At Home with Go!Go! Smart Friends & Violet

Since Lily has started school, Violet has been playing more on her own (obviously) which has been fun to watch her imagination grow.  She tends to gravitate towards playing with toys where she can mimic the world around her.  We recently received the Vtech Go! Go! Smart Busy Sounds Discovery Home and she is in heaven!  

·         Explore the Go! Go! Smart Friends Busy Sounds Discovery Home with Miss Norah!

·         The interactive house features seven MagicPoint™ locations that encourage imaginative play and emphasize cause and effect relationships.

·         Simply place Miss Norah on one of the MagicPoint locations to experience her friendly personality, motion, lights and more.

·         Put Miss Norah in the elevator and watch as the elevator magically moves up and down.

·         Activate the MagicChat™ feature in the playroom, and hear Miss Norah and other MagicPoint characters (sold separately) chat and sing with each other.

·          Miss Norah also responds to other MagicPoint locations on Go! Go! Smart Friends accessories and playsets (each sold separately).

·         Press Miss Norah's light-up button, and she will come to life by introducing herself, sharing the things she likes to do and singing two sing-along songs. It's playtime where friendship leads to learning!

Even while I was putting the house together, she was playing along with the "yard." She had the puppy and Miss Norah on the swing and the slide saying "Wheeeeeeee!"

I love hearing Violet talking, pretending she's washing her hands when Miss Norah says to remember to wash your hands.  This has consistently become her "go to" toy!  With her 2nd birthday coming up soon, it's easy to figure out that getting her some other MagicPoint characters will be the way to go! She loves the puppy as much as she loves Miss Norah and of course, the puppy doesn't talk. :)

From the mom perspective... pulling a lot of pieces out of the box, I initially thought that it would be a daunting assembly! Boy, was I pleasantly surprised when it was very simple! The directions were easy to follow and even though Violet was trying to play with it while I was assembling, it still took no time at all and no difficulty.  Yay!

This interactive toy is perfect for my busy toddler!

She LOVES the elevator!  "Up! Down, Mama!"

This is our first Go! Go! Smart Friends toy and we love it so much, we will be adding to it!  Plus you can even connect some of the other Go! Go! Smart Friends toys together!!

Thanks so much for the opportunity, VTech!

For one lucky reader, VTech is helping me give away your very own  Go!Go! Smart Friends Busy Sounds Discovery Home! 

Contest will run from today until 11:59pm on 10/4/15.  Winner will be notified by email  and will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find more information on VTech toys:

·         VTech website

·         VTech Twitter

·         VTech Facebook

*Disclosure: The VTech product, information, and giveaway have been provided by VTech. Please see my full disclosure.

#MoreMinutes for the Birthday Girl!

Today is Lily's 5th birthday! It was also a busy, busy day from start to finish. That's typically how kid birthdays go in our house. 

One of the things on our agenda to was to get Lily's back-to-school haircut! This was only her 2nd haircut of her entire life!  But. She was in need for a trim to get her beautiful curls to bounce back up and keep her hair healthy.  The best part of fitting her haircut into our day was having complete flexibility with the time due to the new Great Clips Online Check-in!  That simple step allowed us to save #MoreMinutes in our already jam packed day! 

After our breakfast out, opening presents, a park playdate, and dropping Violet and George off at home to nap, Lily and I set out to finish our errands. First up, her traditional bakery birthday cupcake! When we finished at the bakery, I opened up the app to decide which location we were going to and went ahead and checked in. The 15 minute estimated wait time was just the driving time we needed. Perfect --giving us #MoreMinutes to be doing birthday things! That would be our next stop before a few other birthday treats!  

The Great Clips Online Check-in is such a simple app! When you open it, you can see which locations are around and their estimated wait times.  Choose a location and simply enter your name and telephone number and voila, checked in. Easy peasy!   You don't even have to use the app -- you can utilize the Online Check-in on their website too! Same deal, just find a salon near you and check in!

We arrived using all our wait time driving! If that's not utilizing #MoreMinutes to be doing the fun stuff of our day, then I don't know what is! 

