Happy Mama Monday!
If you are new around here, this is our second time doing a Guest Post series as part of my Mom Talk Monday featuring an amazing mother that inspires me!
(You can see our last guest post here)
This online community is amazing! Especially the motherhood community. You can always find another mama you can relate to, whether it’s being pregnant at the same time, having children the same age, experiencing firsts together, children having the same or similar special needs. I know there are probably more ways to to relate to another mama and I won’t go into every way, but I will say I have personally connected to several influencer mamas, and even you as my readers!
I wanted to start this series because I find it so helpful when you can relate to another person or mama. My hopes is that through these guests that I share with you, you will be inspired or find someone you can relate to as well!
MEET JEN ADAMS
I am so excited to introduce the sweetest Jen Adams to you all today!
I can’t pin point an exact day or moment where I met Jen, but it seems that even though she is local to Southern California I hardly see her in our own state 🙂 You can find us catching up during New York for Fashion Week or, most recently, in Dallas for the rewardStyle conference. I do think one of these days we eventually need to meet up for lunch since we probably live 20-30 minutes from each other. I get it though!! It’s so hard to plan lunch dates, or other social gatherings when you have a full time job and even your children have schedules on top of that!
When I do get to run into Jen on those rare occasions, I am always so excited to see her. She has the most inviting smile out there! You can tell she genuinely wants to talk and get to know you. She can carry on a conversation with just about everyone around her which makes her one of a kind. Plus isn’t she absolutely stunning!? I wish I could rock bangs like she does!
I am excited for you all to see this other side of Jen. She mainly focuses her business and IG with Fashion, so it is a real treat to be able to see her as a mother with her children. She has two darling kids and these photos taken by @cultivatedmoments are absolutely dreamy!
JEN ADAMS’ RAW THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT MOTHERHOOD
“Being a mom has brought to life parts of me that I never knew existed. Starting with the very cliché, but the very true concept of discovering that I could love another human being as much as I love my kiddos. I remember when I was pregnant with my first child, I would honestly worry that I wouldn’t love my baby as much as I loved my dog. Then Brin came into the world, and I learned I loved deeper and harder than I ever thought possible. Yet, among such spectacular, amazing feelings of the joy that comes with motherhood, I discovered parts of myself that weren’t so lovely. I learned just how impatient I could be. I learned how terrible I functioned with little sleep. I experienced feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, despair…My daughter was colicky and even though I loved her immensely, the journey into motherhood was not easy. Everyone was surprised when we got pregnant with our second baby, since it had been a rocky road to say the least. Yet, the gift of him brought so much healing and allowed me opportunities to gain confidence in getting to re-do “the process”.
Motherhood is an interesting thing. It has by FAR stretched me (figuratively and literally) and continues to mold me day after day. My daughter is now 6 years old and my son 4. It has taken me this long to finally feel I’m at a place where I can breathe and truly enjoy the moments. Time is going by SO fast and I wish I could slow it down!! I am forever grateful for the privilege of carrying and birthing my two babies. The good outweighs the “bad” and really any “bad” has been learning opportunity- mere growing pains to make me a better version of myself. I have learned (and am learning) how to overcome obstacles that I would have probably never otherwise embraced. What an honor!!
If you are a momma who relates to me in anyway, I just want to say GOOD PHENOMENAL JOB. Motherhood is not for the faint for heart. YOU are an INCREDIBLE momma!! And God knew you are the woman necessary to raise your sweet little babe(s)!! There IS light at the end of the tunnel. You are good enough. Brave enough. Strong enough. YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!!
Feel free to reach out anytime! You can find me on Instagram (@interiordesignerella) I would SO love to hear from you!!! Rooting for you!!! Sending all my love, plus more! XOXOXOXOXO, Jen!”
NAVY GRACE Q&A WITH JEN ADAMS:
Q: How did you get started as a blogger/influencer?
A: I got started with blogging indirectly! I’ve always wanted to have my own business, ever since I was a little girl! I tried MANY entrepreneurial adventures that flopped and went nowhere. But I kept pivoting! A friend told me about a blog she liked to follow. I didn’t know what a blog was (I rarely used technology and felt like I belonged in the archaic ages ha!) but after her coaxing, I looked it up and saw that the gal behind the blog was a mom. I saw that she had partnered with Better Homes and Gardens and had her own Etsy shop. I thought, “Hey! I can do this too!” Little did I know what I was getting to! And just how amazing it could be! I decided I would do a blog on DIY projects since we had recently moved into our home. I felt like a princess in our new place and my husband would refer to me as our “Interior Designer”….So playing on those words, plus the feelings of Cinderella, I decided I could call my blog “Interior Designerella”. I figured I would need social channels to advertise my blog, so I set up an Instagram account, knowing nothing about how it worked or what a hashtag was. After my first Instagram post, I got engagement. So I kept posting there and saw the account grow. I posted family, food, fitness. Then I met with a gal name McKenna Bleu, a gorgeous fashion blogger, and decided I’d try more fashion. That became my niche! I focused on fashion on Instagram, but left my blog behind. Once I started working with Reward Style, I realized I could maximize the business with the blog, so I “dusted” off my word press and dived in!
Q: What is your favorite mom product that you are always sharing or talking about?
A: Ok, this isn’t a “product”…but a service. And it’s what we invest in the most! Our nanny!!! She is who helps keep me sane. I am totally in favor of valuable childcare to allow for “me” time. I always come back feeling refreshed and her help allows my husband and I to have time to focus on each other! We have found her help to be a significant investment in our marriage! We are very grateful!!
Q: What is your favorite baby/toddler/child product?
A: The book “Babywise”! It worked well for us!! It was recommended to us. SO THANKFUL!! No tiptoeing out of the room when putting the babies down to sleep. It made for easy nap and bedtimes, successful feeding times, and overall a happy, very healthy baby!! (Once we got past our daughter’s colic. Grant had no colic and was a textbook Babywise baby! HIGHLY recommend!!)
Q: What is something you do for yourself to make you be a better mom and wife to your family?
A: Take time to pray. To read my bible. To be around mentors.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to other moms?
A: Give yourself grace. You’re doing amazing!!!!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO JEN ADAMS FOR JOINING US TODAY!
WHERE YOU CAN FIND JEN ADAMS:
Instagram: @interiordesignerella
xo, Camilla
OMG I love Jen!!!! The sweetest most positive human ever!!!!
Xoxoxo Steph