What we do to ourselves…

Just to cover the grays…

Hallmark’s Recordable Storybook: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

One of my favorite stories from childhood was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.  I used to love to look up at the stars in the sky with my sister and recite “Twinkle, Twinkle.”  It’s amazing how you forget those moments until you’re reminded.

Hallmark sent my sons the recordable storybook – Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to try out.

As soon as I opened it, I smiled.  One my my favorite’s, as well as my sons’.  We were able to record the whole storybook and have a blast re-listening to it.  I treasure these recordable storybooks because I’m recording moments in time.  Moments that I won’t forget because I will always have them.  To hear my sons laughing and giggling and reciting back my words… it’s priceless.

I had a wonderful time this afternoon with my guy Alexander…

Hallmark’s bringing some special moments into my life… and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m also giving one away!! Leave me a comment and you will be entered to win the giveaway! I will choose a winner Friday, August 6th, 2010.

10 Reasons I’m Excited for BlogHer

BlogHer is right around the corner – I couldn’t be more excited!  This is my 3rd BlogHer and each year they just get bigger and better.  If you’re a blogger – BlogHer is a destination you should hit at some point.  It’s the mecca and meeting-ground for all things BLOGGING…

1.  It’s in NYC, baby!! What a GREAT place to have a conference!

2.  I have to say it… Getting Gorgeous – Friday from 10am-4PM.  Vera Sweeney and I have worked our boo-tays off for this event!

3.  Starbucks on every block…

4.  Rooming with Colleen Padilla… one of my best friends and book writing partner.

5.  The fact that I actually get to SEE people and not just talk to them via Skype, Twitter, Facebook or through their blog’s comment section.

6.  Hosting a Stride Rite party on Friday night that I’m super excited about!  Project Runway’s Jonathan Joseph Peters will be there!

7.  It’s a GIRLS’ WEEKEND… !! Laughs.  Fun.  And more laughs.

8.  Meeting Nate Berkus!  OMG, I love him… thanks, Meredith!

9.  Having my husband video Getting Gorgeous and Stride Rite party and finally get to meet some of my closest friends from “work!”

10.  Did I mention… it’s in NYC!!?? Beyond excited!! The City that never, ever sleeps!

Summer Fun at our “Waterpark!”

It’s hot. It’s humid. My husband’s doing yard work. I’m working. But… the boys!?

They want to go swimming or head to a waterpark! PRONTO! (Which isn’t possible!)

So what’s a mom to do? Make your own! Thank goodness for our Highlander Playset! Just by adding some water to the slide completely transformed their afternoon!

I’m a TJMaxx/Marshalls Spokesperson for Back-to-School Fashions!

I’m excited to announce that TJMaxx and Marshalls has asked me to be their Fashion Spokesperson for their Back-to-School Fashion Season!  I couldn’t be more thrilled or more honored!  This year – especially – I’m even more excited because my oldest son is entering kindergarten!  I’m in the Back-to-School shopping for him, as we speak!  And me… as the “fashion mom,” I absolutely want to make sure my son is looking in-trend this school season!

I’m a lover of TJMaxx and Marshalls.  If you read my “Mom Fashion Report” you know just how much I love them both! I love to blog about TJMaxx and Marshalls because I think they’re such amazing shopping destination for moms.  The fact that you can walk in… find designer brands for yourself, children, husband and home at such amazingly low prices (up to 60% off!) is incredible.  It’s even easier for me to fuel my love for TJMaxx and Marshalls because I happen to live about 5 miles from 2 TJMaxx stores and about 10 miles from 3 Marshalls stores.  They are – without doubt – 2 destinations I frequent at least 3-4 times a month.  The key reason I shop TJMaxx and Marshalls so often is simple.  I know I will always be able to find brand names I know and love at prices I love.  I can’t believe I’m admitting this… but I don’t think I’ve ever left either store empty-handed!

With Back-to-School shopping in full swing… which I just can’t believe it’s time… TJMaxx and Marshalls are stocked and loaded with the latest trends for girls, boys and teens.  With over 10,000 pieces of new merchandise arriving weekly at TJMaxx and Marshalls, you can be certain your child will be able to find key pieces that fit his or her style perfectly.  There’s no need to overpay at the mall or in department stores, let your budget go further this Back-to-School season… and let me guide you as to what are some of the latest trends this season.

