Homemade Mom

A day at the Zoo

2010-09-04T23:13:00.014-05:00

Today we took the boys to the St. Louis zoo! It was so much fun! We purchased bracelets for the first time ever, just $10,00 each. That gave us access to the train, carousel, kids zoo, dinosaur 3D ride and the Dora & Diego 3D movie. It also gave us access to the Penguin exhibit and the Stingrays, but both had lines that were too long so we decided not to wait.

It was crazy busy but I didn't mind because I had Cutler in my Beco Butterfly II Carrier on my back. I was so relieved to not have to worry about pushing a stroller through all the crowds trying to get it to fit! I saw so many parents pushing empty strollers and carrying their little ones. It just seems so pointless to me. You have to pick the child up to see all the animals because the fence is directly in front of their faces. So the carrier was my best choice.

We planned ahead and brought the boys some swim clothes & shoes so they could play in the water feature and still have dry clothes to put on afterwards. I forgot my camera, but here are a few pics from my cell phone.

They were soaked! I'm so glad I thought to remember their swim clothes and large ziploc bags to store them in. They had so much fun! Shortly after I took these pictures Camden was leaning down to stick his face in the water and put his foot out behind him, tripping Cutler. He slammed face first into the hard stones. OUCH!

When he came up he was bleeding from his nose and lip. I promptly scooped him up and nursed him. I was soaked but he was content and stopped crying. Breastfeeding seems to fix all boo-boo's. Don't know what I'd do without it! He ended up with some small cuts on his nose and some abrasions on his top lip. Now he has a fat lip.

Doesn't he look pitiful? Camden felt so bad! I felt bad for him. He didn't mean to, but it doesn't change how he felt. It didn't damper the rest of the trip though. We had such a great time! Couldn't have asked for better weather either. It was around 78 degrees. Perfect!

Baby Carrier Crazy over here!

2010-09-04T00:14:00.007-05:00

Infantino sent me one of their newest carriers to try out and share with all of you! It's the Balance Ergonomic
Baby Carrier! It's so cute! In case you don't feel like watching the video (it helps explain all the features) here are the highlights:

Ergonomically designed for all day comfort
Front & Back Carry
Natural Seat Design + Extra Padding for baby's bottom
Wide, Padded Adjustable straps
Outside Pocket to hold ID/Debit Card
Tidy Loops neatly store extra strap
Cute and wipeable inner fabric
Removable bib to protect mom's clothing
8-35 lb weight range

I found it available at Babies R Us and Amazon. Infantino just released their instructional video of the Balance Carrier today! It's really good!

To keep updated on all the great things Infantino is doing you can friend them on facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Twitter!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products to as part of my participation.”

Back to School Bedtime: Battle or Bliss?

2010-09-02T07:22:00.001-05:00

I was dreading having to enforce a stricter bedtime routine. Honestly, we don't have much of a routine. Well, maybe we do.

When the boys get home from school we do homework first. Nothing else is allowed until homework is completed. Then they have the rest of the evening to do whatever. They play while I fix dinner. Then we eat, not always together either, but at some point during the meal we will all be in the kitchen. It seems that I'm always chasing after Cutler and the boys are in and out due to an ongoing Wii game.

Now that school has started I see the importance of attempting to create a night time routine. I say attempting because our day to day routine is different. Some days we have soccer practice, cub scouts, play dates, all these things interfere with a regular evening routine. Depending on how long the evening events take will delay dinner and baths.

So at the bare minimum I thought I could create a soothing/relaxing environment for them to fall asleep in. We spray their rooms with Lavendar Vanilla Febreze, turn the lights out and turn on the ceiling fan. But what about a night light? Isn't this Firefly Soother cute? I was lucky enough to receive this from Infantino in my participation of the Infantino Mom's program. It's primary function is to serve as a crib accessory, but it can also be used as a nightlight/soother for a toddler's room too! Cutler loved it before we even got it out of the box!
See it in action:

Since we co-sleep we don't have a crib to use it on. That didn't take away from the usefulness of the product one bit though! I let Cutler play with it for a while, then I put it on Cohen's nightstand. He loves it and he's 4!

