Just in case anyone wonders why I suddenly started placing all the paragraphs in my posts close together.. it’s not me! It’s my blog. I have no clue what has happened but as of my last two posts everything is jumbled up together. I’ve been working on fixing it for over 2 hours to no avail.

Hopefully I will find a fix because it’s driving me insane.

Got milk has another promotion going on right now called Milk Fits You. This promotion is geared more towards teen girls. They’re giving away $100 Gift cards to http://www.shopjustice.com/.  Since I do not have any teens I’d never heard of it until now. I did notice they have boys clothes though as well and some of their stuff is super cheap. Like $3.99 for T-shirts. So you might want to enter and play to win. 

I actually won an awesome knife set from a different milk promotion last year, so yes, you can win. It took about 3 months to receive my prize though. (But was totally worth the wait).

They also have a $1 off any size white milk coupon that they are sending out if you sign up. Milk coupons are pretty rare and since lots of us have babies who drink it I thought I would share the link!

http://promotions.whymilk.com/milk-fits-you/coupon/

The small print: While supplies last. Offer limited to one (1) per person, email or household. Must be 18 years or older. Please allow us 6 to 8 weeks to mail you your coupon. Valid only in the U.S.A.

This post brought to you by PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Due to a variety of circumstances, including Dr. recommended supplementing,  when my oldest son was only 6 months old he weaned himself. Within the next couple of months he was eating more than 10 cans of formula a month! That’s when I discovered Parent’s Choice Formula at Wal-Mart. Of course I was skeptical at first but after a ton of research I realized It was a fraction of the price and had the same ingredients. If it hadn’t been for Parent’s Choice I think my son would have ate us out of house and home. Today he’s a happy, healthy, 3 year old.

I bet you didn’t know that Parent’s Choice infant formula has been around for 13 years did you?  They’ve been helping write the earliest chapters in millions of success stories by allowing parents to provide their children with outstanding nutrition at affordable prices, and now the folks at Parent’s Choice will help one student and one family write another important chapter with the launch of the Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Savings Sweepstakes.  Here’s the info you need to know:

The Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Sweepstakes was officially launched  June 15th, and will run through 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2011.

One lucky winner will get a $10,000 college scholarship in the form of a College Savings 529 Plan.

More information, rules and an entry form is available at http://parentschoicesweepstakes.listrak.com/

About Parent’s Choice

Parent’s Choice Infant formula is Walmart’s private brand formula and is available exclusively at Walmart locations nationwide and online at www.walmart.com.

Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Savings Sweepstakes

Here are a few pics I caught with my Canon Rebel T2i. If I had known such an eclipse was coming I would have invested in the telephoto lens. These were just caught with my 18-55mm.  I was lucky enough the kids stayed in bed. I was up until 3:17am hoping to catch the “Red” color but alas it was not meant to be. Clouds moved in and the only thing that was visible was a red tinted sky. *sigh*  I’d say maybe next time but it’s highly unlikely I’ll still be alive the next time this special occasion comes along. Unless of course I find the fountain of youth

Were you able to see the eclipse where you were?

In case you haven’t heard, Macy’s is now offering products from a new line entitled “Heart of Haiti”.

The Heart of Haiti collection is an array of handmade products for the home such as quilts, metalwork, ceramics, paintings, vases, picture frames, necklaces, clutch purses and more, which typically fall within the $25-$60 range. Each item is designed by a Haitian master artisan and produced by hand in Haiti from recycled materials.

Through the sale of Heart of Haiti products, artisans are able to earn life-changing income for themselves, their families, and their communities. The initiative is enabling artisans to repair homes, pay school fees, and feed and clothe their families. The income also allows them to have access to better nutrition, improved education and healthcare.

The Heart of Haiti collection has already led to employment of 350 artists in Haiti and has provided some financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the country.

The collection is truly helping the people of Haiti rebuild their lives and communities through commerce and culture.

You can view the Heart of Haiti products on the Macy’s site: http://bit.ly/heartofhaiti

Disclaimer: I am sharing this information about Heart of Haiti through a Mom Bloggers Club member program and may receive a Heart of Haiti pendant as a thank you.

