Today I am sharing some stories that will tug at your heart a little.  We were asked by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Campaign to share personal stories about cancer, and I have a few…  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has partnered with Sylvan Learning Society through Light The Night, with a commitment to raise $250,000 and to donate more than 12,000 hours of free tutoring services in nearly 200 communities nationwide to help young blood cancer patients and their families with the transition back into academics.

When thinking about cancer I immediately think about my beautiful friend Tanya.  I walked my first cancer walk in Brighton when she was a little girl fighting this disease.  She brought you all a little message today!   Tanya is truly an inspiration.

We could all use a little reminder sometimes that its important to be kind to others because everyone we meet is battling something….

Hello! My name is Tanya Kottong. I am 22 years old and have been cancer free for 13 years. In May of 1998 I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. From then on, I was homeschooled until second grade. When I went back to school I was extremely self conscious. I was made fun of for not having hair and looking like a boy. The University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor sent in one of the nurses from the pediatric oncology team to my classroom. She gave a presentation explaining to all of the other children what cancer is, and it is not contagious, like kids think everything is. As an 8 year old girl, this presentation changed my life. The kids stopped making fun of me and it allowed me to grow and be confident in myself again. After I finished treatment, I had to continue to attend follow up doctor appointments for 10 additional years. Even though I hated going, these doctor appointments gave me comfort in knowing that I was still okay. A few years ago the doctors officially cleared me and sent me on my way, I was officially a survivor!

Since then, I have used my horrible experience with cancer to benefit the lives of others. The past three years I have volunteered at a summer camp called Camp Quality. Camp Quality is a camp for kids from the ages of four to 18 who are suffering, or have suffered, with cancer. I went to the camp as a volunteer to get paired with a younger child going through the same struggle I experienced at a young age. The camp is one week long and you get to be paired one-on-one with a child for the week. It is an amazing bonding experience. The camp is located on Lake Ann in Traverse City, Michigan and it is incredibly beautiful. There are so many things for the kids to do all week! They provide high ropes courses, a water front with boats and water slides into the lake, arts and crafts, putt-putt, and so much more. The motto of the camp is ‘letting kids with cancer be kids again.’ Although I did not attend as a child going through cancer, the camp helped me just as much as an adult. It is truly amazing the amount of strength and how happy a young child can be in a situation that would terrify anyone.

Whoever is reading this, wherever you are, do not give up. As horrible and scary as cancer is, it can be beat. Having my friends and family by my side, supporting me and treating me as normal as possible is what really helped me through. A simple hand made card can brighten someone’s day a whole lot more than you would think. Whether you are battling personally, or standing by a loved one who is, do not stop fighting.

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Oh, and do not buy a wig! They are hot and itchy, plus your bald head is a beauty mark telling the world just how much of a fighter you are. 🙂

Growing up I always felt like cancer kept a safe distance from my family home. Fortunately for us, cancer wasn’t something we felt plagued with.

As time went on and as I grew up the “C” word started inching its way closer and closer, until one day the words that no one ever wants to hear were spoken to me…your mom has cancer. Cancer made its way in. Into our family home, into our lives, and life as we knew would never be the same.

Life was about to get hard and really kinda depressing.

Her diagnosis was colorectal cancer.

At the time she was diagnosed my husband and I had our first child, he was about 7 months old. I was on cloud 9 being a “new” mom, I had my family and I was taking care of them, I was the “mom”. I also had our happy little nest and a career to tend to. I was a working mom and had the great fortune of my son’s Grandma was not only “Nana” but she was also his “Nanny”. It was what made the decision to work acceptable in my opinion.

Unfortunately this cloud 9 drifted back to reality when I spent my first mother’s day in the hospital with my mom; she had surgery to remove the tumor. It was definitely NOT what I ever imagined my first mother’s day to be. EVER.

This disease “cancer” is flipping scar-ry.

Why is this happening, is this for real?! I did not want to face the reality that my mom, my confidant, the woman who raised me to be the woman I am, the woman whom I loved most in this ENTIRE universe was actually sick, like, really sick! When I heard she had cancer, I felt devastated.

I tried to stay positive…. – We are going to FIGHT this and we are going to WIN. – God only does this kind of thing for a reason. – There will be good in this…..somehow. –

However, she was really sick and going to get even sicker from surgery, chemo and radiation. I wondered if she really was strong enough and if the doctors really could find it ALL. I felt depressed watching her suffer, listening to her fears, seeing her fill with sadness, even watching her tears fall when she was just having a bad day.

