Here at The Bedford Mom we believe that moms deserve to be recognized and celebrated! This month we are proud to feature Cristina Lambros, a devoted mom of three boys who is a very active member in our local community.
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Cristina Lambros and I’ve been living in Bedford with my husband, Michael, since 2019. We have three young boys: Evander (6), Theodore (almost 4), and Lucas (1). I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom since my oldest was born, which has allowed me to be very active in the mom scene in town. If you’re also a stay-at-home-mom, we’ve probably crossed paths at Mother Goose Storytime, Joppa Hill Farm, or Ann DeNicola playground for example. If you see me around, feel free to say hi. I’m always happy to make new mom friends!
I love getting outside and aim to live an active lifestyle with my children. We feel so lucky to live in this beautiful area and do our best to spend a lot of time doing outdoor activities. My favorite things to do are going for walks, hikes, or runs. I also spend a lot of time reading, cooking, and pretending I know how to DIY things around my house. Back when I had more free time, I also used to enjoy dabbling in languages (I was a Linguistics major in college) and drawing. I’m hoping to get into these hobbies again in the future when I have more free time.
Tell us about your work!
Before having children, I was a school-based speech-language pathologist. I worked for several years outside Boston in a suburban-urban school district, followed by a couple of years in a more rural district in CT. I’ve worked with children of all ages, but most of the children that I saw were in the PK-Elementary age range. I especially loved working with the PK-aged children on developmental language disorders and autism-spectrum disorders through play-based intervention and still really enjoy being around children that age now.
What are your favorite local restaurants?
On the rare occasion that we do decide to dine out with our children, we usually end up at Pressed or Sun Shui. And on the even rarer occasion that my husband and I get to go out without the kids, we usually head to the BVI.
What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
With three young children, it can be hard to always strike the right balance between fulfilling all my responsibilities and making enough time for myself. My favorite way to practice self-care is to get outdoors and move my body, so I find ways to do that with my children included to make that happen. I try to get out for stroller walks and baby-wearing hikes at least a few times every week, especially during this time of year. On most weekends, we try to get out for a whole family hike or walk. Recently, I’ve also been making an effort to get to the gym to workout more consistently. I love being able to drop my 1-year old off in the gym nursery and head to classes. Getting that time to myself to workout definitely puts me in a better mood and makes me a better mom (and wife)!
On weekend mornings, I was in the habit of setting out early on long runs prior to having my third child. I loved having that sense of accomplishment so early in the day and having that time to myself. Admittedly, I’ve been having trouble getting back into that routine as quickly as I’d hoped, but I’m slowly getting there again. It’s so hard to fit everything in during the day that I wish I could do at this stage in my life, but I’ve learned to prioritize and always remind myself that my children aren’t going to be this little forever.
What brought you to Bedford?
We decided to seriously start house-hunting in the southern NH area in 2019 when I was pregnant with my second child. At the time, we were living in a small apartment in MA after selling our home in CT and decided that we needed more room to grow. My husband’s job was located in MA not too far from the NH line, so it was an easy choice to start looking in this area.
What is your favorite thing about Bedford?
I think many moms who’ve lived here for a while now will say that Bedford has a small-town feel despite its size. Running into familiar faces around town really helps build that sense of belonging within your community. I like being able to catch up with friends that I run into since it feels like we’re all so busy with life these days! My other favorite thing about Bedford is the location. Like everyone says: one hour to the lakes and mountains, one hour to the beach, and one hour to the city. We love being able to access all the natural beauty around us while still being close enough to visit family down in the Boston area.
What are your favorite local spots in town?
One of our most frequented spots in town is Joppa Hill Farm. I’m so grateful that we have this wonderful destination nearby. I’ve loved watching it expand over the years to include a farmstand, a school, more programming, and a more involved community. We spend a lot of time there visiting the animals and hiking the trails. I also love how the trails connect over to Pulpit Rock Conservation Area (our other favorite hiking spot in town).
Another favorite destination of mine is definitely the Marshalls/HomeSense/Sierra plaza. I love being able to walk between all three stores and could easily spend a few hours there if I were on my own! Some other spots that I like having in town are Millennium Running, Humble Warrior Power Yoga, the BVI, Vine 32, Gusto Italiano Market, and Flight Cafe.
What is your best piece of advice for moms who are new in town?
One of the best things I’ve experienced about Bedford is how easy it is to connect with other families. Bedford has an abundance of family-friendly activities, so definitely sign up for some classes with your children. Two great places to start doing this are through the library and the Parks & Rec department. Many of the moms I’ve met here are relatively new to town and are eager to connect, so don’t be afraid to start talking to that mom you always see walking in your neighborhood or greet someone new at the playground.
What is your best piece of advice for expecting moms or new moms?
I’m six years into my own journey as a mother now and I think it’s so important for all moms out there to know that it’s okay to feel the way you do, no matter what stage you’re in. There is no perfect approach to parenting and we’re all going to mess up trying to always find that balance that makes us and our families happy, but we can always use those opportunities to teach our children. Model and teach your children the emotional language they need to process difficult situations, step back so they can take risks (even if they fail sometimes), and remember that your children aren’t a reflection of what your worth is as a mother or a person.