42 Weeks in, 42 Weeks out: a Letter to my UBAC Baby

Dear Inara, There is so much joy surrounding you that I almost have no words for this letter. You have been a part of our lives for your 42 week gestation and now you are just about 11 months. However, these pictures are from the day your gestation matched your time Earthside and earlier. During …

Minimalism: I’m Jumping on the Bandwagon and Nothing Can Stop Me

In 2009, I packed one suitcase and one carry on. I got in a plane, moved 3500 miles away, and didn't look back. I left behind 95% of my belongings and started 100% new. It was the best thing I've ever done. Living a minimalist life was wonderful. I had nothing on my walls. I …

The Courage To Be Gentle

Sometimes, a day is so hard that I just can't turn my brain off at the end of the night. I sit in bed amongst my three sleeping children and my husband and always end up writing. Tonight is one of those nights. It started with Inara waking up at 5am. My 10 month old …

Be a Lady, They Said.

Sometimes, really awesome stuff comes across my newsfeed on Facebook. Things that really resonate with my soul. Today was one of those days, so I want to share it with you. It speaks entirely for itself, so I will let you digest it all by yourself. Would love to know your thoughts in the comments …

Just Believe Women. My New Year’s Challenge to You

I've spent the whole year not talking about it. But tonight, on the last night of 2017, a post came across my feed that showed just how much we MUST talk about it. There were many things about my childhood that weren't common as childhood goes. Surviving years of abuse doesn't come lightly. But amongst …

Guess What? A Healthy Baby Isn’t All That Matters!

Have you ever shared something about your birth that was less than perfect?  Maybe it was something disrespectful that was said, bodily autonomy that was taken, silence that was forced upon you, or any other number of things that go wrong in mainstreams births.  Then, after you've shared that bit of painful truth, the person …

I Had No Idea How Amazing “After Bedtime” Was…

Here I am sitting on the couch, laptop on my lap, Martinelli's Sparking Cider in a wine glass, chocolate cake partially eaten, and one of my Netflix shows on the TV.  My husband isn't home.  Each Monday he goes to play on a Billiard's team. When the girls were younger, I dreaded Monday nights.  Often, …

4 Reasons NOT to Arrive Unannounced at a Stay-At-Home Mom’s House

For three hours you have been fighting a teething, growth spurting, angry at life child down for a nap.  When you finally transfer the now sleeping little and shake off the stress of the battle, gazing lovingly at their little sleeping face......THE DOORBELL RINGS. That tiny sleeping face contorts and their body squirms and you …