The Suit Life

I have a slight obsession. It is an obsession with suits. Coach Cain calls them my leisure suits. Calla Cain is 100% NOT a fan of my suits. Instagram asks for links and my true friends send me links when they see a new one. My obsession stated last fall when Meme’s in Perry started selling them. I have since added many to my collection. I will even add that I do wear them to school, and I mix them up with other pieces all the time. Add a pair of Two Hidden Gems, and you are set. (See what I did there.)

Today I made post on Instagram and friends needed links. So I decided to add this to my corner of the field.

You can find them on LOTS of sites now, but I am only adding ones that I own and LOVE. (That is kinda my promise here…. Real Life ONLY and ONLY things I personally have and love.) I am 5’7. I am a size 8/10 and I usually order a M or L. I’m living my absolute BEST Coastal Grandma life in all things loose and baggy.

The MOST famous suit I own in 6 different colors: See and Be Seen is the brand. I wear a medium. It is boxy and just lovely. Just add a statement, staple, or stud and it is a whole beautiful thing. It’s currently fake fall here…. and I wore this today and it is just lovely.

This is also a great set. It is a loose sweater like material. The price can’t be beat and the colors are amazing. Great quality. The top is very cute with jeans… if that is your thing. I wore this to school and my admin LOVED it. (Meaning it is now work appropriate.) You can’t go wrong with this one.

Probably the MOST WORN SET I own. Coach washes it weekly. In the cooler months he washes it twice a week. I only own navy…. but I am just going to say….. the price tag might make you sad, but the material will make your heart so so so happy. Anything in this Airessentials is just pure love. I LIVE in this thing. Brown may or may not be on the way to my house now.

I know what I promised above…. but if I don’t share it now, we may miss an amazing steal of a deal with this preorder. I wanted a shorts set with a long sleeve top, and a favorite little small shop is doing a preorder. I did grab THIS ONE, it just isn’t here yet. CARLEY10 saves you 10% and it’s another great option for the price. I’m thinking I will LIVE in this set this fall on the weekends. As I am typing this…. I may go back and order a few for Christmas gifts…. because how perfect?!

As always, thank you for the support of this little corner of the field. I promise every item linked here is CCTM approved!

Recent Loves

August was here. Now it’s gone. I hate to sound so bloggerrrrrr but I have been asked to post and link things that I used this month. Here are the things that I personally own, use, and LOVE. I will say, I bought a good bit from Amazon this month to really try some things… and sent a good bit back. I am just trying to keep it real life here. Also, if I am wearing it…. It is comfortable. Life is too short to be uncomfortable. I will NOT wear anything that it too tight other than my Lululemon and you know… they are made that way. Ha!

First, the Mighty Patch. Just don’t forget to take them off of your face when you go to the 5am gym class. I swear they WORK! You can get them at Target, Walmart, and Ulta, but Amazon is the cheapest. Best purchase….. I wish I had them when I was a teen. I get stress pimples, and they take them away in a day.

This dresswas amazing. Super great quality. It literally feels like you are wearing a pj dress. That is goals in my book. I ordered another print for an event I have in a few weeks. I also think it will be perfect in the fall with some cute flats. You really can’t beat the price!

I was searching for something to wear with ALL of the new fall gems from two Hidden Gems and I saw this denim dress. Had to have it. It was perfect for right now when it is 700* and I can’t wait to wear it in the fall with boots. I already have 5 pair of gems to wear with it. It is going to be a weekly wear around here.

This. Somehow I found it super cheap and honestly I wasn’t expecting too much. Well….. it is great! It is light enough for my 2 year old to use it. I may grab another for my classroom because I just like a perfectly clean floor. If you are in the market for a cheap cordless vacuum , THIS ONE IS GREAT!

