Around here, we love summer. To be able to go outdoors and play, without having to bundle up is such a treat! With the cold weather finally on its way out, and the summer coming in strong, we've spent many day's just lounging outside, enjoying the warm weather. But, it seems that every summer we get hit with an abundance of little pests. You know what I'm talking about...those swarms of blood sucking little mosquito's that attack our ever so yummy bodies!
These have got to be my most hated of all pests. Not only because they leave us itchy and scratchy, but both Ben and Myself are sensitive to the little buggers and we end up swollen with huge hives on us, not just the little buggy bites. This takes things like camping and hiking right out of our summer plans.
Mosquito's are not only an annoyance, but they can be very dangerous! They can carry around disease like west nile and unknowingly infect their targets. And if you have the allergy, like my son and I do, it can really make summer not quite so much fun.
That's why I was so happy to find the Mosquito Magnet! It really can save our summers! I was so excited when I read the mosquito magnet review. Being able to trap the little buggers rather than covering out bodies with harmful chemicals is such a blessing. Especially since those most of those chemicals don't really work anyway. I'm looking forward to a summer filled with outdoor fun and camping thanks to Mosquito Magnet.
So, my scraggly haired boy was in dire need of a haircut, and let me tell you, Hair Cuts is his very least favorite thing to do! I'll admit, I agree with him. I don't like cutting his beautiful curls either. But with the hot weather coming, the rats nest on top of his head needed to go. Don't believe me, check out the last WW post here.
So, though some wonderful bribery (visions of the carnival, cotton candy and candy apples) I was able to get him into the hair dressers chair, and he didn't fight me one bit! Here are the before, during and after pics!
Before
During
After
Bribery almost always works.
Now if he would only fall off to sleep for tomorrow's Apple Blossom Celebrations!
As many of you by now know, the A Busy Mommy family is expecting our second child. And, as many of the mom's out there know, your second child tends to "pop" much faster than the first. Well, that is for sure happening to me right now! Though I don't have that lovely Baby Bump just yet, nor weight gain...I do have one problem. My jeans are too tight!!!
My favorite jeans just aren't fitting me the way they used to, they cut into my belly, and leave me feeling quite squished. So, I guess it's time to start looking for maternity wear. Through my online hunting, I've found some beautiful garments, that I can't wait to add to my wardrobe. And call me lucky, I get to shop for both a summer and winter wardrobe.
Shopping for new clothes is so much fun, especially when your accentuating that baby bump!
I wanted to share with all of you some of the great outfits that I've found so far!
Summer
Fall/Winter
Though, there is one thing I've left out! The Jeans! You've got to have a great pair of Maternity Jeans for year round! No wardrobe is complete without that perfect pair!
I love both of these jeans, and hoping to add them to my wardrobe very soon. Did you have a favorite thing that you just "had to have" when you were expecting. That perfect outfit?
After years and years of the love triangle, he's gone and done it! I spent years and years reading many an Archie Comic and now, always wondering who Archie would chose. Actually, I never thought it would end.
I was always rooting for Betty, She always seemed like the type to settle down, raise a family and be a "good wife" but.... NO, Mr. Testosterone chose VERONICA!!!! Yep! They're getting married!
I know, I know....I've been totally MIA. (my new nick name!!!) Lately I've let so many things go, that I have a huge mountain of things to do! Kinda overwhelming!!! But, I figure I had better start somewhere, so here goes!!
First I'll fill you in on some things going on in the A Busy Mommy world. As many of you know I am preggo...currently 11 weeks. It's finally starting to sink in. It seems to be taking a while to "click." These last few weeks have left me feeling horrible, with no energy and feeling sick most of the time. If I don't eat every couple hours, I feel even worse...which reminds me, It's almost time to eat again, I wonder what we'll have for lunch today.
I had my first prenatal yesterday, and it was exciting...I'll tell you all about it in a post soon...
Second, I am now a SAHM/WAHM... Though I am excited about being able to stay home with the family, I'm scared as well. I've never gone longer than 2 months without a job, and since the doors closed on Sunday, and my step father is retiring, I'm trying to enjoy the thoughts of having this time to spend with Ben, getting him ready for school( still a year and a half away) and enjoying the summer off. (We'll be hitting the beach often)
As a direct result of not feeling well, my online life has suffered...I am hoping over the next few weeks to get back in the swing of things, get some great product reviews up and have some giveaways again. There are two live right now, great Father's Day Gift Ideas. If you scroll down you'll find links to them.
