Month: April 2016

Lists & Things

My 5 Birthday Wishes….

I hope every year come true…

Past. Present. Future. Time changes things. On the other hand, we may not realize it but we all change with time. One day finishes to become another and what’s more, another. The Earth gradually pivots and spins. The clock’s hands never stop, no matter how much we want it to. Furthermore, with it, the wheels of progress are set into movement. It creeps in gradually, inch by inch. Adding yet one more day. But then again, it is definitely not.
To make a few days stand out from the rest, we give them a significance, a name, or a reason. Indeed, even your birthday is a day your parents and relatives teach you to give significance and yet there are so many people who see no motivation to celebrate the day they arrived into this world and took their first breath of air. (I do.) Critics often say it is simply one more day, so why go the additional mile?
They are right in this sense, it is one more day. In any case, why should that prevent us from celebrating the precious joy of life? Why does it prevent us from taking a couple of minutes, hours or a whole day to reflect on your life, your relationships with family, friends, even co-workers, and above all, remember your good fortune?
In our current reality where there are incalculable motivations to feel dull and useless, it is the small day-to-day activities we take part in that matter because essentially they make you who you are. These activities quite often win us the bonds we share with friends and family. Yet, these friends may not stay until the end of time, sadly there are moments when we lose all sense of contact with our longtime friends and they are in the different chapters of the book called life then we are, basically in light of the fact that “life” happened.
Yes, it is not an extremely cheerful feeling to think back and recollect the people who were once so dear to us and yet are no longer a dynamic piece of our life. We are taught to hold those all the more dear who have been with us until the end of time.
In any case, why should to that prevent you from being appreciative to have the people who do remain, or the people who have entered your life once more? Since past experience recommends they may not be there tomorrow and since nothing keeps going on indefinitely forever except for God’s love for us (in my opinion, yours may vary, I hold zero judgments).
In the event that you ask me, it is definitely this motivation behind why you SHOULD celebrate birthdays — yours and others, particularly others — for on the off-chance that you didn’t take today to create meaningful experiences and memories, to feel appreciative and feel unique, you might have nothing to think back about tomorrow.
Today, you have these people. Tomorrow, you may not. For example, my Grammy and I were born a day apart, I never realized how much I took for granted being able to share a birthday cake and blow out the candles with her until the first birthday I celebrated after she passed away. In any case, amid the time when they are a piece of your life, they are or have been critical and when they aren’t anymore you feel it. Why not make them feel that specialness today, regardless of what happens tomorrow? Figures of speech and expressions inform us to make the most of each moment; that each and every day ought to be exceptional — not only a couple. In any case, we all realize that is not always sensible as life gets in the way, jobs and obligations.
That is what brings me to the five birthday wishes I have every year, hopefully one year I’ll receive them:
1. All of my friends, family and relatives to chip in and have a huge party, like a wedding, except it celebrates the bond we share with each other another year. Rent a big hall, hire a DJ, a caterer, dress up and celebrate each other.
2. I do not hear news that anyone I know (or anyone they know) has cancer.
3. God blesses all my family, friends, and everyone who reads this blog with many more birthdays, health and happiness (myself included).
4. To meet a real, gifted medium who will be able to contact my Grammy so I can talk to her again.
5. That my blog will reach, inspire and change the way people think in a positive way.
Those are my five birthday wishes, be that as it may, there were additionally times when I was horribly aware of those I had left behind on my journey forward in life and my wishes also extend to them. Their non-attendance was felt. These who made up the ‘ghosts of friendships past’ and once held a significant spot in my day by day life that have followed a different path than me, I salute you too, for you left a hand print on my heart that helped shape me into the woman I became.
Life happened. It is dismal, yes. In any case, I think back on those times with those people with cheerful wistfulness. I am appreciative of that reason for my birthday, where I get to communicate the significance of everyone I know (past and present)’s place in my life, and the other way around. I now know, right then and there in time, I had mattered to them. I likewise realize that since they aren’t here does not mean they have been erased for all eternity. I feel my Grandmother’s presence with me daily despite her being deceased for nearly five years. I also have photographs of my childhood friends Jessica and Mike (one lost to cancer the other lost to growing apart) and I will cherish them when I look at them every now and then when I feel nostalgic.
Every May 1st, I feel appreciative for having been loved and esteemed by those around me, by being given the life I now lead, for the friends and family who are a piece of my life now and who went to such awesome lengths to make me feel extraordinary. Every year I do that then offer into the universe as bit of wistfulness for the lost ones that despite the fact that they and the memories I’d imparted to them were unique, I find myself in hopes that they are as happy as I am with their lives.Every May 1st, I discover motivations to praise the day, as opposed to pass it off as simply one more day. On my birthday, I remember my good fortune for what I have today before I lose it, and what I had yesterday.

