Last weekend my middle boy and I made Oreo Pop Valentine’s. I wrote about them over at Type-A Parent. These were super delicious and oh, so not healthy. How come everything that is delicious is not good for you? Rude.

I also found a bunch of free Valentine’s printables and posted a round up over at Type-A Parent as well. There are some adorable valentines you can make for just the cost of your printer paper and ink.

Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day craft? A pinterest board full of Valentine’s? Share in the comments!

I got this in an email, and was intrigued…

Boulder resident Sara Sutton Fell is the CEO/Founder of FlexJobs (www.flexjobs.com) and a mother of two boys, ages three and five. Sara founded FlexJobs while she was pregnant with her first son in response to her frustrating search for flexible work that would fit with her life and growing family. Today, FlexJobs is the award-winning, leading career website for telecommuting, flexible, freelance, and part-time jobs and it is dedicated to provided job seekers an easy-to-use, safe, scam and ad-free website for finding flexible work arrangements. As a result, Sara has been named a 2011 Game Changer by Workforce Magazine.

So how do I know it’s legit? How do I share this information with other moms without it seeming like I’m a commercial billboard on the internets highway?

I dug deeper and was playing around with the site. On their about page, this caught my eye…

Why Use FlexJobs?

FlexJobs knows that there’s a ton of junk out there for job-seekers. Whether it’s the too-good-to-be-true business opportunities, endless ads, broken links, repetitive postings, or just straight-out scams… well, yes, there’s a lot of junk out there. And it’s often burying the actual good job opportunities.

I love a company that can cut through the BS and offer real advice. There are a ton of scams, work-at-home gigs that turn out to be MLM’s and a laundry list of other “opps” that aren’t a good fit for anyone. Flex jobs agrees and is looking to help find an answer. Kudos!

The other thing that caught my eye was this info, provided to me by the company,

FlexJobs is the leading site for finding a job with flexibility and of course was started by a Colorado mom In fact, Sara Sutton Fell as been named a Game Changer by Workforce Magazine, and has been featured in national media such as Inc.com, CNN, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and many others that you can view here.

Of course I’m a sucker for a mom (especially a Colorado one!) that is building a brand and business. What I didn’t expect was to be contacted by such a decorated company. Um, hello, CNN pimps them. They have to be good right?!

You shouldn’t really need much more reason to go sign up if you are looking for a telecommuting job or one with a flexible schedule, but here are some highlights to “seal the deal” for you…

- Access to legitimate, professional jobs that offer some type of flexibility – whether home based, part-time, contract, etc. Positions are from small to large companies (IBM, Citi, Cisco, etc.)

- Each position is researched before being posted on the site and you have access to company info, including staff-written reviews, job history, and research on every company

- Members have access to a variety of resources, including skills testing, resume and cover letter tips.

- Exclusive members only discounts are provided and can be viewed here.

So yes, while flex jobs contacted me asking to help spread the word about their site and business, did I have to post all this? No. I get no less than fifty emails a day asking me to promote something or link to someone else. Please know that in the midst of all my fluff posts and mad cooking and knitting skills, I really want to share super useful information. So posts like this may seem “commercial-ly” (yes, it’s a word, I just made it up!) I really only promote the things I love and am passionate about. If you are looking for work, I highly recommend at least checking it out. You’ve got nothing to lose!

Who Should Use FlexJobs?

The quick answer is “anyone who wants a job with some kind of flexibility – a telecommuting, part-time, freelance, or flextime job.” With over 50 career categories and jobs ranging from entry-level to executive, freelance to full-time, we really do offer something for almost anyone.

Specifically, FlexJobs is a fantastic resource for:

• Anyone looking for a part-time, flextime, and freelance jobs that are in-line with their career.
• People looking to telecommute some, or all, of the time.
• Professionals looking for flexible, flextime, or non-traditional schedules.
• Parents wanting to be more flexible for their kids and families.
• Someone looking for a second job or supplemental income that utilizes their skills and education in a professional way.
• Military spouses who need the flexibility to work from anywhere, in case their spouses are re-stationed.
• People with physical or health issues trying to find flexible work and telecommuting jobs to suit their needs.
• Retirees looking to stay professionally active and to earn some income.
• Competitive athletes wanting a professional job that will fit around their training and competition schedules.
• And anyone else who would appreciate a job that fits with their life, not a life that fits with their job!

disclosure: While this is a sponsored post, the money received strictly goes towards the running of our blog and forums and I only pimp the stuff I love. Period.

For more inspiring photos, check out:  The Bonafide Life, Better in Bulk, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Momblog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Rajean Blomquist, Brain Foggles, Lil Kid Things, The Centsible Life, Rachel Ferruci, Resourceful Mommy and Zensible Mama and link your own photo stories.

