Real Moms Real Views

Love You For Forever!

Crissa — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:12:12 +0000

Credit: LancasterHistory.org

At this time of year it is always to tell those around us how much we love and appreciate them. I am not just talking about giving them a box of chocolates and some roses, although those are always nice honey. I am talking about really sharing with them how much you care for them and what they mean to you.

As these days go on less and less people are really writing down their feelings. Think about it…when was the last time you got a love letter in the mail? I mean a real love letter, not just a card with the perfect words, a text message, a little note–a real handwritten letter! They just don’t happen anymore and quite frankly it is a shame, but that is the time we live in. Even though we aren’t hand writing letters, spraying them with perfume, and mailing them to our loved one, we can still send a written note of love. You can type one up and mail it. You can type an email. You could blog about it. However it is done, this month we should each write a love letter to someone. Make them feel special!

Dear Hubby-

I just wanted to kick off this “love”ly time of the year by telling you how much I love you. Honey, I am so glad we met on that Disneyland trip! Thank you for stealing me away from my fling. I know he was a little bugged but now it makes for a great story!

I have completely enjoyed our last 5, almost 6 years together. Can you believe it has been nearly 6 years since we met!? Time has flown by!! You are the best match for me. I couldn’t have ever imagined being as lucky as I was to have found you.

Adam, I love you because you are smart, honest, loving, charitable, kind, and more! I love you because you are just as goofy as I am.

I love you because you can talk like Mickey. I love that you love Disney and going to Disneyland as much as I do. I love how patriotic you are. I love that you get teary-eyed every time you hear “The Star Spangled Banner” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” I love that you are equally excited for Disneyland and the Fourth of July as you are for Christmas.

I love that you do your own laundry. I love that you let me cook, even when you are so hungry and just want to get fast food. I love that you do that dishes without me asking. I love that you love to pamper yourself like I do.

I love that you have made me a mom. I love that you come to my doctor’s appointments with me. I love that you are excited to start feeling the baby kick. I love that you rubbed my back this morning when I had morning sickness.

Adam, I am so glad to be your wife. I am so happy to have found you. You are the best decision I ever made. I love you, for forever!

Yours for eternity-

Crissa
{sp}
This sweet love letter is brought to you be Grammarly grammar checker. Grammarly recognizes the written word as a powerful tool to express heartfelt sentiments.

Crissa

Crissa graduated from Brigham Young University in 2005 with a BA in Home and Family Living….the mom degree! Shortly after she found her dream guy and was married. They are now expecting their first baby in 2012. She loves shopping, baking, getting pampered, blogging, chocolate, and traveling.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Happy Heart Day!! {Tiny Prints}

Erin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:51:19 +0000

Maybe it is just me, but I feel like it was just yesterday that I was picking out pumpkins and costumes!! I can hardly believe that it is almost Valentine’s Day!! I do love the sweet little conversation hearts and have been eating them since they took the Christmas candy off the shelf!! But the closer we get, the more I have to think about my kids class Valentine’s parties. I have four kids…4 kids + valentines for friends = way too many frustrating hours of helping kids write valentines. I love the holiday, but it is one that is kinda hard to prepare for. The perfect solution is Tiny Prints!

Tiny Print’s has been in business since 2003 and not only does Valentines Greeting Cards, but they do invitations, announcements, stationary, all kinds of gift and calendars, and photo books all personalizable! One item that I would LOVE to have is the Day Planner. This thing is to die for CUTE!!

I was amazed at how many Valntine’s cards Tiny Prints offers! Almost 250 different card designs!! There is something for every kid, every age! I love that you can put a picture on them!! I have so many favorites, it was hard for me to pick my very favorite, so I will share a few. I thought it would be fun to do an all kid one, you know like for Grandma and the Fave Aunt My choice for that one is Cherry on Top. I love that I can put my kids picture on it, but still have a cute little Valentine’s day design on it. Not too Girly, not too Boy-y (if that is even a real word) I sat down with all of my kids to pick Valentine’s cards. There were lots of ohhh’s and aww’s. I got them to finally pick one card each. Here are their picks: Mia loved the Owl Love card. April, my sweet “flower child” loved the My Garden: Bloom card. Hailee went crazy over the Sweet Impression: Siren card. Austin, being the only boy, had to pick a ”tough” card, Pirates Arrrr.

Picking and customizing these Valentines has gotten me ready for the up coming holiday. My kids are super excited to pass out their personalized cards and I very relieved that I didn’t have to fight the crowd at Walmart as we all pick through the same ol same cards as every other kid in the class will have. This year my kids will have something different and fun to share with their friends!! OOOOOO! I can’t WAIT!! Real Mom (and her little sweethearts) Approved!

