The Sweet Mama Life

“Totes Adorbs” DIY Summer Totes and Cups!

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Since I’m a beginner Cricut user,  I started with these two easy projects in order to get my feet wet! I just loved how these “Totes Adorbs” Tote Bags, and Personalized Cups turned out! Now I can’t wait to dive deeper into the addictive world of being a Cricut Crafter!

The Cricut Joy is such a perfect machine for projects like this! I love that you can create from your phone or computer and it takes up hardly any space! It’s small but mighty and incredibly user friendly!

Here’s what you need for these simple projects:

Totes Adorbs Tote Bags

Summer Cups

I started with finding a simple font I loved in the Cricut Design Space. I went with: ITC Underscipt. I then searched: “Flowers” in their image section and picked out one I liked! Then I printed out the Totes Adorbs onto the Iron-On Vinyl (be sure to always select “mirror image” when printing an iron-on design). Next I prepped my tote and preheated my heat press. I peeled back vinyl to reveal my design, placed it on the tote bag, and applied heat according to the Cricut Heat Guide that can be found at https://cricut.com/heatguide . I let it cool, and then peeled off the plastic coating to reveal the cuteness!

Next, I went back to the Cricut Design Space to create the personalized cups! I used the same font and flower so they matched the bags! This time I printed it out on the Smart Vinyl Permanent. I peeled back the excess vinyl with help from the weeding tool. I applied transfer tape with help from the scraper tool, so that the Names would be lifted up perfectly and easily placed on the cups! Once again I used the scraper to secure the letters before peeling off the transfer tape!

And That’s it! So simple, so fun, and I can’t wait for my next project!

*This post is sponsored by Cricut, but the opinions are my own!

 

6 Tips For A Smooth Move!

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Moving isn’t my first choice of activities 😉 Don’t get me wrong, it’s full of excitement over the next chapter of your life, but the nuts and bolts of moving are rarely fun. Here are 6 tips that make moving as smooth as possible!

1) Time Flexibility. Somehow no matter how well you plan, you always feel rushed and behind as your “moving day” approaches. So why not scratch “moving day” from the equation. One of the things I loved about our choice to go with PODS Moving and Storage  for our big move was the time flexibility. We had our PODS containers delivered a week before we needed to leave our sold home. This gave us time to move out at our own speed and really think things through. This flexibility also helped us on the other end. Our new home wouldn’t close escrow for a couple more weeks and then we needed to remodel. Our possessions were able to be kept safe in the PODS containers at their storage center during our house-less period and during allllllll the delays that often come with the remodeling process. If we didn’t have the storage option and timing flexibility that PODS offers, I honestly don’t know what we would have done! Timing flexibility is key!

2) Don’t move what you don’t need. I made the mistake on our last move to move a bunch of stuff that I wanted to give away or sell at a garage sale. I didn’t make this mistake twice. I used this move as a reason to sort and cleanse. While packing we filled one room with allllll giveaway items and made multiple trips to the Salvation Army. You are going through all your items anyway, so it’s the perfect time to donate things you no longer need, versus bothering to move them!

3) Pack in Place. You can start packing a month ahead of time, but you will still need access to your items. So pack all of your boxes and bags, but leave them open and in their designated rooms. This way you will still know where everything is. I needed plenty of time to pack my closet, but I of course needed to still have access. So I left the packed items in the closet ready to go, but ready to be accessed when needed!

4) Pack a Suitcase. Once you are coming down the 1 week stretch, pack a suitcase like you are going on a trip, toiletries and all. That way, when you get to your new place, you won’t be searching through boxes to find essentials. You’ll be living out of a packed suitcase while getting settled in your new place!

5) Paper plate it and leave out all of your non-breakable cups. If there’s ever a time to indulge in one-time use disposable goods, it’s during a move. You need time to carefully pack your kitchen. So do it early and take your time with it. Buy paper plates and leave your plastic non-breakable cups out. Last minute you can toss all of your plastic cups and such into a bag. Kitchens always take the most time, so don’t leave it to the end!

6) Don’t do it all yourself.  Let friends help with your move if they offer, and hire assistance. We wanted to stay cost conscious so we did most of the packing ourselves. But we did hire assistance for a half a day to load all of the heavy items into our PODS containers. PODS has a list of packers and loaders that can assist you with any part of your move. We used a company called Hire A Helper  . They were very familiar with loading PODS containers and made quick work of getting our heavy refrigerator and washer and dryer safely loaded up!

Soooo hopefully these tips will help you with you next move! This time I finally felt like I found the perfect ingredients for a smooth move and it had a lot to do with our choice to go with PODS Moving and Storage. So while I certainly don’t want to move again anytime soon, I would certainly replicate all the choices I made this time around!

