 We’ve all done it. Just trying to save a dolla on looking fly for that big event that happens to fall smack dab in the middle of what I like to call “translucent season”. I went to the local Sally’s and bought the recommended aerosol tan in a can. I said “Self! No “regerts” looking back at those photos this year! You will not look like the walking dead AND be 20lbs overweight. It’s one or the other, sister!”. Disclaimer: those stems up there belong to a legend, and I am in NO WAY saying that I think her Highness Xtina is fat.
**Sidebar: I think that the tattoo fail of “No Regerts” will forever be my favorite. I feel like that would happen to me. Maybe my next tat shouldn’t have any words in it as a precaution. #winethoughts Anywhoser... this is 2-0-1-9. There HAS to be a better option out there for self tanners!! I’m trying to be responsible and not lay in a cancer bed, and I come out looking like Tony the Tiger. We can put and man on the effing moon, but can’t develop self tanner than doesn’t leave my knees and elbows looking like I just finished 21 days on Naked and Afraid in South Georgia?! Get it together, beauty industry! It baffles me that I can make my nails look like talans, my hair can grow 12 inches in one session, a pair of Spanx can take ten years off my ass, but the paleness cannot be corrected with a simple lotion that doesn’t make me look like Tre from RHONJ. Yeah, I watch that trashy show and I love EVERY minute of it. I also feel like me and Teresa are on a nickname basis, so there’s that. I really do think this is the year of the tan, my friends! I’m going to make it my mission to try them all and document my findings on this here blog. Stay tuned. Sorry, SP Fox. You might disown me after this little experiment... or who knows?! Maybe you will like the variety. It’s like dying my hair, new wife who dis?! Feel free to drop your self tan suggestions below to kick this thing off! #theanxietymom #selfcare #selftanner #rhonj #ivehadbetterideas
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 🎼Bark! The Jones House Angels sing!
Mom, you should get ready to clean. Sleep is out and this shit ain’t mild, God and the FLU have not reconciled. Miserable all ye children rise, Even if it be in the middle of the night. With the father rolling over to claim, ”I have to work” Um... yeah. Same. Bark! The jones House Angels sing, Our mom’s plans don’t mean a thing!🎼 Have I told you lately how much I love these little people of mine?! Well you need to hear it before reading this post. I love their guts. That term has a more literal feel to it this week. And no, this isn’t solicitation for vaccination advice, nor a place to bash moms that don’t bask in the glory that is cleaning up puke and being forced to do laundry every two hours for a week. I should have known on Sunday when I laid my head on my pillow and said “SP Fox... I’m gonna crush it at work this week! I’m going to get so much done and be so prepared for Jesus’ big day this year!” Commence the seal like cough from both children’s rooms. ”Moooooooom!!!!” From the boy in the bathroom at 3 am is NEVER a good sign. I can promise you he isn’t cleaning toilets in the wee hours of the morning and just misplaced the Ajax. Yep. He’s got it. What “it” is ... welp that’s our mystery to solve, Scoobs! With the help of the doc, of course, they have a higher accuracy rate than web MD. Well hell. It’s the flu. Buckle up, Daphne. It’s gonna be a long effin’ week. Day 2, bum bum (Law and order style)... “Husbaaaaaaaaand” From the mom in the bathroom is NEVER a good sign. I can also guarantee you SHE ain’t cleaning toilets at 3 am! There aren’t many things harder than caring for a sick child when you, too, are so sick you have genuine anxiety if getting further than 20 ft from the loo. Priority one = give child meds and comfort. Priority two = change your own pants for the ninety seventh time today. Why, you ask? Because coughs. That’s why. The flu comes with coughs and should also come with a complimentary pack of Depends! God love those children and the miracle of childbirth. Day 3 bing bong bing bong (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation style)... Boom! The littlest terrorist is hit like a ton of bricks! 104 fever and slightly narcoleptic. Ay chihuahua! We practically bathed in hand sanitizer for the last three days. Back to the doc we go! Upon arrival, of course, she pretends she is 💯 (kind of like her mom does when she’s had a couple glasses of wine too many 🤦♀️) and the doc almost doesn’t give us the meds, but she must have seen the liquid anxiety running down my cheek from thinking about a Christmas where bird has the flu, because she quickly checked herself and started writing. Thank you tiny Jesus, for that Christmas miracle. We’re on the mend and back in action. Operation sterilize the house AND only wear one pair of pants per day is underway, Friends! Lookout Jesus Cristo... your bday is gonna be a rager! #nottodaysatan #theanxietymom #fluisforthebirds  You ever say something in response to one of your little people, and immediately wonder what freaking planet you’re on and how you got there? Well that’s an average Tuesday in our all American household.
