Another Year... Another Decade... Another Recap

This isn't only the close of another year, but another decade. A decade that for me seem to fly by too quickly. Let's first do a breakdown on 2009:


Recapping on this year that almost seems like a blur, a few things stand out in my mind.

• Once again, we almost lost our precious Ella this time to a MAJOR accident. She overdosed on her heart medication, but thankfully right after she received her blessing from dear friends in our church she did nothing but get better. There was a horribly, scary chance that she wouldn't make it.

• Jayden started 2nd Grade! The teacher that he started out with was absolutely WONDERFUL! But budget cuts made it so that there were over 30 kids in his class, so the school made a decision and some kids went to a 1st/2nd grade mixed class.... Jayden was chosen and went back to his 1st Grade teacher!!! I absolutely LOVE Mrs. Roberts and even though at first this change was a little irritating, we all adjusted well.

• Gino has dedicated himself to going to the gym EVERY, SINGLE DAY! I have to say I am beyond excited for him.

• Gino and I partnered with a company that is exploding in our life! I can't even begin to describe the success that we now have at our finger tips. We are with a telecommunications company that only continues to go up during our economy. We feel EXTREMELY grateful that this was placed in our lives. If you are currently unhappy with your current JOB (you know, Just Over Broke) or are open to making extra income VERY PART TIME then get in touch with me. My goal this year is to get as many moms and dads out of the corporate world, home with their families, and having financial freedom.

• Last but definitely not least.... we have learned in the last month of this year that we will be welcoming a new baby into our family in 2010!!!

Now on to the decade.....


2000: We met
2001: We had our first son
2004: We got married
2006: Our marriage was tested, but we prevailed. We got pregnant     w/our 2nd baby... only to lose
her before she was born. Then got pregnant with our 3rd baby... Miss Ella
2007: Welcomed our baby girl Ella into the world. Discovered how precious life is as we almost
lost her to her heart problem.
2009: Partnered with a multi-billion dollar company that is changing our lives. Found out that we will be having
yet another little Garibay in our world


This past decade has definitely been based around our family. Learning who we are. Growing together instead of apart.


This decade that we are entering into is going to be the decade that we make a bang! It's going to be the decade where we focus on personal growth. Where we gain complete financial freedom. Where we change not only our life for the better but the lives of all our children and their children to come. And I'll be blogging my way through it all.

Works for Me Wednesday - Designing the BEST 10 Years of Your Life

This year coming up I'm kicking resolutions out the door. I'm not about to spend another year making a list of things that I ended up forgetting about 27 days into the new year. Nope... this year I have found something that is DEFINITELY going to work for me!


Personal Growth is HUGE for me right now. I have spent tons and tons and tons of time talking and talking and talking about it on my blog. It's so important for us to grow in our lives, and there's no better way to jump on board with personal growth then what I'm going to share with you.


Darren Hardey who is the publisher of Success Magazine is doing an 8 week FREE workshop on his blog. People.... this is HUGE! His workshops cost around $1,500.00... and this man interviews the most successful people in the world! What better person is there to learn about personal growth and how to make 2010 the best year of your life?


I can't even begin to describe the joy and excitement I have for this!! It's starting on Monday and the best thing you could do is head over to Darren Hardy's blog... watch the video and join in on this... IT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE!


{CLICK HERE} to head over to check this out!!  And then {HERE} is the newest post he's written about this!


For other things that work for other's head over to Kristen's blog over at {Works For Me Wednesday}

I {Heart} Faces - Hilarious Outtakes Photo Challenge

This photo challenge is hilarious outtakes.... so I chose to use a pictures I got out of my last photo shoot.  Most of the pictures show the love, the family feel.... this was an inbetween shots shot that I got.  What looks like them playfully playing with each other is actually her attempting to knee him in the balls for plain out driving her CRAZY during the photo shoot... I LOVED IT!

Just a Motivating Monday - But Not You

If you're just joining in:
-Write a blog post about ANYTHING at all that inspires you, or something you feel will inspire others. 

