Do You Lock Your Phone? #VZWA

My husband lost his wallet a couple weekends ago. He set it on top of his car while he was putting Bryce and some groceries in the car, and drove off with it still on top of the car. A very nice man ended up finding it and all of the contents, which were strewn alongside the road, and returned it to him. Unfortunately, he had already cancelled all of his credit cards, but we were so thankful to have our IDs (yes, mine was in there too from our day at the water park) back so we didn't have to deal with that. Not only did this situation restore my faith in humanity, but it also got me thinking about ways to protect my information.

My phone is really my lifeline to my friends, and to the online world I spend so much time in. If someone ended up with my phone, they could gain access to all kinds of personal information, and they could probably do a lot of damage with my online accounts. Since my passwords to Facebook, Twitter and my email are saved in my phone, there is no telling what someone might do if they had my phone for a long enough period of time without my knowledge.

Weekend Win It - September 29-30 {Giveaway Linky}

Welcome to Weekend Win It! This giveaway linky is a great way to spread the word about your giveaways, or find some great ones to enter! And remember...you don't need to be a blogger to enter these giveaways!

Giveaway: Bazooka Ends: 10/2 Prize: Juicy Drop Taffy After School Pack (2 winners!)

Giveaway: Honey Bunches of Oats Ends: 10/3 Prize: Summer Fun Prize Pack (ARV over $100!)

Five Question Friday - September 28th

Phooey on this week! I'm glad it's almost over. Just a few more hours of work and then the weekend starts. Yay!

I've been in such a funk this week. I'm still grieving over the loss of my sweet dog, and I just can't seem to snap out of this sad, blah mood I'm in. I have had plenty to do at work, but I can't concentrate long enough to get much done. I have several posts to write here on the blog, but the words just aren't flowing like they usually do. I'm a stress eater, too, and thanks to my horrible eating last weekend, my clothes have been a little snug this week. It's been a rough week, that's for sure. Luckily, I have these two to keep me going...

VTech Switch & Go Dinos - Span & Brok {Review}

Even though you may have seen a picture or two on this blog of Bryce with a doll, that phase quickly ended, and I now have a true BOY on my hands...a boy who loves toys! Bryce loves action figures, trains, vehicles, monsters and dinosaurs, just to mention a few. He also loves interactive toys, and ones that he can really PLAY with. That is why the VTech Switch & Go Dinos are the perfect toys for him!

Switch & Go Dinos are super fun, 2-in-1 toys that easily switch from a vehicle to a dinosaur in just a few steps. These interactive and educational toys teach kids about dinosaurs by saying interesting facts about the particular dino when they are in that mode. When they are in vehicle mode, they make sounds like a jet fighter flying through the air, or a car racing down the track. The LCD screens provide customizable animations like dino eyes and expressions, or vehicle drivers. They are very cool toys!

Family Vacations in Cardiff {Guest Post}

When it comes to family vacation destinations in the UK, Cardiff has to be near the top of the list. There are loads of outdoor and indoor activities to keep the kids entertained, no matter what the weather, and as the capital of Wales, the area has a rich history to delve into. In addition, the city has plenty of family friendly hotels to suit all budgets – for hotels in Cardiff city centre, visit the Millenium & Copthorne website.

On a sunny day, there is nothing better than splashing about in the water, and the Cardiff Bay area offers plenty of opportunities to do just that. The Cardiff Bay Water Activity Centre offers a number of water-based activities and events, such as water polo tournaments, jet ski displays and yachting competitions. While you are there, you might want to pay a visit to Cardiff International White Water Centre, where you can experience the thrill of white water rafting in a safe and controlled environment.

Wordless Wednesday: Ride 'Em Cowboy!

Mega Bloks First Builders Lil' Vehicles {Review & Giveaway}

Mega Bloks have been some of my kids' favorite toys ever since they had the eye-hand coordination to stack them together. These blocks are large, so they are easily assembled by little hands. Rylie and Bryce love to build super tall towers, and then have even more fun knocking them down. We have several bags and tubs of these great blocks, and my kids never tire of playing with them.

