How do you get your baby to fall asleep without your help?

I love me a sleeping June.  It's about the cutest thing in the world.  My heart melts, my insides turn to puddy, and every little thing that's been annoying me throughout the day suddenly doesn't seem so important anymore.  All is right in the world when you're staring at a perfect sleeping babe.

Unfortunately, getting June to sleep isn't always such bliss.  The past couple of weeks she has given us a run for our money when it comes time to go down.  When she was just a newborn she would fall asleep anywhere, anytime and she would stay asleep.  Now that she's growing up a bit (it makes me want to cry just typing that) she doesn't fall asleep quite as easily.  If we're in the car she'll always konk out, and she loves to fall asleep in my arms when nursing.  That's the thing with June, though, the naps are always on her terms.  Her timing.  Her place.  If she gets to choose the conditions, yah, sure, she'll sleep like a dream.  But when it comes time for sleep on my terms- at 7:30 pm in the bassinet- she will have none of it.  Don't get me wrong, June will eventually fall asleep at bedtime, but not without the deluxe treatment.  You know what I'm talking about, right?  The bouncing, the rocking, the shh-shh-shhing in her ear. The holding of the pacifier, the cuddling close, the half an hour of pacing and rocking and soothing.  And don't even think about putting June down until she is in a heavy, deep, almost comatose state of sleep.  If you put her down a minute too soon, she'll wake up and start crying, wanting to be cuddled and rocked and soothed all over again.

I am making it sound worse than it is, I'm sure.  June is a really good baby.  Which is why I've been so alarmed the past couple weeks at her growing insistence that she be held and rocked to go to sleep.  The first couple of months she would fall asleep in my arms right after our last night nursing session, and when I put her in her bassinet, she stayed asleep.  Now she isn't as sleepy as she was as a newborn, and getting her to sleep that deeply has proved itself to be a lot of work.

Before I had June I was sure I would be a "cry it out" parent.  Just throw the baby in the crib and let her figure it out on her own, it won't kill the babe!  I still think along those lines- essentially that the baby needs to learn to self soothe- but putting it into practice is so much easier said than done.  June is still so little, and when I put her down and she immediately starts crying at the top of her lungs it absolutely breaks my heart.  She's just an itty bitty baby- I can't leave her by herself in there to just cry and cry!  I normally try it for ten minutes (and one time even did twenty minutes), but it is to no avail.  She is still screaming, and after listening to my baby cry for that long, all resolve is gone and I run to soothe her.  When I run to comfort her, I am mad at myself because I feel like I am creating bad habits- training my baby to need me to go to sleep.  But then I don't want to let her "cry it out" for an hour because she's still so little.  But if I continue to rock her and soothe her to sleep then I'm afraid that I will just further encourage the bad habits and create some kind of terrible June monster!  I don't want no June monster!

It is really important to me to have a baby who is a good sleeper.  I know some of that is just luck, but I have always believed that you could train and teach a baby to become a good sleeper.  Maybe I was just being naive?

How do you get your baby to fall asleep by him or herself?  Is three months just too young to try to start training?  Should I be punished for even trying to get my child to self soothe so early?  Or am I making it harder and harder on myself every time I rock her to sleep?  Should I give her more than 10 minutes to fall asleep on her own?

(But seriously, is there anything better than a baby falling asleep in your arms?)
(But seriously, is there anything worse than a baby who demands to be rocked for half an hour for every nap and bedtime?)

My Blog is Solving All My Problems...

... but seriously.  It really is.

I feel like lately whenever I have a problem, I just take to my blog.  I pose the question and the answers come pouring in from intelligent, experienced women all over the country.  It's wild!

For example:

+ A month ago I asked you all why there weren't as many comments on blogs as there used to be.  I was floored when over 150 comments came rolling in about why there are no comments.  Talk about the irony!  I heard a lot of great reasoning but the two main reasons that appeared again and again in the comments was #1- It is too hard to comment on blogs and #2- It's frustrating to comment and never receive a reply back.  I am hoping that I fixed problem #1 by installing Disqus, although for some I may have made it more complicated.  All you have to do is sign on once through Disqus and then you can always comment on the blog after that.  I know it's a pain, but it's also awesome because then you get replies to your comments emailed to you.  It's awesome!  (A question for my Disqus pros out there... I have always had comments on my blog emailed to me so I can see them as they appear.  Disqus still emails me the comments but now it says every comment is from myself.  I can't tell who has sent the comment unless I go to the actual post and look at the comments through there.  Any suggestions?)

As far as problem #2- I am trying to be better about responding to comments.  I am so grateful to you for the thoughts and insights you leave on the blog, on Instagram, on Facebook, etc.  I read every one.  I have set aside 20 minutes every day to respond to comments.  Sometimes that is not enough time to respond to all the comments.  My blog is taking up an increasing amount of my time, and while it is so exciting and I'm so grateful for its growth, I also have to protect my time with family.  So 20 minutes of responding to comments, and if I don't get to them all, I don't get them all.  I hope you understand.

+ After I wrote this post about not getting a discount at H&M, many of you stated that you would go to the store and explain the situation to get the discount.  You gave me the push I needed, and I went to H&M Monday night and the lady who worked there was nice as can be.  She rang up my order, put $16 back on card and told me she was sorry.  I used the $16 to buy a Halloween costume for June and now all is right in the world.

+ Thank you so much for all of your comments on my post last week about low milk supply.  I am constantly amazed at the community of support there is in the blog world.  I received so many comments on that post and couldn't respond to them all, but know that I read them and was so grateful for the support and ideas.  A little update since that post- things that have changed since reading your comments:

1)  I changed my birth control to the mini pill- progestin- only pill.  I'll give it a few weeks and if it doesn't seem to help I may look into an IUD.
2)  I have figured out a way to pump in between first and second period the days that I work- eliminating the six hour stretch without pumping that was making my body all sorts of confused.  It's pretty awkward, I'll admit.  I sneak out of first period as soon as the announcements come on- a couple of minutes before the bell rings.  I pump in the English meeting room downstairs while kids are switching classes (I sit there with my back to the door, scared out of my mind that some seventeen year old boy is going to somehow come bursting in by accident.  The door is locked, but I freak out the whole time anyway) and am back upstairs to teach second period right as the bell rings.  It's only about eight or nine minutes of pumping, but it gives me about an extra ounce those mornings and I am hoping it helps my body more fully understand what is up.
3)  I am taking fenugreek.  So far I haven't noticed too much of a difference except for, yes, I smell like maple syrup.
4) I'm drinking more water.

