Cannonborough Collective: Bloggers & Creatives Ice Cream Social

Everyone knows you can catch me in Charleston, SC on any given weekend. It’s my home away from home. So I was stoked to see an invite from Liz and Mimi at the Cannonborough Collective for their Bloggers & Creatives Ice Cream Social. I’ve been dying to get to their shop because have you seen their Instagram photos? This place looks like it stepped out of the pages of a magazine! Plus their balloon wall…you really haven’t lived until you get a picture in front of it.

Not to mention, they had Jeni’s Ice Cream – so yummy and they sell it at Publix now! (woo hooo) I decided to let my oldest tag along so that we could enjoy some mother-daughter time.

What I loved most about this place was it’s the perfect location for creatives. They even host workshops there. (How cool is that?)  It’s your one-stop shop for local gifts and balloons. I picked up some soap from Motherland Essentials. They carry jewelry, pillows, paintings, shirts and more! 

Liz & mimi 

Meet The Founders

Mimi Striplin, a College of Charleston graduate, left life in the haberdashery world behind and founded The Tiny Tassel in the summer of 2015. Designing and creating each tassel by hand with hopes of bringing a little joy to Charleston has led her to offer a full line of handmade jewelry and garments made up of bright colors and classic prints which are available at retailers across the country.

Liz Martin created an online shop, The Charleston Weekender, in 2015 to add a little creativity to her life as a speech therapist.  Her line of products quickly emerged into a lifestyle blog intended to inspire Charlestonians to live every day more like it’s the weekend.  She offers products discovered during her travels, as well as some of her own designs/products that are sold at a number of local retailers.

*Bio from their website. 

And if you’re ever in the Downtown Charleston Area make sure you stop by! They are located at 185 A. St. Philip St. Charleston, SC 29403.

All photos provided by Aneris Photography

Cannonborough Collective: https://cannonboroughcollective.com

Ice Cream: https://jenis.com

You even get a #freebie on your way out!

Back to School: It's ALMOST Time

Moms and Dads,

Psst…school will be starting in a month! Are you ready? Some of us are, we can’t wait while others don’t know where to begin. This is a big year in our household. Kaydence is going to 5th grade and Maddy will start Kindergarten!

Wow, I have a 5 and 10 year old…that’s kinda scary but that’s another story for a different day.

I’m going to start shopping ASAP. I HATE crowds and I am not a last minute mama. Most schools have their school supply list out now so start grabbing items!

Mom Tip: Buy extra just because your children have supplies at school does NOT mean they’re bringing them home. I keep a caddy of school supplies ready to go for homework time. Most schools have community pools so there is no need to label your child’s items because there is no guarantee that they will get “that” pack of crayons you bought.

School shopping can get out of hand quickly! Having more than one child doesn’t make it easy so I stay looking out for a deal. I set a budget, I plan to spend no more than $500 to get my girls ready for school. This includes clothing, shoes, and supplies.

How I plan to do this is shop the sales!!! School supplies are out now! Walmart, Target, and Staples all have started stocking their shelves with supplies.

I like going to the outlets to maximize my money. Last year I was able to score the girls 6 pairs of shoes for under $100! (Winning!!!)

via GIPHY

How do you prepare for back to school shopping?

Some of my favorite items to stock up on are crayons, markers, printer paper, glue, and if I find a great deal I’ll grab some extra ink too. My oldest uses the computer about as much as I do, so I like to make sure that she’s ready to print when needed.

Target has Crayola products on sale: spend $25 get a $5 gift card until July 21, 2018.

Meant to Blend | Blended Families

I think I’ve known for a while that I would have a blended family. One big melted pot of goodness. I didn’t know what it would look like or how it would feel but I did know that as long as love was the key ingredient I would be down.

My view of the world is different than others. I don’t believe everything is so black and white. You can’t make everything a cookie cutter situation but what you can do is take what you have a make magic.

“Bonus families tell us the story that second chances are possible and that love can overcome anything.”

My relationship with my children’s father was just not meant to be. I know, understand and have accepted that for quite some time now. I believe it takes a strong person to admit or even comprehend that maybe JUST maybe the only purpose that person served in your life was to help you create those beautiful babies and THAT’S IT! It’s hard to wrap your mind around…I know. You wonder how they could not want to be apart. Why don’t they try…etc? Guess what?! That’s NOT your job! You are responsible for YOU! We can’t force people to do things they are unwilling and have you seen the news lately? I won’t force a dog to something they don’t want to. Sometimes, it’s just better that way.

Since, my acceptance of this fact there are a few things I’ve had to come to terms with.

