It’s Day 2 of the mandatory 3 week long school closure here in my neck of the woods. It feels like Day 371!🤦‍♀️

Michigan is rapidly moving towards everything & everyone being locked down. Schools closed state wide, including the universities. Then large venues. Then casinos & movie theaters. And now bars & restaurants can only offer take out orders. People have been told to stay home if possible. Work from home if possible. No unnecessary traveling. Flights have been cancelled/delayed. Etc. Etc. Etc.

People are getting scared. The news & media have so many scrambling to get as much of everything that they possibly can. Even things they don’t need & won’t need. Because we, as humans, want to feel like we are in control of something, especially at times like these. The sad part is, those who are truly in need & at high risk, are having to go without because there’s nothing left. Toilet paper, kleenex, hand sanitizer, antibacterial soaps, disinfecting sprays & wipes, diapers, baby wipes, BABY FORMULA – all keeps getting wiped out of every store.

I’m not really sure how to feel about all of this quite yet. I’m not scared. I’m not going through panic mode and stocking up on everything. I’m not freaking out about being out of work(Thank God I have my Younique biz to fall back on🙌). I don’t feel like it’s the end of the world, like some are thinking. I honestly feel like the government & the media are making it out to be so much worse than it actually is. And so I’m very calm because I know GOD’S GOT THIS!!

Have faith. Pray. Spend time with your families. Build a stronger relationship with your kiddos. Have family dinners. Family game time. Movie nights. Read. Do whatever it takes to remain focused on the most important things in your life & I promise you, it’s not those 280 rolls of TP you’re hoarding!

Look around you. There are so very many things to be thankful for. The good Lord above has blessed you more than you realize. Remain calm. Turn off the news. Don’t read that media article. Don’t get so caught up in all the hype, that you forget to LIVE!! It may get “worse” before it gets better, but again, GOD’S GOT THIS!💯🥰💜

I’m going to start this with these 3 words – Superbowl Halftime Show🏈

You all know what I’m talking about. JLO & Shakira. I have seen so much criticism & judgement on social media the passed couple days!!

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, that’s fine. But the HATE that is coming out of grown ass peoples mouths is NOT OKAY!

Things like ‘disgusting,’ ‘slutty,’ ‘inappropriate,’ ’embarrassing,’ ‘strippers,’ etc. The list goes on and on. Oh & my personal favorites – ‘why did JLO keep grabbing her crotch;’ ‘the repeated vagina thrusting into the camera was a bit much;’ and ‘they might as well have been naked.’ 🤦‍♀️

Really?? Did Michael Jackson NOT repeatedly grab his junk every chance he got, while performing?? Did Adam Levine not take half of his clothes off at last years Superbowl Halftime Show?? But, apparently that was all ok, why? Because they are/were men? When a man behaves this way it’s considered hot and sexy. But when it’s a woman, she’s disgusting & slutty.

What’s disgusting is all the name calling & bashing!! Even if you didn’t like the Halftime Show, there’s absolutely no reason to be so degrading! Especially towards those who worked their asses off to get to where they are today!

As women, we should be cheering each other on! Not knocking each other down! At Younique, we strive to Uplift, Empower & Validate other women – and that’s something we should strive for every single day in our lives. But the behavior I’ve seen recently on social media, does the complete opposite of that!

While all some of you got out that halftime performance was stripper poles, crotch grabbing, and vagina thrusting – let me tell you what I got out of it;

I saw 2 powerful women who are so extremely comfortable in their own skin & have so much self confidence that they said ‘ya know what, I can grab my crotch, thrust my vagina, & climb a stripper pole if I want too, in front of millions of people & I don’t give a f*** what anyone has to say about it!’👊

That’s the type of confidence I want. That’s the type of self love I need. We all should want & need that!!💯

Do you ever have those moments in life when you come across someone, or you get a message, text or phone call from someone out of the blue, and you think, wow I really needed that today?

I’ve had those moments. There’s been days when I’ve been at my worst & all of sudden God puts someone in my path in some way, shape, or form, and it was exactly what I needed.

I have also been that “someone” to others before as well. Today was one of those times, but I’m not going to say names or tell anyone else’s business.

This “friend” of mine needed someone to talk to, but I didn’t know it. They have been having an extremely rough time for quite awhile, but I didn’t know it. They needed a friend & someone to listen, but I didn’t know it. They needed encouragement & support without judgement, but I didn’t know it.

You see, I don’t know this person very well, and they don’t know me very well, but that didn’t matter. We know of each other, but not on a very personal level, but that didn’t matter.

So this morning when I got a private message from them in regards to something on FB, I had no idea that God was setting me up to be who this person needed at that point and time & they didn’t know it either. But that’s the way it works. That’s the way He works. God crossed our social media “paths” today for a reason, and that reason was – my friend needed a friend.

