Weekly Link Love: Halloween Edition

In the spirit of Halloween, all of the links will be themed around today's holiday! As always enjoy and you are more than welcome to join in on the fun!

How eerily cool is this eye makeup?

For the people that are health conscious, here are a list of healthy snacks for Halloween!

Want to know some random interesting facts about Halloween?

I love a great wreath

Check out these funny costumes

How glamorous are these pumpkins

Look at this amazing costume makeup

Need some quick freebies?

Here is a funny video

Hope ya'll enjoyed today's links! Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Much love,

Too Cute Video

Yes I know I am partial to think that this video is too cute since it is a video of my daughter but this video almost had me in tears! We were sitting outside on Saturday and I started imitating the dogs barking and Maddie was loving it! Watch the video and see! 

Much love

Testing For Gossip

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute", Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?"

"That's right", Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No,",the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and ..."

"All right", said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"No, on the contrary."

"So", Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well", concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

FREE SPONSORSHIP SPOTS!

Yes you read the title right!! I am a very generous blogger I know! I am going to sponsor SIX blogs for free! Your blog icon will be feautured on my right sidebar! It is first come, first served. If you are the after the 6th person, you have the option of either paying a fee of $5 via paypal OR doing a free swap where you put my blog button on your page! I will also do a blog post on the first  of November introducing my sponsors so that my readers will get to know all about you! So hurry and contact me fast by email (zoe.ziegenhagen@me.com) so I can start to get my post together!

November is the month of Thanksgiving and I am feeling very generous so take advantage of my wonderful offer! I am always open to helping out fellow bloggers!

Today I am linking up at these places! Join in on the fun!

Much love,

Weekly Link Love

So last Thursday I had a post of links to random web pages that have sparked my interest throughout the week. A lot of people enjoyed it and it had the most traffic of all my posts that week. So I have decided to keep it going to see if it gains more popularity. Maybe this could be the start of me starting my very own first ever blog link up. I would really love for ya'll to join in on the fun!

Oh how I wish that I had a garden to be able to do this!

How totally awesome is this mirror nail polish?

I am so trying this hairstyle once my hair gets long again!

I definitely want to do this idea when Madison turns one!

I totally agree with this quote!

I love this mother daughter tattoo

How amazing is this artist?

Check out this lesson on self improvement!

Check out these awesome fonts that I used for my post button!

My weekly song obsession

I would absolutely LOVE it if ya'll made a link list like mine! I have a blast discovering new things on the internet. If you do a post like mine, leave a link in the comment section and I will definitely check it out! Maybe if I get enough links, I will consider turning this into a blog link up! Much love,

Your line.

So I was planing on having this great up tempo motivational post for you all today... But sometimes life can throw some curve balls your way. I won't go into specific detail about the situation since it's not necessarily my place to say. Let's just say Justin is going through a rough time.

The situation was brought to my attention as I was starting this post the first time. I contemplated about even posting something today but I decided to go ahead with some changes that corresponds with recent happenings in our world over here.

So if you are a Glee fanatic like me, you will know that they did the Cory Monteith farewell episode. Through the tears and heartfelt songs, there was a key message in this episode. 

Between the year of birth and the year of death, there is a line. That line represents your whole life and what it entailed. How crazy that your life is measured in a little line. 

How do you see your line? Has is been everything you wanted? Do you wish you were more adventurous? Do you wish you would have been more serious or that you didn't jump at more opportunities? Do you wish you were more careless or wish you could say what was on your mad? Are you satisfied or do you long for change?

So what will you do with your line? Will you do things differently after today or stay the same? How do you want people to see your line after you are gone? However you feel about your line, do something about it now!

Things can happen in the blink of an eye. I'm sorry that you had to read an oxymoronic post. This post is supposed to be motivational. Why am I turning this into a somber event? Because I want every one of you to make the most of your lines. Yes it's Monday and everything may be ticking you off but embrace the day and the joy of living.

In light of recent events, I won't be posting as much this week. I appreciate your understanding. If you could, I ask you to send some prayers of emotional healing towards Justin. Thank you so much!

