*Yawn* Boys, Keep It Down

I am NOT a morning person. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Well, unless you count staying UP until 2-3 a.m. as being a morning person.

Growing up, I’d stay up super late and get up…super late.

My boys on the other hand, I’m pretty sure they’re up before the rooster. They now wake up before (and the alarm clock) on weekdays. For me, that has maybe happened a handful of times in my life.

BTW I’ve never noticed until now there’s not ‘e’ in snooz on my clock!

Until about 6 months ago, my alarm clock would go off at 7am, I’d hit the snooze button for a bit of extra sleep and then I’d go wake the boys up and get them ready for school. Waking them up was typically pretty easy, too. I’d go in, call their names and they’d get up. There was no wiggling them or glasses of water to the face. Just, “Buddy, time to wake up.”

The funny part about this is… it used to be that on school days, waking them up, they’d get up ok, but talk about wanting to keep sleeping and that it was too hard to wake up. Then Saturday and Sunday would come around and they’d be up BEFORE the time they’d get up for school on the weekdays.

Now, my alarm clock goes off, I STILL hit the snooze button, but when I go to wake the boys up, their beds are already empty. They’re either upstairs watching cartoons or playing on the computer. I don’t mind, it gives them time to relax before they head out for a day of learning!

Is your child a morning person? Do they get it from you?

Wordless Wednesday: College Graduate

  




I’m SO amazingly proud of my oldest daughter. She’s an amazing young lady and I’m proud to say I’m her mom. This Fall she’s off to graduate school! Make sure you check out my WW friend Full Time Mama

My New Razr Phone

I've been complaining about my Droid2 phone for about a year now (I've had it for a year and a half). The first 6 months I had it, I really liked it.  Then it started having issues. I got a refurbished one, it was a piece of junk, got a 2nd one, it was a pain in the neck. They also sent me a different battery because mine was having issues.

A couple months ago I decided I was going to start investigating what my options would be for a new phone. I was pretty sure I wanted an iPhone because everyone was going on and on about how amazing it was. Was it possible to live without Siri? My niece has one and she loves it. All  her cousins loved it, too, and kept plying Siri with question after question at Christmas.

One of my biggest gripes about my Droid2 was the camera. Piece of crap thing! It was so grainy very few pictures ever turned out well, even in good lighting. So, while at the store I took pictures with several different phones. I held them to see how they felt in my hand. Played with the features.

I walked away not 100% sure what I wanted to get. Truthfully, I thought it'd be the iPhone.

I started asking around on Twitter and in my Facebook groups and there was no consensus. Everyone had a strong opinion about iPhones or Androids. I guess the only thing that made a difference was knowing I could get 4G for the Android and could use a Flash Player. Not that either of those things mean squat to me. And really, I didn't care for Siri anyhow.

So, as May came closer, when I could get my Verizon discount, I was chomping at the bit having decided to get the Motorola Razr MAXX. The thought of the extended battery thrilled me to no end!! I'm on my phone...a lot! I need a phone with a long life! I was just biding my time until the last week of the month came around.

Then...then, I was on Twitter (shocking I know) and joined in the #VZWbuzz Twitter chat a few Fridays ago hosted by @theonlinemom. We were talking about Mother's Day, which was apropos being I'm a mom of 4. In these kinds of Twitter chats, I don't ever expect to win anything. There's one prize (a Razr) at the end, it's different at every chat, and the possibility of being the one chosen is slim to none.

Do I WANT to win? Uh, duh, I just don't expect to. I love the conversation at Twitter chats and parties. It's the biggest reason I go. The connection.

So, I realized about 1/2 way into this chat that I needed to take a lunch to Buddy cuz he forgot his for the baseball game he was going to that night, and I had a TON of stuff I needed to take to our church for the All City Garage Sale our town has every year.

I got to the school and checked the twitter chat. Not an easy feat when I've got so much going on. Joined in the conversation and bee lined it to the church where I dropped off all my "goodies" and tweeted in between grabbing bags. lol I'm nothing if not dedicated. =)

Well, that dedication paid off I tell you! As I was grabbing the last of the bags, I refreshed my Twitter stream and saw I won. I started crying! lol Thankfully one of the girls helping grabbed the bag from me so I didn't have to go back into the church right away. As soon as I got done there, I sent a message off to @theonlinemom and @thetechdad to thank them for blessing me with a brand new phone. What I didn't realize was there was a goody bag coming along with my phone!

So, I waited about a week and a half and my gem of a phone showed up. I was delighted to get a Verizon Insider t-shirt, a water bottle, Verizon wrist bands, and a gift card along with my phone!! It was SOOO exciting. I was definitely a kid in a candy shop.

