Winners!

Here are a handful of winners from giveaways that ended over the weekend! Congrats to all of the winners. I have sent emails......you will have 48 hours to respond!

The Jungle Bunch DVD: #79, Jamie Brigham; #108, Kelli Heller Hembree; #26, Tabitha

Prince Lionheart Travel Products: #136, Jill Abshire Hizer

Pourty Potty: #71, Amy Otrosinka

Mouthman Hoodies: #346, John Sylvester

Thanks!!!

Kids Teeth and Dental Plans

With 4 children, we take our fair share of trips to the dentist.  I am really a stickler at making sure our kids go every 6 months for cleaning, checkups and flouride treatments and then following up with any additional care that might be needed.  We just had our 7 year old son and 9 year old daughter at the pediatric dentist for checkups and wouldn't you know it, even with making them brush twice a day, they each have a small cavity.  I  was so annoyed that they wouldn't fill the cavities right then so now we have to make another trip (it's a 45 minute drive) to go back at the end of June to get them taken care of.  I should be more thankful that we have such great dental insurance but I wish there were dentists in our plan that were a little bit closer!!! We have no dentists in our area that participate in our plan so we have to drive to bigger cities that are nearly an hour away just to get regular dental work done.  We looked at all of the dental plans that my husband's work offers and they are all the same. No closer dentists which is really going to be a pain if we have to make frequent trips.

In addition to our 7 and 9 year olds, our 10 year old has to have oral surgery here before Summer ends.  If you remember last year, I had posted that it appeared he had extra permanent teeth which is really rare and sure enough, he did! He now has 2 fully emerged extra permanent teeth on the top row. That means we have to schedule an oral surgeon and then start the long journey of braces. Yay Rah!  But of course, wouldn't you know it, this year my husband's work cut orthodontia out of the dental plan so that means we are going to have to pay for the majority of it ourselves. Looks like maybe this Mama needs to start looking for a JOB!  I always thought that the kids would get cheaper as they got older but looking back, I sure was wrong. Babies are nothing compared to tweens!!!!!

Do you have a good dental plan or is yours lacking too? 

Post Honey Bunches of Oats

  

We are big cereal eaters around here so I am always excited to try a new cereal out. We are already HUGE fans of Honey Bunches of Oats from Post so we were really excited when we received a box of the newly designed cereal!  This cereal has been a staple in our pantry for years and it's definitely among my husband and I's favorites when it comes to cold cereal. For some reason though, none of my kids have ever tried it though so when a box showed up on our doorstep, I talked our daughter into eating a bowl. She immediately scolded me for not telling her it was so good all of the other times I bought it. Honestly, I just didn't think the kids would like it but boy was I wrong!!!! In just a week, our daughter ate it every day for breakfast and prompted a trip to the grocery when I had to break it to her that it was all gone!

 Post brings together 4 nutritious grains into crispy flakes and crunchy granola bunches making Honey Bunches of Oats a great way to start your day!!!  The newly designed Honey Bunches of Oats has even BIGGER clusters of that sweet granola that makes it so yummy too so now I have even more reasons to love it.  We have only tried the Honey Roasted and the Almond but I just found that there are many more varieties available including Raisin, Vanilla, Pecan, Cinnamon, Strawberry and their all new Fruit Blends!!!

As if the great taste isn't enough, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal contains 10 grams of whole grain which only 6 grams of sugar. It also provides 9 essential vitamins and minerals and is heart healthy with 0g of trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol!!! For more info, visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/honeybunchesofoats!! 

GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Bug Net™ from Educational Insights

Summer vacation has officially arrived here for our children so now begins the task of trying to keep 4 children occupied and busy without Mom going insane! Luckily we just received some super cool products from our friends at Educational Insights that I am sure our children are going to get some great use out of!!!  We received the GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Bug Net™ and our children were so excited when it arrived. Our kids aren't fans of REAL bugs so this is an awesome way for them to learn valuable facts about these pesky creatures without having to touch the real thing!! It says that it's recommended for children aged 4+ but with supervision, even our 2 year old has been having a blast with the talking bug net!!!

The GeoSafari Jr. Talking Bug Net comes with 6 different bugs and the interactive bug net.  Our boys love playing with the net but they also love playing with the bugs by themselves.  It's super cute watching them play with the bugs, making them crawl around the house and sticking them on their siblings!!  In "Fun Facts" mode, you learn all sorts of facts about each bug and when you think you are ready, you can switch it over to the "Quiz" mode to see just how much you have learned. For example, it might ask " Which animals eats its food with their feet" and if you put the butterfly in the net, it will tell you that you are correct. If you choose the wrong bug, it will tell you to try again! I can't believe how much my kids (and myself!!!) have learned about these common bugs that we see outside of our home every day! Like, who knew that the Praying Mantins only has 1 ear?! And my kids cringed to hear that in some countries, grasshoppers are a yummy treat! The great thing is, they are learning the benefits of these bugs too and aren't just looking at them as a nuisance anymore. For instance, ladybugs help protect the farmers crops. Since we are surrounded by corn fields, this is something great for them to have learned!!!!

