Thursday, January 30, 2014

Paper Coterie review and giveaway

I'm sure you have all seen a million ways, via pinterest, to document your family memories throughout the year. And if you are anything like me you always plan to do so but never quite get around to crafting up whatever is needed for those darn pinterest projects! Well I recently ran across a great company that carries all sorts of personalize-able products that help you accomplish the task of preserving your precious memories, PAPER COTERIE



A Little About Paper Coterie:

"Paper Coterie is a circle of friends who are passionate about documenting the beauty of life well lived. Whether it's in a photo book, guest book, journal, or one of our custom personalized books, we'll help you capture the memories you want to save and share. We've also expanded our line of exclusive Paper Coterie calendars to include personalized calendars, desktop calendars, and wall calendars that allow you to document some of your favorite memories from month to month. Want to document your growing child? Don't worry. We have that covered. Choose from one of our personalized growth charts, wall décor posters, baby books, and shower guest books.
Sharing and documenting expands beyond just you and your immediate family with our exclusive collections of birth announcementsbirthday invitations,Valentine's Day cardsMother's Day CardsFather's Day cards, and shower invitations. Finally, don't forget to look at our customer personalized recipe cards andrecipe card sets. They're perfect for recording all your family's favorite recipes, handing them down for generations.
Enjoy!"

I was Lucky enough to be given a $42 gc to choose a product for Review (stay tuned for the giveaway too!) The Hardest part was choosing what to pick, they have a lovely selection of photobooks, personalized calendars,growth charts, and etc: But When I stumbled upon their documenting section, I instantly knew what I would be ordering, The Moments. Memories. Everyday, customize-able book!


This Book is Wonderful for documenting everyday life, cute saying kids say, accomplishments, outings, the ups and downs, you name it, and just think in years to come you can look back over your book and revisit all those lovely memories! 


This wonderful documenting book was just what i had been looking for, something simple and beautiful that i could easily fill out with our daily life happenings and it will forever keep our cherished memories! And it's simple to make and simple to use! When ordering you can customize text, add pictures and etc to create a truly one of a kind memory holder for your family! Also the Paper Coterie Website couldn't be any easier to use in creating all your projects! 

Overall I am one hundred percent thrilled with our Moments. Memories. Everyday. Documenting Book, and I am excited to fill it up and read over it in years to come, it truly makes it simple to preserve the memories of everyday life, I have kept my book by my bed so every night before bed I can jot down something in the book, and of course somedays I have to run upstairs to grab the book to fill in something special that happened so I don't forget it! I truly am in Love with my Paper Coterie Documenting book! 

WANT TO WIN?!?! 
Of course you do Enter below to win $42 dollars to create your own masterpiece from Paper Coterie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure - Per FTC Regulations, I am disclosing that I received product(s) from this company/website, free of charge, for review. I was in no other way compensated for my review. The views expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions and any claims should be verified on the sponsor's site

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After SLC!

It's One Of My Favorite Times of Year, Disney on Ice is coming back to Salt Lake City!!!!!



Get ready to rock out with some of the most magical idols of all in a musical showcase that features the hottest tunes and talent from across the kingdom in Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After

Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney•Pixar film, BRAVE, compete to win the heart of adventurous, sharp-shooting Merida, making her on-ice debut! Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel.  A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn. And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle’s enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle. 

It will be a rockin’ remix of royalty when Disney On Ice brings this superstar line-up to your hometown! 
An exceptional ice production that can only be experienced at Disney On Icepresents Rockin’ Ever After.  For more information, visit www.disneyonice.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

TICKETS FOR
DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS ROCKIN’ EVER AFTER
ON SALE JANUARY 31 IN SALT LAKE CITY
SALT LAKE CITY (January 31, 2014)Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After is bringing an all-star lineup of your favorite Disney characters to the ice in a sensational live production coming to Salt Lake City. This brand-new spectacular featuring scenes from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE, TangledThe Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, visits SLC from March 5-9, 2014 for performances at EnergySolutions Arena. 
Tickets go on sale Friday, January 31, 2014Tickets for Disney On Icepresents Rockin’ Ever After are available for purchase online at Smithtix.com, charge by phone at 800-888-TIXX, at the EnergySolutions Arena Box Office or select Smith’s Grocery Stores. Ticket price levels are $20, $25, $40 (VIP) and $52 (Rinkside); Opening Night special discount prices available for only $12 each (not valid on premium seating; limit 6 tickets per order). 

Hurry and Get your Tickets NOW, this is an event you will not want to miss! My Family and I go every time it comes to Salt Lake and Disney on Ice never disappoints, each show is always more magical than the last!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Purex Fresh Mountain Breeze Crystals: Review + Giveaway!!



