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be.loved is a full-spectrum support service for new & growing families. Many resources can be found on the site, so please take a look around. Head over to the be.connected page to contact me with questions, concerns, or requests for more information about services for your family. I can't wait to meet you!

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Happy Earth Day! I’m kind of relishing this rainy day. It seems appropriate today that it is wet & lush & green. We’ve done so much to damage our earth, so today let’s try to focus on what we can do to start repairing it. I try hard to foster good habits with Leo now so that they become long-term behaviors. We talk about conserving water for our friends Nemo & Doesn’t ry (can’t flush unless you use the potty, bud). We talk about recycling vs. garbage when he’s “helping” clean up. We have eliminated almost all single-use plastic in our home & use clean beauty/personal care/cleaning/home products. We’re looking into composting services. We try to shop local & organic. We support sustainable companies. Today, to celebrate our earth, we planted some sunflowers. As they grow, we’ll be reminded of all the earth provides & it will give us a chance to talk about conservation & taking care of our home. Let’s raise the next generation of little humans to love their earth & be her stewards in a way precious generations haven’t. Our examples & lessons become their behavior. What have you done today to show the earth how much you appreciate her? ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #happyearthday #earthday2019 #lovetheearth #shopclean #intentionalliving #childrenarethefuture #savetheearth #motherearth #gogreen #theresnoplanetb
Buona Pasqua! I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend or had a beautiful Passover. Whether you celebrate this weekend or not, I hope it’s been filled with love, gratitude, laughter, warmth, good food, & your chosen family. May you be happier than this nugget on an Easter egg hunt for eggs filled with cars. And when you inevitably find Easter grass in your house in three months, may it make you smile with fond memories. ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #buonapasqua #happyeaster #happypassover #famiglia #somuchdriving #springhassprung #auntsareforspoiling #egghunt #thisstuffgetseverywhere #jerseycitybywayofCT #foodfordays
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Ugh. Groooaaaaaaaan. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Buzzfeed, seriously?! Please stop feeding into the culture of fear around childbirth. Don’t use click-baity titles to fill the heads of pregnant women, those trying to conceive, & young people for whom childbirth is far in the future with terror. Childbirth experiences are so varied, so personal. Women have to work so hard to get informed & feel empowered during pregnancy & childbirth. We live in a world where, often, personal agency is not a given in this process. Protocol & history & biases are hard enough to navigate. Every article like this does nothing but create more hurdles for women. Fear is the biggest obstacle to a positive birth experience - stop feeding into it. We have to do better. ************************************************** @buzzfeed ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #evidencebasedbirth #birthwithoutfear #pregnancy #birth #motherhood #empoweredbirth #birthculture #stopfearmongering #womenshealth
As parents, sometimes we forget that our children, however small, are *people*. Teeny human beings with wants & thoughts & oh so many feelings. Instead, we focus on getting them to comply to all our wishes. Yes, sometimes to keep them safe & healthy & teach them. More frequently, perhaps, to make our lives easier. Less complicated, more streamlined, less difficult, more like before. We fill our days with don’ts & nos & stops then get frustrated when our children throw a tantrum over their lack of agency. So here’s a reminder for a cloudy Thursday: take a breath & lead with love. Make them feel heard. Acknowledge their anger, their frustration, their sadness. Validate it. Use gentle words. And offer hugs & kisses & help for when they’re ready. It’s not always easy & no one can do it every single time (we all have our breaking points!). Responding with warmth will mean the world to your little bug. And, I promise you, it will make your life easier, too. Anger is met with anger, but love begets love. After all, they’re only real request is “love me” 💕 ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #leadwithlove #lovebegetslove #lovewarrior #loveaboveall #emotionalintelligence #socialemotionalintelligence #emotionalvalidation #mindfulparenting #youarekind #loveme
Why is it that no matter how old we get, we still feel like we’re in high school? Walked into a play group a while back & it was immediately clear all the other moms knew each other. I suddenly felt all self-conscious. Making new friends is hard, mamas! I looked down at my feet & thought, “oh goodness, did I really have to wear these socks today?! Are these perfect or the worst?” But then I thought what I would tell all of you if you worried about these things. You find your village. Maybe they’re other moms. Maybe not. Maybe they’re at a playgroup. Maybe not. Maybe they’re local. Maybe not. But you WILL find them. And whoever doesn’t think your sock reminders to buy more wine aren’t funny can find their own village. Not this one, cuz this one has wine....but their own equally cool mama tribe. Maybe they need reminders to buy kale. Maybe not. ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #findyourhappy #findyourvillage #buymorewine #myvillagehaswine #momsohard #momsocks #makingfriends #illalsotakechocolate #momshamingsucks #kalerockstoo
