If I were a Real Housewife my tagline would be:
“I live my life by the Four L’s: Love, Laughter, and Loads of Laundry”
Hand, hip. Pose. Pose.
True Story: I love reality TV. I live for the drama and the fact that it affords me a moment to step away from my everyday life and unwind. The beautiful homes, extravagant vacations, and the occasionally successful attempts at anti-aging are things this Midwestern girl can only dream about. My real life is unlike anything on Bravo. It’s much less dramatic, much less entertaining, and is almost never about the pasta.
Hi there! My name is Michelle Nelson and I am a Brighton Mom. I’ve been a Michigan resident for most of my life. I love living in and enjoying all that Metro Detroit has to offer. I grew up in Milford Township and attended culinary school in Farmington Hills. My passions are photography, home DIY projects, and ranch is my condiment of choice.
My Husband, Patrick and I have been together for eleven years (married for six). We met while working at an Irish restaurant together in downtown Milford. As a Michigan State grad, Patrick spent the early days of our relationship turning me into a full-blown college football fan. I can be a little intense about it at times, in fact I think at this point I listen to more 97.1 than he does. Together, we’re a far cry from the 20-something couple we were when we met. Our nights of bar hopping have been replaced by early mornings and home renovation projects and our lazy Saturday afternoons are now spent chasing after two kids.
Our oldest, Harrison, turns four in August and is a very energetic little guy with an imagination that never quits. He will officially make me a preschool Mom this Fall and to be honest, I’m not sure I’m emotionally prepared. In addition to being a big time preschool kid, Harrison is also a big brother to our daughter, Violet, who turned one last month.
We saved our gender reveal for the delivery room with Harrison. But, we opted to find out ahead of time with baby number two. Finding out we were having a girl was a huge surprise for us. Sweet baby Violet spends her days learning to walk, try new foods, and will (hopefully) start sleeping through the night soon. Even though the idea of having kids was a daunting concept for me at first, the privilege of being “Mom” has never been lost on me. We are so lucky and so grateful.
For fun, we like to split our time with our family and friends in the Milford, Brighton, and Ann Arbor areas. We love to get out and explore, visiting the Farm Center at Kensington Metro Park, the “Imagination Station” in downtown Brighton, or the Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor. As a mom with a penchant for taking photos, I’m known to occasionally choose an afternoon activity for its picturesque aesthetic. Places like the Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan or Long Family Farm in Commerce Township are some of my favorites.
Before having kids I worked for many years in the restaurant industry. Truthfully, the idea of being a mom (much less a stay-at-home-mom) is not an experience I yearned for in my youth. I loved working, especially in restaurants. This fast paced and often times thankless industry where stress is ever present was an environment in which I thrived. I love organization, schedules, and am a very social creature; traits that made my transition into motherhood a little difficult.
Luckily for me, I have surrounded myself with some of the most amazing friends and family. My friends with kids help me learn and grow as a mom. My friends without kids bring out my twenty-something self. And my mom can talk me through just about any problem. My husband fills me with support and unconditional love. I wouldn’t be who I am today without all of the above.
Now that you know a little about me, I welcome you to tag along as I join the ladies of Detroit Moms Blog. I look forward to meeting new people, and getting involved in the community to to justify taking a break from all that laundry.
