tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813268588720857642024-03-13T05:36:36.642-05:00The Happy Loved LifeLove the little things.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-90173042092213644952018-04-12T11:06:00.002-05:002018-04-12T11:06:35.439-05:00Tips for Navigating Walt Disney World with Food Allergies #FPIES #Disney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://www.thehappylovedlife.com/2018/04/walt-disney-world-food-allergies.html" target="_blank">As I shared in a previous post, my kids and I recently visited Walt Disney World (WDW) and had a magical experience.</a> <a href="http://www.thehappylovedlife.com/2014/11/parenting-adventures-what-is-wrong-with.html" target="_blank">My youngest child (4 years old) has severe and rare food allergies due to having Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)</a> and was able to feel completely normal at nearly every meal we ate. While Walt Disney World itself does it's best to be accommodating of special diets, I strongly believe that it's a partnership with the family and that there are things you can do that help to make it a real success. Below are my top five tips for successfully navigating Walt Disney World with food allergies. </b></div>
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<li><b>Research</b>. I will say that if this is your first time visiting WDW with food allergies or diet restrictions, do your research ahead of making dining plans and/or reservations. The absolute best resource is on Facebook, in the form of a Disney Food Allergy group. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/disneyfoodallergygroup/" target="_blank">This group is WELL versed on all things food and allergy related at Disney (especially Walt Disney World) and the Orlando area parks/resorts. </a></li>
<li><b>Pre-trip communication</b>. After booking your dining reservations and a minimum of 14 days prior to your arrival, you can e-mail <a href="mailto:Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com" target="_blank">Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com</a> with your dietary restrictions/food allergy information. This will allow them to notify all of the chefs where you have reservations. </li>
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<li><b>Dining allergy info card</b>. Create a food allergy notification card (see above.) This is a paper card that you give to every chef/special diets-trained expert upon dining anywhere on property. The card should contain each allergy/restriction individually and contain pertinent information regarding cross-contamination, etc. I suggest making them so that you can fit 4 onto a standard 8.5"x 11" printer page and then cutting them out. Bring enough for at least 3 meals a day plus extras. If you don't use them all, you can always use these at restaurants you frequent at home.</li>
<li><b>Have patience</b>. Do not expect that the allergy-friendly food will come out as quick as the standard food offerings. Disney World absolutely takes food allergies and intolerance very seriously and takes their time to ensure the safety of the item they are serving their guests. This means that while you might be able to order the standard french fries and receive them immediately, the allergy friendly version will take longer as they prepare them fresh in a separate area of the kitchen. Personally, waiting an extra 10-15 minutes for my child to have safe food to eat with the rest of us was well worth it.</li>
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<li><b style="text-align: center;">Don't hesitate to ask questions</b><span style="text-align: center;">. If you've been there a week and every allergy-friendly fry has been shoestring and suddenly a restaurant brings out waffle fries, don't hesitate to ask. This exact scenario happened to us on the final night at a restaurant we had already frequented during our trip and I immediately moved the plate away from the daughter until the chef came out and showed me the exact ingredients for the waffle fries and assured me they were prepared separately. Just because it's Disney World, doesn't mean they're perfect. Trust your gut and question them. Anytime I did ask for verification or clarification, I was met with smiles and understanding. After all, they don't want to feed anyone something that can potentially make them ill or worse. </span></li>
<li><b>Be Realistic</b>. If you or your child have a large number of restrictions, Disney World will do their best to accommodate. However, as adults, let's be realistic that there's no such thing as magic pixie dust and they can't create a safe version of everything or anything you might desire. Going in with a realistic understanding that there will be limitations will allow you to not be "surprised" if they can't provide a safe food. </li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Take photos</b>. Obviously, it's Disney, so you're going to take a large number of photos. But, what I'm saying is to take photos of you or your family member(s) who require a special diet enjoying their food. While, yes, you are spending a good chunk of change on your vacation, this doesn't mean that Disney World ever had an obligation to be so accommodating with special diets. In fact, even if they weren't, they'd still make millions. But...they've taken the time to put in a ton of effort and training to accommodate even the rarest of dietary needs and I think that they should be praised for it. After you've come back from your vacation and gotten through the post-Disney hangover, make sure to share your photos and/or appreciation of their efforts on social media. You never know who's watching and you just might make one of those chefs feel extra special! </li>
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I hope that this greatly helps you navigate WDW with ease and allows you to enjoy your vacation! From our food-allergy family to yours, have a magical day! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-41911850158427083332018-04-06T08:52:00.000-05:002018-04-06T09:09:30.464-05:00How Walt Disney World Made Food Allergies Magical!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtwBWe20HEubpjs2Koo88IFOYVS7_8PPfqsP7ANJlEPGK-NGPvcQOXrMctHISbiTT0A_UsKxXzAhNLSTwz2yYP8X2NLVzzTJVnTL94AyNAz3vfoZTq_OieUfG6yhyphenhyphenYTWmI_grmHlCEcWT/s1600/foodallergiesatdisney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtwBWe20HEubpjs2Koo88IFOYVS7_8PPfqsP7ANJlEPGK-NGPvcQOXrMctHISbiTT0A_UsKxXzAhNLSTwz2yYP8X2NLVzzTJVnTL94AyNAz3vfoZTq_OieUfG6yhyphenhyphenYTWmI_grmHlCEcWT/s320/foodallergiesatdisney.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with food allergies/intolerances then you know how difficult it can often be to feel "normal" when dining out or attending events. I recently traveled to Walt Disney World with my three children (ages 4, 6, and 8) and my parents. If you aren't aware, my youngest has been diagnosed with FPIES, a rare food allergy disease that causes her to vomit and potentially go into life-threatening shock following the ingestion of certain foods. Her trigger foods are dairy, gluten, oats, bananas, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and avocados. There are also some gluten-free ingredients such as buckwheat that we have yet to trial and therefore aren't cleared as "safe" for her to consume yet. </b><i>*You can <a href="https://www.fpies.org/" target="_blank">learn more about FPIES here</a> and <a href="http://www.thehappylovedlife.com/2014/11/parenting-adventures-what-is-wrong-with.html" target="_blank">more about my daughter's story specifically here</a>.*</i><br />
