So, here’s the deal.  I sweat.  A lot.  Whether it’s my morning workout, a deep cleaning session on the bathrooms or a hike up a mountain, if it’s an activity that elevates my heart rate you can bet I’ll be sweating.

I know there are some people who lightly sweat, women who say they “glow” (I’m a freakin’ bon fire!) and others who don’t perspire at all (Corey), I sadly am not one of them.  My morning workouts consist of soaking wet tank tops & sweat drops off my nose.  It’s how my body cleans out and I’m ok with it.

That being said, what I’m NOT ok with is smell.  My body is cleansing itself when I sweat and that’s great but when that sweat starts to smell all hot and stinky something has to be done.

I’ve tried dozens of deodorants, some that work better than others.  There have been ones I really like and ones I hated but none I was totally sold on.

Recently I was given the opportunity to review the new Lady Speed Stick Power antiperspirant, and I jumped at the chance!  The promise:

Lady  Speed  Stick*  Power  provides  long  lasting  superior  protection†  to  help  women  feel  dry  and  unstoppably  fresh,  enabling  them  to  handle  any  sweat  inducing  situations  that  they  may  encounter.

† vs. 20% required sweat reduction effectiveness

With 4 great fragrances, the promise of long lasting, 24 hour protection, what sweat girl would say no?

I received the Lady Speed Stick Power – Cool Breeze and also the Lady Speed Stick Power Gel – Fresh Fusion.   I’m not a big fan of Gel deodorants so it was the Lady Speed Stick Power Cool Breeze that I put to the biggest test.

Overall, I’m really impressed with the Lady Speed Stick Power Cool Breeze antiperspirant!  It’s fragrance in clean and soft, not overpowering like some and once applied I find it to feel light.  I’ve used it for the past few days and two major things stand out:

1. I don’t feel nearly as “sticky” when I’m sweating.  I’m definitely dryer than I was with the deodorant I was using prior to this review.

2. It REALLY lasts 24 hours.  I workout at 5am and let’s face it, I’m in my own home – sometimes I don’t reapply my pit stick in the morning.  Some mornings I’m lucky if I’m awake enough to get my bra on facing the right way let alone remember deodorant.  On those mornings I’m usually a little “riper” post workout.  The last 2 days I’ve purposely not put any on and I didn’t smell!

Even Audrey noticed.  She’s got one of those crazy sniffers and usually complains I “f-mell” when I give her a morning kiss.  This morning she gave me a kiss and walked away, saying over her shoulder “Mama you f-mell good”.

Point #2 sold me!  With results like that, it was definitely a “Don’t Sweat It! Handle It!” discovery. (Not only should you be impressed, you should be thankful.  Especially if you have to workout or breath anywhere near my in the AM)

Check out this great COUPON for your next Lady Speed Stick purchase! (expires May 25th 2013 so don’t wait!)

Head over HERE and enter the “What Makes You Sweat” contest to WIN 1 of 6 Lady Speed Stick Gift baskets!  This giveaway is open to Canadian Residents only.

This cute commercial from Lady Speed Stick made me giggle.  I am totally afraid of making that mistake…

Disclosure: This post is sponsored & I received compensation from Colgate, all views & opinions are my own.

With summer on the horizon, and the sunshine/heat creeping out (last week – warm & beautiful…this week – rain.  Again) we’ve been driving with the windows down more.

Something about the breeze and the birds makes me want to sing just a little louder and now that the girls are singing along, we’re a serious party van some days.  (Other days we’re just a whining, complaining, over tired mess van)

I’m always on the hunt for new tunes and this time of year just begs for up beat, sing-a-long, seat dancing ones.  We’ve found a few great favs lately but this is the newest.

The girls love it and long after it’s finished playing you can hear B walking around singing “Please, Please stay….Please, please stay….”

What are YOU currently loving?  Any great song suggestions for our summer playlist?!

When I met Corey, if you were to ask him what the major food groups were his answer would have been something like this… “Meat, Potatoes, Ice Cream & Chocolate”.  He only ate vegetables that were either doused in sauces (can you say brown sugar carrots) or stacked high on his hamburger.  Almost every course was followed by ice cream, or chocolate and he was completely satisfied with that.

Then he met me and it all changed!

