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Monday must-have: indoor fun for kids

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Monday, January 28th, 2013

What a weekend…it rained…and rained…and then it was windy and cold. The sun did peek out every once in awhile but not enough to make you want to drudge the kids to the park to play in the mud. As you know, Mama always has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to entertaining the kids on a rainy day but sometimes, you just want do to something a bit different but way fun. Sometimes we just get stuck in a rut of how to entertain the kids when the weather is less than spectacular or perhaps you have a few things around the house you need to get done. These activities will keep them entertained at least long enough for you to brush your teeth or take a quick shower!

Happy Monday Mamas! XOXO

1. BabbaCo BabbaBox — remember last year when Mama told you how obsessed the kids are with getting mail? They live for even junk mail like the Disney Movie Club stickers or a flyer about a new hotel. So you can just imagine their delight when a package addressed just to them arrives every month that is full of activities that kids and parents can enjoy together without ever having to leave the house. Appropriate for kids ages 3-7 (although, Lily-girl is almost 7 and she still adores it), BabbaCo delivers a box of themed activities and crafts. For example, this month (February 2013) the “My Awesome Adventures” BabbaBox is available and it will get their little imaginations revving. Which is such a change from turing on the TV (EEK!). This month BabbaCo and Shutterfly have teamed up to give you gifts and prizes (SCORE!). Just sign up for BabbaCo’s newsletter which will give you fresh ideas for activities, recipes and other fun stuff and you are entered to win a great prize package: an Annual Membership to the BabbaBox ($240 value), and a $50 Gift Card from Shutterfly. Additionally, BabbaCo is also running a “Cure to the Indoor Blues” offer right now: 33% ($10) Off the 1st month of a new monthly or annual subscription. Just use the Coupon Code: FEB33 at checkout. So fun and so what the doctor ordered for a rainy day. To sign-up for the Newsletter and/or a box subscription visit, www.babbaco.com.

2. Dance Party — crank up the tunes and get the wiggles out. We always sing really, really loud and jump on the couch…because if you can’t do it on a rainy day, then when can you do it?! Oh, and the best part…it’s FREE!!

3. Window Markers — drawing on paper is so ordinary but drawing on the glass windows and doors is so boredom busting. Have them doodle away and then wipe on, wipe off with glass cleaner for easy clean-up. Crayola Washable Window Markers, $3.88, at amazon.com.

4. Game On — blow off the dust of of those board games and get the kids thinking on how they can beat you in Old Maid, UNO or Sorry. If you have preschoolers (ages 3-5), try the new Bear in Underwear game, $20, at kiddlywinks.com.

5. READ, READ…READ! — how many books do you have in your house that you haven’t read in months or maybe even years? Pull them all out and have a reading marathon. The kids will love discovering old treasured books and it may spark their imaginations for new activities like building forts out of pillows saving the world!

**This post was sponsored by BabbaCo in an effort to get your kid’s imaginations moving and creating…nothing wrong with that!

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Outdoor water fun…maybe?!

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Thursday, August 9th, 2012

Being a Mama is funny sometimes. In fact, Mama the other days just had to stop at the hilarity of the situation of three kids whining, crying and tantruming and just giggle. Why get mad when you could just laugh instead?

So this week it’s just plain HOT outside. Okay, for those of you in the midwest…we do have nothing to complain about but 83 degrees is hot around here. Mama has finally caught up with work and has a few minutes to  take Baby Boy swimming in our community pool. Awesome, right? Well we finally get there…only to find out the pool is closed and drained on the hottest day of the year so far. BUMMER! He’s been so patient and really needs some time with Mama so what do we do…we go home and find our old baby pool to blow-up.

After spending a half-hour blowing it up, the pool is ready. CeCe and Baby Boy get in and are happy for about 15 minutes before the pool slowly starts to deflate…and soon becomes flat. WHAT?! Of course, a tiny hole because it hasn’t been used since last summer. So what do we do now? We head into the air conditioned car and go to Target to scout a new one out. We scour the aisles and happen to find only 10 left. Three of which won’t work because they are Princess and then tucked in the way back…a Cars pool and it comes with a slide. Success! We run home and Mama reads the directions.

