#RockTheLunchBox from Influenster

Yesterday, last night actually, I got my big blue envelope in the mail from Influenster.

It took a while for it to get to me but it's finally here and I'm excited!

In the big blue envelope (LOL), had my Congratulations card and coupons for the following.

#RockTheLunchBox #InfluensterVoxBox 

Annie's Homegrown

https://www.facebook.com/annieshomegrown

http://instagram.com/annieshomegrown

 http://www.pinterest.com/annieshomegrown/

 https://twitter.com/annieshomegrown

 http://www.annies.com/

Honest Tea

 https://twitter.com/HonestTea

https://www.honesttea.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HonestTea

http://instagram.com/honesttea

http://www.pinterest.com/honestbeverages/

Rudi's Organic Bakery

https://twitter.com/rudisorganic 

 http://www.rudisbakery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rudisorganicbakery

http://www.pinterest.com/rudisorganic/

Applegate Natural and Organic Meats

https://twitter.com/Applegate 

https://www.facebook.com/applegate 

 http://www.applegate.com/

http://instagram.com/applegate

http://www.pinterest.com/applegatefarms/

I need to get all the products soon to test them out and then I'll write a review on them.

I am sure my daughter will love them. Just before I got this package we went to Fred Meyers to look for some Dead Sea Salt and came across Annie's chocolate bunnies and got a box for our girl. She loves them and we planned on going back to get some. Now we really are lol

That's it for now until I can make a trip to the store. 

Thank you Influenster and all these awesome companies!

 Click on my Influenster button for more info on the site.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

That's What She Said | Beauty And Body Image

Make Your Own Tiny Envelopes

Easy DIY tiny Envelopes 

These are so cute and easy to make. I love using these to put little cards in, hold my coins inside my purse or a business card to a customer.

They can be used for so many things. Whatever you want.

I used to buy them and draw on them for friends and myself. Now, I found an awesome tutorial on Poppytalk! And her guest by the name of Ruth Bleakley. She does such a good job and this is not something I could ever come up with on my own.

I will link to her blog and have the tutorial below!

Here goes nothing...

1. Choose an envelope you already have that you like the size and shape of

2. Soak it in a bowl of water (lukewarm is probably best) for about one minute, or until the glue releases from the paper easily. It will not take as long as you think!

3. Pat the now unfolded envelope dry - it doesn't have to be completely dry, just not drippy - and trace it onto a thin piece of cardboard - chipboard works well, as would something like a cereal box. Try to be accurate at this stage and trace neatly.

 

4. Cut the template out with a pair of scissors, and you may want to label it so that in the future you (or whoever you live with) won't say "what is this strange piece of cardboard?" and toss it out!

5. Use your new wonderful template to trace out an envelope design on any and all types of paper! Think gift wrap, maps, magazines, old calenders, stamped cardstock - you name it! I like to trace using pencil on the side that will be the inside so the marks won't show.

 

 

6. Carefully cut out your envelope with scissors and fold it up - I like to do the sides first, then use the folded sides as a guide on where to fold the top and bottom. Use the handle of your scissors or a bone folder for really crisp edges.

7. Use a glue tape roller  to stick your envelope together, or glue stick but I find glue stick gets brittle after just a few months, go ahead and get a glue tape roller, they're like $5 and you can find them in the adhesive section of an office supply store or craft store.

8. *Bonus Points* if you've ever wanted to be able to lick and stick your envelope flaps, check out this Lick& Stick glue I originally bought from Paper Source (they don't seem to carry it anymore). If you can't find it, you can also D.I.Y. your own envelope glue (2x craft bonus points!)

9. Ta-da! Admire your finished work! Ideas for use include: penpal & swap envelopes, gift card envelopes & storing small things in your studio - if you happen to make some yourself, I'd LOVE to see them! Post a link in the comments.

 

I was happy to come across this and cannot wait to make a ton more of them!!

Picture available on her blog post!

 

http://www.poppytalk.com/2011/09/tutorial-easy-tiny-envelopes.html

 

 

DIY Coffee Scrub

I love making scrubs at home! And my husband,

(who is an amazing licensed massage therapist lol),

has made a ton in some of his massage classes back in the day.

He brought some home to me and I recreated them and made my own.

This one I am sharing with you isn't a secret at all and its probably one of the most popular coffee scrubs out there! Super easy and great for your skin.

I also found a Coffee Bomb that I want to try to make. that is supposed to be good for cellulite...

May be worth a try. But on to this one!

The Ingredients you will need:

1 Cup Ground Coffee

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Almond Oil

1/4 Tsp Vitamin E Oil

Putting it all together:

1. Combine Ingredients in a small bowl.

2. To use: Wet your skin, and apply scrub to skin. 

You can use a small spoon or scoop to get the scrub out of your jar or cup.

