Family

It’s been several days now and my mind is still trying to process how someone could be so monstrous – so diseased – as to carry out the heinous act at Sandy Hook Elementary on Friday.

I, like many parents, find it difficult not to worry about our own children, not to imagine that horrible “what if.” We love these little people more than we ever thought possible. Parents know from the start that it’s our responsibility to protect our kids as they grow into not-so-little people, and the idea that sometimes we just simply can’t is heartbreaking. We pray for our kids to outlive us by decades, as they should.

I’ve seen many posts on how to talk to children about the tragedy. Some have let their kids watch the news, some have provided a pared-down account of what happened. We’ve decided not to tell our kids what occurred. They’re 3 & 5, and their biggest fear is Swiper the Fox from Dora the Explorer somehow figuring out how to sneak his way into our house. I want them to hang on to that sense of innocence as long as possible. I want their biggest worry to be an imaginary creature from a cartoon, or if their brother is sharing enough of the Legos.

But I do think this – kids need to know there are bad people out there. For their protection, so that they know to watch out for them. But also for their empowerment, so that they know it’s up to us – and them – to be good in the world. We can’t take away the horrible, the tragic, the ugly, the hatred. But we can be – and can teach our kids to be – the good, the uplifting, the beautiful. The love.

In August of every year the great kindness challenge takes place. I’d suggest we take that beyond one day and help our kids do something purposefully kind every single day, whether big or small. We can teach them the importance of doing good for others, and the value of being lights in a world with darkness.

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From the Great Kindness Challenge site, here are some ideas for ways you and your kids can spread kindness:

As I’ve mentioned quite often before, we LOVE to cook and to involve the kids in the kitchen too. It’s a great time for quality family fun, it’s hands-on and creative, and they can even learn a little math (counting the number of cups of an ingredient, for example) and science (like how yeast works) along the way!

The boys love to eat pizza, but it had been a while since we’d made one, and I thought it’d be great to involve them in the process. We even added another touch of fun by making our pizza Halloween-themed.

To start, we got the Chef Boyardee pizza kit.

The boys helped me make the pizza dough – they each had to have a turn stirring:

Just a note – you can very easily incorporate extra flavors into the dough! I added some Italian seasoning, but you could add garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or whatever else you really like.

Now, earlier I mentioned we made our pizza Halloween-themed. How, you ask?

Pepperoni bats! We bought large pepperoni from our grocery store. Then Brian folded each one in half and cut out half of a bat shape, and voila! J helped us make the scene on our pizza (I cut out a little crescent moon, too).

What do you think?

I ended up taking the leftover pepperoni pieces from our bats and cutting them up into very small pieces to scatter around the bats. That way we didn’t waste any pepperoni, and we decided those were stars in the night sky. :)

Speaking of cooking, be sure and join me and some of my blogging buddies for a fun event tomorrow to really get you in the mood for fun in the kitchen! You’ll even get to see me and my five-year-old J working on another great Chef Boyardee recipe. Here are the details:

What: A virtual Cook-Along called Everyday Fun, part of The Little Chefs Project series on The Motherhood. 

The Little Chefs Project series consists of live chats called Cook-Alongs taking place every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. Central for all you fellow Texans out there!) until November 15, and each Cook-Along covers a different topic around cooking with kids. Everyday Fun addresses how you and your kids can create fun, lasting memories in the kitchen around events like sleepovers or holidays, or around everyday events like family dinners.

When: Thursday, October 25, at 2 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.

Where: The Motherhood – This is the link to the page where the class will be held!

About the class: From weekend breakfast rituals to holidays like Halloween, you can find any occasion to cook up some everyday fun with your kids. Grab a can of Chef Boyardee and join in for further inspiration and ideas for getting started.

To participate, just click the link above, log into The Motherhood using your member ID (if you don’t have one, it’s easy and free to sign up), and chat away in the text-based comments. We’ll also have a video feed running during the half-hour Cook-Along, so you’re welcome to show up simply to watch if you’d like!

The Cook-Along is sponsored by Chef Boyardee, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  You can visit Chef Boyardee online at http://www.chefboyardee.com/ or on Facebook.

Like I mentioned, I’ll be there with several other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us!  The fabulous people who will be co-hosting with me are:

Brett, This Mama Loves Her Bargains  
Carrie, Making Lemonade 
Corine, Complicated Mama 
Kim, Shop With Me Mama 
Michelle, Ace and Friends Co.  
Roxanne, Children Teaching Mama

As if I haven’t already crammed enough fun in this post, I’ve also got a great GIVEAWAY for you!

One winner will get their own Chef Boyardee prize pack, with tons of great things included! Check out what all you’ll get:

• Kids’ kitchen measure and prep kit
• Kids’ recipe box
• Scrapbook album
• 2 Chef Boyardee chef hats
• Chef Boyardee adult apron
• Chef Boyardee child apron
• Chef Boyardee pizza kit
• Time capsule
• 2 coupons for free Chef Boyardee Beefaroni
• 5 Chef Boyardee recipe cards

This contest is open to all U.S. residents aged 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Wednesday, November 14. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Note: I am participating in the Chef Boyardee Little Chefs program with The Motherhood. I have been compensated for my time.  All thoughts and opinions are honest and are my own.

