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Self Care and being a mom

2/24/2020

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Self care is important.  It might be even more important if you’re a mom. Recently, I’ve found myself trying to look for those still moments -

No, Walter, those are mommy’s glasses.

during the day to recenter my mind and focus on my needs. I know it’s a challenge when  

No, they are not a toy.  Yes, it is funny you have them on your face
.

everyone needs your -

The puppies don’t want to go down the slide.


attention.But you can always -

Do you need to poop?


 find-

Oh, you did poop.


 time when you - 

Where is the poop, Walter?


learn prioritize yourself.

​Found the poop. 
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How I got my child to try new foods without a fight

8/16/2019

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I didn’t. Not once, not ever.
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Things I’ve Taught My Toddler That Are Guaranteed to Confuse the Babysitter

8/6/2019

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A list in no particular order
  • Chanting “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” while waiting to be served dinner
  • Point to the small elephant chair in the corner and say “Naughty, naughty!”
  • Lie under the covers fully extended and not move unless you say “Gee whiz this bed is lumpy!”
  • Falling in slow motion while reaching out for you and screaming “noooooooooo!”
  • Attempt to suck snot out of their own nose with the snot sucker for hours on end
  • Carry copious items under their neck
  • No matter the song, sing “ho ho ho!”
  • Throw things under furniture and pretend they can’t reach them until you tell them they have to be the hero this city needs
  • Grunt and say “ow” when asked to put away any toy or carry any object
  • At any given time, perform a trust fall
  • Look you in the eyes and defiantly laugh when you tell her “no”
  • Hand you a toy, then cry hysterically until you give it back, then smile and giggle and hand it back to you
  • When asked if they want a snack, proceed to sit where they’re at and expect to served that moment
  • Dinner is not over until after they eat any fallen food from their booster chair
  • If screaming bloody murder, it’s not because you did anything wrong, it probably just because you came inside
  • Say “bye-bye!” while slowly backing away until you say you miss them, then come running up and give you a kiss
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Three Hacks to Get Your Child Napping

7/27/2019

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Getting my daughter to take a nap has been a nearly impossible task since the day she was born. She had a severe case of infant FOMO, needing to see and be a part of everything going on before her eyes could even focus, and it’s transitioned into frequent episodes of toddler no-nap-itis. For those of you struggling with these issues, know you are not alone.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed some sure fire ways to ensure she gets a nap so as to avoid tantrums and disasters later in the evening. Below are three strategies I hope you, too, can find useful!

  1. Plan a fun activity that will require your child to be awake!
    I always find that if I’m really excited about a specific activity - be it a play date or family photos - my daughter will without hesitation take a nap during that time. The key to this is you have to genuinely be excited about the activity, and, thus, feel torn between your disappointment that you cannot do said activity and joy that your toddler is napping. Daniel Tiger calls this “feeling two things at the same time.”

  2. Go for a drive!
    When I found out I was pregnant with my second, we bought a mid-sized SUV, which has been great for carting along a tandem stroller and all the other accessories two children come with. It’s also been a real gas guzzler because every other day, I use it as my instanap secret weapon. Turn up the lullabies, strap in your babies, and drive around the city for hours on end imagining what it would be like to live in the nice, big houses with children who nap in their beds! Bonus: I use this as an opportunity to drive through my favorite coffee shop and get a very fancy caffeinated beverage! With gas and lattes, is this method a bit pricey? Sure! But it’s an investment in my children and I’m a good mom.
  3. Forget about the nap!
    Sometimes I get so caught up in cleaning up toys and preventing my children from sticking markers in our dogs’ ears that I forget about naps altogether! Usually when this happens, I am reminded around 4:00 when everyone has a meltdown at the same time. Never fear! Turn on Curious George, hand over a cheese stick, and kick your feet up. The day is almost over and they’ll get a nap tomorrow. You scheduled your family photos, so it’s a guarantee!

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Sisterhood of the traveling Postpartum Pants

7/26/2019

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Pre and post baby black leggings were my BFF.  They stretched and supported in all the right places. Easy to wash (or not wash) and they are the best at hiding milk stains. 

After a few weeks postpartum, I had a need for something to make me feel less like a monster made of spandex and more like something resembling my pre-baby self. 

So little ol’ silly me decided to try on all my pre-baby clothes. It. Was. Horrible.  Nothing fit.  Not even close to fitting.  I ended up in tears, calling my mom, thinking she could make this all go away.  She simply said “Let’s go get you something that fits you now’.
So away we went, to the mall. With one simple goal: To find a pair of jeans that I felt good in.  ​
Y’all, this was hard.  Facing my new body was tough.  In addition to being a hormonal mess, I was now face-to-face with my body in floor length mirror with the not-so-flattering florescent lighting.  I didn’t know what size I was. And having to stop every so often to either nurse or change a diaper, well, it made for a long process.

​I left empty handed.  But I was determined. 

A few days later I walked into a local boutique with low expectations.  A trendy pair of boyfriend jeans caught my eye. After my lesson in the mall, I knew to grab a few sizes.  Then, with a zip and a button, I was looking in a mirror and I didn’t hate what I saw. 

