The Very Many Varieties Of Beer...Brought to you by Buckeye Moms Meet and Pop Chart Lab!!

My family likes beer!  Whether its an Ale or a lager, Pale Ale or Stout, or even just a Root beer we are all fans!  As my kids like theirs with a little bit of ice cream and whipped cream on top in the form of a Root beer float, I like mine out of a tap in a tall chilled glass!  Growing up my dad brewed his own beer and left it to ferment in our homes hallway utility closet.  I will admit I'm not quite keen on the process (It's kind of gross) but I am a lover of the final product!

You can imagine my excitement when I was offered to receive a really cool piece of art featuring The very many varieties of beer through Tomoson!  There is a really cool company called Pop Chart Lab, In 2010 a book editor and a graphic designer joined forces to render all human experience in chart form!!  These high quality posters are full works of art and packed with meaningful information!  Their products include dozens of charts in many cultural categories including The varieties of beer!  If beer is not your thing, they have many genre to choose from, choose Americana, to Hip hop, Nature, sports, and tech!

The piece of art I chose was the Very Many Varieties of Beer because I thought it would go great in our game room!  The Piece I got was 24"x 36" featuring 89 varieties of beer, including glassware recommendations for each variety!  I shopped at our local Goodwill for a cool frame, and got right to work hanging my new piece!  The Quality of these posters are Amazing!  Using 100 lb. archival stock certified by The Forest Stewardship Council, this poster is pressed on an offset lithographic press with vegetable based inks!  Each print is signed and numbered by their artist, and comes packaged in a Pop Chart Lab test tube!

Pop Chart Lab has great customer service!  I received my order promptly!  I couldn't be happier with this company, they are really top notch!  You can really see their  pride in their work and their company.  My promise to you my readers is you will not be disappointed, I give Pop Chart Lab two thumbs up for a great all around company!  I encourage you to visit their website www.PopChartLab.com and look around at all their really cool products!  If you are interested in The Very Many Varieties of Beer Poster print you can get it here: The Very Many Varieties of Beer!

I am also offering a giveaway!  You can enter below and win your very own 18"x 24" Many Varieties of Beer piece of art!  Good Luck!!  Cheers!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  All Opinions expressed here are that of my own :)  As always, Have a beautiful day!!  Cheers!

Workout Wednesday with #FitnessFoundations

 Well it's Wednesday again, and as many of you know I have been participating in a Virtual Marathon with a group of women who are there to motivate and empower one another in our fitness journey.  Since beginning my journey I have had some pretty painful days!  I thought surely exercise was not for me!  I was suffering from shin splints for the first week or so, and then runner's knee after that.

After some anti-inflammatory, ice, and some encouraging words I got my booty back out there!  My shins were still giving me issues of burning pain and fatigue!  After doing some research I thought maybe I needed to give compression a try!  Fitness Foundations sent me a pair of their calf compression sleeves to try out in exchange for an honest review!  They designed their compression sleeves with the highest quality material to help train harder and recover faster.  This sounded like just what I needed to keep strong on my journey!!

So I awoke on Saturday morning, had my cup of Joe and some breakfast.  I got dressed in my fitness clothes opened the little package and pulled out my calf compression sleeves.  The material was breathable and comfortable with a very snug fit!  My husband was a little jealous that he didn't get a pair!  They were black, so they matched my outfit perfect and had these really cool reflective stripes! The reflective stripes will be cool when the weather warms up and I need to run more at night or early morning.  It's a great added feature!

Fitness Foundations currently have one size of calf compression sleeves, that are good for men or women with a calf circumference between 11 and 16 inches.  The compression sleeves use true graduated compression to improve your performance by stabilizing the lower leg muscles and improving blood flow.  These are said to prevent shin splints and muscle soreness.

This was my first experience using compression sleeves during my workout, and I  must admit I was pleasantly surprised at how great they worked!!  My husband and I went close to five miles and I had no pain what so ever in my shins!!  I am thrilled about this!  I also noticed that they did help with my blood flow!  My ankles were not as swelled up afterwards as when I normally return from running! So I give Fitness foundations Calf Compression Sleeves two thumbs up for a great product!

Now I just need some for my knees and I'll be good as new ;)

#1 Calf Compression Sleeves with Reflective Technology - Shin Splint Guards for Men and Women - Boost Circulation and Recover Faster - Includes 2 Calf Compression Sleeves - 100% Money Back Guaranteed

Disclosure:  
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  All Opinions expressed here are that of my own :)  As always, Have a beautiful day!!

A mommy with a secret...

As Mother's Day approaches, I wanted to recognize those moms out there with a secret!  A deep secret that they hide down in the depths of their sole, to spare the world of their empathy.  Many moms carry this secret around with them, some days tearing away at their heart at almost unimaginable proportions.  These moms walk this earth daily, they are all around us!  They may be the lady at your bank, the cashier at the grocery store, your neighbor, your mail lady, or even your child's teacher.

