Hi all, my most sincere apologies for my lack of commitment to this blog. Writing is something I hold so much value in, and is truly a therapeutic process for me. I am always reminded of this when I am away from my platform for a moment, feeling the absence ever so deeply in my heart. Sometimes my voice is better read then heard aloud, so I really out to train myself a little better into “voicing” my thoughts more consistently in this happy little space. Alas, I am back with good intentions as always to jibber jabber once more to those of you who will read along.

I have spent the last few months engulfed in my personal life, navigating through my transformed days as a mother and homemaker. As I raise my daughter, I am often called to recall my own upbringing and what values and lessons I formed in my earliest years. While O is only 5 months old, I still feel that raising her with intention and being ever aware of how I nurture her are critical in my goals of allowing her to grow into an empowered human being. That said, I was recently ruminating on what some of my earliest goals were and if in my 25 years of walking this earth, I had led a life my youngest self knew she needed even without life’s ever changing rhythms.

Always in my earliest memories, I am mimicking the role of a nurturer. Be it rocking a baby doll, reading to a stuffed animal, or cutting out images from a JC Penny yearly catalogue to design my future home; I was seemingly destined for a life as a homemaker. Education was something held with extremely high regard by my influencers, and consequently, on my path to a higher education in college I studied Child Development, Interior Design and for a brief time considered a career in Sociology- my quest always laced with the outcome of a happy and balanced home life be it through the people within or the functionality of the furniture throughout.

While I rejoice to be living in a progressive time period where women and men can be absolutely anything they desire in this world, I regret that I have discredited the work that I have ultimately chosen. From such a young age, when asked what you want to be when you grow up, we are conditioned to formulate a response that fits within a 9-5 category. While I believe structure is fantastic, what this also does is conjure up feelings of doubt and distrust for one’s natural tendency to choose the life path which best suits their soul. When I decided to stay at home with my daughter, I admittingly hung my head slightly lower and replied “just a stay at home mom” when asked about what I did for a living. I know the root of this response stems from a long developing history from a young age of adults responding to my aspiration with “well, great. But how will you make money?” I cannot be alone in this developed “shame” for my true calling, as I’m sure anyone who leaned in to their unconventional or often discredited career must have had similar responses.

While I do have 2 “jobs” (one from home, the other for a few hours a week outside) my main priority and career is that of a homemaker. Growing up I had always felt pressured to be “more than that” because for a multitude of reasons and outside influences, I did not acknowledge or recognize the idea of homemaking as a valid career option.

I have since fully embraced my role as a nurturer and fulfilled my destiny to do as my heart delights. I bask in the opportunity to provide the small touches that make my home unique in every detail and that facilitate a service to the ones I hold most dear to me. In every meal I make from scratch, every hint of extra lemon zest, I am a professional chef. In every successful, peaceful, slumber- I am a seasoned child care professional. In each milestone my daughter reaches, I am the teacher. For every distressed piece of furniture turned new again, I am a maker. In every garment mended, every cloth diaper laundered, I am transported to a simpler time, a calmer lifestyle and my heart surrenders to the quiet of the slower pace. For every rearranged layout of my home on an afternoon, I am a designer, an innovator. In every hug, I am an empath, a therapist, a safe place to fall.

How, for so many years, could I have deemed this path as less than? For it is so much more than I had ever dreamed. And my youngest self rejoices from a place deep within me that knows innately where I had always been called- and that is home.

Title photo courtesy of my talented friend Kimi at www.dominophotography.com !

    Baby Makes 3: Balancing Marriage and Parenthood

“Love and marriage…Love and marriage…” *Cue “Married with Children theme song*

Hi all! Today, I wanted to just take a minute to reflect a little on how relationships and in our case, marriages evolve and change as children are brought in. As always, I feel I need to make a quick disclaimer, that I am in no way shape or form a marriage/family therapist and I certainly do not believe I am an expert on how to love. I believe that families grow in different ways with so many dynamics. Sometimes it takes a couple, a village, or just one bad-ass parent to provide the best life they can for their child. If your path differs from mine, please do not think I find myself superior in any way.  That said, I do want to share how the sanctity of marriage affects our parenting.

