The TRUTH About Motherhood

Search results for: “back school/ https:/www.target.com/c/kids-back-to-school/-/N-5xtyp”

Blog Plagiarism~How to prevent it,How to find it & How to STOP it!
Many of you are aware that over the past two weeks, I have experienced an onslaught of blog plagiarism. The plagiarists have been using my blog as their own personal idea bank. Some have stolen my mission, my title and now a direct copy of my post. Don’t these people know there is only one Truthful Mommy and one real The TRUTH about Motherhood and that’s me! Sunday, the plagiarist hack broke my bloggy back and I couldn’t take it anymore. I went to my source for bloggy support, understanding and wisdom…Twitter and my readers. It has to be said, social media can really rock your world in unexpected ways. Within minutes, many of you had sent me helpful sites, legal letters to demand that the infringer take down my material, letters to the plagiarist’s host and even the latest in plagiarism laws. You people amaze me so much that I feel I need to take all the great information that I received and share it to help my fellow bloggers from falling victim to such heinous crimes!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
Photo Credit Chris Lamphear
Prevent Plagiarism
There is no way to truly prevent plagiarism. My blog is clearly marked with a copyright. I also have the BlogProtector plugin that doesn’t allow people to copy and paste my content. Though, obviously that doesn’t stop them from rewriting it verbatim on their own site. But as you all know, where there is a will there is always a way. I believe this in every aspect of my life and so why wouldn’t there be a way to get around this. These unscrupulous plagiarists see your challenge and raise you a cheap imitation or a verbatim copy. Scoundrels, they obviously have no talent of their own to speak of so they set to stealing the intellectual property of those of us who do. The best thing you can do is be proactive, become familiar with the Copyright Act and register your blog/trademark title with the United States Copyright office. As a blogger, it would be particularly beneficial to be familiar with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
How to know if you’re a victim of Plagiarism
There are a whole slew of Wordpress plugins available to help keep you informed as to whether or not you are being plagiarized. There are different software programs available that can check to see if copy is redundant on the internet and in effect let you know if your intellectual property is being used by someone else. A couple free plagiarism checker sites that I found were www.Copyscape.com , Google Alerts and www.Duplichecker.com. You can also purchase Plagiarism Detector software, which I hear is good but I have not personally tried it ( obviously) but would like to have something that could tell me in real time when someone has copied my content rather than stumbling onto it or having it ping-back because the moron plagiarist copied it with an internal link to one of your older posts ( mental midget). Which actually could be a low cost way to catch thieves, internal links to your older posts WILL ping-back and you will catch the perpetrator.So check your spam comments. If you want to do it the hard way, you can always individually Google common phrases in your posts and it will lead you to any duplicates.
How to Stop Plagiarism
Well, personally, I’d love to stop a plagiarist by stringing them up and beating them like a pinata ( but you already knew that, right?) Since we can’t do that, here are a few things we can do to clean up the mess. Under DMCA ( I told you to familiarize yourself with it) you can issue an immediate take down notice. This is good because under the law, the hosting ISP ( according to Black Star Rising, you can find the infringing Web site’s hosting ISP through a “who is” search at sites like Domain Tools or Whois.net) of the infringing plagiarist, while not liable for the plagiarism itself is responsible to remove the material from the site after proper notice has been given. An immediate take down notice would be this notice. For an excellent example of the take down notice check out Black Star Rising. You can also send a legal notice to the plagiarist and ask them to remove the copyrighted material and threaten legal action.
This course of action was suggested by one of my readers ..
“If you produce the content, you own it and deserve any and all commercial benefits deriving therefrom. (I’m writing a story on this for one of my clients right now so I’m all up to date and ready for a fight with content pirates.)
If that ( the immediate take down notice) doesn’t work, you can always go their advertisers or ad syndication network to let them know that their ads are appearing on the site of a content pirate. That can make them skedaddle fast.
You can also take the licensing approach as in: “Hey, how awesome that you are finding value in my content! I noticed we don’t have a license agreement in place so here’s one for you to sign, along with an invoice for $$$ for your use of my content.” Who knows, you may even get a new revenue stream out of it. “
I think she is brilliant!
Other courses of action? If you know of any other please let me know. And if you think this can help any of your blogger friends, please share it. I think most of us are pretty trusting and there is so little known about how to stop these plagiarists, we need to be armed with all the relevant information that we can get hold of. Thanks for all the help, support and advice. Do me a solid, if you see my work on anyone else’s site, let me know. I’ll bring the bat and we can all celebrate by taking whacks at that damn plagiarism pinata![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
2011/07/12
Father Singing Blackbird to Dying Newborn Son is Most Beautiful thing on the Internet
Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
take these broken wings and learn to fly,
All your life…
You were only waiting for this moment to arrive.
Imagine losing everything and then imagine losing it again, all within a few days. According to Chris Picco Youtube video description…
Chris Picco singing Blackbird to his son, Lennon James Picco, who was delivered by emergency C-section at 24 weeks when Chris’ wife Ashley unexpectedly and tragically passed away in her sleep. Lennon’s lack of movement and brain activity was a constant concern for the doctors and nurses at Loma Linda University Hospital, where he received the absolute best care available. During the pregnancy, Ashley would often feel Lennon moving to music so Chris asked if he could bring his guitar into the NICU and play for Lennon, which he did for several hours during the last days of Lennon’s precious life. One day after filming this, Lennon went to sleep in his daddy’s arms.
