First Day Of Camp - #Music Everywhere - Please Slow Down + MOVE!

Today is the kids first day of +Pine Cove  Camp in the city.
I'm so very excited for them. They are super excited.

I got up and made them lunches.

We have five days of clothing laid out for the camp days, to make life easier.

And it's from 8:45am to 4pm.

Not a boarding camp, but day camp.

As a mom, I'm more comfortable with the day camp.

I know they'll have a super awesome time and I can't wait to hear all about their days!




So all I want is for them to grow up and have a blessed and thriving life.
And all I want is for them to slow down.

I love hanging out with them and love them as I'm capable.

Slow Down

Nichole Nordeman

from the album The Unmaking

Buy on Amazon | iTunes

Here's to you
You were pink or blue
And everything I wanted 
Here's to you
Never sleeping through
From midnight till the morning
Had to crawl before you walked
Before you ran
Before I knew it
You were trying to free your fingers from my hand
‘Cause you could it on your own now
Somehow

Slow down
Won't you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it's all too fast
Let's make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down

Here's to you
Every missing tooth
Every bedtime story
Here's to Barbie cars, light saber wars
Sleeping in on Sunday
Had to crawl 
Before you walked
Before you ran
Before I knew it 
You were teaching me 
The only thing love can
Hold hands through it
When it's scary, you've got me

Please don't roll your eyes at me
I know I'm embarrassing 
But someday you'll understand
You'll hold a little hand
Ask them if they can …

I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am 
But do you think you can 
Somehow
Slow down

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.  And also Sign Our 4M's Social Network Help Linky!

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

Hosts: 

Marie @XmasDolly

Cohost:

Colette @JamericanSpice

Stacy @Stacy Uncorked

Naila Moon / Michelle - Just The Stuff Ya Know

Honorary Co-host: 

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! 

And slow down and thank our military heroes.
Slow down and plant a tree for them.
Slow down and send up a prayer for them.

Happy Memorial Day y'all 

I know your heart been broke again 
I know your prayers ain't been answered yet
I know you're feeling like you got nothing left
Well, lift your head, it ain't over yet, ain't over yet so
Move, keep walkin'
Soldier keep movin' on
Move, keep walkin' until the mornin' comes 
Move, keep walkin'
Soldier keep movin' on
And lift your head, it ain't over yet, ain't over yet



Aloha

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 

Tweet

Read More

Father's Day $100 Best Buy Gift Card #Giveaway

Another Father's Day without knowing my father.
Maybe it's not meant to be.
I wish it, but I don't think much about it as I did as a child.

My mother said he walked away.

Did you grow up with your father? 
What did you enjoy most about your relationship? 

What would you gift him for Father's Day? 

Welcome to the Father's Day $100 Best Buy Giveaway!

Hosted by: Southern Mom Loves
Co-Hosted by: Life, Naturally, Tales From A Southern Mom, Five Spot Green Living, Frugal Finds During Naptime, & We Love Frugal Finds

Enter below for your chance to win $100 to Best Buy! Winner may choose an eGift Card delivered via email or a physical gift card delivered via snail mail.

Giveaway begins on 5/29/16 at 1:00 am CST and ends on 6/18/16 at 11:59 pm CST. Must be 18 years or older, open to residents of the US only (void where prohibited.) I will email the winner on Father's Day; The winner will have 24 hours to claim or I will redraw. Once winners are confirmed, they will be added to the Winner's List here.

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per IP address. All entries will be verified. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be contacted by email; Please add southernmomloves@gmail.com to your whitelist. Holly of Southern Mom Loves will be responsible for prize delivery to the winner. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media platform.

Contact Holly at southernmomloves@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or comments, or would like Southern Mom Loves to organize your next 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 

Tweet

Read More

Chick-Fil-A DIY Snack On The Go - Endless Upcycle Possibilities #ChickFilAMomsDIY

It's quite a story how I came to fall in love with Chick-Fil-A, but I can say, it began with a taste and a 'Ooh there are so many eats to catch up on!"

Anyway, I am now on their panel and I love it!

We are challenged to a DIY.

Am I ever good with those? Not really...or maybe I'm great :)

The challenge:

Chick-Fil-A has a new salad. It's called the Spicy Southwest Salad. I could have tried it a long time ago, but I was mourning my Cobb salad which was my favorite meal item from Chick-Fil-A.

