My take on guns.

As most people, I love a good debate. Just kidding, I'm so not a debater.
I mostly keep my opinions to myself because I've found myself stuck in endless debates a few too many times and I end up just walking away with a headache and a bit mad at whoever it was, so anyway....

Guns.

(Source: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/12/cu_bans_nerf_guns_heres_our_to.php)

Guns freak me out a bit. You hear so many horror stories and so many accidents that they just make me a bit nervous.
So not long ago, I wish it was a bit longer ago than it actually was, we had some friends at our house on a weekend like we usually do.
One of these friends has a permit to carry. Thankfully he's never needed it but it makes him feel safer so I don't question it. He's not my husband, so it's not really my business to ask.
Well, it became my business on this particular day...
Like I said, we usually have people over on weekends and this one was no different. The wives and kids hang out in the house while the men are in the garage/outside being all man-like and doing whatever it is that they do.
The night begins to wind down, Baby Owen's in bed (this gives you a bit of a time frame on how recent this was) and I'm sitting at the table with another wife and we hear this sound.... this very distinct sound.... (Being a military spouses and living ON a military base we KNOW this sound) so we walk outside to ask them oh so kindly and by that I mean not so kindly what had just happened....
They try to play it off like it was a bike backfiring. Liars. Those dirty stinking liars!
One of em finally admits that his gun that I wasn't aware he'd brought to my house had just gone off.
I was less than thrilled to hear this. 
He swears he doesn't know what happened or how it happened, feels absolutely terrible about it and can see that he has greatly upset me. He apologizes of course and everyone assures me that it just went off accidentally and hit dirt and only dirt.
Needless to say he has not brought that back over here again, thankfully or he would be very much unwelcome at my house.
This was a bit of a sore subject for a good while around here.
Anyway, so for the longest time my husband has wanted a gun. I agreed and he swore to me it'd never be loaded and the ammo would be kept away from the actual gun itself and blah blah blah-all those things men say to try to reassure their wives.
But after this particular night, we agreed that looking into gun safes was probably the best idea all around. Meaning otherwise I would not so politely decline his request for a gun.
Does your husband own a gun? Do you yourself own a gun? How do you feel about them?

Sun Safe Fun for the Family

(Source: http://webclipart.about.com/od/seasonsclipart/ss/Summer-Images_16.htm)

The days when you can happily let your kids run outside in the snow without getting sunburned is coming to an end. The blazing hot heat of summer is getting ready to say hello and you will need to get out the sunscreen once again. The appeal of creating snow angels and having snowball fights is just as fun as having a game of marco polo for kids

As a parent, it is your responsibility to keep your kids sun safe and cool while they are enjoying being kids. It is better to plan ahead in the world of parenthood and you do not have to wait until summer to get started.

As winter draws to a close, many retailers bring out end of season sales and there are many bargains.  Discounts on sports equipment, pools, ice cream makers, water guns and snow cone machines can be found nearly everywhere.

You just have to decide what you are going to spend on your money on because every child is different in terms of what they like.

Having a great time on a hot day is always about incorporating water - especially water fights!

But to host such battles, your kids need a battlefield. Getting a pool installed is a good choice because then they can take their battles under the water. Water pistols are very popular and also water bombs - though these tiny balloons are a bit tricky to fill up so you might have to help.

As for sports equipment, make sure you pick something that your kid enjoys to play immensely. Do they want to be the next Michael Jordon? Then install a basketball hoop and help them practise shooting hoops. If you are particularly handy around the house, then you can install one yourself. Just make sure the court is standing clear of any windows.

If not basketball, then why not soccer? All you need is a good soccer ball, some pipes and a large net to create a goal. Sports are not only a favourite pastime; they are fun and beneficial to your child's health. They assist in improving hand-eye coordination and fitness. Being active is always a big plus.

But running around all day and playing in the water can get exhausting. Cold refreshments are key in these moments. Ice cream makers can come in handy at this time of the year and also snow cone machines.

However, if your kids want a quick fix, then go with the snow cone machine. They can watch the ice crush and spill out in a snowy waterfall. They find the process fascinating in their young minds and then they can pick which snow cone syrup flavouring they wanted.

To make the process more exciting, why not get your kids to pick two flavours?

There is bubble gum, strawberry, cherry and many more to choose from.

Thursdays.

