As summer inevitably comes to an end, I always find myself asking, "Where the heck did the summer go?" Let's face it. Whether we like it or not, time really does fly. Especially when you have kids. So, as August comes to a close, I always look back on the highlights and milestones with my kids. It gives us a chance to hold on to the summer magic a little bit longer. Here are some fun ideas to Take On The Creative with your kids and keep the moments of summer alive for a lifetime.  From Martha Stewart
VACATION MOMENTS IN A JARIf you went on vacation and picked up some momentoes, put them in a jar for safe keeping. It's a fun way to add style to your kid's room or family room. Reminisce and tell stories about your adventure on a cold winter's night.
 From Clean & Scentsible
SUMMER TIME CAPSULEI LOVE this idea! My kids and I are going to do this tomorrow. I'm so excited! Make a Time Capsule of your summer and bury it in your backyard. Dig it up in a few years and see how much your children have grown. They'll get a kick out of it. Check out the Clean & Scentsible link for free downloads for your Time Capsule booklet. It's amazing!
 From Family Fun
MEMORY KEEPERMake a Memory Keeper of your summer and hang it up or put it in a shadow box. Really great afternoon craft and an easy way to cherish the moments.
 From Why Not Do It Yourself
MASON JAR MEMORIESAfter dinner, have everyone in the family write memories of their summer in little pieces of paper. You can always go back in the jar to reminisce as a family.
Save the moments and Take On The Creative with your kids! As I mentioned in The Wednesday Simmer this week, I'm taking a break so I don't hit the wall. I'm breaking my routine and I'm stirring noodles that need some attention. Surely some new noodles will surface :) See you here when I get back!
Our Stick Of The Week! is Colleen Gardner. Colleen is in the NOW as founder of The Project Cottage, making coastal inspired handmade designs for the hip cottage. TheProject Cottage combines color, texture and dimension to create unique, stylish products for the artful home. Their retail business is doing great and they are currently branching out into product and art licensing.  Colleen Gardner Colleen Gardner is a wife to an amazing and supportive husband and they have two incredible children. Colleen decided in her late thirties to completely change her career path and it has proven to be the most challenging and rewarding journey her family has ever taken.
"Not only has the creative outlet brought me a happiness I didn’t even know was missing, this venture has strengthened our family bond in so many ways too."
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On The Wall)
My Noodle On The Wall is my business, The Project Cottage. I design, make and sell home décor and gift items. I have a website, two Etsy shops and a local retail shop - which are all doing great! All of our handmade items and graphic art prints are designed and made in my shop and studio, which is the ground floor of my home.
 Graphic Art Prints  Surfboard Coat Rack Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
I would say that my NOW is still simmering but getting close to a full boil. It has grown exponentially since I started almost three years ago, with the fastest growth taking place in the last eight months. We have a strong online retail business and our biggest challenge has been keeping the growth at a manageable pace. We've been very fortunate with some good press, including one of our Surf Board Coat Racks featured in the March issue of Coastal Living Magazine. Ultimately, the plan is to have The Project Cottage front and center in the market place, so we’ve had to make some pretty big decisions concerning the direction of the company. Because of the demand for the product, we either had to expand and relocate to a bigger facility, or license our designs and let other companies make and sell the products. So, we are currently meeting with wholesale companies that have their own manufacturing facilities and are excited with the response to our designs. We hope to start licensing within the next few months.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I think a dash of gumption goes a long way. I am a firm believer that if you have the confidence to go for it and the willpower to stick it out through the tough times, you might just make your dreams come true! I have worked far too many hours, lost too much sleep opting to read about anything and everything pertaining to this industry and have had to readjust our already tight budget. However, I feel like I have slowly mapped out how I really want my life to be, which includes taking charge of my own destiny with my business and home life. As I work hard toward a prosperous future, what's most important, is that I am also home with my family.
 Graphic Art Prints What motivated you to throw your noodle?