And I was afraid of spicy anything :)

But I received a coupon for Mother's day and so I definitely had to venture out of my comfort zone and did order and try the Spicy Southwest Salad.
Even my kids enjoyed it! And they don't do spicy!
Now I"ll have to make this my favorite salad!

But that's not the challenge :D

The challenge is that instead of throwing away those cool containers, why not upcycle them?

I've thought of that sooo many times, but lazy won!

Anyway, I will now upcycle instead of throwing out.  I usually upcycle the utensils though.


Challenge: Upcycle the Chick-Fil-A salad containers. 

I've been doing that.

It's fun.

I can throw food into these containers quickly and run out the door.  And I mean 'throw.' I usually don't have time to make it neat to take photos. It's just slam, bam and out the door running and hoping the thing doesn't fall out of my hand while trying to navigate the doors!

I usually use ziploc bags :)

For this feature, I chose my fruit snacks. Usually there's yogurt poured out in the middle for dipping.

Or sometimes it's chips and dip.

Or sandwiches, or leftover red beans and rice.

You get the ideas.

 

But the kids have to eat! Because they can get quite hangry if not fed!
And for some reason they always have some excuse about not eating the awful school lunches. I think we need a change somewhere again.

I'm either eating a late lunch while picking the kids up, or taking them a snack to eat on the way home because they are always ravenous after school.

So after using the salad containers, wash and dry them and then use them for whatever meets your needs.

I promise that you can even plant flowers or herbs in them. Really, the possibilities are endless!

So I did that!

Because I"m your everyday kinda hero :)

An InLinkz Link-up

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 

Tweet

Read More

Teen Titans Go DVD #Giveaway

I had to watch this show and then allow my kids to watch it. They bugged me to watch it for ages! I just didn't have the time to pay it the attention and give the go ahead.

Now they love to watch it.

Enter below for your chance to win.  And tell me, do your kids love Teen Titans Go?

This follow-up to the popular "Teen Titans" series takes a more comedic look at the superheroes, showing what life is like for the teens when their capes come off. Funny things happen to Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg between saving the world and being regular teens, living together without adult supervision.

The teens, in their ordinary lives, deal with the everyday issues of adolescence that include such important things as having staring contests to determine who does the laundry and going on a series of quests to construct the perfect sandwich. But, of course, the heroes still fight crime in Jump City when the need arises. Whatever the situation, they're always ready for an adventure -- inside the house or out of it.

"Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is delighted to release of Teen Titans Go!: Eat. Dance. Punch! Season 3 Part 1 on DVD," said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. "Fans can get excited about yet another installment of the ever-popular Teen Titans Go! animated series."

Now available for pre-order on DVD!

Welcome To The

TEEN TITANS GO!

DVD Giveaway


Hosted By PaulaMS' Giveaways, Reviews, & Freebies
​
Co-Hosted By IMHO Views, Reviews, and Giveaways and Deliciously Savvy

Sponsored By Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

​
Dates: May 20, 2016 at 12:01 am EST through May, 30 2016 at 11:59 pm EST

Prize: Two lucky readers will win a 

TEEN TITANS GO!: EAT. DANCE. PUNCH! Season 3 Part 1 DVD

I would like to give a big shout out to all the blogs
participating in this giveaway! I couldn't do it without you.
Thank you for bringing this promotion to your readers.

By following us on our social networks and by email we are able to get the best giveaways together on the internet! Please take a minute to “like” us on Facebook!Thanks!Chances of winning depend on entries received.
Open to US residents 18 years and older
Winning entry will be verified


GOOD LUCK!

TEEN TITANS GO! DVD Giveaway

Disclaimer: PaulaMS' Giveaways, Reviews, and Freebies nor any blog promoting this giveaway, is not responsible for the awarding of the prize. Sponsors are responsible for prize fulfillment. Any Questions about this giveaway? Email Paula At paula_stewart (at) ymail (dot) com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: PaulaMS received the products mentioned above for free to facilitate the writing of this review. Some of the links on this blog post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, she only recommend products or services that she uses personally and believe will add value to readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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 

Tweet

Read More

The Silent Sounds of Chaos by Kristina Circelli

 I have so many books I need to read.

What are you reading this summer?


