P€nn¥ Gone 2020👋🏾

🅿️ENNY GONE 2020 👋🏾

Bye-Bye. It was great while it lasted😙

Hold up! Before we say goodbye, let's take a stroll back to the beginning. 

"On May 25, 1966, The Bahamas Currency Board released the first series of coins for the new currency, which consisted of denominations of 1, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 50 cents..."

First Design 1966-1970

Where the penny started and where it is now 👇🏾

In a 2019 article by NEIL HARTNELL, 

#Tribune Business Editor

"The Central Bank has issued "rounding" guidelines for cash payments. When a bill does not end in zero or five cents, those ending in one or two will be rounded to zero; those ending in three, four, six and seven will be rounded to five, and those ending in eight or nine rounded to 10."

❗WHERE & HOW TO REDEEM YOUR PENNIES❗

On 23rd October 2020, I went to the Quality Super Market on Cable Beach to redeem my pennies!!! The Central Bank team and their process was so quick and efficient.

 🗣Shout out to Mr. Moultrie from the Central Bank team for being extremely nice, professional and taking the time to speak with me.

🔴🔴HEADS 🆙️🔴🔴

If you haven't redeemed your pennies as yet, here's what you'll need to know/do:

1. Once the dates, times and locations for November are released, take your pennies to one of the designated locations. Don't roll them.

2. Have a government issued 🆔️ present

3. Have your banking information readily available. Your bank account is credited for the amount of your pennies.🏦

Please note: You will NOT receive cash in hand. Your bank account will be credited so take your account information. 

Come...Have a look👀 at the pennies I redeemed 🥳🎉👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 

So, no...I was not one of those people who needed a 🛒 to haul their pennies in nor did I take buckets and buckets of pennies to be redeemed. I had one container, a large, reused oatmeal box lol.

I just wanted to be a part of the process.😊

💰💸💵I got $43!!!!💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾

The November redemption dates and locations are still TBA so follow The Bahamas Penny Page on Facebook for updates, page link cited in sources.

Things to remember:

1. The Bahamian Penny will no longer be legal tender as of 31st December 2020.

2. You have until 30th June 2021 to redeem your pennies.

#donnellsworld #girlintheyellowsweater #blogpost #pennygone2020 #pennygone

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UPDATE❗❗ HERE ARE THE NOVEMBER DATES, TIMES AND LOCATIONS FOR YOUR PENNY REDEMPTION.

Sources:

🔗https://www.facebook.com/The-Bahamas-Penny-Page-359857248060061/ 

🔗http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/sep/18/one-cent-coin-use-to-cease-by-end-2020/

🔗https://currencies.fandom.com/wiki/Bahamian_1_cent_coin

🔗https://www.centralbankbahamas.com/bank-coins

Coping, Healing, Mothering & Living after the loss of a child

No child comes with a manual and being someone's mom and a first time parent can be scary when you don't know what to expect.

I had my first child, a baby girl 👶, when I was 20 years old. I was in college at the time and I found a balance between mothering and schooling that worked for me. With the help of those in my circle I was able to continue attending college without having to take a semester off or drop out.

6th Februaruary 2010 at 2:36am, I gave birth to her via C-Section at PMH 🏥. 

She was named and christened *Charis Ashley Major*. 👼 The exciement and joy was through the roof.

During the fourteen (14) months that she was with us, Charis was that toddler with a big bubbly personality.

 

    

My laptop was obviously her laptop lol

Charis was the first grand child to her paternal grandmother and the first great grand child to her paternal great grandmother. She was also the first granddaughter to my mom. Everyone who met her, fell in love with her. Every day I think about her and I always say I wish I'd taken more pictures, recorded more videos, taken her to more places and made more memories. The memories I have of her and with her will never fade.

                    Charis at Christmas 2010

 

😂😂😂 We even slept alike.

 

Charis and Great-grammy "Mama Lisha"

Some of my favorite pics of Charis

This white watch lol I loved it and it's still in my jewelry box!!!

                       ✨✨Cha-Cha Bella✨✨

 

       She loved her Elmo

    Every girl should wear pearls

 

     Her first carnival 2010

💗

Living with the loss of a child, regardless of how old the child was, is hard. I can't and won't compare my situation to another parent but what I do know is that this feeling is something I battle EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 

No exaggeration, I think about her every day, be it something that reminds me of her, whenever I drive pass the cemetary where she's buried or just a random thought of her. It has gotten easier over the years and I've learned to live with it and not let it overcome me. I spent many days and nights praying and since prayers don't expire, I'm sure all of the prayers my family prayed to God on my behalf are still keeping me strong to this very moment.

I remember the day she died like it happened today, it makes me sad still but I have the strength to keep moving. I called the hospital that morning letting them know I would be going to church and that I'd come to the hospital afterwards. The nurse encouraged me to go and said church would do me good to calm me down so I went. My dad was driving me that day and my aunt called us for dinner before going to the hospital. While I was eating I could barely chew. I could remember the strange feeling in my gut. Moments later I got a call from the nurse saying they needed me ASAP. My heart sank. When I got there the doctor told me that her heart stopped beating at 3:47pm. I was escorted to the waiting room awaiting further word. At 4:47pm the code was called and that was it. She was gone. My baby was gone. Gone too soon. 

