Tag: mother

Creative Mother Kaity Ferrell

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Today I am launching a new series of interviews with creative mothers. Mothers who have started their own business, mothers who are artists, mothers who live a creative lifestyle. These are women whose passions line up with the work they do each day. The thing about passions is the you have that feeling that the energy you are putting into them is contributing something valuable to the world and to the lives of others.

Like a cliché come to life, once I had children my priorities completely changed. No longer did my passions lie in a career pursued outside the home, my passions were right there in front of me, making messes, asking questions, and giving endless snuggles. Living in Canada, I am fortunate to have been able to stay home with each child for a year. But if it had been financially viable, I wouldn’t have gone back to work. I would have stayed home with them until they were in school full days or maybe longer. Who knows, maybe I would have homeschooled them?! I still hold out hope that I might be able to craft a life where I spend my work hours doing something I enjoy and feel passionate about, and so I am drawn especially to women who have been able to do this for themselves.

I am excited to have Kaity Ferrell as my first first creative mother feature. Kaity is the owner of Fare Isle, a small business that focuses on farm to table foods, skin care and wellness products. All Fare Isle products are made by hand from her organic garden and wild harvesting. I met Kaity through Instagram and was first drawn to her because she posted the most beautiful and scrumptious vegan food dishes. She is more than a chef though, everything Kaity touches becomes beautiful. To me Kaity is an artist who plays with plays with food, flowers, colour and texture to create a feast for the senses.

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As I got to know Kaity, I was also inspired by her as a mother and as a person. She seems to have curated a balanced life for herself, filled with family, friends, creativity and passion. Her life is not about the things she has accumulated, but about the experiences she fosters for family and friends. As a mother she is giving her son many gifts: her presence, her love and the foundation of a life cultivating and cherishing moments.

Enough of me talking, read on to hear from Kaity, herself.

What part of the world do you live in?

Nantucket, a magical faraway island situated 26 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I feel so blessed to call this place home.

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

My partner and I have one son, Iley, who turns 4 this summer. Iley is a bright-eyed curious playful boy. He loves food and will eat almost anything we make, and loves to help with the cooking. I would say his favorite activities are riding his balance bicycle, building with legos, and treasure hunting in the forest. He has a contagious belly laugh and those hazel eyes of his are always full of mischief.

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What are your core family values?

Honesty is important to us. My partner and I try to instill in Iley to be truthful always. This quote always sticks with me, “Truth is an offense but not a sin”, not to say that speaking the truth is always an offense, but that it is better to speak the truth and risk offense than to lie. Togetherness, family time is so important to us. Kindness is equally as important; kindness to all beings and to the earth.

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How do you spend most of your days?

I work from home on a flexible schedule, thankfully. My partner and I rise and make a cup of tea before Iley wakes up. Then we make breakfast and work while Iley plays. Iley and I run our daily errands midday and then try to sneak in an afternoon adventure outdoors, weather permitting. We make and eat dinner early. We head out to watch the sunset from the beach when we can and then return home and have quiet time in the evening. I usually work some more at night after Iley falls asleep.

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We love family walks to the beach from our house and also family bike rides in the summer.

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What are you passionate about?

I’m a passionate foodie at heart. I love developing recipes and styling and photographing them for my blog.

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What inspires you?

The sea – whenever I am feeling stuck I head straight to the ocean and the salty sea air, the sound of the surf and the sand between my toes always clears my mind. I will forever be in awe of a fiery sunset and a rainbow after the rain. The incredible work of honey bees amazes me-since becoming a hobby beekeeper and watching them work around the garden I just cannot believe what they accomplish. The scent of my son’s head gives me tingles all over and I hope that never changes-what magic is this!? The beauty of a just picked tree-ripened peach, its juice running from my mouth after the first bite is pure heaven. Basically everything in nature inspires me and i am grateful to live in a place surrounded by natural beauty. I’m not sure I could make it as a city dweller.

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Did your career aspirations change once you had a child?

I wouldn’t say they changed, but rather I gained the confidence to go after them and make them reality.

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What is Fare Isle and why did you decide to start your own business?

