You don’t know busy until you’ve had a child, but that doesn’t mean self-care should be struck from your vocabulary. Easier said than done? For sure.

Setting boundaries and having a game-plan are key — or so we hear from mama and wellness blogger, Jeannette Ogden of Shut The Kale Up. Jeannette has found an audience with young moms who live on the ‘gram and it has everything to do with these kinds of practical, simple tips that make wellness and self-care seems like second nature. Let us know a few of your own tricks in the comments below…

Being a first-time mama and wanting to stay active as well as show myself some love is quite the challenge nowadays. Before my babe, everything was me, me, husband and now it’s more like baby, baby, husband… and maybe me? I love my role as a mama but we all need balance and self care. That may mean so many different things but for me, self care means:

the gym sneak. My workout schedule is early in the morning before my boys are awake. I sneak away for an hour and when I get back, its full mom/wife mode. Make the time there extra-meaningful with a pre-workout power smoothie.

Hit the showers. Or a bath. Yes, the latter is a treat that doesn’t happen too often with my 14 month old, but taking a few minutes for a hot soak seriously reduces stress.

Meal Prep + Chill. Find alone time in the kitchen to meal prep. I’m a huge snacker and like to stay on top of it. I make sure I have the basics, like protein (roasted chicken, turkey, salmon, eggs and grass-fed pasture-raised meats),  carbs (baked sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice and bulgur), veggies (all seasonal roasted or steamed veggies) and fats (lots and lots of avocados and coconut meat). I love to make these things ahead of time so when the hunger strikes and I can’t get in the kitchen to make things, it’s all ready to go in the fridge. It makes eating real food so easy!

Call The Girls. A simple friend-date for an ayurvedic latte at my favorite spot, Cafe Gratitude, is quite relaxing. Stopping for a mani-pedi doesn’t hurt either.

Build Rituals. Quiet time with my favorite Cocokind skincare chlorella face mask with a good read. I usually go on my favorite blogs and read up on what’s new.

Fuel The Spark. Last, but certainly not least, a date night with my husband. It’s extremely important for us to keep dating – keeping the “new relationship spark” regardless of the years we’ve had together. It can be a simple date night in with take-out or a night out at one of our favorite restaurants, just enjoying one another.