Searching for words to make sense of a diagnosis

I've seen lots of great quotes for parents of special needs children. I couldn't completely agree with any of them so I decided to write my own. We endure lots of struggles that most people will never understand. It's hard to explain your fears to someone who has never experienced handing their baby to a complete stranger in hopes that they will save their life. As I was writing my blog I came up with "I was unaware of my strength, ingenuity, and fortitude until I was blessed with a special needs child. I will forever be their advocate." This was absolutely perfect for me. It won't fit everyone but it's perfect for me. I found the strength I didn't know I had while dealing with my son's diagnosis. I had no other choice but to use ingenuity to solve the problems that came up while taking care of my son. I found a huge amount of fortitude within myself that kind of made me feel like a super hero. About a week after my son's diagnosis I decided to be the best advocate that anyone ever met. I was going to personally pave the way to a better future for our children. I vowed to my son and myself to make a difference. I remember someone telling me "if you can help one parent, that's plenty." That's a great way to look at life in general. If telling your story or sharing some wisdom helps one person, that's plenty. 

Stop comparing yourself to others and live a happy life.

This quote is one of my favorites and one I try to remember each day. It's a hard lesson to learn, but you have to just be yourself. Don't let your perception of another person's reality cloud your happiness.  It's usually not all it's made up to be. We are constantly engaging with our friends and family on social media. It's the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night. We are inundated with posts about luxurious gifts, on a whim trips and impromptu date nights. This is mostly bologna. If you are married and have children when the hell do you have time to pee alone let alone be whisked off to Mexico for a weekend? You can't just leave in a minutes notice without chaos ensuing. Why would your husband buy you a new beamer when the minivan you're driving is only a year old? 

My Mom was always telling me to think before I speak. I think people nowadays need to think before they post. The lives some people are portraying online is so fake. Most Moms barely get enough sleep to function in the morning. We only dream of a real "Vacation". Not the one that you take with your children. No that's more work than staying home while school is in session during Science project season. I mean a real vacation. The kind of vacation where you get to sleep in and you are only awakened by the sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the sand. The vacation where someone brings you pretty colored drinks with a mini umbrella in it. I don't have time for the social media competition. I'm too busy raising my children to be the best they can be. I sometimes throw on yesterday's pants and a sweater to cover up the cereal my son spilled on me. I don't worry about the little things. I mean they are just that,  the little things. As long as my children are clean, fed and have a roof over their head I'm happy. 

I think it's great if you have time to spend hours on end on Facebook. Just remember, us regular ole Moms who are trying our best are reading your posts. Try and be more realistic and maybe try writing a post about waking up in the middle of the night by being puked on. Or taking your first sip of coffee and realizing your daughter "made it for you" with a concoction of ketchup and milk. How about walking out of the house late of course and once at work you notice you have two different shoes on. Yes, it happens. Being a Mom is a huge challenge. We don't need any more obstacles.  Real life is just as interesting if not more interesting than the fabricated life you're portraying. Feel free to share a real story. You may be surprised at how many people can relate. 
To all the Moms reading this, stop comparing yourself to others. You are doing a great job! Just remember, you are a great Mom and your children are wonderful. No one notices your mismatched shoes and the stain on your shirt. They just see you, a beautiful Mom who loves her kids. Keep up the good work. 

Stop child abuse now

Don't be silent and hope someone else will do something. It only takes a second to save a child's life. Child abuse has become a huge issue in the US. Too many cases of abuse go unnoticed and result in the death of an innocent child. To find out what you can do to help stop child abuse please visit Childhelp Chapters to find a local chapter.

Please read the below statistics from Childhelp.org

National Child Abuse Statistics

A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.

More than four children die every day as a result of child abuse.

It is estimated that between 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates. 

Approximately 70% of children that die from abuse are under the age of 4. 

More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way. 

Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.

About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse. 

In at least one study, about 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder. 

The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2008 is $124 billion. 

14% of all men in prison and 36% of women in prison in the USA were abused as children, about twice the frequency seen in the general population. 

Children who experience child abuse & neglect are about 9 times more likely to become involved in criminal activity. 

Enter to win a trip to New York City to go on a ToysRUs shopping spree.

