Blogger of The Month- The Chatter Boxx
https://twitter.com/TheBoxxChatter
http://www.thechatterboxx.com/?cat=3
Parenthood can be hard and sometimes you can feel overwhelmed, helpless and alone. The Chatter Boxx blog by Mom Eleni is your answer to picking yourself up and knowing that you are a fantastic parent. This blog is there to pick you up when you are down and motivate you to live your best life ever! This blog exudes positivity, affirmation, love and parental wisdom. There just is not enough of this out there on the internet today (trust us, we have looked). This blog is going to explode this year and we know you will love it as much as we do!
In Eleni’s words…
My name is Eleni (yes that’s Greek) and I am a 38-year old mother of 2 girls (Georgia 7 and Anastasia 5). I actually have 3 girls but Nicole (my youngest) didn’t survive delivery; I will get into that story in another post.
I’m a writer and a blogger! But first, I am a Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Friend just like everyone else. I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada by Greek Immigrant parents. I’m a lover of life and believer of the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I love quotes and proverbs because of the deep meaning that comes with them. I LOVE red wine a good book and good food (sometimes all at the same time) and, I truly love being a mom, wife, daughter and friend….in that order!
Through my life experiences I have grown and developed and I feel the need to share these experiences with the world hoping to help others grow, develop and heal along the way. Our fast paced, technologically based, over-medicated, soccer mom world is eating away at our souls. We no longer appreciate the simple things life has to offer and we are rapidly losing sight of who we really are. Human contact is rapidly diminishing at the hands of technology and social media such as texts, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype…the list goes on. Moms, wives and women alike are under pressure to look like a super model and juggle a career all while baking cookies and helping with homework. Unless we stop and take a moment to understand where we are going and what we are doing, our futures all hold grim realities.
One of my favourite quotes is:
“One life on this earth is all that we get, whether it is enough or not enough, and the obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can.”
~ Frederick Buechner
After almost losing my life in January/2012, (Read “My Brush With Death…How I survived”) I am finally looking within and have embarked on a journey of self-discovery. I am taking time to learn about myself and start living life with gratitude, happiness, purpose and joy!
I started this blog so that I can share my experiences and views on parenting in the 21st century, life balance (or lack of nowadays), politics, marriage and sex. I want to share the incredible life lessons I have learned (and continue to learn) through my difficult times and how my views have changed on all these issues because of the loss and tragedy I have endured. I started this blog to help others make a change without having to endure the pain I have endured.
I started this blog to help people know they are not alone. To teach kids that they deserve to follow their dreams and that with hard work and perseverance anything is possible. I started this blog to encourage people to love themselves first. Love yourself before you love your kids, your husband and your parents, only then can you truly give them your best!
The 21st century is a difficult time to live in, raise a family in and be fulfilled in but we need to remember that difficult doesn’t mean its impossible….it just may take some extra time to get there.
Love,
Eleni
Photographer of The Month: Andrea de Gabriel
http://www.myonlysunshine.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adegabrielportraits
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ADG_MOS
Linkedin: Andrea de Gabriel
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/adegabe/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+AndreadeGabriel
Andrea de Gabriel resides in Northhamptonshire and is making waves with her beautiful photos. We chose My Only Sunshine Photography because Andrea does not only take photos, but produces wonderful inspiring memories of your child growing up. We think her work speaks for itself!
In Andrea’s Words…
In late 2002, I decided that I wanted a career change from the years of customer services and IT based roles. I wanted to do something which could make a positive impact on people’s lives on a more permanent basis.
Through a series of happy coincidences, I decided to go back to college and enrolled in a photography course. Although I went to university many years before all this, was training to become a languages’ teacher, and also had two professional photographers in the family, neither careers had appealed to me until that point.
I had to borrow a friend’s SLR film camera for my course, but after my first class I knew I had found what I wanted to do with the rest of my professional life and pressed forward with great enthusiasm! I successfully completed my course and proceeded to *enlist* friends to pose for me in order to hone my skills…
Once I was happy with the quality of my work, I set up my business as a portraits’ photographer and transformed my front room into a small, but effective, studio! This was in 2003.
Two years into my career, I was asked by a friend to photograph her wedding, even though she knew I had no experience. I charged her only for the developing on the images (Yes, I still used film!) and she was very happy with the result of my efforts… I truly enjoyed photographing her wedding and I then decided to start taking on small weddings in addition to portraiture.
Move forward some ten years and the vast majority of my work was weddings! Big, lavish weddings, as well as less lavish but no less beautiful and important occasions.
Some two and a half years ago,(after meeting the man whom I am now to marry in less than a month as I type this mini-bio) I decided that I wanted to *go back to my roots* and started seeking out portraiture once again and taking on less weddings…
I absolutely love photographing portraiture: From pregnancy to newborn, children of all ages to teens, as well as families, and their beloved four-legged friends! I am also a great believer in, and advocate of, outdoor photography whenever possible and suitable…
I am currently based in Northamptonshire (England) and we will be relocating to Nuneaton, in Warwickshire, by the end of March, as well as getting married in early April so photography is taking a rest until late April… I am incredibly excited and positive about this move as I will also be setting up a brand-new studio for photography of all sorts, though I will most definitely not be abandoning the Great Outdoors!
As a new mom myself, I was overwhelmed by all the products marketed to pregnant women to ease the discomfort and tackle the various side effects of pregnancy. After speaking with other women, I realized we were all in the same boat! We didn’t have the time or energy to spend researching the thousands of product options only to buy them and realize they were not a good fit for us. That is how Mama Boxes came about. Mama Boxes are subscription boxes full of sample size products specific to the trimester the lucky recipient is experiencing. Everything from morning sickness remedies, stretch mark creams, skin and hair care, healthy snacks, baby products, safe cleaning supplies, and teas may be included. We are constantly adding new products and working with new companies based on our customers feedback. Mama Boxes make the perfect gift for expecting women at any stage of pregnancy!
Mama Boxes
www.mamaboxes.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MamaBoxes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamaboxes
Mama Boxes are a fantastic gift idea for pregnant women that we can predict, will be spreading across the USA quickly! These delightful care packages are gifted to a Mom every trimester where she can experience 10 beautiful samples and full sized products that pertain to the specific needs of each trimester. From morning sickness to wonderful skin care products, Mama Boxes has thought of it all! This is a must buy gift for that special Mom to be in your life and remember, it’s baby shower season!
In Owner Mandy’s words:
As a new mom myself, I was overwhelmed by all the products marketed to pregnant women to ease the discomfort and tackle the various side effects of pregnancy. After speaking with other women, I realized we were all in the same boat! We didn’t have the time or energy to spend researching the thousands of product options only to buy them and realize they were not a good fit for us. That is how Mama Boxes came about. Mama Boxes are subscription boxes full of sample size products specific to the trimester the lucky recipient is experiencing. Everything from morning sickness remedies, stretch mark creams, skin and hair care, healthy snacks, baby products, safe cleaning supplies, and teas may be included. We are constantly adding new products and working with new companies based on our customers feedback. Mama Boxes make the perfect gift for expecting women at any stage of pregnancy!
