About Me

Welcome to Bailes For Better Living! 

I'm Shawna, the creator of the website and as of right now BFBL's sole writer. It's still extremely disorganized- forgive me, I currently work a day job and have a family, so it is a sloooow work in progress. I've deliberated for a while on what to say about myself that will sound professional and impressive, and I'm great at manipulating words so I know I could impress all of you! But... I decided to throw it all out there with a hearty dose of reality and a pinch of humor.

In a nutshell, I'm a thirty-something Christian, wife, mother, employee to a full-time day job and newbie to blogging. I'm functionally disorganized, and self-diagnosed as ADD and a tad OCD (only in certain areas). I always think I can do more in a 24 hour period than Supergirl hopped up on a case of energy shots (my alternative to coffee). I'm more critical of myself than any other human being could ever be. I'm very competitive when I want to be. I doubt myself too much. I love learning new things. I enjoy cooking, gardening, canning, organizing, DIY projects and learning how to be more self-sufficient.

My past is quite varied. So much so, that I will spare you all the details, but I promise, I've done a lot and experienced a lot for my age. But I still feel like a kid trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I've known for a long time that I wanted to do something where I can help others, but I wasn't sure how. 

When I went back to school to get a college degree, I thought I wanted to be a personal trainer, because personal health is important. Then I realized just how little most personal trainers make, and as a single mother at the time, I changed my mind. I wanted to be a CPA and CFA (accountant and financial advisor), because the income was better and financial health is important. That thought gave way to thinking I wanted to be in law enforcement because, well, let's face it. Sitting behind a desk all day sounds boring. Law enforcement doesn't sound boring! And I could still help others. That lasted all of two semesters of my college career before I realized that risking my life as a career also wasn't smart for a single mom, so I settled on studying Accounting. After going to school part-time for way too long, I graduated from the local community college with my Associate's Degree. I haven't completed my Bachelor's Degree due to time constraints after meeting my husband and adjusting to family life and new jobs for both of us. 

Fast forward to today. I still want to help others. But I don't want my help to be confined to one aspect of life. I want to help others learn how to be physically healthier, financially healthier, safer, better parents and better spouses. I don't have all the answers because I am obviously far from perfect myself! But I constantly strive to get a little better with each passing day, and I hope that by sharing my experiences and what I learn along the way with all of you, I will finally be able to say "this is what God intended for me".

On Bailes For Better Living I'll be sharing a wide variety of topics with you. I'll talk about everything from recipes I find and love to gardening, canning and food storage, parenting, marriage, organizing and maintaining a household, DIY projects and crafts, preparing for disasters both big and small, health and fitness, and so much more! Thank you for joining me- I hope you enjoy it!