There’s something that kids love about outer space. Wait, who am I kidding? There’s something that all of us love about outer space. The final frontier. The uncharted unknown. While sometimes it may just feel like yet another fantasy, the truth is that there’s amazing potential out there for the child fascinated by the stars. Just look at the amazing developments that are happening in our time.


Indeed, Stephen Hawking recently prophesied human extinction if we could not colonize another planet in the near future, and businesses are frequently looking for new joint ventures to tackle in space. In fact, it’s pretty clear that in the future, we’ll be seeing a lot more jobs opening for industries depending on space travel, from satellite technology to mining on other planets. So, if you have a space-obsessed kid, it’s not a bad idea to nurture that fascination. Here are some ideas that can further your child’s love and education.


Show them media that amazes and educates

Oftentimes, it is in the realm of science fiction that we can see where the future will take us. After all, some of the best science fiction was written to imagine what could be right around the corner. Many of the pre-eminent authorities on astrophysics and space travel started down that road by first falling in love with the world of science fiction.

If you want to start filling your child’s eyes and mind with wonder and imagination about what lies out in the stars, then start by showing them the media that does this. For older kids, Cosmos is a series that is as entertaining as it is educational, as Neil DeGrasse-Tyson does an incredible job in making the smallest of scientific details feel like grandiose threads that tie our universe together, just like Carl Sagan before him. However, even movies like Star Wars, which are certainly not rooted in real science, still work to build intrigue about space.

Alleyoop

Alleyoop is a learning platform that was developed in a join collaboration between NASA, National Geographic, the National Science Foundation, Scientific Minds, and other scientific outlets. If that sounds like an all-star team of scientific potential, that’s because it is. What makes Alleyoop so fun is that it is essentially built as a series of learning games with interactive content that teach children about how exciting space can be. One of the major goals of Alleyoop was to get more students excited about pursuing STEM careers, particularly young girls, who are disproportionately not represented in secondary education for math and science.


Break out the telescope

Sometimes, with all of the media about space, it is easy to forget that everything we are learning about is literally beyond the sky above us. If you really want to see the stars shine in your kids eyes, wait for a dark, clear night and break out the old telescope to show them how they can witness the wonders of the universe right around them. There are plenty of online resources that tell you what nights are going to be good to see particular constellations and when planets will be at their brightest.

Take them to planetariums

If you live near a city, then there is a pretty good chance that there is a planetarium or university research center that is dedicated to space nearby. What makes planetariums so fun is that they understand that building interest in space in the next generation is of the utmost importance. As such, they are full of fun and interactive installations that help explain scientific concepts about space to kids. One day in the future, plan a day trip to take your child to the closest planetarium. We promise it will blow them away.


NASA’s website

Besides Alleyoop, NASA has a multitude of fun learning tools on their website. For example, check out Space Place, which is full of fun science projects that are space-related for kids to try out. These projects are for kids of varying ages, so you’re sure to find something that will interest your child!

Be genuinely excited, yourself!

At the end of the day, excitement tends to be very contagious for children. If you are genuinely excited about something, yourself, then it is very likely that your kids are going to pick up on it and look into it themselves. Show them that excitement. After all, what is there not to be excited about the infinite universe that surrounds us?

"Every moldy bread has it's moldy cheese" - it's a saying that my mom would constantly use, and one that Caribbean people know well. Meaning that there's someone for you out there with the same values who would love you for you.


Marriage is tough! No if's, and's or but's about it, and if you want to make it work, it's something that together as a couple that you want to work hard towards. There's going to be ups and downs and you remember those wedding vows you made, whether you made them in a church, at City Hall or even at a Las Vegas drive up window. Those vows, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part can sometimes suck the life out of you, making you wish that the death do us part come a whole lot quicker for that one other person, just not you. But how do you know when your marriage is truly over and it's time to just part ways?

Most people tend to stay in a marriage because "the Lord doesn't believe in divorces", or "the children are going to suffer". Don't you think that the children are currently suffering watching the only parents they know walk around the house as strangers, not talking to each other, sleeping in separate rooms and living the single life? What example are you showing those kids? Wouldn't you rather be happy and single than miserable and married?


I'm not saying that you should just throw in the towel and call it a day. Some marriages can be worked upon, and I would always suggest giving it a try before calling it quits. There are many ways you can do this. You can try to rekindle that love that you once had before in the past, and I'll share with you how you can do so in a little while. You can try marriage counseling, and it has worked wonders for many a couple, but you have to be committed and willing to work with each other and enact change. Not just by saying "Oh I'm going to change". Show and prove! So as promised, how can you rekindle the love that you once had?

