Wish Me Luck

Hey YUMMs!  Have you guys missed me these last five days?  I've missed y'all.  But I've been absent for good reasons.  While I don't usually post on the weekends, Monday was the Mr's off day and JJ's therapy session.  Then, I had a meeting with his caseworker to talk about my concerns and future therapy schedules.  After that we decided to make it family day went to the library.

When I got to the library, I saw that they had early voting and I voted.  Then we hung out reading books and playing in the children's section until they closed. Tuesday, the Mr had a procedure to get done and then I spent the rest of the day and pretty much all of today preparing for a pretty sweet opportunity that I will have tomorrow.

Pinterest

I'm going to pitching an editor from a major publishing house an idea for a novel I've started writing!  Yes, I'm writing two books at once now.  It feels a little weird because I wasn't sure I could do it, but now that I am, it's not that big of a deal.  Forever Branded is almost finished and I'm excited to be soon debuting the cover for it.

So, I'm pretty nervous about having the opportunity to pitch an editor in a one on one setting.  It's different from writing a query letter because then you have months and months to agonize over what the response is going to be.  This time around all feedback will be given to me upfront.  I'm super nervous for a variety of reasons.

For starters, there's the rejection aspect.  I know it's not personal and rejection is part of life, but I really want this opportunity.  Also, I haven't met the editor yet, but I've read a lot of about her and we have so much in common.  At the end of the day, even if I don't get offered to be taken on as a client to have my manuscript published, I just want to make a good impression.

Since, my pitch will be my first impression, I want to make sure that it's flawless and very well written.  I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing or that I didn't take this opportunity serious because I am.  Also, I'm nervous because what if my manuscript does get picked up?  What then?  I'm not anywhere never finished with it.  Then, you always hear that when you sign on to a publishing house, they try to edit your voice a little bit.

That worries me a lot, but still this is an experience I want to have for myself.  Every author's journey is different.  I think the editor that I'm pitching is really cool.  I don't think she would try to get me to force my characters into a story that isn't them.  People who don't write books don't always get that often characters write themselves.  The best way I can describe it is that it's like having a bunch of people inside your head telling you their story. 

Pinterest

Sure, they start off as ideas, but then they take own lives of their own and we the authors simply become their communication device.  Anyways, I don't want to draw this post out and bore you guys.  I know a few other people who are pitching tomorrow too.  So, I ask that you all wish us good luck and send up prayers for us!  I'm not tagging them in this post because they may want to wait until they know where their pitches have been accepted or not before letting anyone know or they may not want anyone to know at all.  

Nevertheless, cross our fingers, cross your toes, wish on a star, etc.  I'm excited for this chance and look forward to whatever comes from this opportunity.  I will wait until tomorrow evening to post my Thankful Thursday post and let you guys know the results then.  Off to finish working on my pitch!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!  Can y'all believe that it's almost May?  I can't.  I feel like this year started off a little slow and this week it seems like the days have all rushed past in a blur.  All I know is that I'm still stuck on the fact that my little guy is about to three in mere weeks!  One of his birthday presents came today and I've put it out of sight because y'all know how emotional I get.

Anyways, I'm thankful for all the kind words and prayers we got when I mentioned that we'd be going in for his re-evaluation this week since we're getting ready to switch him to a new therapist.  Well, I'm not going to lie, I was nervous and anxious.  They throw out all these different things that they want to screen for and it's scary.  Your mind starts playing the what if game.

Then after the what if game, comes the second guessing part and after that comes the blaming yourself part.  Everybody kept telling me to relax and not to worry, but y'all know the saying- easier said than done.  And I was even more nervous because the morning of his evaluation my brother texted me with some pretty serious news in regards to a health issue he's been dealing with for some time.  So, I sent up like a million prayers Tuesday morning.

Anyways, God heard my prayers because JJ did very well with his evaluation.  He knew stuff that I didn't even know he knew.  Guess watching me work with Moo to get her ready for kindergarten, he's picked up some tidbits from our lessons.  I'm so thankful that everything went better than how I saw it going in my mind.  JJ dislikes adult strangers with a passion, but when we walked in that evaluation room, he turned into this social butterfly that I had never seen before except for with children.

So, I back for a one on one with all the therapists who were there next month and we'll go over everything and what I want in terms of his new treatment.  I'm excited because the speech therapist and psychologist both say they think they can find the trigger to help him get his words out because y'all he was chatting a million miles a minute more than he does at home.  Of course, most of it was gibberish, but enough of it they could make out to know what he was trying to communicate.  But the highlight of my week that made and makes me the most emotional even as I write this is that he can finally say Mama!

