Winey Mommy

Fun With Band-Aid and The Muppets

2012-05-28T13:54:00.000-05:00

Show of hands: whose children absolutely despise getting their scrapes and cuts cleaned up? My daughters try to wager with Leo or me if they know they have a cut that needs to be cleaned up. Isabella will promise that she doesn't need it to be cleaned-as blood is dripping down her leg and dirt is stuck in her injury. Madelyn will be beg for a juice box, her blankie, or anything besides getting her boo-boo cleaned up.

When I think about what is all under my cabinet to help clean up their scrapes and cuts, one brand automatically comes to mind: Band-Aid. Band-Aid has been around for nearly 100 years and has helped out many parents when it comes up to patching up those cuts. With so many fun Band-Aid options on the market our kids have it so lucky!

Band-Aid has teamed up with Disney's The Muppets in creating an interactive app for your iPad 2, new iPad, iPhone 4, and/or iPhone 4S. The Band-Aid Magic Vision app is a perfect concept to take your child's mind off of getting their cut cleaned and bandaged up.

The Magic Vision app is incredibly easy to use:

* Download the free app in your App Store

* Once downloaded open up the Magic Vision app

* Scan the Muppets Band-Aid box or bandage and watch The Muppets come to life

I put the Band-Aid Magic Vision app to the test with Isabella. We opened up the app and scanned the bandage. While I cleaned her up she had a blast helping Grover become unstuck from my iPhone screen, taking pictures of Miss Piggy, and helping Kermit swing side to side on his swing. Her favorite by far was Miss Piggy. Taking the snapshots was a fun way for her to not even realize that I was cleaning up a small scrape.

Band-Aid definitely has family in mind when coming up with fun concepts for our children during a moment that could be defined as not so fun. I recommend all of my readers who own one of the devices above to download the interactive app. It is a must have for my family!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages and received a promotion item to thank me for my participation.

Cheerios: Spoonfuls of Stories

2012-05-15T10:18:00.003-05:00

Do you remember reading while growing up? I sure do. I have been reading for so long and I like to believe that my love of books has helped me tremendously in life. Whether it is to foster imagination, expanding my vocabulary, or to allow me to escape reality for a little while, reading has helped me become the person that I am today.

As a parent it is my responsibility to ensure that I make time to read with my daughters. Their bookshelves are crammed with books of all sizes. Some are classic books that have been around for a long time. Other books are by new and upcoming authors that I hope will someday turn into a classic for my childrens' children.

Cheerios is celebrating their 10th anniversary of their wonderful reading program Spoonfuls of Stories. Started back in 2002 it has helped bring books into families and encourages reading with your children and to your children. In their 10 years they have given away 60 MILLION books in Cheerios cereal boxes and have donated $3.8 million dollars to First Book--a non-profit, award winning children's literacy program that provides low income children the opportunity to own their first books.

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Cheerios is offering six phenomenal stories in boxes of Cheerios. The books that are included this year are written in English and Spanish, the stories are wonderful and my daughters have fallen in love with each one. Cheerios has also made it easy so you can see the book through the box, so there is no chance of you grabbing a box that has a book that you already own.

Here are the six fabulous books that are being given away this year:

1) Noodle & Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon

2) Hello Baby! by Mem Fox

3) If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery

4) Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison

5) Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer

6) Can I Just Take a Nap? by Ron Rauss

This program is so special! To be able to offer books to all children means a lot to me. I want every child to discover that reading is fun. Do you have a favorite book from childhood? Do you read it to your own children now?

A HUGE thank you to Cheerios & Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read the above books with my daughters. We received all six books in order to facilitate the review.

Huggies: Making Life Easier for Moms & Dads

2012-05-12T10:36:00.001-05:00

Being a mom of three daughters I have had plenty of chances to try out a variety of baby diapers and wipes. You name it I have tried it and either loved it or hated it--and I am one of those moms who will tell you every horrific diaper story that I have encountered.

Diapers have been in my life for over 4 years now. And hands down my favorite brand? Huggies. For me there is no comparison. I have loved Huggies wipes for years. They are thick, absorbent, and I don't need a handful of them to clean up what should be a one to two wipe situation.

The same goes for Huggies and their diapers. They absorb wonderfully and I know when I have a Huggies on my child that I won't be suffering from overnight leaks. Which, in my opinion, is one of the worst ways to be woken up. Who actually likes to start loads of laundry before they can even pour a mug of coffee?

Huggies has now made improvements to both their diapers and wipes. What could be more wonderful than what they currently produce? The Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers are now equipped with a leak lock feature. What this does is leak wetness in and keep your baby, their bed and what they come in contact with, dry. Brynlie has eczema and I try very hard to put her in diapers that won't cause a breakout. The Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers have done a great job at locking moisture in. She is rash free and has yet to leak through the diapers!

The new One & Done Wipes are in a word, wonderful. They are thick and live up to their name of One & Done. With other wipes I have to use so many to clean up a diaper blow out. As much as I wish those days were over, there are still times when I open Brynlie's diaper and am amazed that someone so tiny can make such a mess. I use so many less wipes now. The absorbency and thickness does a lot to clean up a messy situation--whether at diaper changing time or meal time, they rock!

