Tag: stayathomemommy

Blogging again …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

I haven’t blogged in a bit. Truly, it just hasn’t been on my mind, Etsy either, or all the school stuff, etc. I think I just needed a moment to just “Pause, relax … breathe!”

I sometimes feel ahhh – 🤯, life just has it’s way at times. There are five (5) of us in this little family of ours 💗 and I absolutely love it, but it is indeed busy. As you have read I am a Stay-at-Home-Mommy, so we take on even more than we once did! Which, honestly I do love our schedules, our to-do’s, our roles, and our busyness, but I just get to a point, at times, where I am 🤯 … Where I need a minute, a minute to think, a minute to breathe, and a minute to pause!

and this last month I am over here thinking that I am almost forty (40) years old and I am truly shocked over this, like where did the last ten (10) years go? This is the first time (where my age), has me feeling a little down too. I am not sure why? I think it’s just because those new beginnings of all are now just in the next chapters in life (which is awesome too and such a blessing) but much that was new, like graduations, buying our first home, getting engaged, planning a wedding, then getting married, our friends’ weddings, getting pregnant, having babies, nursing them, promotions, buying our family home, promotions again, and so forth. All the “news” are now in the next phase of different “news,” (which as I am writing) that’s pretty darn exciting too!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

All since, my early twenties (20’s), has just been super busy, exciting and like I said, “new.” It’s had its moments of stress too, but over all it’s been enjoyable. So, I want to do it again, and on repeat! HaHa! 🤣 I mean, I look back with the awe factor often …

Someone asked (family of course) why do you care about turning forty (40)? … I said, “It isn’t the number exactly, part of me is like WOW (in a good way), look where you are, at almost forty (40) years old, like my accomplishments, my family and their accomplishments, the goals that I have checked off ☑️, etc.

For me, it’s more about the aches and the pains, that take longer to heal at times. It’s the working out soreness that is just a bit different, lotions that are now needed, it’s the finding out all of this info. like don’t use that, don’t eat that bc it causes this or that, hydration is even more important now, it’s politics, and the opinions, the woes of adult life … and other not so great news of loved ones that we now hear too! 🙏🏼

I am just writing, but as I am writing I feel a little bit better (see blogging, helps ☑️) because “You’ll never be any younger than you are today!” and “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!”

So I am going to continue, continue in trying. I will try to read more and try to do my skincare more, and “try” to remember to schedule in self care, like nails or facials … do SOMETHING for me more!!! (I am sooo bad at this, especially since becoming a Mama.) I am going to try to continue in my runs, my work-outs and my over all healthy eating (I just feel better when eating better!) and working out (is for me I guess) but it is indeed “work!” 😉🤣😬 I am also going to try and give myself and others a little more grace!!! 🙏🏼😉💗

Also, love a “new beginning” on happier note that is … Not exactly a fan of change though, but starting new, starting fresh on a better path!

Well, cheers then to “new beginnings!”

Fresh Start …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself and said uh oh, time to change up some “stuff” … like seriously!

Well, that was me about a month ago. So, back to collagen, hydration, selfcare, stretching, more clean eating, running, fitness, etc.

Oh, and I went lighter for the summer too 😉

YES … it’s Summertime and I just needed to feel rejuvenated. Like vacation/spa like rejuvenated. (Like I have time for any of that, maybe a vacation though? 🤷🏻‍♀️😉)

You see, our little loves 💗💗💗 just finished up the school year, and this year was just 🤯 and although much has now calmed down. It’s still a little all over the place …

Like I know I am not that twenty (20) year old College girl anymore. With all that ENERGY!!! In college, I was always on the go (not much has changed), but I slept in often too, I was eating whatever and sometimes not eating at all 😬, but was living in the moment more so “I believe” because I paused more …

Now, as a Mama to three (3) little loves 💗💗💗 and a wifey. I want to feel my best and look my best too. 🙏🏼 Don’t get me wrong, since becoming a Mama, I have embraced the Hot Mess! That’s for sure! 🤣

However, I am still going to “try my best” and like I just said, “No longer that 20 year old college girl” Life is busy, and sometimes I just feel drained and weighted down in this world!

