Moving? Check This Out.

My husband brought up a good point the other day. Our house is being taken over. Not by the kids and toys but by stuff. We both hate clutter so we've been looking for storage unit rentals to help us out since both the garage and attic are becoming too full to handle.
I donate as much review products that I can when we're done using them but somehow this blog has taken over the house. I love every part of my job but holy wow, something has to be done.
It made me think about maybe we just need a bigger house and then I found this cool infographic.

Enjoy :)

Are you going through a move right now? We have actually used Uncle Bob's in the past and they were so wonderful to work with. Plus, they let you use one of their moving trucks for free so you can move your stuff in and then again when you're ready to leave your unit!

How To Contribute To Your Family

I think if you ask most moms their dream is to be a stay at home mom. You know your kids will have fun, will be fed on time, get the right amount of naps in (even if the child doesn't agree), and most of all they are safe in your care. Of course there are other benefits from staying at home with your children but one downfall is your family income might suffer with only one parent working.

When John and I were trying for baby #2 we decided that I would be a stay at home mom once the baby was born. Little did we know how horribly sick I would become in the first 5 months of pregnancy which kept me from working at around 5 weeks and on. Since having Kendall it's been amazing to stay at home with her. I put my first daughter in day care for about 2 months when she was 7 months old and I don't know how I was able to do it. I can't imagine Kendall going to day care just so I could work.
Our family income did take a dip in the beginning but once we worked out our finances it's been uphill ever since.
I'm not saying it's easy, it definitely isn't, but we don't ever second guess our decision for me to stay home with the kids and I've never needed to look for jobs on www.workingmums.co.uk/ or any other online job search website.

Workingmums is a great resource for mom's in the UK so I'm glad there is a legit place on the Internet that can help stay at home moms find ways to help supplement the family income by working at home, I just wish moms in the USA could find a good place to find work from home.

Are you a stay at home mom that now has to work?

After School Snack - #TysonGoodness #CBias

School is back in session and I soon remembered that my daughter needs a snack when she gets home from school. Her lunch time is around 10:30, which is just crazy to me, so needless to say she is starving when she gets home at 4:30.

I ran to my closest Walmart and picked up some more Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches recently because as you've heard in the past from me we love them. Only select Walmart stores carry them right now so you might want to check out TysonGoodness.com first to find a location near you but I already know which Walmart near me carries them so I was good to go - check out my Google+ story.

They were out of the regular sandwiches so I bought the Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Cheese this time and my daughter was so glad I did.
I just pop these babies in the microwave for 45 seconds, flip the package over then microwave for another 45 seconds and bam - done! How's that for a quick snack? Less then 2 minutes and my daughters have a yummy snack that will hold them over until dinner time.

Kendall wont eat the breading so I just cut up the chicken for her to snack on. Makenna on the other hand loves the sandwich and loved it even more with cheese.

I'm happy to know that I can buy the Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Cheese because I was afraid the cheese would get hard/crispy but that didn't happen. The cheese was hot, and melty and even after a few minutes of the sandwich cooling down the cheese still stayed melty and didn't turn hard.

There is still some time for you to snag two boxes and get a $5 Walmart gift card in return. Check out how right here.
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions about Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are those of mine and my family.

Money Saving Tips for 2012

I am so excited for it to be January so I can mark my savings from day one. I began meal planning a few months ago and buying in bulk with coupons but now it's going to be great to see how much I can save in 12 full months. So This year I have 5 money saving goals I wish to hit.

1. Clip Coupons. Yes I already do this but I want to get better at it and learn more. No, I'm not going to become an "extreme couponer" but I'll do my best so spend practically nothing at the grocery store. I am determined to find more promo codes online that can be used in store as well.

2. Pack My Husband's Lunch. This is a big one for us. My husband loves his sleep so in the morning he's always running too late to stop and make his lunch. I want to pack his lunch the night before so there is no "Oh no. I need to eat out" moments... although I'm sure he is just fine with eating out everyday, I'm not.

3. Buy Generic. I am a stickler for name brand. I'm not sure why since I didn't grow up always eating name brand. Almost every grocery store offers a generic version of the product you want from food to medicine and huge discount prices. I need to remember that "generic" isn't a bad word and it will probably taste the same or do the job just as well.

