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Some 💐 for your Monday morning!
How is your week looking like?
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PS: make sure to set notifications for the next post! You don’t want to miss it!
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#monday #mondaymotivation #flowers #today

How do you deal with stress?
I block the emotions out and step out of the situation so that I can deal with it first, and then deal with my emotions.
That’s my “survival mode”.
Then at one point I came across the specialist who said that this approach was bound to cause issues in the future and have a negative reflect of my health.
She was right.
I’ve also learned that “venting” is not the answer either. Venting does not help. It only fuels and escalates negativity.
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Here are some things that help me:
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🔸third person view
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I try to see the situation as if it was happening with someone else and think what my suggestions would be. It really helps to detach self from whatever is happening.
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🔸changing surroundings.
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This helps me a lot.
Don’t have to go on a vacation ( although it is always a good idea). It’s the simple things.
If I am at work, stepping away for a few minutes outside helps to clear my head and think better.
When I was a new mom at the very beginning of my motherhood path, putting the baby + toddler in the stroller and just going OUT before noon to walk lowered my stress levels by a million points. I would multitask too where I could - walking to the store and getting groceries, or doing whatever other errands on foot helped a lot. It clears the head and helps to see the situation differently.
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🔸 working out
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This is a proven way to reduce stress ( it’s easily google-able, look it up if you want to!)
Plugging in my favorite playlist and just focusing on the body while detaching my mind helps to reset.
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🔸gratitude
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So simple. But so important. Gratitude is the tool that helps me to overcome challenges. There is always something good in every situation. There is always a lesson to be learned that will come in handy in the future.
Thing can always be better, but things can always be worse. There is also always something to be grateful for.
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How do you, guys, deal with stress?
How do you manage?
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PS: do you want to talk about relationships next?
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#family #familyovereverything #citykids #inspiration #stressmanagement

⭐️Like this photo and head to 👉🏼@thegivingcollection to enter. It takes just 30 seconds to enter! .
. .👉🏼OPEN WORLDWIDE 👈🏼.
✨I’ve teamed up with some friends to offer one winner just what they need to start 2019 out right! Someone will win $400 towards a year at the gym, an Apple Watch, Beats headphones, $150 to Adidas, and $250 to Lululemon! ($1500 cash option available)✨
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⭐️Giveaway closes 3/19 pm est. This is not sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Instagram, Apple, Beats,Adidas, or Lululemon. Open worldwide to anyone 18 years of age or older. Winner must not be private and will be selected and notified by 3/21 by 9 pm est. Winnings will be sent upon proof of a valid ID.
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#health #wellness #fitness #newlife #apple #❤️

Tuesday treat! Go to @theappreciationpage .
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We are giving one of our lucky followers $750 cash as a thank you for following along with us! Entering is easy and the lucky follower will be chosen immediately after the contest ends. Note this runs 24 hours so join in while there is still time. Open worldwide!
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How to enter:
✖ ”LIKE” this post
✖ Head to @theappreciationpage & follow everybody they follow! ✖Optional & just for fun: share why you love following my page! .
______________________
Ends in 24 hours. To read all the rules please visit the appreciation page.
Note: This is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram. By participating you agree to the above rules, confirm you are 18 years old, release Instagram of any responsibility and agree to their terms.
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#thankyou #appreciationpost #tuesdaymotivation #treat #❤️ #formoms