Erin

Erin is a mommy to 4 fab kiddos! She serves as their maid, cook, and taxi driver. She has been married to the “man of her dreams” for 11 years now. They love spending every free minute together enjoying activities such as camping, swimming, playing games and having movie night.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Perfect Vision, for Less {Eyebuydirect.com Review & Giveaway}

Christina — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:22:43 +0000

Find Men’s, Women’s and Children’s prescription eyewear for a bargain!

The EyeBuyDirect team comprises of industry specialists who are not only customer focused, but who understand vision and your optical needs. We custom-make lenses according to your prescription and we repeatedly inspect the accuracy and quality of the frames and lenses before shipping.

As an online retailer and optical manufacturer, EyeBuyDirect is able to reduce significantly the costs passed on to you by traditional high street retailers–leaving more dollars in your pocket.

At EyeBuyDirect, we’ve always got our fingers on the pulse of the latest fashion trends and hot eyeglasses styles. Our comprehensive range has something to suit everyone, allowing you to fully express yourself through personalized eyewear. – Eyebuydirect

Been to the optometrist lately? Have you left feeling nauseous about the cost you paid for the visit, new frames & lenses? Shamefully it has been a few years since my hubby had his eyes checked. He has worn glasses for many years despite having 20/20 vision….his eyes tend to overwork themselves, requiring glasses to help with the strain. Between the visit cost, his frames and lenses, we spent over $300!! Now you know why it has been a few years since we have thought about new prescription glasses, opting for those off the shelf readers you can buy for $20. I have a few friends who are optometrists, and let me just say business is good! So what are our choices?

I’ve noticed online retailers like eyebuydirect.com offering deals starting at $6.95 for prescription eyeglasses. Skeptically I wondered how they could offer such cheap deals and still deliver a quality product. My hubby had the chance to order a pair and find out! All we needed was a current prescription. So, we went to the optometrist, paid $45 for our visit, and walked away with the information we needed. Ricky browsed through the large variety of eyewear eyebuydirect offers, from modern to traditional, rimmed to rimless, and decided upon the Lund style in brown (not a $6.95 pair, but still affordable at $39.95). After selection, we were asked to provide all the information off his prescription (sphere, cylinder, axis). His sphere number required the lense to be made thicker with the style he selected. Once purchased, it took just over two weeks to receive the glasses. During the wait, eyebuydirect sent update emails letting me know which stage of production the glasses were in. They arrived protected in a plastic case with a lense cloth inside.

Ricky has worn them now for a couple of weeks and here are his comments: ”I would first have to admit that I did not have a high level of confidence about ordering a pair of glasses online. I have tried on hundreds of pairs of glasses in my life and found that most did not fit comfortably or look right. To my surprise these glasses not only fit comfortably, but looked as good in person as they did on the website. What I found even more profound was the overall value. These glasses cost a small percentage of what my previous pair cost, but don’t look inexpensive. I give this product two thumbs up!”.

My verdict: If you have a prescription on hand, definitely consider purchasing online. I might suggest trying on some styles at the optometrists office to determine what shape looks good on your face, but most certainly comparison shop on eyebuydirect. You’ll most likely find a similar pair at a fraction of the cost…..and that is Real Mom (& Dad )Recommended!!

Today Eyebuy Direct is giving one winner $30 to use toward eyeglasses (exclusion of sunglasses/designer eyewear) on their site!

Want to enter to win? Here’s how!

Mandatory 1st entry:

1) Check out Eyebuy Direct and “like” your favorite frame, come back and tell us which one you “liked”.

Once the mandatory entry is completed you can gain additional entries from the following:

3 entries: Subscribe to RMRV emails or RSS feed.

5 entries: Follow RMRV Google+.

2 entries: “Like” RMRV on Facebook!

2 entries: “Like” Eyebuy Direct on Facebook.

1 entry: Follow RMRV on Twitter.

1 entry: Follow Eyebuy Direct on Twitter.

1 entry: Post a comment to the Eyebuy Direct Wall of Frame which helps visitors choose which frame suits them best.

1 entry per day-Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#WIN $30 in prescription glasses @agiveawaydaily!

2 entries: Comment on any non-giveaway post on RMRV!

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the link.

You have until February 14th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

Christina

Christina married her college sweetheart & best friend 12 years ago & they are proud parents to two lovely ladies, one who is an official “tween” & the other not far behind. She owns an event floral business & is very creative. She loves dressing up, crafting, and planning parties.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Valentines Cards & More! {Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition}

Hollie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:47:02 +0000

Some fun for you and the kiddos in anticipation of Disney’s release of Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition!

