Author Archives: Kim

Happy New Year!

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I know I have been a little quiet, a little absent recently, but I’m trying to get back into doing what I truly enjoy – oversharing 🙂

The last few months have been challenging, but I’ve managed to survive and now thriving and feeling confident and successful.

Back in October, Matt was laid off from his full time job, so in November I went back to working full time (so I can cover the insurance) after being PRN for the last 5 years. It’s actually been a blessing in disguise. Matt is able to focus on his business now, and I’m enjoying having a more consistent schedule rather than working crazy hours, different hours, jacking up my sleep schedule. I work 3a-3p three days a week, which sounds nuts to some people but I LOVE it! Yes i wake up early and I go to bed early, but on my days off my body is in that routine and I find I’m so much more productive when I’m up early. I see the kids more on this schedule, and my sleep is so much better.

Of course, in true Murphy’s Law – as soon as my new insurance started the kids decided to EACH have health emergencies. Couldn’t do it a month before when we were on the amazing insurance through Matt’s work where everything was covered 100%. Nooooo… that would’ve made life too easy. Logan had a random severe asthma attack that involved a call to 911 and a long stay in the ER to get under control. Then Blake had an emergency surgery that has taken him out of sports for 3 months. Then of course the holidays, Blake’s 13th birthday, my birthday, and now the new year!

I feel like we are finally recovering from the chaos, and I’m feeling good and have energy to get back into doing the things I love again. Like helping others, sharing things I’m passionate about, and just enjoying life again.

We Lived on a Boat For a Week (not a cruise) – Spring Break 2025

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The last couple years we have taken a cruise for Spring Break. This year we decided to do something a little different.

Matt’s uncle has a boat in St Petersburg, Florida that he lives on for about half the year. He’s retired, has a house here in NC, but hates the cold weather in the wintertime. So, he lives on his boat in FL during those cold months. Some of the family have taken turns going down to visit and stay on his boat – so we finally took our turn. And what an adventure it was! The kids had SO much fun, they said it was one of their favorite vacations and keep asking if we can go back.

Living on a boat was an adventure in itself. He doesn’t take the boat out, it stays parked at the marina in a slip. Below there are 3 bedrooms – Uncle Jeff has his own bedroom area, then we had two bedrooms and two bathrooms just for us. There was a living room, full kitchen, and my favorite spot was going up top to lounge and admire the views!

We were walking distance to SO MANY things. The St. Pete Pier was about a 10 minute walk away. Blake and I enjoyed walking there and getting ice cream (for him) and coffee (for me) at the end of the pier. There is a massive playground there as well. Also, a small beach area that the kids loved! Near the beach area was a pizza place, drink stand, and splash pad. So so much to do.

There was also a soccer stadium close to the marina, and Uncle Jeff got free tickets to a game. He took the kids one night and Matt and I were able to get out for a date night early on in the trip which was amazing! He spoiled the kids with hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream – they had a blast!

We drove about an hour south to North Jetty Beach one afternoon. Gorgeous beach, beautiful blue water, and we found a bunch of shark teeth! We went for the shark teeth hunt, but the kids ended up wanting to play in the water the whole time so Matt and I were hunting the shark teeth.

On another day we drove out to Clearwater Beach. They were having their sandcastle festival – the theme was dinosaurs. It was so impressive! We really enjoyed that. While out at Clearwater, I found a groupon for a Dolphin tour so we went on that as well. We saw dolphins within 2 minutes of leaving the harbor – amazing! Clearwater was pretty busy and little overwhelming otherwise, so we didn’t spend any extra time there.

One evening toward the end of our trip, Uncle Jeff offered to hang out with the boys again so Matt and I could have one more date night. We walked to a restaurant right at the entrance to the pier, Fresco’s. We had been wanting to try it all week. We got a perfect seat outside right on the water. The food was delicious. Uncle Jeff took the boys for ice cream (those boys were spoiled by almost daily ice cream cones lol).

