SCHOOL MORNING DIFFUSER BLENDS + A PLAYLIST

Ask any mama how homeschool, distance, or hybrid learning is going and you’ll probably get a similar answer — “It depends on the day!” It’s kinda the nature of the beast as we do life with zero separation between work, home, personal, and school. No two days are alike and the second you think you have things figured out, something new pops up and you’re taking a step (or three) backwards. But that’s ok, because you know what!? The lessons our kids are learning from simply watching us navigate this season (thank God for seasons!) are totally unique and completely priceless. And that includes the days we fall flat on our faces.

But that doesn’t mean we should wander into each day willy-nilly and just see what happens. There are little things we can do to set ourselves (and our babes) up for success. Here are my go-to ways to set the tone and handle the chaos.

SELF-CARE: I’m not talking about spa days or even nail appointments (although that works too)! Sometimes simply turning off the news, taking a shower, getting dressed, praying, spending the $5-10 to order groceries, going to bed early, going for a walk, forgiving myself (mom-guilt is not productive!), prioritizing my needs, communicating with my people (and not just when I’ve hit bottom), etc., is the most effective self-care.
DIFFUSING OILS: Don’t know what we’d do without our oils and diffuser! The kids love using them and I love being able to change up the blends to support our needs — Wake up? Chill out? Happy vibes? Immune boost? There’s a blend for that and the more we use them, the better they work… like taking vitamins! Shared a few of our favorites lately in a graphic below. There has honestly never been a better time than now, between a pandemic and quarantine, to invest in a holistic approach to wellness and it’s so easy to incorporate into your everyday! (You can head here or email me at rae(at)raeannkelly(dot)com, if you want to be apart of my oily-fam — I’m here to help and coach you through it all!)
PLAY MUSIC: as much as I’m fully aware that Alexa spies on us, I’m so thankful for the ability to connect to all the devices and streaming apps and play music 24/7! This happy weekend playlist has become our go to and I just started adding songs to a new homeschool playlist here if you want to give a listen and put a little boogie in your day!
STRIKING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN STRUCTURE + FREEDOM: I’m naturally not very structured so the freedom part comes easy to me, however I have had to learn to add structure so we can all thrive and be productive because ultimately productivity makes all of us feel better about ourselves. Whatever comes more naturally to you, I encourage you to practice what doesn’t come as naturally.
GRUB!!!!: How does that song go? My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard? Well mama’s, snacks work the same kind of magic on kids. It’s honestly like a super power or secret weapon in my opinion. Find your specialties (homemade popcorn is one of ours!), try new recipes, let your kids help, and do your best to incorporate whole foods. It’s so important for our gut health and brain function!