Like y'all know I've been waiting for this moment for forever!  At first, I wasn't sure if he was just practicing his M sounds because I've been working on letter sounds with him.  But Monday, he was sitting on the couch and I was at my desk across the room and he said it and reached out his hand for me.  I wanted to melt into the floor out of sheer joyful and gratefulness. Yet another moment I wish we had hidden cameras to catch, but I know that I'll cherish it so much more now.

So, far he's said Mama a couple more times and he gets so tickled at how excited I get about it.  Our breakthrough is coming.  Also, I was glad when my brother let me know that he would be able to have a simple surgery to correct his issue and I had to give thanks for that.  So, if you're reading this lift him up in prayer because his surgery is today.  We're not sure how long it will be, but I'm believing all will be ok.

I'm thankful that I got two more great business/blogging opportunities that you all will get to hear about in more detail soon.  We're growing YUMMs!  

What's on your thankful list today?

Unfinished Business

Hi guys!  Today Christina from Being Mrs Jones is sharing the book cover and an excerpt from her new novel, Unfinished Business.  Unfinished Business is the sequel and follow-up to Strictly Professional, a contemporary romance in which Christina introduces us to Terrence Whitaker and Gabrielle (Gabi) Jacobs.  Terrence is lawyer at Pritchard and Graham and his determination on trying to make partner leaves him with no time to focus on a relationship.

Gabi is fresh out of law school and a bad relationship with both her ex-boyfriend.  She's relocated to Atlanta to work at her uncle's law firm and to show her parents that she wants to be more than a trophy wife.  She and Terrence meet and things start to heat up.  Well, Unfinished Business is set five years after things heated up and took off with Terrence and Gabi.  And if you've read Strictly Professional, you're going to be a bit heartbroken to learn that Terrence and Gabi are no longer an item.


I don't want to give too much away about Unfinished Business, but I will say it DOES NOT disappoint!  This is by far and hands down my favorite book by Christina and I haven't a clue how she's going to top it with her book.  If you haven't a purchased a copy of either book, I don't know what you're waiting on!  Trust me you are missing out big time!  Anyways, check out the book cover and excerpt below!

Excerpt

            “Daddy!”

            I had just picked up my suitcase from the baggage claim when I heard my baby girl’s voice.  I turned to see her huge puff of curly black hair bobbing in the air as she ran toward me.  I caught her in my arms and pulled her into a hug, placing a kiss right on her forehead.  She was giggling like crazy, just as she always did.

            Maybe it was just a typical kid thing, but Joci was always thrilled to see me. It was mutual.  Joci was so happy and energetic that you couldn’t help enjoying yourself around her.  She was really just an awesome kid, and I knew it had everything to do with her mother.  I peeked through Joci’s hair over to Gabi, who was watching us.  She had her top lip pulled through her teeth, but her eyes were shining and I knew she was trying to suppress a grin.

            “Come on and show me that pretty smile Gabi,” I said, lowering Joci to the floor. I led her by the hand over to where her mother stood, taking the opportunity to look her over.

            Damn, she looks good.

            Gabi was wearing a dress the color of orange sherbet, made of a fabric that clung to her curves, but flowed away from the rest of her body every time she moved.  The sleeves reached her elbows, her hem reached her knees, and she was showing just a hint of cleavage, but still, it was sexy as hell.

            Her lips parted into a smile as I closed the distance between us, pulling her into a hug and giving her the same kiss on the forehead I had given Joci. 

            “Trying something different, are we?” Gabi asked, reaching up to stroke my beard, which I had allowed to grow a little longer than usual. “I like it.  It makes you look more distinguished.”

            “Daddy says he’s gonna grow a big beard like Santa,” Joci chimed in, still giggling as she grabbed one of each of our hands.

            Gabi’s eyes widened as she turned to me. “Oh, is that so?”

            “Well, I didn’t agree to Santa-length,” I said, giving Joci a fake scowl. “But, my baby girl said she wanted to see me with a puffy beard, so we’re doing a puffy beard.”

            When I looked from Joci back to Gabi, she was staring at me, with her lips slightly parted. “You do anything this girl asks you to do, don’t you?”

            “Anything in my power.” I flashed a smile at her, which made her blush.

            What the hell was that?

            That was… new.  It had been a long time since I’d been able to make Gabi blush with just a smile.  When it came to me, those feelings of hers were an impenetrable wall.  Sure, we were on great terms.  I would even be comfortable calling Gabi a very good friend. But anything that even looked like it might want to consider implying a hint of something of a romantic nature, she immediately shut down.  To her, that part of our lives didn’t exist anymore, a conclusion she probably came to after I started officially dating Sabrina, shortly after Gabi left for Dallas.

            But I wasn’t with Sabrina anymore.  I wasn’t with anybody now, and that blush, paired with the fact that she wouldn’t meet my eyes now gave me a bit of hope that maybe, if I went about it the right way, Gabi and I could pick up where we left off.

