If it’s Saturday morning, it means it’s time to sit down and chat with yet another beautiful, inspiring, young mommy over a cup of coffee – or a fresh orange juice in the case of this pregnant mamma who can’t stand the smell of coffee. Oh well, it was actually lots of eclairs for her and one cappuccino for me. But back to the Realmomster of today. Meet Arina Lazar, lifestyle blogger, content creator, Instagram guru and happy wifey. She is young, she is passionate, she is positive, and she is going to be one young, beautiful mamma soon. I met her when we were both working at a fashion magazine, and being the same age, we instantly clicked. Imagine my surprise when I heard she is having a baby at 24 years old – the first time I ever heard that from any of my friends.
I thought “Finally, another young woman deciding that it’s never too early to have a child”. Finally I could relate to someone who had a kid and was not 30 plus. Even though she is way more mature than a ‘normal’ 24-year old, she still stays true to her inner child. She is talking about maternity in such a positive way, that I wanted to find out more about how she feels during this period, how magic or less magic it has been for her so far, how she is picturing herself as a future mamma, what she will do about her job, and so much more.
Aaand she has some really big news to share, because she is expecting a BABY GIRL! Finally the wait is over and she is over the moon to share the exciting news with her followers and community.
You know, real life is far from Instagram – but in Arina’s case, it seems as though she is truly living the fairytale. Keep on reading…
Who is Arina Lazar in a few words?
Digital marketer, content creator & lifestyle blogger, happy wife and future young mom.
Have you always wanted to be a young mom, did you plan this baby, what planets had to align for you to embark on this journey?
Both my husband Rares and I wanted to be young parents, to not postpone such a beautiful moment for too long. I can say that I have always imagined being a young mom, because I have a young mom myself, and I have experienced the advantages of a mother-daughter connection of such kind. Also, I think you adapt much easier to this role when you are young, you basically “grow” together with your baby, and you enjoy life together with them. I never saw the arrival of a child as a stopping point or a detour, more the opposite.
Working Mom or Stay at Home Mom? How do you plan to “divide” your time between the baby and the job?
I really like the job that I have now and I really feel that it brings me professional fulfillment. I will miss the office time with the marketing team, with whom I get along so well. For me, my career means a lot and I have always aimed for high goals. Although for many the role of mom is automatically associated with a certain career break, I think it will open up other gates for me. Yes, I want to spend my first years at home with my baby, because I know how much they need their mom during this period and motherhood, and although maternity is difficult, I am sure it will bring me so much fulfilment.
The advantage is that I chose a field of activity (digital marketing) from which I can very easily work from home – all I need is a laptop and access to the Internet. I do not know already if I will stay home for exactly two years (the period of maternity leave in Romania), but I will stay for as long as I can, and in parallel, I want to develop my personal project, blog and Instagram part, and on the other hand I will consider freelancing.
The most exciting part about the thought of becoming a mommy? What about the scariest?
I dream of the moments of cuddling with the baby and Rares, the walks in three and the evenings of play. Besides, I find it fascinating how smart the little ones are and how they surprise you every day with the new things they learn. I can hardly wait to see how she laughs, how she comes to take me in her arms and then how she will say “mommy”.
The scariest part is probably the thought that I will not know how to do something, that I will not know how to react, that I will not meet my own expectations of what it means to be a mother. It’s something completely new and the fear of the unknown is quite high.
Your Instagram page is like a mood board on Pinterest, where you don’t want to stop scrolling down… Now you are also a content creator and lifestyle blogger. Tell me what this platform means to you, how you created it, how you you created the “fan base” of followers to say so, what inspires you when you post, what you like to share with the world, etc.
Thanks for appreciation! I would say Instagram resembles a visual online journal, in which I share moments from my life, places worth visiting and other “instagramable” corners with my followers.. I always liked photography and everything related to the visual sphere, and this platform has opened my appetite for content creation even more. I have gradually grown my community, organically, trying to come up with quality content that carries my personal imprint and does “not to go with the wave.”
