Thursday, March 31, 2011

I Love Lemons!

We've been using a lot of lemons in our juicer. They work well with veggie and fruit juices!


New Age Mama is hosting a great giveaway! One winner will receive a gift bag from Lemon Ladies full of lemons! Yummy and good for you!

Tip: Lemons also work great for cleaning the kitchen. Just cut one in 1/2, take out the seeds, sprinkle baking soda on it, and scrub down your sink and counter. Follow up with a damp rag.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Apron

I love aprons. You can buy ones that are sexy, fun and sophisticated.

I saw this one tonight. I think it looks sophisticated.


Home Musings is giving this apron away tonight. It closes at midnight. Enter to win it here!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Be a Bigger Part of Something!

I think it's important for kids in middle school and high school to be a bigger part of something! This lessens the drop out rate.

My niece is in charge of Sparklers, which is a cheer leading squad for special needs children. She was all over the news last year for this. I'm so proud of her!

I think the biggest thing to build your self esteem is to help someone else. Work towards something. Even if it's small. Somehow it will get noticed!

Go Graham Go is giving away a gift basket for cheerleaders, which includes a cheer tote, water bottle and blanket. I want to win this for my niece Kailey!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Banana's About Banana's

At our house we love banana's! There is usually banana's at our house. I love to cook with them too.

Chiquita is giving away Chiquita Mom Kits to 5 lucky winners at The Crafty Nest. This giveaway is open worldwide.

Monday, March 14, 2011

KY Intimacy Experiment GIVEAWAY!

Travis and I have gone through many of the exercises in the book they provided for us. More then anything, the exercises have brought us more together. We communicate better. It gave us more ideas to spark our love life.

K-Y Brand is offering two of my readers the chance to win an “Intimacy Experiment Lab Kit.”

The kit comes with a book that helps guide you through the exercises, product samples, bubble bath, a small journal and more.

The only condition is that the two winners must have a blog and document their own 10 day experiment.



There is only one entry for this giveaway.

Make a comment and include your first name, your email address and your blog address.

This giveaway will end March 28. US only.

For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Day Ten: Putting it All Together

Day ten is the end of the K-Y Brand Intimacy Experiment. I started reflecting on not just what I've learned in the last ten days, but also our relationship from the start to what it is like now.
We look so young!
We now are a family of four.
Take a look back on all the exercises you've recorded through your journey.

Boosters to put into your schedule:

  • Start the day with a 30 second hug to increase your cuddle hormone. 
  • Incorporate a little more mystery into your love life as you get ready for work.
  • Send your partner off with another hug, or some other kind of friendly touching.
  • Check on your partner sometime during the day with a quick phone call, text or email.
  • Embrace your partner with another hug when you see them at the end of the day.
  • Have an evening date planned. You can include your favorite activity of the past 10 days. 
  • Open your intimacy box, and have some one on one time.
 Write in you journal later:
  • How the experiment overall went.
  • What were the things you remembered the most? 
  • What things did you forget?
  • How has your relationship changed?
  • What things do you want to make into a habit?
  • What things do you see happening in the future?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM. 

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Day Nine: Dangerous Liaisons

Many times the beginning of a relationship is the most exciting. It's filled with newness and the unknown. After being with someone for a long time things get pretty uneventful. You really stop trying so hard. Risk and excitement is so important.


Do something a little risky. This could be as simple as going to an amusement park {which is totally not my thing}, dressing up out a character, hiking a trail that you've never gone on before or something else that you consider risky.

Exercise Day Fun:
  • Get out of the house. 
  • This is an exercise that requires time and in some cases money.
  • Think outside the box to get a plan that will get your blood flowing and heart pumping.
  • Try to think of something that will put your lives in each others hands.
Exercise Two Night Fun
  • Keep the adrenaline pumping by doing something unpredictable. 
  • This all depends on your level of comfort. 
  • Try sexy hide-and-seek, or other fun games that get the blood flowing and heart pumping.
  • Turn the lights low or off to put you in the mood.
  • Use a blindfold in the bedroom.
 Discuss the Exercises:
  • Were you scared or turned on by this exercise?
  • How did the exercise make you feel?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Dat Eight: In Good Taste

A great way to someones heart is through their stomach. Cooking an aphrodisiac meal together is one sure way to bond! For dessert, enjoy each other!


There isn't a lot of proof that certain foods really work as aphrodisiacs; in many cases they do taste great and have good health benefits.


