Plants Need Love Too

We all start as a seed—singular, tiny and beautiful—with hopes that we'll eventually grow into that accomplished flower.

As a seed plummets into Earth's soil, we are left with three decisions:

Do we let our dream, their dream, grow? Do we give them the tools to do something that no other plant has dared to even venture? Do we, inspire?

If we nurture, water and feed abundantly, the seed will then grow into that prosperous plant.

But as we hesitate like turtles to find an answer, the problem metastasizes and the seed is then drowning because of too much water.

Mal-nourished, forgotten and abandoned, the seed won't grow, won't transition into that unique color it so desperately wanted to flaunt.

You must decide whether or not a seed will grow. You must decide whether or not you want your child to blossom.

It all begins once your child enters his/her home for the first time.

What if I told you, you've only got 18 years to mold this now tiny seed into a well-rounded adult? Why 18 years? Well, within this time frame your child will be developing their own persona, their personality. Your job is to guide them in the right direction, so that by their 18^th birthday they know the right way to act, that manners come second-hand, and that your opinion does matter, especially to them.

Try to be positive and reassuring…it's contagious.

You don't have to be a botanist to know whether or not your child, the seed, is growing in a proficient manner.

There is a time period where children will garner the tools to someday build a country( and that time period is within those 18 years). Those tools are being bestowed from your callused fingers. The fingers that are full of soil, the chipped nails that no manicure could fix, and even the sweaty palms that are carrying the future to the pot where your seed will then grow.

It takes work growing the once tiny.

But then again, what doesn't?

Mitch Galloway’s Bio

Mitch Galloway cannot ride a bike without handlebars. He can’t swim… well, fly like birds or sing like fergie. Mitch, even hates roller coasters (he’s, believe or not, afraid of heights).  But there is one thing he can do, and that it pertains to writing.

Mitch has written for local newspapers, online websites and is currently the editor of his college paper (The Echo). Mitch loves writing and he believes writing loves him, too. So please critique him, enjoy him and read him—he hopes you enjoy his one talent.  

Contact me:

Email: mgalloway@olivetcollege.edu

Phone: (517) 677- 3998

You know your kid did it when.....

      When it has paint on it

                                                            When it's on your bill

 When it has fingerprints on it 

 When it's cute but inconvenient

 When it's a mess

 

When she's in hiding

 

When it's stepped all over

When it has teeth marks on it 

 

When they never make it back to the room.

When it involves a toy car.

Surviving A Kid Free Weekend

The last thing I ever expected would be a weekend to myself, but when my mom asked to get the kids, I knew I needed to do something. To be honest, I wasn't excited! This would be my kids first weekend without my kids in a very long time, so this was going to be a big change for all of us.

You would think after all the diapers I've changed that they would've shown some type of sign of missing me, but they couldn't wait to leave. As soon as grandma walked through the door they completely forgot about me. My daughter even got angry with me for not putting her shoes on fast enough.

Now at first I must admit I was a little hurt but...

After they left I started to realize how peaceful and quiet the apartment was.
I love my babies, but I greatly appreciated that alone time.

My Biggest goal for the weekend was to make the most of it.

Get Out 
Do something you love doing, and make the most of it.

Exercising is so much fun for me, and it's a great stress reliever. I don't make it to the gym as much as I would like, so exercising was the first thing on my list..
I love going out, especially with my children, but with them gone, I got to see the neighborhood without having to maintain focus on them as well.
They're both so quick to run off to get into something.
It was nice just simply going for a walk.

Have Fun 

The minute they walk out that door, you immediately start losing time to invest in you, and what you want to do.
Of course we love our kids, but we need to always remember is to take time for us.

I got dolled up and went out!

Save The Mess For Later

There were a million things I've could've done this weekend, besides enjoying it!
I have loads and loads of laundry, dishes never can seem to stay out of the sink, and the kids seem to do everything but clean their room.
Not to mention it seems like when you pay one bill, another pops up in the mail.
There are a million reasons to stay busy and to try to knock a few things off the list, but how often do you really take time for you when your kids are gone?

Treat Yourself

We all have our own ways of treating ourselves, but it's not often I get to do it.


I treated myself with my favorite foods! After a long walk I created a sandwich platter for lunch, and indulged in ice cream for dessert.

Remember!

Everything went great, and of course the kids were off having their fun!
Honestly I had such a good weekend, that it flew by.
I had to remind myself that they were coming back, and they mean business. THEY DID!