Shit I’ve argued with my preschooler about this week: 1. Candy < A Wholesome Breakfast Yes, Vampirina, Halloween was spooky, amazing, and ALL the things. No, my dear, mommy didn’t eat any of that “special candy” that makes her let you do whatever the hell you want, such as eat 6 Twizzlers before a long day of learning at the “Rooster School”. Sidebar:: I’ve done the bloodwork and she’s definitely mine. I don’t know why she (or anyone for that matter) thinks Twizzlers are good, but we will keep her anyways I guess. 2. Bedtime is not for camels. Of course you’re thirsty... it’s 8pm. Listen, kid, I was the best bamboozler this side of the Mississippi for a looooong time. I literally invented stall tactics. My mom used to tell me stories of me slithering like a snake down the hall and melting down the stairs, hoping no one would notice me watching Cops from behind the recliner. I feel a negative amount of guilt about the fact that you are crawling across the floor acting like it’s the Sahara because you just want one teeny sip of water before bed. Sweet dreams, drama llama. 3. The HiPad is going to get me put in the nut house if you ask for it one more time. That damn thing is the definition of a love/hate relationship. It’s nice if mama wants a minute without hearing so many questions like “but what trouser snake means?” (Thank you #FamilyFued for NEVER keeping it kid friendly at 7 pm on a Wednesday.) It’s not so nice when I don’t even think Brain Balance can help her when she is sitting on her bed screaming pre-k obscenities at me over watching Ryan’s latest toy review on that blessed contraption. It’s a double edged sword for sure. 4. You can’t take a photo with EVERY mannequin in EVERY store. It’s too much!! Do you know how many headless folks there are at Dick’s Sporting Goods?! I hope not. I do. That little lady in the feature photo up top has a special relationship with those plastic people. It creeps me the eff out. She literally hugs them and must shake ALL of their hands like they are her best friends in the world. The Old Navy children and the Target dog are her adopted family. I don’t understand the connection, but she also told me she sees people who are in heaven this week, so there’s that. 5. No, psycho, you can’t drive to dinner. You’ll have plenty of time to drive mommy and daddy around when you’re 16. Trust that! What?! There’s a future with no Rock Paper Scissors for who has to drive home after a wine dinner with friends?! (Chill out, folks. The loser obviously drinks responsiblier.) Sign me up! But for now, my ambitious little crazy pants, you may NOT drive to dinner. These are just the ones that really got my goat this week. I thought it would be helpful to take a moment to reach out to other parents on planet “What the Hell?!” to let you know that you aren’t alone, and their crazy evolves over time. Still as unreasonable as Kanye, but at least they comprehend the words that are coming out of your mouth.... Lort willing. #winethoughts #allthewine #theanxietymom #whatthehell  So…this whole adulting thing. I’m terrified and excited about the fact that I get to respond with “Because I told you so” to generally any inquiry from those 4 and under in our household. So, that’s cool.