Fare Isle is a culmination of what I love: sustainable living, growing food, herbs and flowers, making small batch foods and body products by hand, and sharing our recipes and stories on the blog. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted and am happy. And to be able to share this all with our customers, followers and friends is more than I could ever have dreamed.

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What are your dreams for your business?

I am focusing more energy on developing recipes and writing in hopes to move my business more toward freelance work and writing a cookbook. That’s what I really love to do the most. I would also love to host destination workshops on the island; an idea that has been floating around in my brain for some time now, and I would love to make it happen this summer. We’ll see!

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Visit Kaity on Instagram @fareisle and check out her website and recipe blog.

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Inspiring Mother Josie: @josie.hendrick

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I have had this post ready to go for about three weeks now, but each time I thought of posting it, I hesitated. Something told me I hadn’t captured Josie just right. It is hard to describe Josie and do her justice. There are the obvious things, like the elegance of her gallery — full of sandy beaches and blue skies, the smiles of her sweet daughter, and everyday scenes captured beautifully. Less obvious is the gentle mama and friend wisdom she passes on in her understated captions. Josie comes across as that no drama friend, who always seems to know just what to say, without being preachy or a know-it-all, and probably without knowing just how wise she is. The kind of person we all need in our life. Josie’s effect is cumulative. If you don’t instantly love her, you certainly will over time. She’s a keeper.

Side note: Josie should be a tourism ambassador for the UK, I mean who knew there were gorgeous beaches like this?!

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What part of the world do you live in?

We live in Bournemouth, Dorset which is on the south west coast of England and apparently is one of the sunniest spots in the country, something I definitely appreciate whether it’s actually true or not! It’s the most beautiful spot to raise a family, with miles of sandy beaches and forests and open countryside within easy reach. For someone who loves being outside it’s a perfect place to live, I’m very glad we moved from London.

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

We have one daughter, Amelie, she’s nearly three and if I had to describe her in three words I would probably say: affectionate, passionate and chatty! She talks constantly to herself, to us, to random passers by. It’s definitely one of the reasons why this age is my favourite so far, she’s such a joy to be around and her natural curiosity and wonder at the world is rather awe inspiring to watch, and helps when I try to be patient with the thousandth ‘why?’ of the hour 😉

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What are your core family values?

Be kind and compassionate. For me that’s the root of everything. That doesn’t mean you float around never getting irritated and being happy all the time, just that you approach everything you do and everyone you meet with an open heart. I know that sounds a bit cheesy, it just seems that in this modern life there’s a tendency for people to be anxious, defensive and closed off. Even if we all want to connect to others and be happy, the frantic pace of things seems to get in the way and create a tension that we don’t always know how to ease. I, like all parents, want my child to be happy and while I think you never can know what life will throw at you, if you can be compassionate to yourself and other people you will generally be more contented and find life’s ups and downs easier to handle.

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How do you spend most of your days?

We potter at home a lot, Amelie likes playing by herself and I’m working on doing up this big, old somewhat dilapidated house of ours on a budget, so we’re quite busy working alongside each other on our own little creative projects. We also spend as much time as we can at the beach or the park and in the garden. Compared to London where we just had a tiny concrete garden, there’s so much accessible open space and sand in Bournemouth we take advantage of it a lot!

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We like little trips to pretty local spots but we also just spend a lot of time at the beach together. The good thing about this age is that she’s not easily bored and is happy with a bucket and spade and some sand.  We’re also big fans of finding a nice pub after breathing in some fresh sea air, and relaxing with a good glass of wine.

What are you passionate about?

A lot! I’m quite a passionate, emotional person so it doesn’t take much to have me talking animatedly.  It’s funny how since becoming a mother I’ve had both so little time to think about myself and yet so much. I’ve never thought more about what matters to me, and what’s irrelevant to the bigger picture than in the past 3 years or so. In essence I’d say I’m passionate about trying to live as authentic a life as possible. Living according to my values and bringing up my daughter to be a good, kind person who follows her heart and trusts her own instincts. And enjoying all that life has to offer in all its glory. There is always fun to be had and I like enjoying life. Although, I think it can be so hard sometimes to live a good life. It’s like we’re all a bit worried it might pass us by and we want to make sure we’re living it well, or at least seeming to so that we keep up with the Joneses. I feel like being authentic is the real ticket to living well and it’s through that we can see what we want to change in our own lives and the lives of others.

