A Dream Come True

I fulfilled a dream last week that I didn’t think would ever be possible. I single handedly organized and planned an event that raised almost $2,000 for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Infectious Disease Center.

The event was magical, and went smoother than I could have ever imagined. Friends, family and a few people I’ve never met before joined me at NOAH’s Event Venue in New Albany for one special evening.

We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more as I stood in front of nearly 100 women talking about my past life in news, the things I struggle with and some of my most embarrassing moments, and how I’m able to “Juggle It All”. You know, the career, the kids, the husband, the house, the friends and attempting to keep my sanity. It’s no surprise to many of you, juggling it all is hard work!

My main objective for the evening was to raise money for RSV research — which is a VERY important cause to our family. If you’re not familiar with our experience with RSV, you can read about it here.

It wasn’t all about the fundraising though. I wanted to share some personal stories to encourage ladies that I don’t have it all together either. I think it’s so important to give ourselves some grace when it comes to attempting to Juggle It All. To understand we are all IMPERFECT.

The algorithm outlines the steps I attempt to take on a daily basis while Juggling It All.

I- Instill Confidence– kill negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. 

M- Make a Calendar– the best way to stay organized when juggling so many things. 

P- Prioritize– knowing full well that priorities shift with different life cycles. 

E- Eliminate the Guilt– oh, the mom guilt. Y’all, it’s real and it needs to stop! 

R- Ready to go with the Flow– life throws you tantrums, I mean curveballs, I think it’s critical to be able to go with the flow. 

F- Find your Army– finding mom friends is hard. But when you find them, you must nurture them without judgement and always have their backs. 

E- Eliminate Comparisons– the ONLY person you should ever compare yourself to is yesterday’s version of yourself. 

C- Create Me Time — it’s not easy. But when you take time for yourself, you will feel recharged, refreshed and have a new lease on your chaotic life. 

T- The JOY — Finding the joy is simple. CHOOSE IT. Choose to be happy, choose to smile, choose to laugh. Choose JOY. 

So, let’s chat about the location! NOAH’s Event Venue was incredible. From the moment you step into the facility, it’s all first class. The interior is a beautiful grey with gorgeous wood floors. We had full access to the entire event space, including a prep kitchen, game room and the ball room — where the majority of my event took place.

Upon arrival, NOAH’s staff had the entire place ready with tables, linens and chairs. They were extremely helpful with my audio and visual components. I had so many people comment on the beauty of the space. I highly recommend NOAH’s Event Venue to anyone planning a party or event.

A special thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday. Especially to my amazing sponsors. Thank you to Big Sky Express, Zest Juice Co. and Customized Girl for designing and supplying the amazing totes! Thank you to COOLA for the organic sunblock, Bliss Tans for supplying spray tan giveaways, We Make Up & Go for the hydrating skin masks and makeup, and Goldfish Swim School for the free swim passes!

My cup runneth over. You all will never know what kind of impact you had on my life by supporting my first ever fundraiser. I’d love to make this an annual event!

*Thank you to NOAH’s Event Venue for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.*