Recently, I received a package of Honest products to try out. It has been a joy knowing that everything I’m trying is non-toxic and safe for my family.

From the Honest.com website:

“We like to dream big and we understand that even the smallest decisions can have big impacts - sometimes good, sometimes bad. We created The Honest Company to fulfill our big dreams, hoping we would make the right choices – following our hearts and consciences, with each detail and every decision – that would result in positive impacts (sounds kind of like parenting, right?).”

What I love about The Honest Company is that it’s simple. They do the research for you to make the safest, non-toxic products you and your family need, and they ship diapers, wipes, cleaners, and toiletries right to your door. No shopping at a bunch of different stores looking for products you can feel good about using on your family. No getting lost in the endless amounts of information on the internet, not knowing who to listen to and what advice to follow. Honest does it all for you, and the biggest gift of all is that they
take away the worry! As a Mom of 2, I’m all too familiar with worrying about
doing the best I can for my children, so I’m thankful to have one less worry on my list.

Generally speaking I’m really happy with everything I’ve tried. I especially
love how wonderful and calming some of the scents are, such as the bubble bath. Safe doesn’t’ have to mean boring or even ugly for that matter. The packaging is beautiful and uplifting. It feels like a gift just opening it.

The only product I tried that I would say wasn’t the best match for me was the conditioner. Although I love the look and scent, my hair is very thick and dry, and tangles easily. I found my hair soaked up the conditioner quickly requiring extra products to comb through it. I would love to see Honest produce a line of conditioners for different hair types.

The more we spread the word and use our purchasing power to buy products that are safe for our children and families, the better off we all will be. The
Honest Company is changing the world with their high standards, honest
communication, and by giving back to support charities like Baby2Baby.

Not only am I thankful for the opportunity to try out the Honest products, I was beyond thrilled to be able to speak with Honest.com founders Jessica Alba and Christopher Gavigan in a video chat.

Thank you, Honest.com, Jessica Alba, and Christopher Gavigan! It was a delight speaking with you!

Friends, thank you so much for being here! It means the world to me. You are the reason opportunities like this exist.

Have a beautiful day, and know anything is possible!


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Disclosure: I received Honest.com products for review purposes. I did not
receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Some days feel like a rollercoaster ride. One minute you’re smiling because your kids are so darn cute! The next, you’re completely wiped and the house has somehow exploded before your eyes. Those are the times I’m tempted to get rid of everything (mainly TOYS!) and start over. Everyone needs a pick-me-up throughout the day. Or what I like to call a spirit booster.

One of my favorite spirit boosters is a good quote. Quotes can put you back into a positive mindset in a matter of seconds. They can make you feel not alone in the feelings you are experiencing. When I heard about the book Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness I was immediately drawn to it.

The book exceeded my expectations, and I had a hunch I would like it ;). The book became a treasured part of my daily routine. Every day, right before my 15 minutes of meditation in the afternoon, I would read one or two passages from Happiness Quotations. The passages were extremely moving and had the incredible ability to lift my spirits to a higher energy plane, which is a wonderful way to go into a few minutes of quiet time.

Happiness Quotations reminds you of just how precious and special you are. Something I don’t think we focus on enough. You are special and here for a reason. The more you are in touch with that, the more you have to give, and the more joy you receive from life. This book helps you to remember in a soft, gentle way.

I would highly recommend Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness by Erica M. Nelson. It has been a joyful part of my day. One that I truly cherish. Thank you for sharing your light Erica! The gentle reminders helped me to create a more beautiful day.

p. 11      “Identify victories daily yet dream very big dreams that pull you toward the wings of angels.”

p.17       “Music brings you closer to your true self.”

p.35       “We are all of the same fabric, quilted together in a pattern of stars in the sky each unique, each perfect, each connected to the whole.”

p.91       “Songs have power to change you into becoming closer to your most spiritual being.”

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www.HappinessQuotations.com

www.EricaNelson.com

https://www.facebook.com/HappinessQuotations?sk=app_7146470109

Last weekend, while my Hubby was away I watched 2 movies- Extraordinary Measures and Dear John. Both a mixture of sad and happy with a ton of emotion. One movie I watched with a glass of wine, and the other with a coffee. Still I cried during both ;).

