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Lillian-Juda Leonard-Beach
I am a Blogger, web & graphic designer, girlfriend, student, model, nurses aid, night owl, friend of 420, activist, Catholic, Buddhist, yoga follower, survivalist, friend, daughter, Canadian, Atlantan, strawberry blonde spaz, with a kind heart.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Kitten Sound Off 6/22/10

Wordless Wednesday
Kitten Squad
"Hup to, hup to.. Sound off!"





We still don't have names for them. We were going to name them after Hindu deities... but they just didn't ring well. There are 3 girls and 1 boy. We have one set of twins (1 girl + 1 boy). Their eyes look funny because they just opened :D

Any suggestions on names?


Winners!!! June 22nd, 2010

Winner, winner. CHICKEN DINNER!?!?!
Sorry, I'm late guys. My internet seems to not want to work the past couple days. But I was able to finally check eveyones entries! I do want to apologize, but several entries on CSN GC were entered after the 11:59 pm (EST) deadline.

So with that, the winners are:
Truvia Natural Sweetener Winner
Bogged about the giveaway { 1 }

CSN Stores $40 Gift Card Winner
your button is on my blog.

I'd like to say thanks to:
for posting my button on their blog! 

And as always, thanks to everyone for entering!
Also,
Just wanted to announce I have received my Brugo mug, as well as the CharcoCaps, and the StaphAseptic. So look for a few new giveaways on Sunday of this week.

I would also like to announce Sugar and Vice Jewelery has been gracious enough to donate an item for review as well as a choice of Alice and Wonderland necklaces, (absolutely FABULOUS items, for an even better price.)

Check out her etsy shop and website!!!



Saturday, June 19, 2010

Introduction To Wedding Madness

So.... Wedding News!

No, I'm not getting married. (Gotcha Mom). Just recently I had the pleasure of attending the Mom Select Atlanta Mom bloggers conference. I had a wonderful time, and met some fabulous Atlanta blogging mommies. Which I thank Maria from Mom Select, very much! I really enjoyed it.

Now on to the meaning of this post. When I attended the conference, I had a chance to reconnect with an old friend, who is very dear to me. Cari and I have been friends for nearly 5 years. We have certainly been through some trials together. (Not to mention pulling a tick of her LOL)
Anna-Banana at 17 months.
Cari recently had a darling baby girl named Anna. She is a delight. After the birth of her daughter she became engaged to the father, and now the wedding is creeping up to us, in a way that would make you wonder if Einstein was out of his mind, and really we only have 15 hours in a day.
*My fav*
Marina by Michelle Roth
So, while I was looking for dresses for her I took a peek at some of the dresses that were popular online. Now, I've had to deal with looking for dresses for myself befor, and quite frankly I always feel like I'm settling. I can NEVER find a dress that I can proudly say "This is THE dress."


Although I will say I have found some wonderful dresses, like:
Saison Blanche Boutique
2 Be Bride-Elizabeth Darcy
Lazaro
Maya By Michelle Roth
Bianca
by Stephanie James Couture 
Is it weird all the dresses I like have blonde models... :P

Then of coarse, we found the REALLY (sarcasm implied) good ones. Vegas wedding, here we come! Where's Elvis?!?!
Pnina Tornai
 All-in-all I found some nice ones... (my favorites is up to just under 100 LOL) So, I can't complain. And hey, this isn't even my weeding lol. :D

So, here's my question to you,
Did you ever find "your" dress, and if so, how long did it take you to find it?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Social Parade Week of 6/17

Smart and Trendy Moms






WELCOME EVERYONE!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Take a look around.
Don't forget to check out my current giveaways!