I felt hopeless at times. When I would stop to think about how SHE was feeling, I could not even come close to completely understanding. This was really frustrating. I realized a caregiver can only do so much. This was her battle, and I was only there to support her. I was angry, scared and couldn’t come close to imagining the feelings she had. I so badly wanted to blame someone or something…diet, stress, genetics, anxiety, environment, cleaning products, plastic water bottles!!! ANYTHING, just something.

I wanted to be there for her through the entire process. I wanted to go to every doctor appointment, every treatment, every time she was sick I wanted to be there to help her, to lift her when she was weak, and to encourage her so that maybe she wouldn’t have to suffer…..alone. She was my mom! She would have wanted to do the same for me. We rallied the entire family, all of them, my sisters and their families, my dad, my husband, her mom, her sister and brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles and her friends, they all were truly her angels during this entire journey.

The doctors did not always have an answer. They certainly couldn’t tell me why this happened! They couldn’t make a direct link! Or just prescribe something to make it go away. When I would ask about her diet, they didn’t really want to talk about it. During treatment she was told that it didn’t really matter what she ate, veggies and fruit weren’t going to help with chemo therapy anyway and her system won’t be able to handle “raw” fruit and veggies after surgery. We followed the doctors suggested treatment plan, the traditional route of surgery, chemo therapy and radiation.

I immediately found myself diving deep into trying to understand what makes “us” sick. Today I am a strong advocate for cancer prevention and believe we need to “let thy food be thy medicine.” Keep a healthy body and mind, and stay positive. I am becoming more and more mindful of our environment. {Check out this woman’s kickass cancer warrior story, she has truly been an inspiration to me! Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Cancer and check out Joe Cross, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead his journey to heal his body and use food to prevent disease and get off medication for good}

I started to wonder if the traditional route of treatment was the right choice or if we should look into a natural or holistic route. In my humble opinion after reading many thoughts on modern medicine vs. natural remedies {I now understand cancer cells pretty much do suck and they freak me out! And the scariest part is that cancer is EVERYWHERE, there is NO cure + people are being diagnosed daily around the globe.} I believe the best thing to do when faced with cancer is BOTH, natural remedies + modern medicine, together, holistically. At least until they find a way to make cancer cells magically disappear!

Treatment did bring out all the uglies you hear about. She was incredibly sick, nausea, yes. She was weak, her nerves were affected, and she became sensitive to cold and other things. Her immune system was of course compromised; she would become ill and have to stop or slow down the treatment, and was even hospitalized a few times. It took months to get through this treatment process.

Life continued on, even during the uglies.

While I was watching my mom deal with cancer I was lead to volunteering. I wanted to be part of something bigger than me, something that was involved with helping other people who were suffering from cancer like her.

We participated years prior in a Relay for Life event for a family friend Tanya {read her message here!} she was diagnosed with Leukemia as a child {Very happy to say she won her fight and is finishing her college career this year}. I thought Relay was a great place to start. I went to the first local meeting with my mom’s best friend who also wanted to do something more. That night we both started our team “Sharon’s Angels” and joined the committee. We got really involved!

5 years later and my family and friends are still actively involved with the Farmington/Farmington Hills Relay for Life event. Our team has raised thousands of dollars over the years in effort to help find a cure and help others in need of support. We have gained many friends that have now become like family. We have sadly watched an amazing fellow relayer who worked really REALLY hard to fight her own cancer battle and who wanted to make a difference in the community, lose their battle. And we pray for her and her family to this day, her family walks proudly every year in her honor. My mom is even the co-chair for the event this year! She has decided to keep fighting her fears and is doing something she truly believes in. I am super proud of her and everything she has accomplished. She has really worked on building her strength on the inside and out.

Today I am incredibly thankful my mom is a survivor, 5 years this past mother’s day! Woo-hoo!!! We will continue to walk, raise awareness about cancer and early detection, raise money and join others to fight for a cure. This year I will be joining my mom in the Spring at the Relay for Life Farmington/Farmington Hills, end of Spring at the Race for A Cure in Detroit, and the Light the Night Walk in Wyandotte this October.

One of the greatest lessons I have been able to take away from this experience is to let go. Let go of the negative things I cannot control in my life, my fears, and trust that God has a reason. When life gets hard and the reason has some type of lesson, I will listen and trust, and try to be the best version of me. It truly is about living in the now and letting go of anything that gets in the way of positive thinking and your happiness. {This woman has empowered my thinking and I am so thankful for her giant message on I-75N! Thank you Jodi, let go.be}

Cancer does suck! I hope I have inspired you to get out there and make a difference somehow, join others who are fighting. Even if you walk alone or if you rally your friends and family together.   Get out there and find a cause you believe in, you could even just donate your time if you can’t donate your money, join the planning committee, get involved with fundraising, or find a way to help others and show support, reality is everyone you meet is battling something.

