My Mom-ination for the #GoodCall iG1 Docking Station #CBias

Earlier this week, an opportunity presented itself and I've been torn.  I was asked to Mom-inate an awesome mom to receive a great new gadget out on the market for a Good Call iG1 Docking Station with Handset.  The Mom-nation had to be a fellow Social Fabric member and they had to be deserving of the prize.  This was not an easy task for me.  

You see, I have LOTS of favorites.  We all know this!  But who was most deserving of this prize?  The prize is awesome!  If you are an iPhone lover, you should really check this out.  You can find Good Call every where:

• On their website: http://www.goodcallbro.com/
• On the Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/goodcallbro
• On Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/GoodCallbro 
• On Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/goodcallbro
• On YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/goodcallbro   

So on to the case at hand...who to choose...who to choose?  I had 100 people in mind (no joke) but I had to narrow it to one!  Which Mom did I know that was most deserving?  There was Deb Thompson from Just Short of Crazy who is an incredible Mom and blogger and oh so supportive of me and so many others.  Seriously, this lady is awesome!  Then there is Jules Cohn (whom I've loved for a long time and got me started on this journey) from A Little Bite of Life.  What a beautiful person, friend, and mom.  Please check her out!  Best recipes on the web...promise!

But it came down to decision time.  I had to Mom-inate.  And so, true to form, I decided that I would be non-traditional with this one.  Yes, that's right, I would LOVE to Mom-inate a NON-MOM!  This beautiful woman does not have children of her own but she dedicates her life to children and making a better world for these children.  She blogs about her "real job" often and she puts her ALL into making the world a better place for all of the children in her world.  She is an educator, she is an advocate for healthy children, and healthy living.  She is a superb aunt, and she even tends to send my little ones gifts on occasion!  This woman is a child's advocate and is deserving of a prize!

So without further ado, I am pleased and proud to Mom-inate my choice for this contest.  Amy Fulcher of As The Bunny Hops might not be a "Mom" in the traditional sense of the word, but she dedicates her life to children and that's admirable in my book.  She's one of the most supportive people I know.  She's rewritten HTML code for me (oh Heavens how I hate the HTML code) and she even helped redesign my blog on a volunteer basis.  She juggles a full time job, her blog, her very active SoFab community participation, and she cares about kids...no matter what!  She is very deserving of a prize!  

Rock on Amy!  And hopefully you will be getting a handset in the mail shortly (sorry it won't be neon purple or something...but it's a prize just the same).  Good luck to all of the nominees but BEST of luck to Amy...my nominee!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content was created for Collective Bias™ and GoFusion but is a non-compensated post.  All opinions and ideas are entirely my own!  #CBias #SocialFabric 

23 Years Ago Today...My Life Changed!

On this day 23 years ago, June 27, 1989, my life changed (9 months before that actually but who's counting?).  This hot mess was born and I named her Bryana Lee.  She was not in my life's plan.  Far from it indeed.  I was not intended to be a Mommy.  I was going to be an actress or a famous writer...or both.  I was not going to be "just a Mom".  At that juncture in my life, I was young, I was smart, I was funny, I was beautiful.  I would get my degree locally and then move on.  I had already been accepted in to UCLA for my graduate work.  Yes, I would be educated and I would be close to Hollywood.  All of my plans were coming to fruition and life would pan out according to my blueprint.

But I was 21, living my dream, and the rabbit died.  What?  How could this happen to me?  I had a plan and it would play out as I had dreamed it would.  So what do I do?  I'm knocked up.  I'm working and I'm in college.

I have a baby, that's what I do, and I marry her father.  I quit college to start my new life and I abandon my dreams of Hollywood and UCLA.  I work hard, I go through my pregnancy and at the end of a long 9.5 month period, I see the most beautiful creature that has ever graced this planet.  I am happy!

Five years later (horrible marriage and all), I gave birth to another beautiful baby girl.  The marriage didn't last but my love for these 2 will never fade. 

I married again years later and eventually had 2 more little ones who are now 5 and 3.  Plus I have 2 "step children" that I gained in the mix.  So is my life all glamor, glitter, and lights as I had always dreamed?  HECK NO!  Far from it I might note!  But is it a good life?  You bet your sweet butt it is!

You see, that very moment, at 2:19 pm on June 27, 1989, that I laid my eyes on that beautiful hot mess that changed my world, was the very moment that I knew that I had found my purpose in this world.  I was meant to be a Mommy and I don't regret a moment of it!   

