Back in 2004 or 2005, I woke up blind. Initially, I thought it was that thing that happens to your eyes when someone flips on the light in the dead of night. But after a few minutes, I still saw nothing. Dark gray surrounded me. Floating specks peppered my views.
Many tests (and many doctors and specialists) later, no one could not tell me what happened. Their best guess was that I had a virus that seemed to only attack my eyes. They gray was slowly going away, but I still hadn’t regained my full vision and had to be driven around. Over a decade later, the effects of that day still linger. I still see the floating specks, but I don’t have the grayness.
I give you this introduction because when I went to Iconic Eye Care, I went mainly to support my friend, Dr. Adam Ramsey. I try to support local small businesses whenever I can. Not to say I wasn’t expecting much, but I get my eyes checked every year and I haven’t heard anything new in ages.
My son and I went right after school with my two toddlers in tow. We were immediately greeted by Jackie who asked if the girls wanted some markers to draw. My jaw dropped!
“Uh, you know that they are two and four and I can’t guarantee that they will only write on paper,” I said.
She smiled and replied, “These are special markers that only write on this paper.” I was relieved.
They took my son, Bunny, first to test. About five minutes later, I was called into the room. I started to get anxious because my husband was supposed to be there by then to take the girls.
She called all of us girls into the room. My rambunctious girls and testing my eyes did not sound like a good combination. I preferred they stay with their brother in the lobby. Knowing that they are both mommy’s girls, they would be in the testing room in seconds anyway.
Jackie invited them to “help”: raising and lowering the machine and giving them little things to do. Not only were my girls not in the way, they were so freaked out by looking at my eye, they were happy to leave me alone for a few minutes.
When I was done, my son was called into the exam room. I wanted to see what was going on and luckily my husband arrived right in time so I wasn’t distracted. I watched Dr. Ramsey go diligently through the letter eye exam, and as my son repeated what he thought was right as he memorized from the other slide, Dr. Ramsey quickly switched and asked my son again for row 4.
A photo posted by April | AprilNoelle.com (@theaprilnoelle) on
When it was my turn, I thought I knew what to expect. Based on my almost annual visits, I had a lot of experience with optometrists. Not only does Dr. Ramsey have the top of the line equipment, he used it to explain thoroughly the remnants of that day over a decade ago. Since he didn’t see (nor have access to) my prior reports, he couldn’t assess what initially happened, but told me about the disconnected parts of jelly that had become floaters and that they would likely be there for life. He also said that I had astigmatism, which I was told before, but he explained what it meant and how glasses would help me at night (even though I hadn’t mentioned that I had problems with night vision).
I found his services professional and thorough. I highly recommend Dr. Ramsey if you are looking for an eye doctor in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Their contact info is:
Iconic Eye Care
Main Street at Midtown 4871 PGA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (561) 336-0733
Thank you so much for celebrating Mother’s Day with us last week! It was a great week, with many enjoyable posts!
And, thanks so much for joining us for another week here on Turn It Up Tuesdays, and thanks to all of you for making this party amazing and fun each week! We appreciate you!
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
Silly Fun Momma is a blog focused on helping moms enjoy the “wonderfully challenging adventures” that we go through every day. Nikki enjoys providing the “most honest and researched information possible in order to continue to help more families”.
Be sure to stop by and check out Nikki’s amazing blog – Silly Fun Momma!
We’re looking for sponsors for next month! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month! Click here to sign up for a month, or two!
Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?
Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.
Here are the Featured posts from last week!
Mari chose Your Natural Guide to Maintaining a High Metabolism from Urban Naturale. “Even though I am not at all prepared to touch a Vegeterian life style I do agree with this share and the tips on how to better care for our bodies. I don’t think enough people really respect their body and all it does for us.”
Mari chose Double Chocolate Skillet Brownie from Annie’s Noms. “I love Annie’s tasty treat love the skillet idea and who doesn’t enjoy some chocolate.”
Stacey chose Easy S’mores Cookies from Penny Pincher Jenny. “What an amazing idea! I am definitely going to have to make these for a great fun summer treat to have at picnics with the kids. Thank you so much for sharing!”
