Playing Princess Mommy

Here's a look at what's going on now at my house! Enjoy!

Tommee Tippee Review

As I start out this review I must first apologize for the lateness of it.  I am so upset with myself for forgetting to write about the fabulous products that I received from them that we use all of the time.  This is just unacceptable and so from the bottom of my heart, I am very sorry Tommee Tippee.

I received two different items when I contacted Tommee Tippee about reviewing their products. 

Closer To Nature Dual Ended Chewther

The first was the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Dual Ended Chewther.  This product retails for $6.99 at Babies R Us.  You can purchase through the link above.



The chewther was actually created with dentists to be something that would benefit your little one's oral development.  It helps to support appropriate speech and feeding.  It supports muscle coordination, lip seal, and jaw development.  Plus they help your baby to not feel as much pain when they are teething.  This was definitely one of Adeline's preferred teethers.

When you choose the chewther you are choosing to prepare your baby for the necessary development to be able to chew their pureed foods.  I think that this what happened with my youngest, Adeline.  I have found that she was able to eat foods better and quicker than any of my other children.  I don't know that this is really why but it is what I credit since it was really the only thing that was different for my child from my other three.

It helps with developing lip seal and the muscle coordination that is necessary for speech.  I find that my children have all developed oral language quickly compared to other children the same age.  Adeline will be turning one on December 5th and she has already started talking quite a bit.  She says "mama," "dada" "hello," "rara," "papa," "no," "uh-oh," "oh" and a few other words which is more than I hear from most little ones that we are around.  As I stated, all of my children have had well developed oral language but I am sure that this has helped.

The textured surfaces have been developed to help with baby's new teeth that are fragile.  Plus it is a BPA free product so you do not have to worry about the safety of your child while they are using this product.

Explora Pop Up Weaning Pods x 2

The second product that was sent to me were the Explora Pop Up Weaning Pods x 2.  This set of 2 weaning pods was so handy when I made my own baby food and is something that I still use on a regular basis even though she is eating all table foods.  I use them for snacks now and they are amazing.  One of the best things about this product was the awesome pop up feature that allowed for me to be able to actually remove frozen food with ease.  This product retails for $5.99 at Babies R Us and can be purchased at the link above.


They feature a leak proof lid in addition to their easy to pop up base.  Plus they will easily stack in your fridge or freezer.  They are BPA free and made in a larger 4 oz size that allows them to continue being perfect for you as your child grows older.  This is why they are great for carrying snacks with you when they are at the table food stage.  Plus they feature colors that are available for boys or girls.


Tommee Tippee is an innovative company that has your baby's needs and best interest in mind.  Rarely is a company so focused on what is truly going to be best for your child.  Their bottles are designed to mimic a mother's breast which makes them a trusted brand and great choice for mom's who are breast feeding.  I have a lot of friends who use these innovative bottles love them and many found that this was the only bottle that their breast fed babies would use.

Plus the bottles are made for babies who have sensitive tummies so they are also a favorite for mom's who choose to formula feed.  All of the Tommee Tippee products are BPA free and something that everyone will find to be a great value. 


 

Review Homespun Soaps

The very generous owner of Homespun Soaps gave me a bundle of goodies to sample and offer as a giveaway, in fact she actually gave me almost $150 worth of products which was so generous and I swear that she will be keeping my family clean for many months to come and probably throughout the next year while we are on vacation.  I love all of the products that I have  received and so far can say nothing bad about any of them.  I did not sample or test out the products that were offered as the giveaway but I am sure with all of them that I have sampled that they will be amazing for everyone involved.

I must apologize as I will not be adding pics for a while.  I just recently got a new computer and will finally be able to download pictures which means the ability once again to take photographs of products.  I am going to try and remember to update everything.

Ruby Red Pomegranate Lip Balm (value $3.75)--This delicious lip balm was bright & smelled wonderful. It felt very smooth on & was promptly seized by my four year old, Althea who claimed it as her own.  At $3.75 this lip balm is truly a steal!

Fantastic Feet Heavy Duty Night Time Foot Cream (value $7.50)  My son has had some horrific dry hands in his lifetime.  At nine years old I can not imagine how dry his hands already are.  There are times when his hands seem to be cracking and times when I have actually taken him to the doctor because of the problems.  This foot cream has become our go to hand cream.  It is amazing and has seriously helped his hands better than anything else ever has.  Plus at $7.50 a jar it is a steal and quite a bit less expensive than most of the other items that I have used in the past.

Emulsifying Peppermint Foot Scrub (value $9.50)  This has been awesome as well.  I typically have very dry heals and other problems with dry skin on my feet during the winter months.  This year so far I have had none of these and I credit this wholeheartedly to using this product.  My feet feel amazing and I have found that the product smells great too.

