May…one of my favorite months of the year has come and gone as fast as a 5th grade school boy crush. Here are some fun moments our little family had…
Cinco de Mayo. Daiquiris for two.
Party Goers.
Learning to swim and attack;)
A date with friends to see the Atlanta Symphony.
We had to go see the Avengers. (Approved even by my Marvel Comics guru husband.)
I am so happy to see that my voracious appetite for ice cream was passed on to my children.
Someone stole my fedora…:)
Can’t get enough of this profile.
Savoring the last few days of May and gearing up for June! Gabe is officially done with school this week, which means for the teacher’s wife, summer has officially begun. Me and the kids are so excited to have him around:)
P.S. Updated the sponsor page. You can now view current stats on IHOD. If you would like the sponsor rates for June, please email me for further info!
This is the guy who very patiently takes all my outfit post pics. The one behind the camera who manages to pull the best out of his subject. I turned the tables on him the other day and caught him not only in his every day attire, but his every day personality….
{T & Shorts: J. Crew, Sandals: Reef, Cap: Brewers, Wedding ring: gift from wife}
Never short on laughs around here.
If you met him today, this is most likely what he would be wearing on his off work hours.
He would crack a joke or two to see how you would respond and to get a feel for your sense of humor. If you pick up on his dry and sarcastic jokes, you are in like an old shoe..
As you already know, I like him a whole lot. Maybe even love him a whole lot.
So a little Q&A with the husband…
What do you think of all this blog business?
Let me respond to this question with another question: which type of blog are you referring to? The “blog” from the world of the immortal and eternally wise Dr. Suess from his classic “The Shape of Things and Other Stuff,” or an open electronic form and information source, such as the one I am currently writing on? I’ll go out on a limb and pick the second..
I love my wife’s blog business and and honored to be a part of it. It is a fantastic opportunity to share what she loves with the rest of the world and as you have probably picked up she is fairly good at what she does. How could I ever not support and aid what she loves to do?
If you had to trade in your teaching job for another, what would it be?
I cannot narrow it down to one so I will have to narrow it down to three.
1. Collegiate rugby coach
2. Fireman (If I did not already destroy my knees)
3. Open my own greenhouse
One thing you hope to pass on to our son?
Again I cannot narrow it down to just one, so here are my top three.
1. Faith in Christ
2. The importance of sacrificial love
3. The work ethic, sense of duty, and respect found within the “Greatest Generation” (For those not into history, those who lived and fought through the Great Depression and WWII.)
I hear very often the question, “How do you balance everything?” Or the comment, “I don’t know how you do it all!” Well, here is some real truth – I don’t do it all and I struggle to balance everything! Phew, that felt good just to admit that. I think every mom has their own vision of Supermom, but I learned early this year that living up to her shadow is exhausting…
After the move back to Atlanta, having a new baby, running a business, blog, designing, a little teaching on the side, and wanting to have dinner on the table, I was crumbling inside. I was so irritable and tired by the time Gabe would get home from work. I felt I was being torn in twenty directions and not able to give the best of my self to any one thing. I was a half-hearted, spread to thin, tired mess. Our house was always taking a back seat to the to-do list, and I was close to hiring a maid. I was shedding lots of tears over not being able to spend much time with my children. Something had to give…
I got real with myself. Supermom doesn’t exist – so I should stop trying to be her. I accepted the fact that it would be impossible to do everything well and with a smile on my face. If I wasn’t giving the best of myself to my kids and husband, than nothing I was doing was worth it. So, I wrapped up my accessory business and put it away. I started setting realistic expectations for myself. No more over committing to graphic design projects. I started to utilize my crockpot more. I returned to taking a few moments before the kids got up to sit in quiet and prayer. I accepted the fact that my house doesn’t need to be sparkly clean at all times (darn that electrolux commercial), and that it was okay if the laundry sat unfolded for a week. I tried breaking the expectations I put on myself that I needed to do it all on my own and perfectly. Gabe reminds me often that we are a team, and we should always be working together. He cooks dinner when my day has been especially crazy, or will pick up kitchen duty when he notices that stressed look on my face – even though he has been working all day as well. He is one of my secrets to how I do it all. Supportive and loving…I look up to him in many ways.
I can breathe easier now that I have accepted the fact that I can’t be Supermom. Its good for everyone to remember to be careful who you compare yourself to. Every family has different dynamics to take into account. Like I mentioned here, I can’t wait to work off our medical debt and student loans so I can be with my kids more. That is my motivation that allows me to work so hard. There are still lots of late nights, and moments of frustration when I feel like the juggling act is going to crash down upon me, but at least now I would accept that its okay if it did. Life is full of give and take, ups and downs, and fleeting moments. Whats most important is the attitude in which I face them. I want my children to always feel they are my priority, and to always have a sense of peace and comfort in their home. This is more important to me than my to do list and all the goals I set. And seriously – raise your hand if you ever have your to-do list fulfilled?
I would love to hear your story. Have you struggled with this before? How do you fight the Supermom expectations? Do you have ways you try to balance it all? Looking forward to chatting with you all!
I wouldn’t mind wearing a giant tulle skirt by Christian Siriano in this color either.
Happy long weekend to you! I hope you get time with friends and family!
I will be back tomorrow with an all new Real Chat post!
Hope to chat with you then:)
P.S. June starts next week?! If you would like to consider an ad spot and/or feature on IHOD, please email me for the sponsor package! All new ads will go up on June 1st!
I saw the first pieces in Lonny Mag and knew I must see the rest. The printed look, the modern and classic typeface, and the fresh and rustic textiles runs through each piece. I picked up a few of these for wedding gifts. View the full collection at Target. (Some pieces are online exclusives.)
{Tee: J.Crew, Denim: ON, Scarf: Deloom, Necklace: c/o Twillypop, Shades: H&M, Watch: DIY, Bracelet: made, Sandals: Nine West}
Style Word: Dress up an every day tee with a scarf or necklace and some heels. An easy and effortless look which is comfortable to boot;)
Well, despite my heavy work load, I did in fact manage to sun soak over the weekend;)
How about you? Hope your weekend was splendid!
P.S….if you really want to throw someone off, pronounce the word sorbet with a heavy t (Soar-beT). Sometimes its just fun to mess with words and get reactions;)
The True Beauty Files:
A lookbook for the modern modeste.
“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
