Life Lately: Chaos, Coffee, and Catching My Breath

Once upon a Monday—not the kind with fresh starts and motivational playlists, but the kind where you wake up thinking it’s Sunday and realize you’ve already missed your window for peace—there I was. Mascara from yesterday still slightly clinging to my lashes, a toddler on my hip, a teen yelling about missing socks, and me wondering how in the world did I get here?

Life lately hasn’t been calm. But it has been real.

Some seasons of life feel like a well-orchestrated dance. This one? This one feels like interpretive jazz with toddlers, teenagers, and the occasional mental breakdown in the pantry.

In the last few weeks, I’ve juggled:

• A graduation (we made it, barely, with hot glue, tears, and snacks),
• A whirlwind trip to Arizona,
• A beautiful but exhausting Mother’s Day,
• Vendor events that drained my feet and filled my heart,
• And enough emotional ups and downs to make a telenovela jealous.

And through it all, I keep showing up. Sometimes late, usually with caffeine, but always with love—even if it’s a little spicy.

There are moments where I catch myself mid-chaos. Like watching Presley giggle on the floor, Mariah singing to herself in the highchair, or Natalie pretending she didn’t hear me ask her to load the dishwasher.

There are other moments—usually around 9:43 PM—where I pause, sit in the bathroom with the door locked, and remind myself: You’re doing it. This is your life. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s yours.

I’ve been trying to find the balance between being a present mom, a good wife, a full-time manager, a hopeful entrepreneur, and a human who still remembers to brush her hair. Some days, I nail it. Some days, I eat cold pizza over the sink and call it dinner.

But here’s the thing…

I wouldn’t trade it.

Not the tears. Not the clutter. Not even the eye rolls from a certain teen who shall not be named.

Because life lately is full of fight. Full of grit. Full of grace-in-progress.

I’m building something. A business. A family. A version of myself that’s just a little more grounded, a little more confident, a little more “I’ve got this”—even when I don’t.

So if you’ve found yourself wondering how the heck you’re supposed to be everything for everyone, let me offer you this:

You’re not supposed to be everything. You’re just supposed to keep going. Even if it’s slow. Even if it’s ugly. Even if your toddler just dumped cereal on the cat.

That’s where the magic happens.

Thanks for being here—reading my rambles, cheering from afar, maybe even laughing at the chaos. Life lately has been a lot. But maybe a lot is just what I needed to remember how much I’m capable of.

More soon,

Amber