Monday PSA: If you're making other's happy, make sure you're happy as well

I found this photo on Facebook, I don't know who the original creator was, so if the original creator can step forward, I will remove the photo or give you credit.


How this photo spoke to me: I don't know about everyone lately, but it's been a week that's felt so long. I've tried keeping everyone happy. I tried to make everyone else smile. Everyone except for myself. It wasn't like my weekend was bad nor my life was bad, but I didn't think I needed to come first.

Why did I need to be number one? My husband, my kids, my family, my pets. They all need me to be there for them. I don't tend to think about how I need to smile for them.

It wasn't until I saw the photo that it made sense:
As soon as this photo was part of my Facebook feed, when I needed time to think. I couldn't figure out why my moods were crazy. Why I didn't feel as full as I did when I helped people and saw the happiness in their eyes. I am someone too! I can't forget that I won't forget that.

Back to that Oprah-like advice:  It was November when I did that writing prompt the one that kind of changed the way I saw things. I'm not reminded that If I want to be selfless and be kind like my grandma was. I needed to learn not to bite off more than  I can chew. We are all human and we need to remember that we are all human. We also meaning me.

Because of that I'm not going to change the way I blog, the way that I find things that can help others, but I'm also going to find ways that I can smile the way that I can make my life feel a little more complete as well. That's what this blog is for to help other's learn what my life was like show people aspects of my life, but also help others. This is one of those aspects that need to be changed a little bit.

Share whatever it may be in your life your smile, your happiness, your selflessness. Just remember that you too are somebody, give yourself some happiness, a smile or whatever it may be. You matter as well.

Giveaway: Win a $50 Amazon Giftcard

Time for another Giveaway! Who's ready to win another Amazon gift card? This time it's only $50 for Amazon. But $50 can come in handy especially when Easter's coming up!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Hosted & Sponsored by: Home Jobs By Mom

Rules: Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 04/16 and is open to the United States or anywhere that can redeem an Amazon gift card. Entrants must be 18 years old to enter. Winner will be notified via email.

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Good Luck! Enter Below

Entry-Form

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Also we all “love it if you follow us” on Instagram!

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ONE entrant will be selected by the entry form to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Open for entry US (or anywhere that can redeem an Amazon gift card), 18 years and older from 03/16/19 thru 04/16/19. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the GiveawayTools form. Home Jobs By Mom will be responsible for sending the winner their prize.

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Favorite Friday 5: Gluten Free Alternatives to some of my favorite foods

A few days ago, I bought myself  MI-Del Chocolate Sandwich cookies. I was jonesing for cookies that reminded me of the foods and snacks that I used to love. Being gluten-free is still pretty new to me. Just because I'm gluten-free doesn't mean I have to eat something weird. I like trying to keep to familiar things.

Because I like to say to familiar things I found 5 gluten-free alternatives to some of my favorite foods. So that I can help other people who may be on the gluten-free journey and for me to prove that there are options and things aren't that bad.


1. Mug Cakes by Namaste: Never once had I ever had such an amazing cake. I actually bought this cake for my birthday in August. I wasn't totally gluten-free yet, and still unsure if it'd do any good. The mug cakes were on sale and they did look interesting. The cake was great, well almost. I say almost because well, I forgot to buy some powdered sugar, or frosting to frost my cake so it was just a mug cake with no frosting. The cake was great!





2. Schar Gluten Free Multigrain Bread: Let's talk about bread because I love bread. If I was told that there were no options when it came to gluten-free bread, I would have cried and possibly may have gone back to eating gluten and feeling bad. But because I found out that Schar has some amazing bread, my favorite being their multigrain bread, I'm a happy camper. Mainly because the peanut butter I get is certified gluten-free, my jelly is gluten-free and now so is my bread! I as an adult love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I don't have to get rid of the food I love!

3. Glutino Pretzels: Pretzels are my number one snack food. I love having pretzels alone or sometimes I love dipping them in peanut butter. Glutino's pretzels are the second bag of pretzels that I've tried and these are by far the better option.

4. MI-Del Chocolate Cookies: I wanted a chocolate chip sandwich cookie! A tasty yummy and sandwich cookie! Mi-Del chocolate sandwich cookies may not be an actual Oreo, but they taste just as good and don't leave my stomach bloating and hurting later on down the road.

