Author: Fertile Ground

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The Mask

Fertile Ground

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While the world is in an uproar and hoarding as much as they can for themselves, I’m being savvy and cooking only what we will eat for the day, staying inside, keeping our 1 meter distance between us and the next person, and creating my own necessities, including bleach wipes and most importantly face mask for my little one. When hospitals around the world started running out of PPE, I knew I had to do what was necessary to keep my family safe. We have stocked up on water and toiletries. When we go to the grocery store, we get what we need to get through the week, and now I don’t have to worry about being out exposed to anything without proper protection. It definitely doesn’t take place of the N95 mask, but something is better than nothing. I will post materials needed, steps, etc. in separate post. There are however, many tutorials out on making your own and you don’t have to be a world renowned seamstress to make them.

The best thing right now is for people to stay home. If you have to go and you don’t have a mask, use a scarf or anything that you have to cover your nose and mouth while out in public areas. If it’s not emergent stay home please! If you are sick, stay home! I live in Italy and this is day 13 of lockdown for us vs day 3 or 4 for the US. We only leave the house for grocery, work, or emergent medical appointments. If we are caught doing anything else besides that we could be fined and/or jailed! Italy is taking this very very seriously. Praying everyone is staying safe and please pray for this virus to soon pass!

 

Xoxo,

Toy

Travel

Taormina I Heart You!

Fertile Ground

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Hope everyone had a fantabulous Christmas season! It has been a long while since I’ve been on here and I promise for all my readers, I will be more active this year. So, here we go 2020! Please be good to me!

We spent the day exploring the town of Taormina, Sicily! It’s amazing how people come from thousands of miles across the sea to visit this place, and I am blessed to be able to jump in my car and take a 50 minute drive to get there! I can definitely see why with its array of beauty and charm! We parked in the parcheggio lumbi garage and then rode the shuttle into town. A shuttle arrives and departs every 10 minutes so you will hardly notice the wait. We had lunch at one of the restaurants (can’t remember the name) because I wouldn’t dare recommend you eat there. It was a little chilly but it was a nice sunny Sicily day.

The baby was most happy when she was not in the stroller and able to run around and be free like all the other tourist! We were able to see some of the Christmas lights which is the whole reason we went this time, but not too much as the temperatures dropped in the late afternoon. Baby girl already has a runny nose from teething so didn’t want to keep her out too long in the chill. We didn’t make it over to the Greek theater but we will get there next time. Until then, thank you as always for reading and Happy New Year🥂

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Hidden Treasures

Fertile Ground

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This weekend my family and I went on a road trip to Agrigento known for its beautiful ruins of the ancient city of Akragas. It was a 2 hour drive from our house and we left liter than anticipated so we didn’t get to see the city itself, but we plan to go back. When we got there we saw people walking back to their cars with strollers. My advice, put your baby in a carrier to avoid all the rocky roads (and not ice cream) you will encounter while walking through the ruins. The weather was favorable but windy. We had an umbrella to shade us from the sun, but even that was challenging with the wind. There is a small gelato and sandwich shop there, but bring your own snacks and sandwiches if you are partial to the italian style sandwiches. Or some fruit to ensure you can fuel yourself after all the walking you’ll be doing.  Speaking of walking, good comfy shoes are a must! If you plan on taking postable #ootd pics and think sneakers will ruin your photo, just put your nice shoes in your back pack and change for the Camara. I wasn’t concerned about my attire and still got some great shots. 20190302_155357.jpg

Whatever you decide to wear just make sure its comfortable and breathable to avoid chafing. It’s st as ring to get warm here in Sicily so light layers is all you need to get through he day. I had a tripod with me, but security told me it wasn’t allowed so hubby took it back to the car. Of course I still saw a family posing in front of their Camara and tripod setup! Have fun and thanks for reading.

Xoxo

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What the last 3 months has taught Me!

Fertile Ground

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So we have finally come to the end of what they call “the fourth trimester”! What a milestone. Where has the time gone? My life the last 3 months has been full of joy, fatigued, reality checks, sleepless nights, days without showering, and major body changes. You guessed it, I am a new mommy! The advice came out of the wood works. Some good, some great, and some I took with a grain of salt and went my way. What I have discovered though, is before the baby comes, everyone wants you to sit down and let them do all the work. They tell you if you need anything to call! But oh boy, when you call they are nowhere to be found or are too busy doing other things. The ones that do come over to help, aren’t really there to wash the dishes, or help you fold laundry, or prepare meals for you and your family. They are only there to hold the baby while you do everything else. Sleep while the baby sleeps is probably the top given advice from other moms and even those who don’t have babies. I have learned that unless you want to be on an episode of ‘hoarders”, you cannot sleep while the baby is sleeping. It is impossible to get anything done. I am embarrassed to let anyone come over my house including family, because I have stuff everywhere. Lessons learned. I know what it is like so I want to be that person that actually helps out her new mom friend with anything I can do. Go get grocery, clean the kitchen, let her get an hour of sleep, etc. Don’t just be about lip service, do what you say you are going to do. Motherhood is a beast! However, it is worth every pile of laundry in the hallway, loss hours of sleep, days of not eating until 6pm, and wearing poop and milk as your ootd. 

Xoxo, Al

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Taking it Easy

Fertile Ground

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Call into existence the things that do not exist (Rom 4:17).

As I spend the day resting, I cannot help but to thank God for the days events. Today after 10 years of TTC, we had our FET, and it was the most amazing and exciting thing to watch! I will keep you posted as the days go by, but for women that go through this journey to their life miracle, keep your eyes on God. Don’t dwell on your barrenness because it is just temporary. I have read about many women that have been trying for 1, 2, 3 years and I can feel the weight of the pain it causes. I don’t compare my long journey to anybody else’s, because regardless how long you have been trying, it is a painful, depressing, and sometimes lonely place to be when month after month you end up with disappointment. If we don’t guard our minds, and be careful about what we chose to dwell on, we begin to focus on all that is impossible! This type of thinking can keep God from doing great things in your life. He wants us to lean and depend on Him. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. My little bundle of joy is nesting snuggly in my womb where he/she will grow for the next 9 months. I already believe that it is well, because God did not bring my husband and I this far for nothing. Whatever it is you are praying for, call it into existence before it even manifest. That is how you activate your faith and allow God to work mighty on your behalf. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned in days to come as I keep you all up-to-date! Please like, comment, and follow. If you have been through infertility and want to talk please comment and we can dialogue and encourage each other through this life journey. 

Xoxo, Al

Outfit deets::Dress: Cotton On:: Purse: Brahmin:: Hat: TandJdesigns