Social Media is a big part of my life for a variety of reasons. I used to use social media just for corresponding with friends and family, keeping up to date on the latest in everyone’s lives, and to share any big family news. Then I started blogging and social media became even BIGGER in my life. Now I try to dabble in as many outlets as possible. I love to connect with readers and people all over the world, to share our different views and experiences. I believe there is much to be gained from one another, through thoughts, music, and video. Even if it’s just one another’s creativity that is being shared! I just can’t get enough of everyone’s inspiring ideas and humor!

In the past 6 months or so, I’ve tried to dabble more and more into video. I’m still an amateur but I think it is such a fun way to allow my kids to express themselves. They can be kind of shy and anxious when it comes to performing in front of others, but getting on video in the comfort of their own home seems to do wonders for them and their personalities!.

I recently learned about Magisto, which is an app for iPhone and Android. You can also use it to create movies online. The thing I love the most about Magisto is that you can combine photos and videos so quickly to create kind of a collage type of video of some of your favorite moments. To top it off, you can use your favorite social media sites to quickly share your video with all those that matter to you! I couldn’t believe how fast I was able to create a video compiled of some photos and videos of my kids, in honor of Mother’s Day. I wanted to make a video displaying some of the reasons I love my children and why I feel lucky to be their mom. I personally love how the video turned out! Be sure to check it out and give my video some love!

After selecting some videos and photos that you want to be in your Magisto video, you can select a theme and a song to go with it.
Magisto has partnered with Joan Osborne to celebrate Mother’s Day with a new form of music discovery that brings together powerful user-generated video production technology and musical artistry. Joan’s new song “Born To See You Through”, which celebrates her role as a mother, is the song I used in my Magisto video. This song is perfect to go along with a video displaying why you love being a mom or why you love your mom!  That brings me to the next part…

Through May 17, Magisto had a super fun Mother’s Day contest where all videos submitted with the #MagistoMoms hashtag, would be entered to win prizes. Videos will be shared and available for viewing on a Mother’s Day-themed social scrapbook that will be hosted on the Magisto website. The users whose Movies get the most Likes on Magisto will win the following prizes:

• Grand Prize: Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet
• Second Place: Joan Osborne’s new CD + handwritten lyrics to ‘Born to See You Through’
• Runners up: 50 runners up will receive 1-year MagistoPro upgrades

Because it’s too late to enter, you just might be able to go and vote on which movies you think should win! Magisto’s Mother’s Day challenge coincided with the first annual Mother’s Day benefit concert hosted by Osborne with special guests Ollabelle and Elizabeth Mitchell at NYC’s City Winery on May 12th. This concert was held with the purpose of benefiting these two charities: Somaly Mam
Foundation and Save the Children.

The really cool part for you? Use promo code MomsRule in the Settings portion of Magisto, to get three free downloads! Use them by the end of May to get your movie magic on!

The post Making Movie Magic With Magisto + #MagistoMoms Mother’s Day Contest appeared first on Clever Housewife.

One of my favorite things about Summer are the cute sandals and bare feet. Closed toe shoes and I don’t get along super well. It doesn’t help that I feel like I have giant feet (okay, I really do). Anyway, my feet just really like to be free, and exposed. However, with all of the exposure to the sun, air, grass and concrete, my feet lose a lot of their moisture and softness. I apply more products to my feet in the Summer than I do any other time of year.

I was recently introduced to Tree Hut foot cream and food scrub, as well as their hand cream. Tree Hut products are sold in Walmart stores nationwide, so they should be easy to find! First let me just tell you that the foot cream and scrub smell amazing. I’d have to say that the first thing I do when picking a new lotion is smell it, to make sure the scent won’t drive me crazy or make my nose itchy. Not only are the foot scrub and foot cream peppermint, but I think they even smell as if there is a hint of chocolate too.

We aren’t too far into the heat yet, but I have definitely brought out the sandals and I’m getting good use out of them. There aren’t a lot of things I need to feel good in the Summer. Cute sandals and painted toes are some of them! A cute dress and some accessories to go with, would make it just right. While it’s just the beginning of my bare feet and sandal days for this year, my feet are staying happy with the help of Tree Hut. I can’t ever turn down a good scrub, and following up with cream is fantastic.

The Foot Cream is made of an organic shea butter, argan oil, rose hip oil, and has a non-greasy formula. The Foot Scrub also contains certified organic shea butter, sugar and peppermint oil. I think the foot scrub is my favorite because it helps get rid of all of the dead dried skin!  I can’t wait to see if these products help my feet keep their natural beauty, by the end of the Summer!