We flew Allegiant both ways. They do non-stop flights out of our nearby airport into St. Petersburg in the Spring. It was very affordable, although it is a budget airline with no frills, it’s still a great option when traveling with kids. A few tips when flying with Allegiant – there is no wifi onboard, so make sure to download shows/movies to tablets prior to leaving. Beverages/snacks are for purchase only so if you don’t want to spend the money, bring something onboard. The only free piece of luggage is the personal item that fits under your seat. There is a fee for a carry on that goes in the overhead bin, and of course checking a bag. It is MUCH cheaper to check than to carry on AND to pay in advance rather than at the airport. We checked 2 bags and each person had a backpack to fit under the seat. Otherwise, flying with Allegiant was a great experience for the great deal we got – just come prepared!

All in all, the kids were right – it was one of our best family vacations!

Traveling with my kids is something I love to do. I didn’t get to travel as a kid, so not only am I enjoying the experiences myself but I love watching my kids experience new things and make memories. We are not “rich” by any means, I’ve just learned some tricks and hacks along the way for making travel more affordable (especially cruises). If you’d like to see some of my travel hacks, tips, especially for traveling with kids – drop a comment for what you’d like to see and I can do a separate post!

Managing Anxiety

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20+ Years of Anxiety… and What Finally Helped Me Feel, Not Just Like Me Again – an Even Better Version of Me

For over half my life, I’ve lived with extreme anxiety. The kind that doesn’t just make you worry—it hijacks your day, your sleep, your relationships, and your peace. In my early 20s, I had panic attacks so intense I would nearly pass out. I eventually started seeing a psychiatrist, going to therapy, and that’s when I had a big realization:

I had lived through a traumatic childhood. And while I had brushed it off for years, my body and mind were carrying all of it. That trauma had manifested as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD.

Since then, it’s been a journey—on and off meds, in and out of therapy, some seasons better than others. My anxiety especially flared up during and after both of my pregnancies and having my youngest during Covid just amplified everything.

But here’s the thing…

I’ve never wanted these challenges to define me. I want to break the cycle. I want to be the best mom I can be to my boys. And most of all—I want to show up for my life fully.

Now, over 20 years after being diagnosed, I can honestly say: I feel better than I’ve felt in decades. That constant, fluttery anxiety in my chest? It’s no longer a daily part of my life.

Yes—medications helped me and, as a nurse, I still believe in them wholeheartedly. But I’ve also found other tools that have helped me decrease my dependency and truly manage my mental health in a way that feels empowering.

I was previously on 150mg of Zoloft daily with Hydroxyzine and Propranolol for acute anxiety as needed. Currently, I’m down to 50mg of Zoloft daily and have not used the other two in MONTHS.

I’m going to share what I do now to manage my anxiety—from daily habits and supplements to mindset shifts and practical tools that work with my busy life (and not against it).

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re just surviving—know that you’re not alone, and you can feel better. Below are 5 things I’ve done in the last 3 months to improve my mental health. And in the last 3 months I have DECREASED my chemical dependency on meds. I went from 150mg of Zoloft daily down to 50mg daily. I have not taken my other anxiety meds in over 3 months. And I feel BETTER that I have felt since my diagnosis over 20 years ago!

If you’re interested in more of my strategies for managing my mental health, follow me on Instagram – @scrubs_and_motherhood

For more information on the supplements I use, check them out here:

What is This Stuff I Keep Posting About on Social Media??

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Listen—I’m not here to sell you something just to make a buck. I don’t need to. I love my nursing career. But what I can’t do is gatekeep something that has truly improved my life. Just try a sample like I did. See for yourself.

Anxiety, Depression, Exhaustion, No Energy, Constant Fatigue, Irritability, Stubborn Weight, Puffy Face, “The Mom Pooch,” Sleep Difficulty

Yall, I thought that stuff was just part of being a 40 something mom, especially working as a nurse with crazy hours. Then a family member suggested these all natural supplements. I was SO skeptical. But I trusted this family member, so I tried it and OMG. It has been life-changing. I thought what I was feeling was “normal” but it turns out it absolutely was not normal, it was actually imbalanced cortisol levels. These products helped balance that out. I feel like a new me, better me, and I’ve never felt happier and healthier. Here is my testimony that I like to share with others:

From Exhausted to Energized

I’m a 41-year-old RN and mom of two boys, and for the longest time, I thought being tired, stressed, and overwhelmed was just part of life. Between 12-hour shifts, keeping up with the kids’ schedules, managing the house, and trying to find time for myself—I felt drained.

