Confession 46 - SquareHub our families private network to communicate safely

I hope you are staying warm all across the nation in these wet cold conditions. Today I'm confessing about an app I've talked about before, SquaeHub. Do you all remember this app? It's the one that let's you set up a private network for you to communicate with your immediate family. It's a sorta of private FaceBook just for your family.  I'm in love with it, especially now that the kids are getting older.

Santa brought each of the girls an iPad mini for Christmas this year and the girls are connected more than ever.  I think my pre-teen ask to be on some type of social media daily, Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram ... on and on. But I'm so leery, it makes her so exposed and puts an element into her world, I just don't want there right now. That's where SquareHub comes in. She feels part of a social network that is controlled by me and gets to share what she's doing and what she wants to do.

Recently, we started using the app even more with the release of some new versions of SquareHub.  You can now connect with people on all devices, iOS, Android / Google Play and the newest addition Kindle Fire. Each one of us uses a different device in our family but we can all use the same app to stay connected! It's fabulous! It was the one element that was keeping us from adding Dad into the mix.

So why don't we just use group texting? Well, for one, the girls iPad minis just work off of wifi and iMessage, which does not support texting to an Android or KindleFire device. And reason two, group texting isn't as interactive or fun! With the newest release of SquareHub,  there is expansive stickers and photo editing options.

I find everyone in the family intereacting more and having more fun via SquareHub.  It's our new family's addiction!

SquareHub recently has added calendar synchronization with external calendars that support the iCal format.

I'm in love with this app. As we began to prepare for my daughter's trip to Europe (yes a confession for another time), this will be great for her to post pictures, ask us questions and advice and check in and keep us updated.

How does your family keep your kids safe on social media? What confessions do you have about your kids dabbling into social media? I would love to hear them!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 45 - You are the MAC to my CHEESE

Hi there! I hope 2014 has started out with a bang, mine sure has! The gal that does my nails (part Vietnamese) says with it being the year of the Horse, it's MY year! Okay, I'm so up for it being "MY" year. Last year started out being that way and ended on a great note, but was so rocky in between, I'm ready, bring it!

I've been crafting and making so many things using my Silhouette, it's been fun. I just have not had the time to post anything. Life has really taken over. Raising two active girls, having a super active social life, a busy corporate job, freelancing, the list can go on and on. But once again, I want to commit to making some posts on here this year.  I have some fun stuff up my sleeve and have made some great partnerships in the the last couple months that I'll be showcasing.

Today, I'm confessing about a cute quick Valentine gift I put together. It all started when a huge box of Kraft Mac & Cheese was delivered to my my doorstep a couple weeks ago... I had it on Subscribe and Save with Amazon and totally forgot to cancel it despite the fact Amazon sent me multiple reminders, ARGH. Sound familiar. So, here they were, 15 boxes of Mac & Cheese and let me tell you, I did not want to eat them, nor did I want the girls too (I did a detox at the beginning of the year and am totally off white flour, pasta and most dairy, more to come on that in another post) so my conundrum ... how can I repackage them for Valentine's day? I started snooping on Pinterest, but really didn't find anything that caught my fancy. Then I started to see a lot of those love sayings... like " you are the peanut butter to my jelly" etc... and a light bulb went off, You are the MAC to my CHEESE! I had these yogurt cups from a BBQ party I did last year, added a pack of napkins and there you go, a super cute, extremely inexpensive gift!

I'm trying to figure out a way to PDF the print and cut file so I can put it here and all my readers can use it. In the meantime, if you have a Silhouette machine and want to email me for the file, I would be happy to send it. The circle stickers are in a PDF file, feel free to email me about them. I will get them to you!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 44 - Wrap your Crap Christmas Caddy

Hi there! I can't believe I'm actually making a crafting post! Yay, things are settling in with life and I've had time to wrap my head around craft projects. Today I'm confessing about my "Wrap your Crap Caddy". My BFF and I saw a similar idea on Pineterest last year and I actually used a similar concept to house some fabric of mine... and whoa-la! the concept was born. Well it might have taken a little more than that, but basically that's how.

