Have You Ever Felt Left Out? Please Don't Let Others Feel That Way!

I'm not usually one for writing personal posts, but today is different!

This morning my youngest son had Muffins for Moms at his preschool. Now, since I've gone back to work full time my parents or my husband usually take care of preschool drop off and pick up. That being said, I have never met many of the other mothers whose children are in my son's class.

I have however, met three or four of the mothers that came to my son's birthday party a few months ago. This party was mostly comprised of close friends and family. So, these preschool mothers did not know any of the other party goers. I made it a point to introduce myself to every preschool mom and have a pretty lengthy conversation with each of them. I know some of my friends and family made the same effort.

The last thing I wanted to do was make anyone feel unwelcome, lonely or left out!

Well, today at my son's preschool I felt all three of those emotions. Every mother that I said hello to, either completely ignored me and walked away or gave me a slight smile and walked away. Even those mothers that I had shared a conversation with at my son's party, just a few months back.

Picture my son and I sitting at a kid sized table with six chairs. Two of those chairs were obviously occupied by my son and me so that left four empty chairs. As a mother approaches with her daughter I was so excited that she was going to sit with us. I thought, "Yay, someone to talk to!" I was in shock when she walked up and snagged two of the chairs to go sit at a table that was already full. This happened again until our table was vacant except for my son and I.

After my son ate his muffin, he got up to play. I stuck around for about 15 more minutes pondering whether I should go crash another table. But, by that time I felt so defeated I just did not have the strength. I slowly got up, walked over to my son and told him goodbye.

As I stood outside of the classroom, I looked through the window watching the remaining mothers laugh and talk with each other. Now, many of these women probably see each other every time they drop off and pick up their child. Of course they would build relationships over the school year. I'm not putting them down for that. I just wish that even just one of them would have made an effort.

The moral of my post today...please don't ever let anyone feel unwelcome, lonely or left out! I truly hope that I have never made anyone feel this way and I never want to in the future.

Ed Nation Book Drive With Papa Murphy's!

Papa Murphy's is teaming up with The Arizona Republic and 12 News to help donate books! You can help by dropping off gently used books at any Papa Murphy's location in the Phoenix area. All books will be sent to more than 60 pediatric clinics around the valley.

Donations will be accepted through May 10th and you can visit ednation.azcentral.com for more information.

A Blissdom Recap With Some Great Moments!

I've been blogging for over three years. I can hardly believe it! Over those three years I have attended two different blogging conferences, BlogHer and Blissdom. They both have different aspects to them that I liked but Blissdom is still my favorite. This year was my second time attending Blissdom and it was held at the Gaylord Texan near Dallas. Last year it was held at the Gaylord in Nashville. Both venues were amazing!



This year I had some great roomies... Karen from Desert Chica Ramblings, Kristi from Live and Love Outloud and Becca from Our Crazy Boys. Here is a cute picture of the four of us looking stylish in our Down East Basics attire!

Me, Becca, Karen and Kristi (aren't we cute?!)

When you are a blogger, you always have your smart phone close at hand. Here is a great picture of how we pretty much started our days, with our iPhones and coffee. Karen had to be different and drink Diet soda. I love our iPhone cases from UnCommon. Becca designed them with words that relate to blogging and we made them our own by choosing different color combinations.

One of our speakers for the second year in a row was Jon Acuff. He works with a guy that some people may have heard of, Dave Ramsey. Now Jon is a star in his own right! Every time I hear him speak, I laugh so hard but I also receive some great advice. One thing that Jon mentioned about blogging really stuck with me, "1,000 negative comments + 1 positive comments still equals 1,000 negative comments. As a blogger, I take negative comments very personally. I don't get very many, but they still sting.

Me with Jon Acuff

Jon has a great book called Quitter and a new one that will be coming out in a few weeks called Start. He'll be on a book tour and heading to Phoenix!

This year, I feel like I learned quite a bit about photography. Now, I am by no means a professional but I can now use my DSLR in manual! I'm hoping to add better pictures to my posts and create beautiful memories of my family with my new found skills. Here is one of my favorite shots that I took at the Gaylord Texan while on a photo walk.

This was a pretty lucky trip for us as a group! We all won a necklace from Shot at Life and Karen & I both won a Bissell carpet cleaner. I've already put  mine to good use!