Andy and I are high school sweethearts for those who do not know us personally, and have been together for 8 years in total. Of those 8 years, half have been as husband and wife. Though we are absolutely best friends and love each other endlessly, we are two extremely different individuals. We have our fair share of disagreements just like any other couple. I believe that one of the most important factors on if your marriage is successful lies in your ability to fight in a kind manner. This becomes even more so a pivotal point when a baby arrives. Endless questions and decisions meet you at every turn, and can be incredibly overwhelming. You will face questions that are so loaded, and then add differing viewpoints on top of that, and quickly your marriage can come crashing down. This is why you must fight kind. You have to remember that your partner has the same investment and worry for your child that you do, and that this is what unites you above all else.

When I became a mom only two short months ago, I can’t express to you how much additional anxiety I was suddenly faced with. Those loaded questions regarding her health, decisions suddenly in my hands… it was and still is so incredibly crushing at times. For me, a lot of nights are spent restlessly tossing and turning mulling over if the choices I made for my baby girl that day were the right ones. My husband has taken on an entire household financially, and his worries in terms of providing for us have multiplied in a different capacity. But above all, I am blessed to say that the foundation of our relationship of eight years, and a strong marital bond have kept us afloat through some very murky waters. You may be tested in immense ways when parenting all at different times in your child’s life. But it is important above all, in my opinion, to demonstrate to them the proper way to love. I plan to show mercy, forgiveness and unconditional admiration to the father of my child in hopes that my girl will one day know the value of a strong team. Great things can come from great love.

Something that we are learning is just how important it is to remember what brought the two of us together in the first place. Recalling that young love and rekindling that special bond is what fills your cup. My days are spent one hundred percent devoted to my daughter and I would not trade that for the world. But ultimately, the love I receive from my husband gives me that strength to carry on and persevere as an individual who is loved and fulfilled. Though I pour nearly everything I have into my daughter, I have to remember to save a couple sips in my cup for my marriage and for myself.  I am grateful that my daughter has an example of how a woman should be treated in the way her father loves her mother and vice versa. I am thankful she knows that we both also accept ourselves as growing individuals.

When you board an aircraft, the attendants remind you that placing the oxygen mask on yourself first is imperative prior to helping others. I never understood this, and always thought that as a parent, you absolutely have to “put the mask” on your child first. But here’s the thing, if you’re not breathing, how will you provide? If your marriage isn’t strong, what will that mean for your child? If you’re not shown the love and admiration you deserve for the individual that you are, how can you mold your children to be strong and independent individuals themselves?

When you, yourself are whole, this is when society feels that you are truly able to love another human being, be that romantically, or as a parent. Never feel bad for making your marriage a priority, or for making time to build yourself up individually. Strong people, and strong couples are what shapes a stronger future for your child.

Turn to love when your frustration is at its peak with the looming responsibility of being a parent. Seek out comfort in the arms of your partner when the world presents you with a challenge in your family’s path. I am forever grateful for the bond I share with my husband, partner in all things, and the father of my child. I take refuge in the protection our love for one another brings against the raging storm parenthood can feel like at times.

Thank your partner if you haven’t yet today for loving your child, but also for choosing you to share this journey with. And if you’re no longer walking this journey together, try to find it in your heart to love the person who ultimately made you a parent, and to show respect towards them regardless of your differences. Being a parent is so very challenging, and if you can have a support system whether within a marriage or not, those trials and tribulations will seem miniscule in the presence of a greater love.

As always, I thank you for taking the time to read my small insights. I hope my words touched your heart in some capacity inspired you to love others and spark great change in a world that needs connection now more than ever!

Thanks for stopping by.

Introduction to Cloth Diapering!

Hi folks!

