Melificent

Work|Life Balance

I don’t usually blur the line between my hobby (blogging) and my career (behavior analysis), but I feel like this particular topic can benefit us all in this crazy culture that we are living in. For those of you that don’t know, I have another instagram (@behaviormagictherapy) where I share ABA tips + tricks, and I posed the question of sharing my thoughts on work/life balance and everyone replied with a resounding yes. So here I am.

My field (amongst others I’m sure) is renown for blurring boundaries and having severe burn out within the community. Working so closely with families day in and day out can cause you to always be “on,” and I was able to manage this pressure with relative ease for years…until I started a family. The second I became a mom and came back after maternity leave, I felt an insane amount of stress and anxiety with the task of balancing my child, my husband, my hobbies AND still being a kick ass analyst. And yes, although at times I feel bogged down and let my negative thoughts consume me, I know I am still good at my job. But that is because, although I learned to say no to others some time ago, I am just recently learning to say no to myself. And that by saying no to my overachieving, over anxious mind, I can still manage to do a good job without negatively effecting myself and other (honestly more important) areas of my life.

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Mega-Whovian OOTD

If there is one thing that proves to be stress relief in my life (even at almost 40), it is planning a good outfit. My excitement grows if it is fandom-related, so putting together outfits for cons has always been something I really relish in. Lately I’ve found myself trying my best to find as many pieces as I can that are already in my closet. You see, I don’t go out much any more now as a mama bear, but I continued to buy outfits for awhile as if I did. So I have so many gems that don’t really get to see the light of day already in my closet. It’s been an extra challenge and my wallet has really, really thanked me during a very busy traveling year (what possessed me, I have no idea) where every penny counts.

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Megacon 2019

Megacon Orlando and I? We have history.
My first Megacon was in 2014, just a brief month or so after I suffered a miscarriage. I cried the way up to Orlando because I felt guilty for doing something “fun,” but then quickly realized it was just what I needed. The convention scene and I have always been allies, a place I feel safe and at home in. Somewhere where I feel I can be myself without judgement. I had quite a lot of that fun I was feeling guilty for experiencing and met some lifelong friends. For this, it has always stayed in my heart.

It was only natural that Luna’s first convention be Mega, and it was last year. I had my reservations about how she would take it, but she was such a champ. Not many two year olds can say that their first celebrity encounter was Jeff Goldblum while dressed like Queen Elsa. Just sayin’.

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MegaCon 2019 + Red Roof Inn: Passion Traveling

One of the joys of being a mom is being able to share the things you love with your children. As I’ve mentioned before, travel is something that my husband and I have cherished, both individually and as a couple since the beginning of time. Pair it with traveling for a passion, such as pop culture conventions, and we are happy campers. I remember the first time I went to San Diego Comic Con: before people slept outside to get into panels, when 4-day badges were $100 and if you attended a panel, you automatically went to meet and greets with the cast. No big. Now, living the con life is not as rare as it used to be and people from all walks of life are traveling to attend their favorite conventions in cities all over the country (and world, really).

Luna’s first convention was Megacon in Orlando last year and she absolutely loved it. I really love Megacon because it has all the perks of large cons while still holding on to the feel of a small one. I think it’s a perfect “gateway con,” and one we’ve enjoyed for years. This year, we opted not to cosplay just for comfort sake, got a photo op with the gift that is David Tennant + saw some amazing vendors and friends.

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Zimpli Kids Review

Being a behavior analyst, I am all about the sensory play! Ever since Luna was little I would have sensory days at least 3 times a week where we played with different textures and consistencies, so I was very excited to give Zimpli Kids‘ line of Slime Baffs and Gelli Baffs a try. I wanted to see how they worked in multiple settings, so I gave the Slime Baff a go in the bathtub and the Unicorn Slime Play in a plastic container for her to play with at a table. Both were a total hit with her! In the bath, she loved pretending the slime was Elsa’s ice powers, and in the container, the slime came with two unicorns that she loved to trap within the slime.

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