My {not so} Glamorous Life

Lunch Meal Planning, Delicious Lunch Idea & Recipe Link

2013-04-29T16:10:00.001-07:00

I almost always plan my dinners for the week ahead. It makes it so much easier to grocery shop, and to keep from eating out when we already know what the plan is.

This week, I took my meal planning one step further than I usually do, and planned out my lunches for the week. Lunchtime is the most challenging meal for me. I never know what to make, and end up overeating, eating something junky, or just kind of grazing a little bit. I'm hoping this will help me feel less "lost" at lunchtime everyday. I'm trying to keep my meals pretty "clean" too, and organic when I can.

Day one of a planned lunch was great! I made a Clean Eating Quinoa Avocado Salad that was to die for. SO GOOD! I used a recipe from The Gracious Pantry (which is one of my new favorite blogs), with just a few tiny tweaks. I didn't have any limes, so I used lemon. And I inadvertently used too much garlic powder. But, it was one of the best things to hit my palate in quite a while, really. It was simply bursting with flavor.

This recipe is a "clean recipe", so it's dairy free, and it also happens to be gluten free. Perfect! The whole thing took less than 20 minutes to prepare. I highly recommend it! So, go ahead and head over to The Gracious Pantry for the full recipe!

Celebration of Life: Cancer Free

2013-04-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

2 years ago my mom was recovering from brain surgery, and we were waiting for the results of the biopsy (which later revealed that she had a rare form of Lymphoma).
That was the beginning of a very challenging journey.

Today, she is almost a year and a half in remission, and attending the Celebration of Life at UCLA Medical Center!!!
Here's to many more Celebrations mom, I love you!!

Better Late Than Never

2013-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have you read this yet? (http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/)
Yes, of course you have. Because I've seen it floating around the internet for months and months now, but never read it. So today, finally, I became the last woman on Earth to read this little bit of hilarity.

After reading this blog post, I'd have to say that The Bloggess is quite a role model.

Busy Weeknight Dinner: Semi-Clean Eating

2013-04-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Weeknight Little League games call for quick, easy dinners.

Last week I mentioned that we are eating cleaner in this household, and that my daughter and I are Dairy Free/Gluten Free. So that does present some challenges on the "quick easy meals" situation. No take out for us!

Last night it was GF spaghetti. I make it with Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta, which is so much better for you than a rice based pasta. In fact, for those of you on Weight Watchers, it happens to be a Power Food. Yes, that's right, a pasta that is a Power Food!

Tonight we'll be enjoying a pot of pinto's with bacon & onion accompanied by some GF cornbread muffins on the side. Yum!
Dinner's on the stove already and making my mouth water.

What are some of your favorite "quick & easty" healthy meals?

How to Cut Fast Food From Your Diet

2013-04-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'll be the first to admit that the allure of the oh-so-convenient Drive-Thru has been a contributing factor to my growing waistline and shrinking pocketbook for years now. With a busy schedule and hungry kids, it's just too easy to swing by one of these fast "food" joints to grab a meal. Sometimes multiple times in one day if it's a hectic day. Can you relate?

Recently, I have made some dietary changes for my daughter and myself. And I don't just mean, "we're on a diet". These changes have kept us out of virtually every drive through there is (because there's nothing on the menu that we can order at almost all of them). They don't even tempt me anymore!

Back in December, my daughter and I made a change to our diets. After considering the developmental delays of my daughter, and doing some research (GoDairyFree.Org is a great starting place and resource. , I eliminated all dairy (and casein) from our diets. I blogged about the experience here.
Dairy Free was much easier than I had anticipated it would be. For the most part, we have not had any problems with that.
After we survived December and January without dairy, the time had come to eliminate gluten from our diet. (Why? http://alignlife.com/articles/digestivehealth/compelling-reasons-to-explore-a-gluten-free-lifestyle/) Obviously, that was a slightly bigger challenge than going Dairy Free was. It was a major diet overhaul. Still a work in progress. But I am happy to say that we are doing well with it.
But I'm not just substituting all of our old favorites with junky alternatives. I am incorporating as much "whole food", "clean eating", and organic foods into our lives as I can. And those boxes of processed foods? No more! It's a work in progress, but every day it gets a bit easier.
As for those fast food joints? Now I just drive by instead of drive through.

