Sharing happiness with others is easy and feels great

Sharing happiness is a great way to spread joy, but how do you do it? Well there are simple and free ways that you can share happiness each day.

Be Polite:
In these days, it is rather uncommon for people to be polite to one another. A simple way of sharing happiness with others is to simply be polite. Remember to say please, thank you, and you're welcome to others. When someone sneezes, says "Bless you". Teach your children to be polite to others, it really goes a long way.

Smile:
Sharing happiness with others can be as simple as a smile. When you pass a co-worker in the hallway acknowledge them with a smile or a nice "hello". Even smiling as complete strangers on the street can make their day. I know I have had tough days and when someone smiles at me or says "hello" to me it really brings a sense of happiness to me.

Donate:
We all have extra clothes and other miscellaneous items that we really do not need and that are taking space up in our homes. A great way to share happiness with others is to donate your old and unwanted items to other charities or people who can use them. This is actually a win-win situation because not only are you giving to those in need, but you are also creating a more organized and clutter free home for yourself.

Listen:
A great way to share happiness it to be a good listener. Sometimes when a friend or family member calls, they just want someone to listen. Everyone needs to vent sometimes.

Appreciation:
Telling someone you appreciate them is a great way to share and spread happiness. Everyone need and wants to feel appreciated. Next time you're significant other has a tough day at work, tell them how much your appreciate how hard they work.

Volunteer:
Volunteering is a great way to share happiness and really helps others out. I know that not everyone has the time to volunteer, but if you do it will make you feel great knowing that you are helping a cause. You can volunteer at your local hospital, animal shelter, or food bank to name a few.

Sharing happiness is a great way to make others happy and in doing so, you will make yourself happy as well. If we each can do one nice thing for another person each day, the world would really be a much happier place. Believe it or not, happiness is contagious!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hershey's blogging program, for a gift card worth $25 and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Enjoy Lighting Flameless Candles Review & Giveaway

I love candles, they create such a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere. However, I am the person who lays in bed wondering if I remembered to blow the candles out and if they went out. Of course, that leads to me getting out of bed and double checking. When Enjoy Lighting offered to send me some of their flameless candles to review, I jumped on the opportunity.

Enjoy Lighting sent me two of their Mottled Texture flameless candles (Bayberry fragrance). The color and texture is absolutely beautiful. The fragrance smells fantastic. The candles have a very realistic look, they even flicker. The look and feel like regular candles, but are flameless. I am in love with them and cannot wait to purchase more.

From the website:

Features & Benefits
• Available in 3x4, 3x6, & 4x8”
• Astonishingly realistic 100,000 hour Triple-LED flickering light source
• Available with Multi-Hour Timer Mode
• 300+ Hour Battery Life
• Requires 4 ‘AA’ Batteries
• Realistic Melted Edge
• Distinct Fragrances

Why Flameless Candles?

Safety – Traditional wicked candles cause over 15,000 house fires each year. With flameless candles, there is no fire risk if a candle is knocked over or placed too close to a curtains or furniture. Flameless candles are 100% safe around children and pets.

Décor – Use flameless candles in areas where wicked candles can’t go – in a floral arrangement or centerpiece, near curtains or drapes, on shelving or book shelves, in children’s bedrooms, and more.

Convenience – Candles won’t blow out when used outdoors. Some models include a built-in timer allowing the candle to turn on and off when you want it to, every day, at the same time. Set it once and your candle will automatically turn on and provide ambiance every day – without any effort on your part. Set it and forget it!

Cleanliness – no soot build up on your walls or ceilings. No melting wax on your furniture or carpet.

Cost Savings – while a traditional wicked candle can burn out in hours or days, Enjoy Lighting flameless candles will last for years. The LED lamp will operate for up to 10 years or 100,000 hours and a set of batteries can provide at least 300 hours of battery life.* With just the minimal cost of replacing batteries, flameless candles offer a 75% annual savings when compared to purchasing traditional wicked candles.

Enjoy Lighting has offered to give one lucky One Haute Mommy reader two of their beautiful flameless candles. Can't wait? Buy it now! Visit here to view all of stores that currently sell Enjoy Lighting products. Enjoy Lighting will not give or send candles to winners of past Enjoy Lighting blog reviews and giveaways.




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#Win 2 Flameless Candles From @EnjoyFlameless and @OneHauteMommy Ends 2/24 http://bit.ly/gSIwGP #contest #giveaway

Thank you Enjoy Lighting!