4. Save Money At Restaurants. Read my twitter feed and you will see that my family eats out almost every single day. Yep, whether it be for lunch or dinner we are always eating out. We have food in the house so it really boils down to being lazy and not wanting to cook or clean up the mess. Although I'm sure we aren't ready to cut out eating out all together I know there are things we can do to cut costs. Going to a restaurant with a "Kids Eat Free" option could save us at least $10, ordering water instead of soda could also save my family of four at least $6. Also going to a restaurant without the Kids Eat Free meal plan is still an option if we were to order a "2 for $20" plan which usually includes an appetizer and two entrees, then splitting the food up 4 ways could save my family around $15-20!

5. Get Cash Back. There are lots of places that offer cash back options for the things I already buy. One way I've already been doing this is my using my PayPal Business Debit Card. Every time I use the card as credit I believe I get 1% cash back. It doesn't seem like much but I use my card a lot and it definitely adds up.

So as you see, most of my goals include spending less money on food. This is probably our only spending issue and it definitely needs to be "fixed" by any ways possible.

How do you save money on the things you need on a daily basis?

Weight Loss in 2012

To start the year off right most resolve to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. This time honored resolution is well, time honored and all too often futile.

Around this time you may hear lots of things from people
◦ “I resolve to eat better” This means you will wake up 30 minutes sooner to prepare breakfast and abandon you lunch time haunts. Not everyone is prepared for this.
◦ “I resolve to eat less” Uh... that's the same thing as "I'm going to starve myself to lose weight!"
◦ “I resolve to exercise more” Pretty much this means you have to find time in your schedule to go to the gym for an hour 4 times a week.



This year my husband and I have joined team weight loss. I just want to be more fit and active and he well, he needs to lose all the sympathy baby weight he gained (and is still gaining) when I was pregnant with Kendall.

There are lots of different ways to do this but we are going with the time honored tradition of a gym and eating better. My husband's new work schedule allows him to be home most days by 2pm so he is going to take the dog on a long walk/run then the whole family will hit the gym. Our gym has a child care facility so it's easy for us all to go together.

Regardless of whether you have resolved to lose weight because you want to look good or you want feel great, it can be a resolution that you can keep if you have a little patience and some help. You could be looking good and feeling great by spring – if you get started now.

Going on a Trip

Christmas is just a few days away and I have been shopping, planning, wrapping and shipping my little heart away. Things were going to be pretty calm this year and per the usual we'd visit my parents and get a visit from the MIL.
Just a couple days ago I got the word that we'd be receiving a Cadillac SRX for a week so we immediately starting planning. We knew we'd go out of town but to where was the question and trying to figure all this out so close to Christmas is giving me a headache.

Once the plans are now set but now I need to think other things (my job never ends) like who to take care of the house and dog while we were gone. Usually going on a trip is pretty costly but I know we'll be taking our Shelf Reliance food storage kits with us so we wouldn't be eating out much if at all.

I also have so much blog work that needs to be done and I am nothing but a procrastinator when that topic has been coming up. I know after the Christmas break it'll be hard to get back into the swing of things but I am wishing for the best.

I hope the next few days go smoothly and everyone has an amazing Christmas. I have a couple more reviews to get up but after that - Christmas break time!!

Wish List Shopping: Gifts for me!

I have been writing a lot of posts about what I am or want to get some other family members but what about me!
I did tell John that I wanted a diamond necklace or maybe a new wedding band but there are lots of things I want that don't cost that much money. At the end of the day of course I want our girls to be spoiled more then myself. Something easy like ellos pyjamas would be great for me though. I am a work at home mom so I do stay in my pjs most of the time unless of course I need to go out and run errands. Pajamas really are a great practical gift for me and I love this set I found. I am totally not the frilly, lacy type pj girl, never have been and can't imagine I ever will be.

While on Ellos I also saw some adorable outfits for the girls. At some great prices but after I added things to my cart I discovered that they don't yet ship to the USA so I was super sad. I emailed Ellos and asked if there was anything they could do for me though and they just added to my saddness by saying something around the lines of, "not right now".

So tell me, do you like getting clothes for Christmas and giving them also?