Long Lost Blogger

2013-03-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogosphere! I'm here, for reals, it's really me.
Remember me? I used to post 3-6 times a week and then I sort went off the grid.
Here's what happened to me. (Sort of, but on a substantially smaller scale).
In any case, I can recall the moment that the magic started to fizzle out for me. And from there, it went fast. So I decided to step back over the holidays to enjoy time with my family. And then, for the most part, I didn't miss blogging. I did a little bit at first, but that didn't last long. It wasn't long before this little blog of mine was kind of just a memory.
Fast forward a few months, and I think I'm ready to ease back into it. But differently. I'm just going to go where my creative juices lead me. I wont be "trying" for anything aside from a personal creative outlet.

Blessings!

A quick note

2013-03-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA from the 'Blogosphere' for a little while now.
Today I went into my Google dashboard and discover that Google is getting rid of Google Reader in July.
This is a bummer for me, as it's how I follow/read my favorite blogs, and it's how many of my readers follow my blog.
If you are following me via Google Friend Connect, may I please ask you to follow me here at Bloglovin'?
I went into my Bloglovin' account and found that it was VERY easy to import all of the blogs that I'm following via GFC to my Bloglovin' account, so now I can still follow along with all of my favorite bloggers! Give it a try sometime soon, before you lose all of your favorites :)

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's Birthday!! Check out how we celebrate.

2013-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday! Dr. Seuss has always been a man that I admire for his fun writing and humor. How could anyone not admire a man that created so much inspiration in children and instilled a love of reading in them?
Dr. Seuss's birthday is also recognized as Read Across America Day. Many elementary schools participate in this as a week long event. It's so much fun for the kids, and again, it really reinforces the importance of reading for pleasure.
While I'm still deciding what to do tomorrow, here is how we celebrated last year:
I started the day by making Green Eggs and Ham for my kiddos.

My boys spent the afternoon at their grandmother's house, so I became inspired and decided to surprise them by throwing a mini birthday party for Dr. Seuss!!
While they were gone, I got busy making our celebration dinner (as colorful as I could, just like a Dr. Seuss book!) and cupcakes. I printed out Seuss games, coloring pages and activities.
When they got home, we read Seuss books and watched Horton Hears a Who. Then we had our little birthday party. Here is what we ended up with.

At Odds

2013-02-07T12:47:00.004-08:00

I'm at odds with this blog right now. Not a writers block. Not a lack of things to share. Just... whatever. I'm taking a break.
When I return, I feel sure that it will be less frequently. Thought I'd say hi though, just because.
See ya later alligators!

Dairy Free Mac & "Cheese"

2013-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, Monday, we meet again. All of last week I was planning on posting this recipe and I just never got around to it. It seemed that this blog and myself were at odds last week. On that note, my kitchen stayed relatively clean and my laundry backlog is less than usual.
Recently I posted about how my daughter and I have started the journey into a dairy free lifestyle. You can read about that here if you missed it.
One of the struggles of having a two year old that is dairy free is that two year olds love cheese. Seriously. Tot-friendly foods like grilled cheese, quesadilla's and macaroni & cheese really cannot cease to exist in the life of a two year old. So what's a mama to do? Well, make those tot-friendly foods of course!
I decided to make some Mac & "Cheese" for my Little Lady, and didn't feel like getting caught up for hours browsing recipes on the internet, so I just made my own version. I mostly eyeballed it as I went, but the following recipe worked well for me.

Ingredients:
1 c. Elbow Noodles
1 Tb. Earth Balance Butter Substitute (I used the whipped spread, but there are several variations of Earth Balance that would all probably work equally as well.)
1/4 c. Almond Breeze Original
3/4 c. Daiya Cheddar Shreds

Directions:
In pot, bring water to boil. (No set amount, I just eyeballed this. Dash of salt if desired.)
Add 1 cup elbow noodles to the boiling water.
Once noodles are soft, drain the water.
Add 1 Tb. of Earth Balance spread and 1/4 cup almond milk. Stir.
Add 3/4 cup of Daiya cheese shreds. Stir until mixed well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and Enjoy!!!
Photograph your happy tot.