First things first: THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME HIT 1,000 GFC FOLLOWERS! That is truly AMAZING!
And I asked a while ago if anyone would be interested in buying in and I had a pretty good response so I've decided that my 1,000 followers giveaway (cuz what better way to celebrate?!) will be more multiple giftcards. (target, f21, starbucks, etc etc blah blah blah) that way if the winner ends up being in a situation like myself where giveaway wins end up going towards stuff we NEED they at least have a starbucks and f21 gift card as well and HAVE to get something they WANT. Make sense?! Yup. Okay. Good.
If you want in, sign up HERE.

Anyway.... on to today's post!

Hey!! This is my very first time linking up with Melissa's amazing link-up!
I'm a slacker, what can I say?!


 

Anyway..... things I'm not loving this week include but aren't limited to

Sinus headaches.
Holy *insert bad word that I would totally say in real life but try to keep my blog a little more PG*. My poor left eyeball is just going to pop out of my head or something. The pressure that has been above it for like a week now is killing me. We all just got over colds. Mine lasted over a week and it's just been replaced with this lovely thing. Yay Spring, but cut me some slack please!


Toddler destruction.
Sweet Baby Owen is a walking tornado of destruction these days. Since he's mastered walking now, everything and anything in his path are just doomed. This Mommy can't keep up (at least not with this sinus crap going on). I feel like I just need to trap him in a circle somewhere! SOMEONE SEND BABY GATES!! AND WINE!!


Laundry.
Cold = me on a couch for a week. Laundry.... it was bad. I'm still playing catch up. *sigh*


Rafflectoper not used right.
Seriously. Rafflecopter is AMAZING because you can insert the links and make them clickable. I hate having to copy and paste the links. Call me lazy, but I think it makes whoever did the Rafflecopter lazy.
And 15 mandatory entries also annoy me to no end.


That my dog ate my brand new amazing sunglasses.
Yup. He did. He's SOOOO awesome, that Bo dog. I'm sad. I'm mad. They were amazing.

These sunglasses.
Dang dog.
Let's take a moment to mourn my loss, please and thank you. *sigh*

I was given the chance to review a pair of sunglasses from Sunglassesshop.com
They came. I opened the box. Fell in love immediately. Went on with my day. Came home to discover that Bo dog had gotten a hold of them. I immediately called David to yell at him and may or may not have cried.
But you should check out their Sunglasses! They also carry Oakley Sunglasses,
Designer Sunglasses, and Ray-Ban Sunglasses. If you take anything from this post, it should be that you NEED to order yourself something from this site! Seriously! They're amazing! They're prices are awesome! The shipping is great! I'm seriously so sad over this.
So if anyone wants to order me a new pair of these bad boys, I wouldn't object.  *wink wink* Just throwing that out there.

So why don't you head on over to Melissa's blog and link up! Tell her what you're not loving.
I seriously read every one that links up! I have since she started this link up. It's such a fun link up.

Don't forget to head over and check out all the awesome giveaways going on! (Find them on the right sidebar at the top) And be sure to head over and grab your sponsor spot for March while they're still available!

Meet Amanda!! (guest post and an amazing giveaway!)

Hey y'all! I am taking over Amber's blog and figured I would talk about my newest obsession and I am figuring not many of you have heard of it. First, I will give you a background of me!  I am new to the blogging community and I LOVE it.  I am a work at home mom, married with two little boys-ages 2 and 1.  And yes, my life gets crazy sometimes! I am an Independent Designer with a company called Origami Owl.  The name can totally throw people off, I get some strange looks when I say what I do. :D  This company has only been around for 2 years, and it was started by a 14 year old girl! I still can't believe that! From what I hear she loves owls, and her mom had a ton of origami artwork around the house...so Origami Owl was born! I seriously get compliments on my locket each and every time I go out! My personal locket has a two little boys-one with an August birthstone and one with a December birthstone(for my babies), one June birthstone heart(me), one February birthstone heart(my hubby), and the infinity sign with crystals.  I do have a plate on mine that says "Blessed".  I love being able to tell people about this, because it is so new that I not only get to explain my locket, but get others excited about Origami Owl as well! So here is how things work...

Step 1: Choose Your Origami Owl Charms

• Charm are all $5.
• There are so many options-hobbies, family, birthstones, initials, music, occupations, faith, love, causes...I mean really, we are talking endless possibilities!

