If you're in Austin and looking to cut down on alcohol, I highly recommend this upcoming event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-booze-fest-tickets-1069940363429

Great way to find community & encourgement!

@MomismynameO

I love this question! As someone who completely cut out alcohol in November 2023, I’ve spent alot of time thinking about this question… because quitting drinking wasn’t linear! I was sober curious well before I entirely cut it out.

I was numbing out with alcohol and it was fueling my anxiety. So 10/10 recommend quitting and the best things I did when quitting was:

1. Books & podcasts really helped me, like the book “Not Drinking Tonight” // it’s wild to think I always thought I was the only one with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol… but so many of us do. Another resource is the IG account: @ASoberGirlsGuide

2. Found accountability and told people. There’s a reason why formal programs like AA work, but to make a change that’s so big that society and culture normalizes, you need community! If you’re in Austin, some amazing community resources include: @SoberClairity and @SoberandFunky

3. Set myself up for success with NA products. I bought NA wines and beers and spirits so I could BYOB to parties or have something on hand. The ritual of drinking is the biggest thing for me. And sometimes Topo Chico in a wine glass doesn’t cut it. If you’re in Austin, I recommend following these two sober bars and bottle shops for resources: @DearDryDrinkery and @Sans_Bar

4. Be prepared to FEEL. When you aren’t numbing, you feel everything deeper. The highs and the lows. So give yourself grace and realize that a lot of quitting alcohol is actually setting up boundaries and that’s some hard work!

2024 was a great year for books for me!

RomCom:

• Good Material by Dolly Alderton
• Magnolia Parks series (basically British Gossip Girl)
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• This Summer Will Be Different
• The Love Hypothesis (if you like YA)

Science/Psychological:

• Project Hail Mary
• Dark Matter

Historical Fiction:

• Husbands and Lovers
• The Frozen River
• The Women

Fictional:

• All The Colors Of The Dark
• Tom Lake do audiobook

Nonfiction/Autobiography:

• The Third Gilmore Girl (Kelly Bishop)
• From Here to the Great Unknown (Lisa Marie Presley)
• One In a Millenial (Kate Kennedy)

Classics/Oldies I Finally Read:

• The Harry Potter series! I've never read or seen the movies and honestly I LOVED enjoying the magic

• LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask
• A Polaroid camera
• BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask
• SOJOS Retro Oval Sunglasses
• AquaBliss High Output Revitalizing Shower Filter (AMAZING; CHANGES YOUR HAIR AND SKIN BY GETTING FILTERED, BETTER WATER TO YOU BEFORE YOU APPLY SKINCARE :)!!!)

This is SUCH a struggle because I was never taught about my hormones! And now at 34 I am learning about my own body!

I wanted to share with the Mombrain community an upcoming event in Austin on Friday, May 17th at Vintage Book Store about this topic!

There's a woman named Bailey who wrote a book and is on a mission to give girls a better foundation by providing hormone education early!

She'll be selling copies of her books + hosting a discussion about this topic but she also does 1:1 coaching!

Register for the event here: https://lu.ma/8j1t8ssn?tk=bsiriF

Would LOVE any tips on things you wished you would have done differently / things that you recommend navigating this new world of dating someone with kids!

Anything and everything Kristin Hannah for good historical fiction! The Women is AMAZING.

I like Factor alot; and Hello Fresh + Blue Apron also have ready-made meals now too so you don't have to cook and prepare them! And they are ALWAYS offering discounts so that meals become roughly $6 a meal!

However, I tend to get alot of pasta from these options haha so definitely pick your meals!

I LOVE Embody by Jonathan Van Ness // https://jvnhair.com/products/embody-volumizing-shampoo

I truly wash my hair once a week because it's so great! I just double wash it the day I wash it with this JVN, affordable shampoo and conditioner!

I LOVE doing flying to London (4 days), taking the Eurostar to Paris (3 days), train from Paris to Amsterdam (3 days)! This would be a perfect 10 day trip in my opinion

Also, Bruges Belgium is one of the cutest storybook + medieval places!

However, Ireland is one of my favorite countries ever and could have rented a car and driven all around Ireland for 10 days and never run out of things to do!

For kiddos, Blue Lizard - https://bluelizardsunscreen.com/

I LOVE this question! Here are some ideas:

• cooking class at HEB
• acting/improv classes
• Escape room
• Swift Fit Events does alot of monthly Austin events without alcohol: https://www.swiftfitevents.com/community-events#calender
• Spa day
• Pickleball
• Master Pancake movies (comedy shot at Alamo Drafthouse in Austin): https://drafthouse.com/movies/master-pancake
• Austin FC games
• Pottery class: https://thecontemporaryaustin.org/courses/ceramics-beginning-and-beyond/
• dance lessons: https://www.esquinatango.org/
• TopGolf

I am also wellversed in the Non-Alcoholic world and there are SO many options now! It's never been easier to NOT drink alcohol. One of my favorites in Austin is Dear Dry Drinkery, https://www.deardrydrinkery.com/ - which is a non-alcoholic bottleshop!