Written by April NoelleJune 2, 2016

Library Adventure Museum Pass 2016 {Palm Beach County Libraries}

After posting last year’s info on Palm Beach County’s Library Adventure Pass (LAMP), a friend quickly notified me that the program had changed! So, after several years of the same process, it’s new.

I rushed right over there, and by rushed, I mean, I spent an hour looking for our library cards, making sure certain people made it to the bathroom and taking apart the house looking for the library cards.

Ultimately, I did NOT find them. But, the same friend let me know that they would look up the info for you (that’s new!)! Keep reading below for my pros and cons of the new LAMP.

2016 LAMP

 

LAMP Info

In order to get access to your favorite attractions, please follow these simple instructions:

Each child’s Palm Beach County Library System card is eligible to receive one (1) LAMP pass in June and one (1) LAMP pass in July. ***All participants must have a child’s library card on hand*** when entering the drawing and when picking up your ticket(s).

JUNE LAMP PASSES

1.) Please fill out a June LAMP entry form, available at every Palm Beach County Library System Children’s Desk from Monday, May 23 – Friday, June 3. Your entry will be placed in a drawing to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to get their favorite passes.

2.) If your entry is chosen and you are contacted, please visit the library branch where you submitted your entry from Tuesday, June 7 – Tuesday, June 14 with your child’s library card in hand.

3.) All remaining passes will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis (including any museum passes not claimed by the close of business on Tuesday, June 14).

JULY LAMP PASSES

1.) Please fill out a July LAMP entry form, available at every Palm Beach County Library System Children’s Desk from Saturday, June 25 – Friday, July 1. Your entry will be placed in a drawing to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to get their favorite passes.

2.) If your entry is chosen and you are contacted, please visit the library branch where you submitted your entry from Wednesday, July 6 – Wednesday, July 13 with your child’s library card in hand.

3.) All remaining passes will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis (including any museum passes not claimed by the close of business on Wednesday, June 13).

 

The participating organizations are donating all of the free admissions; in cases where entrance is free, additional benefits are offered to LAMP holders. Please thank them for their generosity when you visit.

For more info, head to your local library!

LAMP application

Pros of the new LAMP:

More inclusive

You don’t have to show up at 10 a.m. on June 1st. This is great for working moms or just moms that need to get something done that morning.

No lines

With a window to turn in the application, you have the ability to work it around your schedule.

No card in hand

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I couldn’t find our library cards. With this new system, they will look it up for you, which they didn’t before.

Cons of the new LAMP:

No guarantee “for the whole family”

Before, you could make sure that you could get enough LAMPs for the entire family. However, the new lottery process only gives the LAMP to the winner. Therefore, if you have three children and the pass includes one adult and one child, you will have to pay for the other children.

No guarantee that you’ll get one at all

Before, you could make sure you get at least one by showing up early and waiting in line. Now, without that, you may not get one at all.

 

Read More
Written by April NoelleJune 1, 2016

Summer Family Fun List in Southeast Florida

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my son, then we get to enjoy a few days of sleeping in, no homework and then finally, figuring out what to do to keep the kids occupied.

I posted this Summer Family Fun List last year, but I thought it’d be a great idea to give you a refresher if you aren’t sure what to do this year.

This list is organized in order by city, then alphabetical. If I missed any place, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email – justme @ aprilnoelle.com.

 

B

Boca Raton Children’s Museum – Boca Raton
Children’s Science Explorium – Boca Raton
Daggerwing Nature Center – Boca Raton
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center – Boca Raton
Sugar Sand Park – Boca Raton
We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym – Boca Raton

Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market – Boynton Beach
The Bee’s Knees Learn & Play – Boynton Beach
Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center – Boynton Beach

C

Off the Wall – Coconut Creek
Tradewinds Park & Stables – Coconut Creek
Wow Factory Indoor Playground & Family Fun Center – Coconut Creek

D

Flamingo Gardens Botanical Collection & Wildlife Sanctuary – Davie
Kabooms Amusement and Party Center – Davie
Young At Art Museum – Davie

Splash Adventure Water Park in Quiet Waters Park – Deerfield Beach

The Girls Strawberry U-Pick – Delray Beach
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens – Delray Beach
Sandoway House Nature Center – Delray Beach

Read More
Written by April NoelleApril 27, 2016

Cantu Beauty – #MommyandMe Prize Pack Giveaway #CantuBeauty

One thing that I never expected was to be the mother of one, much less two girls. For those who know me, I am not the girly girl.

