Music Video Monday!! 8/22/11

Today's Music video is one that will hopefully make you want to dance! :)

I remember one time when this song came on I was in the mall with my sister Tessa. We were looking around at dishes and as soon as the part came on where he says "Shake it, ShshShake it, Shake it like a Polaroid picture..." we had to stop what we were doing and start dancing. Right there in the middle of the store!

Hope this music video brings you a smile and maybe you will get up and shake it a little this Monday morning! :)

Have a great week!!

Good Morning America recently reported a story on a mother of an eight year old who was injecting her child with Botox. Yes...Botox. Here is the story:

This story is extremely frustrating and my heart aches for this little girl. Child Protective Services is investigating the mother after this was aired and the little girl was taken away from her mother but I'm not sure what the outcome was.

What I do know is these pageants are getting way out of hand. These little girls are already beautiful and it makes me so sad to hear that the mothers are giving them things to make them "more beautiful". Where and when is there going to be a line drawn??? Why can't these kids just do pageants and not have to change the way they look? I do understand there is competitiveness and the mothers are trying to give their children everything to compete that the other little girls have. However, as a mother you have to have your morals and know when enough is enough. Even more so, the pageant officials should NOT be allowing these things to happen. Maybe they do not know a lot of the mothers are doing this, but I'm sure if other mothers are able to hear about it the officials know too.

There has got to be a line drawn. What is happening to these little girls is so sad and this has to be stopped. 

Fabulous Find!!

Hello!

I just wanted to tell you all about a "fabulous find" I bought yesterday! Well, I actually didn't find it on my own...my awesome friend Allison told me about it. As a mom I don't have a lot of time to do my hair so when I used this curling iron I was pretty excited because it only took me about 25 minutes!! (I know I will get that time down even more after I am used to it.) :)

The curling iron (picture to the left) does not have a clamp, so do not get the crease in your hair. What you do is take a section of your hair and wrap it around the iron. If you want tighter curls you keep take smaller sections of hair and if you want looser curls you take larger sections. You even get a cool little glove so you don't burn your hands!! :) I didn't use the glove at first and I did accidentally burn my finger a couple of times.



Now one thing that did kind of frustrate me at first was I could not get the ends of my hair to curl because I was holding the section of hair on the bottom. See what I mean from the Conair model to the right. A lot of people like to leave their hair

like that, but I wasn't really going for that look. All I had to do though is when I finished the rest of my hair I went around the bottom and did the ends on the smaller part of the iron. It was easier to get the ends when I didn't have to worry about the rest of the hair. I'm sure it will just take practice getting used to it.

I bought my iron at Target for $24.99. I also received a $10 off coupon for buying a Conair product! Not sure how long they are having this promotion, but it is a good one so go check it out when you can! :)

Heaven is for Real

Recently my dad let me borrow one of his books "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo. He also bought the book for my sister and she texted me today telling me she can't put it down. I thought it would be fun to start somewhat of a book club on here discussing the book! If you have the book, or have read it please feel free to post on here your thoughts! If you don't have the book you should get it and join in on the discussion!! :)

So far I have only read the Prolugue: Angels at Arby's. I could not believe how Colton discussed his experiences with Jesus to his parents. I experienced so many feelings while reading just the first few pages. My mouth immediately dropped when he was able to describe what his parents were doing in the hospital while he was with Jesus. Truly amazing.

What did you think of the Proluge? As his parents asked themselves...do you think this could be real?

I am excited to continue on and read more of Colton's story. I will write more about the book soon, in the meantime please feel free post any comments or discussion questions you have!

Music Video Monday 8/15/11

It is music video Monday again!! :) I was looking for a more upbeat fun video for today, but for some reason while searching for one I couldn't stop thinking about the song "Remember When" by Alan Jackson. I have always loved that song and music video so I brought it up on youtube. After watching it again I decided this has to be the video for today.

Hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful week!

