Musings From a Stay At Home Mom

Enter the Epic Sports $5000 Win with Friends Sweepstakes

2012-05-25T16:07:58Z

Everyone can use some extra cash and Epic Sports, one of the leading online sporting goods retailers, is giving away $5000 in its newest sweepstakes promotion, the Epic Sports Win with Friends Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is the company’s way of saying thanks to its loyal customers and inviting others to check out the savings available on EpicSports.com. You can enter anytime between now and June 25.

Prizes:
One winner will win $2500 and also get to pick up to 5 friends to win $500 each!

Entering is fast and easy:

Visit Epic Sports and click the sweepstakes banner (it’s on the right)
Enter your name and e-mail address, and submit.
You will have an option to share on your Facebook wall or invite your friends on Facebook to enter. This is where you can increase your chances of winning because for each friend who enters after you, you will receive an extra entry. Sharing is not required, but it does make sense. (Friends selected for a “friend prize” or only eligible if they have entered as well.)

By offering an incentive to share with friends on Facebook, Epic Sports hopes its great customers will share not only the sweepstakes, but also their shopping experiences with Epic Sports. Epic Sports provides customers with amazing savings on thousands of products for athletes and that’s why they keep coming back. The company has grown due to outstanding word-of-mouth advertising and running this sweepstakes is just one of the many ways Epic Sports is showing its appreciation.

Need more information? Read the official rules for the Epic Sports Win with Friends Sweepstakes.

Disclaimer: This was a paid post, written by the sponsor and approved by me. Regardless I will only share and recommend products I use personally or believe will be good for my readers.

Summer Fun for Kids Event: Exciting Matchbox Cliff Hanger Play Sets {Giveaway}

2012-05-23T18:35:45Z

Matchbox Cliff Hanger sets bring the excitement of a cool Matchbox car set off the floor and onto the table. That means less stuff for us to trip on! The Cliff Hangers safely clamp on the edge of a table or other piece of furniture and then the fun begins. There’s three sets in this exciting series: the Fire Station, Police Station, and Airport.

The Matchbox Cliff Hanger Fire Station starts with two levels, but there’s a third “secret level” that can be opened for even more fun! It also has a working elevator that lowers all the way to the ground for “ground rescues” and two ramps.

The Matchbox Cliff Hanger Police Station has two levels, a working crane that can pick up and “reel” in the bad guys or help with a rescue, and a helicopter pad.

The Matchbox Cliff Hanger Airport comes with an airplane, a fold-out helicopter pad, two levels, and another working elevator.

When I first saw these Cliff Hanger sets, to be honest, I wondered if it was another of those toys that look fun, but in reality, doesn’t actually work that well. But I was wrong. These sets are fantastic. I can’t find anything we don’t like about them.

I’ll start from the beginning.

Putting the sets together was easier than I thought. It was a little tricky to attach one of the ramps onto the Fire Station, but other than that, it was pretty simple. And once it’s all put together, it stays together. We’ve all encounter those toys that frustrate our kids when they fall apart (and in turn, it drives us crazy too) but in the week my kids have been playing with these? Nothing’s fallen apart.

Each set mounts to the table with a clamp and it’s actually really sturdy. The clamp is padded so it won’t damage furniture.

It’s not like my table’s in pristine condition anyways, but for those of you who do have nice furniture, it’s worth noting this fact. It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to clamp the sets onto furniture; they can be played with flat on a table, but most of the fun is in the cliff hanger part of it, so why wouldn’t you?

Here’s the Fire Station on the table without being clamped on the edge:

Once it’s clamped down, let the fun begin! Cars and trucks can race down the ramps to make their rescues or arrests, movable elevators or cranes can be lowered all the way to the ground, and ramps and pieces can be changed to mix it up too. There’s a lot to do with these exciting Matchbox playsets.

My boys adore these sets. They’re recommended for ages 3 and up and Joshua, who will be 3 in just a couple weeks, really loves these. He’s my car-and-truck-loving boy and these sets absolutely thrilled him. From racing his vehicles down the ramps to turning the crank to raise and lower the elevator, they’ve kept him occupied for hours.

