Author: Karie Herring

Karie Herring rambles of a former life in Phoenix, AZ while raising a teen and tween twins in their new home in Orlando, FL. She has been featured in AOL Money & Finance, Betty Confidential and Career School Now. She's a full-time technical writer, functional fitness athlete, overachieving wife and mom. She loves talking about maneuvering motherhood, womanhood, and her passion for essential oils and natural living.
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Unconditional Friendship

For so long I struggled with friendship with women. I felt that I was the problem; either I was too giving, or gave too much space, or was too aggressive. I am a Leo so friends have to contend with my ferocity and often seeming selfish posture or arrogance. But I began to see a pattern of friends that would gravitate towards me like moths to a flame. I use this analogy with intensity because I found that the weak would draw to me because of my ferocity, my aggressive-aggressive behavior, my no holds barred, take no prisoners, go fuck yourself sense of being.

I state weak and I mean this, not negatively, just in the sense that I am such a giving individual that people would draw on this in order to get over their insecurities, because I am so giving, loyal often in the face that loyalty is unmerited and then the vicious cycle of attacking me in order to fuel their own new sense of self worth. Needless to say, women in my life were few and far between. The beguiling idea of women as friends was a farce. Men were much easier to interact as a friend due to the lack of competitiveness that often sparks among women. For what reason women feel compelled to enrage in jealousy and competition is unbeknown to me, I still have to encompass this facet, an enigma by all means.

However, my life was saved in regard to subduing the beast that would mean I may never have any “girlfriends” in my life. I had met many women online in this last year, for which I can go months without speaking to them and know that if I needed to stay up all night they would be there with me. More so my life was further saved and yet bittersweet.

In April I met a young Asian woman that is striking in all aspects and had the personality of the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, offering flavors and varieties of fun, fashion, smell, and seriousness. Her name is Kasandra and I am honored to say she is a dear, dear friend of mine and without her I would not be the person I am today. She has had such a phenomenal impact on my life and she renewed my belief in women as friends, best friends, confidantes, and someone to be a sister from another mother. Each day was one where we would live vicariously through the other where I could relive being in my mid to late 20s again and she a mother. We would lean on one another for support, encouragement, singing praises of the other’s fashion forward sense and shameless beauty. We complimented each other in more ways than verbally praised.

Someone like her makes friendship all worth while. We never would feel jealousy, guilt, anger, or sadness toward the other. No matter what, no matter the circumstance, just pure understanding, the acceptance of each other and the different yet similar lives we both led. The basis that we shared a bond that could, will and always be deemed as a blessing.  Now I did mention bittersweet because on December 21st she boards a plane to Seoul, Korea to build and grow in her adventures in life. Selfishly I hate to see her go because she is such a fond part of my life, she knows me about as well as I know myself, and I delving as deeply into her psyche to know her sometimes better than she knows herself.

But with a heavy heart and all the love and luck I could muster, I wish my friend all the best as she opens and writes a new chapter in her life to share with others. Ever grateful, thankful, and as expressed previously blessed. I wish her all the best any one person can deserve as she fearfully and nervously ventures into a foreign world to sow her life oats. Someone like my friend Kas deserves a phenomenal experience and result as she is an amazingly beautiful and unparalleled human being. She brings joy, love, fun, and beauty to those she interacts with and one could only cherish and revel in the company she brings. Godspeed to you my friend and although you will be back in four short months, our mornings will be so opposite as when we would normally get Starbucks at our regular spot here in Tempe you will be either fast asleep or dancing the night away in a Thai or South Korean club depending on the day and your travels. I love you my friend and until we see each other again our bond will remain as strong as ever, I wish you all the best, thank you for being such a driving and wonderful part of my life.

“One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.” – Sheila Murray Bethel

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Not An Ordinary Year Later

One year and one month ago I had received frantic phone calls about a nasty post on Twitter about my personal life choices that concerned no one else except myself and my husband. Looking back on this past year I question the validity of the ownership of the Twitter account and the individual who psycho dialed my phone to notify me and disrupt my seemingly perfect thankful world.

