Rustic Magnolia

Today we are skipping the regular schedule programming to take a fun trip right on down to my mental state as of late. I always said I’d be honest and authentic and I feel I should address the lack of consistency in my writing and posts.

I went over and over in my head how to address my thoughts, feelings and what I felt safe sharing with the masses. And it occurred to me that being transparent regardless of how hard that is would be more beneficial to not only me but maybe just maybe to somebody else as well. So here goes…

I have always suffered from seasonal depression, I’m always a little moody, withdrawn and quiet during the long winters in Alberta, but it wasn’t until I became sick and then diagnosed that I truly noticed the fickle weather changes wreaked havoc on me physically as well. I have felt in the last few months that I have been on this rollercoaster that I 1. Didn’t want to get on 2. Don’t like one bit and 3. Can’t seem to get off. It’s feels weird and a little funny to discuss this now after 2 years of isolation and uncertainty and maybe that’s in part to spending these last few years learning and paying more attention to myself as a person then I ever did before.

I’ve run through every emotion I can think of this last little while from inadequacy to imposter syndrome to self-destructive thoughts and back to gratefulness and reflection. A fight between wanting more but stuck in a pattern from years of learnt behavior. Your mind is so powerful and you need to be consciously aware of what you’re feeding it. Lately I have failed in this regard, I’ve withdrawn a lot and folded in on myself. I have no fucks to give and that’s not in the self motivating manner. Slowly, almost like a trickle I had allowed the fight in me to leave my body and totally succumbed to the pain, achiness, and words of my mother to invade my thoughts.

Now, this post isn’t for the sympathy or seeking validation so kindly bugger off if you plan to shame me for this. I’m writing this to acknowledge my pain, acknowledge my feelings, accept they are valid in how I feel at this moment, process them and cathartically release them through speaking about it and move on. I’m human and every feeling is valid even if it serves us no purpose. It needs to be acknowledged, validated and processed so it can be moved on from.

I’m struggling with wanting to chase the dreams I put off for so long, accepting that I can’t do things the way I used too and being the everything to everyone I have always been and don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how to accept help, I’m better at asking for it but I’m not good at accepting it. I struggle with voicing how I’m feeling on a day to day basis with my disease because I hate showing weakness. I’ve been pushing through, doing all the things, trying to be present and suffering for it because I can’t or I should say refuse to say today I just don’t have it in me. I smile and I’m happy and then I fall apart in silence and alone. It’s toxic and I’m hoping by speaking my truths and being so scarily open about this, it will help me to start making those changes I need to make and hopefully these bouts of depression will get easier to manage and less frequent.

My big dream with this blog was to share tips, tricks, travel, fun with a theme everyday of the week. It’s a wonderful idea, brilliant even but much bigger then I thought. My health is overwhelming most days and keeping up as you can see has been hard for me. Do I want to give up? Hell no, I love this and it’s been amazing having this outlet to express myself but something has to give so I can be consistent. This is what I have come up with, I will no longer be writing on Sundays and Mondays. These two days will be my prep days, relax days and recharge the battery days. I will keep my Tuesday through Saturday posts as I feel I can provide the content for these days with more ease and less stress.

I also need to acknowledge my depression and what I’m allowing to run rampant in my head. This starts with getting back on track with practicing gratitude. Taking stock of the things I have to be thankful for and slowly making changes to subconscious behaviors I’ve learnt that don’t serve me. On the nice days, get outside see the sun and go to the places my heart and soul feel most at peace. I am not selfish for needing this and I don’t need to feel guilt over it. Read that again and repeat as often as needed. My children and family are my whole world and that isn’t healthy. I’m losing who I am as a person for an outdated idea of what my role should be.

I’m a work in progress but I’m told the first step is admitting it right? I hope reading this helps those of you going through a hard time, you are not alone. Writing these words, admitting my struggles out loud feels freeing in ways I wasn’t prepared for. If you understand even a small measure of what I’m saying, give voice to it. Acknowledge it, validate it, process it and take that first step forward. I’m proud of you, I don’t know you but I’m proud of you nonetheless.

Love, (feeling a little lighter) Magnolia xx

Welcome to another edition of Savvy Business Saturday. Today I have the pleasure of introducing Robyn Thompson who in the past year started a new business Fresh and Frosted, whipping up these delicious cupcakes that are so good its neither good for my wallet or my waist size, but you just can’t say no either. Let’s dive in.

Hey Robyn thank you for joining me today to talk about your new business venture. Let’s get to know this amazing multi-faceted individual and this new business.

1.) So, Robyn now you’re in the hot seat lol. I know you studied music in college and went to hair school to become a fabulous hairdresser and now are baking up little slices of heaven in cupcakes, what else should our readers know about you?

R.) Oh my, the hot seat! Well, let’s see. I’m a full-time single mom of two beautiful girls. I love to travel but haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do that in recent years and I also have a passion for interior design.

2.) How did Fresh and Frosted become reality? How did the idea come to you?

