Coat: Nordstrom – my exact coat is sold out from Abercrombie but to be honest I like the more fitted silhouette of this one I found after. The color is amazing! | Sweater: Nordstrom – best basic sweater! You can use it to layer or wear on it’s own and it’s so cozy! | Jeans: Levi’s – LOVE these! Found them on sale too but they do run big so order down a size! | Shoes: Everlane | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Lips: NARS

Learning to be selfish can be hard. I wasn’t great at it before (why do I always say yes to things?!) and am certainly not much better about it since having Zain. If I’ve learned anything since becoming a mom (besides patience and love) it’s that taking time for myself is so crucial. 

In the beginning I continued to avoid the nanny/daycare situation. I was determined to work from home and enjoy motherhood without any outside help. I’m not sure if it was the exhaustion or denial but the thought of looking for a nanny or suitable daycare itself overwhelmed me. We toured a few places I wasn’t in love with and I talked with a few nannies but had a really hard time pulling the trigger. 

Here I was 8 months later with no help (except my wonderful mom who comes up to visit every now and then and is a life saver) and a husband who had been encouraging me to get help since he went back to work. After talking with Kelly for a while, she convinced me to look into their gym. I was having a hard time getting back into working out even though I wanted to and her and Mitch absolutely loved the daycare there. 

Favorite Raw Hem Jeans:

The gym I belonged to previously had daycare and sadly closed it the month I gave birth. I quit that month knowing I would never make it in without him and hadn’t really found a replacement. I finally submitted a form online and Trevor and I called and chatted with someone about the membership. We had both been wanting to work out again and the fact that we could drop Zain off for 2 hours seemed like a miracle. 

We stopped by for the first time over the weekend and were elated to see how loving and sweet the daycare staff was. I felt totally comfortable leaving him and although I was a little sad he could care less I was leaving him, I was ultimately happy he was having a good time and enjoying interacting with the other kids. 

Not only has it served as a lifesaver for me during the week, I can now get some uninterrupted work done. Normally when Zain goes down for a nap I equate it to Supermarket Sweep in  the house. I am frantically trying to get 1000 things done, emails answered and photos edited but probably not doing any one thing well. This allows me work time, me time and a great break during the day. 

Favorite Loafers:

The same thing goes for alone time with Trevor. We weren’t great at it in the beginning (honestly I think we were too tired to go on a date) but have really started to prioritize it. When we ventured home to Louisville early  a few weekends ago my mom offered to watch Zain on her lunch break. Instead of saying no like I normally would, I accepted and Trevor and I enjoyed an afternoon to ourselves. 

I think it’s crucial to make you feel whole again and I think I am a better mom to him when I do. The little time away gives me a breather and allows me to really be present and concentrate on him when I’m with him. I’ve really been trying to be more present in everything I do this year and I think this is a good step in the right direction. 

How do you guys prioritize yourself?

Our day date at Galaxie! The homemade chips were amazing and the fried chicken taco was my fav!