3rd Trimester To-Do List

You’re probably thinking how did I get here so quickly, my baby is coming so soon! By now the nursery is probably painted, your babymoon is booked and your baby shower is in a few weeks!

Even being quarantined and working from home I feel like my pregnancy flew by. I’m watching my 8 month old play as I type this and it’s so crazy that we ate here. “The days are long but the years are short” couldn’t be any more true!

Now that there are only a few months until you meet your new baby, there are a few things you’ll want to make sure you get done. This list is a little longer than my 1st trimester and 2nd trimester checklist, but a lot of the tasks are simple, and some will probably require someone to help you.

1. Wash your baby’s clothes: Specifically the ones that are newborn and 0-3 month size. The first few weeks home ate such a blur, do yourself a favor and knock it out early so you won’t be concerned with it when your baby is here.

2. Set up your baby’s sleeping arrangement: Whether it’s a crib or bassinet, in your room or not. Go ahead and put it together and put it in the location you plan on using it. I highly recommend purchasing a bassinet. It is super convenient having your baby close to you in those first few weeks, and even for a couple of months.

3. Purchase postpartum supplies: I’ll have an entire post coming out soon about what products you need for postpartum.

4. Finalize maternity leave paperwork: Call HR make sure they have everything necessary. You’ll have to call and add your baby’s information when she’s born but that should be a quick call.

5. Install car seat: At 8 months pregnant you’ll prob need some help with this. But it’s a good idea to have it installed by 37 weeks incase your baby decides to come early.

We decided that an infant car seat would be best and purchased the Graco snug ride. It’s easy to click into the jogging stroller without taking the baby out.

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6. Schedule newborn photos: You won’t know an exact date but you can tentatively schedule with your photographer, pay your retainer and pick out outfits for you family and baby.

7. Select and confirm pediatrician: Did you know some pediatricians have waitlists? I did not, and we didn’t get our first choice. I am happy with who we chose, but I did have to do further research due to waitlists.

8. Pack hospital bag: I know I packed my bag super early, but I was excited, anxious and nervous. All the new mom feels.

Try having your bag ready around 37-38 weeks, again incase your baby decides to come early.

In this video I’ve included everything you should pack in your hospital (or in my case birth center) bag.

9. Create labor playlist: I only remember listening to music in the first couple of hours or labor. But it’s a good idea to have one ready incase you decide to want music.

10. Download contraction app: Download it and make sure you know how to use it!

11. Make freezer meals: My husband and I did this around 37 weeks and it was such a life saver. We did enough meals for the first 2 weeks and it made things super easy.

The first few weeks you have to navigate your day around feedings every 2 hours, so it was really nice to be able to pop something into the oven quickly.

12. Wash and sterilize bottles and pacifiers: Even if you plan on breastfeeding make sure you sanitize and have everything ready. A few different types of bottles, and pacifiers (since you won’t know what baby may like). You may decide not to breastfeed, not be able to, or decide formula, or decide you need a break and want dad to give baby a bottle. Whatever it is, it’s better to be prepared.

*this post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As always, thank you for your support!

13. Purchase nursing pajamas: There are a ton of options. Whether you prefer a short set, nursing gown, or a button up, make sure your grab a couple. With frequent feedings you’ll want something that’s easy to open.

14. Arrange care for other children or pets: if you have other children, I’m sure it won’t slip your mind to find care for them. But care for your pets is just as important. Have a plan for your other children and/or pets so you won’t be concerned with it when you go into labor. Make sure your partner or support person knows the plan as well.

15. Purchase breastfeeding supplies and order breast pump: My insurance provided a breast pump, but I had to show proof of birth first.

One thing I did not consider was a manual breast pump. This came in handy when my milk supply was coming in and I had not received my electric pump yet. Also make sure to grab a haakaa! Even at 8 months I still use this occasionally.

You’ve got this mama! You are the best mom for your baby, and while there are a lot of things to check off your todo list don’t be overwhelmed. Ask for help when you need it!