Eight Tips For Work At Home Parents

1. Create A Routine

A schedule that doesn't fit your family's needs will never meet your needs. This is something I neglected and wish I would've done it sooner. Not only do children respond better to routine, but you can get a lot done when your kids are on a schedule. As much as a kid may hate it they need it, and so do we. 

• This will ensure that you can tend to other responsibilities outside your work
• A great way to shift your focus on chores, spending time with the kids, and maintaining time for yourself.

2. Don't Let Work Consume Your Life

It's so easy to find yourself spending a lot of time in your work, especially if you've just started working from home. When I began working from home, I was excited about building my business that I began to overwhelm myself. Soon after I stayed up late trying to make everything perfect, and learn everything I could. Doing this led to me losing communication and experiencing a social life. 

We're not made to sit at a desk all day. 

• Take your kids to the park
• Schedule lunch with a friend
• Have a girl/guy night out
• Catch a movie 

3. Constantly Analyze Your Progress

"Are you being productive," is a question I constantly ask myself during work hours. I have to catch myself wasting time organizing e-mails, playing with the kids, or on Facebook.

Ask yourself this question from time to time. It's a great reminder to stay on track, and maintain good productivity.

• Set your own goals
• Think of any problems you may be having and come up with a solution 
• Create quotas for yourself

4. Network, communicate, and befriend other work from home parents.

This is a great way to meet other parents, as well as share and grow your business. You can also learn about the many other available work at home opportunities and business.

• Join work at home & parenting groups 
• Reach out to others 
• Join online communities for parents & work at home parents
• Join hangouts & conference calls with people who share common interests.

5. Reserve time for your Family 

Don't just reserve time when you have time, always make time. It's so important to spend personal time with our family time goes by so quickly, take time for your family. It's easy to get caught up with work, and our everyday lives, but it's a necessity to invest time the people that make up our homes.

6. Supermom & Superdad is just a myth! Accept it.

Parenting is a lot in itself, when you add in work, and all our other responsibilities. It's no wonder we try to do it all. 

When I first started working from home I tried to everything.  I had to discover that it's never going to be all done. If you take one thing off your to-do list tow more things come.

A friend came to me, and told me that I wasn't much fun to be around. I stayed irritable from having so much to do, tired from not getting enough sleep, and moody from never feeling like I was accomplishing anything. Who would've guessed that I get more done now than ever!   The best part about it is I don't overwork myself when I'm tired, I rest.

Let your batteries recharge, your work will be there tomorrow.

7. Create a.............. night

• Movie 
• Taco 
• Party 
• Sleep Over 
• Game
• Family 
• Theme

Fill in the blank, whatever is suitable for you and your family. Creating something for you and your family to do together will bring a lot of fun into your home. 

I love to have movie nights!

I'll get all kinds of snacks and foods for the kids and I to have that night. (I definitely avoid sugary snacks, I don't want our movie night to last all night!) Once the snacks are out, I'll grab their toy box so they can pick out whatever toys they want to play with. Once the movie starts we're all snacking on some of our favorite foods, while they play with their toys. If we make it to a second movie, I'll put the toys up and we'll snuggle up and talk about the movie until we doze off. 

8. Keep your health a top priority

A healthy body is truly relaxing to the mind, making it easier to go back and conquer that project you've been working on all day. If you're feeling a little sluggish, mind clouded, or having difficulty working a trip to the gym can do you some justice. Besides, we have to be in top shape to maintain our homes, families, etc.

This M.I.A. Momma Is Back!!

A couple of weeks ago, I became seriously ill.

With my business growing, and taking care of my kids full-time, I've been very neglectful with going to the gym! This led to me having the bright idea of changing up my workout routine so I could get back on track.
The next day after doing this new workout I never felt so weak in my life. My body ached with what seemed to be a traveling pain. Luckily, I've officially gained all my strength back, but I'm still just as behind with my exercises, and even more behind with work.

With this irritating thought, I decided the first thing I wanted to do was make up the time I didn't spend with my kids.
So I took them to a community book parade! I know what you're thinking! Really? A book parade.
(SO WORTH IT)

 I only spent five dollars, and got a huge amount of books that are in excellent condition. 

My mom came over early, and we got the kids dressed. We got there just in time to watch the band set up, and perform. It was such a beautiful day, the weather was great, and I was finally back to my healthy self.

Local school band performing!

The step team was fantastic!

Kids with Talent

There were so many parents out cheering on their children, and I was just as loud. You would have thought my kids were out there performing, it felt so great to be back on my feet!

The parade lasted about thirty minutes, once it ended, they began the book sale!
All the books were five or ten cents a piece. This was my first year attending this event, so I wasn't sure what to expect with the kinds of books offered.

