When Life Gets Bitter You Grow

Monday Motivation

If my paper towel can be happy so can you! Happy Monday All! I didn't even notice how inspiring my paper towel was when I bought it. It made me smile with these little cute sayings. How great if all products snuck in some motivation. Maybe we all would be a little happier.

The little water bottles I notice started adding some fun sayings too. It's little steps to help brighten someone's day and spread positive change. 

What products have you bought lately have motivational sayings?

12 Laws Of Karma Video

Great video: https://www.facebook.com/Happinessinyourlife/videos/1046527105428013/

Bedtime Humor

Need Recipes or Want To Learn How To Cook...

Some people have this mindset that social media is used to gossip and brag and be noisy to see what people are up to but reality is there is some great information you can find going on there as long as you're following the right people and pages. 

My favorite is recipes. If you want to learn how to cook or find easy recipes then follow these pages on Facebook:

Tasty

Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons

Tip Hero

12 Tomatoes

Sweet Basil

Buzzfeed Food

Be sure to follow these pages and when you find a recipe you want to try message yourself on Facebook to save the recipe. 

Happy Cooking!

Shopping With Three Kids

I love being out and about. This past week was Spring Break and I took some time off to be with the girls. It's work going out with three kids but I also realize they feed off my energy. 

It's hard having two "toddlers" too because you can't have them walk around as you shop. There were times I pushed two carts around to finish my grocery shopping. So the other day we were at the gym class and beach and before grabbing lunch I wanted to stop in CVS. 

Now we all know CVS carts are like mini toy carts. Not really sure why they even have them. The girls normally argue over who goes in the front and back and rides along. I usually have my oldest walk beside me. 

I was in such a great mood that I crammed them all into the cart and managed to get what I needed plus bribe them with gummy worms and successfully made my trip without any tears or yelling. From them of course...not me. 

The Problem With Relationships Isn't Money

I went to a party last night and was talking to my friend's mom who is an amazing funny yet brilliant woman. She said that in relationships the problem isn't money. 

We all can make money. Women and men don't need to find someone with someone or someone who can support them financially. The key is "you need to find someone who can handle you emotionally. You can make your own money. Get a good education and you will be fine. But what you really need in a signification other is someone who can handle you emotionally." 

That's what makes relationships work. See we all have this imagine and role of how a woman and man should be in the relationship. One or both are providers. One or both are better at cooking and cleaning. One will be disciplinary parent the other more laid back. But do we really pick someone who can handle us emotionally? Not meaning when we are unstable but someone who will help us when we are sick or down or be ok with our "weaknesses" and "flaws." 

Do you agree?

Make Your Own Paint For Kids

I love painting! My children do too. I often let them paint even though some days I don't have the patience to deal with the clean up. I saw this and totally can't wait to make it with my girls!

Source: Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons Facebook  Page 

Word Of The Day at Dictionary.com

My daughter is an amazing reader. I on the other hand always had difficulty with words I couldn't pronounce. I would like to say it's due to having Italian parents who growing up had spoken broken English but it was really due to a lazy part of my brain that wouldn't try so I would skip over what I didn't know and don't always prounce clearly. Once she started writing she would spell "Thank you" like "Tank You" and that's from me not pronuncing my words clearly. She wrote what she heard.

On a list I read for being happier one suggestion was to learn a new word a day. Which is perfect for me and my oldest. So I signed up for "Word of the Day" on www.Dictionary.com. 

Not only is it great to learn. It's great to encourage your child to learn with you. Every morning my daughter asks me what new word of the day came through in email. Sign up for it at www.Dictionary.com

Food Art: Angel In My Orange

Now and Then...Almost 7 Years

When I started this blog my oldest one was 9 months old. I wasn't working and started to play round with blogs and social media. Never did I imagine it would help me with my job being a Virtual Admin or did I imagine my blog would be so much fun. Almost 7 years later I still have fun sharing my thoughts, recipes and tips. Thank you to my readers and thank you to my little ones for inspiring me. 

Want a Happier Life?

