It Can Wait!

Drivers, old and young, need to hear this message just one more time...always just one more time...put the cell phone down, wait to turn that radio station to another channel, keep your eyes on the road...pay attention when you're driving. Pay attention. It's a matter of life & death. Here is a powerful PSA with the very strong message: IT CAN WAIT. Let's put an end to distracted driving!
A car can be such a deadly weapon. Again, please be alert. Open your eyes. Don't drive distracted. It can wait!

This is just an illusion. 😉 My kids are not old enough to drive, but I spread the #ItCanWait message for them & their safety, and in dedication for all lives lost due to distracted driving, & then still for potential lives saved from the power of this message.

Please spread the word: #ItCanWait.  Don't drive distracted.

Make a pledge to never drive distracted. I can wait!

Another Day Another Adventure: Life List Questions

Having two middle school aged boys rapidly growing before my eyes, I've learned to cherish every moment, appreciate and love every memory and look forward to what else life has in store for us. I found a questionnaire designed to make people think about their "bucket list".  I've always disliked that phrase because it's in reference to "kicking the bucket".  I don't want to think of my life that way.  I want to think about it terms of a "to do" list. So, here are my answers.... (I've also included some funnies along the way to help make you smile.)

 Been Married-- yes

Been divorced-- no

Fell in love-- Yes

Gone on a blind date-- no
Skipped school--no
Watched someone give birth--no (unless I count myself)
Watched someone die--no
Been to Canada--yes
Ridden in an ambulance--no
Been to Hawaii--no
Been to Europe--no
Been to Washington D.C.-yes
Been to Nashville-- no

Oh! Phew!! What a relief.

Visited Florida--yes
Visited Mexico--yes
Seen the Grand Canyon in person--yes
Flown in a helicopter--no
Been on a cruise- yes
Served on a jury-- no
Been in a movie --no
Danced in the rain-- yes
Been to Los Angeles- yes
Been to New York City-- no
Played/Sang in a band--no
Sang karaoke-- yes

Guard dog.

Laughed so much you cried- Yes
Laughed so hard you peed - yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue--yes
Had children--Yes
Had a pet(s)-- Yes
Been sledding on big hill--Yes
Been downhill skiing-- sort of...chickened out on small hill (LOL!)
Been water skiing-- no
Rode on a motorcycle--no
Traveled to all 50 states-- no
Jumped out of a plane-- No
Been to a drive-in movie-- yes
Rode a camel-- yes
Rode a Horse-- no
Been on TV-- yes

Well, anything food related always gets MY attention.

Been in the newspaper--yes
Stayed in the Hospital-- yes
Donated blood-yes
Gotten a piercing-- yes
Gotten a tattoo-- no
Driven a stick shift vehicle--no
Been scuba diving-- No
Been snorkeling-- yes
Rode in the back of a police car--no
Got a speeding ticket--no
Broken a bone-- no
Gotten stitches- yes
Traveled Alone--no

My favorites are #1, #4, and #10.

Feel free to copy & paste this "To Do List" questionnaire & share on your social media sites! XO  

Tags: #RandomQuestions #Jokes 

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Keep Rhinos Horny!

Keep rhinos wild & horny!! Did I get your attention? We need to spread awareness about the continual killing--poaching--of rhinos! These majestic animals are dangerously close to becoming extinct and what a truly heartbreaking end that would be for our planet. I'm saddened to report that their status of being an endangered species is due to human activities--mainly poaching for their rhino horn.

I'd like to think that people who generally care about life on our planet outweigh (and hopefully outnumber) those that want to do our planet & all its living creatures harm. So, there is hope. We can save the rhinos!  

At the start of the 20^th century there were 500,000 rhinos across Africa and Asia. Now there are only about 29,000 wild rhinos roaming the area.

What keeps me hopeful about humanity is that there are so many inspiring people all over the world who work tirelessly to protect our wildlife. So many things have already been done to bring awareness to the plight of rhinos. People have donated their time, their voice, & their money to the cause and some put themselves on the front lines and in harms way to stop the senseless rhino poaching. They are the heroes of the planet!

Visit Michael Daniel Ho's website for more amazing wildlife photography.

Here are some suggestions of what you can do to help #SaveTheRhinos:

• Fundraise & help monetarily support conservation efforts.
• Purchase #SaveTheRhino gear to donate funds or simply assist in bringing awareness to more people. 
• Spread the word

Spread the Rhino love!

We can do this! 

Tags: #SaveTheRhino #SaveTheRhinos 

Source: Save the Rhino
             Wings 4 Wildlife

A very special thank you goes out to Rhinazilla for inspiring this entry. Please visit their site--25% of their profits go to stop the poaching of rhinos! 

Keep Calm & Read Books

Take a deep breathe, do what needs to be done, then take a good book, find an awesome peaceful corner, & read away! If you like Contemporary Romance selections, here's some suggestions.

 Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

This is a Teen coming-of-age story.  Hayley lives in Santa Monica and has to deal with the shallow culture of constant dieting and plastic surgeries.  Her mother is far from an ally, going so far as getting Haley a talking scale. (Do those truly exist? )  Luckily, her parents offer her the opportunity of a lifetime to spend the summer, about 10 weeks, in Italy.  She’s reluctant at first—nursing a broken heart & not wanting to leave her best friend—but she goes and has pretty much the time of her life.  As a reader, I had vacation envy.  Italy is on my list of future destinations.  I loved the author’s vivid descriptions of the museums, churches, and overall atmosphere.  I enjoyed taking this journey with Hayley.
  

