Hi guys! I feel like it’s been a bit since I’ve had a blog post where I just updated you on life, and chatted for a bit. So much has been going on around here that it’s been a struggle to get a blog post up at all haha much less write about life along with it! But I so appreciate those of you who check my blog daily – whether it be for fitness inspo, outfit ideas, or encouragement in your faith. So today I’m just going to share a quick update on what’s going on with lauren kay sims.
So, as y’all know, we bought a house! Our lease isn’t quite up yet on the old rental house so we aren’t completely moved out / moved in yet. Aka everything is slight chaos right now with our stuff in two places haha, plus moving is always just crazy. Luckily my mom came up to Boulder last week to help with the move and it was a tremendous help! She stayed for 3 nights and I wish she could’ve stayed all week! Last week I also had a closet sale in Boulder…where I sold a ton of shoes, clothing, handbags, and beauty products to any of my followers in the Boulder or Denver area! It was so much fun but also a ton of work, so my mom helped with that too. (PS – if you came by the sale, thank you! it truly was so fun getting to meet you guys in person!). I’m currently trying to figure out a way to make these closet sales maybe a quarterly thing! So stay tuned for that.
On top of moving and the closet sale…blog things have been crazy busy this month, which is a great thing! I think I have as many collaborations / partnerships in April as I had during the holiday season! Which, again, is great…but it’s been really difficult to manage all of that in the middle of a move. I’m so thankful I have Martha (my full time assistant!) who has taken on a lot of responsibility while my schedule has been so crazy. Something else that’s made all of these April collaborations difficult is Michael is in the home stretch of his spring semester. So, lots of projects and finals to study for. He is usually my right hand man (and photographer) for the blog, but since he’s had to focus on school I’ve felt slightly stranded and overwhelmed with the workload. We also had a Dallas trip a week or two ago (the day after moving) for my mom’s 60th birthday celebration. So…needless to say…life has slightly felt like a tornado for about 3 weeks now.
I don’t say all of that to get your sympathy or anything like that. Let’s be honest – several of you reading this are probably a mom to 3 kids and working and being a wife and leading Bible studies and insanely busy! I am well aware that my life is extremely blessed, and I’m not the busiest girl on the planet haha. But I have felt so out of sorts and like I’ve been trapped in a tornado I can’t get out of for about 3 weeks now. And I just wanted to be real and share that with you guys. It makes lots of things hard – relationships, health, marriage, blogging / work, etc. You feel me? I also share this because I’m learning certain tips that can help manage stress and help you to both survive and thrive during busy seasons.
When my mom stayed with us last week, she couldn’t believe I got up one morning to go for a run. She said “I don’t know how you do it. First of all, I would be way too tired. Second, if I was as busy as you, I wouldn’t be able to work out because you have so much on your plate.” I 100% understand that mentality. But something I’ve realized is that if you stop taking care of yourself because you’re so busy and stressed…that will not help your busyness or stress in any way. It will make things worse. When my mom was with us, we were pretty much working on the house/move or on the closet sale from sun up to sun down. But, I set my clock an hour earlier so I could get outside, and get a 5 mile run in. That (for me) is a stress relief and helps me clear my head.
So, my biggest tip for surviving stressful / busy seasons is: don’t stop taking care of yourself. Find time to get a workout in (even if it’s just half an hour). Do your best to still get 8 hours (or as much) sleep as possible. (I still make it a priority to get in bed early but I have major sleep issues. So, 8hrs doesn’t usually happen for me). Continue eating as healthy as you can (even if you’re having to eat out all the time!). Still make time to spend time in the Word if that’s a priority for you. Just because you are busy or you’re stressed doesn’t mean you should 100% throw your routine out the window! Yes things will shift and you might not be in the gym for 90 minutes…but do your best to still do the things that keep you healthy – physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
If, during busy seasons, you stop taking care of yourself…you will notice you don’t have the energy to tackle your endless to do list for that day. You will be more irritable because you’re hungry or because you didn’t sleep enough. You will feel more stressed because you haven’t exercised in weeks. Making the time to take care of your body, mind, and soul during busy seasons is a challenge…but I promise you, it’s worth it!
Outfit details: striped jumpsuit (also available here and here) | sole society platform wedge sandals | sole society straw crossbody bag | round sunglasses | tassel earrings
So, April has been a crazy month for us…but I’m thinking the craziest of crazy is over! I’m going to Dallas on Thursday for the rewardStyle conference this weekend (woohoo!), and we have a few other big things on the calendar… but hoping after that, life might get back to normal sooner rather than later. Until then, I’m going to continue to find time to spend with Jesus, to run, to eat well, and to sleep…because I know my body needs it and will thank me later!
Thanks for reading friends!
xo Lauren
