Spotlight on PR: Who Am I?

Earlier tonight I was telling my hubby about all of the amazing opportunities floating around on the blogosphere. I've met so many awesome people (and I know there are lots more out there that I have yet to meet)!! And I have found about some great new products as well! (Not to mention won a few myself!)

But it can all get a little overwhelming when you're a new blogger like myself. I don't know where to start to all of PR. But I do know that I'd love to be more involved with companies, organizations and other people. Now I just need to figure out how to do that... Hmm... Well, that's where Adrienne and Tara come in. I found a post on Tara's blog, Feels Like Home, called Spotlight on PR. Here's the gist... basically those of us who are new to PR write a post about ourselves, our blog and what we'd like to do and link it up. Simple enough, right? Well, I thought I'd give it a try, so here's some information about me!!


Who Am I?
Well, as of right now I'm a stay at home mom. I graduated in December of 2008 with a Masters degree in School Counseling. I know I'll love my job when I start working, but I'm sure I'm ready to head out into the work world yet. I love spending my days playing with me 3 boys. (Yes, I have 3 boys!!) My little rascals are 4, 2 and 4 months. They keep me on my toes, but I couldn't imagine it any other way. I love to take pictures and scrapbook, and I would love to learn to sew. I'm tired to staring at a dust covered sewing machine that I have no idea how to use!

My Blog?
Hmm... Well.... What can I say? I'm still pretty new and trying to get more into my blog. The bulk of my blog is personal stories and parenting experiences. I also recently started a Five for Friday post in which I list 5 various things, such as pet peeves. I plan to start including more tips, some crafts, and fun new products.

My Direction?
I would love to expand my blog to include product reviews. Though I have never done a review, I love reading them and would like to give them a try myself! I love learning about new products and services and sharing them with my friends and family. How fun would it be to be able to do this with all of my bloggy friends too?!

At risk of becoming too overwhelming and spilling too much I'm going to stop. If you'd like anymore info please check out my profile, where you can also find my e-mail address!

And for more info about the Spotlight on PR that Tara and Adrienne are hosting click the button below!

Five For Friday! {5 Pet Peeves!}

Five for Friday- {Five Pet Peeves!}

1. When someone calls you and then doesn't talk, forcing you to wonder why they called in the first place.

2. Drivers who pull out in front of you and then honk their horn.

3. Parents who think it's ok that their 8 year old just body slammed your 2 year old into the ground.

4. Sitting at the table with someone who chews like a cow.

5. People who don't wash their hands after using the restroom. Yes, lady, I saw you sneak out the door! That's gross!!

Big Decison.... What to do, What to do?

At the beginning of the summer I started interviewing for local school counseling positions in my county, 3 to be exact. When I didn't get any of the jobs I started getting used to the thought of being home with my boys for another year.

Then last week I got a call to interview for another, unexpected opening at the county's alternative school. I decided to go and see what it entailed. After the interview I had mixed feelings. In a way I thought it would be nice to have a job, any job. And I thought that it wouldn't be so bad working with these challenging kids. But I still thought I had a slim chance of getting the job.

Well, today I was told by 2 counselors which I interned with that I had unofficially gotten the job. Now I just need to be approved by the school board! Yikes! Now don't get me wrong, I know that in this economy I should be thankful for anything that comes my way. But I'm not. I'm torn between going back to work and staying home with my kids just another year. It's so much harder than I thought it would be!

I don't have child care. I have nothing to wear. My poor baby has no milk stored. I feel like a mess! Ugh! Oh, and did I mention that the new teacher academy starts next Monday. So I'd likely be called one day and asked to start the next.

It is such a big decision and I'm scared to tell my husband because I know he'll just tell me to buck up and take the job. Maybe I should. Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted with my decision!

McKlinky Blog Hop {7/28/09} Favorite Kid Photos!

This is so hard! I have so many pictures of my kids. But here are my favorites from our trip to Hershey Park this past week!

This is Jellybean with his cotton candy! How yummy! (And messy!)

This is little Bear.... he had such a good time!

