5 Reasons You Should Have A Girls Weekend

Although items for our Girls Weekend were provided to us, all comments and opinions are strictly mine.

Hey Moms, you how we all hypothetically talk with each other about taking a Girls Weekend getaway trip but never actually do?  I know I am definitely guilty of it.  Well it’s time you actually make your plan a reality.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity a few weeks ago to take a Girls Weekend trip with of some of my favorite gals to the incredible Viamede Resort and I came back feeling like a whole new Mama.  Here are my 5 tops reasons why you should do the same.

1. 1.  Laughter

2. They say that laughter is the best medicine and it is something I definitely agree with.  From the moment the trip started to even after I got home the girls had me in stitches.  My stomach hurt for days afterwards from laughing so hard.  Thanks to Clarington Toyota, we all loaded up in a brand new 2019 Toyota Highlander and were able to make the journey up together.  It was super spacious and comfortable and easy handled all our luggage.  The weather was less than stellar that weekend but with all the safety features on the vehicle, our trip was a breeze.  That is saying a lot because I am often a nervous passenger/driver in the winter weather.  None of us grew up together so sharing stories of our pasts and youth had me pretty much crying from laughter instead of worrying.
4. 
6. Throughout the entire weekend, whether it was being forced to watch some pretty crazy reality TV, freezing our butts off taking photos, or just unexpected moments of pure hilariousness, I always had a smile on my face.  This kind of happiness is good for the soul especially in our normal, busy lives.

7. 2.  Relaxation

8. Having to share custody of my son means every other weekend he’s at his Dad’s.  Sure this means I have the opportunity to wake up a bit later, but I still wake up with the same laundry to wash, floors to vacuum, home to clean, etc.  Being away from your daily responsibilities means you can sit back and take the actual time to relax.
9. 
11. There a lots of activities to enjoy at Viamede Resort and even with it being close to -30°C that weekend, we still were able to get outside even if only to enjoy a glass of LaMarca Prosecco or a brief visit to the hot tub.
13. 
15. And if you don’t want to go out in the cold, there is always the fireplace to curl up in front of to read a book or just enjoy a hot cup of coffee.

16. 3. Adult Time

17. We’re all Mom’s and sometimes you just need a day or two not wanting to change your name to anything but “Mom” or having to worry about the next Lego brick you are going to step on.  Again, sharing custody of my son, it’s a bit different for me but in all, it’s nice to have some time with adults, not having to be checking the clock until it’s time to get home and back to reality.  We were able to talk about a lot of things that were on our minds and not having to worry about kids overhearing things they shouldn’t or being able to openly talk about things we normally wouldn’t on a simple dinner out or over coffee.
18. We also were able to experience things that we normally wouldn’t with our kids.  Upon arrival to the resort, we were able to partake in their Dark Winter’s Feast which was held in the resort chapel and the entire meal was a throwback to the late 1800’s prepared in pioneer fashion and eaten over candle light.  The food and experience was amazing.
20. 

21. 4. Growing Relationships

22. Regardless if you’ve been friends for decades or only a few years, a lot times we only get to spend a few hours with our friends at any given time.  Being able to spend an entire weekend with these ladies allowed for our friendships to not only grow stronger but an entirely new level.  We learned things about each other that you simply don’t learn over dinner or coffee.  Being forced to watch some crazy reality TV that you never would have watched on your own with a bunch of close friends definitely brings out the laughs and the ability to let loose sometimes.
23. It’s a reminder of why we became friends in the first place and why our friendships continue.
25. 

26. 5.  Life is too short not too!

27. Don’t get me wrong, I love everything about being a Mom and hate being away from my son, but I am also a Mom that needs to have a life as well.  And life is way too short not to take time for myself and being able to enjoy it.  After being away, I came back refreshed, full of smiles and with a totally different energy.  This is not only good for me as a person but as a Mom.
28. Instead of pushing off a Girls Weekend to another month, another season, another year, bite the bullet and book it.  Life will always be busy, you’ll always have “life” getting in the way, but you need the time away to be a better you. You won’t regret it!
29. So girls, when is our next Girls Weekend getaway?