However, sometimes as an adult, I have a hard time with the “Because I told you so” rules of finances and this whole “credit” thing. Some examples…because I told you so, you have to pay off that zero interest credit card before the 18 months is over. Because I told you so, you cannot just ask for more or borrow others credit. Because I told you so, you should not live outside of your means or incur unnecessary debt. (Side note- I come from a VERY fiscally responsible household. Shout out to Terry and Sue for setting a great example. They actually attempted to warn me about all of these real life situations pre-adulthood but I was “so busy, like, bartending and being a social butterfly”). Now I will preface this with-I’m on the fresh side of my 30’s. So, we will call it being a “newer” adult. Also, a wife of 5 years, mom of 2 under 4. I’m going to write out a little timeline of what a typical day in my mind can look like… 5:00 AM- Did we pay preschool (read as “expensive as college”) tuition? 5:01 AM-What bills need to be paid? Water? Gas? Electricity? Was cancelling auto draft the best thing I ever did or the worst? Best-too many surprises there. 5:02 AM-What day is it? When is pay day? Do we have money in savings? Do we have money in the IRA? What happens if we’re homeless? Do people become homeless when they’re working? 5:03 AM-Did I buy groceries? Did I pack lunch? Do people believe me when I tell them the Aldi brand is better? Do I believe me when I tell myself that the Aldi brand is better? 5:04 AM-Is it cold outside? Do the kids have enough winter clothes? What if I’m that parent who everyone’s like “she really could have put a jacket on that kid before the bus stop”? Griff hates jackets. How is Christmas next month? 5:05 AM-I need to pray. Does this sound familiar? Is this you?! Girl, we don’t need to wash our faces. We need Jesus. We need yoga, wine, whatever it takes to shut that mind off from time to time. But this is #reallife as a mom and wife. We take ALL the pressure and ALL of the responsibility. So, sometimes I do let loose a little…and all of the reason and sensibility goes to the way side. We’re talking polar opposite-we can call this mindset “fun mom” or even “the woman my husband dated” ...footloose and fancy. When I’m feeling fancy, we’ll call her “Fancy Nancy” (because she’s living her best life) we’re talking... a devil on my shoulder saying “you’re a working mom, You deserve ‘THIS’”. Whatever ‘this’ is. This=________ (insert here). For me: some new athleisure (mom uniform) wear, new “sunnies” for the hubby, a smocked clothing release, some new Christmas decor, (New Hobby Lobby 2 exits up- glad they’re always playing those Christian piano hymns because I need the Jesus’ strength up in there), the long lost luxury of getting my nails done, a spray tan (because tan Holiday cheer looks better than pale Holiday lb’s), a cocktail with dinner, and last but not least-Chick-Fil-A (the Lord’s calories). THIS is different to everyone but life is stressful. We all feel like we owe ourselves THIS and NOW. When my mind is in this form, I’m all “YOLO”, keeping up with the Jones’, driving fast into deeper debt and hopefully in a newer Yukon, (Because. I. Live. In. My. Car.). FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS…IS THERE SOME BALANCE? The answer is yes. We’re not there yet. So this brings me to my next point. We’re admittedly in debt. I was really ashamed to talk about this until I started looking and listening around me. Our generation has adopted to “YOLO” mentality to an extreme and it’s not setting any of us up for success. Are you aware that 75% of people are in debt and/or living paycheck to paycheck? Good news, you’re not alone. Bad news, we’re all at an underage drinking party where the cops are about to show up. You see, I have always, in anything that I’ve done, struggled with the all or nothing mentality. A LOT OF US struggle with the all or nothing mentality. We’re either being fiscally responsible or completely and utterly irresponsible. We’re saving cash but living on credit that we never plan to pay back, we don’t have a spare penny in the bank but we sure do want our friends to believe that we do, we’ve been making big money so we’ve been spending bigger money…whatever your situation is, or how you got there, if you’re in debt…#thisisus So, I am here to tell you... there is balance. You don’t have to be diving head first with weights on your legs into debt but you don’t have to sell the house and go down to one car. Call Santa, all the elves and Mrs. Claus in all her Glory...I have news. WE’RE NOT CANCELLING CHRISTMAS. Learning to budget, control our spending and start knocking out some debt doesn’t mean that we, or you, will have to live a deprived lifestyle. It just means we can’t have ALL the things (right now). Just