Life Lately: An End to Maternity Leave

It’s been a while since I have written and posted a post on life lately, but here I am getting back in the swing of things and letting you in on a bit that’s been going on. For starters, our darling little girl arrived healthy and safe in late August. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

From the moment I held her, she had me wrapped around her little fingers. So, with me spending a considerable amount of time at home bonding with her, I didn’t put much effort into the blog with the exception of an occasional post here or there. But, have no worries, I am returning strong and have a lot to share – including a lot of reviews!

Maternity leave was a little over three months. It’s bitter-sweet.

I really enjoyed the slow pace and being home, but am now happy to inch my way back into the swing of things including everything from blogging, exercising, cooking more, and my professional work. However, I would have enjoyed more time at home with my little one.

Personally, I don’t believe that six weeks or even 12 weeks is enough time to be home on maternity leave. I feel the first year or at least six months is so much more suitable. But, who knows, I may decide to return home to be with her longer. I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.

Fall Bucket List Activities

While on maternity leave, I didn’t do a whole lot, but I did do some things. For example, I created a fall bucket list and was able to cross a few things off of that list such as visiting Negangard Pumpkin Patch and a few day trips.

One of the day trips was to Bloomington. We were on a hunt for some unique Halloween mugs that I spotted on Instagram. Thankfully, it was not a wasted trip. I did find the mugs at a local Jewel-Osco. We also visited family and enjoyed Krispie Kreme, as well. It was a nice and relaxing day trip.

Enchanted Fairies Photo Shoot Experience

The next day trip was to Chicago, where the little one and I took photos at Enchanted Fairies. It was such a beautiful experience. For several years, the ad has popped up in my Instagram feed, so I would forward it to my SIL for my nieces.

But, this time, I was able to enjoy the experience with my own daughter. With her being so small, we didn’t get any photos of her by herself, so we only ordered one photo of us together for now, but plan to return when she’s a bit older for an even better experience.

The gowns that we wore were absolutely gorgeous! I wore a purple gown and she wore a coral-colored gown, and we both wore floral headbands. It was such a precious experience together. I can’t wait to see the final outcome. In fact, the final photo with all of the magic is being shipped to us as I type this post.

Online Etiquette Workshops

Aside from those outings, I haven’t done too much more than that. Instead, I have been taking online courses and workshops on etiquette, elegance, networking, and the like. It has become so much more important for me lately to move with more elegance and grace. Mainly for two reasons.

The first reason is that I now have a daughter who is watching me. I want her to pick up good habits and not poor negative habits. The second reason is that I want to level up my life again and you can’t level up your life with poor habits and etiquette. It just doesn’t work in that fashion.

So, with that being said, I have come across some Youtube channels, workshops, and webinars that have been assisting me with this new journey. If you are interested in a list of videos and workshops, please let a comment and I’ll either send it or create a new post with the links and information.

Collaborations – Holiday Shopping Ideas

Lastly, I have worked with some amazing companies over the past three months that have given really good discount codes to you, our family and friends including the following:

Newair Evaporative Cooler and Fan (Model NEC500SI00) – Visit Newair and save 10% using code: JUSTBRENNON

Newair® Shadow?? Series Wine Cooler Refrigerator (Model: NWC024BK00). If you are interested in your own, please use my code (BRENNON_WINE) to save yourself 10% off.

If you are interested in making your holiday entertaining a breeze with the Newair 44lb. Nugget Countertop Ice Maker, visit my affiliate link here and use my code BRENNON10 for 10% off.

Visit Daisy London Jewelry – Sorry, no code.

Precious Moments Figurines – Sorry, no code.

ChubbyBubbyBear Review – When you use the code Brennon15 upon checkout, you can get 15% off on all our products. The code will be active until Nov 30, 2022.