LADY AND THE TRAMP Story Book
Video Clips
Coloring Sheets
Spot the Difference Activity Sheet
Special Recipes
Valentine’s Day Cards

Hollie

Hollie is the owner and coordinator of Real Moms Real Views. She loves spending time with her family which consists of her handsome hubby and three kiddos ages three and under. She loves her fur baby (dog), the smell after it rains, red nail polish, chick flicks, and anything chocolate!
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Super Bowl Sunday & Sweet Tomatoes!

Hollie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:39:12 +0000

One Sweet Deal for Super Bowl Sunday!!!

Call your local Sweet Tomatoes today and place your order!

Hollie

Feel Good in Your Skin {Mama Mio Skincare Review}

Crissa — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:01:32 +0000

One of the hardest things about getting older is watching your youthful skin start to change. You start to see fine lines, discoloring, and looseness developing. That isn’t fun at all. The more changes you have the older your look, no matter how old you really are. Kind of a rip off!

Mama Mio‘s 4 beauty experts and founders thought it was a rip off too. That is why they created products to help us feel good in the skin we are in. When you feel good you look good…confidence!! Mama Mio uses “the very, very best ingredients at the highest potency to ensure that every product really works.” Thank you! We appreciate that. It is always nice to spend our money on things that are actually worth it!

Mama Mio has a product for everyone’s skin woes. There are products for your face, neck, bust, legs, waist, stretch marks, and scars. Each of their products smell and feel fantastic!! You can even feel good about using them knowing they don’t have any nasties in them. “Every Mama Mio product is paraben free, petroleum free, phthalates free, sodium laureth and sodium lauryl sulphate free, colourant free, synthetic fragrance free and xenoestrogen free. If it is nasty, it is a no-no.” Even their fragrances are natural!

Mama Mio sent me two products try. The first is the Boob Tube Bust & Neck Firmer. “Within a week, you will notice that the skin on your neck, your chest and your boobs looks firmer, fitter, glowing, more dewy and youthful. Daily use will maintain this beautiful skin and over the years you will be so pleased you took the time to befriend your bust.
No crinkles or droop for you – no turtle necks or even turkey necks!” It is super simple to use and very easy to work into your daily routine. You just use it once a day from your neck to the bottom of your boobs. It is gentle enough and has such great results you can even use it on your face! “Already winning 5 industry awards, Boob Tube is even recommended by plastic surgeons to help skin cope and heal with bust surgery.”

The other product I get to try to the Bootcamp for Tummies…a product that I will use on day one after my baby comes. I am going to get my tummy back–okay hopefully I won’t get the same belly back but one way better! “If you commit for 30 days, you will see results; your tummy will be tighter, flatter, smoother and more defined. Your posture will be improved, your back stronger and your skin softer.” It only takes 4 minutes a day. That is like brushing your teeth, not too shabby!

Right after you shower, when you are nice and warm, following these easy steps:

Step 1 (once a day) Your 4 minute exercise programme. Follow the instruction card for the two no-nonsense exercises: The Flattener Five and the Pulse 100.
Step 2 (once a day) Skin Tight Toning Serum – one to two pumps will be plenty, massage into midriff area from below your chest to the top of your pubic bone, all the way round to your back.
Step 3 (once a day) Get Waisted Body Shaper – massage two pumps on top of Skin Tight. Using clockwise strokes (to help sluggish digestion – another cause of bloated bellies) in exact same area as Skin Tight .

Easy and quick. We could all use abs like that!

Mama Mio has really great products for each skin problem or potential problem we may have. Mama Mio is definitely Real Moms approved!

Crissa

How do you cook healthy with your kids? #BensBeginners

Hollie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:08:35 +0000

Cooking in the kitchen is something ‘us’ moms do everyday! From breakfast, to lunch, and dinner and everything else we spend hours upon hours in the kitchen. All the while I find it hard sometimes to cook “healthy” for my kiddos. With the convenience of boxed foods at my reach in the freezer sometimes I am just to tired to cook healthy. That’s why I decided to try to make a healthy snack everyday for the kids.

I had to think long and hard about what choices we could make on a daily basis that could help impact their eating habits. At first I could tell they weren’t used to the changes….but they did grow to love them as time went on. Their favorites so far are fresh fruit and veggies. I cut it up in fun shapes and they love it. They even love getting in on the action and helping me. My son also loves carrots with yummy dip that we make from yogurt. He has no idea it’s healthy and he sure loves it. He also loves his pickles. We have even made whole grain peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in fun cookie cutter shapes. They love them and they eat them up in a hurry everytime! It is certainly fun exploring the world of healthy cooking and eating and my kids are loving it as much as I am.

Uncle Ben’s wants to help “us” mommies and our kids! They are holding a contest to help kids learn the importance of healthy cooking from a young age. All you have to do is cook a rice based dish, film your kiddos enjoying helping, and then upload it. They are giving away $20,000 cash, a feature on the Rachel Ray show, and $50,000 to makeover your school’s cafeteria! SWEET! You have until February 26th, 2012 to enter. You can even snag a coupon on their facebook page to help save some money while picking up some Uncle Ben’s Rice for your entry!

