Crusin'........

The aisles of Costco in style.

Emergency Surgery

Kailyn has had this stuffed Monkey for as long as I can remember. I don't even remember where she got it from originally, but she loves it. Bailey, our lab, had a little too much fun tossing the monkey around one day and ripped a hole in him. You would have thought the world ended, Kailyn was so upset. She was so sure the monkey was done with. But it was Mommy to the rescue. I got out my emergency surgery kit, placed the patient on the couch, and began the critical lifesaving efforts to repair the monkey. Well wouldn't you know it, mommy did it. She saved the monkey's life. He is happy and back in Kailyn's arms where he belongs! I am so thankful for taking that sewing class one semester in college. Would have never imagined then that the skills I learned would allow me to put a smile back on my Sugar Bear's face!!

 

All work, and a little play

Hands down one of the best items I have bought and made for my kids is the light table. We use it so often, and for so many activities, crafts, and play time it's worth every penny, and hard work Ryan and I put into it. I am always trying to think of new and creative ways for Kailyn to study and practice her sight words and math. We were doing math and needed items to use to help count. I remembered I had just purchased some translucent plastic hearts from Dollar Tree ( I am obsessed with Dollar Tree). So I  pulled them out and then created her math problems on the light table, and had her use the hearts for counting. It worked great! She loved being able to do her homework but still have some fun at the same time. Afterwards since the light table was already on, we used dry erase markers to test and practice her spelling words. Colton is never far behind, and he was able to play on the other side while Kailyn finished her homework. Like I said I LOVE the light table, and so do the kids!!

Rainy Day Painting

A few weeks ago we had a pretty good storm pass through. Of course having two kiddos stuck in the house can make things a little difficult. So I tried to set up some crafts and activities to keep them busy. Colton is at such a fun age right now where he can participate in more activities that I set up for Kailyn. It's so much fun to watch them play and interact together. Kailyn is such a patient sister. She tries so hard not to get upset when Colton decided to invade her space. He will eventually learn. I set up a paint invitation for the kiddos. I used extra large white paper that my mother in laws gets for use. I poured multiple colors of paint in a tray. Added paint brushes, painting tools and sponges. Then I let them go to town. They painted the entire paper, moved on to the light table underneath, and even themselves. They had a blast, and were kept busy for a while.

Being Silly

Because that is what fun times are all about!

TriCalm Giveaway Winners

I would like to welcome you to my blog. I hope you stick around even though the giveaway is over.Thank you so much to all of you who signed up for the TriCalm giveaway. I will be emailing the winners by the end of today for information on where to send your prize!! Congratulations to Andy and Pam Halligan!!!

TriCalm Review

As a Moms Meet blogger, I was given the chance to apply to review a new steroid- free anti-itch gel. Both my kids (daughter 6, son 16 months) have eczema, and Winter was just beginning, so I jumped at the chance to apply. I was very excited when I got the email saying I was chosen. Every winter its a battle to keep the eczema under control especially when we go through the cold, dry spells. The itching gets so bad it keeps my daughter up at night. We use a natural cream called CJ's Butter (info found here) and it works amazing at keeping my children's skin moisturized,as well as reacts fast with eczema outbreaks. The one thing it does not do unfortunately, is help with the itching and irritation. It breaks my heart to see her suffer. My son has it so mild, itching is never an issue thankfully. We are not the kind of parents who medicate at any sign of a cold, and I try to use natural remedies and products as much as possible. So you can imagine the internal conflict I go through when the itching becomes so bad. I definitely start considering over the counter options so she can have some relief.. 

This is where the opportunity to try TriCalm comes into play. Is there really is a product on the market that can provide my daughter relief from her itching and irritation, and is steroid free? SIGN ME UP! I was like a kid in a candy store when my box showed up. It was like I hit the jackpot, I couldn't wait to test it out. There was just one problem, my daughter had not had an eczema break out in a while. We were having so much wet, humid, and warmer weather, that her eczema had not been a problem. I couldn't wish an outbreak on her, that would make me a horrible parent right? But how am I suppose to review this product by the deadline without any thing to test it on? So the TriCalm sat, and waited, and waited, and waited so patiently. Then last week a cold storm hit that brought in dry, COLD and freezing temperatures. Two days later, she is itching, so I pulled up her sleeve, and sure enough a patch of eczema had appeared. I jumped for joy, we were finally able to put this to the test. I was so excited to see if she would truly get some relief. Out of the box the TriCalm bottle came.

