The first week he woke up at 7AM and would proceed to yell from his room “Mummy, I’m up. Mummy, I can’t stay in here forever 🙄” As you can imagine, we expeditiously nipped that in the bud, and here in week two we’ve seen so much improvement. No more yelling, but we do have a noisy, almost drumline, “arose such a clatter” processional from the bedroom to bathroom.

I say all this to say, that even without the glorious voice of my son bellowing at the crack of dawn, I had a rather early wake up call this morning. Feeling the need for a recharge, I decided to cancel my day and stay at home. Burning a Yankee candle in a freshly cleaned house, pulling out my daughter’s Easy-Bake Oven for a hit of nostalgia, sitting through another disappointing Coco Gauff loss, then watching a whole nation erupt as the Democratic Republic of Congo scored their first World Cup goal, and writing this wrap-up for you — exactly what I needed today.

Cooking 🍴

Now, you guys know I cook a lot. But after sitting down to go through the budget with Bubby, we realized we also eat out A LOT. And I’m not talking foodie-wise — more like Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, pizza delivery, and late-night Uber Eats when my sweet tooth rages. (Remember those “budget cuts” I mentioned last edition? Well, they’ve officially come for the kitchen.) So he and I made the commitment to cut our food spending significantly for the next three months.

It didn’t take long to realize the extra spending all comes back to one thing: a lack of planning. I’d head into the weekend with only vague ideas about dinner, and we’d end up spending money in a pinch. Well — no more.

I started at home. I went through the pantry, fridge, and freezer, listed every single ingredient I already had, and fed it into ChatGPT. Here’s the exact two-step I used, so you can steal it:

Step 1: “Given these ingredients, what dinners can I make?”

Step 2: “Where can I beef up the nutritional value of each dinner, if there’s not enough?”

The first prompt turns your random odds and ends into actual meals; the second makes sure those meals aren’t just carbs on carbs.

Turns out I had several dinners on hand with what I already owned — half a box of pasta, leftover carrots, frozen chicken breasts, black-eyed peas, you name it. With a few additions here and there, I spent just $99 on my grocery run that week and finally used up the stuff that had been sitting in my pantry for ages or hanging out half-used in the fridge.

But enough about the method — here’s what actually made it to the table, pictures and all (and I apologize in advance, I am no food photographer hehe):

Best Creamy Chicken Pesto

• Jar of pesto

• 2 frozen chicken breasts

• ½ box of rigatoni

• Bag of cauliflower rice (snuck in for nutrition — you don’t even notice it’s there)

Creamy Miso Cod Bowls

• Bag of frozen cod filets

• Opened miso paste

• ½ bag of frozen edamame

• Can of coconut milk

• Leftover carrots

• Opened sushi rice bag

Shrimp and Grits

• 1.5 bags of frozen shrimp

• Opened box of quick-cooking grits

• An assortment of leftover cheeses

• Bag of frozen fire-roasted corn

• Leftover bacon slices

Chicken Caesar Crispy Rice Salad

• 2 frozen chicken breasts

• Opened sushi rice bag

• Leftover Parmesan cheese

• Condiments for days to make the Caesar dressing

And because I was clearly feeling ambitious, I also finally tackled sourdough English muffins from scratch — which earns bonus points all around: they're healthier, the batch made a dozen instead of the store-bought six, and the sourdough is good for your gut.

Sourdough English Muffins

• Sourdough Starter

• Whole Milk

• Honey

• Opened cornmeal

Watching 📺

Grief will have you do things you never thought you’d do. I played soccer my entire life, from the cute little pee wee leagues, to Varsity soccer in high school and years on club teams. I thought I’d go to college and play women’s soccer and then my dad died. He’d work a full day and then rush to pick me up, drive me an hour to training and an hour back. When he passed away, so did my passion to play. It felt incomprehensible to ever step foot back on the field and when I met Bubby I vowed that none of my children would play either.

Fast forward to this year’s World Cup, taking place here in America. I felt the nudge to open up that chapter again. To participate in what once was my life.

With much trepidation, Bubby and I watched the USMNT play against Paraguay on Friday. And you know what, old habits died hard. There I was, once again yelling, jumping off the couch and texting our family group chat GOAAAAALLLLL!

The tears were inevitable, as I thought of my dad. Of watching it with him, my mum, and sisters. But man it felt good.

So long story short, we’ve been watching the World Cup ⚽️🏟️. If soccer/futbol isn’t really your thing, at least watch the US Men’s National Team play against Australia this Friday at 3PM ET on FOX.

Notes 🗒️

I always describe Substack as a platform that mixes Instagram, X, and old-school blogging.

The X version of Substack is on the home feed, where users can post notes. Substack may randomly send you a push notification for the notes I've put out, and if you see them, please show them some love! Most of the time, they're an in-the-moment snap of lunch, what I'm reading while the kids nap, or a photo dump from a weekend adventure. Here are some notes I've recently shared:

Socializing ☀️

Jimmy and Cassie were our lifelines when Bubby was in law school. Contrary to popular belief or the rom-coms (and I do love a rom-com), Yale Law School was quite a miserable experience, but we can get into that another time. The bottom line is that these friends of ours endured alongside us, and having them here for the long weekend filled my cup.

There's not a single Waffle House in DC (the nearest one is a 40-minute haul into Virginia), so introducing Jimmy and Cassie to the magic was non-negotiable. We later caught an Atlanta Braves game — 10/10 recommend, because Truist Park is bringing ALL the food options, and that's what's most important. Of course, church on Sunday, then a quick kid drop-off with family, and we were off to a wine tasting and dinner. A lazy Monday brought cinnamon rolls, coffee, charcuterie, and teaching them our favorite pastime — mahjong.

Reading 📖

Confession: nothing makes me want to read a book faster than learning it's about to become a movie and/or tv show. And 2026 is stacked — somewhere between 25-30 adaptations are coming. Here's where I stand on the ones that have dropped so far:

And two massive releases that I’m looking forward to in July are:

I’ve already read Elin Hilderbrand’s “Five-Star Weekend”, but next week the plan is to start my journey through Homer’s 500+ page classic. Wish me luck or join me!

And with that, another edition of The Accomplished Woman comes to a close. As I write this, the house is finally quiet, the candle’s still going, and episode two of Every Summer After awaits me.

Here’s to slower mornings, spending with intention, making peace with grief, and friends who fill your cup.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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We don’t have any major plans, but ever since the year began, life has felt relentlessly “go, go, go.” Between school drop-offs, pick-ups, appointments, travel, and the general logistics of motherhood, I’ve officially reached my limit. I’m beyond ready for slower mornings, unscheduled days with the kids, and letting the days take us wherever they want to go.

Over the past week, I’ve started making a list of things I want to tackle this summer. I’m thinking of it as a sort of summer syllabus.

But for now, let’s get into everything I’ve been listening to, cooking, reading, shopping for, thinking about, and more from the past couple of weeks.

Music 🎵

Okay, I have a confession.

When I got my YouTube recap (their end-of-year review that tells you what you watched most, what percentage of viewers you’re in, etc.), I discovered I was in the top 1% of viewers for Relax Jazz Cafe. Which honestly feels both deeply embarrassing and completely on brand for me at this point.

It started years ago when H was an infant and finally down for a nap. I wanted a noise buffer as he slept, but didn’t want an actual TV show on. So I started putting on Relax Jazz Cafe videos, and somehow, years later it has become one of my greatest comfort noises.

Now I put it on constantly, whether anyone is napping or not. While working, cooking, cleaning, writing, or folding laundry. They have every kind of background and setting imaginable: cozy coffee shops, rainy city windows, little European cafés, libraries, candlelit jazz bars.

As I write this, I currently have on “Summer Jazz Music” at Cozy Coffee Shop 😂 Give it a try and before long you, too, will be fighting me for a spot on the leaderboard.

Cooking 🍴

Since the last AW, I’ve really picked back up with cooking again. Here’s some of what I’ve made since we last chatted:

’s Jerk Chicken Soup

• SUPER easy. Use a rotisserie chicken and pre-cut veggies if you want to simplify it even more.

• A warning, though: be careful which jerk marinade you use. The first time I made this soup, it was borderline inedible because of the spice level, and that’s saying something because I genuinely love spicy food.

Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese

• TIME consuming. This is not your quick weeknight pasta. It takes a minimum of four hours, and I ended up cooking mine for closer to six.

• Completely worth it, though. Deeply rich, comforting, and one of those meals that somehow tastes even better the next day.

• It also made enough for our family of four to eat for three days, which, as a devoted leftovers lover, made the six-hour cook time feel entirely worth it. Two extra days of not cooking? What a treat.

  ---

Growing 🌱

Y’all, I completely forgot to share a major milestone with you:

WE KEPT MR. LINCOLN ALIVE FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!!!

For those of you newer here, Mr. Lincoln is our 10+ foot fiddle leaf fig tree. Bubby and I have a long and rather devastating history of killing every indoor tree we’ve ever owned, so this genuinely feels like one of the great accomplishments of our marriage.

Also, it’s Year 2 with our Endless Summer hydrangeas, and they just bloomed for the season. I am seriously obsessed. There is something so deeply satisfying about seeing a plant come back bigger and fuller after a year of hoping you didn’t accidentally kill it.

They bring me an unreasonable amount of joy, and I already can’t wait to clip a few blooms to bring inside the house

Socializing ☀️

We’ve had three big events since our last hangout: Mother’s Day, a NYC work trip, and K’s kindergarten graduation!

Mothers Day

We kicked off Mother’s Day weekend by taking my mum and mother-in-law to the 2026 Southeastern Designer Showhouse. For those unfamiliar, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles acquires a home each year and has a collection of designers collaborate on transforming the space. If you’re even remotely into interior design, it is an absolute dream.

Bubby and I went last year and left with pages of inspiration for our own home, most of which has yet to be implemented due to some very real “budget cuts” around here 😅 But truly, walking through these homes is one of my favorite things to do because every room feels like stepping into a completely different world.

Here are a few photos from the day, including some of my favorite spaces in the home.

A NYC Work Trip

K Graduates from Kindergarten

Watching 📺

Bubby and I have always been movie theater people, and I’m happy that after COVID, the rise of streaming, and just the general changing of the world, we’ve somehow found our way back to it. Our routine is sweatpants, a blanket, popcorn, Crunch candy, and each other, and honestly it remains one of the most undefeated dates.🤍

We’ve recently seen these:

• Wuthering Heights

• You, Me, and Tuscany

• The Drama

• Michael

• The Devil Wears Prada 2

Reading 📖

These past couple of weeks, I’ve fully indulged myself by reading some of the buzziest, most talked-about books of the moment. I don’t always engage with the internet’s current literary obsession, but every now and then it’s fun being part of the conversation while it’s happening.

To switch things up, I’m listing favorite quotes from my last five reads. The first AWDYD? subscriber who can correctly match all the quotes to the appropriate books (honor system, y’all) and leave their answers in the comments will receive a $50 gift card to my local bookstore. And yes, you can order online from them if you aren’t local!

Quote A

“What I do know is that she loved you. And she didn’t want to leave you that night.”

