Thank you!

Thank you for the support via Facebook/real life on my new business venture to become a Lia Sophia consultant! It's very exciting! I can't wait to party with my friends and show them the beautiful jewelry. I received the Spring/Summer 2014 Style Guide (catalog) tonight at my first meeting, and it's boasting with the statement necklaces that I showed you Saturday and also some awesome earrings. See below:

I am in love! I own #1-3 and am lusting over #4. SO cute! #3 is actually two earrings in one. You can remove the outside sparkle to have only the pearl.

If you are interested in learning how you can earn $260 in free jewelry at no cost to you, privately message me on Facebook or comment below!

Announcement

I'm taking on a new business venture... I'm becoming a Lia Sophia consultant! I went to a Lia Sophia party a few months ago and decided to host a party to support my friend's jewelry sales. Turns out, I'm a great seller! The party that my roommate and I hosted got us over $300 in free jewelry. AMAZING! Here are a few of the pieces below:

The pieces are even more beautiful in person. Jewelry prices range from $20-$250. All the jewelry is returnable anytime, which means that if I don't like a piece of jewelry that I purchased, I could return it YEARS later for a full refund! Also, if the jewelry breaks for any reason, you could return it for a replacement--no hassle.

When someone hosts a party, there's no cost to them, except having people in their home and using their toilet paper. All the hostesses that I had the pleasure of going to their party have made at least $300 in free jewelry. One of my friends had almost $500 in free jewelry...crazy.

If you are interested in hosting a party, here's what that means:

• Invite 10+ friends to your home
• Participate in games to win free jewelry opportunities
• Shop the jewelry style guide 
• Get free jewelry money from the sales of your party

That's it! If you are a friend of mine in the Boston area and would like to host a party, comment below or reach out to me privately on Facebook!

Which statement necklace is your favorite? Comment below!

The Questions you Should be Asking

Read this. It's a beautiful article on being a stay-at-home parent as well as a guide to what answers to ask in a relationship--whether that be a friend, lover, or parent.

Have a great weekend :)

Monday's Intention

Hope you had a great weekend! I am inspired by this Monday's intention by an article that I read Sunday morning over breakfast. I found it on Pinterest, but it was published on the ASHAsphere website. To summarize the article, it states that parents who continue to give their toddlers sippy cups are only doing their children a disservice. Sippy cups encourage an immature suck-swallow pattern and could do some damage to dentition. So, what should you do instead? Use an open cup or a cup with straw. A sippy cup is NOT a part of a child's developmental milestones.

This leads me to my intention for the week, but also for my lifetime... I want to continue to learn and research about what is out their in my profession. It will help me be a better clinician but also a well-educated mommy someday!

Have a great weekend! Please pass along the article to all parents!

Recommended Children's Books

I am a speech-language pathologist, and as a part of my graduate education, I had to take courses and seminars and complete real-life clinicals within the pediatric population. At one time, I thought that I would work with kids after I graduated, but I am working with adults now. I think one day I'll go back to working in the schools with preschool kids, but for now I am happy working in the nursing home. 

I still enjoy going on Pinterest and perusing arts and crafts and activities to do with kids in speech therapy. During one of my clinical placements in the Boston Public Schools, I would often use a book to target the child's goals in therapy (e.g. vocabulary, increasing expressive language, etc.). I've used several books, some good, some not so good; so, I've decided to share some of my favorites with you.

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
Great for labeling body parts and clothing

The Very Noisy Night
Increase & use vocabulary through pictures 

Frog and Toad Together
Wh- questions

I Need a Friend
Increase & use vocabulary through pictures 

We Share Everything
Targets sharing skills

The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza)
Sequencing steps to make a pizza
Labeling food & animals

Today is Monday
Labeling days of week, food, and animals with a sing-a-long

If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Cause and effect

There’s a Billy Goat in the Garden
Targets big, bigger, biggest

We’re Making Breakfast for Mother
Rhyming and labeling breakfast vocab

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Learning emotions--happy, sad, mad, and excited

Most of the books above are appropriate for ages two- to eight-years-old. I used most of these books in a preschool with kids who had literacy difficulties or in a special needs elementary school program.

Enjoy sharing these books with the young kids in your life! Many of the books above have great arts and craft activities too!

Wine (Wednesdays)

As most have you have done at least once in your lifetime, I've taken the Myers Briggs personality test. I had to take it in college and graduate school a few times. Each time I've taken it, I've always gotten "E" for extroverted. As I get older, I feel like I'm becoming more introverted though. I like my routines and don't always venture out of my comfort zone.

As a part of my quest to rid myself of negativity in my environment, I also want to decrease the negativity within my self. I want to be more of my extroverted self and have plenty of opportunity for socializations.

I've mentioned the idea of having a wine night with my friends, and I've decided to roll out with it! A few of my friends used to host a Wine Wednesday every Wednesday night in college. That schedule doesn't seem that conducive to our working lives now. I would love to have a wine night once/twice a month on a Friday, so that we can each get drunk and not feel bad about going to work the next morning.

I would also want there to be a theme to each wine night. A friend of mine gave me this idea: each person must bring a bottle of wine that goes with the theme for the night. Below are a few theme ideas...

Bring a bottle that:

• Comes from Spain
•  Has a quirky name
•  Has a red label
• Is a Cabernet
•  Is 1.75 L
• The store recommended
• Is under $10

 I love the idea of the themes! Hopefully, we can start having our wine nights in a week or two. I'll keep you posted of what themes we do. Cheers to being social and getting tipsy off of wine with your friends!

Do you host a wine night with your friends? How do you make it more fun? Pair the wine with cheese?

Have a Snowy Weekend

Hello blizzard of 2014! Ekk my street is filled with snow and not a plow to be seen. Luckily, my car is safe and sound in the parking garage down the street. I LOVE not brushing my car off or shoveling myself out of a parking spot.

Since I'm stuck inside and you are too most likely, I thought a few videos and links would pass the time along this weekend. Enjoy and stay warm! :)

Do you have 2 sisters too?

Obama, you wise, wise man

Byeee

I made this soup recipe Wednesday night with a ham, cheese, pesto, & avocado panini. YUM

Another article on anxiety re: yesterday's blog post

Piperlime is having a 25% off sale using the code CHIC that ends tonight

• J Brand denim
• Pim + Larkin Shift Dress
• Franco Sarto spring heels