LouisvilleMommies

Monster Jam

2015-01-01T11:47:00.001-05:00

Monster Jam Heading to Freedom Hall with an Exciting new Competitive Format Featuring #MoreMonsterJam!

Louisville, KY – October 21, 2014 – The widely popular Monster Jam^® tour is heading to Louisville at Freedom Hall January 9-10, 2015 for an explosive new points-paying endurance showdown, featuring more of what the Monster Jam fans have been asking to see – more trucks, more action, #MoreMonsterJam!

Unlike any other show ever seen, this showcase of Monster Jam endurance will feature the biggest and best lineup of world famous Monster Jam trucks highlighted by more racing, more freestyle, more donuts, more wheelies and more competitive action than ever before. Fans will also be treated to two new competition vehicles, extreme Monster Jam Speedsters and Monster Jam ATVs, as they rip through the arenas during combative racing action.

Click here to view the official #MoreMonsterJam trailer.

Headlining the tour will be the fiercest Monster Jam athletes, who will be the exclusive drivers of each of the teams made up of Monster Jam trucks, Monster Jam Speedsters, and Monster Jam ATV’s. Each of the athletes will compete against one another in a true test of endurance to earn valuable points during the seven competitive disciplines, unlike any Monster Jam event ever. These athletes will be contending for a bid to the prestigious Monster Jam World Finals^SM held at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on March 26-28.

Monster Jam Teams

Max-D^SM: Morgan Kane

Blue Thunder^®: Dalton Millican

Grave Digger^®: Colton Eichelberger

Monster Energy: Coty Saucier

Scooby-Doo™: Bailey Shea Williams

New Earth Authority Police^SM: Aaron Basl

Monster Mutt^® Rottweiler: Daron Basl

El Toro Loco^®: Becky McDonough

Show Times

Friday, January 9 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, January 10 – 7:30 PM

Where

Freedom Hall

Beginning October 21, 2014 tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets may also be purchased at Ticketmaster Retail Locations or by purchasing them at the Freedom Hall Box Office. All seats are reserved. Tickets start at $25. Kid’s tickets (ages 2-12) are just $5 (not available for Total Access Pass). For the Saturday, January 10 show patrons can purchase a Total Access Pass. This includes 1 ticket to the event seated in the best seats in the house, and exclusive access to drivers with a private meet and greet from 4-5 PM. Total Access Passes are available for $65 but quantities are limited! Additional fees apply to all tickets and all tickets are $2 more day of show.

For more information on this new #MoreMonsterJam arena tour of endurance, please log onto http://www.MonsterJam.com/MoreMonsterJam. To follow Monster Jam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram log on to www.facebook.com/MJOnline and www.twitter.com/MonsterJam and www.instagram.com/MonsterJamLive. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/MonsterJamLive.

About Feld Motor Sports^®

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports productions include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross and Nuclear Cowboyz^®. Feld Motor Sports is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

Harlem Globetrotters at the KFC Yum! Center

2014-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to the KFC Yum! Center for one show on January 16th, 2015 @ 7:30 PM. Tickets starting at $26 can be purchased here: http://www.kfcyumcenter.com/events/detail/harlem-globetrotters-2015-world-tour

The Globetrotters will face a great challenge this year, as the infamous Washington Generals are more determined than ever to match the franchise’s historic last victory over the Globetrotters nearly a half century ago. It has been five years since the Globetrotters and Generals have faced off, as the Generals have been searching far and wide for the best players to retool their roster and have been preparing for one thing: victory over the Globetrotters.

In addition to the highly-anticipated matchup on the court, the Globetrotters, known worldwide as the Ambassadors of Goodwill™, will honor a Harlem Globetrotters Hometown Hero at each of their 310-plus games in North America. The team is searching for active, wounded or retired members of the military who have made their community proud with their brave service and exemplary character. Fans can nominate a Harlem Globetrotters Hometown Hero at harlemglobetrotters.com. The Globetrotters will also play a portion of each game with a camouflage basketball as a sign of respect to all who protect our freedom.

With a star-studded roster featuring Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson,Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law,Bull Bullard, Firefly Fisherand Moose Weekes – plus female stars TNT Maddox, T-Time Brawner and Sweet J Ekworomadu* – the Globetrotters’ one-of-a-kind show is unrivaled in the world of family entertainment. With incredible ball handling wizardry, rim-rattling dunks, trick shots, hilarious comedy and unequaled fan interaction, this must-see event is guaranteed to entertain the whole family. After the game, Globetrotter stars will sign autographs and take photos with fans.

If you'd like to enter our drawing for a Family 4 pack of tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters comment below telling us what your favorite kind of soup is. If you are a registered member of LouisvilleMommies you can get an extra entry by sending a PM to GiveawayGoddess letting us know you commented on this blog post. Winner will be chosen next week.

Christmas Countdown

2014-11-19T09:33:00.000-05:00

My kids love doing crafts with me so I try to come up with different things to try for each holiday. Last week I was working on organizing my scrapbooking area and I noticed all the scrap paper so I thought up a way to use up some of it. I decided we could make a Christmas Countdown Chain.

