Real Mom. Real Talk. Real Hustle

As her son recently celebrated his 2nd birthday, I met Cara Specht in the midst of getting back into her groove. Since becoming a Mom, she’s been eyeing things she loves like running and crafting. Finding the time seems like the biggest hurdle as Cara solo Moms it while her husband does his rotations for work (1 week away / 1 week off at home) . Between her work & navigating part time solo Momming, it’s safe to say that trying to find the “balance” seems a bit in the distance during this season of life. Letting some house chores go so that she can enjoy valuable time with her son has helped her tremendously. I’ll take a messy house any day to spend more and more time with my daughter. Mom win, if you ask me!

For any Mom I’ve spoken to, none have told me that they have it all figured out. Even if they prioritize breaks, date nights, etc., I’ve not once heard a Mom say they have it together. As I continued to get to know Cara, it looks like she has it all figured out by having an amazing schedule that allows time for her work, her health and time with her son. AND I can totally relate to her as a Mom that you kind of do what you need to do to make the time in the day to do all the things. When you make space for self care or me time, you are also removing something else or adding more hours to your day to get the other things done. There is always a trade off and it’s determining what is most important to you.

Let’s take a look at what an average week looks like for Cara: On solo parenting weeks, Cara will get up around 5:30 to get herself ready before waking her son off and heading out the door for daycare and work.

Cara’s the Coastal Region’s Urban Forester for the South Carolina Forestry Commission. She helps build Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program capacity in municipalities and counties in the Coastal Region. She also coordinates and conducts educational programs that may be hosted by International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Trees SC, Clemson Extension, and municipalities/counties. Cara encourages cities to become a Tree City USA and/or obtain a tree growth award. She also delivers UCF technical assistance to nonprofit organizations educational institutions, state organizations, and Councils of Government and other organizations to increase partnerships and leverage UCF program support. Direct from Cara: “Right now, there are some cool food forest projects in the Lowcountry that are funded by our program and the USDA Forest Service, as well as, canopy mapping sessions going on in some areas of the Lowcountry that I am involved in.” Did y’all know about this? This is wicked cool and love what Cara is doing in our community.

Okay, back to her routine. Most nights they head straight home afterwards for dinner, play and bed. Twice a week she will carve out time to make it to the Y for a fun workout! After her son is in bed, Cara will tidy up the house, prep for the next day and even catch an hour or so of TV before heading to bed herself. I love how Cara prioritizes her grocery shop on Fridays to capitalize on the 4x fuel points at Harris Teeter. It is easily the best day to grocery shop. Oh and don’t forget the free cookie for the kiddos. I know Cara’s son & my daughter LOVE them!

Weekends are for family time after a nice workout on Saturday mornings while her son enjoys his time with other kiddos at child watch. Cara is always hoping for that beautiful weather we love on the weekends (which I swear every single Saturday this summer and into fall has been rainy and meh…we are owed some good ones immediately). Cara and her son love to be outside at a playground, park or beach.

When Cara is not on the solo parent schedule, she sleeps in a bit on weekdays, gladly accepts & devours her husband’s cooking and can enjoy a Target trip solo (IYKYK – this is solid me time) or downtown Charleston to wander. I bet Cara truly embraces these moments to refuel and show up as her best self to her family.

Let’s dive into my interview with Cara:

What’s the best part of being a Mom?
The best thing about being a Mom is the love I have for my son. It has brought me closer to other family and friends since it really is a feeling I have never felt before, but something that others can relate to. It is so special to be a mom to Declan.

What’s the hardest part?
The challenging part is my husband works one week and one week off all year. Now that Declan is getting older, he does ask “where is Daddy?” or “I can’t find Daddy”. I know it hurts my husband that he misses out on a lot, but we have always been supportive of each other on our career endeavors. Since we have moved in together before getting married, my husband has always had a rotational schedule so it is not something I feel harshly, although others love to point out “when will he get a job that he is home everyday?” His career path is very limited, and something he has invested time and energy and enjoys it, so we would not want him to change to another career unless medically it has to happen. The positive side is that when my husband is home for a week, he does not have to worry too much about work. It is his time to spend time with Declan, do house chores like mow the lawn, golf and for us to reconnect as a couple and a family.

What is your proudest moment as a Mom?
I guess my proudest moment as a Mom is that my son does do some things on his own, like clean up toys, or try to include a baby or our dog, Bugsy, by placing a toy near them. It is really sweet that he has innate feeling of including them in on fun.

When you get time to yourself, what do you like to do?
I do love completing Cricut projects, watch Bravo shows, Netflix series, and rent movies at home. I do enjoy my time working out, whether it is at the Y, running, or biking on the Sawmill Branch trail. I try my best to keep up with our gardens around our property, but I am trying my best to put in plants that will self-sustain as it fills in.

What advice would you give a new Mom?
Prioritize nutrition. If you need to buy the precut vegetables or frozen food from the supermarket to make sure you eat a balanced meal, then do it! I think the first year of my son’s life, I fell into eating too much fast food or skipping meals that I did not feel good.

Tell us about something funny (and maybe relatable) that happened to you as a Mom.
We finally got a garage holder for our 3 strollers and trike. I thought we may only need a jogging stroller and a stroller that takes an infant car seat when we created our baby registry. But as time went on as Declan was in the world, we needed a more compact stroller and then a trike a neighbor that was giving theirs away. Also, we have a beach wagon and a ride on car. So half of our garage is parking for the strollers, wagon and trike.

What are your 3 favorite local Instagram accounts to follow?
@chswithkids / @eatdrinkplaycharleston / @laurenisafox

What is your favorite shop to go to for your son?
Tweedle Beedle

What is your favorite restaurant to go to with the whole family? & for date night?
We love Madre’s. Euro Foods or Five Loaves for date night(more like date day).

What is your favorite family event around Charleston?
Anything happening in Summerville-Third Thursdays to special events around town. We love the James Island County Lights, Christkindlmarket in Awendaw.