Summer is upon us and what better way then to celebrate with a new Voda swim suite!

Don’t forget to enter the grand prize giveaway sponsored by TruKid, Imperial Toy, and an amazing group of bloggers who want to make your summer a blast! You have the opportunity to win a wagon, water table, kid-friendly skincare package from TruKid, and a variety of bubble and water toys from Imperial Toy! Please note that the Grand Prize GIveaway is only open to US residents.

TruKid aims to encourage a healthy, well rounded lifestyle. By combining all natural skincare with fun and education, TruKid cultivates a relationship between healthy habits and being a kid.
Imperial Toy is the worldwide leader in the sale and manufacture of Bubbles and Novelty Toys. At Imperial, the Mission is to be First in Fun!

Enter the grand prize here! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: Formula Mom, Tales From the Nursery, The Maven of Social Media, and the Summer Backyard Blast bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes.

Please note: The grand prize giveaway is currently only open to the US.

Need a Father's Day gift idea?

Father's Day is right around the corner and that means that I need to get creative. I try to find things for my husband and dad that they will use and will not sit on a shelf collecting dust. Now my dad loves to cook so I knew he would benefit from something kitchen related. Lately he has been into cutting fresh vegetables so I wanted to find a high quality knife that would last and not rust after a few washings. Nogent has a wide range of knives that are made for precision cutting. The Nogent expert range knife has a very thick blade and micro-serration that allows for precise cutting and slicing. The knife also has a handle that is guaranteed not to come off and is rendered antibacerial in the dishwasher. An added bonus for me-look at the handle color...also available in pink, and turquoise blue!

Nogent offers a wide selection of knives including pairing knives, steak knives, filleting knives, bread knife, boning knife, and the new Chef's knife. Each knife is manufactured in France and is a must for any kitchen with a budding chef. I know my dad will love that he is not only receiving something he can use but something that will grow his passion for cooking.

Perfect go to summer bag!

So my wardrobe in mostly black & white but with summer quickly approaching I need an easy color change to make my outfits pop. Since I am not a huge jewelry fan because everything seems to get broken around my energetic toddler I tend to focus on a bag that stands out. My other problem is that we are in prime potty training and wet swim suit season so I needed a diaper bag without the look of a diaper bag. This meant I had to turn to one of my favorite shops 7 A.M Enfant! I have the Barcelona in red and cannot believe the versatility of the bag. Just take a look at all the great color options:

My bag is super lightweight and easily transitions to all of my activities during the week. It has been our swim bag, dance bag, my work bag, and above all just my everyday purse. I love the deep pockets on the front that hold just about anything and that it is made from a water-repellent material. This comes in very handy when little miss spills things constantly! My Barcelona bag has exceeded all of my expectations....even when it is full of all the daily essentials it is still much lighter than some of my thicker bags. It also easily fits on my stroller...I have high hopes to go back to jogging this summer and am excited to that I won't have to have a separate bag for the stroller! If you are going to buy a bag that will grow with your child I would highly recommend 7 A.M. Enfant...you can still carry a diaper bag without giving up your sense of style!

Madagascar 3 in theaters soon!

This afternoon was my turn to host "mom's afternoon out"...what better way than with a Madagascar movie viewing party sponsored by Children's Claritin!  As a Mom Crew member I get to try out all the latest and greatest in Claritin (a real life savor in my house!). Every month my friends and I take turns hosting a mom's afternoon out-basically one of us gets stuck at home with a house full of kids while everyone else gets 4 whole hours without hearing "mom, mom, mom,mom". You can imagine my extreme delight when a box arrived with Madagascar 1 & 2 and great party ideas. The kids loved the movie and it has been agreed that the next outing will be to see Madagascar 3: Europeans most wanted in theaters (June 8)! My daughter does not sit through many movies so I was beyond thrilled to actually watch her dance with the animals and take a genuine interest in the plot. Who doesn't love Alex the lion! 

We also made some popcorn, ate some "zoo mix" and made these adorable lion hand print crafts 

The best part was each kid went home with a great goodie bag filled with zoo themed prizes (including stickers) and each mom received a grab bag of Claritin samples-with allergies being so out of control this year I think they were more grateful for the Claritin then the day off! 

If you have a child that suffers from allergies I highly recommed trying the grape chewable..I get super drowsy from all allergy medicine and the Claritin actually works for me and each of children-so great to have a one stop medicine for everyone! 

* A big thanks to the Claritin Mom Crew for a great Madagascar movie party-all opinions are my own*

Me4Kidz=easy vacation travel!

