Tag: changes

A Look Back at What I Wrote a Year Ago

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging

One year ago, I wrote out a list. This list was how I hoped to see myself a year later. I thought it would be fun to take a look back at how my life was, how it is now, and if things turned out the way I was hoping.

Recently, I was doing some journaling and I thought, why not make a plan of how I hope things are for us this time next year… so I did. 

On this Day Monday April 26th, 2021, what our life looks like now:

Married to Charlie for 4 years

Live in a 1 bedroom apartment 

Own 2 cars 

Been at my job for 1 year 

Have had 2 miscarriages 

Spent a year of trying to conceive so far.

Have a 13 month old kitten named Rocky

Written 1 children’s book 

Published 1 children’s book 

Written memoir 

Not vaccinated with Covid vaccine yet.

How I hope to see our life a year from now…

Married for 5 years Yes!

In process of moving to a 2 bedroom apartment No, we are staying where we are.

Own one car Yes!

Been at my job for 2 years No, only 1 year and 9 months.

Have had 2 miscarriages Yes

Spent 16 months trying to conceive then finally got pregnant. No. We only spent a year of trying.

7 months pregnant No. My baby is almost 4 months old!

Have Rocky and another 10 month old kitten. No. We only have Rocky right now. 1 baby and 1 kitty is enough.

Published 2 children’s books No. Not yet.

Published memoir No. Almost!

Fully vaccinated Yes!

Starting the beginning steps of becoming a foster parent. No. Not at this time.

My life isn’t exactly how I thought it would be a year later, and that’s okay. In fact, I believe it’s better than I ever expected. ❤️

A Recap of 2021

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging, Self Care

2021 was overall a good year. There were some changes, some things that remained the same, some let downs, some celebrations and a lot of growth. The biggest thing that happen was God blessing us with the opportunity to start a family, and we are over the moon thankful. ❤️

A Recap for 2021

January
  • Published Mackenzie Goes to Heaven Coloring Book
February
  • My Hubby turned 25!
March
  • My Kitty Rocky turned 1!
  • Changed shifts and became an opener at my job.
  • I celebrated 1 year at my job as a lead preschool teacher.
April
  • Started writing my second children’s book.
  • Paid off my car.
  • Bought a new car.
  • Got Pregnant with our Rainbow Baby. 🌈
May
  • Started Growing Avocado Trees
  • Celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with my fellow teachers!
  • Celebrated my first Mother’s Day pregnant.
  • We had our dating ultrasound and got to see Baby Bear for the first time.
  • Told my family and close friends I was expecting.
June
  • Made our Big Announcement that our Rainbow Baby was on the way!
  • Made it to the 2nd trimester in my pregnancy!
  • We had sequential screening done and got to see Baby Bear again!
  • Started craving lemons and pickles. Had a feeling we were expecting a Boy.
July
  • Started feeling Baby flutters
  • Won the Dustpan Award for the cleanest classroom at work.
  • Celebrated Rocky’s 1 year adoption!
August
  • Heard Baby Bear’s heartbeat using a Doppler for the first time.
  • Had our anatomy scan and gender reveal. We were excited to find out we were having a Baby Boy!!! 💙
  • I turned 26!
September
  • Went on a Fall themed Girl’s Getaway with my friends Alli and Andrea.
  • Told myself it was okay to start buying baby items.
October
  • Held a virtual Baby Book Party!
  • Honored my babies on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
  • Started Decorating the Nursery.
  • Made it to the third trimester!
November
  • Tested Positive for Covid, and had to be quarantined for two weeks
  • Got diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and was bumped up to a high risk pregnancy.
  • Celebrated 5 years of marriage with my husband.
December
  • Packed our bags for the hospital and prepared for Baby Boy’s arrival.
  • Had our last ultrasound and discovered that Baby Boy has long thick hair.
  • Got diagnosed with thyroid problems associated with pregnancy.
  • Took a few maternity photos.
  • Went on maternity leave.
A Recap of My 2021 Goals
  • Publish My Memoir ❌
  • Pay off my Car ✔️
  • Receive my FLE Certification ❌
  • Lose 20 lbs. ❌
  • Buy a New Car ✔️
  • Publish a Second Children’s Book ❌
  • Read the entire Bible ❌
  • Start a Family ✔️
  • Pay Off My Credit Card ❌
  • Publish a Self Care Journal ❌

Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant

by Kaylee, posted in Just Me Blogging, Pregnancy, Top 10 Lists

At 32 weeks pregnant, I am realizing how quickly my pregnancy is coming to an end and we will soon be able to meet our precious baby boy! This pregnancy hasn’t always been easy but I have been very blessed to have gotten this far, and gone through this much.

Here are my Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant
1. The precious baby kicks, rolls and squirms
2. Clear Skin (For some reason these pregnancy hormones gave me the clearest skin of my life)
3. Not having a period
4. People being so nice to me because I’m pregnant
5. The cravings
6. The strong pregnancy smell
7. Large appetite and eating for two
8. Cute and comfy maternity clothes
9. The excitement and anticipation of planning for a new baby
10. The pregnancy glow

Reblog: My Top 10 Favorite Things About Fall!

by Kaylee, posted in Just Me Blogging

FALL IS MY FAVORITE!

Fall is my favorite season. I love everything about fall. Anything from the colorful trees, to the doughnuts… I just love it! Fall is my happy place! Since I love fall so much, I have decided to share my top 10 favorite things about Fall.

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT FALL 

  1. Changing Leaves – I love seeing the leaves change in the fall. Here in Michigan, it can be absolutely breath taking seeing red, orange, yellow and brown being displayed through out our beautiful state.
  2. Doughnuts – I would have to admit that doughnuts indeed are my love language. What’s funny is I am really not a bread person. I don’t like a lot of bread but I love the sweet, and fulfilling goodness of a doughnut… especially in the fall.
  3. Sweater and Hoodie Weather – I love to layer and be comfy in my clothes. I get so excited when it is just cool enough that I can throw on a hoodie, or look stylish and comfy in a sweater, leggings, boots and a beanie.
  4. Fall Scents – I get so excited to smell fall, I know sounds crazy to say. But I do. I love smelling pumpkin, cinnamon, apple, smores, vanilla and everything in between. I am one of those people who looks forward to a pumpkin spice latte every fall at Biggby. I am also one of those people who enjoys the new fall scents at Bath and Body Works.
  5. Football Games – I get so hyped for football games at my college. It just feels like fall when I am sitting in the stands, wearing my hoodie and cheering on my team.
  6. Back to School – Even though it may be stressful for some, back to school just puts me in a good mood. It just feels like a new beginning with new goals and dreams I have yet to accomplish. Plus, I love catching all the good back to school supplies deals.
  7. The Apple Orchard – I have many fond memories of going to the apple orchard as a child and as an adult. As a child I can recall picking apples, eating doughnuts, going on hay rides and milking a goat. As an adult I can still recall picking apples, eating doughnuts and even accompanying preschoolers on field trips to the apple orchard.
  8. Fall Vibes – For some reason I feel like here in Michigan, people are a lot happier in the fall than they are in the spring. It’s almost as if many of us Michiganaders enjoy the cool weather of fall right after a hot summer. Whereas we are slightly grumpy in the spring because we are still somewhat holding a grudge after the brutal winter we had just experienced.
  9. I Met My Husband in the Fall – Someday I will likely share our love story, but for now I will share how we met. My husband and I met on September 4th, in Spanish class at our local community college. I was sitting at a table by myself in the front of the class, and he came to sit by me… and the rest is history.
  10. My Wedding Anniversary – My Husband and I got married on November 12th , 2016. it was beautifully fall themed with doughtnut holes, apple cider, fall leaves, pumpkins… you name it, we had it. Fall is a very special time for us.

Thanks for reading my Top 10 Favorite Things About Fall! What are your favorite things about Fall?

My Goals for 2021 Check In!

