My name is Mariann Voller. I’m a mommy to two sweet boys, 6 and 4, and married to a wonderful man for 7 years, but we just celebrated 19 years together! Motherhood has been an amazing whirlwind of a ride so far! Both my boys came into this world via emergency c-sections, we are blessed to be alive! I can honestly say I now know the true meaning of love at first sight. Our family also consists of some furry ones -- we have six dogs, four of them rescues, which is also a humbling experience. So much unconditional love from these sweet animals! We enjoy the outdoors, simple walks to camping, off-roading, going to the lake and well, pretty much doing everything together.
Of course, no path is easy, and neither was mine. Having to recover from C-sections and during my pregnancy, I injured my knees. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do surgery while pregnant, so I had to tough it up and wait. Which caused more damage, so I had 2 wild years of surgeries and recovery. Was only allowed to go on walks, even that was a chore initially... which is when I came across Bellabeat and Leaf Nature! So... I saved and splurged and immediately fell in love! Gorgeous; never a day I didn’t wear it... but then came our day at the zoo. Towards the end of the day, I realized my Leaf had fallen off my shirt. It must’ve been knocked off with me constantly picking up my kiddos to see -- I was devastated! We searched for it and kept checking with lost 'n' found. But no luck. I even mentioned it on my social media, because I truly missed my leaf! Which led me to a huge surprise! Someone from Bellabeat answered and offered me a discount code to buy a replacement one -- wow! Talk about customer service going above and beyond! So now, I have a Leaf Urban and I love it just as much and feel great knowing it comes from such a caring company. I’m back to being accountable and continuing my recovery!
BELLABEAT: How has your life changed?
My life has changed for the better. The biggest change was the decision to put my career on hold and work from full-time, to barely part-time! But it was all worth it for me. Definitely, the biggest change in living my daily life has been that it’s not all about me anymore. Waking up, sleeping in, or even just showering when I want to has not been a priority since now mornings consist of making sure everyone is taken care of! 
BELLABEAT: How do you find balance?
Personally, finding balance after becoming a mom was challenging, especially in the beginning! But mostly because I didn’t want to be away from my babies; I didn’t want to miss a single moment. Now that they are four and six, my eldest started kindergarten this year, it seems easier. And while I still don’t want to miss any big moments, I do make time to see my friends once in a while for girly things, especially since I’m in a house full of boys! My hubby gifted me an awesome new gym membership to one that opened by my house, so that is definitely a big me time! Not only to keep improving my mobility and recovery for my knees, but also for my overall health! The biggest adaptation was going grocery shopping and trying to keep the house clean while having two little ones in tow! Ha-ha! Things may take longer now, but they love participating and helping, so now when I find myself alone doing errands, it seems odd!
BELLABEAT: What advice would you give?
My advice is to really not sweat the small stuff! Enjoy every moment, because time really does go by fast. And for the new moms, don’t be shy and accept the help when people offer to bring you home cooked meals, or even tidy up your place! That initial lack of sleep with a newborn was quite a shocker for me, along with the recovery from my c-sections. While I was used to being a totally independent woman, motherhood taught me to welcome the help my loved ones offered.