Quote B

“Vanessa was liberated, sure—but I was happy. And it was such a shame, wasn’t it? The way some women so willingly compromised every ounce of themselves in the name of building a life for themselves that they didn’t enjoy.”

Quote C

“It’s a terrible thing to stand in the wings, haunted by the specter of your younger self.”

Quote D

“Some people are lucky like that. They meet their best friend, the love of their life, and are wise enough to never let go.”

Quote E

“It amazed her how much of adulthood was simply maintaining appearances while quietly improvising behind the scenes.”

Here are the books in no particular order

1. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

2. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

3. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

4. The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

5. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

And with that, another edition of The Accomplished Woman comes to a close. As I finish writing this, the jazz café is still playing in the background, Mr. Lincoln is still alive against all odds, and summer is sitting just on the horizon.

Here’s to slower mornings, hydrangeas on the counter, movies in sweatpants, and figuring it all out as we go. See y’all soon for the Summer Syllabus.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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See also: honeymoon choice, excessive mickey ears, months of strategic planning, in line for character meet and greets with no child in sight.

Pre-Trip

I used to be the person who laughed at “Disney Adults,” because what do you mean you’re going to Disney World for your honeymoon when there’s places in the world like Bali, France, and honestly even Mexico?

But after three days aboard Disney’s Wish cruise ship from Orlando to The Bahamas, I am seriously considering joining their team.

Let me explain, but first let’s start from the beginning.

If you’re new here, I’m the mum to two littles, ages 3 and 6. And this year, with our son H finally turning 3, Bubby and I decided we were officially at the stage of life where a real family vacation felt possible.

After much debate, financial analysis, and conversations that started sounding more like board meetings than vacation planning, we landed on a Disney cruise. Given our kids’ ages, wanting a beach vacation, wanting something all inclusive, wanting the possibility of some one-on-one couple time, and wanting a trip where nobody had to cook, it felt like our best option.

— Should we act fast, of course. Because sidenote: their summer prices from May through August are truly astronomical.

We waited to tell the kids we were going until five days before the cruise because, sanity obviously, and the packing process almost made me want to cancel the trip in its entirety.

You guys know me by now, and as the Type A woman I am, prolonged, strategic, and rigorous are the only ways I know how to pack for a trip. Especially one involving swimsuits, formal dinners, pirate night, sunscreen, medicine, bedtime necessities, and two small children who somehow require seventeen “just in case” outfits each.

But, we survived.

Day 1: Travel/Embarkation

I kid you not, at 5AM we were on the road headed to Orlando and I was giving Bubby an impassioned speech about the benefits of H still being rear-facing in his car seat. By our first stop at 11AM, after incessant whining and a rapidly progressing migraine, H was forward-facing and that was that. 🙃

#ThisIsMotherhood

Truly, the worst part of the entire cruise was embarkation. Long, tedious, overcrowded, and by the end of it we were all so hangry that morale was dangerously low. But once we got onboard, safety check complete, and sat on the deck watching Beauty and the Beast with soft serve in hand, all was well again.

Honestly, soft serve for kids on a Disney cruise is basically the equivalent of welcome champagne for adults.

Day 2: Pool Day/Pirate Night

What I love about the Disney cruise is that they have truly thought of everything when it comes to children. We had one room with three separate kid sleeping spaces available and a curtain that partitioned the children’s sleeping area from our own, which honestly felt revolutionary.

Of course, we brought Mahjong fully intending to stay up every night playing out on the balcony like sophisticated adults on holiday. Instead, every single night we fell asleep shortly after our children did.

Again: #ThisIsMotherhood

In true Bubby/Ky fashion, we nearly missed breakfast sleeping in 😅 But three Mickey waffles, a plate of bacon, and one to three coffees later, we were off to the pool.

Bubby said you don’t measure a pool day by the hours spent there, but by the number of movies that have played while you’ve been having fun. For us, we’d made it through Zootopia 2, Luca, and Tangled, so it had apparently been a minute.

Right as Hayes was entering his nap-time whiny, indignant era, we decided what better time to drop him off at the Kids Club and enjoy a much-needed adult break. After much bribery, i.e. “you can have another soft serve,” “another slice of pizza,” etc., off he went to become someone else’s problem for a few hours and suddenly we were fancy free.

After a poolside bbq at the adult pool, a couple of chapters read, and beignets at Tiana’s Bayou, we picked the kids back up and were off to see The Little Mermaid at the theater, have dinner, and participate in Disney’s iconic Pirate Night. Argh 🏴‍☠️

Day 3: Beach Day

Showing up to a beach with guaranteed FREE chairs, umbrellas, food, floats, lifeguards, and shallow water? SIGN ME UP.

We kicked off beach day on a high because the kids finally got to meet the king himself: Mickey Mouse. Everyone else immediately paled in comparison.

The children also came prepared with gifts for him. A heartfelt letter from K and a scribble-scrabble, I mean drawing, from H. At one point Bubby and I looked at each other wondering if this was idolatry or just extreme fan behavior, but needless to say the kids were thrilled and honestly, so were we.

When meltdowns started to ensue, we packed it up and reboarded the ship. However, this time when we tried to bribe H into going to Kids Club, he absolutely put his foot down with Bubby and me.

We told him, “Either you go to Kids Club or you stay in the room and take a nap.”

That child called our bluff immediately. He proudly declared he’d rather take a nap.

And so there we sat in our dark little cruise room for an hour and a half while he slept soundly in his bed. No balcony reading. No adult pool. No coffee date. Just Bubby and I whispering and staring into the abyss while our toddler peacefully recovered from his beach day.

Yes, he won that battle.

I ran into Princess Tiana while going to pick K up from Kids Club as the little prince’s nap finally waned, and she was simply perfect. I genuinely got teary-eyed when K told her she was so beautiful and Tiana responded, “No, you are” 🥹

At this point, we started getting sad because this was our last night. So with H finally awake, we headed to our final show, Aladdin, and then onto our dinner show at Arendelle.

Sidenote: did H purposefully cough throughout Aladdin for attention? Yes.

But in a theater full of crying babies, toddlers chasing confetti, and spilled popcorn, there was a mutual understanding: all of us parents were just doing our best.

Headed Home

When I heard the “When You Wish Upon a Star” horn blare for the last time as we docked back in Orlando, all the emotions came crashing down.

Disney captures the essence of childhood so well it’s almost palpable. They give power to imagination. To princesses and princes, fairy dust and magic godmothers. Being on that ship made me think about my own childhood, cuddled on the couch with my sisters watching Cinderella or building tents in my mum’s living room pretending we were in the jungle looking for Tarzan.

And that’s when I finally understood the “Disney Adult.”

In a world so centered around achievement, productivity, and suffering, there’s something really beautiful about a place that lets you feel like a child again, even if only for a few days.

So with our first set of Mickey ears in tow (no, Bubby did not feel the magic enough to buy us both a pair for $36.99 each), we headed home knowing our first family vacation was one we’d talk about for years to come.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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When I pressed “publish” on April 22, 2025, I had an inkling, but truly no idea what this Substack would become. Would I stay disciplined? Would anyone want to hear what I had to say? Would the ideas keep coming, week after week?

And yet, here we are.

A year ago, I opened this space with a simple confession: I can’t be the only person who dreads this question.

That question, of course, being, “What do you do?”

At the time, it unraveled me a bit. Not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I had too many. Too many versions of myself to choose from. Too many ways to package a life that didn’t fit neatly into a title or a tidy response. Or more pointedly, people’s assumptions of what that title entails.

I wrote then that this Substack would be my elevator pitch. A place to sort through the noise.

And in many ways, that’s exactly what it became. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride so far because we’re just getting started.

So with that—

My name is Ky September. I’m 31. I’ve been married to the boy I met in Sunday School for seven years, and I’ve been a mother for six.

I come from a family of women, which gave me a deep love and respect for beauty and fashion. I’m a homemaker, and I mean that with pride. My days are full of little voices, good food, and open doors.

I’ve been in love with Jesus Christ my entire life, and yet in the process of sanctification, I often feel like a kindergartener—learning, fumbling, growing.

And somewhere between the noise and the stillness, the hosting and the hiding away with a good book, I’m figuring out who I am.

Let’s get into the Accomplished Woman.

Music 🎵

If you’re not listening to Raye’s new album This Music May Contain Hope, what are you doing? It is a masterpiece. Truly, this is what music should be.

I could go on and on, but while I have your attention, I want to draw you to my favorite track: I Know You’re Hurting.

This song stands out because it doesn’t try to fix anything. It simply sits with someone in their pain and reminds them they’re not alone. God is still working, even in the dark. The pain won’t last forever.

Eating Out 🍦

After cooking a small feast for Easter, I hibernated a bit. I don’t think I’ve even made a loaf of sourdough since the three I made for that weekend! So here’s what I’ve indulged in the past few weeks.

Birthday Festivities 🎂

Aside from Christmas, my birthday is my favorite time of year. And, being Type A, of course I had a full itinerary for the weekend.

A small word of advice for anyone who tends to feel disappointed on their birthday: plan it yourself. You’ll never be disappointed.

Friday (Brunch, Kid Drop-off, Mahjong with Friends)

Saturday (Afternoon Tea, Movies, Dinner)

Sunday (Church, Lunch, Cousin Airport Pick-Up)

Reading 📖

Since the last AW I’ve read 7 more books, we’re trudging along!

In order of star rating.

3 STAR ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

4 STAR ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7 by Beth Brower

5 STAR ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

While You Were Out: An Intimate Family of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger

Funny enough my goal was to finally add some nonfiction into the mix and my only 5 star reads were nonfiction this round!

One year in. Thanks for being here.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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As a sophomore in college, I think we all understand that funds are limited. But as an offspring of my mother, who is gloriously fabulous and has raised us with expensive taste, Ray had her eye on a $100 Lululemon backpack for the start of the semester.

Weeks later, I FaceTimed her and saw the backpack sitting right there. I congratulated her on finally pulling the plug and just spending the money. She smiled and told me she hadn’t. Not only had she gotten the exact backpack she wanted, but she got it for half off.

Sorcery. How?!

She told me she found it on Depop.

Depop? I had never even heard of it.

In her words, it was a buy and sell app similar to Poshmark or Mercari, but better. I was intrigued. Years ago, I used Poshmark quite a bit, but eventually grew tired of the look of the platform and the incessant scams. I once bought what was advertised as a new Prada wallet, only to receive it with chips and scrapes everywhere.

So I was wary. But between her glowing endorsement, and then my Mum joining the FaceTime to rave about how streamlined and easy the app was, and how she had been selling pieces from her own wardrobe, I was sold.

Learning about Depop came about six months after I made the decision to start a capsule wardrobe.

A capsule wardrobe is a curated collection of a limited number of versatile, high-quality, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched to create countless outfits.

At the time, I was still losing weight from my pregnancy in 2022–2023. Nothing really fit, and the things that did felt worn and tired. I needed a spark. I wanted to feel like myself again, but better.

I had bought a few blouses from Old Navy, and after just a couple of washes, they were already pilling. I didn’t have the budget to replace clothes like clockwork. I had been watching videos and reading about capsule wardrobes, and it finally clicked. Coming out of that postpartum season and needing new clothes anyway, the time to commit felt like now.

