BOYS WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com {review}

When most people think of costumes or dressing up, Halloween comes to mind! But, not at our house! My kids love dressing up so much that they would wear a costume every single day if I would let them get away with it! I believe that dress up and costume play is an extremely important part of imaginative play that helps my kiddos explore new people and places just by make believing they are someone or something else for a short period of time! 

Little Dude was recently able to review a boys costume from WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com! He was beyond excited to be able to add something new to his small but very special stash of dress up costumes. He scoured the pages of the website looking for something that caught his eye (although I knew what he would  pick) and eventually picked out the Kids Jr. Swat Costume.

How awesome is this! Please note that the costume comes with the jumpsuit and the hat. The boots and glasses belong to Little Dude.

{Review}

What Mommy thought:

What I absolutely loved and appreciated the most about this costume was the material and the durability of it. I have seen (and purchased) so many costumes that are so poorly made and are so thin that they are almost sheer. Well, not this one! It is thick...very thick to be exact, and it has heavy duty stitching that I know will hold up for the many washings it will go through-if I can ever get  Little Dude to take it off! Something else that also screamed "great quality" to me was the fact that all of the lettering you see on the jumpsuit and the hat are in fact embroidered on. 

What Little Dude thought:

Aside from feeling totally "cool" in the costume he picked, Little Dude said that his favorite things about it were that: 1. It was a jumpsuit and not two pieces. He said that "real Swat Teams" wear jumpsuits! 2. He loved all of the patches. He said that "people might think he is really a Swat Team guy if they see his patches". 3. He is obsessed with all of the zippers! He had them filled with all sorts of odds and ends the second he slipped into the costume! 

Both Little Dude and I were very happy with the Kids Jr. Swat Costume and would like to thank the awesome people from WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com for providing us with the chance to review something!

Disclosure: I was provided with a sample product in order to conduct this review. No other form of compensation was received. All opinions are of course 100% my own and as always not influenced in any way.

Valentine's Day Greeting Cards {Tiny Prints}

Valentine's Day is on it's way and this year I am even more excited than usual! The reason being is because this year Little Dude is in the 1st grade and he will be having a Valentine Cards exchange party in his classroom! He has been back and forth about what type of cards he wanted to hand out to his friends at school-but with a little help from our good friends at Tiny Prints he has found the perfect card...if you ask him it is "cool", but if you ask mommy it is "adorable"! So there you have it-another win win situation!

This is the card Little Dude has picked as the winning card this year...

The Rock Ballad: Valentine's Day Card For Kids

The Front

The Inside which is of course completely customizable

These  adorably "cool" cards are just one of many Valentine Cards For Kids available. If you are looking for someone a little older or something for a special someone you can also take a look around their Valentine's Day Greeting Cards.  

If you have any further questions or need help picking that perfect card you can connect with Tiny Prints by

Following them on Twitter

Liking them on Facebook

Pinning with them on Pinterest

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Tiny Prints. I will receive my own set of classroom Valentine's Day cards for my efforts. No other form of compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and as always not influenced in any way.

Not so fun day at the park...

So yesterday I decided to take Little Dude and Little Diva to the park after picking Little Dude up from school. The park itself is literally right next door to his school, so it is always a treat for the kids when we have time after school to stop by and play for a while. Well, yesterday was one of the days...perfect weather, a ton of free time, and that was that-we were off to the park. As soon as we get there the kids run off like they have never seen a park in their entire lives-they head straight to the jungle gym. As soon I got settled into my comfy little bench, I do what I assume every parent does-I start checking out who else is at the park...what they are doing...try to figure out who is with who and so on. As I am looking around I can clearly see there are two groups of kids on either side of the park(which isn't very big) and then my kids off by themselves-thankfully. Guess what happens next? These children start having a shouting war...bantering back and forth. They are all between what appeared to be first and sixth grade. At first it was silly kid stuff. BUT then...the older kids started screaming profane words and horrible things at each other. Then the younger kids started copying them. I wanted to scream...I mean I was down right mad! How dare they speak that way, especially in a public place! I could not believe my ears. I took a quick look around and of course I am the only parent at the park that day. Ugh. I probably should have stuck around and explained to the children that they shouldn't act that way, or ask them to stop. But I was so uncomfortable I grabbed my kids as fast as I possibly could and  high tailed it out of there. After all I can not parent every child that was left unattended after school right? I did however take the time to talk to my own children about the situation, and respect for others. I still feel really bad about the whole thing. What would you have done?

