by Sarah | Jun 24, 2013 | All of Us, Guest Authors, Guest Post, Random
I’m very happy to have author Tina Gayle here today. Once again, I’ve had an author deliver a great post that can span both sides of my blog, so it’s posting across the board. Come see what she has to say about empty nests, how to prepare for them, and learn about her books in The Executive Wives Club series
*~*
Every mother faces the day, her children leave the nest. Some are better prepared than other.
If you are a stay at home mom like me, you might not be looking forward to the day when you don’t have daily contact with your children. After all, you have devoted a large portion of your day for a number of years to caring for them.
Years before my child even thought about leaving, I started preparing. Did it make it easier? I can’t say because it was still difficult. Though, I must say I had a number of things to distract me.
So what did I do?
First, I looked around and pick something that interested me. I enjoyed reading romance for years and decided since I had some time in my day to give writing a shot.
While they were away at school, I learned the craft and worked on developing my skill.
As they entered high school, I published and worked on writing more during my free time.
Once they left for college, I found I needed to work on promoting my books which required I learn more about social media sites.
Now, I spend most of my day in front of my computer. Writing, promoting on line, keeping my different sites updated. I sometimes complain that I don’t have enough hours in the day.
Do I have time for my kids?
Always, but I’m working to build my career. Just like they are working to build theirs.
What can you do to prepare for an empty nest?
- Ask yourself a few questions
- What are your interest?
- Do you want to make money?
- Social sites do they satisfy your need to stay connected?
- Spend time while you’re children are still at home developing what you want to do later.
- take classes
- meet new people in your chosen field. – gardening club, golf group, etc.
- Let your kids know you have a life too and that it’s not only about them.
- Your devotion to your goal can help teach them to follow their own dreams.
As you can see it can take years to plan or a few short months. At any point you can prepare for the future and map out a new course of action. Don’t let the empty nest get you down. Look around and find something that can become the hallmark of defining who you are.
*~*
Blurb for CFO’s Affair
Sylvia Sullivan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman. Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.
Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.
Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again?
Excerpt
A knock sounded on the window beside her and she jumped. Her head swiveled around and she stared at the man looking at her through the window.
Vince Wilshire’s handsome face could make any woman melt with desire. With it so close to hers—the glass being the only thing separating them—a rush of adrenaline swept into her system. She leaned sideways in her seat and knocked her hand against the steering wheel. The horn beeped and she muttered, “Damn it, Knox, why did you…”
The sound of his laughter sent anger flooding through her, the muscles in her arms tightening with the need to strike out. She lowered the phone and clicked the disconnect button in retaliation to his attempt to manipulate her.
Vince opened the driver’s side door and cold air rushed into the car. “Hey, beautiful, are you heading inside?”
“What is this? Are you guys ganging up on me?” Sylvia ignored the man beside her and glanced in the rear view mirror, checking to make sure her tears hadn’t caused any lasting effect.
A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Vince toyed with her hair. “Not at all, I like the idea of entering the building with a gorgeous woman on my arm.”
“Right,” she protested and stuffed her phone into her purse before turning to stare into his bedroom-brown eyes. The spark in their depths had her reevaluating her impression of the man. Yes, he had the face and body to rival every other Casanova in the world, but he also had a sense of humor. That alone sent a shiver of awareness through her.
She fought the desire gathering in her stomach and waved her hand at him so he’d move out of the way, letting her exit the car. “Did Knox make you wait out here in the parking lot to make sure I would come inside?”
Vince grinned and held her door open while she stepped onto the asphalt. His gaze fell to her legs.
She stared at her new, high-heel, red pumps and silently prayed she wouldn’t land face first in the dirt when she tried to walk across the pitted parking lot in them.
A low whistled sounded beside her. “Man, are you ever hot.”
She ignored the comment and didn’t turn until she heard the car door slamming closed. “And there’s not a woman you’ve ever met you haven’t wanted.”
*~*
A CFO’s Affair is not available for sale until July 1st, but you can pick up the other two books in the series here:
Marketing Exec’s Widow (Use Promo Code EP25Q)
IT Exec’s Baby (Use Promo Code QK33H)
Home – www.tinagayle.net
Blog – www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodread – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Google + – https://plus.google.com
Linkin – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759
by Sarah | Jun 21, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Molly, All of Us, Autism, Cystic Fibrosis, Failure to Thrive (FTT), Special Needs
In the land of skinny genes, cystic fibrosis and oral aversions – we’ve got three kids rocking the low end of the growth chart. The words “Failure to Thrive” are bandied about on a regular basis and we are constantly checking little one’s diets to make sure they aren’t just getting calories, but healthy fats and plenty of vitamins and minerals too.
