{Down with Detroit}

Growing up in metro Detroit as a young child was always an adventure. It was around my second birthday that my parents “bought me a backyard”. We moved into a quaint cape cod on a dead end street in Royal Oak. Soon thereafter, my love for the area and all it had to offer began. On Saturday mornings you could find us at the Royal Oak farmers market or Eastern Market. We knew it was a special day if we brought home one of Kathy’s homemade New York style Cheesecakes. Saturday afternoons in Metro Detroit held many opportunities; bleacher creatures at Tigers Stadium, shopping Trappers Alley, Greektown (pre casino), Xochimilco’s in Mexician town for delish authentic Mexican food or a local fave of young and old the mini train rides at Starr Jaycee park. One of my fondest childhood memories of the city were going to pick up grandparents from Michigan Central train Station. Still to this day it is my favorite Detroit landmark. I hope one day it will be restored to it’s former glory!

{Down with Detroit}

Born and raised in the suburbs, I had very little exposure or experience with “The City”. I ended up going to college in Detroit (Wayne State University & University of Detroit Mercy) where I studied Architecture & Design. I fell in love with the sights and sounds. Whether it was new build construction of Detroit’s present, crumbling old buildings showing Detroit’s past or construction sites of the future, I loved exploring all that the city offered. I loved to explore and spent a few years in Las Vegas, Nevada and Newport Beach, California.  I was always proud to say I was from Detroit. Because Detroit was always my home. My roots. I feel grounded and wholesome here. I moved back a few years ago, fell in love with an amazing man, got married and started a family. Even though I am still in the suburbs, Metro Detroit has no comparison to the other cities I have lived in. We have the best schools, best bars, best food (Yum Greektown), best sports (Go Wings!), best music (always have been + always will be a Madonna fan) and the best part – my friends and family are here. I’m one of the few people who loves beautiful winter days when the sun is shining off the newly fallen snow, the smell of color leafs in the fall and the burst of green when spring makes its grand entrance. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss the smell of the salty ocean and palm trees swaying in the air. But they don’t have the Detroit spirit that we have here!

{My Life}

I’ve always considered myself to be a workaholic, career driven, “moving up the ladder” type of woman. Then I got married and now I am the mother of two beautiful children. My 10-12 hour work days in the office are far forgotten. Working in Facility Management for one of the Big 3, I am surrounded by men…and tools…and putting out fires. These days, I’m juggling sharing daycare drop off/pick up duty with my husband, driving to work with nursery rhymes on the radio (sans no kids in the car), sitting in a meeting and realizing there are stickers on my clothes, and trying to get as much work done in an 8 hour work day so I can get home to my family. The days of traveling, exploring and new adventures have skewed slightly. Instead of hopping on a plane to check out San Francisco for the weekend, I am checking out the latest things to do around town with a toddler. I still depend 100% on coffee (I heart Starbys), love high heels, will not leave the house without makeup on and look forward to my “Me” days to get my nails and hair done. I have no problem having a complete conversation via text messages with multiple people at the same time (can we say multi-tasking!!). With two kids, a husband and a full-time job, I have a long bucket list of Pinterest crafts, scrapbooking, and recipes to attempt at. And the list keeps getting longer the more kids I have! In the meantime, I’m putting my design background to the test and have been working on updating our home. Room by room when the kids are sleeping and I can finally settle on a color scheme. Hopefully, some of my ideas and accomplishments will make it into the blog! And a few rooms are already going to get repainted – again! I can’t seem to settle on the right color for more than a few months!

{Babies & Beyond}

Alexandra Marie – 23 months

Two years ago we were blessed with Alexandra Marie. From day one, she stole my heart. And she became a “Daddy’s Girl”. Watching my husband interact with her made me fall in love with him all over again and even more. Now as a toddler, she amazes me every day. The way she says things, the excitement when she can hear the train in the background as we are going to bed. How much she loves dogs, but won’t go within 10 feet of them. And the dancing! Alexandra also loves her mommy. When I am putting makeup on, she wants to put some on too! Then gets so excited when I tell her how pretty she is! But pretty and smart isn’t all she is! She’s also so tough! I never thought I would fight with a 2-year-old and lose, but she wins! Being strong at heart, mind and physical strength is just the characteristics she needs to grow up to be a smart independent strong woman.

Vincent Thomas – 5 weeks

When I found out I was having a boy, I burst into tears. For two reasons: 1) I had my “pair” of a boy and a girl and was officially done having kids and 2) I was petrified at the thought of having to change the diaper of a boy and getting peed on. But when he entered the world, I had no worries. Arriving exactly one month early on Easter Sunday, he is my angel. At 5 weeks, he already has the cutest personality. So relaxed, so chill (unlike his type A personality sister). The thick dark hair and most beautiful skin – I could just hold him for hours. I was so afraid that Alexandra would be resentful or jealous when we brought him home. Instead, she loves him so much. Wants to help feed him, change him and play with him. It melts my heart when I see her go up to him on her own and kiss his cheeks. Give me about 2 years and this paragraph will be completely different. Hopefully, he will learn to stand on his own and protect his sister!!