Sometimes we NEED someone & sometimes we are the NEEDED ones. I’m very happy that I was who they needed today. 💜 Don’t ignore those who reach out to you, you never know what they are going through. Take the time to listen. You could be exactly who they need in that moment.

Now before you all get scared away because I referred to Jesus – just hold up right there a minute.🖐

First off, I don’t have no judgement against anyone for their beliefs & I won’t ever push my Jesus on anyone, who isn’t willing to listen. Mmmkay?👌

Having said that..I’m not about to get all religious on ya either. While I do believe in the Good Lord above(I went to a Christian School K-12th grade), that’s not what this post is about. The title is used loosely in regards to the fact that on Sundays, some people are at church, and others like myself, are spending their day in jammies🤷‍♀️

Some days just call for NOT getting dressed! I have no shame in that fact, AT ALL! Will I leave the house in my PJs? Absolutely not. Lol. However, if I’m not going anywhere, I am 100% ok with not getting dressed – until it’s bedtime & then I’ll just put clean Pjs on😂

And idk, but I just feel like sometimes, we need to allow ourselves to be lazy. Maybe that’s just me, but having a laid back, do nothing, no makeup, let your hair down, lounge around in jammies all day, kind of day is necessary once in awhile.

I’m not saying to make a habit of it, but pretty sure once a week would be alright with the Big Man upstairs – after all, Sunday’s are Biblically a “day of rest” so who am I to change that!🤩😉

Took my little man to the dentist today. I’ve been putting it off & putting it off for a very long time! Why? Because the dentist gives me anxiety, even when it’s not me being seen!😬

I have taken him before, but our prior dentist office wasn’t very welcoming & kind of made me feel inadequate because my son had cavities & I wasn’t making him floss everyday. They told me I needed to get him to a pediatric dentist, who was almost an hour from home, as soon as possible & that they(the pediatric dentist) would most likely just put my son “under” & fix all of his cavities at once, rather than in multiple appointments. That all just added to the anxiety I already had, so I never took him back.

So we are now back to square one. Although some of those prior baby teeth that had cavities, have since fallen out, and have been replaced with healthy adult teeth. Thank God! However, he does still have a few cavities in some of his remaining baby teeth that we will be getting taken care of very soon, as well as getting sealant put on his adult molars to keep them healthy!

Why the change of heart you might ask? Because I found a dental office that is actually very welcoming. Non judgemental. Didn’t give me grief when my son freely said “I don’t floss.” And most importantly, didn’t make me feel like a bad mom because his teeth weren’t completely healthy & cavity free at 7 years old.

I’m not perfect. I’m definitely NOT a perfect mother. Some things I know I could do better at & be better at – like getting my son to floss daily.🤦‍♀️ But, I have learned to pick my battles. If he brushes his teeth everyday, it’s a win. I’m not pushing my luck. And I’m sure I’m not alone in that!😂 And just so you know, you aren’t alone either!

I may have had a little too much fun Saturday night celebrating my sister’s birthday! So yesterday, Sunday, I was NOT up to par for most of the day!😬It happens 🤷‍♀️

We definitely had a lot of fun tho! Had a Euchre tournament & played washers, with great friends & great food! Stayed up super late & drank a few too many beers🍻

Judge if you want..that’s on your conscience, not mine. 😉

Anyway, I know quite a few people who don’t celebrate all of their birthdays, and I really don’t understand why??🤔 My family celebrates almost all of them, every year, not just the BIG ones (10, 13, 16, 18, 21, etc).

To me, a birthday deserves a celebration every single year. If you survived & made it another year, celebrate!! Even if it’s only in a small way. Have a drink. Go out to dinner. Go to a movie. Invite a friend over to play cards. Doesn’t matter, it’s your choice, just take the time to celebrate LIFE!

Life is short & everyone doesn’t live to see another day or year. Life is a gift & it is always something to celebrate!!

Always be thankful. Always be grateful. You are a blessing.

Growing up I had it in my head that by 25 years old, I would have everything I wanted/needed. I don’t exactly know why I picked that age for myself. I guess it just seemed like a good age..not too old, not too young. It would be enough time to graduate High School, graduate College with my degree of choice, have a career & be settled enough to live the life I thought I wanted. My, how times changed between 18 – 25!!

I did graduate high school, in May of 2001, at the top of my class, with honors, which wasn’t hard to do considering there were only 2 of us! Yes, I went to a very small, private, Christian school, my whole entire life.

Following graduation, my older sister, who is 3 1/2 years older than me, talked me into joining the Army with her on the “buddy system.” Big Mistake! WTAF was I thinking!?!?!🤦‍♀️ We both did end up going, however, she stayed in for her term & I did not.

