::. A-B-Seas Multi-Vendor Giveaway ~ Jamie Winter .::

1 OZ Organic Rose Petals (from Mountain Rose Herbs) & the recipe for Rose Petal Sugar Cookies

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::. A-B-Seas Multi-Vendor Giveaway ~ Pretty Lil Frills .::

$5 Gift Certificate

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My Angels Left Footprints On My Heart ... by Jennifer Ripel (Posted with Permission)

Jennifer Ripel lost her twin babies in her first trimester of pregnancy 7 years ago this October and is still struggling with the pain & loss.  She hopes by sharing her story, she can gain some healing, support & maybe help someone else who is struggling with the same thing.  It can be hard when you lose a child or children and people around you become pregnant.  You may go back and forth between feeling happy for them, yet resentful that it didn't happen for you.  Here is Jennifer's story. 

“Do you feel special?” the nurse asked me as I sat in her office.  “Do you feel special that you are pregnant with twins?  It’s not special.  One in 9 pregnancies results in twins”.  I didn’t know what to think.  I just found out that I was carrying two beautiful little lives inside of me, and yes, I did feel special.  I felt darn special.  What she said I now know to be false.  Around one in thirty pregnancies will result in twins, not nine.  No matter the information, it wasn’t a wanted conversation and I was shocked to hear it.

I had a daughter; she was just eight months old when I found out about the second pregnancy.  She was the apple of my eye and my colorful rainbow in the sky.  Her smile can light up a room even if the power was to go out.  It was her sweet chubby cheeks that helped me get through the horrific morning sickness that I endured.  I was never sick with my first, aside from the one time I was craving a plum and the only one left was rotten.  I ate it anyways.  Every day I prayed to the porcelain toilet to make it stop.  Every day I wondered if I was going to be able to wake up and get dressed and go out of the house.  Each and every day I felt horrible.  It all made sense once I found out that I was carrying multiples as I had always heard morning sickness comes on strong when you are. 

I was so excited to be having twins.  In my heart, I think I always knew I would.  I imagined it from the time I was a little girl playing the game of Life, always eagerly waiting to have twin girls.  I just knew.  I was also so scared.  My Jasmine was only a baby still.  A small baby that needed her Mommy and my heart broke thinking about the position I would be putting her in.  I am a third child, followed by a fourth.  I know what it is like to be left out and I swore that would never happen to my children. I knew everything would fall into place though.  I believed it would.  I thought it would.


The pain was so bad.  In my abdomen, my thighs, and in my heart.  There is no pain worse than that of a broken heart.   I knew what was happening inside of me.  I didn’t want it to happen and I prayed from the first shock of pain that it wouldn’t happen, but it did.  Late at night on October 4^th I made my way to the bathroom after being woke in bed by my conscious telling me to go.  There I birthed two tiny little people.  I cried, and I cried, and I cried.  I wasn’t through my first trimester as of yet, but I felt a strong connection to them.  They were a part of my heart, me and my husband, a part of my family and life.  I crawled back into my bed trying not to wake my husband.  I think I was in a state of shock.  Little did I know that life would never be the same for me.


I see commercials on the TV. I think this day and age it’s all about multiples.  So many refer to having twins.  Thank goodness for PVR and being able to fast forward right through them.  My husband’s cousin and now my cousin are both pregnant with twins.  Luckily, I can hide posts or profiles on Facebook.  I know I can’t live this way, and I know I need to move on as my sister told me not long ago.  I just don’t know how to move on.  I don’t know how to pretend that this didn’t happen.  I don’t know how to just forget about the babies that I lost, that I birthed, that I loved. 
I now have another beautiful daughter.  She was somehow conceived just weeks after I lost my beautiful babies, through protection and all.  She was an easy pregnancy, much different than the previous.  After the horrific pain and guilt I had from my loss just weeks before, I didn’t want more children.  I didn’t want to chance going through something like that again.  I knew I couldn’t do it.  Not mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  I had a daughter to be strong for.  A beautiful little girl that looked up to me and I wanted to be there for her in every way possible.  

