Jessica Azar's Blog

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I admit it freely: I, Jessica Azar, am a certified Amazon.com FREAK. If lovin’ Amazon is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. When you’re a mom of a gang of young kids, barely surviving the demands of each day, you learn to seize help whenever/wherever/however it’s available. Ever since I found out two-kids-ago that I could order baby formula via Amazon Prime and have it delivered to my doorstep I’ve been a big believer in taking full advantage of the programs and specials Amazon has to offer. Between being able to order items for my kids’ Halloween costumes like two days before they need them, doing Christmas shopping and hiding the evidence at my mom’s address, and stocking my pantry before I even run out of my favorite Quest bars, it’s an understatement to say Amazon.com has saved me a few times. They may have finally topped themselves. Amazon has launched a photo printing service that allows all customers to print their memories. Prime members can upload images to their Prime Photos account, print the product of their choice, and receive free delivery. If you’re not a Prime member, you’ll receive 5 GB of storage free on Prime Photos and…

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The post Save Money AND Time With Amazon Prints! $1000 of Amazon Gift Cards to be Won! appeared first on Herd Management.

Just when I think things to with this post-presidential-election-madness can’t possibly get any worse, I see an article in Newsweek (among other online publications) reporting that people who are anti-Trump are donating to Planned Parenthood in Vice President-Elect Mike Pence’s name as a form of protest against his outspoken Pro-Life stance. It’s obvious that the individuals promoting, donating in Pence’s name, are not focusing on the other women’s health services available at PP clinics; their attempts to be ironic focuses on the abortion end of the business. In fact PP receives no government funding for its abortion service, so their donations are likely going straight to that portion of the ledger. I feel this campaign is a form of harassment, because they are making a mockery of him publicly for his religious beliefs. Yes, he is an elected official, and this makes him susceptible to public scrutiny, but it shouldn’t automatically make him (or any official) a punching bag for their values. Will his beliefs shape his decision-making as an official? Absolutely, but he was elected with the majority of the American public voting for his election ticket. On a personal level, as a pro-life woman this deeply offends and…

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The post Be the Solution appeared first on Herd Management.

The other morning my youngest did something that completely shocked me. Yes I know that by now NOTHING these people do should truly shock me, but she succeeded. I woke her up, telling her it was time to get ready for school, and the first thing out of her mouth was “I don’t want you to go on my field trip today.”. Yes, you read that right… the 4-year-old bluntly uninvited me to go to her K-4 class’ Ag in the Classroom field trip to a garden and lunch at a farmer’s market. Stunned, I tried to play it off by smiling and saying “Oh! So you want to ride with a friend to the garden?” and she said “Yes ma’am.” I then asked if she wanted me to meet her at the garden, and I was rejected yet again. Y’all, I have never EVER had one of my kids NOT want me to accompany them on a field trip, especially at the age of 4. In fact, I’ve actually had the older kids FIGHT over who I would go with when both of their grades were going on the same field trip, so getting shut down this morning was…

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The post Learning to Not Need to be Needed appeared first on Herd Management.

I’m getting back to the basics of why I started Herd Management. Although I love the work I’ve been doing, and I’d still LOVE to work with brands that are a great fit, the focus of my blog no longer represents my original intentions for its content. I used to feel an emotional, personal connection to Herd Management, and losing it has never been my intent. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve just about fallen off the social media/writing grid since August, and there’s a very good reason for that! In addition to all four of the kids going back to school, all-day long, I have gone back to school in pursuit of a Nursing degree at Troy University’s Montgomery campus… with full-time school hours. Nursing is something I’ve always wanted to do, but part of me never believed I was capable of it for a long time. I worried that my science/math abilities weren’t strong enough for me to succeed, and maybe they weren’t when I was fresh out of high school. Being a very hands-on, active mom for a decade has taught me things that will prepare me to be a better nurse, and it’s really cool to see…

