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Beware of Homemade Slime

homemade slime

I’m writing this to let you know our experience with homemade slime. I am not a doctor or a scientist or a chemist. I just don’t want what happened to my daughter to happen to anyone else.

If you have elementary age kids, you are probably familiar with the current slime obsession. My daughter and her friends became obsessed with it a few months ago and couldn’t get enough of it. So much so that they decided they would start making it themselves at home, a simple endeavor providing you have the right ingredients.

Basically, homemade slime consists of:

Borax
White Glue
Water
Shaving Cream
Food Coloring (optional)

You might have also heard how stores can’t even keep enough glue in stock. True story… we had a horrible time finding Elmer’s Glue at our local Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Target.

There are variations of the above for sure, but these ingredients are what my daughter and her friends were using to create their slime.

We are a pretty healthy family. We get our flu shots each year and my kids have never had strep or flu or bronchial illnesses. They have never had more than your basic cold that lasted a few days. When my 12 year old got sick, we thought it was the same basic cold. Symptoms were the same: cough, sore throat, stuffy nose. She was also complaining about headaches and general achiness. Assuming her symptoms would be relieved in a few days, we didn’t pay them much mind. Unfortunately, they didn’t go away. At all. Weeks later, we were still left wondering what on earth was going on. To the doctor we went. We had her take a throat culture, check her lungs, and ears and sinuses. She found nothing. Other than your basic cold symptoms, there wasn’t anything wrong with her on the surface.

You know how as a parent you just kind of the get the feeling that there is more to something than meets the eye? My husband was actually the one who connected the dots. He told me one night, “Do you think it could have something to do with the slime she’s been making?”

It was like a lightbulb went off. It kind of made sense all of a sudden. From that moment, we banned her from making, holding, touching or even looking at that darn slime.

The very next day, her headache went away. Her throat didn’t hurt anymore. She still had some congestion, but wasn’t coughing. Two days later, the congestion started going away. She was breathing better and talking better. No more achiness.

What the what??? Could the homemade slime have been poisoning my daughter?

Then this article started to make it around on some of my friends’ Facebook feeds: Schoolyard Slime Craze Risk to Children Says Experts.

So I started to investigate a little more about what on earth my child was getting into. What I found out was disturbing.

BORAX – From the website, CQ Concepts:

Boric acid, sodium borate, and sodium perborate are estimated to have a fatal dose from 0.1 to 0.5g/kg. These substances are toxic to all cells, and have a slow excretion rate through the kidneys. Kidney toxicity is the greatest, with liver fatty degeneration, cerebral edema, and gastroenteritis. Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be especially toxic to infants, especially after repeated use due to its slow elimination rate.

GLUE – From the website, Mediline Plus:

Symptoms of breathing in (“sniffing”) glue fumes may include:

Anxiety
Convulsions (from breathing in large amounts)
Drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance
Excitability
Headache
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Red, runny nose
Low oxygen level in the blood and organs (respiratory failure)
Stupor
Seizures
Coma

SHAVING CREAM – From the website, How Stuff Works:

Propolene glycol is a humectant like glycerin, but unlike glycerin, it’s more frequently found in antifreeze and brake fluid. Triethanolamine, better known as TEA, is an emulsifying agent, meaning it helps keep the oil and water from separating. It’s also a very controversial ingredient in the cosmetic industry because not only is it a skin irritant, but many formulas containing TEA are found to be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are linked to cancer. Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) are two more controversial skincare ingredients. These make a great lather, but they also have a number of health implications. Lauryl mimics estrogen, which is especially problematic for women, and laureth often hosts a known carcinogen called dioxane.

Scary stuff.

Toxic. Respiratory Failure. Seizures. Cancer. Coma.

No thank you! Can I ever be 100% sure that the homemade slime ingredients were causing my daughter’s illness? Probably not. But… one thing I’ve learned in 17 years of parenting is never to ignore your gut instinct… and ours said that making slime was hurting our kid.

All I can say is please be informed. What seemed so innocent turned out to be full of ingredients that are deadly. So even though these ingredients might have really had nothing to do with Lauryn being sick, the fact remains that these ingredients are dangerous and have no business being in the hands of children. Or anyone.

Have you had experience with similar symptoms? Would love to hear if this has happened to anyone else.

Recipes

How to Make the Best Coffee Latte at Home

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LatteMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

If you see me around town and I’m kind of grumpy, chances are I skipped my morning coffee. I rarely do but it does happen every now and then. I have tried to remedy this situation by prepping my coffee pot the night before so all we need to do is press “Brew” when we wake up. So far, so good. Since I work from home and don’t have time (or money) to spend at a coffee shop, I make sure I have what I need to make the best coffee latte at home.

How to Make the Best Coffee Latte at Home

Step 1: Start with a mug 3/4 full of your favorite coffee.

I love a good Colombian coffee. A medium blend is best for us since I hate weak coffee but I can’t stomach anything too strong either. I also hate fussing with things in the kitchen and when I want my coffee, I want it NOW. Flavored creamers are a staple in my house, but the new One Touch Latte™ from International Delight® takes your coffee to new heights. It’s the first frothing coffee creamer. How cool!

Step 2: Shake the One Touch Latte™ can.

Make sure to shake your can well so all that goodness inside mixes up right. Instructions are on the back of the can.

Step 3: Press and hold the can above the coffee for 5-7 seconds.

Check out the video below to find out exactly how to use these new One Touch Latte™ cans. It’s so easy that you will have a frothy yummy latte in seconds. You just press and hold for 5 – 7 seconds (but don’t insert the nozzle into the coffee). Not only does it look amazing… it tastes amazing. Each can has approximately 7 uses so stock up on all the flavors so you never run out.

