tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23285737062429182102024-03-13T13:49:15.164-04:00The Choosy MommyThe Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-18391847961974740702016-06-25T15:35:00.000-04:002016-06-25T15:35:00.070-04:00The 17 Year Cicadas are Ruining My Daughter’s Summer<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a buzz in the air…and no, it is not something exciting. If you live in southwestern/southeastern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, the extreme western tip of Maryland, northwestern Virginia and most of West Virginia, then you probably know what I am talking about. It is cicadas and they are ruining my three year old daughter’s summer. Luckily, they won’t make a return for another 2-17 years, depending on exactly which species are born, but I can’t wait for them to just be gone so we can enjoy going back outside again without her running in fear from the BUGS!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They really are gross, but seem to be pretty harmless (see images for gross factor). They are huge and I understand why a little kid would be afraid of them. Male cicadas make the most annoying noise I have heard in a long time (except for the mockingbird that seems to be jumping from neighbor’s house to neighbor’s house). Plus they fly around and have no sense of direction. No joke here – cicadas will literally fly right into you without a care, smack you in the face (yup…happened earlier today), and keep on going. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are lucky enough to not know what I am talking about, here is a little background on these bugs (and I am getting the heebee jeebees just reading more about them):</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The males are the ones who are actually making all of the noise, which is their call for a mate (talk about dumb female bugs – I’d never mate with anything that made such an annoying sound). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The female will scrape a groove in a tree in which she lays her rice-shaped cicadas eggs into. Unfortunately this negatively effects the tree as the fluids from the tree become a food source for the babies. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Due to the cicadas eating the tree fluid, the leaves may turn brown and branches could potentially die depending on the trees strength. I have a 3 year old tree in my backyard that just looks horrible now.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the young cicada is ready to move on, it makes its way to the ground and finds the trees roots in which it feeds on, underground, for another 2-17 years, depending on its species. Talk about disgusting! </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It seems like they have been quieting down the last couple of evenings (compared to others) so we do get to enjoy the last bit of the day outside, but we can’t wait until they are gone for good. I have heard they will be gone by the 4th of July so fingers crossed that is true! I just want to be able to play outside with my children without being attacked by bugs.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Do you hear the cicadas where you live? If yes, where are you located? If not, what is your most annoying bug that your kids dislike?</span></b>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-50086831972151947502016-06-16T19:04:00.000-04:002016-06-17T10:14:05.398-04:00A Trip to the Strawberry Patch at Triple B Farms<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last weekend, the kids, a neighbor and I all piled into the
car and went to <a href="http://www.triplebfarms.com/">Triple B Farms</a> in
Monongahela, PA, for their annual Strawberry Festival. It is a big deal this
time of the year to take a trip to the strawberry patch and pick your own
berries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We got to the farm about an hour after the festival began
and the parking lot was packed. I thought we were doomed with crowds but was
shocked to find that it didn’t seem like there were as many people as cars in
the festival areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Capri was really excited as she was already familiar with
Triple B as it is also where we get our pumpkins every year. The first thing we
did was walked over to learn about the different animals on the farm and take
some funny pictures! We observed the goats (but this is nothing new to my kids
as we have goats at my in-laws farm). However, we did get to see a peacock but
Capri was upset that it didn’t spread its beautiful wings. Maybe next time! We
skipped the other animals that were there. I saw some chics and ducklings but
we all know how Capri feels about the chickens (dislikes, very much).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Onto the next fun part for the kids – the blow up bounce and
slide area! There is a great big blow up slide that she couldn’t wait to get in
and then a smaller one for the little kids (and parents if they want, but
thanks to my neighbor for coming, I didn’t have to crawl in!) Cam really
enjoyed his time in the small bounce area and Capri could’ve went up and down
the slide 100 times if we let her, but it was getting really hot (like 85
degrees hot) so it was time to move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We hit up the duck race water table so Cam could splash
around a bit and actually participate in something. And then we went on the
hayride! This is where you would gather your baskets and make your way to the
strawberry patch to pick your berries, except we decided to not do that because
of the kids and just rode the wagon back to the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now my favorite part – the food! It was 11:45 a.m. when
we ordered and luckily we got there before noon because they were going to stop
serving the pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I was so happy
I was able to get these as they were delicious! Capri had a hot dog (which must
have been fantastic because she ate the whole thing so fast!) and we shared a
strawberry smoothie. Unfortunately, Cam fell asleep so he ate lunch at home
(don’t worry…he had strawberries and the rest of our smoothie).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The last stop was into the store so we could buy some
strawberries and Capri got to pick a sweet treat for being good all day. Go
figure she picked chocolate dirt dessert fudge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We had a WONDERFUL time at Triple B Farms and most certainly
will be returning for whatever festival is next, and as always, for our
pumpkins in the fall. If you are in or near the Pittsburgh area, you should
certainly plan a trip to Triple B Farms as it isn’t far away! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-87586477220089169552016-06-02T21:19:00.002-04:002016-06-03T10:33:58.497-04:00Cam's First Birthday - A Shark Themed Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-fxFw281_U5M7xh2hl2jzhBfN_5TFp_R0PT5A9yIQMYBiTFpEXVHVKJBBhhLArFdw2kdpbR1wFLGvrjZ5H6aTisXhnqnhX-EhsJC47BQCTfJ4r1UXDRu7p14Ai6ujxIEKqLtApY2iJI9/s1600/Cam%2527s+first+birthday+-+shark+themed+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know I have said this before, but I can't even believe Cam is already 1. Moms - you get me about how fast a year goes by! So to celebrate, we had a shark themed birthday party. Etsy was my starting point for the hunt for decorations. I then went to PartyCity.com and the Party City store for the rest. Our cake came from a local baker (check out the info. below!) I also wanted to thank everyone at <a href="http://www.coxmkt.com/" target="_blank">Cox Market</a> for some of the food and side dishes. It was gone before I had a chance to get a picture...so obviously that is a good thing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shark Bubble Favors & Squirt Guns</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I bought the kids two things to keep them busy during the party: squirt guns and bubbles. The squirt guns were from the Party City store and even though they were cheap, they worked perfectly! The bubbles were also a big hit! Luckily I was able to find these super cute shark themed bubble wands on Etsy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/287395817/shark-favor-shark-bubble-favor-shark" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-bkiUFRvSi5XRa9SM5_k6dWqosBXHuNQMupvrAlZLvnxOrIatNewA8TyfuzxsceXjf6pDFJwbe7zsX7BOwFutN0vDPWhjvdMX2zfQ4f_0K_xsRhnDIsuUsu8vZHN9K9YCB9KOrxEkNCl/s320/shark+bubbles2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They are the perfect size for little kids because they can actually blow and get the bubbles to come out. And of course they all thought it was so cool that they had sharks on them. Even the wand was shaped like a shark tooth! The detail, people, was awesome! I highly recommend these bubbles. Check them out on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/287395817/shark-favor-shark-bubble-favor-shark" target="_blank">Etsy from MadHatterPartyBox</a>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shark Pinata</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is a family tradition to always have a pinata at birthday parties. Last year I actually made a Toodles pinata (you know - from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). But I figured a shark would be a bit harder and now I just don't have time for crafting. I found this cool shark pinata at the Party City store. I filled it with the candy AND toy bag this year and the kids loved the whistles and mini frisbees. Each kid took 3 hits at the pinata and then we let one of the stronger boys have at it! And you know what? It wasn't a rush for the candy and toys. Someone else mentioned that it was the calmest, most organized pinata yet. Guess we have done enough of them that they have learned!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shark Candle & Cake</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I always try to find a cool candle for the birthday cake. This year I came across this <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/243587356/shark-birthday-candle" target="_blank">AWESOME number 1 with a shark</a> on it on from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCraftyPair" target="_blank">TheCraftyPair</a> on Etsy. Of course it was perfect and went great with the shark cake from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Shortbread-City-designer-desserts-65110987384/" target="_blank">Shortbread City designer desserts</a>, a local bakery in Monessen, PA. The cake was two tiers and had a very cool shark fin on it. We had more than 30 people at the party and I still had a bit of cake leftover. It was so fresh too! In fact, Tiffanie, the owner, wasn't even finished with the cake when we arrived just 15 minutes early to pick it up. Now that's fresh! Cam loved every bite of his smash cake. Please check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Shortbread-City-designer-desserts-65110987384/" target="_blank">Shortbread City designer desserts</a> if you are local and tell her I sent you!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A Shark Present</span></b><br />
