Jamaica Archives -

April 30, 2015

Office Hours

{The most unique flower I’ve ever seen! Saw this while waiting for our bus after Dunn’s River Falls. Jamaica, you’re beautiful!}

Good morning! April completely flew by for me. It’s almost unbelievable. I don’t imagine life slowing down anytime soon, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d prefer to be busy and active than bored with nothing to do. I wanted to pop in for a minute and say hello though because I know the blog has been fairly neglected lately. I’ve been trying to figure out why that is and I’ve come to a few conclusions:

I feel the need to post pinnable, marketable posts and haven’t had the time to do it.
I haven’t been taking a lot of pictures lately of everything else going on so I haven’t shared much.
I have a vision for the blog, but I’m not entirely sure I’m going in the right direction half the time.

I feel like I need a more stream lined schedule for everything going on right now. Something that forces me to sit down and get stuff done for the things that matter.

MSWB – I’ve been leading the Mississippi Women Bloggers website for a few months now and it has not been top priority lately; however, I really want it to be because I want our community to improve and grow. I want us to have regular guest bloggers and posts, I want us to be good at social media, I want us to host events throughout Mississippi for our bloggers, but right now, it’s me and 3 other ladies who are extremely busy with their own lives and families. I need to schedule some strict “office hours” for MSWB.

Personal Blog – Of course, I want this to grow and flourish as well. I love my blog, I love what it’s become, I love the exposure it’s received lately, but I’ve been a terrible blogger this month. I managed to schedule some stuff at the beginning of the month while I was out of town at my conference and then I practically fell off the planet around these parts. I’ve decided I will probably never be a food blogger. I want to improve in that area, but I’m not good at creating recipes. I’m good at following recipes haha. So maybe this will be a place where I share some of my favorite recipe finds and then you can follow the experts. I need to practice “just writing” and sharing more about what is actually going on in my life. That’s what got my blog up and running in the first place and I don’t feel that I ever just sit and write to enjoy the fact that I have this wonderful space to share my life with the friends I’ve made through blogging. I’m constantly trying to think of “marketable” posts and I think it’s overwhelmed me subconsciously.

Girls on the Run – My oh my! How I love this beautiful program and I love my beautiful 3rd-5th grade girls! My goal is to be a lot more active this coming year. I plan to volunteer some hours for administrative & management duties to help out our Executive Director. I’ll also be taking some social media responsibility for our chapter, so that’s another thing to add on my schedule. Again, I’ll need some specific “office hours” to stay caught up with everything or I’ll let time slip right by. It might be a wild and crazy dream, but this involvement could potentially lead to an actual job position with Girls on the Run, not necessarily in the Central Mississippi chapter because who knows where I’ll be in a few years, but I know they have large chapters across the US who actually hire staff and if I ever move, I’ll be looking into that opportunity, for sure! I have loved this program so much more than I expected and I’m so incredibly blessed by the girls I work with. They’ve been talking about this school performance all season and it’s supposed to be a really big deal to them. I suggested yesterday at practice that I might come and watch and they got so excited about it – so obviously I have to go now! I can’t wait to see them experience something that they’ve been looking forward to all year, just like the 5k we’re running next weekend to warp up the season. I’m hoping to stay in touch with the girls I’ve worked with because I adore them so much!

Arbonne – I’m going to a party tonight. I’ve been contemplating selling Arbonne for a few years now. They’re all vegan products which would match very well with my blog and they have a wide variety of items. My favorite things so far: Vitamin B12+D Tropical Spray, Lip gloss, and Vegan Protein Powder. Seriously, their protein powder is some of the best tasting stuff! I’m getting close to the point where I need to order some more lip gloss and I’d love to order some protein powder, so I’m considering the possibility of becoming a seller. I’ve used their skin care products before and I have to say, I have never felt like I had more beautiful skin than when I used their skin care line. I could see a difference the very next day. I’ll let y’all know how tonight goes, but I’m seriously thinking about it. Again, if I did that, I’ll probably need “office hours” although I don’t plan on being a pushy salesperson, I’ll probably start off small and share it with some friends and then hopefully find a few loyal customers to keep me afloat in the business so I can continue to get my discounts. If it grows into something more, then I’ll happily welcome that into my life.

So to sum this up, I’m wanting to dip my “paws” (pun intended) in a lot of stuff right now, but I’m not managing it all very well which is why I think I need “office hours.” Am I the only one like that? I need to schedule some time to sit down and do certain things or I’ll let time fly by as I catch up on Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds. I’ve taken a few lessons from my own blog post today:

Don’t be overwhelmed with blogging. It’s supposed to be fun & enjoyable. If all I do with it is share my experiences, then I’ll have nothing to lose because I have a place to go back and re-experience all the joyful times in my life! If I don’t make money from it, that’s okay. If I don’t become a legit food blogger with beautiful pictures, that’s okay.
To manage time wisely, I need to set aside specific times to get things done for MSWB, No Bologna, GOTR, and Arbonne (if that becomes an actual thing.) I’ll feel less stressed and be able to “leave it alone” when time permits so I can enjoy the other aspects of my day.
Devote time to things that make me happy – Girls on the Run is definitely one of those things, so volunteer more if that’s what I need/want. Blogging also makes me happy as long as I’m conscious of what I put into it and I don’t get overwhelmed. I feel like I’m good at stepping back when necessary to re-evaluate how I should proceed (Exhibit A: April). MSWB is a positive and encouraging place, something I want to spend time growing and nurturing because I want to see this community rise up. Arbonne brings together things I’m passionate about and also things that allow me to relax and enjoy myself – they have a spa section, a fitness/health section, a makeup section, and a skin care section of their products. All of which I enjoy to some degree or another. If I start working with Arbonne, I’ll enjoy sharing products that I know are cruelty free, but I also know that they provide solutions to problems and I love helping others with that!