5.Nature's Path Organic Panda Bear Puffs: Panda Puffs, Panda Puffs! Whole grain, gluten free, wheat free and they're even free from artificial colors and flavors. I'll actually give an in-depth Panda Puff cereal review later this week, to prove that they are worth it. They are worth the yum. Worth it!

Be warned, next week I have a surprise post containing more than two of these products. It's not really a new recipe, but it's totally amazing! Stay tuned!

Tag Thursday: My Reading Habits

I've been reading a lot lately as you all can tell, I'm on my 3rd book this week alone! But what people don't know is what my reading habits are actually like. That's why I'm happy to find a reading habits tag from Dreamland Books, the original YouTube tag was taken down, and I can't tag back to the original person, but I can tag the person I got the book from.

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

Nope, I read where ever I'm at in the house at the time. Some of the places I end up are the bed, the couch or the bathroom. I hate bringing my phone into the bathroom, but I really love to bring reading materials in.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Either, I use whatever's closer when I'm reading and want to stop. If I don't have a bookmark I would for sure use a piece of paper.

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?

I usually stop at the end of a chapter or give myself a reading goal for the day. Most of the time I go way past my reading goal and won't stop. So if I'm getting tired, I end up finishing whatever chapter I'm on. 

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

I do a lot of the time. I like snacking and drinking tea while reading. It's one of those things that just feel right. Tea, some pretzels and a good book. It's all I need to be happy. Escape from the world we're in to live in a world where things may be better or worse, it all depends on the book.

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?

Never, I can't focus on two things at once, and half the time I hear a song or a few words on TV while I'm reading, I confuse words in the book to ones on the TV or in music. I even have a tough time reading when the hubby's playing a video game. 

6. One book at a time or several at once?

Usually, it's one at a time, but I have read two books at once in the past. I really suck at reading more than one book at a time. I end up picking a 'main book' by accident and then it becomes the only book I'm reading followed by never reading the other book.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Everywhere, I read at the doctor's office, I read at home, I even read in the store if I'm waiting for my husband or his grandparents to get done shopping. I don't care if people do take notice that I'm reading an actual book in public or if they judge me for reading books. It's what makes me happy, and if it's the little thing like books to make someone happy, it's a good thing right?

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?

Silently, unless I read a paragraph or a page and I couldn't comprehend it, then I'll try reading out loud. It helps me understand the words and paragraphs better when I talk out loud. 

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?

Yes, and no. I will skip ahead sometimes when stuff gets really insane when it comes to books. I want to see if a character makes another appearance. Once I know what's going to happen, I go back and read what I skipped. Like in the last two books I read, I tried skipping to the end to see what happened to Hattie from Other Bodies and Annika from The Girl He Used to Know and to see if they're going to be okay at the end of the books, I was worried okay? It didn't work out as I hoped for it to be at all. So yeah, it doesn't always work to skip to the end and then go back and read the rest of the book. Sometimes it doesn't even tie into what you're reading.

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

I like to keep my books as nice as they are when I first get them. I hate people breaking spines, dog-earing pages and doing whatever they want to a book. It's kind of why I never wrote in my Illuminated Journals, I hate ruining books, even if it's a kind of book that I'm allowed to write in and do whatever with. 

11. Do you write in your books?

Same as the previous question, I love keeping my books as nice as the day that I got them. I really hate getting a book from Amazon, eBay or anywhere online or at a bookstore, just to find out that someone wrote on page 134. It's one of those weird moments where it's like a kick to the stomach. 

Book Review: Other Bodies by Joel Ohman,

I didn't expect to write about another book already. I finished Other Bodies by Joel Ohman, even faster than I did with The Girl He Used to Know. I had nothing to do with the fact that the book was shorter, or more exciting than the other book, okay, I really don't know why I finished sooner, it wasn't one of the two reasons that I've listed, I just finished the book quickly.

Information about the book:

In a world where immersive VR suits distort what is real from what is not, and the AI Personhood Act blurs the lines between body and bot, the choices sixteen-year-old Hattie Martins faces are very personal.
Welcome to Hattie Martins' dystopian Philadelphia, where everything is not as it seems...
Just as her life is looking up--a new job, new friends, a new date--Hattie discovers not all progress in her beloved, futuristic Philadelphia is for the best. Societal regrets can become personal regrets in an instant. Choices don't always come with second chances, and when they do the cost can be unimaginable. How far will she go to undo her greatest regret? And worse yet, what will she become if it's too late?