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To stick with the shark theme, I found this awesome shark pirate plate and bowl set made by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/260497233/shark-pirate-plate-and-bowl-set" target="_blank">3littleflowers on Etsy</a> to give to Cam. Owner, Anelys, is super sweet and makes sure you get the product that you want. She takes a personal interest in the gift and even checks in afterward to see what the receiver thought of it. She does a lot of products so please be sure to check out her shop! She is even offering my readers a special discount or freebie! You can get 10% off any purchase OR a FREE placemat with a plate and bowl set purchase. Once you have added your items to the cart, just enter <b>CHOOSYMOMMY10</b> for the 10% off. If you are buying a plate and bowl set like I got Cam (whatever design you choose), just make a note in the "notes to seller" section that you would like the free matching placemat with your bowl and plate set from The Choosy Mommy. How cool is that?! (expires 7/2/16)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitWBS85eDotrBVphG-5fx3QKus8DCV1VIa-ze19QpBetS1EV8ZaMDt8bNXv1OBiVR_RyXxGqBGJvo2dL1vO8f0nmWEwHhpdaMX70ylVZhpciEKnaRzAKgXDeiVtGSUekJbLOsn0U-xVZY/s1600/plate+and+bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitWBS85eDotrBVphG-5fx3QKus8DCV1VIa-ze19QpBetS1EV8ZaMDt8bNXv1OBiVR_RyXxGqBGJvo2dL1vO8f0nmWEwHhpdaMX70ylVZhpciEKnaRzAKgXDeiVtGSUekJbLOsn0U-xVZY/s400/plate+and+bowl.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Cam's birthday with us! We had a great time and can't wait for Capri's party next! Stay tuned to see how a 3 year old plans a party...hahaha!</span></div>
The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-83752163527958811972016-05-28T08:52:00.000-04:002016-05-28T08:52:46.509-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cTjtW6dlaYZsPWiRazFB44prXL37GjOEhLJVMbUgaUaDpMg60FTXfaLyQMT0aXS8v1CN8jQFQEoM_hRitlCM5-tS8Wj6Vshx_997-YGMghAMZ8hjAfhpaJduKSgvLHq4tcR144AZoVld/s1600/Dont+wish+my+veteran+husband+a+happy+memorial+day+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cTjtW6dlaYZsPWiRazFB44prXL37GjOEhLJVMbUgaUaDpMg60FTXfaLyQMT0aXS8v1CN8jQFQEoM_hRitlCM5-tS8Wj6Vshx_997-YGMghAMZ8hjAfhpaJduKSgvLHq4tcR144AZoVld/s1600/Dont+wish+my+veteran+husband+a+happy+memorial+day+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As Memorial Day weekend rolls around, my husband tends to get more anxious than usual. It isn’t a good anxious though. As a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, 0311, he has fought for you and me in Iraq and has witness things that we probably can’t even imagine, nor have I even been told about. Memorial Day has a completely different meaning to him than picnics with family and friends, store sales and traffic jams. Don’t tell my veteran husband to have a happy Memorial Day because he isn’t happy about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He follows the original meaning: to remember those who have died in service for the United States of America. Now is that very happy?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Those who we remember on Memorial Day lost their lives so that people like you and I could live free. These men and women were sons and daughters, possibly mothers and fathers or brothers and sisters. They are likely people who lived down the street from you (whether you lived there or not, who knows), shopped at the same grocery store as you and possibly went to the same movie theaters as you. And because they lost their lives, you think it is a time to be happy and celebrate while eating hot dogs and hamburgers? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Instead of wearing red, white and blue apparel, how about you go back to the roots of Memorial Day and wear red poppies. You could also decorate a veteran’s grave – flowers and flags will do – since Memorial Day was initial Decoration Day. Don’t know a veteran? I am sure there is some kind of memorial in your area that honors our military, country or those who have died for your freedom. Visit that and learn its history. If that is too much of a downer for you, I suppose you could attend a local parade since again, people just love to celebrate Memorial Day. At least you are taking the time out of your day to wave to the veterans in the parade and reflect upon the reasons why the parade is taking place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But please, don’t wish anyone a happy Memorial Day, especially my veteran husband. More than likely you don’t know their past, if they are in the military, are a veteran, have had family and friends die fighting for our freedom or currently have someone overseas in the midst of war.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Memorial Day is not a day to be happy and celebrate but a day to remember. Thank those who serve our country on Veterans Day and honor those who we have lost along the way on Memorial Day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-56020540653001500442016-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:002016-05-26T08:00:29.442-04:00Top 5 Things You Must Pack When You Go To Disney World with Kids<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I feel like it has been awhile since I have blogged. I guess that would be because we were on VACATION!!! And as you probably know, packing for the vacation is sometimes the hardest part. Moms typically have to pack not only their own suitcase, but those of their children too to ensure everything they need (or that mom thinks they need) makes it to their destination and isn’t left at home with the fish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was my third trip with kids to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The first time Capri was only 6 months old so packing for just her was pretty easy. Then we went again when he had just turned 2 and that was pretty easy too. But this time, packing for her AND Cam was a little more difficult, especially since Capri has her own opinion on what she wants to wear and insists on helping Cam get dressed too. So here is my packing list for when you are traveling to Disney World. Now remember, we went in May so it was really hot there. I am talking 90 degrees every day. I have also been there when it was freezing and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt every day, even wishing I had my coat!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Extra Clothes</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a no brainer. However, I want to recommend multiple outfits per day. We would get up early and do the park all morning and by lunchtime, my clothes were either sweaty from me or from carrying Cam, or dirty from the kids or rides or just getting uncomfortable. Usually when we got back to the hotel we changed into our swimsuits and went down to the pool for an hour. Then we came back and napped (another outfit). We then would put on nicer clothes for dinner that evening. So I wore 3 outfits most days, not including my swimsuit (which you should probably pack 2 in case you decide to take a swim after dinner).</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Sunscreen/Hat/Sunglasses</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You will burn if you don’t put sunscreen on! I was so worried that Cam would burn because this would be his first time in his life in the sun like we would be, so I made sure to lather him up all over. But surprisingly, he tanned wonderfully! You should also take a hat if you and your kids are hat people and do not forget your sunglasses for everyone (although if you do you can buy them there). My eyes hurt the one day after not wearing my sunglasses for a little while due to just being busy with rides and kids.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Snacks/Drinks</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A must when traveling with kids of any age (even adults), but especially a 2, 3 and 4 year old (we also had a 1 year old and 3 monther with us). When you are up earlier than usual, breakfast isn’t the first thing kids want to eat. In fact, my oldest just wanted to go back to sleep! By the time we got over to the park and in line for our first ride, she was wanting something to eat. I suggest fruit snacks, the fruit pouches of whatever you’d like, any kind of fruit or vegetables that won’t spoil in heat (I always had an apple), candy if you are a candy provider (but not chocolate), and chips/crackers. Avoid the melt down with a quick snack and a drink. I always had a bottle of water available and we bought the refillable mugs for pop. Gatorade would be another good drink to always have in case the heat starts to get to anyone. And remember, you can bring whatever you want into the park. You could even bring breakfast and lunch with you if you didn’t want to stop to eat!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Tennis Shoes</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The last time we went to Disney World, I made the mistake of not packing my tennis shoes. I walked around everywhere here in my flip flops, but let me tell you, when your child doesn’t want to walk, like ever, while at the park, your feet and body will hurt. I ended up buying some while I was there but we had to take a bus to Disney Springs which was not on our agenda. I don’t know how people do it, but I see people wearing flip flops all day there. Do your body, and your kids, a favor and wear tennis shoes on everyone. I know they don’t look the best with certain apparel, but you’ll regret it if you don’t, especially if it rains!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Extra Space</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Huh? What do you mean pack extra space? Luckily I have to still pack diapers so I end up with extra space in my suitcase because we always buy so much stuff! Capri not only packed 2 princess dresses, but came home with 2 more, plus a sword and some other random things (Cam too, of course). You can also have things shipped straight home but kids don’t want that! Ensure that you have extra room in your suitcases before you buy too much and end up not having room for things. Purposely don’t fill your suitcase before you leave, or pack a suitcase for your child even if you have room in your suitcase. You can also pack things that you will end up using in your suitcase rather than your carry on (snacks, drinks).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnyxfptI4Pp1fJFDT_piur_QvsxhLRjtl006NRE4_bIPO_c-5EUQ4jZ6CqrQViSGNHLBcZaThcrh8Z9IzfIY-Io81lDI88pSYNRKySPPInH00dEgphJkVQTJLz-kfWb6FOy8NwqynMT1G/s1600/Top+5+Things+You+Must+Pack+When+You+Go+To+Disney+World+with+Kids+Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnyxfptI4Pp1fJFDT_piur_QvsxhLRjtl006NRE4_bIPO_c-5EUQ4jZ6CqrQViSGNHLBcZaThcrh8Z9IzfIY-Io81lDI88pSYNRKySPPInH00dEgphJkVQTJLz-kfWb6FOy8NwqynMT1G/s320/Top+5+Things+You+Must+Pack+When+You+Go+To+Disney+World+with+Kids+Pin.jpg" width="215" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My list surely could go on forever, but I’ll stop here for now. <b>What would be your top 5 items that you would pack for Disney? </b></span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-34374476256903080622016-04-28T22:20:00.000-04:002016-08-06T15:48:22.113-04:00Pocket that Extra Cash When You Save with Groupon Coupon<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Disclosure – I have been compensated and/or received this product/service for free. Regardless, all reviews and opinions are honest and my own.