ABOUT THIS BLOG
I love family Time
I am Stefanie – a mum of four lively children, a maker, a writer, a runner and I love family time.
My children brought so much love and happiness into my life from the moment they were born. Such a completely new and never imagined dimension to my existence. Yet when my first daughter Ayla was born, I was also almost immediately and painfully aware of all the aspects of my life I had to give up for this new family. That first year was especially tough for us. Dave and I had decided to move to Australasia, a 24-hour plane journey away from our families. First New Zealand, then Australia have offered us a pretty relaxed and very nature-orientated lifestyle. The downside has always been though, that we don’t have our families here to help out. We pretty much never get a break from the kids..
Embarking on New Adventures
Dave and I had to give up most hobbies we shared, like long distance hiking and backpacking. This had always been our common ground, which really used to connect us profoundly. It took us some time to get used to the fact that now our common ground was our little family. Slowly we began to see the beauty in so many new adventures – walking through the forest at snail’s pace, eyes glued to the ground, examining moss, mushrooms, bugs – spending hours at the beach with sandy and salty skin, creating miniature sand landscapes – watching little hands knead dough, smear paint, accompanied by little faces radiating utter pleasure and content.
The Myth of the Perfect Formula for a Happy Family Time
Over time I started to see that there is a great art to a happy and balanced family time. Also, I came to realize that there is no simple formula one can follow to achieve it. It is like a delicate fabric into which each family member’s needs must be carefully interwoven. Please also interlace healthy and delicious food. Do not miss out plenty of outdoor time and exercise. Under no circumstances forget engaging conversations, fun activities, one-on-one-time, me time, family time…….Please carry on the list for as long as you like.
I don’t believe there is anybody who has the universal answer for how to have a happy and harmonious family time.
Yet I suspect we all know the feeling of inferiority when browsing through the ‘perfect’ blog or website. Images beaming with stylish clothes, beautiful bodies and perfect smiles. It makes us feel as if nobody would ever be interested in our ‘imperfect’ life. But do we actually know if these ‘perfect’ people are really happy? All we can tell about them is that they are good at showing us a stunning picture of their lives.
I don’t think I’m good at portraying perfection and even if I was, this is not what I’m trying to achieve with this blog.
Nobody can tell you what the exact formula is that will work for your family. Instead you have to become the artist designing your own fabric of happy family time. You can however pinch little bits of advice and inspiration from others and weave them in.
A Source of Inspiration
For me family blogs have always been a great source of inspiration. Over time I’ve felt an increasing urge to also share snippets of our family life with others and writing has always been one of my creative outlets. I’m also passionate about drawing, architecture, design, web dev, cooking, green living, the outdoors, swimming and running. Keeping these activities up is extremely important to me because they make me feel connected to myself and give me happiness. Being happy means, I can make others happy and hopefully radiate passion and enthusiasm.
I hope that with this blog and snippets from our crazy, chaotic family time, I might provide inspiration to some.
