Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Friends.

Every mommy deserves a little eye-candy now and again, don't you think?  That's why I'm giving you all a little piece to last you through the weekend...

You all can thank my friend Jen, over at A Daily Dose of Davis.  I saw this on her page and had to share!  (It's a good thing the hubs rarely checks my blog out...I think. :/  Oh well, my Eric Northman addiction is no secret. ;) )

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!  The odds are looking good right now and that gift certificate can get you a lot of eco-friendly products for the whole fam! :)

EcoMom Gift Certificate Giveaway!

That's right!  I'm giving away a $35 gift certificate to EcoMom to one lucky reader so that they can try the new line of Bon Ami cleaning products that I was lucky enough to test this week!

Bon Ami products feature simple and natural ingredients.  They are free of chlorine and phosphates, and instead use cleaning agents derived from corn, coconut and palm, along with feldspar and baking soda to effectively clean your house without any harsh chemicals.

In addition to having an ingredient list that I can read, and that includes only things I've heard of, Bon Ami products work! 

I was able to test the All-Purpose Cleaner in a spray bottle, the Powder Cleanser, the Liquid Cleanser, and the Dish Soap.  With the exception of the Powder Cleanser, I tested the Tangerine Thyme scent.  Instead of using artificial ingredients to add the fragrance to these products, Bon Ami uses natural essential oils to give their cleansers a light, fresh scent.  And, as a bonus, these citrus oils provide a natural grease cutting boost!  I love that when I wipe down the baby's high chair, or our kitchen counters, I don't feel like my kids will be eating chemicals along with their meals.  Especially because Bean's highchair requires frequent cleanings, and most of her food is eaten directly from the tray after she dumps her plate.  :/

The powder cleaner made my sink sparkle, and I didn't feel bad about the ingredients being in a place where I put my family's dishes and utensils, and where Bean sometimes gets a bath ;)  It even cleaned the inside of the drain where it sometimes gets a little rusty when I neglect forget to do the dishes at night.

A lot of companies claim to be "green" or "natural" but Bon Ami really walks the walk.  Not only are the ingredients actually ALL natural, but their packaging is made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET plastic.  Even their labels are and adhesive are the most compatible with the recycle stream.  Sometimes their bottles are a little foggy but this is only because they do not add anything to the recycled plastic. 

So, why buy these products from EcoMom?  Well, for one thing the price can't be beat!  The All-Purpose Cleaner comes in a 25 fl. oz. container for only $3.29.  Not only is this less expensive that the popular brand I have under my sink from the grocery store, but it has more cleaner!  Yup, the chemical filled spray in my kitchen is only 22 fl. oz.  And trust me folks, it was at least $1.00 more.

In addition, everything that is offered from EcoMom has been evaluated so that you are only getting the safest and healthiest products for your family.  Eco mom has a discriminating team of doctors, scientists, moms, dads, babies, and kids who work with them as their research partners.  They also enlist the help of organizations such as Healthy Child Healthy World, and Environmental Working Group to be sure that you are getting only the best.

EcoMom does not just sell cleaning products.  They sell everything from strollers and highchairs, to diapers and skin care.  Plus they have a pretty sweet new website.

So, now what you've all been waiting for.  Here's how to enter...

How to Win a $35 Gift Certificate to EcoMom.com

Each of the following is worth 1 Entry.

1.  Become a follower and leave me a comment saying that you are a follower.  (If you are already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.)

2.  Share a link to this post on your blog, then come back and leave a comment with a link to your post.

3.  Share a link to this post on your facebook page, and again, leave a comment telling me you did so.

4.  "Like"  Ecomom on facebook here.  Then (you guessed it!) leave a comment.

This contest will close Sunday 8.21.2011 at 9pm and a winner will be announced Monday 8.22.2011.

Good Luck! 

EcoMom is sponsoring this fantastic giveaway will which more than cover the full line of Bon Ami cleaning products and shipping!  

Leap Frog Love

I am a HUGE fan of LeapFrog!  My kids have so many of their educational toys, and they play with them every day.  LeapFrog has recently introduced their new LeapPad and tomorrow is launch day!

This new kid friendly tablet has all the features of mom and dad's ipad, including a camera and video recorder!  You can play motion-based games, the screen rotates when you turn it, and there are downloadable apps.  This is every kid's dream toy, and every parents dream educational tool!  I personally cannot wait to check this product out, but with the high demand I missed out on the pre-order.  But today, starting at 4 pm PST, LeapFrog will be giving away a LeapPad bundle every hour through tomorrow!  To enter, just go here.