To keep updated on all the great things Infantino is doing you can friend them on facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Twitter!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products to as part of my participation.”

Works for Me Wednesday: Portable Solution to Loose Candy

2010-09-01T05:34:00.000-05:00

Every time my boys behave when we go shopping I try and reward them with something out of the machines on the way out the door. Most of the time they select a toy or jewelry of some sort, but some times they pick candy. I don't really mind because the portions are small, and after all, they were good! So I never leave home without a stash of quarters in my purse. It pays to be prepared! I'd rather spend a few quarters than to be bothered for a new toy. Which they aren't going to get, but knowing they get to get something seems to make all the difference.

What do you do with the loose candy so that it doesn't melt or spill all over the floor? Well, it's time you start keeping those plastic egg containers.

I like to keep a few in my car, two in my purse - one for each big boy, and one in my diaper bag. You never know what uses you'll come up with! I've used them:

to keep earrings/rings in when I needed them off,
to hold change when the boys want to hold their "own money" but don't have pockets,
to keep tiny batteries you need to get one replaced and can't remember to write down the number,
for pepto bismol tablets when a child had a tummy ache,
for storing small bits of remaining play-doh or silly putty. (Take these to a restaurant when you know you'll have to wait a while for your food to be prepared. Great distraction!)

TONS of uses from these little free eggs that most of us throw away! Keep them and see what you end up using them for and let me know!

10 Minute Momentum

2010-08-31T19:29:00.002-05:00

So I've started another blog. This one is strictly for achieving my personal goals.I plan on focusing on one goal at a time. First and foremost I'd like to work on my body. I want to begin to exercise. I never do, because I don't like to exercise. Who does really? OK, maybe some of you do, but I'm not one of them. I have some workout DVD's called 10 minute solutions. Each DVD contains five 10 minute workouts. I can't say I don't have time for that right? It's just 10 minutes! Doctors recommend 20 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. That's one hour total. So is it possible to get the same result, or any result at all if I do six 10 minute workouts? I guess we'll see.

I'm not saying that I'm going to limit it to 10 minutes and 10 minutes alone. I'm hoping the momentum of actually getting started will keep me going. Maybe I'll do two or three 10 minute sessions. If not, I'm OK with that. For now I'll start with 10 minutes and see where it takes me.

So who wants to join me? Do you have a goal that you never seem to have time to accomplish? Can you put aside 10 minutes in your day to give back to yourself? I start tomorrow. When will you start?

Homemade Trail Mix - Healthy After School Snack

2010-08-30T12:51:00.001-05:00

Here is what I start with: some raisins, glazed almonds, cashews, dates, peanuts (kids prefer honey roasted over plain), pistachios (not pictured), dried berries and M&M's for something sweet.

Here's a handful. This bunch has a pecan and my boys pick them out. I won't be using those again.

What else can you add to your mix to keep a bit of variety going? How about some bottom of the box cereal? It never hurts to change it up a little by adding some sweet with some salty. My boys love it when I add some Lucky Charms or Trix. They eat it up by the handfuls so I know they're getting the benefits of the nuts even though I've added some small portions of sweetened cereal.

Here's how it looks all mixed up in one large bowl. A little bit of everything.

Then I put spoon it into reusable Gladware containers with different colored lids of course, to limit the "He's eating MINE" dilemma. The large one in the middle is for Lou and I to share. YUM!

Do your kids eat nuts? How do you encourage healthy snacking?

(Yes, I realize these pics are dated from March. I'm terrible about forgetting things I wanted to share with you all!)

Infantino EcoSash (Mei Tai) Review

2010-08-29T16:31:00.001-05:00

If you have a Mei Tai then you will LOVE the Infantino EcoSash Carrier! It has all the great features of a Mei Tai and more!

I'm loving this carrier! I have a variety I like to use but this one has moved to the top of my list for Mei Tai carriers! I love the loops on the side that allow the straps to stay in place. Very smart. Here is a a tutorial video I made showing the Front Facing In Carry, the Front Facing Out Carry and the Back Carry.

I didn't touch on the hood, so here's what you need to know. The headrest folds down if you don't need the support

and can be unfolded and popped up if you do.

