Necklace Winner!!

Congrats to Sue Tate for winning the sterling silver Believe plate necklace from Inspired Endurance! I sent you an email!! Thanks to all who entered and I apologize for the delayed notification as I have had some health problems lately.

A very special gift & Giveaway!!

"The measure of love is love without measure." -St. Francis of Sales

Today was a special day. Today I was a very humble and proud Mother. Today my son received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

 

Pope Benedict XVI once wrote, "Many people say to me: The Youth of today are not interested in this. I disagree, and I am certain that I am right. The youth of today are not as superficial as some think. They want to know what life is really all about. " when referring to the YOUCAT (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) being developed and written.

I must say that I whole heartedly agree with that statement. I have discovered this within the past couple of months while I have had to come to accept the fact that my son is no longer simply my child, but a young man. I have had a difficult time accepting the fact that he is growing up and that I will soon have to let his widely spread wings fly away. I have realized that I need to quit treating him like "mommy's little boy" and trust that what he has been taught about morality, integrity, spirituality, religion, etc., that he will take all of those things and apply to his life. And as we have become closer and have had several conversations, I have noticed that if you just give them the reassurance that you trust them, they will express themselves and their thoughts and their feelings, and you realize that there is more beneath the surface, that they are very intelligent, and have much to express. It's hard realizing that, as a mother, you have to start letting go. I just want to wrap my children in my arms and never let them go. But that is not reality. They will always be "mommy's babies", but I have to let them be the person that God intended them to be.

And realizing this, and watching my son recently turn 16 and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the best Mother's Day gifts I could ever receive. This realization has given me a better relationship with my son. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

And all of these things can be accomplished if you just Believe! Believe in yourself as a person, as a mother, as an athlete, etc. and believe in your loved ones!

Which brings me to my Giveaway!! My oneword365 is Believe (you can read about it in my post HERE) and a couple of months ago I purchased a necklace from Inspired Endurance when they were running a special. My Believe charm necklace is amazing and I loved it so much I wanted to let the company know. When I did, they offered to give one of my readers a sterling silver "Believe" plate necklace valued at $75 as seen HERE! It is beautiful! It would make a very nice Mother's Day gift as well!

Enter below and one lucky winner will be chosen! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for giveaway purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience with my own purchase from Inspired Endurance.*

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My Crazy Life & a Giveaway Winner!

I would first like to start this post out by apologizing for making you guys wait so long to read about the Keira's Kollection Giveaway winner. I have been too busy to even sit down and complete a post for you guys and I don't like mediocre. I want to deliver material of substance when I write! I am very new to blogging and I am particular! I must have the time to sit down and think about what I'm writing and make sure I deliver it in a way that I am proud to publish. And day after day this week as this post is on my mind and knowing that I am letting all of you guys down by not posting the winner yet (while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off), it occurred to me! THAT is one of my biggest faults. I THINK TOO MUCH!!! I over analyze everything. To the point sometimes, that I drive myself crazy. And more than likely, those around me too!! Haha! However, when I was younger, I was completely opposite! I was spontaneous (I am reminded of this every time I look back on old pictures and see some of my hair cuts and outfit choices! LOL) and didn't really think much about anything. I opened my mouth way too many times without thinking!! So, I have GOT to find middle ground!! Somehow! Now, the way to that, I haven't quite figured out yet! :)
So to recap my crazy life this past week, let's start with Friday. Friday night I attended the high school Miss NHS pageant that the Sophomore class hosted. That is my son's class and they hosted it to raise money for Prom next year as they will be Juniors and will host it! (I cannot believe my son is that grown up. :-( ) I must say, they did a fantastic job! It was very elegant and well organized and of course, the girls looked beautiful!
Saturday was the local Navarre Beach Fun Fest! It was very nice. My son and husband worked that day so they couldn't attend. My daughters and I went out to enjoyed the festival. The girls got arm bands for the kid area so I was able to walk around and check out all the vendors all alone! I took my time, stopped by each one and chatted quite a bit! It was so nice to not have someone rushing me or begging me to buy something for once!(that did happen towards the end of my tour once the kids took a break from the play area to harass their mom though!) I met several people, and found out about a wonderful little shop not too far away. The lady made lotions, body scents, cleansers, moisturizers that had natural ingredients and essential oils. It was amazing!! The products felt so good on my skin. Of course I had to bring some home and they have been marvelous! I cannot rave about them enough! There was another vendor who made her own sugar scrubs that smelled delightful. So I spoke to her about how she made them, came home and googled it and now I am making MY OWN!! I have felt marvelous with all of my new skin care products!
Sunday we joined some friends of ours for a relaxing day at the beach. That was much needed and I thoroughly enjoyed it! And then the week started with the dreaded Monday and my wheels have not stopped turning since! School, church class, Confirmation rehearsal, end of year cheer banquet, making wreaths, laundry, helping my son plan for his SGA banquet, preparing for family to visit this weekend, helping my son pack for his State Chorus competition, the list just does not end! Whew, I am exhausted just remembering all of that! Not to mention all of the stuff in between!
So, without further adieu, the Keira's Kollection winner chosen by Random.org via Rafflecopter is.......