I think I saved the best for last. I am officially obsessed with THIS SKIRT. The fit is very CCTM. I plan to wear it with all of the teacher tees. It comes in many prints and colors. I already bought 2 more. The best part: IT HAS POCKETS! It is long, soft, and very comfortable. I can’t wait to add a sweater and flats for fall.

OH ONE MORE THING….THIS. . You just need this. It doesn’t need a picture. But dresses/ skorts/ skirts/ shorts/ whatever….. you need it. It will save your life.

As always, thank you for supporting this little corner of the field. I think this weekend I may post some classroom items that I have LOVED this year. I have a few more recipes on the agenda as well.

I hope your season is full of wins… unless you play the Warhawks.

The Mama Hustle

If you are a supporter of Two Hidden Gems… THANK YOU! Thank you so much for supporting us in the mama hustle. If you are new here… let me explain. Three years ago my team teacher/ best friend and I made up a plan. We are not under a company. We ARE the company. Every decision, creation, product, photograph… OURS. We made the dream from the ground up. It has truly been the BEST!!

What THG means to me is unexplainable. It is truly a creative outlet with ZERO stress. I hear so often: “I don’t know how you do it!” If I am being REAL LIFE….. THG is the easiest thing I do in my life. Tonight’s battle with “you have to eat what I cooked” and “It’s time for your bath!” was the hard part of my day. Testing, planning, differentiated grouping based off of student needs was REAL hard today. Two Hidden Gems, that’s stress relief.

Sure I don’t start working until everyone is in the bed for the night. Sure my living room looks like this weekly while I invoice, sort, and ship. Honestly, I look forward to the quiet night of working all week. Again, it’s the easy part.

So when you support a small business, you support a mama. You support someone who doesn’t start working until the children are in bed. You support mamas who teach all day, then mama, then small business. You support a tiny piece of our field. We are so grateful you are here. If you want to join us, then come see us on Sunday night at 8:30 on Facebook Live. We have all of your statements, staples, and studs.

What Can I Do To Make It Better

Before I was “Mama” I was Mrs. Coach Cain. When we moved to a small town and it was just Coach and me, I had too much time. So, I started a cross country program. (A whole different story for a different day.) Anyway, there were problems that I had to work out. For starters, I had NO clue what I was doing. Luckily, the AD was very very kind. I will never forget him saying, “When you come to me with a problem, come to me with a solution you think will work to fix it. If you just come to me with the problem, that is complaining.”

Read that again.

That has forever changed me.

In a world of complainers (that lovely internet group of complainers makes my stomach hurt) I want to be someone to make it better. If I can. And if I can’t…. then I truly can’t complain.

As a Coach’s wife: I catch myself getting ready to complain about my exhaustion or my work load. Last year I was really feeling a way about how I was NEVER on a mental break…. so rather than complaing to Coach, I went with a solution. “Hey. I am overwhelmed. So every other week I am going to have the sitter come for 2 hours and I am going to take a Mama Moment.” I never complained about Coach’s schedule…. I went with a solution. So I made it better.

As a teacher when I don’t like how something happened or something needs to be fixed, I find myself going to admin with: “Hey. This is happening. I thought about doing this to fix it. What do you think?” (Shoutout to the BEST admin because they have ALWAYS just let me be me.)

BUT…. BUT… BUT…..

When I go to complain about something that I have NO IDEA what I would do to make it better… I have NO CLUE how to change the situation to do it a different way…. THEN I CAN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.

It has truly changed when I complain. Fun fact…. I have found nothing to complain about.

Today when we are faced with something to complain about….. then fix it. Come up with a plan to fix it. And if you can’t think of what you would do to make it better…. don’t complain.

Field Favorites

We are officially on season 16. In 16 years I went from the new coach’s girlfriend…. to the fiancé…. to the wife…. to the wife with children in the stands. We have been to stadiums across this beautiful state and let me tell you…. The HBC (head ball coach) that takes time to have a family pass list and VIP parking… Y’all are the true MVPs.

