I still can’t believe we’re a party of four. Our family has grown so much since Ryan and I said, “I do” over five years ago. We now have two littles that call us mom and dad. Sometimes I pinch myself because I don’t believe how we got so lucky. God blessed us, that’s for […]
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The Clumsy Hat: Toy Malfunction
My hair got stuck in an airplane today. Let me explain. There Kelsey and I were, at the cash register of Target. We had made it through the entire store without buying (too many) toys for her.
All of the sudden, she spots that dang end-cap where they feature all of the toys, candy and magazines that you don’t need – exactly at kid eye level. And what does Kelsey see, but a little toy airplane that she has to have.
Her face lights up and she is so excited about this toy. It has a little button on it that you press and the airplane’s propellers spin really fast. It’s only $3.99 so I say, what the heck, and put it on the conveyor belt. We check out and she is glowing. I totally made her day.
We arrive at the car and I put her in her car seat. She’s still holding and spinning her new airplane toy. She loves it. I lean over to buckle her car seat and my hair gets caught in her airplane propellers. Yep. My hair gets wrapped and wrapped and wrapped around this annoying $3.99 toy that I never wanted in the first place.
It hurts. And Kelsey is not understanding why I won’t give her the toy back. Someone walks by and does a double take at me, as if to say, “Does that lady have an airplane dangling from her hair”. So what if I do. This can’t be a parenting first.
Anyway. I jump into the driver seat and start our drive home. One hand on the wheel. One hand on this toy that has such a tight grip on my hair. I run inside and ask Ryan to get me outta this thing! ”What is that thing in your hair?”, he asks. Understandable, but I’m kind of annoyed at this point. It’s an airplane!!!!
Kelsey waits in the background as Ryan passes Colton off to me and (ever so seriously) gets me out of this contraption. How much hair did I lose? Is what the vanity in me is thinking. “Your hair is all out. No damage was done.” Phew.
I hand Kelsey back her airplane toy and dodge her like a bullet every time she gets near me with this thing. Dang marketers, keep those $3.99 toys far, far, far away from us girls with long locks.
The Friendship Hat: Friends of all Ages
I could hang out with the Tings and Colby aaaaaaall day. But, three hours will just have to do. Before Colby got on her flight back to California, everyone came over for a little fun in the sun. We laid outside, sipped on Champagne and watched Kelsey do her thing.
Kelsey was so excited to hang with everyone- she brought nearly every Disney doll from her room to show them. She even brought all of her DVD’s outside. Seeing her so proud … well, that made me so proud. I loved every single thing about today.
*Ryan was tending to Colton in these photos.
The Friendship Hat: Spa-ahhh Sunday
Guest Blogger: Meet a Magnificent Mom
Kristen Shroyer is a Magnificent Mom that you have to meet. She is Vice President of Sales and one of the Co-Founders of ONEHOPE, a company that gives half of its proceeds to select charities. That’s right. 50% of their wine sales help to support breast cancer research, the fight against autism, clean water projects and much more.
She’s also the mom to a beautiful baby girl named Jessica. As a new mom and a busy business owner, Kristen knows what it’s like to wear many hats. She travels a lot for work (about 3x per month), as part of her job is to manage sales and distributors of ONEHOPE in the Southwest.
I wanted to feature Kristen as a Magificent Mom because I am inspired by her passion for work, philanthropy and family. I asked her a few questions about life as a busy working mom, and here is what she had to say.
What is your favorite part of working at ONEHOPE Wine?
The people, the culture & the social impact we are making on a daily basis. Having a great product to drink after a long day doesn’t hurt either!
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Trying to build a brand, in one of the most competitive industries, during a challenging economy – all while working with an extremely minimal budget since we donate half of our profits to partner nonprofits. Luckily, there is no other product in the wine industry quite like ONEHOPE! The traveling and time spent away from my family is also challenging.
You have a beautiful baby girl, as well as a full-time job. What is your favorite part about being a new mommy?
Jessica just turned 3 months old! Time has flown by so quickly. My favorite part about being a new mommy is just the amount of love I have for her! It’s such a special kind of love, too.
Do you find it difficult to have a work/ life balance?
Yes, and I’m still learning how to do this day by day. I need to be better about turning off the cell phone and closing the laptop when the workday is over.
What is it like having to travel for your job? Do you find it hard to be away from Jessica?
Traveling has definitely been difficult; I miss her so much when I’m gone. Thankfully we have an incredible nanny, grandparents close by and my husband is extremely helpful, so I always know she is in excellent hands. My husband synced her baby monitor with my iPhone so I can watch her sleep when I’m away, I love that!
What is the best part about motherhood?
All of the little moments: the cute little grins she gives me, the way she cuddles in my arms, how she breaths loud when she sleeps, the silly faces she makes when I give her a bath – it just keeps getting better and better!
What do you like to do in your down time?
Since I’m always on the go for work, I just love to relax and watch my bad reality television shows (Real Housewives, The Bachelor – you name it!). We have two other children, four-legged ones that is, that I really enjoy taking on walks. Jessica loves to join us in the Baby Bjorn! I also play the acoustic guitar and like writing my own music.
Do you have any tips for working moms, just like you?
I’m a big fan of making lists and goals for myself – always making sure to display them in a place I see everyday. Organizing my thoughts, goals and to-dos really helps – and I love the accomplished feeling I get when crossing each item off! Another silly tip – if you don’t have a crock-pot, buy one! I use my crock-pot probably twice as much as I use my oven.
*If you know a Magnificent Mom and you want to share her story here, just send me a note.
The Friendship Hat: Sip and See
The Tings came over yesterday for a sip and see. They brought the bubbly (Mimosas for girls, beer for boys) so we all could sip and see baby Colton. I spent most of the time trying to convince Teri to join the mommy club, but so far, she only has eyes for Colton. She’s a natural at being a parent though. Danny […]
The Parenting Hat: #MomFail
Have you ever done a hashtag search on instagram? I about peed my pants when I searched for #momfail. It made me feel so much better to see that I’m not the only one making “mommy mistakes”. You can search from your computer on Statigram (here), just do a search for “momfail” then click on the […]
The Family Hat: Date with Uncle Shaun
My brother, Shaun, was visiting from Austin, Texas this weekend. A Saturday morning shopping trip was on the agenda. We visited the Apple store to get my mom an iPad (she has one and I don’t. fair?). During this shopping trip, I learned that Kelsey knows more about the iPad than I do. Man, this generation […]
The Wife Hat: Mushy Stuff
It’s the modern-day version of taking your husband shopping. Only, instead of having him carry around your purse and wait while you try on shoes, he has to carry your camera case, coffee and wait for you to take the “this will be great on the blog” photos. I love this man.
The Travel Hat: Totally Tourists. Seattle.
After being in Portland for four days, it was time to pack up and head to Seattle. We had a wedding to attend and we thought the drive up would be scenic. It was! We started our first day in Seattle at Pike Place Market for coffee and a little shopping. The line at Pike Place Chowder was too […]
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