Mom Mart

Grabbing lunch on the go with children in tow!

2012-02-29T16:07:00.001-06:00

I am not one for wasting money and usually prefer to make my meals at home. I like to try new recipes and I really like saving money. I love to cook, it is the cleaning up after the cooking that leaves me cross eyed. On days where I am out and about with the kids and time has slipped away from us I will stop off somewhere and grab a quick bite to eat for lunch. I prefer to go through the drive-thru and restaurants that do not have a drive-thru are ones that I usually avoid. I love the drive-thru. Whoever invented the idea of the drive-thru has made it to the top of my favorite person...

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Do you ever feel the need to accessorize?

2012-02-28T20:11:00.000-06:00

I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not a girly girl. I own about five dresses and I rarely wear makeup. I am not big into jewelry, although I do own a few sentimental pieces that are near and dear to me. My purse collection has grown {Thank you MIL} since I have gotten older and I have started to warm up to fun shoes too. But I am by no means a girly girl. I usually throw on something quick and simple for the day without a second thought as to my appearance. Most of the time. There are those rare occasions when I am going out and I know I am going to see people that I...

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Being a Champion for Kids with Energizer: Light Up a Life! #ChampionsForKids

2012-02-28T16:33:00.018-06:00

Last week, I mentioned that I was taking part in the Champions for Kids, Energizer Light Up a Life simple service project. The Champions for Kids mission is to mobilize millions of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children. They encourage people to make simple care kits for kids, then give the care kits to an organization in your community that serves children (like a school, shelter, religious organization, or nonprofit). To get ready for this project I sat down with my children and brainstormed what we wanted to include in our care kits. We thought...

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Opening gifts gracefully… with a toddler?

2012-02-27T20:07:00.000-06:00

This weekend was my son’s 3rd birthday party. We had a train themed birthday party with Thomas the tank engine sprinkled throughout. My son is all about Thomas and could not have been more excited about his big birthday party! He wanted to show everyone that came in the door his birthday cake before they were allowed to go anywhere and do anything. He was brought to tears when one little guest would not accompany him upstairs to look at his cake. Guess who was on the cake? Yup, Thomas! William had so much fun playing with his friends, showing off his decorations, displaying his birthday...

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Happy Birthday!

2012-02-26T13:32:00.000-06:00

My little boy has turned three years old and I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by! I remember bringing him home from the hospital and introducing him to friends and family for the first time. Now he is three years old! His actual birthday took place mid-week, so we celebrated his birthday on his birthday with just the family. His grandma and grandpa came by the house in the morning and took him out for ice cream and color coated popcorn. We listened to his birthday song and danced and played the day away. When daddy got home from work we ate dinner and William got his special...

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A day in Chicago: Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum

2012-02-26T13:02:00.000-06:00

I am a big fan of Chicago. I love going into the city with my family. There is always somewhere new to eat and something fun to do. Taking the whole family into the city can get a little pricey though. I am a frugal mommy who loves to look for deals! Chicago does something fabulous that I can get on board with… free days! The Field MuseumShedd AquariumMuseum of Science and IndustryThe Art Institute of Chicago February21st - 23rd27th - 29thMarch1st6th 2012 Illinois Resident Discount Days February:, 22, 23, 27, 28 June: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 September: 10, 11, 17, 18, 24,...

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Mr. Sunshine!

2012-02-25T20:11:00.000-06:00

My children are my pride and joy and make me happy when skies are gray. They totally make my heart just melt when they smile. Both my boys have little firemen coats (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa) and they love to wear them whenever they can. My toddler especially likes to pretend to be Uncle Shawn and drive a fire truck. My little baby is still a little small for his fireman jacket, but he just looks so cute in it I cannot help myself! This little baby boy is defiantly my sunshine, my Mr. Sunshine! He is such a happy baby. He smiles and laughs and cuddles like no one else. Although I...

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Mr. Clean: My child and his vacuum.

2012-02-24T19:14:00.000-06:00

My children used to be terrified of our old vacuum cleaner. It was big and bulky and made a racket when it was being used. My toddler would run screaming and crying out of the room whenever I started it up. Then I got a new Hoover stick vacuum and I can no longer vacuum my own floors. My baby crawls up to it and sits on top of it. My toddler runs up to me and takes it away from me. He wants to use it. He can turn it on and off and he can push it all by himself. He confiscated my vacuum and gets to work cleaning our low pile carpets and wood flooring. I do not make my children do...

