A Simple Idea to Give Extra

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Being that it is November, I've been reflecting a lot lately about everything that I’m grateful for. I know it’s something that we should think about more than just one month out of the year, but I’m glad that we can all take this time out of the year to think about all of the reasons why we should be happy, instead of all of the reasons why we shouldn't, and it makes me want to give extra joy to the ones I love.

Life is such a precious gift that can be taken away or cut short at any point in time, and I never want anyone to forget just how important they are in my life and how much they mean to me – especially my husband. I don’t know about you, but my spouse is probably the one person that should deserve some extra attention from me, but that doesn’t always happen. Life happens and the ones who are always there for us get put on the back burner until things cool down – and that’s okay to do sometimes, as long as you let them know that they are still in your thoughts, and so with the crazy week I had last week I wanted to make sure Wayne knew I was thinking of him.

Hence my Extra-Special card concept was born.  This is the guy that took me in when I was probably at the lowest scariest point in my young life and gave me a home and a shoulder to lean on.  He deserves a little Extra surprise every now and then.

Making a creative card is just one way you can make extra moments that will bring a smile to someone’s face and make them feel happy inside. Remind them of how thankful you are!

I used a blank card that I had lying around and then taped the pack of Extra gum to the front and wrote my wording around it, then added some extra pieces inside with the words “I Love You” for him. I hid it in his lunch box for a surprise while at work, but you could get creative and place your card in other spots, like on the seat in his car, on the bathroom mirror, or even hidden in the mailbox when he checks it. 

What kinds of things do you do to make your loved ones feel Extra-special? Here's one more idea that I created last winter. 

Thanks #CollectiveBias for letting me share my #ExtraGumMoments with you! 

~Melissa

Follow along for more Extra Gum Moments on  Facebook and Twitter. 

Living Locally: Howloween at The Oregon Zoo

Hey everyone! This past week has been so incredibly busy that I’ve barely even had a chance to say “hello” on here. On top of my normal routines Anika started basketball practice and I filled in for someone who was on vacation all week at work – so the week just flew by!

A couple of weeks ago (the day we went to see Disney on Ice actually) we went up to visit The Oregon Zoo. We always have a great time when we head up to the zoo – it seems as if there’s always something new going on or different animals that are out to be seen.

The Oregon Zoo had a Howloween event happening that weekend, which was just something to make the visit even more exciting for little ones.  Kids could dress up in costumes if they wished, and then they were on a scavenger hunt to find stations that had little games and candy for them.

The weather had been pretty nasty most of the weekend, but by the time we went Sunday afternoon things held off and it was actually pretty nice outside. It was a great time to go because there were fewer crowds than normal so it wasn’t as difficult keeping track of all three kids (Like the time I went HERE).

The next big event happening at The Oregon Zoo is Zoolights! It runs November 28^th-Jan 4^th this year and the Zoolights train will be back this year! (HERE are some pictures I took from our visit last year!)

There’s just something about a visit to the zoo that brings back all of those nostalgic memories of our first visits when we were children. I can only hope that someday my kids will look back and recall all of the fun visits we had together at The Oregon Zoo.

~Melissa

Full Disclosure: My family and I were given free admission to The Oregon Zoo, no compensation was received. All opinions are my own. 

Living Locally: The Northwest Food and Wine Festival

There is a very fun and Portland event happening soon that I am so excited about! The Northwest Food and Wine Festival will be at the Double Tree by Hilton Lloyd Center on November 15th from 4-8pm. The festival is in its 9th season and is the go-to place of the evening for Northwest wines, beers, spirits and mouthwatering cuisines.

This will be an evening to grab a date or your best friends, throw on that little black dress that's been collecting dust ( I think I wear mine twice a year! )  and have an night out on the town. Upon entering the festival you receive a wine glass and can then mingle on the floor which is filled with wines and bites from local restaurants! This year The Fabulous Beekman Boys, winners of The Amazing Race, authors of several award winning cookbooks, television celebrities and now more famous for their goat cheese and mercantile will be hanging out with guests this year! 

In addition to all of the food and wine there will also be a cocktail camp area where you can learn new recipes and tricks. Wayne and I had so much fun at this event last year! 

General Admission tickets for the event are $75 (5-8pm) and limited to 1500

VIP Admission tickets for the event are $95 (4-8pm) and limited to 500

And ALL food and drinks are included in the ticket price!

BUT for my readers the Festival is offering a $20 off general admission coupon! Just enter the code: wonderwoman when purchasing your tickets HERE.

Photos 1,4, &6  VIA



Can't wait to see you there! You can take a peek from our photos from last year here. :) 

~Melissa

15 Reasons Why You Should Respect Your Feet (and excuses to have a pedicure!)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I have always been the kind of person that has to have painted toenails and a pretty pedicure for my feet. I'm that kind of girl that shows my feet off approximately oh, 49 weeks of the year in my flip flops. I only have a few exceptions, like snow, 5 degree weather, when I'm working, or when I'm exercising. 

Yes, I know I'm slightly weird. ;)

Even as a kid I can recall running around everywhere barefoot - quite the opposite from my sister, who always laced up to venture outside and play. I guess I've always been that dare-devil, care-free, wild-spirited girl all along.