Happy Moving!

*This post is sponsored by PODS Moving and Storage, but all of the opinions are my own!

 

 

A Magical Podcast for the Whole Family!

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Over the last 6 months our morning routine has been thrown for a loop! We’ve all had to find new ways to entertain ourselves and the little ones in the house. Well I couldn’t have been more excited when the new podcast “Lucky Charms Magical Mission” launched. It has brought such sweet and magical moments to our mornings!

The story is all aboutLucky the Leprechaun on a mission to restore magic! He visits 8 interactive magical charm lands filled with new friends that can’t wait to meet you! As you might have guessed whenever the girls are asked which land they want to visit next, they shout “Rainbows”!!!! And just like that we are transported through Lucky’s magical portal to the Rainbow charm land! The interactive element to this podcast is such a special way to keep the girls truly engaged on this magical mission! It also teaches sweet lessons along the way, like perseverance. At times Lucky runs into unexpected obstacles. Instead of quitting or getting overly frustrated he perseveres with his goal in order to complete the mission he set out to do! The girls have learned if you set your mind to something, don’t let little things get in your way or weigh you down, keep moving forward with your goal and you will truly accomplish something magical!

After listening to the Podcast in the morning, it’s been fun to have a little DIY project or activity that incorporates Lucky Charms cereal, in order to keep the magic going! One afternoon we made Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars by mixing in the cereal to some marshmallows we simply melted in the microwave! Another morning we made these sweet Lucky Charms Charm Bracelets by threading the cereal onto a gold thread and then tying on the marshmallows!

So whether you have a listening party first thing in the morning while in bed in your PJs or you tune in during the afternoon while creating a fun Lucky Charms craft, just make sure you don’t miss this magical adventure!  The podcast is available on your smart speakers on Amazon Alexa and Google Home. You can also find the episodes on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. You can access the episodes simply by saying “Alexa, open Lucky Charms Magical Mission” or you can click Here  to start the fun! Enjoy!

Four Toy Lines That Kept The Girls Engaged This Summer!

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There’s no hiding the fact that I have 2 active little girls! Sooooo I’m always on the hunt for truly interactive toy lines that will keep their attention and the fun flowing! This summer especially, as we all know, was a unique one! So the need to keep the littles entertained while at home was at an all time high! For that reason, I couldn’t have been more excited to partner with Spinmaster to test out some of their toy lines! Here is a list of our Favorites!!

The Cool Maker.

Yes, yes, we certainly love our craft projects in this house! But what I love even more is an entire line that is focused on crafts, projects, and DIYs of all kinds! Yep the Cool Maker line has everything from a bow maker to a friendship bracelet maker to a nail stamper kit to so so much more!!! I seriously want to collect the entire line! The various projects kept us all entertained for hours. Plus they make the best Birthday gifts for the crafty kids in your life!

Spinmaster Games.

It’s sooooooo fun that the girls are finally at an age where we can play games together! Plus it’s nice that Spinmaster offers such a variety of games that are perfect for a wide age range of kiddos! Headbanz has been a favorite of ours for some time. You simply draw a card, place it on your headband, and you have to guess what you “are” through a series of questions! The game, Octopus Shootout, is great because it’s like a miniature game of air hockey! Grouch Couch we actually turned into a counting practice game! You have to roll the dice, count out the number of treats to place on the couch, and then press the button that makes the Grouch Couch come to life! This one brought out the giggles non-stop! Anyway they have sooooo many fun games to check out!

Awesome Bloss’ems.

We didn’t have toys this magical when I was little, so let’s just say my eyes got just as big as the girls’ when watching these Awesome Bloss’ems bloom! These aren’t your typical dolls. They come in a little seed pod that you “plant” with magical purple soil. You then water them with leaf fulls of water. In minutes one of the collectible dolls blooms right before your eyes!  Needless to say the girls ask constantly if we can grow another doll!

SwimWays.

I can honestly say we’ve never spent more time in our pool than this summer! While I spent the majority of summer “attempting” to relax on my SwimWays Spring Float, the girls spent the summer bouncing on their Spring Floats and diving left and right for their SwimWays diving sticks! In fact, this summer Josephine officially became water safe!! And I have to give some credit to the Swimways kick boards and Frozen Character diving sticks for helping her do it! Every day she wanted to jump in the pool in order to find Olaf, so her comfortability and skills grew rapidly with a little Disney motivation 😉 So thanks to SwimWays, there was never a dull moment in our pool!

