Her advice to parents is similar: Take a deep breath. “I would also say it’s really important to take a little time to yourself. And I know that’s really hard when you’re in it, but even the three hours I give myself a month with other moms without our children around is amazing, but you can learn so much from what other people are doing, and it can morph how you parent,” Michelle says. Every month, Michelle and about 20 other local moms meet for dinner to chat. There are around 160 women in the group, but every month, different people will show up for dinner. She has been organizing this meet up for a year and a half and calls it Mom’s Night Out. She believes it is important to lean on other Moms and take some time for yourself. “Because sometimes you just need to bounce some ideas off others, sometimes you just need to laugh or cry,” Michelle explains. “But a little space to just take everything in can put it in perspective.” Michelle says she found this especially helpful when dealing with the tiredeness. “Becuase sometimes when you’re in it, you lose focus and you don’t even realize how exhausted you are.” When training for her two Ironman last year, Michelle pushed the envelope, getting up at three or four in the morning to workout and train before getting kids to school or getting her daughter ready for activities. Her trick to make it work? Organization. Although Michelle will admit she did not sleep as much as she should have and has trained her body to work on very little sleep, she says you have to face every day with a plan. With the joys and challenges of raising a blended family, Michelle says it’s important to “trust your tribe and trust your instincts. You can learn a lot from the other parents you are around.” Favorite date night… Red Rocks. RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS Words that describe your family… crazy, grounded, fun.
Favorite genre of movie or television show… cooking show.
Favorite food… sushi or ramen.
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