Operation Beautiful

A couple of weeks ago I was changing my sons diaper in the Tampa airport. I noticed a post-it note on the wall above the changing table. Rushing , as usual, I didn't really look up. I finished changing my son and took a quick second to see what the note said , it read

" You are a Mom and you are Beautiful"

I smiled and walked out. Upon returning home and getting settled back into daily life I decided to go through the pile of mail that was waiting for us. I received a book called "Operation Beautiful" to read and review. Much to my surprise, the post it note I received was from this Operation Beautiful Campaign.

The goal is to leave notes anywhere and everywhere to let women know just how beautiful they are ...AS IS, so simple and it takes a second. My 8 year old loved the idea and started making post its for us to leave everywhere we went. She later told me that " mommy it feels so good to say nice things to people"

GOAL ACHIEVED!

Get this book and pass it on, especially to pre-teens and teens, the positive messages will up lift them!

Is there a perfect time?

I came across this article and wanted to share it. This is for all of you MOMS out there that put off taking family portraits because of various reasons ....Be happy with who you are and where you are TODAY. Be in THIS Moment because NOW IS ALWAYS THE PERFECT TIME.

is there a perfect time?


You are beautiful just the way you are.

Where does the time go?

(arriving home from the hospital)

(a year later)

It seems like just yesterday I was holding my newborn in my arms , staring at him in dis-belief, just as I had done twice before with my girls. Where did the time go? How did he start crawling so quickly? Did he get his 1st tooth earlier than my girls?Is he eating solids sooner?Is he trying to accomplish more sooner than they did in order to catch up with them? How do I have so much love in my heart to love them all equally? Why do I want to cry when my kids get hurt(but can't)?How can my son melt my heart with one little smile? Or make my heart skip a beat with a simple, slobbery kiss? Where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was up all night...wanting and needing sleep so desperately? Wasn't it just yesterday when we brought him home and shared him with our family and friends?

Maybe I'm just being sentimental...or over sensitive because I know that he is my last baby. Actually, I think I'm being more appreciative. Thankful that I have 3 healthy and happy children and enjoying each and every moment with them. Sharing my heart and soul with them,being silly with them and having fun with them. Realizing that they are unique individuals, with their own thoughts and desires and their own personalities.May I continue to be Inspired to teach them all that I can and watch them find themselves and encourage them to do so. My job is simply to Nurture them and most of all LOVE them unconditionally.

May the next year be exactly as it should.

Happy 1st Birthday - Pro Flowers

We received the Birthday Bear Gift set from Pro Flowers just in Time for my son's 1st Birthday. What a nice surprise to come home and have this little surprise waiting on the front porch! The above photo is of everything received in the box. Which included 1. Brown Plush Bear 2. Miniature Yellow Rose Plant (one rose in bloom) in Terra cotta pot and 3. Mylar balloon. I was very surprised to see that the plant was alive and healthy. The bear, balloon and plant arrived in GREAT condition. I would have no problem spending the $34.99 to send this as a gift for someone. It is nice to know that what is described on their site, is exactly what arrived at my home.

Thank you Pro Flowers for the awesome gift!

and for the legal stuff : I received the Teddy Bear Gift set for Free from Pro Flowers and was asked to give my honest review.

Big Boy Cup! Tommee Tippee Review

My son will be 1 this Sunday and for the last few months we have been trying out different cups. Sippy cups, cups with straws, cups with spouts, you name it we've tried it and nothing has worked. Some leaked, some dripped, some flowed continuously and some he couldn't even get anything out of. Luckily we received a wonderful package in the mail from Tommee Tippee to review. I received a Spill Proof Bottle, Non Slip Mat and 2 Bowls(w/lid) and a spoon.

So here are my thoughts on the Tommee Tippee Products.
The Spill Proof Water Bottle(Sippy Cup) is WONDERFUL, my son feels like he is a big boy and has a cup like his sisters BUT he can shake it upside down and nothing comes out. Also, he is able to hold the cup with both of his little hands and drink by himself, the cup is lightweight and the beverage comes out easily.

Do your kids dump their bowls/plates upside down when eating and make a HUGE mess? This is where the Non Slip Mat comes in. It is a wonderful silicone mat that you lay on the high chair tray or any table. You then attach your bowl to the suction cup on top....no more messes!Why didn't I think of this? This is a great product and easy to use and clean, the non slip mat lifts easily off of any surface.

I have washed all of the products on the top shelf in the dishwasher and they have turned out fine. I will be heading to Toys R Us to add to our Tommee Tippee Collection! We now have our 1st Big Boy Cup!





Now – July 23: Buy any Explora item (cups and toddler feeding), get the second 50% off at BabiesRUs.com (http://bit.ly/cDYhv8)

Tommee Tippee is now available in the U.S. at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores as well as online at BabiesRUs.com.



....and for the leagal stuff...
I received products from Tommee Tippee and am a reviewer for the Mom Bloggers Club. I was asked to give my honest opinion.

Doing Nothing

Aren't there some days where you just want to "do nothing"? Make no plans or just go with the flow. With the business of summer, which is supposed to be more relaxing than the school year, I decided to take today and do absolutely nothing. The girls are excited to just "go with the flow". Today there are no swim lessons, no dance classes, no camp...NOTHING.

So far we have played in the sprinklers in our P.J.'s , had a late breakfast and are now going to get in the car and see where the day takes us. After all isn't summer about not having such a busy schedule?

Uncle Ben's Kitchen Kickoff Party

I was one of the lucky bloggers chosen to host a party for Uncle Ben's Rice! I received recipes, tons of product and decorations for my event as well as a gift card to purchase the supplies. We tried their Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice, Fastand Natural Instant Brown Rice and Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice.

My husband is not normally a fan of brown rice, saying that is either "too chewy" or "too crunchy". Our favorite recipe by far is listed below and even my picky husband enjoyed it! My girlfriends are now brown rice eaters too!

UNCLE BEN’S® Chicken, Apple, Walnut and Brown Rice Salad

Serves: 6 Prep time: 20

Ingredients
2 bags UNCLE BEN’S® Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice
2 cups shredded skinless chicken breast cooked and cooled
2 medium green apples thinly sliced
1 cup red onion finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage chopped
6 Tbsp. low-fat balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions
1. Prepare UNCLE BEN’S® Boil-in-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice according to package directions. Let cool.
2. If chicken is not already cooked, grill in pan under medium-high heat until cooked through.
3. In a large bowl, toss together rice, chicken, green apple, red onion, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Garnish with fresh sage. Serve cold or room temperature.

"I wrote this review while participating in a Kitchen Kickoff campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben's. Mom Central sent me a gift card and other Uncle Ben's items to thank me for taking the time to participate."