Guest Post – Inspiration for Moms!

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Very excited about this guest post today! May is National Pregnancy Month as well as the month for Mother’s Day. It’s only natural that we feature some amazing mamas.
To start us off, I am so happy to introduce Marie Bigelow. She is a music/childbirth educator, doula, mother of 3 (soon to be 4), and a dear friend. We met at Ricks College back in 1999 through her twin sister, Hilary, and she has given me so much mama advice since then. When I had my first baby, Lily, she brought me diapers, gas drops, and words of encouragement. Everyone needs a mommy friend like that – someone who knows EXACTLY what you need to survive those first few weeks.
Marie teaches Music Birth Childbirth Education classes and attend births as a doula in Boise, Idaho.  She has a degree in Music Therapy and has assisted over 100 families in their journey to parenthood. What is unique about Marie is how she uses music with her doula clients. It really is amazing! I plan on talking to her more and using some of her methods for my next baby. She is one of the first people I talked to about natural birth and doulas – such an inspiration!
Marie graciously agreed to give us a peek into what inspires her as a mom and as a doula. She is the first in a series of guest posts that we will be featuring each month.
So without further adieu … meet Marie!
Marie and her beautiful family
Who inspires you?

When I was younger and people would ask who I looked up to, I couldn’t ever think of anyone! Now I have something I admire in almost everyone I know! (Thank you maturity!)
Like most women, I am incredibly inspired and influenced by my own mom. The older I get the more I realize how amazing she is! She stayed home to take care of my sister and I, but always found side jobs that she could balance with her role in the home. This brought in extra “fun” money for all of us to enjoy, and also gave her something else to excel at and bring her some personal joy. She is now a very successful business woman who still has twice as much energy as I do! I can’t keep up with her, but she definitely inspires me.
All new moms inspire me as well. 

I never want to forget how hard those first few months of parenting are, because I never want to stop being amazed by how hard so many women work to adjust from their current life to being a mom. 

My twin sister recently had her first child, and had a very long and difficult birth. (When you add up all the time I spent giving birth to my THREE children, it is only HALF the amount of time she spent getting her daughter here!) As if recovering from a long birth isn’t enough, she also had an extremely hard time nursing. It was so tiring and overwhelming, yet she still loved her new life and was crazy about her little girl. The strength of a woman is undeniable and inspiring. We really can do anything put in front of us! I am now several weeks away from giving birth for the 4th time, and every time I start to dread the road ahead, I think of my sister and know that I, too, have what it takes.
What inspires you? 


 My family and my faith.

 
Whenever I get lazy and stop doing my best for my family, I feel really guilty! I have found that for my children and/or my husband to reach their goals, I have to be their #1 fan, and help facilitate their success as much as possible. At times, this can seem like a heavy burden. But when I look ahead and picture the family I want us to be, I am inspired to push through and keep doing my best for them. And maybe someday they will thank me for all the responsibility charts and green smoothies!

I also receive a lot of strength and validation from my religion. In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” we are taught about the divine roles of men and women. http://www.lds.org/family/proclamation?lang=eng Understanding God’s plan for the family truly inspires me to rise to any occasion, and embrace my lifestyle. Sometimes I joke that my husband and I are living in the 1950’s, we are so traditional! But when it comes right down to it, that’s what works. I know many women who hate working, and want to stay home and raise their children. But pressure from society, their spouses, or just the logistics of needing the money, make it so they can’t be stay at home moms. I have seen it break their hearts. I also see women who choose to stay home, even though they have no support from their social circles or families. This is also a hard life. I am so thankful that my husband, our friends, our families, and our religion all validate the importance of raising a family.

Where are you most inspired?


Whenever I spend time with women, I am inspired. I think that is partly why I enjoy being a doula so much. Getting to witness the miracle of birth on a regular basis is so rewarding, and gives me a constant reminder of how lucky I am to be a woman. While some people come home from work too exhausted to enjoy their family, I come home from work filled with so much love for mine. While I am most likely exhausted too, I am on a birth high; and all I want to do is smother my kids with hugs and kisses!
It seems like all the women who hire me, and all the women I am lucky enough to be friends with, are all trying their hardest to do their best. My friends have kept me going through this pregnancy, for sure. I have been so unmotivated due to morning sickness, and anemia, and hormones and everything! But I see them cooking healthy food and potty training their 3 year olds, and it keeps me going.

