Welcome To This, That and a Chat
An Introduction to This, That and a Chat
In my crazy life, I live with my three children, 20, 15, and 9 (though come November it will be 21, 16, and 10). Yes, they are all November birthdays. No, it was not planned. I also share the house with my mom, my aunt and her son (my cousin). I am a single mom though the two youngest still see their dad most weekends depending on his work schedule. The story of how I ended up here is long and complicated and frankly, enough in the past that I mostly just try to keep focused on the present and what the future will bring.
I have many stories that will find their way into my writing as time goes on. I want to leave a little mystery for you as I bring up plot points that tie into what I am writing about in the moment. I believe in being real with my readers but I also will protect the privacy of other individuals involved especially when it involves my children. I am not sure how that will look as I want to be open with you about my story so I will learn as I go along.
At the end of 2013, I stopped working when the program I worked for shut down. I was going to start my own business and didn’t do well. Then when I went looking for jobs in child care, my field for over twenty years, I was met with a lot of “over-qualified” comments from potential employers. I went through some major battles with depression, anxiety, and PTSD (from a relationship) in 2015 and 2016. That really held me back.
Keep Going
The whole time, I kept trying to work on my blog, The Creating Room as well as start a card business using my photographs. Creative outlets were my saving grace. They kept me grounded when I felt so discombobulated from the world. As long as I had a creative project to work on, I could be ok. I have an Etsy shop too, also called The Creating Room.
My falling apart in 2015 was devastating, and I have been slowly rebuilding myself the last few years. It’s not always easy, especially in a house with seven people, and I almost never have any space to myself. Especially right now as I am trying to homeschool (through an accredited charter school) my nine year old son, G.
However, we (all of us in the house) make do the best we can. We have our moments of course, as differing personalities and personal frustrations often do, but we manage to get through it. Someone is always borrowing something from someone else and sharing this and that.
My mom and aunt are also creative souls so there is a lot of art playing and craft supply exchanges. We often exchange creative art ideas and I have featured some inspired features on my other blog. My cousin is awesome in picking my daughter up from work when she works late since I am usually wiped out and he is a night owl. No, she doesn’t drive yet. We don’t have our own car, so I use my mom’s van and my daughter is afraid to drive it. I think because it belongs to grandma.
The Crazy World I Live In
You see, it is a crazy world here. And that is what I am here to talk about when I write- all the crazy bits and pieces that help create my world and how I am working to make things better for us. One way is this blog, This, That and a Chat.
The Creating Room is a place for my creative spirit to play and be free. This blog being about lifestyle meets family and creative fun and allows for more opportunities for financial growth, though that is a secondary reason for writing. Mostly I want to talk and chat about life, family, fashion and the other goodies that are a part of this existence that we share.
I would love to have conversations on easy and quick make-up routines, as well as learning to cope with an ADHD fourth grader and twenty year old. I want to talk to you about living with a lot of people, getting along, my fashion finds (especially Goodwill hauls which I love), to my Vertical Sleeve surgery that I had six months ago (just an FYI, I have already lost about 75lbs and feel fantastic). That’s why Goodwill pays off.
I have shared some of my VSG surgery story here. It is a decision that I wished I made sooner and I would never change. I feel like a new person both physically and mentally. It has been very helpful for my self-esteem and mental health.
Come Along on the Journey
Join me, and let’s talk about trying to find good, legitimate ways of making money working from home, and DIY projects. I love making things. Let’s chat about mindset work, affirmations, and what inspires us. Goal-planning, mental health, bucket lists, and dream travel. Let’s talk about eclectic fashion finds and what makes us comfortable, make-up or no make-up, and everything in between. This, That and a Chat is a conversation between me and you. And pretty much any topic is up for grabs.
