Mom's point of view

Infinity LED Ultra Series LED Light Bulbs: Review

2012-02-13T10:35:00.004-05:00

Are you in search of a light bulb that saves you 93% more energy than all other lighting types available? Then you should check out Infinity LED Ultra Series LED Light Bulbs.

Now let's learn a little more about these light bulbs and what makes them so special...

Requires very little energy to deliver the same light output of popular incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, instantly saving you up to 93% per bulb on lighting costs
Contains 88 evenly distributed LED lights that (unlike incandescent lights) are not sensitive to shaking
With an average lifespan of 35,000+ continuous hours (4 years), these bulbs are infinitely more cost-effective than other types of lighting

Some of the features of these bulbs are...

Available in two temperatures for full control over your lighting scheme:

I received the Cool White Infinity LED Ultra Series LED Light Bulb 4W which is equivalent to a 60W incandescent. It is also a bright but soft glow.

I really enjoy the look of this light bulb. It is different an almost has a Sci-Fi look to it. (Brings out the nerd in me.) The color when lighting up a room is a blueish color at night and it is very bright. During the day the color isn't as blue. Also what is nice is that this bulb is cool to the touch at all times, so it is good that you don't have to wait for the bulb to cool down. Of course I had my awesome husband test that for me.

The more I look at the pictures the more I love this light bulb. I really enjoy the look it has. So if you are looking for a nice looking bulb that uses less energy then you should check out the Infinity LED Ultra Series LED Light Bulbs.

You can go to the site CableOrganizer.com and purchase these bulbs. The Infinity LED Ultra Series Light Bulb 4W can be purchased for $15.75 and the The Infinity LED Ultra Series Light Bulb 6W can be purchased for $18.75.

*Note this is my honest opinion of the product above. I was not compensated for this review but I did receive a free bulb to review.

Family Friday

2012-02-10T13:49:00.003-05:00

It's Friday! Yes I know I am slacking at Family Friday but I have a great reason. I am actually spending it with my family. Last week the weather was so nice I spent it outside with my kids. It is usually freezing in the winter but we actually had 70 degree weather! It was so wonderful!

Here are some pictures from the two days we spend outside last week...

My cute 2 almost 3 year old sliding down the biggest slide there

My daughter with our youngest

Ok if you know my family you know my mom would kill me for this picture. She hates having her picture taken. I am just glad I get some of her even though she doesn't like it.

And my 5 year old is missing in action. This is a normal thing. I think he hates having his picture taken too!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Sticky Monkey Label Review

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for a way to help you organize your home or keep track of your kids personal belongings? Are you someone who loves labels? If so you should check out Sticky Monkey Labels.

Who and what are Sticky Monkey Labels?

Sticky Monkey Labels is a sister team who like all moms were in desperate need of a way to keep track of their children's belongings. So they came up with Sticky Monkey Labels as a cute, fun and effect way to label their children's belongings.

Sticky Monkey Labels are are cost effective, waterproof, dishwasher and microwave safe, laundry safe, and weather resistant. And don’t forget they are super-cute!

So being a mom of 4 children you can imagine my excitement to have a chance to review these labels. I received complimentary samples of a few different labels to review and I also let my children pick out what they wanted for their labels.

My kids are famous for taking over things. The labels not only had their names on them but also cute little designs. So needless to say I did loose a few labels. One of the really cute ones that were lost were the shoe labels. I hope that they turn up soon.

The shoe labels are great! I really hope to find them so they can be placed in my kids shoes. When you go into a play area where the kids have to take off their shoes this would be the perfect labeling system. If there are shoes that are exactly alike all your child has to do is look in the shoe and see if it is theirs or not. The above photo is taken from the website and this label is for older kids. These you can get 12 labels which will do 6 pairs of shoes for $6 here. All you have to do with these labels are stick them in the shoe towards inner heal of the shoe and cover the label with the clear protective overlay so it lasts longer.

These labels for the shoes are for those children that are learning their left from their right foot. They are called Shoe Helper Labels. This image is also taken from the website. As you can see there is a "L" for left and "R" for right. What a great way for kids to learn their left from right. Also they won't be confused if they look down at their feet and see which sticker matched their foot. These are also 12 labels or 6 pair for $6 and can be found here.

Last in the shoe category is the Baby & Toddler Shoe Labels. The above image was taken from the website. As you can see above these labels are cute little ducks and have 3 colors available, blue pink and yellow. These come in packs of 16 labels or 8 pair which can be purchased for $10 here.

Now lets look at some other labels.

There are the Standard Labels that are perfect for labeling things for school such as notebooks, lunch bags, books and more. I decided to use them to label my shelf where I keep my kids homeschooling books. That way I would know where there books were without having to look at the book and see who's it was. I now can tell if it is for my son or for my daughter. The Standard Labels are 20 labels for $14 and can be purchased here.

The Mini Labels can be use for many things as well and my favorite use was sticking them on my sons dresser. My two youngest children use the same dresser and my daughter is always wanting to pick out their clothes. She had no clue what drawer had what clothes until I used the Mini Labels on the handle of the drawer. Now even my husband can go and get clothes for the younger two with out being confused. You can get these labels for $14 for 36 labels here.

Last I want to talk about the Round Small Labels as picture above on a sippy cup. Now how many of you end up around another child besides your own that has the same exact sippy cup as your child. I have been there so many times it is crazy. Now there is a solution for that. The Round Small Labels are perfect for a sippy cup. It is also dishwasher proof. I have put this one through the dishwasher a few times and I am impressed that nothing happened to it. You can get a set of 48 labels for $15 here.

So if you are looking for a way to labels your children's things so they don't get mixed up then you should check out Sticky Monkey Labels. Not only am I happy with the labels but my kids are too.

You can follow Sticky Monkey Labels on Facebook and Twitter.

*Note I was not paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the product above.

Tone up Tuesday

2012-02-07T08:43:00.004-05:00

Tone up Tuesday: So what are you doing this week to Tone Up?

My husband found Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred for me. I have now been doing this for 4 days. Let me tell you the first day I was in tears and fighting to finish this. It may be better for people who are more in shape than me but I had a hard time the first 2 days.

After I made it through the first 2 days (I skipped the weekend because I was super busy) it wasn't so bad. I am kinda glad for the break because my whole body hurt. My husband actually did 5 mins of the video and gave up. He said that I wasn't kidding when I said it was hard. He also said after me doing this work out I deserve a cupcake or something lol. I told him no that I was sticking with my good eating habits. It just made me feel good to know that he knows now all that I am doing to help my self improve. I get lots of support from him.

So have any of you done this workout before? How has it changed you?

Guest Post: By Heather a Mesothelioma Survivor

2012-02-06T09:58:00.006-05:00

Today my guest post comes from Heather a Mesothelioma Survivor. I was so happy when she contacted me about wanting to do something for my blog. I always love to hear stories from any person who has survived any type of cancer. She is a fighter and a wonderful person. Thanks so much Heather for your post. I hope this helps to give hope with anyone that is going through the same or similar trial.

Hope in a Time of Fear: A Mother's Journey with Cancer

I’ve always been accused of seeing the glass as half full. Yes,
I am a chronic optimist, and that ability served me very well in
my life, particularly when I was diagnosed with a deadly form of
cancer at the young age of 36 only a few short months after the
birth of my daughter.

In November of 2005, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural
mesothelioma. There I was, a new mother with a 3-month-old baby, hearing those three dreadful words: "You Have Cancer."

I had two choices: I could give up and wallow in self pity while
cursing God, or I could face this diagnosis head on with the
optimism and determination I have put forth throughout my life.

I put on my rose colored glasses and decided to fight for my
daughter and see her grow up, learn, and experience her life for
myself.

Cancer is arguably the worst experience anyone can endure in
his or her lifetime. However, my life was changed for the
better because of my diagnosis. I didn't choose to be a victim.
Instead, I chose to make light of a horrifying experience to
erase the fear and give others like me the hope to carry on. It
also may be because I had the good fortune to be referred to one
of the world's leading mesothelioma doctors.

Whatever the reason, I chose to find the good, and it served
me well. My surgery to remove the tumor was scheduled for
Groundhogs Day in 2006. It was for this reason that I nicknamed
my tumor "Punxsutawney Phil" and, from that point forward,
celebrate Groundhogs Day as "Lungleavin' Day," the day my tumor
was removed, as a reminder that focusing on the good that comes
from an otherwise bad situation helped me conquer my fear to
further live and celebrate life.