For more information please visit: https://www.piccomemorial.com
To donate to a Memorial Fund to help with medical bills and associated expenses, please visit: https://www.youcaring.com/memorial-fun…
The clip shows musician Chris Picco singing to his son, Lennon, in the hospital shortly after the death of his wife. I know the heaviness that is in his chest. This is tragic and beautiful all at the same time. The entire situation is a tragedy but the time he got to spend with his son, even if it was only for a few hours, I am sure will always be regarded as one of the biggest miracles of his life; the most profound moments of all consuming, unconditional love.
My thoughts and prayers are with this father who has just lost his entire world.
2014/11/14
Vaseline Spray & Go~ How Long Does it Take YOU to get ready in the Morning?
How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? I thought that this summer was going to be about long, lazy mornings spent sleeping in, days lingering by the pool and quiet evenings spent lounging around the fire pit. Visions of nature hikes, family bike rides, picnics, and spontaneous memorable moments danced in my head. The reality of it all is that I am busier than ever taking my daughters to the pool, swimming lessons, gymnastics, the park, play dates and I think you get the picture. I need every thing in my life streamlined this summer, including my morning routine.
Luckily, I have discovered Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer. It is exactly what it sounds like. It is a continuous spray lotion that moisturizes and absorbs in seconds. It’s never sticky or greasy and comes in three variants; Total Moisture, Aloe Fresh and Cocoa Radiant. You simply spray it on (preferably in the tub so you don’t leave moisturizer residue all over your bathroom floor creating a slip and fall hazard), rub it in, get dressed and go. It’s quick, convenient and absorbs instantly so you can get dressed immediately and get on with your day, which is exactly what a busy mom like me, needs.
I took the Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer Challenge and the results were that it took me 10 minutes less time to get ready using Vaseline Spray and Go than it did using my traditional moisturizer. Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer only takes 10 seconds to absorb, just like in the video. Apparently, I waste a lot more time than I realized waiting for my lotion to dry just so I can put on my clothes. Who has time to wait around for lotion to dry? I have places to go and little people to see. I never thought 10 minutes in my day could make such a difference but when you’re busy and time is at a premium, you have to make every second count and I;d rather make memories than wait for my moisturizer to dry, wouldn’t you?
My other tips for getting out of the house quickly in the morning?
Wake your kids up early enough to allow for sleepy children to eat breakfast and wake up before whisking them out the door.
Have clothes/outfits/swimsuits and all necessary tools for activities and classes in a bag in a designated space to be easily found in the morning.
Plan your breakfast meals in advance.
Know your child and yourself. If it’s Thursday and its been a hectic week, you know your child is going to be obstinate and overtired and so are you, plan to be more understanding and patient.
Don’t forget about you! Decide what you are going to wear and have it set aside the night before, make sure the tank is filled with gas and you know where your purse and keys are for easy access in the morning.
I love Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer because it makes my life easier and lets me be the places I need to be, with the people I love, when I need to be there, not 10 minutes late or sacrificing dry beautiful, moisturized skin for promptness.
To watch more tips on how to max your morning check out www.maxthemorning.com
Vaseline® Spray & Go Moisturizer is a quick, continuous 360° spray lotion that moisturizes deeply and absorbs in seconds, so you can put your clothes right on and get on with your day! Available in three formulas – Total Moisture®, Aloe Fresh, and Cocoa Radiant™ – this fast to apply, quick to absorb line of lotions leaves skin instantly soft – not sticky or greasy. Find out more at www.maxthemorning.com!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vaseline. The opinions and text are all mine.
```
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vaseline.  The opinions and text are all mine.
```
2013/06/12
This Blogger’s Life Lori Garcia ( Mommyfriend)
Today, I am honored to welcome my dear friend, Lori Garcia aka MommyFriend to This Blogger’s Life. Lori is a very talented writer with an always half-full personality and an infectious smile that shines through in her pieces. She is the woman who walks into a room and instantly brightens it up and her writing makes the Internet a better place.
When I first “met” Lori, we were both newbie bloggers who were just trying to figure all of this out. We knew we loved to write and blogging allowed us connections and community at a time in motherhood when we were craving friendships and connections like the air we breathed. Lori is and has always been the kind of person who every woman needs as a friend; she is kind, genuine and sincerely a good person who loves her family and looks for the good in life. We need more people, more writers, more friends like Lori.
Lori is also known as MommyFriend and it suits her perfectly because she is truly a mommy friend that every single one of us needs in life. Her passion for the stories that she tells coupled with her optimistic perspective, always leaves me wanting more. The one thing that always radiates from Lori’s articles is humanity. She tells her truth with wild abandon and unrestrained honesty.
Lori can write about anything and make it interesting but my favorite stories that she shares are her love stories for her family; her boys. The pride and love that she has for her family inspires me to be a better wife and mother. She is one of the kindest and most tenacious women I know and it makes me so happy to see her enjoying such amazing success as a writer, all over the internet.
I’m honored to call Lori my friend and it’s my privilege to have her on This Blogger’s Life today.
This Blogger’s Life…Lori Garcia (MommyFriend)