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging

Can you believe it is already March!? Where did the time go? Anyway, we are already 2 months into 2021. So here is my first check in for my 2021 goals!

1. Publish my Memoir

The first draft is done, and I am in process of editing!

2. Pay off my Car

Every month I am one step closer to paying it off!

3. Recieve my FLE Certification

I haven’t touched this goal yet. 😇

4. Lose 20lbs.

I wouldn’t say I’ve lost much weight since the new year, but I have cut back the sweets and junk food.

5. Buy a New Car

Charles and I have been researching and trying to figure out what we want.

6. Publish a Second Children’s Book

In process…

7. Read the Entire Bible

I have actually made huge progress with this goal. So far I have read:

Genesis

Exodus

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

I am currently reading Leviticus.

8. Publish a Self Care Journal

In process….

9. Pay off my Credit Card

In process…. it’s hard sometimes.

10. Start a Family

This goal isn’t really in my hands. The Lord’s going to do what the Lord is going to do.

My Goals for 2021

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging

Finally, a new year. I don’t think anyone expected 2020 to go the way it did. When thousands of people were creating goals last January 1st, I’m sure none of them expected a global pandemic, a deadly sickness called the Corona virus, distance learning, state shut downs and the everyday wearing of face masks. None the less, it is officially 2021. We made it to another year.

I pray that this year is a 100 times better than last year in every way. And if not, I pray that through any struggle we may face, I pray we are able to learn and make the most of every situation.

This year I have written down 10 goals that I hope to complete in the year 2021.

My Goals for 2021

  • Publish My Memoir
  • Pay Off My Car
  • Recieve My FLE Certification
  • Lose 20 lbs.
  • Buy A New Car
  • Publish a Second Children’s Book
  • Read The Entire Bible
  • Publish a Self Care Journal
  • Pay Off My Credit Card
  • Start a Family

My deadline to complete these goals is December 31st, 2021 at midnight. Let the first page of this 365 page book begin!

A Recap of 2020

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging

2020 was a year many thought would be a fresh start. It was the beginning of a new decade and a year for clear vision.,, or so we thought. But instead we were all taken for a loop by this deadly sickness called the Corona virus. In many people there was sheer panic and anxiety, and not long after the way we once lived our lives was no longer. We went from having the freedom to socialize with anyone and everyone, to being instructed to remain 6 feet apart with anyone out side our household. We were required to wear masks everywhere, and no longer had the freedom to dine in restaurants. Students as young as kindergarten and as old as college were forced to complete their studies strictly online.

This year has been anxiety inducing, confusing, exhausting, unpredictable and unexpected. But despite all of that, we have all had the chance at putting things into perspective. With a variety of shut downs and quarantines we have had more opportunities to spend quality time with our immediate families. We have learned to appreciate the time and moments we shared because they are precious, and the future is not promised.

For me personally, this year has been rough, but I have been given a lot blessings as well. This was a big year for me despite the craziness. Today I would like to reflect on 2020, the ups and downs, the blessings and challenges and everything in between.

Recap of My Goals for 2020

  • Graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development. ✔️
  • Pay off my Car ✖️
  • Recieve my Certification in Family Life Education ✖️
  • Get a Pet ✔️
  • Publish my Memoir ✖️
  • Move to a New Home ✔️
  • Get Certified as a Life Coach ✖️

Recap of 2020

January

  • I started my last semester of college.
  • Started taking Plexus daily.

February

  • I started revamping my resume and applying to various jobs for after I would graduate.

March

  • I started a new job as a Lead Preschool Teacher.
  • Covid – 19 hit the US and life as we knew it changed.
  • We moved to our new apartment.

April

  • I finished my last semester of college.
  • My state and pretty much the country was forced into an immediate say-at-home order.
  • I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Child and Family Development.

May

  • I returned back to work after being laid off.
  • I redecorated my new apartment.
  • I celebrated my 2nd Mother’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Week.
  • I honored my Due Date for my 2nd baby.
  • Charles and I started trying again.