Nathan, who is 9, enjoys playing with them too.

The new Matchbox Cliff Hanger playsets are a really hit in my household and I highly recommend them for all the young car/truck lovers in your family! (Oh and shhh….my husband may or may not have tried these out too! But you didn’t hear that from me…)

Buy It:
You can find these nationwide, online, and at Amazon
Matchbox Cliff Hanger Fire Station – ARV: $22.99
Matchbox Cliff Hanger Police Station & Airport – ARV $16.99 each

Win It!

3 lucky winners will each win one of the Matchbox Cliff Hanger Play sets!
The first winner will have their choice of the three, the 2nd winner will choose from the remaining two sets, and the 3rd winner will get the last set.

Rules:
This giveaway ends on June 8, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click here for complete rules and disclosure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you to the folks at Mattel for the free products I was sent to review. I received no monetary compensation and my opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Moments to Remember: Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

2012-05-24T18:56:21Z

Today is a very special momentous day for Nate & me. It’s our 10th wedding anniversary.

We’ve been married for a decade now. Wow.
I never doubted we’d make it this far, but I’m pretty sure there were plenty of people who did when we got married in 2002. I was just 19 and Nate was 20. We were practically still kids. And we were definitely pretty naive. We’re still pretty young at 29 and 30, but I think it’s safe to say we’ve matured a lot. Having four kids will certainly do that to you. (Or at least it should!)

May 25, 2002

We met when I was almost 16. We’re one of those somewhat-rare couples where there’s only ever been each other. Neither of us has ever had another boyfriend or girlfriend. Not even a single date with someone else. It’s kinda cool to have that special bond.

When I was a teenager, I used to pray that the Lord would send me the man he wanted me to be with. My heart was already broken in so many pieces, from other situations, and I was desperately afraid of being hurt in pursuit of love. I honestly didn’t think I could handle one more hurt. So I handed that burden over to God. Not that I didn’t ever try to take it back from time to time, but I prayed everyday that He would send me that man.

God answered that prayer when He sent Nate. I wasn’t always sure of it. I had my doubts at times. (Not from Nate, but from my own insecurities.) But, now, as we are celebrating 10 years together, I see how awe-inspiring God’s plan is. When I see Nate, I see my beautiful children, how much love there is in my family, I’m reminded of this powerful verse:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

My husband is amazing. I’ve sometimes held back on sharing just how awesome he is because I don’t want to be one of those people who are always bragging about their perfect kids, perfect family, their perfectness. But I’ve realized that’s not what I want to do. And for Pete’s sake, Nate deserves some credit for everything he has to deal with. He patiently puts up with a lot from me. All my issues that are taking two therapists to work through. Trust me, that’s not easy!

Nate, thank you for everything you do. For making me a nice breakfast and coffee each morning so I can get my day started with a good meal. You know I’m not a morning person and would just grab a protein bar otherwise. For emptying the dishwasher because you know it means a lot to me. For offering to fold laundry, even though I never take you up on it because you still don’t seem to know how to fold even a towel! Lol! (See made you laugh!) For leaving me sweet notes, telling me how wonderful you think I am and that you love me.

Thank you for taking the time to ask, ”What can I do to help you, honey?” For changing diapers when you’re home so I can have a break. For realizing how much I love animals and doing thoughtful things like getting me a cockatiel for Mother’s Day. For changing the cat litter. For taking out the trash every week, even though it’s so early and you’re rushing to work. For helping with the kids even when you’re exhausted. For doing the dinner dishes without me asking.

Thank you for tackling the never-ending to do list on the fridge. For being so willing to let me get out with my girlfriends for an evening. For cleaning out the dishwasher because you know I hate doing that job. For taking the kids on many a Saturday so I can get caught up on blogging. (Ever wonder how I do it? I couldn’t without him.) For always encouraging me with blogging and telling me how great a job I do – you’re my biggest fan! For the beautiful new diamond ring set you bought me a month ago. For the old diamond ring set you gave me 10 years ago.

