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Product Review: Munchkin Fun

Monday, July 9th, 2007

The Munchkin company sent me a package of some of their products to try for review. All I can say is, “WOW!” They offer some really great products and I find them to be very affordable. Included within the box were the following products:

TravelWare Re-usables–Munchkin’s re-usable cups, bowls, spoons, and meal time sets have stepped it up a notch with improved Dora Diego and SpongeBob graphics that will fascinate your child and encourage them to play favorites. Ideal for meals on-the-go, they are durable enough to wash and re-use, yet affordable enough to lose. Bowls include snap-tight lids to prevent spills and cups are perfect for home-made juices.

Snack Catcher– Available in four bright colors, the new and award-winning Snack Catcher cup keeps bite-sized snacks inside the container until little fingers pull them out, even if it tips over so less spills in the car or plan! The soft flaps make it easy to access and the little finger cleaning bumps are a special plus for keeping nearby surfaces cleaner. This is one snack holder that will catch mom’s attention and keep messes to a minimum while traveling.

Bling Pacifiers– Your baby’s eyes will sparkle at the sight of glittering BLING™ pacifiers. Besides looking cool, they feature a silicone orthodontic nipple and breathable shield that reduces skin irritation. These sparkly, fun pacifiers are oh-so-fitting for your little prince or princess! Check out all the available styles!

iCrib Sound System– A 2006 JPMA Innovation Award Winner! The iCrib™ is a compact crib sound system that lets you choose the music that soothes your baby to sleep – because some kids are a little bit country, and others a little bit of rock ‘n roll.

Of all of the products, I loved the iCrib Sound System and the Snack Catcher the most! All of the products were really neat, but the snack catcher was a great item that we use a lot with my daughter. The snack catcher is the perfect size for little hands and gives her the opportunity to have snacks, just like her brother, somewhere other than the table. We take this with us a lot of places because of the convenience of the size and how much our daughter likes it.

The iCrib Sound System is very cool for the hip parents. You can download lullabies onto your iPod and it attaches via a small cord inside to make a small baby sound system that can be attached to your baby’s crib. The Munchkin website also offers Baby Mozart downloads to get your collection started.

We want to thank the Munchkin company for giving us the opportunity to try the products and hope that you have the opportunity to check them out at your local stores! They are neat and innovative products for parents today!

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Taking a Look at Our Electrical History

Friday, July 6th, 2007


The comment thread on electric bills has sparked a question. How much is my average electrical bill in the summer and just how much did my frugal endeavors help us decrease our bill? I took a look at our 36 month history and this is the actual breakdown for how much electricity we used.

6/27/2007 978 $72.46
5/29/2007 888 $66.90
4/27/2007 804 $61.86
3/29/2007 1043 $76.66
2/27/2007 1051 $77.16
1/30/2007 1248 $89.11
12/27/2006 1252 $88.87
11/21/2006 837 $63.42
10/24/2006 839 $63.56
9/27/2006 1198 $85.55
8/25/2006 1282 $90.71
7/26/2006 1043 $76.06
6/28/2006 885 $66.37
5/30/2006 894 $66.93
4/27/2006 681 $53.91
3/28/2006 841 $64.06
2/27/2006 798 $61.40
1/27/2006 824 $62.93
12/28/2005 740 $57.46
11/28/2005 864 $65.06
10/24/2005 700 $55.00
9/28/2005 1240 $87.64
8/26/2005 1292 $90.80
7/28/2005 1415 $98.37
6/27/2005 1112 $79.89
5/31/2005 728 $56.49
4/27/2005 707 $55.17
3/29/2005 755 $57.55
2/28/2005 745 $56.94
1/27/2005 1004 $72.58
12/28/2004 1116 $79.34
11/23/2004 809 $60.84
10/25/2004 765 $58.18
9/28/2004 1239 $86.74
8/26/2004 950 $69.33
7/29/2004 1247 $87.35

You can see how much our electric bill has gone up and down these past three years. I can’t really put my finger on one single thing that we did to he
lp our decreases, but I believe a number of things we did have helped contribute towards our lowered electric bills.

1. We got a new air conditioner. When we bought this house, it had a beast of an air conditioner. The air conditioner was the original to the house and our house was built in 1967. The energy it took to run it cost us extra money. The new air conditioner is much more energy efficient so it has helped our electric bills greatly.

2. We got a programmable thermostat. Unfortunately, I am home almost all of the time so there are no real set days where no one is around. It does help to program times in when we really need the cool air (when we are up and around in the house) and to be able to turn it off or down (when we are sleeping).

3. We do not use the dryer in the summer. This is a new rule this summer, but it is working well so far. It isn’t just to help with the electric bill though. It is also a secret getaway for me. I can go outside and away from everyone with an excuse that I *have* to do everyone’s laundry. No one can argue with that and it has become a great place to brainstorm new ideas for our site.