{Down With Detroit}

Life never turns out how you plan. I certainly wasn’t planning on living in the Detroit suburbs, I mean I sincerely hate winter, but I have to say this is a pretty cool town! The summers are more mild, there are many family-friendly places to go, and we have met some wonderful people here. Our favorite places to go are the Canton Public Library, local parks, the splash playground at Heritage Park in Canton, Pure Pastures organic store, and our very own front and back yard! We also enjoy special trips to the Zoo, Maybury Farm, Greenfield Village, and Tiny Town in the winter. And we love when Dairy King, in Plymouth is open!

We continue to find more fun places to hang out and explore. Although I never planned on living in Detroit, I’m thankful we do!

{My Life}

What is most important about me is my faith. I found a real relationship with Jesus in college and I love learning more about His love, grace, and mercy. I am who I am and where I am in life because of God.

Additionally, I am over 6’ tall, a work-at-home entrepreneur, single, and blessed momma of two. I enjoy relaxing at the beach, reading, working out, researching, being with family, and meeting new people. Our life is busy and sometimes borderline chaotic, but I wouldn’t change a thing. An average day in my life consists of cooking a few meals, breaking up some sibling squabbles, kissing boo-boos, playing trains, baby dolls, and wrestling, going out and about and utilizing the internet to grow my business.

But some days I’m impressed when I check a few things off my checklist!

Many moms ask about how I work out of my home, so here it is. I educate families about the toxins that are hidden in their home. When I found out there are 80,000 unregulated chemicals in our country, 11,000 are illegal in Europe and Japan, and it only takes 26 seconds from contact for those toxic chemicals to reach every organ in your body. These chemicals have links to cancer, ADHD, heart disease, autism, infertility, and a wide range of developmental complications. We are currently in the largest unnatural disaster in human history. I’d love to help any mom who is overwhelmed by making changes {it’s perfectly normal!}

{Babies & Beyond}

 Aiden {birthday: September 2010}My almost 4-year-old sweet, cautious, oh-so-friendly Aiden. He is your typical boy who loves all things with wheels, but mainly trains stand out at the top of his list. Aiden loves playing outside, riding his bike, and kicking around a soccer ball. I have to say he is already a protective, loving older brother and continues to help “teach” his sister about life. I’m blessed he continues to learn how to be a great example, make good choices, and knows we eat organic {or “gan-ik” as he says} and non-GMO food.

Kinley {birthday: July 2012} Born in July and Kinley is certainly my firecracker. She is full of energy, life, and joy! Kinley is the strong-willed one who will always stop anything to cuddle and hug {or “wug” as she says}. Life didn’t start off easy for Kinley Bean or referred to as Beanie. The first few weeks of her life she spent a lot of it violently throwing up. I took her to the doctor several times and all tests came back fine, until one day she wasn’t eating, lethargic, not smiling and all other red flags to head to the ER. Long story short, Kinley’s heart was beating too fast and out of rhythm, so our family spent 3 weeks in CCU. Today, you would never know! Completely off all medications, all tests continue to come back normal, and we are praising God for this little life!

{Down with Detroit}

I haven’t always been a Detroiter!! But I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a “city” girl. Not sure if living in Farmington makes me a “city” girl, but I’m proud to say I’m from the “D”. About 8 years ago, I made a life altering decision to pursue my dreams and move my daughter and myself to Detroit. Since that day, I haven’t looked back and love everything the city has to offer. Many times we don’t realize how awesome the city we live in is until we are given the opportunity to explore it. As funny as it sounds, I have to thank Justin Bieber for this one. My daughter wanted to see Justin for a second time when he came to the Joe Louis Arena. She was 100% sure she was going to meet him. Yes, we were those crazy people standing out there ALL day long. Needless to say, I got to explore the city while she waited with her friends to meet the “man of her dreams”. I drove out of the city that night thinking about how AMAZING Detroit really is. More than anything, I drove away thankful for the life I was given. If you ever get the chance to check out Detroit, even if you only have a couple hours, DO IT! Walk up the Riverwalk, taste the difference between Lafayette and American Coney Island {then pick a side}, walk down the streets and admire the architecture of some of the oldest standing buildings. I admire what Detroit is and what it aspires to be.

