People when are we going to stop beating our spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, whatever you want to call them?! I mean really?! Countless men and women have lost their self respect, dignity, and even lives at the hands to the ones that are suppose to love them the most. Not to mention your children, as a lot of people have, are caught in the middle- why isn’t people always forget about them.

• I can remember laying in bed countless nights wondering when the screaming was going to stop…
• I can remember standing at the door holding it open after good ol Javier chased my mom down the street with a butcher knife and she escaped into someones house while my sister and I were inside our house with him (in which he later did time for)…
• I can remember locking ourselves inside of a room more than once for fear one of my mom’s crazy men were going to come in there and kill us all…
• I can remember going to neighbors’ houses countless times at 2, 3, all crazy hours of the night to call 911 because one of her crazy men was in the house beating her up…
• Not only that but I can remember the day aftter it happened they were right back in the house!!!

Is this what you want your children to do when they grow up?! Have to write this exact post?! Some of you reading it are thinking dang I could have easily written this myself. 

It’s no wonder kids these days are so messed up, having to live in households where it’s a common occurance. Children have to grow up wondering whether or not their mommy or daddy are going to make it another day- both physically and mentally. They’re scared to come home becasue they don’t know what the night holds, and quite honestly they don’t want to have to listen to or see whatever it is they’re going to that night.

Statistics have shown time and time again you reinact what you see, especially with children. If you grow up seeing your mommy or daddy beating on the other one it’s what you’re going to think is normal and that’s how you’ll react when older. I don’t exactly think that’s what I want for my kids, to be forever known as a wife beater or a man beater. How about you?!

Maybe in your house it’s not actually physical abuse, refer to the first bullet point. It doesn’t matter physical or emotional you are drowning your kids emotionally. I can promise you that they will forever keep everyone at an arms length. They will more than likely never have anyone they fully trust without lots and lots of therapy, unless they’re one of the lucky ones.  And by lucky I mean they just supress everything, one day it will come back up and when it does LOOK OUT!!!! They’ll be out for your blood for making them live through that, for their horrible childhood they had.

Even these poor kids lives now that they’re living in it, most of the time the kids are all messed up now. Actin out, throwin tantrems. I only wish parents could see this stuff. I only wish other people would see it and step in and rescue these kids!

Yes, I fully believe it’s a great thing to see parents disagree on some things and I don’t mean everyday either; but at the  end of the day they have to know that you still love each other and that their foundation is still safe.  I fully believe children should know a marriage isn’t all “Leave it to Beaver” like, marriage isn’t all cupcakes and candy bars… I get that! Mine isn’t always! I’m sure my kids know that too, but at the end of the day they know Mr. IT and I still love each other and will deal with whatever it is we don’t agree on.

If you want to walk around like a bunch of 2 year olds fighting and screaming- because let’s face it that’s really what you’re doing; that’s how a 2 year old acts- all the time fine so be it, but be a better person and let your kids go. Give them to someone that carees for them until you can do it again. I can promise you they’d be better off for the sake of their emotional well being in the long run to go through whatever it is. Make your children a priority!!!!

If you want to be a wife or man beater so be it but get rid of your kids first…

There ya have it ladies and gentlemen my PSA for the… well we’ll see when I need some theraputic release again.

Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 1/3 cup of Hot Water
• 1/4 cup of Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
• Dash of Salt
• 4 cups of Milk
• 3/4 tsp. of Vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in pan
2. Stir in water and cook over medium heat until the mixture boils. Continue to boil and stir for 2 minutes
3. Stir in milk and heat.
4. Add in vanilla and serve! 

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What did they do you ask?! Well, have you checked out the Valentines aisle at your local WalMart or dealt with your local florist? Have you seen the 290384032 men running around like a maniac for fear their wives or girlfriends will leave them should they not produce the exact gift they want.

Ahh yes, love is in the air. The one day of the year we feel the overwhelming need to be loving an affectionate to them just because some crazy person invented Valentines Day.

The day when  your husband will bring home yet another card with a picture of Homer Simpson on it that you’ll either need to hide or dispose of before your children read it, and then they’ll still find it and so you’ll spend the next 20 minutes trying to avoid a conversation they really want to have and you don’t about what it says. (Ask me how I know this, I only wish I could find it now to remember exactly what it said.)

Instead of buying her another card to dispose or some flowers that will die in 2 days try loading the dishwasher or taking out the trash before she asks and it’s running so far over she’s gonna do it herself.  Try taking the kids out so she can take a nap. Or show her that you love her everyday, not just the one day of the year that Hallmark says you must.