This post also had the most views last week.
Stacey chose Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza from The Gold Lining Girl. “Cookie pizzas are so much fun. Peanut butter dough would be a definite hit with my whole family! Thank you so much for sharing!”
Natasha chose Taking Risks as a Single Mom from Sunny Expectations. “Love this post! I agree, all of the things that we do as a single mom are purposeful and calculated – we can’t afford to take risks. But sometimes, taking a chance and some risks is a necessity.”
Bev chose Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (Paleo) from Joy. Food. Sunshine. “Nothing makes a salad taste great than a wonderful salad dressing. With Balsamic Vinaigrette and Maple Syrup you know your salad is going to be great.”
Bev chose Apricot Cream Scones and Faux Clotted Cream from Baking for Blessings. “These apricot scones would go great with a cup of tea or coffee. You could have them for breakfast too.”
Silvie chose DIY Eye Makeup Remover Pads from Far From Normal. “I always slack when it comes to removing my eye makeup and this DIY is easy and convenient! Thanks for sharing, I am definitely going to try it out!”
Heather chose Mango Cream Smoothie from Courtney’s Cookbook. “My boys love mangoes and this smoothie looks delicious and has a good amount of protein to start the day.”
If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!
Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!
Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!
So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,
let’s get started!
– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.
– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!
– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!
– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!
Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!
**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**
At the beginning of the year, I started a blog geared towards women in business called Modernish Mommas. In this short time, that blog has been nominated for an award!
Head on over and check out the blog, then come back and click the icon below!
A long, long time ago, I wrote stories. I wrote stories about finding lost jewels, having tons of friends, and starting my own business. I wrote stories about dreaming and happiness and disappearing into a world far away, in alternative dimensions. I dove into a world that I wrote instead of lived.
Now, I don’t really write those stories anymore. I’m not sure if it’s that I don’t have time, or I don’t find the same inspiration as I did before. But the creativity simmers beneath the surface, only wishing that I could figure how to write, raise my children and clean the house all at the same time.
My stories have slowly come out as I’ve raised my children. Sometimes as entertainment, sometimes as a distraction. Now, they’ve become a part of our bedtime routine. Each daughter gets to choose a book to read, then my favorite part: made up story time.
Normally Butterfly goes first… Her story typically goes: “Once upon a time, ddest destald cdkale ckeoal ckeale ckeolw.” for about three minutes. I have absolutely no idea what she’s saying even though when it’s not story time, she’s fairly articulate. I’ve asked her “say words” but I’ve given up. Each story is about the same. A lot of gibberish until she trails off and I declare “The End” and she follows along with “The End.”
Bee is a little different. Her stories always include the entire family, there’s always a mommy, daddy, brother and two sisters. Most of the time the girls go out to play (and the family tags along) and then they go home.
Finally, I tell a story, with the two sisters as the main characters. They have adventures in the woods, storm castles, make furry friends and play with princes and princesses.
Recently, my stories have centered around finance and budgeting, teaching the girls about how to have a healthy relationship with money and understanding what a budget is, how to thrift store or find great deals, and learning patience before purchasing.
I’m sure it’s because I’ve spent the last month planning a financial seminar and I’m working on putting on a financial series (coming soon) in my neighborhood. That’s sparked a series of stories in my head.
From there, my creativity has been sparked with a series of stories about these two rambunctious, adventurous little girls. So, anyone know a children’s book publisher? LOL.
This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s sentence is “A long, long time ago and very far away, there lived…” (or “There once lived…” or “A long time ago…” or similar – you get the idea).
Your hosts: Kristi, from findingninee.com and this week’s sentence-thinker-upper, Deborah from Life is Like a Hand Grenade.
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.
Remember that I keep talking about all of “busy” in my life. Well, it’s taking me away from this blog and the blog life. I’m not going anywhere, for now, but my posting schedule will suffer.
Until then, enjoy this week’s Turn it Up Tuesday!
Thank you so much for joining us for another week here on Turn It Up Tuesdays, and thanks to all of you for making this party amazing and fun each week! We appreciate you!
