About Archives - Embracing Beauty

Shopping for a Better Mattress for a Better Night’s Sleep!

August 31, 2012 by Ashley 13 Comments

My family was excited with the opportunity to review a M9 bed from Sleep Number. Like all beds from Sleep Number, the M9 is built around the Sleep Number DualAir technology that allows you to quietly adjust firmness on each side of the mattress with a wireless remote (the M9 comes with 2 wireless remotes), so you both enjoy ideal comfort. Added to that the M9 features 5-inches of LuxFit™ foam that softly cushions pressure points and features a breathable air-flow design. One complaint many people have with memory foam is that it “sleeps hot” but the M9 LuxFit™ foam is topped with a temperature balancing sleep surface designed to absorb excess heat that can disrupt sleep.

Now with the technical information out of the way we’ll get on to our experience. Any Sleep Number experience begins at the Sleep Number store. Ours is located at our local mall so we loaded up the baby and headed out. We were met there by the friendly manager C.J. who suggested we start off by determining our individual sleep numbers. Sleep numbers range from 0 (deflated) to 100 (completely full of air).

Sleep Number Ashley

Finding my Sleep Number

Sleep Number Fit

The top pictures is the regular pressure of my husband’s body.
The bottom picture shows the alleviated pressure with his perfect Sleep Number.

The store has a special bed set up with IndividualFitSM 3-D Imaging that creates a pressure map of your body that is then displayed on a big screen at the foot of the bed. C.J. began by taking the air out of the chamber and showing us what the pressure map looked like. At the low pressure setting we could see there was quite a bit of pressure on our hips. C.J. then began adding air until we felt the pressure relieved from our hips and then we compared the pressure images so we could see the pressure on the hips eliminated when the chamber was inflated to our Sleep Number.

As a quick aside, My husband’s sleep number was 55 and mine was 30. You can really tell a big difference between the two numbers as well! This is probably the number one reason (for us) to choose a Sleep Number bed over another. Two people will not typically have the same level of comfort on one firmness setting on any bed and, as C.J. pointed out, over the lifespan of a bed even an individual’s body can change substantially enough to warrant a different level of firmness to be comfortable over the years. After finding our sleep numbers C.J. took us to the M9 and helped us pick the right pillow for the bed and for the way we sleep.

Sleep Number Slumber

I sleep on my stomach primarily so I got matched up with a thin feather pillow and my husband is a side sleeper so he was matched with a memory foam pillow. The staff were friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable about their products.

She sleeps on her tummy too!

We were comfortable and felt right at home.

Sleep Number Check Out

C.J., the salesman, was amazing, he really deserves a raise! We went in not looking to buy anything {because we were provided the bed from Sleep Number} and to be honest we were kind of in a hurry because I had a cake to finish and deliver in a few hours. He made us feel so relaxed! We took our time, I completely forgot about the cake, he talked my husband into buying me some amazing sheets (bless him!), and we walked out of there spending almost $400 we had no intention of spending. A good salesman makes you want to buy things and salesmen like that are rare these days. Don’t get me wrong, I felt no pressure to buy anything at all! He simply found products that fit my life and showed them to me.

My little girl loved the sheets as much as I did!

I enjoyed my experience in the Sleep Number store and I can’t wait to review the bed in my own home! Update: You can now read my full Sleep Number review.

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Life Lately, Review, Sleep Number

My Past Two Months & #Cinchspiration Update

August 30, 2012 by Ashley 9 Comments

I’d love to say my journey so far has been effortless, without a speed bump or detour, but that’s not true. The very first few days I over thought the details of the program and watched EVERYTHING I ate, exercised too much, and I got incredibly weak. I realized that I only ate 300 calories one day. I had the meal bar, the shake, a sip of the tea, a snack bar and a very light salad. 300 calories! No wonder I was exhausted and grumpy. I realized that this was unhealthy so I added in more fruit and healthy snacks and ate a more sensible (and sometimes down right unhealthy) dinner. Finding balance in all areas of life is a struggle for me and I’m sure it will be to the day I die. I want to give everything 110% and time wise that’s not possible and not always a good idea.

