Introducing Amanda!
:: Down with Detroit ::
After graduating from University of Michigan in 2008 (Go Blue!), I stayed local and taught at a preschool for the next 6 years. I love so many things about Ann Arbor and it will always have a special place in my heart. Its an awesome place to live if you’re a student or have a family.
3 years ago I was firmly in between those 2 phases of life and looked around and realized most of my friends had moved on from our college town. It was time for a change so I decided to move in with my boyfriend, Mike, to Berkley. We live in one of those neighborhoods where all the houses are different and I adore it. My favorite thing about our neighborhood is it’s proximity to everything. You’re a short ride from Ferndale, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and they all have their own vibe and their own hidden gems to discover. There’s always a new restaurant, obscure festival, or a Tigers game. You name an interest, and you can find a place to fulfill it. I’m currently searching for the best breakfast/brunch spot. Research is pending.
:: My Life ::
Before I was a mom, I was an early childhood teacher for almost 10 years. I decided to stay home when I had my first and I sometimes find myself missing the chaos of the classroom. I’m very passionate about early childhood and it has been eye-opening to see aspects of development as a parent. When I manage to squeeze in time away, you can find me enjoying time with friends, neck deep in a random craft project, at a Barre Code class, at happy hour (bonus points if it’s on a patio), or binge watching cooking competition shows. I love Halloween and I’m a huge fan of homemade costumes.
Most of my close friends are spread across the country, but the bright side of this is it gives me extra motivation to visit them. They make efforts to come back to Michigan too, usually for a Michigan football game. In my 20’s I had a habit of travelling to a new city every year for my birthday. My favorites were Nashville and Honolulu. I’ve decided now is the perfect time to bring that tradition back!
:: Babies and Beyond ::
A year and half ago, Mike and I had recently been introduced into “auntie” and “uncle” life and we were loving it. We had no specific plans for kids anytime soon, until (surprise!) we found out we were expecting. Fast forward to now, and I couldn’t imagine our family any other way. I was never a huge believer in “things happen for a reason,” but I am now! Michael, who is almost 1, is a happy, healthy, silly, active, boy. Motherhood has been just like I thought it would be, while simultaneously being absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. There’s been ups, downs, in betweens, and I’m looking forward to expanding my mom group and sharing in the experiences. I would classify myself as a hot mess, kinda crunchy, pinterest-inspired, bad mom so I think I can relate to every category of mom there is. My favorite thing about motherhood is that there’s no perfect way to do things. Every kid, pregnancy, family, and situation is different and it’s a beautiful thing.