Check out this awesome video to see exactly what this learning toy can do!!!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader is going to win their own GeoSafari Jr. Talking Bug Net!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This is not a paid post. All opinions are my own. Review and Giveaway were provided at no cost by the company and/or representing PR firm*

Nutrisystem Week 2 #NSNation

Another week has come and gone already (Crazy!) and I am really excited that the Nutrisystem program is working so well for me. It is really getting me back on track and I am really pleased with the results so far. This past week was a bit of a challenge for me. I haven't been feeling the best so I went to my Dr. for a routine checkup and she informed me that I am not eating enough calories. After I took a good look at the program and what I was actually eating, she was right! I was failing to take advantage of all of the extra food you can have in the program. In addition to the Nutrisystem entrees, I am also allowed to eat unlimited vegetables from the vegetable list as well as a couple smart carbs and power fuels. I have been so busy with school getting ready to end and with our kids and their sports that I just haven't been taking the time to eat the extra stuff so I was barely eating 1,200 calories a day. Since I have also been working out, my body just wasn't getting enough calories to function properly. So now I am REALLY following the system. I am learning that if you follow it like you are SUPPOSED to, it really works!!!! I know I want to lose all of the weight I need to overnight but the truth is, it took years to get my body to where it is at this very moment and I know I need to be patient in losing the weight.  It's not going to happen over night but it IS going to happen as long as I stick to the program and keep giving it 100%, this I know!  Slow and steady is what I am aiming for so going forward, my new goal weight loss each week will be 2 pounds for the duration of the program.  

This week I faced a challenge that a lot of people often face. I pulled a muscle in my left calf which left me unable to do my daily walking/jogging that I love to do. I was unable to do my regular exercises for nearly 4 days which really threw me off. I tried to do other things but I really missed that cardio and I knew it would affect my weight loss this week. But the important thing is, when you have these setbacks, don't let them define how the rest of your journey is going to go. I could have very easily just given up because it's hard to get back into the habit once you stop for a few days but I am going to keep going because I owe it to myself. If you cheat on your diet or skip a day of exercising, don't let it ruin you. Just shake it off and jump back on the wagon!!!! I know I have come to far to throw it all away now!

As far as the food goes, my favorite food this week, hands down, was the peanut butter granola bars!!!!!  I just placed my order for next month and stocked up on those bad boys!  They are so great to grab on the go and they are so yummy! Also, I am in LOVE with the muffins! I found that if I put just a dab of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on the top of a muffin and pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds, it is DELICIOUS. Seriously.

So without making you wait any longer, here are my results!!!!!!

Week 1: 7 pounds lost

Week 2: 3 pounds lost

That's 10 pounds in two weeks! Yahoooooooooooo!

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling  1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

*I am being provided four months of Nutrisystem food and counsel for free as a blogger. All opinions are 100% my own*

Swingset Press Games for Tween Girls

Being a tween girl brings a lot of challenges but also a lot of fun! I can remember going to multiple sleepovers and having SO much fun with my friends at this age. Now that summer vacation is officially here for our children, I would imagine our 9 year old daughter is going to want to host and attend multiple sleepovers and that means we will have to find entertainment for her and her friends. If you have a tween girl, you will not want to miss out on the  newest games from Swingset Press! Designed for girls aged 7-12, these games offer amazing fun at a super affordable price that your daughter and her friends will LOVE!  Our daughter was super excited when Acting Out, Star Awardz and Ultimate Truth or Dare showed up on our doorstep!!! 

Ultimate Truth or Dare:

This is by far one of the best tween versions of this game that I have seen to date! Given the option to pass or choose, the girl who reaches 100 points first wins.  Examples of truths include "On a scale of 1 to 10, how cute do you think you are" and funny dares include "Eat five potato chips using only your feet!"  I have to say, I did think it was a bit odd one evening when I heard our daughter outside in the front yard belting out the pledge of allegiance but then I realized she and her friend were playing this game and I couldn't help but crack up.  I could hear the girls giggling all night long and that made me super happy. They were entertained on their own and didn't need Mom to give them ideas to keep them busy!  This is going to go on our "Must have's for Summer" list because I am sure our daughter and her friends are going to be spending a lot of time with this game!!!