Through high school, I wore shorts and sweats, only beat out by the occasional bathing suit, as I was on the swim team. One year, in middle school, I wore shorts and a t-shirt every.single.day. Rain or shine. Fashionable for the times, I sported the loud color blocking style of hip hop 1990s cross colors, not the girls version, it was boys all.the.way.

I didn’t even start to do my own hair until 13, when my mother bluntly told me that I had to figure it out for myself. Until recently, like within the last year, my standard hair style was a ponytail.

But my girls are the girliest of them all. The daily clothing request is “Can I wear a dress please?” My yesses are only mitigated by park play.

Oh, The Hair

With the clothes come the hair. There’s a lot of it between the three of us. I know that natural is the way to go for them. I’ve been “natural” since 2004, but only in the past few years, I’ve noticed products on the market that will protect and help grow my hair. The little that I’ve learned about my hair is that chemicals are the worst thing for them.



Cantu Beauty is available at places I shop normally like Sally’s Beauty Supply, Target and Wal-Mart but they’re free of all the harsh chemicals and parabens that weigh down my hair and just damage it in general. Not to mention, the products smell so good.

This Mother’s Day, take advantage of this amazing #MommyAndMe Cantu Beauty prize pack valued at more than $100 with plenty of hair products to keep you and your little mini-me looking picture perfect. This prize pack has full-size bottles of the new Cantu Care for Kids product line and Cantu for Natural Hair products.

With the Cantu Care for Kids line, each product has a blend of shea butter, coconut oil and honey without mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, gluten, paraffin, PABA or DEA. One of my fellow Mochas told me without asking that she loves the Conditioning Detangler for tenderheaded 4 year old. The prize pack will include the Tear-Free Nourishing Shampoo, Nourishing Conditioner, Conditioning Detangler, Curling Cream, Styling Custard and Leave-In Conditioner.

Cantu Care for Kids Giveaway

 

The prize from the adult line are just as nice. They include the Cantu for Natural Hair Sulfate-Free Cleaning Cream Shampoo, Sulfate-Free Hydrating Cream Conditioner, Coil Calm Detangler, Coconut Curling Cream, Define & Shine Custard and Leave-In Conditioning Cream.

Cantu for Natural Hair Giveaway

Winning this prize pack is as easy as Cantu makes doing your own hair. All you need to do is enter the gleam contest below and you’re entered to win! Let me know in the comments who you’d share this prize pack with. Is it all yours or do you have a little princess to share the #Twinning with?

Cantu Beauty Mommy & Me Giveaway

Read More
Swinging through the Emotions of Toddlerhood | AprilNoelle.com
Written by April NoelleMarch 9, 2016

On the Swingset

No one told me that it would be like this.

Maybe it’s because I have a decade between me and my next sibling.

Maybe it’s because I don’t like to argue.

Or maybe I just ignored it before it happened to me.

The bickering, the hugging, the yelling, the kissing, the melt-downs, the tickling, the hitting and the cuddling. These girls take me back and forth through every.single.emotion.

My girls are two and four, just shy of two years apart.

For the first year, our house was fairly calm. Butterfly couldn’t get around much. Bee had the run of the house. Even more, Bee had the run of Butterfly.

Until one day, Butterfly fought back and they haven’t stopped fighting since.

They fight about the toys they want and the toys they don’t want.

They fight about the room they want to be in and the room they don’t want to be in.

They even fight about what the other eats.

I don’t get it.

I feel like they are doing it to torture me like they know that I’d rather just close the door and ignore them. Whenever I start to shrink away, Bee runs straight towards me shrieking at the top of her lungs seeking protection from her smaller, but equally feisty, sister.

Why is she shrieking? Because Butterfly picked up a movie, Colors by Preschool Prep. Yep, Butterfly had the audacity to pick up a movie that she doesn’t want to see. Mind you, we were not watching television and both of them knew that the movie wasn’t going to be played anytime soon. Bee just found the idea that Butterfly would want to see Colors is, in and of itself, offensive.

Sigh.

Just a few minutes later…

“Mom, we’re hungry. Can I get Butterfly some cheese,” Bee asks.