Step 2: Choose an Origami Owl Living Locket

• Locket prices ranges from $20-$38
  
  
• Choices are gold, rose gold, or silver
  
  
• Choose sizes. Either medium (about the size of a nickel inside) or large (about the size of a quarter). Medium lockets can hold 4-7 charms. Large lockets can hold 8-12 charms. This really depends on the charms you choose, they relatively are all the same size, but some are a tad larger than others.
  
  
• You can get them with crystals going around the outer corners, or without.
  
  
• These open JUST like a locket. That is how you get your charms in and out if you ever wanted to switch.
  
  

Step 3: Choose your chain

• Chain prices start at $8
• Available in rose gold, gold and silver
• Sizes are 16,16-18, 18-20, 24-26, 30, and 32 inch options. We also have extenders.
• Classic ball chains, rolo chains, flat oval links, faceted ball chain

Step 4: Add Optional Plates

• Prices begin at $7
• Plates can give you the opportunity to explain your necklace with one word. Or they give you to add a little something to your necklace that just is a perfect background.
• Choose from words such as faith, love, blessed, mom, always...
• Available in small, medium and large

Step 5: Add Optional Dangles

• Prices start at $6
• Add dangles to your locket to add more bling, or character.

Here are some examples of some lockets that have been made!

This is how the locket opens and charms can be taken out, or more can be added.

The bottom picture a Bride-to-be made them as Bridesmaids gifts! I thought that was a really good idea, nothing like a completely personalized gift for those that are close to you!
Hopefully I answered any questions you may have had! If not feel free to leave me a comment with any other questions you may have!
And here is my site in case you want to browse around, possibly order a necklace, or join my team!
www.amandacasto.origamiowl.com
My Origami Owl Facbeook Page

I am doing a giveaway here for you all, here is a picture and description of wfhat is being given away! :)






Medium silver locket with crystals

OR

Large silver locket without crystals.

WINNER'S CHOICE!
(Pretty awesome of Amanda, huh?!)

And there's more!!
Amanda's being oh so so kind as to let the winner chose not just ONE chamrm, but TWO charms for their locket!!!
I seriously wish I could enter myself!!
Charms can be found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Final Pinspiration Project.

Happy Tuesday, guys!

It is with a relieved heart that I tell you that this will be the final Pinspiration Project Link up.

Neverending Troubles: Shopping For Dad

Never ending Troubles: Shopping For Dad

(Source = http://bestclipartblog.com/29-dad-clip-art.html/dad-clip-art-2)

When it comes to buying a gift for your dad, things can get a little confusing. The reason for this is simple: every dad is different and he has his own unique twist to things he likes and hobbies. Besides that, choosing the right gift about the dad is also about giving him a gift that goes with his age.



Knowing that your father would like a gift according to his unique taste/preference, you should try to give him something that has a wide appeal. A gift that he will not only use but will also cherish for a long time to come. In the following article we discuss a few gift ideas that you can look into when gifting your dad...



1. Sporting Goods



When it comes to sports, dads can be quite be possessive about the sport they are into. So if you’re thinking of gifting sporting goods then you should pick something they would like, since they’re picky. However, the good thing about gifting your dad sporting goods is that you don’t have to do too much guessing, giving that you know their favorite sport.



For example, let’s say your dad likes playing golf, and he’s been doing it for years. You watch him go to the golf court on the weekends and play it all the time. This makes it obvious that he likes golf. But when it comes to selecting a gift, it’s a good idea to see what he might want. In this case it could a new golf club because the old one has worn out.



2. Fun T-Shirts



Dads and t-shirts go along well because they like to wear them casually when they’re working around the house, in the yard, or when fixing their car. So in a way, t-shirts are what they feel comfortable and relaxed in. So why not give your dad him a fun/silly t-shirt that reminds him of you every time he wears it?


You can also go a step ahead and get him a t-shirt from Ink Pixi, personalized with his last name. Or even better, if he has a nickname then you can have that printed on the t-shirt. Just think out of the box and you’ll be able to come up with unique ideas.



3. Suit Accessories



Is your dad one of those dads who wear a suit along with a tie on all working days? Do you know what kind of suits he likes wearing and the type of accessories he likes? If yes, then gifting him suit accessories is a great idea.



Right from an elegant tie to new cufflinks, there are many options for you to choose from when gifting your dad suit accessories. Just make sure what you choose suits his taste!



All in all, shopping for your dad doesn’t have to be that hectic. As long as you’re focused on choosing a gift that would be appealing (and useful) to your dad, you can’t go wrong.