Star Awardz:

A must have game for outgoing girls who love to get silly! Does your daughter and her friends have what it takes to be a S.T.A.R?! (Singing-Toe-Tapping-Acting-Ridiculous) Is she the next singing sensation? Is her BFF a Dancing Diva? Here is their chance to prove it by performing it. This is another super fun game from Swingset Press!!  Girls have a chance to show their talents in a super fun and hysterical way.  Who will take home the S.T.A.R. Awardz?!  It's not as easy as it looks!  Can you get your friends to guess who you are if you were to imitate your Mom? Can you do a cartwheel and land in a split? Grab this game and find out if you are a STAR!  

Acting Out: 

Every little girl loves to act and in this game of Acting Out, your child has the chance to act out a multitude of different scenarios while the others guess what they are trying to do!  With each "Act out" you also have to do a "Sound Out" making for lots of laughs! This is a 2012 Winner of the National Parenting Seal of Approval and it's no wonder because it's an AWESOME game!  Our daughter and her friends have never laughed so hard as they try to act out these super silly commands.  Can you eat a bowl of popcorn while screaming like you've just seen a celebrity? Better yet, can your friends guess what you are doing? Or how about vacuum the floor while nagging like your mother? My daughter was good at this one! Definitely another "Must Have" for the tween girl in your life!!!!

All three of these games are available for just $14.99 each and can be purchased at Barnes and Nobles and Justice stores or they can also be purchased online here! Definitely check out the website and see what else Swingset Press has to offer and while you are at it, be sure to like them on Facebook so you can keep up with what's new and maybe you might even find a giveaway or two!!!!!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader is going to win their choice of either Star Awardz, Acting Out or Ultimate Truth or Dare!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This is not a paid post. All opinions are my own. Review and Giveaway were provided by the company and/or representing PR firm*

AMF Summer Unplugged & Summer Pass

School is almost out here which means this Mama needs to get busy planning activities!!!  Four kids sitting at home all day can get pretty boring and is just asking for trouble so I have been on the lookout for fun things we can do during the day to keep them up and moving. At select AMF centers, children 15 and under can receive 2 free games of bowling per day!! Shoe rental is not included but this is a very small fee to have to pay for your children to get to enjoy FREE bowling!!!! This special runs from Monday, May 14 until Monday, September 3 so you can keep your kids busy all Summer!  Simply go HERE to find one of the 250+ participating locations and complete a simple registration form!  You will receive free game coupons emailed to you each week.  You can also take advantage of $3.29 kids meals while you are there!!!

The AMF Summer Pass is another great deal and is available for everyone aged 16 and over. This includes 2 free games, per day for up to four people ages 16 and up (shoe rental not included) all for just $29.95!!  This is for the entire summer and only adds up to $7.50 per person!!!!  If you are looking for something to do to keep your kids busy this Summer, definitely check it out and see if any of the locations are near your home!!!  Click HERE for information on the Summer Pass!!

HP Home Office Giveaway

Coupontrade.com and HP are offering the biggest giveaway event so far! HP Omni 27t series including Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010, Norton Anti-Virus, keyboard, mouse, 3 Care Pack House Service, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Founded in 1939, HP is the world’s largest IT company and brings to market a vast array of innovative, advanced, and reliable products that continuously improve the way their customers live and work. At the HP Home & Home Office Store you will find an unparalleled selection of notebooks, desktops, printers, accessories, and more! Whether shopping for your home or small business, HP has a solution for you.     CouponTrade.com is your new source for discount gift cards and NAME brand coupon codes. Now you can combine these discounts in ONE place to save more than ever before! Now you can SELL your unwanted gift cards too! Are you sitting on any unclaimed cash?   Entry is easier than ever! Check out the Rafflecopter form below!   

Joovy Zoom 360 and Car Seat Adapter Giveaway

I am so excited to share a brand new giveaway with you all from Joovy!!!  They are going to give one lucky reader a Joovy Zoom 360 and Car Seat Adapter!!!!  This is an amazing stroller and would be a great WIN!!!!

Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form below!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nutrisystem Week 1 Recap #NSNation

If you remember, I recently shared that I was going to be beginning my Nutrisystem Journey as a part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogging Program!!!! I was really excited to find out I was going to be a part of the program and was stoked when my first food order arrived on Friday, May 11th!!!  First of all, I have to tell you my thoughts about the program so far. Being a picky eater, I was extremely worried about the foods that I would have to eat on the program. Boy was I wrong! I was able to hand-pick all of my meals from Nutrisystem's huge menu, choosing foods that I knew I would most likely enjoy eating.  I chose everything from chicken breast to pizza which was a big sigh of relief! My breakfast choices have been my favorite so far and have included granola cereal,cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, pancakes, french toast and oatmeal!   There have been a few of the lunch and dinner choices that haven't been my favorite but over all I have to admit that I am really surprised by the food. Now I have a better idea of what to order for next month since I have already tried so many things! I can order more of those things that I really liked and less of the things that I didn't really care for. 