June

  • I went to the cabin with my best friend Alli.
  • Started swimming and enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
  • My husband got a new job.

July

  • I published my first children’s book, Mackenzie Goes to Heaven.
  • I adopted a kitten and named him Rocky.

August

  • I turned 25.
  • I continued digging deep and working on my memoir.
  • I grew 9 plants on my balcony.

September

  • I hit 6 months of working at my job.
  • Charles and discussed and decided to pursue adoption.

October

  • I reached 150 followers on my blog.
  • I hit 25 sales on my children’s book.

November

  • I was named teacher of the month at my Job.

December

  • I did some goal setting for the year ahead.

2020 was crazy and definitely a year of change. Moving forward I predict 2021 will bring it’s own set of challenges and blessings. 💕

Happy New Year Friends!

Happy Fall Ya’ll

by Kaylee, posted in Home Decor

I just love Fall! The changing colors in the leaves, the smell of pumpkin, and apples, the crisp air in the mornings… it’s all my favorite.

Something I look forward to each year is decorating for fall. Part of the reason I decorate is because it makes me happy and I love doing it, and the other reason is because I have some decorations left over from my fall wedding four years go. These pumpkins on my entertainment center for example were some of my wedding decorations.

This leaf garland I recently bought from Hobby Lobby, and I absolutely love it! It fits perfectly over my fireplace.

This centerpiece is a combination of new and old decorations. The bouquet for example is actually my wedding bouquet. The pumpkin, gourds and straw are something I bought this year.

Thanks for checking out my fun fall decorations! It has been so exciting to be able to decorate my new living room for fall!

My Balcony Reveal!!!

by Kaylee, posted in Home Decor, Just Me Blogging, Plants

Hello friends! If you’ve been following me for awhile, it’s a safe bet that you’ve seen pretty much every part of my apartment since I moved in March. You’ve probably even seen parts of my balcony since I’ve shown you my many plants. However, I haven’t yet done a balcony reveal. So, without further or do, I welcome you to my balcony.

My balcony is full of plants, a lawn chair, a bike and storage. I love our balcony, as it is spacious and welcoming.

I can imagine I will be storing much of the items on my balcony, this winter. But for now, I am going to enjoy my current balcony set up.

Our balcony has a great view of the other buildings in our complex as well as the wide open sky. it’s so fun to see storms roll in, and beautiful sunrises early in the morning.

Recently, we bought a storage unit/bench we are able to store our pots and planting through the winter.

Last but not least, our balcony is accompanied by our large slider door. This door allows for gorgeous natural lighting into our living room and a wonderful view of our plants from the inside.

Thank you so much for checking out my balcony reveal! I only have two places in my home you haven’t seen… can you guess what room I’ll show you next?

Another Plants Update

by Kaylee, posted in Just Me Blogging, Plants, Self Care

Hello Friends! I just thought I would take a minute and give you a little update on my plants. If I were to be honest, I would have to say I think I’ve planted roughly 15 plants this year. And due to the weather, and my forgetting to water them sometimes I have had to start over and replant some. So, currently I have 7 plants!

Sandy is my palm tree that I bought on Palm Sunday. She is an indoor/outdoor plant. At the moment she is outdoors because I have a kitten that I don’t trust enough to leave her alone. Anyway, she’s grown at least 4 inches since I got her and is thriving.

Clive the Chive is huge and over grown. I’ve cut chives off him many times but I can’t seem to eat the chives as fast as he can grow them. But overall he is doing well.

Here’s the spice girls. To be honest I thought they were dead for the longest time. I didn’t see anything sprout and was super concerned. But she made it and is doing well.

This is the newest member to the plant family. This is a spinach plant that I guess I will name Ralph. I planted Ralph on Saturday and I am optimistic he will grow and thrive.

This is my green pepper plant. To be honest I thought this plant was dead too. When I first got this plant it was shriveled up and thirsty. It also didn’t help that I kept forgetting to plant it in a pot. None the less, when I finally planted this plant, she flourished. She currently has 4 green peppers growing on her. It also occurred to me that I haven’t given her a name yet. Let’s call her Penny.

