Kristin Flanary
Kristin met her husband in college at Texas Tech University, and they later moved to New Hampshire, where they earned his-and-hers advanced degrees (complete with matching towels) at Dartmouth. They had their first date on Valentine's Day, got engaged on Valentine's Day three years later, welcomed their first daughter (Charlotte) on Valentine's Day three years after that, and their second daughter (Claire) on Valentine's Day three years after that! Kristin and her family moved to Iowa City in 2014 so her husband could begin his residency at UIHC. She is currently laugh-crying her way through raising a threenager and an infant while simultaneously working full-time at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development and juggling the crazy schedule of a resident's wife. Kristin has been a stay-at-home mom, a work-at-home mom, and work-outside-the-home mom, so she can officially judge that each scenario is hard and equally wonderful. In her free time, you can find Kristin either taking pictures and learning about photography, reading about how not to screw up her daughters, on her soapbox about women's rights, enjoying a hard-earned glass of wine, or collapsed from exhaustion. Her life is ridiculous and her heart is full.
10 Things Your Working Mom Friend Wants You to Know
Being a mom is never easy, no matter how you do it. Staying home, working from home, or working outside the home – they’re all hard and wonderful in different ways. As I’ve adjusted...
Resources for Raising Strong Girls (and Boys)
I was raised with a healthy dose of, “Girls can do anything boys can do,” but it wasn’t until I had daughters of my own that I really started paying attention to all the...
Dear Daughter: Why I’m Tired
Dear Daughter,
I’ve seen you noticing lately. My droopy eyes. My hunched shoulders. My long, heavy sighs. You curl up next to me during bedtime snuggles and trace the lines on my forehead with your...
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better | A “He Said/She Said” Guide...
New parents these days are bombarded with information about raising children. From bottles to breasts, cribs to co-sleeping, and organic homegrown to processed store-bought, the choices and guidelines are endless. My husband and I...
It Takes a Village: Creating Family Bonds from a Distance
It’s summer in Iowa City, which means it’s time for the annual population turnover. You can see the shift especially well downtown. Every year at the beginning of summer, students head home, and the...
When Breast is Not Best
Now that she’s older and too busy for cuddling, some of my favorite memories of my daughter as a baby revolve around the time I spent feeding her. I would carefully select the diet...
Postpartum Surprises: 10 Ways Pregnancy is Not Done With You Yet
When I had my first child, I remember holding her on my chest while the doctor stitched me up (thank you, oh blessed epidural) and told me, “You are officially no longer pregnant.” I...
If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It…For All of Womankind
These days, pregnancy is generally accepted as a beautiful thing, but that wasn't always the case. Not too many generations ago, pregnancy was largely kept under wraps. As our grandmothers carried our parents, their...
Step Away from Auto: The Easy Way to Help Your Photos Look Their Best
In December, I shared a few tips for taking holiday photos, but these tips can really be applied all year long. As moms, we have all sorts of reasons to be taking pictures. Whether...
Does This Baby Come with Instructions? 5 Great Books for the First Year
When I was pregnant with my first baby, I went into full-on research mode. It was impossible not to – I am a planner by nature and a researcher by training. I like logic,...