Backyard Transformation: Kids Garden!

Woo Hoo it's finished! We are so excited for our Kids Garden reveal! Did you catch the live reveal on Facebook this past Saturday? If not you can see it here: Mighty Girls Rock

That was our first live broadcast. I can't tell you how nerve-racking it is doing a live video. If you didn't notice, my kids starting a sibling rift in the middle (insert laughter/crying emoji)! You should watch it again. At one point Bella just walked off... That is typically how we operate these days.

Last summer we took a corner of our yard that was muddy and turned it into an area for our kids! This was our reveal on Facebook! Fairy Garden and Hopscotch! Follow us! Blog: Mightygirlsrock.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mightygirlsrock/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightygirlsrock/

Moving on... here are the before pics so you can get an idea of the transformation. We converted a muddy corner of our yard. It doesn't get much sun and it's more of a pain when it rains and the dog tramples through it. We knew we wanted some sort of ground coverage. The kids typically play back there anyways so I thought why not make it theirs?

Before and After...

Off The Beaten Path

In the early stages of planning I knew I wanted a path to wrap around the tree. We used some old tree branches and large river rocks that we had around the yard. We filled in the rest with some smaller river rocks and gravel.

Frankie and Ella!

These super cute lawn gnomes I actually found at Target's Dollar Spot!! The girls named them Frankie and Ella. The little mushroom spikes are from Menards.

Yes, there is a peek a boo grass patch because mushrooms don't grow in mulch. I want to say that was intentional but it we ran out of the landscape liner. It will eventually die.... 

Dinosaurs!

Our garden wouldn't be complete with out these buddies! This was Ryleigh's favorite part and I waited until the next day to surprise her. I told her I thought there were dinosaurs out there eating our hostas because they looked munched on.  She ran out there and came back yelling...

"Mommy you tricked me!! But they aren't really eating the plants because they are fake!"

She squealed with laughter and ran back out to the garden. My little 4 year old logical thinker.

Fairy Garden

Our fairy garden was probably the best part for the girls. They have been begging to create one for the past year! Not only did they pick out the accessories but they help in creating it. I told them that if you create a welcoming garden the fairies will come. We are waiting for sime fairies to drop a little surprise to let us know they settled in. The majority of the fairy accessories came from Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection!

While we were adding the fake moss sheets we actually discovered REAL moss in our yard! So some of those little bits are the real thing. 

The main fairy house is my favorite! We placed it on one of our very flat river rocks. 

I used an artificial succulent stem to create a small little bush. It's right behind the smaller fairy house and fits perfectly.

Hopscotch Pavers

A Pinterest success! This is super easy and so much fun! With a couple cans of spray paint, some outdoor paint, and a foam brush you can easily create this in a couple hours.

Little Extras

We had an old Minnie Mouse watering can that the kids kept kicking around so this was a perfect solution. Once the flowers start to bloom bigger it will look gorgeous. 

Our little toad stool was a total last minute find at Walmart. It's meant for sitting on and I think we are going to get a second one and create a little tic tac toe area for the kids to play.

What do ya think of our kids garden?

6 Week Post-Op and Postpartum Depression

This past week I had my 6 week post-op doctor's appointment to give me the A-Okay to return to work and other things (*wink). I still have two weeks before I have to return to work but it seemed like just yesterday I was being discharged from the hospital. This precious little time always seems to fly.

I'm so blessed that I work for an amazing company that lets me work from home and is so flexible with my schedule. I don't think I could be in such good spirits about returning to work without these two things! I did want to open up to you mamas about my past experiences with postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression can make a Mama feel awful. It can make us feel incompetent and downright crazy. It can make us think and feel things we wouldn't feel in our right minds and it's not your fault. It happens and the best thing you can do for yourself is just admit that you are struggling with it and talk about it. Why does it feel that this is something so taboo to talk about still? It's heavily screened for at the doctor's office and the nurses aren't afraid to ask but why is it so hard to talk about with friends and family? Is it TMI? It's got a stigma behind it and it's not fair. It's not fair to a mother who is already going through so much to make them feel ashamed about it.

