Holiday Gift Guide Part 1 - Trivets!

The holidays are coming! Are you excited? I know I am. It is the first holiday season we'll be spending in our very first house and as I have mentioned before, I have to buy all new stuff! I'm truly sad about it, truly.

HyperboleAndAHalf.com

Since I have a lot of things I will be buying because ALL of my family will be visiting, I thought I might share with you just in case you were having trouble deciding what to get your family and friends this holiday season. 

I do this for you. 

I don't know how many of you out there enjoy getting useful gifts, but I know I sure do. Any gift I get that keeps me from spending money is automatically my favorite gift ever! So, these will probably be more useful gifts, but I hope to throw some fun gifts in there as well. 

The very first gift I have to share with you today is this gorgeous set of trivets (otherwise known as hot pads) I found!

I loved the look of these and the price, $8.99 for a set of two! I got mine in a few days ago and love them so far! They have held up under my famous (ok, famous for my family) spaghetti sauce in the giant pot, casseroles, stews, and soups. I am very happy with my purchase and that's why it is number one on my holiday gift guide this year!

I hope to see you back for my next gift guide installment! In the meantime, tell me which family member you always have trouble finding a gift for in the comments below and maybe I can find a good gift for them! Happy holidays! 

What Is Bubbling In My Cauldryn?

Coffee. The answer is always, always coffee.

Thanks, Captain Obvious!

No, that isn't an obvious spelling error. I really do have coffee bubbling in my cauldryn. My Cauldryn battery heated mug!

It is beyond awesome!

The Cauldryn battery heated mug is my new favorite thing in the world that I have been asked to review. This thing is just HANDY. You can keep your hot stuff hot, as well as cook, boil and freeze dry anything in it! With the optional blender attachment, you can even make smoothies in it. It is absolutely perfect for my on the go lifestyle! Never again will I have my tea or coffee go cold. I can have my soups right away, or just heat them up and keep them hot in my cauldryn. The small battery lasts about 10-15 hours while the bigger battery lasts twice as long. You can even carry it onto a plane, as it meets all carry on requirements. 

Don't even get me started on how useful this is going to be for camping/hiking!

I have been using it all week as I have been out and about, getting ready for the good old holiday season. Every sip of my coffee was like I had just poured it and I may or may not have stayed out shopping a little longer than I should have.

Maybe.

And so, because I want everyone to have this awesome mug, I have a $10 off coupon code for you! Please visit Cauldryn.com and type the code STEPHANIES2018 in at checkout to get your very own. 

Then, come back here and tell me what is bubbling in YOUR cauldryn!

Healing The Scars Of Addiction

This year, I am a full decade sober.

Now, there have been slips and slides during that ten year span and I am not too proud to admit that. However, since January 1, 2009, I have dedicated myself to sobriety.

Every now and then, though addiction comes 'round to punch me in the face again. Just to remind me it's still there...waiting.

Here I am, Steph. Just waiting for a minor inconvenience to happen in your life so me, you, and that devil bottle can hang, just like old times. 

Recently, I was sent Healing The Scars Of Addiction by Dr. Gregory L. Jantz with Ann McMurray. I absolutely DEVOURED this book in a day. It was that good and had so much useful information, I think my brain is still humming.

Dr. Jantz actually pioneered "whole person care" thirty years ago by opening The Center - A Place Of Hope. When I say "whole person care" I mean, your entire mental health, physical health, and spiritual health are treated along with your addiction issues.

I have always, always been a strong believer that mental illness and substance abuse/addiction walk tightly hand in hand. Often times, an addiction can begin because a person starts using substances to self medicate away the symptoms of mental illness. For example, if you're anxious all of the time and alcohol calms your nerves and takes that anxiety away, well you've just found a reason to drink any time you feel anxious and so the cycle begins...

Mental Illness and Addiction are totally bros.

