Coffee is My New Best Friend- A Rant

Ok so really it has been my best friend since right after Little J was born in February, although I hated it when I was pregnant, but I have found a new love for it this weekend. Allergies are terrible and I have felt horrible since Friday night and my husband also happens to be sick (worse then me) so I have been watching the girls all weekend. Little J is not the best sleeper during the day although she is very good at night, of course she added an extra feeding the past few days at night so Mommy has not been getting much sleep. (and when I am able I have trouble falling asleep) Should I also mention that the cat loves to sit in the blinds at all hours and hit them with her tail? And that she also has been trying to get the clock that is on the wall and making a racket? Needless to say I am not enjoying my day off although I am trying because it is not fair to Big J.. Oh hold on I hear the cries of Little J......

Ok the binky has been replaced and Mommy has a new cup of coffee. Rant over...

I have been thinking lately, which is usually not a good thing, and decided that I do not have enough dreams so I have decided to start a list of all the things I would like to do before I die. This is a living breathing list (this is something they say at my office all the time!) so I will continue to add on when I come up with new ideas. Please share your dreams with me!

1. Travel to every state in the US at least once in my life. I would love to stay in every state but will be happy with touching my feet on the ground of every state.
2. Take a cruise with my family, hopefully this one happens soon!
3. Have a honeymoon (without the kids)
4. Host my 1st giveaway on my blog
5. Win a new blog makeover from Simply Stacie and Kelly's Lucky You Build a Beautiful Blog Week.

Mailbox Monday (May 31st)

Welcome to Mailbox Monday!! A blog hop to boost your subscriber count!

Hosted by Simply Stacie, This Mama Loves Her Bargains and A little of this A little of that…

Here’s how to join in the fun:

Add your blog link to the linky
Subscribe by email to the three hostesses. They will return the favour.
Visit the other blogs on the list and subscribe by email to the ones that interest you. Leave them a comment with your blog link so they know you are subscribing from Mailbox Monday. Don’t forget to confirm your subscription!
Everyone is welcome to participate. Each week a new linky will be generated so make sure you stop by on Monday’s to add your blog.

Your blog *must* have a place for people to e-mail subscribe. We will be subscribing to everyone’s blog who participates. If there isn’t an e-mail subscribe option, your link will be removed from the linky.

Help us spread the word about Mailbox Monday! Write a post for your blog and add the blog hop code.

Let’s have fun and meet (and read via email) some new blogs!!

The Js

So Big J decided that when I was taking pictures of the items for my review for Equal Exchange that I needed to stop and take pictures of her. So of course I did, who could refuse a face like that?
Or this?

Then of course there is this one.

Or my favorite

Then the "Ham" pose.

Well then I decided that Little J needed some photo action, but neither J was having it.




I could not imagine life without my Js!

Review - Equal Exchange - Great School Fundraiser!

After the last fundraiser from my daycare, which by the way I never knew day cares even did fundraisers, I decided that I needed to research some options on my own, things that I would be able and willing to sell to others. What I found was Equal Exchange. They sell Fair Trade, organic coffee, hot chocolate, tea, chocolate, nuts, berries and their new line of items such as tablecloths, bowls and wrapping paper. Items I would be glad to sell for my daycare, of course you can also visit the retail store.


First up was the Medium and Vienna roast organic coffee. It was wonderful! It was a little darker then I was expecting for a medium but since I love dark coffee I was thrilled. Second up was the sweetened dried cranberries, which even my 4 year old decided to try with me. She liked them, which was surprising to me since she has been against anything good for her. The cranberries had just the right amount of sweetness and I found myself carrying them into staff meeting at work one morning to stave off hunger. They were also great for ending my sugar craving and are much better then the Twix I was thinking of.

