My First Overnight Getaway as a New Mom—Booked on Points

I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave my baby overnight.

But I was sure I hadn’t slept in past 7 a.m. in over six months. Between the baby and the dogs, mornings at our house are... lively. The idea of a slow morning, blackout curtains, and no decisions beyond what kind of coffee to order with breakfast in bed?

That alone made this quick overnight stay feel like a dream.

✨ When the Stars Aligned...

Grandma offered to babysit.
We won Lightning tickets.
And I had a Marriott Free Night Certificate from my Bonvoy Brilliant Amex just sitting there.

We booked it—literally.

My husband and I escaped to The Tampa EDITION for a one-night, soul-recharging, cocktail-sipping, nap-inducing break.

🏨 The Stay: Free Night, Full Reset

We used a Marriott Free Night Certificate, and wow—tapping into those points for a reset felt like luxury.

This was my first night in forever without:

• A baby monitor crackling

• A dog leaping into bed

• A 6:30 a.m. baby wakeup

I soaked up every minute.

💫 What Made It Perfect

• Early check-in at 12 p.m. and late checkout at 4 p.m.
  → Basically a full 28-hour escape

• $40 resort credit used for cocktails at the stunning lobby bar
  → Order the Smoked Paloma—you won’t regret it

• Location, location, location
  → We walked to the Lightning game at Amalie Arena and were back in our robes by the final buzzer

🚶‍♀️ Steps from the Action

The EDITION’s location is unreal.
We were steps from:

• Amalie Arena

• Tampa’s Riverwalk

• Sparkman Wharf

• And tons of restaurants and rooftop bars

Bonus: The hotel’s destination fee includes roundtrip water taxi tickets, so you can explore all the waterfront spots stress-free.

🧘‍♀️ The Vibe

The Tampa EDITION is modern, sleek, and somehow buzzing yet calming all at once.

The room?
Neutral tones, moody lighting, spa-like vibes, and a faux fur throw I strongly considered smuggling home.

Between the aesthetic and the quiet, it felt like the soft reset my nervous system was craving.

💛 Why It Mattered

After months of:

• Diapers

• Late-night feedings

• Trying to figure out how to be a mom and a human...

This was the reminder I needed:
You don’t need a week-long vacation to feel human again.

Sometimes, one night is enough.

No rushing.
No bottles to prep.
No cries in the middle of the night (unless you count the opposing fans when we won).

🌿 Rooted Takeaway: Book the Staycation

Got a Marriott Free Night Certificate sitting in your account?
Use it.

Tap into those points.
Call your mom.
Order the cocktail.
Take the nap.
Sleep in—without guilt.

You deserve it.

💬 Want a packing list, staycation guide, or free night checklist?
Drop a comment or follow along on Instagram @rooted.roaming for more travel hacks and mom-life resets.

5 Therapist-Approved Coping Tools for Overstimulated Moms

Because sometimes it’s not about a spa day—it’s about surviving the moment.

I remember standing in the kitchen—baby crying, phone ringing, dogs barking—and wondering how I was supposed to hold it all together.

The noise, the touch, the never-ending demands—it was just too much.

As a licensed mental health counselor and a new mom, I’ve seen both sides:

• The clinical tools that actually work

• And the real-life chaos where they have to fit

Here’s the truth: you don’t need a full reset to feel better. You need small, doable tools that fit inside your real life.

So if you're feeling overstimulated, touched out, or just barely hanging on—these 5 therapist-approved strategies are for you.

1. 🫁 Box Breathing: A Calm Reset for a Frazzled Brain

This simple technique is used by everyone from therapists to Navy SEALs. It’s a quick way to calm your nervous system and bring your brain out of the chaos.

How to do it:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Hold again for 4 seconds
  Repeat 3–4 rounds.

🕓 Use it when: you're overwhelmed by noise, touch, or decision fatigue and need a moment to center yourself—even in the middle of the mess.

2. 🧘‍♀️ Micro-Moments of Mindfulness

No, you don’t need a 30-minute meditation app. Mindfulness can happen in 30 seconds.

Try this:

• Savor the first sip of coffee

• Watch your baby’s chest rise and fall

• Feel the warm water hit your skin in the shower

These small pauses help ground your nervous system and remind your brain that you're safe—even if your toddler is mid-tantrum.

