Hey there! I'm Onnie (pronounced like Connie, but without the C) and I'm a
therapist, life coach, Christian, book-lover, paddle-boarder, content creator, podcaster, pianist, runner, hairstylist, beach-goer, RVer, traveler, dancer, writer, artist, organizer, planner, decorator, swimmer, painter, and so much more.
But for a long time, I couldn't see myself as anything more than a mom. For the first ten years of my marriage and being a mom (both happened pretty much concurrently), my identity was completely wrapped up in my role as a mom and everything I did was for my kids.
Unfortunately, neglecting my own needs had profound repercussions on my family. In 2011, I wanted to go try a Zumba class, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to actually go since there was so much that needed to be done and it all depended on me- laundry washed, meals prepped, lessons taught (we homeschooled), and on and on.
Over the years, I had gradually taken it upon myself to do it all and totally believed that if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done. The dishwasher? Only I knew how to load it (correctly)! The laundry? It was just easier for me to do it myself than ask for help. Frankly, I didn't even know how to ask for help because I didn't want to burden or inconvenience anyone.
As you can imagine, this had a profound effect on my mental and physical health as well as on my relationship with my husband and my children. I was exhausted and grouchy, and a control-freak. I was resentful of my husband's ability to relax and felt unappreciated and daydreamed about escaping to a deserted island where I wasn't on-call 24/7.
So now, back to the zumba class. I did the work, and I'm not talking about the dishes- I started challenging the lies I was telling myself and deal with the perfectionism, the people-pleasing behaviors, and the unrealistic expectations that kept me from doing something that was entirely just for my own enjoyment.
Moms Without Capes was born from my desire to help other super-moms prioritize their own interests, self-care, and well-being because as I discovered, it completely changed how I was showing up and as a result totally transformed my relationships.
If you're itching to know more, here are three things you may not know about me:
Fun Fact #1
I live in Montana, but I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My husband is from here, we met while we were both living in Georgia, and moved to Big Sky Country in 2009.
Fun Fact #2
Learning foreign languages has always been an interest of mine. I took Spanish, German, and French in high school and both Spanish and Italian through my college years and I studied abroad some. Sadly, I've lost the skills but I have it as a goal to relearn Italian.
Fun Fact #3
It had always been a dream of mine to learn how to surf. I finally took lessons during a vacation to La Jolla Beach a few years back. Although the ocean holds my heart, living in Montana, I have to stick to paddle-boarding as we have zero access to waves.
