Everyday Baby Steps

I was so fortunate to be able to participate in a great campaign with CollectiveBias and Elmer's. Elmer's is conducting a fabulous program right now to donate school supplies to kids in need. As a way of spreading the word, they've partnered with a number of bloggers to allow them to shop for school supplies for their kids and kids in their local communities. I was given $100 to shop at Walmart for school stuff for my kids as well as to donate a backpack full of supplies to a local student. Norah and I had a blast shopping. Her big brother was away at Boy Scout camp and missed out on all the fun. We ended up with a bunch of great stuff. Prices were so low! Check out our Whrrl story below to see what we got. When Noah gets back, we'll be dropping the backpack off at their school to be given to a child who needs it. Thank you so much, Elmer's and Collective Bias! And you can help provide school supplies to kids who need them, too. I"ll tell you how in my next post.

More check-ins at Walmart Powered by Whrrl

As you can tell, I love Inspired Gifts! Visit their site, then come back here to tell me what product is your favorite and who you'd give it to. This step is mandatory for entry. (It's okay to choose something for yourself!) You will then be entered to win either a 5.5 x 8.5 Photo Notebook or a 4.4 x 6 Day Planner. Winners will be chosen randomly Friday, July 16th at noon EST. Good luck to you!

We're only two weeks into the kids' summer vacation, and I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping up the positive attitude I promised myself I'd have. Honestly, I know that I'm very fortunate to be able to be at home with my kids. That flexibility is amazing. When I was working full time, I was so envious of the moms who were able to take their kids to the pool, do crafts with them and just hang out together.

The truth is, I just don't feel like I have the energy to keep up with them. I've definitely lost my mamavation, and I'm not in the physical shape I'd like to be. The goal was to work on eating healthy and feeling my best so that I could give them my best this summer. Big fail, which leads to big guilt, which leads to low motivation, and the cycle starts all over again.

I refuse to become a victim of that vicious cycle. My kids are all going through various phases right now. My oldest son, who's 11, has hit the pre-teen sassy stage. My 9-year old daughter is moody as can be, and my little boy has hit the terrible twos. Three awkward phases combined with one tired mama is not a good mix.

Do I have a game plan for this? Um, no. Not really. But I will try my damndest to come up with one. I will take my babysteps toward eating better. I'll get the work done that I can and try not to stress out about what I can't do. My intention is to get up a bit early in order to get some writing done and have some time to myself. I'll ask the kids to help watch their brother in the morning while I work some more, and then we WILL all do something together in the afternoon. I will not beat myself up if we don't make it to the pool. Quite frankly, running after three busy kids out in the open, in the heat, near deep water is a bit overwhelming, but we will do some kind of activity together. My hope is that this plan will lead to the balance I'm craving and result in everyone being satisfied.

Plus, if we run around in the afternoon doing some kind of fun activity together, it's likely to end in moments like this:

And then we'll all feel better!

How do you handle summer stress, and do you have any suggestions for me? Thanks in advance!

 

I saw Sex and the City 2 on its opening day, May 27th. I so needed some time away on my own, and it was the perfect outlet. Yes, I said on my own. I went to see the movie by myself. I'm very much an introverted and intuitive person, and sometimes I just need to take some time by myself to recharge my batteries. Let me tell you, going to see this movie really helped me to do that.

What I Love

But this post isn't about the movie. It's about the movie's soundtrack. Music is something I've always relied on to help me relax and feel centered. Like the movie, the music on this CD is awesome for helping to put things in perspective and to just let go when you need to recharge. There are some incredible artists on the SATC2 soundtrack. The incomparable Alicia Keys is the first to come to mind. She is one of my absolute favorites. She does a modern version of Blondie's "Rapture" just for the movie. It's awesome. And "Empire State of Mind (Part II)" is so catchy and uplifting. I almost want to pack up and head of to The Big Apple!

