Mommy Mondays - "Being the CRAZY mom"

HAPPY MONDAY!!! It's New Mommy Monday today here at #MBMB!!! And I am proud to welcome again my friend, Jodie Ellis! :) She will be talking about the importance of standing up for your kid's health, regardless if you drive your doctor insane. It is IMPORTANT to be sure and safe, rather than sorry!

And I 100% agree!

Being the "crazy" mom

 First off I just want to say that my little man, Macon, is 8 months old today! Boy, time is flying by. I do miss him being my tiny little baby but it's amazing to watch as he grows and learns new things. The last few months have been a little challenging on the mom front. You know what the worst thing about being a mom is? Seeing your baby sick and not being able to help them understand. 

At 6 weeks old, Macon had his first double ear infection. At 6 months, after being sick with a cold for a while that the doctors told me not to worry about, he developed his second double ear infection. The second infection was worse. That cold that I didn't need to worry about had caused the ear infection. When we saw the doctor for the cold, she had suggested giving Macon a small dose of Benadryl just to help with allergy issues. So we did. The Benadryl gave him a tummy ache which led to us having to use gas drops in nearly every bottle he had. I didn't like that, so we discontinued the Benadryl use. A few days later he had been really whiny and not himself so we went back to the doctor which is when we found out about the second ear infection. She gave Macon antibiotics and a cough syrup with a decongestant in it since he couldn't handle the Benadryl. He was also dealing with a nasty yeast rash under his neck and we got a cream for that too. The last day of the antibiotic cycle, Macon wasn't any better so we took yet another trip to the doctor. His ears were STILL infected. The doctor gave us an even stronger antibiotic and scheduled a follow up appointment to make sure his ears cleared up after those meds. Thankfully at the recheck, his ears looked perfect. This past Friday, two and a half weeks after the recheck, we went back to the doctor because I was worried about his ears. He had been grumpy again, pulling his ears and just didn't feel good. His ears were fine thank goodness! The doctor thinks growing pains, teething, or nightmares is contributing to his restlessness and grumpiness. Since the yeast infection is still hanging around, we got a new treatment plan for that while we were there and it seems to be working! 

When we arrived in the doctors office, I told her that I felt like a crazy mom. You know, the one that always thinks her kid is sick and seems to be at the doctor more than at home. My doctor told me at the age that Macon is now it is always better to be safe than sorry. 

It occurred to me that there are probably a lot of moms out there that are afraid of being labeled as the "crazy" mom. But there's no reason to worry about that. Your infant can't tell you what's wrong. You, as a mother, are your child's only advocate when they can't let you know how they feel. Trust your motherly instinct. You know when something isn't right with your child. Just trust that gut feeling and if you come across a doctor that thinks your crazy, get a second opinion! Never apologize for trying to get help for your children when you think they may be sick.

With love, 

JODIE

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Can we just take a second and admire how ADORABLE Macon is?? I mean LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!!!! LOL!! Way cute!!!

Thanks for yet another amazing post, Jodie!!!!

HAPPY MONDAY, everyone!

✰ Book Review ✰ I NEED YOU ALWAYS by Cynthia P. O'Neill

 I NEED YOU ALWAYS 

Author: Cynthia P. O'Neill 

Series: Need, Book #1

Genre: Contemporary/Erotic Romance

~ SYNOPSIS ~

Dane Prescott flew all over the world for his family’s business, partying at every turn and avoiding taking the reigns of his father’s company, until tragedy strikes. 

He feels lost until he sees her…

Marissa Lawson couldn’t wait to graduate college, going from intern to employee at the company she works for until one of her peer’s stole her ideas and job offer.

Everything around her begins to unravel until a controlling kiss from a handsome stranger, leaves her breathless and seeking to transform her life. 

Her luck changes when she’s offered a new position to work with the boss’s son; her stranger!

Marissa wants to focus on her career, but Dane wants to dominate her; mixing business with pleasure. Every touch tempts her to submit to his desires. 

Can she hold up to the control he craves in life, especially in love? Can she let go of her own hang-ups and submit to him?

Only time will tell if she can be everything he Needs!

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AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | B&N

Dane was a playboy who had everything he ever wanted at his disposal. He had a job at his father’s very successful company which allowed him to travel to gorgeous locations, and he most certainly had money. He was happy. He had everything he could ever need. And then, tragedy struck him in a way he couldn’t seem to recover from. He had suffered a loss that made him feel incomplete…empty.

Until Marissa.

Marissa was excited to be graduating college. She expected to get a job at the company she interned in, but those plans went downhill when a co-worker stole her ideas. Marissa’s life started to crumble around her… All her plans? Gone out the window. Devastated, heartbroken, and worried, Marissa was not expecting what happened next. One chance encounter changed her life in more ways than she could have ever imagined…or hoped for. A new job offer lead to a completely new life for her.

