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You know how everything can be going right on track? You are feeling good, you are positive and optimistic, you're attitude is in a joyful place, and then something just takes the wind right out of your sails! Between the inspiration at the Women in Business Conference and feeling all positive energy vibes after reading The Energy Bus, I was in full on positive focus. And then one of those things that just smacks you between the eyes happened. I recently got a new computer and was organizing files and I found screen shots of Facebook posts from five years ago when my dad committed suicide. Posts that were hurtful and not kind. I honestly don't know why a co-worker sent them to me back then. But re-reading them re-opened a can of emotions in my head. It brought back all the turmoil from the months and even first couple years after losing my dad. So many lies, so much betrayal, so much manipulation. I didn't sleep well that night. My head would just not turn off living it all over again. Then, the next morning I ran into Hobby Lobby to get some sewing needles and this book was sitting front and center at the checkout, Get Out of Your Head. I impulsively threw it on the counter. It must have been that Law of Attraction that I had been reminded about in The Energy Bus. You know the one that says we attract what we think about. What a joy this book was to get my head back aligned with my heart. Positive energy and a joyful attitude! The book was biblically based while also providing great content on how the brain functions in regards to our thoughts. It was informative on how to re-engage our thoughts in a healthy and positive way. The author was vulnerable throughout the book explaining her own journey. She showed how to shift our focus and then applied it to her own story. Being grateful was definitely a key theme! If you need to get your focus back on track and you want Jesus to be your guide, I highly recommend this book. I read it during the mornings as my devotional and it was so great and motivating for me each day. I'm excited to say it helped me have a very productive week! This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

At the recent Crystal Coast Women in Business Conference, the book The Energy Bus was a recommended read. It arrived this past week and I quickly scooped it up. It's a short and easy read but so motivating about positive energy. As I mentioned in my post, Strive to Thrive, the speakers at the conference were so inspirational and there was a common theme of positive attitude and energy. The book is not written in the typical style of a personal growth book. It's written as a story about George and his journey of letting go of the negativity and embracing positivity and channeling his energy towards positive results. We get to see George applying the 10 principles of the Energy Bus through the story, overcoming obstacles, and ultimately getting his bus to the destination successfully. The story has even greater applicability if you work with a team that you need to keep focused. The 10 Rules for The Energy Bus: You're the driver of your bus. Desire, vision, and focus move your bus in the right direction. Fuel your ride with positive energy. Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead. Don't waste your energy on those who don't get on your bus. Post a sign that says NO ENERGY VAMPIRES ALLOWED on your bus. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride. Love your passengers. Drive with purpose. Have fun and enjoy the ride. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book: "Sometimes we have to see what we don't want, to know what we do want." "Your certainty must be greater than everyone's doubt." "Purpose is the ultimate fuel for our journey through life... Purpose is what life is all about." "The key to success is that your trust is bigger than your fear." "The best legacy you could leave is not some building that is named after you or a piece of jewelry but rather a world that has been impacted and touched by your presence, your joy, and your positive actions." If you need a feel good read that will help get your mind focused on positive energy, this is the read for you!

All the fall feels with this delicious apple crisp! Unlike a pie, you don't have to wait for it to cool! Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

This recipe makes 18-20 meatballs. Each serving is only 2-3 so I recommend freezing any that are not needed for the current meal. Simply wrap each one in a piece of foil and then put all into a freezer safe Ziploc bag.

I recently attended the Crystal Coast Women in Business Conference and I left feeling very inspired! The keynote speaker, Mindy Fitzpatrick, co-owner of the legendary Friendly Market, was fascinating to hear. Not only does she run a rock star business, she also played college basketball on the National Championship winning team. Her speech focused on how much she learned about teamwork and leadership from her years as a top athlete and how she applied those principles when starting the Friendly Market and has used them to amass explosive growth in a relatively short time period. She repeatedly said how she was never the best athlete but that she was always coachable; always listening and striving to be better than she was the day before. And how nobody succeeds alone. If you have ever been to The Friendly Market, you understand the environment that has been created there. The teamwork amongst everyone from the checkout to the bakers is unparalleled. Mindy said anyone can make chicken salad or tomato pie, and that someone else may make it better than them, but she thrives on the experience and environment much like she did when playing sports. It isn't always about the win (or the best recipe) but how you make others feel in the journey. That is true success. The other speaker that greatly moved me was JenMekia Gay. If you've ever thought you had things hard or had a lot to overcome, then you just need to sit down and hear her story. Since I was the MC for the event, I had the pleasure of meeting her at a reception the night before. Her smile, attitude, and positive energy were absolutely infectious; I knew I would be in for a treat to hear her speak but it was even more than I could have imagined. JenMekia was speaking on the topic of women in non-traditional roles. After all, how many women welders do you know? She didn't have the easiest start to life. She was born to a crack addict mother, along with 7 siblings, and spent her childhood in and out of foster homes. She dropped out of high school at 16 to start working in order to support herself. She worked jobs like fast food and stocking shelves at a grocery store. In 2018, she overheard two men talking and one was telling the other that if he could get his welding certification he could be making $45/ hour. As a single mom of 3 at this point, JenMekia's ears perked up. She left work that day with $180 to her name and went straight to the community college (our local community college has a fantastic welding program) and spent every last dollar she had enrolling. First, she had to get her GED before she could even start but she never let that deter her. She continued working and being a single mom of 3 while she attended school. Not only did she finish the program a few years later, she graduated top in her class, went on to win the Skills USA state welding competition, and then the Skills USA national welding competition. Nothing was stopping her now! She now has a great job and a promising future! I believe the key to her story of overcoming was her attitude and positivity! She told some funny stories and some very sad stories but how she always believed in herself and staying positive. One of her lines that got a good chuckle from the audience was "just because you've had a shitty life, doesn't mean you have to become a shitty person." If anyone in that room arrived that morning feeling down on their luck or circumstances, they left with a positive attitude that could take them places. These two ladies are both proof positive that attitude is everything. They have inspired me to work harder, connect more, and focus on the positive energy!