How would you define a mom?  How would you pick a mom out of the crowd?  Would it be her pushing a stroller, or carrying a diaper bag?  A young child holding her hand as she carefully walks across a parking lot?  A lady sitting on the sidelines of a child's soccer game?  Or maybe you can tell she's a mom because she drives a mini van and bakes cookies for the school fundraiser??

What about the moms out there who conceived a child, carried that child in her body for several months,  started decorating the nursery, and buying tiny little baby socks only to find later in her pregnancy the baby will not make it to the physical world.  An Angel baby.  These are the mom's I speak of.  Mother's day comes and goes and because of their secret, no one celebrates them as a mom.

 Many don't realize the pain, unless you have been through it.  Some of these moms have loved their babies full term only to visit labor and delivery and leave empty handed.  Babies born still.  Some of these moms return home to a full nursery only to start planning a funeral, memorial, or cremation.   These moms go home and have to recover from child birth.   Days later these moms  have to find a way to soothe the engorgement of their lactating breasts with no little mouth to feed.  They need to figure out what they will do with all their baby clothes, diapers, and nursery furniture, and when is the right time to take it all down?  They do all this while returning to their daily errands without anyone realizing they  just became a mom.

When we gave birth to my angel baby we were five months pregnant.  We knew the Sex, had his name picked out, his crib assembled and all his clothes already purchased.  I already loved him and could picture him crawling around and playing with his siblings.  Zaiden would have been our fourth child.  You know they say 1 in 4 pregnancy's end in miscarriage...this was my unfortunate reality! We delivered him the day before fathers day.  Afterward when someone would ask me how many kids I had, I would tell them four!  I was always going to include him as one of my children!  Then they would ask their ages.  I would tell them the ages of my other three children and then have to explain my angel baby.  Now when asked if I'm a mom and how many kids I have, I say three.  Quite frankly it got too hard to constantly see the peoples face and knowing they hadn't the slightest clue as to what to say.  I became a Mommy with a secret!

Mommy's with secrets carry on.  They go about their days.  Some days harder than others. they go about their days with their little secret tucked away in their heart and mind.  They remember the birthday. They remember the pain of labor.   They remember the lifeless body.  They continue to remember their secret little angel.  I was fortunate enough to have three healthy pregnancies before Zaiden.  It gave me a new appreciation for the kids I did have with me in this physical world.  I hug them a little tighter now and love them more than I thought was possible.  I was lucky to come home to three awesome kids!  Some moms with a secret don't have that luxury.  Some moms carry many secrets!  She doesn't  have the diaper bag or mini van to let you know shes a mom.  She has never got to sit at her child's soccer game or have their little arm dangling from her fingers as she walks across a parking lot.  But she is still a mom!

She is a mom of an angel!  Her child was simply too beautiful for earth!  She will see her child when she sleeps, when she daydreams, or maybe even while she is checking you out at the grocery store!

So to all the Moms with a secret.  Happy Mothers Day!!  You are a mom of an angel, which makes you even more special!  Bless your heart and your secret!

Digital Media Academy ( A Soccer & Tech Summer Camp)

Looking for a great way for your child to spend their summer vacation?  The Digital Media Academy Founded at Stanford University is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world!!

Digital Media Academy's Technology and Soccer summer camps combine athletics and tech learning in one dynamic camp!

You can choose between two great camps! Adventures in Soccer & Game design  or Adventures in Soccer, photography & Graphic design!!  Sounds like so much fun, Where do I sign up??  The students will develop  tech skills all while sharpening their soccer skills as they train with Santa Clara University's Division 1 soccer program!!!

The Summer campers will spend their mornings on the field and receive training from some of the best college soccer players in the world!  If that's not great enough,  it gets even better!  In the afternoon the students head to the classroom, where they will discover the fundamental concepts of photography or game design!

What kid doesn't love gaming?  I think every kid has wanted to become a game developer at some point in their life!

So why not give your child the experience of a lifetime while growing their confidence through project- based learning!?  Campers will get hand on experience creating projects using the latest and greatest hardware and software form companies like Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more!!

If you act fast you can save!!

Save over $350 off Digital Media Academy Soccer & Tech Camps at @SantaClaraUniv  REGISTER BY PHONE by 4/30/2015!!!

Limited Time Offer- Only 10 seats available in each camp!

In order to receive a $365 savings, you must call 866-656-3342 and mention "USFG Soccer Discount" to register by April 30, 2015

So go On...Get Camping!!!

Dear Mom,

I awoke this morning and I was thinking of you, so I thought I'd write you a letter!  You know it's almost Mother's Day, I wanted to thank you for being the best!  I remember during my school years making you special art work or trinkets and being so excited to give them to you on this special day!  You were always so excited and would display your gift for everyone to see!  We would pick you flowers all day and you would clip them in your hair, not letting us know they were just weeds.

You were always the best!  I remember you brushing my hair, and fixing my collar, and pulling my crooked pants to line them up straight!  You would shoot pictures of us every chance you got, because you wanted to remember every one of our milestones forever!