I still don't feel like the supply is where I want it to be, but it seems to be increasing a little and I feel happy that I'm taking steps in the right direction and making some progress.  Nothing feels worse than feeling helpless.  Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions.

+ And now,  a couple more questions I pose for you.  Question #1-  I am in the market for a new pair of tennis shoes and I have my heart set on a pink pair...  Tell me, which one of these is your favorite?

+ Question #2- If you are trying to pass in the left lane of a two lane highway and there is a car in front of you that is going the exact same speed as the car in the right lane is it appropriate to honk?   (Longest sentence ever!)  Not a mean, hostile honk, just a friendly beep-beep- I'm- behind- you- and- you- should- get- over- honk?  How long do you have to be behind the car before it is appropriate to honk?  Your answers will settle a very important debate.

On what it's like to work at the same school as my husband and baby

School wide training or hanging with my family?  Why, it's both!

A couple of people have asked me on various social media outlets what it's like working at the same school as my husband.  The short answer: it's awesome!

The long answer:

At first I was a bit nervous when Greg took the job at my school.  I have always felt that it is really good for both partners in a relationship to have their own interests/ identities/ jobs/ friends.  Greg did was enjoying helping those with special needs and doing shows at night.  I did my thing at the high school.  We had our own circles and friends, and when the offer came to work at the exact same school,  I was undoubtedly nervous that we couldn't handle working that closely together.  Space is good for relationships, you know?  Would merging our lives together so extensively take a toll on both of us?  I have heard horror stories about couples that work together- after all Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced after creating one of the most successful tv shows ever, I Love Lucy.

Turns out all of those fears were for naught.  To start with, even though we work at the same school, we are still very involved in our separate programs.  We also are not very physically close within the school-  Greg is downstairs on one side of the building, I'm upstairs on the other.  As far as "work" goes, we hardly "work" together.  He is busy teaching kids how to do monologues and directing a musical while I am teaching research skills and grading essays upon essays across the building.  It is during the "nonwork" time- lunch, after school, etc, that working at the same school really has its perks.  

We get up at the same time in the mornings and are out the door by 6:45. (Disgusting, I know.)  Most of the time we take separate cars because Greg has to stay for Les Mis rehearsal (the musical he's directing) and there ain't no way I'm staying at the school until 5:00 or later every night.  I take June with me in the mornings, mostly because her car seat is in my car.  I drop June off at the daycare downstairs in between 7:00 and 7:10 and then I'm off to do last minute preparations before first period starts at 7:50.

Greg's prep is second period and we both have lunch immediately following.  During his prep he always goes and visits June. (Most of the time she's passed out cold, though.  Not interested in her daddy's visit.)  The last five minutes of second period Greg pops in my room and sits at my computer while I finish up the lesson, and then we walk down to the faculty room together to eat lunch.  Most of the time we sit by each other, but sometimes I want to catch up with some of my other teacher friends who I don't get to see that often, so I sit by them instead.  It's really important to me that I still maintain relationships with my work friends even though it would be easy to just bag it and rely on Greg for my social interaction.  But I totally believe that while your spouse is your most important relationship, it is certainly not the only important relationship.  I am so grateful for my friends at school, (a group of intelligent, opinionated, and hardworking people) and so I am trying hard to still cultivate those relationships.  Greg and the other male teacher in our group usually just sit there and listens to all the ladies talk a million miles an hour.  And trust me, it is a million miles an hour.  You gotta fight to get your words in sometimes!

My prep period is third- right after lunch.  I don't see Greg because he's teaching a class, and I have to feed June and am generally running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to juggle feedings and grading papers and planning lessons.  I see Greg again after school.  He stays late for the musical rehearsals, so I pick up June from the daycare and then we stop by the auditorium to say bye to Greg and maybe sit in on a little Master of the House preview.  Greg likes to show off his baby and all his little actors swarm around her like they'd never seen a baby before.  (And by actors, I mean the actresses.  The boys couldn't care less about the baby; the girls all want a turn holding her.)  June loves it, naturally.  She's already priming herself for the attention of the stage.  (Also, the theater kids practically worship Greg- it's so sweet.  I've never seen a group of 17 year olds so gaga about anything or anyone before- they think Greg is a freaking hero.  It's seriously the cutest.)

I don't know how long this gig will last for us, but for right now I absolutely love it.  Greg's long hours at the high school would be much harder on both of us if we didn't get to see each other here and there throughout the day.  It also makes it so nice that we can see June often and be close to her in case there is any kind of emergency.  My principal asked me the other day how it was working out for the Larsen clan all being at the same school together, and I practically gushed all over him, "Oh my gosh, we love it!  We feel so grateful!  Thanks so much!  It's such a perfect set up I'm afraid to even breathe!"  He chuckled and replied, "Well, I guess I'll start holding my breath around you then!"

I know it was a joke and all, but still... just in case...

No one breathe.

What Would You Do: Teacher Edition!

This was my classroom at my old school.  It was gigantic.  I miss its size.  But my new room has the sunshine pouring in in the morning, so should we call it a wash?

Time for another round of What Would You Do?- the truly riveting blog series where I tell you a very common and sometimes mundane situation in my life and you tell me what you would do in the same situation.  Past editions include not getting a discount at H&M and reacting when a man in a Wal-mart parking lot tells me how to load my baby in the car.  See?  Riveting!

This week's edition is the Teacher Edition!  You know, kind of like Teacher week on Jeopardy only there's a lot less money involved. (Sidenote: My dream is to be on Jeopardy someday, but I am nowhere near smart enough.  My little sister is definitely smart enough so I've been trying to convince her for years to audition.  I told her I'd even train her if she gives me 10% of her winnings.  She said 5% after taxes and I said no thank you, you're too cheap.)

We just finished The Crucible in my class, and today I had the students do a little research on what in the play is real life history versus what parts in the play are made up to make it more interesting.  We spent a bit of time talking about how to tell the difference between reliable and non reliable websites (Smoot.com- not reliable!  Yahooanswers- also not reliable!  Total buzz kill for those kids, I know) and then we were off to the computer lab, to research their little brains out.

I have one student who instead of working on the assignment sat at a computer in the back and doodled.

"Yo dude, where's your table you're supposed to be filling out?"  I try to act all casual in front of the students, but trust me I'm freaking out inside whenever they are just blatantly ignoring classroom instructions.

"Hmmm?  Table?"  He replied lazily, as if I hadn't just spent the last five minutes explaining what they were supposed to be doing.

"Your table that you're supposed to be working on.  Where is it?"

"Oh, that.  I think I left it upstairs."

"Do you want to go up to the classroom and get another copy?  They're sitting on my desk."

