Letter B = Boys and Bowling

We headed to the Orange Country Arboretum with the 2nd grade class and the boys were having a great time on this swing. Handsome never got on but I think it was because there was so much to do and there were tons of kids. If it were empty, he would have done it.

Goddess and her Daisy troop headed to the bowling alley for a little R&R after getting all their petals. It was a blast and the girls had a great time.

I Suck At Girls by Sh*t My Dad Says Author Justin Halpern

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The 411 by Maria:

Let me start with this....one of my favorite book reviews of the year so far. WOW! I literally cannot stop rereading it to myself and anyone who will listen. Tonight I am going to down and highlight my favorite "dad" quotes. Pee your pants funny.

Hysterical read! I am not sure how "dad's" (Sam's) wife can be so normal. She must have literally needed Depends to live with this character. Humor is so attractive to me which means I find Sam super sexy!

Some of my favorites:

Justin draws a picture in class of a girl he is "sweet on". The girl gets upset, Justin's parents are called in and handed the picture Justin drew. It is of a girl, the girl wearing a shirt with her name on it. Above her head is a yellow dog who is showering brown clumps from his butt on her head. She has a thought bubble that reads, "I like it." Now, I know what you are saying. What does this mean? Why did Justin think this would make her like him back? Why the thought bubble or whatever else is going through  your mind. Nope, not Justin's dad...he wants to know:

Why is the dog above her head? That doesn't even make sense. How'd he get above her head? You have to draw a hill or something under the dog. A dog can't just float in up in the atmosphere and take a shit on someone's head. I mean, I know you are six or seven or whatever, but that's pretty basic physics right there.

And...that is just page 17 of the book...wait..it gets better.

Feel like laughing, get this book. Great father's day, and grand father's day gift idea too!

If you are around check out Justin's event calendar and if he happens to be where you are, head over and tell him Maria from Maria's Space loves his book, his dad and his sense of humor.

The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant

OK..you all know I am NOT looking to get pregnant but being pregnant was an amazing experience for me and I love sharing stories with my friends about my pregnancy, births and parenting. Anytime I can read something about pregnancy and the amazing wonders of it, I am in. I still watch all those real birth stories on TV. Love how amazing the body is. Sometimes getting knocked up, pregnant, bun on the oven, or whatever you want to call it isn't quick and easy which is why this book is so great. There are so many books about getting pregnant, how to, and whatnot but not a whole lot out there for those who have been trying without luck. Is it the luck of the draw (pun intended)?

 The 411 by Maria:

I loved this book. It is a great resource for everything you need to know or even some things you had no idea you wanted to know. 

Jean takes all the medical, technical information and spoons feds the reader so that we can understand how much of the pregnancy myths are true and false. Can we really get the boy or girl we want? Does position matter? The more sex the better? Umm....all questions that Jean Twenge will answer in this book!

My Kids Love Kidz Bop

Handsome and Goddess love music. Teach and I love that they love music and adore hearing them sing songs from the backseat of the car or on the deck in the summer. I remember being a kid and wanting everyone to hear me sing. It is so cute to hear them sing together and I know that it is short lived and they will eventually get self conscious so we listen without discussing. We love Kidz Bop for the kids. It is the songs they love sung by kids. The albums are composed of "kid-friendly" versions of the latest songs on Top 40 radio.

Some of the songs are some that they never heard. We really filter out a lot of stuff. They are extremely sheltered and I appreciate that I can let them experience the songs in a very kid friendly way.  The only one they complained about was Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me. They love Taylor and I found it hysterical how they didn't like it. They probably felt the same way I felt when I heard Adel's Set Fire to The Rain sung by Kidz Bop.

If your kids love music check out the latest!

Playing Catch Up - Easter Egg Hunts

We were invited to an Easter Egg Hunt this year. Mina is Finnish and really knows how to do a party. She is big on gatherings and has a huge heart who enjoys being a hostess.

Thankfully this was the perfect day for this hunt because the kids and I were in town for the Police Departments annual Easter Egg Hunt but had to leave just as it was starting.

Picture this....

We wait 40 minutes for it to start. The kids are finally at the start line with their baskets and friends waiting for the go ahead when I start getting severe stomach pains. After my situation with my digestive system last year, I start getting nervous. It came on suddenly and not at a slow progression either. I am in severe, pain and unsure if I can maintain consciousness. It hurts to even touch my stomach (like the last time). I am worried about passing out and start getting very hot. I am on the other side of the egg littered field with my camera poised on the children all waiting to run.

The kids are smiling, I start walking across the field and try to keep my breath even. I can't do it to them. Maybe I can wait it out. I walk back to the side of the field and feel like I am going to pass out. It is too noisy. I am too hot and my stomach is causing me debilitating pain. Will I pass out here in front of all these people? Will I throw up in front of all these people? Will I end up in an ambulance? All thoughts are spinning and I am barely able to stand.

