Life Can Be Crushing

Trying to always be strong can be completely crushing. I have spent the past almost two years trying to be strong. Strong for me, strong for my kids, strong for life.

Faith in God's plan can only do so much. Sometimes you have to allow yourself to fall. You have to allow yourself the feeling of pain, grief and the unbearable fear of the unknown.

One cannot heal if you continue to pretend that there is nothing going on or you suppress those emotions. It will eventually come out and you would have gotten nowhere because you failed to deal with it head on. 

Tears are not a sign of weakness. They aren't. Many can't cry. They don't allow themselves that gift of cleansing. They fear it. They fear once they open the damn it will not stop. They fear the feeling of vulnerability. Allow yourself to purge all that you need. Allow yourself to fall into the ugly cry if you need. Allow it! Purge all your pain through your tears. BUT eventually you do have to stop crying. You do have to move, breath and live. You have to! 

You can do it!
I know you can, I am!

Yes, life is crushing and at times feels unbearable, painful and unfair. How much pain does one person need to have in their life? This is a question I often find myself wondering. 

Experience your pain, you are allowed. 
Move through your pain, you are allowed.
You will have hard days but some will make your forget for a moment, you are allowed
It is your journey!  Only Yours! No one else is feeling what you are feeling, experiencing what you are dealing with. Allow yourself to feel and live. Take a deep breath now move! One foot in front of the other. You can do it!

If on the outside; know that you cannot fathom the pain of another. You cannot help them. You can be there for them. You can listen. You can just be. Sometimes that is all we have. So, just be!

Good thoughts to all who read this.

Decorate Your Laptop With Works Of Art By #Vati

I love personalizing my laptop, phone and Kindle and was thrilled to get a laptop sticker from Vati.
This is just one of the many amazing decals they have and all are cool in my opinion.

This is the World's Famous Buildings decal. As you can see it comes in a non bendable cardboard with a see through insert. 

The directions simply state to dust your computer and affix your decal by placing down and removing the transfer paper.   It was as easy as playing a sticker except this is a great grownup sticker that has many recognizable buildings such as the Easter Island, Big Ben, The Statue of Liberty, The Colosseum in Rome, The Taj Mahal and more. 
 
We have an Acer and I as I went to put it on my daughter's laptop she insisted it go on her window.  She said she would see it more often since her computer is always open. She is probably right!

This is the third location she has placed it so far. I believe this would even look great on my truck! 

Pros:
Easy to place
Easy to remove
Quality paper
Looks amazing
Great price

Cons:
I can't think of any!

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Everyone Needs A Selfie Stick!

I love selfies and believe you can learn a lot about someone from their selfie. For some of us selfies means finally a photo of us! As the person who always has the camera there are very few photos of the photographer. I can look at folders and folders of photos on my computer from the past few years before my smart phone and see very few photos of me unless I put my tripod up and managed to take a photo or two. If I did manage the tripod into the day it meant about 10-20 photos because it would be a long time between another chance. Sometimes it looks like I wasn't even at a party, event or location because there are NONE of me. 

As a mom and a daughter who lost her mom at a young age I know how important those photos are. I don't have very many photos of my mom but the ones I do have were all set up. No candids, no selfies, no personality shots. Usually a posed photo or two. 

Then the smart phone come; I finally got one and selfies were important to me but most of them were up in my face, nothing else around. Maybe that is due to my small arms? I have no idea but I have not mastered the selfie. 

Here is a prior selfies. Very close, usually washed out or too dark, I am only a head and my teeth look amazing. Oh wait, back to the selfie.

We are still learning it but the other day a Huuman ZaZa Selfie Stick arrived and we have been playing with it ever since. 

It was a quick set up. Turn it on, go to my phone settings, hit Bluetooth and find the selfie stick. Connect and you are ready. 

 
Charging takes only an hour.  

You can extend the arm to a full 38 inches. 

Once your phone is inside the clip, you can extend, swivel, point or whatever you need to do to take the best selfies ever. There is ZERO slippage. It holds the phone firmly. 

Here are some of our selfies using the ZaZa

  
To take a selfie, you just press the button near the base of your selfie stick. It is where your hands are holding the stick. 

We have been having a blast!

