CCTM Back to School

We made it. We had a successful week of 3rd grade, I have THE ABSOLUTE sweetest class of 5th graders in the world, and Coach Cain was asked a million and two times if he was “Mrs. Cain’s husband.” Not to mention we survived volleyball practice, late football nights, and an upset two year old because he can’t leave school and go directly to Daddy’s field. We are truly thriving in the Cain House. Thriving.

I also somehow managed to cook dinner every night, make it to the 5am club, and wear something CCTM each day.

If you’re new here…. CCTM is the “brand” of Mrs. Cain. See, I am HERE for the “Coastal Grandma” trend. But I live far from the coast, and I am not a grandma. My students said I am very Comfy Cozy Teacher Mom. So last year the brand was named. CCTM. I am going to wear it to school then I need it to feel like pjs…. be loose fitting, and comfortable. When I jump from chair to chair I need to have full body movement capability. (Only students will understand.) If you are VERY new here I am the co-owner of Two Hidden Gems. Part of my job with that little business is to promote our gems. This brings us to the daily classroom mirror selfies. This brought us to the emails and messages asking for links so you too can be CCTM all day. It is the life I tell you. THE LIFE.

Here we go.

I could LIVE in this blue skort . It is long enough for school, has shorts, and never needs an iron. Highly suggest. I wear it weekly.

This ruffle top is for sure a new favorite. I love anything ruffles. Always need the ruffles.

Dream Shoes. Don’t hate me. They are an investment. I am 35, and golly man my feet hurt. I am to the age that I can’t wear flat shoes. I need support. These are for sure teacher approved. They are a great quality brand, and I feel like I will wear them for years. A splurge for sure… but your feet are worth it.

I literally cannot provide a single link. I got the top this summer from a boutique in Atlanta. The pants are from a local boutique: Houndstooth and Pearls if you are local. The shoes were a fun summer purchase from Sole. Again, if you are local…. Sole in Perry is the BEST! And man oh man… those gems though. Yellow perfection. We call this a staple statement. Those are the ones Brandi sells as a staple, but they are valued as a statement. She loves to stress me like that.

More Sole shoes, and more Houndstooth. Pants were from last year. They are wide leg and pull on. Can anything get any better?! BUT THE GEMS! They are statements and make a statement for sure!

We are starting a new thing: Teacher Tee Thursday. Tell your teachers. Chair jumping and desk standing is done best in outfits that could literally pass for pjs… but really aren’t. (Most of the time, ok?!)

I was sent these PANTS to review. The company said: “We feel these fit your style.” They are smocked waist, pull on, wide leg, and purple. Yes. That is my style. I am 5’7 and the length is perfect. PLUS THEY HAVE POCKETS.

The most teacher shoe of teacher shoes. If you know a teacher, buy her these. This is THE best teacher shoe in the whole wide world. If you are not a teacher, you still need them.



I also think I saved my favorite outfit for last. My favorite pants that I ask Coach to wash twice a week because I wear them SO much. They are 2 years old and I swear I will wear them to my own retirement

This sweater shirt. Y’all. It is the BEST top. It is super soft, I feel it is VERY flattering, and it will go with about 58987 gems I have. If you buy one thing to transition into fall… this may be it. I just went and bought two more colors because I loved it that much.

Classroom Treats

We are back to school… and although I love the perfect balance of hustle and rest that our summer schedule allows…. Teacher Life has my heart. I am 100% READY to go back to school. I am excited. The first day back was emotionally BIG for me personally. It was truly like living a dream. More to come about this… because there is a story.

The reason for this post is because I want to share an idea I have. Classroom treats are HUGE and children love a small prize. Now don’t get me wrong: Jolly Rancher Wars is LIFE…. but for something different: I don’t LOVE giving candy out daily. I was on the research website and I found this idea. CHARM BRACELETS

This idea is for elementary education for sure, but I teach 5th and I truly think they will LOVE this. They love a little toy treat. Ok here is the plan: Students can first earn this bracelet. (You can set up whatever system you use to earn something. I am using the PUNCH CARDS that I found here.) So after they have the bracelet… here is the BEST part….. NOW THEY CAN EARN THESE CHARMS! They actually fit shoes as well. How stinkin’ fun?! This is SO much better than a candy treat, fairly inexpensive, and just something exciting for the little babies before they officially turn too cool for elementary school.