I am sitting at my favorite spot in the office right now, feeling excited about the week ahead.
This is NOT how I felt today in the morning.
All I wanted to do was just “undo” mornings all together.
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So, let’s talk motivation. Because, you guys, we ALL need it from time to time, no matter how super-hero we may appear to someone else. Am I right?
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Here is what helps me:
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🔸NO SNOOZE
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It’s just “get up and go”. I just get up, period.
There is one thing that I have learned over the years, and learned it the hard way too: 5 minutes in the morning are NOT going to get me the rest I need if I am extra tired, but being 5 minutes late can have a VERY high price tag, figuratively and literally speaking.
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If I have wiggle room with time, I will turn on some upbeat music that inspire and charge up my energy levels.
Although, if I am in a rush, I do NOT turn any music on at all. For me, I can concentrate better and get things done faster without any distractions.
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🔸GET READY
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For me, light makeup, outfit and hair make me feel good. Nothing extra-crazy, but it’s kind of a chain reaction. When I feel “ready”, workflow is just easier. Everything is easier.
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🔸BACK-UP FOOD PLAN
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Everyone is having pre-packaged flax & chia oatmeals for lunches today. It’s organic, gluten-free and nutritious. The best part is that I don’t have to make it, which, today, is a big factor. Spinach-feta ravioli from my freezer are for dinner tonight. We have a stash of different lunch options and dinner back-ups for days exactly like today. Sometimes its just pizza and salad. :) This doesn’t happen every day, so my guilt level is zero.
I am a human, not a superhuman. I swear, my kids secretly wish I had more of these tough days, though :)
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🔸GET OUT.
Just get out. No ands-ifs-buts. I complained to Justin that my body feels achy, I don’t want to go rockclimbing tonight, etc.
2 minutes after I left I felt fab, feeling great right now and can’t wait until 7pm hits to go rockclimbing with older kids.
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This is not a groundbreaking formula, but this is what helps me.
What helps you? How do you find motivation?
#family #familyovereverything

Last post on teens had controversial views. Let’s talk.
I firmly believe that it is essential to understand each other in parents-child relationships and that it is 100% parental responsibility to make an effort to understand the child. “The Thriving Adolescent” gives a fantastic analogy:
"Children and young people are sprouting seeds, but they are NOT grown trees", meaning : kids are STILL kids no matter how grown up they look, act or seem to us.
This is not a groundbreaking concept either. We ALL know that the best way to talk to a small child is to get down to THEIR level, not to bring the child up. This applies to teens just the same, although somehow it gets forgotten.
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Take a trip down your memory lane. Do you remember a time when your parents were shaming you for something “you should have known better’ about? All things parents said seemed so obvious, but you made the mistake. Sounds familiar?
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The reality is a little different.
As adults, it is our natural tendency to assume that teen “know better”, when in reality they do NOT.
They may have their opinions, views and thoughts, but they do not KNOW better. Values, that will become their values for life, are formed during these very fragile years, which is why it is so, so important to understand, relate and develop strong connections with teens.In parenting, it is never about “you”, it is always about kids, but it is 100x more so during teen “difficult” years.
These years are difficult. But not in a matter as perceived by standardized societal norms. These years are difficult for teens, first and foremost.
For us, thriving adults, teen problems may seem non-existent. What’s there to worry about? They have everything taken care of.
Yet, teen problems are very real problems. They are starting to navigate who they are, how they relate to people around them and trying to understand their purpose in their own lives. All under pressure to never make a mistake.
Here is one more thing to note:
There has never been a person that walked this earth who didn’t want to be loved, understood and accepted.
Not one.
Just keep this in mind next time teens become “unbearably terrible".
#teens #parenting #family

Go to @theappreciationpage .
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We are giving one of our lucky followers $750 cash as a thank you for following along with us! Entering is easy and the lucky follower will be chosen immediately after the contest ends. Note this runs 24 hours so join in while there is still time. Open worldwide!
.
.
How to enter:
✖ ”LIKE” this post
✖ Head to @theappreciationpage & follow everybody they follow! ✖Optional & just for fun: share why you love following my page! .
______________________
Ends in 24 hours. To read all the rules please visit the appreciation page.
Note: This is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram. By participating you agree to the above rules, confirm you are 18 years old, release Instagram of any responsibility and agree to their terms.
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#thankyou #sundayfunday #weekendtreat #weekend #❤️

