Saturday, August 31, 2013

More Life Part 1

Sunday Stealing used to be one of my favorite weekly memes but I gave it up when life got too busy and my time for meme's just wasn't there. I am back for now, I need the diversion. Here are the questions and my answers.


Taken from [[MORE]]: part one

Have you ever said you would never love again? 
NO! Absolutely not. I have a huge heart and always have love in it.

Have you heard a song today that reminds you of somebody? NO. My damn radio isn't working. My car is a 2000 and the radio is static and the cassette player (yes damn it I said cassette) that I used to be able to put in and plug into my Satellite Radio just pushes the cassette out now.

Do you apologize first?  Yes. Saying I am sorry if I know it will be accepted is not hard at all.

Has someone made a promise to you and broke it? 
I don't know that there is malicious intent behind it but often! I however use that and Never break a promise. In fact, this is something my kids know about me as I learned this month when I told my kids I  had to do something because I had promised someone I would. My daughter said and you never break a promise.

Have you ever won a lot of money in a slot machine? How much? NO. I have broken even every time. Not that there are many. Maybe two.

Do you watch sport on TV even though you aren’t a sporty person yourself?  For years I have tried to get into Football I just can't. I don't mind baseball in fact was a pretty big fan in my teens and 20s. Hockey is also something I don't mind but after spending years forcing myself to try and watch football I have given up.

Do you eat / drink at your computer?  BOTH! Which is completely apparent by the tiny coffee spots on my keyboard.

How much do you overeat at special occasions? (Birthdays, Christmas, etc) I don't overeat. It isn't worth the feeling of being unable to move and uncomfortable.

Do you require glasses / contacts to see properly? If so, which do you use? I require them to be able to walk. Legally blind I wear my contacts during the day and my 20 year old broken glasses at night.

When you hear your voice back on a recording, do you think it sounds awful? I don't mind it. Sounds like me. It took a long time to get there but doing a few Vlogs will get you comfortable.

When was the last time you got the hiccups? Oh Lord...I don't know June 23, 1998?

If you had to, which record would you go into Guinness World Records for?  saying stop it or enough in one day while my kids are on Summer vacation!

The last sweet thing you ate: What was it?  It was a chocolate peanut butter Pop Tart


Do you have a middle name?  Yes, if you want to know it is Gracia or Grace

Do you find it embarrassing? No I love it. Maria Gracia is beautiful

My Scenic Weekend - Stroll With Us Through Warwick New York

 The kids and I headed out for the day while waiting for my car to go into the shop. Here is my Goddess sitting at a beautiful planter in Warwick New York. We thought this was the perfect place to walk around and take some photos.


 Even Handsome took some time to actually pose for a shot.




 I LOVED this one so much I just had to play with it.



Handsome decided to hide behind the planter and call me, I thought it was so cute I asked him to do it again for me.


 I would love to come back here and just people watch or read a book. We found it an interesting idea to add a quiet moment in the midst of the chaos of this busy street.


 So many beautiful places to sit. In this one Goddess asked me to get her sitting on the bench with the "beautiful building" behind her. I love that she sees things with a photographer's eyes. If at 8 she sees this as beautiful, I can only imagine what her photographer eye will pick up later.


There were so many beautiful places to stand or sit here. Not sure where my girl got this pose but....she is going to have shoulder problems if she keeps it up.



Handsome had a big smile and wanted to take a picture in front of this building as well. The old tats on his arm are only about 2 days old. He has suddenly decided he wants a sleeve tattoo when he is older. 


He also asked me to take his photo at these benches. After I asked what he was doing. He had actually just sat down but the image looks so lonely I had to play with it.


There is that pose again.  This is an eatery section of Warwick. Love those flowers. It was early so most of the chairs were empty but by lunch I am sure it is full.


This area looks so busy. I love it. So much going on. There is even a French Restaurant I am dying to try. It smells so good. Maybe when the kids go back to school. I have been saying it every year for the past three. This year I am MAKING it happen.



