Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

by ajohnson | Apr 18, 2019 | Blog, Motherhood, Opinion

With the increasing use of technology and the decreasing age at which children start learning technology, it’s becoming difficult to connect any toy in a past generation and keep interest for very long.

That’s where LEGO’s come in!

No matter what, even in technological games, you have to use your imagination and create something new. And that’s all LEGO’s have ever been about!

Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

I remember as a kid having a HUGE blue bucket full of all different shapes, sizes, and colors of LEGO’s that my siblings and I could spend HOURS creating whatever we wanted. I usually built a house that was very elaborate (big surprise that I love architecture and imagining what the house could be now, right?!). While my siblings built cars and such (also very telling to today’s interests.)

Since Leila was little, she’s always loved LEGO’s and has a table with little pockets to store her creations and extra pieces in her room. Now that Finlee’s showing an interest, I thought it would be perfect to partner with LEGO to showcase the new and classic options for World Creativity and Innovation Week.

Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations Why you should consider the Perfect Toys that have withstood Generations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leila got to build the new, LEGO friends collection as it has specific directions to ensure the shop is sturdy and stays together. Finlee played with the classic collection that’s seen a bit of an update and comes with pieces that have eyes and wheels.

It was super fun to be able to help them and tell stories of my siblings and I spending hours playing with our LEGO’s but also fun to watch their little minds work and put together all the pieces to their creations. And when Grandma came over, she could then tell her stories of playing with LEGO’s herself.

After they built their creations, they played with them for the next couple hours and even continued on with them for the next few days, taking a piece or a part along with them in the car. They still held up and didn’t break! I call that a win for no tears and unhappy kiddos!

If you are needing a new toy to help your kiddos take a break from the technology, but still get their creativity going, I highly encourage you to revisit LEGO’s as they will help in also developing their fine motor skills, which is important for school learning just as much as technology!

 

LEGO stories LEGO stories

What are your favorite LEGO stories from when you were growing up?

Embracing the Feminine Within

by ajohnson | Mar 31, 2019 | Beauty, Blog, Opinion

Embracing the Feminine Within

I didn’t think I had an ounce of feminine in my body, and honestly fought it for so long.

I also believe this is why I was blessed with two girls instead of a boy and a girl.

Let me explain…

For a really long time, I struggled to relate to the things I would see feminist’s doing on tv. I thought the marches and the sign wearing (I can’t remember the name right now) or protests were a waste of time, and energy.

And honestly, I didn’t and still don’t think its a good expression or way to handle the situation. I’d rather do something about it, in a way that makes a difference.

But I didn’t think I needed to have a community or a support system either…. so it could be that too 🤷🏼‍♀️

Embracing the Feminine Within

I have always been the first to let the tears flow and also the first person to shy and hide when it was time to share emotions or show someone the real me. (My now husband so lovelingly reminded me MANY more times than I can count when we were dating to let him in and trust him.)

I envied those women who had a group of girlfriends to go out with or have lunch dates that I would see while I was sitting all alone pretending to work on my phone. Secretly envious of their laughs, their smiles, and their relationships. I longed for that, and also didn’t long for the ‘drama’ that comes along with girls. (Clearly my mind assumes that everyone, no matter their age, is a petty high school girl.)

Even though I longed to have meaningful relationships with women, I was blocking them everywhere I turned. And my inner girl couldn’t have fought me harder. I would be placed in situations where a very feminine and in touch with herself woman would come into my life. And I would avoid her like the plague. I would make up some excuse as to why I didn’t like her.

But, I would be very drawn to the gay men, and almost a bit jealous of them too.

They had the masculine already and found a way to get in touch on a way I had NO idea that was possible with their femininity. To this day, I have more gay friends than girlfriends. Which I’m still working to receive balance on.

And the Universe works in funny ways… when I was at my lowest moment and needing something to save me, something to get me back in touch with who I am, and ultimately, my feminine, she sent me a daughter.

And what did I do with this blessing?

I was still reckless with my actions. I only found out I was pregnant because I blacked out while playing on a slip and slide with the kids at the day camp I was a counselor at for a summer. Because I blacked out and got a concussion because I didn’t eat enough to keep my blood sugar up..

I decided that because my ‘plan’ wasn’t complete (college graduate, married, own a home, all before the age of 22). And I didn’t feel worthy of having this baby. So, I hid it until I couldn’t any more. I was ashamed with my actions. That the dad wasn’t perfect, that I didn’t feel prepared to be a good mom, that I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to provide for her.

I think I was most terrified because we don’t want to be the same kind of parent we received as a child.
I’ve since realized and learned that our parents felt the same way. And they did the best they could with the knowledge that they had.

And, I wouldn’t change my childhood, it made me the person I am today.

