Maternity and Nursing Clothes

I just celebrated my 47th birthday yesterday so the subject of maternity clothing certainly isn't front and enter in my mind. However, I've recently been blessed with the title 'Great Aunt' and I'm soon to be twice blessed with that glorious title. My nephew and his girlfriend just had a beautiful baby girl. And my niece is due any day now with her first child. I can't believe how much I love these babies already! I can hardly wait to spoil them like crazy!

Meanwhile, as my nieces progressed through their pregnancies I couldn't help but notice how cute they looked. When I was pregnant I would never have thought of wearing tight fitting clothing. I wore the flouncy oversized tops that made me look like a whale. I know...I don't like to complain because, as my husband so eloquently stated several times, "It's a temporary inconvenience for a long term gain." Yes, looking and feeling huge was only temporary and resulted in the three greatest loves of my life! But maternity fashions back in the mid-to-late 90's and earlier left a lot to be desired.

I'm sure you've seen images of the latest trend in maternity clothing on T.V., in magazines and on the internet, too. The tops, slacks and dresses are very form fitting. Not only does the mommy-to-be's belly stick out, sometimes you can see their newly displayed 'outty' belly button! But honestly none of that matters! I think these women look completely darling with their tummies sticking out. They should be proud of the miracle that is in process. Shout it out to everyone and let that growing belly be seen! Hind sight being 20/20 I wish I would have been proud to show my baby bump.

In this modern age being stylish doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. It's easy and affordable to find stylish maternity clothing. I've discovered websites like Trendytummymaternity.com which offer a large variety of maternity tops, dresses, jeans and more and the prices aren't as high as you might expect. That's a big plus! I recall when I was pregnant that maternity clothes tended to be quite pricey. There were very few maternity stores in our area and the ones that I frequented were very expensive.

So while, I can't change for myself what took place nearly 15-20 years ago, I'm happy to support the modern trend in maternity clothing. Accentuating the beauty of a pregnant young lady is, in my opinion, placing a very positive light on a miracle in progress!

Okay...I better get moving and get to drawing portraits and painting name signs. More interesting topics and fun on the way very soon so stay tuned...until then,

Skin Care

Not to brag, but one trait that was handed down to me through my genetic coding was good skin. My dad always looked younger than he was and he had very few wrinkles as he aged. I have a few wrinkles such as the typical crows feet around my eyes and I know my skin is showing it's age in some respects for sure. But every now and then I unexpectedly run into some of my classmates or friends from years ago and I see a big difference between the amount of wrinkles they have and the amount I have.

Fortunately I've been blessed with healthy skin but I also take care of it. I don't go crazy like some people and buy every new skincare product that comes down the pike that's touted as the next best thing. But I do try products that are recommended to me by family and friends. Over the past few years I've built up a list of some of my favorites.

I've purchased the products I like at different retail brick and mortar stores and I've also bought some products online. I'm sure some people are hesitant to purchase these types of products on the Internet, but there are a variety of reputable skin care retailers online such as beautybridge.com that have a solid reputation and many devoted customers. I can say with confidence that buying skin care products online is a safe bet as long as you are familiar with the retailer.

Not only can you buy skin care products online, but you can also buy your favorite brand of cosmetics, bath and body products, hair care products, nail care and more. Just make sure to do your homework so you know that you are buying from an authorized merchant.

As I'm sure you're aware a big issue now a days is being more conscious about our environment. I have to admit I can be a bit of a 'green mom'...not quite what you'd call 'crunchy'...but 'green' yes. I try to pay attention and use products that are friendly to nature. And that includes some of my skin care products as well.

G.M. Collin Products fall into the niche of skin care that are rooted in nature and will help your skin to look great from the inside out. Their products are created from natural plant and marine extracts so you can feel confident that you're getting products derived from nature.

You can also purchase Babor merchandise at BeautyBridge.com which are produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Not only is the product created in a way to protect the environment, but their packaging is as well. That's something that a 'green' mom like me likes to hear.

So, while I'm a 'green' mom who's been blessed with decent skin I do work at taking care of it. I don't spend hours and hours of the day basking in the sun. And if I am going to be in the sun I make sure to use a good sunscreen. I also use moisturizers every morning and night. I was my face before bed and again in the morning. And I use good quality skin care products. Plus I also exercise daily.

Speaking of which, I'd better get moving now. I have to take my nightly walk and it's getting a bit late in the day. I don't want to be walking the dog in the dark!

I'll have more fun to share soon...until then,

Crystal Nail Files

I don't spend much time keeping my finger nails painted simply because I have paint all over my hands almost everyday. I'm sure I'd chip off or mess up any manicure in about 2 hours after I had one done.