Here are some other fun items that I have used in the past that are not candy or food. (But we all know candy and food are GREAT classroom rewards.)

REALLY COOL STICKERS

SLAP BRACELETS

FIDGETS

As always, thank you for using the links you see here in this little corner of the field. I do earn a small commission when you shop my links. That keeps this little place going! You are truly the BEST!

Dinner in 15

Football season is here. This means Coach is walking in the door around 945ish each night. Literally he just walked in the door at 945 tonight. It is hot. We are all exhausted from back to school….. everyone is starving. I have about twenty minutes or less before someone is finding a snack then not eating dinner. Everything has to be done fast, and honestly with Cart Cain on my hip and Calla asking for help with a craft of something. Dinner solo is tough, but can be done. The pressure is on…. the pressure to cook something that doesn’t bust my macros, but also that everyone will eat. Sundays have been my meal planning days. These are some that are easy, somewhat healthy, and can be made in minutes.

This buffalo chicken bowl is great when you need something with spice. SO GOOD!

Pizza Bowl is Coach’s favorite and now Calla and Cart LOVE it!

Publix loves me. Maybe hates me. You can have them chop salmon into bites. This is so good!

Make this. It is so good. Cart Cain had 2 plates.

I Am Going to ‘Predecide’

Yesterday we heard amazing sermon at church. The entire time I was saying, “YES! I need to do that!” “Yes! I want that to be me!” I opened my phone and opened the blog app and wrote “predecide.” Coach likely thought I was going crazy because I am a pen and paper note writer for life. So this topic made a jump in the list of topics to be covered on this corner of the field. Friends, this year I am going to PREDECIDE.

I want to predecide what my reaction will be and what my character will be before I am even in the situation to need a response. What does that look like? I want Jesus FIRST. So if it goes against my little list in my brain… then I am predeciding to not take part.

What’s my list?

Jesus loving and joyful. If it doesn’t bring my heart joy and doesn’t allow me to show Jesus, then I don’t want it. I want to be a happy person. I want to be around people that make me feel safe, comfortable, and happy. If the room is uncomfortable, I have predecided that is not the room for me.

Coach’s wife. If I want to be one of the people complaining about long hours, lack of family time, he’s always on the phone, what is he doing with all of his time… then I can jump on a Facebook thread. I have predicided that I will not get caught in the complaining. I’ll just pay the babysitter when I am overwhelmed and need a Mama moment. I will hide my face and not lift my eyebrow when those awful soul crushing words come out of his mouth, “Morning practice.” I will wrestle the children and pack the bags and grab my Chick-fil-a and go to the game. I have predecided I will be supportive.

Mama. I have predecided that Calla and Cart get the best. They get the extra book read to them. They get the trips to the pool. They get the paint party at the kitchen table. They get the trips to the waterpark. They get my best me. They will NEVER be made to feel guilty for ANYTHING. I have predecided.

Teacher. I have predecided teaching is my passion and reason. Teaching is the purpose God gave me. Teaching will get my heart. (Now a student will read this and have a word to say, I am sure. Mrs. Cain loves you, but we have to work.) I am not going to let media, social media, the mean message from an upset parent, or the “anonymous post” on Facebook bashing public schools take my joy. I will do my best to show how amazing our public school system truly is. You won’t change my mind on that…. I have predecided.

If you are EVER in a place and need a friend to cheer for you, or need someone to help you predecide…. I am here for YOU! Predecide with me this season. Make your season full of WINS!

Nonnegotiable

Not open for discussion or modification.

On the first official Monday of football season I am working on the list of items that are not open for discussion. It is the list of things that MUST happen in order to make this season of life as successful as possible. See, in this line of work, as much as we wish we COULD control how well the line blocks, or how many times we successfully allow our QB to get the ball down the field…. we can’t exactly control those situations. (Don’t get technical with me. Trust me. Coach does NOT hear me when I yell, “RUN THE BALL!” from my stadium chair. Nor does he hear the parents yell, “Come on LINE! BLOCK!”)

