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Recipe for the Perfect CarbSteady Banana Split Parfait
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Glucerna. All opinions are mine alone. #GlucernaContigo #CollectiveBias

Did you know that 6 million(23%) Hispanics in the United States have diabetes compared to 20 million of non-Hispanic whites. In addition to that an estimated that 57 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes, and 35% are estimated to be Hispanic. This is a terrifying statistic, especially for the Latino community.

At my last check up my doctor told me that my sugar was higher than she would like. I was not diabetic but she wanted my numbers to go down or one day, I will be diabetic. That really scared me because I have lost people in my family that I love to diabetes. I don’t want to be another statistic and I certainly don’t want to die because of bad eating habits.

That’s the thing about diabetes, it is a scary and terrible disease but it can be prevented if you are willing to do the work; move more and eat less of the foods that are bad for you. I know it’s hard because we develop these habits and our bodies crave sweets.

It’s not easy but isn’t your life worth the sacrifice? Isn’t being around to see your children and your grandchildren grow up worth it? Do it for your spouse who loves you and doesn’t want to live without you. Do it for you because you deserve to live a long and happy life and no amount of sweets is worth giving up all of that living you still have to do.

One way to avoid becoming another statistic is to start by changing some of your favorite recipes and making them healthier. You could be surprised at how a few tweaks can change your life for the better.

One of my favorite treats has always been ice cream. I love ice cream but I know too much of a good thing can quickly become a bad thing so I’ve changed up one of my favorite recipes the banana split.

Banana Split Parfait

Ingredients
½ banana
½ cup of strawberries
¾ cup of organic French vanilla yogurt
½ Glucerna Crispy Delight Nutrition Bar in Chocolate Chip ( which can easily be found at your local Wal-Mart.)
Glucerna products have CARBSTEADY, which includes slowly digestible carbohydrates designed to help minimize blood sugar spikes.

Directions
Using a small parfait glass, layer half of the bananas sliced on the bottom of the cup.
Then layer one third of the French vanilla yogurt.
Top that with ¼ cup fresh, sliced strawberries
Add another layer of bananas
Add another layer of yogurt
Add a layer of strawberries
Add final layer of remaining French vanilla yogurt
Top with crumbled up ½ of Glucerna Chocolate chip Crispy delight Nutrition bar to give the parfait a little extra crunch and nutrition.
Enjoy in good conscious.
This treat is tasty, healthy and you won’t feel like you are being punished. It’ll fulfill your sweet tooth but its completely healthy.

