Friday Four: Welcoming a Baby While Starting a Business: How to Do It

By, Leslie Campos of Wellparents.com

Being a business owner means working through various challenges and issues. But operating a startup when welcoming a baby into the world comes with a unique set of difficulties. In fact, most entrepreneurs who experienced this say that having a baby and starting a business simultaneously is daunting — but entirely doable.

Founders who launched a business while welcoming a baby are usually committed to creating company cultures where everyone can enjoy family-friendly benefits like paid leave and flex time. Although it’s definitely not an easy feat, both can be done. Read on to find not just four but five tips from QC Supermom on how to balance these two unique experiences.

1.Register Your Business

If you have yet to do so, it’s critical to determine the type of business you’ll be running, whether it’s a sole proprietorship or a partnership, but many small business owners opt to form a limited liability company (LLC). As an LLC, not only are your personal assets protected, but there are tax advantages, and less paperwork is required. By visiting a formation service’s web page, you’ll save a lot by not having to pay an expensive attorney to complete the process. You’ll also learn all you need to know about starting a new business.

2.Create a Schedule

Although some days are less productive than you would like, it’s essential to take advantage of your peak energy hours. Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, you should learn to carry out the most critical tasks during the period you’re most active. Creating a schedule can also help tremendously, especially since both the baby and the business are relatively new things you need to get used to. Establish work hours, time to spend with your partner, and alone time. By setting up a schedule, you’ll be able to balance the needs of your newborn and also take care of your venture.

3. Keep Perspective

​An unexpected benefit of welcoming a new baby while starting a business is how easy you’ll find it to let things go. Starting a family or adding to it gives you a fresh and incredible perspective on what really matters. You won’t stress about having every answer, closing every lead, or the day-to-day setbacks that come from being your own boss and a new parent. Stay focused on the bigger picture, and don’t beat yourself up over small mistakes or things you believe you have to do. Simply stay attentive to your needs and your baby’s while doing your best for your business.

4.Be Flexible

​You don’t know how it is to have a baby at home until you have it. A schedule will help you break your days into doable steps, but you also need to be quite flexible throughout the day. The exhaustion and chaos that comes with welcoming a new baby into the family should be put out by naps and alone time that allow you to recharge, maintain your mental and physical health, and relax.

Besides taking a nap when you’re feeling tired, wearing comfortable clothes can also help you feel more relaxed in your new double role as a mom and business owner. A pair of leggings, cozy maternity tees, and oversized sweaters can help you feel comfortable yet presentable enough to work on your business from home.

BONUS: Say Yes to Help

Friends and family members will probably want to support you after the baby arrives. Don’t refuse their help, especially since you also have a business to run. Relying on friends and family for postpartum support gives you a chance to breathe more easily and also shows you that you are loved and cared for.

If your family lives far away or cannot help you with your baby, consider hiring an experienced babysitter. You can also use various smart technologies you set up in the baby’s room to keep an eye on them while you work in your home office. It’s essential to learn to outsource both in everyday life and in business.

The Bottom Line

Times have changed. The more moms dare to start and run a business, the more people realize that they don’t have to choose between having a baby and launching a startup. Thanks to numerous resources online like the tips above, you can even learn how to balance the two daily.

The QC Supermom blog is your source for combined mom-and-entrepreneur wisdom. Follow Us today for more informational topics!

Scholarship Saturday – June 22, 2019

Looking for money to pay for college? If so subscribe now and don’t miss any of our Monday blog post for the next 8 months. I will be sharing top college scholarship resources in our Monday post. Enjoy!

Friday Four: Black Maternal Health Week

Black women are up to four times more likely to die than white women from pregnancy-related causes, including stillbirths, premature births, lower infant birth-weight, and miscarriages. And that’s why I’m celebrating with many other organizations, legislators, moms, and dads for the second Black Maternal Health Week! Our goal is to improve african american mothers’ reproductive justice, and birth justice frameworks. As a holistic doula, and mom of nine, I couldn’t be any more grateful for these efforts!

