Wanna Be Balanced Mom: August 2010

The Rain Came Down and the Floods Came Up~ Wordless Wednesday

A couple weeks ago we had a crazy rain storm hit. These are pictures of our backyard.

I always wanted a pool!!!

Our basement flooded as a result of this, so we were lucky to get our own INDOOR pool as well. Gosh we're lucky!

Play along at Live and Love Out Loud

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Cozette Couture

I got these cute little vintage handcrafted flowers so I could sew them on to a pair of flip flops for Lily. They turned out so cute don't you think?

I just love all the creative things I find at Cozette Couture on Etsy. Here are some of my favorites.

Vintage Lace Headwrap/ Sash $25

Vintage Lace Pearl Bracelet $14

Don't ya just love these Flower Wipee Cases!!! $18

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My new favorite chips!

I LOVE the Blue Corn Chips, so yummy!!!

These tortilla chips are made from the highest quality, all-natural ingredients baked into the chips.

Gluten Free
Cholesterol free
Trans fat free
Certified Kosher
Lower in sodium
Great source of fiber
They are available in ten varieties! Multigrain, Sweet Potato, Olive, Jalapeno, The Works, Chocolate, Lime, Yellow Corn, Blue Corn, and Cheddar.

You can find these chips at Costco, Albertsons, StarBucks, Whole Foods, and many many more. Or you can just buy them online at www.foodshouldtastegood.com. You can even get $1 off coupon from their website.

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FREE Simulated Diamond Earrings

A new website called DiamondEarrings.org has an innovative promotion going on. They’re not selling anything yet, but are spreading the word about their site by giving away free pairs of simulated diamond earrings set in sterling silver, and will ship them anywhere in the continental U.S. It works like this:

1) Mention the site DiamondEarrings.org on twitter, facebook, myspace, or your own blog.

2) Go to DiamondEarrings.org and click on “Order Now” on the top right of the page.

3) Fill out the required information and pay for shipping, only $3.77.

4) Wait for your earrings to arrive!

I just got mine in the mail the other day. So excited to get free stuff :)

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Sojo Salon & Boutique

I recently bought this dress and cabaret leggings from this Boutique in the Sojo Salon located at

1098 W South Jordan Pkwy (10600 S.)

South Jordan UT 84095

I just LOVE the dress and love the leggings even more! I got the dress for $56, and the leggings for $39

I got the burgundy ones too.

They also have this color as well.

Fountain of Youth

Don't you wish there really was such thing as the fountain of youth?
Instead, all we have to look forward to is botox and plastic surgery. I'm all about preventing premature aging, although this wasn't always the case. Now looking back at all the hours I spent in the sun, staying up way too late, drinking alcohol and experimenting with cigarettes. I wish I could take it all back for the sake of my skin... oh AND my health of course :)
I've mentioned that I'm reading this amazing book on the brain called Magnificent Mind at Any Age (1st): Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brain's Maximum Potential [Treat Anxiety, Memory Problems, ADD, and Insomnia]. I'm seriously learning some incredible things about the brain from this book. The Author says that the most effective way of preventing premature aging is by increasing blood flow. Anything that limits blood flow will dramatically age all your body's organs, and we all know that our skin is the most important organ. Life isn't worth living if you've got wrinkles and saggy skin!!! Okay, you all know I'm kidding right?
Anyway, I wanted to share with you the list of things mentioned in the book that are all factors in what limits or disrupts blood flow. (note, the bold text is from the book, and the italic are my thoughts and comments.)