We started by cutting up the scraps into strips, they were approximately 1 inch by 8 1/2 inches. Each strip for us varied since we were using scraps. You will need 13 of one color (red) and 12 of another color (green). I started with a red strip first and glued one side over the other to make a circle. Then I took a green and put it through the red circle and glued it back to itself to make two interlocking circles. Continue the process switching colors each time until all pieces are in an interlocking chain.

Now you just need a pen or Sharpe to write numbers on each one. You will start with 1 on the top and continue down to 25. Hang it up somewhere in your house and once Dec 1 comes you will cut off the circle on the bottom each day til Christmas.

This doesn't have to be just a Christmas project! You can use this to count down to any occasion. I think I'm going to make two of these next year for my daughter; one to count down till her birthday and one to count down to the day of her birthday party. As moms you all know how much we have to answer the same question "How many days till...?".

Trunk or Treat 2014 at Wolter Chiropractic

2014-10-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

LouisvilleMommies recently had our Trunk-or-Treat at Wolter Chiropractic and it was a smashing success, with over 175 children and adults in attendance it was our biggest event ever! We had 20 trunks including promotional trunks from Isit Swap, Oragami Owl, Norwex, Younique, Themes Come True, Wolter Chiropractic, Juice Plus and Jamberry. The trunk decorations were amazing, the winning themes were Gru's Lab, Dinosaur Valley, Neverland Pirates, and Spooky Graveyard!

The chili and dessert contest entries were so good there was nothing left at the end of the party! The costume contests were so much fun and the winners of each category got a cool certificate with their name and a gift card to Brilliant Sky Books & Toys.

Everyone also enjoyed all kinds of fun games, special appearances by Louie the lightning bug and a local fire truck and fun karate demonstrations by Pro Martial Arts!

One of the best parts of the event was the amazing amount of donations brought in for Wayside Christian Mission. We had almost 300 items donated, from deodorant, toothpaste, and toilet paper, to cleaning supplies, rags, and paper towels. Our Events Manager and one of the Chapter Managers dropped off all the donations at Hotel Louisville this Monday. Hotel Louisville is run by Wayside and is a "transitional living shelter for women and families while providing rooms for tourists and business travelers. And with its spacious, elegantly-appointed ball rooms, Hotel Louisville has become a local favorite for wedding receptions, church conferences, business gatherings, graduation parties, and family celebrations." If you would like to learn more about this amazing place check out http://www.hotellouisville.org/about.html or http://www.waysidechristianmission.org/Home_Page.php

We would like to thank everyone who decorated trunks, made desserts and chili, donated candy, helped with set up, and tear down. We would also like to thank all of our donors and sponsors for all their wonderful contributions to the event: Wolter Chiropractic and Wellness, Uptown Art : Louisville, KaZoing! Party & Play, Belle of Louisville and Spirit of Jefferson, Laughing Derby, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, ISit, Trader Joe's, Brilliant Sky Toys & Books, Louisville, KY, dirty tease, Hooter's, Bearno's, Rocky's, Juice Plus, Themes Come True, Chandler Dearth-Norwex Independent Sales Consultant, Origami Owl-Terri Farmer, Independent Designer #10261, Younique, PRO Martial Arts Stony Brook, Doo Wop Shop, Jamberry Nails & the Jtown Fire Department.

#MrsFieldsMoments Slow Down And Enjoy A Cookie With Someone You Love! #USO #cookies #family

2014-10-16T04:16:00.001-04:00

Share your story Here and download your coupon

Mrs. Fields Famous Brands ("Mrs. Fields") and Interbake Foods LLC ("Interbake Foods," the company responsible for the manufacture and sale of Mrs. Fields branded pre-packaged cookies sold at retailers throughout North America) today kicked off "Mrs. Fields Moments," a national campaign inspiring busy cookie lovers to slow down and enjoy a cookie moment with loved ones.

At a time when obligations leave precious little time for the ones that matter most, Mrs. Fields is encouraging a nationwide movement to dedicate Sunday night to cookie moments with family and friends. Mrs. Fields wants every cookie lover to embrace and share their #mrsfieldsmoments – from milk-and-cookies to bedtime treats – and has provided fun and useful tools for doing so at www.mrsfieldsmoments.com.

Mrs. Fields is a Proud Supporter of the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO), and "Mrs. Fields Moments" builds on the Organization's "Every Moment Counts" campaign, which helps all families – military and otherwise – make the most of every moment together.

"When you buy Mrs. Fields cookies, you're not just buying a cookie: You're helping create moments that matter for troops enduring long deployments," said Kevin McDonough, President of Interbake Foods. "By buying a box of Mrs. Fields cookies, you help give a cookie moment for you and for them. It's a touch of home to those who need it most."

Visit MrsFieldsMoments.com for "Snacktivity" ideas, Conversation Starters, more information about the Mrs. Fields–USO partnership, or to find a grocery store with Mrs. Fields Cookies (look for the USO banner on the box!).

About Mrs. Fields Famous Brands The Company is a well-established franchiser in the premium snack food industry, featuring Mrs. Fields® and TCBY® as its core brands. Through its franchisees' retail stores; it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the world and the largest retailer of soft-serve frozen yogurt with live active cultures. Its franchise systems operate through a network of more than 950 franchised and licensed locations throughout the United States and in 23 foreign countries. In addition, it operates an internet and catalog gifting business, a branded retail business and has entered into licensing arrangements that leverage awareness of its core brands among its retail customer base. The Company is currently relocating their headquarters from Salt Lake City, Utah to Broomfield, Colorado.