What inspires you?

In essence I’d say, photography, the sea, my daughter, and noticing the little things, the silver linings that are so easy to miss but make life all the more vivid and beautiful.

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Thank you Josie for sharing your wise words and beautiful photos. Readers please visit Josie on Instagram @josie.hendrick.

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Inspiring Mother Sara: @me_and_orla

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Themes are starting to emerge across my inspiring mothers series. Slow, connected living. Time spent with family and friends outdoors and being creative. Minimalism and simplicity — which I don’t consider to be the same, but both imply figuring out what is important in life and focusing our energy there. Today’s inspiring mother, Sara Tasker, is someone who exemplifies simplicity.

When I first encountered Sara her world seemed totally foreign to me. Foreign in the best kind of way. Sara lives with her partner and their daughter in the countryside, on a continent across the ocean from my own. The town they live in and their pace of life seems idyllic, and contrasts sharply with my own fast-paced life as an urbanite living in the downtown of my country’s capital city. The bubbling busyness of a big city can be invigorating, but when you feel as though you can’t escape the fast-pace, rather than it energizing you, it can become a drain. No matter our circumstance I think most of us need opportunities for respite. Looking at Sara’s life in photos is definitely visual therapy — the view out her window onto a rolling hill, light and shadow falling across a table — it is my respite.

Over time, I got to reading Sara’s blog, getting to know her a little better and found that we share more than I had expected. We are foreigners geographically, but not as people. Sara, too, is seeking a life of greater simplicity. Wait…what? I thought she had already arrived at destination Simplicity? Looking at her pace of life and her simple home, how can things be simpler? And yet, I learned that Sara was focused on finding ways to simplify her life. I thought about my own life and my own home — people have suggested to me that I have found simplicity (as if it is something you can find…). People have said, for example, that my home is “so sparse” and expressed astonishment that Ro only takes one class outside of formal school. These sorts of comments never fail to surprise me, because from my perspective our home is cluttered and I still wonder if ballet twice a week leaves Ro with enough down time. Like many things, simplicity is relative. And, like many pursuits, the path is long, and most likely the destination is never reached.

Sara still exemplifies simplicity to me, but she also reminds me that we are each on a path, that we are always arriving, and yet, never arrive, and that is exactly where I should be.

What part of the world do you live in?

We live in a little village in West Yorkshire, England, tucked away in a valley between steep green hills. It has a pub, a post box and no shops – unless you count the man who sells his eggs with an honesty box! We moved here last summer from the city, & it’s a dream come true.

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

So far, we have one daughter, Orla, who is 2. She is fierce and independent and sharp, but also the most naturally sweet and thoughtful person I know. She’s sunshine and thunder clouds, all at once, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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What are your core family values?

Respect is a big one – my partner, Rory and I both work with young people with learning disabilities, so for us it’s unthinkable to dismiss someone’s wants or needs simply because they are less able to understand. I try my best to never say or do anything to Orla that I wouldn’t to Rory – not treating her like an adult, but treating her as an equal.

We’re also working hard as a family to live more simply, and keep clutter and materialism at bay; investing in memories instead of ‘stuff’.

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How do you spend most of your days?

Three days a week I work, driving a fairly long commute with Orla, and arriving home in the evening with just enough time for dinner and bedtime. I’m getting increasingly busy with Instagram & blog related work, too, which is wonderful, but often means my evenings are spent working at the computer alone. The rest of the time I try to make up for this by living slowly – baking, walking, cooking, playing with Orla. We spend a lot of time in bed, even in the day!

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

Nothing. Not literally nothing, of course, but just to have no plans or agenda. We might walk down to the stream and throw in stones, or collect firewood in the forest. We’ve recently got really into baking sourdough bread, which is a great family activity! It’s such a luxury to be just the three of us, living life in our lovely home.

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What are you passionate about?

Great design, living well. Motherhood. Feminism. Raising girls to know they’re worth so much more than they’re told.

