Eagle Rock (Hazleton, PA) - General

If you're wanting a little oasis from the "coal mine" history of the Hazleton/Sugarloaf area then the Eagle Rock Resort area is the place to venture into and through...

There are a lot of winding roads and homesites so be careful where you drive and venture off into, but the sites and nature walks aren't and can't be missed. I wasn't able to get into the area for the sunrise but the sunset...now THAT was magnificent for me. 

Living in Virginia with the lush green of those mountains, the Eagle Rock area brought out the similarly beautiful landscape compared to the more dry and high rock mountains ridges you drive through and along as you make your way on highway 80 or 81. 

Now what I wouldn't recommend is the Clubhouse Restaurant...though the views are lovely in the restaurant once you request or are able to sit in one of the large window tables, the restaurant itself lacks character and color. I know I know, why do I care considering that it's labeled "clubhouse" for the area? It's supposed to a recommended site to eat at for visitors and also those on the golf course...the food was mediocre which was sadly disappointing considering also the price points for their beverages to desserts! I ordered my salmon medium, and they had to redo it twice because the first time was cooked so thorough that it was dry and hard on the outside. Then the second time they made it almost completely raw that the only thing that was cooked at all was the outer layer...don't get me started on the broccolini. I ordered one of their mixed drinks and that was sadly not worth the order nor the price...and I like paying high dollar for some whiskey too! So, it wasn't so much the price of the drinks but that it sucked...then the wait staff alone was something that was really teaching me patience. I had to ask her four times for the simple Cesar salad I had ordered with my plate. I had to remind her twice for the mixed drink I ordered, then when I asked for a refill on my water after getting our appetizer, I never got my refill of water until the second time my salmon arrived to the table...when it came to closing the ticket! She couldn't do a simple split the bill in half either...I literally made sure I had another drink at my hotel to lower my stress level from the dinner because since I was being taken around by a local who lived in the area, I was not wanting to make it uncomfortable for them! The best part was literally the driving and sunset for me...

Ya know what though if you want to do more than just site see and actually eat at the clubhouse, let me know what your experience was, because maybe mine was during their down or "off season"... 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Vesuvio’s Pizzeria and Sports Bar PA - Restaurant Review/Recommendation

If you're looking for that small town and all the locals enjoy spot, Vesuvio's is the place for you! Be careful though getting there because you could miss the location in Drums, PA (by Sugarloaf).

From their Pepsi flavor to any of their plates on the menu, I don't think there's anything here that you can go wrong with. I hand down loved their lunch special and I literally had nothing as a leftover! Quaint little mom/pop stop with the customers literally seeming like they've been going there for ages and then a few of the nearby company/workers. 

I feel like it's one of those hidden gems that doesn't get enough traction of publicity-then again maybe that's how they want it to, for that authentic word of mouth reference.

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Annie’s Sweets and Treats - Restaurant Review/Recommendation

If you're either driving through or wanting to try a new place for something sweet along highway 380 in the McKinney/Frisco/Prosper area, then the ice cream or gelato and baked goods hear are definitely for you!

Annie's Sweets & Treats is a cute little dessert cafe to unwind, chill, or relax with deliciousness! Their location is easy to get to and GPS is on point in getting there! They seem to want to be the one stop shop for beverages, desserts, ice cream, gelato, and specialty boba or Vietnamese drinks. I personally would not recommend the drinks from this location, I feel like Feng Cha and Exotic Blendz has their beverage recipes and flavors more honed in to ANY individual's needs-so maybe in a few more months when I don't see literally a new employee every time I've gone, their drinks might have a better flavor and consistency. If you are wanting to have a beverage there though, no worries about the lactose free options because they have some!

My kiddos and I have not been disappointed by any of their gelato flavors, whether you choose from their dairy free options or non-dairy free options. We will recommend those any day and all day!

Now for their baked goods...I'm happy to say that they have some gluten free options so yay! I personally recommend the Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie because it doesn't have that awful after flavor or powdery taste that many restaurants tend to provide with their chocolate gluten free options; also, it doesn't just taste like powder or some blob of fudge either! I DO NOT recommend their apple crisp cheesecake, seriously disappointed in the texture and overall flavor, BUT the apples in it and that ingredient alone was the best thing! I wish they would just make an apple crisp cake or pie of some kind! My mom and little one are advocates for some of their baked homemade breads or pastries so just go for what tickles your fancy I would say. 

The environment here is so friendly and comfortable that whether you're there for a close to a date night with dessert or there with family you can be there a little while and chill. They have provided this cute little board game shelf at the very back of the establishment and they are pretty good games for all ages.

