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Hi, I'm Tatyana. I am a mama to a little boy named Ben, and recently relocated to North Carolina after almost fifteen years spent in Washington DC and New York City. I work a full time job and more than ever find myself in an unending predicament familiar to many: how to balance parenthood, health, sustainability, and independence while on a budget and with little time on my hands? 

I have tried tapping into various resources to help me navigate this problem. My search has, unfortunately, brought me to a sour conclusion. Many of the resources available to me - blogs, influencers on social media, magazines, etc. - preach that being a good mother, leading a sustainable and healthy lifestyle is primarily measured by the amount that I can homestead and DIY. “Slow living” and “living intentionally” are the name of the game. As a first generation immigrant and a full time working mother I find this concept to be incredibly entitled. There is more focus on attaining a measure of (what I think is false) authenticity as well as intense cultural appropriation than actual discussion and useful information. Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of acknowledgement that this perpetuated lifestyle is a pure function of privilege. After reading these sources I always feel defeated instead of inspired because I can't afford to have six types of Himalayan rock salt in my kitchen, my play dough is not homemade, and I didn’t hand stitch the oven mitt for my (SHAME) store bought biscuits. 

I take no issue with those who manage to live in a city, can grow and find time to preserve all their own produce, dress their children in only ethically sourced clothing, make all their food from scratch, and shop exclusively at Whole Foods and/or the local farmer's market. The idea is beautiful, but frankly unrealistic for me. It’s important to have a balance of both sustainability and self awareness for my own mental health and self-care but also for the sake of my family.

The purpose of this website is to develop a realistic approach to working motherhood. Share stories and build community with fellow moms who realize “having it all” isn’t realistic and that’s totally fine! It's high time there existed a space for honest, balanced, and non-condescending discussion of these goals. 

Join me??