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What inspires you?

Everything! The landscape where we live, the seasons. My friends, my daughter, and, of course, the wonderful community I’ve found through Instagram. I love starting my day looking through my feed, and seeing what people are doing in Japan, how people are living the good life with what they’ve got in America or Australia or Korea. I suppose it sounds like a total paradox, but connecting with other mamas and creatives through the internet really helps me to live more simply, and disengage from the modern world.

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Thank you Sara for sharing pieces of your world. Readers: you can visit Sara Tasker on Instagram @me_and_orla or on her blog.

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kristen mittler oldjoy instagram mother

Inspiring Mother Kristen: @oldjoy

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kristen mittler oldjoy instagram mother

Contentment.

This is what comes to mind, again and again, when I think about Kristen, this week’s inspiring mother. I first started following Kristen, known as @oldjoy on Instagram, because her photos capture beauty and simplicity in perfect harmony. Yes, her photos are undeniably beautiful. But, as some of you know about me, aesthetic beauty isn’t enough to keep me interested for long. No, I need layers and depth behind the surface.

What you will find in Kristen’s gallery are mostly photos of her days at home, with her two sweet children. Things are uncomplicated. The days are routine. You will see that they spend a lot of time in bed, equal only to time spent eating cake. Their life is simple and routine. And as you will come to know, their life is full, full to the brim. Kristen, through the reverence she shows for daily routine, for the simplest of things, like folding laundry while watching her baby nap, shows us how these moments are what make life, these moments are what bring happiness, through contentment with the present. There is no striving. There is no lack.

And so, there is depth in simplicity. There is depth in contentment. Living these everyday moments as  the  moments in life, reflects a profound understanding of the gifts of life.

Please read on to hear from Kristen, herself.

What part of the world do you live in?

i live in dayton, ohio, usa. i have lived here for nearly ten years now. this small city is where i met my husband and began my family.

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

i have two children and another on the way early august. my oldest child, eleanor, just recently turned seven. my sweet girl is just that … very sweet. as soon as her feet hit the floor in the morning, she is ready to chat, play and create. her energy keeps her learning constantly, but sometimes can bring her a bit of frustration. she is homeschooled and when she accomplishes something, she is ever so proud and ready to tell the world … but when she struggles, she feels it so strongly. this girl could move mountains with her emotions alone. she is brave and forgiving and can give a hug better than anyone else i have ever met.

my second child, wolfgang, is fifteen months old. he is what they would call a handful. the boy is as curious as they come. if you find yourself babysitting him and you wonder, “could he get into that?” the answer is, yes and he most definitely will. he makes us laugh continuously. he loves to dance and blab and discover new things. he will do big things when he grows up. hopefully good things.

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What are your core family values?

our values are simple. speak clearly and honestly. never make the other person wonder what it is you exactly just said. express your needs. express your struggles. ask for help. you can cry alone if you want to, but never feel like you have to. wake up every single day with the goal of being the light in your family’s life. “be loving.” is what my husband always says to us when things get tense.

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How do you spend most of your days?

i spend most of my days at home, with my children. as a homeschooling, stay at home mom … our day to day life is extremely routine. wake up at 7:30am, breakfast, begin school, quiet/nap time, lunch, finish school, another quiet/nap time, play time, dinner, baths, books, bed at 8:00pm. i love our structured life and am very excited to add another babe into the mix.

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

my favorite thing to do as a family is spending the day in the woods. if my husband has a day off throughout the week, we will explore a new woods around our area. it feels so good to escape the city for a bit and get some good ole fresh air. the kids are able to explore and run free and my husband and i can walk side by side, hold hands and unwind. it’s so nice. usually we bring our field journals and take breaks to sketch what we find along the paths.

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What are you passionate about? 

i am passionate about being a mother. you probably knew i’d say that 🙂 i have reached the point in motherhood that i just cannot imagine life without my children. they are my sole purpose for living. they are the reason for my happiness. they are the reason i get out of bed everyday with a smile on my face. they are my soul mates.