Don't take my word for it though - stop by to have a try! 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

No Kids Gloves Here - General/Family

This post might ruffle some feathers for any parents (especially moms reading this) but eh, I don't care and like I've said since starting my blog, these posts are therapeutic for me while always sharing in my opinions, thoughts, and suggestions. If you don't like it, you don't have to keep reading my blog, not like I'm forcing you to. So if you're offended, sorry but no sorry and I have no control of your emotions.

Growing up my mother was always pretty good about dividing her time with one-on-one time with me and all her house chores, but to be honest she didn't really play with me as much as I would have liked. That doesn't mean I hated my childhood by any means, it just helped me to understand better what type of mom or what things I wanted to do for when I had kids is all. So hence the "kids kitchen helper" was purchased; something used by not just my first kiddo but also my second. It actually helped immensely because while they began to start to stand up and walk, it was a great reinforcer, SO once each of my kiddos were in the kitchen area they would be using the kitchen help to stand up and crawl/walk up to be at the counter level. If my sister had her way, my kids would've had pillows surrounding the area or maybe some thick blankets and then she was anxious that I wasn't always immediately next to them. Like I couldn't run the five steps! Moving on...So each day they would gain confidence and reassurance of their movements and their task independently. The best part was that they each began seeing what their mommy was doing in the kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinners. 

By this time mind you, I've also incorporated my kids (as they're growing) into "playing" clean up; they would try brooming, vacuuming, dusting, and taking out the trash. SO having them be a part of each and every meal is only going to engage them some more but this time all of their senses. 

It really doesn't matter what you end up doing with your children so long as its a joint effort or that you don't go coddling them so much that they don't even feel able to do the task you've given them. Kitchen tasks can be both fun, stimulating, and engaging for their minds and their hands on learning experience. Don't go withholding that growth from them because YOU the parent are scare or fearful of the outcome, pretty big injustice if you ask me. And yes there's also the fact that the task might take about 20x LONGER! But that's how it will start, as they grow it becomes more fun and memorable than when it started...

The video below is when the dinner menu has green beans as one of the side dishes. So there we go prepping and doing the green beans :)

It started off with small things or simple things, kind of like the videos you see here, and then as they got older I started allowing them to work some kitchen appliances as well as sharper items-obviously all supervised, but the point I'm getting at is that I didn't allow concern or fear to hold back teaching them new things and having them help me. To date, my kids are both under eight years old and they know how to wash and store all fruits and vegetables, can assist me in all chores of the kitchen for set up and cleanup, they can assist me in all baking items and cooking items! They know how to make their own eggs and ham breakfast and warm up their tortillas, they can assist me in making homemade salsa's, etc. DO NOT let your own fears of the unknown or of the possibility of danger, especially knowing that you are physically right there in all senses (NOT on your damn phone and physically there but actually focused as much as your kids are in the task) then everything will be and work out fine! Then your kid/s little face/s of proud accomplishment will shine like no other! Yes don't be dumb and have them working a high pressured or dangerous appliance that they could really harm themselves-I mean hopefully you as the parent can use your sense of common sense or judgement and know what your child/ren CAN handle as far as the new task/s and responsibility that you are entrusting in them. Because entrusting your kid with those important tasks is how they build their self-esteem and character, don't do it and you're GOING to end up having a child who will ALWAYS struggle with responsibilities and hard tasks...

I know some of you are probably thinking "child labor" (laughing out loud) or that maybe I'm making my kids grow up to fast or thats too big of a responsibility - shut the fuck up is all I have to say! Because you are then the parent who is contributing to society these dumb ass kids who literally can't do anything without their mommy/daddy moving and doing or WORSE you're the parent who coddles your kid SO much that you even after to go into their job interview! Yes there are some weird stories that have been published of some of those crazy parents - go google them! 

Give it a try and see what your kids can accomplish or perhaps just help them enjoy some time with you while helping you...Let me know how it goes!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Motherhood - General/Family Life

I mean no disrespect or insult to any mother out so take this post with a grain of salt or simply as a form of entertainment, but I am expressing my personal opinion only. I also don’t claim by any means to state that I’m a professional in this subject nor am I stating that I am a perfect mother. Lord knows I’m far from it, however I will state that I’m continuing to learn, adapt, and evolve based off of life circumstances that’s for sure! For the records, father's will be getting their own post too so don't go assuming that I'm only singling out women/mothers. Dad's/Men are going to get theirs too :p Any who! Here we go.