Lastly, my house has suffered. Feeling like crap makes you not want to do ANYTHING....and I pretty much haven't. I only have 6 rooms in this appt, so you wouldn't thing it could get than bad, but it has. So getting my home back in order is another thing at the top of my list. So far today, I've finished Ben's Room. Completely cleaned and organized, laundry put away...only 5 rooms left to go. I hope to get at least two more done today, probably the bathroom and the living room. Tomorrow will be my bedroom, and kitchen.....I guess my office will have to wait until last. I just don't have anywhere to put anything. And the Laundry is a whole other problem all together, If I'm really feeling like embarrassing myself, I'll take a picture of the enormous pile of laundry and share it with everyone....but no promises....
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has hung in there, and waited around for me to come back to life... I should be back to my regular posting schedule by next week, and have lots of great stuff for you all!
Great Father's Day Gift Idea - XShot! - Bonus Giveaway!!!
Father's Day is coming up fast, and I always have an awful time trying to find a great present for hubby. He loves so many things, and none of which I know anything about. (Mostly tools)
One thing he is, is a gadget lover. He loves anything that makes something else work better. And that I why I was so excited when I was given the chance to check out the XShot.
The XShot is a wonderful little contraption that resembles an antenna or a pointer. It attaches to the base of your camera or video camera using the tripod area and extends to allow you to get your camera in those hard to reach places. All you have to do is attach the camera to the XShot, set the timer and extend! It is also great for those moments in life when you want everyone in the picture. Again, just set the timer and extend! Huddle with your buddies and everyone's in the shot. No one get's left out!
Our family loves the XShot, because I can now finally be in the picture! There are lots of pictures of Ben and Daddy, cause I take them all. Now Daddy just sets it up, and we're all in the shot! Making our family memories complete, with no one missing.
Here is Ben and I on the couch. He's sick today so we snuggled quite a bit. Daddy was at work for this one. There will be lots more X Shot Photo's to come!
The Giveaway
Head over to Xshot and check out the site, let me know something that you found there, It could be something interesting, something neat, or just how you think it would help out your photo taking experience. Please leave a valid email in your entry so that I can contact you if you win!
Extra Entries! Please leave a Separate Comment for each additional entry.
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Giveaway will end on June 2nd. Winner will be contacted VIA email, and will be posted on our winners page. Open to US and Canadian residence, Giveaway ends June 1st. Winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by email. Winners will have 48 hours to reply to the email.
Dr. Oetkerhas always been on of my very favorite "easy bake" products, and they have made baking with my little guy one step easier. Their new product, The Dr. Oetker Shaker makes cupcakes and pancakes a no mess, no fuss, yummy project to do with your kids! You don't even need a bowl!!! Anything that I can do to avoid yucky dishes to wash is way cool!!!!
All you have to do is open up the shaker, add your water or milk, then ShakeShakeShake!!! You can make it a game with the little ones! Or even put it to music! And I have to say it again, No Bowl and spoon to wash!!! Just rinse out the container and recycle, or reuse it for dry storage or craft supplies!
I can't wait to use these for my holiday baking. Since time is something that no Mom has enough of, and with my new bambino coming for the Holidays, I need every time saver that I can find. Dr. Oetker shakers is now at the top of my Holiday Baking list. I'll have more than enough time to pump out dozens of cupcakes, muffins and yummy pancake breakfasts!
Not only does Dr. Oetker want to help everyone save a little time, They want to help you spend some of that great quality time with your family! That's why they've got the Shake Up A Winner Contest going on right now! Enter daily for your chance to win a $1200 Visa Cash Card, or one of 10 Dr. Oetker Shaker Fun Packs!!!
Join the Nestle Baby Program and receive the Nestle Baby Backpack filled with lots of great samples for Baby! Includes a can of Nestle Good Start Formula, Nestle Baby Cereal Samples and a Changing Pad.
You'll get a free subscription to Nestle Baby Magazine.
Stage Appropriate Emails filled with tons of information about babies at your childs age.