1.      I may not parent like my partner.

2.      Set boundaries – children, other parents.

3.      Communicate your goals effectively.

4.      Prepare your children.

5.      Let your children have an opinion in the relationship.

Number 1 - has probably been the hardest for me. I tend to date people who are the COMPLETE opposite of myself. I’m very reserved…I enjoy a good time but I don’t let my hair down as often as I should. In turn, I have found myself with very outgoing people that challenge me. They allow their children to be wild and free and I grew up with the mentality that children should only be seen and not heard. I still believe that is true is some sense.

Number 2 – setting boundaries not only with the children but the other parents! You have to have rules about those things. Be a united front with the children. Even when you don’t agree the kids CANNOT pit you against each other and yes there are times when you’ll want to be slack a child for whatever reason but we can’t. There is no good cop/bad cop. Each party is responsible for dealing with the outside parent. Although, I would love it if everyone would be all together that’s not where we are at this moment. (One day, fingers crossed)

Number 3 – Family goals! I am big on having goals and making sure that a family is functioning properly we must have some goals in place. They can be simple as getting in the habit of having family meetings and this can be tough especially when you have kids in different households most of the time. Maybe you have that on lock already, so a savings goal maybe better, whatever your needs stick to them.

Number 4 – Prepare your children! This probably seems like a no brainer but remember you aren’t the only ones who are blending. Your children need to feel safe with their new bonus family. It’s going to take time. A therapist once told me that before blending completely the family should spend time together throughout the week, if possible. If one family is moving into one house then the other parent and children should spend the night a few nights a week to help the children adjust.

Number 5 – Allow your children to have an opinion about your relationship. I’m not saying let your children CONTROL the relationship but they should get a say so in it. Imagine how difficult it would be to have to be at war with your spouse and child all the time. It’s not a fun place to be. Sometimes, your children can pick up on things that you can’t and you need to listen to that!

Most importantly, love like you never have before. Your heart has to be BIG to love and care for someone else’s children. Blended families are not for everyone!

Do you have some insight on blended families or want to share your story? Hit me up!

13 Reasons Why

I like many people in America have seen this plastered across our timelines "13 Reasons Why..." This Netflix series has taken off! I remember starting it last year but I couldn't bring myself to watch it. It felt like a place I wasn't willing to go.  

I mean really, who wants to hear about why someone committed suicide but you know what I get it and I like it. These are conversations that need to be had. Why aren't we talking to our kids? My biggest fear is to know that my child is hurting and I can't see it. Sometimes our kids are so good at hiding things from us but are we paying attention?

I remember high school being a nightmare for me and I know it's only gotten worst. I've spoken with several moms who have chosen to let their children do school online or homeschool them because they just can't deal with the mess that's happening. I completely understand their choice but I don't think I could do that. I have to work so quitting my job and homeschooling isn't an option for me. But what I can do is make sure that I'm raising strong children who know how to use their voice. 

There are several episodes I would love to dive into, but I won't especially if you haven't seen it. 

“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” 
― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

Have you ever had one incident changed your ENTIRE life? Like you could never erase it. It just won't go away. It just keeps haunting you. A major part of the reason I started blogging was to take that fear away. I would not be forced into silence. So I understand why Hannah choose to leave behind those tapes - she needed her voice to be heard. 

I have always appeared to be older than I actually was and that has been a gift and a curse but as a 9- year old girl that looked 13 or so, it was HORRIBLE! Granted there is no excuse for what the person did and how they behaved...

I used to be extremely fond of rollerblading. I would skate in my parent's driveway almost every day after school. I probably did it a little too often because one day a man showed up out of nowhere. It scared me. I didn't know what was about to happen to me but I recognized the man because he worked at my school. He kept talking to me and wanting to know if my parents were home...it began to feel very uncomfortable and thank God my mom came outside. My mom questioned him but he didn't give any answers and she shoosed him away. It was weird and scary. Who knows what would have happened to me. Could I have been on someone's milk carton? My mom, being the type of mother she is wasn't going for that foolishness. She went to the school and reported the incident. He was let go due to the nature of his behavior and told to stay away from my family and I.

That incident changed my life and not in a good way. It was my first lesson with the rape culture and how you're expected not to say anything. I was bullied for months behind this. It was awful!!!!!! It got so bad that I didn't ride the bus to or from school anymore because people felt that I wanted the attention and shouldn't have been upset about getting it.

Some things may never change, children will be picked on...but what should we do? I believe as a parent it's my job to teach my children right from wrong. It's my job to help them understand that being mean to someone does not give them a leg up in the world.

Have you watched? If so, what are your thoughts? Is there anything you would change?