Today we give thanks!

I always look forward to this time of year because I enjoy spending time with my family.  Family is everything to me and I'm blessed to be a part of a wonderfully, large, and loving one.

(For some reason, we could not get all the men together at the same time to take a pic.  Sorry.)

It has become a tradition for us to gather in Charlotte, NC at my cousin's house to partake in food and fellowship and to focus on things we are thankful for. Family comes from near and far and we're always excited to see each other. 

 Our lovely host, Beverly,

 slaves away in the kitchen for hours the night before prepping and preparing her contribution to today's feast.

 Everyone brings one of their signature dishes or something delectable from the store if time wasn't on their side to prepare anything.  Time was not on my side this year, so I brought a red velvet cake, some croissants, and a selection of wine.

Yes, we already started drinking the Mirassou; we couldn't resist!

 My aunt sliced the cake before I could take a pic of it.  :)

My cousin Ramona mulled her own red wine and it was delicious! 

The selection of food included turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, Asian rice, stuffing, veggies of all sorts, and an arrangement of desserts that would make anyone smile.

Looks yummy, right?!?!

And this is only half of the desserts!

My plate

After everyone has stuffed their bellies, we just enjoyed each other's company with fun and laughter.  The men go watch football, of course.  Just my luck, I'm a little under the weather this year and I'm losing my voice, but this doesn't stop me from enjoying the fun.  I'm so thankful to have the family that I have and wish the holidays would never end!

I would love to hear how you spent your Thanksgiving. What are your Thanksgiving traditions and how did you spend yours?

Bloggy Boot Camp Atlanta

I have been in a Post-Bloggy Bootcamp coma.  So much so, I began this post a week after the conference, went into complete shock,  and never recovered until now. There was so much to take in, in such  little time. Now don't get me wrong, I loved every single minute of it.

Getting back to work and back to blogging has proven to be a challenge.  This has been a busy time of year for me as a middle school counselor, but yet I feel the need to continue with my blogging.

I had the basic stuff that I needed for a boot camp which included a journal to jot down notes (Yes, I still prefer the regular paper/pencil style of note taking). I also had water and coffee, my tablet, smartphone and charger, chapstick, gum and bag to hold all my goodies.

  Sitting in a room with so many wonderfully, talented people and listening to the SITS girls explained to us all the various ways to earn money from our blog, was very... well...OVERWHELMING!!! I started feeling like I was in the wrong place. I did not feel like I belonged  anywhere in that room until we were asked, " Let me get a show of hands of those of you who have been blogging for a year or less" and "How many people are actually earning money from your blog?"  After that I felt more relieved. There were others in the room just like me.  At least a third were newbies and about half raised their hand to earning money.  The more people that spoke, the more inspired I became, but again it was a lot of information to take in. 

The conference ended with a fabulous cocktail party sponsored by Mirassou Winery and I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. David Mirassou himself!!

  I was introduced to their delectable wine when I received a bottle for my birthday.  I began trying all of their flavors  and enjoyed every distinguishing taste. 

 Funny thing is, I learned about the SITS girls through my  research of Mirassou wine.  I would see postings on Google or through various blog links.  When I would look up ideas for Mirassou, many times I would see a connection with the SITS girls or bloggy bootcamp.  This peaked my curiosity and led me to attending this conference!

The five most important things that I took away from Bloggy Boot Camp are listed below and I hope this helps you if you ever attend an event.  

1)  Having the right essentials.  Instantly, I realized the most important tool needed at the conference... Business cards!!! Unfortunately I did not have any, but I will not leave home without them next time.  A great networking tool that I failed to complete. Every time someone pulled out their business card or placed them on the table, I realized all of my missed opportunities. 

2)  The importance of watermarking your pictures. This gives you ownership of your photos.

3) Using social media to link up with various people and to increase your tribe members.  I kept seeing the link ups on Facebook and I did a few here and there, but not as often as I should have. Linking up is how you build your blog, how you grow your fan base, and how you increase your views.

4)  The importance of Twitter.  Using social media is nothing new to me.  I am constantly perusing the posts of Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram and enjoy doing it.   However, Twitter is another story.  I have had a Twitter account for 5 years now, but for some reason...I'm just not that into it.  We seem to have some kind of love/hate relationship that I can't seem to shake, but I'm trying.

