Author: marcetheblogger

Sharing my journey through writings and pictures. Here to inspire, motivate, & support.
Posts

Coronavirus…ish got real

marcetheblogger

If you are anything like me, you didn’t think this whole COVID-19 was going to take over the way it did. I was definitely one of those peeps who kept saying and thinking that this would blow over in a week or so. I was so WRONG!

It has now been almost 2 months since I started working at home and I am still in disbelief. Everything changed so abruptly and it literally happened overnight. One day my daughter was in school and the next we were picking up a Chromebook for her to do remote learning. One day I was at work and the next was told to stay home until further notice.

These past few months have been a rollercoaster ride. We had to start wearing masks, hand sanitizing repeatedly, wearing gloves, and even spraying alcohol when coming back into the house. Let’s not forget the mental effects this virus has had on just about everyone! I have had days where my emotions, feelings, and thoughts have caused me to have mini meltdowns. This coming from someone who didn’t take this seriously at all at first.

This virus hit a little to close to home though. At the end of March, my mother tested positive for the virus and was extremely ill. It was super scary and it was even worse because I couldn’t be by her side like I would have wanted. I had to rely on phone calls to my dad and hoping he was being honest. My sister and I would take turns checking in with them throughout the day. Once my mom started getting better, my dad began to feel sick. Fortunately, by the grace of God, he tested negative for the virus and actually felt better in about a week. Sadly, it doesn’t end there. Several of my aunts and uncles also tested positive and are still healing slowly.

This, however, is not the case for all of them. One of my uncles is still in the hospital and it has been a long 3 weeks. We have been praying for him and checking in with him every day but it is extremely difficult. We are fortunate enough to have a close family friend that works at the hospital stop in during her shift each day just so we can say hello.

I can imagine that a lot of the world has experienced an incline in so many stressors and it has truly affected our mental health. However, it has also made us open our eyes and look back at moments we may not have appreciated as much. I know for me, it’s small things such as merely stopping by my mom’s place and hanging out with the kids for an hour or even our small birthday gatherings where we could sing Happy Birthday and cut a cake. It’s these small things that I truly miss. FaceTime calls have definitely become more frequent.

I write this in hope to offer some comfort to others experiencing these same or similar things. Know that you are not alone. We are in this together. Please take some of this time to distract yourself from all the negativity that is being put out.

Find some time to turn off your television, log off of social media, and just enjoy some fresh air and some sun. One thing they haven’t banned us from doing is going for a walk (of course being safe). So go out and enjoy it! I know this works for me; it is a way to recharge.

Some other suggestions: use this time to boost your self-care, pick up a hobby, or even teach your kid(s) something new (bike riding is on our list here). Self-care was at the bottom of my priority list which is NO BUENO (not good). It took me so many weeks before I finally made time to workout again and write some blog posts. I even used a face mask a few times. Go Me!

Let us take these tough times and use it to rebuild ourselves. This way once the world opens up again, we will be ready to conquer it.

Family, Mom Life

Happy Mother’s Day

marcetheblogger

Keeping it simple for this special day.

Yesterday I was finally able to reunite with my parents, sister, and our kids in our home to celebrate Mother’s Day. It was a great feeling to be able to be together once again and seeing the joy the kids bring my parents. These past few weeks have been rough and have truly showed me how important it is to enjoy each other everyday and in every way.

Posts

Who else is working remotely?

marcetheblogger

I was definitely one of the people that always wanted to have the option to work from home. Little did I know that almost a month ago, we would have to make that switch abruptly. COVID-19 came in and flipped our world upside down and inside out.

The first week was extremely overwhelming. Feeling like a slave to my laptop, I convinced myself I had to work every second of every minute of every hour from 8:30 to 4:30. It took me several days to let that mentality go and just do what I could. I had to remember that breaks were important for my mentality, my physical we;;-being, and my emotional health.

