Amazing How Fast the Weather Changes

We were hit by a blizzard Thursday night into Friday. The storm “Hercules” dumped a foot of snow in our area, and created big snow drifts.

The temperature was freezing the the single digits with wind chills below zero.

Today is Monday and the temperature is 50 degrees with rain, and the foot of snow is almost gone.

These was taken yesterday afternoon while my kids were playing

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Then this morning, in the same spot.

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Amazing how fat everything changes. Then again tomorrow we go back down to single digits.

Walt Disney Studios Movie Release Schedule for 2014

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The Wind Rises- February 28, 2014 (Touchstone Pictures)

Need For Speed- March 14, 2014 (DreamWorks Pictures)

Muppets Most Wanted- March 21, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier- April 4, 2014 (Marvel)

Bears- April 18, 2014 (DisneyNature)

Million Dollar Arm- May 16, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

Maleficent- May 30, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

Planes: Fire and Rescue- July 18, 2014 (DisneyToon Studios)

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Guardians of the Galaxy- August 1, 2014 (Marvel)

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The Hundred Foot Journey- August 8, 2014 (DreamWorks Pictures)

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Vey Bad Day- October 10, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

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Big Hero Six- November 7, 2014 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

McFarland- November 21, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

Into The Woods- December 25, 2014 (Walt Disney Studios)

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Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. Information provided by Disney.

Our Second Big Snow Storm

We just experienced our second big snow storm, and blizzard. While we have had a ton of small/medium storms, the big storms cause panic.

Our first big storm was in February of this year “Nemo”. That storm made me afraid of snow literally. We had about 30+inches and while the storm hit sooner than it was anticipated, I was stuck trying to get my kids home from school. I spent 6 hours in the car with 3 kids, before we got close enough just to abandon the car and walk home.

We have a older sedan that does horrible in the snow. Yes, that would make me fearful for the rest of my life.

This storm was not as intense, but still enough to keep me away from my car.

The storm “Hercules” brought blizzard conditions and on’t dropped about a foot of snow.

The roads were horrible, but the kids loved it. The biggest difference between the two was temperatures. With the most recent storm temperatures were in the single digits.

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Literally after 30 minutes of being outside my body just felt numb.

Did you get hit by the recent snowstorm?

Mirena IUD My Nightmare

I have 3 kids, and to be honest I never planned any of them. I wouldn’t change any of them, they are perfect.
After the birth of my son in 2007, I wanted to get on birth control to prevent any more pregnancies. I was still very young and the doctor wouldn’t even consider getting my tubes tied.

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The pill threw my body off and I kept forgetting to take it, so I opted for the Mirena IUD. It was explained to be easy and would last for 5 years. I thought how could I not like it.

From manufacture: Mirena is intrauterine birth control that’s over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. It’s made of soft, flexible plastic and placed into your uterus by your healthcare provider during a routine office visit.
Mirena releases small amounts of hormone directly into the uterus
and lasts as long as YOU want, for up to 5 years.

The first few months were torture. It was like being on your period for 3 + months straight. Then I started losing hair like crazy. Luckily my hair is thick.

After that it seemed to get better, my period was shorter and lighter. This lasted the whole 5 years. The only downside during this time was I gained about 30 lbs.

I actually loved it, but when the 5 year mark hit I could start to feel my body change like it was going through withdraw.

I had Mirena removed in Feb. 2013. It was out of my canal so they had to use forceps, and it was the worst pain of my life.

First cycle after Mirena I felt like I was dying, I lost so much blood. Clots as big as golf balls. I was assured this was all normal, and my system was just clearing out. I guess that was true after all I did not have a period for 4 years.

Now it has been almost a year since I have had it removed. I feel like the effects have only gotten worse. I was told by my doctor that after a few months, everything would go back to normal.

I have lost 20lbs, by basically doing nothing, which is good. I am assuming that is going back to normal, since I have never weighed over 140. Even when I was pregnant.

I am still losing hair like crazy. Ask my family, my hair is everywhere.
The one thing that is driving me crazy right now is my menstrual cycle. My period now lasts 10-12 days and my cycle is shorter. In other words, I basically get my period every 2 and a half weeks. Plus I now have anemia from having that long of a period. Again, my doctor is advising that everything will eventually go back to normal. I can get on the pill to regulate my period, but no thanks.