Bee and Butterfly hugs during spring photos | Emotions during Toddlerhood | AprilNoelle.com

Now, Bee is willing to feed her sister before herself? She didn’t even ask for a snack for herself, even though I know she’s hungry. After Butterfly is chewing happily, Bee allows herself to ask for something to munch on.

Bee’s emotions can easily control the household, unlike Butterfly.

Thankfully, I know that Butterfly is a lot like her father. Her emotions are mainly tied to her stomach. When she starts fussing, stops listening or throws, well, anything including herself, she’s probably hungry. Occasionally, her tiredness will take over, but naps and nighttime are easy to discern.

Yet, when they get together, all heck can break loose and I don’t know how to handle it. I’ve tried singing, silly faces, dancing, distractions, counting and more.

Nothing works consistently. Sometimes, the same response doesn’t work two times in a row.

Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, how do you do it? I do you keep a sense of calm in your house.

 

Read More
learning to love with re-engage | April Noelle
Written by April NoelleMarch 2, 2016

Re-Learning to Love

When I started Re-Engage with my husband, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew they spoke about learning to love, but I wasn’t sure what that meant.

First of all, I didn’t think there was much wrong with our marriage.

I knew it wasn’t perfect. What is?

I knew that there was room to improve. Who doesn’t need a little improvement?

At our first meeting, we encountered a question. I can’t recall exactly what it was, but the point was “confess to your spouse your sins so that you may be forgiven”.

I’ll say it, I was uncomfortable with having to confess “old stuff” to him. Why does he need to know things that happened in the past that I never intend on mentioning or bringing up again and that I will go to my grave keeping in my mind and heart.

Him, on the other, had something else planned. He had something that was sitting on the tip of his tongue and by the next day was questioning when we would chat. His anxiousness to complete this assignment did not put me at ease. I felt my “sins” were “no harm-no foul” so we could talk about them whenever. He wanted to “get it over with” and that scared me… a lot.

Once we found the time to sit quietly with each other, after the children went to sleep, he started the conversation with his confession. It ended with me confused and in tears. I didn’t doubt his love or his commitment, but I felt like his confession was out of left field and knocked the wind out of me.

At that time, I didn’t think I wanted to even continue. What else could he say to me?

Was this class the beginning of the end? Was it the end of something that I thought was maybe a bit shaky, but not at all crumbling?

Thankfully, it was not.

We started this journey at the end of 2015 and I’ve already learned so much, not only about myself but about me as a wife and mother.

First, we covered love. You know that thing that princesses find and live happily ever after? Have you ever wondered why the story never continues after the wedding? I’m sure no one wants to see the baggage that both spouses brought and what they expected their spouse to do with it.

In the class, we looked at the expectations of “love” that we imposed on our spouses, the quiet and unspoken ones from television, family or friends. You know the parents that have been married for 30 years and keep saying that the key to marriage is serving your husband dinner every night? Or the ones on television where the husband is a bumbling fool and the wife has to control everything in order to keep any order in the house? Have you ever thought that re-learning to love was in the cards after you got married?

I thought my expectations were minimal. Love, respect and come home at a decent hour every night. My husband came through with flying colors. For me, I found that I had such low expectations for success that peace was enough for me. Never mind that we rarely spoke about the issues that we had and especially never fixed them.

With our personalities, we were both content. Not angry enough to fight, not sad enough to discuss it, we were both just “ok”. Quite frankly, had we not taken this step, I’m not sure that we would’ve ever gotten to discuss our real issues.

I found that I had many, many more expectations that I thought were a given. The problem was that they weren’t and he didn’t do them. I was confronted with them and even worse (or better) I had to talk to him about them.

During our second session, we were challenged to look for our own baggage and how it’s had an effect on our marriage. Now here, I know I come in with a LOT of baggage. I’m what Iyanla Vanzant calls a “Fatherless Daughter”. I have a father, but he’s not in my life. I had a step-father who was absolutely wonderful until he had a child of his own.

I’ve never felt that I’ve had a positive male role model in my life and most certainly not one who would slay dragons for me.

On the mother side, she was there… but for the most part, she was just there. She had her own things going on and often they trumped whatever was going on in my life. I know she loves me, but I can’t say that I’ve always felt it.

Then there’s the rest of the family…

So, in our classes, we break down our feelings. Not to blame or sulk in the pain, but to see how those feelings relate to the person who lays next to us every night.

All of that was only the first two official classes. Whew!