As always thanks for stopping by. Today, I can’t wait to share my thoughts on cloth diapering and why we made this conscious choice for our family. Let me start by saying this: I do not in any way shape or form claim to be environmentally conscious 24/7, nor do I claim to be “zero waste”. In 2018, this is an incredibly ambitious concept to be 100% perfect in our consumption, and I found when I tried to set that standard for myself, I was unable to implement that perfection into every single aspect of my life. My solution was to pick targeted areas of our household consumption and target them to reduce and scale back our waste wherever was feasible! I can’t wait to do a blog post on our environmental “swaps” in the future, but today, we will focus on one of the biggest aspects of our attempt to reduce our carbon footprint! Without further ado, let’s get down to business. When looking into the astonishing impact disposable diapers have on our environment, I was mortified that my child alone would produce so much waste from birth until she was potty-trained. Waste that would significantly impact her Earth, her future, and her lifestyle. For reference, one disposable diaper takes 500 years to decompose in a landfill... that’s no typo. 500 years. They are also the 3rd largest consumer item currently in landfills right now-and represent 30% of non-biodegradable waste. Note that also, disposable diapers are a relatively “new” thing. Developed less than 70 years ago, the very first disposable diaper is still out there, not yet decomposed. Startling thought, right? Just because we aren’t staring at landfills on a daily basis, does not mean “out of sight, out of mind” is the best policy. In addition to saving the environment, you also save a bunch of money, which as a young married couple, is key. I’m able to invest the money we save by cloth diapering into other aspects which enrich her childhood such as health care with a provider of our choosing. Trading the sacrifice of hard work for the convenience of a disposable is not always the choice for every lifestyle, but financially, this serves us in other ways and is 100% worth the extra labor! Now that we’re past the “why”, here’s the fun part! The “how”! There are several different brands and methods of cloth diapering- all of which can seem very overwhelming especially to a first time mom who has 0 experience diapering whatsoever. I watched a lot of YouTube videos, which for a visual learner like myself, were extremely helpful in navigating which method would be best suited for our situation. We ultimately went with “pocket diapers”, which consist of a waterproof “shell” (the outermost layer) and inserts which go inside the pocket! The outer layer is made of some sort of soft, water wicking material usually (ours is a bamboo blend). Each diaper had 2 insert types that were included, a “super soak-em” as we like to call it, which is 2 layers of bamboo with a layer of micro-fiber in the middle. 3 layers keeping my baby dry? Awesome. For a little less bulk, we also have single inserts of the bamboo layer. Our shells are adjustable with simple snaps from newborn size to toddler, and in theory, should make it through the span of our little girls diapering days! They close with a Velcro tab on the front of the diaper, making it super simple, whilst also sustainable. If you’re interested in using the specific brand of diapers that we do, I actually sell them, and would love to share my passion for this company with you. They are a small business, family owned and operated, and adhere to strong environmental policies that save this planet. Plus- the patterns are swoon-worthy if that’s your style. If you’re more of a solids person, there’s nothing sweeter than a lilac or buttercup colored diaper at 3am when your baby has a blowout, just saying. Now, I will shortly touch on the “hard” parts of pocket diapering. When baby does her duty, then entire thing (shell and insert) need to be washed. So, for someone who does not have an in house washer and dryer, (that’s me!) this can be a bit of a difficult task. I will write another post following up regarding our laundering process! But long story short, this does take a bit of commitment to do laundry fairly often, especially dependent on how many diapers you have on hand. We have 20 pocket diapers in our stash. This can last us anywhere from 2-3 days at absolute most. Now, that sedaid, our little babe is in Newborn stage and has not quite started to control her little bowels. So she dirties diapers like it’s her job, and I have to keep up with her demands! I am also currently staying home with her, which makes hand washing her diapers this frequently possible. If you are not able to be at home or are unwilling to launder this often, I would highly suggest looking into a different kind of cloth diaper, possibly, or in investing in a larger stash! I have literal dreams of having more diapers on hand, but ultimately we work with what we’ve got! The pocket diaper has also in my experience been the easiest to explain to those unfamiliar with cloth diapering, in the event that your child is in daycare, or staying with a relative. Now again, I am fortunate enough to be home with our baby right now, and so I haven’t had to impose my hippie ways on my family too much, but I would think this would possibly be suitable for those situations! I am also breastfeeding exclusively, which does make her poop water-soluble. I’m not quite sure what it would be like to wash formula based poops, so I can’t speak to that experience in the same light! In our specific situation, we use cloth wipes and occasionally Water Wipes, on her little tush. The only other thing on her hiney is coconut oil. Cloth diapers significantly reduce the chance of diaper rash if laundered properly, which again, saves us money and headache of diaper rash ointment and unnecessary trips to her pediatrician! My advice to anyone curious about making the transition, even if you don’t have a new newborn, is to ask all the questions you can! Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive, and to find the best option for your lifestyle. I am always open to recount our experiences good, bad, and mustard colored! Ask away and let me know your thoughts on cloth and if you would ever make the switch for your babes!

Slow Parenting in the Age of Social Media

Hi there, as always thanks for taking the time to swing by our blog! Today’s post may quite possibly ruffle some feathers, which is absolutely not my intention whatsoever. Before we begin, I want to make a disclaimer that this post is in no way, shape, or form, intended to be read in a ‘holier than thou’ tone of voice. This is simply what works for us; and trust me- we are well aware that we are, more often than not, very far from the norm!