because you can’t have ALL of the things does not mean you cannot have any of the things. I wanted to share a few tips as we enter the oh so Joyous Holiday season, which typically involves financial pressure, uncomfortable conversations and more activities, gifts and social obligations than the budget ever allowed for. 1. Get competitive. So, I love a little friendly competition...particularly with myself. Just give me the info and tell me it can’t be done, that’s all the ammo I need. Look at your lifestyle and get creative about where you can cut! Do you love your gym but it’s a little more than you consider reasonable? Great. Consider all of your options-make a pro’s and con’s list and stay there (if it is the best decision for your health). But find balance. Maybe the cleaning lady has to go for now. Or Starbucks every day, or your weekly massage. Maybe you can trade your daily Publix trip for a well planned weekly trip to Aldi. Whatever it is-find what works for YOU and your family. 1. Saying no for now does not mean no forever. Learning to say “no” is key here. You will, at some point, feel like you’re disappointing someone, missing something, being judged by someone. Guess what?! All of these things are probably true. But they are temporary. As long as you don’t start dumpster diving for your kids lunches, I’ve found that most friends are understanding when you say no to spending extra money and find the courage to be really transparent about it. Don’t come up with excuses or fake stories, just simply say “not right now, we’re not spending money on that.” 2. Partner for performance-what if I told you that living within your means and eliminating debt could strengthen your marriage? I will tell you what does NOT strengthen your marriage- both working to feel broke and stressed about money constantly. Or, even worse-not communicating at all about finances and getting in a worse situation because it’s “stressful”. Partnering with your spouse and creating a plan to eliminate debt and give you more financial freedom is admirable. You should start with the Holidays. This year. (2018 in case you were a little taken aback by that). Consider it a project that you’re working on together, hold each other accountable and come up with some creative and budget friendly ways to spend time together. Date night does not have to be $300.00 and loving each other does not equate to spending money you don’t have on crap you don’t need. 3. Begin with the end in mind. What means more to you-giving your kids an overpriced Christmas gift that they will forget as soon as you turn on Cars 3 (for play #1million) OR sticking to a Christmas budget that is feasible to your overall goals? We’re not cancelling Christmas. Do the things…bake cookies and watch Hallmark Christmas until you come to terms with the fact that there hasn’t been a plot twist since 1995. Whatever it is that makes you feel the Holiday season, do it. Just don’t make financial decisions for a season, day, or moment that detract from obtaining your long term goals.Drink the eggnog…just don’t go online shopping afterwards. I don’t claim to be an expert, in any way shape or form. In fact, we’ve been on this debt free journey for a very short amount of time. I do consider myself a realist more than a minimalist. My challenge to you, is to find what works for you, communicate openly with those you love and who love you. Truly make the season Merry and Bright. Remember the Reason for the Season, which is to celebrate our Lort (that ones for @theanxietymom) and Savior. Jesus of Nazareth, Christmas is coming! Cheers, LDubya  Imma tell you a story about a friend of a friend, and because of HIPAA laws we shall call her Becky with the good hair.
This. Girl. It’s Saturday night, she is visiting from Las Vegas, and she is ready to partayyyy!! Kids are taken care of and she is going to a football game. Just like the golden days, right?! Wrong. She is on this low carb diet where she has to count the carbs even if she looks in the window at The Cheesecake Factory (she is finally tired of telling people she “really does have a small frame”.... prove it, bitch!), so she skipped all the meals on that fine, Fall college game day. Her team wins the game so what does she do, you ask?! Celebrates with Fireball... handmade by the Devil himself. I just wonder when on God’s green Earth has that ever worked out for her?! I don’t want to be too judgy, though, so I don’t point that out. Oh, what’s that you say?! Vegas bomb?! Well of course he will, and two for my good friend Becky! What should she do next? Bed? Ice cream? Take some damn ibuprofen to prevent the hell that will be called Sunday? NO EFFING WAY! We’re going to the Battery!!!! For those non-Atliens, the Battery is the most amazing MLB stadium in all the land, because you don’t even need tickets to experience a wonderful time! Not a time like Becky, or if you are into that type of night - go ahead. No judgement here. She’s swirlin’ around like Bernie, and her good man, Ethan, decides it’s time to go. So he responsibly calls a Lyft. They’re better than Uber. No competition. However, Becky with the good hair is NOT ready to leave yet. So she acts like her husband is kidnapping her yelling “I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay! It’s so FUN!”