Vintage Indie

Sponsored Feature: Invisalign and what I wish I would have known then.

  Truth in Review: This is a sponsored post. However all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

    Let's go back about ten years as of last month. Walking down the isle in my beautiful wedding gown, waiting for my prince charming at the other end. Wedding pictures galore and memories to last forever. A beautiful night and an amazing memory for sure. However, roll back time a few months before the big day when I decided to get braces. At the time I'm not sure why I chose to get braces several months before my wedding day, but I was determined to finally get the straight teeth that I always wanted. Fast forward to the present time and you won't find many wedding photos adorning our walls. One of my biggest regrets were the big metal braces in every single photo. I wish I would have known about Invisalign then. 

    Invisalign would have prevented those big wrap around braces from entering all of my beautiful wedding photos. In fact, I could have taken my Invisalign aligners out for pictures. Yep, that would have been nice. This time around when it comes to my boys and their teen years of the ultimate need for braces thanks to me and their dad, we'll be looking into Invisalign Teen. 

    Some of my favorite aspects of Invisalign Teen is that they can be removed to eat. No more worrying about flossing, flossing and let's not forget all of the flossing! Of course that means, you can't just forego the flossing but I can imagine the frustration of having to remind them to floss after every little bite. Afterall plaque build up isn't fun. 

    When looking ahead to our near future of braces, I'm excited that the cost of Invisalign is roughly the same compared to traditional metal braces. I'm also thrilled that if they want to play sports, or play a musical instrament that they can remove the aligner to do so. No more risk of broken wires, brackets and painful pokes in the side of the cheek. 

Visit the Invisalign Website for more information abou the clear alternative to braces. 

What about you? Have you used Invisalign? And if so, what was your experience?

 

 

 

Truth in Review: This is a sponsored post. However all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Visit our Disclaimer/Disclosure Page for more information.

An Anniversary Letter to Him.

 

thewordwithin

 

And so it was, TEN years ago today. I came up those stairs, daughter in arm of father, and for the life of me I could not breath.  The undergarment was just too much. It wasn't you. It wasn't about that day. It was squeezing me tightly and I couldn't take it. This was my day, our day, THE day. So I slipped it off before turning the corner.

Though the look on my face was that of a scared "deer in the headlights" kind of look, I knew my breath of fresh air was there. He was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. All I had to do was take a moment, breath him in and he was mine forever. We became one. One body, one soul, life mates. Somehow in the crazy mess-of-a-world we were both living in, God, fate, the inter-webs, they brought us together. 

It is our love story, and one I'm proud to recall this day with you. 

 

xoxo me. 

Vintage Indie Life: What I Find Most Attractive about Your Husband

 

Soul Mates by photographer ©Susannah Tucker 

Today I'd like to direct your attention to an article written by a fellow writer friend of mine from Home Educating Family Magazine, Shari Popejoy. "What I Find Most Attractive about Your Husband"  Originally published January 2013 by Today's Christian Woman Marriage Partnership,was one of those articles that I think is worth a look for today's married couple. 

 

"That ring means he has a wife who honors and respects him, makes good on her promises to him, and makes sure he never regrets that vow he made. It means you'll put the kids to bed early tonight or give up some time with the girls so you can spend some extra moments with him. It means that even if you come home to a messy house, or kids in meltdown, or enough household chores to equal a second job, you'll take a moment to take his hand."

 

I'm encouraging husbands and wives to give it a few moments of your time. While this isn't something we normally discuss here at VI, marriage is an important topic and one I'm passionate about. Marriage is hard work, not something to be taken lightly. When we love one another with such  passion and grace thinking about each other instead of ourselves, marriage can truly last a lifetime.

I know to some Valentine's Day is a cliche, a Hallmark Holiday if you will, but around here it's a friendly reminder of the day my husband proposed to me. It is a reminder of how I want the next 10, even 20 years of our marriage to go. It is a reminder that I want to last forever and for that to happen it will take time, dedication, and commitment on so many levels from both of us. 