These potatoes make you feel like you are at a nice steakhouse! Plus, they are simple to make and require very little hands on time!

This simple and easy slow cooker recipe is not only delicious; it will have your home smelling amazing! The pork chops are cut with a fork tender! Serve over rice to complete the meal.

I just returned from a super fun weekend with my college roommates! We knew it would be a quick weekend so we decided we would just go to Raleigh since it was easy for everyone to get to and, well, it's where we went to college! We kicked off the weekend with a fabulous dinner at Vivace in North Hills. Everything was delicious and the atmosphere was fantastic. We lingered with wine and talked and talked and talked. Saturday was a BUSY day! We had breakfast and then we went to see the new sorority houses and all the changes on campus! The new Greek village is something else! Those girls are lucky! After a quick lunch we spent the afternoon shopping in North Hills. I haven't done much live shopping since Covid so it was super fun to browse and try on and add some great additions to my closet! Once we wrapped up our shopping, we headed to the iconic Angus Barn for dinner. It hasn't changed since I was a little girl. Such a neat place! We all headed out early on Sunday. As I drove home, I just thought about how blessed I am to have these girls in my life. We don't have to talk daily (although someone usually sends something daily in our group text) and can just pick right up where we left off. We have been there for each other through good times and hard times. I can't imagine a more supportive group of friends. Not everyone has friends like that and I truly cherish these girls and our relationship. Make time for your true girlfriends. These are lifetime friendships that bring us more joy than we even realize sometimes!

I wasn't much of a reader growing up but these days I love to read any chance I get. I especially like personal growth books but sometimes you just need a good piece of fiction to curl up on the porch with a glass of wine and read cover to cover. Our book club is led by the amazingly talented New York Times best-selling author, Kristy Woodson Harvey. She is always in the know about books and this past month she recommended Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. When I read the overview, I was a little skeptical of the storyline but this book was fantastic! It's nearly 400 pages and I read it in 2 days. I literally could not put it down. One of my favorite parts was the dog. The dog narrates in parts and that made me feel completely normal for having conversations with my dogs and answering for them! If you are looking for a new read, grab this one! Plus, it was my turn to host book club. I wanted to serve an easy finger food so I made this charcuturie board. I had the most fun making it. Create your own with the recipe HERE. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

When I left corporate America a few years ago, I decided I wanted to spend a lot of my newly found time serving in my community. So many amazing organizations! Currently, I volunteer for these wonderful organizations: Crystal Coast Hospice House: Board of Directors and Treasurer Carteret County Economic Development Foundation: Board of Directors and I sit on the Housing Assessment Committee and the Women in Business Conference Committee Gramercy Christian School: Personal Finance teacher and Warrior Run fundraiser First Baptist Church Finance Committee First Baptist Church Diaconate It was quite the honor to be invited to become a deacon. It greatly pushed me out of my comfort zone but into a direction I wanted to be going. A few weeks ago, I received a call that a lady I was the deacon for was in the hospital. She had been having some health issues and they had worsened. I got in the car and went over to the hospital to visit with her. When I arrived at her room, her daughter (whom I did not know) was visiting with her. The daughter explained how they were trying to get her transferred to another hospital for needed surgery. A few days later they were able to get her moved and she had the surgery. After recovering in the hospital for a few days she was moved to a rehab facility to begin physical therapy. Unfortunately, her condition deteriorated and she was moved to the Crystal Coast Hospice House. I went to see her and her family at the Hospice House. She passed away that night in her sleep. Even though I serve on the Board for the Crystal Coast Hospice House, I'd never had someone I know admitted there. It's truly a special place and our community is so blessed to have it. It feels like a home there; not a sterile hospital. It's comforting and the people were all so kind. People that spend their days caring for the elderly, the sick, the dying are truly special. When I left, I had to sit in my car for a few minutes and just process it all. This service had come full circle. I was so grateful that I could serve such a wonderful organization and watch it be a blessing to this sweet family and so many others. Serving others is truly the most rewarding and fulfilling experience. If you are missing that from your life, I encourage you to step out and get involved in your community. You won't regret it!

This week's date night feature is the all new Blue Moon in Beaufort. Blue Moon was a favorite of ours for years. Then it closed a few years ago and has re-opened with new owners. It's located in the HistoricDill House c.1827 and has been beautifully updated while keeping all of the original charm. The new Blue Moon is a French bistro with a perfect ambiance! My husband and I sat by the window and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine together. We shared a fantastic Caesar salad to start and then he had the triggerfish special and I had the scallops. Everything was wonderful! Fresh, great portion sizes, and beautifully plated. We will definitely be having another date night there soon!

This simple slow cooker roast recipe is sure to be a hit. It smells amazing cooking all day! I do recommend to trim all excess fat off the roast before searing. It will keep the juices in the slow cooker from getting greasy.

Easy, healthy, and delicious! Serves well over angel hair pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

These low carb muffins are perfect for an easy breakfast. Practically no clean up!

If you are eating low carb but still want Alfredo, this will get your fix. The spaghetti squash will be al dente. If you prefer it softer you can pre-roast it for about 10 minutes before stuffing it.