Stress. The overflow of the stress chemical adrenaline constricts blood flow to many areas of the body. Ha, well, how in the heck are we supposed to eliminate stress in motherhood? That's a tough one. I guess my suggestion would be a weekly date night, a monthly girls night out, then of course you gotta have your own personal cook, housekeeper, and nanny. That should do the trick.
Caffeine. This substance directly constricts blood flow to the brain, disrupts sleep, and is involved in dehydration. We all know that eliminating caffeine is NOT an option!!! I know I could do better at cutting back, but why not just drink more water? Sounds like a better plan to me.
Nicotine. Aw, crap! Do I really have to give up my tobacco chew?
Environment toxins. These toxins poison blood vessels. This is the biggest reason why I'm so into cleansing the body. I've learned how important it is to rid your body of these toxins in order to maintain better health and of course lose the excess pounds we all tend to put on as we get older. I use to think that it's normal to gain weight as you get older. Well, it IS normal, but there are ways of preventing this awful curse. If you haven't already tried the cleanse I do periodically, then you should seriously look into it. I lost 25 lbs and went from a size 10 to a 5. See my before and after pics HERE, and go to www.wannabelean.com if you'd like to order.
Lack of sleep. People who get less than six hours of sleep at night have lower overall blood flow to the brain. Gosh, it's no wonder women tend to age faster than men. Women get way less sleep, especially during pregnancy and with a new born. A lot of moms have trouble falling asleep at night because our minds are going a million miles a minute thinking about all the things that need to get done the next day. I've found Melatonin to be very effective. It TOTALLY works. It's only $5 on amazon or most any grocery store has it, look for it in the vitamins section.
Lack of exercise. In addition to weakening the heart pump, too little exercise allows blood vessels to become droopy and less efficient. Droopy? Well um, I don't think I want anything else on my body getting droopy, inside or out. There's nothing good that comes from droopy. Anyway, I truly believe that a 20 min work out each day is all it takes. I'm actually doing the Insanity work out right now, but it's the first time in years that I've pushed myself this hard. I just thought I needed a little pick me up so I'm giving it a shot.
Drug or Alcohol abuse. These substances are directly toxic to the vascular system. Drugs or alcohol cause a toxic Swiss cheese appearance on scans from the overall decreased blood flow. Hmm, a swiss cheese brain doesn't sound too good. This one is easy for me since I'm a Mormon and already follow the word of wisdom. If it wasn't for my strong belief in the teachings of the LDS church I would most likely be a drunken mess, embarrassing myself in public, slurred speech, shouting out loud obnoxious comments at the grocery store while removing articles of clothing and forgetting things like, my name and where I am.

So the moral of the story is: Stay young and beautiful by living a stress free life. Stop drinking all that rum and coke, overcome your Nicotine addiction, drink more water, get at least 8 hours of sleep, exercise like a maniac, lock yourself up in a air filtered room, NEVER go outside or eat anything other than organically pure food, or you can just cleanse :)
Let's avoid those nasty wrinkles and saggy butts ladies. Nobody likes a droopy set of...
blood vessels.

I'm Jealous!

I'm feeling like a high school girl again, competing for attention from the boy I love. Trying every possible thing to make him like me and want to be with me. I try to be fun, exciting, nurturing, but nothing seems to work. Oliver still chooses his dad over me :(

To be honest I never thought I'd be jealous of Oliver wanting Sean over me. At first I thought it was adorable that he's a daddy's boy, but now it's just getting ridiculous. Honestly, does he not remember the fact that I carried him in my belly for 9 months!!! Does he not remember all the night time feedings, the diaper changes, the bathes, the constant holding and tending to his every need? Where's the appreciation?

Lily was always a mommy's girl and I loved it to some extent. Sometimes it would bother me because she wouldn't let Sean do anything, like carry her, buckle her seat belt, push the stroller, brush her teeth, wipe her bum. I had to do it all. Now I'm thinking that it's better than the alternative. Oliver shakes his head at me and pushes me away when Sean's holding him, and he cries at me if I come too close or talk to him when Sean's around, makes me sad. But ya know what? I'm trying to be a good sport about it, I guess Sean deserves his turn to be the favorite:) Gotta overcome my jealousy... on second thought, scratch that idea. I have a new plan. I'm just going to try harder to be the fun one :)

Any tips on how to win him over? I've gotta come up with some new tactics. I was thinking I could wake up at 6am every morning to plan out my day full of activities ALL for Olly. First we'll start out by having cookies and milk for breakfast, fresh baked, followed by a 2 hour ride on the 4 wheeler, then we'll go to the pet store and buy a puppy. We'll pop over to the candy shop, then swimming, then the zoo, and of course stop for ice cream on the way home. Who cares about the dishes, laundry and list of things that need to be done, making dinner for Sean and Lily, or spending time with them. It's all about Oliver now, I've got to focus on the goal here, can't have any distractions.

FAB Friday~ Jewelry Giveaway!!!

I'm so excited to tell you about this fashionable jewelry I love so much!!! I own a few of these Jewel Kade Charmz and Chainz and they are definitely my most favorite jewelry to wear. Guarantee you're going to love them all!!! I'll let my friend Kathy tell you a little more about herself and how she got involved in selling this jewelry. Oh and she's also offered to sponsor a giveaway. The lucky winner will get to choose an item of their choice up to $60. Pretty generous of her don't you think?

My name is Kathy Andrews- I started my Jewel Kade business last September. Jewel Kade is a new direct sales company out of Utah. Janet Kinkade is the designer of this unique, vintage style charmware. She is a mother of 5, that has been in fashion and jewelry designing for many years. She made a photo charm of her 5 children and everyone noticed her work. She made the decision to perfect that design and produce unique charmware during the summer of 2008. In July of 2010, Jewel Kade went National. There are only 600 Stylists in the entire country.