Monday, Monday.... It's Monday.

Is it bad that I totally just said the title in a very sing-songy/Rebecca Black's (friday) song voice?!
Eh, well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MESSY DIRTY HAIR!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun Spring Projects For The Kids

Fun Spring Projects For The Kids

(source:http://perfectgardeningtips.com/category/gardening/kids-gardening)

Spring is that time of year when kids can literally see, touch, feel and hear new life all around them. There’s few things kids enjoy more than breathing in fresh spring air while running, laughing and catching frogs. Have you ever watched your kids marvel at unfolding leaves? Smell new flower buds or listen to baby birds chirping?

Yes, there’s no better season to teach your kids about the cycle of life than spring—and it’s just around the corner!

Here are some DIY yard projects to get your kids outside, moving, and learning.

Spring clean the yard

Spring cleaning the yard can be a super fun activity to do with kids. It’s very rewarding because they quickly see the results, and kids have a knack for making almost any task fun!

    •    Pick up debris—let your kids fill a trash bag with any debris that may have made its way into your yard and collect fallen branches or sticks—also good for impromptu sword fights!
    •    Prune dead branches—if your child isn’t old enough to prune themselves, let them be your helper who identifies which branches to prune. Explain how pruning dead branches encourages new growth.
    •    Rake leaves—just the promise of a nice big leaf pile to jump in is enough to get kids raking!

Tidy up the flower garden
Flower gardens are usually in need of a little TLC in the spring. This is a great opportunity to explain to kids things like the difference between annuals and perennials. For added fun, get your children their own garden gloves!

    •    Clean out any dead annuals and weeds—be sure to carefully identify just which plants should be pulled since kids can become rather overzealous.
    •    Fertilize—have your kids spread the fertilizer or compost and explain how it feeds the plants.
    •    Plant—take your kids to your local nursery to select some annuals and plant.

Plant a vegetable garden

Letting your kids plant their own vegetable garden is a great way to teach them about where food comes from. If you already have a vegetable garden, you might mark off a small corner garden for them. Be sure to let them make it their own by decorating it with spring garden flags and stepping-stones.
    •    Prepare the soil—help your child weed, ‘til and fertilize their vegetable garden.
    •    Plant vegetables—select easy to grow plants like snowpeas, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes.
    •    Water and weed—these regular activities will help your child take ownership of their garden. And, they’ll be so excited to see their little seedlings pop up through the ground!
    •    Harvest—Encourage your kids to snack on cherry tomatoes and snow peas straight from their garden! Or, make a fresh salad for dinner using only vegetables for their garden. Share with neighbors.

Don’t waste a moment of this beautiful spring! Get outside with your kids and enjoy these great DIY projects that are fun and valuable learning experiences.

52 weeks. Week 8.

Crab a button, spread the word, play along.

The Pinspiration Project.

happy Tuesday!
Are you guys glad it's Tuesday? Ready to get back into the norm of things? I kind of am.
Except my norm has a bit of a dent in it but that's a story for another day.

Today is Tuesday!
That means it's link up day! YAY!

But since I have a cold and that little dent I mentioned earlier popped up, I've really got nothing for you this week except some things I want to do in the future.
Check them all out though, they're pretty freakin' cool.
And head over to Melissa's blog and Sarah's blog to see what they did this week.

Source: dirtonourface.blogspot.com via amber on Pinterest

My kids would love something like this.

Source: mandiestwocents.blogspot.com via amber on Pinterest

I actually have some broken makeup upstairs that I need to do this to!

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via amber on Pinterest

I need to make some of these!! YES! Yes, I do!

Taking Better Baby Photos.

Hey guys! Today I wanted to just share a quick little video with you.--How to take better baby photos! I know a lot of you moms out there could benefit from this, myself included! So go check it out if you have a quick second to spare.
I love SanDisk-it's the only memory chip I use. I actually  need a new one since our lovely puppy managed to get a hold of mine. I'm not sure If I should blame sweet baby Owen and the dog, or just one or the other.
Anyway, Photographer, author and educator Erin Manning provides her Top 3 Tips for capturing better baby photos. Erin gives you advice on setting the scene and getting close to the baby for those perfect images, as well as using a SanDisk Ultra SDHC card to make sure she never misses a shot.









I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for SanDisk. I received a product sample to thank me for participating

It's Monday & I have a giveaway for you!

This week's most clicked from The Pinspiration Project was
Mandie & her DIY Fridge liners!

