Meaningful Monday voiceBoks Sponsored Blog Hop

Hey y'all and welcome to the Meaningful Monday Blog Hop sponsored by voiceBoks!  If you’ve never heard of voiceBoks, then it's definitely time you checked it out!  It’s an awesome community started by the fabulous Lexie Lane that's all about creating meaningful relationships!

If you sign up, make sure to friend Lexie, Lisa, and me!  You can thank us later!  Now let's get to hopping!
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3 Years Ago Today...A Miracle Happened and I am Blessed!

Three years ago today, this little man was given to me as a gift from God!  My Bubby graced this world and since that day, my life has been a better place!  And as a matter of fact (ask anyone that knows him) this world has been a better place since that day!

The birth of a child is always a blessing, but you see, he was more of a blessing than you can imagine.  He was truly a miracle!  An unexpected and most welcome miracle at that!  

Not only was this little man my first born son, he was my last seed!  Seriously, my last seed (more on that later) and how cool is that?  I gave birth to this little miracle at the ripe old age of 41.  Some would say that is not so old in today's world, and they would be very right!  But you see, I gave birth to my oldest at 22 (gosh I thought I knew it all then), so for me the almost 20 year gap was considerable!

My first born was the apple of my eye (she still is) and I thought I had accomplished all I needed in life.  Then #2 (another beautiful healthy girl) at the age of 27.  I was through giving birth.  I had always hoped for 4 children but life, circumstances, and finances didn't allow for that!  The 3 of us were happy and ended up living our life as the family of 3 for quite some years!

Then some years later, I met a man 11 years my junior who had 2 children of his own.  Within about a year and a half, we became a family of 6 and life was good.  But something was missing.  

In 2006 (at the age of 39), I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who you have all grown to know and love (and giggle at on more than one occasion).  Our Bug was perfect.  She of course was a blessing and our lives will never be the same!  Seriously, you've heard the stories, our lives will never be dull!

But for me, something was missing.  I longed to have a son of my own.  I knew it wasn't in the cards.  I was no spring chicken at this point so I was content with my 3 girls, and my adopted family.  Of course I was happy (but still the emptiness that I couldn't explain).  And then....BAM!  The news.  

I was pregnant.  I was 40.  I was having....a BOY!  My son!  My love!  My Bubby!  My little man!  This little man changed my world.  I swear the minute he was born, I heard the angels singing (swear it)!

But my emotions were in an uproar and although my world was complete and perfect, something was amiss!  Why?  I was so happy with my life!  Why was I such a basket case?  This little man was so handsome and so perfect! And I had my beautiful girls, and my husband, and my two other little minions that I had raised since such an early age as my own!  A complete family of 8!  My life was good!

Well a couple of trips to the doctor and some blood tests solidified the results!  I was in early menopause!  That's right folks.  One of those topics we don't like to discuss!  At the ripe old age of 41, my body (after 22 years of child birth and rearing) had decided to give up on the mom thing and throw me into the turmoil that is menopause!  

So what does this mean?  It means I can be a basket case at times!  It means that I am an emotional wreck!  It means that Bubby was MY LAST EGG!  I should be upset about this turmoil thing but something in that last statement still just makes me smile!  Bubby was MY LAST EGG!  Are you freaking serious?  I hear I'm 1 in like 1 million and something that this happens to.  I can't help but feel blessed.  My last egg?  Yes, and I thank God every day that he chose to let me turn that egg into the miracle that is Bubby!

My Bubby has brought me so much happiness over the past 3 years!  I'm sure he will continue to bring me happiness for as long as I live.  He is his momma's baby boy!  He is such a warm, beautiful, precious little soul!  Have you ever heard The Baby by Blake Shelton?  Yea, that's me and my Bub!

