Music Monday, VMA Edition

I know many people don't like Miley Cyrus, but I do. I like that she is okay in her own skin and is aware of injustice in the world and speaks her mind for what she thinks is right. She gets silly and has fun. I say good for her! I was happy to see her host the MTV Video Music Awards. Plus, I love unicorns, rainbows, and glitter!
Now let's get some music on here to get our week started! Here's Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with Downtown. I think this song will soon be everywhere especially with that awesome performance on the VMAs!

10 People or Things That Deserve a Rose #FlashbackFriday

I originally created this list back in 2010 from a writing prompt as part of another post. It's funny to me to see how much has changed, but even more so, to see how much is still the same. The phone I was using at the time had a sliding keyboard on it and my baby girl had just turned 16 and was really struggling in school. Now, of course, my phone is touch screen, my oldest has a B.A. in Psychology, my youngest is a licensed massage therapist, and I still love them like crazy!  I would still hand out all these roses. Who or what would you give a rose to?

Provide roses to the 10 people or items in your life that you would like to continue a relationship with. (kinda like The Bachelor, which I don't watch, but I get the idea)

1. The first rose goes to the love of my life, my hubbybear. You are the only person I can tolerate for any real long length of time, so it must be destiny. ♪ I've looked for you forever and a day♪ (Kathy Mattea)

Relax and Enjoy Trying, 5 Tips For Trying To Conceive

The other day someone told me that she went to the hospital for one thing and they told her she was pregnant. When they told her the news she responded,"You must have checked the wrong uterus! I can't be pregnant." Why was it such a surprise? She already has kids so you would think by now she would've figured out how it happens.

But, for many people pregnancy is a surprise. They aren't thinking about getting pregnant, they're just enjoying the intimate time with their partner and Bam! Pregnant! So, why does it happen so easily for some while others seem to be trying so hard to get pregnant and just can't? Well, for many it is a matter of stress. Stress takes a huge toll on the body and reduces the likelihood of conceiving. While reducing your stress isn't a guarantee of getting pregnant, it is a great place to start. Here's my best tips to reduce stress while trying to get pregnant to increase your odds of conceiving.

Almost Wordless Wednesday, Back To School Pancakes

Yesterday was the first day of school, but not in our house. This was the first time since 1998 that we didn't have all the excitement of back to school day. There was no buying new supplies, no figuring out what to wear, no excitement at the end of the day with all the details of the new friends in class. None of it; it was just another day. sigh.

So, no back to school pics, but...Red Velvet Pancakes!


Mmmmm Who needs school projects and fundraisers anyway?!

Blue Man Group Tickets Giveaway, Enter To Win #DareToLive

When I went to New York City last month, I got to go see Blue Man Group. The show was tons of fun! It was so much fun that I think everyone should go to a Blue Man Group show. While I can't send everyone, I can send 1 person plus 3 of their friends with this giveaway. Read on to find out how you can enter to win 4 tickets to Blue Man Group.

Simple Steps For Pet Owners To Prepare For Natural Disaster

This Sunday is the 10 year anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Hurricane Katrina left 600,000 pets deceased or homeless. In fact,many of the people that didn't evacuate stayed because they didn't know what to do with their pets.

If you love your pets like I do, the last thing you want to do is leave them behind if there is an emergency. If you don't have a plan for your pets, please create one.  Pledge to not leave your pet behind at aspca.org/disasterprep  Our pets rely on us to take care of them, so let's do all we can.

Here's some simple steps to be prepared for natural disaster so you can save your pets lives and your own.

Lucas Films and HP Join Forces To Celebrate Star Wars and Art with Art Awakens!

With the new Star Wars movie coming out in December and the announcement at at D23 that Disney will have a huge Star Wars Land addition to the parks, it seems like everyone is all abuzz about Star Wars. I know my house is super excited about it all. I can't wait to see the new movies and ride the new rides. If only I could use my Jedi mind tricks to make it all happen a little sooner...

If you have a Star Wars fan that is also an artist, you are going to love this. This is where Star Wars, art and the forces for good all come together!

Straight Outta Compton Is More Than Just a Movie About Rappers, It's a Story of Perseverance

When I went to see Straight Outta Compton, the new movie about Rap group NWA, I knew it would be an interesting piece of music history, but I had no idea how exciting and motivating it would be. This is not just a movie about rap, this is a movie about perseverance. Even if you're not a fan of "Gangsta Rap", you can still enjoy this movie.