We were so impressed by all of the Spinmaster Line toys. Not a single one is just a toy in my opinion. They all offer an experience, interactive fun, and spur creativity! So if you need to bring a little extra fun into the house as we face this daunting new school year, definitely check out all of these great lines!

*This blog is sponsored by Spinmaster, but all of the opinions, of course belong to me!

Pet Health

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Did you know that more than half of all dogs and cats have weight issues? But only about 10% of pet owners think their pets are overweight? That’s more than 80 million pets at higher risk for cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and other health issues. This sad fact is not necessarily to be blamed on the pet owners either. A few years back I was shocked when I actually started to look at the ingredients in my pet food; I actually thought, well, it is food made for pets, so obviously it’s good for them. Ummmmmm, nope!

You would be surprised to learn that finding a perfectly balanced pet food can be harder than it seems. Pets are like humans; they have specific nutrients that need to be in their diet in order to thrive and, like humans, with different stages of life comes different needs. This is the reason that Hill’s Pet Nutrition employs over 200 veterinarians, Ph.D. nutritionists, and food scientists who work every day to createnew products and improve existing ones that will help your pet live a long, healthy and full life!

For starters, did you know that both an excess and deficiency in nutrients can be dangerous to your pet’s health? That’s why a balanced level of nutrients in your pet’s food is so very important! As you can see from the chart below, something as simple as protein, needs to be well balanced to allow for proper growth without kidney stress! Hill’s has certainly learned through ample research what that proper balance is to keep our pets healthy!

So, obviously, balanced nutrients are key – but Hill’s takes things a step further to look at even more specific needs of various life stages. As we enter later age brackets, our nutritional needs change. However, when it comes to pets, more than half of pet parents are not feeding their age 7+ pets the right kind of food. By switching your pet to a food that focuses on maturing needs, you can help maintain their youthful vitality for years. Through 10 years of research, Hill’s has created a line called Youthful Vitality that helps support pets and their cells as they age. It contains a proprietary blend of ingredients that support brain function, interaction, energy and vitality. It has Omega-3 & -6 fatty acids for luxurious coat or fur, clinically proven antioxidants, vitamins C+E, for a healthy immune system, and easy-to-digest ingredients! They have learned that older dogs and cats have different gene expressions than younger pets, which affects how their bodies function in ways such as inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, immunity, DNA repair, energy production and protein metabolism. So they have created the line to address all of these issues!

So allllllll of that has been taken into consideration for simply one line of their pet food products! I haven’t even started on their lines to help with kittens and puppy growth, joint wellness, urinary tract problems, weight issues, hairball issues, and the list goes on and on! Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into all of that here. I think you’ve got the idea from simply breaking down the science that has gone into the development of their Youthful Vitality line. And if you are curious about the science behind other needs that are specific to your pet, you can certainly find that information on their website.

Our furry boys, Willie and Wrigley are both about to turn 10 years old in a few months. Willie struggles with weight issues and Wrigley with Hairball issues. So, Willie enjoys the Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight 7+ years variety and Wrigley loves the Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control for 7+ years. So yes, they have varieties that are specifically tailored to your pet’s needs.

Yep, it’s pretty easy to see why, Hill’s products have been trusted by millions of pet owners since 1939, and why today, countless veterinarians recommend and feed their own pets Hill’s products more than any other brand of pet food! So, thank you again Hill’s for all the time and energy and dedication you put towards researching and creating the best-balanced diets for our furry family members.

Information on proper nutrition for our pets needs to be spread, so thank you Hill’s for sponsoring this Blog post, that does just that!

Getting Organized!

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Ok, so I know term “Spring Cleaning” is all the rage, but I actually think organizing and purging in Fall right before the holidays makes so much sense! One, you have an organized canvas before bringing out all of the holiday Decor. Two, you have more space to store all the newly gifted items that come at holidays. And Three, it’s a lovely time of year to send donations to the Salvation Army or other donation houses!

A couple weeks ago, I finally pulled the trigger on getting organized! It’s been something I’ve procrastinated on ever since we moved into our house. I was pregnant when we moved in so I also had a hard time getting rid of anything since I didn’t know what I would want to wear post baby. I essentially turned into a clothing hoarder and collector! So thank goodness for the ladies at Sort and Sweet. They are based in New York, but just opened their offices in LA along with many many other areas! They came to my rescue and fixed a long standing problem. They also took the time to teach me new habits and tips to stay organized, so here we go!

  

– Designate a section in your closet for empty hangers. As you wear items in your closet keep the empty hanger in one specific spot. It will be a lifesaver when putting away laundry, and you won’t spend your time searching for empty hangers!