Last year, we strategically purchased items at the end of the holiday season at 70% off or more off to use for our caddy. This way, we could keep cost down and spread the wealth!  Interested in how we made it and what's exactly in it?  Ok, here we go, below is a picture of everything we put inside (some of the caddies we added gift tags, it was omitted from this pic somehow, but use your imagination).

So the container we used is actually a beverage container from In-N-Out, for those of you out of state in a state that does not have an In-N-Out, first off, I'm really sorry, but you can grab a beverage holder from another fast food restaurant.

Next up, we added some embellishments for the sides to jazz it up and make it festive. You could use stickers or even wrapping paper. I used cut outs from my Silhouette Cameo. We used a color scheme that went with the other items in the holder.

Next, tie ribbon to the handle part. This again just makes it festive and whimsical.

Now you can start filling your holder.  We placed items in the holder strategically so you can see all the items, using adhesive or double sided tape to hold things in place.  The scissors being so heavy, kept flopping forward so we actually tied them to the handle of the holder with some twine.

Our last step was to tie on our snarky tag, "Wrap Your Crap Christmas Caddy".  My BFF and I thought long and hard to find a good name, something unique but yet identified what it was... figures we came up with something snarky!  I don't know about you, but this time of year, I really need to lighten things up and laugh!

Our final cost of the caddy came to about $10, with most items being $1. The most expensive item was the scissors at $3, but the holiday themed ones we used from Lowes I'm sure will be getting cleared out at the end of the season, so look out and grab some up for next years gifts and caddies.

We gave these caddies to some of our friends that we thought would get some good use out of them.  I gave one of mine to a friend who had been sick and knew was probably behind in her wrapping.  What a great gift to have all your items in one convenient location!

I can see so many different uses for a beverage holder such as this. Present a baby gift, transport meeting items ... the possibilities are endless.  Leave a comment and let me know what some of your other ideas are!

Happy crafting! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 43 - SquareHub Keeping You Connected

Hi there, I've been MIA for awhile, life is definitely getting the better of me these days. The girls are getting older and they have more activities, and well, life is speeding by me at warp speed! Nevertheless, I'm making an attempt to keep on my blog.

Today I'm confessing about an app, that actually I've already confessed all the nifty goodness of it before, but I felt another post was warranted since it's new updated release (Droid release!), SquareHub. If you didn't take my recommendation to heart like I asked you to last time, there is no time like the present to start using this app.  I will break it down for everyone....

SquareHub is a private network, it's much like a private Facebook for your family.  Your family can be anyone or any group, you don't have to be related....  Get a refresher of what this app can do at my previous post here: SquareHub Intro. Now that your in expert in how it works, go quick download it and starting using it!

Two new updates with the new release of the app, is Family Sharing and Bucket List.
Family Sharing allows you to share important updates and pictures with people outside of your family like grandparents or close friends.  You can email directly from the app and a reply can be sent via email and posted to the app as well. Genius right? Sometimes extended family members won't adopt a new app or you may not want them in your close network, as there is too much dirty laundry going on.  So this is a great compromise! Check out the tutorial below on how to use Family Sharing:

The other really cool update is the Family Bucket List!  These are all those little things you think about doing as a family and then, because life is going so fast these days, you forget about it. Keep a rolling list of things you want to do, places you want to visit and restaurants you want to check out.  It's a very cool way to stay connected and share information with your family.

Does your family like ours do the whole "what are you thankful for?" during Thanksgiving Dinner? This year, I'm determined to get all my family members to download this app. after we discuss what we are thankful for. Since at the top of my thankful list is family, what a great segway into staying connected and sharing moments!  You ready for the challenge? Have something fun to talk about this Thanksgiving and be the talk of your family. It will forever change family communication!

If you gathered anything from this post, it's to go now, run don't walk... and download SquareHub! You won't be disappointed!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 42 - Get your Painting On

Hi there! As promised, I'm bringing your more posts and trying to confess more these last couple months of 2013.  Today I'm confessing about one of my all time favorite whimsical self taught painters, Timree Gold.  I've been following stalking Timree for nearly 10 years now.  I first learned about her through a mutual friend and saw her amazing mural work, you can check it out here.   The pictures on her site are amazing, but seeing her murals in person are breathtaking.  So much detail and personal touches! She has painted for many celebrities and famous people and even had an appearance on the OC Housewives show.

