In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky to have a couple AMAZING friends.
Good friends are kind, thoughtful, helpful, reliable, funny, honest, trustworthy and very hard to find. I guess that makes me extra lucky since I have more than one. We don't agree on everything, but we have a respect for each other that allows us to disagree, but never judge.
Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and to have her nonsense respected.--Charles Lamb
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky to live in a place that people enjoy visiting when they are on vacation.
Amazing sunsets are a regular view for me and my family. I can fall asleep to the sounds of birds singing and waves rolling onto the shore all summer long. We are surrounded by solitude, with fun and excitement just a stone's throw away. Sometimes I wonder if my children realize how lucky they are to live where we do.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky to have such supportive family.
My sister lives about 1.5 hours away from us and has two children about the same age as Peanut and Pumpkin. My parents live 3.5-4 hours away. My in-laws live nearby, but they've just moved here recently.
My kids are pretty active. They play soccer, basketball, softball, and musical instruments. They are always involved in camps, games, programs, and other activities. I am always amazed and impressed at the number of events our family manages to attend. In fact, I can't remember an event where there wasn't at least one person other than Doc and I in attendance. With the girls being in 4th and 2nd grade, the games/programs aren't always overly exciting (particularly for non-parents). Most of the programs they are involved with are essentially learning leagues. It doesn't matter to our family. They come to as many events as possible and cheer our girls on. My children know that they are loved and supported whether they are the best, the worst, or somewhere in the middle.
Love and Support - That makes me and my girls very lucky!
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky that my children have kind and thoughtful friends.
For Valentine's Day this year, Pumpkin's teacher had the children each make one card for one classmate. The children were all assigned a specific "friend" to make a card - to be sure that everyone received one. The child that was supposed to make Pumpkin's card chose not to, so she didn't get one. She came home a little upset, but she wasn't devastated. The next day, she came home with a beautiful handwritten note and picture from one of her friends. It said, "I'm sorry that you didn't receive a card."
What a kind and thoughtful gesture! What an amazing little girl! I am so blessed that my children have chosen friends that care about them and are considerate of their feelings.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky to have appreciative children.
The other day, after a regular day - nothing too stressful or abnormal happened, I went into my bedroom and found this on my pillow.
The girls had been working on a thank you note for a friend that had given them chocolates for Valentine's Day. I don't know what inspired them to write a thank you note to me. (Doc received one as well.) I can honestly say that it made what was an average day into an outstanding one. Unsolicited appreciation makes me feel like one lucky mom!
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I am lucky because I have amazing parents that love their grandchildren.
Doc and I try to take a mini-vacation every year - just the two of us. It would be nearly impossible for me to leave the girls for any length of time if I didn't have confidence that they were being loved, cared for, safe, and secure. My parents never hesitate to take time off work and drive 4 hours to come and stay with Peanut and Pumpkin. They watch them, take them to do fun things, help them with homework, listen to them play music, and manage all the day to day events for the girls flawlessly (or at least without major incident). My parents never ask for anything in return. How lucky am I? :)
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and simply because I'm feeling blessed lately, I've decided to do 17 days of posts. Each post will include one reason that I feel lucky. Hopefully, you can think of at least 17 reasons why you're lucky too. Please feel free to share your reasons, because sometimes it just feels nice to be able to brag a bit.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this March, and beyond.
I'm lucky to be able wake up each morning and go to bed each night with my best friend.
Doc and I met when we were just 18 and 19 years old. Barely more than children, we fell in love. Now, at 37 and 38, we are not the same people we were nearly 20 years ago. We've grown and changed, but luckily, we've done so together. I sleep best when I sleep on his chest. Fortunately for me, he doesn't mind that I sometimes drool. ;)
Have you seen the new Carmex Moisture Plus lip balms?
They are fancy!
There are four styles to choose from: Chic, Fab, Whimsical, and Adventurous.
Personally, my favorite is the Whimsical version. The bright colors and patterns make it easy to find hiding in the bottom of my purse.
My sister, the lover of all things purple, was smitten with the Fab lip balm. It actually fits her perfectly, since she always looks nothing short of fabulous. (Did I tell you the story of when someone thought Doc and I were her parents? FYI - She's my older sister. Ugh!)
Pumpkin is very fond of animal prints these days, and found the adventurous stick to be right up her alley. It goes well with her zebra book bag and cheetah bean bag chair.
Peanut ended up with the Chic stick. Not so much because it was her favorite, but because that is what we had left. It worked out well, however, since her book bag is black and white as well. It was a perfect match.
I have to say, that it seemed silly to worry about the color of your lip balm package when I first saw these new sticks. However, after using them this winter, I have discovered that I absolutely LOVE it. Now, we don't have to worry that we are using the wrong stick. With chapped lip season coinciding with cold and flu season, there is no need to take the extra risk of using someone else's Carmex.
In fact, I love these new sticks so much that I actually bought several as gifts for teachers, co-workers, and friends. They made great stocking stuffers and would have been great for Valentine's gifts for teachers as well.
My only problem with these new lip balms - it seems like they don't have as much lip balm in them. They've run out of goodness and I've had to buy replacements already. To be honest though, it may just be the ridiculousness of this winter. I might be using lip balm even more than I ever have before.
Now that spring is fast approaching (I hope!), maybe Carmex will even come out with some new summer sticks. I know I'll be on the lookout for them!
*Disclaimer - Carmex sent me samples of this product to facilitate my review.
PS - If you haven't tried the healing lotion and cream from Carmex, you should! It is hard to find, but definitely worth the effort. (I've only been able to locate it in CVS.)
This morning, as I was browsing Facebook, I came across this video. (Warning: Video contains profanity that is "bleeped", but not that well.)