Save your packaging for great money saving reward points! Whenever you enter a code from a participating Nestle Baby Product you will received loyalty points. Save 20 points and you can trade them in for: $5 off Nestle GoodStart Baby Formula; Free Nestle Baby Cereal; Free Gerber Graduates.
I am looking forward to taking advantage of the Nestle Good Start Program. I love using coupons along with in store sales, and with young babies you go through a lot of the products that Nestle Baby carries. When you can get a box of cereal for $1, or $5 off a case of formula, the savings add up! By signing up for a program like Nestle baby, you get the higher value coupons...making the savings that much better.
Well, lately I've been on the hunt for lots of great CanadianBaby Freebies that companies offer. I've found quite a few, and will continue to hunt throughout my pregnancy and while the new baby is still young. On my side bar you'll find a list of Canadian Baby Freebies, and I will post the links there as I come across them. I will continue to update this post with a more detailed description of the offer, and links to the offer.
With the growing cost of living, taking advantage of the wonderful offers that companies put out there is a wonderful idea. Why not save a few bucks here or there? Combining manufacterers coupons with in store sales, you have the potential to save more than $5 on a package of diapers.
Many companies offer cents or dollar off coupons to help you buy their product over the generic. By checking out the websites, joining Baby Clubs and opting in to receiving emails and snail mail samples you can save a lot of money, and get to try before you buy! Many of the leading companies also offer loyalty rewards for continuing to purchase their products. Save your packaging, there could be hidden rewards in those!
Here is my ever growing list of Canadian Baby Freebies.
This time of year I spend a lot of time looking for clothes for my son. I'm always on the hunt for great, full coverage but light weight clothes for him. He has a few summertime allergies, so long sleeve, breathable tops are always at the top of my list.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to test out a top from Linen Kids, and was I ever happy with what I found. The top that we received fits my son perfectly, it is completely breathable and a beautiful design.
The above picture is the top that we received. It is hand made to order, and of excellent quality! Made out of 100% Linen yarns. The top washes very well (machine washable), with only a slight amount of shrinkage after the first wash. (So slight I didn't notice it!)
With the heat of summer approaching fast, linen is a wonderful option to clothe our kids! Linen is a very breathable fabric that absorbs moisture and deflects heat, on the hottest of days, a linen top will still feel cool to the touch. It in non-allergenic, stain resistant and eco-friendly. Over time, linen will only get softer and more comfy, having a much longer life than most fabrics, making it a wonderful investment.
When you check out the Linen Kids website you'll notice a great offer. 15% off your first order!
Linen Kids offers a multitude of children's clothing and accessories, I've picked out a few of my faves to share with all of you.
A big Thank You to Linen Kids for the opportunity to review their wonderful products! Please be sure to check out Linen Kids!
I think about this a lot lately. With my second bambino now on the way, and almost 1/4 of the way here my mind has been wandering to some serious questions about just how good of a Mom am I. Now, many people tell that I'm a great Mom, but when I spend most of the morning laying on the couch I tend to doubt that.
To me, I think "The Perfect Mom" is someone who get's up before the rest of the family, has breaky ready to eat, the dishes done, and their clothes laid out for the day. She sends her older kids off to school and then sets her sights on entertaining her preschoolers/babies throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon. Lunch is ready at lunch time, Supper is ready when Hubby gets home from work. The house is always clean, her children listen the first time their told, and she is always calm, cool and collected. At least that's what I picture...
But that is sooo not who I am.
My day starts when it starts. It all depends on what time my butt made it to bed the night before. Since I work outside of the home (only two more weeks of that though) at night time, my days should be filled with playing with Ben and getting the house work completed...But for some reason, I just haven't been able to make that move towards "The Perfect Mom"
I wake up, find something easy for Ben to have for Breaky (usually consists of a Chocolate Chip Eggo Waffle and a piece of fruit), I stare at the mess left from the night before, walk away from it and my butt hits the coach. (Well, actually by back, I lay back down) I don't ususally start moving again until Lunch time, where I make grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbells soup, tuna sandwiches and Campbells soup, third option being Kraft Dinner/Mac and Cheese with weiners cut up in it. Then I try to tidy up the kitchen, throw a load of laundry in the washer (only for it to sit there and need to be washed again because it gets musty) Ask my son to pick up his toys a million times, (cause he doesn't listen the first time, EVER!) and run the vacuum over the floor. On the odd occasion when I do find a burst of energy, we'll go for a walk or head out to the park, but sadly, I have to admit, those days don't happen very often.