1. Do random acts of love. A "good morning how are you doing today?" text while you're out and about can bring a smile to your loved one's face. Buy flowers, (they cost about $5 at Walmart), a card or a letter telling them how much they mean to you, can help with your cause. If you're not showing the person that you love them, why would they want to stay with you?

2. Take a trip together. Even if it's only for a weekend or just a day. Fill the car up with gas and just go for a drive. Start talking and keep it light. Don't talk about the kids, or what the person did wrong. Just talk about how beautiful the day is, how was work, etc., and listen. Truly just listen. Sometimes that's all they want and oftentimes your spouse just want that one on one time that can be difficult to put together. Take a few hours out of your busy schedule to spend some alone time with your spouse.

3. Put your family first. Your family should always be your main priority and should come even before your job (in matters of emergencies) and definitely before your friends. So if your wife and husband wants to go out to watch a movie and you've already made plans with friends, cancel those plans or make them for another time. Show your spouse that they mean enough to you to put first.


4. Communicate openly. This doesn't mean argue! Express your feelings and let them know what you're feeling. How will someone know that something they're doing is bothering you if you won't say it? Remember, unless your significant other is psychic, they don't know what you're thinking. Keeping your feelings bottled up inside can lead to resentment which then can lead into other things such as hatred. Be able to have a conversation and if it leads to an argument, be able to step away and come back. You don't want to be arrested for Domestic Violence if it gets out of hand.

5. Enact Change. This is quite possibly the most important step. If something is wrong in your relationship, first find out what that cause is. Maybe you're not spending enough time together, maybe you're always at work and the other person feels like they're all alone. Ask for some time off and spend some QUALITY time with that other person. Maybe they think they're not appreciated, show them that you appreciate them. Change the way you do things and be sincere about it.


There are things you might think you can't forgive, for example, cheating, but everything is forgivable. I know a lot of people say "Oh, I'll never forgive them if they cheated", but if the person who cheated truly apologized and is sincere in their apology and is actively working towards change, then it's ok to forgive. It might be difficult to forget, but you can forgive. And this is where you may also need counseling to help you both move on. How many times have you done wrong and have been forgiven? If you're a Christian, think of how many times you've sinned and God has forgiven you? If you're not a Christian, are you perfect? You've never done anything wrong in your past? Think about it!

There are many ways to save a dying marriage, but if you know deep down that you want out, that there's no way that you want your marriage to work, then get out. Be happy and be single. If you have kids, remember, there are many single parents out there doing their thing. They are making it work and their kids are happy. Remember a happy parent means happy kids and our kids see and know more than we think they do. So make your decision. Would you rather be happy and single or miserable and married?

Have you ever been curious about boudoir photo shoots?


You’ve probably seen beautiful (and tasteful) imagery of nude women of all shapes, sizes, skin tones, and ages in magazines and thought, “I should do that one day!” What are you waiting for?! As long as you work with a photographer you trust and whose work you admire, you won’t regret doing it. I had the honor of working with Lea of Lea Flores Photography and she made me feel so very comfortable. Shedding layers for the camera in this very vulnerable way will actually minimize your insecurities. How can exposing all of your flaws and capturing them forever possibly do that? Here are 3 ways boudoir photoshoots boost self-esteem.


1. COMPARISON WILL WORK IN YOUR FAVOR

For the women sleeping with another woman's husband, it's not OK.


So your husband had an affair. That pill can be hard to swallow. You're angry, upset, hurt, disappointed, infuriated, pissed off. So many words to describe how you may feel right now. And then there's the other woman. You're also mad at her for sleeping with your husband. What happened to the girl code of, "we don't go there?" Apparently, you didn't get the memo on that one, McCall, Britney, Kayla, Amber, Chelsea, Whitney, etc.


Back in the day when I was growing up, the only conversation we had with married men was "hello, how are your wife and family?", not "hello when can we hook up?"  With today's society, it's become the norm for women (and men) to sleep with other people's partners. When did this become the norm? When did we say this is okay? How do people like this look in the mirror knowing that the man, or woman, they are sleeping with belongs to someone else?

And more importantly, how can that man (or woman) come home to their family knowing they did wrong.