Do you have a favorite Dairy Free recipe?

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Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'?
Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

Lost Dog/Found Dog, A Winner, An Inauguration, & MLK Day.

2013-01-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

Good morning friends! Oh my! I have so much to share this morning. So who's in the mood for a completely random blog post?
Ok, first of all, last Wednesday, my little dog bolted out of the house to go chase a cat.
He. Is. Fast. (There's a reason why we named him Flash.)

He ran around the yard for hours chasing stray cats and barking at them. I could never catch him. Then I didn't hear him barking anymore. He didn't come that night. To say I was concerned is an understatement. Unfortunately, the next morning my Little Lady had an orthopedic Dr. appt in Los Angeles and we had to leave very early in the morning to get there on time. I could not look for my dog, or really do anything.
I just kept hoping he'd be there waiting when we got home. He wasn't.
The next day I went to the animal shelter looking for him, talked to neighbors, made signs, called all the local shelters, posted on local Facebook pages, searched petharbor.com, and posted on Craigslist in hopes of finding him.

The weekend passed. No dog. My heart was so sad.
Then, just this morning, The Hubs woke me up (at 4:45am) as he was leaving for work and says "I found Flash!". A happy reunion!!!
The little stinker was under the hood of one of my husbands old cars. Literally laying on top of the engine. It's so hard to believe that he was there for 4 days and didn't bark for us or anything. What the heck? Maybe he went out roamed around for a while before coming home and climbing up there? So hard to believe, but I'm just so glad he's home! He was tired, hungry, thirsty, scared and stinky. But he's home safe now where he belongs. He's been snuggled on my lap all morning.
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Next order of business: A Winner from The Banner Girls giveaway! And the winner is......
BeauandKatie Vegter. Congratulations!

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Today is the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Who plans on watching? I will be!
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And finally, today is Martin Luther King Jr. day. A day that we celebrate a man who helped shape and change this country. A man who is due a great deal of respect and admiration.