I was so sure this time around I was going to have it. Why wouldn't I? After all, I had it with my first two pregnancies. Well, it's still a little early to rule it out and things might change when I do return to work but for the most part I'm feeling really high in spirits, which is much better off than the previous experiences. I will still be on the lookout for it because that nasty old PPD can pop its devilish head out even after a year of giving birth. My second child it did take a couple months and even then I was in denial until about the 6th month mark.

I remember battling it with my first. I isolated myself and was anxious to even pick up the phone to shot the shit with a girlfriend. My daughter had just had heart surgery and I remember the guilt and blame I placed on myself. I didn't admit it back then that I needed help and I kept PPD a secret.

With my second, I was more open and willing to address the situation perhaps because I was downright miserable and decided I no longer wanted to live my life feeling this way. I couldn't be the mama and wife I wanted to be feeling this way. It also helped that I have a very honest and supportive relationship with my husband. He was actually the one who finally pushed me to call my doctor.

It took 6 months to fake a reason to see the doctor. I remember the nurse asking me over the phone what was the nature of the visit.... uhhhhh pelvic pain?  When I finally did speak up in the exam room I felt like the weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The doctor was wonderful and made me feel like I wasn't the only one in the world feeling this way. I did get a prescription and was referred to a clinical counselor to hash out my feelings. The doctor called the medicine "a little something to help put my hormones back in balance". It wasn't meant to be permanent.

I filled the prescription and made my appointment and was on track with feeling better.... Yet, there were people in my life, close people, who were judgmental of the fact that I was seeking help for my mental health issues.

Mental health is so important for us Mamas!

This time around there have been somethings that I have tried to do differently to possible ward off the nasty PPD. Do I think these things prevented it? I can't say, sometimes these things just happen but we can only try to take care of ourselves more to feel better. We can't ignore when we are not feeling right and anyone who thinks they are struggling with PPD needs to discuss it with their doctor. Like seriously... make the phone call and get an appointment!

What has helped me fight off postpartum depression

Essential Oils

I can tell you that there was a couple of mornings that I didn't want to get out of bed. I had about 10 things to do before I could even think about doing anything for myself.... change the baby's diaper, feed the baby a bottle, pump breast milk, get the kids some breakfast..... It was a real struggle to get myself up those mornings and I felt pulled in a million directions. With the help of diffused lemon oil, I started at the list of things to do and I felt better. I was happily awakened and feeling energized and motivated. As I sat there feeding the baby while the other two kids ate their breakfast, I thought to myself "I might just clean the whole house today!"

....Did I clean the house that day?.....

....Heck no! This Mama had way more things to accomplish in that day but the point was I was motivated!

Letting go of things

I used to take on everything. I used to believe that if I stayed busy I could make time for it all. I had a lot of plans for this upcoming year and a lot of things I put on my plate. I've had to let go of some of those things and take a second to stop and smell the roses. This will probably be my last baby and I wanted to take some time and enjoy it. I honestly don't remember my other two when they were infants. It's hard to imagine those times and I feel it's because I didn't take the time to take it all in. We miss out when we are too busy and we don't get to enjoy our children.

I've also let go of the idea of a perfect home. It will probably never happen even after the kiddies have fled the nest. Sticky floors and toys everywhere is just my life these days. I can try and keep the house perfect but that will just stress me out some more. So like Elsa says... "let it go!"

Prayer

Although I'm not a regular in the Sunday pews, I have found prayer to be so helpful and encouraging. It's amazing what we can put on Him and what He gives in return. I've spent many mornings praying before I even opened my eyes. Praying for God to give me the patience and love to make it through the day. Being a mama to three young children is very demanding and at the end of the day I want to feel that I loved my kids enough, It's amazing what we can do in prayer.

Yoga

I'm really looking forward to carving out some time for this now that I've got the clearance from the doctor. Yoga is something that I've have really grown to love. It empowers a mama to feel stronger and it's great for keeping a balanced mind.

What are some helpful ideas you can give me to stay healthy and happy? Please leave your suggestions in the comments!!