My favorite of the week was:
Tabi and her Valentine's backpack!

Congrats guys!! Check out Sarah and Melissa's blog to see their favorites too!

Anyway... Happy Monday guys!
This weekend has been a bit boring for us.
It's been LONG as well.
Thursday afternoon when I picked Fin up from school, I overheard a lady asking others if they were sending their kids to school tomorrow, I asked why they wouldn't....
Apparently some kid for the past week had been sending another kid mean/hateful notes. One included a drawing of the kid covered in blood and finally the last note said something like, "if you don't kill yourself by Friday, I'll do it for you".... so yeah.
I ran it by David.... he quickly said, "yeah. Don't send him. Better safe than sorry"
So after arguing with Fin about it, he stayed home. Poor thing was just so confused about staying home and missing school. I didn't want to tell him about the threat
But come 4 pm, David & I both got a phone call--an automated message saying something like, "I'm sure by now most of you have heard that there's been a threat to our school. I just wanted to let you know that the MP's have investigated and it's all been taken care of and blah blah blah". I don't even remember exactly. I was so shocked that it was an actual legit threat!
He goes to an elementary school! K-5th grade!! That's like 11 years old and younger!!
That just blows my mind. Scares me, makes me sad for the parents, for that kid, etc etc.
His school is barely a mile from here.
We live ON BASE! On a military base!
And what if I hadn't overheard that lady asking?! What if I'd sent him to school?! What if something actually did happen?! You guys, the "what if's" are endless!
And is it wrong that they didn't tell people about it? Is it wrong that this went on for a week before something was done? What if I didn't know and I'd just gotten that phone call? I'd have freaked out wondering what the hell was going on! I'm not a happy momma! I can't even imagine the parents of the kids involved!  Ugh. Such a mess. Such a nightmare. I just kind of want more details or something.
So anyway, I took them out for happy meals for lunch. We tried to go to the cool park but realized they were still in school so couldn't play on that playground. We met up with Daddy & came home. I did a bit of grocery shopping, bought some anti aging cream after a conversation with Sarah & Melissa about how none of us really look our ages. Haha.
We've spent all weekend curled up and lazy thanks to a nasty cold that managed to skip Fin & Maddie but hit me, David & baby O pretty hard. I've taken naps this weekend like it was nobody's business and I don't nap! I hate naps. I wake up like super grump after I nap.
None of us have eaten much of anything. We're finally to that nasty coughing it all up stage so thankfully we're almost done with it, but ugh. It's been a gross nasty weekend.

I'm linking up with Sami today.
You should too.

And before you go, I have my friend, Melissa to talk to you about how Valentine's Day is stupid! And she's giving away a Dream Sampler Box! Go enter! Give her some love!
Happy Monday, guys!



February is the month that most people associate with love. It’s all hearts, candy, flowers and romance. Or disappointment, heartache and tons of ice cream or other comfort food to drown your lack of love/romance in. Thanks Valentine’s Day.

I’m not going to go into how much I loathe Valentine’s Day and the commercialism of this “pretend” holiday. Or even how I’m bitter that Valentine’s Day overshadows and gets in the way of my birthday, which happens to be February 14.

