August Via Instagram

Is it September already?  I can't believe how fast August flew by.  August was a good month for me and I thought it would be great to share!

I was hoping August would bring me joy, and she didn't disappoint!  I wasn't sure what to expect, so I simply asked that she surprise me.

It's the first day of August! This is a busy month for me. The start of school and also a month of #celebration! It's my #birthmonth and I couldn't be more excited! So we'll have to see how true #August is to me. Hello August! Surprise me! Smooches!! 😘😘 #birthday #blogiversary #Leo #leoseason #surprise #surprises #surpriseme #celebrations #helloaugust #firstdayofaugust #endofsummer #backtoschool #surprisesinstore #newbeginnings #freshstart

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Jul 31, 2016 at 9:14pm PDT

This summer I had an opportunity to try out some Mayfield Ice Cream and what a treat it was.  Influenster sent me 2 coupons to use towards 2 FREE cartons!  My boys and I enjoyed the treat! Are you an Influenster?  If not, you are missing out!  Want to join and get free stuff?  Join here :)

In the summertime when the weather is HOT, grab some #Mayfield ice cream it will hit the spot! Are you enjoying your #MayfieldSummer? Are you an ice-cream lover like me? Well I want to invite you to the Instagram party of the summer! Go to the following link to join in on the fun!!! bit.ly/2ajEMGS. The party is in full effect until midnight and admission is free! Sponsored by @Mayfielddairy and @Influenster. #contest @onlysavon #icecream #summerfun #beattheheat #bloggersconnect #BloggersGetSocial

A video posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 2, 2016 at 3:02pm PDT

How many of you have a YouTube page and still haven't created your own videos? I was guilty of this until recently.  I decided to record a wine box unveiling and I'm pretty proud of myself.  What do you think? Click this link to view video.

Sharing my first video with you today on my YouTube channel. Go check it out! Enter this link, http://bit.ly/2aOdOwp ... and tell me what you think! It's unedited and raw just like this picture. #HappyAugust #video #firstvideo #checkitout #unedited #unfiltered #untouched #beginner #novice #bloggersconnect #bloggersgetsocial #YouTube

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 2, 2016 at 5:03pm PDT

Interested in some free wine?   Join me and you can have fine wine delivered to your doorstep in days!

Happy Birthday to Me!  Happy Birthday to Me! :) :) :)

I am 45 years old! Man, that's a mouthful. Thanking God for allowing me to be here to celebrate another year of life. Thank you all my friends and family for your love and support. ITS MY BIRTHDAY!! 😄😄😄🎈🎈🎈🎂🍨🎉 #happybirthdaytome #HappyBirthday #itsmybirthday #cheers #anotheryearoflife #letscelebrate #imexcited #Augustbaby #Leoseason #Leo #bloggersconnect #BloggersGetSocial #birthdaygirl

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 10, 2016 at 4:37am PDT

Mickey Mouse and some ice cream sprinkles helped to make my evening, after a long, HOT day at work, more enjoyable!  Who doesn't love receiving #happymail!  I can't think of anything better than a friend spreading some love and kindness!

Good friends sprinkling #kindness! After a long, tiring, HOT school day it was so nice to come home and find some #snailmail in my box! What could be better than ice cream and #Mickey? This really brightened my day! Everyday is a good day for #happymail! #cards #thankyounotes #goodfriends

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 16, 2016 at 4:08pm PDT

Well of course summer couldn't end without a few thunderstorms.  I snapped this picture right as the storm clouds were rolling in to show the split in the sky.  For a slight second, it was clear and sunny in my neighbors' front yard while it was pouring in their back.

I wanted to show the split in the sky. Storm clouds rolling in pushing away our sunny #sky. It looks bad out there you guys. #clouds #cloudy #cloudysky #stormclouds #badweather #stormyweather #beforetherain #beforethestorm #bloggersconnect

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 18, 2016 at 3:43pm PDT

Some back to school #goodies I scored at Marshall's. I love the unique items they sell.
I know my student's will be happy to use these!

