A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Use Dresses to Stay Cool and Stylish in Hot Weather

Greetings from Chaton's World in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! My days often start with laundry, early-morning emails, and making my kids a hot breakfast. They often end with late-night homework checks, making Instagram reels, and appearing on Celebrity Court of Public Opinion. Somewhere in between, I’m navigating boardrooms, working towards deadlines, and immersed in the good, bad, and ugly chaos of motherhood and household management. As a working mom of three and a professional carving out space in corporate environments, I share my journey of balancing leadership with loving my family, and I sprinkle it with self-care tips. Here, you’ll find honest reflections, hard-earned lessons, and practical strategies for creating an authentic life that you enjoy. If you’re trying to do it all without losing yourself in the process, you have found your sister in the struggle!  Continue reading to discover some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world.

Photography Tips for Busy Moms


Baby Photo


One thing that bloggers, especially "Mommy Bloggers" understand is the power of a great photograph to take a post from boring to bold! That said, bloggers aren't the only moms who are obsessed with taking photos of their kids. Indeed, Instagram might not even exist if it weren't for all of the moms who use it to show off the cuties they claim on their taxes!


Enjoying a snow cone in the sunshine
Boy enjoying a snow cone on a sunny day!

Bloggers Have Learned How to Use Photographs to Tell a Story



I have gotten compliments on the images I use on my blog. Contrary to popular belief, I don't have a photographer following me around. (I've thought about having one do that though. If It happens, I'll let you know." Most of the time, it's just me, my phone and standard filters that make my images look good. (Oh, and those little tax liabilities are super cute!)



Girl on a snow bank

Although all moms enjoy taking photographs of their kids, we bloggers use those images to punctuate their posts. For that reason, we are always on the look out for the perfect photograph and stay up on techniques that exist for getting the best possible photograph. As a blogger, I have learned some things. And now that the days are longer because of Day Light Saving Time and Spring is upon us, I thought that I'd share! (Also, it is almost time for Spring Break, which is a veritable photograph palooza!!!)

Boy enjoying time with a police officer

One Tip To Getting a Great Photo: The main thing I have learned is that you have to appreciate that great photographs do not happen by accident. Instead, you have to intentionally seek great photo opportunities. You also have to care about it. For example, my husband could give less than a damn about taking the perfect photograph. Whenever you ask him to take a photo, he takes one shot and without looking at the image he declares, "it's fine". That doesn't mean that he hasn't taken some great shots. I mean, even a blind squirrel can find a nut some of the time. Still, it means that he odds of getting a great photo are decreased because it doesn't matter to him if he gets one or not. 

Elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo

Second Photo Tip: Be committed to memorializing your life with photos. Translation--Take a crap ton of freaking photographs!!! As the above indicates, besides taking photos of my kids though, I enjoy taking photographs of things around me to give my readers insight into my life and the things I am experiencing. I find it to be a lot of fun. So, take photographs of every and anything that you encounter. I believe, as you increase your volume, you will find that you have more interesting photographs to share. Because, instead of trying to "stage" the perfect photograph, you will instead be taking a million photographs and be able to find the perfect one. The result will be more natural and more spectacular!



For tips about how to improve your photos, read below!


14 Tips for Taking Amazing iPhone Photos of Children

Ten Tips for Taking Great iPhone Photos

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