Looking at the Sky on Friday
- Interested in joining us? For information on Looking at the Sky on Friday, including graphics click here.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Who is June Clever?!
We are starting to see more fresh veggies and fruits available here in central Arkansas. For that, I am so happy! The other night, I decided to treat the kids for eating all of their dinner and making "happy plates". I got out a set of glass bowls and made them some sweet treats with fresh strawberries including some whipped cream and chocolate syrup, a very healthy snack indeed. ;)
We have (faux) wood floors in the dining area and kitchen. I don't know why I thought glass bowls for a 7, 4, and 19 month old were a smart idea. I have a set of matching plastic dessert dishes that would have worked just as well. But, it was all about presentation. Needless to say, my set was reduced by two by the time dinner came to an end. I found myself in quite a situation where I needed to sweep up two separate broken glass incidents and the only pair of shoes I could find nearby were my favorite new high heels. I found it extremely hard to explain to my husband as he walked by why I was sweeping the kitchen in a pair of high heels. So, I just said..."Hi honey, call me June Clever." to which he responded, "Who?" This was proceeded by a lengthy discussion over 1950s television Moms and how times are so much different today.
McNill Designs Games = Fun Family Time
I recently teamed up with the folks over at McNill Designs via Business2Blogger to review a couple of their products which I thought the readers of CrAzY Working Mom might enjoy! I see commercials all of the time advertising "Family Game Nights" and I always think that would be so much fun, to implement a night to playing board games or card games with the kids. Since our kids are so spread apart in ages (7, 4, and 19 months) it's hard for us to find games that aren't too hard for one while being too easy for another. We received two games from McNeill: Twisted Fish and You've Been Sentenced.
Twisted Fish is described on McNill Design's Website as follows:
"For Ages 8 and up, 30-40 min, 3-6 players
The old game of go fish just got a very challenging twist. It isn’t child’s play any more! Twisted Fish takes a traditional standby and casts it into the 21st century.
13 unique Fish characters in five different colors, plus 8 unique “Zingers” that allow you to break the rules, makes “Twisted Fish” a unique game experience. The real challenge takes place when asking for the fish cards you are collecting—Now you have to be specific about the type of fish and color you are seeking. “Twisted Fish” challenges you to remember every question asked at the table. It is challenging and fun right down to the very last card!
We promise you’ll fall hook, line, and sinker! Twisted Fish offers laugh-out-loud fun for the entire family"
Since none of my children fall into this age category I was worried that we'd have some trouble playing. We were determined to give it a try. We opened the box and took a look at the silly cards included in the set. The characters are oddly original and wonderfully illustrated. The kids really enjoyed this but what we all found perplexing was the rubber duck that was included in the box. To find out, the instructions tell you that you must go online to do so. We did and thought it was a royally fun idea! All in all it's a fun game and way better than the "normal" go fish game. It can take a while to play especially when you're playing with younger children or CrAzY Mom's who don't have a very good memory. With the Zinger cards such as the Glass Bottom Boat, Dead Scuba Diver, and The Game Warden it can add loads of fun to an already interesting game. It's a wonderfully witty idea and would be a great addition to anyone's game closet. It would be especially fun at slumber parties and the likes.
You've Been Sentenced is every grammar teacher's dream. Who knew that turning words into sentences could be so much fun?! The cards contain words, phrases, famous names and places in which the players have to use to make sentences. Sounds easy, right? Well, the tricky part is that the sentences have to make sense and be grammatically correct! There are several methods of play that you can try out according to your preferences and the amount of players. You've Been Sentenced comes with extensions such as Pop Culture, Sports, Sci Fi/Fantasy, Gourmet Cooking, and the official Readers Digest Word Power Challenge.
A portion of each retail sale of You’ve been Sentenced goes to fight illiteracy in the USA through the not-for-profit organization Success Won’t Wait, Inc. Founded in 2002, the organization’s mission is to encourage reading, particularly by children. For more information about Success Won’t Wait and its literacy programs, please visit www.successwontwait.org.
If you're interested in being on the television version of this game, you can click here! I've always thought it would be fun to be on television, but I'm afraid that my brain would freeze and I'd never be able to do it.
McNill Designs has won multiple awards. You can click here to see them all.
McNill Designs sent me the above products in order to review. I was given no other compensation for doing so. Any opinions stated above are my own and I have had no outside influence. Any statements made by McNill Designs or affiliates must be validated by those companies as I am not responsible. To see my full disclosure policy, please click here.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
What food does your flab resemble?
My four year old son, Tyler asked me this morning if I was pregnant again!
When I asked why, he continued to push on my flabby belly and said that my belly was mushy like smashed potatoes so I must be having a baby!
"Nope, no baby!" I informed him. "Just eating too much smashed potatoes."
