Possibilites

I love this opportunity with Twittermom and Oprah!
Oprah wants to know what "your aspirations and plans for new possibilities in your life is". The Oprah Winfrey show is starting a new series called OWN. Oprah Winfrey Network is going to include specials on informing and inspiring people to live their best life they can. Its kind of like making a New Year's Resolution and doing it!
This is such good timing!
My aspirations and plans for new possibilities for the next year is going to be exciting! I am going to finally get brave enough to get serious with my photography business! I have been doing it on the side for two years now and never had the courage to branch out to do it full time. I love being an artist but never had the confidence to depend on my artistic ability to make a living. I hate what I do right now and have been depressed for some time, though my main business (daycare) has brought joy in the first coup[le of years of business. I had wanted to stay at home to be with my children, butI didn’t have the courage to take a chance doing something in the art field-my true desire. When I decided to do photography, I did it as a side business. That way, if I failed, I wouldn’t disappoint anyone (but myself) I had my ah ha moment and really just told myself that I'm going to do it. You only live once, after all!
I think this OWN will be such an inspiration for me and the fact it is starting the same time that I am is so cool. I feel the Oprah Winfrey Network will be holding my hand along the way. NOT to sound too dorky. Lol.
What would you do to change your life? Are you thinking about starting a new business? Getting married? Moving to your dream city? Let's all decide to take that scary but exciting step to change our lives for the best. Don't be afraid or negative anymore. I'm not and I'm very excited about it and by this time next year, I plan on having that successful photography business and all the perks that goes along with it, like being able to take time off to go to my kids schools for activities. I’m glad that I was able to write this post because I’ve been thinking about writing something about my plans for sometime now and this was the other little push to do it.Oprah Winfrey Network








The New Oprah Winfrey NetworkI wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Hersheys is at it again!

Hershey wants to know about who I would give a gift boxed chocolates to and why!

I would send a gift boxed chocolate to my daughters teacher, because she has been the kindest teacher that any of my kids have had. It's my daughter's first year at school and she was very nervous. Her teacher helped her adjust and now she is fine!

Who would you give one to?

A. Family

B. Friends/Co-Workers

C. Host/Hostess

D. Teachers

E. Service Providers (i.e. mailman, hairstylist)

F. Other – who did we miss?

Visit Celebrate with Hersheys today!

I am entering a contest for a Hershey’s Pot of Gold prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

A good cause-The Heart of Haiti

Heart of Haiti is helping to rebuild Haiti through "Trade, Not Aid." This means that the Heart of Haiti is using commerce and culture to create social change. This won't just help one-time, it is creating opportunities for Haitian artisans to earn income by creating jobs and income for the people of Haiti.

Through the sale of Heart of Haiti products, artisans are able to be proud by earing income for themselves, their families, and their communities. The Heart of Haiti collection is an array of handmade products for the home -- quilts, metalwork, ceramics, and paintings -- created by Haitian artisans. Each item is designed by a Haitian master artisan and produced by hand in Haiti from recycled materials.

The Heart of Haiti collection has already led to employment of 350 artists in Haiti and has provided some financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the country.

What's great is, most items fall in the $25-$60 range-you can find them here at Heart of Haiti collection on Macys.com.

Please help spread the word about this amazing opportunity for Haitians!

I am writing this post to spread the word about Heart of Haiti through a Mom Bloggers Club member program and that you will receive a Heart of Haiti pendant as a thank you.

10 tips for smart holiday shopping

Make your own gift paper.
There are so many cute craft papers out there these days. Save money on wrapping paper and make it more personable.

Draw names.
Christmas can be expensive if you have a large family. Suggest everyone put their names in a hat and draw names to pick for presents this year.

Take a break.
My favorite part of shopping is enjoying a treat for myself! Give yourself a well deserved spa treatment or pedicure. Buy yourself a new coat to wear while you shop for others. You'll feel less stress when you look your best!

Shop with a buddy.
Having someone with you can help you if you are in a jam for ideas. Two heads are better then one, especially if you need someone of the opposite sex to help find a present for husband, father, etc. Enjoy a nice cup of coffee at a local coffee shop while you are out.

Christmas doesnt have to be stressful.
Invite family members over and make hot cocoa and cookies. Have everyone bring a dish of some sort so you aren't doing all the cooking. This could be a good time to draw names for presents instead of having to buy for everyone.

