twingle mommmy

Tips on Unpacking After Moving

2013-05-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's funny how many people told me that unpacking a house after a move takes forever. Why? Because I had my house completely unpacked within 30 hours of the moving van arriving. Well it's 30 hours if you don't count the one box of pictures that took two more days as I decided where they should go. I count it, but if you don't the moving van arrived on Wednesday and by Saturday evening everything was organized, put away, and hung on the walls.

Of course it helps that my husband and I are very organized people by nature. (Read type a freaks who cannot go to bed unless everything is put away.) But I got some great advice from my mom and friends who have moved before and I took their advice and incorporated some of my own and I'm going to pass all our wisdom to you.

Before the moving van arrives try to think about where you're going to put things. This advice was given to me by my mom and two military friends. And since my moving van was a week late, I had plenty of time to think about where things would go. It was so helpful having a game plan and it made unpacking so much easier!
Resist the urge to throw boxes in the garage. Our new house doesn't have a garage so it wasn't even an option but this was the most common advice I was given. It makes sense if you think about it, if you stack boxes in the garage it's really easy to forget about it and still have those boxes there 9 months later.
Start unpacking the second your first box is delivered. This was advice from my mom and I'm so glad I took it. I was able to unpack 20 boxes before the movers left and they hauled away some of the boxes for me. (The ones they could use again)
Set up the kitchen and the kids' rooms first. A friend gave me this one and I took it to heart. While I was unpacking boxes, my husband assembled the kids furniture. (Our move included furniture assembly, but I watched them assemble our kitchen table and I made a judgment call) They were able to play and sleep in their bedrooms with everything put away that first night which was huge for them.
Work for as long as possible the first day. This was my own advice and the most important to getting unpacked so quickly. I knew that we would never be as motivated as we were the first day to unpack. So we busted our butts and worked until way past bedtime the first night. And I was right, I was completely unmotivated the next day to tackle the rest of the boxes. And there were only 6 of them!
Put boxes that go in the attic away right away. Once everything was unloaded we put the attic boxes away. It was so motivating seeing 12 boxes "unpacked and put away" in just a few minutes. Plus, I didn't have to worry about the kids getting into them in the morning. And it looked like less work once those boxes were out of the way.
Make dinner ahead of time so you're not too tired to cook and you don't have to stop to cook. After 6 hours of unpacking the LAST thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. I'm so glad I prepped dinner ahead of time! Plus when you're working hard, you don't want fast food which will weigh you down and make you more tired than you already are feeling.

I am very proud of us for getting unpacked so quickly. I am so glad we didn't spend weeks tripping over boxes and having to spend a few hours every night unpacking. I hope these tips will help you with your move.

And for those of you who have experience moving, did I leave off any advice that really helped you?

Vegetarian Egg Casserole Recipe - Perfect for Brinner

2013-05-20T12:16:00.002-07:00

I love eating breakfast for dinner, especially when a great egg casserole in on the menu. I have many egg dishes that I love to eat, but there is no way I'm going to spend an hour getting breakfast on the table during the week and Sunday is out since we go to 9am church. So that only leaves Saturday morning and Brett likes to make the kids waffles or pancakes on Saturdays. I have learned to embrace this since it means I get to sleep in. It's a difficult life, but someone has to sleep in.

Sorry ladies, I'm taken :)

So all my fabulous egg dishes are now served for dinner. My kids and Brett love it, in fact they request brinner all the time! And egg dishes are super fast to throw together, so I love the quick prep meal! The egg dish that I'm going to share with you is my family's favorite. My mother in law gave me the recipe and she makes it almost every time we all get together. Originally it was called Mammoth Egg Casserole, but my kids renamed it Egg A Roll Casserole. Well that's how they pronounced Mammoth Egg with their cute speech problems and the name stuck.

Egg-a-Roll Casserole Recipe

9 large eggs
1 pound grated jack Cheese
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 cup Bisquick
1 Cup milk
salsa

1. In a large bowl beat the eggs until they are fluffy.
2. Beat in milk.
3. Beat in Bisquick. There will be some lumps but get it as smooth as possible.
4. Stir in cheese and cottage cheese.
5. Pour into a greased 9" X 13" pan. I like to add a little salt and pepper to the top of the casserole at this point. Use according to your taste.
6. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Serve with salsa.

So go ahead and make some brinner tonight! It's fast and you'll have some leftovers for the morning. That is my second favorite part of this dinner, I don't have to make breakfast the next day since the kids ALWAYS ask for the leftovers. Just pop in the microwave and enjoy!

A quick note about the cheese, you could use any kind you like. I prefer jack cheese since it's creamy and mild. But don't you dare even think for one single minute that you can skip a step and buy grated cheese! For those of you who don't know, it has added ingredients so it won't clump and it will not taste the same. Friends don't let friends use packaged grated cheese :)

Confessions on Cause and Effect

2013-05-17T11:52:00.003-07:00

My kids are going to grow up and talk about how they hated Brett and I saying "cause and effect" and "if you put things over people, you'll lose your things." These statements are said over and over again and even at their young ages I can hear them roll their eyes.

I confess....
Yesterday was a brilliant lesson in cause and effect. My kids are not allowed to slam doors. Molly decided to break the rule and slam the door in her brother's face. In return, Mark got so mad that he threw the door open and the door handle popped Molly in the eye.

I got to see this all go down from Molly's side of the door.

I confess....
Once I knew she wasn't really hurt we had a little talk about cause and effect. I think this face says it all.

I confess....
Every time I look at this picture, it cracks me up! It's just too pitiful for words! But don't worry, I didn't laugh in her face, I at least have that much control over my emotions.

I confess....
I went to a few Meet Up play dates this week. It's been so nice to get out of the house and have other grown ups to talk to. It's so weird not knowing anyone in the city. This is the most difficult part of moving that I completely underestimated.