I walk to the kids and swallow my heart. "Please come with me you guys. Mommy is really sick and we have to go. I am so, so sorry." Handsome takes my hand and says OK and Goddess starts to cry. My heart breaks and my stomach hurts. "I know honey, I am really sorry. I don't even know if I can make it to the car. Please don't cry. Please Honey! I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to".  We start walking to the car and I have to stop for a moment. The pain is terrible. I turn to Handsome and ask if he knows what to do if something happens. He says yes, he will call Daddy on the cell and get help.

Goddess is crying in the backseat and I am unsure if I can pull away. I just want to get the car out of the parking lot away from all my fellow townspeople. I don't want to get sick in front of all these people and kids.

We drive very slowly out of the parking lot with Goddess crying quietly and my severe pain.

I pull over two times and finally stay. I beg her to please stop and again tell her how sorry I am. Feeling ill I open the door and throw up something the size of a quarter. It is nothing but I am suddenly better and back to normal.

We sit for two more minutes while I gather my thoughts.  We drive home with Goddess still crying. My heart breaks for her. I can only imagine what that felt like for her. She is dressed up, Easter basket in hand at the front of the line. The eggs are right there and she has to leave. My poor baby. I couldn't wait to get home so I could hug her.

We pull into the driveway and Handsome gets out. He is fine. I ask Goddess to climb into the front seat with me. She does and I hold her. She cries and I play with her hair apologizing more. (I always over apologize). Teach comes out and takes her from me through the open car window. She cries on his shoulder as I explain it to him. He doesn't understand crying and tells her it is OK because we have another hunt to go to.

She is crying on the couch when I get inside. We hug and I ask her to what she wants to do until the next hunt. We play board games and laugh. She is OK. I knew she would be but it still hurt.

What was it? Who knows. It has only happened one time before (3 months ago). Going back to the Gastro DX next month (1st appointment I could get).

We finally make it to the second Easter Egg Hunt.

The kids have a blast. They ate, grabbed eggs, ate, watched Minna play piano while her daughter sang, jumped on a trampoline and played ball. They had a great time and my guilt eventually went away.

Ahhh...being a parent is hard and I know I am hard on myself but I can't help it. I want them to be happy.

Color Carnival - Link Up Your Color Pictures

2nd Wedding Gig

I received a phone call from someone looking for a photographer. A friend who is passed them onto me. Turns out I know the woman who was getting married which made this really special.

Here are some shots from the shoot.

The bride and her daughter are so alike. I love this shot of her daughter catching me while mom looks just so happy.

They were all looking at the beautiful lake when I called the bride. I love this shot too.

They asked for pictures of their nieces also. I love how everyone is doing their own thing except the bride and groom who are unified here.

You can see how much her daughter is in awe of her mom here. She obviously thinks she looks like a princess.

I was in love with these faces. They are soooo cute.

 

16 years was a long time to wait to get that ring but she has it now!

Aurora World Introduces Crinkle Friends

 
The 411 by Maria:

I remember when Goddess and Handsome were babies. Their favorite toys were always the ones that made noise. Anything that could elicit a sound from a baby makes them happy. They get the "wait, I did that!' face and who could resist a colorful crinkly, rattly, squeaky toy? Even though my kids are obviously not babies, they loved the Alligator that we received to review and while there are plenty of babies in our family, they are fighting the "it's for the babies" speech I sometimes have to give. They "love" him and "he is our favorite" has been making it hard for me to stick to my guns. But, together they will decide which lucky baby in the family gets it. 

What We Love:

The colors. The brightness makes you take notice. It is the first thing other kids have spotted in the house over the last week.

The sounds: They are subtle and quiet, just like parents and babies like it.

It is soooo soft: Who wants to give their precious baby a scruffy, stubbly, toy that can irritate their soft skin? They can lie their cheeks all over this guy and believe me, he is so soft, you will want to too!

Let's Hear it For Almigal Stems Conversations About Differences In 2nd Grade Class

The 411 by Maria:


A little over a week ago I headed over to the school to celebrate Handsome's birthday with his class. The teacher requested that I bring in a book to read to the class. Never one to miss an opportunity to read, I grabbed Let's Hear It For Almigal. I had never read it as it had just come in the day prior so it was a new story for me too.


The kids grabbed their place on the rug and I started reading. You could hear a pin drop as the students, teacher and aids listened to the story of Almigal.  Almigal is different which is beautiful. Who wants to be like everyone else anyway? Almigal cannot hear. She discusses all the things she wants to hear like a robin singing and the music for dance but what she wants most is to hear her parents tell her that they love her. I almost lost it reading that line to the kids in class. As a big, softie I could barely hold it together thinking how I would feel knowing that Handsome or Goddess couldn't hear my love yous or me theirs.

What I loved more than anything about the book is how open the children were with their own stories afterwards. They talked about needing glasses, a crutch, braces, and even another talked about her own cochlear implant. The teachers asked to borrow the book to show the inclusion and special ed teacher as well as the school guidance counselor because of the positive message about differences, acceptance, acknowledgment, encouragement and finally who doesn't love a happy ending.

