Being a Working Mom vs. Staying Home

Hi friends! We had the best long weekend. We swam, hung out with friends, ate, slept in, and were together, which is all that matters!

Today I want to answer a question I get a lot: How do you feel about going back to work instead of staying home?

You might remember that a year ago I resigned after the school year to stay home with Graham. Then, I panicked in July and realized staying home was just not for me. Now, a year later I am here to update you and...

It was the best decision I could have ever made!

Truthfully, I cringe thinking about staying home all day, everyday. I am just not wired like that. I don't like crafts and don't want to teach my kid his ABC's or colors. I teach 5th grade because I don't enjoy the "little kid stuff."

I also need something for me and I need to feel as though I have more than just "mom and wife" on my resume. I am speaking only for me when I say that staying home made me cray-zeeeee. How come Chris got to pee when he wanted? How come he got to eat lunch in peace? How come I have to clean up after everyone? Not fair! Those thoughts never subsided which lead me to want to go back to work. And hire back our cleaning lady, asap.

Thankfully, being a teacher means I get lots of breaks and all holidays with my little guy, which is just the right amount of time for us to be together. He doesn't love me any less than me staying home all day and my sanity right where it needs to be. I am a happier wife and mom because I get to pursue my passion.

Being a working mom is hard and being a stay at home mom is hard, but for me and myself, I need to work. I need to be apart of something just for me and I need to get out of the house.

This next school year I will be teaching at a school 10 minutes from our new house and I couldn't be more thrilled. The school I am finishing up at is 50 minutes away and Chris and I decided that, although I love it, being closer to home is key as we think about the future of our family.

So, at this point in my life, teaching is where my heart is. I am a wife first, mom second, teacher third. I find joy in my career and no joy in cleaning my house, making dinner, and playing play-doh all day :) And that is okay.

Moms, there is no right answer as to whether you should stay home or not. None of us love our kids anymore than if we work outside the home or we don't. What each woman chooses to do for that season of her life is up to her and her family. I know there will come a time when I may stay home, but in this season of life, being around my child all day everyday is not the best for my health or sanity. You have to do what is right for you and your family and know that nothing has to be permanent. I am living proof that it only takes one summer to realize that wrangling a toddler all day can make anyone want to start drinking at 9:00am. Just kidding...

Kind of.

Happy Tuesday!

Five on Friday

Hi, friends! What a week! This was the last full week of school before summer. Next week we have 3.5 days and then it is freedom! I can't wait to spend the mornings with G, go to the park, swim, and hang with friends.

A few things I am loving this week:

1. This nail polish color is my absolute favorite!

2. J. Crew has the best swimsuits and so many are on sale right now! My J. Crew suit (bottoms here, top here) is perfect for Memorial Day. The seersucker pattern can easily be paired with a red cover-up for the perfect patriotic outfit!

3. THIS DRESSER! It must find a place in my new house. I am obsessed!

4. Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. I finally caved to the masses and got some of this gold and it is heaven. I normally don't like eggs, but with this on top, I could eat them for days!

5. Bachelorette comes back on Monday! Do y'all watch? I am so excited! I love when the show falls over the summer because then I can stay up late watching and not worry about being tired the next day! I can't wait to watch!

BONUS: The Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale is going on now! I probably won't be partaking because I need to save my pennies to furnish our new house, but a girl can surely window shop :) These platform sandals are a fan favorite and they are going fast!

Apple Watch Series 3 Review

I’ve had my Apple Watch for six months now and I feel that is adequate time to give an honest review and….

I LOVE IT!

There are many, many reasons I love it, but I will highlight my five favorite reasons.

1. The ability to have the speaker phone on your wrist! Graham is really interested in holding my phone when people call and he always ends up hanging up on them. Since I can use my watch as a phone, we just make calls on that and I can continue my normal routine and G never asks to hold it.

2. Quickly checking text messages. How many times does you phone go off and you feel like you have to get to it ASAP? Now, I just glance at my watch and if the text can wait, I just leave my phone wherever it is.

3. Speaking of leaving your phone, you can ping your phone to find it and I do this ALL THE TIME. If my phone is not in my direct line of sight then I ping it. Chris gets so annoyed and I think it is hilarious!

4. Tracking my fitness. I love being able to close all my activity rings for a day. It is a competition I have with myself everyday! And, your watch encourages you! It will tell you, “You can do it, Sarah!” or it will say, “It’s time to stand up!” (It JUST told me to stand up, haha!) It can track your heart rate or help you through breathing exercises. Also, it is really accurate. If you’re really into fitness, I definitely recommend the Apple Watch!

5. The weather! You can customize the face of your watch and one thing I’ve put on my watch face is the weather. I love checking it first thing when I wake up because it helps me ensure I dress Graham appropriately for the day. I don’t have to get on my phone and wait for the weather app to load. I just quickly glance at my watch and what weather is in store for the day.

