Monday, July 31, 2017

Life Lesson: Find the Rainbows and Butterflies in the Middle of the Storm

Everyday is not going to be filled with rainbows and butterflies.  Sure in a perfect world everything will go the way we planned it.  There would be no sorrows, no heartbreaks, no misfortunes.  Everything would be perfect just as we imagined it.  But things don't always happen that way.
It's great to have plans and goals, but we also must be able to adapt when things don't go our way.  Sometimes we get in the habit of complaining because what we want doesn't always happen the way we plan, and doing this, we don't always recognize how good we have it.  We forget to appreciate what we have while we are losing something that we wanted.  Meanwhile, you can gain so much from that loss because you can be given something better.  Unfortunately we don't always see that focusing on the loss.

Life doesn't always have to be a disaster and you can't always expect rainbows and butterflies.

Sometimes we over analyze things. We want things to go the way we want, but that's not how life happens.  All that does is lead to worrying and worrying does nothing but cause additional stress we don't need.  You ever had a situation that you constantly worry about only for it to work out in the end.  I know I've had that happen so many times, and I kick myself for worry about something that worked out for my good.  And sometimes we want things but don't get them and see it as a failure.  No loss is a failure.  You can gain so much through a loss.

So even though things don't go as planned and you may be going through difficult times, you can still find the rainbows and butterflies.  The beauty that rainbows and butterflies bring is there you just have to look for them even in the middle of the storm.  Sometimes when we are faced with so much bad we got to look real hard to see the good but it's there.  If you focus on the bad you will magnify it x10, but if you find the good and make that your main focus, you will see things you didn't even know was there.



Life Lesson:  Even through the dark clouds and storms, you can find rainbows and butterflies if you look hard enough.

Mrs. J

Thursday, July 20, 2017

The Cake Lady


Just call me the cake lady.....That's right I am your neighborhood baker.  This totally happened by chance because I never wanted to be a baker.  Some consider me an over the top mom because I'm always being extra when it comes to the kids.  I don't see it as being extra.  I'm just a stay at home mom with extra time to put into a lot of things that others may not.  For my kids' birthday I would always do something small at the house but no matter how small the gathering is I always decorated and put a lot of effort in.  I like to make the event special for them and a nice cake in their theme is always a must.  I usually would just order one from the grocery store but even those can get costly if you want an elaborate design and my budget wasn't going to cut it for a custom made cake at a bakery.  So I started making their birthday cakes.

I always liked to bake but I mostly just baked cupcakes or small cakes using box cake mixes.  I later started to experiment with recipes and fell in love with making cakes from scratch and coming up with my own flavors.  I love experimenting with flavors and recreating drinks or candies in cake form.  Those flavors make great cakes.  The more I baked the more I loved it.  Baking started to be therapeutic for me.  I would just zone out and be in my own peace as I bake.  It is love.  People would often ask me to bake for them and I would but would never charge them.

A year and a half ago for my daughters 10th birthday I made her a large two tier cake.  The bottom tier was zebra print and the top tier was a pink guitar and it was cotton candy flavor.  After that my cousin was persistent in trying to get me to start a business.  I was scared of this prospect because I didn't know what I was doing and I only did it for my family for fun.  I didn't think I was good enough but I just took a leap of faith and went with it after she called me with a 75 cupcake order for a baby shower.  I was excited to see if I could do this and after the success of that order I knew I should just go for it.  I knew that even if the business did fail, I really enjoy baking so at least I would have the enjoyment for doing it.

So my business Sweet Tooth Desserts began...

It's been a year and I've been moving at a pace that I'm comfortable with.  I really do enjoy it and I'm learning so much and pushing myself to create new designs and learn new techniques.  For me it's not about the numbers or fame.  I'm just trying to perfect my craft and learn as much as possible because even if this business isn't a business anymore I still will be baking because it's my passion.

Follow my INSTAGRAM: Sweet Tooth Desserts by Kim
Follow my FACEBOOK: Sweet Tooth Desserts by Kim

Mrs. J


Monday, July 17, 2017

5 Budget Friendly Summer Activites


For some summer is almost over for others it just got started, and for us we are half way through the summer.  So far we haven't done much this summer.  As I stated HERE in a precious blog post, I just needed some time, but now we are half way through the summer and I'm looking for some budget friendly activities.  This mama is trying to stretch a dollar, but still have fun.  Fun doesn't always have to be expensive, so I'm sharing with you some budget friendly activities you can do this summer.