Doing a quick search online, I’ve seen a lot of federal and local support. I was pleasantly surprised to see our very own congresswoman Alma Adams putting in ground breaking work.
BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH ADVOCATES RESPOND TO RESOLUTION INTRODUCED TODAY BY CONGRESSWOMAN ALMA ADAMS OFFICIALLY DECLARING APRIL 11-17 AS “BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK”

On April 9, freshman Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (right) joined Rep. Alma Adams and co-launched the first first-ever Black Maternal Health Caucus

“It’s unconscionable that in United States, one of the world’s wealthiest countries, we are seeing the rates of illness and death during pregnancy continue to skyrocket. For Black women, the statistics surrounding maternal mortality and morbidity are especially alarming,” said Black Mamas Matter Alliance Co-Directors Elizabeth Dawes Gay and Angela Doyinsola Aina. “Two days after BMMA joined Reps. Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood in launching the first Black Maternal Health Caucus to address this urgent crisis, we’re excited to see Senator Harris and Rep. Adams introduce a resolution officially recognizing April 11-17 as “Black Maternal Health Week” — a nationwide effort to amplify the voices, leadership and scholarship of Black women working to improve maternal health, rights and justice for Black mamas. Now it’s time for other lawmakers to follow suit by enacting policies and legislation at the state and federal levels that empower and support Black women before, during and after pregnancy.” – Black Mammas Matter Alliance

Although there is a lot of work to be done, we have gained strives by highlighting the birth stories from stars like Serena Williams and Beyoncé — Williams, 37, underwent an emergency c-section and endured a a pulmonary embolism and Beyoncé, 37, suffered from preeclampsia and also had an emergency c-section. Truth is, there are more blacks moms out here suffering than these two, and it’s great to see so many public figures, organizations and legislatures getting on board.

The health and well being of women before, during, & after pregnancy demands our undivided attention now. Proud to be a Founding Member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus as we celebrate – Rep A. Pressley

Ayanna Soyini Pressley is an American politician who is the member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts’s 7th congressional distric

I believe everybody should be able to get equitable health care. – Kelle Pressley

So as you can see, awareness is growing. For those who do not have a reliable, knowledgeable community, or family support, we doulas provide this information and support for you. Here in Charlotte, I will continue doing my part. It takes a village. I hope you will contribute to your village by sharing this information with someone who needs it.

Here’s what I found online. Sunday April 14th Death By Delivery -Brought to you by
by Rock Hill Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Wednesday the 17th Birthing POC’s Webinar Brought to you by yours truly, Jabela the doula.
I will be sharing very candid snippets of my nine births, why I wanted to be a doula and work in community activism. I will also have other providers of color throughout the day covering everything from why we are needed, how we work in your birthing team, to exercises for pregnant moms. Write down a few of your own questions and join in! My practice is privately funded but I often discount or donate many hours to low income moms both online and locally. (Well, until I get my medical provider number from Medicaid) Right now many of my white clients sustain my birthing business. They confidently buy most of my lactation teas, salves, etc and hire any referrals offered to them. They are usually quicker follow my diet plans to the letter. My mothers of color come to me with built in fear and uncertainty. Affordability, necessity and relativity are their biggest reservations at first. Once we are past those hurdles, I see how much they appreciate my presence as a provider that looks like them. Much of what they feel I can understand to a certain degree, because I speak their language, and understand things that another provider might not. I’m their voice, a powerful link to local resources and favorite sister. Getting past everyday stress, connecting her to essential resources and access to proper care is detrimental. My moms enjoy soothing back massages, answering “odd” questions, troubleshooting pregnancy woes, birth plan creation, belly casting, hip pushing between contractions, help with new baby latch on, make a fresh post delivery recovery smoothie right after birth,cooking a delicious hot meal once home, officiate her welcome to the world celebration, come back by your home for a few hours for her to get uninterrupted rest, all of which, means so much more to my moms of color.

No doubt, it’s hard to change practices that have been done a certain way for many years. But it can be done. Join in, get out of your silo and encourage birth workers of color and our work, inclusively doulas and midwives. Support the efforts of organizations like Momsrising.org and Black Mammas Alliance, because BLACK MOMS NEED DOULAS.