I fully admit, that even after joining the Disney Food Allergy Facebook group and reading all of the positive stories of kids with food allergies vacationing at WDW, I was still extremely skeptical that my daughter would in fact be able to feel "normal" and enjoy food safely served alongside for siblings all week long. You see, my daughter has NEVER enjoyed a full meal (including dessert) at any restaurant in her 4+ years of life. So, in my mind I was thinking "How is Disney going to be able to accomplish this when no one else could?"<br />
Well, Disney surely proved me wrong. From the moment we arrived at The Contemporary (Bay Lake Towers) for our first table service meal at The Wave until the final meal the night before we departed at the same restaurant, they really made it magical. I NEVER thought coming into this vacation that I would see them take something that has been such a struggle for my little one and our family and make it absolutely MAGICAL. Below are a few of the highlights of her dining adventures:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhgMcssCbIIr0hyphenhyphen0SF0rKzBkg5lE9IfAKQNSJ3BAjSCQlVhvz5kOP5Q1LWid4H5OpgrzD-MZ9dL6MNfEaOYbJVXVi0w9x0prvY3Zf0YA6mZEF4l56NXf-gvEBZRZcoSh_OhRCHC0K-GcB/s1600/29572749_10106360927447459_1663730428973101163_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhgMcssCbIIr0hyphenhyphen0SF0rKzBkg5lE9IfAKQNSJ3BAjSCQlVhvz5kOP5Q1LWid4H5OpgrzD-MZ9dL6MNfEaOYbJVXVi0w9x0prvY3Zf0YA6mZEF4l56NXf-gvEBZRZcoSh_OhRCHC0K-GcB/s320/29572749_10106360927447459_1663730428973101163_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excited about dinner at The Liberty Tree Tavern (MK)</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><u>The Wave (The Contemporary Resort)</u>: The first night we dined here was our "virgin" WDW allergy dining experience. The chef came out, wrote down all the allergies and then asked her what she would like. My daughter currently has an obsession with chicken tenders. While they don't carry them in the restaurant itself, the chef was able to secure allergy-friendly gluten-free chicken tenders and french fries from Chef Mickey's and then find almond milk and GoGo Squeeze applesauce packets to go along side them. For dessert, she gave her vanilla Rice Dream ice cream with a side of Hershey's chocolate syrup. This kid was in heaven! She repeated a similar meal on our last night.<br />
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<u>The Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom)</u>: I will say that his was the highlight meal of our trip for her. The chef provided her with a nearly identical meal to the one that the rest of us were served family style. It consisted of pot roast, roast turkey, gluten-free stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. To all of our surprise, she went CRAZY over the pot roast. We ended up requesting seconds of it. I think she ate her weight in it and getting this kid to eat any sort of meat, short of chicken tenders is really difficult. I couldn't help but take the video (above) as I think it best exemplifies how magical her Disney dining experience was. Her meal was finished with a raspberry sorbet on a bed of fresh blueberries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot)</td></tr>
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<u>Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot)</u>: This was a character dining experience and they did a nice job of catering to her needs. There's a buffet style "salad bar" for the general guests but they happily brought her a bowl of fresh fruit separately to enjoy as to avoid the potential for cross-contamination that's nearly inevitable with buffets. For her main entree she was served allergy-friendly meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn and then ended the meal with the Rice Dream vanilla ice cream.<br />
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<u>Raglan Road (Disney Springs)</u>: My parents took just the girls here for a sit-down lunch and Lou was able to easily secure a allergy-friendly meal of chicken tenders and fries. Unfortunately, they did not offer a single real allergy-friendly dessert and brought her a bowl of fruit while her sister chowed down on a HUGE ice cream sundae. I will admit, I was surprised to learn this since the Erin McKenna bakery was literally around the corner and offers a completely allergy-friendly menu of baked treats.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special treat from Erin McKenna's Bakery (DS)</td></tr>
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<u>Erin McKenna's Bakery ( Disney Springs)</u>: This was where they immediately headed after lunch (above) so that she could get a yummy cupcake! This would be the very first time she's ever ordered a bakery item and she absolutely loved it!<br />
<u>Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)</u>: This was probably the least "successful" of all the sit-down meals she enjoyed on our vacation. Unfortunately they weren't able to really secure any "kid-friendly" allergy-safe food for her and brought her steak, green beans and applesauce. They couldn't even offer the allergy fries which kind of surprised me. She ended up just eating some of the applesauce and that was pretty much it. The steak was too tough for her to chew and not really appetizing for even me to want to eat. To be honest, all of our food was just sub-par here (except dessert), so we likely won't be back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast in Bed from The Contempo Cafe (Contemporary)</td></tr>
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<u>Quick Service Restaurants (breakfast)</u>: At The Contempo Cafe, we were able to order her allergy-friendly Mickey waffles and bacon! These were delicious and the chef here was extremely accommodating. He even remade them after a member of his staff set them aside and overlooked our order and they became slightly less than fresh. He also gave us extra allergy safe treats for waiting for the new order. I was extremely impressed by the service and taste of these breakfast items!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at The Electric Umbrella (Epcot)</td></tr>
