Getting to Know About Me- The Woman Behind the Blog

the woman behind the blog

Hi, lovelies! First off, thank you for sharing your precious time with me to learn a little about me. Starting this blog is definitely something outside of my comfort zone. Thank you for allowing me to open up my life to you.

I want to share with you some information about myself, so that you can get to know more about the woman behind the blog:

facts about me

1- I am a vegetarian. I love animals, and I made the decision almost nine years ago to stop eating meat. My husband is NOT a vegetarian, and he can’t stand bread (yes, you read that correctly). My daughter is also a vegetarian, but hates vegetables, so mealtime at our house is always a fun time. #whatsfordinner?

2- I am a crier. I cry at movies and TV shows, I cry at the Subaru commercial, I cry at Kleenex commercials, I cry at jewelry commercials. Okay, I cry at almost all commercials. I don’t watch animal rescue commercials or commercials about sick children because it breaks my heart too much. I cry when I read books, I cry when my daughter gives me notes and pictures, and I cry whenever I see a homeless person (and then my husband drags me away because I try to give them all of our money). On second thought, it might have taken less time if I listed what I don’t cry about… I think that is my superpower. I think that the world would be a better place if people cared more.

3- I LOVE children. I got my master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, and I provided services to children from birth-pre-K. I stopped working when I had my daughter, and now she is my only (and favorite) client. When I was a child I wasn’t popular at all, but as a grown-up I have a great rapport with kids. My daughter’s friends want me to play with them. My daughter has gotten annoyed.

4- I was a soda addict. The hardest thing I had to give up during my pregnancy was my diet-soda because it has phenylalanine. I loved soda so much that right after I gave birth, I asked for Diet-Pepsi (after making sure my daughter was okay). I decided I wanted to set a better example for my daughter, and five years ago I switched to only drinking sparkling water. Although I can’t stand water, I actually like the taste of flavored water. If you’d like some recommendations, hit me up.

5- I have CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I did not know what CPTSD was for most of my life, and I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. It was only a few years ago that I did some research on my symptoms and realized that there was a name for what I experienced. It was a huge relief to be able to gain insight into those parts of me that I felt a lot of shame about, and to begin the road to acceptance and self-compassion.

more facts about me!

6- My husband and I moved 6 times (and 3 different states) in the almost 14 years we’ve been together. We moved to Brooklyn before we got married because Manhattan is expensive. Then we moved to New Jersey for a year after my husband convinced me to give his hometown a try. We then moved back to Brooklyn where I finished my requirements to get my license as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Unfortunately we had to switch apartments because the walls and floor were so thin. I could literally hear my upstairs neighbors’ phone ring in our two-family house.

It was in our last place in Brooklyn that I finished my pregnancy and had my daughter. We then decided that uprooting ourselves was so much fun that we should relocate to Atlanta. I joke, we moved because we wanted a different way of life than the hustle and bustle of New York, but boy, do I miss it. You can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take New York out of the girl.

We rented a home in Atlanta for a year before buying our first house there. If you are exhausted reading this, imagine how I felt living it. I wish I could say it gets easier with each move, but that would be a lie.

7- I love home design. We hired a contractor for major renovations, but I personally designed every room in our house. I used to watch HGTV religiously back when I was childless and actually had free time.  As a parent, the only time I have to myself is when I sleep. So instead, I stayed up at night scouring the web for home design plans.  Since our home is done, I’m driving my husband crazy with designing our front and back yard. #Sorrynotsorry.

8- I taught myself to cook. Growing up, I knew it was time for dinner when the smoke detector went off (I kid you not), and I tried to come up with clever ways to dispose of the food in the garbage can rather than my mouth. I learned to cook as an adult because I wanted to provide my family with homecooked meals. My now-husband had to endure many burnt meals, but with time and a lot of errors I became a pretty good cook. My husband and daughter both help me in the kitchen, and my husband has become pretty good at it (just don’t tell him I said that).

9- I am an avid reader. I loved reading as a child. I loved reading so much that my parents would actually take away my books as punishment.  Most kids had their toys taken away as punishment. I wasn’t allowed to read.

10- I love junk food. Growing up, I had a pantry filled with candy and chips. I love chocolate, ice cream, potato chips, sour-sticks, and basically anything that is terrible for you. I was super excited the first time I took my daughter trick-or-treating because I knew I’d get to eat all of her candy because she was too young. #pleasedontjudgeme. I now eat a more balanced diet (as I can’t convince my daughter to eat broccoli as I’m gorging on Doritos), but I still eat my junk food nightly. I learned that moderation is my friend.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know more about me!