I'm Kristin.  I am a wife, designer, Christian and for now a SAHM.  My husband and I are parents to three kids- Dylan Archer, Kyler Jude and Noelle Rose. Despite the name, this isn’t a mommy blog and you won’t find sponsored content here. My target audience is actually my children when they grow up if they wish to reflect on their childhood so everything I share has them at the forefront of my mind and secondly those who wish to follow along my journey. I created this space to document my family's adventures and lessons I've learned along the way.  The Mom Jungle is a modern interpretation of both the family newsletter and scrapbook.  

I call this The Mom Jungle because motherhood is fun and messy, filled with laughter and sometimes heartache… it truly is a jungle out there!

Bittersweet November '24

Bittersweet November '24

THE MOM JUNGLE

Instead of a monthly snapshot review, I am going to try to post photos throughout November and perhaps little journal notes along the way. As per my past post “A Social Experiment” I have deleted social media off my phone. This is by no means revolutionary. I’m sharing in part to hold myself accountable. I’ve also been [ironically] following Youtube creators who have removed social media from their lives as well as “underconsumption core” videos as I am craving the simplicity and being fully present like I was in my analogue childhood. I can remember looking at clouds, imagining images in their shapes, being mesmerized as raindrops dance down the window pane and tracing them with my finger or being attuned to the sound of autumn leaves crunching under my feet or the sound of wind rustling through the trees. These are the little joys I too often miss. I also was recently watching Wall-E with Kyler and I couldn’t help notice how the humans only interacted with a digital interface and not each other.

Since I enjoy taking, processing and uploading stylistic candid photos, having an avenue to share them will reduce my temptation to go back to other social media apps. It’s about harm reduction and not perfection, baby! This little blog is a digital scrapbook instead of the attention-grabbing abyss, toxic cesspool and time-sucking vacuum that we call “social” media [which preoccupies us and keeps us anti-social and isolated come to think of it]. Instagram for me is really like a loser boyfriend lol… I know it’s no good, yet the few good times keep me coming back for more haha! As I have stated earlier, I am not swearing off the apps forever, I just need to curb my user habits and approach to them. Also as my children get older, posting here is more private despite having a secure account. I see the diagnostics of this little website and there are fewer eyes here than my social media [which is by design as I never advertise this. My intended audience is me, interested close friends or family and most importantly my kids when they are older should they want to browse family photos]. The post will be a work in progress as the month progresses and I hypothesize that this social experiment will be beneficial to me.

THIS WEEK [NOV 3-9] IN PICTURES:

  1. Emily Gilmore style Friday night dinner

  2. Noelle and Great-Grandpa Giles

  3. Doggy cuddles

  4. More doggy cuddles

  5. Posing at the dentist office

  6. British school girl chic with the previous evening’s Halloween candy

  7. More posing at the dentist

  8. Our golden-eyed doggy in a pile of gold-toned fallen leaves

  9. Local kids’ art studio

A FEW WEEKS LATER…

Well… it turns out trying to dial back my social media usage two days before a major political event would set me up for failure as a news junkie! It’s not all for naught as I have been productive from Marie Kondo’ing my entire house before the holidays, overhauling my professional website, learning the best industry software, handing in assignments and essays, celebrating 13 years of marriage and decking the halls! Nonetheless, I’ve scrolled too much [hold on a second.. actually a minute as I got distracted by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour reels} and now have deleted the apps off of phone. I’ve taken less photos overall as sorting through clutter and working on assignments isn’t exactly Pinterest worthy, but here are the highlights off my camera roll:

  1. Noelle channeling the 90’s with her claw clip

  2. Cheers to 13 years and big pickles ;)

  3. At-home gymnastics gym

  4. Christmas Decor

  5. More Christmas Decor

  6. … and from another angle lol!

  7. Sick days with pizza and Home Alone

  8. Baby Bunny

  9. School

  10. Grade 1 is tough..

  11. Christmas cookies decorating

  12. Diet Coke and dates

  13. Tulle and Yule

The rest of the month was eclipsed from the swift and peaceful passing of Justin’s grandfather. I wrote this at the time:

A life well lived.  He was a wonderful man and I was lucky enough to call him Grandpa Harold when I married Justin.  I’m honoured I was able to meet him in the later chapters of his life.  Sending my heartfelt condolences to his wife Violet of 69 years, 5 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  His legacy will live on through us and the lives he touched.  Rest well.

My son Dylan said that he thinks great-grandpa started wood carving again in Heaven (a beloved pastime that arthritic hands robbed him of in the last couple years) after he said “hi” to Jesus.  I like to think God would prepare a workshop in heaven for Harold as that was a slice of heaven for him on earth. ❤️🕊️

We woke up to the first snowfall and it seemed poetic on the day we laid my husband’s Patriarch to rest.  Winter is both breathtakingly beautiful and bitterly cold which echoed the bittersweet sentiment today.  The sweet is the gratitude in a long life well lived and a peaceful transition to eternity.  The bitter is saying our final goodbyes until we meet again.

In Grandpa’s hands was his last unfinished carving- a boot and even there I see the symbolism of a man who walked faithfully with God and loved and led his family so well.  We love you and will miss you always.  We will take good care of Grandma.  I look forward to seeing the carvings you make in Heaven’s workshop for us when we see you in eternity. ❤️🕊️

My heart is for this wife and children first and foremost. And while a peace of our heart stays with the dearly departed, life presses on. I had a first cousin (my first in 26 years) born a few days ago, the kids have enjoyed the snow and we are ready to counting down to Christmas celebrating beloved traditions and forging new ones.

  1. Went in to thrift for skates.. came out with a Christmas village instead.

  2. Photos 2 through 4 are fun in the first snowfall of the year! Surprisingly neighbouring towns didn’t receive snow like we did so our little city was its own little snow globe!

  3. Kyler at church getting some drum pointers from a youth (not pictured)

  4. The start of Christmas baking

A Social Experiment

A Social Experiment