Bottom line is this: test out the new Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers and their One & Done Wipes. They're absorbent and have impressed me enough to make the switch.

Want to stay in the loop with Huggies? You can find them here:

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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.

In An Instant.

2012-05-11T10:46:00.001-05:00

I believe that there are moments in parenting that we will never forget. First words. First steps. First giggles. Birthdays. Those are the moments that I love. I love to watch my daughters grow, change and experience life. But with the good, there is the bad.

It was a sunny day. One large cloud floated in the sky. I talked to my sister on the phone and joked that I wished the cloud would bring some rain so the girls would go inside. We were all outdoors enjoying the warm day. I took photos of the girls (it had been ages since our last shoot) and they were playing so sweetly.

I distinctly remember looking out onto our driveway and watching Isabella & Madelyn. They were having so much fun together. Sister giggles filled the air. Shrieks. Laughter. Smiles. Madelyn was in the back of a toy wagon that was pulled by Isabella.

Right before the accident...

I waved to my neighbor across the street. He had just arrived home from work. He had let his dogs out to play for a few moments. Brynlie was mesmerized and I was sitting there counting my blessings.

Within an instant there was blood everywhere.

Madelyn half crying.

Looking up with blood pouring out of her mouth. I assumed she had bit her lip.

I was so wrong.

I raced out to grab her, grab my baby who had blood coming out of her mouth so fast.

I rushed her into the bathroom, grabbed a towel and instructed her to hold it there. I had to go out front and grab my other two daughters. I ushered them indoors and raced back to Madelyn.

I think she was in shock at this point. I asked her to open her mouth. I couldn't see some of her teeth.

Shit. She knocked out teeth. Where were her teeth?!

I called Leo, told him I was on the way to the ER. Madelyn was hurt. He was almost home and said he would take her. I grabbed a clean washcloth, held it to her mouth and got her into the van.

I walked to the end of the driveway. There was blood on my driveway. No teeth. Just blood.

Leo ran out of his car. He jumped in the van and they left.

The verdict? My baby girl has two tooth intrusions. Which is a fancy word for you fell and your teeth got shoved back into your gums.

My poor baby. Her mouth is so messed up. Swollen. Still bleeding. She is on an antibiotic to fight an infection, Tylenol with Codeine for pain.

Her follow up is in three months assuming we have no complications before then. We will then be discussing surgery options if needed.

My point is this. Life is fragile. Sometimes in an instant things can go from bliss to a nightmare. Madelyn is so lucky she didn't suffer from a head injury, neck injury or more. I am counting my blessings that it isn't worse.

And for the record? All wagons are now banned from my home. I will never allow one anywhere near my daughters again.

Memoirs Aren't Fairytales: A Story of Addiction

2012-05-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

When was the last time that you started a book and absolutely could not put it down? Can you think of a time? For me it had been a very long time. So long in fact that I cannot remember the last book that gripped my attention and had me feeling that I had to know what would happen next.

Enter Memoirs Aren't Fairytales: A Story of Addiction. I have to say that this isn't my typical type of novel. I usually go for something lighthearted with a happy ending. This story is everything but that.

Synopsis

Having gone through a horrible college nightmare Nicole and her best friend, Eric, leave Bangor, Maine for the big city of Boston. Nicole is a fragile young girl who wants nothing more than to erase her past and have a new beginning. With freedom enters possibilities lurking in the shadows. She experiments with drugs and that is when her entire world begins to crash around her. Heroin has taken over her life. A once bright girl has now become addicted to heroin with the first experimentation with it. Her body is covered in track marks. She becomes a prostitute. She loses everything, to include the very ones that she loves.

My Thoughts

Holy cow. When I was asked to read Memoirs Aren't Fairytales: A Story of Addiction by Marni Mann I was unsure if I would--or could--like this book. The synopsis is so dark, so gripping, that I decided to try it out and if I couldn't finish it I wouldn't beat myself up.

I couldn't put it down. In less than 72 hours I completely read the book. I don't have any experience with addiction, neither myself nor my family members, but that didn't stop me from being engrossed with this book. It was written in such a real, lifelike manner that at times I would force myself to put the book down and remind myself that this was merely a story and it was not my life.

I felt for Nicole. I wanted to cry as I read the first time she tried heroin. I felt sick as I read the times she had to sell her body to simply get the drugs that she needed to survive. This book was such a page turner. It was amazing, sad, and gave me a huge wake up call on how truly tragic that addiction and drugs can be on one's life.

My Rating

Definitely 5 out of 5 stars. Although a somewhat dark book, I recommend that everyone reads this story. Addiction is real. Drugs are everywhere. Read this book and become addicted to the reality of what can happen to a seemingly bright, intelligent woman when drugs cross her path.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Follow & Fan Author Marni Man

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I received an e-book in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are my own.

What Mom Wants for Mother's Day

2012-05-02T18:18:00.001-05:00

Is it just me or are retailers totally missing the mark on what moms really want for Mother's Day? Every time I log on to a different website their advertisements are totally in my face and totally making me want to call up the CEO of a majority of these companies.

