Get It Together : 3 little things that is easily causing you to BURN OUT!!!

Whether you're working double jobs, working a full time job and side hustling, single parent hustling, or just the kind that likes to spend a ton of time working.. there are ways to go around it without BURNING OUT.

Here's 3 little things to watch for that can easily cause you to BURN OUT!!! 

1. NOT HAVING A LIMIT. 

We like the hustle - believe it or not, for whatever reason, some people really enjoy it. But as much as we'd like to put in as much hours in a day as we can - our bodies are not machines (and even machines break down). I'm not against it, by all means, hustle. Do what you love, do what you should for your families. 

But give yourself a LIMIT. 

It can be anything from the hours of work/ amount of energy you can put in - within a day, a week or a month. It also depends on the 'type' of work that you do. Say, I know I'm okay with putting in 12+ hours of computer work in a day - but I also know that I would totally die working the same amount of time working on a job that requires me to run around and a lot of my energy. And if you're doing a little bit of both, find your happy balance. 

Kinda like playing the lottery - Know your Limit, Stay within it. 


2. NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP. 

SLEEP? What SLEEP?!
- Yea, I thought so too. Until I crashed so many times in the middle of the day - surrounded with little ninjas jumping around and all over me, and I would not feel a thing. zero. passed out. 

Sleep is important. 
A full 8 hour sleep can make such a difference to your day and week. And if you're still making your way to hitting that number, naps are fun too! 

Your Body will Thank You, and Reward you with the energy you need to Hustle through another day. Now, unplug that TV and get to BED! 


3. NOT ALLOCATING SOME 'ME' TIME THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. 

Who's got time for that? You do!

You will MAKE TIME for it!

I have never really been that 'Morning Person' but I can tell you how AMAZING it is to start your day with a good coffee, a 5 minute read (nope, we're not talking facebook. grab a real book.), breathing in that morning breeze and taking in all the peace and quiet before all the chaos begins.


Some would wake up the extra hour to go for a morning run/workout before work - I've done this one summer, it's amazing how much energy it can give you to get your day started. 

AT LEAST 30 minutes a day - to yourself - to clear your head - to breathe, can make all the difference.

When I manage to dodge any of these three bullets, I find that my days are better, I am better and I have helped keep the world a safer place. 




Happy Hustling! 
xo, Ghettomomma

I Hope You Never Forget...

Dear Momma, (or Dadda) 

There is a thing that you must know.
If you already have a growing kid, I hope by now, you've already figured this out.

If not, well, here's why I am writing to you.

There is a thing that you must know.

In the midst of the everyday chaos - the crying, the feeding, the happy giggles, the messy dinner tables, fun bubble baths and running around chasing little ones that have learned to run on their two steady feet - There is another person in your little world that matters.

There is a thing that you must know.

You look at them with your tired, very little to no sleep eyes and you still smile as you think ' these little guys are insanely lucky they are capable of being the cutest things in the world.' - and they are. They are the most amazing gift. They fill your heart with so much love and fill your hands with .. well, I'll let you decide on that.

But There is a Thing That you must know, and one that I hope You Never Forget.

Life can get Insanely Busy and It isn't hard for any parent to forget - I've done it, I am still guilty of it once in a while.

& if it's something that you've forgotten about, I hope that this be your quick reminder.

There is a thing that you must know.

Actually, it's a Who. It's a very special someone that I hope you don't forget to take care of.


The moment that this person wakes up to the end of the day, this person is responsible for the world of another. What do I feed the kids? What are they going to do today? Who is bringing them to school? Who is picking them up? Where are the socks? You know, the ones that match? Never mind, no one really cares if they match. What's happening after school? Do they have games to go to? Parties to attend? Oh crap! That party that my 5 year old was waiting for all week happened YESTERDAY!!!!


Yes, that person. Take care of her. Feed her well. Remind her that She is just as important as the little ones that she is pouring out all her love and energy into. Tell her to never stop doing the things that she loves. Tell her that her dreams still matter. Tell her to take a break once in a while - to breathe - to have fun. Tell her she has a life outside of being a Parent - it may not feel like it, but it is something that she needs to pursue - for her sanity & the safety of everybody around her (hehe).


Take Care of You, Momma (and Dadda). 
This is the bestest gift that you can give to your Kids. (aside from happy meals, trips to toys r us, lightsabers & those new Jordans.. ugh.) 


