When I was young and growing up, I learned a lesson from my parents that I'll never forget:

'Money Doesn't Grow on Trees'

Here's what happened:

My dad was only 17 when I was born and we lived in Argentina. He worked hard to get the money he needed to get me to the United States and growing up was a struggle with making ends meet, but he always made it happen.

He would always tell me that money didn't grow on trees and I learned that it is important to be financially responsible and to value the hard work and effort that goes into earning money.

At the time, learning this lesson was hard—of course.

But in hindsight, I am so grateful to my parents.

I attribute a lot of who I am today to that one moment and I am trying to instill the same lessons to my own kids as they grow so I can teach them the value of hard work, financial responsibility, and the importance of budgeting and saving, just like my dad taught me.

Today, there is an app, website, or software platform for just about anything (including finding someone to walk your dog).

But when it comes to keeping track of your health and fitness goals, there is 1 app I can't live without:

My Fitness Pal

And here's why:

• You can calculate your daily macro and calorie goals and keep track of them easily so you can hold yourself accountable.

• Find new recipes that are easy and healthy.

• Add in your exercise and water intake to stay motivated.

• Access to a library of easy and quick workout videos

• Even more features with the premium version but they offer TONS of things for free.

If you want to take control of your health while also holding yourself accountable for your goals, I can't recommend using this app enough.

There are a lot of podcasts on the subject of Human Design.

And honestly, when I first discovered Human Design, I realized there were quite a bit of different podcasts to choose from.

But the one I keep coming back to, over and over again, is Dayluna by Dana Stiles and Shayna Cornelius.

If you are new to Human Design, here's why I would recommend diving into learning Human Design with this specific podcast:

Reason #1: Easy to Digest

If you start from the very beginning, they break down each episode so that it's easy to understand and you don't become overwhelmed with the information.

By learning little by little, you will be able to comprehend more easily because you will find that Human Design is almost like an onion with the amount of layers there are.

Reason #2: Actionable Steps

This podcast will give you a unique outlook into understanding your own self on a deeper level. You will walk away with actionable steps that you can start doing today so you can begin living in alignment and finding your own true purpose.

Reason #3: More to Learn

Not only did the hosts of this podcast recently release a Human Design book, but they also created a whole community centered around Human Design where you can network with the hosts themselves and meet other Human Design enthusiasts from around the world.

As a beginner, I promise—this is one of the most helpful resources on the Internet you can sink your teeth into to learn Human Design!

There are a lot of books about personal growth that teach you how to create good habits and outgrow your bad ones.

And the best book I've found is a popular one, Atomic Habits by James Clear.

This book gives you valuable insights on how small changes in your daily habits can lead to significant improvements in your life and really changed my perspective.

Here are a few quotes that resonated most:

• If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done

• A slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a different destination.

• The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. The task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower.

• The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.

• If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you, the problem is your system.

If you are at all interested in changing your habits for the better, I can't recommend this book enough.

(And if you've read it, do you agree? What other book would you recommend for beginners?)

I wouldn't call myself an expert in Human Design.

However, I have spent about 2 years reading and learning about Human Design and how it relates to understanding how your energy works.
Your Human Design chart is as unique as your thumbprint and can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses so you can turn those weaknesses into strengths.
And I have spent endless hours practicing Human Design in my own life and it's also been able to help me understand my kids as well.

Here's how I first got interested in Human Design:

I first heard about Human Design in a Facebook community called Boss babes, a group of female entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners around the world who share resources, support and more.

After seeing one post, I felt the strong pull to dive deeper.

I got lost in listening to TONS of different podcasts on the subject, purchased several books, and I created a Google document with the Human Design charts of all my close friends and family.

I have countless pages of notes with all the information I've learned so far and every time I sit down to focus on Human Design, I learn something new.

There is a multitude of layers when it comes to Human Design, but I feel confident in the basics and love sharing with others about what I've learned and how I believe it can help them.

So my goal over the next year is:

To put myself out there with talking more about Human Design on my social media because I feel this is such a powerful tool, especially for parents to understand not only how your own energy works but the energy of your kids.

The process of learning and living your life by your own Human Design starts out with the deconditioning process so you can understand the limited beliefs you may subconsciously not be aware of!

I love learning about personal growth and learning essential tools and hacks to help improve every day.

When I first got interested in personal growth, I had a hard time figuring out where to start.

So, if you are trying to learn more about personal growth, here's the best way to get started:

• Read This Book: Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley is all about the idea that 'thoughts become things' and is a great book to find motivation when you're feeling stuck. This book may be more on the spiritual side of personal growth touching on Law of Attraction type concepts, but you'll learn that everything in your outer reality can transform simply by changing your inner mindset.

