“Get yourself a snack” and other sage advice for making it through the day from Instagram sensation Caitlin Murray (aka Big Time Adulting)
Motherhood requires the ultimate “two things can be true once” mindset. You’d starve in order to feed your children, but just thinking of making dinner again makes you want to hide in a closet. You’d move heaven and earth to make your precious angels happy but if they scream from the backseat one more time, you’re going to start fantasizing about Ursula’s powers of voice removal. You love them with a fire so intense it could launch rockets into space and just thinking of them being far away could bring you to heaving sobs, but if they don’t stop touching you and fall asleep in three minutes you’re going to lose your ever-loving mind.
It’s this universal experience–and her right-there-with-you commentary– that has made Caitlin Murray (aka Instagram’s @BigTimeAdulting) a social media sensation. From relatable (and profanity-peppered) pleas to her toddler to just eat, to rants directed at health and wellness experts who suggest we need more sleep (“We don’t have insomnia. We have KIDS,” she offers), her lens on motherhood is hilarious and refreshing. “Any time you have the ability to like laugh at yourself or laugh at the craziness–it really changes your mindset,” says Murray on a recent episode of the Motherly Podcast.
But more than just calling out the absurdity of all things mom-related, Murray, who has three kids, ages 5, 8 and 10, has become a real cheerleader to fellow mamas in the trenches. Her regular parting words of “Get yourself a snack” are a reminder to take care of ourselves in the midst of caring for everyone else. Her epic dance breaks that accompany mom-to-mom pep talks which may or may not make you laugh through tears have no doubt helped bring back thousands of burnt out, touched out, stressed out women from the brink of a full-on breakdown.
Personally, my kids are 12 and 18 and I can say for certain she’s exactly who I would have needed in the days of unrelenting care. (Also, can’t wait for her thoughts on raising tweens and teens because if I’m being honest, some days I’d LOVE to trade one of mine for a tantruming toddler. For a few minutes anyway.)
In addition to having her on this week’s Motherly Podcast, we asked Murray a few questions to get her thoughts on how to make this gig just a little bit lighter, a little bit funnier, and maybe even a little easier.
Your dance parties are totally epic. What is one song that never fails to help get the frustrations/stress of parenting out?
Thank you! I switch up my song choices a lot and tend to go on kicks with certain songs for a couple of weeks. When I’m feeling stressed out I love an upbeat song that kinda makes me chuckle at the same time. Been digging “Burning Love” by the King, Elvis, a lot these days. Always gets me going and makes me happy.
Where did your “get yourself a snack” tagline come from?
My dad. He will sometimes out of nowhere say, “how about a goddamn snack?” and I love it. I think it translates so well to mom life in particular, though. Moms are always taking care of everyone else and it’s kind of a metaphor for taking a breath and taking care of yourself a little bit, too.
What words of wisdom would you offer a fellow mom in the trenches who’s feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated and totally unqualified for this absolutely insane job we’ve tasked ourselves with?
GET YOURSELF A SNACK! Just kidding…kind of. I would tell her that she is not alone. That every single one of us have moments of that feeling every single day in motherhood, but that I truly believe that the absolute best mom a kid could have, is you.
What is one product you can’t live without in your daily routine?
Caffeine, preferably in the form of hot coffee, but I will take it any way I can get it – tea, matcha, intravenously, vape, you name it.
Could you share a recent product discovery that has made a significant impact on your life?
Electrolytes. I drink a Cure Hydration packet literally every single day because I love to work out and I am always hustling around and I truly need that enhanced hydration. I think every mom should be drinking electrolytes.
As a mom, what’s one product that has made your life significantly easier?
Leggings with pockets! I hate carrying a purse around, love to be hands-free, so I have a card holder on the back of my phone and, since 50% of the day I am usually in leggings, I love to have a pocket on there to keep my phone. Game changer.
Some of Motherly's favorite picks
Is there a particular toy, book, or game that your children absolutely adore?
Magna-Tiles. All of my kids have really loved building with Magna-Tiles and I love them even more because they are super easy to clean up and store.
Want more from Caitlin? Check out this week’s episode of The Motherly Podcast!
