Transgenders In the Restroom: Just let them pee!

I just want to point out that I am so sick of seeing this shit in the media. It brings out the worst in people. It brings out pure hate and has really shown me lots of peoples’ true colors. If I’m sick of seeing it, why am I writing about it? I want to have my final say because I’m sick of people asking me my opinion or bringing it up in conversation.

Let’s first point out, that this is a media tactic to distract everyone from other PRESSING issues. Seriously. We have people trying to kill us. Cops are being gunned down every day. Every day people are being gunned down every day. Kids are being bullied in school. Children are dying from random illnesses. But no, all you can see in the media right now is this transgender bathroom bullshit.

With this current issue, people only seem to think about a man walking in a women's restroom and molesting their daughter or raping a woman. THIS IS HAPPENING REGARDLESS! A man, dressed as a man, walked into a women's bathroom and molested an 8 year old girl recently. Where exactly did transgender play into this? Think I’m making it up to make a point, check out the article here. This is happening all the time, all over the place and it’s not happening by transgender individuals. People seem to think that word automatically means “child molester” or “rapist.” No, for the most part, it’s individuals who feel they were born into the wrong body trying to make it right for themselves. Let them be dammit!

Let's look at it this way for a moment. This could actually REDUCE the amount of bathroom incidents. Parents might actually start being parents and going in the restroom with their children instead of sending them in alone while they do whatever in the store. I cannot even count how many times I have witnessed a parent or parents let their children, small children, no older than 6, go into a restroom alone while they continued to shop, eat, or converse with friends. These kids are too young to be going in the restroom alone anyway!

Single parents with children of the opposite gender would be able to take their small children to the restroom without worrying about it being a problem. A parent would be able to take their handicapped teenager to the bathroom without worry. I realize there are family restrooms and handicap bathrooms all over the place, HOWEVER, not every location has these and many of the handicap stalls are found in the GENDER SPECIFIC bathroom. Handicap or not, parents get horrible looks for taking their seemingly normal teenager or grown child to a restroom not suited for their gender.

People might actually become MORE aware of their surroundings and the people in it and actually pay attention. Am I saying that women deserve to be raped for going in THEIR restroom and some douche follows them in? NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT, but this world is going to hell and people still seem to think they're safe in a random place. Maybe if they're that scared of being molested, they'll pay more attention to who's in the bathroom with them.

Ok, I’m getting off my soap box now. I just think there are so many hate filled people in the world, that they only see one side of the issue.

great organizations tend to go downhill when politics and giant egos are involved

So I belong to an organization that helps out military personnel. Current and veterans. I'm not calling them out by name because knowing my luck I'd be sued for badmouthing them. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that it's a great organization, but the politics behind it, like everything else, SUCK. So if this comes off as a post that badmouths them, forgive me. I'm down with the idea behind the organization but over the years…well, it's gone downhill in my opinion and I know why people don't volunteer as much as they used to.

This organization used to be fantastic. You literally signed up, decided what you wanted to commit to sending or doing and you did it. Then the organization started falling short on money, so they say. First, they began charging members, VOLUNTEERS, $1 a month that's considered a donation which is supposed to verify that you're still a member. Basically, if you fail to do anything with the organization but you see $1 charge on your card, it lures you back to the site, to either get all weepy eyed and begin doing shit, or you tell them you no longer want to be a member. Nine times out of ten, people get weepy eyes and start doing shit again.

Then, they created a database where you're supposed to input how many letters, packages, estimated amounts, etc. that you've either done or paid for, while supporting the troops or veterans. No biggie. This works for everyone since charity donations are considered tax-deductible and this is all charity work. EXCEPT, when you receive your donation letter in the mail, you only get credit for the $12 (the $1 a month donation, amount depends on how many months of that year you were "donating"). The donation list reads something like

Month/Item	Estimated Value
January - letters/packages
February - letters/packages

and so forth for whatever months you did something. There is literally no amount present anywhere and you're supposed to write in what you think the value was for that month. Better keep all those receipts. However, unless you keep buy supplies solely for this organization once a year or keep track of every stamp, envelope, piece of paper and ink from a pen (and any embellishments you add), you're screwed. I personally do not buy stamps just for this organization and I won't lie and say I used all of my stamps on this organization when plenty of them went on bills. BLAH!