Gardener's Scrub bar (value $5.75)--This soap bar seems to really help when I have had dirty hands after being outside playing with my kids.  I have honestly used this most often on my little ones' hands after they have been playing in the dirt and the mud and it has done a fantastic job of keeping them clean too.

Plain Goat's Milk Bar Soap (value $5.75)  I have never loved a soap before like I love this one.  In fact my nine year old, Andrew, looked at me today and said "mom you look really pretty, your skin is different and you don't have any bumps."  This is awesome!  I have found that I am finally having the best looking skin that I have ever had and I am so pleased that this is the case.

Nitty Gritty Mechanic's Soap (value $5.75)  I kept this bar of soap as a gift to a mechanic in my family.  Actually I am going to be gifting this one to my oldest son's dad for Christmas as he is often working on cars and other things.  I don't really buy him too much for gifts usually just a photograph of Andrew or something similar so this will be a nice little addition.

Sanquino Orange Patchouli Soap (value $5.75)  This soap smells amazing.  I am a huge fan of patchouli so this is something that I really can not get enough of.  Best of all is that the soap is not overpowering and the scent is delicious as well.

Patchouli Essential Oil Soap (value $5.75)  Another amazing smelling soap and like the other soaps from this line that I have sampled it lathers well and always makes my skin feel great.  I have put this one up for travel as we love to travel and I love that soap bars do not require additional airline standards to be met.

Solid Lotion Stick (value $5.25)  This  solid lotion stick is something that I have also used on my son's super dry hands.  It works well and adds a lot of power to the little bar of lotion.  It is far more potent and amazing than I would have gathered that it would be.  I really love its portability and the fact that it easily fits in my purse and can go anywhere with me.  I love always having something on hand to help my kiddos hands.  Plus I have discovered in an emergency that it makes an awesome diaper cream and it actually helps to clear up a rash quickly.

Shampoo Bar (value $8.50)...This is something that I was beyond excited about.  I love to travel but hate trying to fit all of our travel essentials into a ziploc bag for flights and I hate checking luggage even more than that.  I am so excited to put this solid shampoo bar away in one of my travel bags (obviously one that is not airline approved) so that I can have shampoo on trips and never have to worry about not getting everything through the baggage check points.

Sugarplums Sugar Scrub Cube (value $)...I received two of these in different scents.  I love how these are the perfect size to scrub up in the bath.  Plus since they smell good it means that I am not rushing to rinse it off and that I can comfortably use it in my relaxing bath instead of just in the shower.  These are going to be one of my favorite products to add to gift bags and gift baskets as I like them so well.

Boo Boo Balm (value $)...This is like a homemade Neosporin for burns, bruises, etc.  I know that this will be the first product from the line to be gone in my crazy home.  With four kids, you can not avoid having boo boos on a regular basis.

Dead Sea Mud and Bentonite Clay Soap (value $5.75)  This is the other bar that I can credit for my amazing skin transformation.  My face has honestly never felt or looked better and being a former Sephora employee I have used a ton of different high dollar products.  It is shocking to me that these bars of soap can do such an amazing job and make me look so good.

Old Fashioned Pine Tar Soap (value $5.75)  I have not tried this bar of soap yet.  I must admit that I am excited to try it because I have heard that pine tar soap can work wonders on black heads and this is still the biggest skin concern that I have. I think that finding something that would help me to rid my skin of these would be amazing and it appears that this might be the trick.

Bug Off (small size) (value $5.00)  This is another product that I have yet to test out because it is the wrong season.  That being said I know that this product will get a ton of use in the next year.  We love doing outdoorsy things with our kiddos and we love camping.  This product is sure to be a favorite when we are in the position to use it.

TLC Solid Skin Balm (value $5.00)  This balm is something that I love and have been using when my little ones get a diaper rash.  I am fortunate and this is a rare occasion so this is something that I have not used much.  I have found that it appears to work just as well as anything else that I have used in the past and it appears to work well with cloth diapers.  If you are a cloth diapering mom you will understand the importance of this statement but I saw no repelling issues and noticed nothing different with my diapers after using this.

Herbal Lip Balm (value $3.75)  The herbal lip balm is something that I find myself almost addicted to.  I used to be a lip balm addict but it has been a long time since I used lip balm all of the time for one reason or another.  This product has again made me a firm believer in lip balm and I find myself using it all of the time and never going anywhere without it.

Vitamin E Eye Balm (value $4.75)  The Vitamin E Eye balm is something that I can honestly say I was not too thrilled about when I first saw it.  Since it comes in a tube similar to the lip balm I thought that it was going to be greasy and something that I did not like.  I will admit too that it does feel greasy when you first put it on.  However I have noticed a definite reduction in the bags under my eyes.  For me this is huge since I am one of those people that has been plagued by dark circles for some time.  I have noticed that it also does not feel greasy after just a few short minutes when it has become absorbed by the skin.  Instead it feels soft and smooth and my eyes have never felt better.  Plus as an added bonus I have noticed that my eye make up lasts longer and looks fresher for longer periods of time as well.



