One Little Word 2019

It's that time of the year again. . .time to select a guiding word for the upcoming year. If you've been around the blog for a while, you may know that I have been a follower of this practice since way back in 2008.

Yes, ten years ago, I selected one little word, with inspiration from Ali Edwards. Every fall since then, a word has whispered at my subconscious. Last year's word was "believe." If asked, I will tell you that I am a terrible goal-setter. It isn't that I don't have goals - I do. It's that the act of writing them down and putting them into words terrifies me.

That seems silly, doesn't it? What's the big deal? Goal: I want to lose 10 pounds. Goal: I want to plan menus every week. See, I can actually do it. But those aren't my "real" goals. . .or maybe they are. Perhaps this is one of those things that I make WAY harder than it really needs to be. For that reason, I choose the One Little Word philosophy over the goal-setting, resolution-making philosophy.

What to Expect When Your Teen Starts Driving

It seems like only yesterday, he was sitting behind the wheel of that old fashioned car that drives along a track on the Ocean City Boardwalk. But in the blink of an eye, he's sitting in MY driver's seat of MY car, with a learner's permit in his hand. I have to admit, this milestone took me by surprise and I was NOT ready to help my teenager learn to drive. To help prevent that from happening to you, I'm here to share what to expect when your teen starts driving.

First of all, the laws vary by state, so as your teen celebrates their 15th or so birthday, it may be a good idea to find out what the laws and requirements are where you live. In our state of PA, you need to be 16 to get a learner's permit. What I didn't realize was that you needed a doctor's exam as well, and our annual well visit crossed paths with our 16th birthday celebration. My bad.

Moto Racer 4 for Xbox Review and Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links

I don't know about your kids, but mine are obsessed with simulation games. We have a truck driving, bus driving and even a goat simulator game! So when the PR company for the new, child-friendly motorcycle racing game, Moto Racer 4 reached out to see if we were interested in  reviewing the game, the kids said, "YES!"

Last fall, we made the switch from our much-loved Wii U, to an Xbox. I wanted to keep the Wii U, but my teenager really wanted the live-action sports games available on the Xbox, so we switched. Except for the Mario games, we were able to get our favorites for our new Xbox. Paired up with our upgraded Xfinity from Comcast, our gaming experience has really gotten sophisticated.

One Little Word - 2017

Happy New Year everyone!

If you've been a blog reader for a while, you may know that since 2008, I've been participating in the One Little Word project. This project involves selecting one word for the year, and attempting to weave that one little word into your daily life. The project can take many forms, from scrapbooking to journaling to calendar keeping to simply being mindful of your word and its role in your life.

Spreading Kindness This Holiday Season With Stonyfield

I have always emphasized kindness to my children. I tell them often, that we may not be the smartest, richest or best looking person in the room, but there is no reason that we can't be the kindest.  Unlike wealth, good looks or intelligence, kindness is a choice.

When I told them that we had the opportunity to be kind and spread some holiday cheer with someone who needs it this holiday season, they didn't hesitate to get on board. I explained that because of the generosity of Stonyfield and my relationship with them this year, we had received a gift card to be used to pay it forward this holiday season. We brainstormed on how and who we could help, finally deciding to select two stars from the Wall of Kindness at Owen's elementary school.

Another Reason to Love Target: Convenient CVS Pharmacy

Disclosure: I'm proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy on the CVS Pharmacy Difference Campaign. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.

I don't know about you, but I have a real love affair with Target. We do a family shopping trip, probably once a week.  It's our go-to store for all our basic family needs. Need a new lunch bag? Check Target. Out of index cards? Add them to the Target list. Well, recently, along with the addition of the large red concrete balls out front, we noticed another new thing at our local Target: the pharmacy changed to CVS. As if any of us needed another reason to love Target.

What does this mean for current Target shoppers and current CVS Pharmacy customers? Well, if you are already enrolled in CVS's ExtaCare loyalty program and the opt-in ExtraCare Pharmacy and Health Rewards you'll earn $5 in ExtraBucks Rewards for every 10 prescriptions filled. Patients can also earn rewards for the other things they do to stay healthy, like getting immunizations or choosing email refill reminders.

