The plastic bag.

12:28 AM Ghettomomma 0 Comments

Once upon a time, this momma went to an airport with nothing but a wallet and a plastic bag. She went and asked where she could get a flight back to Edmonton from Vancity and this man looked at her and asked, "Do you have money?". 

I have never felt so looked down upon in my life. But I don't blame him, It wasn't my brightest shining moment. 

A little pissed at this man, I walked straight to the counter and swiped my credit card.

He had a point. I didn't have money. I was spending somebody else's money. 

The plastic bag. 
It is my biggest reminder to never go back to that time in my life where I am carelessly spending away money - what I've earned and what's not really mine - 
for pleasures that I don't really need and won't really last. 

Life is really that simple. A vacation, shopping spree and that kickass looking car all look pretty tempting. But it's not something I can afford right now. These things can wait. 

For now, I'll stick with my plastic bag. 

Let's do this, 
GhettoMomma 

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Life does get better! But first.... here's Step#1.

10:14 PM Ghettomomma 0 Comments

On the 1st day of year 2014, I made a decision to strive for Change. Setting Goals and laying out a game plan were the first steps.

My goals were simple really. To be able to  provide the best life that I can for the boys. That meant, being there for them financially, emotionally and physically. Hello, Single Parenting! 

Big decisions had to be made. Should I get a second job? Will it be worth the time it takes me away from my kids? Will I be able to handle it without crashing? What's the best plan to go with? 

I knew right there that if I wanted to reach my goals, I needed a change of lifestyle. I needed to be sooo sick of where my life is at the moment and be as motivated as I can to get out of it. 

We were at that point of having close to nothing, didn't know where to find money for rent, surviving through discounted meals at work, giving up the comforts of our big bedroom to squeeze in a smaller one. All that and $20,000 worth of debt -I am still trying to figure out where it came from. 

I cried that one weekend when my boys wanted pizza and I could not squeeze any money out of my pocket for it. 

But here we are, halfway through the year, we are surviving. 

I am at the "healthiest" or "fittest" I've ever been in my life, I learned to face one of my biggest fears in life - the road and driving, I own a $900 #ghettocar, I have started re-building my photography business, and guess what! The boys and I can finally afford weekend pizzas, even date nights. I also start a new full time job next week which I'm really excited about. Oh, and a reduced debt of $8,000. Win! 

I'm here to share my story because if you are in the same place, I want you to know that you can do it and that life does get better. 

I think we have been super blessed to be surrounded by amazing family and friends that continue to help us, share their experiences and give advices especially with things that i know nothing about. 

"Set goals and put together a game plan. Challenge yourself daily and watch for progress. Do your research but also more importantly, don't be afraid to ask for help." 

Thats all for tonight :) 
This momma needs to catch up on sleep. Happy weekend! 

Let's do this, 
GhettoMomma 

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I have a confession to make, "I have failed my marriage and I am now a Single Mom."

2:27 PM Ghettomomma 3 Comments

Ohla! 

A year and a half (or more) ago, life decided to throw an unexpected bomb on me. One that I didn't think I could survive. It broke me down so bad, I didn't know how to get my life back together - or if I was ever going to.

But I survived. Or rather, I'm still Surviving. Along with my two superboys, We're Surviving. 

Going through a failed marriage is never an easy thing. I strongly believed that separation and divorce should never be an option. But life happened, and as we all know, it just never turns out the way we expect them to.

Before anything else, There are two reasons I'm starting this blog.

 A) The first and selfish reason is that on the 1st day of 2014, I made it a mission to make this year the year I Face my Fears. This is going to be the year that I get up my ass and just DO; To cross off my to do list from the last 100000039743292742 years, to not let fear get in the way of my goals, to stop being afraid, to get myself together, to face the things that scare me, to be Brave.

 To be able to openly talk about the real story behind my seemingly perfect life has been a struggle. I'm sure a few of our family and friends have heard about it one way or the other. People who I see in a regular basis may know a little about it. For a while now, I have hidden behind a new facebook account that I share with very limited "friends". Because really, who would be so proud to tell the world that they have failed their marriage and is now a Single Mom. But here it goes, with very deep breaths, I have a confession to make. "I have failed my marriage and I am now a Single Mom."

 B) The second reason, which outweighs the first, is that I'm sure I'm not the first and the only one going through a failed marriage, a separation or divorce. It breaks my heart in so many ways when I hear about a family or friend that's going through the same thing, but at the same time, I understand it a little better now. I am blessed enough to be surrounded by people who have helped me get myself together and back up. I'm sure others may have different experiences, but through what I've experienced, Every single day is a Challenge. I have learned so much having had to push through financially, emotionally and physically as a person and as a parent. 

If you're going through the same thing, I'm here to tell you that It Gets Better. You will be OK. No Lie. 

In the hopes of passing on the encouragement and support to the everyday challenges of being a single (or even non-single) parents, I'm here to share with you the challenges - the wins and fails, maybe a few stories in between.

If you've made it all the way down here, Thank you for being here with me. It's hard enough facing fears and pushing through challenges on your own, Let's get through this together.


& with very very many deep deep breaths, I say #letsdothis!
- GhettoMomma

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