National Wear Red Day 2019
People often ask me why I care so much or why I choose to volunteer and advocate when there’s “nothing in it,” for me. It may sound crazy saying that I’m lucky to have gone through my experience, but I truly I am. Going through what I did changed pieces of me and gave me an understanding for what it is like to live and what it is like to LIVE. Would I want to go through it again? No. But, that’s the point. I cannot fathom going through another heart related experience. I take everyday as an opportunity to better myself, work hard and try to make a valuable contribution in this world. This year, rather than sharing a list of facts, I want to share my “why.” To me, it’s so important to make sure I am informing people of what I went through–not just physically but mentally too. It’s being open. It’s being vulnerable. It’s knowing it’s okay to cry and still be scared when reflecting back at what happened. It’s about being strong and having the courage to tell others that they don’t have to be a statistic. They don’t need to die from heart disease or stroke. I made myself a promise when I was facing my own uncertainties in the hospital, that if I was going to get up and walk out of there and be okay, that I wanted to lead a fulfilled life and I didn’t want to see anyone else that I love or care about in the same position that I had been in. Going through something heart related... read more
4 Songs to Inspire Your Fall
I haven’t written a post dedicated to sharing music for awhile so I figured what better time than now?! One thing that I have learned is that it is important to have a healthy mindset and to stay inspired because that positivity overflows to all different aspects of your life. Psychology Today points out that for inspiration to flow, start small. So, let’s start with a small list of 4 songs that I’ve been listening to for the last few weeks. 1. “Broken Hallelujah” – The Afters 2. “High Hopes” – Panic! at the Disco 3. “I’ll Find You” – Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly Shoutout to my friend Ricardo for introducing me to this song! 4. “Confidence” – Sanctus... read more
Ms. Woman United States Tickets & Live Stream Information
I just wanted to post all of the information about tickets and how to catch the pageant in a live stream if you’re unable to attend. Tuesday, July 3, 2018 State Costume Runway Competition – 6pm Tickets: $50 Live Stream: $12 (preorder) Thursday, July 5, 2018 Swimsuit Preliminaries – 3pm Tickets: $60 Live Stream: $16 (preorder) Friday, July 6, 2018 Evening Gown Preliminaries – 3pm Tickets: $60 Live Stream: $16 (preorder) Saturday, July 7, 2018 Finals / Crowning – 3pm Tickets: $80 Live Stream: $20 (preorder) All In One Ticket (includes all prelims and finals): $220.00 I do not get any kickbacks from the sale of tickets or the streaming service. The information is provided for those interested. Let’s do... read more
Cookies Cheat: Use A Quest Bar!
If you’re like me, you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to control cravings and stay on the right track (during your diet). I had gone to Warped Tour a few years ago and taken a Cookies & Cream flavor bar with me. During the day, from the heat, the cream melted. By the time I got to the protein bar, it was a gooey dream. Now, I may not be the only person who thought of this, but it gave me the idea to test out microwaving the bar in chunks in the microwave to create cookies. You can’t leave the chunks in the microwave too long or they will get hard, but if you leave them in for about 30 seconds (this will depend on your microwave as the each differ depending on your settings) they will puff up and take more of a cookie shape. Here are some photos to inspire your go at... read more
Go Red Luncheon
I was able to do something super special this past weekend. Being a heart survivor myself, I know it seems like you’re all alone when you’re going through your diagnosis. The American Heart Association actually has a Support Network now that is made up of survivors, caregivers, family members and friends whose lives have been changed by cardiovascular issues. I wish they had this back in 2006. I didn’t think anyone understood what I was experiencing. When I joined the network I did a search and found 3 posts relating to the heart complication that I went through. I know what I had was rare. I made a post to let people know that I was okay and they can pull through as well. Within a few hours someone commented and told me they chose to try the medication route and try to avoid having the surgery but they felt comfort in my success. I shared my story with anyone that would listen that came to the table during the luncheon. I passed out information and also heard really inspiring stories from others. Strangers gave me big hugs and thanked me for being brave and sharing what I went through with them. It’s honestly the least that I can do. I don’t want anyone else that I know to be affected by something heart related. It’s life changing–and for some it ends their life. 1 in 3 is too many. If you feel inclined, join the network. The Support Network is free, easy and secure. There aren’t any membership fees and you’ll also gain access to monthly Q&A sessions... read more