I created this community so that moms could discuss marriage and motherhood, so if you have a question leave it below. Myself or another mom will do our best to help you out!

What’s something you wanted to make sure you did during your third trimester? Let’s talk about it below.

xo

20 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Mommy Influencer

So many moms have redefined the terms working mom & stay at home mom. Women have used social platforms like Instagram and TikTok to create lifestyles where they earn an income and also have a flexible schedule to be home with their kids.

Women (moms) are making 6 figures, sometimes more, by blogging or vlogging about their life and personal experiences as a mom.

If you’re here I can only assume that there is a special woman in your life who is a mommy influencer and you’re looking for the perfect gift. Well you’re at the right place! Below I’ve listed 20 things that’s she’s sure to love. Most things are to further her business and help her with creating content, but there are also a few self-care items and some trendy ones as well.

This post contains some affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. However, I’ve also linked some small businesses that are owned by moms. Making a purchase from them let’s them know you like what they are doing, and to keep going!

T-shirt small business essentials

T-shirt small business essentials

T-shirt Try on

T-shirt Try on

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

I haven’t been as consistent posting, and you can probably guess from the title of this post it’s because I’ve returned back to work. I’m still working on settling into a schedule with my husband and Korbin, but I wanted give some advice and hopefully help you with returning to work.

I’ve gotten a few more followers recently so I want to take a quick minute to re-introduce myself. I am a wife, mom, Police Officer & blogger/YouTuber. Pheww, got a little stressed typing that, but life is good, everything is good and we are all making it!

1. Plan

Plan, plan and plan some more. Plan meals, childcare (obviously), and chores.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed being a new mom and working 40 hours (or more) a week, no matter what you do for work. Having a plan for who was watching Korbin, my meals for work and when I would get household chores done made the transition a little easier.

Since I work overnight I am home during the day, but asleep. Tyler is at work and we have the sweetest nanny come and watch Korbin for 6 hours while I get some sleep. It hasn’t been easy but I know it due time Korbin will get use to her. Start looking early! We started in November, knowing we wouldn’t need her to start until January. We used care.com and had a good handful of applicants. We were luckily enough to do one interview and find the perfect person.

Use your baby’s schedule (I use that word very lightly) to help plan your day. Korbin takes very short naps, so I’ve learned to get most of my daily tasks done while she’s awake to include working out, showers and doing laundry. And use her naps to rest, eat and edit.

She typically sleeps 6-8 hours at night now before she wakes up to eat, but I’d be lying if I said she did this every night, so I can get a lot done when I’m off and she’s asleep as well.

It works best for me to get my wifey chat things done at night, but that may not be true for you, so you have to find what works.

2. Break up your leave

Since I was returning to work about a month before Christmas I decided to come back to work after 10 weeks, and then go out another 3 ish weeks for Christmas and the New Year. With paid parental leave and FML I was able to get 12 weeks. I took a couple vacation days also to extend my leave a little longer. In my opinion this was super helpful. After working about a month I knew I’d be able to spend another 20 days home with Tyler and Korbin.

3. Start in the middle of the week

If you’ve already returned back to work then you know that no matter when you start it’s difficult. You’ve probably haven’t left your baby more than a few hours, by the time you return back to work, or at all due to the current pandemic. I started on a Wednesday and I have a 4 day work week. So only 2 days away from Korbin then the weekend was a lot more manageable than a full work week.

4. Ask for help: *me talking to myself here*

Whether it’s your husband, boyfriend, wife, mom whatever. Just ask for help. Trust me, it is already an overwhelming time in your life. And if you have a supportive family and friends then they will be more than willing to help you. You can’t do it all, and that’s okay. Work on transitioning back into working and creating a new schedule for your family and not only accept help, but ask for it.

5. Automatic pump

If you plan on breast feeding this is a must! Grab yourself a decent pump bra also!

I pump twice at work during my 10 hour shift and it can be really tedious and time consuming. So having a pump and pump bra make the process a lot quicker and smoother.