Who doesn't like to be happy? Well when life doesn't go the way we plan it's hard to be happy. Check out these tips to help you smile again! "103 Ways To A Happier Life" http://www.chriswinfield.com/happy/

Marriages Why Some Work and Others Don't

Divorce is so common. This is a  pretty cool article on why some marriages last vs ones that don't.

Do you agree with the advice they give?

 "One Thing to Look for in a Mate: Advice from Long-Married Elders" http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/2013/02/04/one-thing-to-look-for-in-a-mate-advice-from-long-married-elders/

Cleaning Tip: Clean Showers With Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

I have to give credit to my mom for this tip. When we remodeled our bathroom we went with white tile which seemed awesome at the time and now well it's hard to keep clean so my mom recommended after I shower to put a little dish soap on a magic eraser to clean the tile in the shower and it works perfectly.

Check out the product: http://www.mrclean.com/en-us/shop-products/magic-erasers/magic-eraser-original

The Secret Of Your Success

Putting A Toddler To Bed Is Never Easy Humor

Getting The Love You Want Excellent Book For Adults, Couples and Parents

This book was recommended to me and although I pondered taking the time to read it I knew it couldn't hurt. It's amazing. I am not one to push on books that I haven't yet completed but I am a quarter into it and am amazed.

For anyone in a relationship, single or have a child go get this book! Anyone not completely happy or having doubts then go get this book. Anyone new in a relationship or in a stale one then go get this book. Every parent should read this book. 

We all have a past and our actions are a reflection on past experiences. Whether good or bad. This book teaches you about yourself. Parenting. Why you are the way you are. Why you repeat history. Why you are afraid of certain things. Why you yearn for certain things. Why you pick the relationships you are in. 

Trust me on this. Go get this book!

Getting The Love You Want by Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Love-You-Want-Anniversary/dp/0805087001

Framebridge Giveaway

Check out this great giveaway courtesy of Scary Mommy:

Custom frame the art and photos you love. Enter to win $300 in custom framing from Framebridge.

Enter Giveaway Here: https://www.framebridge.com/scarymommy?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Sponsored%20Posts&utm_campaign=scarymommy

Feel Good Song: I'm an Albatraoz by AronChupa

Envision The Life You Want

I remember a friend said to me who lost her husband that she went to a therapy session and said to her therapist she was depressed. She said I don't want to get out of bed in the morning and her therapist responded "but you DO get out of bed right?" Her response was yes. So her therapist said "you aren't truly depressed. You're down but you keep moving. You will be ok."

That's life. You keep moving. You take the bad and appreciate the good. You want to run and hide or sleep away the troubles when life throws a curve ball. I know trust me. But you have to get up and say it's going to be a better day and keep moving. You get out of bed so that's a plus. 

Wake up tomorrow and remember no matter what's happening you get up and go about your day. Being positive helps. Envisioning things will be the way YOU want it to be helps create that vision.  

It's like the "secret" when they say live the life you want and the reality will come true. Act like you already have what you are working towards and it all falls into place. You got up today so that alone shows that you're moving in the right direction. 

Trust That Difficulty Happens For A Reason

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You...

Think Positive Even In Your Darkest Moments

Stepping Stones Event Thursday April 7th

I love this place! Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk is a great place to visit for family fun. Perfect really for kids of all ages. This Thursday, April 7th at 5:00pm enjoy free admission!

Week of the Young event. Where you enjoy free admission and children 0-5 years old get a book and can do activities as well as have access to the museum activities. 

Learn more here: 

http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org

Feel Good Song: Brand New by Ben Rector

How Parenting Is Like Rihanna's Song

Feel Good Song: You Learn By Alanis Morisette

Happy 1st of the Month

3 Years Today Cancer Free

I recall the day of my surgery like it was yesterday. I won't go into the details because it was such a surreal experience for me. But I will admit I never really dealt with it. I had a newborn at home to care for. I wanted life to be "normal". I went through all the testing, scans, follow ups and went on with life. See when we go through something dramatic we go into survival mode. I have a tendency to handle the situation without emotions  and not let it get the best of me. As things get better it slowly hits me the reality of what has happened. And as the years passed I come more and more aware of what I went through and heal emotionally. This song came out around the time I was dealing with all this. I remember hearing it on the way to the hospital which made me both cry and gave me hope. Whatever you are going through you will get through it. Cheers to My 3 year Mark. Carry On! ❤️

Finding Happiness In Things You Love Quote

What To Do With Leftover Easter Candy? Easter Chocolate Bark

My friend brought this to my egg hunt and it was amazing. The best part is you can really use any Easter candy for it. Make it unique. The original recipe is from    

 http://www.fivehearthome.com. I highly suggest adding in pretzels because the sweet and salty factor really made this dessert extra yummy.