Personally, I think it more closely resembles cottage cheese than smashed potatoes...but to each their own.
Now, I'm hungry!
Disney on Ice, Our Rink Side Experience
The show began as Mickey and Minnie celebrated a very Merry un- birthday with Alice, the Mad Hatter and gang. Pinocchio, Gipeto, and The Fairy God Mother also teach a very important lesson about telling the truth when the celebration begins. What we loved about this segment of the show was the chase for the mad hatter's hat. Mickey grabs it and it becomes a fun chase between Mickey and his friends pitted against the hatter and his friends. At one point in the show, the chase was in slow motion which was very comical to watch and performed with great execution! Once the Mad Hatter had secured his hat, Goofy found a special hat and coat that looked quite familiar once Mickey dawned it! He then proceeded to try to make his broom move by casting some spells. Fortunately for us he enchanted a whole bunch of brooms who put on quite an interesting show with some pretty spectacular costumes.
Next up, Minnie wishes that she can become a princess and meet her prince and have the perfect Valentine. What's a princess wish without a Fairy God Mother? She made all of Cinderella's dreams come true, so surely she could do the same for Minnie, right? This was the favorite segment of the show for both Shelby (my 7 year old daughter) and myself. In this point in this show, we were introduced to each of Disney's princesses and their princes including: Cinderella, Ariel, Mulan, Belle, and the newest princess, Tiana. This was the most technical portion of the show with lots of flips, spins, and so much princess grace! In the end, the princesses show Minnie how to be a princess herself and she is greeted by her prince, Mickey. They join the Royal Ball where the princes all gave the princesses a rose. Fortunately we were seated near Mulan who in turn gave her rose to Shelby!!! It was such a special moment in the show and she was so excited to receive a rose from a true princess.
After the Royal Ball, we joined Lilo and Stitch for a Hawaiian Luau where the show got HOT, literally! Goofy did some ice surfing which the kids and I enjoyed. There was also, of course Limbo and some more spectacular skating and fun. This was one of Tyler (my 4 year old son's) favorite parts of the show with the ring of fire on the ice! He is also a huge Lilo and Stitch fan.
After the Luau, we were transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with snow (which is NOT good if you're trying to eat nachos!). Mickey and friends were joined by Buzz, Woody, and Jesse and the gang from Toy Story! Since my son Tyler is such a huge fan of all things cowboy, he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Woody and Jesse. He loved this part of the show. A Christmas celebration in April! What could be better?! I loved the holiday sweaters that the cast was wearing in this segment.
Of course you can't have a party without a little bit of Southern fun. We celebrated Mardi Gras with Princess Tiana and the cast of Disney's The Princess and The Frog. Minnie was so charming in her cute dress and her Mardi Gras mask, don't you think?
All in all this performance was a home run. We enjoyed the show. Of course when you go to any event of this magnitude, you'd better bring the pocketbook full of money, because the event souvenirs are not cheap. By the time you buy a program, have the kids' photos made with Mickey, get cotton candy, cokes, popcorn, and pay for parking you'll find yourself spending a pretty penny. But, these sort of events only come around a couple of times a year so it's well worth it!
If you're interested in finding out when the next Disney/Feld Entertainment event is coming to your area, you can click here and check out the schedule of events from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey to Monster Jam.
I'd like to say a special thanks to Feld Entertainment who provided tickets for the entire family in order for me to be able to give an honest opinion of their show. We have been given no other form or compensation and the opinions stated above are my true opinion. Any claims made by the companies mentioned above should be validated by the companies themselves. To read my full disclosure policy, you can click here.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Celia's Puppies Blog Tour
I am a busy mom who works during the day and has no time at night to even come close to catching up on anything that I would want to DVR during the day! When I was younger (pre-kid era) I loved to get intertwined in soap operas. Oh what fun to watch Reva and Josh get together, split up, marry siblings, and die only to come back to life. Guiding Light was one of my favorites but there were others I was sucked into as well.
I was given the opportunity recently through the awesome folks over at Business2Blogger to team up with Claudia Hall Christian, author of Denver Cereal to do a book tour. I was stoked to find out about this series. It is literally a written soap!! The story is of course fictional, although much of the drama, I am sure occur in every day life for lots of people. The story takes place in Denver, Colorado. "In the style of true serial fiction, Denver Cereal is published as it is written. Each week brings a new chapter of Denver Cereal. Posted Monday through Saturday at Denver Cereal, or in its entirety at On A Limb with Claudia and Stories by Claudia. Denver Cereal has been published in two volumes : Denver Cereal and Celia’s Puppies. You may download a free electronic copy of the books or find them at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore and library." When I began to read the book, Celia's Puppies I loved the story line but was confused on the characters since Celia's Puppies is the second installment of Denver Cereal. Via the website, I was able to get up to speed and pick up where Denver Cereal left off in Celia's Puppies.