            “So,” I said, picking up my suitcase as we exited the airport. “I was thinking I could maybe take two of the most beautiful girls in Texas to dinner and a movie tonight.”

            “Yeah! Yeah, can we see the one with the ice princesses?” Joci stopped walking to look up at me with pleading eyes.

            “Of course, sweetheart.  Whatever you want to see.”

            “Uh, actually,” Gabi said, allowing the end of the word to trail off. “I, uh… have a little… dinner… plan… thingy.”

            My energy deflated a little. “You mean… a date?”

Lessons In Potty Training The Second Time Around

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pull-Ups®. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

It's been two months since we embarked on this potty journey with JJ.  As stated in my first post, this is not my first round or rodeo when it comes to potty training.  I was able to get Moo potty trained fairly quickly.  It was a bit of a challenge, but once we got into the groove and she knew I meant business things smoothed out.  This time around, things have been different to say the least.

For starters, I'm potty training a boy now and not a girl.  That brought up questions like do I teach him to pee standing up or sitting down?  If I decided to go the standing up route, is there some proper holding technique that I need to learn?  My husband couldn't remember how or who potty trained him, but thankfully, I had you other moms out there with boys to give me advice and suggestions.

Also, having the access the Big Kid Academy via the Pull-Ups® website was a huge help as well.  The Rewards Wheel has become one of my favorite tools on there now because you want to switch up your celebration routine to keep kids motivated to make progress.  The Rewards Wheel takes the guessing out of choosing that activity.  If you want you can enter your own rewards in addition to the ones already listed like arts & crafts, sing a song, parent's choice, etc and then you give it a spin and the Rewards Wheel selects a choice for you!  We're still using the Big Kid App, too.

So, what have learned in round 2 of potty training?  I've learned to:

Have Realistic Expectations

I went into this potty training journey initially thinking that I had everything in the bag since I had done this before.  In my mind, I just knew we'd be fully potty trained in two months or less.  Wrong!  I've come to senses and realized that those exceptions weren't very realistic.  For starters, I wasn't potty training a girl again, but a boy and I knew absolutely nothing about that.

Also, I hadn't taken into account that Moo and JJ have two different personalities.  JJ definitely has Moo beat in the stubbornness department.  He wanted nothing to do with potty training.  So, my advice to parents would be expect nothing and you won't have to worry about being disappointed or feeling like a complete failure when all your techniques from round 1 don't work.  Keep an open mind and remember that every child is different.

Be Patient

I really had to work on my patience because at first JJ was terrified of sitting on the potty seat that fits on the toilet.  It freaked him out that his feet did not touch the floor.  This was weird because he sits on tons of other things where his feet don't touch the floor like the bed and the couches.  He also wasn't a fan a the training seat.

Potty Sear

Potty Training System

And speaking of training seats, they are not all equal.  Some work better for girls.  And some kids prefer an actual potty training system aka potty.  Pull-Ups® has partnered with The First Years, a maker of potty training seats and systems, and will be offering a FREE sample of Pull-Ups® training pants with each purchase of a specialty potty training system.

Learn Your Child's Potty Language

With Moo, she was good at letting me know when she had to go.  Often times, she waited until she could just barely hold it to tell me, but she told me nevertheless.  As you all know, JJ is a special needs child.  He has delayed speech and sensory overload.  So, with him I have to look for clues.  Like for example, when he's about to poop, he gets really still.  That's easy to notice because he stays on the go nonstop.  

Therefore, if he's ever quiet for more than two minutes, he's either into something he shouldn't be or he's pooping.  He's getting better though at trying to come to me when he does feel like he has to go but sometimes he's already in the process and you may or may not want to attempt to put your toddler on the potty while they are mid-poop unless you don't mind possibly having extra cleaning up to do.

In addition, try to refrain from referring to your child's training pants as a diaper.  We actually call JJ's training pants underwear because in a sense that's they are.  They're just more absorbent.  I actually did an experiment to see if it made a difference and it did.  I put JJ on a regular diaper and he didn't think twice about going to the bathroom in it.  I put him on a pair of his 'special underwear' and he definitely minded getting those wet.

So, learning your child's potty language isn't just about reading their body language but also verbally using the right words that will trigger good potty training behavior and habits in them.

Dress Your Child in Potty Training Friendly Clothing

Ok, so I know I was just asking about where I could find oneies that snap at the bottom for toddlers in sizes over 2T, but he will only be wearing those at bedtime.  I've found that the extra two seconds it takes you to undo them can be two seconds too long and your child might end up wetting themselves.  Also, as much as I love seeing JJ in a cute pair of jeans, I've gone out and purchased him pants without snaps, just elastic waists.

Not only does it make getting his pants and training pants down faster for me, but it makes it faster for him as well.  Isn't that why we're potty training to start with?  To make our children more independent?  You don't want your child to have to wrestle with getting their clothes off when they really have to go.

