Winner Announcement

Congratulations to Sarah L (slehan) who won the Zak/Fandango giveaway and Jennifer who won the Sink Boss giveaway.

Welch's Fruit Snacks Hearts with Emoji Faces: Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Made with REAL fruit

Fruit is the first ingredient

Gluten-Free

No preservatives

Fat-free

Availability: Welch's Mixed Fruit Valentine's Day Fruit Snacks are available at Target.com as well as in-stores at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and other local retailers. 

DIY Safety Tips

Every now and again I accept a guest post. So happy to share this one with you today!

Doing some DIY at home isn’t something that should be done on a whim. Unfortunately though many people when they are working at home will ignore standard safety procedures. You might have done this so often without issue that it just becomes second nature, but trust us sooner or later an accident will happen.

If you are lucky it might just be cuts and bruises you have to show for it, but if you’re unlucky then it could be much worse. DIY accidents are more common than you might think which is why you should always follow proper safety measures. In this article, I’ am going to share some essential safety tips that anyone doing DIY needs to know.

$25 Visa Gift Card and Free Product Coupons Giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own. 

Well, I have 2 great giveaways to talk about (one on my blog at the bottom of this post, and the big Birthday Bash giveaway from Little Bites), but first let me post an update on my new cam. I did take it out this weekend to try and learn the manual settings. You can see I have done okay on some elements of it, and not so much on the others. This one would have been nice if I'd have gotten my light right. For some reason, it seemed fine to me at the time (I thought it was good!), but it the end, these came out too dark around my son's face. The photos I took of the distance, however, turned out bright as could be (not posted, just noting it). It's a learning process. I'm enjoying it. I just wish I had more free time to learn leisurely, although I'm grateful for my job, even though it takes up so much of my time. Okay, enough said about this for now, let's talk about the giveaways. The one thing you can see I did get just right is that we brought along Entenmann's Little Bites, and coincidentally (wink wink) that is part of what will be in BOTH of the prize packages discussed below.

Clipper Oxford Shoes for Women Lugz Giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

One thing I found out very quickly with the line of work I started a couple of years ago is that my high heels were useless. Standing on a concrete floor all day, and walking through the building in heels just wasn't going to fly. I'd leave with my feet aching to the point where I would get home, make dinner and just want to go to sleep. That kind of life was not for me, but what to do? Thankfully it was an easy fix, or so I thought...switch to flats, which I did, but still ended up with such achy tootsies. We have to wear dress clothes, it's not optional. Now I had a dilemma. You can't wear athletic shoes with trousers. Enter Lugz and their new Women's Clipper Oxford shoes that are just sporty enough to pass for athletic wear on the weekend, and just dressy enough to pass for 'dress' shoes at my job!! I've been wearing these and no one has said a word about them breaking dress code, and at the end of the day my feet really do feel fine (whew). 

$15 Fandango Gift Card and Zak Resuable Water Bottle Giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Let's talk water bottles. Why? Because if you like to make sure your kiddos are hydrated on the go, not all water bottles are created equal. Both my youngest son and my granddaughter carry water quite a bit, and they like to have them in their own bottles. Zak makes a great selection of them, as well as many other items (for kids and adults). Right now we're loving their new reusable water bottles from The Lego Movie 2 collection.

Free Personalization on Valentine's Day Gifts!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Every little one should have a teddy bear, even better if their name is on it. 3 of my 4 kids have names that are not common, so they never find items on racks in stores that are personalized for them (we still look sometimes, always to no avail). Now my newest granddaughter will have a name that's not common, so finding items for her with that extra personal touch will not be easy either...if we're shopping in a traditional store. GiftsForYouNow.com is not your traditional store. They are an online store, with high quality products, fast delivery and a FREE personalization service that allows you to put any name on any and every item you buy from their vast number of product selections. I've selected this adorable Valentine's Day plush. It is one of many selections you can choose from and in addition to snuggly teddy bears of different sizes, colors and styles, you can also find other plush animals such as the Panda, monkey or a gorilla. There are different styles of shirts too, including cute sayings, couples, and this heart with an arrow through it that I've chosen, just to name a few. 

Giveaway: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: 10-Second Challenge

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Deluxe Cage Bingo 

Well, I'm not even alarmed that Bingo makes me happy. I loved it as a child (used to play with my grandfather) and now I love it as a grandma, lolol. I guess it's all come full circle for me now, as I've become the grandparent. I also play BINGO with my students at school once a month, when we host a party day on their half day. I put some pretty good prizes up and my room fills up fast (they get to choose from 1 of 5 rooms, each of us hosting something fun to do). This set from Pressman Toy though, is staying home. I've already got the game for the classroom, and I love this one too much to part with it. 😊

I got a new camera and IT IS AWESOME!

Family Post. All of my children have contributed in one way or another to the blog. My favorite way is when they publish a guest post. My oldest son has kind of taken a liking to it (hurrah) and has expressed his desire to become a regular on the blog. I'm always happy to do things with the kids, so I'm particularly delighted that he's taken an interest in a hobby of mine that I really like to do. As for this particular post, let me interject that I'm pretty happy he purchased a new camera. I'll take this kind of 'left over' (his previous camera) any day! The only thing I've added to the post is the very first picture, which is of him with his new camera, that I took with his 'old,' which is now my 'new' camera. 😎

Silkberry Baby Organic Cotton Onesie Kimono

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

We all spent the night at my oldest son's house last weekend. There was no special occasion, we were just spending time together. The only person missing (and I missed her so!) was my grandbaby who was with other family members in Orlando having the time of her life! Living in South Florida, it doesn't get very cold, I have to very gladly admit, but come Sunday morning when we woke up, most of us, you'll notice my oldest son is in shorts, were freezing. I'm telling you, with the patio door deliberately left open (he lives higher up than even we do) it felt cooler than air conditioning. His ceilings are 21-ft. or something ridiculously high (and gorgeous) so my first thought was 'heater bill!" but he did graciously turn on the heat. :)  