What about small and simple? My favorite gift he ever got me was truly thought out… an M&M McFlurry and some fries from McD’s. I think there may have been a card too but all I cared about was that he actually put some thought into it.

(Now Mr. IT if you came home with a pair of blingy booty jeans or some sparkly TOMS I surely wouldn’t turn them away)

I saw this on Facebook today from Annie @ MamaDweeb:

My creed today: I didn’t make Valentine’s day crafts, I didn’t make a special V-day breakfast. Our lunch is the same as everyday and my daughter took normal punch-out cards to school. I didn’t get flowers or chocolates or a card. Today my children are laughing in a warm, clean home and I get to eat chips & dip with my hubby on our casual date tonight. Love is in our hearts, just not expressed in a way that is “perfectly pinterest-able.” And that is ok!

Yep I do believe that about sums it up for me! So let’s skip what society says we must do and do it everyday, make everyday special for the ones we love. Surprises are nice too!

So Happy Hallmark Day everyone!!!

In the book Love you More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter Jennifer Grant discusses the ups and downs; the process that seems like it’s never going to end and their precious baby Mia will never come home forever. The incredible faith they had to hold onto knowing that one day they would finally have their baby undoubtedly had to stand strong.

That’s why it’s called faith. You don’t see it on this side, but you decide to believe. It’s not a feeling but an action, a choice.

I was very glad to see she didn’t paint it out to be all cupcakes and candy bars. She discusses that she had unrealistic expectations of how things would go when she got home and it wasn’t so; Jennifer later realized that how Mia was responding was the exact things her own children did as toddlers. Mia had been ripped from the only mother she knew for the first year of her life and she was allowed to have some time of uncertainty and missing what she once knew.

The measure of God’s love for us isn’t how well our lives are going or how happy or comfortable we are. The measure of God’s love is what Jesus did for us on the cross.

She made it clear that while we are to care for the orphans and the widows as Jesus has commanded us to do, that for everyone it doesn’t mean adopting. It may simply mean donating time or resources to organizations that support this sort of thing.

Overall this was a pretty good book. There were times I felt like I was getting a history lesson on Guatemala which I probably could have dealt without, maybe its because I am not that into that sort of thing but I do believe it enhanced the story to tell what likely happen to Mia’s birth mother as to why she made the choice she did. Anyone who is considering adoption or has been through the process would enjoy this as it isn’t full of it’s all cupcakes and candy bars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

It was yet another day where the girls went and met as many characters as possible, rode a few rides, and had a very special lunch date with a few of their favorite princesses! The boys on the other hand rode as many rides as they could humanly fit into the day. Mr. IT said they probably walked 5 miles that day walking from one side of the park to the other. We met up a few times in between but it was certainly another day with 2 groups on different missions both successfully fulfilled with loads of fun.

I must admit I was quite surprised at the lines. Disney is known for having their two busiest weeks between Christmas and New Years, while we were a week earlier, we also knew kids were already out of school for Christmas break so we expected some massive lines.  The longest line the girls and I waited in was to see Rapunzel, I would guestimate we were in that line for almost an hour and a half! They let 80 people in every 45 minutes, we missed the group in front of us by 2 people, but thankfully Brooklynne was asleep and Jilli really wanted to see her so she was willing to wait. We did have to have Mr. IT come hold our spot for a potty and snack run but she was quite the trooper waiting very patiently. Dumbo was the only other ride the girls and I really had to wait in and it was about 45 minutes, everything else was 15 minutes or less.  Thankfully we also were able to take part in the Fast Pass system to see the princesses (again) and a few of the rides. The boys’ whole day was planned around the Fast Pass I think.

All in all it was a very magical day seeing all of the beautiful Christmas displays and making dreams come true!

Can’t wait to do it all over again in 5 years

Love,

Mom

Yes my sweet little child, barely 5 pulled out two of her teeth the other day. While were in Kissimmee both of the girls said they had loose teeth, I never doubted Brook however Beans was another story.  Sadly, she showed me and she in fact had not only 1 but 2 loose teeth.

She was able to keep them in for a couple more weeks but soon they fell out, with money on her mind they never stood a chance. I will say I was quite surprised and never expected them to come out so soon as she was a very late teether but sadly yes, Baby Beans is now missing her two bottom teeth!

God had greater and far better plans for her life. Not only did she live but while on her long and very painful road to recovery she came to know the Lord. Eventually she began speaking around the country sharing her testimony of how God had led her out of an incredibly dark time in her life. Than later staring her own foundation, Reaching You. Throughout it all she relied on God to get her through.