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
SPONSOR OF THE MONTH
Unfortunately, we don’t have a sponsor this month. But if you’re interested in being our sponsor for the remainder of the month, please sign up below!
We’re looking for sponsors for 2016! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month! Click here to sign up for a month, or two!
Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?
Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.
Here are the Featured posts from last week!
Christina chose Favorite Photo Editing Apps + Tips to Use Them from Pink Heels Pink Truck. “I’m addicted to photo editing and social media and I think that this post has some great apps recommended!”
Christina chose 5 Simple Blog Basics you need NOW!!! from Aspen Jay. “This post is great for newbie bloggers and it covers the basics really well!”
Bev chose DIY Massive Planter Boxes made from Pallets! from Lou Lou Girls. “Great way to get some lovely planters for your porch by using pallets. Check out the video for taking them apart too.”
Tina chose DIY Distressed TV Console Cabinet from Lynzy & Co. “I absolutely love this gorgeous tv console cabinet transformation.Great DIY job! Thanks for sharing this wonderful DIY with us.”
Tina chose Painting with Flowers from There’s Just One Mommy. “What a great way to combine a spring walk with a creative activity!I really like this project and I’m going to do this with my kid.Thanks for sharing this fun project with us.”
Mari chose 5-Minute Pina Colada Fudge from The Gold Lining Girl. “I am rethinking my sugar addiction and plan on cutting it way down but not before I try Sarah’s fudge sooner rather than later!!!”
Mari chose Hawaiian Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe from Home Cooking Memories. “To combine these two things together is brilliant! I don’t know how this hadn’t been a thing before another must try thanks Brandie for sharing.”
Heather chose Chicken Katsu Empanadas from The Why Chef? “I love savory pastries, and this looks delicious!”
Natasha chose Reading to a Toddler Who Won’t Sit Still! from Morgan Manages Mommyhood. “I have been reading to my son since I was breastfeeding him. It’s one of those things that I wanted to ensure would be passed down to him – a love of reading. He does love reading, but as he’s gotten older, he is less interested in sitting still through the story. These are definitely some great tips to encourage him to sit still while we’re reading. Thanks for sharing!”
Natasha chose Most Racism Isn’t Blatant from our very own April on Urban Mommies. “I absolutely love this post, but most of all, I really appreciated the final lines of this post – ‘All I can ask if you continue to love your neighbor as yourself, and convince your neighbor to do the same.’ Thank you so much for sharing, April!”
Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!
Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!
So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,
let’s get started!
– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.
– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!
– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!
– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!
Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!
**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**
It wasn’t until I wrote this post that I realized I had forgotten this. I felt like a walking contradiction.
On one hand, I was extremely shy when dealing with personal talents, where I could thrive in front of people, public speaking, self-promotion, and singing. I didn’t. I shied away from any of the opportunities.
On the other, I felt I could conquer the world and get anywhere I wanted to. I would do things that my friends never thought of… like asking to get into a club for free (which I always did) and sending resumes to local law firms for a job that they didn’t know they had (landing a job for $15/hr while going to school full-time).
But here I sit, almost 20 (gulp!) years later and I freeze. Ask me to pitch a company, excuses fall out of my mouth. Ask me to post my blog in a new space, what if they don’t want it there? Ask me to MC, well, that’s still the same.
Here I am, in front of a new place in my life, and I’m too afraid to take that step, and in some places those leaps to get me to my next goal.
A series of questions run through my head:
What if they don’t like me?
What if I stumble over the words?
What if my words upset someone?
What if I make a mistake? Like, misuse a word?
What if I am dry?
What if they fall asleep while I’m trying to talk?
What if they talk while I’m trying to talk?
…and on and on.
But where does any of that get me? Living the exact life that I have. Not that it’s a bad life, but it’s not the one I dreamed of.
In my quest to fight this desire to crawl into a ball, I’ve started reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. She was an introvert who only appeared through her words, her stories, her imagination. She didn’t show up and always said “no”. Until one year…
I want to say that I have her commitment, her competitive spirit to turn every “no” into a “yes”, but I sure as hell going to try.
