Category: Opinion

Family, Opinion

Flashback Friday #3 – Family Resemblance

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As we get older we start to notice resemblances we share with certain family members, whether or not we like it. Scrolling through photos on my phone, I realized how much Leo and I look like my mom and me when I was younger. 

Here is a photo of my mom and me. She is about 23 and I am about 3 years old. 


Now here is a photo of Leo and I today. I’m 25 and he is 2 1/2. 


It’s crazy seeing how much I have become to look like my mom and how I can look at my own son and see so much of me as a child. He is my mini twin. It is crazy to think, this little man is my baby and looks so much like but is his own person. 


Above is a photo of me on the left and Leo on the right. 

Leo may look like me but his personality it completely different from mine. We only share small characteristics. I love my family and wouldn’t want it any other way. I think it’s amazing to see genetics at work in a families resemblance to each other. 

Let me know if you or another family member share some major resemblances. And let me know what you think of the above photos 😉

Advice/Tips, Family, Opinion, Relationships

Marriage Tip #2 – Keep Dating

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Some people fall into a rut once they get married and the one thing I’ve learned to remember is, when you get married that doesn’t mean you stop dating. Before you get the wrong idea, just take a moment to think about it. 

By continuing to date your spouse, that means you don’t stop going on date nights, or doing the small cute things for one another like writing notes or doing small surprises. I’ve made a short list of a few keys to dating your spouse and what that means exactly. 

  1. Don’t forget the small things – All that means is to remember it’s the small daily things that show each and every day that you choose them as your love and appreciate them. That even means holding hands, just some small physical contact creates a strong bond. 
  2. Don’t forget to laugh – Getting to share moments of laughter really strengthen the bond in a relationship. It’s crucial to be able to laugh with someone and enjoy each other’s company. 
  3. Don’t forget to celebrate your love – Even if you aren’t into Valentine’s Day, it means so much to give a gift to your partner just to show you care and go out of your way for the other. 
  4. Try new things together – Whether that means new food or learning how to dance, it is always fun to feel the sense of adventure and brings you closer together as you learn something. 

All I’m saying is don’t lose your spontaneous, playful, meaningful and child-at-heart relationship with your spouse.

Family, Opinion

Memorial Day 2016

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Many forget the true purpose of Memorial Day and use it to party since it is a 3 day weekend. However, Memorial Day is a day to honor all fallen service men and women that have died to protect this country and our freedom. 

My family has been highly involved in the military over the years and it makes me proud knowing they have done so much to protect not only their family and freedom but that of complete strangers across the country. I would like to give a special thank you to both my great grandfathers for their involvement. They were wonderful men and played an important role in my life growing up. They were my heroes and will always be. 

As some of you may know, my husband served in Afghanistan for a few years. He is combat USMC veteran now. He has become such an amazing husband and father. 


For all the service men and women out there fighting for our freedom today, thank you. Without them, this country wouldn’t be what it is and many people take their freedom for granted. 


For all the fallen, thank you for your sacrifice. Your death has not been in vain and you will always be remembered. 

I hope everyone takes a minute today to be grateful for the risks our servicemen put themselves in to protect this great country. And remember the fallen for giving their all. 

Happy Memorial Day!!

Family, Opinion

Flashback Friday #2 – Childhood Before Technological Integration

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Since I’ve got two little ones of my own, I am amazed at how much they understand and crave technology. Kids today are growing up in a completely different way with technology at their fingertips. Everywhere you go, kids on iPads, iPhones and they know how to use them better than most adults! It’s frightening


When I was growing up, some technology was becoming popular but not common. For fun we would go outside and play games or pass a ball around or go exploring our town with friends. Today, kids watch others on youtube, chat with complete strangers over messaging apps and would rather browse Facebook than go socialize in the real world. 


I watch my own children and I can see how easy it is to let them get absorbed into technology. It keeps them busy and makes getting things done with kids easier. But at the same time, they have an attachment to the devices and throw the biggest tantrums when they are taken away. With that being said, I’ve been really trying to get them to experience some of the same thing I did as a kid but that means no iPad aka no life source. 


I remember the good days when we would build forts out of anything and everything we could find, we actually spent time engaging with our friends when we hung out with them, we would wander our town looking for an adventure, we made up the most absurd games or activities to entertain ourselves and nobody had to worry about anyone recording you when you acted crazy or funny. We traded cards and most games were made out of paper. 


I know I can’t stop the way things are but I hope to instill some sense of adventure and curiousity for life outside of the Internet. 

