Free 20 page 8x8 photo book!

This coming to you from Shutterfly! My Coke Rewards members can redeem one FREE 20 page 8x8 hard back book without using any of their points. This offer is limited to the first 50,000 members only and the code will be emailed to you. It expires July 31st (11:59 P.M. PT). You can get it through Shutterfly.com or the Shutterfly Photo Story app for the iPad. Offer can only be redeemed once per account and/or billing address. This particular code can only be redeemed once. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Makes a great gift idea for family members.

Samsill product review via Shoplet.com

It's that time again! Another review coming to you by courtesy of Shoplet.com. This time it's for two products from the Samsill line they carry.
First we have the iPad holder case.

I love how well padded it is. Its comfortable to carry around.

It also has built in bumps that allow it to become a stand so you can go hands free.

There are two landscape positions to choose from. It's compatible with 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation iPads.

The front cover is magnetic allowing it to snap closed and shut off the iPad to save your battery. Likewise, when you open the cover you wake up your iPad. It comes with debossed diamond designs and bright colors to match your style.

It has the cutouts so you can still take pictures, plug in and access controls without having to remove the case. Overall, its great for protecting your iPad, looking great, and serving multiple purposes.
The next office supplies product I have to show you is the Office Binder with Label Holder. I use binders for so many things. I have one for my coupons, recipes, instruction manuals... They are pretty much everywhere in my home. I decided to test this one out for my new recipe book. It's sturdy. I love that I can open and close it single handedly. I'm often holding something or someone with my other hand so I can't deal with multitasking without a little help. There is a place on the side for your personalized label so you can clearly see what you have inside without opening it.

There is a pocket on the inside for loose sheets as well.

It opens on the left side with the curved spine that optimizes the ergonomics and prevents the spine from cracking and breaking quickly like others have a tendency to.

These products aren't the only things you can find on Shoplet.com. They have everything you might need for your home or business office needs. They also have promotional products to get your business name out there. They also now sell medical supplies. And lastly, you can also find specialized office stationary which does come from the UK.

My vacations end has come...

I'd like to think that I have accomplished much during my time off. Today marks my last day of vacation. I'm managing my husbands business, raising 3 young ones, and trying to keep a tidy home. I gotta admit, I just about broke down on day 3. It took several deep breaths and a moment of music while pulling an order for my absent husband to think of everything and get the emotions in check. It also took a text from my best friend telling me it would get better. Just those little things made the calm return so I could focus on getting every task completed.
I've accomplished more than I thought was possible. I pulled all but the latest order for my husbands business. And that's only because it came in late last night. I even took a chance on taking my kids to Target on a Saturday evening without losing my mind! We went to the park nearby on Sunday and I let them run wild.

Can you imagine how well they slept afterwards??

Monday, I got my sons stitches removed.

We went to the Lego store after I had a friend watch them so I could run errands. I needed a quick break away from them as I was feeling a little burnt out. My spirits always brighten after a trip to the local Lego store. Why? Because the employees are not just the guys stocking shelves. They are like friends! Taylor is huge nerd and I absolutely LOVE catching up on the news of what's what with him. Guess what?! New Ghostbusters set coming out next month!!

But I'm getting carried away with my nerdiness...
I've learned a few things during my time off. First off, I am WAY too OCD for my kids. I think I must have swept the floors at least half a dozen times daily. Secondly, I should face the music and realize that in between meals I'm lucky to complete one task. Thirdly, for every mess I cleaned, two more popped up. Mostly when I heard the silence. You other moms know what that sounds like. Its that ominous, up-to-no-good sound void. Every time I was busy with something, so were they. And the way they blame each other... Okay so its my boys. My daughter doesn't tend to get into things like they do. But as soon as the jig is up, fingers point and voices try to climb over each other until I yell, "Enough!" My oldest spent a lot of time filling up his bathroom sink with water and adding toys. My youngest and only little girl didn't want to eat very much. Things I used to make her all the time like peanut butter sandwiches weren't appetizing for her this past week.