If you haven't read any of my other posts than just some quick insight; I went through a lot during my first pregnancy, granted though I put myself in those situations it was still a hardship and challenge. Then my second pregnancy had a healthier surrounding circumstance, however, was no less stressful because of others involvement. Both pregnancies unplanned and little miracles in their own right, proved to be the most loving and previous times of my life. I really did and am a person who thoroughly enjoyed being pregnant. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the pregnancies and I know that if I ever became pregnant again, I would welcome it whole heartedly. Now knowing that or perhaps now you want to go read those other posts, you can perhaps relate to this post more.

See there are some people in the world who like to state that their a parent (mother/father) and for me that title is just more than either you are contributing the sperm or you are contributing the egg. I've seen women who embrace motherhood whole heartedly, but I've sadly seen too many women who just like to claim the title without fully contributing to the actual role and responsibility that is motherhood. I feel like the women just don't like to openly admit in society or in general that they are just not cut out to be moms. Why is that the mantra is to be honest and truthful, but people can't or won't seem to be honest and up front about having kids or wanting kids or being a parent. There are some women out there who really SHOULD NOT procreate. There are also women out there who it's not even about whether they should procreate or not it's just their weird mentality of not being able to close their damn legs or at least to be cautious of NOT procreating! That they prefer to just have the kids because of the additional benefits they end up receiving, whether it's from the community, their own friends, or the state. 

I personally knew from an early age that I wanted to be a mom; I felt strongly in the vocation of being a mom. Lord knew that was always a dream and feeling after of course finding the partner that would be my ride and die for life. Women have become subjective instead of being objective to the term and role of motherhood. I got to witness first hand an individual who was an example of what NOT to do as a mom...she liked being called mom and "playing the role" when it suited her but she had literally everyone else raising her three sons from three different men; so the dad's families were the contributors to the education, examples, and upbringing of the boys while her own mother was more of a motherly role model than the woman who birthed the boys! 

Regardless of whether or not a fatherly figure or male figure is in the household the foundation, basis, baseline of the upbringing of the child/ren depends on the mother's full capacity. The father figure/male role model than serves as the enforcer and as also a second basis of a foundation to the key components to the education and upbringing of the child. Whether woman like to admit it or NOT the homelife might need to be "led" by the man but the foundation in which the man leads the household is solely on the shoulders of the woman!

As blessed as I was to have been able to see how great grandmothers taught their children and heard stories of "back in the day", then there's witnessing my own grandparents, then my parents and their married siblings who became mothers...I was able to take from them what I thought would benefit me, then through personal experiences of witnessing other mothers, I decided to evolve my thought process and began preparing myself mentally and emotionally during my first pregnancy. I would mentally process how I wanted to be as a mom and what things I would do differently from my own upbringing and what things I would do the same. So, I made a promise to myself that I would cherish the traditions of my time, enforce the etiquette of my upbringing, grow the emotional and physical components of my children while being crasser in the general development of my children especially regarding their coping mechanisms and that of their knowledge of topics based off of their maturity AND level of innocence. 

Maturity and innocence are BIG things for me as a mom. I truly HATE and I mean HATE going shopping for clothes for my girls because it doesn't matter what department store, you're shopping at fir girls' clothing it's as if the world is grooming the girls to already be little hoes. It doesn't help either that the population percentage of so-called mothers allow for their little loves (not even in their teenage years) to dress immodestly and provocatively. From the types of underwear sold, shorts and their lengths, dressed and their lengths, the type of tops sold, the level of tightness that leaves any immoral or pedophile to witness the exact shape of the lower body of our children because it leaves nothing to the imagination! Then we have the swimsuits and summer clothes in general...first off, when did kids' swimsuits HAVE to be two pieces? I get it for the diaper wearing age groups because it's easier and I can even reason with the toddlers possibly having reason for the two pieces because of the restroom necessity. BUT WHY are almost all the kids' swimsuits basically bikinis for kids!?! And why on earth are moms even allowing it, or more so fathers! Stand firm and don't let that be the norm of your child! I purposely spend time researching and finding the SPF 50 special one-piece swimsuits that provide a healthy reveal of skin while my kids can enjoy themselves openly AND maintain their innocence. 

