Delco Moms

Sweet Patootie

2010-11-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

I just got this message from my friend Leslee, the owner of Sweet Patootie (the cutest kids clothes and accessories EVER!!) Definitely check it out and take advantage of this amazing sale!!

enjoy!!

:) ashley

For those of you who want to avoid the craziness and herds of people in the stores on Black Friday, but still want to take advantage of the huge pre-holiday sales, join Sweet Patootie (www.sweetpatootiekids.com) on our equivalent “Cyber Monday.”

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving, November 29^th.

All full price items will be 30% off!!

Previously marked sale items and custom/monogrammed items are not to be included in the sale. This is a wonderful opportunity to get your holiday shopping done for the little ones most precious in your life. If you don’t need holiday gifts, then this is the time to buy a bigger size…for next season…for vacations coming up…or just to stock up on some quality baby/toddler/kids gifts!

Enter the code: “TURKEY” at checkout to receive 30% off your entire order.

The sale will take place Monday, November 29^th from 12am-11:59pm EST.

Happy Shopping!!

Xoxo,

Leslee

Sweet Patootie LLC

www.sweetpatootiekids.com

Growth Chart Art

2010-11-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of the summer I was looking at a picture of Brody and I realized that his cargo shorts in the beginning of the summer were super long on him, and now they were just coming to his knees. I knew he had grown but I couldn’t believe my little baby boy (he turned 2 in June) was now growing so fast! This is when I realized I wanted to start documenting his growth and I was looking into buying a growth chart.

I didn’t want to just record Brody’s height on our walls because I have heard of so many people doing this and it is one of those sentimental parts you think of when you move and leave your house. We are in a townhouse now and will probably only be our house another year or two, so I don’t want to make any marks on the walls that I will be sad to leave behind. I started shopping for a growth chart but most of the ones you find are plastic or poor quality. It was at this same time I was sent a growth chart from Growth Chart Art. ( www.GrowthChartArt.com) and it is just gorgeous!!

I was so excited; it looks like a beautiful piece of artwork that you can make into awesome family memorabilia. I was sent the sunflower growth chart. We ended up hanging it in between the kids’ rooms, right next to their bathroom. It fits perfectly and looks gorgeous. I get so many compliments on it and it is a very pretty addition to our home.

Growth Chart Art has a number of wooden growth charts in fun designs that you are sure to love. They also make the perfect gift! The materials are all eco-friendly, they use soy-based inks, no-VOC paints, and re-purposed wood. You can also get the charts personalized with one or more names!

Definitely check out their site and trust me, the charts look good on their website, but they are even more gorgeous in person!

www.GrowthChartArt.com

Help Your Child Cope with Stress!

2010-09-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Building Resilience in Children and Teens:

Preparing Our Children for Life

Dr. Ken Ginsburg

Thursday, October 28th 7-9pm

Charles F. Patton Middle School auditorium

760 Unionville Rd, Kennett Square, PA 19348

(Admission is FREE! Arrive early; parking is limited)

Using humor, real-life scenarios and poignant cases, Dr. Ken Ginsburg will teach how to raise resilient children who can deal with stress in an increasingly complex world. His unique perspective emphasizes the developmental strengths of youth, equipping participants with skills needed to better teach kids to help themselves.

Dr. Ginsburg will open his “tool kit” and offer practical, concrete strategies for:
• Developing the seven C’s: Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, Contribution, Coping & Control
• Recognizing red flags that may indicate when a child/teen is at risk.
• Supporting children and teens to develop positive coping strategies.

Dr. Ginsburg, M.D., MS Ed, FAAP is a nationally renowned pediatrician, specializing in Adolescent Medicine at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a leading authority on developing resilience in children and adolescents He is the director of Health Services at Covenant House of Philadelphia, a shelter for homeless and disenfranchised youth. His books include “A Parent’s Guide to Building Resil¬ience in Children and Teens”, “But I’m Almost 13; An Action Plan for Raising a Responsible Adolescent”, and co-author of “Less Stress, More Success”.

Don’t Miss This Nationally-Recognized Speaker!

Sponsored by FOCUS. Contact Bradley Piper with any questions: bradley.piper@gmail.com

Great Deal for You and Your Preschooler!

2010-09-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Great Wolf Lodge in the Pocono Mountains has just announced Little Wolf Pups Week: Monday through Thursday nights, October 24- October 28, 2010.

(POCONOS LOCATION ONLY)

Although the older children might be back at school, now is the perfect time for the little ones to splash and play in Great Wolf Lodge's humongous waterpark, become mesmerized by Storytime by The Fireplace, and enjoy other kid friendly amenities including Cub Club at our full service, family resort. Remember to bring their costumes to join in our Howl-O-Ween festivities!!

Come with the whole family, or partner up with another mom for the ultimate playdate!

Guests will receive a highly discounted rate of $159.00 per room per night during this special week. Room package includes waterpark passes for up to 6 people per room!

Reservations can be made at www.greatwolf.com, or by calling 1-800-768-9653.

** Important: Group Code LITTLE10 must be mentioned at time of reservation to receive this special rate. **

Reservations must be made by October 8, 2010. Other restrictions apply.

Book early to take advantage of this fabulous offer. Room availability is limited.

Lullabelly

2010-05-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last week on MomSpace TV (our web show if you missed it… every Tuesday night 8-9pm on www.minglemediatv.com ) I talked about 3 great products for new moms! One of those was the Lullabelly.

The Lullabelly is a prenatal music belt that is basically an alternative to using headphones on your belly like women used to do while they were pregnant. Your iPod can plug right into the super soft belt as you play music for your baby in the womb. Playing music for your baby is said to help with fetal brain development, reduce stress levels, and creates a bonding experience with your baby. Active listening usually begins around the 24th week of pregnancy. I used to play music for Brody all the time when I was pregnant with him. I would listen to Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and he would seriously kick like crazy! To this day, he still loves the same music!! He claps and gets so excited when he hears the same songs that used to excite him in the womb.

The Lullabelly is great, you can use it while walking, working out, or just hanging out at home. The fabric is really soft and it comes in pink, blue, or green, it’s perfect for a shower gift! I loved receiving this belt, since I am pregnant with my second, I am usually running around chasing Brody and I have slacked off doing things like reading to the baby in my belly… but I left the Lullabelly on our kitchen table and it was a reminder to pop in my iPod and play music for the baby. You will be hooked once you feel your baby instantly move and kick when the music starts. The Lullabelly is such a cute, comfy, easy way to start bonding with your baby.

You can purchase your Lullabelly,
or a Lullabelly for a friend right
on their website at:
www.lullabelly.com

disclosure: cmp.ly/1/ie4oar

Creative Juice Group~ MomSpace TV~ Mingle Media TV

2010-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

So in case you missed our web show Tuesday night, let me just tell you it was one of the most unique experiences of my life!
Not only because I co-hosted the web show for the first time, but I started off doing it painted and topless! AHH! LOL!

Okay, it sounds worse then it really was. So let me start from the beginning… a couple months ago I was asked if I would be up for getting my pregnant belly painted. MomSpace was planning an event with Sandy O, the owner of Creative Juice Group ( www.creativejuicegroup.com ) and she does body painting. Sure, why not! I thought it sounded so fun and different, and anyway, how often are you asked if you want your belly painted?!?! Plus, I have heard the baby actually likes it (which I believe now b/c as my stomach was blue and painted, she was fully kicking like crazy!)

The event ended up being postponed, but Sandy was still interested in painting my “belly” and doing a photo shoot for MomSpace Magazine. Plus we were still shooting MomSpace TV at 8pm ( on www.minglemediatv.com)

I showed up at Sandy’s studio in Manayunk and met her, Tania, and Katie. Within about two minutes they had told me what they would like to do and for some crazy reason I said OK! They were thinking to make my belly like a vase, and then have sunflowers & black eyed susans coming up over my chest. I am not sure if it is because I am pregnant and my body just feels almost like an extension of itself anyway, or that Sandy, Tania, and Katie made me feel immediately completely comfortable… but whatever the reason I agreed! Haha!
Which I am still thinking was hilarious and crazy, especially for me, I turn away if I am changing in a room with my friends, I change or shower at the gym and stay completely covered… this was so NOT something I would normally ever feel comfortable doing!

Maybe it is partially after having one child you start to lose your inhibitions a little. I remember being in labor in the hospital with Brody and you can only get “checked” so many times before it becomes routine… or when the cute guy comes to take out your staples from your c-section! Ah!

So the MomSpace web show ended up being a success and we had a wonderful time as well! I would like to thank Sandy O for making it such a wonderful night and it was great to meet Marilyn & Desiree! Marilyn is a tarot card reader who is just incredible! She didn’t want to be on camera during the show, but I did mention her and we hope to have her at a future event, she is just a joy and so fun to be around! Desiree was part of the show on Tuesday night, we showed her incredible desserts, like little mini hamburger & french fries actually made out of brownie and cake. I have posted pictures on our MomSpace Ashley Facebook account and I will try and post some here. Definitely check her out for your next party! Her desserts are not only delicious, they are absolutely adorable!

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful night!
& please don’t forget to watch our MomSpace webshow, (thanks Stephanie!)
Tuesday nights from 8-9pm on www.minglemediatv.com

Sandy O, Tania, & Katie
Creative Juice Group
www.creativejuicegroup.com (check out their site!!! It’s just incredible!!!)
juicy@creativejuicegroup.com
215.651.5369 ~ 215.487.9544

Desserts by Desiree
Desiree Hawthorne
DessertsbyDesiree@hotmail.com
267.626.6815

Marilyn Sukonick-Zeff
Professional Tarot Card Readings
Corporate & Private Events
tarotbymarilyn@comcast.net
215.941.6312

7 Things to Stop Doing on Facebook

2010-05-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Using a Weak Password
Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!

Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile
It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.

Overlooking Useful Privacy Controls

For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself. Restrict access to photos, birth date, religious views, and family information, among other things. You can give only certain people or groups access to items such as photos, or block particular people from seeing them. Consider leaving out contact info, such as phone number and address, since you probably don't want anyone to have access to that information anyway.

Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption
Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.

Mentioning That You'll Be Away From Home
That's like putting a "no one's home" sign on your door. Wait until you get home to tell everyone how awesome your vacation was and be vague about the date of any trip.

Letting Search Engines Find You
To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select Only Friends for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn't checked.

Permitting Youngsters to Use Facebook Unsupervised
Facebook limits its members to ages 13 and over, but children younger than that do use it. If you have a young child or teenager on Facebook, the best way to provide oversight is to become one of their online friends. Use your e-mail address as the contact for their account so that you receive their notifications and monitor their activities. "What they think is nothing can actually be pretty serious," says Charles Pavelites, a supervisory special agent at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. For example, a child who posts the comment "Mom will be home soon, I need to do the dishes" every day at the same time is revealing too much about the parents' regular comings and goings.

Shop & Save This Weekend

2010-05-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

hi everyone!
i woke up and checked my email this morning and i saw a bunch of sales i thought i would share with you!
take advantage this weekend!
i know even brody needs a bunch of summer clothes, shorts, bathing suits, summer pj's, ect...
& who am i kidding~ i could use some new stuff too!

enjoy!

2 DAYS ONLY!

OLD NAVY~
THE WHOLE SITE'S ON SALE!
TAKE 30% OFF EVERYTHING!*
ONLINE & IN STORES! HURRY, OFFER ENDS TOMORROW, MAY 2!

Enter ONBIG30 at checkout.

www.oldnavy.com

(Excludes gift cards)

*Offer valid on Old Navy merchandise from 5/1/10 at 12:01 am ET
through 5/2/10 at 11:59 pm ET in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) at
Old Navy online and at Old Navy stores. Qualifying amount applies to
merchandise only, not value of gift cards purchased, packaging,
applicable taxes or shipping & handling charges. Offer limited to one
time use only. No adjustments on previous purchases. Cannot be
combined with other offers or discounts, including Gap Inc. employee
discount. Offer is non transferable without consent from Gap Inc.

GAP
IN STORES ONLY

25% OFF REGULARLY PRICED STYLES
Make that 30% off when you use your GapCard.*
For a limited time. Offer starts today, May 1.

Regularly priced merchandise only. Not valid on sale items or jeans.

FIND A STORE NEAR YOU
http://gap.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.3.2Vh.1k29y%2a.G5%5f%2a2s..T.Eo9y.37pW.bW89MQ%5f%5fBePUFIc0

THE CHILDREN'S PLACE

~this weekend ONLY!

All Shorts $10
Tees & Polo's $5

http://www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home_10001_10001_-1

CALVIN KLEIN

30% off all KIDS NEW ARRIVALS

http://www.calvinklein.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3813633

Maternity Portraits ~ Kelly Photo

2010-04-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had our maternity portraits and family portraits taken. Brody is almost two and we never had family portraits taken before. My Dad and I have always taken any photos that we have, which I love, but I have wanted to get a professional family portrait for awhile.

We went to Kelly Schonour Genuardi ( http://www.kellyphotoboutique.com/ ) She was just incredible and we had the best time! If you are looking to get family portraits, maternity portraits, engagement photos, or anything, Kelly is the greatest!

