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Stephanie de Montigny
  • Boss Mama Diaries
  • About Stephanie
  • Work With Me
    • Sponsored Content
    • Boss Mama Education
    • Product Photography
    • Image Subscription Plans
    • Brand Portraits & Headshots
    • Family & Newborn Photography

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December 12, 2016

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WELCOME TO THE BOSS MAMA DIARIES

Discussing the daily wins and struggles of being a work-from-home boss trying to raise a business and a baby at the same time, amidst the family adventures, while also trying to feed a household full of allergies.

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🖤 Wins & Struggles of a Work-From-Home Boss Raising Babies & Businesses at the Same Time
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📷 at @purenaturalnewborn

Stephanie de Montigny 🇨🇦


We have officially welcomed our second baby earths
We have officially welcomed our second baby earthside this past week (in the same room we welcomed little miss almost three years ago, how cool!). Thank you for all of the well-wishes 🖤 I am so excited for the introduction to little miss (and to have my baby girl back after all of this time!). Once they have met, photos and the full birth story will be on the blog. ⠀ #momoftwo #twounderthree #ottawabirthcentre #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #thisismotherhood #therealmotherhood #thisisrealmotherhood #kindgivingspirit #canadianmom #ontariomom #ottawamom

Being in labour is hard. Doing it for several days
Being in labour is hard. Doing it for several days in a row is borderline torture, especially when you’re overdue. It wasn’t fun to be sent home from the birth centre after almost ten hours of contractions, but it was nice to be able to sleep in my own bed afterwards while they seemingly took a break. How long did your labour last? Was it different for the next baby? #pregnantinottawa #ottawamom #ontariomom #canadianmom #ottawabirthcentre #labourishard #labourisnojoke #labourfordays #babyiscomingnowwhat #babyiscomingsoon #lifesmomentz #raisingbabiesandbusinesses

The hardest part about going past my due date is m
The hardest part about going past my due date is missing this cutie and her amazing hugs and laughter for even longer. I’ve been super productive in her absence, between the bathroom and laundry renos and keeping up with business admin, but I am ready to be a mom again. What’s the longest you’ve ever been away from your kiddo(s)? ⠀ #toddlermom #toddlermomlife #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #thisismotherhood #therealmotherhood #thisisrealmotherhood #thankfulhappyhome #canadianmom #ontariomom #ottawamom #mombreak ⠀ ⁣📷 --> For reposts or use of copyrighted images, please DM or email collabs@bossmamadiaries.com

I didn't think I would be getting much bigger when
I didn't think I would be getting much bigger when I captured this self-portrait at almost 40 weeks, but I already see a big difference in the shape and how much it protrudes out now. It's amazing what the human body is capable of doing! ⁠ #39weeksmaternityphotos #39weekspregnant #selfportraitsofmotherhood #ottawamaternityphotographer #almontephotographer #maternityphotoshoot #ottawamaternityphotos #overdueandoverwhelmed #inspireandconnections #ottawamom #almontemom #ontariomom #canadianmom ⁣📷 : @purenaturalnewborn (filter added) --> For permission to repost or use of copyrighted images, please send a DM or email hello@bossmamadiaries.com

I have mixed emotions about this week.

My wonder
I have mixed emotions about this week. My wonderful toddler has been staying with her grandparents while I stay home and await the impending arrival of her baby sibling (coming up on 40 weeks now!). I am torn somewhere between hella appreciating the break from the meltdowns & the physical toll she and the pregnancy have had on me, and missing the beautiful sound of her laughter & the warmth of her tight-squeeze hugs. But that's motherhood in a nutshell, I suppose. I am excited for our next adventure together, but I will take the break (and cram in as many chores as I can, it seems!). Next up, tiling the bathroom floor! ⠀ #motherhoodinanutshell #bossmamadiaries #workfromhomemom #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #toddlermomlife #thisismotherhood #therealmotherhood #thisisrealmotherhood #canadianmom #ontariomom #ottawamom #thisthursdaystory #throwbackthursday #mombreak #motherhoodlevelten ⠀ ⁣📷 --> For reposts or use of copyrighted images, please DM or email collabs@bossmamadiaries.com


RENO UPDATE: The nursery is officially painted and
RENO UPDATE: The nursery is officially painted and ready for decorating! Unfortunately, the bed we had planned for little miss isn't coming (ever, so upset!) so her crib is being converted to a toddler bed instead of being handed down to the newborn, so we are back at square one on the sleeping quarters for the next month or so (bassinette for the win!). BUT this means that I can focus on the rest of the room decor! I am still debating on sticking with the farmhouse minimalist vibe or going a little further into boho style with raw wood and macrame details. TELL ME in the comments what you think! #bossmamarenos #tinynurseryreno #oneroomrefresh #themagicofpaint #letspaintitwhite #neutralnursery #farmhousenursery #tinynurseryideas #mamahoodwonders #winterrenoprojects #canadianmom #DIYmom #raisingbabiesandbusinesses