These jeans were magic. 
It’s hard having a baby.  Everything changes all at once and, if you’re like me, you try and grasp onto something that makes you feel like, well, you.  For me that was jeans.
 While these bad boys didn’t help my child sleep at night, they did provide me with a much needed boost. They helped me take a step to learn to love myself now, my body now.  Not what it was, not what it might be, but how it is in the floor length mirror with florescent lighting. 

My best friend recently had her second child.  Once she reached the ‘I feel like a spandex monster’ point, I knew exactly what she needed. 

I gave her my postpartum jeans.  

They fit her perfectly. 

​I told you they were magic. 
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One Amazon Box, So Many Options

7/25/2019

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If you’re like me, you get a lot of deliveries from Amazon. Dog food, dish soap, and ALL THE TODDLER THINGS.  This equates to lots, and lots of boxes.

Here’s a quick list of 5 things you can do to repurpose those boxes AND entertain your child in the process.

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1. It’s not a box it’s a CAR RAMP
My son is currently obsessed with all things cars - so needless to say transforming our Amazon box into a ramp for his cars was a huge win. I MEAN LOOK AT THIS THING, IT’S HUGE. And, because I made it, I’ve created my son’s most precious possession and have a huge hand in all these #memories





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2. It’s not a box it’s a TUNNEL 
Wow. This is a magical box.  Look how it’s transformed into a magical tunnel! AMAZING! Not to brag, but this is pretty geniu


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3. It’s not a box it’s a TODDLER RAMP
Ok. So this is close to the car ramp, HOWEVER, this version has a toddler climbing up it which makes it TOTALLY NEW. 


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4. It’s not a box it’s a ROAD WITH BUMPS
Look, I never said this was a great list. I DID say here are 5 things you can do with you Amazon Prime box and I might have run out of ideas around 2.


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5. It’s not a box it’s a STEP STOOL
Yes.  This is a basket and not a box.  But use your imagination.  You could use an Amazon Prime box as a stool and HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?






This post was not sponsored by Amazon Prime.  I wish it was. ​​​
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June&July 2017

8/4/2017

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Oh sweet, sweet summertime! Even the 100 degree weather didn't slow us down in June & July. Beyond dancing in the greenroom and performing on the stage of Dallas Comedy House, we also checked some big ticket items off our professional bucket list.

We secured funding and producing partners for our short film, CIVIC DUTY, in June. We also held our very first casting call and hired an incredible crew to turn our words into a real live short film. We shot CIVIC DUTY in July and are anxiously awaiting the final cut.

If it is half as fun of a film as it was to make, y'all are in for a real treat.

Speaking of treats, we were honored and ecstatic for our short THE SERVICE ELEVATOR to be selected as part of the Women Texas Film Festival. It will be screening on Saturday, August 19 at 2:00 during the Comedy Shorts block. We'd love to see you there (get tickets here)!

As we head in to the final month of summer, we can't wait for cooler temperatures and even cooler projects to head our way.

Happy Summer!
​Sarah & Maggie
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May 2017

6/1/2017

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Hello Summer! We are ready for pool time, hot dogs and getting read for our next short CIVIC DUTY.

That’s right - we spent most of May eating Whataburger, watching The Keepers and finalizing our script for CIVIC DUTY. That’s right, we are making another film!

We’re knee deep in pre-production for CIVIC DUTY and scheduled to shoot at the lovely Denton Courthouse on the Square in July.  We have a stellar team of filmmakers on board and we can not WAIT to cast this project.  Big news, that Maggie will be playing the lead character and Sarah will be stepping behind the camera to direct the film. We are so excited!

Want to be part of our project? Shoot us an email if you’re interested in being a cast member or a supporter of the film at themonthlyjunk@gmail.com. 
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April 2017

5/1/2017

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April showers brings USA Film Festival screening, improv shows and SO MUCH SWAGGER! 

April showered us with a ton of good times!  Every Wednesday we had the pleasure of performing  at the Dallas Comedy House.  It lead to many laughs both on an off stage, and a very memorable pre-show scent of Old Spice Swagger. (Watch this video to better understand this phenomenon).

We closed out April with one of the coolest thing yet: our first screening of The Service Elevator at the USA Film Festival  We had a packed house, people laughed that weren’t related to us, and we had a great time answering questions at the Q&A after the filming. Overall, it was a success! 

Who knows what May will bring. Hopefully, more festivals, more improv shows and much more swagger.
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March 2017

4/1/2017

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March is already over? We can't believe we're a third of the way through with 2017.

As always, we kept ourselves busy this month. We officially accepted the role of co-secretaries for Women in Film - Dallas and enjoyed diving into the new part. Dallas is full of talented female film makers and we are honored to work with them in this new capacity.

We also found out our short, The Service Elevator, was accepted into the USA Film Festival and is a finalist in the shots competition. The festival is in its 47th year here in Dallas and showcases the best in short and feature length films. We hope you'll check out the screening.

Speaking of festivals, we had a blast performing at the 8th Annual Dallas Comedy Festival. The audience was hot, the weather was perfect, and the festival was a blast.

Bring it on, Spring! We're ready for you.
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