Category: For Moms

I have a confession. I hate to sweat. I’d much rather read a book than go exercise. But, sweating is unavoidable when you live in the Midwest and must suffer through hot summers every year.

Plus, sometimes I’m forced to exercise just to make sure my favorite jeans will still fit. So, I settle for stocking up on the best deodorant I can possibly find. My new favorite is Secret Outlast with Olay. Read more…

Due to some ongoing health issues, I’ve been trying really hard to increase the amount of water I drink each day. This means a water bottle has become a standard accessory for me. I’ve purchased several different kinds, but so far my favorite has been the Victoria’s Secret Pink water bottle.

Yes, I’m aware that it’s kind of odd to be buying water bottles at a lingerie store. But, these water bottles are so great that I don’t care where they come from. And, in a house full of boys, a Victoria’s Secret Pink water bottle is one of the few items I don’t have to share! Read more…

It happens to almost all of us. It doesn’t matter if you are tall or short, thin or curvy, a size 0 or a size 18, shopping for jeans ain’t easy. If you are any size or shape other than a super model, it’s probably hard to find jeans that fit perfectly. Or it was before I introduce you to INDi…

INDi does what nobody else does: they create unique jeans just for you. It’s super easy to get the perfect pair of jeans. You just go online, pick your fit and style, and then fill out the body profile. The jeans you purchase are designed just for your body. Read more…

The Fooducate App is my new favorite iPhone application. Although admittedly, it now holds me back from living in blissful ignorance about my food.

What I love about this app is, you can scan barcodes while in the store and it gives you more in-depth information about your food. It provides you with a grade for the food item, offers calories at a glance per serving, and a percentage of people who like the item. Read more…

I’m a huge fan of costume jewelry and inexpensive jewelry I can choose for one specific outfit. I just can’t see spending a ton of money on a piece of jewelry I’ll only wear once or twice. And how I never found Bombay Fashions before is beyond me!

Have you heard of Bombay Fashions? They offer Indian imitation jewelry and accessories. You’ll find cuffs, bracelets, bangles, earrings, necklaces, scarves, skirts, tunics, handbags, and more.

The pieces are eclectic rare finds at prices that everyone can afford…they have an average price point of about $20.00. They also offer a great shopping experience and customer service, including a 30 day return/exchange policy, live chat customer service, and free shipping on orders of $29.99. Read more…

When I was younger, I assumed that I’d have no trouble having children and managing to have a totally wonderful career. On TV, balancing work and motherhood didn’t look too difficult.

Of course, once I became a mother, I realized it’s a heck of a lot harder than it looks. Thus, I found myself looking for ways to figure out how to balance all of my new-found responsibilities. Read more…

I’m a huge fan of reusable shopping bags because I live far away from a good supermarket and tend to purchase a ridiculously large amount of groceries each trip. With the reusable bags, each bag holds a fair amount of food and I don’t have to worry about them ripping and dropping canned goods on my toes.

The moment I saw these recipe tote bags from One & The Same, I fell in love. I’ve seen several magazines and websites proposing that busy moms assemble “dinner kits” and enlist the help of their older children to make each meal. Read more…

I’m going to be honest with you: I’m freaking out. The high school senior who lives across the street is graduating in a couple of months and heading off to join the Air Force. I’m not freaking out about that…I’m freaking out because we are losing our babysitter!

What is so great about her is that she’s right across the street – if something happens, her parents are there to help. Or, if we enjoy wine with dinner on our night out, we don’t have to worry about driving her home. Also? She’s lovely and she’s like part of our family.

But the problem is that we are losing our babysitter. And that’s when a friend told me about Sittercity. Read more…

I’ve been a huge Jodi Picoult fan since reading My Sister’s Keeper. For the last five years, I’ve made a point of getting her books on the day they came out and staying up way past my normal bedtime to get through them as soon as possible. So, it’s hard for me to admit that this one fell short of my expectations.

The basic premise of Lone Wolf is great. Luke, a conservationist who studies wolf behavior, has gotten into a car accident. He’s in a coma and isn’t expected to recover. His children, Cara and Edward, have to decide whether to take him off life support because he has no other living relatives. Read more…

As women, many of us grow up expecting to get married, have lots of babies, and live happily ever after. Never do young girls think about not being able to get pregnant or of having to take charge of their fertility.

I was one of those girls that thought I would get pregnant when I started trying to get pregnant…never in a million years did it occur to me that I would have unexplained infertility or that it would take me 5+ years of struggling with infertility to start a family. That’s why I think the Lily App is worth checking out if you are trying to get pregnant. Read more…

When you’re an expectant parent, it can be overwhelming trying to decide exactly what you need to have for that little bundle of joy, especially for the first few months. But the truth is, newborns need very little in those first few months in the way of gear. They simply need a place to sleep, a full tummy, some things to help keep them warm and cuddles from Mom and Dad.

The Moby Wrap helps accomplish the bulk of those goals. It was one of my favorite items when our twins were home those first few months from the NICU. Read more…

Ideally, the perfect shoe is cute and comfortable. But, when I look for shoes, I want comfort more than looks. I’d rather wear a pair of butt-ugly Crocs and be comfortable than suffer all day in a pair of $200 stilettos.

For me, Vans solid color slip-on shoes are a good compromise. You can’t wear them with an evening gown, but my day-to-day life as a mom doesn’t let me attend too many formal balls anyway. Read more…

One of the great advantages of being a work-at-home mom is that you don’t need to spend any time fussing with your hair or makeup in the morning. Of course, that also means I typically look like a “before” picture in your favorite women’s magazine makeover spread. So, I was excited when Mineral Hygienics offered me an opportunity to sample their mineral makeup. Read more…

I have a serious caffeine addiction, but I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker and soda is getting to be too expensive for my grocery budget. So, I was immediately curious when I came across MiO Energy liquid water enhancer. This is a small plastic bottle of concentrated flavoring that you add to water. It has no calories and does not require refrigeration. It has B vitamins and caffeine to give you a subtle energy boost. Read more…

I LOVE getting flowers. They make me happy and can make any room that they are in more cheerful. Problem is, of course, that they die. They are too expensive to buy on a regular basis, though I wish I could!

I also think flowers are a great gift to give – and recipients are always very happy with them. I really like the idea of Hallmark’s Blooming Expressions because these are flowers you can keep forever! Read more…

Eco Nuts? Sounds weird, right? I don’t remember where I first heard about these “soap nuts” but the name immediately caught my attention. So I’m sure you want to know what they are now! Eco Nuts Soap Nuts are actually a berry that grows in the Himalayas that naturally produces a soap. The soap (called saponin), is a natural cleaner that Eco Nuts sells as laundry detergent that you can purchase in liquid or nut form. Read more…