As a wife and mom of five, digital creator Sara Funk knows firsthand the beautiful chaos that comes with motherhood. Between snack requests, endless to do lists and trying to keep everyone alive, it’s easy to feel stretched thin. But once she realized that raising a healthy, connected family doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, she began to share her secrets with other moms, helping them to eat well, live well and mom well.
Q&A with Sara Funk
How do you define your motto – mom life done well?
My motto, “I only live for today,” became my reality after having my twins, the last two of my five kids in 2020. It helped me realize I can only focus on today and shifted my focus on to three pillars—family, spirituality and wellness. So basically, every day I try to balance all three pillars as it truly helps me show up as my best self.
How do you raise a healthy connected family without the overwhelm?
It comes down to simple schedules, mealtime and intentional family time. Even with a big family, we try to limit one activity per child because I’ve learned that too many commitments just lead to chaos. Family meals are a top priority for us, and we do everything we can to avoid activities that interfere with dinnertime as much as possible. The moment I realized that protecting mealtime could keep our family’s peace, everything changed.
Any tips for moms who want to make healthy eating changes in their child’s life but don’t know where to start?
It all starts with mom. We set the example, but that only works if our own habits are dialed in. My family is an extension of my lifestyle, but that took years to develop. Research shows kids eat better when they see their parents enjoying real, wholesome foods. But it’s not just about what we eat—it’s how we talk about it. I keep it about education and connection, not fear or restriction. That’s why I hold family meetings to explain why we’re making changes—because when everyone understands the why, it stops being just a “mom thing” and becomes a family lifestyle. For the mom wanting to make changes: Start small, focus on quality over quantity and skip the processed stuff.
Fast Talk with Sara Funk
Your neighborhood:
South Suburbs
Your to go coffee order:
Our family coffee shop Mud & Char in Downers Grove serves my favorite – Iced Doppio with a Splash of Half n Half.
Your favorite place to eat out with your family?
Vietnamese places, Krafted Burger Bar or Capri Italian
Cubs or Sox?
Go Cubs Go!
Your secret obsession:
Garage sales – I don’t know what it is about people’s junk that absolutely fascinates me.
Your personal saying:
I have two sayings I remind myself of daily: “Everything I need, I already have” and “Everything always works out for me.” It has truly changed my life and rewired my brain as to how I see things.
If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?
Sure, if I knew what I know now back when I first started as a parent, I’d change a few things but present-day life – nothing. I prayed for this. I didn’t know it would be this messy, bursting with love at the seams and incredibly challenging. But nonetheless, I prayed for it. And I got an even better version, thanks to God.
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