Bonus: You can click here for $1 off coupon on any 1 Glucerna product.
Glucerna – Steady Ahead from Kevin Egan on Vimeo.
Be sure to check out more information about Glucerna, great meal plans and the amazing array of shakes and nutritional bar options at Glucerna.com
2015/09/24
Violet Iodine to the Breast Rescue
With everything going on with my leg lately, I’ve neglected a lot of other things, even other parts of my body. Apparently, when your body is traumatized in such a horrendous way, all of your brain focuses on the injured party. But as I start to heal, I begin to feel all the feels that I have been suppressing.
For instance, I’ve barely felt any pain in my severely sprained right ankle because all my attention has been directed at my broken and dislocated left leg. Now that I am healing, I am suddenly feeling the aches and pains of all the sprains and pulls that I incurred in the rest of my body in the fall. I am even feeling my monthly migraines, cramps and breast sensitivity.
Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. Menstrual-related breast discomfort caused by hormonal changes that occurs during a woman’s menstrual cycle can lead to the buildup of breast tissue, resulting in breast lumps, tenderness, swelling, heaviness and aches. It’s awful and if you already have dense breasts, it’s that much worse.
I know I’m not alone because approximately 37.5 million women (an estimated 50 percent of all women during childbearing years) experience this, yet most of us don’t even know that there is anything that we can do about this situation. We just accept it and push through.
But what if it wasn’t something we had to suffer through? What if we could alleviate that discomfort? I mean being a woman shouldn’t feel like a punishment once a month. Being a woman is a beautiful thing.
Well, recently, I found out there is an option for relief from menstrual breast discomfort. There is a product called Violet iodine. It’s a once-daily, non-hormone supplement that is taken orally and made specifically for women to promote breast health and alleviate menstrual-related breast discomfort. It’s the first non-prescription molecular iodine supplement specifically designed to address this discomfort.
Violet iodine addresses the underlying cause of the symptoms rather than temporarily masking the discomfort. Most women begin to experience symptom relief after taking Violet iodine for 60 days, although some women may experience relief sooner.
Its completely drug-free, composed of two forms of iodine, that – when introduced into the acidic environment of the stomach – combine to form molecular iodine. Molecular iodine binds with other molecules in the body and targets the breast tissue via the bloodstream. It has been shown to restore the natural, healthy balance of breast cells and relieve monthly breast discomfort.
Violet iodine is available over the counter at CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and at Drugstore.com and right now you can try Violet for 30% off at participating retailers. For more information about Violet Iodine you can check them out on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you experience monthly breast discomfort? What do you do to help ease the pain?
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Violet Iodine but all opinions are my own.
2015/09/30
Lubrigyn Feminine Hygiene for All Ages. #GetIntimate
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lubrigyn, a new way to keep moisture where it belongs. All opinions are my own!
I have used special moisturizers on my face, neck, arms, legs and hands since I was 18 because I want my skin to be soft and supple. I use sunscreen on my face; wear huge Jackie O-style sunglasses, and I should own stock in giant sun hats…the bigger the better.
I take care of my skin because I want to grow old gracefully but, for some reason, I never even considered extending the courtesy to my lady bits. Who knew that you needed to moisturize your vagina? Did you know that your vagina could dry out just like the skin on your face? Not that it’s the first thing people see when they meet you, but I don’t want to look youthful in my face and feel 87 in my bits.
Apparently, vaginal dryness can happen at anytime but it gets worse as we get older, especially after menopause. Menopause can cause vaginal dryness, but so can diabetes, antidepressant drugs and birth control pills.
Really, I should have been moisturizing my vagina just as long as I’ve been moisturizing my face, but no one ever told me. No one spoke of it. It’s not like my mom gave me a bottle of Lubrigyn and instructions when I turned 18!
What is Lubrigyn, you ask? Lubrigyn Lotion is a cleanser, moisturizer and lubricant that can be used with or without water. A packet of wipes is included with the lotion for on-the-go use. Lubrigyn also comes in a cream, which is a more concentrated version of the lotion, and is especially effective for lubrication.
Lubrigyn has been successfully selling across Europe since 2004, and is now available at CVS.com and in many of their stores. The cream is FDA approved but does not require a prescription.
A creamy, lubricating, moisturizing and cleansing formula, the lotion can be used everyday, in the shower as a regular soap substitute or applied without water. Besides its soothing, softening and refreshing ingredients, sodium hyaluronate attracts and holds on to water.
Lubrigyn Lotion doesn’t foam like most feminine hygiene products; instead, it maintains the natural protective barrier of our vaginal tissue. The vaginal tissue retains moisture and protects the skin from germs and fungi. As we age, vaginal tissue dries out and loses elasticity, which can lead to itching, bleeding and pain during sex. I’d prefer supple and moist, any day of the week.
If, like me, you never thought about moisturizing your lady bits before, maybe now you realize that you should. It’s about more than vanity, it’s about being comfortable and sexually healthy at every age. I encourage you to try it today.
2015/10/30
Shutterfly Christmas Cards and Giveaway
Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with DiMeMedia and Shutterfly. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
The holidays feel as if they came a little quicker this year. It definitely snuck up on me. It’s been a crazy year and with spending this autumn out of commission, it feels like I’ve missed an entire season of my life. In many ways, I guess I have. I hate missing these moments, especially the ones that involve my daughters.
Luckily, I am on the mend and feeling much more like myself these days. Thanks to television and a few over ambitious neighbors I am full-steam ahead in holiday mode. A week from today is Thanksgiving, which marks the official beginning of Christmas. Coincidently, this also is the same day that I become hopelessly behind.
