first name: Jenn

age: 32

current city: Chicago

living situation: I live with my husband, Tom, our one-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and our six-year-old pooch, Rowdy, in the neighborhood of Logan Square. Despite the smaller square footage that is often inevitable in urban living, we have loved starting our family in the city and I will continue to maximize every square inch of our condo (you’re welcome, Container Store) so that we can raise Elizabeth as a city-dweller.

occupation: first grade teacher

how do you structure your time and space? Sometimes it feels like I’m “juggling” time and space instead of “structuring” them. My husband’s work schedule changes week to week, which created quite the juggernaut when it came to finding childcare. After countless phone calls, emails, and conversations that ended with “this just doesn’t seem to suit our needs, thank you for your time,” I scoured our neighborhood parent email list for any insights. This led us to a small, cheerful, and cozy daycare that is not only two blocks away, but also totally flexible and responsive to our crazy scheduling needs. The daycare has been an absolute lifesaver, and I love knowing that Elizabeth is already part of a little community of kids (that’s the teacher in me).

Because I am a teacher of young children, my work days are pretty much saturated with the needs, quirks, and personalities of kids, so I am very careful to handle all student-related issues at work (or on the bus on the way home – I begrudgingly decided that adding my work email to my phone can make my commute productive) so that I can focus on the needs of my own child when I’m home.

At home, my husband and I have made sure to keep Elizabeth’s bedtime consistent and the bedtime ritual short and sweet so that we can have time to actually sit down to dinner together after she’s in bed. I love this time of day. It’s our chance to have face-to-face talks and just unwind after a busy day of working and parenting.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? First of all, it’s always dangerous to ask a Chicagoan anything that pertains to weather! That said, a clear blue sky shines outside my window and the flowers in my pots on the balcony are blooming like crazy, so I’ll choose to forget that I live in a city where winter’s grip can be paralyzing.

Today’s blue sky is perfect for where I am in my life these days. I’m off work, enjoying so many little moments with Elizabeth: her first steps; her symphony of babbles, coos, and first words; and the unbridled excitement with which she greets each day. This is like having another maternity leave, although this time it’s with a baby who is, to be completely honest, so much more fun than she was during my actual maternity leave (plus, this time I’m not fretting away about milk supply or frantically calculating how much sleep I might get if I go to bed right now). I love having the time to take long walks with my husband, Elizabeth, and our dog; opportunities for extended coffee & cocktail dates with friends; and time to hit the gym on a regular basis. The only challenge of this season is knowing that it will end!

-what season(s) preceded this one? During the months right before and immediately after Elizabeth’s birth, I was in a holding pattern for a while: straddling those last cold, dark days of winter and the early blossoming of spring’s promise. When I was six months pregnant, my youngest brother, Will, died in a car accident. He was only 19. The shock, the sadness, and the emptiness took my breath away over and over again. Will died in late March, just when winter was ending, but it felt like winter was all around me, despite Mother Nature’s signs. It turns out that Elizabeth, who was born less than four months after Will died, was my spring: full of promise and potential; always growing; constantly blooming. I, of course, have nurtured her, but she also nurtured me out of those dark days into a peaceful and abundant spring. I deeply miss Will every day and I know that I’ll never be completely the same without him, but Elizabeth has been my redemption.

-what season(s) might your future hold? “In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” So said Albert Camus. For a few months after Elizabeth was born, I thought about this quotation a lot (it was a preferred badge during my graduate school phase of “decorate the apartment with quotes”), and I thought that Elizabeth was, both literally and figuratively, the “invincible summer” within me. But, as my grief over losing my brother has dissipated a bit, my perspective has become much broader. I see that not only Elizabeth, but also my husband, my siblings, my family, my friends, my love of my career, and—most importantly—my own spirit and resilience in the face of a cruel winter are the seeds for future summers.

favorite family activities: Our family is scattered across the country, so traveling continues to be a favorite pastime, baby and all. We also love taking walks, visiting our friends around the city, and taking advantage of Chicago’s plentiful parks, most especially the swings!

favorite solo activities: My husband indulged my fascination with photography and gave me a great camera—a Nikon D3000 DSLR—for Mother’s Day, so I am beginning to learn more about photography. I really enjoy seeking out small moments of interest or beauty and snapping a photo. I love reading, although I don’t do as much of it now as I used to. Oh, I am also a very amateur urban gardener with a nice collection of flower pots adding color to my balcony.

source(s) of inspiration: My husband, Tom, is an ER Nurse at a Level 1 Trauma hospital that serves some of Chicago’s poorest, most dangerous neighborhoods. He sees patients who are at the lowest possible points in their lives. He always reaches out to them with humanity and grace, finding great joy and meaning in his work. I stand in awe when he tells me about his days at work.

My sister, Elizabeth is younger than I am but I look up to her a lot. She has never been afraid to be wholly true to herself, which is precisely why we named our daughter after her.

best MakeShift moment: My best MakeShift moment occurred the first time I traveled solo with Elizabeth. I was feeling together, organized, and on top of things after wrangling a car seat, Snap ‘N’ Go base, diaper bag, breast pump, and eight-week-old Elizabeth through the ticket counter, security line, and drop-off point for the X-Ray machine. As I reached to take Elizabeth out of her seat, I saw that she was absolutely covered in poop. It was everywhere. As I went to grab her car seat off the conveyor belt so that I could put her down and regroup, the TSA guys said, “sorry, ma’m, you can’t take that off the belt once you’ve put it down.” So, I looked at him with a withering look and said, without a trace of irony, “Oh, so you’ll hold her, then?” Needless to say, I got the car seat back. (And I learned that it’s not a bad idea to pack my own spare shirt when tossing an extra Onesie in the diaper bag.)

