mommy's reviews

I have a love for scented things. I love scented soaps, lotions, candles, air fresheners, shampoos, body washes...etc. I have recently found out (didn't know this before) that Seventh Generation has a wonderful line of scented Natural Dish Liquids and they sound just fabulous!!! I would love to share some of my favorite scents with you all today and tell you where they "take me" as a woman, a mom and a home maker! My first scent that is probably my favorite is lemon. Whenever I clean with lemon-scented cleaners it just freshens up my home so much. I also love to throw lemon peels down my kitchen disposal to freshen that up a bit. As you know (if you have a disposal), they can get rather stinky and nasty at times so they need some T.L.C. quite often. I cannot help but think about miles and miles of lemon trees...full of fresh lemons just waiting for me to pick! The second scent that I especially love during the fall season is apple. I have a Rainbow vacuum clean...

I LOVE the fall and winter months. The cooler (freezing) weather can be such a relief after a sweltering summer and I enjoy being able to layer clothes and take off some layers when it gets warm. There is one thing that I really do not enjoy about these months and that is the fact that germs are out and about...preying after my family. I HATE getting sick and having my children get sick is even worse. I can tolerate a cold but watching them suffer is just not fun. So, in looking ahead at the upcoming cold and flu season, I have some tips to help you prepare and prevent illness in your family. Image Source The first thing that I do is to make sure I have lots of Vitamin C on hand. It is really beneficial to start taking Vitamin C long before you get sick so that you can have a built-up immune system when germs show up. I also love to have some Zinc Lozenges around as well. With children, it is important to have a chewable vitamin that they can take each morning...preferably a m...

Do you remember that I recently wrote a review for Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers ? Well, Seventh Generation is an awesome company that not only takes care of your home needs, but also your baby needs as well! I did like the diapers and thought they did a great job...not to mention that they are free of so many nasty chemicals. In thinking along the lines of baby needs, I am going to take this post to talk to you about getting your nursery ready for your new baby. Now I kind of consider myself a pro at this as I have two small children and this is fresh in my mind. But perhaps you are getting ready for a new baby and it has been a few years since you have thought about baby preparations. I am here to help!!! Here are 10 tips that I have to share about how to properly and effectively get your nursery in tip top shape before that bundle of joy makes it's appearance!! :) 1. Paint and Decorate This may seem like a no-brainer but really, it does bear some thought. Are...

We live in upstate NY and that means one thing. We have seasons!! Each season holds a unique weather pattern and each pattern allows for some really fun outdoor activities! I think it would be difficult for me to move to a different state that doesn't have the 4 seasons as I just love the changing from each season to the next. For instance, in the winter time we love to ski, go sledding and have snowball fights. I would seriously miss that if we lived in Florida. I think our favorite season of all has to be the summer and fall time. The things you can do outside far outweigh the activities that you are limited to in the winter months. My children are both at ages where they are starting to enjoy being outside and want to be outside from sun up to sun down. Jacob is not walking yet, so he sits on his bottom and scootches from one location to the other. He moves pretty quickly too!! Hannah only knows how to run...seriously. So, she is all over the place. One activity that we have ...

Image source When my husband and I were married, it was just the two of us. I had my job and he had his. I had my bank account, and he had his. It wasn't until I became pregnant with our first baby that we started to think about financial planning and saving. You know, when it is just the two of us, there really isn't much to think about. But when you add a baby to the mix, there suddenly becomes a whole lot more. Fortunately, I have a sister who is an insurance agent and knows a whole lot more than me when it comes to planning for the future. I would like to think that we won't ever need our insurances but lets face it, things happen and it is only wise to plan for those times. When thinking about your nest egg, what comes to mind? Savings, 401K's, insurances? For me, it means money...or, our savings. The first thing I did when I became pregnant was to look over my 401K plan and see just how my money was allocated. After looking over my account with my sister, ...

Image source When my husband and I were married, it was just the two of us. I had my job and he had his. I had my bank account, and he had his. It wasn't until I became pregnant with our first baby that we started to think about financial planning and saving. You know, when it is just the two of us, there really isn't much to think about. But when you add a baby to the mix, there suddenly becomes a whole lot more. Fortunately, I have a sister who is an insurance agent and knows a whole lot more than me when it comes to planning for the future. I would like to think that we won't ever need our insurances but lets face it, things happen and it is only wise to plan for those times. When thinking about your nest egg, what comes to mind? Savings, 401K's, insurances? For me, it means money...or, our savings. The first thing I did when I became pregnant was to look over my 401K plan and see just how my money was allocated. After looking over my account with my sister, ...

Well, I have yet another blogging opportunity given to me by SocialMoms and this time, my goal is to tell you my tips and tricks for changing the diaper of a squirmy baby! As a mom of two small children, I have changed a TON of diapers in my almost 3 years of being a parent and let me tell you...no two diaper changes are the same!!! The one thing that I found most helpful about changing diapers it to have an abundance of toys handy for the baby to play with. My son's nickname is "buppy"...don't ask me why...it just stuck. So, when I put him on the changing table to change a diaper I usually talk to him using his nickname. "Hey Buppy! It's time to change that nasty diaper!!" (Usually said in a sing-song voice...to keep it a happy time! LOL!) The next thing I do is determine just how messy this diaper change will be. If he is just wet, then it is off with the old and on with the new. Simple. Then, there are those "other" diaper ch...