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What inspires you?

i am inspired by other mothers, absolutely. i am inspired by the women i meet on social media and seeing glimpses of their lives. finding ways i can improve myself, not only as a mother, but as a woman, too. i am inspired by strangers. the people who are completely comfortable in their own skin and it is obvious to everyone around them. i love that. i am inspired by a sunny day. by a really good hamburger. and by a long walk alone in the rain.

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Thank you Kristen for sharing your words of wisdom. Readers, please visit Kristen on Instagram or visit her website, Moonschooling Eleanor.

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Inspiring Mother Danielle: @missverse

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There is a certain amount of artifice put into some Instagram accounts. I freely admit that I put thought into choosing what I will share and how I present my family. I want to be authentic, but I want my authentic to be beautiful. Like any story, there are parts told and others untold.  I tell you about the hidden paths we walked on the weekend, the street art we found, the drawings Ro did or the flowers Sen arranged. I leave untold, for your imagination to elaborate, what my sink full of dishes looks like or what my daily struggles are.

When thinking about how I would introduce Danielle, I’ll be honest I had a hard time pinpointing what I love about her. Well, obviously, there’s her name.  But more than having a lovely first name, Danielle takes beautiful photos and writes beautiful words. And, still, there is more… Following Danielle, known as @missverse on Instagram, you learn of her passion for mothering, her gift with words, her artful eye for composition, but you also come to know that she has really lived life. Not in the “party through your twenties” way or the travel-around-the-world way, but in ways where she struggled and was vulnerable. And rather than sharing only the ups in life, Danielle also shares the downs, the tough days, something that is certainly not easy to do. She doesn’t shy away from showing her vulnerability. As I have come to learn about myself, and I think Danielle knows it too, our struggles bring us closer to our core, to knowing what is most important in life, and ultimately to what is most beautiful.

I hope you will enjoy reading more about Danielle in my interview with her.

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What part of the world do you live in?

I live in Northern New Jersey.  Specifically, West Milford.  It’s an area full of natural beauty, with many different hikes, lakes and rocks.  There is so much scope for the imagination, as a favorite heroine of mine would say.  We love it!

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?  

I have two boys, Elliot and Asher.  They are only fifteen months apart, so it’s easy for me to see the similarities and differences.  Both are incredibly active!  Elliot loves to tap dance, color and find treasures outside.  He greets the sun every morning with an exuberant “sun up!” and is quick to let me know it’s time to sleep when the “sun down!”  Elliot shows such huge joy over the simplest things and he has taught me so much.  My love of natures has quadrupled because of him.  When every “do you want to go for a walk?” is met with a loud “OH, YES! YAY!” there is no way you cannot be affected.  Asher cuddles and cuddles but seems to balance it with an enormous amount of independence.  Ever since he could talk, he’s been pointing out the sun, moon and stars to me.  How appropriate, because these boys are all three of those things to me!

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What are your core family values?

I’d say that Mary Oliver’s quote “pay attention, be astonished, tell about it” sums up our core values.  Some may say that we live with too little of the practical, but I have experienced too much to ever quench awe.  The joy we can feel over the simplest treasures IS our greatest treasure.  BUT, to be a little more practical:  our core values consist of getting outside every day, encouraging imagination and to always be kind.  These values are not mainly for our kids, but important to my husband and I as well.  The things we teach and encourage in our children are the things we encourage in ourselves.

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How do you spend most of your days?  

We spend a lot of time as a family.  My husband and I are equally involved in our boys lives.  We go on a lot of adventures or walks.  (same thing!)  My husband and I are both photographers, which means we tend to take a lot of photos.  However, we do try to keep a balance to the photo-taking.  It’s good to simply enjoy the moment as well! 😉

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?  

I feel like I’m repeating myself, but we truly do take a lot of walks! Money has been tight and the great and wonderful outdoors has been our friend through it all.  It doesn’t cost any money, especially since we don’t need to get in the car at all!  We walk out our front door and into the woods.

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What are you passionate about?  

I’m passionate about reading and writing: capturing the beautiful moments through images.  I’m passionate about trees, lakes and leaves.  I’m passionate about showing these things to my boys.  We love to be create.

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What inspires you?