Extraordinary Measures made me feel hopeful. I love when people never, ever give up! Let’s be honest, it is hard to do that, which is also why it is incredibly inspiring. With 2 sick children, the father (played by Brendan Fraser) never gives up hope for a cure for his children. He takes risks. Scary risks! Extraordinary Measures reminded me that we should never give up on those we love, not ever.

Dear John was sad with an open ending of possibility. Also, another reminder to never give up on those we love. As well as an underlying message of how fragile life really is.

You walk away from these movies holding your loved ones a little closer, a little tighter. Funny how as humans we often get swept up in negativity so quickly, when really there is so much hope out there, and an infinite amount to be grateful for. Sometimes we just have trouble seeing it.


Have you watched any good movies lately?

This year we are working really hard to budget wisely (and most importantly – stick to it!).  As a family, we have had our share of ups and downs, but we’re learning as we go and getting better.  Planning ahead is uber important when it comes to budgeting.  Each year after the holidays come and go, I add up all the holiday expenses- from gifts, extra food & baking, decorating, cards, wrapping, and a few holiday party outfits (how do they always find their way in there? )☺.  I take that number and divide it by 12 to find out the amount of $ we should be putting aside each month so that Christmas is paid for ahead of time instead of using credit.

Here is where things get tricky- with the unexpected expenses that pop up, we find it hard to stash away the cash each month for the holidays.  For some reason it is much easier to spread out some of the purchases throughout the year.  A gift here and there is much easier to squeeze into the budget year-round than a whole bunch all at once.  Not to mention it takes some of the stress away that can build around the holidays when it seems there is too much to do and not enough time.

When purchasing gifts ahead time, especially several months in advance, it is really important to find items that you won’t regret purchasing and will still be a good match for your loved ones when December rolls around.  Whenever possible I love to support small business owners, and help the American Dream live on.

Here are 4 Top picks for Christmas in July that are sure to be a hit no matter how far in advance you purchase them:

Aly is a dear friend of mine that I met while living in Vancouver, B.C.  It has been amazing watching her business grow from start-up to the big success it is today!  Her incredible work and talent is second to none.

One of the Aly Dahl pieces we really adore in our family is The Dog Tag Military Style.  

Before the fingerprint dog tag my husband did not wear jewelry.  Jewelry just wasn’t his thing.  I know how much my husband loves and treasures this gift because he wears it every day.  That says more than anything I could possible write!

He keeps us close to his heart wherever he goes. 

For the dog lovers out there you can even order custom nose prints of your four legged friends!

http://www.alydahl.com/

At The Plaid Cupcake you can find many beautiful handmade accessories - everything from luggage tags, coffee/tea cozies, aprons, and sleepover pillow cases, to Cases for Nook/Kindle/Sony Reader, personalized snack baggies for kids and adults, & more.

In our home we have the most adorable Holiday coffee cozy, a stylish luggage tag, and my son is the proud owner of a handmade Buzz Light Year pillow case.  

Patty’s work is fantastic!!   


 **For the rest of July if you use the code XMASJULY when checking out you'll get Free Shipping!!!  
  
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlaidCupcakeDesigns

I first found Whimsical Creations through Melanie’s popular blog.  Her awesome work and incredible artistic talent keeps me going back for more.  She makes many custom creations for all sorts of events- including birthdays and weddings, and Melanie regularly shares pictures of them on Facebook.  Her ornaments are so reasonably priced, too! 

http://whimsicalcreations.bigcartel.com/

The Picture Globe Company is Seattle based, and founded by a mother-daughter duo.  After the birth of my son I searched for a custom photo ornament as a gift for my baby.  He already had lots of toys and I wanted a special gift to enjoy now and that I would be able to give to him one day when he is grown.

Since that time we have purchased several ornaments from The Picture Globe Company.  The quality is impeccable, and each ornament is adorned with a beautiful ribbon and packaged so nicely.  They are some of our most treasured ornaments.

Here are 2 of The Picture Globe Ornaments that hang on our tree every year.

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Happy Christmas in July, friends!  If you love the work of these talented artists as much as I do, please do share with your family & friends. J

Have a lovely day ☼

Reading The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle felt like a gift.  It is nearly impossible to sum up how I feel about this book, other than to say I wholeheartedly recommend it.  If you allow yourself to enter into its pages with a truly open mind and heart, the ability to walk away from the book with great wisdom and a true sense of peace is at your finger tips.