Even though I’m not a big fan of chocolate and I don’t eat it very often I always have to have some hidden away for those moments I feel I just have to have it. When that craving hits you just know that nothing else is going to substitute. I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there before.

With the holidays approaching there will be an increasing flurry of activity leading up to the big day. Organizing gifts, party schedules and planning your own celebration will be hectic enough, so why not make celebrations sweeter? According to the National Confectioners Association, the winter holidays represent the biggest boxed chocolate gifting season with more than 70 percent of adults giving or receiving a box of chocolates! Hershey’s Pot of Gold Truffles Sampler and Premium Collection gift boxes are perfect for last minute hostess gifts, unexpected holiday guests, and delicious stocking stuffers.

I love to give them to my husband of all people, but only on special occasions. I always know  I can’t go wrong and I’m sure to put a smile on his face. Boxed chocolates are also my go-to gift when I’m not sure what to get someone like my neighbor, friend, or even a co-worker, because hey, who doesn’t like chocolate?

So who do you give boxed chocolates to?

Check out: www.celebratewithhersheys.com to discover all the ways you can make someone happy with chocolate this season.

Disclaimer: By sharing this information with you I am entering a contest for a Hershey’s Pot of Gold prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is celebrating it’s 140th anniversary. Can you believe that? In this day in age with so many products out on the market some of us tend to forget about the ones that have been with us all along. Not me though, Vaseline is extremely versatile and very inexpensive. I’ve found many ways to use it over the years. Here are just a few of them:

• Cuticles – Hang nails are awful, so to prevent dry them along with dry cuticles I put a little dab on each nail. Far cheaper than a manicure!
• Feet – I’ve never had a pedicure. Yes I’m serious. So how do I keep my feet from getting dry and cracked? (because they do get that way unfortunately) After every shower I rub a generous amount onto my feet and heels, then I put socks on. After an hour or so my feet are wonderfully soft.
• Lips – I live in Michigan where we have extremely cold winters. Chapped lips are just par for the course. So how do I heal and prevent them? Vaseline of course.
• Elbows – Just like my lips and my feet, I get extremely dry elbows. Especially when I am constantly sitting at the computer and resting them on my desk. Vaseline is always a helpful cure.
• Teeth – As far back as I can remember I’ve always heard that a little Vaseline on teeth before you put your lipstick on will help prevent your lipstick from getting on your teeth. (we’ve all seen that happen to someone before). I’ve also heard it makes your teeth extra shiny.
• Pierced Ears – I don’t wear earrings very often these days but when I was younger I was always taught to put a little Vaseline on the posts to help them go in easier and it always worked.
• When Dying Your Hair – There was a time in my life for about 10 years when I hadn’t seen my real hair color. Whenever I dyed it I used a little ring of Vaseline around my hair line to prevent the dye from staining my skin. It’s especially useful when dying black dye.
• Carved Pumpkins – After you’ve carved your pumpkin make sure to rub a little bit of Vaseline around the edges where you carved. It will help prevent it from drying out as quickly.
• Dry Hair – When your hair is extra dry or if you’re prone to frizzy hair you can smear Vaseline around on your hands and then lightly run your hands through your hair. It’s just like pomade but without the price! As someone with curly hair who likes to straighten it I’ve done this many times.
• Tattoos – Some people don’t agree with this but I know from experience that if you use just a tiny bit of Vaseline on a fresh tattoo it will help keep it from drying out. The key though is moderation. Don’t go overboard.

With so many ways to use Vaseline it’s no wonder it’s been around for 140 years.  So what do YOU use Vaseline for? I’d love to hear your tips.

Disclaimer:I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Vaseline blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Have you heard of The Hub? It just launched on October 10, 2010. It’s a new tv channel for kids and families. They hope to inspire, entertain, and engage kids, while also bringing families together. In celebration of their launch they have teamed up with Twittermoms and are asking members to share 10 ideas for incorporating fun and play into your children’s daily activities.

With a 2 1/2 year old in my house, pretty much all the chores we do incorporate fun and play. I’m of the opinion that you should let kids be kids for as long as they can. We all grow up too soon and have real responsibilities to tend to, so why not have fun while we can? And to be truthful, having a toddler with me every day reminds me not to take things so seriously all the time. However, ask any adult that knows me and they’ll tell you that I’m a stickler for getting chores done on time and on a regular basis. I absolutely despise cleaning up other people’s messes! especially adults.