(Taken from the back of the book, the same information on Amazon)

My opinions about the Book

This book started slow, and that scared me a lot. I was really hoping that the book wasn't going to start slowly and stay slow. It was one of those moments where I cringed and was tempted to read the last few pages and call the book boring in a book review. Instead, I told myself, "Jen, you know that won't be fair to Joel or anyone else who wants to read the book. Don't throw in the towel yet." I was going to stick it out as I do a lot of other books that started slowly. 

I think one reason why I was a bit unsure to read the book was already the fact that I knew it was a dystopian society and talked about stuff that's happening in our lives right now. I didn't want to something to make up my mind for me or thrust me into the world. That was what scared me a little bit. 

The book ended a bit abruptly and I hoped that ti didn't end the way that it did. It had me hoping there was more to the book. I know a lot of books are like that I felt this book ended quickly. But that's fine, I can find myself another book to fill its spot. 

I couldn't get in her shoes

When I was introduced to Hattie's life, I tried to put myself in her shoes. Why do I think that I need to put myself into someone's shoes every time I read a book? In my case, I wasn't a 16-year girl, with the weight on my shoulder. I never had to make choices she's made or came to the same realizations that she came to realize.  

Just because I couldn't get into her shoes doesn't mean that I hated the book. I actually didn't mind the book at all. Hattie was an interesting character to say the least. She was the kind of character that you couldn't help but like. I think when it came down to it, I felt more like I wanted to be her 'mother' more than standing in her shoes. 

The book can be confusing *a little bit of a spoiler.*

It's obvious a few chapters in that the book flips from Hattie to another character. That was probably the most confusing part of the book. I didn't understand that the book flipped from Hattie to someone else. I couldn't figure out why they didn't connect together, until the end. I won't talk about why I just want to give everyone a heads up about that something like that will happen.

Does it actually make people question everything? 

If I was asked if the book made me question everything I knew about life?  Or let alone everything I believed? Not exactly, I knew what I believed, and this book just solidified how I felt. I know that might not make any sense. But, because book aligned with my beliefs, after reading the same things I believed, I knew it was exactly what I believed, and almost gave me the pat on my back as I read the book.

But if I had the exact opposite beliefs, I may have thought differently about life. It would probably make me think differently. I won 't get into what I mean by that, and I won't spoil the whole premise of the book. I'm not like that. 

Last but not least so...do I recommend the book? 

I do recommend the book. I do warn anyone who wants to read the book, it may make them teary eyed. I may make them angry but at the same time. I hope it would give them an idea about why life is the way that it is. The book is a pretty quick read if you don't want to spend a long time reading the book. 

5 Reasons to Read The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Gravis Grave

"What if it turns out that after going through the evaluation, that I find out that I'm not on the spectrum. That I really am just weird. I don't know if I could handle that."

The book 
Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game—and his heart—to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She's living the life she wanted as a librarian. He's a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

(Taken from Amazon)

After settling on The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Gravis Graves, earlier this month, I had no clue what I was in for, but the posts on Twitter last week excited me more than ever. I knew that other people enjoyed the book, but I wasn't so sure how much I'd like it. But like a lot of other responses, I read through the book quicker than I anticipated. I couldn't put the book down for the life of me. Needless to say, I read the book in under 2 days.

Need a reason or two to pick up this book when it's released? If two reasons aren't enough, how about 5? However many reasons you may need, I'm sure you'll love this book as much as I did.


1. Annika's character is so relatable: Annika's character is on the autism spectrum, it's why I can relate to her, but I'm sure other people could relate to her as well. She's not like most of the main characters in storybooks. She almost seemed real as I read through the book. As soon as I finished the book and put it down, I started missing Annika. I've grown to love her as a character and know for a fact, that if she were real, I would be friends with someone like her.

2. The characters all seem to fit: The characters, even the minor characters, fit so well with the story. When it came to the main characters, Jonathan and Janice, they were so well written, I could imagine them in my mind.

3. The chapters are short: I love short chapters. I'm one of those people that will take a break after I'm done reading a chapter in a book. In this book's case, I didn't want one, but there were many times that I could have took a break.

4. The book is so engaging: You don't even have to take it from me. If you check Twitter, Good Reads, and even Instagram, the love for this book is obvious. It kept me engaged and interested so much that I can't believe I read the book as quickly as I did. The worst thing about a book that engages me and keeps me until the end? Being done with the book, and hoping for more story, when you know that there's not any more story left.