The new One Touch Latte™ comes in three flavors: Vanilla, Caramel and Mocha so you can change your lattes up depending on your mood. I love a Vanilla Latte in the morning and Caramel or Mocha Lattes later in the day or in the evening. Yes, I DO drink coffee in the evenings and NO they don’t keep me up at night.

Morning Latte

Evening Latte

You can purchase these at Walmart in the milk/creamer aisle near all of the International Delight products.

I recommend purchasing all the flavors because if you’re like me, you don’t want to find yourself with an empty can first thing in the morning. It won’t bode well for the day. Trust me!

What is your favorite time of day to have a latte?

family organizing

Easy Refrigerator Organization

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OrganizeWithBrilliance #CollectiveBias

I’ve been struggling for a long time to try and figure out how to better manage the space in my house. We have a starter house, meaning when we bought it we only expected to stay a few years and then move on to a larger home. That didn’t happen and 3 kids later, we are kind of busting at the seems here. Closet space is limited, bathroom space is limited, and kitchen space… well, don’t get me started. We cook a lot and you all know how much 3 kids eat, so I decided the kitchen would be the first space I tackle in a big way… starting with easy refrigeration organization so I don’t end up running out of food on those mornings when everyone in the family needs lunches packed.

Part of the problem I have is that everyone likes different foods. My grocery list is ridiculous and although I always buy the staples I need every week, it’s inevitable that I forget that Lauryn needs juice boxes and Amanda won’t eat certain types of cookies. Temera is picky and if she doesn’t have her favorites she won’t take anything at all. And breakfasts… oh please! The husband needs his yogurt and gets annoyed when the kids eat it all and leave him with nothing. So I decided to start from scratch and empty the entire fridge. Take it all out, do a deep clean and then make that overpriced appliance work for me!

Now I only want to do this once so I went about this with the idea that what we don’t see in the fridge doesn’t get eaten. It gets pushed in the back and then when we suddenly need sour cream, we dig deep and find something covered in green mold with an expiration date from 6 months ago. Nope… not going to happen anymore. I knew that in-fridge storage needed to happen and I started with the 10 Piece Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ set. Why? Because I totally trust Rubbermaid® products and the BRILLIANCE™’s product features deliver in a way that other storage solutions do not. They are 100% leakproof, stain and odor resistant, they stack perfectly, and they are crystal clear! Meaning… we can actually SEE the food we are storing.

Easy Refrigerator Organization Steps

1. Take it all out! I mean, really… take out everything from your refrigerator. Have your kitchen or dining table free of anything else and have an area for each category (fruits, vegetables, dairy, snacks, breakfasts, etc.). Figure out what the best organization is for you and your family. I decided to have all my family’s grab-n-go items on one shelf smack in the middle of the refrigerator. That way, I won’t have to hear… “Mom, where is….?”

2. Do a deep clean! Really scrub that fridge down so you are starting with a spotless and odorless space.

3. Get your Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ containers ready. I cleaned all mine in the dishwasher prior to using for the first time. Yep… they are dishwasher safe.

4. Fill your containers and if necessary, label them. The Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ can also go in the freezer and since they don’t stain like other products do, you can go ahead and microwave those leftovers or casseroles right in the container. Just unlock the sides of the top before turning on the microwave. Tiny holes on the sides will let air circulate. Love that!

5. Start putting back your refrigerated products where you want them to go so that they are placed exactly where you will be able to see them and have easy access.

6. Stand back and look at how beautiful your refrigerator is. Your family will be so impressed!

While I DID get rid of a lot of old and outdated items, I found that the containers actually made the refrigerator look less crowded overall. And when you can easily see what you have, it makes it much easier to know what you need. I have found that when I give my kids their own grocery list to fill out, I can actually limit my shopping to once a week because I know I’m getting everything they need.

Print your own list and let each family member add to it during the week. (Click on image)

My family actually loved these containers so much they made me throw out ALL the old ones and just keep the Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ ones. It does make it easier to rely on one awesome brand that can be used for everything: refrigerator, freezer, shelf storage, microwave, and is dishwasher safe.

Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ is available nationwide at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon, and other fine retailers.

How would you use the 10 Piece Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ in your kitchen?

Learn more about Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

travel

We Took a Carnival Cruise – The Honest Review

Warning: this is a LONG post about our Carnival Cruise experience. There was so much to write about and I wanted to make sure you had ALL the information you needed. I am by no means a cruising expert, but I got tired of searching for cruise reviews and not finding anything specific. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back to it when you are ready to start planning your own cruise. If I remember anything else, I’ll add it in later.

I’ve cruised three times in my life. The first one just got my feet wet with a 3 day cruise to Mexico. We stopped in Ensenada, not a huge tourist destination, but it was fun and got me hooked on cruising. The second cruise I took was to Alaska. It was amazing, although I had three little kids with me at the time so all I remembered about the actual ship part was the fact that I was running after my kids the entire time.

The third cruise was this past December, a Carnival Cruise from New Orleans to the Western Caribbean. This time, the kids were old enough to have their own room, meaning I really got to experience the ship without being tugged on the entire time. There was a lot of good… and a little bad… and I kept wishing I had read some better written (and more honest) reviews before we set sail. Not that we wouldn’t have gone… it would just have been nice to be better prepared.

So, since nothing on this trip was sponsored, I’m sharing the things I wish I had known.

The Rooms

This was my first time sailing on Carnival. I’ve been on Royal Caribbean and Princess before, but the rooms on the Carnival Dream were the biggest so far. Our room had the two twin beds pushed together to make a king bed, and we had what could have been the 3rd bed as a sofa. What struck me most was that there were TWO bathrooms in the room. One had a sink, toilet and stand-up shower. The other had a sink and a tub/shower. Although it would have been nice to have two toilets, the fact that both my husband and I could get ready at the same time in the morning was a really nice bonus. The bathrooms are way too small for two people to be in at the same time. There were also two separate closets, another storage area where kept all our luggage, and an area with shelving for clothes. That was in addition to more drawer space and a desk. There was also a safe and a mini fridge. Pretty swanky. We had the opportunity to ask for bathrobes as well, but we decided we didn’t really need them. Oh yes… and the room had a hair dryer as well. One of the things I loved was the full dispenser of shampoo and body wash attached to the showers in both bathrooms. You don’t have to worry about carrying soap and shampoo with you… unless you want to. I still needed my conditioner.