I do however try to keep my toenails in good shape. I keep them painted, clipped and filed down to a nice length. I love to wear flip flops all summer long so having my toenails look nice is important to me. But as luck would have it I recently took a spill in our driveway and the toenail on my left big toe ripped back! UGH!! It was a mess and weeks later it still looks ugly. I've been traipsing around all summer with a band aid covering my ugly big toenail. What else could I do??

Well, the universe conspired and gave me what I needed. A friend of mine asked me to paint something for her. As her payment she got me a gift certificate for a pedicure. How perfect! I am so looking forward to getting my toes cleaned up once again.

The girl who does my pedicures is new to the salon scene having only just graduated from high school a year ago. But she does a great job none the less. I can't wait to sit down and have my feet taken care of again! I love pedicures!

I recall a few years ago I was out of town and patronized a salon that used crystal nail files. It was a gorgeous nail file adorned with Swarovski crystals. Talk about classy! It was a very high end spa and salon that I went to with my girlfriends when we turned "the big 40". We definitely spoiled ourselves that year!

I won't be able to spoil myself to another high class salon just yet, but someday I will! That's my goal! Work hard and then spoil myself to pieces!

Okay, I'd better get to work...I have a busy day ahead of me!

More fun on the way...until then,

The Garden Gates - Bella Notte Linens & Bedding

My oldest son is heading off to college in about a month so I've been doing a bit of online shopping to gather all of his bedding needs along with the rest of his dorm room necessities.

I love to shop and buy things for my home and as I was surfing the web for my son I couldn't help but take a few detours and do a bit of online window shopping for myself. Along the way I found a gorgeous website called The Garden Gates that offers a large variety of luxurious home and garden decor items.

Since I was already looking for bedding I thought I'd take a look at the beautiful custom made Bella Notte Linens that are sold through their website.

Talk about gorgeous! All I kept thinking was, "Wow! Maybe someday I can get these gorgeous and luxurious bed sheets, pillow shams, window curtains and more for my bedroom!" They have 28 fabric choices in 17 different colors and each piece of bedding is made to order so you make all the decisions about how your bedding will look from start to finish. Use your imagination and create your own unique and one-of-a-kind bedding set.

And I have to mention that even though the luxurious fabrics that are used in creating each piece are linen, satin and velvet they are all machine washable. So you don't have to worry about any dry cleaning. Another huge plus for me!

Located in Louisiana the Garden Gates is a brick and mortar store that is open 7 days a week. If you're fortunate enough to live in the area you can see for yourself all the beautiful home and garden decor they offer. But if you live too far away as I do, don't fret! You can shop 24 hours a day on their website and drool over all of the stunning home decor items. Oh and I almost forgot to mention that they also offer free shipping!

If you're anything like me and you love to shop for your home then you simply must take a look at this stunning website! It's beautiful!

Now I have to get back to shopping for my son and his dorm room! Not nearly as much fun but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Okay, I'll have more to share soon...until then,

Quinceañera

Have you ever heard of a Quinceañera? A Quinceañera is the Hispanic tradition of celebrating a young girl's transition to womanhood on her 15th birthday. I learned of this ceremony a few years ago when my son was dating a girl whose father was from Mexico. It always sounded like such a lovely way to celebrate a young girl's coming of age!

While most Quinceañera celebrations may vary the core of each is traditionally the same. Most celebrations will begin with a mass service where the Quinceañera will be accompanied by her court of honor which usually includes her family members and close friends. After the religious ceremony a reception will be held which includes food, music and a choreographed dance which will be performed by the Quinceañera along with her court.

Prior to this special day however there are many details to be considered. Of course there's the beautiful dress...my daughter would love that part...which is traditionally white or pale pink. And every Quinceañera wears a headpiece during the mass which is exchanged with a tiara or crown (more heaven for my daughter!). The tiara can have the number '15' embellished upon it to signify this important birthday. Also a bracelet or ring can be worn to represent the unending circle of life. Earrings are worn as a reminder for the young Quincenera to listen to and obey God. And a cross will display her deep devotion to God.

For the reception a location must be decided upon if you choose to not have it at your home. And of course you have to decide upon the food and drink. Also, who will be invited? How many family members and friends will be joining in on this special day?  A necessity in your planning of this important event needs to have proper Quinceanera Invitations. There are so many invitation styles from which to pick. They are all gorgeous! Along with getting the dress and the jewelry this would be a fun part of the planning for my daughter!

