Location: Boise, ID

Kids:

Ryan (9), Brennon (7), Meili (6), Gage (4), Treg Jr., (3) Lili (2) and Trinli (6 months)

Why do you choose to stay at home?

Being home with my children allows me the freedom to raise them in a positive light.  I am homeschooling my kids, which I have found to be such a blessing in our lives.  Instead of being in a room full of 30+ kids, they are home where they get all of their questions answered and their education is tailored to them.  It’s also nice to be home to show them by example how people should be treated and respected.  That is a difficult concept to teach if I were working and having to have my children be with other adults all day.  I can teach them principles and values that I trust, and not have to rely on someone else to do my teaching for me.

What are your favorite things about being at home?

I love that I never miss an a-ha moment in their lives!  I was here for every first step, every first word, every mess and every silly thing they’ve said.  When my son had his breakthrough in multiplication, I was here to see his eyes light up. 

What do you find the most difficult?

It is hard that my husband can’t be here for those moments as well.  We’re working on that, though.    Also, it is sometimes overwhelming to keep a clean and organized house.  It seems that I get one room done while they trash another.  I have a FANTASTIC husband who is really good about helping me out when I need to go grocery shopping or run errands and can’t take the kids with me.

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?

I have an absolute LOVE of reading and researching.  I also love to crochet, sew and cook.

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out?

Car seats and strollers!  How in the world would I ever get out of my house?!

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:

My husband, food and books

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?

I would love to be a holistic nutritionist.

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?

Read

Advice for moms:

Patience is a virtue…  they aren’t little adults.

If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?

I don’t think I would change the past, but I am certainly working on the future.

What is the best and worst day of your stay at home mom “hood”?

The best days are when I can keep a good attitude.  It really changes everything in the house if I can model a good attitude to my kids.  The worst days are… well…  the days I don’t have such a good attitude!

What is the most fun date you have ever been on with your hubby?

One year for our anniversary my husband took me on a fun trip in downtown Salt Lake City.  We went to see a famous choir sing, went to a jazz music festival, ate ice cream and walked around looking at all the cool shops.  Then he took me to a romantic room at the Anniversary Inn and I even got breakfast in bed the next morning.  Yes, he’s awesome. 

Who is your favorite Woman Hero?

There are so many!! I admire any woman who I think is doing her best in the world.  Women who serve others, have a positive attitude, take care of their families and love whatever it is that they do…  those are my heroes!

What do you most want your children to remember about you when they are grown?

I just hope that they remember that I loved them very much and was always there for them whenever they have need of me.

What was the funnest thing you’ve ever done with your kids??

That’s a hard one…  we like to have “sleepovers” in the family room some nights and watch movies.  Sometimes we just take the day off on a Saturday to play at the park.  Sometimes my husband builds a fire in the backyard and we roast marshmallows.  My kids are a lot of fun, so there are lots of experiences to choose from.

When you have a question about raising your children who do you turn to?

It’s mostly my mom.  We are living far from home now though, so sometimes I just ask some of my local “hero” moms for advice.

Add one question for the next stay at home mom being spotlighted!

What advice do you hope your children take from you?

Oh the things I wish I knew about when my kids were little! This week is about Shopping cart covers! I’m one of those moms who go into the store and grab a disinfectant wipe (thank goodness they have these now) and wipe down the whole cart. To know all the germs that get on the carts..yuck! How great to be able to sick your little baby/toddler into the cart with a nice big cover for them to sit on and then throw it in the washer when it’s dirty! I found this site with some pretty dang cute shopping cart covers! Ritzy Baby is the name of  CUTE little shop! Go check out all their fun stuff!

Location:

Within the next week my new place of living will be Orem! We are buying a new house and should be closing very soon!!

Kids:

Cedric: 3 wild and crazy! Katelyn: 1 sweet and smiley

Why do you choose to stay at home?

I think it is important that my kids have me there to watch them and teach them. Hopefully in these early years we can build an open relationship so they know I will always be there for them.

What are your favorite things about being at home?

My favorite thing is being able to see my kids mile stones. I have worked in daycare and think it is so sad when kids do things for the first time at daycare and parents miss it.

What do you find the most difficult?

A better question is who! I need to learn to take control of my three year old.

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?

Watch TV series and do whatever on the internet.

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out?

Currently I LOVE my Ring sling. It even holds my three year old! It is WONDERFUL!

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:

Food, Water, Computer. Lol!

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?

Teacher then I could make a difference in someone’s life.

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?

Read. I love reading but my kids won’t allow me to sit down with a book.