My three girls had the room next to us. It looked exactly the same expect for the twin beds were left apart and the sofa was turned into a 3rd bed. Worked out perfectly!

One thing I wanted to add was that my in-laws were up on the 6th floor (we were on the 2nd) and they had a balcony room. Our room had an oversized window, which was great. It wasn’t a tiny porthole like we had on Princess, but they were able to actually sit out on the balcony of their room. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. How often do you really use the balcony? Unless you are spending the day in your cabin, it doesn’t get that much use. Also… the rooms with balconies were considerably smaller than our lower floor cabins. And they only had one bathroom!

The Food

Let’s talk food! When you are on a cruise, all the food is included. Kind of. There are other options for eating that actually DO cost money. On the Carnival Dream, there is a steakhouse where reservations are required. The price was $35 per person (not including beverages) and you could choose an appetizer, main course and dessert for that price. We thought about eating there one night instead of the dining room, but we ended up not doing it. The steaks that we had in the main dining room were actually really good. They were small, but the greatest thing about eating in the dining room or buffet is that you can order as many dishes as you like. If you want two steaks, you can order two steaks.

There was also a coffee bar that cost you money as well. You know, for those of you who can’t go a few days without your fancy coffee house drinks. My advice? Get creative. We went into the buffet room and filled a mug with half hot chocolate and half coffee. Voila… you have a pretty decent mocha. And it was FREE.

Also at the coffee bar, they served gelato (for a fee). Silly really when you can go get soft serve ice cream (in a cup or a cone) 24 hours a day for free! Yep… 24 HOURS A DAY!

Okay, back to the food. You have the option of eating in the main dining room or eating at the buffet. There are also other included dining options like 24 hour pizza (and it was amazing), a pasta restaurant (also included) and a 24 hour deli. They had a Mongolian Wok during lunch and also a Tandoori place open for lunch on the back deck. Several of the days they even grilled outdoors… hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, chicken. Yum!

We decided to have dinner each night in the main dining room. The food was good… not great. Except for the night we were in Belize and they served lobster tails. Phenomenal. I was a little disappointed in the food to tell you the truth. I guess I expected a little better quality. The menu changed each night, although staples like salmon, steak, and chicken were available every night. The desserts left a lot to be desired. The chocolate mousse was great, the creme brulee not so much. My favorite meals were the lobster tails (of course) and the Beef Wellington. Delish!

We ended up having lunch at the buffet a few times… nothing special. Breakfast was the same whether you ate in the dining room or from the buffet. It really was just a matter of whether you wanted table service or to get it yourself. Bacon flowed freely… for those bacon lovers out there.

Like I said, the pizza was fantastic… and the pasta place was also a treat. The kids had reubens from the deli one day and said they were pretty great.

The Drinks

I am putting this as a separate category because there is a drink plan that you can purchase either prior to boarding or once you are on the ship. You have the option of a soda plan or an alcohol plan. For $5 a day (kids) or $7 a day (adults) you can drink soda until you float away. You will have to show your Sign & Sail card every time you request a soda and you’ll have to sign for it… but the only requirement is that you order sodas at least 5 minutes apart. They are on to you… they know you’ll end up getting drinks for everyone in your party and they are trying to avoid that happening.

The sodas on board cost $2.00… so if you are going to be drinking more than 2 or 3 a day, get the plan.

The alcohol plan costs $50 a day. On an 8 day cruise that will wrack up to an extra $400. Only you can decide if it’s worth it. The price of alcoholic drinks vary depending on what kind you are ordering. So… a regular drink can be anywhere from $7 – $12. If you are only getting an afternoon cocktail and then one with dinner, it’s not going to be worth shelling out the money for the plan. Believe me, I’m sure there were people who could have easily spent double that had they NOT gotten the alcohol plan.

So… water is free.

Not exciting, huh? Well, iced tea and lemonade are free as well and they are actually pretty good. I’m very picky about my lemonade but I really liked what they offered. You can go to the buffet any time of day or night and grab water, iced tea or lemonade. Even better if you bring your own water bottle so you can fill up.

On Board Activities

Each day you will receive a Fun Times newsletter in your room sometime in the early evening. This will tell you all about the next day of your cruise. If you are stopping at a port, you will get the rundown of when to debark and whether you will be leaving via gangway or tender. The tender is a boat that takes you from the ship into port on days when the ship drops anchor offshore. We only had to do this in Belize. It took about 20 minutes to get from the ship to shore and you will have to wait for a tender (boat) if there are a lot of people exiting the ship. The gangways were easier…you can get on and off whenever you like. More about the ports later.

That same newsletter also will list everything that is happening on the ship, from dining times to show times to classes and seminars and even movies.

One of our favorite things to do was watch the evening poolside movies. They had two different movies each evening and we would get blankets and lay on the lounge chairs on deck. Popcorn was free (as well as pizza and lemonade) and the movies were really good. One night was a double feature of The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.

The big push on the ship was the Fun Shops. There was a gift shop, a candy shop, and a jewelry store. The jewelry store was constantly pushing their diamonds and other gems. All duty free. Great if you are from outside the USA, but I didn’t see any better prices than what we get here. I did buy a pair of Swarovski crystal earrings, however. They were pretty.

I thought the shops on our Princess cruise were much better… more variety for sure.

Every day there were trivia contests in one of the lounges. These were fun… but when all you win is a ship on a stick, it gets a little old. There were also some music trivia dance-offs and a lot of singers/bands in various lounges throughout the ship. They were pretty good if you want to just sit inside and listen to live music.