We named our unborn baby Sarryn, short for serendipity or un-planned fortune.  No, she wasn’t planned and that is okay.  She was still made from love and she really is my little fortune!  She was due at the very end of October, and at the end of a very healthy, wonderful pregnancy I suddenly went into pre-term labor at the end of 34 weeks.  It came on nice and slow, but after a trip to the hospital, then an ambulance ride to the nearby bigger city, I delivered a beautiful baby girl.  Sarryn Georgia Rose, 5 lbs 11 oz. Rosy pink, healthy as could be and oh so cute!  She was born on October 4^th.  The day in which just one year before, I had lost my beautiful babies.  A day of loss was now a day of celebration. 


I still can’t watch TV shows with multiples. I still fast forward the commercials that have them in it.  I still cry for days when I find out that my friend or relative is expecting twins.  But as the years go on it does get easier and I don’t cry nearly as much.  As fate would have it, a few years ago I met someone who is now my best friend.  She has two girls.  Twins.  Some days it is hard, but most days I am just happy for her that she gets to experience what I never had the chance to experience.  It is helping me to heal.  I also have my two beautiful girls in my life that I couldn’t be more thankful for.  They are both the apples of my eyes and my colorful rainbows in the sky.  I love them to pieces.

Losing my babies put in a hole in my heart I have yet to learn how to fix.  I have seen multiple counselors, I have had candle light prayers (and I’m not one to pray often), and I have even considered getting little footprint tattoos on my shoulder so that in a sense they could always be with me.  Even if the ink were to be on my skin, it would not heal me. 

.:: TOTS New Year, New Year, New Business ::.

New Year, New You, New Business Giveaway February 4-11 2013

Look More Professional, Get More Organized, and Increase Your Web Presence.

The new year is a time for reflection and renewal. A time to set new goals and dreams. A time to challenge yourself . Thinking Outside The Sandbox wants to help you achieve your goals and make your dream attainable. Do you want to start your own small business or blog but don't know where to start? I remember very clearly when I first thought of opening my own business. I had many great ideas but did not know where to start. We want to help you in your small business journey. Wait, I already have a business/blog?! The New Year, New You, New Business Giveaway has everything you need to get started and organized. Business/blog idea is not included. If you already have a business/blog, the giveaway includes products and services which can push you to that next level (and look good doing it)! What if I don't have a business or blog but want to win some of these amazing prizes? Enter away! Just pay forward the good luck and donate all of the business/blog specific prizes to your favourite small business or blog. Prize Package worth over $600 includes:

• Petunia Pickle Bottom Cross Town Clutch in Brilliant Brussels ($90 retail value)
• Clarity Marketing and Design Custom Logo Design ($300 value)
• Advertorial and Featured Listing on Thinking Outside The Sandbox's Business Directory ($80 retail value)
• Vonny Market Tote in your choice of print ($76 retail value)
• Design Service Gift Voucher from Kitty and Buck ($50 retail value)
• GreenGeeks Hosting Coupon ($30 retail value)
• Advertising credit with Reachli ($40)

AND....

• $50 Paypal Cash

Prizes were donated from the following awesome companies: Thinking Outside The Sandbox is a website designed to help WAHMs and other business moms navigate the world of business. We think that running a business and being a mom can go hand in hand. Our mission is to help other moms in business to reach their full potential. There is no reason that you need to be alone in this endeavour! Aside from our daily posts, which range from social media tips to how to find a balance between work/home life, we also provide affordable advertising options. Advertorials are articles written about your business or product. We script the advertorials in our voice, to remain consistent, and write it not as an ad, but as an article, which encourages more reads. Featured Listings include photos and links and are a place where you direct your future customers to read honest, unbiased, and unsolicited feedback about your business. Basic listings are FREE. To sign up for your basic listing click here. Follow Thinking Outside The Sandbox on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Petunia Pickle Bottom Cross Town Clutch was donated by Bundles and Buzz. This clutch is a perfect addition to any mommy lifestyle. Not only does it have enough room to carry everything you need for a night out, but it is also the perfect professional accessory to bring to those business meetings and while networking. Bundles and Buzz bundles are surprise packages of mom/baby products, supplied by companies, who are looking to increase their sales, introduce a new product, clear out discontinued products or boost brand awareness. You can purchase Mama, Toddler, Baby, Family and Cloth (diapering) themed Bundles.

Make sure to say hi on Facebook and Twitter.