The Black maternal health crisis deserves more media attention. If you have maternity pictures you would like to share, please drop them on my facebook or Instagram page. Find me @qcsupermom EVERYWHERE!
I’m changing birth one birth at a time. Join me!

Here’s Four Additional Things I Offer In My Holistic Doula Service: 1. Officiate Welcome To The World Ceremony.

2.Live Workouts with Online Mommies

3. Fresh,Organic post Delivery Smoothies

4. Free Childwatch during Labor & Delivery until discharge.

Friday Four-Homeschooling In N.C.; Startup 101

87,978 students are homeschooled in North Carolina! Yes, my friends. homeschooling in is on the rise. We don’t stop at the basic curriculum because the world is our classroom!

GENERAL FACTS, STATISTICS, AND TRENDS

• There are over 2.3 million homeschool students in the United States.  That is, there were an estimated 2.3 million in spring 2016, and this was up from one estimate of about 2 million home-educated children (in grades K to 12) during the spring of 2010 in the United States (Ray, 2011). It appears the homeschool population is continuing to grow (at an estimated 2% to 8% per annum over the past few years).
• Homeschooling – that is, parent-led home-based education; home education – is an age-old traditional educational practice that a decade ago appeared to be cutting-edge and “alternative” but is now bordering on “mainstream” in the United States. It may be the fastest-growing form of education in the United States. Home-based education has also been growing around the world in many other nations (e.g., Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Russia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom).
• A demographically wide variety of people homeschool – these are atheists, Christians, and Mormons; conservatives, libertarians, and liberals; low-, middle-, and high-income families; black, Hispanic, and white; parents with Ph.D.s, GEDs, and no high-school diplomas. One study shows that 32 percent of homeschool students are Black, Asian, Hispanic, and others (i.e., not White/non-Hispanic) (Noel, Stark, & Redford, 2013).
• Families engaged in home-based education are not dependent on public, tax-funded resources for their children’s education. The finances associated with their homeschooling likely represent over $27 billion that American taxpayers do not have to spend, annually, since these children are not in public schools
• Taxpayers spend an average of $11,732 per pupil annually in public schools, plus capital expenditures. Taxpayers spend nothing on most homeschool students and homeschool families spend an average of $600 per student annually for their education.
• Homeschooling is quickly growing in popularity among minorities. About 15% of homeschool families are non-white/nonHispanic (i.e., not white/Anglo).
• An estimated 3.4 million or more U.S. adults have been homeschooled for at least one year of their K-12 years, and they were homeschooled an average of 6 to 8 years. If one adds to this number the 2.3 million being homeschooled today, an estimated 5.7 million Americans have experienced being homeschooled. [note 1]

Now my question to you is this? Are you prepared to dedicate 75% of your day to teaching?

• group field trips,park days and/or p.e. days – ( join QCSAHM; we might change the name if you join!)
• organized clubs such as geography club, 4H, chess, robotics, etc.
• book and curriculum exchanges- You will save SO much money by sharing resources!!! Here is video from homeschool graduation last year. Click Here! Many of the parents in this group share resources and community goodies.

Places like Home Depot Kids Workshops offers free instructions and play on building motor skills and creative engineering. And it’s free 1st Saturdays of the month!

• dedicated email loops or Facebook groups for sharing information (join my newsletter – HERE! in the subject line type Charlotte Homeschool News)
• organized athletic opportunities. (the YMCA is great for this)
• the opportunity to make new friends!! (Join my Facebook page. We gotta stick together- QCSupermom )

Contact the NC Department of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE)

The key requirements for homeschooling in North Carolina include:

• Parents must have at least a high school diploma (or equivalent).
• Families must file a notice of intent to homeschool with the NC Department of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE) between July 1st and August 15th
• Families should keep attendance and immunization records on file for each homeschool student.
• Homeschooled students should take a nationally standardized test each year and keep the results on record for one year.
• The homeschool should operate on a regular schedule for at least nine months of the school year. (Don’t worry, it’s easier to do than you think!)
• Families should notify the NCDNPE when closing their homeschool

For a full explanation of each of these regulations, including forms that will be helpful in staying compliant, visit the NC Home School Information Portal.

