Mom is a job title with a lot of pressure. The weight of raising respectful, smart, considerate children is no easy feat. Mother's Day is a time to show the very special ladies who carry this title a little appreciation for the often selfless love they show us throughout the year. Each year, we take a minute to feature some pretty special mamas around us. 

Next up in our  "Moms that Make it Happen" series is Annie Beth Haydel - born and raised in Brusly and now lives just one street over from where she was raised. Not much can compare to raising your family in such a sweet community that you trust. After graduating from LSU in Elementary Education, Annie Beth was teacher in West Baton Rouge Parish. Fun fact, her dad is the principal at Brusly High School and hand delivers us a Christmas card from the school every year - how sweet is that?! 

Annie Beth now works for Zearn - an elementary math curriculum. She has two daughters - Mary Ellis (5) and Caroline (3).

Recently, we sat down with Annie Beth to get her thoughts on motherhood and how she makes it all happen. 

TELL US ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE “LIFE HACKS” THAT YOU USE ALL THE TIME. 

My best “life hack” is a good husband and boy did I hit the jackpot! You don’t have to balance it ALL when you’ve got good help. Between my Corelogix app, Every Plate, which is like Blue Apron and Home Fresh, and my husband, I can always expect something new and entertaining! There are nights I get home from Corelogix and Buzzy’s got the dinner going, Pandora playing and the wine in hand - all I can do is laugh! A good Snap usually catches these moments. It makes for a peaceful afternoon and the food is always on point!

WHAT’S A FAVORITE MEMORY YOU’VE HAD WITH MARY ELLIS & CAROLINE THAT YOU’D RECOMMEND TO OTHER MOMS?

Growing up, it was just Walt (my brother) and I, so we each had our own room. After marrying Buzzy, who is one of six with four sisters, we always listen to them reminisce about sharing a room with their siblings and how much fun they had together! When we moved into our new house, I put twin beds in one room hoping our girls would begin to make memories as “roommates.” As a mom, I’ve learned that memories are simple and made everyday - listening to the girls chat from the other room has already started to create memories for us and hopefully the girls will tell stories of sharing a room when they get older too. Not saying it can work for everyone, but this works for us - create a quaint, tight knit home that makes it easy for everyone to be present. We could easily have the girls in separate rooms but watching and listening to them bond every night just keeps Buzzy and I laughing and falling in love with the family we created!

IF YOU HAD ONE SINGLE TIP/PIECE OF ENCOURAGEMENT YOU COULD GIVE A NEW MOM, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

• Keep your friends close... keep your friends who don’t give you advice closer. Just kidding! On a serious note, I’d say keep your friends, period! Have coffee with your friend on Saturday morning even before you brush your teeth.
• Keep your kids up past their bedtime until the group solves “Hunt a Killer” (weird, I know).
• Call your friends on a Thursday afternoon to pop the new bottle of wine and show up two minutes later because you were already on your way when you called
• Live it up!

DESCRIBE YOUR "MOM STYLE." 

When I have to get dressed - yep, I made that sound like a chore - I’m usually fairly simple, but don’t mind getting out of my comfort zone when it comes to shoes and jewelry. Ha! My favorites are my All Star Sneakers and my gold “Tabby” earrings by Annie Claire Designs! I love keeping my eye on the SoSis Insta and always see something I’d love to add to my wardrobe. I’m anxiously awaiting my LYLAS Summer Box! But, I must admit, in every single load of laundry, you’re going to find lots workout clothes - whether I worked out or not! I love a good sports bra, yoga pants, comfy shirt and, of course, a ball cap!

THANK YOU, ANNIE BETH! 

Your sweet answers brought tears to our eyes and we agree with you that the best "life hack" is a good partner. Every time we see ya walking into our store, we get excited because visiting with you is a real treat. From where we are standing, you are killing this whole mama to two strong, confident girls game. We are lucky to know ya, sista! Happy Mother's Day! 

SHOP ANNIE BETH'S LOOK: 

Gretchen Lightweight Sweater Top: $44 | Over Dye Skinny Jeans by Just Black: sold out | Samantha Panama Hat: $32 | Tabby Earrings: $24 | Necklace by Annie Claire Designs: $32