This past Sunday, my good friend Diana and I visited her studio to paint.  This is the 3rd painting I have done at Timree's studio, and each time I'm amazed at how well I do. I start out nervous and unsure if I'm going to be able to complete the project, but in the end, I succeed with flying colors.  Painting at Timree's Studio offers me a creative outlet and let's me put something on the calendar that is just for me!

When you arrive at Tiimree's studio in Newport Beach there is a place setting of a palate of paint, a photo copy of the Timree "original" painting you will be painting and a blank white canvas on an easel.  She equips you with 4 brushes, in her technical Timree terms, 1. The Fatty 2. The Medium 3. The Tween and 4. The Baby.  It's her own vocabulary and made up terms for her painting technique that puts you at ease and allows you to relax to become creative and paint.

It's definitely a must for anyone to try once, twice or many times (some of my friends are addicts, I'm not mentioning any names).

Check out some of my pics...

London Calling Portrait

Easter Painting in the Spring

My First Class!  A Gift for my birthday from my BFF! 

Pretty professional looking huh? I know, she's a genius!   So hurry up and stop by Timree's site and sign up for a class and get your Painting On!  Make it a Mommy & Me session, a Girls Night Out or just a creative moment for yourself!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 41 - Repurposed Pill Box

Hi there! I can't believe it's been over 30 days since my last confession! Yowza! Life has really taken over my creative juices. Lately, I've been doing lots of crafting, so as long as I have time to write a post, you will be hearing a lot from me.  Today's confession is about a gift I put together for the girls.

A couple weeks ago I found out I would be gone the whole First Week of School for the girls. Ya, bad timing. We started school so late this year, normally the dates my company picked would not be a problem.  I was crushed to know that I wasn't going to be in town to pick them up after the first day and hear about their teachers, classrooms and friends. It was torture for me!  We talked nightly and texted, but it was still so hard!

So I saw this idea over on one of my favorite sites, Dating Divas, originally the post was put together for you to use with your hubby, but I altered the idea for my girlies.  It was so fun to put together and think about their little faces when they opened each box every night.

These came from Dollar Tree -
Yes I shop there occasionally, late at night -with hat - with a trenchcoat!

I altered the Hub notes, to kid notes.... email me if you want me to share them.

I couldn't find my normal 7 day Pill Box, but this ended up working out,
Candy/Surprise on one side and note on the other.

There are so many great applications for this idea. I would like to use it for the Hubs sometime, but he's not a candy lover... and well, the pill compartments are too small for anything else he likes... so on I will go, hunting for another solution.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 40 - My Favorite Summer Products

Today I'm confessing about the latest and greatest products I'm absolutely loving this summer. Like insane make out love! Like white on rice ... Peanut butter to jelly, Ernie to Bert love ... Ok that last one was weird  .... Anyhoo ... Here they are in no particular order:

1. Reef Sandals - I live in my flip flops being in SoCal and I had no idea when I bought these back in the spring these would be my favorite. I knew $30 was too much to spend ... But if they were comfortable and durable it would all be worth-it!  The glitter on the "Reef" part has not come off and the glitter on the band hasn't either. The black is really black and they are still oh so comfortable, looking very new!




 2.  Jergens Skin Firming Lotion - OMG, this is my all time favorite body product right now. I think the firming is working too.. maybe not, but it sure makes my skin feel silky soft. Anyone that has felt my skin recently has commented, on how soft my skin is. It's super cheep and a must have in my bag mix these days. I get mine on Amazon, it's half the cost.

3. Jergens Natural Glow Firming Medium - In love with this product too! Some of you may think I don't need to use this, but my legs don't see sun enough and get pretty white and pale. There is no orange streaking and weird blotches with this product. And it has the same firming lotion in it as the product above. So it makes your skin silky soft!




4.  Salty Caramel Chocolate Balls - Wholly Molly... I know I shouldn't add this as my favorite product when I'm trying to eat healthy and maintain my "summer figure" (what summer figure?), but these are to-die-for delicious. Try them with some wine, and OMG, so deadly. You will fight your 9 year old daughter for the last one (not that I would know about that or anything).




