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Being Present this Holiday Season

BY SHR

How I stay present with my family while still sharing pieces of our life with you on Social Media is a question I get often from our LTL Mama tribe. With the holiday season (and the flurry of shareable photos + moments that come along with it) officially VERY MUCH upon us, I figured I would dedicate a post to how our family balances sharing our life with actually living it- in case any of you find it helpful.

 

Now, I am not the expert on balancing work and life and I don’t want to give the impression that I am. My ability to be present, as with most other things in my life, is a work in progress and it often times results in friction between the #handsomehubbs and myself- and not the sexy kind if ya know what I mean…. πŸ˜‰Β  Some days I feel like I’m doing a great job balancing work and life and others I feel like a complete failure- also the case for most other things in my life. BUT, it is something that I put a lot of thought into on a daily basis because well.. #momguilt is REAL (so is #wifeguilt)!

Snap Now, Post Later

This is a big one for me. I LOVE sharing our everyday lives with you all via Instagram Stories– it’s probably my favorite part of the blog and where I connect with you all the most. Documenting our everyday lives though, means having a camera/phone in my hand at all times, there’s no going around that. How I’ve balanced this with “living” is by taking pictures and videos all day, BUT posting them all in a row at three times through out the day (more often than not, sitting in my parked car before I go in the house or as I’m coming out- sooo glamorous! HAHA). For example, you’ve all seen videos of me laying in bed with Chick early in the morning (I’m proud to admit that 8AM is my version of early in the morning.. ain’t no shame in that). These (even though they happen around 7:30-8 AM) normally don’t get posted until about 10-11 AM, when I take a minute to find a creative way to share our morning with you all. Same goes for bath time, bottle or any family outing- I take lots of videos and pictures but don’t post (which is the actual time suck) until the ‘moment’ is over.

 

Watch Two Times, Film on the Third

Another biggie. Kiddos say the darnedest thingsΒ  and we all want to capture THE perfect moment, I get that more than anyone! Guess what though? Kids say the darnedest things over and over and over and over.. ESPECIALLY when Mama and Dada are giving them attention for it. I say, enjoy this moment andΒ  film the next one (or the next or the next or the next after that..). Would you ever have guessed I don’t film it on the first try? I bet not.. Kiddos are LOVE putting on a show, let them! πŸ™‚

Cut Yourself Off

Have you noticed I hardly ever post after 9 PM or so? That’s my Social Media cut-off. If we are at home, after 9-9:30 PMΒ  I put my phone away and hang out with the #handsomehubbs one on one. I literally have an alarm on my phone that goes off at 9 PM so I know cut-off time is approaching. For nights out and/or if we’re traveling, it doesn’t make sense to go by the clock (events often start later than 9 and with traveling there’s always SO MUCH I want to share! I Meaaan..) so I have a different “cut-off” point for that: I put my phone away once you’ve all gotten a good sense of the vibe, the place, the people and whateverΒ  it is we’re doing. Sound to nebulous? Worry not! You know I love me a concrete example..

Let’s use the Peru weddingΒ as an example. In that case, the party didn’t even start until past 9 pm so my at-home cut-off time wasn’t going to work. Instead, I tried to film enough of the night so you guys got a sense of the EPICNESS that was the wedding decor (using Kira Kira, of course!), a little behind the scenes logistics (Remember the bathrooms? They were INCREDIBLE!), who I was with (bride, bridesmaids and #handsomehubbs pics) and what the vibe was (Gatsby AF!!!). Then, I put my phone away for a couple of hours and LIVED it. After about two-three hoursΒ  the mood/vibe had changed from beautiful decor to a ranging party so, I gave myself permission to pull out my cellphone and snap some pictures/boomerangs and I put it right back in my purse (remember the ‘this is going to hurt tomorow’ boomerangs? hahaha.. It did hurt the next morning FYI). That’s it! You all got a real good flavor for the party (or at least I hope you did) and we enjoyed our night out. Balance!

 

Turn Instagram + Facebook Notifications Off

Reading the heading for this one you probably thought I lost my mind, right? A blogger telling me to use Instagram LESS? That’s right, my friends! Let me explain what I mean.. Social Media is a part of our every day lives. It is second nature for most of to cruise through Instagram (and/or Facebook) several times a day on our down time. Whether it’s when we’re waiting in line or stuck in traffic (I know this is bad but, I’m DEF guilty of it ESPECIALLY with December bumper to bumper traffic!) we all do this! I’m NOT saying you have to stop doing this, not at all- in fact, please do this MORE and watch my stories while you’re at it hahaha… What I’m saying is this: given our downtime cruises through Insta, we don’t need notification to POP UP on our phones to take us out of the NOW and into the ‘GRAM. Texts can be really important. Phone-calls can be urgent. Instagram and Facebook are neither urgent nor at the top of the importance list. By doing this small change in our relationship with Social Media we can enjoy the NOW a little bit more, I think..Β  If you have a tagged photo or a message, it will still be there in 20 minutes when you have downtime to scroll through your feed. Ya feel?