As the last twelve months have passed and various events have taken place and decisions I have made are both shameful and noteworthy I regret nothing. I can only take with me the knowledge that the last year has presented not only as a mother, woman, wife, sister and friend but the knowledge of an ever evolving person. Taking into account that what really matters doesn’t exist in an IP or within any WWW. I spent so much time trying to convince others of my actions, my statements and my otherwise because so many felt they “knew” me because I made myself, my life, and my children so public. My publishings of what makes me, me, were dissected and torn to shreds.

But I have always been the “put myself out there” extrovert. As a genuine friend, sister, lover, and wife I have always operated with a no holds barred formality with nothing to hide, nothing to be shameful for, and this last year has been one where I am a bit more precocious with being so open, so inviting and such a friend.

I found that the people I have and had become acquainted with and some who have had my luxury to be called a friend are nothing but pure narcissists. I say this as my segue into the Twitter account that attacked my character, my family, and my personal right to privacy. Because I have always been so open someone who claimed to be my friend used me as their personal shield in attacks on other people online. Petty and pathetic really considering that these people are menial and mean absolutely diddly fucking shit, however, the personal attack was anything but menial and a nothingness. The Twitter account was “supposedly” created by Tanya Gordon, someone who I have come to know online through our personal correspondence outside of the social media eye. However, the more I have investigated the account the more I have come to believe that the account was really created by Kristin Lesney in a weak effort to draw attention to herself. If you consider the situation, she always knew when the account tweeted, her attorney DID NOT have the account removed from Twitter, the account disappeared shortly after Tanya and I began conversing and I was sharing the information I was privy to based on my dealings and interactions with Kristin and her obsession to destroy Tanya and any other blogger for that matter that attempted to get in her way of supposed social media success. So much to that I decided to play devils advocate and investigate this account.

Now you ask, why would someone who was so stoutly against the account that attacked them, create such a gruesome account. Why not is my question to you. Why not create a negative account you can control and use as weapon against another individual, including yourself. You can make someone look entirely too guilty by pointing a finger at them by attacking yourself and those who you claim are your friends. This is called misdirection, projection, and pure evil. Maybe this is a far fetched call and some will holler and clamor hogwash, ergo the account is effective right? The lemmings all run to jump off the cliff in belief.

Either way, I always wondered why if Tanya supposedly created this account why the hell did Kristin not get her $20,000 that they demanded because really wouldn’t that be a return on your investment of $3000. I mean what do I have to gain from any of them or any of this online blogging? I do not call this my “job” or where I make a living. But can you see why Kristin would gain, she could gain a whole gaggle of new lemmings to dupe into the belief Tanya is some anti-Christ of blogging. Regardless, what a punch of phooey and pettiness on behalf of a grown woman. I can undoubtedly say I am glad my life is one year older and one year wiser and free of the nonsense.

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Are you a good mom

Today I was having lunch with my best friend as I do each and almost everyday. She told me that her dad and sister would be coming to lunch and invited me. I was gracious and obliged, how would I pass up meeting her dad that she talked so candidly about. We passed stories along and my friend’s father was telling stories of how he lived abroad, then randomly, as my friend does, blurts out how you would never know I have three kids.

Twins and Mama on BeachMy friend’s dad perked up and was too surprised to hear I have three kids. He then complimented me to the point where my skin matched my red dress when he said I could “be a Bette Middler stand-in” and again I was humbled. My dear cohort continued to add about the twins. I laughed holding my humility and he looked at me very kindly and said, “You are a good mom.” I again, maintaining my air of humbleness thanked him kindly and said “some days.”

