Robin O'Bryant's Blog, page 2

Share the Luv! Spoil a mom!

This week I got to participate in the best campaign ever with Luv’s– “Share the Luv.” Luv’s provided a generous donation and gave me one instruction– spoil a mom.

I didn’t even have to think about who I was going to spoil!

Three months ago, my family moved from Mississippi to South Carolina and one of my Facebook friends, Sara, someone I’d never met– reached out to me to let me know she lived in Beaufort and was happy to answer questions about the city. I bombarded her with questions and she helped me TREMENDOUSLY! From getting my kids into a great public school, to finding the best Chinese food in town, I turned to Sara for all of my questions.

Sara, her three children and her Marine Corps husband, have lived in Beaufort for several years. As the wife of a Marine, she’s been a single mom during her husband’s deployments and endured what many of us couldn’t imagine– waiting for her husband to come home from the battlefield.

If anybody deserves to be spoiled, it’s Sara! She received 2 packages of Luv’s for her little one. A gift certificate to The Beaufort Day Spa for a massage, another gift certificate to her favorite restaurant, Wren. I threw in a couple of face masks and a bar of dark chocolate for those days when you can’t get a sitter but you CAN lock yourself in the bathroom for a good half hour!

To make sure everyone gets to share in the Luv – Luvs is offering a great money-saving opportunity with a $1 print-at-home coupon.

Visit http://www.coupons.com/brands/luvs-coupons/ to access a Luvs coupon of $1 off any one diaper pack.
Print the coupon at home and use it at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are sold.
All Luvs Diapers are included in this particular offer, except trial/travel sized diaper packs.
Print-at-Home coupons expire 30 days from the date the coupon is printed by the consumer.

This is a sponsored post. 

Thankful for the Little Things (and Little People) in My Life

My peeps at Luvs have asked me to write about what I truly value and am thankful for as a parent as part of their #WhatULuv campaign. Judging by the current state of my Facebook feed, we could all stand a chance to concentrate on the little things! As a parent, that list grows everyday.

 

I’m thankful for healthy children who no longer do log rolls on the floor at the pediatrician’s office. Parents of littles– picture a magical world where your kids sit– YES!- SIT on actual chairs at the doctor, acting like tiny little humans.

I’m thankful my girls have each other. Granted, most days that means they have a partner to reenact Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage’s greatest moments– but some days that means I hear them giggling from across the house, pulling out board games, playing pretend or giving each other makeovers– making memories that don’t include hair pulling, choke holds OR body slams.

I’m thankful for kids who have learned how to make sandwiches and snacks. For kids whose legs are long enough to reach the counter without climbing cabinets.

I’m thankful for pajama days full of snuggles, hugs and kisses.

I’m thankful for growing kids, learning how to be independent but for hands that still reach for mine when we cross the street.

I’m thankful for memories made and memories still waiting to be made!

Raising kids isn’t always easy, but Luvs wants to help you focus on what you value as a parent and have a little fun in the process! Join a bunch of experienced moms for a #WhatULuv Twitter party hosted by @iConnect and @Luvs, on November 29th, 9-10pm EST to share what you value as a parent. There are sure to be prizes and plenty of laughs!

COUPON!! Luvs is offering a great money-saving opportunity with a $1 print-at-home coupon.  Visit http://www.coupons.com/brands/luvs-coupons/ to access a Luvs coupon of $1 off any one diaper pack. Print the coupon at home and use it at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are sold. All Luvs Diapers are included in this particular offer, except trial/travel sized diaper packs. Print-at-Home coupons expire 30 days from the date the coupon is printed by the consumer.

This post is sponsored by Luvs.

Canvas Factory: Canvas Print Giveaway!

Hey y’all! Just popping in for a fun giveaway from my friends at Canvas Factory! They’ve got all kinds of ideas for getting your pictures off your computer and on your walls!

 

 

 

All you have to do to win a 16×20” / 40x50cm canvas is to leave a comment and tell me which pic you’d like to get on your wall!

 

Entries will be closed Friday, September 16th at 12pm CST. Winner announced Saturday September, 17th… whenever I wake up.