Giveaway Update!
Check back soon for:
And
Etsy Giveaway: $20 Giftcard

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wordless Wednesday 6/15/10

Who says rap music isn't cultural...? And they're even available for parties!!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Meditation Monday - Guided Root Chakra Meditation

Ok so, I have decided to start a small linky on Mondays called, Meditation Monday. I know everyone has the kids running around now that's schools out so this will be a short, weekly post, followed by a video, and summed up with things to keep in mind or tips. Each post will be a daily way to relive stress and live better in under 15 mins.
Everyone is welcome to join the linky. The only thing I ask is you make a post about something to do with meditation, yoga, mental exercise, ect. And that you post the Meditation Monday button on the post. (code provided) No video is required for linky posts.
Now on to this week's Meditation Monday.


the mini Beach bird - Meditation Monday

Week 2 - Root Chakra Meditation and Cleansing


 For those who are new to meditation (which I think most of my readers are), I am going to try and explain the best I can. If you ever have any questions or need help, please feel free to leave a comment with your email and I will try to get back to you asap.

When practicing your daily meditation, it is important to be able to set aside your "here and now" life and your meditation life. Now, I know your thinking, Yeah, well you don't have kids lady. and I know it will sound very daunting, but it is a very important aspect of meditation, and often if you are successful in you endeavor to separate these two lives, your meditation will most likely be deeper and more helpful to you.

I am not saying, if you can't do it at all, don't do it. Really, if you can practice meditation at all, your doing better than a lot of people.

Now, with that being said, we will now look into Chakra Meditation


What is a Chakra?
Charkra - Chakras are energy centers. They function like receivers and transformers of the various forms of prana.
Prana - Prana is the life sustaining force which pervades all living organisms and the universe.

So... Chakras are energy centers of the body, whose purpose is to even out energy and life forces threw out the body. When you practice chakra meditation, what your really doing is taking all of the stagnant or stuck energy in these "centers" and pushing it threw, into different areas or chakras, creating a good energy field threw out the entire body.


Generally, you look at the chakras from bottom to top. There are seven (7) main body chakras. (The rest are for the advanced category, and I don't even know them all) We are going to look at the first seven, then you should have enough knoledge to expand into the other five on your own.
For more info on all seven, click here.

The first chakra is the Root. This is also know as the: First Chakra, and the Muladhara. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine at the tailbone in back, and the pubic bone in front. This chakra generally "holds" the information and human drive for safety and survival. 


I've found a good way of thinking about chakras is to think of them as personality traits, almost. If a person has a very strong root chakra, they will most likely come off as being very grounded, as if they have a good idea of what's going on in the world around them. This might be because the root chakra is thought to be a connection between you and the ground or earth energy.

Now to get the energy flowing in this chakra, simply:


  1. Sit is lotus posistion. (Often know as indian-style or cross-legged.)
  2. Relax your entire body.
  3. Place your hands, palm facing the sky, on your knees. (Hands should be just laid on your knees)
  4. Remember to stay as relaxed as possible.
  5. Take five deep, long, engaging breathes. See my post Breathing to relieve stress)
  6. Now click play! She will explain more in the video. (First 2 mins are guided meditation, then 2 mins of relaxation music, followed up by beach noises. Total length is 5 mins and 45 sec.) I strongly suggest completing the entire video for meditation.


Now that you've watched the video, do you feel any better?

Chakra meditation is something you should always do for yourself. It is important to try and meditate as often as possible, especially with our hectic lives, but it's not something to stress about.

Meditation tip:
Many people like to use colored candles in chakra meditation. For this meditation look for a fire-engine red or mahogany colored candle.

Light the candle and sit it in front of you. While sitting in lotus position, stare at the candle, floating in and out to the image of the flame while breathing. If you would like to use a scented candle I would suggest cinnamon.



Futher Reading: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chakras by Betsy Rippentrop

Anyone who knows me and my bookshelf will tell you I am an idiots or dummies guide junkie. I think they are a wonderful start for people who are just generally confused on a subject. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chakras  is no different. I bought this book for my boyfriend Jo, and he loves it. 
It provides a wonderful explanation on how to get started in your chakra meditation journey. 
My Grade:
A+++ Perfect for the meditation idiot in all of us.


Thursday, June 10, 2010

Social Parade Week of 6/10

Smart and Trendy Moms
WELCOME EVERYONE!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Take a look around.
Don't forget to check out my current giveaways!