Momming Local
Welcome Mommas! I’m a new mom to a handsome baby boy. I’ve lived locally my whole life, but now I’m rediscovering our area with the eyes of a mom. So, this blog chronicles the journey of our family and the places and people we encounter along the way. My writings and ramblings are about all things baby and kids in the Glens Falls region. I love to review local businesses, spotlight moms I adore, roundup local family friendly activities, give ideas for volunteering, create fun shopping lists, and you’ll find a sprinkle of parenting posts, real life moments, easy DIY, and recipes I promise will never be too difficult.
Supporting 12801 and Beyond
As a mom, teacher, and former business owner in downtown Glens Falls, I’ve experienced firsthand the strong love for our community and the support for local businesses. This blog is a place for moms (and of course dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents and caregivers) to find new places in the Glens Falls area to visit with kids and to spark ideas for ways to support one another.
I won’t claim to be an expert since I’m new to mommyhood, so mixed in with my posts you’ll find guest posts from other amazing local moms about topics they’re passionate about. Are you a mom who loves to write or has a story to tell? I’d love to hear from dads too! Or maybe you own or know of a local business looking to partner up. Contact me! I’m always interested in adding to our network.
Want to know what inspired me to start this blog? First, I had to figure out how in the world to get my new baby to sleep. Then, this happened:
It all started on a November morning while I stared out the window at the leaves piling up outside. Sitting painfully still, I did the only thing I could do without waking the sleeping newborn in my arms- daydream about life pre-strollers and carseats. It felt like a distant memory. Here I was on Week 4 of my maternity leave, stuck inside the house for the 28th day with my bundle of joy, feeling like I’d forgotten what life was like before I had to schedule outings around bottles and naptimes.
Don’t get me wrong. I love that little bundle with my entire being. I now fully understand what parents have been describing for years. On one hand, you have so, so much love, but on the other hand they require so. so. much. energy. As a new parent, your whole world is turned upside down in fantastic and terrifying ways. Everything you thought you knew about how to function in society is now brand new.
Here’s how things may change; maybe you can relate.
For one, if you want to leave the house, you better do it at a time when that baby/toddler/tween is typically in a good mood or fast asleep. That leaves about a 2 hour window.
BB (Before Baby) you could run out the door if you had your wallet, your phone, and maybe a coat. AB, you’re running through your mind lists of gear, changes of clothes, food, several coats, and anything else you could possibly need for 10 different scenarios you’re attempting to predict. No matter how laid back a mom is, there’s just more to think about when you have multiple humans to plan for.
Back to that November morning. I won the Best Friend lottery because my BFF was also on maternity leave with a baby just 2 weeks younger than mine. I started a text to her that went something like this:
Me: I need to get out of this house.
My BFF: Yup.
Me: The baby will probably be sleeping around 10, can we come over then?
My BFF: I can’t stare at these 4 walls any longer. Want to go out to eat?
Me: Ummmmm. Can we do that?
My BFF: Do you mean can we eat? Or go out in public with babies?
Me: Both.
My BFF: Let’s do it.
Me: We’re really doing this.
My BFF: #momming
So, we piled our babies into our cars (separately, by the way, because we didn’t know how to install a carseat in the other’s car) and we headed out to a local coffee shop we’ve frequented since we were teenagers.
We lucked out because the shop was dead mid-morning on a Wednesday. We decided to try bringing our strollers, and BOTH of them fit perfectly on either side of the table, though we learned we couldn’t do a booth at this particular venue. The employees were incredibly kind, helping us to open the door and parade our strollers in. They didn’t blink an eye when one of the babies let out the inevitable screech of a hungry newborn, and they made sure to deliver our food to the table instead of having us pick up at the counter. We made sure to scope out all aspects of this spot for future BFF dates. What was the bathroom situation? Was the changing table usable? Could we hang out for a long time without losing our table?
The whole relaxing coffee shop experience was a little bit different from what I was used to BB, but with a few adjustments, it was the most refreshing day I’d had in a long time. I realized with the right coffee shop and the right planning, I could still live a (somewhat) normal life with my baby!
And that’s what sparked the idea for this blog.
I thought there must be some moms like me out there. Moms who would want to research family-friendly places ahead of time. I wouldn’t limit my reviews to coffee shops, I’d look into parks, museums, fun things to do on rainy days, shopping centers, and local products for parents and kids.
Being a new mom changes my whole perspective of the 12801 area. It opens a world of new places and activities for my friends and I to check out, and we’ll let you know our thoughts along the way.
You may wonder how a new mom will have the knowledge to keep up a blog for kids of all ages. Well, even though my baby boy is just a few months old, I’m no stranger to the kid thing. I was the neighborhood babysitter from age 14 on up through college, spent many years trying to be the cool aunt to 6 nieces and nephews, spent my weekends from age 22 until now finding local things to do with my little sister from Big Brothers, Big Sisters, I’ve been a teacher to 9 and 10 year olds for 9 years, and I owned a business in downtown, Glens Falls for 2 years. Whew. Believe me now? My guest mom bloggers will fill in the gaps, and we hope this will be your go-to place for all things momming local.
**Wondering where I found the beautiful photos of Glens Falls for the blog? Check out Jason Checkla Photography for more gorgeous shots.