Boy, was I in for a ride! I am the kind of person who starts reading a book and finds it difficult to make it to a "stopping point". I want to keep reading. This book made it very hard to find that stopping point because the drama was never ending. There was never a lul moment where I thought I could put the book down and pick it back up later. There are lots of characters in this book (just as in your favorite soaps) to keep up with and let me tell you, none of their lives are boring! I was constantly wondering, "What Next?" because it all intertwined some how or another. Jacob Marlowe is president of Lipson Construction, and is a true knight in shining armor. He's a man that any woman would love to snag. Jill Roper, his girlfriend is an identifiable character. She's vulnerable, naive, and full of emotion. They make a great pair. She's the damsel in distress and he's always there to swoop in and save her from the wrong doings of the world. I don't want to give away too much of the plot but suffice it to say that there is NOTHING missing from this story line. There is love, hate, death (now I've got your attention, right??!!), comedy, drama (by the truckload!), romance, action, the list really goes on and on. Oh, and there are psychics as well...but I won't tell you WHO, as I don't want to spoil it for you.
I'm sure that by now you can figure out that I loved this book. I am so excited that I got to be a part of this book tour and look forward to the next book. I love to curl up with a good book after the kids go to bed and I have some free time while everyone else is sleeping!
Now that your interest is peaked, why don't you hop on over and snag your copy of Denver Cereal and Celia's Puppies. For this blog tour, Claudia has extended a 20% discount (not available on Amazon.com). Just enter the code BLOGTOUR.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I have a boyfriend but don't tell my husband!
Over the weekend, I was informed by a special man in my life that he wanted me to be his girlfriend and him to be my boyfriend! I was thrilled since I've been married to the same man for 10 years and we've been together for twice that long. It's nice to know that I can capture the affection of another. Surely you don't see a problem with this scenario do you? Well, maybe if I add a tidbit of information to the equation it might not be as frightening a concept to you. My new boyfriend is my 4 year old son. Well, he WAS my new boyfriend...for about 3 minutes. This is how the conversation went down.
Tyler (as he was affectionately hugging me while sitting on my lap): Mom, I love you and I want you to be my "G-R-irlfriend".
Me: Oh, Tyler that is so sweet. I love you too and I would be happy to be your grirlfriend. In fact, I will be your grirlfriend for the rest of your life! You're stuck with me now.
Tyler: OH CRAP!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tickler Tags Give Away Winner
Congrats to Kathleen @ The Things I've Learned, a stay-at-home mom of 4 kids (born within 4 years and 2 months!), future grad student, crafter, baker, hater of cleaning. She has snagged a set of Tickler Tags and Carabiner Clips! Thanks, to Business2Blogger for making this review and give away possible and thanks to everyone who tweeted, friended, and commented for a chance to win! Check your inbox, Kathleen for the details.
It's Just A Number
I have corrected the errors in the below post thanks to my lovely sister. As luck would have it, there are 11 days difference in our daughter's ages. She only has two children. They are both old enough to dress themselves which means she has a lot more
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Witty Banter From An (Almost Grown) 7 Year Old
Shelby is not even 8 yet and attitude spews from her like a Coca-Cola left in the car on a hot July day in Arkansas! I'm not kidding, this girl can sure throw some serious "if looks could kill" glances and sigh as though she were about to go into cardiac arrest. She's a work in progress to say the least. I know this is something we really have to nip in the bud. Yesterday as we were going to school I said something to her. I honestly don't remember the topic of conversation, but I saw her roll her eyes."Did you just roll your eyes at me?" I asked.
Thinking very quickly on her feet, she replied very sweetly: "No, of course not. I was looking at the ceiling."
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Impromptu Breakfast
It is not something that I get to do often enough, in my opinion. Yesterday I got to spend a little bit of time with my sister and her daughter. The boys were all gone, so we decided to meet for breakfast at IHOP. We had a nice time. It was just "us girls". Emily enjoyed some snuggling time with her Aunt "Lulu" as they so affectionately call my sister, Mandy. (Long story...)
Katie and Shelby enjoyed chatter and playing with their Silly Bandz (the latest craze at their school). It was class picture day so they both looked spiffy. I think that we should make it a weekly, or at least bi-weekly occurrence to get up and meet for breakfast. Sure, it's a little tough to get out of bed early, but the reward of getting to spend some time with family is way better than sleeping in. Besides, we can always go to bed early! ;)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Momma needs some TLC
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You've all said you miss the conversations with my kiddos. Well, here you have it! Last night I was telling my four year old son, Tyler how tired I was.
