I had an amazing weekend! I went to visit my parents and see the young people in their church get in front of a large group of people to give a speech. These young men are only twelve years old, but they were courageous enough to stand in front of an audience and share a message of hope and the power the youth have to change the world.
Later I got to hang out with some really great people at a costume party and watch the kids have fun playing games. We had a bonfire (sorry no marshmallows this time), lots of laughs and good food.
I returned home early to attend the Annual Challenge to Change Brunch benefiting Chayil (pronounced Ky-ill). Chayil is an Atlanta Women’s Transformation Program that helps women who have experienced domestic violence and are now moving out of a shelter into the real world on their own.
Chayil bridges the gap through providing 24-hour counseling, financial education, and self-esteem coaching. Women who leave an abusive relationship often do not have a place to turn, no resources, and no one to really understand what they are going through.
The brunch was a celebration of the work Chayil does and recognition for community leaders who support the organization and makes a difference in other ways.
Among the recipients of the Challenge to Change award was Jasmine Guy. Yes, the Jasmine Guy, she played the socialite southern belle Whitney Gilbert and kept us in stitches laughing at her antics and southern drawl on A Different World.
For those of you who have never seen that show, it was a spinoff from The Cosby Show.
Ms. Guy has gone on to many other projects in music, dance, and theater productions.
She is an Atlanta native and advocate for change. She was gracious and spoke on the need for a change of mind.
Without a mindset change, a woman that lives in a world of abuse and violence can never hope to really be set free. How often do we hear about women who go back to their abusers? It’s mostly because they do not believe they can make it on their own or their abuser has wounded their mind so much they believe he (or she) actually loves her.
A mental shift cannot happen in a toxic environment. Programs like Chayil makes a way for women to permanently change not just their location, but their minds as well. This powerful shift gives them hope.
Ms. Guy is so right about a need to change your mindset. Even if we are not in an violently abusive situation, it’s important to recognize when we are mentally bound by other types of abuse. It could be verbal, mental, sexual, or financial abuse. They are no better, and no less harmful than physical abuse.
Another thing to remember is abusive relationships are not just from a significant other. It can be from friends (you know, those frenemies you have), family members (that aunt who is always badgering you or just out right mean), a manager, and even a church leader.
The face of abuse comes in many shapes and sizes so we have to recognize when it’s happening to us.
Three sure signs you are being abused are:
Put downs meant to demean you
Name Calling
Using manipulation, guilt, and shame to get you to do something you don’t want to do
If this is happening to you, it’s up to you to stop it. It may seem scary at first, but it is necessary to stay safe both physically and emotionally. No one has a right to abuse you. We teach our kids safety so it’s time we learned how to keep ourselves safe too. This is called learning boundaries.
Here are a few books I read to break the cycle of abuse in my own life:
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Yesterday the kids and I travelled with the church youth group about an hour north of Atlanta to visit Amnicola Falls State Park in Georgia. It was a beautiful day with crisp clear skies and changing leaves.
The intention was to go hiking up to the falls but it was getting too late and by the time we started out it would have been dark on the way back.
So we ate, had fun playing around and talking. The boys tossed the ball around and we finally headed back.
The MoonShine Festival
On the way we ran into what looked like a fair in the town of Dawsonville. We had to detour several miles to get to the falls. The traffic was horrible because of the event happening in that town. Turns out it was the annual Moonshine Festival. Yep, it is apparently very popular in that neck of the woods.
The question of the day was, “Do people still make moonshine?”. Could be true. I do know there are people who make beer in their homes. It’s quite a hobby for some people. Definitely a good way to save money on beer if you drink it often
It looked like one of the highlights of the festival was classic cars. We saw some really beautiful ones as we took our detour and went past the festival. There were hundreds of them, from old Packards, T-Models, and convertibles.
Daylight Savings Time Ending Soon
In my neck of the woods it feels like winter has already arrived. It’s been in the 30s these last couple of nights and frost was on the ground in the morning.
I’m not ready for this and hopefully the schizophrenic Georgia weather will kick in and we will be back to the upper 70s and low 80s.
Daylight savings time will be over in early November this year. I have mixed feelings about DST and the change to lengthen it. It just drags things out and my body’s clock gets all confused.
Daylight savings time end on November 6, 2011.
How do you prepare for the time change? Does it take you a long time to get used to it?
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream was a rockin’ Princess Party!
I have been watching the Disney classic princesses since I was a little girl and watching the modern princesses since my daughter was a toddler over 12 years ago. To see them all at this ice show was amazing on Wednesday night at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA! The show runs October 12-16, 2011.
It’s not hard to say who my favorite princess was, but I’ll wait to tell you that until almost the end of this post.
Disney on Ice Pre-Party
I took my kids (thanks to Sue Rodman at Fieldtrips with Sue) to the pre-party activities; otherwise known as the press conference and meet and greet. We got to talk to a couple of the stars and learn about their life behind the scenes and on the ice. They were very friendly and happy to talk to us about life on the road for 10 months out of the year.
Disney on Ice Cast are Community-Minded
I learned that the Disney on Ice cast are not so crazy about eating out because the food ends up tasting all the same. I’m sure they would love a home cooked meal from Karen over at In the Kitchen with KP!
Despite the small inconveniences, they are very community-minded as they explained when I asked them how they handle holidays away from home. They explained they may use the time to feed the homeless at a soup kitchen, give away their well-read books to the Salvation Army, or participate in a food drive much like me and my friends Amy over at Atlanta with Kid and Mandi at Cumming Local are planning next month.
Pictures and Activities with the Disney on Ice Cast
My daughter and I had the chance to take a picture with Rapunzel and Flynn from the movie Tangled. I really love that movie! Disney always surprises me with how well they make movies.
The kids got to color and make their own crowns while we waited for the show to begin. Even my son got in on the crown-making action. He is very proud of it as you can see below.
The Show Began with The Princess and the Frog
We got to our seats and waited to enjoy the show. It was cold so I’m glad we all wore our jackets. At one point my son pulled his hood over his head. Of course with it being Disney on Ice and all, it was bound to be cold.
The show started and the magic began with the story of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. I really wish we could have taken a picture with her and Naveen but we didn’t. Inspite of that, we still had a really great time seeing all the familiar stories and watching the acrobatics on the ice.
Cinderella and Rapunzel take Center Ice
There were three princess stories including the Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. The show lasted for about two hours and all the kids had a blast! There seemed to be a princess takeover with all the little girls dressed as their favorite princess.
Classic Disney Characters and the Disney Princesses
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto hosted the show and was a part of the finale where all the Disney Princesses came out to party. We saw Ariel, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and all the ones that were in the main show.
Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream was a memorable event. The next day my son thanked me for taking him and his sister to see the show. I think he’s got his eye on being a Disney Prince. He certainly has all the makings of becoming one!
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Atlanta, GA–Every year thousands of women find the courage to escape domestic violence and abuse. They find the strength to leave because of the support of family and friends or an agency that lends a helping hand. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics 21% of women contact an outside agency for help. Out of that number 45% contact a private agency.
However, millions of women remain because they do not see a way out, mostly because they do not have the means to make the escape. It takes time, a plan, and money to move out and move on independently. Without money they are (more…)
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...
Among the recipients of the Challenge to Change award was Jasmine Guy. Yes, the Jasmine Guy, she played the socialite southern belle Whitney Gilbert and kept us in stitches laughing at her antics and southern drawl on A Different World.
