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Memorial Weekend

I love when there is a long weekend because we get an extra day. It almost always seems like I am so incredibly busy with chores and errands Saturday and Sunday that it just blows by before we can actually relax together as a family. So tomorrow we are going to grill out and play in the yard. Today the boys got a chance to play in their pool and they had a blast.
I am also excited that my garden is growing so well. We will be having spinach, lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, squash and green beans this year! I must admit I got a little carried away this year, simply because I was determined to actually grow some things that I wanted to eat. I made a my raised bed smaller and that has made all the difference in the world. I bought some stuff to control the pests in the garden, so they don’t eat all my stuff before we get to enjoy it. As for the bigger pests, I got a really cool sprinkler that is called the Scarecrow that whenever a critter even breathes in the direction of my garden, it will get blasted with water. Lets hope we will have plenty to eat this year!
I hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day!

Venettini The Creme De La Creme Of Little Shoes

I must make a little confession about myself.  I never really paid much attention to anything related to fashion or clothing until I had my boys.  I am a bit of an old fashioned girl when it comes to dressing myself, and in fact it is rare that I go out and just buy myself things.  After having the boys , I suddenly gained this little obsession for buying kids’ shoes.

To me, there isn’t anything cuter than shoes for little feet and I get really excited when they outgrow their shoes because I know that I get to go out and shop for them again.  I have reviewed numerous styles of shoes over the past two years along with all the ones I purchased and my absolute favorite so far has to be Venettini shoes, and let me tell you why.

About Venettini Shoes

For almost 20 years, Venettini has been designing and manufacturing luxury children’s footwear with a large emphasis on fashion and style.

Founded in 1989, Venettini enjoys a strong cult following. The brand has grown organically and steadily under the management of Kinderland, Inc., a family business dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and distributing high-end and luxury children’s footwear.

Fashion, fit, and comfort drive Venettini’s designs, and we will continue to make feet look good and feel happy.

Usually when I buy shoes it isn’t just the cuteness/style factor that I look for, but I look at whether or not this is a quality shoe.  I hate big and clunky shoes for kids because, they just trip over them and they get in the way.  Before I buy shoes in the store I will bend them, check the soles, and imagine if they would be comfortable for me to wear.  If you think about it, a 2.5 yr old might not be able to verbalize whether or not a shoe is rubbing funny on their feet, or if it hurts in a certain spot, so as a parent it is my job to choose wisely.  When I was first introduced to Venettini shoes, I was amazed at how light and flexible these shoes were and how stylish they are.  Each shoe is crafted so beautifully and I love putting them on my boys feet.  They even love these shoes too, and they almost always choose them first over all their other pairs.  I went into a bit of mourning when their shoes from the Fall collection started to get too small because they fit the boys so incredibly well and we got a lot of wear out these shoes.

Venettini’s newest Spring/Summer collection is to die for.  Each shoe is aptly named with a character all of it’s own. My favorites are Lars and Math, each with perfect detailing that makes these shoes the ones that will get noticed.  I love the Lars because it has a unique look of leather and faded browns in a textile material, that looks like faded jeans and they are adorable!  Outside of the adorable factor of Venettini shoes, they exude comfort for little feet and the quality is a perfect ten in my book.  I have seen a lot of shoes for kids and for me these are the creme de la creme for little feet.

If you are looking for shoes that make a statement and for shoes that will last and are comfortable for your child, then I would definitely splurge, and invest in a pair or three of Venettini shoes.  I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed! Venettini shoes can be found at amazon.com and endless.com

Mamapedia Great Parenting Resource

I know that being a first time parent can sometimes feel like a lonely job.  I know that having online communities have been such a huge help for me as a mother.  Not only do I find answers to a lot of my questions but I feel like I have a place where I can share suggestions, share moments and meet moms just like me.  It offers the best parenting advice because it is the advice that you seek and not the unsolicited advice that we so often hate.

