Bring On Lemons

How are you doing on your health goals Crystal? How about your life goals? How about your mental health? How about your work career goals?  Seriously, who are YOU and why are you asking? Those questions seem fair enough when I'm on social media talking about authenticity, right? Well let me be perfectly honest and authentic with you right now - and I'll start from the bottom up: My toenail literally removed itself from my foot I stubbed it so hard last week My knees ache because it's 33 degrees BELOW zero and I'm fat I haven't shaved my legs in days (see note about how cold it is) I just took down my Christmas tree (not sure what that has to do with anything on my body - but there you go) and I'm still sad about the lack of merry-ness in my life My butt is smaller than I'd like and my stomach is larger that I'd like (I remember being in 4th grade and my mother told me I looked pregnant...I was too young then, and now I'm too old - I think it's on...

  This isn't exactly my story to share and yet, maybe it is. I had the opportunity to care for my children's great grandmother before her passing. She died at the age of 97. Believe it or not, she died as the result of an auto accident and NOT from old age. She had many health problems, but was living at home until a few months prior to her heading to Heaven to live with Jesus. She went to the hospital for a few days stay for treatment of a UTI. They released her and due to a freak accident she was pinned between the passenger door of her daughter's car and a concrete pillar at the hospital. A gentleman had backed into them at precisely the time she was moving from the wheelchair into the car. Definitely a sight I'll never forget (though I have tried). As one of her caregivers, I received the first call and they were still cleaning up the scene as I arrived. The hospital cared for Naomi as best they could, but ultimately there was not much they could do to restore her t...

  Let me start by asking you to mark your calendars for February 1, 2025 when you can schedule a mini Valentine Photo Shoot with your family in Two Rivers, Wisconsin! I spent the day today (Saturday) with JC from JC Marie Memories and we worked on her set-up for the mini photo shoot coming up February 1, 2025 and we had such a fabulous time! JC will make you and your family feel like part of her family and you'll capture lots of fun family memories that will last a lifetime! She's also made my some photo magnets for my fridge and she's done family shoots for my friends and family and my eldest son is scheduled to have her do his senior pictures. If you think family pictures are stressful, think again! If you choose JC Marie Memories you will have nothing but fun - it's a serene opportunity for the entire family! Now you can enjoy some of our behind the scenes photos - nothing but goofy fun happening here folks! I will always give JC Marie Memories 5 stars for her attitu...

  Have you ever worn the wrong shoes? There's a few items in my wardrobe that seem directly connected to the epicenter of my mood and shoes are absolutely one of those items. Wear the wrong shoes, the entire day is ruined. Now, the real key to happiness is finding cute shoes that are also comfortable. You 20-somethings who are thinking fashion, that is not what this old lady is talking about. I'm not talking about a pair of heels that take off ten pounds - I'm talking about something I can wear to an office, chasing a child, carrying 8 bags of groceries, and something that will hold up under the pressures of motherhood.  My aunt Dorothe could wear heels and push a baby stroller wearing a freshly ironed dress and look amazing! I however, am from a different generation. We have things like dry shampoo, tide pens, and running shoes. I get cranky if my shoes are too narrow or my hair tie is too tight and the women of previous generations wore corsets - we are not the same.  I...

  Many of us in my household love make-up and all things beauty related! I love the thought of anything that will help me look more youthful. I kept seeing videos and testimonials for a company called IL MAKIAGE and I just kept scrolling for months and months and months. In the meantime, I tried a few other brands and I was disappointed. The price for IL MAKIAGE was a deterrent for me, but in reality I spent hundreds of dollars trying to find something that would work. I decided to bite the bullet and try it before you buy it with the IL MAKIAGE. I love that I had 14 days to try the product before deciding to keep it. I paid the $6 ish dollars to get it delivered (after taking a lengthy quiz on what might be best for me color and product wise).  I received my products and fell in love with them. I am not an annual subscriber and have added a few things onto my recurring order. This is a great product for any skin type but I'm close to the big 5 0 and I can say it helps hide wr...

  About the Book: Synopsis In 1581, Emilia Bassano—like most young women of her day—is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain’s mistress, she has access to all theater in England, and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. And yet, creating some of the world’s greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at great cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history.   In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theater. Would Melina—like Emilia—be willing to forfeit her credit as author, just for a chance to see her work performed?   Told in intertwining narratives, this sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire asks what price each woman is willing to pay to see their work live on—even if it means th...