My Journey to "Normal" with Probiotics! Let's Hope So Anyway! #DigestiveHealth

This isn't a "pretty" topic.  It's NOT one of my favorites by any means!  I was diagnosed with IBS (that's right, Irritable Bowel Syndrome) years ago, not long after the birth of my first daughter.  Her birth had nothing to do with it, but the added stress of a family did!  IBS is not life-threatening, it is not a disease, but rather a disorder that can really affect your every day life!  I'm not complaining, I'm explaining!  

IBS is a disorder that causes cramping abdominal pain, bloating (if you know me at all, you know that this is NOT acceptable), constipation in some (not an issue with me at all), and diarrhea (that's the one!).  I was prescribed medication to help with the "problem" but found that carrying OTC anti-diarrhea medication with me all of the time worked just as well.  I take them on a daily basis.  Not a healthy option, but it has become mandatory.  As I stated, it is not life-threatening, but it can be debilitating for some, I'm one of those!  

It was suggested that I change my diet, but since I am a vegetarian and my diet is so high in fiber and roughage, this was not an easy task and really not an option for me.  So I stick with my routine of taking the OTC medication and we avoid going to places that I love to eat, but will surely cause "the squirts".  That's right, I put it out there!  It's a topic we as a family often have.  Bug will say "Hey let's go to....", and B will quickly chime in, "We can't baby, Mommy will get the squirts!".  Sad but true!  This is probably the only aspect of my life that I don't like but I'm still hoping for a solution!

So when I was approached about a week ago with an opportunity to try out Member's Mark 4X Probiotic Digestive Care Supplements (available only at Sam's Club), of course I jumped at the chance!

I received my 3 month's supply (a $28.88 retail value) on Saturday and couldn't wait to dive in!  In addition to helping with IBS (according to my doctor), Probiotics, if taken as directed, are said to help maintain a healthy digestive system for anyone, and help maintain your immune system.  Sounds great to me!

Probiotics aid by providing the natural beneficial bacteria that we need in our systems to promote a healthy digestive system.  Member's Mark 4X Probiotic specifically  contains 4 strains of these beneficial bacteria: Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum.  These beneficial bacteria are said to decrease with age and with stress.  These are two factors that we can't really control.  

This is a once daily supplement and I started taking them today!  I can't wait to see how they work.  I hope this journey is a success!  How fabulous would it be for me to be able to answer Bug's request for a night out with "Yes we can go there", rather than listen to my husband's response?  I'm excited and I'm hoping to put the anti-diarrhea medications in the garbage and say bye-bye to bloating!  

Wish me luck and I'll be back in a couple of weeks to let you know how this goes!

You can find Sam's Club on Facebook and you can find more out about this product by joining in on the Twitter Party on Tuesday, August 2nd, at 9:00 pm EST. 

Disclosure:  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  The views, opinions, and photos are entirely my own.

Part 2: Pay It Forward with the Help of #ClearAmerican and #CBias! #ad

I've been looking forward to this day for some time now!  It was a good day for sure even though it didn't go exactly as planned!  Somehow, it went even better!

I like to Pay It Forward (if you read Part 1: Pay It Forward with the Help of #Clear American and #CBias!, you'd know that and you'd know why).  I live to make people smile!  Seriously I do! 

I love teaching my children lessons in life, it's my job, my pleasure!  We perform random acts of kindness on a daily basis...everyone should!  Teaching my children the joys of giving and watching people's faces as we spread the joy is a win-win for me!  We don't always do big things, but today, I wanted to do something big!  And I wanted my ever-too-pessimistic husband to go along for the ride!  

But he wanted to go fishing.  OK, this would be fun too!  So we got ready for a day of fishing, and I brought my cooler of Clear American Sparkling Water that I purchased at Walmart just in case I could find some thirsty people there! 

Bug was Hollywood ready!  Bubby was digging the pole!  And B?  Well he was on the phone trying to make his connections!   It's all about the connections!  Never about the fun for him!

So we headed to the east side of the beach!  It wasn't pretty out there, the outskirts of Don had just visited us and washed in all the seaweed (yuck) that these storms bring.   

They readied the poles, they cast the poles out, and they fished!  They had fun!  I kept looking around and no one looked thirsty!  You see on my island, fishing is serious business!  Everyone is prepared.  They have coolers full of food and drink.  No they were NOT thirsty and I could not pay it forward here!  But the kids had fun so of course I was smiling...of COURSE I was!  We left, my cooler still full of drinks.  I still felt that little hole in my heart!  I hadn't shared at all!

We headed home and B noticed I wasn't my "usual" self, and asked what was wrong.  I assured him that I had a good time but I had wanted to share some love and it just didn't happen outside of the family today!  He does love to please me so he suggested we go home and clean up, then head out to the seawall to pay it forward!  Oh yes, this was getting even better!

The seawall was FULL of people!  PERFECT!  Here we go! I wanted Bug and Bubby involved. I wanted them to choose the recipients!  Bug is always so apprehensive on our missions.  I don't get it!  But she started getting excited and chose...

These 2!  Yes teenage boys walking down the seawall with nothing to drink! Bug decided they were worthy and offered them a drink!  They were like "wait? what?" but how could they resist her charms?  They were thirsty and appreciated her gift!  This is as excited as most teenagers get!  But believe me, I saw them, they were happy to have the FREE refreshments!

Then there were the tourists!  Bug decided they were deserving!  B said "Hey have you ever tried Clear American Sparkling Water before?"  The Dad quickly replied "We have and we like it!".  B explained that we were on a mission and offered them a drink!  They happily took them, tasted some of the sparkling awesomeness, and headed on their way, smiling!  This was coming together fabulously! 