Homeschool Record keeping in North Carolina

The records that homeschoolers are required to keep in North Carolina do not have to be submitted to the NCDNPE unless specifically requested. However, it is a good idea to keep a detailed, accurate, and professional homeschool portfolio of items for each student. Information that you might want to include in your homeschooler’s portfolio could be:

• Subjects covered each school year
• Parent-administered or online school report cards or assessments
• Yearly standardized test scores
• High school transcript for any student in grades 9-12

Let Me Just Say This: Well Homeschool Children are SMARTER – Just kidding a bit here, but most tend to have more time to focus and recite things like this from Collin K.

We have been homeschooling since 2005. Here’s 4 Ways It Works For Us:

1. Flexibility – I don’t like getting up early on cold mornings, and sometimes, I like to go to the zoo in the middle of the week. To do that, I need my kids to go with me. lol. Seriously, the flexibility is a blessing! If my dad needs us to come to SC for his care, we can just jump up and go. And yes, spontaneous field trips are pretty cool too!
2. Protection– I know that anything may happen anywhere at anytime. But I’m sorry, some public schools are like Sodom & Gomorrah. The schools in our area are very rough. Having them with me in controlled, safer environments makes me stress less. At least I don’t have to worry about any teachers or other kids pinning them up for rape, bullying or anything else deemed ill favored. (Even the food at basic schools suck) And we can’t afford private school for 4 boys right now.
3. Diversity– I want my children to really be prepared for their future. There are so many topics not covered in public school that children need. For example, basic finance, urban horticulture, Real World cultures, home economics, Africa:pre slavery, and mechanics -just to name a few.
    So in short, our more tailored social interactions, support our values.
4. Empowering – I trust myself to do this. I honestly feel that they are thriving better with me as a teacher. And because I have my husband to help financially support us. I want to continue putting them first so that when we are older, they will be more inclined to take care of us, if needed.

Here’s a tiny clip from a trip to Discovery Place. (I can show you how to save a lot of money on local admissions through my coaching sessions)   

 

Disclosure: I am resourceful. Not the smartest. My husband, older children, wise friends, and technology helps educate our four young ones. When/if the time comes and proves our system no longer serves our best interest, they’ll go to public school with the quickness.

As a homeschool coach, I can hold your hand as you get started. It is time consuming. It requires organization skills. It requires patience. It also requires research. I’ve done a lot of that so you don’t have too. Hire me to help get you started and to be available for coaching sessions. Inbox me at
QCSupermomInfo@Gmail.com for more details.
Please use in subject line (The HomeSchool Coach ). I’d love to help navigate you through this new chapter of life.

To all my friends and family that refers people to me for home school coaching, thank you. I really appreciate that!

Get more statistics here on homeschooling.

In home music class snippet- here!                                                       

Play time with Chubby!

Showing manners with Rachel the Raccoon

Happy Birthday Dr. King!

You’re Invited To The Party!! Help us celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday, 16 2019 at the West Charlotte Library, located at 2157 West Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28208. Everyone is welcome to this free community event sponsored by Momsrising and friends and hosted by yours truly!

MLK Day is a day to honor the civil rights crusader and is also great time to teach kids about his life and what the Nobel Peace Prize winner stood for. Local Charlotte families will be coming together once again on Wednesday, Jan. 16 to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and to empower local children to be the change-makers of the future.

This year’s event theme is “His Dream: Fifty Years Later.” 
 Activities include storytelling for children, family-friendly live performance about Dr. King’s legacy, arts and crafts workshops, dance and more.
They will literally beat our anti civil rights pinata and through a roundtable, share how they would have reacted if they were in the shoes of Ruby Bridges and Dr. King. This highly engaging program is recommended for kids 3 and older. 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – West Boulevard 2157 West Blvd Charlotte, NC 28208 1/16/18 5 :30-7:30 pm Light and yummy refreshments will be served.