So with this long post, all I really wanted to say was Happy 3rd Birthday to my very special little man!  I love you baby boy!  Words cannot express the love this mommy has for you now and for always!  I love you more than the world is big, more than the sky is blue, more than the ocean's deep...that's how much I love you!  I look at you, and I hear angels sing (yes still to this day)!  You are my miracle!  You are the little man that rocks my world!  Mommy will always love you and you will ALWAYS be my baby! 

I Admire the Beauty and Power of the Ocean

I know, I know...you know I live on an island and I love it here!  I have been posting a lot of photos from my island lately and I would apologize, but I'm really not sorry and hope that you never get tired of it's beauty either!

I just truly admire the beauty and the power of the ocean.  I am drawn to it.  I am in constant awe.  And this time of year, our "Fall", is the best time to enjoy its phenomenally breath taking awesomeness!  

The waves are in turmoil, they crash, then they settle.  The ocean mimics life (or possibly life mimics the ocean).  Either way you look at it, the beauty of the ocean and the beauty of life are to be savored and enjoyed!  Do not take either for granted!  The ocean will be here tomorrow, but the beauty that is your life may not be! 

Enjoy every moment, love feverishly, dance often, and enjoy the waves!

Meaningful Monday voiceBoks Sponsored Blog Hop

Hey y'all and welcome to the Meaningful Monday Blog Hop sponsored by voiceBoks!  If you’ve never heard of voiceBoks, then it's definitely time you checked it out!  It’s an awesome community started by the fabulous Lexie Lane that's all about creating meaningful relationships!

If you sign up, make sure to friend Lexie, Lisa, and me!  You can thank us later!  Now let's get to hopping!

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Imagine!

Imagine the perfect life!  Imagine growing up with the beauty that is the ocean!  Imagine being my babies! 

This is  the only life these 2 have ever known!  This is their "normal".  This is paradise!  They think life is a perpetual paradise!  My only hope is that they never know any different.  This picture is their world!  And they are my world!  

All of our lives are filled with beauty!  Enjoy life, where ever you are!  There is beauty tucked in every corner of this world.  Our world is beautiful to us!   Is yours?  

(And as a side note, I took a photo of a beautiful scene BUT my friend Deb from Just Short of Crazy made it amazing for me.)

The Beauty Before and After the Storm

Living on an island is a beautiful thing on many levels!  Some are obvious and some not so much.

We have tropical storms, we have hurricanes (although thankfully I have not had to live through one of those) and you can imagine that this would be part of the "bad stuff", and in a way you would be right!  However, the beauty that Mother Nature brings in before and after the storm is worth riding them all out!

Last weekend we had a storm!  I stood in awe at its beauty!  This will never get old and it reminds me that in life, sometimes we have to ride out the storms just to enjoy the beauty!  

It's taken me a long time to realize this!  I hope you always find that the beauty of life is always worth the stormy ride!

Meaningful Monday voiceBoks Sponsored Blog Hop

Happy Meaningful Monday and welcome to the weekly voiceBoks sponsored blog hop!

If you’ve never heard of voiceBoks, its definitely time to check it out!  It’s a fabulous community started by the amazing Lexie Lane that's all about creating meaningful relationships between bloggers and helping each other out!  If you sign up, make sure to friend Lexie, Lisa, and I! 

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Got Kidzikoo?

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to give one of my lucky readers a Kidzikoo.  The giveaway was part of a huge event sponsored by MomPact which is owned and operated by Shelley Straitiff.  Please visit the link provided to find out about all of the fabulous things she is doing to promote mom-invented products!  It's an awesome thing!

But at the time of my giveaway, I had not yet received my Kidzikoos and didn't feel I could give you a fair assessment of the product.  I loved the concept and couldn't wait to get my kids' hands on these things, but I just didn't get them in time.  Everything has changed since then and we are LOVING our Kidzikoos!  We have been using them on a daily basis and loving the functionality (and the cuteness, I love the cuteness!).

What is a Kidzikoo you ask?  Well according to the website:

It's the koozie for kids!

Insulate that boring sippy cup or baby bottle with something fabulous and functional.  Kidzikoos are made out of neoprene and adorned in 5 adorable, kid-friendly, unisex prints! 