So we will be taking our first big trip with my daughter since she was an infant in a few weeks. This means a plane ride, long airport layover, strange hotel room...the whole nine yards to turn a pleasant vacation into a nightmare quickly. As you have read my daughter is not a fan of sticky hands but also will not use traditional baby wipes since she thinks they are only for babies. This does not leave much room for portable wiping on my part...I have tried the little moist towelettes you get from restaurants but she hates how those smell. So finally I found little buddy antibacterial wipes! They truly have been a life savor-the package has a cute little dolphin on the front which makes my daughter think they are big girl wipes. She has no problem carrying them in her "purse" and use them anytime she may have sticky hands. The package is very easy for her to manipulate by herself and over the past few weeks they are still moist and  and have not dried out-I am actually pleasantly surprised how well the package has held up to a two year old! Me4Kidz offers a variety of products including a medibag, medibuddy (1st aid kit to go-perfect size for small places), diaper bag buddy, smile buddy, and nail buddy. We are also a huge fan of the nail buddy-a compact little kit full of everything a little girl needs for her nails. My daughter loves that the flower nail stickers are just her size and we do not have to cut them down for her tiny fingers. No matter what you may be up to this summer be sure to grab your "to go" kits from Me4Kidz!

Shake, Rattle, & Roll Hop!

The Shake, Rattle, & Roll Giveaway Hop features a variety of great products for kids of all ages! Once you have entered to win here, be sure to visit all of the participating blogs at the bottom of this post! Don’t forget to enter to win the Shake, Rattle, & Roll Grand Prize sponsored by Tommee Tippee! You will have the chance to win a Closer to Nature Audio Baby Monitor valued at $149.99!

 Use the rafflecopter form below to win the following prize pack:

Baby deedee Sleep Nest:

Amy Catherine Designs Necklace:

Comforts Baby Prize Pack:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: Formula Mom, Tales From the Nursery, and the Shake, Rattle, & Roll bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes.

All Aboard! Thomas the tank is coming to town!

Tomorrow is the big day-Thomas will be arriving at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on May 19-20 and May 25-27. Thomas will be here for my daughter's birthday and we are beyond excited-not only do you have a ride with Thomas but there are also activities planned...this is sure to be a birthday to remember! 

Tickets for Day Out With Thomas are on sale now and available by calling Ticketweb toll-free 866-468-7630, or by visiting www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html . Ticket prices are $18 plus taxfor ages 2 and up (service charges and fee may apply). Thomas will be in many cities all over the country so be sure to check the schedule for a town near you. 

Hope to see some of you next weekend-also feel free to follow my tweets from the big event! 

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Spring is here -time to Chooze Shoes!

I have found my must shoes for spring for my daughter-Chooze Shoes! I originally found the company by searching for shoe companies that "give back" and soon fell in love with the designs and company concept. Chooze Shoes are different. The left shoe is never the same as the right so each shoe is unique....here is what I mean:

Now the company offers a wide variety of shoe choices and designs. I personally love Chooze Shoes because of the mission of the company. Offering a hand-up rather than a hand-out, the company uses profits each year to provide loans to women in poverty so they can start their own business.  The process cycles each year and the loan helps women provide for their families. Chooze Shoes are also made from vegan material and come in a great "Art Box" instead of a shoe box. Our box has now become home to many little dinosaurs and Easter eggs. So how do the shoes fit? I am highly impressed with the quality and durability of the shoes. We have a hard time finding Maryjane type shoes that don't hurt little misses feet in some way until she tried her Chooze Shoes. It has now been well over a few weeks wearing them day in and day out and I could not be happier with how nicely they fit....added bonus no stubbed toes in sandals this summer! Chooze Shoes are available in both girls, boys, and women's...here is the pair I have my eye on: 

Like Chooze Shoes on facebook and keep up to date on all new releases and events! 

Birthday time in 2 weeks-time to get busy!

Can you believe that my daughter will be 3 in two short weeks? This year she is big into two things-Thomas the train & princesses. I swore before I had kids that toys would not overtake my life but now it is like living in toys'r'us and we have just enough space to function! So now it is time to kick into high gear and find her the perfect present. Her request was a train ride and a Princess & the Frog dress.  Well as usual I knew just where to go to get the dress-Anytimecostumes.com! They have the most amazing, affordable costumes that are perfect for any occasion! Here is the great dress we found:

Anytime Costumes has a ton of princess costumes available that look just like the dresses from the movie. I love our costume because it is just floor length now but can grow with my daughter through the years. It also has an easy to use Velcro neck so she is able to put on her own costume-no more hearing her scream for help as she is stuck in a dress! The dress has amazing detail with a leaf pattern down the front of the dress and a "Tiana button" as my daughter call it. No question that this dress was made with an amazing attention to detail. Want to know my favorite part of Anytime Costumes? They also offer an adult frog costume! I see a great Halloween dress up duo in the future....now to let my husband know he will be going as a giant frog this Halloween!