"I'll rub your feet for you, Mom" he said as he headed for the bathroom to get some lotion so he could lather me up.
"That's great!" I say with a sigh. "I sure do need some TLC."
He stopped in his tracks and asked, "Is that wine?"
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Looking @ The Sky on Friday Links
- Interested in joining us? For information on Looking at the Sky on Friday, including graphics click here.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Not a Goodbye. Just a See Ya Later
Yes, we are all still very much alive at the house of CrAziness. It seems like more and more these days my time is consumed with homework, laundry, cooking, etc. There is less time for me to be online and to be quite honest, less inclination. Don't get me wrong, I love the relationships that I've built with my online friends, but it does take away from my family when I am online. Whether it be reciprocating visits to my blog, posting product reviews, hosting contests, Tweeting, or Facebooking the obligations are endless. All of this tethers me to a computer during the day in addition to my job. It is tiring just thinking about all it.
As a family, we are trying to become closer to one another and closer to God. We're going back to church. We had gotten out of the habit. It's so easy to do. You have little ones and you worry that they will be disruptive in church so you stay home and then a few weeks turn into a few months and then before you know it you are not going to church anymore. You enjoy the sleeping in time that may occur. My husband and I were both feeling a tremendous burden of guilt for not being in church with our children. Our marriage was suffering and we felt that our business was doing the same. We had gotten away from God and our lives were reflecting that. Now that we are back in church, our faith in one another is stronger, our commitment to our children is greater, and our love of God is once again a strong foundation for our family! Brien has quit smoking by the Grace of God and we are standing behind him on this. Please add him to your prayer list that he will stay on track. He's 9 days strong so far.
I am reminded daily what a smart woman, Ms Bee once said in a comment...I am not about to go trying to look that one up 'cause she's left thousands of comments on this blog. But, she told me that when the kids are grown they will not remember whether or not the house was messy, only the moments in it. So, I try to reflect on that each day and not stress over the dirty floors, sink full of dirty sippy cups, and of course Mt St Laundry!
Life is all about prioritizing and so it seems that CrAzY Working Mom, Facebook, Twitter, and all of the responsibilities that come with it have taken a back burner to what matters most to me, my family and my God. What I am trying to say is that for now, I will probably still be posting sporadically here, I will do my best to at least get McLinky (or whatever he is calling it these days) up for you Looking @ The Sky on Friday participants. I won't promise a photo, but I'll do my best. I still have some product reviews/obligations to do, but they will be far and few between in the near future. The weather is beautiful, and my kids are only going to be young once. I am going to take the time to be nearer to them and enjoy their company instead of telling them, as they've heard so many times, "Just one more minute. I'm almost done, I HAVE to get this post finished." There are a few of you who still visit me when you have the chance even though I don't do the same. Thank you for that. Please know that I still love each and every one of you who I've built such strong bonds with and this is by NO means a good bye, just a pause. I must do what I feel in my heart and right not, my heart is telling me to concentrate on my family. I will still be online, just not with such conviction and commitment as before. Who knows, maybe some day I will be. But, for now there's just not enough time.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Looking at the Sky on Friday
This photo was from last May. Honestly we've had some beautiful skies around here, but we've been so busy that I've not had the time or inclination to photograph them! It's just been a mad house around here. I thought that the older the kids got the easier things would get, but it seems to be the other way around. With this beautiful weather we've been having, they don't want to be cooped up inside and who could blame them, I don't either! In fact, today is the first day I've even opened my laptop all week. I've posted from the office all week! I've been trying to get the pool ready for swimming. It's almost there. We're waiting on our new salt water pump. I'm hoping that not having to deal with the chemicals will be a good thing. We'll see. So, how have things been for my LATSOF friends this week?
- Interested in joining us? For information on Looking at the Sky on Friday, including graphics click here.
Press Releases: Morphing into Na'vi / East Coast Working Moms Wanted!
I sure do wish I lived in L.A.!! It would be so cool to be able to go to The Grove and have my face morphed into Na'vi from Avatar. If you live in or around the area and are interested, here's the press release! If you go, please feel free to send us a picture and we'll post it here. I'd LOVE to see how it works.
WHAT:
To commemorate the launch of AVATAR on Blu-ray and DVD, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in conjunction with the digital out-of-home company, Inwindow Outdoor will unveil an interactive digital exhibition.
The exhibition uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to morph shoppers’ faces in real time into the natives of Pandora, the Na’vi. The Avatar face-morphing exhibition is a large, freestanding structure that will encircle the main statute at The Grove.