5. Fage 0% fat Greek Yogurt - I love this yogurt... yummy! I add nuts, fruit, cucumbers, peppers or just plain with a dash of salt.  It has 18g of protein! I couldn't believe it when I saw it! And all those great yogurt bacteria thingys for your belly.  A probiotic too!  The key is to mix it really well, then it doesn't appear "cheesy" and gets that creamy feel and look to it.



6. MAC BB Cream - I love this product. It has SPF of 35 and your moisturizer and foundation in one! I love that double dutying product! Saves time and brain cells for me!

 

I could go on with more, but I gotta go do something more productive than divulging all my long standing secrets! You'll have to wait for yet another confession to get more tips!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 39 - My Favorite SNL Skits

I feel just horrible for not posting more on my blog. It's been rather chaotic in my neck of the woods. And more chaos to come! I've actually thought about posting these skits for weeks and am just now getting a couple of minutes to write this post.

*Disclaimer - most of these skits are not appropriate for little ones, so please blindfold them and make them put their fingers in their ears when you watch these, or better yet, watch them when they are tucked in bed!

So in no particular order, here they are! Vote for your all time favorite or leave me a comment with your favorite one. Oh, and after going on YouTube to find these repeatedly and ending up finding amateur videos, I realized I can see these for free on Hulu, so there's another tip, Hulu is the best place to view them, and they are FREE.

Dick in a Box

Disney Housewives

Woomba

Moey Chamben

Verismo

This next one came from the Epic JT episode in March. I'm telling you, one of my all time favorite SNL episodes. I have hope that this show will become iconic again!

Nuva Bling

These are just some of  the top videos that came to mind today. I have many more.... Hmmmm, now an idea for another post!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 38 - Fist Bumps are OK and Emily Post

I'm finally getting back to writing. I know, it's been forever! What was I thinking when I thought summer would allow me to think deeply and write more ... NOT! It's been a constant struggle with finding things for the Little B's to do, attending social events and taking the liberties to stay out late and have fun during these long summer nights.

Today I'm confessing about my obsession with Emily Post and striving to have good manners, something we all struggle with young and old.  Many of you youngins may not even know who she is. My obsession started way back when I was younger. Living in a household where my parents were immigrants, it was always hard for me to judge whether I was doing something appropriate or insanely tacky. I had a good friend that I spent countless hours with who lived in a household of "prim and proper" and I always looked at them to set the bar and inadvertently learned the dos and don'ts. Things like, how to set a proper table, when to use please and thank you and when you have overstayed your welcome and should go home (sometimes I still get that wrong). As I got older and discovered Emily Post, I would read about what to do and research the heck out a of a topic.  Like, do you always send a thank you card after a dinner? Even if you said thank you while leaving and called and said thank you the next day.  Ya, I'm a little insane like that.  If you come to my house, you will see Etiquette by Emily Post prominently displayed on my book shelf, not because I'm the "manner queen" or crack that baby open all the time, but it's a reminder to me, to try to instill the best manners and etiquette within my family. Nowadays, that book rarely gets cracked and is merely dusted, I find it easier to Google the subject or go to the Emily Post website.

If you don't know much about Emily Post, you can read a brief biography here.

And from the Emily Post website, I love how they have changed the tune of etiquette and formalities. I find our world and definitely the newer generations, are becoming more and more casual. But, the basics of etiquette and manners still hold true, check it out below:

About The Institute

The Emily Post Institute, Inc., is one of America's most unique family businesses. From social networking to social graces, the name Emily Post has been the definitive source on etiquette for generations of Americans. Spanning five generations, this family business maintains and evolves the standards of etiquette that Emily Post established with her seminal book Etiquette in 1922. According the the Posts, though times have changed, the principles of good manners remain constant. Above all, manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. Being considerate, respectful, and honest is more important than knowing which fork to use. Whether it's a handshake or a fist bump, it's the underlying sincerity and good intentions of the action that matter most.

I'm so glad to know that the fist bump suffices as a welcoming and acknowledging gesture! I really like how the company has taken Emily's vision and made things current over the years.  You can go to the site to read up on etiquette in the digital world and  even everyday manners. Two sections I frequent often.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect and I'm sure I'm lacking in many of these areas (especially probably in the technology manners area), but I'm always intrigued to find out the thought process behind certain gestures and a reassurance I'm doing the right thing.