  

Who Knew That Moroccan Black Soap Would Give Me The Smoothest Legs Of My Life + Discount Code

This is my second product review from Zakias Morocco Beauty Products and I am blown away. The first one, a mud face, body and hair mask was wonderful, this one is even better and here is why.

The Moroccan Black Soap with Argan Oil and Kessa is good for your hair and skin too but I have not yet used it as anything more than a soap AND a shaving lubricant and MY legs have never ever never been smoother! Did I say my legs are smooth? I can shave and never feel like I get a clean, baby smooth leg and if I do, it only lasts that day. The next day, I have a 5 o'clock stubble that no one else can see or so they say but I can feel.  Honestly I didn't even realize how good this stuff was until today I was at the lake at 8:00 AM just me and a cup of coffee looking at the sun come over the mountain when I stood up. I had flip flops on and without even thinking must have slipped one off and rubbed my foot over my calf. I don't know maybe I had an itch. WELL! The next thing you know, my eyes opened wide and I was hyper aware of how smooth my legs were. As if not believing my foot I reached down and touched my leg. THEY ARE NOW, 8 hours later and over 18 hours after shaving S-M-O-O-T-H. This has never happened to me! 

I plan on having great summer skin!
 

So, if you take nothing else away from this review. KNOW that this stuff is great for shaving.

The oil is made of pure olive oil, aragan oil, water, sodium and potassium hydroxyde
 
There are no PETs, No mineral oils, No parabens 

You simply take a pinch of the black soap, yeah it weird at first because it feel like you are taking some crude oil and cleaning yourself with it but you get used to it by the second time. 

Apply it directly to your skin, Loofah or use a washcloth and use like any other soap. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and rinse it off. Next use the Kessa which is a great little glove that literally helps you get a nice glow to your skin. It exfoliates nicely and is comfortable to wear.  LOVED it and felt totally spoiled and special afterward.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Whipped Body Cream

Goddess and I have used about a half of the container already because we can't get enough.  It smells like Chocolate and Strawberry. How did they do it!?

It is a lovely, light pink, that goes on smoothly with a non-greasy feel with a sent that lasts a long time! The biggest problem will be not craving chocolate and strawberries after you apply it. 

The first day I got it I applied it to my arms, elbows, shoulders and legs.  My husband usually comes home after bed time and is exhausted from work.  The man works two jobs and as he was hugging me goodnight, hours later, said, "You smell good! What is that?"  I told him chocolate and strawberry cream and he said, "It really smells delicious!"  

Good Earth would love to introduce you to their many awesome products and give one of my readers the chance to win a jar of their Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Whipped Body Cream.
Enter before July 9th for your chance.

Stunning Functional, Portable Yoga Mat

I love stretching, I love yoga and I hate using a slippery towel or my son's rubbery yoga mat!

Last month I received the a Sole Yoga Mat which is a completely non-slip, super absorbent microfiber towel fused to a natural tree rubber base!  Yes, that is exactly what it is. The best yoga mat I have ever used, even better then the ones they use at the many yoga studios I have joined over the past 20 years.

Pluses:

• It is a beautiful, serene mat. The watercolors truly relax the mind
• The mat is a nice large size
• It rolls up easily!
• The carrying strap.  What I love about the strap for this is how it doesn't matter how small you roll the mat, the strap opens easily to accommodate and then you pull it so the yoga mat is snug and won't slip out!   

Negatives:

• The price could deter some from purchasing it but it is a superior mat! It is truly worth the extra and if you are looking for a long term mat, this is the one.
It is one of the most comfortable mats I have ever used and I am not sure if it is because of the color, the size, or the comfort of it but when I am not using it my kids take turns using it. They watch TV sitting on it, read on it and play with their toys on it.

NOW...that I talked about how awesome I think it is time to share some photos.




Look how beautiful it is!



Here is the mat hanging on my chair, you can see how easily portable it is. Just toss it on your back and go!

Anaiti Creams For Celebrity Skin & Dark Spots! #SkinCare

As I've gotten older I notice more and more marks appearing on my face. They have literally changed everything about my face and are the reason I am diligent about applying sunblock to my kids. When they complain I ask, "Do you want all these marks on your face like mommy?" It is always a no! They don't and I can't blame them which is why I am so excited about the Anaiti Luminous Cream which is a Dark Spot Corrector and contains Vitamin C which boosts Collagen and reduces Pigmentation. It also brightens your skin and evens out skin tone with matrixyl, renovage.

