Potty Training is an Individual Sport

Potty training essentially feels like a lot of trial and error with no rhyme or reason. My best advice...encourage them and just let them learn in the way they do best.

It actually came pretty easy many moons ago with my oldest. He was day trained at 22 months. Easy peasy. There wasn't much to it. He crawled early, walked early, so it made sense he potty trained early too.

10 years later with Lily, it was slightly more challenging. Now, we find ourselves in the throes of potty training our youngest, most stubborn little love.  What we're finding a little more difficult is that our lives are busier with more kids and activities and we just don't have the "let's stay home all day and just potty train" ability any longer.

There are articles and boasts all over the internet of how you can potty train your baby in 3 days, 18 hours, or whatever other time frame.

None of these folks sharing their magic time frames have ever met my Violet who entered the world on her own timetable and it seems potty training will be on her terms as well.  Let's just say we spend much time "fake pottying" throughout our day. Violet is that little one who refuses to spend her day sans diapers or undies, so there are a lot of wipes getting used during our potty training because each time--fake potty or real potty-- she needs a wipe.  Thankfully we have Cottonelle® FreshCare® Flushable Cleansing Cloths to help ease this last and latest potty trainer we have.

We have definitely learned that potty training is an individual sport! We don't push Violet and as much as I'm ready for her to be potty trained, she is taking her own sweet time. In addition to using the Cottonelle wipes to keep her bottom clean, she loves to sit on the potty and wipe her face with one.

Like I mentioned above, we are a busy, on-the-go family, so Cottonelle® FreshCare® Flushable Cleansing Cloths are a dream to have with us in the car!

The difference maker in these Cottonelle wipes versus regular baby wipes is that they are flushable! They feature SafeFlush Technology™, so they start to break down immediately after flushing. They are sewer and septic safe and they're alcohol free (so there's no burning bums!) 

Our entire family prefers wipes over regular toilet paper and I feel comfortable knowing we're using a safe product for our family and our house!

One thing that is very important in our household is saving money. We've found that Sam's Club helps make that possible!  Right now, you can get Cottonelle® FreshCare® Flushable Cleansing Cloths at Sam's Club and get a $3 instant savings coupon from 6/22-7/17!  The benefits of having a Sam's membership have allowed us to save money on products we use everyday.  I love that I can order online and pick up at the warehouse if I need to. Because, let's face it, saving time is just as valuable as saving money!

Thankfully Sam's and Cottonelle have us covered on both saving time and money!

What are your best potty training tips?

Sunglasses for Summer Fun----> #Babiators review and giveaway

Growing up in Arizona, there's just no getting around being in the sun. I learned at a very young age to always wear sunscreen, a hat, and to protect my eyes.  Simply a way of life. We always had sunscreen in the car, extra sunglasses around and the like.  Even now as an adult, protecting myself and my family from the sun is just something I do.  Sunscreen and sunglasses are stashed in the car, in the diaper bag, and in my purse always.

Finding just the right pair of sunglasses that my little ones will keep on and protect their eyes is important. This year I was lucky enough to be able to try out Babiators for Violet!

Babiators is on a mission to protect kids’ eyes from the sun while they’re out exploring this awesome world. Here are just a few reasons the award-winning Babiators stand out from the crowd:

·         Safe: Babiators have UV400 lenses that offer 100% UVA and UVB protection and undergo rigorous testing to ensure they’re safe for your child – whether they’re on your child’s face or end up in your child’s mouth.

·         Durable: The sunglasses feature flexible rubber frames, and impact and shatter-resistant lenses that won’t break when you bend, twist, or step on them. Trust us, we’ve tried!

·         Awesome: Classic aviator sunglasses make sure your little one is the coolest kid around.

·         Fit: Babiators are made of a soft material that is comfortable and lightweight. 
They are designed to fit kids’ faces and don’t pinch the temples or nose. 
They are available in two sizes:

o   Junior Babiators sunglasses fit most babies 6 months to 3 years

o   Classic Babiators sunglasses fit most children 3 to 7 years

As if that isn't enough...

