My Worst and Best Wedding Anniversary Story

I've been married for over 18 years with my husband for 25 years. I love him with all my heart and while I was not looking to get married, always saw us together. He was my best friend. So, when he asked me to marry him I thought...we will be engaged for a LONG time but as showing off my engagement ring his mother asked when and he said, "next year." I was shocked! I loved him but next year? Did we really NEED to get married so soon?

Marrying him was easy. Not the wedding. I hadn't wanted any of that. My mother-in-law did. The reception was something I didn't want either. I wanted a BBQ at my grandparents house with some close friends and family.

Being married to him was easy too. I love and admire him. Having kids with him was easy too I love him and watched him with my pets knowing he would be a good dad.

Being in love is easy. He is my everything. He takes care of me and the kids. He works hard. I find him smart, funny and sexy but as my anniversary is coming around again I find myself wondering how long? How long until he doesn't love me enough to stay? I know at least 10 people going through marital issues right now and it hurts me.  Love and being in love is easy. It's life that gets in the way and last years anniversary wasn't so great actually it was the worst.  We were going through something and I didn't feel the love. We went out to dinner with the kids and as far as romance is concerned, I don't think there was any.

My favorite/best anniversary was my first. We ate the top of our wedding cake that had sat in the freezer for a year as tradition says.  We went to a Bed and Breakfast in Connecticut, ate a ton of seafood, walked, talked, held hands, made love, headed to Mystic Seaport and explored the ships. It was a wonderful time. I don't need much. I just need to be with him.

 
As I approach this years, I feel older, wiser, and know that marriage isn't a fairy tale. It is hard work, two very different people, living together, trying to see the best in each other, and praying that they can make it through another day.

A wiser woman explained it to me; Sometimes they are your lover, sometimes your friend, your father, your enemy, that guy, but if you love them, they will always be there for you. Sometimes all you can do is love them."

My anniversary wishes for this year would be renewing our vows with our children present, a romantic dinner and a night at a hotel where we remind each other why we married in the first place.

Lightest Selfie Stick So Far!

Lately I have enjoyed playing with various selfie stick especially when out with the kids.  They are all super easy to use. All hold your camera securely. All are BlueTooth Capable! LOVE THAT! 

This one is a little different and I am not sure why. I haven't worked out or anything so that's not it BUT this one is so much lighter. I always felt that when I extended it my arm couldn't hold the phone out for long without dropping a little. 

When you get it out of the box it looks like this. 

I literally had to attach the arm band thingy, turn it on and find it on my smartphone.  The next thing I knew I was happily snapping away.

This was the first selfie we took.

We truly love this selfie stick and are taking it with us on our next Walmart excursion. Here are some selfies I just took for this review.

 

The price on this selfie is most impressive as well. Under $10 and my arm feels fine!

I can't wait to get my new iPhone. Hopefully I don't have to wait too long because these pictures are grainy!

Dream Frenz A Video Review

The 411:

We received a Pirate Dream Frenz named PJ. He is adorable, soft, colorful and happy! Just look at that smile.

We think Dream Frenz are perfect. They make a great accessory to your child's bed. It's like having a toy and a pillow in one. AND They are super comfortable. The size and shape of these pillows are great for napping and for being used as a lumbar pillow while sitting at a desk. I swear. We have not let PJ go to bed with anyone yet because we all want to use him. If he isn't under someone's head on the couch he is behind someone's back in a chair. Or the kids are sitting with him on the floor. Perfect Pillow for so many reasons. AND...the little surprise inside that head...a tiny little body makes for even more fun. Kids and adults will love these pillows.

The kids already have them on their Christmas lists this year. BOTH want one that glows in the dark.

Here is my Video Review:

Children's Book Review: Let's Go To The FireHouse - VIDEO REVIEW

The 411:


This book has colorful, real photos showing everything interesting about being a fireman. My kids always loved touch and feel books when they were younger. Starting with the belly of the dalmatian dog on the cover to the firefighters waving on the last page. This is the perfect preschool book for kids.

Boys and girls will love this book! PLUS there is a 20 minute DVD included showing real fire trucks and firefighters in action. This is perfect for little ones.

