Monday, February 28, 2011

Alien Abduction!

The new movie Mars Needs Mom looks super cute, however it kind of leaves you wondering "What would kids do without moms?" There are so many thing that I do for my kids that even I take for granted. I wonder what my kids would miss most about me if I were abducted by aliens? Here's what I think my kids would miss most about me. If you ask them though, it may be different!

1. Story time. I read to my kiddos every night before bed, we all hang out in my room and pick a book to read. I may exaggerate it a little, and I may even act out the story line, and sometimes I may even read in an English accent! My kids love story time, and so do I! They would definitely miss it.

2. Edible food! My husband tries to cook, but it just don't work out all that well for him! They might like pizza every night for a while, but I'm sure my daughter would miss my homemade chicken N' Dumplings. My son would definitely miss my goulash. While I'm not the best cook, I can make their favorites really well!

3. Clean clothes. My son, he wouldn't care since he's only two. However my daughter has to have her clothes perfect for school. She would flip out the first time her "skinny jeans" were not clean. Or if they got ruined in the wash, she would have a meltdown! Without me, there would be no clean laundry and crunchy towels are no bueno!

4. Mommy and me time. I do a ton of stuff with my children but I always make sure they have their special alone time with me. My daughter and I get our nails done at least once a month and my son and I find some cool train tracks to hang out at. I love that "bonding" time with them. They love having their own special day!

5. Extracurricular activities. I'm a troop leader for my daughters girl scout troop. I couldn't see hubby taking that job over either. My daughter has a special patch saying that her mom is a troop leader, and it's her favorite patch. We do SO many things together for girl scouts, we both love that time together.

6. Zombies. Yes, zombies! We all act like we are zombies and pretend to eat each others brains. It's super silly, but my kids love it. They started it because of my husband's video game, and it's turned into this giant game that we play almost daily.

7. Craft night. Once a week we try to do a craft. Sometimes it's as simple as painting a picture. Other times it's more involved like making jewelry or window clings. Both kiddos love that night. I don't love cleaning after it, but someone's gotta do it!

8. Play dates. I take my kiddos on play dates a few times a week. I love that they get to interact with other kids their age AND that I get some adult interaction at the same time. I really can't see my husband hanging out with a bunch of other moms talking about dirty diapers!

9. Little notes. My daughter would miss the funny little notes I put in her lunch box everyday. She gets so excited to see what I will come up with to put in there. My son can't read but I put paper with happy faces in his coat pocket sometimes, and he enjoys that too!

10. ME! I think they would just miss me being here to keep things in order and love on them. I'm constantly hugging or kissing or holding one of them. I think they would miss my presence the most. Besides, who would break up the fights if I wasn't here?

Those are the 10 things I think my kids would miss the most about me. Moms are very important people, lets home there are no aliens coming for us! My kids would go a little crazy! What would your kids miss most about you?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

It's really happening!!

 I've gone back and forth between wanting another baby and not wanting another since I had my son. I figured that if I was changing my mind so many times that I really did want another and hubby and I decided to try for baby number 3.
So, I've officially started my journey to TTC! Well, almost. I got my IUD removed on the 3rd of February and I'm waiting to have my first visit from the infamous aunt before we start trying. It took 2 years to get pregnant and stay pregnant with my son. I'm hoping it doesn't take that long this time. I'm 28, and it may not seem too old but I want to have my last before I'm 30.
My family thinks I'm crazy, my friends think I'm crazy, but I don't care. My husband and I feel that one more will complete us. I can't wait to really get started!
So, please send some baby dust my way and wish me luck! 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Grocery Store Money Saving Tips!

If there is one thing that I'm known for it's being frugal. Other may say cheap, but I like to save all the money I can without giving up quality. The number one thing we spend the most money on (besides rent) is food. My two kiddos could literally eat us out of house and home! I've developed a few secrets to help curb the cost of food in our house, and I'd like to share them with you!


The first thing I do is clip coupons. I'm not anything like the people on that new Extreme Couponing show but I do alright. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but my stockpile is looking pretty good! There are some really good coupons in the Sunday paper and there are a ton of great couponing blogs too. All you have to do is search for coupons and there are a ton of options right at your fingertips. Start combining those coupons with great sales, and you can save a ton of money. 

 I also make sure I never go to the store while I'm hungry! That may not sound like a big thing but if I go to the store on an empty stomach, I can easily walk out of there with an extra $15-25 worth of stuff that I don't need. It looks good while I'm hungry, but later on after I've eaten, I realize a bunch of the stuff I bought will be wasted. 


I also go around the outside of the store first. I only go into the aisles to get a the few things that I need. If I go wondering up and down the aisles I (again) end up with stuff I don't need, simply because it looks good. When I make my list I do it according to the aisles in the grocery store. It makes life easier too, I can get in and out quicker that way.


Another thing I do is take advantage of promotions that certain stores run. I make sure to shop great sales like the one Kroger is running right now.  Kroger is running their CartBuster savings event right now, and you can save a ton of money on things that you use everyday! They have some amazing things on sale right now, from P&G stuff to General Mills and more. You can find out more about that on their facebook page


Another thing I try to do is shop while the kids are at school or already in bed. That don't happen a lot though! When I take the kids with me to the store I end up spending a lot more than normal. I don't get lucky often!


Well, those are my money saving tips! I'd love to hear yours. I'm always switching things up and would love to learn even more great tips to save a buck! Thanks for reading!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms Kroger CartBuster blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here
The Zooper To-Go High Chair - See end of post for contest details! 

You can win a Red Checkers Zooper To-Go High Chair over at Posh Little if you enter before 2/28! This high chair looks really neat, and I'd love it for my niece! Go here to enter, or here to check out Zooper!
Good luck! 