However, there is a list of things we CAN control in this tiny house of ours, and I would like to encourage you to control them as well. This is our list of nonnegotiable items.

This prayer book. Start praying for your coach TODAY. See, Coach is a 10. He literally checks every single box. 15 years ago I just forgot to add the box , “Will never ever drive me crazy, or make me roll my eyes.” Since I did not include that box in my checklist, I can’t exactly hold it against him. So I use this little daily devotion that was written to remind ME that Coach is doing the work God prepared him to do. For some reason…. when I work on MY OWN heart, Coach tends to drive me crazy less frequently. Funny how that works. I highly suggest praying for your husband daily. In season, out of season, whatever season. Coach has to be the first prayer I mention daily because without that relationship being undefeated, we are in a losing season. Nothing else seems to work.

Chair Coffee Chats with Coach.

I am NOT a morning person, I just like to have everything done first thing in the morning. I am a self made morning person. Set the alarm for 30 minutes earlier, get up, and go sit in your chairs and watch the news together while you sip on coffee. The children are not up to ask a million questions. You can discuss your schedules, talk politics, make plans for the weekend… whatever. (Send each other extremely relatable reels…) Just sit and talk. Make it a priority. It is a nonnegotiable.

Workouts. For me.

I get it. Coach’s schedule is packed. However, my sanity is valuable. For me to have this…. I have to find the time to workout. This may mean that I have to go at 5:(05)am. If Coach has morning practice, then it may mean I have to go in the evening. Whatever. I once felt a huge feeling of guilt leaving the children home with him after his busy day, but then I was frazzled or short tempered, and I wasn’t the best I could be mentally. I know a workout is valuable for me to be Carley, so it is a nonnegotiable.

Plan Meals on the Weekends.

Dinners around here have to be cooked quickly. They need to be somewhat healthy. On the weekends I plan every meal, make the grocery list, and shop for that. It takes time from weekends that I would rather use at the pool, but it is worth it. Meal planning and preparing MUST happen. If I am being honest, I would LOVE to not take the children to the grocery store…. add that to the list of requests.

Nightly “10 Minute Cleaning Sessions”

Most things around here happen to keep my sanity in check, but spending 10 minutes each night cleaning up from the day keeps Coach’s sanity leveled. Children (and I) are quite messy. Coach likes a house of order and things just picked up and put away. Usually while I do bath/ book/ bed routines, Coach cleans the kitchen. (Mostly because I am not trusted to load HIS dishwasher. Another post for another day.) So to keep the house on the winning side, we put children to bed, then spend 10 minutes putting things away in each room. It works. It keeps us winning.

There are a few more rather large items that need to be on this list, but when I started writing them…. I decided they needed to have their own spot. So we are going to take a halftime break and return back later with more.

Thank you for supporting this little corner of the field!

Say No to Jeans

My name is Carley and jeans make me want to cry. For some reason those “hard pants” with buttons…. it’s a no for me. I am more of a pull on pants type of person. This is why I LIVE for a “Jolly Joggers” Day at the school house. (Fun fact, if you volunteer to write the 12 Days of Christmas… you can usually sneak in a few of your personal favorite days. Please no one take my job.)

So today I bring to you the world’s BEST joggers. I literally text this link to people every SINGLE time I wear them. I have 5 pair, and Coach can confirm…. I wear them most frequently. They are perfect for the warmer months because they are a thin material. They work great in our Georgia winters with a sweatshirt. They are insanely flattering, and have a high waist which is a MUST for CCTM. However, the day they shine best….. those Teacher Work Days where you can slide them on and be acceptable because…. you know…. we are working hard in that classroom. Comfort first, friends. Comfort first.

I am also here to confess that I am a HUGE fan of that other WAYYYYY more expensive popular brand…. and as far as joggers go, these are better and 1/3 the price. Literally.

Thank you for supporting this little corner of the field!