Goddess tossed about 75 cents in pennies into this fountain. I wish things could really happen by throwing a coin in a fountain and making a wish. Ahhh to be young.

 
I love this shot of a Sweet Shop with all that brick and the flowers so much, I had to play with it.




I hope you all have a wonderful Scenic Weekend!


Get Ready For Preschool Giveaway

Welcome to the Get Ready for Preschool Giveaway!



This giveaway is hosted by MasterofMom.com...

...and sponsored by Funshine Express!


A big thanks goes out to our co-hosts over at NY Saving Specials and Army Wife & Mommy, and to all the other bloggers who came together to make this giveaway possible!


Now on to the good stuff! FunShine Express is a company that specializes in providing activity & learning kits that are tailored specifically for little minds. Each kit comes with a monthly guide to help moms & daycare providers easily choose the lesson plan for the day and pick & choose which activities would be best for their little learners. Check out MasterofMom.com's full review of their activity kits here, and follow along throughout the giveaway period as she takes you through the September kit!

  • One lucky entrant will receive one Fireflies kit good for up to four children for a month's worth of activities.
  • Five entrants will be chosen in the weekly drawing linked in the giveaway form below to receive a Sample Kit.
  • Five entrants will be chosen in the weekly drawing linked in the giveaway form below to receive a Faith  Lessons Kit.

NOTE: IF YOU ORDER FROM FUNSHINE NOW, GET FREE SHIPPING BY USING CODE  NC8BL AT CHECKOUT.

This giveaway is open to residents of the USA & Canada, 18 years of age or older. Giveaway starts at 5PM EST on 8/30/13 and ends at 11:59PM EST on 10/4/13. Please see the giveaway entry form for full terms & conditions.


Disclosure: Maria's Space did not receive any compensation for this post. This blog and MasterofMom.com are not responsible for prize shipment. If you have questions regarding this giveaway, or you are a company that would like to see your product featured in a contest like this one, please email Alicia Figueroa at MasterofMom@gmail.com.

Life Issues Getting The Best Of Me

Have you ever been so deep in life issues that you sometimes lose the simple abilities to find breathing room? Well, I am not THERE yet but I know the feeling really well. My life has never been an easy one and what gets me through most of the BS is knowing how my life could have turned out.

Molestation from the ages of 7 - 16
Mother dying after a 8 months of fighting an aggressive cancer when I was 12
Daddy abandoning his daughters and responsibilities when I was 13 and leaving us with said molester
Leaving home on my graduation day to take care of myself, go to college and work PT

All of these things could have easily added up to a life of drinking and drugs but they didn't but they did add up to feelings of abandonment, fear, sadness, loneliness, resentment and trust issues that a scared, little girl had to float above because she never had a safe place to fall.

I have been to therapy, my friends are awesome, I know how to keep negativity out of my life or at least the people who bring it in yet, learned to breathe through it and realize that if you concentrate on the negative you will always only see it. So over the past 20 years I have focuses on the positive and any one of my friends would say I am balance, happy, positive and always smiling. BUT..lately, the smile seems harder to find. The positive feelings are something I have to fight for and the happiness, well, that is something I get courtesy of two little people in my life.

As someone who has moved through such traumatic experiences, I know this is just another one I have to move through but even knowing that eventually I will; I find it painful to know that I have to go through it and that I am uncertain of the path. The current path is bumpy and rocky with many branches that rip at my ankles and sometimes leave big, bloody scratches that will take years to heal BUT, I am hopeful that they will heal albeit with a scar.

How do you move through the difficult times in life? What is your method for protecting yourself?

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/

Friday, August 30, 2013

Are Your Kids as Healthy as Possible?





As many parents can relate to, having one or more kids is like a full-time job. And if you have a full-time job to boot, well, you are really busy then.

One of the biggest challenges parents find themselves dealing with is taking care of their kids, especially when many children can be susceptible to the smallest of illnesses and injuries. From coughs and sneezes at school to falls on the neighborhood playground, many parents feel like they can’t protect their kids as much as they’d like to.

