MOM CONFESSIONALS

Perhaps a prelude to the New Years Eve festivities but every where our preparation for celebration took us, we spotted flipped over cars every where!  4 accidents where the cars were literally upside down!  This gal took herself off the road after the 4th sighting, never knowing if the next one could be me.

The first sighting this morning had us on the Hutchinson River Parkway, on our way to our favorite Stew Leonards.  A van had completely flipped over in front of our eyes and landed on its side on the opposite side of the highway.  Traffic quickly came to a halt on both sides.  I quickly dialed 911 with my hands-free phone to report the accident.  I had spotted children in the van and was very worried.  Unfortunately being on the other side of the highway I couldn’t get out to help but felt comfort in the fact that help was on its way.  Traffic started to move again on our side.  My 3 year old daughter was sitting in the back seat.  She was visibly shaken and told me so.  As I hung up with the 911 operator, she asked me, “Please call daddy mommy, he can help them!”  My heart just melted.  Her daddy was her hero.  He could do anything, including save those people in the accident.

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The greener side of me gets soooo peeved when my family leaves their chargers plugged in without anything actually charging.  It’s not just chargers, but everything from the rice maker plug which detached to video game systems with plug in power.  This is wasteful energy at its worst, although according to Treehugger.com, it only accounts for 5% of energy waste, namely dubbed phantom energy.  But why waste at all?! The wires are live, charging with electricity, going… no where!  Treehugger proposed a great solution in surge protectors with a handy ON/OFF switch which I’d suggest to all households.  I know that’s not ideal for all situations but perhaps my recent discovery will give you pause enough to find a solution.

I momentarily stepped away from my room with the infant crawling around in what I assumed to be my baby-proofed bedroom to put some laundry in the basket right outside my bedroom door.  I came back seconds later to find my infant had detached the wire from the back of his father’s alarm clock and like all infant’s put it straight into his mouth.  I quickly grabbed it out of his mouth knowing that the other end of the plug was still in the outlet, touched the wet end and felt a tiny shock.  Yep!  A tiny shock.  I did touch it on purpose to know if my fears were founded and they were indeed.  Guess what my upset infant found while I had grabbed the wire from his mouth?  Quick as can be, as one wire came out, he had found another wire, this time… my husband’s phone charger without phone attached but still attached to the wall.  Yes, that went into his mouth as well!  I didn’t test that one but the paranoia in me had me fearing any electrical shock the baby may have gotten from a few seconds of sucking on “live” wire.   According to BabyCenter, my son was lucky.  Electric shock injuries can vary with infants from no symptoms to death.  Better safe than sorry, secure those phantom energy suckers and save some money doing so!

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My curiosity was peaked when an email from Alice.com arrived in my inbox entitled “And the Winners Are…“  Was there a contest I forgot to apply to?  Nope, but it was even better, a list of the “The Best Household Products 2010“.  The very first, front and center item was the Best New Product to Alice, Replenish Multi-Surface Cleaner.  I had never heard of it and clicked through I did!

It was sexy!  The designer in me was infatuated.  A google search later landed me on the company’s homepage and I was ga-ga.  This wasn’t a new idea.  In fact you might recall a familiar laundry company with a similar self-measuring pod.  It’s the entire packaging that has its allure – simple and clean.

Replenish is an eco-friendly, multi-surface, ultra concentrated household cleaner.  It’s not only better for the environment but also saves money for consumers and retailers. Replenish Cleaners are non-toxic to aquatic life, readily biodegradable and PH Neutral – which means they are safe for you, your home and the planet.

A bottle and pod retail for $7.99.  Refillable pods are normally $3.99 each, on sale with coupon for $3.49 and are available at Alice.com with free shipping.

It’s part sexy, part techy, and it’s green… everything I love in a product… You bet we’ll be taking this for a test run!  Anyone try them yet?

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I have been on Winter Break since 3pm on December 16th and its been… pure bliss!  I can see my husband raising his eyebrows at me if he heard this statement.  But that’s only because he doesn’t share the same sentiment as me about being home 24/7 with the kids.  You see, aside from the birthday party extravaganza, everything is just what it is… and I love it!  I, finally after 6 months, got a chance to give my house a real good scrubbing.  I got to remind myself that I was a good homemaker.  It took me a little bit to get comfortable into my kids routine again but after a few days, it was like I was home again.  Wrangling two kids with two very different schedules was a piece of cake!

