Tag Archives: personal story

Nature Photos from my Alaskan Adventure

  By Donna DeForbes | September 4, 2015 - 1:10 am | ,
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Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska | Eco-Mothering.com

My family just returned from an Alaskan cruise, and I wanted to post some of the beautiful nature and wildlife photos we took while there. Although a cruise is certainly not an eco-friendly travel option, the trip was wonderful, made even more so by the friends we vacationed with. One of our favorite excursions was whale watching, where we saw about eight humpback whales in Auke Bay, Juneau. We were close enough to hear them breathing. I managed to capture several of their tail fins after diving under as well as a calf who showed more of himself while playing with a sea lion.             We had anticipated seeing lots of glacial action, however, due to a medical crisis with one of the ship’s guests, the Tracy Arm Fjord part of our trip was cancelled. Still, we managed to see Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Did you know … Continue reading →

Inspiring Children to be Lifelong Learners

  By Donna DeForbes | August 11, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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Inspiring Children as Lifelong Learners | Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to the August 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have talked about how they continue learning throughout life and inspire their children to do the same. ***** From the beginning, my husband and I have been less focused on the academic standards of a school and more interested in what Sofie will learn from her school environment about communication, conflict resolution, working as a team or making mistakes… Rather than be someone who learns just enough to pass the test, we want her to be a lifelong learner. Because of this, we’ve been front-loading her education, spending our dollars in the formative early years as opposed to saving for college, a time when Sofie will be living the values, qualities and influences that she experienced … Continue reading →

Generation Gap (In Defense of Gen Xers)

  By Donna DeForbes | May 12, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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In Defense of Gen Xers | Eco-Mothering.com

Like it or not, my daughter is growing up a part of Generation Z being defined as the most entrepreneurial, collaborative, and socially conscious group of people yet. It seems like a good thing. Studies say Gen Z are more educated, make healthier choices and are cautious in their spending—the results, perhaps, of growing up in a world defined by digital media, global connection and depleting resources. I can’t help but feel a little bit jealous and, even defensive, of my own Generation X (roughly, those born between 1965 and 1980). The Baby Boomers labeled us as such due to the challenge of identifying the “X” factor that represented us. They called us cynical, anxious, unfocused slackers. Really, we are the children of the 70’s and 80’s, a group sandwiched between two larger and flashier generations. We got lost in the shuffle. We started out in safe, idyllic childhoods but … Continue reading →

The Shape of Our Family: Musings on Genealogy

  By Donna DeForbes | April 14, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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The Influence of Family | Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to the April 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family History This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, lore, and wisdom about family history. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. ******* I’ve had an interest in genealogy since the fifth grade when my grandfather helped me make a family tree of my Scottish ancestry for a school project. I learned the tendency of the Scots to exaggerate: my grandfather claimed a relation to Warren Beatty (we do have cousins who married into Beattys, just not Warren’s family) and said we were descended from Bonnie Prince Charlie (highly unlikely). However, my determination to continue tracing my roots persists to this day as I map my relatives on ancestry.com and make … Continue reading →

My Life in Pictures on a Random Day

  By Donna DeForbes | March 10, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday. *** As part of this month’s Carnival of Natural Parenting, I took snapshots of a regular day in my life. And I apologize for my camera phone, which is quite lacking. At first I thought my life seemed kind of boring (how do you capture a work day spent mostly on the computer and make it interesting?), but once I posted all the photos, scrolling through them made me smile. It is the little things, the mundane moments, that brought that smile to my face, and I’m happy to have documented some of those things I likely never would have otherwise (such as … Continue reading →

How Adopting a Dog Mimics Early Motherhood

  By Donna DeForbes | September 16, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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Adopting a Dog | Eco-Mothering.com

Last month my family rescued a two-year-old maltipoo from Arkansas. All we knew of her background is that she was picked up as a stray by a southern shelter. Her friendly, laid-back personality and love of children leads us to believe that she once lived with a family. We named her Dolce, Italian for “sweet,” also in reference to La Dolce Vita to represent “the good life” that we’re giving her and she to us. I assumed that finding the right dog would be the biggest hurdle. Little did I realize how much adopting a dog would resemble the early weeks of parenthood. We’re completely exhausted and wondering what exactly we got ourselves into. Sleeplessness The first several nights I slept fitfully, alert for any sounds from Dolce in her living room crate. Was she whining? Was she scared? Would she think we had abandoned her? This was preceded by … Continue reading →

Weighing the Pros and Cons of a Family Pet

  By Donna DeForbes | June 10, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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girl-with-dog

Welcome to the June 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids and Animals This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories and wisdom about kids and pets. *** We are currently having dog discussions in our family. While it has been a long-time vision of mine to have a dog (since asking for a puppy every Christmas as a child), I’m still not sure if I’m quite ready for the reality of it. My daughter Sofie is an animal lover who has been collecting the stuffed variety of every species — including bears, owls, chimps, jaguars, horses — to fulfill her love of furry creatures. She’s been asking for a family pet for years, even after her birthday bunny died just three weeks after bringing her home. An only child, Sofie … Continue reading →

What I Wish I Knew: A Letter to My Pregnant Self

  By Donna DeForbes | April 1, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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me-pregnant-24weeks

Dear New Mama, You won’t find this stuff in any pregnancy book, so I thought I should tell you… Relax! Spend less time preparing for the baby and more time doing things just for you (read books, take day trips, go out with the girls…). Because for the next few years, your hours will be consumed by Baby’s never-ending needs and your innate desire to satisfy all of them. “Down time” will consist of shuffling through activities in a comatose state or a sleep broken by your heightened alertness for another’s cry. Don’t plan too much, since plans have a way of falling to the wayside. Just buy the basic baby gear. You’ll know more what your baby really needs once she’s here. You’re not going to be a perfect mother. And that’s a relief! Nobody likes perfect mothers, anyway. Your child will learn mostly from your words and actions, … Continue reading →