Thanks for taking the time to give this article some thought and I wish you and your loved one a very happy marriage full of love, grace for one another and passion to last a lifetime. xoxo Gabreial  

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Tim Hawkins is one of our favorite "clean" comedians. Enjoy a few laughs with your family while you're preparing for a busy couple of days. 

Tim on Christmas Music

 

Tim Hawkins on Gifts

 

 

Tim Hawkins on Dangerous Toys 

 

Merry Christmas!

XOXO The VI Family 

O Holy Night

A yearly tradition of words so beautiful and full of precious meaning. May your family find peace this Christmas. May you be blessed with true hope in Jesus Christ. 

 

 

 

Praying for the families in Connecticut, praying for all of those hurting in the world, praying that they find Jesus in this very dark hour.

 

2 Thessalonians 3

King James Version (KJV)

3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

² And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

³ But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

⁵ And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Amen 

 

 

Leading Lady Boutique: Nursing Cami

You may remember Leading Lady Boutique from our virtual baby shower a few months ago. Well I'm back to give you the full review of the Nursing Cami that Leading Lady Boutique provided for me during the baby shower.

Now that I'm traveling out a bit more with baby girl, I'm trying to get the hang of nursing a wee one while out and about again. My plan is to go as long as possible and nurse until she's ready to stop (also known as Baby Led Weaning). Of course, that topic is for another day, but the importance of convenient nursing clothing will help me in achieving this goal for her and myself. 

 The cami features a built in bra and adjustable straps. The straps also feature an easy snap/unsnap access for quick nursing. It is made of soft and stretchy material for full coverage of my tummy, while nursing. I think this cami will be ideal in winter months when I can layer a sweater over top. The nursing cami has truly come in handy and I'm already looking to purchase more of them in different colors. 

A special thank you to Leading Lady Boutique for providing their nursing cami for my review. 

 

Truth in Review: The above product was provided free of charge for our review. We were not paid for any content in our review and the review is that of our personal opinions. - Gabreial Wyatt, Editor. Visit our Disclaimer/Disclosure Page for more info.

Raising Healthy Kids Month 2012: Parenting boys 9-12 Boot-Camp Tonight! Reminder

If you've been looking for some great parenting advice for your son aged 9-12, Hal & Melanie Young of Raising Real Men have a spectacular Boot Camp lined up for you. Even if you can't join tonight, you'll be able to join and listen and hear the archives for a whole year! My husband and I really enjoyed last weeks session and hope you'll join in this week. 

 

Here's what the Boot Camp is all about. 

 

We’ll be discussing:

Brains Turned to Mush

Temptation Everywhere

Dating and Courtship

Homeschooling High School

Jobs & Entrepreneurship

Doing Real Things in the Real World

Becoming Young Adults, not Sullen Teens

Loving these years!

 

Don't wait! The Bootcamp Starts tonight at 8EST, but remember if you sign up and can't attend tonight, you'll be able to catch up later in the week. 

Visit Raising Real Men for more information on registration. 

 

Vintage Indie Kids: Ruffles and Lace!

I've been waiting for ruffles and lace! In God's perfect timing our little family is so ecstatic to share with you we're having a girl!  I'm over the moon excited and so are all the fellas here. We're counting down to July! 

Handmade lace ruffle rompers!  I'll take one of each of these please ,from Chicabootique.  These can then  scrunched down to make bloomers for two products in one! Visit Chica Boo and shop handmade for your little love. 

 

 

All images © Copyright of their owners.

Photography credit - Top Right Jennifer Porcaro Photography

 

Faith: Resolutions? No, the Tool You Need to be Fulfilled in 2012

 

 

If you didn't catch our Facebook post about this article, I invite you over to Home Educating Family Magazine's new blog to see my first article there. 

xoxo Gabreial

On the Road with The Bellaires: Saul Good, Lexington, KY Restaurant Review

 

Traveling through Lexington? Take a short trip off Man O War Blvd to Saul Good and you will definitely believe just that when you taste the food and beverages served at this comfortable and cool restaurant. The dining experience, overall restaurant appeal, and welcome feeling will delight you. 

