My Mom Life: Real Moms Interview Series

Hey moms! Find all sorts of useful tips and parenting hacks from other moms just like you. The Mom Life: Real Moms Interview Series is a place to get support and advice from people who have been there… or are there.

As the first part of this series, I’m sharing My Mom Life.

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A while back I did a series that I loved! I interviewed Motivating Moms and shared their stories about health and family. I love hearing advice from other moms. Learning tips from moms who are rocking motherhood and their health is so inspiring to me!

Let’s face it, though, we moms can use advice and little bits of learned wisdom from other moms in so many different areas.

So, this year, I’m opening back up the Motivating Moms interview series to moms that rock in all kinds of areas. Moms who have tips for easy weeknight meals, creating family moments, cleaning hacks, money saving, family travel, and just Mom Life in general.

Introducing… Mom Life: Real Moms Interview Series

Since this site is my baby and I have been writing since my kiddos were babies, I thought I should take the plunge first this time. You’ll find all my answers below.

If you’d like to contribute and share all about your Mom Life and advice leave a comment below or shoot me an email with “Mom Life Interview” in the title. I am so thrilled to share your input!!

My Mom Life – Kristin

As I mentioned, I have been writing this blog since my youngest kiddo was just a baby, and she is now six.

I never thought I’d be a stay-at-home-mom, but it all happened pretty quickly! I returned from grad school in 2008 and started dating my husband. In 2009 we bought a house together. Well, actually, it was my house because I didn’t know how things would pan out that early on! It worked out ok because we were married exactly a year later in 2010. Our honeymoon baby arrived in 2011 and we already had a second in 2012. I should also mention that we also took on full-custody of my husband’s daughter right in the middle of those events!

Those were the craziest years of my life!

I went from not having a domestic bone in my body, to being a stay-at-home-mom to three and taking care of an entire household in just a couple years.

It’s been a wild ride!

Our kiddos are now 6 and 7 and everyone is in school. Whew!

Onto the Mom Life Interview Questions

As a mom, what is the best part of your day?

The best moments of my day is just any moment when we all find time to slow down and I can sit, cuddle, or hug the kiddos for a few minutes. Sometimes that’s in the morning when they crawl into my bed, after school when I can grab a quick moment with them on the couch, or reading stories before bedtime.

3 Words that describe your parenting style?

Laid-back, playful, and analytical.

What is a parenting rule you never break?

The rule I never break comes from the Behavior Analyst in me. I always make sure, if a consequence is needed, I assess each situation to make sure it fits. For instance, it’s tempting to send the kids to their room when they’re whining about cleaning up but that just gets them out of the task. I always make sure I keep in mind why they need a lesson and make sure the consequence fits.

Also read: Behavior Specific Praise: More than just “good job”

What is a parenting rule you always break?

I think I break a lot of rules. Our kiddos are pretty well-behaved so I forget rules I put in place until they violate them a few more times. In fact, the kids and I were just talking the other day about jumping on furniture. Little Guy asked me, “whatever happened to whoever jumps on the furniture has to take a break?” I got really lazy on that rule and have found myself with monkeys again…

Also Read: Why we should NOT ask our kids questions

How do you prioritize family-time and me-time?

I don’t know if I do… Now that the kids are in school, I have a lot more time to myself. The days definitely fly by, though! When I’m home I’m trying to get the house clean, plan meals, run errands, and work on blogging stuff.

I don’t have a lot of time that I sent aside for meaningful me-time. If I need a break, it generally involves late-night shopping by myself. Time where I can just wander the aisles by myself and Hubby can take care of bedtime. Basically anytime someone takes a chore off my list feels like me-time!

What is your go-to, easy weeknight meal?

There is an easy meal I came up with in grad school that is always a hit with the whole family. It’s so easy I’ve never even posted it here. I basically combine a little spaghetti with a ton of broccoli, a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic, and top it with asiago and spinach chicken sausage. It’s a simple, one-pan dish that I know everyone will love.

What is your favorite family activity?

During regular nights at home, our favorite family activity is to have a movie night. Another favorite family activity on weekends it to visit our cabin – summer or winter. It’s such a great place to spend time together.

What advice would you give new moms?

My advice for new moms is just to trust your instincts. No one knows your kids and your family like you do, and no one can tell you what is best for them. You’re going to feel clueless, you’re going to try some things that just don’t work, but you will also find out what works best for you and your kids. It will come together, but it is always changing and evolving.

What is a “Mom Hack” you can’t live without?

I’m sure there are a few of them, but one that stands out is frozen peas. Seriously, frozen peas was one of the first snacks our kiddos got. They love them! They’re very sweet when frozen, they sooth sore gums, they cool warm foods, and it’s such a great snack! Our kids like frozen peas with anything. We use them in soups and mac n cheese that is too warm or on the side to eat before the rest of the meal cools. It’s so great!

Family Travel: What is your favorite spot or family travel memory?

We have two favorite spots that we vacation to repeatedly as a family.

First, we have been traveling to Walt Disney World and Florida in general since the kids were 1 year and 1 month! It’s my happy place and, of course, the kids always ask when we’ll be going back. We actually just surprised them with a Disney vacation this Christmas!

Our second favorite family vacation spot is Mackinac Island, Michigan. We have traveled there with my parents for three years now. Along with Disney, this is the other place the kids ask to return to. Mackinac Island is a beautiful island with only horses and bikes for transportation. It is so much fun for families!

Do you have a can’t-live-without Mom/family products to share?

I have a few things that got us through the early years and now. They are lifesavers!

• Mabel’s Labels. We use them on everything and keep them right in our entryway! I wish I had gotten them when the kids were babies.
• Safety Harness Backpack. I talk a lot about why I love these here.
• Diffusers. We use these each night in the kids room, especially during colds.
• Gerber Burp Cloths. The kids still use these today because they’re so soft and perfect for runny noses that are getting sore.

Speaking of products I love, I just got this new necklace from Getnamenecklace.com and I’m smitten! I got my own name, but you can get jewelry with the name of your kids, a family tree, and even fingerprint jewelry!

This necklace has really become my inspiration for the new year. I don’t have huge goals or resolutions set on January 1st. I just know I want to go for all my goals and not be afraid of them or afraid to share them. In every aspect of life, I want to be comfortable with me – my choices as a mom, my passions, and life in general.

Do you have mom tips to share or questions about Mom Life? Share them below!

If you’d like to be interviewed and featured for this series, let me know in the comments below or send me an email with the subject “Mom Life Interview” and I’ll get the questions to you. Thank you all!