During my journey with Shaklee I also ended up in the hospital {not because of the program!!} and had to have my appendix removed. Then it wasn’t anytime before my doctor thought I might have Crohn’s Disease and sent me for a colonoscopy. The tests came back negative, by the way! You think I would have lost weight with these but nope, I gained 6 pounds after my colonoscopy. That was discouraging but I was sure it was just fluid from the IVs they were pumping me with.

Four days after my appendectomy I attended the Reviewer’s Retreat which was amazing! I MUST take the time and write out the details and share more pictures. It was a great conference and it was so nice to meet “online friends” in person! In the picture you may recognize Becky from week99er.com, Jaime from CouponCrazyFreebieFanatic.com and Laura from AnotherCentSaved.com. It was fun to be able to talk to bloggers who started about the same time as me and I’ve been reading ever since. I also had the privilege of meeting Ted Rubin, who is a social media/marketing genius! Anyway, stay tuned for more details later.

Fast forward a few weeks and I have a little girl’s 1 year birthday party to plan. {Pictures and all the details will be coming soon, I promise!!} My good friend also asked me to make a birthday cake for her sister for the day before my little girl’s party. Chaos! Then I had a VBS backdrop to paint and supplies to buy and volunteers to gather. Not to mention, a lesson to learn, props to buy, and a classroom to decorate. Somewhere in there my 14 year old cousin came down to stay with us for the week. I’ll have to post pictures of that week too! We had so much fun shopping, baking, and crafting. During this time of chaos we never stopped inviting people over for dinner, accepting invitations out, and I never stopped sitting with the sweetest lady who has Alzheimer a few nights a week. Let’s see…I’m a little scatterbrained at the moment and I’m sure I’m forgetting 5 or 6 other things. Sufficient to say, life. has. been. hectic. The Cinch program was nice because I could quickly eat without giving thought to what I’m going to eat or taking time to slow down and prepare a meal. I’ll admit that sometimes I didn’t take time to get the blender out and make the shake so I would eat a half peanut butter sandwich, fruit, or even the snack bar for a meal. That’s better than skipping a meal like I would do before!

We also visited family up in WV to have another birthday party for our baby girl. That was foiled by a power outage due to the crazy storms that were going on. It was in the 90’s!! We were staying at our in-laws the night before the big party and we were actually celebrating the birthday of our niece. My husband and I ran out quickly to the grocery store to pick up some baby food. On our way out of the grocery parking lot the storm came. It felt like we were in a movie {Twister to be exact}! A HUGE tree fell right in front of us on our way home so we backed up, turned around and tried an alternate route home but there was a tree blocking the road, then we tried another, and another. We tried a total of six different ways home before we found one that was clear! It’s a good thing my husband grew up there and knew his way around. If I was by myself I probably would have sat in the grocery store parking lot and cried. Everyone was safe and we ended up having a pretty fun party in the dark. {Notice the picture above.} We normally slept upstairs at their house but without air conditioning it was just too hot. The men set up a pretty amazing bed for her downstairs with a table blocking one side of the mattress, the couch the other, etc. but she didn’t like it one bit. She cried, fussed, and then just laid there whimpering. I sat outside the door a nervous wreck not having a good solution. I made my way to the couch and tried to sleep there but I wasn’t too successful. After a few hours and what had seemed like an eternity later, my husband suggested that we go upstairs to sleep, thinking that maybe it had cooled off enough with the nighttime breeze. We went up and checked it out and sure enough, it was tolerable. As soon as we confirmed the next day that we had power down here in NC we made a beeline home.

