August is all about a summer of preparation to make it to the first week which is inevitably about survival.  

I am not going to tell you how to survive the first week in the classroom, I am going to tell you how to survive the first week as a human.

First, I have to recommend Downlite bedding!  Think of amazing hotel bedding and then put it in your own home. Boom! Magic.  

Better yet, since they love teachers they've given me a code to share with my followers to take 15% off everything at Downlite Bedding Company. Use code DYGEN15 to treat yourself to a great night’s sleep! 🙌🏼

Let's keep going! 

Great day shoes...I have always sworn that Sketchers go walk shoes are the ugliest, most comfiest teacher shoes out there and I think they heard me because they finally made a cute pair! I have plantar-fascia because the universe sometimes hates me and these have been such a relief! Whoop whoop! Click below if you want to check them out. 

​ Remember as an Amazon associate I get a small amount for qualifying purchases and it doesn't cost you any more.  Win-win!

Great night shoes...or day shoes..I'm not here to judge and before I found the awesome memory foam shoes above I kept a pair under my classroom desk. The students thought it was hilarious.

Below I give you extra, fashionista, and adult-a

​and my favorite ADULTING STICKERS for you and your teammates.  

​​I have always enjoyed blogging. I've had boring blogs about my personal life through high school and college, blogs about teaching, and a less glamorous one about loss.  My biggest struggle with blogging has been that I am an eclectic person.  If I were to ever create a blog that was helpful to anyone other than myself I would have to pick a subject and stick to it.  That just doesn't work for me--I tend to dabble in everything.  One year ago I was taking a casual online course on creating a decor Instagram feed (my husband and I own a small decor boutique) but in the past few months I've been bouncing between motherhood and teaching. As always, I can't pick a lane.

I can't explain when fitting in a box became the goal. I think I just needed my thing as a person and the reality is that I don't have a box.  Once I let go of that idea of the having a perfect little theme to my life the real idea occurred to me.  I am a teacher. I am a mother. I am a person of my own, too.  This is the life I should talk about.  This is area I need to reflect on and others might need a community for as well.  This is it.  This is my most authentic endeavor.  Maybe...

Then this morning I am attempting to work--because as a teacher (and other professions, just speaking to what I know here), you always take your work home.  My toddler needed some serious mommy time.  He's been acting out a bit, he was over-tired and quick to tears and finally sat beside me and hugged my arm.  Okay. I can work one handed.

Then the baby got fussy.  Nothing was helping that because I am not his father..baby guy plays favorites. I put him on my other side and attempted to sooth him. Picked him up and attempted to sooth him. (This list could go on for days).  Eventually when nothing was working I sat him down beside me again.

Here I was with one child hugging my arm, another crying and kicking beside me, and my laptop in my lap...waiting for me to get somethings done AKA pour more of myself into other tiny humans.

You guys I was empty.  I had nothing to give anyone.  Hot tears came and did not stop...in fact they are creeping back as I type.  My husband found us there.  The toddler complaining about the show that was on, the baby kicking and crying, and me in a total state of sensory overload with tears and mascara running down my face.

I don't share this for sympathy or attention. I share this so you know that I see you teacher-mommas.  Pouring your everything into tiny humans whether they are yours or not.  We have to find a balance.

In the car I was thinking about how I planned to write my first blog post today and I couldn't. I would be a complete fraud.  I can't write a blog on being a mom...I am not the exemplar. With time I realized that was exactly why I needed to do it.  I need something that is mine. Something to do for my own soul and this feels like it. I also believe that someone somewhere needs to put something real out there.  I am not the perfect female, perfect mom, or perfect teacher you will find on other platforms (shout out to you ladies...because goals!), but I am real and I hope this journal/blog helps others, including myself, see that nothing has to be perfect to be beautiful.

PS. If this sounds like your crowd join our community.