Mommy Testers

Bringing school to the dinner table chicken nugget style

2013-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. I was recently asked to check out some kid friendly meal options and decided to to some springtime decorating with chicken nuggets! This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #SpringtimeNuggets I'm willing to bet that I am not the only parent

Happy and Healthy and hopefully not electrocuted!

2013-05-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. I was recently asked to check out some happy and healthy options for me and my family. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #DRHappyHealthy My sister Marisa is back to share a few thoughts! One of the many things I miss about New

And then I got Mom-Homework-Bombed. Learning to say No Thank You.

2013-05-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Friday evening I was exhausted. I'd spent the week working away, cooked dinner as many nights as I could - 4. (Which is at least 3 more than the old city girl me would) and was finally getting around to finishing the unpacking, laundry and dealing with other minutia left over from our trip to Palm Springs. I had just come home from scouring Target for a Mrs. Potato Head (last minute birthday

NPW Animal Crayons - Adorable crayons that can take some abuse!

2013-05-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back Craig's brother and his kids came to SoCal for a visit. We only had a couple of days together but the 3 little cousins made the most of it and there was plenty of fun. I won't saddle you with all the details, but I did want to tell you about these over the top cute animal crayons they brought for Kayla. When I first saw them I thought they were adorable and put them aside

Palm Springs is on fire! Cooling down the healthy way with Fruti

2013-05-14T07:12:00.001-07:00

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. I was recently asked to check out some frozen fruit bar options and share my thoughts. Since summer is quickly approaching I thought you'd want to know about the natural fruit bars I found because I'd never seen them before! This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their

Mother's Day, my way plus a Father's Day bonus. Hello smart camera!

2013-05-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. I was recently asked to check out a Wi-Fi direct smart camera and share my thoughts. How convenient since it's almost Mother's Day! This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #pixbundle Mother's Day and I are what you might call frenemies. On one hand I

Eat Cookies, Share, Help No Kid Hungry.

2013-05-05T13:35:00.002-07:00

Just so you know, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kmart and Shop Your Way for Sandra Lee’s World’s Largest Bake Sale. #WorldsLargestBakeSale #cbias #SocialFabric everything you see here is my personal and relentlessly picky opinion. Have you met Marisa? She's

And Then I Just Had To Make These Teacup Cupcakes

2013-05-03T05:58:00.002-07:00

It's safe to say that I spend a lot of my days checking out cute things so it takes a lot for me to have an "I just have to have that moment" but it happened when I was shopping recently and came across these crazy cute teacup cupcake molds . We celebrated Kayla's birthday a few months ago, and I only wished that we'd had these back then and found myself looking for an excuse to make cupcakes.

A Transitional Nightlight? Yes It Does Exist and It's Downright Adorable

2013-04-30T12:26:00.003-07:00

A few months ago I got a package from my friends over at Munchkin. Inside was the lullavibe which I've already told you how I feel about. There was also this little guy. He's pretty cute, huh? In an effort to give you good information I wanted to make sure we spent plenty of time with "Owl" as he is so creatively called in our home. You see, I have been burned by quite a few nightlights

Summer Dessert for Kids: A Healthy Cup of Dirt

2013-04-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well oh my goodness, summer seems to be on its way! After spending the weekend watching Kayla and her cousins splash around in the pool, play some tennis and beg for a trip to one of the ever multiplying frozen yogurt stores I started thinking about the months to come and the dozens of small children who will grace our backyard this summer. Our family loves a little impromptu BBQ and my

Shelby's Snack Shack Game - Educational and Oh So Cute!

2013-04-20T03:08:00.000-07:00

With summer very quickly approaching I've begun my hunt for a balance of outdoor and indoor activities to keep Kayla busy and learning. Now that she is 4 we are really getting into preschool games. The key seems to be finding something that will both visually appeal to a child and that offers tangible results in a short period of time. While I was at Toy Fair this year the very

Your wardrobe is probably getting a spring update...so how about your makeup case?

2013-04-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Spring. It's been on my radar for quite some time now. In fact I must admit that the second spring merchandise starts hitting the web for pre-order and the department store floors I get slightly giddy. I actually think they invented "resort" as a season in the fashion industry not because so many people go on tropical vacations, but for those of us who cannot possibly contain ourselves and our

Living Room Skating - A mother daughter bonding moment courtesy of the Target Dollar Section

2013-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love myself a trip to the Target dollar section AKA See Spot Save. In fact as soon as I walk through the doors of Target I have tunnel vision and whatever my child or my spouse might be saying to me sounds like the adult voices in the Peanuts movies. All I hear is wah-wah-wah-wah-wah as I pull out my cart from the stack and make a beeline to my happy place. Usually I