So, I went to many doctors appointment alone. I named her on my own. I was ill. A lot, on my own. I was miserable on my own. Until the last few months, when I told people I was having a baby, and how soon, they were able to support and help me. I have only 1 photo of me with a pregnant belly, and it’s not even fully my belly as I’m trying to hide it as much as possible. Not that I would have allowed it anyways — my self worth at the time was at an all time low and a photo documenting anything would have been out of the question.

The day Leila was born, my whole life changed. She saved me from being lost. She was a perfect baby, so so beautiful. The person I chose to be her father, not her biological father, was a huge support to us. To this day, he is daddy.


Leila pushed me to do things I’d never done before. And gave me reason to want to be a woman, and to connect with other women.
She gave me a will to want to be better, to do better. She helped me find me as a person, and as a woman. And she gave me love when I didn’t know what that felt like. She allowed me to love when I hadn’t ever felt that in my life.

She reminded me to love myself and that it’s ok to be a mom, and to be me, whatever that was at the time.

Leila also allowed me the space to realize I didn’t want to go on through life as a follower or a person who listens to others and follows orders.
She got me out of my shell and reminded my creative, feminine, emotional self to rise to the occasion.

She went to work with me and helped me to learn valuable skills in a position that was all very new to my family. In a space that was recently booming and gaining force when the crash from 2008 was finally hitting the ground running in 2011. We spent more time together and she was a friend that understood and allowed me to be vulnerable. Without this, I don’t know if we would have made it so far. In both work and as people. Looking back, 2011 – 2013 was a period I don’t remember a lot of, other than helping things grow – people, business, and myself.

As I was finding myself, I knew there was more out there for us. So I took a chance and left everything I’d ever known behind. I moved across the country to interview for a company that was a bit larger in size than the previous one. I met my now husband and was thrown into his business, where I played many roles, as small business owners often do, but allowed me to be around many different types of people. People who were all on my path for a reason. People who each taught me something or another. I found myself shutting down the feminine in me.

And wouldn’t you know it, the Universe has a funny way of reminding us not to shrink, instead to shine.

Along came Leila’s sister, Finlee.

Leila is an Aries, and Finlee’s a Taurus. If you know anything about Astrology, these two are very strong willed.
Finlee is beautiful. And very much in balance of the masculine and feminine energies.
She’s not afraid to tell you NO when she isn’t in alignment with something or someone, she will voice her opinion or let you know she needs you at any time. And she loves to dance, color, sing, and be anything and everything all at once.

She’s my reminder that there is a possibility of balance and that it isn’t a bad thing.

Society is so strict and judgmental when they feel you aren’t doing things the way they think you should. And for a long time, I let that rule me.

Not now.

I owe it to myself, first and foremost, my girls, my husband, and my sisters to find that balance. To find that place where we can be feminine and masculine and have what we want in this life.

I and WE owe it to the future women who will come to this planet to own our Feminity and know that what society says that looks like, isn’t the only way for it to look.

It can be messy.

It doesn’t have to make sense.

And it can take time.

It can have YOU infused into it.

Only YOU get to decide what that looks like for you.

Are you with me?

 

xoxo,

AJ

“Let It Go!” Release your Past for a better Future

by ajohnson | Feb 11, 2019 | Blog, Health, Opinion

You are the result of the love of thousands. Honor that, and give gratitude to those who came before you, who made it possible for you to exist.

At some point or another, we say “I don’t want to be like my Mom or Dad,” and then before we know it, we doing things/acting like our parents. Sometimes it’s good, other times, not so great.

I’ve been there too.

Here’s the thing – your parents, grandparents, etc are only doing the best they can to NOT be like their parents. They are trying their best to give and do things for you that they had and didn’t want to continue in their children.

While they are trying to make things better, parts of their past are coming through as well. When we choose to get angry over those who didn’t have all the tools or the awareness that wee do today we are simply giving into the fear and judgement parts of us.

Instead of looking at these incidents as faults or fears, we can take them as an opportunity to learn from the experience and express gratitude for the lesson to be presented in our lives.

I can’t count anymore the number of times I have heard my parents say “Well, we did the best we could with what we had and knew.”

And, for a really long time, I didn’t think that was good enough or acceptable. I thought it was a cop out or an excuse as to the experience I had in childhood.

When I started realizing and looking into my ancestry, I began to understand that was true. I was so concerned with the things I thought I was missing out on, I failed to see the experiences I was given that others weren’t able to experience. As I gave gratitude and love to my childhood, I started to have a different and better relationship with my parents.

The gratitude I gave to my parents went to my grandparents and on down my ancestry. It helped me to understand, give up judgement, and heal my anger and victim mode.

