Uplifting, Encouraging, and Fun blogging.

Did we all make our new year resolutions? If you are like me you write a ton of things down that you want to accomplish for the year and by December you realize you may have completed about half of them. Why do we do that? I don’t know about you but, as a woman some of my resolutions are always weight loss, to exercise a zillion times per week, and to not eat an unhealthy meal for the entire year. This is why I can’t accomplish these resolutions. Every year I make them entirely too hard to achieve. I put tough conditions on myself that I know from the start are not reachable. I start out with great intentions and then fail miserably. I think to an extent we all do this. I am sure there are some folks out there that complete all of the crazy, far fetched resolutions that they write down but let me tell ya, it ain’t this gal.

As I began to look at what I would like to do for 2021 I came to the realization that, unless I set attainable goals, there is no doubt I will be disappointed in myself throughout the year. So, I am looking at things a little differently this year. I still have the same ole similar goals as all off the years before I just tweaked them so that just maybe I can reach them this year. Do you ever remember setting a goal and the feeling that you get when you reach it? The satisfaction of looking in the mirror and saying “you know what, I just did that”. For me it is the best feeling in the world. I don’t know about a lot of you but, I am a list gal. I like checking things off. I like making charts and crossing things off as I get closer to my end result. For me that is satisfaction. Progress. I need to see the progress. Try to make a list or chart of your resolutions and watch yourself get closer and closer to reaching your goal. In the same sense it will give you accountability when you fall behind. The two things that I can promise you are 1) you can do or achieve any ole thing that you set your mind to and 2) your little body can handle so much more than you think it can.

Here’s my tweaking in action. Every year I set a goal to lose a mound of weight. I am not considered overweight according to the chats but I can tell you that we each have a weight in which we “feel good”. So this year, instead of putting myself through so much stress about the number on the scale, I am tweaking my goal. This year I would like to reach my “healthy” weight. Now notice I said “healthy” and not “feel good”. My heathy weight is about 12 pound more than my feel good weight. I have about 17 pounds to be at what I consider my healthy weight. Y’all that is so attainable. No, it wont be easy but, nothing of any worth is ever easy. Think about this. What if you change your weight goal to something actually attainable? I bet you make your goal. Here’s the fun part for me. I make a chart. Put your start weight at the top of a piece of paper and your desired weight at the bottom. I fill in the numbers in between and put a box around each one. Every pound that I lose gets marked off with a big “X”. I also put the date that I achieve that number. If you have a lot to lose give yourself a little treat every 5 pounds or so. And by treat I mean a new pair of socks, a cookie, a new bubble bath soap, a trip to the nails salon, NOT and entire day of eating which will make you gain the entire 5 pounds you lost.

Tweak number 2: Accountability. Every year I have vowed to write a page and keep a health journal. Have you ever tried to write every single day in a notebook? I mean every bite that you eat and exercise that you do? If you can do that then BRAVO! I can not. I try. Really I do. But, life happens, I get busy, I get sleepy, and the notebook stays empty. This year I have set up two ladies as an accountability group. These two ladies are ones that want to attain similar goals as me as far as making healthier choices and having movement. They are ladies that I know for certain will jerk me right back in line if I they need to. They are ladies that would drive to my house and literally scrape the cookie off of my tongue if I’m not suppose to be eating it lol. How do I know? Because they are my sister’s. And we have vowed to be tough and encourage one another. Get you an accountability tribe like this! Now you may ask how we are tracking it. By text. We are texting a picture of what we are putting into our bodies every day. I mean snacks too. In the hopes that if one of us makes a big fail and starts to eat an entire king sized candy bar, the other two can send help lol. Get you some good accountability partners.

Tweak 3, and the last one I will share with you this evening. I have a BIG goal for the end of September. I would love to complete a 42 mile ultramarathon. Why 42? Because I am 42 years old. I know y’all are saying “she’s really lost it now” but, I have ran several ultra’s in the past and was able to achieve 33 miles. In order to do this I will have to up my running training. In years before I have told myself “run 5 days a week and big miles”. You know what I’m gonna say. I didn’t hit my goal. This year I know that I can physically run 3 days per week. I know that this is attainable. So I am setting the bar at that. I have a running partner, my little sister, who will make sure I don’t get lazy. In return I will run her little short legs off lol. My tweak is requiring myself less days to run and also not making myself feel horrible if my ultra takes more hours than I would like. Y’all I am perfectly fine with being slow (I am not competitive) and I am also fine with walking when I need to. If there is a hill, and there are in this particular race, then I’m a walkin it lol.