Most insurance will provide a pump for free! And if yours doesn’t, you can always catch one on sale. I actually have 2 pumps and it makes it so much easier. I leave one at home and one at work. I have the Spectra (from my insurance) and the Madela (gifted from my mom). The spectra stays at home and the Madela goes to work. If you’re a working mom, who works outside of the house I’d highly recommend the Madela. It conveniently comes in a bag and can be transported to and from in said bag very easily.

I feel like some of this advice might be obvious. But when you’re in the thick of things trying to get everything situated for your new normal you might be a little overwhelmed. I know I was. Oh and probably pretty emotional, I definitely was. But if being a working mom is what works best for you family, then get it done mama!

If no one has told you I want to remind you that you’ve got this! You know what’s best for your baby and your family. What works for some one else may not work for you.

Let me know in the comments what helped you transition back into the workforce.

xo

12 Things You Should Declutter Right Now

Happy New Year! Whether you plan on making some big changes in 2021, or like the way you’re doing things either way I’m sure your home may still be in need of some decluttering. Let’s face it, we spent way more time home in 2020 then we were probably planning too, and decluttering may have been one of the last things on our mind. But I always like to do it before the New Year so I’m not bringing baggage, literally, into the New Year.

One of the most beneficial things that I did in 2020 to make my life easier was declutter and then organize our home-shoutout to my mom for ALL the help- . In 2021 one of my goals is to keep our home organized and clutter free. Minimal and simple living.

I’m not saying you go full OCD Home Edit like I did, but you organize these little things to get started and start the new year.

1. Purse: I will admit I don’t carry a purse as much these days. Mainly because we don’t go any where but also because I have a newborn so I always have a diaper bag.

But I think we all can admit our purses quickly turn into a catch all for receipts, hair ties and whatever else. When I do carry a purse now days it’s typically a smaller one. So I decided to take a few minutes and get it organized.

2. Nightstand: Once we brought Korbin home my nightstand became a baby station. Since she’s 12 weeks now I decided I can take back my night stand. One decor piece, my phone charger, a book and my iPad. Keep it simple

3. Car: I can’t take credit for keeping my car clean. My husband typically washes it and cleans it weekly. Maybe a little less right now because I usually only travel to work and back.

4. Bathroom Counter: I’ve never been the one to keep a lot of items on the bathroom counter. The bathroom is usually my first stop when I wake up and last stop before bed. Keep your bathroom counter neat and organized for a better start and end to your day.

5. Entry Way basket or drawer: In some form or fashion we all have one of these junk drawers. I use to have a junk drawer and and “junk basket.” Again, I really tried to get organized before Korbin was born so I don’t really have a junk drawer any more. It’s pretty organized with dividers and less stuff now. But it’s still located right where we walk in, and can serve as a catch call if need be.

6. Coat closet: I recently just did this one, with the help of my mom. We got rid of coats we didn’t need and did a complete clean out so that the space was actually functioning as a coat closet.

7. Makeup vanity: My makeup vanity doesn’t get as much love as it use to (thanks masks & stay at home orders). And It’s such a small space and really the only space that is just mine. Literally takes 10 minutes to go through it and get rid of old things you aren’t using or maybe even have expired.

8. Pantry: Our pantry isn’t huge so we things don’t get lost in it to often. But we do end up with a lot of things we don’t use. Because either we bought a specific ingredient for one meal and don’t need it, or someone brought it over and we don’t use or like it. I’ll be the first to admit it’s really hard for me to throw away food, but I’ve decided to stop letting things I don’t want take over .

Tyler and I discovered a food drop-off up the street from our home, so if we have unopened non perishable items we can take them there now! It’s a local church so check out your area and see if you have one nearby, such a good resource. I even put some formula in there because I figured someone would & could use it.

9. Refrigerator: This one is way easier and I don’t have much to say about it. Throw it away sis, and try not to buy as much next time so you don’t waste money.

