Happy Mother's Day! Wahl Massager Review & Giveaway Information

I've got tales of woe and a big announcement for you today!  You know the Wahl name and you know it's a brand you can trust.  But did you know that they had a fabulously incredible Deluxe Heat Therapy Massager? Well, they do and let me tell you right here and now...it's THE BOMB!

We were lucky enough to try this beauty out and that kink in my back for the past 2 weeks is very thankful! You see, being a Mom isn't an easy job. You work hard "just being a mom".  You other moms already know this!  Tote the babies, tote the groceries, tote the laundry, tote the toys from one room to the other...it's always something.  We do laundry, we cook, we clean, and we put in incredibly long hours.  All of this adds up to stress and massive tension both in our minds and on our bodies.   It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it! Might as well be me and you, right?  RIGHT!

With all of that toting, buggy pushing, dishwasher emptying, stove cleaning, cooking, vacuuming, dusting, and so many other chores, comes pain.  Oh the aches and pains, even headaches. But what's a mom to do?

In the past, for me at least, it was "take another Goody Powder, move on, and get the job done Christy".  But today I found an alternative that brings hope for a little (non medicated) relief!

The Wahl Heated Therapeutic Massager offers 2 heat settings, variable power, a soft zipper storage case, and 9 (that's right...9) attachments to customize your massage experience.  The attachments include: a 3-point to cover large areas, a heated one to sooth stiff muscles, a facial massager, a muscle kneader, a scalp massager, a knuckle and joint attachment, a deep muscle massager to dig deep into those tight knots, a pin-point massager for those targeted areas, and a general all-over body massager.  They seriously left NOTHING out of this and that deep muscle massager actually got rid of a very tight muscle I've been dealing with for the past 2 weeks.  

And it all tucks away neatly in this little bag for storage!

It's so easy to use that (with supervision of course) my Bug was able to give me a massage and she was so incredibly proud of herself.  Her smile makes me happy so this made me happy in more than one way!

But here's the REALLY cool part!  You too can be pain free this Mother's Day!  That's right!  Wahl is giving 50 therapeutic massagers away to 50 really hard working Moms (just like YOU).  From April 26-May 13, they're conducting a contest. Entry is simple!  Just share a story that conveys your appreciation for a "mom" in your life and why she deserves some relief. Entries will be judged on their uniqueness and sincerity. Make sure to submit your entry by May 3rd on their Facebook Page so that the special "mom" you are nominating will be considered for the prize.  

Good luck!  I hope you win.  You definitely deserve some pampering for all of your hard work.  And Happy Mother's Day!  I hope it's filled with family, love, and happiness (and if you're really lucky, one of these fabulous massagers)!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Wahl Massager as a member of Mama Buzz Media. All opinions, photos, and ideas are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was received.

Finding Beauty In the Rain

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the rain. Really hate the wet stuff actually.  But I'm all about finding the beauty in everything around me.  It sure does rain a LOT in these woods so I've been searching for the beauty.  

I think I've found it.  It was a virtual waterfall the other day (seriously if you can see streams of rain in a photo, that's some heavy rain!  See the streams?).  But as I looked past the pounding rain, I noticed all of the beauty the rain brings and I was thankful (but wet).  All of that green stuff in the background?  That would be brown if not for the rain!  All of those trees?  They would not be hovering over me and protecting the squirrels if not for the rain!

And after all of these April showers, I am very certain there will be May flowers!  So we will weather these storms and STREAMS of rain and we will be happy with their outcome and relish in all of the color that they bring for our Summer fun!  

Bring on the rain.  We have umbrellas and ponchos (and a house to hide in when it gets this heavy...GEESH).  Yes, Mother Nature, I respect you and all of your fury and I can find the beauty in your heavy tears.  Keep our ground moist, fuel our soil, and make our woods grow!  

In case you didn't already know, I'm a huge fan of flowers and I think I see bunches on the horizon!  You can find beauty in anything if you look hard enough!  Keep looking and enjoy!