Rather I wonder some days if I am a good mom. I know my children are well fed, well loved, have better manners than most adults stating their gratitude and always being thankful for what they have and do not have. They are dressed accordingly and their clothes are in good condition and I do not in any fashion neglect them. I always listen attentively to their needs, their wants, and their antics. But sometimes I let the demons that walk this earth bore into my psyche where I question if I am a good mom. I know better, but my weak moments take over, thinking I could always do more.

However, I realize only then I cannot give my children anymore. The life lessons they learn by working hard for what you want in life, gratitude, humility, respect, and the plain and simple fact nothing is owed to anyone is all I can give them. I cannot give them anymore love than I already have to offer, which I would die for them. No matter what edge of sanity they may drive me over, through, and towards, my unyielding and unbridled love for these people is amazing. The encouragement and reassurance of their intelligence and that they can do anything they put their minds too provides them with the self-esteem and self-assurance they need to conquer any task or lead any board room.

When I was younger, even before I had children, I would judge children and parents based on how the children acted, how the parents acted. Now I pity them, and hope that one day that those children would learn such qualities of humility, respect, self-preservation, perseverance, hold a high level of self esteem. I pity only because I know that those children and parents are only privy to the tools they were provided, and while they are not perfect, nor am I, some individuals do not have access to certain life skills and tools that are much more valuable in life than what the brand on the tag of the clothing states.

Which brings me to the fact that I am far from perfect and I should be able to walk through life and my children’s life knowing that while I am not supermom of the year, I sometimes have trouble getting the stains of a shirt (especially since my Holy Cow went out of business….sigh), I sometimes forget to sign a note right away and it is a day late, or I forget someone’s blanket before leaving for pre-school. But what I never forget is to tell my children endlessly each day how much I love and adore them, how brilliant they are, how talented they are, how they are such great children despite any behavior issues, and I never forget they are mine. No one can tell me how to raise my children, live my life, and I have hope for humanity when a complete stranger can look at me and make the judgment of how I am a good mom.

With that I can sleep well knowing that good people still do exist, who do not judge harshly, ill willfully, and are good at heart. I can take that and pass that onto my children for their karma. Because how one person acts is their karma, how you act is your own.

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Healthy Home for the Holidays

The cold and holiday season has arrived. With the arrival comes lots of indoor time, lots of visitors, including family, and when I mean visitors I am suggesting the invasion of germs that carry the cold and flu viruses among many other immunity invaders.

Now I am a huge proponent for what some may call home sterilization. At least once a week I soak my kids most played with toys in a mixture of one cup of Clorox bleach and water, these are generally their Lego’s and bath toys, this helps to keep them clean, germ free, and I feel good knowing their toys are clean. Additionally I add one cup of Clorox bleach to the toilet bowl to keep the bowl fresh, clean, and free of the nasty germs that lurk.

But I also like to add some Clorox bleach in a mixture in my kitchen sink to dunk my sponges in as I go about wiping down some of the high traffic areas for germs. Door handles, light switch plates, drawers, cabinets, floors, and handles for appliances are especially focused on. The bathroom is one of my largest areas because I like to associate my bathroom as a haven for cleanliness and if you have a room that is riddled with nasty cracks and crevices that harvest germs some may find that washing your hands in the trash is more sanitary than using the actual bathroom. The toilet and flushing handle are scrubbed as is the door handle, faucet at the sink, and fresh linens are placed carefully to suggest to my house guests that the bathroom is clean, warm, inviting, and promotes hand washing to further prevent the spread of germs.

However, some areas of the home are bit more delicate and require a softer touch which is why Clorox offers awide array of cleaning products other than their flagship product of bleach that are less harsh, may not cause discoloration to household products, and are great for quick touch ups for germ prevention. The Clorox wipes and sprays are a great way to keep up with touch up cleaning and germ prevention around the house. How do you prepare for your holiday guests, do you power clean your house? How do you disinfect and keep your home germ free? Do you think keeping too clean of a home may be inviting for germs, do you feel that “a little dirt never hurt?”