10. Linen Closet: My mom have me this tip.. instead of purchasing all my towels at once, just do two at a time (or whatever number) every time you get paid. We’ve had our towels for a couple of years and they were looking tired and dingy. To the point where I was embarrassed to let people use them. I’m not sure how long towels are “good” for, but I knew it was time to give them up. So I took her advice and purchased 2 every once in awhile, again thanks covid, and now I think I only have 2 more to change out. Same thing goes for wash cloths, blankets and sheets. Think quantity over quality, another thing I’ll be concentrating on this year.

And don’t forget the lotions, medicines and sunscreens. If it’s expired, you don’t like it or don’t find yourself using it, LET IT GO!

11. Sock & Underwear Drawer: You’re not going to find the match, throw it away. And I’m just going to say it, if your underwear are looking dingy or has holes, obviously toss it!

12. Unused glassware: I am not sure at what point Tyler and I became so big on glassware. There are only two of us, and we have a lot! I’ve sorted and gone through it multiple times and we will have a lot. I’ve come to the conclusion that’s it’s just our thing. We like glasses, and that’s fine.

Minimalist and simple living is going to look different for everyone. I joke that I want a huge empty house. A lot of space and nothing in it. I would never be about that tiny living.

As you go through your things truly consider if you like it, and then if it serves a purpose. If neither of those things are true, sell or donate it.

This year when we went through our things we didn’t get rid of a lot. That tells me we were intentional about our purchases and like the things we have.

Tell me, what are you staring with first?

xo

40 Weeks

I didn’t think I’d still be pregnant at 40 weeks but here I am. Today I tried some ways to induce labor “naturally” at home. I’m so torn between letting my baby & body do it’s thing and giving baby P a little nudge in the right direction. Even though I can’t wait to hold my baby, I decided to let my baby comes when it’s ready, for as long as I can anyways.

But that isn’t what I wanted to write about today. All the things they say are true. I am 9 months pregnant and have never felt so unlike myself. Literally everything I do is for my baby, or for our future to benefit Baby P and our family. I know I’ll eventually feel like myself again (or maybe some newer version of myself) but I’m in a really weird phase right now. Like a teenager trying to figure out “who they are.”

When I got pregnant, people kept telling me my life would change. Some said it would be better and although some didn’t directly say it would be worse, that is what was implied. I don’t think it will be worse. I’m ready and excited to become a mom. But what I do think is going to be worst is my anxiety. I already worry more. I think I’m a natural worrier, and I think becoming a cop and getting older has made it worst. I’ve handled it very well throughout my pregnancy, but I’ve had my moments some of which I’ll blame on hormones for now. I talk to Tyler some about my worries, and he’s always reassuring. We don’t have it figured out, but we will. I’ve spent a lot of time alone throughout my pregnancy, thanks to working from home due to covid. And it has given me time to really consider what’s important.

My job is pretty structured, and I’ve always liked that. Yeah the calls change, but it’s typically a 10 hour shift, I wear the same uniform, same hair and work with the same people day in day out. I have a set of rules or directives to follow. So I do my job and I come home. Since covid I’ve taken a deeper plunge into entrepreneurship and it’s made me realize a few things..

1. I like to be the boss. In fact my number one goal currently is to bust my ass now, so that I will be the boss. I like working my own schedule, wearing what I want to work and being able to be creative. Although I enjoy my job, none of those things are true for me currently. Being my own boss is my new goal, and top priority for my 5 year plan.

2. I have more time for Tyler. I’m not saying we didn’t have time before, because we did. But we have time when we want to have time now. I can adjust my schedule around his, which is something I couldn’t really do before I was working from home.

3. Being a stay at home (working) mom wouldn’t be so bad. Tyler and I are use to a certain lifestyle. By no means are we rich, but financially we are in a much better position than we’ve been in previous years. So there is no way I’d want to change that right now. We are able to pay off debts, save money and finish our house so it’s totally worth having a 2-income house. But if I could find a way to still enjoy my job, be home and supplement my income equally or more, then I think I could be down with staying home.

