Let's Talk Hair, Y'all **Giveaway**

I live in the land of big hair, but other than some unfortunate perms in the middle school years, I've never been in the big hair club. And I've never wanted giant hair, but a little volume and body would be nice. I've worn my hair short for the last 10+ years too, in an effort to make it look like there was more volume there. But I decided to let my hair grow last fall. And as it has grown longer, the lack of volume has been more evident.

When I went to Blissdom in March, VO5 was there, doing hairstyling for anyone who wanted it. So I waited in line and sat in the chair and the stylist worked some kind of magic. She made my hair curly and full and I couldn't believe it.

So, I figured it was stylist sorcery and I would never see my hair like that again. I came home and I bought a flat iron and I've been practicing and while I can't get that level of curl, I've been doing okay. And I know that what helps is the VO5 Full Body +  Shine shampoo and conditioner I've been using. I got to bring home a full size bottle of each and started using it right away. Even when I keep my hair straight I have noticed it looks fuller. When my free bottles ran out, I went to the store to buy more. It is only $1.97 a bottle at Kroger!! I'm not the kind of girl that will spend a lot of money for shampoo and conditioner, but I gladly would for this. But I don't have to--it is cheaper than what I was using before! The full Salon Series from VO5 has color protection in it as well, so I can know my color will last too.

Here is what my hair looks like when I style it:

Definitely not the stick-straight, lifeless bob I was sporting before.

Win it! VO5 has offered one bottle of Full Body + Shine Shampoo AND Conditioner, as well as the Total Recovery Deep Conditioning Hair Mask, which I have but have not tried yet. To win, just leave a comment here (one per person, please) and I'll choose a winner next Monday, May 20.

Mother's Day and Marriage

Travis and I have been married for 12 years, and we've been parents for 11 of those (actually, I would say all 12, as I considered myself a parent as soon as I was pregnant) years. Holidays like Father's Day and Valentine's Day are not a big deal to Travis. I knew this then, I know this now. We don't really do Valentine's Day since our anniversary is two days later and that is far more meaningful to us. And over the years we've fallen into not really doing much for each other for Mother's Day and  Father's Day. This is mostly fine, but I found myself feeling a little down about it this year. At least leading up to the actual day.

Travis asked me on Thursday if I wanted something for Mother's Day. I said no, I didn't want anything. And that was totally unfair to Travis, probably. The truth is, I would have loved a gift. But I knew that if I said I did want something, I would then have to say exactly what I wanted and tell him where to get it, and well, that kind of takes the fun out of it, for me. So I just said no. And maybe stewed a little. Over the weekend we saw tons of commercials for jewelry and flowers and various other ways to celebrate the day. And honestly, I would never want a grand, extravagant gift for this holiday. But I began to feel like I should be getting something. I mean, six kids! I was falling prey to advertising and culture. And I didn't like it.

Saturday evening rolled around. I told Travis that I didn't want a gift this year, or every year, on this specific day. I told him I appreciate the gifts he gives me for my birthday and Christmas, chosen from a list of links I send him from my Pinterest Wish List board. I love surprises, but he doesn't want to get me something I won't like, so this system usually works for us. But I told him I would like to get an unexpected gift every once in a while, or for him to plan a date for us sometimes. Waiting until Saturday night to share this was not fair of me, for sure. I should have spoken up sooner.

This is the work of marriage. I knew when I married Travis that certain cultural expectations were not important to him and I adjusted my expectations accordingly. But we can't predict when and how our feelings on things will change. And we have to be willing to be honest about it when they do, not fearful that our spouse will be angry or hurt or resentful (confused is expected!) when we speak our feelings. I don't want a big display of appreciation all the time. I know I am valued and loved and appreciated. But just because something isn't as important to my spouse as it is to me doesn't mean I stop caring. We talk about it and figure out how to make both of us happy and not stressed.

My Mother's Day was lovely. Travis did a lot of the tedious, daily stuff that comes with life. I went to lunch and shopping with my big girls. I bought myself a purse--something Travis would never pick out on his own. We had a nice steak dinner at home. And at the end of the day, I didn't feel like I was missing a thing. I realized that I had been caught up in the material, when I was surrounded by signs of care and appreciation all day. We have to guard our marriages against the unrealistic, material expectations created by a culture that is driven by profit and show. Because the grand, showy gestures are impossible to sustain. But the daily working together to make life a little easier for each other never ends.

This Is Not a Giveaway Post

I didn't mean for this place to become a commercial spot. I had every intention of sitting down to write thoughtful, personal posts to go along with giveaways (another of which you'll see next week and then done for the time being). But life happens.

Travis and I flew to California on short notice last week to celebrate the life of my grandmother and join my family in grieving her passage into the next life. We know she is at peace and with my grandpa. The funeral Mass was moving and sad and also so comforting. I was never so grateful for the ritual of the Mass as I was in that moment, as it gave me something to focus on through my emotions. While we shed tears we also shared so much laughter and conversation and love--the true legacy left by my grandparents. While we have all grown up in different ways and have different viewpoints on lots of things, we all know how to love.

