Life Update: What I've Been Up To

Finally!  School is out for summer!  Whenever the girls are in school, it's like I'm also in those classrooms with them, and with the girls in middle school, the school year kept me on my toes with a lot of school activities!

I'm exhausted, my alarms are off, no more set routines, just enjoying these lazy days of summer.

It's been a while since I've last done a life update.  I haven't been able to get around doing one because my life has been hectic with two growing teen and tween.

These Teen Years are Stressful!

My girls are not little kids anymore, so they've been going through a lot of noticeable changes, especially when it comes to their attitudes.  It stinks!

So many tears, talking back, not listening, complaining, arguing with each other, a big fat roller coaster of emotions with a ride that I wish would end so I can get off of it!

They say things get easier when a child gets older.  Yeah right!

Yeah, kids are more independent in their teens, but these early teenage years is brutal!  And what sucks is that I don't have any support system to lean on.  Yeah, I have Mr. M, but he is kind of useless when it comes to girls and not understanding.

So, I have been toughing it out.  I know it's just a puberty phase, caught between child and adulthood, and I love my girls regardless of their changes.  They know that I'll always be there for them if they need anything and we'll work our way through this journey together.

That's part of the reason why you don't see me posting here and social media as often; I needed time to adjust to my girls' changes.

As for the school year, my daughters did very well!  They are both A/B students, and Lauren made honor roll, I'm so proud of them both with all their hard work!

The Power of the Internet

Earlier this year, one day after school, Michelle came to me saying that their friend did a Google search about Candytopia Atlanta and came across a picture of the two of us.  Michelle thought that was pretty creepy to be found on Google search.

She already knew about how my blog works and ranking on search engines, but she didn't think her friends would start finding out about the things I do for a living.

I asked her if she still wants to be photographed on my blog because I do respect her privacy, and she said she was okay with it, just that the reality of how powerful the internet is to be able to find someone online hit her.

I always make sure to present my daughters in a positive light because when they get older, I don't want them to be embarrassed or anything held against them when they enter the workforce.

News is spreading around school about my blog, and people have been eyeing all the cars I'm in when I pick up the girls from school.

At first, I didn't want people at their school to know what I do, but now I don't care.  I'm proud of my line of work!  I get to work for myself, do what I want to do, and bring my family along with me. 

Dealing with My Eye Issues

If you have been following me on my social media pages for a while, you know I have been dealing with a bump that is growing under my eyelid.  The growth under my lid has been affecting my vision to the point that I had to be seen by an eye doctor.

I had this bump for over three years now, and it's been a nuisance!

Scared to find out that it may be cancer or I needed surgery to have it removed, I avoided seeing the doctor.

But, finally, I went to an eye doctor.  I was diagnosed having a chalazion, a painless cyst-like bump that forms around an oil gland within the eyelid, resulting in red, swollen eyelids.

I was told my chalazion was not serious, all I needed to do is warm towel compresses, and take the antibiotics the doctor prescribed for me.

Taking my meds and doing the warm compresses worked a little but would have gotten rid of the bump completely if I stayed consistent with it.  Now, it's getting back larger again.  OY!

It's summer break, so now I'll have the time to sit and do these warm compresses all day.

No Summer Plans

Our plans this summer we will be winging it.  No set plans, just going with the flow.  No trips have been planned as of yet, but we will manage to squeeze one in, more than likely to the Smoky Mountains. 

We will be doing stuff locally, like museums, festivals, movies, and so on.  I want this break to be about reconnecting, enjoying each others company.  I don't have that many summers left with my girls.

How's Business Going So Far This Year

My blogging business has been picking back up slowly after the massive drop in traffic last year.

I discovered the problem I was having, which was my old web designer deindexed my content, meaning, my content pages were removed from search engines without my knowledge.  My primary traffic is from search engines, so this was a massive blow to my business and hurt me financially too.  I have no idea how long this was going on but did notice last year my income was dropping slowly, and I didn't do anything to investigate until the end of last year.

I fired my designer and found a new one that discovered what my old designer did.  I don't know if it was done maliciously; however, I'm thankful it was caught before it was too late.

Since my blog have been reindexed, brands have been finding my blog again, and I been getting more sponsored work, which is excellent!

Even though I don't post that much on Instagram, brands have been still finding me on there wanting a partnership.  Goes to show that quality always beat quantity!  Plus, brands want to make sure my followers see the posts they paid for, not quickly pushed down the page because of me posting daily.

Welp, that's about it y'all!  I've been spending the majority of my time being a mom, and during my downtime pampering myself.  See how I pamper myself in this article I was featured in with Parade magazine (by the way, they found me on Instagram). 

Thank you for following me on this blogging journey all these years!  Make sure to also subscribe to my Youtube channel; I'll be doing more videos to add to my posts here.

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