Well these are some physical resolutions that I have for myself this year. I hope that you have set a few that will help you become a healthier version of you. Even little tiny changes can make a huge difference. Find someone to be accountable with. Love every step of the way. You need to enjoy the journey. Chart the tiny improvements along the way and most important be good to yourself. I along with so many others am so proud of you. No matter how tiny the step is you are lapping everyone else that chose to do nothing. Don’t forget to share your stories about what your goals/resolutions are. All we can do is encourage one another. Now get out there and achieve your goals. ❤️ Always

Well Happy Happy New Year! I don’t know about you all but I am thankful that 2020 is over. Actually, I say that but, it wasn’t so awful. If we are reading this, we all survived, we all had our hearts opened, we all hopefully learned something about ourselves, and we are all a little stronger for it. The year of a pandemic. We lived through a year with a pandemic. Did you ever feel like you could say that you lived through that? I certainly didn’t. Last night we officially opened our doors at midnight to let this crazy year out and welcome what we hope to be a banner year in.

Today, January 1, 2021, begins a brand new page of a beautiful new year. How will you write your 365 chapter book? Seriously, think about that. If you could write a chapter each day this upcoming year what would your book look like at the end of the year? More importantly how would you like for others to read it? Do you want to give your readers a motivational uplifting story, maybe an adventure book, maybe a walk of faith, or for some folks who are always negative, I am sure it will be a horror story. No matter how you plan for your year, let your actions (or your words) be seen by others as a tribute to you.

I pray that this year be a year of renewal for each of us. I hope that we look back on 2020 and realize what lessons we have learned. Now, I know there are some of you out there who believe that all of this was political, that do not believe in Covid, that believe that all of this was planned and caused. I have friends who refuse to wear their masks and refuse to think that this virus is more than the flu being blown out of the water. You know something, that’s okay. We are so blessed to live in a land of freedom where everyone has a choice to believe and feel exactly how they want. I am and have always been an “okay with whatever you believe” kind of gal and no matter what you prefer I love you anyway. I myself have learned to adapt to so much this year.

Never before did I think I would learn to wear a mask, to become a homebody, and to be okay with just being at home. I sure did. And honestly it wasn’t too bad. Here’s how I truly feel, and yes I’m about to talk about religion. I think God never gives us any more than we can handle. I feel like this last year was used to teach us so many lessons. For me it taught me to be still and to look at what is important in my life. It taught me how important my family truly is to me. Seriously, some people, and a lot that I know very well, lost loved ones to this horrid virus. My family is here. They are well. And I am blessed. More than anything I think 2020 taught me how important it is to be good to one another. It costs absolutely nothing to be kind. If anything I think my Lord tried to teach me to love. Well people, that’s what I’m gonna do.

I’m sure we’ve all set our New Years resolutions. That will be for another blog cause boy I got some good ones and I sure what to hear about yours. In the mean time let’s say thank you to 2020 for all that it taught us. Vow to be a better person this year than you were last year. Vow to just love on people and hold your family and babies tight. Today is chapter one of your beautiful 365 chapter book. Write it. Make it completely YOU. This year don’t waste one day. Take your journey and write about it along the way. Have a wonderfully blessed new year and welcome to 2021, our best year yet. P.S. No matter what your goals this year, I am so proud of you. ❤️Always

I can’t tell you how many people have asked me over the years what skin products that I use. Honestly, I have been very blessed to have pretty good skin. I truly have never dealt with some of the issues others have. Even as a teenager with raging hormones, my skin stayed pretty clear. No acne and no grease. As I have gotten older the only issue that I’ve had is that my skin tends to be dryer. I always say it’s hereditary. My grandmother, her name was Martha (and yes we called her mamaw, I’m from the south), had beautiful skin. Even before she passed away she was wrinkle free. So, I’m thankful for good genes.

