5 Tips to a Healthy Marriage After Kids

Hi friends! I am here today to talk about some tips I have found helpful to keep your marriage thriving after you bring a kiddo into the mix.

Let's all be real here. You love your spouse, but the second that baby enters the world, you're a puddle in their tiny hands. And, unfortunately, it is your relationship that may fall by the waste side for a period of time.

I'm not expert, but I have 6 years of marriage under my belt, and experience with a toddler, and I still very much love my husband.

Here are my tips on how to keep a healthy marriage after kids:

1. Be easy on yourself and realize that ALL relationships ebb and flow. No marriage or relationship is perfect. Chris was my whole world...until Graham entered the equation. Now I had two whole worlds who both needed all of my attention and it was hard! It was rocky, and there were ups and downs, but we both knew that was just a season. Things will get back to normal and new stressors will come into play. Just know that it is okay if your in a low spot. You will get out of it!

2. Let one another do what they love or need to feel like "them self." For me, that was getting back into working out and being with my friends. I've worked out my entire life. I started playing softball in 3rd grade and didn't stop until I was 21. I was put on bed rest with Graham at 27 weeks for two weeks. After that I couldn't workout. Then, I had a newborn and had no time to workout. It wasn't until a year ago when I decided I NEEDED that time to go let out some stress and get back to feeling like myself. For Chris, he needs guy time, or just time to work outside. You have to let your spouse do whatever it is that fill their cup.

3. Take trips together! To each their own, but nothing brings Chris and I closer than taking a trip with just the two of us. I left Graham for the first time to go to Napa when he was four months old. It was hard, but once I went and did it, I felt confident in traveling more without him. Just this year Chris and I have traveled to Germany, Amsterdam, London, and Maui all without G! We try to get away, just the two of us, once every couple of months!

4. Be kind to one another and realize you are each other's best friend. Chris and I are super competitive. It is definitely something we struggle with in our marriage because we are constantly comparing loads of laundry to minutes spent with G. It has bitten us in the butt more times than I'd like to admit, but realizing that we are in this together helps. If I need a minute to catch my breath or go out for a girl's day, Chris is more than willing to take on the G duties. One the flip side, if Chris needs an evening with his friends, or an afternoon to watch football with the guys, I realize that.

5. Rely on help. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but we are blessed to be surrounded by our family and friends who love Graham just as much as we do. Graham has more aunts and uncles that any other kid I know and we truly mean it when we say they are family. Heck, two couples built houses right next to us, so they must like us! Anyways, rely on their help and don't feel bad about it. Parenting is hard enough, so don't think you have to do it all alone!

Bonus: If you can, hire a cleaning service! Seriously! At the end of the day, everyone is tired. I teach all day long then tend to a toddler until Chris walks in the door. Chris works hard all day and walks in to me begging him to take G for 5 minutes so I can pee alone. So, the LAST thing we want to do on a weekend, or when we get free time, is clean! I know this isn't in everyone's budget, but I highly recommend it! Now, Chris and I never argue about who has to sweep or vacuum. Or, who has to do all the dishes, or clean the shower. It is just done and it leaves time for us to spend as a family!

Do you have any tips?? I'd love to hear!

$4 DIY Balloon Garland

I've been dreaming of making a balloon garland for weeks now! I am hosting my best friend's bridal shower in two weeks and really wanted an excuse to practice before the big day. Luckily, we were asked to host our friend's gender reveal, which lent itself to be the perfect opportunity for me to try out making a balloon garland!

Y'all...it was SO EASY! And SO CHEAP!

I spent $4 on 60 balloons from Wal-Mart and followed this tutorial. From start to finish it took around one hour. And, we LOVED how it turned out!

Have y'all ever made a balloon garland? I can tell you now that this will not be the last time I whip one of these babies up!

Happy Monday!

Decor Favorites: Midcentury Edition

Happy Monday, y'all!

Today I wanted to share some things I am loving in our new home, as well as some things I am eyeing!

I am not sure how we ended up going with the midcentury vibe, but I am happy we did! I would ask Chris's opinion on everything I bought and he always leaned towards the midcentury items.

1. First off - this floor lamp! All the heart eyes. It has a marble base, so it is really sturdy. I was reading reviews and one guy called it the "divorce lamp" because his wife and him struggled so much putting it together. I was crying I was laughing so hard at the review. So funny!! Chris put it together by himself in about 20 minutes, and we are still married, so I would highly suggest the lamp.

2. This chandelier. At under $200, this thing is a STEAL! It is way bigger than I was anticipating, but I love it. And, Overstock's customer service is amazing. Graham broke one of the glass bulbs and they sent us a whole new light fixture right away, no questions asked! IT was really easy to hand and I love how it looks!

3. This mirror is going up in our half bathroom and I. can't. wait to show you! I am waiting on Chris to install my shiplap and then we can hang it up!