Health + Happiness ~annette

I know, I’m like you and the notion of “back to school” makes me want to throw up a little bit. I am the mom who cries on the first day of school—sometimes bordering on a crazy person. Though my kids may drive me crazy at times, I love having them home and hate sending them back. But we must face the reality, and that is that the back to school season is quickly approaching and therefore it’s time to start thinking about it.

I’m not proposing that you start buying the crayons and the glue the minute that your kids get out of school, but thinking ahead can pay off. I like to think of it as little segments or phases. Partially because it helps me to stay sane, and partially because otherwise it can feel like you are literally throwing money out the window. If you take the approach of a little at a time, you will be much better for it.

Shop Ahead and Look For Bargains

I tell you that what drives me the craziest is the back to school clothes. These tiny little creates need so much stuff! The good news is that there are a great offering of Mom2Mom sales right here in Metro Detroit. This makes for a great way to get some basics together and not break the bank. You may also find that filling in the wardrobe needs from Target, Carter’s, or wherever you have coupons for is a tremendous help.

The school supplies aren’t as crazy as you think they are. Most schools post a list of the items that you need to bring by grade, so look for it. Otherwise most kids at the elementary school level aren’t going to need a lot of crazy stuff. I was amazed by this and found that I spent much more on lunch bags and all of that other gear than anything else.

I might advise that putting together some fun and creative lunch ideas can go a long way. You too will get to the point of HATING packing lunches and feel sick of the process. So do some research on Pinterest and make yourself a little list of go to lunch ideas. Works like a charm for you, and keeps your little ones interested in still eating their lunch in the short amount of time that they have.

Talk It Through For Them and For You

So much of the preparation for school to me is mental. When my daughter started kindergarten last fall I nearly lost it. Watching her walk in that door to begin her school career nearly had me on the ground sobbing. Thankfully I pulled it together, but I think that this was due in large part to us talking it through a lot before the first day. It worked to get her ready—and if I’m being honest it helped me to cope too!

Sure you want the cute little backpack, and I highly recommend Amazon for an inexpensive and wide selection. You want them to have a great lunch box or bag, and I would check out Target. Shop ahead and make your way through the list a little at a time. It will help you to get a grip and also to get what you need as you move forward. Involving your little student can help them to feel a part of things and make it a fun bonding activity too.

Back to school comes way too quickly these days, but with the right amount of preparation you can master it. Your little student is going to do great—and you will not need to be talked down from the ledge with the right amount of preparation. This may be the beginning of a new era, but it doesn’t need to be an expensive or crazy one.

Take things off the list little by little and your bank account and your sanity will stay intact. You may never get used to sending your little one to school, but being prepared in this area can at least make this process a little less painful. Good luck and save the tears for the car!

Alright, you know that “mom” who has the “perfect” kids and the “perfect” life? The mom who does everything she has ever pinned on Pinterest {and she has like 1,000 pins}?! Or the mom that makes that perfect teacher present, perfect birthday cake, or her kids do not know what sugar is?

You know who I’m talking about…

It’s me! Okay I’m the complete opposite. I actually looked at my pins the other day and laughed {then proudly deleted those pins}. Like I was really going to make cutesy lunches for my kids… who was I joking when I pinned that?

However, if you want to make cool lunches – This blog had some cute {and time consuming ideas!}

With the kids heading back to school, you are going to run into moms who are absolutely amazing at these things.

But this is the catch – you are no less of a mom.
Or if you are the crafty mom in the room – you are no better of a mom.

Whether your kid is eating a 3-course organic meal or a PB&J,
Whether you homeschool, public school, private school, unschool, or just remember school is starting,
Whether you are conservative, liberal, don’t care…

Whatever you are. You are made wonderfully! You have those incredible Mom things about you that fully qualify you to be an amazing mom to your children. Period. Your child isn’t missing out if their lunch doesn’t look “Pin-worthy.” Maybe you throw in a note to your child that says, “Hey, you are so talented! I’m proud of you!”

NO matter what don’t beat yourself up. You are an amazing mom! Let’s all agree to stop comparing ourselves to each other. Focus on the things that you do well as a mom and compliment where other moms do things well. We are to collaborate and help each other; not criticize!

So as you gear up to have your little ones head back to school. Remember this:

1. Your children were created for you!
2. Focus on the things you do really well.
3. Pinterest was not created as a test to compare how great of a Mom you are.
4. YOU ARE AN AMAZING MOM!

From myself and all the moms here at DMB, have a wonderful 2014-2015 school year!

Little Pnuts Toy Review

I’ll never forget that little voice saying, “Harper got mail”. She was so excited when I told her that the Little Pnuts package was just for her. I didn’t realize how exciting receiving mail would be to a 2 year old!!!