. She is white girl wasted and should not be in a public place any longer. She makes fun of the Lyft driver the whole ride home behind her back, as if it is her fault that Ethan is a party pooper. Bless that sweet starving actress’ heart. She’s just trying to make it in the Biz... but our friend B from the HOA is just trying to rage, so stop yapping and take her back to the bar!! Now I have a confession. I am Becky, and we are not friends. Every now and again, that girl comes out, guns a blazin’ and even Ethan, I mean Evan, can’t reel that one in. He still loves me. He’s not mad. He didn’t get arrested. Neither did I. I feel better now. I had water with dinner for a week if that gives you any idea of how shitty this mama felt the next day. I drink wine like it’s my job, but Black Box Pinot had a slight dip in sales this week. But here we are at the beginning of the weekend again, and I have very high hopes that Becky will stay her ass in Vegas this time. My kids have sports to play and this busy mama ain’t got no time to hang over. #confessions #gameday #poorchoices #welovelyft #theanxietymom #beckywiththegoodhair  First and foremost, I would like to know how in the actual Hell does that happen 👆? Socks are not sold separately. They are a pair, but I’m pretty sure the sock divorce rate is double that of adult humans. Maybe half of all of these socks are with a new family just trying to blend in somewhere. Who knows?!
Raising a blended family is sometimes like having a basket of mismatched socks. Relax. Hear me out. I love all of my misfit sock children, and happen to be one myself. We are all so different but, in our case at least, want so badly to navigate this journey called life as one unit. From the very beginning of our relationship, “step” and “half” have not been words that we use often. Our children are siblings and we have three of them. We don’t hide the fact that our kids have “other parents”, but most don’t assume that, because of the way we interact with one another. “They” are “our” responsibility and that is the key to keeping our unit strong. Nothing grinds my gears more than to see someone expecting to have a happy blended home life with young children, and at the same time drawing a line in the sand regarding whose is whose and what’s is what’s. My “stepfather” is my dad. He raised me to be the parent I am today to ALL of my kids. Blended families are WORK. Rewarding work, but work nonetheless. I feel the same way about marriage, but that’s another blog for another time, my friend. Maybe a day when I’m not annoyed at SP Fox for training our four year old to remind me every day how shitty of a driver I am. Kidding, SPF (oh man! I just realized his nickname initials are the same as sunscreen 😊 I like it even more now.), I would agree you are just a hair better than I, but only because I am unable to back in a trailer. Now THAT was a disaster! When a perfect stranger has to get in your truck to back a trailer in the water, perhaps you should try another part of the boat removal process. I digress. It is difficult to explain to the tiniest terrorist why her sister has a different mom, or her bubs has a different dad. I’m still working on how to make that make sense in her oh- so-distorted little brain. Judge me... go ahead. If you’ve ever met that little crazy pants, then you would agree that some of the shit she says is off the wall and she could very well be a real live Boss Baby. We cross our bridges when we get to them, but one thing never changes... our bridges always go the same way. When blending a family, there is NO room for doubt. If only every parent really took that into consideration when walking down the isle, then the stigma that is a wicked stepmother or an asshole stepfather would be almost no more. There’s a bad Jell-O shot in every batch (usually the last one IMO). I am not tooting my own horn, or even saying that we are doing it exactly right, because Lort only knows what that means. I am just saying that in order to make this CRAZY life work, we have to be all in. Unlike all those damn socks that I can’t part with that have been single for at least a year now! Get on Match, bitches! Aren’t you lonely?!? #theanxietymom #coparenting #stepparenting #blendedfamily #thingstoworkon  Okay, friends. It’s time to get real. Like really real. I’ll start...
