Mommy & Me

The Daily Schedule that Changed My Time Management

February 26, 2020

Today is for ALL of you. Whether you’re a college student, a working woman, a momma who works in an office, a stay home momma who works at home all day raising babies, or -like me- a momma who runs a company from her home. No matter what your situation, this is for you. Time management is hard to nail down. There are so many distractions to bump us off our goals for the day, and I know that all too well. With a toddler pulling at my leg as I edit content for clients or capture images for a campaign while Knox plays at my feet, or it’s my phone dinging notifying me of emails or Instagram comments… it’s hard. Life is hard to stay on track with and manage your time well, getting all the things done in a day that need to be done, if we aren’t meticulous in the way we manage every single minute we are given.

Anybody else with me? How am I supposed to get my work done, raise a healthy and happy child, drink enough water, eat the right food, cook meals for my family, make it to the gym 3 times a week, AND have some time to myself for my sanity?… Surely I need 50 hours a day to make this happen, right? Girl, I feel you. I have been you before. I have been there. I am in recovery for never putting my phone down, never closing my computer, and multi-tasking at all times. I used to think I was a rockstar for “balancing” so much… but really, I was just dying inside and missing the fullness of moments.

I want to share my schedule with you that’s really helped me. It requires discipline, but man does it work. And of course, there are days things just don’t pan out accordingly. But, for the most part, this is what I live by and I try my very hardest to schedule meetings and shoots and all the things within these guidelines!

My Daily Schedule:

6 AM Wake Up (often it’s earlier, but this is the time I must be out of bed by)

6:10-6:40 Quiet time, prayer, cup of coffee

6:45-7:30 MIT Part 1: Most Important Tasks, this is my first part of the day to review my schedule for the day, reply to emails/send out reminders for my day, attack anything necessary for the day that came in over night. This is often my most creative time to write as well (devotionals/blogs/etc.)

7:30 Knox Wakes Up: Make breakfast, color, play

9:30 Gym: My goal while pregnant is the gym 3 times a week! I will share my alternate schedule below for the days that I don’t go and do a home workout.

10:30: My gym has a coffee shop and we pay a little extra a month on our membership to get up to 3 hours of childcare a day! It’s like having a nanny built into our gym. They are great and we trust them, so it’s been such a good fit for us. I work in the coffee shop and finish out my MIT Part 2. This is usually my time to edit content/captions/client work.

12: Home for lunch!

1: Knox naps, I get some time to clean/do laundry/rest/read/watch an episode of something I want/Work if needed

3: Knox wakes up, play, color, go for walk, prep dinner together, etc.

5: Start dinner! This is family/daddy time while I cook.

7: Milk and wind down time for Knox/read books/maybe watch 1 episode of something depending on tv time for the day

7:30: Bedtime for Knox

***On days I do a workout from home, Knox will often take a nap at 10 AM. As long as he gets about a 2 hour nap every day, he is happy and sleeps great at night!

The thing that’s been most significant for me that I encourage you to do for yourself in order to accomplish work most efficiently is that you MUST set aside intentional MIT time. Trying to do your most important tasks of the day while multitasking makes your work less-than and it will take way longer than necessary. I find I can knock out my MIT in about 3 hours a day or less IF I set aside the intentional times to do so. I also have a nanny every single Wednesday (it was Tuesdays but just changed for scheduling needs with our nanny!), so I know it’s my day to have for photo shoots and any big projects I might have to work on. It’s rare I have meetings or shoots on any other days of the week, which helps with our childcare budget and keeping it at the number we know to set for every month.

What you don’t see in the Instagram posts: Knox at my feet and climbing all over everything… hehe.

We all face challenges with our jobs and our working environments. I love that no matter what our days look like, we are all hardworking women looking for ways to maximize our time and what we are passionate about! That’s why this schedule truly is so great. Be intentional with every minute of your day- it will help you accomplish more. Set aside time and tasks for certain times of the day! You can do this. I believe in you, go-getter.

xoxo,

Han

Loving Boys

February 11, 2020

This week is one of my favorites of the whole entire year! Valentine’s Day and our wedding anniversary are two very special holidays to me, and I can’t wait to spend time with my boys to celebrate how much I love them. Knox and I will go on a lunch date together, pending this awful sinus infection and remnants of RSV go away, to a very romantic… Chick Fil A date, most likely. 😉 And the entire weekend will be mommy and daddy time, baby-free! After the weeks of sickness we have had around here, we said all we wanted for our anniversary was sleep in our own bed without a baby for a couple days. Growing up, y’all. It changes everything. LOL.