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<u>Quick Service Restaurants (lunch)</u>: We were able to safely secure allergy-friendly fries and chicken tenders/burger patty at The Harbor House in Magic Kingdom, The Contempo Cafe at The Contemporary Resort and The Electric Umbrella at Epcot. The only place that we won't return due to the long wait for only allergy-friendly fries is Cosmic Rays (Magic Kingdom). The person helping me was extremely helpful and knowledgeable but I waited over 40 minutes just for fries and by the time I got them everyone else was finished with their meal.<br />
<u>Snacks</u>: Her two favorite and safe snacks at all the parks were the Strawberry Fruit Bars and Minute Maid Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Cups. We were easily able to find these at many snack carts and they were perfect for keeping cool and having a treat on those hot park days.<br />
<u>Mobile Ordering</u>: Unfortunately, at this point, you are not able to order allergy-friendly food through their mobile ordering system for quick service restaurants. I did, however, order most of everyone else's food this way at a few places and it was extremely quick and fresh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE8GGpuYy3Ooh_josupqq-eFxyDByefD0EO8vdakf5fTeAsRa6IYB1Z6-5Bpmwvhnkv4zJT7mbEtmOyL2h06A9ZCDBPTfiTPBUFaHj13FKFvbqbkZAwRq6pT5xJiM31dqjV1npRqW7DBQ/s1600/29497534_10106379148946429_7616511332608339664_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE8GGpuYy3Ooh_josupqq-eFxyDByefD0EO8vdakf5fTeAsRa6IYB1Z6-5Bpmwvhnkv4zJT7mbEtmOyL2h06A9ZCDBPTfiTPBUFaHj13FKFvbqbkZAwRq6pT5xJiM31dqjV1npRqW7DBQ/s320/29497534_10106379148946429_7616511332608339664_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating lunch poolside at Bay Lake Tower with lunch from The Contempo Cafe</td></tr>
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<b>Overall, I can honestly say I was thoroughly impressed by the diligence throughout our stay at Walt Disney World. At every single restaurant (table service and quick service), we were able to easily discuss her allergies with either the chef or a well educated member of the Disney dietary team. They took excellent care and diligence in being sure her allergens were avoided and her food was safe and fresh. I can only begin to imagine, in the future, how Disney future progresses their abilities to provide allergy-safe versions of every food/snack at their resorts and parks. It's pretty impressive now! </b><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-16514060605782728232018-03-19T23:03:00.000-05:002018-04-06T23:05:11.593-05:00The Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly Expo 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOzgunfgpO6BPXPAcFCAceuU_o7PgG_9WctKRTUZTOOYp9YqQL6L-Br9fUsgPtAHypHyP9fPhcWsDTp5rXaIcX-WLCfgb2PPOBIg8o_kDZZblPocqvv_3tLw6V1E2bRy49szSPhNYqmIN/s1600/GFAF2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOzgunfgpO6BPXPAcFCAceuU_o7PgG_9WctKRTUZTOOYp9YqQL6L-Br9fUsgPtAHypHyP9fPhcWsDTp5rXaIcX-WLCfgb2PPOBIg8o_kDZZblPocqvv_3tLw6V1E2bRy49szSPhNYqmIN/s400/GFAF2018.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you've been following my blog, you are likely aware that my youngest child is diagnosed with FPIES which involves several severe food allergies. Last year, I was first introduced to the Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly Expo as part of their media team and I'm happy to announce I'll be returning again this year.<br />About the Expo: <span style="background-color: white; color: #282c37;">The GFAF Expos are the largest and fastest growing special diet consumer events in the US. Started in 2007, the events are professionally managed and have expanded from one to eight cities throughout the United States. In addition to meeting the needs of the Celiac community, the Expo welcomes those with gluten sensitivities, auto-immune/inflammatory diseases and autism.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282c37;">I'll be attending the expo on April 7th and plan to bring you a video of the expo floor, like the one below I filmed last year. You'll be able to follow along on my social media channels, including Instagram and Facebook. </span><span style="color: #282c37;"><span style="background-color: white;">Information about the Schaumburg, IL expo: </span></span><br />Interested in attending? <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/schaumburg-gluten-free-allergen-friendly-expo-apr-7-8-tickets-41216462549?aff=ewbb&utm_campaign=buy_button&utm_medium=button&utm_source=website" target="_blank">The expo has tickets available via this link.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday the 7th</span></div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d7VP85A5N7U" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-70338292472531751502018-02-09T17:52:00.000-06:002018-02-09T17:52:10.239-06:00Life is a journey and it's led me back to you! If you've been a follower of my blog for the last few years you'll have noticed that I basically disappeared from writing over the last 362 days. Aside from a random post or two, it's been quieter than a room with a sleeping newborn baby.<br />
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Why? Life. That's the thing about life, it happens. Sometimes we have warning and sometimes we don't. Even when things happen that we know are going to happen, we can be completely caught off-guard by the waterfall affect that happens within our lives follow such events. In this case, we're talking about divorce. The long, narrow, often overwhelming road to divorce.<br />
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I could write dozens of posts about this (actually I have but those are private for now), but let's just say it's been a JOURNEY. However, what matters to me most to share at this point is where I am today. And today, I'm here, typing this post, ready to come back full-force to the blogging world.<br />
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I feel: Stronger. Confident. Wiser, Smarter. Weathered.<br />
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So, what does this mean for the future of this blog? Well, it's going to be featuring more about life as a single mom. That'll include posts about budgeting, cooking, etc. plus a few about emotionally navigating this space with three little ones. I'll also be working with many local and country-wide events to bring you photos and videos from such experiences.<br />
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I'm truly excited about coming back and can't wait to share with you loads of information both fun and helpful. Thanks for sticking around with me!<br />
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<b>While I work to get new content up and running you can follow along on our journey on both <a href="http://www.instagram.com/thehappylovedlife" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thehappylovedlife" target="_blank">Facebook</a>! </b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-66389516065679128012017-05-01T18:02:00.000-05:002018-02-09T18:04:12.717-06:00Gluten-Free and Allergen Friendly Expo 2017 - Schaumburg, ILI recently attended the <a href="https://gfafexpo.com/" target="_blank">Gluten-Free and Allergen Friendly Expo 2017 in Schaumburg, IL</a>. This expo was filled to the brim with AMAZING food and beverage companies that offer products fitting into one or both of these categories.<br />
