Kids Are Heroes Day at Boyd's Bear Country 6/26/10

Ever hear of those groups and organizations that promote children who do good deeds?  You have to love the fact that they provide an outlet for encouragement for these wonderful children.  I loved the idea so much that after I nominated my daughter to be a Kids Are Hero, I signed up to be an Ambassador to spread the word.

Kids Are Heroes is a non-profit organization truly committed to adding another avenue of passion into our little one's by showcasing them and showing true appreciation for their efforts.  If you know of a child that is doing good deeds for others, nominate them!  If you have a love to help, apply to be an ambassador and help spread the word.

Former Arizona Cardinal, Levar Fisher, will be present at this event on June 26th at Boyd's Bear Country and other little Heroes will be stationed in the store talking about their project.

To read more about all the events, please go here.

RSVP to Chat Parenting With Huggies® at Tuesday #gno Twitter Party

Join in tomorrow where I get to be a panelist on the Girls Night Out Huggies Twitter party!  I'm so excited to participate and hope you attend!

What things help to make your life as a Mom easier? Whether it’s a play date, the perfect fitting diaper or a toy that keeps the little ones busy for hours, we want to hear from you!

This Tuesday, May 11 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT), we’ll have fun and honest conversation about the ins and outs of parenting. Come and share with #gno gals and the Huggies® team as we learn together at Tuesday’s #gno Twitter party. Details, including how to enter aHuggies® giveaway, are included below.

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, May 11, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! Check back Tuesday for the link. (Use hashtags #gno and #huggies.)
• Topic: The Ins and Outs of Parenting
• Who: Brand Panelists: @huggies Community Panelists: @jonniker @stayingyoung2 Moderators: @jylmomIF@Dadventurous@troypattee and @momitforward
• Party Favors: Click here to check out this week’s giveaway here. Deadline: 5/12 (midnight PT).

Click here to RSVP and see you there!

5 Things on Your 'Honey-do' List That Never Get Done

I figured it out!  I've been asking my husband to get his list of "to do's" done to no avail.  Now he's in Kuwait so he lucked out unfortunately for me.  The list wasn't really complicated and wouldn't have taken too much time to complete other than maybe a few hundred hours or so (smile).  We have to put our house on the market as it's time to PCS or in non-military terms, move again as we do every three years.  I have a HUGE list now thanks to him escaping to his island retreat to his beautiful tropical paradise (well, not really a retreat nor a vacation).


My list includes:

1. Replace the kitchen sink because the washer or something inside the hot water faucet is leaking all over my counter top.  Having towels to absorb it isn't very pretty.
2. Regrout those same tiles in the kitchen.  They are due for a refresher and I'm starting to think it might be best to just blow out the kitchen and restart.
3. The upstairs shower has a slow leak and with wanting to conserve water and money, this is a must!
4. Nothing worse than trying to mow the yard with a crooked handle.  Everytime I change positions, the mower clunks and it's a little embarrassing.
5. The big one includes a fear of a garage door crashing down on me!  The bolts have been slowly falling out and although putting them to the side might be out of sight, out of mind, I don't think it works that way!  

What's on your list?  Join the TwitterMoms and Service Live fun program here.


Did you wonder what I figured out?  Perhaps I just needed to find a cute little bee costume to ask him nicely!

Photo courtesy of HalloweenCostumes4U

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I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and ServiceLive blogging program to be eligible to receive $100 in ServiceLive Bucks. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
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Visit ServiceLive.com for more info. 

Daughter "Needsss You" to Her Deployed Dad & Huggies Pull Ups

On Mother's Day, my husband was able to call and wish me a Happy Mother's Day which is nice since I'm not his mother.  He has never been good with buying gifts from the girls for me and about five day's ago, he asked what I wanted.  Luckily, my oldest took care of it and I was quite content with my anniversary edition of Out of Africa, The Biggest Loser book, a huge "You are My Sunshine" balloon that sings and home made Hawaiian chicken kabobs.

Hubby has been in Kuwait for over a week now.  In case you are reading this and wondered, he has a decent place to live for the year which he describes a cross between a Marriott and prison.  He says the Marriott because he has a TV (no remote and some cable, restricted channels) and highly restrictive internet access.  The walls are concrete blocks and he has aluminum foil on the windows as he works 12 hour night shifts.    