When it's unfolded you can snap on the sleeping hood

Here's how it looks hanging down

It has snaps on the hood straps that snap in place on the EcoSash straps. That is a GREAT feature that most Mei Tai type carriers do not have. Love that!

I invite you to follow Infantino on twitter, facebook and read their blog if you want to stay informed on their new and upcoming products!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products to as part of my participation.”

Do you burn DVD's?

2010-08-26T23:12:00.002-05:00

I have been burning DVD's for personal use for years. We have a pretty large stash of children's videos, like Baby Einstein. What is so appealing about burning your own is, I can make a copy for the car. I copy the main movie only, that way when I pop the DVD into the player it starts right where it should, skipping all the previews. No fuss!

So how does one go about burning a DVD? Well, there are a number of programs you can use depending on what you're copying. DVDFab is a great one, as well as using DVDDecrypter and DVDShrink. If you use the latter 2 you'll also need to get Nero. Next thing you'll need are blank DVD's. Something to keep in mind is not all DVD players are compatible with certain blank DVD's. Click here to see if your what DVD's your player will take. That's pretty much all you'd need!

Now keep in mind that it's only legal to make backup copies of videos that you already own. It's not legal to copy something for personal gain that is copyrighted.

Another great use for blank DVD's is creating homemade keepsake videos! If you have a program like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie for Mac you can create and burn your home movies to DVD's. On my videography website I get the honor of making videos for a number of organizations. My son's preschool allowed me to use their photos of the entire year and put together a video to offer to the children as a keepsake. What I wouldn't have given to have one some DVD duplication equipment. I think the hardest part of that job was the hours I put in to it making copies. I may have to invest in a DVD publisher for down the road, but for now my laptop does the trick!

Do you backup files or pics on DVD's? What's your favorite program? Do you have a brand of DVD's you swear by or some to stay away from?

A pre-k day full of promise.

2010-08-24T22:31:00.012-05:00

All dolled up with some place to go! Preschool!

This is his "cheese" smile. If I want a good one I have to sneak up on him!

Finally! School is back in session! I love when school starts. Don't you? I love the smell of new school supplies, the new plastic smell of the parts of a backpack, sharpened pencils, notebooks, the unused box of crayons, the whole mess of it all. I'm reminded of years ago (I won't say how many) when I was in school. I vividly remember Kindergarten. Being so nervous the first day of school. Walking in to the classroom to see an empty room full of tables with chairs turned upside down on top. It was so quiet in there. So full of potential. I imagine that's just how Cohen felt today. Isn't he handsome!

Let me tell you about these shoes! He BEGGED me for these WWE shoes from Walmart. I bought them, brought them home, and there they have sat. In the closet, waiting to be worn. Since they matched his new outfit from Nanu I convinced him to wear them. Therein begin the battle. The socks were too tight, the shoes were too tight, they didn't feel right. He has worn nothing but Crocs all summer and I think that's ruined him for real shoes. Anyone else have this problem? So I made him wear the shoes for the pictures so I could try and convince him that they weren't that bad. I kept saying "Just wear them for 5 minutes". 5 minutes came and went, and so did the shoes. He went to school wearing his dirtied up Crocs and came home with filthy feet. Just like I knew he would.

He says he had a GREAT first day! His best friend from last year ended up being in his class again! Love that! It made him so happy! I hope the rest of his pre-k days are as full of promise as today was.

Where oh where can I get some frames online?

2010-08-22T12:48:00.002-05:00

I got my eyes examined last week for the first time in years! Come to find out my vision has improved a bit. Not much, but .25. It's not that common for eyes to improve, so I'm thrilled! When he had me in the chair looking through the lenses I felt some strain when he got to my current prescription. How cool is that? So now I need to think about a new pair of eyeglasses.

I used to work for Pearle Vision so I already have a pretty good selection of frames to choose from. It seems that the local places like Sears or even a private doctor have their prescription glasses marked up so high I knew that wouldn't work for me. I'm on a budget ya'll! What's a girl to do?

