Winter Snapshots

Her personality is blooming each day. There are so many things I want to remember about this time so I decided to post a series of snaps that Brittany got while we were just hanging out by the stairwell in our house. She kept playing peak-a-boo with Brittany and would hide behind the plant and jump out while saying, BOO! These photos really sum up my baby girl right now. She is playful, confident, sweet as can be and oh so feisty!

Oh Winter, you bring us so much joy.

What are three words that you would use to describe your child?

Photography by Brittany Renee'

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3 Mommy/Daughter Dates That You Can Enjoy While Sheltering at Home
3 Mommy/Daughter Dates That You Can Enjoy While Sheltering at Home

Like most households, this time during quarantine has presented logistical challenges for parents. Perry and I are doing what we can to make our work schedules fit around the kids’ needs. Winter has not attended pre-school since the beginning of March, so twice a week, I use Lennon’s naptime to have a pre-planned Mommy/Daughter date to be able to spend quality time with her. Below are the three go-to’s she always asks for.

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My Breastfeeding Journey Coming to a Close
My Breastfeeding Journey Coming to a Close

Lennon is starting to wean and is really only nursing in the morning and before bed. It’s such a bitter-sweet time for me because I am truly honored to nurse him, but I am also ready to wean. I am ready to end the chapter of baby making, baby growing, baby birthing and baby nursing. I don’t take any of these experiences for granted even for a minute, but I do look forward to moving on from this stage of life.

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5 Ways to Practice Self-Care in the Morning
5 Ways to Practice Self-Care in the Morning

This summer, I made a conscious decision to better nurture myself in the morning. I was so used to waking up and diving headfirst into the hustle and bustle that by the time 9 AM rolled around, I was already feeling depleted. I partnered with MegaFood® to bring you 5 quick and effective ways to make sure you are making time for self-care in the morning.

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Sometimes the Body Takes a Back Seat While the Heart is Busy
Sometimes the Body Takes a Back Seat While the Heart is Busy

The mantra, “Sometimes the body takes a back seat while the heart is busy” came during a thirteen hour work day. My partner and I were preparing a pitch deck for a potential investor that wanted to see our plans to bring The Mindful Mamas Club to life in the form of a self-care and mindfulness app for mothers and mothers-to-be. We had been working tirelessly and during a quick stretching break, we were laughing about how tight and stiff our bodies felt. 

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Sleep Training with Lennon
Sleep Training with Lennon

So a few weeks ago I posted a story series announcing our decision to sleep train. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people who wanted to know how it went, so I decided to write up a quick summary on our experiences. While most people were curious, I did get a few hateful messages about our decision and so I kindly ask that you read this without judgement.

It is pretty difficult to be so transparent about my life on such a social platform, but I do it because the positives outweigh the negative. I think the coolest part about parenting is that there isn’t a one size fits all philosophy. YOU get to decide what’s best for your children! So without further rambling, here is our story.

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Winter's Transition to Preschool
Winter's Transition to Preschool

Back in November, just after Winter’s 3rd birthday, our nanny gave us two-day notice that she was quitting because she got another job. TWO DAYS! Perry and I looked at each other in a panic because here we were with a newborn, both trying to work from home and Winter’s world had completely been flipped upside down.

After getting over the shock that we lost our childcare, we had to regroup and do so rather quickly. We got so lucky that our neighborhood Montessori preschool had an opening and we started Winter that following week.

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Marriage After Baby: Division of Labor
Marriage After Baby: Division of Labor

A little bit ago, I polled you on stories asking what you wanted to see from us in terms of marriage posts. One of the topics that was mentioned the most was how we divide, conquer and balance household responsibilities, childcare, work and social life.

I recognize that everyone has their own way of doing things…ours isn’t perfect, but I think what has helped is that we really honor each others’ strengths and acknowledge our weaknesses. I know what I thrive at and what I don’t. Perry knows what he is a capable of and what he prefers not to do and somehow we overlap each other to make it work. When we moved in together when we were engaged, it took us a longggg time to figure this stuff out. But after eight years of living together, I think we are on the right track!

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Choose Your Own Adventure Day!
Choose Your Own Adventure Day!

In January, I realized that I was working too much. Every spare moment I had was spent on the computer. I really like being a working mother. My work is my passion and I don’t for a second take it for granted. However, when it began to interfere with time spent with my family, I knew I needed to do some soul searching about my priorities and adjust some things.

I wrote a reminder on my mirror that says, “Today you will work and you work hard. And then you will shut it all down and be with family. Today you will love and you love hard too! You have time to do both things.”

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The Guide to a Minimal, Organized Diaper Bag in 6 Easy Steps
The Guide to a Minimal, Organized Diaper Bag in 6 Easy Steps

As a first time Mom, I used to pack everything in my diaper bag! I found myself being anxious about not having this or that, so I would pack it ALL!

My overpacking turned into the very thing that gave me anxiety because when I was out and about, I would have to sift through so much stuff to try to find the item I was looking for. I learned quickly that packing and bringing too much with me negatively affected my mindset.

So for my own well-being, I had to say bye to my Mary Poppins mentality and hello to a simpler version.

Surrounding Lennon’s birth, Perry and I made a conscious effort to minimize our belongings in our house, and get better about packing smarter, not more.

I found that when I pack with purpose, intention and a plan, my outings with Lennon and Winter run smoother and seamlessly. The more time I spend on the front end getting organized, the less time I spend in the long run when I am needing to access to our belongings.

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Healthy Social Media Habits… Because Our Kids Are Watching
Healthy Social Media Habits… Because Our Kids Are Watching

I have been thinking LONG and hard about this. I will be the first to admit…because my work is in social media, this is a topic that I continue to come back to time and time again. I am constantly “checking” myself and asking Perry to help keep me accountable when it comes to my social media intake and habits.

Let’s be real here for a moment: I am a 34-year-old adult and there are moments when social media affects my self-esteem and self-worth. I fall victim to comparing my creative work to others, wondering why I don’t have as many likes or followers as so and so and really begin to question what my purpose is on this space.

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