first name: Jackie

age: 32

occupation: stay at home mom

how do you structure your time and space? I have fallen into a schedule over the past six months that balances the daily chores of life and home with raising a toddler. I am lucky to have my in-laws nearby. They watch my daughter one day a week; my next door neighbor has watched my daughter (for free!) on Friday afternoons since she was three months old. On my “days off,” I try and do things for myself such as swimming, shopping, or larger errands that a 20-month-old wouldn’t enjoy.

When my daughter was about six months old, my husband started a “Meetup” playgroup for me. This group has become a weekly activity that I really cherish. The women are amazing and diverse, and meeting once a week helps us stay in touch with one another and vent our personal and kid issues, all while our kids are interacting. We rotate between each others’ houses and a park, museum, et cetera.

My husband and I have found that my staying at home significantly counterbalances the demands and stress of his work life. We are free to have fun on the weekends and focus on each other, which works wonderfully for our family.

using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,

-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? Being at home allows me to focus fully and completely on my daughter and her growth and development. It also gives me the freedom to travel and see my parents a couple of states away without worrying about vacation time. Given the stressful and unpredictable environment of my former job, I know that I could not have been a success managing work demands while being a mom. In making this choice, I said goodbye to ten years of hard work and the satisfaction of being a recognized expert at a large company.

-What season(s) preceded this one? My husband and I had begun to travel extensively overseas, something I enjoyed immensely. The excitement of discovering new places and cultures was like nothing I had experienced before.

-What season(s) might your future hold? In the next year or so, we will most likely expand our family, so I am looking forward to welcoming a new life into the world. I look forward to taking time to read, exercise and get involved in community activities in the future. I am looking forward to what’s coming – there are so few surprises and true eye-opening moments once we are adults!!

favorite family activity/activities: We love heading to Clemyjontri Park  early on a weekend day. The park is amazing. Rubberized matting allows for padded falls, and the equipment allows anyone to play. My daughter is enamored with horses at the moment, so HER favorite adventure is riding the carousel, or as she would say, the “neighs.”

favorite solo activities: swimming, walking, yoga, reading, crossword puzzles

sources of inspiration: “real” people, my 90 and 96 year old grandmothers, and other moms – this is the toughest yet most rewarding job in the world.

best MakeShift moment: It is a sad one, but one that stands out. We recently said goodbye to our cat, Alexander. In one short hour, we went from having him here at home with us, to giving him our last rubs. It was sudden and unexpected, but I managed to make that terrible decision over the phone with my husband, cry, chase a 15-month-old around PetSmart, maneuver snack time, and say goodbye. In my mind, it was a “life keeps moving forward” moment at its best.

[if you know someone who would make a good “mothers of invention” feature, check out the questionnaire and nomination process located on the sidebar to your right.]