Chapters 10: How Can I Put My Life Back Together?, 11: Do I Deserve To Put My Life Back Together, and 12: Who Am I Now?, were especially impactful for me. I would say that those have been the biggest issues in my recovery. For those chapters alone, I can't recommend this book more. It's just a wealth of information that I need in my life and now I have it to go back to any time I feel myself being swallowed by my soul quagmire.

If you find yourself struggling after getting sober or finding your way, I definitely recommend this book. Also, GOOD ON YOU for getting sober and realizing that you have a choice to relieve your pain in constructive ways instead of destructive ways. Your life is a journey and you are walking a good path.

You can find Dr. Jantz book by clicking here. I hope you will find it as absolutely incredible as I did as well! 

I'd love to hear your experiences about addiction and recovery in the comments. Let's chat about it!  

Something Here

There is something
here

It whisps out from
there
between the lips of
sin

There is something
here

A quiet, sterile
painted gray brick 
in the way but
it weighs less than paper

There is something 
here


It's the familiar whispers 
on the bare floorboards
as he walks so silent so

purpose driven 
for the fourth time this week

There is something
here

And it wants to disappear.

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THERE'S A GHOST IN MY SHEETS!

YOU GUYS.

I THINK MY SHEETS ARE HAUNTED. 

It has to be because suddenly I have the softest, most luxurious sheets made by the fine folks at Ghost Bed Sheets.

And, as I've written about before, we all know how much I love my luxury in my bedroom!

I am constantly struggling to find the perfect sheet set that is comfortable, durable, breathable and lightweight. Luckily, the Ghost Bed Luxury sheet sets, a product of GhostBed by Nature's Sleep mattress company (which has excellent reviews from Consumer reports), stepped right up and not only met my expectations, but exceeded them. 

Each set is an unique blend of Supima Cotton and Tencel Fibers that are breathable, lightweight and oh so comfortable. The fitted sheet is awesome because it is made with incredibly tough ends that will NOT pop off! That's my favorite part because I can't tell you how many times the ends of fitted sheet ends have come loose from my bed. They are secure, and believe me, I tested it thoroughly! Wash after wash, they stay soft and get even more comfortable!

The very best thing about your GhostBed sheets is that each comes with a three year warranty and free shipping! There's plenty of colors to choose from so head on over to GhostBed sheets and grab some for yourself. You definitely won't be disappointed!

Fitness Is Better With A Buddy

You better believe I have tried anyandeverything under the sun to get my weight and health under control.

I mean, everything.

The problem with all of the things I've tried, I've never really had an  accountability buddy to keep me motivated!

Luckily, I have finally found the perfect new program for couples, The FocoBody 360 Plan for couples!

On a daily basis, each participant receives an email containing a daily reminder to access their Precision Nutrition coaching website to review their daily lesson, exercise and habit building reminders. Every week, participants will receive an additional lesson on where to focus and how to leverage their relationship as a couple to support each other in reaching their health goals, while accelerating their success!

You will also receive a monthly 1 to 2 hour coaching session with your mentors, along with 4 webinars to address questions and concerns.

***You will also receive 2 free Apple Watches in order to track your heart rate, exercises, and daily caloric usage.*** This helps the mentors monitor your progress.

If you are interested in learning more, you can find their free ebook here, Gut Matters, and that will  get you well on your way! My husband and I really love it so far and hope you do as well!

Haiku Challenge

One of the hashtags I like to follow on Twitter is the Haiku Challenge. I had some inspiration last night and wrote a few. Enjoy!

1

The monsters are real They live in our highest house The children see all.

2

Who hears the soft cry Of the lost soul in the wind? We do, we do, love.

3

His fecal filled mouth Bloviates and blathers on As we sit captive.

4

Inspiration comes In the quietness of night Words captivate me.

5

Standing on the edge I leaned forward and hoped that Wind could catch my fall.

What Is An Evaporative Cooler?

This was the first question I asked when New Air reached out to me again for product testing.

Seriously, I had no idea what it was.

