Ways I am Keeping My Anxiety Under Control During A Pandemic Part 2

Ways I am keeping my anxiety during a pandemic part two is simply a follow up of a post I published last May. We are all still living through a pandemic, virtual school is up and roaring and the loom of another wave is upon us. For me the hardest part is really being torn on the fact that I truly love being cooped up with my family during this time when I feel really inspired. I love a great routine, and am REALLY loving living by the beach and not in an apartment like my first post.

But I would be crazy not to mention how torn I feel on the fact that I see so many other just living their lives and it's hard to watch! I too want to eat at restaurants and not feel crazy panic. Am I screwing up my kids by keeping our circle so small and still social distancing? Am I going to be scared forever? Will I ever feel like watching a movie with people and no masks makes me so anxious that I have to keep reminding myself its just a movie? Will we ever see out other family? When will we see friends and have play dates and create memories. Will this year be a wash with no travel, no real fun or change in life...

Gosh this all sounds nuts but it's true, I am torn. And all that in the same breath as saying I KNOW we are doing what is best for our family, trusting in science, living as healthy from the inside out, leaning on homeopathic and over the counter ways to stay as healthy as possible and leaving the rest up to a higher power. I know this because in my heart when I sit quietly every morning meditating I feel at ease with my decision. And I have to often remind myself of some wise words from my brother after he first met Zoe, "ignore the noise, you are doing an exceptional job."

Ignore the noise my friends, ignore it like you life depended on it and do what is best for you and your family. But let's not be judgy on those that choose differently than us. LEt's respect the fact that we all have risks we can and cannot take. Let's respect that we get the chance to choose and do and live the way that we KNOW is right.

I wanted to share some things that I do every day to help ease my anxiety during an ongoing pandemic (with a few people in my family that are high risk these things mean so much to me).

1. Meditate - I have been using the Melissa Wood Health App or the Calm App, I do 10 - 30 minutes depending on time and what I have to get done that day.

2. Move my Body. Also using the Melissa Wood Health with this because of the easy of picking the amount of time and kind of workout. I also will do a post on a bunch of free workouts I have been loving online. My girl Meredith also posts so many great ones.

3. Drink plenty of water. I drink at the minimum 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water. (so if you weigh 100 pounds you would drink 50 ounces of water) I also drink warm lemon water and 16 ounces of water before I even have coffee in the AM, sometimes SUPER hard but really feel a difference in my gut and mental state when I am hydrated.

4. Step away from social media. I often delete the app during the day, or for days at a time to really help me stop the IG comparison game. Or the mindless swiping. And by taking out a distraction and reminding myself that in order to be the person I want to be I have to get certain things done. For example dedicating uninterrupted time towards the girls, posting here on the blog more often, or sharing great newsletters, allowing for my energy to go toward client work and building my Beautycounter business really helps me succeed at the things I put on the top of my non-negotiables list.

5. Wake before my family and create a high level of importance around my alone time. The girls (unless sick) are not allowed to come down before 7am, they can play, color or read but I have started talking to them about the importance of why I wake before the family and how I need this time is for me to be the best mommy, and not even daddy gets to interrupt it.

6. Detox baths. One of my favorite self care practices has always been baths and I make this a high priority. 2 cups of epsom salt, and some baking soda, super hot water and my favorite candle burning or oil diffusing is my most favorite thing to do. It's even better with ear pods and a really great light novel.

7. Eating more plants. Game changer on the gut health and finally losing some of this pandemic 15, lol!! I start every meal, in a very Bonberi way with greens, and then eat a meal with greens. I stick to when I feel like eating, and stop when I feel to full. I honestly could do better around the treats but you know what, we are in a Pandemic and it's alllll about balance.

8. Get outside, every damned day. Rain, shine, freezing cold or heat wave. All of us must do this.

9. Going to bed early. I do have to work in bed, after a long day it's the only wrap up time I have to blog or work on client's stuff and I will set some time aside to IG scroll but getting to sleep by 10 is a must for and the only way I can get up at 5am. I have most recently found that I work better in the morning and well this flow of energy to not try and multi task all day and then try to get work done when I am tired.