It has been the nightmare of my life.

All You Can Eat Pancakes Are Back At IHop

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IHop is starting the new year off right, by bringing back “All You Can Eat Pancakes.” Starting today through February 9th, when you head to iHop you can take advantage of this deal.
Just order one of their delicious combos and when your pancakes are gone, they will bring more.

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You can also enjoy their new menu Simple and Fit all under 600 calories.

Dsclosure: No compensation was received for this post.

Goals For 2014

I don’t make resolutions, because honestly I have never kept one. I make goals that I try to achieve. This year I have one big goal…..

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That goal is to spend less time on the computer. Am I giving up blogging? No, of course not but am going to try and find a balance between blogging and family.

I spend a lot of tim on the computer and it has really cut into my personal life.

That is my biggest goal.

Other goals I would like to achieve are….

Cursing! Yes, I have a tendancy to curse a lot.

Be healthy! Am I going organic? No, but just more exercise and take care of myself.

Find a job! Yes, I love being a stay at home mom, but it’s not enough. So by the end of 2014 I would love to find a part time job. Even just a couple hours working at a retail store or something. Blogging is fine for now, but it’s not paying the bills.

What are your goals for 2014?

Braces Options For Kids

Disclosure: This is a paid post on behalf of Schulhof of NJ.

If your child needs braces, you’ll be glad to hear that he has more and better options than the “train track” braces you may have sported as a child. It’s not just that there are invisible and near-invisible braces available; the general stigma of braces has mostly faded away. Not only are braces more attractive and easier to wear now, but also they’re becoming almost cool. Tooth-colored ceramic braces have replaced the glaring look of traditional metal braces. Clear plastic aligners are available that can be removed during meals. The most advanced option isn’t even visible: hidden braces such as Incognito Invisible Braces are bonded to the back of the teeth, rather than the front, and cannot be seen at all under normal circumstances.

Traditional braces have the advantage of being more modestly priced than most other alternatives, and celebrities with grills have made the “metal mouth” look almost popular. Your child can choose brightly colored bands and fun brackets shaped like stars or footballs. But traditional braces still have some drawbacks, and if you compare traditional vs. Incognito Hidden Braces, they become clear. At this sensitive time of life, a child whose braces are completely unseen has an easier time socially than one with a mouth full of braces. Unseen braces may also give your child the confidence to participate more fully in class and extracurricular activities than he might with conspicuous traditional braces.

If your child’s dental issues are mild, you may have heard about clear plastic aligners that he can wear during the day. These aligners are much less noticeable than traditional or even ceramic braces, though they are shiny plastic and still reflect light. But keep in mind that they must be taken out during meals, and children are notoriously forgetful, especially of appliances they might prefer to “lose.” They must also be worn at least 22 hours a day to have the best effect. For these reasons, Invisalign may not be the best option for children and young teens. A better alternative for mild dental issues might be Incognito Lite. Incognito Lite Braces are a smaller version of Incognito Hidden Braces. They are bonded to the backs of the six most visible front teeth, and like all other braces, cannot be removed except by a dentist. Treatment time with Incognito Lite can be as little as six months.

Incognito and Incognito Lite Hidden Braces can be more of a financial investment than most of the other options, but they also provide the most benefits. Aside from the advantage of complete privacy, they also deliver a more precise and individually tailored result, because unlike traditional braces, they are custom-fitted to your child’s teeth. This customized treatment moves the teeth more efficiently than the other alternatives and often results in a shorter overall treatment time.

There are more alternatives now than ever before when it comes to braces for kids. When you make that decision, consider giving your child the most advanced braces option possible: Incognito or Incognito Lite Hidden Braces.

What To Do With Holiday Left Overs #HormelFamily

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel FoodsExtended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

I feel like all I have been doing is eating for days. Seriously, we cooked a big meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. Now we have a fridge full of leftovers, that we have to eat.

Christmas Eve we made steak, roasted potatoes and salad. So Christmas morning we decided to do breakfast with leftovers. We made steak and eggs with roasted potatoes. To spice it all up we added Hormel salsa. For the salad, yes I love to eat salad with breakfast. I added some cranberries and Hormel bacon bits.

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It’s so easy to turn any kid of leftover into a good meal, by just adding a few things to spice it up.

To find any recipe ideas visit Hormel.

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