I wasn't motivated to throw my Noodle until a few years ago. I had spent sixteen years as a Real Estate investor and managing a restaurant group. I began designing out of necessity when I was asked to oversee the interior design of the restaurants. I began making some of my products because I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. Soon I was getting a lot of requests for products and interior design jobs. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had a new passion.
 Surfboard Bottle Popper I quit my job and we sold most of our real estate so I could focus on starting The Project Cottage. My husband and I designed a home with a 2000 sq. ft wood shop, paint studio and office on the ground floor. Two months after we moved in, Allyson McFarlane, a dear friend and talented graphic designer extraordinaire, bought the house next door. Although Allyson maintained her full time job as a graphic designer for the first eighteen months of the business, she still handled all of my marketing and graphic needs.
 Allyson and Colleen In January of this year, I finally convinced Allyson to quit her job and partner with me so we could pursue art licensing. Having my best friend to share this venture with has only sweetened the deal and because our same age children are close friends, we often juggle carpools, babysitters, camps and even a couple of dinners a week together. It's a truly unique situation that works so perfectly because we have similar values and an understanding that the well being of our families comes first.
 Graphic Prints and Whale Coat Rack What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
Most of our designs are coastal inspired and because we’re lucky enough to live on the coast, it makes for a great creative backdrop. Sometimes Allyson and I have our best design meetings sitting on the beach with a sketch pad while the dads are surfing with the kids. As a mother, I am just so overjoyed to have beautiful, happy, healthy children. It’s inspired me to dream big, not just professionally, but with family happiness as the ultimate goal.
 Star Fish Plank Frame  Riley and McKenna How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
With the help and support of my friends and family, including my parents, sisters and my husband’s family, we have been able to handle the extra stress of two self employed parents pretty well. It was a huge adjustment for us when I decided to start the company because of the time I had to invest. The first year was really tough for me because I had “mom guilt.” I had to become very efficient with my time and ask for a lot more help from the kids and my husband. More than they were accustomed to. But they rose to the occasion.
My husband travels often so my ten year old son, Riley and eight year old daughter, McKenna take care of a number of daily chores, pack their school lunches, take care of the animals and more often than not, tend to go out of their way to help. I am still amazed at their willingness to lend a hand and support. They are happy that I’m
here when they need me and they are still understanding that I have to work. They’re both very creative and are thrilled when they have a craft or project and get studio time with mom!
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My ultimate pasta dish would have to be lasagna. Let’s face it, homemade lasagna takes time and preparation but in the end, the layers of so many different ingredients come together to make the perfect dish.
"Sometimes a break from your routine is the very thing you need. " -Unknown  I guess you could say that my noodle plate has been very full lately. To be completely honest, I'm feeling noodled out. Tonight, I'm at a point where all I want to do is take a break, plop myself down and wake up a week from now. Of course, I have a very difficult time doing just that. But not because I have a million things going on all the time, but because I can't mentally get my head around it.
Taking a break does not come easily for me. I know it's good for the noodle soul. It recharges the battery, gets you refocused and allows you to step away from the routine. A break gives you a fresh start and helps you appreciate the noodles you're cooking. All very good things. So why is it so hard for me to take a break?
When I set my mind to something, I have extreme tunnel vision. Sometimes it can be a good thing and sometimes I'm going so fast, that I inevitably hit a great big wall with a full speed ahead. Tonight, me and my wall are about to collide.
Why do I tend to get to this extreme point before actually allowing myself a break?
As I sit here pulling my eyelids back from complete sleep deprivation, I realize that not taking a break means not taking care of me and my ability to be creative. And that means not being true to myself. Not taking a break stales my routine and whatever noodles I throw. It inhibits new ideas and new energy. And although hitting the great big wall is uncomfortable, it is a reminder that it hurts. It is also a reminder that slowing down can give you the stamina to throw new and better noodles. So maybe I'm the type of person that needs a hard reminder to slow down. I'll accept that as long as I actually stop and take a break.
So, if you'll excuse me....I'm hitting the soft pillow and taking a break before I hit the hard wall head on.
