My morning fuel

A solid morning routine is one of the most valued things in my life. I've found that to be successful, I have to create habits that I do every single day. Once you form a habit, it becomes less taxing and can develop into something to look forward to. Having a routine that doesn't waiver much day to day is how I've been able to do things like stick to a 5 day workout schedule, have family dinner virtually every night, all while balancing my personal and professional goals.

My mornings will look different and serve different goals than yours, but at the end of the day, find a routine that works for you. Make sure it helps you form good habits that chip away at your goals making and give yourself some room for personal time, even if it's just a few minutes a day.

My almost every morning routine:
Each morning I get up roughly at the same time, usually due to a prompt 6:30am kick in the ribs from one of my kids, who has found their way into my bed at some point. I do about 10 minutes of meditation and stretching, trying to channel my inner calm while, again, my kids are jumping all over me. Next come my morning affirmations (which vary from day to day depending on the current curve ball that life is throwing), that usually include, "I am patient" "I am calm" "I will be the best mother to my crazy kids as I can each and everyday" followed by more specific ones relating to my relationships and career.

Next it's downstairs to start the breakfast madness and learn which of my kid's favorite foods they're currently protesting. After about 45 minutes of that, I start my own breakfast with my greens shot, which has 37 different fruits and veggies in it. I add to it a collagen booster, a pro and prebiotic as well as an energy fizz. (I gave up coffee last year and so far don't miss it) Then I then make my protein rich smoothie, usually with a ton of berries and almond and coconut milk. (I'll post some of my favorite recipes later)

Doing these same things each morning sets me up for success through the rest of the day. I have the energy I need to keep up with my little kids, enough focus to run my photography business as well as my Arbonne business and still have the energy I need at the end of the day to workout with my 24 year old in our makeshift outdoor gym.

Focused work time

"If only I had a few quiet moments to work…" This is something I day dream about. What would I do if my kids were entertained and safe and I could have focused work time?

So many moms are trying to do it all. From working at home to distance learning to cooking and cleaning, we're all just trying to make it through the day. But sometimes the end of the day comes and I'm left feeling unaccomplished, so i've found a few tricks to help make my days more productive and rewarding.

I've been working on breaking up my day into small time blocks, usually a few hours each. I find it easier to plan and be successful when I give myself a few things that I want to get done over the next 3 hours. I then chip away at my list, knowing that there will be interruptions and distractions that might throw me off course. Sometimes I breeze through my list and move on to other things I need to do, but most of the time life happens and nothing gets done. When that is the case, I try to give myself grace and set a new goal to work towards, starting fresh when those three hours are up.

I've also learned to try and balance the “have to's” with the “want to’s”. This will help you stay motivated to push through the hard parts of the day. Finish your 'have to's' first and if you have time for you 'want to's' then it's safe to say it was a successful day!

Like many moms, I look forward to the quiet moments in my household, typically when the kids are sleeping. I make sure to take a few deep breaths, look over my lists and give myself a pep talk, then I get to work. OR, sometimes I just sit and read or meditate

A little bit more about me

In this ever changing and crazy time we are now in, with social distancing and business having to adapt, a lot of us independent contractors are finding new and creative ways to stay connected to our clients.

I’ll use this space to tell you a bit more about who I am, what gets me out of bed each morning, and how I balance being a photographer, health and wellness coach, wife and mother. I’ll share some tips, secrets and hacks that make my life healthier and happier.

When was the last time you climbed a tree?

I couldn’t remember, so I grabbed a book and found a tree near my studio.

Meet Baby Will the 16th

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the Landrum family. Only 2 weeks ago they welcomed home a new baby boy. Little Wilbert is the 16th in his family to carry the name. His big brother Nicholas and sister Zillah were such a big help during the photo session. Both mom and dad are lucky to have such wonderful children.

Baby Will, 2 weeks old

Big brother Nicholas and sister Zillah take good care of their new brother.

Watsonville Police, Our Local Heros, The Project Beard

Today I was reminded of how amazing the community of Watsonville is. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to be involved in several community minded organizations and have served on many boards, most recently including the Watsonville Police Assistance Fund board (WPAF). WPAF has given me the chance to work closely with our police officers and I've gotten an inside look into the lives and stories of the men and women of law enforcement. I've gained the highest level of respect for these officers serving their community. During a particularly tumultuous time in American history where officers are challenged daily and often met by public criticism, I felt it would be a good time to share something positive.

If you are local to Watsonville you may have noticed that quite a few officers around town have been growing beards. What you may not know is that they're doing so in support of Children's Cancer Awareness. The local organization Jacob's Heart has teamed up with the department for the 3rd year and it is proving to be a success yet again. In total, there are nearly 30 officers participating in the joint effort fundraiser. This idea came about years back when former Chief of Police Manny Solano was serving on the board for Jacob's Heart. Manny wanted to figure out of way to support to the charity closest to his heart. Working with Lori Butterworth, the founder and Executive Director of Jacob's Heart, they formulated an idea where the officers could get involved and give back to their community. At the time, the police department had a clean shaven policy and all officers abided by those rules. Manny put a temporary wave on the facial hair policy allowing officers to grow beards for 3 months. He figured it would be a great way for officers to show their support by grabbing the public's interest in the cause, too. Each officer participating also donated $100+ as a jumpstart to the fundraising efforts. The Jacob's Heart Foundation is 100% funded by donations and needs the support of the whole community. To join the officers in their contributions, I've provided a link where you can get involved and donate: https://www.classy.org/campaign/watsonville-beard-brigade/c135986   

I will be photographing the officers over the next few days and weeks. Enjoy!