On my birthdays, I pay tribute to the thing called time and I encourage you to do the same.

How do you feel about birthdays? Who in your life are you must grateful for? Leave a comment below as I love hearing from all of you!
Love you. Mean it.
Brittany
 xoxo
Coffee and Confessions

So I Got Hair Extensions…

Here are my thoughts so far on Keratin Extension…

I’ve wanted hair extensions ever since I was a teenager and so as an early birthday gift to myself I decided to embark on a hair journey of sorts. While many women would opt for an Apple Watch on their birthday, but for me, lucky number 27 was about good old-fashioned vanity. I hadn’t had long hair in more than five years, especially after cutting it Victoria Beckham short last year and needing to wear clip-in extensions for my wedding, I felt like changing it up. Of course, I was afraid—all the horror stories would it damage my hair? Would it feel weird? Well here’s my experience so far on hair extensions.
After going to my trusted salon ‘Salon Bellissimo’ and talking with one of my hairdressers, Candice, I opted for the keratin-bond extensions. The hair isn’t fake but in fact tiny strands of real, virgin (unprocessed) human hair. Generally, since I got them at the salon that has religiously cut and colored my hair for three years Candice was able to match my color and order the hair, which I paid for after my consultation.
Before

 

 
The extensions themselves looked like small wisps of my own hair, but with a keratin-based dried “glue” at one end. They can be curled, dyed, straightened, styled with heat—everything I’d do to my own hair. In order to attach them, Candice used heat with a tool that reminded me of a monkey wrench and she fused that keratin “glue” to my hair. My extensions were placed in rows so that they always remain strategically covered by another piece of hair, even if I were to wear a ponytail.

What You Need to Know

After

My dry hair was sectioned off, and Candice worked in rows, scooping tiny sections of my hair up (much like applying highlights) and placing an individual extension about a 1/2-inch away from the root. Then, she used the monkey wrench looking tool to fuse it on. Honestly, some pieces you’ll feel when they put in and others you won’t but I will say that if you are too ADHD to sit and patiently wait out the time it takes to get them in then well maybe you should reconsider. The process took between two and half hours for me and finishes with a blowout and dry cut in order to ensure the extensions are layered or evened out to perfection.

My First Reaction

“Kim Kardashian, eat your heart out!”

 

 

My Second Reaction

Wait…this feels weird. Physically, there is a tiny “bead” (think of it like a bit of clear nail polish that hardens to a small spot of your hair) where the keratin “glue” is attached to your hair. When you run your hands through your hair, you will feel them, and at first it’s like, “Oh, so now I’m going to feel like I have hard stuff stuck in my hair at all times? Why did I do this? Was this a mistake?” Forget about trying to lay down on the couch and get comfy because you really feel those suckers in your head now.

But then, you look in the mirror and see your Kardashian-hair reflection again, you take a million selfies (at least that’s what I did) and all of that fear fades away.

After the First Wash…

You have to be careful with extensions, specifically the bonds. You can’t just yank a brush through your hair or clamp a flatiron onto the glue spot. Candice also advises not to use conditioner where the bonds are located because that could loosen them. She also recommends don’t use products with sulfates, which can break down the bonds. As someone who’s religiously colored their hair since they were 12, I have always used sulfate-free shampoo. Now in my experience, I was scared to wash my hair but after the first time I did I’m now confident that I can do it.

Damage Control

1. Brush your hair with a special de-tangle brush designed for extensions and brush often to avoid your extensions looking matted.

