Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.....

Where have I been?! Well life has been crazy lately, and I am not going to sit here and make excuses, but you know when time just gets away from you?! Like hello....it's November!!! When did that happen?!

So life has been a roller coaster filled with both ups and downs, and that's the way life goes right?! It's not all glitter and rainbows all the time! One of the most important things for me to do is to reflect on me and my actions. We are so quick to listen to others, and if you're anything like me, you want to help, but sometimes I get to involved and take things to heart. Lately, I have been learning to step back from things, and just let them happen, because let's face it....at the end of the day you can only control yourself and your own actions. I have been making myself crazy thinking of all the what ifs, and just a ball of nerves. At the end of each day, I sit and ask myself, "Was I the best possible person I could have been today? Was I quick to listen, and slow to speak? Was I a good friend, daughter, cousin, girlfriend? What could I have done differently today?" At the end of each day if you can't look at yourself in the mirror and be proud at the person looking back, then you need to change that. Don't get me wrong, I don't go to bed every night thinking I am the best thing since slice bread, because I certainly am not. But I want to give the best version of myself to others every day! Isn't that what we should all strive for?!

Life is tricky....I spent 4 years busting my butt in school to graduate with honors and a dual degree, only to graduate and struggle to find a job. Two years later, I am still struggling....I'm working 3 jobs just to stay ahead, and lately I have been almost feeling sorry for myself? Well guess what?! I have a job, a roof over my head, a new car, and my bills are paid. So why am I not happy with my current situation?! Is it ideal....no but I will be where I want in a few years! That I am sure of, because I will not stop chasing my goals. I need to stop and look at all of the lives I have touched so far, and while that may not be many, I would like to think I have impacted some of my students in ways that I may not know!

This week I made a difficult decision....a year ago I was beyond excited to sign with BeachBody and become a coach. I had so much success with challenge groups, I wanted to take that a step further and help others, and in reality, I became completely overwhelmed and sort of shut down. I love my team and beachbody, but right now I have decided to step away from coaching and start from the beginning as a challenger. For many reasons this is the right decision for me at this time. I know that some may be upset or disappointed in me, but I hope they everyone can respect my decision and understand where I am coming from. I haven't lost sight of my goals, I am doing what I need to do in order to reach them.

I thank everyone who continues to follow me and support me on this journey!

XOXO

The Bulky B <3

Keys for the Cure.....

As many of you have seen me post on facebook or instagram, my keys for the cure...and today I want to share my story behind them. As you all know my mom is battling Lupus, and that has become a huge part of our lives. We are beyond blessed that she remains strong and healthy, but what most of you don't see is in the morning her hands don't work too great and this makes her morning routine difficult, or the fact that my mom is extremely tired, but doesn't get the amount of rest that she needs, and the look on her face when she becomes cold, because it is literally causing her pain. 

My mom was diagnosed a few years back, and when I found out....I was devastated. Before her diagnosis my mom had a very bumpy road with her health, so bumpy, that in 2003 I almost lost her. I prayed and prayed.....I begged God to help my mom. She is the only parent I have and I couldn't do this without her. My miracle came true and my mom pulled through and is still here with me today. For the most part she is relatively healthy and her numbers continue to improve....we are beyond blessed!

However, when my mom was diagnosed I decided that I was going to take the time I was spending being sad and angry and focus that time on something positive. Since many have never heard of Lupus, I decided that I was going to spend my time educating others and fighting for a cure.

This past May my mom and I held a tricky tray and raised close to $4,000. All of the proceeds were donated to the Alliance for Lupus Research. It was a great success and I could not have asked for a better day. 

 Amazing friends and family offering their help

My mom and I wanted to further our fund raiser efforts, but wanted to do more than just ask for donations. I came up with THE KEY FOR THE CURE. My mom and I have been working very hard on making key jewelry, which we will sell, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Alliance for Lupus Research.

 As many of you know, my mom is extremely creative and crafty. When I told her my idea, she was immediately on board. I figured I could maybe help with the making of them, but mostly work on the marketing end, well I have to say, that my mom and I have spent hours working on these together. To my surprise I can be pretty crafty when I want to be. We have both been involved in making them, and together we are having such a good time. It is truly a blessing to be able to work on projects together.

Each key is uniquely different, no two are the same. They range in color and design and really reflect our different tastes. My mom tends to like more vintage and old fashion pieces, where I tend to like more modern looking jewelry with motivational sayings and bright colors.

I believe our pieces will sell between $10 and $20 depending on the amount of supplies it took to create it. We are using a range of keys, and are beyond grateful to everyone who donated unused keys to our project.

