We are SO excited to honor Grace Bills as our July Motivating Mom of the Month! Grace has been a member of F4M Naperville for over three years and has taken almost all our classes and programs as well as been a big part of the social and family events! The minute you meet Grace, you immediately love her and her bubbly personality. She is a dedicated mom to three amazing children, a wonderful wife, fulltime working lady and still makes herself a priority. And it shows! Her Body Well results last session were FIRE and she does it all with such grace. :) We are just in awe of her poise, determination and dedication.

In addition to how hard she works in classes, Grace is such a supportive part of our village. She has the kindest soul and is always checking in with those she chats with just to make sure he/she is doing well or to follow up on a conversation from a previous class. She is especially supportive of our Body Well/Boost village. She is always the first to celebrate victories with another mama and is truly happy for them when they crush their goals.

Similarly, she can always sympathize when #momlife gets tough, often offering her own experience along with commiseration. When something is meaningful to you, it is meaningful to Grace. She is so funny, so down-to-earth, dedicated to her family, job and to her own wellness. She is always spreading the F4M Naper love with friends by inviting them to classes (yay Emily!), talking it up on social media and showing off her hard work and rockstar workouts. We are so grateful to have her in our village and on our mom team. She is truly an inspiration! Congratulations, Grace! You rock!

❤️ Your F4M Team!

Read all about Grace Here--->

Introduce us to your family!

Hi! I live in Naperville with my husband, Brent, and our 3 kids. Brynn (6) is a typical first-born - a rule follower, planner and organizer. Audrey (4) is whitty, silly, and has the best giggles. Harrison (2) gets away with too much because being the baby in the family, he can do no wrong in my eyes. Brent and I met the first night of college when I was talking to his friend and Brent was talking to my friend. After a few weeks, we did a classic switch-a-roo and the rest is history!

How long have you been a member of F4M Naperville? What made you come to your first class and which classes have you participated in?

I joined FIT4BABY when I was pregnant with Harrison in August 2019. I was hooked on the village support and knew I'd be back postpartum. I joined Body Back in January 2020 and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. F4M is the sole reason I stayed sane(ish) during the original COVID lock-down! I joined Body Back to try and make a healthy lifestyle a habit. I was adjusting to my postpartum body and realized how much I relied on food and a nightly glass of wine as stress-relievers. I think I have tried every FIT4MOM class except for Barre! I've done a 2-year combo of Body Back/Body Well/Boost plus 360, Cardio Ignite, Ignite, and Strides on Fridays in the summer.

What are your favorite things to do with your family?

I am a full-time working mom so I really cherish our quiet weekends. Especially during the summer, I'll mark a full weekend with "NO PLANS" on our calendar to keep that time safe. Those weekends are usually spent at the park, having family movie nights, long afternoons at the pool, and playing board games on our deck. Those little, unplanned, unstructured moments are my favorite as a mom.

What would you say to a mom considering joining our village?

Seriously - just do it! I was nervous to walk into a room with a bunch of moms who already were friends. During my first class, everyone was so welcoming, sincere, honest, and real. Everyone "just gets" the phase of motherhood you're going through and there's always someone who can relate to your current motherhood struggles. If you need a supportive village where you can vent about your kids driving you crazy while also celebrating your life and family successes, F4M is for you.

Also, the Moms Night Out are my highlights of each month. It's guaranteed time to step away from your responsibilities as wife and mom and let loose (sometimes really loose #trolley) with a bunch of women who are in the same phase of life as you. Everyone needs a break!

What has been your biggest gain since joining FIT4MOM Naperville?

My biggest gain has been a safe space to be myself, vent about motherhood frustrations, and celebrate all the blessings motherhood has to bring with other moms. When I joined F4M, the meditations at the end of each Body Boost class really spoke to me and I realized F4M was what I was missing in my life. They were saying everything I was thinking and validating my positive and negative thoughts of motherhood. All of my high school and college friends are now spread out throughout the country and being an introvert, making mom friends always made me incredibly nervous. F4M gave me an excuse to meet other incredible women and make amazing mom friends! Additionally, the physical benefits can't be ignored. I'm in the best shape of my life and have finally found a workout routine that I look forward to each day.

I'm so happy to have joined F4M and am very grateful for the void it's filled in my life.