Read. Write. Mom!

Tyler Makes Pancakes- Tyler Florence

Posted on June 29, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

One of my most favorite foods my mom made when I was growing up was pancakes. These were usually a Saturday morning surprise, and I loved waking up to the smell of pancakes and syrup. It’s a fond childhood memory of my mom I will cherish forever.

Tyler Makes Pancakes, written by chef Tyler Florence, is a delightful children’s book about Tyler, a little boy wanting to surprise his family one morning by cooking them a pancake breakfast. But first, Tyler has to go to the store and buy all of the ingredients he needs to make the pancakes. At the store, Tyler learns about fresh ingredients, where they come from, and how they get to the table.

Tyler Makes Pancakes is great for teaching children about following directions, nutrition, and serving others. The illustrations by Craig Frazier are just terrific and there is even a recipe for the pancakes Tyler makes at the end of the book so you can make memories with your own child!

I received a copy of this book for review. No other compensation was received.

Looking For Pet Food Coupons?

Posted on June 29, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

It looks as if I am off to the grocery store for cat food. Again! When I first got our oldest cat (Clyde) eleven years ago, a can of his favorite cat food cost me all of 19 cents. Today, that same cat food is 55 cents a can. Thank goodness for cat food coupons and the great selection I can find at PetFoodTalk.com. There, I can find an amazing selection of printable coupons, grocery coupons, and in-store coupons on all of the pet food brands I know and trust. Don’t have a cat? No problem! They also have an amazing selection of dog food coupons to help with the costs of keeping your dog happy, too.

When we first got our cats, one thing that was very important to me was to make sure I was feeding them the best food I possibly could to ensure their good health and well-being. I spent many hours searching websites to read up on pet food ingredients and compare brands. PetFoodTalk.com also provides great cat food reviews by comparing different brands to the ideal cat food, as well as including actual experiences from cat owners. We must have tried tons of brands in the beginning, but Clyde soon let us know which brand and flavor was his favorite. Thankfully, our other cat has been very agreeable to Clyde’s preference. Dog owners can also check out the dog food reviews to get the same great information about dog food.

Great savings and great information! Be sure to check it out!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Freedom To Read- $15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Posted on June 28, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

We’re celebrating Independence Day here at Read. Write. Mom! by offering one lucky winner a $15 Amazon Gift Card as part of the Freedom To Read Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mundie Moms. For more great giveaways, please visit all of the blogs listed below who are also participating in the giveaway hop.

To Enter:

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. The first entry (a comment) is mandatory, but the other entries are optional.

Deadline to enter is July 6, 2012 at 12:00 AM EST. This giveaway is worldwide and is open to all 18 and older, void where prohibited. Gift Card will be emailed to winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Does Deva Curl Work?

Posted on June 28, 2012January 22, 2020 by Mandy

Late one night I was sucked into watching infomercials on TV and an infomercial came on for Deva Curl, a hair product that was supposed to make your curly hair look amazing. My hair is naturally wavy and I would give anything to be able to just wash it and go, so I decided that I would buy it. Does Deva Curl work?

Naturally Wavy Hair

I use a flat iron on my hair everyday because my wavy hair has no definition. If I wash my hair and let it dry naturally, it looks very blah with some spots wavier than others. This is what my naturally air-dried hair looks like:

Just little waves sitting there. I didn’t want blah waves. I wanted really curly hair! (Sorry for the pic quality…I was using my phone)

I only ordered a Deva Curl Travel Kit because I didn’t want to be stuck with tons of product I wouldn’t use in case I didn’t like it. My travel size bag contained the following:

No Poo (shampoo)
One Condition (conditioner)
Light Defining Gel (styling gel)
Set It Free (moisture lock)

So, I shampooed and conditioned my hair using the products listed above and then once I gently squeezed the excess water out of my hair, I ran my wide tooth comb through my hair to detangle it and then I applied the Light Defining Gel, gave it a few scrunches, and waited for my hair to dry naturally. Once it dried, I sprayed on the Set It Free.

RESULTS

So does Deva Curl work? I would say that there is definitely more curl in my hair after using Deva Curl and letting it dry naturally. If you have really curly hair, then this is definitely the product you want to tame the frizz, hydrate your curls, and keep your hair looking amazing! I was pretty pleased with the results and the products smell so good. I definitely think this product is worth the money and highly recommend it if you have naturally wavy or curly hair. I only wish this had been around during the late 80’s and early 90’s when I fried my hair with perms on a regular basis to achieve the curly hair look. Ha!

These opinions are strictly my own. I was not provided with this product for review or compensated for my opinion.