5. It has both the main character's point points of view: I usually hate books that rotate between characters. I was worried that the rotating between characters would ruin the magic or make the characters less in depth. I was wrong about those guesses. The rotating worked like rotating gears in a watch. Tracey knows how to switch from character to character while maintaining the magic.


Final Thought
This book didn't end like I thought it would, but that's okay. The ending of the book is still as amazing as the rest of the book was. If I was one of those people who didn't mind reading a book all over again, I know I wouldn't hesitate to read it again. Now that the book is done and back on my bookshelf, I'm happy and ready to see what the next book has in store for me.

Giveaway: $100 Amazon Giftcard

Easter's coming up and you know how much I love the holidays. Wouldn't you love to have a $100 Amazon gift card? Better yet, wouldn't you want to win an Amazon gift card? If you're answering yes to any of these questions, I have an amazing giveaway just for you!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card

Hosted & Sponsored by: Home Jobs By Mom

Rules: Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 04/02 and is open to the United States or anywhere that can redeem an Amazon gift card. Entrants must be 18 years old to enter. Winner will be notified via email.

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Good Luck! Enter Below

Entry-Form

Also we all “love it if you follow us” on Instagram!

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ONE entrant will be selected by the entry form to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Open for entry US (or anywhere that can redeem an Amazon gift card), 18 years and older from 03/02/19 thru 04/02/19. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the GiveawayTools form. Home Jobs By Mom will be responsible for sending the winner their prize.

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Friday 5: My Favorite Good Mythical Morning Episodes

Rhett and Link have graced my computer and phone screen for the past few years, and I almost hate that I was late to the game, and had no clue about these guys until a few years ago. I try to tune into Good Mythical Morning as often as I can, just to get my daily dose of laughter, and to answer some interesting questions. Just recently Good Mythical Morning celebrated making their 1,500th episode and whoa, that's just insane!

So to celebrate their huge milestone, I handpicked my top 5 Favorite Good Mythical Morning episodes just to these two crazy guys the round of applause they deserve.


5. Can This Pill Take The Spice Out of Spicy Food?Rhett tricks Link into thinking that there's actually a pill on the market that can take the spiciness out of food. What Link doesn't know is that Rhett gave him children's vitamins. How does Link react when he finds out the truth?

4. Putting Wierd Things in a Coffee Maker
Never will I ever put weird things in a coffee maker, but I'll allow these two to do it. I rather not ruin a perfectly good coffee pot by sticking anything other than coffee in the filter. After watching this episode, I will never look at a coffee maker the same way ever again.

3. Will it Butter?
Rhett and Link are the kings of the "Will it" videos. They've grossed me out and intrigued me more than once when it came to "Will it," but the "Will it Butter," video has to be my favorite. If I didn't have as many food allergies and gluten problems, I would attempt to try almost every one of these butter concoctions.

2. Rhett and Link Reacting to Kids 
I love kid reaction videos, and I love Good Mythical Morning, but what happens when Rhett and Link react to kids reactions? These two best friends will soon find out!

1. Nerf Squad ft. Our Kids
It's adorable watching the kids shoot their dads with Nerf Guns, they all enjoyed the challenge, even Rhett and Link. I'm in aw in how little Lando actually was in this video. He's grown up so much since this video!

Tag Thursday: Saint Patrick's Day Tag!

Saint Patricks Day is Sunday, and because Saint Patricks Day was a big thing in my household growing up, doing a tag to reminisce about the times when life was different. I found this Tag on YouTube Society, I did remove two questions only because they wouldn't be answerable on a blog tag. The questions I removed were about pronouncing words and guessing what they meant, they'd work well in a video, just not on my blog. 

What is your name and where are you from?

If you didn't already know my name is Jennifer (Jen) and I'm from Michigan. 

What do you call the short form of St.Patricks Day?

I don't call St. Patricks Day anything else. I've always felt weird calling St. Patricks Day, Saint Patty's Day. 

Do you Celebrate St Patricks Day and Why?

I used to, well my family used to. We did it because it was a tradition. I really don't celebrate it much anymore, mainly because I never understood pinching someone because they're not wearing green or having a special meal. I'm vegetarian and gluten-free, the only things I can eat that's Irish are potatoes and cabbage, and I eat potatoes and cabbage all the time, not just when it's St. Patricks Day. 