These were my guidelines: no polyester, no fast fashion, minimal trendy pieces.

So I started the hunt, using holiday sales to snag one to three high-quality pieces at a decent price, predominantly from J.Crew. And it’s actually insane. Once you start reading the fine print on fabric labels, you realize how many brands are marking up mass-produced, cheap polyester pieces that wear down almost as quickly as they’re made.

I knew it was going to be a slow process, but one well worth it in the end. I’d rather pay a little more upfront for a piece that will last five years than score a “steal” I have to replace in one year, or worse, keep wearing once it already looks tired.

And then Depop entered the picture.

My sister introducing me to Depop completely accelerated my capsule wardrobe endeavor.

Depop describes itself as a social shopping app, but in practice it feels like a curated, ever-changing closet where everyone is both the buyer and the seller. When you join, you input all these customizations, what brands you like, your shoe size, your clothing size, and it builds a feed tailored to you. And I’m not exaggerating when I say this, I often find myself scrolling on Depop more than Instagram.

Depop gives you the thrill of a deal, but on capsule wardrobe pieces. Win-win, my friends.

This is not sponsored and I’m not just saying this, here are four pieces I bought brand new on Depop vs. their retail price.

There are so many more pieces I’ve been able to snag at incredible deals, including some vintage Dior, Ralph Lauren, etc.

Suddenly, building a capsule wardrobe didn’t feel slow anymore.

It took time, but over this past year I’ve gained more confidence than ever.

There’s something about getting your health right, especially postpartum, wearing clothes that actually fit and reflect you, and choosing to show up for even the smallest, everyday moments. Getting dressed stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like fun again.

And somewhere in all of that, you hit a really good place. Somewhere in all of that, you find your way back to yourself.

I don’t want to wait until my kids are out of the house to find my groove, to find my “pink” again. I want to have it now.

When I feel my best, I can show up better for everyone, my husband, my children, my community, and myself.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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Reflections for this week

This past Sunday, March 29th, marked the beginning of the seven-day lead-up to Resurrection Sunday, a week known as Holy Week. Growing up, we focused on the significance of three days in particular:

Sunday — Palm Sunday: Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem
Good Friday — The crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Resurrection Sunday — Jesus is resurrected, the covenant is fulfilled, and we are granted unadulterated access to God

There is something about Holy Week that feels equal parts sobering and exhilarating. It holds both the weight of sacrifice and the promise of redemption, asking us to sit in the tension of what occurred and what was ultimately won.

If you are like me, it is easy to lose the message in the midst of the noise. The noise is not always bad in itself, but it can become distracting when it pulls our focus away from what this week is meant to hold.

For me, this week is about love. Not the easy kind. Not the kind we throw around casually. A costly, intentional kind of love.

A King stepped down from His throne and into our world. He did not stay distant. He took on our everyday and lived among us. Nothing we face is unfamiliar to Him.

And then He went to the cross. Not by accident, and not without purpose.

What was carried out through jealousy, hate, cowardice, and pride became the very means of our redemption. In His death, sin was dealt with once and for all, past, present, and future. And in His resurrection, everything changed.

Because of Him, we are offered forgiveness, a new identity, and peace with God. Not something we earn, but something we are given through faith in Him.

And because of that, this world is no longer all there is. We have a place with Him.

We have hope.

Family Traditions

One of the best parts of being an adult is getting to carry on the traditions you loved and start new ones for your own family.

One thing Bubby and I always laugh about is our families’ insistence on calling Easter “Resurrection Sunday,” because as we were reminded multiple times, “it’s not about an Easter bunny, it’s about Jesus!” hahah. And now, here we are, doing the exact same thing.

Another tradition that was unique to my family was that, instead of Easter baskets, my sisters and I always received a new purse for Resurrection Sunday. Which, honestly, Bubby, explains a lot.

I’ve basically been in training since childhood. One new purse a year 😂

I definitely plan to keep that going with Kinsley. And now that I have a son, I need to figure out the male equivalent… a watch? a wallet? a pocket square? We’ll see.

Hosting Easter Dinner

The Theme

I’ve mentioned before that Bubby and I almost always host both of our families for the big holidays, and Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, is no different. This will be my third year hosting this particular dinner, and each year I try to raise the bar just a little more.

One thing I’ve started doing is giving each year a theme and announcing it to our families ahead of time.

In 2023, it was lemons 🍋

In 2024, it was olives 🫒

And drumroll… this year’s theme is whimsy ✨

While my sisters laughed at my theme — RUDE. I chose whimsy because it captures wonder and delight. A slight deviation from my food-centric themes but when you’re the host you can make these sorts of decisions.

The Menu

This is semi-finalized, meaning I’ve sent it out for general approval, but I’m still deciding on the specifics.

Appetizer — Homemade sourdough with dips and crudité

I’m thinking of making another butter croissant sourdough loaf, but this time using Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter in place of regular butter to make it a little more savory.

My baby sister is bringing Cowboy Caviar for one of the dips. I’m making a Boursin and cherry tomato dip, along with an olive oil and balsamic mix… which feels necessary.

First Course — Crab Bisque

Main Entrées — Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon and Roast Chicken

Side Dishes — Shrimp Scampi over angel hair pasta, Crispy Rice Caesar Salad, and… maybe a potato situation

This is where I’m stuck.

Do we need both pasta and potatoes? Probably not. But I also don’t want the table to feel like something is missing.

Do I keep it simple with just one starch, or do I commit and do both?

Dessert — Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake + TBD baked goods

The Setup

I am not the craftiest girl, but I can be when I want to be. So for decor this year, I’m attempting the viral paper chains to hang from our dining room light fixture and along the walls.

EXHIBIT A:

I’m thinking olive green and yellow for the color palette.

I’ll also be reusing this gorgeous sage/olive green plateware we bought last year that I’m still obsessed with. The goal is to add a new set each year, but it just didn’t happen this time, and that’s okay.

I also commissioned Cassidy Huhn on Etsy to paint all of my guest placards in watercolor, which I’m very excited about. This is what her work looks like, and I cannot wait for everyone to see their place setting.

For Crabsgiving in November, my baby sister hand-painted a “Happy Crabsgiving” banner, which was incredible. Before asking her to do one for Easter, I came across the viral faux hand-painted banners from Walgreens and thought… this might save everyone (i.e. her 😂) some time and energy.

I’m considering having one made with either the menu for the day or one that says “Happy Resurrection Sunday.” Still deciding.

So this is what I’m working with so far. I still need to finalize what the full tablescape will look like, but we’re in a good place.

If you have any ideas I should add, send them my way.

Well, with all that being said, I am wishing you a great Holy Week and a jubilant Resurrection Sunday.

The eggs, the fellowship, the perfect Sunday best outfit, the tablescape, they’re all well and good, but don’t miss the Cross in the middle of it all.

(It’s not about the bunny, after all.)

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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The warm weather is slowly creeping back in, and for once I’m not mad about it. My yard is transitioning from yellow to green, my hydrangeas are sprouting again, and Mr. Lincoln hasn’t dropped a leaf in over a month. Small victories, my friends.

We have a lot to catch up on, so stay a while. Read it in spurts if you need to. Save it for a quiet moment with a good cup of coffee or matcha. However you choose to settle in, I’m so happy you’re here.

Let’s get into everything I’ve been listening to, cooking, reading, and quietly loving lately.

Music 🎵

After hearing “Beautiful Things” and “Pretty Slowly” by Benson Boone, I was sold. But somehow I completely missed the release of his first album, American Heart, last summer and only discovered it a week or so ago.

Let me tell you something: of the 10 songs on the album, eight are now saved in my library and currently living on repeat.

That boy can sang. 👏🏽

If you need a good ballad, “Momma Song” will absolutely take you there. Upbeat, go-lucky and just plain fun is Mystical Magical. And the one that scratches that 90s/2000s vibe I constantly crave is “I Wanna Be The One You Call”.

Honorable mention to “Reminds Me of You” because that one is also good.

Wait… did I just list almost all eight of the songs I saved?

Yes. Yes I did.

Anyway — go listen and report back.

Cooking 🍴

I told myself, I told Bubby, I told my Mum that I would not — I repeat, would NOT — participate in the sourdough starter, homemade bread trend. And yet here I am nurturing, YouTubing, ChatGPT-ing, and calling friends for advice about a jar of flour and water that now apparently requires my full emotional support.

Which brings me to the next confession.

I’ve named her. My sourdough starter. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Resa, after my grandmother.

So yes, I am officially part of the sourdough community. Or at the very least, desperately trying to be.

My small group took a sourdough class together and it single-handedly made me a believer. Before walking us through the process and handing each of us a portion of her 109-year-old starter (which completely blew my mind), our host, hobby queen extraordinaire Loi (I’ll tag her for exposure) baited us into her world by serving three different loaves: classic, jalapeño cheddar, and cinnamon roll, all alongside a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.

After those first few bites, I was fully converted.

Here are a few pictures of my journey. With the warmer weather, I’m already having to adjust parts of the process to avoid over-proofing and whatnot, but I’m determined to eventually figure this whole thing out.

Watching 📺

Bubby and I just finished watching Season 4 of Bridgerton and, as your resident household TV and movie critics, we have thoughts (are you surprised? 😅).

Personally, as someone who has read the entire Bridgerton series, Benedict’s story was always one of my favorites. It’s your classic Cinderella-style love story, and honestly, who doesn’t love a good Cinderella moment?

Bubby complained that the season moved a little too slowly, and I’d have to agree. Overall though, I was pleased. I thought the acting was great, and I loved the other storylines — Violet Bridgerton being my favorite. I just love her as a mother. I love her devotion to her children, I love her love for them, just all of it.

That all being said, I’m going to share my ranking of the seasons. And if you have a differing opinion PLEASE leave a comment because I love a good television debate.

Ky’s Official Bridgerton Ranking

1. Anthony and Kate (Season 2)

2. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

3. Daphne and Simon (Season 1)

4. Benedict and Sophie (Season 4)

5. Colin and Penelope (Season 3 — I’m sorry but this deserves an extra comment because it was horrible!!!!!!)

With football season being over and Bridgerton now wrapped, we’re continuing with Season 3 of Shrinking, and next we’ll start Love Story about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

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Shopping 🛍️

I have collected my most recent packages, which I believe to be quite an eclectic mix of things to do an unboxing of sorts! Watch the video below to see what I’ve been buying (IF YOU ARE BUBBY — SCROLL PAST THIS SECTON, PLEASE AND THANK YOU)

Eating Out and In🍦

Sourdough kind of took over the first food section, so here’s another one. But this time, it’s mostly all the amazing bites I’ve had while out to eat… with a few I made myself thrown in for good measure. Hehe.

Socializing ☀️

Since the clock struck midnight on January 1st, we’ve been busy over here. In the last three months we’ve had: a NYC trip (here’s the post on that if you missed it), a father/daughter dance, a DC wedding, a donor dinner, friends come stay with us, Valentine’s Day, Tutu’s 65th birthday in the Bahamas, random family outings, and a women’s conference at my church.

Deep breath. That was a lot.

So here’s a bit of a photo dump to capture everything we’ve been up to lately.