Ask For Help/Research Tips

I wish I had asked for help and researched potty training boys long before we were ready to start potty training.  I think that would have helped us out a lot in the beginning.  I also, wish that I had talked to other moms with special needs kids and asked about some of the issues they had to overcome.  Maybe, if I had, I would have know that he might or might not freak out because his feet didn't touch the floor and we could have worked on that.

I definitely would have just gotten him a potty system from the start instead of getting him a potty seat.  So, don't be afraid to reach out.  If you have access to friends and family who you trust and who have been down this road, ask questions so that you can be informed.  And of course, I mentioned this before but check out the Big Kid Academy!  Also, try connecting with and seeing what other parents are saying on the Pull-Up® Facebook wall and Twitter account.

Reward Accomplishments

You already know what your motivation for potty training your child is, but what is your child's motivation for potty training?  Rewarding accomplishments can be a great motivator and incentive.  JJ is definitely more likely to do something that he's unsure or could care less about if he has a reason to other than the fact that I want him to do it.  And the rewards don't have be anything huge.

Use the reward wheel for ideas.  And if you download the Big Kid App, it comes with rewards like songs and videos that you can your little one can rock out to in celebration of an accomplishment.  At the end of the day, just as we enjoy it when we are praised by our spouses, children and bosses; our children are the same.

Well, I hope that by sharing what I've learned that this helps if you if you're a mom who's potty training or thinking about starting.  Good luck and I will continue to share updates until we are completely potty trained and accident free!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!!  I know I'm posting a little later into the day, but y'all I spent all morning trying to catch a nap.  Why?  Well, both went to bed and were asleep by 11:30.  I decided to do a little writing on Forever Branded, answer some emails, and then do a load of laundry.  So, once the laundry finished I went to bed and that's when it all started.

First, Moo kept tossing and waking up.  She didn't have to go to the bathroom and it wasn't too hot.  I couldn't figure out why she was so restless.  Then somehow JJ undid one full side of his Pull-Up.  I'm sure that I don't have to tell y'all what happened next, but it involved a change of clothes for him and me, a quick bath and change of bed covers.  If anybody knows a good store that sells oneies for older kids let me know because now that he's size 3T moving into 4T in everything, I've had to transition him to regular shirts that don't have snaps at the bottom.

This causes a problem because he's not a fan of too many things covering his bottom and will unfasten his Pull-Up quickly.  Not a problem during the daytime because we can just use the potty, but at night there is nothing worse than settling down for a good sleep, getting halfway to dozing off and then feeling a warm gush of fluid running across your back.  Anyways, on with Thankful Thursday.

This week I'm thankful that the Mr had a day off earlier this week after working almost 7 days straight.  We just hung out around the house.  Not that we had much of choice since it was wet and cold outside.  Yea, I don't know what's going on with this weather because it was just 80 degrees and sunny last Saturday.  Moo was too thrilled when she woke up from her afternoon nap and discovered that he was still home.  I wish I had hidden cameras to catch the look of pure joy that spread over her face y'all.  My baby is a daddy's girl for sure.

I'm thankful that JJ had a good therapy session.  As of late, he's been kind of acting bashful with his therapist and we have no clue why.  We aren't doing anything out of the norm.  I keep his schedule and our day to day routine the same as much as possible.  I've learned that change makes him anxious and a little standoffish.  I'm kind of worried now about how he's going to adjust to his new therapist that will start in August.

We've added four new signs into his sign language vocabulary-thank you, please, cookie and grandparents.  He hasn't signed them back to me, but I know that he knows thank you pretty well and I'm sure with a little incentive, he'll get the rest down, especially cookie. LOL.  I'm also thankful that I'm not as emotional about our situation as I used to be.  I still have my days where I question why this happened to him, but for the most part I haven't had any meltdowns.

Now, my big news and surprise that I hinted at in yesterday's blog (read it here) that I am most thankful for this week is that after almost 10 years of being together, the Mr and I finally going a vacation together!!  And yes, the kiddies are tagging along, but I'm too thrilled that he'll be able to go.  Keep your fingers crossed that his job doesn't change their minds.  This vacation will double as a work trip and I'll have an official post with more details up by the end of the month on that.

Nevertheless, I'm too excited that I get to travel with the loves of my life and make new memories.  And I'm thankful that I'll get to visit my older sister and brother in-law on this trip.  We're calling our reunion The Turn-Up and officially started a countdown! LOL.  It's truly a party every time the three of us get together.  My brother in-laws family kind of adopted me and Moo as their own during our stay down there a few years back.  