"Nah.  I'm good."

"You're failing my class, you know." I tried to push him. "This is a core class- you need it to graduate.  I'd love to see you pass the quarter, but you're not going to pass if you don't do the assignments."

He shrugged his shoulders and continued doodling.

I stared at him, wondering what I should do for a minute and then I just gave it up. I left him alone and instead wandered around the room, checking on other students.  Once I was sure everyone else was successfully working on the assignment, I sat down and graded papers.  My doodler was at a computer close to me.  I noticed that he finished his doodle and then began googling random sentences to see what google would suggest he search.  He wasn't distracting any of the other students, so I let him be.

I never quite know what to do in situations like this.  Should I force my students to do the work?  They are already forced to sit in my classroom, might as well force them to work on the assignment?  Should I have insisted he go upstairs and get the table, and then should I have sat next to him and worked with him step by step until he finished the assignment?  Is that what "good" teachers do?  Or was it okay that I just let him doodle, allowing him at 17 years old to make his own choice?  (Or is the fact that he wasn't interested in the assignment a clear indicator that obviously my assignments are way too boring?)  A lot of the other students noticed that he wasn't doing the assignment, and I'm sure they wondered why it was okay that he did nothing while they had to do work, but I didn't say anything and they didn't ask.

This year at my school our method of being evaluated has changed.  When we are evaluated, our administrators will be looking to see if our students are "actively engaged" "passively engaged" or "off task."  Ideally, a good teacher shouldn't have any students "off task."  Welp, my student was absolutely off task today.  And I was fully aware, and decided to let it happen.  I guess the question I always wonder is where is the line in teaching.  At what point do I expect the students to show initiative and drive and what point do I step in and make them just do the dang work?  If I let him doodle am I being a lazy teacher?  Or are they mature enough to make their own decisions?

So tell me, What Would You Do?

Related post I wrote last year:  I Let My Students Fail My Class.

Today, October 7, 2014, was a Perfect Day

Today was such a beautiful day here in Utah.  In fact, if I had to choose a prettiest day of the year award, I would have chosen today.  The weather was mid seventies, no wind, clear blue skies and fiery red leaves.  Is it any wonder everyone is in love with fall?

I spent the majority of the day in a training for school.  It was supposed to end at 3:30 and then by some kind of unforseen miracle, they let us go at 2:30.  Don't you love it when something like that happens?  It makes the rest of your day so much better because no matter what the delay is, you're still ahead.  Long line at the grocery store?  No biggie.  I gained an hour today.  Traffic?  Ain't no thang- I should be sitting in a meeting right now!  Extra errand?  No problem- I'm on someone else's time, baby!

When I got home I took Maverick and June for a little walk, and for those 20 minutes everything seemed absolutely right in the world.  Fall will do that to you, you know.  It almost makes me want to start giving away all my money and telling every stranger that I see that I love them.  It's a weird season.  But seriously.  The walk was awesome.  If you live in Utah I recommend you do it tomorrow as the weather is supposed to stay killer through the week.  I'm going on a walk every day this week and you can't stop me!

Also, I never thought this would happen to me, but I'm kind of running out of things to say on my blog.  That's not true, there's lots to say, but only so much that I'm allowed to say on the internet.  So if there's any burning question you ever wanted to ask me or anything you would like me to write about, fire it away in the comments and I'll answer it tomorrow.  Because I know you all sit there wondering about some total blogger-stranger in your free time and all.

And now, giveaway!  These ladies have all pitched in their hard earned cash to give you some extra money for the holidays.  I hope you enter the giveaway and make a couple of new friends because isn't that what blogging's all about?  Giveaway ends week from Wednesday.

Brought to you by...

Katy// Gretchen// Aubrey

 Anne// Becca// Elisabeth

Heather// Lindsay// Sierra

Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grinding

This week I work four days.  I worked today and normally after a school day I get a day off, but I have to go to an extra training tomorrow, meaning I'll work three days in a row.  I don't think I have realized how much I need those days in between work days to recoup, to regather, to reenergize.  And to get my house and baby and life in order.  Thinking about going into work tomorrow and then going in again on Wednesday makes me want to cry.  How do moms do it with such little babes that work every day?  I give mad props- it is exhausting and a lot of work. All I want to do tomorrow is stay home and fold laundry and cuddle my baby and decorate the house for fall.  When a woman wants to fold laundry, you know there's a problem. Thursday, I keep telling myself.  I just have to make it to Thursday.

Thank you for all of your fabulous comments on yesterday's post about nursing and low milk supply.  I guess it's proof that if you really want to get a group of women to talk, just ask them about breastfeeding.  Notice that no men commented on the post?  I haven't had a chance to respond to your helpful comments yet, but I will hopefully tomorrow.  Eight hour trainings are good for something, right?

And now, I'm off to pump.
And then to shower because I smell like milk.
And then to bed.
5:40 comes so freaking early.


To get you out of your Tuesday grind:

+ Loved this link on using facebook to promote your blog.  I admit, there is so much that I don't know about facebook (and so much they won't tell us about their algorithm!) that I loved these helpful hints.

+ I have toyed with the idea of getting a separate Instagram account for my blog and for my personal life.  Would you ever do that?  Here's great advice on how to juggle multiple ig accounts

+Died of happiness when I read this article on the benefits of reading actual books.  I am printing 130 copies and studying this article with all of my little I-hate-reading! students.  That'll teach em!

+ This seven layer bean dip is my absolute favorite salty snack and Aubrey nailed the recipe.  If you don't already make this, you need to!

+ I am the worst at thrift store shopping, but this post makes me think there might be hope for me yet.  Who out there is good at it and tell us all your tricks!

Low Milk Supply: HELP!

CAUTION:  If you do not like tales of breastfeeding babes, then this is not the tale for you.  No it is not!

June doesn't mess around when it comes to eating.  From the day she was born she has enjoyed a hearty meal. She's a smart girl- she figured out real quick that one of the best things in life is kicking back and enjoying herself some good grub.

I am nursing June.  I will admit that I wasn't real committed to it beforehand,  but it turned out to not be too much trouble for me or June.  As long as my body could successfully make milk, and as long as June could successfully drink that milk, there didn't seem to be too many reasons not to go ahead with it.  In a way I feel like we kind of fell into breastfeeding.  We didn't choose it so much as it chose us.

About a month after June was born I gave away almost all the formula samples that I had gotten from the hospital.  We wouldn't be needing them!  June was eating like a champ and my body was making more than enough milk to keep her happy.  And away the formula went.

