2018..

I don't know what made me want to start writing on the blog again but I'm here and so much has changed since my last entry. Anyone still reading, lets catch up!!

Since 2016, we have moved twice, I went back to work, I became a stay at home mom again, and I enrolled in school to get my Masters. Whew, that was a lot in a 2 year span!! What two places did we move?? Well, we briefly lived in Columbus, GA (2016-2018) where I worked in mental health and we just moved to Fairfax, Virginia in July. I am a stay at home mom again but I am in school with only one semester left!! I am super excited about finally accomplishing this goal and May 2019 can't come fast enough.

The girls are growing up so fast and Jayda is now in 1st grade! I know, I can't believe it either. Alyssa is 3 (soon to be 4) and goes to a PreK-3 program. I am not experiencing any types of depression like I did when I was a stay at home mom before and I contribute that to me doing something for myself. I don't know if I mentioned in a previous post but I have a undergraduate degree in social work and that is what I am getting my Master's in as well. I have been going to school full-time and the classwork was overwhelming at first but the finish line is so close. 

There isn't much else to update you all on at this moment but I plan to blog more about random things. Oh, I started a Youtube channel but I gave up on it. I think I like to write out my thoughts and feelings more than recording my life but I still watch my favorite YouTubers (when i have time).

So, this is it for now. As we begin to explore the area I should have more to post about. We are only 20-30 min away from D.C. and not to far away from other metropolitan cities. I look forward to living here and sharing my experiencing!!

Til next time, 

Maya B 

Update..

Hi !! I know its been a while since I posted anything. I've been busy with the girls and researching for our upcoming move. I can't wait to share the news of our new duty station but we are still waiting for it to be official.

I've also been in a funk about life and decided that I need a break from social media. Sometimes I find myself comparing my life to things I see my facebook/instagram friends post, which isn't good. Plus I was wasting hours watching YouTube videos! So, today I've deleted the apps off my phone and redirect my attention to enjoying my life. 

Anyways,  I forgot to post this Mani last month and I know it's not Monday but oh well I want to share it! Y'all already know I love dark purple/wine colors. This purple polish is from ELF and it really reminds me of a Wet and Wild polish I own called Through the Grapevine but a little darker. 

Elf Purple Pleaser

I added some stripes using your LA color nail decor polish. The polish with the thin pencil brush. I like to use them and you can find them at dollar tree. 

Well that's what I've been up to. Til next time!!

Maya B

"You were born with the ability to change someone's life - don't ever waste it." -Unknown

Motivational Monday

Hope everyone is having a lovely Monday.. 

Everyday is a new day to move forward, start anew or press on... 

Maya B

Exploring Rock Hill, SC: Fire Department Museum

Good afternoon, I'm trying to explore more of what Rock Hill has to offer stay at home moms or just families with kids. So today I met up with the ladies from my mom's group and we went to the 

Rock Hill Fire Department Museum. 

Pretend Play

 Ambulance Fun

Dressing Up

As you can see from the pictures above the kids really enjoyed dressing up, playing and pretending to be Firefighters! We stayed at the museum for 2 full hours and Jayda still didn't want to leave. So, if your child(ren) are into fire trucks or firefighters this is a great place to visit. Plus admission is FREE! The Museum is open Monday-Friday from 8-4 pm and a fun fact is that local firefighters help raise money to open it. You can read more about the museum in this Article.

 So If you are in the Rock Hill area check it out!!

Coupon Apps

What's up! I wanted to share some apps that I use to save money. I've been couponing for about a year and a friend actually introduced me to a couple of these apps last summer. There are a lot of different apps you can use but I'm going to share the  5  I use regularly. 

1. Shopkicks... This is the first app I downloaded and I really like it. It's easy to use and all you have to do is walk into your favorite stores. With this app you gain kicks (points) and when you reach a certain amount of kicks you can redeem gift cards (ex Target, Starbucks, Walmart..etc)

2. Ibotta......This is another popular app that gives rebates for everyday shopping. You simply unlock the available rebate, scan the item you purchased and upload your receipt. Once you reach the cash out amount you can opt to cash in for a gift card or hardcore $$! 

3. Receipt Hog.... Is another easy app to use that only requires you to upload your receipts to gain points. Like the other apps you can cash these points in for cash or gift cards. 

4. SavingsStar...This app is like Ibotta but offers are limited so if you see a rebate for an item you use it's best to immediately unlock it.  

5. Walmart Savings Catcher.... I just downloaded this app the end of last year and I wish I had downloaded it sooner. If you shop at Walmart often then you really should get this app too. It's easy to use you just upload your Walmart receipt and the app will search for lower prices at competitor store. If a lower price is found you get the difference which you can cash out for a Walmart gift card. 

I hope that this is helpful for anyone interested in saving some coins! 

 Happy savings...

Maya B  

Manicure Monday: Peep Toe Pumps

Happy Monday!! I finally have another manicure to share with you. Since the new year I've been trying to minimize my nail and hair products. I gave away a lot of polish and I haven't been painting my nail but this week I decided why not?! So, with Valentine's Day coming up I chose this cute burgundy color by Julie G.

Julie G Peep Toe Pumps

I have a couple burgundy/wine colors but this  polish seem to be one I always reach for. Which is why it't still in my stash! I found this polish last year on clearance at Rite Aid and I'll be sad when the bottle is empty.

 Hope everyone has a great Monday! Talk to you later,

Maya B 

Adventures with Ms A: Wee Wednesdays

Hi everyone, hope you all are having a fantastic day! Now that Jayda goes to school and Alyssa is older I'm trying to plan social activities for her to participate in. So, this morning I took Alyssa to the Children's Museum for Wee Wednesday, which is a program for children 1-3. When we  moved to Rock Hill I would take Jayda and she loved it. Here is the post I wrote about Jayda's experience. I really enjoy this program because it includes story time, dance/movement, arts and crafts as well as imaginary play. Being a stay at home mom going on these outings also gives me a chance to interact with other moms. Which is always nice. So let me post some pictures of Alyssa...

                     

                                               

 

 

As you can see Alyssa has fun playing with new toys and I think the more we go the more social she may become with other kids. I plan to take her every other week. 

I'm always open to other activities to do with my girls. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comment section!! 

Until next time..

Maya B