Maria Chingman

Today my baby is ONE, and I seriously don’t know how we got here already.

This morning was so much fun watching his little face come around the corner and see all the balloons. He was so excited, and it just made everything feel so magical.

Adam and I seriously ask each other all the time, “How did this happen? We have another baby!” And now somehow that baby is already one.

Xavier has brought so much happiness and joy to the three of us this past year. I always knew Elijah would be such a good big brother, I just never thought his little brother would come 17 years later. But honestly, watching them together has been one of my favorite things.

With all of Xavier’s food allergies, we might not get to do the traditional first birthday smash cake, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make his day just as special. We’ve come up with a few different things just for him, and this was the first little surprise.

I can’t wait to share some of his special day with you guys.

Happy first birthday, Xavier. I still can’t believe we get to do all of this again.

A little mom and Xavier shopping day.

We started at Barnes & Noble to pick out some new fall books because this boy LOVES his books. Then we stopped at Raising Arrows, a children’s resale boutique my sister had told me about, and it was definitely worth the stop.

I’ve been trying to be more intentional about finding good-quality cotton clothes for Xavier, especially with everything we’ve dealt with with his skin and allergies. And if you’re a boy mom, you know sometimes finding really cute boy clothes can be hard.

When Elijah was little, I loved finding unique pieces for him that you didn’t see everywhere, and now I get to do it all over again with Xavier. They had so many cute things, including some really good Detroit Lions finds.

Boy moms, where are you shopping? I want to know your favorite boutiques, small businesses, and resale shops, especially ones with cute, good-quality cotton boy clothes. Raising Arrows Bay City

“I didn’t record that.”

Basically the theme of my week.

Every time I try to get something done, I either forget to record it, forget the after picture, get distracted, or just have to laugh at myself.

But Xavier turns ONE this week, and honestly my brain has been somewhere else. I’ve been going through pictures, thinking about that last week of pregnancy, how uncomfortable I was, how nervous I was that something was wrong… and then looking at him now and thinking about how far we’ve come in one year.

So maybe I’m not failing at being consistent this week.

Maybe I’m just a mom trying to soak up a really big week while also attempting to remember to hit record.

And apparently… I did not record that. ❤️

Spend the day with me at work!

And look at me… I actually remembered to take at least ONE after photo today. I’m getting better!

I’m really loving being in my suite, doing what I love, and having a schedule that works better for this season of life.

And if you’ve been thinking about a new style, fresh color, curly cut, or just need a little hair refresh, let me know! I’d love to get you on my books.

Day 6 of my 30-day yapping challenge.

Having one son in college and another about to turn one really changes the way you look at time.

I already know how fast these years go, and I think that’s why I’m so determined to figure this next chapter out.

I still love doing hair, but I’m also learning how to build something online, create another stream of income, and hopefully make more room for the life happening right in front of me.

I definitely don’t have it figured out yet. I’m learning, posting, probably overthinking some of it, and showing up anyway.

Because this time around, I know you don’t get the time back.

Day 6. Still yapping. Still figuring it out. And we’ll see where these 30 days take me.

After years of extensions, I finally went back to my curly roots.

Was it a smooth transition? Absolutely not. But apparently neither is having another baby 17 years later, changing the way I work, and trying to figure out who I am again at 41.

So why not change my hair while I’m at it?

I’m learning to love my natural curls again and slowly letting go of the extensions… although I make ZERO promises they won’t be back next month.

I guess this was the summer I started finding my way back to myself, curls and all.

Day 5 of my yapping challenge, done during Xavier’s nap today.

Having one son already grown and another about to turn one really makes you realize how fast time goes.

When I was younger, I was juggling building a career, making money, raising a family and eventually owning a business. A lot of times, family life had to fit wherever there was room.

This time around feels different.

Adam and I are older and more established. We know what we need, but more importantly, we know we can’t get the time back.

So this holiday season I’m planning differently. I’m putting the pumpkin patches, family days and little traditions I don’t want to miss on the calendar—and then planning work around them.

I still want to work, make money and take care of my clients. I just don’t want to build my whole life around work anymore.

Maybe that’s one of the things you learn as you get older: make room on the calendar for the life you’re working so hard for.

Day 5. Still showing up.

I have to say, I’m really loving this little suite life. Having my own space, being close to home, doing hair and just not carrying all the extra stress has been so nice.

Now if I could just remember to take my after pictures. I do great getting the before and then completely forget the after.

And yes, my husband washed my color out for me, which was pretty great.

I’m just having fun with this new season, doing what I love and being able to focus more on my family.

Day 4 of my yapping challenge 🎥

Still up north trying to wait out some of that Labor Day traffic, so Xavier and I stayed one more day while Adam and some of the family headed home.

Mom and I went into town, did a little shopping, found some Labor Day deals… and I picked up a steak thinking, “I can grill this.” 😂

Turns out I cannot.

I like my steak well done, but apparently I took that a little too literally. 🔥😂 Shoutout to Adam because clearly I’ve been taking his steak-grilling skills for granted.

But somewhere between grilling my steak and trying not to burn dinner, I realized something:

I don’t need to create a different life to make content. My life IS the content. I just have to start paying attention to it.

My videos aren’t getting a ton of engagement yet, but I’m only on Day 4.

I’m showing up anyway.

Come back on Day 30 and let’s see what happens. ❤️

Funny how your definition of success changes. 🤍

These days, I still have big dreams… I just want them to leave room for sunsets, family, and actually enjoying the life I’m building. 🥹🌅

Anyone else feeling this season of life?