The "I just had a baby" Summer Bucket List

The following is a guest post written by Lindsay, who blogs over at The Naughty Mommy. We are participating in A Grande Life’s Summer Blog Swap! Check out Lindsay's blog to see my guest post, "50 Summer Fun Activities."

 

 Last week I gave birth to my second child. I also have a two-year-old. Let’s just say that I expect this summer to be about SURVIVING. Hence, my summer bucket list is not going to have cool things like “go deep-sea diving off the coast of Florida” or “go see one of my favorite bands play in concert.” No, my summer bucket list is going to have “mom things” on it. I present to you my list of challenging feats that I will attempt to accomplish during the months of June, July, and August. I call it… The “I Just Had A Baby” Summer Bucket List:

1. Get dressed in something other than nursing shirts and sweatpants.
2. Take both kids to the store (any store), by myself.
3. Enjoy a summer cocktail…well, several summer cocktails.
4. Go for a run alone. Without a dog, without any kids, and without the jogging stroller.
5. Wear a bikini again. In public.
6. Tell my husband I’m sick and then marathon the 25 episodes of old-school Real Housewives of Orange County that have accumulated on my TiVo.
7. Figure out how to set up the darn sprinkler in the backyard.
8. Learn how to blow better bubbles so my two-year-old doesn’t always say “Oh no, bubbles broken!” when I try to do it.
9.  Eat a meal that doesn't consist of my toddler's leftovers or a granola bar.
10. Get a full night of sleep. (Just once, pretty please??)
11. Start pumping so that I can go out sans baby for more than twenty minutes at a time.
12. Eat dinner out at a restaurant with my husband.
13. Make it to the beach somehow!
14. Get my daughter to kick her Caillou habit...it's starting to look like a full-fledged addiction.
15. Figure out the trick to a baby boy NOT peeing on you every time his diaper is changed.

Be sure to follow Lindsay on Pinterest and Facebook as well!

Sprout Organic Toddler Snacks #sponsored #SproutFoods

I really make an effort to add more organic, healthy foods into Jack's diet.  . I want him to have quality snacks that do not have any additives or fillers and will start him off on the right foot when it comes to liking fresh fruits and veggies. 

I was so happy when Sprout recently sent us samples of their toddler snacks: Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews and Fruity Yogurt Bites.

I love the flavor combos like red berry and beet or tropical fruit and pumpkin.  What's even better is Jack loved them too..they are even a snack I wouldn't mind bringing to work with me!

The first time Jack tried these he was a bit unsure, but after  a few days, he asked for them, and now tells me he wants the "new fruit snacks" all the time.  

Now until June 30th you can get $1.00 of your purchase of Sprout snacks at Diapers.com.  Just enter code SPROUTSNAX at checkout!

Winners all around...

I first wanted to announce the winner of the Olay Prize Pack:

#17 Christina Gomez, you are the winner!  Contact me at justanothermomdayblog@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Speaking of winners, I have a winner of a photo:

We are so excited to add to the fam this December.  This may explain for the lack of posts the past couple months.  I've been sick.  Like super sick...and exhausted.  Something I never had with Jack.  But now I am feeling better and ready for #2. 

Have a great Thursday!

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

I am always last minute with gifts.  I always THINK I have time, but then the day comes and I am scrambling to give the perfect gift.  Well if you are like me, I have put together some gift ideas.  These should make every dad happy, and although they may not come in time, a little picture of what's to come will still make dad's day. These have all been approved by my husband. :)

Clockwise:

Great Fishing Lodges of North America Coffee Table book

Pottery by Dan's wood 6 pack holder and bottle opener

Bacon Lover's gift pack from Oscar Meyer

Men's Fragrance Sampler from Sephora

Clockwise:

Blue Petalz Leather iPhone wallet case

Daddy is my Superhero shirt by Once Upon a Story

Handmade Guiness soap

Cicada Leather Company's Leather Growler Carrier with bike strap 

And now for my Chicago peeps some great Chicago themed gift ideas....

Clockwise:

Beer in Chicago print from Lucius Art

Ditka Tee from Chitown Clothing

Gemini Studio's Lincoln Park Art

Chicago flag guitar from Chris Knight Creations

Golden Doodle ball club print

Olay Regenerist Giveaway!

 I'm very excited about today's giveaway, because it features one of my all-time favorite skincare products!
I love Olay products.  I have been using Olay products regularly for years.  I've always heard good things about Olay products and started using them in my mid 20's, But when I discovered Olay Regenerist, particularly the Micro-Sculpting Cream, I fell in love. This cream is velvety-smooth and moisture-rich, but it never feels heavy on your skin.  It is a fantastic product for the price, and I see and feel the improvements it makes in my skin every day.