Here's Little Man and Jellybean on one of the many rides they got on that day!

Click here to enter your link in the blog hop and view the entire list of entered links...

MasterLock's New Locks and $5000 prize!

I remember when I was in high school always having to go and get a lock for my locker. I would search through the racks for a lock that wasn't black. Then I'd go home and write my combination (which was always pre-set) into several different places because I knew I would forget my combination more than once. I always did.

Now Master Lock has created a new set of locks in bright colors which can be set with your own combination!! How cool is that?! Even if you don't have a kid with a locker, these are great for all sorts of things around your house, like your shed or in my case, the suitcase hiding the kids' (and hubby's) Christmas gifts. Shhh.... don't him they're in there! I wish these cool locks would have been around when I was in school! And they're inexpensive, at just $6-7 at huge national retail stores, such as Staples and Home Depot!! To get more information on these locks visit Master Lock!

Oh wait! That's not the best part! Master Lock has also launched a new facebook application and is giving away $5000!! This would be so great to win!! Head on over to facebook to play for a cash prize from Master Lock!!

WebMD's 15 Best Diet Tips EVER!

I have tried to diet so many times and it almost never works. Though I have been able to control myself a little better at some times more than others. But right now I really need some major diet overhauls. I'm not looking for the next fad diet that's going to make me cut out all my carbs so that when I start to eat bread again in a few months I'll just gain it all back. I want to diet in a healthy fashion without driving myself crazy.

So I went to WebMD.com. I LOVE this site!! It's got wonderful information! While I was there I found an article with the "15 Best Diet Tips Ever" written by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD!! How cool is that?! The article and all the fancy letters after her name! And no, I have no idea what they mean, but they must mean she's important and knows her stuff!

These tips were so great that I just had to share them with you all!! Below you'll find the tips I pulled off of WebMD in bold, followed by my wonderful babblings! :)


Best Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.
Ok, this is easy enough. My favorite way to drink water during the day? Pulling out my favorite fancy wine glass!! It helps motivate me to want to be that sexy mama!!

Best Diet Tip No. 2: Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.
I love this tip!! I hate restrictive diets. I always fail with them. But adding good foods, such as fruits and veggies... now that I can handle! I've also found that keeping fresh fruits and veggies in a bowl, already washed, at eye level in the fridge really helps. They're right there and easy to grab!

Best Diet Tip No. 3: Consider whether you're really hungry.
This is one I can have trouble with. Especially when I'm sitting here on the computer in the evening! I'm not hungry... I just feel the need to eat something! And yes, it's usually sweet.

Best Diet Tip No. 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.
Oh man! They've been watching me!! Quick! Cover my windows and hide my bowl of ice cream!!

Best Diet Tip No. 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.
Shew! So I can still eat my ice cream, just a small amount and not so late at night.

Best Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.
This is a great idea!! Limiting those special treats for special family outings is a great way to add family bonding time to your diet and will create special memories for your kids as they grow older. I mean who doesn't look back at their childhood and remember special trips to the ice cream parlor!

Best Diet Tip No. 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.
This is a relief, since I never have time to sit down and actually eat a meal during the day while trying to take care of 3 kids!!

Best Diet Tip No. 8: Eat protein at every meal.
This is one I need to work on for breakfast. I'm not crazy about eggs or breakfast meats, so I need to work on adding yogurt or nuts to my routine.

Best Diet Tip No. 9: Spice it up.
Spice it up, eh? I guess I'm just too sweet! Oh dear lord, I'm turning into my mother! I can't believe I just used her line!!

Best Diet Tip No. 10: Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.
This is another I really need to work on! I don't keep a very good stock of healthy convenience foods. I do, however, have a couple frozen pizzas in the freezer!

Best Diet Tip No. 11: Order children's portions at restaurants.
This is a great idea, especially if you're like me and hate to drag home leftovers. I also have a tendency to eat everything on my plate, not because I'm hungry, just because it tastes good and I don't want it to go to waste! Oh man, it's no wonder I've picked up weight! Sheesh!