Our favorite was our last recipient!

This guy,  this moment, was our favorite!  We see this guy all of the time while riding bikes, while B is running, while we're taking walks!  This guy is always here!  We usually just wave and keep on going.  But not this time!  Bubby walked right up to him and said "You want some?".  Of course he wanted some.  He was thirsty!  We stood there and chatted with him for a minute or so.  He opened his drink, took a huge gulp and said, "Hey...this is flavored (sip), it's good (sip), it sparkles!  This is really good water!" Bubby turned back, smiled, and said "You welcome buddy!".

Now I was happy!  We had paid it forward, we had shared some love, we had made people smile!  And we were all smiling!

Surprisingly, it got even better AFTER the actual giving mission.  While walking back down the seawall with our empty cooler, my ever-negative, never-trust-anyone husband looked at me with the biggest smile I have seen on his face in FOREVER and said, "Baby, that was awesome, you made that guy's day!".  Yes dear, WE did, didn't we?  Life is good!

And we left skipping and smiling...of course we did....it was a good day indeed!

Random acts of kindness people...they put a smile on your face and a sparkle in your heart! Do it for yourself, do it for others, whatever your reason, just do it...pay it forward today!  I converted a non-believer!  My life is good, and it just keeps getting better!

Disclosure:  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, which is a vendor for Cott Beverages Inc., the manufacturer of Clear American ® brand beverages.  The opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.  #ad

Part 1: Pay It Forward with the Help of #ClearAmerican and #CBias

If you know me now, you know that I am a happy person. I love my life! I find skipping, and twirling, and giggling, and singing in my every day life! About a year or so ago, I was NOT a happy person. If you are interested, you can read about My Journey to Happily Ever After.

You may also know that about a week ago, I made the conscious decision to swap my family's drinks from our not-so-healthy choices to sparkling Clear American Flavored Water. You can read about that at My Summer with #ClearAmerican. Mission Shop and Swap Complete! It's been a hit at my house! We are digging all of the flavors and the kids that hate water, actually like this sparkly awesomeness! AND it's affordable! Win, win!

But with that said, the newness of our summer swap has worn off. I want to keep this fun and exciting for them. I want them to stick with this! All of the high sugar drinks they were accustomed to were not good for them. So how do we keep this fun?

Today I thought back to my not-so-happy days. Last summer to be exact. We, as a family, took a long walk down the seawall. It was HOT. I mean over 100 degrees hot! About 4 miles into the walk, we realized we didn't have cash or debit cards...NOTHING with us. Bad planning on my part for sure! Mommy fail! Our then 1 year old was fussy but ready for a nap and in a stroller. But our then 3 year old was walking, and she was hot! What to do?

B decided that he would run (yes literally run) ahead of us and go back to the apartment, get some drinks, and pick us up in the car. In the meantime, I would not so happily stroll my way back down the seawall with the babies. It was not a pleasant walk. There was a lot of fussing (from both Bug and I). And then, about a mile down the road, “it” happened. A woman, about my age with children of her own, who apparently saw our “pain” approached me. She asked me if we needed anything, just out of the blue, like an angel. I explained what was going on and she opened her cooler and grabbed out drinks for each of the babies and one for me! She made me smile, she made Bug smile! Bubby was just waking up and was excited to see a drink waiting for him! That woman was one of the people who helped change my life. Although I thanked her profusely, she will never know how much she affected my future! The impact of that simple gesture! She helped change my life!

Since then, we try to pay it forward as much as possible. It doesn't have to be a monetary thing. You can open a door for someone. You can compliment a complete stranger just because they appear to be having a bad day. You can share your toys at the pool. If the maintenance guy at your work place or apartment complex shows up during your lunch or dinner time, offer them a plate. Whatever it is, just do it with a smile! It does make a difference!

With this in mind, I woke up this morning feeling happy, and skippingly fabulous, while recalling that life changing event just one year ago, my first real pay it forward experience. We need to pay it forward again! We need to make folks smile, and skip, and twirl!

It's hot out there, we live on a beach, we have #ClearAmerican Sparkling Water! The mission was forming in my mind (not an exact plan of course) but the babies and I are loading up a cooler one day this week and heading out to make people smile! It's what we do best! It's what we like best! It's our favorite!

Random acts of kindness people...its what makes the world go round! You never know whose life you might change! Stay tuned to see all of the smiles we spread around the island! Oh this will be fun!

And I can't wait to share it with y'all in Part 2. Yes, the sequel! Until then, sparkle on!

Disclosure: This post contains a personal explanation of how our family teaches philanthropy and care to our children. This is an uncompensated post to provide foundation for “Part 2” which includes a shopping experience and giving mission that will be compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias which is a vendor for Cott Beverages Inc., the manufacturer of Clear American ® brand beverages. As stated, this is a personal post so obviously the opinions and ideas are entirely my own.

My View...Life IS Good!

Don't Hate!  Life is good!

Today Was My 8th Anniversary with My Husband and We Had An "Alone" Moment...Life IS Good!

Today was mine and B's 8th anniversary.  Although we argued over if it was our 80th (my idea) or 88th (his), it has only been 8.  

You see, it has been a long time indeed!  We've been together FOREVER, and since the moment we met, we already had four kids combined (with custody I might add).  So alone time?  Not so much!  

Back then, the kids were 11, 6, 4, and 18 months.  Seriously didn't allow for much alone time, but we stuck it out and ended up marrying in Ft. Lauderdale, on vacation, in booty shorts (me not him silly), and flip flops!  And we formed a family!  But this alone time thing alluded us!

