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Have you ever received a meal from someone at just the right time? Often people will bring you meals when you are sick, have a baby, experience a loss, go through a trial, etc.  Being blessed with meals is an incredible thing! I am now three months out from having a baby, and those first few weeks were bliss when I had meals coming every couple days. That is why I love being able to take meals to other new mamas!

Meals of Love Ideas

• BBQ chicken salad
• BBQ chicken corn bread and potatoes
• Enchiladas
• Stuffed Peppers
• Ground Turkey Mediterranean Rice Bowl
• BBQ chicken sandwiches
• Fish salad and bread
• Build your own taco salad
• Tacos
• Chipotle
• Mexican Restaurant Pick up
• Beef Brisket Rice and Edamame
• Soups
• Pasta Bakes
• Any takeout!

Meals of Love Websites

• Meal Train
• Take Them a meal
• Care Calendar
• Sign Up Genius
• Food Tidings

What do you like to take to friends or family when you are taking them a meal?

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We were all created to do life together. But as moms, especially, we need each other. We need each other for support, love, care, carpool, extra wipes, play dates, errand help, and on and on. We need a helping hand, an arm around us, a coffee date. We are all in it together. We may not have the same story or the same struggle, but I guarantee you there is common threads. Motherhood is the real deal. And it isn’t easy. Naps may be isolating. Sleep may be scarce. Showering may be on the bottom of your to do list. But friends and community are a necessity. So let others be in your life and be in others lives.

We all want to be seen, and known. So find those people with whom you can let you hair down, with whom you can cry, with whom you can be in the struggle. Find your tribe. And hold on to those people. Cherish them. Their can be seasons of friendships but hold them in your heart and let them know how special they are. When was the last time someone told you how important you were to them? Have you told someone lately how special they are to you?

What we don’t need as moms is the competition, comparison, the games we play, the negative self talk. So don’t get stuck. Don’t think you are better than or less than someone because you do something different, or have different hobbies, or get less or more done. You are you. And you do you. Be who you are. Be the best version of you. Don’t try to be someone else because I guarantee you you will be a lesser version of them. That is why we were all created unique. So we …

Food has always been something that we use to connect with the people around us- Weisser cookies at every event, other healthy baked goods, or meals to share! I wanted to share  with you one of my favorite recipes and one of Sophie’s new favorite breakfasts/snacks! Muffins are a perfect thing to connect with a new community or to share with your tribe at any event! And, these are healthy and a hit with kids 😄Ingredient List: 

2 Eggs

2 Tsp Vanilla

2 cups Applesauce

1 Banana, mashed

1/2 cup Honey

5 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

2 TBS Ground Cinnamon

1 TBS Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

2 3/4 Cups Almond Milk

Additional toppings (Optional): Chopped Apple Slices, Almonds, Blueberries, Raisins, Chocolate Chips, White Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana, and honey together in a large bowl.

3. Add the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Combine well with the wet ingredients.

4. Mix in the milk. (Your batter will look runny — This makes the muffins turn out very moist and yummy!)

5. Place muffin liners in your muffin tin. Use a 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup, depending on how big your muffin tins are, to evenly fill each muffin slot.

6. Add toppings on top of individual muffins. If you want to add toppings into the batter, transfer some of the batter into a smaller bowl and mix in your toppings. You can do this for as many toppings as you would like. Remember, you are not limited to the above list – Add all types of fruits and nuts or try some other dessert options!

7. Bake for 30 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through. (Check with a toothpick)

8. Allow …

One of the things I have learned as a mom in my 9 months, is to be consistent but not controlling. The picture above doesn’t apply to me yet, but I know it may in the future. So whatever stage you are in, think of where you can let go of a little control, but stay consistent.  There are so many things as a pre-mom that you think, oh I would never do that, or I don’t like that, and on and on and on… But you know what,Sometimes you don’t understand until you are in the thick of it. Sometimes things don’t go your way. Sometimes things turn out completely different than you expected. And guess what, that is okay! We are not perfect. We are going to mess up. There are going to be days, hours, minutes, weeks that we don’t think we can get through it. But we can. The little humans we are raising aren’t perfect, but guess what, we aren’t either. And two imperfect people don’t make a perfect person. So there has to be some give, some wiggle room, some space to figure it out. Now that doesn’t mean try something for a day and give up. Choose things, be consistent, but don’t hold on so tightly that you aren’t willing to change. Kids growth and development and stages come in seasons. Seasons can be short, seasons can be long. Don’t necessarily let your kid dictate, but understand the season they may be in. You are still the parent, they are the kid But guide and direct them in love. Don’t just control. Be free to live and learn alongside them.

My kid crawls around naked half the time, pulls things out of every drawer in the kitchen, loves to open and close …