Mommy Has to Work

Cirque Du Soliel’s OVO Returns To Jacksonville In August!!

May 25, 2017 By Heather Little

OVO

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S OVO RETURNS TO JACKSONVILLE

FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

Cirque du Soleil returns to Jacksonville with its touring arena show OVO after having to cancel shows in October due to Hurricane Matthew.

To honor its commitment in Jacksonville, OVO will be performing at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena from August 2 to 6, 2017.

Thrilling more than 5 million people worldwide since the show premiered in 2009, OVO has embarked on a new journey, performing the same captivating production, now in arenas, giving more people the opportunity to enjoy a Cirque du Soleil show in their hometown.

Ticket Information

Advance tickets for OVO are now available online exclusively to Cirque Club members. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind-the-scenes information. To join, please visit www.cirqueclub.com.

Just in time for the holidays, tickets for the general public will be available starting Friday, December 9th, 2016 at www.cirquedusoleil.com/ovo . Adult tickets start at $35 and child tickets start at $25 (subject to change).

About The Show

OVO, meaning “egg” in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.

The cast of OVO is comprised of 50 performing artists from 12 countries specializing in many acrobatic acts. One highlight of OVO is the stunning Flying Act where group of scarabs soar high above – from each corner of the stage – and land together on a platform in the middle.

About Cirque du Soleil

The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in more than 400 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has almost 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from about 50 different countries. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. To find out more about the ONE DROP Foundation, visithttp://www.onedrop.org.

Heather Little

My name is Heather Little and my husband and I have two sweet girls and one crazy dog. We moved to Florida 6 years ago and have loved every minute of it! I enjoy crafting, good food, shopping, and of course travel!

Helpful Habits For Cash-Strapped Parents

May 24, 2017 By Anne

We all want more money to play with, and to provide the most comfortable life possible for our families. However, with all the necessities you need to cover as a parent, it can seem like there’s never enough to go around. It may not always feel like it, but your financial freedom is largely within your hands. The following is a list of easy and effective ways for cash-strapped parents to make their money go further…

Image source: Pixabay

Get Familiar with your Fees

The first step towards greater financial freedom is becoming more familiar with your recurring fees, and cutting out everything possible. Dig out your most recent phone, credit card, and bank statements. Are there any fees that come as a surprise? If so, make a call to the provider and ask them for more details. By making sure you know exactly what you’re being charged, and the reasons behind this, you’ll be able to avoid certain fees in the future, and save a lot of money. In some cases, it may be worth the hassle of switching banks, phone networks or credit cards to wave goodbye to certain fees.

Compare Everything

One great habit to get into is shopping around more for the best price on absolutely everything. From utility companies to insurers, and even everyday things like groceries, the web is bursting with resources you can use to compare your options, and settle on the most affordable one. Once you find a retailer or service provider that offers the best price on whatever you need, looking for coupon codes for that business through sites like DontPayFull.com can give you some incredible discounts, making your frugal choices even cheaper!

Learn to Live Without

Like most parents, you’ve probably told your kids several times that they can’t have everything. However, a lot of us fail to practice what we preach in this respect! One of the simplest ways to free up more of your money is forcing yourself to live without some kind of luxury – a TV subscription, for instance, for a fixed period of time. When that time’s up, these luxuries will feel so much more luxurious, and you may even find that you can go without them indefinitely. You don’t really have to make any dramatic changes to your lifestyle, but little sacrifices here and there can make all the difference to how far the rest of your money goes.

Automate your Savings

Like many people, you might have an issue with self-discipline when it comes to saving the money you know you should. One of the best ways around this issue is making saving money automatic, and then forgetting about it. Log into your online banking, and then set a recurring monthly transfer of whatever you want to be saving from your checking account to your savings. Once you get paid, the money will be instantly diverted, and you’ll be at far less risk of overspending up until your next paycheque. Of course, nothing’s stopping you from dipping into your savings, but getting into the habit of thinking about your checking account as all your money will get your savings growing consistently.

Plan your Meals for the Week

Groceries make up a pretty sizable expense for any family household, but you can mitigate the cost by planning out your meals on a weekly basis. The guiding principle here is buying in bulk, and stretching the food you take home as much as possible. For example, you could plan to have a chicken Caesar salad for lunch the day after you roast a whole chicken for dinner. Planning ahead like this will help you cut down impulse buying, save time, and ensure your whole family is eating healthily.