Gift Ideas for Any Princess

I love shopping for my girls but especially around the holidays. I try to be as creative as possible when it comes to their gifts but I know they are all about Disney Princesses, especially Makenna. Kendall even holds her baby doll around so this year I think it would be perfect for them to have some doll accessories like the Disney Doll Accessories that are just perfect for any little girl.

In my searches I found Grand Touring and I was definitely surprised by the prices they had for things like a Disney Doll Pram, Disney Doll Swing and other cute doll gear. The prices are cut so much that I would kick myself for passing up on these deals.

Right now you can buy the whole collection for the original price of just one of these items. The Disney Doll Pram is originally $89.99, the cradle was $69.99 - both now just $19.99! You can also find a regular "umbrella" stroller and high chair in this collection that is made of real solid wood.

You will be getting amazing quality at great prices that are a steal.

Hurry fast though because I'm sure they won't be in stock for much longer!

My Christmas Present to Myself

I have spent so much time shopping for presents for everyone else this year and I haven't really thought about what I want. So when John asked me what I wanted yesterday I told him a new diamond necklace.

But then I thought about it. Recently I posted about wanting to buy my husband a new wedding band for Christmas and after that post I began looking into rings for me. I love my wedding ring but we have more money then we did when we got married so why not get a better ring for myself as well?

I couldn't believe how many diamond rings choices are on the market online that I never saw before.
My first step was finding the right cut, color and clarity that I wanted which was a long process since I was doing this online and of course I was not seeing them in person.
I love the swirl design of the diamonds in this wedding band so this may jsut be the one since it's so unique.

I found some amazing engagement rings too but changing my engagement ring is a totally different thing to me. I'd never ask for a new/better engagement ring because I do feel like that's stealing the beauty of that day. Why do I feel that way about one day and not the other, I have no idea, I just do.

I know a lot of you said that you would accept a better wedding ring. So would you ask for a better engagement ring if your husband could provide one too?

Dating a Mom With Kids

What a lot of people don't know is that my oldest daughter isn't my husband's daughter. When I chose to keep her when I got pregnant at 19 it was a very hard decision because I knew I wasn't going to stay with her dad. I had a lot of things running through my mind like I would be single forever. It was a very hard but as hard as it was I loved my daughter and things were never has hard as I imagined they would be.

Men and women dating people with kids is not rare these days and is more common then we all realize. With every one's busy schedules it's hard to get back in the game and meet people. More then 80% of relationships start online and there are lots of free dating websites around so it's hard to find the best one.

I didn't find my husband online but I did dabble in the idea of it. It's sorta like a blind date except you know a lot more about them before you go out, which is a good thing if you ask me.

I met my husband at work and even though he is younger he instantly jumped at the role to be a step-dad. It was all circumstantial and if events that transpired previously to us meeting then well, we wouldn't have met and our lives would be a lot different.

More women are getting in on the action to dating single parents since more men are taking on the role of single dad. I personally like to see that so many men are stepping up to take care of their kids instead of just leaving the mom to do it.

I was very lucky to find a great man to take on my family and help me create a bigger family with him. Our journey has been interesting to say the least and despite the typical "it won't last" comments we have and will continue to grow our love and family.

Storing Food for an Emergency

The possibilities of an emergency are always in the back of my mind since we live in Florida. We had some pretty bad hurricanes 7 years ago and my family and I were not prepared at all.

When I think food storage I think lots of water, crackers, uncooked rice and grains, ect. Things that are definitely not on the top of my favorite things to eat category.

I've been trying to do some research on how I can store food for us if something were to happen, especially since we may move up North where we would be faced with snow storms and tornadoes.

I found a site called Prepare Wise and thought it was so cool!

Prepare Wise offers sustainable solutions and a simple approach to taking the complications and apprehensions out of building a long term food storage supply. The great taste, preserved nutritional value and integrity of the Wise Foods meals are maintained in large part by a unique packaging process. The dehydrated and freeze dried foods are contained in airtight nitrogen packed Mylar pouches, and can be prepared in just minutes.

This is 360 servings!