See you next time.

If you are looking for marriage help or just want to find out more about this program, check out Re-Engage.

Read More
Written by April NoelleFebruary 4, 2016

The Step that Will Change Our Marriage

Every year, I make goals.

Every year, I’m successful at some and not so successful with others.

This year is a bit different, letting you into my methods to be successful. One such goal is to have a better marriage. Let me give you a little background.

Growing up, I was not surrounded by happily married couples.

My parents seemed happy on the outside, but on the inside, they were distant. My mother content clicking away on the computer keyboard in her office while my dad, well, he was kinda just there. Even at a young age, I realized they weren’t right for each other. I couldn’t say that there was any fundamental flaw with either one of them, just that the other wasn’t a complement. Their quiet bickering in their room only affirmed my belief and so did their eventual divorce.

Most of my extended family never married. Single motherhood was, and still is, the norm. For the few that had taken the plunge, abuse was rampant, the impressions apparent on my generation.

There were a couple of married couples that seemed to survive, but as I aged, I found out they were at best dealing with each other.

When my proposal came, I was excited, but I also had very low expectations. In all honesty, if I could avoid Aggression, Abuse and Adultery, I would be able to make it last forever.

Changing Our Marriage

So we married… and a lot of things occurred: financial ruin, death of a child, strained familial relationships, but none of the three As. We made it to the other side, relatively unscathed.

Or so I thought.

I thought we were happy. I thought we were a great couple.

We are, but we aren’t.

In our desire to keep a peaceful relationship, we skip the argument and turn it into animosity and resentment. We wish the other did things. Occasionally, we’d discuss it, but we rarely resolved it.

What do you do about non-issues? I tried to figure out how it would go in therapy:

Therapist: What brought you in today?

Us: We don’t argue, but somethings wrong.

Therapist: What?

Us: *shoulder shrug*

Sadly, we’d be telling the truth. We didn’t know what was wrong, just that something was.

When our church announced that they started a ministry called Re|Engage for married couples, I was eager to sign up. They introduced it as a ministry that will bring a marriage back from the brink of death and/or improve the best of marriages. Sounds like we couldn’t go wrong.

reengage_hdr_11

I told my husband about it. As usual, he had little reaction to the news.

Until last December, when he heard about it at church. Well, when he processed the announcement from church, he decided it was something we should do together.

We went to our first meeting, of course, right before the winter break. Three weeks went by. But we started right back up again in 2016.

Their format requires that you attend weekly meetings, initially being placed into an Open Group, then eventually Closed Group. In order for this process to work, you have to be comfortable sharing and laying your flaws on the table. Until you are comfortable, you stay in an Open Group. The Open Group changes weekly, as couples come and go. Once you’re ready to really dig deeper, you can request to join a Closed Group.

A Closed Group is several couples who promise to keep the session confidential, so that everyone can freely speak without rejection or judgment. When you reach the Closed Group, you work through the workbook, chapter by chapter, diving deeper into yourself, your heart and your soul.

After four short weeks, we have made it into a Closed Group. Now, I can truly share our journey and what we are getting from the sessions. Please join me through the process.

So, to finish this week’s sentence: “I’m thankful for…”

  • I’m thankful that my husband not only wants a decent marriage, but wants a great one.
  • I’m thankful that he opted to come because I would not have pushed.
  • I’m thankful that our church offered a solution, an alternative to traditional therapy.
  • I’m thankful that he’s excited to go.
  • I’m thankful that we’ve started praying together.
  • I’m thankful that the church offers childcare so that we can go weekly, without the need of a babysitter.
  • I’m thankful that it’s at a time that is convenient.
  • I’m thankful for the couples that we’ve met.
  • I’m thankful for the leaders of the ministry for their time.

Most of all,

  • I’m thankful that we, as a couple, are on the same page, as we embark on 2016 to make our marriage stronger.

Finish the Sentence Friday is a link-up where writers and bloggers come together to share their themselves with a particular sentence. If you’d like to stay ahead of future sentences and participate, join our Facebook group.  Link up your sentence prompts below!

This, dear ones, is a glorious-most-wonderful mash-up of Finish the Sentence Friday and Ten Things of Thankful joining forces for one WONDERFUL weekend.

If you want to join in, the starter sentence is “I’m thankful…”

Feel free to answer it any way you wish.