Bubbles in the Park

I confess....
In Las Vegas our mailboxes were all together each box was locked. In NC, we've gone back to having our own individual box in front of the house. My kids new favorite activity is checking the mail. I have no idea what the fascination is, but they love getting to bring the mail in.

I confess....
I was attacked by fire ants yesterday. I forgot just how horribly painful fire ant bites are and I couldn't sleep last night. So I quit putting off hiring an exterminator and one will be here this afternoon. Bugs in the South, something I do not miss from my childhood.

I confess....
My 5 year old is obsessed with a CD her church preschool teacher gave her for Christmas. She plays the same song over and over again. It gets on my nerves, but it's pretty cute too. Isabella also wants me to dance with her. She's very bossy about how my dance moves should look.

She's 5 and my dance moves are already not cool. Lord help me!

What are you confessing this week?

Pooping at Table - Should We Judge?

2013-05-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

In general I think we are far too judgmental towards parents who do things differently. And if I could ever begin to think that's not true all I need to do is go on Facebook and look at the latest Parents magazine post. This week they posted an article on whether kids should eat fast food occasionally. Of course the comments were mostly from self righteous mothers who have never fed their kids fast food since it's just the most horrible thing a parent could ever give their child. And then somehow the comments also started including that they don't allow their children to watch TV. Which is just as horrible of course according to these commenters.

I'm such a good mom that I let my kid drink the sweet and sour sauce.

Let me be clear, feed your kids whatever you want. I couldn't care less. I have no idea why so many parents make themselves feel better by making other parents feel bad. I really could care less how you're raising your kid as long as they are not being abused and neglected. That's where I start to care if you're being abusive or neglectful.

And then today's article popped up. About a kid pooping in a potty. In a restaurant. AT THE TABLE.

OK, I'm about to go all judgmental on that kid's parents. I know, I know he was with the nanny but who do you think told the nanny to bring the portable potty?

First of all, gross! That is disgusting! Who would let a kid poop in a portable potty in the middle of a restaurant? I don't give a crap that they were eating on the patio, being outside does not change the fact that people go there to eat! You have an obligation to the people around you to act like a decent human being. And in case you missed it, no one wants to watch someone poop while they eat, regardless of how old they are.

Second, why are you allowing your child to think it's OK to go to the bathroom in public? Bathrooms are private for a reason, it's a private bodily function! You're potty training a kid right? Teach them correctly from the beginning! I'm sure no one would allow a 45 year old man to use a portable potty at the table.

Third, pooping at the table is not a potty training method it's just rude entitlement behavior.

I have to say that I'm seriously worried about some kids growing up and thinking they can do anything they want. Oh wait, that's already happening and crap like this only makes it worse. What's the message to little Johnny? Don't think about others, you're the only one who matters so go ahead and poop at the table.

Parents please wake up! You need to be respectful to other people. And when you're allowing your kid to poop at the table you're sending the message loud and clear - I am the center of the universe and my needs and wants are all the matter. Do you really want your kids to grow up and model that behavior?

Lord I hope not!

So what do you think, should we judge parents for this level of disrespect?

Confidence My Son's New Weapon Against Cerebral Palsy

2013-05-14T12:21:00.002-07:00

Something amazing has happened to Mark, he has become a confident brave little boy! For those of you who don't know his background, Mark has Cerebral Palsy and his gross and fine motor skills are still very delayed. Between daily stretching and PT and OT Mark has made huge strides but in the last 6 months he has overcome one of his biggest obstacles, fear!

From the very beginning his therapists said that Mark's fear was getting in his way. He never wanted to do anything unless he was 100 percent confident that he would succeed. And I'm not surprised that this is part of his personality considering how many times the poor kid has fallen and that he's ended up more scraps and bruises than I could ever count.

His latest battle scar.

We have really noticed a huge improvement in Mark in the last six months with his confidence. He doesn't hesitate as much anymore and he doesn't immediately ask for help when he's unsure. I notice his confidence the most when we are at the play ground. I took this video last week for two reasons. One, I was shocked that he was doing what he was doing and two, I knew Brett would be sad that he missed it.

I can't believe that my little guy climbed that rock wall! He did it again before we left and he had the biggest smile on his face. I loved seeing him looking so proud of himself. These are the moments that I hold onto when the bad days roll around.

So the girls don't feel left out, they climbed the rock wall too. Molly tried to climb over the top to the other side and Isabella got scared halfway up. She is a little fearful too. Just a little!

Strawberry Picking at Phillips Farm of Cary

2013-05-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took the kids to a farm for their first time to pick strawberries. Well actually it was the first time they ever picked anything and their first time on a farm. I thought it would be fun but I had no idea how much fun we would have or that we would end up spending 3 hours there playing.

When we arrived at Phillips Farm of Cary the kids were very excited about the play area, but we wanted them to pick the strawberries first. At the ripe old ages of three and five we had to help the kids at first since they wanted to pick everything. What started out as a fun family outing turned into a science lesson. I love it when things work out that way. The kids were fascinated to see food growing out of the ground and that the green strawberries would eventually turn red. Mark loved the strawberries that were half green and half red and he showed me everyone! After a few minutes they understood only to pick the red ones and they were off and running.

Mark was the big winner in the picking the most strawberries contest, he picked 3.4 pounds! Isabella was just over 3 pounds and Molly was just under 3 pounds. They had fun picking the strawberries and this little guy didn't want to wait for them to get cleaned.

After we were done picking the strawberries, we headed over to the play area. There was tons of stuff to do from corn hole to cow rides. My kids loved the slide, tractors, and feeding the goats.

Is that the coolest slide you've ever seen?