-Please link back to Garibay Soup 

-Please snag my Just a Motivating button on your post.

-I hope that we can all go and visit each other's blogs and read what everyone has linked up ~ I hope that this carnival can bring more traffic for you :) So, spread the comment love! 



Today for Just a Motivating Monday I'm going to post a quote that inspires me and just jot a few notes that are on my mind about it.

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you. ~ Jim Rohn

I think it's so important for us to know that just because others do something, you don't have to follow them. This quote to me is so awesome, because I'm currently striving on growing. Personal growth is HUGE for me right now, and I have to sometimes know that others may do things this way.... but I don't have to.  Especially when you see the people around you doing things that don't help them grow.

Most importantly, I don't have to leave my future in some else's hands. Scariest thing ever!

Really read and take it in. Try to think about how you can apply these things to your life and how you can grow so much from it.

My Beautiful, Beautiful Babies

It was FREEZING!!!!!!! My poor kids were suffering....I'm going to try to get some pictures of them again... maybe on Christmas when we're in California... but these ones are so precious I thought I'd share.

Humbling Life Experiences

This time of year is supposed to be time of joy, and a time of being thankful. For us, it most definitely is. I've had things happen to us that are VERY humbling. Things that I didn't expect, and while they should have us in a panic instead have us at peace.  

These couple of weeks I've learned a lot about people I thought I knew.  These past couple of weeks we have found out of HUGE changes coming into lives, and these changes are the best changes I could have ever asked for.  

Today I'm taking my right to ramble.  I'm rambling away on here and talking of MANY things going on.  If you're reading this and thinking it has to do with you.... it just might.  However, please keep in mind that this post is not about any one person... it's sortof a whole slab of people.

GOSSIP.

Most ugliest word in the entire world.  This word destroys relationships, people and souls.  I am most definitely guilty of it, as most people in this world are.  I actually have many personal goals going on right now, and cutting gossip out of my life is at the top of the list.  Especially, since I've learned recently that somebody VERY close to me is just full of gossip lately.  Making crazy things up, and acting like a lunatic as she gossips about me to MANY people..... people that even have NOTHING to do with her.  

Don't take this post for what it's not.  I'm not here to have it out with people, call people out.  I am here for the sole purpose of talking about things that can ruin people's lives.  I'm quiet lately.  Not on the phone with people I usually am on the phone with, because honestly... I just want to get through this holiday season without hearing another thing that makes me cringe.

This holiday season there are so many people that I am just plain out disgusted with.  The majority of them are in my own family..... my own flesh and blood.  And guess what.... GOSSIP is the reason why.  

Changes are being made in the Garibay home.  Humbling changes, exciting changes, and I am just completely thrilled that I am at the point in my life that I am at.  I am so thankful to have the most amazing, supportive, loving husband that a girl could EVER ask for.  I am so thankful to have the most sweetest little souls as my children that a girl could EVER ask for.  We're doing this together as a family.  

2010 is going to be a wonderful year for me.  Grudges will not be held.  I will be very reserved on what parts of me I let people in on.  I will continue to better myself as a person.  I will try to see the best of everyone as that's what I've always done.  I will no longer gossip.  Sometimes funny things about people that you want to share with others seems like a good idea at the moment.... even if they are true, but it's not a good idea. {all bets are off when it comes to me keeping things from my husband.... HE KNOWS EVERYTHING I KNOW}

Gossip on me will be ignored.  I do not have the patience for this anymore.  Especially coming from people who are supposed to be respectable people.  The delusions that they can fabricate in their head is absolutely amazing.  AMAZING.  Now I understand the things that have been told to me.  Now it's all clicking and making sense.

If you are a negative, self destructing person, I will probably not be surrounding myself around you.  If you are somebody who does nothing but talk about others I will probably not be surrounding myself around you.  You become who you are around and I prefer to surround myself with positive, successful people who are striving to constantly improve their inner self.


