Dreading My Children's Fundraisers


If you are a parent with school-age children and/or children involved in extra-curricular activities then you can probably relate to the statement above!  
I have 3 children and each one of them brings home so many requests for fundraising activities that the neighbors actually turn off their porch lights when they see my kids coming-afraid of how much the glossy brochures they are clutching in their hands are going to cost them this time! Trust me, I understand what they are feeling and the kids are very careful to place the latest money drive campaign for their activity in an obvious spot in my room and then run for their lives before they can see me weep!


For the parents who have yet to experience this unavoidable phenomenon, I hope the following information will help prepare you for the barrage of requests to part you from your hard-earned cash; all in the name of a good and worthy cause: your child.  From the day the new school year begins until approximately mid-February each year, plan on spending your week-ends selling over-priced pies, cookie dough, "fun shaped" pasta,  popcorn, nuts, girl scout cookies, wrapping paper, jewelry, candles and many other items that you are told you can't live without.  Please notice that I did say that YOU will be selling these items-not your children-because, as you will discover, even though the person in charge of the fundraising effort for their particular group will do their best to fill your children's heads with images of all the GREAT PRIZES  that they will receive if they only sell 35 items, your children will only remain motivated for 2 days or until they have visited the neighbors on your street-and then they will promptly forget all about it until the day it is due. You, on the other hand, will receive e-mails, text messages and  reminders at each meeting or ballgame that the fate of the PTA or league is in your hands and that without the fundraiser profits they would have to double your registration fees or your children would go without the proper learning aids they need in school.

The Single Biggest, Game-Changing Thing You Can Do This Weekend

The Single Biggest, Game-Changing Thing You Can Do This Weekend

Louise L Hay Affirmation Meditation

Louise Hay: You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie

Thought for the Day:  Mothers with only one child should not even be allowed to speak to mothers with multiple children!

I do mean that in the nicest way because all mothers deserve admiration but I have found that mothers with only one child just can't possibly understand how different it is to have more than one.

• I hear -"You are always late" from the stay at home mom with only one child every week when we meet to go to boy scouts together.  I want to scream and poke pins in a voodoo doll resembling this mother when she says that to me.  Hello? I worked all day at the office; raced from one end of town picking up one daughter from girl scouts all the way across to the other end of town to pick up the other from dance; somehow managed to feed all 3 children something quick for dinner; and then loaded the van and met you-And you are actually complaining because i am 6 minutes late??  We mutually agreed to never ride together anywhere ever again before our friendship disintegrated over this!
• Then there is always the "Hey, let's all go to __________, it's alot of fun and pretty reasonably priced".  That is, if the cost is even mentioned, which it is often not.  Yes, a trip to the movies may only cost you $20.00 but it is double that for me.  Season passes to Six Flags are a great deal at $55.00 each but triple that for me.  
• OR mothers with one child will go to the opposite extreme and try to tell me how expensive it is to raise a child these days! They have no clue how much school supplies for the twins and their older sister cost, or school clothes, or tripling the fee for their child's extracurricular activity so that each child may participate in something they enjoy, or the joy's of the school fundraiser times three.  I actually remember having money leftover at the end of the week when my daughter was still an only child! Those were the days.
• Mothers with one child actually know what is packed in their child's overnight bag and worry when their child skins a knee.  Mothers of multiple children are just glad if their child remembered to pack clean underwear and socks that aren't crusty and the only time our feathers get ruffled is when a bone is sticking out of the skin or blood is pouring from their forehead!
• And if their child is the same age as one of your younger children, these mothers actually think that they will not have to go through the same anguish when their child becomes a "tween"; that their child would never talk back or cuss in front of adults or get caught with a Facebook before they had permission.  That somehow, mothers of multiple children have lower standards or morals than they do.  It couldn't possibly be a normal part of puberty and growing up or a rite of passage that all parents dread and receiving some forewarning and advice about the behavior of adolescents might make their journey easier!

At the end of the day, it boils down to this:  Mothers with only one child should not even be allowed to speak to mothers with multiple children.  

Family Pics!

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Great Pics of Nicolas!

Summer vaca at Universal and Daytona with Patrick and Grandy!  Wow!  My son is gorgeous!! Oh no-Back off Girls-He's too nice for you!!

Click the link to see the pics on Snapfish
http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2243929027/a=77980484_3969349027/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Children's Health Threats Hidden in Your Home

October marks Children's Health Month.  Eliminate environmental hazards.

The entire month of October is Children's Health Month, and this year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is urging parents to focus on environmental hazards that could spell trouble for children's health. Some are obvious and well-known hazards, such as radon, secondhand smoke, and serious sunburns. But there are other children's health hazards lurking in and around your house, and this month marks a good time to start removing them and replace them with natural alternatives such as Shaklee Get Clean Cleaning Products 

1: Indoor air pollution
The EPA has found that indoor air pollution can be many times worse than outdoor air because of all the harmful chemicals we invite into our homes, via scented candles (synthetic scents contain hormone-disrupting chemicals…especially bad for children who are still developing), harsh cleaners and paints, synthetic hairspray, shampoo, and perfume and cologne chemicals that tamper with our hormones. Try using more unscented, plant-based shampoos, soaps, and detergents. (By all means, avoid soaps containing the harmful antimicrobial chemical triclosan. Studies suggest we're sudsing ourselves sick. And note: Many studies have confirmed that regular soap and water is just as effective as antibacterial soaps, without the harmful side effects.)