She's doing a little more eating but not of the things I'd prefer her to eat. It was driving me insane when it all came together.
My best friend told me to relax. I did what I always do - laughed. Moms don't relax. They don't get real vacations. They sign away their lives the minute that test reads positive for a new life being made. They also lose that "perfect" body they had. I tried to sit down every once in a while. But then I feel lazy and tired and don't want to get moving again. So back to work I'd get. And then I ran into an old friend of mine. We hadn't kept in touch much over the past couple years but it was good to see a friendly face. He complimented me on how well I looked having carried and delivered three kids. And then he asked me something that most people don't. "What's your secret? How did you get back to looking so amazing, so quickly?" What I wanted to answer was the same way I do when anyone talks about how I look, "Oh you know, eat healthier and less while being crazy active!" But let's face reality and answer the truthful way, "Stress. I'm always stressed about something." Then came another question that gave me pause, "When you look in the mirror, what do you see?" I could've said, "I see an amazing nerd!" Which is what I tell people often. But again, deep down, I don't believe it. "A worn out mom." A tired, worn thin, stressed out, mid-twenties, young mother who struggles to be the perfect woman and do everything right. And then considers herself a failure when she can't meet her goals... 

This friend of mine often seems like the carefree, almost on the verge of being a hippie type but occasionally he says something deep and meaningful that makes you think. His response was along the lines of how sad it was that I don't see what others do, so clearly. And that it's a way of thinking embedded deep within the neurons that needs to change. He told me to instead look in the mirror and tell myself what I am. Or what I want myself to be. No, I can't tell myself to be the perfect balance of thin/weighted and have a good cup size up top. But I can change my attitude towards myself by telling my reflection that I'm beautiful, intelligent, and worth more than the time of day. I can also choose how to feel when others try to put me down. I can choose to accept their words for truth or say, "No. I know better and you can't get me down." His words sparked something that others never did. And now the encouragement that others have offered has new meaning as well. I may be tired. I might be stressed out. But from now, I'm going to think of myself more positively. And hopefully one day, I'll see myself through others' eyes. 

Day two of my vacation...

There's a reason why I can't share my bed with my daughter. Only 1 1/2 years old and she makes a queen size feel as small as a day bed! To get her to calm down and sleep, I laid her next to me and told her good night. Before I could finish my nightly check routine on my phone, she'd pushed me to the edge and was snoring like her dad usually does. Such a boss...

After getting her into her own bed though, I got to curl up in the middle of this big bed and sleep like a rock! Haven't woken up this late (7:30) or refreshed in quite some time. Vacations are amazing, especially the stay-cation kind. I'm not out spending money I don't have, I'm not going insane chasing my kids in parks... Though I am going crazy trying to juggle the activities of the day. We managed to get some schooling in this time. Then I attempted to organize everything for the yard sale I'm supposed to have tomorrow. I let the kids run around in the front until I got tired of trying to sort and yell at them for running too close to the street. Back inside we went when my daughter spilled her bubble wand and went to playing in the soapy mess. 

Since it was getting to be her nap time, I thought I'd lay on the couch and try to hold her until she fell asleep.

Mistake... I dozed off for a few minutes and all three kids ran to play upstairs. So glad they didn't get into trouble. 

Back to work I went. I posted an ad for the yard sale, posted a deal or two on the blog, sorted Legos for my husband upstairs, and what do you know? My daughter decided to crash on the couch after all. Score! Then the AC repair man showed up and told me how the previous tenants never used a filter and there was a build up causing issues. No wonder I feel like I'm in a sauna! After he leaves, I start making dinner for my rascals.

Each one wants something else. Then I made muffins for tomorrow's breakfast. I want to be prepared as I'm already planning to get the yard sale started around 7:30ish. 

And it's not even 8pm so I have to find more ways to entertain the little monsters. Until bedtime at least... 

Update since I typed the above... It's now 10pm and the boys are sleeping soundly. My daughter has my iPad and is still very awake. I made signs for my yard sale. 

I even managed to start typing up my latest review. We went to Target where I bought things using coupons and sales and came home feeling like a boss. But that's on another post... Why can't they all sleep when you, the parent, are ready for bed? Where is the Off switch?! Baths don't always work. Not fast enough at least. Here's to another successful day. And hopes for a better one tomorrow. 

What a day...

Today I got a taste of what a single mom must go through. I drove my husband about halfway to Houston (1 1/2 hours) to meet his best friend for a guys sleepover. The whole drive home I heard whining, complaining and crying coming from 3 backseats. 

"Mom, I'm hungry!"

"Mom, can we go to the playground?"

"Wahhhhh!"

"Mom, how much longer?"