{My Life}

My jump into motherhood started at the age of 16. Yikes, I know!! And yes, I was a teen mom, and while I don’t condone it, it’s shaped me into the woman I am today. I graduated from my small {everyone knows your business, small} town high school with honors and a partial scholarship into college. Life wasn’t easy with a baby + dreams bigger than life itself. But one phone call changed my life and those big city dreams became a reality. I was finally going to be a “city” girl!! I was accepted into the Sinai Grace School of Radiology and graduated in 2008 with an awesome career ahead of me. Incase you’re wondering, I get to look inside the human body all day, don’t be jealous. Currently, I work at Sinai Grace Hospital (DMC) in the Operating Room with an aMaZiNg group of people.  I also teach for the Sinai Grace School of Radiology, which is truly my passion and something I plan on pursuing in the nearest of near futures.

I fell in love with my teacher, trust me ladies, it sounds more exciting than it really is. He had already stopped teaching when I suddenly needed a tutor for a class I was already passing {huge smile on my face}. Definitely strategic planning on my part!! We were engaged 3 years later on a beach in Cancun, Mexico and married on 10.2.11 in Negril, Jamaica. Not sure if you noticed, but I absolutely love the beach!! Up until a week before our wedding, we were supposed to get married in Turks and Caicos. But a huge thanks to Hurricane Irene for making me freak out and drastically change our wedding plans! I honestly have to say, even though I planned on Turks and Caicos for two years, it was even more AMAZING than I could of ever imagined!!! As I stood on the beach at sunset, looking at the man I was about to spend the rest of my life with, the location no longer mattered. I couldn’t ask for a more loving and supportive husband. He really is my biggest cheerleader!!

I’m a woman of chaos, I function with a to-do list longer than a list of things I’ll every get done.  I write {everything} on pieces of paper only to lose them and find them months later, I {try} my hardest to live in the moment, instead of the past or the future. I love cheese + wine and a good girls night out! I couldn’t live a day without my phone {I literally whip a U-turn when I forget it}. I’ve always wanted a big family and plan on at least two more babies! I will one day be a work-at-home mom. Hopefully with the help of my “fun” job, The Pampered Chef. I love music more than anything and can listen to it from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. I like coffee on Saturday mornings and only if my husband makes it {he makes the best coffee, seriously}! Traditions are my favorite. I constantly look for reasons to entertain + make way too much food. I {heart} Pinterest + DIY!!! I may be the only person that got {overly} excited when she hit 500 Pinterest followers. I must pin some seriously cool stuff!

{Babies + Beyond}

{Lauren} My lovely 13-year-old drama queen! Oh, if you have a teenage daughter, you know what I mean. Lauren was my first love, my whole heart! She was my little saving grace and my motivation. She was the best baby{I’m sure everyone says that about their little angels} never really getting into too much or saying “no” often enough for me to remember. She had her occasional toddler moments, from climbing onto counters or escaping {oh, she was the best little escape artist} out doors. She was independent from the moment she could walk, unfortunately for me; it was before the age of 1. To this day, she is incredibly independent and determined to prove she can do anything. It’s hard to believe that in less than 3 months she will be 14 and attending high school. She has turned into such a beautiful young lady. You can generally catch her on her iPhone {I’m pretty sure she sleeps with it}, taking selfies or dancing around the house. She’s been dancing for Gayle’s Dance Phase for the last six years on a competitive dance team. She is such an amazing dancer! Once she steps foot onto the stage, you can see her face light up and she comes alive. She absolutely loves her friends and would do anything for them. That is something I truly love about her. She has the biggest heart! But on the flip side, she’s 13 and her hormones are crazy ridiculous! Sometimes I just have to laugh and remind myself I once was that hormone crazed, forgetful, moody, and silly teenager. I love you, Lauren!!!

{Harper} Oh, Harper!! Everything my mom said about having children that would one day repay me for all of the things I did to her, was definitely true in Harper’s case. Don’t let that sweet little face fool you into thinking she’s a little angel. She is mischievous, curious, energetic, chatty, animated {this one is an understatement} and full of life!! Harper is our little honeymoon baby! She spends most of her days getting into everything and anything. I’m pretty sure she was monkey in a past life and somehow she manages to figure out every child lock. I love waking up to her little “hellos” and “I lub yous”. She has so much personality. She loves spending hours having dance parties with her dad + attempting to sing songs she really shouldn’t {thanks daddy}. She has a mind of her own and doesn’t miss a thing. You can find her without a shirt on most days, one shoe on, her hair in her face, snack in hand and pushing her baby around the house. She continuously amazes me with her love for life. I’m learning that the dishes and laundry will be there tomorrow. {As crazy as it makes me} Thank you Harper for making me realize how important the little things are. On July 6^th, she will be two, and I will spend the day wondering where the last two years have gone. I love you, Harper!!