Most of all, I love what the program is teaching me. Before I thought it was all about WHAT you ate but what I am learning through Nutrisystem is that it is a combination of what you eat, how much you eat and your physical activity.  I can honestly say that I have poured 100% into the program so far. I have followed the program without "cheating" and I have exercised daily. My exercise includes at least 30 minutes of a walk/jog combination on the treadmill and I try to get in one extra exercise session per day that usually includes some kind of muscle toning. I love Zumba and I also found an awesome kickboxing movie on Netflix that is really awesome because it breaks five different workouts up into 10 minute sessions so I can do them throughout the day instead of all at once! If you have Netflix, definitely utilize that as a free resource for workout DVD's! There are a ton on there right now including some great pilates and cardio workouts!  I am pushing myself to new limits that I have never gone before and it's really rewarding. My goal this week is to lose 2 pounds and to shave 30 seconds off of my mile on the treadmill!  I peaked at the scale this morning when I got up and I am already pushing that 2 pound mark with 4 more days to go in week 2 so that makes me super excited and even more motivated to keep pushing. It's been a big transition for me as my body adjusts to the new lifestyle but I think after a couple more weeks, I should be feeling great again. I have started a multivitamin to make sure I am getting my daily vitamins and I think that is helping already.  I also drink a TON of water which helps keep me hydrated and feeling full throughout the day. Nutrisystem hooked me up with a water bottle that really helps me keep track of my water intake throughout the day and I have actually been drinking close to double what is required so I know I am staying good and hydrated!!

So without further ado, Week 1 results are in!! Drumroll please..........

Week 1: 7 lbs. Lost 

WOOOOOOOOOOO HOO!!!! Talk about exciting!!!!!  On to week 2............

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling  1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog 

*I am being provided four months of Nutrisystem food and counsel for free as a blogger. All opinions are 100% my own*

Whitney Farms

This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

With eating healthier and trying to get my family on board to do the same, I have been obsessed with the idea of planting a garden.  We are eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables these days and I would love to have the opportunity to just go into my back yard and pick whatever I want to eat that day.  Over the past couple of years we have frequented my aunt's garden to get fresh vegetables but we stopped doing that after my Mom and I accidentally picked all of our veggies from my aunts neighbor's garden instead of hers by mistake one day. Oops! One thing that I have been actively researching is organic plant food because if we are going to have our own garden, I want it to be as natural as possible. I was super excited to learn about Whitney Farms®, a full line of 100% natural plant foods and soils with no additives and nothing artificial.  How amazing would it be to have a garden with all organic soil?! 

With Whitney Farms, you are getting only the most natural ingredients from the Earth, designed to give you big, beautiful flowers and vegetables!!!   For 25+ years, Whitney Farms has been leading the gardening experience and has improved their products to have low to no dust, no manure odor (Huge plus, I smell enough of that in the corn fields surrounding our house!), easy application and the specially designed protein-basaed blends provide your plans with macro and micronutrients that they need to grow!

Someday maybe this will be my garden......let's hope anyway! I know that Whitney Farms could totally help me with my dream of having a big garden in my backyard so I am going to take advantage of their $3 off Coupon and start buttering my husband up so we can get started!!!!

 

Guest Post: Get Your House Ready for Summer

5 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Summer

By: Jake David 

With summertime right around the corner, many homeowners are looking for ways to spruce up their homes in anticipation. Preparing your home for summer can help it stay beautiful throughout the torturously hot months and can even help you save money. Here are five ways to prepare your home for summer.

Annihilate Weeds

If you thought the weeds in your lawn or garden were bad in the spring, just wait until summer gets here! Weeds are resilient plants that seem to thrive on hardship. You can rest assured that the heat of the glaring sun will only make them bigger and stronger. In order to prevent them from taking over, it's best to get rid of them now. There's nothing that can replace good, old fashioned hand-weeding, but some things are a close second. For bigger weeds, try dousing them with a pot of boiling water. For smaller weeds, disturb the first inch of soil with a hoe or rake. This uproots tiny weed seedlings and prevents them from producing another generation.

Air Conditioner Condition

Since you're going to need to run the air conditioning soon, make sure your systems are in good working order. If it's a window model, remove the filter from the front and clean it out. It's also recommended that you remove the housing from your unit and check the inside for accumulated dust and debris. If you went all last year without cleaning it out, you will probably have a lot of caked-on dust to contend with. If you have central air conditioning, be sure to change the main filters for your cooling ducts. This small amount of maintenance can extend the life of your units and save you money on utility bills.

Siding and Home Exteriors

The exterior of a house can become surprisingly filthy. Dirt, pollen and other debris floats through the air and sticks to the siding. After enough dirt accumulates on it, it starts to look unkempt and ugly. It may even make your home hotter inside since darker materials, such as dirt, absorb sunlight. You can clean the sides of your home using a power washer or a garden hose sprayer.