Tell us about when were you last inspired:
 

When I got my Kitchen Ninja! We’ve never had a good blender, and now that we do, I have never been more excited about a kitchen appliance! I honestly spent hours this weekend chopping up fresh fruit to keep in the freezer for after my baby is born. Keep those fresh smoothies coming! I am pretty uninspired in the kitchen, but the Ninja is helping!





Why is inspiration important in your role as a mother and doula?

Anything that requires sleepless nights and self sacrifice also requires inspiration! Being a mother and being a doula means never knowing how much sleep you will get, and you just have to believe in your work more than you want your rest. With both roles, I have had times where I wish I could lay down and hide from the hard work ahead. But my belief in the value of both roles keeps me going. My clients and my children both expect and deserve the best from me. Trying to see what others see in me can also inspire me, and give me that extra “Umph” that the jobs often require.


How do you incorporate daily inspiration into your life?


This isn’t exactly a strength of mine! It is easy to get bogged down with the monotony of daily living. Lately I have been trying to focus on the big picture, and not let the tedious parts of the day get to me as much. I used to be so type A, it would drive my husband crazy! The house had to be perfectly cleaned each night before I went to bed, and I would unpack no matter how late we got home from a trip. Expecting constant perfection is just too hard, and makes you miserable. I now look forward to my Sunday nap, knowing that Monday will come soon enough and I can get the house cleaned then. I play music throughout the day and dance with my kids. (You should see my 3 yr old son do Zumba…. Hilarious!) Sometimes I just have to surrender to the chaos of our home, and enjoy it! There is only time for daily inspiration when you make time for dancing, laughing, talking, cuddling and relaxing with your loved ones.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you so much Marie for sharing your inspiration with us! You can find out more about her Music and Childbirth Services on her facebook page as well as her blog. The gorgeous pictures are courtesy of Brittany Hobbs Photography.

How to make Quinoa

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I discovered quinoa about two years ago when I tried it in a delicious soup my uncle made for us. I picked up a bag at Costco and since then have tried it in several recipes with great success. We make Turkey & Quinoa Meatloaf – a healthified meat-loaf that substitutes quinoa for bread crumbs – several times a month and my meat and potatoes husband always asks for more.

I am dying to try this No-Bake Recipe that uses quinoa flakes – protein for my kiddos and me in our chocolatey yummies – yes please! A lady in my neighborhood has tried it and her families loves it! I also have this Pumpkin Quinoa Muffin recipe on file to try.
Here are some of the health benefits of quinoa –
  • Protein Powerhouse
  • High in vitamins, minerals and protein, while low in fat and calories
  • Internal Cleanser/Detoxifier
  • High in Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium
  • High in Iron – Boosts brain power and energy
  • High in Vitamin B – keep those moods under control

Sounds awesome, right?

I recently made Quinoa and Parmesan Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes. They were so cute and so easy! The concoction had a Mexican flair and taste that I loved.

Here is the recipe I modified. I took the suggestions from the comments and reviews.

Quinoa & Parmesan Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
Modified from About.com

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, diced small
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4-6 Tomatoes

    Preparation:

    Preheat oven to 350.

    In a medium sized pan, sautee the onion and garlic in butter or olive oil over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until onions are just soft. Reduce heat to medium low.

    Hollow out tomatoes. Puree seeds and juice in the blender.
    Add the broth, puree, and quinoa (I subtracted however much puree I had from the amount of broth I used). Cover, and allow to simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed and quinoa is cooked, about fifteen minutes.
    Remove from heat, and gently mix quinoa to distribute any excess moisture.
    Place quinoa mixure in hollowed out tomatoes. Season with salt to taste, and top with Parmesan cheese, or, for a vegan version, mix in nutritional yeast instead of the cheese.
    Bake for 15 minutes at 350.
    Makes 3 servings of vegetarian quinoa.

    (I am linking up to Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday!)

    The Goal in Life

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    “The goal in life is to LOVE more and be HAPPY!”