Nellie Bellie asked on her Facebook page:
"How would you finish this?
I Have a Dream that _______________________"
Here was my response:
"I have a dream that" one day, in our lifetimes, all humans will be valued as equals. Regardless of race, creed, background, financial status, sexual orientation, or ability. I have a dream, that we can all live in a world where our differences and diversities are seen as a thing of beauty, and never looked upon with distaste. I have a dream that all persons will be valued and accepted."
How would YOU complete the sentence?
~~~~
Ok, that's all of the random ramblings I have for this morning. Have a great week my friends!

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What I Love Wednesday

2013-01-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

Happy Hump Day my friends!! I hope that this week finds you well.

Have you ever seen anything like this House of Books? How cool is that?

I love this recipe for a Fresh Strawberry Bellini.Yummy!
And with it, I think I'd like to enjoy this Strawberry Shortcake Sushi. Fun!
Baked Green Tomatoes? Yes, please!!

What's better than wine? Wine that glitters! I like sparkles.

And because I'm craving warmer weather, check out these 5 Lovely Lemon Home Accents. I feel a little warmer just looking at this stuff.

Isn't this a clever idea for Valentine's Day?

And finally, I am loving the Weight Watchers 360 plan. I wonder why I ever try any other program besides Weight Watchers???

What are YOU loving this week?

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Mini Bunting Banner Giveaway!

2013-01-15T15:40:00.001-08:00

Hi friends! One of the hottest trends in home decorating right now is buntings and banners. And I can see why, they are super adorable. I've used them myself quite a few times.
If you love this trend, then you've got to check out The Banner Girls. They make the cutest ones I've ever seen! Almost daily they are sharing new ones on their Facebook page, which makes it so easy to see new inventory as well as see what types of prices and sets they offer.
Each banner is handcrafted and made with love. The Banner Girls offer custom items as well as the inventory they list, so you can have just what you need. Right now they have some super cute sets that include a Valentine banner and a matching garland. LOVE IT!
Here's one of the gorgeous banners in their Etsy store right now:

The other day they contacted me and let me know that they would be giving me a free mini banner, and I simply adore it. I chose a Valentine one for in front of my fireplace.

It looks perfect and will compliment my mantle wonderful. Now, since The Banner Girls were so generous to give me a banner for myself, I thought that I would pass that generosity on to my readers with a giveaway of a mini banner. The winner of this giveaway will receive a mini banner that says FAMILY on it.

This banner is made on burlap with a crochet lace trim, brown lettering, and cute brown/white polka dot ribbon. Would look great under a family picture! The winner will be announced on Monday, January 21st.
Good Luck!!!

Your entry wont count unless you follow this blog via Google Friend Connect. MAKE SURE you click the "Join this site" button!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Storybook Reality

2013-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

A Storybook Reality: Don't you just love the sound of that? Well, Laura shares her Storybook Reality with her readers on her wonderful blog. She also shares a lot of recipes like this one for Jalapeno Pasta. Have you been over there yet? If not, go take a look!

Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Laura describes herself as "a lover of Jesus, my sweet husband, my fabulous little boys, costume jewelry, cooking, reading, traveling and all things Kentucky. I really dislike green peppers, wet paper products and weird word abbreviations. If you're hungry for food, funny or family you are in the right place!"

I asked Laura what her goals for 2013 were, here was her reply:

My goals for the new year....

Spend quality time reading my Bible each day

Read all the books on my book list

Have fun with my boys (1 big one and 2 littles)

Reach my weight loss goal

Simplify life....

Link to all of her social media locations are under the photo above so go pay her a visit and follow along! You wont regret it, she's got some great things to share with you!

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What I Love Wednesday

2013-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Who's ready to get over the hump? I am! It was our first week back to school and therapy, and appointments and all that jazz and we are worn out.
Let me share some of the things that I am loving this week:

I love that Parents Magazine has a special needs child on the cover. Isn't she a cutie?

Image Source

I'm super loving the 52 Weeks project going on over at My Three Bittles. Check it out!

I love this recipe for Vegan Strawberry Cake. Anxious to try it for my Little Lady!

I love this workout plan from Fit Fab Cities. Click the "Image Source" below to get her free printable!

Image Source

(Um, yeah. I'm 100% aware that I just posted a link for a cake recipe, and a workout one after the other.)

I love this article about a couple who went to Disneyland EVERY DAY in 2012!! How fun would that be?!

What are YOU loving this week?

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Going Dairy Free~ A Lifestyle Change Experiment

2013-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Back in November I was out with girlfriends to see part 2 of Breaking Dawn. I met a mother who also had a special needs child (though hers is quite older than mine.) She mentioned how her daughter becomes non-verbal when she eats meat. Then another lady there chimed in and said that she's heard that if a person seems "addicted" to any specific type of food, that they could actually be very sensitive to it. And I thought to myself "Hmmmm... Little Lady is pretty hooked on milk. Like, REALLY hooked on milk." After that night, I ~~mostly~~ forgot all about it.