Perhaps He Shouldn't Have To Eat Like A 4 Year Old Girl

2013-04-14T20:18:00.004-07:00

There is something that my husband has been doing for as long as I can remember that I just find adorable. In fact, my mom even commented on it while she was visiting and staying with us one time. Every morning you can hear Craig poking around the kitchen packing his little snacks for the day. I crack up when I see the things that he puts in little baggies. Five gummy bears here. One

It's Fancy Pants Salad Time! Kale Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Baked Goat Cheese #FreshTake #cbias

2013-04-11T09:44:00.001-07:00

I have a secret to share. Much like how I dress high and low and mix expensive designer duds with finds from "Tar-jey" I do it with dinner too. Especially when entertaining. Cooking for a group brings on a whole new host of problems. It involves timing, mass portions and the feat of serving. Over the last few years I've noticed that my biggest error is making too many complicated things that

How to Deseed a Pomegranate Quickly - in Just 1 Minute. No Kidding!

2013-04-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Want to know the fastest way to deseed a pomegranate without getting the juice everywhere? Just follow the images to see how to get the seeds out of a pomegranate quickly. I was able to do it in just one minute! Over the holidays I found myself sitting at quite possibly the most popular kitchen table in all of San Diego. It belongs to a friend of mine who is known for her impromptu get

Step2 All Around Wagon. Wagon, stroller, stuff schlepper, balloon pit. Float. I could go on.

2013-04-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

I swear that the people at Step2 really like to send send pink vehicles our way because a few weeks ago this very cute, very pink All Around Wagon showed up at my front door, and as you can imagine there was a very excited little person waiting for it. You know I'm a Test Drive Blogger for Step2, and not too long ago we received the brand spanking new Easy Turn Coupe, which Kayla is still

Go on, have some fries! The best baked avocado fries #FreshTake

2013-04-08T14:03:00.001-07:00

You know me, always scheming and thinking up ways to get this crew to eat more fruits and vegetables. Lately I've seen a few recipes out there for baked avocado fries and since they haven't become as popular as the once loathed brussel sprouts that are popping up in restaurants everywhere I knew I'd have to make them myself first before sampling a real chef's work. Like I've mentioned

Confession - I am a fashionista who has never painted her nails. Ever.

2013-04-07T06:45:00.001-07:00

How is that possible?? But yep, it's true! I am 30 years old, worked in fashion for a decade and have never once painted my nails. Why? I don't really have an answer. I guess the truth is that I've been afraid. There are certain things I am great at, like putting together outfits, spotting quality clothing finds in inexpensive stores and interpreting runway trends and adapting them to "

Question: How Come I Don't See Negative Posts on Your Blog?

2013-04-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Oh boy this is a good one! Every once in a while I'll have a friend or a reader ask why they never see any posts on my blog that show a product I don't like or would give a negative review to. I guess I could go down that road and between you and me if I did it would probably bring more traffic to my site than all of the positive things that I write about great products. But honestly, that's

And so it will be just the three of us. I think. Maybe.

2013-04-02T15:24:00.001-07:00

Having only one child means a lot of things. It means that resources which would otherwise be split amongst extra little mouths, bodies, college funds and wardrobes have only one allotment. It means that my child often gets to experience having both her parents present at her swim classes and friends' birthday parties. It means she'll probably never understand the wildly complicated,

A Mickey Mouse Birthday for a little guy with a great mom

2013-03-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have heard me mention my friend Dana before. Dana is that mother you see and think seriously? How does she do it? She cloth diapers, she home cooks every single meal (organic, healthy and well balanced mind you) she does natural childbirth, she sews her daughter’s doll clothes instead of buying them. Oh and did I mention she also runs a daycare? So on top of that she takes

Hello Sunshine! - A Game Toddlers Can Call Their Own

2013-03-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that every baby's first game is peek-a-boo. Admit it, you did it well before you had a kid...to the chubby little baby at the grocery store, to the baby leaning over the seat in the row in front of you mid-flight. So what makes a good second game for baby? While it seems the game industry is just overflowing with products for the 3 and up crowd there really aren't

Parenting is Tough. Cheers to Taking a Break!

2013-03-24T10:26:00.003-07:00

Gosh, parenting is tough. I mean yes, of course the big picture things like raising a human being that will be an asset to society seem like a ton of bricks on your shoulders. But it's the daily grind that will really do you in! Don't get me wrong here- I think you know I adore my role as a mother to one cute, witty, precocious child that is bursting with personality. But lately by the end

The Best Easter Eggs for Toddlers - Talking Easter Eggs

2013-03-21T07:13:00.001-07:00

When Kayla was about 15 months old and we were heading into Easter season I remember checking out Target and feeling less than satisfied with the Easter egg options. There were lots of brightly colored plastic eggs both empty and filed with candy. There were some character eggs too, but nothing that blew my mind. I grabbed some of the empty eggs so I could fill them with Cheddar Bunnies