Moms

We want to support and acknowledge moms. Each of you is making a difference whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, or volunteer mom. When you become a mom, it is often easy to forget the side of you that is also a woman who may have had a career, hobbies and education before you became a parent. As a mom we spend our days multi-tasking and juggling. We are now the CEO of our households. Our job description includes diapers, dishes, carpooling, and an endless amount of laundry.

Tips for the Working Mom

Balancing Family Life

Don't fight change, just plan on rearranging your sleeping and waking schedule to ensure that you get quality time for you (i.e. working out, reading, correspondence etc.)
Force yourself to get into the habit of cleaning up, moving/folding laundry, preparing lunches, and planning breakfast every night, before you go to bed.
Allow your kids, when old, to make their own breakfasts (i.e. cereal, toaster treats).
Prepare extra food on Sundays to use during the week (i.e. chop veggies and large fruits or grate cheese; prepare extra meals and/or make a enough in one meal that you can reinvent the left overs over the course of the week).
Always have crackers or other snacks and water in the car.
Utilize some of your lunch breaks at work to run errands (grocery shopping and post office), but also reserve some of them to refresh yourself (take a walk or eat with a friend).
As a working mom, you need to be good at multitasking and staying organized.
Allow yourself one "easy" meal night/week, i.e breakfast dinner, personal pizzas, etc.
Try to make lunches the night before or take advantage of healthy school lunches.
Pick out kids' outfits the night before (or supervise them making their oven choices).
Make sure to get kids to bed early enough that they get the sleep they need.
Work as a team with your partner. Get yourselves ready first in the morning. Wake up kids so that they have enough time to eat, get ready and play a bit before you rush out the door to daycare and school.
Try to talk about something you will do together that night before you all go in different directions. That way, you start the day on a positive note and have something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Mom in the Spotlight

Michelle Warren

(Site Photos) mw_prego.jpg

Photo credit: Shelly Vinson

Profile:

It is my honor to introduce you to a wonderful and extremely talented woman. She is dedicated to preserving the most precious memories for you and your family. Her amazing eye and masterful composition capture life's most cherished moments. Also expecting a baby soon, Michelle is doing it all.

Volunteer Involvement: Photographing for charitable organizations such as United Way, Camp Reach for the Stars and Santa Barbara Heart Gallery.
Involvement Con't.: Yearly free sitting Donations to local schools and organizations such as Childrens Montessori School, The Family School, St. Jude Auction, the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Preschool, the Santa Ynez Christian Academy and others throughout the SLO, Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara counties.
Profession: Photographing families and weddings locally and worldwide.
Education: Graduated in 2003 from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara.
Children: One little baby boy on the way this August. Our first.

Fun Q & A with our Spotlight Mom:

Personal:

What phrase or motto do you live by? Be true to who you are. Honesty and Humbleness are my favorite qualities in others and what I strive to be.

Inspiration: Driving up and down the coast in the beautiful green spring months; photographing free spirits; playing with our two boston terriers on the beach; other talented photographers and artists.

If you could teach your kids one thing and have it impact them, what would it be? Respect. I just worry that too many people forget their manners in our world.

How do you measure success? Happy clients who love their photos!

Greatest Accomplishment: Published in magazines and online websites: BRIDES, The Knot, Snippet & Ink, Santa Barbara Magazine, Don't Box Us In, Wedding Paper Divas, Green Wedding Shoes, 805 Weddings, etc.

Proudest Moment: Being hired to photograph weddings as far as Costa Rica, Cabo and Canada. Such an honor.

Biggest Challenge: Running an organized in-home office on a daily basis while balancing a healthy home & personal life.

Wildest Dream: To have the luxury to take a month off with my husband and son to travel the country or anywhere.

Sport/Exercise Program: I have in-home elliptical trainer I love but it's tough keeping my heart rate under 140. I'm anxious to get back into a stricter workout after the baby comes.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? When no one's with me I blast techno music in my car on the road. Something about it makes me happy.

Where did you grow up: Clovis, Ca

How many siblings: One older brother.

First Job: I worked for Millers Outpost (now Anchor Blue) in high school but my first real job was assisting another photographer in Santa Barbara while I was studying photography at Brooks Institute.

Childhood Ambition: I've wanted to be a photographer since I was about 14. That's the only thing I can ever really remember being passionate about career wise. I fell in love with photography the first time I stepped foot in the dark room. It is my favorite place to be in the whole entire world.

Favorites:

Favorite Local Restaurant: We rarely go out to dinner since my husband works nights in the restaurant industry so we have favorite breakfast places and they include: Ellie's in Grover Beach, the Sculptured Egg in Los Osos, Big Sky in SLO and Kay's Country Kitchen in Orcutt.

Favorite Coffee Spot: Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco. Ok, locally I know I should support the local home grown guys and pick one of them to say is my favorite but honestly I love the coffee at Peet's Coffee in SLO.

Favorite Soundtrack/song: Fav Song: Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes. Favorite Soundtrack: Shawshank Redemption

Favorite Movie: Can't pick just one: Shawshank Redemption, The Professional, Amelie and Man on Fire.

Favorite TV Show: Dexter

Retreat: Camping in Big Sur every year or more!

Last Book You Read: I'm in the middle of about 10 different pregnancy books.

Indulgence: Reeces Pieces

Tell us about a product or item that you can't live without as a parent Well, I'm not sure about what products I can't live without yet but what I do know right now is I couldn't do this without my amazing husband who since the day I met him has always known he wanted to be a dad one day. He is my strength.

Your Perfect Day: Driving with Ben (the hubby). Heading out on an unknown adventure in the middle of April, our favorite time of year on the central coast.

Other:

What inspires you to go to work every day? My love for imagery.

[Business Owners] What motivated you to start your business? My strict education in photography at Brooks and my amazing husband who pushes me to be the best I can be.

[Business Owners] What is the hardest part about owning your own business? Balancing/separating personal life and business life.

Each month we feature a mom making a difference in our community. We want to acknowledge moms whether they work out of the home, work form home or stay at home. Suggest a mom by emailing us at info@northsbcountyparent.com

Past profiled mom...