Social Media takes on different meanings for everyone, and I truly believe it serves as such a beautiful place to grow communities and connect individuals which you would normally not encounter in your daily life. However, in that same respect, social media can also be very scary for the same reasons.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with joy to become a mommy. I followed a multitude of mommy-bloggers with perfectly light and bright cottage style instagram grids, and had “oo-ed” and “aw-ed” over their adorable lifestyles. I felt like I knew their whole life stories.  So and so’s daughter Annie had just gotten a darling new pair of overalls, courtesy of a sponsored post by such and such brand.  Little Yara had just started to walk. You get the idea. We’ve all seen them. Beautiful snapshots of daily life illustrating that motherhood is anything but messy with the appropriate VSCO filter slapped on and the brightness dialed up.

I looked at their grids in admiration and thought to myself, that I too, would share perfectly styled photos of my lifestyle as a mother. Those who have heard the quote “Comparison is the thief of joy” will soon infer where this is leading. I began to almost design my child’s life to fit within a color palette, a grid, a style within my head before she had even arrived. I truly had to check myself and change my perspective of thinking. Logically I knew in my heart that motherhood is not an aesthetic. It would be raw- emotional ugly crying at 3am because you can’t soothe that perfect baby you just posted peacefully sleeping on your instagram feed. It would be the bright mustard newborn poops that stained your perfect “Mama Bear” tee you ordered because another blogger looked so perfect in hers. Most of all, motherhood and families are individual and imperfect, and they aren’t all of what is seen on the screens we cling to.

These mom-stagrams had thousands of followers, myself being one of them. I lied awake one night haunted by the thought that these public profiles, with all of these followers, couldn’t possibly be monitoring who was viewing their pages. Though the images were always harmless, I couldn’t help but become paranoid that they were being viewed by people without pure intentions. Becoming a mother changes some women, myself being one of them, into a paranoid, hyper-aware person who is constantly looking over her shoulder as to the dangers her child may encounter. I worried for the mothers that, maybe, maintaining this seemingly perfect persona got exhausting, in addition to the already draining experience of becoming a new mom. I found myself envisioning moms reinacting the iconic moment of Kris Jenner at Kim’s photo-shoot spewing encouragement: “You’re doing great, sweetie” as their child struck a pose perfectly formatted for the post of the day. I laughed to myself and thought, “what do they possibly do with all of the cheesy hot pink onesies their great aunt might have gifted them at their baby shower?” Do they simply get shoved in the ‘not instagram worthy’ drawer?

I thought about my own social media platforms, and what my privacy truly meant to me. I’m not the person who “checks in” at restaurants. I’m not one who uploads full albums of family vacations. I’ve often contemplated removing myself from social media entirely. I had always kept my Facebook and Instagram for the same reason most do, and that is to keep in touch with the family and friends you may not get to see very often. This brought another point to my self-questioning however, which was- Who do I really have as a facebook friend? Have I truly monitored every follower who has viewed my instagram? How many of these people were actively involved in my online life and what percentage of these people were just onlookers silently passing judgment or dissecting my posts?  I didn’t grow too worried about my own pictures being shared- but I did start to question how comfortable I would feel about pictures of my under-age, not yet vocal daughter’s pictures being shared without her consent.

I decided to conduct an experiment and went on a friend’s page, who I love and admire as a parent. Within just a few scrolls, I could have given you a plethora of information as to the identity of one of her children. I could tell you the location, date and time of their birth, how much they weighed, and even the name of their pediatrician. I could tell you the city they live in, and what the outside of their house looked like (complete with their house number- courtesy of a picture harmlessly snapped on their front porch one Halloween). With appropriate research, I most likely could have told you the name of the school they attended based on a quick search of their school mascot and the city they live. To me, a dear friend, this information is 100% harmless and would normally not at all cause any signs of danger to run through my mind. But to the wrong person, maybe even someone as close as the “friend of a friend” setting… this could very easily spell trouble. It’s so easy to overlook and agree to the terms and conditions of a social media site, but do we really know where this information can wind up? How well do you really know that one colleague who friend requested you years back? I was suddenly overwhelmed with panic at how easily “sharenting” can go from it’s sweet intention, to a dark corridor of the internet without the proper precautions.

Ultimately, both my husband and I made the executive (and extremely unpopular) decision to not share her face online. We settled on this decision about a week after bringing her home, and one picture remains on my instagram of my sweet baby girl. She will still be present in my posts, perhaps facing away from the camera, but her face will not be shared on public platforms. It has been a challenge for our family and friends to resist the urge to publicize their overwhelming joy in the form of pictures, but this is one of the most important decisions that we have made as parents. My rule of thumb is always that parents should parent how they feel comfortable. If that means using lavender essential oil to help your child sleep, do you. If that means adjusting your privacy settings extensively and continuing to share your child’s face online, I will still comment and like and beam in pride at your adorable child! I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoy scrolling through Instagram and seeing smiley babies first thing in the morning. But In short, keeping my daughter’s face offline helps me sleep easier at night and that’s a win-win for our family.