Our latest Noodle Spotlight! is LiEr, a retired Physics teacher and guidance counselor that now stays home and Takes On The Creative with her three daughters. Emily (almost 8), Jenna (almost 6) and Kate (4), are always throwing the noodles with mom. LiEr is married to a software engineer who is her voice of reason and who has countless times saved her from attempting and failing at very daft crafts.
"I like cardboard a lot, but I also sew to throw people off my cardboard addiction."
 Kate, LiEr, Jenna and Emily Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On The Wall) with your child/children?
My NOW is ikatbag, a blog where I write about cardboard, fabric, children and the various permutations thereof. Before I became a wife and mother, I was a high school Physics teacher. I missed both my students and the feeling of being in a classroom with them. I started ikatbag because I wanted to write tutorials. In a sense, it's like a classroom without walls where I get to teach what I want and everyone gets to learn if they want to. I've been sewing and playing with cardboard since I was a very little girl, but doing it with and teaching it to the kids (and my readers!), adds such a fabulous new twist to creating. It certainly leaves the kids and me breathless! What role does creativity play in your home?
I think that in the light of this current modern craft and sewing movement, it can be tempting to define creativity in terms of art, craft or making new and beautiful things. We try to do that in our home too because we love it and because it's something small children can easily get excited about. And they are naturally good at it. However, being able to ingeniously solve problems is an even more important part of creativity. I blame the teacher-beast in me that I've not been able to beat down into retirement!
 Emily playing her cardboard iPhone What gets me excited these days is when the kids come to me with an idea. For instance, like wanting to build a spandex trampoline for their dolls, a palm tree or a cardboard iPhone. Now that they are not toddlers anymore, I am not as quick to build it with them, let alone for them. Therefore, I first send them off to experiment on their own. Sometimes it works wonderfully and sometimes they come back with fists clenched in frustration. I make them sketch out what's in their mind and explain it to me. It gives them a concrete plan and triggers ideas for new ways to do an old thing. I've seen them chuck aside a twisted masking-taped cardboard tube in tears, then turn around and construct a brilliant microphone stand based on something they'd made with me months before. When they are smiling proud, my heart sings. To us, that's creativity.
What inspires you to take on the creative with your kids?
Watching them play would be my number one motivation! It's what inspires almost everything I make for them and it also gives me new ideas for things to do with them. It could be something as simple as painting a piece of wood or something far more complex, like designing a board game or a vet clinic. In most cases, it happens because I eavesdrop on their conversation during their play and think, "Hey! I bet they'd enjoy this… or that…." Then we take out the art supplies, cardboard and fabric, and take their original idea off on a different tangent (or two).  Creating With Cardboard  Jenna and Grandma How do you nurture your child's creativity?
Exposure and experimenting. My own parents are very creative people. Mum sews, bakes, does all kinds of other things and makes it look so easy. Dad used to be a teacher. He taught, among other subjects, art.
My brother and I always had all kinds of good art supplies around the house, even more than we had toys. My secret wish as a child was to have an entire room stocked with even more art and craft materials, particularly of the sort which I'd heard about but never actually had seen. Dad always let us have access to whatever supplies and woodworking tools we wanted. Since he and mum were always making something, we had a lot of exposure to different art and craft forms...Sewing, woodworking, food, fiber arts and paper craft, to name a few .
I find myself now unconsciously living that same philosophy in our home with our kids. They will learn from what they see me do and what they're allowed to do. We invest in art supplies and as many crafting materials as we can find space for, including a collection of corrugated cardboard. The kids have access to everything, provided they let me know when we're running low. There's nothing more irresponsible and irksome than taking the last bit of cardboard and not saying so. It is a state of emergency to be out of cardboard in our house!
 Kate in front of cardboard supply Last month, the kids twisted my arm and we signed them up for a local kids craft fair. Everything there was made by kids and sold for $2 or less. We worked out a business plan together and sold sets of greeting cards the girls made. I knew the experience wasn't about commercial success but it was such a good learning experience. We learned everything from actual crafting, to anticipating problems, to avoiding sunstroke. We had a lot of fun working together as a team. You can read more about our experience here.