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When I was growing up, I swear I spent every penny of my allowance. But today, I am the saver! I can’t go to the grocery store without my coupons and phone with my money saving apps on it. And I don’t buy anything online unless I have a coupon code for a certain percentage off or free shipping (that is a MUST!) That is why my first go-to spot online to hunt for good deals is always <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons">Groupon Coupons</a>! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj2hs040vzix5HbNrYizICiflWXnEPgmtEKEQjNljznleDDjeHRhLN6UmxIxiNd5xAN42gkH8FYLzo3uUT7QigXQnOVwL4nc3J1L3an0edxoRkBW70jyela0gs9omc31UzEsE3BZJSfY/s1600/Groupon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj2hs040vzix5HbNrYizICiflWXnEPgmtEKEQjNljznleDDjeHRhLN6UmxIxiNd5xAN42gkH8FYLzo3uUT7QigXQnOVwL4nc3J1L3an0edxoRkBW70jyela0gs9omc31UzEsE3BZJSfY/s320/Groupon.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I get really excited when I find a great deal and I have to tell my friends and family about it, which is why I am sharing this with you. It is FREE to use! People…free savings! Money back into your pocket! Even if you use Groupon Coupons just to save 30%, that could be the difference of tax or even $10, $20, or more depending on what you are buying! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is really easy to find a coupon on the Groupon site. Just look for the search bar at the top and type in whatever store you are wanting to purchase something at. I was just looking for shorts at <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons/stores/kohls.com">Kohl’s</a> and Groupon Coupons is sharing 133 coupons with me. In fact, the first one is awesome! 30% off! Great deal! You also need to check out <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons/stores/lastcall.com" target="_blank">Last Call by Neiman Marcus</a>. Deals, deals, deals!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AZHKRcxzJgp7n1PApG-Q7PFO8_C8tTr54tzJhBdmH6hX1Nla56QcET8xANhuNeYilM_IEVtE_KnsmRYZYxDdDTLktHH42jdXaHj4tMyTzGYdJQGa_m1EC4E74bb5Rot3i8O6Z-mm-qE/s1600/Groupon+Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AZHKRcxzJgp7n1PApG-Q7PFO8_C8tTr54tzJhBdmH6hX1Nla56QcET8xANhuNeYilM_IEVtE_KnsmRYZYxDdDTLktHH42jdXaHj4tMyTzGYdJQGa_m1EC4E74bb5Rot3i8O6Z-mm-qE/s320/Groupon+Pin.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And Groupon Coupons aren’t just for online shopping. You can find coupons that are local to you. A great example is a coupon that I found for a bowling alley close to me. Up to 61% off! That makes for an inexpensive family night out.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So here is my last piece of advice. Follow Groupon on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Groupon.US/?brand_redir=526662987435979" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="ttps://twitter.com/groupon" target="_blank">Twitter</a> so that you can enter to win their giveaways (again…free money! Don’t leave $10,000 go to someone else). And plus, their Twitter is quite hilarious. And <a href="https://www.groupon.com/mobile?utm_source=gp&utm_medium=footer&utm_campaign=mlusers" target="_blank">download the mobile app</a> so even if you aren’t at home, you can still save. </span><o:p></o:p></div>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-7207588200907867832016-04-26T10:00:00.000-04:002016-08-06T15:48:22.167-04:00KidloLand Educational App for Kids Age 0-5 Review + Giveaway!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Disclosure – I have been compensated and/or received this product/service for free. Regardless, all reviews and opinions are honest and my own.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHbPcu2XXMGNddMB2sZe5HRxXHVjkweiLoHrXbePfAsBk2YO6DpGmf6GMpwACokUV7G70POT2NMr28ohA8SU8UeP1BBLQ8P1yx20HbXtMp23t6GtJDEYPkNvozFOVWCGauLe6TKjgaj8/s1600/KidloLandApp+Review+and+Giveaway+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHbPcu2XXMGNddMB2sZe5HRxXHVjkweiLoHrXbePfAsBk2YO6DpGmf6GMpwACokUV7G70POT2NMr28ohA8SU8UeP1BBLQ8P1yx20HbXtMp23t6GtJDEYPkNvozFOVWCGauLe6TKjgaj8/s320/KidloLandApp+Review+and+Giveaway+FB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Remember how I said that I let my kids <a href="http://thechoosymommy.blogspot.com/2015/12/why-i-allow-my-children-to-use.html" target="_blank">use as much technology as they want</a>? Well Capri recently found out about YouTube Kids and has been obsessing over watching “Princess” things (basically I search the word princess and she watches whatever comes up). Some things are fine for her to watch, as they teach her different things, but I am just over the whole Play-Doh building videos and watching other people play with dolls. There is no educational value to that. So when I was asked to check out the <a href="http://www.kidloland.com/" target="_blank">KidloLand App</a>, I jumped on this opportunity because it was the perfect time to get Capri to switch from annoying YTK to a fun and educational app.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhOnoIFeCauNmART6LSlHgNQXmpNOGa5CODPj3u3whBuVbKtCDxEaBG6FzHp0cGLAMkWMaDMwKdW7CfOx9d7g36oBcIYlXAd4afHyWT77B5YnYeNtRv_PWxBmF2wyb0T4XsWSBQqdUsI/s1600/KidloLand+App.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhOnoIFeCauNmART6LSlHgNQXmpNOGa5CODPj3u3whBuVbKtCDxEaBG6FzHp0cGLAMkWMaDMwKdW7CfOx9d7g36oBcIYlXAd4afHyWT77B5YnYeNtRv_PWxBmF2wyb0T4XsWSBQqdUsI/s320/KidloLand+App.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The KidloLand App installed very quickly on Capri’s iPad and she was off to the races on deciding what to check out first. The options of what to do are seemingly endless. There are more than 245 nursery rhymes and educational songs plus over 100 educational activities. And another great feature is that this app is advertisement free! NO ADS! That is unheard of anymore.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY6yh9UTTMjibKEEkyXO0TbU3J4kF_kAnLm9M8BE8sNbnsXEdVBwXU3b0VWTS5G16V7DFaqu6iGwu02_1nQ27ePitOr8VbRSxOwINO3sfIdDJeQD0rmJwv1S5MN6A9nW83lPHBQgL0Oo/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY6yh9UTTMjibKEEkyXO0TbU3J4kF_kAnLm9M8BE8sNbnsXEdVBwXU3b0VWTS5G16V7DFaqu6iGwu02_1nQ27ePitOr8VbRSxOwINO3sfIdDJeQD0rmJwv1S5MN6A9nW83lPHBQgL0Oo/s1600/2.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_qwHsUWrmbkJqTM-FikmuM51t8JKTs-HzET1e7QKfNNZ-nfEkqXybyaL-YLVdbvJqIlU3XapIn93fVEdBBb6Mt_qKsKw8UkmPVU4-LqRmsD4-3Qq-RhuSK100t7QUwDHvDII87ydkTc/s1600/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_qwHsUWrmbkJqTM-FikmuM51t8JKTs-HzET1e7QKfNNZ-nfEkqXybyaL-YLVdbvJqIlU3XapIn93fVEdBBb6Mt_qKsKw8UkmPVU4-LqRmsD4-3Qq-RhuSK100t7QUwDHvDII87ydkTc/s1600/7.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMFVGg30JTaeoBTJsZlw_PLQPqK4Ekt1_5nq_nSgJLIdOieuSF-ayEQND7H6FfoEUlvk1oaPFM4OJVCwOJdR-dypW1yDdNRaR-EH3vxTJfo9FCesO0VNqoQE6Fi7YQhTg0H9WJlTyzck/s1600/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMFVGg30JTaeoBTJsZlw_PLQPqK4Ekt1_5nq_nSgJLIdOieuSF-ayEQND7H6FfoEUlvk1oaPFM4OJVCwOJdR-dypW1yDdNRaR-EH3vxTJfo9FCesO0VNqoQE6Fi7YQhTg0H9WJlTyzck/s1600/9.png" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Capri loved the activities section, especially the matching and dot-to-dot games. We both enjoyed the music which brought back memories of nursery rhymes that I had forgot of and some I had never heard of before. The mom in me loved the educational aspects which included learning her ABCs, fruits, months, and so much more through songs and activities. This app made it FUN to learn. In fact, I don’t even think Capri realized she was learning but instead just thought she was playing. It makes a huge difference because trust me, she leaves the “learning” at pre-school. It is all fun and games at home…wink wink!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumfn1FQIPnSCgo7eptMtZ2dUbcWwO7pCw_BLq1eyLcRb6spSQF1rke_r_-Ts6biKKP9dXF0qV37B9Ew5rVqeHIopfSuytVW44-ok2h8yXXK0W-TZKva0Ty3CvNxGTHrVs-1O__-Bva98/s1600/KidloLandApp+Review+and+Giveaway+Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumfn1FQIPnSCgo7eptMtZ2dUbcWwO7pCw_BLq1eyLcRb6spSQF1rke_r_-Ts6biKKP9dXF0qV37B9Ew5rVqeHIopfSuytVW44-ok2h8yXXK0W-TZKva0Ty3CvNxGTHrVs-1O__-Bva98/s320/KidloLandApp+Review+and+Giveaway+Pinterest.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This app is recommended for ages 0-5. Cam really has no interest in the iPad yet but did seem to enjoy the music. Capri started to enjoy the iPad a bit more around 18 months so I would say give it a try if you have a child between 18 months and 5 years old. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And I know it may seem absurd to spend money on an app for your child to “play” with, but this app is well worth the cost. However, I have GREAT news! I am offering 3 of my readers a <b><span style="font-size: large;">FREE 6 month subscription of the KidloLand App</span></b> for your kid(s)! How cool is that? So thanks to KidloLand for offering this up. Just enter the giveaway in the form below. Winner will be announced 5/3/16. Good Luck!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="pgtContainpgt" id="pgt14096740867pgt"><a href="https://giveawaytools2.com/giveaway.php?sk=14096740867" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">Entry</a><script src="//giveawaytools.com/wid/embed.php?sk=14096740867" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="https://giveawaytools.com/giveaway.php?sk=14096740867" rel="nofollow" target="_BLANK2">-Form</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nursery-rhymes-for-kids/id533412119?ls=1&mt=8" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOqE49FsHxmRxyP3ihEmCoOZMumpk_4O-PgOmK5fZXRl5BrptP6VWPOhz5TF8tUoAYkrr0VDQzoKn507Ni4oEVC150sdxSLHLEtOr-It2sqiXETll4lsfgedo9UbkDYaDOTm8Bonk7N0/s1600/appstore.png" /></a></div><br /></div>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-79749578866449274302016-04-14T14:33:00.000-04:002016-04-14T14:59:03.624-04:00So, Stay at Home Mom, Where Do You Work?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you follow
me on social media, you know that I recently had to do my duty as an American citizen
and sit in a room of about 60 other people from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm and wait for
my juror number to never be called. Thankfully. But what a waste of time! They
didn’t even have Wi-Fi so I couldn’t even be on social media all day. So that
forced me to talk to the other 59 people or so around me. And I seemed to have
been asked the same question by everyone: So, where do you work?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwVxF5CaBNXkF5fX41tp2M3Xvc1-n3zJcmJZ5_BdUqumrl3_BIakihlB-dMvzQD7vroZ5nFUpOtg2Q_HNcToD-v948nyGUZ7QjAzNfWdKvnougMs72RSnLJXBTcShI7JKz1BWurMG3eWz/s1600/So%252C+Stay+at+Home+Mom%252CWhere+Do+You+Work-+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwVxF5CaBNXkF5fX41tp2M3Xvc1-n3zJcmJZ5_BdUqumrl3_BIakihlB-dMvzQD7vroZ5nFUpOtg2Q_HNcToD-v948nyGUZ7QjAzNfWdKvnougMs72RSnLJXBTcShI7JKz1BWurMG3eWz/s320/So%252C+Stay+at+Home+Mom%252CWhere+Do+You+Work-+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">As someone who
has spent thousands of dollars earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and
was in the “real” workforce prior to having kids, it does pain me a bit to say
I am a stay at home mom. But as soon as I answer the question, I think to
myself, “but you could never afford me” because let’s face it, the salary of a
stay at home mom is EXPENSIVE!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My job never
ends and I rarely get breaks. When I was breastfeeding, I was awake all hours
of the night pretending to be a cow. Luckily now that Cam doesn’t need to eat
24/7, I have a husband who will get up in the middle of the night when
necessary, but that doesn’t mean I sleep until 10:00 am every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am the maid.