But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ~ Matthew 5:44

Just a Motivating Monday - Personal Development

If you're just joining in:
-Write a blog post about ANYTHING at all that inspires you, or something you feel will inspire others. 

-Please link back to Garibay Soup 

-Please snag my Just a Motivating button on your post.

-I hope that we can all go and visit each other's blogs and read what everyone has linked up ~ I hope that this carnival can bring more traffic for you :) So, spread the comment love! 


When you're a teenager and you just think you have life figured out and then an adult comes and tells you otherwise you feel quite bitter about the situation.


Then you start out your 20's and you think oh... hmm.... looks like I really didn't have it all figured out... but I sure do now!  I look back at myself in the beginning of my 20's and laugh at what I thought life was all about! 



I know that I have so much more personal growth to experience and that is something to me that I look forward to.  But I don't think I knew who AMANDA was until probably the age of 27.  26 I was starting to get a clue, but now I know who I am.  I know what I want.  I know what I represent and stand for.  I know what I want out of this life, and am figuring out what it is that I have to do to get what I want out of life.

The most important thing I've realized is PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.... the most important thing for us as human beings.  Constantly exercising our inner selves... doing everything that we can to grow inside every day.



I recently had this relationship with this girl (we won't use names but she's serves as the PERFECT example) who honestly was the most lost soul I had ever seen in my life.  While hanging out with her I noticed so many times where she would try to be whoever it was that she was hanging out with most at the time.  I think we all test the waters of the people that we have in our lives, but dang it... this screamed LOST SOUL IN NEED OF MAJOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.


I tried to help this girl, because I believe we should ALWAYS be developing our inner persons into more, but she like so many people that I see in my world are stuck in this constant place in their life.  They do nothing for their personal development.  Then they complain of their current situations.  Well, if you are doing what you've always done, you'll get what you've always had.  My most favorite quote in the world!  In fact, I do not believe this is not my first blog post about it either!


These people in our lives that are stuck in these "ruts" and continue to make excuses for why they are never working on personal development are probably not the best people to keep around you all of the time.  You MUST surround yourself by people who are striving to grow like you are striving to grow.


Ways to work on personal development:


READ!!!!  Always be indulged in a book that is written by a successful person or a book that is based around growing and becoming successful.  I wish I would have done this 10 years ago, then I'd be not even 30 and probably in the top 5% of successful people.  


Write out your goals... don't just think of them.  GET THEM ON PAPER... HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF YOU ALWAYS!  This way you are constantly seeing what you are striving for, and you will just work on becoming who are supposed to be in order for these things to attract to you.


Every day... reflect on the events that took place.  Take 20 minutes to sit back and think about everything that happened.  Then the events you weren't please with replay them in your mind how you would have liked them to go.  Then you no longer have these bad feelings inside and instead feel that you have learned from your day's events.


We should ALWAYS be reading books on how to be a better person, how to know how to get what it is that we want out of this life.  Instead of music in the background... why not put on some inspirational audio CD from a successful person.  Always be striving to grow... and you will.  


And always be YOU.  Don't try to be somebody else, because the point of this life is for us to find out who we are and embrace it and grow with it.  The key word here is GROW.  Never stop growing on the inside.

Mineral Makeup Winner!!!

Lucky Number 17!!! The comments from Miss Jenni herself don't count... so I had to skip over her comments when counting... CONGRATS TO CLAUDIA!! Claudia I will contact you for your mailing info.


Thanks everyone!!

Who Does That???

When I remember one of my hilarious conversations with Jayden I made a note to blog it.... tonight's was CLASSIC!


I reminded him that tomorrow at school they will be making ginger bread houses and this was how the conversation went down:


Jayden: I'm not doing it. They're not using gingerbread, Mom, they're using like milk containers... you know, like the chocolate milks that I get at school.


Me: So... why aren't you doing it.


Jayden: Because I'm not going to get in the trash and get one. That is disgusting! Who does that?


Me: WOW.... LMAO!!!!


I really, really wish I had caught it on voice recorder.




And that my friends is a kid with Sensory Processing Disorder.... and OCD.

