I fixed my son's favorite shirt and I'm starting to feel a bit like Grandma...

I fixed my son's favorite shirt and I'm starting to feel a bit like Grandma...

Not only because one of my gramdmothers could sew, but because they had to sew.

Life and the economy have caught up with us. Over the past two months we've had to replace brakes, align and repair tires, fix a cat's broken leg, put 8 stitches into my son's face, our washing machine is broken, and the rear a/c just went out on our van.

We've stopped buying extras.

So when my son somehow got a huge hole in his Octonauts shirt, likely by playing with the dog, my first instinct was to go to Amazon and buy him another one...

$30.

$30 for a toddler shirt that has the Octonauts characters.

So, I let him wear it with the holes until it drove my mom sense crazy.

So I pulled out my very limited sewing skills and hand stitched that sucker together. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. It's terrible. But my five year old thinks it's perfect.

My reward? A HUGE hug paired with "You're the best Mom! The VERY BEST!!" That's worth it in my book.

Now, I also sewed the back of my husband's favorite tie..... let's see if his "Thank You" is worth the effort.

Update: Hubby said " I wondered why my tie was sitting there". In all fairness, he came home sick tonight.

By the way, incase you need to hear it, I appreciate all of the effort you put into your family,

Kristian

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Mama, you pour out your love and energy into everyone else, but you deserve to be poured into, too. That’s why I’ve created a session that’s about more than just photographs—it’s about reminding you of who you are. At Kristian Hutchings Portraits, I’ll take care of everything so you can rest, shine, and leave with portraits that make you feel truly beautiful.

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Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles — where we celebrate the mess, the miracles, and everything in between.