I am so proud to be one of those fortunate stylists. I was awestruck when I noticed someone wearing this line, and made the decision that day to get involved. I have never looked back. This charmware is so fun to wear. There is not a day that goes by, that people don’t compliment my jewelry. The jewelry makes you feel so pretty! What I love about it- is that you can wear it with jeans, work casual, business/professional and even formal. It is so versatile.

The charms are all hand crafted, made out of pewter that encases cut, beveled glass. Many pieces have German glass glitter- a very high quality coarse glitter. The artwork is applied to canvas. The front of the charm is always different from the back- so it is like wearing 2 different pieces. The chains are a mixed metal, silver and gold, and also, there are georgous pearls (white, chocolate and champagne colors) to choose from. The chains and charms are all interchangeable- as each chain has a claw to attach the charm- so you mix and match everyday. Layering is “the look”- mix silver and gold, with pearls and chains etc. It is so incredibly fun! It is truly like wearing a piece of art. And what could be more personal than a photo charm of your kids, or your new baby, or your grandchildren, or your wedding day, or your anniversary—the list goes on!

My business is primarily home parties, on-line ordering, and vendor/expos. You can do a business part-time (as I do, I have a full time nurse job) or full time—you decide! It requires no education, previous experience or prior knowledge.

Joining the Jewel Kade team is an incredible “timing” opportunity- as there are so few people that even know about it. This is a grass roots business, and I am certain, Jewel Kade will be a “household” name in a few years. So much potential also- especially, because, at this point, Janet has only focused on chains and charms- there are lots of ideas on the horizon, including more bracelets, earrings, and other accessories.

Jewel Kade is a perfect option in this down economy- sales are wonderful- you would never know there was a recession!! You can start your business with as little as $400 and most reps make that initial cost after 2-3 parties. The business is very simple- I carry my collection in my car everywhere I go!

I am looking to grow my team and have reps in every state. I can coach on the phone, and I am willing to travel.

Thank you for your time- this should be helpful as it gives you a bit more insight to me, my Jewel Kade business, as well as the uniqueness of the Jewel Kade quality charmware.

Kathy Andrews----248-895-0046

www.jewelkade.com/kathyandrews

kathyandrews@wowway.com

“Charmz n’ Chainz” on Facebook

So here are some things you can do for us to help spread the word. Leave a separate comment for each thing you do. I will be selecting a winner using random.org. You can pick just one thing to do, or you can do all and increase your chances of winning! We sure appreciate your support, and GOOD LUCK!!!

"Like" Charmz and Chainz on Facebook, and leave a comment on her wall so we know you're a fan.
Suggest to at least 5 of your friends to "like" Charmz and Chainz on facebook.
Follow my blog, or follow me on twitter
Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs.
Tweet about this giveaway, copy and paste the following.

$60 Charmz and Chainz giveaway!!!@balancedmomshttp://www.wannabbalancedmom.com/2010/08/fab-friday-jewelry-giveaway.html

Thanks again everyone!!!!

Kids won't eat healthy?

Are you Worried that they are not getting the proper nutrition? Think the Standard diet of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and Mac and Cheese is going to provide the nutrients for their brains and bodies to develop properly? Check out this little video Sean and I put together of our little Oliver.
This is a typical night for us.

Reasons why IsaLean Shakes are the perfect highly-nutritious food:

• They contain 23 grams of exclusively sourced IsaPro® Complex, the highest quality undenatured whey and casein protein and a superior amino acid complex that helps you maintain lean body mass.

†

• Using a new, proprietary technology, their whey protein has lower lactose levels for easier digestion.

• IsaLean Shakes have Ionic AlfalfaTM, their exclusive blend of over 70 supercharged trace minerals to keep your body running at peak performance.

• IsaLean Shakes are low in sodium and cholesterol to promote heart health.

• At only 240 calories and 6 grams of fat per shake, its a perfect, high nutrition food that’s less than $2.75 per meal.*

• Clinically proven to support great weightloss results and weight management.**

• Your body will love them and your kids will too.

For more info go to www.wannabelean.com

Loft~ House Update (3rd Edition)

To see other rooms in our house that we've updated. Click HERE

Now for the Loft. This room was pretty easy to update. Just needed a little paint. I used a chocolate brown for the walls, and a light cream for the little nook, then just painted the banister black.

BEFORE

AFTER

I've actually done a little rearranging lately, so here is the UPDATED updated version :)

I'm pretty proud of this because I did it all by myself. I painted this built in bookshelf with the cream color I used in the nook. Then after that, I rubbed brown stain over the top and wiped it off, that way it gives it the antique look by leaving the dark stain in the cracks and creases.

This loft actually doubles as Lily's room for now. Since there are only two rooms upstairs and the rest are in the basement, we decided to make Lily a bed closer to us. Once her and Oliver get a little older I will move them both down to the basement together. I've been working on their rooms downstairs.