It has been 4 months since I last felt the desire to blog. There was so much going on in my life....I felt obligated to post daily...and I just needed a break. Whew!
Well, needless to say I am here again. The concept of this blog is dear to me because I feel like "ReInvented Chick" so easily sums up who I am. I realize now that I do want to blog and will continue to do so if and when I please...no pressure.
To give an update on what I have been up to since December 2009...first I went to South Carolina for 10 days during Christmas to visit family. I had a wonderful time and felt refreshed but was more than ready to come home.
Kicking off 2010..it has been a great year so far. I am happy and my child is happy...it doesn't get any better than that. One thing I had noticed about myself was that I was sleeping so good at night. The weird thing was that nothing had changed...not my mattress, sheets, location of my bed...then my dad pointed out that it was because I was truly happy. I wake up feeling refreshed and stress free and for anyone who knows what I have been through in recent years this is amazing.
Other changes were that I became active in a graduate chapter of my sorority after being MIA for about 10 years, joined a professional HR organization and began studying for a certification to advance my career, and I met a man...yes, a man ya'll.
Meeting the man was the last thing on my mind and it's been fairly recent so I don't want to say a whole lot about him just yet, but after 2 1/2 years of living the single life this is exciting.
This post is longer than I intended but I wish happiness and peace to anyone who happens to come across this blog.
Be Blessed,
ReInvented Chick
April 16, 2010
December 8, 2009
A Thankful Heart
A couple of weeks ago I ran across a devotional from Joyce Meyer that really resonated with me and I thought I would share. I have been guilty of constantly wanting new things. It's not that I'm not thankful for what I have, it's just that I always want more or to upgrade what I have. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful and recognize that I am extremely blessed to be able to take care of myself and my daughter comfortably and with no stress...because it was not always like that. I just get anxious about the material things that I want in life. At any rate, this devotional was refreshing and a reality check and I thought someone might need the same:
A Thankful Heart
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
— Philippians 4:6
Years ago I taught a message saying that when you ask God for something, you should thank Him ahead of time that you are going to get it because that will help release your manifestation. I believe that. I took the scripture above to mean just that, that when I prayed for something, I should start thanking God that it was on its way. But one day God revealed a broader scope of that verse to me. He said, "No, what I am really saying there is that when you pray and petition Me for anything, make sure you are doing it from a foundation of a thankful heart." Then He went on to say, "If you are not thankful for what you already have, why should I give you more to complain about?"
~ Joyce Meyer
A Thankful Heart
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
— Philippians 4:6
Years ago I taught a message saying that when you ask God for something, you should thank Him ahead of time that you are going to get it because that will help release your manifestation. I believe that. I took the scripture above to mean just that, that when I prayed for something, I should start thanking God that it was on its way. But one day God revealed a broader scope of that verse to me. He said, "No, what I am really saying there is that when you pray and petition Me for anything, make sure you are doing it from a foundation of a thankful heart." Then He went on to say, "If you are not thankful for what you already have, why should I give you more to complain about?"
~ Joyce Meyer
December 7, 2009
New Mom Isolation
One of my friends just had a baby about 3 weeks ago. He's a beautiful baby boy and I am so happy for her because she and her husband have wanted this for a while.
About a week after the baby was born, I stopped by her house to visit. I love babies and had been anxious to get over there but with all of the germs and illnesses going around, I decided to wait until I could go without my two-year old...daycare germs are a $?!#.
Once I got to her house it was just as I expected. She was happy but exhausted...in sweats and still trying to get used to the rigors of new motherhood. We had a great visit and I took care of the baby most of the time that I was there so that she could eat and just get a break...whatever that might be.
I hadn't spoken to her again until today. I could hear the same exhaustion in her voice and it got me thinking back to when I was a new mother...
After I had my daughter I was completely in love. Like I had heard so many times before, it was a love deeper than anything that I had experienced before, truly unconditional, and I saw the world in a different way. Seriously. That was the good part.
The other part of it was that in some aspects I didn't feel like my old self. Because my priorities changed and I saw things differently, I struggled to understand and get comfortable with the "new" me. At times I felt very isolated from my friends because while they were out doing things that I used to do, I was at home with my baby changing diapers, nursing, and rocking her to sleep. I realized that while everybody was happy for me and would occasionally stop by to visit, they continued on with their same child-free, carefree lives. It was business as usual for everyone but me.
I can't tell you how many times I though about dropping those friends for new mothers or single mothers who could relate to my situation. I was very lonely and at times depressed. In some ways I feel like this was my form of post-partum depression. It wasn't at all about the baby, it was about me.
About a week after the baby was born, I stopped by her house to visit. I love babies and had been anxious to get over there but with all of the germs and illnesses going around, I decided to wait until I could go without my two-year old...daycare germs are a $?!#.