Boy, this part is hard to write. Earlier this month my grandmother went home to be with her Lord. I know it’s a fact but it still doesn’t seem real. My husband and I drove up to Cleveland Clinic after we dropped our sweet girl and dog off at my in-laws. The rest of my family were there waiting for us before they took her off the ventilator. As we were pulling in the garage ready to meet my dad in the lobby we got a call from him saying that she was fading quickly and he was headed up stairs. This girl ran and ran and quickly found out just how out of shape she was! Thankfully, thankfully, I was able to spend time with her and say goodbye. She even opened her eyes to look at me once!! Helping my family with the obituary and memorial service details we stayed in town a few more days. It. was. tough. I was an emotional wreck. Even though I ate a few of the snack bars that I brought with me I didn’t hesitate to get ice cream every chance I got. Ice cream is my go-to comfort food. Oh and on the way home from the funeral, near the beginning of our 4.5 hour drive, our air conditioner went out! You can bet I got ice cream at every gas station we stopped at. {The picture above is of a lovely rainbow that was outside the church after my grandmother’s memorial service. It was perfect!}

The next weekend I was on the road again to travel to go to my best friend’s wedding. It was such a joy to meet up with some of my closest friends from college! That was all fun and I didn’t encounter any problems going, there, or coming back!!!

Now that I’m back home with a relatively calm schedule I’ve been doing pretty good. I haven’t been exercising like a maniac or anything but I’ve been going for a morning walk/speed walk with my little girl and dog several days out of the week. I’m probably not the poster child for this program but I want to give you information about Cinch from a real person’s perspective. Real people don’t stick to every detail of the plan every day. We don’t, right? Life happens. We don’t go to the gym for a few hours every day. Nobody else does this, do they? I think the great thing about Cinch is that you can make it fit your life and not the other way around. It’s not a dictator of your life but it’s a tool to help you lose unwanted inches.

If you’ve read this far you deserve an applause! Thank you for caring and reading about my story. Please, if you’re reading this leave me a comment. It’s unbelievably encouraging to get feedback from you! After you leave a comment : ), feel free to check out my video on #Cinchspiration Update on YouTube or view it below.

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: #Cinchspiration, Cinch, Shaklee

It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most

August 28, 2012 by Ashley 19 Comments

“It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most;

it’s making a great deal out of the little ones.” – Jean Webster

This has always been one of my favorite quotes. I love to slow down and take pleasure in the little things in life. Having a one year old, who is amazed with the world, often helps put things in perspective.

She enjoys just sitting and watching Daddy mow the grass.

She enjoys reading a good book and taking breaks to sing loudly.

She doesn’t care what anyone thinks.

She whole-heartedly loves splashing in water!

Pure, unadulterated, happiness!

I ran across this quote today and I found it to be a good reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. If you will, Embrace the Beauty in life. : ) I hope it was a good reminder for you too!

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Joy, Live Simply, Quote

My #1 Grilling Secret: GrillGrates

August 9, 2012 by Ashley 15 Comments

Ashley has once again got me writing a blog review and you guessed, it is once again related to grilling! I got the opportunity to review a product that I can’t stop talking about (No really, my friends are starting to make fun of me because I keep going on about it). The product is called GrillGrates. I have been wanting some of these ever since reading the rave reviews from Meathead on amazingribs.com which, as you may know by now, is my go-to resource for all things grilling. In fact, this product is the very first item in his section on got-to-have grilling accessories where he refers to them as “…the best thing for grillers since salt and pepper”. I could really stop this review right here since Meathead’s endorsement is worth a whole lot more than mine but, as I’ve previously mentioned, I can’t stop talking about these things so I’ll continue.

So what exactly are GrillGrates? GrillGrates are sturdy, interlocking, aircraft grade aluminum panels designed to go on top of your existing grates to create a new grilling surface on any grill. As the web site describes, the Grill Grates:
1. SEAR The Raised Rails deliver superior sear marks due to more surface area contact and better heat conductivity.
2. SIZZLE The Valleys capture juices and steam and sizzle for added flavor, moisture and juiciness.
3. RADIATE The added mass and shape radiates with heat for fast, even cooking.
4. PROTECT The Bottom protects against charring flare-ups and drying heat. Fats drain off and burn on the bottom of the GrillGrate not on the outside of the food.

GrillGrates Grill

I first got to looking at these when I decided to grill hamburgers and hotdogs for guests we were having over for our daughter’s first birthday party. Previous experiences I have had with grilling large numbers (20+) of hamburgers have resulted in a whole lot of flames from grease flare-ups, hot spots, and mixed results on the burgers themselves, ranging from edible to charred hockey pucks. So, needless to say, I was pretty nervous about it and wanted a solution. I found the GrillGrates and had very high hopes for them based on all the good endorsements and the reviews focusing on the very things I had always struggled with in the past. I was sold on the protection from flare-ups alone at this particular moment of party planning.