Why did you start blogging? I always loved writing and after working in an uncreative field for a decade, I decided it was time to scratch that creative itch and begin sharing my stories.

What’s one piece of advice that you would give to a new blogger? Decide what you’re willing to share and not share for the almighty dollar. It’s easier to make these important decisions and stick to them long before a financial carrot is dangled in front of you. If you’re unclear about where to draw the line when it comes to public consumption, spend some time thinking about it. What you don’t want to do is learn the hard way. Ask me how I know.

What are the three words that describe you best? Loyal, kind, dependable.

What is your favorite website? Ever? www.amazon.com. Come to Mama.

What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not blogging? Binge watch formerly popular TV shows. I just finished Gossip Girl because I’m 37 years old and that’s totally normal behavior.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself from blogging? Not only learning, but learning and believing that I’m not alone in motherhood has been huge for me. My stories help mothers and their stories help me. I feel bigger and bolder as a mother for blogging.

How do you balance life and blogging? Honestly, not very well. The two are so intertwined, making a distinction is nearly impossible for me.

How has blogging changed you or your life? Blogging gave me confidence in the value of my voice, which has translated to so many aspects of my life. From my career to my relationships, blogging has made me the woman, wife, and mother I am today.

What do you think makes a successful blog? A great blog? Are they one in the same? I think a successful blog and a great blog eventually become one in the same. Great content almost always rises to the top because we’re all hungry for it.