I could take a 5-hour nap at any moment (if I had the time!), and even the thought of cooking dinner made me want to give up and order pizza… again. The exhaustion wasn’t just physical—it made me anxious, short-tempered, and honestly, too tired to truly enjoy life with my kids.

Then, I found something I never expected—a product that feels like it was made for people like me. It has completely changed how I function.

I’ve always been skeptical of people trying to sell me something (I tune out immediately!), but when a trusted family member (also a nurse & mom of 3) told me about it, I decided to at least look into it. I researched, hesitated, then finally gave it a shot.

DAY ONE. I felt a difference.
✅ More energy (without the crash)
✅ Less stress & anxiety
✅ Better focus at work
✅ More patience & motivation at home
✅ Laundry actually gets washed, dried, AND folded in the same day! (WHAT?!)
✅ No more afternoon energy drinks or seasonal depression creeping in

I drink Xcellerate Coffee in the morning (sometimes the Watermelon Berry drink in the afternoon), and it’s all I need. In my fast-paced ER job, I feel sharp, focused, and productive. At home, even my husband notices—I’m in a better mood, more organized, and just happier.

Listen—I’m not here to sell you something just to make a buck. I don’t need to. I love my nursing career. But what I can’t do is gatekeep something that has truly improved my life. So if you’ve been feeling the way I used to feel, just try a sample like I did. See for yourself.

Because honestly? Feeling this good shouldn’t be this rare. I am very passionate about helping others discover the best version of themselves, so if you’re interested, I would love to help!

Still skeptical but maybe a little intrigued? Try the Sample Pack. For most it lasts about 4-8 days, plenty of time to feel a difference! Order Sample Pack Here

You can also fill out my Health Questionnaire and I can help you find the products that match your goals! Take the Quiz Here!

If you have any questions, please reach out! I would love to help you feel your best!

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Thank you for your response. ✨

The Story of my Life – Episode 2

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I’m going to back up just a bit to the Spring of 1990, when my mother and stepfather met. They met in AA, both recovering alcoholics. At the time, my mother was 33 and my stepfather was 25. My mother was pregnant with my middle brother at the time, and they married very quickly – while she was still pregnant. (My brother’s father was not around, not sure of the full story there.) My brother was born in July, and she put my stepfather’s name on the birth certificate and allowed my brother to believe that was truly his biological father until he was in his 20s. (More details on that in a future episode). In Spring 1992, they had my youngest brother. So, although there is about a 6–8-year age gap between me and my brothers, they are very close in age.

I met my middle brother for the first time at Christmas 1990. My mother made a trip to NC to visit, along with my stepfather and new little brother. He was about 5 months old at the time, and I was obsessed with him! I was 6 years old, about to turn 7. My friends had baby siblings, and now I have a baby brother!

So, it was after my youngest brother was born in the Spring of 1992 that my mother and Peepaw had the discussion regarding me moving to Texas. I had met one brother and already fallen in love, and now I had a second brother that I had yet to meet. It sounded so exciting! For Christmas 1992, instead of my mother coming to NC, my grandparents and I flew to Texas. It was an opportunity for me to see where I would be living. My mother, stepfather, and brothers lived in a single wide trailer in a trailer park. I thought that was kinda cool at the time. I saw lots of kids around so I saw a potential to make new friends. My brothers shared a room with a bunk bed, and the plan would be for me to also share that room and for them to share a bottom bunk and I would sleep on the top bunk. We drove to the elementary school where I would go, explored the area, and in my little 8-going on 9 year old brain I was excited! My grandparents and I flew back to NC, I finished out the school year.

On that day in July, I got on a plane and moved halfway across the country to what I thought would be a “normal” life, getting to live with my mother and brothers. However, at age 9, I was naive and unaware or oblivious to how great my life was with my grandparents. I knew they were loving “parents” to me of course, but I assumed I was just moving into another happy loving family that was more conventional with my mother and siblings. My mother met me at the gate at the DFW airport when I arrived (remember, this was pre-9/11 when you could do that, but I was also an unaccompanied minor.) There was no hug, no “I’m so happy you’re here,” my arrival was treated like just any ole other day. And so did my existence for the next several years.