Special shoutout to my mum, Tutu, and sisters who have made all the travel and dates work these past few months. I truly could not do even a fraction of the things we do without our village. Thank you 🫶🏽

Reading 📖

The goal is to read 60 books this year, with one-third of those being nonfiction — because balance.

If you want to follow along on my 2026 reading journey, you can find me over on Goodreads.

Right now, I’m currently reading:

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 7 by Beth Brower

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Black Rednecks & White Liberals by Thomas Sowell

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

And yes, I read multiple books at the same time because different moods call for different reads.

My goal is to finish Emma Lion and Heart the Lover this week, while continuing to work slowly through Black Rednecks & White Liberals and The Pilgrim’s Progress. Then I’ll spend the next two weeks of March focused on my traveling annotation books (four in total) so I don’t hold up the group.

It’s funny, a few years ago I set a goal to read just one book in the entire year, and now I’m reading multiple in a month. It’s slowly become one of my favorite parts of my everyday life.

And with that, I leave you until the next one.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

About a year ago she came to the family with a simple request for her birthday. She didn’t want gifts, a party, or anything elaborate. All she wanted was for the adults to go on a kid-free trip together and spend time with each other.

Now, if you could just imagine the arranging, scheduling, cancelling, and rescheduling we went through to make this Friday–Monday trip work without our children. And let me remind you of the kid count on the Hunt side:

Bubby’s older brother: 4

Bubby’s older sister: 2

Bubby and Ky: 2

So yes, with eight grandchildren (seven of whom are school-age), it took some maneuvering. But we made it.

And for a few days, Tutu had all six of her children to herself (yes, we in-laws count).

All of this preparation—and then later vacationing with my in-laws—got me thinking about parenting and legacy.

Something about a 65-year-old woman surrounded by her adult children and their spouses, all of whom genuinely wanted to be there celebrating her, felt miraculous.

And I found myself back at the two questions I asked myself when I saw my first positive pregnancy test:

1. How do you raise a child who loves God—not because it’s expected, but because they’ve experienced Him themselves and can’t imagine life without Him?

2. How do you raise children who still want to be part of your family once they’re no longer obligated to be?

When I first got pregnant with K, I remember having a strange, almost existential moment about becoming a parent.

I remember thinking: People really just… do this?

It’s exactly like the meme says. You’re standing in the hospital holding a baby, looking around at the doctors and nurses thinking:

Are you really going to let me take this baby home?

Surely there should be some sort of exam. A psychological evaluation. A pop quiz. Something.

But no.

They hand you the baby and send you on your way.

According to the internet, apparently we millennials are failing at parenting. Every other headline suggests we’re ruining our children in some new and creative way.

But I refuse to be discouraged.

Parenting is one of the greatest honors God can give us. It’s an act of trust. He entrusts you with the life of a little human being who will one day become an adult walking around in the world with their own thoughts, convictions, and beliefs.

That responsibility can feel terrifying if you sit with it too long. So when I feel the weight of it, I remind myself of two things.

First, that the Bible has already given us the blueprint: seek wisdom, pursue truth, and raise your children to love the Lord.

That’s the assignment.

And second, that I’m not the first person to do this.

Watching my own mother and my mother-in-law surrounded by their grandchildren has made me quietly hope for the future in a way that felt almost too big to say out loud.

I hope I’m here later in life. Yes, I know that’s a dark thought, but losing my dad changed the way I think about time. I don’t take the long view for granted.

I hope I’m here.

I hope my children love God.

And I hope they want to be part of this family.

That might sound simple, but it isn’t.

While I was thinking about all of this, I came across Benson Boone’s “Momma Song”, and it struck a chord right in the middle of my already spiraling thoughts.

Momma, I'm getting old
Does that mean you're getting older
And older and older? I miss you
Momma, don't you know
There's nothing to be sorry about?
I'm so proud of all you've done

There’s something about hearing a grown man sing about his mother that reminds you of the long arc of parenting.

Every night of the trip, when we were all sitting at dinner and I saw my mother-in-law beaming from ear to ear, all I could think was this is true wealth.

It’s not net worth, notoriety, or awards. It’s the gift of salvation. It’s a life given away through ministry. It’s a table full of the people God entrusted to you, now grown and living by the same convictions.

It might have been her 65th birthday, but I also felt deeply blessed by the moment. Watching her made me feel renewed in the work of parenting and inspired to keep fighting the good fight.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

If you’re new here, welcome. The Accomplished Woman is a wrap-up of all the little things — what I’m listening to, cooking, reading, shopping, thinking about, and more — and this is our first one of 2026 🎉

For this month, I’m weaving in Black history, culture, and creativity throughout each section.

Music 🎵

My music taste has always been eclectic — but it didn’t happen by accident. Before high school, every song on my iPod required parental approval. The process was simple yet ruthless: I’d submit a song, we’d pull up the lyrics together, and my parents would immediately decline anything with profanity, sexually suggestive language, or the catch-all “demonic undertones.” Needless to say, most songs didn’t make the cut. It was frustrating at the time, but in hindsight, something meaningful was happening — the noise was filtered out, and what remained had substance.

With a filter like that, much of what I listened to was Christian — gospel, in fact. My parents knew exactly what they were doing.

Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Deitrick Haddon, and Out of Eden played on repeat. And there’s no denying it — it was good music. Beneath the catchy chorus or rhythmic beat were proclamations of biblical promises and faith. Faith that believed God would deliver in spite of circumstances. That God’s grace was all I needed.

Looking back, there’s something priceless about being raised in Christ-centered music rooted in hope, endurance, and truth. And so, here are a few songs from my childhood that remind me why gospel music matters (in no particular order):

1. He wants It All - Forever Jones

2. Shackles - Mary Mary

3. Imagine Me - Kirk Franklin

4. Total Praise - Richard Smallwood (Rest in peace, Richard!)

5. God in Me - Mary Mary

6. Break Every Chain - Tasha Cobbs

7. Victory - Tye Tribbett

8. You are Good - Israel Houghton

Watching 📺

Bubby and I consider ourselves film critics of the highest standard 😅😂 Our families would absolutely challenge this claim — but this isn’t their Substack now, is it?

These are my favorite Black TV shows and movies — the ones I’ve watched time and time again, and like all good things, they somehow get better with age.

And yes, Black films and television can center stories beyond slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. If you haven’t seen these yet, consider this your sign — they’re all very good ones.

TV SHOWS

MOVIES

Cooking🍴

I always knew that collard greens, grits, mac and cheese, fried chicken, and sweet potatoes were staples in the Black community — but I didn’t fully understand why beyond tradition. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson put so much into perspective.

Slaves were given very little to cook for themselves and their families. Corn was inexpensive and widely available, becoming a primary component of their diet. From corn came grits, hoe cakes, and cornbread — simple foods that could stretch and sustain.

Collard greens, long grown in the South and tied to African cooking traditions, weren’t prized in plantation homes. Slaves cooked them down slowly, often with the scraps of meat they were allotted, turning humble ingredients into deeply nourishing meals.

And during the Great Migration — when millions of Black families bravely packed up everything they knew in pursuit of opportunity and freedom from Jim Crow oppression — fried chicken became a practical staple for the journey North. It traveled well, kept without refrigeration, and could be wrapped carefully for long train rides into the unknown.

I share this because what’s often reduced to stereotype is actually heritage. These meals weren’t accidental. They were crafted under pressure and carried forward with care. What began as survival became tradition — and tradition became legacy.

Shopping 🛍️

Now y’all know I love to shop, especially when it comes to beauty products. Here are my fave black founded beauty products:

Reading 📖

For the month of February, I’m centering my reading around Black authors. Here’s what’s currently on my TBR (to-be-read):

And here are a few books by Black authors I’ve already read and would recommend:

Black history is American history — and it should be shared, understood, and celebrated by all. I’m still a student of all that we’ve done and accomplished.

It is a blessing to be a part of this rich heritage — one of resilience, ingenuity, boldness, nurture, and love. Contrary to what mainstream media says, our story is not one of oppression but victory against all odds.

With that, I hope you enjoyed this post — and that you carry the celebration with you long after February ends.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

Maybe this rant has less to do with the short attention span our culture produces and more to do with my own shortcomings in producing it. But I digress — thank you for being here.

The ice storm this week set me back in rendezvousing with you, as I hosted my mum, sister, and niece for the weekend. And you know I’m extra, so I spent the better part of two days preparing for what, in my area of Georgia, was nothing more than cold fronts and rain.

(This is me stating facts, not complaining — we did get this Monday off for that cold air and rain.)

ANYWAYS — New York right? Shall we?

Pre-Trip

Before every trip, I go into full preparation mode. Outfits are mentally planned, then physically tried on, then reconsidered. Pinterest and Instagram become research tools. Restaurant lists are refined. Walking routes are mapped. Packing cubes make their grand appearance. And by the time we’re headed to the airport, I have sufficiently earned the “HEAVY” tag they place on my luggage.

Day 1: Travel/Dinner/Hotel Shenanigans

When traveling from Atlanta to New York, we exclusively fly into LaGuardia. As Delta people — I mean, how can you not be when you live in Atlanta — LGA is a Delta hub, and they recently renovated the terminal. It is simply sublime. State-of-the-art. New. Shiny. And oh, how I love new and shiny.

This trip, I knew we had to get seats at Fish Cheeks.

Fish Cheeks is a Thai restaurant with locations in NoHo and Williamsburg, and I first discovered it through Condé Nast’s Where Chefs Eat series. Renowned chef Kwame Onwuachi—of Tatiana in NYC and Dogon in DC —shared that when he wants a great meal, Fish Cheeks is where he goes.

And with that glowing endorsement, a quick refresh at the hotel, a slight outfit change or rather adaption — Fish Cheeks is exactly where we went and it was the meal of my dreams. 10/10, absolute perfection.

Sufficiently stuffed and satisfied, not even a mini vacay could stop us from rushing back to the hotel to catch some playoff football. Unfortunately, that meant witnessing Josh Allen’s latest playoff heartbreak. But the upside? Being in a buzzing city with my best friend—in a matching pajama set—playing mahjong, eating candy, and ending the night with hot slices of New York–style pizza well past midnight.

It was a day well spent.

Day 2: Eating/Window Shopping/Broadway

Blackout curtains are both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you’re able to actually rest and wake up when your body wants to, but a curse when you have a packed schedule and your husband cough cough wakes up at 10AM—which is practically 2PM if we’re being honest.

Anyways, I’m not going to stir up old fights, but once we eventually woke up, we got right to it. First stop—BAGELS!

I looooove a New York bagel. They are truly the best. I follow this influencer, Danielle Zaslavskaya Matzon, who swears that Tompkins Square Bagels are the best of the best in NYC, so naturally, I had to see for myself.

I’ve never had a lox bagel before. Let me rephrase—I’d never had the nerve to actually order one, and I decided this trip was the moment. All in all, it was fine. I didn’t love it and probably wouldn’t order it again, not because it was bad, but because I just prefer a good ole bacon, egg, and cheese.

As I am very caffeine-dependent, we swiftly followed bagels with coffee—and not just any regular coffee—the viral Caffe Paradiso Salted Brown Butter Latte on tap!