• Keeps cold beverages cold & warm beverages warm  
• No more ice cold little hands 
• Eliminates water rings on your furniture 
• Soaks up condensation 
• Stretches to fit most 8-12 oz bottles and sippy cups 
• Soft, squishy, and comfy to hold 
• Easily identify which bottle/sippy belongs to your child 
• Protects glass bottles 
• Machine washable 
• Kids LOVE them!

I can't argue with a single point.  And to add to all of this fabulousness, I would like to point out that the inventor of this product, Lindsay Coleman, is just as awesome as her product.  

She's a mom herself and this invention was inspired out of need when noticing that her own son's (Landon) cold little hands needed a koozie for his bottle.  She couldn't find one online so she just invented one.  I know, I'm jealous too!  So you and I aren't that clever, but we sure can enjoy her incredibly functional, cute, and affordable creation for our little ones!  

My kids love their Kidzikoos.  Bug has the Danny print and Bubby sports the Taylor print on all of his cups!  And when I say all of his cups, I mean it.  This thing fits bottles, belly washers, sippy cups, regular kid cups...you name it, this fits it!  Keeps cold drinks cold, warm drinks warm, and little hands protected!  SCORE!  

We really use them everyday and love them!  I highly recommend you visit Kidzikoo to find a retailer near you or just go ahead and buy online.  Lindsay will ship directly to you!  You can thank me later! 

Disclosure:  I received product in exchange for this review but believe me, all opinions are entirely my own!

On the Hunt for the Best Pizza on the Island

We don't go out to eat much.  There are health concerns, some of us are picky eaters, we watch our weight, and money is always tight.  So when we go out, we want it to be REALLY good at a reasonable price. 

With this said, let me tell you that I LOVE pizza.  We all do really!  But to say that I LOVE pizza might be an understatement.  I ADORE pizza!  I don't eat much at all (hence my 95 pound stature) but put a really good pizza in front of my face, and I can eat an entire pie.  No lie!  

I grew up in Upstate New York (again, don't EVER confuse me with a city slicker...that makes me mad).  New York has awesome pizza!  I became accustomed to it's awesomeness and look for anything remotely close wherever I go.  I've had luck most places I live, but here on the island?  Not so much! 

We've found really good pizza in Houston, but I'm pretty certain by now that you've ascertained that I do NOT leave my island much at all.  The idea of crossing that bridge is overwhelming now.  So I just don't leave.  So of course, finding an awesome pizza on the island has become a mission of mine.  Oh and an awesome pizza at a reasonable price!  Easy peasy?  One would think but so far, not so much!

We have a lot of pizza places and Italian restaurants on the island so surely one of them will have that pizza pie bomb that rocks my world.  I (along with my fabulous family) are now on a mission to find this treasure!  So from here on out, until I can say "mission accomplished", I will be posting a weekly review on all things Island Pizza.  These are unsolicited (and after the restaurants we've visited so far read them, probably unwelcome) reviews.  I've been pretty disappointed so far but remain hopeful!

Don't get me wrong...I like a good Dominos pick up now and then, but let's face it folks, that's just NOT the pizza I'm looking for!   

I know that the people reading this probably don't live on my island, but you never know when you might visit and I'm sure this will be a "need to know" item on your itinerary.  And let's never forget that my honesty can often be rude snarky cruel clever comical at times, so I hope you will enjoy my family's new adventure to "Hunt for the Best Pizza on the Island"! 

Stay tuned for our weekly updates!

Hey Tex! That's HOT! More People of Walmart

Hey Tex!  That's one mighty big hat you got there!  And look at the way you have those jeans tucked so neatly into your BLUE and brown cowboy boots!  Yup, that's hot right there!  SEXY!

Yee Haw! I love my island Walmart!  And ladies, you know you want some of that!  Don't even try to deny it! 

