2. Adorable ruffled pink swimsuit
3. Awesome rainbow bliss scarf (really easy crochet stitch)
4. Lazy Sunday casserole
5. Thrifty stick horses (LOVE these!)
6. 25 handmade gift ideas under $5!
There are so many awesome things on Pinterest, I am so happy that more people are discovering it’s awesomeness! The more people who join the more awesome it will be.
Happy Leap Day!
I am a sucker for cute accessories, especially furry ones. I can’t help myself when it comes to adding cuteness to my phone, car, jacket… anything really. So when I saw the Rabito phone case on a favorite blog I follow, Pugly Pixel, I had to know more.
{photo from Pugly Pixel}
This case is adorable to say the least and is catching to the eye, while I was out today at least 2 people asked me about it! Although it retails for around $30 in the actual Rabito store I bought mine from eBay, winning the auction at $0.25!! All said and done I paid under $5 for this awesome little case, a steal and a price that I was really happy with since I have never seen the case in person.(If you want to get a case from eBay be aware that there are counterfeits out there, look for the Rabito name logo on the side of the case as well as authentic packaging.) I purchased my case from here and am bidding on a pink one from this store… gotta love eBay!
Here are my thoughts about this case:
It is a very cool looking case that is sturdy, fun, and protects the phone. The ears not definitely not flimsy pieces of silicone, they are tough and I don’t see them breaking or bending easily at all, plus I love that you can wrap your earphones around them. The fluffy tail is awesome, allows your phone to stand up or be on the side easily, and can pop off if you need it to. I am in love with the color, a very cheerful tropical blue that suits me perfectly. But of course this case does have a few drawbacks.
If the tail is on and you have small hands then it is hard to hold the phone to your ear. My hands just aren’t big enough to go around both tail and the phone, so when I get a call that I might be chatting for awhile I pop it off. I use my headphone jack quite a bit at the dance studio and the hole that was cut out isn’t quite big enough to hold the cord in well, although I will say that the cord is very large and heavy duty. I had no problems with normal headphone jacks. For some reason my charging cord that came with my phone isn’t fitting in right with the case on but when I tried a different charging cord ($5 one form Five Below it fit perfectly), so you may have to try different cords to see which ones fit the best.
All in all I am in love with the case and smile whenever I look at it. It would make a great basket filler for a teen or bunny loving women, Easter is right around the corner! There are a couple great colors and new silver or gold editions at the Rabito store are really posh looking. Highly recommend this case if you are looking to add some kawaii to your phone!
{loving} my new pool blue Rabito iPhone case… a review tomorrow
{eating} some of this yummy addictive Buffalo Chicken Dip, change out the ranch for blue cheese though- way more authentic!
{feeling} so much better now that I am over that nasty cold (unfortunately Klint has it!)
{drinking} sweet tea… I am addicted to the stuff
{sending} my thoughts and prayers out to the victims, families, teachers, and professionals touched by the school shooting that happened today, my sorority sister could have been there and I am ever so thankful she wasn’t.
{listening} to the sounds of a quiet and sleeping house… so very nice
{reading} this extraordinary list and smiling at the ones we have done, which as a lot I am proud to say
{working} on so many projects from Etsy sales to dance recital routines but having fun….
{making} covered button crafts- bookmarks with blanks from here, hair ties like these, and awesome earrings from some of my Japanese fabric stash
{watching} my littlest girl grow so fast before my eyes… she has so many words and questions now, everything is “What’s that?” or “What’s this?”
{learning} about dolphins, Komodo dragons, bridges, Ireland, robots, and bucket list ideas with the girls!
{playing} with red Solo cups with all the girls… who knew cups would be so much fun to play with? We stack, pour, build, crumble… endless possibilities!
{thinking} about this company and how beautiful their necklaces are and even more beautiful their creators!
{wearing} my version of a necklace because I was so inspired and made another for a dear friend in need of a pick me up!
{wishing} everyone a great night, (and that I knew how to knit because I am in LOVE with these for Moira!)
I belong to a couple different groups on Facebook that I joined because I wanted to become informed. I wanted credible sources, first hand accounts, a place to go when I had a specific question. One of these group is called Proud Parents of Unvaccinated Children.
(Now, before you jump on me and the hating comments begin, just pause the judgement and continue reading. =) Thank you.)
I consider myself a pretty level headed person who doesn’t make rash decisions just because everyone else is doing something, especially when it comes to my children. Before Moira came along, when I still thought that all doctors had our best interests at heart, I just did what the pediatrician said and never thought to question. Gabby had all her vaccinations from birth on as did AJ. I had no cause to think otherwise. Then the whole VBAC drama with Moira started and I began to question the whole medical system. I asked questions, I researched, I looked at studies and who funded those studies, and I listened to other mothers who went through what I was going through. I learned that not every doctor has our best interests at heart and that sometimes money speaks louder than common sense.