TODDLER WholesaleCostumeClub.com {review}

Arrrr Matey's! Halloween is quickly approaching us, and boy oh boy do I have a great review for you today! 

I was recently given the chance (along with Little Diva) to review a costume from Wholesale Costume Club. 

You may be asking yourself, "What is Wholesale Costume Club?" Well, let me introduce you...

Halloween Costumes at Wholesale Prices

Wholesale Costume Club is an innovative new concept in costume shopping. They are the only costume website on the internet that lets you purchase Halloween costumes at wholesale club-member or non-member prices that are below the lowest retail prices that you'll find on any online costume store!

Believe me, I know how expensive Halloween costume shopping can be! This website is sure to put a smile on the faces of your little Trick-or-Treaters without putting the dreaded dent in your wallet. 

{review}

After browsing the website we finally decided on the perfect Halloween costume to review. We chose the Toddler Precious Pirate Costume. As you can see in the picture below it is absolutely adorable!

Little Diva is a petite little thing...but the costume fit her perfectly( it is a size3/4). It ties around the waist, giving you the best fit possible. The dress and bandanna have the cutest little skull and cross-bones adding just enough spookiness! It also comes with boot covers that slip right over your shoes instantly transforming any boots into the "read deal"! The red and white striped tights just speak for themselves...they are cute beyond words!

We couldn't be any happier with the costume we received. If you decide to take advantage of Wholesale Costume Club's great selection of  toddler Halloween costumes you won't be sorry! They have tons to choose from for older children and Mommy's and Daddy's too.

Disclosure: I received a product free of charge from the PR agency/company to conduct this review. No other form of compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours. My opinion was not influenced in any way. As always I only recommend products that I love and stand by.

Real Seal Appeal w/ Real California Milk

As many of you already know, schools everywhere are losing funds for things like music enrichment, sports, and art. It is very sad, but it is a harsh reality in this economy!

What if I told you there was a way to win up to $20,000 for your child's school...sounds great doesn't it? Well, lucky for all of us Real California Milk  in conjunction with Scholastic is supporting California schools by launching the Real Seal Appeal  program and awarding California schools with Two Million Dollars in cash, books, and prizes! This program will run from October 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011.

Want to know what you can do to try and win...

*Families and Teachers are being encouraged to collect Real California Milk and Cheese seals (you can see what they look like in the picture above)

*Each seal acts as a sweepstakes entry. The more seals you are able to collect and turn in, the more chances your child's classroom and school has to win.

*All seals must be collected by your child's teacher and turned into the California Milk Advisory Board.

*Up to $2 Million in cash and prizes will be awarded!

The participating schools are located within the following counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

This is a fantastic way to try and help your local schools, not to mention if you are a California resident like me, it is the perfect way to support our local California Dairy Families. It is a win win situation...literally!

If you would like more information on this program you can visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com 

Disclosure:  I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing.  All opinions stated in the post are my own.

10 tips for de-cluttering and organizing toys in your child's playroom!

As a mommy of two very active and very playful children, I often struggle with the amount of toys they have and the clutter and mess that it can create daily. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love that they are extremely creative...but I am sure you know by now that a messy room of any kind is NOT my friend! One of Little Dudes favorite things to play with is his Hot Wheels collection. He will drag it out and play on the floor for hours, but when he is all done we are left with a sea of tiny cars covering the floor, and I have stepped on enough of them to make me want to pull my hair out! 

