May Is National Stroke Awareness Month

Did you know May was National Stroke Awareness Month?  I didn't until I had a reason to.  Recently some wonderful friends were in Florida with their family enjoying the 'happiest place on earth' when tragedy struck when father, husband, friend and half of the team behind A Savings Wow suffered a stroke at just 41 years old!  I don't know about you but this isn't something I have put much thought into needing to know the signs of when around someone that young!  

Today Jim and Maria celebrated their 15 year wedding anniversary in a hospital while Jim is doing an amazing job of fighting to get better!  He has made huge strides that I know they are attributing much to the many thoughts and prayers from so many friends and family who love them.  (Because if you know them, its EASY to love them.) And also in part to Jim's amazing attitude, strength and humor!  I'm sure it won't be long before Jim up and about with his beautiful wife and four adorable kids!

But I also know that Jim is a big sharer of knowledge.  He will be the first to go find the answer to a question that someone posts on Facebook if he doesn't' know it.  He is always willing to try and fix a problem for you if he can.  So today to honor Jim, and he and Maria's wedding anniversary.  Please take a minute to check out this information that could help you help a loved one in case of a stroke...CDC National Stroke Awareness Month.
Please do go read the entire article because Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States but with awareness we can help stroke suffers to get help more quickly and be able to make a full recovery, just like I KNOW Jim be able to do!!!!

$12 Buck Bargain Days at Magic Waters #Ad

 Sponsored post for Magic Waters.

Visit one of the largest water parks in Illinois! Magic Waters is located just off I-90 near Rockford. Experience the Double Dare Drop 75 ft. Speed Slides, Tsunami Bay Wave Pool, Typhoon Terror Adventure Ride and the thrill a minute Splash Blaster Water Coaster Ride. Enter the dark tunnel of the Abyss for lots of twists and turns or relax on the 1,200 ft. Splash Magic River. Have tons of fun at Tiki Island where a 1,000 gallon pineapple water bucket spills to the delight of guests! Coolers welcome or grab lunch at the new Ocho’s Cantina! Luxury cabanas available. Free Parking. Visit magicwaterswaterpark.com for more information. 

Water park opens June 8th 2013. Open Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Mon & Fri 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Special Offers & Events

$12 Buck Bargain Days: Tues, Wed, Thurs during the 2013 season.

Friday Family Fun Nights: June 14 through August 16.

Meet & Greet: Sunday July 14th. Disney band IM5 will be at the park for a Meet and Greet. Go to magicwaterswaterpark.com for details.

Get your season passes now!

This is an exclusive offer brought to you by WindyCityKidsGuide!

Silence Won't #FinishTheFight Sponsored Video #ad

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Cancer Society.


Are you one of those people who dread your birthday?  I'll be honest, last year I turned 35 and I was depressed by my birthday.  Thirty five sounded very grown up and although I am a mom of three, and I am reminded daily by my responsibilities that I AM a grown up, there are a lot of things in life that fall a little short of what I would have imagined for myself at this age.  But, as with all things in life, it's all about perspective.  Life shouldn't be about worrying about the things you haven't done.  We need to focus on the things we HAVE done and the things we still want to do.  And that's what the American Cancer Society is doing this week as the celebrate their 100th birthday.  A hundred years is a long time but ACS has done many great things.  As someone who's lost more people than I care to count to cancer, its easy to think that we're not winning this fight.  But we HAVE come along way.  Research and treatments are improving! The American Cancer Society has contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the US since the early 1990s. That means they have helped save nearly 1.2 million lives during that time.  All thanks to 15 determined physicians and business leaders who wanted to raise awareness of cancer back in 1913.  But the American Cancer Society also offers so much more than that.  If you've ever attended one of their Relay For Life events you know that they offer hope to families and cancer survivors.  They offer assistance to those in treatment by providing rides to treatment and they have amazing programs to help woman undergoing treatment feel and look their best.  I know first hand how much the American Cancer Society means to those in the battle with cancer.  So I hope you'll take part in their year long celebration of 100 years of great work by being a part of the ways they continue the fight...

This year and the years to come American Cancer Society wants to continue to ensure lifesaving cancer research gets funded.  They will undertake a historic research study called the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) that will help us understand how to prevent cancer and save lives. The goal is to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the US by the end of this year.  With your help they can make sure that people facing cancer have the help they need, like a free place to stay during treatment and a ride to get there.  And keep fighting for everyone to have access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more.

A lot of great things have happened in the fight against cancer in the last 100 years.  Like a 50 percent drop in smoking since the 1960s, which has contributed to a drop in overall lung cancer death rates.  But there is much left to be done.  Silence won't finish this fight...so stand up and celebrate 100 years of great work by helping to continue the fight!

This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Celebrate Spring Chicago with Miracle-Gro at HomeDepot #Sponsored

Thanks to Miracle-Gro and Home Depot my boys and I created some things to beautify our yard.  Available exclusively in Chicago Home Depot store and only THIS month, check out what you can do with Miracle-Gro Premium Plants


 Chicago’s blooms will be bigger* and better than ever this season. And with Mother’s Day around the corner one of these potted annuals or hanging baskets make the perfect gift. One that keeps on growing!


