Posts by admin:
- Will I be strong enough for her emotionally?
- How can I be a better person for this baby?
- How can I prepare this environment for her to be the most ideal?
Making Life Better for Baby with Pampers + Giveaway
July 1st, 2015Disclaimer: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with DiMe Media and Pampers. All opinions are 100% mine.
Happy July folks! I simply cannot believe that we are halfway through summer and even more, that I am literally at a a month away from meeting our third baby girl! I could not be happier since it always feels like an eternity when we pregnant women are in their last trimester.
During the last few weeks there is nothing better I like doing than preparing for baby’s arrival and it always feels like we will never be prepared enough because the anticipation and everyday life get in the way. I am excited for my two girls to meet their sister, especially since they have been constantly talking to her in my tummy, giving her a play by play every day. It has been the sweetest thing to observe and I know that both of them are going to smother their sister with love.
When I think about having another baby this time around and after 2 1/2 years from my youngest I am a little nervous at starting the whole newborn stage again. I keep asking myself the following questions:
While I have learned that toddlers bring out the best AND worst in us as mothers, I totally know that babies bring out the best in each of us. They make our lives better and that’s why there’s nothing each of us wouldn’t do to make life better for babies.
I thank GOD for the opportunity to bring another life into this world that I can bring up in a loving environment and with sisters that love her already and a father waiting to be even more outnumbered at home. Pampers believes that even though babies are little, they are powerful agents of change and babies bring out the best in all of us. That’s why there’s nothing each of us wouldn’t do to make life . I am so glad that I get to be an agent of new life.
Want to shed some tears? I sure did because Pampers has unveiled a new video – The Pampers Better for Baby video- to celebrate the many ways babies bring out the best in all of us.
The video ends with a pledge: “together we can make life #betterforbaby.” Pampers hopes the video inspires people to share what they already do – and what they might begin doing – to make life better for the babies in their lives. Pampers is inviting people to share their pledges using hashtag #betterforbaby. We believe these small changes can add up to a big impact.
Each pledge is an individual promise of how someone can make a little difference in helping to make life #BetterforBaby. It could be something as simple as pledging to sing or read to baby, to exercise more, or to donate things your baby outgrows to charity.
As a brand that has supported the happy, healthy development of babies for more than 50 years, Pampers is committed to doing our small part to make life #BetterForBaby. For example, Pampers donates millions of diapers each year to families in need through Feeding America, partners with UNICEF to help eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus, and supports premature babies and their families with special Pampers preemie diapers and other resources via Graham’s Foundation. With the introduction of this film, Pampers has made additional contributions to each of these organizations. You can find more info here: http://www.pampers.com/about-pampers/better-for-baby
How about entering a giveaway? Here are a few things you can win for yourself or a friend for a total value of $100. Giveaway is for US readers only.
Sharing is Caring!
Making It Epic with Schick® Hydro
June 30th, 2015
Even though Father’s Day is over I still love talking about how wonderful my husband is and even now how wonderful he has been during this pregnancy. I love the fact that he has had the summer off so that he can help at home and be at my beckon call. No really. He has been making wonderful breakfast that I am afraid I am ruined! I will have a horrible time getting back into the groove when he returns to work in August.
One of the things I like my husband when he hangs around the house catching up on work is keeping his routine. He loves his daily showers, shaving, and getting dressed for the day even though he is not going into the office. Even though there is plenty of work at home, might as well he do it all cleaned up. I like his routine and sometimes follow after him but other times I don’t but I admire his consistency.
Sometimes, he will miss a morning that he does not follow his routine and it sets his whole day off as I can attest to this because it affects me too. He looks scruffy, tired and uninspired so we make sure to encourage his normal routine because I like when my husband is nice and clean-shaven.
One of the things I quickly learned about my husband’s skin routine is knowing that he has sensitive skin. While I do not like him completely clean-shaven, I know that his neck and cheek-area can get pretty hairy if not tended to. There have been several electric razors he has tried but none leave his skin SO soft as the Schick® Razors.
The Schick® Hydro series has a hydrating gel with aloe and shave oil that reduces friction even during repeat strokes. He found the sensitive line of razors at Giant Eagle along with the shave gel that helped create such a smooth skin that helped prevent any irritation or redness. Even though my hand was not against his whole face I could see how smooth the areas he shaved and he even commented how nice it felt to have such smooth skin.
