In the season finale of Chuck, Sarah and our good hearted hero find themselves sitting on a beach side by side. The married couple reminisces and share one final kiss as the scene fades. Do you think her memories were starting to come back? Did that ‘one magical kiss’ succeed in kick starting Sarah’s memories?

{I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Chuck.}

I am nervous though.  What if my baby has colic or is really gassy?  This could really cause for some very patient moments.  Not only that but no mommy wants to see their little tiny baby not feeling it’s best.  What will I do?  How can I make life easier for baby?

Laura Lacey, a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist, knows just what to do to help soothe baby.  She uses the magic of touch!

Baby Massage — The Gift of Love is a DVD that teaches you how to show love using the power of touch.  It also teaches you how to help soothe common baby problems, such as colic, gas and teething, using the power of touch!

The DVD is broken down by chapters so you can learn about the basics and then concentrate on a certain area or comforting the baby for a specific cause.  After watching the DVD I felt confident that when my little man comes I will be able to give some some good lovin’ and make him feel relaxed and happy.

Get an idea of what Baby Massage — The Gift of Love is by watching a short video on Laura’s website.

The DVD is recommended for babies 1-9 months but I am sure these techniques can be used into their toddler stages too.  Maybe dad can learn these techniques and “practice” on mom!

Today, one lucky reader will win a copy of “Baby Massage — The Gift of Love” DVD!

Want to win?  Here is how to enter:

Summer is almost here!! While we still are having a few blistery days, I feel that the heat is just right around the corner. We are getting the umbrella ready, I stocked up on 3 different kinds of sunscreens for my little guy, and the sandbox is out, loaded and ready to go! We are ready for summer! We were recently given the opportunity to add to toy collection! Toy State, makers of CAT Preschool machines, generously sent us one of their Bump & Go dump trucks (age 2+)  to try out!

My kiddo LOVES trucks! Whenever he hears one go by outside, he points to the door and makes a “roaring noise,” like their engines!! This was the perfect toy for him! It is battery operated, (3 AAA which are included). You push a button on the top off the truck and off it goes. When it bumps into something, it stops, reverses, and heads in the other direction. The dump is fully functional too, so my tot can load up his blocks, or bear, or who ever needs to go for a ride at the moment! It is also GREAT outside in the sand… Hello! It is a CAT machine!!

I am expecting hours of fun loading up sand in the dump, driving across the sand, then dumping! It is great because it can be used inside or out, depending on how adventurous your little one is. And with summer right around the corner, what better addition to the collection than a cool truck that goes, has a mind of its own, but is still safe for little ones!  It would also make a great gift if you need something for upcoming birthday parties! We LOVE our CAT Bump & Go! Thanks Toy State! The Bump & Go, as well as  the full line of CAT and CAT Preschool toys can be found at retailers including Walmart, Kmart, Target and Toys R Us. I also found them on Amazon too!

National Bike Safety Month

Here’s some tips to help keep your little chuggers safe on their bikes this summer:

• Always wear your helmet. Make sure to buckle your chin strap
• Ride only with an adult
• Don’t ride in the street

For more bicycle safety tips from the ‘Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!’.

Text4Baby, which launched in 2010, was developed as a group effort by Johnson & Johnson, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and CTIA – The Wireless Association (a non-profit organization that represents and advocates on behalf of members within the wireless community). Respectively, these groups contributed funding, information, and technology to the equation in order to create this incredible and free service to new mothers and mothers-to-be. And since its inception just a couple of years ago, the program has delivered helpful health information to more than 300,000 mobile users.

It covers a wide variety of topics pertaining to pregnancy and motherhood, from common issues like prenatal care, nutrition, physical activity, and labor and delivery (for pregnant women) and breastfeeding, immunizations, and sleep safety (for women with infants) to concerns that may not be nearly as prevalent, like mental health, domestic violence, and substance abuse. The goal of the program is to spread awareness and knowledge as a way to increase the number of healthy mothers and babies. And joining is easy.

All you really need to get started is a cell phone with texting capabilities (you must be able to receive text messages). You can sign up on the Text4Baby website, or simply text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to the number 511411. From there you will fill out a short questionnaire that provides the service with your baby’s due date or birthday as well as your zip code. This will ensure that the information you receive is tailored to your particular needs and your stage of parenthood. You can text UPDATE to the same number to change your status (if the baby’s due date changes, for example) and you will continue to receive 2-3 free helpful health messages and reminders each week until your baby reaches his first birthday.

A study performed by researchers at the University of San Diego last year to determine the effectiveness of the program found that approximately 75% of users learned something new from the updates while about 71% used the information to ask questions during doctor visits. You don’t need to become a master of health administration online to know that this program is useful. But you do need to sign up if you want to use it to your advantage. And whether your baby has arrived or his due date is still a ways off, there’s no reason not to join this free and informative service.

{sp}

When Zane goes rambling, his friends call him crazy and refuse to play along. When he finds a shining star, it doesn’t bother him when his friends try to tell him it’s just a hubcap. Undaunted, Zane uses his finds to create a secret project that piques his friends’ curiosity. After watching him ramble around the neighborhood, finding magic in the ordinary, his friends are eventually drawn into his imaginative game. Through the book’s art, attentive readers will see that Zane is using his finds to create a pirate ship, and once his friends realize what he’s up to, even the most skeptical realists join the fun and sail the afternoon away. Zane’s imagination sees the cowpoke’s lasso in a piece of vine, the pirate’s golden ring in an old pop top, and many other treasures that have been stolen from today’s children by electronic entertainment. Rambling enforces the joy of imaginative play.

