Welcome October… It’s my Birthday Month!

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It’s no secret that October is one of my favorite months out of the year, I mean come on… It’s my Birthday month. I’m all about Libra Season! #JENtober has been celebrated all month long since my 30th Birthday! I’m pushing 38 this month! I love to plan fun events all month long to enjoy with my REAL friends and family and I usually plan a party but, this year may be a little different. I just want to get away! I’m still deciding where I want to go but, I know that it will be the mountains or the coast. I actually enjoy the beach during the fall weather. It’s picture perfect for me!

So far this month I have really been playing catch up with work and blogging to position myself to take some time off and enjoy it. I just want to be carefree for a little while. I’ve had some amazing opportunities come my way and I’ll be blogging about all of them this month. It’s nice when I can tie a blogging opportunity, event or product into my Birthday festivities. I have so much fun and you get to see firsthand what’s going on. I tend to share on Twitter and Instagram first and then I’ll follow up with a blog post if necessary. So, if we’re NOT connected on Twitter or Instagram FOLLOW ME @JenOni_Inc!

I plan to visit Carowinds for the Great Pumpkin Fall Festival and SCarowinds this season again! My son’s Birthday is exactly seven days after mine so we tend to celebrate at certain events together. We both love Horror and to be spooked so, SCarowinds is always a great choice. We had so much fun last year and the park is open so we can enjoy the rides as well. The NC State Fair is coming to town in between October 13th & 23rd so I will FINALLY be able to enjoy some deep fried Girl Scout Cookies, Funnel Cake and Deep Fried Cookie Dough! I have NEVER been to the NC State Fair so this will be an adventure.

There are a few concerts and plays happening this month that I can’t wait to attend and will be posting about them. So, stay tuned… I love a good Broadway Production and concert! Anthony Hamilton How I’m Feelin’ Tour is coming to DPAC this month along with RENT and the Love Jones Musical! Love Jones is one of my all-time favorite romantic dramas. It’s right up there with Love & Basketball and The Best Man. I must also mention that Nia Long is like one of my favorite actresses. I’ve been following her career since she was Kat Speakes on Guiding Light! Her Birthday is also this month but, she’s a Scorpio. I’m a Libra!

JENtober is always a month to remember and I try to capture as much of it in photos and video as possible. It’s been trending for the last seven years so I appreciate when my friends indulge in my “JENtober” festivities and dub October = JENtober! I appreciate you all! I get tickled whenever someone refers to October as JENtober on my Facebook wall, Twitter or Instgaram. It just makes me giggle! I am really looking forward to a great month and can’t wait to share all my experiences with you. What do you do for your Birthday?

Do you just take the day or celebrate all month long? Happy JENtober!

Personal Time Management Reality Check

I recently had to stop and reflect on some of the things that I don’t do and make a decision to do them. Certain things can be really small like, I won a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card a few months ago and up until a few days ago, I had yet to redeem it. I made it a point to schedule some time to go online shopping. I also have a few other gift cards for a facial, massage and waxing boutique that I have yet to redeem. Well, my Birthday is coming up this month and I have made the decision to plan a day of pampering for myself. I’ll even throw in a manicure & pedicure to have a full spa day. I’ve been holding on to these Gift Cards for months and one is even over a year old. Sad to say I almost did the same thing last year. I had a few gift cards from different department stores and I went on a Birthday shopping spree. It’s always good to go shopping with gift cards! I didn’t really come out of pocket for anything. I shouldn’t have to be pushed to do those things. I’m glad I can use the gift cards towards my Birthday but, why didn’t I use them sooner? As If, I don’t deserve to be pampered. Sometimes, it’s exactly what I need! I’m looking forward to my day of Birthday pampering. The massage in particular, I may fall asleep on the massage table. Lol!

I’m a Shoedazzle VIP Member and I get charged monthly unless I decide to skip the month, well I was charged last month and this month crept up on me and I still had last months credit to spend. I made it a point to sit down and go shoe shopping on the Shoedazzle website. I have a cute pair of heels coming my way that I paired with the cutest color block dress. I see a fashion post in the near future. I’m always so busy, but I have to remember to take time out to do things that I really enjoy. I need to take time to just relax. I won’t deny that time management has always been a huge issue for me. Now I really need to stop and take initiative to do things for myself. I’m usually doing things for others. I honestly don’t mind doing for others. I have a giving spirit, I just can’t always lose myself in the process. I’m a wife and mother first. When all is said and done I need to set aside some Jen time and do things that I enjoy. Sometimes, I enjoy doing absolutely nothing! Mostly when my shedule is hectic and I can’t catch a break. I’ll sleep in on Saturday morning and have a lazy weekend. It’s the perfect time to binge watch my favorite shows on Netflix. I just want to remember to take time out for me.

I’m really looking forward to JENtober because it’s the one time of year that I make it all about me. I also share a portion of it with my son, his birthday is exactly a week after mine. He falls under Scorpio though… he’s not a Libra like his momma! I celebrate my Birthday all month long. I’ll also be doing some traveling. Type A Parent Conference is in Buckhead, GA next month and I won a pass! I’m so excited! I haven’t bee to Type A since 2012 when it was in Charlotte, NC. As always I’m looking forward to connecting with new blogging buddies and my existing Blogger Boos! I’m excited to be able to take time off. I didn’t really take any vacation last year and my days rolled over. I only used a couple of days to attend the Niche Parent Conference in Orlando, FL. We’re notorious for taking weekend staycations at the beach or heading to neighboring states for the weekend. Myrtle Beach is one of our favorite getaway spots! I also get two weeks off during the holiday season so I don’t need to request it off. I can use some of my days and I’ll still have days left over because after October, I don’t really plan on taking any days off and I get the Thanksgiving holiday and then Christmas. Personal & Vacation days come in handy when you want to travel to blog conferences. Lol! All in all I just remember to take the necessary time out for you. Happy (JENtober) October!