And, in the meantime, check out these other amazing LeapFrog products.  They are a few of my kids favs. :)

The LeapFrog Learn and Groove Music Table

A dear friend of mine gave this music table to me at my baby shower for P, over 4 years ago, because it was her daughter's favorite toy.  It was P's favorite as well, and now he and Bean both play with it.  I love that it teaches them their numbers and letters both in English and Spanish, it has a sturdy build that has allowed both of my kids to cruise and pull up on it while learning to walk, and it has bright interactive pieces for sliding, opening, closing and pushing.  The legs are easily removable so if your little one isn't ready to stand and play, they can easily play with this on  the floor.  We have a ton of the Learn and Groove toys, and although this is a favorite, we also love our

Learn and Groove Alphabet Drum



and our Learn and Groove Maracas





LeapFrog also has a line of magnetic Fridge toys that I could not live without!  Whenever I am trying to get something done in the kitchen, like dishes or dinner, these toys are my savior.  My daughter especially loves our Fridge DJ, another hand me down from her big brother.  (Amazon Moms - This is a Prime Shipping eligible item!  You could own one by Tuesday! ;) )



Again, LeapFrog has found a way to combine music and learning in a way that entertains and teaches.  I can sing all of the songs this DJ likes to play by heart, and so can P, but both of my kids still love to play with it and dance and sing along.

I am also crazy about Fridge Phonics.

What a fantastic update to those old, boring, magnetic letters I had as a kid!  Scout (that sweet little Pup in the pic) teaches your kid each letters name and sound with a fun phonics song!  How cool is that?!



And lastly, for lack of time - not material, I'll share one other household favorite of ours...

The LeapFrog Learning DVDs.

These are just a few of the DVDs in our personal collection, and only 1/4 of the available titles, but they are the first ones we got, and the Letter factory is still P's favorite.  You get to follow Leap around the one and only factory that creates talking letters and learn along with him.  The songs are catchy and fun to sing in the car, the mall, or at the dinner table ;)  P calls them his frog movies and asks for them all the time!  I can even get Bean to sit still and watch them which is no small feat!

I could honestly go on all day about the leap frog products that I love, like this freakin adorable Counting Candles Cake

or this Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket (OMG how did I almost forget to share this one?!?!  Bean's FAVORITE!)

Ahem...like I was saying...I could go on all day, but I won't.  Instead I will remind you to go here.  Enter to win your LeapPad bundle, and while your their check out all the other amazing products that LeapFrog makes!



Back to School Clothes

Well, it's that time of year again.  The nights are getting cooler (thank goodness!!), the school sale fliers are everywhere, and I'm getting ready to head back to work.

I am so blessed to be home with my children during the day, but at night, I head to our local State college as an adjunct professor.  Being (relatively) young can make it hard for the students to see me as their professor at first, so I always worry about my back to school outfits.  I have been mistake for a student on one too many occasions.  (Although these days I sort of appreciate it!)

Being a SAHM  (aka Stay at Home Mom or aka Slightly Appreciated Hot Mess as I've been told that acronym stands for...) means that our budget doesn't allow for too much shopping, but if I had the ability to build my dream wardrobe here are some of the essentials I would HAVE to purchase from two of my favorite stores to window shop.  (I swear, sometimes I really wish I could land on one of those make over shows so I could just walk in and take each and every outfit off of the plastic people decorating the store.   ;)

Anyway, here is my wish list from J.Crew...

J Crew's Stretch Perfect Shirt and No. 2 Pencil Skirt

Even the name of the skirt proves just how appropriate it would be for a teacher ;)  And seriously how sheek is the belt in that camel colored leather with the matching clutch?!  L.O.V.E. it!

J Crew School Boy Blazer in Houndstooth

 

 

 

I love how this jacket is layered on top of a pink cardigan.  It gives it just enough feminine appeal but still keeps the look sharp enough for me to get away with wearing it on a cool night with a classic pair of dark denim jeans.  (I know, I'm very lucky...I can definitely get away with jeans at work.)

 

 

 

J Crew Cashmere Shawl Cardigan

 

 

 

I don't own much cashmere, but it is by far my favorite material.  I could seriously spend all day, every day, in a cashmere cardigan.  Thinking about it is making me crave football games, hot cocoa, and a soft cashmere scarf.  Ahhhhhh, sounds wonderful doesn't it???  Anyway, this piece is a classic in any color and I am a huge fan of this look.  A high quality cardigan can be thrown over almost anything to class it up a notch.