Then there are rules. If you're a member of a team that's only supposed to write letters, you're not allowed to send anything else. This team is a one-time letter deal. If the soldier wants to write back and correspond, so be it. However, if they ask you for items, or you just want to be nice and send them some warm socks, this is a no-no. Literally. You will be yelled at by those in charge if they see that your extra letter cost you $10 instead of $1.50 and demand to know what you sent and why. Um, if this was a one-time letter thing and my soldier CHOSE to write back and maintain a friendship, I think I'm entitled to send my friend whatever the hell I want to.

Another rule. No religion talk of any sort. We're told there's a special team for that. I'm not religious by any means. I honestly have no idea what I believe in, but it's more science than anything. However, if a soldier writes me back and tells me that me and God kept him from going over the edge after watching half his platoon be blown to bits, you can bet your ass I'll discuss his God with him. I understand we're not supposed to start religious talk because we could unintentionally preach atheism to a die-hard Christian, however, I feel STRONGLY that if they bring it up and want to talk about it, it's my duty to respond. After all, we're supposed to be supporting these individuals. I'll discuss anything they want. Well, damn near anything. Asking me for sex talk or nudes is completely out of the question. Correspondence ends there. Luckily I've never had that happen, so no bullets to dodge. Wow, that was a REALLY bad pun. SORRY!

This organization used to be about supporting our troops, their families, and veterans. Now it's all about who's allowed to demand what from whom and when. We're volunteers. We choose to take our time and spend it writing letters, mailing packages, showering military newbie moms with gifts and caregivers of soldiers with praise and pampering for all they do for their wounded soldier. It's not a "who's Johnson is bigger" contest. Get off your high horses and let us support them. I'm sure they won't be hurt by a pair of socks, or a friendly chat about Jesus, Buddha, or King Kong if that's who they worship. 

what the hell was I thinking???

So it took me four days to get straight to where I could actually type, make sense, sound like a real person again! All I can say, or question, is what the hell I was thinking???

Now I'm not doctor, but I can put two and two together and come out with five. Wait, no, it's four. It's four. Setting that aside, I know when something's wrong with me even if I don't know WHY it's wrong with me.

So for a year now I've been having stomach troubles. Alternating between diarrhea and constipation. Waking up in the middle of the night literally having to run to the bathroom. Gross right? Imagine living that life! It really sucks ass (no pun intended) to have to plan your meals around how long it'll take to upset your stomach. I missed a lot with friends and family because of bowel movements. So not the life I envisioned at the age of 31. I've also been suffering from severe indigestion for years but my regular doctor never referred me to a specialist. I've been on a medication for that for like two years that you're only supposed to be on for like two weeks at a time. No specialists, no second opinion (my fault), nothing. I've been on blood pressure meds for a year now.

Recently my doctor left town for another office elsewhere. I decided not to follow for various reasons. Ok, ok, I'm too broke and too busy/lazy to drive 50 miles one way to see a doctor unless it's a specialist since you don't have to see them often. Upon referral I started with a new physician closer to home. Just so everyone knows, I live in the boonies. The sticks. If my house were further off the road, people would swear we ate raw animals and produced moonshine for income. We don't. Anyhoo, on the first visit she decided to send me to a specialist to see if it's lactose intolerance, IBS, or something else. I haven't been yet as my appointment is a week from today.

Wellllllll, I was sitting here going through records while I was filling out paperwork for the GI specialist and it turns out that I've been on my BP meds as long as the stomach troubles have been occurring. Well duh! That has to be it. All my symptoms are after all, symptoms of these meds. I decided to stop taking them for a while. When I was first diagnosed with high BP, I never knew it until the doctor said "hey, your BP is awful high!" I've always had headaches and the occasional migraine but nothing that ever alerted me to any other problems. Apparently it was my BP. Anyway, point being, I stopped taking the meds.

