Friday Five {Vacation Essentials} + Amazon Gift Card Winner

Hi! For today's five on Friday post I thought I'd share 5 vacation essentials that I have packed in my bag. I leave bright and early {like super early} tomorrow morning and I can't wait! I'll see y'all back here on Monday the 21st! In the meantime I'll be posting lots of vacation pics on Instagram :)

Hoodie Bikini Towel Flip-flops Sea Salt Spray

 The winner of the $25 Amazon gift card is Marta "A Bilingual Baby"! Marta please email me and I will get your gift card out to you!

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Turning the Tables by Teresa Giudice {a Book Review}

Ok guys, this is my first time writing a book review so please forgive me if it isn't all that great. Without giving anything away for those who want to read the book, this is my constructive opinion of Turning the Tables by Teresa Giudice.

First of all, it's a super easy read. Like really, really easy! You could definitely get this done in just a few hours. I personally love an easy read but if you are looking for something challenging, you might want to skip over this book. I loved the stories that Teresa told about her stay at Danbury but they weren't so intriguing that when I put the book down, I was dying to get back into it. It just wasn't one of those books that you can't put down. It was good, but not great. 

Teresa starts the first couple chapters of her book by giving us a rundown of her family and background. If you are a RHONJ fan like I am, you might find these chapters somewhat boring since we have already learned so much about her on the show. Obviously Teresa wrote the book as a memoir and with the understanding that not everyone watches RHONJ so I totally get why she included these chapters. With that being said, I DID learn a few new things about her but for the most part could have done without those chapters. 

I was really excited when the focus of her book turned to her prison sentence... that's the whole reason I picked up the book in the first place! She tells us in detail about her last night with her family which was completely heartbreaking. I'm not a mother so I can only imagine how she must have felt leaving her four children and husband. Ugh! She then tells us about what happened when she arrived. I think she did a great job of explaining everything because I could picture it all in my head and truly understood how she felt in that moment.

The book continues and she tells us about the challenges she faced while incarcerated- everything from roommates having sex in the room while she was in there to the 2 year old meat that was served from the kitchen. It was shocking but this was exactly what I was looking forward to from the book... so these were my favorite parts to read.

 

I do think that Teresa used this book as a way to convince fans that she is not mean or cold hearted {like the show RHONJ often portrayed}. Throughout the book she shows examples of when other people told her she was the "sweetest girl ever". I thought "oh that's nice". But then after the third time it got old and I got the sense she was heavy on self praise. I honestly like Teresa but this rubbed me the wrong way. I also don't like how she never took responsibility for why she was in there. She mentioned a few times that when she was faced with a challenge she would think to herself "why am I even in here?". That told me that she wasn't really owning what she did and again, that rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall though, I enjoyed the book! I also liked that she included excerpts from her diary and pictures from prison. You will see those throughout and I think that made it even more personable. Thank you Teresa Giudice, for sharing your experience with the world. Now I wonder if "Juicy Joe" will write a book while he's in prison!?





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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Baltimore's Adoptable Dogs, March 2016

Time for another edition of "Baltimore's Adoptable Dogs" because lets face it, who doesn't like looking at cute dogs? and the best part is... they can come home with you if you want because they are up for adoption! If adding one of these cuties to your family isn't ideal for you right now, I ask that you please consider sharing this post {via the social media icons at the bottom} to help get these babies a forever home. Thank you!

Mercury adoptable at BARCS

Hi, I'm Mercury! I'm full of playful energy and as sweet as the day is long. I'd love to find a family that will take me on fun outdoor adventures and then cuddle for the rest of the day. My tail doesn't stop wagging and I give very sweet kisses. I'm gentle and very good on my leash. I'm friendly and playful with the other dogs here. I've also been told that I'm very pretty! Please come to BARCS to meet me today.

Cocoa adoptable through Baltimore Bully Crew

 Located in Baltimore. This is Cocoa. She is 2 years old. Please visit our website at www.baltimorebullycrew.com and complete our adoption application to add Cocoa to your family. Most information about our adoption process can be found on our website at www.baltimorebullycrew.com *We do require applications prior to meet and greets.

baltimorebullycrew@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/fightabusenotdogs
www.baltimorebullycrew.com
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MD393.html

 

Hugo adoptable through Bella's Bully Buddies

 

Hi there, my name is Hugo and I'm in the market for a family! Hugo is a sweet, goofy boy who is learning lots of new things in his foster home. He is very playful and cuddly. He is sometimes hesitant around new things, but he recovers quickly because he is so eager to please. He gets along well with the dog-savvy cats in his foster home, and is mindful when they let him know that they don't want to play with him. If you are in the market for a good looking guy to hang around with, Hugo may be the perfect fit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Info About Me:
Basics: Weight - 42 lbs, Age -  1 years, 6 months
Has done well with: Dogs - Yes, Cats - Dog-savvy cats, Kids - respectful children

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 TO ADOPT ME – FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TODAY!!  http://bellasbullybuddies.org/bbb-webapp/adoptionApplication/index
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BELLA’S AT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.BELLASBULLYBUDDIES.ORG
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BELLASBULLYBUDDIES
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR EVENTS AND COME OUT TO SAY HELLO!!