What's Gonna Work? Team Work!

Bubby's still learning to ride his bike.  Luckily for us, we watch Wonder Pets!  Do you?  If so, you're familiar with the song we sing on an hourly basis. 

♪♫ What's gonna work?  TEAM WORK! ♫♪

You might think them singing this every hour on the hour would get annoying, but you'd be WRONG!  They don't just sing the song, they live it.

Yes my babies fight, and yes they get on my nerves at times, but when push comes to shove, they always make me proud!  

So when Bubby struggles with riding his bike because he can't seem to start those pedals on his own, what's the first thing that happens around here?  Does he get frustrated?  Is he abandoned?  Is he left alone to figure it out?  NOPE!

What's gonna work?  TEAM WORK...of course!  And it's a beautiful thing because they don't only ACT on this, they SING it as they work together.  I LOVE IT! 

♪♫ Team Work ♫♪ is awesome and I'm so happy my babies get "IT" and that they get "ME".  Nothing works better than team work and Bubby will be riding his bike by himself in NO time at all.  Until then, he has his big sister to help give him a push along the way!  Priceless!

Homemade Pico de Gallo That ROCKS Our World!

Homemade Pico de Gallo.  Seriously the best stuff on the planet and honestly easy peasy lemon squeezy (literally).  Six simple ingredients, a fab-O mixer, and you have the best side known to man.

Here's what you need:

3 Roma Tomatoes
1/8 Onion
5 Sprigs Cilantro
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Jalapeno

Yup, that's it!  I got a super duper mixer, chopper dealy thing from the flea market (the guy works for QVC so I'm sure you can buy it there...Ultra Chef Express).  There was a recipe book but we didn't like the end results of the recipe they provided exactly so I started playing with ingredients a bit.  The credit for the ingredients and base recipe goes to them, we just varied on the amounts to get it perfect for us.

I came up with the perfect mix of ingredients above and I promise, if you try it, you'll be hooked for life.  Cut the veggies up in chunks, throw the cilantro sprigs in the mix, dump in the other stuff, rock your mixer until everything starts to give, and then spin away!

5 or 10 seconds later (literally seconds...how cool is that?), you have the best Pico de Gallo EVER!

You may have your own variety, and yours may be fabulous, but this one...this rocks our world!  I love easy peasy and this fits the bill!  Try it, you'll like it!  Enjoy! 

Game Day Challenge: The Day My Daughter Found Her Heart #OdwallaCFK

Sometimes we get more than we give by giving to others.  For us, this was one of those times.  I love giving and have felt honored to be a part of the Champions For Kids Movement over the past few months.  As I told you late last month, we are participating again for the month of April with the help of Odwalla Juice. 

And although this giving mission started out much like the others, it delivered so much more than I ever expected.  We would GATHER (from Walmart which was easy but then from people we don't know within this community, which proved to be a challenge), LEARN (which turned out to be another huge personal obstacle, and a rewarding one) about the needs in our community, GIVE (which was easy), and SHARE (which is what I am doing here). 

Let me explain.  The gathering started out fabulously!  We went to Walmart and the babies and I were off to a great start.  We were on a mission to HELP THEM PLAY.  Yes, children of less fortune in our area should get outdoors, have fun, be active, and PLAY.  We bought fun supplies and we would collect gently used sports equipment from the people in our community to build our giving package.  This would be fun!  It turned out to be an exercise in futility.

The people in The Woods are not as giving as I had hoped.  They "gave at the office", or they "just moved", or they "already donated".  Bug and I were getting discouraged.  The important part of this equation is that BUG was getting discouraged.  I couldn't have that.  I reached out on Facebook, asked some friends, and got a few items to add to our care package.  We received some baseball mitts, some baseballs, and a few other items.  It wasn't a total loss!  Our kit was happy!

