2013: The Year of Transformation

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It has been quite awhile since I have sat near a computer and actually wrote anything meaningful besides writing lesson plans for work. I have definitely neglected a talent and hobby of mine that I was incredibly in love with over the past four years. But life got in the way and caused me to have to find different ways to make money, which was bartending while trying to finish my master's as fast as possible. So, if you have ever bartended before, you can imagine the hours that I was working in order to make the most amount of money as possible.
And I honestly wouldn't change it for the world. It was an amazing experience and I met and worked with so many people and learned a lot of management skills and forced myself to multi-task going to school to finish my master's, working at many different schools being a substitute, and bartending as many nights of the week as possible to pay my rent, and inevitably trying to have a social life! So, my hobby of writing, really got pushed to the very very end of my list of important things in my life.

As I enter 2014, my life is 100% different from how I started off 2013. If I were to have told myself in 2013 that in 2014 my life would be like this, I would have laughed in my face! But it has been the worst, best, hardest, most incredible experience ever in my life and I would literally change nothing or want it to be any different.

I can never just change one thing about my life. It usually has to be like if I change one, then everything else needs to change as well. Every year I think has been the hardest year of my life and I have accomplished one great thing and so forth, but 2013, this year has been the BIG year for me.

2013:
Graduated, received my master's and got 3 New York State Teaching Certificates
Went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Met the love of my life
Rented a shore house
Went on vacation to Europe: Austria, Germany, Italy
Got engaged
Found out I was having a baby girl
Got Married
Moved into a house with my husband
Got my first 5th grade teacher job in the Bronx

See what I mean, I don't do anything just half assed. I make sure its all the way!
My life has went from being the single girl who lived with her friends and was just making it by from bartending and working at shitty preschool or substitute jobs to being a grown up.

My life that lays ahead of me is so exciting, I wish this baby would get here now. Collecting girls clothes and getting ready for June 2014 is like the countdown of a lifetime.

I also never thought I would find the man I would love, marry, and have a child with, ever in my life. I literally couldn't have ever been so lucky. I actually still can't believe I got so lucky. After all of these years of having such shit luck, it finally changed.

And here's to the transformation that is about to happen in life.

And as for transformation, I will be focusing on my new life: Army Wife, Teacher, Mom to Be, House maker, life.   Ahhhhhhhh who would have ever thought!!!!!!

Stay tuned.

Superhero Parenting

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Many women talk about feeling an overwhelming pressure to be all things to everyone and complain about suffering from the burden of having to live up to incredibly high expectations. Men are also suffering in our increasingly fast-moving world where having a good job and being a fantastic parent and spouse are becoming part of an all-inclusive package.

Childcare responsibilities are now being shared by both partners, leaving men and women feeling the pressure of generation superhero, dashing from the office to the playroom and feeling excessive amounts of guilt for not spending enough time in either. So why are we all feeling such intense pressure to perform?

If you doubt the existence of the ‘superhero parent’ phenomenon, take a look at the various parenting forums and blogs online.  The internet is awash with men and women comparing time-saving tips and tricks for juggling career, family and friendships. This race of apparent super-parents are micro-managing their way to martyrdom.

But holding down a great job, active social life and happy family is no easy task, no matter how many appliances and household gadgets you buy. Work environments are becoming more demanding, with the average number of working hours increasing year on year. Factoring in commuting times, out of hours social events and buzzing blackberries, it’s not uncommon for more than half of our waking hours per week to be absorbed by work. 

The number of hours in the day hasn’t undergone a revision recently, and yet men and women are now feeling the pressure to work more hours than ever before, run and maintain a household, keep up numerous friendships and still look gorgeous and well-groomed on a day to day basis.

Working parents are crumbling under the constant pressure of keeping all the plates spinning. It’s not easy to juggle the corporate world with the demands of looking after children. Thankfully, dress codes in many offices are starting to relax. A smart pair of chinos, a tailored mens jacket and a pair of stylish shoes make the perfect parent to employee outfit.