Moments of Musing

Motherhood: My Most Defining Experience of the Past Decade

Filed Under: 2010s, motherhood, new year //

I have lost myself in Motherhood but more importantly, I have found myself here, too.
If I had to choose the most defining experience of the past decade it has been Motherhood. 

From marriage to career, Motherhood has profoundly impacted every aspect of my life. 
It has made me feel—really feel. 
It has given me the biggest joys in the form of the purest souls. 
It has made me feel crippling guilt—from the way I birthed my babies to the way I’ve yelled. 

It has made me feel both under-appreciated and overwhelmed, appreciated and at peace. 
It has made me feel despair and anxious, proud and excited. 
It has filled me with a love that feels bigger than just that.  
It has been the acknowledgment that we – myself, the kids, my husband- are all learning. 

It has been long days and restless nights. 
It has been compromise and cuddles… oh the cuddles!
It has been the realization that being their Mom is my life’s greatest work.  

Motherhood has blessed me. 
It has challenged me. 
It has transformed me. 
It has empowered me. 

It has birthed me into the Mom that I am, the person I always wanted to be. 
And I like who that is. 
… No, actually, I love her. 

Celebrate Everyday Moments (Frozen 2 Carvel Cake Party)

Filed Under: carvel, frozen 2, motherhood, positivity //

This post is sponsored by Carvel but all opinions are my own.

If you have followed me for a little while then you know I am an optimist. I like to focus on the
good and celebrate everyday moments.

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Some things never change. Since I was a young girl, I have loved and asked for a Carvel cake
for celebrations. I usually have one every year for my birthday; we’ve had one for my husband’s
graduation celebrations; for dessert on summer nights and just because on any given day or
night. The chocolate crunches are my favorite part!!!

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While grocery shopping one day this past fall, I picked up a Carvel cake just because. I was
hesitant at first because it wasn’t a “special” occasion … but then I thought “who makes the
rules?” Today’s as good a day as any to celebrate.

That’s why I loved celebrating Frozen 2 with my boys. We got to have our favorite cake while
celebrating girl power and sisterhood. My boys absolutely loved it and our celebration went on
much longer than anticipated. It was the perfect reason to pause my seemingly never ending
holiday to-do list. You can enjoy Frozen 2 off-screen with your kids, too, with a beautifully
themed Carvel cake!

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I think it’s important for boys and men to recognize girls and women as their equals. I am
happy to show my boys that girls can be strong, smart and independent. I am equally happy to
show them that we don’t need a holiday or birthday to celebrate — there are so many beautiful
reasons to celebrate in life!

That’s why we loved celebrating Frozen 2 with Carvel!

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Through the Years: Looking Back on my Decade via Blog Posts

Filed Under: 2010-2019, 2010s, decade relfection //



There has been so much change over the past 10 years. With the changes have come growing pains, joy, celebrations and sorrow. The overarching feelings I am feeling are gratefulness and happiness, though.

Take a look back at the past 10 years via my blog posts:

2010

I graduated Penn State with honors, traveled to China, and started law school. (My blog did not exist yet so no blog posts.)

2011

I met my husband. I made a decision that had been weighing on my heart. Later that year, my husband moved to Hawaii and we decided to have a really long distance relationship.

2012

I celebrated the new year in Hawaii. During my husband’s deployment, I launched my blog – this was my first blog post. I kept my blog a secret from people I knew for almost five years.

2013

I graduated law school, got sober, briefly lived in Hawaii, and moved to Chicago where I was a prosecutor. My husband and I won a long distance relationship contest! Later that year, I used the Southwest plane tickets we won to meet him and family in Vegas, where we met, and we got engaged!

2014

My husband got out of the military and joined me in Chicago (homecoming post). We got married and honeymooned in Brazil.

2015

My husband and I moved from Chicago and moved to Brooklyn, NYC. I decided to continue my career in a different capacity, working for a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending intimate partner and gender-based violence. We celebrated our first year of marriage with a trip to Quebec City.



2016

We announced our first pregnancy and that summer became parents to our firstborn, Sebastian!

2017

I publicly re-launched my blog and launched my blog Instagram account- follow me! We vacationed to Disney, announced our second pregnancy, and became homeowners!

2018

My cousin Abby passed after a 2.5 year battle with cancer. A month later, we became parents to our secondborn, Rafael, who brought light and love into our lives after a hard period and very difficult loss of Abby. I celebrated my 30th birthday in Boston.

2019

My blog and Instagram business picked up, a career goal came true for me when I started working from home and my husband became a full-time business grad student. We took family vacations to Puerto Rico and Disney. My husband and I celebrated five years of marriage with a trip to Colorado by ourselves!

I am so excited for what is in store in 2020 and beyond. My biggest hope, though, is for a lifetime of health and happiness with my kids, husband and family.