Failure to Thrive No More

Friday, November 2, 2018

My Blogger Recognition Award

I am in awe that Failure to Thrive No More has been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award! My friend from Witte’s World has nominated me and it truly means the world to me. I’m thankful to be recognized by such a wonderful blogger like Linda! She has created an amazing support group at For the Love of Blogging [GO JOIN], writes amazing travel posts at Witte's World, and has helped me on my journey of blogging.

When nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award, there are rules to follow to accept the award and keep the circle going:

·      Thank the blogger that nominated you
·      Write a post to show your award
·      Give a brief story of how your blog started
·      Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
·      Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to
·      Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created

Blogger Recognition Award, How Failure to Thrive No More Began:

My son Jaxson was diagnosed with Dyrk1a Syndrome on April 2018 and I was toying with the idea of blogging. At first, I thought that there was no way I could start a blog, I’m a terrible writer! I overcame my fear of writing because I wanted to help others going through the same journey as us. Our first year with Jaxson was very trying and at times I didn’t think I could go on. I cried, and cried. I thought to myself that somewhere out there, there might be another mom going through the same ordeal. And just maybe, she comes across my blog from endless searches of symptoms and diagnoses. She then sees that she isn’t alone in this journey, she has someone to relate to.

I have since added our journey as a Military Family and my love for Health & Fitness as topics for my blog. I am working on Affiliate Marketing as well, I’m terrible at it! I hope to improve by the new year and hope to increase my reach with Social Media.

Blogger Recognition Award, My Advice for New Bloggers:

It is not a race:

One thing I learned about blogging is that, it is NOT a race. Especially when it comes Affiliate Marketing! There are tons and tons of Pins or Posts out there stating how they make thousands from Affiliate Marketing—it’s not realistic for a new blogger. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint! It takes time.

I’ve found myself feeling down because I haven’t made a sale or I don’t have enough viewers, but I stopped. After talking to amazing bloggers I’ve realized that it takes time. I’m only five months into blogging and great things will come to those who wait. Slow and steady wins the race.

Find a tribe:

There are many support groups out there for bloggers but you need to find the right one, the right fit. I’ve found an amazing Facebook group, For the Love of Blogging, in the early months of blogging. They are extremely supportive and helpful when it comes to blogging. I am extremely grateful for them.

The key to succeeding with blogging is to network, be supportive, and interact with other bloggers on Social Media. Bloggers are a community, get out there! Make friends!

My Nominees for The Blogger Recognition Award:

1. Katie, Salty Pearl Crochet, is extremely supportive! She has helped me a lot throughout this blogging journey and couldn't have done it without her! She has adorable crochet designs, go check her out!

2. Sonila, Mediterranean Latin Love Affair, I met her in my son's March 2017 group on Facebook. She is caring and shares my love for blogging, food, and family.

3. Nicole, That Crazy Milspouse, is a fellow Military Spouse. She blogs about everything from Tricare, Deployments, and PCS moves.

4. Taylor, Charcoal + Grace, blogs about all things Wellness, Beauty, Home, and Lifestyle!

5. Monica, A Coordinated Life, is a homeschooling mom, it's amazing she has time for blogging!

6. Julie, Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life, another fellow Military Spouse. She shares her knowledge about military life from experience and offers advice.

7. Rebecca, Air Force Girlfriend in Germany, a beautiful and nice blogger residing in Germany. She blogs about life as an Air Force girlfriend, travel, food, and blogging tips.

8. Stephanie, Son Shine Kitchen, fellow boy mom residing in Texas. She is so sweet and shares remarkable recipes!

9. Elizabeth, Mommy Gone Tropical, such an inspiring blogger. Elizabeth is a deaf mom and blogs about parenting life with children who aren't deaf.

10. Rachel, Coffee Momma, selfless momma who runs on coffee and has been battling Crohn's Disease for the last four years.

