Never Gonna Give You Up Weekend

I came home from the store singing this song. I have no idea why. It was just in my mind the whole time. So I went to find it and had fun with it just as I did so many years ago.  Y'all remember this one? Maybe it was the best one of his? Then I want all Astley :) Seems he is evening aging well or is he dead?

Theme: FREEBIE so share whatever music you like.



This weekend has been crazy. On Thursday I got the feeling that Monday would roll around and I'd wonder where the weekend went.  And sure enough I'm sitting here wondering just that.

Friday no school for the kids. Something about parent teachers conference.  So it was a long weekend of library, going to the store, soccer and church and worship choir.

I will get time to just be, but it would be nice to really rest on Sunday.

The boy's team lost both games. But it's not too much of a disappointment because they play better teams than their skill level so they can learn. I like their learning program.

I hope the boy is evaluated better than I evaluate him.

I'm glad they are in small teams and the coaches actually know who they are.

We had to miss church because of soccer, but the message is posted online. I hope I get to listen.

All in all I love having more time with my children.

Hope y'all have a good weekend.

Welcome to today's music.  I hope Monday find you with a smile and music to begin your week with light steps. 

I'm always coming to visit everyone on the linky so don't worry if I'm a bit late! 

CONGRATULATIONS to this week's spotlight dancer!

Don't forget to visit the spotlight dancer in the #1 spot. Soon it might be your turn. 

Thank you for visiting and I'll visit you soon! 

Hosts: 

Colette @JamericanSpice

Marie @XmasDolly

Stacy @Stacy Uncorked

Cathy Kennedy

Michelle - Naila Moon - Just The Stuff Ya Know

Honorary Co-host: Thank you Becca and Welcome Danielle - Royalegacy

Steps:

1. Visit YouTube (or other) and get your music for the theme of the week

2. Grab our "Monday's Music Moves Me" button (above) 

3. Add your post to the linky - follow the hosts and grab our buttons. Leave a note so we can follow you back

4. Visit each other and leave a comment or whatever you want to do to let them know you were there. See if they have the same music style as you. Enjoy the music! 

You can also join 

Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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Country Bob's Sauce II #Giveaway Sweeps

I've heard quite a lot about the Country Bob's Sauces and still I haven't used them as yet. When I do have an open budget, we will definitely have to give these a taste.

Come get a chance to win in the Country Bob's Sauce II #Giveaway Sweeps

Country Bob's Sauce II Giveaway 

Holiday Contest and Sweeps

Along with a great group of Blogs

Proudly Brings You The

Country Bob's Sauce II Giveaway 

3- Winners each Winning a Gift Box of Assorted Sauces

I am very happy to have the pleasure to introduce to you

all a variety of sauces that will spice up your meats like

never before. From their delicious barbecue sauce to their

marinade, there is no other sauce you will want on your meats

and vegetables.

 Let's take a trip back in history and let you know how much pride

is taken in each and every bottle of sauce they produce.

Where do great products come from? Usually they are the result of much time being exerted and a tremendous amount of love being invested. At that point you can say, “That’s mine! I made that.” That’s the way Country Bob Edson created his All Purpose Sauce.

In 1968 Country Bob perfected the sauce of his dreams. After years of giving the sauce to friends and family he began to sell it in 1977. The reaction was overwhelming just as it is today. Almost everyone who tries Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce becomes a lifelong user. And why not, it is the perfect complement to practically any meal set on your table.

It was actually October of 1982 when Country Bob, Inc. became the company, which remains today. Bob Edson, Terry Edson, Al Malekovic and Reed Malekovic formed a corporation with equal ownership. Since that time Country Bob’s distribution has magnified regionally in all directions from our corporate office located in Centralia, Illinois. Even with the tremendous growth we have not forgotten where we came from, continuing in our relentless pursuit of product excellence.

Along with our All Purpose Sauce we have expanded our product line to include BBQ Sauce and Seasoning Salt as well as Apple Chipotle and Honey Habanero All Purpose Sauce and the newest member to the family Country Bob’s Marinade. With our fully automated bottling line we also have the capability of producing Private Label products for stores or restaurants.

It would be nice if we could claim responsibility for the success of the company, however, credit must be given where credit is due. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” We have placed true ownership of Country Bob, Inc. in the hands of God. “Christ is our CEO”  and He is an Awesome Boss!

Country Bob's has put together some amazing recipes that will make your

mouth water. Also, check out their website for more products and information

today.