& to quote our all time fave JB song - I hope you never forget to... "Love Yourself."

xo, coffees and lotsa wine!
- Ghettomomma

The Pizza Story.

Have you ever been in a situation where your kid asks for something and you had to say "No". And it's not like you didn't wanna give it to them, but rather, you just couldn't.

The Pizza Story.

There was a time that I could not afford to give the boys their Pizza Nights. Some might find it really shallow and stupid that I make such a big deal out of Pizza Nights. But it was a big part of our weekend and when we hit that situation in our lives, it hurt like hell. I could not afford anything, at all. There's me scrambling around for change and it would not be enough for a small sized Pizza.

We didn't have Pizza Nights for a good 6 months or so.. but here's a few things that we learned :

1. We didn't die when we didn't have Pizza Nights.
Yes, we love Pizza!!! We're crazy about it, but we're still here and breathing, we survived.

 There are things that we can live without. 

2. We valued Pizza Nights more when it wasn't a normal weekend thing but something that we saved up for and waited to get. The boys learned to give up little toys that they would pick up while we do our groceries because they wanted their Pizza.

The harder you work for something, the more you'll value it.

3. We learned that Pizza Nights are better when they are shared. At the time when we couldn't afford it, we had family and friends offer to buy the boys Pizza when we visited. The boys know that once we were able to afford it, they are more than happy to share.

 When we didn't have any, we were offered kindness. When we had some, we learned to share and pass it on.

4. We settled for cheaper alternatives. The boys weren't as crazy about it, but it was ok, we still enjoyed it.

 It really wasn't the Pizza that made Pizza Nights, it was our time together that mattered.

5. As soon as we learned no.4, we were ok with only having it on Special Occasions or when we were celebrating something. It stopped becoming a weekend thing, because together, the boys and I have learned to spend more time and catch up on the daily, we stopped having to wait for Pizza Nights.

As busy as life can get, building relationships with your kids (or people) don't have to be a weekend thing. It can be done on the daily - with or without Pizza. 


Here's the boys and I on our first Pizza Night at the new place we moved in 3 months ago. We're very thankful for everyone and everything that we have in our lives. God's blessings has truly been overwhelming. We will continue to pass it on...



Hope everyone's pushing through a good week.
The boys and I are up and ready to hustle. Let the chaos begin ^_^
xoxo, Ghettomomma

Let it go, Let it go.

Letting go hurts. 
- especially when it's with something or someone that has meant a lot to you that you've held on to for so long. 

Letting go is scary. 
- what would you do without them? When once upon a time, they became your direction, your life, your world. 

But Letting go can also be one of the best decisions you can ever make. (*in the right circumstances) 
- When you let go of things that aren't supposed to be yours anymore, it makes way for better things to come into your life. Things that you'd never expect to come your way; 

Beautiful things - like finding yourself again, finding new dreams and adventures.

Simple joys - like learning to open yourself up to new things and seeing life differently. 

Let go.
Breathe. 
Have a little faith. 

"Joy comes in the morning."


xoxo, 
Ghettomomma 

Big Hero 6 + mini lessons on Moving Forward

Over the weekend, we went to see Big Hero 6. Having seen the preview, the bois and I were super excited to see the adorable big marshmallow turn into a superhero. 
The word Superhero alone makes the boys extremely excited to see it. 

It instantly became our favorite movie of the year. We laughed, I cried, we laughed some more. I swear, it was absolutely hilarious. 

While I already love action filled cartoon movies, I really liked the lessons that came with it too. 

Here are a few things we can learn from Big Hero 6. I am going to try my bestest to not spoil the movie for you - if you haven't seen it yet. 

1.) In times of trouble, We need friends. We would much rather be alone and throw ourselves a pity party - nothing wrong with that. But let's face it, as much as we think we're ok without them, we need them and if you have people in your life that want to be there for you, don't shut them out, let them. You will up your recovery progress x10. 

2.) Hugs are the best. The same that a smile goes a long way, hugs can make you feel 10x better. From a family, a friend, heck, hug a stranger. You don't know if they need it too :) 
(just be safe!)

3.) Revenge is always the initial reaction to pain. Yep, when we get hurt, we want them to feel the same way they've hurt us - sometimes, even more. Its natural, that's how we're built but... 