Julie R.

Congratulations Juli! And to make you even more excited, their new line is out!!! (I am really digging the neon orange by the way!) Contact me so we can get your new tee to you!!!

Until next time,
Brandi

The best birthday present ever!

My son doesn't even know that he gave it to me, but he did! He gave me the best birthday present ever simply by insisting I try on a dress that I saw at a thrift shop and said I liked! He has discovered he likes to thrift shop! And I have discovered that he is the best shopping partner EVER!! He always gives me nice compliments and he is pretty darn good at picking out clothes! He is very trendy! He makes me try them on and insists that he see every one of them. He is going to make such a good husband to a very lucky lady one day! (NO TIME SOON THOUGH!!)
I normally DESPISE shopping for clothes for myself. I constantly see things and say "I like this" but look at it and think that it will never look good on me so I end up not trying it on. When I do try on clothes, they are frumpy and ugly and I usually end up just plain mad and disgusted!! I almost never think I look good in them because I am always disgusted with my body! Too much cellulite, never toned enough, never thin enough. The typical stuff...That is why I normally shop by myself when I shop for clothes. Which, by the way, is a very rare occasion. That is why my wardrobe is so sad and I wear the same clothes over and over.
My two daughters wardrobes are quite nice. It is just so fun to shop for them because they look so cute in everything. I normally go shopping for myself but end up buying them something. They have so many clothes that they don't even know what all they have. It's pathetic, I know, but I am sure there are other moms out there that can relate!
Back to the point of this post! My son insisted I try on this dress I mentioned (among others), but when I tried it on, I felt beautiful and sexy! He referred to it as "you look like a hoochie mama"! (He did not like the dress) But at that moment, I didn't care. I was buying that dress for me to wear for my husband on some unknown occasion in the future. It was my 35th birthday and the realization that I was now considered "advanced maternal age" in the medical world (ie. I now have old eggs) hit me like a ton of bricks. Because inside I still feel like I am 18, but my body doesn't feel like it!
I have 10 pounds to go to my goal weight to get back to where I was last year. And I have A LOT of toning to do. But this is me in the hoochie mama dress that I bought for $1.60 at a thrift shop. Who would've known that trying on a dress with the encouragement of my son, would impact me so positively on a day that I didn't really want to even acknowledge? My birthday, the day that was created to let us know we are getting older? But it did, and he did, and he didn't even know it. Thank you my dear son! xo

My 1st Giveaway from Keira's Kollection!

~April 22, 2013~

 

I am so excited to bring to you my very first giveaway! It is from the wonderful people at Keira's Kollection. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter  and Pinterest. I discovered their webpage and blog after I started blogging myself. You can find their story here.  This is their mission:

I love that! That is exactly why I contacted them for a review and giveaway!

They offer inspirational t-shirts for women and girls such as this one:

 Once I contacted them, Kevin, the founder, emailed me back quickly and even though I am a brand new blogger, he did not hesitate to say yes! He let me chose what shirt I would like to review and he has offered to give one of my readers their choice of a t-shirt or tank for women or girls valued up to $20, which is how much the tee's cost! Isn't that amazing?!!? I am so excited!
So, this is what I chose:
 

The active tank in pink. I love it! It is so comfortable and soft. I have worn it walking and casually. I love the look of the fabric and the length. It held up great in the wash too! I hung mine to dry. The tank is very true to size, so if you like your workout tanks a little loose, I would suggest going up a size. Their new spring line will be out soon with new designs and neon colors!
I love that they are empowering women and girls!
As I said, this is my first giveaway and I have developed a rafflecopter. Please be patient and kind to me as I am new to this! ;)
And stay tuned, I have another giveaway coming soon! =)

Until next time,
~Brandi~

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

Happy 16th Birthday to my son & exciting news!

~April 21, 2013~

 

I feel terrible about neglecting my blog for so long; however my life has been non-stop for over a month now! But first,

 

Happy Birthday to my son! He is 16 years old today. Wow, time flies. I can still remember the details of the day I went into the hospital and the day he was born. From the first minute I set eyes upon him, I was in love with this precious, perfect child that my husband and I had created. From that moment on, my life changed forever. Being a mother is one of my most cherished privileges. My son has impressed me in so many ways. He is mature, smart, God fearing, loving and nurturing. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he makes me want to scream, but I wouldn't take anything for any of the moments in my life that I have spent with him.