Finish-the-Sentence-Friday-New-Pin-720-FUN-250-x-250

ten things banner

 

Read More
Written by April NoelleJanuary 5, 2016

Big News: Introducing Modernish Mommas

Last year, I read a lot of blogs. I saw the gambit from complaining about parenthood to wildly inventive (but time-consuming and extensive) DIY projects. I enjoyed reading them all.

What was noticeably absent was the tie between motherhood and work. Up to 19% of mothers are likely to develop postpartum depression and 10% of mothers stay depressed (at some level) thereafter. Studies are still rolling in on why this is the case, but I’d like to throw my guess out there:

We try to be everything to everybody.

We love our husbands.

We love our children.

We love our extended family.

We love our jobs (or we don’t).

But we live to make sure that everyone ELSE is happy and in doing so, few of us are really happy.

I’d like to change that or at least help.

Whether your job is raising your children or a corporate executive, I’d like to change the way you think about your day to bring yourself more happiness.

Modernish Mommas

Out of this, Modernish Mommas was born.

Modernish Mommas is a community of moms who’ve “been there” and will provide physical, tangible advice on how to take the next step. We are here to help you transition between jobs, change careers, become a stay at home mother or go back to work. We are here to help you be confident in your decisions, all while taking your family into utmost consideration.

As we grow, we will create communities so that you can get the most out of the site. Please sign up now to be notified when it launches!

SIGN UP NOW!

Want to be a part of the community? Send me an email at spiritedlife @ gmail.com. We’d be happy to have you along!

Do you have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below!

Read More
Written by April NoelleDecember 18, 2015

A Letter to My Younger Self: Keep Going

Normally, I don’t write a letter to my younger self or consider thinking about “what if” or “regret” posts. Rarely do I feel like the grass is greener. Often, I feel like the other side of the fence is a landfill avalanche, ready to suck you down with all of the bits of crap that’s been tossed inside.

Of course, that’s not always the case and it’s apparent that I’m not an optimist. Yet tonight, I feel like I should write a little note to a previous, younger version of myself.

Dear Law School April,

I’m so proud of you. You are accomplishing your “dream”, working that law school degree. You’ve taken the time to care about those around you, and even though they don’t say “Thank You” or show their appreciation, you’re doing the right thing. This can’t happen any other way, your heart isn’t ready to break quite yet.

A Letter To Me

As you push forward in your degree, you’ll become increasingly sad and distant, trying to find purpose. The lack of appreciation will wear on your spirit, your soul. You’ll join every organization that appeals to you, and when none of them are fulfilling, you’ll start your own. You’ll grow it to the point where the next class jumps in and brings it to a level you never imagined.

You should feel proud. You should feel grateful. You should feel happy.

You don’t. You won’t.

Everything will change when you meet this man. You will inadvertently find him online. He becomes a safe place to talk, letting him know your secret desires and passions, your fears and your anxieties. Even though most will take place on the impersonal computer, you will feel something for him. You will think it’s love. Continue to believe that.

One day, he will no longer be an AIM name and description. One day, he will want to meet you in person. Do it. This man will change your thought on love. A few months later, he will give you a gift that you never thought you wanted.

This gift will change your purpose, given to you 10 months later.

Your son will be the sweetest, kindest, little person you’ll ever meet. Often, he reminds you of a little you, and when he doesn’t, he reminds you of his father.

You will start to question your desire to be a lawyer, but be hesitant to make a move. You’ve invested so much time and money in this venture and you can’t afford to change careers.

I’m writing all of this to tell you that you can’t afford not to. As always, you can be happy being a lawyer, you have been happy in every job you’ve had. But you will miss out on so many things in life.

You’ll miss your son’s first step.

You will miss him reading his first word.

You will miss him laying in your arms at the end of a long day because he’s a great sleeper and already in bed when you get home.

You will flunk the bar exam. But the score will be so close that you think it’s where you were supposed to be. The rational person that you are, you figure with a little more studying you’ll pass, but the second time around, you are commuting four hours a day and working 10-12 hours a day.

I’m here to let you know that it’s ok to give it all up to be a wife and mother. That man, the father of your child, will love you the way no other person on this planet has shown you love.  He will love you through your good decisions and your bad, and he will not fault you for your mistakes.

He will question your choices, but just so that you will think about it.