WHEN:
Friday, April 16
Press Check-In: 2:00 PM
WHERE:
The Grove, Los Angeles
MORE DETAIL:
The Avatar display is a 60’ x 10’ structure at The Grove and features three ‘morphing stations’ surrounded by vinyl and branded in Avatar themes. As mall shoppers approach the screens, facial recognition technology will hone in on their faces and transform them into Na’vi, the blue skinned species from the future made famous in the movie. Once the morph is complete, users can enter their email address via touch-screen so they can be sent the video of their transformation along with information on where to purchase the DVD.
______________________________________________
Are you a working mom who works in a family business? Are you the HARDEST WORKING WOMAN IN AMERICA? Then a MAJOR CABLE NETWORK would love to hear from you!
Are you a working mom who works in a family business, has a hectic schedule, and an interesting story to tell? Then we want to hear from you! We're going to spend some time walking in the shoes of the hardest working moms in America and you just might be one of them. This opportunity may lead to a SERIES OF YOUR OWN. Perhaps you own and operate a family BAKERY with four kids.... or maybe you run a DOG BREEDING business with triplets on the way... or maybe you're an INNKEEPER who's adopted 10 special needs children. The tougher the job and the more interesting family the better. Only looking for moms from the East Coast Area. If you'd like to share your story, please email us at hardestworkingmom@gmail.com and tell us a little about yourself. Please include the names and ages of all of the members of your family and contact information, as well as photos of you at work and at home.
Monday, April 12, 2010
And the winner is...
There are actually TWO winners of the latest contest: Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Packs of Free Willy 2, Escape From Pirate's Cove.
They are:
pixie13
"tweet http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/11564143747"
AND
- "I follow you on Facebook"
Thanks for entering. Check your inbox for details on how to claim your prize!
What's Good For The Goose...
My thoughts: I hope that my children grow up to be self-sufficient, independent adults. I think that teaching them to be flexible, diverse, and open minded can broaden their horizons and when they move out of "the nest" they will be well prepared to live on their own. Unless they happen to stumble upon a hidden treasure of gold bullion or the likes, I think that it's a great idea for any parent!
Movie Night: Fantastic Mr Fox
The kids and I took the opportunity to have a "movie night" and decided that our feature film would be Fantastic Mr Fox (rated PG). The voice talents of George Clooney and Meryl Streep enticed me. The fact that it was animated had the kids hook, line, and sinker. Based on the beloved best-selling book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Fantastic Mr. Fox is all around entertainment for the entire family! Bill Murray (Lost In Translation), Owen Wilson (Marley & Me) and Willem Dafoe (Spiderman triology) also voice some pretty hilarious characters in this film.
It had a sort of Ocean's Eleven feel to it for me. Maybe it was the spectacularly sexy Clooney voice that did it. I also think that some of the story line, such as the different plots for the greatest heist the animal world has ever seen. The dialogue in this movie was witty and the characters were laughable and eccentric, especially the mole and the rat!
If you're looking for a DVD to watch with the entire family, we think you should give this one a try. We liked it!
Here's the details:
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Special Features:
Disc One Blu-ray
• Making Mr. Fox Fantastic
o The Look Of Fantastic Mr. Fox
o From Script To Screen
o The Puppet Makers
o Still Life (Puppet Animation)
o The Cast
o Bill And His Badger
• A Beginner’s Guide To Whack-Bat
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World Of Roald Dahl
Disc Two
• Fantastic Mr. Fox widescreen feature film (16x9 1.85:1)
• From Script to Screen
• Still Life (Puppet Animation)
• A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat
Disc Three
• Digital Copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox (Blu-ray Disc exclusive)
Single Disc DVD Special Features:
• Fantastic Mr. Fox widescreen feature film (16x9 1.85:1)
• From Script to Screen
• Still Life (Puppet Animation)
• A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat
The film is available NOW on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
* I received a review copy of this DVD in exchange for my opinion of the movie. No other form of compensation has been received and the opinions stated above are my own. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Big Brother Tyler
Moments like this seem to happen quite frequently around our house. Little Emily, who is now 19 months old has taken a liking to her 4 year old "big" brother, Tyler. Not to take anything away from the love she has for her big sister, Shelby. There is 6 years difference in their age, so I know as time goes by the distance will seem like centuries to them. But, Tyler and Emily have such similar personalities that they seem to mesh well together. Don't get me wrong, Emily gets aggravated with Tyler (A LOT!) but they play together a lot. Emily loves to play cars, horses, etc with her big brother. So, while I'm working on fat burner reviews and the likes, they keep busy. She seems to be more of a "Tomboy". It's so fun to watch her little personality develop. In fact, being a Mom is the most rewarding job title that I've ever held. It's also the most difficult. Knowing that I am shaping these tiny individuals and how they are nourished and raised will make all of the difference in their future is quite humbling! I just pray that with the help of the Lord that I can do my best and that they will make me proud.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Looking at the Sky on Friday
I snapped this photo with my mobile phone last Friday morning as the kids and I were getting ready to go to the Good Morning Arkansas television studios. The ENTIRE sky looked like this. It was breath taking! I didn't have time to run in and grab my camera, so the quality in this photo is less than desirable but it is beautiful. In case you missed it in a previous post, HERE is the link to the video of our television appearance. I hope you've all had a great week and wish you a wonderful weekend!
