Etsy Finds Vol. 11

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
P  I  Z  Z  A
( because April is Autism Awareness Month, this month's keywords are things that Squish really loves! )

 

Etsy Finds Vol. 10

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
L  E  G  O
( because April is Autism Awareness Month, this month's keywords are things that Squish really loves! )

 

Walk Now For Autism Speaks 2014

I know I haven't been a fantastic blogger as of late, but we had some major issues with Squish's educational plan and things got pretty bad for a few months. Long story short, mainstreaming didn't work as planned - and he is back in special education classes. We'll revisit the mainstreaming issue next year. I am going to be blogging again. Promise!

Look at that smile! My kiddo is back, baby!

I missed it for those months he was mainstreamed.

It was smaller, more stiff and we could just tell he was unhappy.

As most of you know, April is Autism Awareness month - and people usually wear blue or change their porch lights to blue ones to show support. Well, we are doing the Walk Now For Autism Speaks this year!It falls on Saturday April 26th & I'm excited, and so is Squish! This is the first year that he has wanted to participate - he said he wants to go walk and see all his friends! We're raising Autism Awareness and donating to Autism Speaks. This is the 10th year that the walk will be here at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, so if you're nearby ... come join us! We'd love to meet you.

It's funny how simple the dictionary can make things seem, huh? There is SO much more to it. I feel like this is some vague definition that new parents might get from a non-specialist ... and still look at each other and make the "whaaaaaa" face. To be honest, Autism is much more complicated than this, actually.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. Or Google. Be informed, and be proactive. I"m also willing to share any experiences I have with stuff, if you'd like to read about anything specific, comment with it & I'll be sure to reply!

Back to the walk?

If you're interested in walking, you can find that information here.

If you'd like to support Squish and donate on his behalf, please visit here.

More Than Just An IG Giveaway

     For those of you who don't know, Delilah is 2, with the heart of a diva ... stuck with a mommy who sucks at all things fashion. Okay, I'm not a total failure, she gets her nails painted & her hair gets pinned back/up... sometimes. That's pretty much as far as I can go.

    Her therapists have mentioned that the rare skirt (I make them, then pair them with bike shorts & a tee, 80s style baby!) help her with her mobility, and aren't restrictive like her pants or jean shorts can be. So, I guess I realized that I can deal with her preferred fashion choices for that purpose. But I totally needed help ... because let's face it: I wear jeans and hoodies all day long. If I wear a bra that's not meant for sports, something big is going down. I can barely color coordinate, to be perfectly honest. So with a medical reason to change her wardrobe ... and no clue how to start, I did what any mom on social media would do ...

Friday's Feelings #1

So, in the spirit of Wordless Wednesday? & wanting to be the oddball weirdo who makes up her own craziness? I give you Friday's Feelings:

Which search-engine image best represents your day?

Would you care to tell us why?

Well. Okay. This morning was kicked off with Squish in a really bad mood. We're struggling with his mainstream education, and the problem really lies in his behaviors at school. Today, I was in the office before school, restraining him with one hand, cradling coffee in the other and managing to protect passers-by from the flails and bumps coming from my 5 year old with Herculean strength. Once I managed to get to a position to put my coffee down safely, Squish broke free. I sprang the whole step back towards him and in one fell swoop, grounded his chair, his backpack and his body into a hold. He wasn't happy. He struggled, I struggled. A substitute passed by us and smiled that therapeutic smile. She said something about me doing the right thing and to stick with it. It made me feel a little less isolated in that busy crowded office. It wasn't a pity smile. It was a therapeutic one. Thank you, sweet substitute. You helped more than you know.

This is just something I am trying.

What do you think? Should I keep Friday's Feelings?

Seeking inspiration ... or straight-up thievery?

Something has been bugging me for quite a while now. I am really curious as to what you guys think, as readers of a blog (and maybe even writers). These opinions in this blog are totally and completely mine, and you are more than welcome to leave your opinions and thoughts in the comments. However, I want to bring something to light:

Have you ever been going through your blogroll & thought

"Gee, this looks really familiar ..."

You have, right? Okay, that's expected. With all the really cool link-ups and swaps (none of which I can ever fully commit to because I'm a such a sporadic blogger) that are out there now, it's inevitable to see a common thread of stuff in some of your favorite bloggers - especially if they are friendly with each other! We bloggers have a certain vein of similarity and amazingly like qualities that tend to grow into long-lasting cyber friendships, and may or may not end up in meeting face to face and becoming even closer. We rely on each other for inspiration, for help and for support but ...