I think an important support was the blog from the very beginning, where I have developed topics of interest to the community I built on Instagram.
What type of mom do you think you will be – relaxed, strict, spontaneous, calculated, rules-based, go-with-the-flow?
That’s a pretty complicated question, because Rares tells me I’m going to be a calculated mother, with rules, and I say I’ll be on the go-with-the-flow principle. Honestly, I think I will figure out exactly what to do when I hold my baby in my arms. Being a mother is learned the moment you become a mother. Trying to predetermine a certain conduct leads nowhere. But let’s talk about it later, haha.
How was your pregnancy so far? Tell us how you found out, what spicy details you missed to share on the blog / social media, interesting discussions at home, cravings, feelings, etc.
I remember the moment I found out I was pregnant: it was on a Saturday night at 9 pm. I had no patience to wait until the morning to take the test. Sorry, the tests, because I took 4 to convince myself of the reality of the situation. It was interesting because t I got into a state of shock from which I hardly came out. Rares was so emotional, he cried for happiness, but I went into an unexplained trance, I think a feeling of fear got into me, of the unknown. I wanted a baby so much, and I imagined the moment when I would find out that I am pregnant as a story filled with a lot of joy – but nothing is as you imagined beforehand.
Honestly, it took me a while to get used to the idea. It was only when I started feeling nauseous that I realized what was really happening to me. The first person to find out about my pregnancy was my best friend. I asked her if that was how a pregnancy test should look like, with the second line less colored. She already has a baby and going through it, I felt she could help me. The next day was my mother’s day and I made her the most beautiful gift: the news that she will become a grandmother.
How do you think you and Rares will split between baby, career, work, etc? How do you think the dynamics will change between you two after the baby comes?
It is normal for our lives to change after becoming parents, but we do not want to let the “horror” stories of other parents intimidate us. Each family is different and has its own rhythm. We are very supportive of each other and I am sure that in this regard we will make a very good team as well. We want to integrate the baby as much as possible into our activities and not use too often the excuse “we can’t, we have a baby”. Now we are three in the pack, and the baby will come with us wherever she can. We adapt. As far as tasks are concerned, we are already dividing them, so when the moment comes, we will figure out who does what.
Things you wanted someone to tell you about pregnancy that now you know?
You know, most things I knew, but now that I’ve experienced it on my own skin, it’s different. For example, in my case, the pregnancy has shown much earlier than in the case of other pregnancies. I expected it to be the same for me, from about 4-5 months to start showing, but already from 3 months people were catching that I am pregnant. On the other hand, I had heard that the party with “cravings” could be a myth, but I do not know what to say, in my case it was really about appetite, or rather a preference for certain foods.
Have you already set your eyes on some maternity brands, are you going to buy dresses / lingerie / pregnancy clothes? What about kids brands?
I have already started shopping for clothes because nothing fits me anymore! So often I find myself standing in front of my closet for minutes, and then I cry because I have nothing to wear. It’s quite difficult to find cool pregnant clothes in stores, so I’m trying to reinterpret the clothes I already have, as much as my belly allows. So far I have chosen things from H&M and ordered from Asos, which has very nice options for the belly. And for the baby I started to slowly buy some things now and then. There are many Romanian brands that I set my eyes on, but I wish there were more options, to be honest. I think the base will be all H&M and Zara who have pretty baby clothes. Until then, I am on the look for nice websites with baby clothes that deliver to Romania.
Do you do something different regarding your beauty & wellness routine since you became pregnant? Any key products/massage places/treatments, special creams that you discovered during pregnancy?
Almond oil is my best friend since I found out I am pregnant. After each shower, I massage my tummy and my entire body with almond oil, to hydrate my skin well and prevent stretch marks. Also, because of the hormones, I noticed that my complexion was a little crazy, so I started using a La Roche Posay cleansing gel + cream, which work wonders together. I have seen skin improvements since the first week, so I plan to continue using them.
Do you already have a support system ‘set up’ after you will give birth? Who will help you, who can you rely on?