Why is it that every time I sneeze, I pee myself a little?! I’ll tell you why! It’s those two youngest little angels of ours that were apparently wielding samurai swords on their way into this world. I’m not sure what they did to my old bladder, but I’d like it back. I know that much. I appreciate the miracle of child birth just as much as the next gal, don’t get me wrong. Before you go getting all mad because I am slandering the miracle that is shoving a person out of your Britney, don’t. Just relax. I do realize that without that miraculous event, none of our little angels would even be here (whether YOU birthed them yourself or not)... and that makes it special. I don’t use the term “beautiful” because, having gone two rounds with those little ninjas, I know for certain that process is NOT a thing of “beauty”. I just want to keep it real for the expectant moms out there who think they are going to check in to L&D like they are going on a weekend getaway at Chateau Elan. Listen up, youngins! Congratulations! You’re pregnant! Now what? I’ll tell you what. First things first... you are now practically narcoleptic. Might want to invest in a helmet and a Snuggie because I am not kidding when I say that early stages of pregnancy make you want to fall over and take a nap right in the Target maternity isle. I’d hate for you to hit your head on the table of stretchy pants on the way down, so the helmet is key. Also, you are now the most sensitive person in the world. “Why did you look at me like that, Pete? You don’t love me anymore?!” 😭 “Damnit, Barb! Don’t you know I’m a human faucet over here?! Stop sending me military homecoming videos and biggest loser transformation stories on the emails! Gah!” Don’t worry mama, you’ll get your sanity back. Only 8 months to go! Mwahahahaha. Now you’ve been cooking that baby for a few weeks and you start to pack on the pounds! Sound advice... ready... that child is the size of a Lima bean. You are NOT eating for two lumberjacks, although you may be hungry enough for that. Put the effing Pop Tarts down!! Trust me on this. S’mores pop tarts are doing nothing for the growing child in your womb or for the size of your growing ass. You’re in that weird stage where it’s hard to tell if you’ve been stress eating or are, in fact, knocked up. Sidebar:: Man! I could really go for a S’mores pop tart right now. #momproblems #ketoproblems #dontjudgeme #ijuststartedmydiettoday. Don’t get it twisted! Those junk food cravings don’t stop just because the baby comes. You’ll be fighting that sweet tooth for life, girlfriend! And I dare you not to eat one chicken nugget out of the air fryer as you make their plates when you’re too lazy to really cook. Double. Dog. Dare. I digress. Second trimester is finally here! Boy or girl? You feel like a million bucks! You are obviously pregnant and your boobs are finally coming in. This may not be so bad after all. Hold on mama, here comes the boom. Boom! Your mind was just blown! Why, you ask? I’ll tell ya. Because you just got hit with the real talk that you are about to be in charge of another human life for. ev. er. If he doesn’t eat - your fault. If he doesn’t sleep - all your fault. If he gets sick - you shouldn’t have vaccinated/breastfed/co-slept/daycared/insert soapbox here. You young mamas need to brace yourselves for the judgement that comes along with raising little people. Thicken that skin, pretty girl, it’s a jungle out there!! 🦓🐆🐅 Phase three. You’re huge. You’re hot. You pee every five minutes because your once flat tummy is now another person’s very own SkyZone. You have an interesting gait these days, some might even describe it as a waddle. Your ankles have taken a vacation (don’t worry... you’ll get those back soon!). You’re leaking out of your tatas anytime anyone starts crying. You’re almost to the finish line! Enjoy cuddling that body pillow now, because the next phase is smelly diaper butts in your face, while all you wanted was an afternoon nap with your sweet baby angel. Whether you home birth,water birth,no meds,ALL the meds 🙋♀️, adopt, or however you choose to bring that bundle of joy into the world... don’t ever forget that he or she is your person now, and will change your life forever. My mom has taught me to always make time... And my wish for you, young mama, is to do just that. Pick them up, listen to them, go on the field trip, sign them up for sports, eves drop on them any chance you get, and last but not least, take it from me, don’t forget to cross your legs EVERY time you sneeze. #subtlereminders of the longest and most rewarding year of your life! ❤️ #theanxietymom #realtalk #FYIimNOTpregnant  The word “Jesus” in our house means a lot, but maybe a little more than it should lately. Hear me out...
