10 THINGS Vol. 15

It’s time for another “ten things” post. I stole this idea from my friend Kelly– but it’s basically just an old school blog post where I share the first ten things that come to mind… Ready, set, go!

ONE // Postpartum Goals

Before I had Jack, I sat down and came up with a couple of “postpartum goals” I wanted to do after I had him. It really helped me in that “fourth trimester” to have these goals in place to strive for. I wanted to get out of the house every day, shave my legs, and have clean blow dried hair. These felt realistic and attainable for me and it made a difference for me. I just know I might have gotten scared or intimated to leave the house with a newborn and so forcing myself to do this early and often helped me gain the confidence quickly. I also know I just feel better when my legs are shaved and my hair is done. I can wear a slouchy outfit and not have makeup, but if those two boxes are checked off, I know I will okay!

I want to essentially do the same thing this time around too. Get out of the house (with both kids !!!), shave my legs, and blow dry my hair. But additionally, I want to make sure I’m carving out special time for Jack too. One thing I want to prioritize is Jack’s bedtime routine. It’s one of my very favorite “motherhood” moments throughout the day. We cuddle in bed and read books together, we have a couple of special songs that we sing, and we do a cozy turn down service of sorts for bed. I don’t want to miss out on that, so it’s going to be a priority of mine to make sure I am able to do this still!

TWO // Meals I’m Excited For (lol)

I got really bad reflux with Jack’s pregnancy pretty early. I thought I was spared this time around because I felt pretty good for a while and then, boom, it hit me out of nowhere. (Still grateful I got more weeks of feeling good this time around though! And I know that it immediately resolves after labor!) I’ve had to limit my diet significantly, especially after noon if I plan on sleeping that night 🫠

It’s gotten to the point where I’m starting to daydream about meals after I have the baby. I want a proper turkey sandwich with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. I think this is what I’ll eat in the hospital honestly. And then I want to go out to a Mexican restaurant for tacos, a margarita with fresh squeezed juice, and unlimited chips and salsa.

THREE // TikTok

Okay, you know I love TikTok. But lately it’s feeling like an episode of Black Mirror in the worst way. It’s alllllll TikTok shop and paid promotions. It truly feels like mini manic episodes of QVC and it’s such a turn off? I say this as someone who does make a living off of promoting stuff online, but there’s something so…… cheap about the way TikTok feels right now. It feels like junk over and over again and I feel my brain melting just scrolling, even if I swipe away quickly. I cannot be the only one feeling this way! It’s such a shame too, because for a while I felt like TikTok was adding something new to the social media world with interesting, funny content to discover. Now? Meh.

FOUR // Wintering

I have been making a conscious effort to embrace the idea of wintering right now. Between nesting and the weather, I don’t really have a choice but sometimes I feel guilty for not doing the most. I read a quote about how we shouldn’t expect summer energy during winter and I had a lightbulb moment! (Side note: I started this book three years ago, but couldn’t quite get into it, I might need to try again!) It’s okay to not have summer energy right now! In fact, apparently it’s biological– there are studies about how humans may need more sleep during winter months.

It’s made me feel better just knowing that it’s not a “me” problem. I’ve been making it a ritual to get a warm drink (coffee or tea) in the afternoon slump, treat myself to little pastries when I want, and get cozy as soon as I’m able to at night. Among other things– just trying to embrace the feeling.

FIVE // “Spring” Cleaning

I know it’s not spring, but I’m getting a jump start on some spring cleaning. I think it’s the post-Christmas realization of just how much stuff has accumulated in our house. It’s like I blinked and every closet refilled. I don’t even want to clean or organize necessarily, so much as purge! I made a list on my phone of all the spaces I want to try to tackle in the next few weeks….. Wish me luck.

SIX // A Personal Stylist

This might just be the year I splurge on a personal stylist. Or something of that nature. Maybe it’s just being pregnant and dreading the postpartum phase, but I’m just feeling very uninspired by my wardrobe, and probably more importantly, how I feel wearing everything. I am definitely in a specific stage of life right now. 34, living in the suburbs, will have two kids. I don’t need a ton of fancy outfits or designer goods at all. I just want to feel great about what I do have and figure out what really works for my body and my lifestyle. I think an actual overhaul might be necessary. (Though, I learned the hard way the first time around to never get rid of clothes immediately postpartum, haha! Wait at least a year because I do have some regrets from a big closet purge I did right after I had Jack!)

SEVEN // Feeling “Old”

This is the first time in my life where I’ve genuinely felt…. older? I don’t think feeling “old” is the right word exactly because it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it’s more the stage of life we’re in. I feel content and happy and experienced. I do feel tired and physically a little run down (though I assume/hope that that resolves once I’m able to get back into shape postpartum). I think I carried a lot of stress in my 20s thinking about all the unlimited opportunities ahead of me: I could move anywhere and pivot careers. I didn’t have a lot holding me in one place and I know that is something that some people like, but I didn’t enjoy that feeling. I looooove the foundation of my life right now and like being able to plant roots in our community, and be in a stage of life with friends who are in the same boat, and even enjoy the very adulthood tasks. I just feel at peace about it, and I’d much prefer to be here than how I felt at 23! Sometimes Mike and I do look at each other and think, “whoa I can’t believe we’re the adults here???” but it’s a lot more fun than I imagined it would be.

EIGHT // T-Mobile Internet

A very, very random one, but something I cannot get over: T-Mobile Internet. My office space is in a building right in the center of town. Because it’s an office building though, my options for internet are pretty limited. Of course, there’s very little point in having an office space in 2024 without internet. The building has one service that was (!!!) $300/month, which felt insane for one person. I tried out another service, but it was still expensive and was not unlimited. The service was spotty and the usage was hard to calculate. I was blowing through the limit and kept having to re-up, making it even more expensive. I switched to T-Mobile business internet after learning about it through Shelby Church’s Youtube channel and wow I am blown away. (And after I shared it on my Instagram Story last week, I heard from a bunch of you guys how much you loved it too.) 1) They overnighted the modem to me– like it was being dropped off by FedEx at 7am the next day 🤯 and 2) It took under five minutes to set up and 3) it is FAST. What a huge relief?! Did I mention it’s only $50/month, which is significantly less than what I was paying before. Boom!

NINE // Baths

I’ve been treating myself to frequent baths lately. Our bathtub was out of commission for a while and we are all happy to have it fully operational now. I’ve been soaking my sore muscles almost every night and it’s been glorious. Sometimes I just lay back and listen to music, but more often than not I actually bring my book or Kindle with me and I read for a bit. I need to get some bathtub accessories to bring the experience to the next level, ha. (Right now I have to scoop out all of Jack’s little toys!)

TEN // Hamilton

Really the biggest thing on my mind right now is my poor Hammy! He has been so sick and we just don’t know what it is. We keep ruling things out, which in a sense is good (and a relief!), but it also doesn’t give us much to work off of. I will say, this is the first time I’ve had a serious health concern about Teddy or Hamilton and I guess I realize how lucky we’ve been up until this point. I am also so grateful to have such compassionate vets! Again, we really haven’t needed much help from the vets beyond vaccines and normal check ups. They’ve been so helpful. Fingers crossed we figure this out soon– it’s been so sad to watch him be sad and not himself.