I am lucky that my mother moved to Romania recently, but she still lives far from Bucharest. She will live at my place about 2 weeks after I give birth to help me, and then I will stay with Rares to raise our baby together. But my mother in law lives just an hour away from Bucharest, and my mother will surely come to help us whenever I feel the need. I’m sure the family will be at our side every time we call for their help.
Aaand let’s talk about the fact that you are having a baby GIRL! How did you find out the sex, what was your reaction, how do you think she will look like, thoughts, etc.
Honestly, we didn’t really want anything, we would have been just as happy regardless of finding out he was a boy. But Rares from the very start that she would be a girl! Even before we found out about the sex, he was addressing us as “my little girls” and I always said “what if he is a boy ?!” Surprisingly, until the last moment I would have said that he was a boy, but as soon as the strong sickness began, I changed my mind. You know the legend that says it’s a girl if your sickness is really bad, so I started to believe it as well. When the doctor told us that we’re having a little girl, we couldn’t contain our happiness. I had smiled all day long, and Rares was ecstatic!
We always ask ourselves the question “what will she look like?”, and we are very curious. I know many children look like their parents when they were babies, so we often compare her with the pictures of us when we were little. We make all kinds of jokes like her inheriting my nose, his mouth, etc. Anyway, we know she’ll be beautiful because she’s our princess.
Continue the sentence…
I love to smell like…. vanilla body butter
On Sunday mornings… cuddling with my husband and late breakfast in bed
Never missing from my fridge…. parmigianoooo, lots of parmigiano.
Best part of the day…. laying in bed after a long day
Biggest nightmare… Instagram down, haha
My dream date is… an Italian dinner in Toscana, Italy, with a spectacular view
My go to sexy look is…. classy dress and heels.
Before going to bed…. Netflix & chil
I love sleeping in…. his arms
At home you’ll find me wearing… short pants and his T-Shirt
Be sure to follow along her journey on her blog, Arina Wander.
Photographer: Dragos Cirstea, @imdragos
Location: Bucharest, Florens Atelier, iQos, French Revolution
Outfit: Arina’s personal
Romanian Version below…
Dacă este sâmbătă dimineață, înseamnă că este timpul să ne așezam și să stam de vorbă cu încă o mămică frumoasă, inspirationala, tânără, la o ceașcă de cafea – sau un suc proaspăt de portocale în cazul mamicii însărcinate care nu suportă mirosul de cafea . Ei, bine, au fost de fapt multe eclere pentru ea și un cappuccino pentru mine. Dar întorcandu-ne la Realmomsterul de astăzi. Faceți cunoștință cu Arina Lazar, blogger de lifestyle, creator de conținut, guru al Instagram-ului și o soție fericită. Este tânără, este pasionată, este pozitivă și va fi în curând o mamica superba.
Am cunoscut-o pe vremea cand lucram amandoua la o revistă de modă și fiind de aceeași vârstă, am facut click foarte repede. Imaginează-ți surprinderea mea când am auzit că urmeaza si ea sa aiba un bebe 24 de ani (ca si mine) – prima dată când aud asa o veste de la vreo prietena de-a mea.
M-am gândit „În sfârșit, o altă femeie tanara care decide că nu este niciodată prea devreme să aibă un copil”. In sfarsit ma pot regasi in cineva care urmeaza sa aibe un copil și nu are 30 plus de ani.. O noutate sincer, o surpriza, si una foarte placuta chiar. Cu toate ca Arina este mult mai matură decât o femeie obisnuita de 24 de ani, rămâne fidela copilului său interior. Vorbește despre motherhood într-un mod atât de pozitiv, încât am vrut să aflu mai multe despre cum se simte în această perioadă, cât de magica- sau mai puțin magica a fost pentru ea până acum perioada de gravidenie, cum se imaginează ca o viitoare mamă, ce va face in legatura cu job-ul si blogul ei și multe altele.
Dar mai mult de atat, Arina are si o veste FOARTE importantă de împărtășit, si anume faptul ca face public faptul ca va avea o…. fetita! În sfârșit, așteptarea a luat sfarsit, si impartaseste vestea mult asteptata cu comunitatea ei.