 

What you need:

Add in candy substitutes.

Full Recipe: http://www.fivehearthome.com/2016/02/29/easter-egg-pretzel-chocolate-swirl-bark-dessert-recipe/

Marriage...Did You Consider These Things Before You Said I Do

Marriage is a tricky, beautiful, frustrating, loving bond you create with someone.

Many times issues that take place BEFORE marriage doesn't go away once you're married. 

People have this assumption that marriage makes things better. It does create a lifetime bond but it also should be something you consider serious and problems should be resolved or at least addressed before you say I do or you will be dealing with it during your marriage. I would say half of the weddings I attended after I got married has ended in divorce. It's a hard thing to get through. People think change will happen and it doesn't. If something isn't right before you say "I Do" work on it before hand. 

Some Things To Consider:

People say you marry the person not their family. False. My family has flaws I know that but it's my family and if you can't accept their flaws then we will be fighting about them throughout the marriage and vice verse. It's normal to be protective of what you know. 

Money. If someone spends too much before hand most likely it will continue throughout marriage. If they can't juggle certain responsibilities unless they work on changing, the problems will still be there. 

Beliefs. As we grow our beliefs someway change but to a point. We become wiser through experience but most likely we will still disagree on things that may seem more important to one person verse another. 

Addictions. I have seen this over and over again. Bad traits and habits carry over into a marriage. People think someone will change but it takes a lot of work to break an addiction and habit. The person has to want the change to occur. It's not easy when you have to

deal with this. 

Below is a great article about some basic, yet true points you need to address before you spend your life with someone. 

What tips would you suggest?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/23/fashion/weddings/marriage-questions.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

What To Do With Leftover Easter Bread? French Toast Casserole

I love Easter bread and this time of year I love how many people give me their bread. However, after a week of taste testing I hate to eat another piece so I made a French toast casserole that sits over night and is super delicious and super easy to make.

What You Need:

Loaf of Easter bread 

8 eggs (I use 6 whole eggs and 2 eggs whites)

1 1/2 cup of milk

2 tablespoons of cinnamon 

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of brown sugar 

Beat eggs and milk together. Slice Easter bread. Spray a Pyrex with Pam oil. Mix cinnamon and sugar together set aside. Layer sliced bread then coat with cinnamon sugar mix. Repeat. Then pour egg milk mixture over. Make sure coats top of bread. Top with brown sugar. Refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and whip cream. 

Happy Easter Buona Pasqua

Happy Easter Everyone! Hoping you have an egglicious day 🐰

Easy Easter Crafts and Food Fun

Saw these easy fun, creative Easter crafts you can do to make this Easter more creative.

Source: Kitchen Fun With My Three Boys on Facebook 

How easy is this. I will be making these this weekend for the kids. So easy yet creative. 

Source:Facebook

Source: Facebook

Easter Fun: Celebrating Traditions

I LOVE Easter. It's my fav Holiday. I love the season of Lent (even though I don't give anything up). I love Palm Sunday and going to church and handing out palms. We always put a Palm cross at our grandparents burial sites. Which are so pretty and you can buy at any grocery store  I always have a family member make me a small Palm cross and put them around the house. 

Easter and Palm Sunday really brings me back to some happy times from my childhood. We would stop by my great aunt and uncles house and then go to my Nonna's to celebrate. Ironically my great aunt passed away this week. It's so symbolic since we would visit her always around this time. 

 

When I first had my oldest daughter I said I wanted to do a huge egg hunt at our house. I skipped it a couple times due to my Thyroid surgery and bad weather but other than that I look forward to it every year. Every year the list grows and I love it. It's really the only time I get together with all of my family and friends who have children.  This year we have close to 40 kids attending. I serve snacks and desserts and juice and water. Everyone normally  brings a snack or dessert to contribute. It's really fun. The kids play on our playground after and parents just hang out. It's really stress free for me verse other parties I throw because the kids are entertained and parents just hang out. 

