Fall Favorites

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. It's when we start to see bonfires, jeans, hoodies, parades, festivals, football, and more! I love everything about it, including the decorating, cooking, and Halloween. Although it was hard to narrow these down, I've comprised a list of some of my "Fall Favorites" that I think you'll enjoy! 

1. Caramel Apples - nothing says fall like the sweet goodness of a crunchy apple covered in creamy caramel and toppings! 

See Recipe here: http://www.recipe.com/caramel-apples-1

2. Pumpkin Decorating - One of the times you can let your creative juices flow. There is no wrong way to decorate them. From carving to painting, there is something everyone can do when it comes to fancying up those pumpkins. 

3. Fall Fashion - Cool days and brisk nights let us know that its time to bring out the jeans and hoodies. You can finally put the skin revealing summer clothes away and cuddle up in your old sweater, or throw on a scarf to pull an outfit together. 

4. Hayrides - Fall is the best time to hop on a trailer lined with hay, being pulled by a tractor to take a tour through scenic fields and orchards. 

5. Haunted Houses - They are as exhilarating as they are terrifying. Like a mental roller coaster that leaves you wanting more.

6. Fall Football - Who doesn't  love gameday, tailgating, and the spirit of rallying teams. Football games are great family time too.

7. Corn Mazes - Loads of family fun you can make a day of. Its amazing how they come up with such detailed designs that can be seen from the sky. Most corn mazes also have pumpkin patches and animals or other attractions. 

8. Fall Foods - Chili, vegetable soup, pumpkin pie, hot wings! My mouth is drooling just thinking about all the fall foods that come to mind! Too much deliciousness to pick a favorite! 

9. Bonfires - Throw on that hoodie and get out the marshmallows, it's time to roast hot dogs and s'mores! 

10. Fall Festivals - We have them all over here in Missouri. Pumpkin Fests, Apple Fests, Turkey Fests, and even the annual Testicle Festival (you read that right). All with good food, family, and friends. 

What kind of festivals do you have in your area? Leave me a comment below! 

Dad Creates a Class to Help Other Fathers Learn How to Do Hair

I created a Dads and Daughters hair class to help other fathers learn about doing hair.
We had a small class full of dads that learned basic brushing, ponytails, braids and buns.
The turnout was great! I'm so proud of these dads for stepping up and building a better
bond with their daughters. -Philippe Morgese

Dad and daughter relationships are perhaps the most sweet of them all, and what better way for a daddy to bond with his little girl than to learn how to do her hair?

Though the idea of doing his daughter's hair may seem daunting for some dads, Philippe Morgese, a single dad from Daytona, FL, decided to put together a class for other dads to learn a few tricks of the trade — from basic brushing to buns.

The turnout was great, and Morgese says he was happy with the way the class went: "I'm so proud of those that showed up and tried their best . . . You guys rocked it! I can't express that enough." Not only was this first run a success, but he's planning the next one, and he has decided to keep them all small so the dads can really benefit from one-on-one help.

Rock those hairdos, dads!

See original story here: imgur.com/gallery/OApc53F

Are You Ready To Be WOW'd?

It Works! WOW wipes out your wrinkles! In 45 seconds you will start to feel it working, and in 45 more seconds all you will be able to say is WOW!

Instantly and temporarily reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, this functional formula doesn’t stop there. The It Works! WOW Proprietary Complex™ with its unique delivery system, dives deep into the skin’s surface to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Active peptides, proteins, and chamomile extract, synergistically work together to rejuvenate and revitalize skin. Giving you ultimate instant results, with long term benefits!

#EYEDARE you not to say WOW when you see your results!

• Instantly reduces appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and creases
• Active peptides and proteins boost skin’s firmness and elasticity
• Rehydrates skin giving a smooth plumped appearance
• Reduces appearance of under eye puffiness for a brighter looking you!

To Order: 

www.World-Wide-Wrappers.com

For more information, please contact me (Shawna Lomax) and I'd be happy to help answer any questions you have. 

If you're ready to order, please visit www.World-Wide-Wrappers.com and select the Loyal Customer Option to save up to 40% on all products! 

Ask me how you can get discounts on our products as well as earning some extra money! 

Apple Pie Tacos

These are amazing and very easy to make! Kids love them as well! 

Apple Pie Tacos

You'll Need:

4 Apples peeled & sliced

½ C Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Nutmeg

½ C Water

Tortilla's (flour) 6" size

Oil (for frying tortillas)

1/2 c sugar-cinnamon mixture

Whipped cream

Place apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water in a sauce pan.