Cow Train Ride

We ended up staying in the play area for a little over two hours. We would have stayed longer but the dark clouds were blowing in and it was almost nap time. Brett and I had to drag the kids off the field and into the car. When we got home I realized that I had almost 9.5 pounds of strawberries to eat. I decided to make strawberry shortcake for dessert that night. After all it's one of my all time favorite desserts and the sweetest strawberries should go into dessert right?

My favorite picture of the day!

I'm so glad we moved to North Carolina and now my family can enjoy many days like Saturday. It was great spending the day outside and having fun together as a family. I think we are really going to like in here!

Have you ever taken your kids strawberry picking?

Social Media Blackout My Mother's Day Gift

2013-05-09T11:39:00.003-07:00

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for MetLife. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

This Mother's Day I'm going to give myself the gift of a social media blackout. Why? I want to spend the day being present with my children and truly be engaged with them and enjoy my day. I don't want to miss any moment of the day because I'm buried in my phone or trying to post a cute picture to Facebook. That can wait until Monday! MetLife has created the #SocialBlackout movement, which challenges everyone to log off of social media on Mother’s Day (May 12th) and give Mom the time and attention she deserves!

I love Mother's Day! After all it's a day that I get to celebrate me so what's not to love? Usually I spend the morning and afternoon with my family alone and then we go to dinner with my mom and brother. I love that I get to be celebrated and I also get to make my mom feel special too!

But this Mother's Day is a first for me. I moved to North Carolina a few weeks ago and it will be my first Mother's Day spending the day without her. It's going to be a hard day for me without my mom here but my husband has planned some surprises and a fun lunch for us. And we will still take our traditional family photo before heading out to church on Sunday. I love these photos and I torture my family with one every year! And while I can't go a whole day without taking a picture or video, I am pledging to stay off of social media for the whole day.

Mother's Day 2012

I love the idea of taking time away from social media for the day so I can truly be present and not miss a moment. I spend so much time on my computer working from home that it's difficult for me to unplug. But I'm up for the challenge. And our husbands and kids need to take the same pledge. This isn't just a challenge for moms; we all need to be present this Mother's Day! Now my kids are too little to participate, but I was easily able to get my husband on board with the pledge. To be fair, it's not a difficult thing I'm asking of him but I think he would give me diamonds if I asked for them right now after a move across the country.

I hope all of you will join the MetLife #SocialBlackout movement! It's the easiest event you can ever attend since you don't have to show up. MetLife created a cute profile picture alerting everyone that you're saying goodbye to social media for the day. It's a great way to share the information with all of your friends! You can learn more information on their Facebook page.

My kids seeing their first snail a moment too good to miss!

Why are your reasons for joining the #SocialBlackout?

What I Would Tell Myself the Day my Son was Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy

2013-05-07T11:08:00.004-07:00

I saw a video on Facebook where parents of special needs children stated what they would have told themselves when their kids were first diagnosed. The video had me in tears and it really got me thinking about what I would have told myself on the day that Mark was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

There are so many things that I could have said to myself looking back. I'm not sure in my grief that I would have heard anything that my future self said. It was such a dark time for us with so much uncertainty and a desperate feeling of being completely overwhelmed and scared.

I would tell myself

It's OK to grieve, it doesn't make you a bad mom or person. The life you thought you were going to have is different now. It's OK to be upset about it. One day you'll be glad you felt your emotions purely since it allowed you to get to a place of acceptance quicker.
You will find strength that you never could have imagined you would be capable of having and you will use it to fight for Mark.
Join a gym now! The stress of having a special needs child will wreck havoc with your health. Future you found this out the hard way.
You will start a blog and reach out to other parents of CP kids. They will teach you more than any book ever could and become your lifeline when things with Early Intervention go bad.
Grow some thick skin lady! You will be shocked at the things said to you by doctors, strangers, friends, and family.
Breath. Mark is the most amazing little boy and he will accomplish great things. He has a determination that will take your breath away.

If you have a child with special needs what would you tell yourself the day your child was diagnosed?

Confession Moving is Stressful

2013-05-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

I confess....Turns out moving is far more stressful than I ever imagined. Sometimes I get a little too cocky for my own good.

I confess....When we were packing and everyone said that was stressful and it went without a hitch, I was all "I've got this in the bag. " I should have enjoyed that moment more.

I confess....Once the movers arrived the nightmare began. It was awful! No really picture me sobbing by the end of the day awful. This is unusual behavior for me, I normally don't let things like this bother me.

I confess....First the movers claimed they didn't know that they had to pack my kitchen. You know even with it being in our contract and all. Then they wanted more money. Of course and wouldn't move our stuff or unload our stuff. Third, they said they wanted - wait for it - $2,000 for my kitchen!

Say What?

Two things on the kitchen

How is it that my kitchen is $2,000 to move when the rest of the house is about $5,000? We weren't moving any appliances!
My kitchen is SO not worth $2,000. And that was if I packed it myself.

I confess....We finally worked out a deal with the ~~mafia~~ movers. I ended up packing part of my kitchen onto my car since we were shipping it. One box on the moving van of the really heavy stuff and the rest I left behind.

I confess....I declared my everyday dishes too ugly to move. I liked them 10 years ago when I was engaged and I picked them out. Not so much today.

They were left behind!

I confess....I think I already found new dishes and they are on sale this weekend! Gotta love that!

I confess....After the loading nightmare was over, the moving van not arriving nightmare began.

I confess....Our stuff came a week after it was promised and my family and I did some indoor camping.

I confess....We were unpacking fools when the van finally arrived. 30 hours after it pulled up we had the whole house unpacked and organized. (And yes I slept and ate and took care of three small children) The only thing we have left is to hang our pictures.

I confess....I cannot believe how quickly we got the house unpacked. Of course it does help that we sold, donated, or threw away about half of our stuff. It's amazing how much junk you acquire over the years!

