I was going through my stash this past weekend and realized that I had a ton of stuff to give away this quarter. Some of the product I’m sent is for me and some is to give out however, with Hayden getting out of school in about a week, I don’t have a classroom to drop off some of the larger containers to. What does that mean for you? A giveaway! I have a gift bag full of goodies to give one of my lucky readers. Check out what’s in the bag:

• A regular size package of kandoo wipes
• a regular size package of fresh scent boogie wipes
• a Kandoo bath pouf
• a full size bottle of Kandoo detangler
• a bottle of Kandoo hand sanitizer
• 10 samples of boogie wipes (for your purse or diaper bag)
• and a couple of tattoos for the kids

If you have never tried Boogie Wipes, now is the time. My family and I love them and use them on a daily basis. My favorite part is trying to find other uses for them other than for the nose. If you’d like to win this prize pack, just fill out the giveaway tools form below to enter to win. This boogie wipes  giveaway is open to the US only and closes June 7th 2013 at 11:59pm est.

This is a giveaway of products sent to me by the company to give away as a part of the Boogie Wipes Ambassador program. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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An example of the predudice? Well, a couple weeks after I got engaged I was working (I worked as a shift manager at a local pizza shop) and because we were short staffed, I was also ringing people out in the front. It wasn’t that busy so it wasn’t a big deal. This nice Christian guy came in and I took his order. We had a nice interaction until he saw the ring on my finger…

“You’re engaged?”

“Yes…”

“May I ask how old you are? Because you can possibly be that old.”

“I’m 19, not that it matters.”

“I think it does matter. I am 33 years old and I just got married last year. I waited for God to send me my wife and we made sure that it was the right thing for us. When I was 19, I was no where near ready to make the decision that I made last year and I don’t believe you are either. Did either of you talk to God about this? I think you should both go to counseling with your pastor before trying the knot.. or at least stay engaged for a couple of years.”

Yeah, I was totally in awe too. Why would anyone feel that its ok to tell someone they don’t even know that they aren’t ready for marriage? How would he know where our hearts are. I kept quiet, made his food, and thanked him for his business. I thought that was very big of me, to not make a big deal of it but I was pissed.

It didn’t change much once we had children. I was constantly being told what I should and shouldn’t do with my children. I was looked down upon because I was a young black woman pushing a stroller. Yes, I have always looked young but I really wish people wouldn’t assume that I was a teenage mother. What’s that saying? When you assume, you only make an a** out of you.. or something like that. Yup, people assumed a lot about me. But I pushed on and continue to raise my children trying to show them a world without color.

This past Friday is what made me think about writing this post. I was on my way to take my children out for dinner. It was rush hour so I took the highway so we wouldn’t be sitting in traffic for an hour just to make a 10 minute drive. I was exiting the highway at a place that the on-ramp and off-ramp are at the same place. I signaled, checked my blind spot and changed lanes. The person behind me thought that I should have let him pass first (even though I was clearly head of him). He pulled up next to me, yelled a racial slur, laughed then sped on. For a split second, I was about to change lanes, speed after him and let him have it. But I realized that it wouldn’t help me move on and it wasn’t something that would be good for my kids.

I worry about this world and what it will do to my kids. But I continue to raise them in a way that shows them that discrimination isn’t right. I was raised that way and it sucks that not everyone feels the way my family does about race, color, age and gender.

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Want to know what the book is about?

Celebrate the beauty of God’s creation!

In this rhyming picture book, children learn to thank God for all types of days. Rainy, sunny, foggy or clear, there is so much beauty to be shared. Charming illustrations bring this fun and important concept to life for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.

A perfect addition to a Christian education unit on weather, seasons, or the changing times of day.

My review:

I think this book is so cute. Its the perfect way to explain a lot going on with the weather to both of kids. Hayden had a little bit of trouble reading because of some of the big words but he pretty much could get it by the illustrations. I think the illustrations are so beautiful! Lisa Graves (the illustator) did a wonderful job and used a ton of bright colors to get the point across. We’ve read it a couple times at bedtime and its the perfect length, it even holds Noah’s attention and calms him down.. you know 2 year old. Plus, we have been working on introducing more about God into our lives and teaching our kids. This books lead them into more questions and I love it.