First, let me tell you that Straight Outta Compton is 147 minutes long, that's right almost 2 and a half hours, but... it doesn't feel like it at all! When it ended I was really disappointed that it was over. Now, that could be the nerd in me that needed to know more about Dr. Dre and the rest of NWA, because I certainly went home and did more research, but even my husband said that it didn't seem like that long. It moves fast through the rise of NWA, the challenges they faced, and ultimately ends with Dr. Dre walking away from Death Row records. It is a movie full of drama, and of course hard hitting beats, and I loved it!

Back To School Snack Tips and Sweet Treat Giveaway

Can you believe it's Back to School time already?! It seems like Summer just started! Now it's time for all the excitement of new clothes, school supplies, and lunchboxes. But have you thought about what snacks you're going to put into those lunchboxes?

School days can be long and we all need energy to get through them so we need snacks and fun treats. Sara Lee Snacks and Entenmann's Little Bites are perfect for this. Get some tips on Back to School and enter to win in this awesome Back to School Giveaway!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday, That Time I met WWE Diva Natalya

That time I met WWE's Natalya...


KidzVuz had a Back to School event last month in NYC. It was alot of fun, especially meeting this awesome Diva. She was super sweet! Hubby didn't get to go, so she autographed a picture for him.

I only wish I could spend more time chatting to her. Nattie, if you ever have time for coffee...We live in the same city! :)

Review of Riddle Cube the Game, Challenging and Fun #EducationalInsights

Our family loves to play board games, but sometimes we just get so busy, we aren't always together long enough to sit down and play a game. Since we were all together this weekend to celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday, it was a great time to try out a new game that I got in my Sweet Suite box. We played Riddle Cube the Game from Educational Insights, and we had some good laughs.

Riddle Cube the Game is a race to see who can create a shape with their "riddle cube" the fastest.

If you're looking for an interactive game for the whole family, or you want something that your child can use to develop creative skills and hand eye coordination, Riddle Cube may be the perfect thing for you.

5 Songs To Relax With. #MusicMonday

My second summer semester class is done! Sociology: Social Problems was a great class and the professor was great, but taking a 16 week class in only 6 weeks was crazy! It was a ton of work and in the middle of it, I went to NYC for BlogHer and Blogger Bash, and I had to write 16 performance evaluations at work...Phew! I'm glad that's all done! Now, I can just relax...well, until next week when Fall Semester starts...but until then, let's chill out with some good music.

Here's 5 songs to relax with.

First up, a great reminder that we can get through it all, because "every little thing's gonna be alright". Here's 3 Little Birds by Bob Marley.

Delicious Strawberry Coconut and Banana Coconut Muffin Recipe

I absolutely love coconut! So when I saw a recipe for Blueberry Coconut Muffins on my package of unsweetened coconut flakes, I got super excited. Not because I wanted to make that recipe exactly, but because it gave me an idea for another kind of Coconut muffin...Banana Coconut Muffins! Now, doesn't that just sound yummy?! Oh, they were!!


After making these, I thought 'well, why not try Strawberry Coconut Muffins?'

And, you know what?! They were even better!

Wordless Wednesday, My Dog the Explorer

My dog, Dublin is happiest when he is exploring. Look at that face! That is one happy dog! He loves wandering the back yard, digging behind the shed, chasing lizards, and just seeing what we can find together.
Here's some of the things we found.

Celebrating 50 Years: Dead Heads, Stories...of The Grateful Dead #MusicMonday

It's Music Monday, what better time to talk about the 50th anniversary of one of America's most iconic bands: The Grateful Dead. Now, I've never been what one might call a "Dead Head", but I do enjoy some of their music and I absolutely appreciate the impact that they've head on the music industry and American culture.

I was recently sent a book for review that is about the Grateful Dead but it is not your typical bio book. Dead Heads Stories From Fellow Artists, Friends and Followers of The Grateful Dead is from author Linda Kelly. As the title suggests this book tells about The Grateful Dead from the viewpoint of people that were there.


As I said, I'm not a Dead Head myself, and I never had the chance to see The Dead perform, though after reading this book I really wish I had! This book has such personal stories of people that were inspired and moved by The Grateful Dead, and funny stories of the first time. It is a glimpse into the 60s from the people that lived it and it is really quite interesting!