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Fitness Friday Week 5 of TurboFire

2012-02-24T19:13:00.000-06:00

This week has been so busy! My little boy turned three years old and I have been planning a big birthday bash for him. I was pretty good about doing my TurboFire this week considering how chaotic it has been in my home. I totally brought the energy to every class I did and I worked hard. Measured Progress:Weight: -.5 lbWaist: -.5 inHips: sameChest: -.5 inRight Arm: -.5 inLeft Arm: -.25 inRight Thigh: sameLeft Thigh: same Class ScheduleTurboFire uses terms like Fire class, HIIT Class, Core Class, Sculpt Class, Tone Class, and Stretch Class. I use the terms workout, tone,...

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Pinterest Project Thursday: Pennant Happy Birthday Sign!

2012-02-23T13:30:00.000-06:00

I am a ddicted to Pinterest and have no idea what I did before this handy little website came along… Oh yeah I googled things, clicked on images, saved the images to my computer using the website as the name of the image. This was a long drawn out process, thank goodness Pinterest came along and gave me something else to get addicted to! I am amazed at the ideas, arts, crafts and recipes that I find on Pinterest. The food looks so yummy {I have no idea how they photograph it to look so pretty} and the crafts are awesome! I want to do them all. Since December of 2011 I have been...

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Move the sun mom!

2012-02-23T13:28:00.001-06:00

My little guy is very particular about some things. One thing that drives him bananas is having the sun in his eyes. He gets very upset and tells me that I need to move the sun, “Mommy make the sun move out of the way. Move it mommy!” Really, how powerful does my son think I am? I should be flattered. I should be really really flattered that my son thinks that I have the power and ability to make the heavens and earth move. Ha! The world revolves around ME! Take that siblings, I was right! I guess I could just turn the car around and drive in another direction. That would be an easy...

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Two little boys and a cart: Fun times shopping with two children!

2012-02-22T13:44:00.000-06:00

I worried that having two children and trying to grocery shop was going to be impossible. I know other women do it all the time – heck my mother had five kids! But if I am being perfectly honest, I know my limits and two screaming children in a grocery store is not my idea of a good time. I would get these mental images of pushing the cart with my baby sitting in front while chasing my toddler who is running rampant throughout the store. My toddler loves to run and hide. He loves to play hide and seek. He loves to run free. This is not fun for mommy. My husband does a majority of the...

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When the bedtime routine just isn't cutting it...

2012-02-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

Like most parents, I have a bedtime routine that I do with my children every night. Each child is different because they are at different stages and need different things. My baby’s bedtime routine is simple; he gets a diaper change, a pajama change, and lots of snuggles. While my toddler’s routine is a little bit more involved. Every night I take my toddler to the bathroom before bedtime. He goes potty in the toilet, gets a treat, and then heads upstairs for bed. We change into pajamas, brush teeth, read two stories, say our prayers, and then get a kiss goodnight. Seems like a lot,...

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Call to ACTION #ChampionsForKids: Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kits #EnergizerCFK, {#CBias}

2012-02-21T10:50:00.008-06:00

As an Illinois native I am used to the weather changing at the drop of a hat. One day it will snow six inches and the next day it will be 50° and sunny. You never quite know what to expect in Illinois where the weather is concerned. Needless to say it is always a good idea to be prepared, especially in the winter. Weather such as extreme cold temperature, blizzards, and ice storms are responsible for hundreds of these deaths and thousands of these injuries each year. Last year Illinois saw a blizzard that stranded drivers, buried vehicles, and closed schools. It was a massive snow storm that...

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And the Academy Award goes to…

2012-02-20T10:09:00.000-06:00

I love award the award season. Every year I try to watch all of the big contenders so that I am prepared to cast my vote when the time comes. Sometimes I am completely mystified as to why a movie was nominated – sometimes I am simply mystified about what a movie is supposed to be about {The Tree of Life???}. On the rare occasions that I get to go out and have a date night with my husband I usually head to a movie theater. This photograph was taken at a local theater. They are obviously just as excited about the Oscars as I am. I love filling out my ballot and watching with eager...

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Train Themed Birthday Party Favors

2012-02-19T19:22:00.001-06:00

I have been having such an incredibly fun time putting together my son’s 3rd birthday party. My little boy will be turning 3 and we are having a train themed birthday party. I have been working on decoration {Yarn Wreaths & Yarn Balls} for the past couple of weeks to prepare for the big event. I went to the craft store the other day to pick up ribbon and paper for more decorations and I have been busy being crafty. The plan for the evening is to stuff party favor bags for the party and put them off to the side until the big day. I ordered the party favors a couple weeks ago and when...

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Playtime with Dad!

