Posted under "Zoom Mommy"
It never ceases to amaze me how woman juggle motherhood, work, love, and life so gracefully. This project is about the friends, clients, and other moms in my life that amaze and inspire me. And a chance to see the daily lives of some of the most successful and fashionable moms. It is the journey in how they juggle and balance their personal and professional lives with the lives of their children. Each mom not only shares a window into their nest, but amazing wisdom, multitasking secrets, styling and fashionable tips, and because I begged, their go-to items (for moms like you and me) so we can all be oh-so fabulous!
My first mom is a dear friend. Kristin Skinner, is the ultimate urban mom. As she describes and I can attest to… she is a mother, design manager, extreme multi-tasker, and an idealist. Beautiful, sporty, creative and smart…this girl does everything with a calm, thoughtful, and distinctive approach. This approach shines through on so many levels with her son Vaughn, a high flying 4-year old with a heart of gold. Here is her story.
Kristin…I am Program Management Director at Adaptive Path, an experience design consultancy. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients to help them define experiences for new products and services, or evolve existing ones across channels. Previously, I was a web and software designer and developer. My life right now is all about my son and my work which are both great. I am super active with both, and when I have free time, I love adding friends and family into the mix.
What have I learned from my child…To really focus on what is happening right here, right now. I try to only look back to figure out how to make something better. And I try not to look too far forward to avoid losing focus.
A few of V’s favorite things…His scooter and bike. Used to be his baseball hat, first with an eagle then the one with the monkey. My Korean client who’s daughter is also in pre-school once asked me if I was worried it might affect the shape/ growth of his head because he wore it every day! He also loves his dog Mel. He loves reading bedtime stories and he is also really into hiding-under blankets, furniture, etc.
Almost all the advice I have been given has been helpful-even the advice I didn’t like or agree with. My advice to pass on…Don’t worry what anyone else is doing or not doing. Observe and adopt methods or styles you admire in other parents, but always try to put your own spin on them to make them your own. The most exciting moments as a mother have also been my most humbling… and always revolved around any and all milestones relating to sleep and potty training. These are and were oddly fulfilling.
A day in the life…Weekdays we are up at 6:30-7am and he is always starving. We make breakfast right away while I turn on a show for him so that I can get ready. Then we dress, brush teeth, and are out the door to school for him and work for me. In the evenings, I pick him up and always have a snack ready. We head home, decide what’s for dinner and it’s on to an activity like a puzzle, coloring, mini project (e.i. baking or egg decorating or playing with food coloring). Afterwards one show, pajamas, brush teeth, potty time and a book. We start the bedtime rituals at 7:30pm and he’s generally asleep by 8:30pm.
I cannot go without my heels. It was a good 5 years from when flats became wildly popular until I bought my first pair and I wear them reluctantly. I wear jeans almost daily. The other days I wear a dress. I am drawn to edgy, structured jackets and men’s hats.
Our buying has slowed down so much due to his age, mainly because he gets his clothes and jackets from his best friend Dara. And he usually has only one pair of shoes at a time. But previously, I shopped specialty retailers like Half Pint in Sonoma and speecees. The exceptions are H&M for jeans mostly and Gap kids for pajamas. I also find him clothes when we are traveling like in Park City (the shark boots) or surf shop that carry kid’s line like Quiksilver, Volcom, and Goorin (hats).
Thomas trains were huge until just recently as were all kinds of matchbox-style cars. He has tons of books and stuffed animals, and almost all of them were gifts. His most recent favorite book is Extraordinary Chickens.
His room is actually a closet, so cozy is one way to describe it! He loves his flashlights and his turtle nightlight that casts constellations on the walls and ceiling. And his books, the bigger…the better.
I absolutely love contributing to the great blog, Lil Sugar. With Zoom Mommy, Snap and Stroll, in full go mode… its been amazing to see first hand how quickly a few good tips and attention to detail can change a person’s ability to photograph and capture images so easily. I have watched moms come to my classes, with little to no knowledge of even how to operate their cameras and leave with a handful of photos of their little ones that are stunning and priceless. I hope my tips on Lil Sugar this week for capturing your holiday will help you to take memories of your family that you will treasure for years to come.
It was so great to see my holiday photo tips shared on Lit’l Sugar today. Not only did she share my tips for how to create the best Holiday Photo card, but she gave a shout out to Zoom Mommy’s Snap and Stroll Workshops. Made me happy. And Lil Sugar is the best site for mommy and kiddy info including the best of fashions, cooking tips, and mothering advice. But I am really obsessed with PopSugar, have the app right on the iphone for the quick peek at all the celeb gossip.
Yesterday was the first class for my new series of Zoom Mommy-Snap&Stroll. It was a perfect day with sunny skies and 80 degree temperature at the beach. We couldn’t have asked for anything better. And my mommies were so much fun. They were interested, inspired, and ready to shoot. We spent an hour reviewing some great tips for better photography, and then, broke to photograph all the little sweeties that came with to help. And Beaumont (age 3) was sheer entertainment with her mid-afternoon strip down (I guess it was the heat), running circles around the class for giggles! I got this quick shot of her with camera in hand. I guess I may need to start teaching the young ones too!
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