Celebrate the Powerful Women in Your Life {Zenni Optical Giveaway}

This is a sponsored post created in partnership with Zenni Optical. As always, all opinions are my very own.

Women leaders are everywhere - in our government, in our community, maybe even in your own house! They see the big picture for success – for themselves or others – and have the courage and strength to get the job done. When I think of women leaders, I think of women like Hillary Clinton, Indira Gandhi and Melinda Gates. Whether you agree with their views or not, there is no doubt of the success and power they wield within our world.

As women, at least in my own experience, the battle is almost always uphill.  Men entered the workforce first. Men rose to power first. Men made the rules. But when women began to enter the workforce in droves during World War II, the world was forever changed. Not that there weren't powerful and successful women before that. There have always been the wise women that have guided the world, sometimes from behind their husbands or fathers when necessary. But before the war, it was uncommon for women to work outside the home (again, NOT a deal breaker for power or success).

Take-5: Simple Steps to Recharge Yourself

Thank you to Dunkin' Donuts for Sponsoring this post.

We've all been there. That week that feels like it takes forever. Shuttling kids back and forth to school, games and activities, errands, car repairs, the vet; a constant stream of to-dos draining us of our energy. What's a busy mom to do? I learned it the hard way myself, you need to refill your own bucket. Yep, I know, that you know, that you need to slow down and take a few minutes for yourself.  You need to find a few minutes in the day and a simple way to recharge your own battery. For everyone's sake!

I don't know about you, but guilt is a big thing that holds me back from taking time for myself. My husband doesn't care, happy wife happy life - right? My kids don't care if I do something for myself - they probably wouldn't even notice unless it detracted from something for them (God Bless children). The only thing really stopping me, is me.

4 Ways to Stay Organized With Xfinity

Wow, Xfinity has a lot more to offer families than I knew! A big thanks to them for partnering with me to bring you this post. #XfinityMoms

I am always looking for better ways to organize my life. In our busy lives, I think we are always searching for ideas and inspiration to make things easier; ways to cut the clutter and streamline the processes in our day-to-day lives. Well after a recent visit to my local Xfinity store, I found 4 ways that I could use Xfinity to help streamline and organize my life.

Yes, I said Xfinity Store. Comcast and Xfinity invited me, along with some other local bloggers to take a tour of their new facility in Willow Grove, PA, as well as learn about their current services. It was an information-packed day for sure, as well as a lot of fun. The people in the store were friendly and knowledgeable and they endlessly answered our questions regarding upgrading our current systems, how their services works, and how we can manage media for our kids.

What I learned while I was there, is that there are 4 big ways that I can use Xfinity to help streamline and organize my life. We all want to make things easier, right, so let's start here with our homes and family entertainment.

Easy Ways to Make Everyday Foods Healthier

We all said it. Back in January, do you remember? We all promised that this would be the year we got serious about eating healthier. We know that a healthy lifestyle is important for many reasons. We want to be around a long time for ourselves, our partners and our kids. But for some reason, making that leap from wanting a healthy lifestyle to actually claiming a healthy lifestyle, is hard. Really hard.

But the best way to reach any goal is to take small steps. For the last few years, I have been taking those steps. . .usually forward, but occasionally I too, take a few steps backwards and need to get myself on the right path again. I've cut out soda from my diet. I've added a cup of warm lemon-water to my morning routine. I bought a new journal, and I take time to write. Each of these little steps, are a building block to a healthier lifestyle.

Why You Should Volunteer at Your Kids' School

Earlier this year, I volunteered at our elementary school for our annual spring book fair. This is one of my favorite school volunteer opportunities, and I typically clear my calendar for the entire week to help out - from set-up to take-down and all the selling days in between. Why do I enjoy it so much? First of all, it's books, so duh. Secondly, it's just plain fun, and I know it's good for both me AND my kids. for me to be present in their schools.