For me, Christmas cards are very important because it is the one time of the year that I know I will reach out to family and friends and they will do the same. I have friends and family that I never get to see in person because of the distance between us but without fail we exchange those cards with photos of our families. Without fail, we think of one another at least for a little while once a year. It is such a small thing but it means the world to me and I look forward to seeing those photos of our friends and their families far and wide each year. It makes us feel so much closer in this great big world.
Life is a celebration, and every moment spent with family and friends is a moment worth capturing. From baptisms and quinceañeras, to Sunday gatherings and Christmas eve, “Mi Vida Shutterfly” ( Shutterfly’s new Spanish-language design offerings) helps you cherish every moment and share them with the people you love who speak Spanish.
Every year, I have this convoluted fantasy of getting our Christmas card design chosen, appropriate photos available, ordered and mailed before actual Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, since giving birth and living with actual children, I haven’t had the time that I’d like to capture those perfect pictures and get them to our loved ones in a timely fashion. Well, at least not since they’ve been able to talk and walk and do anything more than sleep. Motherhood is a full-time job that requires all of your attention and brain cells.
By the time I have actual “free time” (you know the 20 minutes after they fall asleep and before they wake back up trying to get into my bed) I’m simply too exhausted to remember that I’m supposed to be designing, ordering, addressing and mailing Christmas cards. But this year, I tried something different.
I’ve been stuck on the couch due to my broken leg but my days are packed with deadlines. I knew I wanted to order my cards and have them ready to mail out the day after Thanksgiving so I gave myself 30 minutes one day, jumped on Shutterfly used the uninterrupted time to design our Christmas cards.
It was that simple. I chose a photo of the girls in their cute matching outfits and then I picked a photo of the whole family together this fall at my sister’s wedding (ironically it was taken about 30 minutes before I fell and broke my leg), added a couple sentimental statements and placed my order which means, for the first time in years, I will actually be mailing beautiful, personalized Christmas cards on the day after Thanksgiving instead of hand delivering them to my parents and in laws on Christmas eve like some kind of half-hearted afterthought.
They are absolutely beautiful. I love them and can’t wait to share them with family and friends.
Shutterfly offers an easy, creative and convenient way to share family milestones. Now, its even easier to share these with your abuelita, mother, neighbor, tía and other loved ones with Shutterfly’s new Spanish applications (complete with ñ’s and accents). They’ve also added Spanish language customization and Spanish-language customer service.
Take advantage of exclusive offers and promotions visit Shutterfly.com/mivida
Also, I will be randomly choosing one reader from the comments below to win a $50 Shutterfly Gift Card.
Giveaway ends Dec 2nd at 11:59 EST. Open to all readers over 18 years old.
Simply leave a comment below telling me what your favorite holiday card design is at Shutterfly.
2015/11/20
Detroit Homeless Man Now Accepting Credit Cards via Square
A 42-year-old Detroit homeless man, Abe Hagenston better known as Honest Abe, is in the business of being homeless. You read that right, he has taken panhandling to the next level by developing a website for people to use to hire him and other homeless people to do odd jobs. He even bought a square so that he can accept credit cards from his cell phone. He has a business license and merchant’s account and all card swipes go through square.com and they do his merchant processing so he has no access to your credit card info.
I was confused because I thought homelessness was the result of some horrible thing that happened to someone, like getting AIDS, losing your house in a fire or having your child get hit by a car and here in your arms one minute and gone the next. I thought that these things could happen to anyone. That was the tragedy. Any of us could fall victim to this type of travesty at any time through no fault of our own just really shitty circumstances. That’s why I give when I can but when I heard words like square, website and business license, it felt more like a choice than a situation beyond one’s own control. It felt intentional but I didn’t know the whole story.
Apparently, honest Abe has been in the business of being homeless for nearly a decade and just got tired of hearing people say that they wish they could help but they just didn’t have any cash on them. It’s true; we are becoming a cashless society. I seldom have cash and usually, I give food because I can charge it. He got tired of just waiting for something to happen to turn his life around so he created a way to help himself and others.
“Being homeless is my business. Now my business is being homeless,” he said.
At first when I heard this story, I was a little leery. I mean, how the hell can a homeless man afford a phone, a data plan, have a website and think to use a square to get donations? I would never have thought of all of that and I work online in the space. Apparently, Honest Abe has a better business sense than most.
When I heard the blurb on the radio this morning, I firmly believed this guy was a scam artist who was lazy and just trying to find an easy way to make a buck instead of working (because there are people who do that.) There was an entire expose a few years back about suburbanites who made panhandling their jobs to the tune of $65,000 a year because they didn’t want to work. They enjoyed the hustle. That’s when I started giving food.
But then I researched his site, watched his video and read his story and I may have been wrong. I think this guy is just smart and trying to make the best out of a bad situation. He actually doesn’t want a hand out, he wants a hand up and he wants to pass it on.
It seems that my life has been a series of rebuilding. Along the way I have learned that hard work, determination, ethical and moral decision making, along with a positive attitude is the right combination to pull yourself out of a hole. However, just once I wish there was someone with a rope to assist. I have never had the benefit of being assisted. I have always found myself in the wrong demographic, ineligible for assistance other than food stamps, having to struggle when I could have been making progress. I have never even heard of a homeless program (let alone seen one) that actually presented itself as a viable pick you up, dust you off and send you running, all the bells and whistles included full package program.
