I'm Baaaaaaack

New Year, new hopes, new aspirations, new goals, you know the drill.  So I have really let this blog go in the past few months and I don't want to do that anymore.  I want to try and make it a priority.  So I have decided to commit to posting once a week.  The post will be my week in review basically and I will add other posts if things come up.  I want to get back into the swing of things and get this blog going again.  So stay tuned and I will be back in action on My Hands and Heart are Full.  Thanks for reading and for your support and I look forward to getting back into the groove of writing again.

Biggest Pet Peeves

1. People who don't give up their seats for old, pregnant or women with kids.
2. People who lie
3. People who are full of themselves
4. People who think they are entitled
5. Poor grammar
6. Loud chewing
7. When people use the word literally all the time and incorrectly
8. Women who do not clean up after themselves in a public restroom
9. Negativity
10. People who do not cover their mouths to cough or sneeze

Current Songs I am Loving

1. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
2. All about that Bass- Megan Trainor
3. Welcome to NY - Taylor Swift
4. Something in the Water- Carrie Underwood
5. All of Me - John Legend
6. A Thousand Years- Katy Perry
7. Frozen Album
8. Chandelier- Sia
9. Rude- Magic
10. Already Home- A Great Big World

How to Win My Heart

1. Make me laugh.
2. Engage me in conversation about something you’re passionate about or something I’m passionate about.
3. Do fun things with me
4. Be silly and adventurous with me.
5. Learn new things with me
6. Encourage my dreams.
7. Challenge me intellectually and physically.
8. Take care of me. 
9. Make me feel important to you!
10. Do romantic things for me.

Quotes I Love

My favorite quotes are

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” 
― Dr. Seuss

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” 
― Bernard M. Baruch

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” 
― Oscar Wilde

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” 
― Allen Saunders

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” 
― Friedrich Nietzsche

50 Random Facts About Me

50 FACTS ABOUT ME

1. I am an only child
2.  I grew up in the Bronx
3.  Before being a SAHM I was a 5th grade teacher
4.  I have a Master's Degree in Education
5.  I am shy
6.  I am a homebody
7.  I don't have many friends
8.  I love anything DISNEY
9.  I collect Disney mugs
10. I am a Capricorn
11. I love artichokes
12. I hate snow
13. I did not know my daughter was going to be born with Down Syndrome
14. I like to make schedules (most of which I never follow)
15. I have always wanted a surprise party
16. I love planning birthdays for my kids
17. I can't dance
18. I can't sing
19. I can't play an instrument
20. I have always wanted to try a Yoga class
21. I love the beach
22. I hope to someday soon be comfortable in my own skin
23. I often feel let down by people
24. It is very hard for me to make new friends.
25. I wish I could play the guitar
26. I want to take photography classes
27. I want to take art classes
28. I bore easily
29. I love to do arts and crafts
30. I love to cook
31. I am a great friend
32. I want to go to Italy one day
32. I want to go on a Disney Cruise
33. I have been disappointed in my life more times than I can count
34. I want to take a cross country trip
35. I have always wanted to live in Manhattan
36. I wish I could draw
37. I wish I had siblings
38. I hate that people are very judgmental of me
39. I am a lefty
40. I have a lot of regrets about how I handled certain situations in my life.
41. I was made fun of as a child
42. I often feel invisible
43. I worry
44. It bothers me when people just don't get it
45. I hate explaining myself and my choices to people
46. I am never going back to teaching (those of you who are curious)
47. I love reality TV
48. My kids are my life
49. Our daughter's medical debt has kept us from doing a lot in our lives, but she is worth it.
50. I always feel like I don't know when the rug is going to be pulled out from under me

MABEL'S LABELS REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

If you have no idea what Mabel's Labels are you need to run to your computer right now and go to www.mableslabels.com, go on, go.  Okay so if you want good quality, durable labels this is the place to shop.  They have a label for everything and I mean everything.   Not only are they durable but they are nice to look at too.

The wonderful people at Mabel's Labels is offering one of you a  Stylish Scholars Combo.  You will get; 

-40 Skinny-Minis

-50 Tag Mates
-16 Round Labels
- 2 Teeny Tags

You can enter by following the directions in the Rafflecopter widget posted below.  I’ll announce the winners on THIS blog post and contact them directly through email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

KIDS TAG

1.How old are you?

2.What grade are you in?

3.What is your favorite subject in school?

4.What is your favorite video game?

5.What is your Favorite Book?

6.What is your favorite TV show?

7.What is your favorite Movie?

8.Who is your favorite Pokemon

9.Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

10.Who is your favorite Super Hero?

11.What is your favorite animal?

12.What is your favorite song?

13.Who is your singer?