We didn’t get to the karaoke room but if you’re into that, they’ve got it.

We did go to several of the comedy nights. They have two different types (the PG13 version and the R rated version). We took the kids to the PG13 shows and we all really enjoyed them. Very funny… much better than some of the comedians I’ve seen here in Los Angeles.

If shows are your thing, they have those too. We only saw one of the live shows and it was a country show… songs and dancing. Not a huge country fan, but it was great for what it was. My in-laws went to one of the other shows and said it was fabulous. You kind of need to decide what your “thing” is. Do you like live shows, comedy, movies, music? There is something for everyone but you really can only choose one or two a night.

All in all, the activities are only as good as you want them to be. If you like to meet new people and are a joiner, you’ll love them. I’m not a meet-new-people kind of person so I preferred to hang out on deck reading a good book. (I read two of them.)

Excursions

Where do I begin? Excursions booked through the cruise line are expensive… especially if you are purchasing for a family of 5. The good thing about purchasing this way is that if there is any type of problem at all (we had one of our excursion cancelled unexpectedly) you are covered. For instance, we received an immediate refund of our excursion fee so we were able to purchase an alternate excursion. You do NOT need to purchase prior to boarding despite the push to do so. You can purchase excursions while on the ship. They will just be billed to your ship & sail card. Another benefit in booking through the cruise line is that if you get stuck on a trip and can’t make it back to the ship on time, the ship will wait for you prior to sailing. They will not wait if you book on your own. Also, when you are traveling to a strange area, it’s kind of scary to book excursions on your own. We had never been to these locations before so I was wary of booking direct with these tour companies. You just never know what you are going to get. My in-laws wanted to save money so they ended up booking direct and honestly, it turned out just fine. You might not get the exact same tour but you’ll get something pretty close… or even better.

To give you an idea, we ended up not doing an excursion on our first stop to Costa Maya, Mexico. We took a shuttle from the cruise terminal to downtown… although the “downtown” was just a strip along the beach with a bunch of the same shops you can find in downtown Los Angeles. The small beach strip was crowded and it’s not fun being solicited the entire time. Nobody told us we would be near a beach (when I think of “downtown” I think shopping area away from the beach) so we all wore jeans and sneakers. Costa Maya IS a beach town… book an excursion or bring your bathing suit and plan on having a beach day.

Our next stop was Mahogany Bay on Isle Roatan in Honduras. Beautiful place… must nicer than Costa Maya. We had booked a zip line and beach excursion and it did not disappoint. You absolutely can book this on your own or when you arrive at the port since the zip line place is literally right IN the port. We went on 6 zip lines and it was crazy fun. These went through the forest (and were really high… don’t do it if you are terrified of heights) and the last zip line dropped you off right on top of the beach restaurant. We brought our suits and sandals in our backpacks (that we were allowed to keep on our backs while zip lining) and we changed and spent the afternoon enjoying the gorgeous water of the bay. Super fun day!

Belize was up next and I was rather disappointed. I always heard that Belize was a fabulous resort destination, but the port where we docked was NOT in the resort area. We had booked an excursion to the Mayan ruins. Our original excursion was cancelled due to lack of participation, so we booked an alternate and it was probably a good thing. We had a great time at the ruins and had amazing, knowledgeable tour guides. We got to see a good part of the city too. The ruins made up for the fact that the rest of the city wasn’t very exciting. If I went back, I would probably schedule a snorkeling excursion instead.

Our last stop was Cozumel. One of my dreams has always been to swim with the dolphins. When I saw that this was one of the excursions, I booked it immediately. Now, there were a few different dolphin excursions you could book and I chose the one that also offered free snorkeling and water sports as well as a buffet lunch. Please be careful of what you are booking. Turns out, the “swimming” with dolphins was only a “wading” with dolphins and if you wanted to actually hold onto their fins and have them pull you through the water you were going to have to fork out more money. Even so, the ones that did cough up the extra $25 or so only were allowed one “swim” with them. We had a great time and the dolphins were spectacular. We got to kiss them and pet them and feed them… but no swim time. Also, our “excursion” was set at 4 hours meaning by the time we actually arrived at the location and had our safety briefing where we received our flotation device (come on… we barely stepped foot in the water) and then grabbed some lunch, we had used up our 4 hours and we didn’t even have time for the water sports. Sure, they were free BUT you had to pay for the use of the snorkels (unless you brought your own) and the paddle boards, kayaks etc. I’m sure we could have saved a TON of money just waiting until we were in port and scheduling this ourselves. One more peeve… the buffet was supposed to come with all you an drink (alcohol included) and nobody even mentioned that you had to go over to the bar to get the drinks (away from the buffet) and there was only one drink that was free. A margarita. Sheesh!

Spa

I do love a great massage. Too bad I didn’t get one on the Carnival Dream. In fact, I didn’t get one on the Princess cruise either. Prior to sailing, I had booked a couples massage for our last day at sea. I though it would be great to really relax before ending our vacation. While David enjoyed his massage, mine fell a little flat. It was relaxing, just not fabulous. I would give it a 6 out of 10. The real kicker, however, was that the spa got our appointment time wrong. We had booked it for 3pm and also got a confirmation on our first day for that 3pm time slot. The day of the appointment we got a call in our room at 2pm asking where we were. Huh? They told us to come to the spa right away. I was not happy as we were right in the middle of packing, but we went. The receptionist ended up giving us a 20% discount which was great… but I did NOT love the masseuses staring us down as we signed our receipt. FYI… 20% gratuity is already included in the price. Unless they did a phenomenal job (they didn’t) then don’t add any more to the tip.