I came home & then decided I was going to college, a University not far from home, that I could just drive too, rather than stay at. I got all enrolled and registered for my Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Yup, I wanted to be a police officer. That’s all I can ever remember wanting to be growing up. I went for a year & a half, then dropped out. I decided college wasn’t for me & I would continue my classes through an online school instead.

So after taking a semester or 2 off(I honestly can’t remember), I then enrolled in an accredited online university. The plan was to finish my CJ degree, with a Minor in Crime Scene Investigation. I did stick this out, as long as I could. I finished my Crime Scene Technician courses & got my Certificate. And I finished my Associates degree in CJ. However, when I called the University to continue on into my Bachelor’s in CJ, they told me I had an outstanding balance of nearly $10,000, that did NOT get covered by financial aid, and in order to continue my education, I would need to pay a minimum of close to $5000!! What a slap in the face!!😢 I was about 22 or 23 at the time I believe. Living with my sister. Working a couple days a week with my sister’s MIL. I definitely did not have $5000!! So, unfortunately, that led to me feeling completely defeated. I GAVE UP.

I was DONE with college. DONE with trying to reach my dreams. DONE with all the 25 year old goals I had set for myself. I QUIT because I knew then & there, that there was no way I was ever going to be the person I wanted to be by the time I turned 25.

So when I turned 25, with all my hope’s & dreams completely out of reach, I kind of rebelled. I walked & ran down a dark path for awhile. I was pissed off. At myself. At the world. At everything. I had FAILED yet again.

It took quite a few years to come out of this state of mind. Honestly, it took having my son, at 29 years old. Which is actually something I never wanted. I always said I never wanted kids. Not because I was selfish, but because I knew the world I lived in was such a very scary place & I couldn’t imagine trying to raise a child here. If I ever changed my mind, I decided I would adopt a child. But God had different plans. HE knew I needed to be rescued. HE knew I needed to be saved. HE knew what I needed before I ever knew myself.

And so, my own personal AWAKENING began. My son saved me. He showed me that there are so many more important things in life, other than a college degree. Because of him, I have realized that just because I have FAILED, I am NOT A FAILURE! I FINALLY did something right!!😊🙌

Almost 2 years ago I finally made the decision to leave my addict fiance, after 8 years. Our son was 5 years old at the time, and I needed to get him & I out of the hell we were living in. My son deserved better. I deserved better.

The photo below shows our current bedroom/playroom at my parents house, in their basement(no idea why it uploaded upside down). Is it ideal? Maybe not to some, but to me, its 1000 times better than the life my son & I were living. I didn’t plan on moving back in with my parents at the age of 35, & I didn’t plan on becoming a single mother, but sometimes life knocks us down & we need to find our way back up.

I am eternally grateful for my parents. They have always been there for my sisters & myself, no matter what. When things have gotten bad for any of us, they have always welcomed us back with open arms. They have been our safe place our whole lives. I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.

What they have given me is probably more than I deserve. What they have done for me, is more than they will ever understand. They have allowed me to come back “home” & have given me time to pick up the broken pieces of not only my heart, but my life. Piece by piece I am putting myself back together again.

I’m still a work in progress, always will be. At 37 years old, I’m still not where I want to be in life, but I’m working on it. Step by step, day by day, I’m getting closer to where I am meant to be & who I am meant to be.

So if you follow me on FB or IG & you see my posts about my Younique biz, just know that this single momma is working her ass off, not only at her day job, but also on her side biz, to give her son everything that he deserves. Because our CURRENT SITUATION IS NOT OUR FINAL DESTINATION! #madeformore

Who’s idea was it to give kids 2+ weeks off of school for Christmas break?🤔 I was a stay at home mom for 5 years and I’m beginning to wonder how the hell I ever survived!

I’ve been a working, full time single mom, since March 2018. With no breaks or help from “Dad” for almost a year – thanks to his amazingly selfish life choices – which have landed him in jail, yet again. #byefelicia

Anywho, my job requires me to work outside, and Michigan winters can sometimes be brutal, limiting my work hours each week, which in turn means more time at home with my 7 year old son who has decided to attach himself to my hip every waking moment that he possibly can. And God forbid I spend some time on my phone trying to run my Younique business! 🤦‍♀️

We are only 4 days in to Christmas break, and I already need a break! Yes, I said it! We all need & deserve a break every now and then. I love my little guy to the ends of the world, but all I want for Christmas is to be able to pee & shower in peace!🤷‍♀️When does it end?🤔🤣😭

Welcome to my blog! Thanks for joining me! This is a real, raw, and honest blog, and not for the easily offended. Take a walk with me, won’t you?

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire – unknown