Hosted By: Simply Southern Couponers

Sponsored By: PB Crave

PB Crave is an all natural and healthy treat made out of only the highest quality ingredients. PB Crave offers 4 different flavors and is made by Sweet Harvest Foods in Cannon Falls, MN. We love Peanut Butter around our house. How would you like to try Peanut Butter with a Twist?

To see more about PB Crave read Simply Southern Couponers full review here.

(Photo Credit: PB Crave)

{Promoting Bloggers add 2-3 sentences here}

Event Details:

Date: September 6th, 2013- September 20th, 2013

Open to US residents only. Must be 18+ to participate.

Prize: One lucky reader will receive PB Crave Choco Choco Variety Pack.

How to enter:

Complete the Entry Form below. All entries are optional. Winning entries will be verified.

By entering this giveaway you agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions on the Entry Form.

A special thanks to our sponsor and a great group of blogger friends for helping us with this event. Stop by and visit each of them.

Good Luck & thanks for entering!

Sivana’s motto is “Live with Spirit”, how cool is that?!  If we all lived in a place and from a place that was aware of not only ourselves but of others as well!  The amazing changes that could occur are unimaginable!

Most people are aware I say (in a dramatic tone usually) that yoga saved my life.  That MIGHT be a bit dramatic but having the moving meditation seriously helps my stress levels and with this type A personality that is no small order!!  This amazing company is offering us a 20% off code for your first order “NEWBIE” is the code!  Let me know what you get and how much you love it!!

NOW for the GIVEAWAY!!  Note: doesn’t start until tomorrow!!

I so love this stuff!

This is feel good stuff!  We all need reminders now and then, these amazing products help remind us with positive thoughts!  What are real customers saying?

“On June 3rd, 2012, I lost my dad who was my biggest fan.  While I was in college over 20 years ago, I was at a point that I was struggling and he told me that I had the strength to accomplish anything I set my mind to.  He reminded me of being a young girl and spending hours out in the yard teaching myself to jump rope.  I worked for hours on end until I mastered that skill.  He told me that was a true sign of strength.  I have a Warrior Training Bracelet that says STRENGTH.  When things get tough in my life – from my workouts to my work or home life – I look at that one word and know that my dad is watching over me.  I know that I do have the strength to accomplish anything I put my mind to.”  —  Cheryl J.    Endorphin Warrior customer since 2010

SO THEY ARE GIVING US ALL A DISCOUNT IN HONOR OF THEIR 4TH ANNIVERSARY!  START YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING NOW AND SAVE AT THE SAME TIME!!

15% OFF Warrior Training Bracelets

It’s the 4th anniversary of our Warrior Training Bracelets.  Now thru Sept. 15th, receive 15% OFF all Warrior Training Bracelets at EndorphinWarrior.com.

Enter the coupon code below at checkout and 15% will automatically be deducted from all Warrior Training Bracelets in your shopping cart.

Coupon code: WTB15off  

Tell your family and friends!  They too can receive 15% OFF by entering this code at checkout.

1. Coupon valid only for purchases made from Sept. 1, 2013 thru Sept. 15, 2013.

2. Sale ends at midnight, Sept. 15, 2013 PST.

Shop all Warrior Training Bracelets here 

NAMASTE – WARRIORS!!!

OK frugal friends, I have this coupon type app on my phone (IBOTTA) and I got a message today that if you use my link you get $10!!!

Here is the screenshot of the app:

It’s paid via paypal.  Below is my screen shot where I requested the $5.60 be sent to my paypal so I could verify it actually did what it was saying…

I know that the company pays because I have had money sent to my paypal.

FYI, I do get $1 per person that starts an account.
The link is http://ibotta.com/r/44i7tA and you can do it on iphone or android based phones.

What gave me this idea?  Well in the app you can say you saved on facebook, so I did and Lindsey got the FREE app and boom!  I got the idea that more people can get $10!  If you get the app please let me know!

Thank you!

8/20/13

Mom,

Thank you for the update on my Uncle.  I will be very disappointed if Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Ken can’t attend our wedding, I know that they really want to attend to show their God Daughter their support.  I’m so sad that Uncle Ken’s chemo isn’t going well, he doesn’t deserve to suffer.  He is an amazing man, father, husband and Episcopalian human being.  Cancer is horrible.