I was also so excited to see that Erykah Badu and Jennifer Hudson were on the soundtrack. Such talented, powerful and strong ladies with voices that go right to your soul. Hudson was amazing in the first movie, and it was great to see her lending her voice to the second. There are some incredible songs on the soundtrack that just get your body to moving and empower you.

What I Could Do Without

Two words - Liza Minelli. Yes, Liza is on the soundtrack. Twice. She does a version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" that's kind of painful. Truly. I have to admit, though, that after seeing the movie and placing the song in context, it doesn't bother me as much anymore. It's kind of fun. Kind of. But I really don't like Liza.

My Final Grade

Despite Liza, I give the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack a good, solid B. The reason is because of the fabulous ladies that were lined up to provide the music for the film. The songs are just perfect for eliciting emotions and taking you on an inner journey. After taking some time to listen to the CD, I'm able to jump right back into my life as mommy with more energy and enthusiasm. It truly provides a nice escape to be by myself and reflect, just as the movie itself did. I often have it playing in my iTunes library as I work.

* Thank you, One2One Network for providing me with this CD to review and giving me a chance to win a gift card for my review.

If you're a makeup addict fan like I am, you probably recognize the name Laura Mercier. She's the makeup artist with the high end line of cosmetics that makes women look flawless. But you may not know what Gilt is. Let me tell you. Gilt is the website that sells a variety of items at tremendous discounts. You'll find everything you'd want to buy for yourself like apparel, cosmetics, and jewelry, as well as items for the home, gift items, and things for men and children. In fact, I bought my toddler, Brady, the best set of wooden blocks from Gilt. He plays with them every day.

This week they're featuring Laura Mercier at incredibly discounted prices. Here's a sneak preview of just one bargain they'll be offering. You can get this Eye Color Pot & Brush Set in Bronze Gold for only $34. Retail price is $66. That's nearly half off!

Deals Go Fast!

That's what I'll be hoping to put in my cart. You see, the deals at Gilt are on a first come, first served basis. When they're out, there's out. Another catch is that shopping at Gilt is by invitation only. Lucky for you, I can invite you. I just need you to let me know your email, and I'll send you an invite. You can leave your email in the comments here, send me a private message, or find me on Twitter. Just let me know, and I'll send your invitation.

Win, Win Situation

Gilt offers a referral program. For every friend you invite who makes a purchase, you receive $25 in credit. Not a bad deal, huh? So I'l invite you, and you invite your friends. We all win because the deals are really great.

Have you used a shopping site like Gilt? What have your experiences been? I've used several and have always been happy. The only problem I've ever experienced, and this is with Gilt as well, is that orders sometimes take a while because they must first come from vendor warehouses. But I don't mind when it means saving so much cash!

UPDATE - If you prefer to join Gilt without a referral invite, you can follow this link.

 

I don't know about you, but I could sure use a nice, relaxing night with the girls. Life's been hectic lately, and it's only going to get crazier once the kids get out of school. That's just one reason I was excited to be asked to join a fun online event with Inspired Gifts. an online company that helps you create meaningful, personalized photo gifts

For the Girls' Night In, I'll be joining 9 other bloggers and our guests to work on photo gifts for Father's Day. And you can tune in, too! Just follow the hashtag #GNI10 on Twitter Thursday, June 10th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm PACIFIC time. You can join in the fun by creating your own unique photo gifts or just hang out and chat with us. Inspired Gifts will be providing a 20% promotion code just for event participants. That's quite asavings!

But, wait, there's more. You'll also have a chance to win great prizes from Montagne Jeunesse, YogaPulse, Village Naturals, GreenField Paper, and e.l.f. Sounds like a good time to me! Visit the Girls' Night In Facebook page for more details and to RSVP. Please leave me a comment to let me know you're coming. Hope to see you there!

 

* I'll be receiving a free project code from Inspired Gifts and a gift card to buy refreshments for my party. Thank you, Inspired Gifts!