Re-Discover Packed Lunches

Continuing with our point about planning meals ahead, you can also avoid spending too much on that convenient deli around the corner, or your kids’ school cafeteria, by re-discovering packed lunches and making this a part of your weekly grocery shop. Make a nightly habit of preparing and packing lunches for you and the kids, or better yet, teaching them how to do it themselves. You’re going to miss your favorite junk food lunches for the first few days, but it won’t take long for you to get in the swing of preparing and packing your own lunches. The odd time when you do go for convenience food, it will feel like much more of a treat as well!

Try these tips out, and soon enough you’ll be enjoying much more financial freedom!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Living with Pelvic Organ Prolapse

May 24, 2017 By Anne

For many women, the problems and complications of suffering from Pelvic Organ Prolapse can be debilitating and depressing. Also known as Pelvic Floor Disorder or POP, it can cause pain, incontinence and bleeding.

However, there are options available to help those suffering from this distressing condition. Here are some of the ways you can improve your symptoms and even fix POP.

What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

Pelvic floor disorder affects nearly one-third of women at some point in their lives. The primary cause is childbirth or heavy lifting, and can happen at any time.

The condition is a result of the group of muscles called the pelvic floor. They act as a hammock to support the pelvic organs and keep them in place. After childbirth or as women get older, these muscles can become weakened, and then the organs they support start to protrude.

This can cause problems such as urinary or anal incontinence, as well as significant discomfort. You can also feel pressure in the pelvic area, painful intercourse, lower backache or constipation.

How can it be treated?

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you should seek the advice of your doctor who will send you for tests to determine the extent of the prolapse.

Once the damage is assessed, the doctor will discuss the severity of your condition to you and outline which options you have and the benefits and risks with each of them.

Treatments can include:

Kegel exercises to help strengthen the muscles and regain the support of your pelvic organs.
Insertion of a small rubber device called a pessary to help support the organs that are protruding.
Transvaginal mesh to cover the injured tissue and support the organs.
Repair to the damaged tissue or removal of the affected organs such as the uterus.

All of these procedures have pros and cons, and it is important that you speak to your doctor in detail and go through all the options available (and most suitable) to you.

Complications

As with any procedure, there can be complications, although the majority are completed with total success.

Some women who have had the pessary have reported pain and discomfort afterward. This sometimes settles, but you should see your doctor for assessment if you experience any problems.

There have been some issues with the transvaginal mesh that has led to many women seeking the advice of a transvaginal mesh attorney. The problems include pain, bleeding and in some cases, erosion of the tissue causing the mesh to protrude through the vagina.

Lawsuits against doctors and hospitals have been going to court, and some women have been awarded damages as a result. In many cases, the use of transvaginal mesh for this type of surgery has been stopped although it is still valid for some other prolapse injuries.

If you are suffering from any of these issues, it is important that you seek medical advice as soon as possible. The earlier you see your doctor, the easier it might be for them to treat and the less invasive for you.

Anne

The Comely Cuisiner – 5 Meals That Will Hone Your Health

May 24, 2017 By Anne

Image: http://www.bellabeat.com/blog/media/Frittata-with-potato-and-broccoli-000053346852_Small.jpg

The secret to losing weight and maintaining a toned, healthy body is not what you think. The diet industry has spent decades trying to convince us that control is everything, but we’re starting to understand why this might not be true. More important than what you don’t eat is what you do consume, so sticking to tough, calorie deficit diet plans is an uphill struggle.

The healthiest, happiest people are not on diets. They don’t obsessively monitor everything that passes their lips because picking the right foods comes naturally to them. They have trained their brain to love the good stuff, so eating well is never a chore. And with so many amazing recipes out there, can you blame them?

Keep reading for a peek at some of the tasty, super nutritious meals that you should be enjoying on a regular basis.

Mano Chia Pudding

It takes just ten minutes to prepare a delicious bone healthy mango chia pudding recipe. All you need is a handful of chia seeds, a little milk, a cup of fresh mango, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. The ingredients (minus the mango) are placed in a jar and shaken vigorously. Then, you leave the jar in the fridge for an hour and voila, you’ve got a beautiful, healthy pudding which is fantastic for the bones, heart, joints, and cells.