A Mineral Makeup GIVEAWAY!!!

One day I read on someone's blog about Mineral Makeup and decided to give it a try.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MINERAL MAKEUP!!  It has a way of covering things up that normal, cakey, liquid makeup can't.  It has a way of giving a beautiful, natural looking glow to your face that has people stopping and giving you compliments.... and us girls can never have too much of that! 


I was given some mineral makeup to review by {Jenni with Affordable Mineral Makeup}.  For having such great prices, the quality definitely earned an A+ from me!  I love the selection and love even more that there is shimmery stuff!!!  I am a firm believer that wearing shimmer sends uplifting vibes into the world.... and we all know we can't have enough of that!!!!

My favorite thing EVER that she sent to me was the Satin Lip Gloss.... HEAVENLY!  I love the feel of satin and on my lips is even better!! 


For having such great prices, the quality definitely earned an A+ from me!  I love the selection and love even more that there is shimmery stuff!!!  I am a firm believer that wearing shimmer sends uplifting vibes into the world.... and we all know we can't have enough of that!!!!


I LOVE Mineral Makeup, but one thing I don't like about the stuff is the price. The price can be a killer, but luckily there is some pretty dang good stuff out there.... and AFFORDABLE!!! I'm hinting towards my husband here for my stocking! Maybe you should hint to yours!! 

OR you can just head over to {HERE} let me know exactly what you would like to win in a comment here and you can be entered in to win a grab bag of samples from Affordable Mineral Makeup!!


Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog or subscribe via RSS
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway

Make sure you leave an extra comment for each extra entry you do.


This is what works for me... Mineral Makeup rocks... as does giveaways right?  Good luck!!


I will be closing this giveaway Friday, December 18, 2009 @ 11:59pm.  That way the winner can get it just in time for Christmas!


For other things that work for others head over to {We are THAT Family}

Take a Moment... treasure your babies

Sometimes in life things just don't go the way you planned them out. You may see things one way, and other people see them another. Maybe you're right... maybe they're right. At the end of the day it doesn't matter. 

Today in the havoc of drama that just makes my head spin and really question people that are in my life, a mother lost her baby.  Her 2 year old son was ripped from her life in a horribly tragic way.  It sure makes you stop and appreciate what you do have.  I have embraced my kids and loved their smiles, their hugs and their giggles tonight.  I've mourned with a woman I've never met, because that's what our twitter and blog world does.  We mourn together, we cry together, we get through life together.

Tonight.... I'm going to shut this computer, take a moment to treasure my babies, light a candle and say a prayer for Shellie @Military_Mom 

And remember my baby girl in heaven

My Heart is Shattered...

It's been 3 years, 2 months, 3 weeks & 6 days since my baby girl left me. Through this time I have always felt her close to me. I have a necklace and her ashes are in it. That necklace means more to me than ANYTHING. It's the last thing I have of her. To some it might be creepy, but to me it is beautiful. On the front we had Our Angel Mya inscribed, on the back is the date we found out that she had passed 9/5/06. The inscriptions are beginning to fade. This is something I always envisioned cherishing all my life.  I wanted to be buried with it.

Those who are close to me know how important this necklace is to me.... 

It's gone.

Flushed down the toilet.

My heart is in shambles.

And I don't even know how to describe the feelings I am feeling right now. Anger, sadness, fury, hopeless.

I was seconds away from saving it... I saw her in the bathroom holding that necklace and said "NO!" and went running as she chucked it in the toilet and flushed it.... I LOST IT! It felt like I lost her all over again. I feel like somebody punched me in my stomach.

I can't be angry at her. She's 2. She knew how badly it effected me when she saw me screaming and crying like somebody died. She started shooshing me and assuring me that Daddy will get it. And saying sorry over and over again. He won't get it. He can't get it. It's gone. It took a huge piece of my heart with it.

I still do have some ashes of her's in a box. But for some reason, it doesn't feel like it's the same. That necklace got me through losing her.  

I just want it back.

Silly Little Girl!