Incandescent Light Ban

Did you know that we soon will not have access to incandescent light bulbs?  I'm not very happy about it, myself.  What do you think?

I hope you'll take a minute to watch THIS video and tell me what you think of this potential option to incandescent bulbs.  I'm not sure what I think, so your opinion really does matter to me!

Good Natured Gourmet Giveaway

Do you love cookies? Would you like to win a delicious dessert mix? I sure would. Read the following and enter the giveaway!

Welcome to the Good Natured Gourmet Giveaway!

Sponsored by: Good Natured Gourmet

Hosted by: Dividing by Zero

Giveaway Dates: 3/12/14 to 3/25/14

Open to residents of the U.S. 18+

Founded in 2012 by a baker and a registered nurse, Good Natured Gourmet offers a selection of dessert mixes that are made with natural ingredients and vitamins so that the resulting baked goodness is both delicious AND nutritious! Tara from Dividing by Zero tried out the lactation cookies and was thrilled to discover that they’re both sinfully delicious AND did in fact help increase milk production – almost TOO well! Make sure you check out Tara's full review of Good Natured Gourmet’s Chubby Babies Lactation Cookies!

Good Natured Gourmet’s “Live Collection” offers cookies for pregnant and nursing moms. There are four flavors of lactation cookie mix (double chocolate oatmeal, oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal cranberry lactose-free, and peanut butter oatmeal) designed with ingredients like barley flour, brewer’s yeast, flax seed, whole grain rolled oats and calcium to help nursing moms increase milk production ($11.50 per mix). Also available is the Perfect Pregnancy Double Chocolate Mint Vitamin Enhanced Cookie Mix, fortified with prenatal vitamins including folic acid and magnesium and with ginger to help combat nausea ($9.99).

Their “Love Collection mixes include herbs and vitamins designed to help set the mood for romance such as ginseng, Vitamin E, honey, and vanilla. Available cookie flavors are double chocolate mint, chocolate chip, and dark chocolate vanilla chip; there’s also a triple chocolate brownie mix ($9.99 per mix).

You can save 10% off your order with the promo code DVDBYZERO10 through April 30th! While the giveaway is only open to continental U.S. residents due to shipping costs, this promo code is good for anyone, anywhere!

One lucky reader is going to win two Good Natured Gourmet cookie mixes of choice! The giveaway runs from March 12, 2014 to March 25, 2014 at 11:59pm EST and is open to continental U.S. residents ages 18 and older. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond and claim his/her prize.

Enter using the Giveaway Tools widget below - good luck!

Entry-Form

Tara from Dividing by Zero received products from this sponsor to facilitate her review; all opinions remain her own. Participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment; sponsor is solely responsible for prize fulfillment.

Meditation Monday #62: On the Pendulum Wave and How It Is Like Life

I was able to complete my regular meditations this past week.  YEAY!

Isn't it funny how swiftly this year is passing by?  I just realized a few days ago that I must've completed my 40 day Transformation challenge.  I had to go back and look at WHEN because I truly could not remember... found out it was back on February 14th!  I decided before then that I wanted to complete 80 days.  I will reach that goal on March 26th!

At the same time that I realized I must've finished the Transformation challenge, I also realized I was coming up on 80 days of my other series.  I will reach 80 days of doing Sa Re Sa Sa, the 2 anger ones, and Prosperity on March 12th.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to switch things up then.  I feel like my physical body needs some help, so I'm working on figure out what to do in meditation to help it!  :)

My Mom has said, many times, that she thinks I think too much.  I think I think just enough!  hahaha... that's a lot of thinkin' in there!

Recently, my thinks have been much pondering on the Pendulum Wave or wave pendulum.  I've decided to share some YouTubes and see what you think.  I'll share my own thoughts about how it is specifically like my life or life in general later. (I think in two weeks from today.)  I look forward to reading your thoughts:  How do you see the pendulum wave in relation to life, generally, or some specific part of life?  Think about it with the Mandlebrot Set in mind.  Sorta like how everyone and thing is the same and different.

