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Hi there! I’m Sarah, a former special education teacher turned stay at home mom living in NE Indiana with my husband, son, and two sweet dogs. I’m a minimal-ish mama striving for balance in the chaos that life can become. Welcome!

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At almost this exact moment one year ago, I started having contractions. ✨ I can't even begin to describe all the emotions of arriving at the hospital knowing it was finally time to meet the little one I had carried around with me for nine months. Hopeful, nervous, ready, scared, bursting with adrenaline and excitement. We had not found out the gender so there was the added anticipation of finding out if we had a son or a daughter. I couldn't believe the moment had finally come! 💗 Well...the moment had not quite come yet. I labored all night and all of the next day. LJ would not make his entrance for another two calendar days (about 26 hours). Even though today is not his birthday, I'll never forget the wondrous feeling of leaving for the hospital to meet our child. 💕 ▪ ▪ ▪ 📷: The Pea Pod Photography Studio

This smiling cutie is naked because prior to this picture, he threw up. Not just all over himself, but also on his mama. Sigh. We had a rough go of things today. I spent countless days/weeks/years of my life dreaming, hoping, longing to become a mom. This little boy is the answer to so many prayers and I’m so, SO very grateful to be his mama. 💙 Still, some days are just hard. I think sometimes there is this narrative out there that we can’t/shouldn’t share the difficult moments because it feels like complaining, and how can we complain when others have it so much harder/worse/etc? I have come to see that narrative as a lie. I truly believe that we can be so grateful for what we have while still acknowledging that life is not always sunshine and butterflies. Even the biggest blessings come with challenges and motherhood is no exception. If you had a difficult day today, know there is at least one mama out there who stripped down herself and her puke-covered baby today and is quite honestly just glad it’s bedtime now. I see you! Some days are hard but we got this. Here’s to a better day tomorrow! 💪✨

I can't believe it's been almost one year of life with this sweet boy. I am so very grateful that we get to spend our days together. 💙 ▪ One of the biggest things I had to learn when I transitioned to being a work-from-home mama was to lower the bar and have manageable expectations. It is so important that I am realistic with what I can accomplish in a day & start each day with a flexible mindset. Babies are unpredictable! There are some days where LJ naps a long time & I have time to get all my work done, clean, & even read a book while he sleeps. Then there are days where he hardly naps & I'm lucky to scrape by with just getting basic work done. There are days where we have obligations outside the house that throw off our schedule. There are days where one or both of us feels sick & we just need lots of cuddles on the couch. ▪ I want to be clear that I do not do it all. I might get through a day with my job work done & a clean bathroom but there's still a pile of dishes in the sink. Or the kitchen is sparkling but the laundry basket is overflowing. I can't focus on everything or it becomes too overwhelming to do anything. So I focus on manageable expectations. ▪ My #1 goal each day: LJ and I are both fed, happy, healthy, & alive at the end of the day.✨ If nothing else, that's all I really have to accomplish. Then my goal is to finish my job's work tasks, or at the very least, get to all tasks that must be addressed that day. Then I'll try to clean a room or empty the dishwasher or finish laundry. But if it all that doesn't happen, I have to be willing to be okay with that. I start out each day with goals, but I have learned to give myself grace if the day ends and I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. ▪ Today on the blog I'm sharing a few things that have made working from home a little easier for me in this stage of life (link in profile). Every family is different so what works for me might not work for you. I just wanted to share in case there is another mama out there looking for ways to simplify the chaos of working from home, whether it be a full-time, part-time, side hustle, whatever. ▪ If you work from home, I'd love to hear what works for you!

I've been a little quiet on instagram lately - we had a great trip to Philadelphia but also enjoyed getting settled back at home and it was good to unplug a bit. If you missed my stories, some big things are happening with LJ learning new tricks and I've been soaking it all up! ✨ ▪ I have now flown solo with LJ a few different times and while I am by no means an expert, I do feel like I’ve picked up some tips and tricks along the way. I have previously blogged about tips I use when flying with a baby, but motherhood is a constant experiment and I want to share what I’m learning as I go. ▪ Today I thought it might be helpful to show exactly what I prioritize packing when flying with a baby, as well as how I organize everything and navigate it through the airport. As always, these are things that have worked for me – my tricks might not work for everyone but they sure have helped me simplify the chaos of airport travel! I hope you can find something that is helpful to you. I also link a few products that have worked well for me when flying (not sponsored, just things I genuinely love!) and give a little recap of our Philly trip. ▪ Check it all out in today's blog post (link in profile).

Things I have done recently but not today: 1) Voted (I'm out of state today so Justin and I hit the polls Saturday morning!) 2) Finished three more books in October 🇺🇸 I encourage you to head to the polls today to make your voice heard - EVERY vote matters! ☑ After the polls, you can also head to the blog post at the link in my profile to see my thoughts on these great reads. 📚

A little #proofofmom flying solo with an eleven-month old and four days worth of our stuff.🙃 ✈ I previously wrote a whole blog post dedicated to some tips and tricks I've learned for flying with a baby but I have to take a minute to repeat my favorite tip: bring a nursing pillow even if you're not nursing! It is the MOST helpful thing for your baby to sit/lay on so it doesn't feel like you have to "hold" him or her the whole time. Swipe 👉 to see the magic of my @boppycompany pillow at work on today's flight. 🙌 (Not an ad, I just love it!) ✈ What tips do you have for flying with a baby?

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