Our two year old, soon to be three at the end of June, got on the phone and said, "hi dada. I needssss you." It's so heart breaking to me and I'm sure to him to hear this as he embarks on losing four months of her life last year this time and this time for a whole year.  He does get to come home early November for two weeks but that is not the same.  


Both our seven year old and two year old have been drawing him pictures and periodically crying at night missing him.  I'm sure it saddens him yet makes him feel loved.


He is fortunate to be able to send e-mails so unless there is a sand storm or some other reason, I hear from him daily.  He told me has to go to another country in the Middle East sometime this month.  Ordinarily, I'm not too worried about his safety but when they start sending him out on helicopters to other countries and regions as they did the last time, it really worries me.


The good news we were able to tell him is thanks to Huggies, she is nearly all potty trained!  Yeah!  It took her just a few days to want to do it and she's been using it ever since with the exception of the other deed and overnight but we're getting there!  Thanks! Huggies Pull Ups!

Parenting Looking for Mom Testers and Reviewers

Straight from Parenting:

Parenting needs your opinion! Sign up for a chance to be a Mom Tester and review toys, beauty products, baby gear and more.

We review items every month, so we need real-mom opinions on lots of products. As items come up for review that are appropriate for you and your family, we may contact you with an option to receive stuff to test (and keep, whether we print your review or not). All we ask is that you give us your honest opinion, good or bad. You may also be contacted for mom-related stories to be used in the magazine and online.

Just click here.

Kids Cooking Party Theme Ideas

Having a cooking party theme for your child's birthday is really a fun way to introduce some healthy eating and culinary arts to their lives.  Kids seem to be embracing booking more and more thanks to the help of movies like Ratatouille.  Last year, my daughter had a party with that theme.  We had such a great time making little pizzas, cupcakes and other fun projects.


We started out having the kids decorate aprons and chef hats with foam stickers of their names.  This was a nice waiting game until all the guests arrived.  After that, we made little pizzas with dough I had bought from Publix.  I had a long buffet table set up to allow the kids to have a work station on both sides with the toppings in the middle.  Each one had their own rolling pin that I purchased at Michaels.  They were allowed to take those home too.

After the pizzas were done and cooking, the girls began decorating cupcakes with frosting and whatever toppings they wanted.  I bought matching favor boxes that were large enough to allow each child to take their cupcake home as I ordered a custom Ratatouille cake for the big event.

 

 

For her party, I coordinated the invitations, the stamps the apron, the shirt, the buttons and a poster to allow the other kids to sign as a memory item:

Cooking Party Template: Black and White 

Cooking Party Customized Apron

Autograph Customized Cooking Party Poster

Cooking Party Customized Button

Kid's Cooking Party Template

There are other themes to choose from as well.  We had a great time and the other parents thought I was crazy having such a huge mess in my house but it was so worth it!

Kids Cooking Party Invitation Customize

Blue Girls Cooking Party Invitation

Kids Cooking Theme Invitation

Matching Chefs Apron Kids Cooking Class

Don't Forget Zulily Kid's Chinese Cookbook Set w/ Apron Giveaway, Great Sales & Special Savings Code

If you have a kid, you are going to love this Handstand Kid's Chinese Cookbook Set with Apron and placement  from Zulily.  It's a great product and you can read and enter it here with the giveaway ending 5/18.


From now until 5/11, there is also a special savings for my readers at Zulily so don't miss out!


Just use code YOUNG10, you can save $10 off a purchase of $30 or more from 5/4 - 5/11!  That's a great savings considering the prices at Zulily are already amazing!


Current sales right now:

 

Many more great items!

Mamavation Sistahood Follow Along Week 5

This was a good week for me in spite of my husband's deployment to Kuwait on the 29th.  I did really well which was my goal while he was gone.  I know I needed to kick it into gear and with last week's comments from all the wonderful, supportive Sistas, it really did help!


This week was met with healthier eating, less Frankenfoods (as Jillian Michaels terms them) and more exercise.  I removed colas from my diet some time ago and am now working on eliminating Crystal Light.  We also saw a renewed interest in the kids in eating food and I was successful in getting both little girls with eating carrots and corn on the cob.  It's a start!


I am down five pounds this week and it was all by healthy eating and exercising!  I had to make sure I emphasized that as I know BoobieBoo will be reading and watching!  I can't get anything over her but I'm not complaining.


My experiences with the Sistas will pick up as I get situated with his deployment, my job ending in early June thus allowing more time.  I think the premise behind the Sistahood is amazing and so inspiration.  I'm grateful for them and this opportunity!  Thanks to all the Sistas!