Finally, A Note on Cell-Phones

Sophia is majorly OBSESSED with our cellphones. She is constantly trying to snatch it off our hands. She has figured out how to unlock them and place calls to China. Yup, China.. I think this means we use our phones too much BUT I’m not so sure how I feel about it. Is that insane? Hear me out.. On the one hand I feel like by mastering technology she is getting a leg up for the future- these tiny telephones run our LIVES and it’s 2017. Can you imagine how much we’ll be using them in 20 years? On the other hand, I’m pretty convinced anytime she stares at a screen a little bit of her brain turns into mush sooo.. there’s that! Just my thoughts on babies and screens HAHA.

 

That’s it, my friends. That’s how I try to be present to enjoy my little fambam everyday, while still sharing our daily lives with you. What do ya think? Any other tips I should be implementing?Β Whether you’re a blogger or not, we all live in the age of Social Media and living in the moment when you want to also capture the moment is a hard balance to strike. Do I strike it perfectly every day? Absolutely not.. but I promise I’m trying. And that’s all we can do..

Thanks for stopping by, friends! Everyone’s outfits are linked below. All pictures were taken by my lovely friend Nicole from Huggable Photography. Nicole also took out Christmas card pictures– I’ll do a post with those tonight! Happy holidays lovies!

Until next time..

 

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Β Β @ALittleTooLoud
One day you’re young and the next you’re hype One day you’re young and the next you’re hype about a basket 🀣πŸ€ͺ stair moms get it πŸ”₯πŸ˜‚β˜ οΈπŸ™ŒπŸ½ link in bio!!!
I’m done denying it - the temps are cooling and I’m done denying it - the temps are cooling and the leafs are changing πŸ‚ autumn feels CLOSE πŸŽƒ and that thought is no longer spooky πŸ‘»πŸ–€ What do you like to do with your family during fall time?! Some of our favorites include: 

πŸ‚ biking the @arnold_arboretum and packing a picnic 
πŸ‚ getting our Halloween on with a day trip to historic Salem
πŸ‚ hitting the @bluehillsboston for some hiking and a visit to their outdoor zoo - there are TONS of trails a quick google search away 
πŸ‚ apple picking at @tougasfamilyfarm and @bostonhillfarm 

HAPPY FALL YA’LL πŸ₯°β€οΈβ€πŸ”₯
Here we go again πŸ“šβœοΈβœ‚οΈ β€” in more ways Here we go again πŸ“šβœοΈβœ‚οΈ β€” in more ways than one πŸ™ƒπŸ«£πŸ€°πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½ Happy first day of school to my sweet BIG girl πŸ’•πŸ’« Second grade 🀯🀯!!
A very special park run πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« A very special park run πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’«
On this last day of August, on the eve of our last On this last day of August, on the eve of our last summer weekend and Dad’s last summer Friday… mentally, I am here - on a perfect day with mine in Capri eating the best vongole I’ve tasted in my LIFE πŸ™πŸ½- where my heart will remain until Spring πŸ’•βœ¨
Let’s the this again - grrrr @instagram support Let’s the this again - grrrr @instagram support your creators 😑!!! One bowl πŸ”₯ lunchbox friendly chicken meatballs 🀯 A no mess family dinner that takes 30 mins and I can pack for school?! These β˜„οΈ are a Rice family favorite for a reason πŸ™ŒπŸ½πŸ”₯❀️‍πŸ”₯ 

~ INGREDIENTS:

πŸ” 1 pound ground chicken or turkey

πŸ₯š 1 egg

🍞  1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

πŸ§€ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

πŸ›’οΈ2 tablespoons olive oil 

πŸ§„1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

πŸ§… 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

πŸ§‚ 1/2 teaspoon salt

πŸ–€ black pepper to taste

~ INSTRUCTIONS: 
 ☝🏽Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.

✌🏽 Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

πŸ‘ŒπŸ½ Roll the mixture into little balls + place them on the lined baking sheet. 

πŸ‘©πŸ½β€πŸ³ Bake for 25-30 mins or until internal temp reaches 165F (I’m a freak about this with chicken πŸ˜…πŸ˜…πŸ˜…) 

β˜„οΈ THAT’S IT β˜„οΈ Don’t forget to tag me if you try them! πŸ₯°
No stroller, no problem πŸ”₯ @microkickboard for t No stroller, no problem πŸ”₯ @microkickboard for the WIN βœˆοΈπŸ›΄πŸ™ŒπŸ½ Find links to everything (how genius are the silicone water bottle holders??) in my bio πŸ₯°β€οΈ Our travel scooters are good for ages 5-12! πŸ‘πŸ½ Happy travels, my friends ✈️✨
A day with @shopnantucket ✨ Transportation cou A day with @shopnantucket ✨ 

Transportation courtesy of @hylinecruises, lunch πŸ• by  @oathpizza + drinks by @crunantucket πŸ₯‚

We shopped πŸ›οΈ till we dropped at: 

@spacenantucket 
@gracegeierack 
@summershadesack 
@respokeofficial 
@beauandro 
@alice_walk 
@olivela 