Museum of Ice Cream (Miami) Review
The Museum of Ice Cream is an absolute dream if you love sparkles, and well–ice cream! I’ll start at the beginning and then tell you some of my favorite attractions. Just like any Museum of Ice Cream location, you have to order your tickets in advance, you cannot walk up and purchase them. You’ll be able to select a time that you’d like to enter the MOIC from what they have available. Show up around the time listed on your ticket and you’ll be greeted by a line of fellow attendees itching to get inside. Once you enter, there is a counter where an employee puts on a little show for the kids. They encouraged us (the adults without children) to walk past and wait in the next line. We were surprised, but the very first attraction we were getting to was the pool of sprinkles! I was most excited for this. However, I will tell you it is a HUGE let down. The pool itself is very tiny and they let so many people (including massive amounts of children) in at a time. My friend and I were unsuccessful at capturing images in the pool of sprinkles and had kids throwing sprinkles at us. If there was one thing I would recommend, it would be for the MOIC staff to limit the amount of people they let in at each time (even more-so) so that way it’s not so overcrowded. You get about 2-3 minutes around the pool before they tell you to exit and bring in the next group. Following the pool of sprinkles is the first... read more
National Wear Red Day 2018
What makes me smile? My friends and family supporting Go Red for Women. Each year I feel so incredibly grateful that such a large number of individuals will text me, snap me or tag me in photos of themselves wearing red because they know what I have been through with my own heart issue and understand that they don’t want anyone else they know to hear that there’s something wrong with their heart. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year—more than all cancers combined. When something is 80% preventable, there should be no reason the 1 in 3 statistic. Nobody deserves that. Know the causes and don’t ignore the signs! Also, a huge shoutout to my Florida United States sisters because they all wore red with me! Thank you all again from the bottom of my happy little... read more
Baby Shower Treats
My sister-in-law had her baby shower recently and I wanted to give her the best treats display that none of her friends would have. I’m pretty sure I succeeded. It took a ton of hours from start to finish with all of the different things like painting, glittering and icing. Since she is expecting a boy, I chose to run with the color blue. The first treat I actually ordered from a company in Orlando–sparkly blue popcorn. I believe I ordered the gallon sized bag in case you’re trying to figure out how much you need. I purchased an inexpensive blue bowl at Party City. The second type of treat that I made was a oldie but a goodie–rice krispies treats! For these I purchased lollipop sticks, sprinkles and colored chocolate melts in addition to the pre-packaged rice krispies treats that you can buy in the store. These were super easy and everyone was taking selfies and posting them to their Instagram accounts so it was a fan favorite, for sure. They are pretty self explanatory. You’re going to want to take your tray and line it with wax paper or parchment paper–just something so the chocolate won’t stick to the tray itself and wreck your design. Step 1: Take a rice krispies treat and insert a lollipop stick into it. Step 2: Dip the rice krispies treat in the melted chocolate about half way. Make sure you let the excess chocolate drip off. Step 3: Lightly sprinkle the chocolate since it is still wet. This will ensure that your sprinkles stay on. Step 4: Sit your rice krispies... read more
Week 4 as Ms. Woman Florida United States
This week I was able to celebrate my birthday by riding in the Tribute to Heroes parade in Lakewood Ranch with my brother and sister-in-law. It was a really special day and I am so happy that we got to honor the people who fought for our freedom while also thanking those who served. Additionally, I also visited some children at the new Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort... read more
Week 3 as Ms. Woman Florida United States
Nationals is coming up SO quickly! To celebrate our accomplishment of winning our respective state titles, myself and my sister queens, Bethany and Lauren, had a photoshoot with the official Ms./Ms. Woman/Mrs. Florida photographer–Larry Oskin! It was such a... read more• Sponsor Me or Donate
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