by Carol (Canada) | Aug 9, 2011 | Canada, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Religion
When you are the granddaughter of an Anglican minister and you marry an ardent atheist, religion is one of those things you discuss carefully before you have kids.
The brand of Christianity that I was raised on was very… metaphorical. I wasn’t asked to believe that God was actually a bearded man in a nightgown, or that Adam and Eve were real. My mother taught me that hymns and prayers were simply a way to reach God (whatever God may be) in a way which was familiar and comfortable. It was a matter of tradition and culture as much as belief.
My husband, on the other hand, comes from American parents who rebelled against their own parents’ Bible Belt values. His grandparents believed in the Bible in an extremely literal way which violates his scientific and logical mind. He associates religion with closed-mindedness, homophobia, creationism, racism, and sexism, all of which he detests. (more…)
Carol from If By Yes has lived in four different Canadian provinces as well as the Caribbean. Now she lives in Vancouver, working a full time job at a vet clinic, training dogs on the side, and raising her son and daughter to be good citizens of the world.
Carol is known for wearing inside-out underwear, microwaving yoghurt, killing house plants, over-thinking the mundane, and pointing out grammatical errors in "Twilight". When not trying to wrestle her son down for a nap, Carol loves to read and write.
Carol can also be found on her blog, If By Yes, and on Twitter @IfByYesTweets
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by World Moms Blog | Aug 7, 2011 | Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Polish Mom Photographer, Susie Newday, The Alchemist, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary

On Monday, we go to sunny California to hear from A. Roselyn as she tells us about her experiences with acupuncture. Read all about how she turned to alternative medicine to help her overcome “baby blues” and feel like herself again.
On Tuesday, are north of the US border, with Carol at If By Yes in beautiful British Columbia. Come listen as she tells us what happens when the daughter of a church minister marries an atheist, and what this means for the baptism of the children!
On Wednesday, we go all the way to India to visit with The Alchemist, engineer-turned-writer. The Alchemist confesses that being a stay-at-home-mom to a busy preschooler is exhausting, but she loves it.
And on Thursday, we go full circle as we return to California, this time to hear from Polish Mom Photographer! This stay-at-home mom has lived a life of travel and adventure, and is now pursuing her dreams of becoming a professional photographer.
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
In writer interviews this week, we will hear from two new writers! On Tuesday we are profiling Susie Newday from Israel, and on Thursday we will be in Brazil getting to know Eco Ziva!
In news, Jennifer Burden represented World Moms Blog at the Blogher ’11 convention. We can’t wait to hear all about it.
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Aug 4, 2011 | Canada, Childhood, Motherhood, Natural Disaster, Tragedy, World Events
It is a Saturday morning in January, 2010. The weather is surprisingly mild for the middle of winter, but despite the bright sunshine, I am aware of the horrors that prevail elsewhere in the world. It is about a week since Haiti was ravaged by a devastating earthquake, and I cannot sleep because my mind is filled with the terrible images that I am seeing on the news.
I am sipping coffee and sitting at my laptop checking emails. Nearby, my younger son James, who has just turned four, is playing with a giant pile of Lego and some little plastic people and animals. He appears to be making some kind of village.
I tune out of James’ play, open my Internet browser, and within moments I am in a Facebook-induced trance. It doesn’t last for long: something about the way James is playing makes me snap back to reality and pay closer attention to what he’s doing. What I see makes my heart stand still. (more…)

Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 31, 2011 | Canada, International, Norway, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary

On Monday, we will be in Illinois with Polish Mama On The Prairie. This Mama describes a trip across the country with her family, and talks about what it’s like to really feel like you’re at home.
On Tuesday, we head to South Carolina, where Maggie Ellison talks about how she was able to free herself from the negativity generated by other people, leading to a more positive existence for herself and her family.
On Wednesday, we fly across the Atlantic to read a bittersweet post by Asta Burrows. Asta talks about the joy of first discovering a pregnancy, followed by the heartbreak that happens when the pregnancy does not work out.
And on Thursday, we head back across the pond to Toronto, Canada, to hear from Kirsten Doyle of Running for Autism. Kirsten talks about an issue that faces all parents at some stage or another: when bad things happen in the world, how do we explain it to our kids?
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
In writer interviews this week, we will hear from Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts on Tuesday, and on Thursday we will get to know Jill Barth from Illinois.
In news, Jennifer Burden is headed to the Blogher ’11 conference later this week. We cannot wait to hear all about it!
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Jul 19, 2011 | Autism, Canada, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, South Africa, Special Needs, Working Mother, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I was born in South Africa and started earning Frequent Flyer miles at a very young age due to the international nature of my Dad’s job. My childhood homes included Connecticut and Milan, Italy (this was when I was too young to appreciate the art of fashion shopping). As an adult, (more…)

Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 17, 2011 | Canada, International, Malaysia, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary

On Monday, we start the week in Minnesota with Galit Breen. Galit discusses a topic that was touched on here a couple of weeks ago that many people are all too afraid to open a dialogue about: race relations. Specifically, she talks about ways to educate our children about the differences between people.
On Tuesday, we will have our first post from Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn of Arizona. This busy mom of teenagers has lots of interesting stories to tell. She is fluent in American Sign Language, and she is endeavouring to make the world a better place through her non-profit teen foundation.
On Wednesday, we head on over to Massachusetts to hear from Courtney Cappallo. Courtney talks about a question that moms have agonized over since the dawn of time: how do you know when you’re done having kids?
And on Thursday, we will visit Amy Hillis in Ohio. It has been a while since we had a post from Amy because she’s had some very heavy loads to deal with in her life, and we are very happy to welcome her back. Last week she reintroduced herself in her writer’s interview. This week she will dive back in with a regular post. Welcome back, Amy!
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
While our regular posts this week are all-America, our writer interviews are international. On Tuesday we will profile scheduling editor Kirsten Doyle from Toronto, Canada. On Thursday we will get to know Alison Lee from Malaysia.
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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