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.
I share this video and facts not only because it is interesting but to also illustrate that we are but a drop (pun intended) in the ocean of life. Some of these creatures are endangered and fighting for existence and some of the reasons are within our control. We, the human species, need to practice conservancy and help these animals survive so that we can all continue to thrive too, as part of the circle of life.
Here are some suggestions on how you can help protect marine life:
Eat environmentally friendly fish. Check out Seafood Watch for more specific ideas and suggestions.
Limit or reduce your use of plastics because a majority of it somehow finds itself in the seas. Check out The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Help curb the effects of Global warming and ocean acidification by reducing your carbon footprint--that's our own personal contribution to pollution and waste.
Be energy efficient
Participate in a beach clean-up (and if you don't live near a big body of water, organize and participate in a neighborhood clean-up).
Educate yourself about Marine Life and volunteer for a conservancy organization if your interests are peaked.
Donate to a conservation effort or speak out through personal conversations, letters, and/or social media.
And so on & so on....many creative avenues to contribute, just use your imagination.
Encountered this genius meme the other day & love its message.
Here's a quick PSA from Thank You Ocean promoting ocean awareness.
Here are additional resources and articles about saving the planet:
We stopped by our local Emergency Preparedness Expo (September 19, 2015 ) and not only learned a lot of great things, but had a pretty fun time as well. I highly recommend finding when and where your city offers these kinds of events because there are so many great resources available to you--booths representing the local electricity company, first responder teams (Police, Fire Department, Search and Rescue etc...), water conservation groups etc...
Up close and personal with a Police Helicopter.
And with permission...
The guys were able to climb on in and explore.
No worries, they're still on the ground. ☺
The Fire Department was also represented and the boys were able to play with the rescue hoses.
I feel safe already. ☺
My favorite presentation was the Shakey Quakey School House. The vehicle simulates a small earthquake, about a 3.2 on the scale, and reminds everyone to duck, cover, and hold. As a Californian, it's always good to be reminded about Earthquake safety tips.
Looks innocent enough...until it shakes and quakes!
And what is that I see? Could that be a sinking Titanic?
Climb and slide, and a triumphant arm up!
Just one of the many booths with information and freebies!
Why is 9-1-1 important? About 200 million 9-1-1 calls are made each year in the United States. Many of these calls are made by children, sometimes as young as 4 or 5 years old. The result of these calls from youngsters can be measured in saved lives, underscoring the critical importance of training children early in life about the 9-1-1 emergency call number.
Call 9-1-1 for "people" emergencies only when you need the Police, Fire Department or an Ambulance!
Dear Ahmed,
I hope you find a great school to transfer into, one that will celebrate & enhance your inventive brain. Then I hope your dreams come true and you end up at MIT, learn some amazing things, and then go on to affect the world for the better. You're right, don't let people change you. Continue to inspire people, help people and show them that differences are a wonderful thing. I truly, truly hope to see great things coming from you in the near future.
Sincerely,
A Wife, a Mom and More!
I guarantee I will never be as brave as this woman!
She allowed herself to be in one of the most vulnerable positions a woman can be in, standing in public in her bikini, blindfolded, subjected to the possibility of all kinds of ridicule. And yet, even in this often cruel world, people shared their love and support for her. See? There truly is hope for the human race.
Some of the (welcome) messages that were written on her body:
The Storm Damages Series is written by Magda Alexander. I enjoyed reading this series and found myself thoroughly engaged in the characters and the constant turn of events...danger, villains, friends, foes, deceit. It's all entirely too messy and entirely too engrossing. Put it on your reading list, but note that the trilogy is a continuing series and there are cliffhangers. And word of caution: steamy scenes ahead. ☺
**Minimum Spoilers**
Book 1: Storm Damages
Gabriel Storm and Elizabeth Watson meet for the first time and immediately a strong, almost electric attraction exists between the two of them. It's clear that they both have individual baggage they need to work through. There are lots of risks by being together, but can they put aside their lust...or maybe love? And can they avoid the dangers that seem to surround them?
Book 2: Storm Ravaged
They were torn apart but find themselves once again in each others lives. So many secrets are held in, and some truths are revealed. And danger always lurks in every corner. Can Gabriel and Elizabeth's love withstand it all?
Book 3: Storm Redemption
Gabriel and Elizabeth move further into their relationship and conflicts arise. Gabriel is not keen on Elizabeth working outside the home and Elizabeth insists on it--needs it for her own happiness and piece of mind. Can Gabriel put aside his feelings of possession (and misogyny) in order to give Elizabeth what she needs? These two are very much in love but they doubt one another's devotion to each other. They will need to establish trust in order to truly survive the challenges of life and marriage. Can these two do it?
My family and I did some efficient multi-tasking this weekend by doing two things that we enjoy doing: eating and making a difference. Now through the rest of September (so hurry, the month is speeding by) come to Corner Bakery Cafe and donate to No Kid Hungry and receive rewards in a variety of ways.
Donate $1.00 and receive a free Bottom Ups Bundt cake. Donate $5.00 and receive a coupon book that continues to give you savings worth up to $25.00.
Plus, if you purchase anything from their "lemon" menu, a portion will be donated to the cause. We ordered the frozen lemonade, and if you're a lemonade fan (like we are), you'll enjoy it. It's refreshing!
Here are some points taken from the No Kid Hungry organization.
More than 16 million children in America, almost 1 in 5, struggle with hunger. Your donation will support "No Kid Hungry" to END CHILDHOOD HUNGER in America.
More than half of K-8 teachers say they purchase food for hungry children in their classrooms. Through "No Kid Hungry" both students and their teachers can FOCUS ON EDUCATION without hunger as a distraction.