Once I got to her house it was just as I expected. She was happy but exhausted...in sweats and still trying to get used to the rigors of new motherhood. We had a great visit and I took care of the baby most of the time that I was there so that she could eat and just get a break...whatever that might be.
I hadn't spoken to her again until today. I could hear the same exhaustion in her voice and it got me thinking back to when I was a new mother...
After I had my daughter I was completely in love. Like I had heard so many times before, it was a love deeper than anything that I had experienced before, truly unconditional, and I saw the world in a different way. Seriously. That was the good part.
The other part of it was that in some aspects I didn't feel like my old self. Because my priorities changed and I saw things differently, I struggled to understand and get comfortable with the "new" me. At times I felt very isolated from my friends because while they were out doing things that I used to do, I was at home with my baby changing diapers, nursing, and rocking her to sleep. I realized that while everybody was happy for me and would occasionally stop by to visit, they continued on with their same child-free, carefree lives. It was business as usual for everyone but me.
I can't tell you how many times I though about dropping those friends for new mothers or single mothers who could relate to my situation. I was very lonely and at times depressed. In some ways I feel like this was my form of post-partum depression. It wasn't at all about the baby, it was about me.
And I'm sure that all of the drama that I was going through with her father didn't help the situation...
Back to my friend, I wish her the best. I made sure to let her know that if she needs any help with the baby that I'm here. Hopefully I can be that source of support for her that I needed during this time.
Be Blessed!
December 6, 2009
Back to the Weekly Grind
So this past weekend was a good one. Fun and relaxing.
Friday night I got together with the family for my mother's annual "tree-trimming" party. It's where we get together to put up her Christmas tree and all of her other random decorations. There's always food, alcohol, and music, and she uses this time to pull out old pictures from our childhood...report cards, hand-made gifts, first pair of shoes...you get the picture. We had so much fun and it really got me in the Christmas spirit.
At the party we had the one of the R&B channels playing and everything that played brought back memories...SWV, Xscape, Montell Jordan...all music from my teenage years. Needless to say, the tree is beautiful even though we had to convince my mother to lay off some of the ornaments. She has collected them over my lifetime and the tree was so full we thought it might literally tip over. It left me feeling like I needed to invest a little more time in my own tree.
On Saturday, I shopped. I dragged my brother to one store in particular because their ad advertised a doorbuster deal that was over at 1PM. Well, we get there and of course the deal is too good to be true and ended up being a lot smaller than how it appeared in the ad. I finished shopping, went home to nap, and spent the rest of the evening with my family.
Today was more family time, then I had to get home to do my usual Sunday routine of getting ready for the work week...washing my hair, my daughter's hair, laundry, groceries, getting clothes ready for the week, etc. I'm sure that I could and probably should do some of this on Saturday to get it out of the way because every Sunday night feels like I am on a mission to get all of these things done and get to bed at a decent time. At least I got a couple of gifts for Camryn wrapped. I can't wait to see her face on Christmas day!
Wishing all a happy work week!
Friday night I got together with the family for my mother's annual "tree-trimming" party. It's where we get together to put up her Christmas tree and all of her other random decorations. There's always food, alcohol, and music, and she uses this time to pull out old pictures from our childhood...report cards, hand-made gifts, first pair of shoes...you get the picture. We had so much fun and it really got me in the Christmas spirit.
At the party we had the one of the R&B channels playing and everything that played brought back memories...SWV, Xscape, Montell Jordan...all music from my teenage years. Needless to say, the tree is beautiful even though we had to convince my mother to lay off some of the ornaments. She has collected them over my lifetime and the tree was so full we thought it might literally tip over. It left me feeling like I needed to invest a little more time in my own tree.
On Saturday, I shopped. I dragged my brother to one store in particular because their ad advertised a doorbuster deal that was over at 1PM. Well, we get there and of course the deal is too good to be true and ended up being a lot smaller than how it appeared in the ad. I finished shopping, went home to nap, and spent the rest of the evening with my family.
Today was more family time, then I had to get home to do my usual Sunday routine of getting ready for the work week...washing my hair, my daughter's hair, laundry, groceries, getting clothes ready for the week, etc. I'm sure that I could and probably should do some of this on Saturday to get it out of the way because every Sunday night feels like I am on a mission to get all of these things done and get to bed at a decent time. At least I got a couple of gifts for Camryn wrapped. I can't wait to see her face on Christmas day!
Wishing all a happy work week!
December 2, 2009
Tis the Season to Shop
Oh, the joy of a fierce boot! I love these and would love to own them but my feet say otherwise. Shamefully, the older I get the harder it is to pull off a shoe like this one...so I will pass.
Lately, my money has been burning a hole in my pocket. Every since the week of Black Friday I have been checking the sales ads and searching the Internet for the best deals...for the most part I have just been window shopping.
Window shopping because I am trying to reduce my spending. I have cut back on eating out and only plan to spend on Christmas gifts for myself, Camryn, and the the rest of the fam.
