Greetings fellow Michigan moms! I’m excited to be here and to start connecting with all of you. My name is Lindsay Gizicki and I’m so eager for all of you to get to know more about me.
The History of Me
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Central Michigan University in 2011. Since then, I’ve been writing for various magazines throughout the state (Hour, DBusiness) but have been the editor of Building Enclosure magazine since 2013. Building Enclosure is a publication through BNP Media dedicated to advancing architects and engineers in their fields. Don’t think Architectural Digest—we’re more technical than we are aesthetically pleasing! It’s been such a fun field to grow into and learn more about.
Besides my day job, I’m also an aspiring author. I’m currently in the process of self-publishing my first children’s series, To the Moon and Back. The story comes from my love for my children. In the story, our little boy keeps ending up in space (through some pretty goofy measures) and his mother keeps finding crafty ways to go after him to bring him back.
I have another series I’m currently working on called The Pirate Doctor. In this book our main character, a little girl named Rue, is a doctor for pirates across all the seven seas. It’s a nod to my own daughter who loves all things pirates, dinosaurs, robots—themes that society has always labeled as “boy-ish.” She asked me once to find her robot pajamas and for the life of me I could not find anything that she thought was cute. It got me thinking about why “boy things” couldn’t also be “cute” for girls. This is where our brave pirate doctor comes in. I wanted an adventure story where girls could see themselves portrayed on the pages. Not only as the main character in a pirate book, but as the heroine, rescuing and saving pirates from around the world.
Finding Passion for Myself
Writing and creative projects are my passion. Although most of my hobbies stem from my passion for my children, I do have other activities that set me apart from who I am as a mom. My husband and I enjoy fishing, boating, kayaking, cooking, working out and a good DIY project.
Also, since 2017, I’ve been the Michigan representative for the Book Fairies. The Book Fairies are people who, when they’ve finished reading a good book, find a unique and fun way to pass it on to the next person. We hide books around the state for book lovers to find. This has been SUCH a fun project for me and I love spreading the joy of reading to Michiganders of all ages. If you’re interested you can follow along at @bookfairies_michigan on Instagram!
If you’re one of those mothers who finds that it’s hard to separate the woman you were before children from the mother you are now—you are not alone! My life revolves around my kids, so much so that I don’t really know how to function when I’m not at home with them. Over the last few years I’ve really had to work at getting over the guilt over leaving them at home for some me-time. It got a bit easier after baby #2 came (lol IYKYK).
Besides my favorite activities listed above, I love a good girl’s day. Spending the day with my closest girlfriends – brunching, shopping, spa days, you name it – I’m in.
Figuring Out the Balance
Remember that job I told you I have? I do that from home. With both of my kids in my house. It’s a lot, but I’m happy they’re able to be home with me. My oldest, Harper, is almost three-and-a-half, and my son, Henry, is one-and-a-half. Both of my kids are ISR kids. Infant Swimming Resource is a program dedicated to teaching children life-saving techniques in the water. Harper and Henry both started the program when they were 15 months old. I’m very passionate about this program and what it has to offer for children.
We live on the water in St. Clair Shores. Our backyard is the canal. Although we have various safety protocols, we’re well aware that accidents can happen in a matter of seconds. I wanted to give my children the tools they needed in case of these accidents.
Since we live on the water, my family is super into anything water-related. My husband, Cyle, and I met almost 10 years ago and have been adding more and more lake-related activities to our list of hobbies. He’s gotten very much into paddle boarding (something I do not have the balance for), but I’ll join him on my kayak when I can.
My Love for Michigan
I grew up in Harrison Township, so I’ve never ventured very far. One of my favorite aspects of Michigan is the amount of activities we get to enjoy. We have waterfalls, dunes, lakes—all within driving distance of Metro Detroit. We truly get to enjoy every season here, which is something I took for granted when I was younger.
One of my favorite activities now is finding new food trucks around the state (they usually happen to be at local breweries too which is a win-win). Right now my favorite brewery in my area is Baffin Brewery Company in St. Clair Shores. My favorite food truck that frequents there is Canalside Pizza Company. Their pizza is so delicious. My current menu choice is a new fall special they have. It has roasted pumpkin and feta—yum! The absolute best.
I’m so excited to talk to you guys about the struggles of motherhood, reading, food, and everything under the sun. I wear many hats and I can’t wait to show them all to you. In true millennial form, I’m more active on Instagram than Facebook. Feel free to connect with me there at @elle_gizicki – I look forward to becoming more involved in this community of amazing women!
To read more about the Infant Swimming Resource program, check out Why My Family Chose ISR: Infant Swimming Resource.