I know I don't really need a new pair of glasses. Of course I could use an existing frame and have my new prescription lenses put in them, but what would be the fun in that? I want to pick out a new frame. I have 1 metal frame, but I'm over that. I have a few pairs of plastic frames, some given to be by friends and 2 frames I got at cost while working at Pearle Vision. It's strange that I find myself only wearing one pair. Why? Don't know.

So I began my search for glasses online. There are many sites out there but I settled on GlassesUSA.com.

They have a great selection of super cute frames as well as a bunch of name brand frames too! Prices are well within my budget too. I settled on a cute pair called Natalia in black. Aren't they cute?

My recommendations for buying frames online? Go to a local eyeglass retailer and try on some frames. It's very important that you are aware of frame sizing and what works on you and what won't. Here's the scoop.

Frames come in a variety of sizes, usually marked 48-18-135. Let me break it down for you.

48 is the lens width. The measurement of the widest part across the front of the lens. A wider number like 51 will be quite wide, while a smaller number like 45 will be very small.

18 is the bridge (nose) width. This ranges from 13-20. The smaller the number the more narrow the nose width is. VERY important to select something that will fit. My nose is pretty narrow at the top, so if I select a size 18 in a plastic frame (that means there are no nose pads to adjust to get the fit just right), they will sit low on my face. My eyes will not be properly centered in the lens. For a plastic frame I can wear anything from a 13-16 depending on the style.

135 is the temple length. This is how long the arm is. Most unisex styles are a 135 or a 140. For a larger man you may want to look for frames that have a temple length of 145 if your current frame doesn't wrap around your ear properly.

One more number you may see is Height. This is the height of the lens. This is important if you are getting a bifocal or progressive lens. Anything under 25 will probably be too small for the bifocal portion of your lens to be effective.

So there you go! When you try on frames look inside the temples (arms) for the number with a dash between them. Otherwise you may be writing down the frame number and color number instead of size. You can also find the bridge (nose) width in the nose of the frame if the frame is plastic. If you have any questions ask an employee to write down the size for you of a few that you like. That way when you are shopping online you won't purchase a frame that would give you a bad fit.

Have you bought frames online? Are you thinking about it? GlassesUSA has kindly allowed me to give my readers a discount if you purchase a pair of frames!!! Simply use the code mommy10 when you checkout and you will save an additional 10% to their already low prices!

They have a facebook page too. If you "like" them you will be kept informed of when they add new frames or offer a great new sale! There is also some great testimonials to read if you want to be sure you're ordering from a great company.

I can't wait to see how these turn out! Stay tuned!!!

Well color me purple! (a breastfeeding story)

2010-08-20T23:16:00.001-05:00

This week has been a difficult week for breastfeeding Cutler. He's 14 months now and I have no desire to wean him, although will our recent difficulties I would be lying if I said I haven't considered it. I have. Teeth hurt.

My troubles began this past Sunday. Cutler and I co sleep, so I nurse him laying down. When he falls asleep one of two things can happen. Either he "passes out" and his mouth opens up wide allowing me to slip out, or he clamps down. The latter is what seems to be happening lately. He falls asleep, clamps down and I let out an instinctive yell "OW!". That startles him and causes him to actually bite down pretty hard. I see this pattern happen and yet I'm helpless to stop it. When I try and pull out before he's "passed out" he starts sucking vigorously again and we start all over again.

A few minutes after the bite I try to pull out again. Most of the time I'm successful, but not without a bit of damage. I've noticed little teeth marks on the top side of my breasts, just where I expected to see them. By Monday and Tuesday I was experiencing quite a bit of pain. Especially when he pulls back as he nurses. Hurts like hell! Felt like my skin was tearing. Upon further inspection, I was right. I have small slit-like tears at the base of my nipples. The right side is worse than the left. Can't really explain that one. The mind boggler is that they are on the underside of my breasts. Which really doesn't make sense, because when he nurses his tongue is thrust forward and covers his bottom teeth. At least, that's what should be happening. I don't know.