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How to Enjoy Your Son’s Football Season Without Losing Your Mind Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the maker of OxiClean™ Stain Remover through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about their White Revive™ Stain Remover, all opinions are my own. As summer vacation heads into its final weeks, people all over the country (especially in the South) start getting excited about the advent of football season. While NFL is a bigger deal in other areas of our nation, college football is practically a religion down here, and it heavily influences our calendars starting in late August through the end of the year. Southern brides planning fall weddings will consult major college football schedules when choosing a date to ensure that people will actually show up for their event, and even still, they can almost bank on some of the guests listening to games secretly with headphones while vows are being exchanged. I got married in May for a reason, y’all. We love football around here passionately, as well as its various social extensions, like tailgating, so it’s not surprising that all of the age groups and levels leading up to college are…

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The post How to Enjoy Your Son’s Football Season Without Losing Your Mind- Dirty Laundry appeared first on Herd Management.

Taking your dog along on a road trip may sound like an overwhelming situation, but it’s actually totally doable with proper planning! Boarding your pets when you go away for the weekend can be expensive, and who really wants to leave their furry, four-legged companions behind while you’re having an adventure? I’ve found that, for the most part, having your pup with you on the road is much easier than dealing with a baby or small children, so if you’ve conquered that feat, you’ll be able to handle this with no problem. Over the past few months our Red Heeler, Reata, has joined us on multiple road trips and although I was nervous about handling her and all four of the kids (I was the solo adult on the journey each time) alone, things went very well. She was very calm along the way and LOVED being a part of the adventure. I utilized the tips I’ve been using in How to Take a Great Road Trip with Your Dog, and you’ll totally benefit from trying them with your pet on the next trip. Have you taken your dog on any amazing trips? How did it go? Come tell us…

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The post Tips for Great Road Trips with Your Dog appeared first on Herd Management.

One thing no one ever told me about having a kid was that I’d be filling out forms everywhere we go. Because I’m crazy enough to have FOUR kids, that means I fill out four sets of forms any time we go to the doctor, dentist, fill out school paperwork, and the list goes on and on. Basically I’m just happy at this point that I don;t have to fill out forms when I take them to the grocery store… or at least I haven’t yet. I’m crossing my fingers they won’t try to steal anything or cause an incident necessitating paperwork, because my hand always hurts and might fall off soon. My experiences have taught me what I should be buying for a baby shower gifts: Moms Need a Fancy Pen. Come hang out with us over on the Herd Management Facebook Page! You’ll find things to make you laugh and feel right at home if you don’t pretend to be someone you’re not… Sanctimony and Snobbery are against the Herd Management law.

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The post Moms Need A Fancy Pen appeared first on Herd Management.

Southern girls love mason jars; it’s like one our cherished symbols of home and the Southern way of life. Whenever we see one we can practically taste THE sweet iced tea or lemonade we love to drink from them, and they also make us think time-honored tradition or canning vegetables with our grandmothers. We use them for everything from (as I just said) drinking and canning to vases for flowers or storage containers on our vanities to hold cotton balls. One of the only problems a girl who loves mason jars experiences is where to find more do-dad’s with a mason jar themed logo on them, so I’ve compiled a list of some really fun items all mason jar lovers will enjoy! Mason Jar iPhone Cover When I saw this thing I KNEW it had to become my iPhone cover, right away! So stinkin’ cute, and there’s something so unexpected about seeing it on an iPhone. Both hipsters AND Southern girls want it, everyone who sees it can’t help but comment on it. You could also put your monogram on it, which just adds Southern flair. Everything’s Better in a Mason Jar Tea Towel This would look great in any…

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The post Mason Jar Items You Need appeared first on Herd Management.

Laundry Predates Taxes AND Death, I Think L Come hang out over at the Herd Management Facebook Page and tell us if you’ve found a way to escape the insanity of family laundry, because the only way I’ve figured out is for us to all become nudists, and even after losing all modesty through the experience of having four kids, I’m not ready to forsake clothes completely. I’ve sort of figured out sock sorting, but no matter what I do, the laundry JUST KEEPS COMING! Even if you don’t have the answers, come commiserate with us; there’s comfort in being understood by others imprisoned by housekeeping.

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