Walking by this over the weekend made me feel...uneasy. As I gazed in the windows, I watched people of all ages posing in the various “immersive rooms” - flower walls & giant shoes & poppy colors. I watched as they snapped dozens of curated photos. Standing alone in corners swiping through seemingly identical photos to choose the best one for social media. Boston is happy. But are we? In this age of screens I struggle sometimes with how we - and our children - process happiness. Sometimes it seems we’ve begin to forsake true happiness in order to *appear* happy. I can only hope that Leo learns that happiness is pajamas, unwashed hair, messy floors, dark circles, & mismatched socks more than perfection on shiny screens. All that is beautiful is not pretty. I hope that *I* can learn it. And, you, mama, as you read this bleary eyed at 2 am during yet another feeding & struggle to remember the last time you changed your top, I hope you know it too. (The irony of this post being on social media is not lost on me 😋) ************************************************** #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #findyourhappy #happiness #yourhappyplace #itsnotreal #loveauthentically #leadwithlove #ifyourehappyimhappy #allthatisbeautifulisnotpretty
Sometimes you wake up Monday morning ready to take on the week. And by you I mean YOU, because it’s almost certainly never me. But, sometimes, Monday morning greets you with a toddler stomach bug that does unspeakable things to your playroom. The Lysol wipes are only in the house until we run out, & I usually get *irritated* when my husband uses them. This was a special case, guys. It was....beyond description. But, you know what? A scrub & an emergency bath & a load of laundry later, I feel like I can take whatever this week can throw at me. Because - I cannot stress this enough - that was 🤢🤢🤢 Mindset, mamas! When it comes down to it, all that tough stuff is just a lot of poop. You take a deep breath, wipe it away, & start again. And, after all, no one is more adept than a mama at dealing with 💩 ******************************************************Shout out to @ruggishco for being so easy to clean!!! ******************************************************#belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #weshallnotspeakofit #hellomonday #takeontheweek #somuchpoop #motherhoodisgross #allthedisinfectant
Oh, hello, Spring! Thanks for stopping by this week! Getting out of the house (especially after a long winter of being stuck inside) is a HUGE benefit of outdoor play. But did you know that outdoor play also fosters social competence, problem solving, creative thinking, safety skills, imaginative play, taking initiative, sensory play, an appreciation of the environment, enjoyment of physical activity, & supports development of your child’s muscles & digestive system. There is even evidence that outdoor play increases learning ability & clear thought! And that’s just to name a FEW! So, in case you were on the fence about going out today, get out there! ****************************************************** @massaudubon @zoonewengland ******************************************************#belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #outdoorplay #bostonnaturecenter #franklinparkzoo #hellospring #getoutside #getmoving #exploreboston #outdooreducation
He’s two today. Motherhood is so many things I expected & so many things I didn’t. I was ready to feel my heart fill up, but had no idea just how full it could get. I was ready to feel pride & awe, but not ready for the intensity or frequency with which I would feel them. But, mostly, I was not ready for the duality of it all. For every time I feel overwhelmed with love, I feel equal parts heartache. Every day I have moments of intense joy, but I also have moments that I’m certain my heart must be tearing apart. For every moment that he amazes me, I am acutely aware that he is growing & time is passing. Last night as I rocked him to sleep, I let tears silently flow as I processed the fact it was the last time I’d put my one-year-old to sleep. I cried for the baby that is lost to me forever. But I also cried tears of happiness for the cute, sweet, thoughtful, funny, determined, perfect little toddler that was in my lap. Motherhood will always be both. Two. So, today, more for me than for him, we’re instituting a new traditions: birthday rules. He wantsto have some extra sugar? Ok. He wants to watch a little bit of movie? Got it. He wants to stay in your jammies day? Cool. Because he’s growing, so for this one day I’m going to slow it down, have a yes day, & just indulge in two. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Photo by @loveandperry •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #myheart #twoyearsold #yesday #dualityofmotherhood #birthdayboy #birthdayrules #timeistheworst
Oh man, is teething just the worst or what? Leo has been working on these canines for what seems like forever. The memory of sleep dances around my mind like a shimmering mirage. As of now, I’m powered by pure willpower. Here’s hoping they pop through soon! All you other mamas muddling through teething: I’m with you! Just remember, it’s worse for your babe - they don’t have coffee 😋 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Thanks to @mommycusses for this perfect description •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #belovedboston #bostonmamas #mamas #toddlermama #toddlers #boymama #instamama #igmama #motherhood #bloggermama #adventuresofleojack #littlelionpaws #lifewithleo #leomio #dearleo #motherhood #workingmama #sahm #workfromhomemama #bostonbusinesswomen #teethingistheworst #morecoffeeplease #sleepwhatsthat #allthesnuggles #chewingeverything #nursingfordays #whydoweneedteethanyway #chewingmonster