All of a sudden there were veggies at each meal, protein that didn’t come from an animal that moo’d and chocolate was removed from the breakfast food list (mostly).  Lucky for him me he adjusted to the changes and he discovered that his body felt significantly better with the whole food choices.

That being said, it’s not all totalitarian around our house either.  Treats are great, chocolate (in moderation) is great and I’m all for enjoying the foods you eat.  It’s just, there’s a time and place for them and breakfast isn’t it.

At least, until now.

Kraft has come out with their NEW Chocolate Philly Cream Cheese and he’s going to be thrilled!   A breakfast food that contains the dairy of Philadelphia Cream Cheese with the added treat of pure milk chocolate?  Count him in!  It’s also got half the sugar and calories (per tbsp) of the other competitive spreads on the market, making it an acceptable choice on my end.

Our friends over at Kraft are so excited about the New Chocolate Philly Cream Cheese  that they’re rolling out 2 great campaigns to get YOU on board and adding a little treat to your mornings!

1. Chocolate Philly Coupon – On May 21 2013 there will a coupon available on the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Canada Facebook page!  It will be a downloadable coupon, only available for a limited time.  I highly recommend heading over and “Liking” the page in advance so you don’t miss (or if you’re like me forget) your chance at getting one.

2. Breakfast In Bed – The team at Philly understands how hard we ALL work and understands our need for a break once in a while.  They also know how hard it is to get/take sometimes, so they’ve come up with a GREAT plan to get you taking a break and your loved ones serving you Breakfast in Bed.  It goes something like this:

• Post a status update on Facebook that says something along the lines of “If I get 20 Likes, my family is going to serve me Chocolate Philly breakfast in bed.  Won’t you please help a girl out?!”
• Since we know you’ve got great Facebook Friends, they’re going to start liking and your family is going to start feeling the heat (side note: don’t forget to tag any member of your family that would be serving you breakfast on the post.  Can you say a little added pressure?)
• When the heat gets to be too much, they’re going to serve you Chocolate Philly in bed!  Before the moment passes snap a photo and submit it to the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Canada Facebook Page

Be warned, this may start a snowball effect in your home.  Once your family sees how much fun you had “earning” your breakfast in bed, and they’ve snuck a bite or 18 of your Chocolate Philly the game may be on and you’ll find your own name tagged in a Breakfast in Bed Facebook status.  But let’s face it, you’re not going to mind paying the love forward, I mean every breakfast needs a little love bite anyways right?  Just one more excuse for you to be having a little Chocolate Philly!

ps. We’d love to see your Facebook statuses and Breakfast in Bed photos so don’t forget to tag the Our Family Stone Facebook page in all your updates!  We’ll be sure to give you one of your necessary “Likes” and get the ball rolling!

It’s only 45 more sleeps until the last day of school.  We’re talking approximately 29 more “Hurry up and EAT your breakfast or we’re going to be LATE for school.” mornings and the same for afternoon pick ups.  It’s less than 2 months until I no longer have to worry about back packs, and lunches and field trip forms.   This first year of school is drawing to a close and I’m excited to say the least.

Well, I’m mostly excited.

I love having my girls home with me (except for those times when they (Audrey) won’t STOP talking and my brain feels like it’s going to bleed…), when they’re gone I miss them and when they come home my heart feels whole.  Bethany being away so much this year has taken a mad amount of adjusting to.  I feel like she’s growing up and I’m missing parts of it.  She comes home and can read, or knows the life cycle of a Coho Salmon, can sign the alphabet and knows who Justin “Beaver” is, and I didn’t teach her any of it.  That’s never happened before.

This year has been crazy, as most school years are and it’s been great.  I’m proud of the accomplishments she’s made, the skills she’s developed both academically and socially.  I’m amazed at the person she’s becoming and I feel unbelievably blessed at the two girls God has trusted me with.

The thing is…now that Kindergarten is drawing to an end time is speeding up a little more.  It’s gone so fast, and every so often I feel this impending sense of doom that I’m going to blink, just a second too long and graduation (the BIG one) will be here.

I choose not to dwell on those moments, because I truly believe that we waste so much of today worrying about tomorrow but every now and again they creep up.   It’s those moments I snuggle her a little more, or until she says something about “not being able to move my arms or breath“.  I ask her to read me another story or draw me one more picture.