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We had been out of the “baby stage” for a while now, with C being 3 and J being 5. But now that E is here, we’re back in full force and safety is definitely on our minds. And did you know that September is National Baby Safety Month? It’s a great time to be aware of steps to take to keep your infant safe.

With safety on the brain, I was excited to discover all of the products from Munchkin to help keep babies safe. We received the Munchkin Childproofing Kit, which includes:

• 8 Drawer and Cabinet Latches
• 12 Plug Covers
• 4 XTRAGUARD™ Soft Impact Corner Cushions
• 1 XTRAGUARD™ Dual Purpose Door Stopper

They have other items, if you don’t want a whole kit but are looking for specific safety gear:

• XtraGuard™ Safety Lock Plug Covers: Equipped with an integrated locking mechanism, the no-grip form of these covers can be unlocked with an edged-tool, such as a coin
• XtraGuard™ Dual Locking Appliance Latch: Secures drawers, cabinets and appliances with a locking-indicator and three custom  settings
• 4-Pack Corner Cushions: With a rounded, foam corner design, these cushions provide maximum protection at edges and corners where impact is most likely to occur
• 2-Pack Door Knob Covers: A turning-point in door security, these covers have a locking geometric shape that wraps around the entire knob with tamper-resistant depressors

Are you gearing up to keep your baby safe? What’s the most crucial safety item in your house? I think it’s plug covers for us. What’s your opinion?

Note: I received a Childproofing Kit to facilitate this post. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Wonder why I haven’t been posting as much this past week?

We’ve been a little busy…. introducing baby E, born September 5! :)

Our boys love to watch Chuggington episodes and they were thrilled when we received the newest title to review – Traintastic Adventures! Another cool thing about this DVD is that it comes with free collectible cards, a first for Chuggington fans!

There are six fun adventures included on this DVD, AND a bonus “badge quest” episode. Watch as Brewster tests a speedy new invention, Koko’s stunt-training saves the day, Wilson gets stuck on the track lift and everybody competes in a big chug-of-war! These episodes showcase social skills that include accepting responsibility, tackling new challenges, being patient, helping others and the importance of teamwork.

We love how Chuggington makes learning fun and teaches kids things without them even realizing it! Would you like to have this traintastic DVD for your Chuggington fan? You’re in luck, because you might just…

One winner will get a copy of the Chuggington: Traintastic Adventures DVD! This contest is open to all U.S. residents aged 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Friday, September 14. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Note: As Chuggington Conductors, we received a Chuggington DVD to facilitate our review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

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Did you know that seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly? I’ll admit, we found out a while back that we had been making some rookie mistakes when it came to car seat safety. Before you hit the road, check your car seat – it’s crucial that our little ones are fully protected when they’re in the car.

SafeKids.org has a great checklist you can use to make sure you’re following the right steps for installing and using your car seat. In the meantime, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size. Choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
• You may have heard that a child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat, but recommendations are now that children up to age two should remain rear-facing. I know we’re planning to keep baby E rear-facing for two years once she is born! It can seem like an inconvenience, but it’s worth the safety it provides.
• Choose a seat that you can trust. There are a lot of seats on the market, but after a lot of research we decided Britax seats are the best choice for us. They go to great lengths to make sure their seats provide maximum levels of safety, and we feel good knowing our kids are well-protected.

Traveling with kids isn’t always the most enjoyable of experiences. It can be trying on the nerves of even the most patient of parents. When the children are whining, crying, tired, and hungry there is no chance that anyone is going to have a good time. The good news is though that it doesn’t have to be this way! With a little early planning and choosing your holiday carefully you can up your chances of having a family holiday filled with happy memories that last a lifetime.

What then are these magical travel tips? Well, the travel experts at Sykes Cottages have compiled five handy ideas that can help to alleviate the cost and stress of a family holiday.

1. If you are going to need to travel any length by either car or airplane consider organizing the trip for overnight when the kids would normally be asleep. Have some dinner, get them in their pj’s and set them up in the back of the car or in an airplane seat for a nice long sleep.
2. Always make sure to leave yourself more than enough time to get to your destination so that you aren’t feeling rushed. This is especially important if you are flying because there are few things worse than trying to run through an airport with a small child – this is not a good way to start your holiday!
3. Consider staying in a holiday cottage rather than a hotel room. Not only is it generally cheaper, but you will also have more space and privacy and no worries that the noisy people in the hallway will wake the baby at 3am. You’ll also be able to cook your own meals in a fully-equipped kitchen, which can save you an unbelievable amount of money. To see the kind of self-catering holiday cottages that are available in the UK and Ireland visit http://www.sykescottages.co.uk.
4. Everyone knows that kids don’t like to have their schedule changed and few things upset the routine worse than travel. While you can’t keep everything the same, trying to keep meal times and sleep schedules similar to at home is best for everyone.
5. Make sure to have some activities organized in advanced so that you can get the best out of every day. If you end up with a rainy afternoon you want to make sure that you know what is around so you aren’t just stuck inside. Visiting attraction websites in advance can also save you some money by buying discounted advanced tickets, which often allow you to skip the line-up and head straight in. It’s a win win situation, really!