I confess....Everything has been difficult about this move from the movers, to getting internet set up, and don't get me started on DirecTV guy! But we are finally getting settled in and if my TV can get set up today, I'll be a very happy girl.

Now, who wants to be my friend? That's the next step on this journey and it will be a long one.

What are your moving experiences?

Tips on Moving Across the Country

2013-04-30T18:03:00.001-07:00

Well slowly but surely we have a new home in Raleigh, NC after moving from Las Vegas. We don’t have any furniture yet as the moving van is taking at count a week longer than promised. I’m not even going to go there on how unbelievably frustrated I am with the moving company. I can’t dwell on it and besides it won’t change a thing even if I do. I’m trying very hard to focus on the positive and ignore the rest as best to my abilities.

I’ve learned a few things about moving in the last week that I’d like to share with you.

1. If possible rent a house from the nicest person in the world. Brett and I flew out 3 days before the kids and planned to possibly be in the house for a few days without furniture. We packed an aero bed and sheets thinking we could survive a few days without our stuff. (And we planned to buy new pillows for us since our old pillows were just that, old.) A week later, our house is still empty. Our landlord was nice enough to offer us camping chairs, blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags for the kids so we didn’t have to get a hotel. And some homemade raisin bread for breakfast. Not paying for a hotel is a huge blessing right now!

2. Find a Laundromat near your house. You will not be able to bring enough clothes for the untold duration of your camp out and having clean underwear makes all the difference in the world. My tip to you, check out the machines before you use them, many hold triple loads for $1 more than the regular machine. Washing three loads at once saves you time and money. Really wish I would have done that on my first trip there.

3. If you’re shipping a car or driving, pack that car to the gills wisely. We shipped my car and it got here before the moving van. As luck would have it we packed a few toys, clothes, and kitchen stuff. So I may not have furniture but I am able to cook. Eating a meal together, even on the floor makes us feel at least a little normal. And since I don’t have TV or 99% of their toys, the 3 toys we did pack are saving my sanity right now. Did I mention we are now on day three of rain? I really wish I would have packed more toys and towels!

4. Be nice to your neighbors! You don’t have stuff and you’ll need to borrow tools when the internet guy informs you that a fence is blocking his way to install your ~~lifeline to the world~~ DSL line and you need to take it down before he can come back out. Grrrr, but since you’re nice to your neighbors they were more than happy to lend you tools. They were also more than happy to open the jar of spaghetti sauce even though you swore up and down that you packed the hand crank can opener.

5. Check out the library. We have fronted so much money on this move that we can’t afford to go out and buy tons of new stuff. The library has books and movies for free! We were going to go today but it stopped raining so we went outside instead. We’ll check it out tomorrow and get to go to preschool story time as well.

6. And along that line. Check out all the local parks and walking trails. We went out today in between the rain just to get out of the house and run some energy out. The kids loved exploring a new park and had a great time looking at all the bugs on the walking trail. My little desert kids are in a whole new world of critters and bugs here in NC.

Their first snail sighting!

7. Have a sense of humor. I saved the best for last. There is nothing you can do to get your stuff delivered faster. There is nothing that you can do to stop the rain. Roll with the punches and head to Chick fil-A so the kids can play and you can get some peace. After all, this too shall pass and soon your life will return to normal.

Anything I missed from the list? And if you've ever moved did it go smoothly or was it a disaster too?

Patriot's Day Indeed

2013-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Patriot's Day in every sense of the meaning of that holiday. At first when I was watching the news coverage I was broken hearted and a little worried. A friend and former coworker was at the marathon and I was worried about her. Thankfully she was alright but the heartache continues. I know it will continue for a long time, but there was something that gave me hope.

The reports about all the amazing first responders started coming in. Men and women who rushed in to help strangers. Patriots Indeed.

Marathon runners who headed to the hospital to give blood supplying The Red Cross with enough blood to meet the demand. Patriots Indeed.

People offering the marathon runners a place to rest, use the bathroom, charge their phones, take a shower, or have something to eat. Patriots Indeed.

Then the report of the people offering up their homes to anyone who needed a place to stay or a meal to eat. Patriots Indeed.

In the middle of terror and chaos came the outpouring of love and hope. I was so heartbroken wondering what is wrong with the world to make people set off those explosions. But after hearing the reports about all the true patriots, I remembered that there are far more good people in this world than evil. I'm still heartbroken, but I have some hope again.

The victims and their families are in my prayers. I'm also praying for this nation so we can heal and come together during this time of need.

Sisters, They Really Do Love Each Other

2013-04-15T14:36:00.001-07:00

Every now and then my daughters act like the sweet loving sisters I've always imagined them to be since Molly was born. And of course the rest of the time they are fighting or deliberately trying as hard as possible to annoy each other. Ah reality, you are so mean sometimes.

My kids woke up fired up and ready to start their day running - you know like they do everyday! I put Mark on the bus and quickly realized that I had to get my girls out of the house and run some energy out or I was in big trouble. We headed out to the park and after some much needed play time, they wanted to check out the ducks and turtles.

Don't be fooled by the duck on the left - he's mean!

Isabella was loving the camera today!

After I took a few pictures of the playing, they decided that they wanted to pose for some pictures. Now you have to know that they never, ever want to pose for pictures. It takes a miracle to get my kids to look and smile at the camera at the same time. Getting them to pose and be cute, well that just never happens. I'm glad I was able to take advantage of this opportunity.

I love these pictures! They were so cute hugging and laughing at each other. I missed the picture of them kissing and I'm a little bummed about that but since the last picture is probably the best picture I've ever taken so I'm going to be OK with it.

Next time they're fighting, I'm going to pull out this picture and remember that they really do love each other.

