Elsewhere Archives - Crazybananas

Elsewhere : A Happy Goodbye to Preschool

August 12, 2016/0 Comments/in Elsewhere, Parenting, Tate /by Megan

Earlier this summer I was over at the Kansas City Moms Blog talking about my joy at the end of an era…and now school is starting! I can’t believe it!

Look, I get it. Time is scary. Watching our children grow up and eventually grow away from us is one of the most difficult things we go through as mothers. Every day they become more independent, and for us, that can be a bit terrifying. I’m sure one day I will look back and miss these days. But today is not that day!

Today my kid is so excited to move on to kindergarten! He is ready to be at the local elementary school with all the big kids he’s looked up to for ages. He’s ready to not be the preschooler anymore, and instead be part of the crowd. He’s ready to be challenged and learn new things. In short… he’s just ready!

And as his mama, I’m ready, too!

You can read more over at the Kansas City Moms Blog. And wish me luck next week when my little guy is actually starting kindergarten! Will I end up an emotional mess? I guess we will just have to wait and see…

Elsewhere : I’m Not the Best Mom, Life in Recovery and Tiny Prints!

April 26, 2016/0 Comments/in Elsewhere /by Megan

Does anyone else feel like life is currently a mad rush to get everything done before summer vacation starts?! In my neck of the woods, we start the kids summer break crazy early (like, in less than a month!), so April and the first part of May are always nuts. I’m trying to cram in big projects, the kids have a million activities, end of school open houses, carnivals, et cetera. My little, introverted brain is on constant overload due to all the talking to all the people/clients/parents/teachers.

But projects and forward motion are a GOOD thing, so I’m doing my best to be grateful for my very full plate. On top of my photography business and this blog, I also freelance write all over the internet, and I wanted to share a few of my recent posts with you! Pop on over, show some love, and keep me employed! Please and thank you!

I’m Not the Best Mom | Via the Kansas City Moms Blog

“But the further I get into this mothering gig, the more I realize, NOBODY is a supermom. Those moms with the organic meals might give their kids 30 extra minutes of screen time so they can catch up on Instagram. The moms who use their most gentle voices today at the grocery store might not be so calm when they find a Barbie Doll clogging up their toilet.”

Elsewhere : The Kansas City Moms Blog

February 15, 2016/0 Comments/in Elsewhere, Parenting, Work /by Megan

Ever wondered how I went from a mom who worked out of the home 50+ hours per week to a work-at-home mom with her own business? Well, I’m sharing the whole story over on the Kansas City Moms Blog:

But I still felt like something was missing. As my children grew, I found it was harder and harder to balance my high stress job with my parenting duties. My husband’s company became extremely successful, and he was less and less able to pick up the slack on the home front. We were all exhausted, and together, we decided a change had to be made.

You can read how it all came together over at Becoming a Mom Boss on the Kansas City Moms Blog!

You can also read my post on my complicated relationship with Facebook, and how I think we should all probably just move on over to Snapchat:

Ahhh, Facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with the king of social media platforms. Yes, it provides me with entertainment in those times when I just need a break from the insanity of life as a mother of small children. But sometimes it feels like a black hole from which I can never escape! One minute I’m commenting on my childhood friend’s new vacation photos, and before I know it, two hours have passed and I’m wondering what I’m doing with my life!

Read more at Is Facebook on Its Way Out? on the Kansas City Moms Blog.

Are there any other parenting topics you’d like to see me cover? Send me a note at megan@crazybananas.com or drop me a comment below!

Elsewhere : Best Apps for Kids + Step 6

September 30, 2015/0 Comments/in bloglife, Elsewhere /by Megan

Hi friends! I hope you are having a fantastic week! Here are a few pieces I’ve written for some of my favorite outlets around the web lately…enjoy!

Best Apps for Kids and Families
I wrote a post for the Kansas City Moms Blog all about my favorite apps for children and families. This is a topic I’ve written about before, but this new version includes some great, new apps, along with some of my longtime favorites.

While I am a huge fan of family-friendly apps and games for smartphones and tablets, I have to admit, finding the best of the pack for my little crew can be overwhelming! As of July 2015, Android users had over 1.6 million apps to choose from in their online store, with Apple close behind at 1.5 million. That’s a lot of iTunes browsing… and we mamas don’t have time for that nonsense! So as an official “App Junkie,” I have done the work for you. You can thank me later.

Read more over at the Kansas City Moms Blog!

My 12 Steps: Step 6
When I was asked to write a piece on my 12-step journey for Addiction.com, I was definitely hesitant. I’m probably not the “ideal” 12-step person, but I figured I’d give it a whirl. And I’m glad I did, because everyone’s journey is different, and if reading this helps just one person out there who is struggling, it will be worth it.

Listing out all my defects and resentments had been mentally, emotionally and spiritually exhausting. Admitting all of these aloud had initially terrified me. But it was actually cathartic, telling someone the whole truth for what may have been the first time in my entire life. I never considered myself a liar per se, but I was not a person who told the truth. Everything that came out of my mouth was twisted and turned until my tales barely resembled real life. Sharing my deepest shames and fears with someone who responded with no judgment, only love and support, was a beautiful experience

KCMB : Our Journey Through Secondary Infertility

August 21, 2015/0 Comments/in Elsewhere, Grumples, Happiness, Parenting /by Megan

I’m over on the Kansas City Moms Blog today talking about my experience with secondary infertility. This is something I’ve written about before, but never in as much detail. I think it took a few years for the sting of it all to wear off and for me to get to a point where I could talk about it. There was so much depression and disappointment in those years, it took a while for me to feel normal again. As a women, I felt like my body was broken. And as I’d had one child already, I felt like my own infertility issues were not as important. I worried people would think I was selfish because I already had a child, while so many others who struggle with infertility don’t.

“Months went by with no positive results. At this point, my mental and emotional state began to crumble. I wasn’t sure what to do, or who to reach out to. Most infertility groups were geared toward women who had no children. My one healthy pregnancy locked me out. I felt guilt over my sadness, thinking I should just be quiet and be grateful for the child I DID have. I was deeply depressed and confused. I felt like it was a cruel joke, that I could get pregnant when I didn’t want to, but now that we were financially stable and trying for a child, I couldn’t make it happen. My husband was supportive, but he couldn’t understand exactly what I was going through, and in turn, I stopped confiding in him. I felt like a failure.”

You can read more (including our happy ending to our fertility journey) over at the Kansas City Moms Blog.

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