I mean, come on. In the past two days I have seen ads for kitchen gadgets (because what mom doesn't want to spend more time in the kitchen), fitness dvd's (hey, mom! you could stand to lose some pounds, so here ya go), vacuums (um, honey? you missed a spot...).

Really? When will companies start getting in touch with moms to see what we actually want? In case any companies out there need a push in the right direction, I have come up with a list:

1) 50 Shades of Grey. Alone time reading reading mommy porn? Pour me a glass of Merlot and lock the kids out of my bedroom!

2) Peace and quiet for three hours. No tantrums. Nobody screaming to be nursed. No tears. No cleaning. No cooking. Nothing but me for three glorious hours. And perhaps with #1 above...

3) A maid. Want to say thank you for my hard work? Hire me a maid the day before Mother's Day. That would show me some love right there. Bonus points if said maid comes while I am enjoying three hours of alone time.

4) A mini-vacay. A cottage on the beach. A bed & breakfast. Either one of those is fine with me. Just a night away with my husband for some much needed, much overdo alone time.

5) A cute wineglass. Something that makes me smile when I get it out of my cabinet. Nothing with the word "mommy" plastered all over it.

6) A pedicure that is administered by someone other than me. My pedicures consist of me locking my kids out of the bathroom to throw some polish on as fast as possible. This is usually a two day process. Who has time to sit and wait for each coat to dry while three children are pounding at the door?

So, to all the companies out there. Give us moms what we really ~~want~~ deserve. Wine. Mommy porn. Silence.

Eleven. Ish.

2012-05-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

So. Here we are. Elevenish months old.

In 19 days baby girl will be a one. year. old.

It is a surreal feeling knowing that in a blink of an eye my sweet girl will hit that first huge milestone.

She is amazing. Lovable. Sweet. Hysterical.

She has three teeth. One on top, two on bottom. It is sort of hillbilly-ish. But I love it.

She loves to eat. Anything and everything. And, yes, that still involves cat/dog food when she can find it.

No walking, just a bunch of standing.

She has started to throw mini tantrums. They are adorable and over the top.

She is still 100% a momma's girl. Oh, how she loves her momma.

She loves to dance, loves to swing, loves babies.

Loves the outdoors--especially potted plants, dirt, sand. So fun!

I hope the next 19 days slow down. I don't think I am ready to call her my big one year old...

Why I Won't Have Professional Family Pictures Done...

2012-04-30T21:17:00.001-05:00

At least not until everyone can look at the camera...

Spring Fever? Yes, Yes, YES.

2012-04-23T21:54:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love author Mary Kay Andrews. I remember the first time I picked up one of her books (Hissy Fit) and she had me hooked from page one. If you love books with a Southern flair (and, yes, I capitalized Southern because that's how it's done here in the South), female lead characters that you will root for until the end, and enough sass to leave you yearning for a sweet tea straight from the Mason jar? Her books are exactly what you need in your life.

I recently received an early, not-yet-released copy of her newest novel Spring Fever. Mary Kay did not disappoint. I now want friends like Annajane and Pokey in my life and am searching for a cherry soda named Quixie. Want a little background on Spring Fever?

About

Annajane Hudgens truly believes that she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless. They've been divorced for four years, she’s engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she’s ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history. She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia. But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she’s been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back. But there are secrets afoot in this small southern town. On the peaceful surface of Hideaway Lake, Annajane discovers that the past is never really gone. Even if there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness might be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy lake town might be in her future.

My Thoughts

Where do I begin? I was automatically hooked upon opening Spring Fever and stumbling into Annajane's life. I never wanted to put the book down as evident by dog-eared pages and the dark circles beneath my eyes. Spring Fever is the perfect beach read, the perfect book to have on your front porch while drinking some sweet tea.

Living in a small, Southern town myself I laughed along with Annajane and just felt for her. Here she is, divorced from the town's wealthiest family's son, and working for her ex at HIS family business. Awkward? Very much so.

Annajane has found a new man in her life and has decided that she is leaving behind her loft, career and Passcoe, NC. Everyone in town is in her business about everything. I sympathized towards her in so much of the novel. Just to have to live with so many people breathing down your neck--and not to mention being on your ex's payroll was enough for me to want to pour her a glass of wine and be her friend.

Her best friend and Mason's sister, Pokey, is determined that Annajane and Mason were destined to be with one another. She has a feeling that Celia is up to no good and she keeps on with her impeccable match making skills. This is one pair of exes that Pokey knows they are meant to be together, not apart.

If you are looking for a new book to tote to the beach, lake or even just to your backyard, Spring Fever is the book for you. The plot is never slow and I never had the feeling of wanting the book to be over. In fact, when I got to the last page I was heartbroken that it was over as now I will have to wait one more year for her next novel to be released.

I have a feeling that once you have read one of Mary Kay Andrews' books that you will buying them all one by one. And when you do? Don't blame me for your late nights and tired mornings from reading into the wee hours of the morning. Add Spring Fever to your must read list this summer--once you discover Mary Kay Andrews your life will never be the same.