We were so blessed to have friends and family here step in and take our kids while we were gone. In just a week's time we were able to arrange for all six kids to be somewhere for the length of our travel, and we knew they were happy and having fun. Our community is our greatest treasure and it was made abundantly clear to us again this past weekend.

So, those thoughtful and personal posts? They're still brewing. I want to tell you about the real work and struggle of using NFP, for me, right now. I want to tell you about the awakening I am experiencing, as Ben has turned 3 (!!!) and those last vestiges of life with a baby slip away.  About the wandering and seeking and questioning about what it means to be where I'm at. It is hard to tell you those things when I'm still figuring them out, but I will try.

So I'll be here, eventually. But I'm also living life with my family and reading books again and realizing that there's only so much time and I must choose how I spend it more intentionally. The words are in my head, I just need to get them on the screen.

Charge! **Giveaway** iTorch External Battery Closed Giveaway

The winner is Minding Momma! Hooray! 

It seems more and more people have smart phones and tablets and other tech devices these days. And we use them a lot. And the battery life on none of them is excellent, it seems. For someone like me, who uses her phone too much probably, a good, portable charger is a necessity.

Recently I had the opportunity to try a new mobile charger on the market. The IMP52D iTorch external battery from New Trent.

The battery comes with a handy little bag keep the battery and power cords together. The cords that come with the battery are compatible with most phones and devices. Due to a licensing issue with Apple products, you do have to use your own cord when charging your phone via external battery. Additionally, you have to use the USB connector that came with your Apple product if recharging the battery via power outlet. I did not find this to be a problem, and in fact liked the longer cord. I could have my phone charging, but have the battery in my purse and just hold the phone. For men, this might be an annoyance, as they don't carry a purse.

The external battery recharges fairly quickly via outlet, less than 2 hours I believe. And it is much faster charging the phone battery than the wireless external battery I was using. I went from 20% to full battery in just over an hour, when I left the phone to charge and didn't use it very much.

From the product details:

"The iTorch packs an impressive 5,200mAh of power in it slim body and can hold up to 500 charge cycles. Its improved conversion efficiency allows more energy to be transferred to your device for a faster & more efficient charge. The iTorch is simply the smallest and most portable charger we have. About the size of a tin of Altoids and only 4.6 ounces in weight, the iTorch also sports a laser pointer and an LED flashlight, leading us to coin it "the Swiss army knife" of battery packs. Comes with 10-month product warranty." 

I love this battery! I will be giving Travis my other external battery and keeping this one for myself! It is very handy to have when I am at sports with my kids, or out running errands and not sure when I will get to charge my phone. It takes the pressure off to limit use of my phone.

Win it! New Trent has so kindly agreed to give away one iTorch. I will announce a winner on Friday, May 10. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Please make sure you leave an email address that you can be reached at. If you would like to keep up with the products New Trent offers, you can subscribe to their newsletter at their website.

Disclosure: I am part of the New Trent product testing team. I was provided with one iTorch at no cost. All opinions are my own.

I am a Strong Mom

At Blissdom, there are many corporate sponsors. They have fancy booths and are often giving away products or samples or just fun treats. You'll likely see me talking about some of those companies here again.

One of my favorite rooms to visit, and one that was not seeking to ask us to ask our readers to buy anything, was the Strong Moms Empower suite hosted by One2One Network and sponsored by Similac (and here I will say, please don't comment to tell me how evil formula is--this is a post about supporting women and their choices). We were invited to take the Strong Mom pledge and share about it in our writing space. This was a no-brainer for me.

As a mother of six, people often ask what is the hardest part, or assume that I must be overwhelmed. Sometimes I am overwhelmed, but more in a our schedule is crazy, when will we eat kind of way. That was not the case when I had my first child. I was so unprepared to be a mother. We got pregnant when we were just engaged, and so started marriage and parenthood at the same time. I was working full-time until Taylor was born, and then stayed home for three months before returning to work. The transition to being a mom was harder than I ever imagined it would be. The emotional and physical demands on me were so constant and I struggled.

I had read magazines and a book or two. I knew that nursing was best for my baby. It was supposed to be beautiful and bonding and so easy. Or so I thought. And when it wasn't any of those things for me, I felt like I failed. I felt guilty for dreading feeding times, like something was wrong with me. When my husband finally said to just switch to bottle-feeding, I was so relieved. And it was the right choice for me and my child at that time. But I didn't have enough people around me saying that was an okay choice to make, at that time. By the time I had our fourth child,  I was more prepared for the commitment to nurse. I knew it would be hard at first but that I could make it work. And I did. And that was the perfect choice for our family at that time.