Another fabulous store that I would like to go on a spree in is Anthropologie. 

 

 

 

I love this Ihrin Shirtdress in dark purple.  It probably sounds backwards, but when I am feeling blah, sometimes a good fitting dress that is easy to wear and accesorize is all I need to make feel comfortable and cute.  Plus, this dark purple color is a must have for the fall!

Because I spend about 2 hours a night on my feet teaching, comfy shoes are also important.  I only stand about 5' tall, but I'm okay with that.  I don't feel the need to wear heels to work all the time, even though my students often tower over me.  (I don't know who I think I'm kidding, my 3rd graders used to be taller than me :p)  Anthropologie has an amazing collection of ballet flats and I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one or two all of these!

But when I do need to wear heels, I might just about go to heaven in these nude patent leather Niko Wedges.  Go check out the other views of this shoe...they even have a zipper in the back!  Again, I repeat myself.  HEAVEN.

I'm thinking I need to start with a self help program.  My name is Nancy, and I'm a shopaholic.

Safety in the form of a Tattoo??

Have you ever been out with your kids, turned around, and lost sight of them?  Even for a second?  It is a heart stopping moment of sheer panic. 

It happened to me at Chuck E Cheese one time.  I hate telling this story because it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it.  I am a good parent.  I love my children, and I want nothing but the best for them, but these things can happen in a blink of an eye.

I took P to the bathroom.  I needed to use it also, so I put him in the stall next to me, and told him that if he finished first, he should stay where I could see his feet and he could see mine.  We have done this before, and he is always good at listening to these types of instructions.  He is at the point where he does not like "company", so to speak, when he is in the restroom.  He insists on privacy.  So, anyway, we went into our separate stalls, and I heard him open his door when he was finished.  Then I saw his little feet run right past my door.  I called for him and didn't get a response. 

Of course I freaked out and made my way out of the bathroom as quickly as I could, only to find him wondering around the tables in the party section looking for me.  As soon as I saw him I grabbed him and told him how incredibly scared I was when I couldn't see him.  I wasn't mad, but I was terrified, and I think it definitely came across that way.  The fact that he was scared himself helped drive my point home, and we haven't had any type of problem like that again, but for that minute, I seriously wondered how I would go on with my life if anything happened to him.

Even before this, safety was always at the top of my parenting concerns.  This will probably come across as crazy, but before we travelled to Hawaii with P when he was about 16 months old, I seriously considered buying a little GPS tag for his shoe so that if we had become separated I could find him quickly and easily.  I know.  I.  Am.  Paranoid.  I'm the daughter of a cop.  I have heard enough stories that I don't care how crazy anyone thinks I am, I will do whatever it takes to keep my kids safe.  (It's that mama bear instinct, you know?)

So, getting back to the point of this post...  I was recently looking around web, checking out safety items, and came across these.

Yup.  Temporary tattoos that contain your child's emergency contact information.  Who would have thought that a product like this existed?! 

Honestly, I'm a little torn about this.  I love the idea that if your child were to run off, and a well meaning adult tried to help, they would have an easy way to reach you.  P knows his address, and his full name, as well as my full name and my husband's.  He hasn't memorized our phone number yet.  Even with this information that he knows, if he was scared he might freeze up and not be able to tell it to another adult.  This would definitely solve that problem.

I just don't know exactly when I would use these.  When I'm traveling?  Everyday?  Where would I put it?  An arm?  A leg?  What about in the winter? 

The designs are super cute and kid friendly, like these dino and butterfly tats.

      

My children thankfully don't have any allergies or medical conditions, but if they did, I absolutely adore these and would use them often.

   

They even have a line of tattoos that have a QR (Quick Response) bar code that can be scanned by a smart phone and can provide additional saftey information about your child.

So, I'm seriously interested in your opinions about this product.  Do you think it's a brilliant idea or absolutely crazy? 

Kuddos to Saftey Tat for such an innovative way to keep your kids protected!  These tats are waterproof, and can last up to two weeks.  Would you apply them to your babies??

One Super Expensive Shopping Trip

Going to Walt Disney World is like going to one really expensive store.  Every where you look there is a gift shop - each grander than the next. 

Almost every ride empties into a gift shop.  Every attraction has a gift shop attached.  The hotels have gift shops.  (Yes, shops).  And, if you don't feel like taking a break in an air conditioned shop, you can stop and buy something at one of the multiple outdoor vendors that you are likely to trip over if you aren't looking where you're going.