Whatever you eat overall affects your sexual health.


Recently a survey of out of 1,500 couples, 83% rated their relationship as great when they cooked with each other 3 or more times a week.


Cookie or baking together can bring people to the bedroom. Doing things with your partner outside the bedroom will bring you into the bedroom.

Exercise Day Fun:
  • Cooking together can be fun even without sex.
  • Consider your time together as foreplay.
  • Find recipes that you can agree on. Ones that look good to both of you.
  • Even the experience at the grocery store {picking out the food} can be great to do together.
  • It's important to be able to have conversation. I think this is hard for us. We have different work schedules. We are often interrupted with a child talking. We need a baby sitter! ;)
What's on the Menu:
  • Oyster Dish: They contain zinc, which helps with the male sex drive. Turkey and beans also contain zinc if you do not like oysters.
  • Asparagus: This contains folates, which pushes histamine production. It increases the ability to reach an orgasm. 
  • One Glass of Red Wine or Champagne: Known to lower your inhibitions. 
  • A Small Piece of Dark Chocolate: Triggers phenylethylamine. This leads to excitement.
Our Version of a Steak House:
  • My husband totally agrees with this chapter in KY Jelly's Intimacy Experiment!
  • We are always experimenting with food. I think the above meal sounds great. I also feel that variety is so very important! Try different cultures of food!
  • I came home one day to our living room totally set up like a steak house. The food was great, and it helped us all to be in a great mood! 
  • You can match the music to the culture of food that you are eating.

Pillows were on the floor to kneel and eat.


 We had Kobe Japanese Steakhouse without the fire and less grease.


Exercise Two Night Fun
  • Don't stop at chocolate for dessert. 
  • Focus on foreplay before having sex. 
  • Take your time for kissing and touching.
  • Leave full of intercourse for later.
  • Try bringing in flavors from the kitchen into the bedroom.
  • Chocolate, whipped cream and strawberry are yummy flavors.
 Discuss the Exercises:
  • Was it fun cooking with one another in the kitchen?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Day Seven: Sometimes a Fantasy

It really helps to have some guidance when navigating your sexuality. Today is about discovering your own personal "Love Map."



"Love Map" was first thought of in 1980 by Dr. John Money of Johns Hopkins University. It represents our erotic desire blue print. It should have your private fantasies  and why you gravitate towards them.


It's hard to filter out all the outside notations of what sex is supposed to be. Pop stars, TV and the internet all portray sex to be easy, and it's somethings you and your partner have to work at.

Exercise Day Fun:

  • Things you will need: Paper and a pen.
  • Describe your most erotic experiences. This can or doesn't have to include actually having sex.
  • This could even include something that you watched or read that turned you on.
  • List one or many of these experience(s).
Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • When you think about the erotic experience, does it still turn you on?
  • Did any part of your experience feel odd, and how did that make you feel?
  • Have you tried to bring this experience into your sexual life now?
  • Do your thoughts make you feel ashamed, or good?
  • How have your thoughts evolved over time?
External Turn-ons and Turn-offs: 
  • Start to think about what things do turn you on with your partner and yourself.
  • Examples: Scent of a perfume, what someone looks like with less clothes on. 
  • Think about what doesn't turn you on.
  • Examples: Bad jokes, dirty, not shaved or goatees.
  • Write down the following: 
  • Your "favorite" sexual fantasy. 
  • Elements of the fantasy that arouse you.
  • The change in your fantasy.
  • If it's something that you do or do not want to play out.
Use these maps to explore territory that is uncharted.
 
Exercise Two Night Fun
  • Use your thoughts to explore and act on variety in the bedroom.
  • Present to your partner a fantasy and two things that you've never thought about.
  • Your partner is to guess, and then you come clean. It is then time to talk about it. Possibly act on it.
  • If your partner is against it, don't push the issue.
 Discuss the Exercises:
  • Was it hard bringing up your fantasy to your partner?
  • How did your partner react?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Day Six: Getting Back in Touch

It's important to touch your partner in other rooms outside the bedroom. Give them a hug, hold their hand and touch the side of their cheek.

Massaging, touching and hugging is good for the psyche! It raises levels of the cuddle hormone called  "oxytocin".  


