Black Friday deals and steals! -- Part I

I LOVE Black Friday, it gives me the ultimate adrenaline rush! I start planning and mapping out my shopping schedule a couple of weeks in advance every year. View some of the awesome deals of the day at the following links and get your BF shopping game face on! Have fun, use caution(especially if shopping alone), and land some awesome deals!

Walmart: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/wal-mart-black-friday-ad.html

Walmart also has pre - black friday online sales going on, check out their site for some great deals.

Best Buy: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/best-buy-black-friday-ad.html

Word has it that they've added an awesome door buster deal, a HP G50-104NR Laptop with Canon 3-in-1 Printer for $349.98 ... so be there early!

Bath & Body Works: $100 Limited Edition VIP Gift Bag w/$40 Purchase - $15.00

Kohls: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/kohls-black-friday-ad.html
Opens at 4am for doorbuster deals!


When shopping this season, remember handmade and handcrafted items make awesome gifts! Check out etsy @ http://www.etsy.com/ and support a crafter while snagging great gifts!

Hair Transformation Anxiety...

Over the weekend I decided that I needed a hair transformation. I suffer from "Hair Transformation Anxiety". For most of my life I have had medium to long length hair. Change is incredibly scary for me, it's almost like my hair has offered some sort of security over the years. But as most anyone, I get tired of the same thing.

The anxiety always heightens upon entry of the salon. You start to second guess this decision you've made. Thoughts start swirling inside your head, "highlights/no highlights, layers/no layers, short/keep long?!" AHHHHH! It's just so overwhelming!

Then you start to realize that it's only hair, and, so what IF you don't like it, it WILL grow back, but that anxiety creeps back in. The stylist begins to detect your worry, so she tries to offer some suggestions to help ease you in your decision making process, which, in fact, only leads to this strange feeling of anxiety, now intertwined with a bit of pressure.

Finally, after feeling a bit silly when you realize you're reacting to the thought of a hair cut as if you were making a life or death decision, you take a deep breath and say, "let's just do it!"

The feeling now switches over to a little bit of ease, as you think of you and your stylist as being a team, almost as one. You've placed all of your faith into this person with what you consider to be one of your best physical assets. Thinking the entire time, "man, I hope she knows what she's doing..."

Several inches, red and blonde highlights, mixed with some faith, several hours later... this is what I got...

I was SO pleased with the outcome! Maybe change isn't so bad after all. Do you suffer from "Hair Transformation Anxiety," too? If so, take a deep breath, and just go for it! You'll likely be glad you did.

Am I that easily replaced?!

Monday I was a participant of a court hearing(not criminal, by the way) so daddy had to pick up the kids from school. Later that evening, he tells me their conversation:

Daddy: "Well kids, I guess Mommy will be going to jail for a couple of years. Should we find a new Mommy, now?" "What do you think, a blonde one, one with brown hair?"

Middle daughter: "Noooo, I love MY Mommy!"

Youngest daughter: "A blonde one, a blonde one!!"

Hmmm....

Feeling lazy? -- light a candle

I've been making candles for over a year now in hopes of starting my own business very soon. In the process of researching, I've come to realize that fragrances can do way more than just scent our homes, they can affect our moods! For instance, if you have fond memories of certain things from childhood, i.e. fresh baked pies, cookies, or certain floral aromas, the scents of those particular things can bring on a comforting feeling.
Certain scents are considered to be energizing, such as citrus lemony scents, mint, eucalyptus, and ginger. Others can be more calming and help you to unwind, such as lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, and clary sage. Peppermint and Eucalyptus have also been known to aid in clearing the sinuses due to colds. There are some scents that are thought to bring on a sense of confidence and sensuality (which my DH probably thinks I could use more of) like Ylang Ylang and Patchouli.
Most of us like for our homes to smell nice, but most of us probably do not realize the real effects that those scents might play in our overall moods and activity level. So if you have a really crabby aunt, or a mean neighbor, you might consider a lavender candle for Christmas gift giving!

At home laser hair removal!!

Ok, some might not be nearly as excited as I am over this, but I am WAY excited! I seriously have to shave my legs every day(or should anyway) and as I'm sure most of you know, that can be a big pain in the you know what! Now they've made a personal use product that you can use right at home as opposed to spending major $$$ for repetitive treatments at an esthetician's office. Check it out! : TRIA Personal Laser Hair Removal System

What’s in it for me? • No more constant shaving. • No more painful waxing. • No more inconvenient office appointments. • Lasting results with just one treatment every 4 weeks for 6-8 treatments. • Skin so smooth, it’s as if the hair was never there.

The going rate is right under $1,000. Not exactly cheap, but in the long run, I'd think way worth it!

What a week!...

What a week this has been! For me, it has been emotional, for more reasons than one. The election is behind us, we have a new president. This, for me, stirs up much fear and emotion. Not for any other reason than I do not agree with his proposed agenda. I wish I could say the same for others... On election night, I was very disappointed at the fact McCain lost, as he was my candidiate of choice, but, there was no denying the historical aspect of the evening. That being said, I'm ready to move on from that historical moment, and watch Obama get down to business. I will be glad when people start calling him President Obama(kinda) instead of labeling him by his race as the "first black President Obama." I will continue to pray for my country as I always have, and for guidance and direction for the newly elected president.

On a lighter note, we've had a great week outside of that. Halloween was great and, of course, the girls got WAY too much candy. They had a great time though.

Kenna was selected this week by her school to be a part of the UIL Creative Writing. I couldn't be prouder! I feel kind of bad because I did not encourage her to try out, her teacher did. Now I'm fully aware of the fact that Kenna is artistic, and often expresses her creativity through that outlet, but I had no idea she had a knack for writing! Madison is, at this moment, on a trip for a jump rope workshop down in South Texas. I haven't spoken to her yet this morning, but I hope she's having a great time. I'm sure she is. I have been working with Morgie on her handwriting and motor skills. She is improving every day! Sometimes she is very difficult to keep focused and interested, but most of the time she really has the desire to get it right.

November and December are always incredibly busy months for me, as I'm sure they are for most people. But I absolutely LOVE this time of year! I'm SO ready for Black Friday, Christmas music, and all of the other aspects of this great time.

The day has arrived... what kind of change do you want?

Well it's here, November 4th. I've had a bit of anxiety leading up to this day, as sad as that might sound, I'm not alone. As I walked my husband and daughter out this morning when they were leaving for their day, a group of children, probably in their early teens, were talking about the election. My own children have had a great interest in this election and the process of the way it works. They are aware of my concerns, though I try not to impose them onto their young little minds. Granted I'm only 30, so I haven't had the experience of many elections under my belt as of yet, I know that this particular one holds so much value not only for me, but for my children and their children. I hope people have truly informed and educated themselves before going out to cast their vote today. I hope that people do not forget about issues such as Homeland Security, and Immigration. I hope that people realize that even though the platform sounds dreamy, that it may be just that -- a dream. That is MY HOPE. Do we need a change? -- sure, but not a 4.3 TRILLION dollar change. Not that kind of change at this time in our country. I pray that people go, get out and vote. The lines will be long but in the end, YOU can make a difference in how this day turns out. God Bless America!