mothers of invention: kristin
name: Kristin Coons
age: 40
current city: Manhattan Beach, CA
living situation: Boys surround me in my home! I have three sons, ages four, seven, and eight; my husband, Brad; and a male guinea pig named Rolo. We live in a relaxed beach town, which is a perfect balance for a high-strung gal like me!
occupation: Creator of My Own Little Story, an online baby book that reminds busy parents to record their children’s milestones. I also blog for fun at www.TheInspiredMom.com.
how do you structure your time and space? In order to maximize my days, I pull out a calendar and literally schedule out my days in advance. I know this sounds robotic, but it really helps me feel organized. On my calendar, I can pencil in activities that absolutely MUST get done. I highlight blocks of free time, which I use to exercise, read, or help in my kids’ classrooms.
My workspace is less organized than my time. I work from home, and my desk is covered with piles of paper and book samples for my new business. I don’t have much extra space for storage and filing, so I keep everything piled on my desk!
using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,
-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I am in the “season of rediscovery.” In the last year I have gotten back in touch with my courageous, adventuresome, focused self. Finding time to do this has been the main challenge of this season. It is crazy how busy I have been with raising children, running a household, and trying to get this new business launched. The idea of taking the time to go river-rafting or ride my bike 40 miles, or learn how to “ocean swim” has seemed selfish and impossible in the past. But in my rediscovery season, I have made time for those things. Therefore, on some weeks, we eat out more often, or the breakfast dishes sit in the sink all day, but I am willing to make the trade so I can get back to doing the things that I used to enjoy so much before I became a mom.
-What season(s) preceded this one? My last season was the “season of selflessness.” Having three babies in the course of five years required years of giving without asking for much in return. I loved every minute of it but realized that if I continued along that path, someday I might become bitter! In my selfless season, I woke up with babies all night long, hosted play dates, and took the kids to parks, museums, and baby classes. I rarely took the time to blow-dry my hair or put on make-up. I made dinner for friends when they were sick or had a new baby. Those days are over for me now that the kids are getting older and spend most of their days in school.
-What season(s) might your future hold? I hope that my future season has something to do with managing success! After spending three years building www.MyOwnLittleStory.com, I am looking forward to seeing it grow and become prosperous. When I was a new mom with two babies at home I would never have imagined that I would be in the role of an entrepreneur one day. Amazing how life happens.
Favorite family activity/activities: Living in Southern California with three boys definitely lends itself to outdoor activities. As a family, we love to ride bikes and play (backyard) dodge ball and tennis.
favorite solo activities: I love Bikram Yoga. I also like to swim, bike, and run when I have a free minute.
sources of inspiration: All the women who surround me every day inspire me. Stay-at-work moms, stay-at-home moms, women who have started businesses, women who raise money for charities, all of them. When I am fearful or lacking in motivation, I look to some of those amazing women and literally ask them to encourage me!
best MakeShift moment: MakeShift moment? I have had entire MakeShift weeks! My most recent MakeShift occasion came in the form of a “birthday party” for my middle son. We only have “parties” for my kids every other year but on the off years, we allow them to invite three to five friends for a fun activity. My son Will’s birthday was on the Friday before spring break. A month before his birthday, he asked me to call his four friends to go bowling and have “in and out” burgers. Two days before his birthday, I picked up the phone to call. Of course, everyone already had plans with the exception of one child. I felt terrible. To create a party atmosphere, I ended up begging a neighbor to send her son and included Will’s two brothers (against his wishes). I was so behind the game that week that I had to get his birthday presents the morning of his birthday, and his cake was the brownie mix that I had in my pantry. Funny enough, he never complained that only one of his friends came, and he LOVED the brownie cake. I guess I can stop feeling guilty for that MakeShift occasion.
find kristin on the web:
- My Own Little Story online baby book: www.myownlittlestory.com
- blog: www.TheInspiredMom.com
[if you know someone who would make a good “mothers of invention” feature, check out the nomination process details on the sidebar to your right.]
Tags: entrepreneur, kristin coons, my own little story, online baby book, rediscovery, selflessness, southern california, the inspired mom