Well, today I was surfing the Internet to find a new pair of boots and ended up buying a pair from Overstock.com (Not the boot shown here). I initially found them on Zappos.com and then googled the shoe to see what other sites carried them. To my surprise, they came up on Overstock's website for about $30 cheaper. I never even knew that they really carried boots like that and once I saw the deal I could not pass it up.
Next on my priority list is to finish up shopping for Camryn and the hard part, find new jeans for myself...I'll be posting more about my search for the perfect pair of jeans later.
Be Blessed!
December 1, 2009
It's Almost 2010!
I cannot believe this year has gone by so quickly. It has been a good year with a lot of things to be thankful for. Let's see, I freed myself of car loan debt, landed a new job, turned 3-0, and celebrated two years of motherhood.
On a quieter note, I shed 10 pounds that I had been trying to lose since I had my daughter.
So to end the year on a high note, I have a couple of goals that I plan to meet by December 31. To reach them would put the icing on the cake for 2009.
1. Pay off the last $150 or so of my credit card. I will then officially be credit card/consumer debt free.
2. Lose 8 pounds. This would be absolutely outstanding and put me back within range of what I weighed before becoming pregnant. Notice I said "within range" LOL.
3. Add 5% to my emergency fund. By the end of 2010, I plan to have fully funded this account.
I have been thinking about these goals all day and think I like having short term goals to focus on. Normally I only set annual goals at the beginning of each year...but my attention span is so short that I sometimes forget what it is that I am working toward. I think in 2010, I will begin setting shorter monthly goals to help me stay focused.
Overall, this year has been about becoming my best me. I've come so far but I know that there are still areas that I need to foster and grow.
Let's get it!
On a quieter note, I shed 10 pounds that I had been trying to lose since I had my daughter.
So to end the year on a high note, I have a couple of goals that I plan to meet by December 31. To reach them would put the icing on the cake for 2009.
1. Pay off the last $150 or so of my credit card. I will then officially be credit card/consumer debt free.
2. Lose 8 pounds. This would be absolutely outstanding and put me back within range of what I weighed before becoming pregnant. Notice I said "within range" LOL.
3. Add 5% to my emergency fund. By the end of 2010, I plan to have fully funded this account.
I have been thinking about these goals all day and think I like having short term goals to focus on. Normally I only set annual goals at the beginning of each year...but my attention span is so short that I sometimes forget what it is that I am working toward. I think in 2010, I will begin setting shorter monthly goals to help me stay focused.
Overall, this year has been about becoming my best me. I've come so far but I know that there are still areas that I need to foster and grow.
Let's get it!
November 30, 2009
How Many Kids Should You Have?
On Saturday, there was an interesting post on MSN about having children. See article here.
It made me think about my own desires when it comes to having children. Honestly, I have always felt like I wanted more children than I was willing or able to have. That was before baby.
Now that I have a child, I think more about the financial impact and time sacrifices that you must make to raise a child. Daycare - $600 per month, Time - Never ending. And while these sacrifices are well worth it, the freedom of child-free adults is never lost on me.
I always find myself torn between having a big family with lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren when I get older or just being content with my one super sweet baby girl. I love the relationship that I have with her and the fact that I have had the time and energy to enjoy so many moments in her development...but on the flip side I think about her growing up with no siblings. To me, when you have a sibling, you are never alone and always have a best friend in the world no matter what. I know that all sibling relationships are not like this but my family has always been pretty close and I would expect the same for her.
One thing is for sure though, I will not ever, never, ever consider having another baby unless I meet Mr. Right and get married. One baby daddy is more than enough and if love doesn't come my way before the 'ole biological clock ticks it's last tick, then more children just won't be an option for me.
That's the thing about my life. There are so many choices to be made and yet so many things that you cannot predict or happen by chance.
It made me think about my own desires when it comes to having children. Honestly, I have always felt like I wanted more children than I was willing or able to have. That was before baby.
Now that I have a child, I think more about the financial impact and time sacrifices that you must make to raise a child. Daycare - $600 per month, Time - Never ending. And while these sacrifices are well worth it, the freedom of child-free adults is never lost on me.
I always find myself torn between having a big family with lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren when I get older or just being content with my one super sweet baby girl. I love the relationship that I have with her and the fact that I have had the time and energy to enjoy so many moments in her development...but on the flip side I think about her growing up with no siblings. To me, when you have a sibling, you are never alone and always have a best friend in the world no matter what. I know that all sibling relationships are not like this but my family has always been pretty close and I would expect the same for her.
One thing is for sure though, I will not ever, never, ever consider having another baby unless I meet Mr. Right and get married. One baby daddy is more than enough and if love doesn't come my way before the 'ole biological clock ticks it's last tick, then more children just won't be an option for me.
That's the thing about my life. There are so many choices to be made and yet so many things that you cannot predict or happen by chance.
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