Whatever Goes Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the "Whatever Goes" Giveaway Hop hosted by Mommy's Favorite Things and Mama's Baby Cupcakes. This hop is an open theme so whatever the blogger wants to showcase goes!! After visiting my giveaway, make sure you use the linky below to take a look at the other bloggers and see what they have to offer! Each blog has a minimum prize package of $25 per winner.

 

I'm featuring, and you could win, my choice of flexi and hair sticks by Lilla Rose to a new Lilla Rose customer!!  Feel free to register as a customer through my website just in case.  Check it out!

 

 

 

You can see more on my website by clicking HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:

Mama's Baby Cupcakes, Mommy's Favorite Things and the "Whatever Goes" participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

 

Saturday Soliloquy #26: How I Met My Husband: The Online Story

Before I went to Japan, I tried out matchmaker.com and thought it was pretty fun.  I met a few guys that were nice and went on a few dates.  So, when I returned to the US it was only natural that I would use the same service.  I was hoping to find a fella with whom I could hang out and kiss.  Man, what a silly girl I was.  Still, that truly was my 'goal' for online dating.  I didn't understand then what I understand now about the spirit connections formed in any sort of sexual interaction.  Kissing, whether folks want to admit it or not, is most definitely a sexual interaction.

I'll share more about that later.  If you'd like to read what I have learned about that subject, make sure to let me know.  Requesting more on that topic will sure speed my sharing on it.  This post is meant to be about how I met Jessie.

I was stood up twice after I came back to the US.  Jessie was going to be my last try at hanging out before I went to Australia.  I'd decided that maybe my Host Family (in Japan) was right.  Maybe I was Christmas Cake and no guy (no one) would want me.  Man, you should see what I looked like back then.  For me to believe such a thing is absolutely ridiculous... but I did!  Which, really reveals SO much about how much I thought of myself.

Jessie found me through matchmaker.com and wrote to me.  I had established a few rules for myself.  At the time that I used matchmaker.com, they had a few different areas for each profile.  There was the multiple choice, short answer, and long answer.  I filled mine out absolutely truthfully.  Although I knew it was unlikely that most told the truth as I did, I attempted to treat them as if they did.

One of the rules I'd established for myself was that if a fella answered one particular question wrong, I wouldn't write to him.  The question was: "What are you looking for?"  The choices (since it was in the multiple choice section) included things like: "long-term relationship, just for fun, one night stand."  I hope you can determine which answer was unacceptable to me.

Well, Jessie had answered with the wrong answer.  He had answered that PARTICULAR question with the wrong answer.

The funny thing... with every other guy I'd met through matchmaker.com, they always asked to meet me really fast.  Not Jessie.  In fact, I asked to meet HIM!  You know what he said?  He told me he had to do laundry because they were going out to sea for two weeks!  (Sounds a bit like when a girl says she has to wash her hair, so she can't go out.)

I told him I'd write to him in email while he was gone.  He didn't believe me.

But I did.

The night he returned, I was out with another guy.

Yes, I was that cute!  heeheehee

Anyway... I went out with that other guy just because I was bored, honestly.  I wanted to go out, he offered, and so I went.  Unfortunately, I didn't REALLY understand how much he liked me.  And I didn't deal with him very well... I wasn't blunt and direct (as I usually am).  In fact, I was a coward in the way I dealt with him after that night.  He brought a friend to meet me because he liked me THAT much.  That, of course, scared me off because I truly was looking for just a fun friend to hang out with and maybe kiss sometimes.

When I returned from hanging out with that guy and his friend, I found that Jessie had called and was so annoyed with myself.  To give me credit, though, their ship had pulled in early.  Jessie wasn't due back until the following day.

I attempted to call him back.  No answer.  They were using the internet and those were the days when a phone line was almost always tied up to use the internet!  Can you imagine that?  I tried repeatedly to call him back.

Somehow we finally connected and made a plan to meet at the Denny's I'd worked at on Newtown Road.

Baby Bullet Giveaway

The whole system.

Welcome to the Baby Bullet Giveaway hosted by The Parenting Patch and sponsored by Baby Bullet.