GrillGrates No Flare-ups

So, Ashley and I got in contact with the company and they got my GrillGrates shipped out to me just in time for the birthday party. In fact, the party was the very first time I used them. Nothing like experimenting with a new product on 20 guests! Now I’m about to gush about these things so before going further let me just say that, yes, I did get three GrillGrate panels to review so perhaps I could have some bias and Ashley and I always disclose that information for that reason. However, I will also say that I purchased two more panels so I could cover my whole grill. So, yes, when I say I would buy these, I would and I did! OK with that out of the way…Not only was I completely pleased with how these did on the 24 greasy burgers I cooked (with zero flare-ups, mind you), but so were all the men on the deck hanging out while I grilled. You know how men swarm around the grill at these sort of things judging your every flip. Ordinarily this would make me self-conscious being a typical, prideful male and not wanting to look like a fool like I usually do. But I was grilling with the confidence of a pro with these things and I think I might have picked up some customers for GrillGrates just from among the spectators. They were very impressive in their first outing to say the least. At one point a guest watching saw me do a quarter turn on some burgers and said “You’re just doing that to get the nice grill marks, aren’t you?”, and I sheepishly replied “Yes”. Usually I would be happy just to get a few burgers off before they are engulfed in flames and here I was showboating, putting perfect grill marks on 24 burgers like a movie star. It was a good day. Oh yeah, and my daughter had her first birthday too!

In the past couple weeks I have tried out my GrillGrates on a variety of other foods as well. They were perfect on chicken breasts and delicate fish. The grate tool that comes with the panels fits in the ridges so you can lift delicate foods up instead of scraping under them. I challenged myself once again on the 4th of July with a cookout with a few friends and family members. I decided to try steaks. I had a variety of steaks that folks wanted cooked to differing levels of doneness. I did 2 filets (one medium and one well done), 2 ribeyes cooked medium, and a New York strip cooked well done. Again, this would have been panic time without the GrillGrates but I had some confidence built up after the birthday party success so I went for it and they once again didn’t disappoint. I did Meathead’s reverse sear. Previously, I would follow Meathead’s directions and get to the sear part and have flare-up issues and char my steaks in that last step. The GrillGrates seared the meat beautifully and all the flames got blocked out by the bottom of the panels so I had tremendous heat for the sear but no flare-ups.

The most recent time I used them I followed Meathead’s recommendation once again (can you tell I like this guy’s web site!) to flip the GrillGrates upside down and used the flat surface as a griddle. I flipped 2 panels over and made bacon on them while I cooked burgers on the other ones. No worries about losing bacon through the grates, the bacon grease didn’t flare-up, and didn’t have to dirty another dish in the kitchen in order to have bacon burgers. It worked like a charm.
Grilled Steak

The only negative thing I ever saw said about the GrillGrates was a customer review on Amazon with regard to them being difficult to clean. I’m not sure how this person was attempting to clean them that didn’t work but I find them to be easier to clean than any grates I’ve ever owned. They never rust. They clean about 90% clean just by going over them with a grill brush or some wadded up foil after heating them up a bit and they cleaned up 100% clean with a steel wool pad in some water. They do blacken a bit after use so maybe the reviewer was confusing a blackened look with being dirty. They will change color but this is just normal from seasoning of the aluminum that only makes them better and it’s not dirt.

GrillGrates Chicken

They come apart for cleaning very easily and go back together just as easily. In fact, transferring them from grill to grill is as easy as lifting something up and putting it back down. Take them with when you are using a public grill at a park or move them from your gas grill to your charcoal grill. If I ever buy a new grill, they are going straight on there. I’m not even waiting for the grates that come with it to go bad. I expect my GrillGrates will outlive multiple grills.