”Jesus! I think I broke my arm.” (I did.) ”I pray to the Lort my intoxicated self did not just get a concussion on our trampoline!” (I did.) ”Jesus of Nazareth, child! Where are your shoes?!?” ”Jesus of Necklaces, Mommy! I. Don’t. Know!!!” ”Lort help her if she gets out of that bed one more time.” (She did. Teagan is the thirstiest camel this side of the Sahara when bed time rolls around.) ”With JC as my witness, if that damn dog pooped in the office again, I’m going to lose my shit!!!!!” (She did. And I did.) All. Unacceptable. It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day when our youngest terrorist (3, white female, wanted for: messy room, sassy ass mouth, wearing her shoes on the wrong feet - 100% of the time, and now using the Lord’s name in vain) was trying to get from one boat to another during a family day on the lake. (Relax... we knew them. It wasn’t like the sketchy ice cream boat or anything.) She kept muttering something under her breath and sure as a redneck eats Spam, that child was saying “Jeezzzuuussss. Jeezzzuuussss.” I immediately knew this was my doing. I have TONS of anxiety (duh), and I may be just a skosh dramatic, and I absolutely use the Lord’s name in vain on a regular basis. Lord, I apologize, and be with the starving (oh wait... that joke’s taken. I may be a sinner, but a plagiarizer I am not). I digress. Usually (aka always) when I use those types of phrases it is because I am late, stressed, or hangry. My anxiety is not debilitating, mostly because of Dr. Prozac, but the last thing I want to do to my little mini me is create an environment where EVERYTHING is end of the world and stresses her out, and subsequently give her the stress I feel on a daily basis. I have to do better. I have to be better. Otherwise I’ll get reported to DFCS when she starts needing a good Pinot to wind down after a stressful day at the Primrose Pre-K. I have recently read the most life changing book. It is called “Girl, Wash Your Face”, by Rachel Hollis. That woman is not only a wordsmith, but a God send to anyone who is lucky enough to read her work. Do yourself a favor, ladies. Get it on Audible and listen during carpool/commute/fake trips to the grocery store just for some sanity/whatever! I mention this book because before I read it, upon realizing that I am a terrible influence on my child when it comes to swearing by the Lord, I would have beat myself up so bad and dwelled on the negative, instead of making a conscious effort to change it. You can’t change the shit that happened yesterday. You can only do better today. So that’s what I’ll do. I can’t promise she won’t hear a curse word this week, but I can promise that I will try harder to make her understand when and how we talk about Jesus and why it matters. #thingstoworkon #theanxietymom #girlwashyourface #rachelhollisisamazing She is a light. A beacon of hope in a dark, dark place. She has taught us how to love, and continues to teach us how to live even in the most despairing of times. I smile because when I look in her eyes we both know where she has been and we both know where she is going one day. I cry because she is the greatest woman I have ever known and does not deserve the suffering which has been put upon her.
She is strong still, yet so weak. She is happy, yet sometimes sad at the thought of not seeing her grandchildren grow up. In the midst of this storm, she is selfless. When confined to a bed, she is watching the clock and making sure I know the time and pick my babies up early. When she cannot go on vacation, she says she wants nothing more than for us to have a great trip and to send her pictures until we get back. She is a loving wife, and still bosses her loving husband around every chance she gets... 22 wonderful years later! She laughs even now, when breathing sometimes seems to be a struggle. She is a teacher that cannot move or speak, and that is what makes her light shine so bright. How is that even possible?! She is a woman of God and whether here or in heaven she will be healed. She likes the saying “Always Make Time”, and now more than ever we are doing just that. I don’t rush my family as much, try not to be on the phone all of the time, and make a special effort to be in the moment. Heaven doesn’t care about Snapchat... and neither do my kids for that matter! Although, the occasional panda picture with the “pretty” filter is just necessary. Most people in my position would say “go hug your mother and hold her tight” (which is never bad advice... please do that too), but I would say to love your people and let them know it.... all of them, not just your Mama! Don’t sweat the small stuff and ALWAYS MAKE TIME. #theanxietymom #alwaysmaketime #fALS  Buckle up, friends. I have held this in for six long months, debating if I was ever going to share it with anyone. I feel like it is my duty as a woman to share this cautionary tale with you, so here goes nothing.