Kelly is so warm and patient; she really makes you feel completely comfortable (even in a body wrap!) Kelly is also great with kids. Brody is tough to get a good picture of, he is constantly on the move and this weekend he was even getting over being a little sick and irritable. Kelly was great with him! She got him to warm up to her, she has stuffed animals and stickers and everything to amuse children. Her studio is a home setting that is completely inviting. We did inside portrait shots and some outdoor shots too. I can’t wait to see how the images turned out but so far the experience couldn’t have been better. Brody and Matt both get so annoyed with me constantly snapping pictures of them and they usually are done after about 3 minutes, but Kelly kept them both smiling and into the shoot for almost two hours!

Check out Kelly’s website:
www.kellyphotoboutique.com

& if you would like to receive a brochure or if you are interested
in booking a session call or email her:
kellyphotoonline@gmail.com
215.643.8503

Tax Day Freebies & Discounts! ;)

2010-04-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Are you scrambling around today to file your taxes or still waiting on your refund? Companies around the country are trying to relieve the Tax Day sting with freebies and special deals. Read below and make sure to take advantage of these deals today! (Also, please tell me if I am missing any!)

Free Starbucks! Stop by your corner Starbucks with a travel mug for a free fill-up. The deal is part of the coffee chain's worldwide move to encourage customers to go green by switching from paper cups to reusable mugs.

Free cupcakes. Cinnabon, the 25-year-old home of the cinnamon roll, is introducing cupcakes to its menu. To promote the new sweets, which are available in four flavors, mall-based locations of the bakery will be giving away bite-sized cupcakes between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Free ice cream. MaggieMoo's is offering samples of its new ice cream pizzas between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Check the sweet shop's Web site

http://www.maggiemoos.com/ice_cream___treats/ice_cream_pizza/1196.cfm
too see if your local MaggieMoo's is one of the 49 locations participating.

Buy one get one free: Jamba Juice~ Celebrating their 20th anniversary from 4/12-4/25, buy any drink and receive another for free!

http://www.jambajuice.com/20thcoupon/index.html

Free Cookie: At Subway, no purchase necessary! Flavors include chocolate chip, M&M, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate macadamia, & double chocolate chip.

Free tacos. Visit the Seattle-based Taco Del Mar's Web site to print out a "Taxes suck, tacos don't" coupon for a free taco.

Free poultry. Buy one dinner plate at Boston Market and get a second one free with a coupon from the restaurant's Web site. Good Tax Day through Sunday.

Discount meal. Score 15% off your food purchases at P.F. Chang's; dine-in or take-out.

$10.40 dinner. McCormick & Schmick's restaurants are celebrating the completion of 1040 forms with dinner entrees for $10.40 and drink specials. And on Friday, the restaurant is hosting Tax Preparer Appreciation Day--free dessert for accountants and other tax preparers. Diners on both days will also receive a $10.40 gift certificate.

50% off booze. Kick back at BLT restaurants with half-off cocktails, beer and wine.
Tax-free groceries. Whole Foods stores in the South (not up here  ) 18 locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee ~ are rewarding customers with a tax-free shopping day.

Free massage. Let a jet stream massage bed rub away stress-induced knots Tax Day through Sunday at participating HydroMassage locations.

McDonald's: Buy A Quarter Pounder Or Big Mac, Get A Second For 1 Cent

At ChrisDee Designs ~ Happiness is Handbags!

2010-04-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

When Kristine Christie and Dee Bauman decided to take their passion for fashion and stop buying and start sewing, they used their love for handbags and turned it into an incredible business. Kristine and Dee created ChrisDee Designs. These two local stay-at-home moms are located in Doylestown and through them you can purchase their amazing handbags and even host a handbag party, which offers great hostess rewards!

I received the “Sasha” style handbag and it is awesome! I love this bag. It is big enough for all of my stuff (and most people know, I carry A LOT of stuff!) I can pack in my wallet, Brody’s diapers, wipes, snacks, iPod, iPhone, ect…
ChrisDee Designs also has a great diaper bag (which includes a matching changing pad ~ adorable!), a bridal clutch, an eyeglass case, cosmetic bag, keychains, and a bunch of other great handbags.

Each handbag and accessory is completely customizable, so it allows you to be the handbag designer! This is so fun! You can choose your fabric and completely design a one-of-a-kind bag to match your other accessories or even the color of your stroller or car seat. You can also add ribbons, pockets, and monogramming. As if that wasn’t enough for you to check out these bags, the prices also range from only $35-$89 (so you’re not breaking the bank for your new handbag!) and each bag offers a 100% customer guarantee (a 3 month “wear and tear” guarantee or even a full refund within one week of receipt of your unused bag or exchange for another bag of equal or lesser value.)

For further information about ChrisDee Designs please visit their website at
www.chrisdeedesigns.com

or contact Kristine Christie (215) 479-7116
or Dee Bauman (215) 280-8456.

ChrisDee is also currently hiring independent handbag consultants
in the tri-state area:

To learn more about in-home party hostess rewards
or becoming a consultant e-mail
parties@chrisdeedesigns.com

disclosure: cmp.ly/1/ie4oar

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

2010-04-05T13:26:00.001-07:00

I love love love Jamie Oliver! I have been saying this constantly for a few days now, if you missed his new show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution premiered tonight on ABC.
Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is not a diet plan but instead a guide to healthy eating and healthy living. It is more than just cutting down the calories. He never mentions the word “diet” during his show, and this is just one of the things I love about it. It is about getting back to the basics, being more aware, eating fresh, healthy food, and getting rid of all the processed sh*t we eat and feed our children.
(I have also become obsessed with “Food Inc” and if you missed the Oprah episode on Food Inc, Chipolte and Food Rules~ it is a MUST see!)
Jamie’s show, which started tonight, (there was a sneak preview the other night & I was instantly sucked in! Matt and I watched the 2 hour premiere again tonight) is exploring the eating habits of Americans. Jamie has traveled to one of the least healthy cities in the United States, Huntington, West Virginia. It is not only watching Huntington though, it is our entire country, the way certain people eat and just the health of Americans is enough to make you sick. There are so many people who are getting diabetes and heart disease and causing it themselves! We are killing ourselves and even worse, Jamie shows how American eating habits are killing our children.
Jamie starts at an Elementary school and talked to the cooks, five women who have been working at the school for awhile and surprise surprise are resisting the change.
(ahhh… what I would have done to be working on this show, especially the editing is brilliant! To show the attitude and resistance of the people that Jamie comes across, you really couldn’t write this stuff better!)
Jamie first created some friction when he asked when they start “peeling the potatoes” for the mashed potatoes; the women looked at him like he was insane. Jamie then complained about the instant mashed potatoes (“potato pearls” they were called and it was just gross to watch them being made! Little balls that you had to stir quickly or they will thicken like cement) He told the other chefs that they were not mashed potatoes as he read off the ingredients. “It tastes like starchy stuff with nuts in it” EWWW!!! I don’t want Brody to ever know what “potato pearls” taste like!
“This is about life and death”, Jamie explains. “I am going to start with this one family; grassroots and let it grow and grow and grow, and that is how you start a revolution. Real people, real change.”
It is about LIFE and DEATH. It is that simple. People are putting crap in their bodies and then wondering why they are having so many health issues. They take a pill and go through a drive-thru instead of changing the root of the problem: the food they are choosing.
It is disgusting and we all need to change. I don’t want to sound like a hypocrite, I know I do not eat “perfectly” and I am, besides being 7 months pregnant, overweight. I think the issue though is being aware and making good choices. I have consciously thought about this more then ever since I had Brody. I have this little person who I am 100% in control of what he puts in his body. I am not only making choices for myself, but choices for him that will affect his entire life. I think this starts from the day they are born and especially from the time they are 4-6 months and you are feeding them their first foods. You are starting and sculpting their tastes. You are in control. Children aren’t picky eaters, parents create picky eaters.
(And know, I am saying this to a certain extent, I have written a few blogs before on B’s eating habits, children’s eating habits, and what to feed children. Brody doesn’t eat a ton of meat or protein, but in this case you can adjust and make other suggestions. I try to start him off at every meal with either fruits or vegetables, get the vitamins in. I still offer him whatever type of meat/protein I am eating to see. I won’t just accept, “oh, he doesn’t like that” for good, he is little and his tastes vary week to week.)
Americans need more fruits and vegetables in their diet. Jamie visited one family and discovered that they weren’t consuming the right foods. Pizza, corndogs, French fries, (this was even tough to watch, just gross) the list went on. Jamie started piling up all the food they ate in a week onto their kitchen table. This was enough to make you sick. Not to mention the entire table was brown fried crap. Jamie points this out to the Mom: NO colors, NO fruits, NO vegetables! It finally starts to sink into to her that she is killing her family by the food she is eating and feeding them. I was actually impressed by this family, because although they were eating horribly and every single one of them was overweight (even their 4 year old daughter) they WANT to change! They are listening to Jamie and open to trying his recipes and really following what he tells them (even when he made then burry their deep fryer in the backyard!) This was much more then most of the people Jamie had been coming in contact with.
I am extremely excited about this show and Jamie’s entire Revolution! Please tune in if you haven’t already… Friday nights on ABC. Also, check out the websites below and sign Jamie’s petition to help our children get better food in schools!

Jamie’s Message:
I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It's time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!

You live in an amazing country full of inspirational people and you have the power to change things. With your help, we can get better food into homes, schools and communities all over America and give your kids a better future.

To be heard and make a change, Jamie needs ONE MILLION people to sign his petition in 6 weeks: Please follow this link (it takes 2 seconds) and sign this petition to help our children to hopefully have better, healthier foods in their schools!!

Jamie wants to take his petition to the White House after Food Revolution airs, to show The President and First Lady how many people across the country really care about this and ask for their support.

If you are a parent, or even know of any children who are in school or will be at some point, there is no excuse to not want the best for them!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

www.jamieoliver.com

http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution

http://twitter.com/jamie_oliver

If you follow me on Twitter you know I have become a little obsessed with this and I have been tweeting about Jamie & about “Food Inc” for awhile. If you don’t follow me, but are interested:
www.twitter.com/ashleykanoff
www.twitter.com/brodysmom20
www.twitter.com/MomSpaceMag

How to Train Your Dragon

2010-04-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Walmart & DreamWorks are showing you “How to Train Your Dragon”

Walmart & DreamWorks Animation Reinvent Retail-tainment with Exclusive, First-of-its-Kind Program for “How to Train Your Dragon”

More Than 2,500 Viking Ships Descend on America,
From New York’s Times Square to Walmart Stores Nationwide

Get ready~ anchors aweigh. More than 2,500 Viking Ships are sailing into Walmart stores nationwide as DreamWorks Animation & Walmart unveil an exclusive, first-of-its-kind program tied to the March 26th release of the studio’s feature film, “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Just before the film hits theaters this week, Walmart and DreamWorks Animation are bringing into port a unique retail-tainment experience that customers cannot miss, featuring a giant “How to Train Your Dragon” designated area in stores, complete with a Viking ship and more than 100 “How to Train Your Dragon” items for purchase.

Walmart and DreamWorks Animation have also shared the experience with New York City, they docked a 40-foot Viking Ship in the center of New York’s Times Square the last two days for an event for movie fans, which included a special appearance by America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), who voices the role of girl Viking “Astrid” in ”How to Train Your Dragon.”

The dragon-ized products at Walmart include anything a little Viking could want, including exciting dragon and Viking-themed toys such as foam swords and helmets, apparel, skateboards, hooded towels, sunglasses and snacks, all available among the life-like character stands of Viking- and dragon-themed fixtures, as well as Walmart’s actual Viking Ship displays holding the products. Also for the first time, Walmart has developed a “How to Train Your Dragon” activity book that will be found in Happy Meals at 1,000 McDonald’s locations in Walmart stores.

Online, fans of the movie can create their own Viking name or watch the dragon’s fire burn a message on screen through Walmart’s digital ads. Walmart’s “How to Train Your Dragon” Web site, which will feature a Dragon-themed map game, goes live on April 1.

About “How to Train Your Dragon”
Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, “How to Train Your Dragon” tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn’t exactly fit in with his tribe’s long-standing tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup’s world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.

Find a Walmart by you and more information about Walmart by visiting: www.walmart.com or www.walmartstores.com.

Con’t on a blog later on Wednesday:

How to Train Your Dragon
- Special "Mom" Screenings Friday March 26th!

Paramount is looking to get the word out about special morning screenings for moms this Friday at 10 am in these cities:

* Chicago (suburbs only)
* Denver (Douglas County, Boulder Valley, Littleton)
* Los Angeles (Inland Empire ONLY)
* Miami (Broward County)
* Minneapolis (Rosemount & Bernsville Egan)
* Orlando (Orange County, Brevard, Volusia)
* Portland
* Sacramento (Stockton, Lodi & Vacaville Counties)
* Salt Lake City (Weber, Toolele & Murray Counties)
* Tampa (Mantee, Sarasota, Hernando & Citrus County)
* Washington D.C. (Prince Georges County & Spotslyvania)

(unfortunately there are not screenings in PA , NJ, or NY)

The reviews are SCORCHING HOT and the movie looks like a ton of fun. Check your local movie listings for information about time and location for other showings.

http://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com/

** Go to Opening Day Breakfast Screenings**

From the studio that brought you “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” comes “How to Train Your Dragon.” Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the action comedy tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn’t exactly fit in with his tribe’s longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup’s world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.

