I’m doing another swap with the Turn it Up Tuesday creator and co-host, Natasha of Epic Mommy Adventures today. Her site helps single parents deal with and succeed at single parenting, co-parenting and other parenting/relationship advice. She will be asking me questions in today’s “Ask Away Friday.”
We are sad to be losing Amber as one of our amazing co-hosts, as she is working to pursue other business ventures and focusing her attentions on her fitness ventures. We wish her nothing but the best, and hope for her thriving success!
When one door closes, another one opens…and we would like to give a huge Ask Away Friday welcome to a brand new co-host…drum roll please…Welcome Echo from The Mad Mommy! She is both a friend and a fellow blogger. I dig her.
Tiffany from Mrs. Tee Love Life Laughter,
Christy from Uplifting Families,
Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings
and
Echo from The Mad Mommy
Be sure to read Natasha’s answers to my romance questions HERE. And here are my answers to her questions:
1. Love your new series, “Oh My! How Things Have Changed!” What are some things that have changed since you became a parent? Wow! Too many things to list… which is why I started the vlogging series! Let’s start a short list:
- Being able to sleep through the night (regardless of whether the kids are under the same roof)
- Being able to work out on my own schedule
- Being able to go out with friends… for the most part I’m home by 10, 11 if I push it!
Those are just to start! So, don’t forget to jump in on my vlog and and let me know how things have changed for you!
2. What do you like most about politics? What would you change if you could? I love that you can effectuate change. There are a lot of things that I want to change, but it’s hard. I would like to change people’s mindset about politics. I wish people didn’t grasp hold of a party and hold on for dear life as if everything that party said was correct. I wish people would listen objectively to the politicians and make the best decision for their situation.
3. What is one thing that you could change if you could? In life? I wish I was much more wealthy. I stress a lot about money and have since I was about 14. I wish I had enough money that money was not a consideration. We’re getting there… using the Financial Peace University.
4. What do you enjoy most about being a stay-at-home mom? Watching the craziness of my kids and being able to enjoy it. I wasn’t a SAHM with my son and I can honestly say that I don’t remember much about him learning or his idiosyncrasies. He would come home one day and know something and come home the next and know something else. Some days, I was in a whirlwind about his consistent growth and very sad about how much I missed in his learning.
5. What is your goal in getting fit? How are you working to achieve your goal? I want to be between 150 and 170 pounds. I don’t really know how much yet because I felt great at 150, but the doctor asked me “Why so little? You’d do better at 170 based on your body type.” I have to determine as I get close to the goal, how I feel. I’m dieting and exercising. Ultimately there are no true short cuts. You have to choose a plan and commit to it. I’m cutting calories and walking 10,000 steps a day at least three times a week.
6. What made you decide to transition from 100lb Countdown to April Noelle for your blog? What inspired the change? I’d been considering it for a long time. I just hadn’t done it. I hadn’t really blogged strictly or even mainly about weight loss in over a couple of years. I think what really made me make the change was that all of the sponsors and/or contributors just wanted to talk about weight loss. Even on this blog hop, I was constantly being asked about my weight loss fanatisism and how I can get others to lose weight. For the most part, I started 100lb Countdown to keep myself accountable. I know it sounds selfish, but it wasn’t about helping anyone else. I don’t mind spreading information that works, since so many of us are in the struggle, but I didn’t like being pigeonholed as that “weight loss girl”.
7. What are you looking forward to doing this year? Any big plans? I’m really hoping to get my business off the ground. I just need time and focus. I want to help girls get their financial minds in order before they grow up and have to take on the big decisions, including college, marriage, kids, cars and homes. I want them to have them all, but with little to no debt! Yep, I’m talking about the house too!
8. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? 20 years from now? In 10 years, I’ll be in my mid-forties. I see myself in a different home, twice the size that we’re in now. I see us debt free with two teenagers and a college student. My business would be running successfully for 9 years and I’m ready to make a splash for year 10. In 20 years, I hope to have a team that can take over, so my husband and I can travel more, including seeing our kids, hopefully in different places or near home.
9. What is one moment that you are looking forward to experiencing with each of your children? With Bunny, my son, graduation from college. I want to see what direction he chooses to take, whether it be more creative or analytical. With Bee and Butterfly, I would love to see them get married. I would love to see where they are in their lives and whether we lead them down the right path. I think all three of my children will get married, I just don’t know if Bunny’s fiance will allow me to help! LOL!
10. If you had all the time and money in the world, what would you do? I would spend more time just playing with my girls. I would take them around and really explore our “new” surroundings. I would take them to the movies, museums, theaters and give them some play time with friends through day care. With my son, I would put him in a variety of sports and academic clubs to help him excel. I would also stimulate his artistic mind and get him involved at the local art club. For my relationship, I would make sure that we had a regular date night and vacations, whether it be for a weekend or a week. I would also take my husband and kids to travel the world to learn about other people and cultures, especially giving everyone new experiences besides these here at home.
This one time… at band camp! I can’t help but think of that end to that sentence, but alas, I’ve never been to band camp, so I don’t have any cool stories from there.
This one time, I had writer’s block. Yep, just one time and it’s now. Most of this post has been finished since Wednesday when I had the bright idea to so all three Friday blog hops, especially since I hadn’t done FTSF in a while. Now , it’s Saturday night and it’s not up yet.I talk all of the time and could not think of one “This one time…” story. Not one.
Of course, as I’m trying to finish this on my phone, I start thinking about a couple, like the time I saw a get knocked out while my mother was at a frat party, the time I got the weird sexually explicit phone call I received when I was a kid or the one time I couldn’t find a place to poop. But it’s already at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, so let me know which story you would like to hear, and I’ll write about it on a future FTSF!
This has been another edition of Finish the Sentence Friday!
Today is Friday, and I can’t even pretend that I’m not incredibly thankful!
I’m THANKFUL that
1. Bee does not get in our bed at night. Of course, I’m sleeping on the floor in her room, but we’re talking baby steps right?
2. I’m a stay at home mom. I watch my daughters learn and grow every day, the good and the bad.
3. I have continued my “Be Uncomfortable” challenge and made my second and third vlog!
4. I am still getting entries for my Relationships in the Raw series. It has opened my eyes and my heart. I didn’t know what it would bring, but I am seeing changes in my personal life reading these stories.
5. I have a newly minted 11 year old! Watching him grow has been a journey for him and me. It has blessed me more than anyone could ever know.
6. Fridays! Long weeks followed by short weekends. As I read in Lisa’s post for the One Word Challenge, busy has just become the new normal! Who said that was ok? Wait, this is a thankful post, so back to the positive!
7. Friends! I’ve been making more online and IRL friends, which is part of my “Be Uncomfortable” challenge too.
8. My family! They give me many many reasons to wake up everyday and love on them, hug them and kiss them!
9. Being in love! Although we aren’t doing anything for Valentine’s Day, I’m thankful that I’m not alone and I have someone who cares deeply for me.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
10. Most of all, I’m thankful that this post is over and I get to go to sleep! The girls are with their grandparents so I’ll be able to sleep ALL.THE.WAY through the night!
ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR WEEKEND!
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