Being homeless gives a person a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong, and what a person could do differently if given the chance.
Hagenston’s cellphone was provided by the federal government’s Lifeline Assistance program and is known as the “Obamaphone.” His website is a free WIX website that he set up and accesses via the public library.
He doesn’t get food stamps and he refuses to lie about his mental state or do anything illegal to get housing. He wants to earn his way but, due to circumstances beyond his control, he is without a home and any identification and this prohibits him from securing employment.
There are 4 options left to me. I could steal, deal drugs, prostitute, or fly a sign. The first 3 are out of the question. I am not slick enough to steal, I am not mean enough to deal drugs, and I am not pretty enough to prostitute. So, you see me at 8 and Woodward. I mean what else am I supposed to do? Just lay down and starve to death?
I think he seems rather bright and business savvy. He may just be a genius. He is not only trying to get himself and other homeless people honest work and pay, he is trying to develop an app to identify the truly needy homeless from those who just pretend to be panhandlers which I would personally love to have because I love to help others but I’d like to know that they are actually in need of food and care not just panhandling because they don’t want to be stuck in a cubicle all day.
If this guy is for real, he is everything we need in this country. We have so many starving, homeless people on our own streets that we need to feed and if they can work for what they earn and provide for themselves, maybe we can help not only feed them but allow them to feel/be productive in society. That is a genuine win win situation for all of us. I find his entrepreneurial sense refreshing. He’s not giving up on himself, he’s reinventing himself within his circumstances.
What do you think of Honest Abe and the business of being homeless?
2016/02/01
American Girl Wellie Wishers Teach Little Girls Empathy
Have you heard of the Wellie Wishers? This summer has been full of hectic crazy fun; packed with sunshine and the great outdoors. We’ve traveled, seen the beach and watched movies outside under the stars. But what do you do when it rains, right in the middle of summer? We made lemonade out of those lemons. The girls invited a few of their friends over for a movie play date. I work with American Girl so they sent us the newest American Girl Movie Lea to the Rescue. The girls were more than happy to watch it at our house together.
I popped some popcorn, made some actual lemonade and ordered pizzas. Meanwhile, the girls and their favorite American Girl dolls “watched” Lea to the Rescue. I’m not going to lie, it was the perfect rainy day activity for a group of girls in the 5 to 13-year-old age range. To be honest, I am more than a little past a teenager and I thoroughly enjoyed it too.
Speaking of rainy days and little girls, have you heard of American Girl’s latest line of dolls? They are called Wellie Wishers and they spread the message to today’s little girls everywhere that we should all consider what it means to “stand in another person’s wellies.”
The Wellie Wishers, a line of five fun-loving characters, Willa, Kendall, Ashlyn, Emerson, and Camille are out to make the world a kinder and friendlier place.
It’s the golden rule in full effect. Treat others how you would like to be treated (or for you more modern day moms) to have a good friend you’ve got to be a good friend. Either way you slice it, the message is don’t judge others. Always consider what it might be like to stand in their wellies.
American Girl created Wellie Wishers to help younger girls, ages 5-7, discover the social and emotional skills they need to become empathetic, compassionate, and thoughtfully motivated individuals. Timeless life lessons on sharing, cooperation, respecting feelings, and making things right are passed along to girls through each Wellie Wishers character, who navigates the ins and outs of friendship through play, songs, and imagination.
The Wellie Wishers celebrate an amazing time in a little girl’s life when she’s learning about herself through the world around her. Through their stories, the Wellie Wishers help our daughters make good choices today defining the person she’ll become tomorrow.
The beautiful, whimsically illustrated early chapter books about the Wellie Wishers’ fun and fanciful outdoor adventures are written with humor and heart by American Girl author Valerie Tripp. The stories will delight girls and their mothers as they celebrate the promise and potential of young readers and gently model the life skills that help build strength of character and confidence.
The Wellie Wishers’ adventures and lessons further unfold in American Girl’s first-ever animated series, airing in fall 2016. Each 11-minute episode follows the fun-filled exploits of the five smart and lively six-year-olds, who have limitless imaginations and the same big wish: to be a good friend. When the Wellie Wishers step into their colorful rain boots, they are ready for anything in their aunt’s whimsical backyard garden. Young viewers are entertained through stories, humor, and catchy songs as the Wellie Wishers work, dream, and play together—feeding birds, making mud pies, creating art, and putting on shows—all while imparting valuable lessons in friendship.
To further engage girls and bring the characters to life, American Girl is debuting a free Wellie Wishers app, where players can explore the interactive garden world through three mini games—Carrot Care, Mud Pie Maker, and Garden Harmony. Little girls will delight in the sweet, silly, and unexpected surprises that get unlocked the more they play. The free app is available through play.americangirl.com.
Rounding out the play experience is a line of adorable 14½-inch dolls (retail $60) and garden-themed accessories, including a magical theater stage and a premium wooden playhouse with over 30 pieces. Young girls can even dress like their favorite character with a selection of dress-like-your-doll clothing, like enchanted garden PJs or a pair of peek-a-boo wellies.
My girls love their Wellie Wishers and thanks to the generosity of American Girl, we would like to give away a doll to one lucky reader. Enter below! Mandatory entries include subscribing to The TRUTH newsletter, following The TRUTH about Motherhood on Facebook and leaving a comment below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

