Getting the Romance Back!

Here we go. A new year has started and my husband and I will be entering into our 14th year of marriage this year.
Things to know about my husband:

• He is starting to grow more hair every year.
• He will help you out at any time.
• He is an incredible baker.
• He is extremely dry and sarcastic.
• He continues to be in love with my body even though it is oddly stretched and rounded in places that you wouldn't ever wish for.
• His children adore him.
• He is horrible at being romantic.
• He makes fun of every trending, cheesy or sentimental thing I do.

After hearing a bit about him, you will understand why this next event in my life was so hard to do.

For a project at work, I had to find and test a product online. Because I am starting a relationship blog, I thought I would search for products that claim to help or grow your relationship.

So, here I am, I have found a product that teaches to send romantic texts and get your partner to reciprocate. NO THIS IS NOT SEXTING. So, with my extremely awkward, sarcastic, romantically challenged husband, this was definitely a task.

Could I ever get him to get past the first few texts without laughing and really try the program.? Well we got started and I will say this seriously... love it. Once my husband saw what his sweet texts and thoughts were doing to my attitude. Suffice it to say, I have loved this program. You guys can check it out, there is a free set of sample texts, then there is a program to try. My husband and I did the latter.
Even though we are not a couple that would ever think of this sort of program, we have no marital challenges, rarely fight, but 14 years can start to get a little dull.

I am totally grateful for the jumpstart. If you want to try, even if it seems a little silly at first, you can check it out here.

Cutest dog ever!

Ok, so I am behind the times, I have never joined Pinterest until today. My girlfriends at school keep talking about this site and with a little downtime in my work schedule, I decided to visit.

What I have found is disturbing. I am a major advocate for NOT dressing up your animals, however, once I saw this, I changed my mind. Attention to pet owners everywhere, unless you can produce such a specimen of animal cuteness, leave the pet clothes at the store. The following picture may in fact be the only exception.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tierney on Pinterest

Ice Cream and weightloss?

So, yesterday I was contacted from an associate of a professional partner of mine. They would like help promoting their product through women and mom blogs. The product is a mix that you mix with crushed ice and freeze. It is ice cream for weight loss. Seriously. Who wants to stop feeling guilty for eating ice cream.
I never thought this day would come? Ice cream, 150 calories, high in fiber and protein. I am going to be receiving the samples in the next week. I will let you know how my taste test goes.


I have a feeling in the future, they will want blogger's to review and use as an affiliate marketer. If you think you might want to be an affiliate or review this product, I will forward your information along. You can contact me at momsnmemos@gmail.com.

Lesson # 2: It is the little things that Matter.

As a church goer, I have my own struggles with what kind of mother and woman I should be. Where do I fit in? I think that most of us go through similar issues, and I don't know that  I have an answer yet.
However, I was thinking of the lessons that the holidays have taught me. So lesson number 2 is as follows.

Despite the fact that I am not crafty, I do not have play dates, I work full time and go to school at night. I enjoy hanging with my husband more than girls night out. This can, at times, lead to a lonely existence as a mother.

As I started into the holiday season, I started to wonder how I can  be aware and help those around me. As I am not the mother that will make pre-made cookie jars, or wrap a ribbon around a candle with a holiday poem, but I am someone who cares about others. I do want to help and assist anywhere I can.

Lesson #2 Make consistent and deliberate attempts.

I learned that the effort of saying hello, smiling to someone new, letting others know I am there for them, stopping by to say hi, this is enough. As long as my intent is pure, my acts are deliberate and I consistently try, I can influence the lives of those around me for the better, even without a red ribbon and poem attached to the candle.

As I write this down, I want you all to know, how much I love and care for you. How much I appreciate your words. Merry Christmas! 

It was worth it!

In my last post I lamented about the Holiday season starting and everything I am dreading about it. Yes, sounds a little grinchy but I was not ready AT ALL. So, I am learning my lesson and have decided that with all of our flaws, spending time and making the effort to enjoy the holidays is worth it.

