Play Nice Fridays

So, I haven't joined a blog hop in a while and decided today I would. I have been busy with family crap and haven't been blogging responsibly but I would love more followers. I read all of these blogs which seem to sound similar to me but they have 245 followers while I have 71 (don't take that wrong my 71, I love you all and feel lucky to have you all). If you'd like to join the Friday Follow I'm on today click the link below.



If you're new here, here are what I consider some of my better posts:
2 Cent Tuesdays: Making Fame Out of Nothing At All
Washington's Chickens Roost in Our Homes
I Curse Therefore I Reap
Baby Want a Prozac
Teachers Make Easy Targets
Dudes vs Chicks; Parenting

Happy Father's Day to The Man I Chose

My past Father’s Days have always been about my own father but, since I’ve had children that focus has shifted to the man I married. My husband Dave is one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. Not only is he a caring and attentive husband but he is an excellent dad. Dave loves our kids and shows it to them in so many wonderful ways it is as if he was meant to be a father. I saw this early on when I watched him with my stepchildren. Dave always makes time for them when they’re having a problem and he spends any time with them that he can get. When they were young he would drive 8 hours round trip on Fridays and Sundays just to have them for the weekend. The attachment his older children have to him is sweet and natural, cultivated through years of his being there and showing unconditional love. 

Dave’s relationship with our two young children has been equally amazing to watch. No matter what he has to do (his job is super demanding) he is always aware of how much time he’s spent with the boys. If he feels like he hasn’t been around enough he will come home and pick one or both boys up and take them to work with him for a while or he will set aside special time during his days off to do something fun with them. When he’s worn out on the weekends and just wants to relax he somehow finds the extra energy to play with the boys and make them breakfast. When we go on road trips (which we do often) he draws the boys the cutest little detailed maps with land marks they can easily identify so they have some understanding of where they are as we drive for hours and hours. Dave makes up little songs that include our boy’s names which he has sung to them since they were babies and which they now sing with him. As I mentioned earlier, every Saturday (sometimes Sunday) he gets up with the boys and makes them a huge egg breakfast allowing them to help even though cooking with a 2 and 3 year old is an exercise of insanity. Dave is always looking for new ways to give my boys experiences and memories whether it be staying in a cabin in the woods or spending as much of the summer as possible on our boat (we’re about to attempt camping soon which is not something I look forward to but Dave insists will be an integral piece of their childhood puzzle).

These are just some of the many ways my husband is a great father. I couldn’t have found a better man to marry and have a family with. I can honestly say he is a more hands on and active dad than my own. If there was a Father of the Year award he would get my vote hands down. I know that no matter what the next 15 years of my children’s life brings Dave will be right there helping and loving them all the way. His work ethic, emotional support, and excitement for the little things in life (like smores cooked over a fireplace blaze) is envious and will provide the best example of what it means to be a father and husband my boys could have. Because of  Dave's influence, my boys will be given the chance to grow up to be stable, self confident men. So, this Father’s Day, I am celebrating my husband, because in a world of fathers he is the rule not the exception.

I Love You Dave!!!! Thank you for our wonderful little family and your unwavering companionship. Here’s to all of the Father’s Days we will celebrate during our life together.

The Instyler is the Shiznit

A year ago I bought the Instyler (pictured on right) which is an item that is, in my humble opinion, the best hair straightener EVER. I have gone through like 3 flat irons and had finally given up on straight beautiful hair until I saw the infomercial for the Instyler. For months I watched those boring commercials like they were a new episode of  E!'s The Soup and thought about buying one but they were so expensive (100 bucks +shipping on their website or 109 bucks at Bed Bath and Beyond). I am not one for spending that much on styling tools (I've also got a bad case of shopper's remorse and have to have a bag full of shit after spending 100 dollars anywhere) so I sadly decided there was no hope for one in my future. Then one day after forcing my husband to watch and discuss the commercial for the thousandth time he exasperatedly sweetly suggested I go on Ebay. There I found a seller who has access to cosmetically defective (small chips in the handle) Instylers directly from the manufacturer which she can then sell for much cheaper. The one I bought only cost 60 bucks with free shipping. The “chip” that is supposed to be there isn’t even visible. It was the best purchase I ever made and now I would totally spend 100 bucks just to replace mine. It not only straitens in minutes but it works on the nasty deep set kinks that I have in the back of my hair. I have odd hair, it is straight in the front and some parts of the back but underneath there are these stubborn hard to straighten waves. Even my hair stylist struggles to blow dry it straight, but the Instyler straightens that shit quick style. The Instyler works better because it has a brush on one side and a rolling iron on the other. The brush separates the strands making straightening easier and quicker while the rolling iron straightens and gives you the ability to curl the ends under or flip them out. It has 3 heat settings so you can customize the heat to your hair type (my haggard ass waves require the highest setting). The Instyler is made to straighten, curl, or flip your hair so it is completely versatile. One of my personal benefits is it straightens quickly (15 minutes for whole head ) so I can straighten my hair before my boys make the decision to burn the house down or break the washing machine. Here are my Instyler before and after pics:
                                                                                                                    

Why should you believe my opinion about this product when dear departed Billy Mays is selling you shit 24/7? Because I consider my husband and myself  “As seen on TV” aficionados. We have ordered by phone and bought in stores several TV products such as the Snuggie (I know it’s cheese but it works and it’s soft. I have a pink one), the disposable razor blade sharpener (not good, they’re disposable for a reason), Shoes Under (totally sucked and nothing like commercial portrayed, it was flimsy and the shoe compartments aren’t sealed not to mention it doesn’t fit under my bed), the EZ Cracker for eggs (great product for toddlers who want to help cook and moms who don’t like egg everywhere), and many more. We even go on shopping trips to Walgreens specifically to see what "As Seen on TV" products they have. I know it’s weird but for us it's also fun. My deep knowledge of TV products is why you should follow my lead and purchase an Instyler. This has been by far the best TV sold item I have found. If you have really curly hair or even ultra fine hair that is hard to curl I suggest buying one. You will not regret it. If you’re like me and cannot stomach 100 bucks for hair tools here is the link to the Ebay seller I used and generally sells them for 60-70 bucks Offbetti. Click here, Intsyler , for the company’s website to read other reviews and view additional product information including more before/after pics.

This is a personal review of a product I love. None of the companies spoken about or reviewed requested this post. I received no money or products in return for this review. This post contains my personal opinions on certain products and in no way represents the companies that produce them or any of their current customers.