Potty Training: It's time to try!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.

Motherhood has a funny way of socking it to you. I started this whole potty training adventure about 3 weeks ago. Only a few days after that, we found out we were moving. Those two things don't exactly go hand in hand, right? Potty training has been challenging, to say the least. 

The hardest thing has really been my discipline to take the time for sitting on the potty. There is an awful lot of "come on, it's time to try!" going on around here, but I don't think as much as there should be. In a day filled with realtors, inspectors and house hunting, it's hard to think about going to the bathroom myself, much less reminding my nearly 2 year old to go. 

Luckily, the Pull-Ups are kinda saving the day. If he has an accident, it's not the end of the world, or a cleaning disaster. Beyond that, they have a host of tools for you and your little one to remember to take a potty break. They have a timer for your desktop, an app for your smart phone and you can even schedule a call from Mike or Sully.

Now, another thing that I think is working the best with remembering to take breaks, is good rewards. For my little guy that really loves to eat, a piece of chocolate, a single fruit snack or even a handful of teddy cookies really gives him incentive to try. 

When Cooper was potty training, he was really into stickers. We started a chart on a big poster board. When he filled a line with stickers, he would get a small prize. (Usually something from the dollar section.) He had such a look of accomplishment while picking out his toy! When he had filled up the poster board, it was time for him to go pick out his big boy underwear. That was such a big, special moment! 

What are your potty training tips for taking breaks? How do you peel them away from what their doing to get them to go? Timers? Rewards? I want to know! Do you give your kids little mason jars full of Reeses pieces and take a couple for yourself?

Visit Pull-Ups.com and “like” Pull-Ups on Facebook for more potty training tips and resources.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.

Bissell CleanView Plus Review

| This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bissell | 

There's not much I love more than carpet lines. You know, the perfect lines you get when you vacuum just so, then they disappear after your kids little feet run across the room chasing the vacuum? Yeah, I love those. I have often joked about inventing carpet with permanent vacuum lines. It's a fab idea, right? Until I invent the carpet, I will be vacuuming...a lot. 

When Bissell asked me to review their CleanView Plus vacuum with OnePass technology, I was up for the job. I have 3 floors in my house, 2 of which are completely carpeted. That combined with 2 wild boys, makes the perfect test for a vacuum. 

I was surprised when I saw the size of the box. It seemed really small for a vacuum, and I discovered I had to assemble some pieces. 

I was very happy when I realized how easy it was, though. I had it all together and ready to eat my dirt in less than 5 minutes. 

The CleanView actually allows you to see the grime you're getting off your floors. The Bottom Easy Empty Dirt cup allows you to empty all that grime quickly.  

Adjustable height allows for bare floor vacuuming all the way up to high carpet height. I don't typically vacuum my hardwood, because my vacuum doesn't do a good job and stuff just flies everywhere. I was throughly impressed with the suction of this machine, though! The OnePass technology allows for faster cleaning with it's powerful suction.

I even noticed how much more powerful the suction is when I used the hose to clean underneath the high chair. Undoubtedly, the messiest section of the floor in my house. Using the CleanView vacuum on the bare floor setting worked great for me as well. I will be using in instead of sweeping on a regular basis! 

The innovative brush design on the Bissell CleanView cleaned my carpets like a charm and created the oh so lovely carpet lines. 

They say the proof is in the pudding, right? Well, here is my embarrassing proof...

That would be the gunk picked up from one pass over my living room. Oh, and I vacuumed the same space just 2 days prior. So nasty. I am thrilled to have this vacuum and couldn't be happier with it's performance. The Bissell CleanView Plus retails for just $89.99 and outperforms vacuums I have spent way more on. I call this a great buy! 

Check out Bissell on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube to find out more!

| I was selected by Mom if Forward Blogger Network to receive this vacuum and compensation in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. |

Father's Day 2013: Don't buy Dad a tie.

| This is a sponsored post of behalf of Retail Me Not |

Can you remember what you gave your dad for Father's Day last year? Year before? If you gave a tie or a coffee mug, the Dad in your life may not be too happy. A recent survey done by RetailMeNot shows 32% of Dad's don't want a tie and 19% don't want a coffee mug. That's along with 27% who don't want a tee with some type of Dad slogan on it. We need to step it up with the Dad gifts! 

Did I knock out all your ideas there? Well, here are a few things that you could give instead. 

1. Golf related items

Tees, ball markers and towels are all great smaller gifts. How about new head covers, a nice new golf shirt or even a new club that he's been dropping hints about? 

Use a RetailMeNot coupon from Sports Authority to save $10 off your $30 purchase!

2. Real men eat meat

What man wouldn't be happy with some great steaks? 

Use a RetailMeNot coupon from Omaha Steaks to save $30 off your $60 purchase and get free shipping! 

3. Buy him dinner 

With family time being right up there with things that Dad's want for Father's Day, why not take the whole family out for a nice meal! I love this one, because everyone actually benefits from it.

Use a RetailMeNot coupon to grab a $25 gift card to Restaurant.com for just $5!

4. Tool Man Dad

I think I'm right in saying most men could use some sort of tools. Either a new one or a replacement one, this is a category that is super useful and also strokes the man ego. 

Use a RetailMeNot coupon to The Home Depot to save up to 60% off Father's Day gifts as well as saving $5 off your $50 purchase.  

5. Get your travel on

Wether it's 1 night away or a week long vacation, a little surprise break from the day to day is always appreciated. 

Use a RetailMeNot coupon from Expedia to snag 50% hotels in their deal of the day, along with other great coupons for full vacations!

You can find tons of coupons here for fantastic Father's Day deals! 
And because everyone loves to win something, you can also enter daily here until June 14th in the RetailMeNot Father's Day Golf Club Giveaway to win $750 to spend on new golf clubs at Golfsmith! 