I know many of you may think this is a weird confession and most wouldn't care what others think, but remember, etiquette and manners are not defined by that. It just shows that you are a caring thoughtful individual. What's so wrong with that? So next time you are wondering whether or not you should regift that Christmas gift, manners for Facebook or if it's okay to wear white after Labor Day, peruse the Emily Post site and get your manners and etiquette in check!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession #37 - Playlist #4

Today's confession is my "start of summer" playlist. If you haven't heard these songs before you're probably living under a rock and are totally missing out.

You'll find me signing or cutting a rug to all of them! Check em out!

And don't forget to use my favorite music app, Spotify, to listen to them! It's free to listen on your laptop or desktop and only $9.99 a month for unlimited access to 1,000s of songs.  Besides Shazam, it's the only music app I use!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 36 - Invisalign, Clear Braces!

Hi Everyone! Today I'm confessing about a recent event I went to where I learned all about Invisalign: those cool looking "plasticy braces" or aligners.  Are you like me and ever wonder if they really work? And because they look so cool, they are probably pretty expensive right?

Well, it was a flood of really cool information I got at my event about them. Invisalign is a treatment that is an alternative to metal braces and their purpose is to straighten your teeth!  Whenever I think of metal braces a very distinct image comes to mind. I was lucky, I did not need braces when I was a teenager. But, I watched the ever so famous movie, Sixteen Candles, that portrays metal braces, let's just say, in a less then desirable way.  Joan Cusak's character, remember her and all these funny scenes! 

OMG, can you imagine having to deal with that type of criticism in this day in age, with SnapChat, Instagram and Facebook? Tada! Now you don't need to! Invisalign is "the Clear Alternative!"

I know many of you readers with Teens are thinking, "no way, how do I know if my teenager is wearing their aligners?" Well, Invisalign has this great teen program called Invisalign Teen. The aligners are made with a blue dot that dissolves and goes away with use. So if your teen is punking you and not wearing their aligners, you will know!  Plus, approximately every 2 weeks, you get a new set aligners to achieve your goal of straighter teeth! And with less discomfort, pain and shame! What a new concept!

Because there are no wires or brackets, they are completely safe to wear for a teen that is in sports. Teens consistently talk about how comfortable Invisalign is and the fact that no one needs to know you are even wearing them. How cool is that!  And gone are the days where you can't eat certain foods because you have braces, like popcorn, jolly ranchers and licorice. No way! Eat away, any type of food since you remove your aligners before you eat! 

I bet you had no idea that.... 

There have been revolutionary breakthroughs in orthodontia with the use of digital imaging to take dental impressions for teeth straightening with Invisalign. Some orthodontists even offer alternatives to the goopy molds now, with digital scanners like iTero, patients are comfortable while taking dental impressions and the orthodontist is able to receive precise 3D imagery through the use of an iTero wand to create a teeth straightening treatment plan with Invisalign.

That there are over 1.3 Million patients that are smiling with confidence thanks to Invisalign! That's a lot of people! And there is a 96% Patient Satisfaction rate *US Survey Data 2009

Many people think that Invisalign can only be effective at treating minor orthodontic issues.  But the fact is that the 96% patient satisfaction rate is a result of successfully treating a broad range of cases, from overly crowded teeth and underbites to jaw problems and tooth misalignment.

And believe it or not, in terms of cost, for most cases, Invisalign is comparable in price to traditional metal braces. Wow, I had no idea! I just assumed, they looked cooler and more cutting edge, and were probably more expensive.  The Invisalign treatment, usually requires fewer office visits, shorter appointments, and less emergency visits for broken wires or brackets.

I'm on the rampage now, to finally get the hubbs in and fitted for Invisalign. He's had this "Letterman" space between his teeth forever. He never got braces when he was younger since he played the trumpet for years, into his late 20's.  I wish there was Invisalign for him back then, *sigh*.

A couple links you might want to check out and peruse: the Smile Assessment section for Invisalign and also a link to Doctors that can treat you with Invisalign. 