Ten Reasons Why This October Rocks!

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1. First and foremost, It’s my birth month! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I usually celebrate all month long and I’ve been doing this since my 30th Birthday dubbing October… JENtober! #31DaysOfJentober **My own personal Birthday month hashtag(s)**

2. I usually try to attend a blog conference scheduled in October and get the opportunity to travel, learn, network and party with my blogger friends! This October I’ll be at the Niche Parent Conference at Walt Disney World. Woot! I can’t wait…

3. I schedule exciting events every weekend during the month of October so that I am celebrating with family and friends. I like experiencing new things with the people close to me that I love. I also have a few friends with October Birthdays and I celebrate with them too. It should be dubbed FUNtober!

4. My oldest son is also born in October, his estimated due date was on Halloween but he decided to come a week early and we also celebrate his birthday this month. He is a Scorpio though… and doesn’t reign as a Libra like his mom! He likes to celebrate his Birthday on Halloween. Go Figure!

5. I love the fall season even though I have allergies year round! It’s way better than what I go through during Spring and I just love all the colors. Everything looks so beautiful especially in the mountains. It’s always amazing to see the leaves on trees change color.

6. October is also breast cancer awareness month and domestic violence awareness month. I love using my blog and social media channels as a platform to shed light on causes that are near and dear to my heart. #SocialGoodBlogger

7. Horror Movies!!!!! I love to stay tuned into SyFy and the American Movie Channel to watch all the scary movies that come on throughout the month of October. I love Horror Movies! AND… don’t let there be back to back sequels. I won’t leave the house! #31DaysOfHalloween

8. Halloween is a fun time in our house. I dress up with the kids and take them to our neighborhood Fall Festival and also neighborhood Trick O’ Treating. They do pretty well every single year and then I take all the goodies from them and ration it out over a period of time.

9. Preparing for the holidays… I know that once October is over we are heading into the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays and they are my favorite! I love to cook and fellowship with my family. I love traditions and have started my own over the years.

10. Skips back to number #2! I’m doing the countdown to Walt Disney World and the Niche Parent Conference! As I get closer I will share what’s on the agenda that I am looking forward to and you know I’ll be tweeting my entire experience so don’t forget to follow me @JaelDesignsInc JENtober Rocks!

Until Next Time… Ciao!

#JENtober Birthday Memories…

October has been a great festive month with lots of positive transitioning for me and my family. I usually celebrate my birthday the entire month with friends and family and this year wasn’t any different. First and foremost, I applied for an open position within my company that I thought I’d be great at and got the job, I started September 30th. My on the job training and department transition has been smooth. My Birthday is first, my oldest son’s birthday is seven days after mine, and Halloween is the following week! Fun Fact: My son’s expected due date was Halloween and he came a week early! I’m okay with the fact he’s not a Halloween baby, I already have a Christmas baby! So, I started celebrating the first week of October since one of my dear friends Latoya has a dedicated week to celebrate her Birthday which is dubbed “Lush Life” every year! We celebrated her Dirty Thirty this year and had a good time catching up since she moved away this past summer.

As my birthday approached I knew I didn’t want to have a party. I just wanted to be with my husband! I think he wanted to try and throw me a surprise Birthday Party but, I told him that I wanted “Us Time”! We both work different schedules and raise four children so “Date Night” and “Us Time” rarely happens anymore. We are realizing that we just need to take time for ourselves sometimes, every marriage needs that! We always have family time and enjoy tons of family activities but, somewhere in there we got lost! Listening to me my husband surprised me with a Myrtle Beach Weekend Birthday Getaway! It was a nice ride and I’d never been to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina before so it was a great experience. We stayed on the Ocean Blvd. strip right on North Myrtle Beach! He also took me to the South side where we were able to enjoy the festivities and eat some good food. Funny thing is while we were there I said… “We need to come back and do this with the kids” Ha!

I think it would be a nice family vacation as well, we stayed in a three bedroom condo because that’s all that was available when he booked our reservation. We had more than enough space and all I could think of is the kids could be occupying these bedrooms along with a sitting area , full kitchen and bathroom. I’m already looking at when we can go back as a family. I am withholding the resorts name purposely because I plan to go back with the family and blog the experience, so you’ll know soon enough! Overall October was a crazy birthday month and as usual I’m trying to manage my time to the best of my ability but, it’s all been great! The holidays are quickly approaching and I need to gear up for hosting Thanksgiving dinner in my home with friends and relatives and we are debating traveling home to New York for Christmas. I think the rest of this year is going to be great! I’ve already started planning for the New Year and where I want to be by the end of the first quarter. From October until the end of the year it’s nothing but festivities for me. How about you? Enjoy some pictures from #JENtober!

Keep Calm... #JENtober

JENtober Birthday Memories

Myrtle Beach Morning View

Pier 14 Ocean Blvd. Myrtle Beach, SC

An Avengers Birthday Event

This is a (Not So Wordless Wednesday Post) Mini Me Turns FIVE this weekend! I’ve known for a while that we were going to have an Avengers themed birthday party with matching birthday cake! I have an Avengers filled weekend ahead of me with lots of fun and games including playing Avengers Battle For Earth on XBOX 360 Kinect!

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Marvel - Avengers Battle for Earth

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!