If you have been invited to a Quinceañera you will need to decide upon a gift. While the child's Godparents are chosen by the parents to present gifts to the Quinceañera other guests are welcome to bring gifts as well. Some gifts may include a bible and rosary which when blessed by the priest will make the gift so much more special. A Quinceañera doll is a special gift as well. Or if you aren't quite sure you can always give a gift that most teen girls would appreciate. Just be sure they are appropriate and tasteful. Whatever gift you decide make sure to wrap the special gift with some personalized birthday wrapping paper! What a unique last minute touch to this special celebration!

While a Quinceañera has Latin roots many Hispanic families today are merging their heritages by choosing to celebrate a Sweet Sixteen. The Sweet Sixteen celebration includes the Quinceañera traditions such as the mass, the reception, the tiara adorned with the number '16', and more. It's a very personal celebration so families should feel free to select the customs that have special meaning to them. A Quinceañera is an important day so go ahead and make your celebration unique for that special young lady in your life!

More interesting things to come...until then,

Man Cave

The Author of this post is Solomon Dejesus

We just bought a new house, and believe it or not, my dream to have my very own “Man Cave” is going to come true. We’ve always had to use any extra space for the kids, or the office, or the guest room, but this house has the perfect little spot that is too small for any of those things, but just the right size for a Man Cave’s essentials: couch, mini fridge, and a tv. Once I saw this room, and my wife agreed to letting me fulfill my lifelong dream, I was sold. That is all it took. I knew we had to have that house. I went out and bought myself a mini fridge, and a nice, comfy, totally ugly couch off Craigslist, and now I’m researching Satellite Television in Georgia. I tell you what, this is seriously a dream come true. I can just chill alone in my cave after work for a little while and relax. I really crave the solitude and so I am beyond thrilled about my cave.

"You Should Only Have To Get Rich Once" by Russell E. Holcombe

I just finished reading a book called "You Should Only Have to Get Rich Once" by author Russell E. Holcombe. As a Certified Financial Planner, Russell Holcombe's goal is to help wealthy clients better understand how to manage their money and to stay wealthy.

I'll be candid with you, when it comes to talking about investing I get very confused. My husband and I have a few small accounts but nothing that amounts to putting us into the 'wealthy' category. I certainly hope that someday we'll be in a much higher tax bracket, but for now I'll settle for where we are.

Regardless, I began reading this book feeling a bit nervous that I might get lost or overwhelmed with discussions about financial matters and the "how to's" about investing. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

For starters  let me say that I try very hard to live my life honestly. I'm not only honest with others, but I'm also honest and true to myself. I try to make decisions that take me in the direction that "I" want to go and not the direction that I am expected to go. I have my own home based business and believe me when I tell you that I didn't have many cheerleaders rooting for me when I made the decision to forge my own path.  Everyone seemed to be a 'Doubting Thomas' and their words of encouragement were few. But I'm an entrepreneur and I think differently. I wanted (and still want) different things for my family. I want to run my life the way I see fit. I don't want to live out my days according to what others' opinions may be.

That kind of honesty coupled with a conservative mentality toward money puts me in the right frame of mind to appreciate Mr. Holcombe's advice and teachings. And let me add that, like me, my husband is a sole proprietor and even more conservative with money than I am.

As a financial professional Mr. Holcombe has seen many wealthy persons that have fallen for the "traps of the financial factory". Sadly many of these people have lost a good portion of their wealth when it really wasn't necessary. While the author began writing this book many years ago, he was still writing it during the economic disaster of 2008. He believes that some of the wealth that was lost in that downturn was simply due to over-investing.

He explains that if you only focus on making a profit then that's where your trouble lies. Unfortunately, "Profit can be an addictive narcotic. Everyone wants it. People will do anything to get a hit of it in their portfolio."

He wants people to change the way they think about money. In his opinion when a wealthy person reaches a certain level of wealth he or she needs to stop over-investing. Now understand, he doesn't say to stop investing, just stop over-investing. There is a difference and in my opinion it makes complete sense. His comparison is that of running a race. You've run the race and you've reached the finish line. Common sense says that's the point when you stop running. Right? But what would you think if you saw someone running a race yet once they've passed the finish line they continue to run? Most people would consider that person as crazy!

So how do you figure out when to stop over-investing? The author explains that one needs to find their "Point of Independence" (POI) which he defines as:

"Your Point of Independence is the intersection in the road where the money you need to do whatever you want to do in life is funded without your labor."

Wow! That sounds like a wonderful intersection! It's a very interesting concept and the book shares a variety of stories of people who figured out their own personal POI, who were wise and stayed in control of their money. And it also shares stories about some wealthy people who weren't so wise. It really has helped to change the way I think about my money and what I hope my money will do for me someday.