A silent call for help began the friendship between two children. A bond unlike any other kept them together. Finn was just a kid when he first heard Snow’s voice inside his head, two children in need of a friend and finding one in mysterious strangers. Never meeting in person, the pair grows up as opposites – Finn the boy who loves to get in trouble and works for the toughest drug lord in town, Snow the good, sheltered girl who wants to be a doctor. The bond built upon a strange ability to hear each other’s thoughts is threatened when Snow is abducted, her screams for help consuming Finn’s mind until they disappear completely, submerging him in a terrifying silence he’s never known before. Now it’s up to Finn to save her, led only by Snow’s sporadic thoughts as she floats in and out of consciousness. But the search for Snow leads him to a truth he isn’t prepared to face, a truth that has the power to unravel his entire world. The people he thought he knew, the life he thought he’d made, the best friend he thought he could protect – all point toward a brutal reality should he fail. And as Finn struggles to find Snow before she slips away, he must fight to keep that reality out, lest he let the chaos in. Purchase Amazon- http://amzn.to/1WBOF84 iBooks: http://apple.co/1TAUpNy Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1PSOdd2 B&N: http://bit.ly/1Sa9ssi

Meet the author:

Night owl, Dorito lover, and quiet eccentric – Kristina Circelli is the author of several fiction novels, including The Helping Hands series, The Whisper Legacy, The Never, and The Sour Orange Derby. Her latest series, The Whisper Legacy, features Beyond the Western Sun. This book is what all fantasy adventures must strive to be: a complex, intricate examination of human emotion set within the context of worlds known only in our imagination. Melding fantasy and legend in an epic quest, this series signals the arrival of Kristina Circelli as a master storyteller and an important voice in Native American literature.

A descendent of the Cherokee nation and niece of a Cherokee elder, Circelli holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the University of North Florida, where she teaches creative writing. She also heads Red Road Editing, a full-service editing company for independent authors and commercial clients. She currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband, Seth, and cats, Lord Finnegin the Fierce and Mr. Malachi the Mighty.

Follow Kristina on

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Literary Addicts | GoodReads

Enter to win a Signed paperback of Fragile Creatures a Rafflecopter giveaway Follow the Book Tour


The Silent Sounds of Chaos 

Every book has a pivotal moment when something – or someone – changes. A decision is made, an

action takes place, certain words are spoken … any number of potential moments that turns a novel

toward its conclusion.


I want to share that pivotal moment for “The Silent Sounds of Chaos” with you. It is the moment

when Finn makes the decision that transforms who he is, into who he will be. Finn is just a teenager in the excerpt below, the only positive influence in his life being the girl who speaks to him in thought alone,

the girl he’s never met in person but has spoken to telepathically since he was seven years old.

Snow keeps Finn out of trouble. She inspires him to be better, to do better. But, eventually, her

friendship isn’t enough, and he makes the decision to enter a certain club and speak with a certain man – a decision that will change the course of his life.

-- --

The sun had long since lowered by the time Finn finally reached his destination. Hands in his

pockets to ward off the chill in the evening air, he stared from the corner at the nondescript building lit up by a single light in the parking lot and flashing neon bulbs coming from inside. He’d only seen the outside of the club during the day, never at night, never quite able to tell exactly what lay in wait for him inside.


He’d snuck out of the house before dinner, hitching a ride until he could make the rest of his way

across town on foot. Finn knew he would be in trouble later, but didn’t care. This was the moment he’d been planning for years, ever since he’d decided to grow up and get what he wanted out of life. The day he’d no longer be the boy hiding in the closet, but the bad-ass he was meant to be.

The following years had been filled with preparation. He’d exercised, got in fights so people knew
not to mess with him, listened to talk on the streets for names he needed to know, even stole alcohol and cigarettes when he could so he didn’t look like a rookie if it was offered when he walked into the club.

For a fleeting moment, Finn wondered what Snow would think of him, standing on the street corner
surrounded by run-down homes and trash lining the gutters, with only neon lights guiding him to an
uncertain future. He could easily see her doing something good, something boring, while he was about to walk into the darkest part of his town. But then he decided he didn’t care.

He was thirteen now, old enough to make up his own mind. He was doing this, and he was doing this
now.


FINN WANNA PLAY DOLLS?

Snow’s outburst startled him back onto the curb just as he’d started crossing the street. Heart
thumping – part caught off-guard by his friend, part nervous about what he was about to do – Finn
allowed himself a moment to reply only because it had been a while since they last spoke.