Take for instance, this moment, made possible by two kids taking their naps!  Whoo hoo!  Go Me!  I spent the morning feeding them, playing with them, cleaning the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and vacuuming all the cupboards in the house.  Fed them once again, nursed the baby twice and off to la-la-land they went!  Yippee!  And while I sit in, still what seems to be, a chaotic mess in my home, I feel at peace.  I know this moment will be over all too soon… Monday 6:45am to be exact, as I head out the door to start my final BSN semester at Columbia University.  Keeping my eye on the prize, I know come June, there will be many more days like these to come.  But until then, I will relish days like these… 2  more days of them all to myself and then a family weekend to ease me back to my reality.  I’ve enjoyed the good and the bad moments.  You know, when you actually have to be a parent to a child who has decided that wearing her short sleeve polo dress in the middle of a blizzard seems like an awesome idea even if her mommy doesn’t think so.  Or when my son now thinks there should be a fight to eat at every meal cause that’s his new norm.  My favorite is the part after a tough morning of wrangling, pushing the chores aside and napping alongside my babies.  Ahhhh bliss!  In fact, I think I’ll do that!  Nappy Nappy Time!

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Does going to Cancun count as going abroad?  I mean we did get on a plane and all.  That aside, travelling by plane with two kids in tow was definitely an experience.  I would love to know how anyone packs light with children.  Here’s our story and please do share if you think of ways we could have shaved some of our baggage down.

That’s not to say I don’t think we did well as far as packing.  2 adults, a toddler and an infant had a total of 7 pieces.  3 checked-in luggage of which 2 were large pieces and 1 was a carry-on we last minute opted to check in.  Our carry-ons included a backpack which belonged to the husband, my “purse/diaper bag”  — the bag that had it ALL and our Guava Family GoCrib.   We did our best to make sure the carry-ons included only what was necessary for the plane ride and of course valuables including a netbook, my trusty camera, blankets, diapers, emergency change of clothes for the kiddies and loads of entertainment and snacks.  Aside from the infants food bag, we could have definitely foregone the toddler’s snack load but my purse-slash-diaper bag was accessed enough to make this traveling mom frantic.  Our 7th piece, one to never leave home without was our new Mamas & Papas Cruise Stroller with cup holder and toddler handle attached.

In cargo, our 3 checked in pieces carried at least 4 days of clothing for the kids, covering everything for a rainy day, a cold front and hopefully mostly sunny days.  I was incredibly proud of myself for stuffing their clothing including my bare minimum for myself into one suitcase and squeezing in some toiletries where ever room was found.  Shared among the 3 pieces were packages of our favorite instant noodles, Annie Chun’s soup bowls, microwavable popcorn, a case of baby food, Hot Kid Baby Mum-Mum Vegetable Rice Rusk, Annie’s Homegrown Berry Patch Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks, fruitable juice boxes, swim diapers and regular diapers, floaties, a blow up boat, a travel size dapple dish liquid and a bottle of Method Laundry Detergent Free + Clear.  Considering we had an infant in tow, I was quite proud that I only brought two sets of Tommee Tippee Food Pots,  one sippy cup, one OXO Tot Flip-Top Snack Cup and one breastpump set up, keeping it at a bare minimum.  Of these, we hoped more than 3/4ths would disappear by the end of the trip.

Traveling with children is always an adventure.  On this short 3 hour flight, our family of four occupied 3 seats, had one infant throw up occurrence, one poopy diaper, 2 interesting diaper changes in the tiny bathroom and two accidental spills of soda all over daddy by the toddler.  One of which was moments before landing which left the flight attendant giving us a sympathetic pass on the landing protocol as my husband tried desperately to dry his soaked pants with hundreds of JetBlue cocktail napkins.  If a bad airplane ride could ever make me never want to travel with children again, this one would have been it.  I was happy that it did not set the tone for the trip although it made for a rough start.

Upon landing, one perk with traveling with children was bypassing the long customs line and going straight to the front.  It may have been a fluke or sheer luck, but a kind guard came right over and pulled us off the line and led us straight to the front.  4 stamps later, our Mamas & Papas Cruise stroller with toddler holding onto the handy toddler bar, we wound and weaved our way around timeshare peddlers, finally crossing into the Mexican sun!

