April 19, 2017
Million Ways To Mother
Your collaboration as sisters is really special and unique. Could you give our readers an introduction to your families and your blog?
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Hello there! We are Ashton and Shea and we own the blog Million Ways to Mother. We are sisters and we have 8 children between the two of us. Ashton has 3 kids, 2 girls and 1 boy and their ages are 5, 2 and 1. Shea has 5 kids, 4 girls and 1 boy and their ages are 11, 8, 5, 2, 8 months. Million Ways to Mother is a blog about finding simple solutions for the overwhelm of Motherhood.
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Your families are so close, clearly, because of your relationship. How have you created such a strong bond as sisters?
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Well, living in the same city helps a lot haha! Our family and extended families have always had such a tight knit with each other. We have wonderful examples of amazing sisterhood bonds. We hope our children will also be this close. It has been such a blessing in our lives to have that type of support. We are lucky.
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Your blog has so many followers who love to stay in touch with your stories; What made you two want to join forces and start a blog together?
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We have a lot of the same interests and we both felt like we had things to talk about and maybe other moms could relate with. Shea is in the foster care and adoption community and I just had my third child only 13 months after having my second.
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What was the inspiration behind the name Million Ways to Mother?
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We were discussing names back and forth and realized how many different ways you can be a mother. Whether you be a mom of 1, foster parent, grandma, aunt, etc. Each one is important and everyone has their own story. We are all different, but we all have the same goal in mind and that is to raise happy and successful children.
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Deciding to do foster care and adopt is a big, wonderful change that can come to families. What drove you to become foster parents and to adopt?
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I couldn’t have any more children after my third, and I always felt like there were more children that were supposed to be part of my family. I also had the necessary means to help those children and my husband I decided that foster to adopt was the perfect plan for our family. To read more about my story go here… http://millionwaystomother.com/factor-v-leiden/
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Can you share with us a trial that either of you have gone through during the adoption or fostering process? How did it change you for the better?
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When my adopted son, at the time foster son, went into the hospital for 12 days because of pneumonia, the birth mother came to see him and told me I will not be keeping him. That shook my faith, but through so many tender mercies I was able to see the Lord’s hand in this process. You can read more on this trial here… http://millionwaystomother.com/part-4-my-journey-through-foster-careadoption/
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Stepping into the adoption process can be scary for many people, what have you learned through your experience of the adoption process? What tips do you have for anyone starting the adoption process?
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No one’s experience is the same so jump in with two feet and don’t look back. The Lord has a plan for each of us. Make Him the center of your process.
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For people who may be in the process of deciding if foster care is right for their family, what advice would you give to them?
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Foster care has many routes. You can just foster, foster to adopt, or just adopt. There are so many children that need a home, and through the foster care route there is no waiting time. No matter if these children stay in your home for one week or eternity, they will never forget the love they felt in your home.
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There are a lot of fashion posts on your blog about mommy friendly and trendy clothes. What is your go-to outfit for keeping up with the kids?
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We are all about the momiform. We love anything comfy casual but still fashionable. Jeans, cute tees, joggers, baseball hats, cute sneakers, the list can go on! We love feeling good about the way we look, but not being uncomfortable.
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Your instagram bio says, “tips & tricks and everything in between for the modern mom.” Would you minding sharing with our followers three of your favorite tips & tricks!
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Quick easy meals, tips for teaching your children to become more independent, 9 rules to teach to your kids over and over, and just trying to stay SANE through this crazy journey of motherhood!
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