I’m a huge {huge} advocate for educational toys. I couldn’t believe how amazing these toys were when we opened the box.

Little Pnuts is a toy company developed by Melissa, a determined mother looking for high quality toys. This company sends special deliveries, eco-friendly, sustainable, natural and organic toys that arrive right on your doorstep. They hope to awaken imagination, creativity and play without turning on the television or any other electronic device.

Harper is only two so of course she wanted to rip into the box like it was Christmas. I on the other hand wanted to get the full Little Pnuts experience. I have to say, I loved opening the box and seeing that cute little sticker holding the tissue paper closed with the toys securely held inside. She tore open the paper and started yanking everything out. I had to be quick with the camera because I knew it wouldn’t last long.

Harper was instantly attracted to the blocks {Zoo Animal Block Puzzle}. I loved that they challenged her to put the animals together. While that part didn’t last long she loved stacking them and pushing them over. I can’t wait to work with her on matching them. The blocks are extremely sturdy and super durable (they were thrown across the room a time or two). Oh the whistle {Magical Sound Flute), it took a minute for her to figure it out but when she did, there was music in the air. She was so shocked she was making noise with her mouth. Let’s not forget the {Duo Puzzle Habitat}. She loved taking the pieces and placing the correct animal into its correct home (of course she had to make their noises).

Things that made this box aMaZiNg:

• The toys came with a booklet that described each product and what the intention of the toy was. I’m not going to deny we’ve bought a few toys that made absolutely no sense and lacked a little explanation.
• They were geared towards her age and specifically for a two-year-old toddler. I loved there wasn’t a huge age range. These toys are designed for developmental milestones from 0 months to 5 years.
• It a great gift for friends and family to give. Honestly, who really needs another toy that they’ll play with for a couple minutes and sadly it will end up at the bottom of the toy box in no time {Hint, hint Grandma and Grandpa}.
• These toys are colorful and engaging! What child doesn’t love bright colors?!
• You have the option to pay $25/month for quarterly delivery or an annual subscription of $240. When you think about what you already spend on toys + books adding in birthdays and holidays, this is an absolute steal.

What child doesn’t love receiving mail?! I have learned that it doesn’t matter what age they are and they’re excited! Receiving a quality product like this every 3 months (4 times a year) is well worth it. I’m not sure who will be looking forward to it more, my toddler or myself!!

Ready to win your own September, Back to School Shipment from Little Pnuts? Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for your chance to win!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My darling Kinley just turned two. Seriously, I swear it is going by faster with the second than it did with my son. She is a strong-willed cookie who loves babies, dogs, and keeping up with her big brother.

As a mom, I’m always on the hunt for toys they would enjoy, but also are educational. And so when my grandma sent some “toy money” for her birthday {and some for Aiden, my son as well} we headed to every kids dream – TOYS’R’US!

After a lot of roaming, selections were made!

{Isn’t she the cutest?! I’m totally bias!}

Kinley snatched up another baby {I mean really we needed another one!} along with a bath tub and the game “Backyard Bingo,” which I will actually review after I show off my babes!

Aiden added some cars to his Thomas set, “little Legos” as we call them, and batteries! I just realized the batteries made it in the picture – they were for his Read With Me DVD! { http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Learning-System-Little/dp/B0009WLRNS}.

We have all been really enjoying Barnyard Bingo! This is the first game that we can really play together, I guess you could include Hungry, Hungry Hippos – educational in the fact the more those Hippos eat… the more likely you are to win {okay, yes and counting the balls!}. Anyways, it’s a fantastic game and I highly recommend for the early preschool crowd.

The game comes with four cards {a lot of stickers that are easy to place}, 12 chips, and the barn. There are three different ways to play, which I love since Kinley is still young.

1. Matching the colors. You can flip the cards over and then just simply match each color. First one to do so yells, “Bingo!”

2. Matching the color and animal. In the picture above this is exactly how you play. Again, first one to do so yells, “Bingo!”

3. If you are just playing with you and your child, then it suggest just pulling out a chip and talking about the color or the animal. Asking questions like “What sounds does the pig make?” It’s more of a fun educational tie.

AND what I love best is you can have one child playing one way and the other playing another. My son Aiden will match the animals, where Kinley is simply matching the colors until she gets the hang of the game. It encourages lots of discussion, especially about taking turns!

One thing that is tough about the game is actually opening the barn for the chip to come out. I don’t know if we just need to wear ours in a little, but Kinley cannot do this independently. Aiden can most the time, but really struggles.

Overall, this has become a favorite toy in our house!

Kinley winning her first game!