Știi, viața reală este de cele mai multe ori departe de Instagram – dar în cazul Arinei, se pare că trăiește cu adevărat acest fairytale.
Continuați să citiți …
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Cine este Arina Wander in cateva cuvinte?
Digital marketer, content creator & lifestyle blogger, sotie fericita si viitoare tanara mamica.
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Ti-ai dorit mereu sa fii o mamica tanara, ati planuit acest proiect minunat, ce factori ai avut nevoie sa se alinieze ca sa se intample minunea?
Da, atat eu cat si Rares (sotul meu) ne-am dorit sa fim parinti tineri, sa nu amanam prea mult acest moment atat de frumos. Pot spune ca intotdeauna m-am imaginat ca fiind o mamica tanara, pentru ca la randul meu am o mama tanara si am “trait pe pielea mea” avantajele unei astfel de relatii mama-fiica. De asemenea, mi se pare ca te adaptezi mult mai usor la acest rol cand esti mai tanar, practic “cresti” odata cu copilul tau si te bucuri de viata impreuna cu el. Niciodata nu am vazut venirea unui copil ca un punct de oprire, de ocol in viata, ci dimpotriva.
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Working Mom sau Stay at Home Mom? Cum planuiesti sa te ‘imparti’ intre bebe si job dupa ce vei deveni mamica, vrei sa stai acasa, sa lucrezi part time/ full time, sa nu mai Lucrezi deloc?
Imi place foarte mult job-ul pe care-l am acum si chiar simt ca imi aduce implinire din punct de vedere profesional. Chiar imi va lipsi timpul la birou cu echipa de marketing, cu care ma inteleg super bine. Pentru mine cariera inseamna foarte mult si mereu am tintit la obiective inalte. Desi pentru multi rolul de mamica este asociat automat cu o anumita oprire a carierei, eu consider ca imi va deschide alte portite. Da, imi doresc sa stau primii ani acasa cu bebe, pentru ca stiu cata nevoie are de mine in aceasta perioada si maternitatea desi e grea sunt sigura ca iti aduce si multa implinire. Avantajul este ca mi-am ales un domeniu de activitate (digital marketing) din care poti lucra foarte usor de acasa, am nevoie doar de un laptop si acces la internet. Nu stiu de pe acum daca voi sta fix doi ani acasa, dar cat voi putea, voi sta, iar in paralel imi doresc sa dezvolt si mai mult proiectul personal, partea de blog si Instagram, iar pe de alta parte voi lua in calcul freelancingul.
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Cel mai exciting lucru la gandul de a deveni mama? Dar cel mai scary?
Visez la momentele de cuddling cu bebe alaturi de Rares, la plimbarile in trei si serile de joaca. De altfel, mi se pare fascinant cat de smart sunt cei mici si cum te surprind in fiecare zi prin lucrurile noi pe care le invata. De abia astept sa vad cum rade, cum vine sa ma ia in brate si mai apoi cum imi zice “mami”. Cel mai scary lucru este probabil gandul ca nu voi sti sa fac ceva, ca nu voi sti cum sa reactionez, ca nu-mi voi indeplini propriile asteptari legate de ceea ce inseamna sa fii mama. E cu totul ceva nou si frica de necunoscut este destul de mare.
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Te-am “cunoscut” pe Instagram, iar pagina ta este ca un mood-board de pe Pinterest, unde iti vine sa dai scroll non stop… Spune-mi ce inseamna aceasta platforma pentru tine, cum ai creat-o, cum ti-ai creat “fan base-ul” de urmaritori sa spun asa, ce te inspira atunci cand postezi, ce iti place sa share-uiesti cu lumea, etc.
