The other day, I was sitting in the car waiting for my little one to get out of school, and I caught myself wondering what the “perfect” blog post would even look like. After a minute, I had to be real with myself—there’s no such thing.
I didn’t start this blog to be perfect. I started it to share the real parts of motherhood and my love for cooking and baking. I’m always in the kitchen—sometimes experimenting with something new, sometimes revamping an old family favorite. On top of that, I’m trying to figure out how to weave homeschooling into our routine. Let me tell you, it’s been a journey! Every day feels like a mix of chaos and adventure.
I’ve never been a rigid, scheduled mom. Life just doesn’t flow that way for me. I’d call myself more of a “go with the flow” kind of mom, and honestly, most days I enjoy the chaos. It keeps things interesting, even if it makes me feel like I’m always one step behind.
Little Moments That Matter
My oldest goes to a nature-based preschool a few hours a week, which gives me a small pocket of time to feel somewhat accomplished. I don’t get true “alone time” since my youngest is still with me, but it does mean I get to soak in more one-on-one moments with him.
Sometimes we head to the gym so I can put a little energy toward my weight loss journey (a story for another post). Other times, we join a playgroup or art class. He loves both—though I’m not sure if it’s the painting or the taste-testing of art supplies that wins, lol. My favorite part is watching how he interacts with others without his brother around. Those little glimpses of independence are so sweet.
Finding My Footing as a Mother
Motherhood has been the hardest and most humbling journey of my life. Some days I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. To be honest, I wasn’t prepared for this role—I wasn’t raised for it either. One of my biggest struggles has been realizing I was never taught to be a homemaker. I think a lot of us missed out on that. Remember when schools used to offer home economics classes? I can’t help but wonder if those lessons would have made things a little easier.
Still, I’m slowly finding my footing. I’m coming to terms with my childhood and making peace with what I didn’t get. I can’t change the past, but I can choose to give my boys a different kind of childhood—one filled with love, presence, and emotional connection.
Letting Go of the Pressure
I’ll admit, there’s pressure—both from my inner child and from society—to “do it all.” Take them to theme parks, buy the toys I wished I had, make every memory picture-perfect. But little by little, I’m letting go of that. If my boys are happy, healthy, and feel loved, then I’ve already given them the most important thing.
Embracing the Chaos
At the end of the day, I love the life we’re building. I go to bed excited to wake up and see their sweet faces in the morning.
So what’s the perfect blog post? For me, it’s this—raw, open, and honest. A little messy, a little jumbled, but real. A public diary of my thoughts, recipes, activities, and life as a mom just trying to survive (and embrace) the chaos.
Stick around for more chaos to come.
With love,
Dakota
✨ “Are you more of a ‘go with the flow’ mama or a ‘schedule is life’ mama?”