2. Make regular monthly appointments with your stylist to get a blowout and check on the existing bonds in your hair.

3. Silk pillowcases are great for extensions during sleep and allow for the hair to not get tangled in your sleep.

4. If you don’t have a silk pillowcase then please sleep with your hair in a low ponytail as this will accomplish the same feat as number 3.

5. Treat it like your real hair and that means heat protectant spray before use of any heat products to prevent damage.

What’s the Cost?

Be wary of any salon that charges you less than $500, extensions will cost you anywhere from $500-1,000 dollars (depending on the salon, I paid WAY less then $1,000 FYI) but if you treat them right they can last up to 6-7 months before you need to order replacements.

What’s the Verdict?
So far I have enjoyed my experience with them, I am still adjusting to having them but find they enhance my look and boost my confidence. Candice and the rest of Salon Belissimo are wonderful, dedicated, professionals who were very reassuring and offered to help me in any way that they could in caring for my new addition.
I highly recommend this salon to anyone in New Jersey especially since I’m extremely particular about my hair that I have only allowed them to touch it and feel totally safe in their hands.

What do you think of extensions? Have you ever or would you ever get them? Leave a comment below to discuss your thoughts and feelings as I love hearing from you.

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany
xoxo

DIY & Life Hacks

Make it rain, make it rain…

make it rain on them jars!

Looking for a cheap way to entertain your children or (in my case) niece and nephew? You’ve come to the right place this week! Parents and teachers alike can use this cool DIY science experiment of the children (and inner child) in their lives. What inspired me to write this post came during Easter weekend, Tom and I found ourselves doing puzzles, coloring in coloring books and reading stories to our niece Elsie (6 years old) and nephew Ben (2 1/2 years old). As a Pre-school teacher, I love science experiments-almost as much as I love food coloring-and what I decided to show Elsie and Ben that particular weekend left them both in awe and begging to try again. Now, I have made rain clouds in a jar a few times in the past with my Pre-K kids, and my students love this activity I found on Pinterest one summer in 2013 more each time we revisit it. My niece and nephew were no exception!
Here’s What You’ll Need:
1. Water, you know the kind from your sink, -FREE

2. Barbasol Original Shaving cream – $1.00 at DollarTree
3. Glass pint jar mugs $1.00 at DollarTree
4. McCormick Specialty Extracts Assorted Food Color and Egg Dye- $3.48 at Walmart. We used blue but you can use any color you want your ‘rain’ to be. ( I’ve also read watercolors work just as well but we did not try them)
5. Super Dropper (2 pack so you can allow two children to conduct the experiment at once)-$4.42 at Walmart.

Total cost of this experiment: $9.90

Okay, got what I need, now how do I do it?
1. Fill the jar with water and top it with shaving cream. Allow the shaving cream a minute or so to settle on top of water before beginning.
2. In a separate regular standard kitchen drinking glass fill it with water, deposit the blue food coloring into it and mix it well.
3. Have the children suction up the blue dyed water with their droppers and deposit it into the top of the shaving cream.
4. Watch the blue dye travel through the shaving cream and begin to “rain” inside the jar.
5. Pat yourself on the back when you see the looks of amazement on the kids’ faces!

Have you done this experiment? Did you use watercolors instead? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on this cool kids experiment, I love hearing from you!

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

xo

DIY & Life Hacks

Spring Coming Means…

Ticks on pets (or their humans) is highly probable…

 

Spring, is here! Everybody is itching to get outside and get some fresh air after a long winter of being contained inside and battling jack frost. The trade off with warmer weather is the re-emergence of ticks, insects and other pests which could put a damper on a great time outdoors. This week I’m going to talk about tick removal and a step you can take to have a virtually painless removal of these blood-sucking parasites which you can use on animals, kids and even yourself!

The morning of July 19th 2015 started off like any other morning, I got up, went to work, came home and did my ritual evening walk with Tom and Draco (my Jack Russell terrier) where we discuss our day and allow our fur baby to let off some excess energy. We counted on family bonding and staying out till the sun went down, even watching it on our front porch with stress free wonder. What we didn’t count on was the pest that followed us home that evening. While snuggling on the couch that evening playing with his soft ears, I felt a bump. Upon closer inspection, I noticed what I suspected from the moment I started moving his hair to find, a tick had struck on to him. Now if anyone has been blessed with sharing their home with a Jack Russell Terrier you’ll know they do not stay still long enough to take a set of tweezers and simply pull the offending pest out. That’s when I turned to Pinterest frantically for tips on how to get your dog to stay still long enough to pull it out or alternative options and found this very useful tip I’d love to share with you.

