GIRL!  The Mattie James Consistency Challenge is officially over and yall…..sis is TI-RED! After getting through this month, I'm looking back at it with mixed feelings. Part of me sees all the things I could have done differently while the other part of me is so proud because I completed all 20 blog posts! They all may not have been perfect, but I pushed through. 

 

I’ve had plenty of moments where I felt like I had nothing to write for the blog, wasn’t sure if a blog post would make it up that day (hence last night’s super late post, but sis got it done). But I’m proud of myself for sticking through it till the end. 

 

So many late nights, and some early mornings just to prove to myself that I could do this and so many lessons along the way.  The biggest lesson: work smarter not harder. Working smarter saves so much time and energy, and makes you so much more efficient. Also sets you up for consistency! Here are some of the ways I plan to work smarter, not harder:

 

PREP AND POSITION

 

I realize that I need to prepare and position myself if influencing is something I want to do full time.  There’s so much that goes into content creation, and I need do the work to prepare and position myself for success. It’s not just going to fall into my lap. 

 

MORNING ROUTINE

 

As much as it hurts my itty bitty soul to say this, cause I love my sleep, I really do need to establish a legit morning routine where I’m waking up significantly earlier than my kids and before my 8:30-5 starts so I can get some stuff done. Really hard to do, but on those mornings where I did get up early I knocked out quite a few things on my to-do list.

 

KEEP A SHORT TO-DO LIST

 

Sometimes I can be an over-acheiever, but with three kids and a full time job there isn’t a lot of room for that. Instead. Keeping a to-do list with three things I want to accomplish for the day helps keep me on task. 

 

TIME BLOCK

I’ve said this before, but time blocking is a must for productivity! It keeps you on task, especially if you have a limited amount of time to accomplish something. 

 

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

 

As weird as it feels to put yourself out there, I didn’t write 20 blog posts for people not to read it! So while I didn’t promote as much as I would have liked to during the consistency challenge, you best believe we’ll be optimizing these posts for Pinterest and driving even more traffic to the blog!

 

EDITORIAL PROCESS, SCHEDULE, & CALENDAR

 

There is so much that goes into producing great content consistently, and it’s my mission to really master it. I’ve really seen the benefit of having a process for content creation, a schedule on how to get it all done, and a calendar for when content will go live. 

 

PUT YOURSELF FIRST

 

Part of the reason why starting this consistency challenge was so important for me was because I wanted to do something just for me. Its easy to get lost in motherhood and lose bits and pieces of yourself. Writing and creating has always been an outlet for me. It’s my thing outside of being mommy. So it was important I do this so I can prove to myself that it can indeed be done! 

If you've rocked with me for this long THANK YOU! I hope you continue to follow along the journey! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We often get these amazing ideas that surpass anything that we could even ask, think, or imagine. In some cases, when you share your ideas people can be really positive and supportive. In others, your ideas and dreams are sometimes shot to the ground. Others may not understand your vision. And guess what....that's okay! Here's a few reasons why:

1. Their faith doesn't match your faith.
2. They don't understand your industry or field and the potential you have.
3. They don't understand what God has placed on your heart.
4. They can't see past their current circumstances to think, dream, and accomplish more.

Sis, people may not always believe in you, but the most important thing is that you believe in yourself and that you believe in the gifts that God has placed on your heart. I don't believe God would place things in our hearts if there were no possibility of them ever coming to fruition. That's why for me, it's important that God become an integral part of my business plan so that I'm always operating under His will and getting the guidance, encouragement, and peace that man can't give me. Let me tell you something: the only yes you need to follow your dreams is yours. Your yes coupled with faith and hard work will get you far. 

Sis, go for it. Do the thing that seems impossible, despite what others may say. 

I follow a lot of beauty influencers on the gram, and for the past year or so I've been seeing Tula products all over my feed. I mean, the girls have been raving about Tula! And to be quite honest, I can't blame them! 

