*D✖3*

1.) Great Wolf Lodge : this is a cool indoor/outdoor water park with camping theme hotel rooms for kids. I know my kids would have an amazing time here! 2.) Essence Festival: I have heard so many great stories about the Essence Festival and all the versatile events that are held. 3.) Myrtle Beach, SC: Such a nostalgic location for me to go. I grew up going here and can't wait to create new memories with my spouse and kids. 4.)Universal Studios: I'm such a kid at heart and my husband knows that we have to take an exclusive trip here without the kids so I can spend the day in lines riding as many rides as my stomach can handle. 5.) ATL: My husband and I have an extensive list of places to visit in the affluent city of Atlanta. Definitely can't wait! 6.) Miami Beach: Beach trips are my favorite and I'm looking forward to visiting Miami Beach for the first time!

    It seems like every end of the year is filled with talks about new goals, wants, and needs.  Some are realistic and others are outrageous.  Some will be fulfilled and others will fall by the wayside. I've been thinking of a few things I want to work towards for awhile now. Since the new year is coming in I decided I may as well get this list written out now. Here's a few things I had in mind..... 1.) Continue to save adamantly for emergencies, retirement, kids educational needs, etc. 2.) `Start doing community service projects. 3.)  Be more active at children's schools. 4.)  Carve out more quality family time. 5.)  Wear out natural hair more. 6.) Focus on mindfulness. 7.) Exercise routinely.  8.) Grow more spiritually. 9.) Build more confidence. 10.) Start pre reqs for nursing degree. 11.) Eat less fast foods. 12.) Eat correct servings of fruits and vegetables. 13.) Stress less. 14.) Learn more relaxation techniques. 15.) Complain less. 16.) Enjoy the fruits of my labor

    December is wrapping up and I'm still spending the last few days going over my busy year.  On my last post I talked about adamantly saving and proving to myself I can start savings. I had to be willing to exercise discipline, time to fail, and determination to make this possible. I want to leave 2020 knowing I have to finish the good things I started. I gained another school certification and it helped me get a better job, but my educational journey isn't over. I started a boutique with my spouse, but we have to continue to work towards building up our business. I was able to publish my first book after years of having material put aside, but I have to put forth more practice and skill in order to be a better author. I committed to working on a journal and for the first time ever I managed to keep writing through the whole year. I'm overall happy and proud about how my family pioneered through this tumultuous year. We conquered virtual learning, car trouble, marriage re

Happy December! It's truly flying by and 2021 is almost here! I've spent the last few weeks working like crazy, doing virtual learning with my kids, and reflecting on the year. I've learned a lot this year. It's been a testing year for many. For me it's been a year full of accomplishments, trials,  laughter, tears, reconciliation, etc. I'm happy to be finishing this year with a hospital work position,  another education certificate, a newborn that completed my family perfectly, the release of my first book, a new boutique with my spouse, a little savings, and good health. I've learned a lot during 2020 and I plan on utilizing  this info as I progress. I learned that by being "proactive" and  not "reactive I did indeed get a lot further in my personal relationships and my professional life. I got this concept from the book, "7 Habits of a Highly Effective Person." I'm emotional by nature and it's extremely easy for me to react

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I'm already pretty exhausted. I started cooking before hand, but yet I'm finding myself still freaking out about the food. I'm trying not to be a perfectionist and it's not going well. For the most part I'm done cleaning besides mopping. Then I have 2/4 kids bathed and  dressed. Time is still ticking and I have to do one of my daughter's hair. I'm upset because my deviled eggs froze in my refrigerator 😐 Deviled eggs are my husband's favorite and now I'm trying to quickly  boil some more. I don't have a lot of eggs left though so I'm sort of just winging it at this point. Then my mother in law will be coming so obviously the pressure for perfection is high. I'm excited though to have quality time with my family and I have a lot to be appreciative about amid the pandemic. I hope everyone is holding up as best as they can with all that's going on in the world. Look for the silver linings as you Thank God for what y

