A Secret to Success This New Year: Become Committed and Resilient

Mom and son celebrating the new year in the Bahamas in 2025! "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." – Confucius Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three , working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. 2025 was intense. I faced a convergence of pressures: the stress of navigating life as a single mom while paying considerable  alimony ,  an intensifying family situation since we lost my beloved aunt, my dad, and my cousin’s mom—work related stress—learning a new job after an imposed job change, all while navigating the rapid pace of raising my kids and trying to maintain a standard of living for them with fewer resources. Together, these factor...

Wordless Wednesday (not really): Discovering Evereve a/k/a My Trip to Galleria Mall (Part 2) #Momspiration

Evereve (Loved this multicultural advertisement)
Last weekend, I had an amazing experience. I ventured out to the Galleria Mall for the Winter Expo I had been invited as a blogger to promote the event. However, while I was at the mall I had a an incredible shopping experience.

Imagine walking into a clothing store and being greeted by a sales clerk who asks your kids if they'd like to play. She then proceeds to lead them to a play table and they amuse themselves for over 30 minutes, in eyesight, while you peacefully shop. This is not a fantasy mommy friends.  This is Evereve.
Evereve  #Momspiration 

Evereve is a clothing store that caters to women aged 25 to 55, with a strong focus on stylish, fashion-forward clothes. I was drawn to the store for the clothes in the window, but I'll return for the experience. I cannot explain how nice it was to shop in peace. Indeed, we were on our way out of the mall because the baby was too disruptive at Gymboree. I actually threw down what I was thinking about buying because he ran out of the store--protesting his sheer boredom from being forced to shop.

Kids playing at Evereve

Evereve was different though. The store has crayons, paper, snacks and water--for free. It also lets the kids draw on the mirrors with dry erase marker. It is a genius idea that makes shopping a dream! My kids didn't even want to leave the store. So yes, I experienced shopping nirvana. I was a the mall with my kids, shopped leisurely, and had a great time. The only thing that would have made it better is if I had thought of this concept!

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