DreamWorks Animation's “How to Train Your Dragon” was produced by Bonnie Arnold and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Rated PG

Sling Recall!!

2010-04-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is so scary, especially because I used this sling ALL THE TIME with B! I used to carry him on and off the beach and loved this sling, and I would have probably used it again with newbaby… scary!

Infantino Recalls 1 Million SlingRider Baby Slings
After Three Infant Deaths Reported
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC), in cooperation with Infantino LLC, of San Diego, Calif. are announcing a free replacement program for the Infantino “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” infant slings. One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada. CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using these slings for infants younger than four months of age due to a risk of suffocation and contact Infantino for a free replacement product.
CPSC is aware of three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009; a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, Pa.; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore.; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Infantino “SlingRider,” is a soft fabric baby carrier with a padded shoulder strap that is worn by parents and caregivers to carry an infant weighing up to 20 lbs. “Infantino” is printed on the plastic slider located on the strap. “Infantino,” “SlingRider” and the item number are printed on the instruction/warning label inside the baby sling carrier. “Wendy Bellissimo” branded sling carriers were sold exclusively at Babies “R” Us and have a sewn-in label on the inside of the sling strap that says in part "Wendy Bellissimo Media, Inc." and lists Item numbers 3937500H7 and 3937501H7.
Infantino LLC sold the slings in the United States and Canada from January 2003 through March 2010 at Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us, BJ’s Wholesale, various baby and children’s stores and other retailers nationwide, and on the Web at Amazon.com, for between $25 and $30.
The product was manufactured in China and Thailand.
Consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product, with a choice of a Wrap & Tie infant carrier, or a 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or a 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym. A Jittery Pals Rattle will also be provided. Contact Infantino toll-free at (866) 860-1361 (866) 860-1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.infantino.com
Do not attempt to fix these carriers.
CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
Note: Health Canada’s press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1001
Additional Message from CPSC:
On March 12, 2010, CPSC issued a warning about sling carriers for babies. Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.
CPSC has determined that a mandatory standard is needed for infant sling carriers. While a mandatory standard is being developed, CPSC staff is working with ASTM International and concerned companies such as Infantino to quickly develop an effective voluntary standard for slings. There currently are no safety standards for infant sling carriers.

This blog has moved

2010-03-25T07:43:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://delcomoms.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://delcomoms.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

MomSpace Moms on Better Philly

2010-03-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

If you missed Better Philly this morning, be sure to check out our video below!
Great baby products and gift ideas for any mom-to-be!

Sigg 30% off!

2010-03-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Another great deal!! ;)
Be green while saving some green!
Stop using your plastic water bottles today and get a Sigg!
Warmer weather. Blooming flowers. Spring is in the air.
To help celebrate, Sigg is offering 30% OFF some of their most popular designs (for a limited time while supplies last).

Just enter “SPRINGSALE” as the discount code during checkout. This code is valid on select styles and good through March 31, 2010.

Enjoy the outdoors. Stay hydrated.

Gap 30% off Friends and Family Event~ lasts until Sunday!

2010-03-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have two new weaknesses, watermelon Rita’s & girl baby clothes! When I was pregnant with B I fully followed the Jewish tradition and didn’t really buy anything for the baby or bring anything into our home. Okay, I bought the necessities like a car seat, swing, and a couple outfits he would need that first week, but I also kept all of the stuff at my parents and in-laws. Well this time I have already gotten carried away! I do blame it on sales… I have stumbled on Babies R Us clearance (buy one clearance item get the second for 99 cents! I mean, who can really pass that up!) And then today the Gap, the 30% off Friends and Family Sale started. I went in seriously with every intention to only buy B a spring jacket (I have been on a hunt to find his same Ralph Lauren jacket from last fall that was the best and I can not find it anywhere.. but that’s another frustrating story….ugh!)

I ended up with a TON of baby clothes!! I hope my husband isn’t reading this, he is a little more superstitious then I am. He knows I have bought some stuff but I have everything in my closet and he hasn’t wanted to really see any of it yet, nor do I think he is that into these little dresses and bloomers. Well all the baby stuff was super on sale, $4 for most dresses! & that was before the extra 30% off!! (Plus 5% goes to a non-profit of your choice!!) It was great, I was on a roll, buying outfits for newbaby, stuff for my new twin nieces, and my other friends babies when I was even cut short by Brody’s crankiness… (Matt was probably sending him subliminal messages!) I will make sure to go back before Sunday b/c you can use the 30% as many times in-store as you want before the 21st.
If you haven’t received the Friends and Family email, send me your email and I can forward it to you!
Either comment with your email below or email it to me at: ashleykanoff@yahoo.com

Gap Give & Get Program
You save 30% off during this Friends & Family Event
You can invite other friends & family &
You can also designate a non-profit to receive 5% of the amount you and your Friends & Family spend.

4 days ONLY! Today through Sunday, March 21st

You can use in-store or online at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Factory Stores, and Old Navy.

You can present the email as many times as you like in-store, and the code for online shopping can be used once.

*** If you would like me to send you the Friends & Family email, just make a comment below with your email or send your email to ashleykanoff@yahoo.com***

Enjoy!!! ;)

The Fresh Market

2010-03-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

How many times a week do you encounter workers at a store or an office who are just horribly rude? They make you so mad and all I ever think is “Get a NEW job that you are not dealing with the public!!!” You get so upset and sometimes even cry (okay, maybe that is just pregnant me...)

But then there are those few people who you may come across that go above and beyond… and sometimes the tiniest gesture just makes you feel so great.

Well, I’ll start with that I have become obsessed with the Fresh Market in Willow Grove/Horsham. It is my new favorite store and I get so excited when I have a doctor’s appointments (which are every 2 weeks now and soon to be every week) because their office is right up the street from the Fresh Market, so Brody and I venture to that shopping center after EVERY appointment. I just love the set up, the fruit is so fresh, there is classical music playing, samples by the dessert case… it really doesn’t get much better then the Fresh Market. (I wish we had one in Newtown, I would be there every day)!

Yesterday they even exceeded my already high expectations… I also bring Brody in his stroller (b/c it is usually around his nap time and I am already pushing him to the limit, so I figure I should at least let him be comfortable.)
I stuff the bottom of the stroller with all the fruits, veggies, & dinner for that night, and every single time I am trying to maneuver my way up to pay with at least five items falling out of my hands (one of those items always is a little baggy of Sunkist Fruit Gems… which can I tell you~ you can pick the flavors you want!!!! This is just my all time favorite part of our shopping trip, as I gather an entire little bag of red ones! ;)

Well, the woman, actually girl at the register jumped to help me with my items… checked me out… and even said she would help me to the car! (I’m sorry, but this NEVER happens! Maybe at Maccaffery’s sometimes they ask if I need help to the car, but this girl wouldn’t even let me say no, I’m ok, she already had ALL of my bags!) Such a simple little thing but seriously it meant so much to me being pregnant and struggling with all of the bags of groceries! She fully carried them all to my car, (which was parked not so close too… more in front of Babies R Us) she was so nice to Brody and I, and asked about him as she unloaded all the groceries in my car! I think I was so in shock because I am actually used to people being surprisingly rude (especially when you have an “energetic” 21 month old, and some people even seem to be annoyed with pregnant people too….
I just wish there were more nice people like this girl….
I also feel so bad because when I got home and was telling my husband about her, he asked if I tipped her and I didn’t even think of it! Luckily I will be back there next week (after my doctor’s app) so I hope to see her again and definitely give her a tip this time.

www.thefreshmarket.com

Want a Date Night TOMORROW night???

2010-03-12T11:35:00.001-08:00

Kids Night Out THIS Saturday, March 13th from 5 pm - 8 pm
(TOMORROW!!)

Every kid deserves a special night out...and so do you!
That's why Romp n Roll created Kids Night Out.
Parents get an evening to themselves while your kids get to enjoy 3 hours of Rompin' n' Rollin' fun with our energetic instructors, enjoy a fabulous Pizza Dinner and finish the evening with an awesome craft!
A perfect evening indeed...

- For children 2-6 years old (and they do NOT need to be potty trained!)

- Dinner includes Pizza & Juice

- A minimum of two instructors are present at all times

- Children have access to our typical gym equipment, PLUS our fabulous Moon Bounce!

Cost - $20 for first child / $15 per additional siblings

Willow Grove Romp n Roll
2856 W Moreland Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090

215.659.1025

willowgrove@rompnroll.com

Card Cubby

2010-03-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

I like to think of myself as being organized (maybe it’s organized chaos but anyway), now while my husband would disagree, he would have to admit I am always looking for little ways to be even more organized. I do have a lot of “stuff” and I like to attempt to keep it order. For some reason since becoming a mom I have become a little obsessed with discount/frequent buyer cards and coupons. My wallet is stuffed and busting at the seams. I have a ton of gift cards all over our house that I am always trying to find and use. I bought a plastic “coupon holder” that I was using, that is until the little button broke off and it started falling apart.
I just received the Card Cubby. This card organizer is adorable!! It is perfect for a mom like me! Credit cards, gift cards, and frequent buyer cards (like my Cosi & Babies R Us cards) fit perfectly inside and I can also fit cash, coupons, and my iPhone! Now I can have everything organized so I am not digging through my purse in the checkout line looking for the card or coupon I need. There is also a clear pocket on the outside, perfect for your Drivers License and alphabetized card files inside to keep your gift cards and coupons in order (Yay! Even more organized!) There is even a little zippered pocket on the inside for all my lose change.
The Card Cubby has become my little perfect option and has basically replaced my wallet! I use it all the time now, it is great to just throw in my gym bag too (instead of bringing my big bulky wallet), or in the stroller when I don’t need my entire purse.
The Card Cubby comes in so many cute designs and colors and it is really durable so it won’t start to break or fall apart like a cheap plastic coupon holder.
The Card Cubby is a great gift item (I will definitely be buying more for my friends!) and even better you can buy one for only $17.99!! (The prices range from $17.99-$21.99 or $24.95 for the Coupon Cubby.)

You can purchase the Card Cubby directly from their website at:
www.cardcubby.com

I have a material connection because I received a review copy (book, CD, software, etc.), or an item of nominal value that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content.
cmp.ly/1/ie4oar

MomSpace TV Debuts LIVE on Mingle Media TV

2010-03-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

MomSpace TV ~ with Joey Fortman ~ Tuesday Night 8pm ET

March 9, 2010
MomSpace TV, the latest offshoot of MomSpace Magazine Philadelphia and www.MomSpace.com will be part of the MingleMedia TV live programming lineup for women and moms. Hosted by Joey Fortman of MyPhil 17's Better Philly morning show, MomSpace TV will cater to everything MOM!

The weekly show will air Tuesdays at 8:00 PM (EST) online at the MingleMedia

TV website:
http://minglemediatv.com/momspacetv.html

Each week, Joey Fortman, who's been sitting in the radio and TV host seat for fifteen years, will interview guests such as parenting experts, toy & product pros, celebrities and home & lifestyle experts.
Featured will be current hot topics; new product & cool gadget spotlights; MomSpace Book Club discussions; cooking, health and lifestyle tips; girlfriend getaway & family travel ideas; and games with prizes.
Segments will also feature the know-how, opinions and shared passions of the MomSpace Mom Bloggers from MomSpace.com, whose interests and expertise include a multitude of themes including health and fitness, being "green", parenting, crafting, babies, fashion, cooking, humor and more.
To celebrate the kick-off of the new show, MomSpace will run a four week on air trivia contest with weekly prize giveaways. The contest will culminate in a grand prize overnight stay at Omni Hotel at Independence Park in Philadelphia and include their Girlfriends Getaway Retail Therapy Package. The grand prize drawing will be broadcast on MomSpace TV live and in bed at the Omni with Joey enjoying Omni’s champagne turndown service.

About MomSpace
MomSpace is a place where moms can collectively share their ideas, questions and knowledge with other moms, locally and nationally. MomSpace.com, an online resource and social networking site, was created in 2006 by two moms who shared a vision; to fulfill a need for moms like them to connect, relate and help each other out with all the unknowns moms encounter every day. With the addition and wealth of MomSpace Mom Blogs, it’s become the place to not only get answers, but to learn, share, laugh and unwind. Naturally progressing from the website, in January 2009 MomSpace Philadelphia Magazine was born and has been very well received by moms throughout the greater Philadelphia community. Until the day moms have all the answers and understand from the get-go all the ways their lives will change and kids start coming attached to an owner’s manual at birth… MomSpace will be there!

About Mingle Media
The creative team that started the very successful MomTV community is now launching their newly created social networking site for live “social TV” conversations, Mingle Media TV Network (MMTVN). MMTVN will be devoted to focusing on a number of topics targeted at Baby Boomers and parents in order
to generate meaningful content and conversations. In addition to live programming, the site will feature webisodes created by live show hosts and other contributors. MMTVN will also feature an Entertainment channel with views into Hollywood from various Red Carpets and broadcast what goes on behind the scenes programming.