So often we women will compare ourselves to others, and instead of cheering each other on, we tear each other down--because it makes us feel less bad about our weaknesses. Friends, there is no limit on success in this world and there is no cookie-cutter way to be a strong mom. Each of us is doing what we know to be right for our family, in our time. A choice we make today may not be the same one we make in six months. So when your friend at church struggles with the demands of being a working mom, tell her she is doing the best that she can, instead of questioning why she is working. When your playgroup friend admits that she feels overwhelmed with her two kids, don't tell her three is a breeze and she should just jump on the slightly larger family wagon. Acknowledge the difficulties we all face and look for ways to help, not hurt. We're all better moms when we support each other.

 

Visit www.strongmomsempower.com and take the pledge. Let's be a loud celebration of women encouraging women.

Disclosure: I am participating in a blog campaign with One2One Network. I have not received any payment. All opinions are my own.

What Is My Bliss?

Two weeks ago today, I was loading up our truck and driving to Grapevine for my second Blissdom conference. I was so excited it was local--no worries on luggage being overweight! I packed enough clothes to last ten days. And I wore a lot of them! In the last two weeks, I've been trying to sum up my experience. And I'm finding it a little bit difficult. When my friends ask how it was, I say it was fun. And it was. But that's not really a good wrap-up, is it?

Last year, when I boarded the plane to Nashville, I was nervous. I was going to a city I had never visited, alone. I was going to be sharing a room with three women I had never met. I would be around 700 other bloggers, but technically knew none of them in person. Being a blogger, you might think I'm naturally outgoing. That is not always the case, though. Usually I warm up to people and then they get to see all my crazy. So, it was a huge thing for me to make this trip. And it ended up being the beginning of a year of new-found confidence for me. Blissdom last year kick started an internal change in me--it helped me begin the ongoing process of figuring out what I want to do with myself as we emerge from many years of baby haze.

So, this year, when I picked up my friend Elaine at the airport and headed to the Gaylord, I was excited to see friends from last year. I was thrilled to be sharing a room with Leigh (roommate last year) and Sean and Stephanie (two new friends). I wasn't worried about who I would eat lunch with or talk to during the breaks. I was secure in myself, and quite happy to sit alone, decompressing, or to just plop down at a table and introduce myself. From the beginning of the conference I had an attitude of just going with the flow, and enjoying myself. Blissdom was a retreat for me.

Will that affect what you see here? Yes! What I took away most, from the breakout sessions I attended, and the keynotes, was to write what I want to write. Too long I've been censoring myself, afraid to offend or expose too much of myself. But I know that when I do write more honestly, I get better response. Also, while I don't plan to make this a money-making machine, I have decided I will do more sponsored content--only for products and movements I would be behind anyway. There are things I love and I want to share them with you, my readers.

What is my bliss? Using this space to talk about what is important to me, or to talk about the silly things in life, or to share what products and ideas I'm loving. I hope y'all like what I share.

Sean, Leigh, me, Stephanie--so much fun!

Pretty Paper: A Giveaway with Minted!

Giveaway closed. The winner is Aimee! I used a random number generator and 19 was the lucky number. 

I love stationery. I keep blank note cards on hand so I can write quick thank you notes, or notes of encouragement, or whatever, without having to scramble to find the appropriate card. So, I was very excited when Minted contacted me and asked if I wanted to host a giveaway. Yes--I'd love to share pretty paper goodness with my friends!

Minted is a fantastic place for beautiful, unique, even personalized stationery and party goods. They invite designers to submit their own design work and customers vote on the designs and have a say in what gets sold. Crowdsourcing for the win!

So, if you're on Pinterest, you have likely seen the image that says something about getting a do-over for your wedding if you got married before the site existed. Frankly, I couldn't handle the pressure of that many great ideas. But, I would go to the Wedding collection at Minted to choose my invitations. They have inspiration boards that show an invitation with photo ideas, centerpieces, and so on.

How cute is this Rock and Roll set?

A little bit of Rock & Roll board by Dawn Jasper. See more Minted.com

My bridesmaids wore purple dresses and purple is still my favorite color. I love this inspiration board.

Poppies & Peonies board by Jennifer Wick. See more Minted

I'm excited to get a journal and stationery set. Coordinating paper goods make me happy. I'm eying this journal and the personalized note cards that match. Nothing makes me feel more grownup than stationery with my name on it!










You can also get really fantastic paper supplies for baby showers, wedding showers, and other parties. There is so much to be had at Minted and you have a chance to win! You can follow Minted on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Minted has kindly offered $50 of store credit to one winner. So, comment here to get one entry. If you'd like to share this giveaway via social media of some kind, you can do so and earn one more entry for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and so on. Please just come back and tell me you did so in the comments. Maximum 3 entries per person. Spend some time looking at all they offer and tell us what you would choose. And vote on designs! Giveaway ends at noon on Thursday, April 4.

Disclosure: Minted contacted me and is giving me store credit in return for this post. All opinions are my own.