Fig on a Stick

* I Might Be Done

2011-05-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

After the day I had yesterday I was ready to quit as a mother, and it continues this morning, yet here I sit doing less important things like trying to entertain readers. My intentions were to run a fun blog, attend blogger conferences, do fun giveaways and make a little bit of side cash, what I didn't for see is the horrible price my children pay. I'm not sure if it's the computer time or just some growing pains because in all honesty, I don't spend much of their waking hours on the computer but yesterday was one of the WORST. Yesterday was O's turn to cry all day, and today, so far it's been Mom's turn. So here it is. I'm not going to be posting for a while on this site. My kids are needing something extra at this moment in time and I've completely neglected my own family blog which is one of the most important things to me AND right now we are trying to launch our Noggin Rockers into the stores so we are tapped out as far as spare time. Thanks for your support! I so appreciate the little handful of readers I had. I could tell though that this just wasn't the direction I should have been aimed. Keep me on google reader if you want too. I may have a surprise giveaway pop up here and there. I do still find it extremely important to support local businesses and help them grow. Thanks again!

* Engaging Your Children

2011-05-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

We as parents know our children the best or we should at least. We should be able to spot their strengths and interests and help guide them in a positive direction with those talents that are starting to surface. For me i've noticed that my son has a great deal of energy and likes to kick and punch things. I specifically remember him having quite a bit of pent up frustration/energy, so I let him go nuts on one of those plastic balls you find in the big cages at the grocery stores. He punched and punched until his face was red and he was sweating, he loved it! I decided to help him channel this energy into something that was combined with respect and discipline Tae Kwon Do was just the answer. O's Dad (Big J) took Tae Kwon Do when he was younger and became quite good at it so he was excited to see O's enthusiasm at his first class.

The other day O and I were cleaning out the storage room when we found Big J's old Gee and sparring equipment, O couldn't wait to put it on. I think we found just the right summer class for O to enjoy.

CLOSED The Giveaway That Could Save Your Family's Life

2011-05-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is a no strings attached giveaway from P&GMS Perks & Gaither Maintenance Solutions to simply spread the word about their local growing business. Please take a minute to read these important details that could prevent one of the most preventable house fires.

Ask Yourself…
• Are your clothes taking more than one cycle to dry?
• Do you smell something burning when the dryer is running?
• Do you have condensation on the inside of your dryer door?
• Do you have a heavy accumulation of lint at the base or back of the dryer that you have to clean often?

If so, these are all signs that you must have your dryer vent cleaned!

With several years of experience Dryer Vent Professionals looks forward to tackling any problems you may encounter with your dryer vent or drying times. Using state of the art equiptment, we test, inspect, and clean your dryer vent to ensure the proper maximum airflow your dryer can posses. Here at Dryer Vent Professionals we take pride in our work and look forward to making you safe and happy!

Dryer Vent Cleaning is a simple solution to many common problems. You may want to consider having one of Dryer Vent Professionals technicians out to provide an inspection of your dryer vent to determine if the service should be performed. Drying times that surpass 35-40 minutes, clothes that are abnormally damp to the touch after drying, and a backdraft damper flap that does not open during a dryer’s operation are all indicators that a dryer vent should be cleaned.

Did you know?
· According to the U.S. Fire Administration there is an estimated 15,600 dryer fires annually with 15 deaths and over 400 injuries.

· U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends cleaning your dryer vent annually to prevent lint blockage that may cause a fire.

· According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers your dryer needs maintenance like any other appliance. In order to keep sufficient airflow around the heating source, lint must be removed from the dryer and vent.

· The proper type, length and installation are crucial to maintaining the proper airflow recommended by manufacturers.

· Dryer vents clogged with lint cost $16 to $25 more per month.

P&GMS is a full service maintenance company. They can do anything from dryer vent cleaning, yard maintenance, spring and fall clean up, and a full landscape design and build. If you check out there Facebook, you can see some of the designs Josh has done. He went to school and graduated with a degree in Landscape Architecture.