Are you Irish or have you any Irish Heritage?

I do have Irish Heritage, my maternal grandpa (my mom's dad), was half English and half Irish. I really don't know much about my dad's ethnic origins, so I may also have Irish on his side of the family as well. 

Have you ever gone to a St.Patricks Day parade?

I may have when I was younger. I don't ever remember going to one. We really don't have St. Patrick's Day parades were I used to live or where I live now. 

What do you wear on St.Patricks Day? 

If I want to be festive, I'll wear something green. I will paint my nails green though. I like wearing green, I just don't go overboard with it. 

Have you ever visited Ireland or plan to?

I've never visited Ireland, but I would love to. It's part of my heritage, plus I really love the Irish people trying things videos on YouTube. 

What’s your favorite St.Patricks day thing to eat?

If I could find some, I'd love some gluten-free Irish Soda Bread. It used to be one of my favorite things to eat before I went gluten-free. Because I can't eat it, I'll go with my second favorite thing to eat on St. Patrick's Day and that's colcannon/mashed potatoes with cabbage (green potatoes).

What is your favorite movie with Irish Actors?
I don't watch many movies and don't know any 'Irish movies' or any movies with tons of Irish actors. If I had to name a movie with an Irish actor it would be Charlie and the Chocolate factory with David Kelly. He seemed like he was a pretty cool Irish actor. 

IMDB

Have you ever watched or played Gaelic Football or Hurling?

I have not. 

Have you ever listened to traditional Irish Music?

I have a few times. I don't mind it.

Do you know what St Patrick got rid of in Ireland?

I didn't have a clue, so I Googled it, for those who don't know St. Patrick got rid of snakes. 

Do you believe in Leprechauns?

I'm on the wall about the existence of Leprechauns. I have never seen one or heard of many sitings, but I'm going to keep my mind open about the possible existence of leprechauns. I can say I don't believe in the Alabama leprechaun.

From my bookshelf: Easter and Passover Books

It's crazy when I look at my kids' bookshelf, some of the books I have on the shelf are books I was given when I was a child, then mix that in with books I bought for them, and some books I got in the mail from places like PJ Library books. Getting a book on Easter about Easter was pretty commonplace when I grew up.

I've been in a nostalgic sort of mood lately, so the books from my childhood keep creeping back up at me. But now that I have new books I hope to make the same memories with my children. If you're looking for a new book or an old book about Easter, Passover, or a book that reminds me of Easter check out the list below:

Passover Books

Passover! By Roni Schotter

Amazon

Lotsa Maztah by Tilda Balsley

Jewish Book Council

Pippa's Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield 

Google Books

Only Nine Chairs A Tall Tale for Passover by Deborah Uchill Miller

Amazon

Matza Below the Stairs by Susan Lynn Meyer

Amazon

The Yankee at the Seder by Elka Webber

Amazon

Passover Magic by Roni Schotter

Amazon

Easter Books

Happy Easter Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

Barnes and Noble

Happy Easter Mother Duck by Elizabeth Winthrop 

Amazon

Books that aren't Easter related but still remind me of Easter

The Little Rabbit by Judith Dunn

Amazon

The Friendly Duck by Gin Ingoglia 

ABE Books

PJ the Spoiled Bunny by Marilyn Sadler

Amazon

Giveaway: Gourmet Foods Prize Pack!

Looking for a way to spice up Taco Tuesday? Mrs. Renfro's Salsa can do just that! Mrs. Renfro's is also gluten-free (according to Mrs.Renfro's website)! 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: Mrs. Renfro's Gourmet Foods Prize Pack (2 jars of winner’s choice!)

Hosted by: Home Jobs By Mom

Sponsored by: Mrs. Renfro's

FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM ~ PINTEREST ~ AMAZON

Available on Amazon

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Rules: Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 04/05 and is open to the United States. Entrants must be 18 years old to enter. Winner will be notified via email.

THREE lucky winners are going to win their choice of 2 Mrs. Renfro’s salsas, relishes or sauces. Enter Below and good luck!

Entry-Form

THREE entrants will be selected by the entry form to win a Mrs. Renfro's Gourmet Foods Prize Pack. Open for entry US, 18 years and older from 03/02/19 thru 04/05/19. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other social media networking site. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the GiveawayTools form. Mrs. Renfro's will be responsible for sending the winner their prize.

