Stephanie de Montigny • Boss Mama Diaries: Ottawa Mom Blogger & Portrait Photographer

10Jan

Raising A Baby Is A Full-Time Job

To set the scene: my husband and I were chatting over dinner about how I was feeling burnt out with everything going on, and at one point I said “I least when you go to work, you only have one job—I’ve got three.” You see, I run my business out of my home. I also parent a toddler full-time. And due to the pandemic closures, I took on a day-job working from home. Don’t ask

04Jan

New Year, Same Pandemic, Same Me

As much as we have high hopes for 2021, we start it off the same way we finished 2020: in lockdown, trapped in the “safety” of our own home, feeling the opposite of homesick. Small businesses closed while big box stores thrive, parents going insane working from home feeling worked to the bone, children feeling isolated and confused, most of us clinging to hope for dear life waiting for all of this to be over.

26Dec

Christmas 2020 – Taking a Break From Traditions

This year may have thrown a wrench in our holiday plans, we celebrated Christmas as a family of three, and this year little miss was excited to be able to open some gifts. While it was different in so many ways and many of our traditions were put on hold, we did get to enjoy the food ones! Since the studio is on lockdown for a minimum of two weeks this year (thanks pandemic!), I

22Dec

Accidental Vacation

As if 2020 hadn’t caused enough craziness and unpredictable drama, life handed me an accidental “vacation” this past week when we found ourselves without internet for EIGHT entire days—a work deferral as I call it. I know I’ve been living on the she of burnout for a big part of this year, but this was the worst possible time it could have happened. I was knee-deep in client print orders, onboarding a handful of clients,

03Dec

The Dark Side of Mom Guilt

I often find myself feeling guilty of *something* almost every day and after a while it becomes too much to bear and I break down. And not just screaming back at my toddler when she is in the middle of a tantrum, but full-blown tears of feeling useless and like a terrible mother, for being stuck in this uncontrollable situation (cranky toddler + pandemic isolation and fear). I really wish it weren’t there case, but

12Nov

Into The Woods, We Go

With the beautiful weather that we’ve had this week, we were able to go play in the woods without worrying about snow gear and it made is so much more fun. I even brought along the big camera to capture some end of season memories of our forest school (we don’t go nearly as much in the winter!), and we even stumbled upon an empty corn field. This girl loves her outdoors time! Until our

09Nov

The Opposite Of Homesick

Is there such a thing as the opposite of being homesick? If so, that’s what I am. I don’t know about you, but I am not okay. I’ve been powering through these last several months, with the hope that things will get better, but they haven’t, and it’s finally hitting me. HARD. I am talking daily breakdowns, snapping at everything, unable to appreciate things because all I feel is rage and sadness, and it feels

02Nov

When Experiences Matter Most | Halloween 2020

Halloween might look a little different around here this year because of the city-wide ban on trick or treating, but that doesn’t mean everything is cancelled! Heck, most of 2020 has looked a little different because of the pandemic! But just because a wrench has been thrown into our plans, doesn’t mean we can’t pivot and make the best of it. So, while we have always been a family who prefers experiences over ‘things’, this

14Oct

The meal delivery service for babies

I knew from the beginning that I only wanted to give my kiddo homemade food. Well, as much as possible because who are we kidding!? When we were thrown the added challenge of dealing with her additional allergies (household total of nuts, soy, legumes, dairy, and non-baked eggs), it really meant that we NEEDED to only give her homemade items to make sure she was safe. Yes, it is work to make her food, BUT

03Oct

Wanting Space Doesn’t Make You A Bad Parent

As a parent, you love your child(ren). It doesn’t always come right away, but it grows more and more everyday. Even days where you consider hiding in the closet just to get a break. The unconditional love that most often accompanies motherhood is one of the strongest bonds you will ever know, BUT sometimes mama just needs a break. And that’s okay! Non-parents may give you the side-eye while saying “you chose to be a

17Sep

The One Move That Saved My Business

Let me tell you about that time where I forgot to bring important documents and photos with me on a CEO Vacation and was about to miss a career make-or-break deadline. Yes, me, the queen of planning forgot an important deadline. Shit! Well, shit happens, but it just proves that to-do lists are life and you absolutely need to have one (or equivalent) to survive being your own boss. And life in general, if I

28Aug

The Two Week Wait Sucks

⁣We weren’t going to say anything until we were pregnant and had the chance to inform family, but this thing is—you ARE a kind of family for me. You’re here with me every day as I tell my story, as I share the good and the bad, and this is a part of that. So here it is—here is this big news. It’s official: we are trying for baby number two! the ups and downs

22Aug

The CEO Vacation

Let’s be real: entrepreneurs don’t really take vacations. Well, we totally could, but with the unfortunate sense of entitlement these days, people move on to the next business isf they don’t hear back within a day or so. It is sad, but unless people already know and love you, they tend not to wait. Thus the “CEO Vacation” was born, where you don’t schedule any specific work time, but you make sure to check your

09Aug

Roadtrip With A Toddler

Roadtrips are only glamourous when you’re travelling with friends, and when none of the passengers are children. Sorry, not sorry–it’s true! I mean, I kneeeew that travelling by car with a toddler for a 9 hour drive was going to be a challenge, but I guess my hopes and dreams hid the reality of how much a shit-show it was going to be. And how much longer it was going to take… The first couple

30Jul

The Tell All Post: Menstrual Cups & Period Panties

This is it, the post you’ve been waiting for. Okay, maybe not, but I’d like to think so! In case you’re new to the party, I’ve been collecting a few items over the last couple of months to transition from menstrual pads to something less contstant-yuck. Yes, that’s the technical word and I’m sticking to it! And I must say, this is the first time in my entire life that I was actually looking forward

21Jul

Yes, I have a great baby—but luck has nothing to do with it!

I am constantly told that I am so lucky. Lucky for having such a good baby. Lucky that she never cries. Lucky that she communicates so well. Lucky that she is so eats so well. Excuse me, but luck has nothing to do with it! She rarely cries in public because I do my darn best to prevent it: I feed her when she says she’s hungry, I give her a drink when she says

13Jul

How A Pandemic Changes Your Work From Home Life

I’ve been a work-from-home-boss for years before the pandemic (hipster moment!) and the only thing that has changed my routine and business more was the birth of my child. Now with these two big players, my life as a boss has been flipped upside down, but in true mama fashion — I’m making it work! With childcare bring ripped from my grasp — not just daycare but friends and family too! — my schedule and

14Jun

My First Period With a Menstrual Cup

Definitely not a blog post I ever thought I would be writing, but here we are, ready to deep dive into personal territory and discuss all things periods. Which means you probably never heard me talk about my experience with my actual first period, at the ripe age of 11. Actually, a few weeks shy of. Beautiful! Oh, and that my mother was nowhere to be found so it was actually my dad who explained

06May

Chocolate Mug Cake – Dairy, Egg & Nut-Free

For the past year, I have been learning to deal with the added restrictions and allergies of feeding my daughter. I began on the journey of adapting recipes that were baby-friendly, and also free from 5 of the most common allergens: nuts, dairy, soy, eggs and legumes. Keeping in mind that baby-friendly also means sugar-free. If you loved the banana muffins recipe I published a few months ago, you are going to want to add this one to your try list!

24Apr

Supporting Small Businesses Is Easier Than You Think

A wrote this a while back as an Instagram post, in fact I reference this topic all of the time here and there, but especially given the wordly situation right now, it deserves to be highlighted as it’s very own post. Supporting small businesses is easier than you think. And no, you don’t need to spend money to do it, it just helps that much more! View this post on Instagram As we packed up