Giveaway Details:

The giveaway will be for one full service dryer vent cleaning (A $90 value) for those living in the Salt Lake City and nearby surrounding areas. Includes a full inspection of the vent and cleaning.

* Please go to their Facebook page and "like" it

* Share our giveaway link as your Facebook status.

* Leave your comment here that you've done so.

***Giveaway will close on Friday May 27th at Midnight, Good luck and help us spread the word.

* A Little Business

2011-05-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

So I had a friend come to me and ask me if i'd make the little flower girls head pieces for a wedding in the family. Of course I said yes but with that came the pressure to produce something the family would LOVE. I was kind of shooting blind. I didn't know what the brides dress looked like, I didn't know much more than the colors of the wedding. Thank goodness she provided me with the scraps from the dress maker. I'm used to doing my own style, my own colors and if people like them then great but this time around I had to make something THEY'D like. Putting yourself out there for criticism or judgement on a product you put your EVERYTHING in to can be quite nerve racking. This business is very personal to me and growing thick skin is difficult. Thank goodness I haven't had to deal with any negative issues yet but we'll see what the response is after the wedding.

* My "Woman Cave"

2011-04-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I know men need their space or "Man Caves", but with all the crafting that goes on around here I wouldn't mind a little extra space myself. This would be my ideal crafting hideout!

I would need a little bed in there for an afternoon siesta and a wine chiller and a great stereo system and of course a ton of outlets to plug in all of my gadgets.

I found this at Boxoftrix

* DIY Book Marks

2011-04-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

I Love this fun little craft from I COULD MAKE THAT since I read a bunch and sometimes the books aren't mine to dog ear the pages. What a perfect solution for us book worms!

I used to believe that a person could never have too many books, or too many bookmarks. Then I moved into an apartment slightly larger than some people’s closets (and much smaller than many people’s garages) and all these beliefs got turned on their naïeve little heads.

But what a person can always look for more of is really cool unique bookmarks. Placeholders special enough for the books that are special enough to remain in your culled-out-of-spacial-necessity collection.

Page corner bookmarks are cute, practical and deeply under-represented in the world. They’re easy to make, easy to customize, and will set you apart from all those same-same flat rectangular bookmarks. Corner bookmarks are where it’s at.

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What you’ll need:

pretty paper of cardstock weight OR a combination of plain cardstock and pretty, decorated lighter weight paper
scissors
ruler
mechanical pencil
glue stick
[optional] other decorating tools, such as crayons, markers, stamps, stickers, ink pads, embossing powder, etc.

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Putting it all together:

Below, I’ll teach you how to make two similar-but-different types of corner bookmarks. The first is a square overlapped by a triangle , the second is a triangle overlapped by a smaller triangle.

1) Ok, the very simplest thing to do is to cut a triangular piece off the corner of an envelope, and use that. Decorate it if you wish. If you want to get a bit more in depth, ignore the envelope method and move on to step 2.

2) On a piece of plain scrap paper, draw a square. Use your ruler so its sides are perfectly straight. Don’t make it too big – mine measured 2.5 inches x 2.5 inches, though you could go larger than that. Draw second square exactly the same size on the right side of the first square (so they share a side) and a third square exactly the same size on the top of the first square. You should end up with 3 squares that compose an L shape.

3) Using your ruler, draw a diagonal line across the uppermost square, from its top right corner to its bottom left corner. Scribble out the upper left half (now a triangle) of the square, as you won’t be using that part.

Next, draw a diagonal line across the bottom right square, from its top right corner to its bottom left corner. Scribble out the lower right half (now a triangle) of this square

4) Cut out all parts of the entire shape that have not been scribbled out. This should be a square with two triangles attached to it, one on the top and one on the right. This is your template.

5) Trace your template onto your pretty piece of cardstock (or onto the plain piece of cardstock that you intend to decorate), and cut the shape out.

6) Using your ruler and the tip of your mechanical pencil with no lead showing, score a line (make an indent) along the edges of the square that connect to the two triangles.