Did we stand in line, in the cold, in the freezing rain, for 45 minutes to get said coffee? Yes. Was it almost ruined by my hair, my frozen toes, and my occasional loss of faith? Also yes.

But in the end, so worth it.

From there, things moved rather swiftly. Bubby requested a trip to Saks, as they had recently filed for bankruptcy and he thought they’d have some good sales. Unfortunately for him, a “sale” on a $1,000+ item is still… expensive.

I already knew this, but sometimes you have to let them reach these conclusions on their own. And I rather enjoyed scoping out my future Valentine’s Day, birthday, anniversary, and “just because” gifts.

We followed Saks with a visit to the Ralph Lauren flagship store. I am utterly taken with the brand. It’s classic. It’s Americana. It’s timeless. It’s—

After soaking in the timelessness of Ralph Lauren, we headed to another place that feels just as iconic: the New York Public Library. My book twin, Tati 👯‍♀️, reminded me that while in the city I had to pick up a non-resident library card and that I did.

By that point, I had spent most of my spending money on Ubers (the weather was particularly dreadful), so I finally braved a 20-minute walk from the library to meet up with some dear friends who had also found their way into the city. Seeing a friendly face always lifts the spirits.

A quick stop at the hotel to create yet another variation of the same outfit, and off to dinner we were.

Bubby and I have both spent time in Brazil—him on a semester abroad and me on a missions trip—and now, whenever we’re in the city, we find ourselves in Little Brazil, stuffing our faces with pastels, pão de queijo, caipirinhas, rice and beans, and most importantly, picanha.

It felt rather fitting that our grand finale of the day was found on Broadway. An AWDYD? reader, one of my book club girlies, and the company manager of the show, Jayla, gifted us the most wonderful seats to see Buena Vista Social Club.

I do not exaggerate when I say that show was standing-ovation, give-them-every-award-you’ve-got, deeply moving good. It is the best musical I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know if you can call the people in it performers, because they were artists—and I’ll accept no other title. I could go on and on, but it was such a soul-nourishing experience. I’ll never forget it.

Headed Home

I woke up the next morning rested and satisfied. We had left it all on the court, and I had no regrets about the way we spent our 48 hours.

We checked out of the hotel and were off to LaGuardia, praying for no delays and a seamless pickup from Tutu (grandma) and Pop Pop (grandpa) so we could snag the littles.

And just like that, we were back in Georgia and life resumed as normal.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

If you know me—which I hope you’ve been able to since being here—I LOVE the holiday season. I love everything about it and feel equal levels of enchantment, buzz, and exhilaration as children do. Let me put it this way: The Polar Express would not have come to this home because we have PLENTY of belief over here.

Once September hits, it’s four straight months of joy. All things fall (apple picking, festivals, etc.), then Thanksgiving, and then the big momma—Christmas and those exciting days leading up to New Year’s. Normally my energy stays high through it all, but this year I went from excitement to a complete slump on January 1. You probably caught a glimpse of it in my Best of 2025 post (below) —I had nothing left to give y’all but the bare bones.

I think this time around I was just sad that it was all over. I’m as bad as my six-year-old, who had her birthday and said the very next day, “Only 12 months until my next birthday!” Because yes—the holidays are now a whole year away. And the next big break in routine is dreaded summer. If you didn’t know, I am not a fan.

Last week didn’t help. Going from sleeping in until 9AM, Bubby working from home, and the general excitement of no two days being the same, straight back into the steady monotony, busyness, and grind that makes up most of our lives… well, that’s a little depressing. I was back to chauffeuring my children around, dropping off dry cleaning, RSVPing to birthday parties, and forcing myself into bed earlier—despite desperately needing those late hours to decompress from what we’d just come out of.

If I had to offer a New Years resolution list of sorts, these are the things, with varying levels of importance, I’d like to maybe do this year:

• Bible first, book second. Creating the habit—and frankly forcing my flesh—to align with a God-first mentality in all things. There’s no real reason I should be pressing play on an audiobook or reading anything before centering myself in the Word and prayer.

• Start scrapbooking. I’ve wanted to do this for two years, but getting all the supplies feels daunting—and I usually end up spending that money on shopping or books lolol. But this year is the year.

• More book reviews. I read 50 books last year and only reviewed 15 of them. I have strong thoughts, but I really have to be in the mood to write reviews. I’d love to capture more of those ideas instead of letting them float away.

• Have a nighttime beauty routine. My mum and sisters couldn’t believe I don’t have one. I tend to wait until I’m a full zombie and then it’s like, skincare whaaat? So I’m hoping to start bedtime earlier this year and do all the fun things—gua sha, toner, moisturizer, eye cream, all of it.

• Host more. We already host a fair amount, but I’d love to do it more often—and without needing two weeks to doom-prep. I’m not quite at a “just come over tonight and we’ll figure it out” stage, but I’d like to get there.

All of this notwithstanding, there is so much to be grateful for as we enter this year. I try to remind myself of that constantly, starting each prayer with gratitude for the multitude of blessings poured out on me. In 2025, I walked in obedience, and I truly feel the Lord honored that—meeting me there and empowering me through it.

Putting myself out here like this is completely out of my comfort zone, but with each post I gain my footing. Thank you for being here through it all. While this may no longer be my favorite time of year, I’m going to try to find the joy in these other months 😂—making a bigger deal of Valentine’s Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July. I’d love my kids to say one day that their mum made everything feel special and fun—and to carry that into their own families and lives.

As we move into another year of AWDYD?, I want to keep having deep conversations—like those in our Many Faces of Motherhood series. I want to review the books I’m reading (my favorite of 2025 was Loved One by Aisha Muharrar). I want to travel and take you along with me.

This upcoming weekend, Bubby and I are heading to NYC for a long weekend, and I’m really excited. Y’all seem to enjoy my trip posts, and I’m noodling on a series devoted entirely to these little adventures. If that’s something you’d be interested in, let me know.

So that’s it for now. I’ll more than likely see you in a week or so—with all things New York.

In the middle, with love,
— KSH

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Here’s the best of what was.

The Best Book 📚

I read *50 books this year, so choosing one is truly unhinged behavior. Still, my favorite book of 2025 was Loved One by Aisha Muharrar. Aisha captured grief in a deeply witty and introspective way, I know I’ll come back to it again and again.

The book that made me feel seen

*technically I’m at 48 books but I fully intend to be at 50 by 11:59PM today 😅

The Best Trip 🛫

11 trips this year, but none greater than entering a new decade of life in Paris and London.

The trip that had it all — and then some.

The Best Look 👗

This year, I made room for “both/and”—Mommy and Ky.

The dress that made me feel my very best.

The Best Hosting Moment 🥂

This year we hosted Resurrection Sunday, impromptu summer playdates, Souptober, and Christmas Eve. And still, Crabsgiving was the moment.

The Thanksgiving celebration that had all the charm and none of the fuss.

The Best Beauty Product 💄

Shamefully, I hit Sephora Rouge this year (IYKYK), so I’ve tried it all. But Dior’s Forever Skin 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick is perfection.

The foundation that has nothing to prove.

The Best Date 👩🏽‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽

I love our domestic and dimly lit dates—movies after kids’ bedtime, pajamas, a fire, Crumbl on the counter. However, last weekend at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra watching The Holiday in concert, was something else entirely.

The date that reminded me it all starts with him and me.

The Best Bite 🥘

I could argue for the Parmigiano Reggiano risotto with seared salmon at Bottega (Napa), the crispy whole fish at Chloe (Washington DC), or the cacio e pepe at I Sodi (NYC). But when it came down to it, I keep dreaming about the Goan prawn curry at Gymkhana in London.

The meal that captured everything I love about food.

The Best Pastime 🕰️

I love a good book, a better backhand, and a long afternoon shopping. But mah jong—with friends or Bubby—became the thing I look forward to the most.

The game that belonged to this season.

So with that, I wish you a very happy New Year! See you in 2026.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

The sad side.

Many people—maybe yourself included—are overcome by loss during the holidays. Maybe you aren’t grieving a missing loved one, but you’re grieving a severed relationship with a significant other, a friend, or a family member.

Because as much as December is filled with lights and music and traditions, it’s also filled with memories. The same smells. The same songs. The same scenes. It’s no surprise that those familiar things can quietly trigger grief that we didn’t realize we were still carrying.

That’s why I wanted to invite Kayla Whittle, M.Ed., BCCC, a licensed, board-certified Christian counselor and current Director of Lifeback Counseling Center, to help us understand what’s happening beneath the surface—how our brains and bodies store emotional memories, and why the holidays can make them bubble to the surface.

Below, I’ve included Kayla’s insights woven with her own story and years of clinical experience, please enjoy!

Kayla Whittle, M.Ed., BCCC

As we approach this important and challenging discussion, it helps to understand what is happening in the brain as we remember and as we grieve. Every emotional memory we store is attached to some type of sensory input. A good example of this from my own life is when I lost my sweet grandfather at a young age. It was the first time I had attended a funeral or been in a funeral home, and it was also the first time I had been surrounded by that many fresh-cut flowers at one time.

My grandfather was so dear to me. I remember crying on my dad’s shoulder as he wore a leather jacket. I could feel the wet leather against my face, and I could smell the intense fragrance of the flowers. Now, even 30+ years later, the smell of fresh-cut flowers can sometimes make my chest tighten and my eyes water. Thankfully, I am not a florist, so I do not encounter this smell very often. Over time, that scent has also been reinforced through additional losses and time spent in funeral homes.

This repeated connection between grief and the smell of flowers has strengthened the neural pathways in my brain that link those experiences together. This is not evidence that I am weak; it is evidence that my brain is working exactly as it was created to work. This is evidence of learning. When I smell flowers, my central nervous system reacts before logic has a chance to catch up.

For many of you, the sensory experiences connected to grief or sadness may be tied to the holidays—the smell of a pine tree or your grandmother’s cookies, seeing Christmas lights, hearing familiar carols, or tasting eggnog or hot cocoa. In these instances, something that was once encoded as joyful and celebratory has become associated with deep sorrow and pain. In many ways, this makes us want to avoid these experiences altogether. That response makes sense. It is simply our brain trying to protect us. Avoidance can offer short-term relief, but over time it can limit our lives and experiences.

Thankfully, we serve a God who has given us brains and bodies that can be renewed. What a gift! When we gently engage with sensory experiences that sting our spirit, over time the body can learn to receive those memories differently. So how do we do that? It’s called recoding. Recoding doesn’t erase grief; it teaches the body that remembering no longer has to feel dangerous.

First, it is important to distinguish between reliving and remembering.

Reliving feels like panic, collapse, and overwhelm.
Remembering feels like sadness with steadiness, tears without holding our breath, and grief with meaning.

When we are walking through the process of recoding, the goal is not complete relief. Instead, the goal is to build capacity, to increase our ability to navigate what is hard. In other words, we are building resilience.

One way to build that capacity is by pairing memory with practical steps that help regulate the body. For example, you might journal or share stories with a trusted friend or family member about the grief and sadness you feel during this season. As you do, check in with your body often: drop your shoulders, relax your jaw, and soften your brow. Ask the Lord to help you connect that calmer, less tense feeling in your body with a memory that once held panic and anxiety. The key is to allow the memory to be paired with a regulated central nervous system.

