Jennifer

Day 251: Do you recognize anything about me?

December 2, 2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

Can you believe it has been 251 days since my double jaw surgery? Recovery is going well. I reached a huge milestone. What do you not see?

Did you guess NO BRACES?! You are right. I was so excited to reach this great milestone. Eating is so different. Seeing my beautiful smile for the first time made me want to tear up. The wait for this moment has been so long but so worth it. All my teeth meeting together is a priceless feeling.

As far as recovery, I still do not have the feeling in my chin or bottom lip. In my latest x-ray, my chin is still not fully healed. It is still broken but oh so close to coming close together. My hope is once the chin fully grows back together, maybe the feeling will come back in my bottom lip and chin. I keep a paper towel with me at all times when I am eating so I can constantly wipe my chin as I do not feel when something is on my chin. Slightly embarrassing at times for sure.

The opening of my mouth is still not where it should be, but maybe this isn’t a bad thing? HA! I can still yell with the best of them though. The biggest complaint is I cannot bite into a sandwich or eat a banana without shoving it in my mouth. Stretching my mouth will help this and I do the stretches quite frequently. At times the jaw feels tight so the stretches actually make it feel better.

Overall, the healing is exactly where it should be for 8 months. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like it has been eight months. What an incredible journey it has been!

My goal is to bite into a sandwich by my year anniversary on March 26, 2015. I can do it!

DIY Frugal Christmas Flower Arrangement

December 2, 2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

My daughter M, is about to turn 12 years of age and she is very much into the DIY scene. Once she has her bedroom completed, I will show you photos. She does get her frugal side from me. We love to see how cheap we can purchase things. Over the weekend she decided she wanted a Christmas flower arrangement for her room. The finished design is above. It turned out beautiful. The entire cost: $4! How did she do it?

We traveled to our local Dollar Tree. She picked out her vase, crystal beads (water bubbles), and flowers. The crystal beads were found with the air fresheners. Technically, the flower arrangement serves as an air freshener as well.

After we returned home, she went right to her desk and used scissors to cut the flowers how she wanted, poured the beads into the vase and arranged the flowers. Her plan is to make an arrangement for each season. I think it is a great addition to her room. You can’t beat the price.

Happy frugal decorating!

A Mom’s Review of the BRITAX Marathon Car Seat!

November 13, 2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

Baby Avery is growing up. She is ready to transition to a big girl car seat. We are very loyal fans to BRITAX, so was thrilled when they sent the Marathon for Avery.

Product Features:
– Base with SafeCell Technology features SafeCells designed to compress in a crash, significantly lowering the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat which normally propels the child toward the front seat.

– Integrated Steel Bars strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.

– Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether features a staged-release tether webbing to slow the forward movement, reducing the crash forces reaching the child, and a two-point attachment to minimize forward rotation while anchoring the top of the child seat.

Avery’s mom, Ashley, shares her thoughts about the car seat.

The Britax Marathon is the easiest car seat I have ever installed. I attribute this to the quality materials of the seat and the easy to understand instructions. I love the way the latch anchors slide along a bar to help alternate between rear and forward facing. The belt path installation is usually the most cumbersome part, but with the Marathon even this step was easy. Again, this is because of the well written and well-illustrated instructions. The tether anchor is also a great touch, as we have used car seats in the past with no tether, and it seems as if the car seat has way too much movement, especially if we were to have a rollover accident.

Avery loves this seat, as she has fallen asleep every time we have put her in it. The cushions on the shoulder straps help keep her comfortable instead of rubbing on her neck, and when the straps are tightened she is very secure, yet comfortable. Compared to other car seats that we have used in the past, this is by far her’s and our favorite. The neutral color scheme is also very appealing as this car seat would work for a boy or girl. One of my only minor complaints about the seat is that it’s difficult to tighten and release the shoulder straps while rear facing, due to the awkward angle and tight configuration of the car seat up against the backrest of the vehicle seat. I haven’t seen a car seat yet that manages to avoid this issue, but it would be nice to see in the future.

