Mom Win Wednesday: Rose Lounsbury

Hi! This picture is from a family vacation we took to Mexico last winter. It was our first time taking our kids out of the country and they were travel rock stars! I chose this picture because my children are covering up most of my body in a swimsuit and it is so rare that we actually get a picture of all of us together! ?

Ha! Yes! Don’t all moms wear about a million hats? (The funny thing is I actually hate hats. Real hats, that is. I have, as my kids call them, “sticky-outy” ears which are in no way helped by hats.) ?

I run a professional organizing business called Less. I help busy mamas (and papas and business owners and anyone else!) declutter and gain some much-needed peace in their personal and professional lives. I started this business because I felt like I was going crazy after the birth of my kids, always cleaning up and never getting ahead, until a friend introduced me to minimalism. I started blogging about my personal journey toward minimalism and it eventually turned into a business!

I also recently wrote a book about minimalism, called Less, which will be out on Amazon in mid-September. You can find all the details here.

I love me some Instagram so you can check me out there too. And of course, where would we be without Facebook? (Probably interacting more with real people, that’s where! 😉 ) You can follow my Facebook page for updates about events, classes, before/after pics, and of course, you can message me and I promise to reply!

I have 8-year-old triplets: Orlando, Mercedes, and Reese. Yes, it was hard when they were younger. No, I don’t know how I did it. (Although I did start drinking more wine and that is no joke!) And hallelujah, it is much easier now! They are best friends and I love watching them play together and develop these bonds that will last them throughout their lives.

Finishing my book was a HUGE mom win for me. I’d always dreamed about writing a book, but once I had kids and a career, ya know, that dream kinda took a back seat to the more pressing need of getting everybody a snack and making sure they had clean socks. I had to hire a babysitter, dedicate my time, and just get ‘er done. This was a huge mom win for me because I like to think I can do it all – clean the house and make the dinner and take care of the kids and run the business and write the book, but you know what? To accomplish something big, you gotta let some things slide. To write my book I had to make boxed mac-n-cheese for dinner and let other people take care of my kids. And you know what? That’s okay. Boxed mac-n-cheese is delicious and my kids behave better for other people, anyway! ?

I would say right now is a mom win for me! I’m still in my pjs at 11:36 on Saturday morning and I’ve been working for two hours on my laptop on the couch while my kids happily play video games and get themselves cereal, as needed. I think a huge mom win is giving my kids the freedom to take care of themselves, even if it’s not perfect, so I can take care of myself. I like saying a big HECK NO to mom guilt because it so, so not helpful.

I had premature triplet babies and I took care of them without any family around, so girlfriend, if you’re in some trenches, I’ve been there. Here’s what I say to you: love yourself like you would love someone else. You would never judge anyone else as harshly as you’re judging you. Give yourself a big old hug and acknowledge all the awesomeness you are doing. Make a “TO DID” list instead of a “TO DO” list and realize that you are accomplishing great things every day. Because if you are raising humans, you are! ?