For more information about the Baby Bullet Complete Baby Care System, check out my Baby Bullet Review.

One lucky reader of The Parenting Patch and We Keep Choosing Us will win one (1) Baby Bullet Complete Baby Care System valued at $59.97.

To enter for your chance to win the Baby Bullet Giveaway, simply use the following Rafflecopter form. Good luck! Happy cooking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Baby Bullet Giveaway is restricted to legal residents of the United States of America and Canada. The Baby Bullet Giveaway ends at midnight CST on March 21, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. The winner will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. The Parenting Patch and We Keep Choosing Us are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Thankful Thursday: Hope

I am thankful for hope.  I am thankful for the way I feel energized and enlivened by hope!

I'm also very happy to have a new member on my team and hope that another friend may soon join my team!

Hope is wonderful!!!

Cookie Mix Giveaway Announcement

 

Hosted by: Dividing by Zero

Sponsored by: Good Natured Gourmet

Prize: Two packages of cookie mix (winner's choice) (ARV $23)

Sign ups close: 3/10

Giveaway dates: 3/12 to 3/25

Open to U.S. only

Details:

• 1 FREE link (Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest) in exchange for posting and promoting three times per week.
• 2nd FREE link for posting the announcement post (click for HTML).
• FREE Cohost spot for the most referrals!

Paid options:

• Cohost spot (limit 4): $5

• Five links total (no Google links)
• Links will be worth 3 entries each
• Your links will be near the top of the Giveaway Tools widget
• Linkback in giveaway HTML

• Comments (blog or Facebook): $3
• Secret word or Follow page: $3
• Extra links: $1 each (these will be worth 2 entries on the GT widget instead of just 1 entry)

• Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Networked Blogs, Email, Picket Fence vote, etc. – NO GOOGLE

 

SIGN UP HERE!

Tricky Tuesday: Save Time and Save Money

I'm relatively sure nearly everyone has heard the term I've included in my title as pertains to business.  Well, I believe it is also important in Motherhood.  Perhaps it is especially important to and for those Mothers who find themselves in the midst of business responsibilities through choice or out of necessity.  Even for those Mothers who are able to be full-time Moms and not worry about generating an income, saving time saves money.

The money referenced may not be a one to one conversion of time to paper currency.  It may be more about energy output for end result.  It could be relating to the saving work that Mother love does in their children's lives.  In reality, there is no saving of time or spending of time.  I mentioned that I realized that the last time I broached this topic.  Nonetheless, given our linear experience of this manifestation, I think these terms are relatively appropriate.

Often times the time we save (working efficiently) does convert into paper currency.  It is often a one to one conversion.  Sometimes, it's even exponential.  As I mentioned above, sometimes the currency we save by saving time is a little more difficult to discern.  Herein follow a few examples of some forms of currency that I can save by working more efficiently in my own life.

Consolidating tasks into the same period of time.  A long time ago, when I had only one child, I was a major TV addict.  I would put a load of laundry in the wash and then watch TV while the wash machine worked.  Then, move it into the dryer and watch TV while the dryer worked.  Then fold laundry while I watched TV.  I hardly had time for any of the other housework on days I did laundry because I only did laundry and I felt like I was really working.  Silly?  Yes, I know it was silly of me to think that way NOW.  I was expending a great deal of time on one task that required very little of my energy.  Now, I load the washer in the morning and get to work on the next task for the day.  Because I have a couple of older children who are capable, I often do not touch the laundry after starting it (until I fold my own, of course).  I spend much more of my time in management activities than performing the housework myself.

This point is really the most important.  I believe it is THE work of Motherhood.  Even knowing that, though, does not make it *easy* for me to perform well in my understanding.  I do know, though that as we save time for our children, we are working a work of saving their souls and the souls of their progeny!  How awesome is that!?  Beyond amazingly awesome to me!  Doesn't that just add a whole level and degree of honor and respect to the role of a Mother?  I think so!

What ways can you see that Moms could save time to save money (any form of currency you can define)?

