Jacquie Ellis

In all the hustle and bustle of the holiday preparations, it can be hard to slow life down to actually enjoy Christmas. As busy moms, we get sucked into trying to create the perfect Christmas and we often lose sight at what matters most. Making time in the schedule to add winter fun for the family is one of the best ways to slow life down and simplify Christmas. This morning I found myself talking with my daughter about her stress levels. We often forget how overwhelming teens can feel during this time of year. It’s not just the back-to-school time that is overwhelming. Her mind had been whirling with “all…

I’m a huge advocate of self-care because I neglected it for many many years until I realized how bad I was treating myself. Now I frequently use self-care as my nightly or morning routines to help balance life and take care of my mental health. Whether you are creating your own self-care emergency kit or want to give the gift of self-care for someone special, here are some great ideas that will help you kick-start your self-care journey. Remember to keep it simple and enjoy creating this gift for your loved one. Think about the person you are gifting it to and try to find those simple touches that make…

I used to stress about Christmas and spend more time planning and preparing for it rather than enjoying the holiday. Learning how to simplify Christmas and spend time creating memories instead was the best decision I could have made. Years ago my Christmas preparations used to include a long list of things to do. After all, the perfect Mom does the holiday decor, baking, annual Christmas letters, cards to make and send out, the family Christmas photo, shopping for everyone, and planning the meal. Oh and don’t forget to plan a get-together for family and friends. It was endless stress. Add this to work obligations, Christmas concerts, and kid activities…

For years, journaling wasn’t time well spent for me. Why focus on the stress that happened during my day? I had this wrong. It isn’t about focusing on the negative in my life. Since then I’ve learned there are 7 health benefits of gratitude that may just help you start your gratitude journey. A few years back, I had been going through a stressful time. There were lots of work issues and instability with endless layoffs due to the economy, along with many personal feelings that I hadn’t resolved over the years. I tend to compartmentalize issues and push them aside or down just to get through my day, week,…

Not long ago, our life was pretty chaotic. I worked in a different city from my family and commuted home on weekends. It wasn’t easy but I was closer to my parents so that made it easier during the week. Often a date with mom eased my mind when life was too hard. It all started when I moved in with my parents while working in another city from my own family. It was an adjustment moving back in with mom and dad as an adult but we made it work. I’d come ‘home’ after work and mom would ask me about my day and we’d talk about hers as well.…

When searching for the ultimate stress-busting hacks to help busy moms simplify their lives, I discovered that science confirmed why my own routines have worked for years. Now we just need to figure out what works for you. As a busy mom of three that also worked outside the home, I understand what it’s like to live with stress. For years I thought I worked more efficiently under stress (that was my young 20-something self). Then as life got busier and we added more kids to the family, I discovered that I needed a way to help reduce my stress. The ultimate wake-up call for me was my first anxiety…

I’m not going to list the typical time-wasters that most productivity experts tell you to avoid. Instead, I’ll list 12 common time-wasters that have affected me or ones that I commonly see for my clients. At the end of this article, you will find 5 healthy uses of time that help you break some of those bad habits stopping you from achieving your goals and some FREE tools that I can send you to help. I used to think that if I constantly pushed myself to work hard and kept moving forward that I’d achieve my goals. I had my head down and I was working hard, constantly busy, and…

I didn’t know about gut health or Dysbiosis a year ago but suffered from seasonal and food allergies, among many other symptoms. Studies are showing a strong link between many allergies and gut health. But is this true? I’m sharing my personal health journey experience after seeking help with my own gut health. When I started this health journey I had gained back most of the weight I had lost a few years back. Surprisingly enough I didn’t start the health journey to lose weight again. In all honesty, it was the excessive health issues that were adding up that triggered me to seek out a solution. I was tired…