Posts by: Nat Nanton
So, you may have noticed that the last time I blogged was …uh…Mother’s Day…
I have thought of my readers and my blog every single day since then. I struggled with the fact that I deserted you for a whole season. But I’ve come to trust that this break was so very necessary for myself, my family, natnanton.com and the cosmos.
I feel like the progress made in these few months that have passed is what I’ve been gearing up for in the last three decades.
I’ve been busy doing some major demolition work; I finally tackled the gigantor brick wall build-up of unresolved emotions.
The evolution started the day two hearts beat inside me. Little did I know that July 27, 2010 would mark her birthday and mine.
The Birth of A Mother
An entrepreneur. A blogger. A writer. A dreamer. A healer.
What? You’ve never heard of kitchenophobia? Maybe you’re not familiar with medical terms. Kitchenophobia is the name for the extreme aversion to meal preparation and cooking.
I casually mentioned that I don’t cook in a recent post. The truth is, I have a serious case of kitchenophobia. I’m like a headless chicken in the kitchen. Imagine how that feels.
How many women do you know who are absolutely in love with their body?
<Cue crickets and sarcastic cackles>
Now, how many women do you know who complain about their body? Hide behind clothes? Wish they could add or remove certain body parts? Maybe even hate their body?
The list is long, eh?
Having finally reached the point of loving my body, I can now see that my previous perspective led me towards unhealthy relationships, bad decisions, and an overall low quality of life.
It’s one thing to go through that yourself. But it’s a whole ‘nother level of pain when it comes to your daughter. So how do you raise a girl who celebrates her body?
You know those people who win every radio, Facebook, blog contest out there? Since you clicked on this post, I’m going to guess you’re not one of them.
Good news: you can be.
Luck isn’t all chance. A big chunk of the equation is how you’re holding up in your role as co-creator of your world.
Sounds fluffy, but take it from me. I was so used to winning nothing…until around a year or so ago when my lucky streak started.
In the last year alone, I have won gym memberships, yoga passes, conference tickets, jewelry, clothing, books and more. And I swear, I’m not that girl who spends her weekend hunting down online giveaways and spending my savings on lottery tickets.
Speaking of, last week I won the lottery! AY-OH! The lottery was for a community garden plot. It may not be a million dollars, but to me, it’s a big deal. With 200 people on the waitlist and a 5-year turnover, I’m pretty flippin’ happy about winning a plot.
Now let me share what allowed me to make the shift from being luckless to inviting luck into my orbit.
What do you and I have in common? Other than beautiful babies and the determination to fulfill our human potential. (Talk about a wicked tribe!)
What else? They could be little things. Big things. Past, present, future things.
Where I come from,
A week didn’t pass without the lights going out.
We’d run out into the yard.
Bike rides and “running catching” were so much more fun in the dark.
Shadow puppets, candlelit board games.
Sometimes if were lucky, fireflies would join the party.
At bedtime, the absence of the a/c left us lying in hot air.
We be flipping pillows every minute, chasing cool linens.
Dunking towelettes in ice water and wearing them on our faces.
You know that moment when your heart explodes because your kid eagerly gives you her gift, her work of heart — your portrait, in scribbles and stick limbs? That moment is the inspiration behind my manifesto for handmade giving, shared in my latest guest post on ethicalDeal.com.
Handmade gifts trump mall-finds any day. But as romantic as it sounds, the idea of making gifts scares away busy moms. You might be turned off by the thought of complicated projects and a time-consuming process.
Amy Poehler. Tina Fey. And Bee Cooler.
Q: What do these three women have in common? (I’ll save you a Google search and tell you, it’s not celebrity status. Bee, one of my dearest friends, is not famous…although she ain’t no commoner either.)
A: All three ladies are smokin’ hot…goofballs!
Silly is their specialty. On the left are the female icons with their pumped up kicks in the Golden Globes promo. On the right, my friend’s graduation photo, which obviously stands out among my yearbook’s gallery of stiff necks and awkward, closed-mouth smiles.
They say you find true love when you’re not looking. I have friends who met their loves in an amusement park, in kindergarten, and in an ashram. Fate at its finest.
But self-love isn’t written in the stars. It requires you to search with open eyes and a willing heart.
I’ve been hunting around for quite some time now and I think it’s time I share my most unexpected findings. So, today I open my treasure chest. Have a look!
Where Is Your Love Hiding?
1. In your hair – you will fall in love hard when you wear a flower in your hair. Maybe some baby’s breath in your braid. Or a begonia by your bun. Eventually, you’ll graduate to the flower crown – a true statement of self-adoration.
Welcome!
I'm Nat Nanton, founder of Tutu Mama. Becoming a mother has made me commit to living my greatest life. If you can relate to that, you're in the right place.Connect with me