As a boy mommy and a wife, I feel more than ever a weight to raise up and encourage men to be leaders. My husband is only as empowered to lead our family as I encourage and allow him to be. At his core, he is a great human with or without me. That’s not a question. But the cool part about marriage is that I get to be part of calling out in him an even greater version of himself, a closer version to the man designed him to be. It’s why the wife is called “helper.” I can’t do that by squashing his leadership in our home. We are equals, but he plays such an important role as the head of our household. The greatest lesson I have learned in six years is that I don’t have to be right. I really don’t. I want to be known in my marriage as an encourager, not a fighter. And as Knox grows into a little boy and Baby R’s arrival inches closer, I just want to be a mom who shows how much I love my boys by empowering them to be… themselves. To be boys. To lead. To jump. To play. To make messes. I have had to so intentionally lay down my need for a clean home, organization, and “routine” to allow my son to thrive most. Those things are all important to me, don’t get me wrong. But, they come second to my child’s need to explore. I want him to be curious and playful. My home can be “put together” all the time again one day. But that day is not now.

I never knew having so many men in my life could be so fun. 😉 But truly, it’s the best. I never thought I had space in my heart for so many, but here we are. God just keeps expanding my space for more love. I can’t wait for mommy son dates in a couple years where Knox picks where and “leads” the date. I can’t wait. I cannot wait to raise up young men who love women and value their worth. I am forever grateful that God chose me to be a boy mom, even in my ache to have a girl one day, too. I know he chose me for a time like this and for boys like these. I don’t take that lightly.

Today’s shoot was a sweet Mommy & Me mini session with Cottonwood Road Photography a couple weeks ago at the Lumen Room in Plano. It’s my easiest and best shoot with Knox to date. We shot in 25 minutes and he didn’t even have time to be “over it.” He loved the props and didn’t want to leave yet when it was time for the next person! If you want a shoot capturing your baby’s personality, this is the way to do it. A mini session was perfect! And, of course, with Hannah H. is the BEST of all. She is SO GOOD at getting your kid to smile and at capturing their personality. Knox is curious, fun, and independent. I love that these photos show that!

I am fully convinced a toddler in Ralph Lauren chinos is the most delicious thing in the world. Far surpassing cinnamon rolls and donuts. 😉 This is actually the exact same outfit Knoxy wore for our Christmas photos, but without a velvet jacket this time. I wanted it to seem simple and a little chill. He had suspenders on, which he insisted on, yet when we got to the shoot he took them off within minutes… lol.

My pants are from PinkBlush, and are featured both in the maternity and non-maternity section. They just picture them differently for the different sections, one with a bump and the other without. I linked my clips and make-up, too!

What’s On My Registry

January 27, 2020

EEEP! It’s done, it’s done! I feel incredibly on top of things this time around, because my registry is completely done. Well, I think. Who knows, I may add to it. But I am excited to share with y’all new items I am registering for with Baby R. For the most part, these are items that I either didn’t know about with Knox or they legit didn’t exist even just two years ago. I have different big ticket items this time around, too, since I have my stroller and MamaRoo. I hope this helps all you mommies-to-be as you navigate all things baby!

Big Ticket Items:

The Snoo: Y’all, every review I have read or person I know who has this says “Get it!” They say it’s worth every penny. Knox was such an incredible sleeper from practically day 1, and I have hopes Baby R will be also. But, with a toddler around… I honestly just don’t want to even risk it. I want everybody rested so I can be the best mom to Knox and Baby R. The Snoo is essentially like having an extra set of hands to help baby sleep. Sign me up!
The Willow Pump: Pricey, but worth it for the hands-free ability this gives mommas. Whether you’re a mommy of 2+ OR a work from home mommy… This pump sounds like a dream. I pumped the whole first year, and exclusively the last 6 months before weaning off breast milk. I legit got PP arthritis from how much work my fingers had to do with my regular Evenflo and Ameda Pumps. Not to mention how stressful it was to try to care for my baby, run a business, and pump all at the same time. I’m really hoping this lives up to the hype and helps me a lot this time!
Crib and Changing Table: We will need a new set, particularly since Knox still is in his. This time, I am going for more modern and sleek. Bring on the darker tones and mid-century accents! It’s a total contrast to Knox’s all white and airy room with a sweet shiplap wall. Baby R’s room will have jewel tones and feel completely different. A fun part about having babies is you can practice all of your different decor tastes on them. 😉 I love BabyLetto and their quality is great. We had a cheaper set for Knox, and you just can tell. Pieces delivered to us broken two times, and the paint is peeling off of his crib from where he stands in the morning waiting for us to come get him. Because we don’t need as many high ticket price items this baby, I am looking to get better furniture.

