Cooking for my family has become a priority of mine since I started walking again.  Breaking my leg changed my perspective on how I saw many things (go listen to episode 4 to hear about my leg).  I want to spend as much time with my husband and child as I can and I want to provide that meal time togetherness I had growing up.     So for the past month, I have been making our dinners and my son’s food each day.  I’ll start with the grownup food first. My son has a bottle at 5pm each day. While my husband feeds him, I start to make our…

Starting in college, I really became someone who walked a lot.  I would always walk to class although it could be up to two miles away from my dorm room.  In my four years of college, I would go for 2-3 hour walks. I was never the type of person to sit down.  My first job when I was in high school was in a restaurant. I loved moving around and being on my feet.   Eventually, I really got into running and working out.  I was never a gym person. I do not like going to the gym.  I want to be able to do all my workouts when…

Before my son was born, I knew that the first activity I wanted my son to do was swimming. I have such fond memories of when I went to swim lessons and we made lifelong friends at swim class when I was young and I wanted to do the same with my son. So when he turned five months old I tried to register him at our local YMCA for swim lessons.    I soon found out that even at five months old, signing your kid up for activities is a ruthless game. I was not a member at our local YMCA as I do not need a gym…

I remember thinking that going back to work seemed so far away, until August came. Then, it was scary to think I would need to leave my baby. However, I am lucky that my mother and mother-in-law will be watching our baby for the first couple of months before he begins daycare. Preparing to go back to work also looks different as it did in my head at the beginning of August. With a broken leg and returning to teaching, I have a much more complicated return to work than I wanted. And of course the fears of going back to work began to grow. Will I be able to…

I had worked so hard to get the podcast and website up and running.  My goal was to have it up at the beginning of August. The Sunday I wanted to launch the website and the podcast, the world had other plans.   I was carrying my son downstairs to our finished basement and four steps to the bottom I must have slipped.  It took all my focus to protect my son and I did! He did not have a bump or scratch on him. Me on the other hand, I broke my left tibia in two spots, my ankle, and some ribs.  And I have never been so happy…

Deciding to put your kids on social media is how many of us share what is going on in our family’s life. Some people share everything and others, like me, share almost nothing. I have been skeptical about the impact of pictures I put up of my child on social media. I do go on social media pretty much every day – the usual – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – but don’t post much and mostly like something and sometimes wish people happy birthday. As I have said in the podcast, I am a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. I have seen girls that are talented…

Finding time for yourself as a mother can mean so many different things. As I am a teacher, I know in raising a child, nothing is a one-size-fits-all model. And I’m learning that the “mommy escape time” also varies for different women. In the past three months, I have tried to think about the times that I have needed a break for myself. I do not enjoy time away from my son like I thought I would, but know I need to take some time away each week. I think the most silly part of all of this is, I don’t miss what I did with my free time before…

Yes, I do adore podcasts.  I listen to them all the time.  It makes driving, cleaning the house, gardening, and walking much more enjoyable.  As I’ve said on my podcast, Mommy Escape Time, I listen to multiple podcasts and want to share some of my favorite podcasts.   But Lauren, why would you share this information?  Aren’t you afraid we then won’t listen to your podcast?  The answer is no.  Just like TV shows, most people do not just listen to one podcast.  I also have no affiliation with any of these podcasts. I am not making any money by telling you about them, nor do I know any of…