Kickstarting a New Project

Have you checked out Kickstarter yet? If you haven't, you should take a moment to do so. It has become one of my all time favorite pastimes. The basic premise is this: individuals post their ideas, from engineering feats and amazing design projects, to generating fees for local crafts shows, all in an effort to get backing to make it happen. The great thing is that once you support a project, you get something back for being a supporter.

The ideas are amazing (ok, most of them--there are a few that don't really deserve to be there if you look long enough). You see so many cool things, like a swimming pool in the New York harbor (seriously!), an underground solar New York City park and more, that you end up wanting to support all of them! Well, hopefully you will consider supporting my new project!

I have had an etsy store now for a while called The Legal Beagles. I make pillows which feature all sorts of dogs, which I love! I find it all very therapeutic. I started doing this when I developed some health problems and this helped me deal with a disabling condition. Meanwhile, since being a Mom, I have been making my daughter some little dolls and stuffed animal toys based upon her pictures and imagination; I got better as my sewing skills improved.  Recently, I started making them for her friends, too, and then got some orders for them! I realized that this could also become a business after checking into it.  Anyway, I now have an official "kickstarter" project to see if I can get some backers for my project!

You can check it out by clicking HERE! Please feel free to support my project and thank you so much just for checking it out!

The Loss of a Friend & The Importance of Today

I was your typical awkward teen of the eighties, trying to figure out pretty much everything in the world and my place in it, while residing in a tiny town where everyone knew your business.  Just the stress of being a teenager can be difficult; trying to grow up in a place where you feel like you can't go to the bathroom without the whole town knowing is an entirely different challenge.  Growing up under these circumstances, I was lucky enough to have a friend who completely understood this dilemma.  Eventually, we became so close that she was like my twin sister: we could practically read one another's thoughts.

Together, we faced the ups and downs of being a teenager. I will never forget that it was she who introduced me to my first "real" boyfriend. And it was also her who was there for me when I discovered that he had cheated on me. Meanwhile, when she dated a boy who turned out to be a real jerk, I remember how we sat on her bed hugging each other while she cried and cried. I equally recall how we sought our revenge one night by tossing some Dunkin Donuts munchins in his open car window, trying to restain our hysterical laughter in the middle of the quiet street.

That was another thing about her-she had this amazing way of turning bad situations into something funny. She could find something to laugh at about or during a terrible situation and somehow she could make you do the same thing, even when you felt like you were at your worst moment. And her laugh--it was one of those laughs that makes you stop and listen to it because its remarkable. You would just love the sound of it and inevitably, frequently involuntarily, join in. I think that's something I always associated with her.

After we graduated from high school, we kept in touch for a few years during college, but eventually lost touch. However, with the existence of Facebook, we reconnected about two years ago. We were so excited. I learned that she had found, and married, the absolute true love of her life and I was so thrilled for her. I also found out that her new last name was my last name too, but spelled differently-it was really coincidental! Of course we had to laugh at that one.

I recently relocated to North Carolina, as you know, and she actually moved here herself a few months prior to my arrival. We had planned to get together and I could not be more thrilled to reunite; I was also happy to have such a dear friend nearby in a new place. Words cannot express my excitement to see her and to catch up and talk about the past!

This past Saturday, I received an email from a mutual friend from high school. I opened the email and was shocked. My dear friend was gone. She had been riding her bicycle and was hit by a car. She was only 38 years old and she was dead after a terrible accident took her life.

All week long, I have been devastated over the loss of my friend. Despite the many years that have passed, I am going to miss her so much, and everything about her--the laughter-her laugh! She was one of the most unique, talented and special people I ever knew. She was there for me during my awkward teenage years, and with her in my life then, somehow the stress of being a teen vanished and was replaced by fun, laughter and her way of living life to the fullest.  The impact she had on my life during those formative years was everlasting, and now I will not have the chance to tell her personally how much she affected my life. I will neither get the chance to tell her how much she meant to me-or means to me-nor will I have the gift of her in my new life here in North Carolina.

The other day while I was doing laundry, a strange thing happened. She was in a band during high school and sometimes I would practice singing with her.  One song we played together popped into my head out of the blue. I have not heard that song or thought of that song since the eighties. It was strange to me, yet comforted me too. I am certain that my friend is an angel in heaven now and somehow she had something to do with that song.

My friend's name was Kathy and she will be laid to rest tomorrow after a service in North Carolina. Please say a prayer for her and her family.

And please--consider the importance of today. If there is something you want to say to someone, or someone you want to express your love to, don't wait to do it. Take the chance and time to do it. Today.

Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Giveaway!

Recently, I hosted a Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Party in my home*. Moshi Monsters Bobble Bots use the same technology as Hexbugs, which my daughter loves. Hexbugs have kept her and her friends busy for hours on end, which is something I love ;).

These Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters are awesome!  Not only are they appropriate for younger children, from ages 3 and up, with a bit of supervision for the younger ones, but they feature bright colors, cute designs and fun for all!  They have a little switch on the back and once you turn them on, away they go, scooting here and there, all over their little "houses" which create a whole city. You can purchase individual Moshi Monsters, little houses which help make up the city, and then larger pieces such as stores which comprise the primary big anchor pieces for the city. The individual Moshi Monsters have cute little names, like Cutie Pie, Suuki Yaki and more and are individually designed to have unique personality. They are so adorable!

At our party, all the children, from ages four up to age eleven, were entertained by the Bobble Bots for the entire length of the hour and a half party. They all enjoyed watching them scoot around and the entire time, they were laughing and smiling. These Bobble Bots clearly provided all of the kids with entertainment.

Another neat aspect to these Bobble Bots, which came about during the party, is that you can even use them in the Hexbugs tracks. My daughter set up her tracks and had races with her Moshi Monsters. The kids at party were thrilled to engage in the races along with the original city as well. They were keeping scores of all of the little toys by their cute names.
Want to Get Some Bobble Bot Moshi Monsters for your Little Ones?
I have several Bobble Bot Moshi Monsters that I would love to give away to one of my readers! In order to get in on this giveaway, here's what you have to do:
1) Become a follower of my blog, if you are not already. Please leave me a comment with your email so I know how to contact you if you win!

BONUS ENTRY (You will get 5 added entries for this one)
2) Just tweet this giveaway on Twitter! Come back here, leave me the link so I can verify it. Please make sure you tell me this is your bonus entry and leave me your email.

This contest will end on May 1, 2012. Winner will be selected by random. Open to US residents only, 18 years of ages and up.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and sticking with me during my hiatus! I am looking forward to continuing on my journey along with all of you! XOXOXOXOX

* I received a Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Party Kit to host a party in my home, but all opinions are solely my own.

Life as a Single Mom-Not Quite June Cleaver!

So I recently wrote a post telling you all how I made many changes in my life. While I have hesitated to reveal this to you, I have finally gotten the courage to let you know the biggest change in my life, the most difficult decision I have ever made and the hardest one I have ever had to make: I am now a single mom.

I guess you could say that this was something that was inevitable and something that was coming for years--but I desperately fought against it, trying more than ANYTHING in the world to keep my family together. Out of respect for my daughter and her future, I will not get into any of the reasons for this unfortunate split. Needless to say, it ultimately became a mutual decision that in order to give our daughter a happy and healthy home and a happy and stable upbringing, the best option was for us to give her two happy and healthy homes with individual parents in each one, as opposed to one unhappy, unhealthy home.

SO, here I am. This was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life. I know its the right one, and every day that my daughter reveals her new ever-happy self, her new abilities to attain great goals, a new confidence, and her constant laughter, I am reaffirmed in my decision.

This decision, and the time I have been away from blogging-and a lot of other things in my life-was SO hard. It was literally breaking me down on many levels, impacting my relationships and friendships with others, my ability to complete projects and to be happy, among other things. I was distracted all the time and miserable inside. I was confused, and I was one of those people who never believed in divorce, so for me, this was a very "bad" last resort.  I loved my husband and wanted a family so much, so this was the last thing I ever wanted.

I moved from New York to North Carolina in November, with the full blessing of my soon to be ex husband, and my daughter and I are enjoying NC so far. My sister lives closeby, and my daughter gets to play with her cousins frequently, a wonderful new benefit she never had previously.

I am currently seeking a position in the legal industry, but so far, I have not been able to find anything. In the interim, I have been very busy with my etsy store, The Legal Beagles, where I do two things: 1) I make pillows which feature dogs and 2) I create handmade toys/dolls based upon drawings submitted by children. This has been really great fun and I am enjoying it! Feel free to visit if you have a moment.

Thank you all for being patient with me and for sticking with me! I am now going to start back blogging as I am finally in a place where I feel like I have the mindset to do so! I am hoping to do some giveaways soon which I hope you will enjoy! Take care & God Bless!

Bertolli Meal Soup: Warms the Soul, the Heart and Everything in Between! PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Recently, I had the opportunity to try Bertolli Meal Soups for dinner. I tried the Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken.  Bertolli's makes four different kinds of soup if you aren't partial to Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken. They are: Chicken Minestrone; Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta and Tuscan Style Beef and Vegetables. You can buy them in frozen foods section of the supermarket. You can get more information about Bertolli by visiting their Facebook page by clicking here and by following them on Twitter by clicking here!

My daughter and I had one hour to prepare our meal, set the table and get everything done. Well, little did we know we would need less than half an hour! Woo hoo! BONUS!!!!

As Tiny got busy setting the table, I started slaving over the stove.
HA! It was real hard work!
All I had to do was cut the bag open and put it on the stove with one cup of water. Easy-peasy!  A few minutes later, a smell permeated my home with the most amazing, rich aroma. I am talking like somebody's sweet old Italian -grandma's-house-that-you-just-can't-wait-to-go-visit-because- their-house-smells-like-an-Italian-farmhouse-from-a-dream-and-the-food-is-to-die-for-and-its-always-like-that???? Do you know what I mean, or is it just me who knows someone like that?