Bug was happy!  We went back to Walmart and bought a few more items ourselves including a first aid kit since being outdoors never comes without boo boos.  We got a pretty polka dot bag that Bug thought would be wonderful since I explained that these people didn't have much more than the shirts on their backs.  We had chosen the Montgomery Women's Center because no matter how hard I try, I can't shirk my past, and I know that the battered women and children in any community need our help.  The kids in these shelters may not have been physically abused, but the emotional scars run deep and the the healing will be a long, hard road.  A few bubbles, some outdoor games, some refreshing Odwalla Juice, and a little sidewalk chalk will be more uplifting than any of you may ever know!

But it only got better on a personal level from here!  My Bug, the little selfish "mean" one in the bunch...well her heart grew 3 sizes today!  She realized that we had not been successful in our drive.  She decided, with her 5 years of wisdom, that SHE could make a difference.  She and I (on her insistence) went through her drawers and found all of the summer clothes that no longer fit her.  "Mommy, if you're going to play outside, you need pretty clothes".  She was right!  The whole bottom of our bucket was full of clothes.  She even dug through their toys and found balls and other outdoor toys that they don't use often.

HER donation had grown and SHE was proud.  I was proud of her and my heart grew just a little bit more today as well!  We had done all that we could at this point, although we do have the promise for more items and we will gather them as they come in and bring them to the shelter.  But for now, we were content with what we had.  If Bug is happy, I'm happy, and I assured her our recipients would be happy!

We loaded our loot into the car and headed for our destination!

Bug had her bag with snacks and Odwalla Juice in hand, and I carried the tub full of fun goodies.  Bubby was just along for the giving train ride!  The United Way does amazing things but I had no clue they supported Women's and Childen's Centers world wide!

It was a good day, it was a good week, it was a good month.  My Bug, the selfish one, learned the value of giving.  And on more than one occasion at Walmart, I heard her tell her brother, "No Bubby, we can't buy for us, we are buying for the kids that don't have anything this time!".  She listened.  She's been listening all along!  

Teach your kids this lesson.  Giving doesn't stop with our generation.  We can change the world, one child at a time, by teaching our own children the lesson of giving.  Will you be a Champion for Kids?  

You can learn more about taking the Odwalla Game Day Challenge by connecting on Twitter and Facebook.  Today, this week, this month, MY child made a difference in the lives of other children.  These children needed her, and she was up for the Game Day Challenge, despite the set backs.  Are you?


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

Social Media: Hates - Top 10

There are very few things I hate about social media.  Nay...I pretty much love everything about it.  I'm a junkie if you will.  I make my living off of social media and I'm in love with the whole concept.  

BUT, as with anything, there are a few things that annoy the BA-JEZUS out of me and although I bite my tongue on a daily basis, you need to know.  If you are guilty of these things, you make me twitch.  
Yes, some of you make me want to reach out of this computer that I spend entirely too much time on and slap the snot out of you.  

Time for another top 10:


1) GR8...OMG, this annoys me.  Are you 12?  Are you Tony the Tiger? It's only 2 additional characters...use them!

2)  Bloggers that can't spell, haven't mastered the English language, don't know the difference between to, two, and too.  You chose this career and if you want to write, DO IT, don't half ass it!

3)  Pop up ads on sites.  People block pop up ads for a reason, you might want to take note!

4)  The Twitter...nuff said!

5)  LinkedIn....to what?

6)  Google +....MySpace failed for a reason.  

7)  Cyber Cheating.  This is bogus, ridiculous, and the demise of most marriages these days.  It should be outlawed.

8)  People that talk in real life like they are still on the social media networks.  OMG is an abbreviation.  So is IDK.  Please don't use these in real life.  I will slap you.

9)  People that post a gazillion pictures on Facebook.  Pinterest was invented for a reason.  For the record, I hid your stream.

10) The fact that we as a society have forgotten the art of picking up a phone and calling people to talk.  We use these gadgets constantly to "talk" to each other, but we rarely "talk".  This, my friends, is a shame!

So, in a nutshell, I'm telling you that I'm as addicted to social media as you are, but it's time we all step outside of this box and remember that the "real" world is still worth exploring.  Connect, engage, and love one another.  It's not all about "poking" anymore!