10. Which leads to uninterrupted time. I do not only set aside time to work out on my own, meditate, work on the blog or other projects but I also do this with the girls. I set aside some time to be completely with them every day. No phones, no multi tasking, just sit with them and color or talk through school work, or build with blocks, I ask questions, "tell me more!", I make eye contact, we snuggle, we read and reread favorite books, we have dance parties or walk on the beach with our magnifying glasses.

11. And finally a bonus that I am working REALLY HARD ON. I try not to let myself compare. It can be really hard to not compare the perfectly dressed cuties or mamas, the perfect homes or activities on IG but in my meditation every morning I remind myself "I am enough. I am enough. I and everything I do is to the best of my ability right now and I am enough." And maybe the pictures on my blog or IG will get better later when I have more time and a photographer or maybe my next house will be perfectly decorated, and more time for crafts/activities when we don't have virtual school but maybe not. What I am doing is enough right now and when it doesn't feel like it is then I want to stop. It is so harmful to compare your life to one that you can only see through the screen.

I am sharing this because in these times when it feels like we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, our families wellness, legit all of the tasks, we need to remember that whole if my cup is empty thing. Find what works for you and fill the dang cup, so that you can care for those around you. Sending love and light.

xoxoxo

Natalie

Greek Yogurt Kid Approved Banana Bread

Well, hello there my friends. Sitting here on this Tuesday, feeling like I cannot sit still but also cannot do much. My mind has been scattered and my heart racing. So I am listening to what I think I need, meditating and watching my two girls play. And I felt the need to share this recipe I made last week ( and have made SOOOO many times before).

I love to make something special on Fridays, and always make extra for the weekend. Introducing, kid approved and adult loving, healthy-ish greek yogurt banana bread that will have even the pickiest mouths happy. With this bread, I suggest you double it and drop a loaf off at a neighbor or freeze for a special no hassle treat or if your home is anything like mine just keep one in the fridge since an entire loaf ill easily be polished off in a couple days.

As for changes, you can easily swap out the banana and make with pumpkin puree or even apple sauce! But a way to make it super special is to add a 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles to the banana bread to make it a sort of "funfetti" banana bread, I am going to do that for the girls this week and will try and show it on IG. :)

GREEK YOGURT BANANA BREAD RECIPE

2 cups whole wheat flour (all purpose flour also works here!)

1/2 cup brown sugar (agave or maple syrup also works here)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs ( I have swapped 1/2 cup of applesauce for the eggs!)

1/2 cup plain, full fat greek yogurt (sour cream or buttermilk have world when I have on hand!)

1/2 cup of butter, softened

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed and fit in a cup

2 tsp vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease ( we use a coconut spray an 9″ bread pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add brown sugar and yogurt. This means beat it for about 2 minutes until it is fluffy, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well until incorporated, scraping the sides.

4. In a small bowl, use a fork or potato masher to mash about 2 and 1/2 very ripe bananas. It should come out to about 1 cup.*  A little more or a little less banana, and you are still going to get banana bread. (More banana=more dense. Less banana does NOT make your banana bread not-moist.) Add to the mixer.

5. Add flour to the bowl, but do not stir yet. (You can mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl but I am too lazy.)

6. In a small spoon or in the measuring cup you used for the flour, stir in baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt into the flour. You don't want any clumps of salt or soda in your bread.

7. You can add cinnamon and teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg. This bread is still really good without the spices, they are optional.

8. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom.

9. Fold in the bananas.

10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.

11. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes. Every oven is different and you are probably going to have to check it a few times ( this is huge!!). (for muffins I baked at 350, for 23-25 minutes)

12. Let the bread or muffins cool completely (okay, well at least for 20 minutes or so) on a cooling rack before slicing into it. If you don't devour a warm slice immediately with copious amounts of butter, it's a crime against bananas everywhere.

There is nothing sadder than undercooked banana bread, so make sure with a toothpick inserted very deeply into the center of your bread (stick it right into the crack that has formed) should come out with no wet batter on it. Very moist crumbs are ok, as the bread will continue cooking just a bit once pulled out of the oven. The bread should look nice and brown on top and should be pulling away from the sides of the pan.

* I love saving ripe bananas for future use like in this bread or smoothies!

