Five Favorite Finds

1.  Chocolate caramel bars with coffee-spiked chocolate ganache on top.  Pinned on Bars and Brownies.

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2.  I have absolutely NO place for something this cool in my house, but, OMG, I love this clock SO much.  In fact, I love the entire display.  Sadly, my house isn't fabulous enough for something like this.  Pinned on Living Spaces.

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3.  Just... funny.  Kids these days.  Pinned on Furries, Funnies, Feel Goods.  

 4.  Office decor from Target.  I have a room in my house that I'd eventually like to be my office, so I'm constantly mentally decorating it.  I like the colors and design of this office space.  And Target fits my budget.  Pinned on Office Spaces.

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5.  Zoku Quick Pop Characters.  This kit comes with 14 mix and match stencils to make these adorable popsicles made with fresh fruit.  Pinned on Fun Food for Kids.

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Melissa

Five Favorite Finds

1.  Isn't this the cutest peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever?!  Pinned on Fun Food for Kids.

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2.  If you like The Vampire Diaries, you'll definitely appreciate this poster.  Not only just because, duh!, but the text is unexpected and funny!  Pinned on The Vampire Diaries.

3.  Watermelon cutting instructions - worth a try!  My kids love watermelon.  I hate cutting watermelon.  Not a good summer combo!

Also, source link offers tips on how to choose the BEST watermelon.  Recently, my always verbally helpful daughter and I were talking about watermelon at the grocery store. She asks, "How do you know which one is the BEST one?"  I say, "I don't know.  I just pick one."  She says, "When I'm a grown up and I buy watermelon, I'm going to know how to pick one so it's the best."  Well, smarty pants, get off my back!  NOW mama knows how to pick a watermelon.  Pinned on Clever. 

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4.  Hello, my name is Melissa and I'm an introvert.  I love this poster!  Pinned on Furries, Funnies, Feel Goods.

5.  What could potentially make fruit salad better?  Vanilla pudding, that's what!  Pudding is one of my favorite food groups.  I'm looking forward to making this fruit salad very soon. Pinned on Yum, Yum, Gimme Some.  

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Like these picks?  Check out my past Five Favorite Finds!

Melissa

Reality TV and Consciously Parenting

My Weird - But Oddly Balanced - Life

Remember the "long time, no blogs" post?  I promised to give you the details about what's keeping me too busy to Pinterest for 14 hours a day.  Ahh, the good old days.

Sadly, no Pinterest means very little Totally Pinteresting blog.  I'm working on finding a balance.  

However, as soon as I find it, our summer activities will begin.  Then, once I find a summer balance, the kids will go back to school.  Life is so tricky.

The craziness started in March.  I started recapping Dancing with the Stars for a Reality TV website.  Then my kids tag teamed me with ear infections, pink eye, stomach viruses, and more ear infections.  Then I came down with pneumonia.  While Dancing with the Stars was a volunteer gig, I kept chugging along through it all.  It was complete chaos.  

Random fact - The post I put together while under the influence of pneumonia went viral on the internet, so now I'm wondering if I should always blog in a drug-induced state. Again, life is so tricky.

I explored the planet looking for someone who will pay me to Pinterest.  I came up empty, but I think I found the very next-best thing!  

Writing those Dancing with the Stars recaps happened on a whim.  Writing gives me anxiety, and I sure as heck never expected to write for an audience.  But, I love TV and I love talking about TV, so it just kind of happened in an "email sent in the middle of the night without any forethought" kind of way.

It turns out that was the best middle of the night split-second decision I ever made.  I'm now writing for two other Reality TV websites, Reality Tea and Reality TV Magazine. They actually PAY ME to watch TV and share my thoughts about what I watch.  I also write daily "breaking news" type of articles.  

If I'm dreaming, please do NOT wake me up. 

Next, I also work for The Consciously Parenting Project. Rebecca Thompson just wrote her first book, Consciously Parenting: What it Really Takes to Raise Emotionally Healthy Families.  

The book is for parents who want to reach beyond the traditional views about children and their behaviors, focusing on the importance of relationships and emotional connections.The book is grounded in science, includes personal stories and examples from real families, and supports parents to help their children grow into well-balanced individuals. Parents who already practice attachment parenting will appreciate the scientific information Consciously Parenting provides.

If you're a "mommy blogger" and you are willing to read a digital copy of Consciously Parenting, review it, and share it with your readers, please email me at melissa@consciouslyparenting.com.  

So, there it is.  

Wholesome parenting greatness and trashy reality TV are keeping me too busy to spring clean and play on Pinterest!

Every day I'm bustling, bustling...  

Here's where you can find me!

Melissa