Thank you for being so patient with me in so many ways that I can’t even begin to describe. For being my best friend. For trying to understand me. For telling me “You’re beautiful!” a million times and still not stopping. For never being to busy to call me or stop and say “I love you.”

I’m really beginning to see how the Lord is using you, Nate, to help heal my broken and wounded heart. To remind me that there is good in this world. There is happiness. There is love. Oh so much love.

We’ve come so far these past 10 years. We’ve learned and grown a lot. And I’m excited to see where the Lord is going to take us this nex decade.

Nate, I hope this post will allow you to see just a glimpse of how much you mean to me.
Thank you for marrying me 10 years ago.
Happy Anniversary, honey.
I love you.

$60 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

2012-05-24T23:42:37Z

Mama to 4 Blessings, Chubby Cheeks Thinks and Rats and More along with several other wonderful bloggers are teaming up to bring you last and final round of The Spring Gift Card Event (round 3/May)! For the Spring season we will be offered a new gift card giveaway each month of Spring! For May we are offering a $60.00 Walmart Gift Card!

Thank you for participating in the Spring Gift Card Event. The prize for this event is a Walmart gift card. The winner will be contacted via e-mail once chosen. Mama to 4 Blessings will contact winner via e-mail, winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
U.S., 18+ only. Giveaway ends 5/31.

Enter below Rafflecopter for a chance to win, there is even a daily tweet entry so you can enter daily!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TGIF Giveaway Linky – May 25, 2012

2012-05-24T15:16:03Z

This is the place to add your own & find awesome giveaways! Rules: blogs only, link to the actual giveaway (not your homepage) and include the end date. Easy enough!

Hosted by Musings From a Stay At Home Mom and Fabulous Finds by November Girl XOXO

Don’t forget my Rafflecopter-Only Giveaway Linky too!

Today (May 25th) is a special day for me & my husband – it’s our 10th wedding anniversary! He has the day off work and some friends are watching the kids so we can go out tonight. I’m looking forward to it!
Memorial Day weekend starts tomorrow – enjoy!

Giveaways Here at Musings From a SAHM:

Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop 5 Winners 5/29
Kodak Hero 9.1 All-in-One Printer 5/30
Beyond Coastal Sunscreen 5/31
$200 Amazon Gift Card 5/31
Kindle (US/CAN) 6/2

Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets — Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Memorial Day Food Ideas

2012-05-24T14:43:31Z

Memorial Day weekend is just two days away. For us, it starts tomorrow since my husband has that day off work too. I’m looking forward to spending time with him, getting things done around the house, and of course yummy cookout food! I haven’t had time to do any cookout recipes so I went searching on Pinterest for ideas for Memorial Day food.

Fruit salad is a must! If the kids are going to keep comin’ back for more, I’d rather it be something like this:

I have my favorite delicious “Grandma’s Potato Salad” recipe that I must share sometime, but in the meantime, this one looks similar:

Baked beans: I usually stick with canned Bush’s Beans and sometimes add a little something extra. This recipe is close enough:

I get raves on my deviled eggs each year. Another must-share recipe with you all. It’s on my list of things to do, I promise! In the meantime, here’s another version:

Corn on the cob is a must. Click on the picture to go to my recent article on ideas for cooking corn, including grilling!

Don’t these grilled ribs look divine?

What’s a cookout with brownies?

Another great dessert recipe idea – I made this with Emily last year – Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes. They’re so simple and the kids love helping. I’m cringing at my old photos though – ugh! I SO have to redo this recipe and share it more officially. But in the meantime, here’s the old photo, with my sweet Emily helping.

What’s your favorite Memorial Day cookout must-have foods?

I Put Huggies Wipes to the Real Life Mom Test

2012-05-23T18:38:05Z

Huggies has been working hard to make their products better than ever. I’ve already talked about the new and improved Snug ‘n Dry diapers and now, as a Huggies Ambassador, I’ll share how I put the new and improved Huggies wipes to my “real life Mom test.”