I was born with a momma who was a hairdresser. Some of y’all will call that a cosmetologist. Here in Tennessee she was a plain ole hairdresser. We were introduced to makeup when we were pretty young. She believed in soap and washing your face every night before going to bed. I still do it. I try not to miss a night and if I do I feel like my face is itchy. When my sisters and I started our make up journey we were given the option to use only “good” foundation. I actually use Merrell Norman. I’ve used it for 20 years and I just haven’t changed. Although I think the type of makeup that you use is important, I think what you do to your skin matters most.

My regiment is pretty simple. Again I wash my face every night. It may surprise you but I use white dove soap. I scrub my face with soap, water, and a wash cloth. That’s it. I use the same soapy cloth to remove my eye makeup. Let me tell ya I wear a lot. Here is the important part. Here is the product review. I use Aloette hand and body silk on my face. I absolutely love it! I love the way that it smells and the way that it makes my skin feel. I honestly believe in this lotion. I usually get a bottle from my momma as a gift around Christmas time. You don’t have to wait to get it as a gift, you can just visit the website aloette.com and purchase it. It only takes a little pea sized drop to hydrate your face. I have to admit, I use it on my legs after I shave as well. I never get razor burn and I think the lotion is why.

In my option I believe you can wear any brand or type of makeup that you want as long as you wash your face and use a good lotion. I hope that this helps you in some way. Try to find someone in your area that sells Aloette. Always try to help independent consultants. They wouldn’t be selling the products unless they believed in them. When you find one ask for a sample. I feel certain they would be happy to give you one. Aloette has tons of other products, I just use the hand and body silk daily and I can confirm that it works extremely well for me. I hope you can give it a try. Have a wonderfully blessed evening and happy dreams. ❤️ Always

Good evening lovelies. I hope each of you has had a beautifully wonderful week this far and had a blessed Christmas. Who is exhausted from the holiday? If I could raise my hand really high via text and say me, me, me I would. I can’t so just picture me doing that lol. Maybe it’s just that I am getting older or because this year has been crazy wacko but, this past week I’ve literally wanted to plop on the couch and watch television as soon as I walk in from work. My husband, you know the friendly delivery driver, said to me last night that this was the hardest, most exhausting year that he has had delivering through the holiday season. I believe maybe we all feel a little physically and mentally exhausted.

For me this year has been filled with so much more worry than others. Between my son graduating from high school and becoming a man (um he will alway be my baby), this stinking pandemic, and a busy holiday season I am completely exhausted. Mentally and physically. Do you realize the side effect of not resting or sleeping well? Well here’s just a few. Brain fog with short term memory loss, an immune system in the tank, weight gain, higher risk of heart disease, depression, and this one isn’t proven but, I turn in to the wicked witch of the south. Seriously!!!!! And those are just a few upsets to your temple that can happen. Well that’s enough for me. How about you?

As you all can tell by this time after reading my blogs you know that I am a Christian. I try to have faith , but for the last 6 months, I don’t feel like I have put my trust in the Lord. My favorite verse in the Bible is Psalm 46:10 “Be Still, And Know That I Am God”. It just speaks to me in volume. So much that I literally have it tattooed on my wrist. It’s just my daily reminder that I need to “Be Still”. Think about that. It means rest, have faith, don’t worry, trust, wait before you speak, and I could go on and on.

With that being said…….JUST REST! If you come home from work and you are exhausted it’s okay to change in to your cozies and just rest. It’s okay to go to bed a little earlier than normal. It’s okay (as I said in a past blog) to say no to others. It’s NOT okay to completely exhaust yourself to the point of being sick. Tiredness is a way for your body to let you know that you are just doing too much. Sleep and rest are healing. I know what you are saying. “There’s just too much to do to rest”. Well honey, if you’re sick or gone it will never get done. Not by you anyway. And probably not the way you would do it. So just rest.