***
This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. Your hosts are, as always, Kristi from Finding Ninee and this week’s sentence-thinker-upper, Deirdre from Deirdre’s Daily Dose.
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! Also, if you’re just “link dumping,” don’t bother.
Thank you so much for joining us for another week here on Turn It Up Tuesdays, and thanks to all of you for making this party amazing and fun each week! We appreciate you!
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
SPONSOR OF THE MONTH
Unfortunately, we don’t have a sponsor this month. But if you’re interested in being our sponsor for the remainder of the month, please sign up below!
We’re looking for sponsors for 2016! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month! Click here to sign up for a month, or two!
Tina chose Naked Spring Cake from Debby Goes Shabby. “As a naked cake lover I must say this cake looks great,I prefer it from the frosting cakes!The decoration is amazing,makes me want to give it a go!!Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful cake with us.”
Tina chose DIY Upcycled Cork Air Plant Magnets from Living La Vida Holoka. “I love upcycling projects!!This one is amazing! I absolutely love the idea of having a cork air plant magnet! Wonderful colors too!Thanks for sharing this unique project with us!”
Heather chose Grapefruit Agua Fresca from Glitz & Grits. “This looks so refreshing, it’ll be perfect for our hot Florida summers.”
Heather chose Sticky Honey Mustard Chicken from A Dish of Daily Life. “I’ve never tried honey granules before. I’m looking forward to serving this at home.”
Natasha chose The Hidden Dangers of the One Bite Rule. And What To Do Instead. from Snotty Noses. “With a picky eater like my son, I always try to encourage him to at least try eating something new. However, you never think about the impact it could have. I enjoyed checking out these alternatives. Thanks for sharing!”
Natasha chose 5 Steps to Turn Mommy Anger into a Teachable Moment from Your Vibrant Family. “It is hard to hold it all together when you’re a parent. Sometimes you just snap without thinking. However, it happens and we have to learn how to deal with the anger. Thanks for sharing! Great post!”
Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!
Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!
So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,
let’s get started!
– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.
– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!
– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!
– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!
Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!
**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**
This is a rare week when schedules of three bibles studies collide. Three mornings, I’m busy from school drop off to after lunch. By that time, I’m tired and ready to take a nap.
This week, as well, I have been intent on actually taking the time to learn and take a class or two from the various places from which I still receive emails.
This is also the first time since consistently writing that I have messed up my schedule because I didn’t plan.
I missed it.
I missed getting out four posts this week.
But I’m here today because I have too much in my head, too much knowledge, too many opinions and endless stories that I wish to tell.
Boy, do I want to tell you stories. I have them, in my head. But I need them on paper. (Is this paper?)
And I want to improve. I want to be a better writer. I want to be a writer that people love (did I just say that out loud?) I want to be an author of books: children’s books, novels, and educational material. Yes, educational material because I have a lot of knowledge and there are people who need it.
So, I’ll keep writing until it’s all out of my head, until I have no more words left to say, until I cannot write anymore.
Until that happens, I hope to grow, adapt, learn and change.
This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s topic is “Sometimes, I wonder about my writing. I keep on and on because…” Feel free to adapt the sentence to “I write because…” or “I wonder why I write…
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 over there and find some new friends!
I’ve been blogging for almost five years. Mostly “off the grid”, only blogging to those who knew me (or would randomly find me online). My strategy was to SELL BEACHBODY and within just a few months, I was completely bored. I was pregnant with my first girl and could barely get out of bed, much less want to tell you how to eat and live a healthy life. So, I switched a little bit, learned a little bit online, and started talking a bit about my personal life. I
I found Mama Kat online and started blogging to her prompts and finding out all about link ups. I started a Facebook page, a Pinterest page, and a Twitter account. I started gaining followers and growing.
Then I rebranded and became AprilNoelle.com. Although I thought it would be easier to just be “ME”, I have found it harder to really put together a cohesive blog, since at best, I would be considered a “lifestyle” blog. Overall, what does that mean?
I don’t have the best clothes or do makeup.
As a stay at home mom, I don’t have a luxurious life.
I don’t travel nearly as much as I’d like to.
In short, there are my kids, which I love. And educating them. And playing with them. And dressing them up.