Advertisement

Getting St.Patrick’s Day Ready

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

https://influencers.tapinfluence.com/assets/cogs/core-v4.js var ts=document.getElementById(‘ti-pixel-tracker’); var axel = Math.random() + “”; var num = axel * 1000000000000000000; var ti=document.createElement(“img”); ti.style.display=”none”; ti.src=”https://tracking.tapinfluence.com/trk/WG13S/B8Hpn/p.png?p=6wqRI” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “i=lo3vf” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “ord=”+ num + String.fromCharCode(38) + “s=” + encodeURIComponent(document.referrer); ts.parentNode.replaceChild(ti,ts); JSON.stringify({“program_id”:”dc1f86be-0eb6-11e9-9b31-0a4e3fc30406″,”post_id”:”8eed6dc6-0ebf-11e9-b979-026aefb7bdd6″});

If I look back into my heritage, I know there is s little bit of Irish in there somewhere. So, of course that means I should always partake in St.Patrick’s Day festivities. Right?

And in doing so, I need to make sure my wardrobe has a few shamrocks and green in it for the day. Time for some DIY St. Patrick’s Day style by using my Cricut Maker.

That is one of things I love best about the Cricut Maker, is it’s ability to use so many more different types of materials than the older Cricut models could. Aside from cardstock and vinyl, it can also cut fabric, leather and even chipboard.

I decided why not start by using some Cricut faux leather to make some St. Patrick’s Day inspired earrings.

I’ve never been a jewellery maker but I decided to take a leap into something new. This project was pretty easy and didn’t take a lot of supplies to complete.

Supplies needed:

1. 1. Cricut Maker
2. 2. Cricut fine knife blade
3. 3. Cricut faux leather in green and silver
4. 4. Fish hook earring wires
5. 5. 10 mm jump rings
6. 6. Needle nose pliers.
7. 

 

Step 1

Using Cricut Design Space, I found a shamrock design that would work perfect for my earrings. I sized it to about 1 inch x 1 inch.

I then took a circle and placed it at both the top and bottom of the shamrock. This will cut the holes to use to connect them.

After placing the holes and ensuring everything was in place, I selected the entire area and group and attach so they will cut together as one object.

I then duplicated the object so it will cut 2 each time.

Step 2

Using a standard grip mat and Cricut Faux leather in green and cut out the 2 shamrock shapes.

Be sure to use a roller to ensure the material sticks to the mat.

Repeat the above step using the faux leather in silver.

Step 3

Using the jump rings through the tiny holes that were cut into the leather, attach them to the fish hook earring wires.  You can use the needle nose pliers to open and then close the rings.  Then use another ring and attach the green and silver shamrocks together.

Repeat for your second earring.

And there you have it, earrings ready for your St. Patrick’s day event.

I also made myself a St. Patrick’s Day inspired shirt complete with shamrocks using the tutorial available here on Cricut Design Space using  my Cricut Maker and Cricut EasyPress™ 2.    That is one thing I love about Design Space are all the great ideas for crafts and all the instructions you need to complete them.  It’s great for your own craft inspiration.  So head on over for your own Cricut inspired DIY St. Patrick’s Day decor.

So now I am ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish.  All I need now is my green beer.  

The EasyPress™ 2 and Motivating Workout Wear

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

https://influencers.tapinfluence.com/assets/cogs/core-v4.js var ts=document.getElementById(‘ti-pixel-tracker’); var axel = Math.random() + “”; var num = axel * 1000000000000000000; var ti=document.createElement(“img”); ti.style.display=”none”; ti.src=”https://tracking.tapinfluence.com/trk/r4pZh/SEmfI/p.png?p=MjgyR” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “i=lo3vf” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “ord=”+ num + String.fromCharCode(38) + “s=” + encodeURIComponent(document.referrer); ts.parentNode.replaceChild(ti,ts); JSON.stringify({“program_id”:”7e3287e4-0304-11e9-b98d-0604a9fe185a”,”post_id”:”85a990f0-1072-11e9-8e73-0a4e3fc30406″});

I am sure most of us started off the year on fire and committed to keeping up those New Years resolutions about adopting a healthier lifestyle.  But if anyone is like me, as we are now into the middle of February and the weather is miserable all the time, I’m finding that motivating myself to keep the workouts going is getting harder and harder.