Let’s talk about “the evil” gadgets.
The ones so many moms ( and almost all grandparents) shame on.
There are so many great progressive advancements that technology brought to human kind, including educational curriculums, ability for kids to engage and grow their brains more than we have ever been able to. With that, also came poor sleeping habits, lack of attention and slower development of motor skills as a results of gadget addiction.
There are just about the same amount of battle-fields about pros and cons of gadgets as there are on topics of breast and bottle, meat eaters vs vegans, etc. Many moms refuse to allow kids to even touch a gadget, with the most common reason being: “I grew up without it and turned out just fine!’
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That IS a logical reason. But lets then remember that our grandparents grew up without a phone, their grandparents grew up without a radio and then there those who grew up without electricity too. As a matter of fact, some of the most talented creative people grew up in a era that was, well, pretty inconvenient to live in.
There is a lot of good we can learn from the past, but living in it is, probably, not the best of the ideas.
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My view?
We are definitely PRO gadgets.
My kids have age-approrpraite things, I do believe it is important to define those boundaries. We teach kids what to do with what technology has to offer today and how to use it to the best advantage.
We have lots of apps, from creative/editing ones to health-based ones to help them develop skills they want to develops, learn about their body/surrounding, etc, and I, sincerely, cannot be happier about it.
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I don’t believe in restrictions, but I do believe in limitations, common sense, taking what we have and making the best of it.
Did you see one of our recent hike videos? Or Yeva-tube channel? That’s ALL kids, guys. Using the cameras, phones, etc.
They know more about nature, trees, etc, than I do. When I asked “how do you know that?’, the answer was “I googled it!”
Generation Z :)
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Do you let you kids use gadgets? Pros/cons? What do you think?
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PS: should we expand more on this topic?
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#citykids #gadgets #motherhood #familyovereverything #family

Happy International Women’s Day, friends!
To all women, even the smallest ones: here is to strong women!
May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.
Sending lots of love to every woman who is reading this! Go for what you want, choose your OWN path, no matter the surroundings, never let anyone stop you, don’t compare yourself to others and be kind to yourself too.
You are YOU, and this is the only thing that matters.
Happy Women’s Day!
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#internationalwomensday #march8 #women #familyovereverything #citykids #goop

BABY CARRIERS: myth busters!
It was so interesting to read your comments on baby-wearing! Some made me smile, some surprised me : there were quite a few myths, lets tackle some.
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🔸Baby carriers are bad for babies, they will dislocate hips.
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Actually, there is an active study going on right now that is working to show that an ergonomic baby carrier is actually GOOD for babies with dysplasia, and are great for any other baby.
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🔸Baby carriers hurt my back.
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It is important to find a baby carrier that fits right. Contrary to a popular believe, far not every carrier is made equal, and different bodies work best with different carriers.
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🔸Baby carriers are evil, babies will get used to them and then they will never be independent.
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You guys, is this even for real? Who thinks that? CARRY your baby NOW so that they can be independent and confident later! There are studies that show that exact correlation too!
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🔸Baby carriers are for cranky babies. Mine was calm so we didn’t need it.
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Different babies have different personalities, but believe me, EVERY baby wants to be carried and wants to be close to his/her mom. I had quiet babies, I had loud babies, every single one only benefited from love and care.
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🔸My baby never liked the baby carrier, so I never used it.
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Goes along with finding the right carrier: different babies prefer different carriers. Sounds crazy, right? But 100% truth.
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🔸Stroller is safer for babies than baby carriers are.
100% wrong. Stroller is neither safer nor better. Could be, potentially, worse, depending on a stroller.
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🔸I was always afraid to carry babies like that - what if they fall out?
If you get a GOOD carrier and follow the safety guidelines, this does not apply.
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🔸Baby carriers will cause the baby to have bowed legs.
You, guys, no comment. Except for “NO, of course, not!” and “where in the world did this come from?"
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What myths about baby carriers, bottles or other things have you heard? You favorite ones?
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#parenting #family #familyovereverything #babywearing #citykids

Continuing on with GenZ! Most significant differences between Millennials and Generation Z ( just two here, more in the newsletter!)
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🔸Diversity is the absolute normal. .
Generation Z is the most diverse generation, with white population falling around 52%. Gen Z is the first to experience that change as the new normal during their formative years. Gen Z don’t think about “diversity and inclusion”, they just live it as a part of an every day life.
As a reflection of this new normal, more than 80% of this youngest cohort has at least one friend of a race different than their own, compared to 69% of Millennials. Isn’t it cool?! 🔸New Parenting style

For better or for worse, but parents of Gen Z kids are loosening the reigns. No more helicopter parenting styles, checking homework is not a priority, and there is a lot more independence.

Obviously, parents of GenZ kids want them to succeed just as any other parents did throughout the ages, but the style of modern parenting is focused on creating independent, analytical, unique individuals, and it is working.
Gen Z has grown up watching certain cultural norms crumble at a rate faster than any generation since the Boomers. Instead of burning bras and draft cards, these kids are launching Internet campaigns against gun violence and spreading their message that love trumps hate across the country.

