Why everyday nourishment, simple routines, and a little support make all the difference.
For the love of all that’s holy, January hath January-ed.
How many coats have you replaced so far this winter? I think we’re on number four over here.
After approximately fifty-nine thousand hundred lost coats, I finally decided all replacements must be thrifted or hand-me-downs.
What? The thrifted coat doesn’t fit? Bummer. 😉
Sound familiar?
The sheep mommas are feeling it, too. The first lambs are slated to arrive just in time for Valentine’s Day, and those pregnant bellies are poppin’.
Here’s the thing: taking care of those mommas is my most sacred duty.
Why Caring for the Mom Comes First
Pregnancy, birth, and those precious days afterward are fraught. Just like with human moms, things can go sideways.
It’s my job to notice, to support, and to bring in extra help when it’s needed.
The ewes don’t get extra feed because they’re “good mommas.” They get extra feed — plenty of high-quality grass hay and leafy alfalfa — because they’re working hard and their bodies need the calories. They get extra scritches because they’re tired… and because it feels good.
You deserve that kind of care, too.
Doubting whether you’ve done enough to earn care? Knock that off.
The 30-Minute Change That Made Everything Easier
I remember telling my therapist how overwhelmed I was back when I worked downtown every day. I’d rush from work to school pickup — let’s just say some kids are not built for buses — grab snacks, and then haul everyone to soccer practice. Oof.
Do you know what she told me to do?
She told me to leave work thirty minutes earlier and go home before picking up the kids.
Excuse me, how?
First, I shocked myself by figuring out how to make that happen.
Second — it changed my life.
Those thirty minutes weren’t glamorous. No bubble bath. No expensive treat. Sometimes it was just me sitting on the couch, staring at the wall like a zombie.
But having a quiet moment to grab snacks, collect my thoughts, or simply exist without noise made the rest of the evening manageable. Like magic.
Care That Works Before You’re Completely Empty
I’ve thought a lot about why such a tiny change made such a big difference.
And I think this was the secret: it happened before the chaos. Proactively. Like a little suit of protective armor.
Even on the days when I was basically running on fumes, I could still do those thirty minutes. And that mattered.
Caring for myself doesn’t usually mean doing more.
It usually means removing what’s hard before I hit empty — and choosing things that still work when I’ve got nothing left in the tank.
What Care Looks Like in Our Kitchen
In our house, it often looks like simple, healthy food.
Good meat tastes amazing with nothing more than salt and pepper. Add a salad, a steamed vegetable, and maybe some rice or bread — dinner’s done.
If your kids are anything like mine, pasta is always a hit. Toss the meat and veggies with buttered noodles and call it good.
Lamb works beautifully here. Ground lamb cooks fast and fits into all kinds of meals — tacos, wraps, pasta, you name it.
No fuss. No muss.
Low Effort, Big Reward
Here’s another tip: our Winter Lamb Box lasts about three to four weeks.
That’s two to three easy meals a week — no last-minute dinner decisions, nothing fancy. Just good, clean food ready when you need it.
Weekend bulk cooking is a gift to future you. Lamb meatballs freeze beautifully. Next-month you is going to be very grateful for this-month you.
That’s low effort, big fat reward. That’s care.
Look, care doesn’t have to be dramatic or expensive or Instagram-worthy to matter. Sometimes it looks like feeding yourself well before you’re completely wrung out. Sometimes it looks like making one small choice that takes pressure off tomorrow-you.
This is the kind of care I try to build into our days — the kind that works even when I’m tired, even when the week is a lot, even when I don’t have much left to give.
You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You’re allowed to make things easier for yourself — and trust that your family will be better for it.