"We’ve taken all we’ve learned over the years in gardens around the globe and created thriving plants for long-lived success. From begonias to petunias, to geraniums, they’ve been cultivated with care to help you achieve beautiful results in your home or garden. And with their roots firmly planted in a custom soil blend, they have everything they need to succeed. You’ve trusted us to help you care for plants, now you can grow with us right from the start.

• 3-month money-back guarantee
• Fast blooms and vibrant colors that last all season
• Available in potted annuals and hanging baskets
• Limited time only at The Home Depot stores in Chicago

*Compared to conventionally grown plants"



Mother's Day sounded like the perfect reason to create some pretty potted plants with Miracle-Gro premium plants, so I gathered the boys and off to Home Depot we went.

After wandering the garden section for awhile we found a great selection of Miracle-Gro plants.  The hardest part was getting the boys to agree on colors! I thought that these plants looked pretty full and healthy compared to the other available brands so I'm super excited to see what they will look like as they grow.

The Miracle-Gro premium Plants happened to be outside (on the sidewalk) at our location, not sure if this the norm or not but there were plenty of available employees in the garden section to ask for help.

Once we made our selections, which included two plants for friends and three plants for ME, we headed back inside.  There we grabbed some Miracle-Gro Potting Mix and some nice pots for our new plants.

I was very pleased that even with a little hunting for the plants, and some 'discussion' on which ones we wanted we were in and out with the trunk all loaded up in less than half an hour!

These are the plants we picked to give to two close friends who I wanted to honor for Mother's Day because they have been so amazing to us helping to get the boys taken care of and to sports etc when I needed an extra pair of hands!
 

They boys were eager to jump in and get dirty repotting the plants in the Miracle-Gro potting soils.  We filled the pots with the soil and the boys loosened up the dirt the plants were already in to allow the roots to spread.

Once they were all done, Bryan had to give them the sniff test?  He says they smell great!

The boys had fun helping with this project and have been carefully watering the large pot that stayed with us since. I love how easy it was and can't wait to see the pot fill in.

Since we don't have any good locations for flowers in our yard (nothing with the right combination of location for they are safe from feet, light and soil) I am hoping we do well with our pot and maybe next spring we can add more pots to our collection so that we can add more color to our yard.

Thanks to Miracle-Gro for providing us a gift card so we could check out the Premium Plants line.  All thoughts, opinions and photos are my own.

I Can 'Run' But I Can't Hide, Thankfully

one of my friends posted this last night. its so true

Sometimes I manage to amaze myself even with the things I am able to do.  I set goals, set my mind and off I go.  But sometimes, sometimes I struggle, I flounder and begin to drown.  Yesterday was one of those days.  Mother's Day is probably the single most difficult day for me since my mom passed away.  It's partly because, well it's MOTHER'S day and yeah, I don't have a mom to call or go see.  And partly because MY Mother's Days never look anything like those damn Hallmark commercials.  I love my children, please don't mistake that, but despite their numeric age, the ADHD and constant high speed of their lil bodies and minds, their ability to make a simple breakfast in bed alone is pretty much nonexistent.  In fact, their ability to get out of bed and not kill each other for half an hour without taking their medication is pretty much nonexistent.  So yesterday morning started with them inhaling the full dozen donuts we'd bought the night before and destroying just about every inch of our house before I even got out of bed.  The sane thing to do on my part would have been to do something productive and switch the mood of the day.  Instead, I instructed them to take their medicine and pop in a movie and I went back to bed...it was after all only 8:05a. 
The day continued in complete chaos with no one doing anything I requested, including I'm pretty sure that request to take their medicine.  By noon I'd had enough, the plans for lunch with friends were canceled and I had CANCELED Mother's Day.  There were no gifts accepted, no Mother's Day wishes and no celebration.  Instead there was yelling and crying and punishments.  
I sulked, they sulked.  I made dinner...they complained about dinner. I watched a Golden Girls marathon (and thought about my mom because we always watched it together) and they complained that they couldn't watch what THEY wanted.  All the while I was ignoring my phone, calls and texts.  I tried running from the world that was celebrating Mother's Day.  But my friends, they knew.  They knew I was crumbling and they came despite my best efforts to hide from everyone.  They came and they gave my kids the kick in the pants they needed pick up the countless messes they'd made all day.  And they came and talked to them about what Mother's Day should have meant and why maybe they should have made a little extra effort.  

There is no greater gift than friends who hear you pushing them away but KNOW that you really need them close.

All this just to say that sometimes I AM strong and fierce, but that's not me everyday.  We all crack. We all need a break.  If you struggle, know you aren't alone.  Don't judge other people simply by the moments you see and think you can't do or be what you want because you aren't that strong.  I'm NOT always strong either!!