 

From the dining area to the restrooms – the focus and attention to cleanliness and detail is readily apparent. The décor and surroundings are soft, quiet, and comfortable, with room to spare. A patio with fireplace is also available for larger groups of those who desire a more natural or private setting. And the food menu – well – the prices are very reasonable for meals, drinks, and dessert and the selection was varied for any taste without being burdensome or overwhelming.  

 

Our first order was the flank steak and beer cheese nachos. This dish was UNBELIEVABLE .  There was a delicious cheese and garlic combination and a taste unlike any other. I suggest you share with a friend. It is not only a kind and amiable gesture, but it will also help you to make room for dessert which should not be passed. Our second order was the chicken lettuce wraps served with delicious (spicy) peanut, szechwan, and/or sweet chili sauce and this was a family favorite. If you can’t decide on a sauce - try all three. Throw in a tri-tini sampler or miniature martinis of pixi stix, candy bar, and pomegranate flavors and you are set for a casual small but “Saul Good” dinner.

 

For dessert we decided on fondue for three. Pretzels, strawberries, rice crispy treat squares, and bananas ready to dip in a dark chocolate sauce. A perfect choice. The fruit was fresh, the pretzels crisp, and the rice crispy treats provided a playful way to enjoy the delicious dark chocolate. In trying to find the description of this sweet delight, my son summed it up perfectly when he stated…….. “this is heaven.”

 

Do not miss the chance to enjoy good food, great hospitality, and some unique conversation if you are traveling through Lexington Kentucky. Only 5-10 minutes from any highway, and at very reasonable cost, Soul Good restaurant will be a welcome visit. 

 

Husband and wife team, Prescott and Lynne Bellaire are parents to two grown daughters and one son at home. Lynne home educates, and loves teaching on the road. Both enjoy traveling and have been to a total of 43 states. They spend their spare time involved in educational activities with their son, visiting local museums, participating in Cub Scout activities and various community events. They hope to bring some good eats, and special stops to Vintage Indie while they're on the road. 

I've missed you!

Hello lovelies,

How is everyone doing? Did you miss me while I was away? I hope you enjoyed my special guests, Casey of Elegant Musings and Elizabeth Holcombe. I sure did enjoy reading their features when I returned. Please help me thank them by visiting their sites. They are all a chock full of vintage goodness.

My family and I just returned from a trip of a lifetime. We had a wonderful time with great friends. We've never ventured out of the U.S. before and took the plunge this past couple of weeks.  My camera was ruined during our cave tubing adventure in Belize, but thank goodness for the boys DSi's, I captured some beautiful scenery (although a bit grainy). I thought I'd post a few here if your like me and facing the cold weather season, boo right!

Costa Maya

Costa Maya

I could move to the beach or an island for that matter. I love me some sunshine!

I hope to show you more of our trip including a few from our cave tubing adventure. You have got to meet Dave of Cave Tubing R Us!

Have a great day everyone,

Gabreial

Vintage Indie Life: Auction Hunters Coming to SPIKE Tomorrow

We don't watch a lot of T.V. around here, but when we do it is usually something educational or something hubby and I are both interested in. When I got wind of Auction Hunters, a new show starting tomorrow November 9th on Spike, I added it to our calendar. Auction Hunters is similar to other shows in the same respects as going on a treasure hunt, but there's a catch. They have no idea what could be behind the doors of the abandoned storage units. Have any of you ever bid on one of these before? I've been curious, but nervous about what I was spending my money on. Wouldn't it be great to land a unit full of vintage treasures!

 

Every day in America, there are over ten thousand abandoned storage units that are put up for public auction. Each unit has the potential to be a goldmine or a bust for those who make their living hunting unclaimed property. This eight half-hour episode series follows two of the best prospectors in the business, Clinton "Ton" Jones and Allen Haff, in their quest to win auctions, acquire treasure and sell it for profit.

 

If you happen to catch the show, let us know what you think!