Much love,

7 Month Update

Another month has come and gone. The time is just constantly moving faster with each month. Lately I feel horrible since I don't stay home with Maddie all day anymore. I'm so scared that I am going to miss out on a lot of first things. One good thing is that it makes me cherish the moments I have with her even more.

Madison is doing really well with sitting up on her own. I don't need to have the boppy around constantly anymore. Sometimes she tumbles over but sometimes she just giggles when she does.

We are still at the inevitable first stages of teething. With the amount of cranky attitude she has given me lately, I am hoping those little teeth come through really soon!

She is still trying to work on crawling. It's getting better. She has started rocking on her hands and knees and I heard crawling starts pretty much right after they start doing that. Sometimes she hates being on her tummy but if we have the dogs around she will stay there for awhile so that's a plus!

She has also been eating LOTS of baby food. She is really loving food. She is always swatting or trying to grab our food so as soon as she gets teeth in she may be extremely ready for people food!

She is also making lots of playful noises and screams. She loves playing all day!

It's so great because we are now starting to see her playful and spunky personality come through. She's always so active and social. She loves attention, especially in the grocery stores! She loves animals and seeing the world around her. She is happiest outdoors. She also loves it when you click your tongue, she goes crazy for that.

It's so amazing watching her grow into this beautiful, precious, little girl. She is an absolute joy in our lives. We love her dearly and can't wait to see how much she has developed when 8 months comes around!  

Much love,

Link Love

Hello readers! Well we are so much closer to Friday! I am definitely ready for the weekend. 

So I tend to just browse a lot of random things on the web when I have a break in between classes. I figured I would share some cool pages with ya'll. If it gains enough interest and traffic, it would be a really great weekly series for me! Hope you enjoy!

So I have been completely obsessed with this cover song

For anyone who has a little girl... You HAVE to check out this etsy shop

I found this recipe a year ago and this was the first actual meal I made for Justin. It is a definite household favorite!

Why aren't we all doing THIS?!?!

This is one of the many reasons I love Fall

I want NEED this outfit in my closet!

Love this quote

I saw this yesterday and I thought it was very humorous!

I would love Maddie to be this for Halloween!

Hope ya'll enjoyed! Like I said, if there is a good response from this, I will do it again next week! 

Much love,

Varsity Voxbox

Hello readers! If you have been keeping up with all my posts, you will know that I recently joined Influenster and have already recieved a voxbox. Well they sent me another amazing box! I was really happy with this one and I am doing a post to show off and review the FREE goodies I recieved! 

I was eligible for the Varsity Voxbox. This voxbox was filled with all the essentials a college gal needs to keep herself pampered for less! Even though I'm not a typical college student, I really enjoyed the products.

I receieved the NEW NYC Big Bold Plumping and Shine Lip Gloss ($3.99). I'm not a big fan of lip gloss but this one surprised me. It didnt feel like lip gloss. It honestly had the feeling of putting on chapstick which I liked better. I don't know how other people will respond to that but for me personally, it's something that I liked. The color I revieved was pleasantly plump pink. It had plumping and lots of shine!

I've always been a fan of Tide Pods. I love that it does 3 jobs in one! It's a Detergent + Stain Fighter + Brightener. You can add it to ANY size load and it dissolves in ANY temperature (even cold!) It's so simple to use.

Next I received the Kiss Nail Dress ($6.99). Honestly I haven't used this just because I don't like the color or designs. I've never been a fan of too much design. I like my nails simple, neat, and one color. That's just my personal preference. I may give it to my little sister because it is more her style, not mine.

Next I received 3 free samples of the Clearasil Daily Clear Superfruit Wash($6.49). This facewash is formulated with a blend of superfruit extracts, Vitamin B3 and blemish prevention for radient skin every day. I was pleased with the face wash. I tend to be picky about face washes. If I don't feel refreshed or clean, I just automatically chunk it. It also came with 3 $1 off coupons!

Last but definitely not least!!! I got some Airheads Xtremes Bites($1.69). I love air heads! These were gone in a day. I liked being able to snack on something while I tried out all my new stuff! 

So there you have it! This box was fun and I can't wait for the next one!!! 

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes

Isaiah 40:31

Well it is rainy and muggy here on this Monday morning in Texas. I came up to school early this morning to make sure to give my readers a little motivation this morning. But first I figured I should give a small update on the happenings going on in my little world!