Attic Fan

If you want to save even more on your cooling bills this summer, you can't go wrong with an attic fan. Installing one of these simple devices directs excess heat and humidity to the outside. This not only keeps your home cooler but also makes your roof last longer. With less exposure to heat and humidity from underneath, roofing shingles will decay more slowly.

Shade Gardening

One of the best ways to keep your home cool and attractive throughout the summer is to protect it from the sun. When the sun beats on your home, it can make the internal temperature soar and also causes wear to its exterior. To create good sun protection, consider planting some fast-growing shade trees. You may not be enjoying this benefit this summer, but it will pay off in the future.

About the Author

Jake David is the online marketing manager of Supercrew Projects, a basement development company in Calgary.

The Jungle Bunch

The Jungle Bunch

From Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Available May 29th, 2012

On DVD and Digital Download

Available exclusively at Wal-mart

Overview:

The Jungle Bunch is a delightful movie about a cute and loveable penguin named Maurice, voiced by Golden Globe and Emmy award winner and New York Times best-selling children's author John Lithgow, debuting on DVD & Digital Download on May 29, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  The movie is an incredible story of how a Penguin's egg fell off an Antarctic ice floe and somehow ended up in the jungle. Adopted and raised by an affectionate tigress, Maurice is totally convinced that he is actually a tiger!!!  He divides his time between hunting, re-painting his stripes and teaching his own adopted son, Junior the Tiger Fish, his own special brand of hunting techniques.  Maurice, Junior and all their jungle buddies form a happy, go-lucky but rather dysfunctional family. 

Ping and Pong, two penguins from Maurice's native Antarctic village, are in search of "The Great Tiger Warrior" to save their village from an oppressive group of walruses.  Their search leads them to Maurice's jungle home where they tell him of their plight.  Determined to help, Maurice, joined by Fred, a warthog convinced he lives in a musical; Batricia, the only bat afraid of the dark; Miguel, a more than primate gorilla; and Gilbert, a tarsier afraid to leave his limb, form a team and embark on an adventure they will never forget!

Watch the Trailer Here!

What we Think:

This movie scores extremely high on my cute radar!  I knew as soon as I saw the synopsis that our children would LOVE it and I was right. From the second they popped it in, they were laughing and engaged and they remained that way throughout the entire movie. They have watched it again and again and it's currently in the DVD player in our family van so I don't see them getting tired of it anytime soon. This is one of those movies that parents don't mind watching over and over again. It's a great story of acceptance and overcoming adversity and I am sure we will be watching it many more times!!!

GIVEAWAY

3 lucky winners are going to each receive their own copy of The Jungle Bunch!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This is not a paid post. All opinions are my own. Review and Giveaway were provided at no cost by the company and/or representing PR firm*

ATG Stores

Summer is right around the corner and boy are we ready! This school year has been hectic and crazy and I am looking forward to some fun, down time with the kids!!!  We have two boys in baseball so we have been looking for a fun way to keep them active while keeping their skills up to par.  We were super excited to find that ATG Stores carries pitching machines so we decided that would be the perfect thing to keep our boys busy this Summer! We chose the Heater Sports PA99 Power Alley Lite Baseball Pitching Machine and we could not ask for a better backyard pitching machine!  First of all, it was super easy to assemble. It took just a few minutes before it was up and running. Second, it pitches two different sized balls so you can choose the speed. The orange balls pitch 40 mph and the white balls pitch 60 mph. You can choose whether you want it to pitch you fastballs, grounders or pop-flys which is an awesome advantage because if you get tired of batting, you can get your fielding practice in too! I love feeding the balls to the kids and watching them chase them all over our backyard. Luckily we have a huge backyard so the kids have plenty of room to run!

The biggest con that I can really think of is that it doesn't come with balls and the balls are a little pricey. They run between $15-20 for 6 balls which isn't totally bad but you want to have a lot of balls so you can expect to pay a little up front.....but again, the investment is totally worth it! Our entire family has had an absolute fantastic time playing with this pitching machine and nearly all of the kids who have been over to visit and have played with the machine all said they either wanted one or they were getting one! You really can't get a better machine for under $100! It's a lot of fun for the entire family and I am really excited to continue playing with it over the Summer! It really gives my kids motivation to get outside which is always a plus!!!!


 ATGStores.com has 500 great stores like LightingUniverse.com, FixtureUniverse.com, DecorUniverse.com, HomeFurnitureShowroom.com,SportingGoodsCentral.com, NewBabySupply.com, OutdoorLivingShowroom.com and CookingandTableware.com. They have you covered for everything you could possibly need for Summer from backyard toys to patio furniture! Be sure to like them on Facebook as they have some super fun contests and giveaways periodically plus you will be kept up to date on all of their deals! 