If you are looking for a beautiful book that illustrates how God created us a rainbow, make sure you pick up a copy of God Painted Us a Rainbow by Katrina Steza. You will love it.

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Back in July of last year, I introduced you to a new series called I’m having their Baby on Oxygen. Just in case you missed it, the show is about the world of adoption and seeing the side of the birth mother. This side of the story isn’t told very often but needed to be told. Each episode follows 2 pregnant women who have made the choice to place their babies for adoption, and are dealing with the life changing decisions that follow. I had been able to watch a couple of the episodes from last season and was very interested to know about some of these mothers and how they got through this difficult decision in their lives. Watching the episodes helped me feel connected to the families and helped me understand what a difficult process it actually is to give up your child for adoption.

The new season starts Wednesday June 12 at 10pm ET/PT and dives deeper into the lives of birth mothers entering the adoption process and in some cases, you can hear from the adoptive parent. While we wait for the new season to start, Oxygen had  a web series called I’m having Their Baby: Raising baby. It reconnects you to season one families and gives you an update from both the birth mom and the adoptive families since the episode aired. It personally helps me keep connected to the families I met watching the first season and I’m always willing to see how much the babies have grown. If you didn’t know, I love babies. Watch one of the webisodes, I’m Having Their Baby: Raising Nayamah below to revisit Mercedes’ story from season one:

Join me in watching the first season and the web series before the season two premiere starts on June 12th. You can watch these and a sneak peak of season 2 on www.oxygen.com/baby. Let me know what you think about the webisode and what you expect from the new season… comment on the webisode for your chance to win a $50.00 gift card.  I’ll announce the winner on 6/12!

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Burst Media on behalf of Oxygen. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, but my opinions are my own.

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One lesson that stuck with me is to always appreciate what you have and who you have. In my almost 30 years of life, I’ve never seen a year where that lesson didn’t come back to help me out when I was making a desicion. For instance, that time I felt like a failure, we could be anywhere without the help of my mother- in-law and her always helping no matter what your situation. I always appreciate her no matter what the situation.. even though we do have our ups and downs.

Another lesson I seem to see over and over again would be the fact that within minutes, your life can (and will) be turned upside down. A time that jumps out at me would be the moment I found out I was pregnant with Hayden. Yes, we had been trying to get pregnant for a while.. but nothing hits you more than a positive pregnancy test for your first pregnancy. I was soooo excited for the first 30 minutes.. and then scared out of my mind the last 23 hours of the day. There isn’t anything you can do to prepare for your first child other than just jumping in. But I remember that day, feeling like our family was no longer just us. Feeling like I had to be great because my child was now counting on me. I never was the same.

There are plenty of other lessons that I’ve learned in my life that I’ve always made sure to share with others, because you never know when (or if) they need it.

What is your favorite lesson to share with others? Do you have a lesson you’ve seen help you over and over again?

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People look up to Virgo for friends because they are straight thinkers and solve problems logically. They are truthful, loyal and determined. Some people might find them cold or emotionally detached because they live in their minds, not in their emotions and feelings. It might be hard to pin down how a Virgo friend is feeling because they easily live in denial. A person who is able to read deep into another person will notice when Virgo is not well but if they confront them about it, they would rather retreat then talk about it. It is best to keep your emotional distance from a Virgo friend unless they open up to you first. Virgo might try to analyze and control a friend’s life but only with the idea that they will improve their life, not purely for the sake of controlling. Be patient with your Virgo friend and understand that their recommendations are only to make your life better. ~ Taken from Zodiac Sign Astrology

That is definately me. I’m not one to wear my emotions on my sleeve and I’m also not one to talk openly about everything going on in my life. Once I find someone I trust, I can talk and know that I can trust them. Once that trust is gone, its gone. No turning back. I’ve explained to people how hard it even is for me to open up. I don’t trust everyone.

But there are plenty of things that are said about a virgo that I know is not me. I’d love to think that “when a virgo’s mind is made up to move on, all your tears and apologies are useless in getting them to change their mind” but when it comes to family.. I can’t do that. I’ve always been a  very family oriented person so cutting off a family member isn’t in the cards for me.

So, although I do find a lot about the Astrology and the signs interesting… there isn’t much that I actually believe in towards it. What do you think?

How much are you alike to your Zodiac sign?