Fairly quickly, I found that an evaporative cooler is sort of like an air conditioner and fan all in one. It is especially wonderful in dry climates as high humidity areas will render it ineffective. It arrived a few days ago and I have already put it to work!

I love this thing! It is a powerful tower fan as well as an evaporative cooler (2-in-1 FTW!) and it is so quiet! There are many functions that are so easy to configure.

It has an extra large five gallon easily removable tank that you will have to refill less. It has an oscillating fan that has four speeds with 600 CFMs of power with a range of 640 square feet. It's super energy efficient as well since I don't have to have the air conditioning cranking so high while I use it. And, it's portable! On wheels! With a remote! 

My laziness is overjoyed.

The best thing about it, though?

It's going to be absolutely PERFECT for camping/RVing!

I'm going to put it to good use, just as I have the portable ice maker, and have the best camping trips ever! I definitely won't have a problem finding a cool space with a cold drink in those hot desert climates!

Have you ever used an evaporative cooler? What do you think of them?

Building The Perfect Computer

Recently, I decided that I didn't have enough going on in my life so I began to start building my own computer part by part. It's something I have always wanted to do but never really had the time to try. Since I have all of the time in the world to do whatever I want now, I figured it was about time to tackle it.

It's not going well.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm still trying but it's a lot more work than I originally anticipated. I'm pretty excited about the project and have been ordering bits and pieces here and there.

It's also pretty awesome that I'm getting a lot of help for the parts by Cherry Americas. I've written about some other products I have received from them before, and today I am excited to tell you about the Cherry JD-0800EU-2 DC 2000 keyboard and mouse. 

I thoroughly tested these out and found them to be excellent! The keyboard is nice and slim and the keys are whisper quiet! There are four hot keys as well: calculator, sleep mode, email, and browser. The optical mouse slides and clicks super fast and works for right or left handed folks. Both parts connect with a USB so that's convenient.  I love the price, especially, only $17! As with all of their products, it's very well made and has a two year warranty.

Now, if I can just get the rest of this new desktop I'm building together, I'll be able to use them all of the time!

Have you ever tried to build your own computer? How did it go? I'd love some tips!

Pure Luxury

When you hear the word luxury, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

A modern villa overlooking the mediterranean sea?

A full service spa where there is nothing to focus on but taking care of you?

Gorgeous furniture that looks like one million dollars?

A yacht with expensive champagne flowing amongst friends dressed in their  finest clothes with servers that cater to your every whim?

All of those things are quite luxurious, absolutely. I also have my own version of luxury: EXPENSIVE, HIGH THREAD COUNT SHEETS and SOFT, FALLING INTO A CLOUD BEDDING.

Yes, luxury bedding. Specifically, Silk THX sheets and comforter sets.

Everyone has their own idea of luxury, I suppose. For me, after a long day nothing beats when I hit the bed ready for a good night of sleep and I am surrounded by nothing but smooth, silky, fluffy bedding. Just to wrap up in all of that luxurious coziness is seriously what I wait for every day.

Just thinking about it makes me want to go back to bed and wrap back up in that silken Silk THX heaven, this early morning.

It's the little luxurious gift I can give myself every day.

So, what's your idea of luxury? Tell me in the comments below!

How You Can Be Proactive When Sharing Your Music

Many people love the idea of having a job in the music industry, and often that could be as a singer or songwriter, or both. Many have this dream, but how many of those people will actually have success? The figure can be quite small. But if you have a dream, you don't need to give up on it just yet. I wanted to share with you some of the ways that you can be proactive when it comes to sharing your music and your talents. I hope it gives you the inspiration you need to make it happen.

Image source

Use Social Media To Create A Following

Social media is a free to use platform, and you possibly share a lot of your life on there already. So why not create a separate page and dedicate it to your music? A facebook page could be a great way to share videos and live performances. You could also use other social media platforms like Instagram. Stories or Instagram Live could be a great way to showcase what you do. Social media can be a great way to build an organic following. Regularly sharing content can help you build that. 