As you may be aware, my youngest child has FPIES. This means that she has a limited diet and is extremely restricted in the products that I can purchase off-the-shelf of our local grocery stores and safely feed to her. One of these companies, which happened to be a sponsor of the event is Enjoy Life. Without this company, my daughter would never even know the taste of chocolate desserts. We heavily rely on their chocolate chip line to create homemade desserts and chocolates for her every day and holiday fun!<br />
In addition to this AMAZING company, there were tons of others offering products from sauces and pastas to desserts and pizzas. All fitting into the gluten-free and/or allergen friendly categorization. Want to see more?! Well lucky for you, I went live from the show floor!<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d7VP85A5N7U" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-42325274194863388692017-04-08T01:00:00.000-05:002017-04-22T01:01:29.471-05:00I'm Attending the Gluten-Free and Allergen Friendly Expo! #GFAFExpo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91Og_Xkj5MM9s0TjSjlwvqK32IW936x7CuLTLgQ_uHFc4_drSqYElnPBQIDW4v86UB1h04eFtlRi3LrDicLxIyqCR22bqYRjAmXgQbbgefv8upqowJ6J2e_P5O6QqD3U2BvgNeR6YCeD-/s1600/GFAFExpo022017-DtHdr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91Og_Xkj5MM9s0TjSjlwvqK32IW936x7CuLTLgQ_uHFc4_drSqYElnPBQIDW4v86UB1h04eFtlRi3LrDicLxIyqCR22bqYRjAmXgQbbgefv8upqowJ6J2e_P5O6QqD3U2BvgNeR6YCeD-/s640/GFAFExpo022017-DtHdr.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>If you have been following me, you likely know that my youngest has a rare diseases called FPIES. This disease causes Lou to have severe food allergies. It's been a challenging and frustrating road so far, but I've grown to appreciate those companies that are making an effort to create popular and mainstream products that are allergen friendly. </b><div>
That's why I'm thrilled to be attending the Gluten-Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in Schaumburg, IL in a few weeks! The expo floor is filled with amazing sponsors who are sharing their gluten-free and allergen-friendly products with attendees. Each booth contains an allergen card so attendees know what their products contain. In additional to the expo floor, there are classes about nutrition being offered onsite. Here's a little bit more about the expo (from their website):</div>
<i>The GFAF Expos are the largest and fastest growing special diet consumer events in the US. Started in 2007, the events are professionally managed and have expanded from one to eight cities throughout the United States. In addition to meeting the needs of the Celiac community, the Expo welcomes those with gluten sensitivities, auto-immune/inflammatory diseases and autism.</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZR0il3Mi1jb4hAX-aWiRhBfQAEwnZ55rm_JuoiR2qVn1VDO_M1ln55StnfSoyGj92YVZW1gpP-G9ZUvBgTV3FloYfCO6X3s_l1WNYpPm13f02gpLHSJY8KuTSRhFVehmIypRMI97DcDV/s1600/15421016_1162751440467392_5652295979868507072_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZR0il3Mi1jb4hAX-aWiRhBfQAEwnZ55rm_JuoiR2qVn1VDO_M1ln55StnfSoyGj92YVZW1gpP-G9ZUvBgTV3FloYfCO6X3s_l1WNYpPm13f02gpLHSJY8KuTSRhFVehmIypRMI97DcDV/s1600/15421016_1162751440467392_5652295979868507072_n.png" /></a></div>
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<b>I'll be <a href="http://www.instagram.com/playbuttonlife" target="_blank">documenting my entire experience on Instagram</a> and can't wait to share it with all of you! </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/schaumburg-gluten-free-allergen-friendly-expo-april-22-23-tickets-29823518948?aff=AFFILIATEIL&afu=206805709931" target="_blank"><b>Click here learn more about the Schaumburg Expo and purchase tickets!</b></a></div>
<b>30% off w/ code EARLYBIRD (thru 3/21)<br />20% off w/ code ADVANCE (thru 4/21)</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-60797276747109675022017-03-29T10:32:00.001-05:002017-03-29T11:24:28.931-05:00$100 Kohls Gift Card Giveaway – ends 4/12<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>This is a sponsored post on behalf of Pure Body Naturals. All thoughts and opinions are those of our own.</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrBDV1SQWghEZA3N67PJWqYaV6HJtjvZFUPClyzfBn0uvhHiTe3w328OWw96ZZksh36Lh1qpFcG_KX455fYPohJO1WheFisvZPBNE2Ri42XT10ZxUe18ta6aH0M8goSFX4eUkZUEdoS1W/s1600/PBN+-+%2524100+Kohls+Giveaway.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrBDV1SQWghEZA3N67PJWqYaV6HJtjvZFUPClyzfBn0uvhHiTe3w328OWw96ZZksh36Lh1qpFcG_KX455fYPohJO1WheFisvZPBNE2Ri42XT10ZxUe18ta6aH0M8goSFX4eUkZUEdoS1W/s320/PBN+-+%2524100+Kohls+Giveaway.png" width="317" /></a></div>
<b>Self-care is incredibly important. As a parent, I often get wrapped up in the care of my children so much that I forget to care for myself. That's where finding good-quality and affordable self-care products for me come in to save the day! Below are a few items available directly on Amazon that can help you and/or a loved one create a self-care routine! </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiYFhc6na2p41wC7LBAnJgnPxV5KYJG6WYIKd_21hbXeuVBQCX2me8ffd_OPJK4b_DPKoNPetSXerqAoaAtS3JaXCoyA_i2r5NASvGbij-1q7OqELpC4EuKcYxtRI5Bo6VovPMmqunmhQ/s1600/women-936549_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiYFhc6na2p41wC7LBAnJgnPxV5KYJG6WYIKd_21hbXeuVBQCX2me8ffd_OPJK4b_DPKoNPetSXerqAoaAtS3JaXCoyA_i2r5NASvGbij-1q7OqELpC4EuKcYxtRI5Bo6VovPMmqunmhQ/s320/women-936549_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=face+mask">Dead Sea Mud Mask</a> - $18.95 30% Off with Code BBSEAMUD Free Shipping <b>with Prime.</b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=beard+oil">Beard Oil Kit (Beard Oil & Beard Balm)</a> - $19.96 30% Off with Code BBBRDOIL Free Shipping <b>with Prime.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=essential+oils">Theraputic Grade Set of Top 6 Essential Oils</a> - $17.95 30% Off with Code BBTOPSIX Free Shipping (no Prime required)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=eye+cream">Eye Gel</a> - $18.95 30% Off with Code BBEYEGEL Free Shipping. (no Prime required)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=retinol+skin+products">Retinol Moisturizer</a> - $18.95 30% Off with Code BBRETMOS Free Shipping. (no Prime required)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DA2WLLJA25GGDEV&field-keywords=shea+butter">Trio Butters Gift Set</a> - $29.95 30% Off with Code BBBUTTER Free Shipping. (no Prime required)
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Now for the giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive the $100 Kohls Gift Card mentioned above!
Open to US residents, 18 and up only.
One entry per household/IP address.
Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway begins March 29th, 2017 at 12am Eastern and ends April 12th, 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern
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<a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=36444347865" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">Entry</a><script src="//giveawaytools2.com/wid/embed.php?sk=36444347865" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=36444347865" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">-Form</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Disclosure: This blog was compensated for this posting. The sponsor, Pure Body Naturals is responsible for prize shipment. This giveaway is in no way associated or affiliated with any social media outlets. This post may contain affiliate links.</em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-78082860444349391242017-03-13T13:09:00.000-05:002017-03-13T16:13:39.401-05:00Living with Anxiety: Finding Relief<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AKnQksYSncTUIzrd2klWm49LEkVGgMu1cO2q8k5tLI29GY66xzZ6WTUXbH4pX9dir0l-u8X85zHXX067PMfT6v1fYiBjFDhUbSQUkfRdBaXFueeZJXvGVXbt4GJB-w_usblNYhKJA_6b/s1600/Anxiety+series+part+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AKnQksYSncTUIzrd2klWm49LEkVGgMu1cO2q8k5tLI29GY66xzZ6WTUXbH4pX9dir0l-u8X85zHXX067PMfT6v1fYiBjFDhUbSQUkfRdBaXFueeZJXvGVXbt4GJB-w_usblNYhKJA_6b/s320/Anxiety+series+part+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>If you have been following along, I've shared with you in two previous blog posts (<a href="http://www.playbuttonlife.com/2017/01/living-with-anxiety-attacks.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> & <a href="http://www.playbuttonlife.com/2017/01/living-with-anxiety-free-falling.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>) my struggle with severe anxiety and panic attacks and seeking out help. I pick up where I left off in enlisting the help of professionals. </b><br />
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There were two issues at hand. One was my acid reflux due to stress was at an all-time high. The other was my anxiety was becoming quite debilitating. I found myself a local recommended GI doctor and a general practitioner. My first appointment was with the GI doctor who assured me that I was not having heart issues, but rather it was a fierce combination of untreated acid reflux and stomach issues combined with my high level of stress. I left with an appointment to have an upper GI scope done in a month and order to take prilosec daily. He also urged me to get into my general practitioner asap to discuss my anxiety and seek out medication.<br />
I was able to get into my doctor within a few days. I purposely chose a doctor known for being more holistic in approach and less likely to push medications unless she felt it was absolutely necessary. During my meeting with her, she assured me that my heart and lungs sounded healthy and normal and my stress level and anxiety were my main culprits. She strongly felt that I was at a point in my life, facing more stressful transitions, that I needed something to help me to manage it daily. She prescribed a mild anti-depressant (which in turn fights anxiety) for me to take once a day.<br />
After just a week of taking the medication, I could feel relief. However, I could also feel it wearing off after 12 hours and then find myself waking throughout the night full of anxiety and in a full-blow attack by morning. At a one-month follow-up, the doctor determined that basically the med was wearing off by the 12 hour mark and I was rebounding with anxiety. So, she doubled my dosage to be one in the morning and one at night. This changed my daily life DRASTICALLY. I have to be honest, I HATE meds. I mean, I won't take a tylenol or ibuprofen unless my head is pounding. I am terrified of side effects and have experienced quite a few from medicines over the years. But I knew I needed this medication, maybe just short-term, to function for myself and my family. It changed my life and I don't regret it. I still struggle here and there with the "stigma" of being on a daily medication, but I then recall how I felt before it. How I could barely get out of bed in the morning. Don't get me wrong, the medication doesn't totally suppress my anxiety. What it does is it allows me to better manage it. I can still feel my body tense up at anxious moments throughout the day, but my brain is better able to talk me through them and calm down.<br />
In regards to my GI issues, they have subsided quite a bit. My upper GI was mostly normal with the exception of gastritis in which my stomach produces too much acid. I've remained on the prilosec once a day and that seems to help. I'll be staying on top of this and other heath issues more vigilantly as not to let them get out of hand in the future. Since the symptoms of this include chest, shoulder and neck pain, it's important to stay on top of it as when that pain is constant, I worry about larger health issues.<br />
Recently, I've added more natural items to my daily routine to combat my anxiety. I've added in a daily cup of bedtime tea with local honey added into it. I've also cut out caffeine completely and been eating healthier overall. The final piece is that I've recently incorporated two essential oil blends from <a href="http://wholelifeandservices.com/homepage/" target="_blank">The Whole Life Co.</a> The blends are <a href="http://wholelifeandservices.com/shop/peace-serenity/" target="_blank">Peace & Serenity</a> and <a href="http://wholelifeandservices.com/shop/just-focus/" target="_blank">Just Focus</a>. I highly recommend these for anyone's daily routine. I apply the Peace & Serenity in the morning and before bed and use the Just Focus in the morning and afternoon.<br />
Thank you for following along with me on my journey with anxiety and finding help. Please share with family and friends that may be struggling or can relate to my experience.<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Karla, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.2px;">Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 19.2px;">40 million</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.2px;"> adults in the United States age </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.2px;"> and older, or </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.2px;">% of the population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health) If you know someone that is struggling with anxiety, please understand that they aren't "choosing" to suffer and help them find a health professional for support. </span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-89081617229966619872017-01-10T13:48:00.001-06:002017-03-27T10:42:41.914-05:00Living with Anxiety: Free Falling & Deciding to Seek Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>A few months ago, I felt it happen. I hit my edge and then I started to feel myself falling over it. It was what I thought would be a normal Monday in our house, but by mid-morning I was in tears and sobbing. It was triggered by something slightly unexpected</b><br />
<a name='more'></a>, but not earth-shattering. Immediately though I knew I couldn't recover from it like I usually do. There I was sobbing, alone at our kitchen table. My head was spinning and my heart was pounding. My future was flashing in a million different directions and I felt like I couldn't grasp on to any version of it. I tried to go about my day, but I just felt "off."<br />
This continued through dinner, bedtime and more. I felt like I had been holding onto a rope that was slowly unraveling and someone took a pair of scissors and cut the final strand. Free falling. Grasping for anything that would make me feel like I did "before." I wasn't necessarily sobbing at this point, but just internally struggling. By the next morning, I physically felt it. The overwhelming anxiety that made me feel like I was having a heart attack and the reflux that burned my throat and chest. I was able to function for my kids, but taking care of myself was the real struggle. I was barely walking, talking and doing what I needed to do to get through the days. I was masking it all to anyone on the outside in an attempt to feel "normal."<br />