Bug Needs To Swim!

Spring has sprung and in Texas, that means Summer is upon us!  We (the Easter Bunny) got the babies bathing suits for Easter, but they haven't been able to use them yet.  In other words, Mommy hasn't taken them to the pool yet.  BAD MOMMY!

So this afternoon, Bug took matters into her own hands.  She gave me a (not so subtle) hint.  Apparently, it's time I took them to the pool!  I was working and ignored the hint...until I saw this!  Poor baby got in her new suit, pulled out her pool toys (also delivered by the bunny), and laid down for her nap.  

So tomorrow, I vow to myself, we will be pool hopping at some point.  This baby longs for her time at the pool and I long to give her what she needs.  I think I'll get up extra early, knock out a few chores, and then it's off to the pool we go for some sparkly fun in the sun!

It's going to be a good day!  Happy Wednesday and Sparkle On!

Happy Monday! I Hope You Had a Fabulous Weekend!

I'm a happy person by nature, but lately, I've been trying to be happier.  Life is all about enjoying the little things and I'm all about embracing that!

This weekend, I sat on a swing with my son and we just swung together.  There were no words.  There were occasional smiles.  Smirks even.  It was quietly beautiful.  No words were necessary.  There was a mutual respect, a mutual love.  Nothing else mattered in the world.  It was a good day!  

I hope you had a great weekend and that you shared a moment with someone you love!  Happy Monday!  Enjoy your week and above all, have a "moment" with someone.  It's those moments in life that make our worlds complete. I'm thankful for all of the moments I'm afforded.  

And I'm thankful this little man gave me this special swinging moment this weekend.  I'm a lucky mom.  Swing on...and enjoy!

My Babies Are Growing Up *SIGH*

Children grow up!  It's a fact of life and I knew this when I had them, all 4 of them!  But who knew it would all happen so quickly?

Milestones kind of bring awareness to this for me and I can't help but reflect on everything and get emotional. We have some pretty major milestones coming up.

The girls...my first "set"...are beautiful, vibrant, and flourishing in the grown up, and almost grown up world.

Bry is on her own (well that's a long story, but she's grown) and a gorgeous young woman.  She's about to make a major move in her life and whether I agree or not, I will always support my first born!  *SIGH*

Paetyn is graduating from high school next month.  Graduating from high school?  She was just born last month, how can she graduate next month?  She's beautiful, she's wonderful, she's sensitive, and she's almost 18, and on the cusp of adulthood. *SIGH* She will do amazing things in life!

And then there's the babies.  My second "set", my second chance to get this parenting thing done right.  I have so many years left with them, but wait!  When did these two get so big?  I've been looking at them in wonderment lately.  Growing like weeds, and becoming little people...not babies at all anymore! *SIGH*

Bug and Bubby are funny, stunning, mischievous, full of life, and fabulous!  They keep me hopping on a regular basis, but they need to stop growing up so dang fast!

So *SIGH*, the first "set" is grown, and the second "set" is growing up too fast.  I love who and what they are all becoming and that they are each so unique yet very much alike in many ways.  They are, all 4 of them, after all my babies no matter how big or small.  They will ALL always be my babies.  

I'm approaching a pretty big birthday (no I will NOT be 50...SHUSH UP) this coming week, and I think I'm a little overly emotional. *SIGH*  Bare with me as I hurdle these milestones.  I'm not unhappy at all, just feeling my mortality I guess, and missing my "babies".  Supermama Powers Activate!

Blogging 101: It's All About The Numbers

When I first embarked on this little adventure just over a year ago, I had no clue!  Really...NO CLUE!

I wasn't offered Blogging 101.  I wasn't given the details.  I now know I should have asked for a full disclosure, but I didn't.

I was told I could write, and that I should.  You see apparently I have a gift for the gab, a flair for the funny, a way with the wit...true smartassery since 1967.

So upon the advice of a very good friend (curse you Jules from A Little Bite of Life), Insanity Is Not An Option was born!