R.) I actually made my mom cupcakes to celebrate her 65th birthday this last September and she was the one that said “you know you could sell these”. And that’s when my wheels started turning. The hair stylist business had been slow at that time and I had been wondering how I might supplement my income. I’ve always been good at and enjoyed baking. That’s when Fresh and Frosted Cupcakery was born.

3.) I personally love that each week has a menu with 6 different flavors to choose from. How do you choose which flavors you’ll offer each week?

R.) Pinterest, Instagram and my own cravings are what bring you the menus each week! Ha Ha I look for inspiration and then tweak recipes to my needs. I never really know what people are going to like though. It can be tricky.

4.) You had this business idea; did you have any reservations about getting started? And if yes, do you have any advice for other people in those same shoes about to launch a new venture?

R.) Nah!! Just do it. In my case I started small to see what the interest would be. I borrowed a stand mixer from my sister in law ( I didn’t even own one! lol) and went from there. It’s taken off more than I could ever have hoped.

5.) What is your favorite thing about this venture? What is your least favorite part?

R.) I like that i get to be creative in a new way. Like music and hair styling I get to use the same side of the brain. New flavor combos, decorating, it’s all fun for me. My least favorite part is making the boxes the cupcakes go in, it’s tedious and time consuming.

6. Now if somebody is throwing a party or function for work can customer’s order in bulk?

R.) Absolutely. I’m actually baking a bulk order with 2 kinds of cupcakes for a wedding this weekend.

7.) Do you have any plans to expand into birthday cakes, wedding cakes etcetera in the future?

R.) Nope. I’ll leave that up to the experts. I think cakes are a whole new ballgame. But never say never.

8.) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

R.) I have lots of irons in the fire at the moment. Just waiting for life to get back to “normal”. My ultimate dream is to get our musical theatre camps into the schools. My sister in law Kimberly Thompson and I have a Rising Star Theatre Company that has all sorts of plans that had been put on hold with Covid restrictions. I also have some exciting news about my hair business, but I can’t divulge that information just yet. You’ll have to stay tuned. But I’ll be living here in Delia. I don’t see myself going anywhere.

9. Would you do custom orders for cupcakes? As in if I wanted to create a Rustic Magnolia cupcake for instance, would you be up for the challenge? Lol yes, I shamelessly want a cupcake with my name on it.

R.) Hahahahahaha most definitely! Let’s talk. I’m always up to new challenges.

10.) Anything you’d like to add as we wrap up? Don’t forget to give all your Socials so we can find you.

R.) Something people may not know is that I generally always have cupcakes in stock, whether I’ve been trying a new recipe or have leftovers from a special order, so feel free to message me if you have a mid-week craving for cupcakes and I might just have something for you.

Now that I’m craving cupcakes, thank you Robyn for joining me today. I’m so excited for you and this new adventure. Anyone that has yet to try her delicious cupcakes make sure you do. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @fresh.frostedcupcakery. I can’t tell you enough how yummy they are. Stay tuned for news on the Rustic Magnolia cupcake, it’s so happening lol. Till next time.

Love a cupcake enthusiast, Magnolia

***** Side note, since this interview took place Robyn has not only opened her own salon named PART Hair company ( Polly,Aria,Robyn Thompson) located in The Collective in Hanna, Ab but directed her first musical residency in Delia School with the show “The Knight the Castle Rocked” performed by the elementary students. So many exciting things and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Xx

Today we welcome Author M. Francis Lamont to our Fiction Friday spotlight. She writes in the erotic romance genre and if you love romance like I do she has something for everyone. From sexy badass bikers to the time of Camelot and King Arthur to the pits of the gladiators of Rome her stories mix grit, honor, loyalty, power, sex that’ll have you hooked from beginning to end. Let’s get to know her a little better shall we.

1). Thank you for joining us here today. Tell us a little about yourself and what started your journey to becoming a writer?

M). Thanks for having me. It is such a privilege being here with you. I have always been a creative person, the kid in charge of the story when we were playing pretend. This just seems like a natural progression from that.

2.) What do you enjoy most about being a writer/author?

M). I love bringing the stories in my mind to life on the page and finding out who they really are.

3.) What do you think the hardest part about becoming a writer and pursuing this as a career is?

M). The hardest part, for me, is having the confidence to do the self promotion work that is needed to make the works a success. There is a certain stigmatism attached to being a romance author who writes ‘those kind of books’ that has definitely been hard to get around, but I think I have found a way to be shamelessly proud of my work with the unwavering support of my closest friends. They treat me like a superstar and my books like they’re the best thing on the shelves.

4.) Where do you find the inspiration for your books? And are any of your characters based on people you know?

M.) Inspiration comes from everywhere. The Champions is definitely inspired by the cast and characters of Spartacus. They were all really gracious about giving character insight and have been cheering me on over the years. As for characters based on my friends, absolutely. The entire cast of The Dukes of Hell is a patchwork of my male friends, not that I would ever do those things with them of course, but the heart and soul of the Dukes are based on people that I hold near and dear to my heart. I wouldn’t have that series without them.