In addition to the Tree Hut Foot Cream, I also got to try a 3 oz bottle of Tree Hut hand cream. The scent is a Moroccan Rose, which is kind of nice. I don’t typically enjoy floral scents, but this one is more mild than some. Perhaps it’s because it’s paired with the moroccan scents. One different ingredient the hand cream contains is aloe vera. The aloe helps providing soothing as well as moisture. I used this cream just tonight. I typically associate creams with a thicker consistency than lotion (I may be wrong), but this hand cream is rather light. I actually prefer it that way because when it’s hot out, I don’t want my hands to feel thick and gummy. So far I’m pleased. We’ll see how I am holding up by the end of the season.

To get more information on Tree Hut products and promotions, like Tree Hut on Facebook and be sure to follow Tree Hut on Twitter.

The post Showcase Your #NaturalBeauty With Tree Hut appeared first on Clever Housewife.

For me the months of May and June are special times of the year when I think of my parents and all the things that they have done for me over my life. I have some really amazing parents for whom I am so very grateful! As kids, they where always helping to open our eyes about different ideas, and cultures by always making it possible for us to travel to lots of places. Even at times when finances where tight they made going on family vacations a priority! One summer my parents loaded up our minivan with a tent and camping supplies and we took a cross-country road trip! What a great experience to see so many states with their vast array of beauty and history! It’s an experience that I believe helped shape me into the person I am today!

Now that I am a mom I hope to be able to provide that kind of experience for my own kids one day! I would love help open up their world by taking them to lots of new places! For that reason I enjoy researching different places to go!

I just finished doing a bit of research on Missouri, and I have come to realize it is a place my kids would love so much! Both of my kids love to be outdoors and are happiest when they just have the freedom to roam and explore. With it’s 51 state parks, I get the feeling that Missouri has a lot of outdoor adventures that would be right up their alley! Let’s just imagine I could take my family of 4 there for four nights…. What would we get into!

Day 1: I think I would go to the Lake of the Ozarks! Did you know that this lake has more shoreline then the state of California?? I didn’t! My kids love playing in water and it looks like an amazing shoreline with lush green forests that meet the water. Two of my kids’ favorite things!

Day 2: I would visit one of the Meremac Caverns near the Ozarks. This collection of caverns have been formed from limestone deposits over a million years old! I can just imagine my kids loving exploring these and making some cool discoveries

Day 3: Horseback riding along the Katy trail (America’s longest rail-to-tral for hiking and biking). I don’t really know how to horseback ride but I think it would be fun to learn!

Day 4: History! I love to learn and teach my kids about the history of our nation! Missouri is home to some of America’s most famous authors, Mark Twain and Laura Ingelles wilder. You can visit their homes and really get a sense if what life was like on the frontier.

Have you ever traveled to Missouri? Or perhaps you live there. What is your favorite thing to do there!

To learn more about Missouri and what it has to offer for your family like VisitMO on Facebook or follow VisitMO on Twitter. You can also go to www.vistmo.com to play with your own imaginary.

Leanne Cox is a guest writer for CleverHousewife.com. She is a stay-at-home mom to two kids, and a credentialed preschool teacher. Leanne teaches “mommy-and-me” and “preschool style” music & movement classes through her business “Little Stars Music & Movement Classes” . She is passionate about encouraging early childhood education through hands on learning and exploration.

The post Vacationing Missouri Style! appeared first on Clever Housewife.

Mombo Nursing Pillow Giveaway

By my fifth child, you would think that I was an old pro at breastfeeding.  The fact of the matter is I had too many problems breastfeeding my four older children and I never made it more than a few weeks.  So when my fifth, and last baby was born this past January, I was determined to breastfeed him.  

When my second child was born, I purchased a breastfeeding pillow which is the same pillow I was going to use with my new little one, even though by now it had lost most of it’s stiffness.  So when the opportunity came to try out the Comfort & Harmony Bright Starts Mombo™ Deluxe Pillow, I had to jump on it!



My first impression of my new nursing pillow was that it was quite stiff. This was good and bad.  The stiffness helps support the baby, however, at first the pillow would slip off of my waist while I was breastfeeding. Before I knew it, my son was resting only on the ends of the pillow.  Luckily after several uses, it loosened up and I am now able to make it stay where I want it.



One of the best features of the mombo nursing pillow is the two sided design called Firm2Soft™.  One side of the pillow is firm, meant to be used while breastfeeding.  This, I think, gives you and the baby more support.  Being that this is my first time really being able to breastfeed, the firm side has helped me get my son latched on correctly.

