Gigi Harrell

How Did Our Mothers Survive?

One day last week it was raining.Â One of those days, where the playground is too soggy, and the kids are bouncing off the walls.Â One of those days, that defines why being a mom is the worldâs toughest job.Â For their sanity and mine, I packed them in the car, drove to one of the local inflatables play places, happily forked over the entrance price, and let them jump off all that en…

Posted 11 hrs. ago.

Too Many Choices

For those of you into acronyms, I am currently a SAHM (stay at home mom).Â This is a recent development in my life.Â After the arrival of Sarah, I returned part-time to my pre-baby, corporate America job.Â The agreement and my paycheck were based on three days a week.Â By the time she turned one, part-time had morphed into over 40 hours a week and at least one business trip a month (bu…

Posted 1 week ago.

Trips Vs. Vacations

My husband, Scott, and I just returned from our first vacation in five years.Â Yes, we have traveled during the past five years.Â We have visited family, the beach, and even the mountains.Â All those voyages were only trips; None were vacations.Â What is the difference, you ask?Â A wise traveler with children older than mine explained it to me.Â You take trips as a family and vac…

Posted 2 weeks ago.

Are Flag Socks Patriotic?

Today our nation turns 232, if you use my count. Iâm counting from date we declared our independence. If you skip the Revolutionary War and Articles of the Confederacy stages, we turned 220 two weeks ago. Either way, July 4 is a day to celebrate.

Posted 3 weeks ago.

Does the Tooth Fairy Travel to Slumber Parties?

About two months ago, Sarah went to her first sleep over. This was a huge event for both of us. Excited to exuberance, she discussed it with everyone and anyone for the entire week. Concerned about the outcome, I spent that same time trying to downplay the whole thing. I didnât want her to feel bad if a midnight pick up was needed. But more so, I didnât want to admit that my four-ye…

Posted 4 weeks ago.

Tales from RDU

School is wrapping up, the temperatures are in the nineties and summer travel is underway. To honor the season, I wanted to share some tales of travel â more specifically travels by air with children. I have never had a root canal, but I am guessing it is about as much fun as flying with young children. Yes, there are those families that tell me their kids are great at the airport, but in …

Posted 1 mon. ago.

A Celebration of My Dad

Father's Day is only a few days away. I am prepared with gifts and cards to celebrate Scott. He is a wonderful husband and terrific dad to Sarah and Jaley. Earlier in the week, I sent cards to my father-in-law and our grandfathers. Just like Scott, they deserve a special day in their honor. But for the first time, I find myself without my own father at Fatherâs Day. My dad passed away j…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Little Mountain Goats

Are your babies climbers? It is one of the standard questions between moms. The answers vary based on the child at hand, but my neighbor, Stephanie, answers it best for my girls. If you ask her about my children, she just says Iâm raising a couple of mountain goats.

Posted 1 mon. ago.

My Toes Must Be Skinnier

After my first child, the baby weight just melted away. I thought breastfeeding was the worldâs greatest diet pill. Before my maternity leave was over, I was back in my skinny jeans with a few pounds to spare. Of course, after a few months of juggling a full-time job, a baby and the rest of life those spare pounds caught up with me, but basically I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Posted 1 mon. ago.

She Cut What!

I was simply trying to enjoy a few minutes of Zen. It is an act I try to perform daily, but sometimes gets missed in the chaos. It is an act that is good for my personal wellbeing, as well as for those standing down wind of me. If you don't have young children this act of Zen is more commonly known as taking a shower. Yesterday, my moment was abruptly ruined when my husband, Scott, walked into the…

Posted 2 mon. ago.

about this blog

Gigi Harrell

Gigi is a TriangleMom2Mom featured blogger, appearing every Friday.

She's a mom of two daughters, ages 4 and 1½. Gigi’s path to a career in writing took the scenic route. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Engineering and a husband-to-be. After a few years of work and lots of play in California, they returned to their roots in the South. They landed in North Carolina where she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with an MBA. She worked in marketing for a large multinational company, but career priorities changed with the arrival of her girls. She stepped off the corporate track to start her own business. She now works full-time as a mom and part-time running her business and writing freelance. Gigi lives in Cary with her husband and two daughters balancing the havoc and harmony of everyday life.