When I discovered I was having a son it was my intention to instill as many good values in him as I possibly could. The biggest thing for me? Get him to clean up after himself and like to do it.. or well.. at least not hate it.  This way when he’s an adult he’ll be able to make his wife very very happy and his Mom, proud.

Here a few of the things that we do to make our daily activities less like chores:

•  Dishes – My son absolutely loves doing dishes. Me? No way. I’m 35 and I’ve been doing dishes over half my life and without a dish washer. So when my 2 1/2 year old constantly drags the chair over to the sink and insists on helping, I let him. Yes it takes me twice as long but we’re spending precious time together and he’s learning a  skill.  I wash. He rinses. Why is it so much fun for a toddler? Being independent is fun. It allows him to to do just that without me being overbearing. He’s also learning how to work as a team and? we’re getting those dishes done!

•  Laundry/ Sorting Clothes – Laundry at our house is definitely a daily activity sometimes. Because we have a portable washer that leaks it can sometimes take up to 4 days to get our clothes washed and dried. I just added another child into the mix so now it’s gotten even worse. So how do we make it fun? My toddler helps sort all the clothes. He brings them from all the rooms and out of the hampers near the washing machine or into baskets for his Dad to take to the laundromat. While he’s sorting he learns his colors. So in the end he’s learning and getting a sense of accomplishment.. and in his own little way he get’s to make a mess by dragging the clothes all over the house.

• Preparing Meals – This is probably the best time to incorporate learning, fun and feelings of accomplishment for your child. The best thing you can do? Let your child help. Start out with small tasks. Let them be involved and don’t be afraid of messes. I actually learned to calm down a little and not be so scared of letting the kitchen get messy and in return my son gets to have a lot of fun.  He especially loves helping me make cookies or bread, but no matter what it is we eat for dinner I always let him get involved, even if it’s just picking out the pots and pans or getting me a spoon.

• Car Rides – Some people sing in the shower, we sing in the car. Riding in the car can get boring really fast especially when it’s completely silent. From the very beginning of my son’s life whenever we were alone in the car together I would take the time to sing to him and play music. Just a couple months ago this led to Lady Gaga being requested every 15 minutes for a 15 hour drive lol. That’s ok though because all the singing and music I’ve incorporated into his life has helped him to find his own voice and we have a lot of fun.

• Grocery Shopping – Ever been in a store and seen a kid have a meltdown? I’m sure we all have. Even my kid has freaked out in the store ,that’s why when we go now we try to make it a fun/learning event and not a dash in and dash out or one of those events where you give in and stick a donut or sucker in your kids mouth to keep them quiet. Nope, no bribing here.  I let my son help me find things. I also started him on learning a “grocery list” at a very young age. We’d lay in bed at night and I’d encourage him to help me make a list of what we would buy. By the time we got to the store he was excited because he had helped me remember everything. It also really helped kick start his vocabulary.

• Brushing Teeth –  Having my toddler learn to brush his own teeth is something I started working on as soon as he had his first few teeth. Apparently I’ve made it fun enough that more than a year later my son is the one who tells ME it’s time to brush our teeth. We laugh, we make funny faces, I brush my teeth with him, I gargle and do silly things and overall we make brushing time a light-hearted event and not a chore, which unfortunately a lot of children and parents think it is. One thing to remember that is extremely important. If you show boredom or laziness.. so will your child and most certainly never yell at them about it. We talk about how teeth can fall out if you don’t brush them and how happy the dentist will be when he see’s our teeth are nice and clean. A little encouragement goes a long way.

• Reading – A lot of children love to read but some just aren’t as interested in it as others. My son wasn’t really into it until he was almost 2 years old. That really disappointed me because I thought maybe he wouldn’t learn as quickly but I was very wrong. Even though he wasn’t sitting with me when I read out loud, he was listening to what I was saying and taking it all in.  So the number one thing here is that you have to remember even if they won’t sit still long enough to let you read to them, chances are they do hear you.  There are ways that I found eventually to make it more interesting for him. I read each persons part in a different voice and I go into great detail when there’s a picture. We stop and take a little break from all the words and we discuss the pictures.. but most of all I get very very animated and make it as fun as possible.  These days my son comes to me to read and not vice versa.