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

What You Need to Know About Oil Pulling

Alright, I've put in the time doing tons of research and I've been experimenting on my own so I think I'm more than ready to bring y'all some good-to-know info when it comes to oil pulling. If you don't know what oil pulling is, don't worry because I had no clue either when I first saw someone do it {on Gypsy Sisters of all shows}! I thought, what in the world is she doing and why? I learned that oil pulling is an ancient ritual of swishing coconut oil in your mouth for anywhere from 5-20 minutes. And here's what you need to know: 

Source 

1. It's really good for you! There are SO many health benefits when it comes to oil pulling... here are just a few:

*The oil contains natural antibiotics and antiviral properties that brighten and clean teeth, making them pearly white!

*It removes toxins, fungi, and viruses in the mouth before they are able to enter the body and cause headaches, illness, bad skin, and so much more!

*It promotes oral health by removing bacteria and reducing cavities, bad breath, gingivitis, etc.

2.There's a technique to it! The first time I put the oil in my mouth and started to chew, I gagged. It took a few times to get used to it. I finally found that putting the oil under my tongue and allowing it to become liquid before swishing was much better than trying to chew it. Trust me on this one guys.

3.It tastes better if you mix essential oils with it! I'll share a complete DIY post on how I do this when I get back from vacation. But bottom line, add oils and thank me later. {PS. if any of you are interested in learning about essential oils {and you are local to the Baltimore area}, there is a Natural Wellness Open House this weekend in Bel Air, MD. Date is Sunday, March 13, time is 2 p.m. Contact Karen Ball for more information and for location -- kaball105@comcast.net}

4.Spit don't swallow! All of you with dirty minds can get your head out of the gutter... what I mean is you want to spit the oil out, not swallow it because after swishing, the oil will contain all the nasty stuff you want to get rid of. Oh and one more thing... spit it in the trashcan, you don't want your drain to get clogged.

5.Rinse and brush when you're done! Do a quick rinse with water and then brush with toothpaste. I like Tom's of Maine toothpaste because it doesn't contain fluoride {I'll have to save my spiel on that for another post haha} but another good one is by DoTerra {also without flouride}.



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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Weekend Recap

Jon was in New York this weekend for a bachelor party... Brooklyn to be exact. While he was away I got so much done!! We will be on vacation in Aruba next week so I used this weekend to do a lot of things around the house and prep for our pet sitter to come stay.

I painted the back door roasted coffee by Valspar... the same color I painted the front door last week.

 

I scored two goodies at the Tommy Bahama friends and family sale {ends today... see this post for details}. First was the antigua cove hoodie in seafoam {retail $118} and second was the 3 wick candle in maui mango {retail $26}... I was able to get both for $105.10 including sales tax!

 

I did laundry and cleaned the entire house.

I caught up on my shows and bagged up some non perishable foods for my local boy scouts.

I worked.

I made chicken n dumplins for when my hubby got home Sunday afternoon.

And I finished reading Turning the Tables by Teresa Giudice.

 Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

A Giveaway {amazon gift card} Quick & Simple Entry {just follow me on pinterest}

Hi guys! Y'all know I love giveaways so today I'm bringing you a chance to win a $25 gift card to Amazon. I'm not teaming up with other bloggers this time... this is just for readers of Charm City Ciemny's. You know what that means, right? A better chance at winning!

Source

Amazon is quite easily my favorite and most used online shopping company. I even buy my dog food from Amazon now... because after working 9 hours the last thing I want to do is stop at the pet store on my way home and struggle with a 35 pound bag. Amazon brings it right to my door and that's exactly what I need with my busy schedule. Some other things I buy from Amazon on the regular are books, coffee, and gifts. Are you a regular Amazon shopper too?

To enter this giveaway, it's easy peasy! All you have to do is follow me on Pinterest and comment below with your Pinterest username. If you'd like an extra entry, please follow me on Twitter {I just started tweeting!} and comment below with your Twitter username. I will pick the winner one week from today {Friday March 11th} using www.randompicker.com {by entering this giveaway you are allowing me to announce your username on my blog if you are the winner}. Good luck!

             Visit Justine's profile on Pinterest.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

A Quick Check In {Deal Alert - Tommy Bahama}

Just checking in real quick to let y'all know about the Tommy Bahama friends and family sale. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already saw my spiel!

Today through next Monday {the 7th} is the friends and family sale at Tommy Bahama. If you're an online shopper all you have to do is use FRIENDS16 at checkout to get 25% off and free shipping. If you'd prefer to shop in store just go to TB's website and sign up to get the invite for 25% off sent to you by email. If you are already signed up you should've received a magazine in the mail... HOLD ONTO THAT because if you take that in to the store they will give you an additional 10% off!!

I'm a big Tommy Bahama fan and I know that sales like this only come a few times a year. So if you see something you like, I suggest grabbing it during the sale. I can personally vouch for their yummy smelling candles, comfortable swimwear, and fun sandals... while Jon wears their polos!

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34