Category Archives: New posts

A summer party with Playtex and a giveaway!

Cleaning & Cleaners, Holiday, New posts, Past Giveaways, , , , ,

I recently had a great summer party at my house despite the fact that the thought of organizing and having a party makes my brain hurt.  That’s the ADHD. I can’t process the thoughts required to put together a party which includes decorating, food preparation, and then clean up.. just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.

My summer party actually turned out really good. I didn’t get stressed before or during the party which was exciting in itself.  I made a few appetizers including Sweet Potato Chips that were pretty delicious once I finally got the timing right.

Playtex sent me a few pairs of gloves to try out before, during, and after my party and I’m telling you, they were pretty awesome. First, I used the GreatLengths™ Gloves to clean my glass patio table and chairs one of which had bird poop on it (see photos below.. not of the bird poop!).  Before having the gloves I would have just used a few paper towels to clean it off and would have been totally grossed out but the gloves took out the gross factor which was really nice.  I also used these gloves when cutting flowers from the garden.  I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the shed to get my regular gloves out but these worked really well.

GreatLengths™ Gloves

  • Test them out when prepping your grill and/or wiping down your patio furniture for the party; these gloves are ideal for the extra messy clean-up jobs (like getting bird poop off of patio chairs)

CleanCuisine™ Gloves

  • Use them while preparing spicy recipes like salsa or try them out when preparing meat or fish for the grill so you are sure to keep clean and germ-free
  • Try using them while chopping garlic or onions which often stings hands and/or leave a lingering odor

Living® Gloves

  • A twist on the classic Playtex® Living® gloves, this new version is ideal for clean-up tasks like washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen
Here are a couple of super-easy, quick appetizers (great for moms!) to try out at your next party:

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob – courtesy of FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place corn husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft. Peel down the husks and use as a handle when eating.  My whoops.. Out of habit, I took the corn husks off before roasting the corn the first time with not such tasty results.

Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes
Directions: Slice two sweet potatoes very thin.  Lay as many slices as will fit without overlapping directly on your clean microwave turn table then spray the slices lightly with olive oil cooking spray (salt optional).  Microwave them in increments of a few minutes checking for desired crispness.

Playtex Gloves

Learn more about Playtex Gloves at the Playtex website here and buy Playtex gloves at your local grocery store or drugstore.

GIVEAWAY!
Playtex is giving 1 lucky reader 3 Glove samples AND a $50 gift certificate to the grocery store of their choice to buy food/drinks for their own Patio Party.
This is the perfect time of year for a nice patio party!  Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win and if you have something fun or funny to tell me about a previous party you held, you’ll get two entries!
Entries accepted until August 18th.

Gear Up for Potty Training

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Guest post: TheFind.com, New posts, Potty Training, , , ,

pottytraining

Arm yourself with everything you need for successful potty training. Start with a potty seat that is comfortable for your child. My recommendation for a potty seat is the Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer. It adjusts to fit any toilet seat and has a rubber ring to keep it in place so that it won’t slip. It is made of one solid piece of smooth plastic so there are no sharp edges. There are plenty of different types of seats to choose from. Find one that suits the needs of your child and yourself.

Next you will need some “tools”. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Books– Sometimes it takes awhile to get the job done. Books help keep your toddler entertained while on the potty- hopefully long enough to make something happen. Books on the potty training topic are particularly helpful and can be read to the child prior to starting the training process to gear up.
  • Potty Charts– Children do well with positive reinforcement. Track their progress with stickers and reward them when a goal is reached.
  • Training Pants– Go old school with cloth training pants and a plastic cover for faster results. Your child will feel when he/she is wet and will likely learn a lot faster.
  • Potty Training Doll– a potty training partner in crime!
  • M&M’s– When all else fails, bribe them!

From our friends at TheFind.com.

Elephant Song free iPhone app – Madelyn watches over and over.. and over

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, iphone, New posts, ,

Elephant Song iPhone appThe YouTube sensation that is Eric Herman’s Elephant Song is now available on your iPhone for hours of entertainment for your toddler. Madelyn loves Elephant Song. She asks to watch it at night before bed.  I’m not sure how we got into that habit but it happened and it’s actually very entertaining to hear her sign along and watch her interact with the app.

The Elephant Song app is a music video and song that’s kids can interact with by tapping on the screen.  There aren’t any challenges like finding letters or numbers so this is a great iPhone app for young toddlers.   The song lyrics are funny and the graphics are simple, colorful and entertaining.   The screen shows a corresponding picture such as when Eric sings about a rooster who likes honey there is a rooster eating honey from a bee hive on the screen.  Next thing you know a cute little voice comes on saying no, that’s not right and corrects Eric.   The app moves through screens on its own and if your toddler wants to pause on a screen, she can press the pause button at the top of any screen.   Then when she presses on the animal on the screen she hears the sound that animal makes.  When the song is over Madelyn can build her own elephant from puzzle pieces that she can drag on the screen to put together.Elephant Song iPhone app

Just as I was writing this review and referring to the app, Madelyn walked up and stole my iPhone right from my desk!  She’s sitting on the couch, much like in the photograph above, watching the Elephant Song iPhone app, over and over again now.  It seems to never get old.  Good job guys!  We’ll see how this app entertains Madelyn on our 4.5 hr road trip Tuesday.