Click Here to Visit Country Bob's Website

This giveaway is not associated, endorsed or affiliated with Facebook,

Twitter or any other networking site/

This Giveaway will end at 12:00 AM (EST) 4/14/2014. Giveaway is

valid in the Continental USA Only and entrants must be 18+ years old.

JamericanSpice and Holiday Contest and Sweeps received samples of various Country Bob's 

sauces for review purposes in this giveaway. The sponsor will be responsible

for the awarding and shipping of the individual prizes. The winners will

have 48 hours to reply to the prize notification email, failure to reply in

that time frame will result in another winner to be drawn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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Mega Movie Pack #Giveaway Sweepstakes

Once upon a time I had a netflix account. I had hundreds of movies in there that I wanted to watch. I figured even though I probably wont be able to watch them, I'd try the really good ones. Then one day there was no more netflix. We simply couldn't have it in our budget and thus my library became my favorite hang out spot for all my entertainment needs. 

This is such a fun giveaway and I admit it would be nice to see all these old time movies with my kids as they get older. 

Come enter for a chance to win in the Mega Movie Pack #Giveaway Sweeps! 

Mega Movie Pack Giveaway

 Holiday Contest and Sweeps

Along With a Great Group of Bloggers

Proudly Brings You The

Mega Movie Pack Giveaway

1- Winner - 1 Grand Prize Package

 Contains

1 - Fabulous Forties  12 Disk DVD Set
1 - Nifty Fifties 12 Disk DVD Set
1 - The Swingin' Seventies 12  Disk DVD Set
1 - Excellent Eighties 12 Disk DVD Set
1 - History Of My Life 5 Disk DVD Set
2 - Movie Night Snack Scoop Boxes (Total of 4)

 Enjoy Oscar® nominated films, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, This is the Army, Cheers for Miss Bishop, Lady of Burlesque and the award winning The Last Chance, as well as wonderful characters like Lil’ Abner, Andy Hardy and Dick Tracy. Take delight in stars such as Barbara Stanwyck, Hedy Lamarr, Fred Astaire, Susan Hayward, Freddie Bartholomew, Yul Breynner, James Stewart, Merle Oberon, Gene Tierney, and many other screen legends. This exciting 50-Movie Collection is a treasure trove of big films and big stars from the fantastic decade known as The Fabulous Forties!

Over 65 Hours of the best of the 50s!

The 1950's marked the introduction of cultural and technological changes (i.e. Rock 'N Roll, TV sets) that reverberated into the themes and acting styles of this era. Many stars made their debut in the 50s while others continued their rise in stardom includingSidney Poitier, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Eva Gardner, Kim Novack, Marilyn Monroe and Gregory Peck.

Enjoy classics like David Copperfield, The Borrowers and Jane Eyre. Relive pop culture through James Dean, Evel Knievel and the acclaimed adapation of the Tony-Award winning play, The River Niger starring James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson.. Relish in stars such as Telly Savalas, Joe Namath, Charles Bronson, Bill Bixby, Jack Palance, Lee Remick, Sissy Spacek, George C. Scott, Sally Field, Richard Chamberlain, Peter O’Toole, James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, Jim Hutton, Chuck Connors, Susan Sarandon and Blythe Danner.

Fifty films with big time 80’s star power including Demi Moore, James Brolin, Anthony Quinn, Joe Pesci, Elizabeth Hurley, Lindsay Wagner, Michelle Pfeiffer, David Hasselhoff, Linda Blair, Lee Majors,Ron Howard, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Plummer, Helena Bonham Carter, William Shatner, Hugh Grant, Matt Dillon, Jodie Foster and Sarah Jessica Parker. Sci-Fi, coming-of-age stories, comedies and thrillers were all the rage in the ’80s and can be enjoyed in this sweet collection.

Ever wonder what life was really like the decade you were born? Prepare to discover the notable figures and events that dominated the decades and changed the course of history! Flash-back to the “good old days” with this nostalgic and entertaining 5 DVDcollection that captures the life and times in America – from the 1940’s through the 1980’s. Together for the first time this series reveals the fun and fascinating pop-culture and historical highlights of each decade. From politics & pantyhose to Pac-Manprepare to travel through The History of Your Life.

4 - Movie Night Snack Scoop Boxes

Our Scoop Boxes make any movie memorable. Each one comes packed with Butter Popcorn, Red Licorice Twists, Gummi Bears, Chocolate Malt Balls and Kiddie Mix candies. A must for family movie night!