Life had a funny way of working out. Cynthia P. O’Neill threw in a few surprises and curveballs throughout the storyline. I really enjoyed seeing how all the little details in the book came full circled…how all my questions got answered. And let’s just say, Marissa came out of her shell. She and Dane were just what each other needed. They made each other complete. All in all this was a good book AND there were some very steamy scenes for those of you that love a hot romance! 

4 Stars!

Meet the author: Cynthia P. O'Neill 

I grew up in a small town in South Florida called Clewiston and moved to Central Florida to attend college. I married my friend, love, and soul mate and still reside in the area with our amazing son, and a feisty, four-legged little doggie boy.

In my books, I draw on my background in healthcare, business, and science, along with my husband's engineering and wireless technology knowledge.

I currently write on all levels of Romance. The Learning Series is for those who like a little more steam with their books, falling into the categories of Contemporary and verging on Erotica, with a hint of Suspense. The Remembrance Series encompasses Young Adult, with a touch of Paranormal activity and a hint of Historical romance. A new contemporary romance series is underway, called Need. It will be different than the others, because each book will focus on a new couple, while all of the characters will still have a large presence throughout the series.

I try to make my writing very personal and close to her heart. Regular life is the inspiration for my books, but I'm only limited by imagination taking ideas to new heights, opening up possibilities that would normally not exist.

On a more personal note...I love to cook and create in the kitchen and on the bbq grill. I sometimes lose myself in a song at the piano. I often sing with my son while we are driving or making dinner together. I enjoy crafts (flower arranging, making wreaths, painting pottery, needle point and drawing in pencil and charcoals). My music tastes are eclectic at best, ranging from classical piano to hard rock/heavy metal. It all depends on the song, group, and if it has a good beat or is a soulful ballad.

Social Media Links:

Facebook | Website | Twitter

✰ Book Review ✰ KEEPING KING by Anne Jolin

KEEPING KING

Author: Anne Jolin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Rock Falls #4 
~ SYNOPSIS ~
***Can be read as a standalone or as part of the Rock Falls series.***

Peyton Callaghan is a fighter, a survivor, a warrior. When it was kill or be killed, she didn’t hesitate. Now, she’s the only one left standing, haunted by the ghost of a dead man and plagued with the guilt of having taken another person’s life. The upheaval of her life to start over in Rock Falls has been rocky at best, her worst nightmares and wildest desires colliding with each other. Terror tortures her nightly, breeding fear inside her dreams, and in every waking moment, she fights against the lust that threatens to drown her. 

Jayden King harbors secrets beneath his outward playboy demeanor. The women who warm his bed lay claim to nothing—you can’t lay claim to someone who doesn’t have a heart. His wit and charm are exquisite means of deflection and distraction from the turmoil roaring inside him. He’s hidden in plain sight, a mask of humor keeping the sadness at bay. The only real reflections of his soul are in the artwork he creates, pieces of him muraled on the skin of others. If tattoo artists could have a calling card, the etch of pain and suffering in each design would be his. Because when the lights go out and the women he’s satisfied have gone home, he’s alone with every fear he refuses to face.

After suffering from a brutal attack at the hands of her roommate’s stalker, Peyton is forced to live with the object of her affection. Without intention, she breathes love into his starved heart, and although the mere thought of that terrifies him, Jayden would burn the city down to keep her safe, causalities be damned. 

Some people you have. Some people you hold. 

She can have him. She can hold him. But can she keep King? Or is it impossible for Callaghan to keep something that was never really hers to begin with?

AMAZON | KOBO | B&N | iBooks

Anne Jolin is one of those very few authors whose books I will one-click without any kind of hesitation. The Rock Falls series keeps getting better and BETTER and I absolutely adore the group of characters that bring these books to life. The girls are witty, smartass-y, strong, and ladies I would totally be friends with. As for the guys? OH MAN - THE GUYS. Total hotties and yummy alpha males! I’m telling you, this series is a MUST READ.

Now, while all the books in this series can be read as standalone novels, I highly recommend you read them in order. You will have a better understanding of everything that’s happened up until this 4^th installment and, quite frankly, why the heck not? They are truly great books and ones I easily recommend to anyone that loves great romantic suspense novels!

“…you’ve breathed love back into my soul.”

Jayden. Oh, Jayden. What a HUNK of a man!!! He was loving, caring, sexy, alpha…aaand had tattoos! He could not get any better. Really.

Jayden was hurting inside and kept everyone at arm’s length – especially women. His guilt prevented him from opening his heart. He had fought long and hard his attraction to Peyton but now, there was nothing he could do. He was losing that battle hard and fast.