My focus more so, at the moment is on God 🙏🏼, self care, house projects and diy things too, new beginnings, fitness, skincare, tuning in on my hobbies, etc. … I’ll be honest as a busy Mama and wife, all isn’t as easy to do on the daily anymore. So, maybe a little of this and a little of that, here and there and giving myself a little more grace too in realizing, “You’re doing okay!”

Anniversary Date Night …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

We don’t get out much “like just us two (2)” on dates and things like that … but My Hubby surprised me with an early anniversary date night the other night.

July 4th is actually our Wedding Anniversary, so Happy Anniversary to us! 🎆

but, for our date night, he took us to this super fabulous restaurant. It was a roof top restaurant with yummo delish food and we watched the sunset too. 🌅

It was a beautiful night indeed. We dressed up. I put some make-up on, I did my hair, and it was nice for both of us to just “be” for a few hours.

We smiled and we laughed, we held hands, we talked about our girls 💗💗💗 (of course.) We also discussed that we both know we need to do this more. We truly have to find the time to pencil in date nights more … (maybe every couple of months.) 😉

My besties have been telling me this for years and most recently one of them had a discussion with me on, “You need to fill your cup, he needs to too, you both need to fill your cup!!!” 😉🥰

I mean, since having babies we still can count on one hand how many times we have been on a “date night!” Don’t get me wrong we have been to weddings and in quite a few too, in the last eleven (11) years. Yes, our oldest little love 💗 is ELEVEN (11) years old, WOW – man time flies when you’re having fun!!!

Again though, what a fun night …

So, possible goals – plan on “dating” more again soon, maybe? 😉 …

Onto New Beginnings …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

I am a girl, who’s mind is always going. This year like I have said, has been NONSTOP!!! Actually, we picked up even more so, on our “busyness” during Covid. Crazy right?

It’s true though, my husband got promoted during Covid. Our girls were in school remote and took on Soccer ⚽️ in a whole new fashion because it was their only outside outlet. I was insanely busy with Scentsy and so forth …

It’s crazy looking back. Things began to open up, the schools opened up fully too. My husband was now “in person” at work due to him being an essential employee and we were trying to go back to some sort of normalcy.

So now, it is SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ time, so we are home 💗💗💗 and all the pile up to-do’s that have been piling up, and piling up all school year long. Well, it’s time to tackle them! I am going to pause as I write this and say, “Give yourself a little grace because there is a lot to do, so take your time and don’t rush it!”

That ⬆️ is not easy for this Mama, but here goes … one thing at a time!

First up, craft/school room and check ☑️ at least it’s now cleaned out, organized and much was donated!

and the pantry ☑️

one of the closets ☑️

(there’s two (2) sides to these closets ⬇️, but we want to change out the doors and add some lights! 💗 So closet change-up to follow 😉)

Okay, taking a break today … It is Friday and our little loves 💗💗💗 want a pool day and a day to just relax. So, penciling this in, along with some haircuts too.

I am making progress though and you get the idea of what my goal is … 😉

Mama …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

Love being a “Mama” …

I often will watch/listen to how people will write the word or even say, “Mama” …

I watch and I listen … many when talking about this role often say, “mom” of course. They will say, “mommy”, but I smile when I see others say or even write momma and truly what gives me more of an aweee 💗 is when I see it written out as “mama.”

Mama is near and dear to my heart. This was my title for awhile in this house. Our first little love called me mama when she was first learning how to talk, and then one day switched it to mommy. I remember crying when she said mommy too, (listen it’s a mommy thing for this mama, okay! 🤣)

However, out of no where she said mommy one day and she was confused as to why I was now sad … She actually went in our bathroom and grabbed me a tissue and brought it over to me, looking at me confused! 💗

Yes, my sweet little almost two (2) year old, knew to bring me a tissue whenever I was sad!!! Cute, right? 🥰

So, here’s the thing … she actually always thought she was saying “Mommy,” but since talking was all new to her, it was coming out as “Mama!” 💗 I truly loved that she called me Mama. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that she was now calling me Mommy too! 🥰 but Mama … is just, 💗 tear!!! 🥺

Oh those Mommy stories, so I will often write “Mama” and whenever I see someone else write out “Mama” I just smile, because it’s just near and dear to my heart! 💗

The Scentsy Life …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

Here’s the story with Scentsy …

My sister was trying to get me to switch from Yankee to Scentsy. My husband and I use to have shelves upon shelves of Yankee candles and a scent in each room of the house too. My sister would tell me Scentsy is more you, it’s a healthier candle approach and the scents are amazing, etc.