I really do Luv That Tray!

2010-03-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else have a 21 month old who is already sick of the highchair? Well, we do. Brody will sit there for a couple minutes and then he is ready to sit in a “real chair”. He actually does fine in a regular chair and maybe that is why we don’t discourage it… although he does make a huge mess. Now when it is cheerios or anything that makes crumbs, it’s not a big deal, but when he is eating pizza, yogurt, even raspberries or blackberries I just get nervous because I know half of it will be on the floor and that is not good news for our white carpeting.

Recently I was sent “Luv That Tray” placemats, or actually placemat-type product with ½ inch raised sides (that catch spills perfectly!). These trays came just at the right time!! They are a life saver. They are part placemat, part serving tray, and even part surface for art and crafts projects ~ another timely life saver since Brody is starting to color and either the crayons or markers go all over our granite counter tops or his new wooden table, now they can be completely contained on this plastic tray! I am sure they will be perfect when he starts doing crafts with glue or beads or any other “messy” type art project. Their innovative design also allows the tray to flex and form an easy like a funnel, so after eating the items can slide right off and they are easy to clean & dishwasher safe ~ Gotta love that!

New Multi-Purpose Tray Helps Reduce Kids' Messes For Moms & Dads
Luv That Tray Keeps Counters, Tables & Floors Free From Spills & Clutter

They sell for $12.99 and are available at:

http://argeecorp.com/HTML/luvthattray.htm

or by calling: 800.449.3030

TEA PARTY ANGELS

2010-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Take an afternoon to teach your daughter (niece, granddaughter, or friend) about giving back while relaxing at a tea party with crafts and entertainment. What a great way to teach young girls to raise money for those in need of an education around the world. This is a perfect, fun way to educate young girls on their social responsibility while enjoying a special afternoon with that little girl in your life.
The debut of Tea Party Angels Philadelphia, a national fundraising initiative for girls’ education around the world, will be hosted by child star Emerald-Angel Young. Emerald-Angel has appeared in several movies and commercials and most recently appeared as Jamie Fox’s daughter in the movie Law Abiding Citizen.
Girls from around the Philadelphia region are invited to bring their moms, grandmothers and friends to the Omni Hotel at 401 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia on April 18th, 2010, from 3 to 6pm.
Mothers and daughters will participate in a tea party, enjoy crafts, learn more about the organization, and be entertained by 6 year old Ava Dressendofer who performed to rave reviews at the New York City launch party.
Tea Party Angels is one woman's story of how to change the world one tea party at a time. Philadelphia native, Cheryl Beck, had the inspiration for Tea Party Angels after reading the bestselling books Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood. Both men she found doing extraordinary things to help educate girls around the world. Specializing in creative fundraising with such events as the Black Tie Charity Bowl and the Reindeer Romp, Beck came up with the simple idea of using tea parties as fundraisers. Proceeds from the tea parties benefit both men's non-profits, Mortenson's The Central Asia Institute and Wood's Room to Read along with other organizations such as Orphaned Starfish, Miracles in Action and Camfed. Imagine mothers and daughters hosting tea parties across the country to raise money for girls around the world in need of education and at the same time teaching girls here social responsibility.

The Philadelphia tea party is also being hosted by Michelle Durham of KYW Newsradio and Renee Chenault-Fattah of NBC 10.

The cost for the event is $45 per mother and $25 per daughter
& is tax deductible.

Reservations can be made at
267.253.0521 or rsvp@teapartyangels.org.

Tea Party Angels offers a turn-key FUNdraising tea party kit that is available on its Web site. Monies are raised by the girls attending the tea party; each girl invited will be asked by her mother to do some sort of chore that will earn her money to donate at the tea party, giving her a sense of empowerment. During the Tea Party, each girl will have a turn to tell what she did to earn her donation. Tea parties will also include the showing of a brief educational video, and a custom "tea-shirt" making activity. Hosts will decide which nonprofit to support from the list of qualified organizations on the Tea Party Angels Web site, or can simply choose the Tea Party Angels Fund which supports all of the organizations equally.

For more information visit:
www.TeaPartyAngels.org

Milk Money

2010-03-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

Milk Money

http://www.milkmoneylove.com/
123 North Sycamore St, Newtown, PA 18940
215.968.8954
milkmoneynewtown@gmail.com

Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm

The Grand opening for a great new store was yesterday. Anyone who lives in Bucks County or if you are in the Newtown area, you need to check out Milk Money! Milk Money is truly a unique experience in children's consignment. Their stores recycle the best of kids' stuff from fabulous Euro-style apparel, to Gap basics, to eclectic vintage collectibles - and resell it all at prices that are pleasing to everyone!

Milk Money is now open for business!
You can also join them for their Ribbon-Cutting at 1 pm on Saturday, March 6th!! Bring the whole family for food, fun and of course, great clothes at great prices!

Elmo's Green Thumb

2010-02-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

SAVE $3.00 by following the link below, clicking on MomSpace Discount, then when you get the prompt, type in MOMS for your discount!

https://momspace.site-ym.com/?ElmoGreenThumbTix

Elmos’s Green Thumb is running from March 4th-7th at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ.

I am so excited to take Brody to Sesame Street Live next week! I took him last year and even at 8 months old he loved it. I can’t wait to see his face light up again, now a year later.

Tickets are still available for you to join all your favorite friends on an amazing adventure as they help Elmo find a new home for Sunny, his sunflower, in the all new Sesame Street Live stage show, "Elmo’s Green Thumb".

Elmo has raised Sunny from a seed, but his floral friend has outgrown the flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink! While Abby searches for just the right words to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn some big lessons about patience, overcoming their fears and appreciating the role that each creature plays in our ecosystem – from dancing ladybugs and beautiful butterflies to grouchy beetles that scavenge the garden floor. Will being small help Sunny grow tall? It’s a fresh, original Sesame Street Live from a whole new point of view!

Elmo's Green Thumb is 90 minutes long with a 15 minute intermission, but don’t be worried about your child being able to sit through the show. Sesame Street Live is said to be so action packed that the time flies and it easily holds the interest of young children. The set for Elmo's Green Thumb is very colorful with bright lights and fun effects. Elmo and his friends are frequently singing and dancing to familiar tunes with different words which I heard is very entertaining.

Here's the link:
https://momspace.site-ym.com/?ElmoGreenThumbTix

Happy Baby, Happy Budget, Happy Mom!

2010-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

When Brody was an infant I tried a few different brands of diapers. I tried the chlorine free, environmentally friendlier brands, and just random brands I would have a coupon for. After getting annoyed with leaks, tabs that wouldn’t stick, and diapers that felt like cardboard, I realized I loved my Pampers and didn’t want to ever try another brand.

This was until about a week ago when I received the new and improved Baby Basics Diapers. At first I figured I would try a couple on Brody and then pass them along to someone else, but I love these diapers! The tabs stick wonderfully, so far in the past week we haven’t had one leak (I am still using his special overnight diapers b/c those just become enormously full and it makes me nervous to try something new! I think he just drinks a ton of liquids!) & they fit snug and comfy. They have soft, stretchable sides and the diaper’s inner liner is treated with Vitamin E & Aloe to protect your baby’s skin. Brody is in a size 4 diaper and I have been debating going to 5’s, but the 4’s were a perfect fit! (Plus, I got into the habit of saying “T is for Tiger” every time I change his diaper because that’s what the 4’s have printed on them, so now Brody is repeating “T is for Tiger” when I change him. ;)

I definitely think to save the extra money I will keep trying the Baby Basics when newbaby comes in June. I am getting ready for those 10+ diaper days and the cost of my normal diapers tend to really add up.

A jumbo pack of Baby Basic diapers costs $6.99 (a jumbo pack of size 2 diapers= 52 diapers= 13.4 cents per diaper, some of the premium brands cost approximately 23-25 cents for a size 2 diaper. Even though this may be only a 10 cents savings per diaper, this can add up when the average family goes through 2,000-3,000 diapers a year in the few years before their children are potty trained. This could equal a $200-$300 dollar savings per year. This is perfect for families who are trying to save a little money or looking for a good deal~ (especially for my sister-in-law and two of my best friends all having twins!)

The Baby Basics brand, which is available at SUPERVALU grocery stores, (including ACME) includes more than 80 items ranging from diapers and training pants to formula and pediatric drinks to shampoos, lotions and wipes. The brand offers moms high-quality products at affordable prices that help them stretch their dollars further.

Check out the baby basics website to print out a $4.00 Coupon
& to find Baby Basics at a store near you!

http://www.babybasicsclub.com/index.html

$45.00 Nursing Gift Sets For Only $5!!

2010-02-23T05:37:00.001-08:00

Udder Covers ( www.uddercovers.com) is running a limited time promotion where you can get 90% off any of their 3 piece gift sets. Each 3 piece gift set includes the Udder Cover™ nursing cover of your choice, a color coordinated Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet and 2 pairs of 5 ply washable 100% cotton breast pads!

If you’re not currently nursing, you probably know someone who is or shortly will be! At only $5, they make great baby shower gifts!

You can get any of their 3 piece gift sets (regular price $46)
for only $5 + S&H!

The code is "baby".

Go to www.uddercovers.com, click on "Shop Now", scroll down to the gift sets, select the one you would like and you will automatically be repositioned to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code! Type in baby and it will bring your product total to $5! We are not sure how long this promotion can last. You can use the code more than once - you just have to open a new browser/window to do so.

This promotion gives you 1 gift set for $5 + S&H! This promotion code is valid once per transaction, so you can order as many times as you would like!

Bling Bling

2010-02-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Babies love to put everything in their mouths, my son Brody is 20 months and he still tries to grab our keys and we have to grab them right before they are creeping towards his mouth. The new Teething Bling Jewelry means that I don't have to worry about that any more. Now your baby can safely chew away without destroying your jewelry. Teething Bling is made from food-grade, non-toxic silicone, and it is phthalate, BPA, PVC, and lead free. (It is also dishwasher safe!)
The necklaces also come with break away clasps to prevent that portion from breaking or your baby from getting hurt should they accidentally put the necklace on. Your baby can nurse and play happily while you don't worry about what they are doing to your jewelry. The necklaces and bracelets are stylish and colorful, the necklace comes in a circle or heart shape. I was sent a copper colored circle necklace that matches everything!
It can also be extremely convenient to have the necklace on or the key chain handy, one less thing you have to worry about bringing when you are running out of the house.

Amethyst is the birthstone for February,
so all amethyst pendants and bangles are 50% off (this month only.)
Order now, while supplies last!

http://www.smartmomjewelry.com

Teething Bling Jewelry makes a great gift for both mom and baby. Teething Jewelry is made from the same material as many teething toys, Teething Bling® looks great on Moms, Grandmas, Aunts and Caregivers but is safe for curious babies to handle and chew. Teething Bling® Jewelry products are non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC and lead free and all pendants come with a breakaway clasp.

Crazy Compost Cookies (Thank you AC!)

2010-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am pretty obsessed with Regis and Kelly. I DVR the show every day and a couple months ago when Anderson Cooper (love!) was guest co-hosting he was raving about these “Compost Cookies” that he gets from Momofuku Milk Bar, a bakery in NYC.

These cookies basically have everything in them, potato chips, pretzels, used coffee grounds and more! They sound ridiculous but everyone seems to be raving about how great they are! So today Kelly made her own version and now they have posted the recipe on their website. I can’t wait to try and make these, especially since I don’t bake or cook at all so this just sounds like a fun experiment and an exciting activity for kids too! Your children can decide what goodies to add, the original recipe has coffee grounds and random stuff in it, but it looks like today Kelly added goldfish and some of her favorite snacks.

If you do try the recipe I would love to hear what you added in your compost cookies and how they turned out! ;)
**Also, they did mention on the show to add the salty snacks first.

Christina Tosi's Compost Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients!
(Kelly used mini chocolate chips, raisinettes, rollos & cocoa krispies)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc)
(Kelly used goldfish, ritz, & fritos)

DIRECTIONS:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week.

DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)

When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.

Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.

Yield: 15 6oz cookies

**I also found this recipe online if you would rather try this one, I read that some people left out the coffee grounds and it didn’t seem to effect the taste.

Momofuku Compost Cookies

Creamables
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons dry, used coffee grounds
Wet Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
3/4 cup roughly crushed potato chips
1/2 cup roughly crushed pretzels
1/2 cup roughly crushed Fritos
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined. (*Optional: Chill dough for 2 hrs or overnight.)
7. Shape dough into balls–about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Help Olly Help Those In Need

2010-02-09T15:07:00.001-08:00

We may be thousands of miles away, but we all feel a great sadness and sense of responsibility towards the people and children of Haiti as they struggle to rebuild their country and their lives.

For now, monetary donations are critical to provide the survivors with basic necessities such as clean water, food, and medical supplies. However, in time they will need much, much more.

