Every Day Should be Mother's Day

This post is sponsored by Uncommon Goods and, as always, all opinions are 110% my own!

1. reclaimed wood cookbook stand/2. bloody mary pint glasses/3. aquamarine branch ring/4. jane eyre literary scarf/5. solar tealights/6. ampersand serving board/7. soup & crackers bowl/8. wooden cuff/ 9. green herbal tea kit

Can we talk about Mother's Day for a moment? We are knocking on May's door and Mother's Day is just around the corner. I don't know about you, but I think every day should be Mother's Day.

One of the things that has really become apparent since I've become a Mom is how AMAZING my own Mom is. Don't get me wrong - I've always known this. I always knew that I hit the Mom jackpot because my mother is simply the best. Everything she does in her life is for her family. Growing up, she was always the class Mom, the class trip Mom, the welcoming Mom to all of the neighborhood kids, at every sports game and practice, always experiencing our heartbreaks right along with us, always making sure that we had everything we could ever want and more.

She is still this way, even as my sisters and I are adults. If I mention that I have a problem, no matter how trivial, she'll be at my door to fix it. Last week I complained about how my local grocery store didn't sell oat bran anymore (that or I'm really losing my mind and just can't find it), and the next time she came over, sure enough, she had a box of oat bran in hand for me. That's just how she is.

And while I've always known she was the best, there's nothing like becoming a Mom to put it into even greater perspective. I've never appreciated my Mom more than over the last 2 years, when I've finally gotten a taste of what she has done every day for the last 32+ years. Motherhood can be a thankless job, but we do it because it's also the best job. It's the most rewarding, most fun and most awesome thing I've ever done but it's also the most hard, most mentally and physically exhausting and most worry-ridden (many nights of my Mom waiting up well into the early morning hours for me to come home on a Saturday night come to mind and I can't help but cringe).

So is it asking too much to acknowledge Moms every day?! I'm not saying it has to be parties and presents every day (though I wouldn't turn it down), but a daily acknowledgement that Moms are awesome seems fitting to me. And since the official Mother's Day is next Sunday, you can bet that special gifts will be given.

I put together a little gift guide of some of the gifts I'm really crushing on this Mother's Day from one of my favorite shops, Uncommon Goods. I would love to receive any of the items from their gifts for mom collection seen here, and I know my Mom would love these too. My favorite of the bunch for her are the bloody mary pint glasses (she is a serious bloody mary fan!) and the reclaimed wood cookbook stand because it's just beautiful and would look gorgeous in her kitchen. For myself? I chose the literary scarf, which has a passage from Jane Eyre, one of my all-time favorite books and Penelope's middle namesake. And the cheese board because cheese. And I love ampersands.

In truth, though, anything from the Uncommon Goods Mother's Day collection would make a great gift - you can view the full Mother's Day collection here - I could have gone on and on with all the stuff I'm crushing on. I have always been a fan of Uncommon Goods because they have truly unique, handcrafted items that I simply can't find anywhere else. And in the world of mass production, that's really hard and special to find these days. Oh and I love that it's a local company, based right across the river in Brooklyn, most of their goods are made in the USA and many use recycled materials. So it's pretty much a win all around!

So how will you be celebrating Mother's Day?

Do you have any gifts in mind for your Mom or for yourself?

New Favorite Show: The Comedians

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Have you guys been watching The Comedians on FX? Starring Billy Crystal (no introduction needed) and Josh Gad (the original Elder Cunningham in Book of Mormon & voice of Frozen's Olaf) it's the newest addition to our already crowded TV arsenal. We kept seeing commercials for it during Justified and knew this was a show we had to see. It's a mockumentary-style 30 minute comedy that follows Billy and Josh as they begrudgingly prepare to share the spotlight in a new comedy sketch show on FX.

It's smart, it's funny. It has me loving Billy Crystal more than ever (because it's refreshingly clear that he doesn't take himself very seriously) and admittedly kind of crushing on Josh Gad for his subtle, narcissistic humor and his continued homage to himself as the original star in Book of Mormon.

It's a great blend of the ridiculousness that is Hollywood and the unlikely and forced friendship and camaraderie of a comedic legend and a relative newcomer who is in serious denial of his celeb status.

If you enjoy shows such as Arrested Development, Louie, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (aka smart humor) then you need to check this show out!

Things I've Learned as a Working Mom

I've debated writing about my experience as a working Mom and haven't quite known how to tackle it. I want to be honest, and I'm also not quite sure how to put my thoughts into words. So I came up with some of the things I've learned. I hope you'll join in with some thoughts, whether your a working mom, a stay at home mom, a work at home mom or any other hat-wearing variation of Mom. But please - leave the judgement at the door - this is a supportive zone!

Things I've learned as a working mom:

It's hard. Like probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Balancing a job with a lot of responsibility, a home to take care of and my most important role as a Mom can really take its toll. I question myself daily.

Every moment matters. Other working Moms used to tell me it's the quality of time spent, not the quantity. I couldn't agree more, and though I often wish I could bump up the quantity, I ensure that every moment that I'm with my daughter is an important one, that I'm focused on her and not my phone, that I'm soaking up every second and giving her all of my attention.

I'm not missing out. One of the things that first bothered me about working full time was the fear of missing out on things with Penelope. I think that's a natural fear but one that has faded with time. I'll always be Mom, whether I'm with her 24/7 or not and to her, I'm irreplaceable.

I like going to work outside of my home, working hard and having responsibilities and a creative outlet separate from my family. It keeps my mind sharp, my being energized and excited for every day. Having my own bank account to spoil P as I see fit is pretty great too.

Bedtime time is more of a guideline. I get such little time with P at night that an 8:30 bedtime rather than 8:00 once in a while isn't going to hurt anyone.

It's ok to not do a 30 minute bath time every day. Every other day will suffice.

I think I'm a better mom because I work. This of course isn't the case for everyone. I'm ambitious and choose to work and find fulfillment there and it makes me happy. But it's a double edged sword for sure.

Sunday nights really suck. It's anxiety-inducing and I rarely sleep in anticipation of leaving my baby the next day.

Having other working mom friends is the key to my sanity most days. You know who you are and without you, I'd feel really alone.

It's never easy to leave my daughter but the absolute worst time is when she is sick.

I can do a lot of things and carry a lot of weights. Many more than I ever thought possible.

There is no joy quite like that of the moment of daycare pick up; a face of pure happiness at the sheer sight of my being there. A smiling face running toward me with open arms - there is nothing better in life.

There is no dread like seeing the daycare center phone number light up my phone screen.

I'm so very lucky to have a job that I love, that inspires me and that I'm happy to go to each day. This would probably be a very different post if I didn't.

Every day is, on some level, a struggle. To get myself up, leave the house in semi-working order, get Penelope up and ready and out the door on time. Some days I just want to get back in bed with her and watch Dora the Explorer on loop and pretend that's our only priority for the day.

I feel like a lot of my life is spent trying to catch up or to get ahead and never quite feeling like I have enough time.

But it all makes me feel like I can do anything.

And I'm proud of myself. I hope that Penelope is too.

PS: why i hate mom judgement