Being your own boss & achieving financial freedom? Yes please!

So as many of you have read we are desperatly trying to get our finances in order so we can move out of our "starter home". With that being said I needed a little bit more guidence since I had no idea what I was doing....and I am up to my eyeballs in debt. My major problem is that I love to work for myself-I love being the boss and taking charge I just need a little guidance. That is when I found The Barefoot Executive which was exactly the push I needed to get started. The book has been seen on Lifetime, CNN, Forbes, and countless others. I do have a small business that has amazing potential but I realized I lack the drive to get things going. Here is a great youtube video of what the book is all about. My ultimate favorite quote is "It is amazing what you can get done when you work with a sense of urgency". Not only does this play out into my finances but I learned ways to "stage" my home for the market. The book covers everything you need to get motivated and start your own small business. Everything is spelled out in easy to follow chapters that will get you moving in no time-don't delay isn't your satisfaction worth the quick read of Barefoot Executive!

* The book was provided to me for the review-all thoughts and life changing experiences are my own*

Unique Gift Idea-free hop event

 Come join with Makobi Scribe in the Unique Gift Ideas Event from July 3 to July 13.

May Buffet Giveaway Event

Welcome to May Buffet coordinated by ShePromotes!

This event will take place from May 1st at 12:01am EST through May 15th at 11:59pm EST.

It's May! And for many of us that means the start of grilling and cookout season. Good food is great all year round, but there is just something about the warm weather that says bring on the steaks! I am sure you like to check out recipes shared by your favorite bloggers, so we thought we'd share some yummy prizes with you! Each blog listed below on the linky has a prize valued at $25+ for each winner - ALL FOOD RELATED! This means goodies to eat and items to help you fix, mix, cook, and serve delicious dishes. So let the May Buffet begin!

Use the rafflecopter form below to win the following prize pack:
1  Magic Bullet &  1Baby Bullet
    

1 Goodbyn Binto (purple)

Thomas Prize Pack

Peep! Peep! “Thomas?! It’s My Birthday” 

It’s little misses birthday and we are celebrating at the Day Out With Thomas event on May 26th. In her honor, we wanted to give you a chance to show the chugging engine how much your child loves him! If your child’s birthday is in the month of May, send in a picture of your little conductor(s) with his/her (their) favorite Thomas the Tank Engine memorabilia between the dates of May 14th and May 18th to enter to win our “Thomas?! It’s My Birthday” gift package (Please enter a link below to your photo)

 

 Description: thomas bday One lucky child will receive the Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 “Thomas?! It’s My Birthday” gift package. Want to see Thomas the Tank Engine in person? Thomas & Friends will be steaming into the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on May 19-20 & 25-27th. Tickets for Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 are on sale now and available by calling Ticketweb toll-free 866-468-7630, or by visiting www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html or www.tcry.org . Ticket prices are $18 plus tax for ages 2 and up (service charges and fee may apply).

Mother's Day Blog Hop

Everyone loves their mom and always wants to find the best gift to make her feel loved and appreciated. These are the gifts I have found and would love to share with you. After you enter my giveaway head over to Makobi Scribe to see her mothers day gift ideas worth over $3000. Then stop by Sason & Pobi to enter the grand prize drawing of a Toshiba 32SLV411U - 32" class 720p 60Hz TV/DVD Combo!

Use the rafflecopter from to win one of two amazing prizepacks:

1. Britax Child Passenger Travel Kit (Total Value up to: $515.95):

§  Set of 2 Kick Mats 

§  Head & Body Support Pillow 

§  Set of 2 EZ-Cling Window Shades 

§  Car Seat Travel Cart 

§  Britax Convertible Car seat of your choice (range from $199.99-$379.99)

2. modstraps $30 gift card

Win your very own Build-A-Bear farmers market friend!

Spring time is here and Build-A-Bear is set to release amazing new farm friends next Friday! The collection will include a horse, cow, pig, and sheep in stores and a llama and billy goat exclusive to online. Smallfrys will also be available in your choice of a pig and cow. Build-A-Bear is one of our must do activities at the mall...my daughter just loves picking out a heart and making her own bear. If you have never visited the store it is a great memory making moment with your children. First you pick out your very own friend from a large selection, take your new friend over to the stuffing machine, pick out a heart and make your bear, then my daughter's favorite part picking out your new friends clothes & creating his/her birth certificate. The new collection is sure to please and starting May 4 any guest that makes a purchase of $20 or more will receive a free Farmers' Market reusable tote. Be sure you get your farm friend before they are sold out! Here are other great ways to keep in touch with Build-A-Bear and receive craft ideas, apps, and exclusive offers: facebook, pinterest, iphone app.
 Enter below using rafflecopter to win your very own Farmers Market Friend (sponsors choice)