I'm sure you can predict where this story is going.  Two or three weeks ago my milk supply decreased dramatically.  There are a lot of factors that could have played into it.  I have gone back to work every other day.  The days that I work I feed June in between 5:30 and 6:30 am.  I teach two classes and eat lunch before I am able to feed June again about noon.  This means that she needs a feeding before I can see her again.  And so, on my day off I am constantly trying to get ahead of the nursing schedule and pump a little extra here and there so that I have a bottle to send her with on those mornings.  This makes my days at home quite chaotic as June wants every last ounce that I am able to spare, and is really quite a brat about donating her precious milk to future June.  She's selfish like that.

I'm worried that going six hours in the morning every other day without pumping or feeding and then frantically trying to make up for it on my off day has got my milk supply schedule all sorts of confused.  My body doesn't know what it's supposed to be doing.

Another factor contributing to the low milk supply could be that I went back on birth control. Freaking birth control- it's supposed to solve all your problems and instead it creates a bunch of new ones.  I told the nurse I was still nursing, and she said she would give me a pill with a low hormone.  Well, the other night I decided to read all the fine print and what do you know?  Side effect is low milk supply and you should absolutely not be taking while breastfeeding.  Thanks for nothing, nurse!  Needless to say, I will be calling the office in the morning to see about changing up the b.c.  (Always an awkward phone call to make during my prep at school.  I swear I feel like anytime I call my baby doc from school there's an unsuspecting 17 year old boy who walks in mid conversation.)

(Sidenote:  I know people say that breastfeeding in and of itself acts as birth control but I worried that my six hour stretch every other morning and the fact that June will go seven or eight hours at night in between feedings renders my breastfeeding birth control a bit too irregular to be effective.  Or am I still safe to just rely on breastfeeding?  The nurse said not to risk it, but we already figured out just how smart that nurse was.)

I wouldn't stress so much about all of this if June would just down some dang formula every once in awhile.  I've created a total snob, though- she only wants the bonafide stuff straight from her mother's bosom.  She spits it right out, scowls at me and then rolls her eyes like, "Please mom.  You know I don't take that stuff." My biggest fear that she is going to be an insanely picky eater like her dad is coming true before my very eyes. And no, that's not really my biggest fear for my daughter. But it is a fear. And it is real.  Because cooking homemade zucchini sausage soup for your husband and then having him say he'd rather have a $.25 cup of noodles is no fun.  NO FUN I TELL YOU.

A couple of people have suggested that we try mixing formula with the breastmilk so that's what I've started doing on some of my feedings.  June knows though.  She ain't no dummy.  She eyes me down like, "Woman?  You can't trick me!  I know this ain't the real stuff!"  She takes it, but is sure to leave an ounce or so just so that I know of her disdain.  If I'm lucky she spits a bunch of it up all over me- that will show mom not to mix to the golden breastmilk!

Anyway.  I am certainly open to suggestions.  I would love my milk to go back to its previous flows-like-wine state.  June has made it pretty loud and clear that she would like the same. I do plan on calling the doc in the morning and getting the dang birth control situation fixed, (and if you want to tell me in the comments something as personal as what b.c. you were on while you were nursing, I wouldn't object) but I'm worried my milk supply is never going to be what it once was.  Once your supply drops can you get it back up?  Are we doomed forever to a state of endless misery and half-breastmilk-half- formula woe?

Please send help.

But please don't send Dwight.   (And an extra ten points if you know exactly what episode that's from.)

12 Common Grammar Mistakes Made by Smart Adults

I write this post not to be a pretentious jerk who gets joy out of correcting everyone's innocent grammar mistakes.  The purpose of life is NOT to make us all feel like idiots, remember?  We all goof up with grammar, and I am the last person to go around correcting people's grammar.  I do believe that most of us know the difference with most common grammar mistakes; we are often just in a hurry or don't think through it.  (Twice this week I used the wrong stalk/stock on this blog. TWICE!  The jig's up- I'm just some dummy pretending to be an English teacher!)

I do think, though, that there are a few grammar rules out there that are just confusing or maybe not widely known and because of this lots of us are often using these incorrectly.  The purpose of this post is to clear all those up tricky rules and hopefully make us all feel a bit more confident with our grammar usage.  No time to waste!

1.  THEN/THAN

Than= a comparison
Then= everything else

Example:
I need to do my homework then take the quiz.
Fine then, I don't want to go.
Do you like the salmon better than the steak?

You can remember this because than has an A in it and so does compare

2.  GENERAL POSSESSIVES.
Oh, the dreaded confusing possessives!

Dogs= plural
Dog's= possessive
Dogs'= plural AND possessive

I find that people really freak out when it comes to the apostrophe coming after the s, and I rarely see it used correctly, but the fact is, it is really simple.  Plural and possessive, that's it!

Examples:
I have two dogs.
I can't find my dog's leash.  (Only one dog missing a leash here.)
Both of my dogs' vaccines are scheduled for Monday.  (More than one dog!)

You can also use an apostrophe after the s if the word or name already ends in s.

Example:
Mr. Jones' car was stolen.
(Mr. Jones's car was stolen is also accepted- the grammar gods are so nice, they give us a choice on this one!)

3.  POSSESSIVES- DECADES AND ABBREVIATIONS

I often see an apostrophe added to a decade or abbreviation when it doesn't need to be.  If I am talking about the 1970s then I am talking about more than one year- it is plural.  It does not need an apostrophe, as that would make it possessive.  Same goes for abbreviations.

Examples:
RIGHT:  I love the music of the 1990s.
RIGHT:  I love the music of the '90s. (The apostrophe is used because of the abbreviation)
WRONG:  I love the music of the 1990's.

RIGHT:  I own many CDs.
WRONG:  I own many CD's.  (The CDs are plural, NOT possessive.)

4.  POSSESSIVES- ITS/ IT'S

It's and Its can be very confusing because it is one of the few times when a possessive form of a word DOES NOT have an apostrophe.

It's- contraction for IT IS
Its- possessive

Example:
I don't think it's a good idea to call. (Contraction)
Jealousy reared its ugly head. (Possessive)

5.  POSSESSIVES- WHO'S/ WHOSE

This is another time when the possessive form is without an apostrophe which makes it confusing and easy to mess up.

Who's- contraction for WHO IS
Whose- possessive

Example:
Whose purse is this? (Possessive)
Who's going to pick up the tab? (Contraction)

6.  COMPOUND OR JOINT POSSESSIVES 

When there is more than one person in possession, we only show the possession on the last person.  Every person's name does not need the possessive form.