Advice for moms:

Eat, Drink, and play for tomorrow we will play more!!

If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?

I would have finished my degree before having kids. It is a lot harder after.

What is the best and worst day of your stay at home mom “hood”?

Best day is when Daddy has work off! Lol! Worst day is when my three year old is in destruction mode!

What is the most fun date you have ever been on with your hubby?

Well he wasn’t my hubby at the time but when we were dating he made me a lobster dinner and took me up in the mountains for a romantic dinner. He put so much effort into planning that. It was special.

Who is your favorite Woman Hero?

My Mom because she raised 6 kids for 7 years on her own and was amazing. She still is but I am glad my step dad is there with her to help now because together they are the best parents ever!

What do you most want your children to remember about you when they are grown?

I just want them to feel good when they think back and not feel bad about me as a person.

What was the funnest thing you’ve ever done with your kids??

We do lots of fun things but painting with pudding was one of the most fun things Cedric and I have done. We haven’t done it with Katelyn yet so we will have to do that.

Add one question for the next stay at home mom being spotlighted!

When you have a question about raising your children who do you turn to?

Hey guys! I’m sorry I haven’t updated the blog this past week. I got a new computer and have been switching things from the old one to the new one and in that process my PhotoShop program stopped working and I haven’t been able to do what I’ve wanted (needed) to do to post. And I’ll just be honest…last week was kind of a blah week for me. You know those days that you just don’t feel like doing anything even though you KNOW you should be? Yep, that was my week. I started going into “well, nobody REALLY reads or comes to this blog and it takes so much of my time…for what?” mode. I know, bad attitude huh? But it happens….

So with that said, if you are reading, I’d love a little shout of that you are checking in here…it would make me feel better he he he…..

Why do you choose to stay at home?
I love being home so that I don’t have to divide and balance my time with work and family. I am blessed to be able to focus my time and energy on my family and nothing else at this time. I also want to be there for my kids at any moment they need.

What are your favorite things about being at home?
I love the simple daily moments. The moments where your heart is so full, It can be as simple as catching grasshoppers to cooking dinner together.

What do you find the most difficult?
I think the hardest times are when the kids or myself are sick. I also think it is hard to balance time with the kids and everything else it takes to run a home.

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?
My favorite thing to do is to go out with my husband, friends, or family.

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out?
The stair safety gate..I love that I don’t have to watch Lexi closely by the stairs because it is locked.

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:
My husband and my kids.

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?
Elementary School Teacher

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?
Scrapbook more.

Advice for moms:
Wake up each day ready for a wonderful day. This can set the tone for your home family. So that no matter happens during the day they have that good start to help them.

If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?
Hmmm…not really anything.

What is the best and worst day of your stay at home mom “hood”?
I for sure think the day that my children were born was the best day of my life. The worst was when I had the stomach flu so bad I could hardly take care of my kids.

What is the most fun date you have ever been on with your hubby?
For sure it was our first date when we went to the Alabama concert.

What was the funnest thing you’ve ever done with your kids??

You know what the most recent funnest thing was just having a bunch of Nick’s freinds and their moms and siblings over for a swimming party.

One question for the newt mom spotlight?

What do you most want your children to remember about you when they are grown

Oh my gosh, you guys! Have you been over to Old Navy and seen their new fall stuff?!! It’s SOOO CUTE!!!!! I am in loves with the color purple and pink lately…and they have SO much there in these two colors! ah….heaven! And you know what? Old Navy really has great prices too, that’s what makes shopping fun right? Good prices?!! Okay..that was short and sweet…but I’m in a rush today, so it will have to do

Today is for ME! he he. I am sitting here on a SLOW computer trying to edit some pictures from a photo session and I am going mad! It takes WAY to long to do something in PS that should just take not even seconds! You’d think I was going to say “a fast computer” but NOPE…I’m going to say CHOCOLATE!! HA HA HA! I’m a mom, I get stressed and I need me some CHOCOLATE!

Okay so there are these little chocolate that you can find at the check out at grocery stores. They are usually 3 for $99 or something a long those lines. Because I’m trying to maintain a weight loss that I went through this past 1.5 yrs, I will grab one because just one is enough to really make my mouth water and be satisfied! These little chocolates are called Lindt chocolates. I am not kidding you! I love these things! They melt in your mouth and are SO yummy! (second runner up…ANYTHING from the Rocky Mt. Chocolate factory!!!).