Motherhood Confessions

2013-04-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

I confess....When I saw the article about the mom who says her children were her biggest regret, I decided to pass on reading it. Why? What good would have come from it? In the teaser it said that she cannot understand why any woman would actually want children. There is no point for me to read it.

I confess....And then I went on Facebook and saw the poop storm this article was causing and I knew I made the right decision not to read it. Do you ever just know you need to not even be tempted to weigh in on the drama? Although it's good that moms have a new thing to fight about. Life would get dull if we kept arguing about the same old topics like how to feed your kids, where they should sleep, and how they get educated. I'm so glad we have another line to draw in the sand on what makes a mom good.

I confess....I think calling someone a bad mom makes you a bad human. Deal with it.

I confess....I've never been called a bad mom (to my face at least) but I have been called a selfish mom. It hurt even though that person knew nothing about me other than the fact that I didn't believe in attachment parenting. It was in that moment that I realized that we never leave high school.

I confess....I will tell you the one thing that I'm extremely judgmental about when it comes to parenting. Today I took the kids to Burger King for lunch and some playtime. There were two moms there meeting for lunch. The one mom told her daughter if she didn't stop screaming they would leave. I stopped counting after she said it 8 times because it was annoying me to keep count. Of course her kid never stopped screaming, there wasn't a consequence and the kid knew it.

I confess....I get it, you made a threat before you could think it through. I've done it. It SUCKS! I once lost my temper and screamed that I would throw it into the trash if they didn't stop fighting over it. As soon as I said it I knew I was in trouble.

I confess.....My kids didn't believe me and I had to throw it into the trash since I said I would. Yep sometimes parenting sucks but if you want your kids to listen you have to follow through with your threats. Even if it means leaving somewhere early or throwing something in the trash.

I confess.....And while I was annoyed with the screaming, I still don't think she was a bad mom. She's just bad at making threats or following through with them depending on your angle. See the difference folks? One mistake or decision doesn't make you bad at parenting. Hell, if one bad decision qualified me a bad mom I would be bad a few hundred times over.

I confess....Our moms had it so much better in some ways. Yes they didn't have digital cameras or DVRs but they didn't' have to deal with social media. It's a blessing and a curse all wrapped together. I love social media until I hate it.

I confess....I do think digital cameras and DVRs make being a mom today awesome!

I confess....I wonder if our mothers felt like every decision they made brought on judgment from the peanut gallery?

Speaking of social media

I confess....I don't know what to do about the person on Facebook who posts a million times a day. I don't want to see your (and I'm not exaggerating here) 10 inspirational quotes everyday and then all the hilarious postcards that you share.

Do you hide them? Unfriend even though you're friends? Allow them to clog your newsfeed with 16 posts in a row? Or take the big girl panties approach and say something to them?

Huggies Stand up to the Biggest Messes

2013-04-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

At one point in my life I had three kids in Huggies diapers, which made me feel like an expert when it came to diapers whether or not that is actually true may never be known. But I at least felt like an expert when I went to Costco and bought 3 huge boxes of diapers since my twins were in two different sizes. We have seen many messes over the years and I may never stop carrying wipes since they are so efficient and convenient to clean up messes.

Look at those cute diaper butts!

Now I have written before how much I love Huggies diapers. I learned as a new mother that not all diapers are created equal. And as it turns out not all wipes are created equal either. I can remember a diaper blow out with a generic diaper that sent poo all the way to my son's shoulders. Now I took a picture of that mess, but I'll spare you the gross details. No one wants to see that!

My son hears things that I say and I'm pretty sure he thinks "challenge accepted!" In this instance I told my husband that we got some wipes and diapers from Huggies to test. Mark heard this and decided to run with it. On Monday he got out of his crib and got naked after pooping in his diaper of course! He then proceeded to climb onto his dresser and wipe his bottom all over the top of the dresser. I did not have nice thoughts towards my son when I discovered him. Poop everywhere!

He doesn't look sorry to me!

Well if Huggies wanted me to test drive their wipes on a big mess, the challenge was accepted for sure! I was pretty impressed with the Natural Care Wipes with NEW Triple Clean Layers. It took two wipes to clean the dresser, radio (yep he got some there too), and diaper changing pad. I was very impressed that it only took two wipes to clean up that big mess.

The Huggies Snug and Dry diapers with NEW SureFit Design work as well as I expect them to. Now that my son is 3 having a diaper that fits well and doesn't leak is more important than ever. I need his diapers to move with him; even so he can climb onto his dresser!

This is a very cute video trailer on a town that served as testers for Huggies.

Buy Huggies

You can get some great deals on Huggies diapers and wipes at Walgreens right now. They are running great specials that will make you want to stock up on diapers and wipes.

Walgreens Offers

Week of April 7th and April 14th

This week at Walgreens if you spend $30 on Huggies and Enfamil products you get 5,000 points (5,000 points = $5 Reward)
Through the month of April, Jumbo Huggies diapers and Pull-Ups are $9.49 at Walgreens
All April, Huggies Refill Wipes are $5.99 at Walgreens

Week of April 21st

This week at Walgreens if you spend $30 on Huggies and Enfamil products you get 5,000 points (5,000 points = $5 Reward)

Through the month of April, Jumbo Huggies diapers and Pull-Ups are $9.49 at Walgreens.

All April, Huggies Refill Wipes are $5.99 at Walgreens

This week only, Huggies Jumbo packs are available for $9.49, plus you can layer $1-$2 off Huggies diapers only at Walgreens

I love that I'll be able to stack coupons along with a great deal to save even more money! With three small children and a one income family we need to save ever penny we can!

Disclaimer - This post is sponsored by Huggies and is not affiliated with Walgreens. I received product samples and a promotional item to facilitate this review but all opinions are 100% mine.