       My three children are all extremely unique and different from each other. My first child is my son. He is very book smart and thrives on extended periods of imaginative play. I'd describe him as being very sharp!  He's that kid that knows if we are eating hot dogs he needs to grab ketchup from the refrigerator. If he glances in the refrigerator and notices we are low on food, he's telling me we have to go to the store for more food. My son is keen and always taking control of situations with his siblings. He's a true "rule follower" and is on everyone's case if they're doing anything I'd be against. It's really amazing how he has my expectations figured out to a science and he rarely acts undisciplined.      My middle child is a bit different. She's not into book smarts, but she is so socially/emotionally intelligent that it blows me away. She can pick up on social cues better than some adults. If she observes me looking exhausted f

 Today has been overwhelmingly exciting. I took a huge first step of courage and finally put out some of my work. I've been filling notebooks up for years with many untold stories.  Stories that invoke the most creative side of me. These stories are not just about characters undergoing challenges and overcoming them. They're about me pushing myself passed my limits and having the courage to pursue my dreams. I've been extremely shy about sharing my work in the past, but I have tried over the years to be more open. Be more unapologetic, be more confident in my gifts, and strive to be unafraid of people opinions of me. I always spent years writing and trying to decide what I thought was worthy to be published. I was searching for a perfect story in my notebook, and forgetting I don't write to be perfect. I write because it's my passion! It's what I love to do most when I bury myself in my home and want to relax. Storylines swim through my head until I finally turn

         Many people don't like labels. They say they don't like to be categorized. I listened to an interview of one of my former childhood role models Raven Symone and she discussed how she didn't feel like an African American fit who she was. She discussed how being categorized made her feel limited. This comment sparked controversy as well as other racial commentary she has made in the last couple of years. However, I pondered if I was offended. At first, I immediately was offended because all my ears heard was that she doesn't feel like she's a black person. After all, she publicly identified as black at the convenience of black households supporting her movies, clothes, and other Disney ventures. Then, I thought about what else she said and I realized I don't like labels either. I don't like the categories America shove blacks in or the stereotypes that follow. These labels are the only mainstream exposure our white and Hispanic counterparts know abou

  Things are hectic lately! I have so many responsibilities piling up! I'm trying to  become more organized. Having a large family size comes with a lot of schedules to accommodate. I've been looking at meal prepping ideas for awhile. With us being so busy it's not always possible for me to cook a full course meal in a timely manner. I also tend to get tired of fast food. I can't eat fast food a lot. I'm really accustomed to cooking and eating full meals. Fixing food in advance will help me make less trips to fast food restaurants. Some benefits I read about is that food prepping will result in a quicker trip to the store, less card swiping, and even less overeating. So I finally gave this a shot!   THE RESULTS My trip to the store was maybe 20 minutes shorter. I spent about $90 and was able to make about 9 meals. So I guess I spent about $10 per meal. This is good because my husband and I usually spend about $10 per combo plus whatever my kids will order when eatin

 Happy November! Amid my absence from posting I've been adjusting to my newest job, my son physically going to school for the first time with a mask, making time for my two younger children, and trying to help my step daughter deal with mental growing pains. My days have been super full and occupied. I'm trying to slow down and keep up with the demand. Thanksgiving  is just a few short weeks away and I can't wait! Cooking is extremely therapeutic for me! On top of that, our family  decorates our Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving dinner. I love this time of year and can't help but feel festive! It's been a lot going on this year so I'm happy the holidays are swinging around. I load my children up with crafts and family activities around this time of year. I've been really focused on keeping them in good spirit because it's easy for children to absorb their parents emotions and become down. Elections are done in the US and hopefully some of the disco

Ingredients: *  Boneless chicken breasts * Cooked medium shrimp *A box of penne * Parmesan Cheese * A container of  Alfredo Sauce (any will work) This meal is moderately easy and doesn't take long to prepare. I usually start boiling water for my pasta before doing anything else. After that I start cleaning my shrimp and chicken at different times and sit them separately and deal with them one at a time so you don't cross contaminate. Once everything is clean you can cut your chicken breast in small chunks and  start seasoning. Everyone has different preferences for seasoning but I usually use a seasoning salt and pepper. I don't like to over do it because I'll add some butter to the pans while my food is cooking and I don't want it too salty.  I cook my shrimp in a frying pan and my chicken in another one so they can cook at the same time . I add a little extra virgin olive oil and water and a little butter to both frying pans. Once the water is boiling for my pasta

