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Personal Time for Moms

May 25, 2009 By 3 Comments

Zoe

Being a mom means you are very busy. These little creatures that come out of you need  everything. Time, food, clothing, diaper changing. Moms run around and around like crazy.

My first child was a piece of cake. My second child was quite more difficult. They are not the same and now I had two. Two times the diapers, two times the food, clothing, you name it. I was DEPRESSED.

 

What to do?

Make time for yourself. I’m still learning how to do this. It is so difficult to do but it’s the only way you can stay sane.

What did I do today?

My husband took my daughter out of the house twice today. My son napped both time so I was able to blog. That’s my hobby. I have been neglecting it and today I was able to write a post or two and did some interneting. That’s it. That’s my personal time for the day.

What did you do?

Filed Under: personal

Calafant building children’s imagination giveaway

May 25, 2009 By 183 Comments

CALAFANT

The Creative Toy Shop distributes Calafant. Calafant Toys are learning tools that are still toys. They are made from recycled cardboard and covered with white paper to make for easier decorating.

We at CALAFANT have developed toys for this exact reason: CALAFANT toys are easy to build, fun to decorate and wonderful to play with – for any child.

BaumhausCreative Toy Shop sent us two pieces to review. She sent us the Treehouse and a dinosaur. We haven’t opened our dinosaur yet but we did tear open the tree house. We’ve been sick a lot and staying inside. It’s recommending for chidlren 3 and up, but we gave it a go. I dumped the pieces onto the floor and gave each child some crayons.

We colored for a while, until my one year old started eating the crayons and my two year old was bored. Then I told her now we’re really going to have fun.

We  started putting it together. I was showing her how to bend them along the lines. Thank goodness for the picture instructions or I would have been lost. She helped me as much as she could  (her brother was down for a nap for this part). Then we got it all together and I told her it was Winnie’ the Pooh’s tree house. Oh boy was she excited.

We had to find Pooh and any other toy that would fit inside the tree house. What a great time we had. I could see both my children using their imagination and I was encouraging them. I love watching them grow and this was a great tool. Because it wasn’t a tool, it was a toy. We had so much fun. They still play with it. It takes quite a beating too.

Creative Toy Shop has offered to giveaway 25.00 worth of toys to one of my readers. US Only

To Enter:

Visit Creative Toy Shop and tell me what you would pick out.

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for five extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!! Add my button to your blog/blog roll
Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends June 10th

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: ,

Father’s Day Fling Lands End Giveaway

May 25, 2009 By 70 Comments

 

 Lands End is AMAZING. They have decided to give us four different prizes to giveaway.LandsEndWhtAdirondak 

 

Prize: Adirondak Chair

Review: 3 Garnets 2 Sapphires Adirondak Review

Product Summary:

For any teak furniture or outdoor furniture orders over $200, shipping will be a flat $18.95 for orders within the continental U.S. no matter the size and weight of the order.

 

 

 

DuracordhammockPrize: Duracord Rope Hammock

Review: Akblessings Abound

Product Summary:

DuraCord fibers allow you to enjoy the advantage of cotton softness with superior durability. It’s fast drying, stain-resistant and prevents microbial growth to prevent mildew. Solid oak spreader bars stabilize the hammock making it easier to get in and out. Withstands 1,000 hours of UV exposure while resisting the effects of the sun. Zinc-plated stainless steel hardware. Sponge clean. Made in USA.

 

Cooler tote

Prize: medium Insulated Cooler tote:

Review: Mom Start’s Insulated Cooler Tote Review

Product Summary:

Say goodbye to cumbersome, hard-sided coolers. Our waterproof Cooler Tote is insulated to keep snacks and drinks refreshingly chilled – so it’s perfect for picnic plans, sporting events and car trips. Durable canvas is coated with PEVA, a non-chlorinated vinyl, so it resists stains and cleans up in a snap. Seams are heat-sealed to prevent leaking. Zip-top closure. Spot clean. Imported.

 

To Enter:

Visit Lands’ End Home and tell us the name of one item you would love to own this summer (aside from one of these three items) IN THE FORM.

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for ten extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!! Add my button to your blog/blog roll
Add my Father’s Day Fling Button to your blog or website.
Leave a comment in the form for every entry and the giveaway ends June 11th. US Entries only

Visit Life Staring Ellie and Eve and Follow all of her entries

Visit Blessings Abound and Follow all of her entries

Visit 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires and Follow all of her entries.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , ,

Oscar Mayer All Beef Mini Hot Dogs Review

May 25, 2009 By 1 Comment

 

Memorial Day is for cooking out and  we don’t have a grill. This video was actually last week. I had intended on submitting this review earlier, but you know, things happen.

Oscar Mayer picked 100 moms to write and post video reviews of Hot Dog Parties. I wasn’t expecting a different taste when I tried the all beef hot dogs. They were not as salty and had a better flavor than the Oscar Mayer Hot dogs I grew up with. 

