Thank A Veteran. Any Day.

Today is (was) Veteran's Day.

And it's so very important and every year I write something on Facebook and I mean what I write and today - I just - I didn't feel like anything I was going to say would be enough.

Because we don't say thank you to our veterans as often as we should.

And we don't listen to them and hear them as often as we should.

And it's hard.

Look. I know y'all have so much happening. I know that in today's world it is impossible to do everything for everyone.

But without the individuals who serve in our armed forces we would not be the country we are today. We would not be living the lives we do today.

And so - today is just one day - but saying thank you more often than that would be such a simple thing to do.

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The Role of Empathy in Peer and Clinical Support

* Author's note: I do not and would not claim to be, nor have I ever stated that I was or am, an expert on all things mental health related. That said, I'm writing this from experience - both, as a social worker, and a volunteer in various aspects of the mental health world. I would appreciate some grace as you read this so I ask you keep that in mind and know I do not judge YOU for the work that you do. I just encourage you to keep learning, working towards the goals you have set for yourself, and respecting all others along the way. *

Working in the mental health field is a role that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I truly believe that this is the place I belong.

I love my clients. I love working with people at different stages of their needs, different levels of support. All of it. I love the feeling I get when I hang up the phone and recognize that they have recognized that the work they're doing or have done MATTERS in the scheme of things that is their life.

I also love the volunteer work I do. Supporting women who are experiencing or have experienced perinatal mental health disorders is something I'd give up for - well - for absolutely no reason that I can think of at this time.

And honestly? I hope to combine the two in some way in the not so distant future.

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Today Is A New Day

Or at least, that's what I tell myself.

Because I have to. As a mom. As a woman. I have to tell myself that today is a new day and things will be very much the same, and very different, all at the same time.

No?

Don't you agree?

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Help Stop Summer Hunger

Summer is practically here. Schools are letting out all over the country and many children are excited to be headed off to summer camps or their grandparents' homes. 

Social media will be filled with pictures of splash pads and swim meets, parks and ice cream, and sweaty happy kids exhausted after a day of play.

But some kids won't have that experience. Some children won't be enjoying their summer days. 

These kids will be hungry.

They'll be struggling with hunger because their families don't have enough food. They're experiencing food insecurity.

Food insecurity is the state of being unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for an active and healthy life. * 

I'd like you to take a moment to consider these kids and how you can help fill their bellies this summer. 

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Simple Giving: Easy Ways To Give Every Day, Jennifer Iacovelli ~ book review

When I had the opportunity to volunteer to read and review Simple Giving: Easy Ways To Give Every Day - well - if you know me - you won't be surprised to hear that I jumped at the chance. And in doing so I've had the pleasure of virtually meeting and getting to know Jennifer Iacovelli. And what a pleasure that's been.

Giving of oneself is the ultimate gift. And one of the things I have tried to convey over my life is that there are so many ways one can give.

I've worked with non-profit organizations on both, the local and national level, and tried to help them find charitable organizations to work with to help their members become a part of something. To help them learn how easy it can be to give.

So finding this book?

Perfection.

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Advocate2Vaccinate: World Immunization Week

Today marks the last day of World Immunization Week. And as part of that, we're wrapping up Advocate2Vaccinate with Shot@Life.

I had the opportunity to attend the Shot@Life Champions Summit in March of 2014. It was a life-changing experience. Besides all of the information I learned, which was a LOT, I also stormed the Hill with friends to advocate for what was important to us and so many. Yes, Capital Hill. Stay with me and I'll show you some pictures from the trip.

But more importantly let's talk vaccinations.

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A few words from me.

I've got nothing.

Does that matter? 

Should I opt for a Wordless Wednesday shot and just leave it at that? 

It's almost Wednesday. 

It's Tuesday night. 

NaBloPoMo night. 

I need to write.

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StrollerThon for Postpartum Mental Health!