Then it's time for me to get ready for work, unfortunatly Supper/Dinner has escaped my mind and I never think to prepare anything early enough for me to take it with me! Since Ben comes to work with me a lot, we end up eating CRAP on the run that costs way more than what it's worth and has the nutritional value of bootleather...actually, I think bootleather may be better for you!! Though he is active enough to burn those horrible calories away, he shouldn't be getting them to begin with.
A perfect example would be our supper last night! I was scheduled to work the Day Shift (for a change) and Dad was off. He cooked supper (which makes me think he may be preggo with what he came up with) and when I got home, we sat down at the Dinner table to eat. OMGosh we both had to fight forever to get Ben to sit down. Ever since we moved he's been eating at the coffee table (Dinner table was in storage) and that's what he's become accustomed to. Now we have our dinner table and I insisted that we sit there to eat! He flat out refused, balled and cried...and plain just refused to eat. Eventually we just sent him to bed...
I'm so hoping that when I am no longer working outside the home, I'll be able to change...ad some structure to all of our lives, and grow a little closer to the perfect mom...
So my question is, what type of mom are you?
a) I'm the perfect Mom! b) I'm close to perfect, but I still have my moments. c) I try my hardest, but perfection is still a ways away. d) I don't know how to be perfect. e) I gave up trying a long time ago.
I'm a D right now, I just don't know how to be perfect. My brain doesn't allow me to think that way! I'm hoping to at least move up to a C before Bambino #2 comes along.
Ok folks, I have to tell everyone about this book. One of the funniest reads I've had in a while. I completely enjoyed every moment spent reading The Dysfunctional Father's Guide To Pregnancy, Birth & Babies. This book is about what men really think of the whole Baby Making process, from conception to afterbirth... this book will have you rolling!
Written by Men, for men, about men, nothing comes closer to the truth about fathers. When the book is read by men/fathers, it is a comfort. A confirmation that they are not the most horrible father in the world, but that they are normal...like many other fathers.
When read by a woman, it's a confirmation that they may as well keep the man they have, cause they're all nuts!
I think every Mom and Dad should take the time to read this book, If you have any sense of humor at all, this book will have you in tears...laughing you a$ off!!
So 2 Lucky A Busy Mommy readers are going to have the chance to win this book! It will make a great Father's Day Gift!!!
To Enter, tell me something "dysfunctional" about the new dad in your life... Does he cringe at the thought of changing a diaper, does a little spit up make him gag! I want to hear the best! Make me laugh! Please leave a valid email so I can contact you if you win!
Extra Entries! Please leave a Separate Comment for each additional entry.
Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. Don't forget to link me!
Tweet this giveaway and don't forget to link me!
Add my button to your sidebar, link me!
Subscribe or Follow my blog (or both)
Stumble, Technorati, ect me...
Subscribe to my NEW monthly newsletter
Open to US and Canadian residence, Giveaway ends June 1st. Winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by email. Winners will have 48 hours to reply to the email.
So today started out pretty normal, I woke up, had my usual bout of morning sickness and general yuckyness, got Ben some breaky (a chocolate chip eggo waffle and a glass of milk) and sat down to let the nausea pass. After a short time, I started to notice a pain in my left side, very low, that went through to my lower back. Over about an hour, the pain got considerably worse...at times bringing tears to my eyes. I decided that since I have no doctor yet, that I should make my way down to the Emergency room.
So I woke up hubby who was napping on the coach, told him to watch Ben as I was going to go get checked out, and headed out the door. I was almost at the hospital when I hit a ginormous pothole! BANG!!!! It felt like the bottom of my car was about to come through the top!
I make it down to the intersection, and my steering wheel was pulling hard to the right. The light turned green and I tried to go straight...that's when I knew it, I blew a tire. I went through the intersection, pulled into someones driveway and said a bunch of not so nice words to myslef...this was not what I needed.
Thankfully, I was right across from Family Tire, and walked over, tears welling up in my eyes, not showered, no make up on....Imagine how I felt. Anyway, a very nice man saw me and rushed to my rescue. He went over and checked out my tire. Confirmed that it was a gonner, and said they could put my dummy tire on for me.
