Unleashed: Welcome to your 40’s

It’s here! I am a few short days away from entering my 40’s. To say my thoughts and feelings are discombobulated at the moment is an UNDERSTATEMENT!

It’s so true when they say “Life is short”. I graduated high school, went to college, started my career, married and started a family. I had three kids under the age of three by 31. I spent years being pregnant, nursing, chasing after toddlers, etc. My identity was lost and quickly. Every waken moment, was dedicated to keeping them happy, safe, engaged, active and fulfilled. Now, here we are knocking on the door of turning 40 in just a few short days!

My kids have now grown into their own little identities and personalities. My oldest just turned 11 this past May. He is starting middle school. Hanging out with girls. Going through the whole puberty stage. He is very emotional, but also oh so very stubborn! My middle child is starting 4th grade. Thinks she is 10 years older than she is. I would love to be in her brain for minutes a day! She is so creative, always making up some slime concoction, facial cream, etc. in her room. She has a heart of gold. So independent and confident. My youngest….is gearing up to start second grade. He is an extremely talented little artist. Natural born athlete. Very strong-willed and stubborn, but the cutest little boy trying to keep up with his siblings.

I can go on and on about my children, what they are good at, what they like, what they don’t like. Now that they are older, more independent, I am finding more time for myself to partake in hobbies. Sometimes though, I feel like I have completely lost my identity. Sure, I can write in my profile that I am a mom, wife, Occupational Therapy Assistant etc. But, who am I now? What do I truly enjoy? What makes me happy? What would I do with an hour a free time? Day? Two days?

I can say, who I was before I had children, is definitely not who I am today! Stretch marks, loose skins, wrinkles, anxiety and inability to stay awake past midnight is the current status. I very much have a love/hate relationship with social media.

Social media is funny thing these days. It can promote so much positivity and inspiration. At the same time, it can quickly feel like a failure and be depressing. I tried to stop using Facebook for awhile and failed. I will cover social media in another post at a later time.

For now, I am creating this Simply Forty blog to provide support and inspiration for other women and moms who are entering this new era of life. Where we can come together and find our true selves again and keep life less chaotic and more simple! Discover clothing that is fashionable but also suitable for bodies that are no longer a size 4, able to hide those muffin tops and make us feel confident again. Plus more such as: recipes, DIY, travel, hot topics and more!

Welcome to the chaos and join me on my journey to 40!

Sincerely,

Allison