by Ewa Samples | May 18, 2011 | Bilingual, Childhood, International, Language, Motherhood, Poland, Polish Mom Photographer, Post Partum Depression, USA, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
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 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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by Astrid Warren (Norway) | May 17, 2011 | Culture, Eye on Culture, Family, Holiday, International, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting
Royal Palace in Norway
Today is Norway’s National Day, which we Norwegians just call, “17th May”! This will probably sound strange, but this is a day where most Norwegians dress up, some in national costumes. And then, we head into the town centers, walk around in parades with marching bands, while singing and shouting “hurra” (hurray), to be followed by the eating of hot dogs and ice cream!
This is the day we celebrate our Constitution, which was signed in 1814. The traditional way of celebrating this day is a children’s parade. The holiday is recognized throughout Norway, and I am sure that wherever there is a school, there is a celebration going on!
When I was a child, this was, next to Christmas and birthdays, the highlight of the year. Let me explain…
(more…)
Astrid is a Norwegian thirty something, married, working mum to a wee lad who is almost three and a baby born in 2012! She grew up in Norway, but moved to London, England after she met her husband. After living there during her twenties, she has since returned to Norway and settled down in her nation's capital of Oslo to raise her family.
She finds herself slowly turning into her own mother as her free time is spent reading, walking, knitting and meeting up with other mums for coffee. (Ok, she still secretly loves going to the pub, too!). However, there isn't much time for any of the above, as she now enjoys spending most of her time crawling around on the floor, while playing with her children! Check out her blog, Quintessentially Burrows. She's also on Twitter @MrsSWarren.
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by Nicole Melancon (USA) | May 16, 2011 | International, Motherhood, Third Eye Mom, USA, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Join us today for an interview with one of our new World Moms Blog writers, Nicole Melancon, the “thirdeyemom”!
When did you first become a mother?
Hmmm….this is a funny question of course. My husband and I met young in college and had a very long courtship (according to my parents who pretty much gave up on us ever getting married). We dated six years before we got married, moved from Chicago to Minneapolis immediately after our honeymoon, and then delayed starting a family for five more years!
My excuse [on waiting to start a family] was always, “Let’s just do ONE more trip!”
As avid travelers, we didn’t want to stop because we knew children would be the end of our international adventures. (more…)
Third Eye Mom is a stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her two children Max (6) and Sophia (4). Her children keep her continually busy and she is constantly amazed by the imagination, energy and joy of life that they possess! A world wanderer at heart, she has also been fortunate to have visited over 30 countries by either traveling, working, studying or volunteering and she continues to keep on the traveling path.
A graduate of French and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she met her husband Paul, she has always been a Midwest gal living in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Chicago. This adventurous mom loves to be outside doing anything athletic (hiking, running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or simply enjoying nature), to travel and volunteer abroad, to write, and to spend time with her beloved family and friends.
Her latest venture involves her dream to raise enough money on her own to build and open a brand-new school in rural Nepal, and to teach her children to live compassionately, open-minded lives that understand different cultures and the importance of giving back to those in need. Third Eye Mom believes strongly in the value of making a difference in the world, no matter how small it may be. If there is a will, there is a way, and that anything is possible (as long as you set your heart and mind to it!).
Visit her on her blog, Thirdeyemom, where she writes about her travels and experiences in other lands!
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by World Moms Blog | May 13, 2011 | Birthing, Eva Fannon, Friday Question, Language, Motherhood, Parenting, Pregnancy, Sleep and Children, Tara B., The Alchemist
"Ooh - updates! Oh goody!!"
This week’s Friday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Tara B.
“It’s time for a where-are-you-now past post update. Pick one of your posts from WMB and let us know how it’s going for you on that topic. Did you learn something new? Is that project completed? Was the problem resolved? No news to speak of? Give us a quick update on where your story has gone since your post.”
Here is what some of our World Moms reported…
Margie Bryant of Arkansas, USA writes:
“In March, I wrote a post titled Closing the Door about the very painful decision that I would not be having anymore children. It was a hard post to write and even though my life has changed for the better in so many ways, finally saying “no more babies” out loud made it real for me.
Then, a few weeks after that post, I found my dream job. Cliché, but true. I am pursuing a degree in management and technical writing and found a job where I am training to take over for the current Human Resource Manager. This job pays more than I have earned in the past and at the same time, my ever supportive partner took a new position too. Finally, we are able to indulge ourselves and our children and even put money back in savings. We talk about traveling, buying a new home, getting another car; suddenly, I feel at complete peace with exactly how our lives are now.” (more…)
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) | May 12, 2011 | Canada, Family, Husband, International, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, Wedding
I did it! After ten years of living in sin, the births of two children, and a seventeen-month engagement, I succeeded in walking down the aisle without tripping over my wedding dress (a dress that was made by my mother-in-law and was wayyyyy prettier than the one that English chick wore when she married that prince dude).
The week leading up to my wedding day was pure chaos. I had a never-ending list of last-minute details to take care of, and these weird little crises kept popping up where I least expected. I suspect that I spent most of that last week looking wild-eyed with panic with my hair sticking up in tufts, where I kept grabbing it to rip it out of my head.
With everything that was going on – the last-minute ordering of flowers, the finalizing of seating charts and printing of place cards, the wrapping up of guest favours, the steady influx of out-of-town guests – my biggest concern was for my children. How were they going to cope with this big day? (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 Maggie Ellison | May 11, 2011 | Child Care, Family, International, Kids, Motherhood, USA
I am angry and frustrated, so I came here, to the blog, to vent. Not everyone will agree with me on this, but I need to get this out.
I am being paid to watch another child as a side job. For the past 9 months I have been through many milestones with the little boy from crawling, pulling up, first steps, walking, teething, introducing solids, getting rid of the bottle, sicknesses, nap schedules and his day-to-day care 5 days a week.
He is almost 15 months old, and with summer coming, I planned on taking him along with my two older kids ( 4 years and 6 years) to the pool.
It gets very hot and humid where we live near the ocean in South Carolina, so in the summer, you are either in the air conditioning or the water.
Tonight, this child’s father told me that his wife is uncomfortable with water and doesn’t want me taking their child to the pool unless my husband is also there.
Please hear me out before you side completely with his parents… (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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