6.5) [optional] Cut a square of pretty paper slightly smaller than the one you used for your template and glue it onto the square portion of your shape. I generally do this if the paper I’m using is quite plain.

7) Fold one triangle inwards, so it covers the upper half of the square.

8) Apply glue to the underside (the side still facing up) of the second triangle, and fold it over onto the first triangle.

8.5) [optional] As in step 6.5, if you’ve used plain cardstock and want to glue fancy paper on top of it, cut out a triangle of the fancy paper that’s slightly smaller than the folded-over triangles of the bookmark. Glue the smaller triangle on top of the larger, folded-over ones.

9) Add any decorations or illustrations you wish. Use by slipping over the corner of the page you wish to mark, like a pocket.

* If It Weren't For The Ladies, You Wouldn't Exist

2011-04-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

For very long that is. If it weren't for the bees, over 95% of the food we eat would cease to exist. Scientists have tried to replicate the pollenating process without success. The crop dusting/pesticide application is killing them off rapidly. Bees are so important to our existence and for that we are doing our best to aid them in their process. Mr. J has been instrumental in getting those around him excited about this hobby of his. He's even motivated several friends to purchasing hives with him. Currently we have 5 hives in our backyard. Only one will stay here year round, the others are being relocated to different areas in the state once the weather warms up. We called some friends and family over to witness the "Setting of the Bees" (A process of delivering "loose" bees into their hive). Some were afraid of getting stung, others showed little interest but we did end up with a little gathering and they thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. This is Mr. J and a friend of his setting and documenting the process.

Honey Bees -

There are three types of bees in the hive – Queen, Worker and Drone.
The queen may lay 600-800 or even 1,500 eggs each day during her 3 or 4 year lifetime. This daily egg production may equal her own weight. She is constantly fed and groomed by attendant worker bees.
Honey bees fly at 15 miles per hour.
Honey bees' wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
Honeybees are the only insect that produce food for humans.
Honeybees will usually travel approximately 3 miles from their hive.
Honeybees are the only bees that die after they sting.
Honeybees are responsible for pollinating approx 80% of all fruit, vegetable and seed crops in the U.S.
Honeybees have five eyes, 3 small ones on top of the head and two big ones in front. They also have hair on their eyes!
Bees communicate with each other by dancing and by using pheromones (scents).
Honeybees never sleep!

Honey

Honey is 80% sugars and 20% water.
To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 300 bees.
A single honeybee will only produce approximately 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.
A single honey bee will visit 50-100 flowers on a single trip out of the hive.
Bees produce honey as food stores for the hive during the long months of winter when flowers aren't blooming and therefore little or no nectar is available to them.
Honey is the ONLY food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.
A typical beehive can make up to 400 pounds of honey per year.
Honey never spoils.
It would take about 1 ounce of honey to fuel a honeybee's flight around the world.
Flowers and other blossoming plants have nectarines that produce sugary nectar. Worker bees suck up the nectar and water and store it in a special honey stomach. When the stomach is full the bee returns to the hive and puts the nectar in an empty honeycomb. Natural chemicals from the bee's head glands and the evaporation of the water from the nectar change the nectar into honey.
Out of 20,000 species of bees, only 4 make honey.
Although Utah enjoys the title "The Beehive State," the top honey-producing states include California, Florida, and South Dakota.

Beehives

A populous colony may contain 40,000 to 60,000 bees during the late spring or early summer.
A honeycomb cell has six sides.
Bees maintain a temperature of 92-93 degrees Fahrenheit in their central brood nest regardless of whether the outside temperature is 110 or -40 degrees.

IN HONOR OF MY LOVE FOR BEES, I thought i'd share with you some of my fun bee finds on Etsy.

* We Don't Swim In Your Toilet...