But, as much as I enjoy my job and my coworkers I don’t enjoy them more than my family, or freedom. It’s not going to be any time soon, or I might even change my mind. But Baby P isn’t even here yet and I’m already having a change of heart. I enjoy blogging for the freedom and positive release it gives me. I enjoy being a YouTuber for the creative outlet it gives me. And I enjoy running 6440 Graphics for a combination of the two. I have a new 5 year plan, I have new goals and I have a new outlook on what is successful. Becoming a detective is still high on the list but I have more of a sense of what success will or can look like for me, and it’s not just one thing.

I’ll continue to grow my business, write my blogs and edit my videos. As well as advance in my career until I have it all figured out.

Even with Baby P coming soon you’ll still see me here every Friday! And on my channel every Sunday. If you aren’t following me already, why? I post daily there so follow me here

I talked about my shop a lot so make sure to check us out before we talk again! I added a lot of cute items, and they are currently on sale!

I appreciate all of you who are subscribed to my blog already! I’ve got a lot of great blogs coming up, so stay tuned!

xo

Do’s & Dont’s of a marriage (or relationship)

I think it goes without saying that I’m no expert in marriage or love. But I would say that I have a very healthy and happy relationship with my handsome husband. That’s not to say we’ve never argued, or that we don’t sometimes now. But as the years go on our relationship gets stronger and better!

Here are some tips that I think have helped our marriage grow stronger. Use what you think could help your relationship, and ignore what won’t.

Do communicate! I can’t stress this enough. It’s not only important to communicate, but communicate effectively. I talk with my husband ALL the time, sometimes probably too much if you ask him. I think over the years they way we communicate has changed. We’ve learned how to talk to each other in a way that the other will listen. It’s important to make sure your partner understands what you want and what you’re trying to communicate to them.

Don’t expect your partner to read your mind. They can’t know how you feel if you don’t tell them. I use to be guilty of this. I’d be upset or concerned about something and expect Tyler to just know what was wrong. More often than not he knew something was wrong but not what was wrong. Allow them to help you by telling them how they can.

Do celebrate all the wins. Celebrate anything that’s important in your relationship. For example we’ve celebrated getting house projects done, paying off credit cards, small accomplishments at work, ect. It can be big or small but it gives you time with your partner and this can be hard to come by if you’re parents or have a busy schedule.

Don’t dwell on the small things. Tyler of course annoys me, and it’s a little more currently because you know, 9 months pregnant. But I’m still learning not to dwell on little things he does that may upset me. We talk about it and move on. It’s usually something that’s not a huge deal but we address it then try to get over it. It’s much easier to have a good day than a bad day.

Do forgive and forget. If it’s something you’re willing to move past, then do just that. I’m not telling you when you should “forgive and forget” that’s up to you.

Don’t bring up the past. This goes hand and hand with the above “do.” Whatever you’ve decided you would accept make sure you do. I am not by any means encouraging you move past any sort of domestic abuse. I am however advising you to not bring up things that you’ve decided to move past, whether it’s something your partner said, financial issues, infidelity issues, etc. I have not personally had these issues in my relationship, so I’m not sure what I’d do in the situation. But if I decided to move past it, I’d do just that.

Do schedule date nights. Tyler and I use to spend every moment together in college, and we loved it. Then after college we still spent a ton of time together we just had jobs so we were able to go out and take weekend trips more. And although we spend a lot of time together still it’s just different. A lot of time we are doing a project, running errands, working for our small business or doing things that are more business than pleasure. Since I found out I was pregnant, and since the pandemic we have spent 90% of our time at home and doing and talking all things baby. I try to squeeze in “at home date nights” when we can because I know in just a few weeks we won’t have those for a little while.