Ava loves the book One Day I Went Rambling! As soon as she saw the colorful artwork on the cover she was hooked and wanted to know what it was all about! She loves reading and so a new book is like Christmas morning to her. She sat intently listening to this story, asking questions along the way. When we reached the end, she immediately asked for me to read it to her again. Zane is a truly loveable character with a huge imagination and strong spirit, much like my Ava. He marches to the beat of his own drum and gets all of his friends marching and having fun right along with him on his imaginative journeys; finding interesting odds and ends, then creating stories about them. Not only is this book a great read, but can also be turned into a fun game you can play with your children. We have played the Rambling game several times outside and even inside on rainy days! This story is wonderful and the illustrations are outstanding. One Day I Went Rambling is definitely a must have for your children’s library!

Kelly Bennett is the award-winning author of many books for children including Not Norman: A Goldfish story, and most recently: Your Daddy Was Just Like You and Your Mommy Was Just Like You. She holds a Master’s Degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

One Day I Went Rambling is Real Mom Recommended!

Happy Mother’s Day

Real Moms Real Views

Hollie~Audrey~Crissa~Amanda~Erin~Christina

AlternaVites is a kids vitamin, not coated in chocolate, but as close to candy as you can get.    This pixi stick style vitamin is just what the doctor ordered!  My kids were ASKING for their vitamins!  We aren’t very good at making our kids take vitamins, only for the fact that I have bought more then one brand and my kids couldn’t choke down.  That is why I was so impressed with AlternaVites.  I had to give the vitamins a try for myself…just to make sure they weren’t hideous!

“AlternaVites-

• Melts in your mouth
• Comes in 2 awesome flavors – strawberry bubblegum & raspberry cotton candy
• One packet per day
• Has 0 grams of sugar
• Free of aspartame and high fructose corn syrup
• Contains no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or preservatives
• Has no animal products or by-products
• Does not contain egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish or shellfish*
• Certified kosher pareve

alternaVites Kids’ crystal powder makes it one of the most versatile vitamin products on the market.  Specially designed to fit easily into the way your family lives today, alternaVites Kids can be taken in so many ways.  Our favorite way is to simply sprinkle alternaVites Kids slowly onto the tongue, where it melts quickly.  However, you can also mix it into yogurts, puddings or smoothies, sprinkle it on top of fruit, lick it off a spoon – or be creative! The options are endless.

What’s more? You can rest assured you’re giving your children a high quality, potent multi loaded with the nutrients they need and without the additives they don’t.  Now there are no more reasons to give your children chalky chewables or gummies that are high in sugar, low in nutrients and can stick to their teeth.  Now there are no more excuses not to take vitamins with alternaVites Kids!”

No sugar, yummy, and healthy?!  Seems a little too good to be true, huh?  Be sure to give these a try!  Real Mom Approved!

There is nothing like the love between a mother and her son. As a mother of a son, I can personally attest to it… although I’m pretty sure it’s probably similar for daughters too! My little guy and I love reading together. I’ve been reading to him since he was only a couple months old, and I’m very happy that he has a great love for books, even at only 19 months. I do my very best to always stop what I’m doing when he brings me a book to read, and of course there are plenty of stories before bed too!

We were recently generously given the opportunity to add to our collection with a new title from  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, “Becuase your Mommy loves you.” This is a new companion book to “Because Your Daddy Loves You”.

When a little boy and his mom go camping, mini-disasters abound, and there are
lots of opportunities for Mom to step in and fix everything. But instead, with a loving
touch, this mommy shows her child ways to do things for himself, going far to encourage
her child’s independence. And there is still plenty of opportunity for snuggling
under the stars.
This warm and humorous testament to all the loving things a supportive mom does
each day is every bit as heartwarming as its predecessor and is sure to become a favorite
for families everywhere.

This is the sweetest little book! I loved the simple story line, so even youngsters like my little guy understand it! The adventures the little boy gets into are just what any little boy might encounter in the woods, so it would be a great addition for someone who loves being outside. Also, going into summer and camping season, what better way to teach your children about being independent than with a great book about hiking and camping adventures?! The illustrations are so clever too! They really bring the story to life and are funny too! There’s even a picture where, after the mommy helps her son make the perfect mashmallow roasting stick, hers breaks and falls off into the fire!!  I am so looking forward to when my little guy can actually understand the adventures the book tells about, so that we can go on our own hiking and camping trip and be like the boy and his mommy! This is a great book from a great author and illustrator. Andrew Clements is the author of many best-selling books, among them the middle grade novel Frindle. He lives in Westborough, Massachusetts, and can be found at www.andrewclements.com. R. W. Alley is the illustrator of many beloved picture books, including the Paddington Bear series. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island. Visit him at www.rwalley.com. Thanks Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! “Because Your Mommy Loves You” can be found where other Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles are available!

Today Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is  VERY generously giving

away  a copy of Because Your Mommy Loves You AND Because

Your Daddy Loves

You to 2 Lucky Winners!!!!

Want to win?  Here’s how:

Mandatory 1st Entry- Visit Houghton Mifflin Harcourt then come back and tell us your favorite item or something you learned from their website.

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

4 entries-“Like” HMH on facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on facebook

3 entries-Subscribe to RMRV emails.

3 entries-Follow HMH on Twitter.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter

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

#Enter to win a HMH book at @agiveawaydaily

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

3 entries- Add RMRV on Google +

You have until May 25th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.