julieheckman
I’m Julie and my family consists of myself, my husband, Gary, step-daughter Charlotte, 9, step-son Joel, 8, Dylan who is 18 months old and our faithful cocker spaniel, Presley. As a Johnson County transplant, I live in the Northland and love it. I’m a Kansas Citian from birth and love being here with all of our families close by. I am a tech geek by day writing software for an agriculture technology start up and a homemaker by night cooking, sewing, crafting and creating. I’m always on the lookout for ways to simplify life, save more money, spend more time with our family and squeeze in date nights with my handsome husband. We can often be found at nearby parks, Royals games and kid-friendly events around town.
Becoming a Stepmom Before Becoming a Mom
As a child, I loved playing house. I was always the Mommy and my trusty Cabbage Patch doll was my daughter. Having a family with multiple kids and a husband was not optional to...
Family Road Trip Tips
Any other moms who grew up in the 80s? When plane trips vacations were absolutely not the norm and station wagons (with wood panels) flew down the highway every weekend from May through September?
Growing...
Are We Ready for a Pet?
Growing up, we were a dog family. The dog belonged to the entire family though various dogs had their favorite family members. At various points in time, we also had goldfish, chameleons, box turtles...
Living with the Jealousy
I broke down the other night. I approached my husband in tears, and I told him that I wanted another baby. He looked at me stunned because he just had gotten the all clear...
During the Waiting
I have a picture of myself as a four-year-old with a white dish cloth draped on my head and secured in place with plastic pop beads. With plastic flowers in my hand, I’m walking...
Commuting Mom Life Hacks
About a year ago I started looking for a new job. I had been at the same employer for almost nine years at that point. I transitioned from analyst to software developer and had...
Going Green as a Working Mom
I feel like a lot of times I use motherhood as an excuse to take the easy way out. When I’m asked to add another time commitment to our already busy schedule, it’s usually,...
What a NICU Mama Needs
Whether it’s planned or completely unexpected, when your baby is in the NICU, life just gets overwhelming. My son was rushed to Children’s Mercy by ambulance early in the morning on his third day...
Creating Order in the Chaos of a Blended Family
I love routine, order and systems. And while I know that kids are messy and spontaneous, I do believe that a family works better when there are rules and routines in place so that...
A First and Last Baby at the Same Time
Pretty early on in my pregnancy, my husband and I came to the decision that barring any divine intervention, this baby would be our only. He and I are both on the older side...
Letting Go of Feeling Guilty
My dad and I just don’t get along. He makes me feel bad about myself. Many of his comments and conversations are borderline emotionally abusive and have been since I was young. He self...
So, When Are You Having Another?
“So when is the next one coming?” she asked, smiling knowingly. We were at my company’s holiday party, and I was making chit chat with some of my co-workers and their spouses. My baby...
Why I Love the Northland
Do you know the difference between North Kansas City and Kansas City, North? I didn’t for the first 22 years of my life. In fact, I honestly had no idea that there was any...
Bringing Baby into a Blended Family
In January of 2016, we welcomed our little miracle into this world. And I don’t use the word miracle lightly. His arrival was preceded by lots of prayer, patience, a miscarriage and two rounds...
A DIY Jedi Training Birthday Party
It didn't take my stepson long to realize the benefits of having two "moms" to plan his birthday parties. Months (sometimes years) before his birthday, he tries out themes and comes up with two,...