Clarity Marketing & Design provides web, graphic, SEO (search engine optimization) and social media services to small businesses and non-profits. Based out of Surrey, BC, Clarity has had well-known companies take on their services in the past, such as the Surrey School Board, BC Youth Week, City of Burnaby and Prostate Cancer Foundation BC. Attract a whole new audience with a custom logo design. Perfect for re-branding or making a great first impression with your new company. Check Clarity Marketing and Design out on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Vonny Market Tote was donated by Copy-Kids. Copy-Kids makes video content encouraging positive habits in young children by encouraging them to copy other kids. Our debut release is a DVD entitled Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. In it you find children joyfully eating fruits and vegetables. Kids watching it want to join in. It’s that simple. And it’s effective. The Vonny Market Tote is perfect for any busy mom but particularly one who also runs a business. Cai from Copy-Kids sent me this message; "These bags are so full of pockets -- absolutely amazing. We use ours for knitting... but can definitely be used to get organized." Copy-Kids is also on Facebook.

Get a head start on your blog or web design with a $50 gift certificate from Kitty and Buck. Shell is a qualified Graphic Designer (B. Digital Media) with over 5 years of professional experience. At Kitty & Buck we love to create something beautiful for you, whether it is a complete blog design, or something smaller like a new banner or branding for your online store. Shell works as an animator and designer for television during the day and moonlights as a ballerina, musician, crazy cat lady and chef. She dreams to one day provide beautiful designs for beautiful businesses (and the people behind them) from a secluded log cabin somewhere in the vast wilderness.

Need more Kitty and Buck? Follow them on Bloglovin', Pinterest and Twitter.

GreenGeeks is the industry's leading green energy web hosting provider, using wind energy to put back into the grid 3 times the amount of energy consumed. Thinking Outside The Sandbox uses GreenGeeks as our hosting provider and I can tell you from first hand experience they are amazing. Originally I chose them because of their environmental practices, but their customer service is top-notch. Not to mention their support staff (who are not only awesome but also do not laugh when you call with newbie questions)! With a $30 coupon code you are well on your way to paying for their affordable hosting plans.

GreenGeeks is also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Special Thanks: Special Thanks go out to all of our contributors and our intern Hannah. Please take a minute to learn about all of them here. We also want to give a BIG thanks and shout out to Reachli for helping us promote the giveaway. We use Reachli for all of our Pinterest pins. Check out our blog post about Reachli and why it is a must have for any business or blog. Cannot wait to win this prize package? Make sure to enter below and share. a Rafflecopter giveaway

365 Days of Thankful ~ Day #24 - Day #27

Day #24 ~ Thursday, January 24, 2013
 Today I am thankful for the ability to implement fun, new ideas ... 

Day #25 ~ Friday, January 25, 2013
 Today I am thankful for a safe, warm home.  Saying prayers for those out in the cold that they find a safe, warm place in which to take shelter.

Day #26 ~ Saturday, January 26, 2013
 Today I am thankful for my sight ~ I was able to watch my sweet babies dance to the music that played after Hotel Transylvania went off. :)  It was adorable !!

Day #27 ~ Sunday, January 27, 2013
 Today I am thankful for Bojangle's BoBerry Biscuits ... YUMMY !!

365 Days of Thankful ~ Day #22 - Day #23

Day #22 ~ Tuesday, January 22, 2013

 Today I am thankful for the ability to appreciate ...
Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. ~ Voltaire

Day #23 ~ Wednesday, January 23, 2013
 Today I am thankful for a few hours of Mommy/Son time with Dylan ...

A Healthier Me

When I was younger, I was a skinny mini.  And to me, to be called skinny or to be told that you need to eat more is just as hurtful as being told you're "fat" or that you need to lose weight, etc.  So, I was a bit hesitant to write this blog post, because I didn't want to be ridiculed.  I may not be 300 pounds or whatever, but I can't fit into any of my clothes.  I can't afford to go out and buy more, so that is a sign that I need to eat healthier & I need to lose some weight.  No, I don't need to lose 50 pounds or more (maybe 20-25 pounds), but it's still a big deal to me when I look in the mirror and I'm unhappy with what I see or when I can't fit into my clothes anymore.  With that being said, this is what I intend to do about it ...

As you probably figured out by now, I am a serious Pinterest addict !! So, I went on Pinterest & looked up lots of weight loss smoothies/breakfast smoothies for healthier eating.  I found this super awesome pin about making your own smoothie packets & freezing them.  I was able to make 11 packets out of what I bought.  Sadly, I forgot to write down how much everything cost, but it was definitely $15 or less, making each individual smoothie less than $1.50 each.  