While The Baby Sleeps

They drive you crazy all day...all 6 of them!  They make you want to pull your hair out!  They make you want to jump off of tall buildings at times!  But while the baby sleeps, you can't help but feel blessed!  In all of my years, I have never felt the peace that I feel "while the baby sleeps".  This is beautiful!  He is beautiful!  I am at peace!

Meaningful Monday Blog Hop sponsored by voiceBoks

Hey y'all and welcome to the Meaningful Monday Blog Hop, sponsored by voiceBoks!  If you’ve never heard of voiceBoks, then it's definitely time you checked it out!  It’s a wonderful community started by the amazing Lexie Lane, that is all about creating meaningful relationships between bloggers and helping each other out!  If you sign up, make sure to friend Lexie, Lisa, and myself! 

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Smarties Are My Only Choice for Halloween Because #IAmASmartie #CBias

Halloween is quickly approaching!  Have you really given any thought to the candy you will be giving out this year?  Are you aware that MANY children have food allergies?

This issue is near and dear to my heart!  My 2 youngest are highly lactose intolerant.  My #2 daughter had lactose issues when she was very young but she outgrew them.  According to the doctors, the babies may never do the outgrowing thing and this may be a life long issue for them!

As a matter of fact, they are predicting that Bubby's "intolerance" is more of an allergy than an intolerance and he will more than likely never outgrow it!  Meaning this baby will deal with this his entire life!  Think projectile vomit at the sight of milk.  One chocolate candy bar makes him vomit.  A trip to the ice cream shop means we will be up all night...him vomiting, me cleaning.  Yes, I've come to realize that these food allergies are a serious deal!  So it has me thinking!

Lots of kids have these issues!  Peanuts, Gluten issues, Lactose issues, etc., so many allergies and they want to trick or treat!  They want to partake in all things fun and sweet!  It's not fair that they can't do that! 

So I've done my research!  And you know what I've found?  Smarties!  That's right...THOSE Smarties!  They are gluten free, allergen free, vegan (as a vegetarian I can appreciate this since most aren't), lactose free (woot woot), and they are individually wrapped and obviously tamper evident.  So are they the perfect Halloween candy?  Yes please and thank you!

As the mother of 6 from the ages of 22 down to 2, I am not above bribery rewarding for good behavior.  If we're potty training, we bribe reward with Smarties!  If we're looking for good grades, we bribe reward with Smarties!  If we are looking to break any bad habit, we bribe reward with Smarties!  It's a way of life around here!  And the funny thing is, when speaking with my own mother a couple of weeks ago, I found out that she bribed convinced me in to potty training with Smarties, so this a family legacy I guess!  

Whatever works right?  My babies LOVE Smarties!  My hubby loves Smarties!  Heck, I love Smarties and I'm not even a candy eater!  I am hypoglycemic so candy doesn't fit into my diet well, but Smarties don't bother me a bit!  Seriously, the good stuff in the candy world!  

I was able to buy a 2 1/2 pound bag for $4.48 at Walmart the other night!  You can see my whole shopping trip HERE,  I'm sure I'll have to buy more before Halloween because these babies are sure acting right to get the bribes rewards I've been offering lately!

Apparently the babies considered this a SCORE!  And they were right on so many levels that they won't understand until they are older!

We settled down for Monsters Inc. with a gluten free, lactose free, allergen free, vegan treat while watching this hysterical Disney Pixar movie.  Life is good!  I can't stress that enough!


So what are you giving out for Halloween this year?   I'm  thinking if the answer is not Smarties, you ought to be rethinking YOUR thinking NO? And you should listen to me because #IAmASmartie!

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

Go Natural with #CrystalRollOn! #CBias

We live a healthy lifestyle!  I pride myself in all things healthy!  But when it comes to natural products, I've fallen short to say the least! 

Most of the naturals have a "stinky" odor and they are very expensive.  Neither of these things appeals to me.  I hate the "stinky" and I live on a budget. 

