about

This is me, abby- the winstead who is wandering.

I don’t care for this biography part. I’m supposed to write something clever and captivating to convey in just a few sentences why my blog- and me- is worth your time. The best way to get to know me, though, is to poke around the pages of this website. You’ll find posts about tough times, parenting struggles, and decadent indulgences.

If you’re pressed for time, though, how about this: I’m the wife of a pretty rad guy. I’m mom to our two baby bears. I’m a believer in the love and redemption of Jesus Christ. I’m a lover of cute napkins and travel. I’m a native Oregonian but now a permanent Mississippian. My kitchen is my happy place.

If you’re settled in for the longer version, here it is: I’m 29 years old. I grew up in a small Oregon town and I graduated from Mississippi College in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration. MC is where I began to date my husband- we met more than ten years before that- and we married in 2008.

After graduating college, I dragged J. back to Oregon. That’s where both of our children were born before we moved back to Mississippi at the end of 2012.

After working in banking for three years in Oregon, I earned my teaching certification in Mississippi and now teach high school business and technology. I absolutely love it. I love interacting with teenagers everyday most days, I love teaching vital personal finance and computer applications skills, and I love watching students grow and compete as members of FBLA.

J. and I teach at the same school; he teaches upper level sciences. We have thee kids: G is five, B is four, and Q is just a little newborn . As a family, we love watching movies, going to the beach, and supporting our favorite team, the Mississippi State University Bulldogs.

my favorites

colors: blue and purple
food: homemade macaroni and cheese
books: to kill a mockingbird by harper lee and redeeming love by francine rivers
song: hotel california by the eagles
hymn: come thou fount of every blessing
movies: pitch perfect and mean girls
sports: football (to watch) and golf (to play)

why winstead wandering?

I’d been blogging for about three years at Mother on a Mission, but I’d been considering a name change for almost as long. The tagline of that blog is still accurate; I am on a mission to make the world the kind of place- and to be the kind of mom- my kids deserve.

But the blog began to morph away from the in-the-trenches-SAHM posts (especially when I began working full-time again) and contain more recipes and frugal living tips, and I was beginning to itch for an outlet for my teacher side. I’ve created classroom material, developed strategies, and gained hilarious stories that I wanted to share somewhere.

When it comes to blogging, or specifically to writing, the tip write what you know is thrown around a lot. Well: I know Jesus and faith. I know marriage and college sweethearts and hard times. I know toddlers and picky eaters and diva daughters. I know teaching and high school students. I know miscarriage and c-sections and VBACs. I know computers and spreadsheets. I know travel and Oregon and wanderlust. I know cooking and baking and the joy of feeding people. I know books. I know frugality and the fight to have more with less.

Instead of attempting to narrow down my focus and make the thoughts in my mind fit into a blog-shaped box, I decided to create a new blog, with a name that reflects the wanderings of my mind. Which brings us to winstead wandering: the wandering thoughts of one who is not lost.

want to know more?

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You can also check out a list of guest posts I’ve done.

curious about the nuts and bolts of my site? you can get all the details on the blogging page.