I am praying that you will be able to teach your body that memories are welcome... even when they are sad. That you can renew your mind by making meaning from hard experiences, and in doing so, build the capacity to celebrate through the holidays. I am doing this work alongside you, teaching my own body that the smell of fresh-cut flowers is no longer a threat, but an opportunity to remember the beautiful time I shared with my sweet grandfather.

— Kayla

Loss is a roller coaster. One day you feel steady, and the next it feels like you’re back at square one—lost and depleted. And you know what? That’s okay. If this December has been particularly difficult for you, you’re not alone. AWDYD? is a space for all of it—the highs, whether deep or superficial, and just as much for the lows that feel breathless and isolating. I hope Kayla’s professional insights offer you a bit of peace, and that this week you take gentle steps toward recoding anything you’ve avoided or tucked away for another time.

From the bottom of my heart, Merry Christmas! I pray God’s best and His peace over each and every one of you.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

P.S. If Kayla’s insight resonated with you, I wanted to share two gentle invitations. First, Kayla wrote a 12-day Christmas devotional as a gift for her clients and counseling team, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share it with you as well. I just got my copy and plan to use it during these remaining days of 2025. If you’d like to order one, you can click here.

Second, as you look ahead to 2026, consider Christian counseling. Counseling doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means you’re choosing to take intentional steps forward, alongside a professional grounded in truth.

There was a levity, an almost childlike joy, that came from sitting around a table with crab juice flying, butter dripping, and the occasional squeal of jubilation when someone pulled out an entire piece of meat from a crab leg, unbroken. If my father-in-law wouldn’t promptly disown me—safe to say he did not participate in the crabs—Crabsgiving would absolutely become an every-year (or at least every-other-year) tradition. But you know… you can’t win them all.

Anyway, I’m sad to say this is the final interview in The Many Faces of Motherhood series. But as this series wraps up, I truly can’t think of a better person to close it than this mama right here —

Everyone, meet Lauren McAfee. She is the founder of the Stand for Life Movement, the author of several books, the Ministry Director at Hobby Lobby (founded by her grandfather David Green), a PhD student — and most importantly, wife to Michael McAfee and mom to her two beautiful girls, Zion and Zara.

I met Lauren several years ago at a retreat and we quickly became friends, talking about life and motherhood. If you follow her on Instagram, you’ve probably wondered: how does she do everything she does in the same 24 hours I have?

When this series first stirred in my heart, I knew I wanted to ask her to be featured. As I’ve said week after week, motherhood wears many faces, and in Lauren’s case, it took an enormous amount of patience, prayer, and fight to claim the title. Hearing her story expanded my understanding of the adoption world in ways I didn’t expect.

You can listen to our conversation below or you can read the abbreviated transcript of Lauren’s answers. Enjoy!

Can you share a bit of your story and how adoption became part of your path into motherhood?

LAUREN Adoption has been part of my life from the beginning because of my family’s own adoption stories. My dad’s parents adopted a little girl—my aunt—so I grew up knowing that. When I was a young teenager, I also saw many families in my church who had adopted, and one of my close friends had been adopted since childhood. So adoption didn’t feel unusual to me.

As a teenager, I thought it would be really cool if my parents adopted. My sister, who’s two years younger, and I both approached my mom and dad and told them we thought they should. My mom had five biological kids at the time and said no at first, but we kept bringing it up and told her we thought they should adopt from China—we wanted another little sister. She finally said that if we’d stop bugging her, she’d pray about it.

When she realized she hadn’t actually asked my dad what he thought, she did, and he said he could see it. After a lot of prayer, they both felt the Lord leading them to adopt, and they brought home my youngest sister, Gabby, from China. She entered our family when I was about 18 and already in college.

Seeing my aunt and sister be adopted made me always picture adoption as an option for my own future family. I know that’s not most people’s experience, so if anyone is even interested in adoption, I think it’s really helpful to find friends or people in the community who have adopted and be around them. Just seeing it makes a big difference.

You came from a family where adoption was always present, and you saw it regularly in your church. Did you just always know adoption would be your Plan A—not even a Plan B?

LAUREN Yeah, exactly. Once I became an adult and got married, one thing that really pushed me toward taking steps toward adoption was reading a book called Orphanology by Rick Morton. It gave a beautiful theology of why Scripture calls believers to care for orphans. That doesn’t mean everyone is supposed to adopt, but we are called to care for widows and orphans—and to figure out what that looks like personally.

As I read more about the connection to my own spiritual adoption—how God adopted me as His daughter when I came to faith—I was drawn to the beauty of living that out in an earthly sense through adoption and becoming an adoptive mother.

What did the adoption process look like for you — both practically and emotionally? Anything that surprised you along the way?

LAUREN There were lots of twists and turns. When we decided to pursue adoption, we were interested in international adoption because that’s what my parents had done, and we felt like that was what the Lord was drawing us to. We began the international process through Lifeline Children’s Services and started pursuing adoption from a country in Africa. After three years in that process, the country closed, and we had to start from scratch.

We tried to switch to India because our agency was opening an India program. After a while, they said they hadn’t been able to get things established and suggested we look at other programs. We then switched to China and were in the China program for almost two years. From the time we started the adoption process to the time we brought our daughter home, it took about seven years. It was a really long, hard season of pursuing parenthood through adoption and it just not happening year after year.

We finally brought our daughter Zion home, and after she’d been home for a year, we started the domestic adoption process through a local agency here in Oklahoma. We were placed with a little boy whose birth mom chose us to parent him. We had him in our home for a year, and then—because of a family member fighting for custody and some unusual things that happened in court—we had to hand him back to a family member who wanted him.

We went back into the domestic adoption process with the same agency, and a year later we had Zara placed in our home. Her birth mom and dad chose us to be her parents. We met her when she was born, brought her into our home, and finalized her adoption a couple of months later. She’s almost three now.

Around the time we got Zara, we started the India process again, knowing it would take time. We’ve now been in the process for a couple of years and have been matched with our daughter, Zuri, and we will travel to get her at the end of December!

What does everyday life look like for you as a mom right now? You wear a lot of hats and travel quite a bit — how does that play out in the day-to-day?

LAUREN Day to day, it looks like loading my two-year-old in the car to take her to her little part-time daycare so she can be at her school for half a day while I get work done before picking up my other daughter. I try to spend part of each day reading or writing for my dissertation—I’m a PhD student in the dissertation phase and hoping to wrap that up in the next year.

I also work at the Hobby Lobby corporate office, where I’m the director of some ministry programs, and through my time there I also get to work with pro-life leaders in an organization I founded called Stand for Life. So usually I’m at work doing a mix of my Hobby Lobby responsibilities and Stand for Life work.

After school, I try to make the most of my time with them. I love being a mom, and because we fought so hard to become parents through our long adoption journeys, I have such an appreciation for the gift of having them in my life. It’s super hard to balance everything—and honestly, it’s not balanced. It’s just prioritizing different things at different times.

You and Michael juggle a lot between work, travel, and parenting. How do you two stay connected in the midst of it all?

LAUREN Yeah, for sure. It’s hard. We’ve gone through seasons where we’ve done it well and seasons where we haven’t. Even just last year, we were both entering the dissertation phase—my husband is also earning a PhD—and we were growing organizations at the same time. He founded a nonprofit as well, and they were in a major growth season.

This year, one of those priorities was our relationship—me and Michael. We’ve tried to be more intentional. That doesn’t mean we have weekly date nights; far from it. It’s usually every other week or once a month. But we are taking intentional time for the two of us.

With young kids, it’s hard to get away, but there are still ways to connect even if you can’t pay for a babysitter or find someone to watch them. We’re learning to do those intentional things. And since we’re both working on our PhDs, that can actually be a connecting point too. We try to find times to study together. And it’s nice when we have those mornings where, for an hour or two, we’re sitting side by side, both reading, both working—even on different things—because we’re doing it together.

What has motherhood shown you about yourself?

LAUREN I think the season I’m in has really shown me how much I tend to cling to accomplishment. Having two kids and adding a third really minimizes the amount I can accomplish—and for good reason—because I’m choosing to invest in the long work of caring for my girls.

Just last week, I was crying to a friend about having to say no to a lot of career opportunities so I can be more present with my girls. And I would choose my girls a hundred times out of a hundred—I know it’s the right thing. It’s still hard. It brings up emotion in me, grieving the things I can’t have even though I have so much joy in what I’m saying yes to.

It’s revealed how much I desire accomplishment and how easily I can hold that as an idol. Parenthood and being a mother has forced me to wrestle with that—being willing to sacrifice the idol of accomplishment for the joy of being part of my girls’ lives in the way that’s right for me.

To end on something fun — what’s on your Mount Rushmore of Christmas movies?

LAUREN Okay, well, it’s funny because I don’t like Christmas movies in most cases. That’s a hot take! I do like Elf because it’s just so funny. It’s probably my favorite and usually the only one I’m excited to watch.

I’ve also come to enjoy the animated Grinch—the newer one that came out a few years ago with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch. I love it because my girls like it, it’s easy to watch, and it’s not annoying. But really, the thing that got me with that one was a line that hit me so hard emotionally.

This was right after we adopted Zion—our first Christmas together. I had been a mom for about three months. Zion had been in an orphanage in China, and here we were, our first Christmas as a family. We were watching that movie, and at the end, when Cindy Lou goes to invite the Grinch to Christmas after he had tried to ruin it, he asks, “Why would you invite me?” And she says, “Because you’ve been alone long enough.”

That line just wrecked me. I was doing dishes while Zion watched, and I just started bawling. My girls had been alone before we brought them home. And spiritually, I had been alone before the Lord adopted me into His family. The sweetness of that one line cut straight to my heart and made me think, “Okay… that movie’s not so bad. We can watch that one.”

Lauren’s story is such a beautiful reminder that no matter the timing, God is faithful and always present. I loved this quote I saw the other day:

“If God does not work the miracle to change your circumstances, trust that He is performing a greater miracle in changing you.” — Sarah Walton

I hope this series encouraged you, wherever you are. It was never just about motherhood — it was about how God uses the vehicle of motherhood for these women to walk out their faith in the midst of real life challenges and circumstances.

Praying this December is good to you. Make sure you’re here for all the fun posts coming down the pike.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

And What Do You Do hit six months here on Substack last month, and today marks TEN whole editions of The Accomplished Woman — eeeek. I can’t believe how time flies. For those new here, The AW* is a bi-monthly wrap-up of all the little things — what I’m listening to, cooking, reading, shopping, thinking about, and more. And the name comes from my deep love and devotion to Pride & Prejudice (read all about it here).

So here’s to ten editions and ten more to come. Catch-up on any you may have missed here.

** AW stands for Accomplished Woman**

Housekeeping 🧺

As mentioned above, I’ll be concluding our “Many Faces of Motherhood” series next Monday, closing out November with a bang!

For December, here’s what I’m thinking — and, because I write for myself first, please remember there’s always the chance my mood will shift and the writing will follow. However, this is what’s currently brewing for the month ahead:

• Ky’s Guide to Christmas
Consider this your syllabus for December — music, activities, food & drink, gifts, and all the tiny things that make the season feel a little more magical.