I want to thank then for my new phone and for making my Mother's Day just that much better with this gift!!!

Snug Camisoles

My blogging friend Amy from Mi Savings Mama blogged a few weeks ago about a super cute camisole from SNUG. Keep this in mind because she'll be giving away one for my Made in America event in July! I left a comment telling her how much I needed a new one. Actually, I could use more than one in an array of colors.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the rep got hold of me and asked me if I'd like to do a review! Oh boy, you don't have to ask twice. The hardest part was choosing a color. I have several shirts that would be cute with various colors and what girl doesn't need an good selection on any given day.

When my SNUG cami arrived, oh. my. gosh. It was like it was meant to fit my body. And that's the awesome thing about their clothing line, it's meant to fit the body it's on! Whether you're petite, average, large, or pregnant, the SNUG camisole was created to fit you comfortably.

I received the peacock color! I've found that purple is a good color for me. It's made of 92% nylon and 8% spandex. It's so amazingly soft. You have to remember these are hand wash only!! Note to self! lol

The thing for me, when I've worn camisoles is they fit me strangely. As soon as they get to my hips, those said hips seem pronounced. Something I could do without. But, even with the SNUG cami fitting my body like a glove, it looked right from shoulders to hips! Thank you, God! A cami that finally looks right on me. The Basic Long Camisole looks great on it's own or underneath any shirt or jacket. Layering it is perfect! Seriously, get a few colors and you're set!

SNUG isn't limited to camisoles, either. One of the tops I'm most excited to try out next is the Bra Friendly Tank. You know you're loving the idea of that! Tell me I'm not alone who gets irritated with their bra strap being wider than the spaghetti strap of a tank top? I'd personally like to wear a tank top and not spend my day trying to hide it under the strap.

They have numerous products to choose from (not an exhaustive list):

Bandeau
Tube Top with Bra Insert
Long Sleeve Scoop Neck Shirt (yes, I want this too)
Camisole Slip (love that it 'Hides your “muffin-top” line')
Capri Leggings

Now, my only problem is, I truly would like several different colors and several different styles. This is absolutely my favorite piece of clothing right now! That means I'm going to have to save every nickle and dime so I can get a new one every so often. Of course, there's always the Sale page. =) What lady doesn't enjoy a sale?

When SNUG says it fits "most" they mean it. If you're pregnant, the same cami I'm wearing is one you can wear! This baby stretches like nobody's business!

SNUG Camisoles is partnering with Take Steps Metro-Detroit that is walking for a cure for Croh's/colitis. Join the SNUG fam Sat, June 30, 2012 for Take Steps Detroit, as we walk 4 a cure!

Stay up-to-date with SNUG not only on their website but also on Facebook and Twitter. And remember, all orders over $50 gets you free shipping!! Woot

*I received a cami in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company!

Harlem Globetrotters Basketball Clinics

My boys are big basketball layers. They love playing in the winter and would love to do a skills clinic in the summer, especially one conducted by the Harlem Globetrotters!

For the first time, the Harlem Globetrotters are conducting summer skills clinics to bring boys and girls ages 6-14 behind the curtain to see the Globetrotters’ electrifying skills and tricks, while also having fun staying active.

Each participant receives:

A free ticket voucher (valued up to $40) to see the Globetrotters during their 2013      World Tour

Autographs and photos with the stars!

3-day trial pass to 24 Hour Fitness

Clinic Locations:

Phoenix       Houston     San Francisco       New Jersey

Denver        Dallas        Los Angeles         Seattle

St Louis       Miami        Las Vegas

Save $10 on registration! Enter the Coupon Code USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration or mention when calling 1-800-641-HOOP (4667) Click Here: http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/basketball-skills-clinics/summer-2012

*I will be receiving tickets as compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and never influenced by the company.

DISNEYŸPIXAR Family Favorites at AMC Theaters®

I really didn't have any plans this weekend, but now that I know about this, I know my boys and I are going to hit a movie!!

With the summer movie season heating up, four popular Disney•Pixar movies are returning exclusively to AMC Theatres for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. From May 25 through May 28, “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille,” “Up” and “WALL•E” will be featured at AMC locations around the country. Each film will be accompanied by a classic Pixar short film and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming movie, “Brave.”

“There are some great films coming out Memorial Day weekend but nothing specifically for families and young children,” said Sun Dee Larson, vice president of Film Marketing at AMC. “We’re excited to provide our guests with an opportunity to take the whole family out to the theatre to enjoy some of the most treasured movies of all time, plus give our guests the chance to see a behind-the-scenes look at ‘Brave.’”