Back then, in my social medial dark age period, I sat down at my computer and wrote about life events, about why Facebook is better than The Twitter, about being the mother of 6, my husband, and my multiple personalities (all 21 of them). I worried about NOTHING except for wit and grammar!

I started growing organically and people liked me, they really really liked me!  This was fun.  But I came to realize that this is a business.  Businesses profit.  In order to profit (oh my stars...that was never my original intention), I'd have to grow.  And so it was On like Donkey Kong and here's where the real FUN began.

It's really all about the numbers.  In just over a year, I have Facebook Fans, Twitter Stalkers, I've got The Klout, Blog Followers, Pins on Pinterest, things to Stumble Upon, I'm LinkedIn to "something", I've got videos on YouTube, albums splattered all over Google+, and countless other numbers and social media avenues that I work on (commiserate over) on a daily basis.  For goodness sakes, I even have Nesticles (or RORicles...that's still up in the air).  Yes, these numbers have consumed me and yet I still want them to grow organically.  

I could "follow you back if you follow me" to build a (fake) larger following.  I could host grand giveaways to boost my (fake) numbers.   And I could compromise my principles by coming on here 12 times a day to post-and-go without ever worrying about whether I understood the difference between to, too, and two.  I could throw caution to the wind and not worry that there is a difference between there, their, and they're.  But I choose to remain true to my initial integrity and grow organically with that gift of the gab (and proper grammar).  

And I do continue to grow, SLOWLY, but organically.  I'd rather have all 10 of you (thank you...you know who you are and you rock) come back on a daily basis than I would have 10 of my 300,000 followers come back every once in a while.  I'm not complaining because I do get my share of opportunities through this little asylum of mine and I feel honored to be given these opportunities.  

But hey, Mr. Big PR Guy, if you're reading this, take heed.  Just because Prissy BegsForFollowers over at www.MeGotsHUGEfakeNumbers.com can show you 500,000 page views a day (with 499,999 being unique) doesn't mean she's going to get you the exposure you really want.  Consider reading the post that starts, "I really enjoyed XYZ product it was really cool and I loved it to" (yes this is a direct quote but I will not divulge the source to protect the innocent poor dear with HUGE numbers...bless her little heart). 

I really don't like numbers.  They give me a headache.  I do know the difference between to, too, and two, but I'm not sure how 2 + 2 = 300,000.  Is that Algebra?  That's never been my thing!  No my thing is honesty, integrity, and the flair for the funny.  And I will remain true to myself and feel honored that I am being followed, stalked, pinned, have fans, liked, retweeted, LinkedIn, stumbled upon, and that my Nesticles continue to grow on a daily basis, and that I'm still afforded amazing opportunities.  And my business is profitable!

BUT if anyone out there has a heart, could you please make the numbers game stop?  I've got a splitting headache.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check my numbers.  I'm sure they've all dropped at least a point as I sit to write this post (oh gosh...I hope I get LOTS of comments on this, and pins, and likes, and tweets....).  

Sparkle on all my fellow blogging buddies and don't sweat the numbers. They really don't matter (much)!  

Personal disclosure:  These opinions are entirely my own and are not meant to offend.  I do NOT in any way feel that all bloggers with HUGE numbers have begged their way to the top.  But it is my (smartass) mission to point out the trend.  It's how I roll!  Those of you with HUGE real numbers rock...you know who you are!

A Healthy Breakfast Should Include A Fabulous Drink! #SilkFruit

We lead a REALLY busy life and I work a lot of hours.  Generally, I spend a lot of time preparing my family's meals.  It's important to me that they eat healthy and get all of the nutrients they need, but sometimes that takes longer than my schedule allows.  

Every day is the same.  The hubby gets up at the crack of dawn and his breakfast and lunch have been prepared for him the night before by me while I work. I work late and then get up and work until the babies wake up and then I fix breakfast for them. 