Bonus: It is waterproof! So I don’t need to worry about it getting ruined or accidently getting it wet!

There are a million other perks and benefits to having an Apple Watch. Honestly, I was skeptical about getting one, but now I am addicted! If you’re on the fence, I really think that you’ll love it!

PS: I have the 42mm because I already can't see and I needed the bigger one to be able to see. Also, Chris thinks I'll get tired of wearing it and will give it to him. He is really, really wrong. And, I want a more formal band for it, but I just keep forgetting to buy one!

Maui: Day 2

I mentioned in my Day 1 post that we were not on the lucky receiving end of the Maui weather, but we did not let that stop us from enjoying all Maui has to offer.

On day 2 of our trip my sister in law and I started our day with a run along the boardwalk. The boardwalk is a path that runs along the beach in front of all the resorts in Wailea. This was the BEST way to see the most luxurious resorts Maui has to offer!

After our run we all headed to the beach for a day full of relaxation. Chris and my father in law had gone to the beach early to set out our beach chairs. Once we made it down to the beach, we grabbed our books and got to relaxing.

It was freezing. Like, cover yourself with a towel freezing, yet Chris stand-up paddle boarded for an hour! He rented a paddle board from the resort and it was so fun watching him go back and forth.

After a few hours at the beach we decided to pack up and walk back to our condo. The next few hours consisted of us doing nothing but reading, drinking fruity drinks, eating, lounging, napping, and more lounging. It was amazing.

At one point my mom called so we got to talk to Graham and that woke me up out of my nap, so I was all charged up and ready for an adventure. Chris and I snuck away to go explore some of Maui’s top beaches and they did not disappoint! We were so sad that the weather wasn’t great, but we loved exploring how different each beach was.

 

One famous beach in Maui is called Big Beach and Little Beach. I had read about how big beach was just that, big, and super family friendly. Right over a rock was little beach and that was for the more free-spirited, I should say. Since we went all the way there we had to check out both beaches. Big beach was huge and beautiful and on a sunny day I am sure it would have been packed. We trekked over the rock to Little Beach and saw just what people had warned us about :)

(the BEST sandals!)

After our little excursion we headed back to the condo and did more lounging. We finally all managed to pull ourselves together and head to dinner at Nick's Fishmarket which is located in the Fairmount. The food was delicious and it was another perfect day in Maui!

New House Update!

Happy Tuesday! Monday was a rough one as Chris and I got to bed really late Sunday night after our friend's wedding. Then, yesterday afternoon G started ISR swim lessons for the second year and he was just as happy as....well, as a cat in water, ha! I feel like all kids scream for the first few days/weeks and then they become little fish. Here's to hoping!

Moving on! Way back in February I told y'all we were building a new house. This will be our third house in six years and we are ready to really plant roots because we will have plenty of room to expand our family and we see us being here for many, many years. 

Our expected move-in date is August, so I have all summer to pack and gather inspiration!

The house will have 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. We bought a huge corner lot, so we also plan to do a lot to the back yard. I'm thinking fireplace, outdoor dining, lots of string lights....

We have already sold our house, so we are renting it back and hoping that the timeline lines up in our favor! We can't wait to get moved in!

Here is a look inside!

I am obsessed with those tall ceilings!!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was a busy one!

Friday night my aunt and uncle were in town, so we spent the evening at my cousin's house swimming and grilling out. Graham got in the pool and I made sure to explain to him that, starting today, he would have to get his face wet because he starts ISR swim lessons this afternoon! We shall see how this summer goes :)

Saturday was another fun day with family. We went to brunch and then we took everyone over to our new house to look at the progress. I can't wait to update y'all on how far the house has come. It is supposed to be done in August and I can't wait!

Saturday night we went out with all our friends for Chris's best friend's birthday! This group of friends are our people. They are the people we will raise our kids with, go through life with, celebrate the good and the bad with, and we couldn't be more thankful them. We celebrated at Legacy Hall which is this new indoor/outdoor dining hall in Plano. It is amazing and if you're ever in the DFW area, you should definitely check it out!

Sunday was slow moving thanks to a late bedtime. We watched church online then got ready to go meet Chris's parents and sister for lunch. Chris's sister and her husband live in Ft. Lauderdale, so we try to spend as much time together when she is in town. Her husband is doing his residency there and we are hoping when that is over they will be in the DFW area!

We had a wedding to go to Sunday night, so Graham stayed with Uncle Sam and Aunt Callie (his favorite people in the world) and Chris and I got to enjoy another night out! The wedding was so fun, even though today I am struggling.

This is the last full week of school and I can't believe it! This year has flown by and I am so excited to spend the summer with Graham!

Happy Monday!

shoes // dress similar

shoes

my shoes // SIL shoes