Marshalls is such a “hot’ spot for teen girls because of their CUBE.  Talk about a fashion-haven!  I even love to scout out the CUBE on my visits.  This is Marshall in-store boutique and you will (literally) be able to find items from head-to-toe.   All the season’s hottest trends and styles are available here.  For a little fashion-talk, we’re seeing a lot of classic button-downs this season with some fun added details… and JEGGINGS!  These are huge this season!  And for teen boys – it’s all about the layers!

TJMaxx is wonderful for girls and boys.  You’ll be able to find everything here for them – clothing, backpacks, even school supplies!  For girls and boys this season denim is still in full fashion force, as is layering!  Girls will be styling in the jeggings, knit dresses, graphic tees over tunics and so much more!  Boys will be handsome as ever in their layered ensembles.  Be on the lookout for lots of nobby tees, which is one of my favorite items for my sons (all of them!).

The fashion trends and styles are so much fun this season… the girls are girly-girl and the boys are total-boys.

You cannot beat off-price retailers like TJMaxx and Marshalls for your Back-to-School shopping excursions!  Let’s enjoy this season – fashionably – together!

What is Beauty?

For the last 3 weeks I’ve been running a giveaway called “What is beauty?” on Mom Generations. The comments I’ve received from Twitter, Facebook and through my comments section have been amazing. They’ve really shown me that women (and men) do feel that beauty… the definition of it, is absolutely within. It’s not just what you physically look like. It’s not the color of your hair. It’s not the color of your eyes. It’s not the size you are. I knew this question would pull a different answer from everyone… but it amazed me how closely related the answers actually are. Some of my favorite…

Beauty is within someone’s smile…

Beauty is what you feel when you make someone happy…

Beauty is appreciating who you are – inside and out…

Beauty is watching her daughter laugh…

Beauty is to accept who you are…

For me, beauty is truly being comfortable inside your own skin. It’s taking care of yourself and loving yourself and radiating that out to the world. To me, that’s beautiful. That defines beauty for me. Being a mother of 4 boys, I want to be able to show my sons that beauty isn’t just what you see… true beauty is the whole package – inside and out. Beauty is a smile and laughter and confidence and giving it all to others. It’s why I try my best to take care of myself and do what I need to do to make myself the best I can be. That starts from within and definitely ends on the outside.

This “beauty-ful” journey all began with Olay’s Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash. I started using it 3 weeks ago to take care of my skin… not just on my face. Especially in the summer when I’m in bathing suits and shorts and tanks, it’s important for me to keep my skin smooth and moisturized. I have loved being able to see and feel the difference within seconds of stepping out of the shower.  I love my smooth skin.  I melted when my 3-year old hugged me just yesterday and said, “Mommy, you’re my beautiful girl.”

I loved being able to share the beauty of it all with my mother and my own grandmother.  That to me was the best part of all!

*Sponsored by Olay.

Giveaway: A Fellowes Shredder, Baby!

There’s one thing in this house that we never knew we needed until we had one… a SHREDDER. With my husband and I both working from home – we have work documents, bank statements, receipts and many other items that we never shredded before. We just tossed them in the recycling bin and never thought about them again. But… those papers had important info on them… stuff that we don’t want other people seeing.

So we started shredding!

We have a Fellowes new P-12C Shredder. It features Cross-Cut technology, and a slim profile design, which allows it to fit easily under a desk. It’s very sleek and all-business-like!

One thing I love is that the P-12C offers Fellowes’ patented SafeSense technology, an electronic sensor that surrounds the machine’s paper opening and shuts it down when hands come close. This is GREAT for us because we have small kids running around. It’s also very easy to use, something that everyone can appreciate. It shreds up to 12 sheets of paper at once and even shreds through staples, credit cards and paper clips. It’s that good!

The P-12C is available at Target stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $84.99.

BUT!! I’m giving one away!!

Leave me a comment telling me why you need this shredder for your home!! I will be choosing a winner on Monday, August 2nd!!

A View From My Desk…

As mom bloggers – we all try to “fit it in.” We are running our families. We are running our homes. We are working. We are trying to take care of ourselves. And we’re blogging. Someway… we all fit it on in… which is the cool thing.

I’ve been meaning to try and find some help with the 4 boys… especially in the summer. Although, I must say – this is kind of inspiring to me when I’m blogging about the “latest summer fashion…”

(Nobody was hurt during this video.)

