I Just Love Me a Friday

Posted on by Mandy

I love Fridays because I don’t have to work that day.

I love Fridays because I don’t dress up that day.  I shower and take E.B. to school while wearing my shorts and a t shirt and no makeup.  I know!  Scandalous!

I love Fridays because I can blog all morning.  If I want.

I love Fridays because I can sleep all morning after taking E.B. to school.  If I want.

I love Fridays because I can be the domestic goddess I am (*snort*) and get all of the laundry and cleaning done.  Or grocery shop in peace.  If I want.  Which I rarely want this option, but it’s nice to have.

I hope your Friday is wonderful!

Scentsy Wickless Candles- Review & Giveaway

Posted on by Mandy

With the ushering in of Fall, my need for great smelling seasonal candles and tarts for the tart warmer seems to also become a priority.  A great smelling home just makes your home feel more like, well, home. 

I have heard and read so many wonderful things about Scentsy, makers of  flameless candles, that when I was approached to do a product review for them, I immediately said yes.  I had been wanting to try them out for myself after hearing so many rave reviews.

Scentsy Wickless Candles – ceramic warmers that use a low watt light bulb to melt scented wax cubes – provide a great smelling environment and add a stylish touch to a dorm room’s décor. (They’re also good for moms – since the candles are flameless, you don’t have to worry about them being a danger to your children.)

Got a student at college or know of one?  More often than not, they are not allowed to have candles or anything that emits a flame inside their dorm rooms.  Scentsy is a great alternative for college students to keep their dorm rooms smelling fresh the safe way!

There’s something for everyone at Scentsy!

*80 fragrances of scented wax – including florals, fruits, spices and fresh, clean scents

*50+ styles of decorative warmers including 32 college-themed warmers*2 DIY warmers with 18 rub-on transfer design packs for the creative types

*Full-size, mid-size and plug-in warmers to fit any size space

This is the Scentsy warmer I was sent to test out, along with two Scentsy bars in Beach and Home Sweet Home.

The warmer was so easy to assemble!  All I had to do was attach the bulb, pop in a piece of the scent bar, and plug it in!  The plug end of the warmer also swivels just in case your socket is installed with the upper prongs to the side.  Both scent bars I tried out smelled heavenly and one piece of each bar was just enough to scent the whole house.  You know how sometimes when you buy a regular candle and it often times doesn’t smell anything like what it smelled like before you lit it or even has such a weak scent you can hardly smell it at all?  That won’t be a problem with Scentsy.  What you smell is definitely what you get.  These are definitely not weak-scented bars. 

GIVEAWAY

Scentsy has generously offered one Mommy Cracked reader a warmer and scent bar.

TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post telling me who you would give this Scentsy warmer and scented bar to if you win. (psstt…it’s ok to keep it for yourself!)  by Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 11 PM Central. U.S. only and void where prohibited. Please make sure you leave a way to contact you by email in your comment. Want extra entries? Keep reading….

BONUS ENTRIES:  

After you have left a comment (see above), you can also earn up to five bonus entries!  Choose as many (or all five) of the options below as you want:

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.

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

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

That’s it!  Good luck!

Spam. It’s Good For Your Ego.

Posted on by Mandy

Since moving to WordPress, one of the features I have been enjoying the most is the spam catcher for comments left here at my blog.  I wondered why I got so many spam comments since moving my blog to WordPress, but it’s because I had a word verification in place for comments left on my blog when it was at Blogger.  At WordPress, each comment that it recognizes as spam is put into a folder I can look through and approve or delete each comment at my convenience. 

The spam comments left here are hilarious.  A spammer will pick a random post and leave a comment full of gibberish, links, and so far off topic from my original post that I can’t help but laugh.  And also?  Compliments!

For example:

Thank you for give very good knowledges What a cool site. (Left on a review for a movie)

Really nice post here – I don’t know why you don’t just get the most out of these tools whilst they are free. (Left on a review for online schools)

Thank you for another great article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information. (left on a post about a hotel)

When I found your blog was like wow. Thanks for putting your effort in writing this blog. (left on a Pepsi giveaway)

Substantially, the post is really the freshest on this notable topic. I fit in with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your upcoming updates. I want to say thanks will not just be adequate, for the great clarity in your documentation. I will right away grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. Gratifying work and much success in your business dealings! (also on the Pepsi giveaway)

Of course, I could be very annoyed by having to go through and delete all of these spam comments, but it’s so much more fun to pretend I’m a REALLY POPULAR MOM BLOGGER going through my inbox swamped with praising comment after comment, deleting them as I go, knowing my legions of fans will nevah be as good as me, dahhhling!