With that said, I know that naturals are important.  I've heard that avoiding chemicals in our life could actually help with behavioral issues (and seriously, we could use that kind of help around here) so I've been on the hunt for good naturals!  

I really don't like the cleaners I've found.  My hubby actually uses one on all of his coolers and such for fishing but that stuff smells so horrible, I can never be a fan!  So my focus was on naturals I could use on my/our bodies!  I've heard some awesome things from a few friends about Crystal Body Deodorant Roll On.  I wanted to give it a shot.  My Dove has served me well over the years, but it contains chemicals and chemicals are NOT a good thing!  Not for the environment, not for our bodies, and NOT for our kids' future! 

I printed a $1.00 Off Coupon and headed to Walmart to purchase the Crystal Roll On and hoped for the best!  You can see my entire shopping experience and thought process behind selecting the Crystal Roll On as well as a look at our day at the park by clicking HERE. 

I made the swap as you can see and decided to put it to the true test!  Before sharing my experience though, let me tell you what this deodorant (and remember it is NOT an antiperspirant as there is no such thing as a natural antiperspirant) claims to do for you by sharing some information directly from their website. 

"Crystal deodorants – the all-natural deodorant alternative to chemically laden commercial deodorants, are composed of mineral salts, which form a topical layer on the skin. While most deodorants mask odor with scents or fragrances, Crystal deodorants actually prevent body odor from beginning by creating a thin barrier above the skin so that bacteria cannot form. Available in both unscented and lightly scented versions, Crystal deodorants are hypoallergenic, non-sticky, non-staining, dry instantly and leave no white residue. Furthermore, Crystal deodorants contain no artificial coloring, chemicals, dyes or alcohol. They contain NO harmful aluminums, are not tested on animals, and are safe for the environment!"

 

Sounds fabulous right?  But the true test to me is always to try it out on myself after researching a product.  First test was of course those pesky odors I keep referencing with the other naturals I've tried.  The Crystal Roll on claims to be fragrance free.  I have a very sensitive nose and a lot of products "claim" to be fragrance free, but I still smell "something".  Guess what?  This is actually odorless!  Score!

 

Second test:  Non-staining huh?  We'll just see about that!  I've tried everything and "little black dress approved" or not, everything stains my clothing!  I usually apply my deodorant after getting dressed to avoid those white splotches on my clothes.  But the instructions tell you to apply to clean, showered skin.  Since I like to follow the rules, I went ahead and applied prior to getting dressed against my better judgement!

I don't know about "little black dress approved" since I didn't wear one of those, but this stuff sure is little brown shirt approved in my book!  No residue at all!  Yet another SCORE!

These things might seem trivial to you.  You're not me and you probably don't even want to imagine what goes on inside this  head of mine so we'll move on to the things that probably really matter to all of you with regards to a deodorant!

So for the final test, the family and I headed to the park.  Yes, its October, but let's not forget that I live on an island, in Texas.  It's still in the high 80's and low 90's during the day here so as you can imagine, even a day at the park will cause you to sweat (and stink).  

I just can't express enough how active my babies are no matter where we are!  And it's this Mommy's job to keep up with them.  So as they are running, swinging, climbing, and sliding, I'm the one running after them, swinging them in the swings, climbing after them, and running to the end of the slide to cheer them on!  We were there for almost 4 hours and they never stopped, so neither did I! 

When we were herding the babies to the car on our way for home in time to cook dinner, I looked at B and he was sweating (although I don't know why, football was on so he sat in the shade for most of the time and checked football scores on his phone). I checked and he was stinky (of course I checked, this was a test after all and I had tried the Crystal and he had used his standard).  And although I had been sweating (remember this is a deodorant NOT an antiperspirant), I didn't stink one bit.  I made him smell me to confirm!  Yes, we are a strange couple, it's OK, we have fun!