A great read if you want more information about vaccines, the diseases they protect against, and the risks involved with getting the vaccine.
One of the hardest decisions that a parent has to make today is concerning vaccines. Books like Dr. Sears’ “The Vaccine Book” suggests an alternate schedule that allows for a more spread out approach while the CDC and AAP stress that vaccines are totally safe, vital to a child’s health, and are no cause for alarm. The decision to vaccinate has to be made before birth because in the hospital most babies get a Hepatitis B vaccine, something that more and more parents are opting out of. (Unless the mother has Hep B or the baby is going to be working the corner, Hep B is not something to worry at birth!) It is really hard to know what resources are credible, where the funding for the studies comes from, and which way to go though.
We knew that there was no way that we were going to get Moira the Hep B vaccine and have never looked back from that moment on. Since that first decision we have gotten more comfortable reading studies, articles, books, and so much on our quest to become educated about vaccines and the benefits/dangers they possess.
A couple of days ago I read an article written by a doctor who wanted to know what she could do to assure parents that vaccines were safe. This is a very personal question and depends on what each family has experience in the past with vaccines. So I am going to share what makes me uncomfortable with them and what it would take for me to consider vaccinating again.
1. Hold the vaccine industry accountable for their product. This is one of the top issues for me because if you are making a product that is going to the ENTIRE population and are protected by the government, what is the driving force for quality and safety? No one would buy a car that doesn’t have a warranty, why would you inject something into your body that could possibly be a “bad batch” and have no way to hold the company accountable??
2. Do not allow doctors kick-backs for fully vaccinated their patients. If my doctor is getting thousands of dollars for making sure everyone has their vaccinations, is he really going to look closely at reactions, properly report them, and question their safety? No. He is going to explain the reactions and events away. Less than 10% of vaccine reactions are reported to VAERS, making it very difficult to track serious problems with vaccines.
3. Eliminate dangerous preservatives and ingredients from the vaccine. Pretty self explanatory. And yes, I realize that in each vaccine the amount of the dangerous chemical is considered “safe”, however, think about the sheer amount of vaccines kids are supposed to get these days and the “trace” amounts quickly add up. ( You can read more about this here)
4. Evaluate adverse reactions following routine vaccinations, including high fever, swollen limbs, brain dysfunction, seizures, and other incidents that are often dismissed as coincidence.
5. Do not administer vaccines of any kind to children without parental consent. When states pass laws that allow children as young as 12 to make medical decisions without parental knowledge or consent, I have a problem with it. What if that child has a reaction? Who will know why it is happening and who is going to be accountable for permanent injury or death?
6. Medical professionals need to acknowledge natural sources of immunity instead of adding more and more chemicals into children. By dismissing these cheaper natural solutions I am not as receptive to vaccine recommendations. For instance, it is common knowledge in holistic and chiropractic medicine that Vitamin D is more effective at preventing the flu, however I have never heard a doctor recommend that over a flu shot (which may or may not work against the many strains of the flu). I am much more willing to work with a doctor who first turns to natural immunity boosters before suggesting man-made chemicals.
7. Medical professionals admit that there are some risks associated with vaccines. This one is a big one for me as well because it opens the door for a rational, realistic conversation.
(Of course there are other factors that would cause us to reconsider our current position- traveling overseas, serious and true epidemic of a deadly disease (Chickenpox is not one of these diseases), or a medical condition which would cause a normally treatable illness to become deadly.)
This is a movie that discuses the whole vaccine debate in a scientific, rational matter… it is a great starting point!
Many people incorrectly assume that people who choose not to vaccinate their kids are lazy, dumb, conspiracy obsessed parents who are infecting everyone with diseases. I can’t stress how this is false. If anything, I have my children’s health at heart. I do not listen to celebrity’s or mommy bloggers but doctors, nurses, and scientists who see that there is something truly wrong with the current vaccines and the vaccine schedule we are imposing on our nation’s children.
So there ya have it… that is what it would take for me to reconsider vaccinations!
*If you want more information or want to see where I get a lot of my starting points, check out The International Medical Council on Vaccines or The National Vaccine Information Center **
Well, my entire week was shot due to my being sick, I am lucky that I had enough energy to get dressed and put some deodorant on… I am still not 100% better but I am no longer a puddle of misery on the couch. =) I am keeping my weekend wishes pretty basic because let’s face it- when mom is sick the house goes to the kids! I got some major cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping to do! But sprinkled in there are some fun goals of my own:
to make some of these lovelies…. sunshine on a stick!
make some fun Dr. Seuss shirts, read The Lorax, and eat green eggs
go to Target and ONLY get what is on the list!
watch some chick flicks and catch up on my painting and Etsy store stuff
Find me some yummy Pyrex!
make some of my own cleaners and laundry soap
And that is about it for me. Rest, plan for some upcoming projects, teach dance, blog…
what’s in store for your weekend??
