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June 6, 2010
Crystal Light Review: Staying Hydrated
- Have a glass of water when you first get up.
- Keep a glass of water next to the bed.
- Enjoy an herbal tea in the afternoon or evening (Crystal Light has some awesome ones!)
- Carry water with you if you are away for long periods of time.
- Drink before you get thirsty.
- Limit sugary, caffeinated beverages (yet another reason to try one of Crystal Light's many varieties).
- Choose drinks with 10 or fewer calories.
- Know the signs of dehydration (headache, light-headedness, fatigue, flushed skin).
Did you know that Crystal Light offers "Sunrise" beverages that contain 100% of the recommended dosage of Vitamin C, as well as a variety of other tea's and some mixes that are even infused with extra antioxidants to help with immunity, etc.? To see all the varieties, please visit here.
To enter for your chance to win the $1000 sweepstakes or to visit other reviews of Crystal Light, please visit the round-up offer page here: BlogHer.com CLB exclusive offers page . For official rules on entering, please visit here.
AND now, for your chance to start commenting and winning (a $100 Visa card), please answer the following question in the comments section:
What is your favorite way to stay hydrated in the summer?
June 2, 2010
You’re Not the Boss of Me!
I love buying parenting books. Anytime a new issue comes up with my son, I head to Amazon to find the plethora of books that will solve all of my problems. I wait patiently for the book that will bring peace and happiness back to my house. The day the book comes, I head to bed early with book in hand, ready to have all of our issues resolved. A few days later, and only a few chapters in, the book begins to collect dust. Therein lies the problem with parenting books-you feel a gusto when first approaching the book, but reading an entire book and expecting to remember all the techniques is near impossible. So, I give up and the problems remain.
You will not find this problem with You're Not the Boss of Me: Brat-proofing Your 4-12 Year Old by Betsy Brown Braun. Braun encourages you to use the book however best works for you. She suggests that you choose chapters for issues you want to work on with your child. I like this approach. The book does not have to be read cover to cover before you can begin using the techniques or ideas presented. I headed right away to the chapter self-reliance and then the one on independence. We are raising an only child (not by choice), and we worry about his ability to be independent and happy. Braun is encouraging and provides practical ways to deal with your child.
Ours son was also diagnosed with ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and while we're not 100% sold on this diagnosis, he does exhibit many of the indicators of this disorder. Braun's ideas fit in with other experts on ODD. She reminds us that kids are kids and that we adults need to relax, too. Perhaps the greatest reminder for me was that we are their models and that kids pick up on our stress. Obvious, I know, but in the heat of the moment, I get wrapped up in my emotions and react and I forget how detrimental my reaction can be-and this is even more detrimental with a child with ODD.
Braun speaks to the reader on a grounded level. You sense she has "been there, done that" and is not passing judgment. The tone is friendly, firm, and encouraging. I found the book to be a refreshing parenting book.
TKDDaughter gives You're Not the Boss of Me a:
"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of HarperCollins and received a copy of You’re Not the Boss of Me to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."
June 1, 2010
Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice
I remember when a friend came to visit me a few years ago when her daughter was still quite young. Since I had a newborn, I made sure to ask what types of foods her daughter ate so that I could have a pantry stacked with preschooler-friendly food. The answer? Buttered noodles. "Wow," I thought, "That's all she eats???" Flash forward to today with my own preschooler. Yep, same deal. My son has very little variety in his diet. Luckily for me, rice is a staple on his list of will-eat foods.
Lucky for all of us, Uncle Ben's has made it that much easier for families to get their kiddos to eat a little bit better. Uncle Ben's has introduced a whole grain white rice-same great taste just with whole grains. It makes me feel kind of sneaky at dinner time. I am a huge Uncle Ben's fan to begin with…the fluffy texture, moist but not soggy. Now, I'm even a bigger fan.
My son didn't know or care that the rice was made with whole grains…it was white rice, plain, and it tasted the same as it always does. Victory for me!! I shared my boxes of rice with family members and all reported that the rice tasted the same and all were glad for another easy way to get more whole grains into their diets.
TKDDaughter definitely gives Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice a big
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
May 27, 2010
KinderCone
Today, I pickup my son up from preschool for the very last time. It was so difficult to experience yet another bittersweet moment-I am so proud of how much he has grown and so excited for what the future holds, but I so desperately want to hold on to my baby. While the summer is just beginning, the fall looms ahead of me and a new phase of his education awaits. I think the transition will be a lot easier on the boy than on the mom.
I was recently introduced to KinderCone…based on the German tradition of Schultute, a cone made of sturdy and colorful paper which is filled with treats and school supplies and given to first graders as they embark on their very first day of school. This 200 year old tradition helps children on the scary adventure known as first grade.
When we unpacked our KinderCone at our house, my son loved it. It included a stuffed animal, school supplies, and other assorted fun items. He had such a blast taking out each item and he told me that he thought it was a good thing to do when getting ready to go to all day school (for him, this is kindergarten). He asked if we could do this every year!
I simply love this idea…to send our kids off to school knowing they are loved and that we have taken the time to prepare something special just for them. What a great send off. Check out their website and see for yourself. They have a variety of of choices and price points-one of these will definitely work for your soon to be first grader!
Without a doubt, TKDDaughter gives KinderCone a:
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of KinderCone and received KinderCone samples to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.
May 17, 2010
Pringles Multigrain-Helping to End Childhood Hunger
We are headed to the beach twice this summer-once with my family, once with the in-laws. One issue that we constantly have is what snack foods to take to the beach. Just taking a bag of pretzels only works the first time you open it-after that,the bag fills up with blowing sand, the bag doesn't stay closed, and that salt you think you're eating off the pretzel isn't salt…
A few years ago, my mom brought Pringles along on the trip. Besides being a huge hit as a snack, they worked out perfectly to take to the beach. They could be thrown in a bag and get bumped around and remain in whole pieces. Once on the beach, you just open the lid, shake a few into your hand, and close that lid back up-no sand in the container, no difficulty keeping the container sealed. Now, Pringles are always on our beach shopping list.
Pringles has now introduced their new Multigrain line-Original, Cheesy Cheddar, and Creamy Ranch. We had a great time sampling all three at our house! We liked them all, but my favorite was the Cheesy Cheddar. The cool thing about these new Pringles? Pringles has initiated the "U Taste. We Donate" campaign. Supported by world famous chef Tyler Florence, Pringles will donate money to help stop childhood hunger in America. Between now and June 30, 2010, all you have to do is by a Multigrain Pringles, enter the UPC code at PringlesMultigrain.com, and Pringles will donate $1. How easy is that?
This is such an easy way to help give to others! For their efforts to end world hunger and the yummy taste of the new Multigrain Pringles line, TKDDaughter gives this a:
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Pringles Multigrain and received a tote bag with samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
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