Big Changes in the Family

2013-04-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Big changes are coming to my family in the next few weeks. Brett got a new job and we are very excited about it. And while a new job would be a big change for any family, the fact that the job is on the other side of the country makes it a huge change for the whole family. In exactly 10 days, the moving van arrives to take our life to Raleigh.

Last weekend Brett and I went to Raleigh to find a rental home. We finally found a house in Cary, but the process was far more stressful than I ever could have imagined. We spent almost 3 days straight in the car driving around trying to find an available rental property. Needless to say it was an exhausting weekend but we still had a good time and after seeing our new city for the first time, we are more excited to move there.

I learned a few things about homes in Raleigh while we were there. One, homes with a fence are very rare. Two, homes with garages are not rare but they are not the norm either. And three, homes that have both are not for rent at a reasonable rate or have multiple couples trying to rent them as well.

Our New Home

We found this little house on a quiet street. I already feel sorry for the current residents on my new street. We were there on Saturday and Sunday and the street was very quiet! That will change once my kids arrive, the only time they're quiet is when they sleep. And they love to be outside!

I love the street and the area where we are going to live. I wish the house wasn't so small but the yard more than makes up for it.

The back yard

Side yard

My kids are going to be beyond dirty from now on! Can you imagine the fun that they will have in that huge yard? It may not look that big to you, but compared to the yards in Vegas it's gigantic! Brett and I laughed thinking about how dirty those kids are going to be all the time. After all, they manage to get this dirty in the desert, in grass.

And now the packing begins! I'm really not looking forward to packing! For those of you who have moved before do you have any tips for me? The last time I moved to a new city I was 15 so it was pretty easy to make new friends and adjust. I'm a little nervous about moving as a stay at home mom.

Carmex Skin Care Perfect for Dry Skin! Revew and Giveaway

2013-04-02T14:58:00.003-07:00

Winter is winding down but the dry skin season doesn't end with Winter, at least not in Las Vegas. The dry skin season lasts year round here in the desert, which means I can never slack off from my skin care routine. I like Carmex Healing Cream and Hydrating Lotion since it's formulated to heal and repair even the driest skin. (like mine) It's loaded with Vitamin E and mimics your skin's natural lipid layer to maximize healing.

My Opinion

The first time I tried the healing lotion I noticed the smell. The lotion smells like their lip balm. The smell isn’t too strong, just enough to have a little scent. After rubbing it in, I noticed that there is no greasy feel to it. Even the Healing Cream which is surprising since most creams have some greasy feel to them. Plus, the lotion rubs in really fast! There is nothing worse than having lotion that will not rub in and you have to wipe your hands on a towel!

I like the Healing Cream more since it really helps my hands. I wash my hands several times a day with three little kids in the house and my hands get really dry. I love how soft my skin feels after using the Healing Cream!

Buy It

The whole Carmex skin care line is available for purchase at CVS, Walgreens, and other mass merchants.

Win It

One lucky reader will win both the Carmex Healing Cream and Hydrating Lotion. This contest is open to US residents only over the age of 18. Enter using the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- I received the Carmex Skin Care Pack as a member of the Carmex Blog Squad. No further compensation was offered and all opinions are 100% mine.

Lightened Up Sausage and Peppers Pasta Recipe

2013-04-01T11:07:00.002-07:00

I love Sausage and Peppers! It doesn't matter if it is served in a hoagie roll or over pasta, it's all delicious to me. But it is a heavy meal when served over pasta and I have a hard time eating anything heavy once the temperatures start to rise. I thought the easiest way to make it lighter was to eliminate the red sauce and use olive oil instead. This was a quick and easy recipe, I made it from start to finish in 19 minutes and I used the turkey sausage rope that has been in my freezer for two months since I didn't know what I was going to do with it.

Sausage and Peppers Pasta - Lightened Up
Serves 5

2 bell peppers
1/4 onion (my kids don't eat onions so you may want to add more)
1 turkey sausage rope
olive oil to taste
pepper to taste
garlic power to taste
12oz package of pasta

The cooking time begins!

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile cut up all the veggies and sausage for the pasta.

3. Begin cooking sausage in a large skillet over med-high heat.
4. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions.
5. Remove sausage from skillet and heat 2 T olive oil in skillet.
6. Add peppers and onions and sauté until you reach your desired crispness. Add in pepper and garlic powder to taste. I like my bell peppers crunchy so I don't cook them for a long time.
7. Add sausage and heat through.
8. Drain pasta and pour into large bowl. Toss in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. You don't need much just enough to coat the pasta.
9. Add peppers mixture to the pasta and serve.

End of cooking time!

The Verdict? The kids and the adults loved it! There wasn't a single piece of food left! I loved how easy this meal was to make and that I was able to get dinner on the table super fast. It would have taken me longer to go get take out that to make this meal. I think this is a great summer meal and I'm going to make it again soon.

Manteresting, Will Your Man Join?

2013-03-28T14:22:00.002-07:00

For those of you who have not heard of Manteresting, it's like Pinterest but for men only. Because apparently Pinterest is geared towards women, the men need their own place to have a virtual pin board. I don't get it, but who am I to judge? When I heard about it, I just had to check it out. After all, I'm a border line Pinterest addict so I had to check out Manteresting! Also, I just had to know what all the fuss was about from the moms screaming foul. And yes, I'm very familiar with the express curiosity killed the cat.

So the first thing that I noticed was that I saw 7 of the same "nails" (the Manteresting lingo for pin) in a quick scroll that I see all the time on Pinterest. So I guess that men and women do pin the same things at least some of the time. And then of course the next thing I noticed was all the pictures of sexy women. Big shocker there huh?