2011-04-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

So this is the direction of my blog because it's naturally the topics that interest me the most. Topics that are environmentally conscious and reviews that have your health and family's well being in mind... which leads me to today's post. Reusable diapers. Don't worry, i'm not going to over load you with info on the best reusable diapers or the many brands and techniques out there for protecting your baby's behind, not today anyway. As summer approaches i'm shopping for clothing with UV protection built in so my child will be happy and healthy in the sun. With this came the need for the proper swim diaper for Violet. I hate those swim diapers that make you think they are absorbing but you don't know if they really work, you just trust the maker. Well here's the fact. They don't hold urine, they only hold solid matter. There has never been a disposable swim diaper made with a waterproof lining. YUCK, all those times swimming with a bunch of infants, we were swimming in their pee. So rather than tell you all the problems with disposable diapers I thought i'd tell you the solution! IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY, ha, I didn't even plan that.
Here are some great options so you can check them out and find just the right one for you and your little babe.

Iplay
$10.99

Bummis
$13.00

Imse Vimse

$15.95

One Step Ahead

$12.95

Monkey Doodlez (My Personal Favorite!)

$20

Screamin Deal!!

2011-04-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Have you signed up yet?? You should! Click HERE to sign up! There are a ton of deals that are all over the board for activities and services offering HUGE discounts. Today's really stuck out to me as i've been thinking about getting feathers for some time now. HERE I GO!!

Imaj Design

480 East 6th Avenue

Salt Lake City, UT 84103

(801) 674-5276

If you're up on fashion, you know that Bohemian chic is in. Channel your inner flower child with a fun new hair extension that puts other hair accessories to shame with today's Screamin Daily Deal. For only $25, normally $55, get a unique feather bundle extension and add some flare to your do from Imaj Hair Design.

A trendy and creative full-service salon, Imaj Hair Design provides their dedicated clientele with anything from fabulous haircuts to fun hair feathering to soothing facials for the full gambit of beauty services. Friendly, comfortable, and causal, Imaj Hair Design is known for their experienced and talented staff who simply make you feel at home the second you walk in the door.

Feather Hair Extensions are all the rage in the world of hair fashion. Coming in a variety of fun and flirty colors from natural shades that blend in with your hair to bright wisps that accent your fabulous cut, feather extensions are a completely unique type of hair extension. Acting as real hair would, your feathers can be washed, blow dried, heat styled, and more for up to 2 months of funky, fun style. Get your bundle, consisting of 7 long, flowy, feathers, gently attached to the base of your hair and walk out with fabulous new style.

If chic is the name of your game, let your inner Pocahontas let loose with some fine feather accessories with today's Screamin Deal. It's all about a style and fun at Imaj Hair Design.

* Crazy or Genius

2011-04-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Tell me what you think, Crazy or Brilliant??

2011-04-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is a post from one of my favorite sites for inspiration www.cynthiaoccelli.com

Years ago, I started practicing yoga. I am, by nature, very flexible, but somewhat weak in my upper body. I recall watching with self satisfaction as my classmates struggled and suffered while trying to slide into a split that I could drop into effortlessly. Yet, I felt envious when someone balanced their entire body on one hand and I couldn't do it on two.

Class after class, I measured myself against everyone else. On some days, I was more capable than anyone and that meant I was successful. Other days, I was the only one in class who couldn't do an arm balance and that meant I'd failed. This competition, existing only in my mind, lasted months.

Then, I discovered a book about the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga. It said that yoga done while focused on anyone other than the self wasn't yoga at all; it was ego. Since then, I've worked to "stay on my own mat", concentrating all my attention on my own practice. No matter how full the class is, I am alone.

As I reclaimed my attention and focus, I became even more flexible and my ability to lift myself with my arms quickly developed. Soon, I was taking advanced classes and feeling better than I'd ever felt. My whole practice, body and sense of self changed.

This lesson applies to life. There will always be someone richer, poorer, older, younger, prettier, less attractive etc. Measuring oneself against others, causes perpetual vacillation between feelings of superiority and inadequacy. It's pointless and detrimental because the energy spent on comparing isn't spent on bettering oneself.

There is only one competition and competitor, life and you.

How to stay on your own mat:

1) When you feel small because you're comparing your accomplishments to someone else's, acknowledge it and note that you are participating in your own defeat. Remind yourself that 100% of your power lies within and to access it you must, stay on your own mat. Redirect your focus to loving, improving and pushing yourself to the heights of your potential.