Experts have said that helping young people become productive members of society involves more than sending them to school every day. As a community of parents, educators and caretakers, there are ways to look beyond the classroom to find community members who can help cultivate the next generation of innovators, leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers. If you are one of them contact me Kelle to find out how we can work together for our children’s future. Or say hello at this event. We hope to see you there.

Harlem GlobeTrotters-Fan Powered World Tour

The Harlem Globetrotters made their way back to the Queen City last week! This would be their new 2019 Fan Powered World Tour. How lucky were we to have first peek at their Guinness World Record Day premier. They played two games at my daughter and husbands school, UNC Charlotte. We had the honor of not only attending, but also give away almost 60 tickets to local charities!

See some of the smiling faces here on my IG page ( @QC_Supermom)—> https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHdtWKhNgN/

Families love the Globetrotters. And the players feed off that energy! They had the entire gym doing the wave. Not once but twice. And let me confess, right now, how much I love Globie! He is hilarious!

Fortunately my four guys love basketball, so there wasn’t a thing they didn’t enjoy about the game. When the flying Globies began those stunts on the trampoline, I just knew we would see those moves again once we got back home to our trampoline. To my surprise, they decided to give a performance before then! My little guys put on their own half time show in a corner. Thank goodness no one went flying in the air!

My older daughter enjoyed using their new mobile app during the game. It had exclusive features, including an augmented reality (AR) basketball toss game and one-of-a-kind image filters that she shared on her social media. Cool right?

And guess what? Hammer is a alumni of my oldest sons college, Hampton University! We thought that was cool to know. I always thought my son, Jervon would make a great Harlem Globetrotter. Especially since he’s super silly, and currently plays basketball overseas.

Now here’s a truth, seeing them again was full of ambivalence. New players – including females, some familiar tricks, exciting 4 points shots, same category of children adults selected to engage with roster’s on- court , shenanigans. It would have been nice to see a more diverse selection of volunteers on the court to reflect the beautiful hues of the Queen City. But then again, I am very passionate about inclusion and diversity.

So family, get ready! They are coming to a town near you! Look out for them all including Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Hammer Harrison, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard, Firefly Fisher and, Cheese Chisholm – plus female stars TNT Lister, Torch George and Hoops Green. If you want to do something extra, prior to every performance, you can secure a ticket to Magic Pass, the Globetrotters’ exclusive pregame event. Magic Pass gives fans unprecedented access to the stars of the team, an opportunity to learn tricks, shoot hoops and take pictures on the court. After each game, fans can participate in a free autograph session.* Either way, you’ll enjoy the show!

Urban Horticulture in The QC.

Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime

– author unknown

It’s been a minute huh? Ok, here’s a very fast  update. I’m on the Bulb’s advisory board! (Yaaaay Me!) And I’m also now a certified in CPR for youth and adults.

For the last 6 weeks, home-schooled students across Charlotte from 3 years old to 16 have been learning how to grow food in small spaces. These kids were from very diverse walks of life.  I taught Urban Horticulture and the focus of the class was self sufficiency.

Each class was taught in a age appropriate group using engaging strategies to encourage creativity and exploration.  The students face literally lit up with our weekly gardening adventures.

So far we have successfully learned how to make:

• Seed Bombs
• Hydroponic Plants
• Mini Greenhouse
• Raised Bed Gardening

The biggest take home for these students were

 

For me, it was verification that parenting greatly reflects a garden.

We all begin as seeds. The better you tend to it the seeds, the better it grows, and the more fruitful it will be. To do the opposite is perilous. Too many weeds and wild animals will destroy it.

Disclosure—> I am not a master gardener or carry any degree in the science of horticulture. I am just a mom that believes in self sufficiency and have learned so much from local master gardeners and lots of trial and error with my little guys in tow.

 

Black Men Rock! Tickets Give Away

The 2nd Annual Black Men Rock Awards Show is happening on Saturday, April 28th 2018, Hosted by Latise Howie at Johnson C. Smith Universitys Biddle Hall. Doors open at 7pm. Showtime is at 8pm. For more information please visit www.blackmenrock.biz .  