Contents:

 1 – 1.2 oz Butter Popcorn 

 1 – 3.5 oz Red Licorice Twists 

 1 – 2 oz Gummi Bears 

 1 – 1.5 oz Malted Milk Chocolates 

 1 – 4 oz Kiddie Mix (Includes Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum, 

Smarties®, Bottle Caps®, Lollipops, Candy Money, Tootsie 

Roll® Midgees®, Jawbreakers) 

A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors

Mill Creek Entertainment

The Popcorn Factory

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook

Twitter, Pinterest or any other Social Media Networking Site.

This giveaway is valid in the Continental United States Only. Entrants must be

18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway will end at 12:00 AM (EST) 4/21/14

Holiday Contest and Sweeps did not receive any form of compensation

for posting this giveaway. Mill Creek Entertainment will be responsible for

 the awarding and shipping of the prize package to the Grand Prize Winner.

The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the prize notification email, failure

to reply in that time frame will result in another winner to be drawn.

Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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Unlocking The Social Potential In Autism #Book Tour + #Win A $75 Amazon GC

I don't have a child with Autism that I know, but I've heard the stories and my friends have children with these unique capabilities. It's amazing the things they can do, but of course there are many challenges too in learning what is the best way to communicate with your child, and help the outside world do so as well.

I really would love to read and gift this book.

Come join us in the Unlocking The Social Potential In Autism #Book Tour + #Win A $75 Amazon GC

To your dismay, your child has received a diagnosis of autism. Along with this alarming news comes the barrage of emotions that suffocates you like an avalanche— denial—confusion—depression—guilt.

You want to fix your child; you have a million questions; and you want answers immediately. Autism is a journey in which the child and her family navigate challenges and experience achievements along the way.

To guide you in this rewarding journey, Dr. Karina Poirier offers her expertise in this book that parents will find incredibly useful. In this book, you will find the answers you’ve desperately been seeking. Dr. Poirier has provided in simple, easy to comprehend language, an overview of child development, a descriptive explanation of how autism affects each developmental area, and guidelines for advancing your child’s functioning in all developmental domains.

You will appreciate the multitude of hands-on, full-color sample lessons for teaching social and emotional skills, language, problem-solving and decision making, and play skills to children with autism. Publisher: Social Cognition Publications | Irvine, CA Color: Full-color illustrations Pages: 300 ISBN (Print): 9780988798205 ISBN (Digital): 9780988798212 Available: March 2014

Available at: http://www.socialcognitionpublications.com/

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Improving social and communication skills in children with autism

Dr. Karina Poirier, author of Unlocking the Social Potential in Autism, says that understanding a child’s unique needs is the key step to dealing with concerns and developing their strengths. “Bring everything into the light.

The worst thing you can do,” she said, “is to ignore the issue. Parents can help their children learn how to communicate better and develop social skills that will help them thrive later in life. Get help early, identify the specific issues you are facing, ask questions, learn everything you can, and devise a concrete and detailed strategy for engaging your child so key skills are developed and strengthened”.

Here are her answers to some key concerns that parents of a child with autism are faced with.

Q: My child can sit through a learning task on the iPad or television; however, he becomes restless and fidgety when working with a teacher.

Why? A: Your child’s attention system is reactive. Consider how much children learn from viewing television. Teachers struggle to get children’s attention when an activity does not include the sensory kaleidoscope children are used to receiving when sitting in front of the television.

Key Action: Children must be taught at an early age how to develop the mental tools (attend, remember, think) to engage in deliberate and self-directed learning experiences with an adult’s guidance.

Q: My child does not respond appropriately to mood changes in others (e.g., when a peer’s mood changes from happiness to distress).

Why? A: Your child may be lacking the ability to read nonverbal cues. Children with autism often have impaired ability to read, interpret, and process social and emotional messages. Children who are unaware of others’ thoughts and feelings risk not developing the sense of self.

Key Action: Treatment to teach the child the emotional codes that are part of the social experience. The child needs to develop the ability to understand other peoples’ emotions from their facial expression, tone of voice, and body posture. The child should be taught to recognize and interpret how people around him think and feel.

Q: My child has difficulty with describing his/her day at school, recounting an experience, or relaying a message.

Why? A: Delayed recall skills utilize episodic memory. Episodic memory allows us to remember past events and share these events with others. In other words, it is how we engage in reciprocal conversations with others. Episodic memory produces a conscious awareness of events that have occurred at any one time; it enables people to remember what happened to them in the past or to conceive the future.