The universal consensus for adding all of these things to help my kids grow & gain weight like they should?
Doctors across the board have pushed us to full-fat Vitamin D milk. It’s all we’ve got in the fridge, and we go through 3-4 gallons a week between the kids and hubby.
Before this FTT world hit my life I knew so very little about milk because I wasn’t allowed to touch the stuff (still can’t) due to an allergy (allergy, not intolerance). These days I’m learning a lot about milk beyond my family’s obsession (seriously, the husband can’t stop drinking it)…because I like to know about what goes into my family’s bodies – especially if it’s meant to promote their health.
One thing that I love learning is how drinking milk is likely to help my own state and community. After all, Indiana is home to over 1200 dairy farms – 97% of which are family owned (and I’ve met some of those families). I was also surprised (and happy) to learn that most milk travels less than 100 miles from the farm to the grocery store.
Of course, the biggest thing I made sure to learn about and know really well is that both plain and flavored milk contain nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorous, protein, riboflavin, niacin and vitamins A, D and B12. Considering my kids needs, this is of utmost importance. It means that they’re getting vitamins and nutrients that either they refuse to eat, or that their bodies are leeching from them.
And the only factor that matters to me, personally? Indiana – well, it ranks second in the nation for ice cream production. Because, I can only tolerate 1 serving of dairy a day…and you better believe it’s in the form of ice cream.
*~*
*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Indiana Dairy. This means I was paid for it, however all opinions are mine and true based on my own experience. You can’t pay me to lie about my family’s health…it’s too important to us all.
by Sarah | Jun 19, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Autism, Blogging Life, Cystic Fibrosis, Hospital, Special Needs, Sponsored
With my first child, I never heard of cord blood banking. It was around, but I was young and trying to figure out how I was going to do this whole parenting thing, and it wasn’t a blip on my radar. With my girls, this childbirth thing was old hat, although the larger family freaked me out and I was worried about finances and our small home and all the little details. In both cases I heard of cord blood, I researched it (kind of), and dismissed it. After all, my kids wouldn’t ever be sick. Denver was healthy as a horse (I thought), and my other two children would be the same.
Hindsight.
Now that I have two kids with Cystic Fibrosis, a very young niece with cancer, and have a much broader view of the world thanks to blogging, I wish I’d made that choice.
Through cord blood banking, you can collect and preserve potentially lifesaving stem cells, and doing so could one day save the life of your child or a blood relative. You can bank even more stem cells by collecting them from 2 usable sources of stem cell-rich blood: the umbilical cord and the placenta. This service is called Placental and Cord Blood Banking, and it’s available only from LifebankUSA. Whether you choose Placental and Cord Blood Banking or Cord Blood Banking alone, there are many important reasons to choose LifebankUSA.
There’s only one opportunity to save your baby’s stem cells for the future…
As an expectant parent, your baby’s health means everything. Right now, he or she is protected in the womb and will soon enter the world. There is a lot to think about and prepare for, but an invaluable step you can take when your child is born is to preserve his/her stem-cell rich cord and placenta blood The ability of stem cells to save lives via cord blood banking has proven successful for replacing abnormal or diseased cells, and treating life-threatening blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. In fact, since 1988 stem cell transplants have been used to treat some 80 diseases. No, Cystic Fibrosis isn’t on that list – but I imagine one day it will be.
I’m done having children, fate and biology means my body is no longer able to have them, but if I could, I’d bank the blood. I recommend it to those I know debating it. Sure, the odds of illness might be small – but then as I’ve learned, you just never know.
Today, LifeBankUSA is having a contest, and you can win a SpaFinder Gift Card worth $200. Just head over to Facebook to enter the contest. It’s super easy!! (All those links, and the top image on the page will take you to the contest!)
And seriously, consider cord banking. It’s worth it.
*~*
ABOUT LIFEBANKUSA
As the only company that offers cord blood, placenta blood and tissue banking — and the first to release placenta-derived stem cells for a successful transplant — New Jersey-based LifebankUSA is a technological leader that is pioneering key medical innovations in the field. Owned by the Celgene Corporation, a world-class biopharmaceutical company, LifebankUSA also operates a robust donation program and collects cells from anywhere in the US for use primarily in advancing medical research.
*~*
*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by LifebankUSA. I was paid for this post, but all opinions are my own heartfelt truth. I never take my children’s health for granted, and you can’t pay me to lie about it.
by Sarah | Jun 18, 2013 | All About Me, Crap, Random
Have you ever had one of those days?
Better yet, one of those weeks?
Everything is going along fine and then…
WHAM
You’re hit with a MAC truck.
