Season Prep

It’s the last week of February. Spring Break is next month. Then Spring Football. Then Summer Football. Then Football Season. (All proper nouns. Major life events.)

Right now I see Coach at the dinner table MOST nights. (Some booster meetings and bus driving nights have been on the calendar lately.) If I am being honest, football season is not on my mind. I am also a teacher so ensuring I have hit every standard and I am testing season ready is really the center of most thoughts. Also, I have been a tad selfish in the major life changes this year. I feel like every time I turn around I am faced with a new change. It’s fine. I’m fine.

I was asked the other day what advice I could give to a coach’s wife NOW. I thought about it and it has been on my mind since: Start season prepping now.

How?

Book the sitter.

In the summer, I have a sitter booked every Thursday that we are home. (Not on vacation.) Start tucking away and saving money each pay check to pay for this sitter. The plan: enjoy a child free 2 hours every Thursday evening before we hit football season full speed.

We are walking distance from our favorite dinner spots, so we like to get the children ready for bed, let the sitter show up, and then walk to dinner. Or go walk around Academy and Target. Or go see a movie. Or go to a friend’s front porch. Or drive the golf cart around town and talk about… football.

Friends, plan the time together NOW. Prepare for time together NOW.

It makes my heart break every football season that I see wives reaching out for advice on “How do I not resent my coaching husband during the season?” and the “How do you spend time together in the season?”

You plan ahead. You book the plans now. You make the time together before the season starts. Summer is my favorite because our schedules are more flexible. I don’t have to go to work on Fridays. We plan our summer date nights on Thursdays so that our weekends are saved for family time.

Let’s recap the game plan: Today you are going to find that babysitter. You will sit down with your coach and see what day works best for a standing date on the calendar. You will start saving the cash to fund the dates now. You will communicate with the babysitter to go ahead and schedule the dates. (Yes, we are months away. I know) Then when the summer arrives, along with relaxed schedules and pool floating: You have time booked with your coach before the chaos.

You know football season will be here in a flash: prepare for time together NOW.

I am cheering for you!

Leaving the Classroom

I’m not.

At this very moment, I don’t ever want to. I will add a disclaimer that I am fully aware that I am currently at the BEST school system, a part of the BEST school, and I have THE MOST AMAZING groups. I am also VERY blessed with the BEST admin team. I know this really adds to the emotions. Just hear me out.

This weekend I was reading about a teacher that left the classroom. She said she was tired about being more worried about other people’s children that her own at home.

That really hit my heart. (Probably because I was reading this while holding my sick baby and slightly stressed about my classroom.)

I’m not.

I’m not tired of being worried about other children and their academic/ social/ emotional success. I actually LOVE it. It brings my heart full of pure joy. It is my purpose.

I fully believe it is my purpose to worry about Calla and Cart as well as your babies.

God gave me Calla and Cart and my students.

I fully believe it is my God given talent to sit with your child and read books, laugh about a silly game, and teach them how to elaborate on the evidence they provided for an opinion essay on students owning cell phones.

I’m not.

I’m not going to worry less about my own children. I am not going to worry less about my students.

I am going to do both.

I am going to fulfill my purpose as a public school teacher, AND a mother to two beautiful babies.

I’m not going to give up one title because I feel like I can do both.

I support you doing whatever you need to do in life. Please just don’t think that teachers are caring or doing less for one group than the other.

We’re not.

We’re doing both.

If you are doing both, I see you. I love you. I am praying for you, friend.

People Pleaser

Reminder: We are here to be real life.

I am a recovering people pleaser. I once found my worth by how many people I could convince I was a “good person.”

I spent 2024 finding my own peace with this. I am comfortable knowing I can’t and won’t ever be able to please everyone. I am not always a great person.

Then on the 5th day of 2025, I was hit with some truth. (This post has sat in drafts for 20 days. I wasn’t going to post it. Then today in my daily reading I was given 3 different “nudges” to post.)

I recently found myself going straight to Coach to vent about people. “They really drive me crazy when they do this……” “This really upset me! Why did they do that!” “I can’t even with blahblahblah.” “They drive me crazy!” “I hate when this person does this to me. WHY are they like that?”

I was reading in my chair this morning when I read, “I command these things of you, that you may love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

2024 Carley would instantly be all, “Yeah! God loves me. I should only please God! If they don’t like me, they really have deep down issues with themselves!”

2025 Carley…. was hearing loud and clear… people aren’t here to please you! You are here to love them. If someone upsets you, what’s the difference that if you upset them? If you don’t like someone, Carley…. this is actually an issue with YOU! NOT THEM.

I was once a people pleaser, but now I find myself rolling my eyes when people don’t do things that please me. How awful?!

So I am going to be more mindful when I walk into a situation where I can easily vent about someone or some situation. I am trying to be more, “I’m not here to please people, and people aren’t here to please me.”

I have LOVED this daily study and devotion I am working through. One of the big reasons I decided to pull this particular post out of the drafts was this: “Instead of our first reaction being to label her based on what she is doing right now, let’s pray for her based on what she’s probably facing right now.” -Lysa TerKeurst

I also happened to flip through my journal and two seconds later saw this from January 2nd.