So anyways. I have open wounds that hurt crazy bad when he nurses. I'm talking toe curling, brings tears to your eyes pain. Then, I noticed a white spot on his bottom lip. Hmmm. My first thought was thrush. I checked in his mouth and didn't see any signs. Only on the inner bit of his bottom lip. The spot changed too. At first it was big, then got smaller. Next to it was a red spot that almost looked like a blood blister, but a few hours later they both disappeared. Strange. I know thrush isn't supposed to disappear that quickly, especially without treatment. So I call his doctor and she calls in some thrush medicine just to be on the safe side until I can get him in for an appointment. My doctor can't see me until Thursday, 2 days from where we are in this story.

My lactation consultant advises me to pump off the side that is too painful to nurse on. That way I don't lose my supple. She was right that it did hurt, but not nearly as much as nursing. I was able to nurse him off my left side then pump the right side and get 2 oz. The next time I pumped I got 2.5 oz. That made me feel better. I was terrified of losing my supply on my right side completely! He's currently drinking it out of a sippy cup and nursing off the left side only, for now.

Tonight while I was taking a bath with Cutler he leaned over and wanted to nurse. Yelling out his "UH UH" sound, which translates "WANT NINNY". We often nurse in the tub, I didn't so much with my other two boys. I thought it was something that shouldn't be done. Don't really know why I thought that, just did. Now I realize what's normal and acceptable is what works for me. I don't have a problem with it, so why not let him. You know what I discovered? Nursing in the tub forces him to sit up. This means that the position of his teeth was different, and nursing didn't hurt so much this time. His teeth didn't dig in to the existing cuts that he created. Talk about a huge sigh of relief. Phew!

Want to see what I'm talking about? Look at these baby chompers. Now you know what all the fuss is about. It's more than fuss, it's like two sharp tiny little daggers. That's what I'm talking about. Just look what he did to this apple today.

Now imagine that being your nipple. No, don't. It's not fair to do that to all of you. No joke, it hurts. So...where was I going with all of this? I know I had a point, oh yeah. The result from all this biting.

Well, let's just say that I have cracks where cracks shouldn't be. So one more day until my appointment and I need some relief! The Lanolin I'm using is nice, but it's like keeping a cut wet, feels better, but it's not healing. I asked around on twitter and some of the great ladies that meet up for #bfcafe suggested I try some Gentian Violet. If you don't know what it is, it's a deep violet liquid that you paint on your nipples. It's anti-infective for treating minor cuts, scrapes and fungus infections, and thrush is a yeast infection. So I purchased some at a local pharmacy and hurry home to check it out. I dip in a q-tip and start painting it on. I thought it would absorb into my skin quickly, but it kinda lingers around the surface. Cutler wants to nurse before it has a chance to really soak in and I'm shocked by what I see! His mouth, tongue, lips and part of his chin are BRIGHT PURPLE! I mean, it looks like the boy got a hold of the inside part of a marker. Crazy purple. Here's what my breast pads looked like.

That was after a brief moment of wearing them after putting the Gentian Violet on. They were covered after I had worn them for a while. This stuff doesn't come out at all! I was able to get the purple off of Cutler's chin with a bit of hand sanitizer.

Finally the day arrives when I see my doctor. I was convinced that it was thrush, but now the small white and red spots on Cutler's lip have completely disappeared. I get examined, then he moves on to Cutler. Who is not his patient, but I'm grateful that he checks him out so we can be sure of the diagnosis. Then it comes, it's not thrush. WHAT?!? So what's wrong with me? Why are my nipples peeling and cracked? Why is weaning on the horizon when I dearly want it to be in the distance?

Staph Infection.

Apparently it's more common than I had thought. I was surprised, but relieved to know that there is an end in sight to my pain. I found this great article that talks all about thrush and infections. It was very helpful. So I trek on on the road to recovery. Me and my purple nipples.

2nd grade begins!

2010-08-17T00:18:00.005-05:00

I can't believe my baby is now 7 years old and in 2nd Grade!!! How is it that time is going by so fast? It seems like just yesterday he was born and we were bringing him home from the hospital. I love his inquisitive mind and his sweet nature. He is always wanting to learn about science stuff. He has a large collection of test tubes and whenever he gets a chance he's in the kitchen using up all of my food coloring for a new "potion". It seems that his love for science has melded with his love for Harry Potter and all things wizardry. What would I do without him?

