I love a good bag. As a mom, I have loads of stuff to tote around on a daily basis. Whether it's snacks, masks, sanitizer, books, or even a first aid kit for emergencies, I love having a bag sturdy and large enough to carry it all without any issue. 
 
The Handmade Leather Tote from Galen Leather Co. fits the bill perfectly! This gorgeous tote bag is expertly crafted using only the finest, full grain cow leather. This ages beautifully, and will ultimately have that coveted, vintage look that's so desirable in leather goods. 

A friend of mine recently had a show at The Odeon in Cleveland. This is an iconic concert hall, located in the Flats district of The Land. We were helping sell raffle tickets to benefit The Providence House in Cleveland, a non-profit crisis center for women and children going through hard situations.

Well, we also got a HUGE surprise....The powers that be knew Xander could rap, and they invited him to join the bill of very talented performers that night. He performed MGK's debut hit, Chip off the Block....The coolest part? He performed with Cleveland's BEST DJ, THE Bobby Booshay! (Yes, he skipped the bad words, so no pearl clutching, please.) 

He KILLED it, totally rocked the house, and he got to meet so many established and respected Cleveland area (and beyond)  creatives and artists. DJ Ace, Mooky, Lost in Vegas, Kevin Tyler, and even MGK band members, Rook and Slim! He even met EST Legend, Ryan Yex. If you don't know Ryan, look him up on YouTube. It's truly inspirational. 

Everyone was SO sweet, and their collective advice was consistent. They said he's really good, that he absolutely has potential, to keep going, and to never, ever stop. 

This kid is having a magical childhood, and is really going places. Stay tuned, because this just made him that much more determined to work harder, and keep reaching for his dreams. With the love and support of our EST family, and seemingly from the EST crew itself, the sky is the limit if he works hard. 

You can follow the kid on YouTube at EST KID XX for more. He likes having his own little section of the interwebs. Please note: This is monitored heavily, and I will block any unkind people. 

Do you love coffee? 

I love coffee. So much, in fact, that my kids used to call it "Mommy Go Juice" when they were younger. Nowadays, they understand that unless I have had my morning cuppa, it's best to be on good behavior....At least until my cup is done. 

Recently, I learned about an awesome, Veteran owned brand of coffee, Fire Dept. Coffee. This coffee is not only delicious, it goes to benefit a truly good cause: Taking care of our injured or otherwise in need first responders and firefighters. 

As someone on (sloppy) Keto, I often have a hard time finding good options for breakfast. You see, I don't like eggs. Not one bit. And eggs, sadly, seem to be a Keto breakfast staple.  Because I can't in good conscience just eat a pound of bacon and call it a day, I try and fit in proper morning nutrition in other ways.

This is where Healthy Skoop can help! 

I recently tried this Healthy Skoop Plant Powered Breakfast Protein in Vanilla. This is an organic, gluten-free, and vegan friendly powder that mixes beautifully into the liquid of your choice. Here we drink both Almond and Oat milk, and occasionally coconut milk. We leave cow's milk for baby cows because they need it more than we do.