Best Diet Tip No. 12: Eat foods in season.
I am in love with our local farmer's markets. You can find tons of great locally grown foods that are fresh and usually really cheap. We also live in an area where there are a lot of Mennonite farms which sell what they grow. I love to stop by these places and get good, fresh produce!

Best Diet Tip No. 13: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.
Spaghetti IS the ENEMY!!

Best Diet Tip No. 14: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.
What?! Seriously?! I told you they've been watching me!

Best Diet Tip No. 15: Be physically active.
Well, they saved the best for last! This is definitely the 'tip' that will give me the most struggle! I can't seem to get myself motivated to exercise. I can, however, find several excuses for why I haven't exercised on a particular day. Maybe they should add a tip No. 16: Stop making excuses and just do it!!


Good luck all of you who are dieting right now! I hope you'll find these tips helpful! They really are some great ones! Be sure to check out the full article on WebMD. They give details about each tip and ways to incorporate each into your lifestyle!



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Five For Friday! {5 Things a Grown Women should NOT Wear!}

My 5 this Friday is just my opinion.... but I believe that there are just some things that once you become an adult, you should have to give up wearing!

1.) Hooker Shoes. Unless you're dancing around a pole, please leave these shoes in the closet or better yet, get rid of them!

2.)Extremely Low Cut Jeans with a G-String sticking out. Seriously? We don't need to see part of your underwear! It just makes your butt look even bigger!

3.) Plastic accessories. I'm not talking about the cute ones that are made for adults. I'm talking about the neon Hello Kitty barrette that you stole from your 5 year old. Give it back!

4.) Sheer Tops With nothing underneath. These are horrible! No one, but your spouse, wants to see your tatas or your red lace bra for that matter!

5.) Mini Skirts. It's not flattering when you bend over and your whole butt hangs out anymore, sorry.

Chain of Confidence Challenge

Have your heard about Tupperware's Chain of Confidence Challenge? They're having a "Pay-It-Forward" contest in which you submit an essay about someone who has empowered you through an act of kindness. Three winners will each receive $5,000 to the charity of their choice!

This is an amazing campaign and it is so easy to join!! Visit the website ChainofConfidence.com and simply fill out a short form with your personal info to join in. They submit an essay about someone who has inspired you. You can also read more about all the great things that Tupperware has done around the world, including supporting the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's SMART Girls Club and similar programs in Canada and Germany, all of which help young girls make good decisions.

BTW- I chose my mom for my essay (that's her in the picture!!). She's always been my inspiration! You can view my essay, and help me by voting on it (hint hint!) here!! And be sure to let me know if you submit as essay as well so I can come check it out!! :)

Blog Hop- 3 Things You Didn't Know About Me!

Today's Blog Hop theme is 3 things you didn't know about me. Hmmm. Well....

1.) I'm still afraid of the dark. And no, I don't still sleep with a night light, but I secretly wish I could sometimes!

2.) I HATE cooking! Especially with the kids. I know, it's a great learning experience.... blah blah blah. I still hate it!!

3.) I graduated in December with a Masters of Education in School Counseling. My lifelong goal is to get my doctorate degree and publish a book. But I guess I need to go back to work first! :)

Day 1- Body After Baby!

Ok, so today was the first official day of the Body After Baby: Fit by Labor Day, 8 week challenge. I have to say I think I did ok. I didn't do as bad as I could have.... I mean, I did resist the delicious white birthday cake with vanilla frosting....mmmmm..... my favorite!! Oh no, I just realized something... my birthday is during this challenge! Great! So much for that week!

Anyway... I did good with my diet. The worst thing I ate today was a few marshmallows. And that's pretty good for me! :) Though I didn't get any real exercise in today. I walked around the mall a little bit with another mom, but it wasn't really exercise. Oh well.

Tomorrow I am going to save the world!! Or at least work out a little bit!! I'm going to have to start my 30 day challenge on my EA Sports Active over since it's been 30 days since I've stopped! Shhh! Don't tell my "trainer"! Good luck to all the other ladies (and 2 men) who have joined me in the quest to regain our bodies after baby!!!!