 I keep mine in a small mason jelly jar.

3. Gently rub your scrub onto your skin in a circular motion. 

This feels good and removes dry/dead skin.

4. Clean off as much as you can with a paper towel or warm wash cloth.

Then wash away the rest in the shower.

Extra Info:

When using the Almond Oil, start with about 1/4 cup and you can add more depending on your texture preference. I usually use 1/4 cup and a tsp or so more. I don't like it to be too oily, so 1/2 cup doesn't work for me but you might like that more!!

Also, make one batch at a time and use within 2-4 Weeks!!

I hope you try this at home and enjoy it as much as me! 

P.s. For a different smell and added benefit, you could always use a couple drops of your fave Essential Oil. Totally up to you.

I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL!!

A Couple of Shots

I shot these randomly the other day while I was outside taking pictures of my daughter before she turns 3 this week.

It was really foggy out and the backyard was a giant puddle :)

She loved it and I think I got some good shots.

Here are some of them. I hope you enjoy.

Side Note: Some are SOOC and some I have enhanced color or darkened the Black and White.

Enhanced Color

Enhanced Color and Cropped

Enhanced and added Watermark

SOOC - Added Watermark

SOOC

SOOC - Creative Auto Mode in Black and White

SOOC - Creative Auto Mode in Black and White

Question: What now?

A question that comes up too many times for me.
What do we do now?
What comes next?
I used to be okay with not knowing. You know, go with the flow. Now, not so much.
We don't know where we're going from here and it's a scary thought. We have no place to go from here. What roof is going to be over my daughters head next month?
Will she remember that she didn't have a good Christmas full of happy people?
Will she know that she didn't get a 3rd birthday party?
Family? Friends? What now?
What do we do from here?

Keep looking up?! Keep moving foward?!
That's all we can do!
Living on a prayer!?!
I know it's cheesy but it's a good song :)
And it's what we have to hold onto right now.
I have to stay positive and happy in front of my family. I have to try harder in believing there will be a happier place in the near future. We will get there!
Feels good to rant every now and then.
Thank you!

Tone It Up #TIULoveYourBody Challenge

This year I am doing the Tone It Up Love Your Body Challenge!!

I wanted to do it last year but it just didn't work out.

This year, I'm in a better place and I have more time to do the Check Ins and such.

What is it? What do I do? I'll tell you! Lol

ToneItUp.com is a wonderful community of woman, who support each other in reaching our goals.

The Founders are Katrina and Karena!

You can read all about them and Tone It Up here...

http://toneitup.com/about-karena-and-katrina-founders-of-tone-it-up/

They explain everything A LOT better than I ever could :)

And the Love Your Body For Valentines Day challenge is something they started and do every year, starting New Years day and going to Valentines Day. They are also doing their 3rd year of #100ByVDay! Walk, run, treadmill... Do 100 miles by V Day!!

(I'm going to try really hard to do that one lol)

I'll leave a link to their site and it also explains everything about what I'm talking about.

It's going to be a challenge and fun! 

OH!! And K&K are going to be giving away weekly check in prizes! 

Its only the 3rd day and you have plenty of time to get started!!!

Go here first:

http://toneitup.com/2014/12/new-years-love-your-body-challenge/

Hope you join in too!!

http://community.toneitup.com/

http://instagram.com/toneitup/

http://instagram.com/KarenaKatrina/

https://twitter.com/toneitup

https://www.facebook.com/ToneItUp

 

New years 2015

Oh My Goodness!!!

I cannot believe it is 2015! My daughter is turning 3 this month!

I have a new goal for myself and our life.

I've always had a New Years Resolution so this is just an add on to it.

I think we want to try for another baby in June? July? Not sure yet. We're still thinking about it. If I had done things my way (lol) we would already have another child by now but my hubby wanted to wait. I understand why.

I think by mid year we'll be in a good place to talk about it more and possibly go get my Mirana out.

Like I said, we'll talk about it. I also want to make a new workout schedule. Mainly because I packed mine and don't have it anymore :/

I want to workout 4 or 5 days a week and walk with my daughter twice a week. With a longer stroller walk once or twice a week, all walks depending on the weather.

Got to love Oregon (valley) weather lol 

And walking helps me scout out new places to live that might not be in the paper or online. We need to have a new place by the end of this month. Which isn't very long but understandable.

It sure does put a lot of stress on the old man though! I don't like that at all! He takes the weight of the world on his shoulders and sometimes there is nothing I can do to ease it.

Anywho, this was just a small little update. I will probably do more of these little posts until we get settled in our own place. And that way I have more time and energy to do it. Plus these little updates can cause a habit in me, that I need :)

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New years!!!

Goodbye 2014, WELCOME 2015!!! ♥