Monday, May 14, 2018

For Mae



For Mae,
We call you Mae, but technically, we don't know if you were a girl or not. We never got that chance to meet you, to know you, or to name you correctly. But the day we lost you, I told your dad "let's call her Mae."
I don't know why, but naming you was important to me. Maybe it was because I never got a chance to do much for you. In fact, the only other thing I did for you was I bought you a onesie. That was it. Again, I never got the chance for anything else.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Four Adjustments I Had to Make to Go Back to Work


Well, I've been back to work for three weeks now. We've had a few bumps in the road my toddler and I. And I guess my husband and I have also had a few bumps in the road.
Being a stay-at-home mom/wife meant I was doing a lot of things that I wouldn't normally do as a working mom/wife... like chores. I was the primary workhorse in the house and now that I was working outside of the house, it meant splitting up the chores more evenly between my husband and me. But I learned quickly that there were many more adjustments I had to make in order to be successful in my working journey.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

A New Journey: Going Back to Work


The past two weeks have been a whirlwind... a stressful whirlwind at that. And a whirlwind of emotions. It’s been wild, to simplify. My husband and I had many hours of talk, and we decided I would go back to work.

When I started staying home, it made sense at that time. We were moving from one state to another with an 18-month-old. He had received a job offer, and even though I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to quit working, we both knew that it would be easier for me to stay home with our boy at first (or at least until I had decided what I wanted to do). Financially, it worked, it was tight, but we were able to survive and still have money for savings or fun. 

I’m glad I didn’t go back to work at that time because we ended up moving to Colorado after only being in New York for a few months. And again, it just made sense to stay home with our boy until we got settled AND until I decided what I wanted to do.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Things I Crave: Spring Florals

 

This is the first Things I Crave post! I wanted to share with my readers awesome things I have found in the world. I will do a Things I Crave post at least once a month.
The "things" will range from products, music, TV shows or even things I find when I'm out & about in the world. I thought this would also be a great way to highlight great products, especially from small crafters selling their homemade goods.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

5 Little-Known Ways to Relax


Ugh! Life can be overwhelming & stressful. Add in responsibilities... job, wife, mother, dishes, food... and it can be too much sometimes.

Everyone has heard of meditation, hot showers, petting zoos and more to relax. Today I'd like to share 5 Little-Known Ways to Relax. They work for me, and I know they will work for you too.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

10 Offbeat Romantic Movies to Watch on Valentine's Day


I love movies. And often, I love the weird, offbeat movies more than anything. So I decided to share a list of romantic movies that doesn't include The Notebook (I'm not judging if you like The Notebook, it's just not for me).
This list is perfect for helping you decide on a great movie to see with your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. I'm sure if you're like me, you'll spend your Valentine's Day sitting at home (hoping your child will stay asleep so you and your sugar-lips can cuddle). I'm sure you'll find a great movie on this list to entertain you both.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

My Winter Neighborhood


I like snow. There... that was my deepest, darkest confession. Most people I know, hate it, but I like the cold, crunchy piles of Winter. I've been looking forward to snow in Colorado. I knew it would be beautiful!
Then, this past weekend, I got my wish! It wasn't just a powdered-sugar dusting of snow... we got some inches!! Almost immediately, it started to melt away and I thought I'd share a few pictures of my area.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Our Favorite Bedtime Books


My kiddo loves books! And he always has. Even as a baby, he'd reach for books before toys. These days, he's found a love for toys, but he still craves stories.
Today I thought I'd share our favorite bedtime books. Not only does my toddler love these books, but I do too. These stories have a common bedtime theme and help calm my toddler, easing him into our night routine. So, in no particular order:

Monday, January 29, 2018

Tips for the Sick Stay-At-Home Mama


It was the last week of December... I was looking forward to the New Year. I love how the New Year feels like a fresh start and can often be all you need to create a new, healthy habit. I had some super plans... yoga, zoo visits, hanging out with new friends, even a weekend trip.

And then it hit me. I was sick. With a cold.

So I canceled my weekend plans. And put off the yoga. I thought I felt better, but it hit me again. And again and again. Ugh! It was the cold that would never end (in fact, the doc said I had bronchitis).

Suddenly, my whole life felt like it was on hold so I could get better. But wait... not my whole life. I'm a mom. Everyone knows... moms do not get a day off. Especially, a stay-at-home mom with a kiddo too young for school. Damn.

Monday, January 22, 2018

DIY Bohemian Kimono


Lately, I've been trying to bust through my fabric stash. I do have a bunch of small pieces, but I also had a handful of large pieces. A lot of the fabric is meant for clothing... silks, polyester, and chiffons.
What's even crazier is that some of the pieces I bought on a whim... years ago and I still hadn't figured out what to do with them.
I had this beautiful velvet burnout fabric with a rose pattern on it. I knew it would make a lovely blouse or something, but I kept putting it off. Finally, I saw an excellent idea on Pinterest for a kimono. This burnout fabric is perfect for a kimono due to its silky nature. I also decided to add some decorative trim to make a more bohemian look (which is very trendy right now).

Here's what you'll need to DIY your own Bohemian Kimono:

  • 1.5 yards of chiffon/lightweight fabric (check this out!)
  • 3 yards or more of decorative trim (this is lovely)
  • coordinating thread
  • sewing machine
  • ruler
  • marking chalk


Saturday, January 20, 2018

Hiatus is over!

You are going to have to forgive me for not keeping up with my blog for four long months!

Here are my excuses for why I've been slacking lately:

  1. I moved... that ain't easy, we all know it.
  2. I got busy... sure sometimes "busy" meant watching TV, but nonetheless, I was busy.
  3. I have a toddler.
  4. I wasn't feeling inspired. That's hard to say, but it's the truth. I would think of my blog, but not know what to write.
  5. My blog motives were wacky... I've wanted to blog for years, but I don't think I was approaching it correctly. My blog motives have now been refocused.
  6. I got pregnant. And then I lost my pregnancy in October at 8 weeks. It was devasting. 
  7. I have a lot of family in the area where we moved and we've been traveling to see them. 
  8. We all got sick... I'm still a little sick as I type this. 

So... I've had a few bumps in the road. One of the biggest issues was my blog motives. When you first start a blog you see all these awesome examples of blogs and you want to be just like them. But let me tell you firsthand, it takes a lot of time and hard work to get there. There isn't a fast fix to awesome blogger-ness. Some people claim there is, but those are gimmicks. And those gimmicks have helped them be successful. However, I didn't want to be about gimmicks. I want to be real. So refocusing on being real is my priority.

Thank you so much for your patience. I'm glad you're still here for the ride. I have some great stuff planned and the best news of all... it's a real part of me and what I stand for.