binkies and briefcases

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Welcome to Binkies and Briefcases! I’m Stephanie and I’ve been hanging out in this corner of the internet since 2010. “Binkies” are pacifiers– you know, because I’m a mom– but if you read the the title of the blog as “Bikinis and Briefcases,” you aren’t the first one.  

However, this is not a place for me to model bathing suits (as everyone, especially me, collectively breathes a sigh of relief). As women, we often try to be everything to everyone and the title of the blog is about trying to find that elusive balance.

Psst…Can I tell you a secret? I’m not actually sure that balance exists. 

My husband, Eddie, and I were high school sweethearts. Eddie is a civil engineer and I used to be an elementary school teacher. We spent over ten years living in Amish Country in central, Pennsylvania then decided to relocate to the Tampa, Florida area. 

We are currently raising five children. Some of our children are biological and others came to us via adoption and foster care. Three of them also happens to have pretty extensive special needs. That’s why you’ll see a lot of posts on the blog about foster care, adoption, and parenting children who have special needs or who have experienced trauma. 

I have a passion for natural-ish living, which to me means making an effort to find sustainable solutions, eating a mostly plant-based diet, and attempting to reduce our environmental footprint. But I’m also a mom of five and I realize sometimes life happens, and I’m all about giving ourselves grace and recognizing that any effort is better than none! I also really love saving money, so I have lots of posts about ways to reduce your grocery bill or find free stuff to do with kids. 

I started this blog for myself, but over the years it has turned into amazing platform for parents to connect with each other and now it is much bigger than just me. Now it is yours too.

I have traveled and spoken at events, been interviewed on Good Morning America, and published a few books. Now I get to combine my love for blogging and my love for education in a whole new way by helping other bloggers! You can also contact me for private consultations through the About tab in the menu or by emailing the address listed below. 

In 2014 I wrote a blog post that compared the shorts offered for girls in retail stores to the ones offered for boys, and it went very viral very quickly, going on to become one of The Huffington Post’s most shared pieces of the decade. I also wrote a Letter to Kip Moore about how much his song, Hey Pretty Girl, inspired our son. And sometimes I write about topics that are important to our family that happen to touch a lot of other people as well, like the post I wrote about Sensory Processing Disorder and How I Know It Is Real. 

But this blog is about more than just a few viral posts. It’s about building a community and giving YOU a place where hopefully you feel like you can breathe. 

I think that balance sometimes looks like leaving the dishes in the sink and watching Dawson’s Creek reruns until 1am because you need a minute (or two hundred) for yourself, and sometimes it looks like speaking up for your child at the doctor’s office or an inside joke you text to your partner.

I know the balance we’ve all been looking for is hiding here somewhere between the binkies and the briefcases, I just haven’t found it yet.

CONTACT: To contact Stephanie regarding questions about this blog or for sponsorship opportunities for the BlogU conference, please email stephanie(at)bloguconference.com 

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