Archives for June 2015

QUICK WEEKEND RECAP

June 30, 2015

What did you do this weekend? In our neck of the woods it’s extra hot out already and we are only in June. So, outdoor activities usually involve water. For us this weekend, the water came from above. It was raining all weekend with the exception of a beaming sun at around noon on both Saturday and Sunday. So we took a breather from the back-to-back birthdays we have had lately and tried to finish up some household chores.

We pruned and fertilized our garden, I actually bought a new bougainvillea plant (I’m really loving these lately), and we painted some terracotta pots so I can transplant both of my rose plants into bigger pots. I will post soon how these came out. All in all we got a lot of things done.

I have a lot of plans for our garden and patio in the next coming months; in the meantime I want to leave you with some inspiration.

Check out this beautiful arrangement of succulents and these succulent container gardens.

IT’S MAGIC

June 26, 2015

What is enchanting about birth photography is that not every birth story is like we imagine and although sometimes things don’t go as planned, they are magical nonetheless.

Baby Bella was born via c-section after hours of labor. Grandma was beaming with joy.

I consider myself lucky to have shared this day with them. I learned so much about life just from being there. This is one of the many reasons why I love birth photography. If you are an expecting mom, I encourage you to document your birth. And if you don’t have the means to hire a professional photographer, don’t let that stop you. Ask a friend or family member to help you capture the memories. It is the ultimate longest shortest time. The waves of pain feel eternal, yet when it’s done it feels like a blur. Below is baby Bella during her first photo session a few days after birth.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

June 25, 2015

I have a confession to make. I don’t listen to the radio any more. It’s not because I’m old[der]- although I’m told that’s the reason why. I just like to choose what I want to hear and when I like to hear it. So what do I listen to you ask? Podcasts. In fact, ALL I listen to when I’m in my car on the way to and from work are podcasts. I have rounded up my favorites to share with you. One thing to note is that they are not in any specific order – I couldn’t pick a favorite.

The Longest Shortest Time by Hillary Frank – This is a parenting podcast full of real life stories and struggles of everyday parents. If my blog is nothing else, it is a place where I share my parenting struggles in hopes of relating to others and getting advice. Might be why I love this podcast. It has made me cry, smile, and laugh out loud.
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life (which I also listen to) and is hosted by Sarah Koenig. If you have not heard of Serial, you have no idea what you are missing. Serial tells one real story throughout an entire season and takes you to wherever the story leads. It’s fascinating and entertaining and each episode leaves you wanting to know more. Season two premieres this fall and I can’t wait!
StartUp is a documentary mini-series hosted by the CEO of Gimlet Media Alex Blumberg. Season one follows the struggles he himself faced starting his podcast company. It’s entertaining, honest, and real.
This American Life is the most popular podcast in the country! According to their website, they have around one million listeners downloading each episode. Every episode has a theme and they feature related real life stories.
And finally Modern Farm Girls. A podcast co-hosted by Liz Wolfe and Diana Rodgers where they talk about farming and homesteading. If you know me, you know that I’m someone most people would describe as crunchy-granola. I’m ecologically aware, have liberal views, and love and support the use of natural products and health foods. My dream is to one day have a little piece of farm land that I could call my own. If you can relate, you will love this podcast.

I’m always in search of new things to listen to. Any recommendations?

MOMMY GUILT SERIES: BREASTFEEDING

June 24, 2015

I got a call from my mom while at work today. She was telling me how the baby, who is now fifteen months, was refusing to eat lunch. She explained how she tried everything and it wasn’t until she handed over the spoon and allowed him to feed himself that mealtime resumed and he devoured his lunch.

Smiling I ended the conversation with my mom and an overwhelming feeling of sadness came over me. This feeling is not new to me. I have experienced it many times before. It comes during moments when I realize that my babies are growing up and I’m running out of time to be the mommy that I dreamt of being for them.

You see, Gavin is my third child and this time around I wanted to get it right. I’m older now and my ideas about parenting and my body have changed so much since I had my first baby. There were many things I wanted to do differently, and one of those things was breastfeeding.

During the last weeks of my pregnancy I read books, blogs, forums, anything I could find about breastfeeding and how to succeed. I thought I was prepared. I felt empowered being surrounded (both in my personal life and in online communities) by mommies, mine included, who did succeed. I was excited and ready to meet my new bundle of joy and dreamt of our nursing time together.

Now looking back I understand the many medical reasons as to why my body did not perform as it normally would: I did not go into labor on my own (it was a scheduled c-section), it was my third c-section, I lost a lot of blood, the baby was not able to nurse right away, etc.. Yet all of this didn’t stop me from trying. For weeks I pumped around the clock, took supplements, visited a lactation consultant, rented a hospital grade pump, and drove myself to exhaustion. And although I know that I gave it my all, even as the chips were stacked against me, every time I see nursing mothers I feel like a failure. I had one chance to get this right – a chance that I will never have again – and I somehow screwed it up.

I realize that as time passes the guilt becomes more manageable. I hope that someday it is gone all together. For now, I try to remind myself that I did nurse and although I did not produce enough to sustain him, we did connect in ways I never could have imagined. I remind myself that my determination was not in vain, that I am human, and that there will be many more opportunities in his life – and the life of my other children – to get it right.

How was your breastfeeding journey?

HAVE YOU HEARD OF THRIVE MARKET?

June 23, 2015

I guess I should start off my saying that I am not getting paid for this. This review is based on my own experience.

I recently discovered Thrive Market and they are now my new favorite place to purchase my kitchen staples. They offer wholesale prices for all of my favorite brands. Yes, they do require a paid membership, but the membership pays for itself in no time.

Do you want to know something neat about Thrive Market? For every paying member, a free membership is given to a low-income American family. I love that about Thrive Market!

Here is what is in my cart now:

1. Annie’s Homegrown Honey Bunny Grahams Cookies

2. Bronner’s Organic Baby Mild Castile Liquid Soap

3. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Tapioca Flour

4. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Flour

5. Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

6. Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix

7. Fatworks Foods Pure Lard

8. Purity Farms Organic 100% Traditional Gee

9. Justin’s Classic Almond Butter

10. Coconut Secret Organic Raw Coconut Aminos

GROW YOUR FLAME

June 22, 2015

If you are an artist within, you encounter an eternal struggle; a feeling of never being fully satisfied and an everlasting itch to always do better.

I have a career where I use mostly the left side of my brain and according to my Edgar Cayce’s birth profile (please don’t ask why I own one), I work in the ideal field for me. I’m considered to be organized, to follow the rules, love the law and justice – and for the most part that is true. For as long as I can remember I have been just that. I have followed what has come easy to me and what is considered normal, but there is a flicker of light inside me that desires more than that. Yet I keep suffocating it with feelings of insecurity and self-doubt.

So I researched, like I always do when I feel conflicted, and found this blog post by Hanna Mayo at Hanna Mayo Photography where she quotes Joyce Maynard as saying: “It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can’t tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.”

I have never read words that ring more truth. I’m doing this for three little kiddos whose eyes are looking up at me. I’m getting out of my comfort zone and finally growing my flame, because this is exactly what I want for them to do – be true to themselves and live bravely.