Early in December, I stumbled across some information that made me consider it again. I'm not 100% sure what I started researching (probably the term "developmental delay") and I found something regarding dairy being a contributing factor to delays in some children. Again, I gave thought to my Little Lady's ultra-love for milk.
Further research triggered an experimental lifestyle change. She was going Dairy Free, and so was I.
(The males in this household aren't on board with making the change themselves, however, they are consuming less dairy as a result of the cooking changes I've made. Baby steps.)
I realized that December is a very challenging time to make any type of dietary changes so I gave us that month to use as our "phase out" time. During those four weeks, we worked on the elimination of dairy and dairy by-products in our diets.
Within a week of starting this change, my daughter propelled herself forward in her gait trainer for the first time ever!

She's still working on the movement in the gait trainer, but I feel that after she gets new braces she'll improve even more! Also, her vocalization has increased, as well as her floor movement (she rolls from room to room regularly now!). Her struggle with constipation has improved considerably as well.
This has been a learning curve. Dairy, and dairy derivatives are in A LOT of food. Especially processed foods, or restaurant foods. Even "non-dairy creamer" has dairy derivatives in it (casein).
After we have mastered the dairy free diet, I'm hoping to move us into a gluten free lifestyle as well. But one big change at a time.
To read some of the findings on why dairy is no good, check this out. And this. And this. Here is an interesting article.
The change has been much less challenging than I was anticipating. She drinks almond milk now instead of cow milk (so do I). One day I made her some dairy free creamy potato soup. I've also made dairy free blueberry muffins, dairy free pancakes and dairy free mac & cheese. I found a relatively nearby health food store that has many dairy free and/or vegan options.
I'm looking forward to sharing our new adventure with you.
If you have any special dietary lifestyle choices (dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, etc.) I'd love to know what they are & why you chose to take that route.

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Let's Get Hoppin' at the GFC Blog Hop!!

2013-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!! I am so excited to be co-hosting the GFC Blog Hop this week with Melissa from The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife.
If you are new here to My {not so} Glamorous Life, then I'd love to welcome you, and share with you my "about me" page, where you can learn a bit more about me and my blog.
If you are a long time follower, then I'd love to thank you for being a loyal reader, and joining me on my journey.

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It's Tuesday again which means it's time for the GFC Blog Hop!

When I want to follow a blog the first thing I look for is GFC (Google Friend Connect), it's so easy and nice to be able to go and see all of the blogs you follow in one spot. It's really a great tool to have.

One side note- Did you know you can follow through GFC using your Twitter Account? TRUE, it's definitely an option!

Ok, so let's get to the party, shall we?

RULES are simple:

1. Follow your host via GFC

The First link below

2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC

The Next 8 links below

3. Link up below using your main blog url not a specific post.

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link up and follow them via GFC

and if you want to leave them a comment, I'm sure they'd appreciate that as well.

5. Tweet about this blog hop

6. Share about this blog hop by grabbing a button and putting it on your sidebar!

Post Sponsor Ad:

Let's talk about oatmeal

2013-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

I like oatmeal. Quite a lot, actually. Do you?
I prefer the the big canister (like this) of oats that you make on the stove with a boiling pot of water. I love that you can customize it to what you want that day, and the price can't be beat.
However, I greatly appreciate the convenience of the pre-made packets... they are fast and easy, and sometimes that's just what I need.
So when Influenster sent me some Quaker Real Medley's in my Holiday VoxBox, I was very excited to sample it.

The flavor I received was the Peach Almond Oatmeal.

I prepared the oatmeal as directed on the package. It looked really yummy.

It smelled really yummy.

The convenience of the portable container can't be beat. Since it's in it's own container, you wont dirty a bowl. (I hate cleaning oatmeal bowls, LOL!)
As far as flavor... I found it to be lacking. I wish that I could give it a rave review, but honestly it wasn't incredibly flavorful, and the texture was relatively mushy. (You know how the packets are mushier than when you make it from the can?) It had the nuts and fruit in it, but then the oats weren't firm. So it was kind of an odd consistency. I feel like I could make a much more flavorful bowl of oatmeal at home.

This oatmeal has a whopping 290 calories in one cup. Not a huge value as far as I'm concerned. (For those of you on Weight Watchers, this one cup of oatmeal is 8 Points Plus. Ouch.)
Now, I don't mind spending 8 Points Plus on breakfast if it's something more than a cup of oatmeal. But this... not enough bang for my buck.
Check out the nutrition info:

After my taste test and evaluation of the nutrition info, it got me wondering what the retail price of these is. The next time I went to the grocery store, here was the display.

It looks like the price point for these ranges from 2/$3, up to $1.69-$1.99. Each. More than I care to spend on a single serving of oatmeal, so I wont be purchasing this in the future. I'll keep buying my big canister of oats and making them myself. Better for the waistline and the pocketbook.

Overall, on a five-star rating system, I'd give this product 2 stars. Great in the way of portability and convenience. Not so great in the areas of flavor, calories and cost.

Have you tried the Real Medley's? What did you think of them?

**DISCLAIMER: While I did receive free product for review, I did not receive any compensation for this review. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.**

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Now THAT'S my kind of manicure!!

2013-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I shared with you that I received a Holiday VoxBox from Inluenster. One of the items in the box that I was most excited to try was the Kiss Nail Dress nail adhesives.

I've seen these before an have wanted to try them, but was wary about it. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to "try before I buy".
I love having my nails look nice, but being a busy mom and a homemaker that has to do her own housework, it's hard to find time for a manicure, and even more challenging to keep them looking good.

I was pleased with the design that I recieved, because it was a great color/design for this time of year. My VoxBox arrived on New Years Eve, and this design definetely had a New Year sparkle to it!
The package displays the very simple 3-step instructions.
Inside the package, was a phamplet sharing some of the other designs available. What a variety! Also, there are plenty of sizes included, which makes it simple to find the right size for your own needs. You can even use them on your toenails!
I will say however, that the smell upon opening the package is pretty strong, and not pleasant.
Application of the Kiss Nail Dress adhesives was quick and easy. The only qualm I have in regards to application is that if you have a variety with jewels on it, and there is a jewel where you need to make the fold, it is very awkward. But do-able.
Once I was finished applying the Kiss Nail Dress, I was excited with my end result.

24 hours later, and they still look great! The package says that they can last up to 10 days. Honestly, with all of the dishes I do, and kiddos I wash, I doubt they'll make it 10 days. But if I can get 5-7 days out of them, I'll be a happy mama! (I will do an edit to the post in a few days stating how they've done!)
For what they would cost retail, I feel sure that I will in fact buy these again. I am very please with the results thus far!!

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Holiday VoxBox= Excited!!

2013-01-03T15:36:00.001-08:00

The other day I was fortunate enough to receive a Holiday VoxBox from Influenster. (Wondering what the heck Influenster is what a VoxBox is?!? CLICK HERE)
This was my first VoxBox and I was so excited to be chosen to receive it. I mean, who doesn't love free stuff?
Here are the things I recieved in my VoxBox:

Watch in the days to come for reviews of all of these fun items!!!

I will start by saying that I did not take advantage of the $25 code for Sole Society. While there were some adorable choices on the site, the least expensive pair of shoes on the site is $49.95, and that's more than I care to pay for shoes. Even with the $25 coupon code, it's not in my budget at the moment.

*Disclaimer: I did receive products at no cost for reviewing. Other than that, I DID NOT receive any compensation from Influnester, any of the brands, or any other party.

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The Shoes I'm Walking In

2013-01-03T10:23:00.001-08:00

I didn't write this, I don't know who did. But it does encompass the journey that I am on. That many are on. If you're not wearing these shoes, I urge you to continue reading, because although I didn't write this, it is a piece of my heart:

I am wearing a pair of shoes. They aren't pretty shoes… uncomfortable shoes. Each day I wear them. Each day I wish they'd feel more comfortable. Some days my shoes hurt so badly that I do not think I can take another step. Yet, I continue to wear them and continue my journey....I get funny looks wearing these shoes. I can tell in others eyes that they are glad these are my shoes and not theirs. They never talk about my shoes.... To learn how painful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable. To truly understand these shoes one must walk in them. But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.

...I now realize that I am not the only one who wears these shoes. There are many pairs in this world. Some women ache daily as they try and walk in them. Some have learned how to walk in them so they don't hurt quite as much. Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think about how much they hurt. No Mom deserves to wear these shoes. Yet, because of these shoes I am a stronger woman. These shoes have given me the strength to face anything. They have made me who I am. I am a Mom who has a child with special needs. I will forever walk in these shoes. ~Unknown

Although the shoes can make me wary, and bring me pain. I have come to love them. I'd never trade them. To me, these shoes are a beautiful blessing.

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Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'?
Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

After a Hiatus: What I Love Wednesday comes back!

