My All American Movie Prize Pack Giveaway

When you’re looking to turn your life around, it is widely known that you have to experience the very pits of life before you can climb out the other side. When we looking for that almighty purpose in life, the one major obstruction is, very simply, ourselves. Our mental health can stop us doing the things we want to do, choosing the path that we should take in life, and can threaten to envelop us in every way. And if you’re someone who has struggled with your own mental health for so long, there are always tools out there to help you, but if these aren’t producing the desired outcome, what can you do to get you on the right path?
Achieving Perspective
We’re all individual, and if we get a better understanding of our own mental anguish, especially in comparison to what others are going through, it gives you a more inherent understanding of how best to beat it (or live with it) or a sense of perspective. It can be sobering to see exactly how we rank in the pecking order of mental anguish. And yes, this isn’t a solution for everyone, but when we begin to walk that road to wellness, the combination of the appropriate tools, as well as that ability to gain perspective, not just of oneself, but of others, can be the key to improving your life. For example, counselors and psychiatrists are actively encouraged to go through the therapy process themselves, not just so they have a clear palate, but they have gone through the process of dissecting their own emotions, no matter how painful they are. And as a career choice, psychology, in all of its forms, provides that insight beyond the devastating emotions we can all go through, but also provides an approach to fixing the issues. This might be something that inspires you, not just in terms of improving your quality of life, but as a worthwhile career choice. There are numerous Christian psychology colleges, online courses, and resources available to provide you with that training.
Preparing For Battle
Numerous people have referred to mental health problems, depression, and anxiety, as a constant struggle or battle. When we’re looking at fixing our own mental health issues, the term “battle” may feel loaded with connotations. But much like an addict is an addict for life, even if you feel the Black Dog has gone for a walk, it could very well come back. Now, not to say that we should live in the shadow of fear, but it’s about using the times when we are out of the shadow to prepare our minds, just on the off chance it returns.
It is a long journey, but it’s one that we can all learn to navigate. Now, the mental health discussion is more prominent than ever, but while there are some still reticent to talk about it, if those of us who haven’t addressed our mental health issues, achieving perspective and learning the tools to engage in battle can mean we will understand how best to control it.

Over the years more and more companies are going green. One that recently caught my eye is Little Twig and Eco-Me. Little Twig boasts a great line of natural body and skincare products for the whole family, and Eco Me provides wonderful natural cleaning solutions.
Little Twig’s products are developed with the advice of pediatricians and real-life parents to provide families with a safe and natural bath time alternative. Little Twig utilize the most effective organic and botanical ingredients in their simple recipe for pure and gentle personal care. They’re also PETA-certified as cruelty-free!
I received the Calming Lavender Baby Wash and Baby Lotion to review. I love using lavender for little mans baths because it’s so soothing for the both of us, which makes it great if your bedtime routine consists of bath time. It helps promote relaxation, so using it during baby’s bath time right before bed helps to encourage a good night’s sleep. The Baby Wash is made with an organic blend of essential oils and mild foam, with a formula of skin-softening vitamin E that’s gentle enough for newborns. It’s also free from phthalates, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and parabens. The Baby Lotion nourishes dry and troubled skin with vitamin E, jojoba oil, and tea tree oil. It is also free from phthalates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances, as well as mineral oils, nuts, soy, and wheat ingredients.
I love using both of these products! I love that their formulas are so gentle while also being incredibly effective. The lavender scent is nice and not over whelming. I think this set would be great for everyone, and if lavender isn’t your thing, Little Twig has more scents to choose from, plus an unscented line for those who can’t handle scents like my grandmother!
Eco Me is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny, meaning they have no animal testing or bi-products during any stage of the product’s creation. They were founded in 2006 with the goal of removing unnecessary harmful chemicals from the home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that the air in our homes is three to seven times more chemically polluted than the outdoor air, and the average home contains as many as 25 pounds of toxic cleaning products. With Eco Me, you can effectively clean your home without having to worry about releasing pollutants into the air.