Since Becoming a Purex Insider I have had a Chance to review and giveaway some awesome products from Purex; so when I received a package containing Purex Crystal, Fresh Mountain Breeze, I couldn't wait to try them out!



These Purex Crystals are so amazing! They are easy to use and do the job way better than any other fabric softener or laundry enhancers that i have ever used before! All you do is pour the desired amount into the pre-measured cap, more for a stronger scent less for a subtle scent, and pour it in with your laundry! Then wash and dry and clothes smell splendid not only after wash but for weeks after! 


Everyone Loves the fresh laundry scent but with normal products the scent seems to fade really quickly, but with Purex Crystal Laundry Freshener the lovely scent last for a long time, it's really nice to pull clothes out of my closet and smell the fresh laundry scent!



Quick info on Purex Crystals:
  • Clothes Stay Fresh For Weeks not Days!
  • Does Not Reduce the absorbency of Towels!
  • Natural Formula is Safe for your Family and the environment!


My Thoughts:

I am a laundry addict, I wash clothes as soon as they are dirty, enjoy washing and putting them up, and I want my family's clothing to radiate with a fresh laundry smell! I know I'm weird! I Like to have my clothes not only look clean but my clothes smell fresh! So Purex Crystals are perfect, they eliminate odors, have a great scent, are safe for all your laundry (towels active wear kids clothes you name it) and are made from Natural ingredients which is always a plus!  As soon as my package of Purex Crystals arrived for review I was so anxious to try them out, and I had no laundry dirty, so I quickly ran and stripped my son's bed just to wash and test out them! 
First off they are so so easy to use, as explained above, you just measure and pour in, they are also safe for top and front loading machines!! As soon as I opened the bottle my laundry room was immediately filled with a fresh scent, so I was very excited to see if that lovely scent would truly hold up through wash and drying! And it did! My laundry smelled wonderful while it was drying and as soon as i took it out the scent was still there, not too overwhelming but just right! I replaced my son's bedding and of course didn't tell him about the new product no one in my house cares to hear about laundry, especially at 7 year old boy: but that night when he got into bed he kept talking about how good his bed smelled and how soft it was, so naturally my girls were jealous so I had to wash all our bedding the next day!



The Purex Crystals have worked wonders for us: I'm almost 100% sure that they will replace our normal fabric softeners, because they not only smell great but I feel like my clothes felt softer with less static, and I have tried almost every type of fabric softeners on the market from standard dryer sheets to those darn bars you stick in your dryer and nothing compares to these Purex Crystals! They do not leave that caked up greasy residue like most softeners do, they are a perfect balance of scent and softness! 



So Far I have washed 4 loads of bedding, 1 load of towels, 1 load of bathroom rugs, the covers to my microfiber couch, a load of winter wear(snowpants coats gloves), a load of my husbands work clothes(they are usually gross) and 1 load of regular clothes and they have been pure greatness each and every use,
 Purex Crystals will definitely become a regular in our house!

 Oh And I have Found a Few More Uses for these Purex Crystals, other than just laundry if you are interested in incorporating their great smell throughout your home:

  • Candle Warmer: To make your whole house smell instantly fresh just sprinkle a few in your candle warmer or on top of a compatible scent of candle
  • Vacuuming: Sprinkle a few in your vacuum bag or canister for fresh scent while vacuuming,Also you can sprinkle them on the carpet before vacuuming!
  • Homemade Air fresheners: Just sprinkle some crystals into little cloth bags and tie and place them around your house!
  • Car: Once again sprinkle some into a breathable bag and place under your car seats!
  • Trash Can: Sprinkle a few into the bottom of your Trash Can
  • Freshen your Furniture: I sprinkled a few under my couch cushions, if you don't want them loose under your cushions you could place them in a bag also but i have had no problem with just sprinkling them directly under the cushions!

That's all I have used them for so far, I'm sure I'll find more ways, and if so I will be sure to update you. If you have any other ideas on how to use them Leave a comment I'm dying to find more ways!!

Overall I LOVE LOVE LOVE These Purex Crystals!

GIVEAWAYS

Right Now Purex has a great giveaway going on, To Celebrate the NEW Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze, The Purex Brand is hosting a Sweepstakes. One Grand Prize Winner Will Receive $500 While 100 Second place winners will receive a coupon for FREE Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze! 
GO HERE TO ENTER!!

Want to Win 3 free bottles? 



I am giving away, to 1 lucky reader, 3 free coupons for Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze for you to try out in your home!

