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How to Handle Adult Tantrums

September 7, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

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Okay. I know what you’re thinking. Adults don’t have tantrums. Toddlers have tantrums. Even though we might not throw ourselves on the floor and scream, I’m pretty damn sure there have been times when we’ve all wanted to! Just this past Monday, I kind of felt myself wanting to throw a massive fit. It was Labor Day. I was not supposed to be “laboring.” I was supposed to enjoying the last hurrah of summer. Right?

Wrong.

Instead, I was getting my hustle on. My day started out great! I knew I had to get some work done. Even though it was a holiday, it was still a Monday. So I sat down and wrote out a list of goals. I was accomplishing them one-by-one and then BOOM! My game was completely thrown off! A couple of deadlines totally snuck up on me and I immediately went into over-drive.

Meanwhile, I had plans to do a couple things with my husband. The workload seemed to multiply in an instant. I even canceled plans to attend a concert this weekend. Even if I accomplished everything that I had to do, the thought of a loud social scene just seemed exhausting. Maybe I’m just getting old.

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you have things in order and then being thrown off course. I was completely overwhelmed and so close to tears! It’s times like this when you need to take a step back before an adult temper tantrum happens and you’re walking around like Godzilla throwing fire.

Walk away

I knew I had to get things done, projects to make, and photos to take. But I was reaching my breaking point. So I stepped away. My husband was handing outside with the dog. I went outside to sit on the deck with them for a little while. It helped, I got to vent a little, and it made going back to my project easier.

Sniff lavender

Calm yo self. Lavender is soothing to the senses and has a great calming effect. It’s my go-to scent of choice when anxiety starts creeping up on me. We have two lavender plants growing in the backyard. I love snipping sprigs of lavender and keeping them in a small vase. I also like to keep a bottle of lavender essential oil nearby to sniff when I need to calm down.

Write it out

One of my favorite ways to get rid of stress is to write. Whether it’s a letter, a blog post, a journal entry, or even just a to-do list, writing it out always seems to help. This week, making a list was very helpful. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than seeing tasks being crossed out when completed.

Have a good cry

If all else fails, go somewhere quiet and cry. Sometimes a good cry is all you need to feel better. Crying doesn’t mean you’re weak. You’re human. Tears happen.

Be grateful

No matter what, always be grateful. Someone out there has it a lot worse than you. I might complain about my workload and looming deadlines, but I’m grateful for what I do. I’m grateful for my husband that works hard so I can work from home as a blogger. I’m grateful for the house we live in, the food on our table, and so much more.

Don’t beat yourself up if you scrap everything and take a mental health day to binge watch TV. You can always make tomorrow a better day.

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How do you handle an adult temper tantrum?

Another Year Older and a Little Wiser

July 28, 2017 by Jessica 2 Comments

Tomorrow is my birthday and I can honestly say that I’m okay with turning another year older. We’re good. There’s no need to panic over the fact that I’m slowly inching my way closer to the big 4-0. Whenever you asked my grandmother how old she was, she would always tell you, “I’m between 25 and 100.” I thought I would start replying with that same answer when people asked my age. But to be honest, I’m embracing it. So before you even ask me, I will tell you – I am going to be 36 and I am completely okay with that!

In fact, I’m more than okay with it. I’m looking forward to 36 because 35 has been pretty good to me. Like most years, it’s had its ups and downs. But as I round out this year of my life, I will say that I’ve learned some things about myself and about life in general. They are lessons that I will use as I move forward into this new year of life. For instance, sometimes life is a bit like a Monet painting. It can be a little fuzzy at first, but you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Life is made up of tiny, little moments and it’s all about how you look at those moments that matters.

Let’s face it – there’s no denying that I am getting older. With that, I have learned the importance of taking care of myself. I have become a sprouted grain eating, Kombucha drinking, oil sniffing, crystal charging, semi-barefoot, hippie wannabe. Mock my crunchiness, if you will, but I’m completely embracing this natural and free version of myself. I grow patchouli in my garden, chase rainbows, and let my hair go wild. Whatevs. It’s cool, man. Peace, love, and Jessica.

My biggest lesson this year (and I sort of thank my new crunchiness for it) is learning how to RELAX! I was a girl who couldn’t nap if my life depended on it. Two minutes after my head hit the pillow, I was back up and on the move again! Maybe I’m finally achieving that balance that I sought after at the beginning of the year. Maybe I’m just learning how to chill the eff out. Either way, I appreciate my new superpower and I hope to catch up on all of that napping that I missed out on this year.

I’ve learned to move forward and stop dwelling on things that happened in the past. Holding grudges and holding onto negativity doesn’t help anyone. Sing it with me now, “Let it go! Let it GO!” I have freed that past self and embraced a new and improved version of me. I’ve learned that it’s okay to speak your mind. Just know when to bite your tongue instead.

Lastly, I know I am right where I need to be in life. There is no sense in wasting time waiting or overthinking the “what ifs.” Que sera, sera. Let life happen and enjoy. Never take each moment for granted. Use them as a lesson. And that’s exactly what I will be doing as I celebrate another year of learning, growing, and maybe even becoming a little wiser along the way.