Example:
RIGHT:  It is my mom and dad's anniversary
WRONG:  It is my mom's and dad's anniversary
RIGHT:  This is Emily, Sarah and Jane's apartment.
WRONG: This is Emily's, Sarah's and Jane's apartment.

An exception to this rule is when you are also talking of yourself.  In that case the first name has the apostrophe and you use my to show first person possessive.

RIGHT:  This is Brad's and my first date.
WRONG:  This is Brad and my first date.
ALSO WRONG:  This is Brad's and I's first date.  (I see I's used often because I don't think most people know what to do in this situation, but I's is never the answer.  IT IS NOT A WORD.)

7.  WHO/ WHOM

I would say the majority of adults get these mixed up just because we've never learned the correct way or someone tried to teach it to us and it was very confusing so we just gave up and decided we didn't care.  Good news is there is a super easy trick:  if the answer to the question or statement  would be him or her, use whom.  If the answer would be he or she, use who.

Example:
Who/whom are you going to prom with?  (I am going with him so I should use whom)
Who/whom was just on the phone?  (She was just on the phone so I should use who)
To who/whom it may concern.  (It concerns him so I should use whom)

RIGHT:  With whom are you going to prom?
WRONG:  Who are you going to prom with?

RIGHT:  Who was just on the phone?
WRONG:  Whom was just on the phone

Also, this is easy to remember because Him ends with m just like whom ends with m.

8.  LAY/ LIE
This one I have to make a concentrated effort to remember every single time I use it.  To me it is the hardest and most confusing grammar rule EVER.

PRESENT TENSE                                                   PAST TENSE
Lay- to put something (or someone) down                Laid- to put something (or someone) down
Lie- to rest                                                             Lay- to rest

The confusion, of course, comes because the present tense of putting something down is the same as the past tense of resting.  Whoever made up this rule is just sick.

I remember the difference between the two words because you always lay tile.  You never lie tile.

Examples:
Present:  When are we going to lay the carpet?
Past:  The carpet was laid yesterday.

Present:  All I want to do is lie down for a few minutes.
Past:  I lay down for three hours yesterday.  (This sounds incorrect which I think is why people mess it up all the time- it just sounds better to say laid.  But it's WRONG!)

I am going to lay myself down. (Correct because you are putting someone down, in this case yourself.)
I am going to lie down.

I laid the book on the counter when I walked in.
I lay down after I heard the terrible news.

9.  AFFECT/ EFFECT

These are some of the most commonly confused words in the English language.  My high school students mess them up constantly, and most adults aren't much better because IT IS SO CONFUSING!  Luckily, there is a pretty easy way to remember it that most people don't know.

AFFECT- VERB
EFFECT- NOUN

If you are clear on the difference between a noun and a verb then that's all you need to know, but for a lot of people it can get pretty confusing once the word is in a sentence to identify if it's a verb or a noun.

A couple of tips to help you identify if it's a verb or noun:
- A verb is the only word in the English language that we conjugate.  That means we can add -ed to the end, -ing to the end of it or we can throw a have or has in front of the word and it still makes sense.  A verb will often have a to in front of it as well.
- If there is an "a" or a "the" in front of the word, it is a noun.

Examples:
I couldn't believe the effect the drugs had on him.  (Here effect is a noun- it has "the" in front of it and it is a thing.)
I couldn't believe how the drugs affected him.  (In this case affected is a verb- it is an action and it can be conjugated- hence the -ed on the end.)
Just what kind of effect were you hoping to have?  (A noun- in this sentence effect is a thing.)
Just how were you hoping to affect him? (A verb- it has a "to" in front of it so that should tip you off that it's a verb.)

Let me know if you have more questions on this one- it can be really tricky but once it's clear in your head, you'll never go back!

10.  GOOD/ WELL

Again, knowing the difference in these two words comes down to knowing what parts of speech they are.  Good is an adjective which means it describes a noun.  Well is an adverb which means it describes a verb. (Or sometimes an adjective or another adverb.)

In layman's terms:
Good- describes things or people
Well- describes actions

Examples:
He plays basketball well.  (Describes plays- an action)
He is a good basketball player. (Describes basketball player- a thing.)
I am good. (Describes I- a person)
I am doing well. (Describes doing- an action.)

To help my students remember this I say that well describes verbs and w and v are right next to each other in the alphabet.

11.  DEFIANTLY/ DEFINITELY

Defiant means boldly resistant or challenging.  Defiantly is the adverb form of it.
Definite means positive, certain or sure.  Definitely is the adverb form of it.

Definitely never ever has an a in it.  Ever.

12.  COULD OF/ COULD HAVE

Could of is not a phrase.  Nor is would of or should of.
Could have is a phrase.

The contraction form of could have is could've which sounds an awful lot like could of, which is why the mistake is made.  

Just to clear this up- COULD OF, WOULD OF, SHOULD OF ARE NEVER RIGHT.

Any that I missed?  Or any grammar questions you have always wondered but never dared ask?  Fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer.  Also, if you are a lover of good grammar like myself, I would love it if you shared this post.  Let's educate the world and all start speaking correctly!

8 Tips to Dressing Like a Professional (Without Breaking the Bank!)

One of the hardest things for me when starting my first legit job was finding legit clothes.  Years of college meant my wardrobe was well stocked with great looking jeans, hoodies, and baseball caps.  When it came to dressing professionally, I didn't have a clue where to start.  I was overwhelmed and frustrated- not to mention totally broke.  Was I going to afford a whole new wardrobe?

Luckily, five years later, I have figured it out.  (I think!)   The hardest part about getting a cute, professional wardrobe for me was doing it without going broke in the process.  Sure, J. Crew and Banana Republic have plenty of drool worthy merchandise, but I can never justify spending that much money on my clothes.  I have found the trick is to get a few expensive "staples" and supplement the rest with cheapo skirts and blouses from Forever 21 and Target and call it a day!  Here's how I do it!

CATEGORY ONE:  THE SPLURGE ITEMS

The key to having a great professional wardrobe is having key staples that everything else can rely on.  I am all about saving a buck or two, but there are a few items that you just have to pay a little bit more for.  They will be worth it in the long run, though, as these are the items that last you YEARS and they make the rest of your wardrobe look sharper.

1.  Have three to four pairs of nice dress pants.  I get all of mine from Express.  They're around $80 a pair normally, but you can almost always find a sale to get them cheaper.  Right now Express is giving $30 off if you spend $75, and their pants are also buy one get one 50% off.  Combine the deals and you spend $45 per pair of pants instead of $80.  It's still expensive to me, but it's worth it because the pants are not frumpy, easy to clean, and last forever.  I love the "Columnist" pant- they are almost more of a skinny pant and they give nice shape to your rump and legs.  I also have a few pairs of "Editor" pants, but they flare out too much at the bottom for me.  I ain't tall enough to pull that shiz off.