In the event you find yourself to be one of these parents, keeping your child or children healthy doesn’t have to stress you to the point where you in turn become sick.

With a simple plan in place, you can lessen the odds that your loved ones will fall victim to illness and injury, and increasing the odds that you will not have to deal with sizable financial problems in taking care of the little ones.


Start With a Plan

As parents who have a personalized healthcare plan in place can tell you, getting a similar model for their children is easier than one might think.

It all starts with making sure that your child or children have regular visits with their doctors. Even though young ones can be full of energy one minute, they can be just as sick or hurting the next.

If you have yet to put a regular health care plan in place for your child, start with these tips:

1. Find the right doctor - Most importantly, make sure your child has the right doctor in place. As some parents can tell you, they get frustrated when taking their child or children to the doctor’s office because the doctor is in and out in a matter of minutes. It is important to find a doctor who will take the necessary amount of time with your child, giving them the attention and care they need;

2. Diet - Although there is a good chance your child loves sugary foods and drinks, they certainly do not have a ton of nutritional value for your little one. Start your child off with the right diet from an early age, emphasizing healthy drinks and snacks, not ones that can cause a number of issues later in childhood, including obesity;

3. Exercise - Many doctors will tell you that a sizable percentage of young ones do not get the needed amount of exercise they require. Although many kids are active, oftentimes it is energy that comes and goes and is not focused. While you should never force your little one into a supervised sports program, it can never hurt to gauge their interest in things like Little League ball, a gymnastics program, youth softball and so on.

4. State of mind - Last but not least, your child’s mental health is just as important as their physical well being. Keep in mind that your child or children may be faced with a number of issues over time, including bullying, pressure to do what their peers do, and depression. Make sure you address such issues, along with encouraging your child to come to you whenever something is wrong.

With the right healthcare plan in place for you and your family, everyone’s lives just got a little bit better.


Photo credit: freshhealthyvending.com


Holy Crap A Gray Tree Frog On Our Deck AND A Freaked Out Boy

Teach is a sun worshiper, he loves heading to the deck for a tan. Two weeks ago, he grabbed his tanning chaise and found something inside it. Goddess came running in saying, look what we found, do you know what kind it is? After a quick once over I told her it was a tree frog. She was confused because she has only seen green tree frogs. After a quick Google search with her and the frog on my lap, it was confirmed. We had a gray tree frog.

Look how cool that is....the most clingy frog ever. I really wish we could have kept it but I would have had to invest in things that I have no money for right now.

The kids know or I should say because she is the one who comes home with things. We have "day pets" and that it is for now.


We learned that Gray Tree Frogs are nocturnal and during the day, hide in holes in trees. We also learned that they usually don't descend from the high tree tops unless they are looking to breed. This poor fellow probably was quite busy and never made it back to the tree or jumped onto the deck from a close tree. The deck is a second floor deck and we live near the woods.


See that bright yellow and black? That is their distinguishable marking. 



We think he looks like tree moss, great camouflage.

Check out our video of Goddess and I describing the Tree Frog and Handsome not having any of it. Future blackmail video for sure.


Thursday, August 29, 2013

What The Heck Is It?

I spotted it from the deck. What are you??? I said to myself as I started down the stairs. As I got closer I saw the nasty, nasty claw like legs and thought, I am out of here.....BUT...I needed more and so did Goddess, she loves researching things and educating herself on things that interest her so we headed back down. She hoped to put it in something so we could inspect it closer. We couldn't find her bug finder so we settled for one of our sand toys.

When I got to here and noticed the nasty eyes I thought...OK...looks like the bug is gone and this is the outside skin or exoskeleton. IDK.


 Here is Goddess wondering if she could scoop it into a sand toy before she decided it would probably touch her hand if she did so. Those claws creeped us out.



So...she got the video camera instead. I love the end.