I’ve been putting off this survey for quite some time – since the beginning. Listening to real feedback is the hardest, most humbling act.
I have to overcome my own issues to grow and change this blog into something others really want to read, get involved and engage with me and the other readers. I want to be someplace you want to come and something you’d like to read.
I know some of you think it’s awesome and have not yet subscribed so COME SIGN UP!
Here we go. What do you like about this blog? And better yet what don’t you like about the blog?
Maybe because it’s Women’s History Month, maybe it’s because I’ve spent day-in and day-out with two wonderful little girls who run the world, maybe it’s because I want to DANCE, but this song has been on repeat in my house for the last week:
What song’s is on repeat in your life?
And, let’s get on with the show!
Two weeks ago, we had our BEST WEEK EVER!!! And last week was no exception – it’s thanks to our amazing co-hosts, guest hosts, and to everyone that linked up! Thanks for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with us last week! And thanks for linking up every week with us – we love having you!
On another note, this week we’ll be celebrating Easter…and the arrival of Spring! Be sure to share your posts as it relates to both of these themes! Be as creative as you’d like – we can’t wait to see what you share!!!
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
SPONSOR OF THE MONTH
Unfortunately, we don’t have a sponsor this month. But if you’re interested in being our sponsor for the remainder of the month, please sign up below!
We’re looking for sponsors for 2016! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month! Click here to sign up for a month, or two!
Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?
Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.
Here are the Featured posts from last week!
Elaine chose Mandarin Avocado Tossed Salad from Nancy on the Home Front. “I love the combination of mandarin oranges and avocado. A great spring salad.”
Elaine chose Easter Egg Wreath DIY from The Perfect Storm. “This is such a cute and easy Easter wreath. What a great design.”
Kimberly (Being a Wordsmith) chose 15 Reasons We Swipe Left by Single Girls Anonymous. “If I was still a single girl dating, these are definitely reasons why I would swipe left on a guy’s online photos. I LOL’d reading this post because she totally nailed it!”
Natasha also chose this post. “I definitely use all these reasons to swipe left on guys – even guys I meet in person! I really enjoyed this post – thanks for sharing! :)”
Kimberly (Being a Wordsmith) chose Coke Zero Chicken BBQ Sliders by Penny Pincher Jenny. “What a cute idea for a meal that is easy to execute!”
Anne chose Sizzle Your Side: Tangy Baked Asparagus from The Bikini Experiment. “Asparagus is my favorite vegetable – always looking for news ways to prepare it.”
Tina chose Floral Paper Eggs from The Scrap Shoppe Blog. “These floral eggs are so pretty!What a fantastic idea to decorate!love it!Thanks for sharing this amazing idea with us.”
Tina chose Easter Chicks Lemon Cookies from The Gold Lining Girl. “Adorable Easter cookies. They look nice , are easy to make and have a lemony flavor, yummy.Thanks for sharing this with us.”
Kimberly (The Narrow Lens) chose 5 Things Every Mother Should Teach Their Daughter from Lipgloss and Crayons. “Love this one because it is near and dear to my heart. I blog a lot about practical parenting tips and this post is so applicable to all us moms with girls. Carly gives simple, to the point advice that will have a great impact on our daughter’s self-esteems. Highly recommend for all mothers, but especially mothers with girls.”
Kimberly (The Narrow Lens) chose How To Get Massive Amounts of Traffic to Your Website from Mama of Many Blessings. “I like this post because it covers a topic that many bloggers, especially newbies, have no idea how to implement. Nicole does a thorough job in explaining not only the reasons why we do it, but how to do it as well. A must read for those looking to gain more site traffic.”
This post also received the most views last week.
April chose Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Breasts from All She Cooks. “I wanted to make a dish like this last week and what I tried was not good. This sounds amazing to revamp our normal chicken breast meal.”
April chose Irish Nachos from The Gluten Free Homestead. “I’m planning my birthday menu and all of my restraints are going out the window. Taking nachos to a new level is what I live for.”