3. 🧠 Name It to Tame It

This one's backed by neuroscience: when you name your emotion, your brain begins to regulate it.

Next time you’re maxed out, say (or write):

• “I feel touched out.”

• “I feel overstimulated.”

• “I feel mentally crowded.”

Labeling the feeling helps your brain process it—instead of spinning in it.

4. ✅ Try a "Done List" Instead of a To-Do List

Some days, the to-do list feels like a personal attack. So flip it.

At the end of the day, list what you did do—no matter how small.

Examples:

• “Fed the baby 8 times”

• “Replied to 2 emails”

• “Didn’t scream when the dog barked during nap time”

This simple shift moves you from guilt to gratitude—and reminds you that you're showing up big time.

5. 🌿 Get Outside—Even for 5 Minutes

Nature is regulation.
A few minutes outside can lower cortisol levels, clear your mind, and reset your senses.

Breathe the air. Let the sun hit your face. Touch the grass. Even if your baby’s on your hip and your coffee’s cold, it still counts.

Rooted Takeaway

Motherhood is beautiful—and so overstimulating.

Some days you’re floating.
Other days you’re drowning in noise, needs, and notifications.

These small coping tools? They’re your life rafts.
You don’t have to fix everything. You just need to give yourself care—one tiny moment at a time.

Which tool will you try first?
Tag a mama who’s feeling maxed out.
💬 You’re not alone—and you’re doing better than you think.

The One-Minute Mantra That Gets Me Through Everything

How “You can do anything for 1 minute” became my go-to tool for movement, motherhood, and mental health

Somewhere between the final set of dumbbell squats and the 3 a.m. feeding, I whisper it to myself:

You can do anything for 1 minute.

It’s become a quiet mantra in my life—a phrase that shows up when my body is shaking in a Pilates hold, when I’m overwhelmed at work, or when I’m rocking my baby back to sleep for the fourth time in one night.

And the wildest part? It actually works.

This tiny piece of self-talk has helped me push through discomfort, reset in moments of chaos, and stay grounded when everything feels like too much.

Where This Mantra Shows Up in My Life

💪 In Workouts

When my muscles burn and I want to drop the weights or collapse out of a plank—especially when my Pilates instructor is clearly trying to kill me with a 15-minute core series—I remind myself: Just one more minute. That’s all I need to stay present and push through.

🤰 During Labor

With each contraction, I focused only on that moment. I didn’t need to survive the whole labor—just the next 60 seconds. It gave me a sense of control in a situation that felt completely out of my hands.

👶 In Motherhood

Crying fits. Nap battles. Overstimulation. I can’t always fix the moment, but I can breathe through it for 60 seconds. And honestly? Sometimes that’s all it takes to shift the energy—for both of us.

🧠 In Everyday Stress

Tough meetings. Endless to-do lists. Unexpected overwhelm. Taking just one intentional minute helps me respond instead of react.

Why It Works (And It’s Not Just Fluff)

This mantra isn’t just a feel-good phrase—it’s a real grounding tool rooted in mental health strategies.

✅ It brings you into the present

You don’t have to solve the whole day. You just have to get through this minute.

✅ It breaks the “I can’t” loop

Instead of shutting down, you open up a tiny window of possibility. Just one more breath. Just one more moment.

✅ It builds nervous system resilience

Holding steady during short bursts of stress (physical or emotional) trains your brain: I can do hard things… and still be okay.

1-Minute Resets You Can Try Today

New to this mindset? Start with one of these simple, powerful shifts:

• 🧘‍♀️ Box breathing: Inhale 4 – Hold 4 – Exhale 4 – Hold 4

• 🌞 Step outside: Feel the sun or fresh air on your skin

• 🧍 Do a 60-second stretch or plank

• 🧠 Repeat a grounding mantra: “I’m doing enough. I am enough.”

• 🎧 Put on your favorite feel-good song

• 💧 Drink a full glass of water like it’s a reset button

Final Thoughts

This mantra has carried me through some of the most intense moments of my life—not because it magically made things easier, but because it reminded me that I could keep going.

One minute at a time. One breath at a time.

You can do anything for 1 minute.
And sometimes, that’s all you need.