Next I went for a morning cup of English Breakfast tea. Now if you know me my mornings consist of coffee, tea and then more coffee. So this fit right into my day and I even shared with a couple coworkers. Another hit and I liked that I was helping people in another country as well as consuming organic items. Lastly, which I broke into tonight was the hot chocolate. There is nothing like Hot Cocoa on a rainy day, even if it is 80 degrees. As soon as I opened the can I could smell the chocolate and it was a deep, rich scent. Once I took the first sip I was hooked, this is adult chocolate, tasting more like dark then milk chocolate. My husband took a sip and agreed that it tasted like dark chocolate which is our favorite.

Equal Exchange has created Big Change for over 20 years. It all started with an idea: what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? What if trade supported family farms that use organic methods, rather than industrialized agribusinesses that rely on harmful chemicals?

The founders – Rink Dickinson, Jonathan Rosenthal and Michael Rozyne – asked these questions as they envisioned a trade model that values the farmers, consumers and the earth. So they took a big risk and plunged full-force into changing a broken food system. In 1986, they started with fairly traded coffee from Nicaragua and didn’t look back.

Today, Equal Exchange continues to find new and powerful ways to build a better food system. Their products now include fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks from farmers all over the world, including here in the United States.

*I was not financially compensated for this review. I received full sizes of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own and completely based on my experience.*

Welcome to the very first NEW Friday Follow hosted by Tami at Hearts Make Famillies, Harriet at Harriet and Friends, and Ian at The Daily Dose of Reality! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to find many interesting blogs that you like. This is all about sharing and having fun.
Click any of the links above to join in the fun.

Top 3 Thursday - Parenting Addition

This week’s Top 3 Thursday topic is one most of us can relate to: parenthood.

What are the top 3 things you’ve said as a parent that surprise you?

1. Please try and use the bathroom, I don't care if you think it will not come out. Yes my almost 4 year old is way to busy to use the bathroom at home and therefore has many a accident. My husband is tired of washing pee clothes (yes you read that right, my husband does the laundry and cooking and cleaning.)
   
   
2. Please stop sucking your sister's toes. Can you sat ewwww! Big J has a thing about sucking Little J's toes, probably because when I am holding her that is all she can reach. Now when Big J was little you could not leave a bare toe around because she would just start sucking it. So gross and so happy she grew out of that phase.
   
   
3. I did not ask if you wanted to or the ever famous I want a million dollars but I do not get that. I am probably a bad mom for these two but it drives me crazy to hear the whining, but I don't want to or I want it. Which with a 4 year old is everything and all the time.

Your turn. Link up here. What are YOUR top 3?

My 1st Award - The Versatile Blogger

THANK YOU toDysFUNctional Mom for giving me my very first blogger award! Please visit her Blog

The rules for " The Versatile Blogger" award are:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

( Rules are flexible, in case you're not good with rules!)

Seven things about myself:

1. I lived the first 24 years of my life in a small town in NH (except for college) and lived on a dirt road, I then decided to uproot and move to the city. I currently reside in Charlotte, NC with a brief stop over in Myrtle Beach, SC.

2. I have recently decided that I would love a career in Marketing with an emphasis on social and electronic media.

3. I loved breastfeeding my daughter but I hate pumping!! Things were great until I went back to work, then she would only breastfeed at night, now she refuses! Therefore I am still pumping all the time and I hate it, but for now I continue for my little J. (an extra tidbit - I also wish I could stay home and not work)

4. One of my favorite things about being a mom is being able to break into random song when you are with your children and no one thinks you are weird. (Ok maybe some people think I am weird, but I do not care)

5. I am addicted to magazines, I just love them! My husband got me 8 subscriptions for Christmas and it was the best gift ever. Every month is like Christmas all year long!

6. I started blogging because I was looking for an outlet and a way to interact with other people. Since moving the only people I really connected with are those at my office and I spend 40 hours a day with them.

7. Darn I thought I only had to do 6.. ok, hmmm what can I share.... I love Glee, it is another addiction of mine, although I DVR it and watch it later in the week when I have a chance. It is actually one of the few shows I watch every week, but it make me laugh and I need that.


Whew enough about me lets get to the 15 bloggers I am passing this award to.