For once, your desire to put others first will not only be accepted, but appreciated. Your husband will push you to be better, love yourself more and be a better you. Your son will love you unconditionally despite all of your faults. All of this will lead you to have a family of five.

I’m telling you that you don’t have to wait to do you. There’s something in your heart that you want to pursue, but you are too busy being afraid that it’s not the rationale and responsible decision. He won’t care and neither should you.

Focus, love and become the woman you have always dreamed to be. Start when your son is conceived, don’t let the surprise of his arrival sideline you.

With love,

Your future self

 

This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s sentence, brought to you by Michelle of Crumpets and Bollocks is “Dear Me…”
Hosts: Me (Kristi of Finding Ninee)
and Michelle -above- Crumpets and Bollocks.

Finish the Sentence Friday is a link-up where writers and bloggers come together to share their themselves with a particular sentence. If you’d like to stay ahead of future sentences and participate, join our Facebook group.  Link up your sentence prompts to “When I was 19…” below!

Read More
Written by April NoelleDecember 8, 2015

Fight Mom Guilt

Moms feel an exorbitant amount of pressure to be all things to all people, especially to our children. This season, more than others, mothers try to shelve elves, decorate houses and buy gifts, all while keeping up with everything else. We have to work to fight mom guilt on a daily basis.

I wanted to let you all know that you’re doing a great job in my piece over at Lose the Cape. Please visit, read and leave a comment over at Lose the Cape on my piece “Mom, You Got This.”

freshstart (1)

 

Also, I wanted let you know that my newest book will launch tomorrow, Lose the Cape: Never Will I Ever (and then I had kids!)! We are still looking for reviewers and bloggers in exchange for a free ecopy of the book. If you’d like to participate, please sign up HERE. The blog tour will be ongoing for several months. 

If you want to skip the tour, and get the book, I would love you forever!


This is an affiliate link.

Read More
Written by Kimberly DixonDecember 2, 2015

Perfect All Around Glass {Ozeri Serafino 16-ounce Glasses Review}

So, here’s the truth; April’s review and our personal conversation led me to want to try Ozeri Serafino 16-ounce Glasses, which I received for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Just to let you know, the links herein are Amazon links ~ doesn’t cost you more, but gives us a few cents to keep this blog going! 🙂 

I have two young daughters that my mother is trying to train to drink out of real glasses. She has a personal dislike (and vendetta, in my opinion) against plastic drinking cups. She doesn’t care how cute the characters on them are. She has bought the 8 ounce mason jars with the handles as starter glasses for them.

The adults, however, spare no expense for ourselves and we buy what we like. I liked what I heard about these double wall thermos glasses and wanted to give them a try. If they turned out to be as shatter-resistant and versatile as I heard, I will have hit a gold mine.

I received the Ozeri Serafino 16-ounce Glasses that came 2 per box. As I unwrapped the first one, I like the way it felt in my hand. The center on the length of the glass had a smaller diameter that the rest of the glass and was indented for fingers to securely hold it in place and made it easy to handle. I also noticed the shine on them that Ozeri boasts it will never lose.

In order to try all the things that are claimed in the description on the box, I had to use this glass for all my daily occasions. I started with coffee. The glass held up well. The glass only became warm to the touch but not hot (closer to the top) after the coffee had sat in it for what I timed to be 10 minutes. The coffee also stayed very warm until the very last drop. This is something that does not happen in my regular coffee mug.

Ozeri Serafino 16-ounce Glasses Review

For my usual mid-morning pick me up, I made my after work out frozen smoothie and poured it into the glass. Again, after about 10 minutes or so the glass was cool to the touch but not cold. I did not drink it. My daughters’ school had called and I had actually forgotten about it. When I discovered it still sitting where I had left it an hour later, guess what….it was still really cold. The ice had melted, of course, but the drink was still REALLY cold.

Next, I made a cup of tea. I put a tea bag in the glass, added some water and put it in the microwave for 90 seconds. I checked on the tea and I did not see steam so back in it went for another 45 seconds. I tested the glass before completely grabbing it and Voilà! I was able to pull it out with my bare hands. I ran the same test as with the frozen drink and left the glass on the counter. As with all the other uses, the outside temperature did warm some after 10 minutes or so. Now get this, 4 hours later, the tea was still very warm; not hot, but VERY warm.

The last test was to put it in the dishwasher. Ozeri says it can be done but to be careful about letting it bang around with other items at high temperatures. I treated as any other one of my glasses. It is still shiny and in one piece.

