Samantha K Schmidt

I truly believe that I was predestined to be a mother. I've had a longing in my heart since I was a young girl. My mother often called me the child-whisperer because I frequently caught eyes with babies in restaurants and grocery stores. My role as teacher gave me the opportunity to be part-time mom to dozens of kids who I like to believe I helped grow into better people, but nothing prepared me for the transition into actual motherhood. Over the past month I've realized that motherhood is a balancing act that years of child development training and personal research could never truly prepare me for. The Balance between Research and Instinct I had spent 9 months researching breastfeeding tips, sleep schedules, and parenting techniques. After compiling article after article, I even put together a daily schedule for my newborn who hadn't even entered the world yet. It is a trademark of my personality. I thrive off of routine. Everyone laughed when I told them I already...

After dealing with depression and anxiety for many years, self-care moved to the top of my priority list. It didn't take long for me to realize that the key to my happiness was putting myself first in the mornings. I had to learn to slow down, take my schedule less seriously, and leave room for the things that bring me joy. Here are 5 things I've made a part of my morning routine. 1. Calm Alarm The Bedtime feature on my iPhone has been a lifesaver. I love how I can set my optimal amount of sleep, and it will remind me when to hit the sack. Then it slowly wakes me up in the morning with a gentle sound. If you don't have this feature, I highly suggest finding a calming ringtone or even investing in a specialty alarm clock that will wake you up without the jolt. Don't forget to get at least a full 7 hours of sleep. Otherwise, even the fanciest of alarms will be... well, alarming. 2. A Little Thing I've learned overtime to value the little things in life. Coffee...

When it comes to hosting dinners some people come off as naturals. The table is perfectly set. The desserts are beautifully displayed. Meanwhile, there are those of us who find hosting to be incredibly stressful. As a natural introvert, hosting for me has always been a bit of a challenge. I love it, but it took me a long time to find a balance in obeying by all the social courtesies while still feeling comfortable. You may have a similar struggle if you are a self-described Type A. No matter your reason, here are a few tips to make your hosting experience as stress-free as possible. 1. Don't be tied to the clock. This will be the biggest challenge for my fellow Type A's. My husband had to explain to me that setting a time for a gathering meant expecting people to be late. As someone who is perpetually prompt this was hard to grasp, but it is certainly true of our friend group. If we set a time for 6:30 people show up at 6:45 and realistically aren't ready to eat until ...

Life has been crazy! As you can probably imagine. My husband has been in and out traveling and spending overnights with students. Our in-laws came down briefly for our 2nd baby shower which was a lot of work! Over 80 people came to celebrate our little man and my mom, in-laws, husband, and my mom's best friend worked their butts off. I helped where I could, but tried not to overexert myself. My emotions have been on a roller-coaster ride. I wake up some mornings incredibly motivated and joyful, but can switch to melancholy by the end of the day. These emotions are not all that new to me, but the rapid switching back and forth is a more recent challenge. Friday, I spent the day with a previous student and her mom at Disney. It was an awesome day, but my feet were throbbing by the end. I topped it off with a day of last-minute shopping and organizing for the nursery on Saturday. The nursery is 99% complete. Meanwhile, the busy weekend taught me that my body is running out of fu...

Summer break for teachers means getting to read books for fun instead of for work. I've been carefully curating this list since Christmas, and I think I've narrowed it down to four books that are certain to inspire. The Magnolia Story // Chip and Joanna Gaines are the "it" couple right now, and I'm definitely a follower. I've been a fan for a while, but after watching their I Am Second story I truly fell in love with these two remarkable people. My husband and I have a very similar story to Chip and Joanna. Like her, I was the quiet reserved type, but my husband brought out a brighter more outgoing person. I could go on and on about how much they've inspired me, but I think I need to read the book first. The Handmaid's Tale // If you haven't heard about The Handmaid's Tale yet, you've been living under a rock. It's the newest hit series on Hulu which I'm now going to have to subscribe to. I've admittedly already read ...