Just Enter the Rafflecopter Below


a Rafflecopter giveaway
"The Purex Brand provided me with a sample of Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze exchange for a product review. However ALL the opinions expressed here are my own!"

Saturday, January 25, 2014

SMITH'S PRIVATE SELECTION GOURMET COOKIES ARE FANTASTIC!

I was recently given the chance to try out Private Selection's Gourmet Cookies, and they are to die for!


I received a coupon through Bzzagent to try these cookies out! The day I got the coupon I ran down to our Local Smith's to pick up a box, and Lucky me I caught the Baker pulling these lovely cookies out of the oven ,yes they are baked fresh in the store! The hardest part of this review was picking which flavor to try, I eventually decided on the Turtle Brownie Cookies!!!!! Anything with Chocolate, caramel, and pecans has me right away!


My Thoughts:
These cookies, are hid from the kids worthy, if you are a mom you know what I'm talking about, something that is so good you hide it in the top of your pantry and sneak it while the kids are sleeping :) They were the perfect combnation of chocolate and chunks of caramel and pecans! Every bite is like heaven in your mouth! I eventually caved and let my husband try one and he apparently liked them a lot because he came home from work with 3 more boxes!


A Little more about Private Selections Gourmet Cookies:

Nothing beats a decadent, bakery fresh cookie. Except, of course, a lot of bakery fresh cookies. And that’s exactly what you’ll find at The Kroger Co. Family of Stores! Private Selection has reimagined their gourmet cookies to deliver four new varieties of outright cookie perfection. Each flavor is rich, decadent and always baked fresh in stores:
  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut – Creamy white chocolate chunks meet crunchy macadamia nuts
  • Ultimate Chocolate Chunk – Discover a devilish amount of rich chocolate chunks in every bite
  • Turtle Brownie – This indulgent brownie cookie is loaded with gooey caramel and high-quality pecans
  • White Chocolate Coconut Almond – White chocolate chunks are balanced by sweet coconut and delicate almond slivers

Overall These Cookies are UH-mazing! And I highly recommend trying them out!

Disclosure - Per FTC Regulations, I am disclosing that I received product(s) from this company/website, free of charge, for review. I was in no other way compensated for my review. The views expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions and any claims should be verified on the sponsor's site

Friday, January 24, 2014

Get Organized in style with Sarah Pinto Planners

It's January and my favorite month because that means I can Start a new calendar and Planner! Yes I know there are all sorts of apps and nifty online calendars but I a classic pen and paper write EVERYTHING down type of person! I have tried all sorts of different planners and I often switch things up from year to year since our needs are always changing.  Last year, I decided to go the digital route, but I found that I was less organized than usual with our daily schedules and planning.  I would go into the calendar to input dates, but it wasn't my cup of tea when it came time to do my weekly planning and look at my Day at a Glance. What can I say, I simply like to write things down, carry my planner, and be able to open it up and jot goals and notes and meal plans all on one happy and colorful place. This year while hunting down a new/better planner to use, I discovered Sarah Pinto and immediately fell in love!


About Sarah Pinto:
"I am a busy mother of two young boys, the owner of a large dog and married to an active husband. We are a family on-the-go and it is essential for me to stay organized.  I spent a long time looking for a simple, stylish planner that I could throw in my purse. I couldn’t find one, so I decided to design it myself.
The result is a simple weekly planner to help you stay organized in a fun, effortless way. I think that they’re a perfect companion for any iPhone or Blackberry users that are visually-minded and on the go (like me)." 

I Was sent this Lovely Horseshoe Weekly Planner

First off isn't this just so cute, I like my planners to be not only functional but pretty and this planner has it all! With my schedule, Mom, Kids School, Blogging, appointments, etc,  it is essential for me to write down everything that i have going on.




Also I'm rather picky about my planners I like to have a full page of the month so I can just glance and see what I have going on, but I also like the weeks broken down so I have room to write on specific days if I need too and this planner is perfect!

I would be lost with out my planner, it is attached to me, I am always writing things in it and honestly if I were to lose it our lives would be a chaotic mess! 


Here are a few of my quick tips for staying organized with a Planner!