2.  Invest in one nice white button up shirt:  I paid $50 at Banana Republic for a beautiful white button up my first year of teaching and I have used it ever since.  My only regret is that I didn't get the non wrinkle version- the only thing that ever prevents me from wearing this is I'm too lazy to iron it.  Still, I say it's way worth the $50 as it's a total staple and I use it often.

Favorite white button up on the right- it goes with EVERYTHING.

3.  You should at all times own a black pencil skirt:  I bought mine from Express, and I think I spent about $60 on it.  That was four years ago.  The zipper doesn't go up all the way anymore without sucking in, (oops!) but other than that it is in perfect condition.  I wear this probably at least once a week.  It does not look worn or faded at all even though I've probably washed it 100 times.  Worth the money for sure!

Favorite black pencil skirt on the right!  

CATEGORY TWO:  Items you should have a lot of but not spend as much on:

ONce you've invested in your key staples, it is time to knock yourself out by supplementing with any variety of blouses, skirts, flats, etc.  This is where I add my color and fun- I keep the staples simple and jazz it up with my accents.

4.  Stock up on flats!  (My personal rule- never spend more than $20 a pair):  For most professionals it's pretty hard to wear heels all day, but we still want to look professional. That is why I have about 15 pairs of flats.  Just about every store sells them and you can find them in any color or pattern.  I have a red pair and purple pair that get WAY more use than I would ever think.  Whenever my outfit is in muted colors I wear bright flats and it helps to brighten the whole outfit. My all time favorite place to get flats is called Forever Young.   They have so much variety, the flats run around $20 a pair and I've never seen the store not have a buy one get one half off sale going on, meaning the flats are only $15 each.   If you are in the Utah Valley area there is a store in the University Mall.  (They don't have an online site so I don't know what to tell the rest of you... does anyone know if this is just a Utah store?)

Gap Outlet has great flats (I scored a couple of pairs for $8 each last fall.  You just gotta hit the sales!) and Target can really surprise me with their flat selection as well, although they can be a bit overpriced.  One of my very favorite pairs of shoes is this scrunched nude flat from Target.  They are super comfortable and look great with seriously every outfit in the world.  The icing on the cake is is they are only $17!

5.  If you live in a cold weathered area, invest in tights for the wintertime.  This is a winter necessity for us Utah folk!  I don't always like wearing pants to work, (something about skirts makes me feel like I'm the boss!) but there is no way I'm going bare legged in the winter.  The solution is tights.  My nude fishnets are perfect for any hard-to-match outfit and I have found navy tights to be pretty much essential as well.  I've got black stripes, black fishnets, black eyelets, etc. Bright colored tights can be way fun too, but it's harder for me to figure out colors- I'm always going way too loud with them.  I have a red pair that's just been sitting in my drawer for two months while I figure out how to wear them.

The tight queen is Forever21.  They easily have the best selection and best prices.  Their tights get runs very easily though, so beware.  As soon as you take your shoes off, take your tights off!  Target's tights are a bit more expensive and they have less variety, but they last longer.  And I'm sure you could always spend $30 for a pair of tights at Nordstrom, but I like to keep mine in the $5-8 range.  I'm certainly not going to blow my retirement on tights!

So many tights, so little time!

6.  Don't forget the cardigans!  Again, this is probably more specific to cold weathered places, but I feel like almost any outfit can have a cardigan thrown over it and then if you need to take it off during the day, take it off!  Cardigans are perfect for layering and for when it's 7 degrees outside but in a room with 40 horny seventeen year olds it's 83 degrees.  Gap has great cardigans, although a bit more expensive.  ($30 range) Target usually has cardigans for around $20 but I find they look kind of dingy after three or four months of wear and washing.  (Also, in general my opinion on clothes from Target is that they are not worth the price if not bought on sale.  Target's clothes are cute, but the quality is not great and they charge as much as higher end places like Gap or American Eagle that are generally going to be much better quality.  That's just my two cents- I only shop clothes at Target if they're on sale.)

I have heard the Old Navy has a good supply of cardigans, but I can't vouch for this myself.

Middle cardigan is from J. Crew Outlet.

Right cardigan is from from Gap

7.  Buy cheap skirts.  I know a lot of women aren't crazy about wearing skirts and dresses to work, but I love it.  It makes me feel just a tad bit dressier and it is SO much more comfortable!  Again, the best place for me to pick up cheap skirts is Forever 21.  Most of their skirts are under $10- WOW.  The coral skirt and the turquoise skirt below are Forever 21 picks.  This year they have an incredible selection on any kind of skirt you could want.  (Here and here and here and here and here!)

Left and center skirt are both from Forever 21 and under $10.

8.  Top it all off with a few maxi skirts and dresses. I've just become converted to maxi skirts and dresses within the past year or so, but I can't get enough of them.  Not only are they stylish and professional looking, but they are insanely comfortable.  I could wear them all day!  I like to have a few dresses anyway to kind of round out my wardrobe, and lately any dresses I have been buying have been maxis.  My long black maxi from Downeast Outfitters (middle picture) is one of my all time favorite dresses.

Alright, there you have it!  I know a lot of you are big shoppers so I want to know where you score your best deals- especially for professional type looking clothes.  Tell us all your secrets!

Barefoot in the Rain

Her first official smiling picture.  

Also, thanks Mindy for the outfit.  We love it!

I had a lot to say today.  I really did!  But then I tried to deliver some cupcakes to some people in my neighborhood and before I knew it, it was raining cats and dogs and I was running home barefoot pushing a stroller just as fast as I could.  To any onlooker driving down the street I must have appeared straight up crazy.  Or absolutely desperate.  But no one stopped to give me a lift, so I guess it didn't look that desperate.  I was in a bad way.  Trust me.  I had left before Greg got home, and like all smart people do, I had left my cell phone at home.  Greg was in a dead panic when I came running up the driveway, about ready to take the baby away from me forever and then ring my neck for attempting something as stupid as cupcake delivering with a baby in the rain.  In my defense it wasn't raining when I left.  Also I guarded June with my life and she didn't even get wet.  For all she knew we were just on a leisurely stroll down the block.  That baby.  She ain't got a clue in the world.

If I didn't have work in the morning I'd still crank out a total kick butt post for you.  But I do have work in the morning. Mornings that I teach start at 5:40.  Disgusting!  Not only do I work but after school I have parent teacher conference until 8:00 pm.  That's 14 hours at the school.  YIKES!  Also, tomorrow I am allowing my students to drop tomatoes off of their desks and see which one makes the biggest splatter.  Don't ask don't tell that's what I always say.