I clean up toys constantly. I do dishes. I vacuum the floors. I washed windows
the other day and I hate doing that. I do laundry (although the hubby does help
with this because I tend to forget about it). But if it weren’t for me, dust
bunnies would literally be running rampid in my home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am the chef.
Whose name does Capri yell for when she’s hungry? ::raises hand:: That would be
me, stay at home mom. And who doesn’t just serve her crap (everyday). Me. I
make sure my kids eat healthy, and I actually cook dinner for them. I really do
try to have dinner on the table every night when the hubby gets home too, but
truth is, by 7:00 pm, the kids are miserable and the last thing I want to do is
cook so, sorry hubby. Maybe tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am the
teacher. Want to know who taught Capri her ABC’s, 123’s, colors, shapes, etc.?
Yup, again, it was me, stay at home mom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The chauffeur.
Want to go to the playground? OK, hop in mommy’s car. Want to go get ice cream?
Mom will drive. I kind of can’t wait until they are old enough to drive, but
that will just be a whole new stress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am the nurse. If my kid is sick, I am the one wiping his or her runny nose, I am the one serving up their medicine and I am the one disinfecting EVERYTHING to get the germs away!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You name it, I
probably do it. And again, I am lucky to have my hubby helping out, but he
doesn’t like to feed Cam messy food so poor Cam would never get to eat
spaghetti. And Capri would know EVERY hockey player’s name…not just Kris Letang
(looooove him) and Sidney Crosby’s instead of her ABC’s and 123’s if dad was
home all day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KBxuzHu-NpwuitSAMRkvxkit5DISnlI8q73sLQ_OfwzkC_fexTRTrwvv5vdvi9k7PdvUhkLbwcumdBtHivVzs3J9b5hI1Od2rAqIfzeObD4D2n3TPilBpABKw3ynmftGRsZEHxCDM1iS/s1600/So%252C+Stay+at+Home+Mom%252C+Where+Do+You+Work-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KBxuzHu-NpwuitSAMRkvxkit5DISnlI8q73sLQ_OfwzkC_fexTRTrwvv5vdvi9k7PdvUhkLbwcumdBtHivVzs3J9b5hI1Od2rAqIfzeObD4D2n3TPilBpABKw3ynmftGRsZEHxCDM1iS/s320/So%252C+Stay+at+Home+Mom%252C+Where+Do+You+Work-.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So why do I
feel bad saying I am a stay at home mom, raising 2 kids, from morning to night?
Because it is not a “job” that people really give me credit for. It was fun
saying that I worked for a huge security company in their marketing and
communications offices before I had kids. I did have a pretty legit job. People
knew about the company and thought what I did was cool. But now, yoga pants
with spit on them and no makeup on, my job isn’t so cool to them anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But you know
what? You couldn’t pay me enough money to give up my job right now. But let’s
talk in 5 to 10 years!</span></div>
The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-79462191820971364492016-03-23T08:32:00.000-04:002016-08-06T15:48:22.204-04:00Trunq: The Only Private Digital Scrapbook App You'll Need<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclosure – I have been compensated and/or received this product/service for free. Regardless, all reviews and opinions are honest and my own.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know what you are thinking…”Great, another picture app…aren’t there enough of those already?” And to be honest, I thought that too when I first downloaded this app, but then I realized it is so much more than my initial assumptions. Trunq was created as an app for people to save their very best digital things. We all have thousands of pictures and videos stored on our phones, iPads, computers and in the cloud and most of those pictures have been posted to other social networks so that they are safe for years to come (or at least we hope!) Except, once you post an image, it can get lost amongst the other thousands of photos you share and it is hard to locate the best images – otherwise known as the images that you would put for safe keeping in a scrapbook. Now Trunq can be your private digital scrapbook and you won’t ever need another photo saving app again!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mC3K6RO9Piw" width="560"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Trunq app allows you to capture and upload video or photo messages and add them to “Trunqs,” which are like personal digital scrapbooks. The digital scrapbooks can be completely private, or you can share your images with your friends and family. I really liked the ability to keep images private because the other photo apps that we commonly use say you can make things private, but let’s be real, the companies are always changing your settings and it is hard to stay on top of it all. And there are always those special moment photos that you know you have to keep (come on moms – we all take the bath tub photos, or the naked running bum pictures!) and now you have a way to keep those not only private, but digitally safe!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-reDjCAPe_VJPgYv2a6e4QV-GlnftQr9mtOyzeSPh2pilDhEuGFizDVWEzhqya7PuD6y57nj9d5p-nPwxYn7198v1F0gtZmQCN1RiN5CuBzeT0B_Nm9GvAailqyLAzQxcf4JlCTFEmU/s1600/Trunq+2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-reDjCAPe_VJPgYv2a6e4QV-GlnftQr9mtOyzeSPh2pilDhEuGFizDVWEzhqya7PuD6y57nj9d5p-nPwxYn7198v1F0gtZmQCN1RiN5CuBzeT0B_Nm9GvAailqyLAzQxcf4JlCTFEmU/s320/Trunq+2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On top of having your own Trunq, you can also open a Trunq in your child’s name and use it as digital scrapbook to capture, receive and privately preserve the best videos and pictures of their childhood. And here is the best part about this. You know when you are at a party and people take pictures and your child is in the photo and you know you want that photo but it never gets sent to you? Now you can just say, “hey, forward that picture to my child’s Trunq app” and then you can curate the content and add it to the Trunq as appropriate. This would be such a great little keepsake item to share with your child when they graduate from high school, college or even get married. Don’t tell my kids about it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuvWrEJJj8rFdd3g7y7zfzdER7Se7NKBw1Lg6f8unBQjl6JK9Iuhn1tCQscOXGg4wzsCa6ar6rEqgv7-x1L5LounOkrJp7ebmzXaH5jNtevq10OcwaLK-0oSL1LKzFMCLqugEu4npPRs/s1600/trunq+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuvWrEJJj8rFdd3g7y7zfzdER7Se7NKBw1Lg6f8unBQjl6JK9Iuhn1tCQscOXGg4wzsCa6ar6rEqgv7-x1L5LounOkrJp7ebmzXaH5jNtevq10OcwaLK-0oSL1LKzFMCLqugEu4npPRs/s640/trunq+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Another cool feature about Trunq is that messages that you send to others, whether through their email or to their Trunq app, can be delivered immediately or later. If you want to send it later, you can set the date up to a year in advance and the person will receive a notice that they have an image available then. This is the perfect way to send happy birthday messages, anniversary notes or even event reminders so people know you are thinking of them and don’t forget that something is going on!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Trunq is available for free on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trunq-capture-share-privately/id1007552256?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trunq&hl=en" target="_blank">Android</a>, and <a href="http://www.trunq.com/" target="_blank">desktop</a>. You can also check them out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thetrunq" target="_blank">Facebook</a>! Let me know if you download this app and what you think of it. </span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-65612569120790219202016-03-17T11:45:00.001-04:002016-03-17T11:45:54.284-04:00Tips for Talking to Anyone<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me knows that I am very outgoing and able to talk to anyone. The same goes for my 3 year old daughter. She is very good at going up to anyone and starting a conversation. In fact, I have had to recently teach her about stranger danger because we were at the local park and she was just talking to anyone and everyone and let’s be real, there were some shady characters there that I would’ve preferred she not talk to! I digress…on Tuesday I had the honor to judge a high school public speaking contest. I was really impressed with how these students did and wanted to share 5 tips for those who are looking to do public speaking, or have a fear of talking to others, so that we can all talk to each other more freely and comfortably! This post was inspired by the students who had the courage to get up on that big stage and talk for three minutes about a subject they just learned about literally five minutes prior. Not easy! Want to know who won the contest? Check out the link at the end of this post!</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Speak Up! </b>If you are a quiet person, you need to project your voice so that either the last row of the audience can hear you, or so the person you are talking to can hear every word you are saying. I am not talking about screaming, but just ensuring you keep your head up (chin off chest) and use your stomach to push the sound out. Singers know how to do this quite well!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Eye Contact is Important </b>– If you are on a stage, make eye contact with different people in the audience. Don’t just look up at the sound boards on the wall because then it looks like you aren’t interested in engaging your audience. Same with one-on-one conversation. Eye contact takes practice, but once you learn how to do this, you’ll realize that it is harder for the other person to actually KEEP eye contact with you than it is for you to do to them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Remember About Your Hands and Feet </b>– This is especially important on stage, but not so much during a one-on-one conversation. But you don’t want to sway around like you are rocking a baby to sleep, but you also don’t want to stand there with your hands in your pocket. My advice is to pretend that you are always holding scarfs and time to time, throw one gently into the air. That gets your hands moving in a conversational manner, but not too much as the scarfs come back down slowly. Same with your feet. You don’t want to be doing a dance on stage but if you take a couple steps one way, stop, talk a bit more, and then slowly walk back again, you are making the stage your own place and taking control!