What sticky noodles can you offer other Moms taking on the creative with their kids?
Two things:
1. We must not try to be other people.
Blogs, magazines and craft movements are very powerful motivators, but they can also be frightfully intimidating. Pinterest is fabulous, but it can also be distracting. Some of us can only cope with quick projects. Some of us are bored with quick projects. Some of us are naturally drawn to new things. Some of us are happiest doing traditional things. Do with your kids what you're passionate about and they will catch it from you. This is because you are phenomenally excellent at what is naturally interesting to you. I also don't believe you have to be good at one million forms of craft. I mean, kids don't have to be taught everything. If they can learn the basics and concepts, (how to draw straight lines, how to mix paint colors, how to sew a seam, how to fold and glue cardboard) they can take off on their own and surprise you with how innovative they are.
2. We must teach our kids limits.
Especially teach them how to give up. It sounds contrary to the "Never Quit" thing that everyone is supposed to hold to, but this is creativity, not perfecting a batting swing or running laps around the track. We're also not talking about the need to put a project aside because it's time for bed or about the wisdom in letting children figure out a new concept for themselves. Kids often don't know what the limits are beyond which something ceases to be productive. My kids often watch me make a cardboard thing with my glue gun in half an hour and think they can do the same in ten minutes with their desiccated glue stick. When they were even younger, they would repeatedly and continuously try something completely unfeasible and I'd have to step in, pry the roll of masking tape out of their grip and literally tell them, "Sweetheart, you need to give up now. You've tried. Stop. Stop. It's not working." I didn't even tell them to try something else (another popular philosophy) because by that time, they needed to completely surrender and step away. No one was more surprised than I at how simultaneously ironic and useful that approach turned out to be, or how my kids actually needed the "permission" to give up. Sometimes they returned when they felt ready to work at the project again and other times they never did. Either way, they were no longer in that state of frustration that had stymied their ideas and ability to think. And I don't believe their creativity suffered in the least from stepping away.
 Cardboard Barbie Dollhouse What is your child's ideal noodle dish?
Anything that "does" something. Recently we did a craft that involved adding face stickers to little windows on cardboard cutouts to form a city scene. My middle daughter asked me what it did. After a stunned silence, I explained that it was a fun and creative way for little artists to populate cardboard buildings with inhabitants, to which she responded, "Well, that's not a craft. That's just decoration." I was both amused and horrified at the suggestion that only items that "did" things counted as bona fide crafts. Looking back over the things we've made together, I'd say that any project that took a long time to develop, had a high open-ended play factor, was 3D with moving parts and had a lot of coloring involved, were favorites. Some of these include the Greengrocer Shop, the Faraway Tree, the Foam Dirt, the Chickens, the Magnetic Bakery and the Barbie Dollhouse.
If you're looking for new ways to get creative with your kids, then here are some fun project ideas you'll love! All you need to do to get started, is to take a trip to your bathroom :) Who knew there were so many ways to use toilet paper rolls. So save your rolls and Take On The Creative With Your Kids!  From Family Sponge INDOOR PLANTERSGet your hands dirty and plant some seeds. Your kids will have a blast caring for their seedlings inside.
 From Family Fun RACE CARGet your rolls and GO! These toilet paper race cars are a great excuse to spend the afternoon at the races.
 From Crafts By Amanda BINOLULARSExplore the outdoors with these binocular rolls. Have a scavenger hunt or spark the imagination on a backyard safari trip.
 From It's A Wild Life FLOWERSWith the August heat wilting my garden, these flowers are the perfect stand ins. No watering, no maintenance and a whole lot of fun!
Take On The Creative With Your Kids And Save The Rolls!