About the USO The USO lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

About Interbake Foods Headquartered in Richmond, VA Interbake Foods LLC is a baked goods manufacturer with over 110 years of business experience. Interbake Foods is the North American cookie and cracker Division of Weston Foods. This includes Interbake Foods in the USA and Colonial Cookies Limited in Canada. Weston Foods' mission is to be recognized by its customers as providing the best bakery solutions in North America and Interbake is privileged to serve the marketplace with our award-winning products and services. Interbake Foods consists of three distinct business segments: Retail Private Brands, Contract Manufacturing and Girl Scout cookies through our ABC Bakers Division.

We would like to encourage you to spend a little extra time this Sunday with your family, here is a list of great "Snacktivities" to enjoy with the kids, from mix and watch movie night.....to a family costume contest, these ideas are so much fun. Turn off that TV and put down those devices for a little quality time. Enter to win the trip of a lifetime for your family in the #MrsFieldsMoments contest HERE , just upload a fun photo of your cookie moment and you will be entered to win a trip to Washington DC.

Share this with your fellow bloggers and friends!

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: The Musical

2014-10-14T15:40:00.000-04:00

The Kentucky Center Presents
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: The Musical
Saturday, December 6, 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
Brown Theatre on Broadway
315 W. Broadway, Louisville, 40202

The beloved TV classic RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER soars off the screen and onto the stage! Celebrate Rudolph's 50 years on television and see all your favorite characters. And remember, "what makes you different also makes you special."

Tickets start at $25, on sale here.

The Kentucky Center and LouisvilleMommies are giving you a chance to win a special Holiday treat. To get a chance to win the tickets you must first enter the trunk decorating contest at the Trunk Or Treat this Saturday, October 18th. One winner will receive a Family Four pack of tickets to the performance time of their choice.

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” animated television special adapted from a story by Robert L. May and the song by Johnny Marks, music and lyrics by Johnny Marks. All elements © and ™ under license to Character Arts, LLC

LouisvilleMommies Trunk-or-Treat

2014-09-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Come out and join us at Wolter Chiropractic (2304 Hurstbourne Village Dr. Louisville, KY 40299) on October 18th from 12-3pm. Along with the trunk-or-treat there will also be games, activities, food, a costume contest and LOTS of fun! Including a visit from the Jtown Fire Department. This event is also a donation drive for Wayside Christian Mission. Every donation brought for Wayside is an entry for our door prize. More information about this event is posted on our Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/813103128733720/

Be sure to check out the free Karate classes during the event!

Sponsorship Highlight: Rhea Lana's of Southern Indiana

2014-09-14T15:35:00.000-04:00

Current Sale opening to the public on September 20th 9:00am at the Floyd County Fairgrounds

About us:

We are Vicki Wiehebrink and Wendy Ledbetter, mother/daughter franchise owners of Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment Events. We both live in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I have two grown children, Scott and Wendy. I have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Wendy has three children, Jake, Kylie and Kinley. Founded by Rhea Lana Riner in her living room 16 years ago and headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment hosts semi-annual sales through 69 franchise operations in 23 states. The company is the first consignment sale in the country to offer on-line management and real-time tracking of merchandise through a computerized inventory system.

What are the benefits to parents of consigning outgrown clothing and toys?

Consignors can price each item they choose to sell in the event.
Consignors choose whether they want to sell items for half price on the final days of the sale.
Consignors can track their sales in real time on-line or on their smart-phone because of the innovative bar coding system developed by the company.
Consignors earn 70 to 80 percent of the sale price and will pick up their checks at the end of the sale. Consignors can relax knowing their items are guaranteed against loss.

One of the most fulfilling things we do after each event is to donate thousands of lovely children's items to nonprofit organizations who give them directly to families in need. We feel blessed to be able to provide this service to families in Southern Indiana.

We also give and receive support from our local area sponsor:

Chick-fil-A, New Albany, IN

We are currently working on getting more consignors signed on and also promoting Rhea Lana's through events in the area. We advertise all of our community events on our Facebook page.

By far, our favorite thing is visiting with all the moms and grandmothers we meet when we are at these community events and talking to us about Rhea Lana's.

If parents are interested in participating in our next sale, this is what they need to know to get started!

There are very good instructions on our website (southernindiana.rhealana.com) on how to get your items ready, enter and price your items. If you have questions or problems, you can always email us at vicki@rhealana.com or wendy@rhealana.com.

Likewise, please contact us if you have a family-friendly business and are interested in renting a booth during our event.

You can find us on Facebook at Rhea Lana's of Southern Indiana or on our web page at southernindiana.rhealana.com.

Check out the Rhea Lana’s webpage to find a location near you.

United We Stand, You Are Forever In Our Hearts 9/11/01 #America #freedom #9/11/01

2014-09-11T05:12:00.001-04:00

We can never forget that fateful day 13 years ago when all of America was changed forever.

What were you doing at the moment the twin towers fell is a question I often hear asked on our forums, do you remember what you were doing? How has your life changed since then? We all have different answers, some good, some bad, some very sad. One thing we can say is that we still live in America, land of the free! United we stand!