Olly is partnering with Traveling Mercies www.travelingmercies.org to collect footwear and clothing for the children of Haiti and we are asking for your help.
Olly stores are drop off locations for gently worn shoes and clothing appropriate for children in a Carribean climate.

Olly locations are accepting donations now through Sunday, February 28, 2010. (You can search locations at http://www.ollyshoes.com/locations.htm )
You may also drop off donations at their Distribution Center located at 490 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, PA, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 4pm.

It is impossible to fully realize the massive struggle every surviving child now faces in the wake of this horrible disaster in Haiti. Let’s do everything we can to help!

The Great Trade-In Event!

2010-02-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

Hurry up and take advantage of this great event at Babies R Us and Toys R Us!
From January 29th until Saturday, February 20th both stores are providing customers with the opportunity to trade-in their old used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, playards, toddler beds, and high chairs in exchange for a 25% percent savings on the purchase of any new baby item (in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers.)

This event is perfect if you have old baby items that have been recalled or are not in great condition to be handed down to a friend or family.
Make sure to bring them in by the 20th!
For each item you bring in you will receive one 25% off coupon!

http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3554261

Juno Baby: Early Music Education for Developing Minds

2010-01-26T13:12:00.001-08:00

Like a lot of children, my son Brody is a music fanatic. He loves his music class, he turns everything into an instrument and the second he hears music on a commercial or show he immediately is glued to the TV and starts bopping up and down.

This is exactly what he did when we received a DVD from Juno Baby: Early Music Education for Developing Minds. If you haven’t heard about them yet, Juno Baby is this great innovative music and media company that has created wonderful DVD’s, CD’s, & books. Dr. Belinda Takahashi, the company’s founder, created this Emmy Award winning product line from original orchestral compositions.

Juno is the main character, and her and her friends are interactive. They speak directly to your child to get them clapping and playing along. Juno creates a world of discovery and imagination for your child to stimulate their higher thinking levels while just having fun. Juno Baby is recommended for children 12 months to five years, but I think even if you don’t plop your child in front of the TV; just the background noise can be beneficial for children younger then a year old.

Also, as if you needed even more incentive to try one of their products, for every Juno Baby DVD, CD, or book purchased by you, Juno Baby donates the same product to a child who otherwise cannot afford to purchase one. So as you are watching your child enjoy this fabulous DVD, you can think that you are also giving that joy to another child in need.

How amazing is that?!?

This is their Juno Baby One For All Program they recently launched that supports their belief to give the gift of music to young children everywhere.
Their goal is to give away one million DVD’s, CD’s, and books in 2010.

You can also continue to check their website www.junobaby.com to see how they are doing in achieving this goal.

**I will be posting info later this week on how you can enter to win several Baby Juno products!**

Dorel Asia & Stork Craft Crib Recall

2010-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

635,000 Dorel Asia cribs recalled for risk to infants

About 635,000 cribs sold at major discounters nationwide have been recalled by Dorel Asia SRL for strangulation and suffocation hazards that killed one child and injured 10 others, the government said Tuesday.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that the hardware holding up the side of the crib can fail, causing the drop side of the crib to detach, which could trap and suffocate a child.
The drop side is "the side of the crib that caregivers can move up and down to get a child in or out of the crib," said Kim Dulic, a spokeswoman for the CPSC.
"When the drop side detaches it creates a space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle," the organization said in the statement.
Infants are also at risk of entrapment and possible strangulation if a slat on the crib is damaged, which can occur when the crib is in use, in storage, during shipping and handling and while putting the crib together or taking it apart.
CPSC and Dorel Asia have received 31 reports of sides detaching from cribs, resulting in the death of a 6-month child who was trapped and strangled in a Dorel crib, and three children were injured.
In a separate statement issued late Tuesday, Dorel said the circumstances of the infant's death were "highly unusual." The parents were arrested for "child endangerment with death" after trying to hold their broken crib together with duct tape, the company said.
There have also been 36 reports of slats breaking, which resulted in the bruising and scratching of seven children, according to the CPSC. The slats problem affects both drop-side and stationary cribs.
The recalled Dorel Asia cribs were carried at K-Mart, Sears, and Wal-Mart stores nationwide from January 2005 to December 2009, and cost between $120 and $700 apiece.
Owners should immediately stop using the cribs. Repair kits will be provided in February and, depending on the crib model, the kits will include two to four new sides as well as hardware to immobilize the drop side of the crib.
Consumers with questions can contact Dorel Asia at (866) 762-2304 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company's Web site at www.dorel-asia.com.

Stork Craft Crib Recall

Stork Craft Manufacturing recently recalled 2.1 million Stork Craft cribs due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards. Faulty hardware on the recalled drop-side cribs may allow the drop-side to detach, potentially trapping children and causing serious or fatal injury.

Stork Craft is providing repair kits to convert the drop sides on the recalled cribs to fixed sides. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned parents not to use these cribs until installation of the repair is complete or to instead find alternative safe sleeping arrangements for their babies. The CPSC, Health Canada and Stork Craft have identified 110 drop-side detachments, including 15 entrapment incidents, four of which resulted in suffocation deaths. In addition, authorities have attributed 20 falls to the defective Stork Craft cribs, some of which resulted in injuries.

The recalled Stork Craft cribs contain plastic trigger and one-hand drop-side hardware. Drop-side cribs with metal rods are not subject to the recall. Stork Craft manufactured the defective cribs between October 1997 and December 2004 and sold them under both Stork Craft and Fisher Price labels.

Many retailers sold these cribs, including:
-BJ's Wholesale Club
-J.C. Penney
-Kmart
-Meijer
-Sears
-USA Baby
-Wal-Mart and Walmart.com
-Amazon.com
-Babiesrus.com
-Costco.com
-Target.com

If you believe that you have a crib subject to one of the above-referenced recalls, please contact the manufacturer, retailer, distributor or CPSC immediately to receive the proper information regarding repairing the defect. If you or your child has been injured by a faulty or defective crib, you should contact an experienced personal injury and product liability attorney to determine if you have a case.

Project 365

2010-01-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

So today I am starting Project 365 today and I am really excited about it! I was reading about it yesterday on Kodak and how there is an iPhone app for it (search apps: Project 365) and it just sounded like a cool thing to do! (You do not need an iPhone to do the project, you can use any camera you have or your camera phone.

Basically all it is taking a photo a day for a year (I’m either going to use my big Nikon camera or most likely my iPhone camera). Okay, I know, it may not sound too exciting or anything… but I think it can be. I mean it is combining some of my favorite things, photography, writing (you can write a blog or a short description each day), and being creative.

We just watched Julie & Julia on Christmas and it was very interesting to me to see Julie Powell commit to something like going through “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and making a new dish of Julia Child’s every day for the year of 2002. Then there was also Morgan Spurlock who did Super Size Me in 2004, where he ate McDonalds every day for a month (thank goodness not a year, ugh! I couldn’t even do a week! Ew!). So since I don’t cook and can’t stomach McDonalds, when I saw the Project 365 yesterday, I decided I wanted to do it! It is right up my alley.

Also, since I have been home with Brody the last year and half, I have this daily craving to be creative. I mean, I have this blog which I love and my photography business, but this project just seems like another creative outlet for me to explore. Plus I love documenting life. Most people who know me, know I do this constantly with my writing, I am writing on my computer every day or writing everything down in my planner, not just plans but things I have done and how I feel about them. It’s a little obsessive but I can’t help it. I am sure a lot of my pictures will have to do with Brody, I can’t help it, he is my world. But I am going to try and spice it up a little and make it interesting. I think about the next year of my life and although it will be a lot of diapers, feeding Brody, most likely breast feeding newbaby, yoga, ect… I want to find a different, unique part of each day to document with one picture.

If you are interested in doing this with me, I will be giving updates on here occasionally and I am working on getting my own website set up with hopefully a part just for Project 365. Also, if you have an iPhone, download the app (for free!) today and we can do this project together! I think about since I have had my iPhone, I probably have taken a picture a day since I got it! (I have been meaning to clear it out; I have over 700 pictures on there now!) I was also reading how someone did this in the year 2000 with a disposable camera (think about it, that was before even digital cameras were even popular, I remember getting my first one senior year of college and I got the best little Nikon available and it was 3.5 megapixels! Ha!), and they are now doing it again in 2010 with their Blackberry camera. http://ayearintheday.blogspot.com/

It really can help you see your life in a different way!

Here is more info on Project 365 if you are interested:
http://photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/

Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way
People will often say that their whole lives flashed before their eyes after they experienced a traumatic event. Perhaps it’s a bit morbid, but we think that sounds pretty incredible.
When Taylor McKnight started taking a photo a day on January 1st, 2004, he never imagined the project would not only serve as a way to remember a year, but also help him understand what was important to him in his life.
Whether it was his relationships, his career, or his fashion sense, recording a photo a day for a whole year left him with a rich visual history of his life. And it made him a better photographer to boot!
Now that he’s in the middle of doing it for a second time, we asked Taylor to write about it for us. Read on for our tutorial on how and why to create your own daily photographic history.
Project 365: How to Create a Daily Photographic History
www.photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/
WHY DO IT?
Taking a photo a day is a big undertaking with big payoffs. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider doing it:
• Imagine being able to look back at any day of your year and recall what you did, who you met, what you learned… (Often we find it hard to remember what we did just yesterday or even last night, let alone a whole year ago!)
• Your year-long photo album will be an amazing way to document your travels and accomplishments, your haircuts and relationships. Time moves surprisingly fast.
• Taking a photo a day will make you a better photographer. Using your camera every day will help you learn its limits. You will get better at composing your shots, you’ll start to care about lighting, and you’ll become more creative with your photography when you’re forced to come up with something new every single day.
TIPS ON HOW TO DO IT
Here are six tips on how to create your own Project 365:
1. Bring Your Camera Everywhere
Yes, everywhere. Get in the habit. Grocery stores, restaurants, parties, work, and school. Going to a movie theatre? Snap a pic of the flick with your phone–there are photo-ops everywhere. If you have one of those tiny tiny cameras, you have no excuse not to have it in your pocket all the time. And if you don’t? Camera phones are a great substitute.
2. Make Posting Easy
You can install blog software like Movable Type or Wordpress on your own site and create an entry for each photo, but for true ease of use, try a photo sharing site. Flickr will let you post a week’s worth of photos in 2 minutes flat, and fotolog and Photoblog.com are geared toward a photo-a-day workflow. Making it fast and easy means you’re much more likely to do it.
3. Vary Your Themes
Try to capture the day’s events in a single photo. Perform photographic experiments. Take a photo of someone new you meet, something you ate for the first time, or something you just learned how to do. Take a photo of something that made you smile. And don’t forget to take a photo of yourself at least once a month so you can remember how you’ve changed, too.
4. Tell a Story
Use your blog entry, or your photo description, to explain what’s going on in each day’s photograph. How good did that dinner taste? What made you want to take a photo of that stranger? It’ll help you remember down the road, and it gives friends following along a better appreciation of why you took the photo you did. You don’t need to write a lot, just enough to add some color.
5. Don’t Stop, No Matter What
This is perhaps the most important tip of all. You will get tired of taking a photo every single day. Some days, you will consider giving up. Don’t. The end result is worth the effort. Remind yourself why you wanted to do it in first place.
There will be times you’ll think there’s nothing interesting left to take a photo of, and times you’ll think you didn’t do anything exciting enough to take a photo of. There’s always a great photo to be made.
Get out of the house and take a walk. Or stay inside and look around. Take a photo of something important to you. Take a photo of the inside of your house so you can see how your taste has changed over the years. Take a photo of anything, just don’t stop.
N.b. It helps if you’ve told your friends about the project and asked them to follow along. Their encouragement will keep you going!
6. Post early, post often
Plan on going through and posting your photos at least once a week so you don’t get backlogged and feel overwhelmed. Ideally, post every day or two. Again, spend the time up front to make sure it’s quick and easy to post. It’ll make all the difference.
EXAMPLES
• The Project 365 2004 Recap — Read Taylor’s thoughts on the project after the year was over and see some of the highlights.
• Project 365, 2006 (in progress) — Watch a slideshow of Taylor’s second go-around with Project 365.
• Noah Brier’s One a Day — In a more self-reflective variation, our pal Noah takes a photo a day using the webcam built into his MacBook.

Help the people of Haiti

2010-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, sitting there watching the coverage from Haiti and feeling helpless, I just saw a small way you can help:

You can text the word “HAITI” to 90999
~it will donate $10 to the American Red Cross

It will automatically add $10 to your telephone bill, and it is a small way you can help if you are sitting at home just wanting to do something.
The international Red Cross said a third of Haiti’s 9 million people may need emergency aid.

Here are also other ways you can donate, help, & receive info:

Can call to donate:
1-800-REDCROSS
1-800-257-7575

www.whitehouse.gov

Seeking more info about any family members who may be missing:
1-888-407-4747

YAY! Second Trimester!