Christmas 1990
when I first met my middle brother
Christmas 1992
when I met my youngest brother

A Lifetime Movie, or a Season of Jerry Springer? Just the Story of My Life – Episode 1

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This post is going to be a little different, a little more personal. It’s a long one, so it will be divided into multiple parts. This is part 1. I don’t talk about this to get pitty, or a pat on the back, or anything like that. I share this in hopes of helping others that struggle with past trauma, cutting off toxic family, or if you know me, maybe it helps you understand where I came from.

 This is a topic I said I would never talk much about while my Peepaw was alive. I did not want to give him any reason to feel guilty, or feel bad, or tarnish the way he thought of his daughter (my biological mother). Once he made it to a certain age, I felt he deserved to enjoy the last years of his life. I grew up, survived trauma, and bettered myself. My trauma did not define me, it’s just a story of my past. It was pointless for him to know the trauma I endured at the hand of his own daughter. What good would it do him, or me, or anyone?

But now I feel free to speak my truth.

My biological mother is a narcissist with likely a whole array of undiagnosed mental health issues. I think she was missing the “mom gene.” She birthed 3 children, but I don’t think she ever wanted to be a mother. She was 27 when she had me, a fugitive of the law at the time, gave birth to me in Florida with an alias on my birth certificate. When I was 3 weeks old, she took me to North Carolina and along with my biological father, signed over parental rights to my grandparents (her parents) – my Meemaw and Peepaw. She then went back to Texas, turned herself in, and served 4 years in prison. My Meemaw took SO many pictures (I guess that’s where I get it from), but remember back then you had to actually get it developed! There is picture album after picture album of my every move when I was little. It was clear they loved me, cared for me, and I felt it too. I always felt at home with them, it was safe, stable, and they were loving parents to me. My Peepaw played catch with me in the yard, never missed a t-ball or softball game. They never missed a dance recital. Peepaw retired when I was in Kindergarten and Meemaw was a homemaker. I had several friends that lived on our street, and my house became the “hang out” sometimes after school. They were “Meemaw and Peepaw” to all of my friends, too. One year, my friends and I decided to put on a dance recital for the whole neighborhood – Peepaw had flyers made and sent them out to all the neighbors. My childhood with them was nothing short of unconditional love and support.

When my mother got out of prison, she stayed in Texas but would come to NC once a year and visit. She was basically like a stranger to me. I was always uncomfortable around her. Remember, this was the late 80s/early 90s when keeping in touch long distance was more difficult. She called occasionally, but I don’t remember any meaningful conversations. There were no “I love yous” exchanged between us EVER in my entire life to this day. When I was 9 ½, she had married my stepdad and had my two brothers. She convinced my grandparents she had her life together and requested for me to go to TX to live with them. I remember Peepaw presenting the idea to me. I still remember the conversation to this day. It was in the car after leaving a friend’s birthday party. I was 8 years old. I knew of my brothers at this point, had met one of them on my mother’s last visit to NC. Had never met the youngest one (they were babies at this point). I was at the start of 3rd grade. My closest friends had siblings, lived with their mom and dad. I was an only child living with my grandparents. I had a great life, but at 8 years old I had a desire to have siblings and feel “normal” living with my mother. Even though she was nearly a stranger to me. I was also young, and did not know her entire story and why she had been absent at the time. So my little 8 year old brain just heard “brothers, living with my mom like a normal kid, yay!”

So, on July 9th, 1993, after finishing the school year at age 9 I got on a plane, my first flight as an unaccompanied minor, and I moved to Texas. And that began 9+ years of pure hell.