No matter what grade your kids are in, volunteering is a great way to show your kids that you take an interest in their education, and it sends a positive message that you consider school a worthwhile cause. Parent volunteers offer a huge resource and support base for the school community, while showing kids the importance of participating in the larger community. Even if you haven't been involved in the past, it's never too late to start!

Kids and Yoga

We've been hearing for a while now, that yoga is good for us. In our quest for a healthy lifestyle, we should include yoga in our routines. Yoga has been found to increase our flexibility, help us lose weight, improve respiration, vitality and energy, and provide many more mental and physical benefits to our bodies and minds.

What is yoga? Yoga is formally defined as: a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. But more often, yoga is defined as an ancient science of mind, body and spirit. 

How Are You Really Spending Your Time?

Have you ever done one of those trackers, where you write down what you do every 15 minutes for a few days? I admit that I have not, but I think it would be truly eye-opening to see exactly where your time goes during the day. I think we are hard on ourselves for "wasting time", when we may have less available time than we think we do (not to say we aren't wasting time on Facebook or Instagram).

In February, we had an electric car on loan. One of the features of this car was a setting that would tell you how long you had been driving, and it was cumulative until you reset it. In a month, I spent 40 hours behind the wheel. That's an entire work week! We only took one long-trip, which was about 3 hours. Where on earth was I going for those other 37 hours?? Dropping my kids off, picking them up, sports, clubs, meetings, volunteer responsibilities, grocery shopping, dry cleaning pick up, etc.

Good Food On the Go - New From Stonyfield

A big thank you to Stonyfield for sponsoring this post and for providing wholesome and delicious products I feel good about serving to my family.

I have picky eaters. I have picky eaters that are athletes. I have picky eaters, who are athletes, with crazy-busy schedules. Anyone feel me??

I don't think my situation is unique for moms these days. I think many of us are in the same boat of trying to feed kids while running them to various activities. Let's be honest, it's a challenge and that is why all these fast food type places do so well. We are busy, we are harried, we don't want more arguments than necessary. This is a no judgement zone.

I hate the thought of feeding them something less than ideal because it's more convenient. Trust me, they eat enough junk, and we DO hit those places up every once in a while. You gotta live a little right, it's all about balance. But for the most part, I like to feed my family a home-cooked/prepared meal each night.

But with everyone coming and going at different times, that's a challenge. So I like to have some grab and go options available and one of my favorites that my kids will eat, is yogurt. They both still enjoy the Stonyfield yo-kids Squeezers, which are a lunch staple. They also enjoy the OP Organic Protein drink, but those are difficult to find in our area. So when Stonyfield sent me some of their new Whole Milk Greek, I encouraged the kids to try them.

Guess what? They loved them! So did my husband and I. My favorite flavor is the Honey, while the kids like the Cherry and the Blueberry. The little "sidekick" of fruit allows you to add only as much as you want, which is a great feature.

But why whole milk Greek? According to the folks at Stonyfield,  consumers have been asking for whole milk Greek for a long time. The split cup design allows you to control your own sugar content. and also allows Stonyfield to keep the ingredient list very simple.  For example, the only thing in the honey is... honey. If you take a look at the label, the overall sugar content is low compared to other Greek yogurts on the shelf as well. 

So this is a win-win all around here and I've been grabbing the cups to take to our lacrosse games for a pre or after game snack. My husband enjoys one for breakfast, and I like to have one as my late-afternoon snack. So as you can see, the Stonyfield Whole Milk Greek make a great snack or mini-meal anytime of the day. Not a whole milk fan? That's okay, Stonyfield offers an amazing selection of products and everything they  make isn’t just delicious, it’s certified organic - made without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics and GMOs. While they're at it, they support family farms and take care of the world around them too!

Thanks Stonyfield!

What's your favorite Stonyfield product?

catch you soon -

The Latest Video Game Craze - Yo-Kai Watch {giveaway}

“This post was sponsored by Nintendo as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.”