{Down with Detroit}

I {heart} Detroit.  There is something about big cities that I completely whole-heartedly love, this love started as a kid when we would drive south to visit Florida.  I would always ask how many miles until the next BIG city and hope that I would be awake as we drove through.  My {love} grew and Architecture School became the next chapter of my life after high school {UofD + LTU}.  Even though Detroit is full of hardship, it is still a city full of people with hope, optimism, and creativity.  One of my favorite things to do in Detroit is visit the Ren Cen, the view of the city is perfect, especially on a clear summer night, the city sparkles.  As a mom with young ones I look forward to letting them discover the BIG city!

{My Life}

I work really hard at trying to create a happy family life for my husband + 2 boys.  I have found that life after kids does change just like every mom said.  Honestly, I think I have indeed become a wee-bit wiser in my old age!  Well, at least I think so….!  I started as a full-time working mom and was full of stress, I was completely off-balance.  I loved being a mom more than anything in the world.  I spent 6 years studying architecture + design and another 11 years in the design community…I really started to burn out and wanted to focus my time on our family.  I wanted more out of  life than just the rigorous daily routine; get up, shower, breastfeed baby, pack the bags, drop off at Nana’s House, eat on the run, get to work, work, pick up kids, deal with 5 o’clock crabbies, cram dinner, unpack bags, play, bathe, bedtime routine, clean up, get ready for next day….It – was – exhausting.  After kids I realized my truth, I was meant to be a mom + raise my babes.  I’m learning to finally balance my life in a way that makes me + my family really happy.  To find this balance {something I am still working on everyday!} I had to learn to let go + say no.  I have set out to be a work-from-home-mom, pursing my creative ambitions while raising my family.  I started a small business out of my home, Annette’s Creation’s a Celebrations Boutique.  It is my little creative outlet that I hope to keep building + growing.  My husband and I have an amazing relationship, crazy fact, we married on our 10 year anniversary of dating in 2006…Crazy right, we are both 36 and have spent almost 2 decades together…..! We made the decision together that we wanted to keep me home and homeschool our kids.  We love the idea of “un-schooling” and raising a happy-healthy family.  This is our next chapter and we couldn’t be happier.

{Babies + Beyond}

I have my hands full with 2 boys, and I ADORE them to pieces.   My oldest {JB, a.k.a. J-Boss} is a spunky, strong willed, happy, smart 5.5 YO.  He loves reading, playing videogames + building Legos.  {His current ambition is to be a Lego Architect, which makes this mama grin ear~to~ear when she hears him say that!} His  brother and best friend is {JJ, a.k.a. Ju-Ju Bee}, he is a rambunctious, happy, free-spirit 3.5 YO.  He LOVES baseball, the outdoors and his green drinks.  {His current ambition is to be Batman because he likes to climb!}  We haven’t closed the baby-making shop yet, but nothing is currently planned!  I love the bond they are building by being homeschooled, my hope is that they are best friends for life!  Probably every moms dream for their children….!

Welcome!  We are so happy you have found us, we are Elizabeth Lewis and Annette Rioux founder and co-founder of the Detroit Moms Blog.  We met a few years ago through a local charity event, Relay for Life, and realized we had a lot in common, our stars aligned and with it came a great friendship and a dream was born.  Being a mom was/is on the tippy top of our list of who we are.  Here we are today, we have joined forces with a great network of moms like ourselves, the City Moms Blog Network.  We just loved the purpose of this network of moms and their vision.  Their focus was on building our local communities by connecting local moms to information and parenting perspectives to help enrich our family lives through meaningful connections with other women.  The internet has been a place I have visited often for answers to the many mommy questions I have had.  Seeking advice and opinions from others can be very helpful in making your own parenting decision.

Once I became a mom, I think this is the same for most of us, my life completely changed.  The days of being social with friends slowly started to drift further and further away.  Happy hour ended.  The kid thing kind of put a damper on my social life.  I can say my life as an interior designer allowed me the privilege of working with many talented mammas that were full of great ideas + advice!  I LOVED it, I could ask them anything and get multiple opinions and a ton of advice.  Once I was home connecting with moms became harder + harder.  DMB will be a place for us to connect, ask questions, get answers, find advice, and be inspired.  We hope you engage with us and our team of contributors, please ask questions, comment and join us when we head out into the community for moms-night-out, play dates and so much more!

Some days I truly wonder HOW can I possibly be accomplishing anything other than keeping my kids healthy, happy and safe.  As my kids started to grow so did I.  My views on life and who I was did start to shift.  All of a sudden the thought of staying home with our children, raising them and running a small business sounded perfect.  So, I set out on this journey to make this happen.  I never thought in a million years that I would ever consider homeschooling.  …Well, my mind did change, and today I am a homeschooling mom, an entrepreneur, a writer and a designer!  Life is good. I am so thankful for finding my friend and the adventures we are about to embark on bringing moms closer to their communities and sharing great parenting perspectives.

Thank you for visiting us, come back often!

~Annette