Meditation Monday #61: Prosperity (continued from Thursday)

I was able to complete another near 4am meditation.  The only problem: it's from the wrong end of wakefulness still.  I'm having a difficult time with falling asleep, so I was up late enough that I meditated for my new day before I went to sleep for a few hours.  Still, I'm grateful for the blessing of meditating when all is quiet.  It's definitely easier to focus!

Prosperity has been much on my mind since I read Felice Austin's post about her Daddy being rich.  I came to realize something more completely as a result of it.  I shared about that just this past Thursday.

In my life, realizations have come with increasing speed and clarity as I get older.  However, most of them have also come with tumultuous emotional and mental readjustment.  One would think that is to be expected, however, given my more recent experiences, I now know this is not the case.  You see, things in me have been changing seamlessly and smoothly with increasing consistency.  I still struggle with many things that have been part of my journey for as long as I can remember.  The thing that's different is how I feel when I realize a change.  I don't feel like my whole world is falling apart.  I just sort of "realize" the new thing and feel grateful for it.

For instance... back to prosperity.  My husband and I have struggled financially for the majority of our time together and the whole of our marriage.  I can clearly see as I view the past through hindsight (which is, of course, always 20/20), that there were times we should NOT have struggled if we had been wise.  But I truly believe we were incapeable of being truly wise because we were bound by our own choices AND generational curses pertaining to prosperity.  I believe I have learned the name of the generational curse with which we were bound... it is called: a belief of lack.  We believed, no matter how much we were shown the opposite (and I know were were shown!), that we did not have enough.

I believe my effort to consistently meditate (and use the Prosperity meditation among others) is changing my brain in two ways.  First, my brain is  growing willingness to accept prosperity.  Second, my brain is become an attractor or magnet of prosperity and abundance.  I'm not exactly sure how the tool works to accomplish this, I started to sort of see some ways it may work while meditating one day last week, but the fact that it works is awesome and wonderful!  I highly recommend meditation (and especially Kundalini Yoga)!

Heavenly Father has blessed me to see very clearly when unexpected gifts of money or work or new clients or new opportunities come to me, that He is moving me toward financial prosperity.  I have received many of these gifts recently and feel to praise the Lord for His generosity and endless supply!  I'm so grateful for His perfect and generous provision!

Saturday Soliloquy #25: Traveling up the Coast

I remember Karratha only by name.  I spent a night in Broome.  And another night in Darwin.  Darwin was my shortest stay of all my stops around the north of Oz.  All I remember about Darwin is thinking that it looked very American and how disappointing that was.

Probably I already mentioned it, but since it would've happened here, I'm going to mention it again.  I wanted to travel to Alice Springs and see Ayer's Rock, but I didn't have time to travel south as far as I'd need to go and get back to Sydney for my flight.  I learned from other travelers that it looked NOTHING like it was "supposed" to look the year I was there.  Instead of being rather barren red rock, it basically looked like a very large green hill (or series of hills).  Very strange, eh?

I remember Cairns. To my memory it was a very beachy sort of city... pastel colors all around.  It was very cool, but didn't seem "Australian" per se to me.  I remember this building, but not the roos (or statues of) in the square.  The scene shown in this picture is a bit familiar, too.

Townsville was a pass-through I remember, though I don't remember anything specific about the place.

I spent the night in Brisbane.  I do not really remember much of anything about it, though.  Another pastel beach city, maybe.

And then back to Sydney.

I don't remember if I did it the first time I was there, or the last, but I did take a trip out to the Blue Mountains.  It was pretty cool.  Our driver was fun.  We got to try our hand at a whip.  That was a lot more difficult than it looked!  I wasn't able to crack it at all.  Dang it!  I do think the Blue Mountains trip was during the last few days I spent in Sydney.  Other than that, and shopping for gifts to give when I returned (Omiyagei), I don't remember anything specific about Sydney (from the last time I was there).

All in all, my time in Oz was very good for me.  I'm very glad I did it.

Blinking Owl... no I'm not going British

Tell me this is not the coolest thing you've seen in a while... especially pertaining to Lilla Rose!?  Stare at the owl.  Make sure you stare!  heeheehee

Thankful Thursday: Prosperity

I am thankful for all the tools and guides Heavenly Father has blessed into my life.  I am grateful for His constant presence and guidance... even when I feel unsure, He is ever faithful!  I am thankful for prosperity and abundance!