Key Action: Effective treatment is required for the child to learn about memory strategies and to practice remembering. Through repetition, the child develops not only better recall of past events, but also the skills to communicate the memory of the event to peers or adults during a conversation.

Q: My child is verbal and has good command of language; however, he has trouble initiating conversation with others and taking turns during a conversation.

Why? A: Children with autism have difficulties in social initiation and social-emotional understanding. Engaging in a reciprocal conversation with others requires the development and interaction of memory, information processing, and expressive communication skills—all of which are pervasive deficits of children with autism. It is not that these children do not desire involvement with their peers. On the contrary, they do have the desire to be socially engaged with others; however, the dilemma lies in the fact that these children lack knowledge of social norms.

Key Action: Effective treatment that emphasizes social norms and rules, and teaches children how to process social information by distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information in a social situation. Initiating and maintaining a conversation requires a person to have social knowledge, which is knowledge of event schemas.

Q: How much play time is appropriate to include in my child’s learning routine?
A: For a young child, teaching through play is extremely important. Play gives children something to do with their ample free time; it also serves the important purpose of honing children’s physical, social and emotional development. Play does not occur spontaneously in children with autism the way it does for typical children.

Key Action: Investing significant time teaching through play focuses the child on developing fine and gross motor skills, interpreting the social cues of other children and adults, and responding to those social cues appropriately. Play can be used to develop the ability to interact with, explore, and, ultimately master their surroundings. Play is an essential part of the learning process, and its ability to mimic real-life scenarios makes it an ideal way to stimulate overall development.

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About the author:

Karina Poirier, Psy.D., BCBA-D Dr. Karina Poirier is the Director of the Center for Social Cognition , a board certified behavior analyst at the doc-toral level (BCBA-D), and a certified cognitive educational therapist. Her clinical practice is devoted to providing outstanding individuals and group therapy that improves social and cognitive outcomes for individuals with autism, ADHD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and related disorders. Learn more at www.drkarinapoirier.com.

ONLINE RESOURCES

http://www.drkarinapoirier.com http://www.facebook.com/CenterforSocialCognition http://www.twitter.com/SocialCognition https://plus.google.com/+Centerforsocialcognition/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2hZCpP_TDdGzWxrREAbJ4w
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Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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Schism: The Battle Of Darracia - $300 Cash #Giveaway

These books sounds really interesting and keeps pulling me in to read them.  If you have already read them, share with me your thoughts.
Right now I'm stuck on one book, waiting for one from a favorite and dear author and trying to get my reading appetite back!

Come hang out with us for a bit and enter to win in the Schism: The Battle of Darracia - $300 Cash #Giveaway!

Welcome to the $300 Cash Giveaway!

Sponsored by Michael Phillip Cash.

Schism was recently chosen as a BOTYA 2013 Finalist in Science Fiction. To celebrate, Michael Cash would like to offer a everyone a chance to win $300.

On the planet Darracia, an ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing turmoil that is fracturing a once peaceful world. Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V'sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior's heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen's lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?

Dii, an Amazon reviewer said:

"Does intolerance of people’s differences go beyond our planet? What of jealousy and the quest for power? Is it thicker than blood? Schism by Michael Phillip Cash is a fascinating and intense dark fantasy/Sci-fi filled with everything that makes for excellent, magnetic reading! Prejudice, love, greed, trust, the lust for power, deceit, cruelty and bloodshed, it’s all here in the first book of what looks to be an amazing journey to another planet somewhere in the heavens.

The ever-widening gap between the different classes is causing unrest to the once peaceful plant of Darracia, the haves get more, the have-nots lose what little they have and are beginning to fight back. Considered inferior to those around him, young Prince V’sair struggles to be seen as warrior material, in spite of his smaller stature and different skin coloring. 

He is a half-breed, part Darracian, part Planta. Smart, filled with knowledge from books, he still longs to feel the power of the Elements in the Fireblade, a weapon that can only be wielded by one blessed with a warrior’s heart. Forbidden to risk his life in a quest to find the powerful weapon, V’sair chafes at being trapped between wanting to help his people and needing to obey the King and Queen. But there is more to the unrest among the classes than meets the eye. 

Someone nearby is a traitor and it may be up to V’sair to save his world, but how? Unprepared for what awaits him outside of his castle, V’sair finds strength in love, honor and in believing in himself as he stands against the odds and the evil betrayers around him.

No doubt about it, Michael Phillip Cash can build a world with depth and clarity and then populate it characters that one can see in their minds. Soar above the clouds on a flying horse-type creature, feel the tension, feel the fear and wonder of V’sair as he runs into danger, faces near death and the love of a girl whose skin is as red as his is blue. 

