Meet our next featured mama, Holly! Holly is a 29 year old mama of two from Elkhorn, Nebraska. Claire is a curious, enthusiastic, sweet little two-year-old. Leo is six months and smiles just about every time you look at him. Holly loves snapping pictures of her beautiful babies and helping her hubby design homes, but before having Leo, she wrote and photographed for WordWell, a creative content agency out of Kansas City. Her favorite side gig is singing for weddings - she's been doing it for more than a decade and still cries at every bridal entrance. Keep reading to get to know this sweet mama!
Favorites
Favorite mommy product:
Coffee counts as a mommy product, right? When our French press met its demise (goodnight, sweet prince) I picked up an Aeropress and have fallen madly in love with it. Brewing is so fast and simple, cleanup takes seconds, + it's super versatile and crazy affordable. Most importantly, it makes an incredible cup of coffee. Is this me convincing you to get one? Yes, yes it is.
Favorite baby product:
No lie, I never leave the house without at least three Parker Baby bibs! Leo is your typical drooly, spitty six-month-old and they keep him dry and warm, plus they turn even the plainest onesie into a complete outfit. I am not fashionably gifted, so this is a big plus! I'll add that wearing Leo in a carrier while chasing Claire around has dramatically increased my productivity so I almost always have my WildBird sling or Lillebaby within reach.
Favorite way to have a little “me-time”:
I’m kind of skirting the question here, but I’ve found that ticking one item off my to-do list each day that isn’t strictly child-care related allows me to relax once I do find a minute to myself. When that finally happens? Two words: Soaking. Tub.
I’m kind of skirting the question here, but I’ve found that ticking one item off my to-do list each day that isn’t strictly child-care related allows me to relax once I do find a minute to myself. When that finally happens? Two words: Soaking. Tub.
A couple more questions...
Can you tell us a little about moving/home renovations with two little ones?
Ask anyone and they’ll agree moving is no picnic. Moving into an unfinished new build that you are designing and your husband is building with two little ones in tow during a global pandemic? Absolute chaos! Honestly though, it has been so fun. My husband comes from a long lineage of builders (we’re talking generations of Saalfelds traced back to Germany) so it’s in his blood. It feels like it's a right of passage for our kids to be here while we finish his first build. In the words of Ron Swanson, "My son in several weeks old, he is quite familiar with the sound of power tools."
Ask anyone and they’ll agree moving is no picnic. Moving into an unfinished new build that you are designing and your husband is building with two little ones in tow during a global pandemic? Absolute chaos! Honestly though, it has been so fun. My husband comes from a long lineage of builders (we’re talking generations of Saalfelds traced back to Germany) so it’s in his blood. It feels like it's a right of passage for our kids to be here while we finish his first build. In the words of Ron Swanson, "My son in several weeks old, he is quite familiar with the sound of power tools."
What is the first thing you do when you put the kiddos down for sleep?
Honestly? First, I breathe a big, long sigh. It’s hard to snap out of mom mode after being mom all day! Then I’ll meet my husband on the couch and we’ll chat about our day, about the kids, about the news. It’s the only time we get to ourselves, especially with the outside world being off-limits these days, so we try to relish it and relax.
Honestly? First, I breathe a big, long sigh. It’s hard to snap out of mom mode after being mom all day! Then I’ll meet my husband on the couch and we’ll chat about our day, about the kids, about the news. It’s the only time we get to ourselves, especially with the outside world being off-limits these days, so we try to relish it and relax.
What was the transition like going from one sweet baby to two?
Luckily it was much smoother than I anticipated! I was so nervous for Claire to be hurt or jealous when I had to put her brother's needs first, but she has been so loving and sweet to him it just makes my heart explode. It’s a higher dose of crazy and down-time is harder to find, but I’m not sure anything can top the joy of watching them love each other.
What activities are you most excited to do with your sweet babies this Spring?
This is our first spring with a yard of our own so I am excited to play around with some landscaping and work on my green thumb while they enjoy the new space. Claire never refuses time outdoors so we’ll explore the neighborhood and head west to my parents so she can visit the chickens, hunt for pumpkins, and pick veggies in my mom’s garden.
This is our first spring with a yard of our own so I am excited to play around with some landscaping and work on my green thumb while they enjoy the new space. Claire never refuses time outdoors so we’ll explore the neighborhood and head west to my parents so she can visit the chickens, hunt for pumpkins, and pick veggies in my mom’s garden.
Time for some advice!
Please share some words of advice for all the mamas out there.
There is no end to the bombardment of pressures and judgments for mothers today, but let’s face it: if your kids are fed, warm, and loved on, you’re crushing it. I can get caught up in the guilt of serving a frozen pizza for dinner or watching one (or three) too many episodes of Daniel Tiger, but I try to remind myself that these things aren't harmful and sometimes the shortcuts are worth keeping your sanity. I don't want my kids to remember me as a stress ball so I'm learning to be kind to myself. They deserve a happy mama, and sometimes mama needs pizza!
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