I would say, “Nope, not letting go of my favorite scents!” and to be honest I still have quite a few! 😉

… but I finally gave in, and I bought Scentsy one Summer day, then a scent sold me to Scentsy. “Summer Holiday!” Yep, I was SOLD!

So, from then on Scentsy was our new candle scentsational scent of fun. Not to mention their super cute WARMERS too!!!

Well, one day I am smelling the scents and (as many know, I am gluten free and labeled, undiagnosed celiac), so I smelled a scent called “Blueberry Cheescake” and suddenly I now wanted a Blueberry 🫐 Muffin! – lol 🤷🏻‍♀️

So, I added this scent to my order. When it arrived, I put it in my warmers and loooved it. My husband and our girls 💗💗💗 loved it too! So, I ordered more right away, and after spending close to $200 on Scentsy in one single month. I joked and said, “Maybe I should just sell this stuff at this point!” The girl I bought from responded with, “‘You should, you alone would keep yourself in business!” lol 🤔

So, asked a few more questions and talked it over with my husband and I signed on that Month as a Scentsy Consultant and began my little business in June of 2019. So, it’ll be three (3) years this June. It is just something small I have on the side of mommy life, family life, etc. Something part-time for me to have and it brings in some extra cash too! (I actually make more now than when I was working part-time, while pregnant with our first little love 💗)

Scentsy is slower right now though, but it’s still busy too. Not as busy as it was in the beginning of Covid, but once people’s smells were effected (like this gal) and the gas prices increased. People slowed down with it, but it’s a great product, and it’s a healthier candle approach too. So, if you’re interested in this “wickless candle approach, that’s cleaner, safer and healthier!” Contact me and if you want a part-time little business, contact me too! 🥰

All the Things …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

Bringing it back to “cozy” … after all, my new blog is called “Cozy Styling” and like I said in previous blogs/posts, “I think we all need to find that cozy in life, from time to time.”

Oh and Happy Friday!!! – now this is Cozy, well, later tonight that is … all at home, eating yummy food, playing games, maybe a cup of hot tea. ☕️

So, what is your cozy?”

Okay, so if you follow me in my IG story posting, Scentsy posting, blog posting … I am a pinterest gal. To be honest, a good amount of my ideas, stem from Pinterest. I’d love to sharpen my photography 📸 skills too, so I can add to my now pinning and blogging, … but there’s only sooo many hours ⏰ in the day 🤷🏻‍♀️

On many mornings, I wake up and before my coffee, I find a coffee stock photo on pinterest, to post onto my Scentsy page.

Scentsy website – http://jenniferbendas.scentsy.us

In my searching, I see all the things ✨✨✨

A little of what catches my eye or grabs my attention. Fitness pictures, Healthy foods, Posts on Faith, Coffee photos (but ironically don’t “love” coffee 🤷🏻‍♀️ only in the mornings.) Fashion, cozy fashion in the winter, even in the summer, and just cute fashionable things. Nail pictures, I love my nails painted, but DISLIKE getting my nails done 🤣 (this is a new thing I now “know,” but the piggies love them painted and love a pedicure too.)

More on cozy … facials are another new thing, loving at home facials or scheduling one at a salon or spa.

I love, like looovvveee organization. It’s interesting (and my husband often jokes about this) nothing like a clean house, my bed made, angles, a new comforter, an organized pantry, a new journal/planner, etc. just looovvveee!!!