An additional blessing from having cancer is all the amazing
people, other mesothelioma survivors, and people who are
committed to bringing about awareness to this disease along the
way. They are now my dearest friends.

My life has much more purpose to it now, and I want to continue
to give hope to those who are touched by this life-altering
disease. There is hope, if you choose to pursue it.

Tone up Tuesday:

2012-01-31T08:30:00.003-05:00

So what are you doing this week for Tone up Tuesday? Don't just exercise. Eat right.

A thought just came through my head today as I was getting ready to post this blog. One of the most important things you can do for your body is to eat breakfast. People say this all the time and it is true. You need to eat breakfast in the morning. I know so many people who skip breakfast. I have been one of those people. It was not one of the greatest things have ever done. It was actually pretty stupid. Every time I skipped breakfast I always felt really lousy throughout the day. Now that I actually eat breakfast in the mornings I notice I have more energy to get through the day. I am also less grumpy.

So here is an article I found that I thought was a good read. (taken from WebMD)

Why Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

Kids Need Their Morning Meal
While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains rely heavily on the regular intake of food. When kids skip breakfast, they can end up going for as long as eighteen hours without food, and this period of semistarvation can create a lot of physical, intellectual, and behavioral problems for them.

A Good Investment
If you and your kids regularly skip breakfast in the interest of saving time or getting a few more minutes of sleep, remember that eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal will probably save you time in the long run. By recharging your brain and your body, you'll be more efficient in just about everything you do. Interestingly, studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more often than children who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Preparing a good breakfast can be as quick and easy as splashing some milk over cereal. Time invested in breakfast is much more valuable than the few extra minutes of sleep you might get by bypassing the morning meal. If you and your kids seem unable to make time for breakfast, consider enrolling your children in a school breakfast program, if possible, or pack a breakfast brown-bag the night before so that you and your kids can eat on the way to school and work.

Break the Fast to Shed the Pounds
Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but the practice is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts.

According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity.

The Winner of the Sandy Feet Note Cards is...

2012-01-26T09:00:00.003-05:00

Tiana B. I will be contacting you shortly! Congrats on winning!

Tone up Tuesday:

2012-01-24T14:30:00.008-05:00

Tone up Tuesday...What are you doing this week? If you have not already read the wonderful guest post from yesterday you should check it out. It was written by Rachelle from Livin the Fit Life.

Here are some interesting finds this week...

Have you ever wondered how to measure yourself? I know I have and now I know.

Morning workouts:

And a little motivation...

Guest Post: By Livin the Fit Life

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today's guest post comes from Rachelle from Livin the Fit Life. Thanks so much Rachelle for the wonderful post on being fit.

Being fit and healthy is a passion for me, especially now that I am in my 30's and have to work harder and smarter. I have always been a cardio girl. I love to run and this is my true passion. However, as I got older I knew that weights needed to enter my life and I wasn't too happy about it.

You see, after you turn 30, your body starts to lose muscle. What does that mean? That in order for your body to burn the same number of calories as it did in your twenties, you need to start building your muscles back up. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

Most women look at me funny when I tell them to lift weights. They have the wrong idea that if you lift weights you will look like a bodybuilder with massive muscles. Of course this won't happen. Lifting weights will tone your body and increase your calorie burn to make your workouts more effective.

3 great starter exercises with weights are squats, bicep curls and tricep extensions. I don't know about you, but triceps are an issue for many women as we don't typically use those muscles in everyday life.

Start out with smaller weights (3-5 lbs.) and do 3 sets of 10 reps each, alternating exercises as you go. As you move forward you can change your routine by increasing your weight and your reps. You can then start to add more exercises to your routine to change your overall body.

I am also a huge proponent for using your own body weight for resistance. I like this method because you can work out at home with just yourself and nothing else. Examples of these type of exercises would be push-ups, crunches, tricep dips, etc. This way you can build your muscles without having to spend money on weights or the gym. Also, for moms with young children at home, you can stay at home and still get your sweat on:)

I hope you will all add some weight training to your workout regimen. Your body will thank you!

Thank you Terri, for allowing me to write this post for your blog. Now everyone get your sweat on and start Livin The Fit Life!

Family Friday

2012-01-20T12:33:00.004-05:00

Wow this is my first Family Friday of the new year. For give me because I have been slacking a little on my blog. With homeschooling I have been a little slack with posting. I am trying to get through finishing up homeschooling with the kiddos. Right now I am in a review process with them.

Anyway we are still doing fun things. I just have not posted about much. The latest thing we did was last Friday. My husband had the day off so we took the kids to the Science Museum.

Here are a couple pictures...

So what kind of fun have you been having with your family this new year? I know it is cold a lot of places, so what do you do on those cold days?

Happy 10 Year Annivesary!

2012-01-19T09:54:00.003-05:00

My husband and I got married 10 years ago today. We are just as in love as the day we got married. We also have four beautiful children to share our love with...

The night he proposed

Our wedding day

Us today

Sandy Feet Review and Giveaway:

2012-01-18T00:00:00.003-05:00

Are you one of the few people who still like to sit down and hand write a note instead of sending someone a quick email? I know it is one thing I love to do. Writing notes to someone has pretty much become a lost art. Not many people want to take the time now a days and sit down with a pen and a note card and write a heart felt note to someone. Today most people like to write an email and send it instantly to someone they know.

I personally love to write notes to people, also I like being on the receiving end and get hand written notes. Once you receive a note in the mail it is a wonderful feeling to know that person took the extra time out in their life to sit down, think of you and write you a little note.

Technology has become an easy way out of doing so many things. If my kids want to write to someone they send a letter. Of course they are not old enough yet to have their own email but when they are I will still have them send hand written letters.

So this all brings me to my review...

Sandy Feet makes unique and beautiful note cards that you can send to your friends and family on a special occasion or just a little note just because.

A little about Sandy Feet...

Sandy Feet Cards is a division of Sandmade Photos and is located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We take messages written in the sand and turn them into one of a kind note cards. Our Christmas Cards are sure to impress your friends and family this year and our Thank You Cards are perfect for anyone who loves the beach. We also have a large selection of cards that can work for a variety of occasions. We hope that you will find something you can't live without, but just in case you do not, we can create a custom message written in the sand just for you.

Below are some of the cards that I received to review...

As you can see there are many different ones to choose from. The cards I received were 3.5x5 inch in size. A pack of 10 (with the envelopes included) on the website costs $7.50.

I am getting ready to sit down and send a note to someone very soon. Actually my husband will probably take it for me because the lady that works with him is like a mother to me. She and I always send little notes back and forth. This card is the one I have chosen to send to her...

So now for some fun. You get to win some of these beautiful and unique note cards.

I will be giving away 4 packs of Sandy Feet Valentine Cards to one lucky person.

Here is what you have to do...

Add me on Google+ 1 entry (if you are new to adding me)

Like Mom's Point of View on Facebook 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Like Sandy Feet Cards on Facebook 1 entry

Tweet about this giveaway 1 entry per daily tweet.

*If you do any of these please leave it in a comment below. The contest will end Wednesday January 25th at Midnight.

*Open to US and Canada

*Note I did not get paid for this review. It is my honest opinion of the above product.

Tone up Tuesday:

2012-01-17T10:27:00.006-05:00

Tone up Tuesday: What are you doing this week to Tone Up? I really love Pinterest. It is such a great site to find things all in one place. I found an exercise program that has different levels to it.

Guest Post: By Chrissy

2012-01-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

My Guest Post today comes from a dear friend of mine named Chrissy. She and I have been online friends since we were pregnant with our now 5 year olds. I can't wait to meet her one day. You can visit Chrissy's over at her family blog.

Thank you so much Chrissy for this wonderful post.

Don’t you hate it when your kids get sick? I know when my girls get sick, I just want to fix it, to take it away, take on the sickness myself. But what if you can’t fix it? What if you can’t take it away? Ever. What a nightmare!

This is my nightmare. Every day.

Nearly two years ago my little girl was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It started out with her being hungry all the time. I mean STARVING! She’d eat a meal and not even thirty minutes later she would want more to eat. I figured it was a growth spurt or maybe she was bored.

Then, she became thirsty. We have one of those in-the-door water dispensers on our fridge and she’d constantly fill her cup up with water and drink like she was dying of thirst.

