Summer Chaos: AKA Barely Keeping It Together

Life is messy. It's unpredictable. And sometimes it's just plain exhausting.

I've always tried to be honest about what life actually looks like, even if I'm only sharing a tiny piece of it. Owning a salon is amazing. Being a hairstylist is fun. Being a mom is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

Doing all of those things at the same time? That's where the plot twists begin.

Most days it feels like I'm juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle... on a tightrope... during a windstorm.

I handle the house, the parenting, and the endless mental checklist. I still have one teenager at home, plus an adult child with a little one of their own, so there's never really a quiet moment. My business is on the same property, which means there's no clear line between "work" and "home." I'm always at one or the other... except they're literally the same place.

Then summer shows up and somehow turns everything up to level 100.

So this isn't a motivational post or a list of productivity hacks. It's just a little rant from someone who's feeling overwhelmed and suspects I'm probably not the only one.

The "Glamorous" Life of a Hairstylist

People imagine hairstylists spending their days chatting, laughing, and making people feel beautiful.

They're not wrong... but that's only half the story.

Behind the scenes, there's scheduling Tetris, last-minute cancellations, people running late, color emergencies, and about 47 tiny things that nobody sees.

Living where I work makes it even harder to mentally clock out. In the summer, everyone wants fresh hair before vacations, weddings, reunions, and every event under the sun. My appointment book starts looking like Times Square on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to remember:

Did I switch the laundry?

Did I clean the bathroom?

Did my teenager eat today?

Have I fed the dog?

Wait... the rabbit.

Sometimes the answer is "hopefully."

Summer Is Basically Three Full-Time Jobs

When school lets out, it's like someone quietly adds two more jobs to my schedule without asking.

Suddenly I'm a hairstylist, business owner, chauffeur, personal chef, entertainment coordinator, snack distributor, finder of lost things, and the person responsible for knowing where everyone is at all times.

Somehow the days get longer, but there's still never enough time.

Overwhelm Is a Real Thing

I'm someone who gets overwhelmed pretty easily. That's just how my brain works.

When you pile business ownership, motherhood, house responsibilities, and summer chaos together, it feels like my brain starts running a marathon the second I wake up—while carrying a backpack full of bricks.

Some days I handle it well.

Other days I'm one unanswered text away from hiding in the laundry room with a family-size bag of chips.

Neither version makes me a bad person.

Being overwhelmed doesn't mean you're failing. Sometimes it simply means you're carrying a lot.

So... That's Where I'm At

Being a hairstylist, business owner, and mom is one of the best things I've ever done.

It's also one of the hardest.

It's rewarding, hilarious, exhausting, fulfilling, frustrating, and occasionally makes me question every life choice that led me here—all before noon.

If you've been feeling stretched thin this summer, I get it.

Life isn't always balanced. Sometimes it's just organized chaos held together with coffee, dry shampoo, and pure determination.

And honestly? Some days just making it to bedtime is a win.