1: LIFE WOULDN’T BE THE SAME IF YOU AREN’T MARRIED TO YOUR BESTIE

2: LIFE OFTEN KICKS YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN

3: HARDLY ANYTHING IS WORTH GOING TO BED ANGRY ABOUT

4: IT CAN BE HARD TO SEE THINGS HAPPENING FOR OTHERS THAT YOU WANT FOR YOURSELVES, BUT PRESS ON

5: A GOD-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS SO VALUABLE

The older I get, the more important I find our relationship with God and His position in our marriage. Don’t get me wrong, we were both together in times where I bond with God wasn’t as strong. But now that we’ve found a solid church home, and we are growing in His word, the impact on our relationship is visible.

Share

1. CANVA

One of my favorite apps and tools as of late is Canva. I love using it to design dynamic InstaStories and YouTube thumbnails. The app allows you to use templates, graphics, fonts, and so on to help you create amazing graphics. Not only can you design for social media, but you can also make flyers and posters using the app, which is accessible on your device or via a website.

2. FOLLOWING THE RIGHT PEOPLE/GROUPS

Another great tool can be found in people! Social media is supposed to be, well, social! There are tons of groups, especially on Facebook, where you can share your content and help one another. Many social media algorithms with further promote your posts if there is active engagement.

3. SCHEDULERS 

Most of the time, you'll want your content to be as authentic and in-the-now as possible. However, when it comes to your posts, I personally believe it is best to schedule them.  If you're a full-time creator, you may not have to worry about this. However, I personally have a full-time job, and can't take time out of the day to post. Some social media platforms have schedulers within their platforms, like Facebook and Twitter.

4. PHOTO EDITING APP

One must-have for success on social media is a photo-editing app, especially for Instagram. The good news is that the days of making yourself look skinnier are photoshopping yourself to death are almost gone. People want something real. However, for our own comfort, it can be nice to remove a stain from a shirt, or just find a cute filter that looks good. I personally love Photoshop and FaceTune!

Share

​Bridges was the first African-American child to be integrated into an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. To see her as an adult and to experience her sweet demeanor and inspirational message was something I’ll never forget.   King was about 10 years old when his father was killed while giving one of his speeches. His father spent much of his life promoting civil and humanitarian rights for all and working to eradicate the evils of racism, militarism, and poverty.

1: GET INVOLVED

2: REFUSE TO LEAVE THE WORLD UNTIL YOU’VE DONE SOMETHING GOOD​

3: INACTION IS PART OF THE PROBLEM

Share

1. NOT WANTING TO PAY FOR SERVICES/PRODUCTS

​This one is a bit tricky. As a general rule, I usually offer my work for free to churches, but they almost always give something to me afterward as a way to say thank you. Additionally, if the work is for a family member or friend who really needs help, I’m almost always glad to do something for them.

When it comes to clients that I don’t know, my biggest pet peeve is when they ask for discounts on very cheap labor. I write for $1/100 words. This is super cheap when you realize how expensive these services get. If anything, I underselling my work, but it turns out to be profitable for me.

2. TRYING TO CORRECT ME ON SOMETHING THAT ISN'T INCORRECT

​As a client, you have the right to request revisions to your work if it doesn’t quite meet the mark. However, when your revisions actually break grammatical rules and you tell me that I am wrong, that’s when I get frustrated. For example, I wrote an article for someone and listed a number of things. Here is an example:

​“Grapes, bread, and milk are all great items to keep in your fridge.”

3. NOT BEING CLEAR OR PROVIDING LITTLE INFORMATION

The internet is a wonderful thing, but it can be difficult to understand what someone wants if they aren’t super clear from the beginning. Not long ago, I was writing for a wedding planning company, but I didn’t know that they were a company.