1 Boobies, Babies & A Blog

2. Simply Stacie

3. Shelley's Swag

4. Budget A Wedding

5. Family Sanity Reviews

6. Mommy Moment

7. Mommy's Minute

8. Little Yaya's

9. Frugalapolis

10. The Bloggess

11. The (Un)experience Mom

12. Confessions From A Working Mom

13. Parenting By Dummies

14. Supah Mommy

15. Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom

Ok so this took me forever because I had to choose which 15 to give the award too. Of course while "researching" I also spent a lot of time reading. :)

IKEA

So I am no longer allowed to go to IKEA, it is deadly in the wallet!

Big J went with her Daycare teacher to a carnival today, 1st time out with a non family member! My little girl is growing up too fast! She did have a great time and her teacher really loves her so I guess I should be happy and I am it is just hard to watch her grow up. So my husband, Little J and I went to Ikea for bedroom furniture....$900 later!!! But I will have a wonderful looking bedroom and it is time because we are currently sleeping on the box spring and mattress on the floor since we sold our bedroom set when we moved. (We were planning on purchasing a new one back then but you know how life happens.) So our room is the last room that is not guest worthy, not that we have guest over in our bedroom of course. The living room and kitchen have always been set, Big J has a very cute room which we are planning on painting for her birthday and Little J just got a new room.

So I cannot wait until everything is all set up, which if you have purchase Ikea furniture before you know it will take awhile. The bed is great with built in side tables that pull out of the headboard! We also got some decorations including lucky bamboo, which God willing will live up to their name. Once everything is set I will post pictures!

Self-Discovery Sunday?

I have hit a cross roads in my life and I realize that changes need to be made in my life or things will not turn out good. Nothing drastic, nothing bad, just changes. I need to start focusing on myself and my family more while still maintaining my work side. Not an easy task but there are many women out there who do it and so can I!

I am thinking of posting a list of "to-dos" on Sunday, things that I would like to accomplish during the week to better myself. Anything from relaxing 5 mins a day, praying everynight or working towards breaking a bad habit. If anyone has a cute title idea let me know. Self-Discovery Sunday perhaps??

Here are some reasons why I need to take care of myself.

Jillian (Big J) & Jorja (Little J)

Un-Plug It

So I may be crazy but I have committed myself and my family to choose one day a week to unplug from all electronics all summer. Of course this will be tricky because I work all week and ogo to school online so I need the computer a lot and my husband is currently looking for work so he does too. I am thinking of "adjusting" the rules and declaring certain hours on Saturday and Sunday as Un-Plug time to better fit my schedule.

Want to join? Visit the The Rusted Chain

SOCIAL PARADE!

Link-Up and get new blog readers!! It's a Social Parade!! Google Friend Connect Week AGAIN:
"It's a Social Parade - Wednesday Link-up is a weekly link-up hosted by Smart and Trendy Moms . We created it for socializing and to get new followers, fans, subscribers, readers without feeling overwhelmed. Every week will be a new link-up that will focus on one of the ways you connect with people through your blog! We will rotate through gaining followers, fans, Networked blogs and more. Link-up and focus on one thing at a time. Its about fun one follower,fan and reader at a time!

And don't worry you do not have to carry this button or any button of ours on your side bars. Your blog sidebars are great real estate and we respect that : ) The button needs to be posted in your participation post only.

How it works.
Grab the link-up button and post It's a Social Parade!! Wednesday Link-up. Every Wednesday a new linky will be posted with that weeks exchange info.

This is my second week and I love finding new blogs, so follow me, leave a comment and I promise to follow you back!

So now if you have a Blog and want complete instructions on how to participate, you can visit Smart and Trendy Moms.

Follow me Back Tuesday

It's our second week of Follow Me Back Tuesday! A great way to find awesome blogs & gain more followers for your own!
Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, Review Retreat & Boobies,BabiesAndABlog..
How it Works

1. Add your blog to the list ( only have to add once )
2. Grab our NEW button & the link code to post on your blog.
3. Follow all 4 hostesses above & then as many other blogs as you would like.
4. After you follow a new blog make sure you leave them a comment letting them know that you are now a follower so that they can follow you back. Don't forget to return follows!

