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Hey there, I’m Lauren, blogger over at Taking in the Seitz and mom to one sweet little girl, Teagan. In addition to that, I work in an elementary school as a reading specialist. I love blending my work as a teacher with my online communities, and sharing what I have learned over the years.
I’ve decided that perfection is overrated. It has to be. I don’t have time for it, nor do I want to chase an elusive and unattainable goal. As a wife, Mama, blogger (My Life in the Blink) and full-time teacher, my plate is more than full. I know that this is the case for most people these days, whether you are a parent or not. Now more than ever, it is so easy to find ourselves trying to do it all, to be it all. Between smartphones, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and many other social media platforms, there is always someone who seems to be doing more and doing it better or faster.
As a parent, I have quickly learned that there is no sense in comparing. Every parent is different, as is every child. For these reasons and much more, I am the last to judge. We do our best and trust and pray that our best is enough. However, with one tap or swipe, we are granted a glimpse into the lives of family, friends and even strangers. We focus on what we want rather than what we already have. What is to come rather than what is happening.
I am just as guilty as the next person, sometimes more so. I am constantly feeling the need to capture every memory, record every moment. But lately I have been reflecting on the words of Tony Reinke who says that social media is “your present moment in exchange for an endless series of someone else’s past moments.”
Don’t get me wrong, I love social media (probably a bit too much at times) and it has its place. That being said, as a parent, I want my daughter to remember me as being PRESENT, giving her my full attention when we are together. She won’t remember every mistake that I make, but she will remember whether or not I look into her sweet brown eyes as she tells me a story or whether I am scrolling through my phone trying to multitask.
These things will not be taught through an app or a device, they will be taught face to face, eye to eye. Let’s be a generation of parents that are present. Let’s get back to the basics: living, laughing and loving well. This is enough. As parents, WE are enough, right where we are!
You could say that we are pros at moving. My husband is in the military and moving is just a way of life for us. We have three children– 13, 11 and 9. We have lived in 6 different states and 2 different countries. We are excellent unpackers. This summer we moved from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Stuttgart, Germany. Without question, the furthest move we’ve ever made. In some ways, it was the easiest of all the moves. There is very little choice about a lot of things, and that makes it very easy to just sit back and enjoy the ride. In other ways, it has been the most challenging. Read More “Moving… For the 8th Time”
We knew our lives would change drastically when we had our first daughter, Sydney. Friends who were already parents made sure we knew just how much our lives would change. Now that we’re parents of two, we also get that kind of twisted enjoyment when talking to soon-to-be new parents.
What is it about getting your hands in the dirt that just makes you feel better about life? Can you relate? Whenever I feel stressed, overwhelmed, under-appreciated or just plain blue, I take to the dirt and within no time find myself feeling better. Read More “Digging in the Dirt”
Hey there, I’m Lauren, blogger over at Taking in the Seitz and mom to a sweet little one named Teagan. She’s my one and only, and I’d be lying if I said that life isn’t a little… a lot different than it was before I had her.
I’m Jenn, a wedding and family lifestyle photographer, a mother of two crazy boys – Calvin and Archie – and a certified toddler traveler (sort of). Calvin has already traveled to amazing places in his short lifetime– Hawaii, Maine, Cabo, Montana, Colorado, Sedona on two separate road trips, Santa Cruz, Disneyland and the list goes on. He took to traveling right away, I’m assuming because we started him at such a young age.
Read More “Traveling with Toddlers– The Good. The Bad. The Crazy.”
I have found running a small business and raising kids to be juuuusssttt barely possible. That’s the rather bleak truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Here’s the good news, mom entrepreneurs: You can have it all (work life and mom life). But the small print is that you cannot have things just the way you want. Think of it this way: You are in a car and the car is going to your destination, but you don’t get to choose the speed (or the pitstops) of the roadtrip.
Just when you thought hot dog season couldn’t possibly get any better, cooks can’t seem to stop dreaming up tasty (out-of-the-box) hot dog toppings for their cookouts. Here in New York City, you can get just about anything on a dog: fried eggs, kimchi, even beef heart–ragu! Crazy, right!?
Twelve months really flies when you are having fun. Also, when you are getting no sleep and all your days seem to jumble together… As a wife, founder of U Ready, Teddy? and mom, things always seem a bit crazy.