You can use this under your make-up as a primer!  I have only used it for a week. I use it daily and while I cannot say I am noticing a huge difference in dark spots, I do feel better when I put it on and think by applying it daily will see a bigger difference. The dark marks under my eyes which unless you get really close you won't see them have definitely changed. They are not only a little lighter but even under my 10X magnification mirror look better to me.

These spots have altered the feelings I have about my face close up and I am happy to be using something that will bring me better, clearer, brighter skin and reduce the appearance of those small dark marks that make me regret every time I look in the 10X magnification make-up mirror.

The Anaiti Luminous Cream is non-greasy, goes on smoothly, is nice and light and in just a week has changed the appearance of my dark spots.

 

Anaiti Creams For Celebrity Skin #Anaitiskincare

Over the past week I started using Anaiti Creams on my face and neck and do notice some positive results.

Truly! Why should they be the only ones allowed to have incredible skin?

Over the past three years I noticed my neck, this year I noticed my crows feet, forehead and cleavage area have definitely become more wrinkled and the skin above my eyes more saggy. It happens. We can't defy gravity forever but we can make a difference or hold it off with the right about of health and beauty care!

Walk Down Memory Lane - My Aching Heart - 2008 #memories

Seeing my two like this always makes my heart hurt. Walking in on affection between the two of them without parent intervention makes me feel like I am doing something right.

Car Sun Shades For Babies and Children

Summer is here and while we have protection from the sun in the front with the often tinted windshield, our sun visors and sunglasses the little ones in the backseat often have that hot sun beating on them, blinding them or making it hard to sleep and you know sometimes as a mom with an infant that is the best time for some peace and quiet. There is something peaceful about being at the wheel with a sleeping baby in the back, the radio on and a thought in your head. LOVE IT. 

When Handsome and Goddess were babies we always had a shield on the window. Now at 10 and 12 they have their transition glasses as protection BUT they still love a colorful, happy, kid friendly sun shade. 

These Starlitt Jungle Friends Car Sun Shade for Side Windows are great for for Babies and Kids  and have easy to use suction cups that so you can mount them to your windows. One for both sides of the car.

They are made of a mesh material and have an adorable, whimsical menagerie of happy, wide eyed animals.

They are so easy to mount that my 10 year old decided to do it for us without any promoting.

Flower Girl or Flower Child Everyone Loves Wearing Floral Wreaths Around Their Head

  

Head Wreaths, Head Garland, Ring of Flowers, Or whatever you want to call them everyone loves wearing one. I have had one for years. It is what I used to wear to the Renaissance Faire every year and makes you feel special, beautiful and it's fun!

I am happy to share this love with my dear daughter. She has never been in a wedding, was only at the Renaissance Faire but like all girls, loves a ring of flowers worn above the head. 

My little Goddess is wearing it to school today. Her girlfriends are going to love it! She got her whole outfit together last night with a matchy matchy floral dress. 

BTW...whether you wear it with a dress or with shorts like last week when she received it in the mail, it is never frowned upon to wear a crown of thorns.

We love the way the wreath wraps around the head with the ribbon in the back. It is so pretty!

AND...it fits me too! 

The flowers are made of a foam and paper instead of that fake fabric flower stuff you usually see. We love this piece and I think my girl will be wearing it for a long time.

Walk Down Memory Lane - A Candid Pyramid #memories (2008)

When I say rare I mean, rarely do I have a picture that was actually taken by someone of me and my babies. I am constantly setting up self timer shots so you mostly see some eyes, some noses and the side and top of someones head.

This was taken by my son’s speech therapist (thanks Beth). She had just finished working with him. The kids had made their way to my back as I was talking to her. She asked me where my camera was and got it.

I love that she took this for us. It is cute to see something that was not staged.

Custom Wall Decals, Clings, Stickers and More From Vinyl Disorder

I love the idea of creating customized stickers and more for your car, laptop, Kindle case, windows and more. In fact, I have an I Am So Blogging This cling on my car for years.

Vinyl Disorder recently send me a package of samples which was so cool. They totally create and customize whatever art work you have, in whatever shape, size and color you need.

Bloggers, Authors, Companies, Schools, Bands, Or just because you can get more information at on the Vinyl Disorder website along with some of the hundreds they already have.  


BTW..I this Larry David?