If you were to stop blogging today, what would you do with the rest of your life? First, completely remove myself from the grid. Imagine all the time I’d have! Of course, that would probably only last a week or so because I’m a social being and I’d miss everyone too much, but for that week – man, that would be glorious. I don’t know what I;d do. I’m really into home renovation with my husband, so probably more of that.

How do you balance telling your story, without telling the story of others in your life? This is a tough one. My tween son established blogging rules for me to blog by…what does that tell you?

Blogging has changed a lot, just since I started 5 years ago, what do you miss about blogging in the early days? What do you love that has changed? I think I miss the excitement I felt before every publish. Will people read this? Will they like it? Will they comment? I love witnessing the climb of so many remarkable blogger friends who have made a respectable career in this industry. I love witnessing success. Love it.

How do you consistently come up with relevant and shareable content? The blogger’s mind is a funny thing. In time, it comes a bit of a machine, finding blog fodder in every aspect of life. From what we read to what we experience, what we overhear to what we desire, relevant, shareable is everywhere.

If you could have a dinner party for 6 people, living or dead, who would you invite? Ooo, Jesus, my Grandpa Charlie (most awesome man ever), Brandon Flowers (because yum), my husband (because double yum), Bob Villa (I have some home improvement questions), and Elton John.

What’s the one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you? Gosh, I don’t know. I’m pretty much what you’d expect, there’s not a lot of dark corners or secret passageways with me. Maybe that I’m a yell-y mom? I yell a lot. I do.

What’s the one post that you are most proud of? Probably this one. https://www.babble.com/mom/an-open-letter-to-my-gynecologist/

Thank you Lori for letting me interview you on This Blogger’s Life and thank you for always being such an amazing friend and inspiring writer.
XOXO
If you can’t get enough of Lori Garcia, check her out on MommyFriend, Babble and Twitter too!
2014/06/06
Monday Envelope Is Revolutionizing the Room Mom
Tonight is my first meeting as a member of our School Board. I’ve been a perpetual room mom for the past 6 years, for both girls; sometimes manning two parties at exactly the same time. Oh yes, I am doing it again this year because I am “that” mom. Anyways, at the end of last school year I decided that I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in the school and instead of just complaining about everything; I put my money where my mouth was. I did what any sane mother with too many obligations already would do, I went for the school board.
Anyways, this school year is going to be crazy for me. Maintaining two classrooms as room mom is hectic enough but add to it more obligations, I am in desperate need of some streamlining, organization and control; at the very least some organized chaos. We can’t afford another unfortunate “reply all” incident like the Halloween party of 2013 scandal. Thankfully, I was asked to try Monday Envelope.
Monday Envelope is an all in one group manager for any device that allows you, as a parent, PTA leader, room mom or Girl Scout troop leader (among many other things) to control and organize (streamline) all of your communications with all the people you need to be in contact with, at all the right times and at all the right places.
Parent involvement is crucial to the success of any school and a big part of that is effective communication. It is the perfect tool for the busy, on the go, involved mom. It means that this mom will never have to miss another out of uniform day again and that makes all of us happy! It’s everything, you never knew that you always wanted in organization.
Finally, I won’t have to worry about sending BCC emails from my address that trigger spam filters or worse CC everyone and the thread is 800 emails long and sometimes inappropriate. Refer to scandal of 2012. This allows everyone to be on the same page without the insane email tread. Tastes great; less filling.
The best part is that it is simple to use. Simple is my favorite word these days because with school back in session, my life has gotten exponentially more complicated with schedules and classes and meetings. It saves a ton of time that you can spend actually enjoying parenthood and these precious fleeting moments with your little ones. It frees up our time so that we can be engaged.
If you think this is a great option for your school, room mom, team mom, PTA president or girls scout mom friends have them check out Monday Envelop for themselves https://mondayenvelope.com/tell-your-group-leader/ .
This post was sponsored by WOMWomen.com on behalf of Monday Envelope. All opinions are my own.