“This is a sponsored post and while I was compensated for this post in no way did the compensation deter or influence my use or opinion surrounding the use of Clorox products.”
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Fresh Produce – Lifestyle Clothing

As a mother of three and business woman I try to find clothing that is fashion forward, comfortable, choice materials that are sturdy, and feel good. My wardrobe is rather diverse in that matter due to the various positions I hold personally and professionally. Some days I carry a full business garb due to my position with my employer, other days I am jeans and a tee for running errands, and finally some days I just want good, clean, comfortable clothes for playing with the kids at the park.

What I found is that finding comfortable clothing with substance, willing to move and flow with me while I run around with the kids is hard to find, until now. I have had the opportunity to wear, run, lounge, play, and live in some truly comfortable clothing built for my lifestyle. Fresh Produce clothing is lifestyle clothing constructed for women who like to live a beach lifestyle. Flowing, comfortable, fresh, clean clothes that are fashionable, colorful, easy to care for, maintain, and put together.

Fresh Produce is a “Made in the USA.” Founded by Thom and Mary Ellen Vernon and spawned by the revenue generating event of the 1984 Olympics where the dynamic couple birthed their concept of bright, colorful clothing and fashionable jewelry to those visiting the Los Angeles area for the summer Olympics. For more than 20 years the

Fresh Produce, clothing, lifestyle clothing, beachwear

Vernon’s have been clothing women, men and families with their bright, crisp, trendy apparel to spread the infectious feeling of the beach lifestyle.

The folks at Fresh Produce put together an outfit for me that fit me perfectly as well as my lifestyle. I received one of their infamous screen printed tees in black and a pair of safari Capri’s. Fresh Produce tees are soft comfortable, and the outfit is one of my favorite to wear on the weekends.

I can just jump out of the shower, do my hair and put together my outfit in a short amount of time. Throw on a pair of Chuck Taylor’s and I’m off to play in the grass and sand at the park with my kids on these cool fall days in Arizona. Moreover I can keep my same outfit on while I run over to Costco and grab the few things my family needs.

Even still I can swap around the outfit to wear the tee with a pair of jeans or just the Capri pants alone with a tank and pair of flip flops. That is the fantastic, beautiful, and versatile wonder that makes Fresh Produce clothing a fitting for your lifestyle no matter where you live. You don’t have to live at the beach to have a beach attitude and lifestyle.

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GMO HFCS Organic and Bullshit…OH MY!

Proud to say I have detached myself from the mommy blog cancer that explodes rather cyclically with the mud slinging and pettiness. I admit that every now and I again I will hop on Twitter anxious to maintain connections I have made only because I have had the opportunity to interact with some truly amazing women.

But when I log on and see women, acting like little girls, and encompassing their family in their small-minded attacks on trivial life items. The title should tell you what situation I refer. Come on ladies…first it was stay at home versus the working mom…now this?

I suppose a scattered number of posts have gone up on blogs recently regarding HFCS – High Fructose Corn Syrup. Then I saw the attacks go up with women who are stoutly against this food dominating additive.

Then I did some research….and then I had my last laugh.

In particular, I saw a mom try to laden her entire Twitter stream with #organic hash tags and  minutiae and just laughed harder. Why?

Do you see where my bus is rolling? Oh yes, right over the top of the bullshit I caught a whiff of, where a mom and “influencer” made a weak attempt to state that she feeds her family NOTHING but organic. Really?

When did PF Changs and Whip Cream in a can go Big O?

Let’s take a gander at the ingredients of the new PF Chang’s Home Menu haute cuisine that was overlooked in the organic revolution:

Holy heart stopper Batman! Can you read this? If not I can send you some phonics that spells out nothing in this package suggests “organic,” furthermore can you NOT see the sodium levels in just ONE, yes ONE serving of dim sum. Over 65% of your daily allowance in that tasty treat. Excuse me….I must go hurl over the bullshit ingested in that. Oh and the fact that this qualifies under “pre-packaged and boxed meals” only makes me want to shove my wrist in my throat to induce MORE vomiting. Add the ogenated, preservatives, gluten and other miscellaneous non-organic and non-natural items. Hurl-a-licious baby. Makes me want to run out, buy it, eat it, and then lie that I never bought it, ate it, and gained some extra poundage to my weight loss venture. Gag me with a spoon Valley Girl. Seriously that meal could make me bulimic reading the ingredients.

