If I'm Being Honest...

(Photos from Florida last week)

Sometimes these days are challenging. Today was one of them. Teething, changing schedules, and being a growing toddler is trying for both baby and mama. We just got back from being in Florida for a week, which was lovely. But if you think traveling with a toddler is difficult, coming home is even more stressful. Being lax with your schedule while away is relaxing while you're away, but getting that loose schedule back on track when you get home is not fun. I am exhausted today, to say the least.

Anyway, my point was to write about honestly. So often I sit down to blog when I feel most like ranting or complaining. (See above.) But that's not the energy I want to put into this space. Writing is most definitely therapeutic for me, but this little blog is a special place, not just to dump my worries and stresses.

With that said, most moms I know have challenges they face. We have unexpected hurdles each day. (Hi molars...) Our children teach us to slow down and to surrender control most of the time. Our struggles as women, mothers, wives, etc are nothing new, but each of our stories is unique.

Instead of ranting, I propose we share our struggles. Create a space for positive feedback and advice. Non judgement. After all, if we are willing to put ourselves out there, to share what we are most vulnerable about, we need a safe community to accept us.

In the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of Q & A's with some of my favorite voices in mom blog world. These women are intentional, honest, and unique moms. Each with her own story to share. I hope you join in the conversation. Share your own struggles and be honest about your own goals.
We can all hold ourselves accountable! This will be an ongoing project that I hope opens up a greater dialogue.

xo
Karolina

Thoughts on Blogging

Hello. I've been away from here, I know. I've been doing a bit of soul searching in regards to this blog. What is it about? Why am I here? What started as a scrapbook of our wedding, then pregnancy, and Phoenix's first year of life has now become sort of a hodge podge of my life, inspiration, and information. And that's fine, but I want to utilize this space better. I was it to be a space full of hope. Most importantly, I want my posts to be thoughtful and written with intention. Often, I feel that I should be posting something on here so I don't fall off the internet grid. And in doing that, sometimes I am not being sincere. I love fashion but do not have the time or patience to set up my tripod and take photos of myself. Also, I'm pretty sure you guys would be surprised by how many things I can pair with leggings.
And although I am a professional cook and love posting recipes, a food blogger, I am not. Again, tripods, lighting, food styling....doesn't work most days with a 13 month old.

So I will stop beating myself up over not posting these "cool and interesting" things. I will instead focus on what is on my mind and in my heart write now.

My authentic self hopes to write posts about the struggles of parenthood, the beauty in that struggle, and how we can achieve more happiness in the simplicity of our lives. I want to talk to other women whom I admire and hear their stories. I want to have a dialogue about how we can empower ourselves to focus on the good, the love, and the magic in our lives. Oh, and food. Definitely food.

There are so many blogs I love reading and that inspire me with the purpose they have. As much as I love posting about my sweet little bug and his many adventures, I realize that having a platform is a true opportunity and I don't want to let this moment pass me by.

I am rambling a bit but the baby is asleep and I wanted to get these thoughts down. I wanted to hold myself accountable. I'm not posting a list of all the things I hope to achieve now or write about. Just setting an intention and setting off to begin this new project.

Please let me know if you have any interest in being a part of this dialogue. Let's open this up!

xo
K

Feeding The World

Catastrophes are everywhere, sadly. Unfortunately, we just experienced hurricane Sandy here in NYC. It was brutal, to say the least. (I will post more on this later.) But there are more than just natural disasters claiming people's lives. In Niger, nearly one in two children is malnourished. And worse, one in six dies before reaching the age of five. Heart breaking. That is just one story of many.

While I am unbelievably grateful that I am able to provide my own child with wholesome and nourishing food, not every parent is so fortunate. Many families around the world feed their families on just pennies a day and often are not able to provide many nutritious foods. Farmers are struggling to stay afloat and more and more food is being thrown away in the US every day. These are all things we hear about but more of us need to take action.

Not too long ago, Oxfam contacted me to speak out about their GROW method campaign. 

Seems simple enough right? Now there is no giveaway this time. No prize on the blog for most food reduction. There is no donations to make. Your actions speak for themselves. Not convinced? Here are some more facts:

• If your family eats meatless one day a week you save the equivalent of 17 bathtubs of clean water.

• 8% of the WORLD’s clean water goes toward meat production. That is a lot to people who have 0% water  daily. Think about that.

• If Americans living in Urban areas bought just 2 Fair Trade chocolate bars a month, you would benefit 30,000 small scale cocoa farmers. Isn't that enough incentive?

• In the US alone we throw 27 million apples in the trash a year. 1/3 of our plates every day goes to waste. Imagine how many people could eat on what we throw in our trash. This is why shopping smarter helps more than just farmers.

Now I challenge you to take steps to help feed the world. Sounds a little daunting, huh? It doesn't have to be. Here is an easy discussion guide. And here is more info on what else you can do.
Food is something all of us think about several times a day. What will he have for lunch? What snacks should I pack in my child's lunch box? Take a step back and think about having those options taken away from you. That's how life is for millions of people. Think about that.




This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.