I don't do an elaborate breakfast on either count.  Usually some sausage or bacon and eggs for the hubby with a blended protein shake sealed up tight and stored in the refrigerator for the morning.  Cereal with soy milk, some fruit on the side, and juice for the babies.  It's important that they get all of the protein and nutrients that they need, and it's my job to provide those things.  The other night, I found a healthy short cut!

I was at Walmart and spied this new Silk Product.  You can see my full shopping experience HERE.  Silk Fruit&Protein was located in the refrigerated milk and juice section.  We already love the Silk line of products since we deal with lactose intolerance in our house, so I was intrigued. 

All kinds of lactose-free goodness wrapped in one little carton.  Protein..check!  Calcium...check!  Vitamin D...check!  Vitamin C...check!  Only 29 grams of carbs in each glass, and low in sugars...SCORE!  Plus I don't have to premix, pre-measure, or take the time to blend!  And more importantly, Silk offers me a "Love It Guarantee".  If I don't love it, if my family doesn't love it, we get our money back...their PROMISE to us!  Of course I picked up a carton and planned to make the switch (and cut 15 minutes out of my evening chores)!

Instead of preparing the blended protein shake, I poured this and loaded it in the frig with the hubby's breakfast, lunch, and snacks!  Fingers crossed!

Text in the morning:  Me:  "How was your shake this morning baby?"  Him:  "Really good, what did you do differently?".  Me:  "Nothing really".  SMILE!

Then it was time to feed the babies.  Blueberry waffles (easy frozen style), some watermelon, and a nice cold cup of Silk Fruit&Protein Strawberry Banana.  Skip the lactose-free milk and cup of apple juice all together.  This is all-in-one easy!

Bubby dug into his breakfast and pretty much ignored his new drink, but he was happy which made me happy!

But the true test...Bug!  Miss picky pants!  She took a sip and gave me a look.  Then another sip, another look.  Then another sip, and a smile!  "This is really good Mommy, what is it?".  It's a time-saving, protein-packed, fruit-filled carton of joy for Mommy, that's what it is!

Have you tried the new Silk Fruit&Protein drink yet?  It's available in Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry, and Mango Peach.  Grab a coupon and head to your local Walmart to pick some up today. 

If you want to know more, you can connect with Silk Fruit&Protein on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all of their offerings and nutritional information.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  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! #CBias #SocialFabric

Finding My Place in These Woods!

I'm acclimating.  I'm making this place, these woods, my home.  It's important for ME to figure out how to make this place a HOME for my babies! 

I've been struggling but trying really, really hard...pinky swear!  We have their rooms kind of, sort of squared away.  They have their little corner in these woods!  I owe most of that to my husband.  He's worked harder than I at making this place "ours".  He knows it means something to me and that I am not motivated.  He's a good man.

The babies seem happy!  I let them play outside in these (poison ivy infested) woods on a daily basis.  Bug has already christened the carpet in her room with Kool Aid (think full pack, then water and rag to sop it up before Mom saw it...yea...it's still there) and Bubby is content to sleep in his bed in his very own room every night.  Life is good!

But Momma's not happy.  Y'all know how that goes.  If Momma's not happy...well then...piss on the rest of them!  Kidding?   Not really!  So I sit at my desk, and I do my work, and I smile...it's all good!  

And then out of the blue...HE does it again!  Yup, I'm just a shiny happy person and I'm easily persuaded.  Beautiful pink roses!  There they sit, with my island decor, and I'm once again happy!  Call me a sap, call me a push over, call me what you will.  You can't hurt my feelings!

I have my island decor and pretty pink roses.  Yes folks, I'll be OK in these woods because I have the people that know how to make me smile with me!  It doesn't matter where I am, it doesn't matter what I do...it only matters who I'm with!  And I'm with exactly who I want to be with...now and for always!

Sparkle on and enjoy every little tiny bit of your life!  Each and every day brings with it  a little blessing, no matter how big or small.  And always know that someone loves you, and I am happy and content knowing that I am loved!  And if you know me or not, if you are reading this, we are connected in some way and I love and appreciate you!  Pinky swear!