4. We open our windows when we can. We actually found screens to all of the windows in our shed, that we didn’t even know we had! We put all of our screens in and have been opening more windows to allow that cool night air in. I am not fond of our loud birds in the morning, but it is worth it to keep our bills down.

5. We are gradually making the transition toward the CFL bulbs. I have been researching prices on these and have found the best deal at our warehouse store. If you don’t have a warehouse store, look for the larger packages, as they tend to offer more savings, versus the single bulbs. When a light bulb needs replacing, we have been replacing them with the new CFL bulbs instead.

One of our contributors towards our bills being higher has definitely been the impact of the rising gas costs. If you take a look at the majority of bills now, compared to the years past, you will see a jump in your fuel surcharge. It costs the companies more to provide these services, and that has translated into higher gas prices. This, lucky for me, translates into higher bills.

As you can see, I am an open book when it comes to my bills. I think it helps me to reflect more on ways that I can improve this category and it also helps hold me accountable towards making these bills lower.

Have you ever taken a look at your electrical history? It is a fun way to see how you can make a positive impact towards lowering your bills.

Related Readings:

Saving on Utilities
The Benefits of Line Drying Your Clothes
Winterizing Your Home
How to Construct an Airing Rack

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Happa What?

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007

I was so excited to finally get a chance to head over to Michael’s and check out the new Martha Stewart line that they are carrying. All of the trademark colors and quality crafts were there. The price was better than some of her other lines, but a bit steep compared to some of the other items that the store offers.

We are combining a Fourth of July family get together with my son’s fifth birthday. It was an easy way to still get together for the holiday and also enjoy a birthday party with our family. I hunted through the birthday goodies at Michael’s and found this beautiful birthday garland and some fun puppet crafts (no glue required!) for my nephew and son to do.

When I brought up our purchases to the cashier, I asked that the coupon be applied to a Martha Stewart rubber stamp set that I wanted to use for my thank you notes & invitations. The girl informed me that the store is not allowed to use the store coupons on the Martha Stewart line. She said that Martha had made a stipulation that she would carry the line on the condition that none of the items go on sale and none of the store coupons could be applied to the purchase. Then, muttered quietly under her breath, “She is SO greedy!” Disappointment set in, as I had many things from the line that I had planned to purchase utilizing the coupon. The quality on these items was there…or so I thought!

This morning, I was bustling around trying to get ready for our big event, I went to put the birthday garland together. The ribbon to the garland was already frayed and falling apart and the garland didn’t even have the right letters in it.

Would a five year old notice that his big banner said, “HAPPA BIRTHDAY” or would he be content with how it looked? Considering the purchase was made to be used more than once, I marched back in there and showed the girl what had happened. She told me that I could replace it and as I was walking away, I heard her say, “This is from the MARTHA line! I guess even she makes mistakes!”

I doubt I will buy anything else from the line, if this is a taste of the quality and craftsmanship that will be going into these pieces.

Regardless, HAPPA BIRTHDAY, Ethan! You are loved more than words and we hope to make your day extra special!
And for the rest of you have a HAPPA FOURTH!

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Beth & Jim’s Story: How My Mammogram Saved My Husband’s Life

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007


I have an important story to share with all of you that comes from one of my nearest and dearest friends. Dr. Beth has been a regular contributer to our website and has always offered her help and expertise towards my projects. She is a wonderful mother, wife, and an incredibly gifted woman. She is a constant and faithful friend who has a positive spirit about her that brings out the best in everyone around her. She was my first friend when I moved to Massachusetts and one of the people I was most sad to leave when we moved back home.

Beth’s husband was diagnosed with breast cancer last October and it was a life-changing event for their family. Not only was this news disappointing, but more disappointing was the lack of awareness that men could even suffer from this type of cancer. Beth decided that she wanted to be proactive and educate people on this disease and how it impacts men too.

This story is in Beth’s words and we thank her for sharing them!

How My Mammogram Saved My Husband’s Life
By Dr. Beth

Last October, on the day of my mammogram, I jokingly said to my husband, “Do you know what happens during a mammogram? They say, ‘Put your breast on this plate, Mrs. Conners.’ I put my hand at chest level. “And then they slam a plastic clamp down on top of it!” To my surprise, I felt a lump; but it wasn’t in my breast.

It was in his.

So began our odyssey into breast cancer, or male breast cancer, to be specific. We were lucky: my husband’s cancer was caught early and was very treatable. As I write this, he is through his radiation treatments and is thought to be cancer-free.

Many people told me that his cancer would make me “appreciate things in life” and that I would “learn what was important” from this. However, I already, every day, was thankful for our lives together. I already appreciated my wonderful husband, our two beautiful little children, and our happy lives together. I didn’t need cancer to make me slow down and take stock of what I had: I already was well aware.