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Just Breathe! </b>Unless you are asking someone out on a date! Just kidding!! Remembering to breathe ensures that you take natural pauses, and that you aren’t talking so fast no one can understand a word you are saying. If you are nervous, take a deep breath as soon as you are on your place on stage or before you walk up to someone to talk to them. Give your brain that extra oxygen it desires to help you through this task!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Don’t Go Off Topic </b>– Again, this is especially important for if you are on a stage, but remember what you are there to talk about. Don’t go off on a tangent and lose your audience since they were obviously first interested in what you were originally going to talk about. When having a one-on-one conversation, remember to ask questions to the other person to help move you from topic to topic. Don’t be like those girls from Clueless and be chatty Kathy’s!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope that whatever your situation is, whether you have to stand on a stage or are just trying to talk to someone new, that these tips really help you. What I can promise you is that it gets easier with practice and soon enough you’ll be reminding yourself about stranger danger!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And if you were interested, <a href="http://www.wdadradio.com/news/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=2178556" target="_blank">here is a short article about the speech contest</a> I was at. Great job to ALL of the students! </span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-15548482759161806242016-03-14T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-14T08:00:23.533-04:00HELLP Syndrome: Knowing About It Could Save Lives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRMrIsW2pvQl-969th8AlruK-dx-Z2H3VTJY4Q8VCFtCA_XTcvlDD0q4EmhGtzjYp0Ys1kd5VHNFhWj9WAt7mqxt5BfH8I54hLj31cSOyYv-M0RcZCN2ODtaH0s53Pw4JbQfeH-u4SSCt/s1600/HELLP+Syndrome-+Knowing+About+It+Could+Save+Lives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRMrIsW2pvQl-969th8AlruK-dx-Z2H3VTJY4Q8VCFtCA_XTcvlDD0q4EmhGtzjYp0Ys1kd5VHNFhWj9WAt7mqxt5BfH8I54hLj31cSOyYv-M0RcZCN2ODtaH0s53Pw4JbQfeH-u4SSCt/s320/HELLP+Syndrome-+Knowing+About+It+Could+Save+Lives.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On May 25, 2015, we welcomed baby #2, Cam, into our family. Much to our surprise, Cam arrived 7 weeks early. As a second time mommy, I thought I had a lot of things figured out, but I learned so much from my premature peanut. Our experience was unlike my other pregnancy and delivery. My situation was rare and I hope that another mother, or even father, can learn something from my story. While many woman have a great pregnancy and zero complications, there are times when things go wrong and you are unsure of what to do. In my situation, I had no clue what was going on but once I got to the hospital (for the second time) I found out I had HELLP Syndrome. Knowing about this could save your life.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.thechoosymomy.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Thursday before Cam was born, I was in pain starting in the very early hours of the morning. My stomach just hurt. It was hard to describe the pain but it wasn’t contractions. I guess you could say the pain was a constant cramping feeling. That progressed to my back hurting to the point of feeling like I could not walk. I knew something was wrong so I promptly called my OB and went in for a checkup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My blood pressure was a bit elevated but we figured it was just due to me stressing out. I had a bit of protein spilling into my urine, but it wasn’t enough to be concerned about at that time. The baby’s heart tones were fine according to the Doppler, but just to be sure, I was sent to the hospital for a non-stress test.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The non-stress test also showed that the baby was fine, and my blood pressure had declined by the time I got to the hospital and was hooked up to an IV. However, at that time the doctors were more concerned about my cervix changing than anything else. After an hour or so of monitoring, they thought I may have dilated a bit and since the hospital did not have the highest level of NICU that we would need at 32 weeks I had to be transported to another hospital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was hooked up and monitored at the new hospital for another hour. After nothing changed, they gave me some pain medicine and a steroid to help develop the baby’s lungs faster in case we did end up delivering early, and sent me home. I felt fine until Sunday evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My toddler and I spent most of Sunday in the pool. It was one of the first really nice weekends of the summer so we took full advantage of the weather. But by dinner time, I started to feel achy again. Not exactly the same pain that I had on Thursday, but similar. The stomach pain intensified (still not a contraction feeling) and I could not get comfortable. Plus my shoulder hurt, but I chalked that up to being in the pool all day and kind of ignored it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The only time I felt fine was when I was soaking in a hot bath. At one point I did end up throwing up but I also didn’t really think much of that either since I was getting upset. But after taking 4 baths, I finally said to my husband that something isn’t right and we have to go to the hospital again (and by this time it was midnight!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We dropped our toddler off at grandma’s house and went back to the first hospital. They did a blood test to find out that I had something that I have never heard of before---HELLP syndrome. I was told that we would have to deliver my baby ASAP. Yet again, I was transported to the second hospital since we were still too early in my pregnancy for the first hospital’s NICU.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This syndrome is rare which is why I felt it was important to share my story. According to WebMD, HELLP syndrome is a life-threatening liver disorder thought to be a type of severe preeclampsia. It is characterized by <b>H</b>emolysis (destruction of red blood cells), <b>E</b>levated <b>L</b>iver enzymes (which indicate liver damage), and <b>L</b>ow <b>P</b>latelet count.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HELLP syndrome often occurs without warning and can be difficult to recognize. A lot of women believe they just have flu-like symptoms and ignore the pain and signs. It can occur without the signs of preeclampsia (which are usually a large increase in blood pressure and protein in the urine – like I had). WebMD states that symptoms of HELLP syndrome include:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Headache.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Vision problems.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pain in the upper right abdomen (liver).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shoulder, neck, and other upper body pain (this pain also originates in the liver).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fatigue.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Nausea and vomiting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Seizure.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What you need to remember most from this is that HELLP syndrome can be life-threatening for both the mother and her unborn baby. A woman with symptoms of HELLP syndrome requires emergency medical treatment, hence why I was told we had to deliver ASAP, because it is the only known way to reverse the syndrome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At 11:38 a.m. on Memorial Day, my son was delivered by cesarean due to him being breach. Born at a whopping 4 pounds, 14 ounces, Cam was breathing on his own and crying! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.thechoosymommy.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cam spent 13 days in the NICU so he could grow and learn things outside of the womb that babies who remain inside the womb normally do (I’ll tell you about this in another blog). This was the most stressful 13 days my husband and I have had. In fact, my husband, a U.S. Marine, said that he would rather go back to Iraq than go through the 13 days in the NICU again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now weighing in over 20 pounds, Cam is a happy, healthy baby. My family and I are doing fine now and I haven’t had any further issues since delivery. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.thechoosymommy.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My story is important to read because it teaches expectant mothers, and fathers for that matter, to not ignore the signs your body is trying to tell you. Your body is a well-oiled machine but when something is wrong, it starts giving you signs to do something about it. Don’t ignore your body and get the help needed ASAP!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Have you heard of HELLP syndrome prior to reading this post? Do you have a rare pregnancy/delivery story that you’d like to share? And remember to stay tuned to learn about Cam’s stay in the NICU!</b></span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-60760068039284637712016-03-07T10:53:00.000-05:002016-03-07T10:53:26.672-05:00If Only Every Love Story Could Be Like a Princesses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My three year old daughter is obsessed with Disney princesses. She knows their whole story, including which Prince they fall in love with, where they live and who they are friends with. She re-enacts these fairy tales on a daily basis so if I didn’t know everything there was to know about these Princesses, I sure do now that I have a daughter. But what I adore most about her being obsessed with the Princesses is that she truly believes in love, even at such a young age. She tells me all of the time that she can’t wait to find her Prince Charming, get a ring, get married and have babies. Her innocence is beautiful. If only every love story could be like a Princesses…</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw0ow6GXgcyNJfHVswMMwQ_WB1MMPBPaz-T_ShTSEz8a7AX7yk78qNighOxPPkE4UHVyp8Dk_zQfpInTpWi5DspD0vDDRXpV9SquljNK3m9Dfl5xTnsqrzQ5sgBoW9CJJzB5h3fclK_Ez/s1600/disneyprincesslovequote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw0ow6GXgcyNJfHVswMMwQ_WB1MMPBPaz-T_ShTSEz8a7AX7yk78qNighOxPPkE4UHVyp8Dk_zQfpInTpWi5DspD0vDDRXpV9SquljNK3m9Dfl5xTnsqrzQ5sgBoW9CJJzB5h3fclK_Ez/s320/disneyprincesslovequote.