I was confused because they never specified that I needed a call to action, or the statement of an action you desire the readers to complete. They then explained that they wanted me to plug their services, but didn’t specify what services, what I should ask their readers to do, and so forth.  ​As a freelancer and content creator with a full-time job, I find myself working a lot after hours and on the weekends, when I should be trying my best to decompress from the busy week. Being clear is the best way to make sure you and your freelancer are both happy!

4. GETTING ANGRY AND LASHING OUT WHEN WE STAND UP FOR OURSELVES

​This almost made me quit my freelancing gig. About two years ago, I had been working consistently with someone within the same site. I found out that he was offering the same service as I was, but was up-charging his clients and only paying me $5/500. He was making a large profit.   He would give me very little information to start with. I would write everything based on what he requested. He would come back to me and tell me “oh, that wasn’t what it was supposed to be about, sorry” and tell me that I needed to re-write the entire thing for free.

Share

JANUARY 2019

I think that January 2019 was the first time that I got to celebrate my mom's birthday with her biological family. It may have been her first time too.  It was super special because my mom has always wanted siblings, and she found out that she had several. We met up with my mom's mom, my mom's Aunt, Nona, and her family. It was a ton of fun, and I was so thankful to be able to meet more of my mom's family. I know that the addition of them in their lives has really made her happy and made her feel like she has another group of people to talk to and lean on.

FEBRUARY 2019

In February, I met civil rights icon Ruby Bridges. She was integrated into an all-white southern school in 1960 all on her own when she was only 6 years old. Mrs. Bridges was such a delight to hear from. She said "what separates us has nothing to do with the color of our skin. What separates us today is good and evil." Meeting her is one of the most amazing things I've been able to do in my life, and it is all thanks to my job.

MARCH 2019

In March, I celebrated my two-year wedding anniversary with my husband Jonathan. I was talking to someone the other day about how we have grown with one another. We've been through a lot together, from family members being sick, passing away, and having our own adult issues like broken cars and appliances. God never promises that life will be easy or without trials and other issues. However, I'm glad that we've grown through the things we've faced and we are stronger for it.

APRIL 2019

After several months of fighting pneumonia that was difficult to combat with diseases he had had all of his life, my grandpa passed away peacefully in hospice on April 4. It was the hardest time of my life. My grandpa was like a father to me. He always made you smile and he always made you feel loved. He had a strong faith in God and represented that to my brother, my mom, and I all throughout his life. The one thing that brought me peace was that he didn't seem to suffer and that he knew how much we loved and will continue to love him.

MAY 2019

In May, I started working harder on my Instagram game. I started to upload more and to make a real effort to do as best I could on the social media platform. I've grown a lot and have gained a lot of confidence in the past several months due to my uploads and to the number of positive comments I received online. ​There are still great people in this world who love to see others thrive.

JUNE 2019

On June 20, I was officially sworn in as a commissioner for the City of Fayetteville, N.C. I serve as the secretary and a commission for the Millennial Advisory Commission. We are working to represent people within our age group. We want to make our city a place for all people, especially those in our age group who are often overlooked. I have loved my time on the commission so far and I'm looking forward to ending my term on a high nite in 2020!

JULY 2019

In July, I really started to dive into opportunities through our local blogger network. The FayNC Blogger Network has given me so many opportunities to promote our city. Not only have I received a lot of opportunities, but I've also been able to meet a number of inspiring and motivational creators who are of a like mind and spirit as I am. I am forever grateful to have connected with these folks, and I look forward to connecting more throughout 2020!

AUGUST 2019

One of the aforementioned opportunities through the blogger network was a chance to have a free meal at First Watch in Fayetteville. I had never been given this opportunity. ​Later after posting this, the company shared it on their company-wide Instagram account, which made me feel so valued as a creator, photographer, and vlogger.

SEPTEMBER 2019

In September, I met Kimilee Bryant. She not only is a former Miss South Carolina, but she had an illustrious career on Broadway. Bryant is most known for playing the role of Christine Daae in the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. However, she also played all of the female roles at one time or another on the Broadway stage.  I've always loved opera, musicals, and New York. I was blessed to be able to see Chicago when I went to NYC during my Sophomore year in college. I loved the experience. I also got to hear her sing in chapel. And yes, she did sing "Think of Me" as well as my wedding song, "How Great Thou Art."