Spring Fever receives 5 out of 5 stars!

Where to Buy

Spring Fever will be released on June 5th--mark your calendars!

Pre-order at these stores:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is the author of the New York Times bestselling The Fixer Upper, Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas, as well as Deep Dish,Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies and Savannah Blues.

As a lifelong “junker” the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

Married to her high school sweetheart, she is the mother of two grown children and a proud grandmother. After a brief hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta, where they live in a restored 1926 Craftsman bungalow. She divides her time between Atlanta and her restored beach cottage on Tybee Island, GA.

You can connect with Mary Kay Andrews on:

Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Book info:

St. Martin's Press 6/5/2012HardcoverISBN: 9780312642716ISBN10: 03126427176 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 416 pages

I received an advance reader's copy from St. Martin's Press in order to read the book and conduct my honest review. No other compensation was given.

Who's Ready For Summer?

2012-04-23T08:59:00.001-05:00

Up until yesterday our weather on the Gulf Coast our weather has been warm. I thought of it as being almost summer time. Warm temperatures, plenty of bright sunshine--I was in heaven. I live for warm weather and nothing picks up my spirit more than enjoying the outdoors with my girls.

Then yesterday happened. I woke up and it was so cold outside! Where are my warm temperatures? Where is my warm summer breeze?! I am not a huge fan of the cold--especially after being spoiled by a warm winter. Whose idea of a cruel joke is this? Mother Nature, I blame you. I want my warm mornings back.

I did indulge myself in having a tropical treat, though. I like to tell myself to envision myself on a warm beach somewhere, drinking a fruity drink with one of those little striped umbrellas, falling asleep while reading under the sun. Do you do that? Convince yourself that warmer days are to come and imagine that you are in the most tropical place that you can be--it honestly works for me.

Back to my tropical yumminess, though. Have you tried the Yoplait Greek Yogurt? I opened up a Cherry Pomegranate one yesterday and it took me back to the warm summer months. It was really, really good--and the flavor made me think of summer.

Yoplait's Greek Yogurt is so smooth and creamy. There isn't any gritty texture that some of the Greek yogurts have. The fruit balanced out the rich yogurt and I loved it. It truly was the perfect snack to have on a cool, spring day. With a variety of flavors to include Blueberry, Strawberry, Coconut, Cherry Pomegranate--they pack twice the protein of a regular yogurt and have 110 calories per 4 oz cup.

Bottom Line

I loved the Yoplait Greek Yogurt. With only 110 calories and the smooth taste? I can justify indulging in one this spring and summer. If you love Greek yogurt, try out the Yoplait Greek Yogurt. I think you will love it just as much as I do.

I received the above product to sample in order to facilitate this review. No other products or compensation was given. All opinions expressed above are my own.

The One Where I Grow Up...

2012-04-21T20:30:00.001-05:00

After I graduated high school I went to college. Sort of.

I didn't live in dorms. I lived with my parents. Still had rules.

I decided that college was nothing like it was in my dreams.

I dropped out 3/4 of the way into my first year. I didn't feel like it was for me. I needed a break.

I then worked two jobs, lived the party life and was introduced to the Air Force life.

I loved it. I succeeded. I thrived.

I met my husband. Fell in love with my husband. Married my husband.

I got pregnant with Isabella a few years later. Separated from the Air Force.

I then got pregnant with Madelyn.

And eventually with Brynlie.

I am now done having babies. (For now. Maybe later?).

So, I enrolled in something that I dropped out of so many years ago.

I applied for college. I've requested ACT scores to be sent. I requested my high school transcript to be sent.

I have made the jump to being a student once again. I have three little girls that I want to be a role model for. To say that I finally finished college and I did it for our family.

And in case you're wondering what I am pursuing my degree in?

Elementary education.

The job that I have talked about ever since I was a little girl.

Frugal Fail | The Clorox Lounge

2012-04-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

By a show of hands (what? I can totally see you raise it...) who has tried to save some money at some time in their life? Are you always finding fun and creative ways to be frugal or are you one of those people who want to be frugal, but either forget or just run out of time in coming up with money saving ideas?

I am one of the latter. I want more than anything to be frugal, but sometimes just don't know when I would have the time or patience to sit down and do the work. Sad, I know. But the thought of frugality is always looming in my mind. After all, I do have three children, a husband, a dog and a cat to take care of in my home.

In one attempt to be a frugal mom I decided that we would try out an off brand diaper. I am usually a hard core name brand diaper momma, but when I was in the store and looking at the price under a box of my favorite and a box of the off brand? My jaw dropped. Holy smokes! I would be saving SO much money by just doing a little diaper switcheroo.

I arrived back at home with a couple of the off brand diapers. I was so excited to tell Leo that I had saved us so much money. He praised my frugal find and we decided to have the girls try out their new diapers overnight. We awoke the next morning and both girls were sobbing. I had a bad feeling about this...

I go into their rooms and find to potty soaked girls. Their beds, pajamas, favorite blankies...holy cow. This? Was a disaster. It was right then at that moment that I realized I was simply a frugal wannabe. My entire dream of saving tons of money backfired completely in my face!

