We’ve temporarily taken over “Not your Average Mom” blog!!! What Susie doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
In fact, the 12 of us (all members of one of Susie’s amazing Fitness E-courses), are going to try as hard as we possibly can to show her that we all have BIG love for her and we understand her struggles are real, and she’s not the only one to struggle financially and face foreclosure even though she is working her ass off.
She told us “I’m down to two cards. I’ve got an ace. And maybe a four or five” in her game of War. Well, we’re going to help stack the deck.
Susie you are our “real deal” and we want our chance to help out and show you just how much we all love you.
In honor of all Susie gives we have started a GoFundMe account to get things back on track for her. If you can spare $5.00, or $20.00 or $50.00 or even $35,000.00 (you lucky devil, who does your financial planning). You can make a difference.
Even if your budget allows $0.00 you can still help by sharing the GoFundMe information on your Facebook account.
Here’s the catch, we have 1 month to make this happen for Susie. 1 month!! Dig deep and thank you in advance for your generosity.
In addition, we would each like to write a letter to show Susie what she means to us and Jo is going to start it off. If you want to share your story, please feel free to leave a comment here or on the GoFundMe page. We would love to read them and so would Susie when she gets her blog back. Hahaha!
Dear Susie:
I started reading your blog in February of this year.
I have a 5 year old girl, a 3 year old boy and an 8 month old girl. I have a career, and a house and a husband, and all of this has happened in the past 6 years.
Throughout those past 6 years I have had a lot of good feelings, a lot of highs. But I have also had a lot of lows. Like really low. I’ve felt alone, scared, discouraged, like giving up, frustrated, fucking pissed off, depressed and miserable.
My weight has gone up and down 60 + pounds. My relationship with my husband has been through it all. I’ve questioned myself as a mother, and whether or not I should have even reproduced in the first place.
I’ve tried to reach out for help. To other mom’s, friends, family, and most of the time, I found I couldn’t be honest with any of them about what was really going on, which just made me feel even more alone and more worthless. I never felt average, and I never fit in at the mommy groups.
And then I found your blog.
And night after night, you always seemed to write down exactly what I needed to hear. Your post of the day always seemed to touch me. Give me something to think about. Challenge me. And made me feel normal.
Then one day, I wrote down my goals. I was inspired by your goals when you posted them and was like “ya, I can do that.”
And then I got off my ass and went for a walk with the kids.
And then I got a gym membership.
And then my son threw a meltdown-hissyfit-possessed-by-the-devil tantrum the first three times I left him at the gym daycare. And the first time I went to the gym, I just sat in the changeroom and sobbed a bit and waited for them to page me to come get my kids. I was gonna give up on the whole gym thing.
But then I sent you an email explaining my frustration. I never thought you would care or reply, you have 100,000 followers, you get reach outs for advice all the time. But you did reply. The next day. And you were just you. You told me to stick it out with the gym daycare and my son would come around and that your kids were the same way. So I did. And I go to the gym 5 days a week now.
And then in March I joined your efitness course.
Over the past four months of being part of that group, and having your support everyday online I have completely change my life. For the better. Forever.
I’ve lost 15lbs, I exercise every day. I kiss my husband every day. I don’t yell at my kids (nearly as much). I got a Costco card and have saved hundreds of dollars in changing the way I shop and eat. We don’t eat at fast food anymore. Ever. I am more emotionally stable. I don’t feel scared or weak or unsure. And when I do, I tap into the group of ladies from the efitness course and you and you always bring things back around.
I’ve never met you. We don’t even live in the same country, but I talk about you in my home like we’re best friends.
I know you’re going through a wicked tough time right now. I know it’s been building for a while and I’ve seen you busting your ass to try and fix it and you just can’t seem to catch a break and get ahead. You’re tired. And running out of options and steam.
And since you’re my best friend, I have to help you. I know throwing a chunk of money your way doesn’t fix the long term problems. But I know that you can’t address the long term problems if you don’t get some money now.
Everyday you give advice, you mentor, you coach, you push people to be better and to succeed. You pour your life into making sure your readers and people around you are being the best they can. And you’re doing this for free.
So I’m gonna donate to you go fund me campaign. I’m viewing it as paying an invoice for all the services I’ve received from your blog.
If anyone reading this can relate to any of what I’ve said, or if anything Susie has ever written has touched you in one way or another, then please put a little money her way. Pay it forward.
Susie didn’t ask me to do this. We’ve hijacked her blog. And honestly if she doesn’t get some money to save her house, I don’t know if she can keep writing her blog without an office or a home. And selfishly, since I love her blog, I kind of want her to keep writing it.
Donate here: Pay It Forward For Not Your Average Mom
Geri eyles says
Please post the gofundme page as a link. Thank you!
Geri eyles says
Oops found it!
joanna says
Dear Susie,
Over the past couple of years, here are somel ways –big and small — that your blog has changed my life:
– After reading your posts about personal trainer foods, I kicked my candy bar a day habit.
– After reading your posts about financial planning and Mr Money Moustache, I started insisting we walk to school in the morning, instead of defaulting to the car and switched to a cheaper utility plan.
– I signed up for your e-fitness course, and discovered yoga, did my first ever headstand, overcame my aversion to HIIT, learned to love black beans and quinoa, baked rye bread, and introduced push ups as part of the bedtime routine with my kids.
