In Gloria's Place I can be a mom, a woman, a daughter, a wife, a writer, a customer, an observer and a person all at the same time, without judgement or remorse.
Katie was closest to my number (I was thinking of 31) and letter (I was thinking of G) combination. Thank you to everyone else who entered. Keep a look out for my future giveaways.
Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump Giveaway
Thanks to Mom Central I am giving away a new Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump plus 2 boxes of nursing pads. This is not the one I used. I received one for myself and one to give away. To win leave your answers to the two following questions in the comments section below. Please leave your name and email so that I may contact you if you are the winner. Please do not leave your phone number.
I am thinking of a number between 1-50. What number is it?
I am thinking of a letter between A-Z. What letter is it?
The giveaway ends May 10th. The winner will be announced soon after.
Making big decisions is stomach turning for me. Sometime a big decision will keep me up at night or keep me from functioning properly all day. The anxiety about making the right decisions just turns me upside down. I'm not kidding. It really does.
What if I make the wrong decision? What if the decision I make affects the people I love? What if I can't take back the decision and I have to live with the mistake for the rest of my life? What if's and emotions cloud my judgment and sometimes I end up letting someone else or something else make the decision for me.
Recently I have been thinking about a career change, a big change, one that can affect my family possibly negatively, but hopefully in a positive way. Unfortunately it’s the kind of career that won’t allow me to see how it affects my family right away. It will take a few months, maybe even a few years, if my absence becomes more than they can stand. I tell my husband, who supports my decision 100%; "if I were single or didn't have children I would jump on the opportunity right away." Then he'll say "well do it then!" He and I both know I've always wanted to do this. I argue, "what about the girls and you". That's when 10-10-10 comes into play. I first heard about 10-10-10 idea in a Self magazine issue this year. Then Mom Central provided an opportunity for bloggers like me to read and review Suzy Welch's 10-10-10 book, which came out April 14th. What great timing!
My worry is about how my possible absence will affect my children, my husband. Their emotional well being now, ten months and in ten years (especially ten years when my kid are teenagers and need guidance from peer pressure) is very important to me. I consider their emotional well-being something I value. They can all support me now and be proud of me now, but what happens when my job requires more hours? Or what if my job puts my life at risk? Financially, I know if I do this my family will be okay. We will be able to afford the stuff we need. We wont starve. Our bills will be paid. We will have health insurance.... These are all pluses in an economy like this and really at any time in life. We wont be rich by any means but that isn't of value to me or to the rest of my family. There is even a possibility that if I do this I will receive financially aid to go back to school and finally begin my Master's degree. This is something I have wanted to do for years, but haven't had the money for. I also know that my girls will have more confidence in me as a person. I will also feel safer for them and for me; something I have not felt in a few years especially while my husband was gone. In addition if I succeed in my career and move up the ladder as I hope than I believe I will be a very happy person not just as a mom, a wife, a writer, but also as someone who has dedicated her life to help others. Even if I don't move up as high up the ladder as I wish I will still be happy in my career because I know in the end I still helped others and gave it my all doing so.
Still, it always comes back to my families’ well being now and in the long run. Over the past few days I have continued to ask myself, "How will they fair without me?" My answer is always negative and sad. Then it occurred to me that I had no confidence in my family to be happy or to survive without me. I realized my narcissism. I also realized that I was letting my emotions of my husband absence during his tour in Iraq cloud my judgment. Sure my family will be sad and miss me, but my kids are strong and smart. They emotionally survived my husband's tour in Iraq. They can survive this too. My husband is also strong and smart and capable. If I'm not around 24 hours a day they CAN function without me. If something happens to me they will survive and I hope move on and I hope move on in a world that is safer because of what I have done and others like me are doing. Something can happen to me tomorrow or the next day but I can't stop living my life in fear of this. What will this teach my children? It will send them the wrong message. I want them to grow up strong and happy without fearing life or the decisions they make to live a happy life.
So... long story short I haven't made up my mind yet, but I think I'm getting there. I think I know what I am going to do. I still have a lot more soul searching and researching to do. I may change my mind tomorrow and maybe for a few weeks until the time comes. The decisions even with 10-10-10 are not always easy; Suzy Welch explains why in her book, but at least 10-10-10 helps me think through this problem with less anxiety. I'm clear headed. I'm asking questions, checking off answers, and balancing scales. This allows me to discuss it with my family, especially my husband, in a clear and concise way without driving them insane. In the end I think I will have a clear answer I am making on my own. The answer will not be made for me nor will I have someone make it for me.
My kids are still too young to understand a lot now, but if there ever comes a time when they hate me for being gone so much because of my job I will be able to sit down with them and discuss with them why I made the decision I made. Then I will 10-10-10 with them about what I should do now. Should I continue or find a new career. It still comes down to their happiness, but this time they have a lot more power than I was giving them credit for before.
For now I have decided to combine 10-10-10 with my husband’s suggestion 1 step at a time. I will study for and take the exam first. If I fail the exam then the discussion is made for me (can't really change that). If I pass it then I will apply 10-10-10 to the next step and go from there. Each step I take on this road will have a 10-10-10 approach.
For more information about 10-10-10 or Suzy Welch's 10-10-10 book click on the book's website link http://suzywelch101010.com/
Summary from Mom's Central
"Best-selling author Suzy Welch, a mother of four and a columnist for Business Week and O, The Oprah Magazine, provides moms with a decision-making practice that is as simple as it is profound. Through her own story and those of others, Suzy shows readers the ways in which using the 10-10-10 method can remove the emotion and uncertainty from decision-making and dramatically change how you make choices, both big and small, in your life. With every decision, all you need to do is consider your options and their consequences in ten minutes, ten months, and ten years, and then compare them to your own set of values. The goal of this practice is an authentic life through which consistency replaces chaos and guilt replaces joy.
While the 10-10-10 Life-Transforming Idea may not always be easy to apply, it enables Moms to think things through in a truly significant way, explain them clearly to others, prepare for the consequences of their decisions, and feel confident about their choices."
I apologize for not posting the entry winner's name sooner, but it seems over the weekend I came down with some cold bug. Still recovering...
The Disney on Ice Tickets winner is Kathleen H. Congratulations Kathleen! I hope you enjoy the show. If you take pictures let me know. Maybe we can post a few pictures. To everyone else that entered, thank you for your comments and for sharing. I only wish I had more tickets to give away. I plan to continue to post more giveaways so RSS if you are interested. I wish everyone the best. May you all be happy, healthy and free of suffering.
I love springtime. Besides spending more time outside and with my family one of the things I do more in spring is experiment with new recipes. After all, who wants to eat the same old thing all the time? My family doesn’t. So, lately I've turned to places like Allrecipes and other cooking websites for new recipes. Thanks to Mom Central I have discovered one more website, from Unilever, filled with recipes.
That’s right, Unilever has consumer website called Making Life Better, for moms or anyone else interested, filled with quick easy affordable recipes just in time for the spring holidays. Many of the recipes include using well known brands like: Shedd's , Bertolli, Ragú, Knorr and Breyers. Signing up to get access to the recipes is easy. A quick 5-minute survey and you are done. Once signed up consumers have access to information, tips and e-newsletters in other categories: beauty and style, home and family, vitality and wellness, tips, news and offers.
Once signed up consumers can also save the recipes to their favorites, share the recipes by emailing them to family and friends or bookmarking the recipes, rate the recipes, print the recipes in 3 x 5 sizes and or leave a comment about the recipe or how it turned out after making it.
Last night my family and I tried the Savory Chicken & Asparagus Hollandaise recipe and enjoyed it very much. The Hollandaise and the Asparagus made a wonderful difference to a routine chicken and rice dish (we served the dish with white rice). It was easy to make and since everyone approved of it I plan to make it again. I also plan to make these recipes in the near future: Savory Seasoned Potatoes, Toasted Ham & Cheese Tortas and Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches. All these recipes have easy to make instructions with ingredients I enjoy.
Nice recipe features:
Below every recipe is a nice feature, the Cost Per Recipe and Cost Per Serving. The Cost Per Recipe and Cost Per Serving is a nice touch. I am always trying to calculate how much cheaper it is to eat at home versus going out to eat so I like this small, but very useful feature. If I am ever tempted to go out to eat with my family all I have to do is compare costs and I'm convinced it just isn't worth going out to eat especially in these economic times. Eating in can be just as delicious or more than going out. It is also healthier and since you are making the meal yourself you know exactly what is going into your families tummies. That is always comforting to me.