My family and friends joke constantly that I am “modern-day amish” and I truly take that with the highest compliment, because my way of life is absolutely driven with an old fashioned perspective.  As a millennial, I am young enough to remember the rise of social media, but old enough to have physical albums of my baby pictures that were developed from disposable cameras. I have VHS tapes of my grandpa taking naps with me and our cat on the living room floor. Those tangible memories ooze charm and warmth to me each time I revisit them, and I hope to recreate something similar for my daughter. I am thankful that the picture I have of my first successful poopy in the potty lives only in albums and not on the world wide web. I look forward to and welcome the time to come when my daughter is old enough to make decisions for herself and to decipher what memories she may share as part of her digital footprint. But for now, I will keep them safe with the family and friends close enough to her to be physically present in her life. Social media scrutiny and judgment are something I don’t feel comfortable exposing my daughter to, even if indirectly. I want her to have the confidence within her to light her own path, and to choose how she is portrayed digitally, if at all online. Perhaps she will shock me by becoming a reality TV star- or perhaps she will refrain from ever having social media, but ultimately she will be the one to make those decisions when the time is right, not me- I’m just her mama.

I know that sometimes making decisions against the grain as a parent comes with challenges. This is one of the many ways we have set out to be “different” in our parenting choices. We are growing, we are evolving, and we are learning alongside our daughter, hand in hand, navigating our way through life as a new family. I hope this post gives you the courage to stand firm in your beliefs, and to protect yourself and your family fiercely in whatever decisions or precautions make sense to you. Thanks for reading!

