I am getting happier as it gets closer to March 1st. To me that means Springtime! I am loving that it stays lighter out a bit longer. I can feel that the warm weather is on the way. No more cold nights, no more running the heater and shorts weather will be here soon. I want to plant a garden, make sun tea and have picnics at the park. My son has changed so much since last Spring and I am looking forward to the many new experiences we will have. I want to get him his own little fishing pole for the lake and a mini pool so I can show him the basics of swimming.
What are the signs for you Spring is coming and what do you look forward to this year?
My family and I moved to the Seattle area when my youngest child Megan was six years old. We loved walking in all the different neighborhoods in Seattle and making new discoveries of things we liked. In Pioneer Square we found the most delightful toy store called Magic Mouse Toys.
This has become our favorite toy store, and we have come here many times through-out the years to pick out birthday and Christmas presents. There are two floors filled with the most beautiful and unique toys imaginable. Dolls, puzzles, educational toys, games, cars and more will be sure to completely delight you and your child. And if you don't have a child, this magical store will delight the child in you.
My daughter Megan is all grown up now. We were recently walking by Magic Mouse Toys and I said to her "Remember?"
So if you are in Seattle, or planning to visit Seattle, go to Magic Mouse Toys. Like the name says, this store really is Magic.
I love using a toaster. Bread, english muffins, eggo waffles, toaster strudel and my favorite bagels! My last toaster was attacked by ants on a hot summer day when a toaster strudel got over cooked and I could not get it out. While attempting to extract my burnt strudel the side was torn and sticky cinnamon goo went everywhere. Then the ants came! It was not good! Some of the ants even got stuck inside the toaster and the toaster was ruined. I have been weary of getting a new one until I knew what needed to be improved on my toaster so this did not happen again. Mainly the extraction of toasted items is when things are broken or torn on your toasted delights. With this in mind I looked for a toaster that would make it easy to get items out of it.
TheT-Fal 2-Slice Avante Deluxe Toaster was just what I was looking for. The toasting area is at an angle so it makes it easy to see and remove your toast. Pus it has a lift button that pushes your item up above the toaster level for an easy grab of your toasted items. This toaster has two other great functions that I have not has on a toaster.
The bagel button made me say "oh yes!" Since I am a huge bagel fan this was an awesome feature for me. The first time I made a bagel I did not push the button just to be able to compare the results. The first bagel came out burnt and I wondered if I really did to use the bagel button. I tried it again using the button and it came out perfect! Not too tasty and warm all the way through. The stop button is great too. If you see its getting to toasted you push is and up pops your toast.
The angled design provides effortless viewing of the bread while toasting as well as safe and easy removal of toast. With 1200 watts of power this toaster toasts bread 40 percent faster than conventional toasters. The extra-wide self adjusting slots that are ideal for any bread thickness so you'll get perfect toast every time.
Bagel toasting technology toasts the inside and gently warms the outside
One touch light-up function to toast frozen breads
7 customized toasting levels for desired browning quality
Brushed stainless steel front with cool-touch exterior
Stop button stops toasting process at any time
If you are in the market for a toaster I would recommend this one since its simple but up to date on cool extras like a slanted angle for easy pull out, a lift lever to push the toast to you, a Bagel button (so cool!) and a stop button.
*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the product mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.
Classic Disney movies like Lady and the Tramp are fun to watch with my son. I remember watching it as a kid and sharing it with him is a delight. As a girl I think I was more swooned by this movie as a little girl. Its a cute romance between a dog, Lady who is a upper class dog living a pampered life with her humans and the dog Tramp who is a run a muck street dog who lives his doggie life without boundaries.
There is the classic spaghetti eating scene that all romantics know about. Its a cute movie for kids and adults. My son LOVES dogs so he though this was a great one. We have watched 4 times already! When Sam and I were kids we would sing the Siamese cat song and laugh and laugh! My son was big eyed for the cat scene. With dogs and cats he was in heaven. I loved being able to relive a great movie with my little guy and I know he will enjoy this movie for years to come. With the Blu-ray combo pack I know we will be able to keep up with the technology to keep watching it.
Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs
Disney Second Screen
Inside Walt's Story Meeting
Audio Commentary: Inside Walt's Story Meetings
Three never before seen deleted scenes
Never before heard deleted song
Classic DVD bonus features
Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition is now available on DVD and Blu-ray in stores and online.
At select Walmart stores the movie comes with the cutest little Lady and the Tramp bowl and spoon with a combo pack.
*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.
My son loves cats, but I think he is starting to turn into one! He has a few characteristics that make me think this.
1. He hates water on his head. Getting him into the tub is a wrestling match. He hates it! He grabs onto the towel bar in fear of the tub and will shriek and jump onto me trying to get out if water touches his head.
2. He will jump off of anything! ANYTHING!
3. He loves to eat fish!
4. He has a strong "escape instinct" lol if I try to get him for a diaper change, nap time or to wipe his hands or face he runs for it.
5. He will follow you around and jump on your lap as soon as you sit down.
6. He is an aggressive player. Just like a cat jumping, rolling, biting, wrestling are all things he thinks are apart if playing. Thank goodness he does not have claws!
7. He likes to lick up his beverages. He cracks me up he will pour a small amount of liquid onto a surface and lick it up like a kitten. He thinks its hilarious!
8. He will jump into your seat the second you get out of it then just lay there like it was his spot in the first place.
9. He likes to chase birds! If he sees them at the park he will run for them full force trying to catch one.
10. He has different noises he makes that mean different things. He does talk but he likes to make noises to say things. If he starts to purr I am going to really worry.
Living in California our winter weather is not as severe as it can be in other states. Sometimes this means we are not as prepared for when the power goes out as people living in colder regions. Many families do have earthquake kits that have the basics. But things like hats, mittens, kids items like card games and cool flashlights often get left out. We make sure as parents we have the things on our list. For kids it can be even scarier to have the lights go out and we need to have items just for them in a kid friendly Winter Survival Kit.
I remember as a kid when we lived in WA state there was a snow storm that made the power go out at night time. A powerline right by our house went down and we could see the lights of the fire department out there working on things. It was a very scary time. My parents stay calm, gave us flashlights, lit the fireplace and got out board games. We oddly had a blast playing hours of board games with the room lit by the fireplace and flashlights. We played well into the night and all fell asleep in the living room bundled up in sleeping bags. They made it like a indoor family camp out and that made the difference of us not being scared.
I encourage everyone to get together and make Winter Survival Kits to donate to children in need. Even a few friends and family members can make one together to donate. Or if you have a group like a Mommy group, scouts, sports team or church group you can do this as a donation project. It is a great way to give back and come together as a community. Each month Champions for Kids introduces an idea and gives you tips on what to donate and a form to report back your good deed.
More information about Champions for Kids:
What does Champions for Kids do?
Champions for Kids works to mobilize MILLIONS of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond. Our goal is to mobilize 20 Million people by 2020.
What is Champions for Kids vision?
Our vision is to change the culture. Ultimate success is when there is a transfer of identity from Champions for Kids as an organization to Champions for Kids as part of our collective identity, who we are as a community and as citizens. Each year millions of children suffer silently and in many cases, die, not because we don’t have the resources but because of a massive failure of our imagination to engage more people in efforts to improve the lives of children in our communities. People care about our youth. They will help. We work to mobilize MILLIONS of people to be a force for good in their communities. If our plan works, then we change the life course for millions of children—for generations to come
What are the results for Champions for Kids so far? In six, short years, Champions for Kids has provided over $500,000 in challenge grants to local and state youth serving organizations. We have worked closely with 58 nonprofit organizations and 232 organizational leaders who collectively serve over 180,000 children in Arkansas and beyond (Kansas, New York, Massachusetts).
I am planning out my list and gathering coupons to take a trip to Walmart with my son to buy the supplies we will be making our Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kit to donate.
You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Energize on their social media pages.
What would you include in a Winter Survival Kit to keep kids safe, warm and entertained? New ideas would be great to add to my kit.