5)  Lastly, there was something that I already knew but just needed reassurance on, simply be yourself. Bring yourself into your writing. If you are true to yourself it will show and people will love you for who you are and if they don't... you can't please them all!  

Bloggy Boot Camp Atlanta has supplied me with the tools I need to become a better blogger.  They genuinely help others lend their voice to the world.  The conference was fun and I left with a wealth of knowledge to use to enhance my blog. I had a great time connecting with other bloggers and I'm so looking forward to next year's event!

Have you attended a SITS girls event?  What interesting things did you learn?  

The Charleston Mac-Off

I'd been waiting for this day since this time last year.  Its the 5th annual Charleston Mac off! It's that time of year when everybody can socialize and get their mac on! If you are a macaroni and cheese lover, than this is the event for you! All different types of macaroni and cheese selections to choose from. A small entry fee and tickets for food and drinks and you are ready to get mac and cheese wasted!           

                 I don't know why, but I love this pic!

         Here are some pics from this year's event. 

 What began like this...Slowly...  (well not too slowly)           

Grew into this...

 With close to 5000 people in attendance, CisternYard Media hails it is the largest mac and cheese competition in America.  Each creamy, cheesy, yummy selection was worth every delicious bite! Some of my favorites are pictured here.

Now,  this isn't your mama's regular macaroni and cheese. Selections like smoked ham with collard greens, topped off with encrusted pork rinds (my favorite 2 years ago by Graze); buffalo chicken or kimchi, lobster or breaded, or loads and loads of different types of cheeses!  Did I just make your mouth water? 

 With all that cheesy goodness, you have to have something good to wash it all down.  Our friends from the local Firefly distillery were on hand to whip up any combination of drinks you'd like.  If you haven't tried their vodka, you're missing out on a treat.  I was enjoying my drink so much, I totally forgot to take a picture of it.  ;)

Of course, there were other venders available that served their brand of vodka, wine and also non-alcoholic selections.  You definitely would not be disappointed!  

In case you forgot, this is a competition and this year's winners were:  

• Best Mac & Cheese, People’s Choice: Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House
• Best Mac & Cheese, Critic’s Choice: Crave Kitchen and Cocktails
• Best Mac & Cheese, Local Ingredient: Burton’s Grill
• Best Mac & Cheese, Home Grown Cooks Competition: Charles Miller

           Congratulations to everyone who participated and to the winners!  Until next year...

Bring on the Weekend!

Is it Friday yet?  Thank goodness!  I don't know what I would do if it wasn't.  This week has been extremely busy and I am totally exhausted! 

I began the week, returning from a very rewarding Bloggy Boot Camp conference. The SITS girls hosted in Atlanta which afforded me an opportunity to visit with family.  I have several, first-cousins that live in  Atlanta and the surrounding area and now a new member has joined the family. 

Welcome Baby Ari...

This little princess is so loved and I'm sure you can see why!  It is such a blessing to be able to  spend time with family, but all good things must come to an end. Bummer!  Now its time to hit the road and begin the long journey home (I really should have taken Monday off).   The 5 hour drive wasn't too bad because my cousin got me fueled up on a couple of cups of piping hot Joe! Tasty and toasty for this cool Autumn day.  It definitely kept me alert.  

Driving can definitely take a toll on you and  mix that with the fun and excitement of a women's conference, it can be very taxing on one's body. A good night's rest was definitely due, but morning came quicker than I expected.  I returned to work on Monday, approached with all the happenings of Friday past.  Some of my students just didn't know how to behave while I was out of the building.  Of course their actions are confidential, but you should know I was one unhappy mama.  

Assessment Day is upon us and there was a lot to do to prepare.  Each grade level will be participating in some sort of college and career readiness assessment.  Some of our students would be taking the PSAT, while others would be taking a practice assessment to prepare them for the SAT in January.  It's bullying prevention month so I am also preparing a few classroom lessons. My focus is on Cyberbullying and Internet Safety.  I love this lesson and I know my students gain valuable information from it.  Since I was out of the building last Friday, I also have students that are waiting to see me.  A counselor's job is never a slow one.  :)


This is a lot to cram into one week, right?  Well add an evening of fun with  friends and it can be more overwhelming than you think.  A new restaurant 
had a "soft" opening in the middle of the week and how could I resist free food.  I mean, really?!?!   Well, hanging out in the middle of a busy week only added to my exhaustion.  Now I am paying the price and will definitely need the weekend to recuperate.    Hopefully I will find time to write about my conference experience so be sure to check back soon.  How was your week?