It looks the same to me, the content is less weddings and recipes and more hot chicks and humor but it's the same concept. But I have no idea what the fuss is all about. Does it push boundaries? Maybe, if your boundaries are super narrow. Personally I don't see the difference between a sexy woman on a car and a sexy woman in a fitness poster to promote an exercise routine. (Which you'll find all day long on Pinterest BTW)

So bottom line, I don't get what the fuss is all about. The real question is will men join? I know bloggers and marketers will join but will your average Joe join? I asked my husband and he said no and then wondered who I thought I was talking to. But this is the man without a Facebook or Twitter account so I don't think he is the greatest person to poll.

For my Hubby!

So you tell me, will your man join?

Purex with Crystals Fragrance Review

2013-03-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

I am a huge fan of Purex laundry detergent. I have been using it for almost 18 months now and I have no complaints. I've tried every variety of the Purex line thanks to the Purex Blog Squad, and the latest Purex with Crystals Fragrance met my expectations.

About Purex with Crystals

Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance combines the fragrance of Purex Crystals with the powerful cleaning power of Purex Detergent. It also has the same DirfLift Action found in the entire family of Purex detergents. DirftLift Action works deep down to get out the dirt in clothes so you can be assured that your clothes will stay bright and clean. Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance will leave your clothes smelling fresh for half the price of the leading brand, the average family can save over $45 a year using the Purex with Crystals.

My Opinion

Like I said earlier in my post, Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance met my expectations. My clothes came out clean and bright with a great fresh scent. I love that I am spending less money on laundry detergent by using Purex. I would much rather spend my money elsewhere.

Win It

Want to win some Purex plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance for yourself? Three lucky readers are going to win a bottle for themselves so they can discover how great Purex cleans their clothes. Contest is open to US residents, only entries on the Rafflecopter for will count.

Purex is also running a contest on their website. One lucky winner will receive $1,000 and a year of free Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener, while 500 second place winners get to try this powerful, fresh detergent for free.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance in exchange for a product review. However, all opinions expressed are mine.

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Recipe - Welch's

2013-03-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

My kids love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I love how easy they are to make! And when I say they love them, I mean they ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich almost everyday for lunch. And while I don't serve them a sandwich everyday since I want them to have some variety in their diet, they do eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at least four times a week.

I will admit when it comes to brand loyalty, I am not the most loyal shopper in the world. I am willing to try new brands when they are on sale or have a coupon. But there are a few products that I am loyal to one brand, and Welch's Jelly is one of them. My husband bought a store brand once and it was not very good and it didn't spread very well. I love that Welch's grape jelly has a whole pound of grapes in each jar which makes it so flavorful and that it spreads easily so the bread doesn't tear.

Some information about Welch's Jelly.

Welch’s Strawberry Spreads are made with sweet, vine ripened strawberries

Welch’s Concord Grape Jelly and Natural Grape Spread are made with Welch’s very own Concord grapes grown in the US and Canada

Welch’s Natural Spreads contain no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, and no preservatives

The fact that Welch's Jelly is made without corn syrup is a huge selling point for me! Like I said earlier, my kids love eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but I wanted to switch things up on them. When I was a kid, my dad made grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for us. I completely forgot about them until he asked me if I ever made them for my kids. I had to confess that I forgot all about them but I remembered how much I loved them and decided to make them with my daughter Isabella.

I like having my kids help me in the kitchen when they can. Right now my five year old is the one who helps the most. She loves putting on the peanut butter on the bread, but she still struggles with spreading the jelly. Here is a video of her first grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich experience.

Recipe

1. Spread peanut butter on one side of a piece of bread.
2. Spread Welch's jelly on one side of another piece of bread.
3. Put the peanut butter and jelly sides together and butter the outside bread.
4. Place on a hot griddle pan and grill on both sides.

Welch's Contest

Did you know that April 2nd is national PB&J day? And to celebrate, Welch’s is running a Facebook contest “PB&J Your Way” - tell them your creative spin on the classic sandwich for a chance to win $500 and a one year supply of Grape Jelly, plus 50 people will win a sandwich keeper! If you're looking for ideas you can check out Welch's Pinterest page for some inspiration. I think the peanut butter and jelly cookies look awesome!

How do you put your own spin on PB&J?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Welch’s. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Safety Tips for Poison Prevention

2013-03-25T13:49:00.002-07:00

Before I kids, I never really thought about why medications have childproof locks and I didn't know the number to poison control. That is no longer the case now that I have three kids ages five and under. The very first time I had to call poison control, I was in a total panic. I had no idea how I could possibly go from zero to full blown panic attack until that moment.

One day about two years ago I walked into my kids' bathroom to find my 3 year old with a mouth full of vitamins and an empty bottle in her hands. I tried to remember just how many vitamins were still in the jar before she got into them, but I couldn't. I was pretty sure that there were about 20 vitamins in the jar and I immediately called poison control and had her spit out the remaining vitamins. After the operator assured me that my daughter was going to be fine, she told me that about 80 percent of her calls about toddlers are about getting into medicine or chemicals. And here I thought child proof locks meant that a kid couldn't open them. I think many parents assume the same thing.

What I learned from that incident was that child proof locks just means a kid will be slowed down by one, not that they cannot open the bottle. And that kids don't really understand that vitamins are not candy even though I tell them all the time that they cannot have more than one gummy vitamin at a time. After all, they look and taste like candy.

How I Prevent Accidental Poisonings Now

I now I have a bag with a lock on it for all our medicines. I keep the key up high where the kids cannot reach it. Even when they're sick and it's tempting to keep the medicine out, I always lock it back up. I'm not willing to take the risk after the vitamin incident. And now I make sure we dispose of medicines that we don't finish, especially pain pills. When family comes to town, we make sure they don't leave any medication in the bathroom where the kids can get into it-something that so many people over look.