My sister-in-law went to the hair salon twice and said she was happy with the service. The only icky part was them trying to sell her product. It’s a hard sell too… so be prepared to say NO. Or be prepared to pay an extra $50 for some special hair moisturizer that you will have to lug home in your suitcase.

Here’s a tip: save your money and grab a beachside massage at one of the ports. They were doing them at most of the places we stopped and I heard from other passengers they were fabulous.

Photos

Before you even show your passport and check in, you will be asked to smile for the camera. Photographers are all over the ship (and the gangway and the port) trying to capture all those wonderful memories you are making. Every single photo they take will wind up in the Pixel area of the ship… and you are welcome to purchase them for a small (ahem… large) fee. It borders on ridiculous. You’ll be eating dinner and someone will want to take your picture. You’ll be playing with your kids on deck and someone will want to take your picture. You will be asked when you get off the ship, when you get on the ship, photos with the Captain, photos with the pirate, photos, photos, photos. There are casual photos and formal photos. Make it stop!

We felt like we were always saying no to a photographer. We did end up purchasing the first photo we took as a family when we were boarding… and one formal photo of me and David, and another formal one of the girls. Lucky for us, we actually had a free photo since it was David’s birthday on board. The photos were okay. Good but not great.

Staff

Get to know the staff. The staff can make or break the trip… much like your waiter can make or break a dining experience. Everyone was very nice on Carnival, but there are definitely a lot of employees from other countries and many of them are not well versed in English. We had some communication issues with a photographer and one of the servers, but everyone else was friendly and spoke English well enough. The fun part was asking them about their home countries and why they wanted to work on a cruise ship. They are all very open to talking and getting to know you. Many of them have Facebook pages too so you can check out what other ships they’ve been on.

If you have questions about anything… please feel free to ask. I am very open to sharing our experience. Overall, we had a fantastic time. A much needed break and I really do love being on a cruise ship. Each one is a little different and there are a lot of choices out there. Happy to help if I can.

family

New Year – New Possibilities

It’s been a month since I wrote my last blog post. The thing is… I just wasn’t motivated. I also took a 2 week, much-needed, vacation. Offline. I don’t think I’ve ever been “officially” offline since I discovered Facebook. The problem with being on a cruise ship out at sea that doesn’t have free wi-fi is that you simply can’t connect. I was also told that the ports we stopped at (Mexico, Honduras, Belize) would all have free wi-fi. Wrong. None of those areas would connect for me. I gave up trying. And it was bliss.

The thing is… I didn’t really miss anything. After coming home and checking the thousands of emails that piled up, there weren’t any of them that were so important they couldn’t wait until I got home. Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Pinterest moved along fine without my presence. There wasn’t anything important that I missed. And that told me one important thing…

I waste WAY too much time on social media.

Of course, we all know that we waste too much time. This just confirmed it for me. I used to tell myself that it was okay to be online all day because I work in social media. I read blog posts for a living. I have a blog network on Facebook. I plan a blog/social media conference every year so I have to know what is going on. But the truth is… all of the “work” takes only a few hours a day… not the 8 – 10 (or 12 – 16) hours that I tell myself it takes.

Seriously, what I have been doing with my time?

I don’t like resolutions. Hate them, in fact. I’m not too keen on goals either. Most of those resolutions and goals that are set don’t happen and you end up feeling disappointed in yourself. So this year I’m not setting goals or making resolutions. I’m focusing on living my life with less stress and more joy.

I always used to come up with a word of the year. This year, I’m not doing that. My philsophy this year is going to be:

If you are looking for something (anything) that is going to make 2017 a better year for you, my advice is this: stop looking. Open your heart to new experiences as they come. Be grateful for what you have and for those that love you. Stop obsessing over money and weight and family and all the other things that you want to change. Don’t be afraid to say no. Don’t be afraid to say yes. Listen to your instincts and let them steer your path. Do what feels good and right. If you aren’t sure about something, take a pass.

Opportunities abound and as my brother (who is so eloquent with his minimalist words) wrote in his holiday card this year…

PEACE – LOVE – and POSSIBILITIES

family

Death Changes You

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Death changes you.

The title has been floating around in my head for a few weeks now. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. It was just a phrase that kept coming back to me over and over again. Back in October, we found out that my husband’s uncle had brain cancer. It’s one of those surreal moments that you don’t fully comprehend until one day you do… and it becomes more than real. It becomes personal. I never had a close family member die since I became an adult. My grandparents died when I was in my 20’s but that almost doesn’t seem fair… I don’t consider being in your 20’s an adult. There is still too much uncertainty… too much “youth” that lingers to be considered an actual full-fledged adult. You still think that you are going to live forever. Death doesn’t touch you the same way.

My husband lost another uncle a few years ago, but even that didn’t touch me like this does. This one is different. This one woke me up and made me question everything. If he could get brain cancer out of nowhere, so could I. So could anyone. And then all of a sudden I’m noticing people dying all around me. Young people, old people, children. Heart attacks, cancer, accidents. I feel it like it is it’s own cancer eating away at me. And once it touches the inside of you, you can never be the same.

I’m not afraid to die. I’m afraid of missing out on life. I don’t want to be that person that suddenly leaves the earth without having done the things I always wanted to do. I wake up too early and turn the coffee pot on. I let the dogs out and fill their food and water bowls. I wake up the kids and pack lunches. I shower and dress almost mechanically. I check my email and Facebook and head out the door. I go through the motions of life and then as I climb into bed at night I wonder what on earth I did all day. What made me so tired and why can’t I remember any fun thing I did? Oh right… because most of what I do isn’t much fun.

School responsibilities, work responsibilities, house responsibilities. Make appointments, get the tires checked, stop at Trader Joes for something to throw together for dinner, sit at the computer for 2 hours figuring out why on earth medical insurance is so much more expensive than it was before they “fixed” it. I waste a lot of time doing things all day, things that mean nothing in the grand plan. Because one day you’ll die and the insurance won’t do you any good and the appointments will have to be cancelled anyway and so what if the tire is a little low on air pressure and oh, isn’t it just easier to call out for pizza?