He didn't want a party even though I all but begged for him to let me give him one. He shocks and surprises me often, and today was no exception. He said he just wanted to spend the day with his family. He said he thought birthdays should be spent with the family anyway. He said, "you and dad created me and we should just spend the day celebrating my life and enjoying it together by going to church, having lunch and spending a relaxing day on the beach." So that's exactly what we did! It was such a beautiful day!

 

 

And here is a pic of my first ever homemade decorated cake, lol!

 

 

Just recently, (which is why I have neglected my blog), my son was elected President of the Student Government Association at his high school! He spent 2 weeks campaigning and interviewing and giving his speech. The election finally came and 3 days later he got the wonderful news that he had won the election. We made posters, pictures, had buttons made, made school colored hair bows...it was crazy! I had no idea what the campaign would entail and it was a lot of work!!! It was all worth it though! Congrats my son, I know you will make a wonderful President and do great things!!!

 

 

 

For a week prior and the first week of the campaign, we spent revamping the Memorial Garden at the high school. My son was in charge of the committee that was to see that the Memorial Garden was redone and beautified. Boy, was it a mess! I spent a total of 6 days 4-6 hours each day working in that garden and after the fourth day, I couldn't move. My back was in so much pain! So I took 2 days off and got right back at it for 2 more days until it was complete. I helped them by getting donations as well, so many to the point that the SGA only had to spend $85 from their budget. We have a great community and we are so grateful to all of those that donated and made it possible to make the Memorial Garden beautiful once again. Cody has gotten so many compliments from the Principal, teachers and students on how beautiful the garden looks. I am so proud of him for caring so much about his school to take on such a huge project. But he did it!

 

 

I cannot wait until all of the flowers bloom! Here's the before pic:

 

 

Lastly, I am proud to announce that I have been selected to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador!!! With my friends encouragement, I applied and to my surprise, I got the email from Jamie & Alyse that I had been chosen to represent the Sweat Pink community as an ambassador! So now I get to proudly display the badge on my blog!!

 

 

It's great to be back and I have several posts to catch up on and my next few will have giveaways! yay!

 

Until next time,

~Brandi~



Exciting News!

~April 7, 2013~

I am still here! I have been so busy helping my son campaign for President of SGA and revamping the high school Memorial Garden!

I have lots of exciting news and I have a GIVEAWAY coming soon!!

I will write all about it in the next couple of days!! Talk soon! xo

Change.....

~March 29, 2013~

     So.... this little blog I started is about my journey. During a journey, there is typically some type of change that occurs. The first steps of change are always so difficult (yes, I know "anything worth having does not come easy", I can hear my Dad's words in my head as I type, lol). Well to get where I want to go (a healthier lifestyle), I am going to have to do some changing! CHANGING?? Who likes change? (Yes, I read "Who Moved My Cheese?", Ira =)) Primarily, most people do not. In this case, I am sure I will welcome the change, ONCE I GET THERE, because I led that lifestyle before and loved it that I felt so much better. To be completely honest, I have fallen off the wagon so hard, that I just do not have the energy or self-motivation to get up off of my behind and GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!! You would think I would be eager, anxious even, to get started, but I feel so run down.  I only started this stay-at-home mom thing 6 months ago, and I am here to readily admit, it is not all it's cracked up to be! It is HARD WORK. My 3 kids keep me running from daylight until well past dark! And when I am not driving them back and forth where they need to be, I am sitting on my behind reading everyone's blogs! I have no idea how I ever fit working full-time into the equation! Seriously!

I finally got off my rear and my dear friend, Shannon and I went for a brisk 4 mile walk yesterday and it felt great! Baby steps! I am ready to get started back on my C25K program, but I am afraid. I ADMITTED IT!!! I am afraid because when I run, I cannot breathe. And that is a scary feeling. I have exercise induced asthma and the cold air triggers it. And I smoke. Yes, I do. Now you all know my worst habit. And Mother Nature has not gotten the memo that it is Spring and it's supposed to be warming up. UGH!! So there it is. I am afraid. As Roosevelt said, "Only thing we have to fear is fear itself!". Imagine what we could all do or be if fear was not a factor. 

Maybe I just need to start on my treadmill until it warms up. That just seems so boring. (okay, yes that was me making an excuse) ha ha!

Here is a picture of Shannon & I as we took a break from our walk to look at the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico:

Until next time,

~Brandi~

What do you do if you have asthma and the cold air triggers it?

Do you guys think I should start indoors on the treadmill first?

The Weekly Chase #2

~March 25, 2013~

Well it turns out, I really suck at this game! haha! Imagine that! Here's a recap of my goals from last week.