They Grow up so Fast!

Baby Bear out grew his newborn clothes almost immediately. And he outgrew all of his 3 month clothes a few weeks ago, but I just stand to pack them up. He's gotten so big, so fast! Now don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier to have a perfectly healthy and happy baby. But even though he's my 3rd, I had already forgotten how little they are and for such a short time.

So last night I finally packed up all of his tiny little onesies. The adorable little baby hats, most of which he never wore. The outfits that had been passed down from one child to the next. I carefully refolded each piece and placed them in a big plastic tub.

And it hit me as I folded up the little pieces of clothing, the next time I pull these clothes out will likely be to pass them along to someone else to use for their little boy. I actually cried as I packed them up. Pathetic? Probably. Do I care? Nope. Since my hubby doesn't want anymore, and I really can't blame him... 3 kids is a lot of work, but it was so sad to think I'll never have another one so little in my house again.

This morning I woke up to little Bear looking right at me, smiling, this sweet little smile that just melts your heart. And about a half hour later Little Man woke up and came to join us in bed. We laid and talked for awhile, Little Man spelled his name and counted to 100! Geez! He's really grown up!

I need to remember to stop and enjoy every day with my boys because they really do grow up so fast!

A quick Thank You

I just wanted to post a quick 'Thank You' to all my readers who are still following me and to the ones that stop by my blog to let me know that they're really out there. It's so nice to know that someone actually reads what I write! Who would've thought?!


I also wanted to thank a few fabulous ladies that I've recently won things from and just haven't gotten a chance to post a proper 'thanks'!


Ashley over at Swoon gave away some great kids CDs and a DVD that the boys and I won, and LOVE!


Joanne, from Barely Domestic Mama hosted a wonderful Tastefully Simple party that I am SOOOOO glad I joined! I won some lovely TS desserts! I can't wait to get to try all these yummy new foods! Though I'm not sure my waistline will appreciate it! :)


And Cindy, over at Chalk it Up! just had a giveaway for a beautiful chalkboard and adorable handpainted chalk case! We can't wait to receive this one!!



Make sure you stop by each of these ladies' blogs. Each of them is very different and wonderful!! Thanks again!

Five For Friday! {5 Annoying Toys}

Five for Friday- 5 Annoying Toys in my House!

1.) Legos - Why? They Hurt and Get Lost! These little pieces get lost so easily and have to be kept up from the little ones... which can start a battle with my almost 5 year old! They also really hurt when you step on them!

2.) Board Puzzles - Why? Easily Lost and Make Random Noises! I can't tell you how many puzzles we have that are missing pieces, but I can tell you that we only have 2 or 3 that have all the pieces!! The worst are the ones that make noise.... if you're missing a piece they will randomly make noise, forcing you to crawl out of bed at 1am to put the talking dog out in the garage!

3.) Bulky Playsets- Why? Just make clutter! I used to love buying all the little playsets, Little People was my favorite! But after almost 5 years and 3 little ones, I have too many of these playsets... and nowhere to put them! They line the wall of my family room because they don't have anywhere else to live.

4.) Musical Instruments- Why? Sheer Noise Level! I'm all for teaching kids to appreciate music. I think it's crucial to kids being well rounded. However, when you're on the phone with your bank and 2 children come up behind you, one with a drum and one with a whistle... Forget it! The noise is enough to drive any sane mom straight to the crazy house! CD players with a microphone also fall into this category!

5.) Plastic bats/ Golf clubs- Why? Instant weapons! I have a stash of close to a dozen various foam swords, plastic bats and little golf clubs which have been taken away from my boys in the middle of an all out battle. The fit that ensues when these are taken away very well might be the most annoying part!


Of course this list is not complete in any way, shape, or form.... these are just 5 of the toys that in the last week have made me question why I haven't had a yard sale lately! Have a great day with you toys!!

I'm Joining the Body After Baby Challenge!