One of the the promotions that Schick® Hydro has going on is called Make It Epic which is a promotion allowing you to purchase TWO participating Men’s Schick® or Edge® products in a single transaction between now and 7/10/15. You then have to retain your receipt, drawing a star (*) next to the qualifying items on your original, dated receipt, take a clear photo of entire receipt and text* it to 811811 with the word SCHICK by 7/10/15 for validation. Text Message Terms Apply. If validated, you will receive a text back with a code valid for a movie certificate for 2 admissions (up to $20 total value) to see any movie.
We already have ours! There is nothing like receiving movie tickets for your next date night with your nicely shaven husband. Right?
What is your loved one’s shaving routine and does he like it?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick® Men’s Shave. The opinions and text are all mine.
Sharing is Caring!
Toddlers love to swim at Fort Washington Goldfish Swim School
June 29th, 2015
Disclosure: We received complimentary swim lessons in exchange for a post. All opinions and pictures are my own.
This is our first summer having the opportunity to be at the pool more often than usual. Our girls have been enjoying pretending to be mermaids while bathing every night since watching The Little Mermaid, so I was interested in seeing how well they would do taking swimming lessons. If anything, I was a little hesitant since I am pregnant with my third girl and would have to take both girls to class but I quickly learned that it would be an easy feat.
Goldfish Swim School opened its door recently in the Fort Washington area joining the two dozen locations across the country. It is the first swim school in the Philadelphia-area and offers swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), warm 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. I totally loved the whole half chlorine water and salt water combination the company uses because it did not leave us smelling like JUST chlorine water. In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish Swim School Fort Washington also offers weekly family swims (for both members and non-members) and birthday party packages.
Since we were one of the few to start classes, my oldest daughter, age 3 1/2, was able to take classes one on one with an instructor. She arrived with her swimsuit and goggles and ready to work. Each of her lessons lasted 30 minutes ending with the instructor informing me of her progress. While I liked the positive feedback, I hardly heard the negative. What I did learn that my daughter refused to dunk her head, so while the lessons have provided a step stool for swimming introduction, I realized that it was going to take more than 6 lessons to get my daughter to be a guppy.
The classes have been a great stepping stool for my husband to work with my daughter at our local pool. While my daughter loves The Little Mermaid, she insisted that she did not have to be swimming underwater like her. Whoops. Well, we knew that dunking her head was going to be a work in progress, but at least we have been able to see her desire to kick her legs, use her arms and crab walk while in the pool which has been encouraging.
My youngest toddler, on the other hand, proved to be the biggest surprise. I attended a mommy and me class with my 2 year old and 4 other moms with their toddlers and I simply loved the atmosphere and my daughter’s instructor, Cassie. Her encouragement and upbeat instruction kept the kids captivated and focused on learning. The first class proved to be a little challenging because my youngest was not so sure about the water, but when she saw I was with her and that there were toys included in the learning process, she relaxed so much that she almost just wanted to be on her own.
I was actually very happy that my daughter caught on so fast, kicking her legs and reaching her arms out. I loved the exercise Cassie used to help the kids learn how to reach out with their arms. My daughter even learned to love to jump into my arms right into the water with some slight dunking of her head. Well, at least I now know that going under water is not our daughter’s favorite thing which I should have known since they don’t love me rinsing their hair during bath time. Major fail!
Well, how did I like the classes? First of all, I LOVED being in the water being pregnant and still being able to be with my daughters. It has been a rewarding experience. I love how new and clean the facilities are with multiple changing rooms, bathrooms, hair dryers, and places to sit and observe other classes.
At the end of each lesson we were just able to get changed, buy a snack, and hang out in the kids activity area where the girls loved looking at the fish tank, playing with the chalkboard and decompressing.
Please, if you have a chance, go check out this awesome facility! See all that is happening on their Facebook and Twitter.
Sharing is Caring!
Family Day with Toddlers at Hersheypark
June 23rd, 2015
Last month we introduced our family to Hersheypark knowing that perhaps it would be a small introduction to roller coasters, rides, shows and more. Since we have a set schedule with our girls we were unsure how engaged or excited our girls would be with the amusement park but I was very surprised that they endured close to 7 hours of non-stop rides and distraction.
We had a small window of time in our weekend to decide when to go to Hersheypark and at one point I thought I would go to the park by myself with my girls but I was SO glad that my husband was able to go with us because it was a lot of park to cover with two little girls. We decided not to take a stroller with us because we thought we would not need it but in retrospect since we stayed so long, it would have been great to place our girls in the double stroller to rest. I was just so happy that the girls had so much fun that they still keep talking about it.