“Don’t use a high-power air compressor on this pool as it may damage the seams. Blow-up only via mouth or hand pump.”

Seriously?! Blow-up only by mouth??? Last time it took a half-hour with an air compressor. This is not looking good.

Mama starts blowing, and blowing and huffing and puffing for 15 solid minutes. Mama is feeling light-headed and the pool still looks deflated as does Baby Boy and CeCe has all but forgotten the fun of having a pool and has taken up shrieking instead. She’s not entertained by Mama blowing up the pool. Mama decides to ignore the instructions (men do it all the time!) and use the air compressor.

This pool is taking forever to blow-up but finally…finally, another 30 minutes go by and we have ourselves a backyard pool. Baby Boy immediately jumps in and CeCe decides to join him…but what about Mama? Mama is so HOT from all this air blowing and running to Target. Why not jump in too? So Mama sticks a few toes in and is quickly told by Baby Boy, “this pool is NOT for adults Mama. Only kids — see the box.” 

Humph! He’s too smart for his own good. So here’s our pool for the summer and what we’re doing to stay cool and have fun at the same time. However, when it comes to water…the kids aren’t all that picky about how to play with it. Water balloons and water squirters for a good old fashioned water fight are always fun too and toddlers always love water tables to splash around in.

So this summer it’s all about water fun and cooling down…how do you like to play with your kids outdoors on a hot summer day?

This post is brought to you by the San Diego Honda Dealers as part of the Honda Dealers Like Moms Sweepstakes. Enter weekly to earn CASH and prizes…tell them Mama sent you! Click below on the logo enter….

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Mamas going green…

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Monday, July 30th, 2012

So the other day Lily-girl caught Mama throwing a yogurt container into the trash. First she gasped then she rolled her eyes and then she told Mama, “you know, that can be recycled.”

“You’re right honey, Mama wasn’t thinking.”

“Well, actually I’ve been meaning to talk to you about how you need to reuse and recycle more things around the house.”

And there you have it…the six year-old of the house is going to give Mama lessons on how to be more green.

In school, they now teach kids what to recycle, how to reuse more and how to be good to the earth. These were not really lessons that were taught when Mama was growing up. Everything ended up in the landfill. It’s refreshing to be nurturing a new generation of kids that are more aware of their environment and how they can help be a good citizen of the earth.

Mama tries to recycle as much as we can and reuse as much as we can because…it’s the little things that count…

  • Reuse containers then recycle — eat yogurt? Take the containers, rinse them out and use them for painting. We like to fill them with water to change colors or paints.
  • Pick up your trash — sounds simple enough but there is still A LOT of people that don’t take the time to pick up their own trash. See trash that’s not yours? Pick it up anyways because helping keep the earth clean is everyone’s problem.
  • Fresh air is best — sure it’s been HOT outside but sometimes fresh air is best to cool down the house. Conserve energy early in the morning and in the evening by turning up the thermostat and opening your windows. The fresh air will take out the musty smell in the house and also cool it down.
  • Crafts made easy — truth is, almost anything in your house can be made into a craft. Try reusing your paper roll towel tubes and toilet paper tubes to make rocket ships and spy glasses or take an old sock and make it a puppet. It’s like a Craft Wars challenge in your own house…ready, set, go!
  • Bring your own bag — Mama loves bags. We keep them in every car and stroller so wherever we may be and want to shop, we have our own bags to use. It’s a small difference but if you think of how many times you go to the grocery store in the week, you can save 20 bags!!
  • Grow your own — we don’t have a big yard and living at the beach has it’s pluses but one of them is not having sun all the time. What we can grow is herbs, lots of them. There’s nothing like going out to your tiny garden and clipping fresh basil, mint and thyme to use in dinner. You save a ton of money buying fresh herbs but you also save the earth by not driving to the store too.