5.) Do you have a favorite character? Or do you fall a little in love with each one?

M.) I think every author is a little bit in love with all their heroes. I know that I am, and I hope it shows. Cassian was my first so he will always be special to me, but I think that Jack Barret, the hero of my Dirty Little Secrets stories, is the one that I love the most because I was hopelessly in love when I created him. He is THE hero.

6.) I know each of the amazing men you have featured on your covers has had some creative input with the characters they represent. And being as you’re the first author I’ve met that does that, so my question is why? And do you feel it adds to the story having that relationship with your cover models?

M.) I love that the guys have all been so kind as to offer a bit of themselves into the characters that I write. They are all so very special and have a great number of stories they could tell. Seriously, they could write their own books and I’d read them. I think that putting a bit of the man on the cover into the book adds a bit more humanity to the character and, since I consider them friends and colleagues when I am writing, I think it keeps me a bit more honest about the humanity of the character as well. I think that the guys like being more than meat on the cover too, so many people, writers and readers, forget these guys are human too and that they are so much more than abs and eyes. I am proud to say that several of these men, ones I’ve published and a few that are coming up, are honestly some of my dearest friends. We help each other with more than books and cross posting so their books are like an ode to them and what they mean to me. Not in a sexual way, even though they’re gorgeous, but how they had their hero moment in my life. I just hope I do right by them with the characters and, yes, I have changed the story or backstory, if they are not comfortable with something or have a better idea, It is a great feeling.

7.) After Seven books already under your belt, have you learnt anything about yourself during the process that maybe surprised you?

M.) I have learned how much I still have to learn. Anyone who writes and doesn’t think they still have things to learn is seriously kidding themselves.

8.) Which of your characters so far do you relate to the most and why?

M.) I’d like to think I am as fiery as Ruby, the heroine in Loch but I might be more like Caelia in The Silver Knight, or Gerard in the same story, simply because I really am that pig-headed at times.

9.) Do you get “writer’s block”? And do you have any advice for writer’s struggling with it? What works for you?

M.) Writer’s block is a real problem for a lot of people. I have found that, for me, having multiple stories going at once helps to deter this because if I get stuck on one story I can swap to a different one for a bit.

10.) Do you have any advice for first time authors? What area in the whole process do you feel is the most crucial and should not be skipped on? For example I was told never ever cheap out on a good editor, what are your thoughts?

M.) Always carry a notebook and pencil with you. You can’t edit an empty page so just write and, the part that is the hardest but I think is the most important: work on your craft EVERY DAY. A sentence, idea, paragraph or page. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re trying. Oh, and make sure you read all the copyright law you can.

11.) If you had to describe your books in 5 words, which words would you use?

M.) This one is really hard because they’re all different but; Hot as hell. Detailed. Inclusive

12.) What can we expect next? (I know what I’m excited for but I won’t spoil it lol)

M.) This is a really big year for me. I’ll be working on books that I invested in last year and part of that investment is going to the Historical Romance Retreat in San Diego at the end of September where I will debuting the second book in Cast form Camelot: The Blue Knight, with the cover man, David Cook, at my side. I will also be releasing my first book in my 5th series, Sins of Olympus, this year with the book Pride of Apollo. I’m hoping to get a few short stories released too, Midnight in Montreal is the first sequel to Paris Reflection in the Dirty Little Secrets set and I might even get a novella out in the Dukes of Hell series, Very, very busy.

13.) Anything you’d like to add before we wrap up?

M.) Don’t believe your haters, ignore the people who are going to dismiss your dreams because of their own small minds. Doesn’t matter if it’s your boss, your friends or family, don’t listen. Just go for it. Whatever your passion is, pursue it. Live with Passion, Live with Purpose.

14.) Last question, where do we find your books, apparel and all the goodies?

M.) All my books are on Amazon, All my e-books are on Smashwords and TeeSpring, I think they go by Spring now, officially, has the hoodies, tanks and all the other apparel. The direct links can all be found on my Books2Read page though which is the easiest for everyone to get to. Thanks for the opportunity to chat today and for being one of those women who lift others up.

Thank you again for joining us today I can’t wait to see what you come out with next. I’m a huge fan and anyone who hasn’t read one of her books be advised they are very spicy, but, RUN don’t walk and snag a copy.

Till next time,

Love a very tickled pink Magnolia xx

It’s another Fri-yay and today I’m talking to my friend Jessica Kotzer who is one of the founders of Self Pub Hub to which I’m grateful and thankful to be a member.

Last year I came across the Self Pub Hub community on Facebook and I was at a point in my writing where I was stalled out. I was frustrated, life had happened and I was feeling rather disheartened about continuing. I figured why not find and meet people that might understand so I attended the next Pub Night which is Monday nights via zoom. It was an instant fit for me.

So, welcome Jess and thank you for joining me to talk about our great community that you created. Let’s dive into the questions.