This week's goal:


Exercise five days and take the girls on a walk around the neighborhood to help them understand the importance of all us being healthy.


Ensure that we all eat at least one vegetable and a fruit every day.

EXTRA:

Aquahydrate is sponsoring this week's blogging carnival. AquaHydrate, the first high-performance sports water, has a unique combination of ionic minerals and an alkaline pH in an ultra-pure water. When athletes drink AquaHydrate on a regular basis, they notice significant improvements in their focus, sports performance and ability to recover after intense workouts and competition

SISTAHOOD: 


If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesdays over twitter.


Mamavation TV:


Join BookieBoo this Monday as they welcome our special guest Dr. Renna to Mamavation TV. Dr. Renna is the official physician nutritionist to the Mamavation campaign. She is both a pediatrician and nutritionist and specializes in helping families overcome obesity. They are doing a special Q & A session with her, so bring whatever questions you have. Your questions can pertain to your family, children, or yourself. Don't worry, she knows it all.

WOMENTORZ & Featured Inventors: Ficklets, Breast Chek Kit & Papillon Baby Bath Ring Seat

Starting today, in celebration of Mother's Day, I am going to run a series on WOMENTORZ and the wonderful women inventors that make up the products.

This week is WOMENTORZ itself as it's an innovative concept in helping women realize their dreams.  If you aren't familiar with WOMENTORZ, you need to check them out.

To read more about my featured sellers, click here.

Ficklets, Breast Chek Kit and the Papillon Baby Bath Ring Seat are all featured.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Mother's Day today!

London, Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen & Honolulu Oh My!

This post is for Ros at www.ficklets.com who after finding out more about me suggested I blog about my traveling experience.  My traveling started about 11 year's ago and encompassed some very exciting places.  I had a lot of responsibility in which I was lead in training physicians and nurses in new clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company.  The idea of presenting for the first time in a room of over 100 doctors, nurses and others in London was daunting but the perks were traveling with a really cool group of people and sight seeing.  I grew up in Indiana and never went anywhere.  In fact, I had never flown until I was in my late 20's and we embarked on a trip to Washington, D.C. on the corporate jet which was also equally exciting.

Outside of several domestic trips, I was lucky enough to take my first flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.  It was a remarkable trip that was very memorable.  As an American, we take a lot for granted and don't realize what occurs outside our little world. It would be nice if everyone could experience another country that is non-English speaking at least once.  People there are taxed 50% for governmental programs and when I asked one of my colleagues what he thought about that, he didn't mind.  I would definitely mind!  That was a beautiful experience seeing the lovely land of Copenhagen.


I also visited London and other areas within England several times.  It was the first time I was able to step foot in the country my mom was born.  I fell in love as soon as I saw it! I wear lots of black and at one time, I counted over 20 black skirts and you can imagine the rest of the matching wardrobe!  I fit in perfect!  There is nothing like the hustle and bustle of walking down Downing or seeing London Bridge.  I have to tell you that it is somewhat a let down as it's not spectacular at all.  The real London Bridge was dismantled and is not at Lake Havasu in Arizona so it's only a replacement.  The impressive bridge is London Tower and at night, it's beautiful!


I had a personal trip to Paris compliments of frequent flier miles.  Paris was magnificent and the thing I noticed, hardly anyone speaks English just like I experienced in the other countries that were non-English speaking.  I did the touristy thing and had the escort of a Belgium who spoke both English and French which was a big help.  I saw the Eiffel Tower, eccentric grave sites where celebrities were buried, the Louvre and a castle in the distance.  Again, all equally impressive.  One night, we visited a local bar/restaurant and it was interesting to see a day in the life of a French person.  Everything was pretty normal except the bathroom.  It was a hole in the floor .. that was it!  Another thing in Europe, they tend to put eggs on toast open faced a lot along with lots of cheese (room temperature) and when I was there, ice had to be requested.  I was looked upon as being very strange that I wanted a Coke for breakfast with ice.  


