Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Roblox gift card discount!

If you are a Costco member and have a kid who loves Roblox, look no further!  You can get discounted cards online!  They have three options: One $50 card for $44.99, four $25 cards for $89.99, or one $100 card for $89.99.

Within 2 days you will receive the gift card code by email - talk about no-hassle!  There is also, no shipping fee, since it's a digital download, saving you time and gas.

Once I received the code, I created my own card for my son and wrote a note to him with the code, put it in a box with some fun confetti, wrapped it, and it's ready to go.  

Now you can skip the extra trip to Costco for Roblox cards, and do it right from home.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!


Link for Roblox cards





Sunday, May 17, 2020

From Caterpillars to Butterflies

We recently watched five caterpillars make cocoons and transform into butterflies at our house.  It was a really fun thing to experience, and it made this time of staying at home for Coronavirus a bit more exciting.  We released the last two butterflies, right on Mother's Day.  One of them (who my kids' named Jimmy), landed on my son, Ever, upon release and didn't want to leave him.  Jimmy would fly for a second and then land on Ever's shoulder, then land on his arm- over and over again for about 5 minutes. Ever eventually put the butterfly into a flowering tree and Jimmy stayed.

Just the other night as I laid awake in bed, I was about almost in tears just realizing how fast my kids are growing up and that time seems to be flying by faster than ever.  How is this happening?  Wasn't I just pregnant with my first?  In only 4 more short years my oldest will be learning how to drive.  In less time than they've been alive, they will be adults, ready to go out into the world- just like the butterflies.

Children are all yours for just a little while. Pretty soon they start having play dates, then going off to birthday parties and school, and then the next thing you know they are dating.  My kids haven't reached the dating part yet but my son already has his first crush.  Oh vey!  So often our kids ask us to play with them, or  watch something with them, and as parents, often times we are so busy with all of our responsibilities; making meals, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc., that we tell our kids we are busy and then never get around to playing with them.

When a friend asks us to do something, we usually say yes.  Why not the same with our kids?  Yes, we have things to do, but it is important to remember to say YES more often than no when our kids want to spend time with us.  They won't be around forever and it's the small moments that really are the big moments.

My kids and I did a local program last fall called the Stronger Families Project, and the most important thing I took away from that program was the importance of having at least 15 minutes of one-on-one time with each child every day.  The daily one-on-one helps create a lasting bond with your child.  Do you want to be close with your kids once they are grown up?  Well, start building that bond now.  I know that it's not always possible to do that, but you do your best, even if it's just reading with them before bed.

I have really been enjoying spending more time with my kids, especially during these stay-at-home orders.  I've been by their side with their online schooling, and we have been doing so many things together; projects, playing UNO and Go Fish, watching youTube and movies, playing badminton, going on bike rides, playing hide-and-seek, and enjoying video games too.

When this is all over, I think we will look back and remember the hard times but hopefully overall, we will remember the good that came from it.  This is the time to slow down and spend with yourself, your spouse, and your kids, before we all get released from our temporary (stay-at-home) cocoons and go out into the world again.  Cherish this time.  It may seem long right now, but really, it goes by so fast, just like watching your kids grow up.






Also, if you are in Utah and are interested in doing the 8 week Stronger Families Project, click here.
And, if you want your own butterfly kid, click here.


 







Friday, March 27, 2020

Making a Movie Trailer with your Kids

While we are all being homebodies due to Covid-19, this is the perfect time to discover new family activities. If you have an iPhone or iPad you can EASILY make a movie trailer.  

A couple of months ago, we were at the Apple store and learned how to do this and have been having so much fun with it!  Apple offers a ton of fun and FREE classes for kids, and adults, daily.  We have taken several classes so far (film, drawing, animation, music) and can't wait until this pandemic is clear and we can take more classes.

Seriously, this is SO MUCH FUN and SO EASY!  To do this, go to the iMovie app.



Then select the + symbol to create a new 'project', next select 'trailer'.   Once you click on trailer, you have a choice for several movie themes:

Adrenaline
Bollywood
Coming of Age
Expedition
Fairy Tale
Family
Indie
Narrative
Retro
Romance
Scary
Super Hero
Swashbuckler
Teen


Once you have selected the movie theme, select 'outline' (movie credits). Here you will get to list who the director, editor, writer, producer's are, etc.  Once you are done with that step, click 'storyboard'.  Here you will do the filming and input the sayings that will show up throughout the trailer.