The Clorox Lounge

By now you are probably wondering why I have The Clorox Lounge on top of this post. Clorox has come up with a fun and new site celebrating on of the most underrated rooms in our homes--our bathroom! They have teamed up with Sherri Shepperd to turn our bathrooms into a laughroom. It is designed to be a place where moms can go for comedy, fun contests, coupons, giveaways and more! At Clorox they sympathize that sometimes the bathroom is the only place where a mom can go for a moment of silence.

Last Comic Sitting

The Clorox Lounge is giving you a chance at a $10,000 prize sweepstakes. Pretty sweet, right? To be eligible to win simply sign up at The Clorox Lounge and you are automatically entered into the sweepstakes. You also can vote for your favorite Last Comic Sitting finalist where one of them will win $10,000! So what are you waiting for? Go, sign up and maybe you will be they lucky $10,000 winner.

More information: http://bit.ly/x7m1OB
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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox® blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

Beautiful Dancer...

2012-04-12T07:25:00.002-05:00

Isabella's dance recital is April 29th. I cannot believe that the time for her recital is almost here!

Here is a picture that I snapped before we left to get her dance pictures done. Isn't she beautiful? On days that I feel myself frustrated with her I look at this picture and realize how truly sweet she is. Love her.

Isabella, age 4

Did Facebook Turn My Friends Into Whiny Toddlers?

2012-04-10T10:24:00.000-05:00

Over the past week or two or three I have come to a big conclusion. I have some of the whiniest "friends" in the world.

I use the term "friend" loosely here, mind you. Most of the people I am friends with in real life kick ass. Then I have some acquaintances who seem really cool and fun in real life. But online?

Wow.

I think a lot of them opened Facebook accounts to be able to just bitch about life in general.

"I have no friends. My life sucks. But family will be by my side and that's all that counts."

OR

"My husband has been out all night and hasn't answered his phone. He's a jerk and my life sucks!!"

OR

"My life is horrible. I hate it here. Nobody cares about me. Why can't I make any friends?"

OR

"After today I am deleting my Facebook FOREVER."

While the above aren't word for word statuses, they're pretty much statuses in a nutshell. Here's some food for thought: have you ever thought that maybe you don't have any close friends because you consistently complain? Or when you complain you have nobody in your life, have you considered all of the times people have offered to help with whatever you need, yet you turn them down and never accept anything?

And don't get me started on the grown up version of running away from home aka I'm deleting my Facebook account, but not actually because I just want to see how many people beg and plead for me not to.

We all have bad days. On occasion. It's when every day--or in certain circumstances, every few hours--turns into a majorly depressing status.

This is when I wonder what has social media done to so many adults? Has it allowed us to whine and complain more because it's online? And online we don't have to listen to people. We simply can delete a mean comment. Or block a person if they start calling people out on their crap.

Starting today I challenge you all to become less negative and more positive. Having a bad day? Cool. Tomorrow it will be a new day. Start over. Refresh. Regroup. You would be amazed at what can happen with a more positive attitude.

So this is for you Negative Nelly. Stop whining. Stop complaining. We are all going through some obstacle in life, but for many of us we choose to look at life in a somewhat more positive way.

Book Pick of the Week: One Pink Line

2012-04-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

Summer time used to be about staying up late, lounging by the pool every day and being carefree. Now that I can't do that as much as I used to (you know, this whole being a grown up thing) I try to read as often as possible. It's my way of escaping reality for a bit.

I just finished reading One Pink Line by Dina Silver. One Pink Line was such a fun book to read. I immediately loved the main character, Sydney, who starts out the book by finding out that she is pregnant. She is nearly done with college, in love with a man that shows her what love truly is, and then she finds out that she is pregnant. Now she has the task of letting her family and the man that she loves know about her unplanned pregnancy. Will she lose the one man that has shown her what true love and compassion truly is?

The story is also narrated by another person, Grace. Grace is young and has grown up in a loving home, but she has yet to meet her "real" father. She loves her stepfather, but to her it's not her "real" father. What is he like? Why hasn't he ever met her? Why is she different? These questions will follow her until she gets the answers that she is looking for.

One Pink Line was written beautifully. It was easy to follow, easy to read, and easy to fall in love with. Dina Silver has a talent for writing and I cannot wait to read her upcoming novel. If you are looking for a fun book to lose yourself in this spring and summer I recommend that you pick up One Pink Line.

Final Word: Read it. Love it. Have a glass of wine, curl up and enjoy.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

About the author: Dina Silver is a graduate from Purdue University. She has spent the past 15 years feeding her red wine habit by working as a copywriter in the advertising industry. In addition to writing ad copy, she formed Dina's Ideas, a greeting card company, in 2003. Dina serves as the sole writer and designer for the business and has penned over 300 greeting cards since its inception.

I received the e-book to read and review. No other compensation was given and all opinions above are my own.

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes...

2012-04-05T08:53:00.003-05:00

When I read the book Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank, I loved it. So much so that I have friended her on Facebook and rejoiced when she announced that she was done writing the sequel.