Finally, a week later, I decided it was time to enlist help from professionals. See, at this point, I had hardly eaten anything most of the last 7 days and I had just basically been existing in my life enough to take care of the kids. I knew that this was my body's way of reminding me that I need to take better care of it both physically and emotionally. Maybe I couldn't just "tough" this one out. I needed professional help. I needed to know that my symptoms could be helped by professional guidance and possibly medication. I just knew that it was time to admit that this was bigger than me and that I couldn't continue LIVING this way. After all, I wasn't living, I was suffering through and that's not the life I deserve or the woman that my family deserves.<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">40 million</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;"> adults in the United States age </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;"> and older, or </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">% of the population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health) If you know someone that is struggling with anxiety, please understand that they aren't "choosing" to suffer and help them find a health professional for support. </span></i><br />
<b>Stay tuned until next week when I talk about the professionals I called and the help I got on my road to finding my new "normal."</b><b>If you missed part one of the series, click here to read it "<a href="http://www.playbuttonlife.com/2017/01/living-with-anxiety-attacks.html" target="_blank">Living with Anxiety: Hitting a Wall</a>"</b><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-86240051992954600482017-01-06T15:25:00.000-06:002017-01-10T13:48:37.014-06:00Living with Anxiety: The Attacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I can feel "it" before my eyes open in the morning. The slight pain in my chest and the sound of my heart increasingly beating faster by the second. I try to take a few deep breaths to convince myself that I'm fine and that today won't be another "tough day."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, my mind full of thoughts, both good and bad, has overtaken my attempts at reassurance. More deep breaths and I manage to calm myself down enough to get up. I focus my attention at getting ready for the day. Then I enter the shower and the sensation of water on my chest makes it all come flooding back. More deep breaths and focus on washing my hair help me make it through this part of my day. I manage to get ready and make my way downstairs. Usually one or both of the big kids are already up and watching some television. I take a moment in the kitchen to take a few more deep breaths and then turn my focus to all the things that need to get done before school time. I ask the kids to get dressed (they protest), more deep breaths. I start to assemble breakfast while reminding the kids that they must get dressed before they eat. More protests. Suddenly, my breath feels too shallow and my chest pain is back. More deep breaths. Heart racing, powering through helping the big kids get dressed and to the breakfast table. The kids are now eating and asking for anything and everything they need in the moment. I'm struggling to stand up and deep breathing like a woman in labor. My mind is saying things like "You are fine. No you aren't! You can breathe. No you can't!" Back and forth, back and forth. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest. More deep breaths. The youngest wakes up for the day. I need to change her diaper, get her dressed and get her breakfast. I make it up and down the stairs and put her on the couch to take a quick mental break. Everything is racing at this point. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I feel it coming and know that all I can do is hold on. And then all at once it's upon me, a full fledged attack. I NEED it to stop so I can get all the things done that I NEED to get done in the next merely 30 minutes before I have to drive my middle child to school. It's COMPLETELY overwhelming. Chest pain, pounding heart, racing mind and feeling like I'm struggling to breath. It's taking every ounce of mental strength I have to get through it. And then very slowly it subsides. It takes much longer to subside than it did to come on. I still feel it. I feel it in the background ready to pounce on me at any slightly overwhelming moment. I make it through the rest of school day prep without it making a full comeback on me thankfully. Then I get in the car and I'm barely around the corner and I feel it coming...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">40 million</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;"> adults in the United States age </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;"> and older, or </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">18</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">% of the population. ( Source: National Institute of Mental Health) If you know someone that is struggling with anxiety, please understand that they aren't "choosing" to suffer and help them find a health professional for support. </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;"><b>Join me next week where I'll talk about what I've been doing to help with my anxiety and the healthy professionals I've added to my arsenal. </b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-81062391734838865432017-01-01T10:41:00.000-06:002017-05-03T14:04:54.808-05:00Life Unexpected: Heartbreak and Shock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I remember it clearly; the late-afternoon of October 22, 2016, my husband sat me down on our couch and confirmed he was leaving me.</b> He was giving up. He had decided that he didn't want to be married to me anymore and could no longer live under our roof; just 3 days before our 8 year wedding anniversary. What was shared beyond that point is private but my response was visceral in many ways.<br />
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Here I was: 32 years old with three kids under 7 years old. Three kids who would now face so much disappointment and confusion that I never wanted them to face. Here I was faced with a life that I had dedicated so much time and energy in trying to perfect for them, for us, that was gone with the simple words that had just left his mouth. And here I was with the reality that it was crumbling without an ounce of control in my hands. There was nothing I could say or do to stop this. Nothing I could do to give my kids the "picture-perfect" life I envisioned for the last 11 years. I've never felt like a failure more in my life than this very moment in time. I felt guilt, devastation, heartbreak, deceit, pain...so much pain. I cried, yelled, laughed and had nearly every reaction in-between. Shock is probably the best way to describe the next 12 hours of my life.<br />
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Everything I knew was no longer familiar or comfortable. My trust for this man was gone, instantaneously. Everything felt uncertain, scary and fear-filled. It literally felt like someone took a hammer to the glass on my favorite family photo overnight and here I was trying to figure out how to make it beautiful again, but without all the original pieces....<b>The despair was unreal......</b><br />
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Stay tuned as I share what happened next and how I started to "pick up the pieces".Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-87002186822252186102016-11-16T14:58:00.003-06:002016-11-16T19:12:51.179-06:00Holiday Toy Shopping Lists by Age<h4>
It's that time of year again and we are all starting (or maybe you are finishing) our holiday shopping. If you are anything like our family, you have a bunch of kids, different ages, to shop for and not entirely sure where to start on what they would like. Luckily, Amazon has created this helpful holiday toy shopping lists by age group to help guide you. Below are the all the categories, some of my favorites from each list and links to get you on your way!</h4>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commision.</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2ghL295" target="_blank">Infants - 24 months</a></h4>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00U5U5VWM&asins=B00U5U5VWM&linkId=398dd6f8efea452824d7922d75b711cd&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00IRZT1AA&asins=B00IRZT1AA&linkId=3ca3d9324149594d5dadd32deb7f1dcb&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B004HKQI9G&asins=B004HKQI9G&linkId=ce7b18fcd0bd100f16424b0a5160de33&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2f5lQ48" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 to 4 years</a></h4>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2f1vgdj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 to 7 Years</a></h4>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0039S7NO6&asins=B0039S7NO6&linkId=22cb501193d0f519bbecc902f26f65bf&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01CU9WLEG&asins=B01CU9WLEG&linkId=5737cefec072f718c84a38b89123eb10&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01F00UD6A&asins=B01F00UD6A&linkId=4f48bd12d04ffae7515b210a0781cf49&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00000DMFD&asins=B00000DMFD&linkId=c34f4c4e7373350c4de251fec5d8130e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00D9JGX0U&asins=B00D9JGX0U&linkId=9948bbca8f6b2f7ac0bfd3f534e6d0ae&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00I9KDFK0&asins=B00I9KDFK0&linkId=976916a19fa0b849eeb62a68c478dc38&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<h4>