If any of y’all have some good memories of childhood before the Internet, comment below with your favorite ones! 😋

Advice/Tips, Opinion

Summer Hacks

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In honor of the start of summer, I have come up with a few hacks I’ve learned over the years that have saved me stress, money and/or time. Depending on where you live, they may not all apply but still good to know. 😉

  • If you are like me, then you probably worry about leaving your valuables when you get in the water. Only since having kids, I use a new diaper. Put all your valuables in the clean diaper and roll up to look used. Nobody will ever touch it 😜
  • If you’ve ever been at the beach, then you know that feeling of dryness from the ocean mist. Use a spray bottle filled with green tea to spray on to keep yourself refreshed and moisturized. 
  • It can seem like as much as you try and dust off the sand, you never can seem to get it all off. Put baby powder on and then dust again, it all comes off. 
  • It’s annoying when sand gets in your  drink. Use press and seal on top and poke a straw through. 
  • Want to get tan faster? Going on a walk or swimming gets you more tan than laying out. The higher your heart rate, the faster you tan. 
  • Hate getting sand all over your car from the towels and toys? Bring grocery bags to put everything in.
  • Sunburnt? Use aloe vera gel or soaked tea bags to take the burn away. 
  • Want the ‘just been at the beach’ wavy hair? Mix together 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon coconut oil and 1 teaspoon hair gel


Well there you have it! Just a few simple tips for summer. Hope y’all enjoy your summer!!

Comment below with any other summer tip or what your summer plans are 😉

    Family, Opinion

    Motivation Monday #1 – One of a Kind

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    It seems like every way I turn, I hear or see people trying to be like a Kardashian or Ariana Grande or Justin Beiber. What ever happened to being ourselves and being unique? People think we all need to strive to be ‘perfect’ but in reality, nobody is perfect. What classifies someone or something as perfect? Everything is in perspective. I think people need to recognize what makes them different and really enjoy doing what makes them happy. People need to stop trying to be an imitation of someone else and be their own unique, one-of-a-kind person. 

    I am by no means perfect but I am happy being me and being different. Everyone has something special and unique about them but we just need to acknowledge it and use it. Even the things in our lives that seem like a negative can be turned around and made into a positive. I can list a few things about myself that I feel makes me who I am. 

    • I come from a broken and mixed family but I love that we are all different but still connected. 
    • I am proud of my ethnicity. I am 25% Cherokee Indian, 25% Japanese, and the rest is a mix of German, French and Irish.
    • I am still a child at heart and love cartoons and art n’ crafts. 
    • I had my gallbladder removed 😁
    • I laugh at my own jokes. 
    • I’ve been through some hard events that have made me stronger. 
    • I have a love for all things country: music, dance, attire. 
    • I have vitiligo and psoriasis
    • I had a tumor that was removed. 
    •  I love the rain. 
    • I’m weird and love it 😜

    What I’m trying to get at is, stop trying to be something you’re not and be happy with what you have been given. We were all made different for a reason, life would be boring if we were all the same so embrace your irreplaceable self! Be your own one-of-a-kind!

    Opinion

    My Favorites

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    Since some of you may not know me, I figured listing some of my favorite things would give y’all more of an idea of who I am. So I’ll start with some basic ones and then get to more unique ones. If you have more questions for me, post them in the comments and I’ll let you know! 🙂

    1. Color? Purple
    2. Number? 7 and 13
    3. Animal? Lion
    4. Food? Sushi
    5. Book? Way too many to name
    6. Season? Summer, I LOVE the beach
    7. Ice Cream? Mint Chocolate Chip 
    8. Game? Scattegories
    9. Makeup? I don’t wear much but I love lipsticks 
    10. Sport? To watch-baseball, soccer, basketball and gymnastics. To play-swimming, soccer and running
    11. School Subject? English
    12. Music Genre? Country mainly but I listen to a bit of everything
    13. Drink? Sweet Tea or any kind of tea
    14. Holiday? Christmas because of the lights and being able to celebrate with my family
    15. Painting? Starry Night by Van Gogh
    16. TV Shows? Greys Anatomy, Amazing Race, The Voice, Strong, 20/20, Dateline and 48 Hours
    17. Movies? All Harry Potter and LOTR, Age of Adeline, Star Wars, Unbroken and so so many more…
    18. Superhero? Male-batman, female-Wonder Woman
    19. Anime? Sword Art Online
    20. Way of Travel? Train

    I’d love to hear what your favorites are so comment below with your answers! Let’s see how much we have in common! 🙂