I no longer feel the burden of my past. I’m at peace with my history, and love that I have those experiences to make me who I am. I don’t carry them around like a weight on my shoulders any longer. I have released the weight not only from myself, my parents, or grandparents, but also from my children and their future children.

Are you carrying around more than you bargained for? Let’s book a call and see what all is ready to be released for you and your family.

It’s so easy to compare and wish things were Different

It’s so easy to compare and wish things were Different

by ajohnson | Feb 11, 2019 | Blog, Health, Opinion

13 years ago, I joined a platform in the fall of 2005. In my freshman year of college,  and very much in my infancy of freedom and adulthood.

Facebook was also in it’s infancy. Back before all the videos, ads, marketing, random PM messages, groups. The days when only those with a college email address could join.

Looking back, no one could have predicted our journeys as they are today. Maybe Zuck saw it for his baby, but I certainly didn’t see mine for me.

 

When these memories come up and I think back to that time in my life, I had all these hopes and dreams of who I was going to be and how long it would take. I was majoring in Radiology – mostly because I wanted to prove my dad wrong. Because he was ‘old’ and didn’t know anything.

I now appreciate his guidance and opinions.

I wanted the freedom to be me. It was the first time I felt I could finally escape the childhood and past that I deeply wanted to hide. So much so that I started dating a guy much older than me. I was so consumed with is affection and attention that I spent every weekend with him in my dorm or traveling back 2.5 hours, 20 minutes from my parents, at his house. I didn’t do the normal college things often, only 3 times that whole year. I stopped attending classes and actually dropped most of them after the financial aid was released.

I was completely terrible to my roommate, whom I had known since 3rd grade and saw daily in middle and high school since our names were so close together, our lockers were next to each other. I forgot who I was and realize looking back, I had no idea anyways. I was running, I was hiding. And that became my story until about 2011.

Most of those years, I went to community college, worked full time, and dated the same guy who didn’t want to go anywhere with life fast. Because that was safer than returning to face the things of the past. That also meant I could support myself and show everyone I didn’t need them.

I had it all figured out…..at least it appeared on the surface.

Deep down, I had no idea there were hopes and dreams dying a little more every day inside.

At one point, I had so much shame and gilt that I couldn’t take it anymore. So, in typical AJ fashion, I ran. I did things I’m not proud of but realize it was part of my journey.

Running away and not dealing was my escape when backed into a corner with no other foreseeable options. To me, running away was easier than standing and facing the truth. I would have rather carried the burden inside of me with a smile on my face than deal with the truth. Or telling the people I was in a relationship with in any area of my life, to their face.

Looking at the pictures and memories from that time, I don’t recognize that girl. I can see sadness and a cry for help. But I also see the calculations of who and what next move happening.

It’s so easy to compare that to now. It’s so easy to look back and point the fingers and imagine “what if…..”

In reality though, I have no idea where I would be now if I didn’t take those risks or calculate the next thing. I honestly couldn’t have even planned the life I live today, not even a little bit.

I do know for a fact that I am far better and happier today and yesterday and tomorrow because of them. I am forever grateful to have these experiences and opportunities to make mine and those around me’s lives better.

You are allowed to be with your journey too. Stop for a second and just be you. Don’t compare who you were or what you were. Just be present in this moment and listen. Listen to what your body is saying. To what that little voice inside is saying (both good and bad). Then decide where you go from here. It’s completely your choice.

I’ll be cheering for you.

xo,

AJ

Bulletproof Way to Always Get Ahead in Life

by ajohnson | Jan 29, 2019 | Blog, Health, Life, Opinion

 

Yep, bulletproof ways to always get where you want in life.

Whether that’s getting in your life, or making a difference in the world, never settle with where you are right now.

Never become so comfortable in your space and life that you forget that things can change in a second. Always strive for more and be looking in your peripheral for what’s coming your way..

Now, I realize these may be bold statements to make, and maybe go against everything you’ve ever been told.

“Stay in your lane and focus on the tasks at hand. Don’t worry about what’s ahead, finish your tasks now and then do that after.”

Or something to that affect. And maybe it was only me they were talking to…?

I don’t recall exactly, but I do know that where I am in my head versus where those people are in real life are quite different. No one but you knows how and when to be satisfied. And if what you are seeing in front of you in life is different than what you are seeing in your dreams/imagination/headspace, then change it!

Only you can do that.

No one else can.

I can tell you that when I was at my lowest point, when I was donating plasma just to keep food on the table for my little girl, I was envisioning a day where we wouldn’t ever have to do that again – a day where we’d never have to worry where our next meal was going to come from.

When I was drowning in debt trying to make a better life for us and didn’t know if we’d make rent, I was keeping in sight the image of a better life. One that didn’t involve needing to worry about money or where it would come from. One where we could do and buy and go whatever and where ever we wanted.