I was recently introduced to a great resource for moms called Mamapedia.  I think it has a wealth of valuable information. Mamapedia enables you to search for answers to your most pressing questions, such as childhood crushes, renting a house, and summer camps, to get empathetic and insightful answers from moms around the country.  Mamapedia allows you to quickly navigate through thousands of  categories to find the thoughtful, sympathetic-and most importantly-helpful answers to all of your questions. Mamapedia brings millions of women together online, both nation-wide and in their own communities, so they can help each other tackle those difficult parenting questions or even just give recommendations on our favorite pediatricians, playgroups, and kid-friendly restaurants.

They compiled all their answers and organized them by stages which makes finding what you need easy.  I love having another place I can go to find these answers and will definitely have this as one of my bookmarks.  There are many resources for parents and having one more just makes it even better.  After all we could use all the help we can get. This is such a great tool!

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Pure Indulgence Without The Guilt

With the weather warming up we spend a lot of time outdoors as a family.  One thing that I love about summer and remember as a child was the local ice cream truck that came through the neighborhood.  So, I have always associated the warmer weather with ice cream and who doesn’t love ice cream?

Nowadays when I have ice cream, I always feel like I am over indulging, and most ice cream is high in sugars and fat, so if you just look at the container it seems like you can gain five pounds.  Until recently, I had never tried any low fat ice cream, simply because I figured that it would be rather tasteless as most fat free things can be.  They either taste horrible or have no taste at all.  Thanks to Mom Central, I got the chance to try Skinny Cow ice cream.   I had always seen it in the store but just assumed it wouldn’t taste that great.

Skinny Cow’s low-fat ice cream sandwiches are a great way to enjoy ice cream as part of a healthy lifestyle. Each ice cream sandwich only has 150 calories and 2 grams of fat,so you don’t have to feel guilty about when reaching into the freezer for a snack. The light and creamy frozen treats come in seven different flavors, including cookies ‘n cream, chocolate peanut butter, and mint.   These sandwiches taste anything but low fat, and I love them!

So if you are looking to enjoy an ice cream with your kids without feeling like you have to skimp, Skinny Cow is definitely a healthier alternative and it tastes like you are getting a real treat.  I tried out the Truffle Bars as well, and I wound up hiding the box in the freezer so I could have them all to myself!  Thank you Mom Central for this wonderful opportunity!

Wordless Wednesday

Pretty Flowers

A Blog Link A Thon: Ready Set Go!

I am always on the lookout for cool blogs to check out.  So here is a list for all of you to go and have a look.  Check out a new blog and leave a little comment love.

Heys Xcase Mini Perfect For The Little Traveler

I am the homebody in the house and I am not usually that keen on any sort of travel.   When me and my husband first met, I was much more excited to see new places.  We traveled to Europe, a few places here in the United States, and went to New Zealand for our honeymoon.  Since we both have family that lives overseas and all over the United States, we do a fair amount of traveling. With that comes all the hassles and all the luggage, and since we have two children, we now have kid’s luggage to think about as well.

Since having the boys, we have had to adjust the way we pack and how much. When they were babies we could manage getting it all in with our suitcase, but now that they are getting close to the three year mark, they sort of require their own personal piece of luggage.

I have been on the lookout for some of the better pieces of children’s luggage that would sort of stick with them for at least a few years and withstand the rigors of being tossed around into cargo, a three year old tugging it around and something that was sized appropriately for them. I usually prefer a suitcase that is basically a semi hard shell but doesn’t weigh 50 lbs before you even get a pair of pants in it. If you do a lot of travel you know that the airlines will rip you off if you have a suitcase that is even slightly overweight, not to mention the $25 they now charge to even check a bag! Even better for the boys, is a bag they can handle and we can just bring on board.
I was given the opportunity to review and xcase Mini by Heys USA and I must say that I impressed by this suitcase. I love that it is small enough for the boys to handle, and one key factor is how lightweight it is at a mere 4.9 lbs! Another cool feature is that the wheels have led lights in them, so when your child is strolling through the airport you can keep an eye on them, and they also get a big kick out seeing the lights. I wasn’t sure is they would be able to handle a suitcase yet but this made it easy and they fight over who gets to pull it.