2016/08/09
How to Host the Perfect Couchgating Party
Are you ready for some football? I’ve always wanted to say that. Seriously, do you love football? I do. It’s right up there with Cubs baseball (Go Cubs Go), Blackhawks hockey, ballet, gymnastics and cheer. What can I say, I love me some eclectic group of sports?
I love the ritual of watching sports. I love the excitement, the tailgating and the group outing aspect but I don’t particularly care for being outside in inclement weather. In the same way that I adore the idea of sleeping out under the stars in a national park but in reality, I need a yurt with Wi-Fi and a bed. I want it all; the best of both worlds. I’m a complex bird, okay. I also love sports betting by going to trusted sites like W88.
I especially love tailgating. I have since my days at Purdue but I don’t really want to suffer for my recreation unless that suffering includes bad penny beers and wings at a packed sports pub. That’s why couchgating is perfect for me now that the weather has started getting a little chillier out but to be honest, I prefer being inside when it’s hot out too.
Tailgating is a blast until you can’t eat your hot dog because your freezing to death and your teeth are chattering so badly that you can’t get the damn thing in your mouth and your beer has frozen in the red solo cup. Think I’m joking? Just try tailgating at the Oaken Bucket game in November in Indiana. It’s also not so much fun when it’s 100 degrees out and you’re doing everything in your power not to sweat your face off or smell like a pig’s pen.
I prefer couchgating in my house with family and friends gathered around a big screen and pot luck food simmering in crock pots while, depending on the weather, the party ebbs and flows in and out of the house. Maybe there is some cooking on the grill, a little corn hole and beer pong during halftime or we just stay inside and stay warm. That’s the beauty of it; there’s options and they are all warm and comfortable unless you prefer to freeze. Totally up to you. I’ll be inside nibbling from the charcuterie tray and sipping on some sangria.
Here are my picks to help host the perfect couchgating party!