OK, so sometimes it’s just flat out annoying.  But you do see how they could be an ego boost, right?  Riiiight.

Dancing With the Stars

Posted on by Mandy

I’m not a big television watcher, unless it’s the Weather Channel or Fox News, but tonight for reasons I cannot explain, I actually sat down and watched Dancing With the Stars.  I’ve seen a few episodes before, but this season’s contestants were such an interesting lot that I couldn’t help but get sucked in.  Naturally, I figured I also must share what I thought about tonight’s competition.

Audrina Patridge–  She definitely looked amazing in her costume and she definitely has talent in the dance department.  I see her being a major contender.  I thought their performance was solid and exciting.

Kyle Massey– Whoa!  Holy Underestimation, Batman!  This guy is definitely going to be the one to beat if he nails every performance the way he did tonight.  Just by looking at him, you’d never imagine he would have been able to pull off the dancing he did, but he seriously impressed me and I see him going very far in the competition.

Rick Fox–  He was great, too.  Very graceful…very charming….he made it look almost effortless.

Kurt Warner–  Pass. (Had to help my son build a Lego thingy real quick, so I missed him)

Margaret Cho–  She really wasn’t bad at all!  Their performance was humorous and outlandish in parts, but she did ok for the most part.

Brandy–  Her performance was good and she looked great.  She seemed a tad uneasy.  I’d like to see her relax and enjoy herself more.

Bristol Palin– She absolutely shined in parts of her performance, but it seemed as if she was alternating between wild abandon and extreme self consciousness.  She can dance.  Once she becomes more comfortable with herself and her dancing on the show, I’m willing to bet she could be a strong contender. 

The Situation– I’ll give him a break since he only had 5 days to learn his dance, but he’s going to have to step it up.  His abs alone won’t take him very far in this competition. (And we all know Pauly D is the cutest guy on Jersey Shore anyway. Duh!)

Florence Henderson– Pass. (Had to load the dishwasher)

Michael Bolton–  You know, if he would just loosen up and try to enjoy his time onstage, he could be pretty good I think.  You could definitely tell he wasn’t comfortable dancing.   

David Hasselhoff– Meh. 

Jennifer Grey–  I don’t know what I was expecting.  I suppose I was expecting a spotlight to click on her and her partner, “I Had The Time of My Life” to start playing, and see her amazing performance and moves from Dirty Dancing.  I mean, THAT’S the Jennifer Grey I remember.  And it wasn’t that she didn’t dance well tonight, because she did.  She really did.  It’s just the image of her from Dirty Dancing is so burned into my mind that I cannot see her dancing with anyone other than Patrick Swayze OR dancing any other way except the way she did with him.  And I could seriously cry about her nose job.  I knew she had this done a few years back, but she looks so completely different.  She had such a unique look before her surgery.  Now?  I could never pick her out in a crowd and say, “THAT’S  Jennifer Grey”.

My prediction is that Michael Bolton will be voted off first.  Unless his legions of screaming, adoring female fans come to his rescue and vote like crazy.

HALO Sleep Sack- Safe Sleep Information & Giveaway-CLOSED

Posted on by Mandy

I can remember right after having my son that I had to stress the importance of placing him on his back to sleep when my parents or grandmother kept him.  Back when they were mothers, placing an infant to sleep on their stomach or side was the norm.  Today, we now know that placing an infant to sleep on their back is the safest way for them to sleep in order to reduce the risk of SIDS.

September is Baby Safety Month and October is SIDS Awareness Month.  Recently, HALO Innovations, makers of the HALO Sleep Sack (a wearable blanket for sleeping), conducted a study that surveyed parents and grandparents about baby sleep practices.  The study revealed that parents and grandparents disagree on how to keep babies safe while they sleep.   According to the survey, grandparents are more likely than parents to place babies on their sides or stomachs to sleep, and are more likely to place unnecessary and potentially dangerous objects in babies’ cribs, increasing their risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation.  With 30% of children younger than 5 being cared for by grandparents (2005 U.S Census Bureau), there is a real need to educate the older generation in safe sleep practices such as placing babies on their backs to sleep and using wearable blankets (such as the HALO SleepSack).

SURVEY RESULTS:

HALO’s survey of more than 1,000 parents and grandparents revealed the following:

58% of grandparents agreed that “babies are babies; what worked years ago when my children were babies is still fine today.” Conversely, 60% of parents disagreed with this opinion.