This was a story of Kristen’s incredible journey as she slowly found herself. One thing that really stood out was when she said she had always went to church and knew of God but she finally knew Him. That makes a person really examine their own life. This is a rather quick read, only took a couple of hours to finish, but worth spending a couple hours to see how He has used one girl, at the age of 17, and taken her from a failed suicide attempt to a might warrior of God sharing, speaking, and making it her goal in life to serve people and help them out of their dark places.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate my review no monetary compenstaion was exchanged. All thoughts and views expressed are my own and your’s may vary.

We were able to make our appointments a couple days ahead of time but they also accept walk-ins, definitely not like the boutique.

Only the boys were headed to the barber shop this time, but next time I think the girls will do. I never would have thought to take them but there was one little girl in there who had a little spiky pony tail thing going it was sooooooooo darn cute!!

At any rate not only do they do your standard hair cuts but you also have the option to add colored hairgel red, blue, purple, pink, yellow, just about any color you could possibly want they had. The boys were due for haircuts so they were headed to get those but also a little color. Cameron chose a spiked hair cut with some red and yellow (they were given 2 color choices) but she was so sweet she even added in a little orange so he’d have the full flamed affect. Izac had a miscommunication with his hair stylist/barber so he ended up without a haircut but quite the green mohawk.

Before you leave they also give you a little confetti pixie dust for a little extra pizzazz. The girls even got a little dusting to go with their boutiqued hairstyles from the night before. The barber Cameron had said the pixie dust is free so maybe on your next trip if you’re not quite ready for a haircut head on in to get a little dusting.

If you’re due for a baby’s first haircut save it for Disney! With a first haircut package you are given a pair of “first haircut” mouse ears! That package was even cheaper than the first haircut packages I got locally when it was time for theirs.

But what happens when you, as a child, aren’t given the time of day as some feel there not, or they feel like they’re unwanted or unloved? That can be a critical time in a child’s life that will hinder them as they grow old. Everyone needs to receive “the blessing” at some point in their lives.

In the book The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance John Trent and Gary Smalley share stories of children, now adults, who never received the blessing they so longed for and how it has impacted them until they sought help later on.

It then began talking about how important it is to give the gift of blessing to all of those around us especially our children and spouses. We to a point, have the power to impact them for years to come based on our actions. Giving our blessing doesn’t always mean necessarily agreeing with everything they do but making sure they feel safe, secure and loved in whatever they may choose to do. There are easy steps to give the blessing to whomever you like.

This was actually a great book, I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting to find. It was very easy to read and quite inspiring to want to be sure you give the gift to those you love. It also helped me to figure out what might be wrong with some people I know.

This book also goes along with some additional resources like videos at The Blessing website. They also have the Million Child Blessing Challenge going on and will give you even more steps on how to pour into the lives of others and be sure they receive the blessing.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.combook review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When you get to the boutique you are given invitations that include the hair styles you can choose from.  There are 3: Fairytale Princess, Disney  Diva, and the Pop Princess.

Once you’re called in each little girl is given a fairy godmother, your experience will depend on this alone. No, really it will one kid had an awesome one, one not so much (I think this is a pattern with them because it was the exact same way almost everywhere on the Disney properties). While you don’t get the choice just pray for a good one.

After that the transformation begins. Hair, makeup, and nails and a little magical pixie dust.

The result, the prettiest princesses. Some of which are too big for their britches but they were in princess heaven!

Time to sign the guest book before heading out the door to the photo shoot.

While we didn’t purchase the package that came with the photos, they allow you to go to the photo place and have them taken regaurdless, most people don’t know this as I didn’t until the Photopass worker had told me and the only other people that were doing it were people that had purchased that particular package.

It really was a magical afternoon for them.  They had so much “jellyfish gel” in their hair they didn’t fully come out for days. I finally had to make them wash their hair. Even a month later they still have pixie dust specks.

Want to cut a few corners and save a little money? Bring your own dress. We purchased ours from the Disney Store while they were on sale, even if you pay full price it’s still about 1/3 to 1/2 of what you’ll pay at the park. I have heard that if you bring your own dress they will still give you the royal treatment as if you purchased the largest package walking you back, making you say the magic words to open the changing room, etc. however at the Downtown Disney location this is NOT the case they make you change in the dressing room of the store.  Even if you don’t purchase the largest package you can also have the photos taken and then given the option to purchase or have them put on the photo pass.

So take the time and funds to head on out to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to make a special time for your princess!