<a href="http://amzn.to/2fX0QtR" target="_blank">8 to 11 Years</a></h4>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01ARGB8N4&asins=B01ARGB8N4&linkId=08d673bca75ee2eafbbf34411e6935a1&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B019K8KMD2&asins=B019K8KMD2&linkId=55f33a6f49e4786bb5ad8c50f9cf351b&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01B55BZCA&asins=B01B55BZCA&linkId=4e26d7e4f5113d6e11c6508082c6befd&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01CF0QV8W&asins=B01CF0QV8W&linkId=aac0a97b3f4021b353fbe031c725b425&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00U26V4VQ&asins=B00U26V4VQ&linkId=2ce5682aeedd8a8df008800d4994d3ac&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01CVGVB4O&asins=B01CVGVB4O&linkId=69138a76259b8d66b41bb14ece29f475&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<h4>
<a href="http://amzn.to/2eH1Upz" target="_blank">12 Years+</a></h4>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00X3301HI&asins=B00X3301HI&linkId=6e8c539e0da2166c32f0924d7c305ef8&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01EWGJAS0&asins=B01EWGJAS0&linkId=9cc1a0bf2828b0cb1e8817b4e8e0bccc&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=savmommom02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B014Q1XX9S&asins=B014Q1XX9S&linkId=b79fa43f83a13d45c4baaf33a161c631&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-1776323170731623252016-11-14T14:40:00.002-06:002016-11-14T14:41:26.945-06:00Dear America (especially women), Stop Saying This about Hillary.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wZnwtTLr036Dzr254N8tTjitjY3aHuApiv6P3AiCrdT1owiHXURpSequWv9ft3qsEWgDsD_n5oiUfs3GyZGkn1nRUj6c8mstUFmLKeLpnbc_grQ6uAs4wRlOKOChwCgwzFLcF4BIJ55e/s1600/15000136_800967690043353_7232851584750583768_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wZnwtTLr036Dzr254N8tTjitjY3aHuApiv6P3AiCrdT1owiHXURpSequWv9ft3qsEWgDsD_n5oiUfs3GyZGkn1nRUj6c8mstUFmLKeLpnbc_grQ6uAs4wRlOKOChwCgwzFLcF4BIJ55e/s1600/15000136_800967690043353_7232851584750583768_o.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Well, it's been nearly a week since what I would say is the most historically controversial Presidential election of all time commenced. And just in case you have been hiding under a rock, Donald Trump won.</b><br />
This post is not about Trump or Clinton and their campaigns or the election itself. Rather, it's about something that I have noticed post-election: deeply routed sexism.<br />
Before you jump down to the comment section and rip me apart, hear me out. <br />
<a name='more'></a>I'm not talking about the fact that America elected a man over the very first woman President or anything that either candidate vocalized about women during their campaign.<br />
What I am talking about is the American public's clear issue with women in leadership positions. People from both sides have been making one very strong and sexist statement post-election. The statement I'm referring to is "Our first woman President needs to be amazing." WTF?!<br />
Do you see what's wrong with this? If not, let me quickly explain. Claiming that Hillary Clinton wasn't "amazing" enough to be the first woman President, goes directly against the argument for equality for women in the workplace and our country. Why do I say this? Because I can't think of the last time our country said the same about a male Presidential candidate. So, why did she have to be amazing? Because she's a woman. Literally, that's the ONLY subconscious (or not) reason these people must have for making such a statement. The truth is, no male President (or candidate) has been held to such a standard of needing to be "amazing" as many held Hillary to this election. I would say the closest would have been Obama due to his race. And again...equality.<br />
You see, what this ultimately means for our society is that we are STILL holding men and women to different levels of standards in the workplace. It means thats that while many believe that gender equality has been achieved, this is in fact not the case. We have so much more work to do to give women in this country a fair shot at being leaders in the workplace, our communities, government and elsewhere. The first steps include spreading the right message, standing up for gender equality and teaching our children equal standards for all genders.<br />
Where can you start? I highly recommend you visit these organizations and devote your time and/or money to supporting them.<br />
<a href="http://now.org/" target="_blank">NOW</a><br />
<a href="http://lwv.org/" target="_blank">LWV</a><br />
<a href="http://www.awid.org/" target="_blank">AWID</a><br />
<a href="http://feminist.com/">Feminist.com</a><br />
On a personal level, the next time you see someone make this ignorant comment, call them out. Ask them to explain why it is our first FEMALE President will have to be amazing, yet we continue to settle for far less from a man.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-78441653798909381462016-11-10T14:24:00.001-06:002016-11-10T14:24:08.440-06:00Big things are happening!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yfsFE4v5QSE" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-45723503933136583622016-10-29T08:39:00.000-05:002016-10-29T08:39:19.932-05:0030 Reasons I Shop at Target<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicw7ATxakMm0mK3cInvxieRD_hBAHohCWBtx1NPQg8B4CnYTi7gM8b05XpglQG3Xa2LiBfh4LbKmF3NldrOk2Et8aSjoNLAldjQBt0rqUI2CN2wb1oX40DbWwhrGG48Xt_4RGsr5HhiR1S/s1600/targetheader.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicw7ATxakMm0mK3cInvxieRD_hBAHohCWBtx1NPQg8B4CnYTi7gM8b05XpglQG3Xa2LiBfh4LbKmF3NldrOk2Et8aSjoNLAldjQBt0rqUI2CN2wb1oX40DbWwhrGG48Xt_4RGsr5HhiR1S/s320/targetheader.png" width="302" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Smiling employees.</li>
<li>Organization.</li>
<li>Cartwheel.</li>
<li>Target Debit RedCard.</li>
<li>Clean shopping carts.<a name='more'></a></li>
<li>Wide aisles.</li>
<li>Clean.</li>
<li>Red.</li>
<li>Dollar Spot.</li>
<li>20% off Books.</li>
<li>Clearance.</li>
<li>Happy shoppers.</li>
<li>Fresh Produce.</li>
<li>Starbucks.</li>
<li>Customer service.</li>
<li>Magical buttons/phones in aisles to summon someone to help.</li>
<li>Price checkers everywhere.</li>
<li>Trashcans everywhere.</li>
<li>Helpful, kind checkout people.</li>
<li>Seasonal sections.</li>
<li>Mascot.</li>
<li>Affordable, quality clothing.</li>
<li>Cheap, quality greeting cards.</li>
<li>Free in-store wifi.</li>
<li>Empty cart corrals.</li>
<li>Zero Black Friday deaths.</li>
<li>No guns/ammo.</li>
<li>Simply Balanced.</li>
<li>Nice furniture.</li>
