The Nights Are Long, But The Years Are Short

Tonight is especially rough as my little one is having a hard time falling asleep. I’ve moved her to her toddler bed and she’s been doing so well. I sit with her till she falls asleep and then I go to bed. But tonight is a long drawn out camp out.

In these situations, I try to think of the positives. I remember to cherish these times. To be firm in discipline but also loving and empathetic. It’s so frustrating to wait and wait. Get up and wake her up as I’m leaving her room. So then I have to sit back down again and wait and wait. I started trying to let her know that I’m going to mommy’s bed today. And that she can fall asleep on her own. It seemed to work today after some coaxing and a talk through. But I think it will be a process.

So in these moments I try to cherish the time I get to be with her.

I keep remembering a phrase I read once, “the nights are long but the years are short.”

 

I’ve cut my tummy size in half in three days!

I have been losing a half a pound a day on this new diet. I am able to stay moderately satisfied and I am eating delicious food! 

My goal is to slim down and get rid of dangerous belly fat. I even saw results on the first day! Sounds too good to be true right? But it is true!  I have morphed the Keto diet and other tips and tricks to get where I am at now and I’m loving it!  So here are some simple easy tips to start losing weight. And I don’t follow the keto diet exactly. I take it’s common core principles and I customize it to fit my needs.

1. High Protein- eggs, chicken, fish, peanut butter
2. Good Fats-avocados, 1/2 cup milk twice a week
3. High Fiber- green beans (fresh not in a can) squash, leafy lettuce, black beans and garlic
4. Sweets- peanut butter, berries, yogurt, apples, pears, ect
5. Dressings-small olive oil, vinegar, lemon
6. Lasagna noodles- try slicing eggplant and breading it. Crisp up in the oven.   Use a tomato and yellow pepper sauce. Tiny amounts of cheese once a week are ok.

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Things to AVOID at all costs-

•Granola bars are usually full of sugar. 

•Salt- tiny amounts are ok

•Pork & high fat Beef(use in small moderation)

•large amounts of bread 

•high sugar high fat condiments such as ranch, Caesar, mayo

•high fat dairy- best to keep dairy at a minimum 

•canned anything

•prepackaged (production) foods

•chips, candy, chocolates, 

•fried foods

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Tips: 

1. Vegetables are a great way to feel full and eat a lot! To lose weight fast most of what you should eat is veggies 
2. Cut out most of your fruits. Use in small moderation. Oranges especially contain a lot of sugar. 
3. Vinegar- YES! Add vinegar to your diet ( a couple tablespoons a day will cut belly fat!) some great ways to add vinegar are – a small splash while cooking your eggs, – vinegar dressings, tarragon vinegar to tomatoes, balsamic vinegar to salads and chicken
4. Eat eggs! These are a protein packed tiny snack that has been proven to make you feel full! 
5. When you feel hungry, drink a half bottle of water. If you’re feeling really daring, drink a full bottle of water. This will help you feel full till the next meal. 

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Let’s substitute!!!

-Pasta- try spaghetti squash with some olive oil! 

-Butter- try herbs for more flavor! 

-Cream- plain yogurt 

-French fries- breaded zucchini cut up into fries and baked! (A tiny breading is ok)

-mashed potatoes- try microwaving a sweet potato

-cold pasta salad- cube up tomato, grapes, fennel, zucchini, green onion garlic

Thick Soup- make a soup from low sodium chicken stock, butter nut squash or sweet potato, blend up with a small amount of fat free sour cream. (But generally stay away from sour cream!) 

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Things to note:

Work on cutting amounts of food

Work through the cravings

Coupled with daily walks does wonders

Benefits- 

I see results on the very first day! 

 It’s day three now and I’ve cut my tummy size in half!!!!! This is why this is my favorite diet because it’s not excruciating like other diets.  Yes I still have to fight some cravings and a bit of hunger, but for the most part I’m satisfied!

I also feel much lighter than I actually am.

These types of foods gives me energy and I’m able to function much better throughout the day compared to when I eat burgers, French fries and buttery fast food! 

Let me know if you want to try this too! What are your results?  

Blog Party September 7

The blog party has been rescheduled to September 7! We hope to see you there! This is an excellent way to get to know other readers and gain followers!

