An Updated About Me.. Sort Of

Last week, I realized I needed to update my bio not only on the blog, but also across all of my social media platforms.That got me to thinking about how odd this whole world of blogging and social media can be. I mean, we all spend so much time scrolling through someone’s feed or reading their blog. Yet, who is this person that we are checking out? Today, I thought I would do a little introduction for those of you who might be new. Long-time followers, I wanted to provide a little update on what’s going on in my world.

So, my name is Rita! My Instagram is @ritareviews. Rita is my nickname and the name I go by. I was named after my grandmother and my mom – my middle name is her first name. When I went through my recent website redesign and rebrand, I briefly contemplated changing everything, including the name of my blog, because I don’t do as many reviews anymore. However, I have had that name for more than ten years and it is what everyone knows me as. Even though many things have been hanging on and about the blog over the years, I liked knowing that I was keeping the original name I started with.

I blog about many different things, but one thing I never thought I would blog about was my faith. The first time I posted about Jesus, I was very nervous. I just knew that my reders would stop following me. However, y’all just commented and encouraged me. While this may have started as a review blog, I would say I am more of a lifestyle blogger now. Although I admit, fashion is not a huge part of the blog. I stink at fashion! I also wouldn’t call this a “faith-based blog” either. However, my faith does play a huge part in everything I do here. I know readers love it because I recently got social media messages about when I was going to another bible giveaway. 

What else can you expect to see around here?

When I first started blogging, I felt insecure that my blog was very “editorial” or more polished. Now, I feel like I have grown in what my style is and what it isn’t. I have tweaked it a bit here and there, but it is my own. I find joy in helping people discover things to do on vacation or just sharing funny stories from my childhood. The older I get, the more important I realize those memories are. They are the memories that will continue for everyone involved long after we are gone. They are the stories about us that others will tell. 

Everyday life

Outside of reviews and tips, I love sharing my everyday life with you guys. I am a mother to four amazing children. None of whom are biologically mine, but that doesn’t change how I feel about them one bit. Last year, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which has been a struggle. I also have depression and anxiety. I love cooking, reading, tea, and playing the piano, and I enjoy sharing all of it with you! While I share a lot on the blog, I suck at Instagram. It is such an amazing platform that I want to get better at, but for some reason, I also forget. It is one thing that I have on my goal list for the second quarter of 2022. If you hang around here, you’ll find everything from recipes to reviews and just about any random day in my life. Basically, anything I am excited about and would love to tell you about will be shared with you guys!

A little more about me

• I am 45 years old but kind of feel like I never got past 22. I actually love being in my 40s so much!
• I now have shared custody of my children with my ex. There was a whole lot of drama that you can read about here.

• I live in Georgia with the senior citizens whom I care for. It is actually my mom and my uncle. The kids live here six months out of the year. While I love it here, I don’t know if this is our forever home. I am always open to moving. 
• I used to always say, “I am not a girl who works out,” but I don’t say that anymore. Having CHF (congestive heart failure) has meant I have to workout in order to live. and I don’t really know if I can say that anymore. I enjoy running! In the past few years, I have run 2 marathons and several half-marathons. But, in the last year, I’ve really changed my workout routine to incorporate more strength training and yoga instead of running 5 days a week like I used to! I now run probably once a week and still really enjoy that!Although I am not sure if my workouts are really strenuous enough to be called workouts.
• I’m an introvert. I really have to get through a lot of mental work to hang out with people. Spending time alone is not a problem for me at all. I enjoy being on my own. I am learning to interact more and open myself up to being with other people more than I am used to. I get so nervous in social settings. I always think I am going to say or do the wrong thing. 
• I got married after my father died and then got divorced. I would love to say my marriage was so wonderful, but it was abusive in so many ways. That is the one thing I have learned how to talk about my true self. The truth is, my ex was a horrible husband. He’s a great father, but getting divorced (even though it’s against my faith) was the worst thing to happen to me. 
• I was born in the small town we currently live in. Although I haven’t spent my entire life here,

My life right now

Currently, for me, life looks like a million and one doctor’s appointments and surgeries. If it isn’t my own, then it is one of the seniors. It’s a lot to take in, and if you saw my appointment calendar, you would cringe. The appointments are important, and we are working our way through them all. It is taking the time to learn to live with our new normal. The kids will be back, hopefully, in another couple of months, and we will take a brief vacation.

I say this hopefully because in the back of my mind, I am nervous about my ex and his new wife pulling something again. I am also worried about my own health. If things aren’t improving, I may have to hold off on getting them because I won’t physically be able to care for them. That is a tough pill to swallow and one that makes me more determined than ever to get healthier and back on my feet. 

I wasn’t planning on this post being this long, but once I started typing, it all came out. If you are still with me at this point, thank you so much! I do hope that all of this gives you a little more insight into me and helps you get to know me a little better. I can never put into words how grateful I am to each and every one of you who chooses to visit my little blog or social media every day.It means the world to me, and I’m so thankful to you!

Let me know in the comments below if there is anything you’d like to see more of around here!