Consider Sharing Content on Platforms like Soundcloud

There are platforms that are specific to music and sharing your own music. Like any platform though, you do need to be listened to and shared, so this is when you could look into companies that offer the facilities to buy soundcloud plays. This could give you a springboard to bounce off when it comes to future music releases and what you share online. Like anything, you want to be seen and heard, and this can be one of the best platforms in which to do so. 

Could YouTube Be the Way Forward 

YouTube is a fabulous platform to share content, and can work really well when it comes to sharing your music. You could even look at creating a video to go along side your music which not only helps with the hearing sound of things but could also help relate to people that are more visual. Another way to use YouTube would be to get in touch with people who already have decent followings, and ask to have your music showcased in their videos. They can give you the content for the music and also credit you as well. It can be a great way to ensure that you get the best of both worlds from this platform. 

Getting Your Music Heard As Much As Possible 

You do want to do your best when it comes to getting your music heard and one of the best ways to do that would be to continue to “gig” as much as possible. Headlining events, singing at parties, having a residency, doing what it takes to be seen regularly and have your music heard can not only help you reach out to people, but this also gives you valued experience in the industry in which you want to be part of.

I hope that these tips help you to be more proactive when it comes to sharing your music. Do you have your own tips to share?

Can Litter Be Pretty?

We recently had a new addition to the family. Meet Sweetie Petie, the cutest kitten in the universe:

Oh, he knows he's cute.

I have had cats pretty much my entire life. I found my first cat behind our house when he was just a kitten when I was around 4 years old. He was a gorgeous orange and white Maine Coon and the very first love of my life. He, unfortunately passed away from a kidney disease when I was 7 and then I got a Blue Point Himalayan kitten from my aunt that I had all the way up until I was 20. She was the sweetest cat and my constant companion throughout my entire life. Time carried on and I had my Babalou Bear, which was also my children's first cat, then came Trixie and her kittens, Nugget, Tator, and Sammy. Then, Miss Angel who is now with my daughter at her apartment where she attends college with her other cat, Gerald who are healthy and loving and we plan on them being around for a long time (the only person in this world who is a better cat mommy than me is my daughter, for sure). Every time one of our cats had to go wait at the Rainbow Bridge, I was devastated.

Instant tears.

I have always been acutely aware of my cat's health and done everything in my power to keep them happy and healthy. Because of this, I stumbled across Pretty Litter.

Pretty Litter is a subscription service, and you know how much I love those, that sends you 2 bags equaling 4 pounds of litter every month! Pretty Litter is named as such because it provides an essential service when your cat uses it.

It changes color!

It is a monitoring litter that is dust free, lightweight, has amazing odor control, long lasting, and is super convenient because it is delivered straight to your door with free shipping! But, let's go back to the monitoring for a moment as this was what drew me in the most.

You can read the FAQs here for more information.

As your kitty uses the facilities, so to speak, the litter might change color. For example, red can mean blood is detected which may mean that Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorder (FLUTD) is present. It could also mean bladder stones or crystals, kidney stones, bladder inflammation, certain types of kidney disease and clotting disorders. In rare cases it can mean bladder cancer or internal injury.

We don't like red.

Blue or dark green can mean there is high alkaline that can occur with certain types of urinary tract infections. This increases the risk of crystal or stone formation.

We don't like blue, either.

Orange indicates abnormal acidity, which may be indicative of metabolic acidosis or kidney tubular acidosis. This is the perfect environment for calcium oxalate crystals to form.

Nope, don't like orange.

Now, temporary color changes can happen with a new diet, new environment, or temporary stresses. Pretty Litter advises that if the color doesn't resolve within 24 hours, you should bring your furbaby in to visit the vet. The litter is a guidepoint to check for anything that may be off with your kitty.

So far, the Sweet Pete has had zero color change!

Do I have a deal for you? Of course! Right now, you can visit DealSpotr and get 25% off your first month's subscription sitewide! Just put in my promo code STEPHSTEB1 at checkout and your pretty litter will be on the way!