– When you are ready to reorganize your closet try this trick that we swear by. Turn around all of your hangers and as you wear them turn the hanger around the right way. After 6 months to a year you will see which clothes you are consistently wearing. This is an easy way to see what you are really wearing.

– Ready to let go of some of your clothes? They have clients answer the following questions:
1. If you were shopping right now would you purchase this item again?
2. When was the last time you wore this? (** the hanger trick helps answer this!)
3. If you ran into your ex while wearing this would you be embarrassed? (This last question especially made me giggle)

-Treat your drawers like filing cabinets. Fold and stand pieces up. That way you can see everything and avoid an avalanche every time you need something from the bottom!

– Create zones in your closet that fit you lifestyle. If you are a busy professional you should have all of your suits in the main zone of your closet. On the other hand if you dress casually on the day to day you want your leggings and sweaters in your main zone. Also combine like items in your zones, have all short skirts in one section, all long skirts in another.

  

-Ziplock Bags are your friends. This was so true for me. There was chaos in my swimsuit area. Roll and pair by color and place in ziplock bags. I also have a lot of mommy and me sets of swimsuits, so combining them together in one bag, will suddenly cut out so much time searching for all of our coordinating pieces!

  

-Chaos Bins. Sometimes we simply don’t have time to put something away and yet we need to set it down somewhere. Having a few chaos bins in different rooms can help control the chaos. I now love having a “Stairway Basket”. If something needs to be routed upstairs, but I’m not in the mood to head up yet, throw it in the stairway basket!

So these are just a few of the many lessons I learned from the Sort and Sweet ladies! Their knowledge of methods and products to make organization easy, are endless! So not only are they getting you organized they are teaching you the tools to stay organized. They will also assist you in purchasing various products like simple drawer dividers to keep things in place, I never knew those even existed! They also informed me about this genius over the door jewelry hanger that has been a life changer for keeping my jewelry organized!

  

So thank you again Sort and Sweet, I’m finally at a place in my closet where I can do basic upkeep to stay organized. I just needed some helping hands to get me there and teach me how to stay there!!

5 Benefits That Come From Music Education

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We just finished watching the new Ken Burns documentary on the history of American music and it was fascinating. Did you know the fiddle (aka violin) was the first prevalent instrument in America? It helped create the foundation of Americana music, second only to the banjo. Music has had an “instrumental” role in the development of our society and history. It brings people together. It gives people purpose and focus. It challenges and strengthens our minds.  Sooo if music has done all of this for our history, shouldn’t we be introducing our children to music as soon as possible? I love that Yamaha Music has made it their focus to encourage music in young minds with a whole line of instruments especially made for students! They understand how music education affects so many areas of life beyond simply playing an instrument. Here are 5 additional benefits that come from music education that you might not be aware of:

1)Improved Memory.

Music education involves a high level of memorization. Students must be able to read music by sight, play the proper notes on their instrument or recall lyrics. This process benefits the overall memory center of the brain. Playing music makes the brain work harder, you have to be using more of your brain and therefore expanding it.

2)Language Skills.

According to PBS, “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways.” Learning a musical instrument improves how the brain understands human language, since music is like a second language it can help with learning an additional language.

3)Strong Study Habits.

When children are exposed to music education, they learn powerful study habits. Mastering their specific musical craft takes a concerted effort, consistent practice, and patience. These habits translate into other areas of study too. So as children grow up and are exposed to more rigorous courses of study in school and ample amounts of information they are required to retain, these habits are already in place due to music education.

4) Listening skills.

I mean, what parent doesn’t want better listening skills?! Music involves listening to yourself and to the rest of the ensemble. Musicians need to hear tempos, dynamics, tuning, and harmonies. This helps auditory development in the brain.

5) Self-esteem.

Music allows students to try something new and develop confidence as they  master singing or playing an instrument. It gives them purpose and focus and a skill to be very proud of. As music students work in a class setting, they are working toward a common goal, with each of their “voices” or instruments being heard. This joint effort creates a wonderful sense of acceptance in a group setting that is just so huge for self-confidence!

Honestly the list of benefits from music education just keeps going.  So while Annabelle and Josephine are still very young, the opportunity for growth from music is still very much there! In fact the growth of motor skills from music education is most significant  in younger children. Even a basic introduction to an instrument, such as a hitting a triangle or learning a song on a recorder, can be beneficial and can prepare them for instruments like Annabelle’s lovely Yamaha Violin. Yamaha has a whole line of instruments focused on and created for children and students. I was especially impressed by their violins. They even have a quiz you can take that will lead you in the direction of the perfect violin to get for your budding musician.  You can take a quiz HERE . When Annabelle’s perfectly sized Yamaha Violin arrived, I quickly showed her what I could remember from my couple years of playing as a child.  Her eyes immediately lit up with excitement over the sound she could create. She now roams the house playing “air violin”!  I simply can’t wait to get her into formal classes soon!