I was shocked at the range of emotions that it brought up. I laughed. I was impressed with her fearlessness. I thought, "There's no way I'd show my muffin top intentionally!" I was frightened. I was inspired.
Here's the thing. I exercise regularly. I generally eat healthy foods. It doesn't matter. I still have a muffin top. I keep it tucked away under long shirts whenever possible, but occasionally it does sneak out to be seen. It isn't something I'm proud of. It isn't how I'd choose for my body to look. It is however, my body. It is something I need to learn to accept and even love - if not for myself, then for my girls.
While I try very hard not to say anything about my body around my girls, I think they can sense my body issues. Kids are smart. They don't need me to say anything. Little actions (or inactions) are all they need to know that I'm not happy with the way I look. The problem is that I want them to be happy with themselves. I want them to love their bodies now, when they are teenagers, and when they become adults. I don't want them to be self-conscious. I don't want their body images to interfere with their relationships and happiness. In order for them to have that confidence. I think I need to develop more of my own.
Obviously, not all of a child's body image comes from her parents. Kids are exposed to the message that weight loss is important on TV, in movies, on the radio, and just about everywhere else you look. My girls aren't big TV watchers. Recently, they've begun watching MeTV on the weekends though. (They love Leave It To Beaver!) At the start of the new year, every commercial on MeTV seemed to be about weight loss. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, and local gyms advertised during each and every two minute break. A few weeks ago, Pumpkin asked if she could sign up for Nutrisystem because she needed to lose 15 lbs.
What?!
She's 8. She's not even close to overweight. If she lost 15 lbs, she'd probably die. My heart broke at the thought that she might be even a little serious.
Her comment led to a talk about weight, bodies, shapes, sizes, exercising, and good food choices - all stuff we've talked about before. She seemed like maybe she was just saying it for shock value. (She's my child that likes to get a reaction from people.) However, I do worry about her especially. I'll never forget the day that she came home from 3 year old preschool and said, "Sara (name has been changed) and I are the fat girls in our class."
Again - What?!
She didn't say it with any real emotion. She said it as if it were fact. I don't know who told her that, but obviously someone had. We had never used the word "fat" in our house. I wasn't even sure if she knew what it meant. Ever since that day I've watched her carefully because I knew that a seed had been planted. One million people can tell her from now until forever that she isn't fat, but if she is anything like me, she will remember the one person that said she was louder and more clearly in her head.
How do you drown out that voice that tells you that you aren't good enough?
I don't know that you can ever really eliminate that voice, but hopefully my girls will be able to at least hear the other voices that are kind, loving and accepting. With that love and acceptance I hope they develop a desire to take care of themselves with healthy food choices and an active lifestyle. Then, when they're doing the best they can for themselves and enjoying their lives, I want them to look in the mirror and be proud of who they are. My girls are beautiful and they always will be, regardless of their sizes, freckles, blemishes, etc. They each have a big heart, amazing sense of humor, and a mind (and body) that will take them anywhere they want to go! That is something to be grateful for!
Crystal Farms recently launched the latest cravable innovation for snacking: Nibblers, a new line of bite-sized, 100% real cheese snacks that provide a bold and unexpected flavor experience in every bite.
Nibblers come in 1.5-ounce stand-up bags and are available in four flavors, including Smoky BBQ seasoned Cheddar cheese, Habanero seasoned Pepper Jack cheese, Chipotle Pepper seasoned Cheddar cheese, and Sour Cream & Onion seasoned Monterey Jack cheese.
Each of the conveniently-packaged single-serve bags contain 9-10 grams of protein, so they’re an excellent option for giving you and your family the energy you need while snacking on the go. Perfect for the busy fall, back-to-school months!
Crystal Farms recently (or not so recently - I am a little slow in posting this review.) sent me several packages of their new Nibblers to try and review. As soon as I received them, I quickly opened the Habanero package to give it a try. I love spicy foods, and this snack didn't disappoint. With a slight kick and amazing flavor, I was immediately appreciative that I was selected to try this new product. Unfortunately, Pumpkin also loves spicy foods, so I didn't get to enjoy as much of the Habanero Nibblers as I would have liked. She ate more than half of the first package we opened, as well as the second. We both especially loved eating them between Triscuit crackers. Something about the combined tastes and textures just made them seem like the perfect fit.
I'm not going to lie. I was a bit hesitant to try the Smoky BBQ and the Sour Cream and Onion Nibblers. For some reason, while I enjoy both of those flavors in potato chips, I was a little apprehensive about how they might taste in cheese. In fact, I actually waited until we had guests over to break these flavors open. Being unsure if I would like them, and not wanting to waste them if I didn't, I figured the best way to make sure they were eaten was to share them with a larger group of people. As it turned out, I didn't need to worry. Each flavor found a person that could appreciate it. Even I found the flavors to be quite good - though not as good as the Habanero were to me. While I couldn't sit and eat an entire package of the other flavors, I could definitely enjoy sharing a package with Doc, Peanut, or Pumpkin.
In addition to eating these Nibblers as a quick and easy protein filled snack, I've also discovered something else about them. They are a quick and easy way to spice up a meal. A little melted Smoky BBQ cheese on a burger or chicken sandwich really adds flavor! Chipotle Pepper cheese is great on tacos - though I think it would also be good on a burger or sandwich. There's no need to put dressing on your salad if you crumble some Nibblers on top. The flavors allow you to switch up your salad routine without investing in a refrigerator full of dressings (and all the calories that come with them).
Now, if only Kroger would start to carry Crystal Farms Nibblers, then I'd be one happy girl.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was sent a sample of the product and asked to provide an honest review.