Forever the victims of September 11 will stay in our hearts along with all the many soldiers that have died fighting for our freedom since 9/11.

United We Stand ~ You Are Forever In Our Hearts

Dedicated to those lost in the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks

Video post below- click to view So Awesome!

Post by Kristy Sinsara.

Leslie B

PBR @ KFC Yum! Center

2014-09-09T16:31:00.001-04:00

The Professional Bull Riders Bluedef Velocity Tour is coming to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville for one night only. On September 13th at 7pm you will get to experience some of the best bull riders in the world facing bulls up to ten times their size! Tickets start at just $15. Click here to buy your tickets now.

We are giving you the chance to win one of 3 sets of 4 packs to the event. Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2014-09-08T09:13:00.000-04:00

Have you check out our Pinterest page yet? We have some great things posted that can help you out no matter what the occasion.

Are you getting ready to plan a party? http://www.pinterest.com/lvillemommies/party-ideas/

Do you need some Learning ideas? http://www.pinterest.com/lvillemommies/learning/

Halloween planning? http://www.pinterest.com/lvillemommies/halloween-ideas/

Are you trying to be more Earth Friendly? http://www.pinterest.com/lvillemommies/reuserecycle/

We have lots of other boards for you to checkout too. Come Follow Us: http://www.pinterest.com/lvillemommies/

Crafty Kids: DIY Shaving Cream Paint Creations #crafts #kids

2014-08-20T15:17:00.001-04:00

Crafty Kids: DIY Shaving Cream Paint Creations

Rheney Williams-Guest Blogger

For moms who grew up in the '80s like I did, you'll probably remember those spinning art toys that let you create splashes and spiral smears of paint. You know – there was a spinning platform with paper exposed underneath, you dropped dots of paint into the middle and the spinning motion and centrifugal force pulled the paint out to the edges of the circle and you were left with these crazy, tie-died-looking paintings?

Although the toys have changed over the years, a kid's (and kids at heart!) basic desire to see swirls of paint and crazy combinations of colors hasn't. And an old-school product is making new spiral innovations possible: Shaving cream! All you need are a few basic supplies and you and your kids can have hours of creative and colorful fun with a beautiful piece of artwork to show for it at the end of the day.

Gather the materials for your shaving cream paint projects. You'll need:

Foam Shaving Cream (not the gel)
Paints in an assortment of colors
Heavy card stock or construction paper
Spatula or ruler
Skewer or little fingers!
Large cookie sheet or use smaller individual trays, one for each child

Tip: To make clean-up a breeze (and avoid having to buy a disposable tray), line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil first. Then all you have to do is remove the foil and you're done!

1. Spray a few lines of shaving cream onto the sheet and use the spatula or ruler to spread out the shaving cream flat and in a square or rectangle about the size of the paper.

2. Add a few random dots of paint or food coloring around the shaving cream palette.

Tip: If you have leftover paint samples from the last time you painted a room, this is a great way to use those and ensure whatever masterpiece your kids come up with coordinates with the space!

3. Use the skewer to make swirls with the paint in free-flowing circles or waves and if you have little kids, just let them go nuts with their fingers.

4. Place the paper into the shaving cream with the right-side facing down so that when you pull the paper off, the paint is on the correct side.

5. Gently push the paper into the shaving cream so that all surfaces touch and allow it to sit for about 10 seconds before carefully peeling the paper off of the shaving cream.

6. Place the paper on a flat surface (in my case, I had another foil-lined sheet pan at the ready) and carefully scrape all of the shaving cream off of the paper to reveal the magical marbling below!

7. Set the paper aside to dry thoroughly and if the edges start to curl, place a glass or other heavy object on the corners to keep them down during drying.

From here, take some time to admire your work and see what imaginative images your kids can find! Can you spot the hidden smiley face that appeared in my swirls? In addition to your classic refrigerator pin-up, here are some other creative uses for your pint-sized Picasso's masterpiece:

Make DIY bookmarks to give as Christmas gifts to the readers you love
Use the brown paper bags from the grocery store in your shaving cream paint project and have unique book covers for school next year
Frame it so you always have a custom piece of art in your office or work space
A DIY puzzle: Cut it into a bunch of different pieces that your kids can put back together and learn about how shapes and patterns relate to each other

What other cool things can you and your kids come up with for shaving cream paint creations?

Rheney Williams is a prolific crafter with a background in theatre arts. Besides writing about projects for Home Depot, Rheney is currently putting her DIY expertise to work by remodeling her first home and experimenting with colors and textures in her home decor.

Amazon.com Widgets

First Day of Kindergarden

2014-08-18T08:21:00.000-04:00

It feels like yesterday that I held him in my arms for the first time — bewildered, tired, and very happy and thankful as he came into the world a month premature and completely healthy. I never believed in love at first sight until that day.

This month he started kindergarten. Where did the last five years go? He has been in daycare for a few years, so I thought this would not be hard on me at all. I had lived through the frantic, nonstop crying when he first started daycare at about a year old, gritting my teeth and digging my nails into my palms as I sat outside his daycare room, holding back my urge to run in and scoop him up in my arms.

Now he is a happy, healthy 5 year old raring to go. He is so eager and excited about starting "real school." This is going to be so easy, I thought.