Mega Bloks recently introduced First Builders, their new line of preschool construction toys. First Builders products consist of the classic Mega Bloks, building sets like farms and castles, wagons, and cute Lil' Vehicles. We recently received two of the Lil' Vehicles to review - Dylan Dump Truck and Sonny School Bus.

Goodbye Sweet Girl

Chloe Golden Sunshine

July 16, 2002 - September 22, 2012

We said goodbye to our sweet Chloe this past Saturday. She has been part of our family since we were given the "pick of the litter" over 10 years ago, and she will be missed terribly.

The First Years Compass B570 Pathway Booster Car Seat {Review & Giveaway}

Kids grow so fast! Lately, every time I look at Rylie I wonder where my little baby went and who this big girl is standing before me. She seems to be going through a perpetual growth spurt and has grown out of a lot of her clothes just over the past couple of months. When we ride in the car I see her long legs hanging over the end of her convertible car seat and I have had thoughts about moving her to a booster seat.

Even though she seems so big to me, Rylie is still pretty small for an almost 5 year old, so the booster seat move was just a fleeting thought here and there. I recently got a chance to check out the Compass B570 Pathway Booster Car Seat from The First Years, so I decided this would be a great opportunity to see if I am she is ready for a booster seat.

~*~Winners!!!~*~ HABA, Notify NYC, Vaultz

Congratulations to last week's winners!

HABA Building Blocks - Starter Pack Domino

Saving Energy, Water And Time With My Maytag Bravos Pair #MaytagMoms

As I write this post, my washer is swooshing and my dryer is humming. Those sounds are familiar around my house, but since the Maytag Bravos XL washer and dryer arrived, we don't hear them quite as often these days. Thanks to the awesome cleaning power of our washer and the efficiency of both the washer and dryer, we are saving water and energy while doing laundry, which means we are also saving time. Since I can't figure out how to stretch my days out to 30 hours each, any time saved is a wonderful thing for me.

Along with the cleaning power and efficiency, the large size of these units is another reason I am able to save some time. Larger size equals less loads to wash! At 4.6 cu. ft., Bravos XL HE washers are Maytag brand's largest capacity top load washers. They have the ability to clean 21 towels in a single load! Now, I haven't had the opportunity to test the whole 21 towel thing, but I no longer have to use every muscle in my body to stuff in my king sized quilt. I gently place it inside the washer around the center, and still have room left.

Juicy Drop Taffy Makes A Great After School Sweet Treat {Giveaway}

Candy kids. That is the name I sometimes give my little ones, due to their love of all things sweet. Well I'm sure my candy kids are going to love the new product offering from Bazooka...

I would like to introduce to you the latest sweet treat...Juicy Drop Taffy! Juicy Drop Taffy is a pouch containing eight pieces of delicious chewy taffy along with a Juicy Drop sour gel applicator, allowing kids (and big kids!) to determine their taste experience. The candy comes in two flavors—Blue Rebel and Knock Out Punch—and is available in stores nationwide.

Weekend Win It - September 22-23 {Giveaway Linky}

Welcome to Weekend Win It! This giveaway linky is a great way to spread the word about your giveaways, or find some great ones to enter! And remember...you don't need to be a blogger to enter these giveaways!

Giveaway: Kraft Ends: 9/23 Prize: Back-to-School Prize Pack (ARV $100)

Giveaway: NAIC Ends: 9/24 Prize: $50 Gas Card (choice of Shell, Phillips or Quik Trip)

Kids Will Love Trading Messages With Text Bands From Hallmark {Review & Giveaway}

Texting. It seems to be the preferred way of communication these days for both kids and adults. I know I would much rather send someone a text than to make a phone call in most instances, especially when I just have something quick to say.

Rylie and Bryce both know what texting is, even as young as they are. Instead of asking me if I can call a friend's mom to see if they can come over to play, I hear "mommy, can you send Emma's mom a message and ask if she can come over and play?" I haven't yet decided when the "proper" age is for kids to have cell phones, but obviously my kids are too young.

Thanks to Hallmark, kids don't need cell phones to send texts. They can now trade messages with Text Bands!

