Hey loves! I apologize for being absent for so long, but I’ve been incredibly busy and I haven’t felt inspired to write. I went from writing until three in the morning every night as a teenager to forcing myself to sit down, write, and blog as an adult. I love words, writing, and literature, but as a busy mama I have to remind myself that sometimes I need to just sit down, quiet the world, and write my thoughts. As a writer, I know I’m talented at inspiring people through words and writing used to be my favorite thing in the world…it was my outlet and it saved me more times than I can count. I am happy to be back!

I am going to be twenty-six on Thursday which feels absolutely insane. I can’t believe I’m going to be twenty-six years old, twenty-six laps around the sun, but at the same time, age has always been just a number to me. I’m not someone who cares too much about birthdays, but I do love to celebrate in style with a pretty outfit, a sparkly day, and gifts. Birthdays remind me of being a little girl, waking up with so much excitement and joy for the day ahead. I told my husband, Andrew that I want a low-key, cozy birthday this year spent at home. We are ordering food from one of our favorite restaurants, eating at home, and watching a good movie. Saturday, Andrew, my parents, my beautiful son Greyson, my best friend Danny, his boyfriend Noah, and I are going to New York City for the day and having a Gossip Girl style brunch on the Upper East Side, hosted by my wonderful family. I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life and I am sure that twenty-six will be amazing.

Andrew and I started a business over the summer and it’s been beyond successful, which I’m very thankful for. We are booked until the end of December and we’re already booking some jobs for the springtime. We are an exterior repair company that provides the highest quality workmanship on any exterior project from roofing to decks. I do all of the marketing, scheduling, and I manage the relationships with our clients. I’m so proud of the company we’ve built and I love being able to work from home and spending endless time with Greyson. I have a fashion and marketing background and I’m currently enrolled at Parsons getting my Fashion Business Certification which has also been keeping me busy. I am more than halfway done with my courses and they’ve been time-consuming, yet inspiring. I will always love my days in the fashion retail environment and somedays I miss it, but the best decision I’ve ever made is becoming a stay at home mom. I work (I run two successful businesses), but my main job is being a mom to an almost three year old. My husband is amazing for allowing me to be whatever I want to be and do whatever I want to do. I know that not everyone has the luxury to stay at home and I will always be grateful for my husband for providing for us, supporting me endlessly, and helping me to create the life I’ve always wanted. At the end of the day he is my best friend and we work very well together running our business. I’ve been asked multiple times, “How do you run a business with your spouse?”. Well, we both have the same goals, beliefs, and even when we disagree, we respect one another enough to listen to each other and to see beyond our own thoughts. He respects me and knows that he couldn’t do the marketing, or be organized the way we are without me, and I know that I could never replace a roof for a client without him. He is insanely talented at what he does and I am insanely talented at what I do. If you and your spouse are solid, great friends, and trust each other, you can work with each other. You find a perfect balance. We do what we do for our life together and for Greyson.

I started decorating for winter and the holiday season today, which made me so happy. My anxiety has been high the past couple of weeks and I don’t know why, which is the norm for me when I’m dealing with my anxiety. Some weeks I feel as though the waves will not stop crashing and other weeks I can feel the calm, peaceful water around me. Living with anxiety is never easy and I find that doing the little things that make you truly happy and at peace can change your mood and mindset. As soon as I woke up this morning (Greyson and I slept in until 8 am) we realized it was a colder, rainy day and I knew what I wanted to do. We packed up our fall decor and put it in the attic, went to Target and bought a few new winter decor pieces (snowmen, dish towels, candles, and a winter sheet set for my bed), and started getting all of our holiday decor down from the attic (I have so much holiday and winter decor that I am bordering on having a problem). I am obsessed with our home, decorating, and a beautiful aesthetic so this is my favorite time of the year. I get to be even more creative than usual. I can’t wait to set up our new, snow-flocked, artificial Christmas tree from The King of Christmas that I ordered over the summer (yes, I know…I am crazy). Greyson loves the holidays, too, which makes me happy. Growing up, my mom went all out decorating for Hanukkah and Christmas. We had a huge, 7 foot, artificial Christmas tree in the front of our home, in a room that was a fancy, small living room, that we would light up with colored lights, and decorate with millions of ornaments. Then, my mom would fill every room in the house with a 3 foot pre-lit Christmas tree and each tree was themed. She had angels and Santas everywhere and the fridge was always filled with homemade egg nog (the world’s best egg nog) and cookies. She made it a special, magical time of the year and that is why I have carried on that tradition. I feel the happiest when it’s cold, I am snuggled in a cozy sweater, and Christmas music is playing.

Before I sign off, for now (more posts to come this week) I wanted to touch on the fact that the older I get the more I realize how much of an introvert I am, which makes sense because I’m a writer and a creative person. I am a true homebody and I love being at home. I hate making plans and I’m not someone who needs to see friends and other people every day. I love my friends, my family, and I am a very friendly person, but I’d much rather be home. I take really good care of my hair and skin, also, so I love not having to wear any makeup and being able to keep my hair natural when I’m home. I prefer being as natural as possible because I feel that is the healthiest way to be. When I do go out, make plans, and have a reason to dress up I put so much thought and creativity into my hair, makeup, and outfit. I don’t know how people go out every night and fill their weekends with endless plans, but to each their own. I need my at-home, cozy time (every day).

I am so happy to be back and to be filling my blog with fun, inspirational posts again. Stay tuned for more this week from deep diving into the world of anxiety to motherhood. Thank you for reading and be sure to subscribe to my blog via email to stay up to date on the latest.

Xo