Open to residents of US only. Giveaway begins now and will end February 24th at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond to the winning email notification before another winner is chosen. Entries that do not adhere to the rules will be disqualified and a new winner will be chosen. Enjoy Lighting will not give or send candles to winners of past Enjoy Lighting blog reviews and giveaways. Good Luck!

Disclosure:
The product(s) provided for the review were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Powermat Wireless Charging Review

When Powermat offered to send me the Powermat to review, I was ecstatic. I have heard many wonderful things about the Powermat and couldn't wait to try it out.

The Powermat is an amazing device that can charge up to 3 devices at one time wirelessly. I received the Powermat 3X Mat (retails for $79.99), the Powermat Powercube (retails for $39.99), and the Powermat Receiver Case for Ipod Touch (retails for $39.99). These products are wonderful and Powermat offers bundled solutions so you can save money! Visit here to view the bundled solutions!

I absolutely love the Powermat! It has eliminated the mass of chords that used to clutter my bedroom. I now just use the Powermat to charge my cell phone, my fiances cell phone, and our iPods. The Powermat charges just as fast (if not faster) than typical chargers. The Powermat not only eliminated chords, but it also conserves energy. It automatically stops charging once the device is fully charged, unlike typical phone and iPod chargers. The Powermat also has different adapters for almost every cell phone!

How does it work? (from the website)
The Powermat Wireless Charging System provides a simple, fast and efficient way to keep all of your favorite personal electronic devices charged. Enabling your devices with Powermat Receivers allows you to Drop and Charge them on any Powermat Mat to experience wireless charging. A magnetic attraction between every Receiver and each access point on every Mat assures that alignment is precise and the most efficient charging will occur. Communication between the Mat and the Receiver allows the mat to deliver an exact amount of power for the proper length of time so that the transfer of power is safe and efficient and no energy is ever wasted. A unique sound tells you that a solid connection has been made and your device is charging. A second, similar sound is heard when the device is removed. Each access point has a corresponding light indicator that informs you that wireless charging is occurring. When a device reaches full charge, power is shut off to that device. This not only saves energy, but it also prevents overcharging of the device's battery, which can shorten battery life. Once full power is achieved and the Auto Shut Off has occurred to save energy and avoid overcharging the device's battery, the system will monitor the status of the battery.

Pick up your very own Powermat here and eliminate mass quantities of chords and save energy!

White Sands Liquid Texture Medium Spray Review

I have natural curly hair and when I say curly, I mean super curly. I enjoy wearing my hair naturally and also straightening it to mix things up a bit so I am always on the look out for new products. I live in Florida so the humidity causes a lot of frizz! I received the White Sands liquid texture spray in medium hold and I love it! To begin with, it is a thermal spray which is great when using using flat irons or hair dryers. The product also gave my hair an incredible shine without looking greasy which is a major plus.
I used this product with my flat iron and it left my hair soft and shiny (not greasy). The hold was perfect and lasted for a long time and my hair did not frizz even with the lovely Florida humidity.

Product features from the White Sands website:
* Thermal Spray
* Great for round brush styling
* The more heat applied, the shinier the hair becomes
* Moisture resistant
* Color enhancers
* Unlimited styling options
* Can comb through
* Apply hot irons on wet or dry product
* No flaking or residue on hot tools

Purchase White Sands Liquid Texture Thermal Spray here and view all the other incredible White Sands products here!

Simple Changes for the New Year

Each year, most of us make New Years resolutions. Most of the time, we fail to achieve them. This year instead of making a New Years resolutions, I am making simple changes. Personally, I feel that making simple changes is much easier than making a resolution and is a more realistic approach.

My first simple change for the New Year is to become more organized. Organizing my household will make it much easier for me to find things and stay on track with what needs to be done. I plan on achieving this change by slowing organizing my household, piece by piece or area by area. If I look at organizing as a big picture, it becomes a huge task. However, by organizing one small piece/area a day or week, it becomes a much smaller and achievable task. It is also more rewarding because I feel a sense of achievement with each area that I organize.

Another simple change that I am working on this year is to eat healthier. I am doing this by slowing trying new vegetables and fruits. I am also looking up new recipes and making one new meal a week. I am slowly replacing unhealthy foods with healthy and nutritious foods. This is a simple, but big change for my family because I want to set a healthy example for my children. I feel that when they see my fiance and I eating healthy meals, they will want to eat healthy meals.

My final (for the time being) simple change this year is to take a little time out for myself. As a mother, I find that we (mothers) often neglect to take time out for ourselves. We do not mean to, but we put our families first, which is a great thing. However, mommies need a little mommy time as well. We need a bit of pampering! We need a bit of quiet time! I plan on achieving this goal by doing something for myself each day, whether it be take a relaxing bath or even painting my nails.