I've been realizing to ever increasing depths and breadths how much Heavenly Father loves all of us and desires to bless us... by way of realizing this desire He has for me.  He has said, "What I say to one, I say to all..." so if He tells me He wants me to be prosperous and recognize the abundance in my life, then He wants the same thing for everyone else, too!

Felice Austin has a few blogs in which she writes.  One of them is Progressive Prophetess.  It is through that blog that I was able to begin to see clearly how much God wants to prosper ME.  She writes about spiritual truths that the Bible declares.  Somehow, for me, the way Felice Austin writes about them is somewhat more accessible than the same information that I've read in the Bible.  Felice wrote a post pretty recently about her realization that her Daddy was rich and that rich parents desire prosperity for their children.  Of COURSE they do!  The Daddy she was referring to is, of course, Heavenly Father.  He is also my Father... so, of course, He desires the same for me

In the KJV of the Bible we can find a few direct references to prosperity.  I've read them.  I "knew" them, but it didn't sink in that it meant for ME, too.  Silly, I know.  Anyway, I want to share the most obvious of those verses in case you care and want to truly know that this truth is pertinent to you, too.

In Nehemiah 2: 20 says, "Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us;"

In 3 John 1:2 it says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

I especially like the one in Joshua 1:8 that says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." because it seems even more likely to me that prosperity is a function of faith in God and right choices to honor and glorify Him.  I like that because I'm still on the early part of trusting God for exceeding prosperity beyond my need and I feel a need to do something for it.  I *know* in my head to some degree that this is silliness.  It is what it is as part of my journey.  I'm working to the point of internalizing that God simply desires for me and my family to be prosperous.  I *know* it, now I just need to get to the point of fully accepting it!

I'm going to share a bit more about this subject in connection with Meditation Monday.  So, check back on Monday!  :)

Yet Another Wednesday at Home

Even though I've been 'grounded' this month (no going to the farmer's market to sell Lilla Rose), I've had a better month of sales than either of the last two months, which I'm quite happy about and very thankful for!  I enjoyed a rather large order from someone I do not know this month.  This is probably the 4th or 5th time in around 6 months, which is awesome.  Every sale is awesome, really.  I appreciate those who purchase Lilla Rose (or any of the other things I sell) through me.  I love my customers!

 The Who's Who Flexi combine with a french-twist-type-braid for classy elegance.

 

Sweet oblong bun with curled tails up held by a beautiful Princess Tiara flexi, perfect for home or out and about.

A new Lilla Rose Consultant will join my team the first Saturday in March.  I'm so excited!  She thinks she'll sign up with Fast Start, which, in my opinion, is THE only way to go.  Why?  Well, it provides SO many more options right off the start.  Also, purchasing Fast Start means the new Consultant is already Fast Start Qualified.  That's a big deal because when a Consultant signs on with only the Party Kit and then someone signs on in her team as a Fast Start, the "Lilla Rose Mama" is only eligible for the Fast Start bonus if she's sold $2,000 in products by then.  I don't think I've sold $2,000 yet. Because I signed on with Fast Start I have and will receive the bonus when anyone signs up as Fast Start in my team.

There are other benefits, too, of course.  If you have any interest in selling at a market or anything similar, Fast Start with the mixed set is the best way to go.  That's what I did and I'm still very happy about/with it!  I enjoy, very much, selling at the market and hope to get back before too much longer.  Baby girl is still sick some days, which means she's still sick, of course.  But, for instance, yesterday she seemed totally well.  ahwell

Currently I have one direct teammate and she has one direct, so that makes me a Lilla Rose grama!  heeheehee   How awesome is that!??  My direct teammate was one of my first hostesses and saw the awesome potential with this business.  My newest Consultant is signing up because, as she put it, "The flexi just sells itself!"  I totally agree and that is among the reasons I just love Lilla Rose!

