So excited to interview this amazing Momma today, Shay Shull!

I was recently introduced to her blog, Mix and Match Mama and I can totally confirm that on that day I got absolutely nothing accomplished because got lost in it for hours. Yes hours, its that good! She is absolutely amazing and super inspiring. Like a true fan girl I knew I had to share this special lady with my Selfish Mom Project people.

Here is Shay’s interview!

Tell us a little about yourself….

I am a mom to four kiddos and have been married to my very favorite person ever for 15 years.  We live just north of Dallas in McKinney, TX (which is a pretty magical little town!).  I started blogging almost 12 years ago and from that, have spun off 6 cookbooks and launched my own travel agency 7 years ago.  Between kids, writing recipes and planning travel, I keep myself busy every day.

How did you get started blogging?

I was working in a job that I didn’t love and needed a creative outlet.  My degree is in journalism and I’ve always enjoyed writing, so I started a blog.  It’s always been a hodgepodge mix about myself.  Things I love to eat, places I love to shop, books I love to read and where I love to travel.  Over the years, it has morphed into this amazing place where I get to share my love of travel, food, fashion, books entertaining, organization, family life, adoption and so much more.  It’s really exceeded all of my wildest dreams.

You are the author of multiple cookbooks and always sharing amazing recipes on your blog, do your kids eat all of those amazing meals? If so share with us mother’s of picky eaters how you work this miracle.

They do!  I only make what we eat (and then photograph it really quickly before we sit down).  My kids are totally normal kids who have their favorite things and their not so favorite things to eat. One kiddo loves chicken and another one loves beef…so, you really can’t please both of them on the same night, but they’ve learned to eat what I’ve made because…that’s their only choice!  I really do try and only make recipes that I know my family will enjoy, but some nights, one of them will just not be feeling it, but that’s what’s for dinner, so that’s what they eat.  I don’t want mealtime to be stressful, so I try to keep that in mind when I’m preparing dinner.  I want them all to eat and be happy.

What is your favorite thing to cook?

Well, I love to bake seasonal desserts because it always puts me in the mood for whatever holiday is approaching, but for dinner, I love making pastas the most because that’s my favorite type of entree!

We love reading your monthly book reviews, What is one book you think every Mom should read?

Oh!  That’s a good question! I would love for every mom to read Forever Mom by Mary Ostyn.

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?

I love my family.  I have never felt more complete than now with my husband and kiddos.  I love how we are a team…we’re each other’s “people”.  That sense of family unity never gets old to me.  I also love all the cuddles, snuggles and kisses too.

What is a struggle/or least favorite part about being a mom?

I don’t know if I necessarily have a least favorite part, but there is always this struggle to balance time.  When you have a lot of kids, you really have to carve out special, individual time for each of them.  I certainly don’t want any of them to get lost in the shuffle.

What is your favorite way to be ‘Selfish’ or practice self care?

Reading!  I love reading books!  I also love going for a walk by myself. Could I take a kid?  Yes.  Could I take a dog?  Yes.  Do I sometimes?  Yes.  But do I sometimes just love getting out by myself and enjoying the quiet?  Absolutely! 

You have been very transparent on your journey with infertility and adoption. What something you would say to other mom’s going through a similar scenario?

I couldn’t have made it through without my faith.  There were many days when I didn’t know how Plan A or Plan B would ever work…but I relied on the Lord to create a Plan C that was beyond my wildest dreams.  Faith is the cornerstone of my life.

Are you working on any fun future projects we should be excited about this summer?

Lots of vacation planning!  My travel agency is bustling now with so many trips for this year and next! It’s so much fun to sit down and help people create vacations of their dreams every single day.

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You can find Shay on her blog HERE or on Instagram @mixandmatchmama

Link to Shay’s Cookbooks are below!!

Thank you always for reading!

Xoxo

This post contains affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission at no added cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and business!

I’m not even sure where I could really start with introducing Steph.

Steph is one of my dearest friends. Beyond that she has a heart of gold. She will literally drop anything to be there for you. She’s passionate about her family, her business, helping others, and her friendships. She laughs with her entire face and its one of my favorite things ever because your can’t help but die laughing too. She’s honest. Like brutal but in this way where you actually feel so much love and full of ah-ha moments.

Besides being one of my best friends and sisters for the last five years (we have known each other for almost 15 years!) she’s also my personal coach and mentor. I’ve spent the last six months in her course Aligned Abundance and have had so much growth mentally, emotionally, business-wise, and financially.

