The Good, the Bad, the Not So Zen...
Once Upon a Time, I Had it All Figured Out...
And once upon a time, I realized how delusional I really was. Life ain't for the faint of heart...I tell ya. I think that when I really wanted to start this page, I had a decent enough handle on the chaos...on manifesting my life's goals...finding direction, my passions...But the curveballs we've been thrown are such doozies, and a blog, vlog, online diary of sorts, it seemed like exactly the thing to help me thru. Stick with me...I think we'll have some fun along the way.
Reformed Perfectionist in Training...
Firstborn, Xennial, foster & adoptive mom, bonus mom & neuro-divergent mom, medically complex mom, cat mom...I'm not sure where there's room for the not-mom version of me, but I think she's in there SOMEWHERE.
I've been grasping for any semblance of calm amidst the ridiculousness.
Parenting while healing is not for the faint of heart. But most of us were never given the option to face parenting & life any other way.
Potentially beneficial self-certifications included but not limited to:
- Reformed perfectionist in training
- Medical-mama extraordinaire
- Blended family participant
- Dumb decision survivor
- Decision paralysis frequenter
- Anxiety navigator
- Sarcasm enthusiast
- Bright-side looker
- Serial Optimist
- Impulse Purchasing
What You'll See if You Stick Around...
Who needs a niche? Let's talk about all the things. From DIY projects that finally leave my vision journal to whole-home renovation updates (we are deep in it). An embarrassingly large romantasy collection (gorgeous sprayed edges and all) and a future home library that already has plans. Foster kitten season — coming back as soon as the house can hold them. The fluffy balls of hiss run the place and we're fine with it. Then you'll see notes from the medical-mom side of life, because we've walked a road most families never have to, and that shaped us all in ways that show up here, too.
Plus the meh stuff — what we're cooking, what we're reading, what's worth your money, what isn't.
Throw Stuff Out to the Internet, But Make it Cool?
Because the internet really is FULL of "after" photos and very few honest "during" stories. I do the during. The tile that came in wrong, the kitten asleep on the paint chips, the 2am hospital reflections, the book I couldn't put down, THE FLOOD...all of it.
If you're somewhere in the messy middle — expressing your creativity, recovering from perfectionism, renovating, parenting, fostering, booktok obsessed— pull up a chair. Let's do this.
Anyway...It's Really Nice to Meet You!
A Xennial mama in Arizona — three kids, a husband, a day job, and a house that is currently being renovated around us in real time (yes, while we live in it no, I don't want to talk about it)...except I totally do and I totally will. Zen, Chaos & Coffee is the brand.
I went to yoga earlier this week...
The chaos is mostly accurate.
And coffee is a non-negotiable.