As you all know I recently gave birth to my 3rd precious baby boy just over 3 months ago. And of course you all also know how I gained a good deal of weight and I'm determined to lose it! Well, needless to say.... I haven't been doing so good. But I'm getting better! Really!

Yesterday I took a 30 minute walk with Bear strapped to me! Though I did come home and make a box of brownie. But have no fear! There aren't any left for me to sabotage myself with! :) So, tonight, I'm snaking on carrots as I type! See! I'm getting better! And, no I didn't eat ALL of the brownies... just a lot of them!

Anyway... I found this adorable little blog, Mama Notes, written by Samantha who I think sounds a lot like me. So when I read about her Body After Baby challenge I just had to join!! She's currently getting ready to start an 8 week challenge... Fit by Labor Day! Woo Hoo!! Just in time for my cousins wedding! Opps! Did I let that slip! OH well, we all have to have some type of motivation!

So here it goes.... well, starting Monday! I'm going to start walking, eating better and lose this weight!! Want to join us? (BTW- it doesn't matter when you had that baby..... even if he's starting school this year, that's ok!) Check out the Body After Baby Challenge Here!! And when you visit her blog, be sure to also check out all the great articles she's written previously about dropping the pounds (they can be found by clicking on the label 'Body After Baby')!

Wordless Wednesday! Happy 4th!

Wordless Wednesday! Here are some pics from our family picnic for the 4th of July!

Jellybean showing off his cookie!

My uncle "arresting" my cousins as they did the YMCA!

I don't know who's idea this was, but I think they had fun! ;)

Blog Hop Tuesday

So I know I'm a little, ok a lot, late posting this.... but here it is! Today's Blog Hop Theme is a Favorite Picture!! That's easy! Kind of. Here's one of my many favorite pics! This one is of Little Man, taken in the summer of 2007 at the beach.

Responsible Sports Parenting

While browsing the internet tonight I found a contest on twittermoms.com that posed this question: "As a parent, how do you encourage and reinforce the positive aspects of youth sports?"

Hmmmm..... I don't know. Do I? I know I encourage my son to do his best and to play fair. But do I truly reinforce the positive aspects of the sports I've put him in? To help me answer this question I visited ResponsibleSports.com, a program that's been put together by Liberty Mutual, Positive Coaching Alliance, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey and the Amateur Softball Association.

Here's some of the info I found:

A Responsible Sports Parent fills two key roles:

• Ensuring your youth athlete's safety
• Helping your youth athlete apply life lessons from sports on and off the field

The major areas of safety that responsible sports parents must address are:

• Conditioning
• Hydration
• Nutrition
• Equipment
• Injury Prevention and Treatment
• Driving

Some possible positive goals of playing youth sports include:

• Become a good athlete
• Learn to play the sport
• Win
• Gain self-confidence
• Learn to deal with defeat
• Physical fitness
• Learn "life lessons"
• Have fun
• Make friends

Well, I think I've done a pretty good job with reinforcing this positive aspects thus far. I've definitely gotten safety pretty much covered. I make sure to always have water for Little Man to drink and make sure he lays the bat down, rather than throwing it as he sometimes does at home.

As far as teaching him the positive life lessons? I think he's learned a lot in just the one year he's been playing youth sports. He's definitely made some friends and had a blast! I also know that he's beginning to understand that it's so important that you be the best on your team, but simply to give it your best. It was bitter sweet during the award party the coach threw for his indoor soccer team when they called each kid up and said how many goals they had each made.... and Little Man was the ONLY player that didn't make ANY goals during any games!! But he simply walked up, took his medal and proudly wore it home saying that he didn't make any goals, but he was still a good player! And he is!! :)

I think that in order to be responsible sports parents we need to step back and let our children learn at their own pace. Sure, it was a little disappointing that he didn't score any goals. But he'd played great! And he was a wonderful goaly! And we made sure that we told him that too! I liked to sit down and have a good conversation with Little Man after each practice and game (during both soccer and t-ball) and go over what happened at the practice. Even if all we really talked about was how he shared his bat with his team because they didn't all have their own. That's fine.... it's still teaching him how to be a team player! Way to go Little Man!