1. Can you tell us how the idea of Self Pub Hub came about?

J: Thanx for bringing me into your network Sarah. There are a million and one Facebook groups,forums,courses, and conferences for us authors, but I wanted to create free events for authors who care about building genuine connections. In the before times, I never would’ve thought about building Self Pub Hub, but I’ve grown to love socializing and networking over Zoom, where writers can sit down together and have our own drink of choice without the limits of proximity. In a nutshell, we’re a community of social authors.

2.Who does this community cater to specifically?

J: it’s catered towards authors or aspiring authors who enjoy networking.

3. I love Pub Nights and really loving the other events you have added for members, can u tell us a little about those?

J: Pub Nights is what started it all. I honestly never know what will happen or who will show, but I committed to hosting these weekly, informal , open-house meetups for authors to come out and chat. My main objective with Pub Night is to give authors the space to be heard. That was easier at first when only a handful of authors came out. Now that 15+ authors are coming out, we mix up the conversation between smaller breakout rooms and the rowdy main room. The extra events like our new marketing meet up,write-ins, and writing groups are here for writers who want to focus on certain topics, which I can never promise at Pub Nights.

4. What has your favorite part been about starting and growing this community?

J: Regulars!! I love knowing that other writers leave Pub Night re-inspired to press on, write more, and come back and share their progress every week If it wasn’t for the regulars, the community wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

5. Now we can’t forget to mention you, yourself are an author. Can u tell us a little about what u are working on?

J: After many years writing non-fiction under a different pen name, I’m transitioning into a contemporary women’s fiction series. It’s been a rocky road (fiction is proving mich more difficult for me) but the writing community has motivated me to persevere through the challenge of writing something new.

6. Everyone has different opinions on which part they find the hardest when writing a book, which area do u find you struggle with most?

J: Finishing. I read somewhere that 97% of manuscripts never get finished. It’s one thing to ideate, another to start, but pushing through the roadblocks that come up can be rough. Writers are our own mini start-ups. We need to plan,test,create minimum viable products, and be agile enough to pivot when necessary. For six months, I stopped working on my book because I was married to my one tiny chapter that I knew needed major work. Without a healthy mix of commitment to a road map and flexibility to changing the rules of the road, it’s easy to give up. I learned this the hard way, and I’m happy I did. Killing our darlings; it’s a rite of passage for an author.

7. Do u have any wisdom you’d like to pass on to any of my readers who are maybe debating writing a book or are taking the first scary steps into publishing?

J: Let me preface this advice by saying I might be a bit of an extremist. Go to a writing retreat, even if virtually. The collective energy of others with the same dreams as you make the dream feel that much more like a reality. When I went to a week long retreat in England, I came out of it with the story outline that is now becoming a series. I also encouraged my mom- a woman who had never traveled alone to go to the same retreat. Then she egged on my aunt- a woman even more reluctant to travel alone to go to this retreat. We all had it in us to write, and if you’re thinking of writing, then so do you. Sometimes we just need to be in an environment that encourages us to believe it ourselves.

8. I think my biggest flaw as an aspiring author is self-doubt and imposter syndrome and my biggest asset is I’m stubborn enough to try anyway. What do you think your biggest asset and biggest flaws are as a writer?

J: Empathy might be my biggest asset and weakness. I’m a worrywart. I get hung up on other people’s pain easily. Sometimes I feel guilty for not helping my friends,family, or the state of the world more than I’m capable of. My mental health has suffered for it many times. But pain sure does make good art.

9. Do you have any book recommendations for writing, editing and getting started on your writing journey for newbies?

J: So many! Ease yourself into writing with Writing Down the Bones. Pick up a book or two on story structure like Save the Cat or Story Genius. Observantly re-read your favorite books with an eye on dialogue, external and internal motivations of main characters and side characters, sentence flow, and how and when tension builds up to the climax. After all, the best book you can write will likely be a book you’d want to read yourself.

10. Before we go is there any final thoughts or comments you’d like to share and where do we find anything Self Pub Hub?

J: Seek out the collective energy of other writers. When we’re surrounded by writers, we start to believe that we too are writers, and that pesky imposter syndrome becomes a lot more manageable. If you’re still looking for a writer pack, I invite you to join our Facebook group, Writers Pub Hub.

Thank you again to Jessica for stopping by to chat with me. I can without a doubt say that not only has my writing been thriving since joining, but I’m also gaining a routine of being consistent with my writing. I’ve produced my best work with all the support I’ve received. I look forward to all the events and the friendships, knowledge, support and confidence I have gained from meeting these wonderful humans is beyond words. So, to any and all writers no matter where you are in your writing journey find your people, find us and I assure you it’s so worth it.

Till next week when I’ll review a fellow authors work or maybe I’ll interview another author….. you know what I’ll leave it a surprise.

Love an inspired and hopeful future author Magnolia xx

So, I recently got hair extensions put in my hair and the comments I have received for doing it aren’t all bad, but it did make me ponder and think about where society is today in terms of how you should look, the perception of beauty and the thousands of women chasing this unrealistic and unattainable body image.