Our Natural Birth Story

Hello all! Thanks for stopping by to read this especially magical post here on Simply Soria. One month ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to experience the incredible and miraculous transformation that is birth. I wholeheartedly say to you that the day I gave birth was the best day of my life for a magnitude of reasons, the most obvious being the welcoming of our sweet Ophelia earth side. Though I could write a novel dedicated to the love I have for my daughter, this post is here to tell the story of my journey to our meeting. When I first found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted a more holistic and natural approach in order to connect best with my baby. This was a personal choice that made me feel most safe in our adventure together, which is absolutely not the case for everyone, which goes without saying. At the time, I was connected through my insurance to an OBGYN, and was set on a path to deliver in a more “traditional” sense, per the standards of a 2018 birth! If you’re envisioning hospitals, sanitary rooms, heavily educated staff, oxygen and IV connections, pain management, etc., you are getting an incredibly accurate picture of what my current insurance at the time supported. This, however, was not the journey that lived in my heart, so when open enrollment arrived for the 2018 year, I knew my insurance plan needed to support an alternative option. After a long process of research (a whole other blog post in itself) I found an incredible Midwifery that accepted my new Insurance plan and fully welcomed the vision I had for my first birth experience. Through the incredible staff, I also was able to connect and hire my doula, Bethany. Again, I could write an entire post highlighting the wonder that is the woman who made my birth experience what it was! From the moment I began care with my Midwifery, any fears or anxieties I held in facing labor or giving birth truly melted away. I felt that I was in the absolute best hands possible and that these women possessed a knowledge of how my body could work naturally to bring my baby into my arms. Just a few weeks before the big day, I met with my doula to express our wants and needs once the day arrived. I knew that overall, I wanted to experience this as a positive and life changing transition, and to leave all negativity at the door. I wanted to listen to my body and allow this vessel to do what it inherently knew how to do: birth! My heart yearned for a birth that was unmedicated, raw, natural and with as little outside intervention as possible. So here we are on the morning of March 24th, 5 days before her anticipated due date. My husband was getting ready to go into work, but as my contractions came on seemingly more frequently than ever before, it was as if the universe whispered to me, “today is the day, Chelsea” and I told Andy he outta rethink going into work for the day. I giddily called both my doula and my Midwifery to let them know. Obviously at this point I was in extremely early labor, because contractions were making me smile at the prospect of meeting our sweet daughter. As I continued to ride the waves of contractions at home for a while, they began to increase in intensity and in frequency. Because my birth center was a bit far from home, we chose to meet with our doula closer to the center, in the event my labor progressed quickly. Being a first time mom, I had no idea what stage of labor I was in, or where this roller coaster would lead me. That morning we walked through the park, chatting with my doula through contractions. I leaned against trees as I felt small signals of my body welcoming my baby into her departure. As we waited for the midwife to arrive to the birth center a few hours later, I labored in the parking lot on my yoga ball that I brought from home and continued to chat and laugh with my husband and my doula. My doula jokes that at this stage she couldn’t tell if I had a super high pain tolerance or super low, because we had no idea of my physical progression until the midwife arrived to confirm. As my sweet midwife arrived, I was greeted with a warm hug, and we ventured into the birth center for a check on how labor was progressing. I continued to labor for another hour to see if we could get closer to meeting our baby, but we weren’t quite where we needed to be to be considered in a stage of active labor. I then went home, where I continued to labor throughout the day. Around 8pm, we ventured back to the birth center, where we confirmed that absolutely, we were welcoming our baby girl within hours! The excitement and anticipation of holding our sweet baby in my arms shot through me like an injection of strength. Our birth center was equipped with a birthing pool, bed and restroom for each room. Luckily, birthing on a Saturday night worked out to my advantage as I had the entire center to myself. Over the next few hours, I labored in the dark room, surrounded by candles and the support of my husband, midwife and doula. I continued to talk and laugh with them as I bounced on the yoga ball, breathing my baby into position. You’ll notice this blog post contains one single picture, due to the fact, I chose to labor entirely naked, as this is what is most comfortable for me. They drew me an incredible bath which quickly relaxed my physical pain building within me. As I labored in the tub, I utilized a technique called “ocean breath” to stabilize my breathing and channel the strength of my contractions to actively move my baby down. At this point, my external communication became less frequent, and I began to channel my thoughts inward. I tried to expel the negative thoughts that flooded my mind, ushering me to give up the fight. But one inner voice was louder, and silenced the thought of interfering with my plan. As I entered the “transition” phase of labor, I outwardly expressed to my doula and to my husband that I was unsure of my strength and if I was capable of carrying on. I felt helpless in that moment, but my phenomenal support system stood there steadfast, reminding me of the power I possessed. Because of them, and for my daughter, I powered through. I cursed out loud, I screamed, we all laughed and I refocused my energy right back into bringing my babe into my arms. I moved from the tub, to the toilet, to the bed in rotation, listening to the instructions of my body from minute to minute. My body began to signal to me that it was time to welcome our angel baby. I made my way to the bed, where I clung to the headboard for support. My midwife brought me a yoga ball to hug and arch over, and my doula extended her hand into mine. I clasped her hand, and felt the power of the women before me who had not only survived this transition, but who have thrived because of it, and I knew this was it. In that breath, I spoke aloud my daughters name, and she began to crown. I reached, I felt her soft bed of hair on her head, and again, I was given the power to carry on. With one more push, her head was here, her smile lingering in this world, and her body seemingly in the next. Again, I spoke her name, and just like that, my baby spoke back. She cried out for me, as she was passed through my legs and onto my heart. “My girl, my girl” I weeped as I held the most precious jewel in the world in the wee hours of the morning. This was the single handed best day of my life. Though I will never discount the incredible physical challenge I faced, the raw and unedited experience allowed me to connect to my daughter in so many ways. I am so incredibly thankful to my body, and to the power it provided me with to survive and to thrive in this birth, just me, naturally and organically. I can truly say that I love my body and I will forever be grateful that it allowed me to grow and welcome life in such an incredible way. I am proud of myself for maintaining a strong vision and mentality throughout and for my perseverance to tread on when I thought I could not. This is the story of the best day of my life, and I will forever remember and hold dear the sentiment that with great pain and sacrifice, comes incredible reward. Thank you all sincerely for taking the time to share in our story. I hope it gives you hope and reminds you what incredible super powers we hold within ourselves!

Baby Thrift Haul

Hello! 

Thanks for swinging by the blog for our Baby Thrift Haul. For as long as I can remember, I have always had an affinity for vintage clothing, quality furniture, and traces of the past in forms of second hand items. Andy grew up with two parents who frequented garage sales weekly, and a very talented seamstress of a mother who often sewed their clothing from excess materials. I can remember pacing the aisles of the swap-meet with my Dad on Saturday mornings and hunting for deals at discount stores with my grandmother uncovering buried treasure at every turn. 