1. Write it Down: Not Later NOW, as soon as you can write down that appointment, meeting, etc if not it will be forgotten (even if it's months in advance like I know what days my kids have off of school for the whole year, write it down you won't forget or have to check back later)
2.Use It for Everything: don't hassle with more than 1 binder/planner to keep up with, like a meal planner, or special school one, if you invest in the right planner with the weeks/days broken down there is plenty of room to write all of that down, and you are more likely to religiously fill out/update 1 planner rather than 10!
3. Use Spare time to Manage it: This past weekend I was in the emergency room with my husband for 4 hours, which most of it was waiting because "computers crashed" so while he was passing time with his tablet I broke out my planner and filled in weekly goals and double checked what I needed etc, so waiting at appointment, school pick up lines, or wherever you have a free minute is a great time to check/update that planner
4. If in doubt Pencil it in: If you aren't a 100% sure about something write it in pencil, when it's confirmed then go over it in pen, this saves you from having marked/scribbled out places on your planner which bugs me so much! 
 5. Use it to Set Goals: Once a week, usually sundays, I open up to my weekly section of the calendar and set myself goals for the next week, like I just started a 30 day squat challenge (talk about pain) so I wrote down how many I was suppose to do each day, it helps me keep accountable and I get to check it off once my 90 for the day is done! Also I write down what I would like to get done in the house that day, Clean out kids closets, make beds mop floors etc if I have a list that i can Cross off I'm much more motivated to do them!
6. Keep it On You: Carry that planner EVERYWHERE with you, keep it in your purse so you always have access to it!
7. Get a Planner that works for you: If it won't work for you, you won't use it, so invest in a planner that you'll actually use! For me the Sarah Pinto Planners are the best, cute and stylish and so useful! 

Overall I Love My New Planner and I know it will help my organize my Chaotic life! 
Be Sure to Check out WWW.SARAHPINTO.COM for a great selection of planners and much more!

What are your go to tips to keep your life organized?

Disclosure - Per FTC Regulations, I am disclosing that I received product(s) from this company/website, free of charge, for review. I was in no other way compensated for my review. The views expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions and any claims should be verified on the sponsor's site.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Thera.Pearl Review

My Family is pretty active, my husband plays any and every sport that he can, I workout and always intend to run, and my children, well are children they play sports and even when they don't play sports they are non stop active or always getting injuries and in need of a ice/heat pack :) So when I found out about Thera.Pearl and was given a chance to review their sports pack I was delighted!



"The Pearl Technology® contained in every THERA°PEARL pack is game changing innovation born of an age old therapy. Crafted by a doctor who knew she could offer her patients something better than a bag of frozen peas, THERA°PEARL was designed with you in mind. Whether chilled or heated, Pearl Technology conveniently holds its temperature for the doctor recommended time of 20 minutes and conforms to your body to deliver the perfect relief from your aches and pains.
Easily pliable when frozen, our Pearl Technology is cold enough to offer targeted ice therapy without sacrificing flexibility. Not stiff, jagged or uncomfortable, chilled THERA°PEARL packs stay smooth and soft on your skin as they conform to deliver soothing relief.
When conveniently heated in a microwave, the Pearl Technology in your THERA°PEARL pack is the perfect solution to relax stiff muscles and encourage blood flow and healing. Delivering consistent heat therapy directly to your desired relief area without a mess, the reusable packs are combination therapy in one convenient product.
At THERA°PEARL, we recognize it’s all about giving people the opportunity to see and interact with our product.  When they do, they love it.  Unlike other products, our high quality clear packaging showcases the product inside, and our poke hole allows people to feel the difference for themselves.  The distinct ornamental appearance of our pearls is our trademark, and it’s how consumers recognize our product in stores."

Like I mentioned We were sent their Sports Pack 

First off I love this over any other Ice Packs that i have ever used, the little pearls freeze nicely but do not become a solid chunk of ice that is hard to manipulate in the right position, with Thera pearl the little pearls, even when frozen move freely to form to your body to comfortably sooth your aches and pains, and it does not leave a wet dripy mess like most others! Also Heating this Pack is so easy just 30-40 seconds in the microwave and it's warm and perfect for sore bodies!  These are hands down the best ice/heat packs that I have ever used with myself or my family! 



Thera Pearl has a whole line of amazing products for all kind of aliments ranging from eye mask to back wraps and even cute little packs just for kids! 
Overall If You are Looking for Some Good GREAT Quality Ice/Heating Packs Thera Pearl is your Place to Go! 

Connect With Thera Pearl Through these Sites:


Instagram #therapearl


Disclosure - Per FTC Regulations, I am disclosing that I received product(s) from this company/website, free of charge, for review. I was in no other way compensated for my review. The views expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions and any claims should be verified on the sponsor's site.