To be continued…

{ disclosure: products were provided for review by the following companies, Annie Chun’s, Mamas & Papas, Tommee Tippee, Oxo Tots, Guava Family and Dapple Baby.  As always all opinions express here within are my own. }

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What defines EXTRA SPECIAL you ask?  I am sure each person has their own definition but for me, its that gift that will always hold a special place in your heart.

As a child, I didn’t grow up with that special doll, or any doll for that matter having grown up on that other side of the track.  I remember each year praying and wishing for a special doll friend to dress and share my secrets with.  Those years came and went.  Now a mother myself, my heart was filled with joy when my daughter got her first real doll friend, a Dollie and Me Rachel Doll.  There is an Ava doll that was a blond haired, blue eyed personality match but as my own Ava told me, there can’t be TWO Ava’s and I agreed.  Yes I admit I’m living vicariously through my daughter.  At 18″, they are beautifully and realistically crafted.  Girls can have matching outfits, sleepwear and of course accessories like jewelry and handbags with their 18″ best friend. We got Rachel at just the right time too as my Ava had just become a BIG sister.  Rachel has taught her a lot about how to be a good big sister and how she can help mommy.  She can often be found walking Rachel in her doll stroller, dressing her in the morning, combing her hair and getting ready for the day.  Dollie and Me dolls aren’t just any ordinary toy, these are dolls that will be cherished for a lifetime.  Parents can appreciate that they encourages learning, sharing and imagination through intelligent play.  Dollie and Me Dolls are available at Sears and Dillards with retail prices around $29.99-$34.99.  Matching outfits and accessories for girls and dolls can be purchased online at Amazon.com, Dillards, Sears and Kohl’s.

Gund 30th Anniversary 15″ Snuffles Bear Yes, this is EXTRA special.  Snuffles holds an extra special place in my heart.  Snuffles was one of the few gifts I got as a child and I still have my medium snow white snuffles which I gave to my daughter when she was born.  To this day, he still sits in her bed.  His coat is not so white as much as its a dusty ivory but he’s still super soft and I look at him with fondness.  Hard to believe he’s 30 this year too!   This lovable plush features a special 30th birthday commemorative medallion and is available in caramel frosted-tip or chocolate frosted tip.

Before the days of video games, families near and far use to get together and bond over board games.  Recently my friends and I have indulged in a little nostalgia by whipping up a game of Scattergories.  I couldn’t remember laughing so hard in ages as we teamed up and tried to have the most unique answers to score the highest points.  Sometimes its the simplest things in life that can bring a smile to your face.  Maybe after opening all the presents your family will engage in a game of Scattergories, Clue or LIFE?

What’s Christmas without snow?  I always found it hard to imagine Christmas anywhere else but in New York City, of course it had to be a White New York City.  The first big snowfall is a huge deal in our house.  Growing up I remember running around town looking for the biggest hill to go sledding.  Christmas’ with my family now includes my husband digging and building the biggest mini hill in our backyard for the 6 year old (6yo) and toddler to enjoy.  With the infant joining in the mix this year we’re running out of sleds!  The infant has inherited the mini sled from his big sister, handed down first from the 6yo.  The toddler will now be riding the snow tube which once was the 6yo’s as well.  What does the 6 year old get for his generosity?  He’s graduated to his very own ZipFy Luge by Discovery Toys!  At a mere 3.5 lbs, he won’t be breaking his back hauling it up the hill over and over again.  Compact and fast, it is made of high-density polyethylene plastic, engineered for performance, safety and maneuverability on every type of snow. It features a feet-first design so that riders can control their speed and stop by digging their heels into the snow. With a low center of gravity and the rail design on the underbelly of the sled, riders can carve down the slopes, simply by leaning into the turn just like the Olympians.  Next year maybe we’ll be trolling the neighborhood for the largest hill too!

I love my family and making memories during the holidays!  Don’t you!