• End of Year Wrap-Up?
Would you prefer this before December 31st or at the start of January? Tell me what feels right to you.

Music 🎵

My music mood has been very dualistic these days. I’m either high on life listening to the melodic serenade of the talent that is Olivia Dean or the dark, moody and at odds with the world vibe that is NF.

Either way, both albums are spectacular and must be listened to.

Cooking 🍴

When your kids have been as chronically sick as mine have, there’s not a lot of energy left to cook. I’m keeping it real with you: over here, there’s been a lot of Uber Eats, rotisserie chicken with box mac and cheese and frozen broccoli, Stouffer’s lasagna, bagged Caesar salad and… whispers ramen. Luckily, a Trader Joe’s recently opened near us, and the crisis-dinner line-up is about to expand. If you’d like a haul or something like that, let me know!

Watching 📺

Bubby and I don’t have much of a lineup these days, but when we’re not watching football and we want to unwind, or we need a quick thirty-minute decompression before working in the evenings, we’ve been watching “Nobody Wants This” on Netflix.

Without giving away any spoilers, it’s about a rabbi and an agnostic sex podcaster who find themselves dating despite their worlds being wildly different. It’s almost giving the rom-coms of old — cheesy enough to be fun, substantive enough to keep you hooked.

Unpopular opinion: I do not want them to end up together (covers mouth, I know).

Socializing ☀️

To feel my best, I need those moments with my kids as a family — and those moments as a woman, in earnest, being pursued and loved by the love of my life.

This month, we clung to fall just a little longer — wandering a pumpkin patch with friends, then dressing up and joining new friends for Nate Bargatze’s Atlanta show.

Reading 📖

My newest obsession is the local bookstore that just opened in our downtown square. Being in there brings me so much joy — it’s hard to explain. So few things these days are truly local, and it’s nice walking into a place where they not only know your name, but your reading preferences, and want to hear your thoughts on the newest releases.

I’ll be honest: sometimes “local” comes at a price — usually a $5–10 difference on books because they can’t bargain like the big box stores (Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, etc.). But I said this to Bubby the other day: we have to buy into the kind of community we want. If you want to live in a generous, lend-a-hand neighborhood, be the neighbor who goes the extra mile — the one who shows up with soup when someone’s sick or grieving. And if you want to encourage local shops, frequent those shops. Show up to the holiday stroll. Support the things you say matter.

I’m beating a dead horse, but you get my point.

You know you love doing something when you’re tired and worn down, and yet you still want to do it. I pushed “publish” on Thursday for Sharon’s interview and found myself writing again that same evening. I hope you enjoyed this wrap-up of all the things — and I’d love for you to leave a mini wrap-up of your own life in the comments.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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Continuing with The Many Faces of Motherhood, a series celebrating women who mother in brave, perseverant, tender ways, I am excited to introduce another mother whose story centers on finding joy and peace after immense loss and grief.

Meet Sharon Williams — the host of the podcast Autism and Adulthood and author of the book “I Rode the Faith Rollercoaster”.

Sharon is someone very dear to my family. She’s a wife, a mother, a friend, an enthusiastic—okay, crazy—Georgia Bulldog fan, and someone who has navigated the deep loss of both her oldest son and her husband. She has since found love again and continues to raise, love, and fiercely advocate for her youngest son, Kyle, who is 24 and has autism.

Beyond all that, she is one of my mum’s closest friends, brought together through widowhood, and her strength and perseverance have deeply shaped the way I see life and motherhood.

As we enter a time of year when grief, lack, and loneliness are so prevalent, I knew I wanted to highlight someone who has been through hell and back—and yet is still living with joy, holding her faith intact, and encouraging others who may be fighting just to stay above water.

Similar to last week, you can listen to our conversation below (complete with my running commentary and occasional quips), or you can read the abbreviated transcript of Sharon’s answers. Enjoy!

You’ve walked through several very different seasons of motherhood — love, loss, rebuilding, and raising a son with autism. For those who may be meeting you for the first time, would you share a little bit of your story in your own words?

SHARON I always say my story is a journey of love, loss, and God’s faithfulness. I became a mother pretty young—early twenties—and motherhood shaped me long before I understood what that really meant.

As you know, I lost my oldest son, Joseph Jr., at the age of ten, and walking through that kind of grief changes everything. He had glioblastoma—a brain tumor. He came home from school with a headache, and nine months later he was gone. Before that, he’d never even had an ear infection. Walking through his illness, planning his funeral, picking out his last suit—those moments brought a depth and strength out of me I didn’t know I had.

Ten years later, my husband, Joseph Sr., also passed away unexpectedly. Suddenly I was trying to grieve and mother at the same time, especially while caring for my youngest son, Kyle, who has autism. Kyle’s needs brought out a completely different kind of strength. His behaviors, sensory challenges, GI issues, the dairy-free and gluten-free life—all of it stretched me, but it also shaped me. It taught me how to fight for him and how to advocate for other parents walking this same road.

I’ve had seasons where I felt strong and steady, and seasons where I could barely put one foot in front of the other. But through it all, God carried me.

As you’ve shared, you’ve experienced profound loss — your son and your husband — and you kept mothering through it. When you look back now, how did you make it through those years? What carried you?

SHARON Honestly—God, number one. And I don’t say that as a cliché. It truly was God who carried me. But it was also Kyle. Kyle gave me the umph to keep pushing because I knew I had to be there for him.

I often say that I feel God allowed Kyle to have special needs because He knew what I would face one day. I wrote about this in my book a few years ago, but I’ll never forget one Friday after work. Everyone was talking about their weekend plans, and I got into my car and reached for my phone out of habit—ready to call my late husband and ask, “Hey, what are we eating tonight?” Fridays were our nights not to cook.

But he wasn’t there anymore. And I sat in that parking lot and just boohooed, completely undone. I still had to go pick up Kyle from his after-school program, and I remember thinking, before that moment, that I didn’t have anything left to live for. I truly felt like driving off a cliff.

But later when I looked back at him in the rearview mirror—my little boy sitting in the back seat—something in me as a mother rose up. I thought, I have to fight for him. I have to be here for him. That realization snapped me back into who I was called to be.

Kyle is 24 now, and you’re still very much in an active mothering role. What does daily life look like for you two in this season of life?

SHARON A typical day for us still looks very much like parent and child, even though Kyle is 24. As you know, he has the maturity of about a twelve-year-old. So yes, he’s technically a young adult, but he acts twelve—and I love him just the same. He’s still my little boy in so many ways.

Kyle needs support with daily routines, so our days have a lot of structure. We practice independence constantly. We call them “skills”—things like making his bed, picking up after himself, and managing simple routines. He also has a diagnosis of OCD, so cleanliness is never something I have to worry about; he straightens everything. That’s a blessing in more ways than one.

Every day looks a little different depending on what he has going on. But at the center of it all is love and routine. That’s what keeps us steady.

Loving again after loss takes courage. For women who are single and praying for marriage, what were the traits in Tommy that mattered — the ones that told you, ‘This is a man I can build a life with’?

SHARON First, let me say this: loving again after loss is a very sacred decision. When Tommy and I began moving toward marriage, the first thing that stood out to me was his heart. He never tried to replace anything I had lost—and that mattered deeply to me. I was watching for that. But he honored the life I had lived before him. He was gentle with my story, and that made all the difference.

And most importantly, he loved Kyle. That was the number one thing. He didn’t love Kyle in a performative way—trying to impress me or check a box. It was real. He saw him. He respected him. He stepped into our life with humility and patience, and that’s what sold me, to be honest.

I always tell women who are hoping to marry one day to look for character and consistency. Those two things count for so much, especially in situations like mine. Tommy had both. But again, it was the way he loved my son that was the real kicker. I didn’t even know a man could do that.

What has motherhood revealed about you — something you maybe didn’t know before becoming a mother?

SHARON Motherhood has shown me how strong I really am—especially in raising Kyle and walking with him through his daily challenges. Having him as my son has pulled a strength out of me I didn’t even know was there.

Losing little Joseph did the same. There was strength in that season too, even though it was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. But motherhood has also shown me how soft I can be—how compassionate, how deeply I can love. It’s easy to say you’d do anything for your child, but when life tests you, you learn what’s really inside of you.

I’ve learned endurance. I’ve learned how to advocate. I’ve learned that joy can exist right alongside pain and challenge. Motherhood has stretched me, but it has also grounded me in ways I never expected.

To conclude, I have a very serious question — is it acceptable to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving?

SHARON Yes, I am fully in support of early Christmas décor, because joy has no calendar for me. Absolutely, it’s okay to decorate before Thanksgiving. In fact, I prefer it, because then the decorations stay up longer. It just makes more sense to me than doing all that work for, what, four weeks? You know what I mean. So yes…put it up early!

I don’t think it’s possible to read Sharon’s story and not feel encouraged—not feel your faith stirred or glimpse light at the end of the tunnel. Whatever you’re carrying this season, hear me clearly: there is hope.

If you’re enjoying these conversations, please comment, like, share them with your family and friends.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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For the next three weeks, I want to invite you back into the Spirit of Thanksgiving as we begin “The Many Faces of Motherhood” series— a celebration of women who mother in brave, perseverant, tender ways. Women whose stories shape their families and friendships, whose daily work often goes unseen, but deserves to be amplified.

So yes, we’re eager for Christmas, but here, in this community, I want us to pause and recognize the provision we’ve been given, and to offer gratitude for the everyday heroes among us: mothers. We may take different forms and carry different stories, but the title and the heart of motherhood remain the same.

To begin, I want to introduce you to someone who embodies that heart beautifully: Alyssia Collins — or as many of you may know her, Alyssia Oversees on YouTube

When I think about Alyssia, the first word that comes to mind is light. Even as I write this, Matthew 5:14-16 comes to mind:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Just a few minutes with her and you immediately feel seen, steadied, and encouraged.

Alyssia is raising her children in Central Asia, in a developing country far removed from the conveniences and comforts many of us take for granted. You can listen to our conversation below (with my running commentary and occasional quips), or read the abbreviated transcript of Alyssia’s answers—whichever suits your day. I hope it blesses you as deeply as it did me.

When did you know you wanted to be a mother? Was it something that came naturally or did it unfold later on that you knew you wanted to be a mother?

ALYSSIA I think I always just assumed I’d be a mom. It wasn’t something I decided or planned—it was simply what I pictured for my life. But after I met Tyler, I actually started thinking more seriously about not having children. It was during 2020, and I remember wondering, why would we bring kids into this world right now?

That’s when the Lord really began to encourage me and reshape my perspective on motherhood. He showed me that it’s not just something you do—it’s a calling and a purpose.

So you became a mother, and not long after that, you and Tyler packed up your little family and moved overseas to Central Asia. My question to you is—did you always see yourself living outside the U.S., much less raising kids outside the U.S.?

ALYSSIA I think I always knew I’d live overseas. Honestly, I just assumed I’d meet my husband somewhere in Italy or something—that was always the picture I had in my head. It wasn’t a formal plan, just this vague, subconscious idea.

Once I met Tyler, though, I knew—oh, we’re actually doing this. Still, I never envisioned raising a family overseas. But the Lord is so diligent and so wise in how He reveals His plans to His children. If He had shown me everything at once, I probably would’ve said, yeah, I don’t know about that.