Thank you Yamaha for sponsoring this post and your continued support in music education!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Furry Family Members…

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Let’s go on a walk down kitty history lane…. 10 years ago I decided it was time to adopt a kitty. My entire childhood we had cats in our family and It was only my 4 years in college living in an apartment that I was without a pet. So once I was done with college and moving into a house, I knew it was time to adopt. I started to look around and research different adoption options, when suddenly I stumbled upon an interesting situation…. A pregnant rescue kitty. The mama had already been spoken for, but they needed to find homes for the kittens she would soon be having.  I obviously couldn’t say “Me, Me, Me!!!!!” fast enough. Then on March 23rd, 2010 a text with a video of them being born was sent to me! While I had initially thought I might be looking for just one cat to adopt, since these were kittens, I didn’t want to fully separate them from family, so I agreed to give two kittens a home. And since the litter was mainly boys, a set of brothers that tended to cuddle together were the ones! I even got to visit them twice during the 8 weeks they were with their mama, before bringing them home. So yeah Willie and Wrigley have been the main men in my life long before Robert 😉 They’ve have been with me through all of the giant life changes, from marriage to having non-fur babies. They truly are family members.

Soooo when a company like Hill’s Pet Nutrition approached me with the opportunity to partner up, once again, I couldn’t say “Me Me Me!!!!” fast enough 😉 Hill’s, a science-backed pet nutrition company, is so much more than a simple pet food. They are actually dedicated to helping pets everywhere.  Annnnnd they have a special place in their heart for helping rescue pets from shelters, like the one Willie and Wrigley’s mama came from!

In 2002 Hill’s created the: Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program because they believe nutrition, combined with the love and care of the shelter staff, can help make pets healthy,
happy, and ready to find a forever home. The shelter program not only benefits pets, but also helps to alleviate the burden on non- profit organizations who would otherwise have to seek out pet food donations or apply for grants to buy food. Over the last 17 years Hill’s has helped support over 800 shelters, by providing over $290 million in food to help pets in need! This has helped 10 million healthy pets find homes….. now those are some staggering stats!   You can learn even more about this lovely program Here!

So while we love the nutritional benefits of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, it’s also nice to know that every time you do something as simple as purchasing your pet’s food, you are actually helping to support hundreds of thousands of pets in need, all across North America! Hill’s believes that every pet, either in a shelter waiting to find a new home or already in a loving home, should have the most nutritious food possible to ensure that they are their best furry selves! Hill’s has scientifically created their pet food to address and help all ages, sizes and needs. In our home we have two very specific needs to address with our boys. Despite them being brothers, they have different food needs. Wrigley has long fur which means: Fur Balls! For him we use the Science Diet Hairball Control for ages 7+! ……yes Hill’s food does get that specific, for age and need! Willie on the other hand has always been a bit “fluffy around the middle” and I’m not talking about fur. So we have started Willie on the “Perfect Weight” Science Diet for Adults! Did you know that only 10% of owners think their pet is overweight? But in fact, more than half of all dogs and cats have weight issues which puts them at a greater risk of diabetes and other health issues! Pets are like people and different needs, need to be addressed, so I love that Hill’s is a brand that truly understands and cares about that!

From all of the support Hill’s provides to shelters, to the care it takes in developing their vast array of foods, I really can’t say enough good things about them.  I’m just so happy to be partnering with Hill’s Pet Nutrition because someone needs to brag loudly about all of the amazing things they do!  #HillsPartner #HillsTransformingLives

…..but as always the opinions are all mine!

Do You Have a Pet Disaster Preparedness Kit?

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So obviously our pets are our family members. However even though we may have a disaster preparedness kit ready for “our family” we often forget about including items for our furry family members! Or if you are like us, and bought a pre-assembled disaster preparedness kit online, threw it in the closet, and never opened it up …..you need to pull it out ASAP and make sure allllll family members are accounted for! I certainly discovered that ours was lacking in many areas, but mainly for our kitties! So in honor of September being Disaster Preparedness Month and in partnership with Hill’s Pet Nutrition, I’ve put together a comprehensive check list of items to make sure you have on hand in a kit for all of our furry friends!  Here ya go:

  • Food and Water. For cats and dogs, I prefer canned food with pull tabs like Hill’s Pet Nutrition, so that you don’t need a can opener and you know it will be packed with proper nutrition.   For your water, order emergency pouches that you can find online. They take up less space than bottles and have a 5 year shelf life.
  • Plastic bowls for food and water. I prefer the plastic tupperware bowls with lids so that you can easily seal up leftovers.
  • A small unwashed blanket that has familiar scents from the house for comfort.
  • Sturdy leashes, harness, or pet carrier. We keep our pet carrier right next to our disaster preparedness kit in the closet.
  • A basic first-aid kit with plenty of antiseptic cleansing wipes.
  • Veterinarian’s contact information, and any medical history paperwork you might have. This is where we also keep their identification cards connected to their microchip.
  • An extra flashlight. This is probably already in your main kit, but always good to have an extra.
  • If you have a cat, a tin and liter. You don’t know where you will be staying so this is so important to have.
  • Plastic bags to dispose of waste.
  • And most importantly Photos of your pets. Sadly pets get separated so easily during times of disaster. It’s so very pertinent to have a few photos of your pet/pets that will help others to identify them and return them to you.

Keeping photos of your pets in case of separation is certainly not the most pleasant thing to think about. But, it’s one of the most important things to have on hand to give to shelters to help them reunite you with your pets. Shelters are often the first line of response when disasters hit communities where both pets and people are impacted. A shelter’s population can often double overnight in time of disaster and their normal resources can often become depleted. This is why Hill’s has created the Disaster Relief Network. Their mission is to quickly provide FREE pet food to shelters and veterinary hospitals responding to communities in need.  This obviously lightens the load on the shelters and hospitals and helps them to spend that time responding to the medical needs of the pets and reuniting them with their families. So once again Hill’s is going above and beyond with their service to pets and families everywhere. I would just like to thank you Hill’s Pet Nutrition and to let you know that I will continue to support all that you do, by continuing to support your efforts simply by purchasing your products to feed our kitties!

You can learn even more about all that Hill’s Pet Nutrition does during times of need HERE!

 

…..but the opinions, as always, are all mine!

 

Guilt-Free Cookies For The Littles!

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Sooooo starting at about 9 months old Josephine was becoming very curious about the wide array of deliciousness that Annabelle would get served up, while her own plates consisted mostly of steamed vegetables and pasta 😉 I knew the time was quickly approaching that she would just start grabbing and insisting on every snack she saw Annabelle eating. So I needed to get some baby-safe, toddler pleasing snacks stat!

Luckily, back in October when Josephine turned one (that magical time when it’s safer to introduce a wider variety of foods), happened to be the exact time that Healthy Times sent me a box of a variety of their cookies to try. Not gonna lie, a perk of this job is receiving “happy mail” that introduces you to products you didn’t know about! This couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. I had just started to look for snacks that both Annabelle and Josephine would enjoy! Specifically I needed cookies! Annabelle is a little cookie monster and I’ll admit it, the bribery of cookies got us through potty training. So yes, we are a cookie loving household. But of course with a freshly turned 1 year old I wanted a cookie that would offer her some nutrition and be low in sugar, yet still a little treat for both of the girls!

Well, Healthy Times Hugga Bear and Arrowroot Cookies are organic and a great source of calcium, B vitamins, zinc and iron! This company was started by a mom (so obviously she’s vetted already 😉 in California in 1980. She was having a hard time finding healthy baby food choices in the grocery store, so she took matters into her own hands and created this whole line of organic wholesome baby food products! I’m a fan of a number of their products now, but the one I’m particular impressed by are the Vanilla and Maple Arrowroot cookies!!

Sooooo does everyone know just how magical of a starch Arrowroot is?! I didn’t until I did some research on it. It’s an easily digestible starch making it perfect for a baby’s developing digestive system. Annnnd it’s higher in protein than other starches! Arrowroot also contains potassium, iron, calcium, folate and vitamin B. I frankly don’t understand why I haven’t cooked with it more!

Oooh and it goes waaaaaay back! 7,000 years ago archeologists found evidence of its cultivation and use both medicinally and in culinary forms. It’s even believed that it got its name “Arrowroot” because Mayans used to use it to draw out poison from arrows! Crazy right?! Well there’s your history lesson for the day!

Now back to the cookies! 😉 If you are looking for some healthy snacks to have around the house I would highly suggest taking a look at the whole line of Healthy Times products. You can find them on Amazon, on HealthyTimes.com or in a number of Health Food Stores Here!

Oh and I’m sure “Santa” would also enjoy a healthy alternative to enjoy with his reindeer as well 😉

Ezy Dose Kids to the Rescue!

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*This is a sponsored post by Ezy Dose Kids but all of the opinions are my own!

