The Thanksgiving Post

I realize that I expect a lot of myself and that a lot of the pressure that I feel is self inflicted. If I am not careful, I will miss all of the joyful moments that I say I am looking for or working towards because I won't take the time to experience the ones that exist today! Last week Kim Porter passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47, she left 4 children and a world of loved ones behind.  I am 46 and I have one child and the news rocked me.........

There is much I don't have and sooooooo much that I want to do but the TRUTH IS that I have more than many and I certainly have a ton to be grateful for! Instead of waiting for the perfect pic/photo shoot, I have decided to just share a post that is truly about giving thanks and being sincerely grateful.

I am a 46 year old single mother of a 3 year old. I have a place to live, food to eat, a car to drive and a job to drive it to.......I have excellent child care, excellent child care.....don't scoff at it, it's hard to come by! I have been blessed with a handful of friends who invest in me and my child through prayer, time and just listening ears and support when we need it most. These are also things that I do not take for granted - I am super grateful. I have my family!! We are not perfect but we love each other through all the foolishness, the highs and the lows and no matter what, I know that I can count on them.

I am not as healthy as I would like to be but that's in my hands to change and I am thankful that I can be honest with myself and say, hey girl hey......fix that! I am working on me, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually... it is a necessary journey and sometimes I pull over to the side of the road and think about quitting and then I remember the one thing that I am most grateful for...

I am most grateful for the gift that is my son. He came out of a time in my life that I thought would certainly destroy me - no lie. Emotional and mental abuse and manipulation is no joke and I am grateful that I got up and walked away. Walked away with my life and my son. He is the most challenging and the most rewarding experience of my entire life and I in awe of the gift that he is and the wonder with which he lives and sees the world!

I always want to do more and be more and live more but today, I am grateful, indescribably grateful for how blessed my life is. Today I want to just stop and say, thank YOU GOD! I see Your work, thank You!

What are you grateful for as Thanksgiving approaches........hmmm where is that skirt? Its perfect for holiday dressing isn't it? 

Pressing into Growth!

A little over two years ago, I posted on this platform while my life completely fell apart around me and I did so as though life was OK! My last post was informative and got views and shared information but it reflected nothing of what I was dealing with or going through at the time. I had just moved out of my marital home about a month before and was trying to process being a single mom and not losing my mind. 

I was finally granted a divorce on August 30 of this year and although it feels like I have been single for 3 years or even more, the divorce signifies a level of freedom that I was not able to claim while still legally married...... Its been a long, sometimes crazy ride but I am still here and still whole, in spite of the brokenness that I have experienced. The objective of coming back to blogging is not to "tell my business" but to share my heart. To speak to some woman, some man, some boy, some girl who may need to hear what the other side of heartbreak looks like....and let me be clear, I was heartbroken.

I was heartbroken because I leaned so completely into another human being that I was almost lost before I realized that the other person had no support to give. It is OK that I leaned, it is OK that I trusted, it is OK that I loved......it is even OK that I lost and that my marriage failed because I learned many many things about myself and I received a great gift in my son and he has forever changed my life and my purpose. He's the reason why I have to do this and why I am back!

I am back and I am different. My motives are different: I write to heal, I write to share and to let others know that they are not alone. I write because its what I have always done when things are good and even more so when things are bad. I write because I have learned a lot and continue to learn.......and life is better because of this learning. I write because it gives purpose to the brokenness, purpose to the pain, purpose to the challenges and the stretching. I blog because its a quick way to get through to one or two or many who may need a quick shot in the arm or word of encouragement! I encourage because I have been encouraged and I know how much it helps me to wake up in the morning, to keep going when I feel like I can't.

Don't get me wrong - I still love all things fashion and shoes but sharing my lifestyle means I have to share where my life is right now! If you're here for the shoes and fashion, there will be posts about that, posts about my son, posts about hair, posts about weight, posts about the life and times of MamaSolesup!! I hope you will join me on this journey of growth and healing......but if not, that's fine too! This is really just me, sharing my gift and if I only ever help one person, that will be enough!

Now! Let's go! I am ready......Joy has many faces, freedom is one of them!

Seasonal Shopping for the Budget Conscious

Every once in a while I do a post for the greater good...lol, whatever that means. So, as I get my fall wish list together, I thought I would share my process for seasonal shopping on a TIGHT budget. 

As a new mom priorities change but I still have the same taste and desire even more high quality (translation; higher priced) items as I find that they last the longest and offer more value for the price. Today's post is allllll about shopping on a budget when seasons change. Please share and subscribe and let me know what you think!!

- Set your budget for the season; make it a realistic one based on monthly bills, savings and what you truly know you can spare......or else!!

- Create a seasonal wish list with everything that your heart desires

- Split the wish list into a buy list and a fantasy list (fantasy list is for items you can't possibly afford)

- Separate the buy list by needs and wants (are your flat black boots done - that's a core item that has to be replaced)

- Eliminate duplicate or similar styles (choose your favorite regardless of cost)

- Check to see if the most expensive items are on a sale or likely to go on sale based on the store that sells them (end of season sales typically happen mid season when the items are still very wearable - its a retail thing)

- Eliminate based on previous step (if they're not going on sale and you can't afford them, take them off the buy list)

- Check your cost per wear ratio (if you are not getting the most value for your money, move it from the buy list for a birthday or special gift purchase)

- Check items left on buy list against your budget

- If list does it match budget, move non essential items to fantasy list piece by piece until budget is achieved

- Purchase based on budget, purchase basic essentials and best cost per wear pieces first

- Enjoy your new pieces!!!! Note; items do not have to be bought at the start of a season. If you can afford one item per month or week then purchase as you can...