Instead, I’m going to highlight 10 ways to celebrate a Valentine’s Birthday:
1.       Have pizza delivered to them for lunch along with flowers. Everyone loves pizza and pizza, for most people, was a childhood birthday food staple. As for the flowers, flowers just make people happy. But stay away from roses…too “Valentine”.
2.       If you take them out for dinner, try and go to a place that will have live music, like a piano player. Arrange to have the musician(s) play “Happy Birthday” when they enter the room.  Everyone in the room will know someone’s celebrating a birthday and that things besides Valentine’s Day happen on February 14.
3.       Get them a really cool gift that is in no way related to Valentine’s Day and/or love. I suggest the Beanie Buddy octopus named Inky. It’s an octopus named INKY! A friend gave me this in high school and I LOVE it. Especially the name.
4.       Throw them a surprise party. Who doesn’t love a surprise party? The birthday person will be beyond touched that so many people gave up celebrating Valentine’s Day to celebrate the day of their birth instead.
5.       Bake a cake. This is a thoughtful thing. One of my best birthdays involved my roommates making me a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and ‘Happy 19th Birthday Melissa’ spelled out in licorice. It doesn’t have to be perfect…it really is the thought that counts.
6.       Take them out. Blow off work/school/responsibilities to take them to a bar and do birthday shots with them mid-day (or right after work). Valentine’s Day hasn’t really kicked into full gear yet, so they’ll be able to enjoy their birthday without a ton of couples around celebrating Valentine’s Day. If things get a bit wild, that’s ok. And let’s be honest…shots really do make things better.
7.       Spa day. Nothing says birthday like being pampered. Even if you can’t afford a full spa day, send them for something…manicure, pedicure, facial even a massage. This really is the best way to spend your birthday.
8.       Dance party. Just make sure there are no ‘love’ songs on the playlist. Many of my birthdays have included impromptu dance parties and they are ALWAYS fun. Plus, this is so easy to do! Turn on some music and start dancing.
9.       Do something they love but not Valentine’s related. For example, if their favourite restaurant is having a Valentine’s special, skip it. They like to bowl and the local bowling alley is doing rock-and-bowl, this would be good.  I spent a lot of my birthdays at rinks watching hockey games.
10.   Remember their birthday. This really is just basic. Year round so many people remember my birthday because it’s on Valentine’s Day. But then, the actual day arrives and no one remembers/cares because they are so busy and focused on Valentine’s Day. Try and remember their birthday outside of Facebook- send them an e-mail, text message or a phone call is better than a Facebook message (which points out who’s celebrating a birthday that day).  And for goodness sakes, do not give a combined Valentine/birthday gift and/or card.  Separate the two events.

If you know someone who is born on Valentine’s Day, do something nice for them- forgo celebrating the fake “holiday” that is Valentine’s Day and instead celebrate the day of their birth. They really will appreciate it. Trust me.

Thanks Amber for letting me guest post today! You can find me at www.dreamsandcolour.blogspot.com

If you don't know what a Dream Sampler Box is, head here.

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52 weeks. Week 7.

Happy Friday!
I hope you've all had a wonderful week.
Mine hasn't been so lovely but that's not today's story.

Today is Friday.
Meaning that once again I'm telling you guys the good deeds that I did this week!

Yay!!

I mailed a little package to a friend.
She recently commented about how she liked my necklace and how she'd wanted one herself, so I mailed her mine.
Hopefully she gets it before she reads this!

I left change for a copy machine.

I intended on leaving a note but when I walked away to write the note, a guy had already used my quarter.

I was also seriously the nicest driver. I was patient and let people out in front of me, waited a bit longer to let someone walk instead of just driving and making them wait, etc etc etc.

I was also very patient. Which if you've any idea of what a not nice week it's been, has been a really difficult task.

So yeah, little things still count.

So let me read em!
Tell me that you were kind to someone this week!
Grab a button. Spread the word.
JUST BE KIND!

Amber's "Rules" for Blog Land.

You see Sooooooooooo many posts out there about "blogging rules" and what to do and what not to do. Psht.
Well, here's my take on that.
Rules are dumb.
There are NO rules for blog land.
Shut up.
But in the spirit of these "rules" I thought I'd share with your some of my own personal do's and don't's.
(These are just my own personal pet peeves, notes, etc. they aren't RULES because seriously, there are NO rules in blog land)

You ready?! Okay!

Link ups.
Blogging is more than just linking up to every linkup known to man.
POST MORE THAN LINKUPS!
Don't get me wrong, I love a good link up but when that is ALL you post, I'll quickly unfollow you.
Sorry, not sorry.
Also, if it's a specific kind of link up...don't just link up in hopes to get noticed. That's annoying. That's rude. That's just wrong.
Example: if you link up just your blog page to my 52 weeks link up, I'll delete you. Sorry but THAT link up is for the good deed you've done. It's not a blog hop.


Be kind to EVERYONE.
Don't suck up to bigger bloggers in hopes to get your name out there.
And don't be mean to smaller blogs just because you think you're better than them.
You're not. And if you truly think that, you're a *insert not a kind word here*.
Again, not sorry.
Post more than just recipes, unless you're a food blog....then you should probably just kind of stick to recipes.

Blogging takes time and work.
You won't get blog famous over night. Don't go around begging people to follow you.
That's annoying. Don't whine about not having a lot of followers, it does NOT happen overnight.

Giveaways:
Ugh. You do not have to have half a million freakin' giveaways going at once. You don't have to do a group giveaway once a month just because everyone else does. You do not have to do a giveaway if you sponsor someone and they give you the option. You can say no to giveaways.
Also, don't follow just to unfollow after the giveaway ends. That's rude.