Reuse gift bags.
I ALWAYS keep all the gift bags I get. Some are so pretty that I hate to reuse them! Pack any christmas bags you get this year with your ornaments and next year, you'll be so thankful that you saved money by not having to get new bags!

Vaseline is not just for babies butts

Twittermom is at it again! They've teamed up with Vaseline to ask everyone what they use Vaseline for. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is celebrating its 140th Anniversary and they would like to celebrate with their users. tweets and tips will be collected and featured on http://vaseline140.twittermoms.com/, and distributed across the web for all to see.

I personally use Vaseline every day to remove makeup and soften my lips, but there are so many more uses for it!

Here are my 10 tips for different uses for Vaseline:

1. Lip balm of course. It moisturizes and soothes chapped lips and makes them shiny.
2. Moisturizes dry skin- If your elbows are dry, you just need a dap of it.
3. Hand and feet moisturizer-it hydrates and smooths chapped hands and feet. Apply some petrolatum jelly to your hands and feet and then put on mittens and socks. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the vaseline to soak into the skin.
4. Put under eyes before applying cover stick. It will make makeup go smoother.
5. Eye makeup remover- removes stubborn mascara without irritating the eye area.
6. face scrub- mix petrolatum jelly with coffee grounds to make your own scrub.
7. Cream for night time. Warm up jelly a bit and apply to face.
8. Put some vaseline on the base of your nails will stop the color from running.
9. Use for shaving. Use a thin layer over legs before shaving for a smooth shave. Don't use water! 10. Use under blush for soft look. Apply lightly under jaw line.


Now, you need to let everyone know what YOU use Vaseline for. Get on board and blog 10 tips for what you use Vaseline for-it's great fun!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Vaseline blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Have you thought about changing your health benefits?

My husband's insurance used to be awesome. We had great dental, which was very helpful since my youngest went through some expensive dental work. Then, when the recession hit, his company went cheap and which insurance companies. We had to make a lot of decisions and we were lost. It was scary and we didn't know what we should do. I hate the insurance we have now and if given a choice, I would love to change some things on our policy, starting with the premium we pay.

Have you ever thought about how your physical health relates to your financial health? Did you also know that you can give yourself a personal health care makeover in under sixty minutes? I never realized that just little changes to your health care plan could have a big impact on how your finances work. What's more important to you? What you pay for co payment? Or, going to a doctor without a referral?


Making health care changes is doesn't have to be hard. You just have to know what's right for your family. I got the chance to find out about how to get the most out of your health care here.
Somethings that I never thought about when deciding on how to put your health care package together.

Here are 5 tips for getting your health care plan in order.

1. Compare different plans and make sure you can afford the premiums that you have to pay in case of a health problem. You never know when the difference between a cheaper premium can be the difference between affording groceries or not.
2. Always ask for generic version of the prescription. Pharmacists don't automatically give generic drugs which can be very inexpensive.
3. Ask it your plan has preventive care that is included in your coverage. Health care plans that include free preventive care save more money in the long run for both patient and insurance provider.
4. Some offer prescriptions drastically cheaper if mailed to you. My mom gets some medicine for only $5.
5. The most important tip is to keep yourself healthy. Take care of your body and eat right will keep the doctor appointments at bay!

Take time to do a 60 minute health care plan makeover to help your finances get in check. Your family will thank you for it!

I would love to hear your ideas on a health care makeover that you could do for your family's finances. Leave a comment and let me know!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Trick or treating with Hersheys this year

Hersheys and MomBlogger's Club want to know how I will be celebrating my Halloween this year. I LOVE Halloween, so this is easy!

We love to take one of the trick or treat nights to handout treats to the cute little trick or treaters. I lvoe chocolate, so we like to include Kit Kats in our bowl.

We always go to the pumpkin patch and pick out the best pumpkins to decorate. After we carve tm, we bake the seeds and eat them-yum!

I run a daycare, so we make up crafts and put them in bags with some sweet treats for the neighbors as well.

We also get lots of Hershey's candies and popcorn and watch scary movies all weekend long!

You can plan a great Halloween weekend as well! Visit :http://www.hersheys.com/celebrate/Halloween/ and check out their yummy recipes and ideas for some scary treats the family will love.

"I am entering a contest for a Hershey’s Halloween prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club."

Looking for a baby photographer?

