My name is Ria Pretekin and you can find my blog at Urban Ohana.I describe myself as an educator, yogi, cupcake lover, and a mom of two. I blog about my multicultural, interfaith family. I spent my whole life in Los Angeles but on a whim I decided to move to Chicago and I’ve been living in Chicago now for 10 years. I initially planned to be here for one to two years but I ended up falling in love with the city. I even convinced my mom, dad, and sister to leave sunny CA to come move here with me. Fast forward to today and I am a mom of two, recently married, launched my blog UrbanOhana and celebrated my five year anniversary working at the University of Chicago.
When did you start blogging and what inspired you to start you blog?
I started my blog with the birth of my second child about a year ago. My sister encouraged me to create a blog and told me that she really thought I could do well documenting my motherhood journey. Since I have family all over in California, Ohio, Illinois and the Philippines I thought it would be a great way for family and friends to read about my family’s adventures and feel connected to us even though we may be miles away.
What is your favorite blog post that you have written?
My favorite blog post would be Latkes and Lumpia. I have always loved the holidays and it is more special now that I get to celebrate the holidays as a mother. Being in an interfaith family we are finding new ways to celebrate and honor both religions and creating new family holiday traditions.
What do you love about blogging?
I love the community of people that I have met through blogging. You get to choose who you’d like to follow and learn more about and I love to see other women of color and especially moms of color. I can relate more and find similarities with families that look like mine and other bloggers that may face the same issues I have experienced.
What are some brands that you have worked with, or some brands that you would love to work with?
I am an ambassador for Shred 415, Kind Snacks, and Bump Club and Beyond. I have partnered with The Groove, College Nannies + Sitters, Goldfish Swim School.