 Happy October!!! Despite the stubborn virus lingering around people are decorating for Halloween and Fall all over my town. Our Fall fair was canceled 2 months ago from the fear of the virus numbers increasing. It's a little bit of a downer for the kids but my wallet is rejoicing. These days have been busy for me. From virtual learning to tending to my new family size  the thought of the holidays swinging around have been just as exciting as irritating. The kids and I got in the Fall spirit and decorated our front porch with little ghost that you have to fill the head with newspaper and tie a string around. We stuck them in all our flower pots and stuck decorative spiders around the house and door. I also gave the kids pumpkin leaf bags to fill. They thought this was fun until they realized how many leaves were needed to fill the bags. We settled for half full bags and moved on. I had the fake spider webs that are sold around this time but I couldn't get it stretched out right

    I'm a sufferer of chronic sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is when you can't move or talk while falling asleep or when you are trying to wake up. Horrifying is an understatement to describe these experiences. You are very aware that you want to wake up and can even hear your own thoughts, but you can not gain full consciousness. It's really terrifying because no matter how bad you want to wake up you just can not. On top of that usually there's a crazy nightmare taking place while you are going through this. This occurs because of the sleep stages we experience. A person with sleep paralysis usually is not going through the sleep cycles normally. This lapse in the sleep cycles causes this phenomenon. It's something I've dealt with for years. When I was younger I didn't put much thought into this having a name. I honestly just thought I was having regular nightmares. I would pray and wake up like nothing happened. Around 2012, I decided to Google search t

     My highly sensitive trait is contributing to my workplace anxiety tremendously. I don't do well when I'm dealing with  unorganized work instructions and add a little bit of thick animosity between co workers, and it's a wrap! I can't function in the midst of drama. It makes me feel angry, nervous, antsy, paranoid, etc. I don't like feeling like I'm thrown into the middle of people problems with one another. I was extremely excited about being at a new job! I've just hit a month and it's officially the end of my reign at this job. I've spent the whole day  in deep reflection about it. I take work extremely serious! No matter what wages I earn, I treat each job the same.  I put my best foot forward, and just do what I know I'm suppose to. However, I don't like when I don't see workplace respect in places I work. I know the work world is cut throat, and it's a place of business but I still expect not to be treated like an inferior

    It's always tough when my spouse and I work different work shifts. We have had our share of working different schedules. This is extremely difficult mentally and emotionally sometimes. It's hard to find quality time with one another when our sleep schedules are opposite due to work and the other demands of life. Over the years we have worked very diligently on finding ways to repair our lost time. When possible, we eat lunch together, talk on the phone rather than text during work breaks to catch up on each other's day, play board games, exercise together, cook together, clean together etc. We use to wreck our brains on how to make time for one another when we were off work and complain about how little time we had, but then it occurred to us that spending time doesn't have to be going on our date nights( which we do enjoy) but it's making time to touch base and connect with each other throughout our days when we're not together. It's about doing things

    It's been about a month of virtual learning for my household. Every other week is tougher than the other. We get my step daughter every other week and it gives me two children needing to be signed into their virtual classrooms at one time. This has been extremely annoying to say the least. Between my ever changing work schedule and my husband's exhausting over night shift the stress of forcing time to get them logged in is tremendous. I feel that parents who don't have a set working schedule are struggling with this time imposed sanction. Last Spring, we just had assignments that had to be turned in by the end of the day and the teachers had videos recorded for them to look at. I think that this was more considerate for my  kids under the age of 12 rather than having them sitting on a Zoom meeting for an extending time. My pre - schooler is doing well because his teachers have cut their schedule up decently. It's still inconvenient,  due to the fact I'm constant

My career plan is in retrograde. Owing tuition, fighting for a dignified job in the meantime, studying for the TEAS test, and dealing with a host of rude potential employers with raggedy work conditions awaiting once an orientation is scheduled has me feeling like I CAN'T WIN! I'm at a crossroad and I'm about to make a decision. This year I've prided myself on being "proactive and not reactive." I promised myself I wouldn't fly off the handle no matter what traumatic issues I faced. I'm ready to throw in the towel. I feel like I've push so much to get my pre reqs but yet still I feel stuck. It's nearly impossible to get a job at the hospital at this point and I've had all I can take working in adult assisting living homes. It's not the pay but it's about not having adequate clinical experience. When I took my CNA II class, I was so inexperienced at patient care (relating to hospital concepts)  I'm considering going back to the d