We figured it out over the years.  We both had jobs.  We both made decent money.  We took vacations.  We took them WITH the kids, and ah...ha, without them.  We had a network of friends in our previous life!  We lived close to family in our previous life!  We had money to vacation in our previous life!  We found enough alone time in our previous life to make 2 tiny new little additions to our family!  But we live in a new life now!

Now?  We are poor-ish.  Now we do not live close to family!  Now we do not have a huge network of friends!  Of course we don't!  We have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, and these babies are wild!  It takes all I can muster to raise these two, and he works so many hours and goes to school.  We have one car.  We do not network.  We do not get out much.  We pay the bills, we go to the pool, we go to the beach.  This is our life.  Our life is good!

But our life does not allow for "Christy and B" time.  Our life does not allow us to be adults who enjoy time together as adults.  Our life is all about our little family.  Again, it is a good life, but I miss our "alone" time.  Mind you, not the making babies alone time because there will be NO more babies for us (although the practice is fabulous) but the gazing into each others eyes alone time.  That's what I miss!

So today was our anniversary.  Dare we try going out to eat?  Of course we dare!  Of course we'll splurge!  It will be fun!  Romantic dinner for four please!  

We head to the restaurant, Salsa's on the Seawall (my favorite Mexican treat) and we file in the booth.  B and Bug on one side, me and Bubby on the other.  Seriously?  Come on guys!  It's our anniversary!  So I say "Hey Bug, don't you want to sit with Bubby tonight?" to which she surprisingly replies "Yes Mommy, it's YOUR anniversary".  

WOW...we swapped seats!   We really did it!  No crying, no fussing, no complaining.  They complied.  The babies sat on one side and B and I sat on the other!  Yes that's right!  B and I sat alone on the same bench, at the same booth, for the first time in like FOREVER.  There was leg rubbing.  There were "looks"!  There was adult talk.  There was a grab me where he shouldn't (but I scolded him for that), but you get the picture.  

My point?  I always have a point, you just sometimes miss it in my ranting!  Tonight, we passed a milestone.  We had "moments", we had "looks", we got to sit together!  Might not seem like much to some of you, but believe you-me, if you have six kids, these moments are few and far between!

B is actually looking forward to retirement.  Not for the reason that most of you are, but for the reason that we will finally have some alone time!  I enjoy my babies, all of them, but I do miss the days gazing into my hubby's eyes!  He has awesome eyes by the way!  

I'm not looking forward to retirement.  And the idea of my babies all being grown up and gone is not a happy thought for me!  So for now, I'll just take the little moments!  Tonight was one of those moments!  Tonight I got to spend a few precious moments ALONE with my husband on the bench.  I live for those moments!  God willing, they will be plenty, and they will last for a long time!

Yes, today was a good day! 

Caramel Apple and Wild Berry Frosty Parfaits at Wendy's....OH MY!

Have you visited your local Wendy's lately?  Did you know about all of the new awesome stuff on their menu?  Have you heard that they now have Caramel Apple and Wild Berry Frosty Parfaits?  Can you believe that they now have Wild Berry Frosty Shakes (topped with whipped cream I might add)?  How about the fact that they've added new drinks and fantastic new salads?  Seriously, did you know any of this?  I didn't (living in this little bubble of mine) until a friend of mine from my Collective Bias family told me about them yesterday.  She highly recommended these new tasty treats.  She said they were addictive!  I was most assuredly intrigued!

We all know I'm a Facebook junkie (Hi, my name is Christy and I have a serious problem) so the first thing I did was go to Facebook (OK, so I was already logged in, what about it?) and looked for a fan page!  SCORE....found it at Frosty on Facebook, and of course I *LIKED* them, of course I did.  You should too.  Seriously, whoever is writing for this page is funny (I know funny, I like funny).

It was pretty early on in the day when all of this came up and since I knew I didn't have anything in the freezer for dinner, I decided that  this would be as good of a night as any to take the family out to dinner which we do NOT do often.  Where did we go you ask?  DUH....haven't you been paying attention (I seriously hate when you do that to me)?  We went to Wendy's!

As I stated, we don't go out to eat often.  We are a recession family (us and five ga-zillion others I know).  So when we do, the babies get excited.  Heck, I get excited!  I had told them we were going to Wendy's but I did NOT let them know that they would also be getting a Frosty treat.  They would be thrilled!

They sat down with their Daddy as I ordered.  I was amazed at all of the new items that Wendy's had added in the past few months.  We all know about the Wendy's Classic Hamburgers, always hot 'n juicy.  They have ample chicken selections.  Natural cut french fries with sea salt (yummy)!  The best salads in the fast food industry in this vegetarian's opinion can be found at Wendy's, even a new Berry Almond Chicken Salad for the summer. 

Fabulous Ceasar Side Salad for me with small fries and a drink,  Homestyle Chicken Filet Combo for B, and the babies each got a Zookeeper 4-Piece Nuggets Kids' Meal.  It should be noted here (with that whole nasty recession thing in mind) that at least here locally, Wendy's Kids' Meals are cheaper than "the other guys".  We all ate for under $20.  Can't beat that with a berry!

Everyone finished (they really do love Wendy's and eat all of their food) so I dove in with the SURPRISE and told them they could now have dessert.  WOW, yea, don't worry about that sound barrier thing kids, it's all good!  Seriously, you can imagine their excitement.  B had already spotted that Caramel Apple Frosty Parfait so his choice was made before we sat down to eat our food.  The babies both opted for the Original Frosty in Chocolate.  Of course they did!  I really wanted to try out the Wild Berry Frosty Shake, but I had just indulged on those fries, and me being the perpetual dieter that I am didn't allow myself the treat (stupid, stupid me).  But they did!