11. Kaytee Jones, Nurse Mummy, such an amazing mom! She blogs about her son Jaxon's journey and she does not sugarcoat anything. She's currently going back to school for nursing, you rock momma!

12. Becky, The Cookie Rookie, another fellow March 2017 mom! Amazing food photography and recipes!

13. Kimberly, More Than 10 Percent, I love this medical momma. She is such a huge advocate for her daughter Georgia and other sweet littles with Trisomy 18.

14. Christa, Simply Christa Anne, has amazing style! I love reading her fashion posts!

15. Patricia, Confessions of a Not So Crafty Mom, Reviews, cute DIY activities for the kiddos, there is no way she isn't crafty!

You can also find us at:

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Labels: Advocate, Blogger Award, Blogging, Friends, Military Life, Support, Tribe

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

I N S P I R E D Y E A R | Planner Review & Giveaway

I N S P I R E D Y E A R | Planner Review & Giveaway

*Disclaimer: I received this planner from One Love Paper Co in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I wasn’t one for planners until the beginning of last year, after our youngest Jaxson was born. Jaxson was in and out of the hospital, I was trying to work full-time at a Chiropractic office, shuffling the kids to daycare, etc. I was overwhelmed and needed something to keep my hectic life together… cue planner! Some may use their cellphones/smartphones to keep up with their day to day lives but nothing is more satisfying then writing down your appointments, goals, and crossing them off one-by-one.

I was just using a basic planner I purchased from Target this past year, but was longing for a new and improved planner… thus my search began! That is when I came across One Love Paper Planner.

A B O U T O N E L O V E P A P E R:

In 2013 Kathy, a mother of three, was facing a challenge of balancing work and life. Kathy then decided to help others by providing a path to go after their dreams and ambitions.

In 2015, Kathy designed her first Inspired Year Planner with elegant covers and meaningful quotes that she had collected over the years. The planner was such a hit that she decided to take a gamble and launched her planners to a larger audience using Kickstarter.

F I N D T I M E F O R Y O U R S E L F:

Being a mother of two boys with one with special needs, a full-time student, a military spouse, stay at home mom (turned entrepreneur) and blogger… you really don’t have a lot of time for yourself. It is vital for you and for your family to find time for YOU. You need to take care of YOURSELF too, that is not even a little bit selfish. I find that setting a little time for myself, whether it’s 15 minutes or 30 minutes, is beneficial.

I love to work out and do yoga but have with our recent move and adjusting to life here in North Carolina I have not been consistent. With this planner I can plan out my hourly tasks and include yoga or weightlifting into my schedule—for MY time to take care of myself.

S E T G O A L S:

What I love about this planner is that it allows you to sit down and take time to look over your goals and what you want to accomplish within the year. The planner breaks down into four quarters so that you can assess your goals throughout the year. Finding time for yourself and for your goals are very important. Sometimes as mothers we get lost with taking care of our children, I always put their needs before my own. That is why I LOVE this planner and will continue to use and recommend it.

What is included in the planner:

Goal-Setting Inspiration:

-10 pages of goal setting

-Daily to-do lists

-Dreams and heart-centered goal setting pages

-Year-in-review prompts

Monthly + Weekly Calenders:

-Inspirational quotes

-Hourly scheduler

-Extra notes pages

-Tabbed months

-Lies flat

Outstanding Quality:

-Bright and warm cover and pages

-Reinforced laminated monthly tabs

-Gold wired binding

-High quality, ultra-white paper

For more styles and information click here.

And So, the Adventure Begins…

I chose the Adventure Begins cover because it really spoke to me. This life of being a Special Needs mom to a DYRK1A Warrior is definitely an adventure. With his rare chromosome disorder, it is hard to see what the future may hold for him--not every child with this condition will have all of the same features or symptoms.

We are currently establishing new specialty doctors and therapists and this planner will definitely help me keep track of all of his appointments, his brother’s sports, my goals, my daily tasks, etc. It'll help me sit down and take time to find time for ME.