I normally have every child get 10 eggs. Meet me on my deck and the find the rest. I want the little ones to be able to get a good amount too so to be fair I do it this way. I stuffed 460 eggs and must say Party City had some great prices. 44 bags of gummies for $3.99. If you're smart about it you don't have to spend a lot of money. 

I also love going all out and making creative stuff for the Easter season. I made my Easter bread and  handed out to our parents and sisters. I usually make plain and cinnamon and sugar bread.  

For the EggHunt I make my bunny cake and decorate it with my kids. 

I make 12 baskets to hand out to kids in our family. I know sounds crazy but it's fun to make them. I always try to buy things ahead of time so I am not spending a ton of money last minute. 

I usually give the teachers and adults a big chocolate egg which you can really find great prices for them at Shop Rite or Stew Leonard's. I used to always get one as a kid. There was always a little prize inside so it's like you get two treats in one. 

I love the little things that make Easter special to me. What traditions do you carry out for Easter?

Easter Treat: Cotton Tails

When you think of Easter you think of baskets, egg hunts, Cadbury eggs and Easter bread. Well I came across these white cheddar cheese balls snacks made by UTZ. And just like white chocolate covered Oreos that only comes around the Christmas season well these only come around in my store during Easter. Needless to say I buy bags of them to fulfill my cravings and of course share them with family and friends. Trust me you will be addicted too. Plus they are gluten free- that's me convincing myself it's ok to eat guilt free. Go out and get them! Amazing!

For Best Thyroid Surgical Results Pick A Good Surgeon

When I met with my doctor who diagnosed my thyroid cancer she said if you do what I suggest you do you will live a long healthy life. So I did. I went to Yale New Haven and met with a surgeon who performed Thyroid removals every week. Not month, week. He was so experienced with this that it was second nature to him.  Her advice saved my life.

This article is spot on! This is your life and body. Your survival depends on the experience of the doctor who is performing your surgery. Don't settle! Do your research! You MUST see a surgeon who specializes in Thyroid Surgery!

Article: For Best Thyroid Surgery Results, Pick Doctor With 25-Plus Cases a Year

http://www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-diseases/20364-best-thyroid-surgery-results-pick-doctor-25-plus-cases-year

Picture Source: Endocrineweb.com 

Survival Mode...Unless You're Dying You'll Get Through It

Survival mode. We all go through it. The stages of life that make us and break us. Now I am not one to be down. I love being happy. I actually hate stress. Not sure who loves it but some people like drama and change and well I do not. 

After having my thyroid out I notice whenever I get really upset or stressed out my body shuts down. Literally wants to just sleep. Can't function right. It's pretty scary and pathetic so I try to choose my battles. 

I was talking to a man who has done deep psychology. He made a statement that really stuck with me. When we get into a situation we put ourselves into a survival mode. We either fight, or flight. We stay in and fight or we run from it. We can't just break down and give up. We will survive our bad situations unless it's a death sentence we are facing where we have no choice to give up. 

I am one for stability. I love a routine and a quite simple life. I really do. I don't need a lot to be happy. I am not fancy or need expensive things or need a lot of attention.  So when my life becomes shifted with change and I feel unstability I get into a bit of a panic mode. Then my body shuts down due to stress. I know it's easier said then done but we all have crap in life that shakes us up. But reality is will we survive? YES. Will in time things get better? YES. At the time it's hard to see it. But we humans are like animals. We fight for survival. So don't give up when things shift gears  make a plan and stick to it. Ride it out. Stay strong. Don't break down. Because in the end you will survive. 

It's the Journey That Makes A Woman Strong

Dieting Humor During Easter Time

Happiness: Think It & Attract It

Gas Spill Tip

Did you know if you spill gas in the garage a good way to soak it up is with Cat Litter. 

Yep...easy, gets rid of the smell and soaks it up fast.