I’m inspired by so many things, but I’ll just tell about one here. 😉  Poetry has inspired me the most.  Whenever I have writer’s block or feel a little “bleh”  a good poem will bring me out of the mood.  Word have always done that for me and I truly hope I can teach my boys to appreciate all the words they can read.

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When I crafted my questions for the inspiring mothers series I wanted to hear from women who inspired me about their interests, their passions, their inspirations and how they spend their days. The questions were no accident. I knew my intution about Danielle was right, when she said that she felt like she was repeating herself in answering the questions. Danielle has found a way to make her passions her everyday.

Please visit Danielle on Instagram and check out her website Young Love Media.

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Inspiring Mother Carina: @carinamarienilsson

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When I started posting more about minimalism last summer, sharing my interest in paring down my possessions and responsibilities, Carina was one of the first people to speak up and encourage me. Living in Vancouver, a very densely built Canadian city, with what most would consider to be astronomical housing prices, can be the instigation one needs to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. If you love your city, you love where you live, then you arrange your lifestyle to make it work, and if that means four people live in a one bedroom apartment, so that you live steps from the ocean and in a vibrant community, then you don’t think twice about the two-car garage in suburbia with a front and back yard that you could have for the same price, or probably less. And if, on the other hand, suburbia is the vibrant community that makes you feel alive and inspired then that’s the right place for you. I’m not sure if the reasons I’ve read into Carina’s choice to live in Vancouver are accurate, but my intuition tells me I’m not far off.

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I can’t remember when I first came to know Carina. I know it wasn’t that long ago, but at the same time I feel like I’ve known her forever. She’s one of those people who has the rare gift of making you feel like an old friend, finding a genuine way of connecting with people, even through the ether of cyberspace. Carina and I first connected through our interest in minimalism, and then we found out we shared a background in dance, a love for the arts, a strange fondness for colourful walls, and an addiction to the outdoors. In terms of her parenting, what I particularly love about Carina is her total commitment to letting her children be themselves, in fact, she celebrates their individuality and differences. What a gift she is to her children.
I hope you will enjoy hearing from Carina, herself, in my interview with her.
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What part of the world do you live in?
I am very lucky to live in Vancouver, Canada – right around False Creek, which is a small inlet right in the heart of the city. Our neighbourhood is appropriately called Mount Pleasant, and it’s where we work, go to school, and meet friends. What I love most about Vancouver is the ability to get out into the wilderness in a moment. Whether you want to camp in the bush, fish a river, ride a horse, or go mountain climbing, all of that and more is at your fingertips in Vancouver.
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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?
I have two children. Finn is my 8 year old daughter. You can often find her eye deep in books, or being told by her teachers that she’s a Chatty Cathy. Her favourite colour is black. Augustus is my 5 year old son. You can find him singing to himself while crouched over a book drawing, or as a blur as he tears around the apartment playing a grand adventure game he’s made up. He prefers bright floral patterns and animal prints. He is currently trying to grow his hair out long like his sister’s because he “thinks her hair looks beautiful when she runs”.
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What are your core family values?
I guess our family values are best described by what my husband Cyrus and I teach Finn and Gus. Being mindful of others: so making sure that you are open, kind, and considerate. Make memories rather than desiring things. Keeping life simple: this covers everything from the toys in their room, to the daily activities we commit our time to. Most important: let the people that matter to you, know that they matter to you.

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How do you spend most of your days?