Little miss has been helping me with my plants for
Little miss has been helping me with my plants for as far as I can remember, and more recently, has been enjoying gardening outdoors too. Watering them is her favorite, but we have been teaching her about seeds—how to get them from the foods she eats, how to create a sustainable garden in our yard (more on that in the spring!), transplanting when they outgrow their pots, and she really seems to be understanding (at least the basics!). #ad So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I was approached to work with @mrsmeyerscleandaycanada who has partnered with @littlegreenthumbs to help educate Canadian kids on gardening and how it can be used to make the world a more compassionate place. The lovely-smelling hand soap certainly helps with the cleanup process too! Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day cleaning products are thoughtfully formulated and made with renewable plant resources like coconut and olive oil and do not contain chlorine bleach, petroleum, phthalates, or parabens—which I particularly enjoy as it doesn't leave my hands feeling dry afterward. The Compassion Flower Hand Soap is a new favourite and you can find yours at Well.ca, Amazon.ca and other specialty retailers. Does your kiddo help with plant care? #mrsmeyers #mrsmeyerssoap #plantmama #whiteandblackdecor #blackandwhitedecor #ontariomom #canadianmom #canadainfluencer #gardeningcleanuptips #tuesdaylifeandhome #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #compassionflower #MrsMeyersCompassionCA #MrsMeyersCA #PeerMrsMeyers2 ⁣📷 : @stephaniedemontignyphotog (filter added) --> For permission to repost or use of copyrighted images, please send a DM or email hello@bossmamadiaries.com

I know it’s unfair to expect a toddler to adapt
I know it’s unfair to expect a toddler to adapt to the time change so quickly, but gosh am I looking forward to nap time today. For ME too!! #workfromhomemom #bossmamadiaries #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #isitnaptimeyet #mamaneedsanap #daylightsavingssucks #toddlersleepproblems #daylightsavingsparentingproblems #canadianmom #ontariomom #ottawamom

If one more person tells me to "relax while you st
If one more person tells me to "relax while you still can" or "do a little self-care" I am going to lose my shit. That advice enrages me to no end because "still can" implies that I have time to relax now, which I don't, and telling me to do some self-care implies that I don't take care of myself otherwise, which I do (just not as much as I would like to). I am in my last month of pregnancy, I have a rambunctious toddler, I run two businesses from my home (one of which is in crazy busy season!), and my husband works retail management with an hour commute each way. I literally do not have the time to do any of that right now if I want to set my business up for success while I am on postpartum leave for a month, and then I will be managing two babies while my husband continues to work to support us. But let me make one thing very clear: I do what I need to do to avoid burnout. I learned the hard way that staying up an extra hour for a few days to make up for the daytime nap I took when I really needed it, or turning down a client to have a day to physically rest (and do admin work), is absolutely worth putting off burnout. Always. So let me work myself hard to the very end, because I know that once my pregnancy is over, I can relax on the couch while the baby sleeps in my arms, the digital babysitter distracts the toddler, hubby is making us a delicious meal, and I don't need to turn on my business brain for a couple of weeks. #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #workfromhomemom #bossmamadiaries #selfcareisnotashower #thatadviceenragesme #unsolicitedadvice #tellmeonemoretime #mamasundayblog #canadianmom #38weekspregnant

RENO UPDATE: The bathroom reno is coming along gre
RENO UPDATE: The bathroom reno is coming along great! We have paused here with the imminent arrival of our newborn, so we have a functional sink setup while we regroup and organize ourselves for finishing the floor where the new unit was installed, and figure out what we want to do with the walls. That's where YOU come in. Should we do shiplap all around the room, board + batten up to chest-level, or spread the subway tiles up the walls? TELL ME in the comments! #bossmamarenos #tinybathroomreno #tinybathroom #tinybathroomdecor #blackandwhitebathroom #coolerfalltemps #winterrenoprojects #canadianmom #DIYmom #raisingbabiesandbusinesses #clientbathroomideas

Little miss enjoyed herself so much this weekend!
Little miss enjoyed herself so much this weekend! She got to dress up as her favourite food, take several walks around the block (even the dark, which she looooved!), learn to blow bubbles, and make pumpkin goodies from scratch with nana. The small-town vibe was the perfect introduction to Halloween, with the lovely weather and temperature to go out (is it even Halloween in Canada without a snowsuit!?), and I very much look forward to when we can truly get to know our neighbours. Happy kid, happy mama! #happyhalloween #halloween2021 #smalltownhalloween #hallmarkhalloween #littlemisspumpkin #littlepumpkin #babypumpkin #ourtuesdayhome #ottawaporchportraits #fallinottawa #almonteontario #ottawamom #ontariomom #canadianmom ⁣📷 : @purenaturalfamilies (filter added) --> For permission to repost or use of copyrighted images, please send a DM or email hello@bossmamadiaries.com

Before we bring out the fun and spooky of the holi
Before we bring out the fun and spooky of the holiday that is Halloween, let’s take a moment to acknowledge how fake it all is, and how those of us who are just surviving at this point can feel so overwhelmed at trying to keep up with the social masses. YES, it’s totally normal NOT to have matching themed family costumes. YES, it’s normal NOT to buy brand new costumes for their kids. We have always thrifted ours—for the cost savings but also to prevent single use costumes ending up in the landfill. YES, it is normal to use regular clothing you already have at home to makeshift a costume. YES, it is normal NOT to dress up with your kids and stay home as a family if that’s what everyone wants. YES, it is normal to just take a fun Halloween photo to say you participated and call it a day—remembering the good and fun parts. YES, it is normal for kids NOT to want to participate, to change their mind at the last minute about hating their costume, and to become little demons after you’ve spiked them with candy. Embrace the chaos, don’t feel bad for having a meltdown of your own, and don’t let the social guilt control you. And while we’re at it, NO, it is not okay to dress up in costumes that degrade or isolate or appropriate. Kids don’t know any better—it’s your job as a parent to educate. Now that that’s out of the way, TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS, did you go full out this year or are you happily coasting through, or are you pretending it’s not happening this year? #halloween2021 #halloweenincanada #halloweenissupposedtobescary #nocandyforthetoddler #comparisonisthethiefofjoy #momguiltisreal #ontariomom #ottawamom #fallinottawa #experiencesoverthings


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