Exercise Day Fun:
  • Think back over the past week about how much you have touched your partner not including sex.
  • Brainstorm ways that you can touch your partner in a loving, positive way.
  • Come up with 10 ideas.
  • Here are some ideas:
  • My favorites, a foot massage, lightly touching me while talking.  Spooning while watching TV.
  • My husbands favorites, a neck or back massage.
  • Things we both like are hugging and kissing.
  • Try to make your 10 touches a mix of naughty and nice. Sky's the limit.
Exercise Two Night Fun:
  • Instead of starting with sex, start with intimate touches. Example: Erotic massage.
  • Take turns to do a full body massage from the neck all the way down their back and end at their toes. Do this several times. In the middle add oil. Next work their front, arms, legs and feet.
  • Start to massage other areas of the body that you just wouldn't think of massaging.
  • The key is moving slow.
  • Remember to take turns!
  • KY Yours + Mine can be purchased here.
 Discuss the Exercises:
  • How many positive types of touch were you did you receive and share with your partner today?
  • Did anything prevent you from touching your partner?
  • Did you enjoy the touching, or did it make you feel smothered?
  • How did you feel during and after the massage?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Day Five: Fun and Games

It's important to be passionate, romantic and meaningful. It's also important to by loose, goofy and have fun. 

Too much comfort in the bedroom can be bad. You do need to be relaxed and willing to try new things. A study done by Journal of Personality and Social Psychologydiscovered that couples who participate in new, fun (nonsexual) activities enjoy their relationship more.

Some Things We've Tried That is Different for Us:
  • We went to go watch Indian's dance just because it was different. 
  • We also dance randomly to get loose, have fun and exercise.
  • We played miniature golf. 
  • We went to a water park.
  • We went to a children's museum.
  • We ate at a sushi bar.
  • We went to a hockey game.
Exercise Day Fun:
  • Discover new things about one another.
  • Choose an activity that you've never or rarely done together.
  • Some of their examples: Sing a karaoke duet, explore a local playground, or take an dance class.
  • Try anything that is fun and playful.
  • Notice how each other reacts to the time you're having.
Exercise Two Night Fun:
  • Things you need: average deck of playing cards, a pack of index cards and two pens.
  • Split the stack of blank index cars between the two of you. Split the pile again.
  • On half of the cards, write down parts of your body that are sensitive. Examples: Your neck, lower tummy, or breast.
  • On the other half, write down how you like to be touched. Examples: A firm back rub, a light kiss, or even a tickle. 
  • Put your body parts together in one pile and methods of touch in another.
  • Now it's poker time. Each player gets five cards. After looking at your hand, you'll get a chance to trade in some cards for new ones. It's time to show your cards. 
  • The very best hand is a royal flush, which is a straight flush with the Ace as the highest of five cards. The next highest, is your average straight flush, which is five cards of the same suit in numerical order. Then comes four of a kind, then a full house {three of a kind plus two of a kind}, a flush {five cards of the same suit}, a straight {five in a row, not necessarily of the same suit}, three of a kinds, two pairs, one pair, and high card {with Ace as the highest card and two the lowest}. 
  • Once the winner is picked, they'll get a prize. One card from each pile is picked. Play many series of hands. 
  • You can try other games and make up your own rules. Example: If you are playing Scrabble, the one that has words over 5 letters gets to pull two cards. 
Discuss the Exercises:
  • How did each of you feel?
  • Did you act as a team?
  • Was the card game fun?
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Day Four: Outside the Comfort Zone

Sexual attraction thrives on newness. Long-term relationships have comfort, trust and dependability.
 
Exercise:
  • Write down the many obstacles you have. We all have them!
  • A couple obstacles I have: Getting on Facebook, blogging and watching TV.
  • A couple obstacles my husband has: Getting on Facebook and working! He's always working on something.
Review these obstacles and brainstorm ways to cut back on those things.  Spend more time together.

Exercise Two:
  • Enjoy a night in the nude. We're self conscious of our own bodies, but our partners are not.
  • Send the kid's to a relatives house.
  • Hang out in the nude, drink wine and watch a movie together. 
  • Think about how this exercise made you feel.
For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Day Three: Everything Old is New Again

It seems like when you just get to know your partner, things are exciting because it's all new. Pretending you are something different then what you are {role playing} can help spark this newness once again.


Much of the time comfort replaces the jittery, new feeling.