Puppy Nursery :

We are doing a puppy theme for Baby R! It’s been so fun finding different pieces for his cute little room. Bring me all doggies (maybe even another real one…) Kidding… I don’t need that + 2 babies hehe.

Pumps:

Hakka Pump: So many people on a recent IG post said get this no matter what. I had never even heard of it! But, while you pump on one side, you place this on the other. Apparently it helps manually pump/suck while you pump the other side. Sign me up for faster pumpings!
EvenFlo Portable: This was a life-saver my first time around. The con is that they die fast if you use them too often. We went through 3 with Knox because I ended up using it for every single pump session. It’s called an “occasional pump” for a reason, I guess. It’s great to take with you to work or anywhere you need something portable and on the go with automatic storage!
Brezza Baby Formula Dispenser: Look, this isn’t a necessity… but it seems too good to be true. A formula Keurig?! Because we used formula from so early on to supplement Knox for calories, I am ready to do the same with this one. Having this ready to go every day to mix with my breast milk sounds… SO FREAKING NICE.

Clothing/Other

We have a ton from Knox still, obviously, so we don’t need a ton of outfits (though I am all about cute new outfits!). But as far as things go for what we need, I have registered for tons of newborn onesies and sleep-n-plays. These are LIFE those first 6 months. We lived in onesies and sleep-n-plays because they really do make life easier, and they’re so cheap. You will ruin every single one by the time they are grown out of them, so stick to the cheap, easy onesies!
Tula Carrier: I never had a carrier for Knox, but I always wanted one. We just never prioritized getting one, though I really did need it. Sundays at church/on stage for practice would have been a lot easier with one. I tried all the fancy wraps and hated them. It seems stupid to me to having a million foot long wrap thing when you can have something simple like Tula that you just snap on. Sign me up for easy, please.
MAM Pacis: We tried a ton of different ones, and Knox loved these. Every baby is different, so we will see. We really only used these until Knox was about 6 months and he just naturally phased out of them. We never had to go through the whole paci transition, but only because Knox just stopped wanting them. These were life savers the first months, though.
High Chair: I picked this one because of reviews and it’s pretty. We had a different one for Knox that was top rated and highly spoken of… It was one that attaches onto the table. I personally hated it. Like, I am mind blown people love it. It was cloth, which I thought was odd. And it was as awful as I secretly thought it might be, but registered for against my better judgement because of reviews. No matter how much you scrubbed or washed… it smelled. Avocado never came out all the way, and I gave up on it. Knox just sat in a normal chair at our table from less than a year old. It worked fine for us, but I want to start with a normal high chair with this baby.
SleepSacks/Love to Dream: These two were the most successful for us with Knox, and we figured out a system we loved with them! There are obviously tons of swaddle options, but these are our favorite. This style of sleep sack is what we used from the hospital to home as a newborn. We switched to the Love to Dream Swaddle Up around 3 months, and it was amazing! He transitioned great to them! Then, once they start rolling, you switch them to the arms-out version of the Love to Dream.

I have everything above linked, along with all the other items on our list, below!

SURPRISE! Baby #2 is coming!

January 13, 2020

EEEP! I told you we’ve been working hard on a lot of stuff over here on The Cake that’s kept me a little MIA… Growing a second human is HARD WORK, y’all. But, praises, I am in the second trimester now and feel so much better.

We are expecting a baby boy in July of 2020!

