Meet the Mom – Alyson S
Name: Alyson Seligman
©Erica Dunhill
Where did you grow up: A little all over… New York, Tampa Bay area and of course, Gainesville (go gators!)
Town you live in now: Palm Beach Gardens
Why you love living there: It’s absolutely beautiful, family friendly, close to the water, plenty of activities (including lounging without moving a muscle!) and perfect weather in the winter.
Tell me about your kids: We have an nine-year old (going on 19!) girl named Sarah who people often refer to as a “mini me” for her red hair. She’s so smart, full of sass, loves squishes, doing acro dance at Florida School of Dance, and circus camp at the Mandel JCC’s amazing summer program. Evan is five and is in Pre-K. He loves legos, transformers, swimming, gives the best hugs, and has piercing blue eyes that make everyone melt.
Favorite things to do with the family locally: We love Lion Country Safari, hitting up weekend greenmarkets in West Palm and Palm Beach Gardens, splashing in our pool, going to area parks, and hanging with friends.
Best family restaurant: We love brunch so we rotate between Juno Beach Cafe, Blue Moon, and Prosecco.
Ideal family vacation spot and why: We love doing cruises over spring break — Disney does it the best! — and we also love staycations at the Marriott on Singer Island or the Breakers. We’ll go anywhere near the beach… there’s always a summer deal on Groupon or TravelZoo!
What’s your ‘day job’? I run two businesses (and just started a third venture!): I write blog called The Modern Savvy (www.themodernsavvy.com) that focuses on personal style, personal growth and bits of real life like parenting, chronic illness, etc (I’m @themodernsavvy on Instagram and Facebook). I also run a PR company, The SBS Agency, that focuses on nonprofit, hospitality and tourism clients. AND, I’m so excited that I formally started doing motivational speaking focused on overcoming adversity/obstacles, empowering women to show up and live authentically, the importance of saying no, removing mom guilt/mom shame, and more. You can find more at www.alysonseligman.com.
How do you balance your ‘day job’ and motherhood? I candidly don’t believe there’s ever a real balance…. Some weeks I’m in crazy work mode and rely on those around me to help more, and other weeks I’m in intense mom mode. We all have so much going on so the best thing we can do is plan, delegate, prioritize and accept that we can’t get it all done; that’s why there’s tomorrow.
Over time I’ve learned a few things: Most importantly, SAY NO(because when you say no, you are really saying yes to something else — usually yourself, or your children!); don’t self-impose mom guilt (if you are feeling it in any capacity it means you care that much, and I promise you your children feel that love). Lastly: accept help.
What do you do for self care? Massages, girls nights, getting to the gym, mini getaways with Adam, and indulging in shows like I’m Sorry, Younger, Bold Type, Schitt’s Creek, and Real Housewives
What did you wish you knew but no one told you about being a parent? That there’s no manual, that people sadly will judge and always have an opinion, usually without knowing the full story. Have confidence in your parenting (we are all doing the best we can), and don’t be shy to ask for help, whether it’s from family, friends or a professional. For example, we started seeing a children’s behavioral therapist and it was the best parenting decision we’ve made. We’ve learned so much (I wrote what we learned about here if you’re interested!).
