Innovia {Review & Giveaway}

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this product with you!  Innovia's Automatic Paper Towel Dispenser has been such an amazing addition to my kitchen, and I want to tell everyone I see how fantastic it is!!  Even better though, I can tell you how to get one - FOR FREE!! 

Head over to A Frog in My Soup to read my full review and enter the giveaway!  One lucky winner is going to get their own Innovia Dispenser to show off!  Yippee!

MIA

To say that I have been MIA would be a major understatement.  Unfortunately, just when I thought everyone in our house was finally healthy, P came down with the dreaded stomach bug.  It went something like this:

12:30 am

P:  (Enters our bedroom and wakes me up) Mama.  Mama.  Mama!  I want to cuddle.
Me:  Sorry bud, let's go tuck you back into your bed.
P:  But Mama, I really want to cu.  (Spewing begins)

Thus began the vicious cycle of bath, barf, bath, barf on dog, bath, bath for dog, etc.

Knock on wood, the virus is completely gone and my babies are back to their normal, happy, healthy selves.  Let's hope this lasts.

Please pardon my lack of posts, but I'll be back, as soon as my brain begins to function semi normally again.

Valentine's Day Cards

I am so excited about Valentine's Day!  For me, it's more about celebrating love in general, especially because my kids don't really let my hubby and I have any alone time. ;)  Of course, one of my favorite things about any holiday is sending out picture cards!  (Ha!  My poor kids!  My parents still have all of our Christmas card pictures hanging in their hallway and it's mortifying!  At least my kids can do it to their kids someday...)

Anyway, this year I am super excited about my Valentine's Day Cards because the wonderful people who represent Greeting Card Universe have offered to give me a few free cards to send to my loved ones! 

I need your help though.  I'm super indecisive as it is, and Greeting Card Universe has sooo many cute choices!  I can't decide!!  Here are my top three four...leave me a comment with your favorite, and maybe I'll send you one!! ;)

Choice #1:

I'm digging the whole Owl theme, as you will see when you check out choice number two...

Choice #2:



Also super cute, but a different type of picture window...

Choice #3:



Choice #4: 

I love the colors, and the ribbon going across the bottom.  Fun and bright - perfect for a dreary winter...


So, what are your thoughts?  Do you like any of these better than another?  Did you see an even better design on Greeting Card Universe??   Leave me a comment and let me know!  I need help! ;)

Have You Entered??

Have you gone over to A Frog in My Soup to read my review of Stages of Beauty yet??  If not, go check it out here!  Stages of Beauty is giving one lucky reader a cream and serum of their choice!  Yippeee!! :)

I am using the Radiance collection and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  Good luck and happy entering! :)

National Get Organized Month

January is National Get Organized Month, and in that spirit I have been searching for ways to get (and KEEP) my house organized!

Of course, you know how this started, right?

Yup.  Pinterest.  (Well, that and the fact that it hasn't even been a month since Christmas and half of my kids new toys are "missing" in the mess that is our living room.  Including P's Leappad.  Not. A. Happy. Mama.)

Anyhoo, here are some fabulous ways to organize your house, thanks to Pinterest.  Let me just say that I will be starting with our bathroom medicine cabinet!

Thanks to Pinterest, and of course, the fantastic Martha Steward, I will be (aka asking my dad) adhering some galvanized steel to the inside of my medicine cabinet and then using magnetic hooks hang holders for toothbrushes, hair clips, tweezers, etc.  LOVE it!  I think I may use the magnetic steel on the inside of the door, and on the outside use some pretty wallpaper like they did here.

These are more like the holders that I want to get for our toothbrushes.  I HATE when the bottom of a traditional toothbrush holder gets all mucky from the stuff that drips off of a toothbrush when you are done using it.  Ewwwwwwwww.  It's a lot easier to just take a clorox wipe to the shelf.  Trust me.

Plus I found these super cute ones for the kids at the Container Store.  (LOVE the Container Store!)

Amazon sells this great little insert for the smaller things like nail polish that can't be stacked on top of one another and therefore use up a lot of unnecessary space.

So that is goal number 1 for National Get Organized Month over here.  I am giving myself an extension on this month as well...it's only fair!  I just found about it today!!  :)

Stay tuned for more of my projects, and perhaps their outcome, if I like how it turns out!  I'm off to shop...



Something good is coming...

Remember how I told you that I was now the Product Review Coordinator over at A Frog in My Soup?  Well, tomorrow, something good is going on over there...

What?  You want a hint???

That's all I'm saying, but if I were you, I'd head over there tomorrow and see what's up.

(Aren't you glad you read my blog?) ;)

More New Things

2012 is bringing some really great new things for me and my family.  First, I have this fabulous new blog design.  Second, in addition to blogging and working for ODIZ Baby Supply, which I absolutely LOVE, I am now getting to blog for another amazing mom as well.  And third, I have decided to give my self some new rules to follow...I'll share those with you in a minute. :)

So, back to my new blogging gig.  I am so excited to tell you that I am now the Product Review Coordinator for A Frog in My Soup.  This wonderful blog is run by a Shera, a super mom to 6 (yes, 6!!) boys!  Her blog has gotten so much recognition that she has decided to bring me in to help with the reviews and giveaways, and let me tell you, we have some awesome ones lined up, so if you haven't yet, head over there and be a follower, or follow A Frog in My Soup on Facebook or Twitter so you don't miss any of the action.