*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #Cbias #EnergizerCFK #ChampionsForKids
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary
I am a sucker for new products! I love samples and store demos. On weekends I go to specific stores knowing there will be sample and demo events. I always say if you dont try something how will you know if you should buy it or not. I have found many great products by sampling something new.
Recently I attended a Dial™ NutriSkin™ Lotion demo event at my local Walmart. This winter my skin, especially on my hands has been dry and often cracks. I wash my hands all day long and use sanitizers more so in the winter time too. I have about 4-5 lotions I have been trying to rehydrate my skin and be able to stand up to my excessive hand washing. Plus demos and sampling events almost always have coupons for the product they are showcasing and I LOVE coupons!
When I arrived the demo lady had just gotten there and I was the first person she did her demonstration for. I asked her if she had tried the lotion but she said no. I thought that was a bit odd but she did say with the gloves she was required to wear the lotion would make them slide off. I sampled a few of the new Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotions and my favorite one is the Extra Dry Skin with Shea Butter. I love how this lotion smells. It works great, after 4 days I noticed my hands were softer and stayed hydrated though hand washing. I also purchased the Dry Skin Aloe lotion to use as a body lotion. It was very soothing to use on my arms and legs. I have sensitive skin so this was great that it did not irritate my skin at all.
The Dial™ NutriSkin™ is reasonably priced and when you can find a coupon for it thats even better. I noticed on the Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotion website that there is also a Soothing with Chamomile lotion in the new line from Dial™. My Walmart did not have this one so I will be checking back often to see if I spot it.
Day 1 before lotion use, dry cracked itchy skin
Using the Extra Dry Shea Butter on my hands for 4 days of testing. #DialNutriSkin
Day 4 of lotion use, my skin is soft and hydrated even after hand washing.
You can learn more about Dial™ NutriSkin™ including info on the Men's line (one of them has sea kelp in it and can also be used on the face!) by following them on twitter. If you are a facebook fan of Dial you can enter to be fan of the week and often get coupons. #DialNutriSkin
You can see my entire shopping experience and the Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotion demonstration by reading my Google+ story here.
*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #Cbias #DialNutriSkin All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary
Does having a pretty calendar or notebook make you more inclined to fill it out and help you to keep on top of things? One of my sons gave me an Amazon gift card for Christmas this year. As I was browsing the site I remembered I hadn't bought a calendar for the new year yet.
I was so happy to have found this calendar from the National Gallery of Art. It's very beautiful, with pages of photographs of the paintings that hang in the Gallery. And it was half off! That's frugal beauty. But seriously, it has helped me to write down important dates and deadlines. I keep it with me and use it everyday. I am so much more organized now!
Around my house there has been a lot of chocolate cake. I seem to bake like crazy when I have a lot on my mind. That and I also love chocolate anything! My son seems to have inherited my love for the treat. The other night there was a cake mess that my husband let our son eat a piece when I said none today, he told me the baby blue eyes asking for cake made him give in lol. This afternoon my son was being very quiet, always a sign of something naughty going on, he usually is talking, singing, babbling, or making sound effects while he plays so I knew for sure he was up to something. I peeked around the corner and saw that he had a huge piece of cake in his hand. I explained to him if he wants something he needs to ask mama and then sit in his chair to eat it. He of course said "Okay" like he has been saying to everything lately. He doesnt mean okay he just knows thats what he should say lol.
When I met my husband he was working in a restaurant but not as a chef. After sadly getting hurt on the job they switched him over to being a chef. He learned tons of recipes, prep cook stuff and eventually ended up working as a chef in a really nice restaurant. Well that has been awesome for me! He cooks dinner for me all the time.
The other night he made some of my favorites! Salmon (no sauce because he knows how I loathe sauces lol) Dill Garlic Potatoes ( lots of garlic even though he cant really have it ), Asparagus ( just a bit mushy since I like it even though he doesnt) and Garlic French Bread (extra crunchy!). It was so good! He is no longer a chef but he still has the skills and when I ask he will make me anything I wish and just the way I like it even if its just for me since I am a picky eater with how I like stuff made.
The other day he also made me fudge, it only lasts a few days lol.
For all the men out there woman LOVE it when you can make them an awesome meal that it to their tastes.