Giveaway Scout

2010-08-15T05:10:00.001-05:00

Oooooh, check out this new widget I'm adding to my site! It's from Giveaway Scout! It's a really cool website that allows any website/blog to add their giveaways to a large master list of giveaways!

Giveaway Scout is a giveaway search engine. Our users subscribe to receive updates on the latest giveaways on the web. Add your blog and your giveaways will be exposed to our large network or users.
We publish your giveaways on multiple channels (Our web, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and widget network)

Get more exposure to your blog and giveaways.

So if you ever do giveaways on your website you should add your site to the list! That way, anyone that goes to the site or visits a widget will see a very current list of registered sites that are currently holding giveaways! How cool is that?

Make your own: T-Shirt, Mug, Apron and more!

2010-08-14T13:45:00.000-05:00

For a while now I've been thinking of putting my Logo on something for myself. Maybe an Apron, coffee mugs, T-Shirt or Tote Bag.

Here are some funny Cafepress t-shirts I like:

Aren't these adorable?!? Do you order customized/personalized items from Cafe Press?

I'm just in a shopping mood lately. Have you heard of Pfaltzgraff? Just another random website I've come across that has really nice home decor that's really affordable! Like this nice set of 3 mirrors for just $19.99!

Aren't these Halloween Coffee mugs cute?

It's crazy that Halloween is just around the corner!

They now take Paypal and they have 969 items on Clearance! Just thought you'd want to know!

Box Tops & Safeway Gift Card Winner!

2010-08-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to JC! You are the winner of the 50 Box Tops! You rock! Collecting 350 is impressive!

Our next winner is lucky # 21: Henria O has won the $25.00 Gift Card from Safeway!

Thanks so much for everyone that entered! Please continue to collect your Box Tops and help out our schools!

Back to School Commitments

2010-08-13T22:19:00.001-05:00

Are you a member of the PTA? Do you volunteer in the classroom? Do you help organize fundraisers?

Well, I don't. I should, but don't. I wish I had the time to do more, but with 1 hubby, 2 jobs, 3 kids and a house, I just don't have the time. So how can I help?

Well, I figure that this nice little blogging community that I have around me is a wealth of knowledge that I should be tapping in to. Between facebook, blogging, and twitter, I have an endless amount of suggestions at my fingertips. First I need to learn more about how to raise money, I want to be informed! So what have I come up with? Fast Track Fundraising! Fast Track Fundraising has great fundraising ideas for non profit organizations, which would include our school.

One of their most effective non profit fundraising ideas is a candle fundraiser. Seriously, what woman out there doesn't love a scented candle! You can even order the candles online and receive them in 8-10 days! That's fast! They have jar candles, soy bean pot candles, square candles, pillar candles, beehive candles and even scented reed diffusers! Just click here to view their brochure.

Well, I'm sold! What about you? I don't have much time invested in volunteering like I should, but now I know how I'm going to make a contribution. I will be sending information to the principal and my son's classroom teacher encouraging that we do a Candle Fundraiser at least once this school year! I know tons of people that would prefer to buy candles over wrapping paper, large boxes of chocolate, cheese platters or more pizzas!

What do you think? Money maker?

Inspired by Finn - Baltic Amber

2010-08-12T00:08:00.005-05:00

Inspired by Finn creates the most beautiful Baltic Amber jewelry. I've heard so much on twitter about Teething Necklaces and I had to learn more. At first I thought they were necklaces for baby to chew on to help with teething. I was quickly corrected when I inquired on twitter. It's a necklace made from Baltic Amber that aids with their teething pain. It sounds a bit far fetched, I thought. I'm open to anything that might work though, and I fully feel that homeopathic treatments are completely undervalued. How does it work? Here is some info from their website:

Baltic amber is not a stone, but a fossilized tree resin.
Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.
Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it's presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

WOW! As I read that I immediately wanted to order him one. Then my mind wandered. If it helps with teething, what else could it help with? You can buy necklaces that will help with teething, headaches, migraines; bracelets that help with carpal tunnel, ankle bracelets to help with leg/foot/ankle pain. So much more! How about a larger one to go around your waist to help with back pain? Or one that goes above the knee for knee pain? This would be perfect for my mom because she just had knee replacement surgery. I've also began experiencing some numbness in my right hand that could be the beginning of carpal tunnel. I'm thinking I need to order me a bracelet pronto! They have many styles and colors to choose from, so something for everyone.