On year 16 I have decided to share some of my stadium MUST haves. Here is the criteria. I may or may not be carrying in my 40 pound man child on my hip. This depends on his mood at 7pm. I need things to fit in one bag. I need the bag to be light and not rip my arm off. I need things to be able to HELP me during the game.

Here is what I am using this season.

These clear bags. Calla has one. Cart has one. I had them fill them with small toys and a few snacks. They were able to carry them with no problems at all. I went ahead and just did all clear bags this season because I am not risking any unknown stadium policies.

Here is the clear bag I use. It is large enough to hold a blanket and a towel. Never ever forget a towel. You will need it. Even if it hasn’t rained in a month. You need a towel in your bag.

This season we are spending time in the stands. Cart Cain likes to sit and watch. I am too old to sit on those bleachers. I got this seat. It is SO light. I am excited to use it this Friday. I did research and wanted one that was adjustable, light, and came in other colors. This was the best price I found. If you sit on the grass…. THIS. This will be in my car for games that we sit on the field.

You need a blanket. It will be 200* and you still need a blanket for children to sit on, or to lay on in the grass while they eat their Chick-fil-A dinner.

Some fans. My bestie has this for recess. I grabbed three. They really are powerful. And again… it is 200*.

Don’t ask. Just buy this.. You need it. We all need it. Everyone in my family has their own. Just trust me. It is 200*.

I hope your season is FULL of wins. Unless you play the Warhawks. :)

Rules of Our Field

When the idea of this corner of the field was just on the practice schedule….. I promised myself that I would stay as real life as possible. The internet is a highlight reel and I don’t want anyone to think this fieldhouse is perfect. It is FAR from that. We deal with terrible attitudes from our 8 year old. We all snap and yell and roll our eyes. I pitch fits worse than the two year old from time to time. It is a good thing we all have grace for each other around here because WHEW…. we need it. I say all of that to say that in the “REAL LIFE'“ part of this… I need to share something that will NOT be liked by many…. but it may help out one mama. It may help one house. One team may need to hear this.

Here is a rule in our house: Football doesn’t get your best. WE do.

Teacher Life doesn’t get my best. Team Cain does.

Coach and I had a talk a few years ago and I feel like it was truly a game changer. See there are two types of coaches in this game: The ones that have been fired, and the ones that will be.

Ouch. That hurts to say. But it is the truth. Guess what, that team will one day let you go. That school might bring in a new coaching staff. Your family NEVER will. You will ALWAYS be Coach of the Year in this house. Every year. Every month. Every day. Always. Your family needs your #1.

I need this reminder for myself too when I start thinking about my career goals. I find myself wanting to do all the things. I want to be at all of the trainings and meetings. Then I remember what I expect from Coach and football, and remember he expects the same from me and the classroom. Family first. Always. (another reason I have the world’s greatest admin. She taught me this.)

Somehow Coach is the legit GOAT at keeping all of the games going at once…. but everyyyyyyy now and then he gets tired. It hits him. Then we have to take a timeout and remind each other…. your family doesn’t get the “I’m exhausted from football season.” Football IS VERY important to us. I get that. I married a Coach. I knew this life…. but that will NEVER be an excuse to miss out on our family. If you are a football coach…. that is EXTRA. You are a father. God gave you these babies to raise for HIM.

Sometimes you have to have that hard discussion. “Hey, that doesn’t align with our family goals.” I have had to say, “Sorry, make it happen.” when Coach double books. If you are in a hard season, I will pray with you. Sometimes, we need to have hard talks. Sometimes people will have hurtful things to say when you put family first. It’s fine.

This will probably get me Real Life Coach’s Wife Life Fired. I will now have the husband with the most unpopular wife. It is fine. This is my heart. Being a coach is a balancing act… and sadly you have to be really good at the balance. You wanna be a good coach? Great. I support that. I’ll do everything I can to support you and make that happen…. but you are adding to your plate, not being excused from other responsibilities already on it.