We will be posting additional information soon!

Love, MR. & MRS. M

💋

Today…Has Been a Good Day.

Today has been a really good day actually.

I took my toddler daughter on a walk around the neighborhood early this morning. We saw lots of cool things like a big dark frog, and a boat out on a pond. We both ate a very healthy lunch of avacado, tomato, and oranges. So I’ve started a diet again to lose the pregnancy weight. I’m eating high protein, few calorie, low carb diet. It’s actually very easy. I just eat my favorite vegitables and lots of eggs. Sweet potatoes are also really yummy!

That’s what we are having tonight: sweet potatoes, poached eggs, and green beans.

We also read a bunch of books, and went to the splash pad. We didn’t stay long though, an older boy accidentally knocked my daughter into a pole and tripped over her. Total accident but she didn’t want to play anymore and wanted to go home. So then we washed up and took a 2 hour nap!!

And somewhere in there the song Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo makes its rounds in our daily life.

I’ve been pretty productive today. Cleaning, cooking and staying pretty positive for a Monday.

How’s your day going? I hope you are all doing well ❤️

 

Love Mrs. M

 

Our Food Creations

We love to cook and eat! It’s therapeutic for me and I can’t wait to show you some of our most pretty food/ photographs! I love seeing how beautiful I can get the food to look!

A beautiful salad my husband made me

Crusted chicken breast with broccoli and cheesy cream sauce

Lime chicken with like quinoa, sour cream and cilantro -by my hubby

 

Non-alcoholic sangria

Seafood soup. Tomato base with muscles and shrimp

No joke, I took powdered tang, mixed it with water, and added whipped cream!!! Tang sickle!!! Soo good!

Cheesy rice with taco toppings! And cilantro

Chocolate brownie with blackberry, mint leaves, and berry compote. My husband made this! And it has a green whipped cream in honor of St. Patrick’s Day!

Asian ramen soup with soy sauces eggs and steak

Fresh bread from scratch!

Stuffed chorizo green pepper

Lime tart. These were amazing! Surprisingly I can’t bake, but these turned out

Mini tacos, quesadillas, and tostadas

Thanksgiving chicken medallions with roasted potatoes

Turnip, beet salad

All roasted veggies dinner- NO Meat! We were absolutely full from this meal! Carrots, potatoes, squash soup

Shepherd’s Pie

Juice and Sweat pea candle

Mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach

Butternut Squash Soup

 

Thank you for stopping by! Let us know which picture was your favorite!

Drop your favorite recipe in the comments!

Love,

Mrs. M.

❤️XO❤️XO❤️

 

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickeys not so scary Halloween party started last night!! And we are so excited to be bringing some Disney Magic to you! So let’s dive in and showcase the 2018 party fun!

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Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a special ticketed Party. We strongly advise buying tickets in advance as you get discounts and a lot of the party days sell out. The party usually starts at 4pm. Non-ticket holders are ushered out before the party starts.

Yes! You can wear costumes! Visit Disney.com for rules!

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With the Sanderson sisters (Hocus Pocus) teaming up with other villains to cast a spell over Magic Kingdom, there will be plenty of opportunities to see some evil characters.

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Main events:

Trick or Treating equals unlimited candy! Explore the park and grab candy at designated spots along the way. Bring your candy buckets or buy your favorite from one of the Disney stores! If you or your child has food allergies, Disney offers Teal bags and coins to trade in for special candy, stickers, and trinkets.

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Another main event is the Boo To You Parade!

Catch the opportunity to see some really neat grave diggers create sparks on the walkway with their shovel shuffle! Also a great chance to see the Headless Horseman lead the entire parade!

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Several rides are decked out with special features just for the party!

Space Mountain roller coaster goes completely dark! Even the stars are hidden! There is also a new soundtrack.

Pirates of the Caribbean has live action pirates as you wait in line!

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party boasts of a magical light show-it’s dazzling!

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The fog all over the park also adds a really nice but spooky ambiance.

Be sure to check out these treats as well!

Pic Source: Popsugar.com

First off is the Haunted Mansions Hitchhiking Doom Buggy- the reviews though aren’t that great. Not a lot of flavor.