- Interested in joining us? For information on Looking at the Sky on Friday, including graphics click here.
The Lovely Bones Contest
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| Photo Credit: Paramount Home Ent. |
Entrants simply need to visit www.lovelybonessweeps.com between now and April 25th and submit a statement of what would be in their perfect world. One winner will be selected randomly each day to receive a copy of The Lovely Bones on DVD and one grand prize winner will be chosen at random following the entry period to receive a digital camera and photo printer.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Tickler Tags Review & Giveaway
My daughter Shelby takes her lunch on most days. She never has cared much for the cafeteria food (and who could blame her) at her school. I've just made it routine to make her lunch daily. She loves it when I put a note in her lunch box. I will write words of encouragement or sometimes just a simple I Love You note and it will bring a smile to her face because she has a note from her mom and she can enjoy it while eating her PB&J.
Thanks to the fine folks over at Business2Blogger, I have been connected with Nicole, Mom and Owner of Tickler Tags, interchangeable backpack reminder tags that parents attach to their child’s backpack. They can be used to communicate words of encouragement, positive feedback or to remind your little one of a task they might otherwise forget.
When I received my Tickler Tags, I'm not sure who was more excited, my 7 year old daughter Shelby or myself! We decided that since our routine is the same on most days that the Smiles and Words of Encouragement Tags would be most useful for our family. We do have the Early Release tag as well so that we can both remember those days when she gets out of school early.
Shelby loved the carabiner clip. She couldn't get it on her lunchbox fast enough. She was excited that she would have something completely different from the other students in her class making her stand out of the crowd. Each day she looks forward to seeing which Tickler Tag adorns her clip. These are a wonderful idea and very reasonably priced. You can also customize tags for yourself if you so choose with photos and text. What a brilliant idea!
The carabiner clips come in four bright colors: orange, blue, red, and purple and retail for $2.50. The tags themselves are $1.50 each with the customized tags at $5. You can purchase HERE via PayPal, and most major credit cards.
Nicole has anxiously agreed to give away a set of your choice of (5) five Tickler Tags with (1) one carabiner clip in your choice of color to one lucky reader!
Give Away Details:
The give away will begin today: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 and end on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at midnight CST. For your chance to win one of these DVDs, all you have to do is go to the Tickler Tags Website, browse all of the tag options and ask choose your five (5) favorite TicklerTags (standard options, no customized tags) and carabiner clip color. Be sure to choose carefully as these selections will your prize should you be chosen as the winner. Come back here and leave your choice in a comment. You must do this step in order to earn any extra entries listed below. It is also important that you leave your e-mail address if it is not visible in your profile so that I can contact you should you be chosen as the winner. *Contest open to US Residents only due to shipping.
For additional entries:
Please be sure to leave each of these in a separate comment, this is important since I will use the random number generator to choose a winner and if you put all of your extra entries in one comment, it will only count as one entry.
- Follow my blog via Google (in the sidebar) and/or Facebook.
- Become a fan of CrAzY Working Mom on Facebook.
- Become a fan of Tickler Tags on Facebook.
- Blog about this contest on your blog. Be sure to leave the link in your comment.
- Follow CrAzY Working Mom and Tickler Tags on Twitter and Tweet this: Another #giveaway via @ticklertags on @crazyworkingmom: Come back and leave a link to your tweet. You can tweet daily for entries.
- Add my badge to your sidebar or add my link to your blogroll.
- Send an e-mail to five or more of your friends with a link to this post and cc: me at tishblack (at) gmail.com.
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* I received the product mentioned in the post in exchange for a review post. No other form of compensation has been received and the opinions stated above are my own. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Baby Chicks and Broken Hearts
In case you missed it in an earlier post, I have a brother-in-law who has been un-invited from future Easter celebrations at my house due to the fact that he likes to bring ALL of the children live animals as gifts. Okay, he's not un-invited but we will be checking vehicles next year as they enter the premises. A few years ago he brought baby ducks. Oh yes, it provided wonderful photo ops for this camera yielding mommy, but then what? They eat, they poop, and they need a pond that we don't have in our 1 acre yard. They ended up going home with another family member who had a perfect place to keep them - a farm!
This year he thought it would be a cute idea to bring baby chicks.
My children were so thrilled!