Contest is only running until Wednesday, February 1, 2012 so enter now!

What’s even better? Plum District is offering an insane deal to purchase this offer for only $99!

The offer is good on their site through Friday, February 3rd, so if you don’t win with us, you can purchase the deal and still come out ahead.

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Is your birthday boy or girl jumping all over your beds and couch? Sliding down the stairs? Avoid the mess and chaos of having a pack of wild animals bouncing around your house and plan your kiddo’s party at Pump It Up!

Pump It Up is a giant, inflatable-filled indoor arena where your kids can go wild! This deal gets you a weekday, 90-minute, private birthday party that includes admission for up to 15 kids(including the guest of honor), party room, party attendant, customizable online invitations, set-up and clean-up, paperware (cups, plates, etc.), throne and inflatable crown for birthday child and music, whew! Pizza, beverages, water bottle favors, goodie bags, and balloons are all available for additional fees. Let your partiers bounce to their heart’s desires.

PUMP IT UP LITTLETON WEBSITE>

Host your child’s next party at Pump It Up of Littleton and your kids will have a BLAST! Kids of all ages will bounce, jump, and slide in their giant inflatable filled indoor arenas, parents will love how simple it is to plan a party at Pump It Up of Littleton. Their staff takes care of everything for you.

Supplies:

• Heart shaped ice cube trays – 2 for $2.50 – found at Target (in the Dollar Spot)
• Generic crayons – $1 for box of 64 – found at Michael’s in the kids craft area
• Misc. pink craft paper, $0.25 per sheet – also at Michael’s.

To make:

• Remove the paper from your crayons. I grouped mine in colors, blue, green, yellow in one batch and red, pink, purple, in another.
• Chop into 1/4 inch pieces and place in molds.
• Bake in a 250 degree, preheated oven for 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely (approx 1 hour) and pop out of the molds.

Viola! Now all you have to do is stick them to your valentines (you can use glue dots or double sided tape) and sit back and marvel over how damn crafty you are.

Brady was the first to test his out. The Mini Kick is for ages 2-5 and has 3 wheels instead of 2. The size was perfect for him. While he was a bit nervous at first, he’s now warming up to the idea of at least standing on it while I pull him around the house. Brady certainly isn’t ready to start using it on his own, but I can’t wait to try this in our therapy sessions to see if it will help with his sense of balance and help strengthen his legs up a bit. Thank goodness for having hardwood floors and a fairly open floor plan in our house. The cost of this scooter is $85.

Carter was next and tested out the Maxi Kick. This is geared for ages 5-11 and also boasts the 3 wheel design. What I love the most about this scooter is, instead of turning the handles and the wheels turn with it, the child simply leans into the direction they want to go, pushing the handles to the right or left side and the entire scooter shifts that direction. It’s hard to get a hairpin turn (like what’s needed to get into our kitchen from the other rooms) but it really is a smooth and safer way for the kids to manuever the scooter. His was the most expensive, valued at $135.

Carter rides this thing Every. Single. Day. No joke. He even had me make a video of him riding around our downstairs. Check it out!

Thomas decided to actually use his scooter outside (Thank Heavens!) and said he liked how smooth the ride was and how easy it was to brake and do tricks. It was a bit unstable at first and took some time getting used to, but after just a few turns, he really got the feel for it. This model is the “Sprite” scooter and is for ages, “9 to 99.” The price of this model is $99.00. While the price of these may seem a bit high, I truly feel they are worth the price. The construction, durability and design are really top quality.

My kids have been using them for about 3 weeks now and still beg to use them every day. They go in the grass, on pavement, wood floors, rocks, asphalt, you name it. The scooters have held up to it all and when they used them indoors on our wood flooring, they didn’t leave one mark.

Now for the fun part. You can enter to win a SET of scooters! Kickboard USA has graciously allowed us to giveaway both a Mini AND Maxi scooter! This prize is valued at over $200!!

Here’s how to win:

Visit Kickboard USA online, then come back and leave a comment telling me what your favorite feature on these fun scooters is. Extra entry if you also follow them on twitter and let us know in a separate comment. Contest open to US residents only in the 48 contiguous states. Entries will be taken until Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 11:59pm MST. For full rules and legal jargon, head on over to our sweepstakes page.

Not a part of the contest, but if you could like them on Facebook as well, you can stay up to date on their offers and products (and make my heart tingle).

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disclosure: I was given 3 scooters to facilitate this review. Thoughts and opinions are mine and honest. 

