Welcome to my universe! I have so much to share with you: reviews, causes, personal experiences etc. I want to shine a light on the positive things in life, encourage kindness & praise good works, remaining hopeful that a better tomorrow is always within our reach. My heart belongs to my devoted loving husband & our exceptional 2 sons who, I believe, make this world a better place with their strong minds & tender hearts. They are my inspiration. I write to express not to impress.
Special thanks to PinchMe for the complimentary Pop Works & Company Birthday Cake Popcorn. Although the product was sent to me free of charge, all thoughts & opinions are genuine & entirely my own.
When I saw that I had "Birthday Cake" as my review flavor, I was a bit apprehensive about whether or not it would be received well by the family & I. Luckily, it was sent to me during the same week as my first-born son's birthday so I thought, "Why not? We'll have a special themed snack review." ☺ So, what's the verdict? We really loved it! It's sweet, but not overly so. It does get a bit addicting & before you realize it, you've had one bite after another. It's tasty & we'd definitely purchase & eat this snack in the future.
Here is the product information taken from their website:
Pop Works & Company: Birthday Cake Popcorn information
Birthday boy along with Puffy the Manatee posing with the yummy snack bag.
My first-born is officially 13 years old today! He's such a great kid in more ways than one & I'm so Blessed that God chose me to be his mother. He's a fabulous son & an amazing big brother!
Happy 13th Birthday!! He'll always be my baby. ♥
ALL ABOUT MY FIRST BORN!!!
1. Was the pregnancy planned? Yes
2. Were you married?Yes
3. What was your reaction to finding out? So incredibly happy & nervous.
4. Were you induced? Yes 5. How old were you? 27 6. Who did you first tell? The husband & I
found out together through an in-home pregnancy test, then we informed the
grandparents on both sides. 7. How did you find out? Missed my period (I’m
pretty regular) & the husband & I took a home pregnancy test &
waited for the results together. 8. Did you want to find out the sex? Yes 9. Due Date? March 25 10. Did you deliver early or late? One day late…I
had to be induced. 11. Did you have morning sickness?No 12. What did you crave? No cravings. 13. How many pounds did you gain from your pregnancy?
40lbs 14. What was the sex of the baby? Male 15. Did you have any complications during labor? Yes.
Had to be induced. So much pain. LOL! 16. Where did you give birth at? Los Alamitos
Medical Center 17. How many hours were you in labor? 21 hours (And I'll never let him forget it. :-P ) 18. How much did your baby weigh? 6 lbs 19. How old is your first born today? 13
20. What astrological sign is
your baby? Aries
Here's to my Aries!
All these & more!
My Aries has had to deal with a few sneakies in his young life. :-/
This is a confirmed trait of my Aries.
And the final astrological meme sums up my Aries pretty well...
My first-born, an Aries.
Dear Son,
May all your dreams come true! We wish you a Blessed and Happy life! ♥
Always,
Mom, Dad, & Lil' Brother
March is National Noodle Month! Enjoy this "Noodles Around the World" (in LA) video from one of my favorite food bloggers Lynn Chen. Word of caution: you may have an uncontrollable craving for noodles after watching the video. :-)
In the spirit of sharing, here are some simple Noodle recipes I've encountered in my internet travels.
Parmesan Garlic Noodles
Ingredients:
8 oz spaghetti or linguine
1/2 (60 g) stick butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon grated Cheddar cheese,
for garnishing
Chopped parsley, for garnishing
Directions
1. Prepare the noodles per the package instructions to al dente. Drained and set aside.
2. Heat up a skillet and add the butter and olive oil.
3. Saute the garlic until slightly brown and aromatic.
4. Toss in the noodles, stir to combine well. Add salt to taste.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
6. Garnish with some Cheddar cheese and parsley.
7. Serve immediately.
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Boil egg noodles according to package directions. Drain water.
3. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add cooked noodles to mixture. Gently stir to combine everything. Pour into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil.
4. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Have you seen the latest Lane Bryant commercial? No? Probably because it's been banned by several networks for "showing too much skin". I saw it. I approve of it. And since this is my truth, justice and the American way forum, I'm posting it!
This Body is made for...
Turning heads
Proving them wrong
Being bold, powerful, & sexy
For love
Rocking denim
Style
Living!
Getting it on
Breaking the mold
Starting a revolution
What's your body made for?
And then there's actress extraordinaire Melissa McCarthy who addresses beauty and body image in the best way. Here's some of her best quotes...
What's up Melissa? Make us listen...
My message is that as long as everybody's healthy, enjoy & embrace whatever body type you have.
I've never felt like I needed to change. I've always thought, 'If you want somebody different, pick somebody else.'
I've been every size in the world. Parts of my twenties, I was in great shape but didn't appreciate it...if I was a 6 or an 8, I thought, 'Why aren't I a 2 or a 4?'
My weight? It is what it is. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It's about being content. And sometimes other priorities win.
I have experience dressing me as a 6, a 12 & more...& when you go above a size 12, you don't lose your love of fashion.
With women, there's this constant weird cultural thing where we're always supposed to be comparing ourselves with one another. Who wore it best? Whose butt's better? Instead, how about if everyone wins? How intensely boring would it be if we were all the same?
Couldn't have said it any better myself. See yourself in the best light. Work towards happiness. Be you, & love yourself.
Warning: the following subject matter may be too heavy for young readers. Parent discretion is advised.
I've always taught my boys to respect women. In general, just be respectful to anyone & everyone. Now that they are in the 5th & 7th Grade, our conversations have become deeper and I've been talking to them about more grown-up topics. Yes, we have talked & continue to discuss S-E-X, all age-appropriately & I try to make sure I'm only giving them the information they need at the moment that they need them. Surprisingly, I've fared rather well in dealing with this stage in parenthood. I would have predicted that I'd freeze up & choose hibernation as opposed to talking about these heavy topics, but I've realized that I don't want the boys to think of sex as something dirty and shameful. It's part of being a whole human being, and I want them to have a healthy mental & physical outlook.
Recently, I was told by a friend that one of the schools in my local area requires their female students to say "yes" to boys who ask them to dance at their school sponsored class dance. In giving this school the benefit of the doubt (and I'm being generous here), I can only reason that they enacted this requirement in order to foster some kind of peace between the genders and maybe, possibly spare the feelings of the boys. Again, I don't know & I certainly don't understand. With all due respect, I blatantly, wholeheartedly & passionately disagree with this rule & I would be in the front lines protesting if my children attended this school. I firmly believe dancing, dating, kissing & yes, sex is completely a choice that requires full consent. That means there is a no-negotiation open "no" or "yes" answer.
I relayed this "yes" rule to the boys while holding back my own personal opinions so that I could find out what their thoughts were on the topic. And if need be, influence my own thoughts & feelings on them (I am their mother after all). I couldn't be more proud of their reaction. My 5th Grader said, "I would never want a girl to dance with me if she didn't want to". My 7th Grader said something similar, appalled that there could be such a rule. Because yes, a girl has EVERY right to say "no" to any boy that asks her to dance. The boy will have to take the rejection. Learn from the rejection. Move on. That's real life.
No means no the first time. Yes is a go-ahead, unless it changes to no. Then it's a no. Full consent means a yes. No means no. And if you're unsure, just assume no.
And if you need more information on consent, watch this video. What is consent?
The word "consent": Comes from the Latin word con (together) & sentire (feeling).
Some consent is non-verbal.
Sexual script of our culture is that consent is "not opting out"--as in, not resisting, letting it happen as opposed to "opting in". I agree with the video that this should really only apply to partners that have a relationship with explicit consent or rejection.
There are many reasons people would not resist a sexual advance such as fear, embarrassment, intoxication etc...Even if you're drunk, that is not an expressed consent for sex unless it's discussed in advance as in "Let's get drunk then have sex!"
