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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