Since its launch, "No Kid Hungry" has brought more than 345 million more meals to hungry children across the nation. THANK YOU for making a donation to keep the momentum going.
A lack of nutritious food impairs a child's ability to concentrate and perform well in school. Your donation helps to provide healthy breakfast to KIDS IN NEED.
For many children, the last meal they receive at school is the last meal they get until school the next day. YOUR DONATION HELPS "No Kid Hungry's" work to bring healthy snacks and meals to more afterschool programs in communities like yours.
Whenever you can, shop for a cause, dine for a cause, buy to give. Makes life so much more fulfilling.
Music is a natural and living breathing entity in my family's life. I'm not a musician myself but I love listening to my favorite pop songs. And I'm lucky enough to call myself a Musicians' Mom. Both my boys play instruments: My 12 year old is a talented bass player and my 9 year old plays the keyboard.
Here is my 12 year old on vocals and bass helping out at his friend's talent show this past June:
Here is my 9 year old on vocals and keys at his school talent show this past May.
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I'm re-sharing and re-posting.
I proudly declare that my boys are musicians—my oldest (now 11 years
old) is a bass player & my youngest (now 8 years old) is a
keyboardist and percussionist. A little shake-up at their school around 4
years ago prompted the husband & I to make a conscious decision to
sign them up with some special music teachers we knew & trusted. Our
goal for our boys was not to “become rock stars” or learn music for
profit, but simply to be exposed to instruments, music theory, &
performance. We heard all the studies about the connections between
music & the brain and how learning music assists kids in academics,
etc. We believe in all that. We agree with all that. Four years later,
we are still part of a community of extraordinary people teaching,
learning & appreciating music & the creative arts.
This summer our boys have focused a majority of their energy into
crafting their music talents. They have worked hard—practicing
individually & with their groups—all toward the goal of performing
in front of an audience. Being able to get up in front of a bunch of
people & performing is not easy. I’m glad that we are able to give
them the opportunity to do that & we are privileged to see them grow
& mature & reap the benefits of having music as a part of their
lives. As parents, a large part of our responsibility is to cultivate
high self-esteem in our children. Music performance has certainly done
that for our boys.
Fresh off their live performance at a local restaurant/pub, the boys
have been given the gift of pride in their accomplishments. They
received so many gracious & generous compliments.
My 11 year old is often praised for his growing skills as a bass player
& given added props for being able to sing & play at the same
time. Apparently, this is a very difficult feat to accomplish. He admits
it’s challenging but has found a process that works best for him. I can
see the joy on his face (and trust me, this kid is not big on large
displays of emotion) when he’s describing learning a new song & the
confidence he exudes when he knows it well enough to perform it. For a
child not seeking attention or the limelight, being a musician has given
him another facet to his journey into being a more well rounded person.
Click to hear my Big Dude perform I Wish by Stevie Wonder.
My 8 year old has worked harder than ever to improve his skills on the
keyboard. There are times I know he has struggled & is very hard on
himself (he is my sensitive & emotional child) when he feels he
can’t perfect something. Sometimes he just needs to vent his frustration
& then he’s at it again. Before I know it, he’s making music come
out of those keys. I love how confident he becomes when he knows he’s
doing well. And I think it only benefits him to know that even at a
young age, he is expected to hold his own & it’s okay to set the bar
high for yourself. The results of a successful performance is its own
reward. Click to see my Little Guy practicing It’s Time by Imagine Dragons.
They don’t get a chance to perform together very often since they
belong to different jam groups (separated by age & playing ability),
but when they do get a chance to team up, I am more than proud. I
really do love seeing them up on stage together. Click to hear I Feel Good performed by the boys.
Not everyone has the same beliefs as we do on the importance of music
in life, in education, in the formation of a healthy self-esteem, and
simply as a tool of joy, but if you are even a little open to it as a
parent, I suggest finding an avenue for your child to be around it— have
them take music lessons, music appreciation, or music theory classes.
If you live in the Long Beach, CA area, I recommend the group my sons
belong to, Da Capo Creative Community. Otherwise, just do some of your own research & find a perfect fit for your own child(ren).
Summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close (less than 2 more weeks
for my boys). And I can honestly say, it’s been a wonderful summer of
music with the promise of much more to come! I’m excited about their
upcoming performances & I’m just truly proud of them–for any &
all musical growth they’ve achieved.
Music has definitely benefited my boys & when it all comes down to it, that’s all that matters. ♥
I hope everyone is having a great September so far as the days seem to be rapidly flowing by. I feel like it's one milestone occurrence after another, and a constant daily reminder that our children are growing up and so are we! Time refuses to indulge my desire to stay in a world of denial. Anyway, just to cheer some folks up, I'm sharing some Labor Day deals and coupons I've stumbled upon. Have a great weekend and a fabulous month!
Okay, so I've heard that season changes and "the beginning" of anything can send people to emotional highs and lows. And since I'm still in start-of-school mentality and feel those emotional bittersweet pangs caused by my rapidly aging kids, I thought I'd put together a laugh track post of some of the things I've encountered on the internet. Granted, you have to surf the same wave of my dry and unique sense-of-humor, but hopefully you'll find something to chuckle at.
**Warning: some humor is laced with strong language.**
I mean, right?
Safety is priority, I always say.
Some advice are more important than others.
Point made.
Some are just naturally loyal.
There goes small talk.
Whoever wrote this one MUST know me.
All you'll see is the back of my head, cuz I'm gone!
And finally, because being corny, cheesy and creative are the 3 C's of humor...
Did you see it? Did you?
I hope you had some LOL moments. And if you didn't, check back again, because I'm gonna keep trying until I have you rolling on the floor laughing.