... where exactly do we draw the line & start calling foul on Blogger Faux Paus?!

I think once a "blogger" feels entitled enough to go relentlessly seek out & stalk other blogs in an attempt to ride their internet coattails and/or "harvest" them ... it's crossing a serious line. If your best friend in the real world followed you around and bought everything you did, talked the way you did, peeped in your windows to see what you were doing everyday ... you'd get pretty sick of it. It'd come off creepy and sick and in a really weird way, demented. You'd think she'd want to ... I don't know, boil your bunny or something right? Right. So why is it okay in BloggerLand? Look at the following examples and tell me what YOU would do. I mean, I know how I'd react as Blog A ... but what about you guys? Am I imagining this kind of stuff?

Dabuyu Shoes Blog A vs. Blog B

Uber Mom Wipebox Blog A vs. Blog B

Brian the Pekingese Blog A vs. Blog B

My Little Pony Equestria Girls Blog A vs. Blog B

Huggable Melodies Blog A vs. Blog B

Piggy Paint Blog A vs. Blog B

Chronicle Books Blog A  vs. Blog B

Skights Blog A vs. Blog B

Hip Hop 50s Shop Blog A vs. Blog B

Baby's Journey Blog A vs. Blog B

Surprises From the North Pole Blog A vs. Blog B

Okiedog Blog A vs. Blog B

Guys. There are soo many more. Go look for yourselves. I just chose some that I thought were super similar. I guess you can say these are the top ones. Let's not even look at the common ground in both blog media kits and overall attempts at similarity. At what number do we stop chalking this kind of stuff up to simple odds and two bloggers being like-minded friends ... and call it what it is? This is way past inspiration. It's thievery!

Am I going crazy?

How many of you out there have 11+ product reviews in common with a fellow blogger?

(& if you do, are the other persons reviews posted a month or two later than yours?)

If you're a blogger, please let me know how you feel on this.

I'm asking. I really super want to understand this.

I mean .. I understand the motivation, but not the action!

Why is something like this okay in blogging, but not in real life?

Editorial 2/9/14: The Blog B in question has posted a blog regarding the questions I have posed to you all. Apparently, she feels bullied. I simply stated facts. She is a very young blogger and new to the world of social media. It was not my intention to "bully" her, and I'm sorry she feels this way ... but the truth isn't blurred by feelings. Pulling the bully card was, in my opinion, a cheap and misguided attempt to deflect blame. It's like when your kid steals a cookie, blames the neighbor kid & acts hurt that you thought it was him. Same concept! Until this blogger reaches out to me directly, my opinion (and apparently your opinion) stands. I'm sorry she is involved in this mess, but it is by her own actions - and I just happened to be the one who brought them to light. I opened a can of worms.

Blog A doesn't deserve the backlash this has created, and neither do other individuals who have just called the motives of Blog B into question. Those individuals all run great blogs, with a great professional aura. They have realized that this is exactly what they don't need cluttering their blogs. I, on the otherhand, blog for me - and sporadically host reviews. ;)

I wish Blog B all the best in her life, and even her blog ... but I hope that as she grows as a blogger and person, she learns that she is setting the moral example for her child. Stealing is not okay. Whether it be in real life, or safe behind a screen. I was willing to chalk this all up to her not knowing any better and being a young-gun in the blogging world, but she remains unapologetic and unwilling to change. So, this post? Stays.

Liza Perrat: Spirit of Lost Angels

      Personal note: I was given an ePub copy of Spirit of Lost Angels directly from the author back in October of 2013. Although I finished it not long after receiving it, life took over & I have failed to post her review! This review is LONG overdue, and I hope Liza Perrat can forgive me!

Bridge Street Toys #Review #Giveaway

     Hashtags in the blog title?! Yep. I'm co-hosting for Growing Up Madison again! This time it's for Bridge Street Toys ... and you can check out little Madison's review here & check out a couple of her pics:

Andy Pandy Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers #Review #Giveaway

     Hashtags in the blog title?! Yep. I'm co-hosting for Growing Up Madison again! This time it's for Andy Pandy Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers ... and you can check out little Madison's review here & watch a little video below:

Etsy Finds Vol. 9

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
f  u  n  k  y
( thanks to amanda over at adorkablii )

Tickety Toc Musical Pufferty Train and Matching Game #Review #Giveaway

Hashtags in the post title?

