy to say that inspiration has struck again and I am finding it easier and easier to write. I’m sure there’s several factors contributing to that shift — I have a few more semesters of law school under my belt and the twins were born, to name a few — and I no longer feel like I need to keep up with the newsletter in order to keep writing. Honestly, these past few weeks it’s begun to feel like a chore.
So I made the decision to pivot, and end the newsletter sooner rather than later. I have loved writing these weekly updates, and I’m so proud of myself for keeping the promise I made to myself to write at least once a week. I know these will be special to look back on one day, as they are essentially a diary of my experiences during the first four months postpartum.
With that being said, I hope you enjoy the last newsletter of the series. To anyone who has taken the time to read, like, comment on, and share anything I’ve written, thank you so much, It truly means the world to me.
Week #20 Favorites
- Making a batch of egg muffins before a busy week. I don’t even have a recipe that I follow for these anymore, I just whip them up with whatever I find in my fridge. These only have peppers and cheese, but essentially what you do is put whatever “filler” you want in the bottom of the muffin tin (spinach, sausage, bacon, peppers, whatever), pour the egg mixture over top, sprinkle with cheese, and then bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy moms!
- Overalls. My younger sister gave me a pair of overalls that she no longer wants, and I’m obsessed. I think they are the perfect vibe for summer that I’m trying to curate — 90’s mom who makes casseroles for dinner and plays outside with her kids all day — and I find myself reaching for them multiple times a week.
- Writing things down on paper instead of typing them. I’ve started meal planning and doing my grocery list on a legal pad instead of doing it on my phone. I bought a book of “easy” crossword puzzles to try my hand at instead of doomscrolling (I put easy in quotes because I have been struggling). I start drafts for articles on scrap pieces of paper, and keep a handwritten to-do list on my desk. These have all been minor shifts, but they add up throughout the day by tremendously reducing my screen time, which in turn makes me a happier person.
Week #20 Highlights
- We went blueberry picking as a family for the second year in a row! I love creating family traditions that we can look forward to every year, and this is slowly becoming one of our summer traditions. The kids had a blast running around the farm, both of the twins took a nap in their carriers the whole time, and we left with enough for me to make blueberry scones andblueberry muffins!
2. I went out for a girl’s night out for the first time in over a year! My friend graduated from PT school and invited me to join her and some of her girlfriends out to celebrate. I hadn’t been out with them since last summer, before I found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t stay out as late as everyone else did, since I eventually had to go home and pump, but it was still so much fun! I’m in a weird phase postpartum right now where I don’t really feel like myself, and this definitely helped me feel better. Plus, it was my first time wearing a real bra and not a nursing bra in a loooong time!
3. I completely re-did my Substack and my blog. Do I have loads of homework and cleaning that need to be done at any given time? Yes. Did that stop me from spending hours on this side project? No. I changed the colors, learned how to make the emails I send out via Substack look a little nicer, created personalized paragraph and section dividers, as well as a new word mark/logo. Little side quests like this help me stay motivated and inspired, and given the off-putting postpartum headspace I’m currently in, that’s everything.
Self-Care Tip of the Week: Get Dressed First Thing, Every Day
I love me a good sweat seat as much as any exhausted mom, but I cannot deny that I feel better when I get dressed in real clothes every day. I try to do it as soon as possible, because the longer I wait, the less likely it is to happen.
I use the term “real clothes” extremely loosely. I am not someone that thinks you should be in a dress and a full face of makeup every day. To me, this standard simply means anything other than sweatpants. So leggings, jeans, and athletic pants are all on the nice list, and even sweatshirts are fine.
The idea is to take an extra five to ten minutes in the morning to tell myself, “Alright, I’m ready for the day now. I am dressed and my work for the day starts now.” If I don’t do this, eleven o’clock in the morning seems to take twice as long to roll around, and when it does, I still feel frazzled and like I’ve done nothing.
Especially at barely four months postpartum, at a time when I already feel more insecure than I would like because I just birthed twins, getting dressed every day has helped restore some of my confidence and feel less like I’m in a postpartum slump. Anything that makes the postpartum phase easier to bear is a win!
Thank you so much for joining me for my last Self-Care Sunday. It has truly been a wild twenty weeks!
I was going to share my idea for my next newsletter series… but you’ll just have to wait until next Sunday to find out!
Step by Step Parenting 