February Mommy of the Month
Meet this hardworking momma and learn about her focus on living a healthy outdoor lifestyle right here in Ocean City!
Katie on balancing work and motherhood:
This definitely goes back to my favorite quote! "Be stubborn about your goals. Be flexible about your methods". I still work on this everyday but its the idea of embracing chaos, being flexible, and keeping priorities in check. Cuddling a sick kid comes before answering messages. Recognizing when I'm working online and when I'm just wasting time online and adjusting accordingly. Accepting that every little thing will never be checked off my to-do list (like fully accepting that, actually embracing that!). Two huge ways I continue to work on this mindset are 1.) taking in something positive everyday, through a book or podcast and 2.) self care. No matter how big the to-do list is, these are nonnegotiable and I can see a difference when I'm doing them consistently. Rachel Hollis is my go-to for positive resources (book or podcast) and sleeping in or unplugging from social media are my favorite self-care ways.
How Katie's family got into living such a healthy lifestyle:
When Matt and I first met in 2012, we were actually both in the middle of our own individual health journeys. We both had lost 10-15 lbs soon before we met and we were both really passionate and excited about it. Diving more into nutrition and fitness became a big part of how we bonded and learned about each other throughout our dating history. We ran races together, experimented with healthy recipes, watched health documentaries. The cool thing about health is that you can always keep learning more, trying new things, because its such a huge realm and because our bodies are so dynamic and constantly changing. So we've just never stopped since!
Katie's advice to moms looking to be more healthy for them and their babies:
Do not do everything at once. Pick one thing to focus on - something small and specific, maybe like drinking a certain amount of water per day or increasing your daily vegetable servings - master that - and then add something else! Also finding a friend or a group who may also be focusing on the same things is essential! Having some who can relate, keep you accountable, and who can listen for both when you miss a goal or when you achieve a goal, will really increase the chance of longterm changes.
Advice Katie wishes someone told her before becoming a new mom:
Is it bad that I want to say buy white socks?! Having a little girl meant I had PLENTY of socks, with every pattern and frill you can imagine on them! After I brought her home and started dressing her I realized I had no plain white socks!!! This is an actual problem because infants don't usually wear shoes, so it's pretty obvious if your socks clash haha! But in all seriousness, its to ask for help and accept help when it's offered. You and your baby both need a happy mama, a present mama, not a superwoman mama who can do everything by herself! This also ties into the idea of embracing that you cannot do all the things. Even as a toddler mom there are days I never get a chance to make dinner or put off making appointments and that is okay!