A checklist of some of our favorite features:

Quick-Adjust Harness repositions the harness shoulder height without disassembling the harness straps
Side Impact Protection comprised of deep side walls lined with energy-absorbing EPP foam distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head, neck and body
Tangle-Free, Five-Point Harness distributes crash forces across the strongest parts of the body and provides a secure fit
HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System) Chest Pads provide resistance to forward movement in the event of a crash
65-pound Weight Capacity for safety and comfort as your child grows
Rear and Forward Facing Recline for child comfort and positioning
High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion your child
Two Buckle Positions for your growing child
Made in the USA with global components

A happy baby and a happy mom means lots of sweet family travels. Thank you BRITAX!

MSRP (USD): $289.99

Verizon Gives Free Wireless Data To Make Thanksgiving Travel Easier

November 13, 2014 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

I am so happy to share good news!

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is about to become a little more enjoyable. Verizon Wireless has declared Nov. 26 “Connection Day” – a day designed to say “Thanks” to our customers by giving them the gift of data, special offers and content.

Verizon is giving its customers the gift of 1GB of data at no extra cost with great promotions courtesy of Amazon, Apple, Boingo Wireless, Conde Nast, Gogo Technologies, JetBlue and Pandora.

Ever wonder how much you could do with 1 GB free data?

Surf the web for 44.5 hours, stream 256 songs, Facebook for 51 hours, stream 10 of your favorite 30-minute shows, or navigate on Google Maps for 17 hours. All perfect for a long car ride with the kids in tow.

Starting today, MORE Everything customers who register for connection day at verizonwireless.com/connectionday are eligible to immediately receive 1GB of shareable data on their account.

Nov. 26 is the day before Thanksgiving, traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year. Many of Verizon’s Connection Day gifts can make not only this hectic day, but the season as well, a bit more manageable.

On Nov. 26, all customers can receive everything from movies to free wifi to audio books to streaming music, all courtesy of Verizon. The complete list of offers includes:

Verizon FiOS: In FiOS markets, special mobile access to popular movies and TV shows from Nov. 26 to Dec. 1, compliments of Verizon FiOS by downloading the free FiOS Preview app.
Amazon: Selection of 10 free/discounted apps, plus two free Audible book downloads (new members) or $10 Audible credit (current members)
Apple: special offer from iTunes to be revealed on Nov. 26
Conde Nast: Free Digital Edition downloads of all 18 Conde Nast Publications, including Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ
Free Wi-Fi: 30-minute complimentary Internet sessions through Boingo Wireless (at airports) and Gogo Technologies (inflight)
JetBlue: Free in-flight Fly Fi (Wi-Fi) for the duration flights between Nov.26 and Dec. 24.
Pandora Media: Free seven-day trial of Pandora One.

Simply go to www.verizon.com/connectionday and choose the gifts you’re interested in.

Not a More Everything customer? No problem. All Verizon Wireless customers are eligible for a special discount on the mophie powerstation 4000, a great tool to keep your devices charged and connected while traveling.

“As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to show how much we appreciate our customers,” said Jerry Fountain, region president, Verizon Wireless. “We hope that our customers will take advantage of this day—a day to connect with family and friends, to learn something new about their device, or just to provide a little more entertainment during what can often be a hectic kick off to the holiday season.”

More free digital content and more free data, all on the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network, a great way to kick of the gift giving season.

Tricks (and treats) For Protecting Your Eyes This Halloween

October 28, 2014 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

VSP Vision Care, the nation’s largest not-for-profit vision care company, put together a list of tips and tricks for creating costumes that keep your eyes healthy. For example:

· Don’t dye eyebrows or eyelashes

· Don’t use non-FDA approved makeup

· Don’t wear decorative or “costume” contact lenses (which are illegal to sell)

You can find a complete guide to Halloween eye health by visiting SeeMuchMore.com in the “Learn about Your Eyes” section.

Jennifer

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