I'm soaking wet now and so I'm going to take a hot shower and the crawl into bed and think about absolutely no responsibilities for the next nine hours.  I'll cuddle with Greg and read a good book (I just checked out a whole stack from the library today.  Booyah!) and then fall asleep snuggled deep under my covers while the rain pours outside and my baby sleeps nearby.  Ain't a bad life, huh?

To pick up where I left off, I have Heather to entertain you.  She is one of my favorite single bloggers who has confidence and charisma just oozing from her blog page. All of her posts are entertaining to me, but lately I especially reading this one about her previous marriage.  I can't help it, I always love hearing the dirt!

Good day to all you Life of Bonn-ers...Lifers of Bonn....Life of Bon fans....? Whatever you like to call yourself, hi and welcome to Hump Day and the first day of October! Can you believe it? Time, it just keeps slipping in to the future. I'm Heather and I'm a huge fan of Bonnie. I have loved sponsoring her blog and am ecstatic at the opportunity to write to you all today! Over at my blog, When you're making plans, I talk a lot about what happens when I make plans! I'm single so I talk about dating, living in a small town and about my dog! Today, I'm talking about time, specifically getting older and wiser! Age is a funny thing. They say that with it comes wisdom. I can't argue with that. I think for me, acceptance has come with age. I'm learning to accept more things. I'm approaching my 33rd year and I am satisfied with how I spent the last 32. I think I did what I needed to do so that when I looked back, I have very few wishes of ways it could've/would've been different. So, during a discussion with a friend at work the other day, I've compiled a list of things that I've learned to accept.

• I will never be super skinny. I have junk in my trunk...well..I have junk everywhere.
• I will never, ever, ever, ever be a morning person. Hasn't happened, and never will. I'm a true night owl.
• I drive too fast which causes me to follow too closely. I try to slow down, but it's just not in my nature.
• I also talk fast too. So, when I have opportunities to speak in public I just have to make a concentrated effort to s...l...o...w... down.
• I will not be able to keep up with the Jones' or the Smiths' or anyone else. I have what I have and it's good enough for me. Let the person next to me fight for the "one-up."
• I probably will never win the lottery. Largely due to the fact that I don't buy lottery tickets.
• I will never have the cleanest car on the block until I have someone that likes to keep it tidy. But my house, that's always in shape.
• I'm from the South, so there will be an accent occasionally. "Ya'll" keeps me in the "in-crowd" here.
• I am assertive. I am aggressive. I am direct. And that doesn't mean I'm a nasty word that starts with a "B."

So, while these aren't monumental acknowledgements, they are things I've tried to change or have been working on for some time. But I've learned that it's just who I am. That's me. I'm happy with it.

The Evolution of a Blog (See also: An explanation of my sponsored posts)

My baby's getting faaaaaaat.

Yippee!

Yesterday I got an interesting comment on my post about a baby product I was showing off.  It was a sponsored post, meaning that I was compensated to do the post.  The commenter stated that she liked reading my blog and would continue to read it, but that she missed the days when there wasn't a sponsored post every 3-4 days.

Part of me felt really sad when I read this.  I felt like I was letting my readers down.  This isn't the first time I've felt this way.  I often have to fight the temptation to feel like a sell out or a fraud when I write sponsored posts.  There are a lot of bloggers who don't accept sponsorships or ads in any form.  They have total freedom to write what they want when they want on their blog and their readers don't tell them that they are disappointed.  Sometimes I am jealous of these bloggers.

My blog stopped being that kind of blog two years ago.  I look back on my first year of posts and they are so carefree.  I can almost smell the newness and excitement of the blog.  Everything was straight from my heart.  I had 24 years worth of thoughts and ideas and ramblings to share- the blog was practically exploding with all my weird, random thoughts.

But my blog changed.  When I read my posts now, they are so different from those first ones.  A lot of the times my posts aren't necessarily as funny or fun as they used to be, and I am okay with that. When I first started this blog I wanted to entertain people and I wanted to people think I was funny.  Now I want to connect with people and I want people to think I'm kind.

There are some things that have changed about my blog because of lessons I learned the hard way.  Online critics have made me less willing to share things that are personal to me.  Hurting the feelings of loved ones through thoughtless remarks on my blog have made me much more careful about what I say about them. I have to remind myself that this is my blog for my stories and I don't have the right to share other people's stories.

When I started accepting sponsorships, the blog experienced perhaps the biggest shift. Some posts were now scheduled.  There were days I had to get a post up no matter what.  Sometimes I had to really stretch to relate a product to my blog.  As I accepted more sponsorships and worked with more companies, my blog continued to change to accommodate.  I had to learn to say no to a lot of products and posts that I knew my readers wouldn't like, but only after saying yes first and realizing my readers could smell the insincerity.

Now I hope to have found a sponsored post balance, but comments like the one yesterday always leave me doubting.  Part of me feels like I don't have to defend my choice to allow for sponsored posts to readers, but the other part of me wants to explain to you why I continue to do this.  The truth is I owe you as my readers a great deal, and heck, if you want to know why I can't quit with the sponsored posts, I suppose you deserve to know.  (Because no, I can't quit with the sponsored posts.)

Each blog post I write serves at least one of three purposes:
1) To connect with other people, build relationships, and tell stories.
2) To help provide an income for my family
3) To grow the blog and my social media presence.

The most important purpose of the blog is the first one- I started the blog to build connections and to tell stories.  This is my favorite thing about blogging and it is what keeps me coming back day after day.  HOWEVER.  Without the second purpose, I could not justify the amount of time I put into my blog.  Especially now that I have a baby and am so busy with many different demands on my time- I just couldn't sustain a blogging "hobby" without monetary compensation.  If I am getting paid, though, this "hobby" then merges into the "job" lane, and it is easier to justify the time I put in.  I am providing for my family by doing something that I really love. (The third goal explains why I run giveaways, contests, link ups, etc.  I will always be trying to grow this blog as bigger growth allows for more connections with others and, admittedly, bigger earning potential.)

  My goal now is to keep it to one sponsored post a week.  That means there is only one giveaway, guest post, or me telling you why you should buy awesome chocolate post per week.  Ideally it means four genuine real life Bonnie posts and one "commercial" so to speak.  Of course, it doesn't always exactly pan out this way.  Sometimes all the opportunities come at once (when it rains it pours) and I will find myself with a very sponsor heavy week only to have absolutely no sponsorship obligations for the next three weeks. (This week I have three sponsored posts and two giveaways.  All of July and August I had no sponsored posts).  In the sponsor heavy times I hope that my readers give me the benefit of the doubt and realize that while there are many sponsored posts that week, they will be rewarded with lots of thoughtful, quality writing in the near future.