Broccoli and Feta Omelette

If you can’t get enough of brunch recipes, but need to keep your choices nutritious, eggs are a wonderful choice. They are filled with healthy fats and protein, so they are a great way to start the day. Plus, leafy vegetables like broccoli are rich in calcium and vitamin D as well. Just make sure that you use minimal oil when cooking your omelette. The best option is one of those low-calorie spray oils.

Middle Eastern Salad

Carbs tend to get a bad rep, but it’s really just the white, processed options which you should avoid. So, stick with whole grain rice, pasta, and bread for maximum nutrition. Middle Eastern rice and salad dishes, for instance, ditch the heavy white rice in favour of a brown alternative or they use chickpeas, couscous, and quinoa. In fact, chickpeas are an incredible health food, because they contain minimal calories, but they are packed with protein and fibre.

Greek Lentil Soup

Often, thin soups taste great, but they can leave you craving a more filling snack. This is tricky because the last thing that you want to do is dive into creamier, fattier recipes. Plus, canned supermarket products are some of the worst offenders. They are filled with sugar and salt, so do try to make your own if you’re a soup fan. Lentils are tremendously filling and they taste amazing when added to carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and oregano.

Five Bean Chili (Non-Carne)

Mincemeat is not a great choice when you’re trying to cook healthy meals because it contains a lot of fat. If you are going to eat meat, you should stick with whole, lean cuts, as opposed to processed products. Swap out the mince for beans when you make your next chilli and you’ll be amazed at how tasty and filling it can be. You can use whatever beans you want; kidney, black, butter, pinto, haricot. Bring them all together in a bubbling pot of tomatoes, paprika, cumin, garlic, and chilli powder.

Why Food Is the Secret to a Healthy, Happy Life

Everything starts and ends with the food that we put into our bodies. It affects our mood, energy levels, happiness, resilience, and ability to deal with daily challenges. So, there is no excuse for not paying attention to the quality of your physical fuel. With just a few small changes, you can transform your diet and become a healthier, happier individual.

Anne

FlipZee Girls 2-in-1 Plush Doll Review

May 23, 2017 By Marijean

I was asked to review an adorable doll from a toy doll line called FlipZee Girls with my 8 year old daughter. She LOVES dolls still (hoping that lasts forever!) so I knew she would be excited to review a new one. What is better than 1 doll? 2 dolls combined!!

Kids go crazy for Flip Zee Girls®! Two dolls in one, unique, soft, and cuddly Flip Zee Girls® easily convert from a 12-inch cuddly baby to a stylish 18-inch big girl doll complete with soft, colorful hair and a chic dress that’s sure to impress. This toy will quickly become a favorite, providing hours of entertainment and companionship. $19.99 each.

Kids will love how Flip Zee Girls® turns from baby to big girl with just the flip of the bonnet or swaddle

Sweet and cuddly Flip Zee Girls® 2-in-1 doll converts from 12 inches to 18 inches at full length

This toy’s friendly eyes, freckles, and smile are sure to delight children everywhere

With colorful yarn hair and unique, stylish dress, Flip Zee Girls® makes a perfect gift

Flip Zee Girls® not recommended for children under the age of 3

Flip Zee Girls are for ages 3 and up. Girls who enjoy playing with baby dolls and soft dolls with love FlipZee Girls. They’ll like the easy-to-do transformation feature, which enhances the nurturing baby doll play, allowing kids to pretend that their baby is growing up. They have 6 fun dolls to choose from!

I showed my daughter all of the dolls and she chose the Flip Zee Girls Zuri Kitty Cat Sweet and Cuddly 2-in-1 Plush Doll. She loves cats so I knew right away she would pick Zuri. She couldn’t wait to get the doll! Once it arrived, she took it right out and started to play with it and flip it! The doll is super easy to for her to flip, and she has been enjoying taking it to stores and restaurants. It is very durable, spot wash only and air dry. She is very excited to order a Jumbo FlipZee and a FlipZee pet soon!

Flip Zee Girls dolls include Zandy, Zoey, Zuri, Zana, and Zara. Each is sold separately.

These dolls would make a perfect birthday gift, or even to purchase now and put away for Christmas! Any little girl in your life will surely love FlipZee Girls!

You can order online or you can find these dolls at Walmart.

Connect with FlipZee: Website Facebook Instagram

*I received a Flip Zee Doll in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.