Running Out? Run Into Publix For Great Savings! {Giveaway}

How do you do your grocery shopping? Do you plan all of your meals ahead of time and make one trip to get everything you need for that week? Or is your family more like mine and you make a weekly trip for the items you know you will need for the week, and then run in to the grocery store here and there for the special dinner items your kids want, or the stuff you run out of? We try and plan our grocery shopping trips the best we can, but my husband still ends up running in to Publix after work at least 3 out of the 5 week nights to grab a few things.

Publix knows how busy families are these days, and they are offering great savings for those of us who are constantly running out of grocery items. During the Running Out? Run In. promotion at Publix, we can save on the brands we want, when we want them.

Wordless Wednesday: Party In The Park

Sealy Baby Posturepedic Crown Jewel Crib & Toddler Bed Mattress {Review & Giveaway}

When we purchased cribs for Rylie and Bryce, they both came with mattresses. Since we were spending so much on the furniture, I didn't really pay much attention to the "free" mattress. I figured all crib mattresses were the same and never looked around at any others. I am here today to tell you that all crib mattresses are definitely NOT the same!

A few months ago when I was changing the sheets on Rylie's bed, I noticed that I could feel the coils through the mattress. It is almost five years old, so I figured that the material covering the coils had lost it's cushion. Rylie didn't seem to mind, but then again, kids are able to sleep on a hard floor with no issues. Still, just because she might not understand what comfort really is, she shouldn't have to sleep on a surface that wasn't truly comfortable.

Since I am a Kolcraft Mom, I knew that Kolcraft carried several mattresses and I decided to remedy the uncomfortableness of Rylie's bed. Brian and I looked at the variety of crib and toddler bed mattresses and decided to try out the Sealy Baby Posturepedic Crown Jewel Crib Mattress.

Rylie's Last Swimming Lesson

Do you all remember one of my first swimming posts of the summer with the picture of Rylie sitting on the step crying? Well, with the help of some great products from SwimWays, she developed confidence and lost her fear of the water as the summer went on. She finally started swimming without any floatation devices, but she was still fearful to really let go and just swim. I wanted to put both of the kids in swimming lessons, but since they had to go four days a week, it just wasn't possible at the time due to our work schedules.

When my mom moved over here a few months ago, we decided to go ahead and put the kids in swimming lessons. I found a great instructor who gave private lessons at her home, and my mom has been taking Rylie and Bryce for several weeks now. Both kids have improved their swimming skills just in a few short weeks, but I am absolutely amazed at how far Rylie has come. After her first week of lessons, she seemed to be totally over her fear and had no problems jumping in the deep end and swimming the entire length of the pool.

JJ Cole Collections Baby Necessities {Review & Giveaway}

As a new mom, I wasn’t quite sure what baby items out there were really useful versus just something else to have. I never got a small diaper bag, just a typical large bag that can hold everything I might possibly need for my baby. Once my daughter started daycare I was toting her big bag back and forth for the first couple of weeks, just in case. I quickly grew tired of hauling the diaper bag in and out every day and quit bringing it for the drive. As any experienced mom knows, I have been tempting fate.

JJ Cole Collections offers a great solution for moms like me, their diapers & wipes pod. This handy little (10.5” x 6”) pod holds two or more diapers depending on the size, along with wipes and a changing pad.

~*~Winner!!!~*~ OcuFresh

Congratulations to last week's winner!

OcuFresh Tote and Eye Care Products

New Contributor: Meet Melissa

I am so excited to introduce another new contributor to you all! Her name is Melissa, and I have known her for most of my life. She is seriously the kindest, most selfless person I know, and I feel very blessed to call her my best friend.

Melissa recently became a mom to an adorable little girl named Mia. She started her own blog, Life at Chez K, to keep her family and friends up to date with the happenings in their lives. Like me, she loves to try out the latest and greatest in baby products, so I thought she would make a great addition here on my blog.

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Hello, my name is Melissa and I live in Tampa Bay, Florida (Go Bucs!...I’m a local girl, what can I say) with my wonderful husband, Rick, our adorable four-month old daughter Mia and our crazy four-legged children, Cocoa and Charley. I have lived in Pinellas County since I was six months old, so I consider myself a Floridian.