Enter this contest and you could make your child the happiest child on earth. Enter to win a trip to New York City to go on a ToysRUs shopping spree with your child.

Click here to enter now!

Say Please & Thank You

I was at the grocery store yesterday and this little girl was chasing after her brother and running after her Mom in the store. As she passed me she screamed "MOVE", not excuse me or sorry but MOVE! I couldn't believe it. I turned around to see if her mother would correct her and tell her to say excuse me or sorry but she didn't. They just continued running through the store as if that didn't just happen. I was instantly angry. I was thinking, if that was my child. But wait, that wouldn't be my child. I have taught my children manners from the time they could speak. Please and Thank You were something we continually reinforced until they learned them. Then, I wanted to turn around and go in the direction of that Mom. I thought about how I could nonchalantly mention manners while pushing my cart past her or maybe I would pick up a book about manners and drop it in her cart. I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I sure did fell like I had to do something. Of course I didn't do anything. I always think I could but I couldn't. I have to remember that everyone parents differently.

We know that manners are important right? I try not to let things like that bother me but it seems like it happens more and more nowadays. At what point are we going to start parenting our children? What are we afraid of?  

I want to remind everyone that our children are going to be taking care of us some day. Think about that before you allow your child to be disrespectful to someone. Remind them to say please and thank you and treat everyone with kindness. Parenting isn't easy but it's all worth it. 

You will be so proud of your polite children when they are at school or church. They will remember how important manners are and use them daily. Maybe you will even get to catch a glimpse of them being kind and high five yourself for enforcing it with them. Manners are a stepping stone to well behaved children.

Thank you for reading, please stop by again :) 

What is the one thing that you have taught your children that you hope they will teach theirs?

From a very young age I've encouraged my children to compliment at least twenty people a day. At first this seemed like a lot but as they each took on the challenge it proved to be really easy. Simply passing someone at the store and telling them you like their purse or telling the clerk that you choose their line because they have the best smile, It was really that easy. What I wasn't expecting was the shock that sometimes came after the compliment. So many people were surprised that a stranger was being kind. They are hesitant to say thank you at first. After they realize that you are being genuine and a smile appears. That moment of kindness then becomes contagious. People see your act of kindness and want to be a part of it. They are now on the same mission to spread kindness.

Just imagine a world where we are quick to compliment! 

Enter to win a Disney Park or Resort vacation

Enter to win a free Disney vacation from Disney Parks' Vacation from Alamo Sweepstakes. Enter by creating a video that shows yourself or yourself and your family and friends singing a song from "The Jungle Book." Entries will be randomly chosen once a week to win a free trip to either Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California. The grand prize is worth up to $8,700.

Click here to enter now!

Enter to win an iPad and two digital books

Enter "AstroGirl's iPad and Incredebooks Sweepstakes" and you could a free iPad and two digital books featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Olaf the Snowman.

Click here to enter now!

Best stain remover only costs $1.00

I currently do about 10-12 loads of laundry every week. I'm always looking for quick, easy and of course cheap ways to do things and that doesn't stop when it comes to stain removal. 

I've tried every product on the market and never found anything that works as well as this. I found this great product called Soilove at my local dollar store. I decided to try it since it came with very little risk at the price of $1.00. To my surprise, it worked and it worked really well. I was able to easily remove everything from dirt to blood. I just squirted a small amount over the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, I just tossed it in with the rest of my laundry. Each stain was gone after only one wash. I always check the item to make sure it's gone before I dry it.  

The bottle says that it's effective on the following:

Blood

Grease

Ink

Beverages

Food

Grass

 Perspiration

I keep two bottles on hand and only use Soilove for stain removal. I haven't purchased any other stain remover in years. This product is made in the USA and only costs $1.00 for a 16 fluid ounce bottle. 

Enter to win a Frozen dream vacation

Put Me In the Story has started offering their first Frozen personalized book, and to celebrate, they're giving you the chance to win a family vacation to Disney World in the Frozen Dream Come True Sweepstakes.

Click here to enter now!

Summer = mosquitoes and that means you need a safe way to protect your family.