14.What's your favorite Holiday?

15.What is your favorite thing to do?

INTRO TO VLOGUST

I will be doing a video everyday in August, hope you will watch and enjoy.

PINTEREST

I love Pinterest.  I love to find new ideas, new recipes, crafts, etc and pin them to my virtual boards.  Today I made a video called The Pinterest Tag where I answered a few questions about my Pinterest account.

Questions: 
1. How many pins do you currently have? 
2. How many boards do you have?
3. How many Pinterest followers do you have?
4. What is the general theme for how you use Pinterest? 
5. Do you utilize Pinterest to help boost traffic to your vlog/blog?
6. Do you pin to any community boards?
7. Do you have any Pinterest pet peeves?
8. What is your favourite board to pin on? 
9. What is your favourite pin that you have completed?
10. Do you Pinterest stalk anyone?
11. Do you utilize secret boards? If so, for what?
12. Have you attended a real life Pinterest party?
13. What is one thing you’d change about Pinterest if you could?
14. What is one Pinterest tip you have?

Millennial Mother Post

Check out my post over on Millennial Mother. It's a great blog with different women contributing to it.  I am happy to be a part of it and look forward to writing some more for them.


http://www.millennialmother.com/2014/07/what-i-know-now.html

JUNE FAVORITES

Summer is in full swing and it is hot outside. Come with me as I show you all the products that I have been enjoying in the month of June and check out my coordinating video on my youtube channel MyHands&HeartAreFull

CITRUS LANE & OPEN BOX VIDEO

 We love getting our Citrus Lane box every month and this month was no different.  It's so exciting getting new products for my daughter through the mail.  This would make a wonderful gift for a new mom, expecting mom, grandchild, etc.  So come along and check out what we got in our June Citrus Lane box.  Also check out my Open Box Video below on my new youtube channel MyHands&HeartareFull. Come on over and subscribe.

First was a coloring book, from Creativity for Kids.

A 12 piece Crocidile Creek Puzzle.

A wet bag from Bumkins.

Peaceful Bubbles from Episencial

Mighty 4 Bars from Plum Organics.

Special Offer from Third Love.

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX JUNE

My Pop Sugar Must Have Box arrived in the mail and it was filled with some lovely summer items.   I love this subscription box. So let's take a look inside and see what Pop Sugar has brought us for the month of June.

Check  out the monthly subscription box give it a try.

www.musthave.popsugar.com

Emily Giffin's The One & Only- New York Times bestseller with her highly anticipated novel of an unlikely romance and and lifelong friends in Texas. www.emilygiffin.com

Sachajuan Shiny Citrus Body Lotion-  Hydrate your skin while reducing the appearance of wrinkles and calming irritation.

www.sachajuan.com

Turkish T Beach Towel- A lightweight beach towel by day and a wrap at night.  Loomed from the world's finest cotton.

www.turkish-t.com

You Smell Lemon Wet Wipes-

Natural antibacterial wipes that are both durable and gentle.

www.yousmellsoap.com

Lollies Basics Hair Ties-Hairties that are made from swimsuit material and also look cute as bracelettes.

www.lollieshairties.com

One Potato Two Potato Hawaiian BBQ- Savory Hawaiian BBQ Kettle Chips, all natural and packed with flavor.

www.onepotatosnacks.com

Native Union $15 Gift Card- Full of geek gadgets.

www.nativeunion.com

The Laundry Moms

Check out my story on The Laundry Moms

http://www.thelaundrymoms.com/ilovesomeonewithdownsyndrome/

Thanks so much to Angela of The Laundry Moms, it was a great experience.    The Laundry Moms is a wonderful website, go and check it out.

Disney Souvenir Giveaway

It's giveaway time.  This is going to be a Disney Souvenir giveaway.  So please share my blog and my Facebook page (trying to get to at least 100 likes) and you will be entered in a chance to win.  If you shared both my blog and Facebook Page please leave me a comment to let me know and tell me who your favorite Disney Character is.  Thanks everyone and good luck.

My Hands and Heart are Full Featured on The Laundry Moms

The Laundry Moms at www.thelaundrymoms.com are going to feature an article by yours truly on June 9th.  It is based on giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome. It is a great website with tips from parenting to laundry to marriage, so I urge you to go check them out, you won't be sorry.  Don't forget to go check out my article on June 9, 2014. Thanks.

I Am A Special Needs Mom who Doesn't Feel Like Super Mom Project 365 Days 142-152

I don't know how you do it?  I hear it all the time.  What do these words mean?  How do I do what?  Mother?  Parent? Survive? People seem to think I have it all put together, I know exactly what I am doing, I am some sort of martyr or saint.  I am just a mom who happens to have a special needs child who is doing my best to do what is right for both of my children.  If you were to peek into the window of my life on a daily basis you would see that I often feel a lot that most people would never even know.