Cheating can ruin many things:

The wife's feelings (or husband's). There are no words to describe how a woman feels after finding out her husband slept with someone else. She can no longer trust her husband, and many times this is enough for a spouse to walk away.

Lives are affected. Not only does the wife get hurt, but the children may also be affected by this. There's pain, embarrassment, and potential gossip the family will endure. Cheating on a partner may lead to a period of separation and divorce. Think of how a child must feel knowing their Mom or Dad left them for another family?

Distrust between husband and wife. The victim can no longer trust their partner. This bond has been broken, and it can be hard to rekindle.


How does it feel to know you may be the cause of a divorce? How does it feel to know he will never really ever be yours, and you're just another Taylor Swift song? For a mistress, you may think the wife is the stupid one. But you are being played as well. The only person that has it going their way in all of this is the husband. He gets to have his cake and eat it too (until it's all gone and have to deal with the mess he created).  He is lying to you, telling you he is going to leave his wife and kids, but you and I both know that's not going to happen. You are the side chick that is easily replaceable. Valentine's Day, Christmas, birthdays, etc. are always going to be spent with the family, you will come after that.

For a side chick, this would not be a pleasant life to live. Some women enjoy being a side chick and purposely helping to wreck marriages. The blame starts with the man. But if you, as a woman, know you are messing with a married man, why would you continue pursuing it? How would you feel if the tables were turned on you? Women that can put aside their morals, the girl code, and all the red signs of pursuing a married man, exposes how little they value themselves. Is your self worth that low that you would stoop to being with someone that's already involved with another, instead of finding your own?  Do you not think that you're capable of finding your own?


I find it hard to sympathize with someone who thinks that they're "in-love" with another's partner. Love takes time to grow and during that time you might have found out that he had a family, so why continue your relationship? You wouldn't go into a department store and steal the clothing off the racks, so why would you take someone that belongs to someone else? Life is short and there is someone out there for you, just not that one!

Enjoy the Wholotta Box from Taco Bueno for a Wholitta bit of cash.


Every Tuesday at my house we have Taco Tuesday, it's a tradition that we've celebrating for a few years. It's also something that the entire family looks forward to. However, it can get very costly, especially when you're preparing meals for a family of 6. When I heard of Taco Bueno's game changer, the Wholotta Box, it was the answer to my prayers. I would no longer have to be in front of the stove, and I would actually be saving money. How you ask me? Well, I would be able to get an entire "party box" for only $10. Yes you read that right - ONLY $10!


So what do you get with the Taco Bueno Wholotta Box?

You get 12 party tacos (or party burritos), two sides of beans, two sides of rice, chips and Bueno’s signature Original Red Sauce made in-house daily. You can also mix and match your tacos and burritos. In my case, we ended up getting 6 tacos and 6 burritos and for $10, you really can't go wrong.

They were a hit in my household with my son even telling me that they tasted so much better than my own.

The Taco Bueno's Wholotta Box is available at participating restaurants for a limited time.


Taco Bueno is passionate about providing better tasting Tex-Mex, prepared daily with fresh, hand-selected ingredients. Founded in 1967 in Abilene, Texas, Taco Bueno operates 183 restaurants in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Sorry East Coasters!

Today we're giving away a $25 Taco Bueno Gift Card so you can experience the Taco Bueno Wholotta Box for yourself. Winner will be randomly selected by PromoSimple and will have 48hrs to respond to the winning email. Failure to do so will mean forfeiting your prize and a new winner will be selected. Good luck!

Have you tried the yummy, delicious goodness that is MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy?


I have a confession to make! I'm addicted to both OREO's and Chocolate. In my house I actually hide my OREO's from my kids, especially the double stuffed variety. You can call me greedy, but if I don't, it'll be gone before I've even had a bite, because everyone loves them. Last spring we took a trip to London and I fell in love with the MILKA brand so when I was recently at Walmart, I happened upon the MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy? Was I dreaming, did they combine two of my favorite things together? They sure did and I just had to get it!


I grabbed whatever MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy I could get my hands on at my local Walmart and my daughter thought that I was going crazy. Why did I need two of every variety that was available? Was I not going to leave any for the other customers? Was I at least going to share when I got home? Are you kidding me? Should I even justify her questions with answers? I didn't think so, but I did. I needed 2 because when things are so good, you just need two of them. I was going to leave a FEW for the other customers, but if I went back and there were more, I was going to take those too. NO, I was not going to share when I got home, even if I had two, because they were mine!