Bring the joy back. The joy of living. I can’t possibly read another book on how to be happy or how to be fulfilled or how to be successful. What I’ve learned is that what works for one doesn’t work for the others. It never does. We all live here on earth, but we are all so different. And it’s so much easier to be different than to be the same. It takes so much less effort to just be who you are. So that’s what I’m going to do… be who I am. Wherever that takes me.

I had 15 minutes to kill before school pick-up today and I went over to Hobby Lobby and bought a new scrapbook album and stickers. I’m going to start scrapping again… it gives me joy. It makes me genuinely happy to look back over memories of my family and to see how far my kids have come. Nope… online photos just don’t have the same appeal. I’m getting my camera out and I’m taking real photos of real memories and printing them to put in real books that I can manipulate and journal on and can pile up so they get dusty and be something my grandchildren and great-grandchildren uncover one day in someone’s basement or attic. And they will look at the photos and the journal entries and understand that there once was a woman who loved her children deeply and wanted to capture those moments in these dusty old books because it made her happy.

I don’t fear death but I certainly refuse to open the door and welcome it in. I believe in miracles and I believe in prayer. I believe that you can absolutely wish something to be true. So while I’ve decided that life is too short to worry about a sink full of dishes and a scratch on a car door, I’ve also decided that even though death changes you, it doesn’t have to be for the worse. Day by day. That’s all we got. Make it count.

family

5 Steps to Clean When Company is Knocking at the Door

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RollAwayLint #CollectiveBias

Since holiday season is upon us, I thought I’d share my 5 steps to clean when company decides to just stop by and say hello.

Shout it out! What do you dread most about the holidays? Come on, you know you hate when you get that call…

“I’ll be over in a few minutes. Can’t wait to see you.”

Panic time! My house is rarely company-presentable. The kids usually have their stuff all over our dining table. There are dirty socks on the floor in the living room. The dog hair is piling up on our corduroy sofa and there are dishes in the sink with the most stuck on gross food that I’ve even forgotten what we had for dinner last night. HELP! Never fear… I’ve taken cleaning up to new levels. My husband says nobody can clean a house as fast as I can (when I absolutely have to, of course). And because I know you’ll have your own last minute visitors this season, I’m sharing my 5 steps to clean.

BE PREPARED

The first thing to keep in mind is that if you can’t find your cleaning products, you will drive yourself crazy and act like a mad woman running around slamming cupboards and digging under your sinks. I always keep a little emergency cleaning kit somewhere within easy reach that has everything I need in it.

window/mirror cleaner – so surfaces will sparkle
paper towels – have a million uses
dusting cloth – for the hard surfaces in your home
Scotch-Brite™ 50% Stickier Lint Roller – for the soft surfaces. Get the new extra large 8″ roller – you will LOVE it!
cleaning eraser – for scuff marks
mini sweeper – in case you find a clump of glitter or dog hair hiding in the corner.
air freshener/fabric spray – because fresh is best

Ready to clean?

STEP 1 – Pick Up

I take a laundry basket and go around picking up all those things that don’t belong in my kitchen/living room/bedroom – or anywhere my guests might go. That laundry basket will get dumped in the garage or a spare bedroom until after everyone leaves. It’s usually filled with socks and jackets and school stuff that never seems to make it to their proper places.

STEP 2 – Dust

Take your dusting cloth and run over ONLY those surfaces that are visible. The others can be done later when you have more time.

fireplace mantle
coffee table
any other shelves
banister
picture frames

My husband always feels the need to clean the fan blades and the chandelier, which is great (thanks, Hon!) but it takes way too much time to do when your friends/family are driving down your street. Leave it for later!

STEP 3 – Roll

You know all those surfaces that dusting just isn’t going to clean? You will thank yourself for having a Scotch-Brite™ 50% Stickier Lint Roller on hand.

couch/sofa/loveseat – roll all the crumbs and dog hair away
tablecloth – if you have a tablecloth on your dining table like I do, you don’t always have time to wash it or grab another one.
bedding – I tend to throw everyone’s coats and purses on my bed and after the dogs have been napping on it all day, I certainly don’t want my guests taking home little pieces of them
carpeted stair treads – taking out the vacuum is a pain and way too time consuming. I go over the carpeted stairs in my entryway with a lint roller just to pick up the flecks of dirt that gather
curtains/drapes and even roman shades if you have them

STEP 4 – Mirrors/Windows

with your glass cleaner and paper towels, get the mirror in the guest bathroom
clean the faucets in the guest bathroom sink
any window that will be seen and used (like sliding glass doors out to a patio or deck)

STEP 5 – Make it Fresh

Let’s face it, there are always some funky smells around and when you don’t have time to do a thorough cleaning, you’ll want your home to at least smell like you did.

spray any fabric surfaces (sofa, chairs, bedspread) with fabric spray
spray your guest bathroom with some air freshener (or turn on a scented diffuser)
spray your garbage – don’t question if it’s stinky (it is) – just do it

I periodically replace my little cleaning bucket when I find great products and I’m so glad I found the Scotch-Brite™ 50% Stickier Lint Roller at Target. Love this and it’s been a huge life-saver. Target has a current Cartwheel Offer where you can get 15% Off Scotch-Brite 50% Stickier Lint Roller between November 20 – 26. Just in time for the company to come! 50% stickier means cleaning is SO much faster! Tip: Check out the end caps when you are going up and down the aisles at Target… that’s where they keep the clearance products and I’ve gotten some amazing deals.

Want another little tip: get the kids to help! Yes, I’m serious. Young kids LOVE to use the lint roller to pick up dust and dirt and it’s an easy way to keep them busy when you are doing the more serious stuff.

