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Sunday Letters – Some Women Fear the Fire, Some Become It…

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I am burdened with so many emotions right now.  Honestly, I’m excited because after months (maybe even a year) of not doing a post like this – I’m proud to say that Sunday Letters is up and running at this moment.  I’m excited because it seems like it’s been ages since I’ve been able to write like this.  But, on the other hand, I’m filled with dread and an overwhelming sense of anxiety building up inside.  My Sunday Letters posts are a way for me to get a bit personal here and a way for me to put myself out there for others to read.  I miss it, but use it as a way to hold me accountable of things I set forth for myself.  It’s been a long while since I’ve done a post like this – so I’m going to get real for a moment and get you all caught up.

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Ugh… where do I begin?  It’s already March and I have been sick so many times over the last few months that I can’t even count or begin to.  I rang in the new year with the flu and I feel like it’s just all piling up on me like the plague.  No matter what I do to get my health back in check, I find myself dwindling into the despair of sick and tired… literally.  I have also been struggling with my weight.  What the frick is up with my weight?  No matter what I do health wise, it seems like I’m putting on weight versus losing no matter the countless hours and sweat I put into trying to drop the pounds.  My skin has been freaking the frick out… like literally freaking out and my once good skin is now proving that it has an alter ego that is mean and evil.  My skin is freaking out so bad it is worst now than it had been when I was in my teens.  How is that even possible?  How could this be?

“Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it…” – R.H. Sin

I think the health issues I’ve been having over the last year have been something that has literally been keeping my faith and my energy down.  Over the last 6 months I’ve had every possible friend contact me and tell me “I have this new product line or product for you to try and it will make your health better, help you lose weight.”  Trust when I say I have heard it all.  What I really want to tell these friends is that “I’m not your get rich quick guinea pig that you can dump your new product on to make money off of.”  I know, I might be a little harsh here, but it’s true.  Instead of telling me… “I’m sorry that you are going through this, how can I help?”  I get “hey, try this product and start using it faithfully and it will help you get better quick.”  Who the frick do these people think they are talking to?  I’m just over it.

Over the last 8 months, I have had more tests done to me than people have had in their lifetime.  And, I might add – these are not easy on my body.  Taking blood is like seeing a vampire for a neck bite.  I don’t have easy veins and they are what phlebotomist call “disappearing veins” because they move or you think they are there but it’s all an illusion.  Just to get a blood test done, I get poked and prodded over 5 times and then the blood suckers don’t even get enough blood to complete their testing.  I had to have a CT Scan and Endoscopy done within the last 8 months as well and the CT scan required the technician to send me to an ultrasound tech to find my veins so he could start my IV, a procedure that should have taken 15 minutes took 2 hours.  My Endoscopy – again, finding my vein to start my IV posed a challenge for the nurses, so after poking my arm over 8 times, they finally found a vein in my hand which wound up collapsing eventually, resulting in a huge bruise and a vein I can probably no longer use.  Then, so have anesthesia rendered to put me to sleep so that I wouldn’t feel the scope down my throat, only for the medicine to not put me to sleep and I be up the entire time.  These are just a small amount of issues I have with my body each day and it’s frustrating.

I have been waking up each day with a lost of drive lately.  Those that know me, know that that is unusual for me.  It’s outside of the norm of what many have come to expect from me and my personality.  I’m just so overrun with emotions that it’s frustrating and I’m frustrated.

The other day I was chatting with a friend when she basically told me… to my face, “You just need to lose the weight and everything in your health and life will be better.”  What the fuck?  Don’t you think I have already tried or am trying to do that?  Don’t you think that I know all too well that my weight is probably an issue?   I try and stay with a program day in and day out and it hasn’t worked!  So then, I ask you – why isn’t it working if you say that that is my end all, fix all?  Why?

I know I have ranted and vented in this post more than what anyone has ever seen here, but just know you may be seeing more of this.  I’m exhausted and more so exhausted of trying to explain myself to people who are supposed to support me, not tear me down.  My goal is to become the fire that is causing havoc in my life right now and not run and fear it.  So, I hope to update you all on my journey and let you know how things are going.  I have a series of different appointments with doctors coming up and I’ll be writing about those here as well… so stay tuned.

Anyway – on to Sunday letters…

Dear Kevin, my husband – You have been an unwavering support system for me and I didn’t expect anything otherwise.  I’m so thankful you are my rock for me to vent to and my shoulder to cry on and there is a reason why you are my best friend.  I don’t know how I could have gotten through these last several months without you.  Thank you for being there for me.