• Listen To This Podcast: And if you really want to start going down the rabbit hole, listen to The Mindset Mentor by Rob Dial. This was probably one of the first ever podcasts I discovered and I've been listening to these for years. Each episode is only 10-20 minutes long and offers golden nuggets you can take with you and apply to your daily life. For example episodes on how to get over the fear of failure, ways to stop procrastinating and getting rid of negative self-talk, and so much more!

These resources will exponentially accelerate your learning process and will offer insightful information on personal growth, I highly recommend them!

There are 3 topics I am actively thinking about a lot these days:

Topic #1: Motherhood & Parenting

I am interested in discussing motherhood and parenting because of the experiences I've faced in the last 10+ years with my own two boys. It's been a journey of reflection of my own growth as a parent and sharing what I've learned could possibly help provide support and encouragement to other parents who may feel overwhelmed or isolated.

My hope is that over the next upcoming years as I continue to learn and grow as a parent, I'll be able to share and help inspire others through the challenges.

Topic #2: Spiritual Books & Podcasts

I first got interested in deepening my understanding of spirituality a few years ago.

After joining an online community called Boss Babes, I was introduced to a spiritual modality called Human Design (which was recently mentioned in the Washington Post) - think of it as astrology on steroids - and since then, I have learned a lot about the how every person is born with a specific energy type as I've been able to dive deep into my own self, as well as those close to me. There are so many layers to Human Design that I'm still continuously learning new things, but tons of different podcasts have been able to help me understand Human Design on a deeper level and I'm very passionate about sharing more on this topic!

Topic #3: Personal Growth

I also have an interest in learning more about personal growth and sharing different tools that I've been able to implement in my own day to day life plus the new things that I continue to learn. I'm working at being consistent with getting into healthy daily habits that are important to me instead of constantly getting lost in repetitive days only to end in zero to little progress on my long term goals.

It would be great to connect with other people who are interested in these same topics—so if any of the above resonates, feel free to reach out!

I recently signed up for Dickie Bush & Nicolas Cole's cohort-based course, Ship 30 for 30.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Professional Development: I'm looking forward to learning and improve my writing skills to develop my career as a writer.

2. Accountability: Being part of a community that helps motivate and hold myself accountable to write regularly.

3. Morning Routine: Building and sustaining a morning routine that includes writing to help get my creative juices flowing before my work day!

Over the next 30 days, I plan on writing about various topics including: sharing my thoughts on insightful books and podcasts on spirituality, experiences on motherhood/parenting that I've learned through the years, and personal growth and development.

Join me on this adventure—and let me know if you have any questions along the way!

I'm excited to start sharing what I know online.

My kids are living a life in 2022 that is 100% different than the life I lived in 90s when I was their age.

And there are things I realize as an adult that I’ve done completely different than my parents to help break patterns that I was raised with growing up. Here are some things I’ve done differently as a parent that are important for me to share:

#1 - Play all the sports

My mom was a stay at home mom while my dad worked to support the family. It was a struggle sometimes but he always made ends meet. With a sister close in age, we rarely got to do sports because of the cost. So it’s important for me to give my kids the opportunities I didn’t get to have growing up. My 10 year old has tried every sport from karate to baseball, and now he’s in water polo and loving it! My 3 year old will begin his sports journey with soccer and I’m so blessed to be able to give them these experiences.

#2 - Keeping the window of communication open.

Another thing I realized is the lack of communication, especially when it came to sharing emotions. I am very intuitive with my kids and their emotions and always encourage them to share and open up with me any time they need it so they don’t learn to keep their feelings hidden. I work hard to establish an emotional connection so they know that I’m there for them always.

#3 - Continue the road to self growth always!

This one is HUGE! It’s important to put the work into yourself that you need to do in order to grow and be the best parent you can be, because that’s what your kids deserve. You’re setting an example for your kids, they’ll learn how to respect, how to process emotions, how to listen, and how to love, just by watching you! Be sure you put your mental and physical health first so you truly can be a present parent.

According to William S. Burroughs he said: ‘When you stop growing you start dying’, so let’s grow together!!!

Some days go by and I realize… is there anything that I actually got done for ME today?

This is often the realization of any mom, or any dedicated parent to multiple little ones.

But I haven’t learned until recently in my almost decade of being a mom that as a parent it’s so important to fill your own cup up first before you’re able to fill others.

So here are a few tips to be sure you carve out some time in the day for YOU.

Tip #1: Plan out your day ahead of time to include the time for physical activity.

It’s no secret that working out gets those endorphins flowing, which help to reduce stress and boost your mood. It’s so important to choose a time in the day that you’ll dedicate to your physical activity, even a lunch time walk if possible. You’ll feel so much better once you get this workout in, whether it be the way you start your day or an after work stress reliever. This is everything to you and your health, not only physically but mentally as well.

Tip #2: Get that Instacart Premium membership and spend a little more to free up time.