Life flips on its head.
You lose track of days. (Seriously – WHAT is the date? I’m so confused)
Everything goes wrong.
Things break.
You get sick.
Your kids decide to mutiny.
*~*
You have?
Gee, I wouldn’t know what that’s like.
</end sarcasm>
*~*
I don’t know what day it is.
I thought today was June 11th.
Last week I thought it was June 3rd.
*~*
I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
Before summer is over.
Right?
Anyone?
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Kennedy, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Needs
It starts early.
Actually, the night before in a way.
As the teen is put on a fast, and we all go to bed early.
Because we have to leave at 7AM to get to the hospital at 8AM.
So the teen can drink that sickeningly sweet glucose concoction.You know the one, the same one we drank when pregnant.
And then we wait.
For two hours.
For more blood to be drawn.
Then the girl gets her blood drawn – which holy hell it’s like she’s being murdered.
Then it’s onto x-rays.
And functions.
And then we meet…
THE TEAM.
The social worker who hasn’t got much to say, but comes in every year. Makes sure we aren’t being killed by medicine costs. That we have all the ‘help’ we need.
The nutritionist that always tells us the kids are too skinny and to fatten them up. She gives us orders for calorie/fat boosting nutritional supplements.
The nurse that takes cultures and histories and makes sure all is clear.
The research associate that clues us in to new research projects we can partake in if we chose.
We break for lunch, and return and wait.
As our hospital is a teaching hospital we then see the Fellow. Who talks to us, examines both kids and heads out.
Then the doctor. Who examines both kids, goes over x-rays and future plans.
This year we had a change from the patter as the teen is being prepared for his own care. His exam was held in his own room where she went over the (still surprising to me) aspects of CF and how it could affect him and his future. The things no teenager wants to talk about in front of their parent…I mean EW.
It’s a full day.
Long.
Exhausting.
It ends with us grumpy.
Ready to get the heck out of there.
And grateful for another year.
It’s called a “birthday visit”.
A celebration of an anniversary i’d rather forget.
Kennedy’s is June 11th.
Denver’s is April 29th.
We meet them in the middle.
But in both cases, I’d rather forget that day.
The day we “knew” for sure.
Not celebrate it with a painful, long, exhausting day.
Although if we have to ‘celebrate’ such a ‘birthday’.
What better way than in misery?
by Sarah | Jun 11, 2013 | All About Indiana, All About Me, Blogging Life, Indiana State Museum, Indy Geek Girls, The Geek
I’ve had a lot of awesome geeky nights – which I won’t get into here – but a couple weeks ago I got stalked by a Wookiee.
I don’t know why that wasn’t on my bucket list.
Except I never thought it would happen.
I was fortunate enough to go to the midnight opening party for the Star Wars®: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit at the Indiana State Museum.
That meant being in the belly of the beast with fellow geeks, and a lot of them.
While there I got to have fun testing out some of the science stations. While building a moisture farm on Tatooine it began. While minding my own business, filming a video of what I was failing at, something touched my head. A drape of long fur covered my eyes.
Yes, I actually shrieked. But when I looked up and saw Tarrful above me, I laughed and got a bit giddy. Three more times the Wookiee found me and scared me, until I managed to get a hug with him (and then another with Chewbacca, because, of course).
While I can’t guarantee you’ll get stalked by a Wookie (or Darth Vader as my friend Heather was) – the exhibit itself is something to behold. There are three science stations where you can learn to build a droid (or learn that you suck at building droids like I did ~ahem~). You can build a mag-lev vehicle (out of legos!!). You can build a spaceport or a moisture farm on tatooine (unless you ignore directions like I did). You can even ride a hovercraft!
In between all the fan-friendly science games are real props and models from the movies. Among my favorites? Being able to look through the eyes of Vader:
Because seriously, how cool is that?
The exhibit is only $10 for museum members – or an additional $10 on top of your museum admission. The tickets are timed, and they let in 64 people every 15 minutes. You can stay as long as you like once in the exhibit, take all the pictures you want (I may have taken over 500-many of which I’m still editing) – just no flash.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that for another $5 you can go into the cockpit of the Milennium Falcon and take a ride through space (which is also awesome).
There is so much to see, that I’ve spent almost 3 hours combined in 2 visits and could spend another full day there without feeling like I’d seen everything. Scattered throughout the next few weeks I’ll be giving you more posts that go more in depth o the offered fun at the exhibit, from the displays to the science fun. I have to do it a little at a time – there is so much to offer!
For now I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the amazing exhibits…and the promise of many more pictures to come:
Blurb for CFO’s Affair