1. Beach: My favorite FREE activity during the summer is going to the beach.  We live near the coast so we are a drive away from several beaches.  Really, we just have to take our pick and in an hour we are laying on a beach.  Some beaches are free while others charge a small entry fee to park and enjoy.  This is a perfect time to pack a lunch from home and bring a cooler full of drinks and lay out on the beach all day.

2. Parks: Having young kids, parks are an adventure for them.  We have several that we frequent often.  They all offer different activities so it's great that we can switch up which ones we visit.  Did I forget to mention its FREE?  Yes another free activity that provides the kids hours of fun.  And some parks also host free events.  We just spent the 4th of July at a park enjoying the free activities and fireworks.  I did not spend a dime and we had a blast.  That same park host free movie nights at the park.  We are looking forward to the next one coming up this month.  So check your local park to see what activities they might provide.

3. Water Park:  We love the water park.  It's our most visited place during the summer.  We are gifted season passes so we can go often.  However, this can be a budget friendly place if you go at the right times.  For instance, at the water park we go to one day offers military discounts (I love military discounts), another day is buy one get one free admissions, and later in the afternoons admissions are discounted.  I live in the South and it's HOT so spending days splashing in the pool is a great way to cool off and have fun.  This is an activity all ages can enjoy.  So they next time you want to visit the water park, just look for the discounted days and go during those times to make it work for your budget.

4. Backyard: Use your backyard as an adventure.  You can host a barbecue or create a backyard Luau.  Or have a water balloon fight.  Fill as many water balloons as you can and water guns and have a good fight with the kids (because the kids can't have all the fun).  Or camping in the backyard can be so much fun.  You can make s'mores and tell ghost stories under the stars and moon.  There are so many activities you can do at home in your own backyard, so pick something the family will love and have fun!

5.  Go Exploring:  There are so many different towns near by that I drive through or stop in just to visit a particular location, never really taking the time to just enjoy the scenery.  There are so many adventures around us if we just take the time to go explore them.  You can check out the towns farmers market or their historical sights.  Grab your camera and capture the moments, the adventure, and the beauty that your surrounds provide.

You don't to spend a lot of money to have a good time, so take some of these suggestions and go have fun this summer.  And please feel free to share any of your budget friendly activities that you like to do so I can try those out too!

Mrs. J

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

My Kids Are Partners In Crime




Or is my son just a snitch......

My two youngest are very sneaky.  Well my daughter is trying to teach my son the ropes, but apparently it's not working too well.  She likes to tell my son to watch out for her while she does something she isn't suppose to do, you know the usual. 

So one day my son comes in the room and says "Mama I got to distract you for Mimi".  Oh really now....What is she up to this time.

Then another time he comes up to me and says "Mama don't come in the room.  No one is in there."  Sounds like someone is up to no good.  I go in the room and of course my daughter is in there trying to sneak something out.

One of these days she's going to realize her brother isn't her partner in crime.....HE'S THE RAT!

Monday, July 10, 2017

Life Lesson: Believe In Yourself

Believing in yourself is important to your emotional and mental well-being.  There can be so many people rooting for you telling you "you can do it"..."you got this"... or simply "I believe in you".  These words of encouragement can go a long way, but at the end of the day it doesn't mean much if you don't believe in yourself.

Belief in yourself gives you that drive in your life that motivates you to go after what you want.  So many people have a long list of goals that they at one time hoped to achieve but never went after because they simply did not believe in themselves.

And then there are those people and situations that discourages you from believing in yourself.  You know those people who tell you that you can't do it... you're not good enough... you don't deserve it.  I know the saying is "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me".  While it sounds good, that's not always the truth.  Truth is, words can be damaging if you let them.  People constantly putting you down can cause disbelief within yourself.  Or those situations where nothing goes right or you keep failing at everything you try, that can be discouraging and have you feeling like you just can't do it.

Believing in yourself means you have to have confidence in yourself, so when the naysayers come with their negative comments or the situations fall through, you are still able to keep going because you believe in yourself.  Everyday you wake up look at yourself in the mirror and say "I believe in you" because each new day is another opportunity to make things happen because you believe in yourself.