The conversation nearly unnerved him. It was so innocent, her thoughts filled with so much joy and
her replies so playful, Snow actually listening when he gave her a brief recap of his life. If only she could have been there with him, next to him, guiding him to a path where they could always be friends.

What are you doing?

The question rang loud and clear in his head. Remembering where he was, who was and wasn’t by
his side, Finn took a moment to decide how he wanted to answer it. He didn’t want to say anything at all, because he’d made a promise to himself a long time ago never to lie to his only real friend, so instead he quickly said, Don’t worry about it, I was just asking, and ended the conversation.

Alone in his thoughts now, he pushed Snow’s subconscious to the back of his own and forced
himself to hold his head high. Across the street awaited his destination, beckoning to him, inviting him in from the cold. Normally Finn loved the winter air and all the brilliant white snow that came with it – winter made everyone even, didn’t care who it fell upon, who it froze; in the dead of winter, no one was tougher than nature – but tonight he wanted nothing more than to give in to the lure of warmth.

He continue the trek to the club, until he was facing the back door. Club Infinity was one of the more
popular hangouts in town even though it was never promoted around town like other companies, but
everyone knew the place for what it was. There was a reason the club was one of the few businesses in the area that managed to stay open for any length of time. Drugs, gambling, women. Taking care of the competition so no other name except Infinity was spoken. Paying off cops and city officials to look the other way. As far as Finn knew, there was no limit.

And now he was ready to make a profit, too.

Finn squared his shoulders and knocked hard on reinforced steel, a demand to be answered. When
the door opened he had to force himself not to take a step back. In front of him stood a tall, bald man with bulging muscles so large he barely fit in the doorway, glaring down at him behind a pair of dark
sunglasses that hid his eyes, but not his scowl.

“What do you want?”

Finn made sure his face matched the man’s expression as he replied, “I wanna see Joe.”

The man scoffed. “Ain’t nobody sees Joe ‘less Joe wants to be seen. You know you can’t come in
here, kid.” He made to close the door, but Finn slammed a hand on the hard metal. Though he wasn’t
strong enough to actually stop the man, he did succeed in catching his attention.

“I know who you are, Chix. And I know Joe is here. So, Chix, I wanna see Joe and you ain’t gonna

stop me.”

The man paused and finally took a good, long look at the teenager in front of him. “You wearin’

Joe’s old jacket?”

Finn adjusted the leather jacket, which was still too big, and nodded. He got that question a lot
because of the red infinity symbol stitched at the right shoulder. He always assumed it was the club’s
logo, especially since other people knew it as Joe’s, though the symbol was nowhere to be found on the club’s sign or building. “He gave it to me. Said to come see him when I was ready.”

Chix grinned at that, revealing two rows of crooked white teeth. “Did he now? Come on in then, kid.

Let’s see what good old Joe has to say about that.”

Breathing deep, Finn stepped out of the cold and into the black hole of Infinity. Instantly he was
swallowed in a world of red – red lights, red walls, red chair just inside the back door. As he followed the large man down the hall, he felt Snow pricking at the corners of his mind, trying to find out what he was doing, but he pushed her back.

She didn’t need to know about this.

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 

Tweet

Read More

So I Will Wait For You Mondays #Music - 4Ms

The weekend was most busy.
Spent all day cleaning on Saturday.
Worked at church Sunday morning.  Then it was baptism and picnic from noon to 2pm. And choir practice from 2-3:30pm.

Definitely not much resting time. But all necessary things.

Now to begin the week again with music, school, and the to-dos .

Hope y'all had 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.  And also Sign Our 4M's Social Network Help Linky!

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

Hosts: 

Marie @XmasDolly

Cohost:

Colette @JamericanSpice

Stacy @Stacy Uncorked

Naila Moon / Michelle - Just The Stuff Ya Know

Honorary Co-host: 

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! 

Aloha


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 

Tweet

Read More

Father's Day Lugz Run Classic Men's Shoes #Giveaway

I've never bought my father a gift. But that's because I have never met him.
I am not crying now.  Maybe another day.
I can see how 'less' my life really is by not having a strong father influence.

Anyway, I"m not sure what I'd get him if I knew him. Perhaps just a photo frame of his daughter.