While these things may seem small, they do make a difference. We are always trying to think of ways to save the earth in our little way…What’s your favorite green tip?

This post is brought to you by the San Diego Honda Dealers as part of the Honda Dealers Like Moms Sweepstakes. Enter weekly to earn CASH and prizes…tell them Mama sent you! Click below on the logo enter….

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Run Mama…Run!

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Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Okay, we all know how Mama feels about running…it’s Mama’s least favorite form of exercise. However, Mama has come to the realization that this baby belly isn’t going ANYWHERE without a little running being done. So Mama has taken the bull by the horns and last week ran. Yes, ran. It was only for a short time (15 minutes…perhaps?!) but the whole time Mama was thinking…“why do people torture themselves like this?”

So now Mama is committed to make it back to the treadmill another three times this week to run like there’s a Sprinkles cupcake waiting at the finish line (better be more than just one actually!)….just like they always said, “no pain, no gain.” Then just as Mama was finishing up a week of workouts sore and tired, Mama was sent a “before and after” photo of a friend that just underwent a 12-week program to transform her body and it was AH-MAZING. Mama immediately called her…GIVE ME THAT NUMBER!!

The catch? She eats a boring diet, works out for 90 minutes a day and drinks one of her meals instead of eats it…ugh. Can Mama be that disciplined to do that…? Mama isn’t quite ready to go that for so for now it’s increasing the cardio, going to Mama’s favorite barre class and eating more quinoa and less desserts. Not to mention that you have to drink enough water to float a boat…which means you go to the bathroom every 20 minutes…

Mama’s point is this: what works for one person’s body, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Take health and fitness advice, apply it and modify it to meet your own personal goals and needs.

There are so many fun ways to add cardio to your daily life, such as vacuuming, mopping, chasing your stubborn toddler up and down the hall and stairs to brush their teeth…wait…that’s not fun??? Such is a Mama’s daily life that we get so busy taking care of others and the needs about the house that we forget to take care of ourselves. Take 30 to 60 minutes at least three days a week to think about YOU because if you’re not around in a few years because you’ve been slacking on your own health and fitness, it’s your own family that will suffer. Here’s a few suggestions that will make it easy for you to make the time you need to focus on YOU this summer:

  • Go for a walk with the baby in the stroller or make it a game, such as a nature hunt, with your toddler or preschooler. They’ll love the fresh air and you both will reap the benefits of a nice walk.
  • Have you been wanting to try a new fitness class? Grab your best girlfriend and try kickboxing, Zumba, spinning, a barre class (if you’re local…Mama LOVES her Studio Barre) or perhaps a pole dancing class (it’s FUN and it’s a great workout). You’ll have to go because she’s meeting you there and who knows…you could pick up some great “50 Shades” tips for the boudier!
  • Mark it in your calendar. Many places offer not only childcare during classes now (up to 2 hours FREE at some places) making it super easy and enticing but they also give you the opportunity to make online reservations. Make working out like a meeting — mark it in the calendar and you’re more likely to stick to your schedule.
  • Reward yourself. Mama is all about rewards. Have you been eyeing that new jacket at Lululemon? How about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale…anything catch your eye?? Well, make a deal with yourself. If you stick to your workout schedule for at least two weeks then reward yourself with something special. It doesn’t have to be big but just like kids, we like to be rewarded for a job well done!
Enough sitting at the computer reading this…go, go, go…take care of YOU! What’s your favorite new workout that Mama should try?

This post is brought to you by the San Diego Honda Dealers as part of the Honda Dealers Like Moms Sweepstakes. Enter weekly to earn CASH and prizes…tell them Mama sent you! Click below on the logo enter….

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Categories : fitness; at home, health, sponsored
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Road Trip Must-Haves…Are we there yet?!