This sweet momma is so special to me, read her interview below. <3

Tell us a little about yourself….

Well, I’m a mom to two cute ass kids. Married to MySpace crush. I love ideas and ambition and feel so grateful to have found my calling as a spiritual success coach for women who are ready to go big in their lives!

How did you come up with the name Free Spirited Boss Babe? 

A few years ago I felt the call to transition my work from fitness to really sharing more of my free-spirited nature. I wanted to create a brand women would want to embody themselves. I believe everyone has a little free-spirit in them and I want to be a mirror for that piece of them. I wanted something that embodied freedom of mind, body, spirit and business! And the Free-Spirited Boss Babe brand was born!

As an entrepreneur how do you ‘balance’ it all?

This is a hard one. It’s definitely taken me a lot of trial and error over the last six years of working for myself and growing babies. There will always be things that come up and throw a wrench in our plans, but having time set aside for each project and aspect of my life and business really helps. There are certain days I only create content. Certain days I see clients. Certain days I’m just MOM. I find it helps me be fully present in what role I’m showing up in that day.

What’s one piece of advice you have for any Mom out there interested in entrepreneurship?

Give yourself permission to dream! It’s ok to want to be a great mother and to have dreams that span outside of the home. If it is a desire of yours, know that it is a gift to your children to see their mom pursuing her dreams. I think as moms in today’s society we feel guilty if we aren’t constantly playing with blocks or reading books or planning back to back play dates. But our children sense our happiness. They are so intuitive. So whatever you desire, go for it. They need to see you living out your dreams!

What’s your favorite thing about being a mom? 

Wow this is a hard one! I think it’s the perspective children bring us. The pride. The sense of wonder. The opportunity they give us to heal our childhood wounds so we can give them better. It is so deeply fulfilling. And hard. But so worth it.

What’s your least favorite or something you struggle with being a mom? 

Patience. Noise. I grew up as an only child and thrive on stillness. So it’s a fine balance finding ways to fill my tank. So I ask for help. I go to yoga often and try to get away for a weekend every few months just to savor the silence.

What’s your favorite way to be a Selfish Mom? (Practice self care)

I love to indulge in a good book, and honor my needs. It wasn’t always easy to ask for the time for myself. But I know with every fiber of my being that I can show up more powerfully for my children when I have the time for myself. So I see it as a gift to them to give myself the time to recharge.

How do you keep your marriage spicy?

You know what? With one kid I neglected my marriage and could focus on my cute little baby. Then we had a second and all of a sudden I found this new found love for sneaking away with my husband. We try to go on a few date nights a month, make it a point to try to get busy at random times throughout the day, and oh! See them as new. We can get so used to having them around that we take for granted and forget just how sexy their smile is, how much we love their laid back spirit, so I find it spices things up to look at my husband through the eyes of someone who is just now seeing him. Meow!!

What’s One piece of advice you would give a new mom.

The days are long, but the years are short. Truly. Take it one day at a time. Be honest about needing help. Accept help. Make time for yourself.

Tell us about anything amazing you have coming up!

I am so excited to continue the work I do helping moms and women everywhere step into who they are here to be. And to stand firm in that! I’m really excited about the upcoming sessions I will be offering for quick Soul Sister Coaching sessions. I will have 11 sessions available for new women monthly to get crazy clarity on a 20 minute spiritual strategy call. She will walk away with the tools and confidence she needs to navigate a current situation, struggle, or idea. All proceeds will be donated to different monthly charities and non profits who are doing good work in the world. So it’s a win-win-win for all and we raise the vibration of the world together!

This duo of spiritual ladies is bringing so much inspiration to my life right now I knew I had to feature them this month as a #MOMCRUSH. Whitney (one of the creators of Homgirls) and I met back in October through yoga teacher training. These mommas are finding the best of the best products, experiences, practices and then SHARING them with the rest of the world. Their passion for self care makes my little heart flutter and I can not wait to for y’all to read their interview and then stalk them on IG for all the goodies they discover…

Tell us a little about about yourselves…
Stacey- I moved with my family to Dallas 4 years ago from NYC and I really love it here in Texas. I am a devoted wife, a mother of 3 daughters, a lover of all things meditation and yoga related and a serial traveler.

