Family, Home, and Me with Jessica

Jessica of Musical Mama and the Green Thumb is the first contributor to our Family, Home and Me series and honestly the cutest thing ever! I asked her to share her #1 piece of advice for us under the categories I cover in this blog- family, home, and me. Apart from being a wonderful mother to a beautiful little two-year-old boy, she is a very dedicated violin teacher as well as an amazing performer. She has also recently taken on the responsibility of conducting a junior orchestra. Take it away, Jess!

photo courtesy of Angie Gurney Photography

"Since I was a very young child, my mother would read to me and my siblings most every night.  We read everything from A Fly Went By to The Hobbit.  Since becoming a mom, I have felt a deep need to do this with my own little guy as much as possible. Since my little man was a few weeks old, we take time everyday to read. I’m a working mom and so this time becomes such a precious moment in our crazy and slightly overscheduled lives.  I find that on days that we don’t sit down and read at least one of the favorites, his behavior becomes a bit more questionable, if ya know what I mean.  So here is a list of a few of my absolute must have books for starting your own little library for you and your little ones.

I Love You Through and Through
by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak

It comes in board book form so it is perfect for little fingers to read over and over.  The message is darling and so are the illustrations.

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

If you have a grumpus on your hands then this book is perfect for making anyone turn that frown upside down.   My almost two year can recite it word for word and it helps that the illustrations are fantastic. 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight 

by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Good for little boys and girls alike who might have a hard time at bedtime.  Short and sweet, this will definitely win over your little one.

Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman

Classic and delightful.  This one will be read over and over again I promise."

"Chaos is my life.  I wish I could say that I love spreadsheets or that I really enjoy organizing my closet into color coded sections.   I’d like to say that I am on top of things 24/7 but anyone who has walked into my studio may pass out from laughter at that statement. Not only am I naturally disorganized but I have a two year old.  Nuff said.   Anyone who has followed a two year old around for five minutes would know that it is a full time job just picking up after them.  When I feel the craziness is getting out of control I give myself a five minute reset.  I take five minutes (and literally look at the clock) and make one corner look flawless , or scrub my toilet, or wash a window, or shove all the laundry on the floor into a basket.  It is amazing how that five minute reset can add up and help to keep the chaos at bay.  Last piece of advice is to use white vinegar for everything.  Put it in your dishwasher for sparkly dishes, use it to wash windows or even soak sections of sinks with hard water stains and it will wipe right off.  White vinegar is da bomb peeps not to mention cheap!"

photos courtesy of Alixann Loosle Photography

"I’m a musician.  I’ve been playing the violin since the age of four and have two degrees to prove how much I love being a musician.  I have 45 students, I am the conductor of a youth orchestra, and most importantly, I am a full time mama and wife.  My day to day life is filled with music but since becoming a mom, my own practicing and performing has taken a back seat.  Sometimes even if I have the time, I sit and watch a lame TV show (i.e. Vampire Diaries, Dance Academy, Mcleoud’s Daughters to name a few) or eat a bowl of ice cream just desperate to have a moment to myself.  What I find however is that when I regret those large bowls of ice cream and my time with Damon Slavatore and feel I have wasted time.  If I do take those few precious moments that are my own and pick up my violin, I feel more fulfilled.  My advice to all you lovely people is to never lose the thing you love.  As mothers we give our whole selves to our children and they need it.  They also need to see what makes you who you are and how important it is to have goals and strengths to help and influence our world.  Whether you are a musician or a gymnast  or a scientist, devote yourself to never lose that important part of you and make the time to enjoy your own talent and passion.  You won’t regret it, I promise."

Thank you so much, Jessica, for sharing with us. You can check out sweet stories about Jess's beautiful family over on her blog, Musical Mama and the Green Thumb. 

If you are interested in contributing to the Family, Home, and Me series, please email me at gracefullykensie [at] gmail [dot] com.