Pretty Over Perfect

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

Editing is a powerful tool we use to figure out what works, what doesn’t and what we should spend our energy on next. And it works for physical spaces like a silverware drawer and for our values and mental loads. Today, Jessica and Michelle discuss the POP method for editing. It starts with taking everything out, evaluating what you’re working with, and putting back only what helps you thrive in your current season. 

We also talk about the Traffic Light Method for evaluating your commitments, how to talk about the mental load with your partner (and actually let some of it be carried by someone else), and pursuing clarity of purpose in all the incessant pinging of information  

Quoted Jenna O’Brien from her Substack. 

While you’re there, sign up for the Pretty Over Perfect Substack to get weekly updates! It’s new and it’s fun! 

Also quoted, 

Dust If You Must
by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust

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

@prettyoverperfect

I can't wait for you to hear from Khrystyne Jaspers of Space Jams today. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two kids in their 1-bedroom, 750 sq ft apartment and has a design and coaching business helping other small-space dwellers - but her wisdom applies to anyone in any size house. 

We're diving into topics like what to do when it hurts to let go of something, solutions for small spaces, the intertwining of life and death and so much more. She is a true gem and you will love her! 

Find a tour of her adorable apartment via Apartment Therapy here.

Follow her on Instagram and on Substack. 

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

@prettyoverperfect

As moms, opportunities for rest might seem few and far between. We are often dealing with sleepless nights and full schedules. But there are moments of rest: physical, spiritual and emotional that are available to us even in our busiest seasons. And that rest isn't just for when we've accomplished everything on our to-do lists. If we build it into our routines, it protects against burnout and equips us to be the mothers we truly want to be. 

In this episode you'll find practical tips for embracing rest right now. Plus, how to write your own Motherhood Mantra, how to give yourself a real break and a brief history of the popularity of the tan (a bio-indicator of health). 

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

@prettyoverperfect

Jessica is back! And here to talk about her platform The Mom ReFRESH - and today we’re tackling Fueling Our Bodies for the important work cut out for us. 

Many times as moms, we feel like our needs are the last to meet - but fueling ourselves with whole foods, protein, fats and carbs enables us to think clearly, avoid brain fog and burnout and care better for ourselves and those around us. 

Jessica has some great tips on finding those things that fill us up, figuring out how to eat well when it feels like there’s not enough time, and shares her experience with Depleted Mother Syndrome.

For more on fueling properly, listen to this episode: Foods That Fuel with Georgia  - a personal trainer with a lot of no-nonsense advice on fueling for the performance of life. 

Michelle recommends Paleo Valley’s Bone Broth Protein for a quick and easy morning protein shake (she likes hers with a double shot of espresso, peanut butter powder and almond milk).  Especially great if your skin or gut is irritated by whey! 

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

@prettyoverperfect

Unreasonable Hospitality is a term and memoir by Will Guidara, an elite restaurateur whose practices helped his team make Eleven Madison Park the number one restraunt in the world in 2017. 

I invited my mom, who has been my greatest teacher in unreasonable hospitality, to discuss the book and how we can adopt the principles for our homes - and create extraordinary moments of connection and love for our families and friends. 

Read the book - I think you’ll love it! 

Or hear the big ideas for small business in this podcast. 

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

@prettyoverperfect

Kids are making wish-lists and dreaming of presents - let’s also get them involved with the joy of gift-giving. In this bite-sized episode of POP, I’m sharing three practical ways to bring kids in on the fun of giving gifts!

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

@prettyoverperfect

My aunt is a hostess-extraordinaire and the one I’ve learned so much from when it comes to food, entertainment, mission and ideas for welcoming people into our homes and taking care of them. You’ll learn so much from her perspective that hosting is a skill we can grow into by opening our homes with the desire to love and serve, and learning from our mistakes and successes as we go. 

She covers diet restrictions, favorite recipes, small touches that make a big difference and so many ideas for events! I can’t wait to incorporate them myself, and I know you’ll love her thoughts, too! 

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

@prettyoverperfect