The Teacher Diva

My Breastfeeding Journey

The moment I learned that I was pregnant was unforgettable. My mind was immediately filled with so many emotions: excitement, worry, anxiety and an overwhelming amount of hope that this would be a healthy pregnancy. As the pregnancy progressed, I read so many books and blogs about motherhood, sleep schedules, daily routines, and more. Like many new mothers, I was trying to do my best to prepare for raising a child. Even though I was a kinder and first grade school teacher for several years, I really didn't have much experience with babies. This was ALL new to me, but I was determined to learn as much as possible. ...

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5 Tips for Going on a Realistic Digital Detox

Wednesday night I was asked to speak at the FGI Dallas Fall Forum on the Influencer Panel. During the discussion, the topic of "Digital Detox" came up. I've always felt very passionate about finding a work/life balance that works for you, but I also think it's important for content creators, influencers and bloggers to know that it's ok to unplug. In a world where we're all obsessed with sharing on social media and being on our phones snapping everything, I think it's so important to take time for breaks. You might think this sounds a little crazy coming from someone whose career is made through social media and a website, and believe me, it's hard for me too! But there's something to be said for putting my phone down and being present with friends and family. ...

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I Got My First Smartwatch: Here’s My First Impressions of the Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch

A lot of people have smartwatches these days. I’m always somewhat mesmerized whenever I see someone read a notification, take a call, or track their fitness on their watch. Last week, I decided to join the smartwatch club and I am enjoying it for a lot of reasons. ...

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My Top 10 Baby Registry Must-Haves

Early on in my pregnancy Austin and I started researching "baby registry must-haves" and asking our friends what they used and loved. It was an exciting time but also overwhelming — there's just SO much stuff out there. Now that we are 7 weeks into parenthood, we've been able to test out many of the gifts we received from our registry and realized things we should have registered for. I've included our top 10 registry picks below and details on how we use them. ...

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Our Starbucks Summer Drink Order

We appreciate a good cup of coffee around here and now that iced coffee season is upon us (as if it ever went anywhere), we are making more trips to our nearby Starbucks. Between Austin, Victoria and myself, one of us usually makes a coffee run two or three times a week. I'm a creature of habit and typically stick with my Iced Chai, but I love to see what everyone else orders. And if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll try something new. ...

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What I Wore to my Baby Shower

Last month, my best friends threw me the most wonderful shower to celebrate the anticipation of baby George. I'll be sharing my baby shower photos soon, but today, I wanted to share some ideas for other mamas-to-be or brides. We all know that finding your "shower dress" can be intimidating. And if you are on the hunt for your baby shower dress, it's a whole other story. ...

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What I Packed in my Hospital Bag for Labor and Delivery

It's been 2 weeks since we've been home with baby George and I'm constantly asking myself what life was before this little one. While it has been a big adjustment, I don't think we've ever been happier.   I know many of you have requested a "hospital bag" blog post and it's still a question that continues to pop up in my inbox. The reason I didn't share this before baby was because I wanted to wait and see what we actually used and what we could have left at home. You guys know I am a minimalist when it comes to packing and I wanted to keep it that way for the hospital. ...

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My Pregnancy Skincare Routine

Since finding out I was pregnant last October, I knew I needed to make some changes in my skincare routine. And while I love getting to test new things, I'm pretty loyal to my skincare products. But when I started talking with my doctor and researching on my own, I learned many of them were not considered "pregnancy safe" due to higher amounts of Vitamin A or Salicylic Acid. Thankfully my doctor and nurses were very kind and generous with their time and let me send them product labels of anything I was questioning. Since each pregnancy is different, I would recommend asking your doctor and nurses before trying anything new. ...

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Meet Baby George

We are beyond thrilled to welcome baby George to our family! He was born Friday, May 10th and weighed 7 lbs 14oz. After a crazy week in the hospital, we are relieved to say that everyone is doing well. Austin and I are just smitten with this precious baby boy. ...

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My Maternity Leave Plans + Helpful Tips from Other Working Mamas

The countdown to Baby R is on and I've been in full on nesting mode. They aren't kidding when they tell you that nesting will kick in towards the end. I didn't believe it at first. But since week 37, I've cleaned out my entire bathroom, laundry room, placed one too many Amazon orders, reorganized my nightstand, decluttered my closet and have made a list for everything. The craziest part is that my "nesting mode" literally kicks in around 10:30 pm. I know what you're thinking...Austin is one lucky guy. ...

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