[if you or someone you know would make a good “mother of invention,” please check out the nomination process and questionnaire located on the sidebar to your right.]

first name: Amy

age: 30

current city: Jackson, MS

living situation: Our family consists of my husband, my three-year-old girl, two labs, a tabby cat, and me.

occupation: I am a stay-at-home-mom and owner/sole seamstress of a small children’s clothing line called Brownie Goose.

how do you structure your time and space? This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis. I wish I had the right answer and a better way. I try, try, try to keep my “business time” away from my home time, but since my “office/sewing room” is at my home, and I am a stay-at-home mom, this becomes quite difficult. I try to only sew when my child sleeps. But this has become quite difficult as she is getting older and not wanting to nap as often or as long. Sometimes I will sneak to my sewing room when she is preoccupied with books or blocks or baby dolls, but then I am always questioning myself and  thinking that I would rather be playing with her.

I recently started a day that I do nothing but worry about household duties. Wednesdays are the days that “the maid comes.” Don’t get jealous; I am the maid, and I spend every hour of Wednesdays doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, loading and unloading the dishwasher, and cleaning toilets and tubs. So far, this has worked well for me. Since I have the whole day set aside, I focus and usually do a good job of getting it all done.

With my business, certain times are busier than others. I try hard to take time out of the week to do something fun for my daughter and me so that it isn’t always work, work, work. But, unfortunately at the end of the day, just like every other business owner (and I use the term business lightly since I don’t have a store with employees and such) I lament that my work is not done. I will lie awake in bed making lists in my head of things that must be done the next day, emails that need to be returned, orders that must be shipped, et cetera.

My favorite time of the day is when my husband gets home from work and we take the dogs and my daughter on a walk. We do this every afternoon, barring torrential downpours, (although we have been stuck in a few of those, but I love the rain, so I never mind) and other cases of extreme weather. I think this keeps me sane.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I am right on target with this summer season. I am enjoying the extended daylight, more time with my family (dogs included), the lightning bugs, the chance to play in the water, popsicles, and later nights. This time always makes me smile because it reminds me of when I was young. My business is between two busy seasons, and so I have a lot of down time in which I am thoroughly enjoying the calm before the storm. 

-what season(s) preceded this one? I think I would have to say winter. I don’t care for cold weather, and I think of winter as being very dark and dreary. I spent a lot of my time hung up in my business instead of with my family, where I should have been. I never regret things. Instead, I just am thankful for the lessons learned. For now, I know how I don’t want my business to run my life. I spent countless hours in my sewing room into the wee hours of the night running myself ragged and spending more time worrying about things than I should have. Unfortunately, a miscarriage is what woke me up. In the dark, dark month that followed my miscarriage, I did a lot of soul-searching and trying to figure out where I wanted to be in life. Thankfully, I learned that at the end of the day, it is not my clothing line that defines me, but my family. So, with this newfound insight, I changed a few things with my business and will now be running it differently… I hope.

-what season(s) might your future hold? I hope that spring and fall are in my future. I love both of these seasons, mostly because of the beautiful weather that they bring. It is always rejuvenating and refreshing for me. I have a lot going on in the next few months to a year. I am excited about every last stinking thing too.

favorite family activity/activities: As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy our afternoon walks with the dogs. I am a huge animal person, and this activity calms me like no other. At the end of our walks (since we live on a cul-de-sac) we always tell our daughter she can get out and walk, and it brings such incredible joy to me to watch her walk, run, or skip down the street, carefree, with her hair blowing in the wind. This sight, along with the dogs’ wagging tails, always makes me smile.

My husband and I also like to renovate, which is a blessing and curse sometimes. But it really is fun getting down and working and building and creating spaces that are ours. I am super-duper lucky that he is as handy as he is! Did I mention that my fabulous sewing room was done all by him? Yes, he is fabulous.

favorite solo activities: Oh, I love to read. I can sit with my nose in a book for hours. I also love to sew, obviously, and can sit in front of my sewing machine for hours at a time with music in the background and be just as happy as a bug in a rug. I also can sit on a beach from sun-up to sun-down with no problem. I grew up on the beach, and am now land-locked so this is something that I miss.

source(s) of inspiration: I’m inspired by thunderstorms and music. Makes me sound like a hippie, huh?

best MakeShift moment: When I am in crunch-time with my business, and orders must be completed by certain dates, I have to throw the whole “sew only while she sleeps” rule out the window. Instead, I bring her in my sewing room and let her have tea parties…with actual water. Usually I do not allow the water, but on certain occasions, I do. I put down towels and just let her play. Water keeps her occupied for very long periods of time. She will usually sing songs, and it is so sweet to hear her while I am sewing away.

find amy on the web:

• blog: http://amysnorris.blogspot.com
• business: http://www.browniegoose.com

[if you or someone you know would make a good “mother of invention,” please check out the nomination process and questionnaire located on the sidebar to your right.]

first name: Wendy

age: 30

current city: Vancouver, British Columbia

living situation: I am fortunate to live with three beautiful souls: my husband, my son (four years old), and my daughter (18 months old).

occupation: stay-at-home-mom and blogger

how do you structure your time and space? On a regular weekday, my husband leaves to go to the office very early in the morning before the kids wake up. The majority of my day consists of caring for my two children and running our household, from meals to cleanup, to play time, to circle time (where I like to incorporate learning activities from My Tips To Share).