When they did allow us to see all the books available, I was far from disappointed. I don't think anyone was, people hogged counters, and stuffed their bags with books. There was also an even greater amount of little kids but after fifteen minutes, they were off enjoying the moon bounce and face painting.

My daughter spent a majority of her time hiding from a lion character that was there. I saw her at the beginning of the parade, she was latched onto my mom like a cat. It was a sight to see! I asked her what was wrong, but then she latched to my face.  My mom then explained to me that they had a Lion, and I explained to her my daughters fear of masks.
She was so terrified, she held on to my face so tight, I began to sweat. I had to practically peel her off of me. Once she ran off with my mom I didn't see her until it was time to go.

My son had hot dogs and walked around with a friend of mine's sister.  She picked out books with him, then ended the parade with them taking a picture with the Lion.  Of course my daughter was no where to be found.








Once we went home they went through their growing book collection, and I even added a few to mine.

It's such a hassle putting my little ones to bed. This is one of my least favorite things to do, but because it is important to keep the kids on a schedule, I keep up with the routine. 

My Children act like going to bed is punishment, even when they clearly need a nap!
My son believes that bedtime should be on his time. He loves to sleep, but only when he feels like it. I've found my son up late at night pulling all the toys out of the box. 

My daughter will cry and pout about the betrayal of being sent to bed, and then she will whimper "No, no night night."  She truly is an act to see she can go from heartbroken to happy within seconds. She can get a little dramatic when it's time for bed, but most days she doesn't last ten minutes before she's sleepy. Sometimes, they both like to switch up and not even sleep in their beds. Some mornings I wake up and find them in their closet, toy box, or living room floor. No point in me tucking these two in they more than likely won't sleep there.. Sometimes I wish we could all go stretch out on the couch, and just fall asleep watching a movie or two , but they'll thank me one day.

I loathe with all my heart putting them to bed, but once my babies are sleeping, it's pretty great! Once they're ready for bed I tell them that I love them, and even if they're mad and don't want to go to bed they still tell me they love me in return. It's different if my kids are out or have gone visiting a relative. There's nothing more comforting than having them in bed (or wherever they decide to sleep) safe at night. 

Then the house goes silent.

There are no background noises to disturb you, just what you're doing. 

And then... Peace of mind kicks in. = ) 

7 Easy Ways To Shop Smarter

Eat Before You Shop

Shopping while you're hungry only leads to unnecessary purchases, because your mind is so focused on being hungry or what you are craving. 

This was a common mistake for me. Shopping is a lot of work with two kids involved. I used to get them dressed, pack them a snack, and go. This alone took me about two hours, and then finally having to get myself ready. Obviously the last thing on my mind was eating. This was one of my biggest issues shopping.

Be Coupon Careful

How can you not find coupons appealing? They help us save on purchases, but are the purchases offered healthy item? Is the item purchased a necessity?

Always Carry A Shopping List

A shopping list guides you through the store, while preventing you from making unnecessary purchases. This will ensure that you get exactly what you came for. 

When I began grocery shopping, I always made a list, but constantly lost it and left it at home. This constantly left me guessing on what my family needed and open to picking things on impulse. I love trying new foods, but this way of shopping meant my money never spread as far as it could.

Don't Fall Victim To Samples

I know this is a hard one! The samples are always a great treat when grocery shopping, but how often are those samples served actually healthy? How long ago was it when you were offered a sample that wasn't fried, fatty, or sugary?

Don't Buy It, If You Don't Need It

Family-size and super-size packages of food can go to waste especially if you truly don't need it. You could possibly end up trashing a lot of it due to it spoiling. This means you're losing money! 

I was the kind of shopper who always wanted to get something "just in case." It was so easy for me to get into this mindset while I shopped, resulting in me over shopping, and not having money stored away for when I really need it. This also leads to food going to waste.

Become A Single Shopper

Purchase all your sweets and junk foods individually wrapped. 

This was a great help in my weight loss. When I began purchasing things in single, it really helped me manage my food portion consumption, and is also a great way to prevent my kids from over consuming unhealthy foods. 

Keep Your Eyes On The Time

The longer you spend in the store, it can result into you grabbing more unnecessary items. Give yourself enough time to search for your items, read labels, and check out. 

Applying This In My Life!

Grocery shopping was a hassle for me, and every time we went to the store it was always two to four hours before we left. During this time I never had a list so I wasted time walking around trying to remember what we needed, keeping the kids occupied,  and all the while trying to maintain staying out the way of other shoppers. Shopping used to be so stressful.  