Location: Originally Utah, now Arizona

Kids: 4 Year Old daughter & a 9 month old son

Why do you choose to stay at home?
I love being available for not only the everyday moments, but the truly momentous ones, such as walking, crawling, talking. I love being home for all their firsts. I also think in todays wicked world I feel very strongly that I need to be home as they grow so they can always come home to a safe environment! I have a strong desire to be home to watch my kids grow. The time goes by so fast that I don’t want to miss anything, because you can never get this time back!!

What are your favorite things about being at home?
I love spending my one on one time with my kids. Getting down & playing with them. I love being able to do all the kid stuff all over again, and watching the pure joy from their eyes!

What do you find the most difficult?
It’s hard to prioritize mommy time, when you are so focused on the kids. I find it the most difficult when either the kids are sick or I’m sick. Mommy’s aren’t allowed to have a sick day in case you didn’t know!! There just is no such thing!

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?
My most favorite thing to do is travel! I love seeing new places, new kinds of people, customs. I love going to places with alot of history. Seeing old places that have been around for centuries is amazing!

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out?
My mod mum sling! My son loves it still & when the stroller is too inconvenient I tote him around in it! I can’t live without it!! As for my daughter we can’t live without lip gloss! It keeps her entertained for hours!!

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:
a teleporter so I could bring anyone to see me whenever I wanted! Some good books, Something good to drink! I would probably be thirsty!!

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?
Elementary School Teacher

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?
Only One thing??? Ok then, Lay out and get skin cancer!

Advice for moms:
You never know this kind of exhaustion exists until you have kids. However, the exhaustion goes away but your kids won’t stay little so just enjoy every moment with your kids. They just grow up too fast!! And all the sacrifices will be worth it when you look back and have many awesome memories with your kids!!

If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?
I honestly can’t think of anything I would rather be doing right now! I really truly love being a mom! Maybe I would travel more!!

What is the best and worst day of your stay at home mom “hood”?
Nothing compares to the day your children are born. A little bit of Heaven comes into the room. There are no words to express the kind of joy & love that you feel! Although there are many best days as a mom, the days my children where born are my favorite. The worst was probably when my husband was away with the army for 10 months & I was taking care of my daughter all by myself. She was 11 months old and she got RSV & was sick for the first time. For the next 10 months she got sick 6 more times. It was really scary for me & was very draining & hard!!

What is the most fun date you have ever been on with your hubby?

My husband and I have alot of fun, so there are alot of fun dates to choose from, but one of our funnest dates just happens to be our first date, it was on Halloween. We got all dressed up with five other couples and went to dinner, then the boys surprised us with a big truck stretch limo picking us up to go to the jazz game. It was fun seeing so many people dressed up for Halloween there! Then after the game we went to get dessert at Marie Callenders. After that date my husband and I were inseperable!! We had such a great time! Now every Halloween we have to dress up and get all decked out for the Holiday, it is a pretty sentimental Holiday for the two of us!!

Add one question for the next stay at home mom being spotlighted!
What was the funnest thing you’ve ever done with your kids??

So just over a year ago, I won a weight loss competition. I lost 43+ lbs and I got to go shopping for some new clothes. I am the “I’d rather go to the thrift store” type of girl, but I got to splurge a little bit and bought my first pair of $60 jeans at Nordstrom. For me, this was so hard to do. $60 for jeans when I could go and get a whole wardrobe at DI…yikes! BUT and this is the big BUT…I kid you not…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my jeans. I have worn them day after day after day and they are comfortable, stylish, and still holding up! (in fact, I’m in them as I type!) Did I mention that I love them?

So today is all about a great pair of jeans! As moms, we don’t have to run around in sweats, jammies or mom jeans. Oh no! If you can get a pair of jeans as COMFY as your jammies….oh, then DO IT!

I searched Nordstrom for some CUTE jeans and BOY do they look comfy and seriously worth the extra splurge!

If you have a place you LOVE to shop, let me know! missa425@gmail.com

Okay today is a fun one just for MOMS (because it might be silly if dads wore this too)!

Today’s must have is Cover Girl Outlast Collection!

Okay, so I kid you not, this stuff ROCKS! If you are like me and want quick and easy, then you MUST try this stuff. I have had the Outlast lip stick and that stuff isn’t going anywhere! I was on my lips all day long and in fact, It lasted until the next day if I didn’t lick or rub my lips!

I JUST bought the Lipstain after months of wanting to try it and it’s like drawing on your lips with a marker, but it stays and looks great! I have some lip gloss that I keep in my purse, so I put some of the stain on last night before the hubby and I went out on a date. hours later, it was still on! Fun stuff!

If you have a MOM MUST HAVE, drop me an email missa425@gmail.com