IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

 


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere I go...hey guys is it too early for me to talk about Christmas?!


I recently went out shopping and, stores have already decked up their isles with everything Christmas and more. So I guess it's not too early for me to talk about Christmas too right?! And the count down begins?! Christmas IS one of my favourite holidays and I can hardly believe it's that time of the year already. Woot, woot...I just love everything about Christmas and the holiday season. The light, the mood, festivities, and the endless party invitations just brings me so much joy!



Speaking of festivities and parties, have you started shopping or planning for what to wear to your work Christmas party or banquet?! If you have not yet started planning for the holiday festivities, that's ok because today's blog post is all about giving you affordable and gorgeous party dress ideas that will wow without breaking the bank.


This Waverleigh Red Pleated Ruffle Tiered Maxi Dress from Pink Blush will sure make a statement at any party.  I love the simplicity of it and will make such a fun dress to twirl around in at a fabulous Christmas party. Don't you think?! Check this dress out below and grab one for yourself this Christmas. It's absolutely stunning!






I have also attached more of my favourite pieces from both Pink Blush and Shein. I hope this helps with the process of choosing your party dress this holiday season.




Thank you for stopping by and Until next time, S.M.I.LE! 


S - See

M - Miracles

I - In

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA

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MY CURRENT FAVOURITE DRESSES FROM SHEIN.

MODEST FASHION.

I love to dress modestly and SHEIN.COM has a wide range of affordable modest fashion. I shop there regularly and today, I'm sharing a few of my current favourite and affordable pieces from there. I've actually purchased some of these and I can't wait to get them. Let me know your favourite in the comment sections below!

If you are interested in any of these dresses, click on any of the pictures to shop. Thank you and SM.I.L.E!

XX

EMELIA

MY CURRENT FAVOURITE DRESSES FROM SHEIN.



CONFESSION TIME!


Guys! I did it! I published a new blog post everyday this month, except weekends.  I can hardly believe it! This goes to show, there's nothing that can't be done if you put your mind to it.


I took up this challenge to prove to myself that I can do whatever I wanted to do. IT'S ALL ABOUT MINDSET and the willingness to try and stay on course.


This challenge took a lot of preparation before hand. You all know by now that planning is a big part of my life. Planning ahead, made it possible for me to complete this challenge successfully. 


I hardly slept few days before the challenge started. I wanted to ensure I was ready to take on this challenge with less stress. I'm so  glad I did because it all worked out at the end. 


Today being the last day of the challenge, I wanted to hold myself accountable by confessing to my struggle with my weight over the past few months. I want to put it out publicly, because I'm ready to make a change.


At the end of 2019,  I had written a blog post where I stated that I struggled in 2019 with regards to my fitness goals. I had set a goal to get back on track in 2020. Read the post HERE.


Unfortunately, this year hasn't been all that great.  It's been a challenging year to say the least. And like many other things,  my weight loss journey went on the back burner.  I'm comfortable being a size medium/10. I'm now size large/12-14.  


I do exercise as much as possible, but my biggest problem is my diet specifically carbs. Carbs are my weakness although I know it's not so good for me.


 I want to do better. I have decided to get back on track and shed the weight. I want to make better choices not only to lose weight but for my health over all.


I have done it many times before and I have no doubt, I can do it again.  If you are struggling with your weight this year,  join me and let's do this together. 


My plan is to lose at least 20 pounds by my birthday in October. I'm so determined and as of today, the weight loss challenge is on! 


Do you think I can do it? Do you have any suggestions on how I can stay on track this time? Share it below.


Thank you so much for your support throughout this month's challenge. Much appreciated and until next time, S.M.I.L.E!


S - See

M - Miracles

I - In

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA


WHY I STARTED BLOGGING AND LESSON LEARNT.


Hi!

I started blogging on a whim! That's the short of it all, no fancy back stories.  The idea literally came to me one Saturday while I was exercising. I then discussed the idea with my husband and my ten year old daughter at the time. 


With their encouragement I opened an IG account, not knowing what I was doing. Blogging was NEVER on my bucket list, but I guess your chosen path is your chosen path. Two years later, I'm glad I was thrown out of my comfort zone and put myself out there publicly.


I started with zero followers and asked for help when needed until I learned what I needed to learn.  I originally started as a fashion blog and while I love dressing up whenever I can, I quickly realized it was not authentic to me as a stay at home mother of four. I thought hard and long about it, pivoted and refocused my platform to include all the things I love in my life.