Until that first full day of school when I stood outside the glass doors holding his hand. His kindergarten teacher had mentioned that the sooner he can walk to his room by himself, the better for him. So we had prepared ourselves and him to do it from day one. Hubby had chosen to wait in the parking lot, not feeling up to handling the goodbye at the door.

So here I was with the job of letting go. For a moment there, I wanted to walk past that door and all the way down the hallway with him. He sensed the hesitation in me and looked up questioningly. I forced myself to smile and said something about the backpack being heavy with all those school supplies. I gave him one last quick hug and put his backpack on his back. He walked in through the doors and down the hallway, my eyes following him the whole way.

And he never looked back, for which I am very grateful. I waited a whole minute after he went inside his room. Not that I thought he would come back out or something. It was more for my own sake than his, I suppose.

Four years ago, letting go had been difficult because he wanted to hold on to me. But now, letting go is difficult because he doesn't want to hold on to me.

Post submitted by Swaha from TriangleMommies.
{Originally submitted to The Mommies Network Blog on 9/11/2011}

Life as a Homeschool Mom

2014-08-06T08:42:00.000-04:00

If I were to meet you on the street today, I would introduce myself as Heather, stay-at-home/homeschooling mom of my daughters who are six and three. You would ask me my thoughts on the public school system and about my choice to keep them home, then about my method of teaching, and the curriculum I use. I would smile and say all the right things. I would tell you just how much I love it, how passionate I am about being their teacher, and how confident I am that this is the right choice for my family.

But that wouldn't really be the truth.

You see, more often than not I have no idea what I am doing. I second guess every decision. Homeschooling was never something I imagined myself doing, so I wonder how I got to this point, and what I was thinking. And some days I allow myself to dream about that big yellow bus pulling up in front of my house and taking my children away for the next six hours.

I love my girls dearly, of course. But the days are long, and the weeks are hectic. And I rarely get a few minutes to think, let alone have a conversation with another adult. We have days that we wake up early, get dressed and into our school room right away. And then we have others where I realize we are still in our pajamas at noon and I haven't even opened a workbook, or answered a single question.

Guilt and fear are par for the course in motherhood, but in my life they are exacerbated by being primarily responsible for my children's education. I believe that right now they learn so much through play, and have a natural curiosity to explore the world around them. But secretly, I worry that I am not smart enough to teach them all they need to know. I question whether my methods really are the best. And I'm afraid that I am doing them a huge disservice by not exposing them to a more structured learning environment.

As I start asking myself questions, I become riddled with the fear that while homeschooling is what I want for my girls, I might not be cut out for it. But then...something miraculous happens.

My youngest daughter will count to twenty, correctly read the letters off a sign as we pass by, and ask for her mountain of books at bedtime. My oldest daughter will flawlessly name the planets, sound out letters, and proudly find Italy on the world map. They will ask for more rhyming games, and sight words. They will demand just one more sheet of school work. They will run to their dad when he walks through the door, eager to tell them what they learned about that day. And they will beg to have school on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays.

And in those moments, I realize that something is working!

So a more accurate representation of the truth is that I am a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom of two. It is harder than I expected it to be. I don't know if I am making the right choices all the time. But my children are learning! And they are loving it!! And that hunger for knowledge is exactly what I wanted to instill in them all along.

Post submitted by Heather from UnionCountyMommies.
{Originally submitted to The Mommies Network National Blog on April 15, 2011}

Are you a Business Owner? Now Sponsorship is easier (and cheaper) than ever!!!!

2014-07-16T20:49:00.001-04:00

Every day, moms across the country are logging into their chapter of The Mommies Network, thanks in part to the support that we get from our sponsors... and our moms are returning the favor by finding out more about those businesses that support their chapter.

That could be you! Sponsorship is a really inexpensive option to marketing, and this week, it's even more affordable.

Now until July 23rd, we are offering 50% all Forum Sponsorship spots with a graphic and text. For as little as $10-$125, your business can be in front of our members for a whole year!!!!

And, we try to make it really easy for you.

Simply Click Here and select the 50% Forum Sponsorship Option. From there, select your chapter and how many spots you want and fill out all of the other information and your discount is instantly applied. Or, you can look around to see if one of our other options works better for you!

After submitting your sponsorship, you'll be taken to a secure PayPal page, and with that complete, we will have your sponsorship up and running within 24 hours!!

An entire year of presentation to our members for as little as $10.... how can you NOT afford to!

Click Here to order your sponsorship today.

Review of Erth's DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE

2014-07-15T17:20:00.000-04:00

Erth's Dinosaur Zoo, presented by The Kentucky Center, is an entertaining and educational show for kids and adults. We went to the June 29 show and were very amazed at the way they kept our attention by being fun yet also giving us great information on dinosaurs. The show offered two different days with three times that you could chose from making it easy to fit busy schedules.

The show started with the host Aimee telling us how long ago dinosaurs existed and how they evolved over time. They had several different puppets with one or more puppeteers with each one. The first set of dinosaurs were the baby dinosaurs. As they were brought out you could hear the audience saying their oohs and awes.

As the show continued they brought out larger and larger dinosaurs. A few of them were the Meganeura (which looks like a giant dragonfly), a Leaellynasaura (pictured top right), a Triceratops and most little boys favorite the Tyrannosaurus.