Disclosure: This year I had some great sponsors for my trip. Without them, I would not have been able to attend. Invitation Consultants, Down East Basics and Education Abroad Today.

Guest Post: Word of The Year From Songs Kate Sang!

Photo Credit: Songs Kate Sang

I love this post from my friend Kate at Songs Kate Sang. She has some really inspirational and uplifting posts!


I've been planning on sharing my word of the year today for a little while.


Now, I find it absolutley ironic that I am announcing the my 2013 word of the year is grace.

Last week, when the entire family was sharing germs and we couldn't quite get past runny noses and upset stomachs, I wrote "dance like no one is watching" on the chalkboard.

Well, last night, I was photographing a company party - the company I used to spend my 8-5 at (Praise God for precious opportunities to connect with forever friends!). As my time was up, I sat down at a table to get a few last shots of the dance floor.

A friend came up to me and asked me to dance - and we tore up the dance floor for approximately 15.6 seconds. And then my elbow, my bootie and the floor made a swift introduction to one another. All I could think was, "Dear Lord, please tell me my no one saw that dance move or my undergarments. Amen." Remember ladies, jitterbug and hosiery just do not mix. Goodness gracious.

I spent this morning at Urgent Care and will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow.

I have an elbow radial head fracture. Awesome.

And without further introduction - there it is: Grace.

Calm {2012}

Grace {2011}

Trust {2010}

Overshadowed {2009}

Available {2008}

Yup, we are having a redo word.

Apparently, I could use a redo on grace :)

Have a blessed day!

Kate

A Baby Shower, Little Man Style!

About a month ago, I helped throw a baby shower for my cousin. She was having a boy so we decided on a "Little Man" theme, complete with mustaches and lots of blue.

Of course we began our quest for ideas on Pinterest! How did we throw parties before this amazing website came about?

As the guests arrived, we had them grab a prop (mustache) and strike a pose. After the shower I had copies made of all the guests photos. My cousin then included those photos in her thank you cards. It was a nice little momento for her guests to remember the fun day!

Another fun party idea for the guests...customized lip balm! My friend Heather over at Kustom Kissers is the genius behind these fun party favors. You can use any picture to customize your lip balms for a baby shower or even a wedding. 

Since cupcakes are all the rage, we went with a simple vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream. The finishing touch for these goodies, the edible neck ties! My mom had the wood display shelves and the cute ABC letters are from Hobby Lobby.

All of the fun printables for this party were ordered from Busy Chickadees. They came in a digital file so we could print them off on our home computer.

Cirque du Soleil #Kooza Opens In Phoenix 6/8/12!

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

I am so excited that Kooza Cirque du Soleil will be in Glendale, from June 8th to July 15th. The show can be enjoyed in an air-conditioned Grand Chapiteau (big top) located at University of Phoenix stadium. Ticket prices range from $35 to $130 and discounts are available for children, military, students and seniors.

My husband and I will be attending opening night on June 8th. This will be our first date night in more months than I can remember!

 Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Here's a few facts about Kooza:

Cirque du Soleil’s big top production, KOOZA returns to North America after touring over a year in Japan. Phoenix is the first of only four U.S. cities to host this dazzling production. It is also the only West Coast city on the tour. Since its premiere in Montreal in April of 2005, KOOZA has charmed close to 4 million spectators in North America and Japan.

Written and directed by David Shiner, KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

Disclosure: I was given 2 free tickets to opening night. I was not asked for anything in return. This is an informational post about an event.

Fashionable @Blissdom With Down East Basics!

This Wednesday, I will be heading to Nashville! I am attending a blogging conference called Blissdom! Whenever I head to blogging conferences, I always think, "Oh my gosh, I have nothing to wear!" Well, this time, I have some really cute outfits! I have a clothing sponsor for Blissdom that just happens to be my favorite clothing store...DownEast Basics!

I had the chance to head to my local store and pick out 2 outfits, for my trip! My closest store is at Arrowhead Towne Center. Every time I go in there, I walk out with at least one item. I love how the clothes at DownEast Basics are fashionable and conservative, at the same time.

There was a great sales associate, named Brooke, at the store that helped me with some outfits. The first outfit I chose was this super cute skirt, teal top and gold cardigan. When Brooke first handed me the skirt, I thought there was no way I could wear that. Especially with the color combination of teal and gold. Well, after trying it on, I fell in love. I noticed I have so much grey in my wardrobe and these colors are a welcome change.

