Stefanie
Hello! My name is Stefanie Hamel and I am a wife, Mom of three children (Lucien, Isla & Vanessa), pediatric nurse and health and fitness enthusiast. Finding balance has become increasingly challenging over the past few years but as more is thrown my way, I have found that staying organized has helped greatly in achieving that balance.
In just a few years, I have earned a Master’s degree in nursing, worked as a pediatric nurse, had 3 children, bought and sold our first home, built and designed our current home, and juggled the day to day tasks as a wife and mother. I think it is important to not only stay organized but to find hobbies you are passionate about to help you find that balance we are all looking for.
My passions are running, cooking, reading, home design, and party planning. I enjoy designing and decorating homes to create an elegant, soft and useful space that also allows for children to be expressive and playful. Anyone who knows me knows that I also love to plan a good party, especially a themed party for my kids! When I became a Mom, I wanted to incorporate my passion for healthy habits and my knowledge in healthcare as a nurse to create easy, fun and most importantly healthy recipes for my family.
Together, my husband and I like to teach our kids fun activities that keep them moving. Rather than just telling our kids what to do, we believe it is important to lead by example. We regularly get up early to exercise and stay healthy in the hopes that someday they will do the same. Getting your kids involved in activities at a young age is great for them physically, mentally and socially as well. It teaches them hard work, dedication and how to be a teammate.
When it comes to eating healthy, it is not about depriving your children of fun treats but showing them that you can create healthy recipes for your favorite foods that are just as delicious. One of the awesome things about baking and cooking a lot at home (my favorite day is Sunday…it’s like a marathon of cooking!), is that I get to involve my children. They are never too young to start learning their way around the kitchen. When it is time to cook or bake I pull up the kitchen chairs to the island so they can reach and help me put all the ingredients together as I show them how to follow a recipe.
I hope to set an example for my children and guide them to healthy decision making. My goal is to show them that being strong both physically and mentally is essential when striving to achieve a focused, successful life. There are many parents who want the same things for their children so I thought I would share as much I could through my knowledge, research, and of course love of cooking! Throughout the site, I will incorporate fun, healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks as well as activities to keep your kids moving and set them up for a healthy and happy life!
Chris
Hi everyone! My name’s Chris Hamel and I’m lucky enough to be married to my beautiful, caring and hardworking (see above) wife Stefanie. I’m a dad to 3 awesome kiddos – Lucien, Isla, Vanessa – and my little dude Tucker – he’s my pup who will love you for life as long as you rub his belly and don’t ever give him a tubby. Professionally, I manage a services team for a technology company, which I’ve been with for over 10 years now. I love what I do, mainly because I work with an amazing team of people that are far smarter than me and help me to become a better person every day.
I live my life in a principled and simple manner. I’m a thinker and a learner that constantly tries to better myself not just for myself, but for my family, friends and colleagues. I strive to set a positive example for those close to me and live life in a way that I will be able to look back on it and be proud.
As far as this website goes, my contributions will mainly be in the Mind & Body section and sprinkled throughout the overall design and presentation of the site. I’m more of an eater than a cooker, so I’ll leave that section to my wife. I’m more of a partier than a party planner, so I’ll also leave that to my wife. The Pregnancy & Baby section, well, I obviously don’t know what I’m talking about there…
In the Mind & Body section, I’m hoping to share some thoughts and ideas around what inspires me and helps me live my life in a positive, healthy way. I’m human just like you. I have good days and bad days, but living a balanced life helps me have more good than bad. This site is likely to be partly therapeutic for myself and partly (hopefully) inspirational for others, but really, everyone is likely to get something different out of it. We all learn and grow in different ways and we are all at different stages of our lives. My hope can only be that we both leave here at least a little better than when we came.