To learn more about Jacob's Heart, visit their site: http://www.jacobsheart.org/ 

Abraham Escobedo

He has been with the Watsonville Police Department for about 1.5 years now and wanted to give back to the community. In college Escobedo was part of a fraternity at San Jose State University that supported the Lucile Packard foundation. Now working in Watsonville he wanted to continue his support for children and was happy to participate in the Project Beard supporting Jacob’s Heart.

Joseph Perez

Joseph wanted to not only help with this fundraiser for the kids but wanted to show his support to both the department and his community. He also is hoping to help other departments join in the efforts in years to come.

Mish Radich

Mish feels that this is such a great cause and when people see him on the streets he can tell them about the fundraiser, bringing more attention to children cancer and Jacob’s Heart.

Noe Rocha

Noe is also proud to support his fellow officers in this fundraiser and show his community the importance of cancer awearness. He wants people to know that he is supporting Jacob’s Heart because “You never know when you will be the one that needs help”

Charles Johnson

Charles wants to support this great cause because “everyone know someone touched by cancer.”

Chris Greene

Cancer has touched several close members of his family in the past and recently. Chris has felt it important to help raise awareness for cancer and has participated for the past 3 years.

Matt Williams

Matt's father and mother-in-law are cancer survivers. He feels it is important to participate and help support the children in the community with cancer.

Burt Iles

Burt has been with the Watsonville Police Department for 20 years and felt this was a good cause to get involved with. He wanted to help families and children with cancer and the Jacob’s Heart fundraiser was a perfect fit.

Juan Bribiesca

Cancer has affected Juan’s family on his mother’s side.  He felt this fundraiser was a good way to show his support as well as inspire hope in families that are fighting the disease.

Ely Uretsky

Ely feels it important to support Jacob’s Heart and bring awareness to the organization, especially since they are funded 100% by donations. The general public can get involved too and donate at: https://www.classy.org/campaign/watsonville-beard-brigade/c135986

Javier Ayala

It is important for Javier to support his community in whatever way he can. He shared with me that he has a “soft spot” for children and when this opportunity came up he knew he would be involved. He also feels it is important to show his support for his community since he is out in the public on a regular basis. He feels this is a positive way to be viewed.

Henry Robles

“Unfortunately, cancer has touched several lives of people close to me” says Henry. “It is important for me to show my support to Jacob’s Heart by donating in hopes of assisting local families in any way possible”.

David Rodriguez

"Jacob's Heart provides invaluable support to those families going through some difficult and unfortunate circumstances. I couldn't think of a better organization to support by participating in the beard fundraiser."

Tony Figuerora

Four years ago Tony lost his father and felt this was a good way to not only keep his memory alive but to also support his community and department.

Eric Montalbo

This is Eric’s 3rd year supporting the Jacob’s Heart fundraiser and he is happy to support his fellow officers in their efforts.

Brian Rodriguez

Brian lost his grandmother to cancer and feels it important to not only support the department but to bring awareness to the cause.

Gustavo Zamora

Gustavo is doing this in support of Jacob’s Heart and his community.

Donny Thul

Donny lost his father and both grandparents on his father's side to cancer, so he feels that if he can help raise awareness about cancer in children then he is helping his community.

Jarrod Pisturino:

Jarrod is participating in this fundraiser again to help raise awearness and says its a bonus to not have to shave for a few months.

Fernando Lopez

Fernando has been with the department for 11 years and shared with me that his grandfather passed away from cancer 2 years ago. He wanted to support this cause not only because cancer has touched his family but to support his community.

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Saul Valdez

Saul remembered when Jacob’s Heart helped his family 10 years ago. Unfortunately Saul’s relative did not survive cancer but he wanted to be able to give back to the organization and this was the perfect opportunity.   

Lucca's Senior Photos

I started out the week doing a photo session with a local Harbor High School Senior. Lucca and I had been planning for the shoot in the days leading up and we had tons of great ideas. We focused on capturing his adventurous spirit in his photos so that he could share them with friends and family for years to come. We started in the studio, then moved to a local park and finally ended up in Capitola Village. A couple fun hours and hundreds of shots later, we called it a day! Here are a few of my favorites. 

Sonny Rose

This morning started off with a photo session of the most adorable little human. Meet Sonny Rose! At only 15 months she was talking up a storm and noticing everything around her. With cows and chickens looking on we had a very successful photo shoot with several outfit changes. Here are 2 of my favorites.  

New Site!

After several months without a web site, I have finally been able to take the time and gather my new work and assemble this site. There were a few behind the scene people that really encouraged me to go beyond my comfort level and buckle down and make it happen. To them, I am grateful. My hope is that I can keep my clients and friends up to date with all that I do in my day to day life as a photographer. I rarely am without my camera, and I am constantly finding the beauty around me. If I'm not photographing a wedding, a new baby, or a family, I am photographing my surroundings. This is where you will get a glimpse through my lens. Enjoy!

Refelection...

My morning view.