The doctor came in the room, "I'm sorry mummy, baby has died" he turned and walked away. I was so numb I couldn't even cry. 

My grandfather passed away 8 days prior to her passing. My dad and aunts were all there and it was like the weight of the world was literally on my neck! April 17th 2011 was a day like none other and the following days were a blur.

 

At Charis' funeral 29th April 2011

 

At Granddaddy's funeral 30th April 2011

At first, thinking about Charis made me cry, now thoughts of her make me smile and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Losing a loved one is a difficult time for anyone. A parent losing a young child, seeing that child in a coffin and being lowered into the ground is an outer-body experience that I wouldn't want anyone to experience.

I was given another chance to mother a child. Mothering after a loss is no easy feat still, it caused me to be super and overly protective of my son. I don't take any moment for granted.

If you have never lived through the loss of a child, please... please... please do not tell others how to grieve or mention what you would do if you were in their shoes. Give support, be a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. There are no rules on how long to grieve however, there are ways to do it healthily. Do what works for you.

9 years later here I am, putting my feelings into words and I can honestly say I am stronger for having gone through what I went through. It helped to mold me into the individual that I am.

-Girl in the Yellow Sweater😘

#donnellsworld #girlintheyellowsweater #blogpost 

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Bon Appétit 🍴

Ine saying ise a chef (far from it) but I can handle myself in the kitchen when I have to.



When I was younger and single, I didn't really care to cook big meals often. A hot cup of tea or coffee with bread or a sandwich and I was good to go. I lived in the dorms for most of my college years and I cooked even less then lol ramen noodles, spaghetti and oats were my life. Of course I ate out a lot too!

I grew up in Andros, Bahamas having my parents, grandmothers, aunts and cousins cooking all around me, all the time so I always knew how to prepare food, I just didn't care to do it.

Fast forward from being a student to becoming a mom 👪and managing a household, I started to cook and eat more and more home cooked meals to ensure I was eating healthier while pregnant 🤰 and to monitor what my family consumed.

Sooooooo...I'm gonna share some meals I prepared. They're not fancy but its what I like and what my family likes. When I'm cooking I get so animated lol acting like a camera is on me or that I'm cooking in front of a live audience. This post by Gabby👇 is soooo me lol 🤣🤣

Today makes my 3rd time cooking stew fish. The first and third times were amazing but chal please, the second time was a hot mess because I used too much flour and trying to correct it was a lot. I needed to redeem myself from that second attempt so press play and watch me make stew fish!!!

Music: My Islands in the Sun by Lady E


This was one of times I looked in the fridge then looked in the cupboard and threw a meal togther. Nothing fancy but it was filling.

Music: Big Girl Now by Patrice Roberts

In between Sunday dinners and other big or heavy meals, I sometime like to keep it light.

Turkey with breadfruit, broccoli, carrots and other vegetables. Seasoned with curry powder and other seasonings.

I don't eat liver but Jason does so this meal was specifically for him. Liver with shrimp loaded potatoe, corn and garden salad.

Fried Zucchini 😋I did a random Google search for a zucchini recipe and decided to try this one. Slice the zucchini, dip in beaten egg, then in seasoned flour and fry!

Mid week meal. Mashed potatoes with roast beef and carrots

Bread fruit mmmm mmmmm

When Liam was a baby, I used to make bread fruit porridge and feed him. I fell in love with it. I got the recipe from a Jamaican website. The two pictures below are fried breadfruit. Slice the fruit, season to your taste and fry. I seasoned with lime, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Ketchup makes everything better so I added a side of ketchup.

Breadfruit Porridge

In 2017 I visited the Pincho Factory in Sunrise, Florida just to try their Toston Burger which is two fried plantains as the buns then topped with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and homemade cilantro sauce. Once I was back in Nassau, I wanted a Tosten Burger so I made my own plantain burger.

       

Bbq ribs are a regular for my household. This day it was paired with macaroni salad and avocado.

Cornish hen with mashed potatoes and corn.

       

Jason loves a good turkey drumstick...and I indulge him😊

Mashed potatoes and ribs...like I said, we love ribs!

My mom sent me butternut squash from Andros and I took to Google to find a recipe. I choose the hassleback recipe.

Hassleback butternut squash with lambchop and coleslaw.

Peas and rice. I cook with Mahatma Jasmine rice, just love the way it cooks and of course the aroma it gives.

  On a lazy day...garlic butter Pasta Roni with broccoli and bbq chicken breast. I made chicken wraps with the leftover chicken breasts mmmmm...

I have prepared so many meals over the years and while I may complain from time to time of being tired, I'll never stop because it makes me feel so happy to know that I can feed my family EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Do you cook your own meals? What's your favorite meal to cook or to eat?

How do you deal with picky eaters at home? Comment below.

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 #donnellsworld #girlintheyellowsweater #blogpost