I absolutely love the photo posted below. Mainly because guilt is the devil. I find myself feeling guilty when I “just rest”. I know that you do too. Please just learn to be still and rest when you need it. Do not let your mind convince you that rest isn’t important or give you a guilt trip about taking a break. You are better than that. You have an obligation to so many people but, you can’t be anything for anyone if you are exhausted. Give yourself a little pep talk. Allow yourself to just rest. Now that your finished reading, change into your cozies and pile up somewhere and rest. Have a gloriously beautiful night. ❤️Always

I’m sure over the last few days that we have all crammed our bodies with plenty of foods that were less than healthy for us. I know I can answer yes to that. I allow myself to eat the bad things on certain days of the year. For me after a couple of days of completely gorging myself and I literally have to stop and try to detox. It’s crazy what effects the bad foods have on me. I get so much inflammation and let’s not talk about my tummy, which I refer to most of the time as the devil. We will talk about my detox for anyone who is interested at a later time. Today I want to talk about the best boosts that I can do for my body. I want to talk about vitamins. Yes, you need to take them even if its a good ole Flintstone vitamin. P.S. I love Flintstone vitamins. I think they taste good however; I no longer take the children’s chewable. Ive grown to find some more that are much better for me. I want to share with you four of my go to’s.

For those of you who know me know that I do not like medications. I try to treat myself with vitamins and herbs as much as possible. Yes, I’m that weird person. I take a daily vitamin every morning. I am not sure at this point that I could do without it. My choice for my daily is Axion which is made by Xyngular company. I absolutely love it. I can take one or two a day. Now, its a little pricey. It’s about $45 for a month but, I have tried so many vitamins that have done nothing. After being on these vitamins for 3 days I felt so much more energy and it may sound crazy but, my hair seemed to be healthier and my nails grew so well. The help with brain fog and focus sealed the deal for me. Look them up online and give a few of their products a try. I also use their lean protein and trimstix’s.

Each day I also take a Vitamin C supplement. We all know that vitamin C is good for our bodies. Of course oranges are the best natural source of the good vitamin however; as i said earlier, my stomach is not a nice organ. If I drink orange juice or eat oranges I am miserable for about 6 house. The combination of sugar and acid is not a good thing for me. Instead I get my daily dose of vitamin C in pill form. I use Nature Made supplements for this one. I like the fact that I can get them at any Walmart store or pharmacy and the price is very affordable. It is proven that taking vitamin C can help prevent cold and even shorten its span. So go out an grab you a bottle of this great little gem.

Another great vitamin that I take to help my system is Vitamin D. A great source of Vitamin D are eggs, mushrooms, and fish. I can eat eggs and mushrooms all day long but, fish is another story. Fish is your best source of Vitamin D and I am allergic to all fish. Another great source of Vitamin D is pure, lovely, sunshine. I love it and I get out in the sun as much as I possibly can. Well we aren’t getting much right now in the gloomy winter months. For this I make the Nature Made Vitamin D3 supplement. So how do you know if you need some Vitamin D? Are you constantly sick? Are you always exhausted? Are your muscles and back always hurting? Is your hair falling out? Are you felling down and depressed? All of these are signs of a Vitamin D deficiency. Grab a bottle. It will make you feel better. I take this every morning with my regular vitamin.

Finally, the last supplement that I take is Magnesium. Some great sources of magnesium are leafy greens, nuts, avocados, and pumpkin seeds. I can do all of this except for the nuts. Again, another allergy. Some of the signs of a magnesium deficiency are headaches, poor sleep, muscle cramps, and heart palpitations. I literally was having all of these. Magnesium is proven to help with muscle and nerve function as well as keeping your heart healthy. I can attest to the fact that after taking my magnesium supplement for 4 days my heart flutters almost completely went away. I do not miss taking this supplement on a daily basis. I typically take it with my lunch however; it can be taken at any time with or without food. For these little blessings I use Nature Made as well.

Folks I know that some of you will think that I am crazy and that’s totally okay. Each person should do what is best for them. Are there any supplements, vitamins, herbs, or oils that you use and truly believe in? If so comment below so that we can all reap the benefit. I have attached photos of the exact supplements that I use. I hope that these little tidbits will help in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Have a wonderful night. I hope that it is full of blessings, peace, and love. ❤️Always.

