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"Get unstuck"
You go on mission for a flat stomach…because you blame your failed relationship on your spare tire.
You want to make more money…to keep up with the Joneses.
You decide to run your first marathon…and then get badly injured because you pushed past your limits just to get an impressive time.
You strive to be an active volunteer in your community…but you end up neglecting your own family.
You force yourself to drink green juice every morning…since all the cool moms are doing it.
The holiday season has been full of treats and prizes at natnanton.com! With amazing swag like the $50 LUSH gift card, the premium tickets to Cirque du Soleil and the most recent, Images by Bethany prize pack, Santa was getting a little worried about job security.
I can’t wait to announce the next giveaway! But for now, I reveal the winner of some serious loot: a family portrait session with Images by Bethany and an 8×10 print for FREE!
I was nervous at the idea of having a portrait session in a studio with my two-year old. What if she refuses to cooperate? What if she has a meltdown? I imagined the worst-case scenario: we leave our session with snapshots of a mother and daughter doing the ugly cry.
OK I’m being a bit dramatic. But I never would’ve thought that having my toddler in an unfamiliar room for an hour (equal to 12 hours in toddler time) with a stranger, would result in something so perfect.
Below, I share a few photos from my session with Images by Bethany, as well as tips for photoshoots with toddlers. You’ll find this useful in case you win my Images of Bethany giveaway (details at the end of this post).
How To Keep Your Toddler Happy During Photoshoots
1. Follow your photographer’s lead: Bethany provided us with pre-shoot guidelines that really helped us prepare for the day; she handled the tougher toddler moments with grace; and she walked us through the entire process. Seeing that she is a professional at photographing kids and a mother herself, it’s no surprise that following her lead had such beautiful results.
To avoid getting kooky during Christmas time, practice yoga and meditation often.
If you’re thinking you can’t possibly squeeze something else into your holiday schedule, as the saying goes…
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes everyday – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” – Old Zen Adage. (That’s a Tweetable!)
25 Days of Yoga (Free)
Free yoga and meditation videos for everyone, from the newbie to the seasoned yogi. In your home. At whichever time of day best suits your hectic holiday schedule. Now that puts the spirit back in Christmas. Thank you, My Yoga Online!
The Holidays are centered around gift-giving. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Gifts are an effective way to nurture relationships.
It turns unfortunate when you think that sitting in a traffic jam…
in the underground parking lot…
of the biggest mall in the city…
on December 24th…
How ridiculously powerful is that feeling you get when your vision takes shape? When solutions present themselves. When you meet the right people, at just the right time. When opportunities are abound, every where you turn.
When you manifest your desires, you feel like a dancer whose every move is made with the purpose of making her heart smile.
Photo by Oudeschool
I wrote a poem so that you and I can celebrate this ecstatic state.
Or, we can use it as a reminder for those days when we struggle to believe in possibilities.
When disaster strikes, we find ourselves asking “why”. Why does a superstorm have to hit the innocent, helpless premature babies in New York? Why does an earthquake have to hit Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere?
The answer is one that is uplifting, life-changing, and personal to each person affected.
Yes, uplifting. I truly believe that disasters are divine intervention in disguise.
Unless it speaks to your soul, ignites your passions or helps you grow, your chosen entertainment is holding you back.
Distracting you from living a life you deserve. Delaying you from fulfilling your purpose.
Sounds dramatic, but it’s as simple as this: if it doesn’t uplift you, it brings you down.
How badly do you want it?
To be debt-free? To get a promotion? To write a book? To start the dream biz? To run a marathon?
Giving life to those dreams takes a lot of juice. The recipe for this smoothie calls for dedication, priorities, commitment and, the star ingredient, passion.
Notice that balance isn’t on that list? Balance tends to dilute the drink. Goals have deadlines. Balance delays things and keeps goals in the backburner.
In 2010, Silentnight had everyone talking about the “shocking” survey that showed that new parents lose an average of six months of sleep during the first two years of their child’s life. The first time I heard those numbers, I had not yet become a mother. That must be a gross exaggeration, I thought.
Fast forward two years.
Welcome!
I'm Nat Nanton, founder of Tutu Mama. Becoming a mother has made me commit to living my greatest life. If you can relate to that, you're in the right place.Connect with me