I'm surprised I didn't end up with a migraine. I did catch myself gripping the steering wheel a couple times though. 

Upon arriving home, it was leftover pizza for lunch. Then my daughter wanted to be held for a while. She's going through a bout of allergies. We all watched tv for a bit and the sleepiness started to drift in on me. I decided to send the kids to play as I hate lazy little ones. I started researching deals and cutting coupons to stay awake. Next thing I know... Dinner time?! How did that happen??? 

Time to make pigs in blankets! It wasn't as much of a hit as I hoped but they at least asked for seconds. Then of course it's time to clean up which means baths for the boys. This also means cleaning the bathroom as they love splashing. 

Then my little girl wakes up. Dinner time starts all over again. The boys cry for movie time. 

I wish this was the end of my day. But this is my second wind. Teeth will need brushing, daughter needs bathing, one son needs sheets on his bed... 

My daughter, however, did bring a smile to my face. She's in love with shoes! So every chance she gets, she takes them from the closet and puts them on (even if they don't match). She loves to play dress up now too. 

Tomorrow should be a fascinating day. Not sure what we will do yet, but I'll do what I can to make it fun! 

Free DVD rental from Redbox

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Check out the movies available near you: http://www.redbox.com/

Growing pains

Today, while I was at work, I received urgent messages followed by frantic calls from my husband. 

My oldest son had hit his head on the table or chair and gashed the back open. The cut was about an inch long and fairly deep. Bleeding stopped rather quickly according to my husband but after finally getting me to answer, I knew it was bad. I consulted with my dad about if it looked stitch-worthy and he said yes. 

After alerting my supervisor, I left work early. I had to keep checking my speed as I was consistently hitting the 80+ mark on the speedometer and didn't want to add a ticket to my going-downhill day. In my mind I was arguing with myself. I was angry that I wasn't able to protect my son from harm. I was understanding that I'm not a god who can't save him from all pains in life. I was upset that my husband was panicking in the face of an emergency. I don't panic. I keep calm and approach things with a level head. And while I know not everyone else does, I will get frustrated with others for their panic. 

So many thoughts and emotions flowing through me at once. It was enough to take my light headache up a notch and make me wish I could've taken the Excedrin sooner. 

As I see the wound in person, I was completely convinced that stitches would be needed. There's no getting around it for something that opened that wide. My fear and anxiety were coming alive. A mother doesn't want to see her children in pain. Especially when there's nothing you can do to take it away. And what would the doctor say? Would he accuse me of child abuse? We loaded the kids into the van and drove to the local clinic.

It took about 2 doses of pain killer to numb the spot.

About 2 hours later, he had 3 stitches and had behaved so well I wanted to cry in pride. 

My little boy is growing up. I cannot stop him from getting hurt. I cannot wrap him up in full body protective gear and expect him to enjoy life. While my heart aches at his pain, I'm going to hug him and kiss his head while I tell him that he is my little man and everything will be okay because I'm going to be there for him no matter what. 

It's a Mom thing. 

Get a free Disney custom Family decal

http://buildyourdisneyside.com/#/ is the link. Hit Get Started. You enter your birth date, then begin the choices! At the end, choose "Order your free decal" on the lower right hand side. One per household! It takes about 4-6 weeks to arrive. And its completely free!

Happy Mother's Day!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day! I hope everyone remembered to get their mother something, at least a card. And/or will at least remember to call them and tell them how much you love them. I sent two cards to the most important women in my family: my mother and my great grandmother. I could not be the woman I am today without them. I plan to also plan to tell my Godmother (even though I forgot her card) that she has and always be an amazing influence on my life. 

Mother's Day isn't just a day to get gifts and cards for the women who were there for us all our lives. Nor should it be the only day of the year that we treat them special. It's just the one time designated to honor them for their hard work and dedication. 

This Mother's Day, I want to give a shout out of love to some of the women I'm blessed to have in my life and have known for so long: 

Robin Carter - my mother

Bonnie Mouhart - my great grandmother

Ava McDaniel - my Godmother

Sandie W. - my "Grandmother" who adopted me in like family and always listens

Sue Lounsberry - my mentor

Jean Wombough and Dawn Walton - encouraging Christian voices reminding me to walk in God's ways

These women aren't all related by blood, but if I picked my family, they would be among them. 

Be thankful and voice the love you feel for the women in your life. Not just tomorrow, but everyday.