Parenting, Product Reviews, sponsored posts

Bathing your babies : #JOHNSONSBaby #PromiseToBaby

sponsored post disclosurebaby and little boy

When my children were little one of my favorite things was the quite time after a bathing them.  Where I was the center of there happy little world.  My son who is now 13 and taller then me was always a joy.  I would look at this blond hair big blue eyed boy who resembled noting of me.  He was a wonderful combo of my husband and my father.  Who knew I would be so luck to have such a happy little boy.   He was born in February in Florida,  he was early and had a Bilirubin count I remember the Dr. said bring him out into the sunshine.

Every few days, I would bath my blond hair blue-eyed boy or “BlondieBlue” as I called him in the sink,  the smell of Johnson baby shampoo and body wash, still brings me back to those moments.  I always placed a wash cloth warmed with suds and warm water on his chest to keep him happy.  As I washed him, he giggled.  Then wrapping him  on a towel and taking him to his changing table for “massage time”  which he love the feel of the Johnson  moisturizer on his skin ans I rubbed the pink lotion on his feet his legs and arms.  He was all smiles from he loving touch.  I would put him on a diaper them bring him out on the patio and place him in his raised packing play.  The reflection of the light off the pool and the warm breeze smelling of baby waffled through the 80 degree air.  While I enjoyed a minute of new mommy quite and read a book.  It was such a lovely peaceful  moments in our lives.

We moved up to the Northeast goodbye to warm weather and bright sunshine.

Fast forward 4 years … 2 kids bath time routine changed..Yea can, you say assembly line… My daughter was the child who was bathed with us, because I could not figure out the juggle. My husband was the best option for bathing the baby because of his hair on his chest-No slippy wet baby.  Bath time became a 3 ring circus.  My son wanted to shower with my husband also.  So I would stand in the bathroom as he washed my daughter (as I call her Peanut because she was so small)  he would manage handling this baby who loved the shower water on her head.  He would suds her up with Johnson, rinse and repeat.   Then he would hand the Peanut off to me,  I would then add my son age 4 into the shower his dad would scrub him clean with baby shampoo because “no more tears”… Mean while the bathroom would be all fogged up with steam and the smell of Johnson’s Baby shampoo in the air.  I would be laying her on a towel on the floor wrapping up and drying off the Little Peanut girl as she giggled on the floor.   Again even on the floor as I baby massage my new newborn with the pink lotion,  I would listen to my husband and sons conversation about why Tomas was better then Percy.  All before her headed off to work at 9am.

I am still tired thinking about those times in our lives.  Very different moments but I can remember the smell and joy like it was yesterday.

I am glad I had the opportunity to recall these moment by doing this sponsored post for  Johnson’s Baby, who I always felt safe with and continues to put the care and safety of our babies  first:

  • JOHNSON’S® Baby always listens to moms and although our products have always been safe, we took a stand and changed our formulas to give moms peace of mind.
  • As the new products hit shelves, we are launching a heartfelt campaign called “Your Promise is Our Promise” as a way to express our ongoing commitment to moms. Just as moms make promises to their children, JOHNSON’S® Baby also makes promises so moms don’t have to worry about the products they use on their little ones.
  • To share this commitment, we’ve created an inspiring story through the “Our Promise” video, which can be viewed on YouTube, as an open letter to moms showing our scientists and their families coming together to build an origami stork mobile, symbolizing the delivery of our promise to always listen to moms.

#JOHNSONSBaby in addition to #PromiseToBaby and #partner.

Recently

  • The JOHNSON’S® Baby Family is excited to introduce you to seven newly reformulated products:
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby HEAD-TO-TOE® Wash
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Lotion
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo & Conditioner for Thick and Curly Hair
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo & Conditioner for Thin and Straight Hair
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo with Calming Lavender
    • JOHNSON’S® Baby Soothing Vapor Baby Bathjohnson baby products
Parenting

How to Have your kids Giveback : Burlington Book Buddies Program

Givingback books for kidsHow to Have your kids Giveback : Burlington Book Buddies Program .   Each week for the month of August I am going to feature a program where your kids can give to other kids in need. Last weeks post was a huge success? So I am asking to look at your kids books and share them with other kids.  It is simple:

Did you know that one-in-four children in America grow up without learning how to read?  That’s why Burlington, a national off-price retailer offering designer merchandise up to  65% off department store prices every day, has teamed up with K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, a national non-profit organization, and Sprout to launch the first-ever Burlington Book Buddies initiative – a new program designed to help provide children with the opportunity to discover  the wonderful world of reading.