I am getting MARRIED in October, it is not “a THING” and if you can’t respect me as a human and as an adult, please don’t refer to it at all.  My partner has a name, her name is Jenn, please respect her enough as a human to refer to her by her name as well.  I am pretty amazing person.  I am loving, kind, considerate, honest, loyal and I treat others with respect and in the way in which I want to be treated.  Do not ask me to change or tell me that I need to change.  God loves me just the way that I am.  God accepts me just the way that I am.

This is how Jenn proposed to me.  I’ve never been able to share this with you, it was pretty amazing though, just like her.

There are so many things in this life and in this world that matter, supporting a healthy loving relationship between two humans who love and respect each other that doesn’t quite fit into your black and white rule book is ridiculous.   Depriving a child of time because they aren’t following your rules is more hurtful than you could ever imagine.  Your oldest daughter being married with her parents there to support her is very important and you choosing to not being there, is hurtful.  I am growing my hair out for my WEDDING, a wedding that I have planned, organized, orchestrated and collaborated WITHOUT MY MOTHER.  What mother does that?  Deprives their child of their presence because they don’t agree with their child’s partner?  If I had chosen a rapist or an abuser I can see your not supporting that relationship, however my partner is kind, considerate, respectful, loves me unconditionally, is a public servant, a supportive sister and friend to everyone, your not accepting and supporting our relationship is not ok.

If you choose to not attend our wedding, I don’t know that I will ever be able forgive that voluntary absence as a stance to withhold your love and support of me.  Jenn’s mother CAN’T be here.  MY MOTHER and FATHER are being a stubborn MULES and CHOOSING to not attend, that is not ok.  I have for a very long time remained relatively quiet for one reason or another.  Dad was sick, you were sick, other children needed to be the focus but this is my time.  This is my wedding, a day I will only have once in my life because I have found the one where my heart is at home with, my life partner.

I did not choose to be born, you got to pick that part.  You raised me to be respectful, kind, considerate, hard working, diligent and to stand for what I believe in.  You raised me to be an independent adult with my own thoughts and beliefs that I was allowed to postulate and define.  Now, you say, that I need to change some of those things in order to live the life that you want me to live?  Who’s life would I be living then?

You’ve had your life, you are living it.  You’ve gotten to make your choices.  Why should you get to make my choices for me now, as an adult?  Do you not trust your parenting enough to trust that I am making the best decision for me for my life, my love?  I am 35 years old, I have made mistakes, we all do.  Perhaps I have made more than you think that I “should” but who is really to judge that? You?  Do you have the right to judge my choices?

I have been telling you the same thing for over 14 years.  My heart loves deeply, strongly and without regard to gender.  I love you unconditionally and it hurts me so much to think that my mother and father won’t attend my wedding.  Life is so precious, we don’t know which breath is our last, why waste time disagreeing and withholding love trying to manipulate an action to what it is that you want?

I choose love.  I choose to live my life with honesty and with openness of my heart.  I love you Mom and Dad and I hope you’ll attend our wedding and celebrate the beginning of our life together.   Despite you not liking what you call a “choice” your presence does matter to me.

I have lived in the periphery for so long leaving part of me “in the garage” when I come into your house so as not to upset you.  The effect of leaving that part of me out in the cold has caused me serious pain and I can’t allow that pain to eat away at me anymore.

I love you Mom and Dad.

Signed,

Your oldest daughter and soon to be bride

Are you someone you’d choose today to be around?  Why not?  Why yes?  Me?  I would answer yes and no (great non answer right?).  For work, yes I am someone I’d want to be around if the tasks were delegated to me, because frankly…I get stuff done.  However, if it is related to personal then I’m not so sure because I don’t seem to have an “off” switch.  I often relate to people outside of work in my “boss” mode.  Did you know that not all people like to be bossed around?  Funny right…apparently I forget that when talking to my fiance.

Namaste,

Starfish L

I read a great book and wanted to share it with you.

The name of the book is:

GMOs in Food:

What Every American Needs to Know

(Foodie Talk with Chef John and Anne)

[Kindle Edition]

Anne Newsome (Author) (available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EN8E826/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb)

My Amazon Review:

This is an awesome way to introduce people to the information that we all need to know more about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  The information is clear and concise and KEEPS YOUR INTEREST!  There are so many pieces of information inside that provide insight into WHY the FDA doesn’t have motivation to push for citizen education.  What is the risk in requiring company’s fully disclose what goes into their products?  Most citizens assume that testing is required for long term safety BEFORE a product goes to the marketplace, that is not an assumption we can rely on!  I don’t want to make assumptions that things are safe without a basis in fact, do you?  Why not require testing, why not require companies (big and small) to prove they are proposing a product that is safe?!  We can’t just rely on the old “nothing’s happened yet”…and base the use of a potentially disease causing product on that when we have the means to gather the information.  This book provides a great basis of the information based on facts.  I have more investigating to do but, don’t we all?!  Great book, good subject, well articulated and thought provoking!  (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EN8E826)”

Why did this interest me?