 

We headed home and I decided to put my Dove out of commission and replace it for good with the Crystal Roll On.  I've been using it for over a week now and am extremely pleased with the results.  No issues!  No complaints!  And it works wonderfully!  YAY ME!  I've finally found a natural that I'm pleased with which proves they are out there.  Since it's so important, I am going to be seeking and testing more naturals as I work to get the chemicals out of our home! 

 

You can find out more about Crystal Roll On for yourself by liking them on Facebook and/or by following them on Twitter.  I highly recommend that you look more into this product and test it out for yourself!  You can thank me later!

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

So Fitting! It's Almost Halloween! Are You Ready?

And here she is...that little hot mess again!  My Bug!  She has on her island dress shopping at Target!  Tiara and wand in one hand, and witches hat on her head!  Always confused!  Always adorable!  And most assuredly, always a mess!  Happy Halloween season everyone!  I hope you are enjoying it as much as we are!

Just How Slick Owl Shit Is and Other Stuff I've Learned from Living in the South

Let me tell y'all right now, I was NOT born in the south.  I was born in California and I moved all over the U.S. throughout my childhood (thanks Dad for the culture lesson, but seriously, a kid needs roots).  I lived in New England and UPSTATE New York (didn't want you to think I was a city girl...ever) for my entire childhood and into my teens.  I loved it there.  I still have a LOT of friends there and sometimes I think they laugh with (at) me when they hear me talk.  

You see, back in 1986...that's right 25 years ago, I moved to Georgia (thanks Dad for yanking us yet again) so I have spent well over half of my life in the south.  I have spent my entire adulthood in the south.   I live in Texas now (on an island, have I already told you that?) and I love the south with all of it's quirks and perks!  I love the weather, I love the people, and OH MY do I love the language.  Apparently, I am so entrenched in the south that I use terms, phrases, and colloquialisms that stunned and confused me when I first moved here all of those years ago. 

Apparently, I have an "accent".  Apparently I say "odd" things!  Apparently, I am now a southerner.  I have my favorites!  I use a bunch of them (I never thought this day would come) and I just giggle at others.  I feel obliged to share my top 10 with you here so you can giggle along with me.  I know some of these have made their way up north (thank you Mr. Internet whoever you are) but believe you-me, they were formulated in the south and they are overused to the millionth degree!  

Without further adeaux, here it is, my "list".  I've learned a lot from living in the south!  There is wisdom behind the accent.  Sit back and enjoy!

1. Bless her/his little heart!  I feel I should start with this one because it goes hand in hand with so many others.  Please understand that in the south, you can say ANYTHING about ANYONE and it won't be a put down as long as you complete your statement with "Bless her little heart"!  Use it, love it (I do, probably WAY too often)!
2. Slicker 'an owl shit.  You know personally, I don't know how slick owl shit is.  I've never run across it in my daily life.  But after 25 years in the south, you better damn well believe that if someone tells me it's slicker 'an owl shit, I avoid it like the plague.  I'm clumsy as it is.  I've been dumb enough not to heed these warnings in the past and mark my words...each time I ignored the warning, I ended up bruised, battered, and broken.  I've learned that owl shit must be extremely slick.  And indeed if I ever do come across some owl shit, I'm not going near it.  That shit is slick!
3. She's been whooped with the ugly stick one too many times.  Poor thing is just not a pretty girl.  You know the type....bless her little heart!
4. You look like an old thowed out kid!  Please understand that I know how to spell thrown.  Please understand that I know that even if I were to try to spell "throwed", I would use the R, but please understand that I have used this phrase on my children way too many times over the years.  They put on mismatched clothes.  They won't brush their hair.  They sometimes get dirty.  Bless their little hearts!
5. Rode hard and put up wet.  Again, I use this entirely too often.  I'm educated, I know better than to stay shit things like this.  But seriously...some people look like this!  You can imagine what it means.   Bless their little hearts!
6. How's yer mom an' dem?  This is a social must!  If you ask this question in the south, you truly care about the person you are speaking with!  And yes, the grammar is very correct!  What's your point?
7. Happier 'an a pig in shit!  Now that's pretty damned happy!  Have you ever seen a pig in shit?  I have, and they are very happy.  Unless of course that shit is from an owl!  As we all know, that kind of shit is even too slick for a pig!
8. If all y'all don't quit acting too big for your britches, I'll knock you into tomorrow!  This is a huge threat that I use often with my kids!  It's a broad statement since of course you cover EVERYONE in the house with the "all y'all".  And oh do my kids often act too big for their britches?  You know they do!  And tomorrow is a long way off.  Hey it works!  Use it on your own kids, you'll see!
9. Son of a Biscuit Eater!  This is most assuredly one of my favorites and I use it on a daily basis.  Please don't confuse this with Son of a Mother Hunchy because these are two entirely different terms with very different meanings.  You see in the south, we can "cuss" all we want without actually cussing at all and it's acceptable.  As a matter of fact, I stabbed myself in the hand with a knife while cooking tonight (note yet another reason to avoid owl shit...I am clumsy) in front of my kids.  I used the Son of a Biscuit Eater comment, and Bug simply said "are you ok?".  See?  Normal AND acceptable!  
10. Drunker 'an Cooter Brown.  Well that MUST be bad.  You see, I've never met Cooter myself, or if I have I was drunker 'an him so I don't remember, but it must be a really bad thing since everyone references him so often!  Poor Cooter!  Wait?  Poor me, I think I just remembered meeting him at a party one time and I WAS drunker 'an him!