My parents had us young, and there were 3 of us. We were always busy and on a schedule. When we were really going my dad was always deployed. Maybe when we got a little older and went to bed they were able to spent time together. But I’d imagine they were tired. Make no mistake they spent a lot of time together now, but I know they missed out on alone time when we were younger, so I’d like to make sure Tyler and I have that.

Don’t neglect individual time. Yes, time as a couple is important, but it’s also important to set aside time for yourself. Starting my blog and my YouTube channel has given me a hobby that I can do on my own (sometimes with Tyler). I spend my “me time” writing for my blog and creating content for my channel. Tyler likes to be outside and watch sports, literally any sport. He’s also starting a new a project, so I’ll hopefully be discussing that soon!

Do kiss and say I love you often. This is self explanatory, yes I know Tyler loves me but he always tells me anyways. He always kisses me when he leaves, whether I’m awake or asleep and he always has to redo the kiss “if it wasn’t a good one”. He’s such a cornball but I really appreciate all the affection he shows me.

Don’t worry if you’re in a slump. Although we have a great relationship, we’ve had our time when we were in a “slump.” Know it’s temporary and figure out why you’re there so you can get out of it. Unfortunately, sometimes a “slump” is more permanent, but it’s still important to evaluate how and why you’re relationship is where it is, and decide what to do.

Do consult each other. Like I mentioned earlier Tyler and I talk often and about everything. We have our rules about when we discuss larger purchases and what we consider a larger purchase.

Don’t compare. EVER! You don’t know what another couple goes through. Even the happiest couples can go through rough patches. I would encourage you to talk with couples you have healthy relationships if you need some advice, but that doesn’t necessarily mean what works for them will work for you.

Do support each other. I’d consider myself a realist. But I’m also a dreamer and I have big goals! It means so much to be that Tyler supports me in my dreams and goals. He reads every blog, he watches every YouTube video and he always gives me constructive feedback for both. He supports me in my career choice and has truly helped me make big decisions through out my entire pregnancy. In turn I always support him in his career choices, his hobbies and anything he wants to do. Having your partner support you is the best feeling. Now if they are doing something crazy then maybe you have to talk about it. But support their dreams, it means a lot!

Don’t expect your partner to provide all of your happiness. Yes, you should be happy with your partner. But they cannot be responsible for all your happiness. You’ve got to be happy with yourself.

Do work on your relationship. I use to say relationships aren’t work, and I still think to some extent that’s true. When Tyler and I were younger our relationship was not work. It was eating out, staying up late and sex often. When we moved in together, purchased a house together and got married there was some work involved. Relationships change and grow. And it’s about to change again with baby P just weeks away.

Again, these Dos & Donts may not be relevant to your relationship. But if they help you I’m glad. The most important do that I think can help any relationship is communicate with each other, especially in a marriage. This is the person you chose to do forever with, so don’t make it difficult, talk out your arguments and have fun.

With every milestone my relationship with Tyler has gotten stronger. He is genuinely a good person who loves me unconditionally. We don’t have it all figured out but we will always figure it out together.

If you’re having trouble effectively communicating with your partner try this, discuss a topic that won’t upset you and will promote a positive discussion. Like your dream vacation or dream house goals. Ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation going, and just get some practice talking with each other.

Let me know any dos & donts of a relationship you think are important. Share them in the comments so we can all take a look.

Get ready for all the baby related posts, I’m 38 weeks now so we are expecting baby P at anytime! I’ve got a few posts lined up, so I’ll still see you here every Friday.

xo

Female Police Officer Q&A

I get a lot of questions about being a cop especially being a female & minority cop in a male dominated career. So this week I’m going to answer some of those questions.

I’ll also have a video up on my YouTube answering questions! So stay tuned!

What is the toughest part about your job? Honestly there are a lot of tough things and it can be a different thing on any given day. Some days I deal with difficult people, some days I deal with people who I want to help but won’t accept my help. Some days I’m just having a bad day because of something personal and I have to try not to let it effect me at work.

Most days I enjoy my job and I enjoy going to work. But like anything else there are definitely rough days.

