4th of July Link Love

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The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays because

1. It’s in the summer and I’m a hot weather lovin’ girl
2. I can never get enough of Neil Diamond’s They Coming To America synchronized to fireworks, and
3. I have very fond memories of 4th of July parties with family and friends

So, hopefully this link love post will help you and your family enjoy this patriotic holiday as much as I do.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam has some wonderful and easy 4th of July decorating and craft ideas. I loved what she did with a kitchen organizer. Hopefully her ideas will spark some patriotic creativity in you.

Looking for free stuff this weekend? At Moms Need to Know, you can get a free 4th of July crafts and recipe eBook when you sign up for the Quick and Crafty newsletter. Also, Sweeties Sweeps shows you how to take advantage of the holiday weekend to enter sweepstakes. Read the story »

Keeping A Toddler Entertained On An Airplane

Surviving an airplane ride with an antsy toddler is not easy. The last time we flew on an airplane with my son he was about to turn 2 and the plane ride was almost 4 hours, so we had to come up with a few tricks to keep the trip as enjoyable as possible for him, us, and the rest of the passengers.

New, bright, and shiny toys

I know it’s bad, but seriously, if you want to ensure a toddler will pay attention to a toy, buy them a new toy just for the plane trip. And buy them a toy that can be used in a variety of ways. One toy that works extremely well for us is the Fisher-Price Doodle Pro Tag-Along. There is absolutely no mess, and you won’t have to climb under seats to find dropped markers or crayons.

You can use it in a variety of ways. We use it to practice letters, numbers, and shapes. We also use it to help him practice his drawing skills. But, if the child is a bit older, you can use it to play tic-tac-toe, hangman, and other simple games. Read the story »

Wednesday Giggles

Advanced Cat Yodeling

I can’t decide if these guys are genius or disturbed.  They really do make me laugh, though.  I  believe I can speak for their cats when I say they need a new hobby.

CBC Continued: LaTara Asks What Has Been My Biggest Struggle

LaTara from Mom Unplugged really put my mind at ease after reading her answers to my questions about finding balance. She had some great tips on time management and finding balance that I’m currently trying to implement in my life.

She also responded with a few tough questions for me:

In your transition from SAHM to WAHM, what has been your biggest struggle? What can you apply to your life to help you combat this struggle?

I’ve been struggling with time management as shown by my previous questions, as well as dealing with change (which has never been my strong suit), but my biggest struggle has been maintaining confidence in myself. Read the story »

Making Summer Reading Fun Link Love

I devoured books as a child.  Not the books that were required reading, but the kind that were fun and entertaining for young girls, like Anne of Green Gables, Sweet Valley High, and A Wrinkle in Time.  I’m still a big reader, because I learned very young there was a difference between required reading and reading for fun.

So this link love post is all about getting kids to read this summer.  And it’s all about making it fun, of course!  Because what kid wants to read The Old Man and The Sea during the summer? Or ever?

Children’s book author, Rena Jones, has some great ideas to get your kids reading this summer, and over at Katie’s Literature Lounge, a teacher has an ongoing Summer Reading Series where she posts her weekly picks for summer reading.  The books will vary between children’s picture books, middle-grade, and young adult. Read the story »

The Easiest Way To Create The Best Baby Registry

I found out that Babies R Us deleted the registry I created when I was pregnant with my first son. Apparently, they delete registries after a year, which I think is really lame considering most people plan on getting pregnant more than once. I’m pregnant again and have a friend who is pregnant with her first who needs advice on what to put on her registry.

So, now I have to reinvent the wheel.

But I’m not too bummed about it because I remember the one major help in creating my first registry was the book Baby Bargains, so I’m going to buy the latest addition that just came out in April. It’s an exceptional book that includes finding the best bargains on baby products, detailed product reviews on everything you need for your registry(including baby clothes and maternity wear), and advice on what you really need to buy and when.

The book never steered me wrong as I was very happy with everything we bought. The Baby Bargains website is also incredibly helpful as they post updates to the book including bonus material, blog about new products and baby news, and have a very active forum where readers discuss and rate products. Read the story »

Michael Jackson’s Children, What Now?

Who Has Maternal Rights?

With the surprising death of Michael Jackson, the question arises as to what happens to his 3 children, Prince 12, Paris 11,  & “Blanket” 7.  While the maternity of Blanket, the youngest, is not publicly known, the older 2 are the biological children of Debbie Rowe.

It’s was widely thought that Debbie Rowe had given up her parental rights, but the judge in that custody case recently said she did not, in fact give up her rights, so she should be next in line for custody.

Unfortunately it is widely acknowledged that Ms. Rowe has had virtually no relationship with her 2 children.

Is Katherine Jackson The Answer?

The Jackson family have already stated that the matriarch, Katherine Jackson, should be the one to raise the children.

Read the story »

Randomness Meme: Kids Say The Darndest Things

I was tagged to do the Randomness Meme by Amy at Family on the Phone.  For this meme we’re supposed to list our favorite quotes, so I decided to make the quotes mom-friendly for Mom’s Resource Blog.  Here are some of my favorite funny quotes from kids:

When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, “Mommy, you are getting fat!” I replied, “Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy.” “I know,” she replied, but what’s growing in your butt?”

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.  

Read the story »

Spruce Up Your Nest With Some Free Paint!

Glidden is giving away a free quart of paint to anyone who signs up before July 2nd.  The Glidden National Paint Giveaway is a great opportunity to add a little color in  your life, spruce up a boring space, or even experiment with a wild pop of color!  Keep in mind it’s a quart & not a gallon, but it would be great for updating cupboard doors, your front door, or adding an accent wall to a room.

How To Get Your Free Paint

Click here to pick your color and receive a free quart of Glidden eggshell finish paint!

 
photo credit: Robert S. Donovan

CBC Continued: LaTara Asks Why I Think Giving Is Important

We’re continuing our conversation with LaTara from Mom Unplugged. I loved reading her answers to my questions about giving and I hope you did too! She has some amazing friends that helped her out when she truly needed it in life.

Now it’s my turn to answer her questions. She asked:

Why do you think it is so important to do nice things for other people? Do you think that people who don’t pay it forward suffer or miss out in any way?

Good questions! I knew you’d make me think. Read the story »