Monday, January 20, 2014

ThunderShirt Review




I have two dogs, a 5 year old golden retriever and a 3 year dachshund, and they have totally different personalities, while my golden retriever is a very mellow dog, sleeps and cuddles and eats the most she bothers anyone is when she wants to go outside or on walks (shes a puller): My Dachshund is totally different she always wants to be touching someone, under blankets, yaps a lot when we have guest over or just in general goes crazy shaking/whining with excitement when people get to our home (even including us). We refer to her as our baby seeing as she always "needs" to be held and taking her in a car is a whole different mess! She is all over the car whining and just will not stay still, it takes her an hour to get settled while riding so it's almost impossible to take her anywhere with us! So when I found out about the Thundershirt I was thrilled to be able to try this product out!


Here is a little about Thundershirt:

"BE A BETTER HUMAN TO YOUR PET
How can we help Dosi with her thunderstorm fears? This is the question that
started the company on its quest to find simple, easy solutions to calm pet fears. In the case
of Dosi, we developed the ThunderShirt, and since 2009 the gentle calming hug of the ThunderShirt has helped over a million dogs and cats around the world overcome their fears and anxieties.
As the name ThunderShirt implies, thunder and noises was the
first fear we tackled, but along the way, we found that simple pressure helped with
a multitude of pet anxieties including separation, travel, vet visits and much more. Our
proprietary research also uncovered that over 30% of pets suffer from one or more of these
anxieties making anxiety one of the leading issues for today’s pet parents.
For this reason, in addition to the ThunderShirt, we have created other products to help pet
parents alleviate some of the anxiety issues their pets may experience, and we have done
so under the company name of ThunderWorks. At ThunderWorks, we are committed to finding
simple and safe solutions to pet parents’ every day issues because when our pets feel stressed,
we feel stressed. And when we feel stressed well, we aren’t always at our best. It is our hope that our
simple solutions can help maintain the bond between pet and parent. In essence, helping us all be a better human to our pets."

We Were sent the Thundersweater for review which I was way excited about, we live in a cold winter climate and my dachshund never wants to go out in the cold so I was hoping that the Thundersweater would not only help with her anxiety but also the cold weather! Also good thing about the Thundersweater a Thundershirt is included with the sweater!




When I first received the Thundersweater in the mail I immediately opened the box, read the instructions, and tried it on her!
the instructions are so simple!

I was not expecting her to like it at first, seeing as she doesn't regularly wear clothing, but as soon as I got it adjusted right she was perfectly fine in her new sweater, the only issue, if you would even call it an issue, was at first she wasn't a 100% sure about jumping she hesitated but that only lasted a little while before I knew it she was perfect! And as far as our results of her calming down with the Thundersweater they were amazing!!!! Within the first hour our Thundershirt worked wonders for our little dachshund! She was calmer than I have ever seen, and when we had people over, on 2 separate occasions that day they both immediately asked me if she was ok or jokingly if I had drugged her because she was so calm and was not jumping all over them or whining! So honestly any skeptical thoughts I had are gone!


The next day I also tried it on her for a short car ride, like i mentioned before she takes almost an hour to calm down in the car, but with the Thundersweater on she laid right down in the passenger seat and the most movement out of her was occasionally looking out the window! The next day I left the Thundersweater off of her and she was back to her normal anxious self so we immediately put her sweater right back on and she was much happier and so was I!

It also helped keep her warm, she enjoyed walks more, and was way better behaved, and wasn't miserable when I let her outside! So Overall the Thundersweater exceeded all my expectations doing more than I ever imagined and our pup and home is a much happier place!

If you would like to find out more about Thunderworks products and The Thundershirt or Thundersweater (they also have some other great products) Check out their website
You can also connect with them on

Disclosure - Per FTC Regulations, I am disclosing that I received product(s) from this company/website, free of charge, for review. I was in no other way compensated for my review. The views expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions and any claims should be verified on the sponsor's site.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

A day in the Life of a Stay at Home Mom



I was recently asked the lovely question that most stay at home moms encounter at one time or another

"What do you do all day?"

So with this lovely question that I have to bite my tongue to answer "politely" I thought I would share a little of a Day in the life of This Stay at home mom, this might also help those of you who are looking for a "Schedule" or some ideas to change up your day a little

Here is a kinda rundown of my day

6:15 am Alarm goes off, I hit Snooze
6:30 am Alarm goes off I really get up this time ( Why don't I just set the alarm for 6:30 and be done with it? It's a mental thing I know I'm getting up at 6:30 every morning but hitting snooze just feels like I'm sleeping in lol)