GIVEAWAY


One lucky winner is going to win a $100 Gift Certificate to ATGStores.com!!!






a Rafflecopter giveaway


*This is not a paid post. All opinions are my own. Review and Giveaway were provided at no cost by the company and/or representing PR firm*

Mouth Man Hoodies

With 4 children, I am always on the lookout for fun apparel that they will enjoy wearing.  There are some really cool things on the market right now but our top pick would have to be Mouthman Hoodies!!!  When I first saw them, I knew our children would all love them, especially our 7 year old!  He is our wild child and he loves crazy and unique things and I knew I would have to get one for him.  We chose the kids skeleton hoodie for him and he absolutely LOVES it!  It came a day before his birthday so I saved it to give to him on his birthday and what a great surprise it was! He was so excited that he put it on right away and never took it off until I forced him to at bedtime.  

A little More:

·        Invented by rock band Journey founding members Ross Valory and Prairie Prince. 

·        Made in the USA in two California locations

·        Made of recycled fabric from plastic bottles

·        Fabric is UPF 50 so creates a great sunshield for kids at the pool or outdoor athletes

·        Moisture wicking fabric great for layering for year-round activities

·        Comes in dozens of fun designs like Raptor, Shark, Orca, T-Rex. Visit the company’s site at www.MouthMan.com to see them all!

·        $29.99 for kid’s sizes; $39.99 for adults. $5 Flat Ground Shipping in the U.S. Sizes 2T up to Adult 2XL.

Check out this funny Mouth Man video to see these shirts in action!

You can use code kidstuff at checkout and receive 25% off your order from now until July 1st, 2012!!!!!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader is going to win their own Mouth Man hoodie!!  (Your choice in shirt and size)
a Rafflecopter giveaway




*This is not a paid post. All opinions are my own. Review and Giveaway were provided at no cost by the company and/or representing PR firm*

Pest Control

Living in the country, I see all kinds of bugs.  Most of them don't bother me because they come and go but when they decide to camp out and make MY home THEIR home, then we have a problem! This year I have seen a huge increase in spiders which couldn't gross me out more. I have been hanging some of our stuff out on the line since we have had such nice, warm weather and today a daddy long leg spider was in my laundry basket when I came in. I won't lie. I screamed until my hubby came and rescued me. Of course he laughed and proceeded to tell me that it was "just a little spider" but that didn't make me feel any better. Any spider is a bad spider in my book, no matter what the size!!! We often see an ant outbreak here as well and when that time comes, we either have to call someone to come take care of the problem or we have to go get special stuff to take care of them ourselves.  There is just nothing worse than having creepy crawlies in your house. If you are having problems and need pest control, you can always contact a place like www.pestcontrol.us  and they will come do the work for you too!  They can get rid of everything from the occasional invaders to rodents!  

What pesky bug do you despise the worse???

*This post has been brought to you by www.pestcontrol.us, however, all opinions are my own*

Fiber One Chewy

Fiber One Bars are one of my most favorite treats in the world!  They have been an important staple in my diet for as long as I can remember and I have shared that love with the rest of my family because we all love Fiber One Bars!  School is getting ready to dismiss for the Summer which means I am going to have all 4 children home all day, every day and that means I need to fill my house with some good snacks for them. I am excited to fill my pantry with the new Fiber One Chewy bars, available in Chocolate and Strawberry Peanut Butter and Jelly!!!!  These are going to be great to take along with us to the ballpark as well as to keep on hand  for a quick snack at the house.  Fiber One Chewy bars contain 20% of the Daily Value of fiber and 10% of the Daily Value of calcium! These 100 or 110 calorie bars contain no high fructose corn syrup and only 7 or 8 grams of sugar!!  And both of the new flavors are SO yummy!!!  All 4 of the kids love  both of them and who wouldn't with their chocolate or peanut butter bottoms with drizzle over the top of every bite?!  

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner is going to win an AWESOME prize pack including (1) box of Fiber One Chewy Chocolate Bars, (1) Box of Fiber One Chewy Strawberry PB&J Bars, Drawstring Sack Pack, Water Bottle, Flexi Flyer, Soccer Ball and Sidewalk Chalk!!!

To enter, just leave a comment with your name and email address and tell me which of the 2 new flavors you would most love to try!!!

Giveaway will end on 5/27 at midnight.
Winner will be chosen at random via random.org

*The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have all been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark*

Cheerios Double Packs

We love Cheerios and our kids have pretty much grown up on them.  Cheerios make a great breakfast and a perfect snack, especially on the go.  We were excited to find out that we can now buy Cheerios in  convenient 2 box packaging!!  That's right. You can buy two boxes together making them easier to store and easier to pour!  Not only that but by reducing the amount of air in each individual bag, these enhanced containers fit 10% more cereal than before AND use less packaging.  While each box contains more cereal, packaging material has been reduced by over 200,000 lbs, saving 1,000 trees and taking 130 Cheerios trucks off the road, thus decreasing CO2 emissions.