What would you get your father as a gift? 

Welcome To The Father's Day Lugz Run Classic Men's Shoes Giveaway!

Host: Michigan Saving and More

Sponsor: Lugz

1 Winner

5/16 – 6/12

~~~~~~~~

Lugz

Run Classic

$64.99 rv

The Men’s Run Classic is a classic sneaker that provides a stylish athletic look perfect for every man. This sneaker features perforated detail on the upper, and a padded tongue and collar and cushioned memory foam insole for added support and comfort.

DETAILS:

Durabrush upper

Padded tongue & collar

Cushioned memory foam sock liner

Perforated detail on the upper

Signature Lugz hardware

See review HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. You are not eligible if you have won a prize from the sponsor in the last 12 month. This Giveaway is valid in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 6/12/16. The winners will have 48 hours to email their information back to las93063 at gmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Laura Smith at las930 (at)gmail (dot) com or contact the owner of the blog you are entering on!

Entry-Form

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 

Tweet

Read More

Top 10 Healthy Habits For Stress Free Living! - #NWHW

It is so very important for us to have someone alongside us in our life's journey.
Especially when it comes to striving for a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

I don't have the bank account I'd desire to eat as well as I would like, but I made a pledge to myself that I would always cook healthy meals for my family, as much as I possibly can.

My children have always eaten healthy meals and treats are welcome without too much guilt.

I grew up where we cook all our foods. We rarely got processed food from the stores.

As a matter a fact I wanted so much to have my children grow up in my country and experience the ground to kitchen meals, the walking to everywhere living, the quality air to breathe etc.

However, it wasn't meant to be and so since I'm here in the land of different and too much and plenty. I choose to enjoy the choice of making healthy choices for my family.

I also realize that while it's important to be on top of taking care of my family, it's also very important to keep up with my own self-care.

Self-care begins with the little things;

I get to eat breakfast while making them healthy breakfasts. If not, I probably wouldn't have breakfasts most mornings! Haha.

Same for dinner and you can tell why I miss out on lunches many times! (They are at school!!)

I want to be healthy. I was very surprised to hear my doctor complimented me on how healthy I was for a thirty-something-year-old woman. He says, so many are suffering health problems of many kinds by the time they are my age.

And so I want to keep myself well.

Here are 10 healthy habits that help me keep well. Thanks to Colgate for encouraging our women to find ways to refresh, repair and restore their health, during the #NWHW and #MyColgateSelfie campaign.

What is one thing you do to replenish yourself? 


1.  Drink Water - I encourage my children to drink water in the morning before eating and as often as possible. I really don't care for those juice / or juice drinks. As a matter a fact, I mostly drink water and then the occasional drink.
As a parent, when my kids drink juice, I'd put half juice and half water in their cups.

Water keeps you hydrated, eliminates toxins, and keeps you regular. Always keep a bottle with you. If you see it, you will drink it! That's what I do. My kids know there is always a bottle of water in my bag!


2. Take Five - Minutes to jump rope, or turn the music on and dance up a sweat. Get that heart healthy and sweat the toxins out of your body.
I say five minutes because we think we must dedicate three hours to exercise. No.  But loving yourself enough to take 5, 10, 15 - 20 minutes to give health to your body will always be beneficial.

Exercise not only makes you more physically fit, it also boosts your mood, increases your energy, and it can even improve your sex life.




3. Personalize Your Diet - Too many people are doing the one for all. Don't!
We all have different dietary needs. Learn yours and work with it so you can feel balanced with your meals.
I cook and eat healthily, but I have a think for certain sweets. I have to remind myself that balance is best. My balance is that I bake my own desserts. Which means there will be no preservatives and I can control the sugar amount.
Sugar is in EVERYTHING these days. So keep an eye on your labels or make your own.



Vegetables are an abundance of necessary vitamins and minerals that help keep us healthy and energized

4. Get Digitally Positive - We have technology at our whim. Find inspirational music, quotes, photos, speeches, jokes etc to encourage you each day. Start out with thanksgiving (pray), and something positive.

Remind yourself that you do have control about how you'll respond about your day.
Don't join the bandwagon of negative attitudes of how you hate Mondays.
Mondays are just another day you get to live and enjoy love, being loved, being able to do what you want to do as a person.

Honestly try to focus on the positive and weed out the negative as much as you can. That includes people, and not just things or places.


