A lil' life update!

Hey friends! This video is just to update you guys who were curious about why I am back to doing floral design works after swearing it off after closing my company. I came across a really great, flexible opportunity that I think really changes things for me with regard to floral work. This opportunity allows me to use the skills that I have honed over the last 12 years without the stress and time commitment of running my own company. I'm excited to see how this goes! Join me over on Instagram (my handle is MrKongsMom) for all the floral shenanigans.
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*Sorry about the lighting in this one, no idea what happened. I did film later in the day which is less than ideal for this room. I wasn't using the ring light because my eyes were a bit sensitive today.
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Thank you as always for watching and take care!

[@lisasmith7]

I am happy that you have found something you love without the things you don't. The arrangements I have seen are absolutely beautiful. Have a wonderful week ❌️ ⭕️

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you! Many more to come!

[@zabethvi]

Congrats! Its wonderful to do what you love. Flexible schedule, bills paid, work life balance that can be managed without being miserable, even better. 🎉

[@MrKongsMom]

I really couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity.

[@vickitatum4070]

Congrats on your new job,wishing you the very best,and it's always exciting trying new designs.💓

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much! I'm so excited for this new chapter.

[@chelsigreer4616]

I'm so happy for you! I love that you are liking what you are doing and I am always happy to see your face :)

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you friend!

[@zebralove2840]

Yes HyVee is a huge grocery store with big floral and deli and every kind of department. I hope you are as busy as you want to be and enjoy the freedom to create!

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you! Love being able to create and send along!

[@carrieschulte4723]

Iowa follower here! Hy Vee is huge here. Congrats!!

[@fairfaxvienna4099]

You’ve been so fun to watch & get to know over the last couple of years. 💖

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much! I love connecting with all of you! Life is quite a journey sometimes lol!

[@LuxuryOption4756]

Congrats on the exciting changes. Always encouraging to hear that people are happy and doing what they love.

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you! I agree! Do what you love!

[@staceyo1723]

It sounds like a great opportunity! Getting to do more of what you like and less of the yucky part is a win-win. Keep us updated! We’ll be here regardless. ❤

[@MrKongsMom]

Such a great win-win! I am so excited to see what is to come with this new journey!

[@christinezovath7373]

Congrats! Very inspiring, so many of us are not happy with what we're doing and yes, life is too short.

[@MrKongsMom]

I agree, life is so short! It's worth living it to the fullest.

[@CharitySRose]

Melanie I love this for you. How great. Yes life is so dang short. Watching my brother and sister fight cancer I believe in living and loving your life. My kids have always come first. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to! ❤❤❤

[@MrKongsMom]

I am sending so much love and positive healing energy to your brother and sister. It is so important to live life to the fullest. It's not always possible every day but its important to try to make every day great.

[@mariannemeyers]

How great that you get to create but not have to be responsible for the unfun business part. I hope it continues to bring you joy.

[@MrKongsMom]

I hope so too! Its a very different experience. I am very much looking forward to work tomorrow!

[@staceyjewell8844]

How exciting! I'm so happy for you!! You are glowing ✨️ Wishing you lots of good times doing what you love 🌸💮🪷🏵🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷🪻💐

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much!! Here's to the pretties!

[@karenforsling4959]

Haha, yes, it’s Hy-Vee! I’m from Ames, Iowa (now in Chicago) and it’s the main grocery store chain across the state. Congrats on your new chapter!! So happy for you to be doing what you love and enjoy!

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you. I am heading in for the rest of the week tomorrow and am feeling so happy about going to work lol. What a new and great feeling!

[@CJ-rx5fi]

This sounds like a great fit for you! You get to do what you love, be creative, work with a friend, and ditch all the business owner responsibilities! Best of luck, Melanie!

[@MrKongsMom]

That's the plan! I am so happy on the inside!

[@jessicatillman8570]

Congratulations 🎉curious what your lip combo is ❤

[@MrKongsMom]

It's actually just the Lawless Lipbalm in Pink Marshmallow! I love it so much!

[@tarellalovelace]

Congrats 💗

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you kindly!

[@Faithb73]

❤ sounds like a perfect fit. Keep the mind sharp with a creative outlet, getting paid to do it, working with a friend, and being able to escape the drama from the pre-teen for a bit😂……congratulations 😘

[@MrKongsMom]

Oh the dramatics are real this week. There is girl drama afoot lol! It's cyclical with her and her gf's. Its exhausting to keep up with who is on the outs and who is the bestie of the week haha!

[@Faithb73]

@@MrKongsMom 😂😂 I remember those days. I never could keep up and usually got drama huffs and eye rolls if I got the friend of the weeks name wrong.