I just left my brothers house where we spent the Thanksgiving Holiday. There were 40 or so family members in a very large house, pictures, food, 4-wheeling, shopping, card games, wrestling, Just Dance and of course plenty of opinions and conversation. Although I wasn't in the frame of mind to enjoy the holidays, I am pleased to announce that I did just that.

So for this holiday season, I am going to post the lessons I have learned rather than the moments I abhor about the holidays. (I may include some of those things too, but we will try to stay on the positives)

So lesson #1 is GET OVER YOURSELF! If it is a friend or acquaintance, we all have quirks and less desirable personality traits. Who cares. Find the the traits in others that you can relate to or enjoy. The holiday season is about spending time with those you love and if you are finding you don't love anyone, you have a majorly sad problem.

This lesson may be for me to learn and everyone else may have it down, but I really doubt it.

Are we ready for the season?

I am a genius. I know that this sounds a little conceded, but my actions have proven this to be true, or not so true in actuality. I have started a new job and Aesthetics school at night both in the same week and just one week before Thanksgiving. Once Thanksgiving comes around, then we start the parties and family gatherings, the shopping and celebrating of the season. So, why not tack on a couple more things to complete my insane life. In addition to trying to keep the house clean, plan meals, schedule the holidays,work and go to school, I am looking into starting a beehive. This in actuality cannot happen until April or May, however I have to save the money and learn all I can so I am ready in time.

Are you ready for the Holiday Season? Meeting with your family to "enjoy" the Holidays together, only to spend 60% of your time strategically placing yourself in a different room from that family member you would prefer not to be related to. Going over the Christmas list to see what you can get a deal on, what you can find on Ebay and what will not be included in the presents due to financial matters.
I am scared to death for the season, the bills, the recovery, the job and the hope to remember the "spirit" of Christmas.
Also I thought I would post our family picture that we are sending out this year. I stay away from pictures and there are very few over the last 5 years due to my increasing weight. However, I thought it was time, I got a great deal on a photographer and she gave me the cd to use, so I can watch the cost; since in my last family picture, my eight yr old was 3 months old, I thought I should bite the bullet.
Happy Holidays.

It has been a while........

It has been a while since my last post. This is the same starting line that covers 75% of blogs. This blog is no different. Sometimes we forget that as we are living our lives, we need to post our lives.  I will take the challenge. ( Yes a little dramatic, but this post was seeming to go there. )
August and September were big months for our family. After 13 years of marriage,starting businesses, moving back home, and having children together, Mike and I decided to start again. NO, we are not talking about divorce here, we are talking about making a new life for ourselves. So, we left everything, our beautiful home, our friends, family, co-workers, some people we will miss and some we will not miss. My husband is a contractor and after 7 years, there was no business left. We had to decide what to do next. Mike was determined to never have another job so reliant on the economy again.
So, here we are in Provo, UT. Mike has decided to become a dentist. His degree is in Industrial Design, so this is an art degree. He has no sciences. Yes, you heard me right. No sciences, you kind of need science to become a dentist. So, he has to go to university to get his science classes (two years) and then can attend dental school. yippee..... a six year transition. Ok I will try that again, YIPPEE, Mike is going to dental school!!!! Better?
We are renting a little house, the kids love their new school, we live in a great neighborhood and we are so totally poor. I am looking for a job, and will be attending esthetician school at night. (I really am a whore for skincare, I will buy anything :) So, everyone that sells Arbonne or Avon or Mary Kay, stay away, and don't get me started on Sephora, seriously, don't.)
I am terrified to see if we will be able to fund our new life, but it is simpler and sweeter, so this should be good for us.
Now you can see that while I was living my life or trying to wade through my life, I have forgotten to post. I do have a couple of stories to share, thus I can see a few more posts in my future. Well in my near future of course.
To a new life!