What to Not Forget Before Going Out the Door

Wednesday night my mom, fiancé, son and I all went to the mall. On the way home we were talking about guys and how easy it is for them to look good. Most guys just have to shower, get dressed, take 5 to 10 minutes to do their hair, spray on their cologne and they are ready. For girls to get ready it takes at least an hour. We started talking about makeup and Ryan (my fiancé) said that it is funny because girls put so much makeup on, but they actually look the best without it. That is the trick though right? Put your make up on, while trying to make it look like you don't have any on. :)

I got to thinking about getting ready and what really looks the best. Then when I was on Pinterest later that night pinning away, I found a quote that I love and it got me thinking. 

(By the way, Pinterest is a website where you can pin things you see on the internet that you like. Ryan's aunt Erin told me about it (thanks Erin!!)  :) If you are not already on, you should join right away!)

The quote is from Audrey Hepburn:

Happiness. We remember the shinning spray, makeup, perfume, accessories etc…but what about the simple thing of happiness. You know those girls you see when you are out that seem to have a permanent smile, almost a magnet that attracts others to them? Is it the perfume they are wearing, her cute dress or her really white teeth? No, it’s probably the smile and happiness that she is projecting. People are drawn to that! People want to be around happy people, they do not want to be around someone who has a frown or scowl and is being negative about everything around them. Happiness is something every girl should not forget.

The key to this is doing what you love. Run, read a good book, take a class at the gym, travel or write! Appreciate and focus on what is good in your life. Find whatever it is that turns that light on inside of you and makes you happy!

Don’t get me wrong, I understand it is tough sometimes to always be happy. It’s up to you to figure out what makes you happy and do what makes you happy. Nobody else is going to do it for you. If you’re having a bad day, seek out what makes you happy. Play some music or talk to a friend or family member that can lift you up or make you laugh. When I’m having a stressful day I will light my favorite candle, turn on Pandora radio and play a mix of my favorite artists. It’s amazing what a little music and smelling your favorite relaxing sent can do for you! When things are really crazy I like to do all of the above while cleaning or organizing my house.

Inner happiness will radiate off of you. Stay away from negativity especially gossip. All that will do is bring you down. Many people think that talking bad about others will make them look better. Nope, it only drags you down and makes others not want to be around you! Walk around with confidence, a smile and pep in your step!! :) 

“The more you appreciate the good things, the more numerous they will be. Let the world around you be an expression of your happiness, instead of depending on it to provide you with happiness”. ~ Ralph Marston

Chalkboard Fun

My family and I moved into a new house about a year ago. I have never decorated a new home, but I really enjoy learning new things to do and creative ways to decorate each room. I have been going pretty slowly with each room but I love taking my time with decorating and deciding what I like best. Today I wanted to share with you my favorite project I have done so far.

My son's room was the first room I did because I was excited to decorate his first room. He was only four months old when we moved in, but I wanted his room to be something he could grow into and we wouldn't have to change right away. I chose to do somewhat of a big boy room with a sports theme. I also wanted him to have something fun and try something different in his room. I have always thought a chalkboard would be a lot of fun for a little boy to draw on with his friends and cousins. I did like the magnetic primer idea too, so I chose to do both! I thought for a special touch I could add a shelf above the board to put pictures, and maybe later his trophies! :)

Here is the chalkboard in his room:

As you can see from the picture his mommy, daddy, grandparents, aunts and uncles are having the most fun with the chalkboard right now. :) He is learning though and loves to draw on it. What is great is I don't have to worry about him drawing on the walls because it wipes off! This was a pretty easy project, and I love the way it turned out. All you have to do is get magnetic primer and chalkboard paint. I suggest the Rust-Oleum specialty magnetic primer:

 The box suggests 3 thin coats instead of 2 heavy coats, but I suggest 5 coats. I had heard from other blogs that need a lot of coats for magnets to stick. After the primer is fully dry I added the chalkboard paint. You also have to do quite a few coats of this too. I then got trim and a board for the shelf and painted them white. After they were dry my fiance put them up with a nail gun, I was a little nervous to try the nail gun. It actually didn't look to hard though. After the trim around the chalk board was up we added the shelf! I was a little nervous to try this out, but it was so worth it!! Most magnets stick and the chalk wipes off easily! I definitely recommend doing this in one of your rooms! :)

Music Video Monday!