Happy 23rd Birthday my beautiful hot mess!  Mommy loves you and you will always be my favorite mistake!  Without YOU, I wouldn't be ME!  There are no mistakes in life...only destiny! 

To Sparkle...or Not to Sparkle...That is the Question!

So what do you focus on when you look at this photo? Do you sparkle or not?  Do you look at the 104 degrees and stop...agasp at the thought of the heat?  If so, you are NOT a sparkly person.  

Here's what I see:

#1 - It's 104 and I have no AC in my car and only 3 working windows.  So while I'm in my car in this excessive heat, I sweat...therefore I glisten which is in a way...sparkling.

#2 - That phone case in that photo sure is sparkly!  How did you even notice the heat above that sparkle?

#3 - Did you see those sparkle nails?   If not, you are focusing too much on the negatives and therefore...NOT SPARKLING!

My whole point?  Never focus on the ick in life.  There are too many of those and you can get caught up.  Of course I could focus on 104 with 3 windows and no AC but that would be counterproductive to my happiness.  Just take in the sparkles in your life and enjoy!

Don't ever let ANYTHING or ANYONE dull your sparkles because they are truly all around you as long as you choose to embrace them!  I don't just talk the talk, I walk this walk...and I choose to embrace it!  Sparkle on!

My 1st Visit to the Gym - It's NOT Like Rocky...Who Knew?

B's been going to a boxing gym for quite some time now and he loves it.  It's a great form of exercise and good for shedding off some of the worries of his day.  He'll come home after a bad day at work in a high state of frustration and anger, then head to the gym and come home sweaty refreshed and all smiles.  So in a way, I'm a huge fan of the gym too but I've never even stepped foot in there...until now!

He's been asking me to stop by but I never have made the time.  The kids have gone, but not me.  It's important to him, and he's important to me, so I turned off all of my gadgets and headed out to the gym expecting a scene from Rocky or something (hey, that's all I know about boxing, I'm not a violent person).  I was expecting a lot of cussing, blood, anger, mass chaos, and violence.  BUT I walked into a very structured, family-friendly, and if you can believe it (somewhat) quiet and calm environment.

It was actually pretty cool as I sat and watched B work his ass off work out during class.

  Ready?

 Aim!

FIRE!

Yes, I guess I can understand how this would be a little bit of a stress reliever!  It wasn't all punching though.  There was some running around, lots of ab work, and other such sweat-inducing activities.  No cussing, no blood, no violence at all actually!  So I was glad I had gone, and since it didn't smell (much), I'm sure I'll be going back again.

And of course I'll be bringing his BIGGEST.FANS.EVER with me (as always...man we need a sitter) to cheer him along.

Squirrel Please!

This is "Fatty".  Squirrel please...what are you looking at?  Seriously Fatty has taken over the woods!  He hisses at the other squirrels (not nice Fatty, not nice!).  But it gets worse.  Not only won't he let the other woodland creatures eat from the bin, he gets a little uppity when it gets low!

He boxes it and he find his way "in"....literally!   He hops in and eats the crumbs off the bottom and gives me a dirty look until we refill it which we seem to have to do every 3 days or so.  

Me thinks Fatty is a Diva!  Bless his little heart!  The other squirrels don't like him, but he's well fed.  There's something to be said about perseverance. 

Things That Make Me Happy...Top 10

Lately I've been reminded often that I am a happy person and I deserve to be.  So in no particular order (because how could I possibly quantify these things?) is a list of some of the things that make me happy in life!

#10 - Getting flowers from my husband and realizing that one of them is broken.  I love the sentiment despite the broken flower.  Nay, more importantly because of the broken stem.  You see, this week's flowers reminded me that even when I feel broken, he is there to make me smile.

#9 - Realizing that I don't just talk sparkles, I live them.  Everything I touch sparkles and that's a beautiful thing!

#8 - My view of the world really isn't that bad.  Knobby knees and all.  It's all good!

 #7 - Thank you cards in the mail.  They are so underrated these days!

#6 - This face!  It scrunches in all kinds of crazy positions.  It drives me mad.  It makes me smile.  It's an amazing face!

#5 - Proud Mommy moments.  They are plenty but none quite so monumental as watching your baby graduate from high school!  Good show Paet!

#4 - This little hilarious genius I'm raising.  I have one last chance to get this parenting thing right.  I relish in every moment of it!