General rule: If you're not physically able to drive because of impairment, it's probably best you don't have sex.
Age of Consent: if you're underage, the answer is basically no. If you're under 18, don't have sex & don't have sex with people under 18 as well.
Consent is not the absence of a "no", it's the presence of a "yes". (I like that.)
Respect women. Respect your own integrity. When in doubt, ask. Or ask anyway just to be sure.
In the article, Chrissie Hynde Under Fire for Suggesting Women Who Dress Provocatively 'Entice' Rapists, musician Chrissie Hynde is reported as suggesting that the way a woman dresses is the cause of assault. Chrissie herself is a victim of a violent sex crime & I will not directly attack her personal feelings or beliefs. I think she's been through enough. But I will vehemently disagree with her & suggest instead that ALL men are responsible for their own sexual choices. Even if a woman is walking naked in front of a man, he has no right to have sex with her unless she consents to it. Yes, go ahead. No, stop. End of story.
And that is the message I'm raising my boys with. That is my responsibility as a Mom--to raise them in a consent culture.
Ready for some laughter breaks?! Here you go. Enjoy everyone! :-D
Let's start it off with this nature prescribed PSA:
Warning: This video may seriously cause you to consider WTFrag you are doing with your life. :-D
Poems are hard. So, bacon. :-D
Chewie just tells it like it is, you know?
Just point me in the right direction. Thanks. :-D
Let's hear it for those amazing Dads who are there for their daughters! :-)
Best reason for a name change, I say. :-)
It's ALL about the hair!
Bigotry is stupid. Case in point...
I'm with the Juice on this one. *Chants* Long live the Juice!
Meh. What do they know? Laugh anyway.
Did I hear you, right?? Fists up!
And last but not least....
I've got lots more advice where that came from.... :-D
Hope you're having a great day & these funnies make it even better. If your day isn't going so well, I hope these cheered you up a bit. Life is often hard, so try to find the humor in it. XO Til next time...
It's about the journey...well, it's also about the destination. :-P
What made us decide to Go Metro? Here's the simple answer: We wanted to purchase Universal Studios Hollywood annual passes but didn't want to pay $17.00 every time we parked. Universal, unlike the other theme parks we've purchased passes from in the past, doesn't offer a parking pass option. The boys are not very familiar with public transportation (unlike I was growing up), so along with my husband, I thought it would be a good opportunity to expose them & have a little adventure as well. Plus there are added perks such as not having to deal with Los Angeles traffic, sparing our own vehicles from wear & tear & saving money (& the environment) from gas expenses. I was irrationally nervous at first just because it was a new experience for the boys, and I felt protective of them. But not only did they enjoy the journey, they also want to explore other parts of Los Angeles by going Metro. :-P I love that idea.
Go on the website & map out your journey. You'll need a TAP card if you're just starting out.
Universal offers a free shuttle at the bottom of the hill to pick up Metro passengers. Super painless process.
Here comes the Tram! Yay!
We were lucky enough to be part of the "Soft Opening" for the Wizarding World section of the theme park. The actual opening is on April 7.
"Please respect the spell limits".
So many photo opportunities.
This Hogwarts Express Conductor had a great British accent. Might've been real? Who knows. :-D
Sweet treat.
Butterbeer..."beer" the boys are allowed to drink. :-P Delicious!
Nostalgic Wizarding World fans...
The boys knocked, but Hagrid wasn't home. Must be in the woods feeding his creatures. :-P
We also enjoyed Universal City Walk. It's large in more ways than one & a feast for the senses.
Imagine the music that could come out of this gigantic guitar. :-P
Punny! Jurassic Park-ing! :-D
Big Juice!
We had such a great time on our Metro Universal Studios/Citywalk adventure day! Looking forward to doing it again real soon. I didn't have any celebrity sightings this time around, but I'm hopeful for my chances in the future. It is the "Entertainment Capitol of LA", after all.