As for summer clothes, I get it it's hot everywhere and I know more than anyone (because I'm always hot) that there's only so many clothes you can take off! Before you're actually comfortable-I know but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow not just my teenager but any child under the age of 17 to be wearing some hoe like, booty shorts that don't even leave anything to the imagination because of how tight they are and the fact that its riding up their ass like a second piece of underwear! Then the fact that the length of some shorts, dresses, and skirts aren't even decent enough for the innocence of our children is appalling. Yea I'm going to say it and I don't care - you are what you wear and if you're daughters are dressing up like sluts, hoes, and hookers than its really no surprise to you parents when they have sex early and get pregnant, or are raped, or are getting the unwanted attention of male crowds. HEY maybe teach your children self-respect, decency, and being respectful of others. Fine you don't like my statements, let's go on the moral side of things: evil smile: for perhaps some of you shocked or offended parents who are Christian and reading this...your daughters dressing so provokes thoughts of sin in men and not just single ones-you daughter now becomes the source of provoking sin in others. 2 Timothy 2:9 states "Clothes should never be worn that expose or unduly accentuate body parts or do not cover our nakedness."

Shoot! Then there's what they watch on TV and the movies you expose them to and at specific ages. What they read and also the friends that they surround themselves with. 

So, which one are you? 1)the mom who likes to only do mother and daughter things to post all over your social media 2) the mom that is like the two definitions below 3)the mom that only likes to do it on the weekends/weekdays 4) the mom that likes to "play mom" but needs her time at the switch of a hat without concern for her child 5) the mom that likes to be called mom but doesn't do any of the responsibilities that motherhood requires 6) the mom that likes to "play mom" in front of others but prefers to be in her own world while a nanny does the raising and rearing of her child/ren 7) the mom who plays the part well but prefers making the kids than actually taking care of them and prefers to portray a victim of circumstance to milk people and/or the system 8) the mom that is the definitions below but that knows how to manage her reboot time to be the full capacity mom to their kid/s

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman

The Sweetest and Worst Feeling for a Mom - Generla/Family Life

(Originally written June of 2018-Didn't revise or edit to maintain the authenticity of when it was originally written.) 

So, it’s been a few weeks now since we’ve been home from the beach and beach wedding. I’ve been starting to feel kind of...well largely pregnant even though I’m not that big yet. Stomach is definitely getting there but I’m just not in the aching and oh my goodness gets this baby out of me feeling yet. Do I feel more lethargic and tired lately, yes but that’s normal in this semester already so...I mention all that because regardless of how tired I’ve been feeling or how tired I’ve been getting I’m making sure that babygirl is continuing to have her weekday routine and time framed schedule. Every day is “planned” in the sense of what she does and has time for, then the keeping her mind active and alert-learning new things, being outside-out and about as much as I can with her before the baby comes and I’m in confinement. Babygirl and I have a special bond and mother-daughter relationship; she’s always been very intuitive/empathetic towards her mother and in general for emotions that someone is feeling. She’s doing things with hubby but she’s always looking to Mommy for permission (even the unspoken kind-that means where she turns to look at Mommy and asks with her eyes and waits for my nod or verbal confirmation that she can do whatever she is going to do with her dad.) Knowing all this, these past two months babygirl has gotten into this odd habit of coming into our bedroom to sleep in the middle of the night or towards the early morning hours (between 2am and 4am). You’ll hear her little pitter patter steps from her bedroom into our room and even half asleep she seems to absorb the layout and see who's awake. Well, she figured out right away when she was doing this that Mommy was always reliably awake or conscientious of her presence in the room and would always come over to my side of the bed, waiting for me to pick her up and lay her in between hubby and I. Considering that babygirl #2 cooking inside would always have my ass up at 6:30am like clockwork to pee and then have a breakfast smoothie or snack of some kind, I didn’t think it would be bad for the three of us, especially with the feat that she might get used to it and it cause problems when her sister arrived. I had faith and an unknown feeling/intuition that babygirl would be fine though.

Yes, I know probably not the best of parenting methods or moves BUT I also know my daughter very well. She’s not your typical child and is quick to pick up on adult decisions and ways. I know that this is just for the now because it’s almost like she knows she may or may not have moments like this, especially with Mommy. In turn I wanted to soak up and absorb my babygirl moments too since I knew that once babygirl #2 arrived my recovery time would have me on a different scale or timeframe than my special babygirl. 

So here I am trying to keep baby girls' months during the pregnancy as normal as possible even in my condition, then keep up with her nights, only to be completely thrown off whack when my nights started to change in the start of the third trimester. After putting babygirl to bed upstairs I would relax on the only couch I was comfortable in downstairs, whether to eat something or unwind with a movie or show before heading myself in turn to bed. Well during those times or nights, hubby would be sometimes downstairs with me or already in bed while I was still awake. Then when I would go to bed, I would take a peek into my daughter's room and check on her.

Now that you know all of that it will make sense why this next part affected me so much when it happened. And NO, it wasn’t the pregnancy or hormones or whatever, it was the simple fact that it was my daughter, and the moment was very emotional for me. 