• ABC’s – 123’s -   For me, learning has always been fun and I take great pride in helping my child. The way I make some of the learning more fun is I incorporate foreign language. I studied German, Spanish and a little bit of French in school and I also married a Norwegian. Every night before bed we do numbers 1-10 in German and Spanish and we laugh at the way the words sound. My son just turned 2.5 years old and he can now say his numbers 1-10 just like Dora, or “D” as he calls her.  ABC’s are fun too because we say things like “C is for Cat” and then we meow and act silly. Of course this sort of approach gets harder as your kid get’s older but as long as you keep it fun and remind them of all the things they can do in life if they have a great education, it won’t be quite as strenuous.

• Bathing – We don’t have a bath tub at our house, unfortunately we only have a small stand up shower. You can imagine my frustration when I realized I would have to teach a toddler how to shower instead of bathe. One of the ways I’ve made this more fun is allowed him to act silly and not just rush him. So now showering time is dancing time! In between washing he shows off all his new dance moves and acts super crazy. He get’s out all the remaining energy of the day and when he is done, it’s time to relax before bed time.

• Exercising – Young children need exercise! I can’t believe how many of the parents in my neighborhood have children close to my son’s age and I never see their kids outside. Every single day we go outside to “play”.  We could sit in a sandbox or make mud pies but most of the time we learn how to kick a ball, how to catch and sometimes we just run around and chase each other (more my husband doing the running since I was pregnant all summer). We walk to the park, which is 4 blocks away, instead of driving and we generally try to keep active during our play. In the winter time we use the Wii to keep us moving since it’s so cold outside. Most of all, we make exercise fun!

Since my son was able to walk he has been helping me around the house. I took his eagerness to help and have used that to his and mine advantage. We learn while we play, we play while we learn and we try to have fun while we’re doing it.  I hope some of these tips and suggestions will help give you ideas so you can do the same.

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and The Hub blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Deal Of The Day

For one day only on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010, For just four Juicy Rewards points, Juicy Rewards members can enter for the chance to win the perfect portable accessory for work or play.

Need Points?

Read my original post: Tropicana Juicy Rewards – 20,000 Ways To Save – If you haven’t already signed up read this post FIRST! because you will find codes that can be used but only within 6 hours of signing up. You’ll also find lots of info about how the program works.

If you’re out of points you can also buy a carton of Trop50 which will net you 6 points total.  Or you can use a shoppers card when you input your code from a regular carton of Tropicana oj and you will receive double points (6).

The offer begins at 12:01 a.m. CT on Oct.7, 2010 and ends at 11:59 pm CT on Oct. 7, 2010. Just a reminder that there is no purchase necessary. See the Official Rules for more details, including how to enter by mail.

*Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.  MacBook is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.  All rights reserved.*

_______________________________________________________________

Connect With Tropicana Online

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post in any way.

It’s the final countdown.  Doo doo doo doo.. doo doo doo doo doo. 

Yep, that’s right. I can’t believe it.   I am officially 25 days from my due date. Apparently having a 2 year old at home makes your second pregnancy just fly by. Except for the last few weeks which have not been fun at all.

Kidney Stones How I loathe Thee

I had planned to post this 5 days ago but since then I’ve come to the conclusion just like last pregnancy I am suffering from a kidney stone. I’ve been miserable and in pain for days. I considered the possibility I was having back labor but when the pain stayed focused on my left kidney I knew what was happening.  To survive this without narcotics has been an extreme challenge. I can handle A LOT of pain before I actually start complaining, I did have a 10lb baby after all, but right now it’s all I can do to stay sane.  2 times now I’ve considered going to the hospital but now my husband has gone back to work until Friday so I’ll try to stick it out until then.

