Mamavation Monday: Belly Dancing

I'm excited to share that I've started taking a belly dancing class! I love it!!! 
My first class was very productive. We began by doing what many women do best, shopping. After checking out the merchandise we then grabbed our yoga mats and introduced ourselves. I'm taking the class with two other friends and overall there were 7 of us in class. 
The wall in front of us was all mirror so it took me a moment to get use to watching myself dance. Actually, I'm not really a dancer. I've never felt comfortable moving my body in public so when this opportunity came up, I was a bit surprised by myself that I jumped on it so quickly, but I'm so glad I did.
The class will last 5 to 6 sessions and then I'll probably move on to the next level. The class does participate in shows but it's not mandatory, just an option I may take on later.  Another great aspect of the class is the focus on this feminine strength and ownership of inner peace and stability. The idea that taking time for yourself is important and helps to build calmness and strength into your daily life. That, I like. :)
And, in regards to my running...I did a 6 mile walk this weekend, that brings me up to 29 miles for this month. My goal is to run/walk 40 miles this month..and, I think I just might get it done!
I hope all my Sistas are enjoying their week! 
We could possibly close on our house this Friday which is super exciting but I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high in case it takes a bit longer. It's not about what happens to you in life, it's about how you respond to it all....that's what I'm trying to work on. :)
Make it a great week!!!!
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{Giveaway} Gourmet Cookie Bouquets: Boxed Cookies or Tin

As some of you may know, my kids and I have a pretty sweet tooth...we love baking and eating cookies. And what better way to celebrate the love of cookies than with a cookie giveaway?!?!
I'm joining up with Gourmet Cookie Bouquets and a group of other bloggers to co-host this fabulous giveaway. 
Two lucky winners will have the choice of either a cookie box or tin - up to a $75 value. Check out the choices of delicious treats, here .

With varieties such as: vanilla pound cake, chocolate chunk brownie bites, sugar cookies, and many, many more...you're sure to find something to satisfy your cookie needs. 
So, what are you waiting for? Fill out the Rafflecopter below and you're on your way to winning the sweetest of the sweet treats. And, if you can't wait til the end of May to see if you're a winner, pop on over to Gourmet Cookie Bouquets and pick up a batch of cookies for any and all types of occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, and even get well gifts. 

The giveaway rules:

*Enter using any of the Rafflecopter choices available for entry below. Any of the options are acceptable, and entries per person are limited to the number indicated in the contest form. Entries will be reviewed and duplicate or uncompleted entries will be removed.

* If you have problems using Rafflecopter, be sure you are running the latest version of your web browser and have JavaScript updated.

NOTE - You must complete the specified entry task in order to be eligible to win the contest. If you click the green entry button without completing the task, your entry will be thrown out (disqualified from winning the prize).

*Contest is open to all residents of the 48 Contiguous States and only to those 18 or older!

*Winners will be chosen by random. The winners will receive their choice of cookie box or tin valued at up to $75 from thiscookie tin and gift box page.

*Winners will be notified via e-mail. You must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.

*The full list of rules can be found here .

*Sweepstakes ends at midnight EST on May 26th, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by June 2nd, 2013.

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{Product Review and Giveaway} Mother's Day With Blue Nile

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Moms out there. Whether you have children of your own or simply have touched the lives of children around you, you certain deserve a special day to be shown love and appreciation!
This Mother's Day I'd like to shift my focus from family for just a moment and touch on a beautiful gift I recently received from Blue Nile . Blue Nile is the largest online diamond retailer and provides only the highest quality jewelry. 
Blue Nile offers items such as loose diamonds, pearl, platinum, silver and gold jewelry.  They also endorse the standards of the Kimberly Process which tracks diamonds from mines to market to ensure their diamonds are conflict free. And, they "work to ensure their gold and metals come from suppliers that meet the highest human rights, social, and environmental criteria."  With Blue Nile you can feel confident that you are receiving the highest quality products available at a reasonable price.

I received these gorgeous sterling silver ear rings for review and fell in love with them the moment I opened the box. They are so elegant yet light weight and move freely while being worn. The moment my 4 year old daughter saw me in them she told me how pretty I looked and asked if she could wear my beautiful ear rings. Now, you know if you can impress a 4 year old you've definitely found something worth keeping! :)
Overall, I'm extremely pleased to add these ear rings to my collect and look forward to wearing them out tonight with family to celebrate Mother's Day. And, to help you celebrate this wonderful day, Blue Nile has offered the chance for you to receive your own pair of ear rings. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below and stay tuned to see who wins.
I received this product in return for a product review. These opinions are 100%  honest and authentic. Happy Mother's Day!!! {US Residents Only - Giveaway}

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Mamavation Monday: Just Keep Swimming....