Contrary to negative media generated stereotypes, I personally believe that Black men are poised to experience unprecedented levels of success in America today. Never have the doors of opportunity been open wider for us to follow our passions and create the life of our dreams.

When I heard the news the first thing came to my mind was

“Brotha” by

Angie Stone.

Ooh girl

He is my king (she is my woman)
Yes he’s my father, yes he’s my son
I can talk to him ’cause he understands
Everything I go through and everything I am

He’s my support system, I can’t live without him
The best thing since sliced bread
Is his kiss, his hugs, his lips, his touch
And I just want the whole world to know
About my

Black brotha, I love ya
And I’ll never try to hurt ya
I want you to know that
I’m here for you, forever true

‘Cause you’re my black brotha, strong brotha
And there is no one above ya
I want ya to know that
I’m here for you, forever true
You’re my

He’s misunderstood, some say that
He’s up to no good around the neighborhood
Well, for your information
Alot of my brotha’s got education
Now check it

You got…

 

This event honors black men. 

It especially addresses how black men view themselves after centuries of negative imagery and drives the message that black men are in control of their own destiny and can transcend the limitations some want to put on them because of skin color.

Buy tickets here CLICK HERE

“We want fewer young men in jail; we want more of them in college. We want fewer young men on the streets; we want more in the boardrooms. We want everybody to have a chance to succeed in America. And it’s possible if we’ve got the kind of team that we set up today.” – President Barack Obama

Now, here’s how to win them. Be sure to like our other pages –> use QCSupermom on

Twitter,    Facebook,   Instagram  and Periscope. On one of the tag a friend and list your favorite song that uplifts the black man. That’s it! Easy right?

1. Like /follow at least 2 of our social media pages.
2. Tag a friend  (from our page)
3. On our page, list your favorite song that uplifts the black man.

See you there!!

 

Here’s how those in need can get a free Thanksgiving dinner

Thursday will be here in no time. Hopefully my mini van will be repaired soon. But for now, I’m in a rental for Thanksgiving. I plan to pick my car up first thing in the morning. Then get started on my hefty drink list for the family dinner. Yes, I’m in charge of drinks. We’re having kombucha, green tea, Jamaican hibiscus Sorrel, and bottled water. Not one soda will I purchase. My prayer for the last week is that everyone arrives safely and no one throws a dinner roll at me!   

But just in case my Enterprise Car rental falls through for my family of —many. I am looking for dinner alternatives. Rush cooking has never been my thing. I figured that we would find a local place where we could both volunteer at and dine in.

So, here’s what I found online. Turns out there a quite a few places to dine, help and donate in the Charlotte area.

 

 

Food pantries, some of which also have a soup kitchen on site, may provide help in one of two ways. These tend to be “hyper” local in that they only serve people in a limited area and each center has their own application process, resources, and hours of operation.

• Food banks may only give a Thanksgiving holiday turkey as well as the sides, such as cranberry, gravy, bread and other items, to an income qualified family and their children.
• Soup kitchens may be located at some food banks. These sites will tend to serve an entire hot dinner to individuals, including the homeless.
• Some of these charity run food pantries may give the client a gift certificate to redeem at a local supermarket. This will allow the family to buy their own turkey 

  It is recommended to call or stop by a pantry to learn more on what they offer. Anyone that is seeking help at Thanksgiving (or really any holiday) should ask in advance what type of services are provided, and do not wait until November rolls around. Find how to get help from a food pantry.

  The homebound, disabled, and senior citizens that can’t make it to a feeding site should register for Thanksgiving assistance from a Meals on Wheels provider. These tend to be offered as year round services. Some of the administering agencies may charge the client, or “encourage” a donation. Other Meals on Wheels services are free, especially those offered from Agency on Aging Centers. and maybe other food items.