Here’s what I do: peel them, freeze in a ziplock and mark with the amount of bananas and date. Just remember that when you use frozen bananas for banana bread (or any baked dessert), you will have to microwave it long enough to be able to mash it. When you microwave it, a bunch of liquid will melt off of the banana. Don’t throw it away! Add it to your banana bread. It will make your bread extra moist!

** new edit! I have made this recipe swapping out the bananas with 1 cup of blueberries, diced apples and applesauce (all have come out really amazing!)

One of the best parts of this blog is that I continuously am reminded that these family recipes that I can make from memory are the ones I need to write down and share!!! So I hope that this sweet little recipe that I have been making for so long is one you use for years to come.

Sending love during an anxious ridden, but hopeful time and reminding you all that coming back to your breath is always a way to get grounded.

xoxox

Natalie

Bed Time Routines With Tubby Todd

Ahhhh what a dream partnership!!! Tubby Todd is a brand I have used since Zoe was tiny. I love how well the products work and how they as a small company thrive to keep them as clean as possible. We especially love their bubbles and use them as a part of their bedtime routine every night. And I thought what a better time to share our routine then in the beginning of the school year when everyone is thriving for smoother evenings.

1. After dinner treat! Depending on how well they ate or the timing that they ate, for our family this treat could be a piece of dark chocolate, or small (summer time) bowl of ice cream, freshly popped popcorn or fruit/apple/applesauce. Birdie's favorite buttered toast! I want the tummies full before bed so this is important but also something nice to look forward to because they think its so special. This is also a great time to get the wiggles out so I sometimes take this treat outside to walk the pup or let them scoot and others times they have it in the bath, hahaha.

2. Set the sleepy mood. While the girls are picking out pajamas. I dim bathroom lights, turn on the diffuser with essential oils going, currently it's gentle baby (I usually move the small bedroom diffuser I use in their bedroom into the bathroom while they bathe and back to the room while we read), I turn on bedtime music, pour in our favorite bubbles (the Tubby Todd ones are amazing, and gentle on the girls super sensitive skin) and 1/4 cup of epsom salt into the bath.

3. Bedtime Voices. This may sound silly but we also have "bedtime voices", they are simply whisper voices when we are talking. I tell the girls that we use these special voices so that our bodies know it's time for bed. I do have to remind them this a lot but I think it really helps for all of us, even tired mama.

4. I take them out of the bath one by one to brush/braid hair, give them a massages ( I love this for general points of massage to help promote sleep) and snuggles. In the winter I love using the unscented all over ointment for this, a dollop of cream and a drop of my gentle baby essential oil. This cream is incredible for eczema or rashes/dry skin patches. I even find it does wonder for me too, especially when my psoriasis flares up.

I always start by massaging in the cream into their feet, then calves and thighs, hands arms, shoulders and finally doing a nice lymphatic massage to the face ( I do a simpler version of this, I'll record next time!) and a quick one on their heads (this helps so much for sinuses and allergies. this video cracks me up!) When we do skip this for a quicker bedtime I find the girls need me to stay in the room longer or can't settle as quick, so we try and do this every night. I also love the chance to connect, one on one time with each babe.

5. Stories. Lately they each pick one and I pick one. Sometimes Zoe reads them all, sometimes Ami "reads" one and other times I read them all. Either way, we read every single night.

For the last couple years we have allowed that Zoe have a flash light to read her chapter books before falling asleep. She can stay up as long as she wants if she is quietly reading in bed. Recently Amani has started asking that we leave the light on so she can read too, so I dim them just enough for 10 minutes. Eventually she too will have a book light of some sort to read at night. This was something I LOVED as a kid, and still do. Only rules are no talking, and no getting out of bed. Ami usually falls asleep in just a few minutes, after arranging and rearranging all of her babies a few times, lol. Zoe usually reads for more or less an hour.

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And that is our bedtime. Which guys is a LOT but I find that having a routine for them since they were tiny is such a respectful way to end the day with these little humans. It gives us time to connect, and time for them to unwind and always know what is going on. So whatever you choose to do make sure it works for your family but I can guarantee that adding a routine, some yummy products and oils, will be a really great way for you all to end the day, no matter how long or short it is.

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Cheers to a great rest of the week and getting as much sleep as possible.

xoxo

Natalie