My Jack Russell Terrier: Draco Sirius (yes I’m a Harry Potter fanatic!)
How many of you have Vaseline (also known as white petroleum jelly) laying around your house? Well, so did I at the time. The tip suggested I take a dollop of Vaseline and cover the entire body of the tick and wait 10-15 minutes. After having unsuccessfully tried to hold Draco down with the tweezers several times, I was desperate. I waited for him to settle down and did just as Pinterest had recommended of me, once he calmed down and settled next to me on the couch and dipped my finger in Vaseline and rubbed it over the tick’s entire body and what happened next truly amazed me-the tick began backing out of Draco’s skin on its own until Tom was able to remove it with the tweezers from him (getting the entire body out, head and all!) and burn it over our kitchen sink.
So that prompted me to begin my next web search, why does Vaseline work so well? As it turns out the Vaseline which soaks into your skin within 10-15 minutes acts as a suffocating agent for ticks and the tick-realizing this-tries to back out of you, your child or your pet’s skin to avoid being killed. While this trick will assist you in removing pests, please get it tested if you think it could be a tick which could potentially carry Lyme’s Disease (such as Deer ticks) and don’t forget to dispose of the tick by burning it or flushing it down the toilet to ensure it is killed and prevent it from harming anything else.
Feel free to leave your comments, thoughts or experiences trying this method in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Love you. Mean it.
Brittany
xo
Lists & Things

7 Things to Do When…

You feel stressed out and overwhelmed

Do you remember being a kid? Taking naps, coloring, playing make pretend with dolls, action figures, or stuffed animals, singing songs ridiculously off-key and thinking you were going to be the next Christina Aguilera or Blink 182? Yeah, me too. When we’re little the truth is we can’t wait to grow up because, obviously, when we’re grown up we think we can do whatever we want to do. What we ignored was the amused laughter and wistful statements from the adults in our lives that growing up isn’t so easy. Well, if you (like me) have made it to adulthood you’ll know the truth behind the ominous comments you brushed off all those years ago. Being an adult can be bittersweet, while it is fun it can also be overwhelming being a slave to time, having bills to pay, deadlines to meet, budgets to set up (determining wants versus needs) and events to attend when you wish you can just stay home with a pint of ice cream and watch Zoolander.
Let’s face it, being an adult is fun but it is also hard. If we’re really honest with ourselves, we can all admit we’ve had days where we did not want to leave the comfort of our beds and start our day.

The truth about adulthood is that you aren’t alone, everybody feels overwhelmed and stressed sometimes.

•Maybe you have a family circumstance that needs additional time and consideration.
•Maybe you have a specific colleague that just by one means or another meshes on your last nerve.
•Maybe money is tight this month and you’re worried about bills getting paid on time.
•Maybe you are having car problems.
•Maybe you are sick or some you love and care about is sick.

So what would you be able to do when you feel irate, overwhelmed and focused about the things you truly have little control over?

I trust that, on the off-chance that you take these seven ways to de-stress at the end of the day you can all the more effortlessly control how you handle your response to the unpleasant circumstances that manifest in your life (and trust me they will manifest at the most unpredictable times).

I might want to say that you can take out anxiety totally — however I can’t. I’ve been a silent suffer of anxiety for years and had countless amount of anxiety attacks through the years. Nonetheless, there is a great deal you can do to set yourself up so when you are confronted with these circumstances you can find your inner peace once more.

1. Color. Yes, you heard me right, buy a coloring book and crayons from the dollar store or you can google ‘adult coloring book’ to order a customized coloring book and literally color your stress away. I’ve found this works when I have a block in creative thoughts or a situation which requires me to problem solve. I whip out my coloring book, focus solely on staying in the lines and when I finish I am able to re-think the situation more calmly and rationally.

Coloring is the best thing kids of all ages can do to unwind.