Cutler has had his necklace on non stop for over a week now. I leave it on my 24/7. It doesn't bother him a bit. I have found that he's putting his fingers in his mouth less, drooling less and biting less. As a breastfeeding mother, I'm very happy about the less biting part! Just look at those sharp little chompers! OUCH!

I'm very pleased with my purchase. I did buy this myself. I was not provided the necklace, paid or bartered with in any way for this post. I'm genuinely happy with my purchase and wanted to share the site and info with all you mom's that may need a safe natural remedy for teething. I may buy a few as gifts for baby showers too! Love that option. It's super cute and functional!

I just have to share one more pic!

I think he's dreamy and he makes my heart melt.

Back to School Pre-Planning

2010-08-10T23:51:00.000-05:00

OK, so you know you're gonna have to make a few lunches. How about making it easy on yourself and keep all the essentials in one place.

In our kitchen we have a cabinet that I keep lunch essentials in. On the left is our lunch boxes, and on the right are our containers for sandwiches and things. Check out this old post about the green and purple container form the container store. It will get you excited about making school lunches, well, as excited as you can be.

How are you preparing for making lunches? Do you have a plan that makes your mornings go smoother? I'd love to hear all about it!

Back to School Giveaway from Safeway & Box Tops!!!

2010-08-09T22:24:00.003-05:00

School starts here in just 7 days! Are you ready for it? I am! I've been ready. I'm one of those mom's that wishes my kids went to school for all 12 months. Don't get me wrong, I really believe that kids need some time off, but after the first 2 weeks my kids are already claiming "I'm bored!". A couple of 2 week vacations throughout the year would be dreamy. I digress.

So, are you ready? Let me help you. Now would be a good time to go through your pantry and gather up all of those box tops for education. You know the ones. They look like this:

Do you save your box tops? Did you know that if you save them and turn them in to your child's school that that helps them earn money? Well it does! They earn money for their school!!! I know! Box Tops can be found on hundreds of products. Click here for a full list. Look all over the box. They are fairly obvious on a cereal box, but on some things you have to look harder. Things like paper towels, the plastic over the tissue paper box, bottom of the plastic storage baggies, etc. See how many you can find.

The Safeway family of stores (which includes Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi’s) is making it simple to give back with “2 Ways 2 Earn” cash for your schools with Box Tops for Education and the “10% Goes Back to Schools” program.

Box Tops for Education has already given away over $320 million to help the more than 69 thousand schools participating. And if that wasn’t enough, earning Box Tops is even easier this year with four new brands participating in the program: Progresso Soup, Totino’s Pizza, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes and Gold Medal Flour.

To help your local schools even further just look for the “10% Goes Back to Schools” yellow school bus tags on over 2,000 of your favorite items throughout Safeway from August 11th – September 14th. When you purchase participating products with your Club Card, Safeway will give 10% of the purchase price to the local school of your choice.

Here’s how it works:
Check your receipt from August 11 – September 14. The total will be updated each time you shop.

Beginning on September 18, a redemption code will be printed at the bottom of your receipt.

Visit backtoschools.escrip.com before October 13 to choose your favorite participating local school, then simply enter your redemption code to make your donation.

To learn more about Box Tops for Education and Safeway’s “10% Goes Back to Schools” program, visit www.2ways2earn.com. And while you’re there, don’t forget to enter the Safeway Bonus Box Tops Sweepstakes for a chance to win 1,000 Bonus Box Tops for the participating school of your choice!

I have a challenge for you!

Tell me how many Box Tops you have either found in your home or have already been collecting this summer break. The person that has the highest number of box tops collected will win a bonus certificate for 50 Box Tops!!! I will send it directly to you!