4. Bringing plants into a home instantly warms up the space. Unfortunately, I have a toddler and a black thumb, so no plants will ever survive inside (or outside for that matter!) the Tucker home. Thankfully, this plant and planter is right up my alley and I have a feeling he will be here for years to come!

10 Things About Me

1. I always drive in the fast lane. Always.

2. If my flat sheet and comforter are not perfectly aligned, then I make Chris get out of the bed to fix it :) They have to be perfectly lined up for me to sleep.

3. I am 5'3.5". People always seem to think I am taller than I am.

4. I cannot handle when my student's tooth falls out. Legit gags me every time. I usually just cover my mouth, look away, and aggressively point them in any other direction that towards me. So gross.

5. I thought I'd have my kids closer together. Then, I realized that sleep is life, and I really enjoy not feeling like I got hit with a stack of books everyday, so we've just been holding off because...sleep.

6. I do not get embarrassed easily, nor do I have any fear of public speaking. I honestly don't care what anyone thinks about me, so I'm always the one who gets volunteered to quiet a crowd or make an announcement.

7. I got married when I was 22. Like what the actual heck were my parents thinking? 6.5 years later...I guess we are doing pretty well!

8. Teaching is my second career. I have an MBA and was in accounting before spending my days with small children. My dream job would be to own a home staging company or become an interior designer. Or a real estate agent, but I don't want to work nights or weekends...ha!

9. I cry in church almost every Sunday. Those songs just get me! Chris always just looks over and rolls his eyes! Ha!

10. I have really bad anxiety. I get it from my dad. Some nights I can hardly breathe. Some nights I pace the floor. It can be over tiny things, or things that *might* happen in the future. I once had a panic attack because we forgot Graham's monitor on vacation. He was sleeping in the room next to us and I could. not. sleep. I felt like I was having a heart attack because I couldn't hear or see him. Chris went to the store and bought a monitor so we would have it the rest of the trip.

Welp, now that y'all all think I'm super strange, what are some things about you!!??

Nashville - Round Two

This summer was the summer of Nashville. Besides NYC, this city is a close second on my favorite cities list. Everything about Nashville is easy. The distance to the airport, finding good food, finding good entertainment, location of hotels...everything!

In June I went there for the first time for my best friend's bachelorette party. We had SO. MUCH. FUN. So much so that when Katie text me asking if I wanted to go again in August, I instantly said yes!! 

Katie and I have known each other for years through blogging. But, we brought our relationship to a whole new level when I started Isagenix in June! (I STILL have two shakes a day; one for breakfast and one for lunch!) Katie and I started texting daily about Isagenix and then she told me the Isagenix World Convention was being held in Nashville in August. I was so excited to be going back!

This time in Nashville was a little different than when I went for a bachelorette party, although it was very similar, too. I was with a fun group of girls who love to have fun and eat good food...so basically the same. The only difference was that we got to attend info sessions and learn about the company we are all really passionate about!

As far as Nashville goes, here's what we did:

- Dinner at Pinewood Social: If you're ever in Nashville, you have to go here! My mouth is watering thinking about their French Onion Dip appetizer. So good! It is such a fun place with the most amazing Frosé I've ever had! They also have a pool and bowling alley, so this would be the perfect place for gatherings with friends. 

- Lunch at The Southern: This place came highly recommended. Once again, the appetizers were on point! The main meal was not life changing, but we all agreed that we were glad we went. 

- Party Wagon: We combined groups with some other girls and got on a huge trailer pulled by a tractor. This would be perfect for a bachelorette party!! When I went in June we did the Sprocket Rocket and I think I prefer that, but both were fun!

- Wild Horse Saloon: This place was hopping! We were treated to a dinner by our Isagenix leader, so we had the whole upstairs to ourselves. It was such a fun atmosphere and the music was great!

 

Needless to say, this will not be the last time I go back to Nashville! 

Have you ever been? What do I need to do next time?

Hello? Anyone there?!

Well, hello there!

It has been quite some time! Life is crazy, and I am a firm believer in enjoying the season you're in. It is HARD for me to not think about the future, but I've learned to be happy, relax, and enjoy life. As much as I wanted to blog about our new house and all that was going on, it was really nice to leave this little space be for awhile and tend to my family.

Since I last blogged, we have moved into our new home, I started a new job at a new school, and G went through his fair share of school debacles and sicknesses. It has been a rollercoaster, that's for sure!

I am going to dedicate a whole post to our new house, but, for now, I wanted to show y'all a few pictures! If you follow me on Instagram (@SarahTuckerUp) then you may already have seen the house progress! (All product links are at the bottom, for those who have been asking!)

I hope to get back into blogging more often, because this is a scrapbook of my life! For now, though, I will leave you with some house pics!