Giveaway offer is open only for USA and Canada residents.  This is a sponsored post, I received financial compensation in exchange for this post. 

Luvs’ Summer Giveaway!

Summer is in full swing and my friends at Luvs are making it easy for moms to save big on diapers this summer! In addition to online coupons, they have furnished an amazing Summer Giveaway!

(Info to enter is at the bottom of this post.)

 

Rachael Ray Jumbo Chill Out Thermal Tote, Green (for grocery shopping, the beach, picnics, etc.)

Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Slim Lunch Ice Packs (to go with the thermal) – Set of 4

Coupon Binder – (to store your Luvs and other money-saving coupons!)

Picnic & Outdoor Blanket Mat (for picnics, games, beach this summer)

(2) Nalgene On The Fly BPA-free Reuseable Water Bottles (for mom and dad to stay hydrated)

(2) NALGENE  Grip-N- Gulp BPA-Free Reuseable Water Bottle (we know kids LOVE having their own water

bottles)

Pack of Luvs Diapers

$50 AMEX Gift Card

Luvs has only provided me with the product that I am using as the prizes for this giveaway. By entering the following giveaway you are accepting that, if you win, your contact information will be shared with a Luvs PR and shipping agency for the purpose of mailing your prize. Please allow 4-6 weeks from the contest closure date to receive your prize.

Luvs is offering opportunities to save on diapers this month with a $2 print-at- home coupon offer. Additionally, in partnership with Ibotta, Luvs is also offering a limited-time $3 rebate on any boxed variety of Luvs Diapers, 54ct. box or larger.

 

There’s no way around it, parenting is expensive! Here are some ways to save on Luvs diapers!

1. Visit http://www.coupons.com/brands/luvs-coupons/ to access a Luvs coupon of $2 off any one diaper pack. Print the coupon at home and use it at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are sold.

2. Download the free Ibotta app, available on iPhone and Android, and search “Luvs” to unlock an exclusive $3 rebate.

Go shopping for your Luvs Diapers at any participating store.

-Verify your purchases by scanning product barcodes and submitting a photo of your receipt.

-Save money and earn cash back! Your $3 cash back rebate will be deposited into your Ibotta

account within 48 hours.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Simply leave a comment on this post and tell me how you’d use the prize! A day at the beach, picnic in the park, a day on the lake? It’s that easy.

Giveaway ends July 3rd at 8pm CST! Winner announced on July 3rd! 

 

 

 

Mental Illness Awareness Month: How You Can Help Your Loved Ones

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I wanted to do SOMETHING. Like storm into Congress and tell them we need more funding, more accessible health care, psychiatrists and therapists that file their own insurance claims. I want to ring the Mental Health COWBELL and tell the world how difficult it is for those suffering to get help.

But, I don’t want to go to jail and I don’t have a cowbell. So I do what I can. I try to be transparent about my own struggles. I’m not ashamed. Not anymore. It took me awhile to get here but I made it. Because the more open we are, the more the stigma begins to loosen it’s grasp on society.

So I went to my readers and asked what has helped/hurt them in their own mental health struggles. They had a lot to say. And I’m going to lean HEAVY on how people have helped. I get a bad taste in my mouth reading the 8000 lists shared on FaceBook about everything you are doing wrong with your friends with anxiety, things you should stop doing. Because, let’s be real– anybody who is reading those articles are people who WANT to help.

I heard from one reader who said all those lists have made him gun shy about saying ANYTHING to people he knew were suffering for fear of saying the wrong thing. I get it. I know I’ve snapped at my family for saying the “wrong” thing. But I’ve learned to give them the benefit of the doubt– because I don’t doubt their love and commitment to me. I can’t kick their legs out from under them for TRYING to help and encourage me.

WORDS THAT HURT

I could post a lengthy list of quotes I received from almost 100 readers. But I’m not gonna, Imma summarize.

Don’t minimize.

I worry, too.

Just relax.

Don’t worry about things you can’t control.

The Bible says, ‘Be anxious for nothing.’ 

These phrases and ones similar to it imply that the person has a choice. And they don’t. You wouldn’t tell someone with a broken arm, “I have an arm too!” You wouldn’t tell someone with diabetes, “Hey, relax. Just let this whole blood sugar thing go.”