In addition to this new website, Unilever is offering a rebate coupon where you can get up to $20 back on your ham or turkey purchase by mail when you buy $40 in Unilever products during the month of April. The coupon was in Newspapers Sunday, April 5th. Sorry for the late notice.
So, if you haven't read your Sunday newspaper yet, check it out. If you don't get the Sunday newspaper ask someone that does. Maybe they are willing to part with the coupon. It's worth a try anyways.
At the website you can also find The Family Fun Book, an interesting read you can download from the Unilever website and read at your computer. It has plenty of good tips about making eating with your family fun.
As always the one of the things I like to see encouraged more on websites like these is living and eating more earth-friendly. Making Life Better does encourage this. In one of their newsletters I read easy tips to Green Your Cleaning. I would like to continue reading these types of tips from them. In addition I suggest to anyone wanting to cook more organically to use locally grown and or organic vegetables and fruits in all or most of your meals. The cost may very a little bit from those on the recipe, but not by much especially if you are shopping in season. It’s healthier for your family too.
If you would love a chance to attend the Disney on Ice show with you kids on opening night, April 15th at 7:30 pm, in Houston, TX., I have tickets to give away (a family 4-pack), thanks to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment. If you are interested in attending and would love to win the tickets leave a comment below and tell me why you think you deserve to win these tickets. Make sure I have a way to contact you, (email and name please) so that I can let you know if you are a winner. You will be able to pick up your tickets via Will Call (tickets will be set aside under your name at the box office window). I will be picking the winner Friday evening. I wish you all the best of luck. Again these are free. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling my why you deserve them. I will pick the best response.
For the rest of you take a look at the coupon details below:
Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey
Houston, TX show dates: April 15 through April 19
Location: http://www.reliantpark.com/
Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels** including
http://www.ticketmaster.com. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Gold Circle Seating, Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other Restrictions May Apply.
The tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in
the MomCentral promotional box when purchasing tickets. Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public - just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.
For a second year, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and US Airways are working together to help children nationwide discover the joy of reading. Starting April, adults are invited to join the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge and help collectively log five million minutes spent reading with kids. You’ll have the chance of winning a family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort® and more great prizes. Get on board! Visit www.RIF.org/readwithkids today.
If you want to teach your children about different cultures at a very young age start with the Baby Einstein World Music DVD from the interactive World Music product line. The World Music DVD comes out March 31, 2009
"We feel a great importance in teaching our children about different cultures, as we want them to grow up with the understanding, respect, and appreciation of every person and culture they meet. And as the language of music transcends cultures and borders, it serves as an excellent way to engage our children and expose them to global diversity."
I really like the DVD. I think it is a nice easy introduction for babies and toddlers of people, animals, places, songs and music from around the world. Again I don't agree putting a baby in front of the TV is a good thing, but if your babysitters/baby's grandparents are going to place your baby in front of the tube there might as well be something educational like this for them to play on TV for your baby watch. The DVD can be viewed in English, French and Spanish. I really like that. I think it is important for kids to learn various languages from early on. I also like the map puzzle used throughout the DVD. It’s a nice easy introduction to geography.
The Baby Einstein puppets are cute. I showed them to my 3 month old and he smiled. The monkey, Jane the Monkey, is my favorite. I wish I had one of my own to play peek-a-boo with my baby. The kids that are playing instruments, singing and dancing throughout the DVD are also very cute.
The DVD has two settings: Grow with Me and Select-a-Segment. The "grow with me" setting offers a second viewing mode containing spoken words and additional content that grows with babies, while "select-a-segment" gives parents the choice of viewing shorter segments, such as five or ten minutes, as opposed to longer programming.
The World Music CD is a nice to have with this package too. There are 22 songs from around the world for your kids to listen to. My four year old liked it so much she danced to some of the music.
How well do you care for your mouth and teeth? Me? Not as well as I should. It helps though, to be a part of tours like LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE Blog Tour.
Mom Central sent me a bottle of LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE a couple of weeks ago and since then it has been in my downstairs bathroom behind my eco-friendly toothbrush and eco-friendly toothpaste. The purple liquid (eco-friendly?) makes it difficult to forget to use, because it doesn't blend in with anything in my bathroom. It stands out. I need something like that. If it doesn't stand out I forget about it.
Does it work? So far so good. I've only had the opportunity to sample it for a few weeks, but my mouth does feel fresh after each use. Does it taste good? it isn't my favorite flavor, a little too sweet, but it is much better than the original. Remember that one? The golden colored one. That stuff is strong. Now Listerine has this stuff,LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE, Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash. It is the only fluoride mouthwash that contains six benefits in one:
Helping to prevent cavities
Restoring enamel
Strengthening teeth
Killing bad breath germs
Freshening breath
Fighting unsightly plaque above the gum line
By the way do you know how to use mouthwash properly? I ask because a couple of years ago I realized my husband didn't. He would pour way too much into the top. Swish it in his mouth for about 2 seconds and then spit it all out. I've tried telling him to follow the instructions. but its like talking to a wall.
It's important to follow the instructions of use for a mouthwash. Not using enough and not swishing long enough doesn't allow the mouthwash to work to its full potential. So if you don't see results it isn't the mouthwash's fault. Its yours and all you have done is waste your money. Okay I'll get off my soapbox now.
• LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE is intended for adults and children ages 12 and older.
• Vigorously swish 10 mL (2 teaspoonfuls) of rinse between your teeth for one minute and then spit out. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing.
• To help prevent dental cavities and achieve a WHOLE MOUTH CLEAN™, LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE™ should be used twice daily after brushing your teeth for two minutes. Floss daily.
I underlined and boldfaced the important parts in hopes that my husband and people like my husband may read this posting and notice the instructions.
I've spread the word on the new LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE on behalf of Mom Central and Johnson’s. You can find this new, fresh Listerine Total Care at all food, drug and mass merchandise outlets.
How does your first aid kit look? Is it up to date or are the medicines inside the kit expired? Not sure? Maybe you should take a look. According to Mom Central, "40% of homes have an expired topical antibiotic in the medicine cabinet, an important issue as some products may lose their effectiveness once they reach their expiration date." Why keep the medicines then?
I checked mine. First of all I had to find my kit. The medicines and bandages were scattered in medicine cabinets of two full baths upstairs and a half bath downstairs. Were the medicines up to date? For the most part, yes they were up to date. I don't buy anything, but alcohol and bandages usually. I had one or two items out of date. When I received the NEOSPORIN® in the mail form Mom's Central I replaced the expired stuff with the samples: NEOSPORIN® + Pain Relief Ointment, NEOSPORIN® + Pain Relief Cream, and the newly available NEOSPORIN® NEO TO GO!® First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Spray. I thought the Neo To Go was a nice idea and put the product in my purse right away. I know I'm bound to use it. At home it’s easy to wash out a wound but away from home there isn't always adequate supply of cleaning material so it's nice to have this spray.
The first day I used the NEOSPORIN® on my mom. She came over the day I received it. She cut her finger on something and when I went to grab a bandage and some alcohol she reminded me of the NEOSPORIN® and told me we should test it out on her. Oh yeah! I'm glad she reminded me because I had almost forgotten I received it in the mail that day even though I had just told her about it when she saw it on the table. Your mind slips after a certain age.
I put some NEOSPORIN® on her finger, but hesitated at first because I didn't know the difference between ointment and cream. I figured cream is to put on in deeper wounds and when using a bandage whereas the cream would be used on minor scratches or burns. Am I wrong?
Over the next few days I used the stuff on my kids and my neighbor who is helping me remodel my house. My neighbor says NEOSPORIN® is the stuff he has in his medicine cabinets. I guess that means he likes it. My kids don't wince or yell in retreat when I try to apply it on them like they do with the other stuff. I like that a lot. It makes nursing cuts and scratches a lot easier. I have yet to use the stuff on myself. I'm not use to taking care of myself I guess. The good news is that I have it in the downstairs restroom now in case I ever need it.
The other good news is that my first aid items are now all downstairs in one place. I still need to buy a medicine box for all the supplies, but at least it is all organized and up to date now. By the ways I have a question for NEOSPORIN®. What do we do with the expired medicine? It isn't environmentally friendly to trash the expired stuff, but it isn't safe to keep for use either. Any suggestions?
This product review was done on behalf of Mom Central and Johnson’s. For more information or questions visit the NEOSPORIN® website http://www.neosporin.com.