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids and my husband happy.  Do they "look" happy in these pictures?  They absolutely do NOT!  Are they happy in these pictures?  They most certainly are!  You see, Bug is concentrating, chocolate is not a game you know, its serious business.  B would rather I'd stop taking pictures and let him focus on what in his words was "one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth".  Bubby, well he just kept saying "Choc-o-ate Mommy....MMM!".  This makes me happy!

We left and headed down the seawall toward home via a stop at Walmart (come on, you knew that was coming), happy and full.  I love our family outings!  We will be going back to Wendy's soon because we need to try out all of the other new fabulous Frosty and Parfait flavors.  

You can see our entire experience by viewing my This Moment Picture Story.  I know all of my loyal followers (and once again, let me thank the 10 of you...you rock) love to see pictures of my family in action.  Just click your way through below if you're interested.

Now what are you waiting for?  Take your family to Wendy's tonight to try one of the new Frosty Shakes or Frosty Parfaits.  Don't they deserve a treat?  Don't you?  You can thank me later!

Disclosure:  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own. 

My Summer with #ClearAmerican. Mission Shop & Swap Complete! Thanks #CBias!

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, was a challenge from Collective Bias to swap out all of our usual crap drinks with Clear American Sparkling Water from Walmart.  It's HOT in Galveston this time of year and we consume a lot of liquids and we don't always choose the most healthy alternatives.  So did we accept this challenge?  Of course we did!

The big boys went fishing, the girls and I, with Bubby in tow of course, put on our best twirly dresses and headed for Walmart!  Why waste time?  I should do this and I should do this now!  So we loaded up the PT Cruiser and off we went, list in hand, with Clear American at the top!

I've purchased this water before.  I like love this water!  It was the only beverage I'd drink while pregnant (yes, that was a lot of times, you don't have to remind me).  I know that it tastes good, better for you than sodas, and I often buy it as a bubbly treat for my husband's lunches.  But swap out our drinks completely?  Even the kids?  Honestly this hadn't even crossed my mind!  They don't like water!  But until I went on a true mission (I'd made up my mind, we were doing this) to swap out our drinks, I'd never paid enough attention to how many flavors were actually available! 

Seriously, so many flavors like White Grape, Honey Dew Melon, Strawberry Kiwi, Tangerine Lime, and Raspberry Apple just to name a very few!  And at truly affordable prices in a variety of sizes.  For more details on all of the flavors and a complete look into our shopping experience, feel free to watch my picture story below!  We had a sparkling good time!

But enough of that!  Let's talk about the swap!  The big boys were fishing in the hot island summer sun!  They would be thirsty for sure!  So the girls, Bubby, and I decided to enjoy the beautiful day and deliver some sparkly refreshments!

A beautiful drive down the seawall to the 37th Street Pier followed by a lovely stroll skip to the end of the pier, Clear American Strawberry in hand for all of them!

B and Bubby both enjoyed their refreshing drinks (and since B had been out there for quite some time, he had 2).  Oh and did you notice that?  My little boy...the one that HATES water? He loves it!  How fabulous is that? 

We stayed and fished for a little while (OK, we watched, we were wearing our best twirly dresses after all) but we had to get home to put our groceries up.  We skipped down the pier back to the car and headed for home!

I literally poured out the old crap drinks that were in the refrigerator when we got home (there wasn't much, I don't waste) after reading the labels and replaced it with all of our Clear American choices!  You see I'm a Diet Coke kind of gal.  I drink WAY too much of it.  There are a lot of zeros on the label but there are also a lot of additives that I know are bad for me.  The Dr. Pepper that was in there for the kids is NOT good for them!  They love it and it's OK as a treat but not for every day consumption.  I had never noticed that not only does Clear American have all of the same zeros as my Diet Coke, but there is NO SODIUM.  None.  Not a lick!  Even my Diet Coke has 35 mg of sodium and we have to watch sodium in our house!  And that little added bonus of no caffeine?  Fabulous!

I'm glad we made the swap!  We plan on sticking with this!  Throughout the rest of the summer, I plan on trying even more flavors (because you know in my family we have favorites, and we each have to find our own) and I plan on figuring out new ways on a weekly basis to keep this swap fun and exciting!  Stay tuned!  

Have you tried Clear American Sparkling Water yet?  Do you have a favorite?  Have you made the swap?  If the answer to any of these questions is no, I think you ought to visit Walmart today and give it a try!  Mark my ever sparkly words, you'll be skipping in no time!

Disclosure:  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, which is a vendor for Colt Beverages Inc., the manufacturer of Clear American® brand beverages.  All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.

Yes Bubby, You Are My Favorite (for now)...Thank God Bry Finally Gets IT...The Rest Will Later!

Yes, right now Bubby is my favorite!  He will be for a while.  The rest don't get it.  The oldest finally does!  Fabulous!  Of the 6, my favorites are now the youngest and the oldest.  Why you ask?  Because they need me the most!  They have the most issues!  They are the neediest!  This is why the oldest finally "gets" it!

I love them all!  All SIX of them!  They all have issues.  They all need me.  But they all need me at different levels.  That is what all of them don't get!  You see my "favorite" is a shifting experience.  Right now, the youngest needs me most because he is learning, he is being picked on, he is in need of my devoted attention.  The oldest?  She is 22, she is on her "own".  She needs me the most because she is trying to embark on this mission called "life".  I can't let either of them fail.  I can' let either of them down.  They need me the most, they are currently my favorites!