For two weeks life was great! My BP was great every day. I had energy and no tummy troubles. It was great being able to eat again without worrying about missing a basketball game or a date night (not that we have many of those anyway) for fear of having to run to the bathroom or soil myself. I am ashamed to admit this happened more than once over the year. Thankfully never in public.

But what the hell was I thinking??? Coming off my meds without speaking to my doctor first was a huge mistake. Four days ago I got a migraine that left me for dead. Seriously. I laid in my bed, bawling like a baby which made things worse, sick to my stomach and even my tiny nightlight made my head pound. Yes, I have a nightlight. No. I'm not scared of the dark but we moved into our newly renovated master bedroom not too long ago and I got sick of stubbing my toe on the foot of the bed and tripping over the new rug. Falling face first into your own dresser gets tiring and damaging after a while.

After day two I gave up and took a BP pill. Nothing. I was expecting (more like hoping) it would work instantly. No such luck. I went one more day with a crippling migraine before I agreed to go to the ER if it wasn't better after a nights rest. Luckily, I woke up yesterday morning migraine free! No ER visit!!! Needless to say I'm back on my BP meds until I can visit my doctor and discuss a change in medication. I can't go through all that again.

Plus side is, my boyfriend felt sorry for me and got off his butt and cooked and cleaned and did all the laundry while I was down for the count. I told him I'd be sick for the next six months!!!

am I the only one who doesn't give a damn about Super Bowl Sunday???

Ah, Super Bowl 50 is upon us. Yay? At the moment, I really only care about college football. I don't know why. I was raised on it I guess. My father worked for the state highway department for years and every year they had conferences at Clemson University and he would bring us stuff back with Clemson all over them. I just kind of fell in love with that famous orange paw print. It became a love, almost an obsession. I'm not completely obsessed as my house isn't painted orange and purple and while we have plenty of Clemson clothing, there aren't a lot of Clemson items around our home. I follow the season every year. I'll get into arguments over my boys and I'm damn proud of how far they've come this past season. I'm hoping my son will aspire to go to Clemson one day but if he doesn't, I'm ok with that too.

If he chooses to play professional football, I'm screwed because I really know nothing about it. I get the logistics. I understand the game. While I might change my tune if he does play professional football, what I don't understand is the money! Don't get me wrong, these men work hard. They work hard as hell. I know they train a lot, and I mean, a lot. They get beat up, pushed around and hurt. I however don't understand why they get SO much. The average NFL player salary per year is $1.75 MILLION. That's the AVERAGE! That's factoring in little to no name players. That's not even giving an idea of what a big shots salary is. Aaron Rogers' 2016 Average is $22 million. He has the highest 2016 average salary. The lowest is Nick Boyle at $611,564. Seriously? Minimum wage in this country is forcing people to seek government assistance and there are people starving, homeless, jobless, etc. Then you have football players making enough money to support entire states. I just feel that it's unacceptable. Now again, there might be a change in my tune if the boy wonder plays professional ball and takes care of his dear loving wonderful amazing mother one day!

damn you groundhog!

I know what you're thinking. If you don't give a shit about the damn groundhog, why are you writing a post about him?

Well, because I want to. That's really all there is to it.

Seriously though, why is an animal telling us whether we'll have winter for six more weeks or not? And why do people actually believe an animal can predict the weather when skilled meteorologists tend to be wrong, A LOT!

This "holiday" isn't even on any of my calendar's that came with holiday's pre-printed, including my go-to Google calendar. That's saying a lot right there.

He's a caged animal so to speak. I mean, he lives in an area that he's not really allowed to leave and only allowed to emerge from ONE hole to predict the weather.

He only has a 39% accuracy. Don't believe me? Check it out! Seriously, go do some research.

People actually travel from all over to Pennsylvania to see a groundhog come out the ground. Seriously people, you can walk outside in the country and see this, free of charge. I should know as we live in the middle of nowhere. They LOVE our yard. Thank you for the huge holes you fuzzy rodent freaks.

December 2015 - 30 Days of Lists

Day 1: December is for…

I composed my list based on family traditions.

