Lisa Thornbury with her daughter and son
LISA THORNBURY
Work-at-Home Mom
When our daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder I left my job as an elementary school teacher to stay home. I have since reinvented myself as a writer, digital content creator and Social Media Community Manager. I live in Toronto with my teacher hubby, our two kids, two dogs and coming soon…two guinea pigs (because clearly we don’t have enough going on!)
Secrets of a WOWMOM
Secrets? I keep no secrets. My vault has rusted open.
What inspires me
People who choose to see the positive and who overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.
My sanity saviour (tips & time savers)
Slow cookers, making double batches, asking for help (and actually accepting it), taking a moment to stretch and laughing really hard a few times a day at least.
My best WOWMOM advice
If it makes you happy, keep doing it. In fact, do it more! If it makes you unhappy, cut it out.
My WOW moment
Taking the high road.
My not-so WOW moment
Allowing myself to be taken advantage of.
Keeping it WOW (how not to lose yourself)
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Also, don’t be mean.
Favourite MOMent of the day
Doing my daughter’s hair in the morning. Pigtails, braids, side ponies. It’s our special time together. Thank you YouTube for teaching me how to “fishtail braid.”
Does balance exist?
Optimistic answer — Yes! Realistic answer — No flippin’ way.
My guardian angel
My mum. She thinks I can do anything. She’s wrong, but it’s nice to know that somebody thinks I’m perfect.
The last time I laughed out loud
Five minutes ago at something I wrote on Twitter. Sadly, I’m my own best audience.
Words Of Wisdom (Mom’s message to My Kids)
Be kind, not catty. Choose your friends wisely. People who are positive are more fun to be around. It’s okay to be silly. Speak up. Talk it out. Admit when you’re wrong. Don’t back down if you believe it’s the right thing. Try not to worry. And, laugh often because life is hilarious.
MY WOWMOM MUST-HAVES
Fave things, places and sanity savers for WOWMOMS!
1. My iPhone. It sets me free! I can work on the go and while feeling confident that my family or the kids’ school can contact me any time.
2. Baby Kale. I know, right? I used to think it was disgusting. Turns out I was doing it wrong.
3. A menu planning website called The Fresh 20. It takes the work out of meal planning and it saves us money. Now if only it could do the dishes for me…
4. Paula’s Choice Skin Care. A clear skinned friend recommended it to me. I still have the occasional breakout (yes pimples in my forties. How ridiculous) but mostly my skin looks pretty darn good.
5. Organic fresh squeezed lemon juice in a jar. I add it to my water in the morning, use it in my cooking, in sauces and dressings and in my tea.
6. My Macbook Pro. If I could sleep with my laptop, I would. Wait, sometimes I do. #issues
7. Picmonkey. I use it to edit all my photos, make graphics, invitations, you name it. It’s the photo editing monkey on my back and I adore it.
8. Girlfriends. They are entertainment, therapy, exercise, company, levity, support and fun all rolled into one. I suppose you could live without friends, but why would you want to?
** WowMom Note: don’t forget to check out Lisa’s incredible website, www.foreverinmomgenes.com. Where she shares Family Life tips. For Entertaining, www.yummymummyclub.ca/party_mummy and for Social Media advice www.facebook.com/pages/Comma-Chameleon