    Hectic days and a hungry baby keeping me up at night describe the basis of my last few months. I haven't had much time with my friends at all. We try to utilize technology to keep in touch like most people. Sometimes our phone convos are long with juicy gossip, and other days we barely get anything out before one of us rush off the phone. We've all been diagnosed with super busy lives since high school. Jobs, college, significant others, and kids now demand our attention. Everyday we'd consistently touch base in school, be inseparable after, and spend our weekends as if we were nocturnal. It's so amazing how fast time flies by! Literally, it doesn't feel like all these events in life would pass so quickly. I really miss our adventures to the mall and our downtown walks. We'd listen to street performers and ride around for hours. I know one day we will be able to enhance these moments to fit our lives now. Occasionally, we host girl nights and cook for each o

    It's almost election time in the US. Therefore, it's the time of year where the worst sides of both political parties start to show. However, political banter doesn't usually spark my interest. It's the same thing every four years. This candidate will do this and this one will not do this....blah, blah, blah. Conventions are thrown with corny jokes circulating. It's literally the same thing every time, just a different year with different people.  Both parties get tons of people to endorse their campaigns, so I wasn't that sure why Candice Owens (an ex democrat, current republican) was so outraged by Joe Biden having an interview with Cardi B ( tv personality/rap artist) I just wasn't sure why the confusion with "pandering" That is very common when you're trying to appeal to different Americans to secure votes. I'm not saying I agree with the strategy, but to go out of the way and insult an artist just because their background is extrem

    No one likes marital conflict. However, it's unlikely you'll never bump heads in your relationship. Sometimes these arguments can cause so much tension between you two and increase your stress levels. It's easy to speak out of anger during these times and lash out in the heat of the moment. Here's a list of some do's and don'ts of arguing with your significant other. DO'S Listen empathetically and think before you speak. Practice deep breathing techniques and self discipline during arguments.  Remember your spouse is not your enemy.   Forgive and forget small matters. DONT'S  Say or do anything you'll regret in a few minutes. (You can't take words back)  Try to be spiteful and seek revenge on your spouse if they offended you in someway. Gossip harshly about your spouse to others. (Limit what intimate details you choose to share) Resort to violence during arguments and lose control. (It's not worth it!)

    Reading has always been my favorite hobby. Since I was a child, I have always been in love with reading! As an adult, I still force time in my busy schedule to do so. Reading can be entertaining and educational of course. During my marriage, I have found myself researching so many different concepts relating to the psychology behind relationships to the spirituality of relationships. Here's a list of my favorite top 5 relationship books and why: 1.)  Five Love Languages: Gary Chapman is one of my favorite authors. This book gives the simple formula of how to show your significant other love based on how they define it and what makes them feel admired. 2.) 7 Principles of Marriage: This book is really informative and gives 7 principles found in most effective marriages. 3.) Power of a Praying Wife: This book is a great option if you believe in the power of prayer. It emphasizes how to stop fighting in your marriage, and how to take those frustrations to God. This can be a challe

 I've been researching and dreaming of my oldest child's first day of school for years. After months of stalling and miscommunications, I got an email confirmation for his virtual learning. I am so stirred with emotions about this! This isn't exactly how I pictured things to be. I always imagined my husband hauling me away as I cry my eyes out seeing our son tackle a huge milestone in his 5 years of life. His first year starting his school record, his foundation for his years following, a day I'd reflect on at his high school graduation! I know I'm way ahead of myself, but my vivid imagination has had this vision for years. Now that it's pretty much here I just picture myself grudgingly waking up, trying to look alert on our webcam, fighting my ever changing work schedule so I can get him signed on, and how many instructions will I need to give my husband so things will run smooth when I'm absent. Whew, my brain is overworked just thinking about it!!! Luckil

 It's been about a month since my last blog post. August has been tough on my mental health. I've spent this month rejuvenating. I've found myself taking time out to focus and prioritize the things in my life. I think it's important to have time for reflection. Time to  pick through your list of goals, reanalyze financial budgets you've made for yourself, remap your path of success when necessary, etc. Sometimes life's pace picks up rapidly, but it's so vital that you take care of yourself during those times. It's easy to shrug off the idea that burnout is real! However, put back the care that you put out. Especially, if you're a wife and mother. Getting in the routine of constantly taking care of everyone needs can really tire you out, so please  remember to take care of your own needs as well. You can love and support everyone in your life better when you're at your best. But if you're at the brim of burnout , anxiety, depression, exhaustio

