Mom Life – Page 22

The Unexpected

Filed under: Mom Life · February 28, 2017

I know that most people see me as the Mom who has it all! The amazing husband that doesn’t mind grocery shopping or packing the kid’s lunches. Three beautiful, smart, kind, and loving kids. And yes the home of my dreams. Some days are definitely better than others. To tell you the truth the last 3 months have sucked big time. I keep going back asking when did it all begin to take a downward turn or let’s say a more challenging turn and well it was after that crazy election. Yes, November which is normally one of my favorite months turned out to be the month that everything changed.

After the stress of the election and looking at all of the post election drama it really hit me. We are living in some wild times. Little did I know what was coming next. I won’t go into a whole lot of detail but I will tell you that in three months we have lost 3 loved ones unexpectedly. One of our kids came down with a stomach virus that turned into 3 months of visiting different doctors. There have been days of questioning why, why right now, why are we experiencing all of this back to back?

In the middle of all this I have learned who my real friends are. I have also learned that it is okay to ask for help. I know that everything happens for a reason and that this too shall pass. Most importantly I have learned that we go through things so that we can share with others. So in the next few weeks I will share my journey of going through the unexpected.

Keep the Faith

Filed under: Mom Life · January 24, 2017

This post is for those of you moms that may be going through a storm right now. Before you panic or throw in the towel remember that you are not alone. I have realized over the past few weeks that a lot of us are going through different trials and some are worse than others but when you are going through it, it doesn’t feel good. Be encouraged. Know that trouble doesn’t last always and yes, joy does come in the morning. If we just keep the faith and keep moving forward, everything will work out for the best. Keep smiling and don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are strong women but even the strongest woman needs a hug sometimes!

Be Blessed,

Sharonda

“2016”

Filed under: Mom Life · December 26, 2016

This year has been quite interesting. I have learned a lot about myself and those around me. It is true what they say, one minute you can be on top of the world with everything going your way and the next minute well you can be laid out wondering WTF just happened. It is the roller coaster of life and some parts just plain suck.

But instead of venting and stressing over all that didn’t go as planned let’s be thankful and celebrate all of the victories that we had this year. Like, we are still here. Still standing. Still breathing. We have another chance to get it right. Another chance to love those around us. To forgive those that hurt us. And a chance to reach those goals that we didn’t quite conquer in 2016.

Motherhood is hard. Being a wife is hard. Life is hard, but you are strong, beautiful, brilliant and a survivor. So adios 2016 and all of the politics, failures, loses, disappointments. I am ready for 2017. Ready for the challenges. Ready for the blessings. Ready to make a difference. Are you ready?

Let’s do this!

XO,

Sharonda

Spinach Puffs

Filed under: Recipes · November 15, 2016

Looking for a quick appetizer? These look yummy for the holidays!

INGREDIENTS

1 – 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped fresh dill or parsley
1 tsp garlic, pressed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, separated
Coupons
1 – 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold (leave it in the fridge to thaw)

HOW TO MAKE IT

Press the thawed spinach against a strainer with your hands until all of the water is out – you want to get as much out as possible so you don’t have a soggy filling
Mix the spinach, feta, scallions, olive oil, dill/parsley, garlic and some salt and pepper – taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings as you please
Beat one of the eggs in a small bowl and then fold it into the spinach mixture
Roll out the defrosted puff pastry dough on a floured surface and cut it into approximately 12-16 squares if you’re planning on using mini muffin tins (this takes a little trial and error to get the right size)
Place a square of dough into the muffin tin, push it against the sides and leave the corners draped over the edge – then spoon some of the spinach mixture into the center and fold the corners of the dough over the filling and pinch them together in the center
Once you’ve used up all of the filling, beat the remaining egg with a tbsp of water and brush the tops of the puff pastry with the egg wash and bake at 400°F until the pastry is golden and puffed – approximately 20 minutes
Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and turn them out onto a rack to cool a bit before serving
- If you’re planning on serving these at a later date, do not brush with egg wash and just freeze them in the muffin tins wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. If you want to remove them from the pans, freeze them first and then pop them out once frozen and store them in plastic freezer bags. Just don’t forget to brush them with the egg wash before baking them!

Source: Recipe adapted from Bon Appet

Via Pinterest

See Your Strong Challenge

Filed under: Fit Moms · November 15, 2016

About a month ago, Pure Barre announced that they would be doing a challenge leading into the holidays. In order to complete the challenge you have to take 20 barre classes in 31 days. Your reward will be an exclusive See your strong hat! My first response was oh that is easy. I will just take a class 5 days a week. I told my hubby I was going to do the challenge and he laughed. (He knows I don’t like to workout everyday) I said watch me. I got this!