But cancer did teach me some things:

* I learned that 1,700 men are diagnosed in the US with breast cancer each year, but that most of my friends hadn’t heard of it.

* I learned that approximately 1/3 of diagnosed men die because their cancer is caught too late.

* I learned that the preponderance of breast cancer resources have the word “women” in them and not “men” at all.

* I learned that cancer brings out the best in many of our friends and relatives, and the worst in others.

* I learned that I will never again feel completely safe and secure in our lives, and that life can be fragile.

* I learned that the very best advice was that given to us by my husband’s oncologist: ‘Go out and live!’

Breast cancer touched my family’s life this past year, and we are stronger for it. But we were lucky. If I hadn’t found the lump, if my husband had not gone to the doctor’s, if he hadn’t opted for the surgery he did, things could have been different. And they are different for hundreds of men each year – men who can’t believe that they can also get breast cancer.

I hope that our story can touch the life of someone’s brother, husband, grandfather, son, or friend to make a difference.

**We hope our readers find these pieces informative. If you would like to share your story with our readers, please email me at amy@momadvice.com. We would love to raise awareness about health issues and how they impact families.**

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New Article: Achieving Balance When Working From Home

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

Finally, a new article has been added to our Work section! Achieving Balance When Working From Home is up for your reading pleasure. This one has been added for all of our work-at-home moms who are struggling with figuring out how to balance work and family life. I am still trying to work on this myself so I hope to use some of these tips in our own home!

Sound Off: How do you create work and family balance when working from home? Do you have any special tricks or tips that are working in your house?

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Thrifty Treasures: Vera Bradley Purse

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

A long awaited purse…Vera Bradley. Every single time I see one of these, I want it. The patterns are so beautiful! Unfortunately, they cost a mint. I have been watching them on Ebay, but the prices were still a little too high for my taste.

Lucky for me, someone donated their purse to Goodwill and I was able to snatch it up for $8. It is about $6 more than I usually spend for a purse, but is definitely worth it! This one is such a pretty spring color.

My mother-in-law can make bags that look just like these, but has had a hard time finding the fabric. Anyone making bags like these that have a good resource for fabrics? I know she would appreciate the input!

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Still Alive

Monday, July 2nd, 2007
There is a miracle occurring in my garden. Nothing is dying! Everything is still growing! I actually am growing my own vegetables!

The fact that I haven’t killed anything is still blowing my mind! My tomato plants, particularly my cherry tomatoes, are doing really great. I did stake them, but my stakes were not long enough. I should have caged them. I should have relocated them to a sunnier spot. These are all lessons that I am learning about gardening. It is definitely a trial and error type of hobby and I am confident that I can make my garden so much better next year.

I picked a spot in our lawn where no grass was going, for fear that I would dig into our grass and lose interest in the gardening or that my plants would die. Next year, I have a spot all picked out where I believe my plants will do better. It is not as conveniently close as the spot I picked this time, but I have a feeling that everything will thrive under all that sun.

My herbs are not flourishing, but a quick discussion with another newbie gardener lead us to the conclusion that my tomato plants are providing too much shade for the herbs and they need more sun. I am thinking of transplanting them to a sunnier location or just using containers and putting them out in the sunshine.

Regardless, I am really proud of myself and how well it is all turning out. I actually ate one of my cherry tomatoes off of the vine and declare them DELICIOUS!

Want an expert’s opinion on getting things to grow in your yard? Gayla, over at You Grow Girl, is a wealth of knowledge! I loved her tip on using expired milk on those tomato plants. I recently met Gayla in person and she is really passionate about teaching people how to begin gardening. We went to dinner with a group of other bloggers and I probably was the worst person in the bunch to sit by because all I did was lean over and ask her dozens of gardening questions. Lucky for me, she LOVES to take about it so we got along great! Her website is a great resource for the novice and pro gardeners and she has a great forum where you can share & ask questions. Check it out!

Related Links:

Overcoming My Fears: Gardening
Gardening Update & Fun Summer Reads

Sound Off: What is happening in your yards this year? Oh, and it is COMPLETELY fine to say absolutely nothing! Nothing or dying is what is usually going on in our yard!

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How to Construct an Airing Rack

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

If you haven’t seen our Benefits of Line Drying Your Clothes article, please be sure to check it out. It is a basic tutorial on how to hang your clothing and why a clothesline is a beneficial addition to your yard.

I recently ran across a few more tips for line drying that I wanted to share:

Drying Socks– To save space on lines, hang pairs of socks on a hanger. This will also enable you to remove the socks quickly if it rains.

Drying Sweaters– Sweaters will not stretch on a clothesline if you string an old pair of hose through the arms and pin the pantyhose- rather than the sweater- to the line.