She began to go to the bathroom a lot, too. And wet the bed at night. We attributed this to all the water she was drinking. So we tried limiting her on her water intake. A couple of times I found her sneaking water at night. She was SO thirsty.

A tiny light bulb dimly blinked on in my mind… “Diabetes? Nah.” My father has Type 1 Diabetes, so I was aware of the signs, but I didn’t want to believe that my child had it. I started doing internet searches on diabetes and its signs.

Frequent urination check
Increased thirst check
Increased fluid intake check
Feelings of extreme hunger check, and double check

Uh-oh… These things were starting to freak me out. But wait:

Severe fatigue nope

Quite the opposite. Emily always has energy, right up to the moment she is forced to close her eyes and give up the fight to stay awake.

Unexpected weight loss (type 1 diabetes) didn’t find this out until her diagnosis
Skin irritation in the legs and genital area check
Slower healing of superficial wounds not really

Emily did have some irritation on her bum, but when we had taken her to the doctor a couple of months earlier for it, the doctor thought it was because of the pull-ups Emily was wearing at night since she was wetting the bed so much. (Keep in mind, at that time she was still three, newly potty-trained.)

I still wasn’t convinced (I was in denial). I called a friend of mine whose little girl had been diagnosed a several months earlier with Type 1 Diabetes and I went over my concerns and Emily’s symptoms and she said, “Go to the doctor!” Dang it.

We arrived at the doctor’s office and when they weighed Emily, she had lost three pounds since her visit a couple of months before. I didn’t really notice. She had gotten taller, but she wasn’t gaining weight. I had noticed that her underwear looked a little saggy in the bum, but I just didn’t think anything of it. The doctor had Emily pee in a cup and they took the urine to the lab to do some tests.

The doctor was asking me questions about Emily and her symptoms and putting all this info in her laptop. All these things were coming together and I was starting to feel some dread. Then all of a sudden the doctor stopped talking and looked at her laptop. She said, “We’ve got the results of her urine tests, but I need to check something...” Then she got up and left the room. I knew it wasn’t good. I knew right then that Emily had diabetes.

I looked over at Emily; she was playing with the toys in the exam room, oblivious to what was happening, not even aware that in a few moments her life would change. FOREVER.

The doctor came back into the room and said that Emily had diabetes and to go straight to the hospital to check her in and expect to be there for three to four days. Okay, so now we knew and all I could do was look at her, my sweet, innocent Emily, and just feel sadness. I was sad for her…sad for me. I knew she was going to be fine and live a normal, healthy life. I was just sad that this was going to be a part of her in every aspect of her life. I was sad that I couldn’t fix it.

She can lead a normal life while living with Type 1 Diabetes. She can do everything anybody else does. She can eat anything anybody else does. She can eat that cupcake at her friend’s birthday party. It’s okay! Really! The only difference is she has to get an injection of insulin. See, someone without diabetes has a pancreas that produces insulin, the hormone that regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. A person living with Type 1 Diabetes has a pancreas, but it doesn’t produce insulin. So instead of her pancreas taking care of that cupcake’s carbohydrates, an injection of insulin will.

There is no cure for Type 1 Diabetes. There is no diet that will reverse Type 1 Diabetes. What we do have is insulin. And HOPE. Hope for a cure.

Two Foals, a Dash of Sprinkles, and a Cherry on Top! Review

2012-01-12T15:10:00.003-05:00

Are you looking for a darling book about horses? Look no further because I have a great book for you. Two Foals, a Dash of Sprinkles, and a Cherry on Top is written by Brittany Bevis and Illustrated by Pam Talley. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Caballo Press of Ann Arbor. This is my second book that I have reviewed from this company and couldn’t be more pleased. The first one I reviewed you may remember was Hayseed’s First Race.

Two Foals, a Dash of Sprinkles, and a Cherry on Top is about a sweet little girl named Madison who comes to stay with her grandfather on his farm. In the morning Madison liked to sit at her window and count the horses just like her grandfather taught her, to make sure no horses strayed during the night. As she was counting she noticed there were two new horses. She realized that those were new baby foals. One of those little horses however was covered in spots and made Madison worry that the foal was sick.

Madison rushes to tell her grandfather about the sick foal. He wants to know what makes her think that the foal was sick. She told him when she had spots all over her one time she was itchy and sick. To ease Madison’s mind her grandfather decided to walk with her so they could take a look at the foal.

Madison was still in a panic but her grandfather assured her that the foal was ok. He asked her if he ever told her the story of why horses have spots. Madison said no and her grandfather continued on to tell the story. I don’t want to give away the story but let me tell you it is one of the sweetest stories I have read in a long time. It all has to do with God creating animals and also eating his favorite dessert.

I know what Two Foals have in common with a dash of sprinkles but I want you to find out for yourself by reading this wonderful story. I will tell you that sometimes a big mess can lead to one of God’s greatest creations.

You can order this book on the Caballito Children’s Book section of Caballo Press Website here. A hardback can be purchased for $18.47 and a paperback for $12.47.

*Note I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Tone up Tuesday:

2012-01-10T08:59:00.018-05:00

Tone up Tuesday: So what are you doing this week to tone up? Here are a few things I found while browsing the web and one of my new favorite apps...

First let me talk about the app that I have found and use. It is called Lose It. See the nice orange scale? That is what you have to look for when searching your app store. This is a free app that keeps track of calories, exercise, and weight. All you have to do is punch in your info or use the search to find what you are looking for.

Lets look at some screen shots of the app...

When you first open the app you will be asked to punch in your weight and your goal weight. You will also be asked to set a goal for how much you want to loose per week. I set my goal as 2lbs a week. It then calculates how many calories you are allowed a day.

Don't be put off by my screen shot of me not loosing any weight. I set up this app but did not start using it until Friday December 30th. Also the reason no weight change is recorded is because I do not have a scale! Yeah I know how am I going to keep track with out a scale? My husband is supposed to order one soon. He says if I don't have a scale then maybe I will be really happy when I do get on a scale for the first time. That may be true.

This screen shot above is what you will see when ever you first go to your app every day. You can see what you have done for the day. This was just a random day I chose to show you. You can see my calorie budget of 1,2o1, that I ate 988 calories that day and that I did not burn any calories because I did not get to exercise. It also tells you how much you are under your daily calorie count.

Here is another screen shot above of a random day that shows my breakfast and lunch. You can see how many calories I had for those.

This screen shot above is one of the cooler parts of the app. You can actually scan the bar code of the food that you are eating. So if you have a can of soup or something you can scan the bar code and then it will bring up how much of it you can eat and how many calories it will be per serving. You can see the scan right under the search. You can also search many food already in the data base and also create your own foods. I have created my own many times.

This last screen shot above shows your week. Yeah I had a few days where I forgot to add stuff because my husband had my phone and I had his. (Long story but the calories are recorded on his phone.) I will get to plugging that in soon :) Also you can see where I have been bad in red and had more calories in that one day then I should.(naughty me)

So if you are someone who likes to keep track of weight and calories then this is a great app. It is free! My husband even though he doesn't keep track of his, has actually started to look at calories in foods. He makes better choices now.

And now because I am a homeschooling mom another good thing I found for exercising from Pinterest is this:

It is a good work out to do at home when you don't go to the gym...

Guest Post: Changing Diapers and Taking Names

2012-01-09T08:49:00.006-05:00

First Guest Post of the New Year comes from Brittany. Brittany is a single mom and full time Certified Nursing Assistant living in South Carolina. She loves the men in her life, her three year old son and 80 year old patient. She blogs over at Changing Diapers and Taking Names about finding herself between toddlers and elders.

I am so grateful that Terri asked me to do a guest post for her! But as I sit here and struggle with what to write about, I keep going back to the conversation I had last night over dinner with a dear friend. She and I were discussing parenting (as I am a mom and she is not) and how she does not feel she has the patience for children yet.

I said to her, “You never will have the patience,” because honestly, you can never be prepared in any way for raising a child; not emotionally, mentally or financially. Am I right? Since my pregnancy started off a little on the unexpected side, I don’t really know for sure if there is ever a moment that you wake up and say, “You know what, I’m ready, let’s do this!” People try to prepare you by saying “your life will change forever!” Well, thank you captain obvious for your valuable input! Truthfully, there is nothing anyone can say to prepare you for parenthood.