Well folks, that's about all I have on this-here subject.  I really do love the south and I get to laugh every day!  I know there are so many more and I hope you will feel free to share them with me with comments below (that is if they are worthy)!  I love to laugh!  And I can laugh at myself!  I really have learned a lot by living in the south!  And now, so have you!  Bet you had no clue how slick owl shit was until now, did ya?  

Halloween Crafting with M&M's Candies! Candles, and Flowers, and Tiaras...OH MY! #MMsGetCorny #CBias

Have you heard of the new M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies available only at Walmart?  Well I have and I was asked to do some Halloween crafting with them but alas, I could not locate their elusive awesomeness!  After 7 separate trips to Walmart (pitiful right? It's OK, I was there anyway), I realized that they just wouldn't be here in time to complete my crafts!  And I wanted to craft!  If you'd like, you can view a slide show of our many trips to Walmart HERE.

I hear the new M&M's taste awesome!  I hear they are beautiful!  And you of course you can probably  hear the jealousy in my tone that others have found them and I cannot!  I'm sure they will make it to my Walmart candy aisle before Halloween, and then I'll have more excuses for crafting, and eating, and cooking with them!  Oh and I also hear that there will be a contest running from October 7th through the 21st at MMsGetCorny that I will be entered in for my crafts and I'm counting on your votes!  I really want to win!  Plus if you visit, you'll get an opportunity to see all of the Halloween Candy awesomeness and try some of the crafts and recipes yourself!

So with all of this said (yes, I know I'm extremely wordy, what about it?), I decided to get my Halloween M&M's craftiness on with or without the new variety.  They have some really cute bags out for the Fall season that I was able to pick up from my local Walmart Halloween section so indeed I did, and we were able to get our craft on!  The babies and I were excited (we really are always excited)!

We decided to complete not ONE, not TWO, but THREE crafts because we couldn't decide on just one!   Cute huh?  Well I'm here to tell you exactly how we made our Halloween decor with M&M's Candy!

We chose the Fall editions!  Red in football gear in the "plain" variety, and Yellow in his scarecrow garb in "peanut".  Got all of our crafting supplies together (some we had, some we purchased on our many trips to Walmart) and we were ready to go!  We actually have more crafty ideas that we plan on completing before Halloween (once we get our hot little hands on the M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies of course).  

Craft #1 always includes some sort of candle activity!  I adore candles.  The flame and the fabulous odors just relax me (note mothers of 6 often seek relaxation).  So of course I started here!  