2010-01-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

YAY! I finally made it to the gym yesterday! First time in over two months…
I was still teaching my mommy and me yoga class but at least at my own class when I had the feeling that my breakfast was about to come up I could walk around the class and just shout out yoga positions. I didn’t look ridiculous going on my hands and knees instead of a downward dog. I also had Brody in class with me, so he was a welcome distraction to get out of a forward bend as my reflux was getting worse. The last couple weeks I have started to feel better, still sick in the mornings but as I did when I was pregnant with Brody, I am starting to manage it. Wake up, sharp piercing headache, get Brody, he runs around while I get sick (sometimes slamming the toilet seat into my head while mimicking me gagging, yes…this is very special), get Brody breakfast while I get my cup of coffee that I can not function without (don’t worry~ my only caffeine for the day), and take zofran (anti-nausea medicine~ my savior!) So within a half hour the nausea is gone and I can actually leave the house! YAY~ second trimester!

I’m really making it sound worse then it is~ I have it down to a routine at this point. I was the same with Brody and it pretty much lasted all 9 months. I was just saying to one of my friends, if you talk about how you are feeling, list everything that is wrong, everything that doesn’t feel right while you’re pregnant, it sounds so bad! (This of course being for those people who get sick, and not including the women who have perfect pregnancies with more energy, no morning sickness, and hardly any weight gain… so unfair!) So, I want to make sure I am more just stating what happens and not complaining, because it is hard to complain when it is so exciting underneath all the ailments. It really is one of the coolest experiences; creating another human… it’s just crazy.

I also had to bring Brody to Kids Club for the first time in a couple months too, he was miserable walking in. He started clinging to me before we even entered the doors. Crying hysterically and not letting go of my sweatshirt. We are only giving him his binks (binky) in his crib now, so he was fully just flipping out. As always, I know the second I leave he will be fine in 2.3 minutes, but it still doesn’t make it easy. I wanted to scoop him up, walk back to my car, and just be like “okay, we are not ready, we’ll try again soon” but I knew I got all the way there (not late for once) and I wasn’t just leaving! I left Brody hysterical, flailing in the woman’s arms and I walked to yoga. I paused down the hallway as I could still hear him crying and it was breaking my heart.

I got to class and two minutes in it felt great to be back! Wow, does a couple months off make a difference though! My balance is off, my flexibility not as great, and I definitely stumbled a few times. I do like the feeling though now that I have something to work towards, to achieve (and it’s not just my never successful headstand) I need to even work my way back to a tree pose without falling! Or other poses that I am lacking at now, but this is fun. When I was pregnant with Brody was when yoga became something deeper to me, something new even though I had been doing yoga for years, and now I am finally entering that stage again. The stage in pregnancy where I am not just laying around waiting for the next wave to come when I need to make a run for the bathroom, the stage where I can feel good, and workout again.
Like I said before, YAY second trimester!

Please continue to help the people in Haiti

2010-01-16T08:31:00.001-08:00

I am just thinking after washing our dishes from the day about the water I'm using, and meanwhile watching people who are dying because they can’t get a taste of that water.
Bathing Brody, brushing my teeth, flushing the toilet...
While so many Haitians are waiting for just one bottle of water.

I put Brody to sleep in his crib on his thick plush crib mattress, Matt & I go to bed in our king size bed & there is an empty queen bed in our guest room...
Most of people in Haiti are sleeping on the concrete ground.

They aren't using toothpaste to just brush their teeth but yet to put under their nose to help decrease the smell of decaying bodies.
They have to amputate limbs without any sort of medicine.

If you are reading this, please look around and think of how lucky you are.

Hug your children.

Donate to those who need help right now.

We all have an extra $10, $20, $50+ dollars to help the people in Haiti.

Donate the money you would have used to go out to lunch today.

This isn't going to end today, tomorrow, or next week… the people in Haiti will need our help for awhile.

Think of how fortunate you are & what people would do just to have the
food you are going to eat today, the water you will drink (& not to mention waste), & the bed you are going to sleep in.

Even if you can't afford to donate money, look around your house & think of items you can send over.

Water
Canned foods
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Bandages
Gauze pads
Ect

www.redcross.org

http://www.savethechildren.org

http://www.worldvision.org

http://www.foodforthepoor.org/

****Be careful when donating to Haitian relief efforts****
The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance warns that fraudulent charities will likely emerge to try and scam donations from well-meaning Americans. Consumers can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and organizations to verify that they're accredited by the BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.
Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee.
Be cautious when giving online.
Use caution, especially in response to spam messages and e-mails that claim to link to a relief organization.
Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider "avoiding the middleman" and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the region.
Gifts of clothing, food, or other in-kind donations.
In-kind drives for food and clothing may not be the quickest way to help those in need, unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to be able to properly distribute such aid. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who aren't experienced in disaster relief assistance.
The Washington Secretary of State's Office advises consumers to donate directly to the charitable organizations that are properly registered and helping the cause. If the group is soliciting funds in Washington, it must be registered with this office.
Check online at www.sos.wa.gov/charities/search.aspx

This is an image of a boy who was injured by the earthquake having stitches sewn into his head at a makeshift clinic run by missionaries at a school in Port-au-Prince.

Cherish Every Second, Even at 2am….

2010-01-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

It’s no secret to my family and friends that I love my sleep and do not function well without it. This is especially difficult when you are the mother of a young child. Somehow luckily Brody has come to be a great sleeper. For awhile now he goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 9am, we don’t hear a peep from him overnight. (I am always nervous to talk or write about this for the chance that I might jinx it!) I also have been sleeping until 9am. One of my friends actually has a theory about how a child sleeps, that the child will end up sleeping how you did when you were pregnant. This could be true too, when I was pregnant I was working at Banyan Productions and our start time was 10am… ahhhh, the days at Banyan. So I did sleep until about 8:30-9am too. Whenever I complain about not having enough hours in a day, my husband always comes back with “You could just wake up earlier”. Ugh! Who feels like doing that...? I know one day soon Brody will have school and he and I will have to start waking up earlier, so why not enjoy the sleeping in now?

So anyway the other night I hear crying at about 2am. I go in to check on Brody and he is screaming and completely inconsolable. He wouldn’t let me hold him, rock him; he wouldn’t sit in the glider with me. He threw his body on the floor and was screaming and slamming his right leg into the ground. I just started to rub his leg and foot, thinking maybe his foot was asleep or it was a Charlie horse? Do toddlers get Charlie horses? He started to calm down a little bit and I brought him downstairs to get some water.

As we sat on the couch, he drank his water and cuddled up with me and rested his head on my chest. I couldn’t help but cherish this moment. His one little hand grasping onto mine, even though it was about 2:30 in the morning at this point, I still didn’t want the moment to end. I always think about how he won’t be little forever, one day he won’t sit and cuddle up with me, or be small enough to sit on my lap. He won’t have these little chubby fingers and tiny hands that grasp mine. I just sat there and kissed his head. I love this child so much.

Also pretty soon it won’t just be us, when new-baby comes~ oh yeah! Btw, if you didn’t know I am pregnant again! I’m due in June, so Brody and the new baby will be two years apart. We are really excited and I am just hoping everything goes okay and the baby is healthy. But anyway, soon it won’t just be Brody and I, over the last year and a half I have gotten used to doing everything with him. He is my little sidekick. We are together every day and do everything together. I can count the times I have left him overnight, which has never been two nights in a row (I have no clue how I am going to leave him for a week in Feb when we go to Paris) I guess just for now I will continue to cherish every moment with him, what else can you do?

Have you had moments with your children that seemed annoying or inconvenient at the time, but you ended up cherishing?

DONATE GAMES, SAVE LIVES-ONE GAME A TIME

2010-01-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

The holiday season may be coming to an end, but you don’t have to stop giving… or giving back! This season you can donate used video games to help save lives. I’m sure most of you have noticed your kids’ (or husbands’) video games piling up, or maybe you children have outgrown certain games. Donate Games is asking families to wrap up their old video games for a good cause.

Donate Games is a non-profit organization that was founded upon the belief that people can change the world by simply donating their unwanted video games. All proceeds collected from the sales of the used video games go to helping children and their families along with raising awareness for rare and neglected disorders, or "orphan diseases," afflicting millions of young people across the globe. This is the perfect opportunity to get your children together and teach them about giving back.
Every used video game needs a new home once it is no longer wanted. Committed to saving lives, one video game at a time, Donate Games has found a way to let people make a profound impact on the world amid the holiday hustle and bustle.

You can easily mail your used video games to Donate Games, for more info:
http://www.donategames.org

Or purchase used video games via the charity's online store:
http://www.donategames.org/store/shop.htm

Or if you do not have any games to donate, but you would still like to do something, you can simply make a contribution by going to their website as well:
http://www.donategames.org

In addition to raising funds for research on the diseases, the organization promotes awareness information and provides advisory services to the
general public. Game donations, game purchases and volunteer
opportunities are all processed via www.DonateGames.org
http://www.donategames.org

"Our user-friendly model takes charitable giving to a whole
new level of fun and interactivity, presenting families with
a unique way to extend their holiday generosity," said Jim
Carol, CEO and founder of Donate Games, who founded the
charity after his own son and video game enthusiast, Taylor
Carol, survived an orphan disease. "We've streamlined the
process of raising rare disease support for hurting children
who need our attention-and deserve our kindness during this
season of giving. Donate Games, save lives. It's that easy."

Infant Seat Recall!

2009-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

On Friday, December 18th over 40 different models of a popular infant seat were recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. The recall came after 77 separate reports were made about faulty bolts on the child restraint handles of over 40 different models. Loose bolts caused the handles to partially (or in some cases fully) break loose from the car seat base, causing injuries to at least three babies.
Wondering if your car seat is involved in the recall? Here's the full list:
Child Restraint Model # - Product Description
Safety 1st
22-057 DBY - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-085 DWA - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-057 CLN - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-057 HRT - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-322 HRR - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-322 PTK - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-057 LPH - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-085 LYN - Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
22-322 KDL - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-322 LXI - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-322OLY - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-322PRS - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-322 MAI - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-325 COB - Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
22-095 RBK - Safety 1st Explorer Travel System
22-380 LGA - Safety 1st Lite Wave Travel System
22-380 MSA - Safety 1st Lite Wave Travel System
22-627 WAV - Safety 1st Vector Travel System
22-325 PAC - Safety 1st Vector Travel System
Cosco
22-300 FZN - Cosco Sprint Travel System
22-300 OSF - Cosco Sprint Travel System
22-300 CSF - Cosco Spirit Travel System
22-300 JJV - Cosco Spirit Travel System
22-300 THD - Cosco Spirit Travel System
22-300 TWD - Cosco Spirit Travel System
Disney
22-627 AWF- Disney Propack Travel System
22-355 LBF - Disney Propack Travel System
22-305 NAB - Disney Propack Travel System
22-305 PPH - Disney Propack Travel System
22-355 PWK - Disney Propack Travel System
Eddie Bauer
22-627 CGT - Eddie Bauer Adventurer Travel System
22-627 FRK - Eddie Bauer Adventurer Travel System
22-627 SNW - Eddie Bauer Adventurer Travel System
22-627 WPR - Eddie Bauer Adventurer Travel System
22-627KGS - Eddie Bauer Endeavor Travel System
22-655BYTE - Eddie Bauer Endeavor Travel System
What you can do now: If you own one of the recalled infant carriers, stop using yours immediately and order a free repair kit now by heading to the Dorel website or by calling Dorel directly at (866) 762-3316 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday-Friday.

HIP-HOP TO RUN AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS

2009-11-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Sorry I have been MIA for a little, I have been sick and fighting to feel better. Plus being sick with a 17 month old is not fun… I just feel so bad and guilty every day not feeling up to giving B the attention I should be. So I promise I will be back to my blog and 100% back to my son asap! Thanks for hanging in there and keep reading!
I did get this information for a really cool event tomorrow I wanted to pass on to all of you.

PHILADEPHIA 76ers MASCOT,
HIP-HOP TO RUN AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS

FOR ONE SPECIAL PERFORMANCE UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS WELCOMES THE NBA's FAVORITE HARE!

WHAT: The ever-versatile 76ers Mascot Hip-Hop will add a new trick to his trade making a special cameo in the UniverSoul Circus Wednesday night performance.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Fairmount Park (next to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts)

WHO: 76ers Mascot, Hip-Hop

MORE: The UniverSoul Circus returns after a two year hiatus to Philadelphia. Performing now through Sunday November 15, 2009 in Fairmont Park next to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts under the big top.

The remaining Philadelphia area show schedule is: Tuesday November 10, 10:30am & 7:30pm,Wednesday November 11, 10:30am & 7:30pm, Thursday November 12, 10:30am & 7:30pm, Friday November 13, 10:30am & 7:30pm, Saturday November 14, 12 noon, 4pm & 7:30pm and Sunday November 15 12:30pm, 3:30pm & 6:30pm.

Ticket prices are $12 for individuals and $10 groups for weekday morning shows, and range from $16.50-$28 for adults and $15-$26 for children 12 months and older, weekends and evenings.

More information on UniverSoul Circus can be found at www.universoulcircus.com. Tickets will be available through www.ticketmaster.com and Group Sales are available now at 800-316-7439.

Will You Be Refunded If Your Baby Is Not a Genius?