Watch their latest video to learn more about this new packaging!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner is going to win their own prize pack including 2 double packs of Cheerios! (4 boxes total) 


To enter, just leave a comment below with your name and email address and tell us your favorite time to eat Cheerios!!!!


Giveaway will end on 5/27 at midnight.
Winner will be chosen at random via random.org




*Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark

POWOW Messenger for Android

This post brought to you by POWOW Messenger. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know it seems like there are a bazillion texting apps available right now (that's because there are!) but I was really excited to learn about Powow Messenger for Android!!  POWOW Messenger for Android is the only text messenger that lets you include anyone on any mobile phone in your social circles!!!  First of all, it offers group messaging with tru reply-all for everyone in the group!  Second, it gives you a single place for all one-to-one and group messages, thus replacing the need for 2 separate apps to do both things.  My favorite feature is the ZipIT feature where you can blacklist unwanted texters so you don't see notifications or messages. You can also mute notifications so you don't see the notifications but you can still receive the messages.  

As an avid texter, I am loving this app! My 3 sisters and I love to chat together and this is perfect for those times! I love the "Reply to All" feature for sure! From what I have learned about Powow, it truly is an excellent messaging app overall.  You can have instant, home screen access to your texts as well as access to your most recent messages from your favorite contacts.  The pop up notifications are definitely a plus too and they allow you to quickly decide if you want to ignore or reply to each message or you can even quickly call the sender.  This is definitely one of the faster messaging apps I have seen to date which is awesome because most of us don't have time to sit around and sort through messages.  If you are big into messaging, you will want to check this one out for sure. It's available to Android users in US and Canada!

 

Travel Products from Prince Lionheart

It's hard for me to believe that it is May already but in just 3 short weeks, our children will be out of school and we will be planning our Summer Vacation!!!  We usually like to take a few mini-trips during the Summer months as well as a big vacation but let's face it. Kids can be hard on your vehicle!!!  Luckily, Prince Lionheart has us covered with two of their awesome products just for families like us!!!

The first product is their backseat organizer which is pretty sweet. Between four children, we have a lot of necessities that travel with us and having a nice place to keep them all together is definitely a plus!  It's hard enough to keep a vehicle clean when you have children but when you add all of their stuff to the mix, you can have a mess pretty quickly.  The Prince Lionheart Backseat Organizer is perfect!  It's really spacious and has numerous pockets to put the essentials. Baby wipes, tissues, toys, etc. will finally have a place to go when we are on the go! 

It also has a nifty little hook on the side where you can hang a favorite toy or whatever else you might want to put there. The backseat organizer comes in both black or brown so you can get it to match pretty much any upholstery which is also a plus.  

The next product we received was the 2-Stage Seat Saver. I personally think we need one of these for every seat in the van, including the seats that the older kids sit in without car seats.  We just bought a new van a couple of months ago and my husband and I are crazy obsessed with keeping the seats clean and making sure it stays looking nice and new. Anybody with babies and toddlers can tell you though how difficult of a job that is on its own but then you add heavy, bulky car seats and your seats can be broke down and ruined in no time at all.  

As the name states, this is a 2-stage product. When your baby is in a rear facing infant seat, you can just use the bottom part and then when they graduate to a front-facing car seat or booster seat, you can add the back part. The 2 easily attach together with velcro making sure your entire seat is protected.   The seat saver is sleek and modern looking while offering a practical way to protect your seats and we LOVE it!

These are definitely two must have products if you are hitting the roads anytime soon!  The best part is that they are affordable and so easy to use! Both of these products are ready to use right out of the package so within a minute or two, you are ready to go! If you are planning any travel time with your children this Summer, don't forget to check out the Prince Lionheart website! They have several new travel products that you will definitely want to have!!!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Yesterday my daughter turned 9 and today one of our son's turned 7. It's been a busy week for sure, especially because birthdays usually mean TREATS! My daughter's class was having an ice cream party yesterday at school so I thought Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes would be an AWESOME treat. We have made these so many times and I always enjoy it. Plus, it's really no harder than making regular cupcakes....you are just baking them in ice cream cones instead of papers. So I thought I would share ours with you! They turned out SUPER cute, especially because I decided to use colored cones instead of the regular ones!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Ingredients:

18 Ice Cream Cones 

1 Box of Cake Mix (White or Chocolate)

Icing

Sprinkles

Directions:

* Prepare boxed cake mix as directed...to make them super fun, use white cake mix and color the batter with gel food coloring! We used neon gel and it made our cupcakes so bright and fun to match the cones!