Now, back to my new rules.  I originally published these as a blog post for ODIZ, but as usual, I'm sharing them here with you as well.  Let's see how long I can stick to them ;)

Every year I find myself making the same resolution...go to the gym.  And every year I take that on for a few weeks before deciding that I don't have enough time, there's too much to do, I don't have a babysitter, etc., etc., etc.

This year I decided that while I still should be working on the whole exercise/eating healthy thing, I needed to sit down and think a little about my mental health too and I compiled this list of things that I personally think every mom should try to do.

1. Stop feeling so guilty.  I don't know about you, but almost every mom I know, myself included, is constantly asking themselves "am I making my kids happy enough?", "do my kids have all the stuff they want?", "am I doing what my kids/my husband/my partner/my parents/etc. want?".  Here's the thing - we are one person with two hands and 24 hours in the day.  If we are doing our best, with love and good intentions, then that is probably enough.  It's time to stop feeling guilty for things that are out of your control.  Our kids love us because we love them unconditionally and would give them the moon if we could.  This doesn't mean that they need every toy/outfit/activity that they ask for.  Respond with your heart and they will be okay.

(The same goes for your husband - no hot meal on the table every night does not mean you don't love them!  Are you reading this, honey?)

2.  Stop worrying so much.  This is me. I am a constant worrier.  I want my kids wrapped in bubble wrap and in my arms at all times.  I don't want them to scrape their knees, or have hurt feelings, or be exposed to the very sick and cruel things that are unfortunately happening all around them.  However, this is all part of growing up, and again, it is impossible to control everything.  Kids will fall, but they will get back up again.  They will be teased, probably do some teasing themselves, and they will grow up seeing and hearing things we wish they would never have to.  But it's okay.  My kids know how much I love them and I do everything in my power to raise them in a safe and happy environment while preparing them for their lives as little people.  There isn't much else I can do, and I need to remind myself often that they are strong, smart little things and that they will be just fine.

3.  Sleep a little more.  I know what you are thinking.  Yeah, right.  Here's the thing - it is so important for both your physical and your mental health that you give your body time to rest.  I know it may be impossible to nap, but if your little one(s) do, tell yourself that is okay to join them.  Did you know that sleeping with your child is not only an extremely effective way to bond, but there are new studies that say it's actually good for child's health?!  It's true!  So cuddle up! (Of course safety is the number one concern, so only do this if it is in a way that presents no dangers to your little one!)  And if you can't nap because your kids don't or you work, then allow yourself to leave the chores for the weekend, or only do 1 load of laundry a night instead of 3, and go to bed early!  Turn off the TV, get off the Internet, and power off your phone. Enjoy the silence, decompress, and get some rest!

This leads me to my next resolution...

4.  Ignore the mess!  I have a cousin-in-law who I love dearly and who I admire so much as a mom and a women, and she has a sign in her home that says "Please excuse the mess, my children are making memories.". I LOVE it!  I'm not so sure my husband understands but I am not going to chase my kids around the house cleaning up everything they take out.  I love watching them use the couch cushions to make forts, and when they dump allll the blocks and start building cities I want to cheer!  These are budding imaginations at work!  These children are our future and I want them to think outside of the box.  I also want them to remember Mommy sitting on the floor doing puzzles with them, or making art projects, or cuddling and watching a movie, not just Mommy doing dishes or vacuuming or on the computer.  I know this stuff has to get done, but not all at once and not all the time.  Who cares if the sink is full or the laundry basket is overflowing.  Let it go for an extra day and just enjoy!  Or, get your kids involved!  My son loves to help put the laundry away, or dry the dishes, sit next to me with his little computer and "work" while I do.  And honestly, the toy bin will be dumped first thing tomorrow morning anyway.  It's okay if you forget to fill it back up tonight.  ;)

And last, but certainly not least...

5.  Allow yourself some “me” time.  Anytime that I get invited to go out for dinner with a friend, or work an event that is out of town, or even take a few hours to shop with my girls, my first instinct is to say "I can't.". But why??  Well, because I feel guilty that I won't be there to tuck my kids in to bed (see #1), and I worry that they will be sad or will get a booboo, or won't be able to find their lovey and I won't be there to help (see #2), or that the dishes won't get done, the laundry won't get folded, or the bathroom won't get cleaned (see #4).  But I need to let it go.  Talking with my friends and having some adult time is so incredibly therapeutic for me!  They get it!  They have kids, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, jobs, families, and homes, and they understand.  It's important to know that you aren't alone in your stress, and that there are ways to deal with everything going on in your life while still enjoying it and having fun!  Take time to go get a manicure and listen to the silence.  Let someone pamper you!  Go to the grocery store and take the long way home so you can blast your favorite music!  (Heck, circle the block a few times!!). Go out to dinner, indulge yourself, and then go home, kiss your family, tell them you love them.

These are my "me" goals this year.  You know what they say "Happy wife, happy life.  Happy mom, happy home.” :).