Real Moms: A Series

                                     

“Real Moms” is a series that will begin in June + features a new “real” mom each month. You might be curious of what I mean by real mom. I want to feature moms who either work away from home or help to run their home + raise their kids, which is a full time job of its own. We might not always make the perfect dinner or lunches in the shapes of animals, our houses might not always be picture ready, but our families are healthy + most importantly happy.

i am so pleased to introduce my first "real" mom. laura is an amazing friend to brian + myself. she + brian grew up together in lake highlands + she then went on to marry brian's best friend gabe. over the years she has become a best friend to me as well. i love everything about her + her sweet family. beni + nate are going to be best friends one day, just like their daddies. 

name(s) + age of kid(s):

Benicio Arizmendi: 14 months

city:

Garland

where are some of your favorite places to go with your little one?

Before the heat kicked in, we really enjoyed going to our local park. Now that the temps are too hot, we try and do as much indoor activity as possible.We do, however, enjoy going to The Harbor in Rockwall to eat on Lake Ray Hubbard and then let Beni run around in the water park. One of our most favorite place to go is to our friend's house (you&brian) who also have a little one. Maybe because it gives us a chance to have a little social adult time while the kiddos play :)

what is something inspiring of funny that your mother taught you about being a mother?

Not to take everything so serious. Everyone makes mistakes and the more you question yourself, the crazier you'll get. If your child is alive and healthy at the end of the day, then you're doing okay. You have to remember that they grow up so fast and that if you are too busy worrying about every little decision you make, you will miss out on all the little things that are apart of them growing up.

what is something you hope your child gets from you?

My compassion. I think with that, you can help change the world.

what is something you hope they don't get from you?

My temper, although it's already starting to show!! :/

how do you stay creative at home?

PINTEREST! I know it gets a lot of criticism, however, it is my bible when I have to think of ways to engage Beni after reading the same book 30 times and playing the same games 100 times. It really is helpful in that it is full of fun and creative ideas to do with your little one at any age.

what is the number one thing you hope to teach your child?

I want him to be taught how to think, not what to think. The world can be very harsh. And with the way social media is booming, it is so easy to get caught up in what's trending. I want him to think for his own and not make decisions or think a certain way just because it's "popular".

how do you relax after a stressful day?

I open up a bottle of wine and take a bath. Then I read a book or catch up on my shows. I think that's what most mothers do. It's like an understanding we have.

please share a story with us about your little one:

Just recently, Beni has been testing us. He knows now what he can and can't get into in the house. The dog's food bowls is a big no no and he knows that. But it's like a magnet for him, like a fly to a bug zapper. We get on to him over and over, but he doesn't listen so we've resulted to "time-out". Well... apparently he loves time out so much that he now purposely runs to the dog bowls, picks them up to pour out the food, then runs to his time out spot and sits himself down with a big smile on his face. I'm at a loss on where to go from here. 

thank you so much laura for being my first "real mom."

 you are an absolutely amazing mama! 

i love you + your family so much.

 thanks for always being such a great friend to us.