Photo from:  FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

We held off on getting a full-fledged minivan, buying a Mazda 5 in 2010 as a compromise. But now that we’ll soon have 3 kiddos, it was pretty much inevitable we’d need something bigger. Well, I felt that way, and Brian either agreed or got tired of hearing me talk about it. :) Regardless, we traded in the Mazda for a Toyota Sienna on Saturday. And, well, I kinda love it. I think Brian might, too.

I’m extremely fair-skinned and have always been prone to sunburns, so sunscreen has always been an important element to me for outdoor activities. The boys seem to have inherited Brian’s skin tone more than mine – they’re more apt to tan than burn. But still, it’s important to us to keep our whole family’s skin safe when we’re having fun outside this summer.

Banana Boat, a long-respected name in sunscreen, ahs recently released their new Natural Reflect brand. These products are 100% naturally-sourced mineral sunscreens active with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide – and they’re paraben-free. But not only are they natural, they’re also effective. They underwent extensive testing in seven real-life conditions – sun, pool water, ocean water, wind, sweat, sand, and 100 degree heat – to ensure sun protection.

Banana Boat is very focused on safe summer fun, and they’re running a 101 Days of Summer Play campaign. As part of this, we got to host an outdoor party and share Banana Boat with our friends! We decided to have a picnic at the park, and the Texas weather even cooperated with us – it was a mild 90-degree evening, rather than the 104 temps we had the previous weekend.

All the drinks – had to have plenty to stay cool!

Our friends’ daughter scoped out where she wanted to play first.

C enjoyed talking to his shadow… or the playground… or both. Regardless, he had a lot to say!

Banana Boat tote bag, filled with supplies.

Amanda and Rea had a conversation. :)

Baby Finley hangs out – literally – with her mom Kara!

Amanda and her family with their Banana Boat goodie bags, which included a full-size tube of sunscreen and a Banana Boat frisbee, along with a $1.00 off coupon.

Rea and her frisbee, which was almost as big as she is!

Visit Banana Boat’s Facebook page to take the 101 Days of Summer Play Pledge. For each pledge Banana Boat will donate one bottle of Natural Reflect lotion to The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp – a non-profit Summer camp and year round center serving children coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. Banana Boat has also teamed up with natural living expert Sara Snow. Head over to their Facebook page for her weekly activity suggestion, weekly prizes and a grand prize trip via their photo contest. And of course, don’t forget to visit the Banana Boat site for more information on all of their products.

Banana Boat wants you to have a chance to get in on all the summer fun, so I’m getting to host a giveaway for a Banana Boat goodie bag right here! This will end Saturday, June 23!

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Banana Boat® Sun Care and received a party kit to facilitate my review, party kits to give to my guests, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

There’s not a much better treat than ice cream on a hot Texas day!

Sunday will be my fifth mother’s day, or sixth if you count the year I was pregnant with J, which my family so sweetly did. As cynical as some people can be about the commercial origin behind the day, I love it. Not because it’s a day to be honored, although it is nice – and I am a sucker for handmade cards and gifts. I will have a huge box of these one day in the future, by the way, because I will never get rid of any of them.

No, I love the day because it’s a time to reflect on the sweetness of being a mom. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of sour that goes along with it too, as all moms can attest. But, as much as all my other accomplishments and hats that I wear in life matter to me, being a mom is among the greatest.

This morning I was awoken around 4:00 by our 4 1/2 year old, J, climbing into our bed and telling me (a.k.a. whining) he didn’t have enough room. That might be because our 3 year old, C, had already taken up about half of the space (leaving the other half for Brian and I to try and share). Too tired to deal with transferring kids back to appropriate beds, I grabbed my pillow and plodded sleepily to the couch. Two minutes later I heard small footsteps and felt a little hand on my foot, as C joined me.

Around 6:30 the boys were up and raring to go for the day, as is typical for a Saturday morning (when will they understand the beauty of sleeping in on the weekends?). Moments of great play time were interspersed with fussing and fighting, and it was a frustrating morning – especially when I’d been looking forward to a relaxing day all week. After nap, though, C wandered in to the living room happy and cuddly, and J joined us on the couch soon after, leaning on his brother as they fully awoke. There were still moments of arguing over a toy both of them had to have, but it turned into the day I’d been hoping for – relaxed, happy, with all of us together under one roof.

Motherhood is filled with highs and lows, with frustrations and triumphs. It’s a challenge, for sure. One that holds me up to the example I want to be for my kids and helps shape me into who I am. At the end of the day, knowing that I’m helping to create a happy, safe, secure world for my kids makes all the work worth it, and any sweet moments that pop up along the way are the perfect reward.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in my life – those I’m related to and those I’m not. You have all helped me become the mom I am today, and I’m so thankful for you!

Making a decision to have a child–it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
– Elizabeth Stone

We’re excited to announce…