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A Bundle of Joy in Every Box

Bluum Gift Box

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Eda J. Le Shan

Do you love trying out all of the newest baby products – but hate wasting your baby budget on items you end up not liking or using? Then you will LOVE this super fun new site – Bluum.com! Bluum carefully chooses 4-5 Deluxe product samples right that are perfect for new moms and their precious babies – giving you the opportunity to try before you buy!  By having the ability to test out their carefully-selected products, you can choose what you love before committing to a closet full of items that don’t work for you and your little one.

Get 4-5 Deluxe product samples, hand-picked by moms, packaged beautifully and shipped right to your door every month!

Baby samples box“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” – Elizabeth Stone

  • Perfect baby shower gift! It can be overwhelming trying to figure out which products to stock up on… A subscription to Bluum before the baby is born lets a new momma build up a little stockpile of great goodies, to learn what works best for her new little one.
  • So helpful for new moms! What fun to get a pretty package each month, filled with the best products to pamper mom and her new bundle of joy!
  • Subscriptions start at just $9 bucks a month! Totally affordable way to try out bunches of adorable new products each and every month!

At Bluum, there is a passion for babies and moms!

“They are there for you every step of the way and look forward to guiding you in the right direction in this new and exciting journey through motherhood!”

Limited Time – Save 50% off!

For a very limited time, you can visit Plum District and get a 3 full month subscription for only $18 bucks – a $36 value! I’m always searching for the best “Busy Mom Solutions” to share with you guys – and I know that they’re always even sweeter when they come with a deal :) This is just such a perfect way to learn which products work best for your baby, without spending a bundle – Plus, each months box will have a little something special for you too!

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Author Unknown

I’m super excited to hear that they may be coming out with toddler boxes soon too – Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to watch for updates!

More Sweet Savings for Baby!

Then check out these great ideas too – They’re all great ways to save money on the stuff moms need most, get great tips and helpful information, and stock up on fun freebies too!

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Posted by on January 8, 2012 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes, Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Busy Mom Solution: #IcedCoffee in a Carton!! #CBias

International Delight Iced Coffee

“A morning without coffee is like…. sleep.” – Author Unknown

I’m a coffee junkie. As hardcore as you can get. Without my coffee, I’m like a tired, floppy, useless jellyfish… Well, you know, if jellyfish had deadlines and toddlers and laundry and stuff. But just like Clark Kent could emerge from a phone booth transformed into Superman – Each morning, after a couple of cups of coffee, I emerge from my “mom-cave” office as a Super Mom.

Iced Coffee in a Carton

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” – Flash Rosenberg

Here’s the problem though… Jellyfish struggle to make coffee. I cannot even tell you how many times I have totally failed at brewing my first pot of the day. I’ll add water, but no coffee. I’ll add the coffee and the water – but forget the filter. And best of all – Forget to even turn the darn thing ON. There are only 4 steps – water, filter, coffee grounds, on switch. It should be simple. But when you’re a morning jellyfish type, it’s not. When I heard about this new International Delights Iced Coffee, that comes right in a ready to chug container, I was intrigued – but skeptical. I’ve never been a big fan of other ready-to-drink coffee beverages. But I figured hey, this will be a great option for those mornings when my first pot of coffee is a disaster, right?

{FYI – My computer crashed this week, and I lost some of my pictures. So – A few other lovely ladies that sampled this coffee let me borrow a few of their pics, so I could show you how much this stuff rocked! This pic above is from The Gunny Sack – Check out her idea for Peppermint Frappe!}

Iced Coffee at Home

“Chocolate, men, coffee – some things are better rich.” – Leon Truong

{This picture of iced coffee deliciousness comes from Southern Yankee Mix – Doesn’t is just make your mouth water?} I love ANY type of coffee – But a good iced coffee is the best. But – here’s the problem – All of the ready-made coffee drinks are too artificial tasting for me. So – You’re wondering – “How was this new International Delights Iced Coffee?? Get to the point already!!” – Drum roll…. It totally knocked my socks off!

Iced Coffee for Mom

“Coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drank.” – Alphonse Allais

This International Delights Iced Coffee comes in a carton like juice or milk, and there are three different flavors to choose from – Mocha, Vanilla, and Original. {This pic of a refreshing glass of creamy coffee goodness is from the super-lovely Someday I’ll Learn} They’re all totally perfect, but in different ways. Here’s the scoop – The Vanilla was my favorite. Sweet, but not too fake-sugary sweet. Just pour it over ice and drink. So good. The Mocha obviously is more of a chocolate-y flavor, a hint of sweetness. The Original is less sweet for those of you that like your coffee a little more basic – and is a PERFECT base if you like to mix in other flavors.

“Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.” – Stephanie Piro

There you have it – a super simple solution to those of you who, like me, need buckets of coffee to live. You can get these soon {January 15th!} at your local Walmart – I’ve been stalking mine like crazy, waiting for this to come in. I drank all 3 cartons I got within just a few days. Let me know when you see it in your neighborhood – and let me know if you’re lovin’ it too.

Stop by and give big THANK YOU’s to the lovely ladies who shared pics to help me write this post for ya…. Someday I’ll Learn, The Gunny Sack, and Southern Yankee Mix! They rock :)

And make sure to stop by International Delights on Facebook to stay updated on new products and promotions!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All overuse of exclamation points is my own real enthusiasm.}

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Posted by on January 7, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 8 Comments

4 Easy Steps to Saving Family Memories

iMemories

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” – From the television show The Wonder Years

You already know I’m a big photo junkie. I’m the person in the family that collects our pictures, videos, and keepsakes – I make scrapbooks and photo books, personalized cards, and other fun projects to preserve those great memories. We have a ton of old VHS tapes, of Christmas and other holidays from when I was a kid. They’re starting to show their age – {so am I, so it’s not surprising… Lol} – and I’ve been trying to find an option to upgrade them. This week I found one, and am excited to share it with you guys – This is totally a Smart Solution – check out iMemories.com!

Old tapes converted to new dvd


“We do not remember days; we remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese

Did you know that it only takes 10 years for your old home movies on video to start fading? Ours are a little over 20 years old, and are getting pretty rough in spots. And it would be kind of devastating to lose those memories! iMemories is like your own Super Hero – they have a “Digital Mastering Technology” that they use to digitize your videos by hand, to preserve those memories, so they can be enjoyed by the next generation of your family. Awesome, right?

Here’s how it works:

  1. Gather up all of the movie films, videos and photos that you want to save. Then head to iMemories.com, and set up an easy peasy FREE account.
  2. After you enter your name and email, it’ll give you options to choose how you’d like to send in your products – for now, just click the FREE, “I’ll send them in my own box” option, and print a label for later.
  3. Now, you have an account! Simple, right? You can get a quote from them after they receive your box, with options on what you can create!
  4. Place your order – it’s easier than I had expected. Then enjoy totally amazing, custom made DVD’s of your favorite old home movies and pictures. These would make awesome gifts for your family this year too!

iMemories will convert and preserve all your aging home movie films, camcorder videotapes, slides and photos from any past decade into a crystal clear modern digital format. Only $9.99 per videotape or 50 ft. film reel and $.49 per photo to digitize + $9.99 per DVD.

Browse around the site and check out the cool features. I’m a big fan of the iMemories Studio – Once you set up an account, you can use this to organize, edit, and label your home movies and pictures as well as create custom DVD’s with your own media. Plus – it’s super simple to use!

What do you think?

Do you have old family movies that you’d like to get onto DVD’s too? What do you do to preserve your family memories? If you’ve ever used iMemories, leave some comments with your tips, creative ideas, and experience here to help other readers!

Let’s be Friends – I’d Love to Connect with you!  – Join me on Facebook!

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Posted by on January 7, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Simple Routine to Brighten Your Family’s Smiles!

Tooth Brushing for Toddlers

Listerine Oral Care Challenge

Oral health is one of those things that you don’t think about a whole lot – Until there’s a problem. Things like cavities, and fillings, and gum disease are not just super painful, they can also be super expensive! I’m always looking for new “Solutions” – products, services, sites, and systems to simplify life, and make things better. When I heard about the Listerine Oral Care Challenge – it definitely sounded like something I wanted to check out!

How it works

The idea behind the challenge is simple – Start a routine of brushing, flossing, and rinsing twice a day for three weeks, and involve the whole family. Sounds easy enough, right? But once we committed to this, and started tracking it on the family calendar, I realized how often we used to skip a step or two. But this routine really is so simple, and so effective, that it’s a great addition to every families schedule!

Toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash

Awesome Products Make it Fun

To build some excitement for this challenge from Listerine, we were sent a big box of cool products – And with characters like Batman, Phineas and Ferb, and Barbie, these were a huge hit with the kids! {My favorite product? The Total Care Whitening Floss – totally different than any other floss I’ve ever tried. Super cool} So, armed with new brushes, fun rinse products, new floss, and great attitudes – We started the challenge 3 weeks ago. I’m happy to report that it was a total success!

Brighten Your Family’s Smiles!

Abby is almost 18 months, and her little teeth are filling it fast. She LOVES brushing her teeth – and as you can see in the picture above, she will steal any toothbrush she finds in the house, and wander around brushing!! We just upgraded her from her Baby Banana Toothbrush, to a new “Big Girl” Barbie toothbrush from Reach. She loves it – and I love that she makes it so easy to brush those little teeth! The boys thought it was super cool to use the Smart Rinse Mouthwash – since it actually tints the particles and germs in your mouth, so you see “proof” of it working in the sink after rinsing. And I’m happy that this challenge made brushing, flossing, and rinsing into a FUN new habit for us all!

Take the Challenge with Your Family

Learn More about Listerine Products – and get some fun coupons too!

Use those products to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day for three weeks – It’s that easy!

{I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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Posted by on January 6, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Financial Planning for Single Parents

Stay at home mom becomes work at home mom

Term Life Insurance: What Single Parents Shouldn’t Be Without!

Life insurance serves to replace your income in the event of your death, so that your spouse or children are able to survive financially in the wake of your passing. Life insurance is especially important for people who are the main moneymakers in the family, especially those with young dependents.

Why, then, are single parents less likely to carry life insurance? A recent study suggests that nearly 70 percent of single parents do not have a life insurance policy, despite being the sole source of income for their young children. Worse yet, the study also determined that the more children a parent has, the less likely she or he would be to carry life insurance.

Why Don’t Single Parents Carry Insurance?

Most uninsured parents have chosen to forego insurance costs so they can use that money on other things, like paying off debts. With the economy as troubled as it is, many people are choosing to put every penny that they can into savings or debt; other people need to spend everything that they make just to break even.

Some parents may also be relying on alternate sources of income, like child support or Social Security survivor benefits. Unfortunately, these benefits aren’t a sure bet. The only way to guarantee that your children will be covered after your death is by preparing for that inevitability yourself.

Parents Need Insurance

Some groups of people don’t need life insurance. Bachelors with no dependents, for example, don’t need life insurance. Elderly people whose children are already grown and independent also do not need insurance. People who are responsible for the lives of dependents, however, always need insurance.

Many single parents don’t want to think about the possibility that they may die unexpectedly. The likelihood is that you will live a long time and your insurance will be unnecessary. In the event that you are in an unexpected accident, however, knowing that your kids have financial security is well worth the investment.

What to Consider when Buying Life Insurance

Term life insurance is cheaper than ever before. Essentially, a term life insurance policy covers you for the pre-specified term, like 10, 25 or 30 years. If you die any time during that term, your beneficiaries will receive the full amount of the policy. If you survive to the end of the term, you will need to purchase a new policy. It is important to compare term life insurance among different companies to make sure you get the most affordable policy available.

Before buying insurance, you should determine how much coverage you need. Usually, you will want to purchase six to 10 times your yearly salary in insurance. You may also want a larger policy if you want money to go toward paying off your mortgage or providing a college fund for your children.

Bear in mind, however, that if you survive your insurance term, you will receive none of the benefits of your policy. You might be better off buying the minimum of life insurance you need in a term policy and investing the rest in an interest-bearing account.

{This helpful financial planning advice was brought to you as part of a sponsored guest post program – But I only share information that I think you’ll be interested in. I agree fully with the recommendations presented by my guest poster!}

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Posted by on January 3, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Busy Mom Solution: 5 Secrets to Cleaner Dishes

Tips for Clean Dishes

“I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again.” – Joan Rivers

It’s hard keeping up with housework when you’re a busy mom. There are a lot of solutions that you can use to help – Chore Charts for the kids, a daily or weekly routine for yourself – and I’ll be sharing some tips next week for setting up both of these ideas! But one thing that anyone can do to make things easier is to take a few easy steps to make sure that you’re doing things as efficiently as possible. Let’s start with your dishwasher – when your dishwasher works well, it is one of the BIGGEST time-savers in your kitchen! So I’m going to share 5 great secrets that I use in my home to make sure my dishwasher gets dishes as clean as possible.

5 Secrets to Cleaner Dishes

  • 1. Make sure that your water is hot enough– Many people lower their water heater temp’s make it safer for babies, or to save on their energy bills. But if your water is not hot enough, the dishwasher can’t properly clean or kill germs on your dishes! Most manufacturers recommend at least 120 degrees to clean your dishes, and 155 to sanitize and disinfect your dishware. If your water isn’t hot enough to kill germs, then you’re not getting clean dishes!
  • 2. Rinse before loading – Your dishwasher has trouble handling big pieces of food or junk, so rinse well before loading. You don’t want to have food bits getting stuck in your dishwashers drain – it’ll give you problems, trust me! No need to “clean” dishes first, just rinse them well. Easy peasy.
  • 3. Load properly – While my boyfriend insists that it doesn’t matter how you throw it all in, it gets clean no matter what – it just isn’t true, lol. Here are a few tips – cups and glasses on the top row, bottoms up. Plates on the bottom, facing the same way. I’m an organizer, and like all forks, spoons, and knives in separate bins – if you do this too, make sure you put some facing up and some down, so they move around well. Proper loading ensures that water can get in between each dish to clean well, and makes putting them away easier too!
  • 4. Use the right detergent – Detergents really do work differently in different homes. There are a lot of variables, such as type of dishwasher, hard water or soft, etc. I prefer to use the All-In-One Tab style detergent, because it’s super easy for even the kids to just drop one in, and start a load. A couple of tips here – if you use powder detergent, and see clumps left over after a load, it’s probably because moisture has gotten into your container. The moisture can cause the crystals to stick together, and not dissolve properly in the dishwasher. So make sure to keep it stored in a dry place, closed tightly!
  • 5. An often missed trick – Rinse agent! So many of my friends skip this step, thinking that it doesn’t really do anything, or isn’t worth the extra few bucks. But it is key to getting sparkling dishes! Here’s why – when you use detergents alone, food and yucky residue can redeposit on dishes during the rinse cycle. But a rinse agent helps the water run off of the dishes faster – so no yucky spots or scum, and they dry faster!

FINISH® JET-DRY® Rinse Agent

What do you think?

Do you have any helpful tips to add? If you do – share them in the comments! I’ll pick one of your great comments on January 7th, and reward it with a FREE package of my favorite secret weapon – a bottle of Finish Jet-Dry – so you can see for yourself what a HUGE difference it will make in your dish washing routine!

“If you have to dry the dishes
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to dry the dishes
(‘Stead of going to the store)
If you have to dry the dishes
And you drop one on the floor
Maybe they won’t let you
Dry the dishes anymore”
― Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Finish and received a Finish Jet-Dry product sample to facilitate my review, a sample to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. Photo credit:  JohnMooreServices.com.}

Lozo.com

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Posted by on January 1, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 40 Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Tricycoo is Stylish, Affordable, and Fun!

Tricycoo from Joovy

This is what happiness looks like…

As moms, we always want to find the best and brightest products for our children – from healthy snacks, to the coolest toys – we want them to have the best. But sometimes we settle for lower quality in toys and gear due to tight budgets. Well, I have found a new “Busy Mom Solution” product to solve this problem – The Tricycoo from Joovy is made by a family owned company, with factories right here in the US. Like all Joovy gear, it’s made from only the best quality components – plus they offer the greatest customer care and support you’ll find. And best of all – this is one of those rare toys that can really grow with your child. Not only does it have awesome features that adjust to your growing child’s needs, but it’s such great quality that it will actually LAST long enough to make it through several stages! It’s hard to find well-built quality kids toys these days at affordable prices – but you’ll find some amazing choices on Joovy.com!

Bell on Joovy Scooter

“Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.” – William Stafford

Every detail has been thought of on the Tricycoo – and they are so much fun! This little bell on the handlebars delights Abby so much – she laughs and claps every time she gets it to ring! And it has a great retro type of sound – it reminds me of riding my bike around the neighborhood when I was a little girl.

Joovy Tricycoo

“PLAY GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING.”- FRED ROGERS

Another super great feature of the Tricycoo is the fun basket in the back – perfect to carry a mid-size diaper bag when we go on walks or on a trip to the park. And when we use the Joovy inside, Abby loves to fill the basket up with her “babies” – a random assortment of stuffed cats, dogs, or maybe even reindeer! It’s not big enough to be bulky or in the way – but definitely big enough to store all of your stuff. Super helpful.

Joovy Tricycoo Scooter

“THAT’S THE REAL TROUBLE WITH THE WORLD, TOO MANY PEOPLE GROW UP.” – WALT DISNEY

Kids never stay the same size for more than a few minutes – Everyone said that it would go by so quickly, and you know that it’s true. But you don’t really know it until you watch it happen to your own little one! It can be hard on a momma to realize they’re not a baby anymore – and sometimes it’s hard on the wallet to keep up with buying new toys and new gear for those fast-growing kiddo’s! That is what I love most about the Tricycoo – it’s meant as a beginner tricycle for kids as young as 18 months, {although Abby got hers last month at 16 months, and she fits perfectly!} – and it totally adjusts through each stage to fit your child as they grow. In the beginning, there are While your child is a beginner, there are “baby surround arms” to keep them safe while they learn balance. There is a little footrest that works perfectly while they get used to riding on it. As they grow, they can first use the pedals “unlocked”, so that they spin freely – then “lock” them and they can use their own push-power and ride like a big kid! While they’re learning, you get to control the bike by pushing and steering with the Parent Push Handle – It is SO cool that I can steer her around while we go on walks – Love this feature.

Joovy Tricycoo Collection

Learn More

As you can see – the Tricycoo comes in four super cheerful colors, and adjust from a beginner tricycle to a big kid bike! {Suggested for 18 months to 44 pounds}. To learn more about the Tricycoo, and all of the other totally amazing Joovy products – check them out online at www.Joovy.com.

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter, to stay updated on new products and fun promotions!

And check out my album on Google+ to see more pic’s of this great kids tricycle – We had an incredible time trying it out and taking pictures, and it is definitely one of my very favorite kids products that I’ve seen this year!

{Disclaimer: We were provided with a complimentary Tricycoo from Joovy to review and share with you – but all photos, opinions, and overuse of exclamation points are my own – I love the Tricycoo!}

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Posted by on December 30, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Reviews | 2 Comments
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