1. Finish the picture frames I began painting weeks ago and get them hung (big fat fail. they are still sitting in the same spot)
2. Get the laundry caught up & pack for Orlando without staying up until 2 am the night before! (yay I did one! I tried not to be so OCD about it and just got it done)
3. Help my son do his campaign posters ("DC", my almost 16 yo is running for President of the Student Government Association at his high school) (I purchased the items but my son did the posters as I apparently make things look too girly. Who ever heard of making a poster without glitter?? ugh! boys!)
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, RESTART MY C25K!!!! (extremely super duper embarrassing fail =( )
5. (Challenge Goal) Clean out boxes and organize my closet. (I did actually start with the help of my kids because they wanted to look at their baby pictures)
6. (Challenge Goal) Clean out my daughters drawers and closet! (fail! did not even attempt this last week)

Okay, on to this week's goals:

1. Finish the picture frames I began weeks ago and get them hung.
2. MOST IMPORTANTLY, RESTART MY C25K!!!!!!!
3. This is going to be a huge challenge, but get in bed by 11:30 every night starting Tuesday.
4. (Challenge Goal) Clean out boxes and organize my closet.
5. (Challenge Goal) Clean out the diva's drawers and closet!

I don't know about you guys, but I am so sick of this cold weather and cold wind. I am totally a summertime girl and I have the wintertime blues!

I hope you guys all have a wonderful week!!!

~Brandi~

QOTD: Do any of you ever get the wintertime blues?





Thankful Thursday!

~March 21, 2013~

 

 

 

 On this Thankful Thursday, I am most thankful for my family!  So, I decided to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my special blessings in my life: my husband, children & fur babies! Here is a picture of my beautiful babies who are growing up so incredibly fast. They are on Spring Break this week so I took them to the sound for a little mini photo shoot!

 

 

 

 

My oldest daughter on the left "Queen Bee" is 12, my son "DC" is 16 (in April) and my babygirl "Bug" is 10!!

 

Here's my favorite posed shot:

 

 

And this is how they normally look =D :

 

 

 

Queen Bee:

 

 

 

And my little Diva, Bug =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of my husband, J and I. We have been married for 18 years (unbelievable, I know!) He has been my saving grace. xo

 

 

 

 

 

Here is one where he's smiling =)

 

 



 

These photos were taken last month in New Orleans. We were there for our daughter's cheerleading competition. Those seem to be the only "vacations" we get because their cheer is so expensive! We love to watch them compete however; and I thoroughly find joy in watching them so it is all well worth it to me! We are leaving tomorrow for another cheer competition in Orlando! Here is a photo of them below doing what they love. This one was taken on Okaloosa Island at the Emerald Coast Convention Center where they had just won 1st place and Grand Champion in their division so they were very happy girls!
 

 

 

 

And here is another one with us at a competition immediately after they performed! I was a very proud Mommy xo

 

 

 

 

 I am so thankful for my mature, intelligent son who just got his first ever job! He is employed as a kennel tech at a veterinarian clinic! He took the initiative himself to get a job! I am a very proud mommy! Here is a photo of him on his first day of work:

 

 

These are from our photo shoot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are the little fur babies of mine. They stay right underneath me all day every day but I love it! The little one on the bottom of the photo is Luke and Tinkerbell is at the top of the photo!

 

 

 Tinkerbell is 8 and she is sick with cancer. ;(  She is a rat terrier that we adopted from the vet when she was a puppy. Luke is a Chihuahua, only 9 months old according to the vet. He was a rescue that we got in December. He bonded with Tink and I right away! ;) I think he has been good for Tink since she has been ill. Her cancer is too advanced for treatment. ;(
They are worse than my children as far as being right underneath me. They follow every step I take! I can barely type on the computer for them being right on top of me!

 See:

 

Here is one of my favorite photos of Luke. He is so precious and loves to cuddle!

 

 

And here is one of Tink. She is my heart!

 

 

And this is what they do all day, every day!

 

 

I am also thankful for the SPRINGTIME & The Gulf of Mexico. SUMMERTIME will be here soon! Yay!!!

Because I am a total:

 

 

 

On this Thankful Thursday I am also thankful for my favorite "healthy fat"....

 

 

AVOCADOS! YUMMY!!!

 

 

I am also thankful for pretty flowers that make me smile and brighten my day:

 

 

 

 

And I am extremely grateful for my friend, Shannon. xo

She is my inspiration.

 

 

I am also thankful for my friend, Venny. She is my motivator. She gave me this magnet a couple of months ago and I noticed today that it is my "oneword365"!! How awesome is that?

 

 

 

 

 

It's nice to remind yourself every once in a while what you are thankful for. It puts things in perspective! And....

 

 

 

 

Until next time,

~Brandi~