Download the Elephant Song iPhone app here Elephant Song.

The Twitter Book – one of my all time favorites!

Books, Business, New posts, Web/Tech, , ,

The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah MilsteinThe Twitter Book by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein is seriously one of my all time favorite books. You may know from reading previous posts that I am a geek and an ADHD postergirl. So I think at least. I love the idea of Twitter and Facebook just to name a couple of social tools.  Because I can’t concentrate long enough (ADHD) to read most books I don’t read many books.  However, because of it’s unusual 9×9 size and large font, The Twitter Book immediately appealed to me. This color and graphic rich book makes for an easy, fun, and informative read.  Because the font is so big, I was able to read The Twitter Book while on the treadmill.. without falling off, which is about the only time I am alone long enough to read a few pages of a book.  I got into The Twitter Book when I couldn’t get into Twilight.. a book I’ve heard most readers are instantly sucked into.

Until I read The Twitter Book, I didn’t know what re-tweets or a hashtags were or that Twitter has an extremely powerful search tool. When I want to learn something, I search the Internet.  When it comes to Twitter though, the results are overwhelming and ever changing so The Twitter Book is a must-have for users or potential Twitter users who want to learn the in’s and out’s of Twitter without sifting through oceans online search results.

The Twitter Book will teach you everything you need to know to quickly become a Twitter power user, including strategies and tactics for using Twitter’s 140-character messages as a serious–and effective–way to boost your business and for those stay at home moms reading this.. Twitter will allow you to be connected to other moms all over the world 24/7.  Up with the baby at 2a.m.?  Don’t be lonely.. jump on Twitter and join tons of other moms awake all hours of the night.

Co-written by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein, widely followed and highly respected Twitterers, the practical information in The Twitter Book is presented in a fun, full-color format that’s packed with helpful examples and clear explanations.

The Twitter Book – A Sneak Preview

View more documents from oreillymedia.

Buy The Twitter Book at Amazon.com here and learn more about The Twitter Book and the authors on the O’Reilly website here.

Where is your first aid kit? Do you have one?

Beauty & Skin Care, New posts, Safety, Travel, , ,

It’s summer, the kids are out of school, and I’m sure you need something to do right? Well, pack your bags and hit the local trails but don’t forget your first aid kit.  My guess is that at least 50% of hikers including families on day trip hikes, don’t carry a first aid kit.  Like I said, that’s just my guess but that doesn’t have to be the case. I always pack bandages, sunscreen, insect repellent, and water when planning a day trip, even a trip to the pool.  No kidding..always.  If it were up to me, I would have a location unit like the kind skiers use so rescue teams could find us quickly in the case of an emergency. As you might know from some of my previous posts, I am a paranoid, ‘germaphobic’ mom.  I have anti-bacterial gel and wipes in my handbag, car, and even in our garage for when the kids play in there while I’m on the treadmill or doing laundry.  I know.. studies may show that using a lot of anti-bacterial stuff doesn’t help them get used to germs but the thought of my kids hands being on a shopping cart handle that has some other kids invisible snot on it grosses me out.  Library books even disgust me.  That’s terrible, I know.

CVS/pharmacy first aid and survival products

I am a big fan of drugstores because I know that I can get in and out quickly. Yes, you tend to pay more for name brand products at the drugstore but think about it.. you don’t have to buy name brand products!  For example, did you know that CVS has their own line of first aid products that are the same high quality and more affordable than ‘big brand’ first aid products?  CVS/pharmacy has their own line of bandages, band-aids, sunscreen, insect repellent, and anti-itch spray and as a mom on a budget, I appreciate the affordability of their products.

Below is a list of items you can grab at any CVS/pharmacy store, that should be included in your first aid kit:

  • Bandages, band-aids and alcohol wipes to handle cuts and scrapes
  • Sun protection – whether you’re looking for a sunscreen that’s waterproof with a high SPF, something for the kids, or a cooling sunscreen that can be applied quickly, CVS/pharmacy has a line of continuous spray sunscreens that work great, smell nice and spray on evenly. Don’t forget to wear a hat to protect the face and neck.
  • After-sun relief, in case you forget to re-apply your sunscreen or miss a spot behind your knees. Packing a bottle of CVS/pharmacy’s instant burn relief spray with lidocaine & aloe vera can make all the difference.
  • Insect repellents and anti-itch remedies for bug bites and rashes. CVS/pharmacy has a variety of convenient, pocket-sized spray pens that relieve pain and itching associated with insect bites and minor rashes due to poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac

Visit the CVS/pharmacy website to take interactive quizzes such as this one on how well you know your insect bites and this one on common first aid mistakes.

GIVEAWAY!
We are giving a lucky reader a kit with all of the following products:
•    CVS Kids Sunblock Continuous Spray Spf 50
•    CVS Cooling Mist Sunblock
•    CVS Aftersun Instant Burn Relief Spray
•    CVS Instant Itch Relief Spray
•    CVS Waterproof Bandages
•    CVS Antibacterial Plastic Bandages
•    CVS Travel First Aid Kit

To enter to win, leave a comment telling us what your favorite summer destination is and which of the products above you can’t live without and why. Contest ends August 15th, 2009.