Step parenting isn't exactly in the spotlight when it comes to family dynamics. The "mean" step parent narrative is ages old, but some people can't move forward. As a step parent, I work hard to break this belief. It's important to me that my step kids understand that MY house is THEIR house. I push for them to understand I'm an addition to their family life, not in any shape or form a replacement. However, it's difficult to BLEND families when everyone can't be on one page. You'd think it wouldn't be a debate about children schedules, children diets, and the importance of both biological parents being in their children life. But I'll tell you first hand I've watched my husband go to and from custody court and child support court trying to do what a Dad is suppose to do when he doesn't want to be with former partners and still wants to take care of his children. It's been many hurdles and the only ones truly affected by these is

As a kid, Myspace was a creative haven for me. I'd put so much time into going on various websites to find codes for my backgrounds, making mental notes for songs I liked so I'd remember to add them to my playlist, and critically picking my top group of friends. Once the Myspace craze ended, I reluctantly made a Facebook upon starting high school. I'd heard of it previously but took no interest. I was more into the likes of Twitter at this time. I could customize my background, read my favorite celebrity tweets, and relentlessly tweet (until going to Twitter jail). I went through my phase of checking my Facebook every 5 mins and quickly moved on to Instagram and Tumblr. Fast Forward a few years into my early adulthood and social media repulses me. Seriously, I hate feeling the obligation to let everyone from high school know life's still good to me. I'm extremely private so it's hard to share intimate moments with people I barely know anymore. On top of that I h

I've been contemplating on my mental state of mind and the impact others can have on me. As an HSP (highly sensitive person) I tend to soak up so many emotions. This has led me to actively seek out more info on energy absorption. This is a belief that people are able to give off good and bad energy. Depending on their energy, it can have a good impact or negative impact on you. If someone has a bad aura it's destined to ward off on others. Not only that, but a person with a bad aura is destined to cause bad things to happen. Consider people like this "agents of chaos." They disrupt situations and are problematic. They have bad attitudes and personalities. A lot of them also feel empowered when they can bring others down. It's important to be cautious about the company you keep around you. Superficial people will seek friendships based on what they can gain from being around you. They don't care about you on a genuine level, it's a friendship that benefits

Recently, online this "entanglement" phrase has gotten a lot of attention. It's been memes and comments circulating like crazy. I'm honestly not enthused about people joking over such a serious common issue many people find themselves in. Despite, romantic comedies trying to convince people that love triangles are harmless and end great, real life definitely differs. People find themselves hurt badly when they are left on the outskirts. Especially when it involves a married couple. When a married couple decides to separate the person that gets "entangled" with one of those people have an increased chance of being hurt. There's quite a few reasons why this can happen. It's been proven that 40% of married couples attempt reconciliation within their marriage. Therefore, for starters some people have invested so much emotionally, spiritually, financially, etc into their marriages they still feel such a strong connection with their spouses. Also, sometime

You'd think people had enough things in their life to figure out instead of going around trying to force issues into existence. Some people feel good about causing turmoil and keeping drama alive. I'm at a place in my life where strife is a waste of my time. My family and I are fully focused on progressing and raising our children to be driven individuals. The world would be a better place if people learned that conflict doesn't fix personal issues. You can come at people aggressively and that still doesn't change the problems you harbor inside. Fix yourself, it'll save you so many burdens. If you're not happy with the life you live, it's your responsibility to fix it. If you are not happy with the way your children are being raised, give those kids the opportunities you didn't have as a child. However, don't blame others for the lackluster life you pick for yourself. Don't lack accountability for the actions you choose that hurt your future. Don