Interviewed Health & Fitness Guru – Denise Austin

Denise Austin is one of my favorite celebrity Health and Fitness gurus. She’s sold more than 20 million exercise videos and DVDs, authored more than 10 books on fitness, and starred in the longest running fitness show in the history of television. Not to mention, she’s just lovely! I’ve been a fan of Denise Austin for years… I actually used to workout to her videos (yes, videos!) in college! What I have always loved about Denise is that she really spreads the message of leading a healthy lifestyle. As a mother of 4 boys, this is something that my husband and I are trying to teach our children… so the cycle continues as they’re older and have families of their own.

Denise Austin recently partnered with Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon to reveal some best-kept secrets to healthy living.

As a Denise lover, I jumped at the chance to interview her about some of her tips. Denise was one of the friendliest celebs I have ever chatted with… the second she got on the phone, she was engaging. She asked about my family… she told me about her’s… we chatted about Block Island, Rhode Island… she was just so open and so absolutely SWEET!

These are Denise’s Top 10 Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Living:
1. Breakfast Is Best.
2. Watch Where You Eat.
3. Plan Ahead.
4. Find A Flavorful Alternative.
5. Helping Others Can Help You, Too.
6. Be A Kid Again.
7. Sweatin’ To The… New Tunes?
8. Keep A Paper Trail.
9. Girl’s Night IN Is Good For You.
10. Hire A Workout Spy.

From these Tips, I had some questions I wanted to ask her. Here were my questions, along with her answers.

Question: You mention that Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. What’s one of your favorite breakfast treats?

Hash browns! I love them. I sprinkle the Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon (which has 50% less fat than regular bacon) and a touch of cheese on top. It’s delicious. My girls love omelettes. Breakfast is so important for you. The great thing about partnering with Oscar Mayer is that I love to eat their Turkey Bacon. It’s a great partnership! I’m just a big believer in eating healthy food and enjoying food. I’m also a big believer in eating together. It’s a great way to really be with your kids.

Question: Which actually brings me to my next question. You mention Plan Ahead as a tip. I don’t do this throughout the week. Why do you think it’s so important for Moms to Plan Ahead with their weekly meals?

Yes, this is something I do. Everyone has busy schedules. As moms were always on-the-go, if you don’t have time to organize you end up eating junk food. Sunday is usually my day. I will plan what we will have for the week. I’ll cut up veggies. I’ll have stuff handy. I’ll even cook up a whole pound of Turkey Bacon and keep it in the fridge. This is just easy to do. When school starts up and your kids are in sports, you need to make it easier for yourself.

Question: I love Oscar Mayer’s Good Mood Mission. Was that important for you?

Yes, very important. And I think they reached their goal! Oscar Mayer partnered with Feeding America in donating 3 million pounds of food. It’s incredible.
*And yes, they did reach their goal of 3 million pounds!

Question: I love the Girl’s Night IN! Why is this on your list?

It’s just easier for moms. Get some of your girlfriends together and everyone trades off houses. It’s great to do once a week or month. Nobody has to feel like they have to go out to dinner. I’ve been doing this for the last 6 years with girlfriends. I usually try and have everyone start off with a walk! It’s so much fun.

Question: And my last question… why hire a workout spy?

So you’ll be able to stick with it! If you feel alone, it’s tough. Find out who is around to walk with. It’s always easier to have an extra person egging you on!

Try Oscar Mayer’s Turkey Bacon! Here’s a coupon.

Highlander Playset: Lets Their Imaginations Soar…

Our Highlander Playset has been the centerpiece of my sons evenings.  Every single night, after dinner… they go outside to play on their playset.  It’s wonderful.  My husband and I just sit back and let them play.  It’s so much fun watching the dynamic of 4 brothers… in the house, when one of them is playing with a truck or a figure – at that exact moment in time, everyone else wants it, too!  It never ceases to fail or amaze me.  But when they’re outside… it’s a different story.

Here is our Playset from the view of our deck (where my husband and I hang out!):

I have heard their imaginations soar – TOGETHER over the last week and a half. They’ve been outside every night (with the exception of Wednesday due to rain!) playing. My husband and I actually started writing down some of things they were pretending the Playset was… and (I must say) being fully committed to it actually being these things – TOGETHER. It was adorable to see.

Here are our TOP 8:

1. Ice Cream Shoppe
2. Millennium Falcon
3. “Adventure Time” Treehouse
4. The “Magic” Treehouse
5. Grocery Store
6. Mailman Truck
7. Batman Cave
8. Pirate Ship

It’s pretty amazing (as mom) to see them “role” playing within the Playset. Who would have thought… ! And the summer has really just begun!!

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