It is automatically set to music which goes along with the theme you have chosen, so you don't need to worry about what to say, since it doesn't record any sound.  Then just follow along - filming what it tells you to shoot; group shots, wide shots, medium shots, landscapes, closeups, and action shots.  As you go along, you will be able to edit the sayings to fit whatever you want it to say, or simply keep the sayings that are already in place.

It is very straightforward and intuitive.  Once you have created one together, your kids can pretty much run with it and start making tons of creative trailers.  My kids tend to choose the scary theme most of the time, it's so fun to see what they come up with.  Here is the trailer we made today. I hope you have tons of fun doing this!  - XO



Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Tie Dye with your Kids

I was talking with my friend and she told me that her daughter recently tie dyed some tees.  She said that we could borrow their dye if we wanted to make some also.

I knew my kids would absolutely love it but I didn't love the thought of dye everywhere. However, it didn't take long for me to decide to go for it, as I knew how fun it would be for the kids and how proudly they would wear their shirts.  So, we hit the local Walmart and I bought them a plain white tee for $3 each.  What a bargain!!

Then we dyed the shirts on our backyard patio.  We set down a couple of large trash bags, which really contained any mess (which there was hardly any of - surprisingly).  We also used disposable rubber gloves, which worked really well for keeping our hands clean. It was super easy and fun.  My kids have been absolutely loving the shirts they made.

I am really glad we went for it.  I am now tempted to get my own white tee and make one for myself because they look so cute in their tees!  Here's to trying new things and making new memories! Here is the YouTube tutorial for making the shirts.

Happy Tie-dye'ing!  XO




Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Become Empowered Through Homeopathy

Homeopathy...... it is amazing!!! I recently discovered homeopathic medicine and have witnessed the power of it myself, and I can't say enough good things about them!  So here I go . . .

I had heard of homeopathy but had never used it.  But then I recently heard about homeopathy again through a women's Facebook group that I am a part of for extremely heavy periods (TMI - I know, but we can be real here.... right?)  Someone in the group mentioned that Magnesium Phosphorica homeopathy could help with menstrual cramps.

I was extremely intrigued because when my heavy days arrive, I have to take 3, sometimes 4, ibuprofen (200 mg each) pills consistently every 6 hours (which is very hard on the gut).  Nothing else would relieve my pain as well as the ibuprofen did until  . . . I tried Magnesium Phosphorica.

I ordered them on Amazon here and when my next period arrived, I took them during my heavy days (when my massive cramps occur) and they helped almost immediately!!!  I was astounded and I did not have to take any ibuprofen during my entire period - WOW!  Not a single ibuprofen pill!!

I have since come to find that  Magnesium Phosphorica helps with "spasmodic pain in the abdomen improved by heat', but that Caulophyllum Thalictroides helps specifically for menstrual cramps.  Even though the Magnesium worked so well, just to see if there is any difference, I am going to the Caulophyllum Thalictroides during my next period. They actually have other remedies that help with cramps as well.  I can't wait to try them all!

After seeing first hand how well homeopathy works, I soon visited my local heath store (Sprouts) and found the Boiron homeopathy display.  The bottles are displayed by ailment and are very easy to find what you are looking for.  This is what the display looks like in the store:





I immediately saw one called Calcarea Phosphorica which treats growing pains for adolescents.  My son gets growing pains every now and then and I've always given him either acetaminophen or ibuprofen.  It always takes the pain medicine a while to work.  A few days after I bought them, my son complained of growing pains.  I gave them to him and they worked within minutes and then he fell fast asleep.  Wow!  I was amazed again.

Then I saw one called Coffee Cruda which helps 'mental hyperactivity and sleeplessness', which I totally have when trying to fall asleep.  These help calm my mind right down and lets me have a deep, peaceful sleep.  Seriously, where have these been all my life?

They work incredibly well and have already helped my kids and I so much.  Homeopathic medicine is an easy, natural, and safe way to treat ailments at home, and can relieve such a wide range of conditions.  For example, some of the things they can help with are pain, stress, sleep, hot flashes, PMS, heavy menstrual flow, bloating and lower back pain during menstruation , cough, gas, and much more.

They even make arnica cream and gels for helping with sore muscles, ointments for healing wounds and burns, pellets for reducing flu symptoms, sore throats, teething, colic, etc.  It's a whole new world and there is still so much I have to and want to learn about homeopathy.  There is a FAQ here that I found really helpful.