Raising a child is different for everyone, every situation is different and every child is different. This is my situation; I am a single mother to a three year old boy. My three year old has the energy of four three year old boys put together. He never stops talking, running or destroying. I am not a patient person (understatement of the year) so parenting an overactive child proves to be quite the dilemma.

I think the best thing anyone could have done for me while I was pregnant is say "Congratulations, you will now feel inexplicably guilty and like a failure consistently for the rest of your life. Good luck!” That way I would not have been so disappointed with my parenting skills from the very beginning. Some may say that I am being overly dramatic (now you know where my son gets it) but I say, show me a mom who does not feel disappointed in her parenting abilities at least once a day and I will gladly listen to what she has to say (and over zealously take notes).

Do not get me wrong, I love being a mom! Having Brody has taught me so much on a variety of subjects. All I’m saying is that no amount “pep talks” or classes could have prepared me for the reality that is parenting. I know there is no such thing as the “perfect” mom, even though most of us strive to be one, but sometimes doing the best I can does not always feel like enough. Am I alone in this? Does anyone else constantly feel inadequate (if no one raises their hands, I know you’re lying)? I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is keep it real. We moms need to stick together. Cut the cookie cutter stuff and be honest about your successes and failures, so maybe we can figure this out together!

Brittany and her son

Thank you Brittany for the great post!

Tone up Tuesday

2012-01-03T20:57:00.007-05:00

Happy 2012! I know a lot of you have made a resolution to exercise, eat better, loose weight or just get in better shape. I like to call mine more of a promise to get healthy for my children.

So that being said I plan to make Tuesdays on my blog Tone up Tuesday. It will have little ideas that I get around the web on what you can do to exercise, eat better, loose weight or just be in better shape then you are now.

I hope you all will join me and follow me on Tone it up Tuesdays. I really would love the support and would love to give you the support as well to get healthy in 2012. If you have any tips or anything you would like to share along the way please leave them in a comment.

First things first. Get moving anyway you can...

One of my favorite ways to get moving is Just Dance 3. My kids and I all dance together. We only have 2 Wii remotes and I keep mine the whole time while the kids switch off and pick their favorite dance. I try to do this 30 mins to an hour. That all depends on how cranky and clingy my 1 year old becomes while I try to dance. I must say I love getting high scores on this game and then beating my high scores as well. I try my best to beat my score from the last time I play.

And today I just found this on Pinterest. What a great way to burn 100 calories and have an extra boost of confidence while reading the end.

Happy New Year: Reuseit Glass Water Bottle Review

2012-01-01T22:39:00.006-05:00

It is a New Year! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? I know a lot of people have made the resolution to eat better or exercise. I usually don’t make resolutions because I don’t really care to. I have made more of a promise to myself to try to eat better and exercise.

So what do I have to review for you that can help you with a resolution of eating healthy and exercising? Reuseit has many glass water bottles to choose from. These glass bottle are reusable, naturally BPA, lead, and phthalate-free and can be recycled at the end of their use. There are selections for kids and adults.

I had the chance to review the Glass Water Bottle Enchanted Garden. This bottle has a beautiful red design with butterflies and vines on it. It holds 20ozs of water and has a twist cap that controls the flow. It can be bought here for $12.95.

The cap can twist so you can control the flow of the water that you drink. Not sure if I did it right or not but I got more than I wanted every time I tried. I got a little wet in the process.

You can see in the picture below that you can grip the little tabs and twist to adjust your flow.

In this picture it shows the cap all the way off.

You can also take the top all the way off and drink the water.

The only dislike I have is getting wet when drinking water from this bottle. I think the issue can be solved by taking the whole top off of the bottle. I do like that this bottle hold 20ozs and is pretty heavy in weight so I don't have a fear of breaking it. (I am pretty clumsy.)

So if you are looking for a new glass water bottle check out the Reuseit site. You can ring in the New Year with a new water bottle and also stay fit by drinking lots of water.

Happy New Year!

*Note I was not paid for my review. I was given a complimentary water bottle for my review.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T16:50:00.002-05:00

I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas!

Family Friday

2011-12-09T09:32:00.003-05:00

It's Friday! Yeah for Family Friday!

My baby boy turned 1 on the 6th! I can't believe a year went by so fast. He decided to start the morning at 2:30ish just like he did when he was born. My water broke at 2:30 am on the day of his birth. Crazy little booger. I did get him back to sleep though.

So my little man has now been walking for a few weeks. He was my earliest walker. All the other kids walked after they turned a year old. I actually thought he would be later because he was so scared when he fell. That didn't last long. He now tries to run and falls all the time. He thinks it is funny! Oh and he is now 25 lbs 11 ozs and 31 1/4 inches long.

So we decided to get a few pictures of him on his birthday. Well we were hoping we could get him to smash a cake. No way! He was not having it. He would poke it and lick his finger. I pushed his hand in the cake and he freaked out! Poor thing. Here are the pictures we did get.

We believe...do you?

2011-12-05T21:43:00.001-05:00

We believe...do you? Do you do Santa? We went to go visit Santa today at the mall. My youngest was not thrilled with Santa. He didn't want to be near him. We did get pictures of all 4 of them. Although the youngest two are not smiling at all. 2 out 4 isn't bad right?

This year we also decided to start a new family tradition. Have you heard of The Elf on the Shelf? I just found out about it this year. I started looking into it and found out it was kind of pricey. So I searched on Amazon to see if I could find something else. I found Christopher Pop-In-Kin. It is the same thing as The Elf on the Shelf but I think he is much cuter. We just got Christopher in the mail today. We worked it out so we visited Santa and had him tell the kids that he already left a special gift on the porch. It was so awesome that he did this for us. So we came home and found the gift bag with a note on it. The bag was open and only a book was inside. The kids were so confused until we read the book. They looked around and found Christopher on the mantel of our fire place. All night they talked to him and tried to get him to move. It was so cute.

Family Friday fun for your family!

2011-12-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

If you do the Santa thing with your kids then you really should check out Portable North Pole.

Your kids can get a message from Santa to see if they are on the naughty or nice list. I have to say this was so fun to do for my kids. I am going to show them later tonight :)

Will return to my regular schedule soon

2011-11-28T11:25:00.002-05:00

With Christmas around the corner I am so busy with getting things prepared. I am putting most things on hold for now. Such as my guest posts, Tasty Tuesdays, and Wandering Wednesdays. I will keep posting reviews and such on random days. Please bare with me as I slack on my blog. This is the time of year for family so right now that is my main focus. I should be back on schedule after the New Year :)

Something About Silver Winner!

2011-11-25T10:23:00.003-05:00

The winner is Wendi B. Please contact me so I can get the code to you :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am thankful for all of you who follow my blog!

Guest Post: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

2011-11-21T10:45:00.003-05:00

Today my guest post come from Francesca of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. She has shared a wonderful post about Thanksgiving Traditions. Please stop by her blog and check it out!

Five Family Traditions for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving brings to mind succulent, savory dishes and warm, homemade desserts. We usually don't think beyond delicious food. But this year, start some family traditions that will help you focus on giving thanks.

1. Make paper turkeys by tracing your hands. Have everyone write something they are thankful for on each feather (finger). Let everyone read their list before eating Thanksgiving dinner.

2. Bake Thanksgiving-shaped cookies or a pumpkin treat. Give the goodies to someone you are thankful for and include a thank-you note.

3. Cut out a bare paper tree and tape it to the wall or a door. Cut out fall-colored leaves and put them in an envelope or bag by the tree. For the next few days, have everyone write something they are grateful for that day on a leaf and tape it to the tree. The tree should be full by Thanksgiving. Read all the leaves after dinner.

4. As a family, shop for groceries to donate to your local homeless shelter or other center. Go here for ideas on good foods to donate.

5. Make handmade thank-you cards to use throughout the year as a way to remind your family to be grateful and show it.

Share your Thanksgiving family traditions!

Twisted Fish and You've Been Sentenced

2011-11-20T11:34:00.003-05:00

Are you looking for a few fun games for your family get togethers this year? Or looking for a great gift for the holiday season? If so you should check out Twisted Fish and You've Been Sentenced. These are two of my family's favorite games. We also like to take them when we have game nights with our friends. When I was asked to put up my review again for these games I couldn't refuse. So check out my review from last year on Twisted Fish and You've Been Sentenced.

I recently received a full set of games from McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds for free. Included in the set was the game "Twisted Fish," You've Been Sentenced," and five add on decks for "You've Been Sentenced."