If you would like to put a first aid kit together this is what NEOSPORIN® suggests on their website (as well as a lot of other useful first aid care information) to put together:
* Sterile Bandages
* NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic Ointment
* Ice packs
* Elastic bandages
* Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (make sure you have a dosing chart, too)
* Small, sharp scissors to cut tape and hanging skin
* Alcohol pads
* Thermometer
* Tweezers
* Gauze and adhesive tape
* Antihistamine such as Benadryl® brand to treat minor allergic reactions
* Bottled water
* List of important telephone numbers; including your pediatrician, Poison Control Center and other emergency contacts.
Okay! So my kit is almost complete. I still need an Antihistamine and a list of numbers.
Have you ever read a copy of KIWI magazine? It's a great magazine that focuses on raising healthy kids through healthy lifestyles. They introduce a lot of natural foods and organic products and every now and then they introduce some eco-friendly products. Today I read about the Calphalon Renew program and thought it was great because this morning I was just thinking I needed to replace my pans. When I say really, I mean REALLY! You know how they say you shouldn't cook with pans with scratches in them, well I have one left without scratches. I want to get rid of the rest, but don't want to throw my old ones in the trash for eco-friendly reasons of course.
I told myself I would research how to recycle my old pots and pans, but KIWI got here before I had a chance too. Later today I logged onto the Calphalon Renew program website to see how much a set cost. I was hoping they had an online store, but instead I have to go to one of their outlet sites. The closest one is almost an hour away and not at all in the directions I usually travel. If they at least had the prices online I could see if I could afford to travel that far. Muchos kudos to their program. I think it is great what they are doing. I only wish they would extend it online for everyone who doesn't live near one of their stores.
I really enjoy being a Mom Central member. As a member I have the opportunity to review and spread the word about new products and websites all the time. Sometimes a new product or website will come along that I really like. This time it was Current by Discover Card.
Although I don't have teenagers to try the Current Card with, I will however have some in a few years. My kids are growing quickly. The thought of that is as scary as it is exciting. Why is it scary? Because as teenager once myself, despite the fact that I was one of the responsible teenagers, I know how addicting spending money can become. My husband does too. Still to this day we are paying back some of our irresponsible financial actions and so now, if there is anything I can do to help my kids start off on the right foot I am going to try it. I think Current by Discover Card is something I will keep in mind when the time finally comes. I think it is a great compromising financial option, between teens and their parents.
It is a good option because as a parent I am able to give my children access to money when they need it but restrict it from when they try to use it irresponsibly. That's right! I CAN set up the account so that my teenagers cannot use their card in places like: Tobacco stores, ATMs, bars, hotels and more. At the same time I get to live with the peace of mind that if my child needs to use money in an emergency, say the car breaks down, than my child has instant access to that emergency money.
After compromising with my children about their spending limits I can also set up the account to daily, weekly, or monthly spending limits. I can track my children's spending via email or text alerts. My kids can track it too which I think is a great idea because it shows them how to keep track of their money. As a parent this is what I want. I want my kid to have money for emergencies or necessities but not frivolous spending. I want them to know how much and how fast they are spending and I want them to keep in mind that they have a budget to keep to or they are out of money.
In addition we have the options of direct deposit. If my kids have jobs their money can be set up for direct deposit into their Current Card account. If the card is lost or stolen, like any other card account, the card can be frozen or deactivated until a new card arrives. "Discover’s $0 fraud liability, which means card members are never responsible for unauthorized charges – online, offline, anytime, anywhere".
Because Current is not a credit card there will be no effect on my teenagers' credit history. I would never give my kids credit cards. I know what misuse of one can do to their financial future. I would however be willing to give them a debit card like this one.
As a parent I can also:
* Add funds from your Discover Card or other major credit card
* Add funds from your checking, savings account or direct deposit
* As a reward my teen would receive online discounts to AMC, AMF, Target.com and so on.
This is the type of card there should have been years ago when my husband and I were in college. This is the type of card I want to sign up for now. I would sign everyone up in my family, my husband, my fast growing children who already want thing from Book Fares and school fundraisers and myself. Shouldn't every American be signed up for it? Maybe it would teach us a bit about our spending habits. It allow us to set up our own restrictions without letting us easily back out of those own restrictions, like we often do when we make a budget for ourselves.
What I don't like about Current is the membership fee, however low it may be. In my opinion, there shouldn't be a fee on my money. Then again my teen would receive discounts using their card and as a parent I would earn Discover Cashback Bonus or Miles when I load my teenagers’ Current Cards using my Discover Card. So technically, I would earn the membership fee back in no time. I guess that’s okay. I also don't like restriction from the company on the amount of withdrawals (4 free withdrawals) my kid can my make unless I set up the restrictions. I would also like Current by Discover to set up a financial education program for my teens to attend in person before receiving their Current Card, teach them how to drive before they hit the road, so to speak.
What do you think about Current by Discover? Don’t know yet? If you have teenagers or tweens and want more information visit CurrentbyDiscover.com. Then come back and share your feedback.
I grew up with JOHNSON'S®. My mom used JOHNSON'S® on my sibling and I as we were growing up, not just as babies, but as kids too. I remember the smell. It was always so pleasantly soft-like the way a baby smells naturally. In fact, for a long time I really thought that this was how babies smelled naturally. I later discovered, after having kids of my own the smell of spit-up and dirty diapers was a baby's usual smell and that the baby smell I grew up loving was actually the magic of JOHNSON'S®. Though, I will say this, babies do have a beautiful natural smell without JOHNSON'S® so long as they don't spit up or poop, which is not very often.
JOHNSON'S® is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and along with their 50th anniversary celebration JOHNSON'S® is introducing two new products to its name: JOHNSON'S® HEAD-TO-TOE® Foaming Wash and JOHNSON'S® Baby Bubble Bath & Wash. Thanks to Mom Central and JOHNSON'S® I was given the opportunity to test both of these new products on my own baby. This lets you know how much I trust a company to try it on my baby.
The JOHNSON'S® HEAD-TO-TOE® Foaming Wash was easy to use. I could hold my baby with one arm and with the other hand easily pump the head of the soap container to pump out just enough foam to wash my baby. One pump for the front and one pump for the back. How did my baby enjoy it? He loves his baths and wasn't bothered by it at all. No tears.
On another day I tried the JOHNSON'S® Baby Bubble Bath & Wash. 2 caps full was enough bubbles for my baby's bath. The bubbles lasted the entire bath. How did my baby smell after the bath? Soft and sweet. Was my baby content? Yes. Did he care about the soap? Probably not. He just enjoys baths, but I care about what I'm washing my baby with.
Both of these products are made for sensitive skin which my baby has. All babies do, but some more than others. My only wish is that JOHNSON'S® continues to make new products and that somewhere soon down the line they come up with a line of environmentally friendly soaps. Maybe one day their slogan will read No More Tears and 100% natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly. I would love that.
For more information on the new products visit http://www.youtube.com/baby
About a month ago I offered a very large box of Styrofoam on freecycle. Shay R., an event decorator, responded to the offer. She said she was interested in the Styrofoam so I asked her if she was sure. I told her it was a lot and stressed how much it was, but she said she could use a lot. So I took her word for it. I took the box out and put it on my front porch. Then I noticed more in another box and that was a lot too. I also placed that box outside, just in case she wanted that too. Sometime later she came and when I noticed her driving away I walked back into my garage in joy that all that Styrofoam wouldn't end up in the landfill and it wasn't taking up space in my garage anymore either. I later emailed her curious to know what she did with all that Styrofoam. She email me and said it was used it to make really pretty reef centerpieces. I asked her to send me pictures. Take a look at the pictures below.
(I have been trying to download the picture for days. You will just have to take my word for it. They are so pretty. In the mean time I will email her and see if she can send me another picture.)
By the way she didn't use all of it the Styrofoam. She gave some of it away to a parent who needed it for her daughter's party.
What do you think of Wallypops Reusable Toilet Wipes?
Have you heard about Wallypop and their reusable toilet wipes? To be honest I have mixed feelings about the product. What do you think about them? Have you used them? If so how do you like them? I'm considering buying a few to see how I like them.
Good news! Mom Central has partnered with Disney On Ice to provide a special family ticket package offer to Disney on Ice Shows. So, if you would like the opportunity to take your family to a Disney on Ice Show, but can't seem to budget the show in (like me), maybe the discounts below will help :
Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels*. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Gold Circle Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other restrictions may apply.
Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public - just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.
