Of course I wanted Charlotte’s First Birthday to be beautiful and special, but we are a single income family and her birthday is 2 weeks after Christmas. Budgeting was a must! I didn’t want to skip on decorations or the … Continue reading
The theme was Winter ONEderland and let me tell you the weather fulfilled that perfectly. It snowed all day, which left many of the guests unable to attend the party, but since everything was bought and ready, the show went … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is the onset of many different things from crazy Christmas shopping to cooler weather, but most importantly it is the start of the holiday season. It’s time for giving and spreading joy. Everyone personifies this in different ways and … Continue reading
I completely realize that it has been a while since I have posted anything, and for that I apologize. Life has been crazy and hectic lately, and therefore this little blog space of mine has fallen to the bottom of my pile. Well I am going to start putting myself and therefore this corner of the internet of mine back towards to the top. In a nutshell here has what’s been going on:
We Moved!
Enough said with a 9 month old, right? But seriously it was tough and took us nearly 2 weeks to get all of our stuff moved over to our new place (but of course not everything is unpacked yet).
I’m Student Teaching!
I am having an absolute blast but oh man am I busy with all sorts of different things related to this. On top of being in a middle school I still have university classes, with all kinds of homework. Needless to say I no longer know what “free time” is.
We are trying to make time for fun family memories.
This is after all Charlotte’s first year and with Fall being my favorite time year there is so much I want to experience with her. We went to the Pumpkin Patch, Trick or Treated for Halloween, and have gone on plenty of cool Autumn strolls plus she loves playing with the leaves.
Just these three things have kept me incredibly busy and honestly a lot of the time these days I feel like I am going to lose my mind. I’m learning to keep it all together some how and I’ve learned some survival techniques along the way. Mostly I’ve realized that perfection across all aspects of my life is just not going to happen. Letting go of those small details, that don’t matter in the bigger picture is crucial. Learning to say and to prioritize the things that really matter is difficult in all honestly but since I do value sleep I have learned to do these two things much better!
My apartment isn’t as clean as I would like, dinners aren’t culinary masterpieces, and the laundry piles up but at the end of the day I just want to spend time with my daughter, have a successful outcome from student teaching, and to be with my husband. Nothing else matters more than these 3 things. Some days I need constant reminders but its getting easier each day.
What do you do to get through those hectic stages in life?
Well I have spent the last 3 weeks student teaching 3 days a week on top of being a mom, wife, and taking care of household chores, and I am feeling a bit (okay very) overwhelmed. Now Monday the fun begins.
Monday my university coursework officially begins, which means I will be gone 5 days a week 40 hours (plus an evening class), with homework and assignments.
My question to all of you amazing women is what is your trick to balancing it all?
I realize that I am going to have to let go of some of the housework, which means the cleanliness level is going to decline a bit. I just honestly don’t know how I’m going to handle that because having things neat and organized is what keeps peace in my life. It keeps my stress level a little lower, and just generally makes me happy.
Asking for help seems to be the most common advice I seem to get from people, and honestly it is probably the hardest for me to follow. I HATE asking others for help. In my mind I want to still be the same kind of mom and wife that I am now, before returning to school (and eventually working). I want to make dinner, do my family’s laundry, etc, and I totally realize that this is old fashioned. Doing these things for my family is a sort of validation for me. I feel like a better mom to my daughter when I do her laundry, prep her food/bottles, and put her to bed. I feel like a better wife when I do my husband’s laundry, clean, and make meals. None of these things are true to anyone around me, but they hold true for me.
I’m trying desperately to mentally prepare myself to ask for help.
I’m trying to let go of the need for perfection (or at least close to it) around the house.
I’m trying to keep my priorities in order.
But these things are all a lot harder than I ever thought they would be.
Please give me all the advice or words of wisdom you have Mommas!
Love Always,
Sam
Alright so at the start of summer I made a bucket list for our family, but we have had a crazy summer so we didn’t get to everything. I’m just going to add those to next summer and get ready for my FAVORITE time of year…
Again this is the first Fall with our little girl and she, and since she is now 8 months old our options for activities are growing! Here’s what I hope to do before the winter and the “Christmas Season” sets in.
What do you all have planned for this wonderful time of year?
Love Always,
Sam
Well all I survived my first week student teaching (granted this was the week before students start so wish me luck next week). Overall I have to admit that I do not know how I ever survived without Old Navy pants in my life! They are literally my new best friend and the comfiest, stretchi-est professional pant. Plus they have the greatest patterns!
Here is a round up of this past week’s looks (I am only required to be there 3 days per week which is why there are only 3 looks).
My biggest goal for getting dressed was to look professional, but I also want to always portray my personality through my clothes. As a student teacher, in all honestly, besides wanting to learn everything I possibly can, I want a job at the end of this process. Dressing with personality is just another way for me to be memorable. Plus, I always feel the most confident when I feel good in what I’m wearing.
Let me know what you lovelies think, and have a wonderful weekend!
Love Always,
Sam
Don’t get me wrong I do love summer with warm weather comes a lot of fun adventures. We’ve enjoyed the beach, swimming at the lake, and splash pads, but you guys I’m OVER the heat. Let’s be real I’m really over having to shave every. single. day. I mean come on where did the pants weather go?
So to get me (and hopefully all of you) in the mood for my favorite time of year here’s a round up of my favorite fall outfits from my Instagram page.
Here’s to hoping Fall will arrive soon! Happy Fashion Friday Lovelies!
We made our first trip out the coast this past weekend, and boy did my little girl LOVE the sand! She was completely obsessed with it and wanted nothing more than to play and sit in it. This trip was … Continue reading
I was given these products in return for a post, however all of the opinions states are entirely my own. I do not work with brands that I don’t believe in and love.
We’re moms, so when in doubt we all put on a T-shirt when getting dressed. Plus let’s all face it we always have that one favorite one that is washed to soft perfection, it fits just right, and in our own opinion is super cute. Chances are your favorite go-to is no ordinary t-shirt but instead a graphic tee (I know mine is). Besides the obvious jeans and t-shirt combination (which by the way never fails). There are so many fun ways to style this closet staple.
My favorite graphic tee happens to be from the fabulous Tara Lynn’s Boutique. You know how I said that our favorite is washed to perfectly soft wonderful-ness, well this one comes that way brand new. Um, score! Plus I’m a new mom so I love proudly stating my new #mamabear (click on link for this exact tee) status.
Here are my favorite ways to style my tee.
Anyway for me to wear my most favorite jean shorts (thred up find) and still look relatively stylish is a serious win in my book.
This gorgeous midi skirt (it comes in black and white too) is also another piece from Tara Lynn’s Boutique and I am in LOVE. Basically any pattern, color scheme or length would work with this basic concept. It’s a fun way to dress up this casual tee.
There are countless options and these are just for spring/summer. Stay tuned in a few weeks and I’ll show how to take this basic tee into fall.
Here are a couple other fun outfit ideas to get your creative, style juices flowin.
What’s your favorite way to wear a graphic tee?
Love Always,
Sam
Because we’re all recovering from something.
Musings from a new mom
Centered, Soulful Motherhood
Upon a Lovely Little Life 