So get in the kitchen with your kiddos and get a cooking with Uncle Ben’s Rice! We hope one of you wins!

We would love any tips you can share with us on how you cook healthy with your kiddos? There are so many fun ideas and thought that I bet you are dying to share….so leave a comment! We will {heart} you for it!

{I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.}

Hollie

A Bling-y Reminder {CTR Couture Review and Giveaway}

Erin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:54:05 +0000

Go back about 10 years and think about those “fancy” W.W.J.D. bracelets that were everywhere!! Everywhere you looked everyone was questioning “What Would Jesus Do?” It was a gentle reminder to think about what you were doing and make sure you were making a good choice, you were choosing what Jesus would do. Well, the tacky rainbow striped nylon bracelets are out of style, but I have found a super new way to remember to think about your choices but look hot at the same time! CTR COUTURE specializes in darling jewelry and accessories that reminds you to Choose The Right (CTR).

“CTR COUTURE™ is a leading fashion brand that reflects a positive lifestyle! Our purpose is to empower people everywhere to strive to be the best they can be. Encouraging everyone to make right choices––to love their families, friends, neighbors and themselves. To stand tall knowing it is fashionable to choose the right things in life. Spread the knowledge, the love, the passion and the CTR COUTURE fashion! ”

I was lucky enough to receive This darling CTR Couture Necklace and The Pink Royal Key chain. Both of them are absolutely darling! I love wearing the necklace. It has an adjustable chain in the back, so you can shorten or lengthen to make it look great with any outfit. The three charms on it are a sweet little heart, a CTR COUTURE charm, and a crown. They all remind you to Choose The Right and that you are a princess and that you should keep yourself worthy of that title. The key chain also has a crown and a couple of cute hearts. It also has a large lobster clasp perfect for attaching to other keys, purses, or bags. Not only are they super cute, but a wonderful reminder to Choose The Right. These are just two of their many pieces that are not only super cute and stylish, but a quite little reminder, too. I LOVE the hat!!! All of their items are perfect for teens and adults. They don’t scream What Would Jesus Do, but gently help you to remember what you stand for.

Everyone can use a little reminder in their life to make good decisions, want to win your reminder?? Here’s How To Enter:

Mandatory First Entry: Visit the CTR COUTURE site and tell us your favorite item.

Once the mandatory entries are completed you can gain additional entries from the following:

3 entries-Follow us on Pinterest

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on facebook.

3 entries-Subscribe to RMRV emails.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter

1 entry per day-Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#Enter to win CTR COUTURE Bling at @agiveawaydaily

5 entries- Blog about this entry and leave us the link

3 entries- Add RMRV on Google +

You have until February 13th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

Erin

it’s a BIG deal! {kidsexclusive.com review}

Hollie — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:41:04 +0000

I was recently introduced to KidsExclusive.com, a deal site geared directly toward children and what they need. I set out to see what $100 would buy me on their site. I found their site super easy to navigate and their customer service was very friendly. I was able to browse all of their sales in a matter of minutes and add everything to my cart and check out within 5 minutes tops.

I am happy to report I was able to get 6 pieces:

Complete outfit for my newborn-pants,shirt,sweater

Shirt for my daughter

Pair of jeans for my son

Shirt for my son

……and that included shipping! WOWeeeee! I know if I had purchased all these items at my local mall it would have cost me well over $200. That’s a 50% savings delivered right to my front door. I couldn’t believe how nice the items were until I held them in my hand and saw they were top quality. The little jeans look premium and designer and all of the shirt were darling. We now have our clothing for our family pictures coming up this spring. Thanks KidsExclusive.com for helping us save and still look great!!!

What I love about KidsExclusive:

No subscription needed to save
Same day shipping
Premium brands at discount prices
No questions asked returns for store credit

KIDSEXCLUSIVE.COM COMES REAL MOM RECOMMENDED!

You can sign up for their newsletter on their website and have the new deals delivered to your email daily. Easy Peasy-so start saving by visiting KidsExclusive today!!!

Keep up with KidsExclusive.com on Facebook and Twitter!

Hollie

Frosting Cookies for Valentines Day?

Hollie — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:10:35 +0000

Who doesn’t love Valentines Day? The sweet treats everywhere you look at the store, super sweet hand written ‘love you’ notes hidden around the house, and gorgeous bunches of roses! Sweetness galore!!!

Are you decorating cookie’s this year? Here’s some fun ideas to make them super SPECIAL!

Check out these 6 cute new ways to decorate Valentines Cookies!

Hollie