2) Know that there is no door closed to you. This applies to authentic desires, not ego based cravings. (Authentic desires endure and don't require anyone else to see them in order for you to be fulfilled. By contrast, ego based desires generally want to prove or show something to someone else. You are the center of your universe, there is no one more worthy of seeing your fulfilled desires than you.) Authentic desires are hardwired into you because they are the purpose of your life; they are always capable of achievement. Only you can close the doors to your dreams. Consciously work in the mind to keep them open.

3) When you find yourself feeling superior to others, shake yourself out of that delirium. Pride comes before the fall. Imagine pasting a bulls eye to your forehead and running around an archery range. Self aggrandizement draws negative attention from the universe and world because it is an act of separation. Life, science, spirituality and babies teach us that all suffering is borne of separation. When you have much more than others, share your wisdom, assets and love.

It is wonderful and just that those who stay on their own mats, competing only with themselves, are among the most successful and giving people on the planet.

Photo credit: Shunpikie

* I'm Still Here!!

2011-04-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still here I swear, i'm just finalizing all my tax info for my accountant. My goal was to post EVERY day and I haven't been able to do that. My brain seems to be full of tax stuff anyway so I wouldn't be very fun to read. Stick with me, i'll post in the next few days. We have an amazing giveaway lined up that you won't want to miss. This one could save your life!

* A Favorite On Etsy

2011-04-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Ruffled Begonia

This shop is such a fun one. She sells patterns for these darling items. Her material is to die for as well. I need to quit sharing these ideas and show you what i've made. For now i'll just sigh and wish for my magic genie to whip one up for me.

P.S I LOVE wearing aprons! I may have to make this for all the girls in my family for Christmas, cute right?!!

* Words from The Rawtarian

2011-04-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Article from The Rawtarian

I am basically 100% raw vegan. I do not cheat.

Am I one of those weird, irritating people that just loves fruits and vegetables? Well, I am now, but I wasn’t always this way. I used to hate vegetables!

Before I went raw, I absolutely loved chips and candy. I ate processed foods and loved them! I craved chips (All Dressed and Salt and Vinegar, mmm), donuts (apple fritters, mmm), muffins (lemon poppyseed or buttery blueberry, mmm), pasta (cheese please), candy (sour keys, Nibs, chocolates, mmm), and white bread products (doughy pizza bun, be still my heart).

But once I commited to going raw, I just gave everything up. Was it hard? Yes! Was it worth it, oh yes………Because after a month of going 100% raw my tastebuds changed and I began to appreciate raw foods and vegetables.

You see, back when I wasn’t raw and I ate all those very delicious (but kind of disgusting when you think about them) products, my tastebuds were used to all that processed food. I craved processed food, and food like fruit and vegetables just tasted bland, boring, and bitter to me.

Enter raw foods…

My journey into raw foods didn’t happen overnight. I was vegetarian already, but, as you can tell, I ate lots of junk food. But one March I challenged myself to go 80% raw. I did it. But then for the next five months I only ate about 50% raw, but I didn’t think about food too much. Then one day I just decided that I felt like crap and I would go 100% raw, and I did.

When I was 80% raw, I was sort in a detox-state, and I didn’t really know what was going on. Fruits and vegetables tasted alright, I guess. I didn’t get excited about them though.

When I went down to 50% raw, eating fruits–and especially vegetables–seemed like a chore. I did it anyway, but I wasn’t happy about it. I certainly didn’t ever enjoy eating a salad.

When I went 100% raw (with absolutely no cheating) after about one month I realized that I actually liked–no, LOVED–some vegetables. That a tomato or an avocado with some sea salt on it was freakin’ delicious. I realized that my tastebuds were changing. I was starting to get excited about the salads that I had for lunch.After my first month 100% raw I was actually craving salads.