I totally get it, I’m a bargain shopper and hate to spend more than I have to on basic items. But if you’re having a busy day or week, why not pay for someone else to take over those mundane tasks that take up time in your day that you could use for something else? This is essential some days for the convenience to get time in my days back!

Tip #3: Create an unwind schedule for once kids are in bed

Whether it’s diving into that book you’ve been dying to read, or catching up on your favorite shows on Netflix.. maybe whipping out the hidden stash of chocolate… Once the kids are in bed, it’s important to do something for YOU before you end the day. Don’t worry about work or the stress of what’s on your plate the next day. Take a bubble bath, relax, and end your days with gratitude and I promise you’ll feel a shift in the ways your weeks go!

It hit me today... this September I will have a TEN year old!

TEN years of parenting experience under my belt! And with a soon to be three year old, I've learned quite a few things along the way of this parenting journey.

So I'm excited to share a small list of tips that will help to make school mornings run smooth so BOTH you and your kids can have a stress free day!
Because I can certainly understand the 'mom guilt' or 'dad guilt' you may feel if you struggle to keep ahold of your patience during these days and you wish there was something more you can do. Let's go through this list!

Tip #1: Print out a check list for both the morning and night routine

I keep this list next to my son's door so that he knows exactly what to do every single night before screen time which includes getting his things ready for the next day. Then a morning checklist with all the things he needs to do once he wakes up for school. This has been EXTREMELY helpful to keep himself accountable and really helps keep things stress free.

If you have a kid at an age where they can't read yet then I suggest a 'chore chart', they have TONS of cute ones to choose from with images and you can make it interactive and fun with rewards.

Tip #2: Get your kiddo their own alarm clock

My son has his own alarm clock which is also super helpful so he gets himself up every morning and comes straight downstair for breakfast. Definitely helpful to start the day!

Tip #3: Have all your school lunch time snacks prepared ahead of time

To make lunch packing smooth and easy, I try my best to prep everything ahead of time! This includes snack bins in both the pantry for dry snacks, and another snack bin in the fridge strictly for school lunches so either you or your kid can pack lunch super fast! I also recently got my son a thermos and have been making homemade soups and mac and cheese with broccoli for him to bring to school and he's been loving it!

These three tips alone have been very beneficial to the way we start our days. There comes a point when you realize you only have so much patience and if things aren't getting any better with time, then it's up to you to change up the routine in order to make the most of your mornings so you can keep the peace in your household.

Only Day 3 of this Ship 30 for 30 adventure and I realized it’s after 9pm, I’m falling asleep on the couch after a physically and emotionally exhausting weekend and day, and I still am not sure what to write about today.

With some unexpected bumps in the road this past weekend, I am proud of myself for getting everything done so far and won’t let this stop me from remaining consistent in this journey.

This brings me to a topic that is a huge theme in my life and I know that many others have this problem as well.

The problem of remaining consistent.

If you read my last post about human design, it’s a huge theme in my body graph chart as well.

Look up your Human Design and you’ll see what your Sun Gate is. Your Sun Gate makes up 70% of who you are and can give you a huge clue as to one of your gifts that make up a big part of the energy you are.

My Sun Gate is gate 5 which is all about patterns. When I discovered this I realized, this is exactly what I am missing in my life.

Setting up a morning routine and daily consistent schedule was always something on the to do list and I know others are in this same boat as well.

Being a busy mom its common to always have every excuse to not put yourself first. But there are things in your life that need to be non-negotiables where you don’t sacrifice YOUR time so you can be sure you have this to balance your day, to be the best version of yourself so you can be present with your kids!

To be sure I prevent any last minute essays in the future I am determined to set up my routine, including my time to write these essays and looking forward to reporting back on the progress!

Why did I join Ship 30 for 30 and what to I expect from this?

I joined Ship 30 for 30, mainly because I asked my boss what I could do to help me with my new role in our company as a content writer. He recommended this program and he is actually in this same cohort (shoutout to Roman, thank you!) but I was also very excited to hear about this opportunity because there is so much to learn about the art of digital writing that I’m looking forward to putting these tools to use and beginning my journey to help grow my knowledge so I can use these skills for work and beyond!

The hardest part is choosing exactly what to write about.

Imposter syndrome is a huge one for me to overcome, but exercising this practice is just what I need to break down these doubts. What do I know that I could actually write about, that people would actually want to read?

I’ll be writing mostly on the topic of balancing mom and work life, as well as helping to get unstuck, but I also decided that I am also going to incorporate some spiritual talk with all that I know and love about Human Design, a modality like astrology but times TEN that helps to explain how our energies work, how you’re meant to make decisions and much more. Can’t wait to share more on this!

I’m completely new to this digital writing journey so this is my first ever publicly posted essay, but in 30 days I hope to be more confident and embrace this new daily writing habit to continue it on and hope to share some knowledge with others and maybe even a little bit of inspiration!