When we entered the park we had the girls measured by height to see what rides they would be able to get on. I loved the fact that wherever they measured they referred to a Hershey candy so my girls were both Hershey kisses. As we started walking the park we were easily able to point out the rides the girls could ride. It was challenging not to rush since the girls were so excited.
There were rides that allowed the girls to ride by themselves without a parent and usually the girls asked to ride the same ride several times. Since we were at the park a little before the official summer season started, the girls were allowed to ride more than once. If there was a ride that required a parent, my husband would have to ride with both girls or sometimes even alternate with each of them but on occasion I could ride if my pregnant belly did not get in the way.
My girls are 2 and 3.5 years old and they were sorely disappointed that they could not ride the big roller coasters. It was quite amusing to hear complaints and pouts but it was a great teaching opportunity. I was VERY surprised that my youngest got on so many rides because she tends to be a little more hesitant but as long as her older sister was riding she was on the same one.
We did not do any meals at the park but had had a nice lunch at the local Fuddruckers before going to the park but after a while we all got hungry so we were able to buy delicious snacks that made us all happy like kettle corn, pop, and water.
While we did not get to do EVERYTHING like ZooAmerica, shows or even the water park we really do look forward visiting again with our kids because it is all they talk about. Hersheypark definitely made an impression on them and I love that memories have already been created. Here are a few more things that families can do and plan on while visiting Hersheypark.
Disclosure: We did receive complimentary tickets to enter the park. All opinions are my own.
Sharing is Caring!
LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace meals: Quick and Healthy Options for Busy Moms
June 22nd, 2015This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyNewLeanCuisine #CollectiveBias
I have to truthfully say that this third pregnancy has been a lot more challenging that my other two. While I have been able to get meals prepared for my family, the desire to eat or even to have something prepared for myself has been really difficult. A lot of people might not realize that every day has been different with different desires and food aversions. One of the things I did not realize I would enjoy would be the convenience of frozen meals.
I did not grow up eating frozen meals nor did I start eating them when I got married to my husband except for frozen pizzas but somehow the convenience of frozen meals has seemed much easier on days that I could not cook or even know what I could eat. What of the things I noticed that I really needed to make sure I had enough protein to sustain energy and even be able to function with my girls at home.
When I happened to be at Walmart I checked out the new LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace meals which I recently found out now offers NEW Organic, Protein and Gluten-Free Varieties making it easier to grab a few from each to incorporate in daily life. I knew that lunch time was always the most challenging meal for me since I am always out and about with my girls and the convenience of having a healthy delicious tasting meal seemed exciting.
I loved having a punch of protein when I knew my energy slump came around 3pm when I needed to get my work done while the girls napped so I was glad to have a small meal that would give me the energy to keep going when a nap was not possible. The LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Sweet and Spicy Korean-Style Beef was savory and tasty packing in 15 grams of protein. Not only was this meal a perfect portion, but the flavors were a perfect combination of spice and sweetness which was perfect for this mom.
While I tried getting by not eating on occasion, I learned the hard way and was repeatedly reminded that I had to eat something but the key was making sure it was small and packed with protein. No matter how many people told me I needed to make simple plain meals, as a foodie, I only heard that I needed to eat simply tasteless cardboard or meals that were not exciting. I am just not that person and I loved having the convenience of choosing different meals in different categories depending on my mood or state.
Although I am not advocating frozen meals as being the most ideal substitute for anyone, I am glad that I got to taste the new LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace meals at a time that seemed so necessary and ideal. Convenience is sometimes great and perfect in a time of need especially when I have a hankering for just a plate of macaroni and cheese. I know LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese will do the trick because it is so creamy and comfort food without the guilt. I loved eating it with a green salad which was already ready in the fridge.
Now with even more craveable dishes, LEAN CUISINE® is offering new recipes with modern health benefits tailored specifically for you too! For those with dietary restrictions, I knew I would enjoy the gluten-free option LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Spicy Beef and Bean Enchilada. It was just one enchilada with Mexican-style rice that also delivered a great amount of protein and SO much variety for a small portion. I look forward trying the other gluten-free option that was not available at the time: Marketplace Comfort Chicken in Sweet BBQ Sauce.
I definitely look forward trying more options in the line as a busy pregnant mom of almost three girls. Convenience with great tasting options is on occasions a great thing to incorporate in life especially when it is a sometimes overwhelmingly a tough time. LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace meals sure do impress. Check out more LEAN CUISINE® offerings on their Pinterest and Facebook pages. Also, look for the special offer June 14-28 in the Superfridge. It may not be in your store, but if it is, please share about the deal.