So what are your thoughts about Invisalign now? Are you more comfortable checking them out and asking your orthodontist about them? I sure am and can't wait to get the hubbs in!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Confession 35 - Oh Crap, it's Bikini Season, Need to Sugar!

Today I'm confessing about Sugaring, but before I do, if you are an elder, or older person related to me by blood, marriage or otherwise, please step away and do not scroll any further! Okay, now that I've got that out of the way.

How did all this sugar business start? Well, let me give you a little background. For years, I put myself into the category of Oprah Winfrey, who has gone on record and TV saying that she doesn't wax. She's old school and she's "groomed" but kept the way God intended her to be. I liked that thought process for many reasons, and at the end of the day, I'm a big chicken! I am scared to do anything down there in the "nether regions". So, for years, I stayed groomed in the comfort of my own home, by myself.

But this weekend I'm headed to the river with some friends and will be in a bathing suit for 4 days straight and well, the thought of shaving was giving me much anxiety. Meanwhile, a mutual friend of my BFF was telling us all about sugaring. It's cool, doesn't really hurt and so much better than waxing.  I waffled on it for days and then ultimately succumbed to checking it out.

I snagged this from Kari's FB Page!

I'll have to say, I was pretty nervous and anxiety ridden walking into the studio and filling out my profile sheet and contemplated walking out the door leaving Kari (the Sugar Guru) a note saying, nope, not gunna happen, changed my mind. But just as that was happening in my head, my BFF emerged with Kari and confessed "it's not that bad and really you'll be fine." She proceeded to tell me that I should let her get  "all up in my lady business" and think of her like a doctor. Don't be embarrassed and just get it done. YIKES! Ok, there's nothing but anxiety that comes from hearing the word "lady business" ... Just saying!  Here's what her studio room looks like:

Kari made me very comfortable and she talked me through the process. She's fast and good! Wow, I had no idea, how have I gone my whole adult life so far without checking this out? Kari explained to me that sugaring dates back to the Pharaohs ... really?  I guess I can say I'm walking like an Egyptian now! Yahoo! I needed another code word that didn't pose a weird response from people....

I highly recommend checking it out. Go like Kari of OC Sugaring's Page on Facebook and take a look at her website to learn more about sugaring.  If you are going to try it, try it with a professional who knows her "sweetness" like Kari, she's totally the bomb.com.

She's also offering up first time customers a 10% discount on their first sugaring experience.  Just mention that you heard about her from Confessions of a Creative Junkie and she will give you the discount.

Today, I hope you liked my true and quite possibly the most TMI confession! Thanks for stopping by!

Confession 34 - Your Worst Mommy Moment

Today I'm confessing about being a "real" mom, yes, the kind that loves her kids but makes many mistakes. Yup, I said it, I'm not the perfect mom (shocking right?). Well, when I came across Meagan's post from The Happiest Home, it hit a nerve.

I mean, I was just siting at the baseball field yesterday with my friend watching her son play the last game of the season and my daughter comes up to me on the bleachers screaming in rage. You guessed it... She ran to me during the optimal time, the time when the ball is not moving on the field and the batter is just getting into position waiting for the ball to be pitched, yes the quietest time on the field! As she comes over to me I can visually see she is not hurt and that she is crying for attention, mubbling something about what her sister did and trying to get her way (ie, fighting with Big B). Typical of Little B. I take one look at her and tell her to stop, this of course makes her scream louder and now she starts to solicit looks from other moms. Oh great, I know, most of you have been there, at least the "perfect" moms like me :-). Then, what I do next, is merely out of instinct to get her to quiet down and stop screaming. I place my hand on her mouth, and in doing so squeeze her cheeks, and tell her to stop crying NOW! I try to be curt but not overly loud, I didn't need any other mom's turning to look. This got her to calm down a bit and phew she eventually stopped.  It wasn't my best parenting moment, and I'm sure I could have handled things better. But hey, I'm human, and well, Little B was on my last nerve! Luckily, this "mommy moment" wasn't photographed and I can probably say wasn't the worst (yes, I've had worse, and that is for another post).