5. Practice and enjoy self-care - It's hard to do because not all of us think carefully about ourselves and the care we need, until it's too late and we hit a wall.
We wont always be able to do big things like a weekly massage, pricey salon appointments, or the weekly pedicures, and that's okay.

Use what you have. Do small things that you really enjoy. Something that makes you feel content, relaxed, put a smile on your face and in your step.
Read before bed - carve the time out for it.

Have a daydream diary - or a gratitude diary - Write down the highlights of your day, something you learned, or just one reason why you’re grateful for the things you have.
Dance - Ooh I go crazy here and I wish one day to do ballroom :)
Chat with a close friend, Carve out time to read your bible and pray. Enjoy a favorite movie, bath, or a cup of tea.

Just do something you love, something to replenish your body and soul.



6. Take Care Of Your Body - Bathe, Care for your dental health, Use lotions and sunscreen, and keep your hair clean.
Dental health is so very important. I teach my children over and over why it's important to take care of their teeth. We are always using Colgate products, and now they have a new set of products called Daily Repair, which is nicely incorporated into our daily regimen, to refresh, repair and restore our daily oral care.
Invest the time in taking care of your body.

This year, leading up to National Women’s Health Week (May 8-14), Colgate Total® invites women across the country to pledge to Refresh, Restore and Repair their health, starting with something as simple as switching to the Colgate Total® Daily Repair regimen.

Join Colgate Total® and pledge to put your health first by sharing a “healthy selfie,” using #MyColgateSelfie. A healthy selfie can be anything from enjoying a nutritious snack, getting in a yoga session, enjoying the outdoors or using the Colgate Total® Daily Repair regimen to help improve your overall health.

The Colgate Total® Daily Repair regimen offers products that provide a range of oral health benefits. New to the regimen is the Colgate Total® Daily Repair Mouthwash which helps kill bad breath germs while also helping to repair daily damage to teeth. Also in the regimen is Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste, which helps repair early teeth & gum damage, freshen breath and whiten teeth.

7.  Get Your Goal  - Yes you are never too old to keep writing those dreams down and moving towards them each day.
You become alive when you think about them, so write them down, and make a plan how you can move toward getting them accomplished!


8.  Embrace your snooze spot - Most of us need at least eight hours of sleep a night. That’s need, not want. There’s a reason why we need a sufficient amount of rest.
I"m a total hypocrite here, but I am trying!

Sleep improves stress, reduces inflammation, and allows cells to re-charge and repair damage, It also keeps us functioning at our optimum levels both mentally and physically.

Turn everything off and GO TO SLEEP!



9.  De-clutter - Get rid of all the things you don't want or need. If you haven't used it in 6 months or a year, it needs to go. So many others are needing it.
I promise you, less is awesome!
And get rid of negative people too. They bring the same baggage.

10 . Focus outside -- Pay it forward. Join and work at a charity. Join a church. It's not just talk. Giving is like a drug. But it's more of a blessing. The more you give, the more you receive. And no matter where you look. The only way you recieve in peace and contentment, is through giving. It's just tied together in a spiritual way.


What is your one thing that you do to make your life healthier and more content? 

Do you feel content with your life or is there something you wish to change? 



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 

Tweet

Read More

Digitally Backtracking Without My Permission Equals Stressed Out #Music for 4Ms

My digital connections have been challenged lately.  First it was no laptop, I can try with the phone. Now my phone is dead.

That sucker just died. And sucker indeed; it would take hours to charge! And many other weird things started happening. I supposed I thought it was just battery troubles. I bought one online and it did nothing, so it was the phone.

And now I'm haggling with att to get the phone fixed or just get me a phone!

With everything else happening, it's muy frustrating!

Anyway, music will soothe lots right?



Welcome to Monday's Music Moves Me!  Steve from Bethere2day is our Spotlight Dancer and he has chosen to have another FREEBIE for our theme this week!!!  Thanks Steve!


Talk about stressed out! And then thanks Steve for making it less stressful :)

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.  And also Sign Our 4M's Social Network Help Linky!

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

Hosts: 

Marie @XmasDolly

Cohost:

Colette @JamericanSpice

Stacy @Stacy Uncorked

Naila Moon / Michelle - Just The Stuff Ya Know

Honorary Co-host: 

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! 

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 

Tweet

Read More