Dates and cities where families can use the national MOM code are as follows:
Houston: Disney On Ice presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey (April 15-April 19)
Dallas/Ft Worth: Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey (March 18-March 29)
Sunrise/Miami: Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy (March 26-April 5)
Toronto: Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy (March 18-March 22)
Kansas City: Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey (April 1-April 5)
Denver: Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure (March 12-March 15)
Phoenix: Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure (April 9-April 12)
Chicago/Rosemont: Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic (Sept 8-Sept 13)
To learn more about Disney On Ice shows touring the country this year, visit http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/ and visit ticketmaster.com to use the 4 tickets for $44 code, MOM. To locate shows near your city go to www.disneyonice.com and type in your zip code. Also, if you like this deal feel free to spread the word to your
What I like...my daughter's birthday is coming up soon. Considering how much she loves Disney characters, the size of our family and this discount price compared to the regular price of the tickets, this may just be the perfect gift for her and for us. All we need now is a good deal on a nice healthy dinner out.
Project Green Prom launched March 1st and will end on March 30. To enter contestants must submit an original creative video of 3 minute (or less) in length explaining their visions of a greener prom. More
I'm signed up for the Mambo Sprouts e-newsletter and today in my inbox I saw a Mambo Sprouts yoga kit giveaway sponsored my Gaiam. I thought I would share my findings and pass a long the link. For the giveaway click here. Good luck!
Recently, I think I've visited doctors more in two months than I have visited family all last year. With kids and the changing seasons and well baby checkups and allergies and..... I've had at least one or two doctors appointments a week for the past two months and I have to say... I am fed up. I am about to yell at the next doctor I see. The time my children and I have wasted sitting in the waiting rooms and in the patience’s room is just ridiculous. It just isn't right. Where do clinics and hospitals and so on get off thinking they have the right to make us wait forever, just so they can see us for 5 minutes? 2 hours for a five-minute check up just doesn't make any sense. If I'm late to a doctors appointment my appointment is canceled or I'm pushed back behind another patient, but if the doctor is late too bad. I have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait.
What I want to know is how does a five-minute check-up turn into two hours of waiting and 5 minutes with the doctor? They don't care how long they make you wait either. They don't care if you have places to be or things to do. Today my kids were starving for dinner by the time we got out of the doctors office. Why? I want to know why? I want a doctor to come on this site and leave me a legitimate reason why we are required to wait so long. My time is just as precious as theirs!
And don’t even get me started on the bedside manner. It is terrible. Well, let me correct that. Of all the doctors my kids and I have been to in the past year and the beginning of this year only one of the Doctor’s has been kind and caring. He is my son’s pediatrician. The rest of the doctors just treat everyone like numbers. Some times I just want to go up to one and say, "If you are so tired of caring for us, why don't you just quit". It isn't just the doctor’s though. The front staff and the nurses are so mean too. Again, not all of them, but most of them are. I’ve been front staff in the past and I was often told thank you for smiling and treating people like people. Sure I had my bad days and I came in tired and sick of going to work and mean bosses, but I didn’t take it out on the patients.
Doesn't the medical industry care at all about customer service. Or are there that many sick people all the time that need attention that the medical industry doesn't feel like they need to care for customer service? After all we need them more than they need us. Who knows?
Upromise has improved over the years. I just logged on after many months. When I first signed up only a few stores and cards could be registered.....
Today I noticed new partners, new programs and a new look. Erewards is my favorite of their partners. I love it when online programs like this link up. They added Sallie Mae too and we need this one. I can now add my kid's school to the allocations. They have also added a community... I could go on. It isn't perfect yet. There are still things I would like to see improved or changed, but it is getting better. I can't wait until they realize how important it is to add eco-friendly retailers and other local grocery stores like HEB. Don't worry I will be emialing them my suggestions.
Green Works has just added a new item to its line of products- Green Works Natural Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes. "The new Wipes are made from 100% cellulose fibers and derived from renewable farm grown trees. Like all Green Works products, they are formulated using biodegradable ingredients, are packaged in recyclable canisters and not tested on animals."
My sample arrived in the mail on the 23 of January. The day they arrived, as I opened up the canister to pull out a wipe and see what it looked and smelled like, my 4 year old threw up on my reupholstered sofa and laminate floor. It turns out my girls had some sort of stomach bug for a whole weekend. I'm told it’s going around.
Fortunately the nice scented wipes came in very handy to wipe away those bacteria. Their nice scent covered up the vomit smell well. I cleaned the mess up with towel first and then used the wipes to disinfect. They are convenient for wiping kitchen and bathroom counters clean too, but it does take a lot of wipes to do the job because they are not as large or as durable as I would like and they don't retain moisture for long.
I don't buy cleaning wipes, I'm use to using old rags and spray to clean around the house, but I have used cleaning wipes in the past and they seemed more durable than these Clorox ones. In fact, I think I've used the regular Clorox wipes before and as I recall they were very durable, unfortunately they were not eco-friendly. So I would love to see Clorox continue to make these eco-friendly wipes, but find a way to improve them by making the wipes bigger, more durable and able to hold moisture longer.
SPECIAL NOTE:
"Through its new "Green Heroes Grant Program," the brand team will award five grants of $10,000 each to eco-friendly community projects across the country.
Between January 15 and February 28, 2009, individuals can nominate eco-friendly community projects for a Green Heroes grant by submitting a photo and short essay about the project for consideration online at www.greenworkscleaners.com/greenhero. Each winner - or "Green Hero" - will receive a $10,000 grant to help their eco-friendly community projects grow and flourish!
Then, beginning on March 16 through April 10, 2009, the public will have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite eco-friendly community project. The final five Green Heroes will be announced on April 22 - just in time for Earth Day.
For more information about the Green Heroes Grant Program, including official contest rules and entry guidelines, log on to www.greenworkscleaners.com/greenhero. "
For more information about Green Works and its new product visit the Green Works website http://www.greenworkscleaners.com. My review is in accordance with Mom Central.
Inauguration day has come and gone and still there is media of it on TV, in the papers and online. The Inauguration ball, the first lady's white gown, Obama's speech are all hot topics. It doesn't surprise me. This inauguration is a historical event, one of the most historical Inaugurations in some time. A man that at another time would have had little to no chance of ever being elected for reasons such as: his "lack of experience", his politics and the color of his skin, won the election. He proved that change is possible.
While many of us watched the Inauguration on TV, thousands of people had the opportunity to witness the inauguration events in person. Of those thousands 24 of them where a group of Chicago inner city fifth and six graders sponsored by the McCormick Foundation.
"The DC 24 are 5th and 6th grade students from Frazier Preparatory Academy in inner-city Chicago who were chosen by a committee of faculty and staff to attend Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration and witness American history as it unfolds. The students were chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity based on a series of criteria, including a written essay, grades, test scores, an oral interview, but most importantly, citizenship. Once selected, the students participated in a weekly civics course where they learned more about the Constitution, our election process and African-American history."
As part of this opportunity they blogged about their experiences and shared it with the world, thoughts, pictures and videos. Read about their experience here and then take a look at the essays they had to write in order to be part of this group. I just love the way fifth and sixth graders write. They are so honest.
If you have an inauguration story and would like to share it with the world too follow this link. Here you will also have the opportunity to read other people's inauguration stories.
I'm not much of a Super Bowl fan. My husband is, so ever-so-often I get curious (with all the hype and all) and I do take a seat next to him to at least watch the commercials. Some of them are pretty funny. Some of them are a waste of money and my time and shouldn't have been aired at all in my opinion and some actually make a positive difference, like the one to air this year from Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
"Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Earn Your Stripes program has initiated a call-to-action for a national field renovation program that kicks off this coming Super Bowl Sunday with a commercial entitled "Plant a Seed." The ad focuses on the role we all play in building stronger communities and making a difference in kids' lives. Because the Earn Your StripesTM program is about inspiring kids to be their very best, "Plant a Seed" shows that before anyone can earn a single stripe, someone has to plant a seed and help give kids places to realize their promise and potential.
The field renovation initiative will make over approximately 50 fields across the United States to help provide better places for families to stay active. Through this program, fields will once again become central and vibrant places of activity and community in cities and towns across the country.
Playing sports can build values like determination, confidence, and friendships in our children and communities. We encourage you to nominate your local field at www.FrostedFlakes.com. We wish you the best of luck, and encourage you to tune-in to watch the "Plant a Seed" commercial as Frosted Flakes launches its national call-to-action to millions this coming Super Bowl Sunday. "
So even though I am not a fan of the Superbowl I am a fan of sports, youth, safe family and friend gatherings and maintaining places for sports to be played if it helps kids stay active, healthy and happy. Hopefully planting a seed also has a double meaning and maybe someone will plant a tree or two on these renovated fields far away enough not to get in the way of the game, but close enough to have a picnic under the shade while watching the game. For more information on "Plant a Seed" follow this link.