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As a mother, I hope that my daughter reaches all of her life goals. At three, she already has set some major ones: She wants to live in a castle in France like Belle and have golden, long hair like Rapunzel. She wants friends like the dwarfs from Snow White and a Prince like Cinderella’s Prince Charming. I want her to have all of those things, especially Cinderella’s love story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Love is so genuine in children. Their hugs are long and tight and their kisses mean the most. They may have the smallest bodies but they usually have the biggest hearts. Their intentions are pure and their spirits are free…just like the Princesses.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Fe0cJR0o0dTPbNXXJEUVz7r7KSTdS9QM7qF_HKgCrzK_LU9CfhXdwc7JGZZccAcKfAOIk1dZCOJ0xeVhfp0kxUaHQFMKM3gb3-_Q_9zDdJkNDKpyktiXZjwPDeWOWfSgfpEdCLOJVirx/s1600/If+Only+Every+Love+Story+Could+Be+Like+a+Princesses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Fe0cJR0o0dTPbNXXJEUVz7r7KSTdS9QM7qF_HKgCrzK_LU9CfhXdwc7JGZZccAcKfAOIk1dZCOJ0xeVhfp0kxUaHQFMKM3gb3-_Q_9zDdJkNDKpyktiXZjwPDeWOWfSgfpEdCLOJVirx/s320/If+Only+Every+Love+Story+Could+Be+Like+a+Princesses.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I truly cannot wait to go to Disney World this year so that I can watch my daughter’s eyes light up at the sight of meeting her “heroes”. The ones she looks up to and thinks are real. But in reality, there truly are Princesses of their kind out there and I intend to do my best in educating my daughter on the mighty and wonderful women of the world…even if they don’t wear crowns and gowns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>So if you have kids, who are their heroes? If you have a little girl, were they obsessed with the Princesses? What women should I start to educate my 3 year old on? What about boys…who do they want to be?</b> I can only image what Cam will be infatuated with when he gets older: Ninja Turtles, Batman, Spiderman, etc.?! But whatever he chooses, I will just go with it and find the positive in it all!</span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-5890304616445282352016-02-24T08:15:00.000-05:002016-08-06T15:48:22.238-04:00The Perfect Baby Shower Gift: SiMignon Bamboo Baby Washcloths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANNULBINNbZSY1bgW-urVBpD0TX5AFmTceWAHBagsR_aABz-3rlCL34TvENEtQyhywBX2ozyj5u_ASa6OBgbRf96ZyH_GVX38rDsv3NDYEWgkmRUbYvfUMdppD67YcpOjecnJgpqI_Jk/s1600/The+Perfect+Baby+Shower+Gift-+SiMignon+Bamboo+Baby+Washcloths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANNULBINNbZSY1bgW-urVBpD0TX5AFmTceWAHBagsR_aABz-3rlCL34TvENEtQyhywBX2ozyj5u_ASa6OBgbRf96ZyH_GVX38rDsv3NDYEWgkmRUbYvfUMdppD67YcpOjecnJgpqI_Jk/s400/The+Perfect+Baby+Shower+Gift-+SiMignon+Bamboo+Baby+Washcloths.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When it is announced that a new baby will be entering your family, or a friend is going to add a bundle of joy to their family, everyone seems to go nuts about buying the new baby things: clothes, toys, bottles, shoes, etc.! As a new parent, of course you need EVERYTHING and it is wonderful the outpouring of support you can receive, but when baby number 2, 3, 4, etc. arrive, the gifts dwindle and it is just like another kid is added to the pack. I have always felt that each baby should be given something new, especially if they are going to be getting a ton of hand-me-downs. Alas, after the 9th baby was born in my family (mine plus nieces and nephews on both sides), and countless friends having kids, I have found the PERFECT new baby gift that everyone can use! Washcloths! And not just any washcloth, these are </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018R642Y8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B018R642Y8&linkCode=as2&tag=thechomom-20&linkId=TQ7BTBWUOO2TFIAY" rel="nofollow">bamboo baby washcloths from SiMignon</a>.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvNsTj4MeN58OdPxRPdX_suOki4SfBjA5q3WP_zNsMngbN6RyxKDnsh_vfjoU1_sJTcRLfEnEQenJwiT1N5Bnix3aT2_Foqelzw2nrX2JaMsMrc09czoIXGi_F23PZqvjljJlZwtMXgM/s1600/PERFECT+BABY+SHOWER+GIFT-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvNsTj4MeN58OdPxRPdX_suOki4SfBjA5q3WP_zNsMngbN6RyxKDnsh_vfjoU1_sJTcRLfEnEQenJwiT1N5Bnix3aT2_Foqelzw2nrX2JaMsMrc09czoIXGi_F23PZqvjljJlZwtMXgM/s320/PERFECT+BABY+SHOWER+GIFT-.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You can never have enough baby washcloths. They can be used for so many things: bath time, for cleaning sticky faces and fingers after meals, and even as wipes for the messiest diaper changes. I even used these particular washcloths for washing my face because they are so soft! </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaunCB6u82E405gm-RX3KaB-HgqtvxlBQNMv1n_HR-be2xk4PVT3Wa8fopUPqQ94_DYZRs0nEQEccRTXk7AUFC7ar0plkJvzb55sFsmBE8hCpcQdgoKv96rpZegq6Snb8f2L_RlZ3C67g/s1600/The+Perfect+Baby+Shower+Gift+SiMignon+Bamboo+Baby+Washcloths.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaunCB6u82E405gm-RX3KaB-HgqtvxlBQNMv1n_HR-be2xk4PVT3Wa8fopUPqQ94_DYZRs0nEQEccRTXk7AUFC7ar0plkJvzb55sFsmBE8hCpcQdgoKv96rpZegq6Snb8f2L_RlZ3C67g/s400/The+Perfect+Baby+Shower+Gift+SiMignon+Bamboo+Baby+Washcloths.png" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlHlWJbfQAyRRn20-8ZIy62IUwG27SKQF0kLrIMa1beZKW4PHyQ3cNzI2BOIM2LYp30lg8Uopfrv5ecE2AXpmKjLruesVzLhtdXP4MYci4sOTUOKx9p1-6d07AGbRT4U4jKURMdk6aA8/s1600/IMG_5021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlHlWJbfQAyRRn20-8ZIy62IUwG27SKQF0kLrIMa1beZKW4PHyQ3cNzI2BOIM2LYp30lg8Uopfrv5ecE2AXpmKjLruesVzLhtdXP4MYci4sOTUOKx9p1-6d07AGbRT4U4jKURMdk6aA8/s400/IMG_5021.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTAu_pw4zDum9h1rz49fhGWLzWCxl3yTEwU-EnocM_bx0VGpBlK4w5TAYeCVH6qODkG8-esEiX7vkhESBsVaWZ926VH9rpWXtfnjwhCBTS5sJNJQozdZ8wE41tsyB8FjM76oKaX97O9A/s1600/IMG_5019.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTAu_pw4zDum9h1rz49fhGWLzWCxl3yTEwU-EnocM_bx0VGpBlK4w5TAYeCVH6qODkG8-esEiX7vkhESBsVaWZ926VH9rpWXtfnjwhCBTS5sJNJQozdZ8wE41tsyB8FjM76oKaX97O9A/s400/IMG_5019.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And as all parents will probably agree, hand washing things just isn’t an option when it comes to baby items. I washed these bamboo washcloths in the washer prior to using them and dried them in the dryer too. The material held up to both machines and in fact, I think they came out a bit softer than they originally were! I also washed them a week later and they are still holding up great! There is nothing worse than a washcloth that just falls apart but these bamboo baby washcloths seem like they are going to last a long time.</span></div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018R642Y8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B018R642Y8&linkCode=as2&tag=thechomom-20&linkId=TQ7BTBWUOO2TFIAY" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">SiMignon's Amazon store</a> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">or</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">visit them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SiMignon-1676224122620693/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3UpQvfDoK5sxwL8hf3HTFaa3mTA0uj4AuX2rEN8qXtC5C5zpSkBacKdR_miy_pIgVdupAwpyWobLvuwYVU8UXhDr1JMvzRMwVMp419GC1VDMZszFjzJ2C2dND2wQmAgEZDEcg-1I1rY/s1600/Header-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3UpQvfDoK5sxwL8hf3HTFaa3mTA0uj4AuX2rEN8qXtC5C5zpSkBacKdR_miy_pIgVdupAwpyWobLvuwYVU8UXhDr1JMvzRMwVMp419GC1VDMZszFjzJ2C2dND2wQmAgEZDEcg-1I1rY/s320/Header-Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Product Pros:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Very soft material</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Washes nicely in washing machine</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Eco-friendly</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Great size for baby body and adult face</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Price!</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Product Con:</span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Currently the only colors are green and white. Great gender neutral colors but more colors would be nice</span></li></ul></div><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links. The price you pay is the same, however I make a small commission from it. Additionally, I have been compensated and/or received the product/service for free. Regardless, all reviews and opinions are honest and my own.</span>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-11704904976851431832016-02-05T11:54:00.001-05:002016-02-05T11:54:12.832-05:00I Finally Put My Jeans On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUP8d6BZILRUk2-3XAEh11huU1O9Ul8xzS_s0HSv-GYAeKN7EAKMQdRNaFRXe2shCcPRcmh0vYNtiaBsdsEQVM1T5zehKr9c_rX4V_cNi_0uRLNYkuxf4fzk2WTx-ewE6nHMdPDzA4f6M/s1600/Today+I+Finally+Put+My+Jeans+On.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUP8d6BZILRUk2-3XAEh11huU1O9Ul8xzS_s0HSv-GYAeKN7EAKMQdRNaFRXe2shCcPRcmh0vYNtiaBsdsEQVM1T5zehKr9c_rX4V_cNi_0uRLNYkuxf4fzk2WTx-ewE6nHMdPDzA4f6M/s320/Today+I+Finally+Put+My+Jeans+On.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Someone once said to me 9 months on, 9 months off when it comes to pregnancy weight. You have 9 months to grow a baby inside of you and gain whatever weight it takes to ensure a healthy pregnancy, but you can then have 9 months to get that weight back off. So when Cam was born at 7 months I was like, well darn, now I only have 7 months to get this baby weight off (and lucky me – I didn’t even get to my “huge” weight gaining weeks like I did with Capri). Well folks, Cam is now 8 months old and today I got out of the stretchy yoga pants and finally put on my pre-pregnancy jeans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The outcome?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A couple pairs fit, a couple pairs didn’t. I wouldn’t say it was bad, but I still have a ways to go. But why do we put ourselves through this as women, as mothers? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Capri is my three year old and she looks at herself in the mirror and tells me how pretty her hair is, how nice her clothes look and how tall she is. I usually look in the mirror and think that my hair needs washed and cut, that my boobs looked nicer a month ago when I was still exclusively nursing and that my baby pouch is still there. I wish we could all think like my three year old. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZyR7tvTqAtjmLaMa8piVn6yxgEHVXuBos4WZ0UqLbqDrw-tgzKw1kXBtmPd2P1J5vranX-x-gs6htyHWdWOTieFE2XW8L_InCRQViZbMa_LFlLXL7M-c2dc22jQrP3t-ZToeTRbteD28/s1600/I+usually+look+in+the+mirror+and+think+that+my+hair+needs+washed+and+cut%252C+that+my+boobs+looked+nicer+a+month+ago+when+I+was+still+exclusively+nursing+and+that+my+baby+pouch+is+still+there..