That Time I Shipped My Kids Off to a Foreign Country and Partied Like A Rock Star!

It’s been a while. Too long of a while. For that, I’d like you to join me in thanking and applauding the following:

• Fearlessness. I eventually got off my back side, quit dreaming about doing stuff and actually started doing stuff. Out of that came Selena’s Write, Mane-N-Curl and a host of other goodies, I’ve got cooking in the works, including a novel.
• My crazy-awesome-better-eat-your-wheaties-cause-this-ain’t-for-punks kind of schedule. As if I had nothing better else to do, I began working out regularly (and by working out I mean attempting to survive P90x), volunteering more, teaching more, giving away more and catering to self less. I began loving on others, encouraging complete strangers and allowing flexibility and adaptability to light the way. And lastly,
• Personal reflection and assessment. I wasn’t making the time to ask myself the right questions and so everything, but the right things, were influencing my actions. I got all over that with lightening speed.

So, now you know why I’ve been gone. Now, let me tell why I shipped my kids off.

I wish I could say my reasons were entirely noble. Perhaps they are. Some of you may agree; others not so much. Here’s how it went down.

I’m not rich. I’m not even well to do. I work. I pay bills. I save. And I intentionally work to build good character in my children. So, naturally when they began to complain about having to share things, needing a 2nd bathroom and not having an iPhone, it was time to take action. I’d been hearing the complaints for months and frankly, I was sick of it. Truth be told, I was a little taken aback. This “I’m owed more” attitude was what I expected from teens whose parents dropped the ball. Ha! Nothing like an “in your face” moment to help you see straight or to knock you off your pedestal. That’s when truth hit.

If I want them to learn character or values, I’ve got to jump on opportunities that will teach them character and values. I mean, you never learn how to swim, if you don’t get in the water, right? So, I signed them up to go to Haiti on a mission’s trip with my church. First, they weren’t happy. Next, they didn’t believe I’d actually go through with it. Then, they expected me to go with them. Ha! Um, no. Last, I made them do all the prep work to get it going and I wouldn’t let them off the hook.

So, on August 14 at 5:34 a.m., they boarded a plane–for the first time in their lives–and  flew to Haiti where they worked as a team to serve children in an orphanage during its first ever Bible Camp! They painted buildings and met people with less possessions who had more joy than they could fathom. Did they learn anything? Time will tell. They don’t touch down until tonight. But I’m willing to bet the experience taught them more than they bargained for.

I, in turn, partied like the opportunity would never come again! I went to the movies. I pampered myself with the kinds of things that make the heart squee. As a solo-parent, I haven’t had an extended break from the duo since, well, never. Maybe a day or two, but never an entire week; and yours truly took full advantage of it.

If your children are acting like you owe them everything, find an opportunity that will allow them to learn about the importance of serving others. Encourage and insist that they participate in service programs that could help them focus less on themselves and more on those who need help. You may not see the change overnight, and that’s okay. Maturity is a process and in due time, the seeds of all they’ve learned will begin to sprout.

Would you send your teens out of the country without you?

Thanks for visiting.

Skin Protection. Real Talk.

In the last few months, I’ve been to a bunch o’ places including Philadelphia, New York City and of course, my personal favorite, day trips down to the lake. As I was prancing about in flower-laden fields (okay perhaps I’m exaggerating) I was thankful to be outdoors and even happier for the sunshine. That is until I opened my email and read this: Did you know that Women ages 20-29 are the fastest growing segment of the population being diagnosed with Skin Cancer, especially Melanoma? 

Of course I panicked. Surely, I had to spring in to action. Alert the people. Sound the alarms. Didn’t I? I mean what kind of person would I be if I didn’t? Apathetic? Uncaring? Indifferent? Certainly, that wouldn’t do.

Enter the paranoia. Hats, check. Umbrellas, check. Spray-on sunscreen, check. Rub on sunscreen, check. Scented sunscreen, check. Tinted sunscreen–you get my drift. Fact is I went overboard. And that’s when this article   Skin Care 101 – Healthy Skin is Protected Skin was written.

In doing the research, I learned I didn’t have to wear 15 layers of sunscreen or a 2-foot brim hat in order to spend time outdoors. I could go outside, travel, spend time at the lake, prance around in the fields and it was okay–more importantly, I was okay. All I really had to do was make the protection of my skin a priority. What’s that look like? Well for one, I use a moisturizer + sunscreen in one, namely Eucerin. I know this may come as a shock but I absolutely can’t stand to lotion my skin. Heck if ashy skin didn’t look so dreadful, I’d forego lotion all together. But having an all-in-one lotion and sunscreen  product just makes my life easier. And it doesn’t cause my teens’ ezcema to flare up either.

So, no more sunscreen less trips outside. No more “eh, it’s cloudy, I’ll be fine without it.” And definitely, no more acting as though skin cancer is some distant, can’t touch me kind of thing. I love the outdoors just as much as you do, probably even more because I grew up in St. Croix. But loving the outdoors is not a reason to put the health of your skin second.

Now, who’s up for a little field prancing?

Note: I received Eucerin lotion samples as part of my partnership with the Eucerin Skin First Network, however the opinions in this post are my own. I’ve been a Eucerin user for 14 years.

I Gets Around! A Goddess on the Go!

For someone who drives a 10-year-old car, I sure do get around…a lot! And I’m not just talking about the  average run-of-the-mill stuff like food shopping at Wegmans. Definitely heaven on earth. Okay it’s a close second. Or the once in a while trip to the mostly crowded make shift shores we misguidedly refer to as beaches. 

No, I’m talking about afternoon outings to the Lake, spontaneous day trips to the Falls (Niagara Falls) and unnecessarily long drives for freshly scooped Coldstone’s with chunks of brownies and Oreos. I’m talking about being flown to L.A. to wine, dine and shop with the stars; and getting pampered in NYC with ritzy hotels, gourmet food and top of the line skin care products. Heck, I even got to go to Philly! Of course, it was absolutely work related (wink, wink). No really, it was until right up until my co-workers declared it ladies night and we broke out a bottle of…well, that’s a different post entirely.

The fact is I’m on the go a lot more now than I’ve ever been. Why is that important?

First, I’m a great Mom. There I said it. As a good Mom I have to admit that time away for self does NOT equal less love for others. Say it with me: I can love me and I can love my family. Much like you, I’d sacrifice just about anything to ensure my darlings had everything they needed. How can I teach them to love and honor themselves when I refuse to do the same? People, adrenaline can only take you so far before you crash, burn or worst get all PMS-ish on everyone in the house.YIKES!  I can hear the clock ticking.

But I got out.  And guess what? The house didn’t burn to the ground. The kids didn’t morph into minion-loving super villains. And life truly went on.

Second, it’s important because I got to take care of me–Selena style. That meant impromptu interviews with local news companies on my definition of beauty, candle lit 1 hour scented baths  and of course a night of prancing around in my favorite PJs and enjoying delicious Upstate NY wines.

And lastly, it’s important because well, it just is! I’m not all together sure who this Selena person is yet to be, but I know I have no intentions on waiting for her to show up. I plan to find her en route to someplace exotic like Dubrovnik, Croatia or someplace simply stunning like Alberta, Canada. Or, maybe gardening in the backyard. NOT! The point is I plan to find this goddess on the go! Wherever that may be.