-I am more likely to swap yelling for consequences in my parenting — or at least, to recognise that yelling is a choice.
There are other deeper, more personal ways in which your blog has affected my life — suffice it to say that it’s my 10 minutes per diem space in a packed life to think about why I do what I do – and what I want to change or maintain.
I believe in your stamina and entrepreneurialism, and I believe that a contribution now — or rather an overdue subscription fee — will get you to where you need to be: Contributing to your family, your community, and your world in a sustainable way.
Best of luck — and keep writing!
not your average mom says
Joanna, I am so glad I have had the opportunity to get to know you and become friends, and one day I hope to actually meet you in person and thank you for everything you have done for ME!
Kitty says
At times life can really rain down on us. I love reading your blog. As the mother of 5 with 5 grandchildren (some older than my youngest), I can really relate to your posts. I love that you are authentic. There are far too many women in this world walking around trying to pretend they have it all together with their Coach purse, BMW, and fake smiles. Inside their hearts are yearning for more; to be accepted and loved, just as they are.
I pray that all reading this will not judge, condemn or give you “get rich quick” ideas. I pray that all reading this can identify with doing all you can possibly do and it still not be enough to feed your children. I pray that those that read this and see it as a ploy never find themselves in a position of dire need.
A few years ago, my husband had to have knee surgery. Dr. said it was no big deal and he would be back to work in 2 days. My husband is a carpenter and I was also employed full time. I worked for a non-profit and his paycheck was the main source of our income. His knee was in worse shape than thought and he was out of work for 8 weeks. Two months without his paycheck could have easily brought us to homelessness.
Had it not been for the gracious giving of our friends and church family, our children would have been hungry. I don’t think GoFundMe existed back then, but our prayers for faith in the storm spread throughout our community. Almost everyday I would find gift cards and cash on my desk at work…most of them anonymous. Friends stopped by with bags and bags of groceries. Faith can move mountains, pay mortgages and so much more.
I fully believe you and your family will be provided for just as you have provided for others in their time of need.
Keep the faith!!!!
not your average mom says
Thank you, Kitty!
Angela says
For the record, I agree that all of us at some point are down on our luck. My husband and I have actually been in foreclosure when my youngest was barely going to be one. I wanted to stay home with him but chose to go back to work to keep my family from being homeless. Many of us live paycheck to paycheck and are just one paycheck away from being homeless, hungry, etc. I have compassion for people who fall on hard times as my family has many times. What I was trying to point out is that maybe its time to go back to working full time to have a more long term plan. I dont think its wrong to reach out for help at times. We’ve all been there. However, its my opinion that Susie uses the blog to solicit help from people because she knows that it has worked in the past. Your situation Kitty, was different. A medical situation arose and people rallied around to help out. You said you and your husband were both employed and that makes a situation difficult when one person can no longer work. Kitty mentioned sometimes you’re doing all you can do and still cant make it. Im not saying she doesn’t deserve help. But I dont think she’s doing all she can do to make the situation better. At what point do you think of another option besides asking for monetary donations? What happens when that money runs out? What are your realistic plans for the future?
Deanna says
Angela, you do realize that Susie did not set up the GFM nor did she ask for monetary help don’t you?
And really…she has two kids that are not school age (yet). Do you realize that finding daycare (GOOD daycare) would eat up about 90% of her paycheck? ….if she had to put ALL of her kids in daycare –for example the summer– she would be operating in the red (meaning, she would be paying more in childcare than she would be earning).
not your average mom says
I didn’t ask for monetary donations.
Angela says
I do realize that her friends probably suggested the GFM page. I in no way think that handouts are unacceptable. I believe everyone needs help at times. Times are tough and having a big family makes things harder. That’s partly the reason we stopped after two kids. Daycare is not cheap but that’s part of the thinking process before deciding to keep having kids. My husband and I struggled a bit after our first child financially and a lot after our second. That definetly was a wake up call to stop having kids. We too almost lost our house which caused stress on the marriage. There’s always that what if things go downhill again and one of us gets sick, or hurt, or loses a job. It is no one else’s responsibility to take care of my family but ours. We decided to have children so somehow we have to make it work. Our families are not in a position to help us financially.
With that being said, it is not my place to judge. And she’s right. We don’t know the whole story. Honestly, I hope she does get enough help to get caught up and maybe have a little emergency savings for the future.
At the end of the day, it is not my place to judge.
Cheryl says
I have to agree with Angela on this one. I think it’s time to go back to work. My parents had 14 children. Mom stayed home with the first 9 but eventually had to go to work full time. Could you go back to teaching and have the summers off? Perhaps your parents would help watch the younger two? I think it’s amazing that so many people have helped you out the last few years. I’ve read people have given you money, food, and toys at the last 2 Christmas’. You are an incredible educated woman. Use your degree!!! Do anything that brings in a steady income with benefits. I realize you love staying home and being at your kids games. My mom cried because she would pass us getting off the bus on her way to work. But, we were never on food stamps. Yup, we were poor… But never got a hand out. They did everything they absolutely could to keep the house over our heads.
Alison Palmer says
I just happened upon this blog by accident and am struck by the sense of community Susie has created here. It’s quite special
Diana H. says
Best of luck to everyone who is helping to raise money for Susie. I’ve shared this on my facebook page, and I hope others will share as well. We have to not only dig deep into our pockets, but we must dig deep in our hearts! We love you Susie!