Oscar Mayer was the only brand my step mom used in her cooking. We had hot dogs pretty often so I didn’t exactly want to have their brand again or any hot dog for that matter, but I was tempted to try it because my husband introduced me to a different brand all beef hot dog and we like them. So, I  purchased the hot dogs expecting to just be feeding them to my children; and to my surprise I ate all of mine. I don’t prefer the cheese filled minis that I bought. They were kind of gross, but the kids liked them and Oscar Mayer fit the bill.

I’m not sure I can convince my husband to try the Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, but I will be recommending them to my family.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: ,

Meal Plan Monday

May 25, 2009 By 1 Comment

menuplanmonday

Meal Plan Monday keeps me organized and saves me money.

Monday
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Tuesday
Burritos

Wednesday
Chicken and mashed potatoes

Thursday
Grilled Cheese

Friday
Hot Dogs

Saturday/Sunday
Eggs/Sausage and biscuits

 

My husband is at the store right now, but we do need to plan for a Costco Run.

Filed Under: Meal plan Tagged With: ,

New Winners

May 25, 2009 By 1 Comment

Jump Start on-line:

 

Cynthia C on May 9th, 2009 5:01 am (Edit)

I liked the Cool Tricks section of the Discussion Boards. Thanks for the chance.

 

Funky Kidz

Marie on May 18th, 2009 11:51 am (Edit)

I like that her sons — “Jake, 9 (assistant producer) and Aidan, 5, took a love to New Orleans funk and so the concept was born to make kid’s songs funky” — I think that’s really neat.

Edible Gifts Plus

  • cheryl kellery on April 30th, 2009 8:35 am (Edit)

    I would order the lots of smiles cookie gift basket – great looking stuff they have

    American Heroes

    • Ed Nemmers on May 18th, 2009 2:54 pm (Edit)

    He is from Pennsylvania!

    Finish The Dishes

  • Janet Carpenter on May 20th, 2009 3:20 am (Edit)

    I follow you on twitter, I’m janetmom2maya
    mayacarpenter at verizon dot net

  • Kathleen on May 8th, 2009 9:00 pm (Edit)

    I should use them because they won’t leave spots or residue. Thanks.

    kport207 at gmail dot com

  • Ann on May 20th, 2009 9:57 am (Edit)

    Subscriber!

    • Caress Soap

     

  • Erin Lowmaster on May 4th, 2009 6:33 am (Edit)

    Father Day Fling button is on my blog too!

    • Filed Under: winners

    Teaching your children k -12 Learning DreamBox

    May 25, 2009 By 1 Comment

    DreamBox Learning, a web-based math learning companyWith the internet there are so many different budding websites out there with information. All this information is right at your fingertips. You can even find tutors now or how The DreamBox Learning system.

     

    They asked me months ago to review their site and I have not had any spare time. I promised them that I would take a moment to write about them. So I wanted to show you a video. Click on the link if you would like to view it.

    From Their Site

    Real, in-depth math learning

    • With over 350 lessons, our curriculum develops computational fluency, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving ability.
    • Content is aligned with the Focal Points for each grade set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (Read more about our curriculum.)
    • Effectiveness studies demonstrate that students are really learning, including gaining proficiency in new areas and improving test scores!

    Real adaptations

    • Unlike every other math learning product, DreamBox looks much deeper than right or wrong answers. As good teachers know, there are many degrees of correct and incorrect. How quickly did a student answer? Did he need extra hints to get the answer? Did she demonstrate growing proficiency in the process? No other product can assess and adapt at this fine grained level. Based on this data, our GuideRight™ technology makes real-time dynamic adjustments in the difficulty or scope of a problem or lesson, the number and type of hints given, lesson pacing and sequence, and much more.
    • Placement lessons throughout the adventures assess students’ knowledge, so they can skip what they know and focus on what they’re ready to learn.
    • There are well over a million different paths a child could take through our curriculum, based on their interests and needs.

    Really fun!

    • Students personalize their experience by choosing a game character and a theme — pirates, dinosaurs, pets, or pixies — turning their lessons into fun adventures.
    • Like a good teacher, DreamBox encourages and cheers students on. As they progress, kids earn rewards for both effort and academic achievement.
    • Some rewards can be used in the Carnival, where kids can play a variety of games, puzzles and activities just for fun!

    Try DreamBox Learning K-2 Math free!

    Filed Under: announcements Tagged With: ,

    Lands End Cooler Tote Review

    May 25, 2009 By 8 Comments

    Product Description:

    Insulated Cooler tote:

    Say goodbye to cumbersome, hard-sided coolers. Our waterproof Cooler Tote is insulated to keep snacks and drinks refreshingly chilled – so it’s perfect for picnic plans, sporting events and car trips. Durable canvas is coated with PEVA, a non-chlorinated vinyl, so it resists stains and cleans up in a snap. Seams are heat-sealed to prevent leaking. Zip-top closure. Spot clean. Imported.