Heather chose Floating Egg Experience from There’s Just One Mommy. “I usually pick recipes for my favorites, but this floating egg experiment is great. I have a degree in Chemistry and love sharing science with my kids.”
Heather chose St. Patrick’s Day Mint Brownie Dessert Shooters from Typically Simple. “I’ve been on a health and weight-loss mission recently, and my favorites the last few weeks have reflected that. But, mint pudding, brownies and whipped cream?! I had to choose that as a favorite. Even dieters need an occasional treat, right?”
Mari chose Snickers Brownie Bites from Embellishments. “I loved Hilary’s snickers treat, I love all things snickers!”
Mari chose Baked Tomatoes from Little Miss Dexterous. “Tara’s share looks delish look forward to trying it out! I love baked tomatoes!”
Natasha chose 7 Fun & Effective Tips for Cooking With Toddlers from The Jenny Evolution. “My son and I LOVE to cook together. These are definitely some great tips for cooking with toddlers – thanks for sharing!”
If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!
Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!
Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!
So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,
let’s get started!
– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.
– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!
– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!
– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!
Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!
**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**
Have you ever been at that point in time where once you have one idea, you have one thousand? And the biggest problem is trying to determine how you will do them all because they are all related to what you would like to do?
That’s where I am right now. I truly need an assistant, a couple of extra pairs of hands and time alone to organize it all. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can and let you know the updates as I come along, but there are some super exciting things in the works!
Now on to the show!
Last week, we had a super amazing week, reaching our best week ever with 633 links!!! That’s fabulous!!! Thanks so much to our amazing co-hosts, guest hosts, and to everyone that linked up! Thanks for linking up last week, this week, and every other week in the past and future
On another note, this week we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day here on Turn It Up Tuesday, so share all of your green-themed posts with us. Be as creative as you’d like – we can’t wait to see what you share!!!
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
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Here are the Featured posts from last week!
Bev chose Deluxe Chocolate Cheesecake from LouLou Girls. “This chocolate cheesecake is so divine. What a way to get your chocolate fix! Yummy!”
Bev chose Plastic Easter Egg Flower Pots from Made with Happy. “We see these plastic Easter eggs everywhere and this is a fabulous idea to use them. How cute they look on the table.”
Kimberly chose Easter Breakfast Ideas for Kids from The Joys of Boys. “I like because it is practical, fun and best of all easy to do with and for kids. I like holiday inspired activities, especially if they involve food. :)”
Kimberly chose Shamrock Pretzel Pops {St. Patrick’s Day Recipe} from Mommy’s Bundle. “I like because it is practical, fun and best of all easy to do with and for kids. I like holiday inspired activities, especially if they involve food. :)”
Anne chose Cucumber Dill Guacamole Dip from The Mandatory Mooch. “What’s not to like about avocados, cucumber and dill mixed together!”
April chose Save a Ton of Cash When You Spring Clean Your Finances from Medium Sized Family. “As my family starts our new budget, I really need to think outside the box on lowering our current bills. There are some great tips in this post.”
April chose Top 10 Undercover Super Hero Girls from Pragmatic Mom. “My daughter is getting into superheroes, and is looking diligently for the female lead. We are working our way down this list and it’s been great.”
Abiola chose Baked Potato Chips Recipe from Sugar, Spice, and Family Life. “For avid potato lovers, this easy to make healthy potato chips recipe is a hit…”
Lydia chose 10 Minute Decorating: Floral Crown Inspired Spring Wreath from Making It In The Mountains. “This lovely spring wreath by Kristi is all kinds of pretty and whimsical and really appeals to my girly side plus as we are coming into Winter here reminds me spring is never too far away.”
Lydia chose Easter Egg Mesh Wreath from How to Nest for Less. “I love how this Easter wreath is bright, colourful and fun, plus it can be customized to any colour scheme and palate. Beautiful.”
Tina chose DIY Easter Egg Bunnies! from Urbane Jane. “Very cute and creative Easter egg bunnies,wonderful idea.Thanks for sharing this tutorial with us.”
Tina chose Effects of Inappropriate TV Programs On Our Children from our guest host, Abiola from Ramblings of a Naija Momaholic. “A well written post about the effects of TV on children and how important it is to monitor and supervise tv viewing.Thanks so much for sharing with us this great post.”