Multumesc pentru apreciere! As asemana Instagram-ul cu un jurnal online vizual, in care impartasesc cu urmaritorii momente din viata mea, locuri ce merita vizitate si alte coltisoare ”instagramabile”. Dintotdeauna mi-a placut fotografia si tot ce tine de sfera vizuala, iar aceasta platforma mi-a deschis apetitul si mai mult pentru crearea de continut. Mi-am crescut treptat comunitatea, organic, incercand sa vin cu un continut de calitate, care sa-mi poarte amprenta personala si ”sa nu mearga cu valul”.Cred ca un suport important de la inceput a fost si blogul, unde am dezvoltat subiecte de interes pentru comunitatea pe care mi-am construit-o pe Instagram.
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Ce fel de mama crezi ca vei fi- relaxata, stricta, spontana, calculata, cu reguli, go-with-the-flow?
O intrebare destul de complicata, pentru ca Rares imi zice ca voi fi genul de mama calculata, cu reguli, iar eu zic ca voi fi pe principiul go-with-the-flow. Sincer, cred ca imi voi dea seama exact ce am de facut atunci cand imi voi tine bebele in brate. A fi mama se invata in momentul in care devii mama. Degeaba imi prestabilesc dinainte o anumita conduita. Dar mai vorbim dupa, haha.
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Cum a fost sarcina pana acum- povesteste-ne cum ati aflat, ce detalii spicy ai omis pe blog/ social media, discutii interesante intre voi, poftele, sentimentele, etc.
Tin minte perfect momentul in care am aflat ca sunt insarcinata: era intr-o sambata seara pe la ora 21. Nu mai aveam rabdare pana dimineata sa imi fac testul. Pardon, testele, ca am facut 4 ca sa ma conving de realitatea situatiei. Interesant a fost faptul ca eu am intrat intr-o stare de soc din care mi-am revenit mai greu. Rares a fost emotionat, a plans de fericire, dar eu am intrat intr-o transa inexplicabila, cred ca m-a cuprins un soi de sentiment de teama, de necunoscut. Mi-am dorit foarte mult un copil si imi imaginam momentul in care voi afla ca sunt insarcinata ca ceva de poveste, cu mult plans de bucurie, insa nimic nu e asa cum iti imaginezi dinainte.
Sincer, mi-a luat ceva timp sa ma obisnuiesc cu ideea. Abia cand a inceput sa imi fie rau, am realizat ca e chiar adevarat ceea ce mi se intampla. Prima persoana care a aflat de sarcina a fost prietena mea cea mai buna. Am intrebat-o daca asa ar trebui sa arate un test de sarcina, cu a doua liniuta mai slab colorata. Ea are o bebelina si trecand prin asta, am simtit ca ma poate ajuta. A doua zi era ziua mamei mele si i-am facut cel mai frumos cadou: vestea ca va deveni bunica.
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Cum crezi ca va veti imparti tu si Rares intre baby, cariera, treburi etc? Cum crezi ca se va schimba dinamica dintre voi dupa ce va veni copilul?
E normal ca viata noastra sa se schimbe, dar nu vrem sa lasam sa ne intimideze povestile ”horror” a-i altor parinti. Fiecare familie e diferita si are ritmul ei. Noi ne sustinem foarte mult unul pe celalalt si sunt sigura ca si in aceasta privinta vom face o echipa foarte buna. Ne dorim sa integram pe bebe cat mai mult in activitatile noastre si sa nu folosim prea des replica ”nu putem ca avem copil”. Acum suntem trei la pachet, iar bebe vine cu noi oriunde se poate. Ne adaptam. In ceea ce priveste treburile, si acum ni le impartim, asa ca la acel moment vom stabili cine ce si cum face.
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Lucruri pe care ai fi vrut sa ti le spuna cineva despre pregnancy si acum le stii?
Să știi ca majoritatea lucrurilor le cam știam, însă acum că le-am experimentat pe propria piele, e diferit. De exemplu, in cazul meu sarcina s-a vazut mult mai devreme, decat in cazul altor gravidute. Ma asteptam ca si la mine sa fie la fel, cam de pe la 4-5 luni sa inceapa sa se observe, insa deja de pe la 3 luni oamenii se prindeau ca sunt insarcinata. Pe de alta parte, auzisem ca partea cu “poftele” ar putea fi un mit, insa nu stiu cum sa zic, in cazul meu chiar a fost vorba despre pofte sau mai degraba preferinta pentru anumite alimente.