- Reflections

- Holiday decorations

- Lego calendar

- Extra time with my “baby” boy

- More family than I want (lol)

- Bonfires

- Creativity

- Shopping

- TURKEY

- Japanese cuisine

- Festive of Lights

- Giving

Day 2: New things I tried this year

- Eating better

- Lots of new recipes

- Selling MyThirtyOne

- Living without soda

- Saving money

Day 3: Ways to spread cheer

- Donate

- Feed the homeless

- Holiday cards

- Bakes goods

- Just be there for someone in need

Day 4: Ways to survive “Christmas” season

- Daily deal sites

- Start shopping in July (lol, but seriously)

- Budget, budget, budget

- Stick to budget

- Seriously! Stick to the damn budget!

- DO NOT PURCHASE ELF ON THE SHELF

- Wine

- More wine

Day 5: Favorite songs right now

- Hello – Adele

- Burning House – Cam

- Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd

- Kick the Dust Up – Luke Bryan

- Fight Song – Rachel Platten

- Black Magic – Little Mix

- New Americana – Halsey

Day 6: Ways to be creative

- Make a new food dish

- Create your own Christmas cards

- Journaling

- Coloring

- Decorate cupcakes (personal favorite)

- Make your own laundry pods

- Nature hike (make a collage of finds)

Day 7: How to battle a case of the Mondays

- Plenty of rest

- CAFFEINE!

- Good music

- Weekly countdown!

Day 8: Headlines I would like to read

- Shemar Moore and Robin Strickland to wed on Christmas

- Wars End, All Soldiers to Return Home

- Eating Cookies Makes You Skinny!

- Nation No Longer Butthurt Over Every Little Thing

Day 9: I love how I…

- Can be a friend when needed

- No longer take anyone’s bullshit

- Mind my own business

Day 10: Favorite reads this year

- The Shunning

- The Confession

- The Reckoning

- Decked

- Meteor Storm

Day 11: Things I changed this year

- Eating habits

- Sleeping habits

- Realizing who my real and true friends are

- The way my house looks

Day 12: How I Prepare for Family Time

- Wine

- Anxiety meds

Seriously! That’s all I got. My family is certifiable!

Day 13: Good Investments 

- Amazing friends

- Your children

- Fake Christmas tree purchased RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS!

- Digital camera

- Education

- Volunteering

- Reading everything

- Pets (if treated right they’ll be your most loyal friend)

- Having fun!

Day 14: Ways to Stay Warm (or Cool!)

Seeing as I have lived through several South Carolina summers with no air conditioning and a 100 degree house, I’m going to go with ways to stay cool.

- Sweet iced tea

- Spray bottles of water and a fan

- Bowl of ice in front of said fan

- Swimming pool

- Water hose outside

- As few clothes as possible

Day 15: How to tell if I like you…

- I’m a sarcastic ass around you and with you

- I actually laugh at your jokes instead of looking at you like you’re an idiot

- Um, I talk to you! Lol

- I remember things you tell me

Day 16: Let's go…

- Fishing

- Swimming

- Drinking

- To bed! Lol

- On a real date

- On a vacation

Day 17: What are your favorite things to wear?

- Jeans

- Flip flops

- t-shirts

- my nightgowns are cozy as well and if I’m home that’s all I’m in! lol

- hoodies

- ankle length maxi dresses

- anything Clemson

- boots

- my black cotton dress pants, at least I think that's what they're called. They’ve become all around the house pants now and they are sooooo comfortable!

Day 18: I am waiting for…

- Money to fall into my lap! I’ll take anything! Lol

- People to change. I know, it’s not going to happen.

- Myself to wake up and realize some shit will always be this way unless I change it myself.

Day 19: Overrated trends

- The Kardashians

- Elf on the Shelf

- Sayings like “deez nuts”

- Crazy names for children, stop naming your kids after fruits and your wants, KASH, APPLE, need I say more?