Our newest Stick Of The Week! is Hilary Lovell. Hilary is in the NOW as founder and creator of A Lovelly Design, an online shop that specializes in custom made mommy and best friend jewelry. Hilary prides herself in making A Lovelly Design the perfect place for customers to connect with the designer and artist behind their custom piece. She loves being able to make the perfect gift for someone special and knowing that it will be a treasured keepsake always.  Hilary Lovell and family
Hilary Lovell is "a mom to the greatest kid, wife to a wonderful husband, artist, firefighter and the “Lovell” behind A Lovelly Design. I love to create with any tool I can get my hands on and am currently immersed in creating pea pod jewelry for moms and friends around the globe."
 Sweet Peas in a Pod Necklace Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall)
My current NOW is my Sweet Peas in a Pod Necklaces. I started designing the necklace while pregnant with my son. Not able to find the perfect "mommy necklace," I decided to make my own. After weeks of planning and with my sweet pea also on the way, the Sweet Peas in a Pod Necklace was born. Just shortly afterward, so was Gavin. Since then, both of my sweet peas have grown and gotten more worldly.
 Gavin Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
My kitchen must always look like a disaster area. I think my noodles are cooked on a very uneven stove top with uneven heating. Some of my noodles are fully cooked, while the rest are overflowing the pot and are usually al dente....Just waiting for me to tweak them a little or to change my initial recipe all together.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
My favorite recipes always begin with me thinking, “Just Go For It”! When you go for it and give it all you have, you will always be surprised by the end result and the way the recipe changes. When I get going, I may not have all of the ingredients that I need right there on the counter at my fingertips, but with a little rummaging and trial and error, I usually end up with a new fun recipe. Also, I learn what ingredients I can mix together to create a new dish and what technique I like or need to play around with more. The knowledge and experience I gain while testing out a new recipe, is worth every moment of frustration or self-doubt.........and all the dirty dishes too.
 Pea Pod Necklaces What motivated you to throw your noodle?
My mom. She is a master gardener, artist, small business owner and the reason that the arts are such a big part of my life. She always had tools and materials for us to use and create with. A gift I could never repay her for. She is the person who suggested and encouraged me to start selling the jewelry I've been making. My mom encouraged me to sell online and she also sold my jewelry in her shop. The Pea Pod Necklaces are also a tribute to her love of gardening and my love of the flowers and plants that she grows.
 Gavin What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I find most of my inspiration in the small things, especially from my five year old. I like to start every day with my “morning boost”. No, it isn’t a coffee or a leftover pasta dish. It is the very first thing to come out of my son's mouth in the morning. His innocence, imagination, humor and abandon for life make it hard to start the day in a funk. So, no matter how late I am up the night before, or how much earlier than him I got up, I always try to be right there in the morning to see the first smile and hear those first words.
 Concept art for Pea Pod Necklace I also like to surround myself with tools, materials and a lot of notepads. A simple thing like the lighting on the bedroom wall at nap time can spark an idea for a new piece. I want to be able to jot down the image, idea and the feeling I had at that moment in time. I may not be able to use the idea in any recipe right way, but given enough time to simmer away, the ideas in the book can be a great start to a great meal.
 Finished Piece How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
I involve, incorporate and I stay flexible. I stay up super late at night and try to get up early before my little guy is up to work on my NOW. That way, I can work without any distractions or without feeling like I’m not “there” for him. If I’ve got a lot to do, I juggle our time between kid stuff and my stuff and incorporate him into what I have to get done. Having him be my helper has been great for both of us. I get to teach him things he wouldn’t otherwise learn and he gets to be mommy's best helper. He is my box getter, label sticker, ribbon cutter and delivery man.
When there isn’t anything he can help me with, he is usually close by playing with his cars or doing crafts of his own. I don’t have a very rigid schedule because things in our house are always subject to change. But we try to do everything we can together.
 Hilary, Matthew and Gavin My husband and I are both firefighters, so on drill nights, we wait until daddy is home from work, eat a quick meal and then go up and drill. Gavin is there with us, so he has been learning the trade. At five years old, he can already instruct others how to do CPR correctly! Being firefighters and serving our community has always been important to both my husband and I. So sharing and involving our son in that is what came naturally. By doing as much as we can together (even if it is just work), it keeps us all unified and mostly sane.