Drugs.com MedNotes – Personal Medication Records Tour Review
One of things I don't like about going to the doctor is answering the question, "Are you (your children) taking any medications?” I answer yes and then they ask, "What medications are you (your children) taking?" I'll tell the nurse or doctor what I'm taking the medication for and what they medication looks like, but I can never recall the name of the medication itself. The doc or nurse will call out a list or names and I'll pick the name that sounds familiar to the medication I'm taking, but I'm never positive and the nurse or doctor will look disappointed that I can't remember what I'm putting into my body, or my kids bodies. Then I have to make an excuse for myself, "I'm terrible with names". It's true. I am terrible with names and unless I carry my medications with me everywhere to pull out when a doctor ask me what I'm taking I wont recall what I'm taking.
This isn't safe especially when certain medications shouldn’t be taken together. We don't take a lot of medications at one time, but we are always taking something...ear infections, eye infection, strep, prenatal vitamins...etc. I've made lists before but I'm not very organized and I'll loose the list or the meds change and I don't keep it up to date. There are five of us now. My kids, my husband and I so its hard to keep track of medications, what they are, when to give, what can't be taken with them etc. So when the Drugs.com MedNotes – Personal Medication Records Tour came along I was relieved. Drugs.com the website was already a useful place to find out information about all sorts of medications.
Now that Drugs.com has added MedNotes – Personal Medication Records it's even better. Here I can make a list of medications I take or that my family takes. It’s very convenient. In addition I can sign up for notifications (news and warnings) to be sent to me as they become available. The website also makes taking medication a lot safer. For instance, if certain medications can't be taken together or need to be taken with food or have certain side affects or can't be taken with certain health conditions a warning will pop up next to the medication.
What I like best about it all is that the next time I go to the doctor I can just print out the list of medications and hand it to the doctor. There wont be anymore forgetting medication names or mispronouncing them. I just print the list and hand it to them. If I forget to print it while at home, no worries. I can log on to Drugs.com wherever there is Internet access, click on Mednotes and print the list before I go to the doctor. Worst-case scenario, I leave home and forget to print out my list and can't print it anywhere else, no worries. If the doctor really needs to know what drugs I'm taking I can tell the doctor, "Go to drugs.com and I can print you out a list right now". I love that! The list will have the medications I'm taking, plus the dosage, allergies and any special notes.
"Drugs.com, the largest and most comprehensive online drug information resource, wants to offer Moms an easy place to keep track of all their family's medications in one place. Their recently released, award winning tool, MedNotes, provides a free online personalized medication management program that can be used to track the whole family's medication profiles. On each personal family member profile you create, you can enter the names of all the medications being taken and then register to receive drug safety or interaction alerts to ultimately help reduce dangerous side effects and avoid unwanted drug interactions. In addition, MedNotes will send you new drug and specific condition news released by the FDA or drug makers related to the medications your family members take. "
If I could add anything I would add a reminders option. I need reminders. I wish it had reminders to remind me when to give medicines to the members of my family. The reminder options would allow me to set it up so that I could receive reminders to my landline phone and or my cell phone. This would be so helpful. For more information visit Drugs.com (www.drugs.com) and MedNotes (https://www.drugs.com/mednotes.html)
If you had a chance to read my review on Seatsnug, you may have noticed that I mentioned how steep the Seatsnug price is, "Still, in the few times I've driven since the Seatsnug installation my daughter has mentioned how little her sister's seat moves. The made me happy and at the same time worried about my oldest and her safety. It seems I'll have to get another 2 some time soon, if only the price wasn't as steep." Well the good news is that MomCentral is now offering a coupon for the Seatsnug. Check it out below.
"Just in time for the holidays, Mom Central would like to provide you and your readers with a coupon that saves you a LOT on new SeatSnug products. By using the coupon code MOMCENTRAL at www.SeatSnug.com, you and your readers can save $5.00 on your next purchase (regular price is $34.95; one is now $29.95 and two are just $54.95!). The discount will automatically be received at checkout."
I start this review by stating that I'm not very fond of Barbie and her friends. My daughters on the other hand are. I believe most little girls are at about this age. It must have something to do with Barbie's perfection and flawless beauty. I'm not sure. Still, with that said I would also like to say that if my daughters are going to be fans of a doll I would rather them be fans of Barbie rather than a Bratz.
A few months ago, my oldest daughter had mentioned something about her friend reading a Barbie and Diamond Castle book and how she was interested in it, so when the opportunity to review the DVD came along I was happy to be accepted, because I knew my daughter would be excited. I was right. The day that the DVD arrived she went on and on in excitement and she said she couldn't wait to tell her friend.
We didn't watch the DVD right away. Instead I had something to do around the house and then I had to make dinner. During that time my daughters were playing in the living room. My oldest, who knew better and had been warned, was swinging between the coffee table and the sofa. She slipped, cut her chin and it bled. She was terrified and in pain. I cleaned her up, patched her up, gave her children's tylenol and told her to relax. Still she felt pain.
I decided then to help her get her mind off of her chin we would all watch the DVD while eating dinner in the livingroom. It worked. Just a few minutes into the movie and my daughter forgot all about her chin. In fact I had to remind her to eat. She just absolutely loved the songs and the music. I found her often singing along.
My youngest cheered for the puppies, danced along to the music, smiled at me when something good would happen and got close to me when "scary" stuff would happen.
I'm glad my daughters enjoyed it and that unlike other barbie movies we have seen in the past, this one had some meaning to it- the meaning of friendship. I also thought it was neat that one of the songs was by Katharine McPhee from American Idol.
For more information on this DVD visit here http://barbie.everythinggirl.com/diamond-castle/ also visit the We Believe in Girls website here http://www.webelieveingirls.com/.
Last year, an online friend of mine spent months telling me about the mess she had to go through after having her third baby, major surgeries, self-absorbed doctors, infections, pain etc. I felt so bad for her and at the same time counted my lucky stars I wasn't in her shoes.
"The US News World reported that, out of the one in four women who receive hysterectomies, approximately 85% are still treated with traditional open abdominal surgical methods, despite the perfection of a decades old laparoscopic procedure that leaves the ovaries and cervix in place."
This year I'm a few months away from having my 3rd child and healthy as I am I worry about those invasive, painful depressing surgeries I've heard my friend and so many other women talk about. What if I have to go through the same thing? Is it really all that bad? Is it really all that invasive, painful depressing? It turns out it doesn't have to be. It turns out women have more options these days then ever before. "Less invasive approaches are now available for many gynecologic procedures that once required major surgery", unfortunately many women don't know about these options. I didn't, not until Mom's Central lead me to a website called AAGL.
I now know we do have better options and if the situation ever arises I can let my doctor know that I know about these options and would like to discuss them all before making the right decision. I feel like, this is a very empowering tool especially since some doctors are just so stuck in their ways they'll convince you that their way is the best way. If you're not informed how can you know if he's right or wrong?
These are our bodies. We need to empower ourselves. If he isn't even willing to consider another options, we need to switch to another doctor and get a second opinion. If our health insurance isn't willing to allow a second opinion, then we need to appeal it. After all we are the ones who have to live with the results of surgery. What do you think?
If I could change anything about this website to make it more research friendly for the patient I would add a chart that summarizes the conditions and treatments that are found on the Patient Education Topics page. For example, under Hysterectomy I would have a link for Hysterectomy and then next to it would be a link for possible alternative procedures. This way the invasive and less invasive procedures can be placed side by side and made easier to compare. Each link of course would lead to more detailed information. Widening the width of the text area would be nice too. This way I wouldn't have to keep scrolling down to keep reading.
If you would like to know more about your options check out the AAGL website.
I'm pregnant so receiving chocolate in the mail was like celebrating my birthday early. I was happy and went so far as to sniff the bars. I know this sounds crazy but it is what I did. They smelled so good.
I am ashamed to admit though, that during pregnancy I tend to get greedy with certain foods. As I held the 5 chcolate bars in my hands I debated for a long while how many I should share with my family and which ones. Don't be upset with me or think of me as a bad mother, but I considered not sharing at all. Still, I reluctantly dediced sharing would be the right thing to do. I decided to share at least two with my daughters. I knew it would bring joy to their faces. I picked to share the milk chcolcate with them, but when I tried to open the milk chocolate one I discovered it was melted. So I tried another bar and another. They were all melted and a few of them broken. Ripping off the pretty gold foil would have only made a mess so I stuck the bars in my fridge and told my girls we could try some tomorrow. They were very disappointed, but understood. I gave them another snack instead to make up for it. I have to say the shipping method of this product was not the smartest. Chocolate melts.