Winter is coming!!!! Run, Hide, Lock the doors, don’t let your kids out of the house, disinfect everything, take alllllllll the vitamins and only eat vegetables! Yeah right like that’s all gonna happen. You know what is going to happen? Colds! Tis the season. And rather than stressing out about the inevitable, I rather be prepared to embrace and treat those nasty winter colds and flus to the best of my ability! Soooooo cue Ezy Dose Kids and its whole line of products that make combating and treating those colds goof proof and stress free!

After all, let’s face it, momming is hard enough even with healthy kids. So then you add a sick babe to the equation and it’s easy to get the “can’t copes”. After all when your little one is sick, the hardest part is the sadness that you can’t explain to them why they don’t feel well. Then cue the stress of wanting to help them any way you can, then comes getting even less sleep because baby isn’t sleeping well. So basically you’re stressed out, under slept self could use alllllllll the help it can get! So Ezy Dose Kids to the rescue with its ingenious, easy to use, line of products!

Let’s start with the Medi-Pals, a patented split tip nipple syringe dispenser that encourages swallowing and not gagging on medicine! So if your zombie like self in the middle of the night presses a bit too fast on the syringe, it disperses the medicine around the mouth for you, instead of shooting it right down their little throats!

Next up, True Easy Syringe. So I’ve never seen anything like this. But it’s a syringe that you dial to the correct dosage and then it only allows that much into the syringe. So now no more dripping medicine all over the counter as you lift the syringe in and out of the medicine bottle to see if you’ve magically, blindly hit the right mL amount! So smart!

And last, but certainly not least, especially according to Robert, the Nose-Pals. Soooooo have you ever sucked snot from your baby’s nose? It’s ok to admit, plenty of gross things have happened in the history medicine before more advanced technology comes about. I mean people used to use leeches to supposedly suck illness from their body 😳 and we used to suck snot from our baby’s noses, but no longer! Because now Ezy Dose Kids has created a nasal aspirator that lets you gently blow to create a suction to relieve a baby’s stuffy nose. Baby feels better, you feel better, win win 😉

So if you would like to check out these products ASAP and get prepared for all that the season may have in store for us, here is the link to the Ezy Dose Kids’ Amazon Page, where you can find all the products I just mentioned! Even better, you get an exclusive 20% off discount when you use this link.

Ok ok, so I guess I can let these cute little faces outta the house, now that I’m equipped to battle all that this cold season has to throw at me thanks to Ezy Dose Kids!

Best Baby Gifts- IncrediBundles

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Sooooo do you want to win the title of Best Baby Shower Gift Giver???? Oh wait, it’s not a competition? I’m being to competitive you say? Hmmmm maybe that’s why I’m no longer invited to game nights 😉
Anyway competition or not, I’m pretty sure I just discovered the best gift around for a new mom, or established mom for that matter. IncrediBundles offers all sorts of amazing gift bundles, everything from a 3 to 12 month diaper and wipe subscription to their awesome book bundles. What I especially love about the Diaper and Wipe subscription, is that it comes with the sweetest announcement box! As you can see, it makes for the sweetest presentation for a gift to a friend or gift to yourself! The gift certificates come in a lovely keepsake box along with a teddy bear and tiny bundle of diapers. Kinda perfect.
Once the gift certificate is received, it’s super simple to log on to the IncrediBundles website and get started! You just click “redeem diapers and wipes” fill out your info and pick what brand of diapers and wipes you fancy and the size! I also love that you can plan ahead on the site! If you already know come next month your chunky monkey will be the next size up, you can fill it out and set up each month way in advance. Soooo one less thing to think about and manage!
While I’ve mainly been raving about their Diaper Subscription here, I should also mention their other awesome gift bundles! They also have book bundles, sleep bundles, bath bundles, or create your own bundle, with all sorts of cute options to include!
You can check out the IncrediBundles site: HERE
And learn more about the Diaper Subscription: HERE
Annnnnnnd last but certainly not least, I’m giving away one 3 month Diaper Subscription to one lucky family!!! Head over to my Instagram post to enter HERE

CuddleBug Weighted Blanket

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I have been a long time lover of the company CuddleBug. Their Baby Wraps and Swaddles were the very first items that Josephine was wrapped up in when she was born. Well, now they are launching their new product! A much, much needed Weighted Blanket!!