Regardless if this was a good blog post for you, it was a great blog post for me because I was able to focus back in to what I’m wanting to accomplish. Hopefully it helped you realize some areas in your life that you either need to put more effort or time into or cut back in. As always, I appreciate you for being here and reading this blog and I appreciate you being patient with me as I needed a few slow weeks to gather my thoughts and make time/space for No Bologna. It’s such a pleasure & privilege to share experiences and life with you!

Do you have set “office hours” for activities in your life?
How do you manage the various programs you participate in?
I’d love any thoughts or opinions on how to manage this busy season in my life. I know I’m good at staying organized and scheduled, but I believe that there is also someone out there who knows more than I do, so if you have any tips/tricks that I may not have thought of, I’d love to hear it!

April 27, 2015

Dunn’s River Falls

Good Morning! Did you miss me? I know, my consistency has been about once a week this month ha, but it’s been nice to take a small break. I’ve been working on one of my 2015 goals though and that’s getting braces. It hasn’t been the funnest experience of my life at this point and I don’t imagine it getting any better since all I’ve had to deal with so far are spacers. The brackets aren’t even on yet and I haven’t had my teeth pulled, so that week will probably be the most miserable week, but I do believe it will all be worth it in the end! Wish me luck.

BREAKFAST

It’s been difficult to eat a lot with my spacers in, but I’m getting a little more brave as time goes on and I decided to do my old favorite – cinnamon raisin ezekial bread with peanut butter and banana. It just now occurred to me that I forgot the honey & cinnamon on top. I only did one slice this morning instead of two because I knew I wouldn’t make it through two whole slices with my spacers in. I also have some Pineapple Kona tea steeping in the kitchen right now. I’ll probably make myself a smoothie before leaving the house as well.

JAMAICA

Wow… that’s been forever ago! I still miss it. I would not object to being on the beach right now with a book in hand and the sun shining down. It’s finally time to share about Dunn’s River Falls though. I had been waiting on the flash drive from my cousin with the pictures. She had the full blown water proof camera, so we brought that with us on the excursion and the pictures turned out great!

We met up at the excursion desk that morning around 9:30am. We decided not to do the booze cruise and to take the bus instead. We both agreed that we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything when we did this and it saved money so I could get a massage later in the week. We met a super sweet couple that had just gotten married, so we stuck with them throughout the trip. It’s a little chaotic when you arrive, but we finally made our way to the falls and we had a tour guide to start us off. I was a tad surprised when they wanted us to hold hands during the entire climb up because I felt that if one fell, we would all fall. Turns out, that’s definitely the best way to go – so we formed a line holding hands all the way to the top.

The guys who led the way would stop at certain points along the route for photo opportunities. They would take our picture with their fancy camera in case we decided to purchase a cd of pictures and they would also use your camera to take pictures. It was very convenient. I felt that the excursion was the right amount of time too. I never thought it should be time to go and that we were dragging on, but I also didn’t get too disappointed when it ended. Don’t get me wrong, I could have done that again the very next day because we had so much fun!

We decided to bring as little as possible with us. My cousin brought a small shoulder bag and that’s where we kept her camera, a little money, and our clothes during the trip up the falls. It worked out great. I decided to leave my shirt on because I was a little nervous about my top coming off, but Karla did just fine wearing her swimsuit and never had any issues. We definitely encourage you to wear your hair up. It didn’t get in our way and I’m sure it made the trip much easier. It’s pretty shaded, so although I would recommend wearing some sunscreen, you don’t really need to worry about reapplying or wearing a whole lot. The water can be a little chilly, so be prepared.

One thing that we were not sure about were shoes. We debated whether or not we should purchase water shoes or if we could wear some tennis shoes or sandals that we brought with us. We were 110% thankful once we arrived that we decided to purchase specific water shoes from the gift shop at the resort. Do not wait until you arrive to the falls and do not purchase them along the route. They have a place where the driver will stop on the way there for you to “rent” shoes. They’re NOT worth it, in my opinion. We were so glad we chose to purchase the water shoes at the resort. I thought about wearing some active sandals that can get wet, similar to choco’s, but I’m so glad I didn’t. I would not have felt that my toes were safe. There are a lot of rocks, obviously, and a lot of places I could have cut a toe or pulled a toenail.

This was by far one of my favorite days from the entire trip. I’m so glad we chose to do this and I have some really great memories with my cousin!

Can I go back now?