The new and improved Huggies wipes include three varieties, all of which are fragrance-free and alcohol-free:

Huggies Natural Care Wipes are hypoallergenic and gentle for baby’s delicate skin. Now they’re softer than ever with fewest added ingredients and contain Aloe & Vitamin E.
Huggies Simply Clean Wipes provide a consistent versatile clean and are good for faces, hands, and bottoms.
Huggies One & Done Wipes have improved texture and thickness, which means you can get more done with fewer wipes.

I’ve tried many different brands of wipes and, just like diapers, I’ve always returned to Huggies. I remember how one summer another brand had coupons that made for free wipes and I stocked up on a bunch. But I couldn’t stand them! I ended up donating them and went back to Huggies.

Why do I love Huggies wipes? I love their texture and thickness. Because they work so well, I use fewer Huggies wipes at a time than any other brand. Other brands may be a little cheaper (usually not by much if you take advantage of the many coupons Huggies offers), but because they’re thinner, I use more at a time, so it negates any savings. I have literally cleaned massively poopy butts with just 2 or 3 Huggies wipes. Now that’s impressive.

And because Huggies wipes aren’t too thin, they don’t stick together like other brands. Have you ever tried separating stubborn wipes while trying to keep a poopy toddler from squirming away with the other hand? It’s not fun! But thanks to Huggies, that rarely happens to me. (If it does, it’s usually because my children have yanked all the wipes out of the container and then crammed them back in. But that’s just life with kids.)

I use Huggies wipes for so many things besides wiping little bottoms. They’re perfect for wiping faces and hands. And because I always have Huggies wipes with me, I never have to think about packing wet wipes for out and about.

Here’s a short video I took of me wiping Luke off with a Huggies wipe. He just finished spaghetti for dinner and was a huge mess!
(Don’t mind his screeching; that has nothing to do with Huggies and everything to do with an active 17 month old hating to get his face wiped off! And really what child likes getting his or her face wiped off?)

I also use Huggies wipes for cleaning. Yes, I said cleaning! I wipe off dirty door frames, light switches, fingerprints on the walls, even wiping up a small spill on the carpet. These wipes are really one of the most versatile products I know of. Look at my dirty door frame – before, during, and after – all with one little wipe! No yucky chemicals, just a baby wipe.

I’ve put all three of the new wipes varieties to the test. I’d have to say the Natural Care wipes are my favorite because they are so soft. My next favorite is the One & Done; they’re a little thinner, but still have great texture for “grabbing” things. Simply Clean are the thinnest and so gentle, they would be perfect for a newborn or a little one with really sensitive skin. I would have loved them for when my Joshua was a baby; he had really bad eczema and Simply Clean would have been perfect.

The new & improved Huggies Wipes really are better than ever and definitely pass my “Mom Test.” It’s no wonder I’m a Huggies mom all the way!

Be sure to visit the Huggies Facebook page where you can learn more about their products!

Have you tried the new & improved Huggies wipes? Which one would you choose first?

Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Huggies. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating

Summer Fun for Kids Event: Polly Pocket Hangout Playset {Giveaway}

2012-05-24T11:16:05Z

If you have a little girl around the age of 5 or older, you’ve probably heard of Polly Pocket and friends. You might even have some around the house.

I received the new Polly Pocket Hangout House playset to review. This fun addition to the Polly Pocket collection has a new feature: Stick ‘n Play suction cups. This lets accessories and pieces stick into place so they’re not sliding and falling all over. Or getting lost as easily! The Hangout House can also transform into different styles. For example, the bathtub can flip into a bed and then back again. This allows for more fun and versatility without taking up as much space.

There’s also Stick ‘n Play Room Assortments that can be added on with more furniture, accessories, and a room for each set. There’s 3 Room Assortment sets: Polly’s Game Room, Lea’s Outdoor Patio, and Kerstie’s Kitchen. Each one comes with a Polly Pocket friend and the room itself. Get one or get all three to add onto the main Hangout House. We were sent the Patio set.

