Michell and I met over five years ago through my best friend, Abby ( theturqoisepenguin). Michelle is the wedding planner and designer of AKM Events. I've been following her through instagram and her work is brilliant. (follow her!) She is also a wonderful mom of three. So excited to introduce you all! Ls
Hi Everyone! My name
is Michelle Nikitaras and I am a mom of three by day and a wedding planner by
night (and in between my kids’ tantrums)!
Our household is usually pretty busy between raising our children, caring
for two dogs, and trying to run a home business. Friends sometimes ask me how I
manage to balance everything in my life.
My response is: If my life is not chaos, I don’t know what I am doing!
Good chaos, of course.
I love being a mom.
My oldest son, Aidan, is 11 and teaches me how to do things, such as
high school math and problem solving, on a daily basis. He is definitely a smart guy and I’m a super
proud mama. My two little ones are Noah,
2 yrs old, and Gianna, 9 months old.
This is where it gets tricky. They
keep me running all day long, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are
the loves of my life. But, let’s face
it; sometimes us moms need something
outside the home to keep us sane! Whether it be an occasional mani/pedi or
doing something we are passionate about.
It’s definitely a MUST to put away the sweat pants and have a little
adult time once in a while.
My passion is weddings.
I am so obsessed with the thought of two people falling in love and
vowing to spend eternity together. I am
lucky enough to help them plan and prepare for one of the biggest days of their
lives. It also gives me a chance to have a creative outlet that doesn’t involve
glue and macaroni!
It started as just a hobby back in 2000 and slowly took on a
life of its own.
As a working mother, I
have become a master at time management and organization.
These are two things that are very important to
event planning and wedding design.
AKMEvents is now booming and, thank God, I work with some really awesome women.
I am super lucky to have the best of both
worlds.
My kids don’t even miss me when
I’m gone, and I miss them more until I come home.
Being a mom is a full time, crazy, fun, exhausting,
rewarding job all in itself. We are all
“Rock Star Moms” whether we work outside of the home or not! Here are a few
tips that work for me to try to maintain balance. When
you think about it, all of life’s twists and turns is a balancing act so we
might as well have fun doing it! I hope
you find balance in your life by trying some of these tips, or coming up with
your own that work in your own situation.
·
Turn the
music up! Sometimes my kids are
crying or just plain unhappy in the car.
Wouldn’t you be too if you were strapped into a car seat and forced to
face the rear of the car when you obviously have ants in your pants? Duh! We turn the music up and sing at the top
of our lungs. It’s a win- win. I release some stress and my kids think it’s
hilarious. Don’t be afraid to act
silly! Your kids will love you for it.
·
Pray/Meditate. Take some time to thank God for all that you
have. Reflect on your day, on your loved
ones, and on all of the good things that life has to offer. I usually do this
when I’m in the shower since this is the longest period of quiet time I get in
a day.
·
Drink
Tea, Wine, or something special.
When my kids are snug in their bed, the first thing I do is make myself
a cup of chamomile tea before I sit down in front of the computer. It relaxes me
and makes me feel at ease while I go about the daunting task of catching up on
emails or blog posts. On Fridays I substitute the tea for a glass of wine! J
·
Unplug
once in a while. Sundays are family
day in our house. We unplug! No Facebook,
no phones, no tablets, no Xbox! We take
this time to enjoy each other and have a little fun.
·
Do
something nice for yourself. An
occasional spa day or shopping day works wonders! My hubby and I try to have a
date night once a month too. Working outside of the home when I have a wedding
is super rewarding. We all feel
energized when we just get a break once in a while. When we come back together as a family we
appreciate each other that much more!
Good Luck to my fellow Rock Star Moms, and I hope this helps
you to find your balance in your life.
xo Michelle
AKM Events
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photos courtesy of m rinaye Labels: akm events, finding balance, rockstar mom, wedding planner