My son goes to preschool a couple of afternoons a week. In the late afternoons my daughter naps, and my son has quiet time to play with playdoh, color, or make crafts. During that time I write for my blog and/or read other blogs.

My husband comes home and one of us makes dinner. I like cooking, so frequently it is me, but my husband does a good amount too. We have family time (often outside). Some days, I go to an exercise boot camp, and family time happens without me. Next it’s bath time, books, and bedtime. Then, we do a little household cleanup, and often I finish up on my blog while my husband folds laundry. Finally, my husband and I spend some time together. At the present time in our lives this balance works well for us and makes us happy.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I have to start by saying I love all seasons! Just the word makes me happy because I look forward to the beauty and joys in each one, and the renewed feeling from the changing of seasons. It is a great metaphor for life, and with family life some days you can experience four seasons all in one day. My goal in this season is to focus on the positive, to enjoy my time with my children, and see it as a gift to treasure right now. I want to be a good role model because my children are little mirrors reflecting my behavior. I try to listen to my inner voice, to believe in and be confident in myself, to give back, and to believe in others.

I started my blog , Give Love, Create Happiness, to encourage people to believe in and love themselves and to live the best life for them. There is so much beauty and love to go around in the world when your heart is open to it. I want to do my part, however big or small, to increase this beauty and love in the world we share together. Blogging helps me to focus on the good, to unleash my creativity, to give back in a way I am capable of doing while maintaining balance with young children. What I didn’t realize when I started blogging is how much I would receive as a result. It feels like the love and support flood in and I am so very grateful.

-what season(s) preceded this one? In the preceding season, I let my heart guide the way, and I moved with my college sweetheart from the east coast of the US (New York) to the west coast of Canada (British Columbia). The move was very big and life-changing for me. It took me outside of my comfort zone, opened me up, and gave me the ability to truly appreciate what I love about my previous home and the seasons there. As well, it opened my eyes and heart to the beautiful things and seasons a different part of the world has to offer. Fresh out of school and in a place where I knew very few people, I worked outside of the home at a vineyard, in a friend’s newly created coffee shop, and in administrative jobs.

However the most significant part of the preceding season was the time my husband and I spent focusing on one another. We were the center of each other’s universe, which involved growing together and forming a strong bond that has proven to be very beneficial in the next season of our lives – the family life!

-what season(s) might your future hold? Although my goal is to live for right now as much as I possibly can, I am very open to the future and look forward to creating a beautiful one! Maybe the next season will involve creating a job I love that gives me freedom to follow my heart and be creative. I truly feel that being determined and believing in yourself are large components in creating the future of your dreams, and that it is okay for those dreams to change along the way.

favorite family activity/activities: We love swimming at the pool together, going for walks in the evening, dancing to our favorite songs, and having movie nights.

favorite solo activity: Most recently I like to get out of the house and attend fitness classes. I leave needing a break and come home feeling better, stronger, and with more to give. I enjoy writing; reading magazines, online articles, and recipes; and photography. I love baking and having moments of quiet reflection (the shower is great for that!). Crafting, creating art, and making seasonal changes to my home are things I also enjoy but are not at the top of my priority list at this time.

source(s) of inspiration: I am constantly inspired by people: their actions, their words, and their creativity! My children inspire me to be the best person I can be, because what I want most for them is to be happy and loving individuals. My husband inspires me with his inner strength and boundless amounts of love. My family and friends, including people I know and people I know only through their work, all inspire me in so many unique and individual ways that I could never sum it up in a few words. I can say that whenever I need inspiration in different areas of my life, it is always there waiting for me to open my eyes to it and let it in.

best MakeShift moment: The most frequent (weekly) MakeShift moments that happen in our house are meals. The beauty in this is that sometimes those meals are the best ones or they are the healthiest, because they involve a lot of fruits and vegetables that don’t require much prep.

Another MakeShift moment that comes to mind is creating baby gates using dining room chairs (carefully placed on their sides) to make  baby gates when we’re traveling and staying in loved ones’ homes. It is part to protect my baby, part to make my life easier in a different environment, and part to protect someone else’s home (I am sure you know what I mean with young kids!).

Happy Living!

Wendy

find wendy on the web at http://www.givelovecreatehappiness.com

[if you or someone you know would make a good “mother of invention,” please check out the nomination process and questionnaire located on the sidebar to your right.]

first name: Jennifer

age: 37 

current city: Memphis

living situation: I live with my husband of almost ten years Tom, and our two children, Emma (four years) and Bennett (nine months). 

occupation: Who knew this would be such a tricky question? I was a city school teacher for ten years and resigned when I had my daughter in 2006. I decided to go back to work part-time teaching four-year-olds at our church preschool. It was perfect because I could use my God-given talent for teaching, and I could be at work with my daughter. Unfortunately I think I will be plucked from my stay-at-home-mom status to return to the trenches of full time work. Insert sad face here!

I also make jewelry.

how do you structure your time and space? I guess one of the good things about being a teacher is that my little ones and I get the same time off (holidays). We spend our days  running around town, enjoying play dates,  and playing outside. 

My jewelry studio (the laundry room) is another place I spend time. My daughter loves to “help” me with my jewelry orders. It can be tricky balancing my studio time with my other responsibilities, but my husband is a big help! Our time together and schedule will definitely be changing in the fall if I return to full-time teaching. 

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? Right now I would say we are in a season of winter. In February, my husband learned that he wasn’t fired, but would no longer be receiving a paycheck. Bummer, I know! He is an architect/project manager, and with this economy, people just are not building. It has been a difficult time filled with anxiety and my own sadness about returning to work full-time. We remain faithful that things will work out.

