Not Just A Mom: Hobbies Edition

 Hi Friends!  I am joining Joanne and Jen and the ladies over at NAJM and sharing my hobbies this month!

Here we go!

Watching My Girls Do What They Love

This is a no brainer and where I spend most of my time nowadays- soaking it all up!

Reading

My goal is two books per month.  Sometimes I am able to squeak in a third.  I am also part of a Book Club in town and some of my reads are for the club- so fun!

A few of my faves this year include

Five Star Weekend- Elin Hilderbrand

One Italian Summer- Rebecca Serle

Everyone Here Is Lying- Shari Lapena

Dear Body- Brittany Williams

Blogging

Well if you have been reading for awhile you know I consistently blog and have been since 2007.  My goal is to get three posts or more up per week- sometimes I get it done and other times I slack but it brings me joy!

Cooking

I love to cook and it helps to clear my mind and decompress.  I consistently meal plan and get cooking done for my fam but I think I tend to get the most creative when I am cooking for fun on the weekends!

Some fave and fun recipes include

Strawberry Salsa

 

 

 Fall Cheese Ball

 

 

Caramel Apple Martinis

 

 The Pioneer Woman's Fig Proscuitto Pizza

 

Lobster Roll Sliders

Autumn Chicken and Squash Risotto

 

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Ghosts In The Graveyard

Walking

I love walking for what it does for me both physically and mentally and walking outside is my favorite.

Spending Time with Family and Friends

This brings me so much joy!  Whether it is a family dinner or wine club or events with my besties...I love to "Follow The Joy"

 

 

and last but not least....

Hallmark/Chick Flicks

Hallmark for the holidays and chick flicks and documentaries the rest of the year- that can include shows or movies or docuseries...this is the best way for me to decompress for sure!

Not Just A Mom: How I Became A Mom Edition

 

Hi Friends!  I am linking up with Jen, Joanne and the Girls for NAJM

This month we are prompted to share How We Became A Mom

 

 This is a complicated one for me.  

I first became a Stepmom.  I guess it was officially in 2004 when I married my husband Rob but truth be told, I became a parent to them as soon as we started dating.  At that time, in 2002 ish, Zach was 6, Ally was 8 and Kayla was 12.  

It was all Rainbows and Unicorns when we started dating.  I fell so hard in love that I didn't think about anything else.  I thought I would just deal with whatever was thrown at me- ha!

It was 10 solid years of true parenting, at home...and parenting kids that weren't technically mine.  Was it painful?  Yes!  Was it stressful?  Double Yes!  Did I mess up and make mistakes?  Hell Yes!

But was it joyful?  YES...it really was

 

I think fondly of our time through softball for the girls and football for Zach...school shows and concerts...parent teacher conferences...play dates...parties...trips to the beach...and all of the laughs we had.  We also shared our family dog, our English Bulldog Bambi.  We built a great life together :)

I know God put me where I was supposed to be.  I think the little family we created was a true gift- we needed each other more than we knew.

Kayla is now 33, happily married and expecting her first child! She has a successful career in insurance claims and works a mean Cricut ;)

Ally is now 30 and dating a gentleman she is madly in love with.  She has a successful career as a Credentialing Specialist for a Medical Staffing Firm nearby.  She also sells hair products on the side and loves all of the social media that goes with that.

Zach is now 27 and dating a wonderful girl Zoe who has become family to us.  He has a dynamite career in Med Device Sales and he is getting ready to move to North Carolina to be with Zoe.  They have been having a long distance relationship over the last year.  This is going to be a hard one.  He is the spirit of our family- the faithful friend and wonderful son and brother and it is just going to be HARD.  We are so happy for him and Zoe though and would never hold him back!

So I have been a Stepmom for 21 years!  Wow...when did that happen?

Anyway, as I said, things are complicated, because I became a Biological Mom in 2008 when I gave birth to our little bundle of joy Diana on August 24th. True to form, she made a long and dramatic entrance into this world.  I was in labor for 36 hours and pushed for a few and then she had to be taken via emergency C section- still true to form today ;)

Diana's first year of life was very rough.  She was extremely sick.  It was constant.