OCTOBER 2019

In October, we did our first trunk-or-treat ever. Our new church does this for free every single year for our community. This year, we decided to do an underwater theme. There were so many people from the community what came out to participate. I think they said there were about 3,000 people there. I could be overestimating, but I knew there were a lot of people. I had a lot of fun, but I learned that fashion isn't something you should take in mind when doing this. I wore flat shoes and my feet were aching so bad by the end of the night.

NOVEMBER 2019

One of my best friends had a baby in November, which means you know that I traveled up to see them. This is Liam, and he is the first baby within our friend group. He is so cute and snuggly, but he sure does know how to poop! It was a precious moment to be able to hold him and know that this was a mini version of my friend who is now in the world. I'm excited to watch him grow up and visit him throughout the years.

DECEMBER 2019

This month, I made this freaking awesome ugly Christmas sweater. I feel kind of egotistical saying that. My mom saying "where did you get those because I want to get your brother and I one so we cal all match on Christmas Eve" boosted my ego even more. Jonathan's was also super cute. We won an ugly sweater contest with these through our church!

Share

GET BACK ON SCHEDULE

One major issue you may find yourself in is a lack of structure to your day. You should start combating that this week so you're back on schedule when you go into the office after New Years. ​Start waking up at your usual time. You can either do this gradually or all at once.

GET ORGANIZED

Organizing puts you into the headspace that gets you ready for work. For me, I like using my planner to schedule my time properly. I also like to use an app called Wunderlist to write down the things I need to do and add deadlines to them. This always puts me in a good place mentally because I feel more prepared!

PRIORITIZE 

Think about the work that you need to do and prioritize what you should start with first. Doing this before you get into the office will help you have a good basis on which to start. I work in a productions position, so we have a list of the things we need to do, and I always know what I'm personally working on.  However, some things are a higher priority than others. I always keep mental stock of what I need to do when I return to work.

CLEAN UP YOUR DANG HOUSE

It was your break time, so you didn't try and keep your house tidy. You may have had relatives over for a visit, or you may have returned from a visit and left a mess everywhere.  Cleaning up your mess while you still have time before work starts will help you feel more organized and put together when your job does start up again.

PICK OUT SOME OUTFITS

When you start to feel stressed about getting back to work, start picking out some outfits. This can help you refocus your stressful energy on something else. ​Plus, if you have your outfits picked out, you'll have less to worry about in the morning when you start back to work!

CONSIDER AUTOMATING SOME TASKS

It's been about a year since I invested in an Echo Dot and some smart plugs throughout our house. At night, I load up our coffee machine with water and coffee grinds. When I wake up, I tell Alexa to "turn on the coffee machine" and I can focus on getting read while knowing freshly brewed coffee is waiting for me in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure you can automate this further to have it auto start at whatever time you want it to!

Share

SOMETHING THEY WANT

Kids usually have a list a mile long when it comes to the gifts that they hope to receive from Santa or their parents. I think it is great to give your children something they want or specifically asked for. The only other time of the year this really happens is on their birthday, so make that item they really want a priority.

SOMETHING THEY NEED

I can almost say with 100 percent confidence that a lot of kids won't be super excited when they get a winter coat, new boots, or some other necessity under the tree. However, if this item is something they really need around the holidays, it is something you should include for them.

SOMETHING EDUCATIONAL

No matter the age of your children, educational materials are always something that can be a great gift under the tree or in a stocking. I can't remember if we specifically ever got these in our stockings, but I remember growing up playing MadLibs in the car.

Share

1: ESSENTIALS

​Consider purchasing a few essentials for your family stockings. These include new tooth brushes, hair ties, lip balms, lotions, and so on. ​This is much better than just filling your stockings with only candy. It will promote health and personal care, as well!