The "others" get mad at me!  They don't remember the time when they were the "favorite".  All of them were at some point, and all of them will be at some point again.  You see, the baby, whoever that is, will always be the favorite.  They get picked on.  They get teased.  They don't deserve it.  Of course, I will protect the baby, doesn't matter who the baby is, they will be protected!  So Bubby is the "forever baby" and he may always be the favorite in some way (he is the baby after all) but they were the favorite too!  They know it!  They admit it!  It's all good!

My point here is that what comes around goes around!  Bry is 22.  Bubby is 2. They are my favorites (right now).  The middle 4 don't need me like these 2 do.  The middle 4 don't love me like these 2 do.  This will shift.  This will falter.  This will change!  We all have our favorites at different phases in their lives (don't deny it, it's true).  But at some point in all of our/their lives, they are our favorites!  We love them all the same!  It's all good!  And as they get older, they "get" it!  They "get" us!  And they in turn will experience the same with their own children! 

This is a fact of life!  Don't feel guilty.  Like I said, it will shift.  And in time, all of them will "get it".  Rock on with your current "favorite" and know that it will change in minutes! 

Stealers & Liars & Plagiarists...Oh My!

Yup, that's right folks, I've been plagiarized!  What you say?  Yea, me too!  Seriously, I'm a small town gal.  I'm a little bitty blogger!  But somebody stole my crap!  I am not tolerant of this and have been having a hard time figuring out how to deal with it!  Should I call the bitch fellow blogger out by name?  Should I confront the plagiarist fellow member of several of my social networking communities?  Should I report the thief woman who stole my stuff?  Nope, I shall do what I do best (and apparently she agrees since she stole my stuff), I shall write about it!

You see, I have "catch" phrases and personal oddities, we all do!  I sparkle on!  I say please and thank you (in a very obnoxious way),  I have a goat as one of the 21 "people" in my head!  I skip!  I twirl!  I call the birds on the seawall in my best little princess voice!  Guess what?  Apparently she and I are one and the same, because all of a sudden (*poof* after years of blogging and 2000 followers) holy coincidence, she all of a sudden has all of the same catch phrases, quirks, and oddities that I do!  Wow, I was officially impressed when I first saw her suddenly using all of this stuff.  I thought we were sisters from another mother!  I wanted to reach out to her!  How fabulous was this?

OK, seriously, yes I thought it was a little suspicious!  I watched as this conniving calculated bitch fellow, very large blogger started talking about skipping and twirling.  I heard her talk about her goat (are you flippin serious?), then I watched as she ended every comment with "sparkle on" and I thought WTH?  You've gone too far.  Still I kept quiet (because that's what I do best).  I figured people would eventually catch on.  They didn't!

You see I blog for myself, I blog for my family, I blog for my friends, but I also blog because measly as it might be, it's my living.  I do paid posts, shops, reviews, and advertisements.  My reputation, and my wit, are all I can rely on.  And this week, I actually lost opportunities to myself!  Again, she is BIG, and I am little!  We both applied for the same opportunities.  She was chosen (she even cited her plagiarized post in her application...ut oh Karma is a bitch).  Wise choice Mr. Social Network Guy!  We ARE both funny...the same funny as a matter of fact!  And she is BIG and I am little!  Yes, I would have picked her too!  But understand, we are both not all that funny after all!  Only one of us is writing original material.  Only one of us is truly making people laugh!  Only one of us has integrity.  One of us is little because we are honestly working our way up.  One of us is big because we are stealing.  Can you guess which is which?

So my suspicions were confirmed today when I was contacted by a fellow (and very honest) blogger who sent me a message which said "Did you see this?" followed by a link!  I clicked on the link, I'd had it.  I was right all along!  This ruthless bitch blogger actually crossed the proverbial line!  War!  I did a post about 2 weeks ago.  You can view it here: My Journey to Happily Ever After .  I liked this post.  I was proud of this post.  It told the story of my recent journey.  Well apparently, she went back to a dud post of her own from about a month and a half ago that didn't get much traffic and no comments and "revised" it!  By revised it, I mean, she took my post, called it "My Journey to Skipping" (wow that was bold) and copied my sentiments almost word for word.  If you are a blogger you understand how this works.  If you aren't, let me explain.  You can go back and "revise" a post, not delete it, just change it, and it retains its date.  So to the naked eye, it looks like she posted my post a month before I did.  Yes, that's right, it looks like I plagiarized her!  Fabulous huh?

I didn't.  Those of you that know me know that not only wouldn't I, but that I didn't!  Those that know her are probably wondering where she suddenly got her sense of wit from!   I've read her previous posts (I was a follower and admirer in my previous life), and guess what?  NOT funny!  I assume she got her 2000 followers in much the same way.  Some people are just not nice!  She probably plays the "follow for follow" game.  Again, if you're a blogger, you know the type.  She says "I'll follow you if you follow me", meaning, follow me, end of story!  It's sad!

Blogging is a business!  It's a fun business!  It can be stressful!  I get to do what I love while still staying at home with my babies which again is what I love!  But unfortunately, as with any business, there are duds!  Today I met my dud!  I don't know how to deal with this!  My husband wants me to find the bitch and beat her silly call her out by name!   Some of my bloggy friends say to let it go.  Some say to report her to my copyright people!  I'm torn between all three of these!  

I have a problem with dishonesty.  I don't understand it.  I am original.  Most say I'm witty.  This bitch lady apparently agrees with the witty part!  I like me!  I want to remain me!  I want to maintain my integrity!  I just don't get this!  And now I've lost work, money for groceries, literally candy for the babies!  

