Virginia

RIP Jayson Turner

May 17, 2012 By Virginia 34 Comments

My cousin, Jayson, died yesterday. rip jayson turner He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.

I can’t wrap my head around it.

He was only a month and a half older than me.

He leaves behind a son and daughter, and of course, the rest of it.

I am comforted, and given hope, by Romans 10:13, “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I know that just before he was placed in a medically induced coma, he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Aunt’s pastor prayed with him.

I know I will see him again on the glory shore.

In the meantime, though, my heart hurts.

I covet your prayers for my family, and most importantly, for Jayson’s parents, siblings, and children.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: death, hope, mourn, romans 10:13

Nivea Review plus giveaway (5/29)

May 15, 2012 By Virginia 4 Comments

I am always a bit hesitant to try new skin products on myself, because my skin is so sensitive. I have a few brands that I have long trusted, and rarely venture away from them. That being said, when I heard about Nivea’s Touch of Renewal lathering body scrub and Extended Moisture lotion (which lasts ups to 48 hours), I was curious. My husband has used Nivea body wash for a little over a year now, and his skin is great, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to try it. Well, it could, but I figured it was worth the risk.

When I do start using a new product, I only introduce one new item at a time, as dermatologists say that it can take up to 7-10 days to develop a skin reaction to a new product. So, I started using the Nivea Touch of Renewal body scrub first. One afternoon, after having used the Touch of Renewal for only three days, I picked up a gal pal to run some errands. When she got in the van, she immediately exclaimed, “You exfoliated!” Indeed, I had. Granted, Ms. A is likely the only friend who would ever notice such a thing, because she has a keen eye for detail, but still, I was impressed!

After having used the Nivea Touch of Renewal for a few weeks, I introduced the Nivea Extended Moisture lotion. That evening, as Hubs and the kids and I went for a walk, Hubs remarked, “Your scalp looks great, are you doing something different?” Really?

Now that I’ve been using the lotion for more than ten days, I feel comfortable saying that I have added new labels to my list of skin care products I can use.

As I said, Hubs has been using the Nivea for Men shower gel for a while now, and likes it. The shower gel keeps his skin smooth and clean smelling. He is currently using the new Nivea for Men Relax body wash and likes it. He also tried the Nivea for Men Gel Moisturizer, but said he could take it or leave it. He really is a no fuss, no muss kind of guy, so I wasn’t surprised.

Now I want to try the Nivea Sun-Kissed line!

Nivea would like to give one lucky TBC reader a His and Hers set like the one they sent me (products pictured above, jar of sea shells is my own and will not be included).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I received courtesy samples to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.***

Filed Under: Beauty, Health, & Wellness, Current Giveaways, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: giveaway, nivea, skincare, win

Don’t Sweat It Walk 2012

May 14, 2012 By Virginia 22 Comments

As you may know, my son and I are both affected by a form of Ectodermal Dysplasia.

This year, we are excited to participate in our first annual Don’t Sweat It Walk to build awareness for ectodermal dysplasias while raising much needed financial support for the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias. The Foundation is funded through the support of donations and fundraisers such as this.

And now, you can help us make a difference on June 30 in Mascoutah, Illinois.

Please, join us in Mascoutah and WALK to raise funds and awareness for ectodermal dysplasias. It will be the best $25 you have ever spent. You can register online for the Don’t Sweat It Walk 2012.

If you cannot attend the Walk, please consider making a donation online through the same link above.

Not in the St. Louis Metro area? There are walks scheduled across the U.S. in June, perhaps one of them is closer to you!

Bethel, Missouri – June 23, 2012

Grove City, Ohio – June 23, 2012

Poughkeepsie, New York – June 23, 2012

Tracy, California – June 23, 2012

Mascoutah, Illinois – June 30, 2012

Newark, California – June 30, 2012

Thanks in advance for your support!

Filed Under: Fitness, Health Tagged With: #sponsorme, NFED

He Done Lost It

May 12, 2012 By Virginia 37 Comments

As you know, I started my journey to fitness last year, had a hiccup with my knee injury, and then started again in January. On January 12th, to be exact. When I restarted my journey in January, Hubs joined me in the quest for fitness.

I haven’t said much about his journey, because he has never been one to brag on himself, and I want to honor that. Today, however, I have to brag on him (with his permission, of course).

Why is today any different than every day in the last four months? Today is noteworthy because today he made goal. Here he is, posing next to a picture that was taken before he started losing weight.

Here’s a better look from the front…

And from the side…

He has lost a grand total of 47.6 pounds.

No gimmicks.

No shakes, pills, or drops.

No fad “diets.”

He done lost it with #LoseIt. Yep, just plain ole calorie counting. We both use LoseIt.com to track our calorie budgets and calories consumed. I also use my Fitbit Ultra to track calories burned, and it syncs to my LoseIt account.

I can’t tell you how stinkin proud I am of him! His success spurs me on toward my goal, and I am ecstatic that we are building a better future for ourselves, our kids, and our family (as a whole) as we incorporate healthier habits into our lifestyle.

Way to go, honey! I love you, and couldn’t be prouder!

Filed Under: Fitness, Health Tagged With: Fitness, loseit, weightloss

Lincoln Logs- White River Ranch

May 11, 2012 By Virginia 21 Comments

As you know, we are Lincoln Log fans here, and we all enjoy building with the Lincoln Logs sets. As such, we were excited when we received our latest package as a K’Nex Review Blogger, which included the Lincoln Logs White River Ranch set, for our building pleasure.

The White River Ranch set comes with 79 logs, 1 cowboy, one horse, one cow, one dog, one gable roof, one add on roof, a door and doorframe, a Lincoln Log flag, a trough, and even a hay bale!

As I mentioned in my Connect with K’Nex post, Sister was pleased as punch that the Cedar Creek Homestead set included a dog. Imagine her face, then, when she saw that this set included a horse, cow, and another dog!! She was tickled pink!

Mister was just as pleased to be building as Sister was to be corralling the livestock.