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My 13 top Favorite Spring Dresses that don't cost an arm and a leg

Last Thursday's tag had me thinking about dresses all week. I thought about how saddened I was at the fact that the dress was more than I'd want to spend on a dress. I was sad, and I wanted to find myself a dress for spring that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Don't worry they're not all gothic sundresses, there's actual variety of dresses that I thought were cute that didn't cost as much as the other dress did.

13. Long Ivory White Maxi Dress with Green Tribal Accents
If my eyes could like the heart eye emoji that we all know and use on social media, more than we probably should, I would have. This dress is beautiful. Normally I'm not a fan of white or ivory, but this is a dress I can make an exception for.

$5 Fashions for $5.99

12. Vintage Pinup Dress with Mesh Cape
I don't know what I like more about the dress, the price, the vintage look of the fact that it's black! It's exactly the kind of dress I would love to wear. Too bad it's out of stock, at least it was when I was typing this. This is totally something I'd add to my wardrobe.

Dress Lily for $18.99

11.  Cut Out Vest Dress
There's just something about this dress that speaks to me. It's plain, but it's a cute kind of plain if that makes any sense. I can't even start to imagine all of the accessories that could be worn with this dress.

Disturbia $15.79

10. Angashion Women's Dresses-Summer Floral Bohemian Spaghetti Strap Button Down Swing Midi Dress with Pockets
Sunflowers! Nothing says spring more to me than sunflowers or sundresses! If you don't like sunflowers, the Amazon store that happens to be selling the dress has many different designs to choose from.

Amazon $21.99

9. Classic Cotton Dress with Cutouts & Boho-Chic Long Sleeves!
It's the diamond cut out around the neckline, sleeves, and bustline, that caught my eye. This dress is adorable, and because it's made out of cotton, the dress is breathable. Since the dress is breathable, it'll keep you cool, while you're looking cool!

$5 Store for $5.99

8. Round Neck Half Sleeves Bohemia Maxi Dress
Just when I thought floral maxi dresses couldn't get any cuter, I was proven wrong. I'm regretting even mentioning that the dress that I mentioned is my favorite spring dress. That dress pales in comparison to this dress.

Chic Boho for $29.99

7. Shein Fit & Flare Tank Dress
Just like one of the previous dresses, this one's plain, but it's still an amazing dress. The color's beautiful and the neckline compliments the dress so well. If I was out in public and I saw this dress on a clothing rack, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it, it'd be coming home with me.

Shien for $10.00

6. Mini Sleeveless Printed Dress
I'm pretty sure that his dress is blue and white and it's not one of those "What color is the dress," sort of thing. I love how beautiful intricateness of the blue around the collar and at the bottom of the dress. The blue fades into the white so beautifully. I don't knowaboutt you, but I'd be tempted to pair a belt with the dress, to give it some extra flair. 

Rose Gal for $12.99

5. Lightweight Floral Printed Design Teal Sleeveless Maxi Dress

At first glance, I was a bit iffy about the dress, but after a closer look at the dress in the photo, I was in love. From past experience, if it's something I really like, I usually hate it or dislike it first. I'm really hoping that this is one of those dresses that the picture doesn't do it any justice.

Clothing Under 10 for $12.99

4. Cat Printed Straps Sleeveless Cat Mini Dress
Freya was jealous over this cat mini dress, I told her that it was only a dress and that she didn't need to be jealous. She doesn't believe me and I'm not sure she'd be happy to see a dress with a cat on it. Whatever the reason, it's a pretty cool dress!

Chic Boho for $18.99

3. Maxi Dress Halter | LOVE 4 LUCK! White w/Purple Paisley
Paisley print isn't usually my thing, but when it combines with the purple, it's beautiful. At $5.99 this dress is a steal for how beautiful it is. Even the material looks like it'd be comfortable and breathe pretty well. 

$5 Fashions for $5.99

2. Beautiful Polka-dot Off Shoulder Side Split Maxi Dress
I didn't even notice that the dress was actually polka dotted, not that if it was a different pattern, that I wouldn't like it. I really like the color and the little bit of white that the dress has mixed in with it. I can even ignore the fact it's off the shoulder, which I think would end up bothering me. 