Not only was I overwhelmed with work but suddenly I also became a grade school teacher. My daughter and I had to adjust and come up with a schedule and way of communicating that worked for us. It was not easy! Being home also meant having my little guy around more. He has become so attached I cannot even imagine what it will be like once I return to the office. Nonetheless having an almost 2 year old presented its own challenges. He suddenly felt all my web conferences were meet and greets and all of my supplies were for arts and crafts.

On top of all of this, social media became hypnotizing. It was bombarded by news of COVID-19 but it was also suddenly full of people saying things like, “Now you will see what stay at home moms go through.” Wow, was that super annoying!

Now hear me out here…I do not discredit what stay at home moms do. If you can look back at previous posts, I was one for awhile before returning to work from maternity leave. But there is a significant difference if that is your only job all day everyday. It definitely cannot compare to having a full time job, being a home school teacher, and watching a 2 year old all at the same time. Trying to manage these multiple roles while still trying to stick to your work calendar has been the MOST CHALLENGING yet.

A few times in the past weeks, I have had several emotional breakdowns. I mean literally crying hysterically at my kitchen table, in my bedroom, in the shower, etc. Check-ins with my director and colleagues has been so important. Just being able to talk it out, seeing how others are managing, and feeling understood have provided a sense of relief.

So what are some key things I have learned during this transitioning period…

  1. Relax! No one is really expecting you to be bound to your laptop all day (at least not in my case).
  2. Take breaks! This will help clear your mind and sometimes it’s what you need to keep on going.
  3. Check in! Whether you are communicating with others in your department or institution or even other workplaces, just check in. Social distancing does not mean do not speak!
  4. Look at the positives! At first this was difficult to do but when else will this happen? When will you be home with your immediate family and get to enjoy each other despite the challenges? Probably not any time soon.
  5. Be Kind! We are all watching and experiencing this pandemic. It is frightening but don’t let that fear consume you and make you angry. Instead, be kind! Reach out to those you love and reconnect.

Let’s stay strong.

Better times will come.

Keep praying for the world.

We will get through this together.

And remember…Live, Laugh, & Love!

Let's Get Personal, Mom Life

New Year – Better Late than Never!

marcetheblogger

Hi all,

This is a rather late post considering it is now March! However, I still wanted to share some of my goals for 2020 because I feel it is a way to hold myself accountable. I want to have a way to reflect on what I got done and what still needs work throughout the year as well as at the end. So here it goes!

  1. Lose weight
  2. Read 3 books
  3. Become an academic advisor
  4. Stop being or trying to be controlling of what I can’t and shouldn’t
  5. Learning to trust again (if I learn to be more trusting, I feel it will help me be less controlling)
  6. Becoming better at communicating (I can write things down easily, why can’t I just express myself the same way…ugh)
  7. Save $$$ (continuous goal, but sometimes life hits! No more excuses though!)
  8. Making additional income (this can help me save more…Marce Edits?)
  9. More blog posts (currently need to work on this!!)
  10. Saying no more frequently (self-care is the best care!)
Friends

Friendships Grow Apart…and It’s Okay!

marcetheblogger

Friendships…I have learned many things about this wonderful category of relationships throughout my life. Some lessons have been quite difficult especially getting older. So many times I have had falling outs with different individuals and then we have made up. This time around as a woman in my 30s (TOTALLY can’t believe I just wrote that lol) I have learned some relationships should be let go. No matter how much time, love, effort, and memories were created/shared, sometimes you just grow apart despite trying to find ways to stay attached or connected.

Thinking specifically about two people I grew up with and the fact that I will probably always call them my best friends, I know we took different paths in life, like COMPLETELY different. Once I returned home from college and found a full time job, I quickly jumped into my next degree program all while having a daughter and learning to accept that she would not grow up in a two parent home. Although we shared some similarities, our goals did not align. Yes we probably all wanted to be successful, be there for our families, while still maintaining a social life but our definitions of what that looked like were not the same.

I am happy to see that we have all grown and accomplished milestones in our lives. Our journeys took us different directions and that is okay. There is a certain point we reach in our lives where we have to begin surrounding ourselves with like minded people and at times it may be hard to accept that our once best friends are not those people.