If you own a Kindle you are in luck--today AND tomorrow you can purchase Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes for FREE! Click here to be taken to Amazon.

And here is a brief synopsis of the book as taken from Amazon:

"For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She's had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone's toilet's overflowed, but she's never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she's wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She's well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won't help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe's new to town, but it doesn't take a vision for Rose to realize he's got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they'll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn't her biggest worry after all."

How to Get Your Husband to Do a Project...Without Being a Major Nag...

2012-04-02T08:53:00.002-05:00

As much as I adore my husband he sometimes needs a nudge in the right direction to get something completed. I hate being a nag so sometimes it takes a little bit of creativity to get the tasks at hand done.

Take yesterday for example. I have been wanting to remove six bushes in front of our home since we bought our house almost five years ago. I would bring it up to Leo and he would try to tell me to leave the bushes or he would agree with me and eventually that project would get buried under a pile of projects.

I brought it up again yesterday after he had finished mowing and weed eating the yard. By this time he was pretty tired. I, on the other hand, had been inside with my three girls dousing out the flames of arguments galore. I decided that it was then or never to get the bush project completed.

Once I started to dig I thought that it was not as bad as I had imagined. I dug up one bush a few years ago--but had to chop part of it out of the ground with a small ax. I'm pretty sure I accidentally threw away the ax because it has yet to turn up again.

Sorry, I seem to be going off the topic at hand. Anyway.

I'm out there digging and I cannot for the life of me get the first bush out of the ground. There was a massive root that would not budge. I decide to move on to a different bush--I would tackle the first one later. As I was digging bush number two I come across what I thought was a bone. Turns out it was yet another massive root.

By this time Leo had made it outside with the girls. He's sitting on the porch and laughing at me. He tried to direct me and give me tips ~~but I'm too damn stubborn~~ but I decided to ignore them. I didn't need help--I was determined to do this on my own.

As minutes marched on and I now had two out of the six bushes partially uprooted he couldn't take it anymore. I think it was from the part in the man brain that doesn't like to see a damsel in distress. He got up, held out his hand and I ~~grudgingly~~ happily handed over the shovel.

See how that turned out? I begged for years to dig up the bushes. He put it off. I went out, started to dig and he immediately had to step in and get it done. I am now coming up with a master list of other projects that "I" want to get completed...

Breakfast With Tropicana

2012-03-31T18:26:00.000-05:00

I love waking up in the morning and realizing that it is a Saturday. Not only does that mean my husband is off for the day, but it also means that we get to eat breakfast together as a family of five. I tend to brag a little on my husband's breakfasts. He goes all out with what he cooks on the weekends: scrambled eggs, homemade potatoes cut into squares, turkey bacon or turkey sausage, homemade pinto beans and all of this is served with warm flour tortillas. It is so good--we all look forward to the mornings when we can have a home cooked breakfast instead of cold cereal.

We also love to serve Tropicana Orange Juice with our breakfasts. I love having a nice, hot breakfast and a glass of orange juice (pulp free for us) on the side. Orange juice is a refreshing drink to have in the mornings and I love that is a part of our weekend family breakfast tradition.

Tropicana has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I hear the words orange juice my mind automatically thinks of Tropicana 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice. I'm willing to bet that as you're reading this you recognize the name Tropicana. While the name is familiar I have also had the opportunity to learn some interesting facts regarding Tropicana:

Tropicana is the single largest buyer of Florida fruit, purchasing approximately 11.6 billion oranges from Florida yearly
Tropicana's roots in Florida go back a long way. Some of its current grower relationships date back to the 1960's
Many of the Florida growers sample oranges by cutting them into a cup shape, allowing for drinking juice directly from the fruit
Tropicana Pure Premium is 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice

As if you didn't already love Tropicana, they are giving their loyal fans yet another reason to love them! By entering their Facebook sweepstakes you will have a chance at winning one of 100 Florida prizes. The prizes include winning Tropicana for a year and a trip to visit one of their Florida orange groves. Ninety nine winners will receive Tropicana for a year, while one lucky winner will win the round trip airfare for four to Florida for a three night stay in a hotel. The winner and their guests will get to tour a Florida orange grove.

You may enter now by visiting the Tropicana Facebook page, liking them and entering their sweepstakes.

Do you have a breakfast tradition that you follow with your family? Or maybe you remember breakfasts while growing up? I have many fond breakfast memories as a child and hope that my daughters will grow up one day and remember how much we loved having breakfast together on the weekends as a family.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tropicana blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

Playing Catch Up.

2012-03-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

-An entire week has flown by since my last post-I'm never going to catch up with blogging until at least one of my daughters is in school. When do you find time to write? To read a blog? Send me suggestions--I'm begging you!

-I finally got contacts--and I love it. Can you believe in my twenty plus years of assistance in sight that I never once tried contacts? Now that I have them I love them. As in I never want glasses again. Eventually I would love me some Lasik, but until then these will do.

-Our new living room furniture FINALLY arrived. I say finally because it took two months to make it to our home. That's a post for another day...