All of these long term food storage items maintain a shelf life of up to 25 years, and for added protection are encased in durable 4-gallon plastic containers that are stackable and easy to open and close. This innovation in packaging means you don't need to worry about rotating out products based on a short shelf life.

There are things like pasta premivera, cheese & broccoli bake, pasta alfredo, Enchiladas, and so much more!

The prices are a bit high when you look at the price tag. The one pictured above is $450 but really that's just $1.25 per serving.
Prepare Wise is definitely on my list of To Do things.

Train Horn on a Sorento?

So I had a very amusing talk with John the other night. We will be test driving a Kia Sorento in a couple weeks (for a week long! woop woop) since I am a huge SUV fan and I have had my eyes on a Sorento for a while now. If we are going to expand our family then we definitely need an SUV and not two sedans like we have currently.

Me: Hey so we should get the Sorento on the 6th.

John: that's awesome.

Me: Yeah... it is. I really hope we like it because it's definitely affordable.

John: Yeah.

Me: Umm ok.

John: You know what would be cool? If we put some train horns on the Sorento!

Me: A what?!

John: A train horn! Let's go look them up!

Me: I don't think I want to know.

John: Look, see. TrainHornsDelivered.com sells them. It says they make "loudest and most durable kits that money can buy" Let's buy it!

Me: K, I'm confused. What the hell is it?

John: a TRAIN-HORN. It makes your car horn sound like a big train. It's awesome!

Me: Well on that note, I'm going to see what the girls are doing.

So yeah, my husband is nuts and there is no way in hell my gorgeous Sorento would have a train horn on it.

How To Survive A Zombie Attack!

via

wevideo dance contest (flipcam hd giveaway!)

This year has been amazing to me and I have a lot to be thankful for so together with WeVideo we decided it was time to give back and say "Thanks".

WeVideo is a video editing website that is cloud based. Meaning you can edit your videos anywhere you'd like without any software to download. With WeVideo, you simply upload your video clips and photos, create your storylines, and edit them in the cloud. All video story creation takes place in the browser on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

You can create videos “in the moment” wherever you are, making the process convenient and timely. You have full creative control over your videos and images. And with WeVideo, you can collaborate with others on video stories. You can co-create the same video or come up with your own unique versions from the clips in your own cloud-based video library. Once created, you can share your video in basic Internet or high-definition quality on the WeVideo site or publish it to your favorite video-sharing, social-networking, or other online site.







So with all that said, WeVideo and I have come up with a little contest and we hope you all will be excited to take part in.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner so we'd like you to create a Fall/Thanksgiving themed dance video for us!

Contest Details
Your video must be under 3 minutes or under.
Get your kids involved, your husband, your neighbor. Possibilities are endless BUT it must capture fall/Thanksgiving. Dress in fall colors, have Thanksgiving decorations around you, whatever you want!

As long as it of course has someone DANCING.

Contest Rules
Sign up for WeVideo (it's FREE!) and upload your dance. You must use the editing tools in some way (adding text, audio, ect.. as long as you are using the product.

Once you upload and edit your video simply upload it to YouTube using the option found on your screen. Then come back here and fill out the form below.

You have 2 (two) weeks to submit your 1 (one) video entry. Winners will be announced on or before 11/23/2011 9pm EST.

Prizes
1st place: 1 FlipCam HD ($125 retail value)
2nd place: 12 months "Plus" We Video subscription ($50 value)
3rd place: 12 months "Plus" We Video subscription ($50 value)



Disclosure: I received compensation for hosting this giveaway with WeVideo. All opinions are my own :)

Plum District $100 Giveaway!

We all know there are a lot of "deal" sites out there but recently at a blogger lunchion (yes we are that sefisticated) I learned about Plum District.


(click to see a bigger picture)

Plum District is different from the usual deal sites because it is made by moms for moms. They aren't going to share a deal that doesn't make our lives easier or more enjoyable. Really, I could care less about a Custom T-Shirt design deal. That might be cool for some people but not for me. I want deals for family outings, deals on getting my nails done or a hair cut, some cute shoes for my kids. Those are the type of deals I want.

