New Ventures for Momma

Well this Momma has new ventures coming her way. Finally it’s all coming together. Just about four years ago I started a small blog on another site, it didn’t even have a name. I vented a lot about becoming a new Mommy. I talked about my days with my daughter and new experiences my husband and I were facing as we became new parents. Then I discovered since I was home I wanted to make nicer lunches and dinners for my little family. It soon became a hobby for me. I researched healthier dishes, I paid attention to what I bought at stores and I bought loads of cooking magazines. I then realized cooking and writing about it was what I enjoyed doing. I also wanted to start talking about my days with Post Partum Depression. That’s when Momma’s Meals was born.

When I think back to how far I’ve come it truly amazes me. About two years later I started writing letters to my children. I want them to know what kind of mother I truly am. Every single tear, every smile and every little hiccup along the way. I want them to know that motherhood is the most rewarding thing life can give you, but it’s also the hardest. I want them to see the fun things we get to do because Daddy works so hard to keep me home raising these two beautiful babies.

At one point in time I thought about trying to make money from blogging about  food and parenting. I knew it would be a lot of work but I was willing to do it. However after a few months my husband and I decided that we wanted to have another child so blogging would just have to be a hobby. It has been a hobby for almost four years. Until tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the day my baby boy goes to daycare for the very first time. With a heavy heart I will drop him and my daughter off and I will go home to work. Thanks to a wonderful group I became a part of a little over three years ago I get to FINALLY make my dreams come true by taking my website to the next level. Not only will I be redesigning my website, updating recipes, working with brands to promote product, but I will also be working for this wonderful group. Isabel from Family Foodie started her Mission about four years ago and I’m so lucky to now be a part of it! The Sunday Supper Movement is growing in leaps and bounds and I’m so happy to be named their Client/Billing Specialist. It’s been just about two months now and I’ve gotten to know plenty of new bloggers, learnt new systems and of course I got to meet these lovely ladies at The Food and Wine Conference a few weeks ago. (Stay tuned a post on my trip is coming!) I can’t tell you how great it is to be someone besides Mommy. I love my children with all of my heart and soul but it’s taken me four years to realize that I just wasn’t complete yet. Now I get to see my dreams come true and I couldn’t be happier. I get to cook and be in my kitchen, I get to write which makes me feel whole, I get to use my skills behind my spreadsheets and I FINALLY, finally get to bring in some money for my family.

I have contemplated going back to work for years. I love being home with my children but it’s hard. I always said it was where I needed to be. I got the gift of being able to stay home with my children wasn’t I just supposed to love it. Throw the ponytail in, yoga pants on, and dive into that 6th dirty diaper of the day at 11am. Wasn’t that the day that I really wanted? Sometimes, and sometimes not. There were so many days I longed to go back to work. Days where I wanted to eat when I wanted to eat, pee when I needed to pee and think about things other than food, toys and poop. However I kept going, I had bad days when my husband pulled me up by my boot straps and told me what a wonderful mother I was, it was just what I needed to hear to get me through that said bad day. There were days when I would see one of my children discover something or learn something new and it melted my heart knowing I got to be there to see it. Bye Bye bad moment from the day before because that good moment just chewed you up and swallowed you! I never thought I’d get to be where I’m sitting right now. I should have believed in myself more.

I get two days a week where I get to work 8 hours a day at home and I am ecstatic! Not If but WHEN I get busier it’ll most likely be three days a week. I’m done feeling guilty about sending my kids to daycare. I let it eat at me for the past year of sending my daughter and the last few months since thinking about sending my son. Then I remember what going to this Pre-School has done for my daughter. She is learning new things, things that yes I could teach her, but I love that she’s learning from other adults. I love that she’s making friends and learning what it’s like to be in social settings. I LOVE that I got to stay home with both of my kids for the first year of their lives. I will treasure all of the special moments I got to experience and see.

Now I get to miss my children. Yes miss them. I know your wondering what that statement means. A lot of stay at home Moms don’t get to “miss” their children because they are with them everyday, all day. I always envied that of my husband. He left the house and got to love coming home to us. Now I get to experience this feeling with him. Something else my husband and I can experience together. He is who I have to thank the most for where I am today. Without his love and support I’d never be sitting here writing this. He believed in me, he pushed me and most of all he has supported me.

I know I have some regular followers so thank you thank you for sticking around, for always coming back and of course for trying some of my recipes! You are all supporters in heart and I can’t thank you enough for that.

Of course I need to thank Isabel for giving me the chance to help take her own dreams to the next level. I’m so excited to be learning new things with this woman and to help spread the word about the importance of breaking bread with family and having Sunday Supper every week! Here is to another new adventure for this Momma!