My trip to Vienna was amazing and the flight over was interesting.  We flew an Australian airliner out of Germany and the stewardess' were beautiful!  My male colleagues had a hard time containing themselves over it.  The earlier flight introduced us to non-Americans and they weren't too happy with us.  Everything had fish in it and I am not a fish eater.  It was obvious to me, I wasn't the only one that never left the country.  It was amusing and quite educational seeing the differences.  It was my first experience with a Russian mafia member or at least it's what the bartender told me.  I was at the hotel bar when a very drunk man wouldn't leave me alone.  The bartender, trying to shield me, gave the man flyers with pictures of naked women and numbers.  Prostitution and flyers pinned up in phone booths were pretty routine in many of the countries I visited.  It was all a definitely eye opener for me.  It was in Vienna when a large mass of Sheiks also arrived for some OPEC conference.  The thing about Vienna, there was no Hard Rock Cafe and that was when buying those shirts was the trend.  However, you could buy a shirt that said there was no Hard Rock Cafe there.  The people were so nice and friendly and very few spoke English.


My trip to Spain was scary as it was a solo trip and I stuck out like a sore thumb being blonde.  I was extremely intimidated since I knew no Spanish.  I ventured out once from my hotel, became scared and turned around and stayed in.  I finished my meeting in two days and bumped my flight to return home.  It was there that I forged a great friendship with my very dear friend Elena.  I will always remember Spain and her.


Hawaii...need I say anything!  I visited once and fell in love!  I visited a second time and fell in love with my husband-to-be.  It was the third visit to Hawaii that found me getting married and moving myself and children there.  We married on Sunset Beach almost four year's ago.  Visiting and living in Hawaii aren't much different but Christmas is the hardest part of it if you grew up in cold climates like me.  


It's extremely expensive to live there but the perks are waking up to paradise every day.  When I was pregnant with Dani, the girls and I would walk to the store as it wasn't far.  From our elevation, we saw Pearl Harbor and it never seemed to fail, we would get caught up in a flash rainstorm during the spring.  It was an incredible experience and I'm thankful to the military for giving us that opportunity.


This is for you, Ros!  Some of the places I've seen and I left out a lot!

Saving for the Holidays

Were you thrown off by that title?  It's getting closer to the half way mark to Christmas and no, it's never to early to start planning out how to save and make it the most frugal holiday season ever.  With my renewed goal of saving money this year, I've been planning ever since last Christmas.  This year will be different as hubby is in Kuwait, I will no longer have a job, the house will be on the market to sell and we will be relocating to a new area also called PCS'ing for those in the military.

The ways I save for Christmas are taking advantage of places like MyPoints, MyCokeRewards, Swagbucks and whatever else I can find to make a good deal.  When I shop, I go through MyPoints to earn rewards.  I'm almost at the level where I can cash in my points for a $100 Target card which will come in handy.  MyCokeRewards are slowly adding up and I should have enough for at least a $50 gift card to Nike or somewhere else by the time Christmas rolls around.  The same goes for Swagbucks.  Why not get some free money easy?

Another great way to find gifts which I learned from my readers is to enter giveaways.  I don't do well with winning giveaways but every now and then, I get on a frenzy and will enter some.  I plan to pick up the pace in a couple of months to see what I can win for gifts.

I have won a lot from websites such as TwitterMoms by entering giveaways and contests.  My latest wins are pretty incredible to say the least.  If you have a blog, create one and join sites such as TwitterMoms for all the fun giveaways and contests.

If you haven't signed up to be a member of the WBWord team, you need to.  I just cashed in three checks for $165 for some social media work by Warner Brothers.  Not bad work for that kind of money.

The Affiliate Ad network is another way that some bloggers can make some serious money.  I have not but then I have not immersed myself into the dealings of how to effectively work it.  I'm sure you can make the money but if you see from my blog, I have a ton of ads I provide my sponsors on top of a couple of paid advertisements and some affiliate ads.

Sites that allow your creativity to bud are other examples of making money.  If you can make some fun money while partaking in a hobby, you should.  I have a Zazzle account and have fun creating different items. I started out with political items and moved into business cards and invitations.  I have a variety of products and make nice spare money on the side from it.

Sweet 16 Pink and Black Polka Dot Invitation

If you have some other tips and suggestions, please leave a comment!

Ecomom Summertime Fun with SuperGoop! Sunscreen & Sunscreen Wipes

Summer is nearly here as indicative of our pictures above.  We enjoyed some beautiful sunny Georgia weather today when the girls were able to go outside and play.  One thing my youngest's allergist told me is to allow the girls to get about 15 minutes of sunshine before putting on sunblock.  Both girls are fair skinned so I have to be extremely cautious in not allowing too much sun exposure.   I received a complimentary pack of Supergoop! SPF 30 Sunscreen Swipes and Supergoop! SPF 30 Everyday Lotion to try from Ecomom.