Most of my days are spent getting the kids to school, myself to work, then the kids to dance/soccer/etc. In the wee hours of the morning or the dark hours of the night you can probably find me working on my illustrations (website coming soon!) or on the website I co-founded with my dear friend, Bree, Peaks & Harbours – both creative pursuits that I adore. I have regular “dates” with my girlfriends – which I wholeheartedly believe is a crucial part of maintaining that work/kids/life balance. Our weekends are usually reserved for family outdoor adventures. We love to camp, explore forests, or head to Vancouver Island – where my wonderful parents live – for fishing or surfing. Really just any adventure that we can get our hands on is what energizes our little family.
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What are you passionate about?
I am super passionate about being connected to a supportive community. With the website that I run with my dear friend Bree, we focus on featuring local artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and so on – particularly we highlight women who happen to be mothers, that have taken the plunge towards making their own passions into a career that will also support their families. In my 9-5 job I work in the non-profit arts sector, so I would say that I am also passionate about the arts and exposing myself and my kids to as much of it as possible.
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What inspires you?
I would have to say that my children inspire me, and have changed my life for the better in so many ways. They have made me stop and think “is this what I really need?”, and so I attribute my enthusiasm for living minimally to them, because I don’t want them to be driven by a need to acquire “things”. When I’m feeling burnt out, they motivate me to get up and go outside to recharge. They have encouraged me to think deeply about what is important to me, so that I can pass those values and traditions on to them. That being said, they don’t have to love art, or play an instrument, or embrace Swedish/Italian culture, but I do want them to know that if there’s something that you adore and are passionate about, then you should embrace it – even if it doesn’t work out, you can always change your path, and things might work out even better than you expected.
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Thank you Carina for sharing your wisdom and photography with us. Readers:  You can find Carina on Instagram @carinamarienilsson and on her superb blog Peaks and Harbours. Please visit her and say hello, you won’t regret it.
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Inspiring Mother Bree: @breegalbraith

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It is not uncommon for me to read, particularly on social media, that mothers feel like they don’t measure up to other mothers. This disheartens me. It can be tough for some people seeing what appears to be perfect lives, perfect homes, perfect parenting and then, looking at themselves, they may feel they have fallen short. With my blog and my inspiring mothers series I don’t want to put myself or anyone up on a pedestal. Most of us mothers and parents are doing our absolute best, and our best is just what our children need. By sharing my own stories and the stories of other ordinary mothers I seek to show that we are all special, we can inspire each other in the simplest ways, and that we are already the mothers our children need. We don’t need perfect houses and all the latest toys and craft supplies, we just need to be present and connect with our children. My inspiring mothers are everyday mothers, like you, like me.
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Today I would like you to meet Bree, who I follow on Instagram as @breegalbraith, and who I have gotten to know through her site Peaks and Harbours. You may have heard me mention her excellent blog, which is all about “kid-friendly art and design experiences, delicious diversions and mom-reviving outdoor adventures.” Yes, some days I feel like Bree is my western Canadian doppleganger. Bree’s way of life and parenting really epitomizes her love of connecting with people and place. She’s tops in my books, and I hope you’ll love her too.Processed with VSCOcam with t1 preset
What part of the world do you live in?
We live in Vancouver, BC [British Columbia, Canada]. More specifically, we are lucky to live in the False Creek Neighbourhood. If you are familiar with Vancouver – we are smack dab in between the Olympic Village and Granville Island. If that wasn’t enough we are steps away from the Seawall, and can hop on a bike and get to Stanley Park in under half an hour all along the side of the ocean and past vibrant neighbourhoods and shops.
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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?
I have 2 boys, aged 7 and 9. My 7-year old, Oakland, is an old-soul looking for new experiences. He’s the kind of dude who needs to break a glass to understand it’s fragile, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Big softy. Dario, my oldest is a protector and is one serious little man. I always have to remind him that things are supposed to be fun! Together they are the best of buds, and at only 25 months apart, they have similar interests and often get mistaken for twins. They are my team.
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What are your core family values?
Hmmmmm…. We make sure to treat others how we’d like to be treated, we don’t keep secrets from one another (because secrets cause stomach aches), we don’t judge people on anything but their attitude, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
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How do you spend most of your days?
Personally, I split my time between writing children’s books, doing all things Peaks & Harbours, and finishing my thesis. I also have clients that I freelance (design) for, and that’s usually a nighttime job because the boys are asleep and I have the time to get to work. Most of our weekdays are spent at school (all of us, I teach at the same University I do my Master’s degree at) and weeknights are hustling between soccer practice, basketball, dance and piano. If they aren’t busy, they are not fun to be around. At night and on the weekends, there is a lot of drawing and “checking things out around Vancouver.” We like to go to museums and gardens, walk in the woods or take our dog, Raja, to the dog beach. We are outside all the time because it’s the one place we don’t get on each other’s nerves.
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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?
My favourite thing to do with them is to go for a walk with no destination in mind.
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What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about sharing experiences and stories and getting people excited to do things. I love writing, and I am fortunate to have found a place for my work so that it can be read around the world.
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What inspires you?
I am inspired when I know that I have connected with someone and shared something that has made them smile, laugh, feel lighter, say “aha!”…. It’s always inspiring to hear feedback from something I have written and find out someone else’s interpretation of my words – especially children. There’s nothing better than doing a reading to a bunch of 6-year-olds, and then having them tell you that they are going to write a story one day too… only theirs will have cats in it, because that will make it better 😉
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Bree is the author of Once Upon A Balloon, a whimsical story with gorgeous illustrations. Please visit Bree on Instagram or at her website here.