That can only mean one thing:

Growing Up Madison has another review/giveaway

& we're spreading the word!
*celebrate*

The Season of Giving + Giveaway

Would any of you be interested in giving to a family in need?

Read on!

Thomas & Friends My First Ready Bed #Review #Giveaway

If you guys haven't checked out Growing Up Madison by now ... you really should! She posts awesome reviews, giveaways & general greatness! When her Mommy told me about the Thomas The Tank Engine Ready Bed? You know I had to share it with all of you! Just FYI: I'm seriously considering ordering one for Lilah ... ya know, for those nights she just has to sleep in the boys' room.

You can check out her review here (Seriously, click it!) & read below for some general helpful information: 

Review & Giveaway: Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps

Featuring a giveaway by Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps

co-hosted by the following amazing ladies:

Tatiana, Melissa, Jen, Jessica H, Jessica D & Annie

(click their names to visit their coordinating blog-posts)

     Having a daughter made really made me take a step back and look at my "beauty" regimen. I don't want to have Delilah associate makeup with beauty. I want her to realize that women are all different: some of us have freckles, some of us have more pigment, some of us have wrinkles laughlines. I want her to realize that even when I don't wear mascara, I'm still beautiful. With that being said? I am going through this almost militant re-haul of all my makeup and skin care products. Ok, maybe not completely militant. *shyface* Hey ... I never said I don't want to be (& feel) pretty!

     After double checking my skincare products on a site that ranks them by their hazardous potential ... I chucked over half of my products. After a frantic week (or so) of research, all roads lead to handmade/homemade soaps. Let me just say I was having a really hard time believing that a handmade soap could leave me feeling all fresh & silky soft like some of those "high-end" brands you can buy out here in LA. You know, the ones that charge you three hard-earned paychecks for .25 ounces of magical fix-all? Yeah, those. So when I found the amazing Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps? I was floored. As they say ... "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Etsy Finds Vol. 8

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
c a l i f o r n i a

Regression

     As most of you know, one of my son's happens to have Autism. I've never been that mom who sits in a corner and cries "why me?" every 20 seconds. I don't make excuses for his diagnosis or feel I have to explain anything to that crotchety old person giving me the 'back-in-my-day-we-were-better-parents-and-maybe-we-beat-children-who-acted-like-him" face. I'd like to think that I took his diagnosis, and everything that it entails, in stride. I am opinionated, pushy and a determined advocate. I hug him when he lets me and I kick his butt (verbally) when he needs it. I try to help other parents who are dealing with the same issues - and I am always here to lend an ear when they need it. There are moms I lean on for support, and for some of you - I might be that support. So, I want to share a not-so-fantastic insight ... and let you take away whatever lesson you need to:

Unannounced Hiatus?

Whoa, the post that I had up to tell you guys all about my personal hiatus ... didn't post like it was supposed to. Blaaaaah! Well, I'm back ... not that you all knew I was gone haha.

I have a few things in the works this week, so look out for these posts coming soon:

     1. Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat review

     2. Etsy Finds

     3. Squish Goes Mainstream

Teespring: Crowdfunding Apparel

     As a mom, there's always something to fund-raise: kids schools, sports, events, family reunions, bake sales ... jeez, the list goes on forever. Right?! Last year, we tried to make great tees for the Autism Walk. Let's just say it turned out horribly. We went to some crappy place, and they "printed" us shirts. Half of the shirts were wrinkled, disfigured and lopsided. The other half were so thin, you could see evvvverything through them! The cost was outrageous, and we raised a little less than a hill of beans after subtracting all the expenses. We didn't even have shirts in the right sizes. It was a disaster. Never doing that again! It felt like the company's slogan should have been "Oh, you're fundraising? We'll carelessly slap your logo on some 2nd rate crappy merchandise, overcharge your customers and force you to pay us 80% of your profit."

I wish I had known about teespring back then!

Sunday Social

To be honest, I do these so sporadically now - I won't even attempt to number them anymore. Read on! Today's Sunday Social questions are all about jobs!

1. What is your dream job?

I think I'm doing it. I am a stay at home mom, with a blog. I volunteer at my local library, advocate for my kids, & help others who are dealing with what I've gone through in life. Sometimes we struggle with bills, and those extra expenses that seem to always pop up, but ... if money was no issue, it'd be amazing.

Etsy Finds Vol. 7

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
g l i t t e r