* Place Ice Cream Cones on a baking sheet

* Fill ice cream cones about 3/4 way full with cake mix

* Bake as directed. Ours took 10-12 minutes.

* Allow to cool.

* Use your icing and sprinkles to decorate......we used both vanilla and chocolate. Pink would have been cute too for strawberry ice cream cones! 

Easy easy easy. We arranged these on a tray with our Cupcake Poppers that we made the night before and I thought they turned out super cute!

What do you think?!

Gearing up for Summer with Pourty Potty

We are already on the go 24/7 but now with school getting ready to end and a full summer of sports scheduled, it's about to get a whole lot crazier. On top of all of that, we are actively trying to potty train our 2 year old son and I have been going crazy trying to figure out how we are going to manage it with so little time at home.  We have a nice potty chair that our son will occasionally use but honestly, it's too big and not to mention inconvenient to take on the road with us. This is why I was so excited when a Pourty Potty showed up on our doorstep about a week ago.

Honestly, my first impression of the Pourty Potty wasn't all positive. I was looking at it and thinking.  It's too small. It looks uncomfortable. Our son will never choose this potty chair over the nice, big comfy one he has already. And boy was I wrong. I don't know what it is about the Pourty Potty but our son LOVES it. He loves it so much that in less than a week, he is consistently and regularly going potty like a big boy. Yesterday he stayed in the same pair of underwear nearly the entire day which is crazy because we usually go through every pair he has before bedtime!  And I still can't figure out what it is about it that he loves so much but all I can say is whatever it is, I could NOT be happier.

We chose the blue Pourty Potty but you can choose between blue, pink, white or purple. It's small, functional and best of all, it's innovative design makes it MESS FREE. That's right. MESS FREE! I think this is one of the reasons why I hate traditional potty chairs. Our current potty chair before this one has the removable bowl and it's just a mess to have to clean. Not so with the Pourty Potty. After your child is done using the potty, you just pick it up by the convenient handle in the front and POUR it out! I always refill the potty with water to rinse it out but again, the convenient pour spout makes it SO easy! One piece potty chairs are so much cleaner because there are no little crevices for waste to go which means there is no place for yucky germs to fester. 

Because of the smaller size, I was worried that our little guy would make a mess while trying to go potty but the splash guard works perfectly and keeps everything inside, right where it belongs!  I cannot think of enough great things to say about the Pourty Potty. Seriously. It's that great. If you are interested in seeing just how it works, here is a quick video for you to check out!!

You can buy the Pourty Potty at Babies R Us for just $14.99!!!!  Such a small investment for a BIG reward!!!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner is going to receive their own Pourty Potty in their choice of color!!

Guest Post: 5 Tips on Making Your Basement the Heart of your Home

5 Tips on making your basement the heart of your home

One of the most neglected areas of modern homes is the basement. It tends to be dark, dull and needlessly grungy. However a basement renovation is an amazing opportunity to turn this neglected area into the heart of your home. Redeveloping your basement is an excellent way to add living, storage and family space – not to mention thousands of dollars in added value – to your home. Below are a few ways to make it a reality.

1. Wet Bar

Lets not kid ourselves; the kitchen is where the action’s at. So why not add the next best thing to your basement. Wet bars create a functional area for entertaining guests, storing drinks, food and even appliances. With the added benefit of plumbing you can make your wet bar the “kitchen” of your basement. Now all you need is the Margarita glasses and you’re ready to entertain.

2. Home Fitness Room

Looking to lose a few pounds but don’t want the hassle of a community gym? Consider adding a home fitness or workout area to your basement. The cooler temperature makes for the perfect workout environment and for those of you who enjoy a good steam consider adding a sauna for post-workout relaxation.

3. Home Theater Room

There is nothing more distracting than light rays flashing across the TV screen during a movie’s most dramatic scene. That’s why a dark basement is the perfect place for a killer home theater system. Consider incorporating stadium-style seating or leave space for a sectional. For the real “movie theatre” experience a projector and drop-down screen can be built into the ceiling during the renovation process.

4. Home Office

Say good bye to traffic jams and gridlock. Quiet, comfortable and a place to be inspirited the basement offers an ideal location for a home office. To not be disturbed during your “on the clock” hours consider sectioning off the office with French or pocket doors.

5. Recreation Room

Devote your downstairs space to family time and socializing. Choose a pleasing color scheme or theme to go along with your renovation ideas. You might consider adding a pool table, or games room. And for people that have toddlers the recreation room can very quickly be converted into the playroom.

Your basement is a blank slate; and you are the artist. Once you've decided how you want to use your space, you’re ready to start designing. It is reassuring to note that no matter what you do, you'll be adding value to your home and a space you and your family will appreciate for years to come.

*Andy Hall is an online marketing manager for Cornerstone Homes. He writes about Calgary home builders, interior design, and home improvements*