  Free Thanksgiving lunches or dinners may also be served by churches or other faith based groups. There will not be any discrimination based on age, religion, or race and anyone can drop in. Churches, such as St. Vincent de Paul or Catholic Charities do their best to feed the poor at Thanksgiving. The goal is to spread holiday joy to all, especially to children and the elderly.

  The meals served by a church depend on volunteers and donations. They rely on stores, restaurants, fund raisers, and other sources of money in an effort to offer these Thanksgiving programs. Anyone that uses a soup kitchen at a local church is always encouraged to also volunteer in an effort to give back to the needy.

Skyland Restaurant continues tradition of free Thanksgiving meal for people in need

 

And if you are a military family like mine, check this out!

Thanksgiving Resources for Veterans 

Military veterans have so many benefits even after leaving the service and Thanksgiving is no exception. During the holiday season there are special events that include veterans’ and not just active duty, family members and government employees.

Read more: https://militarybenefits.info/thanksgiving-resources-veterans/#ixzz4z7hAl4SO

If none of that works out, I will get my daughter Cassie of Cassie’s Sweetz to create us a Sweet Potato Wonderland!

Well friends, where ever you find yourself on Thursday, may the Joy of family, Gratefulness and Love find you there!

 

Notes:

I’m smart, because I know where to find good information. See my resources below:

http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/free_thanksgiving_dinner.html

http://www.operationhomefront.org/holidaymeals

https://patch.com/north-carolina/charlotte/veterans-day-free-meals-discounts-north-carolina

 

 

Friday Four: Halloween Savings, Snacking and Satisfaction!

Halloween is supposed to be fun, mysterious, and yummy! I for one have seen a spectrum of Halloween scenarios and today, Ias I type I am a born again Halloween worshiper! LOL! No More white sheets and plastic pumpkin bowl filled with sugary Kiddie Crack!

As a parent no one wants to go in the hole while celebrating this amazing holiday, there are a few ways you can get the kids looking great, save money on treats, and have loads of fun together as a family.

Okay, I kinda understand that not everyone gets excited about Halloween, but let’s just think for a minute…..with everything going on in today’s world, a light-hearted, healthy, progressive, fun, mental adventure here and there in a safe environment is a needed perk! Any chance you can give your child to enjoy childhood, go for it! It will only give them more fond memories of you and extend their childhood a little longer.  It also tells them, that they are special enough to you to make it happen. Why not?

For those who do, allow me to give you a hand with this. Because, you know, October is “MY MONTH!” It’s the month I was given to our Earth.  I will be turning 24 years old! (Just flip those numbers around -okay)  (Cake below by vegan teen baker, Cassie, of Cassies Sweetz)

Homeschooling parents, this is for you! Make it a Science Day! I have put together a few ideas here on Pinterest for you!  Everything is affordable, easy and not too messy to try! Follow THIS ONE other boards over there and thank me later!

2. For my children, I have gotten some really nice costumes from friends kids, thrift stores, my closet. Yes, I’ll go to a local department store but only after I luck out at these other options. Shopping early is never a bad thing either. I get some of my most favorite event wigs -BRAND new from outlet stores for dirt cheap! If you are hitting the bottom of the barrel with costume options, just click here for fresh ideas!

3. Do you really want to go door to door or to a boring party JUST to get candy and watch your child play? NO, you don’t. Skip it all and mark your calendar for the next BooBash! I The only thing scary about it the idea of you not voting! Yes, it a family-focused- free, Early Voting  Halloween parade and party! It’s sponsored by Momsrising, Queen City Stay At Home Moms and other amazing community partners. It’s on the lawn of Beatties Ford Road Regional Library. It nonpartisan and low candy. distribution. YES!!!! Find out more about Momsrising here. CLICK HERE. 🙂

4.I have a friend that is a merchandiser for Family Dollar. Right now all of their candy is buy 2 bags of candy and get 1 for free! While I’m NOT an advocate of any (non-chocolate)) candy, that is a pretty good deal.

Alternatively, offer clementines. They look JUST like tiny pumpkins and they have their very own packaging. 

 

So my question to you is, are you ready for some not so scary good times?

 

In Total Wellness,

QC Supermom  – (Jabela)