Several of these items were won on my big Black Friday giveaway so I am hoping that winner loves them as much as I have.

Grumpy Mommy! :(

So I am the queen of grumpy mommies today.  I am just not feeling  well yet after being up all night with work for five days in a row.  I am still in a funk and I am not feeling so well.  I am exhausted, don't feel like eating (this I am not complaining about) and kind of feel sick to my stomach.  I sure hope that I am not coming down with anything.

So I am short with the kiddos, tired of dealing with all of their craziness and not listening and in no way equipped to deal with potty training my crazy and defiant three year old.  He just won't pee or poop on the potty.  I have attempted a variety of tactics and have no idea where to go with it.  I am just stuck and so frustrated beyond belief.  Thank goodness I do not believe in spanking because I would probably end up spanking him.

Let's face it I know that he is just being stubborn or this would not be such a big deal.  My biggest problem is that he is just insistent on not going potty.  I have attempted treats, asking him every hour, taking him to the potty and all kinds of other things that I thought would work.  He instead will go potty in his diaper or pants and change them himself but not just go potty on the toilet or potty chairs. 

So I have resorted that I am just grumpy mommy and definitely ready for my work to be on the same schedule as I am going to be on permanently.  I just can not handle it until I am on that schedule.  I feel bad because I am losing all patience with my little people and I normally am not that way.  Overall, I can not stand to no longer be a grumpy mommy with my kids.

Elf on a Shelf

So our new elf joined our family last night & the name that was decided upon was Poster Princess Sprinkle. He escaped from his box & was found cruising with his new girlfriend, Barbie (you all might recognize her.).

My Decision to Go Back to Work, Well Sort Of

First off let me state that I love being a stay at home mom and that I have never regretted my decision to give up working to stay at home with my kids.  However that being said I am a very social person and I have a hard time with being in the house all of the time without being able to be social with others.  So with this I have been attempting to go back to work on a minimal part time basis for some time.  I have four kids so I do not want to have a job that is going to take away from them but I did want something that would allow me to have a little extra spending money so that I could do fun things with them from time to time.  I wanted to be able to go places and enjoy our time together as well. 

So with this I started looking for a job about three years ago.  However I only wanted to work part time and only every other weekend so I had a hard time finding something.  The job that I did get just kind of fell into my lap after I had been applying for holiday jobs and desperately searching for a way to be able to have the extra money that we needed for the holidays. 

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a 3rd shift night auditor job at a Fairfield Inn and Suites.  The pay is above minimum wage and actually what I was making working full time as a social worker.  Plus I was lucky enough to get the added benefit of being able to work with great bosses and other employees that have made me feel welcome.

The job is easy and sometimes the worst part is that there is too much down time and I get bored.  I have found that I can be more productive with my freelancing during this time and that if I write when I get into that position that I can get a lot done. 

Until they were able to hire and train someone I did have to work every weekend and have been quite tired in doing so.  Don't get me wrong, it is not that I do not appreciate the job that I have been given but I am definitely ready to have every other weekend off to enjoy my family to the fullest.  I have some things that I will be working on these next few weeks and I have a great weekend planned for the family on my first weekend off of work.

My plans are, as follows, going to Build A Bear and getting a hotel room to relax and enjoy swimming with grandma and grandpa.  I get a great bonus on cheap hotel stays and love that I can enjoy the relaxation and benefits of a hotel with little money invested during this time.  Again I am thankful for what I have been given and that it is a job that I really enjoy but I will be very happy to finally be in a position where I can use the money that I am making on fun family activities instead of being tired during the day while I am with them.  I am so ready to be able to have fun doing activities together. 

Happy Turkey Day!

Hi everyone!  I hope that you had a fabulous Turkey Day yesterday.  I was lucky to be able to spend an amazing day with my family after a normal night at my new job.  I promise to tell you all more about my new job in the future but I wanted to use this post to be thankful for the amazing day that I have had.

I have been lucky to have a day that has been filled with family.  I got home from work and slept for a bit and then I woke up and got my little ones dressed and ready to go to grandma and grandpa's.  We went to my parents where we spent the entire day getting to hang out and enjoy our time together.  I even played some HORSE with my son and won one of the games but he did kick my butt at a little one on one.

As I was surrounded by my amazing four children, the best possible man in the world for me, and my family I realized how blessed that I am to have each and every one of them in my life.

Now I am back at work so I will keep this short and I am happy to say that I have been blessed with one amazing friend, an amazing mom, and the best brother ever who are picking up Black Friday deals for me so that I can save some money on the few little things that I have left to buy. 
Speaking of Christmas, how is everyone's shopping going?  Did you battle the crowds last night/this morning.  I'd love to hear from you and hear what you have to say.  I just have a few odds and ends to pick up but other than that I am done.