Once I complete these simple changes, I will add more to the list. Each simple change will help myself and family in the long run. So how about you? What simple changes are you going to make this New Year and why? How will you achieve them? Please leave a comment and share with me!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece.

CSN Stores Giveaway

If you haven't read my CSN Stores post, please visit here first!

CSN Stores has generously offered one lucky One Haute Mommy reader the chance to win a $35 gift certificate to their stores!


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Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect AND visit CSN Stores and tell what you would purchase if you won this gift certificate.
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#Win a $35 CSN Stores e-certificate via @OneHauteMommy and @CSNstores http://bit.ly/hQRhWX #contest #giveaway

Thank you CSN stores!

Open to residents of US and Canada only. Giveaway begins now and will end January 30th at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond to the winning email notification before another winner is chosen. Entries that do not adhere to the rules will be disqualified and a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Disclosure:
The product(s) provided for the review were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

A different side of me: Anxiety 411

This is me: I am a 26 year old mother of two beautiful children and I am engaged to a great guy. I love to laugh. I love to smile. I love cuddling with my fiance on the couch. I love tickling my children and hearing them laugh. I love the smell of fresh air. I love the sound of the waves crashing at the beach. I love when the night sky is loaded with beautiful sparkling stars. I love watching the sunset.

What you don't know about me is that I constantly worry. I suffer from a disorder called Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. It sucks and its debilitating. I was diagnosed with GAD and panic attacks at 19 years old. I had no clue what was going on with me and went to the hospital twice. I cried and cried because this was foreign to me. Finally, I went to a regular doctor and they diagnosed and explained the condition to me.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events. Generalized anxiety disorder has the following symptoms:
* Difficulty concentrating
* Difficulty controlling worry
* Excess anxiety and worry that is out of proportion to the situation most of the time
* Excessive sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath, and stomach/intestinal symptoms
* Fatigue
* Irritability
* Muscle tension -- shakiness, headaches
* Restlessness or feeling keyed up or "on the edge"
* Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep; or restless, unsatisfying sleep)

Panic attacks or Panic Disorder is defined as an anxiety disorder that causes repeated, unexpected attacks of intense fear. These attacks may last from minutes to hours.
Panic Disorder has the following symptoms:
With panic disorder, at least four of the following symptoms suddenly occur within 10 minutes. Attacks may be followed by at least 1 month of persistent fear of having another attack.
* Chest pain or discomfort
* Dizziness or faintness
* Fear of dying
* Fear of losing control
* Feeling of choking
* Feelings of detachment
* Feelings of unreality
* Nausea or upset stomach
* Numbness or tingling
* Palpitations or pounding heart
* Sensation of shortness of breath
* Sweating, chills, or hot flashes
* Trembling or shaking

I haven't ever been able to write about this disorder, mainly because of embarrassment. I do not drive because I am afraid that I will have a panic attack and be in a car by myself and freak out. I can drive if accompanied by someone else. It sucks because things that people without this disorder do on a regular basis (driving and going shopping for example) are things that a person with this disorder dreads or worries about. I personally worry about having a panic attack most of the time when going out. Granted, if I did, you probably wouldn't be able to tell. But I feel like you can tell.

I wanted to post this because I want people to understand and I want to finally accept my condition without being embarrassed about it. This is not something that I wanted or asked for. It sucks when people say "just get over it" or tell me that I am over-reacting. If I could "just get over it", I would have gotten over it a long time ago...it's just not that easy.

I had gone quite a while without having a panic attack. A few weeks ago, during exams, my anxiety kicked it and I had a few panic attacks. I am currently taking natural supplements to deal with the anxiety and I also have the generic form of Ativan that I can take on an as needed basis. I am going to talk to my doctor about going back on prescription medication. I think for the longest time, I didn't want to admit that I needed a prescription to cope with the disorder. I am finally trying to accept it for what it is, a disorder. I go to counseling and take action to help myself get better, but sometimes medication is needed to prevent future panic attacks.

My problem is that I will take a treatment (medication or therapy) and it will work and then I just stop because I think I am better. Then months later, its back and I basically start at square one all over again. I am finally accepting that I may have to be on medication to cope with the disorder. Many times, anxiety disorders are from a chemical imbalance in the brain caused by to too much or too little serotonin. That is where the medication helps.

Writing about this is very personal to me as I said before I have a difficult time discussing this disorder with friends and family so posting about it on my blog is a big step for me. I would love to hear your opinions, just please be nice!