Mama Monday...{Marianne}!!!

 

Tell us about yourself…

Hello, my name is Marianne and I live in Jacksonville, FL. I’m a wife to the most amazing guy and a mother to two beautiful little girls.  I also work full time as an Insurance Broker at a firm where I’ve worked for the last 16 years.  Life is pretty darn good.

 

 

Husband love…

Boy did I hit the jackpot here... 

 

 

Only by the grace of God did I get so lucky.  I met Scott in 2006 and we’ve been married for almost 6 years.  I absolutely adore my husband.  He is, hands down, the greatest person I know.  He has such a positive spirit and good heart.  He works so hard for our family and he is an unbelievable father to our baby girls.  

 

Mama love…

My girls are my heart.  They fill my life with so much joy.  Addison is almost 3 and she is our little princess (seriously, she thinks she’s a princess).  She loves make-up and walking around in mommy’s heels.  She is definitely a mama’s girl and I love it.  Harper is 16 months old and is a spitting image of her daddy.  She recently started walking and is talking up a storm.  It makes me sad how quickly they’re growing up.   

 

 

 

Challenges you have faced on this mama journey…

One of the biggest challenges that I have faced and one that I’m still working on is trying to find a good balance between work and home.  When I’m at work, I just want to be home with my girls and take care of my family.  Unfortunately, my job is pretty demanding and requires extra hours.  I sometimes feel guilty for leaving “on time” knowing all of the work that still has to be done.  Scott and I talk about me quitting all of the time but the truth is, I have a pretty good gig.  I’ve worked really hard and for a long time so I’m not sure I’m ready to give it all up – just yet.  It’s a constant struggle but I continue to pray about it.  I feel that when it’s right for me to stay home, God will let me know. 

 

 

Mama advice for surviving the tough days…

My advice would be to just take things one day at a time.  When we had a newborn, there were a lot of tough days and a lot of sleepless nights.  It was hard.  Harder than I ever could’ve imagined.  Looking back, though it was such a short period of time and it went by so fast.  It may not have seemed like it at the time but as the saying goes… “The days are long but the years are short”.  So true.

 

 

Simple pleasures…

listening to my girls sing Jesus Loves Me (it’s so awesome!), shopping at Target ALONE, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes, College Game Day on cool fall Saturdays, Sunday night shows, wine with my girlfriends.

 





 

 

Money saving tip…

Carters coupons!

 

Health and fitness…

Sadly, I do not exercise as much as I would like.  Actually, pretty much never.   One day I will get back to the gym but for now, what works for me is staying active.  My little ones keep me busy for sure but I also, don’t like to sit around.  I like to be moving!

 

 

 

Good read…

Honestly, I haven’t read a book in a long time.  I blame Pinterest.

 

Beauty secret… 

Mascara – I don’t feel like myself without it.

 

Recipe…

Chicken Taco Soup

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans

1 (15 oz) can black beans

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (do not drain)

1 pkg taco seasoning (low sodium)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Mix all ingredients together (except the chicken) in crockpot.  Place the chicken breasts on top and cover.  Cook on low 6-8 hrs.  Pull chicken out, shred it, place back in the soup and stir.  Serve topped with cheese, sour cream and/or crushed tortilla chips. 

 

Closing words…

I’m a planner.  I like structure and routine but one thing I’ve learned from having children is that things don’t always go as planned.  I’ve had to learn to accept that.  Things may not work out as planned but they work out and as Scott  would say “it’s ok”.