This is ironic to have this come along when I am turning to specializing in baby photography. If you have a little one and looking for a photographer who specializes in taking baby photos. BABYPHOTOGRAPHERS.COM is just the place to help you capture your baby’s best moments!

I surfed through this site and found lots of great photographers out there. Babyphotographers.com is a great resource for parents seeking information about baby photography. They have great articles on baby photography, featured baby photographers and they are even running a contest now that you could win $2,000 worth of baby photography!

The best part is I'm listed there as well!!

Check out this site and find the perfect photographer for your baby. :)

The Shox Scooter

We finally received our Shox Scooter for Emily to try. It is made by Shred Sled- a company that specializes in extreme sport products for kids. We have been excited to get this toy to ride since she's been wanting one like her big brother's scooter.

This scooter is the first ever active sock absorber scooter-this means that kids are able to perform higher and faster tricks. NOT, that my Emily will be performing tricks any time soon.

This scooter is great for beginners and advance riders. We geared her up and let her try it out back at first. (sorry, I didn't get a a picture of her!) She got the hang of it quickly and the lightweight alulimum makes it easy for her to handle the turns.

I liked the foot surface and felt that it makes it easy for their feet to get a grip on it. Emily played on it to entire afternoon until I finally had to tell her it was time to go in.

If you are wanting to find the perfect scooter for your child, Irecommend the Shox Scooter.

Flavorful Low-Sodium Family Meals

I'm sure that everyone has a bottle of Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Original Seasoning Blend. We use this with everything. Back when I was little, my mom would use the orginal blend. Now, you can find many blends, like Fiesta Lime, Garlic & Herb just to name a few. You can find many more here.

Creating "Flavorful Low-Sodium Family Meals" for my family is basically a daily happening. Using Mrs. Dash in in an assortment of recipes. I just can't see myself not using it. Three of my favorite recipes that includes Mrs. Dash's spices are meatloaf, scrambled egg burittos, and lemon pork chops.

Meatloaf:

2 lb ground beef
2 eggs
cup of bread crumbs
cup of Shredded cheese
1 chopped onion
Mrs. Dash Original Blend

Mix beef, eggs, onions together. sprinkle Mrs. Dash in mixture and place in cooking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 mins and add cheese and stick back in oven for another 5 mins.

Egg Buritos

5 eggs
cut up bacon (7 strips)
Diced tomatoes
Diced onoins
10 Burrito shells
Bagof shredded cheese
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime

Lemon Pork Chops

4 Pork chops
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 stick of butter
Mrs. Dash Garlic blend


Check out the assortment of Recipes Mrs. Dash offers with the use of their products. There are over 429, though I am sure there may be some more out there that people haven't posted yet.
There are endless varieties of using Mrs. Dash seasoning blends to spice up any food. The reason I love Mrs. Dash seasonings is that they are salt-free. There is no medical reason why I don't use salt, I just choose not to. Mrs. Dash seasonings are all natural too. You have to love that.
Disclosure: I wrote this blogpost while participating in the Mrs. Dash and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

five simple things you can do for your child to help keep their smiles healthy and bright

With school back in session, my thoughts were on keeping my kids teeth healthy. Twittermoms and Trident Sugar Free Gum are concerned about kid's teeth too! They are wanting to know what moms do to keep their kid's teeth healthy and strong.
Trident Sugar Free Gum was the first brand of it's kind to do studies which showed that those who chewed Trident experienced significantly fewer cavities.
Some interesting facts about Trident Gum:
Chewing Trident sugar free gum for 20 minutes after a meal can help fight cavities. Xylitol, a sugar free sweetener in Trident, has been shown to loosen plaque.
Trident is available in 11 great flavors so kids have lots to choose from!
Brush: Remind children to brush their teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each time, using no more than a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Our favorite flavors are bubblegum, spearment, cinnamon, and fruit-plus a whole lot more. We make sure that we grab a pack every time we are at the store. I really feel that Trident helps in keeping cavities at bay.
With my youngest having lots of caveties due to nursing, I’m very concerned about taking care of the rest of her teeth since we went through a lot of dental work. Especially when her pernament teeth come in. I try different methods to keep her interested in brushing. When Trident wanted to know 5 ideas from me, I rushed to type mine!
5 Simple things you can do for your child to keep their smiles healthy and bright:
1. Don't forget to brush their teeth - It can be easy to forget to brush. Getting in a good habit of brushing is a great start.
2. Three times a day - You can't only brush once a day. Morning, noon and night time should be how often they brush.
3. Brush long enough - Have child sing the ABC song or Happy Birthday song to time how long to brush.
4. Make it fun - Let them pick out their toothbrush and toothpaste flavor. They will be more apt to brush more.
5. Make it a family event - Brush the same time that they do to show them that everyone needs to brush their teeth.
Have fun with this and make your own post on what you do to help keep your kid's teeth healthy.
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Five favorite family time ideas

1.Game Night

With all the fun Wii games out there, we have found a common interest for game night. We also like to trow in board game night as well.