Here’s Chester the mosquito plant. He’s huge and doing well. He’s does a great job at repelling mosquitoes.

And last but certainly not least, here is my tomato plant. I think it’s a cherry tomato plant but I can’t entirely remember. My Sunshine flowers didn’t make it, along Harry and Henry the tomato plants. So, I decided to try with this tomato plant instead. Let’s call this one Sylvester. Sylvester is doing super well. He has quite a few little green tomatoes on him. I can’t wait to eat them once they turn red.

Well there you go. That’s an update on my plants. How are your plants doing?

20 Things to Accomplish Before I Turn 30

by Kaylee, posted in Goals, Just Me Blogging

As many of you know, I am super big on goal setting. I love setting goals for myself, and doing my best in trying to reach them. Recently, I was looking on Pinterest to see if I could find some inspiration of what to write, and this topic came up. I am always setting summer goals and even goals for the year… but I never thought to set goals before I reach a certain age. So, with out further or do… here are my goals that I would like to accomplish before I turn 30.

My Goals…

1. Have at least two kids (Through birth, adoption or whatever the Lord has planned)

2. Write 5 Children’s Books (I think publishing at least one a year sounds good)

3. Publish My Memoir (I better have this done by then 😂)

4. Move up in my field working with children (Whether that be just more responsibility or a promotion… I’m up for anything)

5. Move into a house (I would prefer here in Michigan, but we’ll see what happens)

6. Get a Dog (Someday soon!)

7. Make Money Blogging (Somehow and some way I would hope to make a small income off of my hobby)

8. Make my Dog a Brand Ambassador (For Real, I want to try this)

9. Go on a Week Long Vacation to Some Place Warm (Fort Lauderdale, or Myrtle Beach sound nice)

10. Have 5,000 Followers on my Blog (Tell your friends about my blog ya’ll!)

11. Get a Cat (the dog will need a friend)

12. Pay Off Half My Student Loans (Get them things paid off)

13. Attend an NCFR or NAEYC conference (Now, this would be fun)

14. Write a Self Care Journal for Women (We ALL need a little daily self care)

15. Visit New York City (I want to see Time Square, Ground Zero, One World Trade Center, the Statue of Liberty and all the other things)

16. Be on the Today Show (I know this sounds crazy, but I think it would be cool… who knows if it will ever happen)

17. Give a TED Talk (It would be terrifying, but I’d love to do it.

18. Write 1,000 Blog Posts (This should be do-able)

19. Live Life to the Fullest

20. Be a Great Woman, Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Teacher, Author and Human ❤️

My Kitchen Reveal!

by Kaylee, posted in Home Decor

I know it has been a long while since my last room reveal… but I finally have my kitchen ready for its’ big reveal! Part of the reason it has taken me so long to complete my kitchen is 1) I returned back to work full time, so I don’t have nearly as much time on my hands as I did during quarantine and 2) the kitchen is something that can get super messy super quickly. Therefore, I didn’t want to take pictures and reveal it to you, until it was clean, organized and perfect. So, without further or do, here is my kitchen!

This kitchen is actually the largest I’ve ever had. It’s not huge by any means, but it definitely has more space to walk around, as well as more counter space to cook and create meals.

The cabinets are narrower than I expected when moving in, but I honestly appreciate it because it helps me to stay downsized in my kitchen items, instead of having a cluttered kitchen.

I really appreciate having counter space on both sides of the oven. It helps me to be able to place dishes on either side when trying to cook.

I also appreciate a larger fridge. In our other apartments, our fridges were a lot smaller.

Lastly, I love the openness of the kitchen. I love that there is a bar/counter on the living room side that is an additional place to sit and eat. I also love being able to see into the living room from the kitchen. The set up of this apartment is truly ideal for a young couple, who occasionally has company over.

Well that’s my kitchen! It’s cute and not too clutter. It’s open and and has a clean home style feel. Let me know what you think in the comments! ⬇️⬇️⬇️