Exercise:
  • Write down all the things you can recall about your partner that excited you when you first met, or started dating.
  • Go ahead and write down a few negatives too. Think about how the negative things have gotten in the way of positive experiences.
  • Try to plan experiences where the negative things don't enter the picture.
Exercise Two:
  • Pretend to be strangers to get back to that excitement of the beginning days, where touching each other lightly sent a rush of arousal through your body.
  • Go out separately to meet up to an agreed spot.
  • Pretend to be someone else. 
  • Make yourself feel sexy. 
  • Flirt like you did in the beginning of your relationship.

Think about how acting like strangers puts focus on the positive. Fall in love all over again!

For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Day Two: It's Not Just About Sex

A lot of what makes a great relationship work, is what happens outside the bedroom. I try to start out the day with giving my husband a back scratch, or massage. We carpool to work much of the time, and when he drops me off we leave each other with a kiss. Those type of things are small, but help our relationship.

Experts say that there should be a ratio that is 5 to 1: 5 positive things done {holding hands, compliments, a back massage} for every 1 negative {arguing, negative tone}.  

Studies show that even a 20 to 30 second hug can raise oxytocin levels in both women and men.

Track all the ways you say or do good things to your partner. You may find that you do and say a lot, or you may discover that you need to share more positive things.

Positive Things to Keep Track of:
  • Hug/embrace
  • Hold hands
  • Kiss
  • Say, "I love you"
  • Call during the day to say "hi"
  • Compliments
  • Email each other
  • Eat meals together
  • Talk about each other's day
  • Do chores together
  • Go on dates
  • Watch movies or TV together
  • Go out with other people together
  • Have common hobbies
  • Go on trips together
I kept track of these things. We are really good about all of them except for going out on date nights and having trips together. It's hard with little ones and having opposite work schedules. Those are the things we have to work on. I am glad that we manage to eat together. Much of the time we are both in the kitchen working with one another to get meals underway. During this time we talk about our day.

I decided to get the kids in on making daddy/my husband to feel loved. I filled a whole pad of sticky notes with love messages. Since I knew I was getting home before my husband, the kids were given the task of putting the sticky notes throughout the house. It was a game to them, it was a message to me. A message saying: I love you so much!

It Says "We Heart U Daddy". I made many of them!
The sticky notes were all over the kitchen, stuck to the TV, stuck to Daddy's alarm clock, on all the doors, lets just say we put them everywhere!


Can you tell he is happy? It was super fun for everyone, and I got my message across.

For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place.

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Day One: Love Nest

I have to be honest I didn't really know where to begin with the KY Intimacy experiment, or where to blog about it.

I have four blogs, and each one has a purpose. The Apel's, my main blog is our family blog. I write about our kids. Cookie Art, is a place for me to record artsy things I do in the kitchen. Milking the Issue, is about breastfeeding and helping new mom's. Finding Me Again, focuses on healthy things.  There isn't a blog I keep that is just about the one person that helps me keep things going. This blog is titled Finding Me Again; I started thinking about how I want this blog to be more then diet and exercise, the meaning is behind the title.

This is the blog I chose to cover the 10 day relationship guide that goes over tips for couples to further their relationship both romantically and emotionally. Each day I will go over different tips to help advance your relationship.

There are two types of sexual arousal: 1. Mental 2. Physical. After awhile of being married the mental aspect can fade away, and we only rely on physical stimulation. This program will help couples get back to that spark that you felt in the beginning of your marriage.

Day one of the experiment focuses on turning the bedroom into an inviting space. This is something we totally failed in. My husband moved his jewelry bench up stairs in our bedroom. He had good intentions, it was to be closer to us. He also loves to read, and has books everywhere.

I got a small cabinet to put by my husband's side of the bed. All of his books go in it! ;)

A bedroom should have no piles of laundry, bills, or any clutter allowed. The space should be serene and relaxing. A place to forget about the day--not rehash it. I do my best to keep up with laundry. I also keep my bed made. This is something I got sloppy with for awhile. Seeing a bed made makes the bedroom much more inviting.



The first day of the experiment brought up things I didn't even think of. I need a place to relax, and get away from everything else. This place is should be an inviting bedroom.

Often times just changing things up in your bedroom changes the mood of the room. A few things to try could be changing the bedding, positioning of the furniture, changing the color of the room, lighting and adding candles or flowers to increase the libido.

For more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand's Facebook Page, Couples Place

I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. If you have any questions about this review, please email me at: alissa4illustration AT hotmail DOT COM.