***This post contains some explicit birthing terms/wording so if that makes you uncomfortable, feel free to skip this post. :) *** Before I start with my story, I would love to tell you about a new web application that is called " The Day Baby Was Born ". This application allows you to record your pregnancy, photos and memories of the "big day". One thing I wish I had remembered more of was just how tiny and beautiful my son was the day he was born. Those memories are rather clouded as he was only small for a short time. Anyway, this application also tells you special events and happenings on your baby's birth day. How cool is that?!? So, I wanted you all to know about this application. I will definitely look into it when I get pregnant again! ***** My son Jacob is my second child. My first born was a cesarean...not a planned one...but one that came about due to the baby's heart rate and the question of whether or not she would be able to handle l...

I cannot believe I am saying that already. Seems like just yesterday the flowers were coming up and the birds were chirping their springtime songs. *sigh*. Well, SocialMoms has another blogging campaign and my task is to bring you a post about 10 Healthy Tips To Get Your Kids Ready For Back To School! So, without further ado, here are my 10 tips! #1. Stock up on your vitamins. You know, germs are soooo nasty these days and it seems like every kid comes to school sick. It is sad, but true. To protect your little dumplings from those ugly germs, start giving them vitamins NOW so their immune systems are strong and ready for anything. Throughout the year, continue giving them vitamins C, D and E. #2. Teach them good hand-washing techniques. I once heard that bathroom doorknobs are the most germ-ridden surfaces in a public restroom. So, teach your children to wash their hands thoroughly before leaving the restroom...then, use the paper towel they dried their hands with to open th...

I cannot believe I am saying that already. Seems like just yesterday the flowers were coming up and the birds were chirping their springtime songs. *sigh*. Well, SocialMoms has another blogging campaign and my task is to bring you a post about 10 Healthy Tips To Get Your Kids Ready For Back To School! So, without further ado, here are my 10 tips! #1. Stock up on your vitamins. You know, germs are soooo nasty these days and it seems like every kid comes to school sick. It is sad, but true. To protect your little dumplings from those ugly germs, start giving them vitamins NOW so their immune systems are strong and ready for anything. Throughout the year, continue giving them vitamins C, D and E. #2. Teach them good hand-washing techniques. I once heard that bathroom doorknobs are the most germ-ridden surfaces in a public restroom. So, teach your children to wash their hands thoroughly before leaving the restroom...then, use the paper towel they dried their hands with to open th...

Hannah is 2 1/2 years old. So, naturally, mommy has been picking out her clothes and dressing her for these past few years. We do have some pretty high standards when it comes to dressing our daughter. I do not wear pants, shorts or capris so obviously, our daughter will not either. From the time she was a baby, I dressed her exclusively in gowns and dresses. There is nothing sweeter than seeing a little baby girl all dolled up! To me, there is no other way to dress a girl. Now that she is a bit older, we still wear exclusively dresses. I find that one piece dresses are the easiest for her and are harder for her to take off! Yes, she is at that stage in life where she loves to dress and undress several times a day. So, if you come knocking at my door at any given time of the day, you may be greeted by a child in some state of undress. That is just how we roll. Hannah also loves to work on buttons. I actually had to sew a dress completely up the front because she kept unbut...

My daughter is the queen of not eating her veggies. She probably gets it from her daddy though...he HATES vegetables. If it was grown in the dirt, chances are he will not touch it with a ten foot pole. Anyways, when I wrack my brain about how to get my children to eat veggies, here are ten tips that I can give to you about things I have done. #1. BE the Example As I have said, my hubby does not eat his veggies. He is the type of person who thinks candy corn and jelly beans are vegetables. So, when it comes to getting Hannah to eat veggies, I have a battle...mainly because daddy doesn't. I find that if she sees me eating them, she will be more likely to try them herself. #2. Cheese Sauce is a MIRACLE Take some Velveeta cheese or another type of heatable cheese and melt it down. Then, pour either in a puddle or on the veggies themselves. This should encourage a bit more consumption of vegetables because what kid does NOT love cheese??? #3. Cook Them Differently ...

My summer is full...but no vacations are lined up for us this year. How sad is that? Well, I have always wanted to go to Virginia Beach and see what they have to offer me as a mom, and as a very busy one at that. So, here are my 10 reasons why I would love to visit Virginia Beach. #1. Virginia Beach just sounds so relaxing. Whenever I hear someone talking about it, I picture a white sandy beach and palm trees. Well, the palm trees might be a long stretch but hey-I can dream, right? #2. The Boardwalks. I have a thing for wandering out over top of the water on a sunny day and being able to feel the sun on my face and the smell of water. The wind is usually present any time you visit any body of water so that is also a wonderful touch that nature adds to the ambiance. Boardwalks are also lovely places to sit and reflect. I picture myself sitting on a boardwalk with the sunset reflecting on the water...wrapped in my husband's arms, of course. :) #3. Fun For My Children. I w...