Well Merry Merry Christmas to all of you. I just love this time of the year. October – December are just lovely for me. I look forward to them all year long. The time with my family, the cooler weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and food. Don’t forget the food. For most of us this season is a time of cheer. For most I said. I think of all of the joy but in my heart I can’t help but think of those who are alone and sad. I am lucky enough to say that I have never had to endure a holiday, or any day for that matter, alone or without joy. Most of us I believe can say that. Aren’t we just truly blessed? Don’t we take that for granted?

The older I get, the time with my family and memories mean more than any material thing that I could possibly buy. I can remember as a child just wishing for a new stereo, some cool boots, and a cabbage patch doll (I told y’all I’m an 80’s gal). Today my wishes are quiet a bit different. I think this year we all just wish for health and for this horrible pandemic to just go away. What’s your “grown up” Christmas wish? When you sit at home today and spend it with your family, look around and think to yourself what your true wish is. I guarantee that is isn’t something material. If it is well, Lordy Lou I hope you got it lol.

I have two wishes for this Christmas season. First, I want to tell you a little story. A couple of times each week I go to visit my momma. She lives downtown in the middle of the city. Now when I say city, understand that we live in little ole northeast Tennessee. So its not a big city. Each time that I drive to her house I pass a an area that is consumed with our local homeless community. Let me just tell you that it truly breaks my heart. Thankfully I have never had to experience being without a place to live. I’m assuming most of you haven’t. Friends, if you do not have a heart for our homeless people, in my opinion, you need to examine yourself a little. Aren’t we all just a few paychecks away from being in their shoes? Aren’t we all so blessed with mental stability? I will admit, for many years, it was so uncomfortable for me that I would find myself looking the other way. I think it is for most of us. Over the last few yearsI began looking. I began to try to look at the faces of these precious souls. Can I just say, it’s not what you think. Some of these people are very young. They’ve been dealt a hard hand. They may have even fought for your freedom. I can promise you that they are someone’s CHILD. As a parent I truly cant imagine my son being homeless and that alone. It completely breaks my heart. So, my number one Christmas wish is that we (and I mean you and me), look at these the homeless in our community through the eyes of a parent. I wish that there was so much more that we could do. If you cant financially do something, then at the very least pray for them. And if you don’t believe in that then try to at least ask yourself what you can do to show kindness to them. You don’t have to be a Christian to be kind. You really don’t.

My second Christmas wish came true. As I said, we live in northeast Tennessee. We haven’t had a white Christmas in 10 years. They are typically cold but not snow. Well it came this year. I got my white Christmas. Isn’t that wonderful. Earlier in the week I saw the Bethlehem star and last evening everything was covered in beautiful snow. Now I know that second wish is a little selfish but, oh how I love it. My heart is truly happy.

I hope that this blog has made you think a little today. I hope that your Christmas Day is filled with many blessings, a huge amount of time with your loved ones, and that all of your grown up Christmas wishes come true. Love from my little family right here in northeast Tennessee to each of you.

“For unto us a child is born. A savior is given.” Oh how thankful I am for that. Merry Christmas. ❤️Always

What do you look most forward to during the holiday/Christmas season? Is it the lights? Do you love the food? Is it celebrating the birth of Christ? Is it jolly old Saint Nick? Can I just say YES to all of this. I just love it all. You know what else I love about it? The movies. There are just so many. I remember as a little girl my younger sister Amanda and I watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Santa Clause Is Coming To Town” in our living room after our daddy built a fire that was so hot our long, straggly hair was just soaked with sweat. Oh, the man could build a wild fire in that fire place. I’m not certain how the house never burned down but, that’s another story for a different blog.

After I matured to an adult and became a mother, the Christmas movie tradition continued. Y’all those babies will remember watching Christmas movies with you. Mine is 18 and just last night we watched one together. I could make a list of 40 of those wonderful movies that I love but, I narrowed it down to the two that I watch all year around. Yes, I said all year round. Why? Well because what else makes you feel more happiness inside than a good ole Christmas movie.