2. Baking night
We love to bake, so we pick a night to bake. Each kid takes turn picking our dessert each week.

3. Camping Out-inside
We like to play pretend camping since mom doesn't like to go outside. lol We set up the living room and cook smores in the microwave. It's fun! Fun!

4. Movie Night

Movie night is our favorite. We take turns picking out the movies and everyone gets snacks and we make a fun night of it.

5. Shopping Night

Yes, we have a shopping night. Everyone gets to go to the dollar store and picks out five things. The kids love it.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” http://familytime.twittermoms.com/about)

Fracture Me!

I just found out about a cool new way to print your photos-Fracture!

This picture prints out as a frame (on glass) and ready to hang!It reminds me of the canvas prints but made of glass instead. Just upload your photo and they do the rest.

This site is awesome and I am trying to be one of the first to review it and if I am among the first 100 participants, I will be writing a follow-up post about Fracture with my feedback after testing it out.

I am a photographer, so if this is something I like, I will be recommending it to my clients.

Check it out at http://www.fracture.com/ and try it out for yourself.

“I wrote this blog post in response to a TwitterMoms RAMBO alert, making me eligible to get a Fracture picture frame for review. You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com/.”

Ten ways to save for back to school

Going back to school can be hectic but saving mone in the meantime can help relieve the stress!

Ten tips for saving money during the back-to-school season:


1. Plan ahead of time and make a list of stuff you need-don't stray from your list!
2. Look for sales. Sometimes waiting til the last minute may save you alot.
3. Look for rebates. Lots of stores offer rebates on products.
4. Check on internet for coupons.
5. Follow major stores on Facebook and other savings blogs to find out deals.
6. Buy in bulk.
7. Buy the year ahead of time. I've got lots of paper and folders that I bought last year after school started.
8. Stock up.
9. Go in with another parent and split cost.
10. Look for buy one, get one free items. We bought a backpack and got lunchbox for free


Staples is also offering a link to an exclusive 4 day coupon to Staples

Join Staples on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/staples

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Tips for getting your kids ready for school

This school year is a special one for me. My youngest is starting school and my middle child is starting high school! Now, all my babies will be out of the house during the day. Boo hoo! Summer seemed to fly this year because I have been dreading the last of my kids to finally be going to school.

My going back to school to-do list is long. The kids are excited to get new school supplies, picking out clothes and my middle child is getting contacts-oh boy! Getting things under control will make your life easier. Try these ideas before you hit stores and you will be less stressed on the first day of school!

1. Review vocabulary words to refresh their memory. Reading stories with your little one will help get them ready to sit and listen to the teacher. Review other subjects as well.

2. Make appointments early to beat the rush. Doctor checkups and dental exams need to be done for school. Make them early and you won't be rushing around at the last minute.

3. Have a positive attitude about school. My kids are both scared this year because they both will be going to a new place. Let them know that it may be scary at first but after a couple of weeks they will be a pro!

4. Let them have a say. Don't pick out their clothes for them or their notebooks, etc. They will feel more confident if they feel "cool" in their clothes and more excited to start school if they have neat school stuff to show their friends.

5. Get in a routine early in the school year. Get clothes and books and lunches ready the night before so mornings are not chaos. They will go to school better adjusted and less stressed.

6. For little ones' just starting school, read books about starting school . HarperCollins Children’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children’s books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality books for children, HarperCollins is home to many of the classics of children's literature, including Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Giving Tree, Charlotte's Web, Ramona, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, the I Can Read! beginning reader series and countless award-winning titles. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world. Visit HarperCollins Children's Books at http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/


“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a HarperCollins book set. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Love my S'Mores with Hershey's Chocolate!

Do you love S'mores? We do!
My family's favorite time for S'mores is during a backyard cookout.