Things I’ve learned:

Eating SAD (standard American diet) foods screws up your palate and tastebuds. Don’t cheat and eat SAD foods! You are only shooting yourself in the foot. You have to give your tastebuds time to adjust and to forget the old SAD foods. If you keep eating SAD food you are making it harder on yourself.
You don’t have to love eating raw fruits and vegetables. You won’t love vegetables overnight. But you will discover them eventually. Trust me.
It’s all about flavour combining. Do I love to eat carrot sticks? NO! BORING! Do I love to eat a salad with shredded carrots, olives, fresh romaine lettuce, flavourful tomatoes, a delicious raw salad dressing and slices of avocado? HELL YES! See the difference? It’s about combining foods to make them tasty.
You’ve got to bring raw food with you whenever you go out. Make sure you have some trail mix or easy to eat fruit (bananas or apples) with you, because hunger strikes anywhere. Temptation is the worst for me when I’m out of my house.
Yes, temptation still exists. But it’s not worth it! And don’t forget that.

The #1 reason why I don’t cheat and eat SAD foods is because I don’t want to screw up my palate. I see my going 100% raw as an investment, and I don’t want to throw it down the tubes for a bag of chips.

Photo credit: Mouth suicide

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She has me ready to switch to raw after seeing some of her recipes. Check these out!

* I Have A Thing for These Pillows

2011-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Bolster pillows get me excited to sew. I love pillows all together, I have a TON on my bed. Drives the husband nuts but it just feels so cozy and luxurious when there are a ton of pillows on the bed. He's not too excited about my new found love for bolster pillows. Here are a few of my favorites.

or this one from Grace Happens

* Nothing But Soap Winner

2011-04-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

And the winner is........

SherryE who said...
I have been dying to try her products.I friended her on facebook and post this page to my facebook wall.I have yeast syndrome which makes me highly reactive to chemicals so I try to use only natural and organic whenever possible.Giveaways and samples or try me sizes are wonderful as I have purchased so much that i am not able to use and this way I can see if I will be able to use it w/o incurring much cost as I am unable to work due to the severity of my condition.Thank you so much for making this giveaway possible and considering me.

***Please contact Amber from Nothing But Soap within the next 24 hours to claim your prize. Thanks for entering and supporting our little operation!

* Fun Easter Treat

2011-04-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

You guys HAVE to head over to Scissors and Spatulas and see this fun recipe for some Jelly Bean Bark

I'm keeping this one on the MUST MAKE list for Easter this year. Super easy and it looks yummy! I'm a huge fan of white chocolate.

* Hmmm

2011-04-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

So, I love to blog, that's a given. I've been doing it for my family for years now most of which was done totally private, no one looking in. Now that i've started a public blog I seem to have a bit of stage fright, i'm used to blogging without boundaries totally uninhibited. I guess i've just got cold feet. I'm not lacking personality by any means, i'm just trying to get comfortable with being on display for all to read, attempting not to offend anyone, attempting to not boast or give off the impression that I "do it all", because let's face it, NO ONE DOES IT ALL. When attempting to do it all you'll find that there will always be some part of your life that is being neglected i.e house, meals, laundry,children (let's hope not). Like most days the part that's being neglected is my house. I live in a very small house with a very inconvenient floor plan, my children play in the family room so any guests that come to my house get to see my cluttered living room right as they walk in the door. It's just my reality that until we are out of the baby stage I will just deal with the untidiness. That leads me to my next thought on my mind. What kind of image do I want to portray? We all have this image that we want people to see, it's called our front stage, it's the image where all of our kids are dressed perfectly with hair done neatly, our house cleaned to perfection, not one grey hair on our heads, our shirts pressed and our outfits accessorized, happy smiling faces and on our best behavior. This is the small portion of our lives that are on display for others, to judge and make assumptions about the rest of our daily life. Our backstage or behind the scenes life is the reality, it's what others DON'T see, the stuff that happens behind closed doors, this part of life is messy, loud, chaotic and sometimes stressful but it's the REAL part of life. It isn't fair to compare our backstage life to someone else's front stage , but it happens all the time. When doing this kind of comparison we begin to feel inadequate so we push ourselves to do more and take on more in order to keep up the image we see others portraying. The result of this only perpetuates more stress, neglect of our daily duties and more inadequacy. We all have the same 24 hours in the day and we are all moving as fast as we can throughout the day, no one is doing MORE than you are. I hope to give a realistic picture of myself and my life on this blog, I know you care because your nosey like that ;) Let's face it, we are all interested in other's lives, that's why we read blogs right? Thanks for hanging in there with me as I discover my comfort level and let loose. I can't wait to bring you all of my favorite things here on my little page of life. I hope to teach you some interesting things and inspire you just a little. I'm fulfilling myself and giving myself a much needed outlet so this blog is already a success! Thanks for joining me on my journey!