The Bible/God/Church thing is an ATOMIC BOMB to drop on someone suffering with mental illness, because it implies their struggle is a moral issue. And it is NOT. If faith and prayer could fix mental illness, it wouldn’t exist. NO ONE wants to be able to ‘let things go’ more than the sufferer. Implying that they are somehow being disobedient, lacking in faith, or sinning is heaping coals of shame on their head.

 

Don’t try to “fix” it. 

You need to exercise/go for a walk/work out more. 

SHUT IT.

Would you say that to someone suffering from mono? No, because they are sick, exhausted and need rest. The physical toll of depression and mental illness is real. Offer to take their kids so they can nap. I spent months sleeping over 12 hours a day. I couldn’t stay awake, I felt like I was swimming through wet cement. The idea of exercising was totally out of reach.

HOW TO HELP

I am so, so, so fortunate to have the best support system ever. I have an ARMY of women friends who treat my kids like they are their own. A husband and family that will, and have, bent over backwards to help me. They have let me nap and sleep in, they have cooked me meals and driven me to the doctor. They have prayed and encouraged me and there is SO MUCH you can do to help your loved ones.

ASK QUESTIONS & BE HONEST

If you can’t relate, then don’t try to– saying, ‘I worry too” doesn’t help. That’s being human. But saying, ‘I know you’re hurting how can I help?’ shows them you see their pain and are willing to help.

Instead of quoting Scripture to them, ask, “How can I be praying for you?” My friends were so good at doing this and it always took my breath away. I honestly couldn’t pray. I was numb and could barely focus on anything, but it meant so much that they were. And the specificity of it– not just saying ‘I’m praying for you’– was so meaningful.

‘HOW can I help you?’ is so much more meaningful than, ‘Let me know if I can help.’

It takes the pressure off of them of having to call you randomly and ask you for help. Because we already feel like a burden.

Ask questions:

Can I run to the store for you?

Let me get your kids after school.

I’m cooking dinner for you tonight.

These are tangible things you can do to help without your loved one feeling like they’ve inconvenienced you.

One of the most powerful conversations I’ve had with a friend was only a few months ago, I was changing one of my meds and not handling it well. I was weepy, exhausted and overwhelmed. It was time for carpool and I had no idea how I was going to get my kids home and to after school activities.

I called my friend and asked for help…

Her: You don’t sound good, are you sick?

It always feels like a trick question, because I always feel guilty for not being able to do what everybody else is doing. I feel like the biggest failure on the planet when I am too overwhelmed to take car of my kids.

Me: *bursts into tears* Yeah, I guess. We’re changing my meds and I can’t get it together. I’m in the bed…

She cut me off.

Her: You don’t EVER have to explain to me why you need my help. You ARE sick. Just like any other kind of being sick. You’re not putting me out. The only thing I’d be mad about is if I found out you were in the bed sobbing and DIDN’T ask me for help. You don’t have to explain yourself.

I’m crying just typing this. No explanation required. I’m sick, I’m not feeling well. I need help.

Best friend ever.

There is so much you can do to help, and for those of us suffering– we have to be willing to accept it. We have to show grace to those who are trying to love us without truly understanding where we are.

We have to be there. For each other.

 

 

 

Cuban Pork Roast and Carnitas

 

Y’all are going to love this!

I made this a couple of years ago with my friends Paul and Forrest (AGAIN, how you doin’?) and we ate until we were SICK.

If you want to cook this on a smoker, (and you want to, you really do) here’s whatcha do:

Mix

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup of lime juice (fresh squeezed)

garlic cloves, as many as you can stand

1 large yellow onion cut into wedges

1 T cumin

1 T oregano

1 tsp salt

pepper more to taste

1 boneless pork shoulder or butt roast

Take a knife and cut slits into the roast, inserting a garlic clove in each slit. I went nuts with this because my garlic tolerance is HIGH.

Marinate the roast overnight in this marinade, (including the wedges of onion.) Then cook on the smoker until it’s done.

Cook the remaining marinade on the stove top until it reduces by 1/3 to 1/2. And drizzle over pulled pork.

