As a mom of two boys, two dogs and as a wife, I feel like I have an insanely close personal connection with circus performers. I truly do live under the big top. I’m a clown, I’m a juggler, I have been the 300 lb. woman before (while pregnant), I wrangle wild animals, I do breathe fire (only on my really bad days), I can be a contortionist (as far as my planning skills go), I can’t say I’ve been shot out of a cannon, yet, but some days, I really do wish I had one, I’ve gone around and around and around in a circular steal trap (not on a motorbike, but with my emotional state) and, I pounce from platform to platform with some fear and uncertainty, but always with a smile, and I really do have some awesome costumes and props that help me tame my life under the big top.
My days aren’t any longer than any one else’s, I haven’t won the megamillions (yet) and my kiddos are just as ________ (fill in the blank) as your kiddos, but I chug through everyday with a purpose. My kids and husband come first, and everything else is a balancing act. I love my hobbies, one of which is gardening and writing, I love my friends and social life, I love spending time with my family, I love to travel (New York, LA and Paris are my favorite cities), I love fashion, I love hanging out with my husband, just the two of us, I love to read and of course, I absolutely love my job as a stylist and my new venture as a blogger of all things fashion and fitness.
As this career has taken off, it has opened my eyes to the difficulty of not only balancing work and family life but also the difficulty in maintaining a high level of self purpose and the belief that what I’m doing is right, what I’m doing makes me happy, which in turn makes my family happy. I’ve come to the realization that my happiness and self worth is what’s going to make this big top operate on a daily basis.
Fortunately and unfortunately, mine and my business partner, Jessica’s new venture as MsFits has thrown us into a whirlwind of events and parties and meetings and art shows. They’re last-minute invites, they’re “come have a drink and discuss bla bla bla”, they’re Tuesday late night meetings with a 5am wakeup from a one-year old, they’re write that blog post or do our 7 foot load of laundry, they’re have a conference call in the 2o minute window our kiddos are distracted by Sesame Street, they’re post everything and anything you can on Instagram because your PR expert told you to, they’re phone calls about gossip that we’re always out and never home with our kids.
I’m pretty sure that every mom out there knows exactly how hard it is to be a mom, I’m pretty sure every mom out there would hate to hear criticism on what she’s doing to balance it all, and I’m pretty sure every mom out there can agree that we’re just trying to do our best. Other mom’s “best” might not be your definition of best, but I guess, “best” is in the eyes of the beholder.
And so is happiness. If our happiness is maintaining our careers as a stylist and barre instructor, if our happiness is being on a conference call while sorting that 7 foot pile of laundry, if our happiness is taking our kids to fashion events, if our happiness is going out to events and parties a few times a week, then that’s the best we can do.
Ms Fit for Society started as a simple idea about supporting women whether they’re moms or entrepreneurs or financiers or artists or whatever. It was a simple idea about feeling good about yourself as a woman through fitness and fashion and it has taken us on a ride that has only just begun. After a little over 6 months into our venture, we have had so much fun, have met so many amazing people, have taken so many great pictures and have hopefully inspired some people as well. We have shot out of cannons (our ideas at least), we’ve been the Incredible Four-Armed women (how else can we Instagram and shake hands and hold our clutches?), we have swung on the trapeze from event to event with the greatest of ease (thanks to Uber) and with all of that, we love that our lives have come full circle to the middle of the circus ring. Our happiness is the reward at the end of the day, our reward is that our happiness is contagious and if we can infect our kids, our families and our friends, then how much better can it get?
Welcome to the big top ladies… now find your happy !
This is me on my way to a black tie event… Little did I know that that naked baby of mine left a nice poop stain on my Alexander Wang gown…
Ms Fit for Society 