We started our fun with "Twisted Fish" because that was the most age appropriate game for our kids. They are almost 4 and almost 7. The age recommended for this game on the box is ages 6 and up. Also it is for 3 to 6 players and it plays for about 30 to 40 mins.

This game is a lot like your basic Go Fish game. You match each fish character in the five different colors. Instead of asking for just the name of the fish such as "Do you have a clown fish?" You must instead say "Do you have a red (or other color) clown fish?" Also there are Zinger cards that allow you to "break" the rules.

Other info on Twisted Fish....

Twisted Fish’s game play takes the traditional game of Go Fish and adds new, essential twists. The familiarity of the rules allow for quick learning.
Unique Zinger cards ensure that the game is always exciting and fresh.
Developed by toy and game veteran Martin Uniacke and Hollywood special-effects artist Jody Fedele.
Humorous, original illustrations created by Jody Fedele keep players laughing at the fishy antics of an aquarium full of comical characters.
Suitable for ages 8 and up. The whole family will love Twisted Fish for its hilarious game play and outrageous characters.
Cultivates memory skills as players track cards that “swim” around the table from player to player.
Both Skill and Luck are needed, making it fun for all ages and skill levels. (taken from the McNeill Website here )

So what did we think of it? Both of my kids give it two thumbs up! They laughed and talked about how silly the fish looked on the cards. Of course my almost 4 year old needed a little help figuring out the game but he still loved it. As for me I loved the time I got to spend with my kids and play a new cooler version of Go Fish! Twisted Fish is so fun and I am sure your kids will enjoy it as much as mine.

Tonight we finished up by playing "You've Been Sentenced." You make up sentences using from 2 to 10 of the cards that you draw. The sentences must be grammatically correct and make some sort of sense. This is a very hard game to play with little kids. We thought our almost 7 year old would be able to do it but she got frustrated with trying to read the words. I would definitely stick with the age recommendation on this one for ages 8 and up. You can have from 3 to 10 players in this game.

The quick play of this game is....

Everyone draws 10 cards face down.
When everyone is ready, turn your cards over and spread them out on the table in front of you. .
Using the words on the cards, build the best sentence you can that is both grammatically correct and makes some sort of sense. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE ALL 10 CARDS!
The first person done starts the timer. Once you start the timer, you can’t touch your cards. Everyone else can until the timer runs out.
When time is up, if you started the timer, read your sentence to the other players.
If no one objects to the grammar or sensibility, you get the points for the words used in your sentence.
If someone Objects, explain and defend your sentence. Everyone other than the objector and defender then votes. Majority thumbs-up, you get the points. Thumbs-down… Zero points. Ties go to you, and you get the points.
Next person clockwise takes their turn. When everyone has read and voted on the sentences, everyone discards their hand, draws 10 new cards, and starts a new round.
First person with the highest score over 200 at the end of a round, WINS! (taken from the McNeill Website here.)

So what do I think about this game? It is super fun for adults and would probably be fun for kids who were older. I know this is a game we will be playing when we get together for an adult game night. It is so fun to come up with silly sentences. Just check out mine...

You may need to click to read it

I laughed at my sentence and you can imagine how this would go if you had a lot of adults playing together. They would have so much fun! The only complaint came from my husband. It is not what you think he wanted me to tell you that the cards don't go back in the box so good because the cards are so compressed when they are first in the box wrapped up. Also he says don't stick the bottom on the box in the top because it is so well fitted together it doesn't leave any room to get your fingers in there to pull the bottom from the top lid. LOL you gotta love that advice right?

So what do these games cost and where can you find them? "Twisted Fish" and "You've Been Sentenced" can be bought directly on the McNeill Webiste here. "Twisted Fish" for $10.00 and "You've Been Sentenced" for $24.95. Oh and don't forget the add ons for "You Been Sentenced" for $7.95 here. You can also search the website here for local stores that sell these games.

*Now you can also find these games at Barnes and Noble, Toys R Us and Kohl's. So what are you waiting for! Go check out these fun games! You won't be disappointed!

*I did receive these products for free for review purposes and I did not get paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the products above.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

It's Thankful Thursday! What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my parents and for my in-laws.
I am thankful that my hubby and I share a birthday month. It is so much fun.
I am thankful for being able to stay at home and homeschool my kids.
I am thankful for my little nieces and nephew.
I am thankful for my friends who are always there for me.

So what are you thankful for?

Something About Silver Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-16T00:00:00.004-05:00

It's my birthday but I have a gift just for you!

First let me tell you a little about Something About Silver. Something About Silver is located in Clearwater Florida. Their jewelry is hand stamped and they offer a wide selection of jewelry that can be customized to fit whatever you are looking for.

I had the chance to review their Circle of Love necklace. This necklace can be personalized with your loved ones names or a sentimental phrase. The necklace also has the option of to add pearls in the middle or birthstone crystals. The Circle of Love necklace is $42 plus the extra cost of added birthstone crystals.

The necklace that I received has my children’s names on it and also their birth stones. Being a mom I have always wanted jewelry that lets people know how many kids I have. It is personalized with my children’s names and birthstones. It is perfect for me!

I am so happy with the necklace I am planning on buying personalized rings for my husband and I for our 10 year anniversary coming up in January.

So if you are looking for a gift for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or just a gift to show your love for someone then this site has some really beautiful pieces. Oh and don’t forget Christmas is right around the corner!

Now for the fun! I have a gift just for you! You have a chance to win a $40 gift card to spend at Something About Silver. Also for those who don't want to wait you can place an order and get 10% off using the code... momspointofview

Here is what you have to do...

Leave me a comment with your email (I will not accept any comment without an email.) or do one of the following things below for more chances to win....

Follow me on Twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Like Mom's Point of View on Facebook 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow Something About Silver on Twitter 1 entry

Like Something About Silver on Facebook 1 entry

Tweet about this giveaway 1 entry per daily tweet.

*If you do any of these please leave it in a comment below. The contest will end Wednesday November 23rd at Midnight.

*Note I did not get paid for this review. It is my honest opinion of the above product.

Tasty Tuesday: Brownie Mush

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am so sorry I haven't done Tasty Tuesday in weeks! I haven't had much time to make anything from scratch. I did make my husband a dessert other than a cake for his birthday. One reason is because my oven is broken. So here is what I call Brownie Mush because even though it is layered we mush it all together before we eat it :)

Brownie Mush

What you need:

Brownie cooked and crumbled (I had to cook mine in the toaster oven)
Pudding (I used Jello Temptations with mousse.)
Cool whip

Directions:

Take half of the brownie and crumble it into a bottom of a large bowl. Next add some pudding or if you do the Temptations with mousse use all the pudding. Then add a layer of cool whip and another layer of brownie. If you are just doing pudding add pudding again. For this layer I added the mousse. Finally one more layer of cool whip.

My husband tried writing Happy Birthday with caramel syrup but it messed up. So we ended up with caramel also.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Husband!

2011-11-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today is my husband's birthday. He is 31. In two more days I will be 31 also! Yes we are only two days apart. Crazy right? Yes it is but wait...it gets crazier. We were both born in the same hospital! Yep it is true. We are 2 days apart and born in the same hospital. We could've been laying beside each other in the nursery!

Here are some pictures of us when we were babies....

My hubby with his dad

My hospital picture

Us :)

Reading Kingdom Review

2011-11-11T19:38:00.011-05:00

Are you looking for a program to help your children learn to read and use the computer at the same time? Then you should check out Reading Kingdom.

Most kids can do the reading program on their own after just a few lessons
It's fun and children enjoy doing it
It's created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy
It works with any other curriculum a child may be using
It's the only program to offer customized online reading instruction for each child
And, it's the only system that teaches all 6 skills needed for reading & writing success!

I decided to focus this program on my 5 year old son because he is just learning how to read. I homeschool my children and I am always on the lookout for new ways to teach my kids. The Reading Kingdom is a good program to help with it.

Now there are some Pros and Cons to this program. Let’s start with the Cons…

My 5 year old son enjoys the program but he does get a little irritated because he forgets which button to click on the mouse. The program has a time limit for how long you can try to figure it out. Which is a good and bad thing because you want your child to be able to figure it out quickly, but at the same time you want them to take their time and figure it out right. I know there is also a learning the mouse and keyboard section but after a while your child can get bored with that or at least my son did. I showed him which button on the mouse he should click and after a few times he finally got the right button.