2014/08/19
Sex Ed for Kindergarteners?
I saw this on CNN ( obviously, my new favorite online hot spot as you can plainly see from my recent posts. I may have a slight CNN addiction. Is there a group for this? A 12 step program?) and I was torn.
https://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=world/2010/05/26/ctw.damon.indo.kids.sex.ed.cnn
CNN* Please stop making the video unavailable! How are my readers supposed to watch this video if you keep removing it?
First I was taken aback. The sheer sight of these little kids ( because I have a little girl going into Kindergarten next year) playing with these anatomically correct dolls filled me with conflict. On one side, I do not believe in bull shitting my kids but I think there is a time and place for everything. I think children become curious at different points and are also all ready at different times to know the facts. From the beginning, my girls have known the anatomically correct names of their genitalia and they know that boys have a penis ( “peanut” as Gabs likes to refer to it as).Bella once asked me how we got her sister out of my belly. I was stumped. I fumbled, but I couldn’t lie because I don’t want to do that with my girls. So, I nonchalantly said she came out of me. Bella: How? ( I’m pretty sure she was going to look for a door or something) Me: She came out through my vagina. Bella: Oh! OK. ( I’m sure she didn’t completely understand the logistics of it all but she had an answer and that’s all she wanted.) She never asked again and she commenced with playing dress up with her baby dolls. I’m sure that’s not how some people would handle it but it was the best I could do. I wasn’t prepared. She was 3. I talk to my girls about not letting people touch them in their private places, or really anywhere. People need their private space, no one should be in that space unless invited in. But when I saw this video, though I am straight forward with my kids do I want a teacher handing out dolls with pubic hair and anatomically correct genitalia? I mean, did you see the little girl pushing the baby back up into the dolls uterus? Of course that could have been a useful tool with my conversation with Bella a couple years back. Then you think, well, this is on the other side of he world maybe they need it over there. No danger of my girls meeting the anatomically correct twins anytime soon.
Then I came across this….
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwNV069wLGU]
Ahh, remember the good old days when you hit 5th grade someone slipped you a pamphlet , scared you shitless with a movie, and gave you a little baggie with some “PADS” in it to take home? Of course, that was as far as it went..my parents didn’t tell me bupkis other than if I did “IT” ( whatever the hell that meant), I’d be shipped off to live with my mean Grandma in Mexico…that is, once they were done beating my ass. Yeah, never really saw the draw in that plus I surely didn’t want to end up living with my mean Grandma in a third world country! The consequences far outweighed the benefits. I guess gone are the days when you could take your kid to the gynecologist and make them believe that every time they had sex they would have to have a pap? True story…I know a woman who did that to her daughter. Sounds cruel…but it would’ve worked on me!Well, I should be in no danger of Bella getting “the dolls” next year, she’s going to Catholic school. I think the closest they get to sex ed is the issuance of the chastity belts at orientation!Basically, I am still torn on the subject….even after talking it out with all of you.What are your thoughts?
Oh Craptastic! I just realized Gabs is 3 now. Hey, wonder where I can get my hands on one of those dolls![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
2010/05/27
Back-to-School at Gordmans Earns You Cash Back
Gordmans, like life, always has something unexpected. I’ve shopped TJMaxx and Marshalls forever, because, I will admit it, I love a good bargain. I love nice clothes but the reality is that I live on a budget but I don’t want to dress like I live on a tight budget and neither do my kids. I shop a lot of sales and clearance racks so I can get the style I want for the girls and me without breaking the bank.
I can’t believe it, school starts back in less than a month; 3 weeks to be exact. I’m partially freaking out because this summer has gone too fast and partially thrilled because I miss our routine but that also means, one of our favorite times of year is fast approaching, back-to-school shopping.
It’s not terribly difficult to get my girls excited about back-to-school shopping; they are girls who love to shop. I do too. The only problem is that when you have children and tuitions and activities, things get expensive and you need to watch your budget. My girls have great taste; unfortunately, great taste usually translates into high price tags but not always, not at Gordmans.