So Not (Mine)crafty

Posted on June 26, 2012May 28, 2019 by Mandy

You know, I thought being at home all summer long would drive me a little nuts, just because I had been so used to my routine during the school year. I was up early every morning, at work by 7:00 A.M. and stayed busy until time to clock out. I really looked forward to this summer off because I would get to spend more time with my son. I figured, if anything, having way more free time would drive me a little crazy.

I was wrong.

Can I just tell you what is driving me crazy this summer? Minecraft. A video game called MINECRAFT!!!

It all started when my son discovered another video game (which shall remain nameless) that was almost like building a world with Legos. He loved it. However, we are pretty sure this video game was the cause of the demise of not one, but two netbooks in our home. Not acceptable. And so, I had to break his heart and inform him that his days playing that game were over. I desperately tried to find something, anything, that was age-appropriate and to his liking. I had no luck. He begrudgingly played some of those other games that were similar, all the while reminding me how “NOT cool” they were.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, a family member introduced him to Minecraft, a game he was playing on his phone. It was safe for kids to play and for the low, low price of $26 it could be played on our home computer (make that MY computer…the only one left standing). So, I bought the game and downloaded it for him. He was super happy and couldn’t tell me enough how cool it was. But then, he wanted to play this game at the exact times when I needed to use my computer and it dawned on me that this was not going to be a good arrangement after all. BUT! Never fear! They make Minecraft for XBox 360, and so yes, I bought the game AGAIN for him to play on his XBox.

Well. Apparently there are many “worlds” and “golems” and “teleporting” goodness that this mama knows absolutely nothing about, and I must get asked by my son a million times a day how to “make iron”, “craft things”, and how to “get rid of the creepers”. When I can’t come up with anything, he gets frustrated and whiney and Iamthisclose to taking it all away.

I figured YouTube would be a good place to watch some videos to figure out how to play this game. I quickly found out that most of these videos were junk, with kids and adults cussing and making some not-so-nice things happen to the little characters in the game. He has found some decent videos on the Minecraft site itself, but they don’t answer all of his questions and Mama is just fresh out of patience and ideas.

It’s times like this I wish my son had an older brother, because mythical older brother would surely know just what to do. I just wish Minecraft came with an Idiot’s Guide For Non-Gaming Moms because, even after reading up online on how to play, craft things, etc, I am sad to report I am just as clueless as when I started. Also while researching this game, I found out there is such a thing as gaming chairs at www.bestgamingchair.com Who knew? They review gaming pcs, laptops, mice, keyboards, chairs, desk, ram, graphics cards, monitors, gamepads, streaming software, operating systems, pro streaming equipment, etc.

Thankfully, my husband will be starting his vacation soon and hopefully between the two of them they can figure this out. My sanity kind of depends on it.

For the record, my son doesn’t play online with anyone else and he doesn’t sit on this game all day. It’s just his favorite game to play when he gets time on the computer or XBox.

Keep In Touch

Posted on June 25, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

My husband and I were just talking the other night about how much cell phones have evolved just in the last 15 years or so. Before we were married, I had a couple of cell phones, but gave them up because my husband was really the only person I was trying to keep in touch with and once we were married, that became easier. However, we did have a land line phone. Back then, if you called someone at home and they didn’t answer the phone, it usually meant they were out having a life and they would call you back later. Simple enough. After our son was born, we eventually did away with our land line and got cell phones. I needed to be able to check in on my little guy while I was at work, and a cell phone made that so much easier.

The sheer thought of being without my cell phone, even for one day, kind of makes me panic a little inside. And? I think that’s a little sad. I feel safer with it (I commute to and from work alone AND we gave up our home phone, so this phone is IT in case of an emergency), but it’s also a way to constantly stay in touch with just about anyone via email, text, Facebook, and calling.

Case in point: A couple of weeks ago we had a scary storm with straight line winds in excess of 50 mph tear through our town. We lost our electricity, which meant we also lost our cable (no TV) and our internet connection (no computer). That little phone provided enough lighting for me to find our emergency flashlight and I was also able to still get on Facebook and get weather updates. Our utility company even sent text messages throughout the entire ordeal keeping us abreast on when we could expect power back. I was also able to check in with my parents and make sure they were ok. Were it not for that phone, I would have been very afraid and very cut off from what was happening around me. But, I suppose we would have been ok, because in the end, we were. Thank goodness for hand-held gaming systems to entertain my son for a few hours in the dark.

In 1994 we had a huge ice storm that left us without electricity for two weeks. It also took out our phone lines. However, pretty much everyone in town was in the same boat. Cell phones were not something everyone had back then, but we survived. Whatever did we do without our land line phones and electricity? We listened to the battery charged radio, read a whole lot of books, worked outside in the yard to remove debris from trees that came down, and we had conversations with our families and neighbors. Yes, there were many moments of boredom (this was before the internet). Yet, we survived.