I received their Dish Soap in Lemon Fresh, which is naturally-sudsing and made with glycerin and natural plant extracts. It’s free from dyes, colorants, harsh preservatives, and sulfates. What it does contain is natural ingredients and plant essential oils, and the bottle is PET#1 BPA-free. Other ingredients include water, coconut-derived soap (a natural surfactant), sodium lauroyl lactylate (a natural, food-grade emulsifier), caprylyl capryl glucoside (a plant-based solubilizer), radish root for antimicrobial benefits, potassium sorbate (a food-grade preservative), and cymbopogon flexuosus oil (lemongrass oil). This works incredibly well to clean up grease and other messes and has a great lemon scent. It lathers up just as well as a non-natural soap, but it’s so much better for you and your household because it’s free from all of those bad chemicals that other cleaners have. But while it contains food-grade and plant-based ingredients, the law requires them to provide a caution warning. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Avoid eye contact. If contact occurs, flush with water. If swallowed, drink water and contact a physician.
If you’re looking take your cleaning routine green this year, adding Little Twig and Eco Me to your lineup of skincare and household cleaners is a great way to do it! I loved all of the products and would highly recommend them based on their efficacy and their ingredients.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The new school year is upon us and as we start heading out in droves to purchase the mile long list of back to school products it’s easy to be consumed by all choices out there today. It’s easy to forget we are buying for someone who still likes to have the trendy and “cool” products and could care less about functionality like we do. Thankfully companies like Five Star by Mead are catching on and combining the two so you can both have what you want, a functional trendy product.
The 5 Back to School Must-Haves that I’m going to share with you today are just that, both trendy & functional so they keep their “cool” status as well as their grades. My kids have uniforms so it’s hard to express their individuality and stay trendy with clothing, so they love to do it with school supplies. Five Star by Mead has so really fun, unique designs so it’s easy to pick something they like.
1. The Backpack…a backpack is a total back to school must have, and while this has been a way to express your individuality for generations Mead has made a backpack that is so cool the whole family wants one! The Five Star insulated storage backpack has an expandable compartment for 4″ of extra storage space, opens wide to quickly and easily find supplies, has multiple pockets to organize and store even the smallest supplies…and the coolest thing…the built-in insulated compartment for safely storing snacks and beverages!
2. The Binder…Five Star has also re-invented the binder into a flexible, functional & trendy product your kids will love. Five Star’s Hybrid Notebinder acts like a notebook and works like a binder. Just like a binder you can add and remove paper and dividers, but it is flexible enough to fold over and lay flat like a notebook. It comes with 5 pocket dividers, 60 college rule sheets & 20 graph sheets of paper. Be sure to grab some of their reinforced notebook paper so you have plenty on hand for classwork.
3. Spirals…when I was a kid, spirals were mostly solid color and I’d choose a different color for each class…today there are many trendy patterns to please even the pickiest trend-setter.
4. The trustworthy Folder…folders have always been a trustworthy essential for organizing papers from each class…pairing them with trendy patterns makes it a win-win.
5. Colored Pens…okay, so your everyday papers can’t be turned in in pink writing, but having colored pens is a fun way to take notes and makes it easier to go back and find just what they need to study. Mead has some great pencil bags to store all the fun colors your child will want.
I love the Flexi-Notebook so much, I kept one for myself to use for the blog! Would you like to check out Five Star’s latest products?
Enter To Win!
One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life reader is going to win a Five Star by Mead Prize Pack! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 12:00 PM EST Aug 13, 2016.