Together, from August 1 through Labor Day (September 1, 2014), the partners are inviting customers to donate gently-used or new children’s books at any of the 523 Burlington stores nationwide to benefit local children and their families.  For every book donated, Burlington will match up to 55,000 new children’s books through K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers.

For more information and to find a list of participating Burlington stores visit www.BurlingtonStores.com.

About K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, Inc.

K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, unites retailers, manufacturers, foundations and individuals to provide new merchandise to families and people impacted by poverty and tragedy. Excess product, including apparel, accessories, shoes, home furnishings, toys, books, school supplies and other items, deliver hope and dignity to people in need through a network of community partners. To date, over $1 billion of donated products have been distributed, serving the poor and disadvantaged worldwide. For more information, please visit www.DonateProduct.com.

Have the kids go through there books and decide which ones are great to share with other kids who don’t have so many books.  So while you are out and Back to school shopping at Burlington donate your books!   Teach the kids giving is important.Givingback books for kids

 

 

Product Reviews

Freeman Spa Professional review #BarefootBliss

foot creamYea my feet need some help. They are in rough shape after a long cold winter and abuse this spring. Let say I have feet .. yea my mother does not love. But I love sandals. “THE BEAUTY OF NATURE–THE BENEFIT OF SCIENCE. Our products are made with botanical extracts to cleanse, soothe, refresh to make you look & feel your best.”

Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish:  $5.99 The  aquatic-inspired, shimmering body polish delivers gentle exfoliation for skin that’s rejuvenated and re-energized. Non-abrasive micro-granules buff away dead skin as Apricot Oil nourishes and sooths. Our triple-botanical ReCapture Complex helps eliminate toxins, restore essential nutrients, and reinvigorate with antioxidants to reduce surface roughness. Shimmering Mica enhances skin’s natural radiance.

Spa Professional Moisturizing Massage Cream: $5.99 Enjoy mind and body benefits with our silky massage cream that helps ease tension and stress while rejuvenating skin. Hydrating Coconut Oil provides deep moisturization to eliminate dryness, and our triple-botanical ReCapture Complex helps eliminate toxins, restore essential nutrients, and reinvigorates with antioxidants to help reduce surface roughness. Enjoy ultra-moisturized skin all day long.

I love the Freeman Products found at Walmart.   They make my feet feel relaxed and soft.  I exfolated my feet then, added the moisturizing cream then wore sock to bed and I feet like I had new feet in the morning. cream

Follow Freeman Beauty on Facebook

Disclosure these products were provided to me as part of the Freeman VoxBox and influenster.com #BarefootBliss

Crafting, Parenting

Back to School Service Project #Bagitforward

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sponsored postDo a Back to School Service Project with your kids #Bagitforward.  This is a great time of year to get your Kids involved in a service school project.  We did a the BagItForward project for Elmer’s Let’s Bond and Champion for Kids.  We got the neighborhood and our local swim team to help donate.

kids doing a back to school service project

We were asked to help Champion for kids and share with my readers a great Back to school service Project The Champion for kids #BagITForward.  So 1st we decided  where we were going to donate West Kensington Ministries in Norristown Square.champion for kids logo

I wrote a letter to all the swim team parents telling them about the service project my daughter and I were working on.   The parents team donated and neighborhood help donate the school supplies which included the following.  Here is my Back_to_school_service_project Sample Letter to parents.

Ideas for supplies:

  • Folders
  • Pencils
  • Scissors
  • Rulers
  • Composition books
  • Crayons
  • Back Packs
  • Markers
  • Color pencils
  • Glue sticks

 

kids doing a back to school service projectMy daughter and I made bags for the kids using fabric from my vast collection of fabric. If you dont sew!  you can buy bags or if your donations can afford it Back Packs are wonderful.   (Check out my post later this week on how to make the bag great 1st sewing project!

bagitforward_1806We got the Kids together including my teenage son and assembled the bags.

Bagitforward_1803working back to school service project

Then the kids sat  down and made a card for each kid receiving the bag.  Welcoming them back to school.   Lots of bright colors, flowers, trees, apples, and anything that make kids smile.