    Medium: 171/2"Wx6"Dx13 1/2"H; bottom 12"W. Holds same amount as 1 grocery bag
    Large: 22 1/2"Wx9 1/2"Dx17"H; bottom 14 1/2"W. Holds same amount as 2 grocery bags

    Why I Love it:

    Cooler tote

    It comes in 5 different bright colors. I picked the green on to review. Lands End delivers quickly. I like how it is green and blue and it seems huge. I love it for taking my kids food in it. I have packed toys, snacks, drinks. I like to get the Smucker’s Peanut butter and Jelly frozen sandwiches so I’ll throw them in the bag and they stay cold because It’s insulated.

    We don’t live near a beach, but we do go to parks all the time. I throw our stuff in it and we’re good to go for a whole day. I’m just impressed at how light the bag is and how comfortable the straps are over my shoulder no matter how much I have piled into the tote.

    About Lands End:

    Lands’ End is a direct merchant of traditionally styled clothing for the family, soft luggage, and products for the home. We offer products through our catalogs, on the Internet and in our Inlet stores. Our goal is to please our customers with the highest levels of quality and service in the industry, along with an unequivocal ironclad guarantee.

    Filed Under: review Tagged With: ,

    Sunday Personal Time

    May 24, 2009 By 1 Comment

    IMG_9654

    This is  me every day. Well, my son hardly ever lets me hold him so when he does it is absolutely the most treasured time I have. I love both of my children and that’s my job. I’m a stay at home mother of two. Last week when I went to my meeting with Microsoft they asked me how working every day was going?

    I don’t get paid to blog. I have one sponsor right now and I charged them 5.00 a month for their ad. Yes, now if you want me to advertise for you it is going to be 25.00 a month but that’s because I realize that my time is worth something. Look at me, sitting there with my children, that is PRICELESS. Keeping up with my blog is very very difficult. In fact, lately I’ve been spending more time with my husband and my blog stats have been suffering. Who cares right?

    I honestly care a little but not enough to take time away from my family.

    Today I had another wonderful day with my family. We went to Alderwood and went to Old Navy. I’ll be picking winners in the morning. Then we came home and dinner, bath, and the cuddling you see above then it was bed time.

    For my personal time, moms do not feel guilty for taking personal time. Just don’t feel guilty you deserve it. Motherhood is the only job that is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no vacation or sick days. So take that time.

    I had a bath. I read my book (I love reading in the tub) and soaked in my new bubble bath for an hour. I feel so relaxed. Take some time for yourself tomorrow.

    Filed Under: personal Tagged With:

    Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner Giveaway

    May 24, 2009 By 218 Comments

    New! Pledge® Multi Surface Cleaner My husband is absolutely crazy about cleaning the right surface with the correct product. Whenever I’m cleaning the stainless steal he asks me if that is the metal cleaner. I look at him blankly like what are you talking about. I’m cleaning, what does it matter.

    Thank you Pledge for making a multi surface cleaner that INCLUDES stainless steal products. Not only does the Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner bottle say that it works for Stainless Steal it actually does. So I’m spraying it on and I love how it sprays. Call me crazy but it’s fun to see it coming out and  spray on the surface. It leaves all surfaces shiny. It does make surfaces a bit slick though. I got some on the floor and my daughter’s feet went flying up into the air and she fell on her back. Poor girl needed mommy to kiss her boo boo.

    Available in both trigger spray and wipe. Look for Pledge® Multi Surface Spray and Wipes with your other favorite Pledge® products.

    One Pledge, Multiple Surfaces, Infinite Possibilities!

    • Wood, Glossy & Matte Sealed Wood Finishes
      Wonderful on Wood! Great for popular sealed woods like pine, oak, and walnut
    • Glass & Mirrors
      Great on Glass! Provides a streak-free clean on glass and mirrors
    • Electronics & Plastic
      Excels on Electronics! Now you can dust your appliances
    • Stainless Steel, Metal & Chrome
      Superb on Stainless! Excellent for cleaning today’s popular metal surfaces quickly
    • Marble & Granite (sealed)
      Marvelous on Marble! Safely care for your sealed Marble & Granite
    • Appliances, Countertops, Porcelain
      Perfect for Porcelain! Conveniently cleans multiple surfaces in just one step

    I prefer the spray to the all purpose sheets. I really didn’t feel the sheets worked. I guess I really enjoy spraying. Thanks to the Family Review Network and  Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner you can win one.

    To Enter

    Visit  Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner and tell me something that makes you want to purchase it?

    Extra Entries:

    Subscribe to my blog
    Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
    Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for five extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!! Add my button to your blog/blog roll
    Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends June 9th

    Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , ,
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