Mr. Cash introduces each character with ease and enables the reader to see who to watch for, who to root for and who to hiss at. He has created magic with his words that transport you into another world as good battle evil in the takeover of Darracia and a boy becomes a warrior with heart. As the foundation from which this series will build, Schism is a powerful testament to the power of the imagination when guided by a masterful storyteller."

Book 2, Collision: The Battle for Darracia (Book 2) (The Darracia Saga) is now available on Amazon.

After the success of his first three books (Brood X, Stillwell, and The Hanging Tree) Michael Phillip Cash is fulfilling a dream and creating his own epic fantasy world. The third book in the series is coming soon!

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Enter to win $300 Cash via PayPal

Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway.

Refer your friends using your unique link to earn even more chances to win.

Open Worldwide.

Ends at 11:59pm EDT on April 8th, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was coordinated by Giveaway Promote.

Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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Spruce Up Your Spring Wardrobe With Kohl's - #SpringAtKohls #Sponsored #MC

"I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Kohls'. I received a gift card as a thank you for participating"

It is Spring time and we are all leaping into Spring with every fiber of our being...except all those people who seem to really like winter...

But gosh I LOVE the warm weather! I can't wait to wear my cute lil 'old' dresses!  I finally put one on today that someone gave me and both kids and husband took noticed and expressed their appreciation! Well then, I must not disappoint! But with the new budding season, it would be nice to have a wardrobe upgrade!

Kohl’s Spring Fashion Hangout provides great tips on what trends to be on the lookout for right now. From the color pink to dresses and roll-cuffed denim, they share it all! 

How do you incorporate color into your wardrobe?
Of course this includes winter months when you are covered in fur! And for many of you, we know you'll be having Spring in wintertime!
I'm an island girl, so I love color! Bold colors! But of course I don't mind subtle colors too, but if it's red, let's make it a hot red and not something that's washed out!
I also love the mingling of colors that comes out in a beautiful design! Which means I'll wear a solid on the bottom and try to find an nice top that can rotate with any bottom!

Do you like pink? Do you go all out or do you pink-o-rize? I think I made a new word!

I love that there are many different shades of pink and pretty much every color you can think of.

And while pink is mostly identified as female, I love seeing a man secure enough to wear a pop of pink. It shouldn't be just a pop of pink for Breast Cancer month either.

 

AB Floral Chiffon Top and the ELLE Basketweave Top

We brown skinned women tend to shy away from pink, but it can be so easy to add into our everyday wear. I enjoy wearing mostly pink accessories or pink shirts and blouses.  A friend once told me that with my skin, I should select light colors for enhancement. I'm used to falling back on everything black!

My daughter loves all things pink, so this Spring I'm going to be on the look out for cute blouses for both of us in pink!

How do you feel about Capris?
I've seen how nice they look on many people, but me and my non-sexy legs tend to shy away from them. I want a full on pants or none at all. However I want to begin wearing shorts and Capris just because I want to explore that side of me that I"m afraid of.

What about the Spring dresses?
Do you love them or hate them? I think they are most adorable and beautiful! But like Capris and shorts, I hide away from them and live vicariously through other people in their beautiful dresses. I do have a few dresses though and every now and then, the bold me will wear one.

I love the ideas on how to accessorize the Spring dresses at Kohl's. A nice jacket or scarf, jewelry that flows from day to night and a comfortably fabulous pair of shoes!

Jennifer Lopez Ponte Sheath Dress

I learned that fit and flare works wonderful for most if not all body shapes. And it's all about personal style.
Try the dresses on and pick the ones that you feel wowed in!

I love that blogger  Toni's take on the flowy top because it's so light and airy. I live in LA and this type of clothing are perfect for the hot and humid weather!

Spring is when everything begins afresh. All the floral and feminine wear comes out. And since pink is in, you can choose to be bold , solid or mix it up for your wardrobe.

I haven't shopped at Kohl's in quite awhile because of budget reasons, but I look forward to my experience with our local branch!

As you can see throughout this post, I have my eyes on quite a few items from Kohl's.  Watch the Kohl’s Spring Fashion Hangout and let me know what trends you'll be rocking this season!
If you are looking for just a bit of change or a full wardrobe update, visit Kohl's for your one-stop shop for all your fashion needs this Spring!

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"I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Kohls'. I received a gift card as a thank you for participating"

Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure 

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