Loud. And. Clear.

Top Five

Back in the day when I wrote over at Love Your Love the Most it was a trend to do a Friday Five. This was fun. So I am going to bring it back to this corner of the field.

Starting with FIVE.

Here are the TOP 5 requests, purchases, and messages from the week.

This sweatshirt is amazing for mom life/ cozy life. On sale.

These teacher sneakers.Y’all LOVED these. I wear them a TON.

Coach Cain’s favorite pants. I had about twenty messages this week asking for Coach’s favorite pants so wives could grab them as a Valentine gift. Coach was sad that I could throw on my leggings and sweatshirts to run errands or go anywhere on the weekends. So he LIVES in these things during the winter months.

The OG Teacher Suit. It’s kinda insane that someone came up to me one day and said, “You’re Carley Cain that sells earrings and wears teacher suits.” Yes, I guess?

A basic shirt to wear with all of the fun gems. If you are new here, I sell earrings with my best gem. Two Hidden Gems on Facebook. I get a message or twenty weekly asking what shirt I love to wear with all of the fun and unique statements. THIS one is my go to. This is a great price and goes with anything and everything.

FOUR.

The Whoop.

I made a post this week that I have been reading about Apple Watches not accurately tracking your step count. I wear an Apple Watch to tell time, text, call, and a Whoop for fitness tracking. I have lots of messages asking about this. I may need to do a whole post about it.

THREE.

This week I broke out of my comfort zone and took my children with me to the gym. At 5am. I feel like I have unlocked a whole new chapter of life.

TWO.

Coach Cain was out of town for two nights. This is why I had to take them with me to the gym because I could NOT miss a hero WOD.

ONE.

This week was an emotional journey for me. It has been up and down where one thing is great, then in the same breath I am hit with another worry. BUT GOD.

God has been so so so good. If I could wrap this week up in one sentence it out be: “God has shown me time after time that it is all going to be PERFECT, so I can’t drain myself with worry anymore.”

I need to write about some HUGE prayers that have been answered JUST THIS WEEK.

Integrity

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change.

I feel this in my soul. I feel the desire in my heart. It is my purpose.

I made a comment yesterday in a video and as soon as I said it, I wrote it down: I refuse to be uncomfortable in life.

It is a running “joke” that I won’t wear shoes, clothing, ANYTHING that is uncomfortable. I won’t do it. I won’t walk around being uncomfortable.

Honestly, I have found myself standing on this principle when it comes to life in general. I don’t sit in a room that makes me feel uncomfortable. If I have a bad vibe, I find myself getting out as soon as possible. I don’t have “friendships” that make me uncomfortable. I don’t spend my personal time in situations that are uncomfortable. To be VERY dramatic: I love Crossfit, but you will never find me attempting handstand pushups….. being upside down…. too uncomfortable.

In all seriousness, I made a list of things I was not giving my time to anymore. I don’t give my peace to uncomfortable situations. Please don’t come to me with “uncomfortable situations is where you find growth.” Ehhhhh…… is the situation aligned with God’s purpose for my life? Is this situation, friendship, goal, activity going to build my relationship with Jesus? If not? I don’t want it.

What does this look like?

I don’t sit in conversations that are super negative.

I don’t spend my personal time with people that have shown that they are untrustworthy.

I don’t spend time worried or upset about situations that I have no control over. (Coaching carousel.)

I have professional and kind relationships with people, but I don’t get upset when we aren’t “best friends.” I take it as, “I am not being uncomfortable” in a friendship.

My home is the most important field I have. The 4 walls of my classroom is my happy place. These two places bring me comfort…. because of integrity. I never want to lose that. the Bible study I am working through said this, “I’m sure I will make mistakes; we all do. But I can choose to make the patterns of my life line up with God’s truth by doing what the Bible instructs, prioritizing emotional health, and being someone my people can trust.” THIS

I refuse to be uncomfortable in life.

“Whoever walks in integrity, walks securely.” Proverbs 10:9.

I find comfort in security. I find comfort in my integrity.

From My Field to Yours,

I Do Love A List

I truly love love LOVE a list.

I have created a few lists of items we LOVE and use in our very REAL LIFE.

In order to be truly real life: I do earn a small commission from these posts. It pays for this space. So if you support this space: You’re a real MVP.

THIS is my FAVORITE list of CCTM (Comfy Cozy Teacher Mom) items. We only do comfort at work and home, and EVER really.

THIS is my list of classroom items that I use time after time again in my little happy place.

THIS is a newer list of items that I am asked about when it comes to toddler learning and play. I am VERY passionate about building vocabulary, fine motor skills, and social skills early on in your child’s life.

THIS is a list of items we use in our home to keep this team winning no matter the season of life.

THIS is where all of the lists are: in one place.

THIS is where I keep all of my daily OOTD teacher outfits. I also link anything and everything else we use and love.

Again, thank you for being here and supporting this corner of the field. We hope your season is full of wins!

From Our Field To Yours,