Tag: blogging

Chronicles of a SAHM, Lavender Fields Creations, Saving Money

Unexpected Surprises

Sonja Hollis

I have been struggling to find the perfect fit when it comes to finding part-time, work from home employment.  For me, it is much easier to find employment in a brick and mortar business and just as easy to find part time, but looking for a flexible, permanent, part-time, work-from-home job – has not proven an easy task for me.

I need flexibility because I invest so much of my time into my children and their activities.  In addition, I have to make accommodations due to my disability.  I can’t lift heavy things or sit/stand for long periods. I also cannot be outside in extreme weather- so yeah – my opportunities are limited.

I have continued to focus on growing my own business during my job search however, by making jewelry, painting, and writing.  It can be so disheartening when the money just doesn’t come in fast enough.  I try not to get discouraged, because I still get a pension check and of course, my husband – but it’s nothing like working to get what you want. Sometimes, I break down and allow myself to cry but then I pick myself right back up and pray and work as hard as I can.  I am researching new ways to “enlarge my territory”  and finding new networking opportunities to increase the traffic to my store, Lfieldscreations.etsy.com.

My husband, having seen me trying as hard as I could for additional employment and working hard every day to create items for my store, did something I was not expecting.  It happened on the day where I was about to break down again but instead prayed and asked the Lord for guidance because I wanted to make sure that what I was doing was what God wanted me to do.  Then, I received an email copy from my husband:

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Cricut Maker -Everything Rose Bundle

It was letting me know that “my” Cricut Maker was on the way!  I cried like a baby! I mean – ugly cried.  To have someone believe in me and support me in the ways that he has shown me – setting up both my business and crafting offices, installing a landline, and now buying a Cricut! I am so grateful and excited! This is confirmation for me.  I have been watching Youtube videos and writing notes preparing myself for the day that I could afford it.  I wanted to be ready to go whenever I got it.  My friend Sarah and I talked about it all the time about what we would do when one of us got one…and now I do.  I can’t wait to start our craft days.

God is so good and His goodness knows no limits. I give Him all the glory.   Love yall.

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Chronicles of a SAHM, Journaling

“Faith without Works is Dead”

Sonja Hollis

I ask for the Lord to use me daily -to be a light for others to see His goodness.  I also ask for the Lord to bless my creativity.  My heart is always in the right place, just not my head and for that reason, I have made a very costly error in not moving when the Spirit tells me to move.

A year ago, I was blessed with an idea that could make a huge impact in the world. I only told my husband about it because I didn’t want anyone else to steal the idea.  I worked on it for about a week, but allowed my finances to be an excuse to not continue.  I looked for patents – none were found – not even pending. I knew that I would have to hire an attorney and then pay for the patents.  The costs seemed to keep piling up, so to add another bill was just not a smart thing to do (flesh talking).  But God gave me that idea, right?  I knew the Lord wouldn’t bring me that far and leave me.  So, I did the easy parts; bought the supplies, created a journal to document the ideas over time and I even tried to make it myself.  Then, I put it all in a drawer and left it alone.

Some time later, my husband asked what I was going to do with my idea.  I told him that I needed help with drawing.  He told me to try it on my own.  He told me to add the free apps to help me with drawing. So I tried.  I worked on it for another week or so, then lost interest.

I always kept in the back of my head, thinking…”I need to work on that” but then, I didn’t for one reason or another -“It’s too expensive,” “I don’t have time,” and “It’s no longer needed.”

Late last night, I opened my facebook page and what was staring at me in my face?  The idea the Lord gave to me.  Except, it didn’t have my name on it…deservedly so.  It was on a major news website. I couldn’t even be upset. I could not even cry.  It was my own fault. The Lord supplied my needs according to my faith, but as it said in James 2:14-26, “Faith without works is dead.”  He handed me bread to eat because I was hungry, but I didn’t eat because I was too lazy to lift my hand to my mouth.

I can only pray that I do better when given another opportunity.

