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About Me

Hello! I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for personal finance and healthy living. Join me as a I explore budgetting, eco-friendly brands, gluten-free recipes, capsule wardrobes, and everything in between! Want to learn more about me? Subscribe below and check out the About tab!

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Happy Friday, friends! I usually pop on here this time every week to start my #WeekendsOffline, which, if you’re not familiar, is exactly what it sounds like - a weekend off the internet and social media. But this Friday I’m signing off with plans to not be back at the start of the week. About three years ago after a whole whirlwind month of buying a new home and a major medical event with Emma, I challenged myself to no social media for a month. This time, I’m feeling a bit more ambitious, and will be doing more of a full #digitaldetox. No social media (except for when work- or play group-related), no podcasts when I’m with the kids, no YouTube, no mindless TV, and very limited phone/computer usage. And I’m not giving myself a time frame. I’ve been feeling really discontent the past two weeks so I’ll just be working towards getting back to the state of gratitude I was in previously. When I’m there and ready to come back, it’ll be with a healthier mindset and less dependence on technology to entertain me. When I came back from my last social media break, I remember checking notifications, messages, and scrolling a bit before realizing I missed nothing. I spent maybe five minutes “catching up” on the past month to be reminded that everything online could wait. And as I look forward to the summer ahead of me, I see so many things that I can’t wait for. Slow mornings with my kids when we don’t have summer camp or work. Seeing all my mom friends and their kids at regular play dates. Enjoying evenings that don’t revolve around when I can do school work. Completing house projects that leave me feeling so happy with my home. Warm evenings with my husband on the back patio listening to the sounds of crickets and a crackling fire. I always savor summer, and this one will be no exception. Since I don’t have a timeline for when I’ll be back, if you want to get in touch with me, just tap the email link in my profile. See y’all later, alligators 😉👋🏻🐊

And just like that, the first year of school is in the books, and I have rising elementary school kids. These kids have grown immensely (mentally and physically, swipe for the first day photo!), and I am so incredibly proud of them. I am also so grateful to the amazing educators we have had this year, I can’t imagine a better fit for James and Emma. I know they will continue to be a part of our lives in one way or another which makes my heart so happy. And now.....summer! #hoopertwins

Admiring the “beautiful mess” I made this morning as I got ready for the day. Most mornings, I really enjoy the ritual of it all, the products, the application, the scents and textures. And then some mornings I don’t do any of it. If I don’t feel like applying concealer under my eyes or styling my hair, I’m not going to do it. I might spend more time sleeping or talking with my kids before they’re off to school. Both types of mornings are a version of self-care for me and both leaving me feeling ready for my day. I’m really leaning into the fact that I am valuable regardless of my appearance, and my makeup-less face is not less professional or presentable than when I put on a few products. I’m careful to not tell myself I am beautiful regardless. Because my attractiveness or lack-there-of is objective and just a small part of who I am as a person and what I have to offer. At a time when a woman’s value continues to be based on her appearance and her physical body controlled, it’s crucial that we fight against the stigma of being a certain weight or age, of having cellulite or crow’s feet. I’ll be the first to admit I still comment on other women’s appearances, on how pretty they look or how stylish they are, to lift them up and make them feel good about themselves. Heck, I’m a fitness instructor, it’s not a wild guess that a lot of my clients want to change their physical bodies to look a certain way. But I want to do my part to change the reasons why we as women eat, dress, work out, and present ourselves the way we do, and remind us of all the ways we are valuable beyond our appearance.

The summer Sunday night scenery is about to change around here. Saying goodbye to my tradition of watermelon, wine, and GoT viewing. First photo from last night, second photo from six years ago. No spoilers, but how did y’all feel about the series finale? 👍🏻 or 👎🏻?