This Candy Corn Milkshake looks amazing! It includes vanilla cotton candy and a vanilla Mickey Mouse marshmallow.

What’s not to love about Jack Skellington from the Night Before Christmas?! These cake pops are super cute and we are so glad they brought back the design from last year.

Dirt and worms- this looks delicious! And even comes with a tombstone!

These are just several of the available desserts all throughout the parks!

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According to WDW PrepSchool here is the best and worst places to see the fireworks throughout the park.

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We are still awaiting the Tim Trackers video from last night! We know they were at Walt Disney World for the opening of Mickey’s Not Scary Halloween Party because pictures are starting to come in from the fans! Disney fans got a real treat seeing them last night!

Also they did post that they are working on one copyright issue that popped up right before posting so it is a matter of time before that video shows up! 🙂 we will post that video when it comes available.

But for right now here are two videos by Undercover Tourist for you to check out!

Not So Scary Halloween Party– Parade

Halloween Sights And Sounds– Party

Thank you for reading! Be sure to comment about your favorite Disney memories!

❤️ Love Mr. & Mrs. M

Haircut!

I got my hair cut today! Woot woot! In the summer, my hair gets all frizzy and it was pretty long!

So I got it chopped off and thinned which will make it easier to manage💜

Beauty Product Review:Mary Kay, Maybelline, Jamberry, The Color Workshop

Today I wanted to give you all a Makeup Review! Most of these products are from Mary Kay. But I do not work for this company NOR do I sell it. But I do enjoy most of their products!

Anyway, take a look at what I use everyday and my final look!

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I love my Timewise Travel Set! After the second day of ever using it I could see a huge difference! My pores were smaller, and what little acne I had completely disappeared!

My face feels so refreshed after using the cleanser. Then the moisturizer is heavenly! This is actually only a 3 -step product. You use the pink in the morning and the gray at night, which also feels and smells amazing!

$25

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The Corrector and Cc Cream by Mary Kay is great! It quickly erases the bags under my eyes while also highlighting and brightening my skin. The corrector is a peach tone color which counters the blue hues of the under eye areas. I also use my corrector as a foundation primer getting all the uneven spots first then blending everything together with the CC Cream. It’s very easy to apply as well!

Corrector $16, Foundation $20

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For my contour and highlighting I use two products depending on what I need that day. Master bronze by Facestudio-Maybelline New York.

The other is the Nude Eyeshadow pallet by The Color Workshop. (Price?)

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I use brushes and liquid eyeliner by The Color Workshop. I also use the liner for my brow color. It just makes them pop. (Price?)

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The best mascara I have ever used is my current Lash Intensity tube by Mary Kay. I no longer use falsies because this product has a special wand that gives 200 % volume. There are two bristle lengths in the brush that allow for the maximum draw out of your eyelashes. I also do not have to do anything for my bottom lashes because the wand is perfect for catching both top and bottom at the same time! Bonus!

I pair it with Mary Kay eyeshadow-London Fog. This is a light grey purple.

Mascara-$18, Eyeshadow-$8

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I originally was so excited to get this lotion. But once I got it I was not impressed. It left a greasy film on my legs and feet. The mint smell was a mix between tooth paste and vapor rub. VERY MINTY-BUT this is extremely uncommon for a negative review for Mary Kay, as all their other products make me feel like a million dollars!

$11

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Now I’m so thrilled to tell you about the Lipbalms and glosses! Highly recommend the set! And again, I do not sell Mary Kay, I have just found a great consultant who introduced me to the products! I instantly fell in love with the beauty regiment! So first I use the lip scrub. I rinse it off and apply the balm. Both taste so yummy! The scent is White Tea & Citrus. Think spa day meets pleasant fruit. And I finish the look with Mary Kay’s Lip Gloss -Fancy Nancy $18, Lip Set-$22

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Right now I’m in love with these colors! Business professional meets romantic! I use the warm plum by The Color Workshop. (Price?) Then I accent my ring finger with my Lovestruck Top Coat by Jamberry. $15-$18

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And final result! Ta-Da! Mary Kay is awesome! A little pricey- but if you are willing to throw a Mary Kay party, a lot of this comes for free!

