I turn 31 this month and my dear friend Amani encouraged me to open up a space to invite others to celebrate + love me through financial resources they may have that I don’t.

A Bit About Me + My Goals for Any Gift Donations

My name is Natalie Kristeen (she/her).

I love my children, justice, and helping others shed shame through a lens of grace + self-acceptance.

I’m a single mom to currently three children ages 2, 6.5, and 7.

They are my whole world and every thing I do is to make the world a better place for them.

I am an author, a public speaker + writer, a story-teller, and a Professional Photographer. My entire heart is to make the world a safer, kinder space for each wounded soul walking the earth in the depths of dark nights.

I believe there is always something to learn, even through the darkest, most longest, worst nights. AND it’s okay to take time to find the nugget or see the grace, we are all in process. It’s okay if we don’t see the light in the middle of the night.

I am self-employed and have owned my Photography Business LLC officially since 2016.

I have worked very hard to get my business to the place it is, and am proud of every dime I bring in.

I love creating safe spaces for others to exist as they are, without shame, and when it’s in front of my camera: TOP NOTCH. Suuuuch a privilege.

I find myself in a season of immense financial stress, upcoming giant transitions, a need for ACL surgery (and therefore time off working).

I am asking my community + networks to invest in my family as I learn to make hard decisions for the overall wellness of our family, honor + embrace much needed boundaries, and dive fully into building a more stable financial situation as a single mother.

I have 3 main Goals for the next three months that any additional Gift Donations will go directly towards:

1. I did my taxes for 2022 and made the most I’ve ever made, go me!
   
   However, even through I still qualify for state supports such as some Food Stamps, ERDC, and OHP…I still owe a fat $10,000 in taxes.
   
   I had asked my CPA multiple time year last year, “Should Make quarterly payments?” and she kept saying “Let’s wait.”
   I learned my lesson, loud and clear. This is one of my top priorities is to get this settled / paid so that I can begin also making quarterly payments for 2023.
   

2. I am upside down with my car. I have made the difficult decision that will overall be best in the long run: to find an older car (early 2000’s Honda Pilot would be my first search) I can purchase for hopefully mostly cash + finance a very small portion; I found a few cars that will fit us all between the $7,000-$9,000 range.
   

3. Safer home to live in. I have been working my way towards house buying but my debt (hey car, taxes, care credit, and more) is just in the way. Seeing how I cannot purchase a home anytime soon, I know I do need to find a home that is safer for myself and my kids. Where I live there are often active shootings, car accidents quite literally in my yard / up against my house, houseless people sleeping in our driveway, street racers, gas being syphoned… over all it is not an ideal corner to be living on with small children. Rent around this part of the PNW is an average of $2400/month.
   
   *That said: I made another difficult decision to give my notice for the rental I am currently in and move into my Aunt’s home with her for the next few months in an attempt to work diligently towards #1 and #2 above, and save for a deposit + first months rent. I will be putting allllllll of my things into a giant storage unit during this time.

   With or without the additional help of others, I am determined to get us (longterm) into a safe neighborhood with a home that we can truly make our own as I continue to work towards home buying.

But I have always been a person that believes community is always better than doing things alone :)

I share because even though I have been harmed by people by being honest + transparent, there are many other people who have found space for themselves to be honest + strip the shame that comes with things like being a single mother, leaving a marriage, asking for help, and/or having debt. As I said above…one of my favorite things is to be honest so that others can be honest too.

If you’ve made it to the end of this little story time of a bit about me and where I’m at, I am impressed and humbled. Thank you.

If you feel led to share $5 or $50 or $5,000 (hey, always worth putting it out into the universe 😉) every ounce counts.

Thank you for your love + support, regardless.

So much love to you and yours: you deserve goodness, grace, + love!