2012-02-18T15:28:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things in life is watching my husband interact with our children. They absolutely adore their father and you can see it in the way they look at him. The feeling is obviously reciprocated. When my husband walks in the door from a long day at work we rush to the door to great him. It may seem silly, but I think that it is important for the children to be excited about spending time with mom and dad. I know that when I walk in the door from running errands my heart melts when my kids run to me for hugs and kisses. When dad gets home from work it is a party in our house. I...

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My Dream Home Wish List

2012-02-18T15:04:00.001-06:00

We are getting ready to put our house on the market and I cam both excited and nervous. I love my current home. I love almost everything about it. My husband and I (as well as various family members) have put a lot of hard work into making my current house a great home to live in. Sadly, we have outgrown this home and are in need of something a little bit bigger. I am excited about the prospect of what moving might bring. I love looking at houses and frequently look online to see what is out there. I enjoy the process of making a house a home. I enjoy fixing up old houses and making them...

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Getting back into the swing of things at the park!

2012-02-17T14:12:00.000-06:00

I must say that I love this nice weather that Illinois has been having. It isn’t warm, but it is way warmer than it usually is in February. This week alone we have hit the park on three separate occasions for a little outside play time. The boys both love swinging in the swings and running around on the play set. I have a couple fantastic parks right around my home that I frequent with the boys during the summer. Since it has been so nice outside we decided to take a walk to the park this morning to play. William rode his scooter and I strolled along with Steven in the stroller. Once at...

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TurboFire Fitness Friday

2012-02-17T11:30:00.007-06:00

Week 4:I am back at it! Having to take off three days last week due to illness was not my idea of fun and left me feeling feeble. Because I was off for three days I felt like I had to work twice as hard to keep up with the videos this week and to maintain my level of energy throughout the workouts. It was not easy and I totally wanted to turn off the video half way through one of my workouts earlier this week, but I powered through and made it work. What is even more entertaining to me is the fact that although I felt tired and fragile this week, I didn’t even break a sweat at my Zumba...

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The magic of a cardboard box!

2012-02-16T14:26:00.000-06:00

I am highly entertained by the fact that a cardboard box can entertain children like nothing else. I that cardboard boxes are magical and hold so much interest for children because they don’t tell children what they are or how to play with them. It is completely left up to the imagination. I love things that give you creative freedom to run wild with. When I was a little girl {as crazy as it seems I was at one point in time a child} I did not have a Barbie dream house or a motorized Ford F150 to roll in deep with. I had a linen closet with towels for furniture and an imagination. Sometimes...

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Pinterest Project Thursday: ring around the wreath

2012-02-16T13:42:00.000-06:00

Next week my little boy will be turning three years old! Time sure does have a way of passing by rather quickly. I have been on full blown party planning mode. I am channeling my inner craftiness and trying to make a lot of the decorations for my little boys train themed birthday party. The colors are red and baby blue. I made yarn balls a couple weeks ago and had a ton of left over yarn. So I quickly got on Pinterest to see what else I could do with my left over yarn {I am not one to waste and I pinch every penny}. I happened upon some very beautiful yarn wreaths and knew this was...

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Riding in Style

2012-02-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of taking care of my niece Abby this morning and I must say that she is too cute! As a mother of two boys I do not get to do all the fun things that mothers of little girls get to do. I am okay with this most of the time because my boys are fantastic and I adore them. I am perfectly content with my rough and tumbling little monsters and enjoy the fact that my boys like to play and get dirty and make messes. I don’t worry about them ruining their clothing with paint or mud. They are boys… that is what boys do. Little girls get adorable clothing sets, ruffled bloomers,...

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Seeking Sponsorship BlogHer 12: Mom Mart is heading to NY!

2012-02-14T16:46:00.001-06:00

Mom Mart is headed to BlogHer 12 in New York City in August and is now accepting sponsorship! I am incredibly excited to be able to participate in this event and since this will be my first time attending, I will be doing it all! Check out my sponsorship packages or send me an email {MomMart@yahoo.com} and we can work out a package that is customized just for you. What is BlogHer12? BlogHer is the largest community of women who blog: 25+ million unique visitors per month (Nielsen Net Ratings). Each year over 3,000 bloggers attend BlogHer. Engaged and influential, these...

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Love: A Valentine's Day Treat!

2012-02-14T13:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine’s Day! My Valentine’s Day is great! I got my workout in, had time to shower and get dressed, we made it to William’s preschool class on time, and I even made the children mini heart PB&J sandwiches for lunch. William was a big fan of the cookie cutter heart shaped sandwiches and has requested that the rest of his food be shaped into something… I think that I have unleashed a cookie cutter monster! Yikes! Oh well. These little sandwiches were a easy to make and look adorable. They are also a cute way to vamp up a simple meal {in my opinion}. The day is only half...

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