Sponsoring:
Before you sponsor someone, stalk them. I am completely serious! Stalk their blog, twitter, facebook, etc etc...make sure that you like them and you like what they post. Pay attention to how they treat their sponsors, what they post about their sponsors, etc etc. Seriously nothing sucks more than wasting your money on an ad only to realize that you don't much care for the person or that they don't put much effort into their sponsors.

And if you're accepting sponsors, work with them. Work for them. They are paying you for a service, make sure you provide it. If you can't be sure to refund them. Don't be a butthead about it and just block them or ignore them and act like it's not a big deal. It is! It's rude. It's catty. It's a terrible thing to do.
If someone is paying you for sponsorship, treat them right. Devote time and effort into promoting them and their blog. THAT IS WHAT THEY PAID YOU FOR!


Tips:
1. Remember that twitter conversations can be read...
2. Blog cliques are not cool. They make you look kind of mean and nasty.
3. Don't blog for others. Blog for yourself! Seriously. Blog to blog.
4. Reviews and giveaway are cool. Getting free shit and making some money is awesome but don't get so caught up in it that you lose yourself.
5. Don't be a copy cat. I mean I get that it's really hard to come up with a super original idea because most ideas are based off of something that inspired you and that is awesome but do not straight up blatantly copy someone else.
6. Like in life, remember that there are two sides to every story.
7. Try to actually get to know the people you follow/interact with.
8. Put yourself out there. Be amazing as YOU.
9. Post real life day to day stuff. Bloggers are people too. We're nosey. We wanna know about you and your life and what you drive and what your house looks like other than that one spot that you do your outfit pics in front of that just looks AMAZING. (you know I'm right).
10. Take the time to point out that someone is a no-reply commenter or let them know that a link in a giveaway is wrong-it'll take you two seconds and they'll appreciate it because they probably don't know!

Detox bath.

Check out Sarah's blog and Melissa's blog to see what they did!! YAY!!

I know you guys have seen the Detox bath Pin! I tried it!

Source: azspagirls.com via Ashleigh on Pinterest

It's NO joke!
I got out of the tub all thinking, "that's dumb. I feel fine" then 2 seconds later I was all light headed and just like WHOA. Ha.

I used half a cup of baking soda, some smelly good epsom salt that I had and some ginger.
Holy craptastic.

It's not a lose weight ordeal--it's a detox your body from all of the chemicals and toxins you collect throughout the day.  (I got quite a few questions about whether it was for weight lose of not so I needed to clear that up).

It's a recap. (giveaway too)

Hey guys.
Happy Monday.


This weekend, Finster and I went to a birthday party! Just the two of us! It was pretty exciting to be out with just my oldest....just one of my kids. It was weird.
His BFF turned 6 this weekend and the party was at an ice rink! My poor child had so much fun but man, he is uncoordinated! Even with the little training things they had, jhe just couldn't get his legs to move the right way! He finally managed to lap the whole rink once while holding the wall. He stopped twice to let go and was SO proud that he was standing there without holding on!

Orange soda tongue.

In other news, Owen was a grump butt. He woke up with a diaper rash and just in a fowl mood all together. He's getting a molar in. It's lovely. He handles teething pretty well, but the diaper rash is what just did him in, I think. Poor little man.

Bo thinks the baby blankets are for him.

Sneak peak at one of my good deeds for this week:

My sister and I entertain ourselves.

We even get Bo dog in on the action

Other than that, we cleaned the house, I caught up on some laundry, blah blah blah.

Oh and if you missed anything on the blog, here's a recap of last week for you. I showed you how to Bleach Dye a shirt on this week's The Pinspiration Project.  Come back tomorrow and link up with us. See an idea on Pinterest, do it, blog about it, link up!

I talked about smart cards and hipsters and have an awesome giveaway going on over here.

Do you like to read?! Like nail polish? Like getting mail?! Sign up for our Lucky Leprechauns book and Polish swap! Click here.

I talked about Valentine's day.

Week SIX of 52 weeks is up and live. You can still link up or you can wait and link up your good deeds to week 7-coming Friday!

Oh and this week's TPP most clicked was:
Phylicia and her Pinterest fail.


My personal favorite of the week was The Cherry Cheesecake Cookies!

Head over to Melissa and Sarah's blogs to see who they chose as their favorite this week!!

Click HERE to enter

Linking up here: