Those Little Seeds

Look how proud the twins are as they bring home the plants they raised from tiny seeds.  It seems like just yesterday I was showing them off as the little seeds I'd grown.  Just look at how they've blossomed and grown in the warm sunshine and what a fine job those roots did drinking in all that was offered.

The Monkey Mat

The end of the school year has been absolutely crazy busy for our large household with our schedules filled to the brim with various activities.      And I'm happy to report that most of the outdoor events weren't completely foiled by what turned out to be a damp Spring.  While we did lose a few    plans to wet conditions, most of our events were able to carry on.

For All You Love, Johnson & Johnson #Spon

This Mother's Day the folks at Johnson & Johnson are celebrating the most powerful thing on the planet, Love. In particular, they are applauding those Mom's who are always putting the needs of others first and recognizing all the amazing ways people care for the ones they love. They are celebrating you and your comforting touch along with me and the happy smiles on my 5 children's faces. And while they may not know exactly what sacrifices you made "for all you love", they do know Moms like you and I are making them.

NOVICA brings a market of the world's artistic talents to you

We have a ton of fancy occasions coming up in the next few weeks.  We'll be off to multiple graduations, parties, dance recitals, and awards ceremonies.  And with that in mind, I decided I needed to spice up my rather neutral wardrobe a bit.  As things tend to happen in my life, I headed off to a discount store with the intention to buy a dress or blouse and came home with a yellow purse instead.  It seems my mission to find new clothing had shifted to reusing my basics with the addition of yellow accessories and that leads me to my experience shopping NOVICA.

Pampers "Spring into Color" Sweeps & a Special Giveaway for Our Readers

On April 29th, Pampers kicked off the season of Spring with a celebration of the ways babies big & small color everyones lives! Look for the special "Spring into Color" tab on Pampers Facebook page for chances to win daily prizes that enhance the colorful ways that babies brighten daily lives - including Pampers diapers and wipes.

Chicago Area Mother's Day Idea: Miracle-Gro Premium Plants ($100 GC Giveaway)

It's been a long standing tradition for me to give my mom a hanging flower basket for either her early May Birthday or for Mother's Day.  Mom has the perfect spot to hang a plant near her backdoor and it's visible for her to enjoy while busy at her kitchen sink window all spring and summer long.  What's not to love about a gift that serves as several month long reminder that I totally rocked the Mother's Day gift thing again this year?

The key to this all working out to my full advantage is for me to insure I've selected high quality plants.  Let's face it, I'm not exactly going to hit golden child status if that thing withers and dies right in mom's view a couple weeks later.

Our Twins: You lead and I'll follow

On a rainy day, Cormac likes to play Lego games.
On a rainy day, Declan likes to play inside.

When it comes to deciding what to play on a day to day basis, one of our twins tends to take the lead while the other normally is just fine with following suit.  Looking back on it, I'm not entirely sure when Cormac (coincidentally the older twin by two minutes) took the lead role on play planning.  However, a recent assignment brought home from preschool highlighted their current dynamic.

In class the twins were tasked with drawing what they normally like to play on a rainy day.  Cormac specifically picked Legos while Declan made a more generic choice about simply playing inside.  To an outsider his decision may seem to just imply a practical nature, but to me it immediately flagged the fact that Declan doesn't normally have to decide these type pf things.  In reality on a rainy or sunny day, Declan is just fine with letting his best friend (who is also his twin brother) suggest something for them both to do.

Summer Faves at The Children's Place

I recently was provided with a gift card to shop The Children's Place for some summer essentials. On our list of needs were polos for a few dressier upcoming occasions, basic shorts for play, fun t-shirts for assorted occasions, and flip flops for days by the pool.

GetUncommon for Mother's Day: Custom iPhone and &iPad Cases with kid's artwork (Giveaway)

Why not take the kid's gifts of artwork to their mom and grandma to a whole new level this Mother's Day by transforming them into something used daily like a phone case?

Luv Chicken! Fun and functional booster cushions for kids

At age 4 (almost 5) our twins are in that stage where they don't really need a traditional buckle booster seat nor are they willing to sit in anything that remotely looks like it's made for babies.  However, when sitting in a regular chair at the table they would find themselves wishing they were up a bit higher (in particular our shorter of the two twins).

Up until recently, I would often find the littler guy kneeling on chairs to raise himself up to eye level with everyone else.  However, the arrival of a Luv Chicken Booster Cushion provided for review has turned out to be exactly what Cormac needed to be on the same level with everyone else.

For the Mommy Photographer: Camera Coats

I'm one of those moms who almost never leaves home without my camera.  In fact, I'm the mom that other moms assume will take so many photos of a particular event, that they need not fret forgetting their own cameras.  And with that mind, I was beyond excited to receive the camera coat recently for review.

Pampers Baby Dry Sweet Sleep Time (Giveaway)

I'm certain my many mommy readers know just how sweet it is when they are able to get an uninterrupted night of rest.  As a mommy of 5, I owe much thanks for my years of evening rest to great products such as items like those recently provided for this post by Pampers.

You can enjoy some "Sweet Sleep Time” On Pampers too:

Pampers is offering a special coupon where parents, like yourself, can receive an immediate, one-time $1.50 off printable coupon for your next purchase of Pampers Baby Dry diapers. Simply visit this link at Coupons.com for that coupon.