Auction Hunters Trailer | SpikeTV | SPIKE.com

 

Truth in Review: This is a paid review, however All reviews posted by me are truthful in content and specific wording is not bought. An embeded video was required for the payment. Gabreial Visit our Disclaimer/Disclosure for more info.

Frugal Tips for Mama's: Mega Swag Bucks Today

Hey everyone, I just wanted to remind you that today is Mega Swag Bucks Friday!

Swag Bucks is a free rewards system. The concept is easy, you just use the Swag Bucks tool bar or search engine or their home page like you would any other search engine to earn free Swag Bucks and in turn cash them in for gift cards to places like Amazon. Amazon is great for us because we love shopping for organics, school supplies, books and the like. A $5.00 Amazon Gift Card is only 450 Swag Bucks and it doesn't take long to rack them up. 

Mega Swag Bucks details;

Friday's you can earn swag bucks in multiples of 50,100,200 or even 1,000 just for searching.

If you'd like to get started, head over to Swag Bucks to find out more details. It's free to sign up and no strings attached. I'm saving my bucks up for something big I'd like to buy at Amazon. What will you use your Swag Bucks for?

xoxox Mamas! ♥ Gabreial

(by the way the link up there is a referral link, help me, help you)

Hey everyone, I just wanted to remind you that today is Mega Swag Bucks Friday!

Swag Bucks is a free rewards system. The concept is easy, you just use the Swag Bucks tool bar or search engine or their home page like you would any other search engine to earn free Swag Bucks and in turn cash them in for gift cards to places like Amazon. Amazon is great for us because we love shopping for organics, school supplies, books and the like. A $5.00 Amazon Gift Card is only 450 Swag Bucks and it doesn't take long to rack them up. 

Mega Swag Bucks details;

Friday's you can earn swag bucks in multiples of 50,100,200 or even 1,000 just for searching.

If you'd like to get started, head over to Swag Bucks to find out more details. It's free to sign up and no strings attached. I'm saving my bucks up for something big I'd like to buy at Amazon. What will you use your Swag Bucks for?

xoxox Mamas! ♥ Gabreial

(by the way the link up there is a referral link, help me, help you)

God Bless America

We thank you for your bravery, for your courage and for fighting for our freedom. We thank our Lord and Savior for His grace and his protection over you. 

 

"We shall trust Him in the darkness as well as in the light. He has said, “I will not fail thee or forsake thee” [Joshua 1:5]. The Christian’s faith is that which trusts the Unseen Power which lies behind all open manifestation. No matter what threatens, he knows God will send His protecting angels to keep charge over him. What is history but the recorded result of these invisible forces?"  - Wall Builders

Image courtesy of Vintage Holiday Crafts

Happy Mother's Day

I'm thankful for two wonderful boys who light up my life just from a look in their direction. I'm so thankful to God, and Jesus my Lord and Savior for my healthy children. I'm thankful he gave me the only true thing I've ever wanted, to be a wife and a mom. 

(Nature Club Photo from our Trip to the Arboretum)

Children are full of so many great qualities that we sometimes take for granted. Like the times they make you smile, when you're sad, frustrated and tired. 

(My youngest love, smelling the sweet blooms.)

I'm thankful for those times and for scriptures of sweet reminders that God has given me. ²

² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
       but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)


( My oldest love , showing me what he found )

I love them...



Happy Mother's Day to all of my lovely readers. I hope you find some cheer this Mother's Day.

♥ Gabreial

Random Tips for Mama's : Swag Bucks

Hey everyone,

This is completely out of character for me and Vintage Indie, but I know a lot of other mamas read the blog and I wanted to pass on this great tip to you. I heard about Swag Bucks not to long ago and since have already started earning them.

The concept is easy, you just use the Swag Bucks tool bar or search engine like you would any other search engine to earn free Swag Bucks and in turn cash them in for gift cards to places like Amazon. Amazon is great for us because we love shopping for organics, school supplies, books and the like.