No matter where you live there are probably deals in your area. Click on the location box and it drops down a ton of cities. Once you click on the little down arrow you will see that area broken up into sections. For Central Florida we have West Orlando, East Orlando. For NewYork there is Uptown, Downtown and Brooklyn. Breaking the deals into sections really helps you search for deals in the area you feel comfortable driving to.
Other deal sites not so much. I search Orlando and I get deals 45 minutes away from me. Sorry that's too far when I'm only saving $15 since then I'd have to use that $15 on gas.

So if you want some awesome money saving deals in your area then check out Plum District.

If you haven't signed up to get the Plum District deals in your area then go do it now. Go. I'll wait.
Ok, now that you're signed up feel free to enter this awesome giveaway!!

So how would you like $100 Plum District money? I'll keep it simple with easy entries! (don't forget to read The Fine Print before you enter.)

Mandatory Entry: sign up for Plum District here then tell me a local deal that you want!
If you are already signed up for Plum District then please still click through the link and tell me a local deal you want :)

Optional Extra Entries:
"Like" Plum District Orlando on Facebook
Follow Plum District Orlando on Twitter
Tweet this giveaway! "Love deals? Plum District wants to give you $100 just in time for holidays via @mommaJWoww19 http://bit.ly/v22JrN"



**I received compensation for my time.The views are strictly 100% my own. Receiving compensation did not influence me to produce a positive review**

For extra entries to count you must like and follow the Orlando, FL district Plum District sites. This campaign is hosted by them so even if you are not a local please follow these rules.
Giveaway is open to USA only. It will end and close on November 14th @ 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.

getting myself into trouble

A couple months ago you may remember that we painted the girl's/guest bathroom thanks to Glidden. Well now it has me looking at the bathroom as incomplete. The vanity has a standard one sink, drawers and under the sink space but I want more so I've been hunting for some bathroom ideas.

I'm not really looking for storage (but that would be nice), I'm looking for it to coordinate with the painting and new decorations we put in.
I usually stir toward modern appliances and furniture so while window shopping for a new vanity and sink my eye was caught by this beauty.

My husband John, yeah he hates my choice. I absolutely love when sinks are above the counter. And I think would give the girls a ton of space of their own when they're older. I don't like that the legs are lifted though. I can only image how much dust will collect under there, let alone lip gloss containers.
Whatever vanity we get will have to be directly on the floor because I do not want one more thing to clean and worry.

He husband likes a more traditional look (this applies to everything and that bugs me so much!) and he picked out  that one --->
Yeah, it's nice but I want it to stand out and express itself. His choice is just... plain.

Both our choices are a little expensive so we'll definitely be looking for some discount bathroom vanities to aid in my obsession in expensive yet practical designs.

All I know is I need to stop watching so much DIY Network TV because it's driving me crazy that I can't just go rip down every wall in the house and start from stratch. Those shows make it look SO easy, especially Yard Crashers and Bath Crashers which is done in just 3 days. Psh, I wish. It look us 3 days just to paint the girl's bathroom, lol.

So can you give me any advice on how to redo a bathroom on a budget and sticking to the budget?

e.l.f. review

Ok so I'm sure you are thinking I am talking about Santa's Elves but I'm not. Nope E.L.F stands for Eyes Lips Face and it's great makeup at an even better price!
I love love love makeup. I don't wear it often but that doesn't stop me from always buying it when I see a new color I like or new products on the shelf.

Well now with E.L.F John doesn't get so mad at me and now I can buy my friends makeup gifts and they won't know I spent next to nothing on a gift I know they will love.
Now that Halloween is over and done with the Holidays are in full swing and E.L.F has since released their holiday gift boxes and new 24 Gold Collection!
I was looking around and man do I wish my girls were older because I found some great stocking stuffers like these ye shadows for only $3 and $5!

 I especially love the Beauty Face Book since it has that step-by-step guide to getting the perfect look for day or night. Score!

Now the 24 Gold Collection is a whole different story. There are about 7 pieces to choose from and different palettes to choose from but wow, just check out this 100 piece eye shadow collection. The price? Only $24! I think this would last me for the rest of my life!

What girl doesn't love makeup but we know it was be extremely pricey and it adds up very quickly. Ever had all your makeup run out at the exact same time? I have and trust me it's a trip I didn't want to make. With products from E.L.F. I wouldn't mind my makeup running out at the same time because I can afford to purchase this makeup while not breaking the bank or feeling bad I spent money on myself instead of my daughters.