THE FINE PRINT: ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY MEANS THAT YOU ACCEPT BOTH MY RULES & DISCLOSURE. I WILL NOTIFY WINNER VIA E-MAIL AND THEY WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO REPLY BEFORE I AM FORCED TO REDRAW WINNERS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS PRIZE VIA BLOG REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS ONCE. ONLY ONE ENTRANT PER MAILING ADDRESS PER GIVEAWAY. IF YOU HAVE WON THE SAME PRIZE ON ANOTHER BLOG, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN IT AGAIN. WINNER IS SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION. MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN! PLEASE ALLOW 8-12 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF PRIZING. MY SPARKLING LIFE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST OR MISDIRECTED PACKAGES. Prizing and samples provided & shipped by Disney. IN THE RARE OCCASION THAT A PRIZE DOES NOT ARRIVE (WHICH HAS HAPPENED), PLEASE NOTIFY ME.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31st, and one of our favorite holidays. Its origin goes back to the Celtic festival known as Samhain, which was a celebration of the end of the harvest season. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead disappeared, and the dead could become dangerous to the living by causing illness, damaged crops, as well as other problems. Costumes and masks were worn at the festival to mimic the evil spirits & placate them.
So today we still continue the costume tradition in a whole new way. Our little ghouls go out and spook houses for buckets of Halloween goodies. But Halloween is not just for kids. For college students and young adults away from home, you can send them a surprise gift basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets!
Inside this Haunted House Halloween fang-tastic four-tiered gift tower, your little monster will discover a variety of otherworldly treats they’ll find impossible to resist. Complete with ghostly good gourmet popcorn, chilling chocolates, and scarily sweet candies, this spooky arrangement is the perfect way to make this Halloween memorable!
The boys were thrilled each time we opened up a box to see the Halloween goodies that were waiting inside. With each open their eyes got wider and there excited was more and more. The popcorn was a nice surprise. My husband loves King of Pop popcorn flavors. In this box we received Buffalo & Confetti. The buffalo is not my cup of tea, so I’ll have to take his word for it that it’s good. The confetti is a caramel corn in 5 different colors. This tower has treats for every taste. The chocolate and skittles were a favorite by everyone.
Halloween is a holiday of fun activities and candy treats for kids and adults alike. Send a Haunted House Halloween Gift Tower, Haunted Halloween Care Package, Goblin’s Grub Popcorn Tin, Witch’s Cauldron Halloween Gift Basket, or Happy Halloween Cookie Cake to someone you love today. They will all remember the fun that you share.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Ah, to be young forever, wouldn’t it be nice? Well actually, we’re not so sure about that. It’s fun being eighteen…but life gets much more enjoyable once you know a thing or two about life, which can only happen in your twenties. However, there’s one area where youth definitely win – vitality! When you hit your late twenties and into your thirties, it becomes a little more difficult to stay in your prime. So does that mean you have to give up on youthful exuberance? No way. But it won’t come quite as easily anymore.
When you’re young, you can eat and drink whatever you’d like, and it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Not so when you’re a full-blown adult. Then, you have to be careful not to drink too much alcohol and have too many takeout meals during the week. Learn the art of moderation, and of cooking, too. After a month of healthy eating and cutting down on alcohol, you’ll notice that you have much more energy than before. You can’t have everything in life, so what will it be: energy or convenience?
There’s no getting around it: if you want to look and feel your best, then you need to be working up a sweat a few times a week. And you’ll need to get serious about it, too. Start by working out which will be the best exercises for your needs, and use things like a genuine tongkat ali extract to help give your workouts an additional boost. Your time is going to be limited, so you won’t be able just to hit the gym for an hour every week or so. Make it part of your schedule, get additional help, and you’ll look your best in no time.
Remember back in the day, when you could jump out of bed after just a few hours sleep? Those days are long gone, I’m afraid. You’re not going to be able to live life to the full if you’re not getting a full night of rest. If you’re having trouble sleeping, then take a look at your sleeping routine. It’s possible that you’re just spending too much time in front of a screen in the two hours before you hit the hay. Get a sleeping schedule that works for you, and you’ll have much more energy.
It’s all good and well feeling young, but what about your looks? Working out is a good start, but to keep that youthful glow, develop a skin regime. And stay out of the sun, too – nothing ages you like those harmful rays!
Finally, remember youth is all about attitude! Avoid becoming cynical. As you get older, you’ll learn that there’s plenty of evil in the world, but there’s much more good. Don’t forget it, and you’ll have a positive outlook on life. It’s what the world needs!