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I changed the title of this blog post about 10 times. Finally, I settled on Surviving Stay-at-Home Mom Life because when I thought back to when I had my second (and last) child almost 8 years ago I thought about how freaking lost I was.
In this post I’m sharing ideas on items to help you maintain sanity (material things-wise) if you are a SAHM. Actually this is even a great post if you want to gift a SAHM with something they won’t use for/on their kids.
The Background
From the time I was 16 I was always someone that worked. I worked for my dad off-and-on (mostly on) up until I had my first child, so 10 years. He was the YMCA Director and while I started out just working a few evenings in the day care it branched out into wherever I was needed, whenever it was needed – day care, school age child care, day camp, front desk and lifeguarding. Within all that I had school, a ton of activities and when I was older even up to three jobs. In a nutshell, I was always keeping busy.
I got married in 2005 and had my first child, Owen, in 2006. I was fortunate enough to have a husband that grew up in a household where his mom stayed home and he asked if I wanted to stay at home. TBH I did and I didn’t. The main deciding factor was that I’d basically be working to pay the day care bill (who made day care so expensive anyway?!) so I chose the SAHM life.
My first child was literally the dream child. Owen spoiled me. Slept well, ate well, always happy. My house was always clean and because he was so easy it made it fun to go places with him. I remember one time we sat down at Panera Bread when he was around a year and a half old and I got the “dirty looks” from a table of businessmen having a lunch meeting. A bit later they got up to leave and one came over to tell me how wonderful it was to see a child so well-behaved. I thanked them but you and I both know that Owen being well-behaved at that age had NOTHING to do with anything I’d said to him. Kids have different dispositions and his just happened to be jolly AF.
My second child was hell on wheels. I had Lydia in 2009 and haven’t slept since. My house is a mess (though she’s very into organizing and cleaning things lol), my hair is never done (unless it’s for a post or event) and the attitude is at a maximum. It was at this point I knew I wouldn’t survive unless I had an outlet. So, I started my blog. A place for me to type out whatever about whatever I wanted. It actually started as a parenting blog and naturally morphed into beauty then into beauty/lifestyle as my kids got older and I got into more things. I love sharing all of the new things with my readers!
What You Can Do
Whether you’re a new mom or a mom that has seen her fair share of kid related drama you need essentials and you need things for you. The things that keep you going but that don’t really seem to “matter” as much to the people in your life that don’t have kids. Some are minor, but some are seriously major – the momma creature comforts!!!
Comfy Clothing.
No joke, I feel like as the years have gone on I find at least one clothing essential a year. Things that are slimming, comfy and that move well.
Madewell Whisper Cotton Crew Tee. I swear to you there is no better, more comfy tshirt than this one. When Shopbop had their sale toward the end of last year I bought three and I wish I’d have bought 100.
Yoga Pants. Just do it. It’s like our uniform. Note all yoga pants are not created equal. My faves are Zella Live In High Waist Leggings and Victoria’s Secret PINK Cotton High-Waisted Legging because they slim the gut. Or I LuLaRoe it. Yup I said it. Three of my fave Facebook groups to shop in are here, here and here.
Maternity Tanks. IDK about you, but I have a gut that just never went away. I need my tanks long and I like them to at least half cover my butt. They don’t seem to exist at that length so I buy maternity tanks one size smaller than I’d wear for non-maternity. Best tip you’ll ever get. My faves are from Liz Lange for Target.
Treats.
Of course you should be treating yourself! It’ll keep you SANE. You deserve it and stop talking yourself out of self-care!
Coffee. I stop by Starbucks around once a week but I make sure my Keurig at home is ready with the Starbucks K-Cups. My faves are the Breakfast Blend and House Blend. Of course you need a fancy cup or tumbler to put it in. 😉
Spa Day. I mostly do my spa days at home. It’s major $$$ to go have anything done and TBH it’s added stress getting out the door. I love to use the Sephora Sheet Masks once or twice a week and soak in some LUSH bubbles.
Guilty Pleasure. Lately mine is in the form of Gilmore Girls. I never watched it when it was actually on but with the revival now on Netflix I’ve been binging. I’m almost done with season 5 and am already panicked about when I’m done watching. =\
Literally, Treats. Stay out of the kids candy bin and get yourself something fancy to indulge in once in awhile. My fave chocolate indulgence is the Raspberry Ganache Twirl from Godiva.
Shifting Focus. This is so nerd of me, but when I shift my focus I relax and that’s much needed. I do things like pull out a Crossword Book or Sudoku Book and do them in pen so that I focus more (on not messing up). Or, I download a new book on the Kindle… something mindless I can get lost in.
Hopefully this post helps you in some way. It’s good for Stay-at-Home Dad’s also. They need allll the love and support, too! It’s really hard being a Stay-at-Home Parent and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. I felt like I was going out of my mind before I started my blog and met awesome people through that who helped me realize that time for yourself isn’t just okay, it’s completely necessary. Get comfy and treat yo’self!
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