* BDG

2011-03-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

BDG. A concept taught to me by my sister who I love and respect. She's a Yoga instructor and a very good one. I believe this was an idea taught to her in one of her classes. The idea is to speak out loud three things. The first is to Brag about something in your life, something personal to you, something about YOU. The next things is to say out loud something that you Desire, whatever it is that you've been wanting lately, spiritually, physically, materialistically. The final thing is to say out loud something you are Grateful for. This is such a good way to bond as a group when the setting is right or to start your day off with a full heart and with intention of making your desires come to fruition. Saying them out loud has a much more dramatic effect on the body than just thinking them in your head. I try and do this with my family as often as I remember. The answers can be the same or different every time. You shouldn't have to think too long about the answers. In the beginning this might be difficult for you but after a few times, the answers should flow easily. You can comment on your BDG for the day or just hear mine. Here goes.

B= I love my long thick dark hair
D= I desire to be less fearful in my daily life, I don't want to feel held back by fears, fears relating to my children and to my personal growth and advancement.
G= I am grateful for a healthy mind that can push my body to be stronger and healthier.

I hope this inspires just one of you and I hope you share the concept with others. If not, i've done mine for the day so my day can start off aimed in the right direction.

Namaste

Photo is: Praying Hands statue in Webb City, Missouri

* I'm Pondering Making this Dress

2011-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

WOW!

How adorable is this jersey knit dress by Cami over at Tidbits?!!

Jersey Knit Dress Tutorial

Love the tie in the back, the rosette in the front, and the “party in the back”!

So BEAUTIFUL.

CLOSED Nothing But Soap Giveaway!!

2011-03-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!! I've been looking forward to this one for a while now. NOTHING BUT SOAP giveaway. I use her dishwashing detergent faithfully as it seems to be the ONLY thing that doesn't leave white film over our dishes and we've tried EVERYTHING! She has an amazing line of all natural products and i'm so excited for you guys to get the chance to try this out for free. I know you'll be coming back to her store to purchase more once you have a chance to see how well they work.
Here are a few words from Amber the owner regarding her line.

My name is Amber Perks and I am the owner of Nothing But Soap. I have been committed to making all natural cleaning products. I currently make laundry soap, dish washing soap (for your automatic dishwasher), lemon cleaning scrub (replaces your ajax) all purpose cleaner, and carpet deodorizer. I participate in many craft shows and boutiques in the Salt Lake City area and I currently sell my products in 12 store fronts.

You can shop online at www.scrubnaturally.com and http://www.etsy.com/people/ScrubNaturally

I have also started using a new email address. For any questions, please contact me at nothingbutsoap@scrubnaturally.com

Today, Nothing But Soap, is giving you the chance to win a package of laundry detergent (your choice in scent **See photo) simply by "friending" her Facebook page and then make a comment here stating that you've done so. Please make sure you are following us as well so we can keep you updated once we've chosen a winner. The giveaway will end on Monday, April 4th at midnight. Extra entries will be awarded to those who post this to their Facebook page. Good luck and I cannot wait for you guys to try her out! Best stuff out there, trust me!

* Bugs and Blooms Bowtique winner is.....

2011-03-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

Jackie!!! Congratulations! Thanks to all of you who entered and continue to support our ever growing operation around here. Thanks for spreading the word and making this a fun past time for me. If you know anyone who would like to promote their items, please let them know they can contact me. I love helping out small business owners!