Shelby's chicken lived a couple of days. We came home from school and it was "sleeping" in the box. Shelby picked it up and it did not move. She was a little upest but not too bad. She took it pretty well. Probably because Tyler's was still alive...barely!
Tyler did not handle the demise of his chicken as well. When he realized that his chicken was most likely going to meet the same dreadful fate as his sister's he was mortified and heart broken. He cried uncontrollably for at least an hour saying that he did not want his chicken to go live in Heaven with God. He wanted the chicken to stay HERE with him. I must admit that it was a tough thing to see. I was sure wishing that I had taken some sort of medical coding training courses or knew something to do to "fix" it! He was absolutely crushed that he was watching his little chick gasp for breath. He insisted that he get a towel and wrap the chicken up inside so that it would stay warm and comfortable. He held it for a long time. Finally at bedtime he said his goodbyes in hopes that the chick would be all better by morning.
When we woke up the next day I never mentioned the chick so as not to start up the drama before school. Right before time to leave, Tyler remembered the impending doom facing his new friend and ran out the laundry room to discover that the chicken had indeed met the same fate as his siblings. He was not upset. He was okay with this. He decided that we were going to go to Eddie's house that afternoon and "get some more"!
Fashion Playtes - Online Design for Girls
When I was asked to do a review for the website Fashion Playtes I knew that this would be something that Shelby would be very excited about. Fashion Playtes puts your daughter in the designer's seat! She will begin with the sketch book. She'll select the item she would like to use for her design from the Fashion Playtes Sketchbook. Then, she Be choose a pattern, color and fabric. By adding special touches like ribbons, fuffles, appliques and more she will make the design uniquely her own. This is her chance to show that one-of-a-kind style I mentioned that my daughter has! When she's happy with her order, you can add it to your cart, check out, and Fashion Playtes will do the rest. Your daughter's very own design will be shipped to her within 3 weeks.When Shelby heard about it she couldn't wait to get online and try it out. She has been wanting a vest, so she immediately chose it. She went through all of the steps in designing. We made the mistake of not creating an account before starting which posed a bit of problem when we got ready to order and we had to go back and re-do the design. This, of course did not upset Shelby one bit. It just meant that she got to play designer a bit longer.
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| Shelby's custom label |
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| Shelby sporting her new design! |
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| Two thumbs up on her design! |
I am very happy with the overall quality of the product, the ease of navigation on the website, and the price of the garment. Another great thing about Fashion Playtes is that they offer gift cards so this would make a perfect gift for that fashionista on your shopping list. It's a great place for a young girl to express creativity and self expression! Shelby AND I give Fashion Playtes and her new Madison Vest two (well, okay 4!) thumbs way up. Thanks Fashion Playtes for an awesome idea at an affordable price. It's a win-win situation for Mommies and their daughters! To find out more about then, you can also follow on Facebook!
*Please Note: I was given a $25 gift certificate toward the purchase of anything on the site in exchange for this review. No other compensation has been given to me or any other member of my family. Any claims made my Fashion Playtes should be validated by the compay as I am not responsible. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not been influenced by any outside source. To read my full disclosure policy, you can do so by clicking here.
April is National Garage Organization Month
We no longer have a garage due to the fact that we had a third child and needed an extra bedroom. We do, however have a shop detached from the house. This is similar to a garage, and we are in desperate need of some organization there! If you are in need or organization as well, I have a few tips for you courtesy of Gladiator. To encourage consumers to clean the garage this spring, Gladiator brand will be offering 15% off all products and 10% off all appliances on GladiatorGW.com starting April 1.
Roll up the hose: Come spring, you'll find yourself using the hose again to water the lawn or wash your car. Instead of cramming the hose in the corner of your garage, invest in a piece of Gear Track and a Deep Hook that will secure the hose to the wall for easy access and storage.
Hang the bike: If the warmer weather has you exploring the neighborhood on two wheels, getting to the bike and storing it in the garage can cause all sorts of headaches. Try the Gladiator Claw Advanced Bike Storage which lets you store your bike by its rear tire, clearing up valuable floor space. The intuitive push-lock mechanism allows you to hang or release the bike in one motion.
Keep the sporting goods tidy: If spring time means play time in your family, you might suffer from soccer balls, footballs and basketballs rolling around the garage floor. This can be unsightly and also dangerous as you can trip on a loose ball. Help keep things in place with the Gladiator Ball Caddy which mounts to the wall and has openings along the front so you don't have to dig deep to retrieve what you need.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Tyler and Shelby appear on Good Morning Arkansas (with me)
This segment was a bit longer than the previous segments that I've done on the show. This meant that it took FORever to upload. But, my friends I am willing to go the extra mile so that you can enjoy the experience! So, without further adieu, here is the debut of two of my children: Shelby and Tyler on Good Morning Arkansas!