So I’ve never had a weighted blanket before, but the minute I opened this 15lbs blanket from CuddleBug and draped it over myself…. I exclaimed “so this is what it feels like to be swaddled like a baby”!!! The weight surrounding my entire body was just so comforting. The deep pressure this blanket produces is akin to being embraced in a big, warm, hug, which stimulates the production of serotonin and melatonin levels, two naturally calming chemicals in the body. As a result, you’ll fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer embraced in that giant hug. They use a  grid-like pattern to evenly distribute the pellets to specifically target pressure points throughout your body. This mimics the benefits of deep touch therapy which has been shown to help ease anxiety and increase oxytocin in the brain to help you feel more relaxed, it makes so much sense.  These days anxiety, insomnia, or just lack of productive sleep from being a mom, are such common occurrences. I love that this is a natural way to help combat these problems. Not sure why I waited so long to get one!

Sooooooo while I may still only be getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep each night (I know I need to up that, soon, soon, maybe, hopefully)  at least now with this weighted blanket it is some kind of wonderful deep productive sleep.

Here’s a link to get a $10 off coupon for your Amazon purchase of the blanket, click Here.

Or you can just go straight to Amazon to check it out, click Here.

Oh and here are a few photos of Josephine in other CuddleBug products, their wraps and swaddles are just the best. I never can resist an excuse to post some itty bitty Josephine photos 😉

Parenting 101…by Susan Groner

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Book Review! ….wait, who has time to read books anymore? Especially 4 inch thick ones about parenting that make you feel like you’ve been doing everything wrong, and have already ruined your child forever by age 2! 😉 Well this book, “Parenting, 101 Ways To Rock Your World” by Susan Groner (@theparentingmentor ), is the opposite of allllllll that! This book is an easy read, filled with short paragraph tips made to read on the go or in the 5 min of free time ya might get now and again. Susan writes with zero judgment and every tip feels like common sense, so much so you’ll have numerous light bulb flashing on moments wondering why something so straightforward and sensible didn’t come to you naturally…. probably because you’re so in the depths of parenting it’s hard to always see clearly. And on the flip side of that, she also points out the many times we as parents might be doing something that seems like a logical parenting move, but might actually be construed very differently based on the psychological developmental stage of the child. This book hits numerous facets of parenting. It even focuses on letting go, loosening the reigns of parenthood and just how beneficial that can be to everyone’s mental well-being!


Susan Groner writes in such a way that the book just feels like friendly advice and tips from a friend who’s gone through it all with success, and that’s exactly what we as parents need!
She is the creator of the CLEARR method, that believes parenting strategies should be grounded in six important areas: Communication, Love, Empathy, Awareness, Rules, and Respect. This serves as the foundation of her practice as The Parenting Mentor. And if you feel like you would like a more personalized approach she also offers her mentoring service via phone or Skype sessions!
I can already see that this is a book I will continue to re-read as we approach new and crazy hurdles in this crazy parenting ride! Go follow her @theparentingmentor and find the Amazon link to her book here!

 

LectroFan Kinder Sound Machine

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So I’ve been raving about this product to all of my pregnant girlfriends,  which means you know it must be good!! It’s called the LectroFan Kinder by Sound of Sleep  and It’s the smartest little sound machine you will ever come across. You can control it all from an app on your phone. And this is huge!! Now when Josephine wakes up in the middle of the night for a feeding, instead of waking up her sister Annabelle in the very next room with her hollering, I can instantly turn up the volume of the rain (our preferred sound choice of the +75 options) and help muffle all the noise, until I can get to Josephine!… And sometimes just turning up the volume a bit when Josephine wakes up will lull her back to sleep without me ever even having to get out of bed. I also love how easy the set up is. Sometimes when equipment says words like Bluetooth or download app, I avoid the frustration of technology and just wait for Robert to get home to figure it out. But this time he was out of town, so I went ahead and did it on my own and it couldn’t be any easier then downloading an app and pressing one button to allow it to sync. So I promise you if I can do it (and I typically give out bad mojo to any technical device I’m around, you can just ask Robert) anyone can set it up. It’s also very smart in that, even if you leave your phone in the other room but go into the nursery to put down your babe, that’s OK, you can still turn it on with just a tap of the large button. Annnnd i doubt that it was intended, but the button is large enough, that even if you are holding the baby you can just tap it with your toe and it turns on to whatever your desired pre-sets have been set to. Sometimes it’s just those little things that make life easier! It also has a multi colored nightlight option, that has definitely come in handy for nighttime feedings. Really Reeeeeeally couldn’t love this product more.  I’m so happy I was asked to review it, because now I can highly recommend! You can use code: Thesweetmama20  to save 20% off your order here!

*This Post was sponsored by Sound of Sleep, but all of the opinions are my own.

Screen shot of what the app looks like on your phone!

#soundofsleeppartner #sponsored #sweetdreams #sleptlikeababy

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