Summer is now upon us and that means lots of outdoor activities. That also means lots of mosquito bites. I've recently found a great way to protect myself and my children from mosquito bites while we are outside. I prefer to use the mosquito bands instead of the spray repellent. These are made of 100% natural ingredients and they are easy to use.  These bands are infused with food-grade essential oils that emit an aroma that flying pests avoid at all costs. The best part for me is that the kids put them on and forget about them. I don't have to worry about them getting bit up. Theses bands protect you for about 100 hours. After that you can recycle them so they are also good for the environment. This is a win-win for my family.

Groupon has a great deal on theses bands right now. They are only $14.99 for a pack of 10. Click the link below to read more about these great bands. https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-bug-bam-mosquito-bands-10-pack

Enter to win a trip to Disney World from Ebony

EBONY 

“Magical Mission” Sweepstakes!

SEND YOUR FAMILY ON A WALT DISNEY WORLD ® RESORT VACATION FOR FOUR!

Now is your chance to win an unforgettable vacation for the whole family in their Magical Mission Sweepstakes. Enter for your chance to win a trip to Disney World for yourself and three friends or family members, plus lots of extras like a Character Dining experience, a shopping spree, and more. One entry per person. You must take the vacation between June 1, 2015 & June 30, 2016.

Click here to enter now!

Enter to win a new playset for your little one from Little Debbie.

Little Debbie is giving away a new playset each month for 6 months. Enter their Oatmeal Creme Pies Sweepstakes and you could win one of six playsets worth up to $2,899.

 Enter once per day!

Click here to enter now!

Nominate a student to win Dr Seuss's "You'll Move Mountains Contest"

Nominate a person between the ages of 5 and 18 who excels in technology, science, arts, math, or engineering and that student could win one of four $5,000 scholarships or a grand prize of a $10,000 scholarship, a family vacation at Universal Orlando in Florida, and a ride in the Goodyear Blimp from Dr. Seuss Enterprises's Kid, You'll Move Mountains Contest.

Click here to enter now!

FREE night rental from Redbox expires 02/15

Redbox and Kroger have teamed up to offer a FREE DVD movie rental at all Kroger locations when you use the code LOVE.  Now through February 15th, use the code LOVE and you will receive one night free DVD rental from Redbox. Use the code LOVE through the Redbox app on your smartphone or tablet, order online at Redbox.com or use at most Redbox kiosks in your area. The code is one time use and will expire on Febuary 15, 2015. 

FREE night rental from Redbox

Now through February 8th, use the code 2XFUN and you will receive one night free DVD rental from Redbox. Use the code 2XFUN through the Redbox app on your smartphone or tablet, order online at Redbox.com or use at most Redbox kiosks in your area. The code is one time use and will expire on Febuary 8, 2015. 

FREE cabinet latch starter kit for parents and caregivers.

Get your safety latch starter kit by clicking on the link below.  

Procter and Gamble Consumer Care FREE safety latch starter kit.

Limit one order per household. Limited time only. While supplies last. Offer valid for the residents of the 50 United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, 13 years or older. Void where prohibited.

FREE night rental from Redbox expires 01/18/15

Now through January 18th, use the code 45TH8787 and you will receive one night free DVD rental from Redbox. Use the code 45TH8787 through the Redbox app on your smartphone or tablet, order online at Redbox.com or use at most Redbox kiosks in your area. The code is one time use and will expire on January 18, 2015. 

My favorite holiday treats.

I love all the cooking, baking, and spending time with family that the holidays bring. The way the house smells and the decorations really put you in the holiday spirit. It really puts a smile on my face. I wanted to share some of my favorite treats that I make with my family for the holidays. 

If you have a favorite you would like to add, please feel free to share it in the comment section. 

Bear-Y Good Snack Mix 
Pictured above (For the kiddos)


Crispix Peanut Butter & Chocolate Mix


Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Perfect Roast Turkey

Southern Candied Yams  

Vegetarian Stuffing 

This is sooooo delicious. 

Chocolate Lasagna

Cyber Monday starts now on Amazon.com

Amazon.com has started Cyber Monday two days early. They have thousands of deals for you. Some are limited in supply so they are also adding new deals every 10 minutes. Don't miss out on these early deals from Amazon.com  Stay in the comfort of your home and shop in peace.