Be honest, when was the last time you compared yourself to another mom. Mine was just this morning. I saw a mom with her perfect ponytail and designer sunglasses at the park. I was in my brown sandals and blue tee that had a few spots from a coffee that was sipped too fast, but I just didn’t have enough time to change. I also had my prescription sunglasses that are as thick as coke bottles and remind me of my pair of glasses in 1st grade. In that moment, I compared my life to hers without even knowing a single truth about her. I wasted time on thinking about her life instead of focusing on my two daughters playing in front of me. Far too often we do that to ourselves and it’s time we stop.

If you’d like to know more about Ash Arinez, find her on Instagram at @AshArinez or follow @TellAMother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.

I’m going to throw some numbers at you, they’re numbers that matter for women. They’re also numbers that I hope help you realize to love your body and mind the best you can because they matter to who you are as a person and can affect your life as a mom. According to Go Red for Women,, Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year  killing approximately one woman every minute.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 1 in 8 women report symptoms of depression after giving birth and only half of pregnant women with depression were treated. I can go on for hours with stats about a lack in health care coverage for women, but I can’t. What I can try tondo is encourage you to take your health serious because you are your best advocate when it comes to caring for your mind and body – even as a mom when it feels like there are just too many things on your list. Let’s get started.

If you’d like to know more about Ash Arinez, find her on Instagram at @AshArinez or follow @TellAMother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.

For a complete list of episode sources, visit asharinez.com.

Why does it feel like time plays tricks on us? We have all heard the old saying, “the days are long, but the years are short” and I am not a huge fan of it, but it is absolutely true. When we’re in the middle of our days as moms, we find ourselves with endless tasks lists and managing careers and households and we go from not having enough time to accomplish everything we want to feeling as if the day will never end. Then the days turn into weeks and before you know it you’re celebrating another birthday. We can’t do much about time stealing our days, but I do have six tips on how to use time to benefit you whether it’s a good day or a challenging one.

If you’d like to know more about Ash Arinez, find her on Instagram at @AshArinez or follow @TellAMother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.

We’re doing it y’all – well, I am doing – I am making this summer mine. The sun is high and the temperatures are leaving us with sweat dripping down our backs, but summer was made for memories and I want to make as many as possible. Today I want to share what we’re doing as a family to have a laidback summer and to encourage you to make your summer yours with three tips. I’ll also have a bucket list that you can find on my website after this episode.

Find your free bucket list here.

If you’d like to know more about Ash Arinez, find her on Instagram at @AshArinez or follow @TellAMother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.

Once upon a time, I refused to drive more than 30 minutes with my kids. They hated their car seats and they wanted to control the music with endless renditions of “Wheels on the Bus” or “Frozen.” A few times is fine, but an hour of each is way too much. Anyway, that has all recently changed as the last year as forced us to drive more and embrace the journey before we reach our destination. Today I’m going to share how our road trips have gone from dreaded overnight drives to days filled with pit stops and memories that will last a lifetime.  Here are my top 4 tips for taking road trips with kids.

Download my free wallpapers with positive affirmations here.

First of all, I am not one for toxic positivity. What is that? It’s the belief that no matter how terrible a situation may be, people should maintain a positive mindset. It’s that “good vibes” only mantra. Again, I am NOT about that life. What I am about is reframing our situations and acknowledging that sometimes life is tough, but one is strong enough to make it to the other side. Enter “positive affirmations” and this coping mechanism to work through negative emotions through positive thinking strategies without denying the pain that is there. Let’s take a look at the science behind positive affirmations, how to work affirmations into your daily routine and my top 5 affirmations (that can be customized) for moms and kids.

Sources:
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELF‐DEFENSE: SELF‐AFFIRMATION THEORY

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the previous episode, I’d love for you to take a listen. In that episode, I share my personal struggles with mental health throughout my motherhood journey.  You can do it before or after this episode and if you listen and think that you’ve had those same thoughts or challenges, please seek help. You are not alone and I am right there with you. I have a list of resources in the description of both of these episodes that can help with your health.

Why are we still talking about mental health? Why does it deserve two episodes back to back? Mental health matters and we are going to do some work to work past the stigma and we’re going to try to be better moms by knowing more and doing better for our own lives and the lives of other moms. Let’s get started.

Resources for those struggling with mental health

Postpartum Support International
http://postpartum.net/
The mission of Postpartum Support International is to promote awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide. It is the vision of PSI that every woman and family worldwide will have access to information, social support, and informed professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI promotes this vision through advocacy and collaboration, and by educating and training the professional community and the public.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
http://suicidepreventiononlifeline.org/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Institute of Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

Mother Risk
http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp
Motherisk provides information about medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding to mothers and professionals.

Motherisk Helpline: 1-877-439-2744 (Toll-free)

Sources:
Mental Health By the Numbers
Happiness Helps: Improve Your Mental Health With Positive Affirmations
Untreated Mental Illness

In this episode, we’re kicking off a two-part series on mental health. Ash Arinez shares her journey with mental illness as it relates to her motherhood story.  Follow Tell a Mother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.

"I am a firm believer in sharing our own stories so that we can break down walls and begin conversations that are so very much needed. With that being said, I want to be sure that I give a trigger warning for abuse and suicide. These are challenging topics to discuss and we may not all be ready to listen without begin taken back to our own dark places. If this is true for you, feel free to meet us back her next episode. If you’re ready to begin listening, please know that if you have had any of these following thoughts or feelings, you are not alone because I have had them, too."

Resources for those struggling with mental health

Postpartum Support International
http://postpartum.net/
The mission of Postpartum Support International is to promote awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide. It is the vision of PSI that every woman and family worldwide will have access to information, social support, and informed professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI promotes this vision through advocacy and collaboration, and by educating and training the professional community and the public.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
http://suicidepreventiononlifeline.org/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Institute of Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

Mother Risk
http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp
Motherisk provides information about medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding to mothers and professionals.

Motherisk Helpline: 1-877-439-2744 (Toll-free)

Sources:
APA: Trauma?
Perinatal Mood Disorders
CDC: Suicide is a leading cause of death.

Why is it sometimes so hard to make mom friends? We all have something in common, so what's stopping us? In this episode, Ash Arinez shares one of her lowest moments of motherhood - breaking down in tears after a library storytime - all because there wasn't a mom friend in sight.

If you’d like to know more about Ash Arinez, find her on Instagram at @AshArinez or follow @TellAMother for sneak peeks into future episodes and more.