2009-10-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

So even though The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends that children under two refrain completely from watching TV, how many moms out there still allow their children to watch a couple shows, I mean, they’re educational, right? Or are they?
Well if you own even one Baby Einstein DVD, the company, owned by Disney, will refund you $15.99 for up to four Baby Einstein DVD’s per household, bought between June 5, 2005 and September 5, 2009. So why the refund? The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood launched a lawsuit arguing that “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development. “
So as I definitely do not believe in sitting a baby right in front of the TV, Brody has definitely watched his share, and he is under two.
I remember when I was a nanny and one of the moms told me about the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation, she wanted to try and follow it with her son. This was some what difficult especially because she had a four year old daughter who was allowed to watch TV. It ended up her doctor told her another piece of advice, while you should avoid a ton of TV where children are concerned, when needed it can be a wonderful educator and babysitter. I do believe people take advantage of this and sit their children in front of the TV out of laziness though (and extreme circumstances like when you are sick and can’t move and your child watches almost all of the Hi-Five episodes on-demand) I do not rely on TV to teach my son and make him a genius. Even if we are watching Hi-Five, I use the show to help him learn colors and numbers while reiterating what he just saw. I still read to him constantly, dance, sing, play games and teach him in other ways.
So I guess my question is, while these shows and DVD’s may help aid in learning, does anyone really completely rely on them to teach their children and will you be returning them if you do? (If you are going to admit you do….)
Do I personally think the DVD’s make baby geniuses, no, but do I think Brody learns from Hi-Five or the shows he watches, yes.
I am interested in your opinions:
Do you have children under two who watch TV?
Do you think they learn anything from what they watch?
Do you feel better about letting them watch TV if they are learning?
Do you own Baby Einstein DVD’s and will you be returning them?

http://www.babyeinstein.com/parentsguide/promise.aspx

Sick Days… Not What They Used To Be…

2009-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sick days are just not what they used to be… remember the days when sick days were “fun” ~okay, maybe not fun, but definitely not bad. You could just stay in your PJ’s, lay on the couch watching The Price is Right, and get served tea and crackers without even moving.
Hmmm… not anymore… not now that you are the mom. You can’t call in sick when you are a mom. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I was the only one sick, Brody and Matt were fine.
The timing was horrible though, because we did have plans to go away for the weekend (going to Pitt Homecoming with all of my college friends) and Thursday afternoon when I started to get sick, we started to realize there was not a chance I could spend 5 hours in a car to Pittsburgh since I couldn’t spend 5 minutes with my head up and out of the bathroom.
At least since we were going away our parents had planned to watch B, so my mother-in-law came to pick him up early Friday while Matt was working downstairs and I couldn’t move.
Now, I know I am jinxing myself when again I will say, I never get sick. (Way to go, definitely jinxing myself while we are coming right into flu season…smart Ashley…) Anyway, I used to get sick all the time in college but since then, hardly ever, I swear by vitamins and they seem to work. I don’t really get colds, never had the flu (there I go again… just stop writing!) So I have been miserable since Thursday when I was hit with what I would have to say is the worst virus I have ever had.
It’s been horrible…
I laid on the couch Thursday afternoon and I don’t think I got up again yesterday… oh, except to go to the hospital (my husband and parents basically made me and I did not have the energy to argue anymore) I couldn’t even lift my head to eat, I literally was eating crackers laying down…
It is so sad to watch Brody running around me playing, trying to stack toys on top of me, pulling my hair, trying to get me up to play with him, and I couldn’t even move.
Luckily Matt was home at a decent time on Thursday and took over Brody duties. He played with him, took him & Cooper out for a walk, and gave him dinner, did everything I couldn’t. There is definitely a feeling of guilt while I am just laying there and he is doing everything.
My parents picked up Brody on Saturday and he slept there (like he was supposed to while we were going to be away) and they brought him back Sunday.
And then Monday came around… I really thought I would be better by today... not so much. Brody was up early (for him) at 7am, so I jumped up to get him and instantly felt sick again. I pulled him right back in bed with me and put on Hi-Five. I bought myself 46 more minutes to sleep in while he watched two episodes of Hi-Five. Matt left for work at 8am and I brought Brody down to have breakfast. I could stand and do a few things but would have to lie down (or run to the bathroom) every half hour.
Today was tough, but I am hoping tomorrow will be better.
What are you supposed to do with an energetic 16 month old while you can’t even move?? Now, I need to get ready for bed in case Brody gets up again tomorrow at his new early time. Good night!

When Parents Tell Their Children to Lie

2009-10-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

What has become of some parents? I am sure by now everyone has heard of “Balloon Boy”~ poor kid that we are even calling him balloon boy, but I figured you would know who I was talking about better then if I wrote Falcon Hennes.

I wasn’t watching the news coverage as it was happening but I did log on my computer and read the yahoo article, when they still couldn’t find 6 year Falcon. I felt sick for his parents and their entire family, I really felt horrible for them. Then with in a half hour he was found and he was hiding in the garage, horrible, but then to hear that not only was he hiding, but his parents may have put him up to it?!?! Ugh Ugh Ugh, who does that??

Falcon was so distraught he ended up vomiting on television because his parents made him lie. What is happening to parents in our culture?? There is no excuse for this behavior.
I admit to being someone who is completely into television, celebrities, ect… but I would never, ever, put my children in that position for the price of fame.

At least for Falcon, he must have learned to be honest somewhere along the line, that lying about hiding and what happened physically sickened him on television. The sad part, the parents probably don’t even appreciate that their children are sincere and don’t want to lie, and instead the parents only care about the fame.

So instead of just looking negatively at the Hennes, let’s think of what positive lesson we can take from this to teach our children. Also think of how often you tell little white lies in front of your children and how they could grow up thinking lying is okay. We can also take this as a warning to ourselves as how parenting can go horribly wrong, even with the best intentions.

Did your children hear about this incident? And if so, what did you tell them?
Is there a lesson here to teach our children to be honest (even if we are asking them to lie?)

Buy Ketchup in May

2009-10-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out dinner (both Wednesday), or to even ask for raise (Thursday or Friday)?

Mark Di Vincenzo did research for over a year to find out the best times of the day, the week, the month to do a variety of things, and he shares his expertise in his new book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon.

This book is not only entertaining it can be extremely helpful with telling you the best time to buy and sell a home and the best day of the month to make an offer on a house. The author, Mark was on Rachael Ray today and he shared a bunch of his little tips that are also in his book. Some of the tips are very interesting and may even help you.

I personally get bugged out by milk products that have expired. My husband will drink milk a few days after the expiration date (ew!). For me, if it is even a day or two before, I won’t touch milk, yogurt, or even eggs, but Mark tells us that actually eggs are good for 3-5 weeks after their expiration date! (who knew??) And they go on sale when they are close to the date that is listed on the egg carton. Now while I think the 3-5 weeks sounds crazy, I may be okay eating eggs a few days to possibly a week after.

Mark also says to buy shoes in the late afternoon/early evening. Your feet swell during the day and are at their largest in the late afternoon, so you know they will fit you. Thanks Mark for just saving me on those shoes I wear once and never again because they were killing my feet by the end of the day.

Airport rush hour mimics highway rush hour, so there is less “traffic” in the middle of the day. The airports are less crowded and less stressful. Saturday is also the best day to fly for the same reason. If you are flying somewhere tropical remember to apply your sunscreen 15-30 minutes before you go outside, it takes that time to start working.

Mark also tells us the best month to get a flu shot is October~ even more specific, mid-October (so get it now!). He explains that the flu shot truly takes about two weeks to kick in and the flu season completely hits around Halloween and lasts through March or April. So if you get your flu shot now you will protected right into the spring!

Mark also shared the best time to buy:
Furniture~ New models come out in February and August, so everything is discounted in January and July.
Cameras~ Presidents Week, new models are out and old ones are discounted.
Tools~ Tools hardly ever go on sale, expect for probably the only time you may find yourself actually buying tools, the week before fathers day.
Computers~ Take advantage of back to school sales, the best sale for computers.

….and don’t forget to buy ketchup in May (picnic season when ketchup, mustard, and relish are all discounted) and champagne in December (when the demand is high, so you may think the opposite, but the price is actually lowered to keep up with the competition).
Just remember timing is everything and by doing certain things at the right time you will get more for your money, maximize your time, and even take better care of your health.

A Surprising View

2009-10-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today was Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s first day back on The View from maternity leave after having her third child, son Isaiah, two months ago. She starts by telling a revealing story about how she accidentally sent out a picture to her family that may have showed more of herself then intended.

The picture posted is a picture of her son, Isaiah. Elisabeth explained this was similar to most of the pictures she was taking and then she became so excited when she finally took one of her son smiling. She immediately sent it out to her entire family, including her parents, her brother, her husband, brother-in-law, father-in-law, ect…

“You know when your baby smiles for the first time, I reached for the iPhone and took the photo. Well no wonder he was smiling, because my nipple was in the photo!” Elisabeth revealed. “It’s worse then drunk dialing, it’s embarrassing!”

So her warning to all of us: Do not send pictures out when you are sleep deprived and delirious, (or at least have someone double check them before they go out!)

Has anything similar ever happen to you? Did you accidentally send out a picture or text you were later embarrassed about? If you are a fan of The View, are you happy Elisabeth is back?

Saving $$$$ With Coupons

2009-10-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

My husband went shopping at Banana Republic a couple weeks ago and came home with a bunch of new clothes. The first thing I asked was if he used any of the coupons we have had sitting in our kitchen, he of course said “No, it was a spur of the moment shopping trip”. Ugh. Okay, so in the meantime he has worn the clothes and taken off the tags, while we kept getting more 25% & 40% off coupons.

I think since we got married and even more since I had Brody I have been using coupons. I just started getting ones that were $5.00 off for diapers and I didn’t want to just throw them out. Now it has become a little bit of an obsession. I get annoyed when I have to buy diapers and don’t have my $5 or $6 dollar off BJ’s coupon. I also recently saw Bill Rancic (the first winner of The Apprentice) on Rachael Ray talking about people who use coupons. He was telling everyone how much people can save per year and he said some statistic about how the majority of people who use coupons make $75,000+ and the people who use coupons the least make under $20,000… interesting…

So anyway, I took my coupons, Matt’s clothes, and went to Banana. Without even looking at the clothes in my bag, the cashier took my receipts, my coupons and refunded our credit card $98.00!
Awesome, right?!? For doing nothing, for making a quick trip to Banana and handing in my coupons! J

So now when I see certain coupons, I am going to share them with you guys. Even if it is just a dollar here, two dollars there… just think, if you saw that dollar laying on the street you would pick it up, right?

Coupons:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/
Click on Coupon Guide (Valid through Oct 24th)
A bunch of 20% off coupons~ Arden B, Build-A-Bear

www.alice.com
Bill Rancic discussed alice.com on Rachael Ray, he said it is a wonderful website where you can buy essential dry goods. Alice.com tracks your purchase history and emails you when you are running low on certain items. They also offer competitive prices and coupons on their site.

http://www.iseeme.com/oriveownna.html
My Very Own Name Personalized Storybook~ free shipping & signed by the author (offer ends Oct 18th)

www.diapers.com
$10 off your first order & 40% off Halloween costumes & free shipping!

http://www.earthsbest.com/promos/promos.php?cat=coupon
Earth’s Best Coupons
(I used the $1 off 10 jars of food all the time when Brody was eating baby food, & I still use the $1 off 2 products whenever I buy B his crunchin’ grahams)

www.coupons.com
Awesome site!!

www.couponmom.com
Great site~ has Enfamil & other formula coupons and free samples.

www.AAA.com
If you have AAA~use it! Ask for your AAA discounts at hotels, restaurants, & check AAA for coupons.

http://www.mybambino.com
Sale going on & free shipping on all orders over $60.

http://piperlime.gap.com
30% off on select styles~ ends Oct 25th.

** It does help to be organized and keep your coupons in one place. Target has little plastic coupon holders for $1 that really come in handy!**

Raising a Healthy Eater ~ Installment 1

2009-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when Brody was 4 months and our doctor said we could start trying baby food. Every week I tried a different food and was so impressed when Brody liked each kind. I was thrilled he was such an excellent eater. He loved eating the peas as much as the applesauce.

Brody is still a decent eater, but every week I notice he gets a little more finicky. Not only does he hate being spoon fed anymore, he is starting to only pick out the things he likes. Now while sometimes these are still good foods (broccoli, peppers, avocado, fruit) he is starting to refuse meats and proteins. He does love cheese and beans, so he is getting protein there, but besides chicken nuggets he isn’t eating any other type of chicken or meat at mealtime.

This brings me to the question, how can I keep him a healthy eater and stop his bad food habits now?

I have been reading a lot on children’s eating habits, mostly because I want to make sure I raise healthy eaters. I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember and I want to make sure my children don’t have the same problem. I can almost trace back to exactly where my eating went wrong (the whole fat free craze in the 90’s, when I thought I could eat as many jelly bellies as I wanted because they were “fat free”) and I can see the things I want to do differently with Brody. Eating habits from your childhood carry over into adulthood, so I want to make sure Brody is establishing healthy eating habits now.