2: MAKEUP

If you’re purchasing stocking stuffers for a makeup wearer, grab a small eyeshadow palette, some lipsticks, or even a concealer. ​These makeup essentials are often used up really quickly, so the receiver of the stocking will be very appreciative that you’ve purchased these much-needed items for them.

3: CANDY

No stocking would be complete without candy! Make sure that you purchase candy that the recipient will like. You can also add seasonal candy like white chocolate candy cane bark. I personally like those $1 candy cane-shaped tube filled with M&Ms or some similar candy.

4: LITTLE GADGETS

​I’ve found that little gadgets, especially in my husband’s stocking, are always very appreciated. I think this year (since I’m pretty sure he won’t see this) I will be getting Jonathan one of those “find my keys” locator. He has been losing his keys a lot recently, so I think it would be a great addition. You can also put little tools or Swiss Army Knives for emergencies into some of the stockings!

​5: SMALL-AMOUNT GIFT CARDS

​I remember one year when I was a teenager when my nana and grandy put a few $5 gift cards in our stockings. Sometimes they would be for McDonalds or Taco Bell, or it might be for gas. Whatever makes sense for the receiver of the stocking! These will always be appreciated, but of course, you don’t HAVE to do this one.

Share

1: IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE UNGRATEFUL

In my opinion, re-gifting shouldn't be done simply because you're ungrateful. To me, it makes it seem far more ungrateful if you receive something and don't put it to use. At least if you re-gift what you received, someone will get some enjoyment out of it. Just make sure you don't re-gift to your original gifter!

2: SOMEONE ELSE WILL TREASURE IT MORE

Let me give an example for this. Say that you received a snow globe during an office party gift exchange. You may know that your aunt loves snow globes and actually collects them, whereas you don't do much decorating in your home.  Re-gifting in this case is an obvious choice to me. Your aunt will like this way more than you will, so why not go ahead and pass it along?

3: YOU'RE USUALLY NOT RE-GIFTING A GIFT THAT WAS
​    GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT

Most of the time, if someone gave real thought and careful consideration into a gift for you, it won't be something you want to give away. In my experiences, re-gifting typically happens from office parties or when relatives you really have no relationship with always get you something you simply can't use. For example, I remember growing up that my dad's side of the family would almost always buy my brother and I

4: IT CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment is essential to everyday life. As humans on this earth, it is our job to help protect something as vitally important as the environment. ​Re-gifting can make a small impact on our environment by reducing items that are bought and manufactured.

5: IT SAVES MONEY

Last but not least, re-gifting can help you save some money around the holidays. You won't have to invest in purchasing as many presents. As sort of mentioned previously, this should be done with gifts that you obviously can't use. However, if you have a holiday white elephant party to go to and you happen to have a gift that doesn't work for you, wrap it up and put it in the exchange!

Share

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AROUND TOXIC PEOPLE

For generations and generations, it has been a familial obligation to come to holiday celebrations. ​However, the millennial generation and those following it are finally recognizing that damaging your mental health to see toxic family members is no longer an option.

2. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ENGAGE IN DEBATE THAT YOU KNOW WILL RESULT IN ARGUMENTS

The Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables have been a hotbed of debate for years and years. When someone says something to bait you into a debate, the best thing you can do is tell them you aren't engaging and leave it at that. Pop in your headphones, be excused, something.

3. IF YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY TO CELEBRATE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday. With it comes expectations of a grand meal, which can be expensive. But, don't feel obligated to make a huge, fancy, expensive meal this year if you don't have the money for it. You can always do your Thanksgiving gatherings as a potluck of sorts.

4. BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY BE A GOOD DEAL

I have a lot I can say about Black Friday, so I might make a different post THIS Friday. However, let me just say that there are some good Black Friday deals and some bad ones. Be mindful that you are nearly trampling and killing someone a mere hours after saying how thankful you are for what you have!

Share