It is set to classical, fun peppy music featuring both photos and videos of fire fighters and children as firefighters.  Andrew the dalmatian takes real kids on a tour of the firehouse and introduces them to a firefighter. He shows kids how he gears up.

The will see a staged call into an emergency. Thankfully this emergency is a kitten up a tree.

Kids will also learn firefighter terms and see it in action like a fire pole what it is and what it does. They also see how the fire department works within the community such as pancake breakfasts, saving kittens and hosting carnivals and more. After seeing all this who wouldn't want to be a firefighter or at least support them.

Me and my kids who are NOT preschoolers LOVED this DVD.

Sleep Like A Baby With Oosilk - A Video Review

We all need a good nights sleep but we don't always get it. By now, unless you live under a rock, we all know it's essential to good health.

There are so many reasons too. Stress, kids, scheduling, too much noise, sleep disorders and more. Now, this post isn't going to talk about medications or psychological ways to get a good night sleep however, I am going to mention a luxurious way to help you rest and hopefully sleep like a baby.

OOsilk is a company that makes company that specializes in quality bedding made with 100% silk created from silkworms.

I received a 100% silk pillowcase and have been thoroughly impressed.  The quality of the silk is unbelievable.

Here is my video review

Oosilk doesn't just make pillowcases. You can get all your bedding and sleep in the lap of luxury too. My new wish list includes a set of black satin sheets from Oosilk.

Children's Book Review: If You're A Robot And You Know It - VIDEO REVIEW

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The 411 Video Review:

The Book Includes:
- A free downloadable song from the Musical Robot team!
- Pull-tabs, turn-wheels, and pop-ups!
- Eye-catching foil cover!

The Best Time Of The Day #memories (Sept 12, 2008)

You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this – Trace Atkins

 We have been taking the kids around the block at sunset. It is beautiful out and the air is crisp. My son is allowed to take his scooter (a big step for me and for him) and my daughter takes her babies. It takes us about 25 minutes to go around the block which would be about 4 if I was alone but it is so much fun.  They point out everything and my son is getting better on the scooter. He has never ridden in the street and the first night he wiped out two times. Thank God for helmets.

Holiday Gift Idea: Personalized Storybook Featuring The Characters of #Frozen

Come explore Frozen’s wintry world of magic with your two favorite, fearless sisters!

Become best friends with Anna and Elsa, as they invite you to join them on a snowy adventure! Each sister explains their side of the story to their best friend, YOU! Unleash your powers, let your imagination soar… and remember, “Only true love can thaw a frozen heart.”

 

Bring your own Frozen fairy tale to life with a personalized storybook about love, loyalty, and more! A bold, beautiful story about friendship, this book lets your child experience the magic of Frozen in an incredibly personal way that will warm your heart.

The 411 by Maria:
 

Put Me In The Story is a wonderful way to make story time magical for you and your child. I chose the book You Are My Best Friend featuring characters from Disney's Frozen but there are so many more to chose from like Star Wars, Hello Kitty, Sofia the First, Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, ThE Avengers and more.

When you visit Put Me In The Story you will come to their home page where you can either go directly to what you want or select a perfect book by age, occasion, character and more.  This is by far the hardest part. There are so many I would have loved to get.

After you choose your book, you can begin personalizing it by adding their name and photos to the story.

Whether your child reads alone or needs you to read to them, they will love seeing their name in the book and having the characters talk directly to them. They become part of the story and will want to read it over and over.

Not only is this a great gift giving idea for parents, grandparents or whoever loves a child but it becomes an heirloom to be passed down for generations. How could you donate a book featuring your child? You will want to keep this forever. I love the idea that my daughter's grandchildren could have a book read to them that features a photo of her from when she was a young girl. What a great way to leave a legacy.

BTW...these books are not only for kids. There is a section for adults as well. So go ahead. Start your holiday shopping or at least take a photo now that you want featured in your child's book later.

Every Girl Is A Princess

The 411: 

We LOVE our tiara. It is stunning and way better than I could have imagined.