So c'mon everyone, stop buying expensive makeup! Spend less, get more and you still get awesome quality!

Using SignUpGenius to Organize!

M just started Girl Scouts and a school soccer team. It has been a lot of work trying to get her to the meetings and making sure we have everything we need. Now I am a huge planner, organizer and all things list making, if you see my pile of notebooks and crumbled up papers in the trash you would believe me. My biggest problem with everything is that my plans will accidentally get thrown away or ripped by K or I just plain lose them.
I recently discovered SignUpGenius, a totally free online list making tool for group sign up list making. I have already brought the site to my daughter's troop leader so we can keep track of who is bringing snacks to what meeting and it also helps us know when exactly the meetings will take place.

I love that SignUpGenius is so easy to use and after just a few shorts steps you have your sign up sheet and it's easy to email it to everyone I need to. SignUpGenius even sends reminders to people so again, nothing can ever be forgotten!

They have a lot of great features and it's so easy that everyone is able to figure it out and use their tools for list making and even party rsvp invites.
■Simple wizards for creating your sign up
■Public or private online group sign up
■Automated email reminders
■“Swapping” ability for schedule changes
■Attractive and customizable templates
■Easy administration tools and stats

We all know how annoying it can be to call around to everyone to give them a message that they might not ever receive so that's why using SignUpGenius is perfect. There are no missed phone calls or anything. Just fill out the information and if at a later date something needs to be changed or added then it's easy to do so!

So far this has worked great for Girl Scouts and at the next PTA meeting I am going to bring it up so we can use it for keeping track of parent sign ups for field trips and such!

Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for this post but I really do love and use SignUpGenius. All opinions are my own! 

YesVideo Review and Giveaway

Transferring your old reels, photos and VHS tapes are all the rage right now and with YesVideo they can help you create long lasting memories for some unique holiday gifts.

Film reels were all the rage back in the day but 40 years later finding a projector is nearly impossible, watching a VHS fades the video each time it is played and do DVD's and Blu-Ray players are the new way to go. When we make these memories we definitely can't imagine losing them in 10-20 years but it is possible.

With YesVideo they will take all your old tapes and feels and convert them for you. I really love the MemorySafe product that they offer. MemorySafe is YesVideo's private and secure online solution to store your newly-digitized home movies. It's currently offered when you place your order at select retail locations or online with Yesvideo.

After you digitally transfer your videotapes, movie film reels, slides and prints you will receive a free trial subscription of MemorySafe, where you can edit, view and share your digitally transferred movies.

Using YesVideo is a super easy and convenient way to make and share videos with loved ones and it really makes a unique gift.

Currently they are running a promotion on their YesVideo Facebook page where you can win a $100 transfer service. The giveaway ends on November 21st so hurry and get your entries in. All you have to do is upload a picture that reminds you of the fall! the winner is picked at random so no voting or judging makes this a great contest!

Also, use the code TRANSFER15 at checkout to receive 15% off your order!

GIVEAWAY
Win a $60 credit toward your YesVideo purchase!

(click the blog post title for more info in you do not see the Rafflecopter form below!!)

qcos kids review

I don't know about you but Christmas is coming way too fast for my comfort. I have definitely been good about shopping through-out the year but there are always last minute things I have to wait to purchase like clothes. Yes, I'm one of those Moms who buy clothes for their kids on Christmas.

As with other things in my life I have been trying to be more "green" and bring in as many organic things into our lives as possible. I have a new found love for organic clothes because the quality and softness just cannot be measured compared to the usual clothes I buy.

QCOS Kids online boutique is focused on quality, comfort and style for children. The majority of their products are made from organic materials and are of an exceptional quality.

I love this online boutique because some of the pieces you can't get in the states but are very popular in the Europe area. They carry clothes are are manufactured in the United States but also from South Africa and Australia so you will definitely be putting your kids in clothes that are you unique and very comfortable.

The prices are a bit high but you have to remember that you're buying organic and with that you get a better quality for your money and for your kids.
Check out QCOS Kids this holiday season if you're a green mama and want your kids to be walking in style.