Olay also has a new eye care product in the Regenerist line too....the Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream and Lash Serum Duo. This is a dual-ended tube with the eye cream on one side, and a clear lash serum on the other side (you apply it with a mascara-style brush.) I started using this a few weeks ago when I received a sample in the mail and I like this as well. The eye cream is a lot lighter in weight than my usual eye cream, and it has the same luxurious, velvety texture that the skin cream does.
I could go on and on about how much I like these products, but let's get to the good part... one of you will win BOTH of these to enjoy! 

{win it}

For a chance to win this Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Skincare package, which includes one full-size Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, one full-size Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream & Lash Serum Duo,and one Regenerist Cleanser simply enter via Rafflecopter below! 


This giveaway ends Wednesday June 12 at 11:59pm CST.

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More about these Olay Regenerist products:
To help you start looking younger, Olay is introducing their latest anti-aging innovations.


Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
America's #1-selling anti-aging moisturizer just got better! With two new anti-aging ingredients, you'll start seeing visible wrinkle reduction on day one.

1 Day: Within 10 minutes, reduces the appearance of lines, boosts hydration and brightness
2 Weeks: Skin is noticeably firmer, and skin elasticity is improved.
4 Weeks: Reduces the look of up to 10 years of wrinkles.

New Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream & Lash Serum Duo
The future of eye care is here! The new Regenerist Eye & Lash Duo takes anti-aging beyond skin care to target lines, lids and lashes. It combines a hydrating eye cream with a nourishing lash serum to provide smoother-looking lids, firmer skin, and instantly thicker-looking lashes. You'll see younger-looking eyes that are brighter and firmer in one week.
Defy the signs of aging with an Olay Regenerist regimen. Revamp your skin care routine with the latest in anti-aging technology.




Now enter below, and GOOD LUCK ! a Rafflecopter giveaway

cool it! 101 popsicle recipes...

I have been mia again for a few days.  I was in DC...as a chaperone.    I was imagining awful AWFUL things with 42 8th graders, and I was really anxious about leaving Jack for 2 days, but you know what??  It was sooo much better than I imagined.  The kids were amazing, and Jack survived without me for 3 days.  Having never been to DC, I was amazed with it all.  It is a place I definitely want to go back to one day as a family.  I will have picture later this week, but in the meantime I wanted to share these delicious treats now that things are starting to heat up outside. ( I can't believe it's almost June!).  

Embracing homemaking has 101 homemade popsicle ideas and they are all sure to be a hit this Summer.

Orange Julius is one I just have to try....go check it out and get ready for Summer!

Gone fishing....

My husband loves to fish.  He waits all winter for that first nice day where he can get out on his own and get some fishing done.  Well now he has a new fishing buddy....Jack.  Jack is getting just as into it as my husband.  So last night they grabbed their poles, loaded the wagon and headed down to the nearby pond.  

Jack got his first fish of the season.  

Hopefully it's his first of many this season.....Have a great Wednesday.

I'm in heaven

Reese's is my all time favorite candy.  I could eat them all day everyday.  So when I saw this post from Something Swanky titled "100 ways to eat a Reese's, I knew I had to share.  I never knew there were so many desserts using my favorite little treat.

Be sure to check out all the recipes HERE, and have a great Thursday.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

I am so happy to get out with Jack and ride bikes, play with bubbles and go for walks.  That also means many more pictures to come. It is so hard to get a picture of Jack but he managed to stop moving for a second so I could snap this.

of course I couldn't forget Lenny....

slow cooker tamale pie

Usually when I think of slow cookers, I think of cold, winter days.  Well I saw this recipe over at Six Sister's Stuff and thought let's try it anyway.  So yesterday on a warm and sunny Monday I made this slow cooker tamale pie.  And you know what?  Slow cooker are also good on warm, spring nights!  My husband said this was amazing.  The cornbread topping makes it taste just like a tamale from your favorite Mexican restaurant.  It's also great for your working moms and those with little time to cook.  You can get the very tasty, very simple recipe HERE.  

Come celebrate with Crayola!

To celebrate their 110th birthday, the 8 original Crayola crayons are throwing a birthday bash at the Crayola Experience, the worlds only interactive Crayola family attraction. The new Crayola Experience features four large floors of new interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind attractions that your kids will love! They focus on the magic of color and the encouragement of creativity in children, and it will be opening this May
This seems like a place Jack would LOVE!  Bes of all, right now, you can enter to win a three-night all expenses paid stay for four to celebrate the birthday and the Grand Opening in May 2013! Sounds like so much fun, I know I'm entering!