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Matt and I don’t necessarily celebrate Valentine’s Day, I mean we don’t go out and do anything really. Restaurants and places are too busy. And this year it falls on a Friday, so Matt works. I do try to do a little something for the kids. I have little gifts that will be set out for them when they get home from school. I like to think of Valentine’s Day as just celebrating love in general. I feel secure in my marriage and we celebrate love every chance we get in many different ways. I feel loved every day, and I hope I make him feel loved every day. This week he showed love by helping with household duties. This week I worked at the hospital a lot, and he picked up some slack at home. That makes me feel loved. Supporting my goals, hobbies, every crazy idea I come up with – that makes me feel loved. I’ve been on a journey to live a healthier lifestyle so a box of chocolates would not make me feel loved right now! Haha 🙂

Growing up I experienced a major “love deficit” from my biological mother. I know it has changed my love language and how I feel loved. Maybe I didn’t get it right the first time, but I now have a partner that shows me love every day in the way I need to feel it.

My first marriage was not “bad.” Nothing “bad” happened, maybe that’s why we have an amicable divorce. Sean and I are truly good friends and coparent in a loving way. I was still very broken when I met Sean, and my needs in that marriage were more than he could handle. He didn’t understand my love language or my “love deficit,” and that was not his fault. Our marriage felt like we were just good friends. So, we just maintained that friendship and let go of the romantic ties. He’s great at showing love as a coparent, teaching our son respect for his mother, and great at showing love as a friend. I’m so thankful we have a healthy coparenting relationship for our son. I have no regrets because we have a handsome, intelligent, creative, caring, compassionate son from that relationship.

We all have a reason to celebrate love today, whether you’re married, single, or whatever your status is. Good friends that love on you, your kids that love you unconditionally, parents that have shown you love all your life, or substitute parents that showed love, or maybe you are focused on yourself, self-care and loving yourself right now – we all have some form of love to celebrate today.

Creative Time Management

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As a busy mom it’s easy to feel overwhelmed constantly, never-ending to-do lists, you feel like your brain is an internet browser with 92 tabs open all at once. I have a few tricks to tackling those to-do lists. Many of the tasks on my to-do list, although they seem overwhelming, actually only take a few minutes. And there are times throughout the day that I have a few minutes, I just don’t always realize it. Also, multitasking – this simple skill can actually save you time.

Laundry

  1. Start a load in the washer every night before I go to bed
  2. In the morning, while my coffee is brewing, put that load in the dryer
  3. Fold and put away that laundry – doing a daily load keeps the mountain of laundry at bay, and makes it more manageable. Realistically think about it – how long does it actually take to fold that one load and put it away? Minutes. Not long! And think of how great you’ll feel when it’s done!
  4. Get the kids involved – Let them help! Logan has loved helping with laundry since he was little. I let him put clothes in the washer, pull them out of the dryer, and put away his own clothes. It’s fun for him, quality time with him, AND he’s learning some life skills. Blake has been doing his own laundry since he was about 8. I put sticky notes on the washer so he knows the settings to use. Are the clothes always perfect when they’re put away? No, but they’re clean and that’s good enough! I’m raising future husbands and I want them to be true partners to their future mates, like the husband I have – capable of sharing in the household duties!

Meal Planning/Prepping

  1. Online grocery ordering: This saves me money AND time. I do weekly Walmart grocery orders. It saves my usual items so it takes seconds to fill my cart with my weekly items. I also fill my cart throughout the week when I notice things we need. It only takes a few seconds to add it to my cart, by the time I’m ready to order my groceries it doesn’t take long at all!
  2. I meal prep a lot of meals – not just to eat healthy, but to save time. I might make a breakfast casserole at the beginning of the week to last for breakfast all week, or I make a big batch of breakfast items for the kids to eat throughout the week. Blake is capable of heating up his own breakfast, and it’s quick and easy to reheat for Logan. When I cook dinner at the beginning of the week, I will simultaneously sometimes cook another meal for another day. I’m already using the pots/pans – I make the most of my time, less dishes to wash.
  3. I use my crockpot. A LOT. There is so much you can do with a crockpot that you may not realize – let it do the cooking while you do other things!

The Simplest Tip – But Hardest – Replace Social Media Scrolling With Productivity

Ex: When I’m sitting in the car rider line for 10-15 mins before school lets out –

  • Make doc appts
  • Online grocery shopping
  • Pay bills

    Look for other opportunities throughout the day when you have 10-15 mins to kill. Today it seems our natural reaction is to go straight to our phone and scroll. Think of all the little tasks that seem so overwhelming, but actually only take a few mins. Squeeze them in if you can.