How I Turned My Husband Into a Foodie

April 28, 2017 by Jessica 2 Comments

There’s something you might not know about me and my husband. My parents set us up (that’s a whole ‘nother blog post). That little tidbit aside, my husband got to know my foodie family way before he got to know me. How? My father used to host pizza and mussel dinners for some of the guys in his bowling league. My husband was one of them. I guess my father used the old adage, “the way to a man’s heart is his stomach,” and wanted to fill him full of good food so he’d stick around and meet his daughter!

My husband used to be a pretty picky eater before he met my family. I don’t think it was even until we got together that he tried my father’s hot and spicy mussels. Now, we could finish off a pot of those mussels between us! When it came to food, he seemed to stick to the basics. At that time in my life, I wasn’t the best cook. When it came to cooking, my father used to say that I could burn water. Something had to change if we were going to live happily ever after!

My love of food and the joy it brought to my family drove me to become a better cook. Not to mention, I wanted to please my man’s taste buds! Cooking eventually became another creative outlet for me. When my husband and I moved in together and I became the household chef, I loved hearing his praise over certain dishes I made. I appreciated his constructive criticism as well. Eventually, my foodie ways began to rub off on him.

Soon, my husband wasn’t just telling me “good job” on meals that he enjoyed. He started telling me ways I could improve those meals, too. We’ve taken inspiration from meals we’ve had at my parents’ house. One of our favorites is homemade pizza. We’ve become pizza connoisseurs, in our own right, and have made homemade pizza inside and on the grill. Our major love of pizza even inspired my husband to build a charcoal grill. Eventually, he started sounding like my father when he talked about ways he could improve on our pizza making.

Nowadays, my husband’s foodie ways make me laugh. He’ll crack open one of my HGTV magazines and tell me about an ad he saw for a new ice cream instead of a way to update the house. We have a Tuesday night ritual to watch Chopped Junior and he adds to the commentary. He even voluntarily watches Food Network and the Cooking channel. He’s come a long way, baby. My husband’s once questionable palate has expanded into one that’s much like my own – curious and wanting to try many different things.

These days, there’s nothing more that I love than spicing things up together in the kitchen or out by the grill! My husband’s my very own Salt BAE. He’s added flavor to my life, our marriage, and he’s even added a pinch to my blog, as well.

If you want to see some of the recipes my husband helped me create, check out the links below:

How to Have A Healthy Morning

March 28, 2017 by Jessica 6 Comments

It’s easy to get into habits of convenience first thing in the morning. Especially when you work from home like I do! I’m guilty of checking my phone before I even get out of bed. Some mornings, I stay in my pajamas for far too long before tackling my to-do list. Those bad habits can unfortunately trickle down to my eating habits, as well.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve eaten dinner leftovers for breakfast because they were the easiest thing to grab first thing in the morning. I’ve slipped on shoes and headed straight to the drive-thru because I didn’t want to cook breakfast. I try to maintain a healthy morning routine, but some mornings are definitely harder than the others.

Most days, my routine is pretty much the same. I wake up, get out of bed, and take care of our dog first. After Hunter’s been walked and fed, I check my phone over coffee and a healthy breakfast. Then, I get ready to tackle my day.

If I’m not planning content for the blog, I’m busy writing up posts. Other days, I’m working on scheduling social media content or taking and editing photos. When I have a slow day and it’s nice outside, Hunter and I usually head to the park.

Staying busy during the day isn’t too hard for me. It’s remembering to keep myself fueled and healthy that sometimes slips me up! But I’ve developed certain habits that have helped me have a better start to the day. I’m not only more productive first thing in the morning, but I’ve maintained a healthier lifestyle, too.

So how do you break the cycle when you want to stay healthy? These are some simple tips that I’ve found to be helpful! You’ll have a better day and make better choices, as well!

DON’T LEAVE YOUR PHONE BY YOUR BED

I’m really trying to get into the habit of leaving my phone in the living room at night before I go to bed. This way, I won’t linger in bed in the morning. Sure, I might be checking and responding to e-mails and managing my social media accounts, but I could be doing so much more with my morning. Get up and get going instead!

WRITE A TO-DO LIST THE NIGHT BEFORE

If I know I have a busy day ahead, I’ll grab a notepad and write a to-do list. I always feel so much more accomplished when I can cross off of a list. It helps me keep my tasks in order, too, so I don’t get overwhelmed.

SET ONE SMALL GOAL TO ACHIEVE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

This simple goal that you set will get the ball rolling for the rest of the day. Even if that goal is something as small as making the bed first thing in the morning or just getting dressed, you’ll feel accomplished. For me, it’s usually doing a quick clean up of the house before settling down in the office.

EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST

Some mornings, I just don’t have it in me to make my usual egg breakfast with my coffee. That’s why I’m happy to have an easy solution like VitaTops MuffinTops in my freezer! VitaTops are an easy breakfast fix and they’re delicious! VitaTops MuffinTops are also a great snack for when my sweet tooth hits. They’re only 100-150 only calories per serving!

I’m also a big fan of meal planning and tracking what I eat, which is why I like to keep items like VitaTops in my freezer. All of the deliciously indulgent VitaTops MuffinTops are made only with clean and simple ingredients, and offer a wide range of nutritional benefits.

I found my VitaTops Deep Chocolate and Wild Blueberry MuffinTops at Shop-Rite! You can find yours at your nearest Publix, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Shop-Rite, or Target locations.