- One sided media stories

- Racism (yes, this seems to be a trend these days, everyone is quick to jump on the racism bandwagon whether it’s warranted or not)

- Reality TV

- Hashtags

- Selfie sticks

Day 20: I have plenty of…

- Shoes

- Notebooks

- Pens and pencils

- Useless junk (most of it’s gone now since we started cleaning and remodeling the house)

- Photos

- Nail polish

- Jamberry wraps

- Electronics

Day 21: Signs I am “the only female in my house”

- I’m the only one that cares when the house smells funny.

- I’m the only one who cares about made beds and clean clothes.

- I’m the only one who actually thinking about adding anything to a shopping list. Everyone else would wash with water and no soap if I didn’t shop!

- I’m always running late because of everyone else, no matter how quiet I am or how much I yell.

- I’m the only one who can ever find anything even when the searching party is standing right next to the “lost” object.

Day 22: I need another pair of arms to 

- Cook, do laundry and clean the house all at once

- Plan, work on the computer and my budget all at once

Day 23: Say yes to

- Having fun

- Sleeping late

- Indulging in that extra doughnut

- Learning new things

- Making new friends

- Trying new things

Day 24: How I can help others

- Taking care of myself – when I’m happy I give my all but when I’m unhappy or having a rough day, I’ll still do what I can to help but it’ll be half-assed

- Donate money, items, etc.

- Send greeting cards and letters to military personnel

- Listen to them

Day 25: Favorite gifts to give

- Handmade items

- Money

- Candy

- Hand baked goodies

- Personalized items fitted to the receivers likes

- Dinner at my house (we do this OFTEN)

- Helping with a bill they need paid or something they want and have mentioned but won’t outright ask for and won’t buy for themselves

Day 26: Things that can wait until tomorrow

- Laundry

- Dishes

- Shopping

- Facebook!

Day 27: My favorite things about this time of year

- Peppermint everything

- Vanilla hot chocolate

- Christmas lights

- My aunt’s venison chili

- Deep fried turkey for TWO holidays!

- Lemon squares!

- Japanese, Krispy Kreme and the Festival of Lights

Day 28: How to push my buttons

- Tell me you’ll do something and then become unreachable

- Interrupt me more than once and realize you’re doing it but choose not to stop

- Spending more of my money than I allowed you to when I handed you my bank card

- Whining about how shitty your life is, don’t go there. We all have problems and we’re all trying to survive

- Ignoring me when I’m trying to talk to you but then expecting me to listen to everything you have to say

- Stand in the middle of a store aisle talking instead of shopping and then looking at me, seeing that I want to get by and then going back to your conversation

- Whipping over in front of me then slowing down to turn

- People who don’t use turn signals

- Treating me like a child, I’m 31, I’ve been through enough and taken care of enough people already to know what the hell I’m doing

Day 29: Resolutions I kept

- No resolutions to break because I don’t make them!

Day 30: Highlights of 2015

- Reconnecting with an amazing friend and her husband

- Finally got my master bedroom

- Finally calling quits to a toxic friendship

Bonus Day 31: 2016 will be the year for…

To me this sounds kind of like a resolution list and I don’t tend to make resolutions because I think people should change, if they choose to, for the better, not just for one year. Yes, I’ve heard that changing one little habit can change someone for the better or the worse and for long-term but not in my world… This year however, I’ve decided there are things I want to change in general so I’m making some life resolutions to include here.

- Lose more weight (I lost 40lbs in 2015 so it’s a start already)

- Eat differently. I can’t necessarily say eat “better” because what’s considered good for you one day is considered bad for you the next day and vice versa. For me this means cutting out sodas and drinking more water and eating more fruit. I feel better when I eat fruit, drink water, and have baked or crock pot meals instead of fried foods and candy/salty snacks.

- Not share and post everything on Facebook.

- Cook more at home and eat out less. 2015 was terrible for us. We ate out A LOT because of scheduling, laziness and sickness.

- Plan better. This will allow me to be more efficient with my time as well as help me cook better because I can plan around sports and such.

- Spend more time with my son and pay more attention. His attitude is getting terrible and he’s growing up fast. I need to try to keep him grounded and a good kid while I still have time.