They spoil us food, Moo with toys and clothes and me with drinks and adult company!  They met JJ for the first time last summer, but they welcomed him into the fold too.  I'm excited for my husband to finally get to meet this people that I've been talking about for the longest.  I'll be documenting our preparation for our trip here on the blog and on my vlog channel!  By the way, I hit my 800th post yesterday!!

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Surprises & Winners

I want to start this post off by thanking everyone who entered my giveaway for the animated movie, The Nut Job!  It's really a good movie for those of us who have young kids and who enjoy family movies without all the adult content.  It is came out yesterday on DVD and Blu-ray.  So, I had originally planned on giving away just one copy and thought it would be just the plan DVD, but I woke up to the best surprise Tuesday morning.

Guess what it was?  It was news that I would have two more copies to giveaway any way that I wanted.  So, I decided hey why not pick another winner from the Rafflecopter entries and then I decided to giveaway a third copy to a deserving family that I know.  And guess what else?  It's just the DVD copy, but all three winners will be getting the DVD & Blu-ray combo pack that also includes a code for a free download to your smartphone, computer and tablet!  

I love it when my surprises trickle down to my blog readers.  You guys are the best and continue to support me day in and day out.  I don't giveaways often, but when I do I look at it as my way of saying thanks for reading my review post.  And I'm thankful to the companies who are gracious enough to provide free product for you guys when I ask.  Yes, I'm thankful for them giving me free products, but I always like to ask if they can chip in something for my readers since their main intention is for you all to gain awareness about their product/service by reading about my experience here on YUMMommy. 

Also, I don't want y'all to just take my word for it.  I like to give you the opportunity to try out the product/service and see how you like it for yourself when I have the opportunity to do so.  So, thank y'all for entering and don't forget that I have another giveaway going for The Little Rascals Save The Day!  

Be sure to enter it.  I'm not sure if they will surprise me with extra copies of that one, but you never know.  I got another AWESOME surprise today, but I will save all the details for tomorrow's Thankful Thursday post.  Just know it involves traveling and one of my favorite brands!  Also, another surprise that is on the not so good end is that my friend from Life of Rylie...and Bryce too has had to make her blog private due to a safety issue involving her family.

I feel so awful that there are some people in this world who would threaten the lives and safety of other bloggers and their families.  But by no means, do we have the right to stalk, send threats or violate others.  I will miss her because I had been following her blog for a while before we got to meet in person at my first blog conference.

Keep her in prayer and pray for the other party or parties who are behind this nonsense.  It's situations like this that have made me take pause and caution about sharing photos of Moo and JJ and while I did say that I was going to be revealing their real names soon, I've started to rethink that as well.  However, I will continue to share about our journey as a family and remain as transparent and honest as I've always been.

I've read about bloggers who have had similar issues, but I didn't know them or I wasn't reading their blogs.  This hit home for me because this time it is someone I know and a blogger I've been following and supporting for years.  The good news here that they are okay.  Who knows, she maybe back blogging a year or so from now depending on the situation and how she feels.

Anyways, look below to see if you were one of the blog winners for The Nut Job! 

The Little Rascals Save The Day

Disclosure:  I received product to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

I don't know about you but growing up, The Little Rascals was one of my all time favorite movies.  And guess what?  Buckwheat, Alfalfa, Darla, Spanky, Petey and the rest of the gang are all back in the new movie The Little Rascals Save The Day!  This time around Grandma's bakery is on the verge of being foreclosed if she doesn't come up with $10,000 to pay back the loan she owes.  Well, of course the Little Rascals can't let their grandma and favorite bakery owner go out of business, specially with their enemy Waldo Kaye and his father Mr Kaye trying to buy up the bakery and turn into a mall complex.

The Little Rascals get very creative with coming up with ways to raise $5,000 after Grandma is able to pay off half of the loan.  They do everything from getting jobs to starting their own pet washing salon.  Their last hope is the win the local talent competition, but can they all get along long enough to win it?  Furthermore, will they have enough time to practice so that they sound great by the night of the talent show or will Grandma's bakery end up a mall complex and the Little Rascals treehouse a swanky playhouse for Waldo?

What we loved about this movie is that it's family friendly and suitable for children of all ages.  There were quite a few funny moments in this film.  Our favorite is the scene they attempt to make a red velvet cake.  I don't want to spoil it, but you'll have see how the cake comes together and whether or not it makes it to its intended customer.

Grandma is played by Doris Roberts, who does an excellent job.  I also loved that there were several messages in this movie.  The most important message was probably  that: Being  a leader of group doesn't necessarily mean that you get to make decisions for the whole group.  Spanky has to learn this lesson, but will he learn it in time before he loses his friends and their last chance at saving Grandma's bakery?

I definitely recommend that you get this movie and watch with your kids.  It's available here for DVD/Blu-ray purchase and for digital download.  You can also use the Rafflcopter widget to enter for a chance to win a copy!  Giveaway ends April 22nd at 11:59 PM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrate Your Skin

Disclosure: I am BzzAgent and received a sample of the product below to facilitate this review.  All opintions expressed are 100% my own.