Priced at $6 per movie (pricing may vary), each movie will play once every day on a rotating schedule. Participating locations, showtime information and advance tickets are available now at amctheatres.com/pixar.

http://www.facebook.com/DisneyPixar

http://www.facebook.com/PixarToyStory

http://www.facebook.com/PixarRatatouille

http://www.facebook.com/PixarUp

http://www.facebook.com/PixarWallE

*I have not been compensated in any way for this post. Enjoy your weekend!

Balance Bar BARE Father's Day Giveaway

I'm very active at work. I work in retail, and my store is huge. My job is to walk guests to what they need. I walk all day long. I only work 6 hrs so I get a short break in the middle of my day. Not long enough for a full meal, so I usually have a bar of some sort and a piece of fruit and eat something else more substantial when I get home.

I've started eating Balance Bar BARE for my noon snack. It really does give me the energy to get through the rest of the day! In fact, I was going to eat one for a snack last night and realized it wouldn't be that great of an idea because the last thing I needed at 11:30pm was a nutrition/energy bar!

I tried all 3 varieties of the BARE bar and they were all delicious! Your options are:

Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter 
Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond
Blueberry Acai

My favorite was the Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond, although all 3 flavors were yummy! It was a very full bar. No skimping with quantity or quality. I felt very satisfied when I finished eating my Bar! I'm finding that Balance Bar is really a good tasting, satisfying product to go to as a snack and for the extra bit of energy I need for my day!

Here's a bit more about the Balance Bar BARE:

"BARE Balance bars are sweetened with all natural organic agave and brown rice syrup. They contain 15 grams of protein, up to 5 grams of fiber and up to 7 grams of whole grains. They have 200 calories, 19 vitamins and minerals, and are an excellent source of antioxidants. Each 1.76 oz. single serve BARE bar adheres to Balance Bar’s proven healthy 40/30/30 nutritional model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein, and 30% from dietary fat) to help stabilize blood sugar levels, satisfy hunger and provide lasting energy."

The limited-edition Balance Bar Father’s Day Gift Set includes:

·       fifteen BARE Balance bars in three delicious flavors – Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter; Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond; and Blueberry Acai.

·       an exclusive Balance Bar water bottle with a special built-in compartment perfect for storing a BARE bar

·       a playful “BARE Hug” Father’s Day card

The items are wrapped together for an extra-special presentation and neatly boxed for free ground shipping.

The very affordable Balance Bar BARE Father’s Day Gift Set is only available online at www.shopBalance.com while supplies last. The introductory price of $17.84 – valued at $27.00 – includes ground shipping and handling within the U.S. (Tax where applicable is not included.) To qualify for free ground shipping, orders must be placed by June 11, 2012.

Wordless Wednesday: In Bloom

Giant Iris

Iris – Purple

Iris – Yellow

Strawberries

Rose Bush

Dahlia

Can you see the Bumble Bee?

Lenovo Speakers ~ What I'll Need

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lenovo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My plan is to get my very own laptop this year!! I've borrowed my daughters, but that thing is on it's last leg. My boys like using it to listen to YouTube videos and play games. We've used the internal speakers on it and that leaves a lot to be desired.

I have to admit, I kind of like my music loud and having a Lenovo speaker set would be awesome! Usually, if my boys or I want to listen to music, we go to the desktop where we can hear it better. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. If we're away from home, I want to be able to transport a pair of Lenovo speakers with us!

Being that they're so compact, they'd travel very easily. And now that I have a new smartphone, I'd be able to stream music any time I want!! And since my youngest lost his ipod a couple months ago, if Buddy brings his ipod on trips, they could plug the speakers in and have tunes on the go! So nice for traveling!
I love that the Lenovo M0520 has a main speaker with a built-in amplifier and a sub-speaker! It's also nice that the speaker wire spools so they aren't draped all over the place! My cats have a thing for skinny wires and being able to tuck them away is a bonus!

Right now from 5/15-5/21 these speakers are on sale for only $11.99! That's a fantastic price!
Do you use external speakers? If so, what do you like most about them?

Uncontainable Love – My Dog’s Escapades

Four years ago, my dog, Rugby was born on a farm. I had no idea he was going to come into my life two months later. I was at the local County Fair when I got the call from my then husband that he had a surprise for me.

A close friend of mine was with me and I turned to her saying, "he got us a puppy." She looked at me like I was crazy. How would I know that when he didn't say that's what he'd done? Let me back up and explain why I knew this is what he'd done.