I think I'm doing enough to make up for an absentee parent

Some days I look at my son and I feel incredibly bad for him. He's stuck with me. I'm all he has. His father is hardly a part time father. He picks and chooses when he wants to be a father to his first born all while playing poppa to a house full of kids that aren't even his (ok, well one IS his but she was CREATED months AFTER Keegan was born, so it's not like he didn't know he had a kid!).

Then......

There are other days that I'm envious of how strong he is, or in the least, how strong he pretends to be. Take for example, his basketball game last night. It was the last game of the season. They played a total of six games. How many did his father come to? Zero. He hasn't bothered to call either of us before these games to wish him luck, OR after any of these games to see how he did. He merely waits on me to offer up the information. It's what I've always done because I feel he should be present. I asked Keegan "do you want to call your real dad and tell him how you did?"

I was beaming because in a 26-22 scored game, my son got 16 of those 26 points. Two shots were three-pointers. I was and always am proud of that kid. His response saddened me though, because I know no matter how much he hides it, he was crushed on the inside "no. If he doesn't care enough about me to call me, I don't care enough to call him." Those words stung me, probably far more than they'll ever sting his father. My eleven year old had become bitter towards his own father. This is something I never wanted but something I could not prevent no matter how much I have assured him that his father loves him. I asked again and said "you sure?" He shrugged and said "yea." No tears. No real sadness as he proceeded to bring up a game on his phone. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the house. It was a quiet ten minute ride home. When we got there, I simply got out the car, hugged him and told him I was incredibly proud of him for everything he's done and for who he is.

I will never let him feel like he wasn't loved or wanted. For me, it was never a second thought. The minute I found out I was pregnant, my whole world changed, and it was all for him. I know boys need their fathers, but I think I'm an ok double parent/father substitute/however you wanna call it. It's ok... I think he thinks so too.

Where the hell was I going with this?

The problem with writing every.single.day. or using writing prompts is that inevitably you're going to repeat yourself, unless of course you're one of those amazing awesome mommy bloggers (of which I am not) that talk about real shit all day, like something their lifesuckers (you like that? thank Baby Sideburns, her blog is awesome) have done that's insane, or how they wish they had something to talk about and still manage to make it sound amazing. Again, I am not one of these people. I wish I were. I wish I could say things to make people laugh and want to read what I write. I wish I could have followers. Alas, I do not though and so I guess I'm writing this just for me. I'm ok with this though. It's a record for me. Things for me to look back on. Things for my son to see about his mom. If he reads the good stuff, great. If he reads bad stuff, then even better because he'll know that I was not perfect and never claimed to be. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I've never tried to do the mommy blog thing is because I can't commit and I'm somewhat negative. I tend to start projects and never finish. I tend to count the negatives in my life, not the positives. I've become bitter and self righteous because of it. I'm unhappy in my life and I know it. Everyone knows it! I want to be happy though. I really do. I want to be more peppy and have more friends and be more outgoing and talk to the other moms on the football field or the basketball court. I want to join the crowd while we watch our kids play. I want to be called up and asked if I want to have lunch or go out for drinks on a Friday night. In order for that to happen though, I think it's going to be me that has to make a change. I have to put myself out there. I have to stop hiding in a hole. I have to be more positive. On that note, being happy, being grateful... here are a few things I know I should be grateful for and I don't show it enough.

1. Keegan (sometimes I push him to the TV or game or to friends because I just want to play on the computer or sleep. This is what my mother did and I always felt like I didn't matter.)

2. Not having to work. (I hate taking care of dad some times because he's stubborn. we're more alike than I want to admit which makes it difficult. but it makes it easier to take Keegan to practices and get dad to and from doctors without worrying about missing work.)

3. Not having many bills. (this comes with the not having to work but it's separate. you can have a job but have little to no bills, it's called being financially stable, but I am 30 with a car and a cell phone and other needs but luckily nothing serious that requires me to need a job which would land dad in a home or with a paid caregiver that we can't afford.)