Chic Boho for $15.99

1. Sleeveless Floral Print Mint Dress

 Last but not least, this dress is so adorable! I know it's not my favorite shade of light blue, but mint, light green is a great color as well! It pairs so well with the pink flowers, and the colors seem to pair well with the mint! 

Clothing Under 10 for $12.99 

Why Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese is cooler than you think

Ever have your child pick out something new for thier parent to try? This is one of those times that something like that is happening. My 5-year-old was at the store with my husband and told my husband that I needed gluten-free macoroni and cheese. Okay! If that 's what he thinks I need to try, I'll try it and I'll talk about it. Great huh?

First things first:
I have never really been a fan of Annie's foods. Gluten-free or not, I hadn't found anything by Annie's in the past that I actually would go out to the store and buy again. I know a lot of people think the complete opposite of me and some people that think the same. But because I'm reinventing what I like to eat, it was time to try something new anyway. My son was more than right to tell his dad to get me some Macaroni and Cheese.

About the Mac and Cheese
The kind of Mac and Cheese I have is the instant kind. A bit like Kraft's Easy Mac that I was used to eating when I was a child and preteen. Another important thing to include is that. The mac and cheese are not vegan, but vegetarian, it's made out of real cheese.

My experience 
The good: There was an actual reason why I referred to Annie's as being a lot like Kraft's Easy Mac fom the 90s. All I had to do was fill my bowl with water add the macaroni and put it in the microwave for two and a half minutes. After it's trip in the microwave, I put the powdered cheese on the pasta and I was done. Nothing to complicated and I knew how it all worked before. Water, noodles, microwave, and cheese. It's all that easy. It even reminded me how much I hated accidentally dropping a little bit of cheese powder on the counter. You must eat it until the last drop. You must!

The noodles cooked like regular noodles and tasted better than most of the gluten-free noodles that I've tried in the past. I may have finally found the type of noodle that I could actually enjoy without the noodles tasting bland and boring and just plain weird! That's positive! Yay to Annie's noodles! You didn't fail me!

The bad: For something from Annie's the Mac and Cheese was at least bearable. As I previously said. I loved the pasta, it was one of the better pasta that I've tried that's gluten-free. But unfortunately, the cheese powder wasn't like I hoped it to be. It tasted alright, minus the cheese chunks that wouldn't lose their chunky shape. That's because I hate biting into a chunk of cheese powder, and it has nothing to do with Annie's itself, cheese powder is bitter and just tastes weird. It' not Annie's fault that nobody mastered the art of cheese chunks yet!

The Bottom Line: I ate the Mac and Cheese with no problem. Even if I occioanally hit a cheese chunk, I've had way worse pasta dishes. This was at least edible. I ate a package yesterday for lunch and I had some more for lunch today. It's something I might actually go back and buy. Annie's food actually may have redeemed itself.

My final say and Recommendations
If you're looking for a gluten-free, mac and cheese, Annie's may be a fantastic choice. They taste like instant macaroni and cheese and are quick to make. Two minutes and it was done! Just because I had a little bit of a problem eating around the chunks is nothing. It's typical instant macaroni and cheese. Even bigger box macaroni and cheese has problems with chunks it's nothing new. Annie's is a typical macaroni and cheese, minus the gluten! You can have typical and not feel left out because gluten is your enemy!
Moms with gluten-free kids, adults new to being gluten-free, listen up! I hate openly recommending products to people. I believe that the shoe may not fit for everyone, but I'm okay with recommending this. I like this macaroni and cheese, not just because my son picked it out, but because it tastes how I remember macaroni and cheese to taste and did exactly what regular macaroni and cheese did! Just have fun eating macaroni and cheese again!

This was not a sponsored post, everything in this post was bought by me, Annie's had no clue that I wrote about their food. Even if it was, I actually loved the food, and would have been honest if it tasted bad. 

My Top 21 writing sites for every day writing

Writer's block, it's my own worst enemy and lately, it's rearing it's nasty head and is really quite frankly, getting me quite angry. My thoughts are not flowing and when they attempt to flow they get stuck in the middle of the pipe. I wonder if some of the best writers out there have the same problem.

But because I'm determined to get rid of this writer's block, I decided to help other writers who are having ideas about what to come up and how to fix their writer's block. Why is it that other's issues are easier to fix than your own? Is it Murphy's Law? Whatever, to other writers here, is some help!

