A few years ago I came home from vacation, absolutely dreading coming back to real life. Until I realized I could bring all the things I love about vacation into my every day life with my family. I figured out how to replicate the simplicity, aesthetics, spontaneity and celebratory aspects of my favorite trips - so that coming home is just as enjoyable as leaving on a jet plane. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

We've all be there, dreaming of summer days in June, and over it by July. Summer is a change of pace that can be welcome, but tends towards irritating without some intention. Let's create a simple plan of action to have the summer you really want with your family by creating rhythms instead of schedules, picking passion projects, being prepared for meals and snacktimes, building traditions you'll enjoy for years to come, and doing things that bring you joy.

Get the Free Printable - Summer Essentials, right here!

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Marcela Zivkovic is back to talk about marriage during the young years of parenting - when babies are needy and time doesn't feel like it belongs to you. She brings her experience with infertility and then young parenthood to talk about ways we can shift the energy to love each other well, be each other's biggest supporters and build relationships that thrive and will bring us joy for years to come (even as the babies get bigger). 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Marcela Zivkovic is here with us today to talk about parenting by example and expectations. Marcela is a former teacher, current raciolinguistics researcher and mom of two girls in elementary school. We’re talking about how to set clear intentions for our families and then create the systems that help us meet them so we can have children that thrive, parents that thrive, and families we love being a part of. We get into  how we can start by planning what we want to teach our kids, act out the lessons they’ll need to get there, reflect on what they’re learning and what we need to adjust, and then make those adjustments. Marcela brings her expertise from the classroom, her research into how words shape worlds and her hands-on experience raising her two young daughters right now. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Mother’s Day is coming up and these five things I learned from my mom have been on my mind lately. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Asking for help can be scary, especially for those of us who have been convinced we need to do everything ourselves. Today, we're breaking down how to shift our mindsets and ask for and offer help in order to build the communities we desperately want to be a part of. 

We also discuss how the hormones of child-bearing and motherhood are meant to help us bond to our babies and create wonderful families, but are triggers for fear, anxiety and guilt when we experience them in social vacuums. We are designed to be in community with each other - and here are some practical ways to break through the thought patterns in our heads and start creating the villages we long for. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Have you ever felt like you've lost your sparkle?

Moms know that motherhood is filled with often repetitive, boring and demanding tasks that make us feel like we've lost our sparkle, our shine, the things that make us special. But I believe that if we lean into creativity, we can figure out what that sparkle is again. We can find ourselves again in what we're doing right now. 

Motherhood offers endless opportunities for creativity, as well as challenges to it. But we are not afraid of a challenge, we are going to find out how to sparkle again. If you've ever felt dull, listen in! Jessica is here to help us find our sparkle again. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Sarah Lopez-Madrigal started offering academic help to kids in her neighborhood during Covid and quickly realized they were suffering from loneliness, anxiety and depression. She got to work creating a third space kids can get together outside, off-screens and in community with each other. WeBelong PDX offers comprehensive wellness-programs to kids and families and is all about helping kids thrive. 

She's here today to talk about how social disconnection is killing us... literally. Loneliness is as bad for our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day! (Yikes!)  Our culture of isolation and convenience is a breeding ground for what so many of us are struggling with: feelings of loneliness and helplessness. Sarah's mission with WeBelong PDX is simple: Lower Stress and Elevate Joy - and she's sharing how we can do that in our own communities starting right now. 

She shares with us research that shows the importance of connection for living truly good lives, as summed up in The Good Life. She warns against us choosing perception over relationships, convenience over community and comfort over engagement. 

She has a simple plan for healing our homes and our communities through social connection: don't wait for other people to ask for help, join a club, start your own get-togethers, engage in little interactions with strangers and leave the phones at home so we can truly enjoy the good life.  

Recommended Reads:

The Good Life 

Together by Vivek Murthy

The Upswing and Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

Perfectionism has some merits - and some downsides. Sitting with both enables me to move forward with freedom and hope. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect

A brief contemplation of legacy and purpose, and how I'm figuring out what mine is in this season I'm in right now. 

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you! 

@prettyoverperfect