I don't know about your kids, but my kids love video games. We have been a Nintendo family for a long time. My husband and I had a Nintendo 64 back in the early 90's and indulged in some crazy, pre-kid Super Mario Brothers marathons. These days, we still enjoy the family-friendly feel of Nintendo and their gaming systems.

Video games get some bad press these days, but as the mom of two active boys, I think they can be a great way for my kids to unwind and enjoy some downtime. In fact, I'd rather they actively engage with a video game, than mindlessly watch a television show. But it's all a balancing act, and every kid and family is different. Differences are what's so great about Nintendo, because they have something for everyone, no matter what your interest is. Take the new Yo-Kai Watch game, for example.

What's Happening at The Franklin Institute

My family and I are so lucky to live in an area so rich in history, culture and things to do. Philadelphia is not only the City of Brotherly Love, but it is the birthplace of America.  In such an amazing city, it is not surprising to find amazing opportunities to both entertain and educate yourself and your family. One of our favorite places to do that is The Franklin Institute.

The Franklin Institute was founded in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, and is one of the oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country.  In The Country. The Institute is dedicated to public education and creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology in ways that would most likely dazzle and delight its namesake.

The Harlem Globetrotters are Coming to Philly {ticket giveaway)

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Philly and that's no foul!  In case you didn't know, the Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, and comedy. Over the years they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries and territories.

This year, the Globetrotters are celebrating their 90th Anniversary with family-friendly games all over the United States, including right here in Philadelphia. The Globetrotters are coming to The Wells Fargo Center on March 6th and March 12th.

A star-studded roster will have fans on the edge of their seats to witness the ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that thrills fans of all ages. You can join Globetrotter stars after the game, where they will stay for an autograph, photograph and high five session for fans (subject to availability).

The Wells Fargo Center has provided TWO great opportunities for blog readers!

• If you're getting tickets for the game, be sure to use the code HGBLOG for a special discount. 

• Or, if you are feeling lucky, you can enter to win a Family Four Pack of tickets for the March 6th show at 5pm. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Open to local residents only. Winner must supply a local mailing address within 24 hours of contact. Tickets will be mailed on February 26th. Not responsible for tickets after mailing.)

catch you soon - 

Love, Romance and Essential Oils

February is the month of love. With Valentine's Day on February 14th, the entire month is filled with hearts in red and pink almost everywhere you look.

No matter what your Valentine's Day plan may be, it's always a good idea to pay attention to the love and romance in your life. In fact, studies have shown that love can protect your heart, lead to a longer life and even help you beat cancer. Doctors at the University of North Carolina have found that hugging may dramatically lower blood pressure and boost blood levels of oxytocin.

So what can we do to foster more love and romance in our lives and what does that have to do with essential oils? Well, essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic purposes, as well as for their spiritually and emotionally uplifting properties.

Why A Retreat May Be Just What You Need

What do you think of when you hear the word, retreat?

I immediately conger up something relaxing. A retreat to me, means getting away from it all and recharging your batteries.

I recently had the opportunity to go on a weekend retreat with a group of creative entrepreneurs. It was like a girls' weekend, but with a mission. We even had a loose agenda to keep us on track and accomplish our goals.  We loaded up journals, paper, pens, yoga pants and wine and headed to a beautiful cabin in the Maryland woods.

The Tired Mom's Guide to Afternoon Tea

Being a parent is exhausting. As my kids get older, I realize that it doesn't matter what their ages are, just the emotional stake in parenting and raising kids is exhausting. Throw in some play dates, after school activities and hours of homework, and you end up with one tired mama!

I am a work at home mom, and both my kids are in school during the day. While that makes some things easier for me than for some of you mamas with small kids at home trying to work your hustle, we all need a break during the day. A habit I've gotten into lately, is enjoying an afternoon tea break.

Classic Afternoon Tea is a light meal served in the afternoon, typically between 4 and 6 pm. Research says that the custom originated among the wealthy classes in England in the 1840s. It's a tradition that has definitely made the leap across the pond, as you can enjoy afternoon tea in many hotels throughout the United States. But I am a tired mom, and I like to enjoy my afternoon tea in my living room or home office at about 2 pm.