Parenting Humor

Follow Your First Impression Quote

You Choose Your Own Happiness

No one can make you happy or unhappy! It's your own self that can really make yourself happy. So if you want to blame others for your own unhappiness then go ahead. If you think someone can fix your happiness you're wrong. It's really internal.

You have control how others make you feel. You have control over your happiness. I think it's hard to remember and easy to forget that! You need to love yourself. Really look within! Say I am happy alone or I choose to be happy regardless of what others do to me or expect from me. End of day no one will love you like you love yourself so stop basing your happiness on others!

Stop thinking if you do something it will make others create happiness for you. It's not easy. I know. But you choose how to feel! You choose your own happiness!

Always Be Good To People Quote

7 Rules To Live By! Happy Friday All!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Perception of How Things Should Be

We all have this perception of how life should be. My girlfriend has had a series of bad relationships. She's in her late thirties. She's unhappy because she always thought by this stage of her life she would be married with kids and now she's single and down about life. 

Another situation...my friend in his late forties thinks he shouldn't be struggling anymore. Should have life figured out. Should have a solid career and be financially stable. Always wondering why set backs happen preventing stability. 

Another situation...my friend who is in his mid thirties and hasn't found his career path and feels he's spinning his wheels and not going anywhere. Constantly losing focus and career changes making it hard to save for a bigger house and stability. 

Another situation...my friend who didn't have a successful first marriage and now struggling with her second. She's always trying to get ahead and fears the thought of going through a second divorce in her mid thirties. 

Another situation...my friend in her mid thirties can't get pregnant. Everyone around her is starting families and her and her spouse don't know why they haven't been blessed yet with a family. 

I won't lie. My perception of how my life would be at this point isn't what it really is either. 

We all have a story. The hard thing is to say to yourself it's ok. My current situation is what it is and in the long term will be better. Then months and years pass and things are at a stand still. 

It's hard the pressure we put on ourselves as to what our lives "should" be verse what it is. The pressure causes us to not enjoy our current state and as the time passes we get older and keep thinking "when things get better I will be happy."

That's not it. We have to try to enjoy the waves of life along the way. It's so not easy. Trust me I know first hand. Have you ever asked yourself "Is this really it?" Or say "I will finally be happy when...." 

What perception are YOU caught up on that is stealing away the happiness of your current state? What steps do YOU take to let that go ?

Change Quote

Radioactive Iodine Treatment For Thyroid Cancer

I found this article that is pretty spot on about what it's like to have RAI Treatment for Thyroid Cancer. I had my treatment summer of 2013. It was a long 10 days. 

If you have to experience this then check out this article. 

"The RAI Diaries: 12 days of radioactivity and brain flatulence"

http://realpeopleactivism.com/the-rai-diaries/

Wear Yellow On Saturday and Show Your Support for Endo March forEndometriosis

Someone very dare to me has this horrible disease. Show your support by wearing yellow on Saturday. Although I cannot attend the walk, I will be watching it and wearing yellow to show my support. Hopefully with enough awareness and support they will one day find a cure that affects at least 6.3 million women and girls in the U.S.*

Show Your Support! Learn More Here: http://www.endomarch.org/event-info/

*Source: http://www.endometriosisassn.org/endo.html

Daylight Savings Tonight: Spring Ahead!

Spring Ahead! Don't forget to set your clocks up an hour tonight! 

Here We Go Again...

Oh the joys of life and the tests we go through to see what makes or breaks us. I have had my share in my marriage and friendships and parenthood and just when I think things go up something happens and pushes it back down. Now I am a pretty strong person. I mean I have dealt with Cancer. Dealt with shifts in my life. Dealt with heartaches for loved ones. But what I realized through all of this is that it's all part of life. No obstacle is ever easy. No set back is ever easy to swallow and when you think you're back up something comes along and says NOPE let me test you again.

So here I go again... Another test and no I don't want pitty and nope I can't be bitter but I realized unless you live in a bubble there will always be something. 

After all you can't become strong if everything is perfect!

Put on your crown and handle the obstacles life throws at you!

Laughing Is The Best Form Of Therapy

Feel Good Throw Back Song: Oh Sherrie by Steve Perry

Life Will Test You But The Test Will Make You Stronger