It comes at no surprise that when Andy and I shacked up with one another, we found ourselves hand in hand at garage sales and thrift shops enjoying the simple pleasures of a bargain hunt. As I personally slowly became more informed of the environmental impact of the textile industry and fast fashion, I feel more and more confident in our decision to shop second hand as a first resort in most instances. 

For baby clothes, it goes without saying, that they do not last long. They are worn for such a flicker of time, if worn at all, because well, babies grow! Another amazing incentive to shop used is that your items are unique and often times even hand made. 

Without further ado, let’s get into the haul itself. Below are 10 darling items I picked up for an accumulative total of $20.00. I shopped at one of my favorite second hand shops, where I am a rewards member, on President’s Day weekend during their pre-sale- everything was an additional 50% off its originally discounted price. Score! 

This white eyelet lace dress by “Little Me” is size 6M ( 12-16lbs) according to the tag. I paired this with a handmade bonnet I crafted for my sweet baby girl and some hand knitted booties which were a gift at our baby shower. 

This darling sweater is the sweetest duckling yellow and is definitely hand knitted. It’s tied together with a dainty string and the size is not listed, so we shall see when she fits into this one!

This blouse is again, eyelet lace (anyone noticing a running theme? I’m a sucker for the feminine touches of lace on anything-) is size 0-3 Months, Old Navy brand “Made in India”. I paired this with another hand-sewn bonnet and a pair of little jeggings I picked up (not second hand) but for only $2.49 at Old Navy at a sale a while back. Hand Mits are hand knitted as well, and were another baby shower present. 

Brace yourself... White overalls, y’all. These are Carter’s, size 3 months. I paired them with a simple Gerber onesie I picked up in a pack of 6 at Target. They also have snaps all along the bottom for easy diaper changes, bless up mamas! 

Confession: If I see something that resembles something I personally own in a tiny version, it’s getting purchased. I live for the mommy and me look. So when I stumbled upon this Baby Gap sweater in size 6-12 months, which coincidentally matches a very similar sweater I have, It went in the cart without hesitation. 

So, Easter is April 1st this year... I bought this little outfit with big hopes that she will arrive in plenty of time to rock it as her debut outfit to meet the fam. The sweater has no labels and is definitely handmade. It’s so teeny, there’s absolutely no way it’s not newborn. The dress underneath is Little Wonder’s 0-3 months, and is 100% cotton but has a seer-sucker feel to it. Dainty daisy details and again, a lace trim. I’m easy to win over. 

Another hand-made sweater. No size or label on this one, so we will be waiting to see when she finds her way into this one. It just reminded me of something you would see a baby from the 50′s or 60s in... I couldn’t resist. (Also, I know she’s a girl. Girls wear blue, too.) 

Okay remember when I said that mommy and me matching outfit bit? There was an audible squeal that I expressed when I found this gem on the racks. It’s basically a tiny replica of my baby shower dress. It’s 9 months, but I seriously don’t think I can wait that long until I throw this on her, even if she swims in it. Brand is Genuine Baby. 

A simple white sweater is a no brainer, and this one in particular had a to-die- for little fisherman’s collar. No size on this one, but brand says “Cradle Knit”. 

This one is one of my favorite finds, because it’s gender neutral, so I know this will be suitable for our next bundle of joy as well. It has the most darling ducky details and is 9 months but looks quite tiny to me. Brand is Huntington Mills.

And that concludes our thrift haul! I hope you all enjoyed looking through some treasures I uncovered this past weekend. Any questions, please feel free to private message or comment below! Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Hunting, 

Chelsea 

Mixed Berry Pie

Good Morning everyone! (or good afternoon/evening depending when you stumble upon this blog post!) 

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday night/ Sunday morning is to occupy my hands by baking something. More often than not, this something is a pie. Pies for me, are what many would liken to a face mask, as they can basically fix anything. This last week has been a little hectic to say the least as I near the very tail end of my pregnancy; and with Braxton Hicks contractions, back pain, and just overwhelming anticipation to meet my daughter, this pie was the perfect distraction. 

Okay folks, we’re nearing the good part... (the recipe). However, I’m going to give a little disclaimer before I begin. I am in no way shape or form a professional culinary queen. If you would like some recommendations on that kind of blog, I’ve got an extensive list.Fair warning, I also bake similar to how your grandma probably bakes. You’ll see words like a “pinch” or ‘ stir til it looks like the picture’. soooo, with that being said, enjoy this in-comprehensive look at how to make a delicious pie. 

Ingredients: 

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries 

Blackberries 

(You can use fresh or frozen, or a combination of both if that’s what you have on hand- these berries can vary a bunch from season to season in cost) Either way you’re going to want these to add up to about 5 cups total. 

Lemon (skin for zesting + juice for pie mixture) 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/3 cup brown sugar. My grandma’s tip on this is to pack your brown sugar tight tight tight in your measuring cup. Evidently, this really matters. 

Cornstarch or flour-- I couldn’t give you a measurement to save my life, because this is one of those stir as you go type things. Sorry y’all. 

Vanilla Extract (optional- I realized I was out this round, so this pie doesn’t have any, but a little vanilla never hurt nobody!) 

For the crust itself, there are so many variations on your options. This pie can very easily be made vegan. It would also be delicious with a graham cracker crust or you can use the store bought pre-cut pie crust from the same aisle you grab your Pillsbury crescent rolls. I used a family recipe, which could be another blog post at a later date! Overall, this is a ‘you do you’ situation. 

Back to the heart of the pie, your filling. Start by combining your mixed berries into a bowl.

 Zest the skin of your lemon, chop it on open and squeeze the juice out. The tang of the lemon will bring out the sweetness of your berries! 

Add in both of your sugars and mix this around. I will say if you’re using frozen berries, keep in mind they will melt down a little wetter, and that will matter a little later. 

Mix all of this together well in your mixing bowl and transfer to your sauce pan on the stove.

 Bring this delicious mixture to a boil. I obsessively stir mine, to make it creamy as it heats. You do want some chunkiness left to it, but the berry juices make a beautiful sauce. Your house will also smell fantastic- you’re welcome. 

Now that your mixture looks similar to the picture I have attached, transfer it back to your mixing bowl, let it cool for a bit, and store in the fridge. (I left mine overnight). 

In the morning, I took out my mixture, which was still very much liquidy, though the cold had helped bind it a bit. This is where your flour/ cornstarch comes in. I added a tablespoon, and stirred, and repeated and repeated that process until it was thick enough to pass as pie filling. 

Now, depending on what crust you went with your cooking times will vary from here on out. I went ahead and baked my base crust first, to make sure my pie filling had a nice home to dive into. Once that was out of the oven and fairly cool, I added the dreamy berry mixture in. I then sliced up my remaining strawberries I had left over and arranged them in a spiral on top. 

Now is the truly therapeutic part of the process for me. I sat down at my kitchen table and arranged my lattice design for the top of the pie.Let me say this before anything else-- LET YOUR PIE COOL. It’s so easy to get excited to start decorating, but you will regret it when your crust starts melting from the evaporating heat. Now back to the design, maybe a tutorial for another day, but hint: YouTube and Pinterest are your best friends- and a pretty pie is always a necessity in my book . Also, cookie cutters are a great way to “cheat” on this. 

I then popped on the top, sprinkled it with a little brown sugar, and baked my pie for another 20 minutes. Again, this part is tricky depending on what pie crust you’ve selected. So follow those instructions at this point. Also, I’ll be reheating mine in my mother in law’s oven as we are going over there to barbecue later on. You want your pie to be a golden brown, but watch that if you are reheating, it’s not too brown at this original bake! 

I hope I didn’t lose you in my hodge podge of pie making and that you can create something equally as sweet for your loved ones this Sunday. 

Any questions, feel free to send me a message! 

Happy Baking, 

Chelsea 

Who Are The Sorias?

Hi there, 

We are a husband and wife duo currently residing in the Los Angeles area. (not exactly what comes to mind when you think “Slow living” right? We know-) 

Our love story began about 7 years ago, though we’ve done life together in holy matrimony for a little over 3 now. We are expecting our first daughter to arrive earth-side sometime next month and are simply overjoyed to share our perspective on becoming new parents with those who are interested. 

Though the process of evolving into parenthood can seem extremely daunting and overwhelming, we hope to laugh through it all alongside our followers as we share the simple things that make our days purposeful. 

This blog is intended to share the “insights” we gain along the way. We love a good home-cooked meal, make-it-yourself project, or a lazy Sunday afternoon spent in wonderful company. 

You can usually find Andy working with his hands, listening to a classic Mexican record, or concocting a salsa in the kitchen so spicy it makes his wife cough to death. 

As for Chelsea, she’s happiest when penning a calligraphy project for her business Succulent Script, making a pie, or trying her hand at a new sewing project, though you may not recognize her joy through the swearing at her uneven seams. 

As for the third Soria, more to come as we discover her sweet soul ever so shortly.  

Until then, Thanks for stopping by!