We love getting the firepit going and roasting marshmellows and melting chocolate bars between the graham crackers.

How do you do your s'mores?

A. During a Backyard Campout

B. Inside on a Rainy Day

C. After School

D. During a Backyard Barbeque

E. Just Because

Visit: http://www.smoressmiles.com/ and find out about the best fun time dessert!


I was not compensated for this post-entering to win a contest through MomBloggersClub.

How do you get your kids to embrace summer reading?

Have you been making sure that your children are reading this summer? With all the busy plans families make during the summer months, they forget to include reading in their daily activities.

We make reading fun during the summer with several activities based around reading. One activity includes signing up for the summer reading program at the library. The kids have fun checking out books and reading them, knowing that when they are done, they get a prize.

Another reading activity we do is pick out a book that involves nature, like a book about caterpillars for example. Then, we go to the park afterwards and look for some real caterpillars. They have fun finding caterpillars that look like the ones in the book.

Rewarding helps too. For every book they read, they get points to put towards a special trip or activity, like going to the movies.

You might want to try to find a movie that was based on a book. Then, go to the library and check out that title and see what is different from the book.

Reading is an important part of young children's lives. Something they can use for the rest of their lives.

What do you do? Wait, don't tell me, tell Twittermoms and HarperCollins (featuring the "I Can Read!" book series aimed at beginning readers). Twittermoms is running a contest celebrating the topic, "summer reading". Share your tips and tricks for getting kids to embrace summer reading. Go to their discussion page and enter to win a free "I Can Read" book! All you have to do is write a blog post in 400 or more words about how you get your kids to still read during the summer months so they don't get out of the habit of reading- an important skill!

I love the "I Can Read" series. I've used their books to teach my two older kids to read and I've started on my youngest (who is 5). They have different levels of books (which helps!) from Shared Reading to Advanced Reading. They have books with every character you can think of to please every child's taste. I really want the Dirt on my Shirt book that just came out.

"I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

A Day With Glue Dots: Summer Bonding Project

I was given the opportunity to do a project using Glue Dots.

What are Glue Dots?

Glue Dots are a great and safe alternative to typical tapes and glue guns. They are versatile and work on a variety of surfaces including: paper/photos, metal, wood, plastic, textiles and fibers, plastic, foam, and more! Glue Dots are a no-mess solution to all adhesive or glue needs. Bonding instantly, they require no dry time and provide instant gratification for kids and adults. Glue Dots provide the strength you need in an adhesive without the mess and dry time of liquid glues.

I decided to do a Fourth of July craft project. I wanted to pick something that truly tested Glue Dots ability.

This paper wreath sure gave it a run for it's money!

You can make this yourself by taking a small paperplate and twisting 12 4x6 in red, blue, and white construction paper and taking the Glue Dots to hold everything together on the paper plate. When you are finished, cut out a star and glue that on front.

By making my project, I am in the running for some great prizes over at Twittermoms.

Enter yourself at TwitterMoms ,or see the cute projects!

You can find out more about Glue Dots and become a fan over here.

"I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Five Fun Family Vacation Activities Your Kids Will Love

Twittermoms is at it again! They are teaming up with Williamsburg Tourism and they want to know what five fun family vacation activities to do with your kids. I have many ideas, but here are my top five:
1. Go camping. All kids love camping. It gets you away from tv and video games. Reconnect with each other and don't forget the marshmellows!
2. Go to an amusement park. There are activities for everyone at amusement parks.
3. Spend a day around town. Explore your own town and see what it has to offer. Stay at a hotel to make it more adventurous.
4. Go hiking. There are wonderful vacation spots that offer hiking. Enjoy the earth!
5. Visit a beach. We used to go on vacations that included a day at the beach-how fun!

Now, go post about your favorite family vacation activities- click here.