What does any of this have to do with my  Cricut EasyPress™ 2,  you ask?  Well,  to motivate myself, I decided to use my Cricut Maker and Cricut EasyPress™ to make myself some workout wear.  I find it a bit more motivating to workout when I have fun new gear to wear.

And when Cricut has so many different types of iron-on materials to choose from like holographic sparkle, glitter, patterned, etc., you can get really creative with all of your projects.   In the past I used just my iron and always worried about the having the correct temperature and pressure and the EasyPress™ makes things so much easier.

For this project, I decided to make a tank top that was not only fun but expressed my true feelings about certain workout moves.  It makes me smile and can be motivating when I know that I am not the only person that feels this way.

The supplies you need for this tank top are:

1. 1. Tank top of your choice
2. 2.  Holographic Sparkle iron-on in gold
3. 3.  Everyday Iron-on in white
4. 4.  Cricut Maker
5. 5.  Cricut EasyPress™2 or Iron
6. 6.  EasyPress Mat

STEP 1 – Create your logo in Cricut Design Space.

Using the tank top template allowed me to get a better idea of sizing and allocation of my Cricut iron-on.

For the font I used Cabarga Cursiva and the heart shape from the Basic Shapes.

STEP 2 – Prepare to Cut Your Design

Once you have your design looking the way you want it, it is time to get ready to print your logo with your Cricut Maker.  If you were printing everything in the same material, you would want to group everything so that the spacing remained the same as your design on screen.  Because I am using two different materials, I did not group the logo.  Therefore the text was ready to print on one mat and the heart on another.  Be sure to select the correct size mat you will be using and DO NOT FORGET to select Mirror On, so that your text will be properly cut on your Cricut Iron-On materials.

Always place the shiny or plastic looking side down on the mat so that the iron-on is cut and not the protective sheet.

Once the logo is cut, you will need to weed out all the Circut material that you will not be ironing on.

When I was weeding this project, I definitely wished that I had the Cricut Bright Pad to help me see my cut lines a bit better.  My aging eyes aren’t what they used to be.

STEP 3 – Prepare to Iron-on the heart

Be sure you have washed your tank top first without fabric softener.

Lay your tank top out on a flat surface so that you can now place the ready to iron on design.

I decided to place the heart shape design first, as it was the largest piece of the logo.  This would help me better space where the lettering would eventually go.

I then went to the Cricut EasyPress™ Interactive Quick Reference Guide to get the correct timings and settings I would need to use based on the materials I was using.  This is so incredibly helpful!  Do not forget to put your EasyPress Mat (or a towel) under your tank top to protect your table or hard surface.

STEP 4 – Prepare to Iron-on the text

After the heart shape was applied,  I then applied the text again using the reference guide and my EasyPress.    I had let the application of the heart completely cool before I applied text.  I made sure I covered the heart with the original protective sheet so that it was not damaged when using the EasyPress™ on the text portions.

STEP 5 – Finished project

Once you have removed the protective sheeting, your tank top is now ready to go.  You should always wait 24 hours to wear and wash your new design.

Hopefully it motivates you to keeps you on tract.  And yes, I really do not love burpees.

Cricut EasyPress™ 2 – What You Need to Know

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

https://influencers.tapinfluence.com/assets/cogs/core-v4.js var ts=document.getElementById(‘ti-pixel-tracker’); var axel = Math.random() + “”; var num = axel * 1000000000000000000; var ti=document.createElement(“img”); ti.style.display=”none”; ti.src=”https://tracking.tapinfluence.com/trk/on9BT/hPGoe/p.png?p=hDNHZ” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “i=lo3vf” + String.fromCharCode(38) + “ord=”+ num + String.fromCharCode(38) + “s=” + encodeURIComponent(document.referrer); ts.parentNode.replaceChild(ti,ts); JSON.stringify({“program_id”:”7e3287e4-0304-11e9-b98d-0604a9fe185a”,”post_id”:”6d073a7a-1072-11e9-affb-06344b32889a”});

When I got my Cricut Explore Air a few years back, I was ready to start crafting.  One of the things that I wanted to use it for was to make my own customized shirts and sweaters for myself and my son.  This year, I was lucky enough to upgrade to the Cricut Maker and now I am really ready to up my crafting game.