Here is what I purchased/used:

Great Value Vanilla Yogurt (32 oz.)

4 Kiwi

Strawberries

Blueberries

1 can of Crushed Pineapple

1/2 bag of frozen Strawberries/Bananas

First I measured 1tbsp scoops of yogurt into a mini muffin tin.  I didn't level it off, considering some of the yogurt was going to stick in the measuring cup.  Once they were filled, I froze them. You can also use ice trays, but I didn't have any.

Next, I chopped my fresh fruit.  I arranged them on a plate & popped them in the freezer.  You want your fruit to be pre-frozen before you combine them so that they don't freeze together in the packs.

 A few hours later when everything was frozen, I laid everything out to prepare to bag my individual "smoothie mixes".  If you use muffin tins like I did, let them sit out for a few minutes so they loosen up a bit, then use a spoon and they will pop out like ice cubes. [DON'T dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to loosen them up. They will get melty really quick and you'll have to refreeze them!]

I used just short of a cup and half of fruit for each bag and 3 yogurt cubes.

After they are all bagged up, pop them in the freezer!  Next time you want a smoothie, you're ready to go!  Just add a little juice or milk (I'll be using Vanilla Soy Milk) and voila!  I am going to alternate adding a little oatmeal to pump it up even more since I'm treating the smoothies as breakfast.

I also had a coupon for $1 off of 1 Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers.  They are $1.50 at my Walmart, so that it .50, so I thought it was worth trying.  You just add juice & shake !! It was pretty good & I felt very full & wasn't hungry until lunch time !!  I need more coupons !! LOL

I also tried the smoothie better known by the name of "The Green Monster."  I used this recipe, but I HATE bananas, so I won't be using it again !! LOL

1 cup kale, 1 cup spinach, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 1 frozen banana, 1 pear 

I put it all in the blender, filled it up with ice & voila !!

It was really good except for the banana.  Maybe if I'd put a little less so that I couldn't taste it ... Banana just really makes me want to gag !!  So, here is the recipe I will be using in the future :

 1 cup kale, 1 cup spinach, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 1 Honeycrisp apple, 1 pear 

Now, on to my exercise regiment !! :)  We are blessed to have a FREE gym that I can walk across the street to.  I have decided that I will be utilizing the time that Dylan is at preschool to do my workout each day.  I found another awesome idea on Pinterest (this should not come as a surprise to you by now !!), and I will be adding this to my 5-day per week Cardio workout.

So, the plan I found called for working on like 6 different areas of exercise.  However, I feel like I only want to focus on Cardio & abs right now.  So, I altered the plan to fit my needs.  Are y'all ready ?!

I bought a set of already painted popsicle sticks at the craft store.  You can totally paint them yourself, but I got a set of 120 popsicle sticks for $2.99 & only used 16 of them (saved me the time of having to paint them myself & if you're working more than 2 areas of your body, you'll want different colors).  I chose two different colors (1 for Cardio & 1 for abs).  I got 2 Solo cups (Y'all know I had to do the Pink Camo !! It's the Southern Redneck in me !!); one to put the popsicle sticks in & one to put them in as I complete the workouts.  I used a thin black Sharpie marker to write my exercises on the popsicle sticks.  My Cardio routine will sometimes call for me to go to our gym (Elliptical, Bikes & Treadmill) & some of them can be done at home.  I also have Wii Fit, so some days I will also use that !!  The only rule is : YOU HAVE TO USE WHAT YOU PULL !! You can't put a stick back if you aren't in the mood to do that particular set for the day !!  You can also add more sticks if you get bored with your current selection !!

Here are a few sample ideas for exercises :

50 Crunches
50 Jumping Jacks
25 Leg lifts
15 Push-ups
30 Weight-less squats
15 Chair dips
40 Side bends (20 on each side)
30 Lunges (15 on each leg)
50 Sit-ups
30 Bicycles

20 Push Ups
30 High Knees
30 Walking lunges
15 Chair Dips
15 Bicep Curls
30 Crunches
25 Bicylces
20 Squats
20 Burpees
15 Dead Rows
25 Jumping Jacks
20 Pelvic Lifts
20 Shoulder Presses
40 Calf Raises
25 Sumo Squats
50 Sec Wall Sit
60 Sec Plank
15 Chest Presses

So, there you go !! I'd love to hear feedback from anyone else who decides to try this & how much you've lost by doing it !! Good Luck !!