The first week was easy. I was a little sore but I did 5 classes in a row. The second week became more of a challenge. The schedule of school activities and well #momlife came up. I ended up taking a class on a Sunday to keep up. By the third week I was starting to notice muscle toning that wasn’t there before. The back to back classes were bringing quicker results than ever before. Omg! I can see the finish line.

I am so proud to share that on Monday, I completed the challenge of 20 classes in 28 days! I feel great and I see a difference in my whole body. It was not easy and now the hard part is maintaining the results that I have gained over the past month. So I leave you with this. Set a goal and crush it. No pain, no gain! You got this!

Athleisure

Filed under: Fit Moms · November 8, 2016

I absolutely love athleisure wear and I love that a lot of the designers are creating pieces that can be worn in the gym or at the mall. The other day while shopping in Bloomingdales, I noticed that they changed a whole section to just activewear. I think that it is great that so many people are working out hard and want to look good doing it. Here are my favorite pieces from Beyonce’s Ivy Park Fall 2016 collection! I am obsessed with the denim jumpsuit. What’s your favorite? Shop

Fall Fashion Faves

Filed under: Mom Life · October 6, 2016

Fall is here and that means we get to change it up a little in the MIA! It isn’t as cool yet but that doesn’t mean that we can’t start mixing the Fall trends with our South Florida weather. Here are a few of my must have Fall pieces that will keep you looking and feeling fly! (minus the cool temperatures)

Avocado Smoothie

Filed under: Recipes · October 6, 2016

The avocado has become a very popular food among health conscious individuals. It has several health benefits and is known as a super food! It is packed with plenty of nutrients like vitamin K, Folate, vitamin C, Potassium, and it is a good source of protein. I never thought that I would be drinking avocado smoothies three times a week, but I love it. When I am on the go, I stop and grab a live juice 4 from Dr. Smood. I found this delicious recipe on Pinterest so you can DIY! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Cup water
1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled & pitted
2 Cups spinach
2 Cups frozen pineapple chunks
1 to 2 Tbsp honey or agave, or to taste

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients into the blender in order except for sweetener. Blend until smooth.
Turn off blender. Add honey or agave to taste.
Enjoy

*Picture via pinterest

We All Grow MIAMI

Filed under: Blog · September 11, 2016

Yesterday I attended my first blogging conference. I have participated in several blogger workshops over the years but never a day “Conference”. We All Grow MIAMI took place at the fabulous Little River Studios in Miami. (A bloggers dream= Instagram photos for days) The unpredictable South Florida weather tried to rain on our parade but after an hour the sun came out and blessed us with a typical humid Saturday in Miami. Breakfast was sponsored by Honey Bunches of Oats and it was delicioso!

After breakfast we listened to the #girlboss panel. It was cool until the second session was in Spanish only. My friends said they were use to it and it happens all the time in Miami. I was like huhh! The best part was the mentoring sessions. We actually got to pick a pros brain. Before we knew it lunch was served. Walt Disney World Parks sponsored lunch. The food was pretty good for a buffet and the champagne kept flowing.

Let me tell you it was quite an experience. First, blogging is a lot harder than you think. It takes a lot to be consistent and create meaningful content. If you really want to monetize your blog you have to connect, collaborate and attract a brand that reflect your values. It was great to see so many ladies that are killing it in the blog industry. I met so many famous Instagram fashion bloggers and watched how influential they were. If you are trying to get in the blog world I definitely recommend attending a blogger conference. I also highly recommend that you go with a friend! It’s the only way to GROW!

Back to Reality

Filed under: Mom Life · August 20, 2016

The summer has come and gone and well, I guess it is time to snap back to reality. We had a great summer though. The kids enjoyed a few weeks of basketball, soccer, and fun camp. We took our annual trip to Atlantis and Disney. (I think I could live in the Bahamas a few months out of the year) I celebrated my birthday all of July until I caught a horrible head cold. That sucked!

I will truly miss sleeping in until 8 a.m. (lol), the late nights watching television and not doing homework five nights a week. I will miss not having to cook. Ok I don’t really cook during the school year either. (I am so happy Grown has a drive thru) But, I am looking forward to a real schedule and having a little more flexibility during the day. Plus I get to have lunch with my mommy friends whenever I want.

Who am I kidding? It is about to be a three-ring circus around here. We have three kids playing soccer. (One on travel team) That means three different practices and three different games. This year basketball is in the rotation too and oh there’s tutoring! Not to mention homework. Yes my least favorite word. Then play dates and games and conferences and PTA meetings and well I am getting exhausted just thinking about it.

Oh well, I am off to get these last few school supplies. And a bottle of wine!

#momlife