Roses are wilted

Quote inspirational bookmark with roses. by Kimberly Ollison

Printable Self-Care #etsy #BeeKind #PrintablePack #SelfCarePrintables ...

#BeeKind #PrintablePack #SelfCarePrintables #BeeTheme #BeeLovers #JournalingPrintables #EtsyFinds #PrintableArt #BeeInspired #SelfCareTools #WhimsicalDecor #MentalHealthAwareness

ETSY SHOP :)

https://kraeartarchive.etsy.com Check out my shop!

To the Mamas Who Love the Sun But Dread the Swimsuit

To the Mamas Who Love the Sun But Dread the Swimsuit Hey, beautiful. If the idea of swimsuit season makes you want to fake a leg injury—same. Maybe your body has changed. Maybe you just don’t vibe with Lycra. Or maybe the only six-pack you’re rocking is the sparkling water in your fridge. Whatever it is… I promise you, you are not alone. But here’s the truth: summer isn’t about being a snack—it’s about having them. Poolside. With your kids. While probably dodging wet pool noodles. It’s not about how you look—it’s about how you feel. And you know what feels good? Laughing. Splashing. Making memories. Eating tacos. (Like, have you met tacos? Worth. Every. Bite.) Wear the suit. Or wear the cute cover-up that makes you feel like a goddess. Either way—show up. Your kids don’t care what size you are. They care that you're there, cheering them on and maybe sneaking them extra popsicles. So here’s to a summer of not caring, not comparing, and living life like the sun is on your side. Because it is. 🌮 Wear the suit. Eat the taco. Chase the joy. I linked some cute and comfy summer finds below. Now, you don’t have to go on a swimsuit safari. Cute and Comfy and all are taco-approved. 🌮 (And hey—some may be affiliate links, which just means you’re supporting my coffee habit while shopping. Win-win.) With sunburned shoulders and a heart full of love, Kimberly Rae

Colorful Fruit Daily Agenda Slide by Kimberly #MomLifeUnfiltered #BodyPositivityForMoms #SwimsuitSeasonSupport #SummerWithKids #RealMomMoments

RFK Jr.’s Statements on autism

 I will correct him for free.

Blog Post Update: 4/20/25
(Yeah, I should have posted this two days ago, but I really sat on it... maybe too long. 😅 Are there other moms out there who this lit a fire under too? Feel free to drop your soapbox moments below—I want to hear how you processed this. 💬💛)

Who Hired This Guy?! …Oh 😒… and he’s paid too.
Ugh. Let me help him—for free.

---

RFK Jr.’s recent input on autism...
As a neurodivergent parent of kids on the spectrum and with other challenges—and someone who’s done the work, the reading, and the advocating—I couldn’t scroll past this without speaking from my heart.

Let’s break down what he said… and what’s actually true:

---

🧾 “They’ll never pay taxes.”
Aww, boo-hoo. I see your top concern here.
Fact: Many autistic adults do work and pay taxes. Let’s stop pretending they can’t contribute to society.

---

👔 “They’ll never have a job.”
False.
Hey—bet they could list facts better than this guy and follow rules more closely, too.

---

✍️ “They’ll never write a poem.”
Wrong.
Neurodivergent minds create some of the most beautiful, brilliant, and haunting art I’ve ever seen.

Someone doesn’t read—I see! Read. A. Book.
Might I suggest The Midnight Library by Matt Haig? An autistic author. International bestseller. You're welcome.

---

⚾ “They’ll never play baseball.”
Oh, be quiet. You sound ridiculous.
I know someone who lives and breathes sports. Stop putting people in boxes.

---

🚽 “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
Support needs vary.
That doesn’t make anyone less—and this kind of stereotyping is just gross.

---

💔 “Autism destroys families.”
Nope. Stigma does. Judgment does. Lack of support does.

We’ve had good and bad days—but through it all, we’ve gained clarity.
We see through a lens most people can’t.
Maybe it was a golden opportunity—one that pushed me into a passion I didn’t even know I had a voice for.

Knowing I had to be the one to stand up for my children—because of people like this.

They speak the loudest, knowing the least.
Unable to place themselves in someone else’s shoes.

---

I went back to school.
I read. I researched. I showed up.
Endless appointments. Doctor-hunting. Trial-and-error routines and meds.
I’ve had to advocate without a guidebook—just instinct, pain, and a whole lot of hope.

And still, I often felt alone.
I still feel there aren’t enough community groups or services for moms who want real answers—not just to be told to accept it, or to put their child in a hospital for a “break.”

✔️ Earned. ✔️

Because of all this… I know I’m a better person.

---

So why does he keep saying these things?
What’s his passion—what inspired him?
I know why I’ve dug into this… but what’s his reason?
Because from here, he seems pretty clueless.

---

And lastly… the one that really got me:
“What are we doing to our kids?”
Grrrrr.

He’s barking up the wrong group of mama bears.

I can't speak for all moms, but I know I’m not the only one who has questioned everything.
EVERYTHING—before, during, and after my children were born.

I blamed myself.
But the truth is—there are multiple studies on this.
It’s in the genes.
Even if it skips a sibling or a parent.