My girls know that if you have $200 to spend you can spend it one of two ways, you can buy 4 full-priced items from a department store or you can go to Gordmans and buy an entire back-to-school wardrobe for a child. Smart little fashionistas choose Gordmans. There is just something so satisfying about a seeing the tag and realizing that if you’d bought it elsewhere you might have paid $100 for something that you only spent $40 on at Gordmans.
I love Gordmans because the store is clean, well-organized and you can get great brands for less than what you would pay at a department store in the mall. Same quality, same name brands, but for a much lower price. As if a huge selection of brand name fashions at incredibly low prices is not enough to get you in the door; Gordmans also has some of the friendlier associates to help you find just what you’re looking for.
Another thing I love about Gordmans is the “Gordmans giggles” area which is a children’s theatre with fun, colorful seating where kids may view children’s programming on a large-screen tv while you shop for sizes and styles, you can still keep an eye on them and they are not bored out of their minds. Honestly, it is the little things in customer service that make all the difference.
Fear not, there is also a place for your guys. “Gordmans Grandstand” is a comfortable seating area in the men’s department where guests may view sports-oriented programming. We all know most men hate to shop for clothes, but what if you could shop sizes and styles while he got to watch the game? Just think you could get his immediate response to if he’ll wear that button up oxford without having to lug it home and back to the store. What a time saver!
My absolute favorite thing about Gordmans is their loyalty program, gRewards. The new gRewards loyalty program is a free and easy way for guests to shop, earn and redeem! This is not a credit card, but a way to earn points on purchases for future rewards!The gRewards program allows you to earn one point for every dollar you spend and receive a $10 reward for every 200 points you earn; you can earn points faster if you are a Gordmans credit card holder. The gRewards card also gives you a special birthday discount of an additional 10% off your entire purchase. It’s like free money just for doing what I already had to do anyways, shop back-to-school. Talk about something unexpected!
Simply by commenting on this post you can be entered to win prizes from a Gordmans sweepstakes.
Official Rules
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gordmans. The opinions and text are all mine.
```
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gordmans.  The opinions and text are all mine.
```
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
2013/07/22
Cool Back-to-School Fashion that Won’t Break the Bank
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I received the included Carter’s clothes as compensation but all opinions are mine.
As I lay here in the sun poolside, it’s hard to imagine that it’s already time to get the girls ready to go back to school. How can it be? Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were celebrating the last day of school? Why do the summers keep flying by quicker the older my children get?
When the girls were little, a year felt like an eternity. Back in those days, I was so exhausted and overwhelmed, I wasn’t 100% sure that I was going to survive the year. Then, it passed and with each passing year, I got a little more sleep, they got a little easier and right at the time you really start to enjoy spending time talking to your little ones and being with them, the summers decide to go by at lightning speed. Not cool, time. Slow down.
Anyways, my point is time speeds up when we least want it to and it doesn’t seem to care that I’m gripping on for dear life, pulling back while life’s propelling my babies forward. I loosen my grip but then they catapult away in every direction. So I grab hold at my first chance. This push and pull of parenting, like the ebb and flow of the surf against the shore. There’s a lot of bending and growing, the goal is to not break but to grow stronger through our intertwinement.
As the girls get older, we seem to be getting closer. My mom tells me that I’m “lucky” that my girls are “so good”. I tell her, “No, I’ve put in 12 years of hard time to get to this point.” Parenting has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with showing up every single day and being present. It’s hard work but it’s worth it and anyone who tells you it isn’t is either a liar or completely missing the point.