Spring into Wellness: CafePress Review & Giveaway

Check out Simply Stacie's CafePress T-shirt Giveaway Here

One reader is going to win a t-shirt of their choice from CafePress!

I entered and I would choose the Ovarian Cancer Butterfly Women’s V-Neck because I lost my MIL to this disease a year ago and she was the most wonderful person I have ever known. She was remarkable and I cannot believe that she is no longer on this earth.

Crazy Days

I know that I want to blog because I think it will be good for me and something I can do for myself, but finding the time can be a challenge. I only started about a week ago and I am realizing that with a full time job, 2 kids (1 almost 4 and 1 3 months old) and working online for my masters degree just does not leave enough time for much. Yet I know that I need this for my sanity, so I will try hard every day to make time to at least write something or at least create so links to freebies or great giveaways. I am working on my first couple of reviews and hopefully a my 1st giveaway so stay tuned.

Starting this week I would also like to start posting about changes I have made or steps I have taken to better my body, mind and soul. I am in need to some motivation to start working out, eating better and taking care of myself. Some days I do not even get 5 minutes to myself and I realize many times that it is my fault and I need to start taking that time.

Stay Tuned!

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then come on back to link up! Grab the Linky Blog Hop code, if you want to.

If you don't have a blog, but wanna play along, feel free to answer the questions in the comments of this post, or on any blog along the way!


Questions for Friday, May 14th:

1. Take your pick...date night, girls night out, or night out alone?

2. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

3. What is your favorite flower and why?

4. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?

5. If you won the lottery, what is the very first thing you would do?

Please also visit Mama M!


My Answers:
1. Take your pick...date night, girls night out, or night out alone?
Date Night, it has been way to long!

2. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Nope

3. What is your favorite flower and why? Calla Lillies. There are just something about them that make me smile.

4. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? Stand up for yourself more. You deserve to be treated better!

5. If you won the lottery, what is the very first thing you would do? Quit my job to stay home with my girls!

Friday Follow

Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!


This is my 1st time participating, so follow me and make sure to leave a comment so I can follow you back!

It's a Social Parade

Link-Up and get new blog readers!! It's a Social Parade!! Google Friend Connect Week AGAIN:
"It's a Social Parade - Wednesday Link-up is a weekly link-up hosted by Smart and Trendy Moms . We created it for socializing and to get new followers, fans, subscribers, readers without feeling overwhelmed. Every week will be a new link-up that will focus on one of the ways you connect with people through your blog! We will rotate through gaining followers, fans, Networked blogs and more. Link-up and focus on one thing at a time. Its about fun one follower,fan and reader at a time!

And don't worry you do not have to carry this button or any button of ours on your side bars. Your blog sidebars are great real estate and we respect that : ) The button needs to be posted in your participation post only.

How it works.
Grab the link-up button and post It's a Social Parade!! Wednesday Link-up. Every Wednesday a new linky will be posted with that weeks exchange info.

Since I am very new at blogging I thought it would be a great way to get some followers as well as meet other bloggers.

So now if you have a Blog and want complete instructions on how to participate, you can visit Smart and Trendy Moms.

BookSneeze

I cannot wait to receive my two books from book sneeze.

Embracing Your Second Calling
Find Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life
By Dale Bourke

and

Jesus Manifesto
Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ
By Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

I am really looking forward to the Jesus Manifesto, but I cannot post my review for that one until May 31st.

A Fellow Blogger

So yesterday was one of the most horrible days I have ever had in my 29 years. All work related and nothing personal but it came out of no where. I was really upset when I recieved an e-mail from Mommy's Minute about her "Total Transformation Tuesday". This made me realize that life is too short to be stressed and that we should all take some time to improve our mind, bodies and souls.

Thank you Sarah B and I look forward to following your transformation and being there to push you along and help you when you are ready to quit. I am hoping that you will continue to inspire me and I can transform along with you.

Shelley T.

Button!