* Big O's 4th Birthday

2011-03-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a BLAST!! O has been anticipating this day ALL month LOOONNNNGGGGG. At the end of every day starting on the 1st of March we would check off each day as we watched his birthday grow closer and closer. He started to get really naughty and noisy as his birthday approached, I had to put him in time out a bunch of times and finally he broke down and said, "MOM, I'M JUST EXCITED FOR MY PARTY, THAT'S WHY I'M BEING CRAZY!!". I've never felt so relieved in my life. For a second there I thought that he was turning absolutely nutsy. I also felt really bad for not seeing this in the first place. After that, I just let him go crazy and make all the noise he wanted. The boys arrived and were greeted at the door with their own personalized cape and matching mask. They played for a little bit in the basement. Meanwhile, Jesse was putting on his bad guy clothing (all black). I had all the boys go in the backyard armed with their cans of silly string not knowing when or where this "bad guy" was going to come from. All the sudden Jesse bursts through the back gate yelling and scaring the boys, they reacted so cute. They all started screaming and spraying him with their cans of string. I've seen some fun things in my life but seeing my son's face today has topped the list. Pizza came and we all came in for lunch. After lunch we opened presents and then went downstairs for some pinata whacking. I had Owen decorate his pinata this year (I added a few of my own artwork, if you could call it that). I thought it would be another fun tradition. It turned out really funny looking but no one cared and Owen loved it! I filled it with assorted tootsie roll stuff and sticky frogs, lizards and hands. We then enjoyed cake and ice-cream which was MARVELOUS! I couldn't have asked for a better day for my son. The weather held out long enough for us to have a blast outside. All the running around and chaos to get all the details in order was so worth it for my precious son. Thanks for letting me take a minute to rave about our day!

* Bikram Beginning

2011-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been running again and my knees are starting to suffer. I've had to take a break from pushing the pavement in order to let my knees heal. I have to do something, I can't just sit here and let my body get soft and weak. My friend suggested I join her at Bikram Yoga. I've found the early morning workouts are just the key to starting my day off right. I feel good all day long and I have more energy despite the fact that i've gotten a little less sleep the night before. 6:00am class came REALLY early but I enjoyed it so much. They crank up the heat and you endure 26 poses through a head to toe drenching sweat. I wouldn't call it very intense Yoga but combine it with the heat and you have one amazingly cleansing experience along with some serious bone realigning. My knees hurt so much less today and I cannot wait to go back. For those of you in this area, they are offering a new student introductory rate of 10 consecutive days for $20. I highly recommend it, even if you've never done one Yoga pose in your life. Contact me if you'd like the address of the studio I attend.

Fact: It has been scientifically documented that Yoga has the ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.

In honor of my new found love of Yoga, I thought i'd let you know about several amazing offers from one of my favorite companies.

$20 off plus Free Standard Shipping on all orders of $100! Hurry, limited-time offer valid 3.25 to 3.27.11!

Gaiam's Green Sale! Save 25% off all-natural Bedding Basics: comforters, pillows and mattress pads. Hurry, inventory is limited - sale ends 4.15.11

Final Days! Save 30% off Marisa Tomei hoopBody Kit - sale $27.98, was $39.98. This product will be discontinued on 3.31.11. Hurry and purchase your very own today!

CLOSED Giveaway

2011-03-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Our giveaway today is brought to you by Bugs and Blooms Bowtique. This little shop produces some of the cutest things, she's very creative. Today she's allowing one winner to take home 2 of her darling clips. Now just because you don't have a girl doesn't mean you shouldn't enter the giveaway, these would make darling gifts. She is very detailed in her work, every clip is done to perfection.

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES: In order to be considered for the giveaway, please visit her Etsy shop and then come back to us and tell us which is your favorite product. For an extra entry you can share this post on your Facebook page.
**Giveaway ends on Monday March 28th at midnight. Winner will be announced on Tuesday morning.