Anyone else ever experience this?  If so, what did YOU do?  I'm not skipping tonight!  I would love some direction, guidance, love, anything you can spare!  Please and thank you!  And as always, sparkle on!

 

 

Yes Kids, There Are Rules In This House...Deal With It!

Have I mentioned I have 6 kids?  Have I mentioned that the oldest is 22 and the youngest is 2?  Bet I have (at least a million times).  That being said, I obviously have rules!  I have to!  If not, it would be sheer chaos, all of the time.  There would be no respect.  There would be no order.  Life would not be good!

Let's set the record straight, I am NOT my kids' best friend.  I do not aspire to be!  I want them to love me and respect me (most of them do) and I want them to like me (most of them do).  I nurture them, I care for them, I feed them, I clean up after them, I care deeply for them, but I also set and enforce the rules.  Again, record straight, I'm a sucker.  I give in way too often, but there are certain rules that must be followed.  I want them to be productive citizens.  I want them to contribute to society.  I want them to be successful.  

Over the past week and a half (OMG seriously?  Has it only been a week and a half?  Holy crap...shoot me now!) my step kids have been visiting us from Georgia and I am reminded of the importance of keeping order, of enforcing the rules.  They have none at home....NONE!  It's obvious and it's obnoxious!  Mind you, I raised them in my own home for 6 years (they were 18 months and 4 years old when I "got" them) but they have lived with the "mother" for the past 2 years.  UGH!

The rules are simple:

1)  Respect yourself, respect your surroundings, and respect others.

2)  If you had to open it, close it (dammit).  This is not only important, but extremely simple and applies to cabinets, refrigerators, toilets, shower curtains, etc. 

3)  If you take it out, put it back!

4) Do not bully (seriously if you're 13 and picking on a 2-year-old, you have serious...serious...serious problems).

5)  Be respectful of others' schedules.

6)  If you are younger than me and you're going to eat or drink it, it's not too much for me to ask you to carry the groceries in (as a side note, I shouldn't have to ask).

7)  Since you more than filled the trash can up, would it kill you to take the trash out? (and again, I really shouldn't have to ask).

8)  I vacuum, every day, and I won't wait until you get up.

9)  Sleeping 20 hours a day is NOT acceptable.

10) When I say NO, I mean NO.  When I say STOP, I mean STOP.  If you don't, you will not be rewarded.  And this mom & dad talk, don't try to play that game!

Simple huh?  You'd think so.  Do I sound like a bitch hard ass Nazi mom strict disciplinarian?  I'm seriously not!  Ask the oldest two!  They'll tell you I'm a pushover fair.  Ask the babies, they'll tell you I'm easy peasy a good mommy!  But these middle 2?  OY!  It's a struggle!  It has been since day one!  It was easier before the bitch Mom got out of the half-way house and decided she was an awesome parent and that they didn't need rules.  It was better before they lived with her and realized that leaving sandwiches in the floor for 5 days could be acceptable behavior.  It was better a week and a half ago.  

I love these kids!  They are mine.  I raised them.  But I raised them better than this.  They were not lazy.  They did not sleep all day.  They understood the 10 important (and seriously simple) rules!  But they've not only forgotten them, they've abandoned them.  They are now lazy and dare I say, nasty!  UGH!  Frustrating.  

Sorry babes, I won't be your best friend.  I won't give in.  I won't fold.  These are the rules and I'm sticking to them.  Hopefully by the end of the visit (2 more weeks...OMG shoot me now) they'll come back to their senses.  

Wish me luck people!  Rules are NOT meant to be broken!  The rules are fair, correct? 

Bubby's Color Racer Board Game Using Elmer's Tri-Fold Board! You Too Can Get Your #GlueNGlitter On!

Happy baby faces, giggles, and fun are some of my favorites!  I do as much as I can, as often as I can, to make these things happen!  

This week, we decided to get our #GlueNGlitter on by using an Elmer's Tri-Fold Display Board and whatever other supplies we could find to make a board game for Bubby!  I had to come up with something fun and educational for a 2-year-old (both to make and play with) and I began formulating my plan!  How exciting!  It was agreed!  We would make Bubby's Color Racer and this would be fun! 

As soon as I had it all planned out B, Bubby, and I headed to our local Walmart.  I loved having my two favorite men in the whole wide world with me, but was a little concerned that I wouldn't stick to the list (at all as a matter of fact because I am a sucker for the both of them).

I was right (of course I was, I always am)!  We went in with a small list, and came out with a buggy full!

At one point, I found "us" looking at fishing poles.  Not even remotely on the list!  We didn't get one (that night) but why we were even looking, I have no clue!

 You can see the entire shopping experience here so you can see first-hand the torture insanity joy I get to experience on a daily basis.

Enough of that, let's get on to the fun stuff!  Let me show you exactly how we got our #GlueNGlitter on making Bubby's Color Racer.  I bet your little man would love one too (heck Bug loves it, I think she's played more than he has). 

What you'll need:

• Elmer's Tri-Fold Presentation Board (we used the 28" x 40" variety)
• Elmer's Glue (we like the X-TREME School Glue Stick)
• Dots
• Paper Plate
• Silver Marker
• Electrical Tape (black, red, and green)
• Cars
• Miscellaneous Board Decorations 
• Black Wrapping Paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler

The Dice

• On a paper plate, draw out a 4" x 3" cross (as shown to the left) making sure to block each 1" square in pen or pencil
• Cut out pattern
• Fold into cube (don't worry if it's not precise, ours sure wasn't, the tape hides that fabulously)
• Tape completely with black electrical tape
• Place different colored dots on each side

 The Board

• Apply the Elmer's X-TREME to the entire board
• Roll the wrapping paper out and press it flatly to the board/glue
• Let dry then cut off hangover
• Cover all 4 sides with electrical tape and tape the folds on the papered side of the board

• Board ready to decorate (insert your own cute kid here)
• Draw your lane lines with the silver marker
• Place your dots in the lanes
• Decorate the sides as you wish (we're clever but not artistic, so I cut up an Apple Jacks box and a Fruit Snack box...all kinds of cool Cars 2 stuff all over both) and we glued them on with the Elmer's X-TREME

 Ta-Dah

• Add Cars
• Roll the dice
• Play and HAVE FUN!