Dear God – Please, please give me the strength to be able to get passed this time in my life.  Whatever the issue with my body that seems like it’s failing me, please heal my body of its ailments and help to give me peace.  Please give me the strength to walk away from those that claim to be my friends but don’t realize they are putting me down while they are thinking that they are lifting me up.  And, please give me the courage to get my health back on track and my mind back to being and thinking positively.

Dear Friends (those that I talked about in this post) whether you are family or friends, this letter is for you.  I don’t despise you.  I don’t hate or and I’m certainly not mad at you, but more so disappointment in your actions.  You can be mad that I chose this route to discuss it, but I didn’t mention any names.  I can only hope and pray that God opens your eyes to how much you have hurt me.  I’m not hopeless or someone who is without hope for the future, I’m simply in a little bit of a rut at the moment.  Instead of pushing me down and making me feel more like crap and putting me deeper in depression, how’s about you offer positive reinforcement to help.  I don’t hate you, but can only hope that you can be a more positive influence instead of constantly tearing me down.

Signed,

Signature Honey

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Motivation Monday – Am I Adding Value to Others Lives?

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Whew… another week has begun and I feel like I didn’t quite finish up the tasks from last week to warrant starting a new one.  Let’s face it, who ever completes their daunting daily tasks deserves an award, because my list is ever growing and it seems like there is less and less time in a day to accomplish it all.  Nonetheless, I digress and try to move forward to the best of my ability.

“Significance is very different from success.  Significance means that you are adding value to others lives.  Once you taste significance, you won’t care about success anymore.” – John Maxwell

As I sit here at my desk working endlessly to get all of my ducks in a row for the next few days, I find myself wondering…  “Am I adding value to the lives of those that read this blog?”  Hmmm… don’t answer that… haha!  No, but kidding aside, I really wanted to take this site back to its roots and I find myself consistently asking the same question of myself each day.  Do I bring value to the table?  The quick answer would be, yes… right?  The long answer would be… I may not bring value to all but I certainly offer some form of value to a few, which in all honesty – is better than none at all.  Right?

So, what is it that you bring to the table that adds value to those around you?  Do you look at your worth by the amount of success you accomplish or do you look at your worth by how you help those around you?  In this day and age, let’s face it – not many people make the time to help others anymore.  When they do, it’s half assed and rushed causing you to really question their motivations as to why they lent that hand in the first place.  But should it really matter how much or how little someone has helped versus the fact that they have helped at all?  Let’s think about this for a second shall we?  If someone lends a helping hand for you (say, you have fallen and need some assistance standing up), do you feel grateful when they lean over and help you up and then ask you if you need anymore assistance or if you’re okay.  How about if they simply just helped you stand without a word and went on their merry way?  Which would you prefer?  Or are you like me and think that either way – the person took the time out of their day to help you regardless of small talk and that meant a lot to begin with?  I find that sometimes no words is not necessarily a bad thing.  In this time when so many are at fault with one another and there is so much bigotry and ignorance in the World, if a person took 30 seconds out of their day to help you in silence versus 5 minutes and took the time to have a conversation, we should be thankful that either person took the time regardless.  Those few seconds mean a lot to anyone who barely has enough time in the day to accomplish their own tasks at hand – don’t you think?

Lately I think my goal in life is to be significant.  It’s not about being successful (yes, we all strive for that in some way or another), but being significant means that I’m adding much more than just success to the table.  When you take the time to offer value and add value to those around you – you truly are significant.  Like John Maxwell said “Once you taste significance, you won’t care about success anymore.”  Well John, I agree – but I think that to be significant in the world, adding value to others’ lives around you is a success too.

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday.  May today and this week be filled with a plethora of inspiration to fill your bucket full.

Signature Honey

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Get Your Shop On and Save Money With Groupon Coupons!

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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased.   

As a mom of three boys, I swear money will leave my hands in an instant.  Between clothes, toys and especially food (not to mention everything else in between), the cost of living can be a challenge and saving money as well as getting the best deal possible is very important.  While I can’t necessarily change the costs of the things we buy, I know I can save some money by using coupons.  Groupon Coupons are to the rescue!

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I love to shop – we’ll call it retail therapy.  While I have many places that I enjoy getting my shop on, most of my shopping consists of things for my husband and sons.  Let’s face it, my boys are growing so fast, that they definitely need new clothes and shoes several times a year it seems.  Since the boys are prepping for Basketball season – they will require new basketball shoes and I know that I can get a good deal with Groupon Coupons.  By checking out the site, I can learn about the latest deals and get good savings at places like Nike.

Having three boys that love sports means that each year we are investing in new shoes so that they can keep up with their game.  Using Groupon Coupons makes it a win for our team because I know that we can choose out a pair that will work for my boys sports and I can save a little extra money so I can take advantage of a little retail therapy for myself.  Besides, with Groupon Coupons database of coupons, I can find coupons in a variety of online shops and stores.  Getting a great deal at some of my favorite retails and restaurants is as easy as a click of a button.