Guaranteed: The best part??? Babiators are backed by the Lost & Found Guarantee™ – if you lose or break your shades in the first year, Babiators will replace them for free. All you pay is shipping.

Information about Sun Safety (According to The Vision Council’s UV Protection Reports):

·         UV damage is cumulative and irreversible

·         Kids receive 3X more annual UV exposure than adults yet less than 30% of parents are currently protecting their children’s eyes with sunglasses.

·         Children’s eyes are more susceptible to sun damage because they have larger pupils and clearer lenses, allowing more UV to penetrate and reach the back of the eyes

·         When choosing sunglasses for your kids, always look for:

o   100% UVA/UVB protection

o   high-quality, durable frames

o   A comfortable fit and a great style your kids will love

·         Check out The Vision Council's UV Damage and Children Report and The Vision Council’s 2015 UV Protection Report and The Vision Council’s 2016 UV Protection Report for more information on sun safety

Violet is happy to be wearing her Babiators in the car, in the yard, or even in the house. 

You too can win a pair of the classic black Babiators for your baby!  
Giveaway will end on June 26, 2016 at 11:59pm. Winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: The Babiators sunglasses, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Babiators. All thoughts and reviews are my 100% own.

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day 2016 in the books!

Our weekend started out Friday evening with Reagan and I going to the art show at the high school while Lily and Violet went to bed super early --- 6:30pm early ---, Andrew went to see Captain America Civil War at the movies with friends, and George slept before work that night.  Lily and Andrew both shared with me what their contributions at Arts Alive were, so we were on the hunt!

I love that the elementary school art teachers have each class contribute something and display them this night too. Lily's class made "a quilt out of paper."  I wondered if I would find Lily's square and sure enough I recognized her letter Q. A quick glance on the back and sure enough, it was hers.

We looked at all the art on display in the gym and found Reagan's wizard that the 6th graders contributed.

 Andrew has taken some classes as part of the Tech Ed program in the high school that he loves. Last year he had a robotics class, this year is a class called Evolution of Games. He will be taking Mobile Game Design and both 2D and 3D Programming as well.  He and another student designed this games below and printed the pieces using a 3D printer.

Reagan and I made our way around the high school looking at all kinds of artwork --sculptures, photography, quilts, model cars, pottery, you name it.  I was so impressed with the talent in our district! It was also great for Reagan to be able to see all the opportunities available for middle school and high school students as she starts middle school next year.

We headed home and after a long day, I went to bed early!

Saturday started out very early. Like 4:25am early.  Lily came into my bedroom complaining of a sore throat and she was burning up.  I stumbled to the kitchen for ibuprofen and some water for her and finally convinced her that it would help her feel better if she went back to sleep. Thankfully. she eventually did.  

George arrived home early morning and luckily let me sleep until around 9 or so when Lily woke up again.  This time I noticed she was covered in a rash, red faced, and still warm.  With a spot in her throat, I suspected she had strep throat.  A trip to urgent care was imminent and strep throat was confirmed.  She felt terrible. :(  

We took a trip to the pharmacy right after so she could get started on her antibiotics and she spent the rest of the day resting and eating popsicles. 

Reagan was going to a sleepover birthday party later in the day, so we had to do a little birthday gift shopping before the party. I dropped her at her friend's house and headed home, looking forward to relaxing for the evening watching the Penguins playoff game with the girls and George.  Andrew ended up going bowling and after the game, I snuggled in bed with Criminal Minds on Netflix.  I started watching the show from the beginning recently and have made my way to season 8 currently.  