Whitney – I have been in Dallas for a decade. Does that make me a Texan? I am a single mom to two lovely little women. I love all things health and wellness. I have an obsession with yoga, meditation, fitness, music, sushi and travel. Give me a good book and a long plane ride and I am happy. 

You two seem like great friends, tell us the story of how you met. 
Our oldest daughters are in the same class at Hockaday and we met when school started 2 years ago. There are some people you meet and feel like you have known them your entire life. You just get them and your life feels better because of them. This is how we would describe our friendship and partnership. It is deep rooted and nourished with love. We are our most authentic selves with each other and have each other’s back.  Homgirls is our way of sharing that connection with others. 

How did HomGirls get started?
We have been sharing our self-care and wellness practices with each other for a while and felt ourselves wanting a larger community of people with similar interests. We decided to start Homgirls on Instagram hoping to curate the very best places, products and experiences in health and wellness around Dallas (and beyond) and share them with a very special and like-minded community. Homgirls is a collection of what inspires us spirutally and has conversely filled us up with incredible ideas, content and individuals. 

When it comes to spiritual self care what do you think most moms are missing? Why?
Consistent, uninterrupted alone time each day to grow with their personal practices. Whether it be journaling, prayer, yoga, meditation, reading, and the list goes on, quiet time is necessary to expand your heart and mind. 20 minutes 2 times per day is the right amount of time to decompress, ground and connect to yourself and the life around you in a powerful way. 

You all read a lot of self-care books and listen to inspirational podcasts,  what are some of your favorites? 
We love Wisdoms of Sundays. It is like the bible to us. We open this everyday and are always blown away by how perfectly the message lands for us. It is medicine for the soul. As far as a podcast, Dr. Brene Brown – The Anatomy of Truth on Super Soul. If you haven’t listened stop everything you are doing and start it now. It is so powerful for you, your kids and and the well-being of all of your relationships. 

You ladies share some amazing products on instagram, What is one product that every Mom should own? 
A tea you love that warms your body and sets the mood for calm – we are loving the Aveda Tea. A journal  that holds your thoughts, prayers, intentions and gratitude lists- we are using The 5 minute journal. 

What is your favorite thing about motherhood? 
Stacey – The times when we are really present and we see the difference we are making on our little girls and on ourselves by genuinely connecting. They have shown us how to shut off the outside world and be in the moment.  

Whitney – The one on one time I am able to spend with each of my girls. I love having the opportunity to view the world through their innocent eyes by hearing their stories and thoughts on their day. I also love the cuddles. The unconditional love that you feel from mother to child is an energy and electricity that cannot be duplicated. 

What is your least favorite thing or something that you find a struggle with being a mom? 
We want to be able to do everything for and with them. We have to remind myself often to slow down. It is not always about the next activity, but the quality of the time we are able to spend together. 

What is your favorite way to be ‘Selfish’ or practice self care by putting yourself first? 

20 minutes twice a day. Our weekly intentions really set the tone for us. We share these every Sunday with our followers and we work on these throughout the week. We are committed to growing our practices and our partnership. We are committed to having vulnerable conversations, pushing outside our comfort zone, trying new things often and being intetional with our connection with the world around us.  We also find time daily to work on our physical practice whether it is yoga or a high energy class at SoulCycle it is important to break a sweat, zone out and have some fun. 

What’s next for you lovely ladies?! Anything exciting coming up with Homgirls? 
We have an event coming up on May 19th making crystal kits with our friends at Love and Intention. We have so much planned for the fall including an astrology event with our good friend Britten at Working with Your Wheel. We are so excited to continue to share our finds with this self-loving community! 

If your looking for fun, light and lots of inspiration go follow these amazing ladies on IG at @homgirls

Xoxo,

(This post may contain some affiliate links where I may receive a small commission at no added expense to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and business!)

Continuing on with my #MOMCRUSH month of May and y’all I am so so excited to share this girl. Brittany Spain has become one of my biggest inspirations over the last year and I have no doubt she will inspire you just the same.

I’ve followed Brit on social media for years. We got to spend a weekend together at a retreat several years back and I still claim that weekend as one of my all time favorite EVER. We met through Beachbody, have a mutual bestie, and this girl is about as cool as they come. Not to mention we are both from Missouri and I do love me some Midwest girls. Over the last five years I have watched this girl blossom into something so magical and inspiring. She has things to say, GOOD things and we all need to be hearing them. Here is the amazing Brittany Spain….

Tell us a little about yourself….