We headed inside and informed the girl at the front desk we had checked in online. She took the rest of our information and told us it'd would be about 5 more minutes.  The waiting area had about 6 other people waiting when we came in also, but due to our Online Check-in Lily was next!  That few extra minutes allowed me to snap just the picture I wanted of Lily.  The only downside was the signage hanging in the window and the sunny day, made for a rough go at a photo. I'll take the sunshine any day though, so I'm not really complaining. ;)

Our stylist was kind, helpful, and friendly with Lily as well as myself, offering suggestions about Lily's hair and helping keep her head straight, asking her questions about herself to make her comfortable.  She asked if Lily wanted her hair to air dry or be blown dry. Lily chose the blow dry. :) We'll definitely go back to her!

A perfect, curl-bouncing haircut for the birthday girl!

What better way to get in one of our "must do's" in the least amount of time possible and save #MoreMinutes for spending the day celebrating my favorite new five year old!


What would you do with your #MoreMinutes?  Save your time by checking in online and get in to Great Clips for your back-to-school haircuts! Trust me, you'll be happy you did!

#freetobe blanket babies

Somehow I have managed to have blanket babies.

All 3 of them.

Though Andrew probably wouldn't love it that I was sharing that about him now, he did give up his blankie age appropriately. ;)

The girls, however, both still love their blankies.  I'm not sure why they all have loved them so much, but I'm so glad they have.  My grandmother crocheted  all of them.  Andrew's was blue, Lily's is purple and Violet's is pink. When I say they are blanket babies, I mean those blankets go everywhere. Lily has gotten to where she has hers minimally throughout the day, but when she is tired or snuggling up to watch a movie, Purple Blankie is with her.  It's so loved, in fact, that she managed to put a hole in the middle of it.  She's put her piggies through it since she was a baby, she rubs it between her thumb and her pointer finger when she's falling asleep.

Violet does both of those things now as well. I love it so much! Now, Violet is at the age where she insists her blankie comes with her when she gets out of her crib each morning and after naptime. She wraps it around her shoulders like a cape and despite all my efforts, it gets dragged around with her all day long.

all free clear lets my girls be #freetobe dragging their blankets around to be loved and snuggled no matter where they are and I know I can wash them worry-free from skin sensitivities and now with the OXI booster to help me keep them looking bright and ensuring I get the power of OXI with the gentleness of all free clear.

Thanks to all free clear, my girls are #freetobe blankie babies without me worrying about their precious skin.  all free clear is the brand I trust to ensure my girls are able to keep their blankets rubbed against their faces without irritating their sensitive skin.

If you've been on the fence about trying all free clear, here's a coupon to help you over to the happy side! 

 $1 off coupon for all free clear detergent

Violet is not happy for blankie washing day, but she is completely #freetobe snuggled up in her most prized possession after it comes fresh out of the dryer.

all free clear is the #1 recommended detergent brand by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for sensitive skin. It's tough on stains yet gentle enough for the whole family. Plus, it's safe for use in standard and HE machines. It rinses clean and has a gentle, hypoallergenic formula. Powerful Clean. Gentle on Skin.

all free clear is also 100% hypoallergenic.

NEW From the #1 Detergent Brand Recommended by Dermatologists Allergists and Pediatricians comes all® free clear liquid fabric softener, dryer sheets, OXI mighty pacs and OXI boosters. Use together to make fabrics cleaner, softer, and more comfortable against your family’s sensitive skin. 100% free of dyes and perfumes. Gentle on skin. Safe for all washing machines. Find it in your fabric conditioner aisle!

The NEW OXI mighty pacs give you extra strength cleaning power for 30% less than Tide Free & Gentle pods.  Each little mighty pac is full of the concentrated cleaning power of OXI with the gentleness of free clear, providing a powerful clean that’s safe for the whole family.

The NEW OXI booster whitens and brightens clothes.  It’s safe on sensitive skin.  It costs 15% less than the leading brand AND you can use it to remove stains around the house (it can be used on carpet, upholstery and patio furniture, just to name a few!)  Who doesn't love multi-use items!