GIVEAWAY: Enter to win (1)Gund 30th Anniversary 15″ Snuffles Bear or (1) of 2 Dollie and Me Outfits or your choice of Scattergories Categories, The Game of Life or Clue Classic Edition Board Games.  To ENTER, from now until December 31st 2010, fill out this FORM and tell which of the gifts you’d like to win and who it is for.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter@momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (I just entered @momconfessional’s amazing Holiday Gift Guide & GIVEAWAY! You should too! http://wp.me/pLvfH-Cw) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on December 31st 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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Confession… I had a nanny cam… but not to watch the nanny… to watch my baby because I missed her so much.  This was 3 years ago, right after I finished up my maternity leave and went back to work waaaaay before I was ready to.  Not that I think I was ever ready to go back to work after having my daughter.  My quitting a few months later is a testament to that.  At the time I had found AT&T Remote Monitoring which I’m not even sure is supported anymore.  It was a simple system that did just what I wanted.  I put up a camera, out in the open, but didn’t tell my nanny.  It wasn’t hidden, but nor was I going to acknowledge its existence.  After all I did trust my nanny, I just wanted a window into my daughter’s day without me.  At $199.99, it came with one camera and a bunch of other security features that were meaningless to me.  All I wanted was the camera.  It was great!  For $9.95 a month, I had it set up in the nursery, and whenever I wanted to login, I could peek and see what she was up to.  In the beginning I checked in often.  Sometimes she was in there, sometimes she wasn’t.  I was tempted to purchase additional cameras, but additional cameras also meant additional monthly fees.  So I hung in there with one and if she was around to brighten my day, there she would be.  After a few weeks the novelty wore off and seeing her on the camera only made me miss her more.  I did appreciate what it could do though, but at $9.95 a month access fee, it wasn’t as cheap as I thought it was.

Now Logitech has come to the market with the Logitech Alert™ 750i Indoor Master System.  This system blows AT&T Remote Monitor out of the water!  I found, out of the box, it was so much easier to set up than the AT&T system.  I was up and running within minutes.  It uses state of the art HomePlug® networking technology which uses your existing outlets and electrical wiring to connect to your network and transmit video without new wires or networking hassles.  You can view the videos on your computer, remotely and on select mobile phones like the iPhone, Blackberry and Android for FREE!

The HD (960×720 video at 15 frames per second) image quality was amazing.  Everyone that I show the system to was amazed.  And yes, it is still out in the open for everyone to see although it comes with various mounts for desktop, wall or suction mounting and the only distraction is the bright red LED light in the front which calls attention to itself.  Hence why it was noticed by many during my son’s recent birthday party at home.  I may need to tape that up with black tape if I want to be a little more inconspicuous.  It made for nice conversation and of course showing off it’s live feed to my iPhone 4.  It’s got motion trigger recording to your PC or even to the microSD card (included 2 gb) in the camera. For those who fear over-sensitive sensors, they have a unique motion zones feature that reduces false alarms, by allowing you to specify up to 16 motion-detection zones within the frame—such as doors and windows.

A handy feature for those using it as a true security system is their Motion Trigger Alerts.  If there is motion on your property, you can know about it in an instant. That’s because cameras can be set up to send notifications to your e-mail address and mobile phone.

It has a suggested retail price of $299.99, which makes it about $100 more than my old AT&T Remote Monitor system, but it doesn’t have a monthly access fee for it’s basic features.  You can purchase optional premium services like full control over your cameras view and remote web access to your network for an additional fee (approximately $80 a year).

Also available is a Logitech Alert™ 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision for $349.99 which includes everything for outdoor and nighttime monitoring which we did not test.

PROS:

• Ease of set up
• HD video recording
• FREE mobile apps
• No monthly basic access fee
• PC-Free recording with included 2gb MicroSD
• Motion triggered recording and zone setting

CONS:

• Inability to control the camera’s view from your mobile app
• Only PC-based (although rumors of Mac-based software is to come)
• that glaring red LED on the front of the camera
• Additional cameras can be purchased for $229.99 (indoor) or $279.99 (outdoor) which is a little pricey considering the Master System is not much more.

Aside from that, I once again get a glimpse into my children’s day without me while I’m in school.  Since the school part isn’t something I can get out of, this is a happy compromise for me.  For the occasional paranoia in me, I do sometimes login when we’re out and about just to check in… and thank GOD I have not seen any strangers on my iPhone because I’m not sure what I would do… other than look at them on my phone…

{ disclosure: I was NOT compensated for this review but the Logitech Alert 750i Master System was provided for review.  As always, all opinions are my very own. }

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When I think of Staples I go a little supply happy whether for work or school, online or in-store.  Every time I go to Staples I always wind up leaving with some cool desktop item that I did NOT go in expecting to buy.  Sadly for my wallet, I just realized they’ve even got you covered for the holidays at double-take prices!