-what season(s) preceded this one? I will call the last season “swinter,”  a combination of summer and winter. It was a season of some amazing highs and some devastating lows. When I was 31 weeks pregnant, I was placed on hospital bed rest. I spent an entire month in a hospital bed away from my daughter and my husband. During that month my husband lost his mother, I lost my grandmother, and our son was born five weeks early. Our son was born on September 23, the birthday of my grandmother who had passed earlier in the week. It was truly a bittersweet day for us. We were able to bring our little man home two weeks later.

-what season(s) might your future hold? I hope our next season is spring. For me, spring is a time of growth and awakening. We are definitely ready for some good vibes to be heading our way!

favorite family activity/activities: We love to be outside! My daughter has tons of energy, so any activity outside is a good one. We love to go on long walks and ice cream runs. Another favorite place for us is the Memphis Zoo.

favorite solo activity: I love to make jewelry! I started a small business two years ago called Love Loud Designs. I specialize in hand-stamped silver jewelry. It makes me so happy to make things for friends and family. It truly is a passion for me. When I can, I also love catching up on my friends’ blogs and discovering new ones. There is so much out there to explore!  I love anything crafty.

source(s) of inspiration: My husband has been a great source of inspiration for me. He has the patience of Job, the heart of a saint, and the integrity of Billy Graham himself!! He believes in my talent as an artist and he supports the decisions I make as a mom.

Another source of inspiration is my Tuesday night moms’ group. These ladies are amazing mothers, friends, and soul sisters! They inspire me to be a better mom, challenge me spiritually, and uplift me when I am down. I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends!

best MakeShift moment: We were on one of our ice cream runs, and my husband and I noticed that the backseat was really quiet.  The backseat is never quiet.  So I turned around and this is what I saw:

What is a mom to do, tell everyone that her child loves to dress up as the incredible hulk? Note: the only reason she is crying is because we told her that the incredible hulk doesn’t eat ice cream!

 find jennifer on the web: 

• facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-Loud-Designs/115205171840226?ref=search&v=wall#!blog: www.lovelouddesigns-jennifer.blogspot.com
• etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovelouddesigns

[if you or someone you know would make a good “mother of invention,” please check out the nomination process and questionnaire located on the sidebar to your right.]

first name:Amie

age: 37

current city: Memphis

living situation: I live in a cute house in midtown Memphis with my husband Eric and our two kids.  Phoebe is five and Frankie is two.

occupation: I teach Senior Kindergarten and just finished my first kids’ craft book, so I think I may be an author too!

Sewing School, published by Storey Books, will be on the shelves this fall.

how do you structure your time and space? Oh boy, this is the hard part – finding the balance between work, writing, family, play, household chores, and crafting. I work full-time and my youngest is at daycare while the five-year-old goes to the school where I teach. Weekdays are pretty hectic and normal. We go to work/school, come home by 5:00 p.m., eat dinner, play for about thirty minutes, and then get ready for bed. After that, I have about two hours of “me time,” which usually entails Eric and me sitting on the couch, watching bad TV, and gearing up for the next day. This is also the time I might do some crafting or catch up on work. 

The weekends are when we really have fun. Eric and I try to give the kids some great experiences and expose them to ideas and activities that mean a lot to us such as the Farmers Market, museums, baseball games, gardening, nature hikes, cooking together, garage sales, and live music.  During nap time, I get busy and use my two hours to craft and work on projects. It’s amazing that when you know you only have a short amount of time, you can make it happen. Eric and I also trade off time with the kids to make room for our own creative pursuits. We definitely have to prioritize our lives. My craft room is a perpetual mess, and I have usually forgotten to do about a million things, but we are happy!

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? Recently, Sewing School, the children’s sewing book I co-wrote, has consumed me. This has been the season of “figuring it all out” for me — figuring out how to write a book in the first place; figuring out how to still be a mom, teacher, and now author; figuring out how to find ever-important time for myself; and figuring out how to give my kids what they need in order to be the kind of people I want them to be.

-what season(s) preceded this one? I was in the “I think I’m getting it!” season before I decided to write the book. I was getting how to be a mom and teacher, getting how to create interesting and creative experiences for my kids, and getting how to create sewing patterns for children (which then led to the book and my current craziness!).

-what season(s) might your future hold? I guess I’ll re-enter the “I think I’m getting it!” season again. Looking back, I realize that this seems to be my norm. I try something new, which turns everything upside down, and then finally “get it” before heading off on the next tangent. 

favorite family activity/activities: Right now, we all look forward to the local farmers market on Saturday mornings. And Eric’s Sunday morning pancakes are a family ritual. Everyone gets involved and helps him cook.

favorite solo activity: Sewing, definitely. I like to sew for my kids and myself and create new sewing patterns for children.

Source(s) of inspiration: I am lucky to work in such an amazing environment at my school. I work with a lot of working moms – moms who offer me advice, share stories, and sympathize with me. Without my workplace family, I would be a mess. I am also a big fan of craft blogs – some of my favorites are linked on my blog, http://sewingschool.blogspot.com. The Sewing School blog documents and shares ideas for sewing and crafting with kids as well as highlights some of my own crafting and family adventures.

Best MakeShift moment: I don’t think I’ve had my ultimate MakeShift moment yet. I’m sure it’s on the horizon, though!