During the show they asked for a few volunteers and let them come up on stage to help out. They also mentioned that if you didn't get to come up on stage that you'd get the opportunity to pet one after the show. I thought that was fantastic of them!

I think my favorite was the Leaellynasaura. It is not a dinosaur that you normally see and they did a pretty funny skit making it look like they were fighting over a bowl of water. My daughters favorite was the Titanosaur, and my son just loved the whole thing. It was a 1 hour show then you get to pet the baby dinosaurs in the lobby so it took us about 30 minutes extra. They also sold some souvenirs in the lobby before the show, prices started at just $10.

The Kentucky Center Presents Erth's DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE

2014-06-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 28, 11 a.m., 3 p.m.

Sunday, June 29, 1 p.m.

Brown Theatre, 315 W Broadway, Louisville 40202

Get ready for the ultimate playdate - 65 million years in the making - as Erth’s DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE leads you on a breathtaking tour of pre-historic Australia. Meet and interact with an eye-popping collection of life-like dinosaur puppets presented in an entertaining and educational live theatrical performance created by Erth Visual & Physical of Sydney, Australia.

Click here for a preview video.

Tickets at 584-7777, The Kentucky Center box office and kentuckycenter.org

WANNA CHANGE YOUR USERNAME? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!!!!!

2014-05-29T13:02:00.001-04:00

We are in the last 48 hours of the Mommies Network May is for Mothers, and we are upping the perks for you to donate!!!

If you make a $25 donation before 11:59pm on May 31st, you can change your username by simply forwarding your donation receipt to heather@themommiesnetwork.org!

Yeah- it's really that easy!!!

Visit http://themommiesnetwork.causevox.com to make your donation right now!!!

You Are Not Just A Mother, You Are YOU First!

2014-05-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

Mothers face many challenges in today’s world. They carry the responsibility of many roles. Through these roles we become different things to different people. Sometimes we get divided over having a career and having a families or find conflict between the different jobs that we try to do. Making the question “Who am I?” even harder to answer.

It grows harder because mothers see this little person that looks up at them with innocent trusting eyes, mommy is everything to that little one. She makes the hurt from boo-boos go away with a kiss, chases the monsters from under the bed away, and rocks them after a bad dream. Every mother takes that responsibility and carries it with her no matter where she goes. It is an awesome responsibility of caring for this wonderful little person and being mom is always on the mind. As much as it is wonderful to revel in mommyhood, we still need to remember that being a mother is just one part of us, the more we allow ourselves to see who we are the better examples we can set for our children to leading a balanced life.

As a mother, I have struggled to find my own identity. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a business owner, a sister, a friend…..but who am I? It is easy to define yourself by what you do and what you mean to other people. As we take on these different roles our own identity gets blurred. It is harder to make the distinction. Who am I if I am not Logan’s mom or Ben’s wife?
Who are you? A wife, a mother, an employee, they are all a part of who we are, but they do not define you. We are the only ones that are able to define who we are. When are we just women? Women that have our own values, ideas, and philosophies, women that are able to embrace their different roles in life, but still are able to maintain there sense of “self”.
The importance of women defining who they are is giving them a chance to grow as women. To recognize that they need to take off all the different hats that they wear during the day and take time to honor who they are.

The problem is that because they are in so many different roles that they stop seeing themselves separate from them. They stop taking time for themselves, because they are giving so much to everyone else. Does this sound familiar? Have you lost your identity among the different jobs that you do everyday? How do you see yourself?

Here are a few questions that can help you determine if you are defining yourself by what you do instead of who you are:

*Do you spend at least an hour a day doing the things that you want to do? (Reading, participating in hobbies, watching your favorite TV program, etc)
*When asked to describe yourself do you start with “I enjoy…” or “I am a woman that believe/feel….”? Or do you say, “I am a mother…” or “I am a nurse…”
*Are you able to say “no” to things that interfere with the things that you want to do? Or that you do not have time for?
*Do you feel that your life is in balance? Which means that you get enough time to pursue your own interest instead of just the interest of your children or significant other?
*Do you feel that you spend time equally on yourself as you do on others?
*If you answered “no” to any of the questions it is time to get back in touch with yourself. You need to not only stop defining yourself by what you do but you need to spend sometime getting to know who you are.

Here are some tips for you to get in touch with the forgotten woman inside.

Make sure that you spend time perusing your own interests. The problem with defining yourself by what you do is that you don’t give yourself time to do what you want to do; your time is spent doing for others. Do something that you have always wanted to do; take a class, start a book club, anything that gives you some time to just do your own thing. Above all make the time to do it! It’s ok to do something for yourself.

Say “NO” frequently! Just because you take on different roles does not mean that you have to do everything for everybody. Recognize when there is something that others could really do for themselves. Do not let yourself be taken advantage of! REMEMBER it is just as much of a benefit for others to learn how to do for themselves as it is to you.

Make sure that you have OFF DUTY time! Just like a conventional job, make sure there is a time of day when you are done. Don’t work right up until you go to bed. Give yourself time to unwind, distress, and relax. Wait until the kids are in bed and take a long hot bubble bath. Curl up in your favorite chair with a good book. Meditate or do yoga. Do whatever relaxes you. You need this time to maintain some balance. Because of you multiple roles you are “on the clock” the majority of the time. You have to have time to distress! Without it you are going to “burn out”. Visualize your bank account if you keep making withdraws without making a deposit, eventually you are going to just run out of resources. Make sure to take time to revitalize yourself.