Often times I will pay a visit to the salon and get a pedicure there, but sometimes I don't have the extra time or money to do that, and sometimes my feet start looking bad in between visits, so I like to pamper myself a little bit and give myself a pedicure at home. I like to do it after I've taken a bath or a shower, then I can put my bathrobe on and a face mask at the same time. I then will soak my feet in a foot bath, and then use my foot file to remove any extra dead skin off of my heels (I know, it's gross!) I then trim my nails and cuticles and finish up with some nail polish. I used to use a manual foot file, but last week I found a new gadget while I was shopping at Target. It's called a Pedi Perfect Electronic Foot File from Amopé, and it was in the foot care aisle. I bought it along with their Daily Moisturizer For Feet because it intrigued me so much. 

Let me tell ya, it was amazing! I will never go back to a manual foot file again! It was very easy to use, it even had batteries included. I even got brave and had Wayne soak his feet so I could try my new gadget out on his feet (which I think haven't seen a file in YEARS)...and it helped them so much! 

I believe we should all love and respect our feet - treat them good, and take care of them well. After all, they are a pretty important part of our body. In fact, so important that I've came up with 15 Reasons why you should respect your feet and treat them right!

1. They get you from place to place everyday.

2. Each foot has 26 bones in it - for a grand total of 52 in a pair. That's a quarter of your entire body's bones!

3. Most likely if you'e a lady, your poor tootsies get tortured in some kind of a high heel. 

4. Respect them because of their uniqueness. No two feet are alike, and it's rare that both of yours are even the same size!

5. Sometimes back pain actually originates from foot problems. 

6. They keep us moving - on average 10,000 steps a day!

7. Your pair of feet have 66 joints in them.

8. They hold up a lot of pressure when you stand on them - up to 4 times your weight when you run.

9. Your feet mirror your health. Often times conditions like diabetes, arthritis and nerve disorders show up in your feet first.

10. They are pretty popular, even Socrates quoted them: "When our feet hurt, we hurt all over."

11. Your feet feel so much better when they are soft and taken care of...who wants that scratchy feeling when you put your socks on?

12. They sweat - a lot. (that's probably why I prefer mine to be open to air). Each foot has something like 250,000 sweat glands, and when we wear shoes all of the time we inhibit the process of sweating. 

13. They each leave a special footprint. Like our hands, no two foot prints are alike. How cool is that?

14. The skin on the soles of your feet is the thickest part of skin on your body

15. They aren't just for walking - they're handy too. I don't know about you, but my feet are also useful for picking up random things off the ground. Why not?

 Check out the new Pedi Perfect Electronic Foot File and Daily Moisturizer from Amopé, and let me know what you think! There's also a couple of deals happening at Target, so make sure you check them out before you go!

• Target gift card offer: 11/9 - 11/22 purchase one Pedi Perfect and receive a $5 Target gift card
• Cartwheel offer: 11/2 - 11/22 for 10% off: http://cartwheel.target.com/offer/20183

Thanks #CollectiveBias and #RespectURFeet for letting me share my fun tips today!

~Melissa

Love is a Gift.

I can't believe it's November already! After we set the clocks back last night it really hit me - we are almost finished with 2014. I wish I could pause time for a while and keep things this way. MassMutual asked me a few weeks ago to share a personal story with you and I though that since it is November - a time that we all count our blessings, that I'd share one of my biggest blessings with you: my husband. 

I met him ten years ago while I was working as a certified nurse's assistant. I was a young, naive new mom who wasn't looking for love - in fact at that time of my life I was bitter, scared, and had no desire to share my emotions with anyone, because that would mean I risked getting hurt - again. 

Call it fate, call it luck, but I took care of Wayne's stepfather and he came in to visit him often, and I began to get to know him. I was attracted to the fact that someone could so selflessly think of people they loved and devote time into sitting there, caring for someone when I know it's not a fun or easy thing to do. All too often I saw quite the opposite - where individuals went weeks (or more) without ever having a visitor. 

To shorten I very long story, here we are today - though it hasn't been without bumps along the way. We've had our ups and downs like any relationship does, and I've grown to ignore the nay-sayers or judgemental people who have purposely tried to tear us down because of our age difference. I don't care because every love is unique.

It works, for us. Wayne took Anika in as his own and helped me raise her because he fell in love with that little curly red haired toddler. Emma and Noah came along and made our family complete. 

Every love is different - and every kind of love that we share is unique. No two loves are alike. I'm so glad that I let my guard down and accepted the love that he had for me initially.

Every love is a gift.

MassMutual has created an initiative for everyone called "Love is a Gift" So you can share your's with everyone you know. For every picture you post on Instagram with the hashtag #LoveIsAGift, MassMutual will donate $1 to Easter Seals, up to $50,000.

Love comes in many ways - and one of those ways is by providing children and adults living with disabilities, caregivers, and veterans more access to the things they need like specialists, information, and financial strategies that can help improve their quality of life. 

I encourage you to post your mini story on Instagram and share your gift of love with others! 

   

Join me on Wednesday, November 5th at 8:00 am PST/ 11:00 am EST for the #LoveIsAGift Twitter party! 

~Melissa

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the MassMutual.