No more need to panic when the phone rings. Seriously, I can get this house clean in 15 minutes if I really have to. Want more ideas on uses for your Scotch-Brite™ 50% Stickier Lint Roller? Take a peak HERE.

family

Gift Giving Made Easy… and Thoughtfully

Thank you Gigasavvy for providing this product and giveaway.
All opinions and images are my own.
#GiftThoughtfully

I have never said that I am a great gift-giver. In fact, I struggle during the holidays because I never know what to get anyone. I have grand thoughts of picking out the perfect gift and then usually run out of time to shop and my good intentions fall flat. I scour the internet looking for the perfect present and I wonder how everyone else seems to handle gift buying better than me. And then I opened a Thoughfully box and was dumbstruck by what a perfect gift this was… for me and for anyone.

I love getting packages in the mail (who doesn’t?) and opening my Thoughtfully box felt like I won the lottery. I’m all about the tiny details, and the craft in this box was just perfect.

Thoughtfully.com is an online gift company that has a wide selection of fun gift boxes for every taste. There are gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for the foodie, and gifts that are just fun for everyone. Each box is unique and comes packaged so beautifully. The one I received was the “Sweet as Pie” box that came full of everything you need to bake your own perfect pie. The ceramic pie plate, the crust and seasoning mix, the recipe, and the pie server had our mouths watering. It even came with an adorable tea towel complete with the pie recipe on it and recipe cards.

And if you think this is all just a pretty box of goodies… try making the apple pie! It’s amazing! My kids said it was the best pie crust they ever had. And it came together so fast and easy. Just use your own butter and apples and the rest of the ingredients come with the box. Even if you aren’t a baker, you can’t possibly mess this one up.

Not only is this beautiful to receive, but it’s something fun to make. The perfect gift!

Check out all the other incredible boxes that Thoughtfully.com has put together so… well… thoughtfully!

GIVEAWAY! (Closed)

Want one of your own? Take a look at the Thoughtfully.com website and leave me a comment telling me which box you would gift to someone special to win your own Sweet as Pie box.

Open to U.S. residents only! Must be over 18 years old. Winner will be selected on Friday, November 25 so you can have your box shipped in time for the holidays.

Prize fulfillment will be handled by Gigasavvy.

Uncategorized

It Was a Lovely Evening

It was a lovely evening.

I don’t do many girls’ night outs, mostly because I don’t have a lot of girlfriends. I never did. I like having one or two good friends but doing the group thing never interested me. Get a lot of women together and it is bound to be a disaster. But I had a lovely evening.

A new friend of mine had invited about 10 women to her home last night. We all sat in a circle around an enormous fire pit and the cocktails were flowing. This group of women came from different areas of the country, held different jobs, and had different political views. The one rule of the evening was no talking politics. Guess what we talked about?

I didn’t hear any hate speech. I heard an awful lot of understanding. It was refreshing to hear women discuss the issues regardless of what political side we were on. Many of us had crossed those party lines to vote for the candidate who would do the best job. And many of us agreed that political parties were doing more harm than good.

I’ve been carefully scrolling through my Facebook feed. Since I work in social media, I have to be on all day long. I don’t have the luxury to just turn it off. I am truly horrified by what I see. People who have preached tolerance and love and peace for years have become tornadoes of hate and intolerance. I understand where they are coming from – they are upset and angry. But to blame half a country because they don’t agree with you doesn’t make much sense to me.

We needed change 8 years ago and we got change. We needed change today… we got that too. Obviously it’s not the change many people wanted. But then again… there isn’t any political candidate for President that would please everyone.

The same people who shouted that we should ALL embrace our President 8 years ago are now decrying, “He isn’t MY President.” You can’t have it both ways. Our forefathers set up this system of the electoral college. I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or bad thing… but it’s OUR thing. If it isn’t working out anymore, we need to let our government fix it. Yes… OUR government. Because like it or not, our government is more than just our President. WE all get to vote for our representatives. I don’t see riots in the streets over those elections.

I believe we all live in bubbles… we each have our own little world. We also each have to vote for what is going to be best for us. Some of us are fighting for equality, some of us are fighting for our jobs. Hating on people who are fighting for what they believe in is NOT what makes our country great.

I’m embarrassed by my friends (and family) who have said such hateful things… on both sides of the spectrum. I believe this is a great opportunity (no matter who you voted for) to recognize the outright problems in our society and do something positive to fix them.

Yes… we have racial issues and gender issues and immigrant issues and economic issues and medical issues. Politics and our beliefs aren’t black and white (no pun intended)… they are gray. Very gray. I have Republicans and Democrats in my family. I have African Americans in my family. I have Chinese in my family. I have Israelis in my family. I have gays in my family. I have Latinos in my family. I have immigrants in my family. We are truly a melting pot. When someone only sees the color of my skin, they aren’t seeing me at all.

We foster the most change in our own homes, our own communities. Start by teaching your children that we are fortunate to have different views in this country we live in. Start by telling them that we might not agree, but we need to be respectful. Stop making them fearful of being deported or being persecuted. When we live with fear, we say and do stupid things. Don’t preach love and peace and then turn around and say half of the country is stupid. Look in the mirror.

We had barely finished counting ballots when there was a call for impeachment. He hadn’t even taken the oath of office and there were riots and petitions and plans to get him out before he even got in. What does all this make us look like in the eyes of the world? You can’t change the rules of the game because you didn’t like the outcome. You’ve got 4 years to figure out if you want to make up a new game… focus on that. Meanwhile, let’s turn lemons into lemonade and work together to make the next 4 years amazing. I want to see our economy boom. I want to see justices on the Supreme Court who follow our Constitution. I want to see the eradication of anti-semitism and racism. I want to see true equality for women. I want women to be able to do whatever they damn well please with their bodies. I want to see lower taxes and business come back to America. I want to see exceptional medical care available for every citizen without it causing families to go bankrupt. I want to keep my own doctor. I want to see college become affordable. I want to be able to start a business and still be able to obtain a mortgage. I want everyone to be able to get a job and get off government assistance.