 

I was given the opportunity to become a #TULAPartner, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. As I’m in my late 20's and nearing 30, one of my goals is to start taking better care of my skin. I’ve always had pretty decent skin aside from the typical breakout here, but post pregnancy has made my skin more prone to dryness and looking and feeling a little lackluster. Tula has changed the game for me!

 

ALL ABOUT TULA

 

TULA is a doctor-founded cruelty free, clean + effective skincare brand that focuses on being healthy, not perfect, and empowering our community to feel confident in the skin they're in.  What makes them different from other skincare brands is that their products are formulated with probiotics and prebiotics, meaning the products are made with good bacteria (like the ones found naturally in our bodies!) to help lock in moisture. TULA products are formulated without Phthalates, Parabens, Toxins, Carcinogens, Mineral Oil, Sodium Laurel Sulfate, and harmful preservatives. I love that they believe that the same ingredients that are good for the body is good for the skin - there's all kinds of good stuff in their products, like blueberry, papaya, and turmeric. 

 

Now, prior to using TULA products I didn't really have a skincare regimen. I used mainly drugstore products, but after using TULA....yall! I felt the difference in my skin with the first use. My skin felt so hydrated and plump and I was GLOWING! One of my favorites has to be the Rose Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm along with the 24/7 Moisture Hydrating Date & Night Cream. 

 

Soon, I’ll be sharing more about my TULA must haves, as well as a bit of my skincare regimen since taking my skincare more seriously. And, if you didn’t know I have a coupon code for (DANY15) 15% off for any Tula product. 

So tell me, have you tried TULA products? I’d love to know what you’ve tried that’s worked for you! 

 

 

Since being in quarantine, we finally made our way out to the beach! We've done the beach thing with multiples a few times now, so I thought I'd share some ways to survive a beach trip with multiples! 

GO EARLY OR LATE AFTERNOON

 

You don’t want to go when the sun is at its highest because it'll be way too hot and unbearable for everyone. We went around 3 p.m.— the sun was still a bit hot, but 

 

SUN SCREEN

 

Make sure you bring sunscreen to protect the kids skin. I’ve been looking for more natural sunscreen so we've been using raspberry seed oil on their skin. Keeps their skin moisturized and offers some UVA and UVB  protection from the sun.

 

BEACH TOYS

 

Gotta have the beach toys. It’s the first thing Leilani asked for when we got our spot set up on the beach. Perfect way to keep the kids occupied, especially if you're at the beach with a group of people and want to have an adult moment for a while. Beach toys (shovel, pail, etc...)  will keep them busy for a while. 

 

TENT

 

We have been loving this Baby Delight Inc tent! We were using it in the house primarily for the kids as their little indoor tent and place to retreat to, but it’s perfect for those beach days when you toddler babies need a break from the sun. Super easy to assemble and Riley camped out in there most of the day and played in the sand!

 

COLD WATER

It was pretty hot when we went to the beach, so make sure you have lots of water on deck to keep the kids hydrated.

 

SNACKS

 

Make sure to have plenty of snacks on deck too. The kids will most likely be too busy playing in the sand and water, and will likely say they're not hungry when you ask. That moment when you least expect it of course is when they'll lay it on you, so make sure you have snacks and or food available! 

 

CORNSTARTCH FOR REMOVING SAND

 

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this the day of, but cornstarch is perfect for removing sand! Just pour it on the sandy areas and brush it away. The kids had a gang of sand on all of them, and it was a bit of a pain trying to get them cleaned off before getting back in the car. Try cornstartch!

 

LET THE KIDS BE

Biggest tip I can give is to just let the kids do their thing. As much as I wanted to tell them not to lay in the sand because they’d get sand in their hair, I knoew it would just result in a tantrum. Letting the kids be and just do their things is less stress for everyone. 

 

LESS IS BEST

I’m the mom who likes to be overprepared for everything, but I’ve founds that with multiples, less is best. I just made sure to pack the essentials (swim diapers, towels, umbrella, water, snacks,etc…) and keep it at that. Way too much to lug around when trying to keep track of toddlers.