I recently got invited to try out the new Petal Soft body wash by Tone®.  Now, I'm no stranger to Tone ® products.  I've used their Coco Butter line quite a few times.  It was actually one of my go-to product lines  when I was college.  So, I had nothing but great expectations of the Petal Soft body wash.

And I have to admit that it did not disappoint.  Scented with pink peonies and rose oil, this body wash smells divine!  I've been using it for 30 days now and have not had to use perfume at all unless I wanted to layer on a different scent.  The first time I used the Petal Soft body wash, my husband did notice that I didn't smell like my usual perfume.

It was actually quite funny because we were getting ready to head out to park and he passed me by to get the kids' sippy cups.  He kind of stopped and reversed and gave me a sniff.  Then of course being the curious child that she is, Moo asked, "Why are you sniffing Mommy?" LOL.  Kids miss nothing.  Anyways, he asked when I had gotten a new perfume and I went and retrieved the body wash from the bathroom and showed it to him.

He was kind of impressed that you get such a lovely and lasting fragrance from a body wash.  Another thing that I've been enjoying while using the Petal Soft is that it makes the skin naturally soft.  So, after I try off my skin is soft without even having to apply any moisturizer or lotion.  And that's important for me because as someone with severe dry skin, my skin can really feel a little rough if it's not moisturized properly and regularly.  It's something I inherited from my father and have been dealing with all my life.

Now, I wouldn't recommend that you use this on your face simply because it does have fragrance in it.  For me the skin on my face is super sensitive.  I made the mistake of using a perfumed soap on my face once it broke out so bad that I had to get medicine for it..  I did get a little of the Petal Soft on my cheeks once and I didn't have a severe reaction to it because I quickly rinsed it off but a small cluster of bumps did pop up.  However, I put some acne cream on it and two days later they were gone.

That did not change my opinion of how much I liked the body wash and I did continue to use it as I didn't break out anywhere on my body.  Like said, fragrances just aren't made for the face period.  Therefore, I definitely think that if you're in the market for a new body wash or you like to switch up your bath products, then give Tone®'s Petal Soft a try.  It also comes in bar form.

Thankful Thursday

It's feels like this week is going by slower than last week.  I'm not complaining either.  I'm actually thankful that the days and time seem to be slowing down because guess what?  My little man turns 3 next month!  He's trying to be so independent and it's just a little bit overwhelming.  Anyways, no clue as to what we're going to do for his special day yet.

We've made the choice to switch JJ's speech therapist.  While his current therapist is good and he's gotten used to her, I feel like he could better benefit from the resources and therapy offered through the school system.  Not only would we have access to a speech therapist if we go through their program, but behavioral therapist, a psychologist and special education teachers as well.  I just couldn't pass up those resources for him.  

Anyways, we had our first meeting with two of the teachers who will be involved in his upcoming re-evaluation and screening in two weeks and it went really well.  I'm very thankful for that because I wasn't sure how the meeting was going to go or how JJ was going to do.  But he did well and so did Moo.  Our caseworker was able to make it and so was the Mr.  They showed us the mock preschool classroom that he would be getting evaluated in and went over what all it would entitle. 

I have a good feeling about this transition.  I did warn them that whoever his therapist will be that they will need to know right off bat that he takes a long while to get used to new adults.  So, he/she will need to be patient and give him his space for the first month at least.    I'm also looking to connect with other moms with kids his age because there is probably a good chance some of them will end up in his preschool class when he starts next year.  Plus, it'll be great for the Mr and I to have other couples to talk and vent to.

I'm also thankful that things are still going well with my book and I looking forward to having it published by next month.  I'm thankful that Moo is being even  more of a big helper.  She's been volunteering to do things like sweeping and helping with the laundry.  I think that she knows that I get overwhelmed more often than I need to.  She told me that other day that we needed a butler so that I could have a day off.  It made me smile that she's so concerned about me running myself ragged.

I'm thankful that we're closer to being debt free!  It's such a rush when you see your debt number decreasing and decreasing.  We're looking forward the even bigger doors that having financial freedom will open up for us.

What are you thankful for?

The Nut Job

Disclosure: I received product to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

As a mom, there's nothing better than spending time with Moo and JJ.  They're getting to that where they don't want me hovering over them quite as much.  However, one thing that I doubt will change anytime soon is their love our family movie nights.  We do movie night at least once a week and they absolutely look forward to it.  Last week, I surprised them The Nut Job!

Moo is a sucker for any kind of animated movie that has animals in it.  And we've seen the commercials for The Nut Job like million times and she had been asking if we could see it.  Plus, I have to admit that I enjoy a good animated movie from time to time myself and this one looked like it would be something that I would enjoy as well.  So, when I got asked if I was interested in receiving a copy, I was like "Heck yea!"  So, what did we love about the movie?