**This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer's #GlueNGlitter and #CollectiveBias.  All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own!  Rock on with your creative selves!

  

I'm an Over-doer, I'm an Over-committer, I'm Over-the-top! I'm OK with All of IT!

I'm a busy little bee!  I never stop cleaning, I never stop working, I never stop trying to make myself a bigger, better me!  I don't sleep much.  I don't sit much!  I don't even eat much!  I just go-go-go!  

This is me, who I am, who I will always be.  Some call me crazy, I call it energetic (and possibly crazy), but it's me.  It's all good.  It's who I am.  It's who I will always be!

My step kids have been visiting us from Georgia for the past week and will be here for the next 2 weeks.  They think I'm insane (I probably am, shhhh....don't tell them I already know).  I get up at the crack of dawn, I shower, I clean, I play with the babies, I do the social-media-mayhem, I cook, I clean (yes again), and a bunch of other stuff. I put on my make up, check the computer again, then I fix lunch for the kids.  The step kids are usually getting up by this time (Oy...what the crap?  How can anyone sleep this long?).  

Then I clean and I cook some more (today I did the toilets and counter tops, then made homemade bbq sauce, and homemade 1000 Island dressing before putting the chops on).  This is how it goes on a daily basis.  Idle hands and all!  Can't have that!  

The kids aren't used to this (anymore since living with the "mother" after living with us for 6 years).  They seem flabbergasted!  Yesterday while walking back from the beach, my very breathed 10-year-old step daughter says (wait for it)  "Don't take this wrong, but you work too hard, you take on too much, you need to relax!".  What?  Take on too much, work too hard?  The hell you say!   I didn't really say that mind you, but I thought it.  I thought it loud in my head.  These kids are LAZY!  It's pitiful!

They go to bed at 11:00 pm (too late) and don't wake up until noon (or later).  They play (and argue) about video games all day.  They never go outside...NEVER!  It drives me insane! 

So I over-commit?  So what!  So I work too hard?  So what!  So I do everything to the best of my ability plus 100?  Oh well!  I only wish the younger generations felt the drive that we do!  Rock on people...work hard...too hard even...and keep on rocking the good stuff!  Hopefully we will influence this next generation to "unlazy"!

YAY! We Finally Got to See Cars 2 Thanks to #Fandango! Well Most of Us Did Anyway!

We started this journey about a week and a half ago.  We were going to see Cars 2.  My 2-year-old wanted to see "Car Toons", we wanted him to see it.  Sounded simple to me!  Step kids in from Georgia, they wanted to see it.  4-year-old Bug had never seen a movie in the theater, she wanted to see it!  And by gosh, by golly, B and I wanted to see it!  So see it we shall I thought!  

I was worried about going to a movie with 6 people with this being such a new and popular release.  Chances of being sold out were high I said.  They said I was crazy!  I better order in advance I said.  They said I was crazy!  I had heard of Fandango from friends and thought I'd give it a try!  You can see my full purchase here at Cars 2 Tickets Online at #Fandango and here at Cars 2 Woot Woot! Thanks for Helping Us Purchase In Advance #Fandango.  Well guess what?  This time (and this time only), I wasn't so crazy after all!

I purchased our 6 tickets on June 29th (I tried earlier but you can only purchase 3-5 days out depending on the flick) at Fandango Mobile  because there was no way I would be able to purchase anything in my apartment.  It's too loud in here and I must focus on purchases.  We decided on the matinee on Saturday, July 2nd, at 12:45 pm.  The babies would be fed and wide open so this was the best time.  Purchase was easy, even from my moderately intelligent phone.  If you have a smart phone, there are apps for that!  As a matter of fact, Fandango is really easy to access from anywhere which impressed me! 

Anyway (long story long as always with me), it was Saturday and movie day was a go!  We loaded up the car (and the motorcycle since we all can't fit in one vehicle) and we headed to the mainland for the movie we were all revved up and ready to see!  

We'd made it!  YAY US!  We rarely get this kind of off-the-island excitement and we were all excited for sure!

Bubby looked excited in his light up Cars 2 shoes!  Yes, this would be fun!  He was king for a day!  (Truth be known, if you ask any of the other kids, he's always king, but this was official!)

But wait?  Seriously?  The 12:45 was sold out!  (See?  I'm not so crazy after all!  Well, not about this anyway!  I knew it!  I really just knew it!).  But it was OK!  Why you ask?

We had a confirmation!  We had purchased online, in advance with Fandango.com.  Yes that's right!  Handed the ticket guy my paper and although he kept sending little kids away crying until the 3:20 show (bless his little heart, what a horrible job on days like this), he was able to issue us our tickets.  We were VIP's!  We were IN!

So much outside of the movie to do!  The kids were getting excited!  Bubby seemed  to lose interest in the movie and gained more interest in all of the excitement that was the theater!  UT OH...this might not be good!  But we pried him away and convinced him that "Car Toons" were coming on.  He went along...unwilling...but he joined in the skipping into the theater excitement!