Couchgating Done Right
Deborah C.

Dual Tap Freestanding Beer Dispenser
Kegco

Margaritaville® Key West™ Frozen Concoction Maker
Margaritaville

Appetizers on Ice with Lids Keeps Acrylic Tray
Prodyne

Freezable Beer Pong Rack Set
GoPong

Cheers 16 oz. Pint Glass (Set of 4)
Chloe and Madison

Taverna Pint Glass
Arte Italica

Gold Luster 20 oz. Stemless Wine Glass (Set of 4)
Fitz and Floyd

Barock Round Soup Spoons (Set of 6)
WMF Americas

Rustic Cheese Fork Marker Set
Epicureanist
See Idea Board on
Today I’m teaming up with my friends at Wayfair.com to show you how to host the perfect couchgating party right at home! I am also sharing a couple of my personal favorite appetizer recipes, Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for warm artichoke and bacon dip with homemade chips and Bobby Flay’s sangria pops.

Warm Artichoke and Bacon Dip
Total Time:45 min
Prep:10 min
Cook:35 min
Yield:6 to 8 servings
Level:Easy
Ingredients
Pita Chips:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 to 4 pita breads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dip:
Butter, for greasing the baking dish
5 strips thick-cut bacon
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 8-ounce bag frozen artichokes, thawed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (16 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
For the pita chips:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder and cumin. Drizzle the tops of the pita breads with the oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture and salt. Cut each pita bread into 8 wedges and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
For the dip:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round ceramic deep-dish pie pan or a 1-quart baking dish.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and bacon and cook until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. In the same skillet, add the oil (if needed), shallots, garlic, artichokes, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the shallots are translucent and the artichokes begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, 1/2 of the cooked bacon pieces and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until combined but still chunky. Place the dip in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining bacon pieces. Bake until just warmed through (do not let the dip boil), 10 minutes. Serve the pita chips alongside.

Sangria Pops
Total Time: 8 hr 35 min
Prep:15 min
Inactive:8 hr
Cook:20 min
Yield:makes 10 to 12 ice pops
Level:Easy
Ingredients
1 (750-ml) bottle fruity red wine
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red grape juice
2 apples, cored and chopped
2 oranges, chopped
2 ripe pears, chopped
Directions
In a medium saucepan, reduce the wine to about 2 1/2 cups. While still hot, add the remaining ingredients and steep overnight, refrigerated.
Strain the mixture and fill ice pop molds; freeze until solid.
Then enjoy your football the it was intended to be; with friends, family, good food and soe tasty cocktails. What’s your favorite couchgating recipe?