Well, Hot Wheels has made my dreams come true...they have created an innovative and fun way to get the tracks up off of the floors and onto the walls. They are called Wall Tracks, and they are amazing! They actually attach in a safe way to your child's bedroom or playroom wall...I am thrilled! Thank you Hot Wheels!

Although Hot Wheels Wall Tracks will absolutely help de-clutter Little Dudes room, here are my tips to helping you keep those bedrooms and playrooms organized:

1. I like to keep the boxes the toys come in. Why? Because the toys fit perfectly back in the which makes it very easy to store them away in a closet or under a bed.

2. Little Dude has a big toy storage bin in his closet. When in a rush to clean up we can just toss bigger toys in there, outta sight, outta mind...until next time!

3. We have used shoe boxes to store smaller toys like Little Divas Barbie clothes. They are easy for her to open and stack easily in her closet.

4. I save the old bags that bedding comes in. You know, the huge, zippered, plastic bags. They are perfect for storing toys like trains and tracks!

5. Make it easy for your kiddos to put things away by taking a picture of which toys go where and taping it to the appropriate bin or area.

6. I constantly go through the kids toys and check for anything that may have broke. Not only is it a safety hazard, but there is no reason to keep something that doesn't work properly.

7. Each one of my kiddos has a toy box in their room. They get to keep the things they play with most often in there for easy access. They make the room look cute too. Little Diva's is a Princess Horse Carriage!

8. Invest in a great bookcase. My kids have so many books that end up on their floor. A great bookcase will store them nicely and decorate the room at the same time. 

9. Have a garage sale. I love being able to sell some of the things the kids no longer play with and use the money we make to save for something they really want. 

10. Donate Donate Donate. This is by far the best tip I have. Helping a child in need is a great thing to do for adults and children alike, and it will help you get de-cluttered in your home. Win-win situation!

If you have any other tips that will help me become more organized and clutter free please leave me a comment! I need all the help I can get these days...

Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Parenting...the $&!# nobody tells you!

When I became preggers with my son I knew the basics...you know, about having a painful labor, sleepless nights, and lots and lots of dirty diapers! Well, let me tell you, I have learned over the past 6 years that there is NOTHING anyone can tell you (or not tell you) that will prepare you for what you will go through! I have had so many laughs and shed a few tears over the years about the things that come along with having children. 

I have decided to share with you everything you never wanted to know about parenting!

1. You will get peed on, many many times. 

2. Toddlers like to take their dirty diapers off and sometimes they finger paint. Get the picture?

3. Spit up becomes actual vomit sooner than you'd like.

4. You will never sleep a full night again. Ever. 

5. You breasts will squirt milk. Sometimes on your husband. 

6. Stretch marks don't go away with magic creams(at least not mine)! They are battle scars. Wear them with pride!

7. Once children learn to talk, they do not stop!

8. You will most likely let your kids do everything you always said they never would. You know, sleep in your bed, eat dirt, and pick their noses!

9. You will do crazy things when you are exhausted. I have tried calling my husband from our T.V. remote control!

10. You will become magic! Yes, it's true...your hugs & kisses will cure boo boo's, your voice will soothe your children to sleep, and your love for your family will give you the strength and courage of super heroes!

The best part is that you will enjoy every second of it!

I love looking back and laughing about all the crazy memories parenting has given me thus far! I can't wait to see what the future brings! 

Feel free to comment with your own parenting tid-bits! Of course everything above are just my silly opinions and experiences, and yours may vary...and that okay with me!

Now & Then...

So, I was thinking today (shocker...hehe) who was I before becoming a mother? Who am I now? What has changed...big or small? Before having children my hubby and I were together for a very short period of time so we never really had that "honeymoon" stage! Don't get me wrong...we loved going out with our friends and still do, although it is a rare occasion when that happens!