4.) You have a choice. When he said, "We are not programmed to destroy." - that was him making a choice. For all we know, he could've. But he didn't, it wouldn't change the past, the current situation and it wouldn't make things better. 

5.) Go for an adventure. You can go all out if you can, otherwise, mini adventures are just as fun. It's good for you. It keeps your mind away for a bit. It will help clear your head and it is an effective treatment ;) 

Big Hero 6 is a big thumbs up on our books. Watch it with your kids, your families, even alone - make it your mini adventure. It is sure to give you a good laugh :) 


There, I did my bestest not to spoil it for you, but if you've already seen it and would like to add on and share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them :) 

Happy Monday! 
#Letsdothis, I'm cheering on you! 
GhettoMomma 

On Dreams and Hustlin' : When hard work pays off...

It's been a week since I've switched over to a stay at home - work at home momma. Which means running the business FULL TIME. Which means, I get to stay home more and be away for work less.

I have put soo much time on work for the past year. I have worked a full time job and did shoots or covered events on the weekend. Some weekdays, I would go to work from 6-2 and still work on photos for the rest of the afternoon, all while trying to juggle in laundry, groceries, playing referee between the two boys, packing lunches and making sure the kids are ready to go the next day. Then I had the opportunity to earn a bit more when I switched over jobs the summer, I had a blast and I learned so much from the experience but it required us to be away for some days in a week and back on some weekends, all while dealing with events to cover on weekends and it got me to a point where I was no longer there for my kids. I struggled.

The good thing about all this is that, there was a plan. I had a choice of sacrificing a bit of time to hustle it up, give up a bit of comfort to save money, to get me closer to the goal of being able to be there as a present parent for my kids - physically, financially, emotionally. That, or to keep working a steady job, getting part time gigs to cover up extra expenses and be left with not enough time and energy to spend on taking care of the boys. 

I'm happy to say that through all the sweat and tears, we have made it. Or at least, we are closer to where we want to be. 

We have lived off the basics & stayed on budget for other expenses which allowed us to save enough to get us through another few months. I am happy to say that our bills and rent have been paid off for the rest of the year and this has allowed me to let go of a full time job and instead stay at home & work at home to be there more for the bois. 

There has not been a time this week that I would be close to the door and Jaeden would ask me if I had to go to work, it gives me the biggest pleasure to say that "Mommy doesn't work anymore" (of course, that's not true, I just don't have to be away when he's home.), the biggest smile I get with a big "YAY!" is simply priceless. 

Hard work does pay off & this is my biggest prize. 











There's still a lot of work, we're not there yet, but it feels good to know we're a step closer =)

If you're out there hustlin' for your family or your dreams, Keep hustlin'. Go for it 10 times harder. Focus on your goal. It's not gonna be easy but I can tell you this, IT WILL PAY OFF!
 & when it does, it's gonna Feel Damn Good! 

#Letsdothis, I'm cheerin' on you! 
GhettoMomma

Parenting : On Anger, Filtering Words and Actions.

Sometimes, I envy children for being able to express themselves freely in words and in actions. When they haven't learned to filter themselves, to put a mask on.
Sometimes, I wonder why we teach them to. 

It brings me back to times when my now 10 year old would come home and cry and be so angry with other kids. I would ask him what he'd like to do. He would respond saying that he would like to punch the kids in the face. He would tell me how angry he is. 

I would stay with him and let him cry, let him scream his anger out, and he would. You could feel his pain and his anger with his screams, and I would be so angry at these kids that I would like to go out there myself and punch their faces. 

But that's not what we do. That's not what we were taught as kids. & That's not what we're gonna teach our kids. 

Yesterday, I was in the same situation as my 10 year old was. I was so angry. I wanted to hurt people for taking out hurtful words towards my child. 

I screamed and cried like a 10 year old. & then I am reminded of the things that I tell my children.

Being angry won't change the situation. Being angry won't make you a better person. You are better than that. 

& Let go. 



I blame my parents for being the nicest people in the planet. For raising me in this way. 
For teaching me to filter my words and actions. If it won't benefit or build up, they are not worth your energy and time. 

I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing. But I believe in the good and I believe that people do not mean or intend to hurt other people. 

& if this is what I would like to teach my children, this is how I'm ought to live by. 

Struggling with a heavy heart, I'll leave you with this. 

“It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” -L.R. Knost

xoxo, 
GhettoMomma
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