Sadly that's all I can think of today... I mean, when I first started typing this, I had a list a mile long and I swear as soon as I started putting words on paper, or on the computer rather, my mind just went poof, blank, nothing, nada. RIDICULOUS. I really wish I had some kind of lead I could attach to my head that would read my thoughts and type them up for me. Seriously. I'd have a LOT to say then!

fuck volunteering

I think 2015 should be the year I get out of helping ANYONE and volunteering for anything. I left the AllRecipes AllStars last year because they were getting too…demanding and they were clearly siding with people who had been in the program longer than others. There was some drama on the Facebook page that led to me being told to watch what I post. Basically, people were posting other sites and such they were selling for and these sites were left up there and no one said a word. I posted ONCE and someone had a fit and I told them that I had the right to do what others are doing and it led to ME being reprimanded by those in charge. This wasn’t the first time stuff like this had been done. They were also demanding more and more from us that was costing us more and more money and as volunteers, I felt that we should be compensated a little, free coupon or something but it got to the point where we were told what we had to do and if we had to buy it, it was our problem. As a volunteer, I don’t have to come out of pocket so that a brand can get future recognition and bring in sales. Nope. Not doing it, so I left that at the end of last year. I’m also a sales person for Jamberry now, since October and I don’t like their practices, bullshit corporate responses to actual real questions or the way they’re beginning to do things. Companies that have glitches are supposed to get better over time, not worse. If so, then they need to shut down. Also, with Soldiers’ Angels, they’ve created a new database for us to report the work we do for SA. I understand that this is for them to keep track of current military personnel and support but I think it’s bullshit how they’re doing it. For example, any one of us can select letter writing or card writing requests, report that we did and never actually complete any of it. We also don’t get recognition for anything we do that was once SA related but no longer is. For example, a former SA volunteer still volunteers for her local VA and we send birthday cards every month for her to pass out. We were told we wouldn’t get recognition for recording those hours. I think that’s bullshit. I am indeed a volunteer and not a paid employee. I get that. However, I think volunteers should be recognized for the work they do. We used to be able to put our hours into the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards site and receive recognition once the hours were certified. Now the lady over SA has informed us that she would see what she could do about PVSA but the point of the new database was to prevent the extra step. That’s bullshit because if SA is going to recognize us for our ACTUAL hours then we’re not getting recognized for what we’re actually doing. It doesn’t seem right because we’re giving up our time, free of charge to support those overseas, home suffering or in VA homes or whatnot. It’s only fair to at least receive a piece of paper in the mail saying we did something, which we can file for ourselves. It only seems right. I’m getting sick of all the bureaucracy though.

#FrostyVoxBox from Influenster

I love being able to try new things and who doesn't love FREEBIES!?!?!? This month, I received the #FrostyVoxBox from Influenster with all kinds of amazing products in it! So I've heard of all the brands and even tried some of their products and some I haven't, so it was like early Christmas for me! So, here go the reviews! (yes, I'm posting all my reviews in one post because I'm totally too lazy to create separate posts!)

all the goodies together!

First up is my favorite item in the whole box, just because I love their products and it is........... the EcoTools Full Volume Style Hair Brush. I've used several of their products including a facial sponge and make-up brushes. I love these products because they're made from all natural materials. What I really love about this brush is the vent factor which allows air to go through while you're using it so you can dry faster. It makes getting ready a lot faster and my hair comes out shiny, smooth, and how I want it, FOR ONCE!


The next goody I tried was actually a goody! These Fruit Vines® Bites in cherry flavor are very tasty! They're like a gummy version of licorice. I've never been a huge licorice fan because it's kind of tough to me and way too chewy. I think it's the rubbery texture of the candy. Clearly I'm a minority here because I've been told by my entire family and list of friends that I'm insane, but whatever! :) These are the perfect size and perfect consistency to me though. Delicious! Cherry is also my favorite flavor for ANY candy so these are super tasty to me!



