tropical moms | ellen fisher
name: Ellen Fisher
kids, age: Elvis (3), and one bebe in my belly due end of april
where do you live on Maui: Paia
occupation: Stay at home mom and raw food ebook seller
what are you passionate about: I am passionate about inspiring people to raise healthy vegan children, protect and heal the planet, and have compassion for the animals. I desire for all this to become the norm so that the world can be a more peaceful loving place for future generations, and be brought back to its original design by God: to thrive!
why did you choose to raise your children on Maui: My husband and I grew up in Orange County, California where the rush-hour mentality is non stop and much value is placed upon the material possession one owns. I felt a lot of social pressures growing up to look “perfect” and have really nice things. And we wanted something different for our children. When Elvis was about 1 year old, we moved to Maui for the sweet tropical fruit, the hot year-round sun, the warm, clear ocean water for our children, and the friendly ‘Aloha’ lifestyle. And my goodness do we feel blessed! We just love it here.
what is the best part about being a momma: Oh my, the BEST part? that’s so hard! So many “best” parts. But if I had to pick, for me it would be having my heart explode with love for this little being; watching him grow and learn everyday and learning from him everyday as well! And the laughter, so much laughter involved in our family with this amazing little human we share life with.
what has been challenging since becoming a momma: The challenging parts were mostly in the very beginning when we weren’t getting sleep at night because the baby wasn’t sleeping, learning how to nurse (it’s so much harder than it looks!), and the constant changing and washing of diapers. And it was challenging at first to learn that I was no longer on my own time schedule, but on baby’s time schedule. It was also challenging the first couple years to learn what Elvis needed and wanted before he could express it clearly to us through words.
what’s your favorite thing to do as a family: Family beach days and making dinner together. Da best!
how did being a mom change you: Being a mom taught me to not sweat the small stuff so much!
what are your favorite forms of self-care: Getting lots of sleep, drinking lots of water, and of course eating a healthful raw-fruits-and-veggie-abundance vegan diet. I also consider taking care of my mental health as self care, so I make sure to surround myself with uplifting, loving people and stay away from things that cause me stress.
how do you balance your passions and motherhood? any tips for time management?: That’s a good question as it is something I have to be aware of all the time. Balancing family life and my passions for work takes effort for sure. I choose to balance my life by creating awareness in the importance of quality time with my family. Sometimes there are days when I’m thinking in the back of my head “ok, I have two different YouTube videos I want to work on, a blog post I need to edit, and 30 emails I need to answer”, but the sun is shining and my boys want to play! So often those “to do” tasks (that I love doing by the way) have to wait an extra day or two so that I can experience life with my husband and son in a relaxing and loving environment. There are other ways I show my love to my boys, but quality time is especially important for my husband, so that takes first priority. In regards to tips for time management, I use my “notes” section of my iPhone to write down all the tasks I want to get done for the week. I use Elvis’ nap time to get stuff done and about once or twice a week I ask my husband to take Elvis somewhere so I can stay home and be really productive. Once I get the house to myself for a few hours I can get a lot done!
advice to the moms and future moms: Raise your children in the way that instinctually feels right and loving for you. There is no need to follow along with the crowd’s general opinion on how to parent if it doesn’t feel right. Your love, attentiveness and instincts will guide you to be the best mamma your child needs. And I also love reading informative parenting books that align with my parenting style for inspiration and further learning!
learn more about ellen fisher & mango island mama:
Website: www.mangoislandmamma.com
Ebook: www.mangoislandmamma.com/shop
Instagram: @ellenfisher
YouTube: www.youtube.com/mangoislandmamma1
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