Natasha also chose this post. “Amazing post, with so much to consider in the exposure of our children to television and electronics overall. Thanks so much for sharing Abiola!”
Mari chose Sweet Carrot Cake Parfaits Recipe from Suzy’s Artsy-Craftsy Sitcom. “I picked Susan’s Parfait even though it’s Easter themed I would totally do it year round. It looks beautiful and tasty!”
Elaine chose DIY Terrarium from Simply Saliba. “I have always loved terrariums and am glad they are making a comeback. This has inspired me to make my own.”
Elaine chose Carne Asada Potato Skins from Made with Happy. “What a great combination of flavors.”
Heather chose Creamy Cauliflower Soup Pressure Cooker Recipe from Happy Mothering. “I love using my pressure cooker, and this Creamy Cauliflower Soup from Happy Mothering looks like a great recipe for Sunday dinner. I can’t wait to try it.”
Heather chose 10 Easy Zucchini Pasta and Veggie Noodle Recipes from Cook Eat Paleo. “I got a spiralizer for my birthday and this round-up of 10 Easy Zucchini Pasta and Veggie Noodle Recipes from Cook Eat Paleo is the perfect primer to get me started.”
Natasha chose Friday nights: before and after kids from Life, kids and a glass of red. “I got a great laugh at the amazing truth in this post. It’s so true – children change our lives completely and everything we did previously. Such a great post!”
Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!
Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!
So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,
let’s get started!
– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.
– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!
– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!
– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!
Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!
**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**
What stops me from thriving in all of these? My children.
When we lost Alexander, my life changed. Really it changed my priorities. Before it was work, social life, family. Now, it’s family, work, social life.
My sleep disruption started with Bee, my third. Ever since her birth, she was a terrible sleeper. I tried “sleep training” her, I tried letting her cry it out, but neither was effective. The only way she would sleep is if I held her; keyword here “I”. Dad couldn’t take her, friends and family couldn’t take her. Even when my husband did manage to get her to sleep, he would lay her across his legs on a pillow, get a fan going and shook her to sleep. On one hand, she would actually go to sleep instead of cry. On the other, all of the extras made it more difficult for me to put her to sleep, who became a stay at home mom after her birth.
Bee continued to sleep most nights in our bed well after Butterfly was born. She would start in her bed and come into our bed every night. We would go back and forth throughout the night. Putting Bee in her bed and her returning. This stopped fairly recently with a bribe of candy the next day for staying in her bed. It’s working.
Somehow, Butterfly has picked up this terrible middle of the night habit. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that I don’t mind them in the bed with us, I just know it’s a bad precedent if we ever want our bed back.
In short, I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in over four years.
My productivity overall has dropped drastically with my children around. I used to work a lot. In college, I was working more than 40 hours a week. In law school, while others were partying and studying, I was working about 20 hours a week. After law school, I worked anywhere between 60 and 80 a week and I loved it.
Now, I have to stop and do things like hug, kiss and love on them. We spend a lot of time reading, learning numbers and playing instruments. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, “Yes Ms. Bee”. Elsa and Anna costume time? “Of course, my dears.” Want to go grab sushi? “Yes, son.” But that last one may be more for me.
My social life… what happened? This one had a slow disappearance for me. Every week, I make a choice to spend time with my kids over going out. Maybe it’s their age, maybe it’s their personalities, but I actually like them, no matter what I say.
I still like to go out and I’m tied to the community that forces me to get out of the house. Yet, I have to say cuddles, a movie and popcorn beats a lot of the nights out.
Oh, my career. Well, that’s just plainly in the backseat now. I have this (aprilnoelle.com) and ModernishMommas.com and that’s my career for now. This year, my business is expanding, but only around my children.
What’s your kryptonite?
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 finishes here!
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Written by April NoelleMay 18, 2016 
Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!
I found Mama Kat online and started blogging to her prompts and finding out all about link ups. I started a Facebook page, a Pinterest page, and a Twitter account. I started gaining followers and growing.
Heather chose 
Anne chose 