He also has a hard time with holding the shift key and making a capital letter. He sometimes forgets to hold the shift key first so the program thinks he doesn’t type the right letter. He also tries to hold the keys at the same time but it can be a split second in between him pressing so he gets it wrong. That can be really frustrating to kids learning. He wants to give up when this happens but I encourage him to keep going. To me it seems like it is just a little too sensitive. Again I know that the program is helping your child learn so there isn’t much to be done about that.

Those are just a few things that cause frustration for my son. There are also many Pros as well…

The positives of the program is my son is learning to read more words because of Reading Kingdom. When the words come across the screen he says what the word is before he types them. He also is learning slowly how to type some letters. The program shows you how to type the letters by bringing up a keyboard and lighting up the letters that need to be pushed. When you get an answer right the program will cheer for you. Of course that is a great way to make any kid learn when they have positive reinforcement. I think if we were able to work with this program more it would be more helpful to him and he would pick up on the program a little quicker.

Here are a few screen shots of the program...

You can see in this picture below that the letters "s d" are the ones you are going to click with the mouse. Once you hover over the letter it turns yellow. You can see the "s" is yellow so you know that is the right letter to click.

In this picture it shows the letters that have already been chosen. The letters in green match the letters in black.

I thought this was a cute feature in the program. After some words were done correctly an image went across or came on the screen. This one the word is "toy" and a robot goes across the screen.

The last picture shows letters that you type using the keyboard.

So if you are looking for a good reading program you should check out Reading Kingdom.

You can go to the Reading Kingdom Website and sign up for a 30 day risk free trail here.

You can also check out the prices of Reading Kingdom in their store.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-10T21:04:00.006-05:00

It is Thankful Thursday! What are you Thankful for?

I am thankful for my daughter she has become a "little mama" since right before she turned 3. Since having her first brother she has always been so helpful. She loves her little brothers more than words can say. I don't know what I would do without her.
I am thankful for my 5 year old son. He is the sweetest little guy you will meet. He has so much love for people and shows how much he loves people every day.
I am thankful for my little man who is 2. He is crazy, silly and a sweet heart. He loves his sister and brothers so much.
I am thankful for my now 11 month old! He has completed our family and is such a joy in our lives. He is always smiling and happy.
I am thankful for my brother and sister. For my BIL and my SIL's.

This list can go on and on...but I will keep it short for now. Please feel free to share yours with me.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-11-09T09:43:00.003-05:00

Wandering Wednesdays: Do you like to wander the web? You do? So do I. Here are some things you should check out.

Contests/Giveaways
Shibley Smiles has a VTech Gift Basket Giveaway
little love has a giveaway for a Scentsy Buddy

Free Stuff:
At Home Mama has a link for 10 free issues of Fitness Magazine

Crafts and such:
Family fun has a lot of Thanksgiving craft ideas.

Miscellaneous:
Dat's so Cute has a recipe for Pilgram's soup

Guest Post: 4Eighteen

2011-11-07T08:23:00.003-05:00

Today my guest is Stephanie from 4Eighteen. Please be sure to check out her blog :) Thanks Stephanie for the wonderful post. I will have to do these with my kids!

Hello I'm Stephanie, 1/2 of the sister team over at 4Eighteen. I'm so excited to be a guest here today! Let me tell you a little about 4Eighteen and what we're about. Kristi and I are two sisters who love to love. When we love something, we put everything into it, that is why we started our blog. We LOVE projects, decorating, cooking fun new meals, being Mommy's (to humans and doggies = ), and using our imaginations. While most of the time we seem to have the same sense of style, we also each have a little something that sets us apart from one another.

Today I would like to share with you some hand and foot print art that you can do with your child.

_________________________________________________________________

Hand and Foot Print Art

I just love hand and foot print art so I wanted to share a few ideas of my own, as well as a group of ideas that I found on Pinterest. These are quick, fun projects that you can keep your toddler engaged long enough for and they are so much fun to display!

My Girl's Art:

This is supposed to be a snowflake, next time we will do something

similar but make it a sun because that's really what it looks like. Oh well, still cute.

Ideas Found on Pinterest:

Do you have some cute ideas on your blog for hand and foot print art? If so, please leave a comment with a link so we can all check them out and get more ideas!

_________________________________________________________________

We would love for you to come visit us over at 4Eighteen. Not sure where to start? You could start by checking out Toddler Tuesday where we have a new post every week about things to do with your toddler. Maybe you would prefer to see how Kristi has used an extra room as her closet, or how I have transformed our master closet into my new craft room. We also have some great crafts and DIY projects for you to check out like crayon art, a bookshelf makeover, shutter made key holder, or Kristi's buffet makeover. We have so much more, I'm sure there's something for just about everyone to enjoy.

Thank you so much for having me here at Mom's Point of View today Terri!

Family Friday

2011-11-04T10:01:00.009-04:00

It's Friday! Time for Family Friday! Wow first can time slow down? We are already in November! So Halloween was interesting this year. My 2 year old decided he wanted nothing to do with dressing up. This is a first for us because all of our kids have loved dressing up. The kids were all supposed to be super heroes. My daughter was Spider Girl, my 5 year old son was Iron Man, my 2 year old was supposed to be Superman, and my baby was The Hulk. Unfortunately we did not get pictures of them. It was raining...(we will take pictures of them later and I will post those)

So I had to think of something to get my 2 year old to dress up. He has a blue camo superman shirt. It has the logo on it. I was racking my brain and then thought of my Trick or Treat Thursday post with the little boy dressed as Clark Kent. Yes! What a great idea right? I had him put on the shirt with the logo on it. Put on his church shirt and pants and added some of his dad's old glasses! Yes I did get a quick picture of him with my cell phone...

Some people thought he was Harry Potter. I told them he was Clark Kent. They all loved him. I will tell you this...my kids all went to the same house to get candy but this cutie pie ended up with a lot more candy! lol

Oh and while searching for this picture on my phone I did find one of the baby as The Hulk...

He would have nothing to do with the little hat that goes with this. I don't blame him though. It was a little tight on his head.

Here are a few random ones after we came back in and the kids changed out of their wet costumes...

Vampire boys...

Me as a rag doll
Kids sprayed with silly string. Funny story about this. My husband was supposed to buy me red hair spray for my costume. Well the silly string and hair spray were on the same rack and both had red tops. He grabbed the silly string. I always look at stuff before I use it and noticed he got the wrong thing. I went up to him and told him he failed with the hair spray. He was looking all confused when I held up the can and sprayed him with silly string. So later that night he decided to spray the kids. They have never seen silly string before. It was so funny cause they were grossed out at first. Ha! Gotta love it!

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-03T20:46:00.002-04:00

I decided I would start a Thankful Thursday and let everyone know what I am thankful for. I will do this every Thursday until Thanksgiving. I would love if you would do the same. So what are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for the church I belong to.
I am thankful for my wonderful husband. He provides for our family and works so hard so I can stay at home with my children. He is amazing and I love him so much.
I am thankful for my 4 beautiful children. Each one is special in their own way. They bring such a great joy to my life. I love them more than words can say.
I am thankful for a roof over our heads and for our bellies to always be full.

This list can go on and on...but I will keep it short for now. Please feel free to share yours with me.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-11-02T10:40:00.007-04:00

Wandering Wednesdays: Do you like to wander the web? You do? So do I. Here are some things you should check out.

Contests/Giveaways
Cute Ecakes has a Power Wheel Dune Racer Giveaway.
Angela's Favorite Things has a giveaway for a Cloth diaper from Snugs Boutique.

Free Stuff:
The Frugal Girls has a link for a free Pie Recipe Book

Crafts and such:
Our Best Bites has a cute craft to make Oreo Cookie Turkeys and Pilgrim Hats you craft and eat it too!

Miscellaneous:
Taste of Home has a Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle. Use up some of those peanut butter cups from Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:44:00.000-04:00

Winner of Gertrude's Broken Wand Book

2011-10-29T11:14:00.003-04:00

The winner of Gertrude's Broken Wand is Melissa! Please send me your info as soon as possible!

For those who did not win here is a little Halloween surprise for you! Starting today on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBookstore, and Nook, get Gertrude's Broken Wand for $.99! Spooky holiday sale ends Nov 1!

Happy Halloween!