Carnitas In the Crock Pot

HOOOOOVER– you can do this in the crock pot and it’s AMAZING.

The recipe is ALMOST the same you just need a little less of everything.

Put the roast in the crock pot with:

1/3 cup of lime juice

1/3 cup of oj

onion wedges

I just went a little lighter on the seasonings. I used the same measuring spoons I just didn’t scoop as much up with them. This may not help you and I’m sorry. It’s just how I roll.

Cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4ish hours, until you can start to pull the roast apart with two forks. SIDEBAR: It’s going to look all gray and disgusting but TRUST ME, you’re going to be fine.

Remove from the crock pot and place roast in a roasting pan, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 400º. Remove foil and shred the roast, pouring all the crock pot juices over the pulled pork and sprinkle with 2 T of taco seasoning.

Put the shredded meat back in the oven uncovered until the pork begins to brown and crisp around the edges.

CARNITAS!

To make carnitas, serve in tortillas. (We love corn tortillas, just cook each one in a teensy bit of oil in the skillet, about 1 minute per side.)

The TOPPINGS– this is where you are going to want to SAY MY NAME–

diced avocado

pickled jalapeno peppers

chopped cilantro

red onion sliced so thinly you can see through it

diced FRESH pineapple (my mouth is watering)

a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

You need TONS of lime wedges because the more lime you squeeze on your carnitas, the happier you will be.

LAWD HEP. It’s so good and the leftovers just get better and better.

I serve with a side of Cuban Black Beans, but you won’t miss ’em if you skip ’em.

Let me know what you think if you make them!

xoxo

*The pic was taken by my friend Lindsey. After they had carnitas for dinner her husband dreamed about them. #justsayin

The Best Poppy Seed Chicken in the History of the World

I know what you’re thinking because I rolled my eyes when my friend Forrest talked about his “signature” Poppyseed Chicken.

Like, FOR REAL.

Basic. There are no frills.

Then I made his recipe and my life was revolutionized.

Here’s what you do:

Shred 1 rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts. You need around 2 cups of chicken.

2 cans of cream of chicken soup. (Don’t gag.)

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 teaspoons GRATED onion

1 large garlic clove GRATED (this matters SO MUCH.)

Mix it all up. I will say that the whole FaceBook video of somebody shredding chicken with a HAND MIXER is all lies. HOOVER (me and my seester say hoover instead of however because it makes us happy) you CAN use a Kitchen-Aid mixer with the dough hook to shred chicken and it is magic. Make sure your chicken is tender before you throw it in there, but it takes 2 minutes and your hands don’t get all carpal tunnelly from using two forks and half of your life to shred that mess.

1 sleeve *coughs TWO* of EVERYTHING Ritz Crackers. AGAIN, this matters so much.

**Edited for all you freaks THE POPPYSEEDS ARE IN THE “EVERYTHING RITZ”. Dang. Y’all make it hard on a chick. 

Crush the crackers and toast them up in a skillet with a couple of tablespoons of butter. We are not on a diet when we do this.

Spread the chicken mix in a big ole casserole dish, top with crackers. Cook covered in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until it’s bubbly then uncover and cook for a few more minutes until the cracker cups are toasty brown.

I serve this over egg noodles with a green vegetable.

TRUST- you will never make Poppyseed Chicken any other way. If you are cooking dinner for someone else- THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT TO EAT.

Forrest– the internet thanks you.

Mother’s Day Memories with Luv(s) sponsored

Mother’s Day has the potential  to be awesome. Breakfast in bed (burned toast, eggs with shell in them and orange juice that’s sloshed all over whatever tray your kids dig up,) a free massage and pedicure– by your five-year-old, who leaves your toes looking like you painted them blindfolded. Homemade coupons from your kids with shallow promises to clean the kitchen, wash your car, make your bed, change the litter box without being asked or -LOL- not fight with their siblings. *wipes tears of laughter from my eyes.

 

Let’s face it– Mother’s Day is the one day where it’s the thought that truly counts. It has to. Because the execution usually sucks. Big time.

There was the year my family got some plants I’d been wanting for our patio. They were lovely and exactly what I asked for– but on Monday, while the hubs was at work and the kids were at school, I spent $3.75 at a car wash vacuuming dead leaves and dirt out of the back of my car.

