Introduction

Hello dear Reader, 

My name is Katharina, and I'm a 30-something military brat, who's been married for 12 years to a Minnesotan, and have two amazing boys*.  Make sure to click the "read more" to see a little more in depth response to some of these bullet points (and pics!) ♥

For the general mission of my blog, check out the "start here" page.  For the disclaimers/terms of service/privacy policy, click here.

Don't forget to check out both my pinterest, and instagram for the blog for inspiration pins, and sneak peeks for upcoming blog posts.  Facebook group page coming soon ;)

Anyways, now onto the fun stuff (in no order) . . .

• half German, half American (and yet hope to semi retire to Ireland, who would have thought?)
• a Catholic (patron saint is St. Joan of Arc), as well as a Lay Dominican (what used to be called Third Order Dominican) - it means I love to study and pray, and share the fruits of that contemplation ;)  And I am also an Anchoress for our local Seven Sisters Apostate (which dedicates an hour a week of prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament for the benefit of an assigned priest).
• a partial homeschooler (as in, summer and holiday break homeschooling, to keep the kiddos brains sharp)
• a bohemian, hippie, crunchy mama kind of gal who loves the traveling spirit, and the philosophy that we are strongest from within.
• a spoonie: chronic illness advocate, who has A1AT, asthma, and COPD.
• way too into personality tests: I'm an ESFP, 6w7, Scorpio Sun/Leo Moon (though I promise I don't read horoscopes, I just like the memes), and have done far too many "Who are you -?" buzzfeed quizzes (sshh - I'm a Luna Lovegood/Rapunzel/Jane Austen's Emma mix, just saying).
• I like to do all things art, but especially craft, and sing, and interior decorate.
• I love to read, study and research.
• I love to connect people, in all sorts of ways, including volunteering with my church, at my son's school, and helping to run my local MOMS Club chapter.

Read on to see more in depth answers, but this is a good and well rounded start :) 

I'm a wife and a mama to two boys (age 7 and 6, as of April 2020), and we live in Minnesota, with a heart to semi retire abroad (but more on that later!).  We actually love the frozen tundra, but for half the year, it's well - frozen.  But until we do move in a few years, I am excited to share a few posts on how to enjoy the state to the max.  We live in a great spot for museum, cultural centers, and the like.  And our parks and recreation department is top notch (feel free to call me biased!)

I'm a chronic illness advocate because I'm a spoonie with a genetic condition (A1AT), as well as moderate asthma, and mild COPD (from my genetic condition).  I also have some special needs family members, and other family members who live with long term illnesses.  So though I lean towards the crunchy, hippie, lifestyle of "natural" and organic, I thank God for modern medicine and will never advocate for a disregard for proven medicinal treatments.  And hopefully I'll be able to share some tips on how to look fabulous even with asthma masks in a future blog post haha.

I'm also a cradle Catholic, who fell away from the Church for 20 years!  I was always a Christian, but considered myself non denominational, floating from one church to the next, till I came home at the age of 32.  So even though I love the bohemian lifestyle and spirituality, I won't be writing about how to connect to your inner Goddess - more like, I'll be encouraging you to connect to the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary ;)  Here's a picture of my veil and my current home altar:

I love to teach - in fact I went to college for it (though unfortunately, I didn't finish).  I have a love for learning and a joy to share that information, so I had big dreams of homeschooling my own kiddos.  Sadly, because of my chronic health issues I can't be consistent enough, but I am super excited to get to do it over the summer breaks, and holidays breaks (and I can't wait to share some homeschool printables with y'all in the "Freebies" section soon!).  Here's my two little guys doing some printables from their Vikings unit study two weeks ago (March 2020):

Something else I'm passionate about is how to live with less, and quality over quantity, kind of minimalism.  But I also love pretty, and making the best of things, so yes this blog will feature budget friendly DIY's, homemade items - as well as a few room tours of our 800sq feet apartment.  It might not be for everyone, but it's perfect for us.  Since I also love photography, you'll be seeing some stock photos for the social media pins, but otherwise you'll see plenty of personal photos within the actual posts - and I can't wait to share some of my favorite apps, poses, tips and tricks to help you capture all those special memories.

I love volunteering, and even help run the local chapter of MOMS Club in my area.  I believe that moms of young children have a desperate need for support in socialization in this country, and I'm proud to do my part in it.  Which is also something I hope to translate onto the blog as well.  Tips, encouragement, and research-based support to make the most of motherhood.

 
Finally, I have a servant's heart, and value deep conversation like nothing else.  Sitting with people - strangers, or friends - and have discussions and times of encouragement, is a beautiful way to embrace our humanity.  I love that saying that says, "It's hard to hate someone, once you know a person's story".  I believe that communication and encouragement of shadow work and self healing, can help us unite our inner child with our ego and lead us to become our authentic selves.  God made each and every one of us, and you are a beautiful soul, deserving of love and to learn how to nurture from within so you can meaningful relationships with those around you (this is so way easier said than done, and full transparency: I'm still learning this!  But we are ever evolving creatures, so let's figure it out together, shall we?).

I'll probably update this post in the upcoming weeks with relevant blog links, but until then, enjoy the rambles and I hope you get as much out of this blog as I will. 

Much love,  

*Though I am an open book myself, both hubby and the kiddos 
will remain unnamed on my public platform for their privacy.