<li>Not Walmart.</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-37842400328515676642016-09-09T18:53:00.001-05:002016-09-09T18:53:05.912-05:00What Happened to Our Channel?! | Summer Fun Collage - Volume #2<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hs7bS9K1VT8" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-43668791269690504922016-09-07T13:43:00.001-05:002016-09-09T18:39:37.931-05:00What Happened to Our Channel?! | Summer Fun Collage - Volume #1<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YgroBAohq0s" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-1874704073097963102016-08-02T20:23:00.001-05:002016-08-02T20:23:20.098-05:00Audrey's Story | World Breastfeeding Week 2016 #fedisbest<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQcocZS2xM0" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-62932480408500200552016-08-01T19:43:00.001-05:002016-08-01T19:43:26.483-05:00Nicholas' Story | World Breastfeeding Week 2016<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HtBc04Ayot8" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-23893318708160279292016-07-20T07:04:00.001-05:002016-07-20T10:25:05.135-05:00When You Are Friends with an Only Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_EM3-doGuM8ORLZvLxO2ciVHBFQrn-DarKG4K4JvyDACD08Dho4TpaxaywgUiVkf5PWaV4Gwk1AgutJdW4XyU4YstqGLe-8itByMnVWWRK4wcj_cxbJZXASDthtSOIKWjTAhWpZAWF4K/s1600/onlychildheader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_EM3-doGuM8ORLZvLxO2ciVHBFQrn-DarKG4K4JvyDACD08Dho4TpaxaywgUiVkf5PWaV4Gwk1AgutJdW4XyU4YstqGLe-8itByMnVWWRK4wcj_cxbJZXASDthtSOIKWjTAhWpZAWF4K/s320/onlychildheader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>As a kid, being an only child felt FANTASTIC (most of the time)! As an adult, it's HARD! Many times in my adult life I've been informed that I don't understand what it means to have a sibling and the bond, to which I agree. However, it goes both ways and it's nearly impossible to explain what it's like to be an only child as an adult. So, if you aren't an only child but you are friends with at least one, please take the time to read below to learn a bit more about the struggles of the adult only child life and how your engagement in the friendship matters. </i><br />
1. <b>Friendships are IMPORTANT</b>. I know this doesn't only apply to only children, but unlike those who have active siblings, we don't have an a built in support system. Yes, I have a fantastic mother and stepfather who are always there for me and my mom is like a best friend, but sometimes I just wish I had one sibling. One peer to call to just vent and not have to worry about burdening my mother with my struggles but also understands. Because after all, she is my mother which as a mother myself, I understand the wanting to take away all of your child's pain immediately and how overwhelming that can be.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
For the only child, we need to put more effort into friendships but aren't given any more hours in the busy day to do so. We also tend to make people a part of our friend circle more instantaneously because we NEED to create a village for ourselves and we are just looking everywhere and anywhere for that one person or few people that can be the closest to a sibling. It's hard. Really hard. When we think we've made a connection with someone and realize that they don't feel the same way. I can honestly say I've done this more times than I can count in the last 10 years and almost every single time I realize that I'm not on their "A" list. Usually this is when a party comes and goes and I didn't receive an invite. It's just a fact. I let people into my life more easily because I yearn for strong sibling-like connections and most of them, at this point in life, just don't "need" me like I do them.<br />
2.<b> We are more sensitive and can be high-maintenance. </b>I have heard this <u>a lot</u> about only children. How we are spoiled and needy and too much work to be friends with. This goes back to point number one. The reason we may come off this way is because we genuinely NEED and WANT your friendship more than you need ours. It's just part of this lack of having an "automatic friend" and needing regular support that drives this. It's also a bit driven from those many childhood moments when our friends went home at dinnertime and we felt alone in the world of adults. If you aren't into putting a bit more effort into the friendship, I get it. Please just try to remember that while we may need a bit more attention as a friend, we also will likely dedicate ourselves to the friendship a bit more deeper than others. For me, I usually put everything I have into friendships from day one. I will love you and your family like my own and be there to help as I can.<br />
3. <b>We make great "benchwarmer" friends.</b> This is so true it makes me sick to say it. I feel like more times than not, I am the friend that others "put on the field" only when they desperately need me. Whether they are having a big party and want to have a ton of guests or they have a child and need advice. Every. single. time. I just jump right in acting like we didn't miss a beat and put myself 100% into the friendship. And most times...I'm put back on the bench.<br />
4. <b>We'll never be automatically picked to be part of a special day. </b>This is one of the hardest things for me as an adult. I am very lucky that I have been chosen three times to stand up friend and family weddings. This was never a guarantee and it meant more than I could ever explain when asked to do so. It's unlikely, in my lifetime, that I'll ever be chosen as a godmother to a child and the only way I have nieces and nephews are through marriage. Without my marriage, I don't have any of that. It's just something to consider when you are choosing those to stand up in your wedding or the godparents of your child(ren). I'm not saying you shouldn't choose who you want, just that you should consider that for some people (the only children in your life), it could be way more impactful than you understand. Just try to remember that the things you are automatically (most of the time) granted with siblings, an only child is not and that can be a hard pill to swallow as an adult.<br />
5. <b>We strongly fear our parents death. </b>Again, this is obviously not limited to the only child, but think of it this way. Our parents are the only strong biological connection we have outside our own children (if we have any). When we lose them, we are not only losing our parents, but we are losing our support system entirely. And yes, I know my spouse and kids are important but my parents are my safety net. They are the ones I can count on any time of day. They are the only ones who were there through my entire life and stepped in to be my on-demand support as needed. Losing them is SCARY. No, it's beyond scary. Because when it happens, who do I call?<br />
<i>Honestly, not everything about being an only child as an adult is awful. Not even close. I think the biggest struggle is friendships and feeling that our dedication to them isn't reciprocated. I have some really great friends who have been there for me throughout the years and really appreciate all of them. I know that many of us might not talk regularly but I'm always sent an invite to their important engagements and they always respond when I reach out. It's the others...the countless others who have allowed me to let them be integral parts of our lives for brief moments and then treated me like I didn't exist. Those are the ones that hurt me down deep. So, if you are friends with an only child just try to read this and remember that while we don't understand siblings, you don't understand us. The best we can do is be real and be faithful in our friendships.</i><br />
<i>Thanks for reading, </i><br />
<i>Kelley</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-39441479838398647932016-07-18T15:36:00.001-05:002016-07-18T15:36:15.942-05:005 Minute Family Vacation Packing | Tips & Tricks<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3QXaQ_D0hd8" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #656e7f; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14515534786865773038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381326858872085764.post-19366004676111518352016-07-15T18:11:00.001-05:002016-07-15T18:11:29.829-05:00My New Adventure!Yesterday, as I was sitting around thinking about life and how fast it moves, I had one of those moments. You know that moment that everything around you stops and you get an idea that you know has been lingering in your brain just waiting to be noticed? Yeah, that kind of moment. Today, I took action and started my newest YouTube adventure: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC47-AVkcrVS8lZwRUdhGpxw" target="_blank">Daily Gratitude</a><br /><br />
The goal of this channel is not to make super fancy or nicely edited videos, but instead it will feature a video (likely a one-take) every single day where I share my gratitude with the world. Each day I will answer the following questions and challenge my viewers to do the same: <br /><br />
1. What are you grateful for today?<br /><br />
2. Who are you grateful for today?<br /><br />
3. Amazing thing(s) that happened today?<br /><br />
4. How could I make today better?<br /><br />
5. What would make today great?<br /><br />
<br /><br />
Below is Day 1. Ready to join me? Subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC47-AVkcrVS8lZwRUdhGpxw" target="_blank">Daily Gratitude</a> and share with me every day what you are grateful for! Spread love, not hate.<br /><br />
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