Relationships: Summer Reflections

Plus, announcing this month's book club read!

ANNOUNCING: This Month’s Book Club Selection

I’m so excited to announce this month’s book club selection! This month we are reading nonfiction (we switch up month-to-month) and the book we will be reading is…Take Back Your Family! I took so much from this book, and I’d love to encourage you all to read it alongside me. I look forward to rereading it!

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What You Might Have Missed At Classically Abby…

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Sign Up For Personal Coaching!

If you would like to have a one-on-one session regarding dating, leveling up, fashion styling, wardrobe help, makeup guidance, homemaking, navigating career choices, or anything else you’d like my advice on, I will now be offering one-hour sessions for a small extra fee. Only premium subscribers have access to these sessions, and for $75, we can have a really focused conversation about how to get you where you want to be!

If you’re interested, leave a comment down below. Once you’ve booked a session, I’ll send you a questionnaire so we can determine what you want to work on. Then we’ll schedule a time that works for you! I’m so looking forward to chatting with you all and getting to know you even better.

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Quote of the Week:

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman

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Classic Style Inspo

milenaciciotti

A post shared by @milenaciciotti

I love the message of this video! There’s no reason not to wear a dress - it’s a beautiful day, why not celebrate being alive?

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Things I’ve Been Loving: Paper Towel Holder

I just ordered this and I can’t wait to use it. We have had our paper towel holder on the side of our sink for years, but it always gets grimey and gross on the bottom. I would love to have our paper towels up off the counter, and I think this will be perfect in our kitchen!

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Welcome to Classically Abby! 

I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic. 

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Relationships: Summer Reflections

Photo by Annette Sousa on Unsplash

Hello lovely friends. I hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. I had a great Labor Day weekend spent with family and friends, eating at a neighborhood barbecue while the children played in the water, celebrating my father-in-law’s birthday, and spending time relaxing with my husband. It was so nice to enjoy time with the people we love, and as it begins to feel like summer is drawing to a close, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write this article about. Then my husband helped me come up with an idea!

I’ve learned so much about my relationships this summer all across the board. I’ve learned about my relationship with my son, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my mother, and my relationship with my friends. And today, I thought I’d share my summer reflections on those relationships with you all.

Navigating our relationships is not always easy, but when we feel like things are going smoothly, it makes each day feel like a pleasure. I hope you can find something of value in the lessons I’ve learned these past few months, and please feel free to drop your own lessons in your relationships down below!

Relationship: Mother/Son

Wow, has my son grown this summer! I can’t believe the strides he has taken. He’s such a little man now, and I am so grateful for him. As he gets older, I have to take more steps in terms of parenting rather than simply caring for him. I need to teach him lessons; I need to guide him away from bad behavior; I need to make sure he has the freedom to learn while also taking necessary precautions. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned this summer with my son is my goal to teach him through discipline. I try my best not to simply say, “No!” and leave it at that. Instead, I try to explain to him why he cannot do certain things. If he’s climbing on the table, for example, instead of simply taking him down and saying, “No!” I stop and place him on my knee directly afterwards. I explain to him why climbing on the table is dangerous and why I can’t allow him to do it. Even though he’s young and can’t understand all my words, I can tell a major difference in his behavior when I explain to him in a quiet and understanding voice versus if I don’t offer any explanation at all. I love this part of our relationship because I feel that each disciplinary action builds on the previous one until he stops doing things that he shouldn’t or until I can say, “No,” and he’ll remember why.

Relationship: Husband/Wife

My husband and I have had such a crazy summer, and I feel so blessed to spend each and every day with him. As we have navigated this summer, we’ve had some disagreements, discussions, and even bickering that has popped up here and there as it does in any marriage. Especially with the busy-ness of our schedules, my pregnancy, our son growing up, and his work being more involved than ever, I have learned for the umpteenth time the absolute importance of communication. I know that everyone holds up communication as one of the most valuable pillars in a marriage, but they aren’t wrong. Each time we’ve had a disagreement, it has been our communication skills that have defused the situation and allowed us to target the problem between us so we can move forward. Even bickering has not allowed been to sit and fester - we examine why it’s happening and each take responsibility for our own side. I learn every day from my husband the beauty of recognizing our flaws for he is so quick to apologize when he sees his part in a problem between us. It teaches me to jump up and accept responsibility for my actions, too. It’s truly a beautiful thing to know that when you and your spouse disagree you simply will resolve it.

Relationship: Mother/Daughter

My mother is my best friend and my rock. I know that I am so lucky to have her near me, to see her most days, and to depend on her when I need her. Something I learned this summer is how much our relationship has changed and flourished as I’ve become a grown woman. It used to be that my mother and I were on very different planes; I would go to her with my problems as a young woman who needed advice and she could offer guidance. As I’ve matured, gotten married, and started a family of my own, I’ve noticed that we have started to be slightly more like peers. That’s not to say that I will ever actually be my mother’s peer, for she is older and wiser and can always offer real wisdom from a life well-lived. But we are more like friends as time passes. She can tell me some of her thoughts and concerns and problems, and I can try and offer some of my own insights to her. I can tell her of my fears and anxieties, and she can calm me down with her myriad of experiences. It’s beautiful to see how our relationship has grown over time and I love that my mother and I can enjoy one another’s company just because we like each other so much.

Relationship: Friends

Since I have lived all over, I have friends all over. I have friends in Los Angeles, friends in Virginia - I even have friends in North Dakota! And, of course, I have my lovely friends right here in Florida. I used to take friendships for granted, always putting family first. But the truth is, my friends are so wonderful. They offer help when we need it and add variety to my perspective by presenting something different to me than the people I grew up in the same home with. This summer, I have learned how important it is to stay social with your friends. Even if it feels like you’re too tired to spend time with them, you may find that your cup is only empty because it hasn’t been refilled in a bit of time. Just a few weeks ago I hosted cookbook club at my house even though I was a bit tired - and it was so special! And going to our neighborhood barbecue was a wonderful treat. Investing in your friendships will pay back dividends and relying on your friends will teach them that they can rely on you, too.

What lessons have you learned this summer? I’d love to hear your summer reflections, too - leave a comment down below!