Antacids can seem like candy to a kid and can cause harm if they ingest too much. I know it may seem extreme to lock up all our medications, but I knew how lucky I was that my daughter didn't get into something worse than vitamins. And I have the number to poison control programmed into my phone so I won't have to look the number up if I ever have to call again.

Tips to Keep Kids Safe Around Medicine

Put medicine and vitamins up and away and out of sight. (In 67 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was left within reach of the child, such as in a purse, on a counter, or under a sofa cushion.) 
Even if you are tempted to keep it handy, put medicine out of reach after every use. Look around your home for products you might not think about as medicine, like rubbing alcohol, eye drops or gummy vitamins, and store them out of the reach of children. 
When you have guests in your home, offer to put purses, bags and coats where kids can’t get to them. (In 43 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the child got into medicine belonging to a relative, such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent.) 
Be alert to medicine in places your child visits. Take a look around to make sure there isn’t medicine within reach of your child. 
Program the nationwide poison control center number (1-800-222-1222) into your phones. 
Visit SafeKids.org for more tips on safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal of medicine.

Disclaimer - I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Safe Kids Worldwide and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Random Acts of Kindness Confessions

2013-03-22T13:46:00.001-07:00

I confess....I believe that there are people who act as angels in your life. And today the absolute kindness of a stranger made me cry and have a level of gratitude towards him that I can never fully express.

I confess....My kids are testing my patience this week. Molly broke my laptop on Monday by spilling her milk all over the table which ran straight to my laptop. Main board fried and I got to buy a new laptop on Monday. I was less than impressed.

Who me? Nah, I'm an angel!

I confess....My kids like to get into my purse and bag and they somehow managed to lose my drivers license. UGH! I was so annoyed with them! I looked everywhere it could possible be before I loaded up three kids to go to the DMV.

I confess.....Our DMV serves hot food, you know this is a place you will wait FOREVER when they serve hot food.

I confess....When I got there, just in my letter (there are about 5 letters total) there were 110 people ahead of me!!! Oh just kill me now!

I confess....I snapped at Mark and then immediately apologized since I was just frustrated and he was acting like a 3 year old. The man next to me asked me why I was there and we talked for a little bit.

Can you believe she snapped at this face?

I confess....He made me cry when he said he would trade numbers with me. His number was 54 spots above mine! This was a huge sacrifice on his time.

I confess....He said that he was there with a book and that clearly I needed to get out of there faster than him. And then he said that he would allow me to tell him no.

I confess....I wasn't going to say no, I know better than to turn down a gift like that.

I confess....After this amazing act of kindness, my whole attitude changed. I was able to read to my kids and I was no longer annoyed. We actually enjoyed our time there reading books and eating a whole box of Cheeze-Its. (don't judge, I was keeping them quiet and sitting still)

I confess....Someone who works at the DMV has about a million cracker crumbs to clean up where we were sitting.

I confess....We made it in and out in about 90 minutes. I cannot imagine how different our visit would have been if that man hadn't changed numbers with me. Mostly due to the adjustment in my attitude. OK fine, it's about 90% due to the adjustment in my attitude and 10% in the change in duration.

I confess....He was my angel today. Thank you to the kind man who saved my day. You'll never know how much it helped me today!

Has an random act of kindness ever made an impact on your day?

God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren Review

2013-03-21T13:48:00.001-07:00

I am always looking or great kid's books that explain Christian holidays and God Gave Us Easter is a great one! A few years ago my Dad gave the kids God Gave Us Christmas and I loved it. Which is why I picked God Gave Us Easter to review. OK fine, I set the release date on my calendar so I would be sure to get it.

The story is very informative and tells the story of Easter in a way that kids can easily understand. The illustrations capture my kids' attention. The characters are a bear family, the oldest child is the one asking the questions about Easter. My oldest loves that the main character has younger twin siblings just like her!

Obviously this is a Christian book about Easter. It tells the story of Easter in a way that is not too scary but still gets the message across. The one thing I don't like about this book is the length. It is a little too long for my 3 year old twins to sit still and concentrate but my 5 year old will sit through the whole book. Overall, the book is great and I really think your kids will like it. You can purchase God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren online or in bookstores.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

iPhone Photo Dump Wednesday

2013-03-20T14:26:00.002-07:00

I take some random pictures with my iPhone, mostly of my kids and their weirdness/naughty behavior. Here are some of my favorites from the week.

I'm convinced that my kids are going to grow up to be nudists.

I think this might be my favorite pic of Molly for the year.

She wanted to show me her angry face.

I finally got a smile!

Apple stamping - all boy! He also painted his hands.

My kids have quiet time in their room, this is what they did today during quiet time.

They cleaned it all up without help but with lots of complaining.

Don't do the crime.....

Such a boy! I love him!

Bows and Ties Review

2013-03-19T13:42:00.002-07:00

I know it's that time of year when people are starting to think about shorts and tank tops. But for the adults in the working world, we are forced to dress up regardless of the temperature. My husband is not exactly known for dressing up outside of being forced by his wife or workplace dress code.

I got a PUCCINI's New Repp-Stripe Collection tie from Bows and Ties to review. It is available in 8 trendy colors, you can view all the colors available on their website. My husband wasn't thrilled with the color that I was sent, it's turquoise but he tried it our anyway. Since the stripe was white, he wore it with a white shirt. He was very few ties that go well with a white shirt and I thought it looked very nice.

It's a joke in my family that Brett spills more food on his clothes than the kids. And really it's not all that far from the truth. And in true Brett fashion, he spilled some mustard on his tie and shirt. I gave him a small microfiber cloth to carry in his car to wipe up spills. He used it to clean the tie and it came right out. He liked the tie more once he realized that the material would come clean easily.

Overall, I think this tie is a great value for the cost. It is currently selling for $9.90.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.