My second outfit was a little more casual. They have the cutest jeans at DownEast Basics! They have fun little details on the pockets that make them look really expensive. But don't worry, they are very reasonably priced! I was also pretty happy that I fit into a smaller size than I normally wear. Woo Hoo!

My mom and sister came with me. And of course, my mom had to purchase the same sweater I was getting. My sister loves accessories. So, she was checking out the earrings and necklaces. I wore a necklace to BlogHer that I purchased at DownEast Basics. I received so many compliments on that necklace!

Here is the 3 of us with our goodies. We left very happy with our choices and I think my mom and sister will definitely be back. They loved the selection and variety at DownEast Basics!

Here was our amazing sales associate, Brooke! She was so friendly and so happy to help. If you are ever at the DownEast Basics in Arrowhead Mall, ask for her. She does an amazing job!

Please visit my amazing sponsors online...Angie's Kettle Corn & Down East Basics!


Disclosure: DownEast Basics is my clothing sponsor for Blissdom. I was given 2 outfits in exchange for this post and my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed in this post are 100% mine!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so thankful for every blessing in my life. Family, friends and my awesome readers! No matter what your situation is or how bad your circumstances are, I pray that you can find at least one thing to be thankful for, today.

I am speinding time with family today. So, this might be my only post. For all of you braving the stores tonight and tomorrow...have fun. I will be sleeping in!

Help Me Raise Money For A Cancer Patient By Printing A Coupon!

Today only, October 31st, I am donating all of my affiliate earnings that result from printing coupons at Coupons.com. This money will be donated to benefit a young lady in my community that is suffering from stage 4 lung and bone cancer.

If you would like to help Katie Wagner and her family, just go HERE and print a coupon. If you would like to read about more businesses that are raising money for Katie, you can go HERE.

Remember, this is today only, October 31st. Let's see how much we can raise for Katie Wagner! Thank you in advance for helping!

Fall Is In The Air...Do You Decorate For Fall?

I'm not a very creative person, at all. My mom is really creative and my sister received all of those genes! Above, is a picture I took at my moms house. She loves to decorate for every season and holiday. If you are a fan of Pottery Barn, you might recognize the sharp leather chair and the distressed mantle. Yes, my mom is a Pottery Barn addict.

The wreathe hanging above the fireplace was made by a friend of my sister. She rolled up pages from old books, glued them to a wreathe form and then spray painted thepages in a nice rust color. The fall leaves and candle sticks are from one of my favorite places...Hobby Lobby.

The small colorful pumpkins were actually made by yours truly! Okay, maybe I can be a little creative, when I try. My 3 year old son even helped me out, a bit. Here is a close up picture of some of the pumpkins I've made.

The pumpkins were actually very easy to make and I would love to share with you how to make your own!

Supplies:

• Cardstock weight scrapbook paper (I found fun fall colors and patterns)
• Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Brown Kraft paper or a paper bag

Easy-Peasy Instructions:

1. Cut circles out of the scrapbook paper. I used 4", 5" and 6" circles. You can also use a cup or bowl to trace the circles. I cheated and used my moms Cricut machine :) You will need 6 circles per pumpkin.
2. Use a ruler to draw a straight line about 1/8" from the bottom of one circle. Place that circle on top of the remaining 5 circles and cut along your line (so you can have a flat bottom to your pumpkin).
3. Fold each circle in half.
4. Glue the folded edges of each circle together, using your glue gun.
5. I also used the Cricut to cut out leaves. You can cut out your own or use fake leaves from the craft store. Glue your leaves to the top of the pumpkin.
6. To make the stem, I used a small piece of kraft paper or paper bag. Roll the paper up and glue the end so it stays tight. Lastly, glue the stem to the top of your pumpkin!

I you are on Pinterest, you can follow my Fall crafts board HERE and see where I got my inspiration for these pumpkins!

BlogHer11 Was Amazing!

So many of you know that I had the chance to attend BlogHer11 in San Diego. First of all, any chance to go to San Diego is a treat. But, throw in 3,000 women bloggers that understand the need to constantly be tweeting and blogging...I was in heaven!

Thursday morning I met up with Karen from Desert Deals Diva and we headed to San Diego in an awesome Rav4, courtesy of Toyota! We had only briefly me in person, a few weeks before. We chatted the entire way to San Diego and it made the trip fly by!