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZyR7tvTqAtjmLaMa8piVn6yxgEHVXuBos4WZ0UqLbqDrw-tgzKw1kXBtmPd2P1J5vranX-x-gs6htyHWdWOTieFE2XW8L_InCRQViZbMa_LFlLXL7M-c2dc22jQrP3t-ZToeTRbteD28/s320/I+usually+look+in+the+mirror+and+think+that+my+hair+needs+washed+and+cut%252C+that+my+boobs+looked+nicer+a+month+ago+when+I+was+still+exclusively+nursing+and+that+my+baby+pouch+is+still+there..jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So today, when I finally put on my jeans, I thought about the positives and looked at myself like she looks at me. My hair got washed last night and at least it was brushed! I put a little make up on, that was nice, and you know what, I squeezed into those couple pairs of jeans, but at least some of them fit!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am human. I like food. I especially like dessert. I am not a robot. I am not going to not have cake because it is 300+ extra calories that “I don’t need.” Screw it. Life is short. Someday I may fit into ALL of my pre-pregnancy jeans, but you know what, I like my yoga pants and I like the jeans that do fit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My message here is to be choosy about the right things in life. Choose to be happy. Don’t regret not having that piece of cake that you saw while you were out for a night on the town. Do what makes you happy because your children aren’t going to see that piece of cake on your hips. They are just going to feel their arms wrapped around you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So tomorrow, I’m going to put my yoga pants back on. And maybe in a couple more months I’ll try on my jeans again. But it won’t be because I stressed myself out intentionally trying to fit into a pair of jeans. It will be because it just happened. It happened because I was outside running around with my kids, playing with the exercise ball in the house and doing yoga moves in the living room. I will put my jeans back on again!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How long did it take you to be able to be comfortable in your pre-pregnancy jeans?</span></b></div>
The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-3900859525535462422016-01-26T05:00:00.001-05:002016-01-26T05:00:06.779-05:006 Fun Workouts for the Stay-at-Home-Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK011uSQxY5p8WY-IMmMtM9mlbjzHH0EtsbSlxcPnaRhDxkqkAbKKQe2Kr7fLRPSqd5pxnm5MRk84eqILJMqOpW9UpD4ZEjY4smndT3XM3hSmKEjzSgtCuK2QdEe0DHKFBhcqG-VHhmjZ4/s1600/6+Fun+Workouts+for+the+Stay-at-Home-Mom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK011uSQxY5p8WY-IMmMtM9mlbjzHH0EtsbSlxcPnaRhDxkqkAbKKQe2Kr7fLRPSqd5pxnm5MRk84eqILJMqOpW9UpD4ZEjY4smndT3XM3hSmKEjzSgtCuK2QdEe0DHKFBhcqG-VHhmjZ4/s320/6+Fun+Workouts+for+the+Stay-at-Home-Mom.png" width="226" /></a></div>
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I haven’t went for a run or to the gym to workout in over a year. I know for a fact it was before I found out I was pregnant with Cam. But I am not the person to just sit around all day and do nothing. Capri and I were always outside playing when the weather was nice and even after Cam was born, I’d put him in the stroller and the three of us would walk around the neighborhood. But now that the bitter cold has hit, I am NOT leaving the house to workout. I’ll leave the house when I need food. And now that I want to get back into shape, I need to be creative in my workouts. So here is my version of 6 fun workouts while I stay at home with the kids:<br />
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<li><b>Stair Climber:</b> I have two floors in my house (actually three if you count the basement but I am not going down there!) The laundry room is upstairs so every time I want to change the laundry I have to climb stairs. So laundry day = extra work out since I go up and down 20 steps each way. I am also considering packing up the pack’n’play/changing table downstairs since I only use it to change diapers and just carry my 20lb. baby upstairs to change his diaper each time.</li>
<li><b>Treadmill: </b>Capri is three which means she has endless energy. Cam on the other hand is still quite lazy so I put him in the stroller and chase Capri around in circles in my house. My mom once said, “I used to tell you no running in the house but you totally encourage it for your daughter.” Yup…because if she doesn’t run, she gets crabby. So if I run along with her, then I’ll burn some extra calories.</li>
<li><b>Jumps:</b> I was watching Love Actually not too long ago and the song “Jump (for My Love)” by The Pointer Sisters came on and Capri just started jumping around. So now when we want to jump, I play that song and we jump for the whole 4+ minutes. And Cam even gets in on the action and I have him jump with us!</li>
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<li><b>Push Ups:</b> Capri and I have been trying to teach Cam to push up and roll over lately. Her and I now get in on the fun and push up and roll right along with him. Now she is trying to teach him to crawl and man…crawling is no joke! It hurts my knees! But I bet her and I do 20 push ups at a time trying to get him to copy us.</li>
<li><b>Exercise Ball:</b> I have one of those huge exercise balls that sat in the basement until I read online that it might help Cam like tummy time more. So I carried the darn thing upstairs and of course Capri made it into a toy. And now I’ve made it into a game that I also get a work out on. We try to jump over the ball, roll over the ball, and even dive for the ball. It is so fun!</li>
<li><b>Yoga: </b>This is one of Capri’s favorite things to do. I pull out my phone, Google “Yoga poses” and we just pick different yoga poses to intimidate. She obviously doesn’t hold the poses long, but she just thinks it is awesome when she can copy the picture. I'll tell you more about this soon!</li>
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<b>What kind of work out do you do that is also fun, and not really a work out?</b>The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-48463628812690925842016-01-18T05:00:00.000-05:002016-01-18T05:00:15.594-05:00Don’t Make Breastfeeding versus Formula Feeding a Hard Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cam is almost 8 months old and was exclusively breastfed up until now (with the exception of a few formula bottles when I wasn’t around because pumping just wasn’t happening since it took extra time!). But I am now ready to have myself back, and have him not be 100% dependent on me. It is time to let go of the boob, Cam! We are now transitioning from breastfeeding to formula feeding to finish out his first year of life and it is going well! I am really happy that I was able to breastfeed him for this amount of time, but it is now my choice to formula feed him.<br />
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Capri was breastfed until she was a little over 3 months old but she wouldn’t latch on without a nipple shield. It was seriously such a pain in the butt to make sure I always had that shield around, not to mention making sure it was constantly cleaned. I went back to work outside of the home after I had her, so it was a lot easier to just provide formula for her rather than pump at work. But Cam was different! He latched on right away because he essentially needed to. He wasn’t handling the formula well in the NICU so I just let him try to latch on (even though I had been told a lot of preemies have issues with this). He ate 2mL from me, which was a BIG deal, and from that day on, he’s been a boob man.<br />
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The choice is easy when it comes to deciding what you are going to do for your baby: just FEED him. I am PRO feeding babies. I don’t really care if you breastfeed or formula feed, so long as you FEED your baby. Formula has come a really long way since it was first developed (hasn’t everything?) but really, you are able to feed your baby everything he needs through something you can purchase. It is great for those who have trouble with breastfeeding, or like me with Capri and now Cam, I was just ready to be done. Breast milk is FREE which we all love, but it does put a lot of pressure on the mother. I had to eat and drink a lot more to keep my supply up, and I really stressed when I did have to leave Cam because I would fill up and would need to either leave to get to Cam to feed him or pump, which was again, a pain in the butt. Pumping in pubic is NOT easy.<br />
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Did I mention that I am really excited to be done with breastfeeding? Now my hubby can’t say, “I think he’s hungry” and hand him over to me to solely feed him, but instead can provide him with a bottle. And I won’t stress out about going out in public so much. Now I can provide him with a bottle in the stroller or wherever we are and keep on doing our thing! And I am really excited to get my body back. Anytime that I would try to do any kind of heart pumping activity, I would start to leak! I want to work on getting my pre-kids body back. Fingers crossed!<br />
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You have so many choices to make as a parent, but please don’t let feeding your baby be a hard decision. If you are able and happy breastfeeding your child, then more power to you. And if you are happy formula feeding your child, then more power to you! And remember, you are doing a great job whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding. If your baby is happy, then you should be happy with yourself.The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-30117173478815729442016-01-13T17:04:00.003-05:002016-01-15T13:11:14.122-05:00Do You Want to Build a Snowman?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pL2rv_qbbXksUSPUEGz1114JNoTu_TDp9LN1xY5L-NYGk_3zF1TcbaiCiPTTIQpbLBH9n-59I9mLsp9BNw7YL4e-sL4jwkWlZ0pSVVkVYqeV41d3kNjaVblgRrkvfC4-POzO_qvACW0O/s1600/doyouwanttobuildasnowman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pL2rv_qbbXksUSPUEGz1114JNoTu_TDp9LN1xY5L-NYGk_3zF1TcbaiCiPTTIQpbLBH9n-59I9mLsp9BNw7YL4e-sL4jwkWlZ0pSVVkVYqeV41d3kNjaVblgRrkvfC4-POzO_qvACW0O/s200/doyouwanttobuildasnowman.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9N03NKN_BKTKX1awdBCeJFG2QCYoSZcvvDbaGjd_XHF_mWCthP7iQwZWxbHZTmtfDKIZCNUsR_XgkTpPvWJSCsre2N7CQakQ7ckbe5E0sVqoFTTs3rxjgrvTYlbGWMFJzOKl5hDjqM-gM/s1600/doyouwanttobuildasnowman1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9N03NKN_BKTKX1awdBCeJFG2QCYoSZcvvDbaGjd_XHF_mWCthP7iQwZWxbHZTmtfDKIZCNUsR_XgkTpPvWJSCsre2N7CQakQ7ckbe5E0sVqoFTTs3rxjgrvTYlbGWMFJzOKl5hDjqM-gM/s200/doyouwanttobuildasnowman1.png" title="do you want to build a snowman?" width="154" /></a><br />