* Please note, the content of this post is not meant to be medical advice. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a postpartum mood disorder please reach out to your doctor as soon as possible. There is help. You can feel better and the appropriate support is out there. Allow yourself to reach out for it. * 

I'm going to talk to you a little bit today about an organization I volunteer with regularly. It's a really important organization and we could use your support. So if you can take a few minutes to share and then possibly spread the word? I'd love you forever. 

But seriously, I'd appreciate it. Really. 

Many of you know how important postpartum mental health is to me. From a personal and professional perspective, my goal is to help mamas everywhere get the support they need, when they need it.

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Help Light The Night For Kids with Cancer! #LLSLTN

* This post is a part of the Light The Night campaign. I have been hired as an ambassador for this campaign. All expressed content in this post is strictly my own. * 

Have you heard of Light The Night? It's an event that is coordinated by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in support of raising money to help eradicate cancer. More specifically, blood cancers.

One aspect of this campaign is maintaining a focus on children's cancers. LLS states that Leukemia is the most common cancer impacting children and adolescents aged 20 and younger.

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Hey, y'all.

Hi, everyone.

Exciting news to share! Today is my SITS day.

Which means for those of you who already know me and love me? This is all going to be repetitive. But you should read it anyway, because maybe you'll learn something new! Or maybe you'll want to chime in and tell all of my new friends why they should love me, too, okay?

So, for those of you who are new here - I'm Andrea. This is my blog. Good Girl Gone Redneck was created in 2009 when my daughter was a little over two years old. If you do the math she's seven these days, but who wants to do math when school's out for the summer?

I'm a social worker turned SAHM turned part-time social worker. I'm also what you'd call a full-time volunteer for all the things. And yes. I do mean ALL. Most of my non-paid gigs go hand in hand with my mental health advocacy and focus. Some of them are blog related, which goes hand in hand with my social media addiction.

* Psst. You think I'm kidding - I know. I'm so totally not! *

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The best things in life are ...

I've decided to hang out with Stasha today for Monday Listicles.

I've been slack in posting the last few days or so - or more. I had a lot of post ideas and just didn't have the motivation to sit my arse down and write.

So today, seeing this prompt? Perfect.

Ten things in your life that you love that are free. Hmmn. Sounds sketchy, right? Nothing's for nothing in this world. Or so it seems. But I take this as a challenge! I have to find something ... or ten things!


* VOLUNTEERING
Giving of yourself to help others can be completely free. You don't have to donate money. Or items. You can donate time and find that it is one of the best experiences of giving you'll ever have in your life.

* FRIENDSHIPS
Friendships get harder when you get older. But they don't have to cost you a penny. You can take a walk together. Talk on the phone. Write letters. Emails. Text messages. Connect somehow. However you need to. Friends will be there for you. Without any money changing hands. Old friends. New friends. It's the ship that never sails.

* BLOGGING
Sure, many of us pay for our domain. We spend money on much-needed blog conferences. We go back again and again. We have to, how else will we meet some of our amazing bloggy friends in real life? Face-to-face connections! They completely rock and we don't care about the money so much when we're there. Although we'd like to save some money before we go ... but I tangented big time there.

Blogging, totally free. Sure, you need a laptop or computer of some sort. But you can pop onto Blogger or Wordpress and set yourself up and just start writing.

Just wait and see the world that opens up for you then. Incredible. Amazing. Powerful. Blogging. Just do it.

* EMOTIONS
Sure sometimes being weighed down by your emotions seems to suck the life right outta you. You feel like THAT girl, and it sucks. But it's okay. Emotions make us who we are. A good cry? Cathartic. A pee-your-pants kind of laugh? Required more often than we get to experience them, I'm sure. For sure I could live without some of the anxiety I experience. Anxiety is a bitch, after all. But check it ... I write about my emotions a lot. I share them, share me - my raw emotional self -  with you all. Y'all. hee hee. And it's okay. I know it's who I am, and I feel it makes me more human to share them, and to FEEL them. So just do.

