Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Artistry in Food, Music, and Life

{Guest Post} How I Almost Died, Followed My Dream

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I am still enjoying my time with the little one. Did I mention that my toddler came down with a stomach bug? It has been a challenge but I thank God for my mother-in-law being with me because I do not know how I would handle all of these new challenges. Today is also my birthday so I am going to be able to go out for a little this evening with my husband.



In the meantime, please enjoy a guest post by Gina. She is part of the Philly Social Media Moms group and I am blessed to have her write here today!

Thanks Gina for writing this post!              
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Ever have a job you hated or live in a place that just wasn’t you?  Do you count the hours to bedtime, and tuck yourself out with a glass of wine, because it’s the only peace you have all day?

I used to be like that.  I was 33 years old and newly married, and I loved my husband but I was miserable, spending all my time on a career I didn’t even know I didn’t want.  One night, while catching up on work, I felt my eyes roll up into my head – and, just after screaming out my husband’s name, blacked out.

I had had a seizure caused by a stroke – a serious one, too.  I’m very blessed that I survived it and completely recovered, but I knew it was a message that I was living the wrong life.

It took several false starts, trust in my faith, and a lot of hand holding from people wiser than me before I got to where I am today.  After years of pursuing the wrong career, I finally jumped ship and went into full time blogging in September, 2011.

There is a special thing that happens when you stop resisting the forces that tell you “you can’t make a living following your dream” and go for it: doors open.  I think of this as God blessing your talent – and your courage.  In a little over a year, I had two steady clients, frequent gigs as a product reviewer, and 5 blogger conferences under my belt.  Not only that, but unexpected opportunities came that not only sharpened my focus, but benefited my family.

You see, I have two lovely daughters who have disabilities and food sensitivities.  I struggle to cook for them.  I’ve never thought of myself as a cook – I’m a former New York City gal, and years of take-out and restaurant eating meant cooking was “not for me.”  After time and a few meltdowns in my kitchen, I discovered that fresh meals made with whole foods and organic produce was not only good for my family, but actually improved the behaviors and skills of my children!  That was an eye-opener, and no sooner did I start blogging about eating, cooking, and dining allergen-free, than I was invited to attend a chef event for bloggers.

I never thought of cooking as my talent, until I had motivation to do it – and a way to combine it with my real passion, writing.  I know how to take a recipe and substitute whatever is not good for my kids and make a great meal.  I do fail, but it’s rare.

Now, I’m in the midst of redesigning my blog to teach other parents who have kids with allergies, food sensitivities, behaviors caused by toxic foods, and disabilities that they can make delicious, nutritious, food to grow their kids’ minds and bodies.  In fact, that’s my nightly prayer over my children.  I can’t wait to share my new ideas and lessons I’ve learned with other parents, and try my hand at making a few recipes of my own – or challenging myself to recraft ones that are tasty but not good for my children. 

Don’t wait for an earth-shattering event or life-changing illness to follow your dreams, and when you do, leave the door open to possibilities.  You just might love what you find on the other side.

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Gina Badalaty is the owner of Mom-Blog.com, where she has been blogging about parenting, raising children with disabilities, and allergy-free living for nearly 10 years.  She’s blogged for SheSpeaks.com, American Greetings Interactive, and ParentSociety.com, and is a copywriter for natural health products and an IT firm, as well a brand ambassador.  She loves creative writing, and healthy cooking.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two gorgeous daughters, and a cat that thinks he’s a dog.  

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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About Noelle

I’m an opera singer, full-time mom, pharmacy technician, food and mom blogger, recipe developer, and wife to a super talented choral director living in the awesome outskirts of Philly.