Some of the small changes that have occurred since become a mommy are that I have traded in fruity cocktails for steaming hot cups of coffee, the occasional cigarette (so bad I know) turned into a pacifier held between my lips, high heels became flip flops, and lingerie has been replaced by tank tops and yoga pants!

Big changes are that I now know what it is like to love someone so much it hurts. I know how great the fear of losing someone actually is. I know what it is like to want to go all mama-bear on someone who causes any pain or hurt to your family. Being a parent has changed me into a softer, more loving, giving, logical, stronger version of myself!

I think I wear the role of "Mommy" quite well and I think it looks good on me! Don't get me wrong, I sometimes miss being able to get all dolled up in a moments notice and go where ever the wind took me, but I would never in a million years trade that in for the sticky kisses and unconditional love that comes from my children! I love their love the most!

Leave me a comment and share your stories...

Interview {Little Diva Edition}

A small glimpse into Little Diva's Little World...

Mommy: "What are your favorite things to do"?

Little Diva: "Hmmm, ummm, hmmm? Oh, I know what I like to do! I like to go swimming, and play legos. You know what else I like to do? I like to wash things!

Mommy: "What makes you special"? 

Little Diva: "I am special because I have a kitten"!

Mommy: "Why do you love Mommy"? 

Little Diva: "Because you always do special things for us"! 

Mommy: "Do you have a favorite food"?

Little Diva: "Ok, I know just what I like! I like hash browns"!

Mommy: "If you could change your name what would it be"?

Little Diva: "I would like to pick Matilda"!

Mommy: "What do you want to be when you grow up"?

Little Diva: "I want to be a Fireman"!

Have you ever "interviewed" your kids? If you haven't, give it a try! I loved hearing what Little Diva had to say & I hope you did too!

Interview {Little Dude Edition}

As a parent have you ever wondered "What is going on inside that head of your's"? Maybe, maybe not? I am always curious about what my kiddos are thinking, so I decided to "interview" them. Don't worry they got to interview me too! Today I give you Little Dude...

Mommy: "What are your favorite things to do"?
Little Dude: "I like to swim, I like to play with my kitten. But I really like video games".

Mommy: "What makes you special"?
Little Dude: "I am special because I have a good family".

Mommy: "Do you have a favorite food"?
Little Dude: "I love burritos".

Mommy: "If you could change your name what would it be"?
Little Dude: "I would be Charlie, but I still like my name better".

Mommy: "What do you want to be when you grow up"?
Little Dude: "I don't know? Actually, I do know, I want to be in the Army".

I really enjoyed hearing his answers, I definitely learned a few things about my son! Burritos and Charlie, who knew? Stay tuned tomorrow for Little Diva's debut!

Mom approved apps for kids...{ review }

As a mom of two young kids I am constantly on the look out for apps that are not only fun but also educational. My kids were recently fortunate enough to try an app from Kiboomu. They received Preschool Sing & Learn. My daughter who is 4 absolutely adores it. She is playing, singing, dancing, and best of all LEARNING. Within a short period of time she was reciting the days of the week. They also offer a wide variety of coloring pages, crafts, and music on their website. Kiboomu is One Little Mom Approved! If you would like to learn more about their award winning apps you can connect with them on twitter & facebook as well!

                                                               Photo Credit: Kiboomu.com


Disclosure: I received the app to try free of charge from Kiboomu. No other compensation was provided. All opinions in this post are my own and were not influenced in any way. 

My kids say the darndest things...

My kiddos crack me up! They seriously bring me to tears sometimes with the things that come out of their mouths. I have been trying to write them down as they spurt them out (for a future lol) but it isn't always possible. So without further ado here is a list of what they came up with today...

* A Hard Attack (heart attack) "because it is really hard to get better if you have one"
* Skunk Bag (I am assuming it is a scum bag but I dare not teach them that word)
* Mean-iac (I overheard them calling me this when I refused to give them gumballs this morning)
* For Goodness Shakes

Leave me a comment with some of the silly things your kiddos say.
I can always use a good giggle!