Some Ideas for the cards:

  • Welcome back to school
  • Have a great Year
  • You are a school Superstar!
  • Have fun Learning!

kids coloring cards

The kids loved this project because it was fun for them and they understood the need for the supplies for the kids.  So when you are out shopping for your kids this back to school pick up a few items and donate them to . Your local school, preschool, church, teacher.. because there is always a child who wants to smile with new supplies the 1st day of school!

elemers lets bond pictureSHARE your story with championsforkids.org/share so that they can celebrate your participation and inspire others with creative ways to bond with children and provide the supplies they need to thrive!  Please let Champion for kids know that you are ONE of Millions who helped us reach our goal of helping 20 million children by 2020!

 

Cooking

Meal Planning Crockpot Planning

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mushroomsSo this week I have started a new job which is causing me to be out of my home at night.  So In hopes for me to make everything easier for my husband I am taking meal planing to an easier prepare ahead plan.   So I have looked and found some great recipes this week.

Monday : Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken from Chef in training

Tuesday : Slow Cooker French Dip Sammies  from shugarysweets

Wednesday: Crock Pot Pork chops with potatoes and corn all cooked in one pot

Thursday: Crockpot Chicken from Crafted by Lindy  with

Friday: Ranch Pork Chops from Recipebook and Broccoli with rice

 

I am linking up to Organizing Junkies Menu Plan Monday

Be sure to enter my Calgon giveaway  on my Plus Size blog

dogs, LIfe

Dear Bad Dog

4 Comments

dogDear Lloyd the Dog,

FYI…. Destroying my @#% is not the way to my heart.

As I returned home after 44 minutes out at swim team practice

I find my the contents of my purse strewn across the floor..

I see tissues,

Then my tablet (in a case) Thank God,

Then every scrap of paper, note card, and pen..

Lipstick, unused tampons, coins, and earrings…

My beautiful purse.. the one that comes in the “special” storage bag.. the one that I got on a great deal on that cost 4 times as much as I paid for it.. yes you know the  one you chewed on the handles..purse

I can never have nice things because of You, Lloyd

I though You were through “this phase..” You have not made “friends” with the carpet, shoes, stuffed animals or any wood furniture in a year..

chewed carpet

What happened buddy.. where did I,  as an owner go wrong??

Did “the voices” in your doggie head speak to you and tell you to get Angry with my beautiful Massi handbag?

I know,  they say dogs don’t get it.. but I know You do!

You hang your head in Shame..

You hid when I walked in..

there was no happy dog greeting at the door.

No,  “Hi Mom I am glad you are home” or tail wagging in joy

You ran

and

You hid.

Did you even think??

They say dogs have the understand of a 2 year old child ..

So understand this Lloyd!

NOOOOOO  and Bad Dog!!!!!!

(I know no such thing as a bad dog.. You just do bad things and make  poor choices)

Signed,

Your Owner who wants nothing to do with you for the next 30 minutes.

PS: What is up with flipping your food and water bowl on my carpet?  Please stop doing that also !dog with flipped water bowl

 

Crafting

How to make a Gods Eye

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gods eyesHow to make a Gods Eye: So my church summer did a art camp where they work on a play and do a complete performance in a week.  It is a great to see.  Think summer stock for church.   I was in charge of teaching a art segment and since the play was from the 1970’s I decided to make a craft that I did when I was a Kid Gods Eyes.

When I taught the class the kids ranged from 4- 12 years.  The kids 4-7 needed a little help.  The older kids need help to knot off but after being shown they complete the Gods eye on there own.

When I was a kid I used sticks I would find in the yard,  since I had 30 kids for my class- I went to the Asia market and purchased chop sticks:

How to a make Gods Eyesgods eye

Supplies:

  • Yarn ends various colors
  • Chop Sticks

gods eye

  1. Make the yarn in to small yarn balls so easy to manageyarn
  2. Then take the chop sticks and start wrapping the yarn, with the sticks parallelchop sticks chop stitck knots
  3. Then split the chop sticks into an X and wrap the yarn to stabilize the Xchop sticks with yarn
  4. Then reverse the yarn  and wrap the yarnchop sticks with yarn
  5. Then start move the yarn around the chop sticks – wrap yarn around the chopstickchop sticks with yarn gods_eye_013_001-25
  6. Under and around one then to the next chop stickchop sticks with yarn
  7. Then over the top and around the next  gods_eye_013_001-27
  8. Repeat under and wrap around and over and wrap, moving from one chop stick to the next.chop sticks with yarn
  9. Then switch colors tieing a knot tie a knot tie a knot tie a knot tie a knot tie a knot yarn and chop sticks
  10. Wrap to the switching the colorsgods eye
  11. Then once you are done knot off the yarn gods eyegods eye
  12. Create a loop to hang with by knotting to the center. gods eye gods_eye_013_001-41