It’s not just staples and pencils here!  They’ve got the latest in digital cameras like the Olympus Stylus TOUGH which is shock proof and WATERPROOF!  Perfect for family vacation photos or even the occasional toss among kids – did I just say that?

And this tech mom is loving their BLING accessories!  Everything from the mouse to dazzle while I blog and earbuds when I’m rockin.  At less than $12 each, they make great stocking stuffers!  Guess what’s on my wish list this year!

Of course they had my drool-worthy HP e-station printer which lets you print remotely as well as comes with a detachable screen that doubles as an e-reader or web browser.  That alone makes it worth it!

A great gift anytime is their Staples MiniMate Shredder!  Your identity is your most valuable asset and protecting yourself with a shredder is a simple and easy MUST.  What seems like nothing to you can be incredibly valuable to an identity thief.  This desktop shredder is normally $49.99, is on sale for $34.99 and with a $10 rebate is ONLY $24.99!  Is your identity worth it?

Don’t forget to sign up for Staples Rewards while you’re there!  From now until January 1st, Staples is giving free 20/pack Duracell Batteries! And reading the fine print – Limit is ONLY 2 packs per week!  If your family is anything like mine, you can NEVER have enough batteries and there’s nothing better than FREE!  Oh Staples, you’re more than just office staples…

GIVEAWAY: Staples is sharing the BLING and (1) lucky reader will win a BLING Mouse by Omnitech!  To ENTER, from now until December 31th 2010, fill out this FORM and tell us what you love about Staples.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter@momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (I just entered @momconfessional’s Staples BLING Giveaway! 1-Stop Holiday Shopping! http://wp.me/pLvfH-JI) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on December 31th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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Teaching your child that the holidays are more than just presents under the tree can be a challenge but I think it’s one of the most important things you can teach your child.  We recently were invited to attend Build-A-Bear’s Holiday Giving Gathering at their 5th Avenue Flagship where they helped me teach my toddler how to have a Helping Holiday!

Along with our blogging friends and Jordan Urbach, founder of Children Helping Children and one of Build-A-Bear’s Huggable Hero, we joined in to make some furry friends for free to donate to the Marine Toys of Tots Foundation.  I was so very proud of my little Ava who once reconciled with the fact that she wasn’t getting one to take home and realized that they were going to giving some love to children in need — lined up over and over again to stuff, love and send them on their way!  It was definitely a wonderful reminder in the whirlwinds of the holidays that its not only about the presents but also about giving!  Meeting Jordan was also inspirational.  I hope some of it rubbed off on my little Ava and this giving buzz sticks!

We love Build-A-Bear and their many ways of teaching children about giving.  Build-A-Bear Workshop offers a variety of options for charitable giving.  For instance, when you purchase the new Turner Owl™, Build-A-Bear Workshop donates 50 cents to First Book to provide new books to children from low-income families and 50 cents to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to support other literacy and education programs.  This makes a great gift for teachers or any other cause-focused folks on the gift list.

Turner Owl is just one example of animals from Build-A-Bear Workshop that supports special causes through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation.  Other furry friends benefit domestic pet programs (Jack Russell Terrier is a favorite in the Bearemy’s Kennel Pals® series), children’s health and wellness causes such as juvenile diabetes, autism and children’s cancer research (Champ – A Champion Fur Kids), and endangered animals and their habitats (WWF® Gray Wolf).

I’ve always taught to my daughter that every little bit counts.  So this season and when ever we can, we will always choose gifts that give back. What kid doesn’t love going to Build-A-Bear and making their very own best friend! Thanks Build-A-Bear for teaching us this very valuable lesson and Thank you for helping us spread the message!

GIVEAWAY: Build-A-Bear Workshop has generously offered (1) lucky reader $25 in Bear Bucks!  To ENTER, from now until December 31th 2010, fill out this FORM and tell how your family likes to give back.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter@momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (I just entered @momconfessional’s Build-A-Bear GIVEAWAY! You should too! http://wp.me/pLvfH-Jw) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on December 31th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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