A couple months earlier, we'd had an incident in my neighborhood with a young guy creeping between houses in the wee hours of the morning. Our neighbor was getting ready to head to work when he saw this guy sneaking between the houses! There are only a handful of houses out here on our country road, so this guy and this car obviously didn't belong.

After that, we were all kind of on edge. So, I knew when I got the phone call that he had a puppy for me. We got over to our friend's house and sure enough, there was the cutest little puppy sitting in the living room! He was pretty skittish. That kind of concerned me. He was laying on the floor scooching around. I had kind of hoped to pick out my own puppy, but here he was.

Our new puppy

I took him home and we started thinking of a name. I honestly have no clue where the name Rugby came from. I've never played it, known anyone to play it or watched it. But there it was in my head as I looked at him and I knew it was his name.

I remember taking my first pictures of him. He was completely scared of the camera. It was pretty funny and sad at the same time. Oh, I forgot to mention he was a Border Collie/Collie mix. A beautiful red and white color.

Rugby became MY dog. Sure, he loved the entire family, but he was my shadow in everything! Wherever I went in the house, he was right there with me. This never let up, for one minute. He was such a smart dog! I'd never had a Border Collie before, but my first dog was a Shetland Sheepdog, which is in the same family. I thought he'd be perfect for agility games! Yes, he was that smart.

Rugby and K.D.

Two weeks before he turned two years old my then 5 yr old son came downstairs in tears telling me something was wrong with Rugby. I went and found him frothing at the mouth, staggering around and his pupils were dilated. My first thought was rabies. We're out in the country so there are bats everywhere. Since my little guy was so frightened, I sent him down to his room.

I got online and started researching his symptoms and asking other who have dogs if they'd heard of any of the symptoms he was showing. It was the weekend so I had to wait for Monday before I took him to the vets and it turns out he was having seizures. The vet looked him over and took some blood to run tests.

I put him on medication and it seemed to help. He would have a seizure every couple of weeks. I have to say, Rugby having a seizure was one of the worst things I've ever heard or witnessed. About 6 months after he had his first seizure I thought we were going to loose him one day when he had them over and over again. We added a medication and thankfully his seizures were under control again.

Rugby loved when I shoveled and he tried to catch the snow

He lived with these seizures for over a year. We went to Chicago last August and as always, Rugby went with us. He was always traveling with us. I just knew we had to keep his stress to a minimum. Unfortunately, being that he was my shadow, when I was gone for a day, he didn't handle it well. I let him out that night after having a couple of seizures, so he could go to the bathroom. Nothing unusual as he'd been to my in-laws numerous times. This time unfortunately, his seizures had affected him so badly, he took off and was hit by a car. It was horrible. The whole family was so sad. We buried him there on the property so we can always visit him when we go back.

My boys will be getting out of school the first week of June and we're looking for a new Border Collie. We're all pretty excited to have a new puppy around the house. I have a friend at work keeping an eye out because she has a Border Collie as well. I can't wait to share about our new addition once it's arrived!!

This tender memory is being shared and sponsored by DogFenceDIY, the dog containment system pros. Together we are promoting effective dog safety practices and wish everyone a fun and enjoyable summer!

Cookie Coo Dance Star Giveaway - Win a $200 Amazon Gift Card

The CookieCoo Dancing Star app lets kids play along with their favorite traditional children’s songs, like “Hokey Pokey,” while watching a whimsical 3D cookie character dance and sing with the music. CookieCoo Dancing Star is a perfect combination of fun and learning—it’s a game parents can feel good about letting their kids play, because they’ll be learning and practicing important concepts while they enjoy themselves.

 Download CookieCoo Dancing Star for FREE from May 18 - 31 here:

iPad download | iPhone download

 To celebrate, CookieCoo Dancing Star will be giving away a $200 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader! Giveaway is open worldwide and ends May 31st at 11:59 PM EST.

CookieCoo is also giving away an additional $100 on their Facebook Fanpage. Visit for more information!

Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss #NaturalBlissWM

About a year ago I became a big coffee drinker. Ok, let me rephrase that. I became a big coffee drinker at home. I’ve always loved grabbing a coffee while out and about, but I never had the desire to make a full pot of coffee. Then my mom bought me a Keurig for my birthday last year.
I’ve enjoyed getting to try all the amazing coffee creamers available on the market. And last week I had the chance to head to Walmart to grab some Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss while I was doing my regular shopping. Cuz you know, I’m there nearly every other day!

It’s always good when I end my day grabbing groceries on my way home from work. It’s nice that I don’t have to go home and come back to town to shop since it’s about 1/2 an hour away from my house.
As always, when I entered Walmart, the greeting lady was there. She’s always so sweet and friendly! And then we start off with one of my favorite parts of the store…Produce!
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves! I went shopping right before Mother’s Day so there were some fantastic goodies right as you walked into the store! Hello baked goods and flowers.