-I had my first ER worthy injury on Saturday. I was playing with Madelyn and I was lying down on the living room floor. She does this thing where she starts to make herself fall and you're supposed to catch her. Only this time I couldn't catch her and she landed on my face. Her head literally crushed my nose--I'll never forget the sound *shiver*. I stood up and had blood coming out of my nose...turns out she shifted my nose, I have severe bruising and swelling inside of my nose. Crazy, right?! It hurts like hell...

-We've been having so much fun outside. Beach trips, yard work, playing in the sprinkler, spring walks...it's been 80 degrees almost every day and I'm totally taking advantage of it!

-I recently bought new bedding. Ohmyheavens. It's wonderful. I bought the Dream Quilt from Garnet Hill in the color cottage blue. It's the softest quilt that I have ever felt in my life. I bought some cool white sheets from JCPenney...they are the softest sheets EVER. I also bought a cute throw for the bottom of our bed. Now I need to get some cute decorative pillows, curtains and wall decor. Slowly yet surely my house is looking how we want it. I'm going for crisp, clean and cleansing--with a chic flair.

-I think that's it--hoping to find some more time one of these days to make my blog a priority again. I miss everyone!

Sand Between Her Toes...

2012-03-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

I ventured out to the beach on Monday and did it all. by. myself.

Correction.

I had my girls and met a couple of friends with one of their little boys.

BUT.

The point that I am making is that I braved the sand, water and seagulls without my husband. If that's not a miracle I'm not sure what is.

We survived, had fun and I even snapped some pictures. After all, it was Brynlie's first time in the sand.

She loved it. She ate some sand. She had fun. She ate sand covered Goldfish.

I survived. I have a weird pattern on my back from where I couldn't reach sunscreen. I, too, ate some sand.

Did I mention that I survived?

Your Eight O'Clock is Dead {Book Review}

2012-03-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing that I love to read it is a book with humor, mystery and a lovable lead female character. These types of books allow me to continue to wonder about the book even when I am not reading it. Do you ever find yourself as you are trying to fall asleep you continue to try and solve the mystery of your current read? That is usually a great sign of the book I am reading--it means it has ultimately drawn me in.

I recently read Your Eight O'Clock is Dead by Kat Jorgensen. This novel is about Becca Reynolds, a young office manager (as she has given herself the title) at a psychiatric partner office. She arrives to the office one morning and begins her day as usual. She notices one of the patients in a chair ready for his 8:00 appointment. As Becca begins her morning routine she carries on a conversation with the patient until she realizes that something is wrong, very wrong, with him.

This is when Becca discovers and has to tell Dr. D that his eight o'clock patient?

Is dead.

I loved everything about this book. Becca is a lovable and I found myself able to relate to her and her nosy antics. She has managed to meet a handsome Russian and finds herself drawn to the manly accountant in the office across the hall. Can Becca solve the mystery and save her bosses' practice from going under due to an unsolved murder occurring in their office?

I rate this book five stars. I absolutely loved it and found myself unable to put it down. It sucked me in and had a great plot as well as a great mystery. It was fun to read and I recommend it to my readers!

Interested in purchasing Your Eight O'Clock is Dead? You can buy it on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or Smashwords.

About the Author

Kat Jorgensen, a notorious daydreamer, knew that it was only a matter of time before she became a writer. She learned to read by age four and had her first library card before her fifth birthday. To this day, she can lose herself for hours among the books at her local library or neighborhood bookstore. Ebooks and online ordering have made it really easy for her to keep her To Be Read pile from ever going down. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Kat is married with children and has a cranky tuxedo cat named Ben.

I received an ebook of Your Eight O'Clock is Dead. A huge thank you to Chick Lit Plus and Kat Jorgensen for this fun book tour! All opinions above are my own and no other compensation was received.

Too Sweet.

2012-03-18T22:02:00.003-05:00

Blogger has been making my pictures' color look really bizarre...sigh.

Miss Brynlie is almost 10 months old. On the 21st she will be two months shy of turning one.

One.

Where has the time gone?

With turning 10 months comes new and exciting things! This has been a busy, busy month for her as you are about to see...

She has TWO teeth as of now. Two. Just a month ago she was my toothless honey. Now? She has chompers!

She went through a biting/teething phase while nursing. That was horrible.

Speaking of nursing, we are almost to 10 months. If you asked me 10 months ago how long I would nurse her for I would of answered that I did not know if I would be able to do it. I am so proud of the both of us for making it this far!

She says mama any time she cries. Is it bad that I kinda hope she cries just to hear her say mama?

She also says dada and baba (which I assume means mama milk, haha). Oh-and gaga as well as "vvvvv". Love the sound of her voice!

She sings little songs. Sometimes I join in and she grins ear to ear and belts the notes out even louder. Heart melting.

Talk about a cruiser! She has mastered cruising.

Her big sisters are her world. She smiles anytime she hears their voice. She laughs at them constantly--which encourages Isabella and Madelyn to be even sillier. I love seeing the love she has for those two. There's nothing like seeing the love your children have for one another.

Last, but not least, she cannot stand baby food. Besides nursing she only wants real food. Can you blame her? Her favorite dish is pinto beans. Those are her favorite!