You see one night after putting her to bed, I changed into my pajamas then went downstairs to the couch. Hubby had a movie already ready and just waiting on my word to hit “play.” Well about forty minutes into the movie we heard a noise so we paused it to hear or to wait a minute to see if it would occur again. When it didn’t happen again hubby said that the would check it out and proceeded to walk upstairs. He whispered my name and then when I didn’t answer I got a text on my phone. It was an image of our daughter-I quickly got up and walked as quickly as I could up the stairs to see for myself. Our daughter was sleeping on the floor next to my side of the bed-just there with her blanket. I started to tear up and the moment hubby was reaching down to pick her up I whispered loudly stating “no, I’ll take her to bed.” He got mildly irritated since I shouldn’t be caring her, but I had to-he saw me crying as I picked her up and took her to her room and into her bed. I laid her gently into her bed, wiped her hair away from her face, and tucked her into her bed. I kept quietly crying-how long had she been there, her trusting of Mommy and knowing that I would eventually show up or be there, the fact that she just waited there curled up on the side of the bed where I sleep...how does that not effect a mother or a human being for that matter. 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman

First Baby, Third Trimester - General/Family Life/Health

(Originally written January of 2017-Didn't revise or edit to maintain the authenticity of when it was originally written.) 

Just in case you were wondering…everyone is a bunch of liars! Pregnancy isn't nine months! Talk about false advertisement! It's ten months total! If you're wondering why I'm counting the days, it's not because I'm frustrated at the pregnancy-on the contrary I'm waiting anxiously with excitement to meet and hold this little mini-me that's growing inside me. I don’t quite care about specifics, I just want to make sure that she has all her fingers, toes, and physical features required to live a healthy life. Yes, that's right I didn’t want to wait and decided to find out the gender of our baby. We have her name picked out and everything!

Well so much for trying to finish up and get ready for the baby even more…I've been put on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy…no more work, quite literally I can't go to work anymore. I left work to attend my check-up and they ended up admitting me into the hospital. Granted I'm glad they are looking out for the well-being of my daughter and I, however the timing just sucks! I don’t have any of the baby room items bought, ready, or even put up like I ideally wanted. I haven't decorated the baby room or re-arranged my bedroom like I'm going to need it because of the baby. To put an even bigger dent on the situation, me not working right now and receiving disability isn't the ideal for Cowboy and my financial situation, at least until he gets a better position a lot has been riding on my income for us…I know that God will provide but surely, he has a huge sense of humor when he created mothers! The one's that were made to control, guide, and create the lives of those entrusted to them. He's probably laughing at me right now say "HA-you just thought that you could control the pregnancy, but this is a glimpse of the spontaneity the child will bring to your life. Planning won't even necessarily be in your vocabulary!" Ok so maybe that last statement is more what everyone I know (both family and friends) tell me. This is going to be a big test on my patience and on handling the bigger part to come.

To be honest my mother is the one I think that's more worried about the whole situation than I am! Which is then conveyed to me which in turn makes me worried. Oh, the small steps towards motherhood. What I can say that I've learned about myself, and others is this; I for one have always had a calm demeanor but since meeting Cowboy and the pregnancy, I'm a little more on edge. Many would claim it’s the hormones and all this other crap, but quite frankly I know myself (as my mother does) and the changes occurring are because of not only my partner but the pregnancy. It's really more the circumstantial portion of it and not the hormones. Then there's my people tolerance…for starters I've always loved to observe people however I've never enjoyed obnoxious and overwhelming annoying people; so, the threshold of tolerance and patience for others that I used to have been VERY high before, and quickly diminishing now to a smaller area. The patience with myself seems non-existent now; I feel that with my little one coming I need to push myself harder to accomplish and finalize things for her, before she pops out! I know I can handle it and do it, but everyone keeps warning me and cautioning me about my limitations. I think that something like this only a woman, or more like a woman who has had children and is a mother would slightly understand what I'm feeling. Then again since every pregnancy and woman is different maybe not, I just know that my mother comprehends my changes, but she breathes words of wisdom and suggestions…Bringing me lastly to the biggest revelation. My dumb founded demeanor towards creation through God's wonder and grace, with a sincere appreciation for childbearing. My mother has only two children and the "feelings" or examples of what's been going on in my life she says are similar and yet different from hers. I try to do this by myself so that I can have better confidence in myself but this close to the finish line and I'm seriously just exhausted.

I'm just ready for her to be here-then I can worry about something else so Cowboy can do the main worrying of what I've been doing for the past seven months! 

Sincerely,
A Distinct Woman