    Five Tips to Improve Your Mental Health

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    Remove the negativity

    • Are you in FB groups that constantly have drama, you never post in them because you’re afraid of judgement, and if you REALLY think about it you get more negativity out of it than positivity? Remove yourself, or just snooze for 30 days and reevaluate.
    • Do you have a friend that is always a negative Nancy? Or maybe a friend that puts you down more than they lift you up? Reevaluate your friendships. Distance yourself from those that bring you down more than lift you up.
    • Are you addicted to true crime tv shows and podcasts? Yeah I was too. Take a break and replace with comedy tv shows/podcasts or positive mindset podcasts.

    Find the positive

    • By nature, we tend to focus on the negative. The bottom line – you can’t change what has happened, but you can change how you let it affect you.
    • Make a conscious effort to take a negative thought and turn it into a positive. Start small. Ex: “I had a rough day at work, it was so busy, people were rude, etc” à “I’m lucky to have a good job, at least I get paid for today, I have job security in my profession. And the rude people don’t come home with me – I get to leave my work at work and come home to my family.”

    Gratitude Journal

    • Start your day by thinking of just one thing you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big. But training your brain to start the day focused on gratitude puts your mindset in a positive mode for the day.
    • End your day the same way – this is also a good time to reflect on some negative thoughts you may have had during the day and think of how to turn them into a positive.
    • Over time, your brain will be trained to focus on the positive

    Be like Nike – Just Do It

    • Lacking motivation to get things done, then you feel lazy, then you feel down because your house is a mess, you felt unproductive, you feel bad about yourself, and it’s a snowball effect.
    • JUST START – getting started is the hardest part. Laundry to fold but you’re dreading it, feel like it wastes this precious small amount of time you have to yourself? Just get started – it usually ends up taking less time than you think. And once you get started, it gets easier to just get it done. Then you feel better about yourself and the mess!
    • Feeling sluggish, you know you need to get some exercise, but feeling lazy and don’t feel like getting ready? Just do it. In your pjs, who cares? Many times I’ve just thrown on a hoodie over my pjs and took a short walk. That small dose of vit D makes me feel more energized and is a huge mood boost! Now, if you sleep naked or in skimpy pjs maybe throw on a robe or something, don’t get arrested for streaking in your neighborhood. Does that still feel like too much work? Get down on your living room floor and do some stretching, sit-ups, 10-15 mins of physical activity – it will release endorphins that will improve your mood!

    Move Your Body

    • Those last points kinda go along with this – make it a habit to move your body every day in some way. Even for just 15-20 mins. Go for a walk, walk the dog, ride a bicycle, do some yoga in your living room, play with your kids outside.
    • Moving your body is not only physically healthy, but boosts your mental health. It releases those feel-good hormones that improve your mood and put you in a better head space.
    • Bonus tip: listen to The Mindset Mentor podcast while going for a walk – he has some amazing episodes, short and sweet, that are really inspiring and mood-lifting!

    Why I decided to create a blog

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    This is something I have wanted to do for awhile and felt like I couldn’t find the time. I finally MADE the time. When you become a mother, sometimes you lose yourself in motherhood, buried in the diapers, exhaustion, laundry, busy schedules, you forget who you were before you became a mother. If you ask a mother what her hobbies are, she’s likely to stand there racking her brain to come up with an answer other than sleep, shower, hot food, pee alone.

    Writing was a hobby of mine many years ago. I always said I wanted to write a book. When I was in my early 20s living in Texas, when I thought nursing was not an attainable degree at the time, I studied journalism at community college. I even worked on the school newspaper writing movie reviews. I really enjoyed it. I love to talk, I love to tell stories, but I’m much better at sitting down putting my words on paper (or in text/typing) than I am actually speaking.

    So, I guess this blog is my way of getting back into writing. I have a lot of interesting stories from my past that I don’t mind sharing, especially if it might help someone. I also have plenty of funny stories thanks to my silly boys and never-boring-job in the ER. I love to help people, which is probably why I became a nurse. I love to share anything that could help others.

    I hope you’ll find something helpful, interesting, and/or entertaining from my blog! 🙂