I decided to write about it today because I believe it’s important to share my trials just as I share my testimonies and so others dont make the same mistake.  Keep the faith, keep praying and keep going- don’t quit.

Chronicles of a SAHM, Lupus

Restarting the AIP Diet

Sonja Hollis

When I feel like my physical is completely derailing –  weight gain, inflammation, and pain from lupus – I know that is time re-think my dietary needs.  For just over a year or so, I have tried out the Auto Immune Protocol (AIP) diet to try and ascertain my lupus triggers. It could be weather, mental or physical stress or what I’m eating or any combination of the above.

I have tried many different diets, but the most successful one thus far is the AIP diet.  It’s the most restrictive but a life changer nonetheless. I found out that my biggest trigger is sugar, so I try to avoid it as much as possible when I’m on the AIP diet.  The only sugars that I consume during this time are natural sugars in fruits, in which two fruit servings are allowed per day. That seems odd, but it works but I am able to eat as many vegetables (not including nightshades) as I want.

So, the way it works is that you eliminate foods and then slowly reintroduce them into your diet after a set amount of time to find out what you’re sensitive to or what your triggers are.  For me, I was successful for twenty-one days straight my first time.  I read somewhere that if you do something for that long, it becomes a habit.  Well, it was a habit until the holiday came around and I was expected to bake cakes and rolls and when I ate some of the cake, I felt sick.  I had migraines and felt nauseous.  I hadn’t felt like that in a long time before that, so I knew it had to be the cake. But, if you fall off one day, just start over the next meal. 

Here is a copy of the list I located of which foods to enjoy and those to avoid :

AIP
HealthyFabulousLife.com

There are tons of lists, books and recipes on the internet, though this was the easiest list to understand.  I’ve also joined several groups on Facebook which promote AIP diets for those with Chronic Illnesses. I would advise anyone trying it for the first time, to read as much about it as possible and speak with your doctor before trying it.

 

I’m on my Day #4 this time.  I just ate a huge salad with lettuce, cranberries, and baked chicken and I can eat as much as I want…as long as it’s on the list.  I can’t guarantee that you will lose weight and feel wonderful, but I have every time that I’ve been on it. 

Well, good luck and I’m hoping this helps someone. dd04a4ec97425a3b18941b0f2af10d7c

Lavender Fields Creations

New beginnings…

Sonja Hollis

In November of 2014, I began a new journey.  I opened a jewelry business – Lavender Fields Creations!   I’ve been making jewelry for a couple of years, but last year I began making more and more quality pieces.  My husband noticed that my interest in making jewelry had spiked and suggested that I start a Facebook page.  It was the scariest thing I had ever done.  It’s one thing to create art – regardless of the medium – and have people other than your immediate family and closest friends to comment on your work and quite another to have complete strangers commenting and liking your collection.   It was extremely frightening.  

 
I initially opened it up for just a few friends, but then my husband posted a link to my page on HIS page.   So, I had to make it public.  I had so many views and likes that in just a week, my views had gone from thirteen to over one hundred.  The only problem was that I wasn’t selling anything.  People were making all kinds of requests – “nickel free” “smaller pieces” “larger pieces” “real gold.”  
 
I tried to maintain a list of all of the requests, but even after making some of the custom pieces, they didn’t make any purchases.  
 
I opened up an Etsy page and on the first day – a sale!! How exciting!  It was for a pancreatic cancer awareness bracelet that I made in memory of my father.  I immediately checked the bracelet for any imperfections, then packaged it up and mailed it.   
 
Since that sale, I’ve gone through a personal tragedy and have not been able to keep up with my pages.  I just lost my mother at the end of January to brain cancer.  She had been fighting cancer for a year and a half.  So I eventually unpublished the Facebook page and I haven’t updated my Etsy page in weeks.  
 
Beginning the Monday following her memorial service, I plan on reopening my poetry page AND my jewelry page on Facebook, updating my blog at least once a week, updating my photos and jewelry on Etsy and getting back to business.  
 

I would like to leave behind as big a legacy for my children as my mom did for me.