He now decorates my water bottle

Here is my little video about Vinyl Disoder

 

Best Veggie Pasta I've Ever Eaten!

I gave away a Ruki Home Best Spiral Slicer last month and I finally have time to post some of the photos of the food I am making.

The Ruki Home Spiralizer is made from BPA-Free ABS plastic and Heat-Treated STAINLESS STEEL Japanese blades for the sharpest and quickest slice. 

You can use it to create endless julienne strips of veggies and create wonderful dishes of CARROTS, ZUCCHINI, CUCUMBER, SWEET POTATOES and much MORE.

It is so easy to use but the veggie needs to be sturdy. I have tried it with cucumber but felt it ended up too wet and squishy.

In the past month I have purchased zucchini every week so that I can saute' some zucchini pasta. It is amazing. A little olive oil in the pan, zucchini, and salt and pepper and I am a happy girl.

After 8 times of eating it I finally got my Goddess to try it. She loved it and ate two whole bowls.

You hold the zucchini and turn it. It is that easy!

You can see that it simply goes through the blades creating these wonderful looooong strips of thin zucchini. Goddess and I ate them like Lady and the Tramp which was how I was able to get her to even try it.

You can see the spiral that is left by putting it through the blade!

The first day I made it I used left over angel hair and the zucchini.

This is just pure zucchini. The healthiest way to eat pasta ever!

If you haven't been able to eat pasta for years because of your health issues, you can go back. You won't even notice the difference.

It comes with a small sturdy brush for cleaning purposes.

"My" New Truck

Last month my sister-in-law asked us if we wanted her truck. We needed something considering my Toyota was going on 180,000 and was slowly dying. Not since my first car have I enjoyed driving a vehicle so much.

While it's not new it is new to us and we LOVE it. It is so much bigger then my Corolla and while it's not a Toyota my favorite brand. I am thrilled with my Big Blue FORD!

This kids love it too! They appreciate the third row seat and spent the first few weeks sitting in the back.

Goddess holding up one of her paintings from art class

 The other morning I went out and Goddess had decorated my truck with clover hearts which stayed on for three days before crumbling to the ground.

It's a great vehicle and my sister-in-law rocks!

Wink Your Way To Winning In This New Family Game Night Game #REVIEW

When I first received it I was eager to jump in but after reading the directions I was lost. SO...I put it aside for a few days until today when my college educated niece stopped by. She is amazing and sat to read the directions. Together we re-read them for a third time and decided to jump in. I am not sure if we were both over thinking it or if the directions made things seem complicated but I must admit when we first sat down, we weren't 100% certain we got it all! 

My niece trying to explain the game to us while trying to understand it herself.

My daughter went first and by the time we were around to me (the 4th player) we understood it. It isn't complicated at all. A little weird but I can't wait to play with a bigger crowd.

There are two sets of cards. Both are the same except one is a black set and the other a white set. We put one of the sets down in a 6 x 6 pattern.

Next you hand out 7 cards to each person of the second set. Everyone gets a game piece and a card to match the color of your piece.

You also get 4 accuse cards. This was one of the things we were unsure of at first. We got it and used them wisely but they confused us at first.

Here is Handsome listening to the rules for the 10th time. 

OK...the first player takes there playing piece and put it on a card that does not match one of the 7 cards that is in their hand. They announce the card they are looking for. Now there is where hopefully they catch the eye of the person who has the card (their partner in this round)  without someone else catching that eye contact because they can then throw an accuse card in. Once everyone has put their piece on a card and announced who they are looking for, we go back to the first player who states who they believe has their card. If it is a match they both put the card under the card that is the color of their game piece next to them. With me so far? Yeah, it takes some time!

If someone sees the contact they can throw in the accuse card and if correct in their accusation get the card which will be used as a point for them in the end.

It was fun. We laughed. The hardest part is playing with someone like my son who loses focus and didn't stay with the game, doesn't wink at the person who is looking for the card thus having someone lost the point they may have received if he stayed focused.

I can't wait for the opportunity to play with a larger crowd. I was surprised with how such a small box turned into such a big game and I think with a crowd this could be really fun. My niece and I think this is a great game for a larger group, older than 10. We also think this would be a great way for a teacher to start the school year with a new class. A great way to break the ice as the game states. You never know, all that winking could start something fun and exciting.

Honestly, I can't wait to play again.