Tag Archives: family

Minnie & Daisy BFF Book & Magazine Review + Giveaway!

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Cuddling up with a good book has always been one my favorite things to do.  I love escaping into the worlds and lives of the people, either real or fictitious, that I’m reading about.   It doesn’t matter if it’s a book that I’m reading myself or one that I’m reading aloud to my kidlets –I start imagining myself as the person in the story and even start reading in their “voice,” which brings much delight to my kids! I ’m thrilled that they also enjoy books and listening to stories.

My kindergartener son recently discovered the many literary and gross delights of Captain Underpants.  It’s different from any of the other books I’ve read to them before because it is a novel, with chapters and multiple volumes.  So far we’ve read through six of the ten books in the series.  Now while my three and half-year old daughter has listened attentively to these books, “Tra La La!,” she did asked me to find a book “just like that,” but for girls.

So we tried out Disney Publishing’s new chapter book series and magazine featuring Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.

MinnieDaisyBFFReview+Giveaway1

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Bugging Out

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I’m thrilled to have The Hubs aka @DadandMarried guest posting for me today — sort of like his early Mother’s Day gift to me.  He’s talking about my least favorite subject in the world, which is why he’s talking about it, ceepy-crawly bugs!  Don’t forget to show him a little love here – so he’ll do share more posts ;)

Like a lot of families who pay handsomely to live in a home which has trees, plants, and a tool shed that should probably be condemned, we are surrounded by insects. Not the poisonous, loud, or straight-from-the-History Channel apocalyptic swarms, but the little ones who are just as diabolical in their own way.

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Celebrate #CincodeMayo With Family Fun & And A ‘Simply Delicioso’ Recipe From @SimplyIngrid #CokeFiesta

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I love a good party. It doesn’t matter to me whether I’m the host or just a guest at one. I mean, who doesn’t like celebrating with friends and indulging in some yummy food!  When The Hubs & I lived in our old house BC (before children) we had a BBQ and pool in our backyard.  It seemed like we had a “party” every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day for the five years we lived there.  We’ve been in our “new” house now for nearly four years and I can count the number of parties we’ve had here on one hand.

CincodeMayo1With Cinco de Mayo coming up in less than two weeks, I thought it would be a great time to have a little family party and try some Mexican-inspired fare.

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Earth Day – Our Family Plan Of Reducing, Reusing & Recycling

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Today is Earth Day and it’s the perfect time to teach children how to appreciate our planet, explore nature and learn about ways to protect it. The most effective way to teach our children to live a green lifestyle –with consideration for the environment including the air, land, water, animals and all the people we share the world with – is to show them through example in our own homes.

Earth Day 2013

As a family, we are always working to live a more eco-friendly life.Our family plan isn’t complicated, it’s actually pretty simple.We follow the popular mantra of “reduce, reuse & recycle.”Learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle not only helps the environment by reducing waste, saving energy and natural resources, but it also helps us as a family save some money. Continue reading →

Kitchen Fantasies

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I’m one of those people who actually get excited when I see a home improvement catalog or home design magazine in my mailbox.   It’s a guilty pleasure for me — after the kidlets are in bed, I’ll grab an iced tea and relax on the couch leafing through those publications and fantasize about all the amazing home improvements I’d make!

homeimprovement-IKEAMy first project would definitely be our kitchen.  I love to cook and it really is the heart of our home – but it is way out of date and needs a total re-do.  I have tons of kitchen gadgets (my current favs are my OXO mandolin and Cuisinart electric knife) and I never seem to have enough storage or counter space for everything.

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Today We Are All From Boston….Talking To Kids About Tragedy

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I don’t like to get political here, as that is not the focus of this blog, but I did want to share my thoughts about the tragic events in Boston….

As an American I am angry that there was a terrorist attack on our soil, regardless if it was perpetrated by a foreign or domestic source.

As a human being I am both angry and deeply saddened by the loss of any life and the immense hurt of any innocent citizens, regardless if was perpetrated by a foreign or domestic source.

My heart aches for the families and friends of those who lost loved ones and were impacted by this senseless act of violence.  I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, anger and confusion that they are feeling, trying to cope with yesterday’s tragic events.

At this point, we still do not know who did this or why – and I believe that people shouldn’t jump to conclusions and go on a witch-hunt before we have all the facts.  However, even when we do have all the facts, I will never in my life understand any type of violence against the innocent.  It doesn’t matter if it’s in Boston, New York, Oklahoma City or Mogadishu, Afghanistan, Indonesia or Jerusalem – innocent people do not deserve this to ever happen to them.

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Old School Blogging – Marriage, Babies & Bliss Edition

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At 3 pm today, spring break officially started in my house and I’ve got 10 full days of family fun ahead!  We’ve got playdtes, outdoor activities, movie marathons and even an amazing trip on the agenda!  Even The Harried Mom is taking a spring break of sorts – this week we’re loading up on reviews and giveaways of “fun things to do with kids!”

However, I’m going to start this break off by kickin’ it back old school and joining in again with a new installment of “Old School Blogging.” I really enjoy these posts because they are so entertaining read and I always learn something new about my favorite bloggers!

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Tired of the Mommy Wars? Take The Pledge To Empower All Moms

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Everyday moms all around the world are under tremendous pressure to make “perfect” parenting decisions, only to find themselves judged by others, especially other moms!  It’s no secret that I think the mommy wars are totally ridiculous (you can read about it here).

As a parent, there are dozens of tough decisions you have to make for your family — from going back to work or not to whether you’ll breastfeed or formula feed your baby and to how your children will be educated and disciplined –  and there is no one right answer.  No mom (or dad for that matter) should be criticized for the decisions they make.  The right answer for any parent is to choose what is right and what works for their own family.

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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Present “Built To Amaze!” – Show Review

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One of my most vivid memories of high school English, particularly my junior and senior years, is not the teacher or books/plays I read, but a brightly color brochure that hung on the classroom’s front bulletin board.   When someone would forget their homework or answer a question incorrectly, this teacher would point to the brochure and tell us that if we didn’t shape up, the only institute of higher learning we’d be accepted into would be Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College!

Despite my teacher’s attempt to dissuade us, in class I often daydreamed of what it would be like to actually run away and join the circus.  It would be adventurous – working closely with wild animals and dancing high above the crowds on the high-wire without a safety net!  It would also be exotic – performing under the big top and traveling the world, a different city every week!   As much as this life seemed appealing to me, reality set in and I realized that I am in no way a “performer” and would be much better off as a career gal and mom!

Well, I got to be that daydreaming circus girl once again this past weekend when the entire family went to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents “Built To Amaze!” at the new beautiful Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn, which is running there now through April 1.

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Photo courtesy of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

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Hide ‘em & Hatch ‘em Eggs – Product Review & Giveaway

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Today I’m lucky to have another entry from The Hubs aka @DadandMarried.  The Hubs is a kid at heart and he loves doing hands-on activities with our kiddies.  So when the Hide ‘em & Hatch ‘em Eggs showed up in our mailbox he immediately asked me if he could be the one to review them.  As my blog title says, I am the “Harried Mom” so anything to help this gal out, who am I to argue!!!

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Which came first-the chicken or the egg? It’s a question that’s vexed mankind for centuries, but luckily for my five and three-year olds, they couldn’t care less – it’s all just part of the pageantry of Easter!

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