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Yesterday we got our first couple of inches of snow here in western PA. Finally, winter has struck! Capri was super excited to go outside and build a snowman, do a snow angel (or like 10), throw snowballs and of course, sled ride! Lucky for her, Cam took an almost 2 hour nap (which he never does - teething!) so we bundled up and headed outside.<br />
Truth be told, I am not a snow person. Take me to the beach and let my feet touch the warm sand. I don’t like being cold, but sometimes as a mom, I have to do what I don’t want so that my kids can be happy and make memories. And Capri was really happy. Plus, I knew that if she burned off some energy outside, she would more than likely take a nap for me later.<br />
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She ate snow until her face was as red as Rudolph’s nose. She did snow angels until there wasn’t any more room to make them. And she rode on her sled until the hill was almost bare from going down so many times. We did build a snowman, but it was a sad looking snowman since it wasn’t great packing snow. But that didn’t matter because she thoroughly enjoyed herself, and got great exercise at the same time. She was tired. So was I.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdez68gOw7i95tA6enG_haJZlnSdpze190MLBiOgAO6uXf0kuMRI2ojCQxsf42FEJEhyuhPE8i4dgiPA4RZSdxzOfGyCGhU7gwn492kRPkM_bNKS0mqSh9kkUG8-dBjCzaDdb_CdgtTRiG/s1600/doyouwanttobuildasnowman2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdez68gOw7i95tA6enG_haJZlnSdpze190MLBiOgAO6uXf0kuMRI2ojCQxsf42FEJEhyuhPE8i4dgiPA4RZSdxzOfGyCGhU7gwn492kRPkM_bNKS0mqSh9kkUG8-dBjCzaDdb_CdgtTRiG/s200/doyouwanttobuildasnowman2.png" title="do you want to build a snowman?" width="154" /></a>We came inside, had some lunch and before I knew it, she was fast asleep on the couch. I love days like yesterday because I know that she got great exercise, fresh air and now her body is recharging as it should be.<br />
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Just because it snowed doesn’t mean you are stuck inside. I saw a thread on Facebook this morning of parents asking how cold is too cold to go outside and play and the majority of moms were saying they try to stay inside constantly when it snows. Don’t get me wrong, if it is negative ANYTHING outside, we aren’t going to go play, but that is why we have warm clothes, snowsuits, hats and gloves. I am not scared of getting cold (just don’t really like to) but I know that it is an experience for my kids to be outside, in the snow, doing winter things.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFPFWvZelDWbitOesy9ZLdfTFOfJzpSVJd5Dj7Ww4OBFVIsX7uVNWeCb3NlYGzGc3kPgk6YETCP3LV-ZyHkqMcflhd44sMyV6sv_z5ggPDPn-nY_1t9VFRDO8MKZ9zce-0ZmBV-AKzmJB/s1600/doyouwanttobuildasnowman3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFPFWvZelDWbitOesy9ZLdfTFOfJzpSVJd5Dj7Ww4OBFVIsX7uVNWeCb3NlYGzGc3kPgk6YETCP3LV-ZyHkqMcflhd44sMyV6sv_z5ggPDPn-nY_1t9VFRDO8MKZ9zce-0ZmBV-AKzmJB/s200/doyouwanttobuildasnowman3.png" title="do you want to build a snowman?" width="154" /></a><br />
Do you go outside when it is cold and snowy (if you get snow where you live)? The kids usually <br />
don’t last too long so I don’t worry about the temperature too much. Plus when they get inside and all warmed up, they are likely to take a nice, long nap! Mom win!<br />
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Get those long johns on and head outside. Build a snowman, throw some snowballs, but most of all, make snow memories with your kids!The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-50551920080923859642016-01-12T18:40:00.000-05:002016-08-06T15:48:22.279-04:00CD Review: My Wiggle Makes Me Giggle*This post was sponsored by Choosy Kids. Regardless of compensation all stories, opinions & typos are 100% my own*<br /><br />If you know how Capri and I are in the car, then you know that we like to rock out! She is a great car dancer (you know you are too!) and I enjoy me some funky beats.<br /><br />When she was little, it really didn’t matter was songs we listened to because she didn’t understand what they were singing. But now that she is getting older, she is listening to every word that is said (her dad and I have learned our lesson fast about this) so we have to be careful about what we let her listen to.<br /><br />Well let me tell you that I have found the BEST CD ever and it is actually meant for kids so that means care-free listening for me during our car rides now.<br /><br />If you have a kid who likes to move and groove to good music, I highly suggest you check out Choosy Kids newest CD, My Wiggle Makes Me Giggle. This CD is upbeat and fast paced, and best of all, it teaches children how to get their heartbeat up and exercising without even realizing it.<br /><br />Capri’s favorite song is the third song on the CD: “Play in Choosy’s Band” because it talks about playing the instruments in a rock band such as the guitar, keyboards, drums and singing. When we are in the car she will get her hands going and plays some air guitar, air drums and air piano. Check out the video of her playing her guitar at home while listening to the song.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yvLOnTXUv5A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yvLOnTXUv5A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br /><br />My favorite song is either “I Can! Can You?” or “My Choosy Plate”. I can’t decide which one I like best because they are both fun.<br /><br /><br />To purchase this CD, head on over to Choosy Kids store and add the CD to your cart and create an account to check out. Easy as pie!The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328573706242918210.post-28146754108472426942015-12-15T16:13:00.000-05:002016-01-13T16:52:59.369-05:00Why I Allow My Children to Use Technology as Much as They Want<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
There have been so many stories lately about why children
shouldn’t use technology, like watch television or play on their iPads, for an
extended period of time and how both are so bad for their health. Give me a break!
I am here today to let you know that I actually think playing with the iPad and
watching TV are GOOD for my children and I will continue to let them watch
whatever they want, when they want!</div>
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A <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/06/third-pre-school-children-have-own-ipad-study">recent
study</a> found that a third of pre-school age children in the UK have their
own iPad or similar electronic that they use for a little over an hour a day. I
am not the electronics/technology police at my house, but I know that my
pre-schooler, Capri, uses her iPad at night (and sometimes during the day if
she chooses) but I don’t time her. The study also stated that more than half of
the pre-school children in the study (so about 1,000 kids) knew how to swipe,
close out apps, drags items and do operational commands with their iPad. I am
not going to brag, but Capri knew how to work her iPad before she turned 1.
They are simple technology skills.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I believe researches are worried that children will get too
caught up in technology and won’t be active and moving. My child is not one to
just sit around ALL DAY doing nothing because I have taught her that there are
other things to do and do those things with her. But when she does decide to
take a break and watch TV or use the iPad, she is learning and I just let her
go because when her show is over or she is finished playing her game, she will
be back to bouncing off the wall because we all know a 3 year old’s attention
span is short!</div>
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Additionally, while we are on the subject of watching
children’s shows, I am tired of people jumping all over children’s programming.
One of Capri’s favorite shows, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, has been getting a lot
of slack lately from mommy bloggers because the “Clubhouse gang isn’t always
nice to Pete.” Whatever. That’s life! People aren’t always going to be nice and
guess what?! My daughter happens to like Pete and quite often says he is her
favorite character (I guess that is a whole other blog in itself). But the show
has taught my daughter numbers, colors, animals, adventure and a bunch of other
things! I approve her watching this show on TV and the iPad and believe that
she learns valuable things from it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a parent that grew up with Saturday morning cartoons, I
don’t dive too deep into the shows or apps she is playing. In fact, before Cam
was born, I really didn’t watch what she watched on TV or her iPad. I knew it
was a show or an app meant for her because I turned it on or downloaded the
app. If she was sitting down resting, then that was my time to get some other
work done and really, she needed the rest because she is constantly on the go! But
since Cam has been around, I have watched more Disney Jr./Nick Jr./Sprout than
I ever have. It is funny to watch shows with Capri now because I realize this
is where all of her make believe stories are derived from. These shows and iPad
games help her imagination grow! She plays dress up like the Disney Princesses
or Sofia the First and is a doctor like Doc McStuffins. She also likes Paw
Patrol and runs around pretending to be like Skye flying in her helicopter or
tells me about the mystery in the house like on Scooby Doo. She knows body
parts and shapes thanks to different apps and has learned about different
places in the world that I probably would never talk about (Want to know about
China? Ask her!)</div>
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If it wasn’t for television or her iPad, I don’t believe
Capri would have as much information in her little brain as she does now
because let’s face it – I am not into China, or doctor stuff, or princess stuff.
And let me repeat that she is not sitting around watching these shows all day.
But I don’t time her and let her watch what she wants, when she wants because
we do have our time to do other hands on activities or go outside and explore.
Heck, if it wasn’t for Jake and the Neverland Pirates then the swing set
outside might not be as fun since it is now “Captain Hook’s pirate ship sailing
the Neverseas” according to Capri.</div>
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<b>Do you allow your
children to use technology? How old were they when they started to watch TV or
play on an iPad?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
The Choosy Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00832504035077754089noreply@blogger.com1