A Hope for Spring, A New Struggle | #AllThingsNew

by SimplyHollyJo on March 27, 2020 , 1 Comment

March is almost over and Spring is officially here. I had so much hope for Spring. Back in July/August of last year, I fell into one of my usual “funks,” and it somehow carried over into Winter. I have been dreaming about sun on my skin and grass under my feet. Of digging in the dirt, and playing in the water. But life doesn’t always go as planned. After a Winter of household sickness, and then trying to get myself out of the house more after our recovery, I had really started depending on the idea of Spring and Summer […]

The Benefits of Maca Root | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 23, 2020 , No Comments

I came across maca root years ago, before having kids. I actually started it as I was discontinuing birth control for better health. I had originally gone on birth control for non-baby related reasons: acne and an irregular cycle. When I decided I had been on hormones for long enough and I needed to stop, I was worried about the irregular cycles coming back. So I did lots of research and found maca. I successfully transitioned off birth control and right into a normal, healthy cycle for the first time ever. I still attribute that successful transition to maca root […]

The Benefits of Probiotics | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 16, 2020 , No Comments

Probiotics have been buzzing around for quite some time. This supplement might not be new to many moms out there, but it’s still a go-to for me. Just like magnesium, I’ve been using this supplement since before I became a mother. I am the daughter of someone with multiple auto-immune illnesses, so I know the importance of gut health. As someone with a background in the medical field, I know the havoc antibiotics can cause on gut health while aiding the body in killing off illness. So today I’m sharing the many benefits of probiotics, and why I use them. […]

The Benefits of Magnesium | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 9, 2020 , No Comments

Magnesium has been in my life for years and years. Way back before I had kids, which isn’t really THAT long ago, but it feels like it to me. I first started using it in epsom salt form in baths. I love a warm, soothing bath. I’ve written before about how I love epsom salts for my kids’ baths and to combat sickness. It’s a staple in my home. After epsom salts, I eventually started trying pill forms. I learned more about their benefits while working in the front office of a primary care office. The nutritionalist came to our […]

The Benefits of Collagen | Supplements for Mamas

by SimplyHollyJo on March 4, 2020 , No Comments

Collagen is something that I take every day, and I will rave about it to anyone who listens. I am notoriously bad at taking supplements. I have a hard time getting into the daily habit of taking them, and then will go weeks without taking them. Except for that time I started taking Maca root powder. Maybe it’s just pills that I forget, and not powders. Hmm. Anyway! Collagen is something that I take daily, and actually get sad about missing. I take it EVERY day if I can help it. I take it in a flavorless powder form, and I […]

A Mother’s Love | Love After Babies

by SimplyHollyJo on February 24, 2020 , No Comments

I’ve talked about how having kids has changed my relationship with God, and how it has changed my relationship with myself. Now I’m going to talk about how it’s changed my view on a mother’s love. Specifically when it comes to my own mother. As a mom, some days are great, some days are ho-hum, a some days are awful. The why’s behind any of those types of days are vast. My attitude, their attitude, weather, sleep, activities, growth, interests, family, outsiders, etc. So much. There is A LOT that goes into making a marriage work. You’re marrying two people […]

Emerging Love Languages and Getting Out of the Way

by SimplyHollyJo on February 21, 2020 , No Comments

I first learned about Gary Chapman’s Love Languages while in collage. I quickly read through the book and thoroughly enjoyed everything that he laid out before me. Sitting on the driveway of the parents of my then boyfriend, now husband, the four of us discussed the 5 primary love languages and guessed at each others top two. It was a fun and lighthearted conversation. We have carried those tools into our marriage and have reflected back on them time and time again. Now that we have two little boys, I have thought a lot about the love languages and how […]

Loving Yourself as a Mom | Love After Babies

by SimplyHollyJo on February 18, 2020 , No Comments

Loving yourself as a mom. So much to unpack there. Right now I want to talk about how having kids has changed how I view myself, how I talk to myself, and simply how I love myself. We are our own worst critics. We are the ones that we talk to the most day to day, and we often don’t say very nice things. This is something I’ve been aware of, of course, but the significance of it has only heightened since becoming a mom. I am so much more aware of how I talk to myself, in my head […]

God’s Love in a New Light | Love After Babies

by SimplyHollyJo on February 10, 2020 , No Comments

Having children changes your life, and you yourself, in so many ways. One of the aspects of change that I didn’t think through until after I had kids, was how it would change my understanding of God. I’ve definitely seen God’s love in a new light. Once I had kids, I suddenly had this whole new outlook on God’s roll in my life, as well as just how patient He is with me on a day to day level. In the everyday struggle of teaching and disciplining (discipling), my boys, I am constantly reminded of my own shortcomings and imperfections. God […]

Creating a Family Mission Statement

by SimplyHollyJo on January 13, 2020 , No Comments

A family mission statement has been on my radar for years. I saw them online and heard of multiple families using them to focus themselves and really hone in on what kind of family they want to grow. It seemed like a great idea, but I had no idea where to begin! Most places told me to have a family meeting and discuss the characteristics and qualities we would all like to have as a family. My boys are currently 4 and 2 and I knew that would go over well. I also thought my husband would simply say, “Whatever […]

Playing in the Leaves | Fall Tradition

by SimplyHollyJo on November 18, 2019 , No Comments

Can I call it a Fall tradition if it’s only happened for two years? Is that a tradition yet? I plan for it to be one. The boys LOVE playing in the leaves. My oldest talks about it all year with joy and excitement. He continually asks when the leaves will be falling again and how long until we can rack them up and throw them around. He dives head first into piles. My youngest was very excited this year as well. So much so that he had a meltdown when we actually picked the leaves up. He soon calmed […]

This is How I Do Laundry | My Laundry Hacks

by SimplyHollyJo on October 28, 2019 , No Comments

Laundry. Never ending laundry. I deeply relate to this: I recently starting listening to the Coffee + Crumbs podcast and they do a “How we do _____” and they did one on laundry. It got me thinking about how I do laundry, and I almost wanted to be able to respond to them while they spoke. Am I the only one that does that while listening to podcasts? Anyway, I decided to share some of my personal “hacks” and tips for laundry. This isn’t a “perfect” method by any means, and it won’t work for everyone, but it’s what works […]