Happy Valentine’s Day!  💗 Whether you’re sneaking love notes into lunchboxes, planning a cozy family dinner, or just treating yourself to something sweet, today is all about celebrating love in all its forms. So grab a festive treat, soak in the little moments, and let’s get into today’s stories—because love shows up in so many beautiful ways.

• Love After Kids: Keeping the Spark Alive

• Take a Breather: Easy Techniques to Calm Your Mind

• Busy But BFFs: How to Keep Mom Friendships Strong Amid the Chaos

RELATIONSHIPS

From diapers to date nights.

Let’s be honest—marriage after kids can feel less like a rom-com and more like a never-ending to-do list. Between bedtime routines, snack negotiations, and the occasional debate over who’s more tired, it’s easy for romance to take a backseat. But just because you’re in parent mode doesn’t mean your relationship has to hit autopilot. Here’s how to keep the spark alive while keeping the kids alive, too.

💌 Date Like It’s Day One – Remember the butterflies? Get them back by treating your spouse like you’re meeting for the first time. Plan a “first date” night with deep questions, surprise meet-ups, and handwritten love letters.

📵 Ditch the Social Media Fairy Tale – No, those picture-perfect Instagram couples don’t have it all figured out. Every marriage has highs and lows—so take what you see online with a grain of salt and focus on your own love story.

💖 Love the Imperfections – True love isn’t about perfection; it’s about choosing each other, flaws and all. Instead of waiting for your spouse to change, embrace them for who they are (and expect the same in return).

🗣 Talk It Out – Unspoken expectations can cause serious cracks in a marriage. If something’s on your mind, say it—with love and grace.

👤 Know Yourself First – A thriving marriage starts with self-awareness. The better you understand yourself, the more you can bring to the relationship.

💰 Face Finances as a Team – Money stress is real, but instead of fighting about it, tackle it together. Open communication and shared goals make all the difference.

🛋 Normalize Therapy – Couples therapy isn’t just for when things are falling apart. Think of it as a relationship check-up—because proactive care is always better than damage control.

Marriage after kids isn’t easy, but with intentional effort, it can be stronger than ever. ❤️

HEALTH

Just breathe.

Mom life comes at you fast—one minute, you’re sipping coffee in peace, the next, you’re mediating a meltdown over the wrong color cup. Stress is inevitable, but before you let it take over, try this: breathe.

Sounds too simple, right? But science says intentional breathing is one of the quickest ways to calm your nervous system, ease anxiety, and bring your mind back to the present. The best part? You don’t need a yoga studio or an hour of free time—just a few minutes and your own breath. Here are a few techniques to help you reset anytime, anywhere.

Stop-Breathe-Be – Feeling overwhelmed? Hit pause. Take one deep breath and focus on the present moment. It’s a three-second reset that snaps you out of “What if?” mode and into the here and now.

Belly Breathing – Babies do it naturally, but somewhere along the way, we started taking shallow, stressed-out breaths. Fix it by inhaling deeply through your belly for four seconds, then exhaling slowly. Bonus points if you do this lying down for full relaxation mode.

Cyclic Sighing – Turns out, sighing isn’t just for dramatic effect. Inhale deeply, take a second quick breath to fill your lungs, then exhale slowly. Repeat for five minutes to boost your mood and lower stress.

4-7-8 Breathing – Breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. It slows your heart rate and preps your body for relaxation—aka, perfect for bedtime.

Box Breathing – Inhale for five, hold for five, exhale for five, hold for five. Repeat five times. Navy SEAL-approved for staying cool under pressure (or, you know, when your toddler has a meltdown in Target).

AND THIS

Mom friends on read.

Texting back as a mom? That’s a 3–5 business day turnaround, minimum. Between snack refills, sibling negotiations, and the 47th request for a lost toy, even the best-intentioned messages get left on read.

But here’s the thing—real mom friends don’t take it personally. They know the silence isn’t distance, it’s just survival mode. And when you finally reconnect? No guilt, no weirdness, just mutual understanding.

So how do you keep friendships strong when life is nonstop?

• Voice Notes Are Magic – A 30-second message beats a half-written text draft that never gets sent.

• Put It on the Calendar – If you can schedule a dentist appointment, you can schedule a 10-minute FaceTime.

• Small Gestures Count – A funny meme, a “thinking of you” text, or even a surprise coffee delivery goes a long way.

Because real friendships don’t need constant maintenance—just a little intention.

TRENDING

SNIPPETS

SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE

@fayeplunkett

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