I think one of the problems with Brody is nibbling during the day, so by the time meal comes he is full. This is fully my fault and it just an issue of convenience.
It is easy to be running errands and give Brody a yogurt rice crisp bar (while organic, still not the best option to fill up on), Graduates lil crunchies, and crunchin’ grahams. Then right after our errands, when we go to lunch, Brody just doesn’t want to eat anything else.

So I read an article on children’ s eating habits that said just this: constant crunching (even on healthy snacks) is preventing your child from learning to recognize their own feelings of hunger and fullness, which is an important skill that will make them healthy eaters for life.

So how can I break Brody from this habit?
Here is advice I read & will share with you:

Set a schedule.
Kids thrive on structure and schedules. So try keeping snacks to one mid-morning, one mid-afternoon, and bedtime if they absolutely need it. Also, have your child sitting at the table for these snacks, not always eating on the go.

If they ask for a snack at another time, especially if they just ate, remind them snack time or meal time is coming. If you are not comfortable with this, offer them carrot sticks or another vegetable or fruit to hold them over. If they are truly hungry they will eat their vegetables.

As for protein, it said to include protein and fat into their snacks to keep kids satisfied longer. Try peanut butter on celery or carrots, a slice of cheese melted on whole-grain crackers, or apple slices dipped in yogurt.

And keep the junk out of sight! It’s harder to tell your children no when you have all sorts of goodies sitting out. Keep only healthy snacks in arms reach in your pantry or fridge~ like baby carrots or applesauce.

Well, I will start trying these tips today for Brody (& maybe for myself…) we’ll see how it goes!

What is your child eating?
Does your child have healthy eating habits? Do you?

~Ashley

Baby Yoga Pose: Super Baby

2009-10-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

At my Mommy & Me Yoga class last Friday one of the moms was telling me how she had been doing the poses at home and how much they were helping with her baby’s digestion, gas, and helping her baby to sleep better. I thought of the idea to share a pose with you each week. You can try these poses at home with your baby, they are very easy to do and only take a few minutes.

Baby Yoga is little baby exercises such as grabbing their thighs and rotating them around, baby chair poses, flying on mom's knees ~ Super Baby pose (this week’s pose) and Puppy Pose ~ where baby lies over your thighs rocking back and forth. What I love about Baby Yoga is that it gives you more ways to interact with your baby and make them smile. The routines are very short, about 5 to 10 minutes, which is perfect for busy moms. There are routines to try at bedtime to help your baby sleep better and routines specifically for digestion and to ease gas pain.
You can comment or contact me if it seems unclear how to do the pose, or if you have any questions about the pose.

This week’s pose:
Super Baby

Brody hated tummy time, all he would do was scream. We even tried a tummy time mat, but that didn’t work either. There are a few poses in baby yoga that are the same as getting your baby to do tummy time.

One of them is Super Baby. As your baby gets older and gains the neck strength, they will also enjoy getting a different view of you and the room.

How to do Super Baby:

First, bring your baby into your arms. Try to make sure your baby hasn’t eaten in the past half hour.

Lie down with your baby on your belly.

Prop your knees into a 90 degree angle. Bring your knees and feet close together.

Place your baby’s belly down on your shins so that your baby is looking down at you.

Leave your hands around her chest and waist to keep her safely in place.

You can make Super Baby easier or harder and work on your abs by straightening your legs and lowering them to the ground without touching the ground. If you baby is under four months I would stay with your legs closer and keep a tight hold on your baby.

Come out of Super Baby by lifting your baby and body into sitting position. Give your baby a big hug!

http://www.itsybitsyyoga.com/

Stay Home, Stay Happy

2009-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Today Rachel Campos-Duffy filled in as a special guest co-host on The View, (Elisabeth is out on maternity leave & Sherri was sick today). You may remember Rachel from the Real World San Francisco. Rachel is now the mother of five children under the age of 10 (& has one on the way); she is married to Sean Duffy (Real World Boston). Sean is running for Congress representing Wisconsin, and both are devoted Republicans who met on Real World Road Rules All-Stars.

Rachel just wrote what she calls a “love letter” to stay-at-home-moms. The letter is actually a book, Stay Home, Stay Happy: 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood, which was published at the end of August by the Penguin Group. Rachel wrote the book after she was notified in 2003 that she was not going to be one of the co-hosts on The View after guest hosting. In 1999 and again in 2003, Rachel made on-air attempts to join the hosting line-up of The View, but each time she was not chosen for the position. Rather than be deterred by what some might call failure, Rachel instead found inspiration.

Rachel presents a new way of looking at stay at-home motherhood that will transform the way readers view their days, their family, and their home. The book is said to be a warm, inspiring, and practical handbook for at-home moms. Rachel made sure to include “common sense and practical ideas that we all need to be reminded of,” she said in a recent interview. “I wanted to edify women who have chosen to be at home with their families,” she said. The world at large can often be oblivious to what transpires in a home, including the ongoing efforts of stay-at-home mothers. Rachel said, “There’s just not a lot of validation, but it’s never been a better time to be an at-home mom.”

Rachel writes that “Being an at-home parent does not make you a better parent. What it does afford you is more opportunities to become the best parent you can be.” With that striving can come a simultaneous need for a reality check, as at-home parents have opportunities to fall short of their own expectations because they have more opportunities to interact with their children, she explains. “But that also means that there are more occasions to reconcile and plenty of time to learn about and from one another in the process,” she writes. “It is a book that isn’t about whether to be an at-home mother or not. It’s a book where if you’ve chosen to be an at-home mom or it chooses you — like happened to me — how to do it joyfully so you and your kids look back on the time with really warm memories.”

For one thing, men as husbands and fathers are more open to partnership in the home than they were decades ago, she explained. Technological advances, like the Internet, make it easier for at-home parents to reach outside of their homes, beyond what once was often an isolated experience for women, she continued. Ultimately, Rachel hopes that her book will motivate and remind at-home moms to recognize and indulge in the pleasurable and satisfying aspects of their work. “There is a way to do it and be joyful,” she said.

With practical advice and candid, engaging stories from her own life and other moms who are making it all work, mothers will learn about:

* Embracing the choice to stay home with joy and confidence
* Taking care of yourself, guilt-free

* How rekindling your relationship with your husband benefits the whole family

* Reveling in the chance to explore new passions and creative outlets

* And the 10 things that no mom can live without!

http://www.rachelcamposduffy.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Home-Happy-Secrets-Motherhood/dp/0451228073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255382356&sr=8-1

Under Two~ Prevent The Swine Flu

2009-10-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

The swine flu vaccine has finally arrived, but it is currently only available in a nasal-mist form. The problem with the nasal mist~ it’s not recommended for children under the age of two because of possible dangers. Moms with children under two are advised to wait until the vaccine shot is cleared. The good news~ the wait might only take another week, at least 40 million doses of the H1N1 flu shot are rolling out in mid-October.
Once the H1N1 flu shot is available, you could still be waiting to be vaccinated. According to reports, doctors, hospitals, and schools will only find out how many batches they can expect to receive as the shipments start to arrive, which will likely send most clinics and vaccination programs into a tailspin with the influx of patients. Also, if you do choose to vaccinate baby with the shot, once might not be enough. Doctors are saying that young children might need to be vaccinated twice before being considered fully immune to the illness.
You are supposed to call your pediatrician's office now to find out how to set up an appointment and when they expect to receive the vaccine.

I am personally still figuring out if I am going to get Brody vaccinated when the shot does become available (he had his regular flu shot last month). I am curious to hear what you think & if you will be vaccinating your children and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the vaccine itself.

~Ashley

For more info: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091005/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_swine_flu_q_a

If You Want to Play Dirty, Make Sure You Have Coverplay

2009-10-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ahh…. Shark Tank, how I love thee… For those of you who haven’t seen Shark Tank (Tuesday nights on ABC 8pm EST), the premise is simple. Struggling entrepreneurs come to the “Sharks” (five self made multi-millionaires) asking them to invest in their business and in return the Sharks get a percentage of the companies’ equity. What really makes the show interesting is when a few of the Sharks really like an idea and they try to out bid each other for a piece of what they think will be the next big thing.
I worked in reality television for years before I had Brody. I remember sitting around in company meetings trying to think of a fresh unique idea for a reality show, why didn’t I think of this?!? Leave it to Mark Burnett, (the man behind Survivor and The Apprentice) to come up with this one~ what a great concept!

So what does Shark Tank have for the mom’s out there? Well, besides the adorable Shark, Robert Herjavec (my new TV crush), I would say almost every episode has someone trying to pitch a children’s item, and some of them are brilliant products! I will be mentioning more items in future blogs, but one of my favorites was on last night’s episode. Shark Tank has started showing updates on past entrepreneurs who struck a deal with the Sharks.

Last night’s update was on Coverplay. After Allison Costa had twin boys, she constantly used her play yard for the twins to nap and so they could play together in a safe area. Allison developed this wonderful product after discovering how difficult it was to clean her play yard after hours of use. Allison went to her friend Amy Feldman, who is a designer, and together they created an easy solution, a super soft play yard slipcover with cute designs that is easy to wash.

After seeing Allison and Amy on the show I knew I needed to buy one of these slipcovers. Play yards are one of the most popular infant items, they get a ton of use but also endure the wear and tear of spit up and spills.

Coverplay is a “germaphobes” dream! I started to think of all the instances where my hygienic Coverplay Slipcover would really come in handy~ when different children nap in your child’s play yard, if you are bringing your child to nap in someone else’s play yard, if you have a hand-me-down play yard, when traveling and using a hotel’s play yard, plus I am sure it will extend the longevity of your own play yard as well.

~Ashley

For more information on COVERPLAY Slipcovers, visit http://www.coverplayard.com

Coverplay sells a line of 20 different slipcovers that fit easily over almost any play yard on the market. The portable crib covers are machine washable and provide parents an easy way to protect their children from germs and keep play yards clean. COVERPLAY is all about making life easier for moms.
Coverplay is a Patented ProductNot intended for use with any Play Yard attachments (changing table, basinet, toy or pocket attachments).

Traveling With Baby

2009-10-06T15:17:00.004-07:00

In August my husband Matt and I took our first vacation with Brody to Aruba.
Now, I have never been one to be afraid of flying, my step-mother is a flight attendant and since I was little I have flown all over. For some reason with this trip I was having horrible anxiety. I realized it was because it was going to be Brody’s first flight and the anxiety was more about the logistics of the trip. How will I entertain him in a small confined space for four plus hours? Do I bring our own pack-n-play or use the hotel’s? (other answers coming soon… )
Do I bring his car seat, and if so, how do I transport it?
Our close friends who recently traveled to Europe with their one year old gave us a great piece of advice.
They told us to about the gogo Kidz Travelmate. It is basically a plastic attachment with wheels that hooks onto to your convertible car seat. The best part, you can check your stroller and your child can sit in the seat while you pull them through the airport. Brody loved it! It is easy to attach and take off when you need to either gate check the seat or fasten it into the airplane seat. It also fits perfectly in the overhead compartments. It was a life saver! So many people commented on our new device, especially the parents who were lugging their own large car seats while trying to push a stroller.

http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14550-c26-g6-b0-p0-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate_.aspx

gogo Babyz also makes an version for infant seats, Infant Cruizer.

http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14474-c27-g6-b0-p0-Infant_Cruizer_AT.aspx

2009-09-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hi there!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am doing very well, especially because this is my first blog. I hope all of you enjoy my blog and please feel free to interact with me and comment below. I look forward to any suggestions, questions, or comments.
Let me first introduce myself, my name is Ashley. I guess I would be labeled as a “stay at home mom” but I also have a photography business on the side, I write this blog for MomSpace.com, and I teach a mommy and me yoga class.
My husband Matt and I have been married for 4 years this October. We have one son, Brody, who is 15 months. We also have a 3 year old shih tzu, Cooper. We live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, in Newtown, Bucks County.
I enjoy blogging for many reasons. I find it to be extremely therapeutic, it helps me with self discovery, self improvement, and through blogging and writing I can share great deals and little tidbits of information that I have learned since having Brody.
I think the first time you either become pregnant or have a child, you may not realize you are entering an entire new world. You start to obtain an entirely new vocabulary (diaper genie, swaddle), you think and obsess about things you never even knew existed (what if I turn the swing on the fastest speed, will my baby fly out? Should I use bumpers or not?), and you analyze and research the type of nipples you should use for your baby’s first bottle the way you used to cram in college.
It is fascinating to see my friends in all different stages, some single, some dating, some married, and some no where near getting married. A bunch of my friends do have children and those are the people I have leaned on a lot since having Brody. We all reference each other with questions about our children. Sometimes you can’t get your doctor on the phone or the answers have changed since your mom was a new parent, so it is easy to rely on your friends. It is from those conversations that my blog has developed, from questions I have asked and answered.
A baby changes your life. I am sure if you are reading this blog you probably already know that. A baby flips your world upside down, what matters to you after having a child is completely different then what mattered before. But I think you would all agree that having a child adds this amazing aspect to your life that you never experienced before.
I look forward to writing and I hope you look forward to reading. I love feedback, so please leave your comments, good and bad.

~Ashley