[@MrKongsMom]

Yup, do not mess those names up!

[@hskerfan402]

You are correct, it’s Hy-Vee! It’s in the Midwest. Lots of them in Nebraska

[@MrKongsMom]

Wooohoo! The old memory worked this time haha!

[@ximenaagnone2225]

I’m happy for you Melanie, you get to do what you love.

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much!!!! It's a great feeling!

[@SherriMotley]

Love the video,Nothing worse then not liking your job or hating it and being miserable,Or trying to find something you really love,So good for you,With whatever you do, I’m always watching and waiting for new things,Still love the candle review’s and the house decorating 😊

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much Sherri!

[@amberr6589]

I’m so glad this opportunity came your way! Sounds like a great way to do something you love but not be consumed by it! Congrats.

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much!!

[@christinesmith3261]

I'm so happy for you! That sounds perfect!

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you! It really is.

[@myhappyplacewithkime1430]

Yay Mel! I'm so immensely happy for you. From everything you've said, this sounds like the perfect fit. How amazing that this opportunity came about. Yay, yay. ❤

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much!! I am incredibly thankful!

[@Deb_C]

Sounds awesome Melanie. I’m happy for you 🌸

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you so much!

[@julieg1413]

How exciting! Now you can get back in your creative zone without all the other stressful aspects. I can only imagine how relieved and excited Paige is feeling right now that you are there to help her. It's so incredibly hard to find talented and dependable people, our floral shop in our family owned grocery store suffers daily. We have one super talented lady that has been with us for years and we never want her to leave! Have fun learning and creating all the pretty things

[@MrKongsMom]

I would happily work in your grocery store floral shop! Too bad you live too far away! I hope you get that area staffed and staffed well soon! My husband deals with hiring and firing and its his least favorite part of his job/business. He is much better about not taking things to personally and letting things blow over. I wish I had his attitude when I was running my business lol.

[@julieg1413]

@MrKongsMom oh my gosh, if you were our florist, we would have the whole town beating down the door! I feel for your husband, staffing is so hard nowadays, no one wants work. My husband doesn't have a problem firing people either, whereas I'm m too emotional 😆

[@kathymcmanus8284]

Congratulations! It sounds like just the right thing at the right time!

[@MrKongsMom]

It is! I feel beyond blessed by this!

[@ReillyWilde]

I knocked on wood 🪵 on that bus comment. 😉 So cool you’re enjoying flowers on the non-business owner side. 💐 I always say that I can’t be in a bad mood when I’m smelling fresh flowers. Enjoy! ☺️R🍁

[@MrKongsMom]

You're the best! I hope to not get hit by a bus either lol. Thank you for your kind words always Reilly!

[@ReillyWilde]

@@MrKongsMom ☺️💐

[@lisadearing5960]

Congratulations on your new job! I’m so happy for you! I’m sure your friend is thrilled that you took her up on her offer! Spending $80,000 on a wedding makes my head hurt! I can not even imagine!!!! I got married in 1984. My wedding was beautiful and it was less then $3000.00, that included my dress! 😁

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you! We did not spend that on ours lol. We bought a house before we were even engaged (we knew we were heading that way). So what would have been the wedding money all went to our house. Paid off because we made bank when we sold it so no regrets on not having the princess wedding of my dreams. I did have I think about 12 or 13 thousand for mine that I had saved up seperately BUT we had 200 people lol so it was still super basic because of the size. Too many family and friends to invite haha! I did buy my dream dress. Luckily it was being discontinued so I got it for only $600! It was originally almost 2k. It was the only thing I really wanted so I went for it.

[@kimberlygiagnacovo8984]

I love this for you!

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you friend!

[@jessicafrye4543]

now I am googling arrangements to see different styles and trying to match them to your description lol I always thought that floral arrangements were the same. I would love to do weddings and birthdays or other event planning if I could. I would NOT want to do any of the business things. I enjoy planning and making things pretty. Weddings would by far be my favorite to plan. I unfortunately couldn't because of my child's needs (they require full support with ADL and all areas of life)

[@MrKongsMom]

Kids definitely come first and I know that your baby appreciates you being there for them. That is really the most important job in life. Maybe someday you will have the opportunity to get into the business to find that personal professional fulfillment there. My primary reason for going into this was so that I could have as much time with Stella as possible. My mom had to work full time when I was growing up. She never stayed home or was even able to come to any of my school stuff. It just didn't work with her schedule. That always stuck with me. I understood. I knew it was a necessity for her to work but I also just missed having her there regardless. I know it was always one of the hardest things for her but it was important that we were loved, housed, clothed and fed first. I will forever be grateful for how hard she worked for us. But I do know she missed out on a lot. It must have been very hard. Keep being the amazing momma you are!

