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Free Time, Me Time
Being at home with kids all day means I have lots of time to daydream, idle, absentmindedly stare off into space and imagine all my deepest fantasies coming true…..hahaha, no, that’s not true at all. But spending all day around your kids does invite the question, “what would you do if you DID have free time?” The answer looks different for everyone. Some of us would read more books, some would catch up on sleep or coffee with a friend, and some of us would choose to spend more time on personal pursuits. One desire often expressed by busy parents is to work out more and focus on fitness and personal health, but our overworked schedules often bump that item right off the to-do list. Enters Katie McKenzie with a genius idea. Katie runs GYMGUYZ, an in-home personal training business. GYMGUYZ brings the gym directly into your home or […]
Winter Bundling Blues
Winter is my most and least favorite season. I love snow, coats, cute beanies, roaring fires, and Christmas lights. But winter is unbearable for one major reason – getting kids dressed, bundled up, and out the door every day. I hate remembering hats/gloves/scarves/coats on top of every other item we need for a full day of school and activities, and forcing squirming kids into these restrictive items adds so much extra time to my day, precious minutes that could otherwise be spent sleeping or watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. Once everyone is properly bundled, it’s time to load kids into the van, and the struggle starts all over again. Coats have to be removed, gloves get lost under seats, and where did Hayden’s hat go? After seven years, I will admit I’ve gotten less strict about wrapping my kids up too tight and I’ve learned some tricks to […]
THE NEED FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE
When my second son, Graham, was born, I insisted that this time around things would be different. I would get him on a nap schedule sooner, I would introduce him to more diverse foods, and above all else, we would have a successful breastfeeding relationship. Well, you know what they say about the “best laid plans” – newborn babies are here to blow. Them. UP. Graham was his own person with his own mind from the day he was born (two weeks early!) and he refused to go along with my program. We struggled mightily with breastfeeding, and I sought all kinds of help and assistance. It was this search for support that lead me to Amber Sky in the first place, and the lovely lactation ladies who support new moms took me in and guided me through those frantic, panicked first few weeks and months as we figured things […]
Clutter
At what point does stuff cross the line from “necessary items” to “unnecessary junk”? Is it when we step on a LEGO trying to leave a sleeping child’s room? Is it when we stare down an overstuffed closet in preparation for a move? Is it when we lose a loved one and need to clean out a basement full of memories and accumulated life? When do things stop being clean and start being clutter? That point comes when we feel like we no longer have control over the amount or proper placement of our clothing, decorations, or toys, or when our surroundings are so full they no longer bring us happiness. Luckily, people like Lisa Dickmann are available to bring clarity and organization to the clutter in our lives. Lisa runs Tidy Upgrade, a St Louis-based consulting agency aimed at helping clients tidy their homes using the Konmari […]
Financial Stability
Before our first child was born, my husband and I believed we had to have enough money in the bank to cover every scenario imaginable. Wandering the baby aisles in the store, we would mentally tally the cost of diapers, wipes, and baby food. Attending baby showers for friends and family, we would calculate the cost of every adorable onesie and outfit. And our online research revealed the costs of hospital visits, car seats, cribs, and every other possible gadget or gear a baby could need. After multiplying these costs by 18 years of life, then AGAIN by additional children, we felt overwhelmed by the sheer financial burden of raising a child. How could we possibly afford to care for a baby AND feed ourselves at the same time? Luckily, our experience has not proved quite as expensive as we thought. Turns out, new babies don’t need much stuff […]