I sold things out of our home that we didn’t need. I cut off services that weren’t critical to our survival. I worked extra jobs and found ways to increase our income so we could get out of the situation we were in.

Situations and hard times are only temporary as long as you see them that way. Today, more-so than any other time, the opportunities to get ahead and create a life you want are ENDLESS. It simply takes getting out of your comfort zone to make a difference.

I’m writing this blog at 6 am because the inspiration came, and I was up anyways. If I tried to store this for later, it would be gone out of my head. Personally, I’m more productive in the mornings than the afternoons. I do all of my research and important things in the morning because by 2 pm, I’m done working for the day, and switch (for the most part) fully into mom and wife mode.

Because I created that. I wanted to spend time doing homework with my girls and taking them to swim lessons or dance or whatever that ends up looking like down the road. Each and every day is a little different depending on when my husband is traveling or home, but I know that in order to keep the life I want and my vision alive (because I’m still not there yet and my vision has grown and developed into more) I have to do things when everyone else is still sleeping or at school/work.

I digress… back to the ways you can get out of and ahead in your situation.

There are so many ways for you to make additional income, if that’s what you are needing right now. Just yesterday, we found that you could make a pretty decent income by becoming a ‘charger or juicer’ for these new motorized scooters from Bird and Lime. Now, if you don’t live in or near a big city, this may not apply and you won’t have ANY idea what I’m talking about.

If you have technical or administrative skills, and have a computer, you could offer to support someone who owns a business virtually as tech support or a Virtual Assistant from the comfort of your own home.

If you are good with words, or love to share your own journey, you can write for a platform called Medium and receive payment for your words being read by other readers. Other sites that you can offer your services on are Fiverr and Upwork.

The opportunities are endless for you to get out of your situation. The question is, do you want to?

Listen, the economy is the economy and unfortunately, we live in one today that is as messed up as the wind on a spring day in Indiana – great one second and the next it’s ice cold. So do yourself a favor and don’t get so comfortable and believe that you would never get fired or you can change the outcome of your life next year. Do it now, while you can still get ahead, and before your dreams are dead.

What do you think? Good ideas or no? I’d love to know what you do to get ahead in your life.

 

xoxo,

AJ

Christmas lists… friend or foe?

by ajohnson | Nov 15, 2018 | Blog, Christmas, Life, Opinion

The idea of Christmas lists has always been weird for me to grasp.

 

As a kid, it didn’t matter what we asked for, we always got chocolates, a real orange, a real apple, and some peppermints in our stocking.

For gifts, we got socks, undies, and usually a clothing item. Even to this day, I can count on my parents getting me socks and a hand towel and oven mitt set regardless of what my kitchen theme is. We didn’t know any different as some years, we would get to be on the giving tree and get random toys and others not.

We didn’t have money, but as kids, we (I had no idea) that was the case until I was in middle school. My parents did the best they could to make sure we had everything we needed, and not what we wanted.

 

For a long time, I didn’t understand it. I felt cheated and that I missed out. I would try to make up for it by buying myself as many gifts around Christmas as I would buy for everyone else. I wanted to buy the best and most gifts with the best paper to have people tear into Christmas day. I wanted to give the biggest pile of gifts, regardless if they were thoughtful or if they were last minute cheapies off of the holiday section that wouldn’t ever make it out of their package.

 

This continued even after the girls were able to open their own gifts. The best paper to be ripped to shreds and not even appreciated then thrown into the trash. The gifts inside marveled for about 2.5 seconds and then pushed to the side.

The difference is, now, we don’t need to make a Christmas list because we have worked to set ourselves up to be able to purchase anything we need or want, whenever we want.

It’s not to sound arrogant or anything, it’s just that that’s the truth. Through a lot of hard work and smart business, we have went from straight poor as children and now abundant adults.

So it raises the question about the Christmas list again. Do we need to make one to list our wants, or do we ask that people spend more money on their own families and simply spend time and have experiences with us?

 

I know for me, I would rather go to lunch or have a day with someone creating a stronger relationship than any gift could give. And, because we live so far away from a lot of our family, I would prefer they spend the time with the kids instead of giving them a mountain of presents for them to enjoy for about as long as it takes to unbox them.

 

Maybe it’s me wanting to have less things to move someday when our house is done.

Maybe it’s me turning 32 and finally realizing the important things in life.

Maybe it’s looking back on some of my favorite memories growing up, spending time making noodles with my grandma and eating pies with my other grandma.

Maybe it’s me not wanting to clean up the mess… probably a lot of this…

 

Most of all, I think I want them to slow down and remember. Remember the holiday season for what it’s really meant to be – family time.

 

What do y’all do? Do you do Christmas Lists or do you get what you need? Or do you ask for experiences instead of gifts?

xoxo,

AJ