Current Craft/Gig/Work: Stay-At-Home Mum and Raw Food eBook Seller
Number of Children and Ages: Elvis, 3 years old and one babe on the way
One word that best describes how you live: Tropical
Current Mobile Device: iPhone
Current Computer: iMac Desktop
What is the first thing you do or think of when you wake up in the morning?
Walk us through your first hour of the day…
What’s your ‘place of work’ set up look like?
What’s your favorite way to stay organized?
If you were low energy before, what was the biggest change you made to have more energy?
Switching to a high carbohydrate WHOLE foods vegan and mostly raw diet.
A gorgeous green smoothie.
What’s your best energy-saving shortcut or life hack?
What is your favorite go-to meal?
How do you stay fit?
Baby Beach, Paia, Hawaii
What is your night time/sleep routine?
What are you currently reading? Or watching?
What apps or software can you not live without?
What is something that you happen to excel at, when it comes to parenting?
I will say that I’m pretty good at putting myself in my son’s shoes. I’m pretty good at understanding WHY he is feeling the way he is feeling when he is upset, or sad, or frustrated. So this helps me be good at responding to his needs and helping him work through his emotions. I’m pretty good at staying calm and talking to him respectfully because of this ability. And this way of talking to him respectfully makes it easier for him to understand WHY he can’t do certain things he wants to do, and WHY he needs to do certain things he doesn’t want to do etc. My favorite books on this subject are “How Children Learn” and “How Children Fail” by John Holt.
What is the best life advice you have ever received about being a parent?
Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask your mom or best friend to help you with your children so you can go take a shower and eat a meal (this is especially for when your children are little babies). It really does “take a village to raise a child”. The key is to have a network of people you trust and love that you know have your child’s best interest at heart. There aren’t many people my husband and I trust to leave our child alone with (mainly our parents, my sister, and a few really close friends), but having this support is SO helpful not only for your child, but also your own sanity. Children need so much love, care and attention but we must first take care of ourselves so that we are able to give them this amount of love and care they need. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how will we take care of our children? Eating right, getting enough sleep, getting time for yourself to recuperate, and getting quality alone time with your partner to enrich your relationship are some of the key factors that will help you feel your best so that you can be the best parent you can be. When one is sick, feels exhausted, run down, agitated, or even has poor digestion, it becomes A LOT harder to be your best version of yourself. And when you don’t get quality time with your partner, your relationship suffers, which makes positive gentle parenting a lot harder. When Elvis was a really little baby, I remember times where I wasn’t properly fed, had lack of sleep and quite simply hadn’t taken a shower in a few days and just felt dirty. I was cranky and wasn’t as patient with Elvis’ needs as I could have been if I were taking care of myself. But then, if my husband was at work, I would call my mom to come over to make me food and hold Elvis for me so I could take a shower and a nap. And oh my, It was like I was a new woman. I could breath again and felt rejuvenated after giving my body what it needed. Also, I am so grateful to have a partner that takes such amazing care of me and my child. The minute he gets home from work he is hugging and playing Elvis and giving him all the attention he needs, giving me a break if needed. And when Elvis was a brand new babe, I remember Andrew busting through the door ready to make me whatever food I wanted, change Elvis’ diaper and take him off my hands for a bit so I could relax. What a blessing!
Ellen and Loni in the jungle with their boys.
Fill In The Blank: I’d love to see __________ answer these same questions.
My best friend Cissy Lala.
The How I Live series asks athletes, heroes, experts, and flat-out high energy parents to share their diets, shortcuts, workspaces, routines, and more. Every week we’ll feature a new parent and the recipes, habits, tips, and insights that keep them thriving. Know someone that you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask? Let us know.
Main photo taken by Loni Jane, credit to Ellen Fisher’s Instagram @ellenfisher
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