I’ve always been a rather health-conscious parent, but as my kids get older I’m starting to realize how much emotional health matters, too. These concepts are so intricately-woven. As important as it is to provide their bodies with nutritious food, they also need to be supported with time and patience from their parents. Kids are more willing to try new things when they come from a foundation of security and safety.
The boys have had a Hawaiian calendar up in their room for the last year, a gift from a friend of mine who lives in the islands. Several times over the last few months, Sidekick has pointed to one of the streaming waterfalls or sandy beaches in the photos and asked if we can visit. “One day,” I promised, “I’ll take you to Aulani and you can see ALL the special things about where I grew up.”
We recently had family portraits taken by a professional photographer for the first time EVER. We’ve been in a few brand photoshoots, we’ve done the self-timer thing plenty of times, and we’ve enlisted other photographers in our family to snap all of us together for Christmas cards. Never before, though, have we done pictures just for us, taken by someone we didn’t know, for no reason other than posterity. It was a nice change of pace, and I picked up some helpful new family portrait tips from the other side of the camera.
There are few things that my husband loves more than pizza. I’m pretty sure I’m one of them, and I’m fairly positive his truck is up there on the list as well.
That’s right, you guys, tis the season for PJs with polar bears and plaid! We’ve been doing a Christmas pajama unboxing with our family every … Read more
I’m a BIG proponent of delegation, to the point that several conferences have invited me to speak on the subject. I’m even writing a course about it! My lovely assistant comes to my house to help with studio tasks in-person each week while remote consultants wrap up the digital stuff I need done. It’s wonderful. In business, however, there are fairly clear-cut lines between what a manager should do and what someone else should take care of. Delegating domestic stuff is a whole other ball game, especially during this festive season of crafts and gifts and baubles and bows!
People often ask how we keep the kids occupied on plane trips or infinite-seeming stretches of road. I do have a magic trick up my sleeve, but it isn’t any big secret or surprise. Tablets. We hand the kids tablets. These long travel stretches are the one time they’re given total, unbridled (parental pre-screened) access to all the apps and videos their little hearts could desire.
We just had our last baby’s first birthday cake smash! I feel like QUITE the pro at this now, having celebrated four first birthdays with my four little boys within a span of six years.
When I was a kid, my mom was so OCD about Christmas decorations that she’d actually re-decorate the tree after we got done decorating it as a family. We’d go to bed with a Charlie Brown-esque tree situation and magically wake up to a Martha Stewart magazine-worthy layout.
I’ve been trying to read this Year of Yes book, and I just can’t get on board with it at all. I was chatting with a friend over coffee the other day, talking about how it’s easy to get bombarded with life, become completely overwhelmed and burn out. Like many parents, my phone is a persistent nightmare zone of requests from school, church, our community groups and work. If I said yes to everything, I would lose my dang mind!