I will say unequivocally I did not get my hair, eyebrows micro-bladed or my tattoos because I am chasing an image. I did not start losing weight to chase anybody’s ideal. It took till I was in my mid thirties before I felt like I needed to make some changes. My health was declining, and I had been ignoring it for years. I didn’t eat well, I had bad habits and heap loads of stress I wasn’t dealing with adding to my physical ailments. I cannot stress this enough to people, stress and not taking care of your mental wellbeing WILL affect your body and if ignored often enough you’ll end up in a hospital bed with your body shutting down like mine did. 

With that being said, you have an awful lot of time to evaluate life, where you stand and what needs to change. I told myself I needed to do better and my journey began. I got a trainer because I knew I couldn’t do it alone and I lost 40llbs in total which felt amazing. I had surpassed my weight goal. My goal was never to be super skinny, I was very thin at one point even after having my first baby and I never quite felt comfortable in my own skin. I was either starving myself or on drugs people would tell me. The judgement was hard to take, yet when I gained weight after my brother got sick and that stuck around, I was letting myself go. Funny how that works.

I got my first tattoo at 18, granted this one doesn’t have meaning to it, but it does have a memory attached to it and that began my love for this art form. I didn’t get anymore for many years because I wanted what I put on my body to represent who I am, to have meaning and not to be a fad where I just slap anything on my body. I now have 6 with one being almost a full sleeve. They are my memories, my accomplishments, my happiest moments and the loves of my life. They will be with me always and when I leave this world they will too. It’s profound for me.

I sometimes feel like I ramble when I write a blog and I go back several times to edit until I find my point lol. My biggest goal with this blog has always been transparency, I talk to you like I would talk to a friend. And that honesty is extremely important to me.

I got my hair extensions because my hair was growing very slowly where I had shaved it for many years, I was pretty frustrated about it. Rather then shave it again or cut it and hate it later I looked into extensions. I didn’t think hair could give me such confidence again, I mean it’s just hair. Memories have power though and when I look in the mirror, I see the fighter I was before health and circumstance had beaten me down, I saw the no fucks given person I was, and we got reacquainted with each other. I felt sexy again, powerful even. And I did it for nobody other than myself. I guess this kind of gets me to my point in a round about way. I don’t care how anyone alters their body, if it makes you feel how I feel, fabulous. I just think it’s important you do it for yourself and not for a boyfriend,husband,girlfriend,wife,lover, family or chasing after what a celebrity looks like.

We live in a world that is poisoning our young girls into striving often at unhealthy costs to look a certain way. Body shaming each other whether you do or don’t conform. We as women are doing this to eachother, it’s not even men although some don’t help matters either. It’s disgusting how people act and saying it behind a screen, being anonymous doesn’t excuse you.

Back to beauty, this was going in a very heavy direction. So here are the rules I follow when I’m thinking of change regardless of what it is. 1. Is it for you? Will it make you happy or will you want more and more? 2. Did you do your research? 3. Always check reviews and references of any work you’re getting done. 4. Pros and Cons list ALWAYS 5. Know what you are getting into before your appt. Find out all possible side effects that may occur 6. Be realistic about the possibility of infection or allergies. 7. If it’s cheap and I mean well below the competition don’t do it, you get what you pay for always. 8. Don’t ever let the words “but everyone’s doing it” come out of your mouth. 9. Your insides much match your outsides if you are not happy with who you are on the inside no amount of change on the outside will fix that. You will lose yourself in the process.

And last but not least know I think you are amazing, beautiful, handsome, worthy and more then enough. I want you to feel your best self in whatever form that is. Stay safe

Love Mama Bear Magnolia xx

It’s the dreaded Monday again and I am for one trying my darndest to get over the loathing I have for Mondays. I’m really trying to shift the mindset I have for a day just like any other and stop using the word Monday like a swear word. I always seem to say oh well I guess it’s my Monday today when things are going to shit. It’s honestly not fair to Monday lol but I digress.

Today’s topic will hopefully enlighten you, be thought provoking and I’m honored to be joined by Dillon Andres, the coach and mastermind behind the wolverine lifestyle. He’s back to have a candid one on one conversation with me about self-love, self-care, mental wellbeing, stigmas and the double standards between men and women in this day when it comes to taking care of yourself.

For this interview we decided it would be more personal and candid if we did the interview over Zoom so i will be adding the video below.

If you made it this far my hope is you enjoyed our conversation, maybe learnt something or gained a new perspective moving forward. We could’ve talked for hours I’m sure on a topic that I feel very passionately about while on my journey to being more myself and a better person in general. Do I struggle somedays, absolutely but I practice being grateful and I practice telling myself only good things, so I focus way less on things I can’t change and things that are not conducive to my wellbeing. I want to thank Dillon again for joining me and bringing a male point of view to the subject matter.