I have found that by maintaining my own identity that I am a better mother, wife, daughter, business owner, sister, and friend. It maintains balance in my life because I know that even though I am different things to different people; I know what it means to just be me.

Post submitted from TriadMommies.
{Originally submitted to The Mommies Network Blog}

LouisvilleMommies 6th Birthday Bash

2014-05-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY

2014-05-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY^®PRESENTS BUILT TO AMAZE^SM RETURNS TO LOUISVILLE BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Ringling Bros.®Presents Built To Amaze! a Circus Spectacular Extraordinarily Engineered by The Greatest Show On Earth®

returns to the KFC Yum! Center, May 15- 18, 2014

Tickets On Sale, Monday April 7

Louisville, KY–Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® PresentsBuilt To Amaze!, is an extraordinarily engineered circus experience where Children Of All Ages® find out what it takes to build The Greatest Show On Earth®.The foundation is set and the rising anticipation of high-energy, high-jinx and hilarity is ready to be transported by colorful circus machinery and unleashed from shipping crates right before the audience’s eyes from May 15-18 at the KFC Yum! Center.

Built To Amaze! opens with the All-Access Pre-show where everyone is invited to join the fun and meet the Built To Amaze!international cast of performers as they prepare for the show. The Ringling Bros.® Ringling Girls and Barnum B-Boys encourage kids to participate in a tug-of- war and kick off what will soon become an insane battle of girl power versus boy power in Built To Amaze!Audiences also can pick up some hip dance moves during the dance party, try on custom designed costumes, learn circus skills like juggling from the famous Ringling Bros.Clown Alley and even have the opportunity to witness and win a one of a kind masterpiece created by Asia, Ringling Bros. very own painting pachyderm!

Andre McClain, Ringmaster and America’s favorite cowboy takes the Ringling Bros. reins and accompanied by his horse Comanche, leads his Built To Amaze! funny and mischievous super circus supervisors, to construct The Greatest Show On Earth. A fantastic design with more than 110 of the world’s best performers representing 17 countries along with 95 exotic and domestic animals will be assembled, creating never-before-seen heart pounding performances. Ringling Bros. is thrilled to introduce nine-time international award winning comedic animal presenting duo Alex and Irina Emelin of Russia. Also new to Ringling Bros. is the Tower Tumblers, a troupe of competitive aerial athletes from the Ukraine who launch themselves from trampolines to scale, repel and pass through a three-story high translucent tower. Ringling Bros.brings a spirited and fiery competition of basketball with the next generation of whirling unicyclists, the legendary King Charles Troupe hailing from New York City!

You can only experience this design of excitement at Ringling Bros. Built To Amaze! Get your tickets for super circus fun today!

Tickets for Built To Amazego on sale Monday, April 7 and are available through www.Ringling.com, Ticketmaster or the KFC Yum! Center box office.

For more information, visit www.Ringling.com.

SHOW SCHEDULE:

May 15 7 p.m.

May 16 7 p.m.

May 17 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

May 18 2 p.m.

Sponsorship Highlight: Team Hogan

2014-05-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

TEAM HOGAN

OF

SCHULER BAUER REAL ESTATE SERVICES – ERA POWERED

FROM YOUR FIRST HOME TO YOUR DREAM HOME…

…WE WANT TO BE YOUR PERSONAL PROFESSIONALS!!

ABOUT TEAM HOGAN:

Tammy Hogan

ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor

Managing Broker and Director of Professional Development

cell - 502.386.2493

e-mail - tammyhogan@schulerbauer.com

Beth Hogan

Realtor

Vice-President of the Young Professionals Network

cell - 502.608.5818

e-mail - bethhogan@schulerbauer.com

Tammy Hogan and Beth Hogan, the two Realtors at Team Hogan, are both dedicated and knowledgeable real estate professionals with over 25 combined years of experience in real estate in the Southern Indiana market. If you’re looking to buy or sell in Southern Indiana, especially Clark, Floyd, or Harrison counties, you won’t find a more capable or hard working team, let alone single agent.

As a mother/daughter team, Tammy and Beth greatly approve of and understand the mission of The Mommies Network. Being a mother is one of the most challenging and rewarding things any woman will ever do, and it’s a pleasure to help support a group of mothers there to share with and support each other through the ups and downs of their journeys.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook.

Are you part of the 99%?

2014-05-08T11:19:00.001-04:00

How would you feel if I told you that less than 1% of the people around you cared about what you need?

Far too often, we feel the impact of standing alone and just wish that someone else would stand there with us, knowing that the journey would not be so hard if we just had a few extra people to help us along the way. This is apathy, and it's a big problem. I bet this is something you have experienced in your life. However, when the shoe is on the other foot and something out there in the world needs us, we tend to pass it right by.

The Mommies Network has over 20,000 members... moms who come to us for help and support and community. 20,000 moms just like you. Last year, less than 350 of those members donated to The Mommies Network during our May is for Mothers campaign. Look around you- do you think that only 350 of our members need support and community and the other 19,650 don't? And which one of those are you?