Family Friday

2011-10-28T09:50:00.006-04:00

Today is Friday! I am so happy! We had a crazy weekend last week. My best friend who lived in Virginia moved a few years ago to Ohio. The move was for medical reasons for her youngest son. Then a few weeks ago I found out she was going to move to California because her hubby got promoted. I was so sad :( Thankfully they were going to a Virgina Tech game so we decided to go see her before she moved again.

Our trip we thought was going to be smooth sailing. We just got new front tires on the van, new front brakes, the van inspected and new tags. So we thought we were good to go. While almost to VT the van started acting weird. The van wouldn't accelerate and it was shaky. Fun times. So long story short we only got to spend 2 hours with my best friend.

We decided to head back home but on the way my hubby was afraid that the van would mess up again and we'd be stuck somewhere at night. So he called someone he worked with and told them he would not be in on Monday. We stayed the night. Of course the van started acting fine. We thought all was good. We decided to make a detour and went to Crabtree Falls.

Of course on our way back home the van messed up again. Fun times I tell ya! My hubby pulled over and as he was checking under the hood of the van we noticed someone slowing down. Your initial thought would be they were going to ask if everything was ok right? Well that was our thought. No! They slowed down to ask if they were close to the falls! EPIC FAIL! I couldn't believe it. My husband and I were dumbfounded. All we did after that was laugh. Good grief what is the world coming to?

Sorry for the long post. We made it home ok but still not sure what is wrong with the van. A friend of ours thinks it could be a fuel sensor. So hopefully we will figure it out soon.

Ok the best part of our trip...the pictures!

Foamhenge (This was on our way to VT. Yes made of styrofoam)

My best friend and I with our babies.

Crab Tree Falls

Family shot :)

Overlook on the way home

Trick or Treat Thursday

2011-10-27T08:14:00.006-04:00

Today for Trick or Treat Thursday I found a site with a few last minute costume ideas. I posted some of the ones I liked below but there are others so go check out Quick and Simple Website.

Spider

The base for this costume is a black shirt, pants and three pairs of black socks stuffed with cotton batting. Safety-pin the sock legs to the shirt's side seams. Then attach the legs to one another and to the shirt's elbows using a needle and clear fishing wire. Tie secure knots to keep the legs in place.

Clark Kent

The simple addition of a Superman tee and a pair of drugstore glasses with the lenses popped out turns an everyday shirt, pants and tie into a dynamic costume. A length of florist's wire and a couple of safety pins will keep a tie at attention. (If you don't have a super man tee you can just get a blue shirt and print out a template for the Super Man S. Even a grown man can do this costume.)

Greek God (or Goddess)

Start this getup with white pants, a tee and sandals. Then cut a sheet into a rectangle and snip a slit in the center for a head hole. Two yards of gold cord can form a belt, and additional trim can make bracelets and a headband. Cut lightning bolts out of cardboard and paint them gold. (You could make something different for a girl to hold.)

So what are you and your kids going to be for Halloween?

My kids are all going to be super heroes. For us grown ups I am not sure yet. lol

Review Group: Another review is up

2011-10-26T13:16:00.001-04:00

Check out my review on the App Meteor Math.

You can find more reviews on:

Don't forget to check out

2011-10-25T13:48:00.002-04:00

Ok don't forget to check out some giveaways and some percentage off on some of the following things...

Giveaway for Neptunes Kids Blue Lizard Sun Screen. Ends when the first 3 people refer a friend to their FB page.

Giveaway for Gertrude's Broken Wand children's book. Ends Friday October 28th.

Giveaway for Cooper and Me children's book.

SmileBooks discount code for 30% off your order.

Guest Post: Salvage Savvy

2011-10-24T20:40:00.008-04:00

Today's Guest Post is from Connie from Salvage Savvy. Thanks so much Connie I love the DIY projects you posted about!

I'm so glad to be here at Mom's point of view today! My name is Connie and I have a blog called Salvage Savvy. I am a mom of three beautiful and amazing kids: a 9 year old, 7 year old and our newest addition who is already 10 months [babies just have a way of making you realize how fast time flies by, don't they?!].

I am a momma who loves to decorate... but everything I do [whether decorating, buying school "stuff," shopping for clothes or going to the grocery] has to be on a budget because we [like most families] just don't have a lot of extra cash to spend. At Salvage Savvy I get to share all kinds of thrifty DIY projects and design tips to help my readers create unique decor for their home without breaking the bank!

Here are a few of my favorite projects [so far]:

I love this artwork because it looks so expensive, but it's super easy and only cost about $15 to make. In fact, my 7 year old helped me do this one, so you can even get the kiddos involved!

Create your own UNBELIEVABLE Artwork!

I also turned an old, plain pillow into this for $0 dollars [see... I told ya' I'm thrifty!]. Check it out to see how you can use items from around your house to do the same!

Pillow Talk (DIY Style)

And for this project I took an old lamp [it looked "fine," but I needed fabulous!] and for only $8 I was able to transform into a really eye-catching piece.

$8 Lamp Makeover

Do you have cheap glass vases sitting around your home [of course you do... we all do, right?!]? I used spray paint to turn a few of mine into two-toned mirrored vases... and all of the paint is on the outside, so you can still put water in them!

Painted Glass Vases

And lastly, I also offer decorating advice at Salvage Savvy. Have you ever loved, loved [loved] a paint-chip-sample-thingy [yes, I use all kinds of "technical" terms!] at the store, only to paint that same color onto your walls and discover it's the completely wrong color? [Yea... me too.] Well, I have learned the best way to select the perfect color every time, and share it with you in this post!

Advice

Well, those are a few of my favorite things, I hope you've been inspired to create more for less!! I'd love it if you would come and visit me at Salvage Savvy, and thanks so much to Terri for letting me join you today :)

Gertrude’s Broken Wand Review and Giveaway

2011-10-22T20:27:00.002-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner and so is the book launch for Gertrude’s Broken Wand. It launches today the 22^nd! This is the first book in the Marmalade series written by Jason Thibeault and published by Dime Novel Publishing.

First before I go into detail on this book, let me tell you how much we loved it! Halloween is one of our favorite holidays in the year. Our house is known as the “Scary House.” You will have kids in the neighborhood ask “Have you guys been to the scary house yet?” We love that our house is known as the “Scary House” because we put a lot of effort into decorating each year. So you can imagine how perfect that this book is for my family. What else would you expect from a book that has the curse of a perpetual Halloween? It is a perfect book that fits right in with our “scary house.”

Our plan as a family was to read a chapter a day. The chapters are short and to be honest when you start reading the book there is no way you can just do one chapter a day! We were hooked within the first two chapters that we read. My kids wanted more and to be honest so did I!

So what is Gertrude’s Broken Wand about?

On an otherwise normal 4th grade school field trip, Rebecca gets separated from her classmates while trying to find the bathroom. But when she slips in the dark and falls down a hole, she ends up in the land of here, an enchanted kingdom that is suffering from a powerful curse…everyday is Halloween.

But it’s not costumed trick-or-treaters that roam the land nor is it candy they want. Ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, skeletons and a host of other baddies, eager for a taste of warm flesh, have turned the once beautiful land into a spooky landscape.

Unfortunately, Rebecca’s problems have only just begun for when she landed in here she also landed on Gertrude, the kingdom’s witch, breaking her wand and the one chance to lift the curse. Now Rebecca must get Gertrude’s wand fixed, avoid getting eaten (or worse), and find a way home all before the sun sets. Because here needs a real name or it, and everything inside, will cease to exist forever.

Sounds awesome right? It is and it fits right in with Halloween. I loved that my kids begged for more when we stopped for the night. My kids sighed and said “Awe mom!” They wanted me to keep reading. There are not many books that keep my kids asking for more but this is one of them. Now they can’t wait for the second book.

So if you love Halloween and love good books then this book is the right one for you and your family. I recommend getting this book. I also challenge to you put it down if you can.

Gertrude’s Broken Wand can be found on Apple, Amazon (print and e-book) and Barnes and Noble (e-book only.)

You can read the first chapter of the book here.

Now on to the giveaway! One lucky person will win a copy of Gertrude’s Broken Wand.

*Please note this is for US residents only.

All you have to do is leave me a comment with your email (I will not accept any comment without an email.) or do one of the following things below for more chances to win....

Follow me on Twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Like Mom's Point of View on Facebook 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow Jason Thibeault on Twitter 1 entry

Like Dime Novel Publishing on Facebook 1 entry

Tweet about this giveaway 1 entry per daily tweet.

