So about me:
My name is Shanna Coady. I live in Orange County, California. I’m married to an awesome guy, Mike, and have 3 incredible daughters, Addie 2 yrs (also known as “Tornaddie”) and Hayden 1 yr (or “Giggle Monster”), and our newest addition in March, Piper who is just a few weeks old!
In my previous life:
I was an Interior Designer. I worked for Ralph Lauren Home, Neiman Marcus Visual, owned my own interior design company, and worked for a local Real Estate Developer. Most recently I project managed the residential interior design for a resort in Newport Coast, California.
In the past few years:
I’ve gotten engaged, planned a destination wedding, had 3 babies 11 months and 13 months apart, purchased and remodeled a house in 3 months (that most say previously looked like a meth lab), sweat equity style with my fabulously talented husband, and served Thanksgiving dinner 2 days after moving in, pregnant and with an 8 month old….oh, and worked full time on the resort project that was installing at the exact same time.
In the past year:
I have flown on 15 planes with 2 children, 15 months and under, and adjusted sleep schedules in 3 time zones. (Our newest babe will be on her first plane in a few weeks…)
My life has been busy. It’s been creative. It’s been mayhem. It’s been awesome. I wouldn’t change any of it as it’s what brought me to where I am today. But I’ve also found that simplifying amidst the confusion is a big help!
Now to why I’ve suddenly decided this blog is a good idea…
When you wake up at 3:00AM one morning and find that for the first time in your life you are not employed, (you’ve been laid off – due to the current weird economy), you have a 17 month old and a 6 month old, and then suddenly find you’re PREGNANT AGAIN (yes, you are correct, come March 2010 we will have 3 kids, 2 and under) and are fairly certain this pregnancy was immaculate (have you ever had kids 11 months apart? The third is definitely by IMMACULATE CONCEPTION). Then you start to wonder when you will EVER take a shower or sleep again?!!?
So I considered the fact that I hate to say “no” to anything, that my plate is somehow ALWAYS overflowing, that I want to spend time with my family, have a career, be a fabulous wife & mom, and also have time to brush my teeth and eat. I figured there are probably a lot of moms out there like me trying to do it all and that we could all use a little help in making it all work.
Not that you really want to know what my favorite toilet paper is (Charmin), but I realized that for my entire life my friends have been asking where I buy something, what I like best on a menu, how I plan a party, what towels do I like, how do I organize my closet, what photographer do I use, where do I get my Christmas cards, how long should they cook their lasagna….and I love to give the advice! So I’ve decided rather than turning to pole dancing, it might be more fun (and WAY less embarrassing – hopefully) to lay it all out there in a blog instead (no one has to see my rear view this way which is NOT very pretty going into my third straight year of pregnancy!).
So that is what this site will do. I will tell you every little solitary thing that I love, down to my favorite pen BIC Z4+ Needle Point Roller Pen, Extra Fine Point (0.5 mm), Black with the hope that it helps or entertains you in your busy, crazy, and amazing lives. It’s not to say that I know best, it’s just to say that I like these things….and somehow they make my life work.
I hope we can both be entertained and find some fun new favorites along the way!
