Lazy girl summer.

Here I am, showing up on the blog after five months of silence, with nothing more than a lazy “currently” post. One, because I haven’t checked in like this since the beginning of 2020. And two, because these days, there’s not much energy for anything else.

(That said, I am in the midst of attempting a long-form blog post about parenting styles and how they shape us, but who knows when that’ll be published! For now, you’re stuck with mundane life updates.)

CURRENTLY, I AM...

Drinking: Trader Joe’s Organic French Roast Cold Brew with coconut water and heavy cream. It’s surprisingly strong!

Loving: my morning gym ritual. We just joined the Frisco Athletic Center so that Scott and I can get back into exercising regularly, and it’s been a hit with the whole family. Being able to work out while the kids play is a game changer, because it frees up their nap time for me to do other things! We’ve also been taking advantage of the waterpark on weekends—there’s really nothing else to do outdoors in Texas this time of year.

Reading: I just finished Dr. Becky Bailey’s Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline—and wowza, what an eye-opener. While it’s probably the most humbling book I’ve ever read (child-rearing is hard!), I truly consider it the holy grail of parenting books and would recommend it to anyone struggling to effectively and lovingly discipline their toddler.

As far as novels go, I’m halfway through Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah, and although it borders on the fantasy/sci-fi genre (not typically my thing), I’m really enjoying it! You can keep up with all of my book reviews here.

Stressing over: what to share on this blog. With Candor (aka Snapshots + Snowglobes, aka Wishful Thinking) has been a passion project of mine under various names since my junior year of high school, and while I adore this space and try to show up as much as I can (which, sadly, is rare these days), I struggle with the ethical question of how much of my life is appropriate to display now that I’m a wife and mother.

I’ve always used this platform as digital scrapbook of sorts, documenting my innermost thoughts, musings, and experiences—and anyone that knows me knows that I don’t hold back, even when it comes to the messier stuff (questions of faith, miscarriage, anxiety/depression). I’m an open book, and although I’ve been criticized for that in the past, I’ve only recently found it to be potentially problematic…in large part because my life now revolves around three other people. It’s not just me that I’m writing about, and I have to be cognizant of how the information I share could impact my husband and kids, especially since the latter two cannot consent to having their images and life details splashed all over the internet.

That said, there have been some personal things come up in the past few months that I’ve felt compelled to sit down and blog about—writing is my therapy, after all—but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might be divulging too much too soon. (Hence the 5-month hiatus.) It’s a delicate balance, I think, and I’m going to continue to wrestle with finding the line between candor and caution when deciding what to include here. Being authentic on this blog means a lot to me, but my family’s safety and privacy means more.

Thankful for: fun mom groups! I went to a small mom’s night out event on Thursday in Downtown McKinney, and even though I stayed out way too late (and drank more than I should’ve), I can honestly say that I haven't had that much fun in long time. We bar-hopped a bit, but ended the evening at Room One Eleven, a charming speakeasy with top-notch cocktails. Introverted as I am, my soul craves that sense of community, and I never want to take it for granted.

Watching: Silo, a new dystopian drama series on Apple TV+. It started out super riveting, but Scott and I are about 4 episodes into the first season, and to be honest, I’m already losing interest.

Learning: to set healthy boundaries and define my limits in all areas of life, but especially with my kids.

And a little bonus fun fact: I took May-August off of work to stay home with the kids, and I can’t believe we’ve already made it through more than half of the summer. It’s flown by! Part of me is soaking up the simpler SAHM life, but the other part of me is looking forward to working with clients again in September. Jude will be in preschool Monday through Thursday, which is bittersweet. Mom fatigue is a real thing when you’re with your kids 24/7, but it also feels like a piece of my heart is missing when I’m away from either of my children for extended periods of time. Ah, the life of a mother!

Photo taken on the last night of our July 4th holiday at my family farm in Louisiana.