So check out Meagan's post, you'll see that she is the "perfect" mom just like all of us.  Her moment, carrying her then 3 year old son in a football hold away from a wedding photo shoot, was documented in a picture that she then posted 10 years later on her Facebook Page. She reflects back in her post about how different her son is now, nearly 10 years later and that all things, like this type of toddler misbehavior will eventually pass. Meagan writes:

 “Speaking of hard parenting moments, I wanted to share this picture I ran across in a box recently. It’s me, at a family wedding, largely pregnant, carrying my completely-freaking-out three-year-old away from the professional photo session. He was a real handful back then, but he is now 13 and a more lovely young man you could not imagine. I just want to take my old self from this picture, give her a big hug and tell her everything really WILL be OK.”

She had an outpouring of supporters and commenters on her site. All positive and reflective mostly on how it was nice to hear from another mom, that things will pass.

Her post solicited so much spur, that she approached the Huffignton Post on writing an essay.
There she writes:

I do know that I can no more take total credit for the way Isaac is today, than I can take all the blame for the way he was then. I didn't do everything right, nor did I do everything wrong. I wasn't always consistent and I didn't always follow through. I was as firm and loving as I could be while sometimes buckling under the weight of parenting a challenging child.

Man, I can so relate to Meagan! She totally gets it? Then, I find out she is a mom of 5 and, well, it all makes sense. You see, parenting and being a mom has more to do with experience than anything.

She goes on to write:

But maybe most of all, because it [the picture] serves as an important reminder that as parents, we never can be sure of how our kids will turn out, nor exactly what our role and influence might be in the outcome. We try our best, we make mistakes, and we hope for the best.

I guess that's what this photo represents most to me. Hope. Hope that my worst days of parenting will be followed by some kind of sweet reward, even if I can't imagine it right now.

Yes, Rock on Meagan, you are so right, try our best, make mistakes and hope for the best! So, yes, the sweet reward! I'm waiting patiently for that one. I'm in the midst of it I feel with Little B, she is so hard to parent and quite exhausting. But then, I thought that of Big B when she was 3 and look at her now at 9.  So yes, all things will pass and there is Hope!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 33 - SquareHub App Social Networking for your family

Today I'm pre-confessing (is that even a word) about an app that was just released today, SquareHub.  Ironically, there is nothing "square" about this app and it seems to me to be one of the coolest, most awesome apps that I have seen released in a long time.  I mean, I think the last time I was this over the moon, was when I stumbled on Orchestra, I remember my giddy feeling, all happy and blissful! Well, this morning when I found out about SquareHub, I felt the same exact way.

So what is it? It's a new app that basically lets you have a private network with your family.  So let me paint the picture. We have close family friends that have 5 children, 1 away at college, 1 soon to be and 3 still at home. At any given time, both parents are on their phones texting away to their children, talking about what's for dinner, who can pick  up who, who will be home to feed the dog, etc. Group texts can get hairy and rather cumbersome to respond to, so most of the time, the parents and the kids are sending individual texts. See the issue? See the huge "black whole of time"? What if there was a way to have private communication for your whole family to see?

Introducing SquareHub, a private social network for your family that allows you to communicate in real time with your whole family, taking away the cumbersome, clunky way texting, calling and emailing are. Take a look at the screen shots below... Literally I'm {swooning} and so AppHappy!

You can check in to places just like on Facebook, so parents will know when your kid reached the movie theater or Suzy's house. You can also share pictures, that can be adorned with stickers, filters and star rewards. The app is also equipped with emoticons for when you are too busy to respond with a "I like that", or "bummer", you can just hit the face icon! Genius right?

The app is cleverly equipped with a To Do List feature where you can assign tasks to any family memeber and any or all family members can have visibility.  No more from your teenager "mom never told me to do that", oh yay buddy, that's not what the To do List says! Genius! (I know think of a new word Creative Junkie)

So go and check out this app and download it, it's FREE and get some time freed up to do some things that matter, instead of sending texts and emails!  I'm sorry to say that this app is only available for iPhones at the moment, an Android version is currently in development.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 32 - About Me Page

Thanks for stopping by today to see what I'm confessing about! Today, I'm confessing about me! I've waited so many months to write this section of my blog, because, as with most people, it's so hard to write about yourself!