  
More beautiful in person this stunning tiara comb is nothing like I expected. My daughter used to have tons of fake tiaras to wear for dress up. We had so many I had to make a stand for them. They were always nice to look at but so light and broke after one or two days. This Flower Girl Bridesmaid Tiara Comb by Heart To Heart is nothing like that.

 
My daughter and I have both worn it. It is on a comb which easily slides into the hair and stays in place.

We take turns wearing it. I work at an elementary school and the little girls love when I wear it. With the temps being so high I wear my hair up and put the comb right in front of my bun. They LOVE It and all want to try it on.

The price is so reasonable, under $10! Crazy. It's heavier than it looks. Much studier than many others I have had.

The gems sparkle in the sun and NONE have fallen out even though we wear it everyday!


I love the way Goddess looks in it!

Save Your Teeth! Use Magic Opener To Open Bottles and Cans

Stop struggling with metal caps, nail chipping or stubborn twist tops this holiday season. Now opening all size plastic bottles and popping bottle tops from any brand is a snap with magicOpener®. This life-saving, 21st century gadget makes it so easy to open the most difficult tops. Fast and very comfortable in your hands, magic Opener is as simple as 1-2-3. It makes the perfect stocking stuffer or budget friendly gift for a loved one - you can even buy in bulk for everyone on your list at www.magicopener.com.

We don't drink soda but we do open a lot of V8 and microwavable pasta for the kids. They are at an age when they love helping me. They know mommy works hard to make their lives happy and most of the time when they ask me to make them something I will go into the kitchen to do it and everything will already be laid on on the counter for me. It's so nice! I pat myself on the back for training them well but have in the past worried about them opening a can and cutting their finger.  

Magic Opener has made things very easy for us. 

1 - It has a magnet on the back so you can place it on your fridge

2 - There are four different ways you can open a bottle or can with this little gadget.

3 - Peace of Mind! I feel like the kids won't cut themselves. My last opener had a sharp edge for piercing cans. This is all blunt!  They can do a pull tab so easily and there is no chance of them cutting themselves on a can!  

Here is Goddess opening her can of V8. She likes it with a dash of lemon juice, and a few drops of hot sauce.

It takes very little effort for my kids to use this gadget which means it will be great for people with limited hand strength. This is so going out to my Grandparents this holiday.

Look for this and more items on my Holiday Gift Guide this year

Walk Down Memory Lane - My Little Football Player (Sept 2008) #memories

This is a picture of my son from 10 + years ago. I adored it then and I adore it now. It is one of my favorites.

DIY Soap Kit From Spa Lab

Goddess is loving her SmartLab Spa Lab Kit. She has made a ton of soap already using lemon zest, cinnamon and eucalyptus oil.

• New for 2015!!
• The possibilities are endless with Spa Lab: All Natural Soaps!
• Add rose petals or lavender to create scented soaps, oatmeal to make a soothing soap and much more!
• Includes 14 soap molds, 5 gift boxes, a 16 page full color booklet & more!
• For ages 8 and up

The 411 by Maria:

This is a great beginner kit for anyone who are interested in creating soaps. Way back in the day I used to make soaps as gifts. Goddess recently found out and was very interested to see how it all works.

The SmartLab Spa Lab comes with everything someone would need to create at least 25 different types of soaps. The booklet has recipes and easy to follow instructions. The layout is very reader friendly with a ton of instructions. Not too much reading for kids. Absolutely perfect from very basic to specialty soaps using Epson Salt, flower petals, herbs and more.

  
The kit comes with:

• Three bars each of white and clear glycerin (the base for your soap). 
• One small bar of green, red and purple to change the color of the soap. 
• And easy to make packaging for soaps. We thought this was a really nice touch. You punch out the shapes, create the box, embellish however you wish, place a soap in and gift it. 

  
Goddess has already given out two gift boxes to her new teachers. We used lemon zest and cinnamon in one recipe and the green soaps in our photos have eucalyptus oil in them. My daughter is asking for my glycerin and dried flowers now. I think this has definitely been a great experience for her and she has a new interest that I can't wait to foster. 

I'm A Little Obsessed