Since my last post in APRIL!!! 😳 (<— b t dubs SO happy I figured out how to get emojis in WordPress- was feeling so censored!)…I have completely flipped my life upside down.
Ever since we had baby #2- our 3 bedroom townhome that at one time felt so spacious with it’s empty rooms full of possibilities started to seem very, very tight. I couldn’t escape the toys- they followed me everywhere I went. The bathtub, the kitchen, they haunted me in my sleep. I “purged” so many times hauling bags and bags of toys to Greendrop but alas- it seemed futile. I was tired of not feeling able to host holiday’s or parties due to our cramped space. I went back and forth from being grateful for what we have…. to ..if only we had a bigger house.
I would spend my days driving by homes for sale on Zillow. Determined to find a way to make it work. I was raised that if you want something – you have to work for it. Which I’ve never had a problem with – Good, Bad, or Indifferent- if I want something bad enough, I will work my butt off and find a way to get it. So If I wanted a new house… Mama’s gonna have to work for it.
(more…)
If you noticed, I used the word THRIVE as a Stay At Home Mom rather than “survive” like you so often see. Why you ask? Because I feel I am doing way more than just “surviving”! For someone who was extremely nervous about being home full time and was confident that it wouldn’t be “for me” or that I wouldn’t be happy doing it, I can honestly, genuinely say it has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself and for my family. At this rate, I might never return to the workforce. Retired at 30…hmm has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? (Totally kidding… I think). But, in all seriousness, it has been a blessing and I feel very happy, fulfilled and LUCKY to be able to have the opportunity.
So, what does my life look like now? I get a lot of questions like this. What do I do all day? What does a normal day consist of? I thought I would put together a list of some things I have done in the last few months that I attribute to why I’m enjoying being home so much. These tips are an accumulation of advice I have received from other SAHM’s, some trial and error on my part, and some things I have read on other blog posts that have stuck with me – so hopefully I can pay it forward a little.
(more…)
I want to remind my readers that my intention is not to make any other mother feel any type of guilt or shame, but only to share my own personal experience and perception openly and honestly. I’m sure many mothers can and do balance working full-time and home life easily; however, I am a neurotic, anxious, control freak and didn’t handle it well. Now on to the good stuff….
I have been home for a month now, and it has been one of the most enlightening and joyous times in my life and yet somehow slightly heartbreaking at the same time.
My first Sunday night as an official stay at home mom was spent at the grocery store. Two, leisurely, therapeutic hours where I did not feel rushed or stressed and was not chasing a toddler all over Giant. I unhastily planned our meals for the week and even had the mental clarity to organize and use coupons! A HUGE win. I felt a monumental shift occur that night. See, when I was working I never wanted to do things alone on the weekends, not even grocery shop. I probably actually needed the alone time but couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it because it felt so selfish. I didn’t see my daughter all week, I wouldn’t leave her if I didn’t have to. So where I went, she went, and this included the grocery store. Also, not to mention, when you are an exclusively breastfeeding mother like I was/am, there is a true tethering to your baby. It is hard to leave a nursing baby when you are the sole food and comfort source to them. The bulk of childcare naturally falls on your shoulders (which I was dedicated to). This also kind of led to my husband taking over the cooking role in our family life. He cooked dinner while I spent the evenings with our daughter, which meant I really had not been in the kitchen much at all. So spending this time in the grocery store and taking pride and ownership in planning and shopping for the meals I would prepare for my family was significant. I felt the tension ease in my muscles and joints, and the metaphorical weight lift off of my shoulders. There was no reason to rush. I could spend as much time as I wanted to, because I had nowhere else to be the next day but at home with my little one.
(more…)
20 Tips to Thrive as a Stay At Home Mom
If you noticed, I used the word THRIVE as a Stay At Home Mom rather than “survive” like you so often see. Why you ask? Because I feel I am doing way more than just “surviving”! For someone who was extremely nervous about being home full time and was confident that it wouldn’t be “for me” or that I wouldn’t be happy doing it, I can honestly, genuinely say it has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself and for my family. At this rate, I might never return to the workforce. Retired at 30…hmm has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? (Totally kidding… I think). But, in all seriousness, it has been a blessing and I feel very happy, fulfilled and LUCKY to be able to have the opportunity.
So, what does my life look like now? I get a lot of questions like this. What do I do all day? What does a normal day consist of? I thought I would put together a list of some things I have done in the last few months that I attribute to why I’m enjoying being home so much. These tips are an accumulation of advice I have received from other SAHM’s, some trial and error on my part, and some things I have read on other blog posts that have stuck with me – so hopefully I can pay it forward a little.
(more…)
Ask IM: Preconception and Planning to Stay at Home
Homeward Bound
I want to remind my readers that my intention is not to make any other mother feel any type of guilt or shame, but only to share my own personal experience and perception openly and honestly. I’m sure many mothers can and do balance working full-time and home life easily; however, I am a neurotic, anxious, control freak and didn’t handle it well. Now on to the good stuff….
I have been home for a month now, and it has been one of the most enlightening and joyous times in my life and yet somehow slightly heartbreaking at the same time.
My first Sunday night as an official stay at home mom was spent at the grocery store. Two, leisurely, therapeutic hours where I did not feel rushed or stressed and was not chasing a toddler all over Giant. I unhastily planned our meals for the week and even had the mental clarity to organize and use coupons! A HUGE win. I felt a monumental shift occur that night. See, when I was working I never wanted to do things alone on the weekends, not even grocery shop. I probably actually needed the alone time but couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it because it felt so selfish. I didn’t see my daughter all week, I wouldn’t leave her if I didn’t have to. So where I went, she went, and this included the grocery store. Also, not to mention, when you are an exclusively breastfeeding mother like I was/am, there is a true tethering to your baby. It is hard to leave a nursing baby when you are the sole food and comfort source to them. The bulk of childcare naturally falls on your shoulders (which I was dedicated to). This also kind of led to my husband taking over the cooking role in our family life. He cooked dinner while I spent the evenings with our daughter, which meant I really had not been in the kitchen much at all. So spending this time in the grocery store and taking pride and ownership in planning and shopping for the meals I would prepare for my family was significant. I felt the tension ease in my muscles and joints, and the metaphorical weight lift off of my shoulders. There was no reason to rush. I could spend as much time as I wanted to, because I had nowhere else to be the next day but at home with my little one.
(more…)