New Fall Flavors Available At Dunkin' Donuts {Giveaway}

Here in Central Florida, we don't really experience fall. We go straight from summer to bitter cold. Hey...40 is bitter cold to me! Even though we don't see the leaves change colors or have to wear long sleeves in September, I still enjoy certain fall traditions like visiting the pumpkin patch, going on hayrides and most of all, pumpkin flavored everything!

Fall starts for me when I can buy my favorite pumpkin drinks like those from Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts celebrates the season by adding the taste of pumpkin to its world-famous coffee and lattes. Available in both hot and iced, Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin coffee and lattes are the perfect accompaniment for all of your fall activities.

Dry Off With Kidorable Hooded Towels {Discount & Giveaway}

We all know that there is more to life than looks. Same goes for baby and kid products. Cute doesn't always equal great quality. I received a bunch of hooded towels when I was pregnant with Rylie, and while they were all adorable, I learned very quickly that they weren't very functional. I would wrap her up after her bath, and by the time I carried her to her room, my clothes were wet because the towels just didn't absorb the water. Since then, I have always looked for cute AND absorbent hooded towels for my kids.

Kidorable is one of those brands that produces super cute products that are functional too. We have owned several Kidorable items over the years, and they have all been made from high quality materials. I'm sure their new impossibly cute and soft cotton hooded towels are no exception. Your kids will love to dry off while pretending to be a space hero, lucky cat, dinosaur, mermaid and more!

Weekend Win It - September 15-16 {Giveaway Linky}

Welcome to Weekend Win It! This giveaway linky is a great way to spread the word about your giveaways, or find some great ones to enter! And remember...you don't need to be a blogger to enter these giveaways!

Giveaway: HABA Ends: 9/18 Prize: Building Blocks - Starter Pack Domino

Giveaway: Notify NYC Ends: 9/19 Prize: $50 Home Improvement Store Gift Card

Bryce's 3rd Birthday: Big Gift And Birthday Dinner

Forget birthDAYs in our family...we have birthWEEKs! I know it has seemed like Bryce's Birthday Week here on the blog, but all good things have to come to an end eventually. I ended his party post with a little hint as to what his "big gift" was. Did any of you take a guess?

Mama and Uncle Danny really outdid themselves this year with Bryce's gift. They bought him a HUGE Banzai Sidewinder Falls water slide! OK, well really it is for all the kids, but Bryce's birthday was a good excuse to buy something super fun for Mama's house.

Make Your Day Bunches Better With Honey Bunches Of Oats {Review & Giveaway}

As you all know, my family is always on the go, so it is important that we start the day off with a healthy breakfast to get us going. If my kids had their way, Rylie would have eggs every day and Bryce would have waffles, both with a side of fresh fruit. While I would love to prepare a hot breakfast for my kids each morning, sometimes there just isn't enough time. On those mornings, we head to the pantry for cereal.

When my kids eat cereal, I want to give them something that is good for them. I look for cereals that contain whole grains and more than just a bunch of sugar. One such cereal is Honey Bunches of Oats. This perfect combination of crispy flakes and tasty, crunchy oat clusters with just a touch of honey is a good source of whole grains with 10g per serving. It is also packed with 9 essential vitamins and minerals.

Happy 3rd Birthday Bryce!

~*~Happy Birthday Bryce!!!~*~

Happy Third Birthday to the cutest little boy ever! Three years ago, you made our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you. This past year has been so much fun as we watched you grow from a toddler into a spunky little boy who always keeps us smiling.

September/October 2011

Bryce's 3rd Birthday: The Party

Bryce had an amazing third birthday party! We had it at our favorite birthday party place, Double Down Athletics, where the kids got to bounce in bounce houses, slide down huge slides, jump on trampolines, fall in the foam pit and run until their little legs couldn't run any longer! This was our third birthday party there, and Rylie has already requested that we have her next party there.