It’s only 45 more sleeps until the end of school and I’m choosing to be SUPER excited about all the prospective adventures this summer will hold!  Not to mention lazy(er) breakfasts and pajama days spent watching movies (when it’s raining) with my girls.

If I had my way our girls would never cry.  Nothing would ever hurt their bodies.  No one would ever hurt their hearts.  They’d never be the cause of anyone else’s hurt either.  Their worlds would stay happy, perfect, beautiful and secure – forever.

Unfortunately, I can’t always have my way.

The world we live in is flawed, people are imperfect and from time to time our girls are bound to have tears.   Some of those tears are accidental, like when your sister smashes you in the head with a door, or you run into the wall (both have happened).   Some of those tears are due to the selfishness of others – we cause the greatest hurt when we only see ourselves.  Some of those tears are consequential – when we make poor choices they come with consequences and sometimes those consequences are hard.  Some are tears of sorrow, sadness hitting us in our deepest places. And some of them are simply life, the way we express emotion and sometimes, just simply are right as a female.

I’ve cried my share of each one of those kinds of tears in the past and I’m sure I’ll shed many more as the years go on.  I’ve survived them all, I’ve learned from them and each one that has fallen has helped shape the woman I am.   Tears are important, even Jesus wept.

The thing is, the tears of my children shatter my soul.  I want to sooth their pain, fix their broken hearts, scoop them up in my arms and make their worlds OK.  I don’t want to just wipe their tears I want to absorb them, stand in the way of them and take them myself but I can’t.  They need to learn their lessons, build their character, strengthen their souls just like I did and do.

This year both girls have shed some of those life developing tears over school.

Bethany has really struggled with anxiety about being away from us at school, her school year started out a little rocky when Audrey went into the hospital one week into Kindergarten.  She woke up one morning & Audrey and I were gone.  It left a big impact on her, and it’s taken her (amazing) teacher and I almost the whole school year to help her soothe that anxiety.  She’s finally at a place where once she’s in her class room she’ll easily give me a hug, kissing hands* and “Chow, I love you” without tears pooling in her eyes.  I am so thankful.

After Audrey’s 4th birthday we decided she’d be ready to start pre-school, at one day a week just like Bethany did.  She’d been bugging us for months to start and while it took a HUGE leap of faith on my part (germs!!)we thought she’d do great!  I was wrong, sort of.

She talks about school all week.  Her teachers are fantastic, Ms. Tanya is her “heart-strings” teacher and Audrey thinks the world of her.  She’s making friends and she can’t wait to get there.  Then school day comes and her joyful little face starts to show the lines of worry.  By the time we get there she’s got alligator tears and my heart is shattering.

As the tears pour down her face she begs me to let her go and at the same time begs me to stay.  I sign her in, kiss her hands, hold her tight (maybe longer than I should) and then let her go into the arms of the teachers who love her too.

Before the door closes I peak back at her and the tears are already gone, she’s smiling, she’s happy and she’s learning.

Then I get in my van, suck in my breath and wipe my own tears away, my heart broken.

I know these tears are going to become part of their story.  I know that there are many more to come and when they do I’ll be there to wipe them away.  They’re important, and necessary and life, I know that.

But if I had my way, they’d never break their heart…or mine.

I can’t dance.  At all.  I wish I could dance, I have musical rhythm, I can hear the beat, sing with it and play along to it, but dance I can not.  If we’re talking about anything more than a slow ballad (where shuffling in small circles is acceptable) my skills are something of an atrocity.   It’s more like an improve show where the card said “Dance Style: Chandler + Phoebe Running + Seizure = GO!”

Thankfully, I’m painfully aware of this fact and I refrain, at all costs from dancing in public.

That being said, I wish I could dance.  The tunes get cranked and the junk in the trunk get’s twitching and I get the urge to move.   To save myself  my family sever embarrassment I’ve learned to channel that urge into my morning workouts.

Dancing is a great way to spice up your cardio day and it’s a way for me to not get bored.  I’ve been “dancing” once a week or so for the past 6 months and it’s going…well, ish.

I love the dance workouts I have, despite the fact that I don’t really get the moves.  They’re fun, I work up a good sweat and it’s all good, mostly.  I do find that since I workout at home, in my running shoes there are times my feet can’t move as easily as the dancers on my TV screen.  There’s friction where there shouldn’t be and often times my knees whine that something’s not quite right.