4 First Line Prompts and Writing Prompt Sites:

• Writing Exercises: This site has first line generators, prompts, a character generator, and even an outline to help you create your character. If you're stuck this is the first place to go to. I really love the photo generator. It's the first time I saw a site try to spawn your creativity by providing a photo to help someone become creative. 
  
• Writers Den Writers Den is another place that has first line generators and even exercises for writing. But what makes this writing prompt and first line generator page stand out amongst a lot of the other sites is the blank page eliminator and 10 tips for writers, both are great for seasoned writers, and beginners.
• Seventh Sanctum: Seventh Sanctum does have many different generators and not all of the generators are writing related but they do have a special area just for writers. The area has writing prompts, poetry generators, and song generators! I used to try to combine all of the generators together to write a whole new story. I haven't done it for a while but might attempt it soon and you all how I did it!
• Authority 252 Writing Prompts: Do you still need writing prompt because none of the other prompt or first line generators aren't generating anything that you'd actually write about. Authority has you covered. They have 252 prompts! Surely you'll find something to write about!

5 Character Creators and Generators
If you're a writer and either you have a character for a story you already have or you want to start thinking of characters. There are tons of places online that can help you! Writers Den (see the link above), has some help with characters, but if you're looking for more help, here are some places to help you create that perfect character.

• Starman Series: This site has both a name bank and a place for a mini-biography if you're looking of a good push in the right direction and you really can't think of any characters at all.  I did a random name and bio and came up with some pretty interesting people! 
• Ran Gen: RanGen has a list of generators for characters, and it even has more writing generators if you want to look at those as well. I never really used RanGen's writing generators in the past so I can't give any detail about how good they work as writing generators are concerned. 
• Character Generator: Character Generator is one of my favorite character generator sites. It can help you with almost every aspect of your character from the huge details, to the minor ones that you may have not thought of. 
• Fake Name Generator: I used to come here for my Sims names when they had the Sims family generator, but they also have stuff like names, addresses, employers, jobs and even the cars that the person drives. There are so many details that you may need for your character that can come in handy! Where else would you actually find a made-up credit card number?

3 Character Charts
Not sure what information you'll need for your character, but have one in mind? I really love character charts! I used to have a binder when I was younger with character charts and characters just in case I wanted to write something new and couldn't think of anything. Mine were never as elaborate as the ones below, but now that I was reminded of these character charts, it may be exactly what I need to fix my problems in my stories!

• Epi Guide's Character Chart for Fiction Writers
• Eclectics Series (if you want the actual chart, check here)
• Hobby Lark Character Charts

5 Poetry Resources
Some are just like a Mad Libs type of thing, but they're a great starting point for your poetry and a way to get your ideas out first! Other resources explain poetry types, then there's some that explain how to write your own poetry. They're all very helpful if you're stuck writing poems and want to learn. 

• Poem Generator: If the site looks a little familiar, that's because it is. Poem generator is the sister site to the character generator. If you don't need the poetry or character generator they also have a song lyric generator as well! They have tons of generators.
• Think Zone pOems Gen: You can either put your own words into the word banks, or you can use some that the generator has given you, no matter what the case, you're able to write a poem
• Writing isn't a virus: Writing isn't a Virus has many poem generators. I won't post every generator the site has to offer, but take it from me, there are many poem generators on this site.
• Book Riot Poetry Types: If you actually want to give your poem structure, Book Riot has a list of poetry types to help you get started.
• How to write a poem: What if you don't know how to write a poem? This is a little tutorial about how to write poetry. 

4 Writers Worksheets

If you're looking for more fiction writing or novel writing worksheets the internet is full of those as well. Google has many writing worksheets, but if you want some of my favorite writing worksheets to keep on your computer here's a list of some of my favorite places. All of which are free. I don't think it's too nice to profit off of helping others with their creativity.

• Eadeverell: From write-alongs to worksheets, poetry help, and printables it's all here! A treasure trove of ideas.
• Eccentric Character Generator from Writers Writes: This character generator is both a worksheet  (well kind of like a worksheet) and a character generator. With this site and graphic, you're blindly choosing a character trait for someone. When I tried it, I ended up choosing a talented dog as a character!
• Character Traits from Workshop Class Room: I know that this worksheet is meant for children, but it can actually work great to help with character traits
• Jami Gold: On Jamie Gold's site you can find beat sheets and story structure sheets. The story structure sheets help outline the story. They look so confusing, but if you can actually use the sheets, more power to you.