My daughter Emily is 5, so she’s at the perfect age to enjoy this. Emily plays with this everyday. She said Polly is her favorite (of course) and she likes the “sticky” things because “things don’t fall over as much.” She also enjoys changing the walls to make different setups.

In my “Mom opinion,” the Stick ‘n Play suction cups aren’t super sticky; I put Polly in a chair and after a minute the chair falls over. But overall, they do help keep the pieces from sliding all over the place and I think it’s a neat idea.

This was Emily’s introduction to Polly Pocket and with the fun she’s been having, I know there will soon be more Polly Pocket additions to our house. I think this is a really fun play set for little girls and would recommend it.

Buy It:
You can find these sets at stores nationwide, online and at Amazon:
Polly Pocket Hangout House Playset ARV: $19.99
Polly Pocket Stick ‘n’ Play Room Assortment ARV: $9.99

Win It!

1 lucky winner will receive the Polly Pocket Hangout House and a Room Assortment!

Rules:
This giveaway ends on June 5, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click here for complete rules and disclosure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you to the sponsor for the free product I was sent to review. I received no monetary compensation and my opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Wordless Wednesday Linky – Outdoor Fun

2012-05-22T14:40:36Z

We’ve finally had some beautiful weather and that means outdoor fun! Of course it’s rainy, cloudy, & so muggy it feels like a rain forest today, but that’s ok – it’s good for my new blueberry plant!

Here, Emily made a wish with the dandelion she’s holding. Her wish? “I wish that my family would be nice to me so I am happy!” (I love the honesty of kids!)

Lukey loves the sandbox. He actually throws tantrums if we take him out before he thinks he’s done playing. I swear he’s already getting the terrible two’s and he’s not even 18 months yet!

Abby and her best doggy friend – Ruby, a poodle who lives a couple houses down. They are so cute together. And they are both smiling here.

Luke with one of our sweet neighbors, Emma, who helps watch the kids outside.

Emily is getting to be quite a pro with her scooter!

I’ve also started taking photos in manual mode with my camera and I’m loving the results! Now I know why photographers rave about it!
Here’s one of my first manual photos – my sweet Josh:

Emily, all dirty from playing outside:

My handsome man, grilling dinner (have I mentioned our 10th anniversary is this Friday?!)

I just realized I don’t have any of Nathan – oops! Next week.

And I also realize this was totally not Wordless, but I’m feeling chatty today, so what can I say?

Please leave a comment, and link up your wordless (or not so wordless) post here:

What’s a Baby Gender Reveal Cake?

2012-05-21T23:58:09Z

So what’s a gender reveal cake, you ask? I hadn’t heard of it either, until my sister-in-law shared the big news of their baby’s gender this way a few months ago.

The idea is that the cake itself is pink or blue, depending on the baby’s gender. Usually the ultrasound technician writes down BOY or GIRL and this is brought in a sealed envelope to the bakery. The outside of the cake is frosted without revealing the color inside. This is kept secret until the parents-to-be cut into the cake, usually with family or friends hovering around close by, anxiously waiting to see that hint of color, and everyone screams “It’s a….!”

One of my best friends is expecting her first baby and I happened to mention this a couple months ago. She loved the idea and asked if I would do the honors of baking her & her husband a gender reveal cake. Of course I said yes! I love baking cakes, she’s a dear friend, and I was honored to be included in their special moment! (Their family is out of state, just like ours, so it they’re like family to us.)

When I got the news via text message (yes we’re high-tech; the technician texted me the gender, then deleted it off Allie’s phone, so she wouldn’t see it!), I set to work. I was very careful to not let the kids see any hint of the cake’s color because none of them are good at keeping secrets. And here is the result:

They loved it.

And….

It’s a GIRL!

Congratulations, Allie & Cody!

And that, my friends, is a gender reveal cake.