Bed Rest? Yeah Right

This pregnancy has been filled with all sorts of surprises. From the start when I had awful morning (all day) sickness to the fact that I only gained 16lbs until 2 weeks ago when I went up 11lbs in 13 days! Then came the death of my Grandma and the high blood pressure, the preeclampsia scare, iron deficiency, weekly office visits that I was told I was no longer allowed to bring my 2 year old to (wow how convenient), the big-time hormone fluctuations and now finally the kidney stone(s) and hip/back pain because I’m approaching the weight I was when I was pregnant with my 1st son.. which we won’t discuss. All I’ll say is I gained 54+lbs.  Oh yeah and then there’s the bed rest.

Mommy’s Sick

My poor baby boy has really missed out this summer on a lot of things. We did make it to the zoo and played a lot in the beginning at the park etc. but for the majority of this time all he’s heard is the lame excuse “mommy’s sick”. Yeah, mommy’s not only sick but mommy’s sick and tired… of all those people who had promised to stop by and check on me or to call. Not one person has lived up to their promise. I’m sure some would even be annoyed if they read this but it’s true. Not one person has stopped by my house for the simple task of just asking a friend if they need help. I’ve had to pay all my help. I know for some it’s only fair that I pay them because they have had to miss work in order to help out but I still wonder where the friendship part comes in? When do someone unexpectedly drop in just to say hi or see if I’m alright?

I guess that’s all part of my life changing. Most of my friends don’t have children and those that do are busy 24/7 with work and other things.  Sometimes I ask myself though.. what’s my families excuse?  We’ve all heard that it takes a village but unfortunately around here that doesn’t apply. I got 1 hours help from my brother this pregnancy. Granted he’s only 18 and he don’t get it but my sister does and I have only seen her once in the past year and that was at my Grandma’s funeral.  I’ll never forget her last words to me. “you’re not alone”. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. Other people… we won’t get into specifics but they’re not here.. they’re not stopping by and they’re not calling. They return MY calls but they’re not calling…..and the thing that hurts the most…. they’re not spending time with my son and they’re missing out on things that none of us can ever experience with him again.  I log on to Facebook only to see that from sun up to sun down people are busy playing games and it just amazes me that people would choose that over a real life flesh and bone person that loves them, cares for them, wants to play and have fun with them and who talks about them non-stop. How many times can you tell a 2 yr old that EVERYONE is working when they’re really not?

Great Grandma – High In the Sky

With the moon and the stars. She watches us every day. At least that’s what my 2 year old son tells me. I haven’t talked about it much and it’s been 2 months now but the death of my Grandma has really been hard for me. I hadn’t seen her in person for 3 yrs and the last time I did she cried so hard her whole body shook. I don’t think anyone has been that happy to see me since then. I don’t know.. I don’t want to start a long drawn out story because I’m already crying now.. I guess I just needed to get it out. I miss her. I miss picking up the phone and getting advice and hearing her witty comebacks. I miss knowing that someone on this earth besides my son loves me unconditionally and would never stop speaking to me if they were mad at me. Would never abandon me out of spite. Would never just give up on our relationship. She truly loved me and she kept the most important promise she ever made me until the day she died. I just thank God that every day I have my son to remind me that she’s still around. It’s just really hard some days to get up knowing that everyone you lived with in your house is now gone. It’s just you…and you constantly wait around for others who don’t have time.

I think I’ll end this post now. I don’t write much personal stuff these days but I guess I just wanted it out there. I’m going to have another baby soon and things can happen that you don’t expect. Hopefully it will all be positive but in the case that it isn’t… at least someone will know how I felt. That’s what this blog was supposed to be about to begin with. Real life. Although I love doing giveaways and even as hard as it can be sometimes I still love my life. We all have bad days. This is my way of getting it out and moving on. Hope you understand.

P.S. I am a big fan of art. Since I haven’t had time to do my own lately I thought I’d start sharing more here in my posts from wonderfully talented artists from Deviantart, which I’ve been a member of for many years. This piece here is so absolutely fitting when I think of my Grandma. My son always tells me he can’t reach the moon or Great Grandma and since she’s up there now this piece is just so fitting. I tell him “Someday baby, when we’re very old and we’ve lived a long happy life we’ll reach Great Grandma again.”

The Stars Shine Down by *damaskangel on deviantART