"I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Top 10 Creative and Affordable Vacation Ideas

I used to take vacations all the time, but as my family grew, we find it hard to take vacations. These days, you need to get creative when you take a vacation. Twittermoms has connected with Toyota to find out what great ideas moms (or anyone) have to save money when vacationing.
Here are my 10 ideas on how to save money on vacations:

1. Go on off season. When we go to Disney World, we go in November. It's a great time to go, and they have specials on off season times.
2. Take your own food. Stock up on snacks and invest in ice packs and bring meals that you can eat along the way if you are traveling by car.
3. Find memberships/discount cards. If you frequent the same places, it pays to sign up for memberships or get discount cards.
4. Go with family. Make it a group trip and invite other family members to share the bill with when you can get a discount for large groups.
5. Stay local. Find out what's going on close to your city or state. You would be surprised what attractions are near you!
6. Camping. Camping is fun and very affordable!
7. Look online. Look online to find out if where you are going has a visitors website for deals and cheap attractions going on.
8. Make it yourself. Stay at a hotel that has a kitchen with stove and fridge. Stay in and cook instead of eating out while on your trip.
9. Volunteer vacations. A new trend for families to afford a vacation by volunteering their services while there.
10. Drive. Avoid taking an airplane if you can drive. Make sure you rent an efficient car to save on gas.



I wrote this blog post while participating in the Toyota Sienna and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five Honey-do list

Do you have a Honey-do list? I do!!! I actually have a huge list. When I saw this contest or at Twitter Moms, I knew it was right up my alley. TwitterMoms and ServiceLive are wanting to know five things on your Honey-Do list. ServiceLive is the first online marketplace that allows homeowners and businesses to name their price or request.
If I had to pick five things off my list, I'd have to choose these five.1. Finish redecorating my bedroom. I have been tired of the same look, and have been wanting to give it a whole new look.2. Remodel our bathroom. It needs new paint, new vanity, new mirror...Okay it needs gutted out!3. My kids rooms need finishing. My son's room is half painted. My youngest daughter's room still has Dora curtains up and she's out grown her years ago!4. Storage room needs totally cleaned out. I can barely step in to do laundry.5. Fix our leaks in basement. Yuck. Enough said.Now it's your turn!Visit TwitterMoms and complain aobut your list!Find a Local Contractor




Get a Contractor
“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.”

A Fancy Nancy Party

I love tea parties with my daughter! When I found out that Twittermoms was having a contest with Twittermoms and Harper Collins, for moms that want to throw a Fancy Nancy Poetry Party, I had to do it!I am in the planning stages for a Fancy Nancy Tea and Poetry PartyHere are my ideas: 1. Dress up. We have to get out the tiaras and tutus! We will have the girls come dressed up how ever they'd like.2. Bake some cookies. You have to bake cookies for your party! We will have the girls help and put lots of candy and sprinkles.3. Read our Fancy Nancy book. While our cookie bake, we will read our new book.4. Make up. With the parents permission, we will do each other's make up using play make up of course!5. Make friendship bracelets. Friendship bracelets are so fun to make!5. Poetry time. We will play rhyming games and come up with silly rhyming stories that we will write down and they can take with them.Fancy Nancy Poetry Party Ideas

Fancy Nancy Books

Check out Twittermoms Reading Page for more ideas!

Disclaimer:I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a Fancy Nancy prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Your Most Triumphant Outlet Shopping Story

When TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet offered up a new "Share Your Most Triumphant Outlet Shopping Story," I knew I had a great story. You can try for a chance to tell your story here. We have an Outlet Center near us but not near enough. I love outlet centers and I have to tell my story on how I saved alot. I went to a Tanger Outlet Mall last year and really didn't know if I would be able to do very much shopping. I only had $100 to spend. We decided that each person could get one outfit and I was hoping to be able to hold on my promise. Long story short, not only did each of get an outfit (4 of us) we each got 3!Outlet Malls are great if you want to save a ton of money.So, go enter to win a $25 gift card for just sharing your story!Gap Twitter Discount

Exclusive Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Store Savings Gap Outlet Offerings:
Gap Outlet is offering up to 50% off on select Summer Styles from April 23 until May 6th. They are also offering an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. Starting April 26 through May 10.
Banana Republic Factory Store Offerings:
Banana Republic Factory Store is offering up to 50% off all women's clothes from April 30 until May 19th and an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms community for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. “I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to get a $20 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You

With a busy life, we all have a hard time to stop and take care of ourselves. I have been guilty of this and I've decided to do something about it. I've put together 10 tips to have a healthier life:
1. Exercise Daily.
2. Rest-the body heals its self while resting.
3. Eat healthy snacks-avoid the junkie food.
4. Eat your veggies-vegetables help prevent cancer.
5. Drink water-8 glasses a day keeps the doctor away!
6. Spend time outside-fresh air does a body good.
7. Spend time with family-lower your blood pressure by relaxing wit hyour family.
8. Take time to yourself-go to a spa or read a book.
9. Have a positive attitude-that positive stuff works.
10. Measure your food-smaller portions reduce chance of gaining weight.