Happy July, hope it's been going well for everyone! I've been suffocating behind my face masks trying to finish up my CNA II class. A CNA II is a certified nursing assistant that has more responsibilities than a CNA I relating to patient care. I'm trying to bulldoze my way through this course with hopes of landing a hospital job on the birthing unit floor. Truthfully, any job as a CNA II will be a breakthrough for me. I've seen some ugly days as a CNA I and also working as Personal Care Aid before my certification. By ugly I'm not describing the job itself, but that "weird" part of healthcare where you realize GOOD health insurance matters !!! Long hours, extremely low pay, barely hanging on facilities, and shortened staff are a few  familiar conditions for me.  CNA II 's are still subject to CNA I duties, but it comes with a pay increase, more places to work at, and useful nursing skills that'll be good for a nursing program. I've already hear

Took a week off from media outlet information. I did a full cleanse from my favorite gossip YouTube channels, radiobroadcasts, news, and news article updates that explode my notifications daily. Really felt as if I needed to cleanse my thoughts and reset mentally. NC mandated for masks to be worn 24/7 due to the numbers increasing of virus cases. Truthfully, when nothing's closed and no vaccines have been concocted the numbers will continue to rise. I'm tired of masks though. Especially, since technically we need N-95 masks for airborne precautions. But I trudged through the stores with my black lives matter mask, perfect for today's racial climate. I'm sick of racism to the bottom of my core! No matter how many cinematic slave movies I skip, police brutality videos I no longer watch, and racial undertones I force myself to ignore, these social injustices haunt my mental mindset. This past weekend did nothing more than increase my mental anguish. My husband and I have b

Today, we're wasting no time diving into the topic at hand! Menstrual cycles for some women are very problematic. Body aches and hormone fluctuations can leave you exhausted. Mood swings captivate your vibe and everyone around you feels your wrath. If you are a woman that has painful monthly cycles don't keep ignoring your pain. Start preparing for that time of the month. For starters, always have your feminine products on hand. The last thing you want to do is be completely out when things get flowing. While you're at the store stock up on a pain reliever that's safe for you to take. If you're unsure be sure to ask your doctor.  It's more effective to take your pain reducer before being in unbearable pain and waiting for it to kick in. Stock up on your favorite foods too because food cravings are common around this time. Your body may be physically tired so try to rest for short periods of time if you can't just rest for a long period of time. Hot compresse

Need some time for yourself? Are you a mom that goes non-stop? Do you always say "Yes" to everyone requests? Can you squeeze in a second of relaxation? As a mom sometimes it seems like your job is neverending. Your children rely on your strength, cooking, play skills, comforting, etc.  If you're married or dating your mind is in a whirlwind of thoughts on meeting the needs of your partner and helping them meet yours. Truly enough you are the backbone of your family. You are the glue that holds life together. But guess what?!?! You are not a super human. You also have to tend to yourself. I know it's easier said than done, but you have to put forth an effort to treat yourself well. Self care is so vital to your life journey! It's craving out well needed time to tend to your inner deepest needs. Don't ever feel guilty about making time for yourself! When you're recharged and at your best, everyone  in your house will appreciate your refreshing attitude.  Bur

The buzz of the pandemic has died down, whilst conversation surrounding America's police brutality concerns has risen to the forefront of all major media outlets. Like many affected by this issue, I have spent an immense amount of time processing my thoughts on this overly familiar issue in urban communities. Most importantly, I've been thinking about my children, and how they've been processing all this calamity. Today, we'll discuss ways to converse with your children about prejudices and racism. It's important to ask your children how they are feeling about these topics as they arise according to child psychologists. Even if they can't articulate exactly how they feel, it's essential to make them feel understood. Make time to educate them on equality and treating others with respect. The "Golden Rule" can go a long way! Explain the ignorance behind stereotypes, and how they create a false bias against different cultural groups. If you are creati

The third time is a charm?! At least that is what is commonly said. My spouse and I welcomed our third child just a few months ago. Since I've brought my "bundle of joy" home it's been non-stop bonding. With my other two kids life was racing by for me. I spent so much more time trying to have absolutely everything figured out about my life. I didn't realize it's okay to figure it out as I go. Life is so precious and goes by ever so quickly. So today we'll get into secure attachment and what it means for your infant. Secure attachment isn't about how great you provide for your child, or how many amazing Fisher Price toys you can lavish them with. It's about how you emotionally communicate with your baby by learning different cues and responding to them. Having a secure attachment with your baby makes them feel secured and confident. This is important because this secure attachment affects your infant  mentally, physically, intellectually, and emotio