So, yes, absolutely litter can be pretty...and helpful!

Drone Obsessed

Drone video is infinitely interesting to me. It is amazing to me all of the new places and things that drones have found and recorded for the world to see.

As I have written about before, my husband and I are planning on eventually hopping in an RV and traveling the world. I have been dying to get a drone to document cool things and areas on said trip.

So, when Force Flyers reached out to me to try their 12" Discovery Drone with WiFi High Resolution camera, you can just imagine how excited I was!

Cooper the Pooper is always ready for an adventure!

I opened the box and began to put everything together. It has security guards for the propellers which you definitely need, as I soon learned. It has a video game type controller so that was totally easy to figure out. I connected the camera easy peasy lemon squeezy, checked the battery, turned the drone and controller on, and was ready to fly!

You have to download an app for your phone and connect the drone to the WiFi channel for the camera to work. It took me a bit to figure that out, typical user error for me. You don't need the app just to fly the drone but of course, I wanted to get some pretty good footage for this blog.

After a few false starts, crashes, and confusion, I finally discovered that you can change the app language from Chinese to English. This is extremely important as I had zero idea what I was doing until I started flipping toggle switches and found the switch for language. It defaults to Chinese language so this is important to know. I was just way too excited to look over the directions before I went out to fly which resulted in this being the only picture I was able to get:

Good job, me.

I need much, much more practice with it before I feel comfortable sharing any footage. 

My husband, of course, has picked it up immediately and I can't get a turn with it now!

If you would like to grab one for yourself, there is an insane deal going on through Dealspotr! Just enter my promo code STEPHSTEB here and get 60% off! Grab one and show me your drone footage! I bet it is one thousand percent better than what I was able to capture, heh. 

Have you ever flown a drone before? How did you like it? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

Mind On My Money, Money On My Mind

This has been the year of serious adulting for me. I bought my first house, got my dream job, and am going to be a grandmother in about 7 months (blog on that coming later). It only took me until I was in my 40s to do it, too!

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All of these things have made me extremely...frugal...as of late. There are about a million things I need money for and I have a very limited well to dip my bucket in. I am budgeting, I am saving, I am going without when I can and I am buying the absolute cheapest groceries in the world (thank you, ALDI!).

All of this and I still don't think I have a handle on everything.

It absolutely blows my mind when people ask me for advice. I guess a lot of people think I absolutely know what I'm doing. Well, most days, I like to think I do. When it comes to money, however, I am one thousand million percent lost. I always start out thinking I know exactly what I'm doing because I'm smart, right? I can handle this. No problem! If I cut back here and move a little over there, things will just work themselves out. Sure. Of course.

What do you mean the water bill is late???

Oh, that's right. I forgot that. OH, and I was supposed to buy the propane THIS month? That was supposed to be next month!

And on, and on, and on until I'm spun around and even more lost than when I began!

So, what do adultier adults do when they have no idea how to budget and finance? They go to the Google and look up consulting firms! To the Google I flew and read everything I could until my eyes almost crossed.  I was able to get back on track and begin actually saving money (for the first time in my life!). I found a lot of tips and tricks that I didn't even know about! It's easy to find a consultant/coach to help with anything you may be struggling with in life. There are life coaches, finance consultants, stock consultants, beauty coaches, fitness coaches, nutrition consultants, and shoe coaches!

Ok, ok. I made shoe coaches up, just checking to make sure you're paying attention. It would be nice if there were shoe coaches, though, amirite?!

With just a quick google search, I was able to find an investment/finance consultant that is helping me with budgeting and managing my finances, as well as advising me on investments and tax preparation! Whatever kind of consultant you are looking for, you are sure to find them starting with a simple web search. The reviews are there to let you know the best ones in your town, so utilize them! 

Then we can all be super adulty adults! Now, excuse me, I have a shoe coaching business to start, please and thank you.

Have you ever used the services of a coach or consultant? What was your experience like? Tell me about it in the comments below!