Now, some of y’all like Hallmark channel during the holiday season and they are fine love stories but, I prefer more classic. My number two favorite Christmas movie is “A Christmas Story”!!!! When my son Walker was a little fella he called it “the Christmas of the boy” lol. He loved it. I think it was because little Ralphie wanted and got his BB gun. I just love the entire story but, my heart is overjoyed at the daddy. He reminds me so much of mine. Hard working hateful codger that does everything for his family and just loved his major award. We bought a leg lamp for my daddy a long time ago as a gift for Christmas, it is now in my sons bedroom. Deep down I just love the fact the Ralphie finally got to give Scott Farkas a good beat down. I’m sure there are a few folks you might like to give a good whack to…. did I say that out loud? Yes, yes I did. So, now that I’ve jogged that Parker family memory go to Netflix and watch it. Watch it with your babies, or loved one, or the cat, or by yourself. Who cares, just watch it!

My number one! Drum roll please!!!! “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”!!! Not the animated old or new version but, the 2000 version with Jim Carrey. Oh my goodness. I just squeal thinking about it. I mean so many lessons and so much love coming out of that movie. The hateful old Grinch getting his heart reconditioned by precious Cindy Lou Who. Proving to him that Christmas is so much more! Talk about a lesson for the bullies and to teach your children to love everyone, especially those who are different. Everyone should strive to have the heart of Cindy Lou Who. Truly, If my headstone says Brooke Bailey aka Cindy Lou Who I will have completed my task in life lol. P. S. This is the movie that Walker and I watched last night. Go watch it. It’s on Netflix as well. Run, don’t walk, to the controller and turn it on!

What about you? What are your favorite Christmas movies? I mean “Miracle on 34th Street”, “Mr. Scrooge”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life “ is right up there with my faves..We’ve had to stay at home a lot this season so what movies are you watching? Grab your loves and go watch some Christmas movies. You are making memories and it’s completely okay to snuggle up and rest. Leave your favorites in the comments so that we can see what everyone loves. It may remind us of a few to watch. Have a blessed Monday night and happy dreams! ❤️Always

This past week I made a little goodie for my fellas. They loved it so much that I thought I would share it with you tonight. It’s simple and easy and delicious and would be perfect to have for your Christmas festivities. I saw a ton of folks post it on Facebook and of course I had to Pinterest it. Well because you know, Pinterest is life.

Christmas Tree Cake Dip. Now I used 2 boxes of Little Debbie vanilla Christmas tree cakes, one container of whipped topping and an 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese. I just threw it all in my mixer and let it do its loving. Some of the recipes call for cream and vanilla but, I felt like it was just fine without it. I served mine with vanilla wafers, sugar wafers, and graham crackers. My husband and son liked the sugar wafers and graham crackers best.

I think we should start adding all kinds of snack cakes to whipped topping and cream cheese and see what happens lol. After all who doesn’t love snack cakes? I have posted a photo of the recipe from Pinterest below in case you want to give it a whirl. You could actually roll this in crushed graham crackers and serve it as a “cheese ball” per say. I hope you enjoy it as much as my fellas did.

Do you know of any quick dips/cheese balls that you would like to share with us? If so just comment them. I love trying new recipes. I love them even more when they are easy and delicious. Happy cooking and have a wonderful night. ❤️Always

At the beginning of my blog page introduction I said this blog would be a little of everything. So this evening here are a couple of little tips/hacks. I wanted to talk about these two because I use them almost every day. I am all about making things easier and saving money where I can. My time is valuable to me so anything to make me have more of it I am all for. I hope that these little tricks will work for you as well. If you know of any little tips that you would like to share with the rest of us, just leave in the comments.

Confession, I use WAY too much hairspray. I am a true 80’s gal with the big hair to prove it. Well ya know if you are gonna get the hair fluffy you gotta spray it. For me its instant freeze hairspray only. It works perfectly for that all day hold of my big mess lol. But, it’s not pretty on my bathroom floors. Do you know that feeling? Hairspray is not the only thing that gets your floors sticky and ugly. My floors are tile so this works perfectly. Here is your trick. Glass cleaner people. Yes, I said that. Glass cleaner. And it doesn’t have to be the expensive kind. Just spray your floors with the glass cleaner. I use the kind with ammonia. Cover it really well I mean soak it and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then just wipe away with a damp cloth or mop. Y’all it gets everything off of your floors. The glass cleaner works very well cleaning your sink as well. It will shine like a diamond. Give it a whirl.