Then there was the year my oldest daughter, Aubrey, was 5-years-old and in her excitement to take me to the kitchen to see my surprises, she threw her well worn baby blanket over my head and led me through the house. And DI-RECTLY into a bookshelf that left me bruised until Father’s Day.

But it is the thought that counts. Chubby little fingers cracking eggs, construction paper and crayon cards, and my all time fave– a wooden tray the girls wrapped with aluminum foil because they wanted to bring me breakfast “on a silver platter.” (Oh my HEART!)

Luvs knows that parenting isn’t cheap so they are about to give out coupons like your kids on Mother’s Day. But these aren’t shallow promise– it’s money in your hands!

Make sure to check your paper this Sunday, May 1st for an insert from P&G with a Luvs coupon offering $2 of any one diaper pack.

Visit this site to access a Luvs coupon of $2 off any one diaper pack. Print the coupon at home and use it at any mass, discount or grocery stores where Luvs Diapers are sold.

AND download the free Ibotta app, available on iOS and Android, and search “Luvs” to unlock an exclusive $5 rebate:

Go shopping for your Luvs Diapers at any participating store.

 Verify your purchases by scanning product barcodes and submitting a photo of your receipt.

 Save money and earn cash back! Your $5 cash back rebate will be deposited into your Ibotta

account within 48 hours.

THINK OF ALL THE MONEY YOU CAN SAVE AND USE AT THE CARWASH!

*This is a sponsored post for which I received monetary compensation*

 

Hey Y’all, heeeeeey!

It’s been so long since I’ve blogged that it took me a good ten minutes to figure out how to log in. Good grief.

I’ve been meaning to blog for… I dunno… the last two years but I haven’t known what to say or how to say it.

Most of you know that I had a major depressive episode almost two years ago and ended up in intensive outpatient treatment for several months. That mess came out of the blue and almost wiped me off the face of the Earth.

It’s been devastating, affecting every aspect and relationship in my life and writing wasn’t even on my radar. Still not quite ready to dive back in yet but I know I have to start somewhere.

Honestly, I’ve been scared to write. Now that I’m highly and I mean HIIIIIIIIIGHLY medicated, my brain doesn’t work the same. Which– yay, cuz shit got bad– but it’s affected my creative process. My thoughts don’t flow the way they used to and to be really real– I don’t think I’m as funny as I used to be before all these waves of pain crashed over my life.

My voice has changed. Because I’ve changed. And THANK GOD I’ve changed. But I worry about your expectations of me. That y’all have come to me for the last few years for light hearted laughs and now this much darker side of me has made itself known and it’s changed me. It’s changed me for the better, but I’m still not comfortable in my new skin.

I miss connecting with this community. Y’all have NO IDEA how much I love interacting with y’all. Every single one of you makes me laugh as hard as you tell me that I make YOU laugh. Y’all make my days brighter, when I post something on FB, I look forward to reading your comments all day.

So if you’re still hanging around and reading the stuff I write, thanks. Seriously and sincerely, thank you. I’m going to start trying this whole blogging thing again as the me I am now.

MOMOJIS. Because when your kid is puking you don’t have time for words.

Luvs’ new Momojis keyboard (Live today! Free download on Apple appstore or Google Play) was built specifically for busy moms and dads; giving us a quick, easy, and hilarious way to express the down and dirty moments of our day. As a part of their Motherboard team of funny moms, I got to test-drive their new app when I checked in on my friend Ann after Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Poor Ann. I sent her a virtual bubble bath and ice cream. Sending it by Momoji is probably the only way to ensure her kids won’t interrupt her!

Look, I know there are a ton of emoji keyboards out there, but name another one that has a souped up minivan, a nanny cam AND poop of a questionable color? (Blue crayons. I’d bet money on it. Don’t ask how I know.)

 

Parents, download these free Momojis and check out Luvs’ Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube–especially if you have kids in diapers. Luvs’ Momojis app will also feature “Promojis” or diaper deals on the go!

This post is sponsored by Luvs, as part of my ongoing work with Luvs Motherboard.