Here is a list of books I promised to list from both Dillon and myself. 1. Unfuc* Yourself by Gary Bishop 2. The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck by Mark Manson 3. The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins 4. Atomic Habits by James Clear 5. The 4% Fix by Karma Brown 6. The 12 week year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. I’ll only list 6 and I’ll do a future post when I’ve read the new ones I recently purchased.

In closing I hope you find time for yourself. I hope u show yourself as much love as u show others and I hope you fill your cup till it overflows so you are better prepared to take care of others.

Here is the link for Dillon’s YouTube channel be sure to check out some of the amazing topics he touches on.

https://youtube.com/channel/UChiDXGbJ4gkrDq88F_RnnSw

Till next time,

Loving myself Magnolia x

Happy Monday all, I took a little break last week to enjoy my birthday and work through a flare up, when the body is on strike its hard for me to give my best or function. On today’s blog I thought we could lighten things up and maybe have a laugh or two. Did your mom or grandma ever tell you old wive’s tales when you were a kid. Or anyone in your life tell you things that bordered the line of ridiculous, but you believed them anyway? Today with the help of my readers I’m going to list and talk about these tall tales that we were told. Some that work and even the ones that are just laughable.

We will start with mine:

1. If you eat all your vegetables, you’ll get big boobs (totally a lie) but I believed it lol 2. If you stick that bottom lip out any further the poopy bird is going to come shit on it. 3. Corn starch and egg whites for diaper rash (works everytime) 4. Coffee will stunt your growth 5. Cracking your knuckles is bad for you 6. An apple a day will keep the doctor away 7. Always wash your roast chickens and turkey in a salt bath before putting in the oven. 8. Toothpaste gets rid of hickeys 9. Putting a piece of bread in your brown sugar container keeps it moist. (Works) 10. If your nose is itchy your going to kiss a fool 11. If your left palm is itchy your coming into money and if your right palm is itchy then your going to lose money.

I took to Facebook to get friends to share some from their childhoods as well and here we go:

1. Not to shower or bath during a thunderstorm because you could get electrocuted. 2. If you pick your nose, your head would cave in. 3. If you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back. 4. Quit crossing your eyes or they will get stuck like that. 5. Eat your carrots or you will go blind.

6. Don’t walk bare foot in the house, especially during thunderstorms. 7. Eating strawberries while pregnant will cause your baby to have a strawberry birthmark. Having heartburn while pregnant means your baby will have a full head of hair. 8. If you go out with wet hair you will catch a cold. 9. If you break a mirror it’s seven years bad luck 10. Opening an umbrella in the house is bad luck.

11. Cold milk on a sunburn helps take the heat away. 12. Mustard plaster wrap to relieve your cold. 13. Dip a small piece of bread in milk, then tape or band-aid it to your face over a pimple, it dries it up and it clears up quicker. 14. Rub a wart with a potato then bury it and the wart will disappear. 15. Drinking black coffee will put hair on your chest.

Writing this particular post, I felt very nostalgic. Taking a trip down memory lane remembering the silly nonsense our parents told us and our young minds took quite literally. And we tell our children the same things, at least I know I’ve told mine a few of these and then instantly thought good lord I sound like my mother. I did go on Google as well just to see what other ones I could find but we’ll be here all day lol. What a black hole I fell into. Thank you to everyone that submitted their old wive’s tales in. I hope you took a trip down memory lane too and it made you smile. They may be silly, but it won’t stop me from telling my kids and hopefully one day they will tell their children, remember what grandma used to say and chuckle. Till next time.

Love a nostalgic Magnolia x

*** All images were courtesy of Pinterest and not mine. Credit should be given where it’s due.

Hello Hello today I’m serving up Chicken Cordon Bleu sliders. They are quick, easy and the family will love them. Another bonus is there are a dozen different ways to make this quick meal so if my way isn’t your thing,I’ll give some varations at the end for suggestions.

Ingredients: – A package of dinner rolls (12) or more depending on family size. I love the the brioche dinner buns from Costco, but any will work. -A rotisserie chicken for guick method or cook up 4 chicken and shred. – about 300grams of honey ham or 2 pkgs -1/2 cup of melted butter -1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and garlic powder (I used basil instead of Italian I was out) – bag of shredded Italian cheese mix or Swiss cheese slices – 9×13 roasting pan

I will warn you these are bloody delicious, my family inhaled them, and I will be making more then 12 next time.

On to cooking: 1. Preheat your oven to 350 2. Spray your pan with Pam so nothing sticks as it cooks 3. Take your tray buns/ dinner buns out and UT horizontally in half placing the whole bottom layer in the pan

4. Melt your butter in the microwave and add the seasoning and garlic to it, mix it up well. 5. Take a brush and lightly brush the bottom layer of buns 6. Layer your chicken evenly on the buns followed by slices of ham. 7. Next sprinkle or add cheese slices until all the meat is covered. 8. I like to brush on a little butter on the inside top layer before placing it on top of your meat and cheese layers but that’s totally up to you. Chicken Cordon Bleu usually has a white cream sauce which you could make but I much preferred it this way. .