Speaking of journals, I love notebooks, odd yes 🤣 but I do … nothing like a fresh notebook, journal or planner! 🙂

and loving leopard, WHAT!!! … what happened? I am now loving leopard too. 🐆

Just a little of this and a little of that on this Friday, time to get some errands done! ☑️

My First Mile …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

So, I am not that gal who was ever a “fitness person.” I mean, I remember wanting to be and even trying to be (at times), but it was not exactly in my make-up, and it was not exactly my “thing.” 🤷🏻‍♀️

– I think my 7th Grade Track Tryout scared me out of “fitness” and “sports” to be honest 🤣 I remember doing sprints at this tryout, and whatever else, etc. with no training what so ever, and my lanta, to my times …

I am just going to leave this memory right here! – lol 🤣

At the end of middle school though, I now wanted to be a cheerleader, (after cheering for a township team and coaching little ones too, I enjoyed it.) So, now in High School, I tried out for Cheerleading. As a Freshman, I was only allowed to make the Freshman Squad because we were on Staggered Sessions at the time, (due to the school being over crowded and another High School being built.)

Only two (2) Freshman were super skilled enough actually, and they did make Varsity Cheer, but that was it. So, I made the Freshman Team. Then I tried out at the end of my Freshman year and I made Varsity Cheerleading. 🤗 Which I was super excited about, considering I had little to no experience in Cheer!

I remember walking with one of my guy besties, at the end of the school day and he telling me, “You made the team, no stressing.” Walking to the team’s list, I was super nervous, but seeing my number on that list was the BEST feeling EVER, as I jumped into his arms with pure excitement. He said, “I told you so!” …

So, looking back, as a kid, I was a cheerleader and a dance kind of gal. It was just more my speed. 😉

So, when did I get into fitness? (Fitness for me became running.) At the age of twenty-six (26) years old, I was married for about a year and my husband and I decided to quit smoking. (I smoked during those college years and a few years after), so now married, we both decided, no more smoking! 🙏🏼

So, one (1) day, after gaining like ten (10lbs.) 😬 I decided, that’s it, it’s time to run. (I guess it’s true, you gain weight after quitting smoking.) 🤷🏻‍♀️ So, I came home from work, got changed into my work-out clothes, and I went out for a run.

I was feeling crappy on this day too, because I had my period. However, I still decided to go out for a run. (I mean runners always made it look so easy, so how hard can it be? Let me pause … it is NOT easy, at all!) and as I was running, I told myself, “If you can run a mile today, then you can run a mile any day.” 😉

– In my head, I was like, you are feeling crappy and crampy, bloated, have a slight head ache, and have never ran a mile, etc. So, if you run a mile today, then you will know, you can now run a mile on any day …

Well, I did it! I ran my FIRST MILE and to be honest, I was pretty impressed with myself too.

Dainty me, actually just ran her first mile! 🤗

I ran here and there for the next year. I would head out and go for my run, running a mile 🤣, but that mile, “to me,” was now running. Then we found out we were expecting our first little love. 💗

After she was born, I ran a few miles ever so often, then found out we were expecting our 2nd little love. 💗

Now a mama to two (2) little loves, running was no longer something I thought about. We found out we were expecting our 3rd little love 💗 as we were in search for our family home. So, now a mama to three (3) little loves, I would run here and there, but not as often as I did before babies.

So, when did “actual fitness” become a thing? Well, after I was at a few Doctor’s Appointments, both said similar things to me and it got me thinking. 🤔 They both said, “For a smaller sized woman, who appears fit you have a higher resting heart rate!” Now, they both said to me, it’s not alarming “yet” but they both were surprised by it! So, I told my husband this, and I said, “I want to start-up cardio. See if this will help my resting heart rate?” and we got me an apple iwatch, to track my heart rate too. My husband ended up buying a treadmill for us also, now that we were in our new family home.

This was when my 5K running began. 😉

I started running a mile, then pausing, then running another mile , then pausing, and finishing it out, ending a little over three (3) miles. I eventually stopped with the pausing and just ran three (3) miles. My resting heart rate which was in the nineties (90’s) ended up getting into the sixties (60’s) and at times fifties (50’s.)

I actually ended up pushing myself too hard in the world of running and fitness, causing a minor case of hypotension where my blood pressure would drop to like 80’s/50’s … So, after visiting with my Doctor, her explaining my dizzy spells and all else to me, I took it easier and I began Target Heart Rate training.

Target Heart Rate training was not easy. My goal as a runner was to get my times lower, so that meant pushing myself to run faster, when running on a treadmill. I actually got my mile into the almost seven (7’s.) However, now that I was Target Heart Rate training, my mile was back in the twelves (12’s) again!