I know, I'm the meanest mom on the planet, but if you had these MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy, you wouldn't want to share either. The crunchy bits of OREO, crème filling, and rich European Milka chocolate make the most delicious treat. They melt effortlessly in your mouth, creating a harmonious symphony of flavor. Don't believe me? While I can't show you HOW they taste, just take a look at what you're missing out on if you haven't them before.


Did I tempt you too much? It's the same way I tempted my kids after they learned that they weren't going to get any of my yummy, delicious MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy. However, I have good news for you. You will be able to try MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy for FREE at your local Walmart on select days and times from 5/18 – 5/21. MILKA OREO will be having in-store demonstrations at select Walmart stores. It doesn't stop there! Use this Ibotta offer to get $.50 off your MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy.

The good news still doesn't end there.

I'm giving away 5 - YES 5 - $25 Walmart Gift Cards so you can buy even more MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy. I want you to take a picture of you enjoying your MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy and tag @TheAnnmarieJohn on social media using the hashtag #TryOREOChocolate as well as enter our giveaway form below. I will be choosing 5 lucky winners on June 1st. Good luck and enjoy your MILKA OREO.

Will you be giving MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy a try?

Tried getting your kids outdoors and it's not working? We share some tips on how you can get your kids outdoors in collaboration with the Schwinn SmartStart™ bicycle.

As a parent, one of my greatest frustrations are my children not wanting to leave the house. OK, I understand them wanting to be indoors during the winter, but once the weather heats up I expect them to go outside and be kids. I would bring up the story about me growing up and playing outdoors until the sun went down. We didn't have iPads and cell phones or video game systems. We played with jump ropes and whatever we could play with and what fun we had! I know that times are different now, but I live in a very safe neighborhood, in a cul-de-sac, no less, where the only people who come in are the people who live there. Everyone knows everyone and there's even a neighborhood watch.

However, getting my children to go outside can be like pulling teeth. They'd much rather sit down with their electronics or on their video games. One of my biggest pet peeves is my 12-year-old watching people play video games on YouTube, the very same games that he owns. Or my 5-year-old watching unboxing of candy and toys, or even grownups playing WITH toys. It drives me crazy! When that happens, I know it's definitely time to go outdoors. So how do I get them to go out? I'll be sharing a few tips with you, and I'll also be introducing the newest lineup of Schwinn, the Schwinn SmartStart™ bikes for your little ones.


Give Technology Incentives
This is great for older children who may not want to ever go out. For every hour they spend outdoors, they may get an extra 30 minutes for their video games or other tech. This always seems to work. It's also a win-win. They get the outdoor time you want them to have, and they get the tech time they think they need.Win-win!

Turn Off Their Tech
For the stubborn older children sometimes turning off their tech might be the only option. Take away the video game systems, the cell phones, the tablets and send them outside. I know in order for my 12yr old to go outside, I would have to turn his Xbox off completely, it seems to be the only thing that works with him.

Make Outdoors Enticing
Make your backyard or front yard, a place where your children would actually want to play. If you have a big enough yard, you may want to set up a play-zone with a swing or trampoline. If your children are into basketball, you may also want to have basketball hoop where he can practice his jump. If your child knows there is actually something he enjoys doing outside, they might be more inclined to go outside.

Get Involved
Practice what you preach! If you go outdoors, your children are more than likely to follow your example. You can't expect your children to want to go outdoors if you're always stuck in the house as well. Get outside and play with your kids. Skipping ropes, play hopscotch and have fun with your kids, go for a walk or even ride a bike.


Bike riding is one of the things that can bring the family together and get them all outdoors. For your little ones Schwinn has a really fantastic line of bikes called SmartStart™. Unlike other bikes which are really just a smaller version of adult bikes, the Schwinn SmartStart™ is modified to fit a child's unique body type.


Madison at age 5 is learning how to ride a bike and I want her to have a good experience. She's been riding balance bikes at a very young age, but now needed to learn how to actually pedal. It's very important that when you purchase a bike for yourself or your child, that you're purchasing the one that is best suited to your needs. For example, I never noticed before that the handlebars on her older bikes were more more suited for bigger kids. I've never paid attention until the Schwinn SmartStart™ which has a smaller handlebar which makes it so much easier for her to grip and in turn steer. When you're a preschooler with small hands, you want to be able to hold things properly, especially your bike. You want to be in control, and not have the bike control you.

