Facebook and Instagram Don't Always Lie

Today I took my kids to the beach. Its a 10 minute drive to one of the most crystal clear most magnificent beaches on the planet which we feel very blessed to be able to see from our kitchen window.

In the car on the way down, the kids fought like cats and dogs. I actually pulled over and threatened to turn around if the fighting didn't stop. Yes, I'm THAT mom. And lets just say they were silent for the rest of the ride.

We got to the beach, the kids took their tubes, boats, floats, shovels etc. and raced into the water and had a ball for the next hour. 

Now, during that hour there were a few fights over who was using the pink tube or the blue pale. One of the kids blow up tubes went flying down the beach only to be caught by a surfer guy who brought it back to me while making sure to give me a full on lecture on how bad these toys are for the ocean if they get blown far into the water or blow down the beach and never retrieved all while I was making sure to keep an eye on every one of my children frolicking in the ocean or burying each other in sand.

We headed back to the car and as much as I rinsed the kids off, the car somehow was full of sand when we got home so I had to shake out all the carseats and carpets while the kids took the hose and hosed down all the beach toys and goggles and shoes. They then all ran to the shower fighting over who was going in first followed by me making lunch for the starving crew.

While on the beach, I snapped a few photos of the kids in their element, floating in the crystal clear water, building sand castles and looking all adorable. I posted them on Instagram only to get tons of likes and positive comments, especially ones like 'you're so lucky you live there!' 'such happy cute kids!'

My first thought was, 'wow, this is really is false advertising! No one knows about the fights  and the annoying surfer dude who also lives here, the car full of sand and how exhausted I was when I got home!'

And it made me think of all those times we see eachothers photos on Facebook or Instagram thinking how everyone else's life is so perfect or at least close.

But then I realized, those moments of my kids in the water, building their sand castles- those were truly perfect moments and I am so glad I captured them. My entire morning was so far from perfect but I wanted to remember the perfect moments. And I wanted to share them.

So don't feel bad capturing and sharing your perfect moments- because thats all they are: moments. And make those special moments your memories, not the fights and what not.

Wishing you a summer filled with lots of special moments and may you capture and appreciate them all!

Always,

If you haven't entered the Adina: My Design Sketchbook Giveaway, CLICK HERE to enter now!

Fabulous Book Review- Adina: My Design Sketchbook

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to review a copy of Adina: My Design Sketchbook by Yocheved Nadell.

Well, it wasn't exactly me who reviewed it, it was my 7 year old daughter and her BFF who was begging me to make her copies of the pages so she could make her own designs. Lets just say her mom purchased a copy on Amazon that day.

 

Here are some details about this Book:

* Design using 60+ stickers and 80+ starter sketches for your endless ideas.

* 14+ color fashion illustrations for inspiration!

* 14+ coloring figures for all levels to enjoy.

* 40+ color tutorial pages with easy to follow instructions.

* 110+ pages for hours of creativity and fun!

Fashion designers of all ages will love creating with Adina’s Design Sketchbook. The younger ones will find hours of fun in coloring the pages and decorating with the stickers. The older ones will be thrilled with the results they achieve using the design and illustration skills they will learn in the easy to follow tutorials!

There are different Models, each with a Jewish name which is really refreshing. My daughter absolutely LOVES this book, she can spend hours just coloring, designing, learning how to make designs and using the stickers.

Between you and I, I would totally enjoy it too. I think it says its for ages 8-100. I wish I had such a book as a kid as I spent hours designing outfits and here is your very own Design Sketchbook WITH different tutorials on denim, fabrics, accessories, hair styles, skin tones and so much more.

So now that you know what a fabulous book this is, go ahead and enter the GIVEAWAY- Yup, I said Giveaway!!! to win a copy of Adina: My Design Sketchbook for the sweetie in your life.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you just can't wait to get a copy, do yourself and your daughter, niece, cousin or neighbor a favor and Click Here to order a bunch of copies of Adina: My Design Sketchbook---

Absolutely worth every penny.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Always,

It's been a while!

Hey! So yes, it has been a while since my last blog post-
Between broken lap tops, broken keyboards, hubby going out of town, mom exhausted, the blogging just was not happening.

But-

I just received my brand new Macbook today, a gift from the hubs, and I am just so excited to get back into the blogosphere!

Over the past few months I recently reconnected with a dear friend from High School. Although we weren't very close, we always had a really nice relationship and always got along well.

After high school, we lost touch, but fast forward 18 years, throw in a husband for each of us and a bunch of adorable kids, and here we find ourselves both living in very remote places and homeschooling our kids.

I always knew she was a jolly and positive person, always smiling. What I did not know was how wise she was. How practical she was. How organized she was. I mean, she has this time management, home organization, homeschooling, family dynamic thing down! What a wealth of information and resources. I told her she needs to write a blog. She owes it to the world, in my humble opinion. When someone is so good at something, they need to share the wealth, right?

But she is a busy mom so I told her I would be her portal to the world through my blog.

So wonderful readers, I'd like to introduce to you Baila. My very dear and special friend who I now find myself chatting to almost every day discussing everything.

I plan to post a lot of her wisdom, ideas, charts, advice and more on my blog and I know you will love it!

Interestingly enough, the 3rd of Tammuz is this Shabbos. It will be the 21st Yahrzeit of the Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. The Rebbe was all about doing and making the absolute most of our lives. Doing as much good as we could possibly do, squeeze in as much productivity into our day that we possibly could. Even after he passed away, his followers did not go into a state of despair. They went into a state of 'what more can we do now?' 'What mitzvah campaigns can we start?' The Rebbe was all about inspiring others TO inspire others!

Baila has truly inspired me to be the best homemaker and wife I can possibly be. Her homemaking and organizational tips have changed my life- I am not kidding.

So on this Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, I say L'chaim to a new month, may we be able see the good in all situations, may we be blessed with people in our lives to help us see the good, may we be blessed to have good friends and the ability to see that all the important things in our lives are actually okay and the rest will ultimately all work out.

I'm back, it feels great and theres lots more to come!

Good Shabbos,

Always,