Back To School With T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s

Posted on by Mandy

With school now in full swing, keeping your children in clothes they love at affordable prices can be tough, especially if you have more than one child to buy for.  And, if you have a child going through a major growth spurt like I do (our biggest shopping challenge), you might find yourself replacing outgrown clothes more often than you care to think about. 

In a recent survey conducted by Mom Central and T.J. Maxx/Marshalls, which was taken by almost 1,000 moms with at least one child in elementary through high school, the following trends were revealed:

• The majority of Moms (60%) do the bulk of their back-to-school shopping a few weeks in advance.

•Even though most moms get a head start on shopping, 25% wait until the last minute.

• About half of moms shop at 2-3 stores when shopping for back to school items.

• About 1/3 of moms prefer to shop at “one-stop” stores vs. specialty stores.

• 81% of moms said the rising cost of items (i.e. gas, groceries) negatively affect their familiy’s back-to-school budget this year.

 With this in mind, why does it make perfect sense to shop at T.J. Maxx/Marshall’s stores?

 *  T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s offer the same first quality designer brands you find in department stores and at the mall, but for up to 20-60% less!  While you might find similar prices at discount stores, you won’t find the same quality as you would at a T.J. Maxx or Marshall’s.

* Buyers for T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s work hard, traveling the world and working directly with designers, to bring in over 10,000 new items weekly at each store to keep those shelves stocked with the brands and styles you love.

I fell in love with T.J. Maxx a couple of months ago on the way home from our vacation.  I stopped into one of their stores on a whim and was amazed at the fabulous selection and prices.  I racked up on some new pieces to start my new job in and look forward to doing most of my holiday shopping there. 

Thanks to T.J. Maxx/Marshall’s and Mom Central, I recently had the opportunity to visit a Marshall’s and pick up our “best find” for my son as he starts school.  What did we find that we couldn’t pass up?

A Polo by Ralph Lauren button down shirt for $19.99.  Comparable price was $45.00.

We also picked up this adorable Osh Kosh coat for $15.99, comparable cost was $30.00.

And, of course, some socks…a staple that we seem to go through constantly in our home!  $5.99 for six pairs of Wilson brand socks, comparable price was $10.00.

This will get him off to a great start as Fall ushers in, bringing the cooler weather with it.  I also ran across brands such as Nike, Levi’s, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and many, many more.  There was a great selection and the prices were unbeatable.  Our cashier was very friendly and we had such a fun time outfitting my son at this particular store in Southaven, Mississippi.

If you’re still shopping for back-to-school clothes, be sure and check out T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s for great deals and quality clothing.  Deals like these are just too good to pass up!

 I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of T.J.Maxx and Marshalls and received a gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate.

 

 

 

National Childhood Obesity Month

Posted on by Mandy

 

September is National Childhood Obesity Month.  Have you ever stopped to teach your child about portion control and what is a healthy serving of food?  My son is still in the picky eating stage, but occasionally when he really loves something (which is rare), I notice that his eyes become bigger than his stomach.  This month’s content talking point from Hormel has given us an opportunity to discuss healthy food portions and I was thrilled that his class discussed nutrition one week this month.

A visual image is sometimes all a person needs to see exactly how much of a portion of food they are taking in.  One easy way to do this is with a digital food scale. 

 

 Food scales are simple to use and can allow you to “zero out” the weight of the dish or bowl you are using to hold the food.  This way, you can get a clear visual for exactly how much your portion weighs and use a food portion chart to compare yours with to see if it’s considered healthy or not.  We’ve had fun testing ours out and I have to admit I was surprised to see what I thought was considered a healthy portion of certain foods were actually not.  With a little practice, I’ve gotten much better at it.

This month, I encourage you to talk with your children about making healthy food decisions.  The habits they form now about food can impact them for the rest of their lives.  

I received this digital food scale to facilitate this post as part of being a Hormel Extended Family blogger.  No other compensation was received. 

Emergen-C Kidz Vitamin Supplement

Posted on by Mandy

It’s so easy during our hectic days to let nutrition and eating a healthy, balanced diet go ignored.  I’m often guilty as I rush home from work, to swim practice, and back home again to begin my work at home to just grab whatever is fast and call it good.  Every so often, a small voice nags at me for not being better prepared, wondering if my son is getting everything he needs as a growing boy to be healthy.  I know that getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals daily is important for optimal health and in the past I have shopped around for different supplements for him to ensure that happens.  However, he is very sensitive to textures and tastes and we’ve bought more than enough products that were never used more than once.