I was compensated in exchange for sharing links to great deals from RetailMeNot. All opinions are my own. 

Potty Training: Fears and Fixes

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.


Cooper was almost 3 when we finally potty trained him. He was content in his diapers and since he wasn't in daycare or preschool, I didn't really think about it. We just chugged along, until he learned to take his diaper off. If you've experienced this startling event as a Mom, you know just how terrifying it can be. 

Oh. My. Gosh. Now what? He can take his diaper off!!!! My house will never be the same!

Luckily for us, Cooper potty trained very quickly and easily. He was ready. 

Fast forward 2.5 years. 

Callan is 19 months and just learned to take his diapers off. He tells me when he's got a dirty diaper. He's giving me all the signs of being ready. But, he's 19 months! I have a feeling this will be a longer process than Cooper's was, but who knows. I'm a little nervous about it this time around.

I'm worried it will take a long time. That our carpet is going to become disastrous. That our summer traveling will be quite dramatic-filled with twice as many potty breaks. 

So, I'm going straight to Pull-Ups this time. With their fun Monster University designs and all the leak protection my carpets crave, I have a feeling this will be the answer to my potty training fears. I know Callan isn't ready to wander around the house nudie on the bottom half just yet, but I do know he can be persuaded by a call from Mike and Sully to go try to potty. Yes, they will call you for a potty break reminder! 

Potty training is a learning experience every time, as all kids are just different. You don't really know what to expect from them. What they all need is encouragement, patience and lots of praise for a job well done. I'm excited to start this adventure again! 

Pull-Ups help take the scare out of potty training by making it fun and easy with new Monsters U character training pants! You can help make potty training easier by staying consistent and using rituals like the potty break. Make it a game and ask your toddler, “What does a little monster take?”…“A Potty Break!”


Visit Pull-Ups.com and “like” Pull-Ups on Facebook for more potty training tips and resources.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.

O.A.R at Merriweather Pavillion {Giveaway}

If you're a fan of O.A.R. you'll want in on this giveaway! With 4 of the bands members from Rockville, MD, I'm betting there are some big fans in this area. Coming back to their hometown for the Sounds of Summer Tour, they will be at Merriweather Pavillion on August 1st and YOU can be there! 

Merriweather is located in Columbia, MD on 40 wooded acres. They have hosted Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead along with the best in pop, hip hop, classical and more. It's a venue you need to check out! Head over here to see their summer line up and start planning for your favorite concert!

The kind folks at Merriweather Post Pavilion are giving one reader 2 lawn tickets to see O.A.R for their Sounds of Summer Tour on August 1st! 

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hallmark Get Carded Challenge

In these days of emails, texting and social media, I don't participate in the "snail mail" conversation as often as I should. There is something a little magical about pulling a card right from the mailbox. To see handwriting. To know that someone was thinking about you in a more personal and special way than a quick text. 

That's why I took the Hallmark Get Carded Challenge. 7 days, 7 cards, 7 people.

I sent a card to my Grandma in Georgia for Easter. A friend in Minnesota for her Birthday. I even sent one back to our house for Cooper. He loves getting mail and that card put the biggest smile on his face. 

You never know what a simple card can do to cheer someone up. I got a call from my Grandma after she got her card and she couldn't stop talking about how beautiful it was. She lives alone and I'd imagine life is pretty slow. All it took was a card to brighten her whole day. So I sent another. And I'm going to continue to do it periodically because she loves it. It's a small gesture that shows so much love and care.

Want to join the Hallmark Get Carded Challenge? Hallmark is giving away a card pack to 1 winner! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. They are also is giving you all 30% off their cards through the end of the year! Use BLOG30 at checkout. With graduations, wedding season and Father's Day upon us, go ahead and stock up! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloggers can sign up here to participate in the challenge on your blog.

I was provided cards and postage in exchange for participating in this challenge and my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Veggie Tales Live {Review}

Last weekend, on Cooper's Birthday, we got the chance to go see the Veggie Tales live show. This was the second live show we've seen and it just so happens to be Veggie Tales 10 year celebration. Cooper totally thought the Happy Birthday was for him. Hehe. 

We love Veggie Tales around here. The kids love the music and dancing, the fun stories and the silly songs. I love that they can learn about Bible stories, values and good choices and I never have to worry about them learning anything questionable. 

You can be sure that there was plenty of dancing during the show, especially from the littlest one. 

The boys were mesmerized, really. It was such a fun, action packed show with plenty of variety and music. 

They sang all the classic favorites, like I Love My Lips and The Hairbrush Song, as well as some fun oldies like Shout. 

I can sing every Veggie Tales song and pretty sure I can quote the majority of the movies. That's just how much I love them. I even got Cooper to eat asparagus the other day because of the show's nutty professor, Archibald Asparagus. 

Veggie Tales has teamed up with World Vision to give Promise Packs to children around the world who are in need. We had the opportunity at the show to buy these backpacks for children that were filled with school supplies, personal hygiene items and a blanket. 

I feel like teaching children gratefulness is one of the most difficult things to do. We chose to purchase these backpacks and have a talk with Cooper about why we did it, how blessed he is and how much a small gift from us can really change someone else's life. World Vision also has children that you can sponsor for around $1 a day. It's gut wrenching to think that less than half of what we spend on a cup of coffee could be changing the life of a child in need.

Thanks to the wonderful people of Veggie Tales, for opening our eyes to these wonderful children as well as continuing to make videos that teach great things to our children! 

Go check out the Veggie Tales Live page to be alerted for the fall shows that will be announced soon! Your kids will thank you!  

I was provided with tickets for my family to this Veggie Tales show because I serve as a Veggie Tales Ambassador. All opinions are my own.