This was super frustrating to run this slow, but it was now about health and the slow running, didn’t last super long. I eventually got my mile into the nines (9’s) again, and it’s still in the nines (9’s.) I think the more I stick with running consistently, I’ll get faster too … maybe? 🤷🏻‍♀️

However, life is busy, so I often take breaks. So, I seem to stay where I am at because I take breaks and then start up running again, take breaks and then start up running again.

In the mix of Covid, I actually took up running outside. 😉 Looovvveee outside running, and it’s sooo different compared to the treadmill. (You runners will say, YEAH it is!) Like my mile inside is in the nines (9’s) and outside it “was” in like the twelves (12’s.)

Right now, when I run outside, I am going back and forth with it being in the nines (9’s), tens (10’s), and the elevens (11’s.) So, yes, getting faster!

In my defense … I just started up running again, about a month ago. 😉

My goal is to get my mile, into the nines (9’s) consistently when running outside by the end of the Summer and to eventually sign-up for an actual 5K too! 😉

So, to be continued … and in conclusion, nothing like that first mile!!! 🥰

Fitness of course, but Health …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

Okay, I am trying, I am … I am trying to drink more water. Hydration is key and “OH!” to the times of me being dehydrated! I was on average drinking maybe 8-20 ounces of water, a day. Now, my goal is to drink 50-60 ounces daily.

I am on week two (2) or maybe three (3) 🤔, I believe. I can do this and stick with this too! 😉 To be honest, I start this up and I do good for about a week, but then I usually stop. So, trying to stick with it this time …

I was told by many that you are to drink half of your body weight in ounces.

That to me, I was like, there is NO WAY I can drink that much WATER daily! Where my husband drinks like a gallon of water daily. Drinking a good amount of water, just isn’t as easy as one would think? 🤔 Especially, if you are not use to it (like me.)

Here was my normal daily routine of drinking beverages. I would wake-up and drink my morning coffee, and then I may sip on water here and there. Then I would have a cup of hot tea in the afternoon, then I finally would drink water with dinner and before bed. So, I was drinking fluids, but WATER, not so much. So, I am consciously trying to drink 30 ounces of water before 12:00 noon and then the next 30 ounces before sleepy time.

I keep reminding myself (so I stay motivated), that you are flushing out toxins!!! Try it, it helps … 🤷🏻‍♀️😉

You see, in the last ten (10) years I have learned much about my body, more in regards to my health and how my body responds to certain things, like food. I mean, once our first little love was six (6) months old … (on Christmas Eve to be exact.) We were leaving a family party and my mouth was suddenly in pain. I initially thought, I must have burned my mouth on something. As the days, weeks, months progressed, the pain intensified!

My tongue was sooo sore and my mouth would always have canker sores and this was only one (1) of my new found issues/symptoms. However, it was one of the WORST too. I also had joint pain, fibromyalgia pain, GI issues, weird anxiety, a rash on my upper arms, etc. I thought for awhile, (and certain Doctors confirmed) it was hormonal , postpartum … after all I just had a baby. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Today, I am gluten free and labeled “Undiagnosed Celiac.” Mainly because I just get too sick from gluten, and I can’t eat it long enough to be tested. (To be honest, I no longer need to be told I have Celiac Disease.) I tried a few years back to go through testing, (per my Doctor.) First step, was to go on a gluten challenge. I made it to only, day three (3), goal was to eat gluten for twenty-one (21) days. 😬 After dealing with pain, (fetal position pain) off and on for over 24 hours and ongoing GI issues, my Doctor said to stop eating gluten. When I went into the Doctor’s office, he said, “Clearly gluten is no good for you, so DO NOT eat it! Listen to your body, and if you need a diagnosis … I am diagnosing you with Undiagnosed Celiac!”