What made you become an officer? I became a police officer because I wanted to help people. I think that’s true for most officers. I saw the need for a change in my community and decided becoming an officer would help me make that change. I also always had the desire to become a detective, and becoming an officer is the only way I could achieve that goal.

Have you had to pull your gun out on a suspect? Yes, but probably not as often as you think. Our calls for service range from noise complaints to assault with a deadly weapon and anything in between. Sometimes I have an idea before I get there that will have to draw my firearm, and sometimes situations go left and I have to make a decision to pull my firearm while on scene.

Speaking honestly, there have been more times that I should have pulled my firearm on someone and haven’t. In any situation, whether a firearm is involved or not we always try to deescalate the situation. The goal is to protect everyone, myself and others officers, the victim and the suspect.

When did you decide you wanted to be an officer? Becoming an officer was never a dream of mine, in fact I’ve always said I didn’t/couldn’t be a cop. It wasn’t until about 6 months before I applied that decided it wanted to be an officer.

What do you recommend for women to want to be officers? My best advice is just do it! First get into shape if you aren’t already and apply. I think departments make an attempt at trying to hire diverse individuals but honestly they don’t get a lot of diverse candidates. You don’t have to have any law enforcement/military or criminal justice background to become an officer.

Men may be physically stronger than women, but half of the time the calls we deal with aren’t even about strength. It is about how to deal with and talk to people and I think women are generally just better at that. The academy was hard for me, and they do test you and try to weed out the weak but stay strong and keep pushing. Feel free to reach out on Instagram or email me if you have any questions I’d be happy to help!

How long have you been an officer? I graduated the academy in August 2018.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen? Um.. like crazy sad, crazy dangerous or just crazy crazy? This will be easier to explain in my video. I’ll update when I have it posted.

Did you go to the academy? What was it like? Yes, every officer has to complete BLET (basic law enforcement training) although it can vary per state. I wrote an entire post on my experience in the academy, you can check it out here https://wifeychat.wordpress.com/2020/06/26/the-academy/

How does your family feel about you being a cop? I guess it depends which family member you ask. They are very supportive even though some of them would rather me choose any other career.

What is maternity leave like? Because of the nature of my job you can be placed on light duty during pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant really early around 3/4 weeks and went on light duty super early at 8 weeks. In those 4 weeks I was working I felt very scared to perform my duties (k9 tracks, jumping fences & apprehending suspects for example) and knew it was best to let my Sgt and HR know. I can only speak for my department but we are given a temporary assignment during pregnancy. I’ll take 10 of my 12 weeks when baby P arrives and then I’ll have to make sure all my training is up to date (firearm qualification) and return back to patrol.

What vegan snacks do you eat at work? I worked third shift while I was on patrol so I usually brought my food and snacks everyday. There are a few gas station snacks that are vegan, and I did eat chipotle if I could get there before 10 and Taco Bell some nights because they closed at 2am.

How do you feel about defunding the police? I think most people don’t understand what it means. And I think people who think there shouldn’t be a police department are silly. I think the people can “police the police.” Stop calling for silly things. Like your kid won’t wash the dishes (yes, this was a real call), loud music (before you even ask them to turn it down), suspicious people (who aren’t doing anything suspicious, you’re just nosey) or car “breakins” where you left your door unlocked and nothing was stolen or damaged. If people call 911 we have to come. So utilize 911 for emergencies like it’s intended.

There should be a larger budget for community improvement, and my department has a lot of community programs in place. For example, we have community officers who’s sole job is to attend community meetings, host meetings and deal with community issues such as noise complaints and other neighborhood issues. We also have officers who work with clinicians and respond to calls where there are people in crisis, maybe suicidal or other mental issue.

Educate yourself and don’t just repost what you see on Instagram. Social media can be so helpful, but can be so damaging with false information as well.

If you’re interested in how your local department operates contact them to do a ride along. You can see what kind of calls they get, and how they handle them. You also have the opportunity to ask questions.