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Ai pus ochii pe ceva maternity brands, ai de gand sa iti iei rochii/ lenjerie/ haine de graviduta? What about kids brands?
Deja am inceput sa imi fac cumparaturi de haine pentru ca nu-mi mai vine nimic! De multe ori ma trezesc stand minute-n sir in fata dulapului si mai apoi plang ca nu mai am haine cu care sa ma imbrac. E destul de dificil sa gasesti in magazine haine cool de graviduta, asa ca eu mai incerc sa reinterpretez din hainele pe care le am, atat cat imi permite burtica. Pana acum mi-am luat cateeva lucruri din H&M si comandat de pe Asos, care are optiuni foarte simpatice pentru burtici. Si pentru bebe am inceput sa iau usor usor cate o hainuta. Sunt multe branduri romanesti pe care am pus ochii, insa as vrea sa existe mai multe optiuni, sa fiu sincera. Cred ca la baza vor sta tot H&M și Zara care au niste hainute tare frumusele pentru bebei. Pana una alta, zilnic sunt in cautare de site-uri faine cu hainute de bebe care livreaza in Romania.
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Faci ceva diferit dpdv rutina de beauty & wellness de cand esti insarcinata? Ceva produse cheie/ locuri de masaj/ tratamente, creme speciale pe care le-ai descoperit odata cu gravidenia?
Uleiul de migdale mi-e cel mai bun prieten de cand am aflat ca sunt insarcinata. Dupa fiecare dus, imi masez burtica si ma dau pe corp cu ulei de migdale, pentru a-mi hidrata foarte bine pielea si preveni vergeturile. De asemenea, din cauza hormonilor, am observat ca tenul o luase putin razna, asa ca am inceput sa folosesc un gel de curatare + crema tratament de la La Roche Posay, care impreuna fac minuni. Am vazut imbunatatiri ale tenului chiar din prima saptamana, asa ca am de gand sa le folosesc in continuare.
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Ai deja un support system ‘aranjat’ pentru dupa ce vei naste? Cine te va ajuta, pe cine te poti baza?
Am noroc ca mama s-a mutat in Romania recent, insa locuieste la o distanta mai mare de Bucuresti. Va sta la mine aproximativ 2 saptamani dupa ce nasc pentru a ma ajuta, iar mai apoi voi ramane impreuna cu Rares sa ne crestem bebelusul. Insa, la doar o ora de Bucuresti sta si soacra mea, iar mama cu siguranta de cate ori voi simti nevoia va veni sa ne ajute. Sunt sigura ca familia va fi alaturi de noi de fiecare data cand vom apela la ajutorul lor.
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Siii…. Sa vorbim si despre faptul ca vei avea o FETITA!
Sincer, chiar nu ne doream ceva anume, am fi fost la fel de fericiti indiferent ca am fi aflat ca e baietel. Rares insa a simtit din prima ca va fi fetita! Inca dinainte de a afla sexul, el ne alinta “fetitele mele” si mereu eu ii ziceam “daca va fi baiat?!”. Surprinzator, pana in ultimul moment eu as fi zis ca e baietel, insa de-ndata ce au inceput greturile puternice mi-am schimbat opinia. Stii ca e vorba aia ca daca ti-e rau mai tare fetita si fara sa vreau am inceput sa cred in asta, haha. Cand ne-a zis medicul ca e fetita, nu ne mai puteam stapani fericirea. Eu am fos cu gura pana la urechi toata ziua, iar Rares era in extaz!
Mereu ne punem intrebarea “oare cum o sa arate?” si suntem foarte curiosi. Stiu ca multi copilasi seamana cu parintii lor cand erau bebelusi, asa ca de multe ori consultam poze cu noi cand eram mici. Facem tot felul de glumite de genul, sa aiba nasul meu, gura lui, etc. Oricum ar fi, stim ca va fi frumoasa pentru ca e printesa noastra.
