Name: Tiffany LeNoir
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Occupation: HR Tech Sales Leader & Entrepreneur
Children: Andrew “AJ,” 2
Book & Business: I spent the last 9 months writing my children’s book, Mama Made Time, and will be sending it to the printers mid December after the Kickstarter completes! This creative process has revived my energy to rethink how I offer my Etsy shop and I’m proud to see her back too.
What inspired you to write Mama Made Time?
Right before AJ’s 2nd birthday, I went on a whirlwind of trips—surprising my grandpa for his 90th birthday in California, a Bahamas getaway with my husband and his friends, and a big client meeting in New York - all within two weeks! It felt like my “I’m back!” moment after becoming a mom. I was thriving at work and at home.
Balancing motherhood, life and a career isn’t easy, but for me, it’s a choice that fuels the parts that make me, me. Recognizing that so many moms and parents struggle with guilt for spending any certain amount of time away from their little ones, whether it be for work or for play, I wanted to write sort of an ‘ode to them - to us! That we can be great for us while also being great for our families, because in the end, it’s the quality of the moments spent together that matter most.
Dinner together, bath-time giggles, and chasing monsters away are what make it all worth it—because they’re the memories that stick. It’s seeing AJ’s joy when we’re together, the way his laugh fills a room, and knowing that by showing up as my full self, I’m teaching him to embrace life wholeheartedly. It’s worth it because I’m building a life where he feels loved, safe, and inspired.
I wrote Mama Made Time to inspire others to do the same—to cherish the moments, embrace their passions, and create the life they want for themselves and their families.
What brings you joy as a parent?
Watching AJ grow into his own little adventurer is pure joy. While I had a happy childhood and family growing up, I’ve worked hard to break certain generational cycles for my son. Seeing him thrive as a curious, kind soul feels like the ultimate reward. I’m still learning how to know when to step in and guide—or when to simply let him explore the world on his own terms. So in a way, one of my favorite parts about being a parent is simultaneously getting to nurture my toddler self to help her explore and play too.
Biggest parenting challenge?
Making new friends who are moms with kids similar-ish in age. Let’s be real, making friends in your late 30’s feels daunting enough. We have all of these life factors like finding the time and do we have shared mutual interest outside of our kids. I’ve had a couple nice conversations at the park (after I stopped hiding haha) but then it’s like do I just say “Hey, thanks for talking for 5 minutes do you want to get coffee?” It just feels so far-fetched. Our family moved from the city to the suburbs about a year ago, and most of our pre-AJ friends are either single, married without kids, or still living the city night life. My husband and I are great at balancing our friendships and making time for them individually, but I’d love to connect with other moms who are in the same stage of life.
Best parenting advice or lesson?
Boundaries! Advocating for myself—and for us—is essential to reaching our full potential, not just as parents but as humans. At work, in life, as a friend, and especially as a mom, setting boundaries has been a game changer. It keeps me focused and helps me discern the things I really want to do vs. the things I think I “should” do to keep up with others' expectations of me. Kicking those “shoulds” to the curb as often as possible ensures I’m staying true to myself and moving in the right direction.
How do you practice self-care?
I’ll say this: my self-care game hasn’t skipped a beat since becoming a mom—a testament to having a partner who’s 100% in it with me. Things aren’t perfectly 50/50, but they’re close enough that I can still make time for the little luxuries, like getting my nails done, a hair appointment, or a massage. My favorite free indulgence? A mid-afternoon walk to reset.
Working remotely for the past five years gave me flexibility, and even now, going back to the office twice a week has just shifted when I fit things in, not if. Keeping self-care at the forefront is non-negotiable because when I’m not good, trust me—my family feels it.
How do you make time for your partner?
I mentioned my job is pretty flexible. So is my husband’s. We’re really good at making time to have lunch together once or twice a week. Our daycare also has a Parents Night Out where they’ll keep AJ and his buddies for an extra 4 hours on a Friday night for like $30! We try to take advantage of this. We’ve also just recently had someone who was not family or a friend babysit AJ. It went really well so we’re hoping to make date night a more regular thing.
Parenting styles—different or the same?
We are so different in a lot of ways, but aligned on the really meaningful ones like core values and desired family outcomes. My husband is fun and firm; I’m patient and “lets talk about the root cause of why this is happening.” Sometimes my husband is too quick to draw on his firmness and sometimes the situation is too fast paced for me to sit and have a heart to heart. So in that sense, we may miss the mark (big time!) but we realign by remembering our ultimate goal: raising a safe, happy, kind kid.
How do you spend quality time with your son?
Outdoors, all the way—parks, lakes, playgrounds. We don’t just supervise; we really play with him in these moments. And now that he’s older, he loves “helping” with tasks like vacuuming or walking the dog. It takes longer, but his joy makes it worth it.I’d be totally inauthentic if I didn’t share this too: while we’re great about engaging with AJ and playing together, he’s 100% into his iPad—and we don’t shy away from letting him use it. So yes, sometimes I’ll forget the little bop is a kids program and get into it with him - that’s also really fun for me!
Parenting tools you swear by?
OK so I never actually purchased any of the Lovevry stuff but I’m somehow on their mailing list and the emails that I skim are always so perfectly timed to what’s happening for AJ. Like the milestones and stages sure, but an article like “Is your child disappearing into the bathroom again and licking the soap? Read more to find out why!” haha yes that is actually happening no that’s not a real article but you get my point. It has provided a sense of affirmation that I’m not the only one clearly because they decided to write a whole article about these little mini soap lickers!
Favorite parenting books or resources?
I bought several parenting books, but let’s be honest—I didn’t really read any of them. It was one of those things I thought I was supposed to do. Buy the books, eat pickles and ice cream, feel nauseous. I literally bought a jar of pickles and never opened it during my entire pregnancy! I skimmed the chapter I cared most about in Crib Sheets and appreciated Emily Oster’s analytical approach to parenthood, but none of the books truly resonated with me.
Really, my most cherished resources during pregnancy and AJ’s first year were my OBGYN and his pediatrician. They were patient, answered every question I had, and made sure I felt confident and equipped as a new mom. We heavily vetted AJ’s pediatrician, and I ended up changing OBs twice before landing on Dr. Garfield. Again, advocating for what you need showed up everywhere—and it definitely showed up with our medical team.
Your wish for your child?
For AJ to have confidence to think for himself, express his opinions kindly, and know he’s worthy of love without having to earn it. I want him to feel safe, breathe through life’s chaos, and create his own peace. Failure is part of life—it doesn’t make you a failure.