With so many remedies, it might be confusing finding the right homeopathic medicine for the particular ailment you or your family are dealing with. Well, they have made it easy because they have a FREE app called the Boiron Medicine Finder.  Here is what it looks like:



When I opened my first bottle, I wasn't sure how to get them out because there is this thing in the way.  I pryed it off with a butter knife and then thought.... this thing is there for a purpose, I know I'm doing this wrong.  So.....  I googled how to open them, and yes, you don't pry it off (it's there for a reason, and it's actually a brilliant design and so easy to open once you know how.  So check out this quick demonstration so that you can open them like a pro.

Homeopathy is SO empowering and I love that I can now treat myself and my family at home for a number of different ailments. I will be reaching for homeopathic remedies before immediately turning to the medicine cabinet from now on (for issues that can be self-treated).  But what exactly is homeopathy?  Read more here.

I have since bought a bunch of them, and I found an amazing case, on Etsy, to keep them organized in (and to use for travel).  The cases are so cute and there are a multitude of cute patterns to choose from.  I have a COUPON CODE that all of my followers can use to get 15% off of ANY of her homeopathic cases until March 31, 2019.  Either use the code KNOWITMOM15 upon checkout, or you can just use this url directly to redeem the coupon (which takes you to her page where you can see all of her cases).  Yay for discounts!!!

If you find a new love for homeopathy like I have, you might want to get yourself one too. These cases are also EMF (electromagnetic frequency) safe - as electromagnetic radiation can weaken homeopathic remedies over time.  If you are curious about EMF click here for some scientific explanations.

I challenge you to give homeopathic medicine a try for yourself (and your family) and I am sure you will love them just as much as we do.  And if you don't.... they have a 30-day consumer money-back guarantee.

They are very easy to take too (much easier than giving a child medicine).  They are small pellets that just dissolve under the tongue.  They taste sweet and my kids love them much more than taking medicine.  However, this is very IMPORTANT (that I just learned this) do NOT have food OR water up to five minutes before and after the pellets melt.  You also must NOT touch the pellets because the oils from your fingers will effect the potency.  So when you open them, hold the container with the cap down, turn the lid clockwise until the pellets drop into the cap, then remove cap and pour the pellets under your tongue.

-XO


Sunday, January 6, 2019

2019 Goals

I make it a point to tell my kids that I love them, often. I want them to always know they are loved and to always feel safe talking to me about anything.
In October of this year, I had an MRI scan of my abdomen and the radiologist was pretty positive that they found a tumor on my small intestine....
They sent me to the Huntsman Cancer Institute and I was seen by the top surgeon who treats tumors on the small intestine. The day before, I had a CT scan done so that they could get better pictures.
I was SO nervous to see the doctor and to get the CT scan results. Waiting for my appointment to come was torture, as I had no idea what my future looked like. Luckily, once I met with the surgeon, she had went over the CT scan results with me and assured me that it was not a tumor and that I was fine.
I was thrown from a car 27 years ago, and apparently, when you have a strong blow to the abdomen like I did, it's not uncommon to have part of your spleen break off.
So, what they thought was a tumor, was actually a piece of spleen that broke off from the main spleen. It's got it's own blood supply and everything. I never knew that had occured during my accident until all of this happened.
I am EXTREMELY grateful that I don't have cancer and was so happy to get this news. However, when a scare like this happens, it really makes you examine your life and remember what is most important.
For me, my family and friends are the most important things in my life. You can't take anything with you from this life when you die, except for the relationships that you build and the love in your heart.
My goal for the new year is to cherish each moment and make the most of each moment, keep letting those I love how I feel about them, build stronger relationships, and to life simply.
What are your 2019 goals?


Saturday, December 29, 2018

A Breakfast to Smile About . . .

Looking for a new and fun way to make waffles?  You can get this Animal Friends Waffle Maker here and your kids will love it!

They turn out so cute! I put any leftovers in a ziplock sandwich bag and give them to my kids after school as a snack, or the following day in their lunch as a bonus surprise.

Here is the recipe I use:

Ingredients ***
Dry 
1C organic all purpose flour
1T sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet
1C organic milk
1 organic egg
1 tsp vegetable oil

Optional
Powdered sugar

Instructions ***
Put all of the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl first, then put the wet ingredients on top and mix well with a fork.  Spray the waffle maker with spray butter or oil and cook.  I remove the waffles with a small rubber spatula (using anything metal may scratch the waffle maker).  Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.