FRIDAY Q&A: DEALING WITH MOM GUILT, WHAT I’M EXCITED TO SHOW TEDDY ON NANTUCKET, WHAT I MISS ABOUT LIVING IN NEW YORK, AND MORE

Happy Friday! We are still in the throes of sleep training over here and it’s been a bit of a mixed bag this week. We’ve had some really successful longer stretches at night but also some super fussy nap-less days and I’m hoping we’ll be in a better all-around rhythm soon because I am tired. But we kicked off construction on the loft above our garage and the mudroom this week (more on both those projects here!) and I feel like they’re making great progress so far so that’s been a major bright spot in the week. This weekend I’m heading into the city to meet my cousin’s new baby boy and I could not be more excited to see them both! I hope you all have a great one!

1. What’s your favorite destination in New England besides Nantucket?

I’d love to spend more time in Rhode Island, Boston, and Maine! I’ve really enjoyed weekend trips to Newport, Watch Hill, and Vermont and would love to do a road trip through Maine in the fall.

2. Do you ever wonder what you’d be doing as a career if blogging didn’t work out?

I worked in PR doing social media for brands very briefly before going full-time with my blog and the e-commerce site I ran for five years so my hunch is I’d be in the same industry but on the other side of it! 

3. I’m looking to create a self-care package for a mom-to-be. What would you recommend?

Aww I love this idea! I think a favorite candle, an ice roller, a sheet mask or two, and/or a gift certificate for a quick service like a mani/pedi or a blowout would be so thoughtful! 

4. What are you most excited to show Teddy on Nantucket?

I’m probably most excited to take him to the beach! We’re planning to start swim lessons with him in a couple months and I can’t wait to get him in the ocean this summer. And I can’t wait to take him to run (probably crawl?) around at Sankaty (some of my favorite childhood memories!) and watch him experience the outdoor shower for the first time. And I’m not sure when he’ll be able to have ice cream for the first time but I’m sure he will love Juice Bar as much as I do! 

5. Is there anything you miss about living in NYC?

That was such a fun time in my life! I loved the energy, the restaurants (I feel like we would go on date nights like three times a week?!), weekend hangs in Central Park, and living so close to so many of our friends (many of whom have since moved away). I don’t have a desire to live there at this stage in our lives but it’s something I’ll always be happy I experienced! 

6. What were your must-haves in approaching your kitchen renovation? 

I talked all about our appliances, cabinetry, countertops, and more in this post earlier this week! 

7. How did you manage friends and family visiting you and Teddy in the first month?

Not well, haha. I wrote a little about this in this post about our first month with Teddy, but looking back I wish I’d been a little more selfish in carving out time for myself to start the physical healing process and wrap my head around our new reality. I should have been icing and doing sitz baths rather than trying to visit with everyone and it’s something I plan to do differently when we have a second! 

8. How do you deal with mom guilt? It’s so hard!

I feel you on this. Any waking moment that I’m not giving Teddy my full attention makes me feel horribly guilty and it’s definitely something I need to work on for my own sanity. I feel most guilty when he’s resisting a nap and I’m trying to get work done, so I try to remind myself in those moments that I’m working to provide for his future, that my mom working set a strong example for me and my siblings growing up, and that feeling guilty is consuming energy that I would otherwise be devoting to him later on. I obviously have an easier time working once he’s sleeping or when I know my husband or my parents are watching / entertaining him, but I waste a lot of time feeling guilty and it’s tough. 

9. Could you share pros and cons on Darien vs. Greenwich? Thank you!

We loved our three years in Greenwich but always had a feeling we would return to my hometown to buy a house and start a family. For us the pros of Greenwich would be the faster commute to the city for Will, amazing restaurants, a much livelier downtown area, proximity to a great hospital, and proximity to friends who live in town. Pros of Darien (again for us personally) were more affordable real estate, smaller class size in public schools, proximity to my parents, and more of a small town feel. Darien is about to embark on a major downtown revitalization effort that I’m hopeful will bring some more restaurants to town, but other than that it really is a great place to raise a family. I would spend some time in each to see how you feel as it’s really a question of personal preference (I have Greenwich friends who would never live in Darien and vice versa!).

10. What fashion purchases are you making for spring?

We don’t have a ton of travel plans this year as we embark on renovating our house and spring still feels pretty far off in Connecticut, but I rounded up 20 things I’m loving for spring in this post! I’ve only ordered this top so far but I’m planning on revamping my denim assortment as I feel like a high waist has become my best friend postpartum. I’ve been living in this pair but any other suggestions welcome!