This is a fun craft the kids will love.  Every kid in my class asked to make more and xtra supplies to make at home.gods eyes

Be sure to enter my Calgon giveaway  on my Plus Size blog BigGirlsGuide

Product Reviews, sponsored posts

How to Avoid the Funsukers #CutterRepellents

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disclosurecutter bug repellent

I sit I watch lap after lap,  the water splash then calm.. then I hear a buzz.. I see it then the buzz stops.  I smack my forehead but I am too late the vicious vicious creature sucks my blood leaving a welt the size of a quarter.  The welt wakes me up at night  scratching.  How can such a little vicious creature  create such havoc,  they are family funsuckers.Girl using cutter bug repellent
Tracking Pixel
For the month of July every year we live at the pool.. we are there at 8am to 10 am every morning, swim meets 2 twice a week going for about 5 hours.  That’s is right I am a pool Mom.  I watch my kids swim for hours hoping that they will swim a 50 yards in less than 30 seconds.  My family is a swim family,  which means we are near water and heat all summer.  Being out doors all summer there is always a constant companion .. the Mosquitoes and bugs.. which I am in not a fan of of the funsuckers.

My husband Jeff,  I have said in the past is covered in psoriasis-  so the bugs love him,  he is not a fan of them.  He prefers to stay indoors all summer because the bugs tasted for his blood.   But we both support our competitive swimming kids, so the two of us try to make the best of the bugs.  He always carries Cutter® insect repellent in his pocket.,  he actually  has been know to return to the house if he forget his Cutter®,  which is a necessity.

We Keep Cutter® insect repellent  in the Pool Bag, near the back door, bottle near the front door, in the car, and on my husbands person.. I am so not joking really.

I really love the Cutter®  line this season they are so easy to use and perfect from my family with so many great products that are convenient keeping away the FunSuckers: .

  • Cutter® Dry –  Is a spray can and the bug repellent goes on dry and not greasy
  • Cutter® Skinsations – is wonderful,  my daughter and I use it daily when fighting of the bugs in the yard.
  • Cutter® Family Wipes-  are great because they are refreshing and also provide a Insect repellent protection.  They work great when you are in a tight spacial  area like a Ball Game where you don’t want an over spray to hit the people or food around you.

Be sure to check out Cutter® Facebook fanpage for a great giveaway.  http://on.fb.me/VlNAVm  to learn more about products and their “like to win” promotions that happen weekly/bi-weekly in the news feed, making it easy to enter.

We love experience summer in all it glory and Cutter® really allows us to do so as a family.boy using bug repellent

#CutterRepellents, AD,  @cutterinsectrepellent

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cutter® Insect Repellents

Cooking

Roasted Baby Potatoes and Meal Plan

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roasted potatoesI love roasted baby potatoes. Summer brings out the grill and food tastes fresh and flavorful.  Potatoes they are so simple and great for the grill.  This recipes go great with all your dinner this summer.  Have the kids get involved  the  little are fun to count and toss in a bowl.

Roasted Baby Potatoes

  • 2 lb of baby potatoes
  •  1/4 olive oil
  • 2 shallots or a small onion
  • 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
  • salt and pepper
  1. Wash potatoes
  2. Minced onions, in a large bowl mix ingredients potatoes
  3. Create a foil packed for the mixture (do 2 smaller packets so easier to mange) potatoes
  4. Place on grill for 20-30 minutes till potatoes are fork tender

baby_potatoes_013_001-13

potatoes

For a printable version  Roasted Baby Potatoes

Meal Plan:

Monday: Pulled Pork with Fresh Cauliflower Salad

Tuesday:  Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid Recipe from Wine and Glue

Wednesday: Grand Biscuits Pizza

Thursday: Sausage and Bean Supper  from Loving my Nest

Friday: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli from Chef in Training

 

I am linking up to Organizing Junkies Menu Plan Monday

 Be sure to enter my Calgon giveaway  on my Plus Size blog BigGirlsGuide