On my  on my blog, I talk about all things Motherhood, Lifestyle, Decor, DIY and Inspirations. These are all the things I do regularly in my life so, it comes easy for me to talk about them.


I have been blogging for two years, blogging/content creating has not been easy. In fact my husband asks me regularly why I need to do this. It's hard work without immediate results,  and it sometimes seems like you are doing it for nothing.  


But you know what, your passion is your passion whether it pays or not. I love to inspire people in my own little way to be the best version of themselves in every season of their lives. 


I do it whole heartedly with no regrets.  I truly believe there's is a bigger purpose behind my blogging journey and at the right time the good Lord will make it evident to me.



ENCOURAGEMENT:


I want to use how I started on my content creation journey to encourage anyone who needs it. There's a lesson to be leant on how I started. Many at times, God speaks to us and we let fear, what ifs and the judgement of others stop us in our track without even giving it a thought. That is a sure way to sabotage our own greatness, and purpose in life. 


I truly believe, I'm blessed because when an idea comes to me, I listen, do my research and run with it. It's important to listen and take action. There will never be the perfect time to start anything so stop waiting and stop sharing your ideas with the wrong people. Do it lost, Do it scared do it imperfect. Just do it!



I guarantee you will master your craft with determination, consistency and not giving up. There's is a purpose for your life, figure it out and run with it. Stop questioning your ideas. You will never know if you don't try. Go ahead and take a leap of faith with that idea roaming around in your head. 


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Thank you for coming back everyday this month to read my blog posts. I'll be back tomorrow with my last post for July, see you then! S.M.I.L.E!


S - Smile

M - Miracles

I - In

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA






PROMOTE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK REGULARLY.


As human being, no matter how confident we are, it's normal for us to question our abilities sometimes. I'm not an exception...I question myself on a regular basis. I have been working on it and it has gotten a lot better. These days I  promote myself and my work boldly and proudly. 


 I have been a reward member since December of 2018. I was so excited when I got accepted because at the time, I had about 1500 followers. I started promoting it and when I did not get the response I wanted, I stopped promoting.  From December 2018 until April of 2020, I made a whopping $3.68. Yes, that's all I made and I think it was from one purchase. 



Then came Mattie James's weekly IG lives. She made it clear that we should not be shy about promoting our work, because that is the only way people will know about our work. 


That hit me like a ton of bricks! Yes she is so right! If you don't do it, noone else will do it for you! I started promoting my blog posts more on my social media platforms and my blog page views has been increasing ever since. 


Likewise since I started linking affiliate links,  on my platform from April to today, I have earned $28.24  in commission. I know it's not much over all, but in percentage increase it is well over 667% increase in a three months period simply because I DECIDED TO PROMOTE IT.


This has really taught me a lesson and the importance of self promoting. Forget about what people may think, promote and put yourself out there. You are responsible for your success. You are responsible to put your work out there.  


There is always someone new that hasn't seen your work, so keep sharing and reaching new people. Thank you Mattie James for giving me the mental switch.


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That's it people, do you agree that self promoting is important? Let me know in the comment section below and S.M.I.L.E!


S - See

M - Miracles

I - In

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA


HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY LIVE ON ONE INCOME AS A FAMILY.


We have lived on one income for many years.  I'm a stay at home mom, a job I take very seriously. It seems so easy now but in the beginning it was not easy. We made it our mission to learn some tips to help us live comfortably on one income. 


On the blog today, I'm sharing some tips that I have learned over the years to inspire families who also want to successfully live on one income.


PLAN AHEAD:


Ta daa! What do you know! Yep here comes another "plan ahead" sub title. Yep it's the core of my being and everything with me starts with that, so you will probably see it again in another post soon.


Before we decided for me to be a SAHM, we live off one income to see how viable it will be for us. I never brought in full time income, but the little that I was bringing in,  was not considered as part of our household income. This was for us to see how best we can live off just my husband's income. It was a great way for us to practice.


GET ON A BUDGET AND STAY ON A BUDGET:


Yes, I know I sound like a broken record with the budgeting talk too, but it's the genesis of our livelihood as far as finances are concerned. Track all your expenses and see how you can cut some an wanted expenses to allocate to more important areas on the budget. 