From getting my kids ready and preparing myself to leave as well, to grocery shopping, it all just seemed so time consuming. Getting both the kids ready takes about an hour (on a good day), but by the time I'm dressed, I'm ready to take a nap!

Once I applied these changes, I saw a positive change in my shopping experience! I feel like I became a more organized shopper applying. Not only does the food last longer, but it seems like we get more for less. These small changes allowed me to not only benefit my shopping experience, but my health and pockets as well.  = )

Have you struggled with some of these same issues, even sometimes when you're just shopping by yourself?

Are there any tips that you've implemented in your shopping that you would like to suggest?

How Can You Not Love This Face?

My daughter is truly animated, when she is upset there is no hiding it. It's always written in every action and every facial expression. The best part about it two minutes from now she's going to be laughing her heart out!  

My Weight Loss Journey... Before and after

At the age of twenty I was one hundred and seventy pounds, and long overdue for a trip to the gym. My body was holding on to the weight I had gained from both pregnancies of my kids, and I also had a poor diet to help me maintain my weight gain. 

I went from a size twelve to a size eight, it was my New Year's Resolution for 2013!

It was a very hard challenge for me,but I've managed to stay in shape. It only took me eight months to change my diet, and drop those extra pounds. It was life changing enough becoming a single mother of two, but not recognizing myself in the mirror was enough!

The Big Mistake!

My weight loss journey began about two years ago, although, I didn't start losing weight until this year. I never knew how far my weight loss journey could take me, but I knew I was going to do it!

Like the average American dieter, the first thing I did was run to the nearest store. I brought a load of slim-fast, diet coke, and weight loss pills. (Little did I know this would contribute to my weight gain.) 

Sounds familiar?

I was determined to lose weight, and I knew I wanted to do it without exercising.

And I did! I had managed to get down to a size 8, and as soon as I stopped dieting I had gained it all back plus about an extra 20 pounds. I was devastated! But that's the price you pay when you cheat your body!

The first thing I learned about weight loss is that healthy living and exercise is essential for long-term weight loss  I had to understand  the human body, and how to teach my body to let go of that extra weight. And I did it without spending a dime...Why should you?

Save Money & Lose Weight

Here It Is...

As a single parent, there never seems like there is enough time in the day to do everything. It's very important to take time out for our kids, as a reminder that we're there to support them.

The Online Job Experience

What really to expect working from home? How do I find the right company, and what can I really expect?

Working from home has been far from what I expected; it's an amazing feeling to build your own foundation, and to finally do something I enjoy. It isn't as easy as many may think! Everything is based off of your discipline, and how much work and time you're willing to put into it. Also, it doesn't mean you won't be asked to make a small or  large investment. After eight months of searching for an online job right for me I found out a lot of them requests for you to pay for background checks, products (for presentation), websites, etc.
That doesn't mean you should invest in the first online company you find!  Do your research, and learn about a company and their credentials before you make any initial investment into your first home job.
You need to know exactly where your money is going! You can do this by checking rip off reports for absolutely free online, online reviews by people who previously worked for the company you interested in. I must say that you please make sure you're developing your own opinion. It's easy to develop a bad opinion when you read a bad review! Do your research! This will allow you to find out which company is right for you.
Broaden your search! If you're on Google and the only thing you type is "work from home" or "make money online" then expect to run into a lot of mess online. I didn't know what a freelancer was until six months ago! Look into actual online titles, and positions. Research "work at home companies" rather just "work from home."

Don't expect what everyone else expected!

You don't get to wake up and just chill in your p.j.'s on the computer all day, until the check comes in the mail. Some days I don't get to just sit home with my children, and miss them terribly at times. That's a temporary sacrifice I'm willing to make to build our future.

Don't just do one thing! I'm involved in multiple projects right now, and a majority I created on my own. It never hurts to be creative you never know what success it could lead to. During the last six or seven months into looking for a work at home job, I was ready to give up. The only luck I had was with those survey sites, and still didn't make much of a profit. I probably got a gift card every three months - _ -

Get Uncomfortable!  I'm actually out trying to network, and meet new people. This was a huge step for me, and I must admit I'm completely out of my comfort zone. I'm not working a 9-5 everyday, and getting paid to do someone else's work.  Many work at home jobs do require for people to generally step out of that comfort zone that they're used to. Be prepared, whether you're presenting something, meeting with new workers, or just plain not used to the online work world. It's time to get out of your comfort zone, and get those creative juices flowing!

Learn how to look for the right work at home job! 

BUILD YOUR OWN SUCCESS...!!

Do it = )

The most painful part of being a parent is doubting yourself, but the greatest part is seeing that you can do it.