The other side of the pillow is soft.  This is meant to be used for laying the baby on or doing some tummy time.  My little one has never enjoyed lounging in a nursing pillow for very long, but this one has been a great asset for our tummy time!



I also really like the cover on the pillow. The mombo has an assortment of pillow styles and slipcover fashions. On the firm side, the material is thin and breathable; a great plus for breastfeeding because my son sweats big time!  On the soft side of the pillow, the material also is very soft.

The last notable thing about this pillow is that is comes with a small box that inserts into the pillow, When the box is turned on, it provides baby with some soothing vibrations. Relaxation time! 

Be sure to check out Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and follow Comfort & Harmony on Twitter to see what other great products they carry! Mombo products can also be found at Toys R Us and some Babies R Us stores.

Overall, I LOVE this nursing pillow!  My absolute favorite thing about it is the extra support the firm side gives to me and my son while breastfeeding, making breastfeeding easier, at least for me and my determination!

Now for the exciting part! One lucky Clever Housewife reader will win their own mombo deluxe nursing pillow! If you aren’t currently breastfeeding then hang onto for the future, or gift it to a friend. What an awesome baby shower gift this would make right? This giveaway is open to the US only and will end at 11:59pm PT on 5/28. To enter, fill out the giveaway form below. 

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

This post was written by Ashley, mother of 5. 

The post Comfort & Harmony With the Mombo Nursing Pillow + Giveaway appeared first on Clever Housewife.

Pumpkin Bars with Pecan Oat Crust

For some reason pumpkin is one of those ingredients that gets the shaft until Fall/Winter. Then it is possible that we use it so much during that time of year that it makes up for any neglect throughout the year. I think that pumpkin can, and should be brought out other times of year. Perhaps not in the amount that we get to enjoy it in Fall, but the occasional pumpkin treat surely would be nice. A light pumpkin bar would do the trick!

Adapted from Joy the Baker, these Pumpkin Bars with a Pecan Oat Crust are the perfect anytime treat. With a buttery pecan oat crust and crumble topping, who could deny that in the Spring and Summer? Surely nobody would! This recipe has just the right amount of pumpkin so as to not be too overwhelming for those “other” times of year.

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With the new Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy, you get that sweet tooth satisfaction without the same calories. Let me share a few bits of information regarding Werther’s Original Sugar Free candies. Whenever I am introduced to a sugar free treat, the first thing I want to know is what it is sweetened with. I am happy to report that the Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy is not sweetened with aspartame. I have found that I can often taste the aspartame in things and it kind of ruins the treat for me. Now, I am not an expert in artificial sweeteners so I can’t say that I know anything about what these are sweetened with. All I know is that it’s not aspartame (yay) and they taste great!!

I can also tell you that my kids can’t even tell that the Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy doesn’t have sugar. I have caught little girl sneaking several pieces! Now for some more information regarding these yummy little treats. 5 pieces of candy are just 40 calories (40% fewer calories than the original hard candy), and 1.5 gram of fat. Once again, 0 sugar! You can purchase Werther’s Original Sugar Free candies in the following flavors: Classic, Caramel Coffee, Caramel Apple, Caramel Mint, and Caramel Cinnamon. I received either of the flavors and gave them a try (aside from the Coffee one), and I was pleased with each of them. I don’t think I could even pick a favorite! I am thinking that I should always keep a couple of the Caramel Cinnamon Werther’s candies in my purse for a little pick-me-up and breath freshener, at all times. Just know that you should be able to get that sweet tooth satisfaction with Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy!

Head on over to the Werther’s Original Sugar Free facebook page to share the love and stay up to date. Maybe there will even be new flavors in future?!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Sweet Tooth Satisfaction with Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy #WerthersSugarFree appeared first on Clever Housewife.

In the past week, I have started getting medical bills from my recent car accident. The complicated thing about billing right now is that I am supposed to be using my medpay from my auto insurance policy, which is only $5,000. Well, the CT scans alone ate that cost up. Nevermind that the doctors and hospital still need to be paid. For the time being, I either need doctors to take me on a lien (and wait for a settlement), or I will have to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed after a settlement. Not so fun!

While the car accident was the other driver’s fault, my family is still having to cough up money for certain expenses. I cannot stress enough how wise it would be to have a security account/stash of money for emergencies such as these. There have been times in my marriage where we have been able to tuck money away for security, but things haven’t worked out that way while hubby has been in school. When it comes to any medical issues, you just never know what incidents could come up. It’s always good to be prepared for any medical emergency.

