1 – Indy hangover

So you may have seen it on my stories if you follow me on Instagram, but we went to the Indianapolis 500 with some family this past weekend, and I think I’m just now getting back on track with sleep and our schedules since getting home early Monday morning. I hadn’t been to any other races except the Daytona 500, and I have to say it was really cool to see the Indy in person! The sound of the engines, the feel of the cars racing by… it was all very impressive to see in person. You can’t tell how fast those cars are really going (over 200mph!) until you see it in person. So much respect for those drivers! Here’s mroe from my Insta stories!

2 – Days Inside

We have seen an insane amount of rain lately in central Florida, so the kids and I have been spending some serious time at home, in the playroom, just hanging out. Our favorite game currently is Alien vs. Barbies, a game of my invention where we pit dolls against varied creatures from The Great Beyond, which ends up involving a lot of screaming, running, general mess-making and only a minimal amount of mom guilt that I haven’t brought my kids outside to breathe fresh air more than once over the past two weeks.

On a side note, loving that we finally have a space to let the kids play around and mess up a bit. (A lot.) Check out the new playroom and five things we put in it that I love right here!

3 – House Things

So something I didn’t realize before moving in to a new home is the sheer amount of things to do that aren’t, well, done before you move in. We had a list of things that still had to be installed when we moved in three weeks ago, and today we hit a milestone–installing the final chandelier. I posted this on IG too but here’s a peek. It’s chrome, so we had to make sure it was all polished before it went up because there is no way I’m climbing up a ladder tall enough to clean that puppy like, ever.

We also finally got in our washer and dryer downstairs, which I am irrationally happy about. I have this thing with laundry… Does anyone else find it strangely meditative to fold laundry and watch good TV? No? Just me?

4 – Speaking of TV…

…Ali Wong’s Hard Knock Wife. You know your girl here loves some real talk about motherhood and marriage, and this is just… classic. She brings up some great points (all hysterically) about the grueling physicality of birth and motherhood, and after laughing, you may experience the unexpected side effect of a renewed disappointment in postnatal care for new moms, just like I did. Unintentionally political, and all-around funny, moms are gonna love this.

Just watch. (Just not with the kids around, like I attempted to for about two minutes before I realized that that was a mistake.)

5 – Staying Stylish

When I launched The Style Project on the blog at the beginning of the year, the goal was to force myself to curate a practical and stylish closet, which I very much did not have after spending approximately six years making and taking care of babies.

I’m happy to report that the series still going strong! And even though I still feel kinda silly paying attention to this kind of superficial stuff, it actually feels good to re-energize this part of my identity. The truth is, we give up a lot (of course we gain a lot too) in motherhood, and sometimes it’s nice to focus on simple things to make you feel better about yourself. The world might make us feel that caring about this kind of stuff is silly, especially after becoming moms, but that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s okay to care about how you look; this does not make you a bad mom. Full stop.

And on that note, stay tuned for more exciting pieces I’ll be featuring!

The truth is, we give up a lot (of course we gain a lot too) in motherhood, and sometimes it’s nice to focus on simple things to make you feel better about yourself. The world might make us feel that caring about this kind of stuff is silly, especially after becoming moms, but that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s okay to care about how you look; this does not make you a bad mom. Full stop.

6 – My Tribe (on Video)

Have you followed me on Facebook yet? If so, you may have seen the new cover video I just posted on the page. It was important for me to have a welcome video on the page that reflected what I’m about, what kind of stuff that inspires me, and what inspires my content. And that is–you guessed it–my family.

I’ve said it before, but motherhood has been such a transformative experience for me that I’ve become passionate about sharing as much about it as I can. Whether it’s an interview with an expert on keeping your kids safe at school, an interview with a top mom podcaster or giving advice on VBAC’s, I’m super passionate about giving valuable advice, connecting women and inspiring and arming them with information and inspiration.

If I haven’t said it lately, I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks. 🙂

7 – Hairy

I’m one of those people who stretches out time between hair appointments for as long as possible, and since it had been well over four months since I last got a highlight and trim, I just went back yesterday. My hair is longer than it’s ever been in my adult life, and even though sometimes I feel kind of like an old Pocahontas (shrug), I also am kind of loving it. My hair is super coarse and curly, and the longer it is, the more weight pulling it down, the easier it is to manage when I heat style.

So even though it seems like everybody and their mama is getting short cuts for the summer, I’m staying long… for now.

8 – Billions

On Showtime. We just can’t stop watching it. IT’S SO GOOD.

9 – Speech! Speech!

Anyone else break out in a cold sweat when asked to talk in front of a group of people?

I think people assume I’d be comfortable with public speaking because I spent so long working in TV, and while I’m not what you’d call “terrified,” I definitely veer on the side of “mildly stunned” when given a microphone and shoved onto stage in front of a crowd of real, live people.

You’ve gotta remember, we anchors and reporters are talking to cameras in studio and in the field–not living, breathing people. It’s… a little bit different.

But always one for a challenge–and a great opportunity–I recently made a speech that I wasn’t altogether embarrassed of! A few weeks back I was the featured speaker at the Mother of All Baby Showers in Orlando. The topic I chose was “Strength in Storytelling: Sharing Our Journeys as Moms.” I’m obviously super passionate about this… I mean, it is the basis for this whole blog and all… 😉

There were probably over a hundred people there to hear me speak, and I was nervous, but something strange happened when I grabbed the mic and started talking. I got… comfortable. Turns out when you speak knowledgeably and from your heart, it’s easy to talk and to share.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to the event, and especially the nice people who got in touch with me on Instagram afterwards. It’s so nice to hear from other mamas about their experiences, and to be a voice letting people know they’re not alone in the craziness of motherhood.

And MOABS is on the move this summer! Check their schedule here to see if they’ll be hitting your hometown.

10 – Rainbows

We’ve had a lot of them in Central Florida lately.

I shared this picture and caption on Instagram and stand by it:

Enjoy your rainbows.

Sonni Abatta is an Orlando-based mom and lifestyle blogger, and a mom of three. She’s also other things, but usually not at the same time. Want to chat? Collaborate? Commiserate? Reach out here!