Pleated Skirts– After washing, hang on the line from the waistband. Clip clothespins at the bottom of each pleat so the pleats dry in place.

Constructing an Airing Rack– Large items are best aired along parallel washing lines, which will not only take the weight but allow air to reach the entire area of fabric. Air items such as pillows and blankets on the clothesline. To improvise an airing rack indoors you can construct an airing rack. To air or dry large items if you do not have a clothesline, stretch strong cord between two chairs. Using parallel lines allows air to reach both sides of an item , and will not leave creases or clothespin marks. Use this system for blankets, comforters and curtains. If you use the chair method, use plastic chairs, if possible, since wooden chairs can stain damp items. To help stabilize the chairs, you can put piles of books on the chairs to help with the weight of the clothes.
Others Entries of Interest:

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Too Cool for School Momma Tees

Monday, June 25th, 2007

With a tag line like, “Motherhood doesn’t define us. We define it” what is not to love? PeaceLoveMom is a great t-shirt company that offers fun phrases of motherhood on their t-shirts, which have made them a popular choice among the celebrity mommies.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a mad obsession for funny t-shirts. Among my favorite in my collection are my Martha is My Homegirl (with Martha Stewart surrounded by pretty spoons), my Drop It Like It’s Hot (with a waitress holding a heavy tray), & my Hip Hop You Don’t Stop (with a bouncing kangaroo) shirt. The funnier the t-shirt, the better.

PeaceLoveMom has great trendy mommy t-shirts that are still tasteful, but show that you have a witty and fun personality. The offer a variety of choices that express motherhood in a fun way.

The company sent two of the cutest shirts to add to my collection. I now have a “Happy Mom” t-shirt, which THE Cindy Crawford has been seen wearing around town & a “Carpool Candy” tank. Their shirts are made out of the softest cotton, making it a quick favorite in your wardrobe, and the sizing is made for women and not teens. That means no post-baby body hanging out the sides of your jeans and we love that!
Not only is the sizing spot on, but the phrases are too. They let people know that you are not just another mom thankyouverymuch, but that you are a super fun and super cool mom so TAKE THAT. You might be driving around in your minivan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be too cool for school.
PeaceLoveMom has generously offered our customers free shipping utilizing the promo code, “momadvice” on any order that you place.
Thanks so much to PeaceLoveMom for giving us an opportunity to review their products and to add such fun t-shirts to add to my collection!
Want to see your name in lights? Email me at amy@momadvice.com and tell me about your company. We would love to try and review your product for our growing readership!

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San Francisco, Baby!

Monday, June 25th, 2007

Well, I have just returned from my trip to San Francisco and it was AWESOME! Thanks to all of you for you prayers and well wishes for my travels. It was definitely one of the highlights of my summer. Not only was the trip wonderful, but I made some amazing blogging friends and had an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best of the best. I did, at times, feel entirely out of my league, but I was proud of myself for being around some of the most elite and amazing women. I got to hear about where everyone was going with their business, about the successes they had with their businesses, and we all got to voice our challenges with what we were doing. I don’t want to blah, blah, blah about everyone though because some bloggers do wish to remain anonymous, but if you were with me and want to give a shout out and tell everyone who you are…I won’t stop you!

San Francisco was one of the most amazing places that I have ever been to. We only had less than a day to really doing any sight-seeing, but I managed to take a trolley ride, eat at some wonderful restaurants, and dip my feet in the Pacific ocean. A girlfriend and I took the trolley all the way to the end of the line and got off for some pictures. Our return trip on the trolley was a bit more eventful because it was so busy that we couldn’t even find space to get back on. We ended up walking a good portion of the trip back and my legs have never burned so much EVER. After I told my husband about it, he laughed and said that we had walked up the steepest road in The Guinness Book of World Records. I treated myself to loads of calories after I heard that, because frankly, I deserved it!
When I returned, I had to get my house ready for the CBS Early Show’s appearance at my doorstep. I have just wrapped up my interview and I am hoping it is edited in such a manner that I appear slightly intelligent and that I do know a little bit about what I was talking about. The producer said that this will be airing in late July or early August, and promised to let us know so that we could let all of our friends and family know when I am on. I will be sure to share it with everyone, and if I do sound completely slow and uneducated, please realize that I was suffering from jet lag and exhaustion from getting my home in order. There is nothing like an Early Show appearance to make your house look better than ever. Now I can enjoy a clean home and some rest after such a busy week! We will be receiving a visit from The South Bend Tribune on Thursday though, but it will at least give me a few days to catch a breather!
We will be back to our regular programming tomorrow! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some of my vacation pictures and I hope that you noticed the new look on our homepage. We have added a cool new feature where you can now check out what is going on in your area. If you are looking for something to do with the kids this summer, be sure to swing by there and have a look!

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