Mother's Day started out really nice. George let me sleep in again which was fantastic for two days in a row!  Lily excitedly woke up and shouted "Happy Mother's Day!" --ever our celebrator who loves to remember others!  We picked Reagan up from her sleepover around 10 and went to pick up doughnuts for everyone.  When we got back, George started working on getting the boat ready for the season, Andrew mowed the grass, Reagan worked on pulling weeds, and Lily wanted to help too. Violet hung out on the boat with George and ran around the yard. When George finished up with the boat, he used the leaf blower around the front of the house and the driveway for a bit.  It was really nice just having everyone working together and getting things done which is a rarity because of our schedules.  I appreciated so much their acts of service for Mother's Day!  The only thing I told G I wanted for Mother's Day was not to have to cook. He suggested either going to or getting food from one of our original local favorites.  A place where we celebrated many milestones early in our relationship.  It was thoughtful and sweet.  I opted for us to eat at home.

We all hung out outside for awhile then George and all the kids went to run a few errands and see his mom for a few minutes.  I relished in the complete and utter silence at home by myself while they were gone. It was refreshing!

I love the sweet gifts kids make in school so much!

Lily gave me a sweet flower pot that she wrote and colored at school. It will forever have her drawing of herself at 5 years old in kindergarten and "I love you, Mommy!" in her handwriting. 

 She also made me a card where under each petal she wrote something for "my mom is:
a good cook, sweet, pretty, nice, awesome, and careful."

 This is the first time in the nine years that George and I have been together that Reagan has spent Mother's Day with us. She thoughtfully made me a gift at school also.  The back side has a letter she wrote to me that was sincere, genuine, and I truly appreciated it!

I got sweet cards from my husband and Andrew and flowers from them all as well.  It really was a happy, content day!

How did you spend Mother's Day this year?

LEGO Connection #StreamTeam

For the last 16 years of my life, without exception, LEGO has been a part of my life.  There have been middle of the night stepping on LEGO moments, building sets on birthdays, Valentine's boxes, Halloween costumes, birthday parties, trips to LEGOland, videogames, tv shows...You name it and if it has to do with LEGO, we've experienced it.

One of our best and favorite LEGO projects was when Andrew was in 6th grade and he wanted to be a LEGO guy for Halloween

Over the years, we have watched Clone Wars, played Harry Potter, Batman, and Star Wars LEGO video games, so when Netflix wanted to celebrate LEGO with new episodes of LEGO Friends and Bionicle, it was a perfect fit for us!

The girls and I been watching LEGO Friends on Netflix for awhile, so we were excited when there were new episodes!  Netflix sent us a few LEGO goodies to celebrate and the kids couldn't have been happier!

Finding connection between age 16 all the way to age 2, isn't always easy.  With LEGO, it's simple! Lily has recently developed a love of building LEGO sets and playing with the mini figs. It's a perfect way for she and Andrew to do something they both love together and that makes me happy! Violet just wanted to play with the cupcakes. :)

We have had an extremely busy month and sometimes the simplicity of sitting together around the table building LEGO sets qualifies as "Family Fun Night," according to Lily.

 They may be 10 years apart, but Lily is very much like Andrew when he was her age.

The girls decided that LEGO Friends on Netflix on the iPad was the perfect wrap up to the building so they could watch and build. Andrew said, "I'm out!"

There are a lot of LEGO choices available on Netflix! 

What LEGO do you and your family love? Bionicle? Friends? SuperHeroes?  All of the above???

LEGO Extravaganza Can't get enough of LEGO? We don't blame ya. Check out these other LEGO titles available on Netflix.

LEGO DC Comics: Batman Be-Leagured LEGO: City LEGO: Elves

New on Netflix for Kids, Tweens, Teens and Families

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (3/18) Popples: Season 2 (3/11)

Dinotrux: Season 2 (3/11) The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show: Season 2 (3/18) Veggie Tales: In The House (3/25)

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam I was provided subscription to Netflix and also exclusive insights or other products. All opinions are my 100% my own and I was already a proud Netflix subscriber prior to this opportunity. Please see my full disclosure.