I'm so glad that you found my page!  I have created this blog as a place for me to share any tips and tricks for being a mom and wife of 3 crazy kids!  I have been blessed to be a fulltime mom for the last few years and I found it very lonely and isolating (especially with a pandemic and virtual school thrown into that mix)!  It's easy to let yourself get lost in the survival mode of being a primary caregiver and pouring yourself into those "little" bundles of joy and lose sight of yourself.  It's so important that we make the time to prioritize self-care because let's face, we are worth it!  We won't be able to be the best caregivers if we have an empty bucket so we need to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves in anyway that we can manage at the moment (and recognizing that life is full of complications and interruptions)!  I've been rebuilding myself and redefining my purpose and if I can offer even one person a  new idea or strategy to try to make their life a little healthier (in any sense of the word....physically is the most obvious but also emotionally, socially, and spiritually)!

In this season of life, I'm working on redefining my "normal" based on what makes my heart happy, which is a sliding scale as well!  I have created this blog to help empower others:  knowledge that you're not alone in your struggles, to offer some motivation and inspiration in a variety of forms (crafts, music, quotes, etc) as well as to share with you some very influential small businesses that have changed my life and are a daily part of my new "normal".

It doesn't cost you a thing to smile and wave at a stranger on your walk or ask the checkout person how their day is going or to pay for the drink of the car behind you once in a while!  If we all share just a little bit more love and happiness, it will spread like wildfire and make your world a happier place!

It's a work in progress so please keep checking back for some new updates! I have some fun ideas of things I want to share with you but it will all unfold in time!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

As a culture, we have not put much positive attention on mental health but every single person could use some support with their mental health (if nothing else, a quick check in to make sure all is good)!  The pandemic really did a number to so many peoples' mental health but  we still don't openly talk about it in general.  I'm working to change that stigma, at least in my own circle.  

I can remember having struggles with my own mental health as a young child.  I struggled to fit in and to keep friends because of reasons beyond my control.  I always felt like I had a mother-type role with my siblings and that I missed out on the truly carefree life of a child.  I had spells when I was growing up that I prayed to God every night to take me because I couldn't tolerate the life that I was forced to live.  At that time, no one talked about mental health and I remember being told that I had no reason to be sad and that I had a wonderful life.  The hard part that I have discovered on my journey myself and supporting my children on their own mental health journeys' is that when you are "in the thick of it", you can't see anything but the darkness that surrounds you.  I have worked so hard to do things differently in raising my own children to try to better support their needs and I'm still running into the same types of feelings I struggled with as a child.

As an adult, the last 2-3 years has been incredibly taxing on my mental health.  The pandemic tore our origin family apart and showed me true colors of those who I used to call family.  I have been through so much in these last couple of years, I could probably write a book about it all but at this point, I'm working to let go of the pain and abuse that I endured and to take those invaluable lessons that others' provided me and to do better; be better.  God has saved me from those toxic relationships and I have felt that love and support from Him and I will continue to keep my family small yet mighty, knowing that my true family loves and supports me no matter what.

During this time frame, I have also struggled with passive suicidal ideations, which is another way to say that I have regular thoughts of not wanting to be here but without a plan to act on it.  There have been so many times on this healing journey when I don't think that I can handle any more of the pain and the hurt but I have to trust that He is watching over me and that He has a plan for me.  I have worked hard to create new self-love routines to help turn my mood around, especially when I am feeling those dark feelings creep back in my mind.  I have a great professional support system as well as the love and encouragement of the family that I have created for myself.  I will not let those dark thoughts take control and I will continue to work hard daily to keep them passive thoughts, with less frequency and intensity over time. 

While May is Mental Health Awareness month, any time is a good time to just reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while to just check in and see how they are doing; really doing on a deeper level.  You never know who you might save!  Let's break the negative stigmas about mental health and suicide by talking about them with others and not letting them have such a negative control over our lives!

💜♾️ My Heart Belongs to You ♾️💜