I will be sharing a lot more about this pregnancy and all that it’s entailed, emotionally and physically, but -in short- we are truly so excited to be having a healthy little boy! I really didn’t expect another little boy, let alone know if I could handle being pregnant again after all that happened during Knox’s pregnancy and birth, but here we are. And, man, God is so faithful. For months before I felt it was time to try again, I prayed… okay, begged… that if God wanted me to have another baby then I couldn’t be sick like I was last time. I was terrified. No way I could do this again with a toddler and zero family around to help me during the day. My first trimester with Knox, from weeks 6-13 I was on my back literally all day and slept for about 5 of those every afternoon. I was so sick and even LOST 10 pounds my first trimester, because I just couldn’t eat (well, except for egg drop soup from PF Changs, hehe.) If this pregnancy had been my first, I would be saying, “Ohh I was so sick!” But, thank God for perspective, because this pregnancy has been a BREEZE compared to Knox’s. I have been able to function at about 80% most days, though tired and nauseous pretty consistently, never unable to do what I needed to do and without feeling like I completely couldn’t care for Knox on my own. Most days, I got sick around 2-5 PM, which worked for us. Paul could be home in the afternoons most days so I could sleep it off or try to get work done. There were other days I was too sick or really needed help because pregnancy tired is like NO OTHER tired, but we just adjusted our schedule those days. I am so thankful for a husband who loves to help and who has a job that cares about family first. He’s been so great.

Aversions? A couple, but not near as debilitating as Knox’s long list of foods not allowed in our home during the first trimester. I had two, and actually sitting here having to think about them is making me want to vomit. So moving on.

Name? We have it. But it’s a secret. 😉 We will tease it and play games like we did with Knox before he was born, but people are crazy. And they have opinions about things they shouldn’t even care to have. So, for now, my baby’s names will remain secret until they’re here in the world. But, his name is truly special and I believe will mark him for his purpose, just as Knox’s has. Knox’s name means light maker on a hill. It makes me cry every time I think about how I already see that being lived out by him through his gentle yet fierce spirit and desire to include everybody. He cares deeply for people. I pray and declare over Knox that he will be a light maker for all to see. (Matthew 5: 14-16)

Baby R will be a conquerer. Paul and I both just knew when we said his name as an option that it was the one. That’s all I am giving you for now. 😉

Finding Out:

So I don’t know if I am like “Spidey Senses” when it comes to my hormones and body? But, both times now that I have been pregnant, I literally wake up and know I am pregnant and then have the daunting two-ish weeks of knowing I am pregnant but not REALLY knowing. I couldn’t stand it, so we bought pregnancy tests about 5 days too early, but I just hoped my hormones would be crazy high enough to miraculously show the two lines. Well, womp. It didn’t work… shocker. We giggled about it, but I was like “But, just you wait. I am pregnant. I know I am. I feel it.” The days passed and I continued to anxiously pray for the baby I was pretty certain was in my belly. I was getting so uneasy and frustrated that I couldn’t take a test yet. I was pretty irritable because I hated not knowing. Then, one night during the week, I went to a prayer night at my worship pastors’ house, and they prayed over me. One of them looked at me and said, “Hey God wants you to know that whatever it is you’re praying so hard for, you already have it. It’s yours.” I wept. Like WEPT. I knew without a shadow of doubt I was pregnant. I didn’t even need a test, really, at that moment. I knew.

Two nights later, I took a test and knew it could maybe show now for the early detection test. It was still slightly early (a day before it should show according to the “Six Days Before” test.) But, I was confident … and desperate. I took the test and then closed my eyes, half in fear and half too excited to look. I opened my eyes, though, and to my shock it said negative. I literally said out loud on the floor of my bathroom, “No, I know that isn’t true. You promised me.” So I closed my eyes again and began praying out loud that I know God is the God of promises fulfilled and that I was pregnant, and to please just show the positive early so I could feel at peace and not question it anymore. I opened my eyes and stared at the test on the floor in front of me and WATCHED the second line appear right before my eyes. What. Won’t. God. Do.

He didn’t have to show me early. And, of course, I didn’t have to be pregnant. Sometimes we believe in faith for things that won’t come to pass. I know that as truth in a very real and raw and fresh way. But, here, I was a day early for science to make sense of my test. But, He cared for my anxious heart. I watched Him show me the second line that I knew should be there. Faith can move mountains. Or, in this case, pink lines before they’re “supposed” to.