[@lorainemcgillivray77]

Hi Melanie I’m really glad you’re enjoying your new venture. You did seem “burnt out” when you discussed previously closing down your business and very disillusioned. Working with the “public” in whatever capacity can be very difficult (trust me people in hospital would amaze you as illness etc is even more stressful than weddings). I was a Registered Nurse for about twenty years and much of that time was spent involved with cancer nursing. I met some really amazing people who were truly inspirational and some incredibly awful people who were really difficult to work with and try to help. It’s the best and the worst of the human condition on display every day. Weddings are a taste of that and I can sympathise with feeling disillusioned sometimes. I stopped for health reasons so it wasn’t a choice I made, but I hadn’t realised before I stopped how stressed I actually was. I knew I was exhausted from dealing with the health stuff and trying to keep up with doing the absolute best I could for the people I was dealing with, but I was making myself even more exhausted/unwell than I had thought. The nursing itself was always my favourite part but staffing issues and bed management and all the other stuff was not enjoyable at all. I can’t even imagine going back now even if I miraculously became healthy again tbh. Nursing changed so drastically from when I started to when I finished that it didn’t even feel like what I had wanted to do in the beginning. I did some volunteer work for a cancer charity for several years after that, but due to declining health I have put that on hold too now. Life just doesn’t always work out how we expected and I am glad you have found the part of that particular vocation you still love again. Best wishes x

[@MrKongsMom]

Thank you Loraine. Yes, burned out is the right word. I think everyone probably gets there at one point or another. You have my highest respect for being in nursing. I have many nurse friends and I have listened to many cry out of job frustrations. But they love what they do. Its just everything else. Its so hard to find that perfect balance sometimes.

[@StillPooh62]

I'm allergic to many flowers, so I chose to use fake ones for my wedding. My florist, bless her heart, thought it was because of the budget, so she decided to make my fakes smell real by spraying scent on them 🤧 Between the exhaustion from having the wedding six days after my college graduation and the Benadryl haze, I'm glad I paid for a lot of photography because I don't remember much 😂

[@MrKongsMom]

Oh bless her... she should have asked tho! There is always a reason a bride requests faux flowers lol. Sorry you were in a haze lol. Good job on spending money on photography! I always tell people to put the money towards THAT! I regret my photographer lol. I was on a crazy tight budget for the size of wedding we had so I went cheap. It showed lol.

[@kellylattimore5234]

You just proved my point why I don’t want to have my own massage business. I’ve been doing massage for about 22 years. All my clients are like don’t you wanna work on your own? Don’t you wanna be by yourself first of all heck no I’m blind and I live in a military town in case you wanted to know marines are very Interesting creatures. A majority of them nowadays feel super super entitled like oh we defend your country you should do whatever no no no I don’t want to. So I don’t have my own business because a in that aspect also too I’m kind of lazy. I don’t wanna book my own appointments. Do my own laundry. Make sure people are coming back if you love me you’ll come back. If not, you know I work in a spa so it’s very you know Not necessarily a place where people think I should do this once a month. I do have regulars that do that but a lot of people are like I really just wanna relax on a Saturday morning or it’s my birthday. I want a massage that’s where I come in. People are like oh you’d make so much money if you were by yourself, I make a good living, not being by myself, and I feel comfortable being around other people And not just me and somebody in a room

[@MrKongsMom]

It can be exhausting to be the one doing all the things. It's so important to know your boundaries and what you are capable of.

[@betsybabf748]

This sounds like the perfect compromise for you! When we had 3 babies in under a year, we decided I would leave my career for awhile and run the business side of my husband's company from home. That worked so well for us. I know the bridal industry well since my mother was a bridal designer for most of my life. She custom designed bridal wear, as well as altering gowns. Brides and their families....🤦🏻‍♀🤦🏻‍♀ Every groom should closely watch how his bride handles the wedding and what their attitude is before saying "I do". If someone is behaving horribly with bad priorities and attitude planning a party, they won't be the greatest partner when handling life's actual huge stressful moments.

[@MrKongsMom]

It can be a very eye opening thing to plan a big event like this with another person. It can be stressful, expensive and incredibly time consuming. I have always told my brides that are struggling with budget to really think about what is important which is the marriage, not the wedding. The wedding should be fun but shouldn't bankrupt you. I even encouraged some of my clients to reduce their floral orders because what they were asking for just didn't make sense for the event and to rely more on the beauty of the venue. It cost me money but it helped reduced their stress. You don't NEED all the things lol.