This weekend was quite a wonderful time for me to show support to my hardworking spouse! We set up at our local flea market to make some clothing sales. My husband had been working on organizing this for a very long time, so it was extremely important for me to be there to help. The weekend went great! We got a lot accomplished and got to spend quality time together. Today,  we'll explore just a few ways to make support go a long way in your relationship. 1. Showing support brings you closer to your partner. 2. Tell your significant other how proud you are of them for anything they're working on. 3. Don't be afraid to ask how you can help. 4. Practice active listening so your favorite person knows they have your undivided attention. 5. A simple," I love you," is always nice to hear repetitively. 6. Have fun helping each other reach goals and accomplishing your dreams! Until Next Time,  *D✖3*

verywellmind.com The importance of communication is overly stressed. Especially, since statistics show it's the number one reason relationships fail. Anyone in a relationship know that when you're not on one page with your significant other things are rough. Most people don't know the vital role our brain plays in communication. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our communication. This area is located above our eyes. Our prefrontal cortex affects how we respond to others. So why is this important? This is important because our prefrontal cortex influences the way we speak. It's been proven that our responses change based on what we believe about the person we're speaking to. Studies have shown that when participants were told they were talking to people the same age their responses differed from when they were told they were talking to younger children. This information is valuable in how we treat our spouse. Sometimes we have fixated our minds on something o

Everyone needs it, but everyone uses it differently! Today, we're discussing different types of money personalities. The way you perceive your finances affects your children, so financial literacy is overly significant. Money Hoarders just have to hold on to every cent. These individuals take pride in saving and budgeting their income. Money Monks take a moral standpoint on their funds. They don't want their amount of money earned to turn them away from their spiritual beliefs. "Money is the root of all evil," for money monks. Spenders like to throw all their hard earned money away. They are driven by impulse, and their wallets reflect it! Avoiders don't care for the responsibilities that come with money management. Lack of knowledge and confidence in their income causes them to be apathetic about their financial state. Amassers love obtaining wealth and multiplying it. They have entrepreneurial spirits, and desire to make their money into generational wealth. Wer

Talks about fitness can be burdensome for some. You just don't want to think about all those diets you attempted or gym memberships that went to waste. It's important to still make it an integral part of your children's lives though. It's a good way to bond with your children, and set a good example. 1 hour of exercise is recommended for children 5 and up. 30 minutes of physical activity will still be beneficial for children under 5. Even your infant could use some tummy time in short intervals to help those arm and neck muscles strengthen. Exercising is not solely about weight loss! It helps your little one with their concentration skills and brain development. Exercising keeps fine and gross motor skills improving. Not to mention, it's a natural way to help decrease anxiety. You may think there's no way you can squeeze in time in your busy schedule. Just try to start small. Starting with one day a week isn't going to hurt you. Whether it's playing ball

(Killer of Brain Cells) If you are a human, and have been keeping up with the dysfunctional state of our world, then you've heard of E-Learning taking place. I'm well aware that classes are online for plenty of trades and degrees. However, I'm talking about E-Learning for my elementary school level step child, due to schools being closed the rest of the school year. I'd do anything to delete this app from ALL my devices! She's in third grade. Lessons are uploaded daily, and include all subjects. This may not sound major, but after hours of helping her complete lessons the last thing I want to see is a PE activity. We all know children of today are certainly technology magnets. With that comes the shortest attention spans. After just a second of my step daughter listening to her incredibly sweet monotone teacher, her mind is off frolicking through everything else she could do on the internet. On a more serious note, this style of learning has even saddened her a bit.

Have you ever heard the term, "Helicopter Parent?" If so, do you have any clue what it means? Don't fret, you're not alone. There's plenty of people that hear common phrases, but have no idea what they're all about. Today, we'll swiftly explore a few parenting types. A Helicopter parent is like that fly at the family BBQ. No matter how many times you swat at it, it doesn't go anywhere! This parent type love to keep their child's life in tact. They must be at the front lines for their children during the war of life. Next up, Lawnmower parenting . The lawnmower parent is going to get the job done with or without their child's consent. This parenting type won't allow anything to cause their child discomfort. Especially, when they can just attempt to sidestep everything coming their way. Now, that's how you play defense! Tiger parents are not to be forgotten, or at least their demands are not. These parents set the bar high, and expect not