#3 - Him!  The one that makes me laugh, makes me cry, and gives me butterflies.  It's not always easy, but it's always worth it!

#2 - THEM!  My heart melts at the sight of this picture each and every time.  Somehow I was blessed with these 4 beautiful children.  I don't know who thought I deserved them, but I am so thankful that they are mine.  NO ONE is as lucky as me!

#1 - Validation.  I am thankful for each and every major or minor validation I receive in life.  I hear kind words from my family, friends, coworkers, subordinates, and superiors on a weekly basis.  Each and every one is appreciated.  Today I felt validated in a HUGE way and it inspired me to be thankful for the things I have in life.  

I am thankful!  I appreciate the validation, and I rarely take for granted all that I have in my life!  I don't always remember to share how thankful I am, but rest assured, I am thankful every day!  What are you thankful for?  What makes YOU happy?

Oh My Thunder! Did You Hear That?

Seriously, did you hear it?  I wish I was a fabulous photographer with an awesome camera and I could have captured what was going on around here this evening a little (lot) better.  Think monsoon meets I'm frightened Auntie Em kind of activity!  The day was incredibly "normal" but this evening brought in high winds, rains that you can't imagine, flooding, shingles flying (I'm serious...shingles were flying like monkeys in the Wizard of Oz), and the thunder and lightning was out of control.  So out of control in fact that it hit the sidewalk right outside of our back patio as we watched (and jumped and squealed like monkeys...again with the monkeys). 

It was a daunting sight that brought power outages, phone and computer outages (oh the horror), but oddly enough, it moved out as quickly as it moved in.  This was Mother Nature keeping us on our toes I guess (and scaring the bejezus out of us)!  Nature is so powerful and amazing.  Now I must get that awesome camera so I can start capturing more of her beauty and excitement. 

Hoping for a sunny (and uneventful, no peeing my pants from fear kind of) day tomorrow!  Rock on Mother Nature but I'd appreciate if you and the Wicked Witch of the West would vacate the premises for awhile.  That was a little much for this high-strung momma and I need a little time to recuperate! 

SEO and All That Dorky Jazz

Earlier today, I read a post from my friend Amy, the hilarious author of As The Bunny Hops.  I try to avoid stalking looking at my blog numbers and all of my other stats for that matter.  It's maddening to me (and quite depressing at times).  I mean it really shouldn't be all about the numbers.  It's content and integrity that really matter to me in this world!  Or it should be anyway.  

But Amy made me laugh and inspired me to check my keyword search for Insanity Is Not An Option, which made me laugh even harder.  Can you believe DORK is still in the top 10?

I did one post...ONE POST...ever with the word dork in it (because if the truth be known, well...I actually am quite the dork) and that was back in January of 2011.  And to this day, it is still my #1 keyword search.  That's right!  People that Google the word DORK get ME.  Now that's a legacy (or a curse, I'm not certain which).  Recent posts, in particular a post I wrote for my daughter upon her High School Graduation get some Google search love too, but nothing will ever top the Dork search!

Here's the top 10 searches that currently drive traffic to my site in order of "importance": 

1. Dork (told ya!)
2. Graduation Letter to My Daughter
3. I need a special graduation letter to my daughter
4. Facebook personality types (Ha! Actually that was a good one)
5. Graduation letter to daughter
6. High school graduation letter to my daughter (seriously these people need to write their own!)
7. A letter to my daughter for graduation (wow...such creativity and love for their kids)
8. Nike canvas high tops (yes, I was a child of the 80's, what about it?)
9. Shut Your Pie Hole (I absolutely adore that people Google search this...awesome!) 
10. A letter foe my daughter for her high school graduation (no, that is not MY typo...swear!  3 people actually searched "a letter FOE my daughter".  No wonder they had to search!  OY!)

So there you have it!  It doesn't matter what I write, how I tag it, what I do to promote it.  Google just runs the show and all of the people that stalk the internet control how my little blog grows.  It's a beautiful thing and I'm thankful FOE all of the DORKS out there that use the internet every day.  And I'm thankful to Amy for making me cry over these numbers and this SEO craziness again today (curse you Amy).  

Maybe some day, I'll be more than a DORK.  But for now, I'm just happy that someone is searching anything and finding my little place on the web!  Rock on and Dork out!

Fall Off the Bone Ribs...Griling Is Happiness!

