Hi, I’m Lexis! I’m excited to be a new contributor for Mid-Michigan Moms and to join you all on the crazy ride that is motherhood.
My husband Cole and I are the proud parents of a wild little toddler named Reese and an energetic dog named Nova. We live in North-Central Michigan in the rural area outside of Mt. Pleasant, where I was born and raised. I’m hoping I can connect with and provide inspiration and information for all the other moms in this wonderful community.
Motherhood for me is a constant motivator for personal growth. It’s hard to get too comfortable as a mom because each new phase requires a whole new perspective and skill set.
I was cruising through the infant stage with my head in the clouds and then the toddler phase hit me like a truck. My daughter is wild, risky, energetic, and curious. We expected nothing less as her father and I were both wild children and adventurous teenagers. We were the type who packed our cars after high school to take on the {modern} wild west and spread our wings on solo adventures away from the nest. After separate journeys, we connected over our thirst for adventure and ultimately went from long-distance friends to serious life partners. We lived in southern Colorado for several years before we moved back to the area we both grew up, here in Central Michigan.
I absolutely love Michigan. The seasons, the lakes, forests, rivers, small towns, and rolling fields are just so magical. I am an outdoor enthusiast and spend time outside every day. I believe there is no bad weather, just improper clothing! My passion for the outdoors led me to pursue a degree in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Administration from Central Michigan University with a focus in Outdoor Recreation.
I now work full-time as a Development & Outreach Coordinator for a local land trust called Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC). I do a lot of administrative work but also get to lead a monthly women’s hiking group, explore and photograph nature for our social media, and enjoy the nature preserves owned by CWC for various other tasks.
I am adamant about getting my daughter outside to play and connect with nature. One of my family’s favorite things to do is explore beautiful outdoor areas that we have never seen before. Hiking is one of my main hobbies and if I can’t hike I try to get a run or walk in {preferably on a back road}. Some of my favorite places to hike are in the U.P. along the North Country Trail and my family loves to vacation anywhere up north.
I am extremely enthusiastic about health and fitness, which works well with our outdoor-focused lifestyle.
Post-partum body changes were really hard for me and after 2.5 years of working on my mental and physical health, I’m finally coming to terms with my body’s journey through motherhood and feeling stronger than ever.
As an Aries, I love taking on new challenges and am currently working on completing the #75Hard challenge. I love to share my fitness journey on my Instagram account @lexis_hansen to stay motivated and hopefully inspire other moms along the way. I also love finding healthy new recipes that meet my nutrition goals and that my whole family will still enjoy. I love a good farmer’s market or local farm stand for picking up fresh produce.
Along with physical fitness, I really focus on mental health and personal growth. You can often find me listening to a podcast, reading non-fiction to learn to be like the people I admire or listening to a sermon on YouTube. I love to learn new things about the human experience and consider myself a student of life. My goal every day is to live in gratitude and be aware of my perspective.
When I’m not chasing my toddler, working, or getting my daily reps in I try to hold on to the wild adventurous woman I was before becoming “mama”. Traveling to new places is my favorite and I try to plan a vacation every so often where I can just pack a backpack and hop on a plane. I love true crime documentaries and can binge-watch a series like nobody’s business. I also love reading gripping mystery novels, especially if I’m in a hammock. I may or may not spend too much on concert tickets every year, because good live music justifies splurging, right? I love a good kombucha, a song that gives me chills, and a night around a bonfire {preferably all three at the same time}.
I hope my writing can offer some comedy, inspiration, support, and perspective for other moms in our region. I’m excited for the opportunity to connect with other women who are living in this beautiful region and trying to raise our families in this wild, modern world!
