Maria Viall Holistic Health

First family camping trip in the books!

I promised I’d share the progress of the sun spot I have been using Serum 2 and The Cream moisturizer on. This sun spot has been with me since I went to Thailand when I was 27 years old (15 years). It would get darker in the summer and lighten up a bit in the winter but I always would put concealer on it whenever I would go somewhere. This is after using Serum 2 and The Cream for 2 and a half months. I still have over half of each product left and am just thrilled with the results so far considering I have not been shying away from the sun at all and only use The Cream as my day time sun screen.

Not just on the sun spot but on my overall complexion, pigmentation and texture of my skin.

I am a forever customer of this incredible line. The most potent, highest ORAC value of any skin are out there. Many have commented on the price, but I have to say the results speak for themselves and the product lasts well over three months.

Use code: MariaV20 at check out for 30% off your entire order. Can only use once per email account.

Choosing rest over productivity is the ultimate act of self love for a mother, especially in the arms of your bébé.❤️

This is for the moms out there that feel overwhelmed at the thought of being social or going out with anyone other than their spouse.
Since having Nico, I have found myself really struggling to get the mental and emotional energy to organize all the things that it takes to actually go.
Invites would come and go due to this feeling of overwhelm. Timing all of the moving pieces on top of figuring out how to get ready just overwhelmed every opportunity.
this week I thought against it, and even though the same anxiety started to show up right before leaving, I allowed myself space to feel it and move through it.
Simple steps got me out the door, along with my current sidekick for an intimate celebration with some amazing women.
To say my cup was filled is an incredible understatement! A night filled with conversation, belly laughter, incredible food and most of all connection with other women lasted much later than I told myself I would last. No one wanted to leave.
I felt a different kind of beautiful that I haven’t felt in awhile. It was anchored in feminine wisdom, strength and softness all at the same time.
The lesson from it all was how much us women require connection and life, particularly motherhood, was never meant to be done solo.
That one evening brought me back into my body, lit me up and made me noticeably more engaged with life back home. Women need other women.
If you don’t have them. Actively find them. Curate the women you surround yourself with. Let them inspire you, support you, challenge you but most importantly, let them hold you. 💕

Motherhood lately. A beautiful dance between having so much to do and surrendering to moments of not being able to do anything.

The sandwich between two sleeping babes is one of my favorites and yet most challenging moments as it requires complete acceptance and presence. Dare you get too restless and wake a sleeping babe.

Anyone else remember the childhood song where you picked a dandelion and sang “mama had a baby and her head popped off” and then proceeded to pop the dandelion flower off the stem?

Today, I fully comprehend what that was about. Perhaps a child’s interpretation of their mom’s postpartum angst. Bottlenecked pressure until they explode.

I felt like that dandelion this morning. With a 4 month old asking me to slow down and a five year old needing me to keep up. I felt like a soda bottle ready to explode and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t many times.

It took what felt like forever to get out of the house for a simple walk to our neighborhood park. We had to stop before getting to the playground so I could nurse Nico. Thankfully our park lets the dandelions and other beautiful plants grow so we could sit under a tree, nurse and make dandelion crowns.

Immediately, my nervous system calmed down. And I’m not exaggerating when I say this.

Perhaps we all needed to just sit on the earth and take a beat amongst the dandelions.

Feels so good to have that morning coffee and breakfast on the back deck again. ☀️ ☀️ 😊

So much fluffiness in one photo. 💕

Slowing down. Like really slowing down is something I struggle with. Not feeling productive, proactive etc. Comparing my efforts to others or my past track of accomplishments. I think most can relate to this feeling.

I didn’t surrender to it after I had Avi. In fact, I did the opposite and allowed my mind, conditioned beliefs and societal pressure to return to “life as usual” to rob me from the much needed space for rest and recovery after birthing a child.

I fought that motherly intuition by justifying I could and inevitably should be able to “bounce back”.

This time I decided to do it differently. To really allow time to rest, invite the art of not doing, not comparing or judging the pace at which we move through life right now. Knowing this is just a very small moment in time.

There will be plenty of “getting done” in our future but this sacred time of nesting, bonding and inviting in all that has shifted in our lives has a fragile time stamp.

This time of the year can be challenging with the bleak skies and somber weather patterns. However, I think it has actually served us well in this hibernation mode.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d gladly take a little more sunshine…☺️ 🌞🌞🌞.

Our take on pregnancy photos. 😂

Another Thursday with Phyllis filled with holiday treats and crossword puzzles.
My grandmother has a deep love for all things peanut butter and chocolate so we made her homemade chocolate peanut butter cups. Now if we can just find a place that sells Spanish peanuts…they are her favorite.

These moments with Phyllis are always a reminder at how little effort it takes to make someone’s day. Gestures don’t need to be grandiose or expensive. They usually don’t even take a lot of time.
However, to the person you are taking your time out for by simply letting them know you are thinking of them, the impact has immeasurable effects.