What I love most about all free clear laundry detergent is that I don't have to worry about my girls' sensitive skin, allergens, or worry that it's not tough enough to get everything clean! I love that they are just #freetobe little girls who love to run.

What are your kids #freetobe doing this summer?


** all free clear has just added a fantastic new sweepstakes five winners will win a year's supply worth of all free clear laundry detergent!  How to enter:  Share your blanket photo on all free clear's facebook page or twitter page be sure to use the hashtags #withmyblanket and #sweeps by July 26th!

Continuing to Spread the Love with #UltraHug

I am thrilled to continue supporting an amazing project Huggies is hosting while encouraging moms to participate for their own communities.  What a gift a $2000 grant will be to 10 lucky community organizations/projects from Huggies!

I chose the North Hills Community Outreach (NCHO) as my nominated community.

What I love about this organization is that it helps families within my own community with everyday needs from utility help, a food pantry, assistance specifically for women or seniors, employment assistance, education assistance, help in buying a car... you know--real needs for living and supporting a family.  There are volunteer opportunities available, coat drives for these brutal Pittsburgh winters, and also attorney services. Often times, there are families in need who fall through the cracks with making "too much," but simply not enough.  NHCO helps people we may know and I absolutely know that if we're ever in a place in need, we could go there to help our family.   I just saw this week on twitter where they were asking graduating senior from our high school if they were getting rid of those crazy expensive calculators that high school students are required to have for math to consider donating them!  THIS IS GENIUS! I was super stressed when knowing I had to last minute get a $100 calculator.  That was not in the budget at the time at all.

I love the "real life" services provided by NCHO, so I am proud to nominate them as a potential recipient of an Huggies #UltraHug grant!

I challenge all of you to enter!  You have your phone in your hand anyway! Details on how are below...

Violet and I are again sharing a #UltraHug selfie in hope of winning one of ten $2K grants for community organizations/projects from @Huggies. We're nominating the North Hills Community Outreach in Pittsburgh! To enter your own and find out more: http://ooh.li/5926c06 #sp

A photo posted by Stephanie (@littlepunkyandpumpkinpies) on Jun 3, 2015 at 8:08am PDT

From April 20th until June 25th, Huggies will be accepting all selfies of you and your baby with the hashtag #UltraHug, and featuring them in a collage on the campaign landing page.

On July 6th, voting will begin to narrow down the 20 finalists to 10 winners who will win a $2,000 grant from Huggies for their nominated community initiative.

How you can enter the #UltraHug Selfie Contest:

• First, take a selfie of you and your baby and upload that selfie to Twitter or Instagram. Make sure to use the hashtag #UltraHug
• In your same post, make sure to include a text nomination (approximately 100 – 120 characters) including a name and/or identifying description of a community project in the US, which you would like to nominate. Make sure the community project is something near and dear to your heart.

What are you waiting for? This is the easiest contest ever and for such a great cause!

Find out more clicking any of the links or above or right here! 

Speaking of Huggies, their new exclusive Snug & Dry Ultra diapers are exclusively at Walmart and have easily become an addition to Violet's everyday life.

These Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra diapers offer long-lasting leakage protection you can count on, so you can focus on all of your baby’s daily adventures. The range of sizes fit babies from newborn to 35 lbs. Only Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra diapers have a new, unique quilted liner to lock away wetness better. We recently moved up to size 5 diapers for her and although she still has a little room--you know that fun, in between sizes for diapers, she simply doesn't. have. leaks. Yay!

They have a conforming, gap-free fit to keep your active baby dry throughout the day The trusted Leak Lock® System has quick-absorbing layers for up to 12 hours of protection.

This is my girl all day long... never stopping, always on the go. So a diaper has to work with her!

It's an #UltraHug Kind of Cause

Diapers have been a part of my every day life again since 2010.  This was, of course, after about an 8 year break between when Andrew was out of them and Lily was born. It is hard for me to imagine a life without diapers though the time is approaching. I suspect within a year we will be a diaper free family for.ev.er.  So weird to even think that!

We've never been a cloth diaper family. To each bum, their own, I say!