I used a homeopathic remedy a number of years ago to find an oncoming cold little did I know when I did that I was experiencing my sense of taste and smell for the last time.  That is right, I can’t smell or taste correctly.  Mostly I report things smell as I remember portopotty smelling, nice right.  The FDA didn’t regulate the homeopathic remedy and therefore didn’t have the “authorization” to pull the product, well enough people experienced the same symptoms that I did and guess what?  In an unprecedented move in June 2009 the FDA required this company (who will remain nameless, grrr-my blood pressure rises just thinking about it) to pull the product from the shelf, THANK GOODNESS.  However, on February of the same year (that is right 4 months AFTER I lost my sense of taste and smell) the product was deemed “too dangerous” to remain on the shelves.  Then, the product was reformulated and has now returned to shelves with a different “dosing mechanism”.

So the process of trying to not allow my loss to happen to another person began.  I trusted that a multi-national and multi-millon dollar “homeopathic” company  would care if 1 in 1,000 had an “adverse symptom”.

Thus began the beginning of my awareness education and activism regarding product information (some might call it paranoia; being hypervigilant, I call let  HEY I’M ALREADY DOWN 2 senses, DO YOU HAVE ALL OF YOURS?!)  So I decided that I wasn’t going to allow myself to be ignorant and I was going to inquire about things that concerned me, what did I have to lose?  Nothing!  Education and knowledge to gain!

I learned that cosmetics that are considered all-natural don’t necessarily have to go through a rigorous testing process in order to get onto the shelf.  I also realized that many people in America assume the “government is involved in everything”.   But it seems to me, that there are a lot of components of the government that encourage capitalism (I agree capitalism is CRITCAL AND KEY TO OUR ECONOMY) but what is the balance point between causing damage and rushing the product to market putting people at unnecessary risk?

Want to know more?

GMOs – A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, insects, plants, fish, and mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods, and are also widely used in scientific research and to produce goods other than food. The term GMO is very close to the technical legal term, ‘living modified organism’ defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which regulates international trade in living GMOs (specifically, “any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology”).

This article focuses on what organisms have been genetically engineered, and for what purposes. The article on genetic engineering focuses on the history and methods of genetic engineering, and on applications of genetic engineering and of GMOs. Both articles cover much of the same ground but with different organizations (sorted by organism in this article; sorted by application in the other). There are separate articles on genetically modified crops, genetically modified food, regulation of the release of genetic modified organisms, and controversies.-www.wikipedia.com)

An act so small to someone means so much to another.

The sea has always called to me. Explaining just why it is that the sound of the sea and surf calms my fiery “innerds” could be attributed to my Sagittarius roots but let’s not get too out there with the inception post, I digress. The story of the Starfish speaks so eloquently to how I feel about life these days. I might not be affecting a million people but I can affect one! From there the possibilities are limitless. A few people can then affect a few and those few can, affect a few and by the time you take a breath to count the people affected it might be quite a lot!

I get upset when I see people doing things (littering, being mean to wait staff, disregarding children, animal or elderly people) and just dismissing that those actions “aren’t that important” that it doesn’t affect anyone else. I disagree, it DOES affect us all. What if we look at things from the inverse perspective, that what I do DOES affect others. What do we have to lose? Nothing I say, but a lot to gain.

I’m not suggesting we change everything today but each and every day we can make a commitment to do a little more and in the long run we all benefit. So I pick up a piece of trash that isn’t mine that is in my path of travel to the store I am already going into, what does that do? It cleans up my world, my children’s world and the perception of the next person walking in who doesn’t have to see the trash! What little things can you do today?

This to my place to share my experiences, to gather community and to engage with thinkers (and do-ers) alike. We aren’t always going to agree, and that is a GREAT thing!

A collective of energy and discussion to engage and embrace. We are all more alike than we are different after all!

We can all engage more locally to support one another!

Hang around our Starfish Chic and you’ll see if for yourself as well.

Namaste!

Starfish L