Moving on now to the whip cream in a can. I love this topic, because the same mom boasting #organic like the Dems and their “ObamaCare” had NO IDEA, or maybe she did and she was too much the beguiler. Which yes, I used that word from my mostly online university education you whoreson. Ah, I digress. Task at hand, yes the ingredients of the CANNED whip cream.

So the cream is generally sweetened by…wait for it…wait for it….corn syrup. Please refer back to the first picture so you can see the canned goodness derived from cream and corn syrup.

Proof is in the…err…cream. Copyright of ReddiWhip

There I said it. Now this mother was let me state again, a STOUT Boswell, or better a beguiling backer. She supports without merit. For those still in the 10 year undergraduate program, this is an unsupported citation. Citing information with no merit or with fault. Again, I digress. Regardless, she is pushing the fact that she ONLY,  yes ONLY goes organic. How can you say you ONLY do organic in your home but then post a picture of your shopping cart that supports high fructose corn syrup in your diet? Because you are full of shit, that is why.

So I beg the question? Why the hell if you are such a strong opponent to high fructose corn syrup and GMO (genetically modified) foods are you eating the strongest offenders of shit in your diet?

Oh did I mention the heart stopping sodium which also leads to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure which also leads to kidney failure among other health issues? Oh and alcohol consumption…did you know there are over 760 calories in one margarita? Drink on ass wipe. It’s not high fructose corn syrup making you fat you fuck, its the margarita and canned whip cream. Why are you going on the offense to attack other mothers who are embracing capitalism at it’s finest by agreeing to sponsored posts on behalf of the Corn Refiners and Mom Central?

Because you think you have a soap box, so let me show you some critically acclaimed information for your soap box next time you get on a rant. Which is clear your Twitter stream of posts about eating junk food, drinking high calorie alcoholic beverages, clear the fact you are a high school drop out, haven’t held a real job in years, and that your real job is as an amateur blogger..yes…I said amateur. Because when you ramble on and contradict yourself, you are a dumb fuck. Period.

If you want to know more about genetically modified foods, organic (which is merely a matter of marketing because at the base of the matter, everything is organic, everything is “organic” matter. In closing, next time you try to step up onto a soap box and preach your higher living be sure to check your soap box is not a steaming pile of bullshit.

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Love Notes and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats

As a child I used to enjoy taking my lunch to school. All the way until about high school my mother would pack my lunch. I know, my mom rocks, or maybe I was just a huge nerd in that I would pack my lunch.

I took my lunch in part that I was not a fan of school lunches and the second part was that special token of love my mom would insert into my packed lunch at least once a week. Anticipating which day I would lay eyes on the written token of love from my mom, with her love note and a special treat in my lunch like Jello or even a candy bar.

Today I can do that same act of love with my son, G. I can pack his lunch and toss in a sweet treat and love note all in one with the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats write on packaging. I can send a message to Grant during the day, if not in his lunch, maybe tossed into his back pack for a snack during the day or on his way home from school.

Kellog’s Rice Krispies Treats are a simple way to say I love you to your child where you know they will read your note just before they devour the sweet treat.

Not only a way to say I love you, but maybe a friendly reminder to your husband if you toss one in his work bag, lunch bag, or briefcase to pick up dog food or milk on the way home. Maybe toss a Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats into mom’s purse so she sees how much you love and appreciate her with a quick love note or a simple thank you.

What do you do to make your children’s lunches special? Do you drop love notes into their lunches, back packs, or jackets as a token of love and appreciation to them? Or maybe a friendly reminder to them or your spouse? What would you use the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats write on notes for?

