RICE CAKES AND PEARS

Ontario native, Matteo Sambrone, learned how to dance from watching youtube videos when he was 8 years old. He fell in love with dancing artists like Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, and Usher. He is 21 now, and has dreams of dancing on stage with famous artists. Last August, Matteo began working on his dream by creating a tik tok account to show off his talent. Then one day, someone commented on his video, asking if Matteo could dance for their son, who had recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness... The next day, Matteo's tik tok blew up! After making that little boy's day, tons of requests came in, asking Matteo to dance for their loved ones! Matteo loves bringing happiness to his followers, and believes he can reach his dream of dancing on stage with a pop-star someday!!

Going through a hard time? Or wanna make someone's day? Request a dance from Matteo! tik tok @mattwiththemoves

Stephanie is the mother of two beautiful daughters! Aubrie(5 years old), and Aeverie(11 years old) have dealt with difficult health issues since they were born. 

Aeverie has Celiac disease, unspecified muscular dystrophy, EDS (a connective tissue disease, Autism Aspergers, IGE allergies, and airborne anaphylaxis to peanuts/tree nuts. Aubrie has Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, GERD, food protein induced Enterocolitis, allergic to 99% of food, and has a dope feeding tube. A lot right? I thought I had it hard!

What I love about Stephanie, is that she is passionate about being a mother AKA the hardest job on the planet!! She loves her daughters to death, and teaches them how to stand up for themselves by embracing their "normal".

Follow instagram @sweetorganicliving for tips and tricks for all things severe food allergies, clean recipes, and inspiration

I have a confession to make... I am a liar... 

I first encountered pornography in 5th grade while at a sleep over. What started as curiosity, soon led to addictive behavior when I got my first i-touch at the age of 12. In high school, I realized, porn probably wasn't the best thing I could be watching.. But I soon found out quitting porn wasn't as easy to quit then I thought! Let's be honest, it's 2021, everyone watches porn. It is normalized, easy to find, and free!!.. After years of trying to quit completely, I can actually say, I have been clean from porn since September 2015! It is liberating to be free of something that used to make me have lower self-esteem, self worth, and confidence. I have a strong marriage that is founded on honesty and true love. I promise you, it is possible to quit and change.

-Link to AA meetings but for Pornography. 

-Completely free, all are welcome. They have over the phone meetings too.

https://addictionrecovery.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng&groupTypes=individual&showMap=true&meetingTypes=phone&genders=menAndWomen,menOnly,womenOnly,ysaMenAndWomen,ysaMenOnly,ysaWomenOnly,couples,wives&page=1&topics=pornographyAddiction

Oregonian, Marcy Kay, has never really cared what people thought of her. This rare gift played into her favor, one morning, when she got a call from the doctor, who bluntly diagnosed her with Scoliosis... What was a low blow to Marcy's normal morning, turned into a tik tok that went viral. Marcy and I talk about what it takes to be a dope weirdo. Not many people know this... But dope weirdos are the best kind of people. 

Ty Anderson struggled with mental health for most of his life. At age 19 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. What was a shocking discovery, turned into 10 years of denial.. In that time period there have been ups, downs, voices, hallucinations, and a suicide attempt.. It is an every day battle for sure. Just recently, Ty has found liberation in sharing his story by helping people understand Schizophrenia better. If I learned anything, it's that we need to get rid of the stigma that surrounds schizophrenia! 

Alexis Inouye is an aspiring therapist/licensed clinical social worker on a quest to normalize mental illness!! Alexis has struggled with mental illness most of her life. She's fought with depression, an eating disorder, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and OCD.. But hey..SHE'S STILL HERE TODAY!!! Alexis is a light to those who are afraid and alone. She shares her painful, yet inspiring journey on overcoming her demons. Alexis opens up about being deeply depressed on her LDS mission in Japan. Heck! We talk about how Mormon culture can be toxic on mental health. Yes, we are active members... BUT.. We believe so many people are debilitated by guilt, shame, and anxiety that comes from failing to live the commandments. Wait, humans aren't perfect?? OF COURSE NOT. It's time to stop shaming and loving ourselves more. 

Follow Alexis' pursuit to normalize mental health on Instagram @alexisi_therapy

Kelvin Crosby was born hard of hearing, and later diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type II.. At the age of 19, Kelvin became legally blind and deeply depressed... And even tried to commit suicide... Despite having a disability Kelvin has managed to persevere. Kelvin credits his loving wife and God for helping him continue each day. Kelvin and his wife run a foster home for troubled kids, and even though Kelvin can't actually see his foster kids, he loves them dearly. Kelvin likes to use the mantra, "LIVE BEYOND YOUR CHALLENGES" which makes sense, because this guy doesn't let anything stop him. He has started multiple businesses too..NO BIG DEAL! A few companies include: Perseverance Coffee, Smart Guider(a lighted cane for blind people), and his pottery (which recently blew up on Tik Tok). Thanks again Kelvin AKA @deafblindpotter

Follow his podcast "Perseverance Podcast" on Apple or Spotify 

Follow his Tik Tok for inspiring content @deafblindpotter

Check out his website https://lblabel.com/ to order pottery! *WARNING* his pottery is in high demand! So orders may be backed up... Understandable, because this guy is a stud!!!

For years Stacey struggled to find stylish, non-revealing nightwear that could worn around the house. Nightwear choices seemed so sparse...It was either boring granny print OR lingerie, NO IN BETWEEN!... In 2019, that all changed when Emi & Kay was born. 

"We love to feel put together and fashionable. Here at Emi & Kay, we have designed sleepwear that you can do more than just sleep in. We invite you to hang out in them! Just the right coverage, so you don't have to hide when the mailman comes or your kids' friends make an appearance! These pajamas can go from hanging out to going out!" -Stacey, Emily, and Kristen  

These strong women are another great example of going after your dreams. 

USE CODE "RICEANDPEARS20" FOR 20% OFF SITE WIDE VALID UNTIL END OF MAY 2021. 

https://emiandkay.com/

Ashley Dauer graduated high school in 2016. The future looked bright until she got sick, and was diagnosed with 3 incurable diseases... A time when life is supposed to be full of opportunity, suddenly became a dark time for Ashley.. It wasn't until she turned to Jesus Christ that she became hopeful again. Ashley is a seventh grade English teacher and loves every minute of it. Some days are tough, but she believes God gave her trials to help those around her. Especially her students.