iPad testing review scam!

I'm still catching up on the blogs of my 200+ visitors a week ago, but I had to let you know about this scam.

I just got an email from a company letting me know about an opportunity to review and keep an iPad. They were "apparently" referred by a fellow blogger.

Be on your guard folks, this is definitely a scam.

The problem is that it looks so realistic, and the personal "recommendation" makes it so believable (especially in these circles) that you may let your guard down a little and not spot the inconsistencies until it's too late.

Check this out here for a copy of what the email may look like (it is EXACTLY what mine looked like). 

If you've gotten this email and signed up, immediately change your password. For good measure, scan your machine with your anti-virus program, or with MalwareBytes AntiMalware. 

If for some reason you're using Windows and don't have up-to-date antivirus software installed, you have two free options available to you that I'd recommend - Avira or Avast.

Always make sure your anti-virus is kept up-to-date and set to scan your computer regularly.

Be safe out there folks....

Sundays in My City - Before the Rains

We've been suffering a pretty severe drought of late, but the rains have come along with the month of May, as they always do.

They say when the Yellow Poui is in full blossom, the rains will come.

I'm blessed to see that tree on the way to work every morning.

I took the family to cool off at the beach the other day. Everyone had a great time...

Kayaking in Williams Bay, Chaguaramas.

On this day, there was lots of food and drink on sale.

And after all that food, we were glad to laze under the shade of these big old trees,

while the kids still had energy to run and play.

Lots of open space to run and play, and enjoy being kids.

We were sorry we had to leave when the sun started going down...

...but we promised to do it again soon.

This is part of Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City. Go visit her and travel the world to visit Sundays in other cities!

Introducing Little Diva

Remember when I told you about my morning serenades?

Well the handy old Flip must only come out on birthdays,

because this is what I get when Little Diva catches sight of it...

Excuse the "lawn", we're just emerging from a pretty severe drought. :-)

Wishing a 'Appy Day to you all!

Thank you SITS girls!

I had a fantastic time being the Featured Blogger on SITS yesterday!

I've been lurking around some of your blogs and I'm going to be touching base with everyone who stopped by, but it's going to take me a little while... So many of you stopped by and left me such great comments!

Some of you literally made me laugh out loud!

Yes, T&T can be a great place for Spring Break. And yes, a season of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge was filmed on location here. And yes Trini girls are some of the most beautiful I've seen (it's the mix of cultures and races!) and some have gone on to win Miss Universe (I remember Wendy in her school uniform - we went to the same school!)

To all of you who stopped by - moms, not yet moms, don't wanna be moms, etc - thanks for making it a special day!

Nicole

It's MY Day!

I've been singing it loud for the entire family to hear whether they care or not - It's MY day today!

Today, I am the Featured Blogger over at SITS.*

Which means that for a lot of you visiting today, it's your first time here! To you I send a

"Warm Welcome from Trinidad!"

 I know that while you may be new to Trinidad and new to my blog, many of you are all too familiar with the inspiration for my blog's name...

You know it... You wake up one day and you start hearing phrases coming out of your mouth that you swore you'd never let pass your lips when you had your own kids... And you gain a sudden new appreciation for your Mother's perspective on life and raising children... And you ask yourself...

"When did I become my Mom?"

It happens to the best of us... You find one day that you're juggling the life you had, and the life your family now asks of you. Sometimes we're faced with tough challenges and unreasonable demands, and sometimes it seems life throws you some really tough curve balls by taking on your little ones.

But for me, if I had to choose, I wouldn't want it any other way. I heard it once said that "deciding to be a mother is deciding to let ur heart live outside of u for the rest of your life" and I think that captures exactly how I feel about this thing called Motherhood.

For those of you stopping by for the first time, I hope you'll stay a while and I hope you'll come back to visit. :-)

And for those of you who already stop by to visit me - thanks for sharing this ride with me and welcoming me into such an awesome community of women.

* I love those SITS girls - they've introduced me to so many great bloggers and taught me so much about blogging and optimizing my blog. Love 'em! If you don't know what I'm talking about you need to go visit them and tell them I sent you!!

Mission Monkey

Guys,

If you know about Jaden Duttine, you know about the effects of Childhood Neuroblastoma.

Michelle, from Momma's Pixie Dreams, felt a marble sized lump on her little monkey's neck last week. Neuroblastoma. Just like Jaden. She's 16 months old.

There is going to be a fundraiser of some sort - things are being worked out right now. "DAILY DOSE OF REALITY'S" Ian is organizing. Check him out for updates.

In the meantime, please visit Michelle, leave her a kind word, say a prayer, spread the word. They are going to need all the support they can get.

Here's the code if you want to put a button on your blog to raise awareness:

<a href="http://www.mypixiedreams.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsBx9oxfuT1svfuthoUdlIyuE9HU84FymhZkOhBuwLF7q1dTnrARDElO_QYhYXcNzA9Lc4RX_kEiVoFY8k3FN4MHZr3PG9HHKmfrJzJhOUtzkiBQ6SoL0zi5m9uVoULLNjJh9Mk8l0m4/s200/pixieprayers.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

Michelle our thoughts are with you and your family...

Friendships and Heartbreak

It's been a trying week.

Beyond trying... It's been an emotionally exhausting week.

Two of my dearest friends are separating. And because this is their story I will not dwell on it. But I will say that it's made me think so much. I've been listening to both sides for months. My heart has hurt for everyone involved but I have always felt there was hope and there is still love. I hope that there still is love and that separation will bring certain realities into focus. And maybe spur more energy into communication... dare I think reconciliation?

Selfishly I feel a sense of loss for what I have lost as well. No more early Christmas morning get-togethers before we head off to separate family commitments. No more family weekends at the beach. Birthdays will be different for sure.

Will I have to choose?

I don't want to choose a side. I am compassionate to both and I get them both... I wish they could get each other the same way.


Added to that bombshell... the crippling reality that one of my closest friends from childhood is migrating with her family. Another one... All my girls who dreamed dreams with me where our kids would play together while we grew old. :-) It's bitter - there's no sweet here - and it's a reality that I've tried to ignore.

I went to visit her this week before she left for good. We managed to laugh and chat like normal until it was time for me to go. Then I cried like a baby. :-)

She's always been like a big sister to me. I'm talking childhood antics, teenage rebellion, first loves, first heartbreaks, women's rights, marriage, kids, family, love. We've gone through them all.

I will miss her dearly. And while there is email and Facebook and Skype... it really just isn't the same is it?



 I thank God for these... it would be really hard to make it through this time without them. :-)