This past week has been an absolute whirlwind. My husband, mom, and I got back late Sunday after a flight delay from Illinois. We spent the weekend celebrating our little man who should be here in under 10 weeks. I love spending time with family, but as an introvert it can be exhausting at times. This week was my last week of school (as a full-time teacher) which was full of end of the year events like late night theater programs and obligatory end of the year party planning. My legs felt like jello by the time I made it to Friday. That's when things started to seem off. Although, I didn't realize it right away. My mind and body were coming down from a busyness high, and subconsciously I realized that this was it. There were no more work days until August (even then I'm only going back part-time), no more travel dates, no more, well, anything until the baby comes. I had a serious "what do I do now?" moment. I immediately started trying to compensate with anyth...

I have always considered myself somewhat of a minimalist. I like simple design and get anxious when there's too much clutter. With that said, I've also been a trend-seeker most of my life. I'm immediately attracted to things I see on blogs or in stores and feel an immediate need to buy more. It's the consumerist mindset that I've grown up, but my minimalist self and my consumerist self have always battled it out. Lately, I've been inspired by other minimalists to start narrowing down my clothes and accessories to only the essential items. This looks different for everyone so here are a few tips on how to decide what to keep in your closet. 1. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year. Whether the item is no longer trendy, doesn't fit, or never quite looked right it's time to get rid of it. If you are holding onto items thinking you will fit into them again, keep this in mind. Once you lose the weight you'll want new items anyway instead...

This week begins my third trimester of pregnancy. For me, it's all seemed to go by so fast. My belly seems barely big enough for a tiny human to live, and it's crazy to think our little man will be here in 3 months. Ahhh! Panic! I'm actually really excited for him to get here, but there's just so much left to be done. Meanwhile, my body is still experiencing all the unusual things associated with pregnancy. If you missed my First Trimester update on my YouTube channel you can check it out for an introduction into my many pregnancy symptoms, but today I'll walk you through the good, the bad, and the ugly of my 2nd trimester. SECOND TRIMESTER SYMPTOMS Acne : Although switching to oil cleansing has helped my skin a lot, I'm still experiencing breakouts. Part of this is due to the less than healthy foods I've been eating. The other part is just one of the many lovely side effects of extra hormones. Leg Cramps : This new symptom has been the most bruta...

When my husband and I got engaged and began talking about making his home into our home, it was clear that we were going to butt heads in several areas. He had lived the life of a bachelor for 3 years and separating him from some of his beloved (yet very tattered) possessions was like attempting to sever a limb from his body. Many of the items had been gifts or extraordinary finds from his travels. It was like a game of chess trying to fit all the pieces together, but eventually we made it work. Moving in with your spouse can be a long hard game of compromise, but here are a few tips to smooth out the process. 1. Purge: Before you start asking your spouse to trash all the items you find atrocious or obsolete, start by taking an inventory of your own belongings. What do you have that you no longer need, use, or even like? What are you holding onto simply because it has significance? Ask your partner for advice on a few unimportant items so that he can see your attempt at c...

There's a feeling that comes with experiencing a beautiful place for the first time. Whenever I visit a new city I always go feet first. Very rarely will I take any other form of transportation when the distance is walk-able. I love getting a first hand interaction with a city. It's hard to describe the joy that comes from this interaction, but seeing something for the first time allows you to truly take in all of its beauty. When I'm not traveling, I miss that feeling. I often close my eyes and reminisce of walking down unfamiliar streets along the bay front in San Diego or finding a coffee shop a block from our bed and breakfast in Key West. Another way I can briefly experience this beauty is through Instagram. It seems superficial, but sometimes I just want to jump into one of those filters. Obviously, life has its ups and downs, but I've never understood why many fail to take on each day as a new adventure. Here is your adventure. Read, dive into the pictu...

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to announce to the people we love that we were expecting our first child. Those people just happened to be nearly 100 high school students. My husband works full-time with students and I've volunteered as a mentor since we began dating 2 years ago. Although we have a few close friends, those kids make up the majority of our lives. It was amazing to see their faces light up when we made that announcement. It brought me so much joy knowing that they were so joyful for us.

