Living

Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. Know CO!

If you didn’t know we’re a blended family, and a few weeks ago we sent our oldest daughter off to college. I know you’re wondering how a 25- year-old couple is sending a child off to college, and my response to that is I don’t know either!

We traveled to Orlando to get her all cozy in her dorm room, and while I consider myself the “cool stepmom” I was legit in my feelings about her being an adult and living on her own. It’s like staring reality in the face that time is really moving far too fast.

I’ve been around since she was a small child, and while so cliche, it is so true… the years pass quickly. While we’re so excited for her to spread her wings and experience some of the experiences that will mold her adult life we’re a lot concerned about her safety. Every chance her father and I got we had to drop little life nuggets here and there amongst the aisles of Target and Walmart as we picked up her necessities. Our tag team don’t do this, and don’t do that reminded me of all those times when I said I wasn’t going to be like my own mother yet, doing and saying the same things!

There is a lot in the equation we can’t control when our children leave, but when it comes to carbon monoxide safety… we got this thanks to First Alert!

Her dorm is an older building and there is always the risk of carbon monoxide being an issue. Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an odorless and potentially fatal gas. Being that it’s odorless the only way to detect its presence is with a detector.

Of course, no semi-adult teenager is concerned with carbon monoxide, but we are. First Alert’s stylish CO alarm fit perfectly into her dorm space. We didn’t have to install it, it has a 10-year battery life, and sits perfectly on her desk. One super functional feature is the LED display also displays the temperature… after all a girl has to know what to wear!

With the winter season on it’s way educating yourself and your family on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning is imperative. When it comes to keeping your home, and office spaces safe the First Alert CO Tabletop Alarm is the perfect, stylish, petite option. It may be small in size but it will protect you in a big way.

Knowledge is key when it comes to protecting yourself and the ones you love from the dangers of carbon monoxide. Here is some info on how to protect yourself.

The top 3 carbon monoxide safety tips are:

• Never leave a car running in an attached garage
• Test carbon monoxide detectors regularly
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm on every level, and in every bedroom of your home.

She is a about a week into her new life as a college student and doing well. We are so proud and excited for her and her new chapter, meanwhile I think her father and I are still in our feels, but birdies have to fly the nest and spread their wings. Thanks to First Alert we have one less thing to worry about!

Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. Know CO!

This post was sponsored by Advent Health for their Feel Whole Challenge

My entire childhood was soundtracked, and by soundtracked I mean the music was always playing in the background… even as I slept.

The television was rarely on, so I learned early on to appreciate music. To this day, I rarely watch television except for a few shows but much like my childhood, to this day music is always playing in our house. It’s amazing how we carry things from our childhood into adulthood with little thought, unfortunately, that also includes some not so good behaviors that we have to be mindful of.

Music makes me happy, it evokes memories, it motivates me, and it continues to soundtrack my life. Nearly 11 years later, I still remember the song that was playing in the car when I went to retrieve my mother’s things from the hospital after she died, I remember the song that was playing when I brought my babies home from the hospital. Music is such a huge part of my life.

I create playlists that are “moody,” if I’m feeling a certain way, there’s a playlist for that! For example, there is a Chill-Out, Girl Power, and Be Encouraged playlists.

Here’s a few tips on creating your own playlists:

• Find a free streaming service or subscribe to one where you have access to a large number of song titles. We pay for streaming through Napster, however, Spotify has a limited free version that will allow you to create playlists.
• Think about songs that evoke emotions or memories. I prefer good, or meaningful ones, however, it’s your playlist choose as you wish.
• If you hear a song you like or one you haven’t heard in awhile jot it down.
• Name it accordingly, and continue to add songs over time.

This post is sponsored by Advent Health for their Feel Whole Challenge

As an avid reader with too little time, I’m always looking for quiet moments during the summer where I can sneak away with my books. I started off the year with a goal of reading 30 books. I was on a roll for the first part of the year, and then life hit. While I have already hit the halfway mark, I know I could’ve met my goal by now, possibly doubling it for the year, however since there is no use in crying over the books I could’ve read, I’m just going to set a goal of 4 books a month and see where that lands me at the end of the year.

I recently joined my neighborhood’s book club to hold myself accountable. Our June selection was “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Before it was mentioned in our group, in the many book hashtags I follow I’d heard rumblings that this was a good one. As I write this, I have a little over a week read it so I’m hoping it’s kind to reader procrastinators like me. The pressure is really on because I am hosting and would like to offer meaningful conversation unlike last month when I just showed up to eat and socialize! 

There’s a huge stack on my nightstand that by default is the book stack to get through. I’m sure there will be a few interrupters, you know the books that everyone is raving about so you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, but then it’s back to the nightstand stack for me. 

Reading is a great way to wind-down for the evening. It forces me to put my phone away and escape reality for a bit. Depending on my mood, I may listen to a book instead. I’ve found this routine helps me sleep better. I highly recommend putting your phone down at night and indulging in a good read. If you get a good book, it’s easy to fall into the habit! If you want to see what’s on my perpetual reading list, give me a follow on Goodreads!

What are you reading?!