You cannot help but fall in love with Almigal.

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We Took The Crasin Challenge - See Our Results

Goddess, Handsome and I took the challenge. Handsome took it today because I wanted to get the review up and 2 out of 3 of us like the Craisins by Ocean Spray better. A positive that came out of this challenge is that Handsome now likes raisins. He didn't know what I was going to give him so he had no chance to say no. He ate the first one which was a Crasin followed by the raisin. He like #2 better. He doesn't like anything sweet so I am so happy he tried it and likes it. He has had two handfuls today.

As for the Crasins we need to buy another bag because Goddess took them as snack all week.

OK...here is what I know:

Craisins come in 4 varieties: Original, Blueberry, Cherry & Pomegranate (we want to try them all).

Here is our Blind Taste Test Results 

 

Skindinavia: 10 Years Younger Makeup Setting Spray - A Review+

The 411 by Maria: 

Interesting.  This was a really fun review. As a mommy blogger, I get more than my share of kid reviews and while we love every minute it was fun to have a review that the kids couldn't participate in. 

 My sister-in-law and I are always talking about woman today and during our parents time. Woman in their 40s now look amazing. We believe this is how 40s are supposed to look but are never afraid to try a new product to see if it makes a difference. Marta, wears full makeup everyday for her job so I asked her to join me on this review.

She compares it to a toner that you put over your makeup. It tights everything up and doesn't settle into the lines and wrinkles around her eyes or mouth. She also loved that she could spray it on without worrying about staining her clothing. "I was surprised that it didn't mess up my makeup. It was wet when you put it on but didn't run any of my makeup including my blush. No streaks. I used to spray with another toner when I was younger and always ended up having to fix it  my streaky blush. "


We have only used it for 6 days so far and so far. Basically when you are done applying your makeup, you use this as a finishing spray.  We also love that it extends the life of our makeup. 

Marta: 
I give this product a "B". A "B+" if you have dry or normal skin. While it definitely doesn't make you look 10 years younger, it does help with keeping your make up in place. If you have oily skin, like I do, the effect doesn't last all day - but other types of skin might have different result. If you use a powder foundation (something 35 and older women shouldn't be doing) this helps stop the powder settling into fine lines, something that instantly ages you. My final thought - while this product is OK, you can buy a cheap spray bottle fill half with sterile water, half Witch Hazel and you basically have the same thing, that gives you the same effect, for a fraction of the cost.

Maria:
While I have combination skin, I found that the product definitely kept my make-up in place for most of the day. I don't know about the younger thing either but I am a realist and didn't expect it to. You can't fight gravity with a product and I have earned every one of my lines and I am proud of them. I don't agree with Marta on her rating, I believe like it more than OK and would give it a B+ because it does keep you from looking tired by the end of the day and since like her, my day never ends this is perfect for me. We definitely have very different skin so our results would be different.

Inviting for You And Your Pooch

A new shop opened in town. We haven't had a thrift shop in some time but this is no ordinary thrift shop. The sisters who run this are honoring their mom who did a lot of volunteer work. The sisters will be giving 50% of their proceeds to either the food pantry or the animal shelter depending on the month and if they hear of a family in need, their gears will shift to provide for that family too. Beside the high end boutique feel of the place, you would never think thrift shop when you walk in, there is a bin for food pantry and animal shelter donations. Plus if you are walking your dog by the shop, your pooch just may find a treat in the bowl and water for a sip.

I love the red door and their store front has definitely changed the look of the street.

Gluten Free Foods by Udi's

As the weather heats up, grilling season officially begins. With Udi's Gluten Free Foods, grilling in the backyard can be delicious, nutritious AND gluten-free.   

We received samples of Gluten Free Foods from Udi's and have been spreading the word for the past two weeks.

So far, we don't have a need to be Gluten Free in our family of four but have many family and friends that do which means when we entertain, we are always shopping Gluten Free!

We received hot dog rolls, whole wheat and plain hamburger rolls and Snickerdoodle cookies to review.

Goddess and I were literally licking our fingers over the cookies and I am currently still craving them because I happily shared it them with my niece and sister-in-law when they visited. My sister-in-law has been eating gluten free for a health reason for 5 months and loved the cookies. She wrote the name and website down before heading back to California this week because she said she had all but given up on having a burger on a bun since her problem started.

Handsome's Godmother is another gluten eater due to her health issue with a now controlled Celiac Disease diet. If she doesn't eat gluten free she suffers terribly and really sticks to what works for her. When I called to see if she knew about Udi's she told me "yes, I recently found them and love their hamburger buns because with others when you put the burger on it, the bun falls apart. This is the only bun this doesn't happen to." I only buy them now. I of course told her that she had to now find the snickerdoodle cookies. They are amazing. I have to keep reminding myself that gluten free doesn't mean fat free. They are so good, I could literally eat the whole container in one sitting.