This was definitely a struggle for me. I can tell you that I spent many nights thinking about this before bed and many long drives where it would cross my mind. For the most part, it was specific to one person because things did not really end well. We had some differences and it kept bothering me. With time though, it has become something I accept. The more I kept dwelling on it, the more I realized the relationship was not one full of motivation or growth and at this point in my life, that is what I need. I still think about it at times but I am happy with where I am in my life where my focus has shifted to my career, mom life, and health.

Be okay with change. Accept what is. Only worry about you can control!

Family, Friends, Mom Life

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

marcetheblogger

This year like others I have a lot to be grateful for. The big difference for me this year was I opted out of writing some long thank you on social media and sending out a ton of Happy Thanksgiving text messages. Reason why: it’s not necessary. This past year has taught me many things and one of those is to live in the moment and focus on the ones around me.

However, I did want to write a post on here to share with you what I am thankful thus far. This year I am thankful for my family. We are such a close knit unit and are there for each other in times of need. I cannot express how many times my mom, sister, dad, or other relative has helped me out. Not just them but my best friends and fiance have been great with helping out with childcare for my little guy. It is so difficult to find people to help you and they have definitely come through.

I am also thankful for the strides I have made in my career. I am finally at a place that I enjoy coming to daily and feel inspired. This has been such a significant part in my life recently and I cannot express the appreciation I have. The process was long but I made it with God’s assistance.

The one aspect I am most grateful for is the changes I have decided to make. Being more positive and optimistic has made me feel so different inside. I have also had to accept that some big things in life are beginning to change on their own due to personal growth and development. After a conversation I had with a close friend, I realize this is okay. This is simply life happening and if things are meant to be they will be!

Many blessings are here and many more are sure to come. There will be ups and downs along the road but remain thankful for each part of the journey. It all makes you who you are and will determine who you become.

Mom Life, Posts

Fetch Rewards

marcetheblogger

I wanted to share information on this new app I have been using. It’s a super easy app to use which is why I felt is was worthy of me noting. It is quite simple. All you do is download it, go shop, and then scan your receipts. You don’t have to check off specific items which can be time consuming and tedious. The app does all the work for you and even if you don’t get items that are worth a lot of points, you are guaranteed 25 points for each receipt no matter what.

Check out Fetch Rewards! Turn any grocery receipt into savings! Use my referral code, H3MVV, during signup and you’ll get 2,000 Fetch Points just for starting. Download here: https://fetchrewards.onelink.me/vvv3/referralsocial?code=H3MVV

Friends, Let's Get Personal

Change is Hard!

marcetheblogger

I have been going through many changes in my life primarily in my career. These changes have been positive and have really made me realize I can apply positivism in different aspects of my life. This along with conversations with loved ones have persuaded me and motivated me to make some changes.

I use to think I was a really optimistic person but because I am human I have found myself sometimes having negative thoughts. That could range from being judgmental to the way I speak to others when I get upset or frustrated. Therefore, at the beginning of this month, I began a gratitude challenge and it really affected my outlook on life.

This month I decided to put on the optimistic/positive lenses on my glasses and have begun to look at life more differently. With so many blessings around me, I have realized there is no time to dwell on negativity or pettiness. I have to let others be and worry about myself because if change is difficult to do, it is basically impossible to make others do it.

This all sounds great and very easy however it is not! Changing is a difficult thing that takes a lot of will and self-control. I am very conscious of stopping my negative or judgmental thoughts but when it comes to action, it reached another level of difficulty.

Very recently, I had a falling out with a close friend. We spoke about the situation via text and I thought it was put to rest (to an extent). However, shortly after I noticed she stopped watching my stories on social media. YES, it sounds super petty that I even noticed but this is a close friend I am referring to. I was bothered by this because that takes EFFORT. To purposely stop watching someone’s stories either takes the push of a mute button or just physically skipping over selecting that person on your timeline. I was not sure what to think of it and considered addressing it but I did not. That same friend’s birthday rolled around and I actually considered not even saying happy birthday. This is where I had to take control of myself and say do the right thing.