Here's what you'll need:

1) Candle holder of your choice (I use this one for everything).

2) M&M's Fall edition plain candies, we used the whole bag (minus the taste test of course, we had to make sure they were OK).

3) M&M's Fall edition peanut candies (but only if you want the cute Yellow scarecrow from the bag, I didn't actually use these candies for this craft). 

4) Pillar candle.

5) Glass marbles.

6) Crazy Glue (watch out, this stuff can be hazardous, I actually glued my foot to my flip flop at one point :)

7) Something to place the candle on.  We used the top off of a Citronella candle (clever, I know).

We mixed the marbles with the M&M's candies and tossed them in the bottom of the holder, then placed the top from the citronella candle on top of them as a stand for our candle.  I then glued the cut outs from the cutest M&M's bags ever on to the candle, and glued M&M's all over the rest of the candle.  I intentionally did not cover the entire candle because I liked the way the color of the candle that Bubby picked worked with the M&M's!  Done and it's cute!  You like?

Craft #2 was Bug's choice!  She wanted flowers and what Bug wants, Bug gets!

 

Easy peasy!  Here's what you need:
1) Vase.
2) Faux flowers (they last longer than the real ones you know!).
3) M&M's Fall edition peanut candies (again the whole bag minus taste testing, they are my favorite).
4) Glass marbles.

That's it!  You can't submerge M&M's in water or they will lose their color but we wanted the effect of the M&M's floating in water so we put some glass marbles in the bottom of the vase, then the M&M's, then more marbles, and wiggled the flowers in there.  Bug was pleased!  Again, if Bug is pleased, we are all pleased!  This will be our table center piece for the season!

Craft #3:  The pièce de résistance!  The craft that hits closest to home for me!  The one that rocks my princess socks!  MY favorite!  The tiara and "wand" as the babies call it!  It was easy, it was fun, and I will wear it in style (of course if you know me, you know that I have already done just that)!

What you'll need to be as sparkly as me:

1) Tiara (you can pick these up anywhere you know!)

2) Wand (again, any old where for a buck).

3) M&M's plain candies (not many for this craft, but you can figure that out as you go).

4) Crazy glue (I can't say this enough...watch out, this stuff is POWERFUL).  

Mission complete (for now, remember we are still on the hunt for the M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies at Walmart)!  We have crafted!  We have had fun!  We have sampled way too many M&M's, and we are happy with the results! 

What are your crafting ideas?  Have you started decorating or crafting for Halloween yet?  I would love to hear your ideas, and better yet, I'd LOVE to see them!

 

And since I've done so much "work" on my crafts, and trying to find the elusive M&M's Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies, I have decided to appoint myself Queen of All Things M&M!  What?  I deserve it!  I will find them and I will reign as queen!  Don't hate! 

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

Seriously...What is with the Hats? The People of Walmart

Let's forget about the rest...seriously, do NOT comment on the rest...let's focus on the hat here! 

Why oh why do all of the tourists here think they need to be wearing cowboy hats?  I know we're in Texas...I get that!  But here, I see a buggy!  I see no horse, no lasso, no bull!  So what's with the freakin hats? 

Do they only wear these at Walmart?  Because I swear to you, I don't see people all over the island wearing these things!  ONLY at Walmart!

Meaningful Monday: voiceBoks Sponsored Blog Hop

Monday again already?  WOW!  So again today, I will co-host the Meaningful Monday Blog Hop sponsored by voiceBoks with my friend Lisa over at Insignificant at Best.  

I love this hop because I get to promote voiceBoks which is an awesome community full of enthusiastic bloggers that actually follow you and add real content to your blog!  voiceBoks was founded and is operated by the fabulous Lexie Lane and if you haven't joined for FREE yet, really you should!  You will find the best connections over there!  And you will not regret a second of it!  As always, you can thank me later!  I'll wait!

With that said...let's get on to hopping and all of the meaningful comments that come from this hop!

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