The Spirited Child {PYHO}

2012-03-14T17:25:00.000-05:00

I could write about so many things, but want to write on a topic that I haven't ever talked about on my blog. It's actually taken me a few years to come to acceptance and talk to my mom about this. It won't be easy to write about, but feel like I need to get this out. Maybe my story will click with another mom or dad.

Deep breaths. Here I go...

When Isabella was born I honestly had no idea how a newborn baby should act like. Sure, I knew there would be crying. Dirty diapers. Sleepless nights.

She cried. A lot. Screaming. Crying. Nothing would soothe her. Nothing.

Leo and I would walk around the house to try and hope that she would finally, at last, fall asleep. We pleaded with her in our heads. I prayed that she would just sleep. She never really did, though. Still to this day I have a hard time getting this girl to sleep. It's crazy, but something that we have grown accustomed to.

She remembers everything--seriously. She will ask me if I remember an event and it blows my mind that she can fully grasp onto that memory. Her memory amazes me and I think that it is fabulous that she has such a great one. I'm jealous to be honest.

She is very sensitive to changes. If there is a lot of noise, activities, people, she shuts down on me. It's as if her sweet self can't comprehend what all is going off. I want to say it's a sensory type of thing--but her pediatrician has blown me off in the past when I have brought this up. Case in point: we recently went to a children's museum. She was so excited to go--talked about it, happy and jabbering away a mile a minute about how excited she was. We arrive and it's as if I have a different child. She shut down. Crying. Anger. Hitting out of frustration. Now that I can recognize these signs I had Leo take her to another part of the museum that was quiet and not so sensory overloaded as the area that we were in.

Loud noises frighten her. To the point of hysterics. Screaming. Attacking whoever is closest for her to lash out on.

Same with bugs. She melts down even spotting a bug within radius of her. She isn't just scared, but is terrified. It's heartbreaking as a mother, as a parent to see my child so scared of normal things. I don't like bugs, but I don't break down when I see them.

When she was younger the tantrums were awful. She bit. She hit. She scratched. It hurt me to see her lashing out at everyone who would come into contact with her. It hurt me to apologize on countless times to children and parents who were injured by my daughter. No parent wants to see their child hurt another. It broke my heart. What was I doing wrong?

I thought perhaps this was my fault. Had I failed my child? Had I failed my oldest daughter? What could I have done to prevent this?

Then I gave birth to Madelyn and eventually Brynlie. It has taken me 4 years to realize that I have done nothing wrong in raising my Isabella. She is spirited. Some will say a handful. Some may even call her difficult. Sure, we have difficult moments. Who doesn't?

But she is different. I have finally, after FOUR years, accepted that she is different. She is simply spirited and I have taken steps to understand her better. I recently bought a book about raising a spirited child. I have spent countless nights pouring over the internet and soaking up all of the information that I can so I can help her.

I can't imagine having some of these things that my sweet girl goes through on a daily basis. Could you imagine? I love her with all of my heart and vow to learn as much as possible about spirited children. This isn't something that she can help. This isn't the path that she chose to go on. But I can take her and guide her with the best of my ability.

I don't want this to come across as a whiny post about an ill behaved child. She is far from ill behaved. She is smart--as in very advanced for her age. She has one of the biggest hearts of anyone that I have ever met. She loves helping me with tasks around the home. She is an amazing dance student. She is wonderful in so, so many ways. I love my daughters and as their mom I will do everything that I can in my power to make sure that they are equipped with the right tools in life to succeed, have a joy filled life, and to be happy little girls who grow up into happy teens, happy women.

Sorry this was so long. Hey--it's called Pour Your Heart Out for a reason, right? Happy 2nd Anniversary, Shell!

My Middle One.

2012-03-13T22:13:00.002-05:00

Oh, Madelyn. She's my sweetie pie.

Or as she calls me (and everyone to include the cat & dog) "cuuuu-tee".

She is my cuuuu-tee.

Speaking in full sentences.

Picking flowers for hours.

Animal lover.

Sister sidekick.

My middle one.

Always the one with a huge heart.

A heart that is as easily broken as it is full of love.

I? Love her. With every ounce of my being.

A Note to My Non Friends.

2012-03-07T21:50:00.001-06:00

Dear Pimple Taking Up Residence On My Face,

Okay. I never thought at the age of thirty two and a half that I would even need to write this letter. I was obviously WAY mistaken.

After I had Brynlie I thought, huh. It's that whole postpartum breakout thing. That was 9 1/2 months ago. You refuse to leave. My face has become your new residence. Yay me!

And to make it even worse? You have brought your friends with you. It's as if you are having a party on the left side of my face. Isn't there a teenager somewhere on earth that has yet to deal with you? Please?

You obviously think that because I am older I must need more company because there are three, I repeat, three pimples just taking it easy over here.

I think it would be best if we terminate this relationship before someone gets hurt. Although, honestly? You have hurt me enough. In my thirties? With pimples? I am sure the other moms on the playground will call me pizza face now.

~~Yours,~~
~~Sincerely,~~
Signed,
One UnHappy Pimply Faced Thirty Something