Sticking them in the fridge was the key though. The next day I gave my kids a third of the milk bar. They ate it up and enjoyed it, my oldest did say it was good, but not her favorite. I have to agree. We are very picky about our chocolate. My youngest wanted more. I gave her more.
The packaging is beautiful ( I love the gold wrapper) and the description of these bars " made with rich and creamy milk chocolate and all-natural ingredients" leads a person to believe that the chocolate is mouth watering. I have to ask though what exactly does Ghirardelli mean by all-natural means. This term is often misused and can be misleading. Most ingredients are natural.
Since the milk chocolate bar, I have tried the hazelnut and the crisp bars. These were also good. I have two bars left. The almond one will be for me and the duet for my girls. Well to be honest I started the Almond bar while writing this review. I'm pregnant I can't help it and like I said they are good.
Of the 3 I tried I think the crisp is my favorite. No it's the Almond one. No....I can't decide. I like both of these the best. I'll let you know about the last one later.
If you would like to try Ghirardelli you can find it at local Wal-Marts, Walgreens, Borders, and Linens N Things and it will soon be in Target, Blockbuster, and Cost Plus stores
Did you know Green Works has a website you can visit for green tips and stories?
The video diaries are interesting. Pam is my favorite. Though Mary seems to have the most videos available right now. The videos diaries are about 3 moms and their green lives (at least for 30 days) with Green Works. To be honest I was a bit jealous of all the stuff these moms received to do the video diaries. Then again they do have to show their homes and how clean or not clean their homes are. That takes guts. I hate to clean and my house is nowhere near clean as their homes, which makes me wonder how clean Green Works could get a dirty house.
The daily green tips are the best. The tips are short and simple just the way I like them. For example, this was the second tip I received "Freshen up your air freshener. Create your own natural air-freshening mist with water and lavender or lemon". I have water and lemon in my home. I can do this. I don't have to go buy stuff to do it.
There is also information on Green Works, how it came about and why it came about . Other benefits include joining the Facebook Green Works fan club, if you wish. Which I did :)
What I don't like about the site is the back ground noise. It was nice at first. but then after a while it just got on my nerves. Is there a way to turn it off? The volume button on the site doesn't seem to work. I also don't like that the videos freeze up when I try to go from one to the next. I have to log out of the site and then back in. Hopefully this will be taken care of soon.
If you would like to take a look at the site or for more information go to www.30daystonatural.com
It feels good when as a mother I can anticipate what my daughters will say, do or even ask, but as much as I anticipated that it would come soon I was caught off guard how it came about. Let me explain what I mean. Several months ago when I became aware that I was pregnant I also knew my curious six year old would begin asking questions. So when the opportunity came a long to review the DVDs, The Birds, The Bees and Me for girls, I took it. I wanted to be prepared for the day that she wanted to know about sex. This past Friday was that day. It turns out that my daughter and a few of her friends talked about what they thought they knew about sex at recess time.
My daughter then came home and began to say the word sex, which I had never heard come out her mouth before. So I encouraged her to tell me what it is she knew about sex and how she found out. It was so cute watching her wiggle and twiddles her fingers as she told me and yet at the same time I could not wipe off the nervous smile off my face. I continued to tell her that she was partly right and decided in my head right there and then that it was better that she learned what sex really is from me than from someone else. I then told her, since it was close to her bedtime, that I had a special video I wanted her to watch the next day. She was so excited, buts afraid I would forget (I can be forgetful when I'm pregnant) that she grabbed a sheet of paper and a marker from my desk and wrote in big letters "Can You Sho Me A Video of Sex" and then signed her name and placed the note on my desk.
The next day, like I promised, I sat down next to her, but before I showed her the video, which I realized from watching a few weeks earlier was still about a year or two too mature for her, and I explained in my own simple words what sex was. She took it all pretty well. The menstrual cycle, the body growing, and so on. The big shocker came at the end and the face she made will stay with me forever. It made wonder if I explained too much to such a young mind. I then proceeded with the video, which she watched and understood until it began to explain about the sperm and the egg. She teared up a bit and from what I could tell was a bit overwhelmed with information despite the simplicity of the video. Still it was the only visual aid I had to show her what I had earlier explained to her.
I then continued on to tell her that it was okay if she didn't understand everything all at once. The older she became the more she would understand and if she had any question all she had to do was ask me. She shook her head okay, smiled and seemed relieved. Her questions have made me laugh and twiddle my fingers. For example she has asked me if I had sex with her father. I answered her honestly, but then wondered in the back of my mind if she would figure out that the tickle fight my husband and I told her we were having those few time she walked in on us, were not tickle wars at all. When shopping for a wedding dress for my little sister she asked her if she had sex with her fiancé. I overheard, my sister turned to me with a look and then we both kindly told her that that was something private between two people. Today she asked me a few times how I know when it is time to have sex and of course I answered "not until you are much much older!" The experiences has been eye opening, funny, in a way sad at the loss of her innocence and a bunch of other mixed feelings.
As for the video it was a great visual aid (a little old fashioned) but as I mentioned before two years too mature for my daughter. An 8 year old and older would benefit from it I believe. And it isn't long and boring, but long enough for a kid to build up a list of questions and then ask mom and dad later. I kind of wish there was a video that would give parents answers to questions kids have about sex.
I still wonder if I told my daughter too much too soon, but I would still rather her find out from me what sex really is than from one of her friends or some stranger or who knows. When my best friend was a little girl it was her perverted uncle that taught her about sex. The way I see it, the more my daughter knows the safer she will be.
"The giveaway
Alessandra of Ambajam was very generous in offering a $50 Ambajam gift certificate to the winner of this giveaway. The winner of this giveaway is going to have the best time shopping, and I know you’ll love whatever you pick out."
First of all I would like to say I am a fan of those TV commercials about people doing nice things for strangers. These are the kinds of commercials we should be exposed to more, instead of the more violent and sexual ones we often see. Thanks Liberty for doing this and thank you even more for expanding your idea with this website.
About the Website
I've been trying to teach my six year old responsibility for some time now. When she does something wrong or feels a certain way she tends to blame others for her actions and her feelings. I keep telling her she "needs to take responsibility". She then asks me "What's responsibility?" I struggle to come up with the perfect answer. There is no kid friendly definition to answer her with, at least not one that I can think of, so I give her examples and show her what I can, still I struggle to communicate it well.
I was hoping this website from the Liberty Mutual Responsibility Project would help me explain it a little better. As much as I like this project and the idea of it it wasn't as kid friendly as I had hoped- not for the age level of my kids any way. I see this more of a good website for teenagers, parents and everyone else. I'm not complaining about the website, I'm just wondering if there is any way a section for younger children can be introduced. For example, more cartoons like Hot Seat, maybe some printable worksheets or question and answers page specific to young kids.
What was kid friendly options there were available on this site I showed to my kids. They really liked Hot Seat. I asked my six year old what she learned from it and she said "Lieing is not okay" and she went of saying somethings about not giving people a bad chair. I was happy she picked up on it.
I found the site interesting. "What Is Your Policy?" is my favorite section. I get the chance to voice my ideas of responsibility (which I did) and I also have the opportunity to read what other's think of responsibility. The Resources and Blog are interesting as well and the video New Boy was just so sweet and wonderful. Check it out. For more information on the project visit The Responsibility Project and Mom Central.
P.S. I entered my idea under PERSON “When you make a mistake admit it, apologize and then fix it. Don't put the blame on someone else or something else.”
I've had a few days to sample Clorox’s GreenWorks Natural Dishwashing Liquid and I have to say I'm not disappointed. I was skeptical at first that Clorox a non eco-friendly company could actually provide an eco-friendly product, but it turns out they have a whole line of earth-friendly products, from green toilet cleaners to green dishwashing liquids.
Are they really eco-friendly? According to the back of the label of the Clorox’s GreenWorks Natural Dishwashing Liquid, the dishwashing liquid is at least.I haven't tried their other products yet. Here are a few of the things my dishwashing sample contains: No bleach, no phosphorus, coconut-based cleaning agents, biodegradable preservatives, has not been tested on animals, and comes in recycled packaging.
How does it clean? It takes the grease of my dishes well. How does it smell? It isn't camouflaged with exotic scents. It just smells clean and natural. How does it rinse off my hands? Many dishwashing soaps take quite a bit of rinsing to rinse of my hands, this soap just rinses off.
I'm glad to know that Clorox has a green line of products. I grew up with Clorox, but when I began learning about the health risks and the environmental dangerous household cleaning products could cause I began to switch to greener companies with green products. Maybe now I can switch back to Clorox. What do you think?