School is going good. I almost have all A's. Funny thing is I thought Accounting would be the one that would give me the most trouble but I am actually making an A in there. The only class I'm not doing as well as I hoped is Economics. Funny huh?

Madison is doing good. Still teething... Bless her little heart. She has also come down with a small cold. So it has been lots of cuddles and snuggling with her. She turns 7 months on Friday!!! Can't wait to update ya'll on all her milestones and progressions.

So for today's Motivational Monday post I decided to do a bible verse. With all the stress of school, money, etc., I found that this verse was fitting with what is going on for me in my life. 

Isaiah 40:31

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Sometimes it is hard to keep on going forward and give everything 110%. At times when I feel flat out exhausted, I say a silent prayer. It is an immediate relief. I feel clean and strong again.

When you get overwhelmed, don't quit pushing. Take a deep breath. Embrace life and keep on being strong. My hope for this post is for at least one person who is feeling worn out to change things around and conquer the day!

Much love,

Hands.

See above picture? That is my hand. Yes it is petite and fairly smaller than the "average hand". There is something off about it according to other people. Some people even look down on me when they see my hands. Do you see it yet? Probably not. Maybe a scenario will help you figure out the difference.

Say that I am at the grocery and you see me carrying around a 6 month old baby. You notice I look quite young and hardly look 18 when in actuality I am 22. You are thinking.. "wow that is a young mom" and automatically you look at my left hand and notice there isn't a ring there. It is an instant judgement.

Ever since I became pregnant and started showing, every where I go... People look at my hands. It had gotten to the point that I rarely left the house. Funny that my hands made me feel so self conscious.

I have come to terms that Justin and I are not going to get married soon. Not because we are not happy or that we don't love each other. We've been together almost six years so we have an enormous amount of love for each other. He is my best friend and sure it should be the next step. But we do want to become financially stable before we take that next leap.

Yes I did think that when I got pregnant, he would propose and we would have a quick small wedding. It was the right thing to do... Right? But honestly, if Maddie wasn't here, would we be engaged or married right now? The answer is no. So why try and force something? Since when did having a baby mean that you needed to get married? Whether we are married or not, Maddie knows that Mommy and Daddy are together and they love her and each other very much.

So what am I getting at with this post? What do I want this post to do? How do I want to make other people feel from reading my thoughts? I want people to stop judging and looking down on me or feeling sorry for me just because I don't have that special ring. Justin and I act like a married couple. We've been together longer than some married couples. We just don't have that title. 

There is no doubt in mind that I will marry Justin. He knows every little thing about me. He knows me the best out of anyone in my life. He knows me inside and out and like I said before... He is my best friend. When the time is right, it will happen. Our main focus is on Madison. Our main goal as a couple is to cherish our daughter.

So I leave you with this... next time you see a ring less mother, don't make assumptions on what her life entails. Children are the greatest gifts we can bring onto this Earth. Pardon my french, but I am pretty damn proud of my daughter and I am completely happy with where I am in my life and that she is here whether I have that ring or not.

Much love,

Deep in the heart of Texas

Hello readers! I was hoping to do a post over the weekend but Maddie Bug and I ended up having other plans! We spent our whole weekend at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. I was kind of hesitant because I didn't know how she would handle being out and about all day for 2 days straight. It is safe to say that she loved every minute of it! I decided to share a few pictures of our weekend!

On Friday morning, my mom set up a swing for Maddie outside of her house. Maddie just loves the great outdoors so she had a blast! She probably would have stayed in her swing all day and be perfectly content!

On Saturday, it was really rainy and cold. Well of course silly me forgot to pack a hat for Maddie so we had to go buy one really quick at the fair. After walking through every exhibit hall, we finally found the ONLY children's boutique booth and we found this adorable hat that everyone went completely crazy for!

I had never had any of the fried food at the fair but I decided to go on a limb and try the fried Nutella! It was better than I thought it would be but it wasn't exceptional. I wish there would have been more Nutella and less flaky. But it was a good experience!

This is Maddie with her great uncle. She had a blast with all my family!

