Pulling Back, to Dive In.

Charlie and I have been in deep lately. With both of us working, his side job, homeschooling the girls, and being first time soccer parents. . . everything has taken a massive shift. The transitions in meal prepping/planning, very little down time, and a schedule that is full to the hour many days, has felt like a lot and a massive change in the amount of energy we have to give. However, considering all of that, I feel like we’re weathering this new-normal really well.

Having to prioritize my time is hard. And I’m faced with a new struggle, one that every working Mama can identify with. But for me… it’s leaving me reeling.

What do I miss? And what do I absolutely not miss?

(Wearing the prAna Pillar Pant)

I feel like this question is the one on my mind the most lately. Every training taken, class added, is time away. Time I used to always spend with the girls. Instead of using this ever present question as a new way to layer on guilt (hi, Mom Guilt, WHOA) I am instead using it as my indicator to pull back, be more intentional, to leave more room and less guilt for when I dive into new parts of my life. It’s been a thoughtful decision to not jump into the guilt that is ever present, and instead turn towards my girls. Again and again.

One of the number one ways I am pulling back is through boundaries. Not just in the areas that iPhone is currently helping me with (the new phone update gives you the option to limit apps to a certain amount of time a day and it is HELPING a ton), but also in the rest of my life and relationships. Boundaries with time spent indoors, boundaries with my heart and how much I have to give my friends in this seasons, and mostly boundaries with my energy. I know that sounds a little out there and maybe hard to pin down. Especially in comparison to the boundaries I typically set that are concrete and easily measured. But once I named this boundary, it began to feel accessible, important, and often obvious.

(Wearing, and living in, the Cozy Up Sweatshirt by prAna)

One of the number one way’s that this works for me, and mostly the way I can feel filling up my family, is by heading to the mountains. I’ve shared about this hiking spot before (one of my FAVORITES) HERE, and I have high hopes of getting up there one last time before the snow starts to fall. The whole drive up feels like an energetic shift from work-work-work, to conversion, music listening, lazy napping, and slowly letting my eyes start to take in the gorgeous PNW in those far away views instead of my phone right up close, or my notebook as I write classes and to-do lists. The shift in my heart is palpable, and in the deep connection I have with my girls’, I feel it in them too. By the time we all pile out of the car and onto the trail, even our backpacks feel light.

Heather Meadows is an easy hike for kiddos, and has lots of ways to expand the hike to be more challenging (hi, Chain Lakes!) It’s one of my girlies favorites thanks to the ever changing scenery, option to make it a short loop, and the incredible lakes and river along the way.

How do you create an Energetic Boundary:

1. Identify where you want to expend and give more energy.
2. List where you want to give less (worry, scrolling, picking fights, body anxiety; that my example list… hah)
3. When you begin to feel yourself leaking what you’ve got into the list of places you have decided to grow this boundary. PULL BACK. This is the time to say no, turn away, or simply turn TWORDS what you have decided you want to give more energy to.
4. That’s it. It’s a slow check in, regularly. That begins to feel easier and easier as you cultivate it.

(Wearing the Cozy Up Pant and Zip Up by prAna)

With Fall in FULL swing here, we cozied up for our hiking trip. Ditching layers as we climbed and adventured. Noeles current look of choice is a sweatshirt under her overalls, mine is my Pillar leggings with my Cozy Up Pant right over the top. I recently received these pieces from prAna and I haven’t stopped wearing them. The hoodie is cozy and warm with a larger cut, natural oder reducing properties thanks to the hemp blend and has been ideal under my raincoat and with jeans for Soccer Games as well as on the trail. The Cozy Up Sweatshirt has become my go-to for everything. From 6am Yoga to long school days at the library. I have the blue, but am DYING for the yellow or red now too.

{For 25% off from now till the end of the year, enter my code: ABAUprAna25 at checkout!}

A huge thank to you to prAna for the work they do the new Cardiff Fleece line, made from a hemp-blend, is cozy, warm, easy to move in, and now comes in extended sizes as well. I recently wore my Cozy Up Sweatshirt four days straight after HIIT training… so I put it’s natural odor reducing properties too the test (LIKE REALLY) and it held up amazingly well.

I love working with prAna and one of the biggest reasons is their dedication to sustainable clothing creation and fair trade and ethical work environments for their factory workers. This is MASSIVELY different than most clothing companies and they are a leader in making these changes in the industry. This line of hemp-blended materials is especially exciting because of the properties of hemp and growing hemp. It doesn’t require any chemical pesticides or fertilizer, it’s drought resistant and is beneficial to the soil it grows in. Another huge benefit is that famers are able to plant immediately into the same field after harvesting, this is not possible with many other crops.

This year prAna’s slogan is “Clothing for a Positive Change.” and it feels so in line with my heart this year too. Knowing when boundaries need to be set, change needs to happen, and when it’s most important to pull back and be dedicated to the heart of what you know your priorities are. Thankful to be slowly learning my own, and inspired by the brands who are willing to put pave the way with their own important boundaries, energetic and otherwise, to create positive change in their industry. prAna is quick to share that there is more they could do, and dedicated to growing in their efforts every year. And in that I am inspired to do the same. Acknowledge where I can do more, and continue to find ways to grow my effort.

From now to the end of the year prAna is offering you 25% off with my code at checkout, and so much on their is cozy, gorgeous, functional, and sustainably created. Check out their site here, and use my code at checkout: ABAUprAan25

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by prAna. All opinions are my own. I truly appreciate all the brands that support ethical and positive shifts for change. And huge thank you to Sweat Pink and Fit Approach for this amazing opportunity.