Look at all the #goodies I scored in my #backtoschool haul from Marshalls! A doodle pad, game pad, coloring markers, and this cute #elephant designed storage container. The kids are going to love these at school. A great way to keep the calm while counseling. Yay me! #doodlepad #onthegogames #coloring #doodling #markers #schoolcounselor #backtoschoolsupplies #counselingtools #schoolcounselorsofinstagram

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 21, 2016 at 5:04pm PDT

Sometimes you just need a little wine to take the edge off.

 Wine down Wednesday is always a good time.

Alchymist Noir! Want a glass? Smooth and delicious! #winedownwednesday #winowednesday #wine #vino #redwine #redwineblend #Winc #alchymistnoir #drinkwinc #winelover #winesofinstagram #winenot

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 24, 2016 at 5:13pm PDT

I ended the month by celebrating my 2nd Blogiversary!  What an amazing 
24 months it has been. My last post speaks all about it.  Cheers to 2 Years!!! :)

Singing, "Its My #Blogiversary" in my Tony Toni Tone' voice! Two years went by fast. New #ontheblog #itsmyblogiversary #2ndblogiversary #twoyears #bloggersconnect #BloggersGetSocial

A photo posted by sunshineandelephants (@sunshine.and.elephants) on Aug 26, 2016 at 9:24pm PDT

How did you spend your last month of summer?  Was August good to you, as well? 

See where I am Linking Up with others.

Cheers To 2 Years

It’s hard to believe that I have been blogging for 2 years.  I can still remember pushing the orange button to publish my first blog post ever. I still consider myself an amateur blogger, but with 2 years under my belt, I don't think I can continue to say that.  Why do I consider myself amateur, because I still have a lot to learn.  I do not have the time I would like to commit to blogging since it is a side hobby and not a source of income.

I'm in a weird season right now, when it comes to blogging.  If you look back over the last few months, you will notice that I haven't posted as much as I normally do.  Sometimes you have to sit back and relax when life starts to take you in a different direction.  This summer, I decided to rest, reflect, and not feel pressured to set timelines and due dates.  This summer, I allowed myself to focus more on everything around me and not center myself around my blog.  And, you know what?  It feels perfectly okay!

I used to worry about page views and comments.  Whether my post would reach new readers and whether it would inspire others.  I used to worry about linking up daily to get myself out there and reading endless blog posts by other bloggers.  This used to consume so much of my time and energy that other aspects of my life were starting to feel neglected.  I can remember staying up late to edit pictures (which is not as easy as you may think).  Staying up late to get just the right post.  Staying up late when I needed to be getting rest because my real job was waiting for me the next day.  The real job that pays the bills and takes care of my family.  Something had to give.

 I am not giving up on blogging, I'm just not putting all of my energy into it.  I was running myself ragged.  At the time, I didn't realize it because it was fun, new and exciting and when you're excited about something, you get this burst of energy that tells you to just keep going!  So, that's what I did.  Now, I'm going to relax a little and blog when I feel like it and not as an obligation. 

This summer helped me to reflect and remember why I initially started blogging and I held true to that reason, to a certain extent.  It has helped me to get all the crazy thoughts, running through my head, out in a more organized fashion.  It has helped me to share all the stories about my crazy, quirky life. It has helped me to be me in a way that is extremely public, yet still private in some aspects.  It has helped me to make new friends that I will always cherish and to grow as a writer, which is something I have always longed to do. 

 So as I celebrate two years, I want to say thanks to all of you because if it were not for you, no one would even know my little space in the blogosphere even exists.  Thank you for taking the time to read, comment, offer advice, and share.  Thank you for your loyalty and support.  Thank you for sharing this journey with me.  One of the perks that comes along with blogging is meeting people with similar values and interest.  Sharing my stories wouldn't be nearly as fulfilling without all of you sharing these adventures with me.  I can't wait to see what year three has in store!  Cheers!