Everything Comes To The Light

It's impossible to live a lie for very long. At some point you have to address the issues around you for what they are and try to bring the truth into focus. It won't matter that beneath the surface there lies a mountain of pain or that neither you, nor the involved party—assuming there is one—are ready to accept the truth. The ultimate goal, for you, will be to find peace.

Peace of mind, peace in heart, and peace for the soul you've neglected for so long by living in a way that's untrue to what you believe is the best version of yourself.

The trouble with love and relationships is that so many of us feel the need to give away the most important parts of what makes us who we are, so that we can co-exist with another. While compromise is always necessary where love (and to some extent friendship) is concerned, sacrifice should not be— there is a difference between the two.

However, when companionship is wanted, needed, we do what we feel we must to make it happen—we go outside of our character. We make changes because we feel it's better to be broken than alone. But, ask yourself this: is it worse to be alone with your self-respect and dignity, or broken but with someone?

A person that loves you, cares for you, and wants what's best for you, WILL NOT let you compromise who you are to be with them—they will love you for and, sometimes, in spite of those things, and you will work together to find a place for those parts within your relationship. You won't have to choose—and you shouldn't.

Despite what people tell you, two halves  don't make a relationship whole—you should be able to bring all of yourself to the table when you make the decision to turn over your heart. If that's not possible, step away—no matter how much it hurts.

The 6 iPhone Apps This Busy Mom Can't Do Without

I own an iPhone—proudly. I have been on-board with one since 2007, and would not switch to another smartphone if you paid me.

I consider myself an app-addict and often peruse the Apple App Store for new items to that can help me stay organized and focused. At present, I have better than 150 apps on my phone—most of which are there for that "just in case" moment, but some are used almost daily—this list speaks briefly about the latter.

That said, I tend to keep my app choices to those which are offered for free because, in this economy, I don't need my money going to something frivolous or unnecessary. So, if I do shell out any money for an app, trust that I've researched it long enough to consider it worth my while.

So, let's get started:

1. My Fitness Pal (free): Calorie counting has become a way of life for me—despite what the doctors or weight watchers has to say :)—I do so as much to evaluate my sodium and fat intake as I do to make sure I am keeping my eating habits in check. This app offers a huge food database (I have yet to enter an item that wasn't in their listing) and online syncing. It's been an invaluable tool in helping me to maintain my fitness goals.

2. Nike Training Club (free): This is a great way to either diversify a routine you've already established or get you started on your way to one. I use it, at least 2-3 times a week as a supplement to my regimen and I have to say it has been phenomenal.

3. Cozi (ad-supported, free version): I recently have had to start re-organizing my calendar to include varying activities for the different members of my family and Cozi has been a nice tool for giving me that quick glance of what's on the menu for the day. It offers color coded dots for each family member and gives you the option of setting reminders (via email or text) for all the most important tasks of the day. It's the PDA for my famLay—okay, that was cheesy. But, it really is great.

4. All-in-Yoga ($1.99): I love this yoga app for it's simplicity and ease. I'm still a novice so I didn't see a need to spend a ton on a yoga app that I wasn't sure I'd use very much, but I use this one 2 to 3 times a week. It's been a little up and down lately, due to various updates, but I still favor it above most of the others I've seen/used.

5. Facebook (free): Of course, just about everyone updates their Facebook account via a mobile phone these day,s and I am no exception.

6. BlogPress ($2.99): I write two blogs and BlogPress offers me a decent way to keep both updated with fresh content as well as write on the go—something I have done on more than one occasion.

Related articles

• New iPhone adverts: "If you don't have an iPhone, well, you don't have an iPhone" (9to5mac.com)
• iPhone 5 prototype said to show flat metal back (electronista.com)

Staying Fit Means Keeping Excuses To A Minimum

As a mother of two, I worked hard to get back to my pre-baby body after my pregnant one took over and—though I haven't one regret about the experience of being pregnant—it was a challenge that was both frustrating and character building at the same time.

So when I hear women say that it's "impossible" to look good post pregnancy, I find myself perplexed—call it arrogance, call it ignorance, call it an inability to empathize, but I feel it's just an excuse to not do better.

There are many women out there who managed to get back to a healthy size minus a gym or a trainer and despite the responsibilities of being a mother.

I choose to take a little time for myself, everyday,  to exercise. I do yoga, meditate, or play with the kids, but I make a decision to put my body into motion. I work hard at it not only to appease the vain side that exists to some degree in every one of us—let's face it, we all like to look great in a pair of jeans—but also to teach my children to 1) never neglect the Temple God gave you, and 2) to always remember to make time for bettering yourself—even if it means putting something or someone on hold for a moment.

Now, before the mommies cite me for being a bad parent, let me make this very clear: my kids are my top priority. They don't lack for anything as far as love, attention, and nourishment are concerned—nor does the hubby for that matter. But, in order to be that woman who can do it all, or at least appear to, I have to attend to me first, and that means feeling good about the skin I'm in.

Every woman deserves to look in the mirror and feel like a pretty girl—no matter what her age. Being fit—like it or not—contributes to that perspective, and you won't get fit by sitting on the sofa making excuses.

Am I saying you have to be a size 4? No, absolutely not, but I am saying that there is always time for you, so, take it and use it wisely.

Jon Bon Jovi Blames iTunes For Music's Demise?...Seriously?

In case you haven't heard by now, according to Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple and creator of iTunes) is the reason why music is dying. In an interview published by the Sunday Times Magazine, the rocker is quoted as having said the following about Jobs and his iTunes downloading model—which allows patrons to pick and choose the music they want from an artist's album for between $0.99 and $1.29 per track—he's "killing the music business".

Not for nothing, Jon—and, might I add, I was a big Bon Jovi fan back in the day—but music has done a fine job of killing itself without any help from Mr. Jobs or iTunes. As a matter of fact, I would contend that if not for services like iTunes, I might never buy any music at all.

Why?  Well, that's easy, because most of it is overpriced, poorly produced, crap.

Who on earth wants to spend better than $10 on a CD that will have, at best, three to four songs worth listening to? How is that a good return on one's investment?

And, piggybacking on that last thought, here's the quote by Bon Jovi that really got me going:

"Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like [emphasis added], and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it,"

See that right there is the root of the problem. Back then you could count on the quality of an album based on the artist hawking the product. You knew that if you spent your hard earned money on an artist like Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses (before Axl went crazy), Babyface, TLC, or Coldplay, you were getting quality music. Their reputation and product made them a must-get from the time they released an album.

You can't make that mistake nowadays because most of the acts you hear on the radio won't be around long enough for you to care about their reputation. As a matter of fact, most of them are built only for that one big hit and the rest of what they give you will be fluff or worse.

The good bands, artists, etc. will always have people willing to buy their music because they pay attention to the quality of their work. Can the same be said for artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, or P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, or whatever the heck his name is nowadays?

I don't think so.

Thank goodness iTunes gives me options—as a consumer—because that has saved me from both an empty wallet and that feeling of regret. These days it's a lot less about the experience of making a decision "based on the jacket" than it is about making an informed choice about who's worthy of your hard-earned money.

The bottom line is this: if you're making good music, people will buy the album—period.

All this talk of Bon Jovi has me feeling nostalgic. So, just for old times sake, here's one of my personal favorites from his younger days:



Ahhhh, the memories. I forgot just how big a crush I had on Richie Sambora. He was definitely a doll.