Guidecraft Giveaway!

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Head over to Take Time To Smell the Rose and enter to win a super cool Train Toy Box from Guidecraft! My son would go bananas for this, as he loves his Chu Chu Trains! Guidecraft has so many amazing products, check them out here. Or go here to enter this great giveaway! Ends 2/28

Travel System Giveaway!!

3 Kids and Us has partnered with Target Baby to offer one lucky mom or dad the chance to give their baby gear a Spring upgrade. New and exclusive to Target, the Chicco Vega Collection  features 3 popular products including the Chicco Cortina KeyFit Travel System, Lullaby Playard and Polly High Chair. Each piece covered in a woven jacquard fabric in gray with pops of bright orange, perfect for boys and girls.

 chicco vega pattern giveaway



Grand Prize
Chicco Cortina KeyFit Travel System in Vega, valued at $299.99
How to Enter
Visit 3 Kids and Us Mommy Review Blog before February 25, 2011 11:59am CST and leave a comment sharing your favorite feature of the travel system.

Safety 1st Giveaway!

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If you head on over to 3 Princes and a Princess 2 you can enter to win a Safety 1st OnBoard 35 Carseat!! This would be great for my niece that will be here soon! It ends 3/17 and you can tweet daily! Go HERE to enter or HERE to visit Safety 1st! Good luck!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Share the Happiness!

There are times when a simple smile would brighten my mood tremendously. That's why I always make it my mission to share the happiness with people around me. It can be strangers, family, friends, or that check out lady at the supermarket! Every once in a while, you may just make someone's day by being friendly. Here are a few ways that I "share the happiness".

I always smile. Sometimes it can be taken as being overly friendly, but I believe that smiles really are contagious. It can brighten someones day even just a little bit. It may sound corny but when I was 15 I set a goal to smile at everyone I came across, and it really improved my outlook on life. There are off days when I'm not a smiley person but I still try to smile at the lady in the drive through at McDonald's freezing their behind off.

I leave little notes. About a year ago I came across the Operation Beautiful website. It's where people leave little notes in public bathrooms or where ever just to remind the person that comes across it that they are beautiful and worth it. Since then I have left a "reminder" note in every public bathroom I've used. I had the pleasure of getting an Operation Beautiful note one time, and I was happy that entire day!
I also leave little notes for my husband on the bathroom mirror telling him to have a good day at work, or how much I love him. He says they are silly, but I've seen him smile when he gets them! He also saves all of them, so my "sillyness" pays off!
When my daughter takes her lunch to school I always pack a note in there. Sometimes it's a joke, or funny picture, or just an "I love you". She tells me her teachers think it's fun, and I know she loves it! I love to brighten her day even when I'm not around!

Another way I share the happiness is to let distant family and friends know I'm thinking of them. I call family at least once a week to catch up. Most weeks it's quite a few times. It's nice to hear someones voice, even if they are just checking in. Talking about "nothing" makes me happy!

I also leave little Hershey's kisses candies for my kiddos. A little hug or a kiss when I'm not there. My daughter loves them, my son - well he just devours them!

There are so many ways to spread the happiness! A simple smile to me is the best way, a smile goes a long way! I hope you have enjoyed reading the ways I like to spread happiness. I would love to hear your fun ways!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hershey's blogging program, for a gift card worth $25 and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://sharedrops.socialmoms.com/about)

First one down!


My Noodle lost her first tooth last Saturday! She was at a birthday party and lost it in a bounce house! Trying to find it was like looking for a needle in a haystack! She got $5 for her first tooth!
She's getting so big!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Dinner time "rules"

Dinner time is supposed to be a time to unwind and share how your day went with you loved ones. It can be a relaxing time after a long days work or long day of school. Sometimes things can get hectic. So, it's normal that there are dinner time "dos" and "don'ts". Here are a few of mine.

First of all, I'm embarrassed to admit that we didn't have a dinner table until about a year ago. We all ate together in the living room. I'm still not sure why, we just didn't get a table! Now that we have one though, we have some "dinner rules".

Our first dinner table "Do" is to always say grace. When we first started it my daughter thought I was crazy, but it's become a nightly tradition and I like to switch it up and have different people say it each night. My daughter now understands that we do appreciate what is given to us, and she knows who to thank for that!

Another thing we do is ask each other about our days. Mine are normally about the same, but I love to hear about my daughter's day at school and my husbands day at work. I think it helps keep us all "in touch" because life can get so busy sometimes we don't otherwise have a chance to ask.

One more thing that we do it to tell the cook honestly what we think of the meal they cooked. Most of the time I am the one cooking and I like to know if my family likes what I'm fixing so I can change it up if I need to. My daughter "grades" us. It's A++++ if she really likes it and other things are D- or F!  I love it when my husband cooks so that I can "grade" him!

A few of our "don'ts": We don't put our elbows on the table. It drives me crazy! My mom used to get after me a ton because I did this, and I never really understood it until I was grown. To me it looks rude.

Another thing we don't do is get up without being asked to be excused. My mom didn't have this rule, but with my kiddos I need it! I think it's rude to get up in the middle of a meal that someone else fixed. Maybe just me, but I don't like it! Also, my kiddos have the attention span of a fruit fly, so they know not to get up!

Another BIG thing not to do at dinner is argue. We automatically change the subject if it starts. I believe that meal time should be peaceful, so any fights get nixed as soon as they start!

Meal time around here is a work in progress still, as we are still kind of getting used to eating at the table as a family. I'm sure our do's and don'ts will change as my kids get older. Hopefully though, mealtime will remain peaceful! What are some of your do's and don'ts at meal time?

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://krafthomestyle.socialmoms.com/about)