Have you ever thought about the cost of medical emergencies, should anything ever happen? Do you know what out of pocket expenses you can expect for a trip to the hospital? It is always so overwhelming when those bills come. The doctors, labs, anesthesiologists, hospital, etc. all bill separately! Then there are other costs that we sometimes forget to consider. While recovering from my accident, I am all too aware of what being out of commission is costing me and my family. It has meant extra childcare, help with my blog (which is my business), many doctor’s visits, etc.

If these notions ever stress you out, then I’d like to point you in the direction of the Aflac Real Cost Calculator. This calculator is super cool and I have had a lot of fun with it. I like to keep putting different scenarios to the test. If you want to do an estimate of how much any medical emergency will cost you, then input your age and sex into the calculator and have at it.

Still not sure what I mean? I just input my age (29) (Female) and it estimated that the cost of a broken leg would be about $11,678. My favorite part is that there is then a breakdown of where those expenses will be: $8,000 in medical expenses, $2,258 in household expenses, and $1,420 in out-of-pocket expenses. You can then modify the severity and whatnot. Kinda crazy right? Put the calculator to the test for a variety of incidents and then work on getting your family prepared for any crisis!

Crossing fingers that nothing bad happens to any of us, but it never hurts to be prepared!

The post The Cost of Medical Emergencies with the Aflac Real Cost Calculator appeared first on Clever Housewife.

My mom and I planned our Mother’s Day meal, to share with my sister and her family as well. We settled on Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe to come), Apple Slaw (recipe coming), chips and then we went to Pinterest for some dessert inspiration. We always let the men do the cooking for Mother’s Day so we were torn as to whether or not we should just purchase a cheesecake, or challenge the mens with a yummy sounding recipe. My dad was up for the task, so we perused the yumminess that is all over Pinterest – searching for the perfect treat.

When I saw this Better Than Thin Mints…Grasshopper Poke Cake on Something Swanky, I just knew we would love it! The only change I would possibly make the recipe is to double the whipped topping. That layer looks much thicker in her photos, so I wonder if maybe she did double it and didn’t note as such in the recipe. This treat so rich and decadent and made for the perfect Mother’s Day treat! It really is even tastier than Thin Mints!

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I am anticipating Mother’s Day to be kind of a quiet day this year. To be honest, it usually is fairly quiet. We don’t go out to eat or anything since we don’t really do that on Sundays. Sometimes my extended family will get together on Mother’s day and sometimes we do it the day before. My family did some of our Mother’s Day celebrations today. My sister came up and we had a very nice meal and YUMMY cake (recipe coming later) at my parent’s house. Tomorrow will be a little more of the kids attempting to take care of me. My husband won’t be around so it really is up to the kids and I to make the day special. We will go to church and just spend the day at home, together. I picked up a coffee cake today, so nobody has to worry about making breakfast. I have a little gifty to give to my mom so I can try to honor her as well.

Mother’s Day can really go one of two ways for me. It usually isn’t a spectacular day because I think I often set my expectations too high. What I want more than anything is to have peace, happiness, and cleanliness in the home. One thing I know for sure is that if I spend my day on the computer (not totally uncommon) then the house will likely get trashed and the kids will start to run wild. Even more common is for my kids to let technology take over their day. They could fight over video games, handheld games, computer games, iPad, etc. That will completely ruin what I want most for Mother’s Day.

Join the #SocialBlackout Movement

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 am absolutely thrilled with this movement this year, more than ever. As much as I LOVE chatting with everyone via social media, I am excited to have a little break to spend some quality time with my little ones whom I adore.

To obtain more information about MetLife’s #SocialBlackout, visit their facebook page.

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How To Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs

I personally love hard-boiled eggs, but I would rarely make them because I always dreaded peeling them! Seems so silly right? I’m sure I’m not the only one though.

This year after Easter, I seemed to have so many hard-boiled eggs that I hardly knew what to do with them. After letting them sit in the fridge for a while, I was determined to find an easier way to peel those babies, so that I would actually use them and eat them. Then my grandma gave me a tip. I don’t know why I had never heard this before, but it worked like a charm. Instead of cracking the egg on the side of the counter and peeling under water, like I had always done, you roll the egg on the counter. Let me show you…

Take your egg and roll it on the counter, underneath your hand. You would be able to feel and hear when it starts to crack. Be careful not to roll too hard or for too long or the entire egg will crumble.

Once you have an ample amount of cracks, run the egg under cold water and the shell will peel right off. This was by far the easiest egg peeling I have ever had. Give it a try and see if it works for you! I think I just may be eating more hard-boiled eggs now that I have this mastered!

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