As I stated earlier, my husband and I have a long way to go to reach the level of income where we should begin this line of thinking. But there's nothing wrong with preparing, right? And it's a great feeling to know that you shouldn't fall for or believe everything your financial advisor tells you. Prior to reading this book my husband and I had a meeting with our financial advisor. My husband is much more outspoken than I and he was feeling frustration with what our advisor was trying to tell us. We left the meeting feeling uneasy and disagreeing with the numbers and comparisons our advisor was sharing with us.

Magically a few days later this book appeared in my mail box. How about that! Talk about the universe trying to send us a message!

So I've learned that just as my entrepreneurial mind set told me I must forge my own path I also have to do the same from a financial perspective. Be your own pioneer and figure out what suits your life best. Be honest with yourself and figure out what you want your money to do for you. There is no need to jump on every bandwagon that comes along and agree with every one else's opinion of how you should handle your wealth.

I highly recommend this book!

***And one final note: The author was kind enough to send me a second copy of his book to use as a give away to one of my followers. Immediately after this post goes live I'll be sharing the link on Twitter and my Facebook Page. I'll continue to promote this contest over the next several days. The tenth person to contact me will be the winner. You can contact me via Direct Message on Twitter, message me on Facebook or comment on my blog. It's very simple! Good luck!***

Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD

I think I might have this -- Seasonal Affective Disorder otherwise known as SAD.

First of all I was thrilled to walk out to my kitchen this morning and see the beautiful blue sky and the sun! It's been dreary and cloudy here for days...if not weeks. But that's pretty typical for this neck of the woods at this time of year. We usually have more snow, but this year we've gotten very little--something I won't complain about.

Here are a couple photos to show the difference between last winter and this winter. It's the same tree from pretty much the same point of view:

Our backyard Winter 2011

Our backyard Winter 2012

What a difference! Yes, it's a bit muddy this year because it's been more wet than snowy...but I'll take wet over snowy anytime. Well, except on Christmas Day. That's the only day I want to see snow. But I digress...

Now getting back to SAD, seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by the seasons of the year. The most common type of SAD is called winter-onset depression. Symptoms usually begin in late fall or early winter and go away by summer.

I noticed a few years ago that I always wanted to just stay home and curl up under a blanket and keep warm and cozy until spring. But being a mom of three with my own business and a husband with his own business, well, I didn't have the opportunity to stay put.

Last winter I didn't notice much of a SAD feeling. I actually felt pretty good considering I had just lost my mom to Alzheimer's disease. But I believe that in reality I was in shock and denial. While my mom had Alzheimer's she died rather suddenly in early December. But that' another story for another day.

So to combat the extra 20 pounds I've been hauling around for years I started going to the gym everyday. On top of trying to lose weight and get healthy I hoped to eliminate my chances of getting SAD. While I've lost a few pounds so far I've noticed that I feel tired...not all the time, but more tired than I ever expected. It's confusing me. If I'm exercising every day why am I tired??? Shouldn't I have more energy?? I don't have an appointment to get my yearly check up until March. At that point if I'm still feeling this way I will talk to her about it.

So for now I attribute my tiredness to SAD. I'll keep exercising plus I've upped my daily dose of vitamin D-3 from 1000IUs to 2000IUs. My husband says I should take even more, but we'll see how I feel with this small increase first.

As well as those two things I'll pray that we continue to get more sun! A beautiful sunny day with blue skies always lifts my spirits no matter how cold it may be outside!

More sharing on the way...until then,

What's your 'Real Age'?

Have you ever tried to figure your Real Age? I saw a show about it on Oprah years ago. The Real Age test is a unique calculation of your body's health age. Created by top doctors, including Dr. Mike Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz it is powered by the latest medical research.

When I first learned about this test it left me curious as to what my real age would be but I feared the test would take a long time to complete and time is always of the essence for me. But the test itself was fairly simple...you answer a series of questions that will tell a little bit about your health and your day-to-day habits -- what you eat and drink, who you see and talk to, and how you handle big and little stresses and challenges. Then the results show you how young or old these lifestyle choices are making you. Finally a couple of weeks ago I decided to take some time and give it a try to find out what my Real Age is.

In reality I am 46 years old, but after taking the Real Age test they figured that due to my lifestyle my body's health age is 42 years old. That wasn't too bad, but I'd sure like for that number to be lower. Perhaps with my going to the gym every day now and becoming more responsible with my food choices I can reduce that number.

One thing about taking the Real Age test that some folks may not appreciate is the continuing emails that you will get after you get your initial results. Personally I don't mind  these emails because they are full of healthy lifestyle tips that I am very interested in at this point of my life. However those of you who won't like getting the continued emails you can simply unsubscribe from them.

I found the test and the website to be pretty interesting. If you decide to give it a try let me know what you find out. And by the way...the test didn't take nearly as long as I thought!

More sharing soon...until then,