And the rest are pictures of us just posing around the fair!

I am so happy that Maddie loved the fair and hope that this will turn into a tradition. I hope it is something she enjoys and anticipates for every year! Much love,

Amber Teething Necklace

So the inevitable teething stage has hit our household. Lots of drooling, high fevers (Maddie had a 101 temperature the other day!), rashes from the drool, and just an all out cranky bug. I'm always so scared when I have to give Maddie medicine. It makes my heart break when I have to give it to her in the first place but you also have to keep a close eye on how they take to the medicine, especially since they can't necessarily tell you if there is anything wrong.

Drugs may help with the pain but they are processed like toxins in your baby's liver. In fact, the Journal of Pediatrics reported a case study that shows that parents were unknowingly causing liver failure in their children after 10 days of store bought child pain killers. These products merely mask the pain and are unhealthy.

So lately I have been seeing a lot of infants wearing this necklace and of course I creep on people's Facebook pictures and see that they explain that it helps with teething.. What?? I felt it kind of odd that a necklace can help make pain go away. Well I decided to use my trusty "googling" skills to use. After that, I saw how logical it could be.

 Amber teething necklaces is a natural remedy that helps soothe the pain associated with teething. It was traditionally used by the Europeans. Amber is used in many pain remedies. Amber is a natural analgesic and when worn on the skin, it releases healing oils that helps babies and young children to stay calm and more relaxed throughout teething. 

So I finally bought Maddie a necklace from a local lady who sells them where I live. Her facebook page is Libbys Bowtique I did a little experiment. Maddie was extremely cranky one morning but I wanted to wait and see if it actually made a difference. I put the necklace on her at noon. There was an immediate difference! I had my happy Maddie Bug back! She was calmer, wanted to play more, and even took an hour nap for me! Here are some pictures of her modeling her new jewelry!

So yes I do recommend the amber necklace and I swear by them. When she has the necklace on, it is an instant change. You do have to supervise them when they wear the necklace. Do not let them sleep with the necklace on. This is a great one time purchase and an awesome baby gift for someone you know!

Remember I love reading your comments and hearing about your personal experiences as well! Have any of you moms tried the necklace and have ya'll been successful or no? I heard it can be different for some children.

Much love,

Slimsoft Voxbox

Hello fellow bloggers! Well my first round of testing is over and I have some more time available to blog.. (JUST a little!) School has been so hectic and good! I absolutely love it and am actually enjoying my classes considering I just went through a degree change! So today's post is going to talk about my experience with my Influenster Colgate Slimsoft VoxBox! 

What is Influenster?? Well it is a totally free online community where you put in your inputs about products. There are various badges you can earn. If you become a high influenster, you are eligible for FREE products and samples delivered to your doorstep! Who doesn't love FREE things?? 

This is my first voxbox so I was pretty excited! I was actually due for a new toothbrush really soon so I'm glad I was eligible for this one and I am so glad I waited for my box! You might be thinking... She was that excited about dental products?? I will reply to your question with a fact! Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression. People can recognize smiles up to 300 feet away! So make your smile worth being recognizable! So on to my thoughts about the products that I received!

I received the Colgate Total Advanced Mouthwash in Peppermint. I don't like mouthwashes that are too strong because they make me want to gag. I rush through the counting and spit it out in 10 seconds. This mouthwash was perfect! I could handle the strength and my mouth just felt so fresh!

 I also got the Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste. I can never really tell the difference between toothpastes. I'm not too picky about them so nothing screamed AMAZING to me! 

Last but not least I received the Colgate Slim Soft Toothbrush. This brush is hands down AMAZING! I have very sensitive gums. This brush is perfect for my problem. It feels so soft on your gums and teeth and it really does make a difference in how you feel about brushing your teeth. I know it sounds clique but it really did make a difference. I love using this brush and I would definitely buy this toothbrush again and would recommend it to anyone!

I was very pleased with my box and cannot wait to get another one! I wonder which one I will get next! Plus it's all FREE! If you are interested in joining Influenster, I have some free invites I can give to you. I only have a limited number though so get in contact quick! 

If you are already an Influenster member, I would love to hear what boxes ya'll received this month and how do you like the program?

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

 Much love,