Lately, all I do is talk grilling and ribs.  It's OK because my family grills often (think at least 5 times per week often) and we love the outdoors.  This is natural for us.  But I've been working on a campaign for Sears through Collective Bias / Social Fabric and all of this talk about how Grilling Is Happiness and Ribfest got me inspired to kick it up a notch and add more flavor to our grilling festivities over the weekend. 

Yes, this was a meal to remember and so much fun was had by all!  As B, his buddy Steven (or Deben as we all call him thanks to Bubby), and the babies played outside, I readied the ribs for the slow, smoked cooking adventure.  It was simple (I like to keep it that way), low sodium as always, and apparently turned out delicious!  

B cut the ribs into smaller slabs, we poured on some Canola oil, patted them down with McCormicks Grill Mates Pork Rub, then I chopped up some fresh jalapeños, cilantro, and green onions, and we wrapped them in foil.  Charcoal, wood chips, ribs fixed up in foil...let the games begin!  It's really no fuss at all.  B placed them on the grill and we went on about our festivities.

Grilling truly Is Happiness and I've been thankful for the reminder and inspiration!  Some good meat and veggies, a lot of charcoal, a little wood, some foil, and you just leave it alone and play.  We're rednecks to a T so this is the only way for us!  The afternoon was full of good conversation, good music, a little libation, and a LOT of fun!  And then it was time for the test!  Were the ribs ready?  Did they fall off the bone?  Were they as good as they smelled?  Check it out and you tell me!


 
But the taste test tells it all!  

Yup...they passed that test too!  And a good meal, and a good time, was had by all followed by a little trip to the pool for the evening!  Life is good.  Enjoy every moment!  And for the record, Grilling Is Happiness!

Disclosure:  This post has not been compensated in any way and is totally my own doing. I have been inspired by my work through Collective Bias to share this with you.  I have been compensated by leading a campaign for Sears but not for this post or anything on my blog.  All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.

"Thank You": Do You Value These Simple Words?

How many people actually value the simple sentiment of "thank you"?  How many use it often enough in their daily lives?  Probably not enough!  This sentiment means SO much more than you know and you can never say it, show it, or hear it enough!

I thank people often...and I mean it!  I am thankful for so much in my life!  My husband often "thanks" me with flowers as I have shared here often.  It's a simple, quiet gesture and it speaks volumes!  I love him for it and I THANK him often!

My week has been rough.  I've been working my tiny little butt off.  Actually I've been doing this for more than a month on the same project.  I've been spinning my wheels and feeling like nothing has been going right no matter how hard I try.  Y'all know how much I love my work through Collective Bias/Social Fabric so please don't think I'm complaining!  It's just been a lot of work (think 6 am until 11 something-ish PM non stop for weeks) and it seems like nothing goes right!

But you know what?  As usual, I was wrong.  Something did go right!  I was appreciated and that means more than anything in the world to me!  In the mail today was a note stating I had a box in the leasing office.  In that box were some nifty little personal prizes.  It included flip flops (you know how I roll), a book, a notebook, folders, a lanyard, and several other little fun items.  But most importantly, it contained the note displayed above. 

That phrase....THANK YOU....means so much more than anyone could ever imagine and speaks so loudly to me!  It's simple, it's sweet, and it's important!  It is understated.  I'm a sap as y'all know but I promise you each and every time I am thanked in this heartfelt way, I tear up just a bit.  I save cards, I save little gifts, and I revert to them when I'm having a bad day/week/month/year!  Each and every thank you lives in my heart forever!

So THANK YOU to the three beautiful women from Collective Bias that sent this thank you to me today and warmed my little heart, and THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has ever made me smile...too many of you to mention!  You are my world and without you and my family, I am NOTHING!  

Have you thanked someone today?  If not, have at it!  You don't know it but you could really change their mood, their day, their year....their LIFE!  Value these words...and THANK YOU! 

Mr. Prissy Pants...Gosh I Love Him!

He has his Daddy's temperament.  He's a prissy pot.  He pitches fits, he gets mad or upset at the drop of a hat!  But he also makes me laugh and I love him with all of my heart.  He's my Bubby and he rocks my world!  I'll settle for the fits in between the singing.  I'll relish in his pissieness (What? That's a word!).  And I'll be grateful forever that I am his Mommy.  He's his Mommy's Boy and I'm lucky to have him!  And just look at that face.  Even when he's pissy, how could you help but love him?