In the past couple of years I’ve stopped making grocery lists. I pretty much know exactly what I’m going to get every single time. My path is same because it’s so simple.

My very favorite section is the Dairy aisle! Doodle’s yogurt, Buddy’s cream cheese, and my milk & creamer! at this point I’ve tried just about all the creamers in the coolers. This was my first time purchasing Natural Bliss which is naturally flavored!

And when I say “natural” it means it only has these ingredients:

nonfat milk
heavy cream
sugar
natural flavor


That’s IT!!

When I got to the register, I realized I did my usual and forgot my coupon for the creamer! Ugh, I was so frustrated.

I got the rest of my groceries, including my much needed K-cups, and headed home ready for a cup of coffee to keep my evening going.

I love caramel so I tried that flavor first! It was definitely bliss! I was very pleased with the taste and not to overdo it, tried the other two over the next couple of days!
This is really a creamer I’ll continue purchasing. I’m trying to fit healthy into our lives and having a natural coffee creamer helps me out big time. Especially since I’m kind of heavy on the creamer!
Be sure to check out my entire shopping trip with my Google + story!

Keep up with them on their Facebook Page There’s going to be a Twitter party coming up (day and time TBD) so make sure you follow the #NaturalBlissWM hashtag!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias all opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly

Check out these other Wordless Wednesday participants: Full Time Mama and MI Savings Mama

Children’s Bedding at Target #CBias

Since I live about 1/2 an hour from where I work, I always go shopping after work. There aren’t any shops in my small town, so I try to use my time wisely after work!

I had to go to Target because needed to find something to wear to my daughter’s graduation party, the boys desperately need summer clothing, and it’s time for us to upgrade their bedding!

Most of the bedding we have for them is what they’ve been using for about 5+ yrs. They’re moving into teenage and tweenage hood and they are ready to move past the Noah’s Ark theme. I know, poor boys!
Often times when I get to my local Target I say “hi” to Tom, the brother of a friend of mine. He’s one of the guys who grabs all the carts. He’s always delightful to see.
I headed to the women’s clothing first and perused their selection of dresses. I didn’t really find anything that time around, but have found something since my shopping trip! Yay me!

From there I headed to the boys clothing trying to find some shorts they might like. I’m totally thrifty and will save where I can. I always head to their clearance racks to see if I can find a bargain! I found a few shirts for the boys. Still need to figure out what to do about shorts.

I found the bedding and dreamed about what I’d get myself first if I could get some “mom” bedding. I love the thought of some new sheets and comforters. Some bright and airy new sheets are just what this mama needs!
I sadly left the bedding I want and found bedding for teens and kids. The teen girl section seemed to have a lot of options. Lots of pink, girlie styled decor and bedding. Sadly, my girls are in the adult bedding age now. lol

The next aisle is more of what I was looking for. It was geared towards boys! One of the things I noticed though, was that there was only the Shaun White series that was more for tween/teen boys. The other selections they had were dinosaur themed and car themed. So, that didn’t give me a lot of options for my almost 13yr old son.
It was nice that they had 3 different styles for the line, but I would’ve liked having more options like the girls section. When I went around the corner, there was a whole aisle that was “theme” with bedding from Star Wars, to Cars and The Avengers. So, plenty of options for younger boys.

And do you see all those awesome sale tags! I felt like I’d hit the mother load with all the sale prices! I ended up grabbing a set of Star Wars sheets for Doodle and went back and forth with the Shaun White sheets. I finally decided on the blue/gray set for Buddy.
When I got home, I had the boys strip their bed (I know, you should always wash sheets before you put them on your bed…blah blah blah. I wanted to get them on their beds so I could show you, and my boys, how sweet their new sets were. Why don’t kids get as excited about these kinds of things like I do?
When the boys were going to bed, Buddy (who is a Star Wars geek to the nth degree) says, can I have the Star Wars sheets? lol I can NOT win! I figured with the Shaun White set, he’d be feeling all “grown up” and away from the little kid sets. Apparently when it comes to Star Wars, one never fully grows up.
I asked Doodle if he’d be ok swapping with his brother for the Shaun White sheets. I explained who Shaun is, we loved the Winter Olympics, and he seemed fine with the change.

How do you know when you should start upgrading your kids to an older style whether it’s in bedding or clothing? Do you wait for them to speak up or do you just do it on your own?

Check out my entire shopping experience on my Google + page!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own and never influenced by the company.