As my girls get older, we actually have fun hanging out together; talking, sharing and keeping secrets, laughing and loving like there is no tomorrow. They are honestly two of my favorite people.
One of our favorite things to do together is spend the day shopping and trying clothes on. This was a favorite pastime of my sisters and me in our teens. We could shop for hours without ever spending a dime. It was the time together that was important. It may sound cliché, but there truly is something kind of magical and wonderfully bonding about girls creating fashionable outfits together. It’s more than just spending money on clothes, it’s about the conversations, the honesty and the intimacy of sharing your personal style with someone else. It’s sharing a part of your soul and in the process, making memories. When you’re thinking of selling your old clothes to earn some quick cash to afford new ones, using sites and Selling apps will allow you to sell them without the hassle.

My girls have to wear uniforms to school and that leaves them feeling a bit fashionably and creatively stifled so shopping together for casual clothes is something they look forward to every single year. It transcends the act of shopping for clothing and the bonding experience, it is their chance to showcase who they are. Their casual clothes allow them the freedom to express who they are on the inside.
This week my sister and her son came to visit and we did something we haven’t had the chance to do in a really long time, we went shopping together. We had a blast loading our arms full of the latest Carter’s styles and mixing and matching different pieces and having a little fashion show.

The kids were giggling and laughing and having so much fun together and, in that moment, my sister and I were those two teenagers again; hanging out in the dressing room, trying to find the cutest outfit for the roller dome, or the football game or whatever party we were going to.
In those moments, we all grew closer as we posed the kids and they made goofy faces. It was simple, nothing planned or fancy, just a couple sisters shopping for back-to-school with their children but those little moments, they are when the unforgettable glimpses of forever family begin to shine through. In those snapshots of hysterical laughing and smiling until your cheeks hurt, that’s when the bond is sealed and the love grows.
If you are looking for some seriously cute back-to-school fashion for boys and girls, look no further. Kohl’s Carter’s Department has you covered because August 4 thru August 20, 2017, Carter’s Playwear is 40%-50% off. Check out the Carter’s selection.
My blog may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy policies of those other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies.
Affiliate links are not associated with Kohl’s.
There is a 40% – 50% off Carter’s Playwear sale from 8/4 – 8/20. Shoppers can also use the BTS10 code to get $10 off $50 spent on the back to school categories (which includes Carter’s clothing).
$10 off $50 spent – Sales Date: 8/4 – 8/20 (Promo code: BTS10)
2017/08/15
American Girl Z Yang Giveaway
It’s May, my favorite and busiest month of the year. I don’t only love it because the world seems to be coming alive but I get to celebrate so many wonderful things in my life; birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, end of the year school performances and even the anniversary of this website. There are lots of reasons for celebrating so I will be hosting a few giveaways this month starting with the newest American Girl Doll, Z Yang.
Z Yang, American Girl’s newest contemporary character, is an imaginative 13-year-old from Seattle who develops her own take on the world around her.
Z is the latest addition to American Girl’s new series of contemporary characters and stories designed to speak to more girls’ interests, backgrounds, and experiences.
Z (short for Suzie) is a Korean-American teen who loves staying connected with friends through her vlog, Z’s Crew. Now she’s taking a shot at her dream of becoming a true filmmaker. The 18” Z doll has long dark-brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a beauty mark on her left cheek. The Z doll comes dressed in her signature outfit, along with a paperback of The Real Z by Jen Calonita.
American Girl brings its popular stop-motion vlogger character, Z Yang, to life for millions of fans who have come to know and love her as the star of the company’s popular web series, Z’s Crew.
Inspired by the American Girl Stop Motion (AGSM) phenomenon, the series has garnered more than three million views on YouTube and continues to draw a large fan base.
Bonus: An Amazon Original live-action “Z” Special, An American Girl Story: Summer Camp Friends for Life, is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 9, 2017.
The full Z product collection includes several creatively-inspired doll outfits and accessories that reflect her filmmaking interests, such as a wooden fold-out desk—complete with a chair and several pretend video-making supplies like a laptop and video monitor, as well as her own filming accessories like a camera, smartphone, and tripod, to name a few.
The Z Yang collection is available now.
To learn more about Z and other new American Girl characters debuting throughout 2017, go to americangirl.com, Facebook at facebook.com/americangirl, Twitter at twitter.com/american_girl, Pinterest at pinterest.com/agofficial, and American Girl’s Instagram page at instagram.com/americangirlbrand. To request an American Girl catalog, call 1-800-845-0005.
Through the generosity of American Girl, I am hosting a giveaway.
If you’d like the chance to win a Z Yang doll for the special little girl in your life, enter the giveaway below and leave a comment telling me which American Girl doll you most identify with?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