Stir until well blended and cover and cook on medium stirring frequently

For 10 minutes or until apples are semi soft. If needed, thicken sauce using

1 Tbl of cornstarch to 3-4 Tbl of water. Mix into sauce and stir until thickened.

Heat oil on medium heat in a skillet and holding the tortilla folded in half, place the bottom on tortilla in the oil for a few seconds. Then lay it on one side until browned and then place other side down until browned. Remove from oil and Sprinkle browned tortilla with sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Fill taco shells with apple pie filling and top with whipped cream, and sprinkle a little more of sugar-cinnamon mixture on top.

What is Influenster?

So what is Influenster you ask? 
Infleunster is A hub of consumer knowledge by people just like you and me. On Influenster you can discover how to flex your social media influence to earn rewards such as a VoxBox. These boxes usually includes 1 or more full size products for you to test, use, and review. The more you interact with Influenster's site by searching products, doing reviews, answering snaps, and connecting with social media accounts, the bigger your chances are for getting chosen to be a tester.

Influenster is a community of tastemakers, social media hotshots, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences. In Influenster Nation, influence is currency.

The #FrostyBox

Why Join?

• You can see reviews before you buy! Just search for whatever it is you want to know about to see what other influensters have to say. 
• You get to try out complimentary products for an un-biased review. These are not just little samples but the real deal! Your type of products to review will be based on how you interact and how you answer questions, they will determine what may best fit you.  Ex: if you review and answer a lot of makeup questions, you may get a beauty box to try, if you love food and reflect that, you may get something tasty to try.

Now I'm sure you're wondering how you can sign up and get a VoxBox of your own. Just go here www.influenster.com/r/802359 and sign up. Don't forget to connect your social media accounts so you can get the highest influence score possible. See you there!

Through The Eyes Of A Rapist - A Women's Self Defense

I ran across this tidbit of information that I found interesting. I took note of it to share with my 16 year old daughter, but thought it was important to share with anyone else who may come across this. You never know when it might save a life!

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES
(PLEASES TAKE TIME TO READ THIS)
"A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

What Are Some Things Rapist or Abductors Look For:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.


POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1] Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2] Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3] If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4] Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5] A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6] ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7] If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8] As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

.
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.

SOURCE: http://goo.gl/uzydR — with Kimberly So Blessed Jackson, Tiffany Hughes, Shana Elahi and 40 others.

Laugh to Keep From Crying

      Today is President's Day. Another one of those holidays that the kids could care less about, but they get the day off of school anyway. It is pouring down rain, thundering & lightning here. Just as I get on the computer to work, I hear...."MOM, I'm bored!".
That was my 12 year old who doesn't think he will live if he has to go a whole day without video games or cable. Of course, my answer was "I have some things for you to do, clean your room, play one of your games, make me something cool." But of course, THAT is not what he wanted to hear.
     Not long after, my 16 year old comes in and says, "Mom, what can I have to eat?" She just ate an entire frozen pizza and a plate of corn, but somehow felt that she was still starving.
I come out of my "office" for a minute, just to look around and see  why it is so hard for a 12 and 16 year old to fend for themselves for all of an hour while Mom gets some work done.
     The first thing I notice was Chance our dog, spinning circles at the front door..."Can ANYONE take him out please?" Then my eyes glance to the kitchen where I see an empty pizza box, and dirty dishes on the counter..."Do we NOT know how to find the trashcan?" There were things strung from one end of the house to the other, music blaring from one of the bedrooms, and the TV in the living room turned up loud enough to hear over the music. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? About that time my son throws a piece of paper across the living room into the kitchen, hitting the side of the trash can and falling on the floor. I gave him "The look". He says, "What, I'm throwing it away. I was just trying to have some fun!"
     I covered my eyes, and shook my head. I was so frustrated I wanted to cry. I take a deep breath, and decided to lighten up. It is their day off after all. I picked up the paper and slam dunked it into the trash can, followed by my daughter launching her balled up pizza box in the same fashion. They walked around picking up everything they could find to "shoot" into the trashcan, which turned into a game where we kept score and all. I could feel the tension release, and my mind unclutter for a few moments while I had fun with them, and kept myself from going completely insane. After our game, they began picking up other messes, and finding things to help with...on their own. I guess just having a little family fun was enough to get them off their butts. The dog got taken out, laundry was thrown in, beds were made, and quiet grew among the house again.

     Sometimes we just need to laugh to keep from crying. Take a break in our day to see things a little different. I am ready for them to go back to school tomorrow, but glad that I took a few moments to stop what I was doing and enjoy the time.