I like to try newer disposables when they're brought to my attention and with a new Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra, I jumped at the chance to try!  These are exclusively at Walmart-- trust me, I looked in 3 other places too, just to be sure. I happen to live in a community where there isn't a Walmart on every corner, but it was worth the drive for these little gems.  I was disappointed that they were completely sold out of the size 4s in all quantities that I know work for Violet. I double checked the weight for the size 5s and decided now is as good a time as any to see if the bigger size was right for her.

They fit great around the waist, we love the Mickey Mouse prints and so far the bigger size seems to work for her. Yay for a win!

These Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra diapers offer long-lasting leakage protection you can count on, so you can focus on all of your baby’s daily adventures. The range of sizes fit babies from newborn to 35 lbs. Only Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra diapers have a new, unique quilted liner to lock away wetness better.

They have a conforming, gap-free fit to keep your active baby dry throughout the day The trusted Leak Lock® System has quick-absorbing layers for up to 12 hours of protection.

This is my girl all day long... never stopping, always on the go. So a diaper has to work with her!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Violet and I before bedtime. Real life #UltraHug selfie!  Why are we taking an #UltraHug selfie? Because Huggies is generously donating $2000 to a community initiative of the winner of the #UltraHug selfie contest!

From April 20th until June 25th, Huggies will be accepting all selfies of you and your baby with the hashtag #UltraHug, and featuring them in a collage on the campaign landing page.

On July 6th, voting will begin to narrow down the 20 finalists to 10 winners who will win a $2,000 grant from Huggies for their nominated community initiative.

My Community Nomination

Violet and I are nominating the North Hills Community Outreach program. This program provides many different services within our community and often it's the middle class who slips through the cracks -- making "too much" for other services.  Many of our schools help and volunteer with this program donating food, clothing, and we love that it's a way for our own children to give back within their own community.

How you can enter the #UltraHug Selfie Contest:

• First, take a selfie of you and your baby and upload that selfie to Twitter or Instagram. Make sure to use the hashtag #UltraHug
• In your same post, make sure to include a text nomination (approximately 100 – 120 characters) including a name and/or identifying description of a community project in the US, which you would like to nominate. Make sure the community project is something near and dear to your heart.

What are you waiting for? This is the easiest contest ever and for a great cause!

Find out more clicking any of the links above or right here! 

Doooooooooooo it! 

Valentine's Day with Red Pack

This year we celebrated Valentine's Day over the entire weekend. We had our traditional pink heart pancake and pink milk breakfast that morning, but postponed our "fancy" Valentine's supper until the next night. Andrew had plans with his friends at night on Valentine's Day and George had to work, so we planned on it that way this year. Breakfast was a success!

One of our favorite family meals is chicken parmesan! I always make two big dishes of it to freeze some and have some leftover for lunch. We decided to have that to celebrate love day for our family as our supper.  I have an easy peasy recipe that I make that has made my family happy. Generally, I use our local store brand tomato sauce or tomatoes. This time I didn't share with anyone that I had used any different ingredients and no lie, they noticed. My husband is one of the pickiest eaters ever, so when he says "I don't know what you did different with that chicken parm, but it was more delicious than ever," I know I have found something to stick with!

Redpack tomatoes was the difference! Redpack tomatoes are grown in the Midwest, where true seasons positively impact flavor-with just the right angle of the sun, perfect temperature, and soil that seems made for growing tomatoes.

Redpack sent me a kit with a few cans of different tomato options to make some of their fun, Italian recipes featuring Redpack tomatoes that are great for celebrations, big or small! You can find these recipes at RedPackTomatoes.com/Carnevale.

Right now Red Pack is having a celebration of Italian Carnevale and sharing that love with you and chances to win a Redpack tote bag– a total of 3,000 tote bags! There will also be a grand prize winner that will win a pasta stock pot, pasta-related serveware and Redpack products. The total value of the prize is more than $300! Enter on their facebook page for your chance to win! (This runs through March 4)

I'd say RedPack is now our new go-to for tomato products based on my family's reactions!

Disclosure:  I was provided products in exchange for this review and post.  All opinions are my own. Please see my full disclosure.