If you'd like to get started, head over to Swag Bucks to find out more details. It's free to sign up and no strings attached. I've actually had a lot of fun with it this week.

xoxox Mamas! ♥ Gabreial

(by the way the link up there is a referral link, help me, help you)

Organic Whole Living Recipes: Honey Maple Caramel Corn

 I thought I would take a minute to post a recent recipe I came up with. This may be similar to one you've used in the past, but I've tried giving it a healthier spin using no brown sugar or corn syrup! You'll also be able to find this recipe at the Homeschooling Foodies blog. I posted a yummy cumin green bean recipe there recently as well.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Organic Popping Corn Kernels

4 T Butter ( I used Amish Salted Rolled Butter )

1 T Unsulphured Molasses

1/3c. Raw Filtered Honey

3 T Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2t. Pink Sea Salt (or any salt you prefer)

1t. Vanilla Extract

1/2t. Baking Powder

Directions: Preheat oven to 300.

Step One - Pop One Cup of Corn Kernals into a large lasagna pan. I use an air popper which requires no oil. We love it.

I didn't quite use the full cup, I ran out of room in my pan. This was two cycles in the popper.

Step Two - in a small saucepan add remaining ingredients except for the vanilla.

4 T Butter ( I used Amish Salted Rolled Butter )

1 T Unsulphured Molasses

1/3c. Raw Filtered Honey

3 T Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2t. Pink Sea Salt (or any salt you prefer) 

 

Honey & Butter

Molasses

Maple Syrup & Salt

Warm on the stove medium high heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, boil for three minutes stirring and being careful not to burn.

Step Four - Remove from stove and stir in vanilla and baking powder. Continue to stir so that the mixture does not overflow in your pan. 

Step Five - Pour mixture over popcorn. Stir to combine. Don't worry if it doesn't coat all of it. 

Step Six - Place in the 300 degree oven for 15 min, checking not to burn. Remove from oven and stir mixture from the bottom up. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove and let cool, stirring again if you'd like.

I didn't have very much stick to the pan, if you'd like you could coat the pan with a cooking spray. They make that in an organic variety now too.

Honey Maple Caramel Corn

 Have a great weekend! We'll be busy with the finishing touches on our home, before we put the for sale sign in the yard!

♥ Gabreial

Making the Most of Monday: Spring Break & Big News!

If you are new to the magazine, Making the Most of Monday is a regular part of our features. Mondays  signify one important thing, a fresh start. It's like a new years resolution at the start of every week.

Hopefully by Monday you've taken some off time during the weekend to rejuvenate, spend quality time with loved ones and friends, which makes Monday your chance to really get to work and make the most of your week.

Good morning everyone!

How was your weekend? Was it everything you expected it to be? Ours certainly was not. We made some big decisions over the weekend and we're truly very excited. We've decided to put our home up for sale and quite quickly!  With that said, we're taking spring break here to clean up, paint a few things and hopefully have a sign in the yard very soon.

Posts at Vintage Indie will be very light this week, I hope you understand.

Have a great week, we'll see you back here soon.

PS. If you know anyone looking for a fabulous house in Northern Kentucky, let me know!

♥ Gabreial

Don't forget to enter our giveaway! Going on now.

Teach Me: Enjoying Winter Snow

We're enjoying learning about nature first hand. We're experiencing it in a new way since our new found love of learning has touched us so. We're touching it, seeing it smelling it, analyzing and imagining, just by taking a step outside. 

The boys were excited when I laced up my snow boots to travel with them into their enchanting woods. The one where their pet snake and groundhog both live. We enjoyed sights of bits of green showing through the depths of winter.

 We took notice of deer prints and droppings, wasn't that exciting! Actually, it was fun to spend some time in the deers world for a bit. We imagined where they were or what they could be doing. We talked about how they survive the winter. 

Looking up in the sky to a tall tree.

We talked about the smelly green onions, still bright green and still smelling strong despite the winter cold. Yesterday's blue sky was breathtaking and the snow reflection was incredibly bright. I wish I would have taken a picture of the sky for you. That's all for now, I'm sure we'll have plenty more snow to show you very soon.

How are you enjoying winter days?

Snow Report: Peterborough Ontario

You all are just having way to much fun in the snow. It is really taking that gloom of winter and making it more enjoyable.