6:40 am I go downstairs let the dogs out start the coffee pot then let the dogs back in
6:45 am-ish I Try to figure out what I'm wearing and get dressed
7:00 am Kids alarm goes off (THIS is their alarm clock and it's wonderful)
7:05 am I tell kids to go get their clothes on (they are laid out down to socks and shoes the night before) I attempt something with my hair (like hairspray and smoothing nothing too crazy here I'll occasionally hotroll it but I usually do something at night so I wake up with decent hair I'll post on it next) brush my teeth put my shoes on
7:15 am Go help my 3 year old get dressed since she's just been running back in forth between her room and the other kids' playing, do a double check of my oldest two's outfits most likely tell them to put their shoes on the right feet help button shirts do hair etc
7:30 am Everyone downstairs for breakfast ( we usually have something pretty quick muffins and yogurt, cereal, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, donuts etc) Pass out Vitamins with Breakfast. Then Vitamins and Coffee for Me while I do my makeup (i put makeup on sitting at the table with the kids)
7:50 am Rush everyone to finish breakfast (I swear them with breakfast is horrible they take forever, talking and playing, we use to have breakfast first but then were starting to be late so switched to getting dressed first)
7:55 am (if i'm lucky that they finish by now)  Send kids upstairs to brush teeth wash faces etc while I start the car check backpacks put lunch boxes in them etc
8:08 am Put coats on hand out backpacks and head for the car
8:20 am Drop the oldest 2 off at school
8:35 am Back home with my 3 year old start laundry then usually play in the playroom with her for a while (some days we grocery shop, pay bills, etc)
9:45 am Start cleaning the family room (toys always accumulate in there never fails it's a magnet for them) move to the kitchen load or unload the dishwasher wipe down counter from breakfast try to figure out dinner if I need to take anything out of the freezer and swear I'm going to start menu planning next week Give my youngest a Snack
10:30 am Keep on cleaning usually I pick a room that I do once a week (one of the kids rooms, the upstairs living room, kids bathroom, etc) and i always have my little helper "helping" me
11:00 am sit for a minute check emails etc while watching a cartoon with my youngest
11:15 am Leave to go pick up my kindergartner (their school is 1/2 day kindergarten)
11:40 am back home put away backpack check for papers talk about school etc
11:50 am Lunch
12:15 pm  Kids disperse to either watch a TV show together or play I clean up the kitchen from lunch/swap the laundry if I hadn't already done so
12:45 am Check emails again quickly Blog etc
1:00 pm Wake up my husband (he works nights 3pm- 3am) Pick up my room
1:15 pm Wake up my husband again (he's a heavy sleeper)
1:30 pm We all hang out with my husband, playing a game on the tablet, kids talking about school stuff, watching something on TV playing with the kids talking about junk etc just something to hang out with him before he starts his day
2:00 pm I head down to the laundry room to get laundry ( part of his work clothes are in the load it sucks I have to wash the same 2 pieces of clothing every single day but it keeps me with no laundry overflowing I always wash the clothes from the previous day with his clothes that morning therefore never have laundry sitting more than 12 hours)  Anyways I bring the laundry up to my room dump it on the bed and fold/hang and put up it all while him and the kids hang out before he hops in the shower
2:30 pm Get together my husband's lunch and he leaves I do another sweep through the house to make sure it's "picked up" if I have time I might hop online for a bit my girls are usually playing or coloring
3:15 pm My first grader is home from school (he carpools home in the afternoons)
3:30 pm Go through his backpack talk about school clean out his lunch box etc
3:45 pm KIDS GO WILD (I have no idea why but it never fails 3:45 hits the kids are either hyper or arguing like crazy so I provide a snack to calm the monsters
4:00 pm We might play a board game or watch a netflix show together it's pretty much downtime
5:30 pm I start dinner (unless it's more time consuming then it will get started earlier)
6:00 pm We Eat dinner (I always ask them more about their days they seem to talk more at dinner)
6:45 pm They start baths/showers or pick out clothes while I clean up the kitchen and make my husband a plate for when he comes home
7:00 pm I check their outfits they laid out fix what's needed put my 3 year old in the bath while I blow dry my 6 year old daughter's hair then blow dry the 3 year old's hair they brush teeth, check finger nails, etc
7:45 pm Kids all in one Bedroom we read stories (usually 3 one for each of them)
8:00 pm Officially Tuck them in their own beds turn off lights, turn on night lights hand out last minute drinks of water, etc
8:15 pm After making sure no one, and by no one I mean my 3 year old, is going to get up I head downstairs to make my son's lunch for school, fill out any papers, lay out anything we need for the next day, straighten up anything left, turn off all the lights, etc
9:00 pm I head upstairs take a shower, I'm too lazy to dry my hair in the mornings and it's curly and thick so shower at night sleep with it wet I know some of you might be cringing but it works for me, pjs for me grab my laptop lay in bed watching lame tv/working on the blog or browsing pinterest trying to figure out great new crafty crap to do or read articles about awesome moms make mental note to be more like them and etc