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2016/11/17
How to File Taxes as a Freelancer
Thank you TaxSlayer for sponsoring this post. Get simple pricing with no surprises when you e-file with TaxSlayer this tax season!
The life of a freelancer is one of excitement. Seriously, you never know from one week to the next what your income will be for that day, week, month or even year. You can set goals but sometimes you exceed them and others, you fall short.
Some people might call that nerve wrecking. I call it hustle motivation. I’ve never done anything the easy way. I like forging my own path but let’s not get silly, I don’t like making things harder than they need to be. Though I’ll admit, figuring out how to file taxes as a freelancer was difficult in the beginning.
For me, freelancing was an answer to the dilemma of how to be in two places at once; at work and with my children. After giving birth to our first daughter, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I knew that I wanted to be very hands-on and, lucky for us, we could survive on one income as a 3-person family. That worked for a minute until we got pregnant again and suddenly, we needed that extra income. Babies aren’t free, ya’ll.
I learned real fast that babies burn through money at an alarming rate and when there are two, they go through it twice as fast. I took a job tutoring college students in English and editing college research papers online. It really was perfect but it reminded me how much I truly loved writing myself, and my daughters provided more material than I could have possibly imagined. It seemed like they were always getting into one thing or another so after a couple years of blogging on the side, I was able to quit my tutoring job and focus on freelance writing exclusively.
This gave me the freedom to work from home while staying home with my girls. I had the best of both worlds. I never had to miss a recital, match, meet or dance. I didn’t get much sleep in those days because work-from-home mom is code for most exhausted woman on the planet but we were all so happy, I didn’t care.
That’s where I am still today, blissfully exhausted doing what I love while getting to spend time with the people that I love. Being a freelance writer is a dream come true in most aspects but it can be a little trying at tax time because when you’re a freelancer, taxes are not withheld from your check. I used to joke with my husband that it was “free money”, you know, like in college when they were handing out credit cards in the quad with t-shirts to anyone willing to take them? Credit card money isn’t real money, right? WRONG!
It’s awesome getting your entire paycheck until you actually do your taxes and realize that you need to come up with thousands of dollars in a short amount of time because you owe the government. Then it’s not so awesome not having taxes withheld. Freelancing is an act of restraint. For me, it took a few times for the lesson to take. I’ve finally learned.
Here are a few easy, practical tips that I’ve learned over the years to make doing taxes as painless as possible so that you can enjoy your life with the people you love;
Receipts: Keep your business receipts in a safe place. Don’t crumple them up in jacket pockets and in car consoles. Have a designated place for those receipts and if you are really thinking ahead, I like to write exactly what I used it for (which post) because believe me on April 14th, they all look the same. If possible, I highly recommend digitally scanning all receipts in ASAP.
Know Your Deductions: As a freelancer, you really need those deductions to off set the amount you will owe, especially with all that “free money” floating around. Remember, you can deduct things like your home office up to 300 feet at $5 per SQ foot, domain and web hosting, telephone and internet expenses, legal and professional services to maintain your website, education (all those online courses that you bought to improve your SEO), office supplies and equipment and even a percentage of business meals and so many more. Oh and don’t forget about these Top 5 overlooked deductions.
Put money in a designated business banking account: My personal suggestion is to have business savings and checking accounts. All that “free money” that should be withheld in taxes, be smart, put it in that savings account and let it gain some interest. Take the rest and put it into your business checking account. Then, not only do you have your business earned money readily available to you, you will have a digital trail of what you spent. You might need that for reference later.
We normally do our own taxes at home. TaxSlayer helps me to navigate my complex freelance tax issues and allows me to file my taxes from the comfort of my own home. With TaxSlayer, you choose your level of service, everything else is included. TaxSlayer offers free live phone and e-mail support to all customers. It’s simple and affordable. TaxSlayer has over 50 years of tax preparation experience. It is the total package. File now at TaxSlayer.com
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions about how to file your taxes as a freelancer expressed here are all my own.
2017/01/24
How to Curate the Best Soundtrack to your Life
Disclosure: I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
Do you love music? I think most people do. I feel like there should be a soundtrack to life and for each milestone, there should be a designated song playing in the background always. I think the world would be a better place if music was just always running in the background.
It probably has something to do with the way I grew up. My parents are both very big music lovers and there was always some kind of music playing in the house when I was growing up. Whether it was Mexican music playing softly in the background during dinner while my dad told us stories of growing up in Mexico, nursery rhymes playing when one of the children was small of soft jazz playing as my dad held my mom and swayed through the house on any given Sunday, music was always playing. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories.
We do the same at our house. But instead of playing music on huge speakers we use portable speakers and instead of blasting a boom box in one room of the house, we now have Google Chromecast which makes it easy and affordable to play our music from our devices in any room, or multiple rooms in the house.