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Don’t you hate when you spend hours searching for the perfect dress or outfit only to spend hours at the mall with nothing to show for it? I dealt with that recently… I’ve been looking for a dress for a couple of weeks with nothing to show for it. I wish I had known more information about Sears and their website.. let me tell you about it. Say you find the perfect outfit but you want it for the weekend… search and buy at Sears’ website then pick up in the store in 5 minutes or less. If they aren’t ready after 5 minutes, you get a $5 in-store coupon. Its simple!

When is the last time you’ve shopped Sears online? Its been a while for me as well. What I didn’t know is that they have added a bunch of designers, brands and styles online.. actually more than they even carry in the store. You can find brands such as Michael Kors, Steve Madden, Tory Burch and more. You can also look at their featured marketplace offers on the site. I had the chance to check out a couple of their items and I was surpried to find so many things that I loved. Check out this outfit that they’ve already put together for you:

I love all the white in that outfit, especially the shoes, those are my favorite! I also found one with a pop of color that would be perfect for the summer. I’ve always been into bright colors and this outfit would work perfectly.

I found a bunch of other things but I’m not going to spoil the website for you. You have to check out the styles yourself. There are already tons of styles and designers on the website (as I’ve already said and WITNESSED!) but they are always adding their newest arrivals everyday. So there might be something even better tomorrow. I might end up with a shopping problem by the end of the week. Anyway, let me or your family know what you found on the sears website by tweeting with the hashtag: #MoreatSears. Come on, you know you want to!

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When is the last time that you put someone else’s life in front of your own? It doesn’t matter who that person is, it could be a stanger, your sister or your best friend. How have you put yourself out there for? My children are my everything so of course I would do anything and everything for them.

Within the last couple of years, I’ve been able to be that person for someone else other than my family. One of my best friends was diagnosed with breast cancer one day while we were both at work. I knew she had the testing done, but when I got a message for her to come see her, I dropped everything to check on her and make sure it was ok. Getting a phone call like that at any point of time will wreck you and I can’t imagine getting something like what while working alone. I sat with her until she was able to go home, cried with her and stayed by her side as much as possible while she went through the chemo, surgery and radiation. I’m happy to say that she is now CANCER-FREE and we are closer than we have been since I met her.

The Johnson & Johnson “For All You Love” campaign celebrates the selfless and unconditional caring of caregivers, including moms, and all the ways they care for those they love. I obviously know that feeling and I bet you do too. Here is the video with more information about the campaign:

If you wrote a post like this, who would your tribute person be?

I wrote this post while participating in the “For All You Love” Campaign sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, but my opinions are my own.

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I love to sleep… I also LOVE that I passed that trait to my kids because then I wouldn’t get any sleep! However, every once in a while, I have trouble falling asleep… maybe I can’t turn off my brain, maybe I’m just over tired. Its always a different reason and I’d hate to lose out on an hour of sleep because I just couldn’t fall asleep.

I was so excited when P&G sent me a sample of the ZzzQuil. If you haven’t heard of ZzzQuil, it is brought to you by the makers of Vicks NyQuil, for when your only symptom is occasional sleeplessness. It helps you fall asleep with the active ingredient of  diphenhydramine HCI, helps reduce the time it takes for you to fall asleep when you have difficulty falling asleep, so you can sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

I was sent the liquid bottle for it, which was awesome because I have trouble swallowing pills. I gave myself 2 different chances to try it before writing about it because my first experience wasn’t the best but it was my fault. I wasn’t able to have the full 8 hours of sleep after taking the ZzzQuil so I woke up groggy. I didn’t like the feeling at all. Mind you, I actually had the chance to only sleep between 5.5-6 hours so I really didn’t get enough sleep. Once I did get a full nights sleep, I woke up feeling great and ready to take on the day. I know that was my best nights sleep that week. I can’t even deny it.

If you sometimes have issues falling asleep, give ZzzQuil a try. It is non-habit forming which is my favorite part! Just to let you know, ZzzQuil is the only over-the-counter sleep-aid medication available in both Liquid (Warming Berry flavor) and LiquiCap® forms. ZzzQuil is intended for adults and children 12 years of age and older. It is safe and effective when used according to package directions. More information about ZzzQuil is available at their website. You can follow them on Facebook and you can also show off your experience with ZzzQuil by tweeting with the hashtag #ZzzQuilNight.

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