I'm Attending My First Bloggers Conference!!!

OMG!!! How can I say this?!?! I'm so excited to announce that I will be attending my first bloggers conference this weekend!!! Bloggy Bootcamp is being sponsored by the SITS girls and it's being held this weekend in Atlanta, GA. Who are the SITS girls? They are a group of AWESOME women who have dedicated their time to help guide us into the world of the infinite wonder. The world of many, many inspirations. The world of the unexpected. They are our voice for blogging. If you need to know anything about blogging, this is the group to follow.

 At the conference, I hope to gain knowledge on how to increase traffic to my site. I also hope to gain the confidence I need as a writer. I am a newbie and so nervous that I am doing this all wrong. I don't have a particular focus, just the random interactions of my day. Is that a bad thing? This is what I hope to learn. 

 I so looking forward to networking. I know this may sound so cliche, but I look forward to meeting new people. I love learning what makes others tick. What makes them who they are. I am excited for the interactions that I will experience this weekend.

 I'm looking forward to the parties. Yes, there will be social parties for us to attend. A kind of meet and greet on Friday and an after-conference social on Saturday evening. I am a social butterfly and I'm ready to spread my wings.  So if you are attending, I can't wait to meet you!  See you on Friday!!

World Smile Day

I'm naturally a happy person.  I guess I was just born that way.  I tend to look for the good in everyone and everything that crosses my path.  I enjoy the simple things in life, like the smell of rain, the sounds of birds chirping,  and children laughing. The first Friday of October has been hailed as World Smile Day.  It was founded in 1999 by Mr. Harvey Bell, the gentleman who created the famous yellow smiley face .

 World Smile Day is a day to pay it forward so to speak.  A day to perform an act of kindness and put a smile on someone's face.   So it got me thinking, what can I do to brighten someone's day?  Buy a co-worker a cup of coffee, leave someone a note of thanks, take a sick friend a bowl of soup.  The list could be endless.  So what makes me happy?  I've compiled a list of 10 things that truly bring a smile to my face.  

Me, myself, and I....I crack myself up!  I love my smile.   I think my laugh is weird, but others seem to like it.  I'm thinking it's definitely unique because people will say, "I'd know that laugh anywhere" if they hear me before they see me.

My twin boys...                                                

They have made me smile every since the day I met them. 

 March 9, will always be special to me.  It was the day I became a mom.  Not one, but two beautiful babies, unique in their own way.  They continue to bring joy to my life.

The students I work with.  I'm a middle school counselor and kids can sometimes say the darndest things. 

I love chocolate.   I repeat...I LOVE CHOCOLATE!   Its one of my two addictions.  My other comes up later.

Reality TV...yes I love reality TV, but not the wild, outrageous stuff like The Housewives series.  I'm more of the "real" reality show watcher.  Shows like Survivor, The Voice, The Bachelor/ Bachelorette, Shark Tank,  America's Next Top Model, The Amazing Race, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition....oh how I miss that show, Extreme Makeover Weight Lost, and The Biggest Loser...Ummhh, Ummhh, Ummhh  love watching me some Dolvett! !!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Ellen Degeneres...

Enough Said!         

Helping Others

Doing things for others and knowing that I've made a difference in their lives in some way.  I'll never be rich because I love helping people  If I ever became rich, I'd be able to help more. 

Coffee... even just the smell of it. 

Wine (my other obsession) it's just makes everything better; a bad day, a happy day, time with friends, whatever.  Its the perfect ending to any day! Mirrassou is my favorite!

My family and friends

I am truly blessed to have a wonderful, fun-loving family who supports each other and just simply love each other.  We get together for various occasions.  Two special times are Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.  For many years now, we have been gathering for Thanksgiving dinner and  Christmas Eve.  You will find about 25-30 of us feasting and in  fellowship.  About 15 of us are a regular staple and the other family members are those that live afar who interchangeably come when they are able to.  My friends are like family and truly that's how I see them.  I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and wouldn't change them for anything in the world. 

What makes you smile? Share a list of 10 things that make you happy.  :)