However, one of the things that always a bit difficult for me was using just my regular clothing iron to apply iron-on decals to my creations.  I was never sure if I was pressing hard enough or had the heat the right temperature.  I felt like getting an actual heat press was a bit overkill for the projects I was doing but then I was introduced to the Cricut EasyPress™ 2.  Now I can really feel much more confident about my projects and even try things that I never thought I would be able to do.

So what is this Cricut EasyPress™ 2 all about, you ask?   Here are the answers to a few questions  I had prior to getting my EasyPress™ 2.

1. 1. 1.  What is the difference between the EasyPress 2 and standard irons or heat presses?

   2. There are a few factors that you need to consider when choosing to have an EasyPress 2 or a heat press.  The below chart can help you decide which format is best for you and your projects.

   3. 	Cricut EasyPress™ 2	Heat Press	Standard Iron
      Heat up to at least 400-degrees Fahrenheit	x	x	x
      Edge to edge heating across heat plates	x	x	x
      Steam Free	x	x
      Exact temperature controls and times	x	x
      Lightweight and easy to store	x		x
      Protected safety base while cooling	x
      Safe-touch exterior	x
      Auto shutoff	x
      Suitable for more than 10+ projects at a time		x
      Pressure Control	Manual	Adjustable	Manual
      Exceillent Customer Support	x	varies	varies

   4. 2.  Which size of EasyPress™ 2 is right for me?

   5.  If you’re asking yourself “Which EasyPress should I get?”, the biggest thing you need to think about is what size of projects you will be using it for the majority of the time.  Too big and you’ll have to worry about uneven heat distribution if you are having the press going over seams, and too small, you’ll need to make multiple presses to cover the entire area.  Always be sure to use the corresponding sized pressing mat when using your EasyPress 2.  Always use one that is equal or larger in size than the machine you are using.
   6. Some project examples that are best suited for each of the EasyPress 2 sizes are:

   7. EasyPress™ 2 6″x7″	EasyPress™ 2 9″x9″	EasyPress™ 2 12″x10″
      Baby clothes	Small T-Shirts	Smaller T-shirts
      Hats	Bags	Bags
      Mittens/Gloves	Sweatshirts	Sleeves
      Napkins	Pillows	Pants
      Scarves	Aprons	Banners
      Shoes	Towels	Blankets
      Small make-up accessories	Table runners	Curtains
      Small sewing projects	Costumes	Adult clothing
      Socks
      Storage containers

1. 

2. 3.  Which Cricut machines can cut iron-on?

3. Both the Cricut Maker and the Cricut Explore line of machines can cut the full line of Cricut iron-on materials.  There is a wide range of cricut materials for iron-on.  There is everything from Everyday Iron-On, Glitter Iron-On, Holographic Sparkle Iron-On, and even pre-printed iron-on designs.

5. 4.  Is there an iron-on material for sportswear?

6. Everyday Iron on will work on sportswear but the SportFlex Iron-On is thin and lightweight and made to stretch and flex on the active wear.  It is recommended for polyester and nylon fabrics and comes in 8 different colors for all your active wear projects.

7. 5.  How long does iron-on last?

8. Cricut iron-on materials have a Strong-Bond Guarantee – “StrongBond Guarantee means that when a specific iron-on material is used as directed, you’ll be completely satisfied with the results. If not, we’ll replace it for free. Look for the StrongBond Guarantee on select iron-on materials. ”    The best part is the Cricut website has an interactive quick-reference guide to help you easily find the correct time and temperature settings and peel recommendations based on the type of iron-on material and base material you are using for your project.  After your project is finished, it is recommended to wait at least 24 hours before washing.  Wash the item inside out, tumble dry and do not use bleach.
10. For me, the Cricut EasyPress™ 2 is definitely the tool that is best suited to my crafting needs and I can’t wait to share my upcoming projects with you!

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.