Instead, it unfolded moment by moment: we got married, started preparing to move overseas, and then got pregnant—which was planned. I should’ve realized then that our family life would be overseas, but it didn’t really sink in until we were actually doing it.

Fast forward, you’re in Central Asia now. Your kids are ages three and one, what does a day in the life look like for you in Central Asia?

ALYSSIA I love this question, because every day looks so different—and there’s so much you can’t capture in a vlog. Especially for our life, there are many things we can’t share publicly.

An average day usually starts around eight o’clock. We recently hired someone to help with the boys—she’s technically a babysitter, but really more of a language teacher. She teaches them through play and interaction, which has been such a gift. While she’s with them, I use those two hours to get as much done as I possibly can. That might mean grocery shopping, prepping meals for the day, or baking something.

During that time, it’s also common for a neighbor to just show up needing something—or to simply stop by. Life here is very communal. People walk into each other’s homes, and I love that about the culture. So sometimes I’m baking something to bring to a neighbor, and that turns into being invited over for tea. We’ll sit, chat, and just share time together.

When the boys go down for a nap, I try to cram in everything I can—editing, preparing dinner, or helping Tyler with something. It’s rarely planned; life in Central Asia isn’t very structured. After they wake up, we have dinner and spend time outside. I make them play so hard in hopes they’ll be tired when we come back in—but they never are. Then we get ready for bed, and that’s our typical day.

Of course, every day looks a little different depending on things like fellowship groups or visits with neighbors, but that’s a pretty standard rhythm for us.

You and Tyler are in Central Asia without family nearby, and without all the modern conveniences of life in America. Has it been good in some ways—having less of that material noise and distraction ringing so loud?

ALYSSIA Yes, I’d say it’s been good—but not in the “Oh my gosh, I love this!” kind of way. It’s more of a “Wow, this has been good for my soul” kind of way.

When we first moved, I started realizing we weren’t going to have that same kind of community. It just wasn’t going to be our reality. And like you said, we couldn’t just hop in the car and walk around the mall for fun anymore. That was a hard wake-up call. It made me see how much I’d been relying on external things for my contentment in the Lord.

It’s been good in the sense that I’ve learned not only to make do with what I have and make it work, but to truly rely on the Lord as my ultimate resource in every part of my life. When I’m stressed or don’t know what to do with the boys, I’ve learned to just pause and pray. And I’ve literally experienced the Lord’s reassurance—His peace, His direction. Sometimes it’s as simple as Him saying, “Just go outside. It’s going to be fine.”

It’s been good because I’ve learned to trust the Lord in the smallest of things.

How are you teaching your boys the Gospel at such a young age? How are you and Tyler incorporating faith-building principles so that they don’t just memorize or recite words, but that truth really settles into their spirit?

ALYSSIA I feel like there are a few different parts to that. Foundationally, we try—imperfectly, but consistently—to have daily devotions. We wake up, we pray, we worship, and we pray for each other.

Right now, Kairos just started praying on his own—he was about two and a half—and it’s been so sweet to see. He loves praying for his friends and family. So we start our mornings like that, and every evening after dinner we have a short time of thanksgiving and worship together.

Throughout the day, we also try to weave in catechisms and little moments of teaching. Those are the basics—the foundation. But where we live actually provides so many opportunities for deeper conversations. In Central Asia, we don’t see many mosques where we are, but we do see people walking to prayer or gathering at a jamahona (a small prayer space). Those moments naturally invite questions from the boys, like “Why do they do that?”—which opens the door for us to explain what we believe and why.

We just try to take those opportunities as they come.

What has motherhood revealed about you?

ALYSSIA The first thing that comes to mind is how much motherhood has revealed about myself. Before becoming a mom, I wouldn’t have called myself selfish. I didn’t think I was the most selfless person in the world, but I also didn’t think selfishness was a big issue for me.

Motherhood showed me otherwise. It revealed how much I can focus on myself—how easily I crave my own space, my own time, my own comfort. It’s been humbling, but also really good.

It’s also solidified my faith in a deep way. Before motherhood, my faith was important to me, but now it’s real in a new sense—because it’s something I’m passing down. I’m using it to help form these little humans who will grow up and make their own choices one day. That means I have to actually believe what I say I believe. I have to live it out daily.

It made me ask, Do I really believe this?—and the answer has been yes. Motherhood has shown me that my faith is the real deal.

What’s helping you make it through the day right now — something small or something big?

ALYSSIA I can’t say coffee, even though that would normally be my thing—because good coffee just doesn’t exist here. Unless I make it completely from scratch, syrups and all, it’s not great.

So I’d say my morning time is the one thing I can’t compromise. Without it, I really feel it by the end of the day. Lately, with the time difference between Thailand and where we live, I’ve been waking up with the boys instead of before them, and it’s made such a difference.

When I don’t have that quiet space in my own mind at the start of the day—time to think, to pray, to just be—I notice it. By evening, I’m too tired to read my Bible or journal. So, yes—my uninterrupted morning time alone is essential.

I want to conclude with a very, very serious question, when is the appropriate time to start playing Christmas music?

ALYSSIA When we lived in the States, I would’ve said absolutely not before Thanksgiving. It’s just so saturated—like, can we please enjoy each season as it comes?

But now, living in a place where nobody celebrates Christmas—no trees in sight, no music, nothing—I’ve found a deeper appreciation for it. So I’d say as early as now, in November, I can tolerate it.

Personally, though, I probably won’t start playing it until closer to Thanksgiving.

I’m so thankful for Alyssia’s willingness to share her life — the beauty and the tension of raising a family far from home. If you loved this conversation, share it with a friend who might need a reminder that faith and motherhood are both journeys of surrender and grace.

And if you’re new here, welcome — this is what we do. We talk about the quiet, everyday work of becoming who we were made to be.

And with that — in the middle, with love,

— KSH

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There’s been a bit of time since our last Accomplished Woman catch-up, but I’ve loved the range of conversations we’ve had lately — from fashion to faith and everything in between. AWDYD has space for all of it.

If you missed any, you can catch up on them here:

We have a month’s worth of ground to cover, so let’s dive right in.

Music 🎵

Those fifty minutes between waking the kids and pulling out of the garage hold a lot — no matching socks, breakfast protests, and hair that refuses to cooperate. By the time I finally make it to the car, my patience has already been tested in every way.

Lately, I’ve found the simplest way to recenter: a few worship songs on the drive to school drop-off. Something about worship shifts the air, softens the edges, and reminds me who I am before the day really begins.

This week, it’s “Sure Been Good” (feat. Tiffany Hudson) by Elevation Worship. This song never fails to undo me. And when the little voices of my children rise from the backseat, echoing the chorus — I know, in that small moment, I’m doing something right.

Growing 🌱

I’ll keep this short and sweet — MR. LINCOLN SPROUTED FOUR NEW LEAVES AT THE TOP!!!

I can’t even tell you how much joy this brought to Bubby and me. In all the trees we’ve owned, we’ve never had new leaves sprout. (I know how that sounds pathetic, but please don’t take this moment away from me.)

Watching 📺

Football. Need I say more?
College football, professional football, football highlights, football commentary — it’s all fair game. It’s fall, and therefore football is king.

Socializing ☀️

Would you fly to another state to hang out with 25 strangers? Why not? Sounds perfectly rational, right?

In 2024, I joined an online book club with little to no expectations. Over a year later, I’ve made incredible friendships, read more than 79 books, and rediscovered my love for literature — for prose, for getting lost in a story with no regrets.

There’s no better feeling than finding your people and knowing you belong.

We stormed bookstores (both local and big box), celebrated women entering a new decade, drank far too many overpriced oat milk lattes (I’m sorry, but cow’s milk will wreck my stomach), danced publicly in our PJs, and stayed up way too late. One night — or rather, morning — we finally went to bed at 5 a.m., and my body swiftly reminded me that I turned thirty this year, not twenty. It was a weekend straight out of a movie. You just had to be there.

A Thank You and Special Announcement 📣

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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All these and more—and for a long time, I still missed God.

Does that mean I didn’t believe in Him? No.
Does that mean I didn’t have true, meaningful interactions with Him? No.

But somewhere in my knowing, somewhere in my comfort, I lost the awe.

It’s a beautiful gift to grow up knowing from a young age that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again for me. But it can also become dangerous—when the repetition of stories and the rhythm of routine dull the magnificence and miracle of it all.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but until two years ago, I had never truly or comprehensively read my Bible. I don’t mean a few chapters here and there from a YouVersion Bible plan, a Max Lucado devotional, or skimming along when the pastor says, “Open your Bibles to Luke, Chapter 5”. I mean really reading it—slowly, line by line, verse by verse—sometimes pulling in commentaries and lexicons to give depth to the cultural, historical, and language context.

This all began at the start of 2023, during the 21-day corporate fast our church participates in each year. The goal of fasting is simple: to remove something from your life for a set period of time—in this case, 21 days—and replace it with more intentional time with God.

I’ll be honest with you—I didn’t want to fast, nor did I want to spend time reading my Bible. But I knew, in spite of how I felt, that it was what I needed. So I prayed a simple, honest prayer before starting:

“Lord, I don’t want to read my Bible, but I know I should. If I show up every day and just read it, will You make it real to me? Will You change how I feel?”

From there, each day, I showed up. I didn’t have a chapter goal; I just read and studied the verses.

I don’t remember how many days it took, but somewhere along the way, there was a shift. I went from dreading that time to looking forward to it. Stories I had heard my whole life suddenly came alive with new meaning. At times, it felt like reading a brand-new book—seeing details I’d never caught, context you don’t get in a thirty-minute sermon or a five-minute devotional.

When I finished my fast and closed the book of Matthew, I sobbed. I felt the weight of Christ’s sacrifice in a way I never had before. My emotions ranged from anguish to relief to joy. I felt so intensely close to Him—so unworthy, yet completely loved.

Since then, I haven’t been perfect, but I’ve kept reading. And through that, bit by bit, my faith has been transformed. I feel like I’m seeing this whole walk with new eyes.

I had all the access in the world, but I wasn’t really showing up. In my busyness, in my regimented thinking, in my bad theology—I missed the plot.

I know I’m writing this for someone.
For the one desperate to feel something but not knowing where to begin.
For the one going through all the motions—church, small group, serving—but not hearing the voice of God.
For the one who’s put God in a box—as just religion or a backup plan for emergencies.

Read it for yourself, and you will be transformed.

Sermons, devotionals, podcasts, friends, and family are all good. But there is power in reading His Word for yourself—in letting God speak to you directly, in His own voice, and blow your mind in ways no one else can.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Struggling with patience—Jesus gives a masterclass every time He interacts with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Wrestling with inconsistency —wanting to act one way but behaving another? Look at Peter.
Do you know the truth but still battle intrusive thoughts that tell you otherwise? The disciples lived that tension, too.

There is nothing you will face, struggle with, or battle that God doesn’t already speak to within His Word.

I don’t want you going through this life feeling like you have to put on the performance of a lifetime to be seen as worthy, loved, or accepted. You already have been.

Don’t miss God.

In the middle, with love,

— KSH

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