"Green Works has joined with the Sierra Club in support of their efforts to conserve clean air, water, and wildlife, and all of their products carry the Sierra Club logo. Additionally, the EPA has recognized the dish soap for using environmentally preferred chemistry, with their logo also proudly displayed on the bottle. As it arrives nationwide this August, Green Works Dishwashing Liquid comes in five scents: Original, Water Lily, Tangerine, Free & Clear, and Simply Lemon."
In short: my kids love this game. The hands on pieces made them so excited to play each time we played.
My youngest a 3 year old, two months away from 4 years old, mastered the water log game after only a few times. I didn't think she could maintain that control but she did. My oldest daughter, who understands why I have the game "to review”, made sure to tell me to write in the review that she loves the game. She actually said "I love the game" and "This is a really cool game". In fact at the end of our very first game, with a big smile she says, "That was fun!"
At the doctors office a few weeks ago she sat beside me as I waited for my OBGYN doctor and she looked through a baby magazine to see pictures of babies. In the magazine she noticed an ad for Noodleboro. She was so excited to see a game we had at home was in the ad, but then she quickly noticed that we didn't have the other available games from Noodleboro and she began to tell me, "We don't have the pizza one. Can we get the pizza one?" I said I would have to think about it. She told me to ask one to be sent to me for review. I chuckled and told her "It doesn't work that way". "Can we buy it?" she asked. I told her I'd think about it.
She then continued on by moving away from me and showing her little sister what she found and the one she was interested in. Kids are never satisfied, but they sure are smart. Maybe I'll buy the Pizza one as a Holiday present.
As a mom the game features I like are: the color spin wheel, the storybook (though not so much the story itself) and the several hands on pieces. Most games have one or two hands on pieces. This game has several: tent show, ferris wheel, log flume, roller coaster, colorful die, storybook, music cd, etc. It is a all very clear and separated into pieces, unlike Shuttes and Ladders and other games like that where everything is on one board and cluttered together. I liked that this game could be spread out and played.
The only things I did not like about the game: it was not made of recycled plastic and I still don't understand the purpose of the Moontracker. Why is it there and what happens when you reach the top? Do you go back to the first moon and start over. This was not very clear.
Contest entry page.
Mom Central is raffling 200 Noodleboro games off to Moms who sign up through this link. So sign-up and enter to win.
My relationship with my mother-in-law (MIL) has gone up and down a roller coaster throughout the years. In the beginning I never stood up for myself. I would let her make racist remarks about me, give me her opinions whether I wanted to here them or not, let her walk in the door when she'd pop over and surprisingly visit even if the timing was bad or inappropriate. Then something she did- disrespecting my home- made me realize I needed to stand up for myself.
I began to stand up for myself and she just couldn't handle it. It angered her and we bickered for over a year, but then eventually, I'm not sure when we found a little bit of common ground. We still often butt heads on many things and she still at times is very pushy and unaware of how selfish she can be, but I've learned along the way that for the most part, deep down inside she means well and though it doesn't come across that way to often I try not to let it bother me so much anymore.
Still I've been hoping for something to come along to help my MIL and I have a closer relationship, more of a mom daughter relationship, instead of just a common courtesy one. So when the opportunity to review The Daughter-In-Law Rules: 101 Surefire Ways to Manage (and Make Friends with) Your Mother-In-Law by Sally Shields came along I was excited. The book was a quick and simple read. I was able to read it in less than a week. I'm sure if I would have set my mind to it I could have read it in even less time.
My thoughts on the book?
I have mixed feelings about the book. Though I found many of the rules helpful I also felt that many of the rules required a sense of self-degradation or at other times fakeness in order to get a long with my MIL. I have a problem with that, because this is what I was trying to get away from. It is sad for me to think that the only way to get along with my MIL is to pretend to be someone I'm not by pretending to agree with everything she says just to make her happy (be fake) or by degrading myself (putting myself down to make her feel better about herself).
Of course, like many women, I have no desire of continuing to butt heads with MIL. Still I was hoping to do it by having an open and honest relationship with her. In doing so, I would accept her for who she is and she would accept me for who I am. Perhaps I am a dreamer to think this is ever possible, but this is my ultimate goal.
Fortunately this book did have some rules that I could work with and that would help me find common ground with my MIL. Examples of these good rules are: rules 2-7 and 35-38. There are others as well. I agree woman should not speak ill of their husbands to their MIL. Your MIL did give birth to your husband and if it weren’t for her he wouldn't be around. I agree that I should do my part calling her more often, making sure she receives a gift on special occasions, etc. I also agree that when spending the night at my MIL or anyone else's house, making your bed and wrapping your "dirty napkins" is extremely important and a sign of respect for others as well as yourself. You are a grown woman you should clean up after yourself.
Rule number 47 is just absolutely funny. Though I’ve never flatulated in front of my mother (that she is aware of at least) I do have a very funny story of her flatulating while giving me an angry "welcome to the family" hug. My brother-in-laws who were behind her tried so hard not to laugh, but as she kept loudly and quickly tooting one-right after the other like a machine gun they just couldn't hold the laughter back. She kept calm and cool and just acted as if nothing happened. I had to admire her for that.
I tried rule 11 once and it completely backfired on me. I don't think I will ever try it again. I completely disagree with rule number 32. To allow yourself harm because you are afraid of being honest with your MIL is ridiculous. There are nice ways to ask your MIL not to wear the perfume around you because it harms you. The same thing goes with rule number 69. Your baby and your baby’s health come first. Let her know smoking is NOT allowed in your home and especially not near the baby. There are no "ands, ifs or buts" about it. Your baby's health is more important than her feelings. If she is willing to chew some nicorette gum to deal with this, great but if not and she thinks your a fool and refuses to listen to you you need to stand up for you and your baby.
To improve the book I would like to see more rules on bigger issues. Many times it isn't the little issues but the big issues (ex: bigotry) that keep DILs and MILs from ever getting along. I don't think it’s a good idea to just nod your head and smile when racist remarks are made. Walk away or let it be known that racist remarks are not okay. You don't need to argue, but you don't have to stay and listen to them either. She needs to know those kind of remarks are not welcome around you or your family. Remember things she says can influence your children.
I would like to continue by stating that one of the reasons I could not agree with many of the rules in this book is because I cannot relate to it as well as I would have liked. The MIL character in this book just sounds absolutely terrible and disrespectful to her DIL. I mean she is out right mean. She puts her DIL down, curses at her and around her, makes hateful remarks, etc. On top of all that she is the type of woman that will invade your fridge with her dishes and throw yours out. I would never stand for that. Call me prideful, but I call it verbal abuse. I have my limits. When you disrespect me, my family or my home - you're out of there. My MIL can have her rude moments, worst in the past, but if she was ever like this character in this book I would not take it.
I am grateful that my MIL isn't like the one in the book.
For other points of view take a look at this video http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1732351772
it was an expensive job, but I love the sofa. I am trying to find a before picture, but have been unable to in my huge set of pictures. I will keep looking. Here the after picture of my sofa in Avacado green.
Don't mind the floor. I will soon have floors put in. I know this should have been done first but stuff happened and the floors still need to be done. I have a picture of the loveseat recliner sofa too but I wasn't as impressed with it. They didn't do the bottom of the sofa (the recliner part) as well as the should have in my opinion but it does look better than it previously did. Its also a different color than the sofa but I knew that in advance. They only had enough Avacado green to do the sofa. I will use the color difference to my advantage.
I've recently seen and on tv about a website https://www.freetriplescore.com that provides free credit scores form all 3 bureaus so I thought I'd check it out since most place charge to view your credit score. I check it out and not surprisingly its what I consider to be a scam. It really isn't free. Its a 7 day trial which requires your to use a credit card to sign up. You are charged a $1 and then refunded it if you cancel within the 7 days, but if you don't your credit card is charged nearly $30 every month. How is this free? Free is free not sort of free or pay it first and we'll refund you if you cancel within a very short time free.
The Flip and Tumble is a nice sized bag. According to the website, the exact measurement of each bag is 12"x14"x5" with a 26" strap. The strap of the bag has a nice shape and length that makes it easy to fit around the shoulder. The strap is also thinly padded for extra comfort.
Its compact ability is a great feature. When compacted it is rolled up into a little soft ball. How? The bag easily stuffs back into itself by being stuffed into the attached pocket. Because it stuffs easily and softly into itself it takes up less space than other compact reusable bags such as the zippered ones. The size that that the Flip and Tumble compacts into makes it small enough to fit in a purse, in a vehicle cup holder or even in pant pockets. The size and ease of use and storage no longer provides the famous excuse "I forgot to bring my reusable bag" to be used again.
