I’ve Tried Every Candy Under The Sun And I Rate My Top 10 From Worst To Best:

It’s March 20, 2023! That would make me 41 years old and about 5 months shy of turning 42. Life is so serious right now and to lighten the mood, I find myself thinking about my childhood and reminiscing on the things that my brothers and sisters and I used to do for fun. I have had a candy obsession since I was a little girl. After church on Sunday’s, all the kids at my church would go next door to a lady named, Mrs. Jones’ house and get peppermints! She would say in the sweetest voice, ‘Get 2!’ Next to Sunday school, it was the BEST thing about going to church. Every day during the summer months and on Sunday’s after church, my siblings and I would walk to my grandparents’ house in rural Virginia and get permission to go to the bottom of the hill and buy candy! It was literally the BEST time for us. My parents gave us each 1 quarter. This candy store named, ‘Black Diamond,’ had every single old school candy known to man. They had everything from peppermint sticks to life savers, peanut butter taffy, sugar babies, gobstoppers, every flavor of bubble gum, the infamous tootsie roll pop and the list goes on and on! Going to Black Diamond was the beginning of my candy obsession.

Since the days of buying candy for a quarter at the candy store at the bottom of the hill in Virginia, I have literally tried every piece of candy under the sun. As a young woman, I really didn’t value my dental health, so I ate candy as a hobby. I was buying candy every day. I had cavities a time or two in my twenties. I still enjoy strawberry blow pops every now and then, but my teeth are important to me now, so I have cut back tremendously.

I will always cherish my time as a little girl and buying candy with my siblings. Since I have gained so much experience with candy that runs from 1985 to present day, I have put together a list of my top 10 from worst to best! I even added a bonus. I am looking forward to the opportunity to tell my kids about my exciting adventures growing up and trying all sorts of candy for fun.  

10. Sweet Tarts

09. Snickers Bar

08. Hot Balls

07. Laffey Taffy

06. Starburst

05. Skittles

04. Twizzlers

03. Peanut M&M’s

02. Reese Cups

01. Peppermints

Bonus: Gummy Bears

Word of The Month for March: RESOURCEFUL!

Happy Motivational Monday, love muffin! LOL!!

I hope you are out there thriving your socks off today! It's the 1st Monday of March! I have been in just this state of extreme gratitude and pure joy since the beginning of this year! I am just so thankful for my journey. With a lot of patience and prayer, I have come to understand that the most difficult times in my life have been the most valuable to my current state of mind! I am from a very small and rural area in Southwest Virginia. It is very hard to find opportunities there. After teaching for a few years, God led me back to that area to really hone in on and focus on doing some healing. I moved back home in June of 2016 and lived there until January 2020! While trying to make a life in Big Stone Gap, VA, I created a series of extremely good habits for myself. I worked out (lost 50 pounds) finished my Masters degree in Curriculum and Teaching, started reading more, went to the library everyday, learned some new skills and most importantly; deepened my relationship with God! It was just a series of being extremely disciplined and obedient. I learned how to FIGHT! 

This month, the word that has continuously been on my mind is RESOURCEFUL! I learned how to become extremely resourceful during my 4 year stint in Virginia. God sent me there because it is an extremely slower paced lifestyle so I could really focus on my health, finances and spiritual life. I had to create opportunities for myself. There were no staffing agencies there. At one point, I was getting dressed and was literally passing out my resume to different businesses. I was getting passed up for jobs left and right. I substitute taught all of the time. That was one job I knew I could land every time. I took myself out of my comfort zone and worked for Quickbooks for nearly 2 years! It was extremely difficult there. BUT God!

These days, I am so grateful for my perseverance and bravery! I am not afraid of a challenge. I STAY ready for opportunities and I really have come to understand the need for strength in the mundane! It is literally everything to me. Life is so unpredictable and it is so important to remain humble and vigilant. I love my journey and hope it inspires you to become resourceful in your life!