You were always the best at making me feel better when I was sick!  You knew exactly what I needed!  You made the best soup!  You drove us countless times to the emergency room, and never let on that you might be nervous.  Your sense of calm made everything better.

You had the best heart of anyone I have ever come to know!  You took in anyone who may have needed you and helped many!  From you I know compassion.  I know if someone is hungry, you feed them.  I know if someone needs your help, you help out in any way you can.  You have taught me forgiveness and unconditional love.

As a teenager, I wronged you!  I laughed at your pain of your arthritis when you tried to scold me.  I was embarrassed by your occasional accidents, from your bladder growing old.  I lied, I sneaked, and I hated you. You, you just kept on loving me!  You would tell me, "you won't know what it's like until you become a mom!"  And you were right!  Mom I am sorry for treating you this way.

I now am a mom too!  Sometimes the pain of seeing your child sick, bullied, or hurt is too much to bear, but you find a way to make it better. The love you have for your children is overwhelming at times, but keep a brave face!  The sass of a teenager is heart breaking, but don't let them know you are crumbling inside because now is the time they need you to be strong!  An aging body is painful and embarrassing.  Now I get it!  I will put on my brave face, pretend like I know everything is going to be alright and just pray my kids will grow up knowing how much they are loved!

Sometimes I think of calling you, but your phone has been dis-connected.  I wrote you this letter, but your P.O. box has changed.  I don't know what the postage would cost or how it could be delivered.  I just wanted to write you, and tell you Thank you for being the best mom ever!  Thank you for loving me always!  I can't wait to visit you soon when the moon kisses the night sky and I fall into a slumber, I will see you then!  Continue to Rest in Peace.

Love you always,  your baby girl

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!!!

As a child I always LOVED Easter!!  For me it meant getting a new spring wardrobe, Easter Egg hunts, and lots of candy!!  We always did the traditional dying of the Easter eggs, waking up to an Easter gift from The Easter Bunny, and then gathering with all the cousins for the best Easter feast and egg hunts imaginable!!  Easter always marked the beginning of sunny weather, and getting to finally wear all those cute summer dresses and sandals!

After becoming a mommy, Easter became all those things again!  The wonder of the Easter bunny, the dying of the eggs, the hunts, the candy, and the beginning of Spring!!!  Today we jumped right in and prepared our house for the Bunny to visit tonight by dying Easter eggs, making a home made table cover, all while sipping on root beer floats!!

To start we covered our table in white butcher paper!   We did this for two reasons, One to protect our table from the food coloring, and two to paint afterwords with the left over color to make our homemade table covering!!  We put out our colors made with 25 drops food coloring, 2TBSP white vinegar, and 1/2 C boiling water.  We also put out color crayons, paint brushes, and roll stampers!  Each kid got their own dozen eggs to decorate!  Yay let the fun begin!!

Once the kiddos sat down to start coloring their eggs, I got right to work in the kitchen making some tasty treats!  Who doesn't love a homemade root beer float on a warm day??  I scooped a big scoop of vanilla ice cream into a glass, added root beer, and topped it off with some whipped cream!!  For the Mister and I, we had the adult version!  Throw some Baileys Irish cream into some root beer and there you have it!!

 Once we were all done with our floats and decorating the eggs, We decorated the butcher paper, which makes a nice festive table cover!  Put some flowers in a vase, and now we are all set for the Easter Bunny to visit our Home and drop off goodies for the good little girls and boy!!

Have a wonderful Day!!!  Hoppy Easter!! ;)

A Virtual Marathon :)

 Work Out Wednesday!!

As many of you know I am getting ready to attend The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration this May 2015.  Although I have never been to Walt Disney World, being a West coast girl I have been to Disneyland more times than I can count.  When I think of the times I have visited the Disney parks, all I can think of other than all the Disney Magic are the long hours on your feet, and the delicious treats that are sold at every corner!

We will be staying at the fabulous Disney Yacht Club Resort, where I will be splashing it up with the family in the 3 acres, and 750,00 gallons of  water wonderland also known as Stormalong Bay!  All of that being said, I am in desperate need to get not only in bathing suit shape, but gain some endurance to walk the parks during the day!  I have joined a group of other bloggers to motivate one another and try and complete a virtual marathon by the time of our check-in!!  You can follow along on Instagram and Twitter as we make our way through our virtual marathon and fitness journey by following  #TeamDoleWhip

Every Wednesday until the conference I will share with you my week of work outs, what is keeping me motivated, and fun tips and stories along the way!

I have begun walking every morning at our local park!  Right now everything is in bloom, all the flowering trees are a welcoming sight as I start my day!  After getting home and doing some chores, In the late afternoon I hit a workout dvd!  This week I have been doing week 1 of Jillian Michaels, Ripped in 30!!                                                                                                                                              

So far so good!  Since starting my virtual marathon here is what I've accomplished so far!

3/23 2.58 miles

3/27 3.34 miles

3/30 1.91 miles

3/31 1.28 miles

04/01 1.94 miles

11.05 miles down 

See you next week!

                                                                                                              #TeamDoleWhip