I do my best to offer my kids some tools and ideas to promote independence and creativity. In the kitchen, the kids have a low drawer filled with their own cups, bowls, and plates. I also have some snacks (goldfish, pretzels, et cetera) that they can fix for themselves. While it doesn’t always work, it does keep me from making a million snacks a day!  We also have a great craft area set up for the kids with crayons, markers, paper, scissors, tape, and little recyclable containers and lids. Everything they can use is at their reach. I keep paints and glue high up so that I can control the mess. 

Recently, I helped Phoebe to wash all of her dress-up clothes outside. They were super dirty and needed some TLC. I was afraid that some of the fabric would not make it through the washer, so I got out a bucket with soapy water and she went to work! We hung them on the clothesline.  While she scrubbed away, I got some important weeding done in the garden. She had a blast and now her dress-up clothes are clean and smell fresh. 

find amie on the web:

• amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-School-Hand-Sewing-Projects-Kids/dp/1603425780/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274385967&sr=8-3
• blog: http://sewingschool.blogspot.com

first name: Cindi

age: 38

current city: Memphis, TN

living situation: I live with my husband of ten years, Mike, our five-year-old, Fifi (Sophie), and our two-year-old, Davis.

occupation: Director of the Buckman Performing and Fine Arts Center at St. Mary’s School

how do you structure your time and space?  Even though I work full-time, I want my kids to know they come first. It’s important that I drive them to and from school. I’m very protective of any time outside of work, since I often have an unpredictable schedule with evening and weekend engagements. Any time off is strictly reserved for my kiddos. I’ll take a Saturday night at Chick-fil-A over a pedi or a massage.

My husband works full time as a Multi-Media Developer and web designer and plays drums in a band on the weekends. We believe that the best way to be good for our kids is to be good to each other. So, Wednesday is date night; no exceptions. We also escape for a weekend alone in New York together once a year.

I wake up at 4:20 every weekday morning to run six and a half miles before the family gets up. It’s my only self-indulgent time when no one can bother me. With Mike’s help, I get the kids fed, dressed and strapped in the car by 7:20 a.m, and rush for Fifi’s school. My son goes to Parents Day Out two days a week and stays at home three days a week with Angelica, our nanny of five years, who might as well be a grandma to him. I do my office work at the theater between 7:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. When my kids get out of school, they take classes at the theater (violin and ballet) until I leave work at 4:30 p.m. Then it’s family time, with all of its necessary steps: homework, dinner, household chores, laundry, dishes, trash, pet care, baths, story time, bedtime and lights out by 8 p.m. I go back to work from my home laptop until the dryer and dishwasher stop. After folding and putting away laundry, I fall into bed by 11 p.m.

On weekends, I have my stage shows, art opening, independent film series and children’s events. Inevitably, my hubbie and I have overlaps with shows on the weekends. When that happens, we have to rely on a sitter or family. When all else fails, my theater occasionally adopts some very short ushers. We operate on a chaotic schedule in the school year, but have wonderful fall, winter and spring breaks and reduced hours and vacation in the summer.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? This is my summer. My children are in full bloom! My greatest challenge is getting caught in the rush of today and losing perspective of the big picture of my children’s sweet lives. This is probably the busiest and most fulfilling my life will ever be. I don’t want to wish it away with the hectic climate we live in. I try to freeze moments in my mind, like swinging on my mother’s porch swing with my kids and singing last night. This is the best time when they are still happy to see and be seen with me and don’t talk back. I don’t want to forget a moment of it.

-what season(s) preceded this one? Spring! It was a time of preparing for and anticipating our little family, doing everything for the first time in my career, and adjusting to life as a newlywed and a mother-to-be.

-what season(s) might your future hold? In the next twenty years, it will be my fall. A time for harvest and reaping what I sew, my children will take on lives of their own, and my role as mother will shift from a daily caregiver to adviser, comforter, financier and taxi driver. It will be a time for new growth perhaps in my career and a time of renewal for my husband and me.

favorite family activity/activities: We love singing, dancing and listening to music together (not in a creepy Von Trap sort of way). Watching the kids choreograph and belt out their interpretations of songs and turn our fireplace into a stage is high art to us. We get a kick out of showing our kids the things that we loved when we were young and sharing it all again; Electric Company, Free to Be You and Me, Michael Jackson, the Muppet Show, Bugs Bunny. We love Hide and go Seek, walking to our neighborhood park and feeding the ducks, baking together, and reading (if I try to skip out on story time at night, Fifi is quick to remind say, “But Mommy, you’re supposed to read to your child AT LEAST 20 minutes a day!”

favorite solo activity/activities: My absolute guilty pleasure is Broadway musicals. I’m a contemporary dance junky, as well. If I’m not backstage at one of my shows, chances are I’m in someone else’s audience. For stress relief, I love running and yoga.

Source(s) of inspiration: My Mom–I talk to her every day. Her advice has never been wrong, and she’s so sensitive to the needs of others. She actually cries with me when I have a bad day. My closest friend and co-worker also inspires me. She is the most focused and balanced mother I’ve ever known. She gives me the skinny on how to do it all with grace and charm. And of course, God. I have to believe He is in control of all that is beautiful, good, bad and ugly on this earth.

Best MakeShift moment:In my office, I have a drawer filled with crayons, Mardi Gras beads, play dough, matchbox cars, and most importantly, a roll of bubble wrap. Not only does it occupy and entertain my children, it helps with other kids who find their way outside my office door. There is always a toddler waiting while “Big Sis” is taking ballet class. I also keep a kiddie movie or two with me at all times to be popped into a laptop for entertainment. And nothing beats and i-phone for shopping trips, car rides and general tot occupation!

first name: Sharon

age: 37

current city: Memphis

living situation: I live with my husband of almost 15 years and two daughters, ages nine and five.

occupation: I am a full-time mom and a part-time psychologist.

how do you structure your time and space? I work as a psychologist about 15 hours per week on Mondays and Wednesdays (while the kids are in school) and Friday afternoons (when my husband is off work and caring for the kids). I try to do most of the laundry, cleaning, de-cluttering, and other random household and personal tasks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also meet with a group of friends most Tuesdays after lunch to discuss our dreams (both aspirational and nocturnal). Friday mornings I spend with my husband–running errands, having a lunch date, and just generally reconnecting. Weekends are family time. 