11:00 pm Turn off the computer, let the dogs out once more, and attempt to sleep (I am horrible about falling asleep)
3:30 am wake up half-ass like to semi-communicate with my husband (he says I'm way grumpy when he gets home so I try to fake stepford wife niceness) Go back to sleep

Then IT ALL REPEATS EVERYDAY(except weekends we sleep later lol)

  •  Some days I do go to the grocery store so that happens right after school drop off
  • Some days I have to run around paying bills (that's my job too to make sure everything is paid on time and manage our banking)
  • Tuesdays we have Girl Scouts from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm 
  • Sundays my husband is usually off so it's family day ( whether it's a family outing, or lounge around in pjs all day we do it together) 
  • Some days I have meetings at school or field trips or doctors appointments
  • Some days my 3 year old and I decide to go hang out at a friend's house in between school drop off and kindergarten pick up, it gives her a friend to play with, someone for me to talk to, and a quite house for my husband to sleep in 
  • Friday nights the kids usually have something (like this Friday is a girl scout party)
  • During fall, spring and summer my kids play sports so at least 2 days out of the week are games and 2 days are practices so there is always something going on!!
  • I don't have a babysitter so everything happens with at least my 3 year old in tow (which in my opinion is fun I wouldn't know what to do by myself, and she enjoys the one on one time and helping me) 




So Go Head and Ask me "What do you do all day?" 


No I'm not perfect, my kids do watch TV, some days I spend too much time online, but I never have laundry piles to be washed or put up, my house is usually relatively clean, I always get dressed in the mornings, My kids always have a cooked meal for dinner, our homework/projects are done, and we get to spend time together, my kids are healthy and happy and I think that I'm doing pretty good! I'm not perfect but I can guarantee you I don't lounge around in my pajamas all day eating bonbons on the couch watching cheesy soap operas doing nothing! Some days I think a "real job" as many call it would be way easier than my daily routine. I get up with kids in the middle of the night and still have to get up when My alarm goes off in the mornings I have very important responsibilities and I pride myself in doing my "job" the best I can and I enjoy my "job" very much!

What are your tips for being a Stay at Home Mom & Dealing with the Question of "what do you do all day?" ?


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Girl Scout Cookies!




My oldest daughter, who is 6, joined Girl Scouts this year, and our cookies selling season is about to Kickoff in just 6 short days!!! She is SOOO excited to sell cookies and has been practicing her "sales pitch" to all of us for over a week now!

With this being our 1st year in Girl Scouts and us living far away from Family I'm a little nervous on how to go about selling the most cookies that we can possibly do! She has set a personal goal of 150 boxes for herself to sell (her first goal was 2500+ boxes!) and I just hope we meet or exceed that goal! Back way back when I was in Girl Scouts I was the top cookie seller for 2 years in a row, but rules have changed I lived close to family and in a good community where I was probably the only one selling them, so it's totally different this time we live in a much larger town with a million little girl scouts running around and we personally only know a few people here.

So with that being Said anyone have  any good tips on how to hustle our cookies and help my little daisy meet her goal?!

Also What's your Favorite Cookie? (we're trying to figure out the best sellers)



Saturday, January 11, 2014

20 Realistic FREE ways to keep kids entertained indoors!

Here is a List of my boredom busters for kids (estimated age range 3-7) That wont have you running to the store to buy a million things to keep them entertained!


It all started over Christmas break from school after being home for 2+weeks, the weather was horrible outside so they were trapped indoors, and I noticed all my children were doing was watching TV and it was driving me crazy, I am in no way a TV watcher I cannot sit down long enough to just watch TV, and I hate when they sit around like blobs on the couch watching TV all Day! So I knew I had to come up with something to get them up off the couch and not telling me that they are bored every 5 minutes: The next morning while drinking my morning coffee I quickly jotted down a list of their favorite activities to do around the house, that would NOT require me to run to the store to buy supplies ( I hate when I find cool stuff to do with kids then realize I have no supplies to Make/do any of it!) So this list Should be a completely FREE list of Fun for kids and feel free to tweak it to work for you and your family! Anyways here is the list we came up with and just so you know after making this list they did not watch any TV the rest of their school break with the exception to #10!