First of all, so humbled to be sharing with all of you, so grateful! But goodness, not sure where to start, but here we go…

My name is Britt Spain. I’m a mom of one sweet 4.5 year old boy and partner to his father for nearly 7 years.

I wear many hats as far as my passions and professions go, but to keep it simple, I’m a spiritual life and business coach who’s foundational practice is helping others have a healthy relationship with social media while developing a deeper level of self awareness. I’m an artist, a writer, a podcast host, and retreat host! Just typing that out, I’m wondering how I manage it all! Haha! But I do know I was called here to make a huge impact, so that’s what I’m here to do! 🙂

What’s the story behind your social media name Shalako Laloba?

Ahh, great question! So, a couple years back I came to the realization that if I took a different pen name when it came to my written work and my art, that I could show up a little bit more boldly (at the time, I had begun to embark down my journey of intentionally cultivating a deeper level of self awareness, and this just felt like the right move).

Shalako was the name that my dad wanted to name me, but my mom wouldn’t let him. I always felt like it best suit me than my birth name Brittany. LaLoba comes from one of my favorite books, Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Estes Pinkola, that has made one of the greatest impacts to my personal evolution!

Your e-book Spiritual Girl – Digital World is revolutionary! What role do you think Social Media plays in being a mom and why are social media detoxes so Important?

Ah, yes! And not to be nit picky, but I actually call it “Sacred Social Media Fasting”. Such a subtle shift switching it from “detoxing” to “fasting”, but when I began this journey calling it “detoxing” so many perceived that I thought social media was all bad. So, not the case!

My philosophy is that we can have an even HEALTHIER relationship with social media by making time for intentional unplug time. In Spiritual Girl, Digital World, I walk women through my sacred process! So many people think it’s about just putting your phone down, but it can be SO much more than that!

You have so many talents (SoulSister Radio, The Abundant Sisterhood, @JustfollowJoy, your amazing art!). What would you tell another mom looking to dip into the entrepreneurial world?

I have so many passions and endeavors because I get bored easily. I wouldn’t suggest this kind of energetic juggling to all, but for me, it keeps things interesting and really easy to always have something to shift to when whatever I’m working on isn’t feeling joy aligned!

My advice would be following whichever endeavor brings you the most JOY! That, and give yourself permission to change your mind at ANY time! I think so many of us moms hold onto titles and positions because we have little people watching us, and we feel that we need to play it safe for THEM. My belief is that they are the reason we NEED to take more risks on things that light us up, so they know what it looks like to follow your heart! 

What is on piece of advice you would give any mom struggling with negative stories around self worth?

My advice would be to stop searching for validation in those negative stories!

I know when I began embarking down my self awareness journey, my self worth was at an all time low. It stayed that way longer than it needed to because I had deeply engrained patterns of searching for confirmation that I wasn’t really that great or capable of the life that I wanted.

Become intimate with your inner dialogue. Are the thoughts in your head keeping you low vibe or are they stoking the flames of your self worth? No need to judge yourself, just be conscious of what you’re saying to yourself so that you can shift into a new narrative!

What is your greatest accomplishment outside of being a mom?

That’s a tough one, but if I had to say one thing, it would be the internal work I’ve stayed committed to, to be the woman I am today!

What is you favorite part about being a mom?

My favorite part about being a mom… Hmmm, I’d have to say it’s nurturing him to be the man he was destined to be versus the man I expected to raise. It’s one of the more challenging aspects of parenting, for me, but it’s so awesome to see him flourish and see exactly why God gave me him.

What do you find challenging or is your least favorite part about motherhood?

Least favorite part about parenting would be bedtime. Handsdown. Haha! 

What is your favorite way to be ‘Selfish’ or practice self care?

Ohhh, I am proudly so “selfish” with my time, haha! My favorite though?

It would have to be solo trips away, remembering who I am outside of being a mom. I just got back from a solo weekend away this past weekend, and it always does two things: 1) allows me to nurture myself and cultivate that deeper level of self awareness  that I’m so passionate about 2) allows me to miss and value my family even more so I can come back and be an even better mom! 

What are your next plans? Anything new and exciting we can expect to see from you?!

Ahh, still working on the final touches before I announce, but let’s say it involves private coaching, monthly week long social media fasts, and ends with a tropical adventure!

That, and the Digital BOSS BABE version to my Spiritual Girl, Digital World ebook releases this July!

Follow Brittany on IG @withloveshalakolaloba

XOXO,