Obviously this post is going to be loaded with photos. I uploaded 102 photos to Facebook, so I tried to narrow it down the best I could. Here goes...

I picked up this gigantic inflatable Buzz Lightyear balloon, and Bryce thought it was the coolest thing ever. Of course Buzz had to come to his Toy Story party!

~*~Winner!!!~*~ Kidorable

Congratulations to last week's winner!

Kidorable Rain Boots

New Contributor: Meet Raina

I'm tired. No wait, I'm exhausted. Keeping up with two energetic little kids, a messy house, a full time job and this blog has had me running full speed for a couple of years now. I don't know how much longer I can keep functioning on 4-5 hours of sleep a night, and I don't really want to find out, so something has to give.

My family, my house and my job that pays the bills have to stay, so that leaves my blog as the only thing I can really make cuts to. The thing is, though, I love blogging. I don't want to give it up. So instead of making cuts, I'm making additions.

Over the next few weeks you will see reviews that don't have my name at the bottom. I am in the process of adding a few contributors here, and I'm excited for you to meet the first one! Her name is Raina, and not only is she my friend, she is also my cousin-in-law cousin. She recently became a stay at home mom of two adorable little girls, and was thrilled when I asked her if she wanted to help me with reviews. Raina is one of the funniest people I know, and I think her posts will add a new, refreshing viewpoint to this blog.

Weekend Win It - September 8-9 {Giveaway Linky}

Welcome to Weekend Win It! This giveaway linky is a great way to spread the word about your giveaways, or find some great ones to enter! And remember...you don't need to be a blogger to enter these giveaways!

Giveaway: OcuFresh Ends: 9/11 Prize: OcuFresh Tote Bag and Eye Care Products

Giveaway: HABA Ends: 9/18 Prize: Building Blocks - Starter Pack Domino

Five Question Friday - September 7th

Woo hoo! The weekend is almost here! It is going to be a busy one for us, too. I'm spending the day today putting together goody bags and getting ready for Bryce's fun Toy Story birthday party tomorrow. The low grade fever he has been running for the past few days seems to be gone, so he should be back to 100% for his birthday bash!

My best friend Rebecca will be here later this afternoon and then we're headed to Disney On Ice with Mama and the kids. We were invited to have dinner with the cast before the show, so I'm sure the kids will love that. Rylie is beyond excited about all of it...especially the part about getting to sleep with Aunt Becky tonight!

Zoning Your Living Space To Maximize Your Lifestyle

The current trend in home layout is open plan. In my house, the two front rooms have been opened up so that you enter through the front door and walk straight onto the living room which flows straight through to the garden.

On the plus side, this large room is bright and airy, getting light from both the front and back of the house. But it’s a room that needs to serve as a living, dining and play room. We also use it as a place to hang coats, a home office and an entertainment space.

To achieve these many needs, our furniture has been in many awkward positions. We’ve moved the kitchen table to the rear part of the room to form a dining room. Not happy with that, we then pushed the sofas back against the walls and let the kids have free rein to run up and down. At the moment, we’re using one sofa as a room divider to separate the space into both a living and play room.

While I’m still not convinced we’ve got it right, along the way I have definitely learned a lot about dividing up our space in the best way to suit our lifestyle.

Girls Love To Accessorize With CHARM IT! {Review & Giveaway}

My little girl is growing up! The days of going to the toy section of stores have now been replaced with shopping for clothes and accessories. Sure, Rylie still loves her dolls and all of the other toys that little girls love to collect, but when given a choice to pick something out at the store, she usually goes for clothes and jewelry.

Rylie is such a girly girl and loves pink, sparkles, and things that shine. She also enjoys mixing and matching, and wearing accessories that coordinate with her outfits. We recently discovered the adorable charm bracelets and necklaces by CHARM IT!, which are the perfect accessories for my girly girl.

CHARM IT! by High IntenCity makes fashion fun for girls of all ages! Their original, interchangeable, giftable and customizable charm bracelets and necklaces allow girls to show off their personalities and ever changing moods. Let's face it, while Hello Kitty might be the favorite of today, tomorrow's obsession might be gum and candy, or whimsical animals.