I often feel isolated,  I don't have many friends who are moms of typical kids and I also don't have many friends in the Down syndrome community.  I never have an easy time making friends so this is especially hard for me.  I want and need friends in my life.

When people ask me if i will get a job or go back to teaching, it makes me feel like an enormous failure.  I already feel like I am not doing enough. I often times feel like I am failing my child and when you say things like that to me it makes me think oh I really am failing, I am not doing enough.

I often feel like I am failing my typical child as well.  Am I doing enough for him? Is he getting enough of my attention?  Is he getting what he needs from me?

As a special needs parent you often feel challenged and exhausted each and everyday by the rude comments, the stares, the opinions that are not asked for.  As moms we just want to live our lives, love our kids, do the best for them and not have to worry about being judged day in and day out. We have so many struggles that you couldn't even dream of knowing about, yet you seem to have all the answers.

So if you know a special needs mom, just be a friend to them, try to imagine for a minute what they go through everyday and what it must be like to walk a mile in their shoes.  Be kind, make the extra effort. Know that it is probably very hard for them to call you or text you or visit you.  If you put in the extra effort, you wouldn't believe what an amazing friendship you could be a part of.  Just be there.  I know it is hard. I know it is hard to always be the one who calls, who texts, who visits, who makes plans. But they need you and if you are a true friend you will be there to help.  You will be there to understand, to get them out of the house for a few hours, to just be a friend.

PROJECT 365 DAYS 131-136 FORTUNE COOKIE SOAP

FCS is a quarterly subscription box that gives you samples of some really fun and unique bath products.  This summer they have such a fun box that is themed after the ever popular Candyland game.

"Lick Your Lips” Fortune Cookie Soap - These are FCS's signature products and I love them. This one smells and looks just like Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream, yum.

“Rock Your Socks Off” Solid Sugar Scrub – This scrub smells just like grape soda.

 “Captain’s Berried Booty”Whipped Cream – This smells exactly like Captain Crunch and Berry cereal.   I love, love, love the FCS Whipped Creams they are my absolute favorite.

“Sweet Dreamsicle” Wax Tart – This citrusy, vanilla, and pineapple is the perfect scent to fill your home during those warm summer nights.

“Lemon Drop It Like It’s Hot” Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub – This is FCS’s newest skincare product!   It has a lemon, orange zest scent.

“Lollipop Your Cherry” OCS Hand Sanitizer – I love FCS hand sanitizers, they are my favorite.  This is a cherry, vanilla sweet smell and I can't wait to use it.  It smells so yummy.

“The Sweet Spot” Sparkle Me – This body spray mist has a shimmer to it that leaves a bit of a sparkle on your skin. The fruity scent is a combination of melon, strawberries, peaches, oranges, and pineapple.  Smells so sweet!

“Blow Me” Lip Scrub – Smells just like bubble gum and I have always wanted to try a lip scrub.

PROJECT 365 DAYS 128-130- Boot Camp

So I showed up at this exercise place for women this morning.  I was taught how to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, how many calories.  All the women were very kind and supportive of each other, it was so nice to see and to feel comfortable and like I could be friends with people I just met.  Feeling great, feeling good, fast forward to the workout. I think the trainer was trying to kill me.  No really.  She made me run. RUN!!!!!! I don't run, I can't run, this is the dialog that plays in my head when I think of running.  It was the dialog in my head this morning with a few choice curse words I won't share here.  I ran and lifted weights, and ran some more, and squats and lunges and then it happened, I puked.  REALLY????? I am paying for this?????  I felt like I was on The Biggest Loser.
I can say that I did the best I could after being thrown in the fire, I ran a little, I couldn't run like the other ladies there.  I couldn't do as many jumping jacks as them, but I tried and they cheered me on.  It was the first time in my life I felt like I had a breakthrough in my health, the first time I felt good about myself, like wow I just did that??????  I FREAKING RAN!!!!!! ME! I RAN! It wasn't like a 5k or anything in fact it was probably less than 1/2 a mile but I did it.

Then the realization of how incredibly out of shape I am, set in. But I guess I have to start somewhere right?  I chose to throw myself into the fire, but hey I am an all or nothing type of gal.  This class is every Saturday for a month.  Maybe I will get better and will sign up again who knows.  I am on a mission to go out of my comfort zone and this certainly did it.

PROJECT 365 121-127DAYS FLOWERS AND GARDENS AND EPCOT OH MY

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival will be coming to an end in a couple of weeks.  We were able to see it a few weeks ago and I love it. I think it is my favorite time at Epcot.