Stephanie of Peterborough Ontario writes, " Here are some pictures from the tobogganing my husband to be and I did on the weekend with a great group of friends! The hill was huge and icy and snowy all at the same time. The weather has been about -15 every day for the past couple weeks usually with light flurries every day."

Thanks so much Stephanie!

Family 2010: Goals

Since I've decided to go a little more personal here at Vintage Indie, I thought I would share a few things with you. A week ago my boys and I sat down to discuss how we would like to change, explore and live differently this year. (We later discussed all of this over dinner with daddy-o).  I laid out only one rule for setting these goals. They couldn't be material things/goals, meaning we couldn't buy them.

I loved what their little hearts came up with.

1. Become closer as a family unit.

We laid out and discussed a few ways that we could make this possible.

a. Get closer to God (my oldest love)

b. more family time

c. work together

d. ride bikes (my youngest love) 

2. Really explore nature & life around us.

a. go on more nature walks

b. take our new puppy on walks

c. really indulge in our family garden

My favorite part about all of this, is that these things can be achieved, they are realistic. They are reachable!  They only need love, time and commitment. Resolutions don't have to be materialistic, besides you can't buy happiness, right? If you are interested, I wrote a post on our church's blog this past week titled Resolutions? No, the tool you need to be fulfilled in 2010. 

What kinds of non materialistic goals have you set for yourself or your family this year?

xoxo - Gabreial

Snow Report: Lori from New York

We're studying snow, ice and all things weather around these parts and we're appreciating your photos! We're finally getting some real snow around here too!

  Vintage Indie reader Lori from east end of Long Island's North Fork sent us these photos, snow on the beach!

Greetings from snowy New York.    We were blessed with 26" of snow a few days before Christmas.  I have attached a few photos of my neighborhood beach called Harbor Lights.

Thanks Lori for sharing your photos with us! I bet that furry guy is loving the snow.

Snow Report: Susie L from Baltimore, Maryland

We're studying snow, ice and all things weather around these parts and we're appreciating your photos! We're finally getting some real snow around here too!

First up Vintage Indie reader Susie L.  from Baltimore, Maryland .

Susie writes, " We got bomb-barded with 14" in December '09. We aren't use to it...we've been having mild winters for the past 10 years or so. It was lovely to see though and made it so very nice for Christmas. We have more snow headed our way Friday...here we go again."

Thanks Susie!

Keep your winter weather photos coming!

xoxo Gabreial

Teach Me: Show Your Snow!

We're studying snow here at home and I'd love to be able to show them snow from all over the world. If you have some snow, can you email some snapshots to us? I'll be featuring them here.

Please leave your first name last initial with your city and state. We look forward to seeing your snow!

While we're learning, this is a Dendrite Snowflake photograph. This was taken by my friend Melissa over at In the Sparrows Nest from our most recent Northern Kentucky snow!  She is also the co-owner of Shining Dawn Books, visit them soon for their latest unit study Snow and Ice.

Snowcrystals.com is another great resource for snowflakes and snow crystals.

Happy snowing!

Sacrifice

As I woke up this Veterans Day morning, I realized that this Veterans Day would be very difficult for so many families. Although, I'm sure it is never easy.  After the horrific attack at Fort Hood, I can't even imagine the thoughts that race through the minds of families involved.  I can't even begin to understand how you feel. As a matter of fact, I can't even comprehend what it is like waking up daily with a loved one gone on military duty. I can't even fathom what wives, mothers, fathers, husbands, brothers or sisters do each day without their loved one being just a phone call away. Military families sacrifice so much.

One definition from Webster Dictionary defines sacrifice as, destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b : something given up or lost.  I define what you do as selfless.

Whatever your reason is for joining your particular branch of the military, you are ultimately making a sacrifice for my family, my children and for our freedom. For this, I am truly grateful. My family and I will keep you in our prayers and hope that you can find comfort and peace today.

Gabreial

 ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. - 2 Corinthians 3-4. NIV (Whole Chapter)