I do want to add that I have even dropped it one….nada. Not a scratch on it. In my opinion, these Ozeri Serafino 16-ounce Glasses are worth every penny.

 

 

Read More
Written by April NoelleNovember 24, 2015

Spinning Plates

Blog life is a journey.

From the outside, a blogger wakes up, dribbles a few words onto the page and pushes that button “Publish”, then goes about their business.

The reality is there so much more to the story. Some start out with a niche, a specific theme for their online space, to share with the world. Others, like me, have no idea what they want to share or how they want to share it.

Entrepreneurs know that their blog will be their business, their job, their career. Their products, advertisers, and content writers are laid out in front of them before they even buy the domain name. Their growth is exponential showcasing their business acumen.

All progress takes place outside the comfort zone

Niche bloggers may also see massive success because day after day, week after week, you will find the same type of content each time you return. They spend hours planning, creating and preparing their post and you can see their growth over time, finding out more about their viewership, giving them more of what they want.

Then there are bloggers like me. I’m disjointed. I’m all over the place. I talk about what I want, when I want. I sell advertising and I write stream of consciousness.

After years of writing, I haven’t gotten better. I haven’t found that niche.

Then, I realized, my blog is truly an extension of me. It’s who I am at that time and I’m a disjointed mess.

I have several plates spinning and am always trying to add another. Yet, none of these are connected.

Just to say a little about what’s going on in my world:

  • I’m a full time stay at home mom. No babysitters, no nannies, no child care for my two little girls under two.
  • I’m studying to become a real estate agent.
  • I volunteer at least four hours a week at Christ Fellowship, my home church.
  • I taking a class become a life group (bible study) leader.
  • I volunteer with National Coalition of 100 Black Women, a non-profit organization, no less than a few hours a week.
  • I help several other people with their work, from brainstorming ideas to social media to business plans.
  • I’m on my never-ending weight loss journey.
  • I’m building a homemade all natural body care line, Bahamas Sands Body, with my husband.

Then, I run this blog.

Besides this blog, each of these plates are separate and apart from another. This blog is what can bring it altogether

I struggle with bringing this to you in a coherent fashion and often end up saying nothing. I don’t know if it’s what you want to hear or read.

That will be changing. Even more so, I’ll be bringing more voices to the party. Some big things are coming soon.

I’m glad that you’ve been here so far and I hope that you’ll continue to join me on this ride to change to from a bunch of spinning plates to a community.

Read More
Written by April NoelleNovember 12, 2015

Getting Help Around the Holidays

Getting Help Around the Holidays

The holidays are almost here – and so are the added pressures that come with them. Unfortunately, the holidays can bring a lot of good times, and bad ones. I know that many people find it hard to make it through the season because of:

  • Family pressures
  • Financial stress
  • Colder or unpleasant weather like rain, snow, wind, etc.
  • Feelings of anxiety, depression, or loneliness

Even worse, it’s hard for those who are in recovery (or have been in recovery) to stay on top of their progress. Family and financial pressures are quick to float to the top of the discussion when talking about how hard the holidays can be. Yet, the weather is rarely brought up for those who are negatively effected by the colder weather.

If you didn’t know, there’s a very real type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — which begins and ends at or about the same times every year. SAD can be a silent trigger for some, relapsing during the colder months, as they are stuck inside, only venturing outside traveling to and from work.

origins behavioral healthcareWith the average temperature in Florida sitting around 70 degrees year round, Florida is a perfect place to start or continue your recovery. There are many drug rehab centers in Florida to choose from where you can seek recovery under sunny and warm skies.

If you are struggling with addiction as this holiday season comes around, please seek help and look into checking into rehab. What is rehab? Rehab, the common word when talking about rehabilitation centers, is a course of treatment for drug or alcohol dependence, typically at a residential facility.

What is good rehab? A place course of treatment that focuses not only the physical and mental aspects for drug or alcohol dependence, but also the emotional and spiritual needs as well. Without the emotional and spiritual components, recovery can often be short-lived, especially during the holidays. With the added holiday pressures, your recovery will be tested and tried.

With all of those factors in consideration, Florida is a great place to work on your recovery because of it’s sunny and warm weather year round.

Do you need help? Do you know someone who does?

This post was created in partnership with Mom Buzz Media.

Read More