1. Coloring (I know coloring sounds over played but my kids love to color and if I color with them it's even better!)

2. Write/draw a story: I take 2-4 pieces of printer paper and fold it over and they create their own little books, while my youngest is 3 her stories are just pictures and my 6 and 7 year old draw/ write in theirs then we all sit down on a chair or couch and let them read it to me they love sharing their creations and I love hearing the crazy "ninja batman cheetah fighting a rope monster" type stories

3.Play restaurant: This one is pretty easy the way I do it is if it's close to lunch or snack time they get real food all sit at a table and one is the waitress/waiter and chef if it isn't close to snack/lunch we use play food this keeps them entertained for longer than you's expect and kills two birds with one stone if you are about to prepare a snack/meal

4. Play Hotel: I love this one they use their bedrooms for the "hotel rooms" and the beauty of it is they willingly go clean their rooms and make their beds for their "guest to stay in them" 

5. Let them prepare their own Lunch: With supervision of course they feel like little grownups creating their own meals and always finish them! You can give them options or let them just be as creative as possible

6. Build a Lego/Block city: This one is another favorite of my 3, they each pick a section in a room and create houses and buildings and connect their areas together by using blocks to build roads, then proudly show it off to me telling what each building is and usually end up playing with their city forever

7. Play House: It's pretty simple, we have a SMALL toy room that is equipped with a small play Kitchen and Babydoll bed/highchair combo they play in their with babies and the kitchen  

8. Bake something: It never fails if anyone is bored, baking a simple batch of cookies (or whatever) is really fun, I let them take turns adding ingredients and mixing then we bake and get to enjoy our creation (If you aren't a baker Make a bowl of Ice cream let them put on toppings)

9. Play a game: Uno, Candyland, Monopoly Whatever you have or whatever is your favorite just sit down and play a few games, I have a 3 year old who really can't play certain games on her own so easy solution is be on the little ones team, I hold the uno cards but she gets to lay them down and shout UNO!

10. Watch a Movie (With Popcorn): Sometimes we just all need some down time and a movie will do that, I let my oldest daughter and son go pick out a Movie that they all will like and grab my 3 year old and head up to the kitchen to break out the Whirley pop, Fresh made popcorn and a good movie on the couch with a mountain of blankets is wonderful! 

11. Make Paper planes or Paper Dolls: Use up Scrap Paper or printer paper and make some easy planes or cut up some paper/chain dolls

12. Make a Treasure/Scavenger Hunt: Come up with a list of objects for them to find in the house or we hid candy throughout the house for them to find, we've also used Batman Action figures and just hid them for them to hunt for, ideas are endless you can use really anything!


13. Build a Fort/Tent: Let them take blankets and pillows and create their very own fort/tent, we usually end up in our family room, where we have a rather large ottoman which is great for fort building, we've also made them in between my girls' beds under the dining table and etc. I give them our camping lantern and they climb in and read or color!


14. Make Marshmallow Towers: use Spaghetti noodles (dried) with marshmallows stuck on the ends are wonderful to build shapes and towers with and they can eat the marshmallows when their done!  

15. Give them a bath: Most kids love baths, i know mine do, throw in some fun toys that won't get ruined in the water and make a giant bubble bath, you'll have happy and clean Kids!

16. Let them Play Video Games: Unlike the usual keep kids off of games ideas I say occasionally it's alright and even better when you play together, I love having tetris battles with them it's one of my favorite games and they love competing playing against everyone! other favorite games of ours are Little big planet and any of the lego games!

17. Puzzles: We have a cabinet full of puzzles that we hadn't done in a while so it was a great thing to bring out and they loved it!

18. A Chore: My not sound like total fun but give them a little project to do it has them help out with housework and keeps them busy! My 6 year old daughter likes to fold towels, my 7 year old son likes to make beds, and my 3 year old daughter likes to water plants or put up silverware, it may not be a totally fun project and no they may not do it perfect but it helps them learn!

19. Tea Party: My girls (and occasionally you can convince my son to join in) love to play tea party they have a small kids glass tea set and I put water or tea in it, give them a few cookies and let them have fun! (don't have a tea set, use normal cups or coffee cups or whatever you'd like)

20. Dress Up: Boys and Girls both can do this: My son has batman, Ironman, Cowboys, Knights and etc costumes and my girls have tutus princess, cowgirls, animals etc They love dressing up and usually end up playing a game of batman saves the princess or something once they are in their costumes! 



Also after spending a few days doing these I wrote down each activity on a strip of paper and folded them and stuck them in a jar so anytime I hear "I'm bored" I just point to the jar and they pull out a piece a have a fun random activity to do! So far this has worked wonderfully for us!

What are your tips on how to keep kids entertained inside?