2: Pesticides

You may already know that chemical pesticides have been linked to childhood cancers, brain damage, ADHD, autism, and other serious kid problems. But here's a little-known fact: Pesticides aren't just on the outside of many conventional fruits and vegetables, but actually in them. Systemic pesticides are often taken up inside the produce they're used on. Eat organic whenever possible. And in the home, beat back bugs using natural pest-control measures.

3: Lead and other contaminants.
Lead isn't just a problem in old house paint and dust. It's also been detected in or on many kid items, including Halloween face paint, children's jewelry, and even Christmas light strings.
Experts recommend having your pediatrician perform a blood test for your child between 12 and 24 months to look for lead levels, but to help keep the harmful metal out of his or her body in the first place, choose simple, unpainted wooden toys, or ones proven safe by HealthyStuff.org's toys report. And save jewelry for when the kids are older—imported children's jewelry has been found to be tainted with harmful contaminants, including the carcinogen cadmium.


4: Less Outdoors Time-Nature deficiency
Nature and stress relief go hand in hand. But unfortunately, it's a cellphone or remote control many kids have their hands on most often. As a first step to encouraging more family outdoor time, try transferring things you often do in the home outside. For instance, pick a nice evening and eat dinner outdoors. Build outdoor time up to something substantial, such as starting an organic kid-friendly vegetable garden or planting a native-plant butterfly garden.

#5: Energy vampires

Phantom energy suckers—a.k.a. electronic devices plugged in and sucking energy, but for no reason, such as a cellphone charger with no phone attached—don't just haunt you when you open the electricity bill. All the energy we're wasting is demanding more and more fossil fuels, which threatens our children's future. The Worldwatch Institute and United Nations Foundation in 2009 dubbed catastrophic climate destabilization (global warming sounds too warm and fuzzy) as the number one health threat we face. (Think drought, food-security emergencies, flooding, stronger storms, more vector- and water-borne diseases.) To start, sit down with your child and calculate your energy use through the EPA's Carbon Footprint Calculator.

#6: Plastic

The plastics chemical BPA, found in the liner of most metal food cans and in some plastic bottles, has been shown to disrupt hormonal systems and even cause aggression in children. Phtalates, chemicals used to soften plastic into vinyl, are also hormone disruptors and have been linked to breathing problems, too. To reduce exposure, use food-grade stainless steel or glass water bottles, never heat plastic food containers in the microwave or dishwasher, and cut down on canned food and beverages (especially canned food that's acidic, like tomatoes). Avoid vinyl products.

For more information on Shaklee Get Clean Cleaning products go to my website:

http://naturallygreenandhealthy.myshaklee.com/us/en/

Mother-Daughter Bond: Strong Enough to Save a Life | Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more - MORE Magazine

I am now a published author! Woo-hoo! Wrote about when i actually got a vision of my daughter drowning and thank god my amazing daughter sent me a message because she was literally drowning in our pool in CT.

Mother-Daughter Bond: Strong Enough to Save a Life

www.more.com

The day started out like any other week-end day, I was home with my 3 year old daughter, Brianna, and doing household chores. It was Spring and we were also beginning to prepare our yard for summer, which included the annual opening of our pool; the cover was off and the waterhose was on.

Early in the afternoon, I began to clean the bathroom while Brianna was playing in the living room. The water running in the tub must have prevented me from hearing my daughter’s movements and I never heard her leave the living room.

Suddenly, I felt very strange and had to sit down and when I did, a vivid image of my daughter floating face down in the pool came to me. This image was so strong that I felt sick to my stomach. I immediately began yelling her name while, at the same time, running for the side door of the home, the door to the pool and backyard the door with a doggie door for our dalmatian. Brianna was floating in the exact position as I had envisioned in my head, not moving. I do not remember how I got into the pool and took my daughter in my arms, I do not remember releasing a scream that my neighbors said was primal and brought people running. I watched as CPR was performed on my baby and she began to breathe. I was by her side, dripping wet, in the ambulance, as they tried to warm her. I watched her turn blue before the incubators at the hospital warmed her and I weeped and laughed with joy when my daughter’s first words were "Mommy, are we still going swimming at Abuela’s house tomorrow?" when she woke.

Mother-Daughter Bond: Strong Enough to Save a Life | Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more - MORE Magazine

Halloween Rap featuring Mom, Brianna, Natalia, Nicolas, and Hannah

Brianna and the MVMS Emerald Star Dance Team Halloween Performance 2011

Natalia performing at Startzville Elementary School Talent Show

Brianna MVMS Band with CLHS at Varsity football game.MOV