I thanked him and walked the rest of the way to the Hospital...He had offered a drive, but I really needed the fresh air. So I make my way to emerg only to find that they had completely changed the admittance process since my last visit, and we pretty much had to go through an obstical course to get checked out.
Sit in the Blue Chair to see the Triage Nurse, then go to admin and get registered, then sit in an Orange Chair and wait to hear your name....after about 45 min in the waiting room, I heard my name.
So now I'm in emerg, waiting to see a doctor, and I notice a girl I went to Highschool is the RN on duty...kinda releived but not so hyped to show my female parts to a girl that would recognize me in the grocery store...
They ordered an ultra sound, swabs and an exam, and concluded that the baby is just fine, has a heart beat of 186bpm, and I got to see my little tadpole... (at 8.5 weeks, that's what they look like) After a total of 4 hours in Emerg, I got to go pick up my car.
They had put the dummy tire on for me, and I went in to pay for the service when I realized that I had left my debit card sitting home on the shelf! OH what a day. I scrounged around my pockets and wallet and found $15.00 the bill was $17. 50. They smiled and said that they would make it work and left me on my way...
Then I got to come home and tell hubby the news! The Baby Is Fine, we need to buy new tires... So now I'm adding New Tires to my wishlist...anyone know any great deals on 185/55/15 's in Canada? If so, let me know.
Have you ever wanted something that you just can't have...something that is so not realistic that you may as well stop thinking about it. Well, I've got a few of those things on my list, but the one that always jumps out at me the the Nikon.
I love taking pictures, being outdoors and capturing every moment, but my little $100 digital just doesn't do the trick. I want real pictures...pics that make you think WOW!
I would love to get into professional photography, but it's just not in the cards right now. Maybe someday I'll get to take pics of my life through a Nikon, but for now I'll have to settle for my POS :-(
I don't do this very often, but today I'm in the mood to enter some giveaways and check out some great new products. I'm especially looking for Baby Stuff and Kids Stuff. With a new bambino on the way, I'm going to need to start stocking up! Giveaways are a great way to find some awesome products.
So, I'm dedicating the next 2 hours to the giveaway hunt. I'm going to post some great ones here, so be sure to check them out!
Piece Of Me is hosting a giveaway for Leg Huggers. Ends May 12th. Piece Of Me is hosting a giveaway for Manhattan Toy. Ends May 23rd.
The other day my bff and I took our boys to the park, her's is almost 3, mine just turned 4. We let them play for some time before they wanted us to join in...you know just getting our gossip on. So after a while another Mom came with her little boy. He was probably about 4, very well groomed and happy. He wanted to play with our guys.
Well, we had no problem letting the boy join in, and they played well for a little while. Our guys wanted to play on the swings, so we got up from our chat, (the other mom was just sitting on the end of the slide) and helped our boys on the swings and started pushing them. Well, this other little boy wanted to swing as well but his Mom didn't budge....she just sat their watching.
After a few minutes of the little boy asking, and some funny looks between myself and my friend, my bff picked him up and put him on the swing. It was obvious that his Mom wasn't going to push him on the swing. I was nervous about picking him up...In this day and age you really don't know what you can or cannot do, especially with a child that you don't know from a whole in the ground.
I thought it was sad that his Mom made no attempt to come join in the swinging, and that she would put complete strangers in such a spot. I don't touch other peoples kids without permission, unless they're in a dangerous situation. ie, about to be hit by a car. So I'm wondering...What would you have done?
Recently I was given the opportunity to check out Disney's Newest Star, Tiffany Giardina. I have to say, she's catchy! She's got a great pop sound, and an awesome singing voice. I've been playing her stuff for a couple weeks now, and I love it! Now, understand that I am an almost 30 mom of a 4 year old. There aren't any teeny boppers hanging out here yet, but I still love listening to music with some energy. Tiffany's totally got it!
Though you don't have to take my word for it, Check it out!
Tiffany's got a lot of buzz right now, and I want to let you all in on it. First of all be sure to check her out on Disney. Click Here and request her song. Also, be sure to get your kids entered in the "How Fun It Can Be" contest going on right now! Click Here For Details
A big thanks to the chicks over at The Classy Closet for putting this review together. There are a bunch more reviews for Tiffany over there...Be sure to check them out!