📷 from last week before the kiddos went on their first field trip! 😍 They have exactly five days of pre-k left, I cannot believe it! Yesterday I was in tears after dropping them, seeing them give their teacher the biggest hug, knowing how much they’re going to miss her, knowing how much they’ve grown from this experience, how much I’VE grown from this experience. They’ll be in a summer program while I’m working, but, outside of that, I’m looking forward to slower days, lots of outdoor play, and seeing all of our mom group friends more. ❤️

Today’s local, low waste grocery haul. We have a pretty, well stocked kitchen at the moment, so just a few things were needed. Produce + salsa from S&J Produce Farms for $30, juices from @thejuicerypress for $42, and loose leaf tea from @piperandleaf x Strong Station for $48. We have officially called Madison home for 4 years, as of today. And even with a dark cloud figuratively (the abortion bill headed to the governor’s desk) and literally (rain) looming over us, I am proud to call Madison my family’s home. All of the amazing local businesses I have the honor of supporting are just one reason why we’ve put down roots. The seasons, job opportunities, the cost of living, the hospitality of friends and strangers, proximity to outdoor recreation, school district, did I say COST OF LIVING 😉 No doubt, the region needs to take some big leaps with inclusivity and equality, and I hope to do my part in getting us there. But all things considered, let me be wildly unoriginal and say, it truly is Sweet Home Alabama ❤️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🏡

Me and all my kids, enjoying our favorite spot on the porch ☀️🌳❤️ #happymothersday

I am so excited to get into #weekendsoffline! The weather has been so beautiful so I’m planning to break out the inflatable pool and really lean into backyard season. Also Ryan and I started our courtship (aka starting “talking” to each other) on Cinco de Mayo 10 years ago, so you better believe we’ll be harkening back to our margarita pong days with a salt-rimmed beverage or two. I also have a sick kiddo at home, work, and my last final to prepare for so I knew I needed to start the morning with a really good breakfast. I lean towards eating seasonally which means a lot of warming, heavier meals in fall/winter and cooling, lighter fare in summer. Oatmeal is my go-to winter breakfast, and I’ve been working my way through a Costco bag of non-GF steel cut oats all season. To finish off the bag, I made the Tropical Overnight Oats by @ohsheglows and it was the best of both worlds to bridge between a heavier breakfast with summer flavors. I would have never thought to add mango or kiwi to cold oats, but it was so delicious, and I might continue this recipe into summer for my slower mornings. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Just a little goal setting session going on here as we kick off the month of May. I’m not taking classes this summer and the kids will be at summer camp 3x/week, so after I teach, it’s just gonna be me and my Productivity Planner getting things done and taking advantage of what is probably the most open summer I’ve had since I was in high school. I’m kicking off this month with some pretty ambitious goals: 1. Finish painting the interior rooms in the house - We’re continuing Sea Salt into the hallway, Grayish in the rest of the bedrooms, and Watermarked (all HG Sherwin Williams) in the bathrooms. Fun fact - we picked out all the interior & exterior home colors and finishes the first month we moved in. Now it’s time to finish up those plans. 2. Get bids for home improvement projects. - We need plumbing work done, tree trimming in the backyard, and, then, one big project for the exterior. We’ll be replacing all of our siding with brick, replacing wood trim and soffits, painting the exterior (I am beyond excited about this part), and replacing windows and shutters. I am keeping my fingers crossed we can get all of this done before I go back to school in mid-August. 3. Lower food expenses and have more “no spend” days. - I’ll purchase and prep ingredients for breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for the week every Sunday morning. These meals, more or less, stay the same day to day; we’re all creatures of habit for the daytime meals. Dinners ingredients will also be purchased on Sunday mornings for the upcoming week. I always get stuck coming up with dinner and a grocery list every week so I planned every dinner for May, and made four separate grocery lists for every week. And any other purchases for the week (both in-person and online) will take place on Sunday as well. I think this is going to be a game changer for our budget, our health, and my sanity. And that’s my three big goals for May! Along with these three goals, I have the unwritten goals of rest and relaxation when I’m alone, and, then, giving my undivided attention to my family when we’re together. I am really looking forward to this summer and making the most of this time off I am lucky to have!

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