So it was 12:45 and we headed in.  Couldn't get 6 seats together so we split in increments of 2 and 4.  I got Bubby, Bug, and TDQ.  B got Jr.  Yea, that's the way it always goes!  And ta-da, the movie started.  Well, actually, no it didn't  TWENTY-FIVE minutes of previews started.  Are you serious?  That's a long time for a very  active 2-year-old to sit, but sit he did.  Side note?  We will watch "The Smurf Movie".  Neil Patrick Harris with a bunch of blue mystical creature?  Funny previews!  The movie will be fab-u-lous and we will see it!  

Well the long and short of this is that Bubby and I made it through a full hour.  He was tired of sitting.  I was tired of trying to make him sit.  The movie had been cute but the 25 minutes of previews was more than he could handle.  He was done with "Car Toons".  He is used to watching movies in his room at his leisure.  He would be able to see it later.  There were "things" outside and he knew it.  So the bub and I made our exit, literally 35 minutes into the movie.  It had been a cute movie, but he was done!  We left the others behind to finish watching (and tell me all about it later) the movie and we ventured out. 

On top of all of the games, there was a payphone in the mall (yes they still exist and cost 50 cents now...WOW).  He liked it.  There were balloons at the mall.  There was a play area.  There were free footballs!  There was a Tilt Game Room!  He and I actually had fun (although I would have actually liked to have seen this movie).  But we had fun!  That was the point of this day!  The movie will come out on DVD!  We will buy it and we will watch it in its entirety, probably over three day's time!  Bubby doesn't sit well!  I don't sit well!  The others do, and they did!  They were happy to sit and watch the movie!  I'm glad they got the opportunity.  Bubby and I had fun!  They had fun!  We got tickets.  Win, win, win!

As far as the movie goes?  Well, I liked what I saw.  Bug loved it (her first big screen and all).  B said it wasn't as good as the first.  TDQ said it was "cute".  13-year-old Jr said it was a "mediocre movie with an awesome ending".  Can't wait to see it on DVD!  

But in a nut shell, a good day was had by all.  Thanks to Mobile Fandango, it was all possible.  Yes, please and thank you, we will most certainly do this again with Fandango.  I'm thinking a Smurf Movie outing is in order!  

Have you seen Cars 2?  What do you think?  Have you used Fandango before?  I think you should! 

I Paid The Rent This Month

I paid the rent for July!  Yea, not a big deal you say?  Think again!  You see when I say "I paid the rent", I mean "I" did, with my own money for the first time in like forever!  

You see, 2 years ago, I had a "real" job.  I made pretty good money (not what I was worth of course, none of us does these days, but good money just the same).  In fact, I was the one that paid all of the bills.  On the 15th of every month, I logged into my bank account and scheduled payment on each and every one of our bills from my paycheck.  The money my husband made was for gas, groceries, day care, and the fun stuff!

But the past 2 years have been different.  The economy took a nose-dive and our family was struggling.  My husband was out of work and my job was in jeopardy.  We took the plunge and moved to Texas where he was offered a union job with the local pipe fitters.  We decided I should stay at home with the babies.  They deserved it.  I had always wanted that.  And we had decided to "struggle".  Oh and struggle we have!  

We only have one vehicle now.  We live paycheck to paycheck.  We don't do the "fun stuff" anymore.  But we pay the bills, we have a roof over our heads, and the kids have food!  And I was happy with this, a little stressed sometimes, but happy!  But I was bringing nothing to the table monetarily.  Yes, I was cooking 3 meals a day, I was cleaning, I was nurturing, and I was loving, but that wasn't allowing for the "fun stuff".  I was bringing no monetary value to my family! 

My husband was OK with this.  He appreciates everything I do.  But I could hear and feel the stress and pressure that this was putting on him and this did not please me!  I wanted to stay home with my babies.  I love staying home with my babies.  I missed so much with the first ones, I didn't want to do that again.  Jobs are scarce out there for someone with my experience (and eh-hem age) with no degree.  Day care is expensive (holy $325 a week for 2 kids expensive).  Must find something else!

I babysit.  It's money.  It helps with the groceries.  Heck, I'm already here with the babies, why not one or two more?  But it won't pay the rent for sure!  Now what?

So about 7 months ago, an old friend from high school that I reconnected with on Facebook and a very successful blogger, approached me.  She said I was "funny".  She said people "liked" me.  She said I could "do" this!  I dove in (but I was holding my nose).  I started writing.  People started listening.  Then I would get discouraged.  I was always ready to give up.  I kept writing, but I figured going back to work and leaving my babies was the best thing financially for my family!

BUT Jules at A Little Bite Of Life wasn't having that.  Of course she wasn't!  This woman rocks.  If you aren't following her, click that link and do it now.  Even if you don't read another word of this post, it is well worth your time to follow her.  I love this woman.  She is my inspiration.  My cheerleader.  In a way, she saved my life.  And she allowed me to stay at home with my babies!  

She knows people.  She hooked me up with people.  And this past month, I made enough money to pay my rent (and some groceries, and we did some "fun stuff").  No it's not the money that I was making before, but before, I was leaving my babies.  Now I am not!

Yes, my life is good!  My friends rock!  Jules started me on this adventure, and many others encouraged me along the way, and it paid off.  My friends rock (yes I know I already said that and I'm not stuttering...I just want you to get it)!

This little (long winded as always) post is my thank you to my friends!  Thanks for encouraging me!  Thanks for cheering me on!  Thanks for being the type of people that I can only aspire to be some day!  In case I haven't said it lately, y'all ROCK!

Oh and hey, did I mention that "I" paid the rent this month?