Buying a house and moving is stressful! Oh and then changing jobs as well. Just a bit more stress. And, usually when I'm stressed I stop moving. This time, though, I've at least kept up with my running. And I've enjoyed doing so with the Nike+ app. It tracks your mileage and actually ranks you among your friends. I'd love to have more friends if anyone is using the app. I'm a pretty competitive soul so I love challenging myself against someone else's runs. 
Other than that, I've thrown out the scale and yet I'm starting to feel a small different in the way my close are fitting. I'm also focusing on drinking more water this week, it's the small steps that keep you moving forward. And...I'm gonna start belly dancing classes. I know...fun times!!!! :)
That's it, short and sweet this week. Make it a great one!!!!
 

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NOVICA: My Beaded Princes Art Tote Bag

I'm pretty picky when it comes to my handbags. I don't have dozens of them but the ones I do have took a great deal of concentration when it came to purchasing them. Also, I don't like to spend big bucks on my bags, so, when I was contacted by NOVICA about a product review, I was super excited about the opportunity to not only review a high quality handbag, for free, but to also support NOVICA,  "a leading fair trade artisan websites that works with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market." 
I must admit, the website features gorgeous products from all around the world. You can find unique gifts , jewelry, necklaces , religious gifts , and even sculpture gifts , all would make for a wonderful Mother's Day gift. 
I chose this gorgeous beaded Princess Art hand bag.  Bag info:
Bright flowers blossom in the emerald garden that adorns this tote bag. Wahyu Sulistiani uses traditional batik techniques with the Hokokai and Kembang sorepatterns. The florid hokakai motif was developed during the Japanese colonization of Java and has since remained a much favored motif. Kembang sore (evening flower) is the name of the princess who, according to legend, was the daughter of a hermit, and was famous for her batik art. The lined shoulder bag has one pocket inside and is decorated with golden beads. 
I must say, I am extremely happy with this tote. The design is lovely, the quality is amazing, and I truly feel it's a special piece of art. It's spacious, durable, and yet elegant. Overall, I believe NOVICA is an amazing site that offers outstanding items created by artists from around the world. Check out their curation website @ http://www.novica.com/curation to see many more wonderful items. 
I received this item in return for a product review. The opinions expressed in this this post are 100% honest and authentic.




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I Need To Love Myself

As I was examining myself in the bathroom, I came to the realization that I need to love myself. Critiquing my body and obsessing over my weight has simply not brought any sort of peace or joy to my life. 
I seriously have been obsessed with my weight and appearance for the last 4 years. I have yo-yoed with my weight since my teenage years and I can not remember a time that I was ever comfortable in my own skin.
I'm tired, people. I'm almost 36 years old and I'm damn well ready to be ok with myself. I'm damn well ready to feel good about myself.
I run 5K's for goodness-sakes, I'm educated, I'm funny, hell, I'm even sexy when I let it all out. I need to stop beating myself up, accept what I have accomplished, and enjoy myself. And that's what I plan to do from here on out.
Yes, I'll always push myself to be better but instead of always just wanting the next level or a faster race time, I'm gonna actually start enjoying what I do in this body. I'm gonna appreciate what my body does for me when I go for a run and by doing so, I'm going to nurture it and take better care of it.
I'm also going to stop comparing myself to others and instead encourage others more in their own endeavors.  It's time, Toni, it's time to find you, love you, and enjoy the many blessings you have. It's time.



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Kids At Play: Flower Provocation

I love being outside with my kids. The sunshine is like a natural remedy to boredom, insanity, and even cranky mommy moments. So, whenever we can, we get outside. 
Maddie brought me some wonderful flowers she had picked in the yard and I instantly had the desire to paint  a picture of them. I quickly pulled out all the supplies we'd need and placed the flowers in a mason jar. And then I sat back and watched. 
Jacob is very curious about paint and prefers to use a paintbrush which really surprises me with his age, many young kids love to finger paint. Maddie is about mixing paint. She typically starts with one color, paints, then moves to another and another until the page is actually a brownish color. At that point, she seems to finish it and she's completely satisfied with her work. 
I didn't mention to the kids about painting a picture of the flowers, but rather allowed them to explore on their own with a nice boutique to possibly inspire them. :) Overall, we all had a wonderful time mixing paint and sunshine on this glorious day!
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