It’s a little harder during the summer. I hire a sitter for only the hours I need to see clients, which makes it challenging to keep up with paperwork and housework. But, in general, this schedule works well for our family. I’m happy to have found a rewarding way to stay involved in my profession and keep my license active while also being able to pick the kids up from school most days and chaperon the occasional field trip. 

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives, 

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? Having grown up in Texas, where the seasons are Hot, Hotter, and Slightly Less Hot, I’m having a hard time using the seasons metaphor for my life. But, whatever you want to call it, this is a really good season. We are all happy with our work/school arrangements; we have great friends; our church is a loving and nurturing environment for all of us; and we live within walking distance of our daughters’ school, a first-rate zoo, and several parks and playgrounds.

-What season(s) preceded this one? The previous season was a transitional one for me. I had spent some time as a stay-at-home mom and was ready to find a way to practice psychology again. I had always thought I would simply go back to working in a college counseling center again, but when I received an offer to work at one full-time, I had to face the reality that I just wasn’t willing to give up the flexibility of being able to be present for homework, after-school snacks, and periodic field trips. That was the most difficult “no” I have ever said. Even though I was absolutely certain that it was the right decision, I was terrified that I wouldn’t find a way to be a part-time psychologist and a full-time mom, and that I would lose an important part of who I was. At the time, I wasn’t ready to launch into private practice, but I did find a place where I could work part-time. That work environment ended up being unhealthy for me, but it did provide me the opportunity to learn the skills I needed to eventually go into private practice.

-What season(s) might your future hold? I’m sure the future holds another transitional phase for me, but I have no idea when that may come about. Until then, I’m just enjoying everything that is great about the current season. This living fully in the present is a new skill for me, but I like it.

favorite family activities: Wii because it allows everyone to participate despite varying skill levels, vacationing (and visiting family) in Texas, board games, going out for sorbet.

favorite solo activities: Reading is my most loved solo activity. I’m usually working my way through several books at the same time—a mixture of non-fiction (especially psychology, neuroscience, religion/spirituality), children’s literature (because it’s fun and provides a special connection with my daughter who reads the same books), and adult fiction. I also enjoy yoga and journaling (the low-tech variety), but I have to admit I am somewhat sporadic with those practices.

sources of inspiration: My friends, my dreams, books, my husband’s sermons and other writings.

best MakeShift moment: I agree with others who have pointed out that parenting is a never-ending series of makeshift moments. But one of my favorite such moments was when my oldest daughter was three. Several of her friends in the seminary housing complex we lived in had butterfly nets, and she really wanted one. We looked everywhere, and there were none to be found in any store. So I took a small needlework hoop, plastic netting some bath toys had come in, a smooth stick from the playground, and some duct tape, and I constructed a little net for her. She loved it and played with it for many months afterward. In fact, it outlasted her friends’ store-bought nets. And the best part is that, as a result of this and other similar moments, my daughter thinks of me as “the parent who fixes things”, which I overheard her telling our younger daughter recently. That is a much better title than “the mom who doesn’t cook”, which is also true, and once prompted my four-year-old to exclaim, “How will we eat?!” when she learned her dad would be out of town for a while.

[if you or someone you know would make a good feature on the MakeShift revolution, please check out the questionnaire and nomination process located on the sidebar to your right.]

first name: Tiernan

age: 34

current city: Denver

living situation: I live with my husband, Cody, our three children (ages three, four, and six) and our seven year old Yorkie, Mabry. Mentally, I have one foot in the country and one foot in the city at all times.

occupation: Writer/Small business owner/Mom

how do you structure your time and space? Only my oldest is in school right now (only half day), we don’t have any family in town, and we don’t do daycare. Consequently, I am with my kids ALOT. I love it but it can be exhausting. I am a writer for a number of online magazines, as well as a blogger and a small business owner (with my husband).

I just got a day planner and I don’t know how I lived without it. It was so liberating to transfer all of my commitments from scraps of paper in my purse to the planner. I feel so official and organized now! We are about to move into a new (for us) house that has a huge office, and I found a vintage double-sided post office desk that my husband and I are going to use. I cannot wait!

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives, 

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I am Colorado autumn right now. One day it’s 80 degrees and sunny, the next day it is 40 degrees (still sunny but cold), the next day it is snowing, and then it’s sunny again. I actually relate to Colorado’s climate quite well because regardless of the current conditions, sun is inevitably right around the corner. With the kids being so young right now, I am in a constant maelstrom of child-related chaos. With one hand, I’m stubbornly holding on to my individual identity, but the other hand is in the grip of thirty sticky fingers (and ten not-so-sticky, but rather large fingers), which are pulling me in the other direction. Sometimes I feel like standing my ground is futile, and I give in to the world of sweatsuits, pony tails, and mini-vans. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things, but if you don’t step back every once in a while and remember who you are and what you love, you will be swallowed up. Mothering presents the constant challenge of finding balance between who I was, who I am, and who I want to be.