Useful advice.

Done With Love by Niecey Roy
Alexis always dreamed of a fairytale romance complete with a prince charming.  When her shattered dreams end up making her a runaway bride & the object of her almost mother-in-law’s revenge, she has to figure out what she can do to fix the mess that has become her life.  And of course, to make matters more complicated, her first-love Leo comes back into her life stirring up some old feelings.  But can she trust that Leo will not break her heart again? Because if she can’t trust, then her fairytale ending is even more out of her grasp.  There are some unexpected twists and turns and awkward laughs along the way. Very entertaining read.

It's not a problem so no recovery needed.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

How different would life have changed if you suddenly woke up from a head injury & discovered you have no memory of the last 10 years of your life? Alice is faced with these questions when she hits her head in an exercise accident & discovers that she’s in the middle of a pending divorce. And to make matters worse, she has three children she doesn’t even remember giving birth to.  Her last memories are of finding out she’s pregnant with her first baby & involved in a satisfying relationship with her husband.  What the heck happened?  She has to slowly figure out what has become of her life & either accept it or make some changes.  This story makes you think about day-to-day life & the choices we all make in our relationships.  Because sometimes life is hard, and the choices we make have consequences. This is a great read & I highly recommend it.

How comforting is this!? There are times when a good book is like a hug. I can relate!

Not all addictions are harmful, I say.

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Surrounded by Lego at Brickfest 2016

When you're obsessed with Lego, it's not just about owning sets and saying "I love Lego".  It's a culture, a lifestyle. Okay. Was that laying it on a little thick? LOL! Maybe.  But honestly, I live with 3 Lego Fan-atics, and there just isn't any other way to express what it's truly like.  This year we received advanced tickets to the annual Brickfest Live which is a fan festival for all things Lego.  I thought it was a company sponsored event but I was quickly informed by my first-born that it's not directly affiliated with the company--but they tweet about it and seem to approve the event. Well, okay...let's check this mutha out!! 😁 The Brickfest Live event we attended was located at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, CA.

Paseo Colorado is located right across the street from the Pasadena Convention Center so us early birds hung out there, messing around, until it was time to head across the street for the event.

Me & my Number 1 with the Auditorium of the City of Pasadena in the background! They hold "America's Got Talent" auditions in there. Apparently, this city was voted favorite "Arts Town" by a publication in 2015. So, go Pasadena! 

He is our "Q".

And we're in! Vendors selling specialized Lego bricks, rare sets, t-shirts, etc are here for the shopping enthusiast.  It is not cheap to be a geek.

I took a picture of this Vendor banner because they combined their love of Lego with their cause of conservation, the Axolotls. A portion of the vendor's profits goes to support the research and conservation of this endangered species. For more information on this fascinating amphibian please visit Axolotls.

What? We're playing with Lego.

This kid proudly identifies himself as a TFOL (Teen Fan Of Lego).

This vendor specializes in Lego hats. But I thought their set-up was picture worthy.

This was an interactive Lego Mosaic.  Everyone who wanted to participate had a hand in creating a tile.  When we first arrived we didn't know what the picture was going to be.  Of course, it's Batman--because my guys are here and they're fans of Lego and Batman...so naturally Lego Batman had to make an appearance.

Our red carpet moment!

Lastly, the Lego tile mosaic...

It looks like a Lego quilt. Two of those tiles were created by MY Lego dudes. And I absolutely adore them!

If you love Lego or creative play in general, try to find a BrickfestLive in your area. It's a wonderful experience. ♥♥♥♥

A New School Year of Firsts and Lasts

Today is the beginning of a bittersweet year for this Mom. My youngest--the baby--is now in middle school.  That alone is hard for me to grasp since I can still clearly see his bright shining little face declaring his need to go see "It's a Small World" at Disneyland.  And my first-born, also a baby in my eyes,  is officially in the 8th Grade--the last year of middle school--ready to embark on a few adventures during the year, spreading his wings & heading towards independence.  I would gladly bury my head in the sand & stay in state of denial, but time refuses to indulge me.

It was so hectic in the morning, but I'm glad I was able to snag these precious moments with these boys. First day of 8th Grade & 6th Grade.

Throwback picture: Here is the Huz with our boys about 7 years ago.  The boys were so small compared to how they are now. 

 

This year, I vow to really & truly take in all the moments.  It's the last year for the boys to be in the same school for a while (or ever, depending on where there academic journeys take them) and since time refuses to stand still, all I can do is make sure I feel every emotion I need to feel.  The Mom life--the parenting journey--is not always the easiest, but it's so incredibly rewarding.  It's about teaching your kids to NOT need you anymore.  How profound is that?!  And it hurts a bit too. But mostly because time travel hasn't happened yet and we can't go back in time & kiss their small little faces anymore.  But the bright side is, we can hug & kiss their big faces (although discreetly & not in front of anyone). And we can cultivate a new relationship with our older kids...respecting their boundaries and giving them their independence to discover themselves.  I'll be working on that more & more since both my boys are in Middle School now.  I'm here ready to listen, give advice, and hang out with them.  But I'm mostly watching, admiring...and definitely loving them with all my heart!

Completed their first day as an 8th Grader and a 6th Grader. ♥

I'm so proud of my boys!

Wishing my two hearts a great year of academic & spiritual growth.  Always, always know that you are loved very deeply. ♥♥

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