When I heard about the “DanceSocks” I was super excited and intrigued!  Check out the video HERE to see them in action.

Designed to turn any pair of running shoes/sneakers into dance shoes.  The DanceSocks are small, stretchy bands that slip over the end of any shoe instantly giving you a smooth surface to work with, helping prevent injury and giving you all the right moves.

My package arrived (2 pairs, in black or pink for $10!  One for you and one for a friend) and I couldn’t wait to give them a try.

After a few workouts I’ve decided I really like The DanceSocks.  They give me the ability to twist and spin in my workouts without the added friction of my shoes on the floor, giving my knees a break.   They also still allow my shoes to provide traction when I’m walking normally across the floor since they’re only covering a few inches at the end of my foot, which is another great bonus.  I’m clumsy at times to say the least (especially 5am) and I need all the added traction I can get.

While I don’t do Zumba but my Mom does and from what I’ve seen and know, I can see DanceSocks being the perfect match for Zumba giving you the best balance of friction and glide.

The DanceSocks were everything I’d hoped they’d be and a little more (I didn’t know it was a 2 for 1 package!).  They’re a great investment for any dancer professional or….other and are a great addition to my workout “dancing” routine.

I’m sick.  After months and months of stress, sick kids, family “stuff”, sleepless nights and regular life, my body decided to go on strike and I’m sick.

Most times, I get sick and I can keep going.  I call it a “Mommy Cold” working through it and doing ok.  This time, it’s really got me down and today, I’m being forced to rest.

It’s been hanging around for a week, I’d been carrying on and I was starting to thinking it was getting better.  Then yesterday, after spending 5 hours in the kitchen baking it reared up and kicked me in the head.

So, today I’ve been ordered by Dr. Corey to “REST already!” and hang out in my (new) lazy boy.

He’s a rockstar.  I couldn’t possibly wish for a better husband.  Last night he took the girls for ice cream & Subway while I cleaned up my kitchen, today he took them to church, out for lunch with some friends and is running errands for me, so I can really rest.

Today, I’m taking him up on it.  This cold is rough, the pressure in my sinuses makes me feel like it’s going to force my teeth right out of my head, every single muscle I have is aching, right down to the tops of my feet, my head literally feels to heavy for my aching neck and my voice is rather…husky.  So, I’m curled up in my chair, knitting, drinking tea and watching brain numbing TV.  (Mob Wives?  Totally ridiculous….I’m so hooked on those crazy ladies)

I will survive, tomorrow will start a new, and better or not I’ll get up and carry on, it’s how we roll around here.  For now though, I’m going to relish the break, soak up the moments and remember to be thankful for the wonderful man God has given me.

He’s really my BEST!

If you know Corey, then you probably know he likes ice cream.  No, scratch that he loves ice cream.   It’s not just a dessert for him, it’s a ritual.

Watching him eat ice cream, it’s impossible to miss how much he loves ice cream.  He savors each and every. single. bite. (which for someone who hoovers her food ahem is incredibly frustrating.)  sipping away at his tea as he goes.  I like ice cream and all, but it’s nothing like how Corey feels about it.

Bethany is another who has a love of ice cream.  She too savors each lick, making each one count, getting ice cream from her nose to her chin in sheer delight.  For her nothing is sweeter than the offer of a treat after dinner, or a “date” to Dairy Queen.

I remember as a kid, on those rare occasions after dinner, or the last day of school when my Mom would announce we were headed to Dairy Queen.  Visions of chocolate dipped cones, Oreo Cookie Blizzards and hot french fries (dip them in your ice cream…trust me) filled our heads and we flew to get shoes on our feet.  There are moments and memories that will forever be attached to a trip to DQ.

Our friends at General Mills know the value of a family outing and the memories that can come with a treat shared together, so they partnered with Dairy Queen to bring us 2 (!) great coupon opportunities!

Both of these deals are found on specially marked boxes of General Mills Cereals, that are currently on store shelves (psst – It’s true, I’ve seen them!)

April 1 2013 – July 31 2013 – Find a coupon for a FREE small Orange Julius® redeemable at any Dairy Queen® location.  A treat Audrey, who’s not so much an ice cream fan – is super excited about.  Now while Daddy & Bethany have their ice cream she can have her “f-moovie” too.