Did you really visit ack if you didn’t leave with @auntleahs fudge?! 🍫✨

Thank you for a lovely day @shopnantucket πŸ™πŸ½ #gifted
It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it πŸ™ It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« how lucky are we to have @viajesgloriamendez  at the control tower of our very trip?! 🌎✨


Stay updated on all things A Little Too Loud without getting your inbox inundated! We're squarely on #teamnospam

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One day you’re young and the next you’re hype One day you’re young and the next you’re hype about a basket 🀣πŸ€ͺ stair moms get it πŸ”₯πŸ˜‚β˜ οΈπŸ™ŒπŸ½ link in bio!!!
I’m done denying it - the temps are cooling and I’m done denying it - the temps are cooling and the leafs are changing πŸ‚ autumn feels CLOSE πŸŽƒ and that thought is no longer spooky πŸ‘»πŸ–€ What do you like to do with your family during fall time?! Some of our favorites include: 

πŸ‚ biking the @arnold_arboretum and packing a picnic 
πŸ‚ getting our Halloween on with a day trip to historic Salem
πŸ‚ hitting the @bluehillsboston for some hiking and a visit to their outdoor zoo - there are TONS of trails a quick google search away 
πŸ‚ apple picking at @tougasfamilyfarm and @bostonhillfarm 

HAPPY FALL YA’LL πŸ₯°β€οΈβ€πŸ”₯
Here we go again πŸ“šβœοΈβœ‚οΈ β€” in more ways Here we go again πŸ“šβœοΈβœ‚οΈ β€” in more ways than one πŸ™ƒπŸ«£πŸ€°πŸ½πŸ™πŸ½ Happy first day of school to my sweet BIG girl πŸ’•πŸ’« Second grade 🀯🀯!!
A very special park run πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« A very special park run πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’«
On this last day of August, on the eve of our last On this last day of August, on the eve of our last summer weekend and Dad’s last summer Friday… mentally, I am here - on a perfect day with mine in Capri eating the best vongole I’ve tasted in my LIFE πŸ™πŸ½- where my heart will remain until Spring πŸ’•βœ¨
Let’s the this again - grrrr @instagram support Let’s the this again - grrrr @instagram support your creators 😑!!! One bowl πŸ”₯ lunchbox friendly chicken meatballs 🀯 A no mess family dinner that takes 30 mins and I can pack for school?! These β˜„οΈ are a Rice family favorite for a reason πŸ™ŒπŸ½πŸ”₯❀️‍πŸ”₯ 

~ INGREDIENTS:

πŸ” 1 pound ground chicken or turkey

πŸ₯š 1 egg

🍞  1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

πŸ§€ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

πŸ›’οΈ2 tablespoons olive oil 

πŸ§„1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

πŸ§… 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

πŸ§‚ 1/2 teaspoon salt

πŸ–€ black pepper to taste

~ INSTRUCTIONS: 
 ☝🏽Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.

✌🏽 Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

πŸ‘ŒπŸ½ Roll the mixture into little balls + place them on the lined baking sheet. 

πŸ‘©πŸ½β€πŸ³ Bake for 25-30 mins or until internal temp reaches 165F (I’m a freak about this with chicken πŸ˜…πŸ˜…πŸ˜…) 

β˜„οΈ THAT’S IT β˜„οΈ Don’t forget to tag me if you try them! πŸ₯°
No stroller, no problem πŸ”₯ @microkickboard for t No stroller, no problem πŸ”₯ @microkickboard for the WIN βœˆοΈπŸ›΄πŸ™ŒπŸ½ Find links to everything (how genius are the silicone water bottle holders??) in my bio πŸ₯°β€οΈ Our travel scooters are good for ages 5-12! πŸ‘πŸ½ Happy travels, my friends ✈️✨
A day with @shopnantucket ✨ Transportation cou A day with @shopnantucket ✨ 

Transportation courtesy of @hylinecruises, lunch πŸ• by  @oathpizza + drinks by @crunantucket πŸ₯‚

We shopped πŸ›οΈ till we dropped at: 

@spacenantucket 
@gracegeierack 
@summershadesack 
@respokeofficial 
@beauandro 
@alice_walk 
@olivela 

Did you really visit ack if you didn’t leave with @auntleahs fudge?! 🍫✨

Thank you for a lovely day @shopnantucket πŸ™πŸ½ #gifted
It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it πŸ™ It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it πŸ™πŸ½πŸ’« how lucky are we to have @viajesgloriamendez  at the control tower of our very trip?! 🌎✨
#ad Boston Lights ✨ is back at @zoonewengland β€˜s Franklin Park Zoo πŸ‘πŸ½ Presented by @nationalgrid and featuring a dazzling array of ALL NEW lanterns, this year’s #BostonLights is truly breathtaking ❀️‍πŸ”₯ Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at: 

https://www.zoonewengland.org/engage/boston-lights/

Don’t forget to bring a stroller or wagon - it’s a BIG zoo πŸ₯° Have fun!! ❀️πŸ₯° #fpzoo #nationalgrid #sponsored
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