GrillGrates is an American company and the panels are manufactured right here in the United States. The panels are 5.25” wide and the standard length is 13.75” long. They offer 4 other lengths and also have pieces cut to cover grills that are round instead of rectangular. While they are designed to go on top of your existing grates, they also can be custom fit to completely replace your existing grates. I would recommend calling them first to make sure you measure correctly. They are a friendly company and will enjoy talking with you about that or any other questions you might have (877-380-2527) and they are also very responsive to emails info@grillgrate.com.

When I first discovered amazingribs.com and started to learn some things from a great teacher I really rediscovered a passion for grilling. I got excited about it anew. I had a similar experience when I got these GrillGrates. Even following Meathead’s tips I would still have problems with flare-ups on my gas grill every time I tried to sear something. He had good tips and techniques and wisely suggested moving meat to a place that doesn’t have a flare-up but sometimes my whole grill would be a flare-up! So finding these GrillGrates and finding that they worked as advertised has really got me excited about grilling once again. These GrillGrates would be a wonderful tool for any level of griller. Meathead has them on almost every grill he has and several awards have been won by professionals using the GrillGrates. But these are also perfect for beginners. They eliminate a lot of the issues that inexperienced grillers struggle with and that may have turned people off of grilling altogether. I can’t recommend this product more confidently or enthusiastically. They are also a wonderful, unique gift idea for anyone who grills or would like to start grilling.

Disclosure: We received a GrillGrate package to facilitate this review but that in no way influenced our opinions.

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: GrillGrate, Review, Tips

5 Things My House Says About Me

August 8, 2012 by Ashley 16 Comments

I’ve always thought that you could learn a lot about a person by looking through their Bible, their home, or their car. Today, I’m going to be sharing with you a little from my home! Trisha from Mom Dot created a blog carnival, challenging bloggers to share 5 things that someone would learn about you from walking through your house. Here are my five!

1. I love the color pink and frilly girly things. These are the ballerina bears from my little girl’s mobile. I hate to admit it but she’s getting so big that we should probably take these down soon.

2. I have an amazing husband who cooks and bakes. This is a loaf of bread from my husband’s latest hobby, growing sour dough yeast cultures. It sounds gross but it really is fascinating and it’s nice to always have a fresh and yummy loaf of bread handy.

3. Reading is important to me. You don’t have to look far in this house to find a children’s book or a piece of art work. We have a little library of kids books in each bedroom, the living room, our office, and a few randomly scattered books in between.

4. I like animals. This is the view from my front door. Whenever you look out you can usually spot a bunny or two running around. I don’t want anyone to touch or play with them but I think they’re fun to watch. I feel like Beatrix Potter who, as I’ve heard it told, would keep bunnies around her home for when kids would come to visit.

5. I’m kind of corny. My family loves Chicken Pot Pie and whenever I make the crust I always like to add a little message or picture to it just for fun.

Now that you know a little more about me, tell me, what would I find out about you by walking through your house?

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Life Lately, Live Simply

Shaklee #Cinchspiration Kick-Off

June 20, 2012 by Ashley 3 Comments

Today is the day that I put all of my excuses behind me. No whining. No feeling bad about my extra bulge. Today is the day that I am going to take my first step to reaching my weight loss goals! Today I will begin the Shaklee Cinch Inch Loss Plan to help me lose weight, lose inches and finally gain my confidence back!

And so my story begins….

I will be updating this once a month with my weight loss tracked and with pictures. As you can see, right now my target areas are my thighs and my stomach. I’ve always had a completely flat stomach and it really grosses me out the way that clothes fit me now. I’ve never had a problem with this and I don’t know how to tackle it. My thighs however, have been with me for a while and I know what needs to be done to bring them back to a healthy size. I just need to do it! The Cinch Wellness site has workshops {or classes} that will teach me about my body and what I need to do to lose inches and keep them off. I feel that understanding why I’m overweight is important in knowing how to maintain a healthy body weight.

Current weight: Oh, this is hard. Okay, 160. There I said it. I weight one hundred and sixty pounds!

My goals: Cinch is encouraging the Cinchspiration team to have SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,Time-driven goals.