Emergen-C Kidz has proved to be one such product that is the exception.  When we received our samples to try, my son was immediately excited that it was a supplement that he could drink.  We simply added the Emergen-C Kidz powder packet to bottled water and he thought it was just another fun, fruity drink!  Only I know the real difference, that it’s packed with the daily vitamins and minerals he needs to supplement his diet.  He loves the taste and has asked for it everyday since trying it.

Emergen-C Kidz is asking all families to take the Emergen-C Kidz Pledge, which asks that you commit to creating a more fun and healthy lifestyle for your family.  Eating more nutritious food, taking a daily vitamin, and being more active while spending more time together is what the pledge is all about.  I took it and it was super easy.  Simply visit Emergen-C Kidz on Facebook and take the pledge yourself.  As a bonus, for every pledge that is made, Emergen-C will donate 25 cents to Vitamin Angels, an organization that helps provide essential nutrients to children.  25 cents will provide one child a whole year’s worth of nutrients they need.  It’s a great way to help your family AND help others at the same time.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Emergen-C and received samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

 

Emergen-C

Online Children’s Books

Posted on by Mandy

childrens books

Probably one of the most fun things about being a children’s librarian is the amazing websites I am stumbling across while looking for supplemental ideas for my lesson plans. I love reading my students books, but I also try to incorporate media and technology into our lessons. After all, these children are being raised in a digital world. Looking back, the technology we had in our school library when I was growing up seems almost antique. Anyone remember those old filmstrips that would project on the wall and the recording would make a beep when it was time for the teacher to manually turn the dial to the next still shot? Haha!! We thought that was the greatest thing.

Just this week I found a couple of great websites I wanted to share where books literally come alive for children. If this is something you think your child might enjoy, then check out:

WeGiveBooks.org: Not only can you read a book to your child at this website, when you’re finished, with a click of the mouse you can donate a book to a campaign that is in need of books for children. It’s a win-win situation! This site has an excellent selection of children’s books, but you will have to read them aloud to younger kids who can’t read yet. It’s great reading practice for the older ones who can read.

Online Story Time (Barnes & Noble)- This site is my absolute favorite of the bunch because not only are the books read to the children, but they are read by the authors of the books. It’s neat for the children to hear the author’s read their respective books themselves, and the selection is fabulous!

Storyline Online: This one comes a close second as my favorite because they stories are read by celebrities. From Betty White to Ernest Borgnine, your child will love the great selection of popular children’s books.

There are, of course, many other websites out there that offer interactive children’s books, but I really enjoyed these three and can already tell I will be using them often to supplement my lesson plans. I hope you enjoy them as much as my students will!

Saving Savvy- Book Review & Giveaway

Posted on by Mandy

Although I am now back to work full time, my four years staying at home and working part time taught me so much about shopping smarter and using coupons.  I also found a wealth of great websites and blogs to make that happen.  One such site was Faithful Provisions, a blog started by Kelly Hankcock, which is a treasure trove of savings advice and recipes. 

Kelly has combined her most saving-savvy techniques from her popular website into a book appropriately named Saving Savvy:  Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending In Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving!,   which was released this month.  I got a sneak peak and this is a fabulous read if you are serious about taking control of your family’s spending habits.

Inside, Kelly outlines a plan to reduce spending budgets, while raising the reader’s standard of living.  The goal isn’t to take extreme measures, but rather, to shop smarter while saving money and time.

” My audience includes moms with jobs who cant afford to spend hours researching deals and cutting coupons”, says Hancock.  “So I’ve developed money-saving strategies that are easy.  Once you learn, you can drastically improve your family’s bottom line”.

 But in addition to saving savvy tips, Kellys book is filled with living generously tips, too.  By shoring up family expenses,Kelly and her blog readers are now able to give back to their favorite charities, causes, and organizations.