My family and I absolutely love that there are so many coupons available at Groupon Coupons.  You can do an easy search for locations and stores in your area or find your favorites online.  It’s awesome and we love it.

If you want to learn more about Groupon Coupons and see how you can take advantage of this great find, check out their website.   Also, if you’re on the hunt for new shoes too – check out the Nike Groupon Coupons site.

To check out more information and stay up to date with Groupon Coupons:

 

Happy Shopping!

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  This post is sponsored by Groupon Coupons.  However, all opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased.

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2017 Goals

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Yay, I’m finally ALIVE!  No, seriously – I’ve been in bed and seriously nursing the flu and then a cold for the last week, ringing in the new year in bed.  I finally feel like I can get it together and get on the grind to start 2017.  Hey, I’m only 7 or 8 days late – right? lol.  Since I’m finally moving around and starting the year, I figured I would share my 2017 goals.  These goals consist of those that are personal, blogging or anything in between.  What I love about sharing them here on the blog, is that it kind of holds me accountable and that way I have no excuse but to keep on top of them.  Let’s get started shall we?

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1.)  Lose Weight.  This may seem like a given for anyone, especially those like me in my particular circumstance.  But, the fact is – I’m slowly getting my health back in order and plan to not only continue eating healthier, but also really work on improving my self image and health overall – both physically and mentally.

Sub-goals: Make sure that I a) include more vegetables in my daily meal intake.  b) try to eliminate the carbs and starches that plague me badly – i.e. reduce my rice, noodles and bread intake. c) reduce meal portion sizes while making sure I am eating through the day (my biggest issue is that I don’t have time to eat, so I must make time to eat).  And, d) continue to increase my exercise daily.

2.)  Be smart with purchases.  Only buy new products when I’m running low or when I’ve actually run out of them.  As a makeup addict, I often times find myself ooing and ahhing over the newest thing.  In 2016, I did really well with purchases and didn’t purchase everything and anything that was newly released.  This year, in 2017, I want to incorporate the same but really stick to it.  After destashing  and donating a lot of cosmetic items for 2016, I realized that I need to truly use what I already have.  Money hard earned should be money well spent and buying makeup items only to have them sit since I only have one face, well – I have better things to do with my finances.  I want to continue minimal self spending and splurging and continue to buy less – no matter what it may be… makeup, skin care, planners, pens, whatever.

3.)  Get organized.  This may seem like an easy task for someone like me who likes structure, but the fact of the matter is… I could do so much better.  My desk – while I can find whatever it is I’m looking for, is a mess.  While my time scheduling is organized and structured, my paperwork is a mess and I would love to bring more organization to my household overall.  This may seem like an easy task for one person, but I balance the organization for a whole household of 5 members and I would love to be able to really kick it in gear and get it together.

Sub-goals:  a) I would like to organize the paperwork on my desk and in my files.  Trying to reduce paper clutter and keep it at a minimum, keeping only the papers that are needed.  I would like to come up with a proper filing system so that I have an easier time with paperwork.  b)  I really need to organize our household better.  Each month we take donations and try to keep clutter at a minimum, but I think there is so much more I could do.  And, c) I need to organize my time better.  This is important since I work from  home.  I need to be able to organize my work and home schedule to try and make sure I have enough time in the day to accomplish all the things I need to do.

4.)  Wear my hair down more.  This may seem like something that is already being done in my life… but the fact of the matter is, I still consistently wear my hair up in a bun or pulled back.  I need to embrace my natural curls and my hair and really need to find the time and effort to get it under control so that I can wash and wear it easily – without constantly pulling it up.  Since I wear my hair up so often, I am quite accustomed to not having anything in my face and that in it’s own is a difficult thing to get used to.  My goal is to commit to wearing my hair down at least 2x a week so I can get used to it without sacrificing the “on-the-go” lifestyle I live.

5.)  Wear more dresses or dress up more.  Come on now, I have really never been a dress wearing girl.  I’m a tomboy and will wear a pair of jeans or shorts with a t-shirt as much as possible if allowed.  I would like to dress up a little more or wear more dresses so that I’m not so casual.  There’s nothing wrong with dressing casually – it’s just that I do it so much, I forget what it is like to dress up sometimes.  By putting on a dress or just adding a little more flair to my outfits, I think it would make a world of a difference.