We have completed about 20 pieces to date, and my goal is release them on facebook and instagram this week, and have them in our Etsy store, early next week.  Please keep in mind that each key is different from one another, and not all related to Lupus. While the awareness ribbon for lupus is purple, not every key is purple. Each key could stand for whatever cause you are passionate about, we are just donating the profits to the Alliance for Lupus Research!

I am super excited about this project and hope it will be a great success! We would just like to thank everyone for your continued love, support, and prayers! We are beyond blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.

We are very excited that our fund raising efforts are leading the way for us to start our very own non-profit, Lupus, Lynns, & Hope. It is a lengthy process, but a super exciting one!

My mom being diagnosed with a disease that people die from each and every day, was one of the toughest challenges I have faced, but I truly think it was a blessing in disguise. I believe it has made me a better person, and brought my mom and I even closer together. We are able to raise money while spending quality time together! What more could I ask for?

I hope you all love these pieces as much as we do! It is going to be hard to part with them, because I literally love each and every one we make!

From the bottom of our hearts we THANK YOU!!!

WE WILL FIND A CURE!!!

XOXO

Lupus, Lynns, & Hope

August Foodie Penpal Experience

In July I particiapted in the July foodie penpal experience, and I LOVED it! I was so fun exchanging a box of goodies with someone you never met. I loved so stuff more than others, but the coolest part was my box was filled with stuff I had never tried before. I have never heard of Trader Joe's and most of my goodies came from there. I am seriously in love with their products!

I had so much fun with the exchange in July that I couldn't wait to sign up again in August. I signed and was immediately paired with someone who lived in Virgina. We exchanged a few emails and I was beyond excited to get my box.....I waited and wait......and it never came! :( I was very disappointed with my match. I had a lot of fun getting my box ready and sent it to her by the deadline, and even provided a tracking number. I did get an email saying she received it, and thanked me for the goodies.

Each month we are encouraged to share what was in the box we received, but since I didn't get one, I will share what I put in the one I sent!

I decided to decorate my box like I do with the care packages I send to the troops each month. I think it feels more personal and is a nice little surprise. This month I included the new dipin' products, which I was told were debuted at a local food festival this summer. I also included some macaroons, trail mix, honey sticks, 3 types of Oloves, a jar of Coutts Blueberry jam, and a my favorite cookie from my favorite bakery.

I like to include products that I find a local markets or farms. I have tons of fun hunting for products for my box! We have a local market in our town called, Mill Market, it's packed with cool little goodies that I don't see in a lot of places.

Overall when the exchange is done correctly, it's tons of fun! I decided to take Sept. off, but I am super excited for the October exchange. If you would like to check out how to get involved check it out here.

Hope you join us soon!

XOXO

Thoughts on this?!

So I saw this picture on my news feed this morning, and I literally stopped scrolling and just stared at it....like what has society come to?! In all honesty, there are some days when I wish it was just this easy. Weight is something I have struggled with my whole life. The other night I was at work and a co-woker was telling me about his sister, and referred to her as "my size". I just looked at him and said nothing. But my size? What is my size? Is that how I measured? By how wide I am, how big my boobs are, what size shoe I wear? No one asks how big your heart is, or what your goals are! Nope you are measured by how you look. Now I am sure he meant nothing by it, but it got me thinking, my size! Hmmmm what is my size?!

I think this picture speaks volumes because it is a young girl....but the truth of the matter is, yes that's what we as society are teaching these girls. We all want to look like that girl in the magazine, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to. Of course I want to! But that's not a reality for me. I will never be a size 0 and be skin and bones. I am me, and if people can't accept that I have fat, then well I don't have room for them in my life.

This picture hits home for me. I was this girl growing up. I hated what I looked like. I still don't like to look in the mirror, I still don't believe people when they tell me I am pretty or what not. I wish I could see what others see just for one day.....what a world it would be if we could look at ourselves through someone else eyes.

Thoughts?! How do you feel when you see this picture?!

Shhh........

 

Today I am sharing my secret that brightens each and every on of my days.....It's so simple and literally only takes a few seconds each day.....so are you ready for this?!?! About 8 months ago I decided that I was going to keep a gratitude journal. It started with the November challenge.....each day you choose something to be thankful for and post about it. Well, I loved the idea behind! It made me really reflect upon each one of my days. It's so easy to say, oh this was a bad day, or I can't believe that just happened, can I ever catch a break?! But how many of you can say that each day, you look at every little thing you did, and choose to be grateful for something, even if the only good part about your day was that you woke up.....well hey, you woke up and have another chance at this thing called life!

So I choose to keep a journal, and reflect on my days. I try to choose one part of my day and write why I am thankful for it. Some days, I am just thankful that I have the use of my limbs, or that I am able to communicate with others. I teach special education, and if there is one thing about this profession, it makes you realize how blessed we are. I love what I do, and I love the kids I work with. It makes me who I am, but I am grate for all the things my body allows me to do.