Features

The xcase Mini® is the smaller version of Heys famous xcase®. It is ‘Light’ – LITERALLY – as it has special LED LIGHTS within its wheels. These wheels Light-Up when the case is rolled creating a dazzling effect.( Watch the Video ! ). This ‘strobe-light’ effect will surely get you noticed strolling across airport aisles, as if the shiny xcase® hadn’t already garnered enough attention your way. This xcase Mini® is ideal for anyone traveling on a particular airline that has very stringent carry-on restrictions, as some charter airlines restrict carry-ons to only 18″, instead of the industry-standard of 20″ It is also perfect for kids, as its ‘mini’ size suits children better then our standard 20″ xcase®.

The xcase Mini® has the same feature set as the original xcase®, with its curved handle system, internal divider, glossy surface, and of course, it being the World’s Lightest Carry-on at only 4.9 lbs ( 2.2 kg ).

I love the xcase Mini as a suitcase for young children because it is the right size for them to handle, has some really neat features and is roomy enough to hold their clothes or accessories and they are able to easily pull it along. It comes in seven brilliant colors so they are easy to spot and are hard to lose. I think they would make a great first suitcase for your little one and are reasonably priced so they won’t break the bank, even better when you have to buy for more than one child!

Heys USA has a whole selection of beautiful luggage and is well known in the celebrity world for its high class in design and lightweight luggage and accessories. If you are in the market for a good suitcase for kids, the xcase Mini, has this Mom’s seal of approval.

Baby Toys Ebeanstalk And Your Child’s Development

Macaroni Grill Meals Made Easy Review and Giveaway

We are huge fans of pasta and Italian dishes of any kind in our house.  I love to cook  in general and I love trying new things.    We were recently given the opportunity to try Romano’s Macaroni Grill Favorites, courtesy of My Blog Spark.  Not only was I excited to try these new meals, but I am a huge fan of Macaroni Grill Restaurant, so if it tasted anything like what I bought at the restaurant then I am a happy camper.

I must admit I have never been a huge fan of meals in a box but I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised!  We tried the Creamy Basil Dinner, and all you have to do is add chicken and a little milk.  The meal was extremely easy to prepare and took about 20-25 minutes to make.

The boys completely finished their plates and were saying “mommy more pastas please.”  So, for them this was a big hit.  Toddlers can be some of the pickiest eaters around, and I think they tend to get bored with the same things, so this adds a little variety and they loved it.  The only thing is that I would have to prepare two boxes to feed out family of four, but other than that it was delicious.

The dinner kits include everything needed to create a high-quality meal in one box including premium ingredients such as such as vine-ripened tomatoes, select cooking wines, specialty herbs and 100% semolina pasta. All you have to do is add one pound of chicken or your choice of proteins such as shrimp or Italian sausage. Varieties of Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites dinner kits include Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne, Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, Chicken Alfredo with Linguine and Chicken Marsala with Linguine.

I have only tried the Creamy Basil so far and I am very eager to try the others, because if they are anything like the first, then I will have 3 more easy meals to prepare.  It helps to take the guess work out of what’s for dinner and makes it easy when you have had a really long day, or you just want something that is quick.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Would You Like to Try Macaroni Grill Favorites?

DoubleBugs and My Blog Spark are giving away What’s For Dinner Gift Baskets to 3 lucky readers.

Gift Basket Includes

Sample of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta variety

Three coupons for you to try the other varieties the next time you visit your local grocer,

A Colander

Serving spoon

Cheese grater.

Here’s What You Have to Do To Enter

How to Enter

1.  Visit restaurantfavoritesathome.com and tell me which other Romano’s Macaroni Grill flavor you think you would enjoy.  You can also print out a $1 coupon on this site.

2.  Subscribe to my blog vis RSS or Email, then leave me a comment to tell me you have done so.  If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment to let me know.

For Additional Entries ( Leave a separate Comment for each additional entry)

1.  Add Me To Twitter

2.  Add my blog to your Technorati Favorites

3.  Tweet About This Giveaway

4. Blog About This Giveaway

I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines.

You can enter anytime now through June 8, 2009 at 11 PM EDT. Three winners will be selected at random. I will contact the winners by email shortly after the giveaway ends, and the winners will have 48 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within that time frame, an alternate winner will be announced.  Open to US residents. Must be over 18 years of age.  Void where prohibited.

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