 A Lovelly Design Hand Stamp Necklace What is your ultimate pasta dish?
I LOVE making lasagna and my husband makes the most divine chicken with penne in a white wine cream sauce. But, italian wedding soup is the one that I could eat every day. I love recipes that can be as simple or complex to make as you’d like, or that your time will allow. I also like ones that are easy to freeze or reheat on a busy night.
 Hilary's Tree Stump Cake
I also love cake. I make the craziest cakes for my family. I don’t know who enjoys it more, me or them!
While I was on vacation last week with my family, my husband and I tried to get ourselves into the routine of running every morning together. First of all, I can't remember the last time I exercised seven days in a row. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever done that.  The truth is though, I used to be a runner. I was one of those people that signed up for races and actually enjoyed them. I even ran a half marathon once complete with steep hills. But last week, as I ran with my hubby, each stride left me desperate for it to be over. My husband literally had to drag me to my sneakers every morning. I guess I could have said no, but I knew it was something my body needed, so I did it and fought it tooth and nail instead.
As our feet hit the pavement, I was negative, frustrated and defeated even before breaking a sweat. Inevitably, I would start walking and cursing my poor husband as he flew by with his happy, bouncy stride. I even tried justifying why I could not do this anymore with, "I don't have time to exercise anymore." or "It's too hot!" and the best one, "I'm trying and that's what counts."
And then one morning, I watched my husband zip ahead of me with his joyful, the glass half full kind of run and I suddenly woke up. I realized that I couldn't possibly do this. But not because I couldn't physically run, but because I was not allowing myself to do it mentally.
It is so much easier to walk in your own negativity than it is to run in the positive. That's because negative thoughts don't hold you accountable and the positive do. When you say "I can't" and "I'll try," whether you know it or not, you are giving yourself an automatic out. That's exactly what I was doing every morning on vacation. I knew deep down I wanted to run with my husband, but I also knew that I was out of shape and actually had to work at it. And that was going to take some serious doing not trying.
So remember, when you throw those noodles on the wall, don't give yourself the out with just a good old college try. DO it and zip ahead with a glass half full kind of run. Because when you follow through with a positive outlook, you always move forward. Even if your noodles don't stick, at least you aren't still walking and going nowhere.
If you don't know The Art Of Puddling, then you've come to the right place. Puddling can be difficult. Especially if you don't have the right kind of puddle. Here is a guide on how to find a great puddle and what to do with it. Please....do try this at home. 
If you are fortunate enough to find a fresh puddle after a rain storm, youmust first examine its depth. Puddles can be very deceiving! Insert one foot and then the other to make sure the puddle is even throughout. If each foot is totally immersed, then you have what we like to call, "a winner."
Next, throw something in the puddle, preferably your umbrella, to see if it moves. If the umbrella moves downstream, you have a real find. It's your lucky rainy day! At this point, you should get excited!
If this is the case, you MUST without any hesitation immerse both feet into the puddle at the same time. Repeat. Without hesitation. Even if you are wearing your brand new sneakers. This is considered a once in a life time event.
Then proceed to walk, run and jump back and forth while splashing as much as possible. It's best with an umbrella for added attitude, but not necessary.
So, open your eyes after the next rain storm and get puddling!
As a kid, I remember those hot summer nights chasing fireflies, eating juicy watermelon slices and sharing meals outside with only the glow of lanterns in our backyard. The flickering lights always made me feel like I was a part of something magical.
With the Fall season quickly approaching, I have decided my kids and I need to create our own magic and hold on to summer as long as we can. So, I searched for some fun ways to make our own summer lanterns. Here are great lantern ideas for you to Take On The Creative with your kids and make the magic.  From Family Fun
JAR LANTERNTake some old mason jars and have your kids decorate them. They are perfect for hanging on your back porch!
 From Skip To My Lou
TIN CAN LANTERNHave your kids draw their own design on an old coffee can. Then you can use a hammer and nail to make the holes. Pick an evening to lay in your backyard with a blanket and admire the "designer" glow.