My goal is to lose 30 pounds. 20 would still be awesome but 30 is my lofty, dream goal right now. I figure this is a 12 week program and if I lose just a little over 2 lbs safely per week I’ll reach my goal. I don’t know what size clothes I’ll be in but I’m pretty sure I would be able to fit into my pre-baby clothes…but if not, I think a shopping trip is in order! Before I get carried away with myself, I’m going to get off here and go read more about this Cinch plan.

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Cinch, Life Lately, Shakelee, Weight Loss

I’m a #Cinchspiration Team Member!

June 5, 2012 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Yay! I’m a #Cinchspiration team member! I’m excited to have been chosen to join 49 great, inspirational, and funny women in a journey to lose weight. Yes, I’m fed up with this left over baby weight and I’m ready to get moving and Cinch it! Cinch a program by Shakelee designed to help women lose inches and not just weight. I’ll be documenting the highs and lows of my weight loss journey with you and I hope you’ll enjoy following along.

I’ll be honest, I am completely petrified at the idea of being held accountable for losing inches/weight. It’s not that Shakelee will be upset with me if I don’t lose X inches by a certain date but if I document the journey for you, you’ll know if I fail. Heaven forbid you find out that I’m not perfect! Ha! You already know that, don’t you? It’s just a bit of extra ~~pressure~~ motivation to stick with it. Nervous or not, I’m going to do this. The process will be documented, you will see embarrassing pictures, and you will hear details about my life that you never knew before. Hopefully, you’ll be able to laugh with me and find a bit of inspiration to reach your goals too.

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Cinch, Life Lately, Shakelee, Wight Loss

Please Vote – I’m Nominated for the Parent’s Magazine ‘Best Mom Fashion Blog’ Award!

September 22, 2011 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I just found out that a few of you wonderful readers nominated EmbracingBeauty.com for the Parent’s Magazine Best Blog Award in the Best Mom Fashion category!

First, thank you {thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!} to those of you who nominated me. I’m thrilled beyond words! If I’m going to win, I’ll need your help! Please go to the Best Blog Award page and click on the little pink oval to vote for EmbracingBeauty! Voting closes on October 15, 2011, and the winning blogs will be announced shortly thereafter. This is a one time vote unlike the CheapSally contest.

By the way, I’m not doing this for any sort of monetary prize or tangible award. The winners will be noted in an upcoming issue of Parent’s Magazine, and I’m just hoping to reach more people to share the ways of frugal living with!

Thanks again to those of you who went out of your way to nominate me! I also want to say thank you to ALL of my amazing readers! Your motivation and inspiration is what keeps this site going. You are greatly appreciated!

Filed Under: About Tagged With: contest, Parents, Vote

Let me Introduce You to my Husband

August 19, 2010 by Ashley 1 Comment

Absolutely 35 today.

Bicycling enthusiast.

Certified husband.

Dedicated until the job is done.

Encourager.

Furniture mover.

Good at creating song parodies off the cuff.

Hysterically funny.

Into gadgets, geekery, and anything with an LED light in it.

Joined with me in this crazy life in 2008.

Keeper of every piece of paper that he’s ever seen, heard of, felt, or smelled.

Loyal to a fault.

Money earner & manager.

Newly passionate about TiVo.

Other driver glarer, when necessary.

Power ballads singer.

Quick to panic when it comes to his puppy dog.

Research enthusiast.

Steady Steve (reference to his temperament).

True.

Unbelievably stubborn.

Volunteer when anything needs done.

Wants a big dog, hopefully it won’t happen anytime soon.

Xylophone not-player…c’mon what else could you put with ‘X?

Younger-looking than he is.

Zero knowledge of this post.

Filed Under: About Tagged With: husband

Shopping for a Better Mattress for a Better Night’s Sleep!

My Past Two Months & #Cinchspiration Update

It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most

My #1 Grilling Secret: GrillGrates

5 Things My House Says About Me

Shaklee #Cinchspiration Kick-Off

I’m a #Cinchspiration Team Member!

Please Vote – I’m Nominated for the Parent’s Magazine ‘Best Mom Fashion Blog’ Award!

Let me Introduce You to my Husband

Welcome!

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Hi, I’m Ashley!