I Am Home.
Maybe you are a stay-at-home home who doesn’t bring home a pay check… Maybe you have a spouse who doesn’t appreciate you… Maybe you work to support your family but feel guilt and wonder if financial is the type of support your family needs… I am or have been all of these and I have been hard on myself. Recently I was told that what I do in my house has little to no value. Anyone could cook, clean, do laundry and drive the kids around, and they are right. Anyone can do the mindless, mundane tasks of taking care of a house, it does not require special skills. Some…
Be Kind… Look Up!
Have you noticed when you go out in public that it’s lonely? Now honestly, I am an introvert so there is a part of me that doesn’t mind everyone staying to themselves. But when it gets to the point of indifference and inconsiderate I think there’s a problem. Here’s what I mean. I took my kids to get ice cream. As we were deciding on what flavors to get, the girl at the window gives an elderly man his rootbeer float along with the extra rootbeer in the can. I watched this man take careful baby steps to his car and thought, “how is he going to open the door…
Great Expectations…
Looking back, I was naive. I thought that I was in control of my life and I could make it be whatever I wanted. It took me until I was 30 to realize that there is very little that I can control and no matter how bad you want something you cannot force it to happen. If you were to ask me when I was younger how I thought my life would turn out I would give you two very different, yet clear paths that I KNEW my life would take. HA! It sounds silly now to say that at the time I “knew” how my life would turn out.…
Easy Money With Swagbucks
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to make a little extra money. This morning I got our hotel for a road trip we are taking for free thanks to Swagbucks! If you aren’t familiar with this site you need to be. Swagbucks is partnered with a ton of major retailers when you activate Swagbucks during your shopping session you receive “Swagbucks”. What are Swagbucks? Swagbucks are like points that can be used to purchase gift cards for popular retailers. I use them to get Amazon gift cards, American Eagle, Old Navy, The Children’s Place, Cabela’s, and so many more places. Use them for movie or restaurant cards and have…
Live Intentionally
I’m sure you have heard a lot of talk about living intentionally but it’s for good reason. It is incredibly easy to fall into the monotonous (yet often chaotic) routine of life. This is when life flies by and you realize you didn’t do all the things you wanted/meant to do. Routine is comfortable and, like a giant, body absorbing couch you sink into when you sit down, it’s hard to get out of (help me up!). I am guilty of this and honestly, it makes me angry. There are things I wanted to do with and for my children. Years have passed and I still haven’t done those things…
Are You Financially Trapped?
Hi Ladies. As women, especially moms, we are always trying to do what is best for our families, often at the cost of what is best for us. This is true in most aspects of our lives, including financially. One reason women who find themselves in a bad relationship don’t leave or seek help is because they are financially dependent on their significant other. I wanted to share a few thoughts on this topic that may help if you find yourself in this situation. In a healthy relationship, couples work together financially to pay bills, plan retirement and build a life together. When the relationship is unhealthy, one person tends…
{BE} Beautifully Empowered
When I started Beautifully Quaint I had women like me in mind. We are women in the thick of it, with careers, marriages, children, and we are dealing with tough decisions, divorce, deaths, aging parents and so much more. We need support and encouragement! Then I thought, what about our daughters? How can we raise our daughters to be wise, independent, compassionate young women? What can we do to help them learn from our experiences and give them a good foundation for their own lives and unique struggles? I decided to start a branch of Beautifully Quaint for young women. Beautifully Empowered (BE) will be for young girls 12-22. These…
Finding Hope
There are days when my situation beats me down and I lose all sight of hope. I cry throughout the night with my heart aching. I don’t want to get out of bed when morning comes because I don’t want to face my truth. I have to remind myself to take deep breaths so I can hold the tears back or so I don’t have a panic attack. I have to go into “auto-pilot” mode to function at all. The hardest part about all of this is that I am aware of what is going on. I am painfully aware of my situation, how I am feeling and the effect…
My Fear of Peanut Butter & Jelly
Peanut butter and Jelly. Seems like a silly thing to be afraid of, right? No, neither I nor my kids have peanut allergies, thankfully. And I make my kids pb&j at least once a week but I don’t dare eat one myself. I know this sounds ridiculous but I can explain. When I was in high school, I was full of insecurities (like all teenagers). I noticed that my best friend was becoming more popular, she was thin and outgoing. I also noticed that the boy I was dating like to flirt with girls who were thinner than me. So my 17-year-old brain decided that if I were thinner I…
Like A Peony
Have you ever seen a peony? They have big, beautiful blooms that I adore! The blooms are so big and heavy that their stem cannot hold them upright. If they are not supported with a stake the flower will lay down and be weighted to the ground. I am like a peony. Let me explain. I love deeply. This is who I am. I have tried to protect myself by keeping people at a distance or pretending I don’t care but nothing works. The truth is that this is who I am. If I care about you, I do so wholeheartedly. I will give you the shirt off my back,…