Peyton had lived a life in which she kept pretty much to herself because of what she’d already been through. Suffice it to say, she was one strong chick! I really did like her character a lot.

Well anyway, little did she ever imagine, the guy she secretly had a massive crush on, felt the same way about her. Certain circumstances brought Jayden and Peyton under the same roof. - cue swooning - The way Jayden protected Peyton, how he took care of her, had me completely enamored. It wasn’t easy for either of them living together, but boy oh boy, things surely got interesting…and steamy.

Once Jayden and Peyton opened up to each other, once they accepted what they meant to each other, their love – their connection – was unbreakable. They were passionate and pure and OMG – I was in love with how much they were in love.

There are a lot of events that occur during this book that kept me highly intrigued and fully entertained. I wanted nothing more than to read Jayde and Peyton’s story and find out what would happen next. I wanted them to get their HEA so badly – they both deserved it. They really, truly did. They both are the type of characters you really can’t help but root for since the very first page.

Keeping King was a fantastic addition to an already phenomenal series! I cannot wait to read the next book! I mean….THAT ENDING! OMG! I need Jackson’s story! Really. I do. FIVE STARS! Yet again, Anne Jolin did an amazing job!

“I’m keeping you, Jayden King.”

~ The Rock Falls Series ~

Check out my reviews of books 1 & 2 → here
Check out my review of book 3 → here

Chasing Rhodes, Book 1: http://bit.ly/ChasingRhodes

Choosing Henley, Book 2: http://bit.ly/ChoosingHenley

Breaking Bennett, Book 3: http://bit.ly/BreakingBennett

Keeping King, Book #4: http://bit.ly/KeepingKing 

Meet the author: Anne Jolin

Hey y’all,

I was born and raised in Ladner, a small farm town just outside Vancouver, Canada. I grew up riding horses, shooting guns, and driving in trucks. 

I never expected to be an author. A massage therapist? Yes. Take over the family construction company? Yes. But an author? No. Writing was something that snuck up on me and rooted itself into my life. It was beautiful to discover that love, and I’m truly grateful to say I’ve found my passion.

Since I’ve always been a creative person, it feels amazing to harness all of that energy and use it to tell a story I love. I enjoy incorporating bits of my real life into the stories I write. What parts are true? Hah. I’ll never tell—what would be the fun in that?

If I could leave y’all with one thing, it’s that life’s far too short to not live it out loud. Drown in your passions, hold on tight to the things that inspire you, and chase your dreams relentlessly. I can promise you without a doubt that you won’t regret it. I know I don’t. 

Mad love,

Anne Jolin

Social media links:

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website 

Mommy Mondays

Mommy Monday - Family Time vs. Technology 

Monday through Friday you'll probably find me glued to my computer and/or my phone working, networking, and all that jazz. I absolutely love my job and I'm incredibly grateful to be able to work from the comfort of our home, but my job doesn't necessarily start at 8am nor does it end at 5pm. Sometimes my day starts off before 7am and I'm still working way past 9pm. While I do take multi-tasking to a whole other level, I've realized that it's very important to balance things out. 

It's vital to take time to focus on family.

I found that I was getting extremely stressed out trying to juggle doing homework with the boys, working and doing a million other things all at once. On top of that, I absolutely hated missing out on some of our weekend activities, because yes, I'd have things to work on.

We're a family that loves doing things on the weekends. Whether it's going camping or to family parties or whether we just want to be lazy and binge-watch a series, we love doing things together. 

There were moments where I found myself missing out because I had to get some work done. I needed to use my computer (a massive problem when camping) or you'd find me texting like a maniac with authors and bloggers or sending out emails from my phone (again, not the easiest task when camping at a place with little or no cellphone reception). 

Truer words have not been written. 

Slowly, but surely I've learned to manage my time better. I've also learned to limit myself with work on the weekends. If I absolutely have to work, then I will, but now that's very unlikely. I re-organized my days (Mon. - Fri.) in such a way that unless I have to work on a Saturday or a Sunday, you won't find me even near my computer. I even tend to leave my phone laying around and politely ignore any and all text messages, calls, and emails.

My focus has been 100% on Jeff, the kids, and Harley, and let me tell you...it's been WONDERFUL. We've done SO much and I've been able to fully enjoy myself without the stress of having to leave early (or not go at all) because of having to get 'this or that' done or constantly reminding myself to make a call in a bit or send out an email, etc.

Family time will always come first.

So my advice today would be: put your phone down. Stop texting so much or fussing over the social media. Go outside and enjoy the day. Be silly. Laugh. Play. Take pictures. Create new memories. Kids are kids only once. We won't get these years again, so we might as well make the best of it now.  

Happy Mommy Monday!