The seats are also designed to match and support her smaller stature, they also have narrower pedal positions that match the width of her hips. Seeing that Madison is very tiny, although rather tall for her age, it's good to have a bike where her legs aren't spread too far apart while she pedals. What that means for her is that she is seated a lot more comfortably on her bike. The Schwinn SmartStart™ is also lighter than other bikes so it's easier for her to control.


I can't begin to tell you how much her confidence has grown since she's started riding her Schwinn SmartStart™. She still has her training wheels on which I plan on removing since I can see how much she enjoys riding, and I think she's ready. She has been riding now on a daily basis, unless the weather isn't great of course, but there has been such an improvement in her bike riding skills thanks to her new Schwinn SmartStart™. She has been showing me how much easier it is for her to stop and turn and demonstrating all her cool moves. Now she loves going outside, if only to ride her new bike.

So get your kids, get your bikes out and enjoy the great outdoors. Schwinn has a great bike selection for the entire family so no-one is left out, however, don't forget your safety helmet!


What are your impression of the Schwinn SmartStart™ and how do you get your kids outdoors? 

Are you always hiding BEHIND the camera? Today I shared the reasons why I now share more of myself and how Poise has helped me gain my confidence back.


I used to get asked all the time, why don't you show more of yourself? Why don't you post more photos of you? Why is it just photos of Madison? And I would always say, "I'm not photogenic enough to get in-front of the camera". It's not that I think that I'm ugly, or that I'm shy, I have never felt comfortable in front of a camera or been comfortable in my own skin. I have never liked seeing myself in photos but I've started changing that, and it's not because I feel MORE comfortable. That's very far from the truth, it's all for my kids.


I lost my mother almost 2 years ago and it still hurts, every day I think about her and every day I wish that she were still here with me. When I went back to the Caribbean to bury my mother, I took her photo albums because that's all I wanted. I wanted the memories, but I recently decided to take a look at them, and to my surprise, my mother was very much like me. She hated being in front of the camera as well and her photo albums consisted of pictures of me as a child and pictures of the grand children. What happened to the photos of her? What happened to the years and years of her life that she spent on this earth? What happened to the many trips that we took together? Why were there only photos of me and none of her? Why were there hardly any photos of us together? It's because my mother as I mentioned was just like me. She loved me enough that she wanted as many photos as she can of me, but she didn't think that I would also love to see more photos of her as well.


As a mother, we love our children and we want to preserve as many photos as we can of them, from the time they were born right up until they graduate college, get married, have children of their own, then it's photos of the grandchildren, as in the case of my mother. What about the photos of us? I then made a mental decision. I don't want to be like my mother. I want to have photos that my kids can look back upon. Photos of our trips together, photos of us spending time together, and photos of me. Raw, true to life photos. Photos of me smiling and laughing as hard as I could, photos of me crying, photos of me being silly, playing games with them, photos of me just being me and enjoying their childhood and me being a mother.


This isn't just for me. When the day arrives, where I cross over to the other side, I would love for each of my children to have their own photo album that they can share with their own children. That they can say, this is a picture of your grandmother, or great grandmother, or even great-great grandmother. I may not be photogenic, I may not be fashion forward, but I'm me and I want to share that with my generation.


However it hasn't always been this easy for me. I used to hate laughing out loud and being my silly old self. Laughing out loud would have absolutely meant that I would leak. As a matter of fact, laughing, jogging, playing basketball with son, any sort of activity would mean that I would somehow end up with an underwear that wasn't completely dry. I was diagnosed with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) a few years ago, so I suffer from Light Bladder Leakage (LBL), trust me it's not as sexy as it sounds. I was missing out on what life had to offer and missing out spending and enjoying time with my kids. As you know, I have talked about Poise Impressa quite a few times on my blog here because they have worked for me, but I also use the liners as well which also work extremely well. They go hand in hand and just like my wallet and cell phone, I never leave home without them. Here's something to note, Poise Impressa doesn't absorb leaks, they stop them before they even happen and because our bodies aren't all shaped the same, you can buy a sizing kit (available at Walmart) to figure out what size you are. It's not a one size fits all. I'm a size 1 and that's what I use.


Now I can truly enjoy myself because I know that Poise has me covered. I can spin and twirl and laugh as much as I want. I can now get in front of the camera and show not just the world that I am me, but I now have photos that my children can show their children, and their children can show their children, just what an amazing person I was (yes I'm also conceited). I can now seize my Poise Moment!