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Hoppy Easter!!
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| Shelby, Emily, & Tyler cheesing it up for the camera! |
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Easter! This morning, I attended my very first sunrise service. We were all rushing around trying to get ready and in the rush I ran off and forgot my camera but the sun rising in the horizon behind the three crosses was not only a beautiful sight to behold but very powerful and uplifting! I took this photo with my cell phone and it does NO justice to the beauty of the morning.
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| The crosses after sunrise service. |
After the sunrise service (which took place in a church member's beautiful front yard) we went back to the church where the men of the congregation had prepared a breakfast fit for a king with home made biscuits, three different kinds of gravy (chocolate, bacon, and sausage), eggs, hash browns, bacon, and sausage! We stuffed ourselves and had some awesome fellowship followed by Sunday school and a presentation by several members of the church that was very powerful. It was the portrayal of Jesus' crucifixion as told by "The Thief", the man mentioned in the Bible who in his final moments accepted Christ as his savior and was most definitely taken to paradise with Jesus. The other thief who denied Christ was then seen being ushered to Hell and was begging for just ONE moment with Jesus to repent. I certainly felt the power of the holy spirit moving through the service! It was beautiful! I hope that if anyone stumbles upon this post and you've not accepted Jesus into YOUR heart, you won't be begging for one more moment with Jesus to repent.
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| Emily and two baby chicks. |
We celebrated our "Easter" yesterday with the family and friends. We had ham and all of the fixin's (scalloped potatoes, green beans, corn, salad, and rolls). My mother-in-law brought several desserts. The kiddos got to hunt Easter Eggs and all was well. My brother-in-law pulled one of his famous moves and brought over baby chicks for all of the kids. Remember a couple of years back when he brought them all ducks?! It has been voted on unanimously that he is uninvited to next year's celebration! (Just kidding, Eddie!) We've had a beautiful weekend filled with fun, family, and fellowship! What more could a girl ask for? I can only hope that the yummy food that I have indulged in over the weekend will be merciful on me when weigh in comes around next week!
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| Shelby, Emily, & Tyler |
So, how was YOUR Easter weekend?
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Mad Emily
"Tyler, you mean!"
Emily exclaimed after he took one of jellybeans on the way home.
Yes, her arms are crossed. She was very mad at her big brother.
Friday, April 02, 2010
It's Time to Color Easter Eggs!
It's that time again, it's time to pull out the baskets, put the eggs on to boil and When coloring Easter Eggs, it's best to do it
A Tie Dye Egg Coloring Kit that contains 5 liquid color packets, 6 color droppers, 6 coloring bags, 1 work station/coloring palette and 6 egg stands.
Dudley's Coloring Cups containing 5 coloring Cups, 1 "magic" crayon, 5 coloring tablets, and one egg dipper.
Dudley's Tattoo Fun which contains 38 tattoos, 1 applicator, 9 paper egg stands, 5 coloring tablets, and 1 egg dipper.
Spin an Egg Egg Coloring Kit with 1 Egg Spinner, 1 Hand Puppet, 1 Filler Egg, 10 Color Packets
We have found over time that the traditional egg coloring works best for our family. We fill up the cups with several different colors and put them in the middle of the table. This allows the children the opportunity to use whichever colors they like. We have many different "dippers" but for the most part, they sit in the egg cups or lay on the table. They are rarely ever used. It's much easier for my children to just 
If you want to achieve this Tie Dye look then Dudley's Spin an Egg coloring kit is a wonderful alternative to the above mentioned Tie Dye kit. You simply place a dry, room temperature egg into the spinner, add a few drops of your choice of color, and place the lid onto the top and begin to spin! You spin it around by pressing the top much like a child's toy. My kids LOVED this contraption. It was great fun and not that messy either! This item was only $5 at my local Wal-Mart. It's significantly higher than the 99 cent kits with just the color tablets, "magic" crayon, and egg dipper, but this kit is fun and it does come with a Dudley hand puppet to take out the egg. 
The Pass Mini-Monster Kit was also a cute idea. The stickers were quite small and seemed to be a bit difficult for my children to remove, but they loved making egg faces. The adhesive didn't seem to stick very well either, so we had a hard time getting the hair and pipe cleaners to stick to it. But even without those, the stickers were fun to make the faces.
The coloring cups are a nice thing to have because the cups are re-useable. We've managed to obtain several of them over the last few years, so if you need a few give me a shout! We've also got a lifetime supply of egg dippers in a variety of shapes and sizes. No matter how you plan on decorating eggs for this holiday, just remember the reason for the holiday! Have fun and enjoy your time with the kiddos. Take lots of pictures because some day you will look back on these days and miss them!!
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