Twittermoms is having a contest through Tropicana and you can enter too! Click here to participate.
"I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Milan Maternity

If you are expecting, you know that it can be hard to find pretty maternity clothes. I remember when I was pregnant, I found a couple of great outfits. When I visited Milan Maternity , I was in awe over their choices! My daughter is pregnant right now and I would love to have her try some of their clothes. Thats why I am entering Two of a Kind, Working on a full House's blog contest.

Win it.

Go to her blog and enter to win a $50 gift card!

Top Ten Vacation Tips

This post is being written as part of a contest at Twitter Moms. Bloggers have been asked to share their tips for creating a fun family vacation that is free of distractions.

Travel Tips for Moms & Families





Reserve Now Quicksilver Online Check-in Pre-pay & Save Self-Service Kiosk
Here are my top 10.
1. Bring a DVD player-for the ride home. Spend the time going there, looking at all the senery.
2. Bring travel bingo. This is a fun game that includes the whole family.
3. Buy the one time use camera for everyone. This will make great photobooks afterwards.
4. Let everyone pick something to do and make a chart.
5. Be organized. Organization relieves alot of stress and makes it more enjoyable.
6. Make litle stops. Stopping at rest stops or little knickknack shops makes the trip more fun.7. No phones. Cellphones and teens spells STRESS for the familoy. Keep them at home.8. Don't watch the clock. Have fun and relax-you don't have to be world's best bvacation director. lol9. Bring stuff to do that each enjoy during downtime.
10. Go during off season time. Vacatons can be more fun when you aren't fighting the crowds.

Getting healthy and fit in 2010

We all make some sort of New Year's resolution, whether is be to get healthy to finding a new hobby. At some point in our lives we have all made one to lose weight. This year my main resolution was to workout at least once everyday. SO far I've stuck with it and haven't missed a day. I'm shocked, yet very proud.I've also decided that I needed to break it down a little. Yes my main goal is to work out every day, but I thought I needed to make some smaller ones too.

1. Work out every day. Each morning I wake up a half hour than I used to to get in a morning workout. This way I know I will have time for at least 10 minutes. Mornings are hectic so it also gives me a chance to wake up and prepare myself for whats to come.
2. More sleep. Sleeping can actually be a way to lose weight. If you are tired, you tend to eat more. Really! I have added at least two more hours to my sleep schedule.
3. Portion control. I've been doing good with the portion control so far. I make sure my portions match my little ones. I won't go back for 2nds because by the time I'm done doing whatever, I'm not hungry anymore.
4. Spend less. Since we moved from the city to here, we fell in love with the fruit stands. We get all of our produce from there, along with a few other things. We spend a lot less on vegetables now than we were before we moved. This year one of my goals is to find healthy and cheap alternatives to things we already drink/eat. I found a recipe for home made V8 juice that I can't wait to try out. I'm also going to give making my own dried fruits a shot too.
5. Making it a family thing. The kids are already very active with sports and dance, but I'm hoping to make 2 weekends a month family time. Where we can go hiking, bike riding, skating, anything to get us out of the house but keep us moving at the same time.

Did you make a resolution this year? Have you stuck with it? Let me know, leave me a comment. Also check out TwitterMoms to read more posts on New Year's resolutions and a chance to win your own copy of Your Shape by Ubisoft

Cottonelle Contest

Are you a team under or team over? Go to http://www.cottonellerollpoll.com/ and vote in the great debate whether you are team under or team over. I would have to be a team over! I have to have my tp go over-it drives me crazy!

Would you like to get involved in all this fun? Start by leaving a comment on this post, you will be entered to win 1 of 10 Cottonelle gift baskets randomly chosen on January 29, 2010 from all entries.

I am entering a contest for a month's worth of Cottonelle toilet paper as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

Hip and cool kids wear!

Today's review, comes from Lollipopwear. This is actually my company and we carry hip baby, kids, and adult clothes.

Here are some examples of our cute clothes:

Earth revolves around me.

Biker Chick

Practise makes Perfect.

Our products have been in Celebrity gift bags and we are one of the original "Copyright" baby shirts.

Come visit our store at:

Lollipopwear