P.s. I put makeup on today just for you!(Usually I’m a bum because my daughter doesn’t need mommy to get all glammed up to play!) 💜

And of course I’m wearing my Winnie the Pooh Sweatshirt 😍 gotta show my Disney Spirit!

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What do you use? What’s your absolute favorite product that makes you feel like a million dollars? If you’re a guy, let us know too! Yes! I know a lot of you guys are into beard oils and use products! 😀

Comment below, and always remember to like, comment, and follow on the posts that inspire you 💜

How to Influence People

Firefly picture source: beautiful_earthy_things

I have recently had a couple trolls on my comments throughout WordPress World. It has me thinking a lot about our actions and their consequences. And also what makes one person stand out as a light in the world versus someone who chooses to spread lies and darkness.

So here is my list of what makes an exceptional person who influences people.

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1. Don’t start or enter fights. Everyone has opinions, but it’s better to error on the side of caution for this one. Decide what you might say and review it in your mind before posting. Would your comment be beneficial or hurtful? Put yourself in their shoes.

2. Even if you are just entering a conversation, leave a comment that is not only engaging but encouraging. A little love can go a long way. If you are not one to use loving nicknames for strangers like love, lovely, friend, mate, ect. These can put your reader at ease and open the doors to their hearts and minds. Wishing them well, letting them know they are in your thoughts and prayers, and encouraging them through a tough situation (as if you are a close friend, even though you don’t even know them) will have a lasting and peaceful affect.

3. Never ever enter a battle with a troll. Don’t even go there. You won’t win that nasty fight. The best thing you can do is ignore them and extinguish whatever it is that attracted them to be so hateful. Nothing positive is ever gained by trying to win a negatively born argument.

4. Be true to yourself and others. When you do let your opinions be known, season your answers with Grace and back up your position with personal experiences. Don’t let anyone tell you what to think or how to feel. Unless you are trying to self help! Then yes of course, but I’m talking here about social media, complete strangers.

5. Get involved. Comment on people’s post. Encourage. Get to know. Participate. Like. Follow. Reblog. And Inspire. Be sure to let the writer know how much you appreciate them sharing and what about it was impactful to you. And be ready to learn something new!

Out of The Blogging Office for Most of the Day ;)

Hello everyone! I will not be on here very much today because we have traveled to see our daughter’s cardiologist. When she was born, she was found to have a PFO (hole) in her heart. These can be very life threatening when the patient gets older.

I am extremely nervous which is very peculiar because after the last two exams, they are predicting that it might be closed up by now.

We will let you know the results probably later tonight or tomorrow!

Say some prayers for us as there are a lot of emotions involved. We just want her to be healthy and have nothing hindering her beautiful life.

Tarragon Lemon Pepper Baked Flounder

I think this is one of the most prettiest dishes I have ever made! And it tasted so good too!

I made a butter, lemon, fresh tarragon sauce, and a lemon parsley tarragon butter rice. And then for the mushrooms can you guess what I flavored those with? You got it! Butter, & Tarragon Vinegar!

The flounder was so moist. I’m not usually a seafood eater, but I have my moments. And flounder is my favorite.

Thank you to all the bloggers who inspired me! I searched the other day for baked fish recipes, and this was my take on all that inspiration goodness!

What is your favorite fish to eat?

Our Daughters Story: Survival & Strength

via Our Daughters Story: Survival & Strength (Blog Post #3)

I decided to repost this as More people have become interested in her story. Thank you for reading 💜

Love always from Mrs. M

❤️

Today’s Friendly Challenge

There are so many beautiful things to see in the blogging world. So many adventures to vicariously live through! So today’s challenge is to follow someone new! Encourage them too! Let’s spread some joy today!💜

6-9/64+ Disney Movie Reviews by Blooms&Beautifuls: Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Lady & The Tramp, Pooh’s Grand Adventure

Today we will be sharing with you our reviews of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Lady & The Tramp, and Pooh’s Grand Adventure.

First up…

Cinderella -100% Disney Magic

We expect no less than 100% Disney Magic from Cinderella! She’s Iconic! Not just as a princess, but in the music as well. What’s not to love about every single kind-hearted character in this film? The Magic is everywhere and every scene is full of charm and class!