I am not Italian, so whenever I went to anyone's Italian grandma's house like that, I was enamoured, fascinated and in love with her, the smell of her house and her food!

Well, I digresss....but, look out, people, because Bertolli's soup has found a way to bring those smells to my house....and I haven't even started to tell you how wonderful this soup TASTES!

Manga! (uh, am I spelling that right? I was going to say "Voila"!)

I personally hate the way chicken comes out in canned or frozen foods; its usually rubbery and gross. I was prepared for some nasty, slippery chewy chicken. However, the chicken here was superb and fresh. I ate it and enjoyed it all. There were also big pieces of tomato, lots of spinach and of course, delicious tortellini.  Oh, and have I mentioned? All of this was in the most heavenly, rich, (but not too rich), creamy red broth. No, wait-I can't use that word, "broth"-I should call it something better--like a wet blanket that tucked in some creamy goodness. It was THAT good!

I was going to make a salad, but when I saw how many veggies were in this soup, I decided to forego that plan. I made some garlic bread with some cheese inside, or "cheesy dunkers", as my daughter Tiny calls them. She had a ball dunking away in her soup--TWO servings of it!

You know, this red soup would make a terrific and easy Valentine's Day meal if you are staying in and want a quickie (MEAL, that is, get your minds out of the gutter people!)  You could easily serve it up in heart shaped bowls if you want and the red soup will make its own statement. And trust me, you will win him or her over with this one. After all, the way to one's heart is through his or her stomach.......;)

WANT TO GET SOME FREE BERTOLLI'S MEAL SOUP FOR YOURSELF?

Well, I have an extra coupon for this amazing soup which I would love to give away to one of my followers! I promise you, your going to LOVE this!

To get a chance at scoring this one, here's what you have to do:

1) Go to Bertolli's Facebook page and "like" them and write the following:

"Just read Year in the Life of June Cleaver's Blog and can't wait to try your Meal Soup!"

Then just come on back here and let me know you did this! Make sure you are a follower of mine.

And be sure that your email is there so I can reach you if you win this!*

Extra Entries:
2) Go to my Facebook page HERE, Like me and leave me any comment and then just come back here and let me know so I can count your entries. You will get FIVE extra entries. If you already "like" me, just leave a comment at the Facebook page and come back here to let me know.

*Contest will end on February 20, 2012. I will select a winner by random and email you. You will have to contact me within 36 hours to claim your prize or I will choose a new winner. 18 years and US residents only.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that I was provided a coupon for a free soup to review as well as a cash compensation for this sponsored post.  However, please note that all opinions are my own. Thank you!

New Life, New Directions and New Journeys

Well, 2011 saw huge changes in my personal life. I took time away from writing here and definitely missed it! I have made some major changes, some extremely difficult, but necessary to do. I have also relocated and am now living in North Carolina.

I am loving my new home so far and getting used to a new life as well! During the next few posts, I will share some of the significant changes with you all as I begin to regroup and "get back on the horse"!!!!

Hope you will follow me on my new journey!

Giveaway from Downeast Basics!

Downeast Basics* is one of those companies that has become a "go to" for easy everyday solutions for my wardrobe. These days, I cannot get enough of their dresses! I recently had the opportunity to try out their Miss Maxi Dress in Grey Stone which is this beautiful purplish color with a grey undertone. I have been wearing this constantly this fall and keep getting compliments. Its great for all sorts of occasions. I find I am wearing it to everything-from waiting for my daughter's bus, to getting together with girlfriends for a night out, to church and more! The versatility is fantastic!

Miss Maxi Dress

Want to Get the Miss Maxi Dress?

Downeast Basics has generously offered to give one of my followers an item of their choice from their collection!

How to Enter the Contest:

All you need to do is the following:

1) Visit their site by clicking here. Then come back to my blog and let me know what item is your favorite.
Be sure to leave your email so I can let you know if you won! (NOTE: you have to be a follower of my blog to win, so make sure you are a follower if you are not already)

EXTRA ENTRIES: (each one will get you FIVE extra!)

 2) Like Downeast Basics by clicking here and leave them the following message:
I just entered a Giveaway from  the A Year in the Life of June Cleaver blog from Downeast Basics & hope I win! Thanks Downeast Basics!
Then come back here and let me know you did so I can check it out!

3) Spread the word about this giveaway-tweet it, post it on your blog, etc....and just come on back and leave me a message so I can check it out!

Contest ends on October 28, 2011.
This contest is open to US residents only, 18 years of age+. Item given to you by Downeast Basics is subject to availability of in stock items only.

*I was given a sample item from Downeast Basics. All opinions expressed herein are my own.