CALIFORNIA, USA: Merry Whatever

CALIFORNIA, USA: Merry Whatever

In Poland preparations for Christmas are huge. Unlike the U.S., they do not rely on excessive buying gifts for yourselves, or all of your family and friends. They do not rely on competitions of showing off how richly we are able to decorate our house and Christmas tree.

In Poland we decorate our Christmas Tree on the morning of Christmas Eve or the day before. Sometimes, the week before (which is rather a new tradition), but not earlier than that. In Poland we keep the tree up till 6th January – the day when the Three Kings arrived to Bethlehem, but in some homes it is kept longer, sometimes even till the end of the carnival.

On top of the tree Poles usually put a glass star to represent the star which led the Kings to Bethlehem.

Presents are opened after the Christmas Eve meal. It might vary in every household, but in general that’s the rule. Poles teach their kids that christmas gifts are brought by Baby Jesus, Angel, Star (we start our Christmas Eve supper when a first star lights up in the sky), Father Christmas, Grandfather Frost, Saint Nicholas or simply by Santa Claus.

Preparing for Christmas is, above all, a thorough cleaning of the entire house. (more…)

Ewa Samples

Ewa was born, and raised in Poland. She graduated University with a master's degree in Mass-Media Education. This daring mom hitchhiked from Berlin, Germany through Switzerland and France to Barcelona, Spain and back again! She left Poland to become an Au Pair in California and looked after twins of gay parents for almost 2 years. There, she met her future husband through Couch Surfing, an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals. Today she enjoys her life one picture at a time. She runs a photography business in sunny California and document her daughters life one picture at a time. You can find this artistic mom on her blog, Ewa Samples Photography, on Twitter @EwaSamples or on Facebook!

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CALIFORNIA, USA: I’m Nobody!

CALIFORNIA, USA: I’m Nobody!

Several years ago, when I was in college, my whole vision of my future was about making a career.

I wanted to be independent and free. I wanted to be free from my, at some point, pathological father and cold as a stone mother.

I wanted to achieve something on my own and be proud about it.

I went to London for a summer break and worked as a waitress 15 hours a day, barely knowing English. I went to Germany and worked installing hardwood floor. (I know!!!)

Very close to the last year at University, I already knew I was not going to use my degree, as it is useless. Mass Media Education. Go figure!

Anyway, I became involved in two radio stations. (more…)

Ewa Samples

Ewa was born, and raised in Poland. She graduated University with a master's degree in Mass-Media Education. This daring mom hitchhiked from Berlin, Germany through Switzerland and France to Barcelona, Spain and back again! She left Poland to become an Au Pair in California and looked after twins of gay parents for almost 2 years. There, she met her future husband through Couch Surfing, an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals. Today she enjoys her life one picture at a time. She runs a photography business in sunny California and document her daughters life one picture at a time. You can find this artistic mom on her blog, Ewa Samples Photography, on Twitter @EwaSamples or on Facebook!

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CALIFORNIA, USA: Polish Chocolate Cake

CALIFORNIA, USA: Polish Chocolate Cake

Editor’s Note:  The defamatory language in this post was incorrectly unedited, which does not comply with our writer’s guidelines.  The inclusion of such language has detracted from the blog’s goal of supporting mothers that we are trying so hard to build in every post.  

I believe that Polish Mom Photographer has good intentions, and the error is in the editor’s failure to initially comply with the blog’s already in place guidelines. World Moms Blog will continue to be a place where intelligent conversations on controversial topics can be had, but we will reintroduce these topics within the terms of our writer’s guidelines, issued at the time the blog was started. In this case, we have admittedly steered off course, and we apologize. Therefore, this article has been retroactively edited down to the recipe and reposted. (more…)

Ewa Samples

Ewa was born, and raised in Poland. She graduated University with a master's degree in Mass-Media Education. This daring mom hitchhiked from Berlin, Germany through Switzerland and France to Barcelona, Spain and back again! She left Poland to become an Au Pair in California and looked after twins of gay parents for almost 2 years. There, she met her future husband through Couch Surfing, an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals. Today she enjoys her life one picture at a time. She runs a photography business in sunny California and document her daughters life one picture at a time. You can find this artistic mom on her blog, Ewa Samples Photography, on Twitter @EwaSamples or on Facebook!

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ILLINOIS, USA: Interview with “Polish Mama on the Prairie”: From Poland to the USA

ILLINOIS, USA: Interview with “Polish Mama on the Prairie”: From Poland to the USA

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I currently live in Illinois outside of Chicagoland.  I was born in Wroclaw, Poland and moved at age 1 to Austria to flee Communism with my parents.

We lived in a hotel in a village in Austria for about another year before we finally were taken by the Catholic Church to Maryland, where we lived in the inner city for a couple of years before moving to the suburbs of Maryland.

What language(s) do you speak?

I currently speak Polish and English.  I have had little opportunity to speak the German and French I knew as a child but am working on re-learning them again. (more…)

CALIFORNIA, USA: Interview with Mom Photographer

CALIFORNIA, USA: Interview with Mom Photographer

When did you first become a mother?

My first baby was born in 2010. Second in 2012.

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I live in San Jose, California. I’m originally from Poland.

What language(s) do you speak?

Polish, English, planning on learning Russian.

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?

I’m a stay-at-home mom (SAHM).

Why do you blog/write?

I started my blog on September 2009. My first post had one picture and these words:
“… talking through my pictures and while English is not my first language this blog will be mostly about my photos.”

Right about that time, I also found out that I was pregnant, but my blog wasn’t about me getting ready for motherhood or anything like that. (more…)

Ewa Samples

Ewa was born, and raised in Poland. She graduated University with a master's degree in Mass-Media Education. This daring mom hitchhiked from Berlin, Germany through Switzerland and France to Barcelona, Spain and back again! She left Poland to become an Au Pair in California and looked after twins of gay parents for almost 2 years. There, she met her future husband through Couch Surfing, an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals. Today she enjoys her life one picture at a time. She runs a photography business in sunny California and document her daughters life one picture at a time. You can find this artistic mom on her blog, Ewa Samples Photography, on Twitter @EwaSamples or on Facebook!

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