*If you do any of these please leave it in a comment below. The contest will end Friday the 28^th at midnight.

*Please note I did receive a complementary book and I was not paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

SmileBooks Review

2011-10-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

Are you looking for a nice holiday gift for your family or friends? If so you should check out SmileBooks. SmileBooks is a company that offers many different products such as photo books, cards and calendars. I got the chance to review one of their photo books.

The photo book I got was an 8x11 Hardcover. I also used the Design Service. The Design Service is a great way to save some time on making photo books. If you have ever made one yourself and you are perfectionist like me then you probably spend a good couple of days making sure you have the book just right. The Design Service cost $10 for 26 pages. With the Design Service you get a real designer to create your book and you get to review and approve the design before it is printed. I did love that I could hand over the design of the book to someone else but it was so hard. I am used to doing everything myself.

After you pick the design service you go on to pick the style of your book and the mood. I picked Pastels Scrapbooky. I wanted a book with a scrapbook feel to it and also I liked the pastel colors. Next you are sent to a page to select the size book you want. Also if you want soft cover, hard cover, linen wrapped or faux leather wrapped. I got the 8x11 Hardcover which costs $39.95. From there you are taken to a page that allows you to select the number of photos per page and the number of pages. I selected 3 photos per page and 26 pages. The more pages you select the more the price will go up. And finally one more page. You will be on a page that allows you to upload between 66 to 88 photos. If you decide to, you can upload exactly that amount of photos and you choose which ones will go in the photo book. Or you can upload more than the 66-88 photos and let a designer choose what pictures would be best suited for your photo book for an additional $4.95. I personally can’t give up all of my control. I have to do something. So I chose to upload the exact number of photos I wanted to use. Yes this still took some time but I didn’t spend days on the book like I normally would.

After you finish all the steps and upload your photos you then wait for your designer to work on your photo book. You will be sent a link with a preview of your book. Once you get the preview of your book you can then choose to print it as is or make changes by typing in a box to the designer on each page. I went through about 4 different previews to let the designer know that some photos did not belong together and that I wanted other things changed. You can also add captions in your book as well.

So what do I think of my book? I love it! Here are some photos of my finished book…

Front

Back

Spine

Inside

Remember the holidays are just around the corner. This really is a great gift for someone you love. I will be giving the book to my husband. Most likely for his birthday because that is coming up in November. (I hope he doesn’t read this blog anytime soon.)

So to help you out on your holiday shopping you can go over to SmileBooks and get 30% off of your order by entering the code: MOMPOVSMILE30

You can also find SmileBooks over on Facebook.

Enjoy your shopping and let me know what you end up getting!

*Note I this was a complimentary book. I was not paid for my review and this is my honest opinion of the product.

Trick or Treat Thursday

2011-10-20T09:20:00.006-04:00

It is Trick or Treat Thursday! I have some good links for some tricks and treats. You can click the photos below to take you to the info. Also feel free to add your links to cool Halloween stuff in a comment below.

Creepy Spider Ball

Know which cup is your with a spider.

Yummy Mummies

Review Group: Another review is up

2011-10-19T09:11:00.002-04:00

I love being part of this review group. Here is another review posted on the site for Mimuno Mugs.

Neptunes Kids Swimwear Review on Suncreens (Giveaway on their Facebook Page)

2011-10-18T07:10:00.001-04:00

I had the chance to review two sunscreens from Neptunes Kids Swimwear. Neptunes Kids Swimwear is a company in Miami Florida. They not only have sunscreens but also kids swimwear & clothing and accessories for kids, and ladies swimwear & clothing.

We all need sunscreen and not just during the summer months. Sunscreen should be worn all year around. I know that is something hard for us to remember but when you find a sunscreen that smells nice or makes your kids say “wow that is cool!” Then I think you have a winner.

Let me first talk about the “wow that is cool” sunscreen. The Blue Lizard Face Sunscreen is not only cool because there is a blue lizard on the front (what boy doesn’t like lizards) but the bottle turns blue when it is hit with UV light! My 4 kids, 3 boys and 1 girl loved to watch the bottle turn from white to blue. It really gives kids an insight on how much sun is outside. We kept the bottle in our van for a week to watch how much it would change color. On cloudy days there was a hint of blue. Other days that were full sun the bottle turned bright blue. My kids were amazed that they could tell how much UV light was out by seeing the bottle turned different shades of blue. Right there that is a huge reminder that even on cloudy days the UV light can get to us. My kids liked that the sunscreen smelled nice and was not greasy on their skin.

A little bit of sun

Full sun

Next I decided to use the Minus Sol Facial Sun Protection. I decided to use this because my kids were already using the Blue Lizard Sunscreen. We really try to remember to use sunscreen on days we take the kids to soccer. Being out on an open field with the sun beating down on you any time of the year can cause sunburn. Yes I admit it I forgot during the spring season and was really burned. Oops! Now that being said I am really picky about my sunscreen. I like it to smell good, well at least not as smelly as most sunscreens that over power you and I don’t want it to feel like I slathered my face with grease. I am happy to say that this sunscreen is just the way I like it. The smell was not over powering and very light. When I applied it to my face my it felt silky and smooth. It didn’t feel like I had caked on lotion.

Minus Sol Sun Screen

My daughter playing soccer

So if you are looking for new sunscreens or any other products that Neptunes Kids Swimwear has be sure to check out their website. Of course if you are in Miami Florida you can check out the store in person.

*Neptunes Kids is having a Giveaway on their Facebook page so check it out!

Blue Lizard Give Away by Neptunes Kids

The first three persons that refer a friend to like us on facebook (have your friend mentioned your name) gets a chance to win a 5oz blue lizard sun block of your choice.

Hurry, so you get a chance to win this great sun block.

Click here for the giveaway.

Remember, check us out on the web at www.neptuneskidsswimwear.com

*Note I was not paid for my review of these products. This is my honest opinion of the products.

Guest Post: Be Your Best Mom

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Guest Post Comes from Milena from Be Your Best Mom. Thank you so much Milena for such a great post!

For Better or Worse….

In sickness and in health, right? That’s what you vow to on your wedding day, that no matter what you will be together through it all. Well, I’ve learned it’s much harder to actually live it then say it.

When a single friend of mine asked me about marriage I said, “Marriage is hard work.” She then asked me, “Why?” Well, I’ll tell you. Marriage is like a living organism. One limb doesn’t function without the other, you need to be a whole unit working together. It takes some time to achieve that and then maintain that function. Well, what happens when part of that unit fails to function? This can happen in many ways, but today I’m going to focus on the “in sickness” part of the breach.

You don’t see it coming, it’s not something that you can control, but when one partner falls ill it’s as if the entire unit has taken a hit. For the last 2 years it has been one disaster after another at my house. Okay, so maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but my husband was injured at work and I believe that injury led to the next injury he incurred. We have 2 small children, one with special needs, and my husband is the sole provider for our family. You cannot even begin to imagine the stress. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I began looking for work, caring for my husband and my children. I spent the nights trying to figure out how we were going to pay bills, when I was going to have to pull my child out of preschool because of the tuition, and how would I be able to care for them all. I spent my time in denial and tried to make the best of things. It eventually all worked out for us. My son finished preschool and I didn’t have to find a job, but there was more.

It was the everyday stuff that I needed help with and help was no where to be found. All the driving, the garbage, the lawn, the kids, the bills everything fell on my shoulders. The irritation of everyone saying ,”Oh your poor husband” I wanted to shout, “What about poor me!?” Then it seemed that as soon as we made it through another injury ensued.

Here is what I learned: People can’ t possibly know what you are going through unless you tell them. Ask for help, even for small things. Talk to your partner and let them know how you are feeling. Don’t worry about what other people think, they don’t live in your home. Sometimes you just have to let things go in order to move forward.

My husband and I learned a lot about each other during this time. It has made us a stronger couple. It’s changed the way we communicate with each other and with other people. I wouldn’t call it a blessing, but it was definitely a valuable lesson.

The Devo Olive Oil Winner

2011-10-16T09:24:00.003-04:00

The winner of the Devo Olive Oil is Terri from Terri's Little Haven! Terri please let me know the two kinds of Olive Oils you would like to receive as samples.

Trick or Treat Thursday

2011-10-13T09:19:00.003-04:00

Halloween Food

Bat-o-lanterns

Scary DIY Props