I also have a $25.00 gift card from Safeway to giveaway! Just leave a comment and a name will be selected by random from random.org on Friday August 13th, by midnight central time.

For one extra entry tweet this giveaway using the hashtag #myblogspark at the end of your tweet.

For one last entry, like Box Tops on Facebook!

Good luck!

Disclosure: Safeway gift card, Bonus Box Tops Certificate, information and giveaway were all provided to me from Safeway and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Beco Gemini Tutorial Videos

2010-08-09T07:28:00.002-05:00

Yes, I've been a busy bee lately! Editing video all weekend! I can't help it though. I really want to show all of you how versatile the Beco Gemini is! You'll never need another carrier after this one.

Beco Gemini Back Carry with a Preschooler

2010-08-07T15:59:00.002-05:00

Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Ice Cream Winner!

2010-08-06T23:51:00.001-05:00

Lucky number 12 belonged to: Michelle!

Great news! I can giveaway 2!!!

The second winner is number 4! Mrs. Mordecai

Thank you all for entering!

Do you shop Overstock?

2010-08-05T15:01:00.003-05:00

I had a few minutes to shop online today and I thought I'd head on over to Overstock.com. I see the commercials all the time, but had never visited their site. I started thinking about all the things I'd like to buy (if I had all the money in the world of course) and I've been thinking a Ceiling Fan in the kitchen would be nice. Isn't this one beautiful? Right now we have a round fluorescent light and it's not pretty at all. A new kitchen faucet would be great too! I really like those tall ones that allow you to fit a large pot in the sink. A girl can dream can't she?

Ahhhh, and what about some new furniture? Oh how I would love some new end tables. I prefer furniture that's multipurpose and an end table that would offer some storage would be much more functional than what I have now. Check this one out. I really like that it's round. Very kid friendly. What about office furniture? A space saving model would be perfect. This would do the trick!

OK, enough about what the house needs. What about me? How about a beautiful piece of Handmade Jewelry? Isn't this ring unique? I love a big cocktail ring. I don't have any, but I'm certain I would wear one! I'd also like to get something with a Pearl in it. It's Cutler's birthstone and I have yet to purchase one. That's what I looked at today. Have you shopped Overstock? What would you buy?

Ameribag from CSN Stores

2010-08-03T16:06:00.003-05:00

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from dinnerware to dog beds to sofas and suitcases!

I'm always on the lookout for the perfect bag. Something that will be both purse and diaper bag, but still look stylish and not too baby. Also, it needs to be functional. I want it to stay on my shoulder and be out of the way when my hands are full, which is all the time. I really like a bag that goes over my shoulder and across my back, like a messenger bag, but not a messenger bag. Most of the sling bags go over the wrong shoulder for me. Annoying. When I was shopping the CSN Stores website the other day I was perusing the thousands of bags they have, when I came across Ameribag. It's the "Healthy Back Bag".

Cute colors, great price, I have to make it mine! It was only $39.99! The exact same bag (directly from Ameribag website) is $50.00! Check it out!

Sorry the pics aren't great. My boys took the pics with my cell phone camera. Bag lighting too. It's a great bag though! TONS of pockets inside!

Love my Ameribag! I even ordered one for my Mom too! We're sharing the CSN love over here!

Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Review & Giveaway!

2010-08-02T01:09:00.001-05:00

I received coupons the other day from MomCentral.com from Breyers! Who wouldn't go crazy for that!?!

Breyers has a new Smooth & Dreamy line of Ice Cream Bars and Sandwiches that are so yummy you'll be surprised that they are low in calories and low in fat! The Bars & Sandwiches range from 130-160 calories and 4-6 grams of fat per serving. It's the perfect little indulgence for anyone that is dieting, counting calories or just watching their portions. The flavors available are:

I selected:

I would have liked to try the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars, but my local store didn't have those. We really enjoyed them! You have to try them for yourself! Want to win a coupon for a free box? All you have to do is leave a comment. You can get additional entries though if you choose to do so. I will select 2 winners on Friday August 6th by midnight central time.

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"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers and received products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."

I just had to share our home movie with you of my family and I trying out the new flavors. Thank you Breyers and Mom Central!!!