I hope you enjoy getting to know me a little better.

http://confessionsofacreativejunkie.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 31 - The Great Gatsby - The Movie

Today I'm confessing about a little known secret of mine, I love the Roaring 20's and love the book The Great Gatsby even more. I can remember vividly back in high school reading it and reminiscing about the era, the characters, the style.... ahhh! And the makers of the movie have not left anything out! How can this be? And Leonardo as Gatsby? Honestly what is not to like.  The countdown is on... 10 Days ... these are going to be the longest 10 days!

Here is some eye candy for your pleasure. If you have not seen the trailer, it's worth watching too below...

Check out this headpiece that is worn by Carey Mulligan, LOVE!

I'm so {{Crushing}} .... ahhhh!

And the soundtrack, EPIC! It goes with the scenes so perfectly... I'm in love with Lana Del Rey's song, Young and Beautiful and Filters rendition of "Happy Together" ... I just can't get enough! The soundtrack is released May 7th!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 30 - Sara's Cancerversary

Today I'm confessing about my BFF and her desire to give back to the community after her one year anniversary of being diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

A couple months ago, Sara my BFF,  began talking about her desire to do something with purpose for her one year "Cancerversary" (yes that is a true term used in the community). This was the day, one year ago, that she felt her lump.  You see, Sara was just 35 years old at the time, and she self diagnosed her lump in the shower.  You can read more about her diagnosis and story here.

Since she's been diagnosed, a common topic of discussion was the fact that at 35 years old, you are not given a mammogram and that there could have potentially been another 5 years before she knew she had Breast Cancer. Scary right?   So, her mission is to focus on self awareness and self detection for all women, but most importantly, women under 40, to whom mammograms are not given.

Yesterday, we all stood on a street corner in our community reminding women to do their self exam. It was a fun morning to spend with Sara, her mom and a couple friends.  We even got a journalist and a photographer from a local newspaper to do a story about this event.  Below are some cool pics that the photographer kindly sent me, thanks Jeff!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!

Confession 29 - Taking Care of My Skin

Today I'm confessing about my secret (well not so secret anymore) regimen to my, what people are saying, glowing skin! I'm letting all my readers in!

Thankfully, I have good genetics and wrinkles and sunspots are at a minimum, but let's face it (no pun there), everyone ages and everyone gets wrinkles and age spots. I was looking for a new regimen that would keep my face clear of acne (yes, I'm still getting acne in my late 30's), clean my pores and make my skin look and feel flawless.  About 6 months ago, a friend of mine, Michelle, began selling the skincare line, Rodan + Fields. I quickly went on to the product page and started to investigate.  Michelle became instrumental in helping me figure out the best line for my skin type and issues.

We soon decided on trying the "Unblemish" line as it would help with my acne and scaring.  From the first week that I started using the line, I could see a huge difference.  My acne started to clear up and my skin was finally starting to look somewhat normal.

After using the Unblemish line, I used and purchased one of my all time R+F favorite products, Micro-Dermabrasion Paste!  I use this paste 2-3 times a week and it makes my skin feel and look amazing!! I just use a dime size and scrub it all over my face dry, with no water. And then wash it off.  I cannot say enough good things about it.  My 8 year old even uses it for her Keratosis Pilaris.  After discussing the product with our dermatologist, she said it's worth a shot.  It will completely clear up her face after just one use.

Since I've started using R+F products, they have come out with yet a new revolutionary product, the Macro Exfoliator! It's basically a hand held exfoliator  that can be used in between professional treatments and can even replace those procedures, plus, can be done once weekly at home, which I love!  I found after the first use, my skin looked good, but after the second week, it looked luminous and glowing!  It is a treatment that mimics the professional treatments, and the results are similar, but a fraction of the cost.  It is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite products!  There is even an iPhone app to keep you on schedule of using your Macro E, I'm Happtastic~

Now that you have read all about my experience, go experience Rodan + Fields for yourself.  For anyone that goes and likes Michelle's Facebook Page, here she will send you a free sample of the Micro-Dermabrasion Paste. Completely free, to try and fall in love with!  So hop to it and like her page and see the glow!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my latest confession!