The bag, with its simple solid color, is indeed stylish enough to carry around everywhere: restaurant, gym, grocery store, farmer's market, visiting friends and family, etc. The bags material (lightweight ripstop nylon) is stretchy and allows for a good amount of items to fit inside. I can fit my gym items (water bottle, CD, wallet, etc.) inside with no trouble. In fact now I can also stuff a towel in the bag if I need.
The bag has the capacity to hold 25 lb. To prove this I tested it out and placed 25 lbs of free weights inside the bag. It held well, though the strap pad did little to pad my shoulder. The padding did not make my load feel any lighter. Then again I don't see myself carrying around 25lbs of solid weight. Do I? How much does two gallons of milk way?
My favorite aspect of the bag is that once it's worn and overused it can be sent back to the Flip and Tumble Company to be recycled. In other words nothing goes to waste and thousands of plastic bags stay out of the landfill thanks to the reusable bag.
The only thing I don't like about the bag is that if I toss it in my car and its filled to the top with items it topples over and the items spill out. I'd love it if there were a few snap buttons across the top of the bag, or some Duffy Velcro making it easier to keep the stuff in the bag inside the bag.
The $12 bag comes in the following colors: lime, evergreen, pink, blue and black. Though, a bit pricy for just one bag (as compared to the dull dollar grocery store bags with the store name on it I've bought) I will say that the Flip and Tumble is a lot cheaper than most reusable "stylish" bags available.
My sister and I were discussing customer service the other day, discussing the good and the bad. We agreed that it’s the good customer service that keeps us going back. We may not spread the word as much as we probably should about it but we keep going back. When we receive poor customer service we not only stop going to the place that made us feel like scum we also tell everyone we know about it. Then we began to wonder why business with poor customer service don't even care they're providing bad customer service. Don't they know the damage they're creating for themselves, don't they care or are they so self-absorbed that they think there will be no consequences to their bad service. What do you think? Share your good and bad customer service below.
I've heard a lot of complaints from people living in small spaces (dorms, apartments, condos, etc) about their inability to garden due to lack of space. I promised some of you I would keep a look out for innovative ways you can garden even with your limited space. Thanks to The Gin Lady, I have come across a possible solution for some of you. It's called the Foldable Greenhouse. More
"Preserve Toothbrush was designed by dentists and engineers to be an innovation in both oral care and eco-friendliness." How well do they brush? To find out I took the opportunity from MomCentral to test and review these Preserve toothbrushes.
How is the toothbrush made? The toothbrush handle has a dentist-recommended 45° curved handle and soft bristles. The handle is made from recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups. Are the bristles really soft? Yes! Comfortably soft.
What I like best about this line of toothbrushes is that the toothbrushes aren't just made of recycled material but they are recycled once again when they've worn. Dentists recommend that they be replaced every 3 months. To have these toothbrushes recycled once they've worn, print a mailing label from the Recycline website and mail the toothbrush and its case back (for free!) to Recycline to be recycled into plastic decking, picnic tables and boardwalks!
Please conserve by mailing as many as you can in one package, though due to post office restrictions, Recycline can only accept packages under 13 ounces.
As a consumer I'm completely satisfied with this product... well as always I have a suggestions. If I could change anything about the Preserve toothbrushes it would be the mail back system. Instead of mailing the toothbrushes back why not have drop off sites at certain locations (maybe Target) so that a bulk amount of toothbrushes can be mailed back at once, cutting down on packaging and emission cost. Wouldn't this be more eco-friendly?
Recycline also has a whole line of other recycled and recyclable products such as: Preserve juniors for children 2-8. These toothbrushes are made just as eco-friendly but with and easier handle grip for children. In addition, there are Preserve tongue cleaners, toothpicks, triple razors, cutting boards, picnic ware, and more. Check them out at the Recycline Website.
Preserve toothbrushes are available at Target stores nationwide for only $2.04. For Recycline Preserve coupons visit the Recycline website.
It turns out I didn't know as much about lice as I thought I did and that though getting rid of the bugs may help it's important to get rid of the eggs as well. This is not an easy task, I found out through some research. The lice secrete this glue that hardens with the eggs they lay. This is what makes the eggs stick so well to the hair strands. So even if eggs die they stay on these strands of hair until they are peeled off one at a time or cut off. If any of these eggs are left alive they can hatch and create the lice problem all over again. Since the eggs take several days to hatch it is difficult to tell where a child may have picked up the lice. This is the problem I had with my girls. I'm not sure if LiceMd didn't kill off all the eggs on their hair or if my daughters picked up the lice again from the same place they did last time, where ever that is. This is what is so difficult about lice. Needless to say about two weeks after LiceMd saved the day I had to clean all the bug off my girls and I again. And yes, this time I had them as well. Unfortunately when I went to the store to buy some more LiceMD there wasn't any available so I had to go with another brand that appeared to be non-toxic. This also killed the bugs, but it didn't get rid of the eggs either. That's when I began my lice research. I found out that stuff like olive oil or mayo when rubbed through the hair, let to sit for sometime, then combed out with a nit comb and finally washed out with shampoo help suffocate the eggs but also helps remove the eggs. Did this work? I tried it and it helped but we still have some eggs in our hair. Are they alive or dead? I'm not sure, but I'm paranoid, checking my girls everyday. My oldest checks my head. So far we've been clean for two weeks (for the exception of the eggs) and just to be on the safe side I've continued to reapply mayo to our heads every other day. I HATE lice!
The Pregnancy Journal by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D., has been a pleasure to read and review. The best feature of the book to me is it’s spiral bound format which makes it easier for me to read and write in when I’m exhausted and too tired to use two hands to hold a book open while trying to read and relax. The spiral bound also gives the pregnancy journal a journaling feel and look.
Other great features make this book journal a pleasure to have. For example, the day-to-day fetal development information is great to read. Because of it I get an idea of what's going on day to day with my baby and with me rather than those monthly or per trimester reports most popular books provide. So far I have used this feature to explain to my kids how the baby is growing, how mommy is feeling and should be doing and eating.
Another great feature is the due date count back. Yes it is confusing and yes it can be off a few days, but pregnancy is never exact. This serves as a guide and is not written in stone. In fact, I’ve written my dates down in pencil just in case.
Charting your weight and size is a good idea too, though I admit I’m too shy/embarrassed to measure mine so often. I need to though because I’m the type of person that likes to look back at details like these and see how big or small I was at a certain date.
The Did You Know segments are my favorite of the segments. I love fun facts like these. The childbirth and child rearing in different cultures segments is a keeper too. Learning how other women give birth around the world is eye opening, but I must say I had some trouble understanding the way it was written at first.
In addition I enjoyed the quotes at the bottom of each page and other good segments like: For Your Health and Parenting Tips, etc.
The book setup allows me to personalize my pregnancy with the dates and the notes. I don’t see this books as a detailed medical pregnancy reference book but more as a quick guide I can use to jot down notes, emotions etc. Doing this reminds me of a scrapbooking. In fact to me The Pregnancy Journal is a little bit journal and a little bit scrapbook combined. Maybe it should be called Pregnancy ScrapJournal.
If I could personalize this Pregnancy Journal to my Exact liking I would: add places to add pictures (like ultrasound pictures), add just a little bit more space for notes but not much. After all if I want a blank journal to jot down all my thoughts I can go get one. I would also add some pockets at the beginning and end of week so I can keep pregnancy memorabilia inside it. Yes this would convert it into a scrapbook pregnancy journaling book but I did say it was personalized for my liking and I think it would make for a special keepsake after baby is born.
Now as a journal I feel there isn’t much room for notes so I have to write small. Like I mentioned before, just a little more space for this would make a difference. I would also have liked to have had more on pictures of a growing baby, more detail on emotional changes, skin changes, sleeping challenges, aches and pains and if possible a section of good pregnancy exercise tips to help our aching pregnant bodies.
All in all I think this is a good and entertaining pregnancy journal to keep right along side a pregnancy books that provides detailed information.
If you would like to leave a comment I apologize, but I had to disable it for this entry. Some spammers overloaded it and now I am unable to delete them. My only choice was to disable. Please feel free to leave comments on my other post though.
How well do you care for your mouth and teeth? Me? Not as well as I should. It helps though, to be a part of tours like LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE Blog Tour. 
I've heard a lot of complaints from people living in small spaces (dorms, apartments, condos, etc) about their inability to garden due to lack of space. I promised some of you I would keep a look out for innovative ways you can garden even with your limited space. Thanks to The Gin Lady, I have come across a possible solution for some of you. It's called the Foldable Greenhouse. 