Prior to that, my 2nd oldest had on a sweater, I had recently been wrapped up in that blanket you see behind my daughter's head (I tossed it down to go to the kitchen but was coming back to get in it since I wasn't smart enough to wear long sleeves) and my youngest (not in the picture because he's enjoying his brother's PS4 just out of lens range) had a sweatshirt to wear too. My daughter is all snuggled up in her guy's clothing because she's not only keeping herself warm, she's keeping her little one in her tummy warm too. 58 days to go!! When it's not naturally chilly though, my daughter likes to have air conditioning running. so while we're shopping for her little sweet baby, we're also thinking of that little fact, and being sure to include some long-sleeved items. Not many are as cute as the organic cotton onesie kimono we recently got for her from Silkberry Baby!

Woombie Blazed the Trail for the Swaddle in 2007 and they are Still Going Strong!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

What's in the box? A Woombie Convertible One-Step Baby Swaddle that is pink with gray trim, and little white elephants. Is it cute? You betcha'. Is it useful? Mmmhmm. Is it a good way to keep your newborn feeling safe, happy and content when they arrive home after their big day? Oh yes, it is definitely all that and more. I love everything about this 2-in-1 swaddling outfit, and so does my daughter, which is good since she's the one having the baby. 😉

Worry Less About Germs when you Travel with Baby SinkBoss Giveaway

This is not a sponsored post.I just thought this would be a useful item for some of you. I opted not to receive payment or product. Sponsor will mail prize.

If you are traveling and you have a little one, you know that one thing you don't want to use to wash out baby bottles or toddler food dishes, is the bathroom sink. I mean just thinking of the germs is enough to send one packing up and running home. What can help? SinkBoss is a portable dish washing area that stands alone to dry, or can be suspended from a rack (such as shower curtain, towel rack, etc.). It helps keep baby items away from icky sinks with who knows what germs in them, and helps give parents peace of mind. It is also extremely portable, as it was designed with travel in mind.

Meet Your New Year Credit Repair Goals with Lexington Law

A lot of people are starting their new year out with financial goals. Whether it's saving, buying or repairing, we all have good intentions but many of us begin to wane as the year progresses (and some of us have good intentions, but never really begin). I heard someone say once that if you have a goal but don't write it down, it is really nothing more than a wish. I took heed to that advice last year and wrote down my credit goals, and the steps I would take each month to help me meet them.

Winner Announcement

Congratulations to the following winners whose names were randomly selected by Rafflecopter:

Singsation All-in-One Karaoke: Michelle
$100 Visa Gift Card: Amy
$75 Visa Gift Card: Rebecca
Tock the Learning Clock: Amy D.
Sposie Booster Pads: Jennifer

Clean House, Happy Life

After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is come home and clean. From washing dishes to folding clothes to making up beds, there are so many household chores and they take so much of your time. Instead of having to tackle one project at a time and never feeling like your house is completely clean, give yourself the gift of a clean house by calling a local cleaning company in Houston.

The Polaroid POP is my Favorite Digital and Instant Camera Combo

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Instant cameras have made a huge comeback. I see them at school events, and two of my grown kids have them too. I love them, but the size of the pictures had got smaller for awhile...until now!! Back to the generous size that's similar to days of old, this brand new Polaroid Pop offers up 3.5 x 4.25" prints instantly, or you can use the digital option with the SD card to save and print later. In addition to that, it's sleek looking and I can't get enough of it. I just love to look at it! The features make it fun to play with, and the touchscreen makes it very easy to learn and maneuver. In the photo above, the print is just finishing up...completing it's roll out of the camera. You can watch the picture forming, as it moves towards the top, which is a new feature I've never seen before. Both me and cutie patootie up there liked that one.

Baby's Book: Teddy Bear from Peter Pauper Press

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

There are so many varieties of products and places that sell them that you can usually find a good substitute for something, if you can't find the original, for what it is you are trying to buy. Every once in awhile though, there is an item that you want to find, and no substitute takes its place very well at all. That's how I feel about this particular baby book sold by Peter Pauper Press. I wrote about it way back in 2012 (you can access that article here if you would like) and now that my daughter is expecting it's the only one I want for her because a). it was adorable b). it was sturdy c). it was thorough, allowing for so many entries to take place between pre-birth and the age of (5). 

Winner Announcement

Congratulations to the following giveaway winners:
Tamra: Gurunanada Essential Oil roll-ons
Heather: Lego Super Villains Deluxe XBox One Game

I Finally Met THAT Baksetball Mom

He's always got a basketball in his hand. ;)

Just so you know, for the most part, I am not a confrontational person. I tend to address things quietly if they need attention, go directly to the source, and do it when no one is around, hoping to get a better understanding of what is going on, or find a peaceful remedy. So when I found myself ready to argue publicly with a woman, at my son's basketball game, I had to find the strength to be the better person, and not be 'that parent.'

HueTrition is Wishing You a Very Healthy New Year: $25 Paypal Giveaway

This information is brought to you by HueTrition. 

Nutritionist Lisa Underwood is going to have a Live Webinar, and if you're looking for a healthier new year, you don't want to miss it! Have you made a resolution to eat better as your New Year's Resolution? One of the hottest diet fads right now is the Keto diet. You may have started to follow it and use recipes you have found around the internet. Or maybe you have thought about it and done some research but you aren't sure if it's right for you. I honestly haven't tried it but am looking forward to learning more about it, right alongside those of you who do that here as well.

HueTrition is here to help you understand it better!