To be honest, if I had read this book at any other time in the past the message may not have impacted me the way it has now.  The further into the book I journeyed the more awake and conscious I felt.  I took my time reading this book.  Often I would re-read passages several times until I felt in my heart that I understood the message.

The Power of Now has helped me in my everyday life.  The gift I received from this book was the ability to recognize the dysfunction of the mind, especially when the mind travels too much into the past or future.  Now when I feel this happening in myself I have a great tool I carry with me- the ability to shift myself back into the present moment.

Focusing on the present moment removes anxiety about the future, and pain from the past.  It opens the door to peace and joy, like no other moment in time can do.  When living outside of the now, life seems more like a pain/pleasure cycle, but within this very moment is where true love and joy is found.  This is not something I felt completely conscious of until reading this book.  That is the gift you receive from the words Eckhart Tolle shares.

Eckhart Tolle’s ability to be in touch with this ancient wisdom and pass it on is a true gift of love.  Love from the source of greatness we are all a part of.  Living consciously is the greatest gift of all.  The Power of Now is an open door.

Thank you, Eckhart Tolle for holding the door open for me and countless others! ♥

With Love,
Wendy Irene

Negativity

p. 189    “The ego believes that through negativity it can manipulate reality and get what it wants ... Instead of dissolving and undesirable one, it keeps it in place.”

p.191     “But as long as negativity is there, use it.  Use it as a kind of signal that reminds you to be more present.”

Surrender

p.205     “Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.”

p.208     “Surrender reconnects you with the source-energy of Being, and if your doing is infused with Being, it becomes a joyful celebration of life energy that takes you more deeply into the Now.”

Forgiveness

p.120     “The moment you truly forgive, you have reclaimed your power from the mind.”

p. 168    “A victim identity is the belief that the past is more powerful than the present, which is the opposite of truth.”

p.229     “...this renders the past powerless, and you realize deeply that nothing you ever did or that was ever done to you could touch even in the slightest the radiant essence of who you are.  The whole concept of forgiveness then becomes unnecessary.”

Sunday is Mother’s Day!

In honor of the occasion I have devised a special chocolaty treat.  My husband and I have committed to 3 months of revamping our diet.  With that in mind, I give you a new delightful recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup water

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350▫F

In a large bowl stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Add water, apple sauce and vanilla.  Mix until well blended.

Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Spread brownie mixture in pan.

Bake 25 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting.

Smile & Enjoy!

Now that we have chocolate crossed off the list for Mother’s Day, what goes better with chocolate than a

Michelle from Trent & Company sent me a TheraPearl Eye-ssential Mask to try out.  I love that it can be used hot or cold, and has many functions from relieving stress and tension headaches, to soothing puffy eyes.  You guys know how much I love to meditate, right?  These packs are a great addition to my 10 minute routine.

Kindly, Michelle sent me a gift to giveaway to one of you- a lavender scented Aroma Home Cooling Eye Pillow! 

I am super excited about this one because as I learned in The Happiness Project, cultivating good smells increases happiness.

From Aroma Home:
“Aromatherapy has been used for healing since the first century.”

“Several scientific studies show evidence that the scent of lavender helps in relaxation, soothes and helps promote sleep, and relieves anxiety.”

Even sitting in its bag in my office, it smells amazing!  I am really excited for one of you to receive the cooling eye pillow.  Whether you use it for daily meditation, or relaxation before bed, I think you’ll love it! Not only that, it is amazing even when you are not using it, making the whole room smell beautiful.

·         This contest is open to everyone. 

·         To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me one thing you love about your Mom. 

·         If you are feeling especially excited about the giveaway and want to spread the love (Please do! :), you can get a second entry by sharing the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or by email.  Just leave a second comment letting me know you did so you are entered 2 xs.

·         The contest ends on Sunday May 8, Mother’s Day!  The winner will be selected at random using random.org and announced on Monday afternoon.  Good luck!

While you are here don’t forget to check out

www.therapearl.com  and on Facebook

www.aromahome.com and on Facebook