It's important for both parties to be on board and be transparent. It will not work, without a clear understanding of why you are both doing this in the first place.


SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!


Before you jump in head first make sure you have some funds stashed away for months of expenses. You never know what can come up so having something set aside will go a long way when and if anything comes up.


BE CREATIVE WITH YOUR SPENDING:


It's important to find ways to cut back on your spending. At this point, I'm the queen of finding ways to save. I'm into couponing, reward points, thrifting, Diy, bargain hunting and anything that is humanly possible to stretch our funds. I enjoy doing it and it has become my hobby.


STAY AWAY FROM DEBT:


Yes living a debt free life makes it easier to live off one income much more possible and stress free.  Please do not expect to live the same lifestyle as you were with double income, it will not work. You  must down size your lifestyle substantially to make it possible especially now more than ever.


SACRIFICE:


It will take an unbelievable amount of sacrifices for the entire family to live off one income successfully. Such as putting off expensive trips, buying name brand items, and eating out frequently, which in my opinion is nothing compared to the grand scheme of things. I see it as sacrificing now so you can enjoy later. 


We have made so many sacrifices over the years, but nothing beats being able to staying home and raising our kids. It was that important for us and the trade off is so worth it because kids are kids for only a limited time. Before long they will be on their way out to live their own lives.


I realize not everyone want to live on one income or be a stay at home parent, but to each their own and no one decision is better than the other,  It all comes down to choices and preferences. 


It's been great for my family and we'll do it all over again. So If this is something that is on your heart, you can definitely do it too just by implementing these steps.


SHOP MY FAVOURITE FINANCIAL RESOURCE BOOKS.


       

Thanks friends and S.M.I.L.E!


S - See

M - Miracles

I - In 

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA


WHAT IS A PANTRY CHALLENGE?


Have you heard of the pantry challenge? And do you do it? I absolutely love pantry challenges and I do it regularly.


Today's post is about pantry challenges and why it's important to do one regularly, if you want to save on your grocery bills. 


I have mastered the art of saving on groceries and household expenses over the years.  One of the ways I do that is by doing pantry challenges several times a year. 


Pantry challenges not only help save money, but it also cuts down on food wastage. I thought I'll dedicate today's post to answering 3 questions about pantry challenges. So if you're ready, lets get into it.


WHAT IS A PANTRY CHALLENGE?


A pantry challenge is simply using up what you have within a time frame, before purchasing more. Anything from food to household products, the idea is to stop over buying and in the process save money by not wasting food. 


Lots of foods go to waste because we often forget what's in our pantry/cupboard and ends up expiring. It's such a waste of food and money that is why doing a pantry challenge is a must for me.  The money saved can be allocated to something else on the budget.


HOW TO DO A PANTRY CHALLENGE:


I have a confessions, I'm a big time food hoarder, especially clearance foods! I just love buying mark down foods, so most of the time my pantry and freezers are fully stocked. But the good news is I never let anything go to waste because of how organized my pantry is and also by doing pantry challenges.


I do a pantry challenge by shopping in my panty and freezer. I then plan meals based on what I have at home. For a limited of time, I only buy produce,  fruits, milk and eggs until I have used up almost everything in my pantry and freezer.


For example, if what's in my pantry is beans and chicken...guess what, we will be eating lot of meals with beans and chicken as the main ingredients. 


To be truly successful you must plan meals ahead of time to avoid getting overwhelmed and as a result giving up.  I get very creative and come up as many meals as possible. It's important, we don't get bored eating the same foods over and over again.  I get super determined about not  buying anything. Trust me, you'll feel like you do, when you actually don't.


WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DO A PANTRY CHALLENGE?


There is no specific time to do a pantry challenge,  the ball is in your corner. Do a pantry challenge as you see fits.


I personally prefer doing a challenge just before summer. I actually just finished doing one not long ago,  so my pantry and freezer is nice and empty. I'm waiting patiently to stock up on end of summer sales.


Doing a challenge regularly is very important this day and age. Being very intentional about our spending is a must, especially groceries because it's the second largest bill after mortgage or rent.   


Food prices has been steadily increasing; so anything I can do to manage the cost of food is a priority for me. Read more on how I save on our grocery budget HERE.


I hope this motivates you to do a pantry challenge. You will be glad you did. 


Bye for now and S.M.I.L.E!


S - See

M - Miracles

I - In

L - Life

E - Everyday


XX

EMELIA