To learn more about being a responsible sports parent and about Liberty Mutual's program visit their website, ResponsibleSports.com

Paint Your Appliance Pink!!

PartSelect is having a Paint Your Appliance Pink contest to help raise $10,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation! The contest is running July 1, 2009- September 30, 2009. For every entry that PartSelect receives, they will donate $25!! And you can enter up to 5 different major appliances.... meaning you could help donate $125!

What's in it for you? Besides a good excuse to decorate your appliances? Well, each picture will be entered to win 1 of 3 Pink Prize Packages which includes a Pink KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Pink Stand Mixer cover, Pink Silicone Mixer Spatula, Pink Silicone Heart Pan, Pink Measuring Cups and Spoons Set, and Cook for the Cure Apron!

So get out those paint brushes and get to work!!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!! I still can't believe that 2009 is more than half way over! Where has the time gone? I sure don't know what I've done with the first half of my year... well besides having a baby. :)

Now it's time to celebrate!! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!! And don't forget to send out a big THANK YOU to all of our service men and women who are working everyday to keep us free!!

Happy Independence Day to all my bloggy friends!

(This is a picture of Jellybean watching the fireworks at my mom's house last year.... right before the cop showed up and busted us!! This year we'll be going to the show that the city puts on instead!)

Five For Friday! {When You're the Mom of a Baby}

Here are 5 indicators that you're a mom of a new baby:

1.) You're up several times in the middle of the night because someone other than yourself is hungry or has soiled their pants (Bonus points if they soiled on you).

2.) The attention you got over the last 9 months is completely replaced, and you start to wonder if your visitors even remember you exist.

3.) The last shopping spree you went on included diapers and baby clothes and most likely nothing for yourself (ok, maybe some deodorant).

4.) Your camera which once contained pictures of you partying with your girlfriends is now full of pictures of a chubby little bald person.

5.)You've rinsed your hair out in the sink because someone threw up their last meal in it. (Bonus points if you've done this in a public sink!)

My Mid-Year's Resolution!

Well, as you all know I have not been doing so well with my exercise and dieting. But that's no surprise! :) But I've decided to take charge and make a change, starting today. I'm calling it my Mid-Years Resolution!!

Here's the way I see it.... New Years Resolutions never last. Here's why:
1.) It's January, which means where I live it's cold! So, you're stuck inside.
2.) Since it's cold I can wear baggy clothes to cover up those extra pounds! No biggie!
3.) Since it's cold I stay inside! I hate the cold!
4.) It's January 1st and I still have all those yummy Christmas cookies and left overs from all the get togethers that HAS to be eaten!
5.) If you're like me, you get food, mostly chocolate, for gifts. And you can't let gifts go to waste!
6.) A year is such a long time to achieve a goal, you don't REALLY need to start right away.
7.) It's much easier to sleep in during the winter months!
8.) During this season you're in the mood to give... and dieting/ exercise is not very 'giving' if you ask me!

So, you see... the list could go on and on.... but what it comes down to is this:
It is NOT YOUR FAULT that you didn't keep that New Year's Resolution.... it's Mother Nature's Fault! :) (I know, some people would disagree with me, but just humor me now!)

So here's my Mid-Years Resolution that I hope I can keep:
Drop these extra 35 pounds of baby weight I picked up with this last pregnancy. (This will take me from my current 180 down to 145.) My goal is to be there by Christmas. I think it's doable, but I'll really have to work at it

My plan? I'm going to re-start my 30 day challenge on my EA Sports Active (since I only got through 3 workouts before throwing in the towel last month). I'm also going to start walking. My goal will be to start with 1 or 2 days a week and work up to 5-7 days a week. (I know me, I have to start small!) I'm also against diets of every kind, so I'm not dieting per se. I will, however, be watching what I'm eating. This will be the hardest for me to achieve!

We'll see! Wish me luck! Or better yet, come join me and make your own Mid-Year's Resolution!!!

Write your own Mid-Years Resolution and add your link below!!