2017/05/02
How to Make Back-to-School Easier for Your Tween/Teen
Disclosure: This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with CLEAN & CLEAR and #WeAllGrow Latina Network but all opinions about how to make back-to-school easier for your tween/teen are all my own.
Back-to-school is difficult for parents and kids alike. However, for tweens and teens it’s especially hard. They go away for the summer looking one way and chances are they come back looking completely different. Crazy things happen to their bodies and their faces when all those hormones are surging through their bodies.
They leave school in the spring looking like a kid and return in the fall with a growth spurt, a voice that’s changing, a body that is metamorphosing so much that not even they recognize themselves in the mirror and probably some skin issues. It’s a crazy time of year for so many reasons.
As we prepare to go back to school and get back into our routines, there is a lot of stress. Not just the regular back to school shopping for clothes and supplies but when your child is a tween/teen you have to include shopping to address your child’s skin concerns.
My daughter is 12-years-old and she is changing so fast that I hardly recognize her from one day to the next. That is no exaggeration. Growing from a child into a young lady is hard work. There are so many things going on inside and out that I want to make this time of transition as smooth and easy as possible so I try to help her navigate this time of her life with the least amount of stress and confusion.
Her skin has begun to suffer the effects of the hormonal changes. I don’t think it’s fair that she has to deal with acne on top of all the other changes so I started teaching her how to take care of her skin when she was about 10-years-old, the same age that her little sister is now.
We’ve tried all sorts of different regimens but nothing seems to work. She doesn’t have bad skin per se but she is getting a few small pimples. She’s an athlete; a dancer who performs 6 days a week. Part of dancing is dressing the part and that includes stage makeup which is terrible for her skin. She’s been having breakouts and she is not loving it at all.

Recently, we started using Clean and Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser, Deep Action Scrub and Deep Action 60 sec shower mask. They are easy to use and the simple to follow instructions make it easy for my tween to stick to her skin cleansing routine.

The CLEAN & CLEAR^® Morning Burst® Facial is a unique gel cleanser specifically formulated with effective cleansers and vitamin-enriched BURSTING BEADS® to awaken skin. Cleansers gently remove dirt, oil, and impurities, while BURSTING BEADS® with vitamins gently dissolve as you lather to help revive and awaken skin’s look.
Steps for Using product
- Start with clean hands.
- Use those clean hands to splash water on your face.
- Squeeze a small amount of cleanser onto wet palms – a dime-size should do it.
- Work into a lather. Place the now foamy cleanser onto your face and use your fingertips to gently swirl it around…circles, figure eights…that type of thing.
- Feel the BURSTING BEADS^® start to break apart. Oooh…
- Rinse your face thoroughly then pat it dry with a towel.
CLEAN & CLEAR^® Deep Action 60 Second Shower Face Mask is designed to work with the steam of your shower to deeply, but gently exfoliate away traces of dirt, oil and dead skin that can clog pores. You’ll be able to feel the deep clean as the tingling sensation builds, and in just 60 seconds, your skin will look brighter, healthy, and feel refreshed!
Directions: Wet your face then squeeze out a quarter-sized amount of the mask onto your palms.
- Apply to mask evenly all over your face.
- Now the important part: Let the mask sit on your face for 60 seconds… feel free to multi-task during this time.
- After the quick 60 seconds is up, gently massage your whole face as you rinse thoroughly off.
- If you get some in your eyes, no need to panic, just rinse your peepers with water.
- Use 2-3 times per week alone or right after your favorite cleanser
CLEAN & CLEAR^® Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub is designed to invigorate skin by cleansing pores deep down and gently exfoliating surface skin. The CLEAN & CLEAR^® Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub provides a tingly, cooling sensation as you gently massage the scrub on skin — the unmistakable, revitalizing feeling of a deep cleansing action.
Directions:
Wet face. Gently massage all over face, avoiding eye area. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Good for daily use.
How do you make back-to-school easier for your tween/teen?
2017/08/18