Parents are more likely to say that it’s best to place a baby on his or her back to sleep than grandparents (77% vs. 59%). Grandparents are more likely than parents to think a baby is safest sleeping on his or her side (21% vs. 12%) or stomach (16% vs. 8%).

Grandparents are also more likely to believe it is safe to have loose blankets (49% vs. 31% of parents) and a baby monitor (23% vs. 12%) in the crib with the baby.

82% of parents say they swaddle their baby for sleep compared to less than half of grandparents who swaddle their grandchildren (46%).

Safe Sleep Practices

Place baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and at night time.

Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snuggly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.

Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers and positioners). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.

Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.

Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.

Never put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (adult beds, sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins etc.)

Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

For more great information on HALO products, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/halosleepsack and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halosleepsack

Giveaway

 HALO has just launched a new line of SleepSacks and Swaddles, which are exclusively available in Target stores.  I have one HALO Sleep Sack to give away to one lucky Mommy Cracked reader.

TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post by Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 11 PM Central. U.S. only and void where prohibited. Please make sure you leave a way to contact you by email in your comment. Want extra entries? Keep reading….

BONUS ENTRIES:  

After you have left a comment (see above), you can also earn up to five bonus entries!  Choose as many (or all five) of the options below as you want:

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.

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.

That’s it!  Good luck!

A Science Magazine For Curious Kids

Posted on by Mandy

If you have a child ages 6-9 years old who can’t get enough of science, Mad Science KNOW Magazine is the perfect way to engage their love of learning and experimenting. 

Each issue of KNOW Magazine is filled with lots of fun science experiments, interesting news articles, puzzles, and more on all of the topics in science your child is curious to know more about. 

To get a sneak peak at KNOW Magazine, click here to download a free sample issue.  This free issue is particularly interesting, and includes information on a see-through frog, the SETI radio telescope, and information on how t-shirts are printed in a print shop, just to name a few of the many fascinating articles this sample issue includes.

I was amazed at the wide range of topics in science that KNOW Magazine covers, and the pictures were beautifully done.  This is a magazine I am proud we will be receiving a subscription to and I can’t wait for my son and I to dive into our first issue together. 

To start your own subscription to KNOW Magazine, just click here.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate.

It’s Just a Blog, Right?

Posted on by Mandy

 

Sometimes (and lately more often than not) I come to my “command” place on my blogging control panel, hit the “New Post” button and just sit and stare, just as I did for a good twenty minutes before beginning this post. I have a million things that cross my mind during the day that I want to post about, but by the time I have a chance to sit at my desk to blog, they’ve been lost in the noise of the day. I always kick myself when I realize I’ve forgotten these ideas, swear to write them down in a small notebook immediately as they pop in my head in the future, and then repeat the cycle again and again because I can’t remember to get the small notebook.

There are also other times I definitely have something in mind to write about, only to talk myself out of writing about it. A small but loud inner critic has taken up residence within the past few months inside my brain, and she usually talks me out of a good post for a myriad of reasons. Someone I know in my offline life might read it.  It would take too long to type out or I would never be able to explain my points well enough to even justify making the post in the first place. Maybe the topic has already been discussed ad nauseum in the blogosphere or maybe it might offend a reader.  Maybe I’d just come off looking like an idiot for voicing my opinion.

I overthink.  I over-analyze.

So I end up posting something “safe”, even though it’s not what I intentionally started out writing. Not that I want to spew forth scathing words on controversial topics or anything like that, it’s just that I read a lot of blogs and I start comparing my writing to other bloggers I enjoy reading. I’m not an expert on anything. I’m not a social media maven. However, I read enough blogs to know that the best way to drive away an audience is to not offer them anything of value to take away from your writing. Otherwise, their time is wasted.

Then I snap out of my daze and think to myself, “It’s just a blog.

Or is that all it really is?

Do you ever feel so uninspired about your writing? Are there practices you implement to work through these types of writing stumbling blocks? Do you have an inner critic that rears his/her ugly head? What do you do?

Baby L.J.

Posted on by Mandy

Can you stand the cute?

Pearl and Clyde (our adult cats) have totally “adopted” L.J. as their “baby”.  It’s been 9 years since we’ve had a kitten in the house (when Clyde and Bonnie were small) and I had forgotten how much fun it was.

And?  How energetic kittens are!  L.J. is mischievous, curious, and makes a racket at night when we’re trying to sleep, because of course, night time when humans sleep is the BEST time to bat his little plastic toy ball around the house.  For hours.

L.J. is short for Little Jimmy, but I’ve secretly renamed him. 

 

Lucifer James, you are so stinkin’ cute, but we are going to have a “come to Jesus” meeting about your nocturnal activities.