* LOVE
Sure. Love is an emotion. I guess. Kinda'. Sorta. But it's free. All that talk about money can't buy you love? It's true. I promise. I hope you find it and feel it if you haven't yet. But before you say you haven't, look towards your family and friends. And remember you have. Love. It's the real deal.

* SUPPORT
Whether I need it or know someone who does. Offering a few words of kindness, love and support? Can make or break someone's day. JUST DO IT. *Why is that my theme today? Hmmn. I might have to change the title of this post! Thanks, Nike, don't be mad at me, okay?*

* EXERCISE
Uhoh. Just do it? Again.

Oops.

Seriously. I've felt SO crappy the last few days. And so this AM I realized why. I haven't been out there moving. MOVING. You don't need a fancy gym membership or fancy work out clothes. Just get out there, lace up your kicks and walk. Run. Do whatever you have to to get yourself moving. It's totally FREE. And good for you. Better than good. Get on out there, girlfriend. Or boyfriend. No boys comment in my 'hood, though. Am I too girly? Real men should be comfortable with my pink background, right? There I go again. Chatting away about whatever!

MOVE IT! MOVE IT! Find the colorful moments in your world and take them on whole-heartedly!

Sigh. I'm kind of stuck at seven.

Oh, wait!

* DREAMS
Don't ever stop at where you are. Keep on dreaming. You can always find something else to do. Something to make you happy. Even if you ARE happy now - keep dreaming. Make a life list. A bucket list. Whatever you want to call it. And then get out there. Start checking things off!

* MEMORIES
Those life list moments? Remember them. Always. Where you've been. What you've done. If you're like me you have loads and loads of pictures. Remember when we used to actually print out pictures? Yeah - those! Do you have 900 photo albums tucked into the corner of your guest bedroom? I do. Yep. For sure. Your memories are your own, and they will remind you of what you can do moving forward. Hold onto them and pull them out now and then. The pictures are wonderful, but your mind is like a diary, blog, photo album, journal, etc. all rolled into one!

Okay, I've got ten.

* NATURE
It's freaking beautiful, people. I mean, look ...

And there you have it.

The best things in life really ARE free.

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Habitat for Humanity Experience

If you don't know by now, I'm really big on volunteering.

Because I'm a non-driver, much of my volunteer experience has been virtual while here in North Carolina. But I have done a ton of hands-on volunteering in my life, as a mom and before motherhood.

I had an incredible opportunity a few weeks ago to volunteer with some DIY bloggers on a Habitat for Humanity home in Wake County.

We were reassigned due to the weather, so all of our work wound up being indoors, and much of it was painting and cleaning. Which, to many of my fellow volunteers, was probably not very exciting, but for someone like me who can't remember the last time I picked up a paintbrush that wasn't child-friendly, it was pretty cool.

Thanks to Brittany, of Pretty Handy Girl, I have some pictures of my handiwork.

We had supportive Habitat leaders on-hand to tell us what we needed to do, even if it looks like we were just chatting it up. It's weird to pose with a paintbrush in your hand, in my recent experience.

More interesting posing here. 

And, at last, hard at work again!

I have to give a huge shout out to Danielle, of 2 Little Superheroes, who coordinated this entire event. I met Danielle the DAY OF when she did me the hugest favor ever and picked me up to bring me to the house we were working on. Crazy, right? Oh, how the bloggy universe works. 

Here's a shot of her getting down and dirty, too!

All in all this was a fantastic experience. Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is always in need of volunteers, and would love for you to reach out to them for more information on how to participate in an upcoming event. Check out their website by clicking here:

Get involved with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.

Lastly, I'm excited to share a picture of the entire crew. We were a small bunch, but we were able to help and that's what matters most.

If any local friends would like to participate in something like this, I'd love to help out. Maybe as the weather warms up we can work on something outdoors, or do some gardening for a house or community. Ha! Yes, I did just say that ... me and my black thumbs and all ...

And if you're not in the area, check out the national Habitat for Humanity website to find a nearby location.