Here’s my other tip. Gals, we’ve all gotta shave our legs right? I know I wish we didn’t have to but I guess the only other option would be to look like Sasquatch. My entire teenage life I used shaving cream to shave my legs. I mean the kind that I picked up from my local drug store that smelled like dead flowers and foamed all pink. I thought I was something lol. The problem is I had the worst razor burn and my legs were just dry. Once I got past the girly foam I realized that there was something that I use every day that would be so much better. People (gals and guys) USE CONDITIONER! Yes the kind you use on your hair. And I mean it works perfectly. I don’t use my expensive conditioner either, (yes, I have to use expensive conditioner on my big hair. with all the hairspray I have to do something to keep it from falling out). Go buy the 1 or 2 dollar kind. Get the coconut scented it smells so lovely and you can dream of the beach while you are using it. Fellas use conditioner to shave your face. It is so much better for your skin. My husband and I do not buy shaving cream any more.

That’s all I got for tonight as far as useful knowledge. I hope you found these little tips helpful. They sure are for me. Don’t forget to comment if you think there are more tricks to help us folks out that value our time. We all want to work smarter, not harder. So let’s hear your tips. Have a wonderfully blessed evening and thank you for reading. ❤️Always

Well I guess you know that this blog post is about. Wrong!! It’s not to complain about how long a delivery service took to get my items to me or how the contents were damaged. To be real honest with you I’ve seen so many of those posts on social media that I’ve almost had to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. No darlings, this blog post is to make it real for you and to praise these folks who are out delivering our mound of packages that we waited entirely to late to order however; demand they are here in plenty of time for Christmas morning. I know you are all thinking, how dare you say that but deep down you know it’s the truth. I’m guilty of this too. Haven’t we all become the “I want what I want and I want it now” type person? Hmmmm.

Here’s my story. I am married to one of those “delivery guy’s”. In fact this is my wonderful husband’s 26th year delivering Christmas packages with your favorite delivery service. (No I won’t say which one, those that know my sweet man will know). This year more than ever they are slammed. Let me just put it into perspective for you. Normal day deliveries, pre-covid is about 70 stops a day. Fast forward to today, post covid combined with Christmas time, they are at an average of 105 stops per day. That is 35 more stops per day. Per route, not per station. In other words per delivery person. On top of this they hire temporary delivery personnel during this time. 10 extra persons to be exact and the part time folks are working full time hours. So to us, non-delivery workers this doesn’t sound like much. Let me tell ya, I see it. Maybe, this next story will help you see it as well.

My husband is no spring chicken. He’s 50 years old to be exact. A lot of the delivery drivers that you see will not be extremely young. Why is this? Because the company that they work for is a great place to work. They take care of their employees and these men and woman can make a comfortable living. They have long term employees. They aren’t lazy and their work ethic is huge. Believe me when I say there is no room for laziness for the delivery folks. They work very hard. A lot harder than most of us could ever imagine working. And we are the ones demanding our packages. It’s long hours, rain or shine, cold or hot, daylight or dark.

This week alone my husband has fallen asleep after work sitting in his chair well before bedtime. His feet hurt. His back hurts. He snores the moment his head hits the pillow. I see it. I watch it. It is true. But, guess what? Instead of complaining, he gets up bright and early the next morning to make sure your beloved packages are on your porch. It’s tough people. It’s tough on these guys. I see it first hand.

Here’s what I’m trying to get across to everyone. Appreciate these folks. All of them. They are tired and they are trying. We are the ones that waited too late to order our packages and are expecting them here very quickly. Before you get ready to blast your delivery guy because your package is a day or an hour late, take a deep breath. They are individuals. They are trying. They are out there pushing as hard as they can. Before you blast them maybe say thank you? Think about it. That’s someone’s husband, wife, son or daughter. What if it were yours?

Let me get the kindness started. Thank you thank you delivery drivers. Thank you for putting up with my bad attitude because I decided to procrastinate. Thank you for the long hours and delivering to me always with a smile. You are a blessing to us and we are so thankful. Merry Christmas and I hope that you will have ample time with your families during this wonderful season.

Remember, you are exactly the words that come out of your mouth. Choose kindness. Choose love. ❤️Always.