Thank you, Bree, for sharing your words, photos and way of life.

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Ashley Williamson Piperandpoppies

Inspiring Mother Ashley: @piperandpoppies

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Ashley Williamson Piperandpoppies

My blog has been a long time in the making. I spent many hours thinking and dreaming about all the things I could do with it, all the topics I would love to write about and projects I would love to use it for. One thing I knew I wanted to do from the beginning was to share the stories of people who have inspired me. Generally, these are people who live close to nature and connected to family, they are artistic and creative, loving and adventurous.

Today, I would like to introduce you to Ashley, who I follow on Instagram as @piperandpoppies. Ashley takes beautiful photos of her life in Australia with her two gorgeous girls. But, her gallery is about more than surface beauty. Rather, she captures a much deeper beauty: the beauty of living connected to family and place. I had a chance to ask Ashley a few questions about her way of life, and was delighted to find that my intuition about Ashley was spot on; she is a kind, caring and thoughtful person. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a little more, as I did.

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What part of the world do you live in?

I live in Western Australia in a little seaside town. It has a massive tourist trade but the locals are mostly nature loving, surfing, and happy souls. It is a community of love and connection. We are so lucky to have ended up raising our family here. I grew up in Canada and travel brought me here. I do miss my family and the distinct seasons of home but I have planted myself here and am learning to embrace this as my home. My girls are small town kids and I love watching them play outside and explore all that a tiny forest and seaside town has to offer.

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How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have been blessed with two beautiful girls. Piper is 4 and Poppy is 1. Piper is an old soul. She is gentle and caring but shy and fiercely overwhelmed by strangers and attention. Poppy is a wild child! She is so much fun, a character that loves to make us (and anyone she comes across) laugh.

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What are your core family values?

Love and empathy. I want my girls to know how to care for others and themselves. How to accept people and themselves and the power of love. I am also a firm believer in providing a foundation for children to harbour their creativity and imagination. I know the joy I get from daydreaming and being creative and want to help my girls discover their gifts. We try to provide calm and compassionate parenting for our girls. To use peaceful approaches to problem solving and model this in our behaviour towards each other.

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How do you spend most of your days?

I am a primary school teacher part time. I am a mother full time. My role of mama is my prized role, I didn’t always want to be a mom, but am so blessed motherhood found me. I spend my time playing with my girls, teaching them about the world and experiencing life by their side. I am learning through them to slow down and savour the little things. Childhood is magic and as mothers we actually have the opportunity to do it again! We spend a lot of time exploring and playing together.

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What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

An ideal day would start at home, as the sun rises, with hot coffee and the girls playing. Then a trip to the beach and bush walking. Lazy lunch at home, a family nap, painting/drawing/gardening and a laid back dinner outside. Sitting under the stars with a wine. I am a homebody but also love being in nature. I usually do this with my little companions and no one else. They are the perfect explorers.

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What are you passionate about?

The environment and education. As a teacher I have the opportunity to engage children in our world and teach sustainability and ethical choices. They are clever and adopt things much more easily than grown ups. I love art, making things, creating. This past year I have started taking my photography more seriously. I love seeing life through a lens and capturing moments.

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What inspires you?

Clouds, the ocean, flowers, people, places, things…I am inspired by everything really. Everything and everyone we encounter has something to give. Truly.

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Thank you for sharing your words, photos and way of life Ashley.

Please visit Ashley’s Instagram gallery, there’s much more to discover. And I hope you have enjoyed this first feature, I will try to post one every week.

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