9. Take the remaining butter with seasonings in it and brush it over the top of all the buns. 10. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden brown, and the cheese is nicely melted. 11. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving and enjoy that yummy goodness.

Other variations of this may be: Hawaiian- ham, mozzarella, pineapple Pizza- tomato sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella Beef n cheddar Philly cheese steak- beef stir fry meat, provolone, caramelized onions Chicken, bacon & ranch Buffalo Chicken

And I could go on and on and on lol I guess the right thing to say is there is no wrong way to do this, make it to your preference, have fun with it and enjoy. I served mine with air fried French fries and a salad. It was a huge hit around here and I plan to make it again shortly.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Servin Up Sunday I’ll be back next week with another easy, delicious meal for you and yours.

Love a very content Magnolia x

On today’s edition of Savvy Business, we have the pleasure of meeting my dear friend Kari, learn about her incredible journey and her amazing new venture. First, I’d like to say welcome and thank you for being a part of my favorite blog day, let’s dive right in, shall we?

1) Tell us a little about yourself and this journey you’ve been on to get to where you are now?

K) Oh my gosh, where do I start? I’m a mom of two free spirited rainbow girls who are almost 5 and almost 2, a long time girlfriend to their dad who’s busy in the oil patch and on the farm. And somewhere in there I’m a business owner, a lover of plant- based products, an infertility survivor and a keeper of memories for my family.

2) What motivated this journey and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it?

K) This journey was a long time in the making, even though I hadn’t realized it yet. As I was on maternity leave with my second girl, I had a hard time seeing myself going back to working an office 9-5 type of job. I absolutely loved my job, but with the world events I could see how going back even part time would end up with me covering shifts for others with kids out of school and home learning or sickness, eventually ending up back full time again. The downside would be missing my own daughter’s in their endeavors like skating lessons, swimming lessons, or spit off the moment trips to the farm or city. Making the decision to jump into being solely an entrepreneur was not one I took lightly as I’ve worked for somebody else since the age of 14. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that while you always need a plan, you also always need a plan B & C. Whether it be scheduling conflicts, sick kids, a worldwide pandemic or simply having the internet down for the day, be flexible, have a backup plan and make sure what you’re getting into is something you’re incredibly passionate about.

3) When did the idea of Peach Pine Wellness come to you and tell me about your new venture? What services do you offer?

K) So, the name Peach Pines Wellness took me months to come up with because I’m a chronic overthinker. (Me too my friend me too lol). I wanted something that symbolized my two girls whose names both start with P. They are polar opposites, but both thrive in nature. Wellness came in because I’m passionate about Wellness both from a health and a business standpoint. Under the Peach Pines umbrella, I have both my business coaching services as well as my photography services. The coaching focuses on clients exactly like you and I, the mom who is running her own business( yes that definitely includes the MLM biz running moms to) and is looking for help to set & crush goals with a customized plan. While I do offer family photography, I love to get my biz owning moms on another level with a branding session. These always feel so fun, personal and so much less awkward than those quick family photos.

4) As a fellow Mompreneur what do you think are the top 3 reasons we fail at our endeavors.

K) I think all three reasons can be summed up to our goal habits. From not setting realistically attainable goals, to having unrealistic expectations of our goals and lastly not having a solid plan to reach those. If you’re not in sync with each of those, then you are bound to get discouraged which can ultimately lead to feeling like you’ve failed. In reality failure is a part of life, parenting and business. I’m not sure about you but I sure don’t get everything right every single day lol. The way we choose to come back from those failures and learn from those lessons are going to determine how you’ll proceed in life and business.

5) Why now, why did you feel this exact moment with everything going on in the world now was the time to launch this business?

K) Honestly this is the perfect time. So many moms are turning to working for themselves in some capacity and are needing the guidance that I once wish I had. We’ve both been there, the mom in the thick of mom hood, goldfish on the floor, working between naps, trying to decide if we should get the laundry done, shower or email that client back first. It gets better, the phases get different and just like that your babies and your business grows.

6) Walk me through the steps. I’m coming to you and saying this is what I want, how do I get from point A to point B?

K) Well, you come to me, and we get a plan in place. There are options for one-on-one coaching, group coaching for those mompreneurs with teams or the option for simple goal setting sessions. Each have a different process and length but overall, my goal is to help you to set your goals in a realistic and attainable manner. Get an action plan in place for you to be able to follow. How far we stick together through the action plan is completely up to you and the package you choose.

7) What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given and what’s the worst?

K) The best piece of advice is definitely that it’s OK to say no and be selfish sometimes. No is a complete sentence, no allows you to slow down, have time for your family or yourself. It’s OK to be selfish and say no. The worst? Stick to your business plan. Can you imagine not having any flexibility and being locked into a certain plan for the duration of your career? Can you imagine not being able to pivot like so many parents and businesses have had to in these past two years with all the world’s events? Do I have a business plan? Absolutely. Did I have a birth plan also? Absolutely but I am also reminded daily by my scars that those birth plans were also just a suggestion.