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The Little Mermaid -100% Disney Magic

This was one of my favorite stories when I was younger. It was so much fun rewatching it and remembering all the Magic this movies offers. Yes, she got 100% for her classic movie scenes, iconic sing-a-long songs, and the love and happy ever after ending.

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Lady & The Tramp -95% Disney Magic

Almost every scene is filled with love, and so much joy! Although the songs are not as iconic as many other Disney movies, we do love “This Is The Night.” My least favorite song is sung by the Siamese cats. But I would watch this movie again very soon!

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Pooh’s Grand Adventure -86% Disney Magic

This movie was funny, meaningfully quotable, and the music reminded me of the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom Theme Park. It was boring in a bunch of areas though and I had a hard time focusing. The ending was so sentimental and perfect!

So there you have it! Until next time!

Now You Can Call Your Child’s Favorite Disney Character Before Bed

Only good till August 31st, these adorable phone calls from your favorite Disney Characters ( Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck) are sure to bring some magic to your child’s bed time routine. Although I will say, you cannot understand what Donald is saying, but everyone else is simply adorable!

If you can’t get through on the line try again! They are most likely busy with more calls! It usually took us only 3 tries at max. 💜

He’s 30! Golden Birthday Celebration

My hubby who is also co-author to our blog, turned 30 earlier this year! It was his golden birthday too which meant he was 30 on the 30th! We celebrated with a surf and turf feast! Snow crab, king crab legs, lobster tails, and shrimp Skewers, and sweet potatoes. I’m not a huge fan of seafood so he and our toddler daughter got to eat it all!

I am so blessed to walk through life with this guy. He’s smart, funny, and an awesome dad.

He actually started and fueled my Disney obsession. He has a hard time relaxing because he works hard all the time. But something about planning Disney trips changed his life a few years ago. I obviously jumped on board as soon as I saw that it was genuinely making him a happier person. We have bonded over our mutual obsession with everything Mickey Mouse and become even better best friends that we were before ❤️

So here’s to my other half! Happy Birthday John! Can’t wait till our next adventure!

Teriyaki barbecue glazed steak bites

It’s Blog Party Time! Good Morning! ❤️ (Post #1)

Good Morning Everyone! And welcome to our all day Blog Tea Party!

Feel free to share your blog link on the comments and repost our posts! Let us know who you are, what you write about and Where Are You From? 💜

Let’s get started!

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My husband and I are John & Ashley M. We run Blooms & Beautifuls. Which is a Disney Blog! We have a beautiful little girl who overcame a monumental unexpected health crisis after she was born. She’s our miracle baby! I will be sharing her story soon! Anyway we usually save our money, but since our daughter almost died we realized life isn’t about money or things. It’s about the time that we spend with our precious family and friends. So we’ve become Disney obsessed!

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Here are some lovely recipes to get your day going! Whether you like tea, coffee, or juice, there’s a recipe for you to start your day perfectly.

Recipe by Monterey Bay Spice Company

Brought to you by Valya’s Taste of Home

Brought to you by BlogLovin.com

Now I’d like to share with you an American Tradition. It’s a verse that is written on a brand of our egg cartons for breakfast everymorning.

It says

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

So let’s get this beautiful day started! I can’t wait to get to know you!

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Love. Mrs. Ashley M. 💋xoxo

Blog Tea Party August 3! Get to know bloggers all over the world!

 

hop online anytime from 11 pm New York Time (EDT) on August 2nd and we will go ahead and post the first post which will be Tea, coffee, and Juice Recipes. That way they will be there for when all our readers on the Eastern side of the world wake up ready for a delicious morning brew! Feel free to anytime share your blog link and thoughts all throughout the day on the various posts! I would love to get to know you! If you haven’t already started following us, go ahead and sign up for automated posts so you can catch the Tea Party all day long! It will end 11:59 pm (EDT) on August 3rd.

 

Here are the Countries we Have represented!

Germany 

Ireland 

Saudi Arabia

United Kingdom

Phillipeans 

Italy

Indonesia

Nigeria

Australia

Latvia 

Canada

India

Finland 

Belgium

Romania

Switzerland

South Africa

Spain

Vietnam

Japan 

Egypt

Denmark

Kenya

Oman

wow! That’s amazing! One of my favorite parts of blogging is getting to know people all over the world! Thank you all for following our site and getting to know us as well!