To be honest, it feels weird sharing such sweet news in the middle of crazy times. The brink of war in our nation, dearest friends who have lost babies, and others who haven’t conceived yet. Utter disappointment seems to be around every corner as of late. But, I hope that somehow this story of joy and God’s gentle care for us shines through. He cares for you, too. He cares just as much for your joy as he does for your hurting heart, your frustrations, and your fears. I have learned a lot about disappointment lately. Maybe I will share about some of it one day, but maybe not. But, regardless, I do understand feeling disappointment. I understand frustration. I understand confusion. I understand feeling devastated by circumstances.

But, God is good. He is faithful. He will show you that in His time however He chooses to in your specific situation. It will look different than mine. It will look different than your friend’s. It will be specific to you. But, I know He is good and He will show up. I eagerly wait with you, just as I did on my bathroom floor declaring truth and begging for a miracle to still my anxious heart. I hope the same for you today.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for loving my little (growing!) family. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. Truly, just so grateful.

xoxo,

Hannah, Paul, Knox, and Baby R

Photos by the always freaking talented Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

Location: The Lumen Room-Plano

Knox’s Polar Express Birthday Party

December 20, 2019

Last week we celebrated Knox Chandler’s 2nd birthday with a Polar Express birthday party. He is so into ‘choo-choos’, and especially so after introducing him this Christmas to The Polar Express. Every train we see is now “Pow-lar.” It felt like a no-brainer to choose this as the theme for his big day. I had so much fun imagining a magical space for the kids to walk into and feel like they were in a Christmas wonderland.

Because Knox’s birthday is just before Christmas, we are trying to be incredibly intentional about making his birthday a separate event each year. But, at the same time, it IS right before Christmas so making sure we don’t over splurge is also a major factor. This party was simple, fun, and I spent less than $200 on food/decor/etc.

I laid a choo-choo track for the kids to follow into the living room with white washy tape from Amazon.

I purchased this 12 ft DIY Balloon Arch from Lushra, and was really impressed. (I bought a balloon inflater as well from Amazon.) It took me less than an hour to make this! I did have a VERY difficult time hanging it, so we had to do it as a wall piece rather than an arch, but I was still really impressed. Next time I will need a little more direction from them on how to place the balloons so it’s hangable.

A simple hot cocoa and popcorn bar was a hit for our crowd! I filled Thermos Canisters with pre-made cocoa, and had 3 different types of pop corn for everybody to create their bowls with for the movie. I had a lot of fun laying out this treat board!

Y’all… This “cake” was a HIT. I bought the famed Costco cinnamon rolls ($6.50 for this huge pack!!!) and used it for my cake base. I heated them up accordingly, following the directions on the package. Then, I took cream cheese frosting and spread it out like a true cake. YOU GUYS. It was so good. I wanted something simple, because I knew there were so many other treats to pick from for the night. I was scared people wouldn’t eat it, as so often cake goes at a party. I didn’t want to pour a lot of time or money into the cake because of that. But, it was GONE by the end of the night, and not without a whole bunch of compliments. Shoot, now I am revealing my secrets about how stupid easy it was… 😉

For the living room, I laid out blankets and pallets for the kids, Knox’s play tent, and pillows. The kids came ready for the movie in their pajamas and on theme for The Polar Express. I will say… the movie was a bit of a suggestion. I would probably do the order differently in the future, but it was still a blast. The kids were just so riled up on treats and from opening gifts beforehand that when it was time to watch the movie, they just all wanted to play with Knox’s new toys (Which I don’t blame them! He got some SWEET gifts from our friends!!).

My favorite thing in the world is creating an environment for people to enjoy. I love planning parties and finding ways to make my home a special, inviting space for our friends and family to come to. Our home was certainly packed full with our favorite people, celebrating our favorite little boy. I am forever thankful for the people God placed in our lives over the last 4 years and the friendships that truly are like family. I couldn’t do this and wouldn’t be the mommy I am to Knox without every single person that was under our roof that night. Proverbs 18:24 says “Friends come and go, but a true friend sticks by your side like family.” We are so grateful to have people around us that fit the latter part of this scripture. Seasons of life are so unpredictable. But, the people who will walk through them with us are not. And for that, I praise God.