8) Sounds like great advice either way. What would you say to a woman, or anyone sat at home right now with an idea, a thought, a dream and a fear doing it?

K) Brainstorm it!! Start a mind map and list out all the steps you must take to get there. Now what’s stopping you? Let’s work through those fears and self- doubts. Let’s get the dream onto paper and if there’s enough passion that dream can become a goal. Goals are meant to be crushed.

9) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

K) This is easy. Being the best mom I can be to my two girls, the best wife I can be and helping countless moms achieve their goals while they raise their babies and finding balance.

10) Is there anything you’d like to add in closing and where do we find you? Let’s get all your socials.

K) The only thing I would like to add is to just start. If you have an idea, start. Write it down, do up a mind map, a business plan, whatever it takes! Book a call with me and let’s get your goal nailed down and some action plans in place to get you there.

Come join my newsletter for tips and freebies Kari-Moyer.myKajabi.com peachpineswellness@gmail.com and @peachpineswellness via Instagram

Thank you so much to Kari from Peach Pines Wellness for being here today and sharing her new venture. I wish you loads of success, and I know we will be talking soon as I’m a huge productive procrastinator and I need help kicking the habit.

Love a future goal achieving ass-kicking Magnolia x

It’s Fri-yay finally and in today’s topic I’ll be talking smutty fiction. I’ve picked up a few dozen books the last couple weeks, yes dozen don’t judge me. I thought I would round out the last 3 I’ve read, give some thoughts and recommend based on my reviews. Now if you’re not a romance reader, like filthy talk or sex in very descriptive ways then I would suggest skipping this post. All three books were excellent in different ways. There were surprises, plot twists I didn’t see coming and when I was done well, I wanted more and now have to not so patiently wait for more ugh. The audacity I know lol

The first one up is by J.R Ward and I will say now I know why she is so highly recommended. Tik Toks have been made, praises like crazy for her book Dark Lover and the rest of the brotherhood series. I’ll get to those toots sweet, but this book is called Claimed and it did not disappoint. It’s set in the black dagger world and about a scientist fighting to save the gray wolves and getting caught in a deadly trap herself. I did feel a little lost when mention of previous characters from the brotherhood were in scenes however, it only fueled my curiosity to now read the series and delve into those characters. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say early in the book I was completely convinced who was doing what, how it was going to end. I was so sure and then one twist was dropped, a good guy is a bad guy, and a bad guy is a good guy. When it came to the end I actually said no fucking way out loud. Didn’t see it playing out like that at all then I turned that last page and saw that devilish bold print that says don’t miss the next installment coming summer 2022. I cursed you J.R Ward I did, not even ashamed and because of this I will now be checking the back of each book to see if it’s going to continue. I will then wait closer to the next release to read it so I’m not sat here like an addict waiting for a fix. Grrrrr first world problems I get it. My spice meter gives this a 1/5 however, overall story 4/5

Next on the docket is The Warlord by Gena Showalter. Thirty days to wed a virgin. Thirty days to sacrifice her. Thirty nights to resist temptation. Front and center on the cover you bet your ass I grabbed that book likity split. And I binge read this book cover to cover in one sitting, could not put it down. Alpha hole male that exudes power and control hit all my checklist and the leading lady was that perfect amount of fierce, sexy and sass. They both want something out of this deal that’s struck, they both think the other will fall and the battlefield they choose is explosive. I won’t say much more I will not ruin it for you but run and get it. Dead serious, run. I was hooked, addicted and craved more at the end. I sure as hell hope there are more coming as I will be on it so fast. My spice meter gives this a 3/5 and only because if I’m honest I’ve read some filthy shit. Story though 5/5. I really liked this book, and I will be holding my breath for more.

Last but not least is Neon Gods by Katee Robert. He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the river Styx and fell under his dark spell… He was, quite simply, MINE. It us a sexy retelling of Hades and Persephone and I’m so here for it. Something not well known about me is the fact I love Greek mythology. I love it and I’m quite skeptical when reading stories and retelling of myths, so I was really intrigued and excited to read this book. It was in my opinion the perfect amount of romance, intrigue and smut. It touched on light BDSM and voyeurism while not distracting from the story. I like how she mixed today’s obsession with looks, popularity and appearances with this myth as well. It had all the elements of any good romance and more. She has another coming soon based on Aphrodite’s son and Persephone’s sister. I look forward to it already. A great myth woven into the intricacies of very flawed relatable characters. I would recommend this retelling in a heartbeat. My smutty meter gives it a 3.5/5. It had just enough to spice up the plot and be yummy. And storyline 5/5 for sure. Can’t wait for the next one.

That’s a wrap for this Fan Friday, I will be back with more reviews and fan content. If there is anything you’d like to see or read about, want more of don’t hesitate to email me at rusticmagnolia82@gmail.com and I will do my best to get it done. Till next week.

Love a very delighted book hoe Magnolia x