 Inside Saving Savvy, readers learn how to:

· Learn their saving style, via a special spending-style quiz

· Eat/cook organic foods on a budget

· Create a money-saving freezer template

· Cook ingredient-based meals based on sale + seasonal items

· Teach children about money and budgeting

 In addition, those who buy a copy of Saving Savvy can receive a free issue of All You, a magazine packed with high-value, exclusive coupons and offers on national brands (up to $100 of savings). The redemption form is on the back flap of the book for the reader to return withtheir store receipt for the free issue.

I’ve been generously offered the chance to give away a copy of Saving Savvy to one of my lucky readers!

TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post telling me YOUR best savings tip.

Deadline to enter is Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 11 PM Central. U.S. Only.

BONUS ENTRIES:

After you have answered the question above, you can also earn up to 6 bonus entries by doing the following (but please leave a seperate comment for each):

1. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked in a reader by clicking here. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so).

2. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked by email and confirm the subscription. This option is in the sidebar. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so)

3. Tweet this contest and leave a comment on this post with your link on Twitter. (You can hit the Retweet button at the top of this post to make it easier.)

4. Click here to follow me on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

5. Click here to become a fan of Mommy Cracked on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just hit “Join” under “Followers” at the bottom of my blog.

That’s it!  Good luck!

 I received a copy of the book above to facilitate my review and one to give away.  No other compensation was received.

Danimals Rally For Recess- Win The Ultimate Playground!

Posted on by Mandy

 

When I was in elementary school, recess was the hi-light of my day.  It was a time when we could run around, play with our friends, and get a break from schoolwork.  My school had a fabulous playground and I spent many, many hours swinging, climbing the monkey bars, and sliding down the tall slides.   There was almost always a game of kickball to join in, too.  I have so many great memories of my elementary school years and a big part of that is thanks in part to recess.

Many school where I live and work don’t have a playground, which is unfortunate.  While these children do get Physical Education as part of their curriculum, nothing can compare to being outside in the fresh air and being able to play freely while getting in some exercise at the same time.

Danimals believes that kids and recess belong together and wants to supercharge your school’s recess by giving you the chance to win great playground-related prizes.  Each time you purchase a Danimals product, visit http://www.rallyforrecess.com and enter the code from specially marked packages for your chance to win some great prizes to help your school enjoy recess even more.  Your school could win the ultimate playground and a fun day of ultimate recess!

We purchased Danimals Smoothies and entered our code, which was fast and easy!  There’s also a fun playground-builder game for the kids to play online.  Let them have a blast designing their version of the ultimate playground!  Be sure and print the posters available to motivate and educate people to enter and check the leaderboard to see your school’s points!  Good luck!

 I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy Krueger

Posted on by Mandy

This may very well be the piece de resistance of my What The Honk, Car? picture collection I have going here on my blog.  So we’ve had the Buzz Lightyear and the Chucky Doll car.  I have been trying to get a decent picture of this one for MONTHS now.  This was the absolute best I could do as it whizzed past me on the highway a few weeks ago. (Sorry for the dashboard glare.)

freddy

Yes, ladies and gentlemen…..it is Freddy Krueger.  THE Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street movie fame.  

I’ve simply just quit trying to figure out this strange phenomena of art choices on cars in my small Mississippi town.  We’re just keeping it klassy, y’all.

Swimming Lessons

Posted on by Mandy

E.B. has a new after school activity.  In an effort to keep him active this fall and winter, I signed him up for swimming lessons.  When he started getting really brave in the bathtub by holding his breath and going underwater (without holding his nose), I knew he was ready.  So, when the school sent home the notice saying it was time to sign up, I went directly to the pool and got him registered.  I was so excited when I came home to tell him about it.  I thought he would be thrilled.  Instead?  He pitched a fit because he wanted to take karate.

However, we stuck to our guns and made him attend one lesson this past week.  I promised him on the way there that if he absolutely hated it, we wouldn’t come back.  Thankfully, they have a 2 week trial period.

swimming lessons 2

As soon as we entered the huge natatorium, his first words were, “Holy cowwww!!!!!!”.  This Olympic sized swimming pool definitely put the summer recreational association’s pool that we are members of to shame.  He quickly found his instructor and proceeded to test out the water.

Final verdict?  He loves it.  LOVES IT!  Even if he decided he doesn’t want to swim competitively once he learns, I’m glad he is getting this experience.