In between being stressed and trying to catch our breaths, she did bring joy to the whole family.  It was like magic.  She brought us all closer together and the kids loved to be around and be part of her life!

 

 

 

When I think back to that first year, I remember some joy but honestly I was so stressed about her health and trying to juggle motherhood and working full time.  I had some flexibility but not like now so it was tough.  

 

As Diana passed the one-year mark, her health became better so I was a little less stressed.

I made a move to a new company which gave me more flexibility so I really started to enjoy motherhood more and more.  

Six years later, I gave birth to Sweet Baby Eva.  She completed our family and was the EASIEST baby. Her birth happened via a scheduled C Section and she was delivered on April 24th, 2014 at 10am sharp- my favorite time of day :)

Funny story- I would always stand over her crib waiting for her to get sick.  I even bought the special formula that Diana required in order to live, thinking she would be just as sick.  Well, thank God, it never happened.  She thrived from day one and was PURE JOY!

We are now the blended family we were meant to be.  Life isn't easy but it never is and I will tell you I strive to live by my mantra always which is 

Follow The JOY :)

Hope that gives you a little glimpse of my road to become a Mom...the Stepmom/Bonus Mom and The Mom XO

Introduction

 

Hi Friends!  Thought I would join in with the ladies over at Not Just a Mom and share My Introduction.

 

I know I have done a few of these over the years but if you are new around here....hope you will get to know me just a little with this post...here goes nothing!

 

My name is Holly 

I am a Wife (to Rob - we will celebrate 19 years of marriage this year)

Daughter (to Diane and Pete)

 

 

Sister (to Matt 46)

 

 

Mother (to Diana 14 and Eva 8)

 

Stepmother (of Kayla 33, Allison 30 and Zach 28 and my new Step Son In Law Marshall 31) 

 

and Friend to All.  (Well those that want my friendship anyway- ha!)

 

 

I grew up dancing and was even in Boston Ballet's Nutcracker for 4 years!

 

I also grew up cheering 

 

 

and was named Homecoming Queen during my Senior Year in 1991!

and I have loved following God of course.  I am so glad my parents instilled my faith in me and I have never looked back.

I am now also a Recruiter.  I have been in the industry for over 25 years!  Most of my time has been spent placing HR professionals.

 

 

I was born and bred in Massachusetts and even went to college there- UMASS Dartmouth- Go Corsairs!

 

 I was married for a short time in 2001 and sadly that did not work out.  It is part of my history and part of what makes me who I am today so I always need to acknowledge that.

(This photo is from my bridal shower in April of 2001)

I moved to New Hampshire 21 years ago for my now husband Rob.  I LOVE living in our little town of Windham.  It is the best community to raise children...will I move someday?  Sure...when the kids are grown...most likely ...and that will be a move to an ocean town.  For now, I am happy and I can't see ever leaving New England...for the entire year anyway

 

I married my husband Rob in 2004 and became a wife and stepmother immediately.  The first 10 years were the toughest as they said they would be (they meaning all of the professionals who wrote the books I read) but it was so worth it!

 

 

I am also an avid volunteer in my spare time.  For years, I was on our PTA Board and recently stepped down so I could help chair our Windham Blackout Committee which focuses on raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research.

 

 

My time is a delicate balance of family and work.  I do work full time and at the same time, try to be as present for my family as possible.  Our weeks consist of dividing and conquering.  You will find us at our desks and in the car shuffling kids to dance, theater, hockey, softball and more.

 

 

I am IN LOVE with our French Bulldog Remi who just turned 2.  He keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing.

 

Some of my passions include: The ocean (the beach is my happy place), 

family and traditions

 

 

friends (My Tribe)

 

 

Theater, Music, Walking/Yoga, Reading, Blogging, Writing, all things Lilly Pulitzer and most importantly PEOPLE...I am such a people person so I think I was meant to be a Recruiter- I feed off people and love to learn about them and help direct them to where they are supposed to be.

This is a BIG year for me!  I turn 50 on September 3rd and I have GRAND plans!  Hope you will follow along- thank you for reading!

Linking up with the lovely ladies for NAJM HERE