2013-01-02T16:52:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone, Happy New Year to you! WILW has been gone for a while, but today it's coming back. Fun!

First, I'm loving this dress. I bought it from Target and it is just too cute! I even found a scarf that matches it perfectly!

Image Source

How silly is this Facebook inspired stamp? I "Like" it!

I completely adore this blog post. Best. Birthday. EVER.

I am drooling over this built in nook for purses, mail, cell phones, etc.

Isn't this a clever way to store snacks for on the go convenience?

These DIY apothecary jars are fabulous. I need one or two, or twenty!

What do you love this week?

One Word for 2013

2013-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!
If you had one word to describe what you want from the new year, what would it be? Sort of like a "theme" for the year. Health? Wealth? Joy? Peace? Serenity? Grace?
I'll bet that you can guess mine.

Kindness

My goal for 2013 is to be deliberately more kind EVERY DAY. To spread that kindness everywhere that I go, and to inspire more kindness among those around me.

This year is a fresh start, a blank slate. We can make it what we want to. Make it great!

Share your word with me!

Top 12 of 2012

2012-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've seen some of these posts floating around the blogosphere, and it inspired me to do one of my own. So, I sat down and muddled through my posts for 2012 and found the 12 posts from My {not so} Glamorous Life that got the most page views.
The following 12 links were my most popular blog posts of the year. Click the links to visit the post:

#12) Fun Friday: Let's Get Messy! was a post where we played with Shaving Cream Paint.

#11) DIY Dishwasher Soap, with only 3 ingredients!

#10) Upcycled Bill Box/Mail Holder was a fun and fast project that I still use every day.

#9) In which I made some DIY Baby Shower Decorations for my sister's shower.

#8) This was what I made for Teacher Appreciation Week Gifts.

#7) Let me show you why I have Food on my Face and how I'm saving money on facial cleansers.

#6) Sharing my heart with a Love Letter to The Hubs.

#5) Silly memories of my {not so} glamorous family in our Family Photo Shoot.

#4) How to make a beautiful crib mobile from an old one with my Crib Mobile Makeover!

#3) I have four words for you: Salted Caramel Cake Pops.

#2) One time, I found a crummy plant hanger in my yard, and turned it beautiful.

And the most viewed post of My {not so} Glamorous Life in 2012 was...
#1) No Sew "Baby Legs"!!!

December Kindness Challenge Wrap Up

2012-12-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

As we wrap up this month, I feel inspired within myself. Inspired to take this warm fuzzy feeling of love and generosity from the December Kindness Challenge, and to carry it on in a very deliberate way throughout 2013.
I always strive to be a kind, compassionate human being, but sometimes that can get lost in the shuffle of daily life and occupied minds. For example, I would never hesitate somebody who was in obvious need of assistance, but it's less common that I would seek out a way to extend kindness to somebody. And it feels really nice to do that.
So, for the next year, let's join the movement of kindness. Spread the love, spread the joy, the cheer, the goodwill. Go out of your way to be helpful, understanding, and empathetic to those around you. I will be, and I know that it will be worth it!

After today, there are still a few more days left of the December Kindness Challenge, but this will be the final link up/post in the series. Just remember to keep up your acts of kindness for the month!

Here were my kind acts for the last week:

12/21: At Bass Pro Shop to see Santa, I was able to join my friend and her kids on her "Bass Pass", so I passed mine on to somebody in the standby line. Then later that afternoon, I went to the Starbucks drive-thru and paid for the person behind me in line.

12/22: Left some homemade Peppermint Bark cake pops on my neighbors gate with a Christmas card.

12/23: Made a small donation at the grocery store's Harvesting Hope collection container.

12/24: After our Christmas celebration with my husbands family, I had one of the photos of my in-laws and the grand kids developed at Walgreens, and then framed it so that my In-Laws would have a copy right away.

12/25: While at Walgreens buying batteries, I helped a man find the appropriate SD card for the tablet he bought his kiddos. He was so upset with himself for not buying one in advance.

12/26: Picked up dinner for my family because The Hubs and I both didn't feel like cooking. We had post-Christmas fatigue. Then I brought The Hubs his drinks without him asking me to.

12/27: Created a GoFundMe account (and donated) for some good friends of mine to help them with their expenses on getting to the Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Support, Inc. conference this summer. They will be traveling with their special needs daughter (same condition that my daughter has) and all of her medical supplies and adaptive equipment, and it will be challenging and expensive for them to make this trip.

I have some more acts in mind for the next few days of this challenge. For example, I want to bring flowers to the nurse that helps with all of my daughters referrals and stuff down at the medical office. I want to go drop off our pop tabs at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. I want to bring a plate of cookies to the police department. So those are things I'll get to over the next few days. And then I'll be on the lookout to make 2013 my kindest year ever! Join me, wont you?

Now, if you have a post about kindness, please link it up here with myself and Danette from All My Love for All My Days, or simply comment below!

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