-What season(s) preceded this one? Glorious summer! Kids make you realize how easy life was before they entered the picture. Honestly, I look back and realize I was practically on vacation up until 2004 when my first born arrived. All I needed was a mojito and a bathing suit! Don’t get me wrong. Of course, my children are my greatest blessing but life has just transformed. One day, summer will return. But this time, it will be a family beach vacation rather than a girls’ trip to Cabo. I’m good with that. The promise of summer represents the dreams I have for my family.

-What season(s) might your future hold? SUMMER! I’m counting on it (yes, I notice the trend).

Favorite family activity: Hiking, riding bikes/scooters, playing board games, movie nights, picnics

favorite solo activities: My two greatest passions are books and horses. Few things make me happier than riding or curling up with a cup of tea and a book. Horses have been a part of my life since the age of five. I love the smell of wood shaving and manure.

As far as books are concerned, I admire the dedication and creativity involved in writing fiction. Even if a book isn’t stellar, I respect the fact that the author’s emotional sweat is poured out on the pages. I also practice yoga three to four times a week and love to run and cook. 

sources of inspiration: Women who are willing to mentor other women. Sometimes all you need to reach a new level of success is a little guidance and someone to believe in you. Too often, we are too busy to reach out and give of our time, but some women will go above and beyond to help another recognize a dream. Also, I admire anyone who trail-blazes in any forum. If you do something unexpected or against the grain and just keep moving forward in the face of adversity, I am inspired by you.

best MakeShift moment: My son had been begging me for months to use a box of paints that his nanna gave him. I kept putting if off because, well, paints makes a huge mess and I didn’t want to deal with it. This week, I finally gave in. I put a craft mat on the front yard, pulled out the dreaded paints and went to grab some paper. Small problem: no paper. Three eager faces stared back at me, so I went to my husband’s dresser, grabbed three white t-shirts and told them to get to work. They painted each other, and then they painted some moving boxes. They had so much fun doing it! 

check out tiernan’s blog at www.tiernanmckay.blogspot.com.

first name: Carol

age: 33

current city: Hermosa Beach, CA  (near Los Angeles)

living situation: I live with my husband and our two boys, ages four and two. We recently added a fish, who only became a member of our family because it was a favor at a birthday party.

occupation: Wedding & Portrait Photographer 

how do you structure your time and space? I currently have an office in our house. I work about 30 hours a week and have a nanny who comes four days a week for the first half of the day. This allows me to have free afternoons with my boys and cook dinner. 

I squeeze in grocery shopping when needed and try to do fewer, bigger trips every other week than many small trips every week. I keep an ongoing list of what’s needed to keep me organized and keep the grocery store time streamlined.

My mother-in-law also comes one day a week to help us. She will take the boys all day and stay either overnight or until bedtime, to ensure that my husband and I have a date night to catch up. I cherish these date nights and uninterrupted conversations! 

I spend many weekend days away shooting weddings or families on location. I feel blessed that my husband enjoys taking care of the boys when I work during the weekend. 

When I get busier in the fall and add fifteen and more hours to my work week, I scrape the help together the best that I can.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives, 

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I think I have the best of both worlds right now, working at home and being available to my children during the day while they are still young.  It gets tight, space-wise, with my gear and post-production and office work, but I still prefer being close and listening to what’s going on downstairs.   

It can be very frustrating when my family needs me during my work time, since I try to keep the times divided. Sometimes I just have to go to the office and shut the door and ignore the polite little knocks or crying for “mama,” and sometimes I just “arrive” at the office a little later than usual.  It takes will power & patience to work from home, but I wouldn’t trade it. 

-What season(s) preceded this one? Before I had children four years ago, I was a photographer, only I worked many more (uninterrupted) hours while I was building my business. 

-What season(s) might your future hold? Eventually, when my children are in school for more hours, I would like to have a studio I can go to for my work, and for shooting and meeting with clients.  Also, I would love another assistant and an intern!

Favorite family activity: Loading up the stroller and going to the beach.  It’s the most fun AND easiest place to watch our children, and it wears them out!

favorite solo activities: grocery shopping, jogging, yoga (only once or twice a month). wait… answering this question makes me realize I need more time to do more solo activities.

sources of inspiration: 

• Finding new favorite music- I love Pandora & XM
• Reading my favorite blogs, websites & magazines 
• Gardening with my children
• Fabric shopping ( I don’t really sew but I enjoy looking at the colors and patterns)
• Online photo forum with other photographers

best MakeShift TOOL (i just added this category because its so important): The iphone. I have educational games and filtered YouTube clips downloaded for bribery when an important work phone call comes in during my time with the kids. Usually, I try not to take calls when I’m with them, but sometimes, the “shapes and puzzles” game really comes in handy!  It also comes in handy in doctors offices and airplane trips.  (Search the itunes app store for “toddler teasers,” a shapes, numbers and letters quizzing game, and your two year old will quickly learn to recognize a hexagon!)

best MakeShift moment: One Sunday evening, after a long weekend of celebrating our son’s first birthday, the door bell rang. My mom ran in the kitchen and told me that a couple had arrived to meet with me about their wedding. With all the focus on our house guests and birthday festivities, I completely forgot that I had booked a meeting for that night (another hazard of the home office!). We all looked around and saw the same thing: our place was a disaster with newly opened toys, wrapping paper, suitcases and lingering trays of party food. Luckily, we lived right around the corner from a French pastry & coffee shop. I asked the couple to wait one minute while I quickly gathered my sample albums and laptop (which had a slide show of my work), changed out of my play clothes, and ran out the door. As we walked into the coffee shop, I put my hand in my pocket and luckily found a $20 bill to treat the couple to a tasty treat. Whew!  It turned out to be a great meeting, and eight months later, I photographed their wedding. This makeshift “near crash” moment was only possible because of our “village” that holds us together:  grandparents, friends, and extended family. I don’t know what I would do without all of them and their support. 