The Supergoop! SPF 30 Sunscreen Swipes are perfect for facial application.  Made with zinc oxide, it provides powerful anti-irritating UV protection.  The green tea helps to reduce irritation and redness while combatting free radical damage to help prevent signs of aging which I need.  Vitamin E softens the skin and also protects against environmental damage.  No matter what age, all skin needs protection.

Supergoop! SPF Everyday Lotion is a sunscreen for day-to-day activities.  It contains the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E and with having an aloe vera base, it helps to calm and sooth sensitive skin.  PABA, oil and alcohol free is important to me as I want to protect my children as much as possible from harmful chemicals and products.  With the new SP3 technology, the lotion won't break down as quickly with sunlight exposure and is water resistent.

Both children tolerated the sunscreen and swipes just fine with no rashes or other signs of irritation.  Both went on easy and didn't leave a horrible greasy feel.  After spending over an hour in the pool, it stayed intact and neither one has a sunburn.

Overall, I really like the Swipes as a way to ensure that I don't get the sunscreen in their eyes while providing maximum protection since I don't have to be extra careful around the eye area.  Both products worked as stated on their sensitive, sunburn prone skin.  I would recommend both SuperGoop! products.

To learn more about Ecomom, click here.

Reisenthel Giveaway at Leslie Loves Vegetables 5/24

Here is another great giveaway at Leslie Loves Vegetables:

reisenthel products are extremely functional and versatile – perfect for everyday!

They use materials that are remarkably robust and durable. The first-class design merges with the product quality into a perfect blend of form and function. Their technical expertise makes sure that the products solve problems instead of causing them. reisenthel products make life just that much more pleasant and enjoyable!

One of the nicer things in everyday life: It works perfectly, brightens up your day, adds a refreshing dash of color, is extremely practical, intelligently designed and well made … it‘s a reisenthel product

I was Blessed to receive a loopshopper L for review! Comes in four beautiful colors and colordots print (adorable for summer!) The loopshooper has padded aluminum rings for comfort when your carrying on your shoulder!


Click here to enter or read more about the giveaway.

Win a CSN Store Cuisinart Griddler Jr at Leslie Loves Vegetables

The generous folks at CSN Stores are going to Bless ONE Leslie Loves Veggies Reader with a Cuisinart Griddler Jr in Brushed Stainless{$74.95 Value} Thanks so much!


This Griddler has a more compact build to fit comfortably on any countertop. It can be used three different ways to prepare a variety of favorites – steaks on the open grill, crisp-grilled sandwiches with the panini press, or burgers cooked to perfection, both sides at once, with the contact grill

FEATURES

• Three cooking options – can be used as a grill, contact grill or panini press (I have wanted a Panini Press for ages!!!)
• Removable non-stick grill plates
• Hinged, floating cover adjust to thickness of food
• Adjustable temperature control with indicator lights
• Cool touch handle
• Drip cup and cleaning tool
• Limited 3-year warranty
• Overall Dimensions: 5"H x 13"W x 12"D

This is super versatile and compact! However :) it's a full size grill! Oh yeah! Ya have three cooking methods

• Grill (open grill for double the space! Cooks veggies, meats, fish, chicken, you name it!)
• Contact Grill (Burgers, chicken steaks... etc)
• Panini Press (Yummy crusty hot grilled sandwiches)

Food cooks evenly because when the grill is closed (panini press or contact grill) the Cuisinart Griddler Jr has specially designed floating hinges that adjust depending on the thickness of the food you are preparing!


To enter, go to Leslie's blog by clicking here.

Adding Special Photo Touches to Gift Wrapped Packages: Martha Stewart & AdorableBabyClothing

Mother's Day is gone in terms of being able to send a gift on time and I already sent our gifts for the three mom's in our lives.  Luckily, Father's Day is approaching and this is a great idea to jazz up the presents for both my father, my father-in-law and my husband.  Since my husband is in Kuwait, he will miss out on the one on one pampering and love the girls would be giving him so thanks to Martha Stewart, we will bring it to Kuwait.

This great project is easy enough and we will have fun taking the special photos to adorn the package.  I think even dressing them up in little camo outfits or his favorite, mini fishermen.  AdorableBabyClothing.com has these cute little outfits:

To make your own Martha Stewart Photo Toppers or see some of the other great projects, just click here.