Next up we have makeup goodies! My favorite out of the makeup items, was the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner. This stuff is AMAZING! I have always used another brand of eyeliner that I've loved for years. I'm one of those people that once I find something I like, I don't want to change to something else similar for fear that the product won't stand up to my standards. I LOVE this product though! Today was a ROUGH day for me, and I was beyond stressed. I cried. A lot. I have to get myself together and use some eye drops just for the picture you see below. Well, my eyeliner STAYED. I'm not kidding. No matter how much I wiped or dabbed my eyes, this stuff would NOT come off. Even through medicated eye drops, it didn't come home. This is honestly the first WATERPROOF eyeliner I've tried that is actually WATERPROOF. That brings me to my next review, which isn't so good.

see my eyes still lined all pretty!

This review is for Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. According to the bottle, it will work on waterproof mascara and according to the site, "Gently removes all eye make up, including long lasting & waterproof make up, with no oily residue." I beg to differ. It is gentle. There is no oily residue. I got it in my eye because I'm an idiot and it honestly just felt like water in my eye. However, it didn't remove my Rimmel eyeliner that I'd been wearing all day. This is where my tried and true (other brand) makeup remover actually did the job. I spent about 1-2 minutes with the Rimmel trying to get off the eyeliner and only about 30 seconds and three swipes with the other remover and you can see the difference in this picture. The eye above the nose ring is with Rimmel's remover and the other eye is with the other brand remover. In this case, I'll stick with my tried and true makeup remover.

eye above nose-ring still has liner.... smudged...

If you look in the picture above, you'll also notice my rather pink lips! This too was a freebie to try in the box. It is NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum. Ok. I don't wear lipstick. It's more out of laziness than anything. I don't like to go through colors to find one that suits me and I don't like having to hunt down a compact, a mirror, or a bathroom with a mirror to reapply once it comes off, therefore I just don't bother. I'm a chapstick gal! All the way! Well this particular lipstick is actually something I would wear. It has a nice texture to it. It glides on rather smoothly with no clumping and makes your lips look very soft and smooth. I wasn't crazy about the color though. The name of it, as you can see, is Sugar Plum so yea, it's probably definitely related to the fact that this is a winter themed box. It's not for me though. However, if you click on the link, you'll see there are sooooo many other colors, which does excite me. I will probably actually take the time in store to pick out a color I like. The price tag isn't so bad! For a mere $2, you can have soft, smooth, colorful lips that last! No reapplying every time you talk! That might be a slight over-exaggeration, but that's what it feels like when I usually wear lipstick.


I haven't opened and used the McCormick Gourmet All Natural Thyme yet, but that's because I already have a bottle open in the kitchen!!!! LOL. McCormick is the only brand of herbs and spices you'll find in my kitchen, unless I'm buying fresh. What I love about McCormick spices is that they are natural and really retain their flavor. They don't taste like a bottled spice or a stale spice. You get that fresh flavor. I could buy fresh herbs and dry them out and these bottled herbs would still taste the same! They are full of flavor and last. I do love the fact that I got a bottle for free though! Bottled herbs, especially McCormick, can get rather expensive but they're worth it. You're paying for fresh, natural herbs, as well as convenience and as a mom, caregiver and part time online employee, I'm always looking for convenience.

Speaking of "in-the-kitchen," we have some very tasty Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane® Decaf Green Tea.

This definitely has some holiday flavor to it! I like it though. I'm a peppermint person, especially during the holidays. You can often find me with a candy cane hanging out of my mouth. So I really liked this tea!


Last but not least, because I wasn't sure I wanted to try it, we have No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum. I'm not crazy about trying products that say "For more advanced signs of ageing. Younger looking skin in just 2 weeks," if I'm only receiving a sample that only has enough in it for one day. The thing about products like serums, is that they usually take time to work and you have to use them consistently each day to see results. A sample size that only provides enough product for one day usually just leaves your skin feeling some kind of way for one day and the next day your skin is doing funny things. My skin for example, will get super oily the day after I try a new product that has dried my skin out, if I don't continue using that product daily. It overcompensates for the dryness which eventually leads to a breakout. I hate this! I did try it and unfortunately for me, it did what I thought it would. My face was REALLY dry afterwards and once I went back to my regular routine, my face broke out. I'm back to normal now and it could have been because it was a short amount of time to use it, then again, it could have been the serum. I won't use it again but it might work for someone else.