Here's the thing...I like the shops.  They might be my favorite part of Disney.

Evidence - this isn't even half of my kids loot...



 Yes, you read that right.  Not. Even. Half.

It helped them that their grandparents were along for the trip and really can't resist their cute little faces like I can.  But, seriously, I am just as bad in Disney.  Why not spend $75 on a cute little outfit like this...

Or $85 for an awesome pirate getup, complete with makeup and tattoo...

Or maybe these $25 Mickey Ears make you happy...







Heck, they make me happy!

So, what was my favorite part of Disney?  Clearly, spending more money on stuff that we do not need because my children have been to Disney more times than years they are old and they could practically stock the gift shops from their playroom.  But, hey, we were making memories.

My name is Nancy, and I'm a shopaholic.

Strollin' Through Walt Disney World

Well, we are home!  We have made it back from a very hot, humid, EXHAUSTING, trip to Disney in one piece, and now I have claimed a weekend off!  (Not exactly, but the hubs has both the kids at P's soccer class right now, so I at least have an hour or so off ;) ) 

Anyway, I recommend that you never travel to Disney with a 3 year old and 1 year old without your significant other!  My parents and sister were with us, and although my sister was an amazing stand in husband, and my parents adore my children and help in anyway that they can, sometimes you just need your partner. 

For example - being the only person in your party that knows how to work your ginormous double stroller...not so great.  Just sayin'.  This blog is NOT called "Stuff Mom finds incredibly frustrating and aggravating" so I won't bash my stroller too much, but let's just say, after this trip, Mama's in the market for a new one.  Preferably one that is MUCH easier to fold, unfold, & carry. 

I've always been obsessed with strollers, but Disney is like the Mecca of stroller viewing.  You can't go more than 5 feet without having to move for one, be hit be by one, or trip over one left in the way.  They are EVERYwhere!  So, I spent a good portion of the trip watching other people push, pull, fold, carry, and maneuver their strollers to try and figure out if there really is a stroller than you can easily travel with...especially to a place like Disney where you are lugging it on planes, trains, monorails, boats, buses and automobiles, every few hours.

Here's what stood out to me.

First, let me tell you that in Disney you can rent these beauts for around $20/day or get an equally beautiful double stroller for around $30/day.

They look about as comfortable as they are stylish.  :/  Let's just say I passed on those.  I'm not even sure how parents who need a double stroller made it in to the park in the first place!  I would die without my stroller in the airport!  It's the only thing that keeps my kids restrained!

So, one of the first strollers that I saw in abundance was the City Mini Stroller by Baby Jogger.



I have always been intrigued by these strollers, and the City Select is very high on my list of potential replacements.  These strollers were everywhere!  I was chatting with some parents on one of our many boat rides who had the single City Mini and I was asking them how they liked it.  They had a 2 year old, and one on the way.  They told me that they were in love, and that they were planning on buying the double for the new little one arriving shortly.  Apparently, they had rented the stroller from a company in Orlando and had decided that they needed one of their own.  Watching how easy it was for them to fold and unfold the stroller made me extremely envious.  I also loved the sun protection that they shade offered and that the rear was vented.  It was hitting about 112 F when we were there, so anything I could do to keep my kids cool when they were napping would have been welcome!  Granted, I did not get to try the stroller with my kids, but those parents pushing their Baby Joggers around looked a heck of lot less annoyed than I did.  :/

I also saw a lot of strollers that I had never seen before.  One that really stood out to me was the iCandy Apple stroller. 

Surprisingly, I only saw one person pushing this stroller on our trip, but it definitely caught my eye.  Isn't she pretty?!?  iCandy is certainly an appropriate name.  I love how this particular one is called "Grape" and is part of their "flavour" collection.  :)  I didn't get to learn very much about these strollers as the mama who was pushing this did not speak very much English, but, I will be researching this more and I'll share any info I come across. 

I also saw a Zooper double for the first time, and a few Cybex umbrellas that are on my list of strollers to check out.  I have read up on the Zooper line before and it is another contender for a permanent possition in our house. :)  I will share all that I have learned about these two in another post.  And of course, pics of our trip to come.  My hour of quiet is almost up, and I have yet to go back to sleep like I planned.  Stay tuned...

Ooo, and don't forget to comment and tell me what stroller you can't live without!  Oh man - just heard the hubs car pull in...time to pretend I'm sleeping!