When we look at our chapters, that is not what we see. We see moms logging in day after day, sometimes 20 or 30 times a day. What we see is that almost all 20,000 of those members do need us and do use us, but that less than 1% of our membership helping burden the cost of the other 99% of us. Less than 1% of us are committed to what you need.

Forget the money, because it's not about the money. It's about apathy. The indifference of saying 'I don't need to do anything because someone else will take care of it and I'll still get what I need'. Do any of us really want to be that person?

Are you satisfied knowing that select few people are more invested in your support than you are?

This week, the conversation we are having on the forums is asking our members to make a commitment. We are asking one simple question:

"What will you do to make your community better?"

It doesn't have to be money! There are dozens of ways you can help... little things like signing up for Amazon Smiles and giving 0.5% of your purchases back to The Mommies Network, or asking a friend to join so that our community of support gets bigger, going to an event that one of our volunteers worked hard to provide to you, or even just not passing by a post without saying something.

Or you can give a few bucks and know for the next year that you were not a part of the 99% being cared for by 1%, if for not other reason than to know that a community cannot sustain itself like that and you know you use and need that community.

Give today so you can receive tomorrow.

Get Support. Give Support. The Mommies Network.

I Don't Like Mothers Day

2014-05-06T10:44:00.001-04:00

Let me tell you why.

I don't want to sound ungrateful- I really don't! But, I could do without the store bought card. Flowers are always nice, but they will wilt ( and guess who is going to have to throw them out and wash out the gunky water from the vase?)

Honestly, one day a year, a $5 card and overpriced flowers do not make this job any easier. I'd rather get something I know that I need. Something that actually makes motherhood a little easier. Something that is personal. Something I use the whole year!

This year, I am asking the people I love to give me a community of friends and people who understand me. This year, I'm just asking the people who love me to skip the card and the flowers and make a donation to The Mommies Network instead.

The Mommies Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which means that it can't continue to bring FREE support to moms without help.

It's super easy and takes just a second! Just click on the image you would prefer below and you can post it right to your Facebook Wall. Tag the people you know will be sending you a card and ask for this instead! Best of all, you actually are saving time (and money) of those people you love, because this takes just a minute. We will even be send out a personalized E-Card to you on Mothers Day to let you know that person has made a donation in your honor.

Give up the Mommy Myth that you can't ask for what you need, and tell the people that love you to skip the card... you'd prefer a circle of friends this Mothers Day!

Click here to Share this image on your Facebook Wall

Tales from our Supermoms

2014-05-03T11:41:00.001-04:00

Over the past two days, we asked for our moms to share their Mommy Myths, and the response has been overwhelming! Here are a just a few*...

" I had to learn it's okay to ask for help... My mom was very sick several years ago and was in and out of the hospital.... between taking care of my mom, going back and forth to the hospital... trying to keep some sort of normalcy for my family.... Dinner, homework, etc, I almost lost it. I felt like the world was on my shoulders and I was a moment away from losing it.

Thankfully several friends from this site would just send little notes of encouragement, offers to help with the kids, etc. I wouldn't have made it without them. I tear up just typing this because I will never be able to repay them for what they did during that time...."

"I'm not one who's afraid to lay it on the line.... For some reason however, it took me longer than usual to talk about (some) issues. I finally opened up last week and boy am I glad I did! It was like a weight was lifted. I don't want to talk about it on FB .... but I knew here I'd be safe. I got a ton of support and a wealth of information I would've had no clue about otherwise. I feel a lot better about my situation and I feel like I'm able to move forward not only more educated but also supported which means the world."

"When I started back at work after having my first daughter, I really depended on the MOTC forum for major support. I remember the feeling of missing the baby were so strong I felt like someone was ripping my heart strings out! I cried my first day back. The first few weeks were the hardest, and I went to the forum often for encouragement, understanding, advice, tips on how to balance working and being a new mom. It was so fantastic to get connected with other moms who knew exactly what I was feeling."

"I was talking to my MIL last night on the phone, and she asked me how I was coping... I said "Well, I am managing to feed the kids and keep them fairly clean, so we're doing okay." and she said "Well, I see you post smiling, happy pictures on FB and just think you are doing fine,....

Which is exactly why BM helps me. I don't post this stuff on FB because I don't want the whole world to know, but I can come here and talk, vent, ask for advice etc. I know that people here, other moms going through similar things will understand and give me support.

That's really such an amazing thing TMN provides, for their members to get and give support, for FREE! "

This is what just a few of our moms are saying when they are telling us why they need their chapter. We are not social media! We are a place where moms find support when the rest of the world expects them to just deal with what life throws at them. But we cannot do it alone.. just like these moms cannot do it alone.

We give this to our members for free because we don't believe that moms should have to pay to get this kind of support... but that doesn't mean that that it's cost free for us to provide it. We have moms who can't donate... and we understand that. We also have moms who already give their time to our organization, and we do not want to ask them to give more... they make your support possible! If you can give, give for yourself and another mom. Your donation means that these moms and tens of thousands of moms just like them can come here tomorrow and get the support they need!


Click here to donate now!

* Some of the details have been changed to protect the identity of our members and have been used with the permission of those members Our mission: To provide a safe, secure, FREE place for mothers to find support and encouragement from other mothers and to empower them to be better women, mothers and community leaders.