*I was compensated for this post however, the compensation in no way influences my opinion of the product as a clever way of communication on a snack package.
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Even at work I am still Mom

A few weeks ago I was approached about traveling for work. The news for me was elation, how could I not pass up the option to travel. Time away from home, flaunting my skills as an exceptional employee and my brains for business.

While floating in the clouds I had not yet grappled with the feelings that would soon flood over me while I was out of town.

Chosen as a SME, Subject Mattter Expert, to visit a sister site for training and implementation purposes I was on cloud nine. An ego lifter by all means in that management felt my work ethic and knowledge of the processes and procedures would be invaluable to others in the implementation process.

The Chad and I talked about the trip and we had initially anticipated travel for two weeks and home only on the weekends. However, the schedule was set so I would only be traveling one week. Great news for our family considering the twins have never been away from me for more than the work day.

Living almost purely on adrenaline during the first 24 hours of my travel I was halted on Monday evening and Tuesday morning with the overwhelming urge to return home.

The walls seemed to close in on me in the chokingly dull hotel room. Whilespacious, inviting and cozy, even equipped with a Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed at the Radisson, I still felt uneasy. Missing my family, hearing the sadness in my children’s voices when I spoke with them on the phone, and catching the appreciation in my husband’s voice when we exchanged our days events. The day in and day out of eating out while traveling for business, retiring to a lonely room, if you are not feeling uneasy my thought is that having a family is not for you, because I missed them all terribly. I missed the nightly chaos of the witching hour with dinner time and the laughs and giggles of three beautiful little faces. The morning rush and with Seth asking me and telling me all at the same time, “Sleep Good mama.” Grant hugging me and telling me he loves me and my baby girl rushing into me for a morning hug. Irreplaceable moments in life, no matter how small.

Even a trip to the Mall of America made me realize how much I missed my kids when I laid eyes on the Nickelodeon Universe as my first thoughts were “my kids would lose their silly minds at this!” Each store brought on thoughts of how I should get this or that for the kids.

Work time would blow by, the work day itself seemed to have never happened and at times while working as a SME I felt I did not have enough time in the day to spread the wealth of knowledge. But I know I would anticipate the end of the work day to rush at the free opportunity to talk to the loves of my life. I realized more and more how much I missed them, how much I appreciated them, how we all needed the break.

More so I realized that even when I was at work I thought about my kids, my husband, how I never stopped being a mom. I realized how over the last 10 years I have learned to juggle the fine art of woman, wife, employee, mother, and all the other jobs I have taken on. I also made one of the strongest comments to one of my co-workers while we were on site which is that no matter what job I may be working, my first and foremost job is always mom.

The job may not pay six figures and provide paid time off, no bonus or perks except in the form of watching the little people created. Their smiles, giggles, artful creations that resemble a form of abstract art at times; but the largest payoff is the hugs, kisses, love you’s that no employer can provide except in the job and working position as mom.

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InSTEP Jogging Stroller

About a year ago I began my weight loss journey. I can tell you that as a woman and mother one of the hardest things to do was find time with two newborn children to exercise.

Add to the fact that the twins were not always on the same schedule. They were but weren’t since each of them went to sleep differently, one was definitely more needy than the other. Which often posed a problem when I would try to schedule time to exercise and my favorite way to exercise was to walk and jog.

I read lots of jogging stroller reviews before finally settling on the right stroller for my needs as a mom and as a jogger. I came across the InSTEP Safari Swivel Jogging Stroller Review which was bold and honest and even addressed issues with the stroller that any parent, mother, and jogger would want to be addressed and brought to light.

What are some items you look for in reviews? What type of details are pertinent in your purchase? Do you look for the negatives that may arise in a product review and find it refreshing when the author addresses them? Or would you rather they hide issues with a product? I know I was pleased to see honesty positive and negative.