Meet the Mom – Paige F.

Is it just me or can you see a halo around the head of this mom in the photo below- So appropriate for her kind soul!    Read to the end for a good laugh!

Name:

Paige Figueira

Where did you grow up:

All over! Mississippi, Colorado, then all over Florida, then Indiana for a little while, then back to Palm Beach County!

Town you live in now:

Jupiter

Why you love living there:

I truly do love living in Jupiter. It is so family friendly and such a tight knit community. It’s not a small town, but it certainly feels that way sometimes. There are so many great family events! It isn’t even necessary to mention the fact that it’s literally paradise. The beaches, the weather, the turtles nesting on the beach… we just love it here!

Tell me about your kids:

I have 3 amazing kids, the oldest of whom is 4. Ava is in Pre-k 4 at Jupiter Christian and she is the sweetest, most empathetic little genius you could ever meet! She sings literally all the time about everything. My middle, Harper, is 3 years old and she’s hilarious. She is also SUPER fiery and tough and she dances like no one is watching. My littlest, Lucas, is 1 and a half years old and is also hilarious and goofy and crazy smart. I could not have asked for more awesome children.

Favorite things to do with the family locally:

We love to go to the Loxahatchee River Center, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, and to feed the ducks at Indian Creek Park when we just need to pass a little time. We also love Flying Panda in PSL, though that isn’t exactly super local, but it’s SO much fun! And from May-September you can find us at the Breakers pretty much every weekend. We have done their summer membership for a few years now and it’s the best thing we have ever done. You feel like you are on vacation in paradise all summer long!!

Best family restaurant:

Breakers Italian Restaurant, and for some reason my kids REALLY love Calaveras Cantina in Harbourside Place.

Ideal family vacation spot and why:

We love Atlantis! It is definitely a little chaotic, but there is never a dull moment and we all have an amazing time together there. There’s just so much to do, and so many different dining options, everyone is happy! We are also a Disney passholder family so we go to Disney a lot. Sometimes we just go up for the day but when we stay, we always try to stay in the monorail hotels for convenience purposes. Just another place where there’s never a dull moment and plenty of options for everyone to have a good time!

What’s your ‘day job’?

Well, there are a few! Mommy is my number 1 job title these days. The kids always come first. And trust me when I tell you 3 kids 4 and under is most certainly a full time job!! I also own Itsy Bitsy Bashes! We rent out a large soft play area for toddler parties and events. It’s super colorful and cute and the little ones have so much fun because it’s just their size and everything is super soft so they can climb and roll and stumble and never get hurt! It comes with a hand sanitizer station and 2 attendants to keep everything safe and clean. We also plan parties!! My 3rd day job is working with my husband at his company Renew Vitality. I built the electronic medical records database that they use, and I handle all of their IT including web design and advertising graphics.

What is something that makes your life easier/better/more fun?

A nanny!!!! No, but seriously any help I can get with the kids. I haven’t had a full time nanny for almost a year and let me tell you having one is a game changer. It allows you to spend more intentional 1 on 1 time with your kids… gives you some “me time” so you don’t completely lose your mind, and allows for work time, and just time to organize your family life and meal plan and clean so you aren’t overwhelmed all the time.

How do you balance your ‘day job’ and motherhood?

Well, since I haven’t had a steady nanny for quite some time it is definitely not the easiest thing to do these days. A lot of work gets done after the kids go to bed or while the little one naps, and my house is usually not clean. It’s certainly never completely clean all at the same time. I am always behind on laundry. But spending time with my kids and husband is a lot more important to me right now than keeping a perfectly clean house. So sometimes it takes a backseat, and I am ok with that because it is only a short time until they will all be in school all day and they won’t need me or want me anymore! At that point my house will be spotless, I promise 🙂

Who inspires you and why?

Oh man, so many people. My husband inspires me because he will literally do whatever it takes to make sure his family is provided for. He’s a survivor and an entrepreneur and is determined to make sure the kids and I have everything we deserve and more. Also, most of the people I am friends with inspire me to tell you the truth. I know that the grass is always greener… but the women I am lucky to be surrounded by are just so awesome and real and they are all so much more organized than I am. My friend Courtney is an amazing mom and somehow she also works a full time job and is incredibly involved in junior league. Plus, her house is always literally spotless and she is always way more prepared for everything than I ever am. I don’t know how she does it. My friend Bethany is the most incredible mommy and wife and she is constantly traveling with her husband and still manages to be on top of everything and stay organized and look cute and perfectly coordinated with her kids at all times, and plan amazing perfectly themed parties in what seems like 5 minutes. My friend Maya is not a mommy (yet, wink wink) but she works harder than anyone I know. She took over her dad’s property management company after he passed away and is rocking it. She works all hours of the day and night, but also cares enough to make sure she still has time to spend traveling and nurturing her relationship with her hubs. Honestly I could go on and on down the list of all the amazing people I get to do life with but this isn’t a novel so I’ll stop here 🙂

What do you do for self care?

Girl time, friend time and husband time!! And Botox 🙂 I make sure I get at least one evening a week out with my husband and/or friends. Those precious few hours are such a refreshing recharge for me when the rest of my hours are dedicated to raising amazing little humans. And Botox just helps me look like I’ve slept more than 4 straight hours at least once over the past 5 years!

What did you wish you knew but no one told you about being a parent?

Probably just how gross it is. Like… you guys, it’s really really gross. Everyone tells you that your heart will grow 10 sizes, and it will, with each additional kid, it definitely grows. That’s true. It has to. Because kids are super gross, and if you didn’t love them as much as you do, dealing with the filth would be much much harder.