2. Reading. We’ve all had bad days, bad weeks, and sometimes bad months. Picking up your favorite chapter book (mine is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and Embraced by the Light by Barbara J. Eadie) can literally transport you into another time or place where your problems simply do not exist. There’s no better way to get your mind off of whatever is going on in your life then focusing on the lives of your favorite fictional characters. You may find after reading a particularly sobering novel (like Angela’s Ashes or My Sister’s Keeper) your situation isn’t that bad and are able to tackle your issues with renewed vigor.

 

Harry Potter remains a classic for me to unwind to.

 

 

3. Watch a Soap Opera. Really, turn on ABC 7 at about 3 PM eastern time, watch ‘General Hospital’ and tell me if seeing all the drama, backstabbing, and betrayal that goes on in that show doesn’t make you feel a heck of a lot better about your own life problems. At work or in school when it comes on? Record it and watch it when you come home. My father-in-law swore by this as a coping mechanism when his divorce from my Mother-in-law was happening and recommended it when I was studying for my math praxis as a means to take my mind off of my own feelings of being short-changed that I couldn’t student teach and I came to really enjoy this method. Not only do you get to follow ridiculous story lines (some not even realistic) and larger than life characters but you get attached to the actors who play them (when the actress who plays Kiki on GH was replaced, I noticed it and got outraged).
Me (blonde in this picture)watching some TV

4. Smile and Joke. Even when you feel like crying, smiling and laughing is one of the best ways to instantly lighten your mood. Sharing good joke with a friend or even a corny one with a family member, like the time I was upset that it was snowing so I called my cousin Lisa on my break and told her: “How do you find Will Smith in the snow? Look for the Fresh Prints!”. Watch a good movie or TV show with your Husband or Wife, Tom and I personally watch ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Monday night RAW/Thursday night Smackdown and Total Divas on “E!”. We watch it, share our thoughts on the episode and hold a discussion or debate on whatever is going on that week. It’s a great way to set aside time for your significant other and (all it requires is cable or Netflix) talk about things that aren’t bills, upcoming events you need an outfit for, fur babies (or human babies if you got them!) and other monotonous topics. Even just smiling at the sun shine can improve your day by leaps and bounds (just don’t look directly into the sun for obvious reasons).

Smiles and silly faces from the bridal party

5. Take a walk and appreciate nature. There is no better way to reconnect with your inner-self than taking a walk and watching flowers bloom, or a sunrise/sunset occur. There is a calming balm to our chapped souls when we seek solstice in the beauty that surrounds us that typically goes unnoticed in the hustle or bustle of everyday life. I do this when I’m really overwhelmed, it both grounds and puts things into perspective for me, I highly recommend this if you can find the (or better yet make) time to.

Tom and I taking in the beautiful Florida scenery on our walk

6. Listen to music. Have a go at accomplishing something truly soothing to keep stress under control. Music is one of the most ideal approaches to unwind experience de-anxiety, and it’s prominent with people of all ages, pay levels, and different backgrounds. It’s universal across both cultural and lingual barriers. Just listen to the music you like; which you’ve generally already established, however, when you pick something calm (such as Bonobo which is widely instrumental and calming) to listen to it will make you feel both refreshed and quiet. Attempt a few distinctive musical styles – classical, religious, instrumental and trust me when I say you’ll know when you’re listening to something that works for you. What’s more, is once you’ve found it, you can listen at whatever time you have to for a quieting break from reality.

Jam out to your 

7. Be thankful. When you’re feeling focused on the bad, try remembering the good. Record them in an appreciation diary (I have one which I started back in 2014). There is continually something you can be grateful for…make a list, try it now and it is as straightforward and even awakening. Consider every one of the things that you have in your life that you value: great family and friends, great job, even that cop who pulled you over for a tail light out that also might have saved you from a horrific accident. When you concentrate on appreciation, you’ll additionally see a greater amount of the positive experiences lessons which enable growth throughout your life. When you think of these good things you’re much less likely to feel angry and pushed. Brings new meaning to the old saying ‘Positive vibes, positive life’!

My grateful journal which I began in 2014

Remember you are the author of your life and what experiences positive or negative you choose to dwell upon. Have you tried any of these seven things mentioned above? Did they work for you? If not, what does work for you on days when you can’t adult? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences, I love to hear from you.

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

xo