Google Chromecast Audio is available at Best Buy. Google Chromecast Audio enables you to play music on your speakers, new or old, wirelessly from your phone, laptop or tablet. Because Chromecast Audio uses WiFi instead of Bluetooth, you can stream crystal clear hi res sound. It is the best of all worlds and makes the transition from the boom box to your tech devices effortless. Because Chromecast Audio uses WiFi instead of Bluetooth, you can stream crystal clear hi res sound on your new or old speakers.
Listen to your favorite tunes on your speaker/
By using your phone, it’s easy to play, pause, or change the volume from anywhere in the home. And while streaming, you can still text or call without interrupting what’s playing or draining your battery.
1) Crystal clear sound, powered by the cloud Use Chromecast Audio to stream over Wi-Fi which has many advantages over Bluetooth including higher sound quality.
2) Enjoy hundreds of your favorite audio apps
Stream millions of songs, radio stations, and podcasts through apps like Pandora, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Google Play Music. Find more at chromecast.com/apps
3) Play music everywhere with Multi-room
Now you can easily fill every room in your home with synchronous music. Simply group Chromecast Audio devices together so you can listen to the same song on multiple speakers making curating the best life soundtrack that much easier.
What would be the top three songs on the soundtrack for your life and why?
2017/03/08
Gray, Gray Go Away Come Again Never
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everpro Gray Away. All of the thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Do you have gray hair? I know, none of us like to talk about it. It’s embarrassing. The thing is graying hair is natural and for some genetics dictates when you’ll go gray and it can be before your dirty 30 celebrations. Gray hair does not discriminate.
I have several friends who’ve decided they were just going to let their hair go naturally into that gray night. Not me. I hate to admit it but I’m a little vain. And what’s wrong with caring about what you look like anyway? Nothing! If you’re like me, you can get a balayage fort lauderdale treatment to get rid of your gray hair.
My husband’s hair is doing the salt and pepper thing and it looks good, to me. I think he looks distinguished. Of course, our daughters are begging him to dye it because they said it makes him look old. I say whatever makes him happy.
What makes me happy is not having gray hair. I got my first gray hair when I turned 30. In fact, I believe it was some cruel birthday gift that year. I promptly plucked it. Then, when we had Bella, I got another one. When we had Gabs, I got one more. I told the Big Guy, I had one for each of them. I could deal with that. Like battle scars, I wore them proudly. I ‘m just kidding, I plucked them every single time they came back.
Then one day, the gray hairs decided it was time to have a party on my head. At first, it was a small gathering. I would pluck them. But now, it’s a full-out rave on my temples. And I don’t look distinguished at all but rather I look like Grandpa Munster and if I try to pluck all of these, I will surely be baldheaded. I know I can’t pull that look off plus….hello, vain!
I comb my hair so that you don’t really see it. Sure, it’s like a bad woman comb-over but it hides the grays. I’m keeping these grays on the down low. Have your rave but everybody doesn’t need to know about the gray party taking place on my head.
Then, I gave up and started coloring it but guess what? Grays come back really fast. It’s like they are color resistant.
So what did I do? Desperate times, desperate measures my friends. I started using my mascara on the temples. It does the trick. Only there is one problem. I have wavy/curly hair and after you style your hair and then try to mascara your temples so you actually don’t look as old as your Grandmother, you will quickly realize that the hair that you put mascara on dries hard and straight. So you have all of these straight black hair sticking out of your head and you look like you should probably be institutionalized and to be honest, I’m trying to fly under the radar to that end.
I knew there had to be something better. I mean, we live in the 21st century. We can alter our entire physical being. We can stop the aging process. You’re telling me we can’t hide a few grays? Come one, get outta here. My mama always said where there’s a will there is a way. I had to find a way.
I found Gray Away. I tried Everpro Gray Away Root Touch-Up Magnetic Powder but it also comes in a root concealer spray. But me and an aerosol can could get ugly so, I opted for the magnetic powder. Sounds simple right? Too simple. But it works. Watch!

Voila! That gray party is hidden in plain sight. They get to party on. I get to not look like Grandpa Munster and we all keep our cool.
Do you have issues keeping the gray hairs at bay? Are they making you look older than you are? Ready to get rid of them without spending all of your time and money at the salon? Want to know more? You can get the complete scoop at GrayAway.com and Gray Away is available at your favorite retailers including Walgreens!
2017/09/19