It was a cold dreary day in December. With Christmas craziness and the obligatory 97 different “holiday” parties to attend, “me time” was falling through the cracks. But one day, a Christmas miracle straight from tiny baby Jesus happened. I found myself with an unexpected two hours where I had to be no where by any certain time. Where did I go, you wonder? Luxury Nail, duh. These cuticles needed some attention and I was too tired to do it myself. This is where the real Nightmare Before Christmas began... I pulled up and saw they had a permanent sign on the window that said “facial”. I said: “Self... don’t be so judge mental. The sign wouldn’t be permanent if it wasn’t something they did all the time. You could be missing out on the greatest secret since Brazilian waxing” (another blog for another time). We can tell by the title of this blog that I was wrong, but I was just trying to be more open minded. So I asked Tammy when I walked in if I could get a “mani/pedi/and uh... (pointing at the sign) do you do facials?” Boy do I wish I had a screenshot of Tammy’s face when I said that. Should have been a dead giveaway. After realizing I was making a huge mistake, I should have just said nevermind and that I didn’t have time for all three services. But no. I’m what they call a yes lady, a people pleaser, a real pushover I tell ya. So I was in too deep and going through with whatever the “esthetician” had in store for me. I mean, my pores were the size of Texas so what was there to lose?! 🤦♀️ I went back into the room. There was a furry zebra blanket on the massage table and a boom box cut into the corner of the ceiling. The scariest thing in the room wasn’t the children’s socks and toys on the floor, or the Caboodle sitting next to the sink. It was the steamer on the counter that looked like something I had definitely seen at the Wal-Marts on clearance before. I asked Kim (no I am not being racist, that was her name) if it was perhaps a clothes steamer and not a face steamer? She assured me it was for face. Well shit! Here we go! Yes lady can’t back out now! I laid down after taking my shirt off (standard for a facial - but there was no way in hell I was losing my bra in that joint) and the torture commenced. It started with a heavy cream with a very familiar smell... hmmmm.... I know it! Oil of Olay. But the knock off kind. Target brand I presume. The “spa service” included lots of slapping and pinching and scalding me with a clothes steamer, with the occasional “you has no wrinkles because I do this to your eyes”. Um, bish I has no wrinkles because I get it from my mama, thanks very much. Don’t take credit for good genes, Kim. Then it happened. She told me to roll over. I said to my self: “Self... don’t do that.” And immediately followed that little lady’s orders and went face down. She then unhooked my bra and gave me the worst back massage of my life (and I’ve lived with three toddlers so I am a fair judge of shitty massages. I love their guts though. I digress.) I was lucky I still had on pants, because what happened next, my friends, was nothing short of sexual assault. That tiny Asian woman took her tiny Asian hands and smacked them on the cheeks of my more than tiny ass! I wish I had a screenshot of my face at that magical moment! Then she started shaking it violently back and forth. Kind of like when the pedicure chair goes haywire and makes it look like you are having a seizure when you are just trying to read what the Housewives are bitching about on Twitter. What makes nail salon owners think we like to be shaken like a salt shaker while trying to relax?! Anyways, back to the fiasco at hand. After some chop chop chops down the back of my legs she said to roll back over, put some foot cream on my face and in my hair and sent me on my way. I felt bamboozled. And my dumbass paid only $10 less than what I would have at any real spa for that shit!! I stole a writing pen to pen to put my greasy, coconut paradise-smelling hair up, put my shirt on, snooped in her Caboodle (I was right! Target of Olay!) and walked out of the room. I have never counted to 60, 60 times before that experience. Longest hour of my life. So what did i do next? Sat down with Tammy and got a manicure because I felt like it shouldn’t be her fault that Kim slept her way through cosmetology school. Luxury Nail got me good that day, but I can guarantee you they will never have me again. Instead of beating myself up for being a dumbass and not being bold enough to stand up for myself, I am considering this event research and development. You don’t know what you don’t know and now I am able to share my story with all of you. I hope you got a laugh and a lesson out of this one! #theanxietymom #nailsalon #facial #notthesame #dontrollover |
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