To enter, visit Crayola's Facebook page and click "enter here"! Good luck!

disclosure:  Crayola provided me with the information

TeachHUB, and the first infographic made by (my) kids!

For National Library Week, TeachHUB.com and Clever Girls Collective are proud to present the world's First Ever Infographic Made By Kids! For more information about TeachHUB.com, please visit their website.

  
I don't know if you all know this, but I am a special education teacher.  Because of this, I am always on the hunt for the most new ideas, current practices and lessons that meet the common core.  I look on pinterest, blogs, message boards...you name. it!  We now I found a great new site with all of this along with ideas and techniques to use in the classroom.  TeachHUB is the newest place for teachers to go for up-to-date education information, a place to share ideas and "borrow" others, and where you can go to find professional development of your choosing.  

TeachHUB's mission is to improve the quality of education by making available the most current, complete and affordable resources for all K-12 Educators.  "Built by Teachers, for Teachers, we offer free lesson plans, the latest in education news, professional development and real teacher blogs plus the tools and applications modern Educators need to maintain a level of excellence in their classrooms."  TeachHUB.com provides the latest in education technology, news and tools. It's a great free resource for all K-12 teachers.

My favorite part?  I really like that on the home page, they list the top 7 stories using pictures.  This way I can see at a quick glance the newest topics being featured. It's quick and easy to find what other educators are interested in and checking out.

Recently I administered a survey to my students asking them varied questions about what they know about reading, who their favorite characters are, and what do they know about certain library topics.  The kids loved that they were filling out a "survey", and I loved the answers to "what does your teacher do over the Summer?" 

Check out the first infographic made by kids: 

TeachHUB.com is a free resource for teachers and parents who want the latest in education news and technology. You can see the latest articles from TeachHUB by subscribing to their Facebook pageor following them on Twitter.
 

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, and content and opinions expressed here are all my own. To learn more about the TeachHUB.com, visit their website.#CleverTeachers #NLW13

Do you follow me?

My relationship with pinterest is like a marriage.  At times I can't get enough of it and want to spend all my time with Pinterest, and then other times I need my space and have to get a little "me" time.  Well right now I'm in my "Can't get enough of" phase, and I think you should join me.  You can check out all my boards and my obsessions with desserts and Adam Levine. 

 



 

Follow me here.

Oh and I would love it if you would leave your pinterest profile in the comments below!

How to Trick the Picky Eater: Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker Review

Even though Jack is eating solid foods, he is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever seen.  No meat, no cheese, and he has to inspect everything!  Trying new things is an even bigger struggle; I am hoping that this is just a stage and he will soon grow out of it.

So when I was given  the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker from NUK through the Moms Meet blogger program, I was excited to see what I could blend up for him to eat.

The Freshfoods Baby Food Maker is an all-in-one steamer, blender and food processor so that you can make your own, homemade baby food from scratch in one convenient appliance with minimal effort. Since I’ve always been one to make as much of my own household items from scratch as it is, making my own baby food was always something I’d intended anyway. But this food maker simplifies it so that even the most novice of mommas can whip up good-for-you meals for their babes, lickity split.

With the food maker, you can make up to four meals at a time and select whether you want smooth or chunky texture. The machine itself is pretty small so that it’s quite manageable (as compared to my regular food processor). You steam (if necessary) and blend in the same container so it’s not very messy at all, and clean-up is simplified. Plus, if you want to steam two different foods at once, there’s a separate steam compartment so that you can multitask without hassle. Once you set the choices, it only takes about fifteen minutes or so to steam the veggies and then a couple more minutes to puree them and you have fresh, whole-foods dinner ready for baby.

What's great about this maker is that it works great for toddlers.  I can blend up fruit, and sneak in those veggies to make sure he is getting all he needs nutrition wise.. I’ve already tested it out by steaming sweet potatoes and apples and making "apple sauce".  I've also make smoothies with spinach mixed and Jack loved them both.  The best part was that it was SUPER easy to make and even easier to clean up! I can even steam veggies for my husband and I!

If you're interested in trying it yourself, you can download a $20 coupon for the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker as well as print a coupon for any Freshfoods accessory. Find out more about the Freshfoods Baby Food Maker and other Freshfoods products for baby (including freezer trays, a food mill or popsicle molds) on the NUK website or by following NUK on Facebook.

Find the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday..Easter

Spring Break is over now and I am back to work.  The countdown is now on for Summer break.  We didn't go anywhere, but we still had a great time....bowling, museums, seeing friends, and just relaxing.   I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted but I did want to share a few Easter time pictures. Jack loved the Easter egg hunts..even in the cold weather! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and have a great week ahead.