find carol on the web:

• website: www.carolreach.com
• blog:  www.carolreach.wordpress.com

[while megan is my latest “mother of invention,” i am the subject of her weekly blogger interview. we’re a mutual adoration society. check us out!] 

first name: Megan

age: 32 (ugg…)

current city: Montclair, VA

living situation: I’m married with two young children. My daughter Sage, is almost four. My son Phoenix, is 14 months.

occupation: Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM) and Managing Director of Modern Bird Studios (http://www.modernbirdstudios.com).

how do you structure your time and space? Wow. I was hoping you could help me structure my time and space. I barely structure it all! I dabble in some mommy-ing, and then I dabble in the Modern Bird stuff, and I switch back and forth throughout the day. I work from home along with my husband, so my office consists of a couch and a laptop. There are toys strewn about, an overly emotional three-year-old at one ear, and a teething14-month-old tugging on my leg. Peace comes at nap time and bedtime, which is when I get most of my marketing duties done. 

We have a pretty set schedule with the kids. I get ‘em up at 8:00 a.m., feed them breakfast, play, put the baby down for a morning nap, hang with Sage, get the baby up, feed the kids lunch, play, put everyone down for the afternoon nap/quiet time, and do dinner, bath, and finally bed (for the kids) by 7:30 p.m. 

I don’t have much personal time now. The hub would prefer me to take more time for me, but I simply don’t. I probably should. I get up at 5:30 a.m. (did I mention that I abhor waking up early?) three times a week for my workouts so that I can still fit into my clothes while I neglect every other need that I have. That, and I shower everyday. And do my hair and makeup. I can’t stomach not being put together. I just don’t do much else.  If I’m feeling overwhelmed with the Modern Bird stuff, I step away and get outside. Home making?  I used to be so much more on top of it, but the house is still in good order. I clean it once a week, and I force my children to clean up their toys everyday so they don’t choke the rest of the house. Anyway, to answer your question, I’m basically a disaster.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives, 

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? This season brings with it financial challenges and the task of balancing the business with the kiddos. Modern Bird Studios was launched almost four months ago after my husband and I got tired of his sending resumes to every stinking company out there. He was laid off from his job in September of 2009, and I have been a SAHM since June of 2006, when our daughter was born. We’ve been scraping by on his freelance gigs. The guy has mad skills! Have you seen a Modern Bird Studios piece?  We decided to take control in our fate instead of waiting on the job market to improve — something that we couldn’t do anything about.  Luckily, I had a career in business development for seven years before baby number one came along, so I have experience in doing things similar to what I do now. 

The highlights of our current situation are many. We get to work together, and we work well together. Our kids get to see my husband throughout the day when I let him out of his studio to take breaks from creating the pieces to have a few sips of water here and there. Neither one of us has to commute in that crap DC metro traffic. We love what we are doing. It is crazysauce fun! We’ve met so many amazing and generous people, and we have had some great success in both exposure and sales in such a short amount of time. We’ve built lasting relationships, and we’ve even had the opportunity to pay it forward. We feel so blessed about our little company, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us. Plus, our kids are with us as we build it; they will be the heirs of the Modern Bird fortune.  

-What season(s) preceded this one? I would characterize the previous season as one where I played the traditional role of SAHM to two kids and ran around to play dates here and there. I still do that, but I organize a whole lot less of them nowadays. I did have some of those moments where I wondered if I wasted all that time in college since I wasn’t using my education/career experience in my real day-to-day life. This has been one of those internal struggles I’ve been trying to wrap my head around. I am not tempted to re-enter the work force and stop being a SAHM though because for me, being a SAHM is something I highly value. Still, I find myself trying to justify the point of my higher education and former career experience and how these things relate to my current situation.  

-What season(s) might your future hold? My guess is that my future will be highly successful and full of fun, laughter, and joy. I have about five friends who are pregnant right now, and every time I think about it, my womb aches a little, so I’m quite certain we will be adding on one or two more to the Modern Bird under-aged work force. Other than that, I try not to speculate too much. My life has been full of curve balls, so I don’t put too many concrete expectations out there because so much of my life is beyond my control.

Favorite family activity/activities: I think anything that includes sugar is up there on my list of favorite things to do with the family, specifically going for ice cream! I also love the seasonal things we do—pumpkin patch in the fall, hot cocoa in the winter, looking at flowers and playing outside in the spring, and going to the beach in the summer. Oh, and the big family wrestling and tickle fights bring out the big, belly giggles, which I adore.

favorite solo activities: Is this a trick question? I have so little time to myself! I do love to scrapbook. I was so anti-scrapbooking, and then I had kids, and all of sudden, I wanted to do scrapbooking! It’s my own fault for having such cute kids that I love taking pictures of.

sources of inspiration: the beautiful things around me, including my husband and my kids; the beautiful creations of this world; my faith.

best MakeShift moment: Day to-day life with young children is full of makeshift moments, or what I like to refer to as hardcore boardroom negotiations. My MakeShift moments include giving my 14-month-old a toy to get the TV remote from him, and letting my three-year-old rearrange her stuffed animal “friends” for the millionth time if it means she will settle down and take her nap.

find megan on the web:

• modern bird studios: http://www.modernbirdstudios.com/
• blog: http://www.modernbirdstudios.com/blog
• twitter: modern_bird