Instead of deferring to authority figures by rote, this group connects and communicates directly with celebrities and politicians on Twitter and other media.

Sounds like the kids/young people we are surrounded by, doesn’t it?

What do you, guys, think? What’s next?

What do we expect from GenZ? Do you want to know more about what is Generation Alpha ( 2015+) is described like?

#generationZ #parenting #familyovereverything #family #funfacts

Thank you so much, guys, for your support and understanding during this transitional time.❤️
Many of you said you wish we continued to translate posts to other languages, and at those times I wish I had a magic power to extend hours in the day.
As I said before, we do not want to hire a translator. No one can write that which I feel, but I just do not have a physical ability to translate everything I say into every language the world speaks. Since English is the language I think in, it seemed to be the logical choice to default on.
Again, thank you for your efforts and your ongoing support ❤️ It means the world!
If there are people who are bilingual and want to translate my English texts into your native languages, we would only welcome that.
Other then that, we have IG “translate” button to fall on. It’s not a perfect solution, but it is a solution. For those of you who asked, the translate button is usually located under the text. It says “see translation” on my feed, what does it say for you?
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Again, I can’t say “thank you” enough for your support. It has been a very much needed and long-overdue move. For me, it literally felt like a huge weight was lifted once we decided to revert IG feed back to just English. I have time to do what I really want to, both, content-wise and everyday-wise, and life has bright colors again.
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While the change is hard for some of you, I hope that the amazing content that comes as a result of this change will balance it out.
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Lot’s of love you you all! ❤️
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PS: make sure to check YouTube and stories! There are a lot of interesting things that are constantly updated there too! Like I said, there are a lot of new, interesting things we are doing now. Let me know what you think!
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#sisterhood #family #familyovereverything #citykids #happiness

Mommy-corner: babywearing. I go out every day, rain or shine, and here is why: won’t go into general befits, we all know them. I want to talk about things that surfaced relatively recent, actual studies with benefits that are too valuable to skin on.

IMPROVES BABY’S DIGESTION

A study in 2007 has shown that babywearing has a similar effect on babies as infant massage: it increases gastric activity and stimulates the release of hormones responsible for food absorption. To tag along with this one, a study right about the same time has shown that babywearing helps to lower a risk of otitis media.

SYNCHRONIZES MOTHER AND BABY

Feldman R in a 2011 study found that not only mothers’ and babies’ heart rhythms coordinate during babywearing and interaction, BUT the wake/sleep cycles seem to coordinate was well. Translation? Babies that are carried in baby carriers SLEEP BETTER! Isn’t it what we all want?! INCREASES PARENTAL CONFIDENCE

This one is not particularly a new study, but it is not mentioned too often, when it should be. R Tessier found that parents who practice Kangaroo care ( skin-to-skin and babywearing) feel more confident as parents and are more resilient to stressful childcare situations.
This is the answer to all of you, guys, who ask me how I deal with so many kids :) I baby-wear! Jokes aside, this study has been supported over the course of decades. I think it’s worth paying attention to.

HELPS TO PREVENT AND TREAT HIP DYSPLASIA

This study is not completed yet, but the consensus so far is just that: babywearing helps. It is hypothesized that wearing an infant inward facing in a structured babycarrier results in similar muscle activity and hip positioning as the orthopaedic devices currently used to treat babies with hip dysplasia.

Translation? Wear babies ( in proper position AND proper baby-carriers, of course) to prevent and to use as partial treatment for dysplasia.

Read the complete post in this week’s newsletter, coming Sunday morning! Link to subscribe in stories! .

Curious, how many of you tried wearing babies? Or do you prefer a stroller? Pros/cons on both? ——————————
TAGS: on the photo!
#babywearing #family #familyovereverything

#ad This is what happens when Justin is in charge of lunch: rooftop picnics with the city views.
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His recipe for ecstatic kids, and the dad of the year award is: .
@thomasbreakfast Swirl Bread, nut cheese spread, raspberries, blue berries, bananas, and honey. We used manuka honey, but you can use any type.
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I think that sums up pretty good the slogan “Wake up to what’s possible.” Do you guys agree?
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#ThomasSwirlBread #familyovereverything #family #citykids #lunch

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