So that's my little secret.....I choose to focus on one little aspect of my day each and every day! I noticed that after reflecting on the good, the bad parts of your day don't seem that bad after all. I try to distance myself from negative people. This world is so filled with hate and depression, and all I can do is try to surround myself in a positive bubble and keep a smile on my face.

Try it for a week and see if you find a smile on your face more often!

Well now that the cat is out of the bag....share your gratitude with those in your life!

XOXO

Once upon a time....

In April my mom and I took a trip to Savannah, Georgia, which is also known as one of the most haunted cities in the country. I didn't know this when I was booking our trip! After a few days of checking out the city we couldn't help but notice the amount of ghost tours that took place every night! Well, if you know my mom, you know she is obsessed with shows having to do with hunting ghosts. So of course, I asked my mom if she wanted to go on a tour, and her immediate response was.....NO! I my opinion she watches to many of those shows, and thinks a spirit will attach to her. But, whatever the case, she didn't want to go! I knew that deep down, there was a small part of her that was curious! As the week progressed we talked with some friends who had gone on them, and they highly recommended going! So that was it, I was making the reservation, we were going!

It was our last night in Savannah, so it was a now or never type of thing. I made the reservation and paid so that there was no backing out! I'm not gonna lie, I was scared! I thought we would ride around the city and hear scary stories for an hour or two and then go home! Well, I was in for a surprise, upon arriving to our trolley, I quickly learn that we are going to get off at two different stops and look for spirits.....yes that's right....WE HAD TO GET OFF! So I was ready to shit a brick, no lie!

So we board the trolley, and some young girl, probably just trying to make some extra cash, begins telling us scary stories about the city. We drive around and look at some houses where some crazy things happened. The one house they showed us was  The Sorrel-Weed House. The story behind this house is the wife found her husband cheating on her with a slave and in return the wife committed suicide. The first stopped we made was at the site of the Gribble House, the scene of a triple murder in 1909. We get off and are escorted in to a warehouse. The murder scene is laid out and the lights are turned off. We are told the story of the triple murder and then had our choice of a device where you can hear ghosts, (EVPs) talking or a temperate gauge. I thought go big or go home! I choose the voice one! I was scared to death, but quickly became fascinated by everything. I was so into it, I was shocked. We did see orbs, if you believe that sort of thing. Many people said it looks like reflections, however the room was black. So take it for what it is.... 

Just as I was getting super into it, it was time to leave and move on to our next stop! The next stop was Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery. Inside was filled with things found in ship wrecks. As we were standing there my mom got the strangest look on her face. She said she could feel something on the back of her neck. We were taken into another room and told to sit. As this point I was feeling very nervous because it wasn't like the first place. Someone jumps out and scares you. I was scared and not fond of it. I was fascinated by hunting for them, and I am not a fan of the "haunted house" type stuff.

Overall the tour was really cool and I would love to try another one! What was even more cool was that when we got back from our trip the places we stopped on our tour were featured on one of my mom's favorite ghost hunting shows! I was so glad I talked her into going! It  is definitely something we would so again! We went on the Ghosts and Gravestones tour, but there are many others! One you even drive around in a hearse. If we make it back to Savannah, I would really like to try that one! I think it adds a little something to the experience!

Hope you get a chance to try one!

XOXO

July Foodie Penpal Reveal!

This month I came across a group called Foodie Penpals! I decided to join in and check it out! The idea behind the group is that you are paired with someone and you exchange a box of goodies with one another! I thought it sounded fun! I was so excited to fill my box, and couldn't wait to get my box in the mail! There is a $15 spending limit and you pay for shipping as well!

I was shocked when I got my box in the mail! It was full, and I mean full!!!! I instantly felt a little bad that I didn't put more items in the box I sent! What I was even more excited about was the fact that it was filled with items that I had never had before! A lot of the items came from Trader Joe's, which I had never heard of before!

I would say my favorite item in this box has been the cookie and cocoa swirl! Oh my gosh is it good! The next thing that caught my eye was the Chile spiced mangoes! I would have never thought to pair these flavors, but they really compliment each other well! This box was filled with so many yummy surprises! Since I have received it, I have brought a different item to work with me every and let my co-workers try some new stuff as well! One of there faves is the "this apple walks into a bar..." cereal bars! They have such a cute name and really are a tasty treat! One of my other faves is the almond bark. I love almond flavoring and this little treat has just the right amount!

Overall this was such a fun experience!I loved that I had never heard of these items before, and now they are some of my favorite things! I have already signed up to participate next month! I can't wait to see what next month brings!

If you are interested in joining, you can sign up here!

Hope you join us next month! You won't be disappointed!

XOXO