Kid Appropriate

In today's society, it's getting harder and harder to find movies and shows that are appropriate for kids to watch, especially younger children.  Moo is 5 and JJ is almost 3.  I'm sure I don't have to tell you that a lot of shows and movies created for children now days have been slightly tainted with adult content such as overly suggestive jokes, overuse of violence and more.  It was refreshing to find that The Nut Job had none of those. 

 From start to finish, it was a good clean movie.  I didn't have to mute or fast forward through anything.  That was a good thing because once JJ gets into a movie, if you pause it or fast forward or rewind it, he gets really upset.  It disturbs his vibe.  And I'm glad he was able to watch it all way through without any disturbances. 

Funny

The Nut Job is pretty much a movie about Surly, a squirrel who is on a quest to find....you guessed it, nuts!  However, he's not the only one on that quest.  The rest of animals in the park are on the same quest.  They need enough food to last throughout the Winter.  So, Grayson and Andie are chosen for the challenge of hunting down enough nuts for everybody to share.  However, this quest proves to be anything but easy for all parties.

We were so keeping our fingers crossed that this movie would be funny.  After all with a title like The Nut Job, how could you expect anything less?  Well, it was funny.  There are definitely some great laughs in this movie.  My favorite funny scene, or scenes I should say, are at the beginning of the movie and involve a runaway nut cart.  I don't give too much way.  Moo and JJ's favorite funny moments are almost all the scenes involving Precious, the pug.

Life Lessons

While The Nut Job was funny, there were also some lessons to be learned in this movie as well.  Yes, I'm that mom who uses movies to talk to her children about life lessons.  I feel like it's never to early to start schooling Moo and JJ about some of the challenges they will face.  And it helps when I have examples that they can understand.  One of the biggest, lessons of this movie was to never give up on doing the right thing no matter who pressures you to do otherwise.  

Again without giving away any spoilers, one of the characters in this movie has a hidden agenda and manipulates others to join in on his scheming.  I loved that Moo asked questions about why said character would want to do his friends wrong.  "Doesn't he care about his friends, Mommy?" she asked me.  And without getting too deep, I explained to her that sometimes greed and power can cause us to turn our backs on those who care about us the most.

Overall, we greatly enjoyed The Nut Job.  I do recommend it for those of you who looking for a great family movie.  You can purchase a Digital HD copy today from various retailers.  Check out the list here.  And the Blu Ray and DVD copies will be available on April 15th, but you can pre-order from any of the retailers listed here.  You can also enter below using the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win your own copy.  Contest ends next Tuesday, April 15th at 11:59 PM!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thankful Thursday

Can't believe it's Thursday already!  For some reason my body clock feels a day behind.  I woke up thinking today was Wednesday.  Whelp, who's looking forward to the weekend?  I am!  Nothing special planned, but we're finally having real Spring weather here.

I'm so thankful that it has been warm all this week.  We actually have had to turn on the AC the last few days.  It gets hot quick in this apartment when it's warm outside.  And while I'm enjoying this warm weather, the one thing I'm not enjoying is that our front yard has been taken over by bees and the wasp have commandeered my recycling bin!

I went to take the recycling Tuesday and a small swarm of wasps came flying out the bin.  Y'all should have seen how fast I tossed our recycling trashcan in the air and made a run for it. LOL.  I don't do bee or wasp stings.  An ant bite can send me to the hospital.  Therefore, I don't ever want to find out what a bee or wasp sting can do.  Plus, my mom, two aunts and a cousin all have very serious allergic reactions to stings.  They all have to carry EpiPens and I have seen them hospitalized because of stings.

So, I'm thankful that I didn't get stung because they just shot out of there like they were on the hunt.  I'm also thankful for car warranties.  The Mr works a good distance from home and well, going back and forth almost seven days a week puts a lot of mileage and wear on our car.  Not to mention, I still go about my business with trips to the library, mall, park, etc.  The car overheated on him and died, but thankfully he was able to turn into a parking lot and coast to a stop in a shopping mall.  

There is a long stretch of highway there aren't any gas stations or stores for miles.  So, I was glad that he didn't get stranded there because he would have burnt up waiting in that car.  Anyways, I was glad to have him home.  The kids went nuts when they saw him coming back through the door the other day.  They really love it when he's here all day (which is not often).  I don't want to complain, but I can't wait until we can stop doing this coming and going dance and be able to spend real family time together on a daily basis.

I'm most thankful that Moo read her first real book today and all by herself!  I was trying to check some emails and JJ wanted me to read The Goat Who Ate Everything.  He's obsessed with this book.  We've been reading it three times a day.  So, she decided to read the book to him and at first I wasn't really listening by then she got the word catastrophe and I was like wait, she's really reading this book!! Talk about a proud mommy moment.  