You love this person and although they have resorted to this type of pettiness, do you really want to do the same? How does this play into what you are trying to do with your life today? How will you feel if you skip this person’s special day? These are all of the questions I asked myself throughout the day. Finally, when 6pm came around, I made the decision to send a simple birthday text. It was not my usual long mushy text but it was happy birthday text nonetheless. When I say being the bigger person in this situation was hard, it was HARD! My pride inner voice kept trying to sucker me in but I did not allow it.

I want to put out good into this world. I want to bring positivism and optimism to those around me. This can only start with myself. I know at times I will make mistakes but ultimately I will be making conscious effort to avoid those but also to accept when I do fall short and address that. I feel this is a great way to end the year and also bring into the new year.

Good vibes only & positive thoughts mostly!

Courage to keep changing, faith to keep pushing, love to keep spreading!

Family, Let's Get Personal, Mom Life

November Gratitude Challenge

marcetheblogger

Checking in as I finish my November Gratitude Challenge…

At the beginning of November, I randomly came across the November Gratitude Challenge → http://www.gratitudechallenge.com/downloads/gratitude-calendar.pdf.  I looked at it, printed, and put it in my planner.  I did not really think much of it, I just thought I will get to it when I have time.  Not only did I not intentionally make time for it but it was in my planner for a week before I even took another look at it.  

I am really glad that I sat down one day and began to read it.  It is a very reflective challenge and I encourage everyone to try it, it definitely does not have to be month specific.  You could even try to do some of the items on the list in a week span.  

Why was it great?  Well self-reflection or any reflection for that matter is a good thing.  It requires being still for a moment and doing some deep thinking. I don’t really set time aside for myself but this challenge really helped me to make that time that we all need.  Some days I would get backed up with the daily tasks but I made it my responsibility to catch up. Some of my favorite ones were thanking some negative things in my life, sending thank you notes to five people who deserve recognition, and standing in front of a mirror and focusing on 5 things you love about yourself.  

Such simple sentiments yet not on my daily to do list.  Never would I think about thanking the negatives in my life, most times you end up dreading them or letting them stress you out but I literally thanked my negatives out loud and it made feel a sense of relief.  Sending thank you notes was my ultimate fave as it required recognizing some close ones that I may not always speak with. It made for a great entry to catch up and acknowledge them. Looking in the mirror is something I do daily but rarely do I ever focus on things I love.  Often times, I think about how my hair looks, how I don’t like my outfit, and how I want new glasses like yesterday. This was a bit more challenging for me but so worth it. It gave me a boost of confidence and just what I needed as the end of the year is nearing.

I am feeling extremely grateful for the amazing things happening in my life today.  I am also thankful for the not so great things I have faced to get me here. All of it keeps shaping me and influencing to keep on going.  I am more determined than I have felt all year and I want to share that with all of you. If you are going through a tough time, struggling with life, or just feeling down, take a look at yourself and what is around and just start thanking each and every bit of it.  Struggles eventually run their course and if you stay positive and always keep a bigger goal/picture in mind, you will come out on top!

Let's Get Personal

Reflection

marcetheblogger

Hi All,

I am feeling a bit nostalgic today so I wanted to share some thoughts. At the end of 2017, I took a very crazy leap of faith and accepted a new position. Why was it crazy, you ask? Well because it required a significant pay cut and leaving a job after 4 years (my longest job).

I had decided earlier in that year that I would return to grad school and get a degree to work in higher education. I knew it would not be easy and I knew it would require sacrifice. I went through so many situations since making the switch and they were not easy.

Many don’t know but I had interviewed at other schools but was never offered a position. But I did not become discouraged!  I knew I wanted to do more with my life. I wanted to make an impact on people’s lives.

I was fortunate to have started my higher education career at the beginning of 2018. Since then I have moved on to a different institution and feel beyond excited for the new opportunity. I am fortunate to be working with a great team and cannot wait to see what the rest of this school year brings for me.