6.)  Eliminate the negativity and keep positive, striving for joy.  This particular goal may seem like an easy one, but trust me when I say it has been anything but easy the last few years.  I would like to do everything in my power to eliminate the negativity and strive for joy.  By keeping the negative nancys out of my personal bubble and keeping positive aspirations, goals and overall happiness in my life – I think I can accomplish this goal.  Spreading joy and happiness where I go while not feeding into others negative thoughts will make a huge difference in my life.

7.)  Back to Lifestyle posts.  Honeygirl’s World is technically a lifestyle blog and boy do I miss it.  I feel like I’ve focused so much on product reviews or beauty and skin care over the last year, that I have lost sight of where my passion lies.  I love sharing new products or reviews with all of you – but I also want to really incorporate more of my life on the blog.  That is how I started blogging to begin with – to document my life’s story.  So, my goal this year is to incorporate at least one lifestyle post a week.  Whether it be to share my weight loss and health journey each week, post Sunday letters or just sum up life with my family each week – it’s my goal to go back to it and keep at it.  Honeygirl’s World is my life, my world and I need to get back to my roots and remember where I started and how I got here.

Of course, a new year comes with new goals and I’m sure I’ll have a plethora more to add to this list as the year progresses. While many of these goals may seem a bit simplistic – it may not be that case for many because it’s all a matter of changing the way one thinks and how they proceed to do things.  Since Honeygirl’s World is a lifestyle site, I plan to come back in the coming months and share how I’m accomplishing these goals and if I have had an positive change.

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I wish all of you reading this a wonderful New Year.  Whether you are making goals for yourself to accomplish or just plan on living life to its fullest, or both – may your year be filled with joy and happiness.

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  This post may feature affiliate links or referral links.  For more details and outline of my product review disclosures and policies, affiliate links, etc. please visit myDisclosures page. 

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Fall’s Newest Accessory – Contigo

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Fall is here!  Hawaii doesn’t get much change in weather – well, it’s colder, but not by much… but it’s still my favorite season… woohoo!  With Fall and colder weather come a change in clothing and accessories and today I’m going to be sharing with you an unconventional one.  Who says a water bottle can’t be the newest fall accessory trend?  I think it’s a great idea.  So, today I’m going to share with you some Fall goods that I think would be a great accessory and make fun and festive holiday gifts too.  While we are all changing out our closets and prepping for the newest beauty and fashion trends, I want you to complete your outfit with the latest and greatest accessory from Contigo.

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Purses, shoes and jewelry are all fabulous things any time of year – but especially during Fall when dressing up is fun for colder weather.  But, Contigo has added a new addition to their line of hydration products and I want to share it with you because I think it’s important to stay hydrated during colder months.  The Purity Petal Glass Water Bottle is a glass bottle that is plastic free and adorned with a flower petal silicone sleeve in bright, vibrant colors.

Retailing for $14.99 this reusable glass water bottle offers style with your hydration.  The BPA-free Purity Glass Water Bottle has a stylish silicone sleeve which really makes this glass bottle so chic and perfect for on the go.  It comes with an attached silicone lid to make this convenient along with a carry loop to ensure that Purity will be ready for you and on your side for on the go.  I love the wide mouth which also makes it easy to add ice to keep your water cold when you’re ready to hydrate.

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The Purity Petal Glass Water Bottle by Contigo features:

  • Made completely of glass, steel and food grade silicone; no plastic parts
  • Contoured wide-mouth design
  • Attached silicone tethered lid
  • Comfortable, stylish non-slip silicone sleeve to help with durability
  • 100% BPA-free
  • Top-rack dishwasher safe
  • 20 oz. capacity
  • SRP $14.99
  • Available in: Very Berry, Scuba, and Grapevine

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If you are someone who loves to drink tea or coffee (that’s me), then the Contigo AUTOSEAL Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug may be one for you too.  Available in Stainless, Polar White and Matte Black – the AUTOSEAL knows when to close.  It is the ultimate commuter companion and so sleek and chic that it will go with any outfit.  It’s basically the Holy Grail of travel mugs and I love it.  It’s Spill Proof, easy to clean and stays hot for hours on end.  It was thoughtfully engineered with a CleanGuard lid to keep out dirt and germs and is perfect for transit and for a ride.

The AUTOSEAL Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug retails for $24.99.

So, are you on the lookout for a fun Holiday Gift Idea or just want to add to your list of fashion and stylish accessories this Fall?  If so – I highly suggest checking out these finds from Contigo.  My plan is to pick up a purple one to have on hand of the Purity Bottles because I just love how simple but stylish they are.

You can check out all the info and more on Contigo and their complete line of products here: http://www.gocontigo.com/  And, if you have a coffee or tea drinker or water lover on your holiday gift list, I definitely suggest you get them one of these – it will be a great gift.

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  The products featured in this post were sent for review consideration.  All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased.  Affiliate links are posted through out.

 

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