---

#Advocacy #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #MamaBearMode #FactsOverFear

CDC Autism Facts:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
→ For up-to-date data on prevalence and developmental monitoring

Genetic factors in autism spectrum disorders – NIH Study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7229854/
→ Key insight: “Genetic factors contribute substantially to ASD risk”

Autism Speaks: Genetics & Heritability:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/genetics-autism
→ Breaks down inherited vs. spontaneous genetic mutations

The Art of Autism:
https://the-art-of-autism.com/
→ Showcases poetry, art, and writing by neurodivergent creators

National Library of Medicine – ASD and Toilet Training Difficulties:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8039181/

Evidence that stigma—not autism—hurts families:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613221084652
→ Science-backed support for your point about stigma being the real issue

Autism Awareness Picks 💙

Curated with care for April — Autism Awareness Month

“In This House We Do Autism” Wall Poster
A bold, heartfelt visual for any autism-loving home.

Social Skills Board Game for Kids
A playful, screen-free way to explore emotional intelligence.

Visual To-Do List Tracker
Great for routines, independence, and executive functioning.

Who is Ron Vara?

 Peter Navarro,

 a former trade adviser to President Trump, introduced a fictional character named Ron Vara in his writings. "Ron Vara" is an anagram of "Navarro" and was used by Navarro as a literary device in his books. ​

In his 2001 book, If It's Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks, Navarro presented "Ron Vara" among other fictional characters to illustrate points in his analysis. However, in later works, "Ron Vara" was cited without clear indication of its fictional nature, leading to confusion about the character's authenticity. ​

The use of "Ron Vara" was acknowledged by Navarro as a whimsical device, but this practice drew criticism, especially when readers and co-authors were unaware of the character's fictional status. ​

Therefore, "Ron Vara" was not a real person but a construct created by Peter Navarro within his publications.

SOURCES: 

• www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/22/one-important-thing-people-are-missing-about-peter-navarro-ron-vara/. Accessed 06 Apr. 2025.
• “White House Adviser Peter Navarro Calls Fictional Alter Ego An ‘Inside Joke.’” NPR, 18 Oct. 2019, www.npr.org/transcripts/771396016. Accessed 06 Apr. 2025.
• “The Entire Tariff Executive Order Is Based on Bogus Numbers and a Fake Expert Economist.” Daily Kos, www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/5/2314736/-The-entire-tariff-Executive-Order-is-based-on-bogus-numbers-and-a-fake-expert-economist. Accessed 06 Apr. 2025.

Federal Freeze Puts Mississippi Libraries at Risk

A Trump-era executive order aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy has left Mississippi libraries in a bind. Signed on March 14, the order drastically limited operations at several federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—the main source of federal funding for libraries and museums across the U.S. The IMLS, a small agency with about 70 employees, awarded over $266 million in grants last year. Mississippi received $2.1 million to support tech upgrades, internet access, interlibrary loan programs, Talking Book Services for visually impaired readers, and childhood literacy initiatives like summer reading. While most local libraries are funded by city, county, and state taxes, federal grants often fill crucial gaps—especially for one-time improvements and accessibility programs. Due to staffing disruptions at IMLS, grant processing and fund disbursement have stalled. Advocacy group Every Library warned, “This is not merely a bureaucratic activity; it is a crisis for the library, museum, and archive communities across the United States.” This pause in federal support could delay key programs and leave Mississippi libraries struggling to maintain essential services.

Sources:

• Institute of Museum and Library Services

• IMLS Mississippi State Profile

• EveryLibrary – Federal Library Funding Is in Danger

• American Library Association – Library Funding

• Executive Order 13781 – Federal Register

Grown-Barbie Fun!

💅 You’re like Really Pretty—Treat Yourself, Mama 💕

🧦 Socks 🖍️ Coloring 🕯️ Candle 🍷 Wine Glass Set 💘 Purse

💖 Living My Neon Dream 💖

Everyone needs a coupon right about now 🫶🏻

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They Couldn’t Control Me—So They Turned My Kids into a Political Target- a DEI story part 1

They Couldn’t Control Me— I advocated for her rights (DEI) So They Turned My Kids into a Political Target. (And they called it counseling.)

DEI isn’t what you think.
Give me one minute to explain—before you start yelling “leftist" or "Crazy"
This isn’t about politics. It’s about people.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.
I hear your defense forming.
But now—hear me.
❗ Equity ≠ Equality ❗
◘ Equality gives everyone the same thing.
◘ Equity gives people what they need to succeed—because not everyone starts at the same line.
MERIT?
How do you know they don’t have merit?
You know how people often want what they don’t have?
Straight hair wants curly. Brown eyes want blue.
Now imagine yourself or your child being denied the job, a class, or the future you dreamed of—not because of ability or effort, but because of a box someone else decided to check for you.
Maybe—because of that passion, that deep longing—they can do it even better.
Merit isn’t missing.
It’s not a lack of drive—it’s a lack of access, and who’s holding the keys.

Now picture this: it’s your child.
They’re denied the class they asked for, the chance they were ready for—
not because they couldn’t handle it,
but because someone decided they didn’t belong.
You’ve seen the late nights, the anxiety, the courage.
And still, a gate they never built is slammed shut in their face.
Then... oh, you better believe there's more.
But I’ll save that part for another post—because this kind of discrimination?
It comes in three parts.
So, buckle up…
while you sit pretty in that carefree life of yours.
This happened with DEI protections in place. Now imagine it without it!
you don’t just see the injustice—
you feel it in your bones.

🧠🪷Rooted in resilience, burning with truth🐾🔥 — Kimberly Rae Ollison
#RootedInResilience #BurningWithTruth #DEIclarity #LetUsIn #GatekeepingIsReal #MamaBearAdvocacy #MeritMeetsBarriers

Have you read any of these?

Book Recommendations:

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

by Yeonmi Park

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

by Victoria E. Schwab

Billy Summers

by Stephen King

Darling

by K. Ancrum