I am constantly seeking to find the perfect sponsored post/ non sponsored post blog balance.  Most bloggers I know who are financially compensated struggle in the same way.  The truth is, I owe you, as my readers a great deal.  It is because of my audience that I was able to go part time this year and stay at home with June the other days.  Without you as readers I would be most likely working full time and spending less time with my baby.  I would also be spending much less time blogging, as there would be no time to do it in and no financial compensation to justify the time.  It would certainly fall much lower on a list of priorities. My sponsored posts allow me the luxury of writing many more genuine and real life posts than I would otherwise be able to.

All this basically to say thank you.  It is because of my blog, my readers, and those silly little sponsored posts that I am able to simultaneously pursue three passions of mine- writing, teaching and being a mom.    So thank you thank you thank you for reading the sponsored posts.  It means everything to me.

---

And with that, I introduce a giveaway to you.  Because I absolutely love wearing red lipstick.  And again, thank you.

I have teamed up with some lovely local blogging ladies and we are each giving away our favorite lipstick in a giveaway. ONE winner takes ALL the lipstick! Read below to get to know the bloggers and why they love their lipsticks, and enter in the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Wrap

I am taking care of all October's sponsorship stuff today.

Email me at thelifeofbon@gmail.com if you are interested in joining in for October.

It's always a party!  (Click here for more info.)

One of the most overwhelming things about having a baby was figuring out all the stuff.  I stressed big time over what things I absolutely needed, what things would just make my life a whole lot easier, and what things were just a part of America’s obsession with spending money.

I do plan on doing a post soon that highlights all of my favorite baby things.  (I’m warning you, though, there’s not that many.  We keep it pretty simple.)  In the meantime, though, I want to highlight one of my unexpected favorite baby things- my HappyWrap.

Special thanks to Aubrey for snapping these pictures for me.

This bad boy is so easy to put June into and she LOVES it.  It is perfect for shopping when I don’t want to push the giant stroller around.  I also wear it around the house when June is acting fussy.  I just slip her in it and the Voila, I can do all the laundry I want!  (Every mom’s fantasy!)  I’m all about June learning to sleep and play independently, but I must admit that it is awesome to have her so close to me when I want it.  I still have her sleep in her swing or bassinet for most of her naps, but sometimes a woman just wants to feel close to her babe, you know?  (And it's pretty much a guarantee that she falls asleep in it within ten minutes.)

The wrap comes in lots of colors and designs and is one of those baby investments that is just going to make your life so much easier.  Trust me on this one.  (I am totally getting the polka dot one next.)  Right now Happy Wrap is offering 10% off to Life of Bon readers with the code BON10.

Oh, and make sure to visit them on instagram @happybabywrap.  I'm warning you though, it may make you baby hungry.  There's nothing as cute as a baby wrapped up next to you. 

And, she sleeps...  I tell you, that wrap is a bonafide baby whisperer!

It Started with Hello!

This article is sponsored by Lindt HELLO.

Thank you for supporting the companies that support my blog.

On Monday my friend, Brooke, was in town.  Brooke was one of my besties in college, but then she moved to Denver and THEN she moved to Alaska so I don't get to see her hardly ever anymore.  She was in Utah for approximately one day and I said that's perfect!  We'll hang all day!  It was on off day for me (Praise the part time life!) so basically we just ran a bunch of errands and did totally normal Monday stuff that wasn't totally normal because I was doing it with a best friend so that made it awesome.  The only thing that could make this part time gig better would be if I had someone around like Brooke to hang out with all day on my off days.  Be there any volunteers out there?

These are some pictures of Brooke and me in our college glory.  We tore up that town.

The truth is I never intended to be friends with old Brookie.  It was my senior year at college and I already had an awesome close group of friends.   I just wasn't shopping for new girls.  Well, one fall day my roommate and I wanted to go up to the canyon to play football.  We found a bunch of boys but we needed at least one more girl.  So, I walked to the apartment in front of me and knocked on the door.  A skinny girl in sweats opened the door.

"Hello,"  I said.  "I'm Bonnie.  I live in the apartment right there- you know, we share a stairwell....  Uh....a group of people are going to play football up the canyon.  Do you want to come?"  I didn't even know her name, but you know, there ain't nothing wrong with invitations to total strangers.

"Well, I should be studying..."

Total bust, I thought.

"... but that sounds like way more fun!"  And before I knew what had happened, Brooke was out the door ready to get her football on.  I knew then and there that we were going to be lifelong friends.  That kind of down-for-anything attitude will get you far, I tell you, it will get you far!  It wasn't a friendship I was expecting, or a connection I sought out, but I'll be forever grateful that it happened and that now I have Brooke in my life.

Luckily, I had football that day to break the ice and to spark a friendship with good old Brookie.  Today, though, I've got a better suggestion:  Chocolate.

Lindt HELLO is chocolate that was basically made with the purpose to help you make friends, boyfriends, and other important relationships. Start with a little hello, end it with a big fat chocolate bar, and boom baby, this sparking connections thing is a walk in the park.  I'm currently in the market for new friends- most of my college besties have long gone at this point and being a mom makes it easy to just stay home.  I want to get out and make more connections with women, my soul thrives off of those friendships.  You better believe I'm stocking up on chocolate bars and using it as the perfect ice breaker for making new friends.

I went ahead and tried all the flavors for you- I'm just nice like that.  My favorite is the caramel brownie.  It really tastes like brownie too- somehow they got that batter flavor into the chocolate- it's the best chocolate I've had since Europe!  The nougat and cookies and cream flavor are perfect if you like a little bit of a crunch.  The strawberry cheesecake is probably the most unique flavor of chocolate I have ever head.  It literally tastes just like you are eating a piece of strawberry cheesecake covered in chocolate.  If nothing else you have to try it just for the experience.  It is such an interesting mix of flavors.

Make sure you check out new episodes of the "It Started with HELLO" web series every week. Probably the cutest and most clever way I've ever seen to advertise chocolate.

Also make new connections of your own by entering the Lindt HELLO Sweet Connections Sweepstakes for a chance to win sweet experiences from Lindt Chocolate.

(I have heard some people say that the Lindt Hello chocolate can be hard to find- I got mine at Target and they had a great selection there. I've also heard you can find it at Walgreens or Wal-mart. Make sure to try it out and tell me how you like it.  Don't blame me, though, when you become addicted....)