If a group of diverse women can sit around discussing the issues calmly and find common ground, why on earth can’t everyone else.

It was a lovely evening.

Recipes

Making Meals Easier this Fall with My New Favorite Products

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

Making meals easier this fall with my new favorite products.

We are a kitchen kind of family. Meaning… we all love to cook and we all kind of get excited when we find new kitchen gadgets and ways to make meal planning fun and exciting. We also LOVE to try out new foods and if a box of goodies arrives in the mail… well, it’s like a birthday morning.

What I love about BabbleBoxx is that I get the opportunity to learn about some fabulous new products and I had so much fun with this box full of awesome. Dinner was going to be epic… or at least, delicious.

Tastefully Simple Dinner Mixers

I’ve heard of Tastefully Simple before but have to say I’ve never tried it, which kind of makes me sad because their Dinner Mixers are pretty amazing. You get a meal starter kit that comes with recipe cards for a main dish recipe and a side dish recipe. You also get individual spice packets that you’ll need for the recipes. You add in your own fresh ingredients (so you can purchase locally and organic if you choose) and you’ve got a complete meal without having to do a lot of thinking, “What’s for dinner?”

When you order Tastefully Simple Dinner Mixers Kit, you can customize it based on your family’s preference. You get a choice of 3 – 5 recipe combinations and the options change every month so you’ll be able to create new, exciting, easy meals.

With my meal kit, I got a recipe for Creamy Wahoo Chicken. It was so easy to prepare and I used my crockpot so I didn’t even have to think about dinner during the day. I added chicken, a can of crushed tomatoes, can of cream of cheddar soup and the spice packets and at the end of the day, I had a meal that everyone in the family liked. I mean… really like. Loved. They loved it.

Want to try out Dinner Mixers? Use promo code DINNERMIXERS and save $5.00 at checkout through 11/15/16. We all could use some new dinner ideas.

Chef’n Kitchen Tools

Sooo… you may be thinking… “Those veggies look pretty good too.” Well, yes, yes they do! I used to hate brussels sprouts, but then again, I don’t think I ever really ate good brussels sprouts. I don’t remember my mother ever making them when I was growing up and I think I must have tried some pretty plain ones somewhere. Brussels sprouts are pretty awesome if you know how to prepare them right. I love them roasted in the oven and drizzled with some Ponzu Sauce. Super easy… and healthy.

Prepping them, however, takes some time if you are purchasing fresh, whole brussels sprouts. Luckily, I had this fun new kitchen tool to help out.

The Twist’n Sprout™ by Chef’n makes your prep easy. All you do is place the brussels sprout on the the tip of the tool and twist to remove the core. It also helps loosen the leaves for roasting.

We also recently started eating cauliflower. Chef’n makes another handle tool called the StalkChop, which makes breaking apart the cauliflower SO much easier. Those things are pretty difficult to chop up. The StalkChop™ quickly removes the stalks and strips florets. Cauliflower is great roasted as well.

Try out these kitchen tools yourself and save 20% plus FREE SHIPPING with code fallprep at checkout through 11/10/16.

Peanut Butter & Co.

How do you feel about peanut butter? How would you feel about Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter. You heard me right! We all know Fall is ALL about the pumpkin spice, so why not have seasonal peanut butter flavors. Peanut Butter & Co. just released it’s first seasonal flavor. The peanut butter is blended with real pumpkin and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to create this limited edition product. It’s amazing on apples, in recipes, or just eaten straight out of the jar. Go to town on those PB&J sandwiches! Made with simple ingredients and exclusively USA-grown, Non-GMO peanuts and contains no cholesterol, no trans-fats, no hydrogenated oils, and is dairy-free and soy-free.

Want to find some fun recipes using the Pumpkin Spice peanut butter? Check THESE out. Find out where you can purchase this seasonal flavor HERE and print your $1.00 in store coupon to use on this product and any other 16 oz. jar flavor.

Popcorn, Indiana

I’m ready for some snacks. When I found these Popcorn, Indiana bags in my box, I had to hold my husband back from grabbing them. Hard to believe, but there really IS a Popcorn, Indiana. This town has a population of 42… kind of gives new meaning to the term “small town.” They are the makers of the America’s #1 Kettlecorn that comes in a broad range of flavors. I got the Sweet & Salty, but you can buy Sea Salt, Aged White Cheddar, Movie Theater (how cool), Chicago Style Caramel & Cheese, and Smoky Queso. They also have Drizzlecorn® flavors including Black & White, Dark Fudge Sea Salt Caramel, Dark Fudge Pretzel & Dark Fudge Peppermint.

All their popcorn are made from non-GMO corn and contain whole grains. You can purchase them at national, regional and local retailers across the US and Canada. They are also gluten-free… totally need to mention that one!

Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes

And when you need to do some serious cleaning up… like wiping those popcorn-salted hands, grab a pack of Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes. Great for your kids and their messy little hands, but also great for adults. These wipes clean better than hand sanitizer gels, wiping away dirt and messes without drying the skin. They are hypoallergenic and contain aloe and lanolin, making them great for little hands AND big ones. They kill 99.99% of germs and come in 20-count travel packs featuring the new Wet Lock™ seal technology. I keep these in my car all the time, and my husband uses them to wipe down his equipment at work. He is a videographer and likes to wipe down his microphones since the people using them don’t always have clean hands. And they like to sneeze and cough all over them. Yuk!

Wet Ones® Hand Wipes are available everywhere. Find them as any mass, drug, and grocery store in three convenient sizes.

So, what do you think? Which product do you want to try out first? Remember, the coupons and discount codes are limited so use them right away!

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