When we got to our hotel, we went straight to the park near Sea Port village and hosted a SnacknGo picnic with the rest of our group...The Mom Mob! This picnic was courtesy of one of our sponsors Fry's Food Stores and it was a huge hit! We met some amazing bloggers from all over the country!

We hit up plenty of parties over the weekend and we had the honor of passing out some kettle corn to hungry bloggers. Angie's Kettle Corn was another sponsor and the ladies at the convention could not get enough of it!

Saturday night, we had the opportunity to attend a pre-screening of the movie "The Help" I have not read the book but I heard the movie was very similar. This movie was very inspirational and I am so glad that I saw it.




Here is a list of all the sponsors that helped make this trip possible and more enjoyable. Please go check them out and be on the lookout for giveaways involving some of these sponsors!

Toyota
Angie's Kettle Corn
Fry's Food Stores
Platypus Hydration
Zazzle

A Baby Shower With Lots of Pink!

So, I have 2 boys and I am constantly surrounded by blue! When I had the chance to throw a baby shower for a friend that is expecting a girl, I went CUH-RAY-ZY with pink!

My sister had the awesome idea of having a candy bar. I know the picture above is not the best. But, you get the idea. We found some really cute apothecary jars and headed to Sweeties Candy in Chandler. This store is amazing! They have every candy you can think of. Plus, they sell in bulk.

We went with pearl white Sixlets, Strawberries and Cream gummies and Pink sour watermelon balls. My sister also painted some flower pots to hold the pink chocolate baby bottle lollipops, that we made. My sister obviously got the crafty gene from our mother. - I had to settle for the sloppy handwriting gene from our father :)

We decided to make cupcakes for the shower. Of course, cupcakes are the rage right now. We made a simple vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing. But, we added some pink edible glitter and pink edible pearls. They turned out so yummy!

My mom had this awesome cupcake tower that we used. It was just perfect to display our little works of art! And yes, even more pink with the table cloth. My mom found that on clearance a few years ago and it worked perfectly for our theme.

Our New Family Member!

My son just got a hermit crab for his birthday. I would love any advice about getting them to be more active during the day.

**This is a test post from my phone. Hopefully it works :)

posted from Bloggeroid

I'm So Excited, I'm Going To BlogHer!

So, I've been blogging for about a year and a half. I love being able to share deals and little tid bits about my family.

Last year I saw some interesting chatter about a blogging conference for women, called BlogHer. It was held in New York City and I new there was no possible way I could attend. BlogHer is all about women working together to help make their blogs better and giving input to brands, to help make them better.

Well, this year it is being held in San Diego! I new that was doable. I could drive and stay at a cheap hotel, to save a little money.

I am honored to say that I will be going to BlogHer with 6 amazing ladies from Arizona! We have pulled our resources and contacts to help make our trip FREE! I love FREE :)

We have decided to call ourselves the Mom Mob! You can check out our website and twitter feed HERE.  Or follow the #MomMob on twitter.

Let me introduce you to my new blogging buddies...Karen from Desert Deals Diva, Amy B. From One Mommy To Another, Sara B. From Super Saving Sense, Sara W. From Mom Endeavors, Becca From Our Crazy Boys and Amy L. From Dealusional!

I know we will have a great time, thanks to our amazing sponsors! We get to ride in style to San Diego, thanks to Lexus/Toyota!

Don't be jealous, but I get to have breakfast with Bob Harper from "The Biggest Loser," hang out with Elmo  and Cookie Monster courtesy of Playskool and eat lunch poolside with the California Raisins!

I will still be posting and hopefully I will make some great connections at BlogHer. I want to make this blog even better and offer more giveaways for my amazing readers!

God Bless America!

Happy 4th of July. Everyone stay safe and enjoy the freedom that is only found in America.

Thank you to every soldier that has fought for our freedom.

Happy Anniversary and Father's Day To...

...my husband! We have been married 12 years and time really has flown. I was literally just a kid at 19 and we had no idea what our future together would hold.

A few dogs later, a few kids later and of course a few pounds later we are more in love toady than we were on our wedding day!

He is also such an amazing father to our boys! I couldn't ask for a better role model, for them.

And, happy Father's day to all of the men that play such an important role in the  lives of their children!







  

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all of the service men and women that have lost their lives, protecting our country! And, a big thank you to all of the active service men and women!

Please drive safely and enjoy your holiday!