GLASS VASE LANTERNSWith colored tissue paper and glue, your kids will have a blast decorating their glass vase. Such a fun project and always so beautiful.
Take On The Creative With Your Kids And Make The Magic!
Our Stick Of The Week! is Lorena Pacheco Scott. Lorena is in the NOW as founder and CEO of MommiesFirst, a subscription business delivering monthly care packages to expectant and new moms in both the US and Canada.  Lorena Pacheco Scott Lorena Pacheco Scott is a Colombian-born, Toronto-based mamapreneur. Prior to founding MommiesFirst, Lorena spent her entire professional career in finance. She has held investment roles in various US and Canadian venture capital and private equity funds. In her spare time, Lorena loves spending time with her family, running, and writing. She is a part-time blogger and full-time wife, mother and business woman. Lorena is the proud mom of two young boys, Sebastian and Alistair.
 Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall)
My other baby, my NOW and my newest labour of love, is MommiesFirst, a subscription business delivering monthly care packages (boxes) to pregnant and new moms. We are the only care package service in North America to offer customized pregnancy and baby boxes.
 Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
VERY MUCH al dente. I write in all caps to emphasize how much is going on with MommiesFirst and it’s all very exciting! We are shipping our first boxes in September and started taking pre-orders just last week.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I’m not a great cook, so I’ve always tended to follow recipes to the letter in hopes of making a decent enough meal. Becoming a mom has taught me that you need to be more flexible and cease the moment in many ways, rather than follow a strict recipe for life. So, these days I try a pinch of this and a dash of that. I’m willing to experiment in hopes of finding the perfect recipe for my pasta and for life in general. It’s a work in progress, but I’m having fun along the way!
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
Three years ago, I became a mom and my life changed forever. When my first son was born, I was excited and nervous, overjoyed and petrified but mostly, totally unprepared. I was surprised that no one had told me how hard it could be, especially in the early days. Along the way, as I settled into my new role, I realized that I really wanted to help other moms. That’s how MommiesFirst was “conceived." MommiesFirst was created to make life for new moms a little bit easier and a lot less stressful. We aim to be a trusted resource for moms, and to reduce their stress when trying to find the best products and brands for them and their babies. We are committed to always putting mom and baby first. Our hope is that the care package delivered to her door is a special treat she looks forward to each month and the products inside her box empower her to shop with ease and confidence. Our mission and vision are very genuine and we believe we are building a great, enduring company that will make a difference in the lives of moms.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
My children. I have two young boys (almost 3 and just over 7 months). I watch how courageous they are in their approach to life each day and I want to do the same with mine. I realized as soon as they were born that I couldn’t ask them to be brave or take the less traveled path if I wasn’t asking the same of myself. I hope that my entrepreneurial journey will serve as an example to them in their own lives and encourage them to take risks and believe in their own passions.
Motherhood has been an incredible journey filled with lots of surprises and learning along the way, but more than anything, it has fueled my creative juices and my determination to make a difference. I truly owe so much of who I am today to my kids.
 Lorena and her family How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
I pride myself on being brutally honest, so here’s the short answer. It’s hard. Every single day I feel guilty about sacrificing time with my kids to work on my NOW. I also struggle in striking a balance between being the mom, the wife, and the friend I want to be, while launching MommiesFirst. I’ve learned to ask for help and recognize that I cannot do this alone. I’m incredibly lucky to have the most amazing husband, a great family and a good group of friends. They have all helped and continue to help during this important (and busy) period in my life. And, of course, I have amazing kids who are very patient with their scatter brained mommy!
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
Since I am being “honest," I must confess that I didn’t like pasta until very recently. Though during both my pregnancies, I craved it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Watching my boys devour pasta now, makes me fully understand the source of these intense cravings. So, it is only more recently that I have come to appreciate and love pasta bolognese. It is a warm and hearty meal that you can enjoy with family. And truthfully, any meal with my family is amazing.
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