Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

....to be glad both kids had an enjoyable Spring Break. Tommy caught up on sleep and Natalie went to NYC with her theatre group. 

.....to have eaten a lot of food with the kids at SeaWorld's Seven Seas Food Festival where we tried food from different parts of the world. The crepes from France were delish!

......to wonder how the teens will cope if TikTok is banned in the US. I go on it and I'll miss it if it goes, but I'll be fine. My daughter is on it daily so she'll probably be like, "AHHHHHH!" I'll hand over a book if she panics and be like, "Read." 

.....to love these braids from Madison Braids. They come in a variety of styles and colors so you'll be able to find one that works for you. We were sent the the Blair Lulu Two Strand which is here:

And the Farren Six Strand. Both were in the Ashy Light Brown shade. If you aren't into braids, they also have hair extensions, and so many other items. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Why Life Insurance Is Important

This is a sponsored post with Responsival. All opinions are my own.

My husband is retiring soon, so the life insurance he has from that job will be gone.  But great news, it doesn't always have to be expensive. For example, you can find cheap term life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life. You just have to shop around to see what life insurance works best. We knew we need life insurance, because of the following reasons:

It helps your family to not have to deal with the loss of income with you being gone. Life can be expensive! Funerals are expensive. When you have life insurance, it can help family members to not be extra stressed with all the costs, because trust me, there will be lots of them. Everyone will already be upset that you're gone and they do not need any other worries. 

It can help to pay off any debts.  Have house payments? Credit card bills? Those don't go away if someone dies. With a life insurance payout, family members can pay off the debts. 

It'll give you peace of mind.  Of course you hope that nothing ever happens to a loved one. But unfortunately tomorrow is promised to no one and it's important to have a plan in place should the worst happen. If you don't know if you have life insurance, look into it. There are many companies that offer affordable plans. 

So do you have life insurance? We were able to find a plan that works for us when my husband retires, so it's one less thing to worry about. 

Specific Vintage Birthday Cake Request

So. My daughter recently turned 16 and had some specifications for her birthday cake. I always let my kids pick their design. My son is simple: he just wants a chocolate bundt cake. 

My daughter is not so simple.

I asked what kind of cake she wanted which was probably my first mistake. She went me 3 photos and was like, "Okay, this is what I'm thinking."

"I like this style.."

I was like, "Okay, fantastic, cute, I'll make the order.." (Because I have no baking talent.)

Natalie continued, "I'm not finished. You see the pearls on that first picture?"

I was like, "um. Yes?"

"Instead of the pearls I'd like the balloons from THIS cake."

I said, "So you want the heart and everything from the first cake but not the pearls?" 

"Exactly!"

I thought it was the end, but no.

"And the animals on top from this cake. Does that make sense?"

I mean, yes to Marie Antionette and all her requests, but to a middle class family, maybe not so much.

I kid.

"So. The heart cake but instead of pearls the balloons from the second cake. And animals on top from the third cake," I inquired. 

"Yes! Thank you!" 

Maybe I wouldn't be letting her design her future cakes because here was my next issue. This meant I had to TALK to the cake designer about all this. I couldn't just show one photo and say, "Could you please make this?" No, now I had to actually EXPLAIN and I am an INTROVERT who prefers to have conversations with others briefly. 

*Le sigh*

Should have have made her do it? Probably. But she was in school and if we went to the cake place after school, traffic around the area would be insane. So I just did it to avoid rush hour. 

We went to Smallcakes, which is a national chain. They make delicious cupcakes and can make nearly any cake you show them. I walked in and the young lady was kind and patient as I explained.

I apologized before I even started. 

She said it was fine, she's used to it. 

She wrote down everything I said and I sent the photos via email so she could remember. I told her the colors didn't have to be exact, we weren't THAT picky. 

Did the cake turn out?

I think so!

When Natalie saw it she gasped. "It's beautiful. Thank you!" 

Was it scrumptious?

Yes. She wanted it chocolate. There was a layer of buttercream as well. The animals on top were almost too cute to eat. Almost. 

I'm glad it turned out. If you have a Smallcakes nearby, I suggest you check them out. 

Do you let your kids pick out their birthday cake?