step2 review and giveaway

During the Summer I think we all try to get our kids more active and outside, I know I do. Our yard isn't the flattest of places so it's really hard to get the girls something they can play on like a trampoline or huge swing set.
We are always out doors and with family BBQ's we needed something to keep the girls occupied on the patio while we cooked and socialized.

Recently Step 2 sent us the Play Up Toddler Swing & Slide and the Play & Shade Patio Set so my girls could enjoy the outside since both sets fit onto our patio perfectly.

Kendall not really liking the swing.

 The Play & Shade Patio Set was super easy to assemble with no thinking required.

The table legs snapped together then you had to drill screws into the table top and the legs to secure them. The chairs again just snapped together for an easy 1-2-3 assembly. It took me maybe 5 minutes to put the whole set together!
Usually I get frustrated about 5 minutes in so my husband has to come rescue me but the patio set didn't give me any trouble at all.

We can already tell this Play & Shade Patio Set is extremely durable and I love that it can get wet since of course it rains every afternoon here in Florida. The umbrella is removeable for indoor use or you can keep the bar in but close the umbrella. The only thing I would add is a strip of fabric that wraps around the closed umbrella so it stays closed.

The chairs and table have an X -shaped design for added stability which we love. Also, the chairs have soft rounded corners and are free of sharp edges. No little cuts and scrapes here :)

Facts Step2 has provided:

• Table & chair legs feature unique "X" design base to provide superior durability and stability
• Fun, bright colors
• Large 30" x 30" (76.2 x 76.2 cm) tabletop
• Includes 40" (101.6 cm) adjustable-height umbrella, one table and two chairs
• Seat height 11" (27.9 cm)
• Minimal adult assembly required

We love the Patio set for game time and crafts too. When it's not too hot outside Makenna loves doing her homework at the table.

Win a Play & Shade Patio Set!!
ARV: $80



**I was sent the product(s) free of charge by the company or PR representative. It has been used solely for the purpose of this honest review. The views are strictly 100% my own. Receiving the product did not influence me to produce a positive review**

Giveaway is open to USA  only. It will end and close on September 16th @ 9:00pm EST. Any entries made after such time will not be counted and will be removed from the list. Winner will be contacted via email & will have 24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond their prize is then forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

kindle and $80 giftcard giveaway

I've teamed up with 9 AMAZING bloggers (Trust me, you will love them!!) to bring you an awesome giveaway!

We are giving away a Kindle!

But wait! That's not it! We want you to be able to fill up your brand new Kindle with all of your favorite books, so we are giving away an $80 Amazon Gift Card also!

That's right, one lucky reader will receive a Kindle AND an $80 Amazon Gift Card!

All you have to do to win this amazing giveaway is like all Facebook Fan Pages of the 10 blogs below!

Crazy About My Baybah

Double Duty Mommy

Family and Life in Las Vegas

I'm A Lazy Mom

Mama B

Mommy Head Adventures

Shibley Smiles

Sippy Cup Mom

The Life of Rylie & Bryce

Three P's in a Pod

To make this giveaway even EASIER on you, we are using Rafflecopter!

The Mandatory Entry will be to like all 10 blogs on Facebook!

How easy was that? :)
It's not an extra entry but I would love some blog comments about this giveaway so I will know if I should do it again!

In case you didn't see, this giveaway is open to both US and Canada residents.

The giveaway will start on September 2nd and end on September 16th.

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook or Amazon. This giveaway is sponsored by the 10 blogs listed above.

stressful blogging

Since December 2009 I have been a stay at home mom but I don't think I can classify myself as that anymore. I have been putting so much work into this blog and building my brand that I think I am officially a work-at-home-mom.

Blogging as been a great outlet for me and has definitely helped to bring in some extra income to the family wallet but it definitely has it's days.

Days where I want to say eff you blog. Eff you.

Like the other day. I received a PDF form that someone wanted me to fill out, no problem right? Well it was because I couldn't edit it what so ever. My printer is being dumb so it's not working lately and I don't have a scanner so that ruled out that option. I had to export PDF to Word which look me forever to figure out. It was a hassle and added a little stress in my life for the moment.
Other things are deadlines to meet and not forget, emails to answer on a daily basis, places to travel to, ect.

I wouldn't change my two jobs for the world though. I love being able to stay home with my girls and do something else I love to do which is blog.

If you're not a blogger and want to get into it just know it can be so rewarding if you put 100% into it. Join forum groups, mom groups tweet, and facebook you will meet so many amazing people through those outlets and some will even help further your blogging career.

capturing moments

As a mom I want to remember every moment of my daughter's lives. It's so hard though and I don't think I will ever own enough batteries to keep up with the amount of hours I have my camera on them.
I have been in the market for some great video screen capture software so I can make my amazing videos of them even better.
The other day we were out and Kendall was laughing so hard. Isn't that music to ever parent's ears? I wish I could have a screen capture of that perfect smile for all to see.

M is the most amazing, loving, caring, and helpful big sister and it's so great to see them interact.
At first I thought the 6 year age difference was going to be really hard but I have come to love the space between the two. I get so much help from M and K just adores the heck of out her.

We are planning to have #3 pretty soon and I only hope we will then have 3 perfect children who get along as famously as my two daughters do.

So for now I will just continue looking for the perfect software to help me create long lasting memories of my kids.

new dannon oikos greek yogurt review - #cleveroikos #cleveryogurt

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.


For more information and recipe ideas, visit http://www.oikosyogurt.com/ or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I've blogged about snacking smart before and now that I'm on Nutrisystem it's even more important to be smart with my food choices.
For me it's so hard to find yummy snack foods that are actually good for me. Recently we purchased a ton of yogurt because my husband likes taking it to work with him. Now I can't say I love yogurt but once in a while it's good. But I'm also not adventurious so I don't go out and try every brand and option there is out there.

As a part of this campaign for Dannon we were sent out to purchase the new Oikos Greek Yogurt and I must say, I was pretty nervious. How am I suppose to talk about something I know I'm going to dislike? Well boy was I wrong!

I love this yogurt. L.O.V.E. It's so thick and creamy, reminds me of how thick sour cream is and it has the perfect amount of sweetness (one of my huge problems is that yogurt tastes so sour)! I love their flavor varieties and they even have fruit on the bottom! I love crunch so I added some granola so it was like a parfait but way better then you can get at fast food joint.

The yogurt is so thick it odesn't even fall off the spoon. And notice that the yogurt in the cup doesn't look all watery? Perfect yum!

My husband still loves his regular brand but he said he wouldn't mind if I purchase this yogurt again. M didn't like the it but K was loving it. She loves yogurt so we aren't surprised.
I can definitely buy more of these for John's lunches so he can get a filling healthy snack while at work.

Dannon Oikos is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture. There are many varieties you can find at your local grocery store starting with the Dannon Oikos Plain and Fruit on the Bottom. Both contains 0% fat, while the Dannon® Oikos traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat. Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular lowfat yogurts.


Dannon Oikos 0% varieties contain active yogurt cultures and range from 80 calories (Plain) to 130 calories (Fruit on the Bottom) per 5.3 oz. cup. Dannon Oikos 0% Fat Berry Flavors beat Chobani 2-1 in a taste teste.

Right now you can head over to the Dannon Oikos Facebook page because they are offering a coupon for a free cup! www.facebook.com/oikos.


I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.