I have one Facebook/Google Hangout party date available for March.  If you'd like to earn some lovely hair jewelry for free, let me know.  I'd love to work with you.

My other businesses are going slowly, but well.  I am working to build up a small VA business (virtual assistant) as one of my streams of income.  I've got one client and hope to have another soon.   I did a trial post for the new potential client and am just waiting to hear back from her now.  I've also been working on recipes in hopes of selling them (and photos?) to other bloggers (sort of a VA thing, but without anyone being a regular or consistent client).

I've had a couple really wonderful business/work-type gifts come to me recently.  The first was winning some ad space on another blog.  How cool is that!?  I'm pretty hopeful about that.  I also won a free featured post on another blog.  This is good for my blogging and for my Lilla Rose business.  I'm very pleased and very grateful!  I have been wanting/hoping and working to build a strong online Lilla Rose business, so these gifts are especially wonderful!

I haven't sold any of my crocheted items lately, but I've still been working.  I made some pretty squares for a group afghan and a very cool hat for my baby.  I'd love to hear what you think!

If you'd like to, I hope you'll sign up for my newsletter.  I rarely send anything out, at this point, but if I send something, it'll be special!  (The sign up is to the right.)

Have you heard of Lilla Rose before?  If not, I encourage you to follow my blog (to the right) and like my Facebook page.  I share photos of Lilla Rose hair jewelry and uplifting thoughts to brighten your day.  Let me know if you'd like to see something specific and I'll make that happen.

Tricky Tuesday: Wool Dryer Balls Review by Tori

I received one set of wool dryer balls to facilitate this review.

 
Have you ever heard of using balls of wool in your dryer?  Whether you have or have not, you may wonder why anyone would do such a thing.  I did!  I'd heard about the practice, but didn't understand it.  Once I understood why some people did it I thought, "Well, I don't use dryer sheets anyway, so I'll just skip that expense."  Our budget is tight, so I prefer to avoid spending money when it's not necessary.

Then I was given some wool dryer balls as a baby gift.  I must admit I was not as excited as I should've been.  The balls I was given looked like yarn wrapped into a ball like I do when my skein gets too limp.

I used them and was pretty impressed.

Somehow (with five children "helping") both balls went missing.  I was bummed.

Then I happened upon the opportunity to review wool dryer balls by Maple Hill Naturals.  I was so excited!  I do realize that may sound silly, but I was really excited!

You see, using wool dryer balls after not using any fabric softener or dryer sheets for years REALLY spoiled me!  Even the little yarn-wrapped balls made a difference.  Obviously! I wanted them and couldn't find them!

When I opened my package from Maple Hill Naturals, I was expecting to see what I'd had before, but did not.  These balls are like my other ones... on steroids!  These balls are not yard wrapped into the shape of a ball.  They are un-spun wool that is wrapped into ball-shape.

If you are a heavy laundry-chemical user, please do not jump into using dryer balls and expecting the exact same results.  You will not get the exact same feel in your laundry as when using fabric softener and dryer sheets.  However, you and your family will be healthier for changing to wool dryer balls because the chemical cocktail in all that stuff you can replace with Maple Hill Naturals dryer balls is really horrible for the physical system of living things.  Seriously.

I have definitely noticed that drying time with my wool dryer balls is lower (using less electricity, YEAY!).

Remember, we have not used dryer sheets or fabric softener in years... I find my laundry feels lighter somehow and definitely fluffier when I use dryer balls.

According to the packaging, these balls will last for years and can be recharged for improved performance.  I believe it!

Another difference between the smaller yarn balls and these buff un-spun wool balls is that they seem to collect fewer globs of lint on them.  Nice.

If you have been curious about wool dryer balls, I totally encourage you to check out Maple Hill Naturals.  They have a sale going the last time I checked, but even without a sale, they are totally worth the asking price!

If you've been searching for an alternative to that chemical cocktail used in laundering... BUY THESE!!!  Seriously!  You can use wekeepchoosingus as a coupon code for 25% off your entire order at maplehillnaturals.com.  Limit 1 coupon per customer, excludes any other coupons. Keep in mind that this coupon code expires 3/25/14.