Valerie
Valerie was raised in a small town in south Texas and met her husband in Aggieland. They moved to Fort Worth in 2007 and are now happily raising three wild-hearted children. She is a part-time homeschooling mama and spends most days in parks, libraries, or a grocery store. She loves coffee, music, road-trips, any new health fad, and well-written children's books. Valerie is also a portrait photographer and has photographed the journey of motherhood from pregnancy and birth to breastfeeding and beyond for DFW families for more than 10 years.
Be a Summer Snacks Hero :: 18 Snack Ideas to Save the Day
Kiddos playing, skating, biking, running around with friends, and swimming all day means some hungry bellies will be yelling “Mom! There’s nothing to eat!” One of the most dreaded hurdles of summer time is feeding your growing, active crew. As much as we all love the drive thru, even that gets old after the third or fourth trip.
Busy Mom, Picky Eater-Approved Paleo Recipes
Following a paleo diet means we eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. And we avoid grains and processed foods. We have followed this diet for more than a year, and I finally found a good arsenal of recipes on rotation. So you can skip the Pinterest searching and recipe flops and check out these busy mom- and picky eater-approved recipes.
Happy Surprises When Mama Returns to Work
If you are a stay-at-home parent, I commend you and honor what you are doing for your family. If you work inside or outside of the home, I honor what you are doing for your babies as well. I was surprised when I returned to work that it fits my family as well as it does. My advice to any mother is to follow what brings your heart peace and your family joy. You might be surprised where it leads you.
Pleas for the Postpartum Mama
The awareness towards postpartum depression and anxiety in the past years are huge steps in the right direction, but if you are a first-time mother, healing and mental health might not be in the forefront of your baby preparations. Here are just a few tid-bits of advice from a mama who has been there.
Allergy-Friendly Easter
If you have an allergy or food-sensitive kiddo in your family, the holidays can be tricky. You may get some panicked calls or texts from grandparents or relatives asking what to do about Easter baskets and the egg hunt. Send them this kiddo-approved, allergy-friendly list of Easter treats and basket ideas that will make those little bunnies very happy!
Bye Bye Baby Stage
With the baby stage in my past, I feel as if I can catch my breath again. I am beginning to have a taste of what life is like outside the realms of the baby stage, and I gotta say it is not bad.
12 Springtime Fun Activities {that Won’t Break the Bank}
If it was up to my kids, we would live at splash pads, the zoo, the children’s museum, or Six Flags until fall rolls back around. Because my wallet cannot handle that, I have to up my mom game and get creative to keep my kids from crawling the walls of my home.