 After several go rounds at modern dating I decided to take a much needed break. I had realized a lot about myself after many failed relationships, but above all I realized that I was going to have to be content with myself before I could be happy with someone else. That break lasted 2 long years when Eddie finally came into view. I knew the moment I saw him there was something different about him. We had the same unapologetic awkwardness and accidental humor. Despite seeing his potential as a great partner, I kept my distance. I didn't want to make the same mistakes again, but fate had other plans. Since we couldn't seem to fight the gravitational pull, I allowed the "getting to know you" phase to begin, but I promised myself that I would not fall into my old dating habits. I forced myself into the backseat and let Eddie take the lead. The First Date : After spending 10 days together on a church trip, I promised myself that despite my interest I would postpone r...

Photo Source In today's world we are constantly obsessed with time. Mainly because we never seem to have enough of it. How many times have you caught yourself saying, "If only there were more hours in the day." I know I've felt like that a lot lately, especially in the summer when there are so many fun things to do. The fact of the matter is given more time we'd just find more things to fill it with, and the cycle would begin again. So instead of manifesting more hours in the day, let's make the most out of what we have. 1. Purge : First of all figure out what things you can purge from your daily routine. If I'm being honest the thing I had to eliminate was TV time. To some people that may be an important part of their routine, but I found myself just sitting mindlessly when I could have been doing something productive. This website has a calculator to help you figure out how much time your wasting, and how much time you can gain by eliminating or ...

Your twenties are all about finding out who you are as an individual. We often spend so much of our time developing relationships, that we forget to develop ourselves. It's important to get out into the world solo to develop your inner self. Then, hopefully, by the time you are 30 you will have an understanding of your core values. So here are a few things you can do alone before you blow out the big 3-0. Go to dinner. Go to a movie. Stay up all night. Go to a concert. Read a book in a public place. Go to a bar. Do something embarrassing. Make something Go dancing. Volunteer. Spend an entire day in the nude. Go on a cruise. Journal. Run a marathon (or half of one). Go camping. Drive across the country. Go to a formal event. Do something adventerous. Go to a street party. Cry. Take a class. Visit a museum... or two. Go to a convention. Stay home all day. Watch the sunrise. Go on a hike. Live in a different state. Visit another country. Travel s...

Hello college goers, hopefully this post doesn't come to you to late. Today I'm going to discuss the decision to pledge a sorority. For some people this choice may be an easy one, but for others it's hard to decide if the commitment is worth your time. Here are a few things to consider before pledging. 1. Why do you want to join? If you are looking for a strong group of girls to socialize and bond with you may or may not be making the right decision. I have found that despite having the best of intentions sometimes friendships simply don't last in a sorority. Make sure you are joining a group of girls that you genuinely like. If you are joining a sorority just for the popularity or the parties you may find your academics slipping and your shame building. 2. What are your goals for the future? Sororities can be a great way to network. Look into each sorority's philanthropy, annual events, and major partnerships. This can help you make the final decision. 3....

There comes a point in your adulthood that having summers off is no longer full of late nights and parties with friends. At 25 of all of my friends have full time jobs, families, and kids, but as a teacher I do enjoy having a few months to recuperate. Still I know that I'm going to wear myself out on Netflix if I don't stick to some kind of schedule. Most of the summer schedules I found online were geared towards families, so I used inspiration from my Summer To-Do List  and I came up with a schedule that will help me knock a few things off this list. Daily 6:30 Wake Up 6:35 Take Dogs out and Feed Boys (my female dog has to be fed separately) 6:40 Drink a full glass of water and make coffee 6:45 Make bed 6: 50 Feed Marilyn & Medicine 7:00 Eat breakfast & Daily Devotional 7:30 Get Dressed 8:00 Writing & Blogging 10:00 Get out of the house (see my weekly get out plan below) 12:00 Lunch 12:30 Practice ASL 1:30 Chores (dishes, sweeping, etc.)...

I've been lacking inspiration a lot lately. When I started this blog I was full of great ideas. My first few weeks of posts were right on target. Since then I've had some hits and some misses. My biggest problem has been turning my ideas into posts. I have a list of ideas that I could be blogging about, but every time I try to type the words it comes out as a jumbled mess. I've never been one to talk about something I didn't feel educated about. So when it comes to blog posts I never feel like my opinion is good enough. Maybe I'm just going through an insecure stage, but I'm lacking a lot of the motivation I had early on. I can't seem to find the spark to get writing.  Fellow bloggers, what motivates you? Where do you find inspiration?