Don't get discouraged!  Your belief in yourself can take you a long way.  When times are hard keep going.  When people say you can't do it, keep going.  Never give up!  And even if you fail, still keep going.  I always say "A loss is a win if you use it right"  You rise from your failures by taking those lessons and turning it into growth.  Having belief in yourself will take you far in life.

Life Lesson:  All it takes is belief in yourself and you can conquer the world!

Mrs. J



Wednesday, July 5, 2017

My 11 Year Old Has a Job


Yes at the young age of 11 my daughter has joined the workforce.  Sure the job is unpaid (volunteer), but its still a JOB and is the step in the right direction.  This is a start to many doors that can be opened for her because at the age of 11 she decided to use her summer to work on a unpaid job.

Here's how she got the job...

As we were leaving the library we saw a sign saying volunteers needed.  The starting age is 11 and when we saw this we immediately stopped and asked how she could apply.  She was excited just to think that she could have a job and after filling out a short application followed by orientation, her dreams of getting a job became a reality.  So now she sits behind a desk a couple hours a day assisting people with the summer reading program.  She creates her own schedule and she really enjoys it.  As a bonus, during the times she doesn't have anyone to assist, she gets to read all the books she wants, and as a bookworm this is a plus for her!

So here's the benefits of her working at 11.....

1. Job experience:  A common complaint from people trying to get a job is that they have no work experience so they can't get hired (because so many jobs now require you to have some experience).  Even though this is unpaid, she is gaining work experience that will greatly benefit her in the future.  Yes I know she's only 11 and she doesn't have to worry about getting a paid job anytime soon, but when that time comes she will have a head start on everyone else trying to get a job.  Chances are she will get a job over someone with no experience at all.

2. Recommendations:  Working this volunteer job will provide her the opportunity to get recommendations that can be used for schools, jobs, and/or scholarships.  As long as she show good behavior and work ethic she can receive recommendations for other endeavors she wish to pursue.

3. Responsibility: I admit my 11 year old is not the most responsible one.  She's very forgetful and can get distracted so some of the most simplest task take forever to get done, or she has to ask me a million times "What did you say?"  So this job will help put her on the right track to becoming responsible.  She is now responsible for creating her own schedule and making sure she is assisting people correctly in the summer reading program.  Having a job is a huge responsibility and with each task she is becoming more responsible.

So just say I'm one proud mama to have my 11 year working this summer.  I'm so glad that she is taking this interest and is getting so much out of it.  I had a proud moment the day I came to pick her up and she stayed a little over the time showing one of the Librarians how the summer reading program works.  Of course there are those negative ones who thinks that she shouldn't be working for free but she is getting so much out of this experience and it's the start of so many amazing things to come.  She's on the right track and I hope every year she takes this initiative and continue to make mama proud!

Mrs. J

Monday, July 3, 2017

Goodbye June, Hello July

Half of this year is already gone.  It seems like time goes by faster as the years pass.  Just a few months ago I was walking into 2017 not ready, not prepared.  Now here it is 6 months later I'm stronger than ever!

June was the first full month of summer vacation and my journey to becoming unplugged from the world and exercising my right to say "NO" to people.  I'm trying to live worry free and just live for me because life can be overwhelming if you allow it.  So I'm all about not stressing and enjoying life.  But overall, June was good.  The kids and I didn't do much because I took the time to just relax... waking up when I wanted to (even though most days it was still 5 am)... taking naps here and there... following no schedule.  It worked because I feel so much better.  I needed that time.



In the month of May I was so hyped because I lost 10 lbs, so I just knew I would lose 10 more in June.  Well that didn't happened.  My weight didn't change at all (thankfully no weight gain though), but it's ok... no setback here.  I did start back exercising in the month of June.  Mainly walking 3 miles 5 days a week with some quick at home workouts.  My eating habits are so much better and I continue to make healthier food choices.  So I'm pretty confident on this journey and I'm happy with the progress.


Since June was a quiet month with not much going on besides relaxing, I plan to spend July getting out more and doing things.  I'm predicting many trips to the beach, waterpark, and any other excursions that will allow us family time to bond.  I also plan to continue my weight loss journey and I'm pumped to watch my transformation.  I'm super excited for what the month of July will bring and I'm ready to get it started!

Letting Go

As our kids get older we as parents have to learn to let go.  We raise them and guide them through life, but then we have to give them their...