Consider taking some time soon to help an organization in need of extra hands. It will make you feel incredible and remind you that sometimes giving of your time means more or as much as donating a few dollars can.

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It's okay to be sad.

So before bed I explained to my daughter that I wasn't at school tonight, but I was at a training to help support moms. I went into further detail and said, Mommy wants to help moms who are sad.

She responded, "Then you will sing them a song and make them happy?"

If only it were that easy, my sweet girl. If only.

We then acted out an instance where she was the mom and I made her feel better, and then I was the mom and she told me everything would be okay and it was okay to feel sad. So she totally got it.

And then she made silly faces.

Of course. Because silly faces are what makes HER happy.

Just the simplest of moments that I needed to share.

And with further explanation, I attended a facilitator training/meeting tonight with a local PPD moms support group. An incredible group that is doing amazing things, helping many moms and families, and doing it all for free.

I hope I will be able to give my time and experience and understanding to help these moms that are currently in need.

In the meantime I will do my best to teach my little girl that it's okay to be sad. And it's even better to help those who are sad feel better.

It's a lesson I hope I'm always able to teach.

Sweet dreams, everybody.

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Lazy Blogger! Who me?

I just haven't gotten my blogging groove back after the past month or so. I'm not sure why, and I'm still here. Still reading - without that much commenting. Still tweeting - definitely chatting there, and using Triberr, too.

Speaking of, if you aren't on there yet and want in, let me know. I have a pretty small tribe I'd love to add a few like-minded friends to.

I'm also still posting, but I'm not writing as much as I'd like to be.

We all know how that goes, I am sure. So I decided to sit down and think it through a bit. And then, it hit me. I didn't want to do that. You all are busy enough that you don't need to sit here and gloss over why I'M not writing as much. Right?

I'm just not inspired right now.

I'm not depressed. That much I know.

I'm not bored. Not that bored, anyway.

I'm just not motivated by much.

And I need to do something to change that.

I turned 39 back in October. I say back as if it were eons ago. But it hasn't even been a month.

So why does it feel so much longer?

I don't know. I shouldn't care. I should just move ahead and DO. BE. Be me!

At some point I want to write up a list of the things I want to do before I turn 40. 40 before 40, maybe? I think that could work. I also am working on doing some different kind of volunteer work. I've been volunteering with my local mommies' group since 2008. That's a long time. I love what I do there, and I love what I do on a national level, as well. But I need to branch out more. Give myself something new. I'm hoping to be able to do that soon. I'll keep you all posted.

So - - what do you do when you hit a blogging funk? Or a writing funk? Or just an in general day to day kind of funk? What inspires YOU?

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Help Defeat Cancer

All you have to do is "write your name!"

Stop by this page and support the LIVESTRONG battle by adding your name to a list that will hopefully reach 30,000 and help earn a $30K donation towards beating this horrible disease.

I learned about this on My Half-Glassed Life, which is a blog written by the wife of a man (Jamie, of Jamie's page = link above) who is fighting the battle. Let's take a minute to help them out. It won't hurt, I promise!

Thanks! And Pass It On!

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All American Moments!

Yesterday after reading a post on Sweets by Sarah I found out about Operation Baking Gals.

Now, I'm not exactly a baker extraordinaire, but I am always interested in finding new ways to show my support to the troops. So I was inspired to do some digging, and came across Soldier's Angels and decided to step up and start by sending cards to those wounded during service.

I am participating in their Wounded TLC program, and hope to do a bit more as the summer rolls along. I just know that if I'm going to be traveling at all to visit family I don't want to commit to mailing packages just yet, but I hope to take that on in the fall!

Anyway, I'm very excited about this opportunity, and wanted to share these sites with you all, should you be inspired, as well.

Oh, and oddly enough ... today I check my Google Reader and find that 4 Nuts in a Nutshell has created some patriotic blinkies, so I chose one for today's post! Thanks, Cat!





And THANKS to all the men and women across the world serving our great country. May each day find you as safe and protected as you allow us to feel.

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