I also have a family history of Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Diverticulitis, Thyroid Disease, etc. (which many or maybe all 🤷🏻‍♀️ are autoimmune) So, it was inevitable that I would end up with something at some point. I mean, I have been told that I have had many things, since I was a kid. I was diagnosed and placed into categories like IBS, Lactose Intolerant, Interstitial Cystitis, Keratosis Pilaris, etc. All come to find out, are are linked to Celiac Disease and can mimic or even cause these symptoms, and when I gave birth to our first little love, WOW to the symptoms!!! Hence the beginning of me, going gluten free. (When she was around eight (8) months old to be exact.) Then, I ended up pregnant again with our 2nd little love, when she was just ten (10) months old, so I stopped my gluten free diet per my OBGYN’s request. At the time I was deficient in certain vitamins too, so she put me on a prescription prenatal vitamin. She explained to me that eating gluten while pregnant, may be more beneficial to the baby and it may not bother you while pregnant too. She explained that staying gluten free while baby is in utero, could actually bring forth an allergy to baby earlier, if not exposed to gluten. So, I ate gluten (and it was delicious) and I was not bothered by it either. 🙏🏼 However, after our 2nd little love was born, WOW again to the symptoms. So, I officially went gluten free when she was just a few months old and I have been gluten free ever since.

I tried to eat gluten again while pregnant with our 3rd little love, but at this point I no longer could, because it made me sick. More so with fibromyalgia pain, joint pains, tongue pain, canker sores, etc. and here’s the crazy thing too, our littlest love came out with Eczema and still has episodes of Eczema. So, could it be because she wasn’t exposed to gluten while in utero like my one OBGYN explained. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤔

I have been doing research too on different foods, plant based foods, avocados, red meat, protein, etc. Trying to figure all out. As I have been researching and looking into nutrition, as a whole. Foods are actually medicines for our body, so like “eating” is hugely important. Helps with so much from our sleep, anxiety, to hormonal health, etc.

I never looked at food this way, I looked at it as, “I am hungry, is it dinner time, okay eat!” or “I am NOT eating that!”

So, like I said, looking into nutrition more so now. As well as HYDRATION. Also, fitness, and getting back into it because I just feel better over all when I am working out. Trying to run more, walk the miles too, just basically loving cardio, but as we all know …adult life, parent life = busy life!

Wellness Wednesdays …

Jennifer BendasLeave a comment

I started up Wellness Wednesdays, a few weeks ago. I wanted to try to take fifteen (15) minutes to an hour or more to do something for “myself”, like wash my hair, maybe a mani/pedi at home, facial, take a bubble bath, etc.

Just a moment to pause …

So, I had a “day of rest” yesterday for Wellness Wednesday. After a Doctor’s Appointment that went well on Tuesday, praise God. 🙏🏼 I said to myself, “Just relax today, take a bath, blog again and just be, and don’t feel guilty. You owe this to yourself!” 🙏🏼

You see … Mommy life, and life in general. I just often do not schedule in those little things that I once did for myself, before having babies. Life is just busy differently now, so things like hair and nails aren’t a constant anymore.

So, for example, I normally get my hair done maybe twice a year. (So here was the deal, I haven’t had a hair cut, gosh in like 6-9 months, maybe longer. I mean, I did get to the salon in October, to get a quick gloss because my hair was lighter over the Summer … Yes, I actually for the first time EVER was at the hair salon three (3) times over the Summer going lighter.) So, anyways, my roots were now like 2 inches long, so I decided to go back to brunette (and now, not sure if I’ll go blonder again this Summer. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Now back to being busy, so I often will schedule a hair appointment and then cancel, schedule, then cancel. No worries though, I finally made an appointment and actually went too. Just wanted to get my hair cut and I ended up taking a good 4 inches off, maybe more 😉 so back to self care, I was actually getting my nails done for a few months in the fall, because I told myself, “You can do something little like this for yourself” … but now I am over that (not a surprise) so stopped with that all together because my nails just got too weak.

Wanted to explain something, I have never been “that” kind of girl. Who’s always at a salon. I just cannot sit at salons for hours 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think I am just too type A. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I mean I try, I do, I try, but then I am like okay, no! I don’t feel like sitting in here for an hour or more.

However, I do want to have moments (from time to time) of feeling pampered, so I love to get a pedi, and maybe I will start scheduling facials? I am trying to learn to go to the salons more … especially now that Covid is lifting. 🙏🏼 (we are praying that is … )

So maybe, I’ll schedule them in from time to time now, on Wellness Wednesdays. 😉