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Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

As much as Mama complains about flying on an airplane with kids, there is something so daunting about going on a road trip with them. Road trip for Mama = anything over 2 hours. Anything beyond 2 hours is bound to give way to hours of complaining, asking the ultimate “when are we going to be there?” question (repeatedly every five minutes so you want to bang your head against the wall), multiple spills of snacks and drinks, too many potty stops and at the end of the 12 hour trek…squealing of overtired kids and the thrill of actually getting there.

We are about to embark on this journey believe it or not and Mama is getting prepped by gathering the Road Trip Must-Haves that will keep the kids occupied, entertained and quiet (one can only hope!) during this 10-hour car ride. The hubs solution is to mostly drive while they are sleeping but leaving at 4 a.m. is not Mama’s idea of a good time…we’ll just have to see how this battle plays out in a couple of weeks but for now, here’s Mama’s go-to list. Let’s start with the obvious…

DVD player — yes, movies are must now days. When we were kids we would be fun playing the license plate game, Slug Bug and 99 Bottles of Soda on the Wall. However, times have changed and kids expect movies to be played in the car like goodie bags to be handed out at a party. It’s a given. Mama only allows movies to be played on road trips. Our cars happen to have built-in DVD players but you can also use the portable ones that attach to the back of the seat’s headrests or you can have them on their individual laps. Each kid gets to pick two of their favorites and they can’t complain about the others picks otherwise, their movie gets skipped. How’s that for keeping them quiet?!

Headphones — sometimes you just want the Justin Bieber music to STOP or the annoying bleeps from the game they’re playing on the Leap Pad. Therefore, headphones are a MUST! Mama loves these headphones from Pottery Barn Kids that fit them just right and also fit Mama too (small heads run in the family), $39.50.

Dollar finds — Mama’s favorite section of all stores (Target, Michael’s) is the Dollar Section. Not only can you find amazingly useful stuff but you can also find lots of cheap entertainment for a car ride. Mama took $20 and let each child pick out ten items. They came up with coloring books, notepads, puzzles, reading books, molding clay and other assorted goodies. Packed in their backpacks, they’re ready to hit the road.

Games — while you don’t really see as many Slug Bugs (VW Bugs) as you used to, you can still play road trip games. In fact, Mama thinks it’s a great opportunity to reconnect as a family. Try games like the Melissa & Doug Family Road Trip Box of Questions, $8.32, to get the games started. Or perhaps your kids are not big talkers…try the Melissa & Doug Travel Bingo, Flip-to-Win Memory or Hangman games, $11.32. For other kids, Mad Libs are always a good time and can be read aloud for a whole car full of laughs.

Snacks — oh, the snacks! We always pack tons of snacks and snack cups so that each kid can limit the number of spills. There’s nothing worse than starting a road trip with crunching crackers on the rug! Mama loves the Munchkin Snack Tower, $5.99. Non-perishable items are best but if cheese and yogurt are on the menu for a dose of protein, bring along an ice pack to avoid any unnecessary “potty” stops. Also limit the drinks that you give the kids — water is best to keep everyone hydrated.

And last but not least…in fact the most important aspect to a road trip is the travel tray. Kids cannot do all these activities sans a tray! Mama loves the TrayKit Carry Case and Travel Desk, $39.95. Kids can pack it full of their travel toys and coloring books and attaches to the seat of the car to fold down into a functional play desk. Perfect for planes, trains and automobiles!

Okay, now you spill…what’s your favorite road trip tip when traveling with kids?

 This post is brought to you by the San Diego Honda Dealers as part of the Honda Dealers Like Moms Sweepstakes. Enter weekly to earn CASH and prizes…tell them Mama sent you! Click to enter….

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My philosophy is simple: just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to forgo style or your life. You can do it all with a little help from Mama. Mama makes life easier by doing all the shopping, crafting and ranting for you because really...what Mama has the time for that?! Mama will not lie, I can bake but if you're looking for cooking tips you might be better off going someplace else!

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