May 1 2013 – May 31 2013 – Inside is a treat coupon for a FREE small Blizzard® treat which can be redeemed at any Dairy Queen location in Canada!  Corey will be enjoying his Choco Cherry Love Blizzard with added coconut and pineapples.

Now, while you enjoy your healthy breakfast of Cheerios or Oatmeal Crisp you can be planning your next family outing to Dairy Queen and Orange Julius.  The treats and the memories are waiting!

What’s your favorite memory from Dairy Queen or Orange Julius?

A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook the other day and it actually made me laugh.  Out loud.  Like a real life LOL*  It was awesome.

It’s fantastic enough that the only logical thing to do is to share it with you, because no matter how bad your day is, you can’t help but laugh.  And probably, laugh out loud.

I’m not sure what made me laugh more – the sippy cups, the stoic face of his dinner companion or the fact that some of those animal eating habits strangely resemble those of a 2 year old child.

And just in case the orignal “How Animals Eat Their Food” video didn’t tickle your fancy quite enough, here’s the blooper reel, it’s SURE to push you over the giggle edge.

Here’s to having a laugh, being silly and starting Monday off smiling!

*I’ve said it before but it’s just true – I can’t stand LOL.  Most people don’t actually Laugh out loud and it’s often used to placate a situation and it drives me mental.  However, when you ARE laughing out loud it’s ok to use it, rest assured if I ever say I LOL’d I really did laugh.  Mostly like at an inappropriate moment.  Like on the treadmill, at the gym, watching Will and Grace with my headphones on.  And it usually involved a snort.*

10 years ago, I thought I knew what I was eating.  I trusted that the food from the grocery store was made with quality ingredients, that the produce I picked up was filled with nutrients and the meat I consumed was safe.

Then my corn allergy started getting worse, foods that wouldn’t obviously contain corn started bothering me and pretty soon I was sick, feeling off and in pain – all of the time.  I started reading labels and my eyes opened just slightly.

As the years have wore on, I found a deep desire to achieve health & fitness, to make sure the foods that I put on the table for my family where safe and to live a life where I didn’t suffer for every morsel of food I put into my mouth.  I started doing my homework (something I love to do!  Studying is awesome!) (I am a geek) and I was shocked by what I found.

In one breath the more I learn the more I want to know, the more I want to change, the better I want to make our lives and the lives of those around us.  In the other, I’m scared by what I’m learning, I’m unsure of what the future holds and someday – I just want to hide my head in the sand.  Or a big vat of ice cream.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to watch Jeffery Smith’s documentary “Genetic Roulette” which gives some (scary) insight into the world of GMO’s.  Jeffery is the founder for the Institute for Responsible Technology.  Watching it gave me chills.  How is this what our world has come to?

In fact, I reached the half way point and had to pause the video for a while.  I was completely overwhelmed not only by what is happening in our world, to our food but more over by what that could potentially mean for our bodies.  The idea that what they are sharing is true, and at this point I believe it to be true (although I will check out these studies myself) left me emotional to say the least.

As I finished the rest of the video some of that emotion began to change from despair to hope.  Jeffery isn’t saying this is the end of the world (but it could be).  He’s giving us the facts, opening our eyes and sharing the details.  Then, he and the many people he’s interviewed go on to share how it can change, how we can be part of the change.

I wasn’t sure what I would think, but after watching it all the way through I have to say “Genetic Roulette” is a great film.  It’s thought provoking if nothing else and I highly recommend watching it.  Follow THIS link to either rent it to watch online ($2.99) or purchase the DVD from amazon.com($19.95)

While I completely understand how sometimes “ignorance is bliss” feels easier, it really isn’t.  We need to be informed, we need to know the facts and then we need to make a choice.   Whatever that choice is, is up to you but don’t you at least want to have all the facts before you do?

I do.

I won’t always make the “right” choices, sometimes I’ll even make the “wrong” choices, I’m NOT perfect after all, but I will spend my days doing my best.  I’ll keep searching for information, digging to find answers and striving to live our lives the healthiest way possible.

We all have different opinions on things and I’d love to hear what you think!  Have you watched “Genetic Roulette”?  Do you know about GMO’s?  Does it matter to you?  Are  you content with what the media/government tells you or do you want to know more?

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to watch “Genetic Roulette” but received no compensation for this post.  As always the opinions contained within are strictly my own.