When I first got a cell phone back in 1997, if someone would have told me that a few years from then, I would be able to surf the internet, listen to the radio, watch TV and videos, send text messages, check email, and play games on a cell phone (and so much more), I don’t think I would have believed them. I probably would have wondered why someone would even want to do all of that on a phone anyway. But now I know, and the thought of not having my cell phone makes me shudder. I suppose it’s because I like my news, internet, and weather updates and I’ve become a little spoiled to getting them whenever I want on my phone. I’d still prefer someone call me over texting me, and I would much rather talk one-on-one than over the phone.

How attached are you to your cell phone? Could you make do without it?

30 Day Shred- Day 8

Posted on June 24, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Boy, do I feel EXACTLY like this woman in this picture.

So, thoroughly bored with the first level of the 30 Day Shred, I decided to bump it up to level 2. I am SO glad I did. The music is “peppier”, the exercises were fun (although the ab work was killer), and I just felt better all around. The only issue I ran into was that, while trying to do the push up where you have to walk down into it (walking push up?), my darn shoes kept slipping off of the back of my heel. So, I just did regular push up to get through it and kept on going. I found during this workout that it was much easier for me to do those jumping jacks. The cardio is what I have such a rough time with, but I am in a much better place than where I started from. However, this workout didn’t feel as if I were getting as much out of it as the first one. I have no idea why. There were some things I liked better, but some things I missed from the first level.

The really weird thing was during this workout, I almost burst into tears. No reason at all….I wasn’t in any pain, and I actually felt good. Does this happen to anyone else or am I the only weird one?

As for the diet…I’ve fallen off the wagon. I was doing really great when I was keeping up with everything I ate (I was using loseit.com), but I stopped keeping a food and exercise diary and it all went to heck.

The really frustrating part has been the scale, and not because of falling off the wagon. I weighed Thursday, and to my surprise I was down 5 pounds from where I started. I weighed again the next day and had gained those 5 pounds back overnight. Today, I was down 2 pounds from the 5 I gained. Maybe it’s fluid? I have NO idea, but it is really discouraging and makes me think this is all for nothing. BUT…I haven’t been consistent here lately with the diet and exercise, so I can’t exactly expect any miracles happening.

My husband, however….I really must brag on him because I am so proud of him. He has lost 15 pounds! He looks great and he is so inspiring. That’s one thing I always admired about him…when he sets his mind to doing something, he gets it done. It’s one trait I really hope our son inherits because I am quite the opposite and it doesn’t serve me well in life at all.

So…it’s a new week and I’m going to try to pull it together once more.

Here’s To Amazing Nurses

Posted on June 23, 2012June 26, 2021 by Mandy

One of the perks of living in a small town is that when a medical need arises, we’ve always had a friendly face to help us through those times. Each and every time I have ever been hospitalized, I actually knew a nurse on duty. When I was 19 and had my tonsils taken out, the nurse tending to me in the operating room was a family friend. When I had my son, one of my own family members who is a nurse was on duty and seeing to my care while I labored, and a couple of nurses in the OR were girls I had attended high school with. When I had a D & C last year, a sweet friend I grew up with was right there holding my hand and comforting me before I went into the OR and was in the recovery room as soon as I woke up. Those experiences were made a million times easier thanks to these wonderful, caring nurses. Their care and kindness will never be forgotten and it made all of the difference to me.

DID YOU KNOW?

Today, as the world population continues to grow and people continue to live longer and need more care, the healthcare field is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses; there is currently a nationwide vacancy of over 100,000 positions, and that number is expected to grow to 800,000 by the year 2020.
The upside to this shortage is that the career outlook is excellent for the nursing field. And nursing is a highly regarded profession: a 2011 Gallup Poll announced that the public voted nurses number one for “honesty and ethical standards of various professions” for the eighth consecutive year. Nurses offer patients comfort, care, and skill that is desperately needed inpatient care. The time is now to encourage and celebrate this important role in our healthcare system.
The healthcare field is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses; there is currently a nationwide vacancy of over 100,000 positions, and that number is expected to grow to 800,000 by the year 2020? How does that make you feel?

In honor of these amazing individuals who go above and beyond, Johnson & Johnson invites you to nominate a nurse for the Amazing Nurses Contest. Nominations will be accepted until June 29, 2012.

The winning Amazing Nurse and his/her guest will attend the 2012 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute show in Los Angeles, courtesy of CNN. He or she will also be honored in a video profile which will be screened before the live audience at the show and featured on the Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson Facebook page. (*Eligible Nominees for the Amazing Nurses contest must be a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) who currently administers direct patient care.)

Do you have a story of a special nurse who made a difference for you?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.