Monday nights I have class, so I don't have as much time to write during the day. I have decided to make my Monday blog posts music videos I love. Music Video Monday!!

Today I have decided Carrie Underwood, Mama's Song. This is a beautiful song and video. I know many girls can relate to this video, and I am for sure one of those girls. I am blessed to have a wonderful mother and role model in my life. I have to admit I did get a little teary-eyed when I watched this video! Hope you enjoy!! :)

Moments

Today I was looking at Ashton Kutcher’s A+Video list and came upon a pretty awesome video that got me thinking. The video is 16:Moments by Radi0Lab. Here it is:

So how would you define a moment?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a moment as:

a.)   a minute portion or point of time:instant

b.)   a comparatively brief period of time

Defining moment is difficult. Why? I think mainly because moments mean more to people than just a "period of time" or an instant.

Do we capture moments in life as much anymore? In life it is important to take the time to appreciate the moments we have. We can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, especially with social media and smart phones, we rush around and don’t take the time to recognize the moments we have (or could have) in life.

Sometimes there are moments in life we want to skip over and wish or even pretend never happened. At least I can think of a few, for instance I wish the moment I stubbed my toe for the third time never happened. However, aren't these the moments that makes us real? Pain, love, anger, happiness and many more are feelings we experience that make us who we are. If we didn't have these moments where we take the time and feel what we are supposed to feel we will not experience life to the fullest and we will not learn and grow.

Maybe there are moments that are planned for you and no matter what you do it will happen. For example, no matter what that man in the video did he was going to miss that bus because he wasn't meant to be on it. Maybe while he sits at the bus stop waiting for the next one he meets a friend or even his future wife there. Or maybe he just takes that moment in time to observe what is around him and sees something that sparks a great idea for the company he works for. Moments offer a time to observe, think, heal, learn and so much more.

Overall, I feel it is important that we try to absorb these moments in life. No matter how big or small or wonderful or hard. Instead of thinking of life as being busy and not having a moment to spare, we should stop for a moment and take it all in. Sing, cry, smile or just breathe! It is YOUR moment. Take the time to smell the flowers as the lady in the video did. The moment that you take the time to just breathe, look around and smile could be when you learn something new about life or even yourself. Or perhaps you will meet a stranger who becomes a friend.

After all as David Gray's song says, a moment could change everything...

Photo Editing Fun

If you love taking pictures and editing them quickly then check this out!!

The site is plixr-o-matic. I found this cool editing site while reading PR Daily News. Adam Vinvenzini named this as one of the 5 most-useful social media tools this week...and I agree!! :)

Here is an example of what you can do to a photo. I took a quick picture with my son on the computer...



And then added a few touches on plixr-o-matic and turned the picture into this:



There are many different filters to choose from and the site is really easy to use. Definitely one of my new favorite photo editing sites!

Making it happen!

My first post! :)

I'm really excited about starting this blog and to share my thoughts, feelings and stories. I truly enjoy writing so this is my chance to do what I love. I have had a fear of starting a blog because I have been afraid of what people will think of what I write. Its time for me to get over what others think and start writing. My future goal is to write a book, but for now I will write a blog. :)

If you are reading this and you don't know me, then I would like to introduce myself. My name is Abbey. I am a stay at home mother and a grad student. I have my BA in broadcast journalism and am currently studying communications with an emphasis in PR. I LOVE learning. Knowledge is power right? I am also engaged to my best friend!! :) We have been together for almost five years and are getting married in September 2012. We have lots of time to plan and I am enjoying every part of the process.

Along with being with my family and friends, I also love traveling, taking pictures, decorating our new home, reading, sporting events...especially the Cardinals, being outdoors and running. I love finding quotes that sum up the way I am feeling at the moment, so you will be seeing a lot of quotes on here. Please, please feel free to comment on here! I love having discussions with others.

I want to leave with a quote that helped me get started with this blog:

"Devote yourself to an idea. Go make it happen. Struggle on it. Overcome your fears. Smile. Don't you forget: this is your dream."

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, I hope you enjoy it! :)