I’ve said this in a previous post, I know don’t talk often about my career often, but I do think it’s important to be transparent. I won’t argue or defend my career choice going back and forth but If you have any questions, comments or concerns please leave them in the comments below!

xo

How to update your laundry area, under $60.

Typically Tyler does the laundry (I know lucky me), at some point in our relationship he got really picky about how he wants his clothes washed and dried so he decided to take over the duty, obviously fine with me. We both wear a uniform for work (pre light duty for me) but somehow we always have a ton of laundry at the end of the week so I definitely don’t mind it.

When I started separating the baby clothes and cloth diapers to wash them before Baby P arrives I was less than enthusiastic about our laundry situation. It’s really a laundry area or closet rather than room and it has an older washer and dryer set it in. Although I’d love a nice new set it’s really not necessary at this time. We have more practical things to purchase before Baby comes. So I decided I’d take a few days and a small budget to do a little makeover. Tyler asked me my budget and I didn’t really have one at first, but then decided it would be less than $100, but probably cost more than $50.

To start my laundry room “nesting” project I went to Pinterest for some inspiration and made a few calls to my mom for some advice to decide on a design.

This is what I started with, and believe it or not this was actually after I “cleaned” it up a little bit. We moved into our home last July, so it’s been a whole year and I had never cleaned out this space. I started by cleaning the space and removing the wire shelves.

Removing the shelf was harder than I thought but Ty helped before he left for work. I had to remove the shelf because I wanted to move it up and also paint the area. Once I removed the shelf I took it outside and cleaned it and also cleaned all the walls and the washer and dryer. The shelf was secured to the wall with anchors so there were large holes in the wall.

I had to patch all the holes, and let it dry before I could sand and paint.

Once it dried, I sanded all the spots so I could paint. I had not spent any money at this point. We already had the putty and sand paper.

I used the same paint color in the laundry area as I did throughout the house. I had a small sample paint and quart left over, so I didn’t have to purchase any new paint for this project. Same with the brushes, we already had a few at the house.

Tyler put the shelf a little higher so that we could hang dry clothes, and so I could hang some decor. Since it’s a little high I have a small foot stool I use to reach the shelf. The laundry sign was purchased from hobby lobby. The sign was 8.99 and I used a 40% coupon.

The sign was a teal color, and in true DIY queen fashion I spray painted the sign so it would match with our decor. Spray paint is SO easy to use to transform or repurpose decor to fit your style.

In an attempt to match the wire shelves I purchased these white shelves from IKEA. My mom suggested these, she has the gold ones in her laundry area. The shelves were 12.99 each, they didn’t come with screws but we had some at the house and they were super easy to put up.

I also purchased the bins from IKEA. They were only 2.99 each. They have some nicer ones but they were all $10 or more. Since these bins are only holding cleaning supplies and light bulbs it didn’t seem necessary to purchase the more expensive ones. I purchased some gray hangers as well for 3.99 from Aldi. Gray looks armored neutral than the black. It was only a pack of 10, so I’ll have to grab another pack.

I purchased this skull dispenser from Ross for 9.99. But full disclosure it pours out very slow, Tyler hates it and we will have to replace it with something else. Whatever I find I’ll purchase 2 so I can use one for baby’s detergent as well. And the glass canister was purchased at hobby lobby. It was 5.99 (I think) and 50% off.

We don’t use dryer sheets so I didn’t have anything to put on this shelf. For now it holds the extra laundry detergent, which was a steal from Walgreens $12 including shipping & tax for all 6. I think I’ll add some other small decor here once these detergents are gone, we typically don’t have this much extra detergent.

*I’m watching unusual suspects in the background

And this is the final result! Super simple, functional and affordable. Now maybe I’ll help more with the laundry.

I also posted a video on my YouTube channel about this update. You can view it here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TYWliTZfdlw

Please like and subscribe to my channel if you’re interested in DIY home renovations. I have a new one coming up this Sunday!

As always I appreciate you spending some of your Friday with me.

xo