March 30, 2015

Jamaican Blues

Good morning, blog friends! How was your weekend? Mine was excellent, it was a perfect weekend in Starkville spending time with Nick. He’ll be back home next weekend and we have a wedding to attend, then Easter, then we’re headed to Orlando for a work conference I have. It’s going to be a great birthday week – I’ll get to learn some new stuff that will hopefully advance me at work, I’ll get to spend quality time with Nick and his brother’s family, and to top it all off…. I’ll be at Disney, on my birthday, crossing my fingers that I get selected for the Festival of the Lion King show. There will be birthday signs, people. Surely they’ll notice me!

The past few weeks have been back to reality since Jamaica and I’m not going to lie… it’s been ROUGH! I love my life, I love my job, I love the people I get to share this time with, but who wouldn’t want to do all of that in beautiful Jamaica? Yep, I’m having the Jamaican blues. I miss my cousin, we were tremendously spoiled with all that personal time together – we have never had that before! I miss the relaxing on the beach without a care in the world, reading a good book. I miss the free food. I miss our favorite little spots and our favorite little people. A few times a week I find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to just stay. Stay there and never leave. Of course, that would never actually happen, but I mean… what if? Am I Right?

So today in honor of my memories and the fun I had in Jamaica, I figured I’d give you a little peek into what my week was like. It’s not everything, that’s for sure, and I have a lot more pictures and adventures to share, but here is what I witnessed through my iPhone. Karla still has our Dunn’s River Falls pics, plus more, so once I get those from her I’ll go through that. I also have pictures on my camera, but I’ll share those in another post. This will probably be the most unorganized vacation recap you have ever experienced, but we’re going to run with it!

For me, the adventure started at the airport. I’ve never flown international and I had to get my passport specifically for this trip. We flew from Jackson to Charlotte to Jamaica. When we arrived in Jamaica, we had expedited customs which made our arrival a breeze! It wasn’t too long before I was hugging my cousin and we were headed to the resort. Our resort was about an hour and a half away from the airport, so we had a fun bus ride there. It really wasn’t as bad as I expected. They let us stop for a potty break and our driver gave us information as we passed by various areas along the island. When we arrived to the resort, they greeted us with champagne as we waited for our room.

We had daily cleaning service and they always had a special towel display on our bed. They were very impressive too. Our typical schedule was to wake up at a reasonable time, around 8 or 9, then head to breakfast. We usually ate at Kelly’s Dockside because the variety was phenomenal, but we did choose a fancier breakfast one morning.

I got french toast and eggs Benedict without ham. It was absolutely delicious! They had excellent coffee while we were there too, so we always enjoyed a fresh cup with our breakfast each morning. After breakfast, we would head over to the scuba area and see if they’d let us dive that day. Unfortunately we weren’t able to dive the entire week because the water was too choppy. Then we would head back to the room and pack up our beach bag for the day, heading out to the beach on our side of the property – sometimes to the pool, but usually to the beach.

The weather honestly wasn’t too hot, but it wasn’t too cold either. We wore shorts and tank tops every day, but sometimes at night it felt good to have a light sweater or regular clothes on. You could feel the warm sun beating down, but it was never miserably hot. The water was absolutely gorgeous, very blue. After laying out for a bit, we would then figure out what we wanted for lunch. The options were endless and sometimes we would do a light lunch in one place and a light lunch an hour or two later somewhere else. After lunch, we’d go back to the beach and maybe even get in one of the floats out on the water. Around 4 or 5, we would head back to our room and shower for dinner. We would always go to the Sushi bar for appetizers and drinks then meet up with some of my co-workers for dinner. If we weren’t meeting up with them, then we may just stay for dinner at the sushi bar. The sushi bar was our favorite restaurant at the resort. After dinner, it was dancing! We loved the entertainers they had to keep the party alive. They were literally hired to dance with the guests and keep things going throughout the night.

There were a few days when this wasn’t our exact schedule. On Monday we had our scuba diving certification, just in case we were able to scuba dive at any point during the week. On Tuesday we did Dunn’s River Falls and on Wednesday or Thursday we went sailing.

I will say that 7 days was perfect. I could have stayed longer, but I certainly wouldn’t want to stay any less than that.

On Monday night we had a group cocktail hour and dinner. We took group pictures beforehand and each got a free picture to take home with us. It was fun to get everyone dressed up and mingling together. The dinner was beautiful and they offered me mashed potatoes with veggies. The potatoes were delicious, but I love mashed potatoes!

I could not have asked for a better week, a longer week maybe… but not better! It was absolutely perfect and spending that quality time with my cousin was priceless. She had such a blast too and she really got along well with my co-workers who were there. We laughed, we talked about serious matters, we stayed active, we layed out on the beach, we ate and ate, we drank and drank, we did everything we wanted to except scuba dive. I’m so thankful that this opportunity was provided to me!

I’ll be back with more pictures and fun times as soon as I can! Hope you all have a wonderful week and maybe you’ll get a shorter week with Good Friday. I know we have a half-day, so I’m looking forward to that! The next week I will be in Orlando, so I’m hoping to have some good stuff scheduled for y’all by the end of the weekend! Cheers!

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