JOHN O’REILLY and O’REILLY LAW GROUP, LLC
January 24, 2012
B POSITIVE BLOOD DONORS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED FOR RENE O’REILLY !!!
THE FOLLOWING IS AN URGENT REQUEST FROM JOHN O’REILLY AND THE O’REILLY LAW GROUP:

B POSITIVE BLOOD DONORS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED FOR RENE O’REILLY! DONORS SHOULD BE AGE 20 TO 25, HEALTHY AND WITHOUT ANY FAMILY HISTORY OF CANCER.

My wife, Rene O’Reilly, is suffering from cancer in her lungs and neck and is attempting to qualify for a clinical trial involving an infusion of white cells from healthy donors in Boynton Beach, Florida. Rene needs to find qualified B+ blood donors ASAP. If you have B+ blood type or know someone that does who fits the criteria and will consider donating blood, please send an email to jrmckenney@me.com. He will then send them a one page donor form and follow up with them regarding the next steps. Please feel free to forward this email to your friends, post it on your Facebook page or otherwise disseminate the request. B+ is a somewhat rare blood type, so the challenge is demanding.

Thanks for anything and everything you can do to assist.
John O’Reilly

O’Reilly Law Group, LLC
325 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Phone: 702-382-2500

Nowadays I surf Pinterest for great food ideas and also FoodNetwork.com. Over time I’ve found blogs that have great ideas and suggestions and I often poll our forums “What’s for Dinner?” Here are 5 tips/tricks I’ve found to help alleviate the stress of meal planning.

1. There is an app/website called Food on the Table that you can input your own recipes or ones you find and it compiles a shopping list for you that can be sent to your phone and you can “check” off the items as you shop.
2. Blogs. Surfing blogs is a great way to get ideas. One I love? Just-Precious has Menu Planning posts full of great ideas, recipes and links. AND she has a calendar on her blog dedicated to it! Another great meal planning writer is Musings of  a Housewife. Her blog is so pretty to look at too. Yet another blog that helps me? The Organized Cook herself, Toni Spilsbury.
3. Pinterest – *WARNING* This site is majorly addicting and may result in you speaking in terms that your family doesn’t understand, such as “OH! I’m soooo gonna pin that!” and “WTH?! Why didn’t more people repin me?”  BUT it’s a wealth of foodie love. you can search for just about anything and keep a board going of quick meals, crockpot meals, fancy food, etc. I have a board dedicated to nothing but cupcakes.
4. Ask your friends. I’m sure 99% of you are on facebook, so post a status question like “what is your top go-to quick & easy recipe?” You will be surprised to see how many of your friends are hoarding some amazing recipes!
5. Last but not least, the old pen and paper. Write down some ideas for meals as you think of them and poll the family. I never knew that the kids loved orange chicken so much until I asked them what their favorite dinner was.

Hopefully these tips will help ease the stress of your dinnertime as much as it has mine. If you have any tips (or found a great website of recipes) please share them in the comments!

Gnocchi with Chicken and Sun Dried Tomatoes

For more inspiring photos, check out:  The Bonafide Life, Better in Bulk, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Momblog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Rajean Blomquist, Brain Foggles, Lil Kid Things, The Centsible Life, Rachel Ferruci, Resourceful Mommy and Zensible Mama and link your own photo stories.

Like usual, the UPS guy comes to the house, rings the bell and Carter grabs the package saying, “Thanks for the toys!” I’m convinced he thinks that one UPS man is the person who keeps giving him things. He even said to me before Christmas, “Why do I need to ask Santa for a toy, the mailman brings them!” But I’m getting sidetracked here.

So back to BlankZ. They are stuffed animals that come completely white. Bare Hare is my favorite.

Carter decided to grab the “No Bully” and got straight to work. Besides getting the markers all over his hands, he did a pretty good job of coloring every last inch of space, including the background card that comes with the animals.

We sent “Bare” the Bear to Kate’s (aka Knitschmidt) daughter and she also did an awesome job of coloring hers in.

After washing the bear it was completely white again. I was a little nervous to wash the animals with our everyday clothes, so I threw them in with a load of towels and no marker transferred over to them. Phew! The hardest part about the whole washing and re-drawing is the waiting! Waiting for your animals to dry can seem like forever in the eyes of an 8 year old!

Now here’s the best part! We are giving a BlankZ animal away! All you have to do is head on over to the BlankZ site and then comment here on which animal your child would love. Simple as that! With seven animals to choose from, your child is sure to be excited picking them out and coloring them in! We will take entries until  11:59 pm Mountain Time on January 31st, 2012. For full rules and all the legal jargon, check out our sweepstakes page.

Not a part of the contest, but if you like them on facebook and follow them on twitter, I’d be super appreciative. I truly do love this product and the company is amazing to work with. Let’s all show them some love!

disclosure: I received the BlankZ, free of charge,  for my review. Thoughts and opinions are mine and honest.