I'm not sure if she's reading it from memory because we've read it so much, but she definitely can identify most of the words and she read it word for word.  Either way, I'm proud of her.  It was such a precious moment.  After she finished, she told me that just because she's reading now doesn't mean that she wants me to stop reading to her.  My heart melted!  Just when I feel like she's gotten all Miss Independent on me, she goes and reassures me that she still needs me.

It's moments like these that make me confident in my decision to become a mom.  I wear a lot of different hats, but Mommy is the one that I'm the most proud of.  It's the most rewarding hands down and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What are you giving thanks for today?

April Goals And To-Do List

Pinterest

Happy April!  I know that I have been scarce around here as of late, but that's because between trying to spend more quality time with the Mr and the kiddies, writing my novel, trying to do reviews and other stuff, I have just felt slightly overwhelmed.  But I'm back and I'll definitely be more present this month.   I've been looking back over my New Year's resolution/vision board/goals and I've decided to set monthly mini goals to help me stay on track with reaching my main goals.  Let's get in to it!

April Goals & To-Do List

• Get A Pet:  Moo has been talking my head off about getting a pet!  Seriously, if I have to hear the word pet one more time, I might need to start doing shots of the hard stuff.  She asks at least twice a day.  I think last month she missed two days of asking.  If anything, my baby girl is persistent!  She wants a poodle but I definitely don't see that in her future.  Her second choice is a hamster and my choice is a gold fish.   We'll see which one we end up with.

• Family Outing:  Well, I put on my list of resolutions and goals that I wanted us to do/attend two family outings/events and we have.  We went to the ImaginOn, which counts as a family outing because the Mr tagged along and we don't go there often, and we went to a private screening of Disney's The Pirate Fairy this past Saturday! Review coming up on that.  But I'd love to attend and have one more family outing with the Mr in attendance.  Moo has requested a family picnic.

• Send Cards/Letters:  Obviously, if I haven't had time to blog, I haven't really had time to be on social media or my phone either.  With Easter coming up, it's the perfect excuse to buy some cute stationery and cards to send out to my friends and catch them up on what's been going on with the family!

• Publish Novel:  I'm really cracking the whip on myself to get Forever Branded by the end of this month.  I think I had started to get writer's fright (kinda like stage fright for actors) and took a few days off from working on it.  I'm back though and it's chugging along.  I have the ending halfway written out, a few chapters in the middle done and the beginning.  Now, I'm just filling in and connecting the dots.  No, I don't write in chronological order.  My mind just doesn't work that way when it comes to writing fiction.

• Exercise:  I have really been slacking on this, but I'm determined to get my body more toned.  I don't need to drop anymore pounds because even the new pants that I got for Christmas are a little loose on me now.  Plus, the Mr has been getting on me because he thinks I'm going to end up looking like a skeleton.  I'm going to be honest and say that I wouldn't mind being back in a size 4 from my early college days but I'm going to be content with my size 7/6.  I've worked hard to get here (I was a size 18/16) and now I just need to exercise to maintain it.

• Vlog:  I have about three videos that I need to film, lightly edit and upload.  I'm thinking about taking a stab at daily vlogging for a week but idk about that.  We're still not comfortable with the kids being on YouTube, especially since Moo refuses to go by her nickname in person anymore and she prefers to call her brother by his first name.  I'm not ready to reveal their real names just yet.  I am planning on doing it, but you'll have to wait to see how I do it and when.  Feel free to leave your guesses at to what you think their first names are in the comments.  Hint:  JJ's first name doesn't start with a J!

• Finish Blankets:  I'm crocheting a few blankets for a few different people right now and I need to finish them up and ship them off.  I'll be posting pictures and maybe even doing some crochet vlogs.  I hear so many people talk about how hard crocheting is but honestly it's not.  I taught myself as a teenager using a book.  

• Get More Active On Author Blog:  Yes, I have an author/writing blog!  Check it out here.  I'm really looking to publishing a few books and I want to build up my readership and share more about my journey and process.  You'd be amazed at how easy people think writing a book is.  Fiction is really hard to write because you're not stating facts but relying on your imagination.  You battle with wondering if your imagination is good enough to create a story not that others will love necessarily but that YOU will love.  There's nothing like writing 40-80,000 words only to get to the end and realize you hate your own work.  

• Experiment With More Hairstyles:  I'm still Team Natural.  And I have been ditching the ponytail, but the issue now is that I've become obsessed with milk braids.  I wear them all the time.  It's time to switch it up.  I think that I'm going to try out some crochet braids or get a good silk wrap and just wear my hair down for a week or two.  We'll see.

What are your goals for April?