My daughter is so use to her usual cream, that she was really nervous about letting me put it on, but she finally agreed. Below is a picture of what her arm looked like. Not the worst breakout she has ever had. But she already had it for a few days because she had a few scabs forming where she was itching it like crazy but never told me.

I applied just a tiny dab of the gel on. A little bit goes a very long way. As you can see in the picture below, it is a clear gel. You can hardly tell I have any on my finger. But it is there, take my word for it. I love that this product is a gel vs a white cream like other ant-itch creams we have used. They always seem to leave a weird residue on the skin, and it does not spread as easily or evenly like TriCalm did. The product does not have any kind of scent to it which is a huge plus in my book. Scents in my experience equals the use of chemicals. Which only leads to more irritation and breakout, at least for my daughter.

Just a warning, even though I knew the possibility before hand, I learned my lesson the hard way. Be very careful applying it if there arebopen sores. It WILL sting! I didn't realize that one spot of her breakout was open and it stung really bad. I probably used a little too much as well, even though I hardly used much at all. I am not kidding when I say a little goes a long way. It took a good minute or two for the stinging to go away. I am sure it would not be as severe with an adult. Once she was able to concentrate on something other than the stinging, I was able to ask her some questions. Does it still itch? She thought about it for a minute and her eyes got wide, and she responded with a big happy NO!!! I couldn't believe that 1.It actually worked and 2. It worked so quickly. She was itch free for the rest of the night! Not one wake up itching her arm. I was able to use our normal cream the next day and now 2 days later it is almost all but gone. AMAZING!! This is usually at least a 1 week process of trying to get the itching to go away long enough for the breakout to heal. I am just blown away. Not one bit of itching since we applied it one time that first night. This tube of TriCalm is going on my shelf and NEVER leaving again. I will always have it on hand to help relieve my daughter's itching. My poor Sugar Bear with not have to suffer with itching any longer! I am also looking forward to taking it camping with us this Summer. I imagine it works just as great on bug bites and Poison Ivy! Can't wait to share this product with all of my friends, it truly amazed me with how well it works. Hydrocortizone doesn't even come close to working as well as TriCalm.
When I found out I was selected to review TriCalm, I was also invited to attend a webinar that included an questions and answer session with a representative from TriCalm. Here I learned so many great things about this product. It made me even more excited and anxious to try it out. Below are key facts I think everyone should know about TriCalm

*Tricalm is a Steroid-Free hydrogel used for itching,burning, and stinging
*It's formula contains COSMEDERM-7, a compound of strontium, a naturally occurring element found in leafy green vegetables.
*TriCalm is safe to use daily on kids and adults, and IS FDA-approved
*TriCalm is non-numbing, and worked on contact to provide rapid itch relief from bug bites, rashes, sunburns, poison oak/ivy, and more. It may also help relief dry skin and eczema-related symptoms.
*TriCalm does not increase sensitivity to UV rays, so its safe to use while spending time in the sun.
*TriCalm retails for $9.49 for a 2 oz tube.
   -Side Note- This is a little on the expensive side, I have to admit. However, like I have mentioned before, just a little tiny bit goes a long way. So you should be able to get plenty of use out of this tube.
Want to learn more about TriCalm? Visit http://www.tricalm.com/
Be sure to vist their FAQs page for more great commonly asked questions. You can find that here.
You can find them on Facebook and Twitter too!
facebook.com/TriCalm
Twitter.com/TriCalm

Now for more exciting stuff. I have been given TWO full size 2 oz tubes to give away to my readers. Follow a few simple steps for your chance to win TriCalm.
Step 1. Follow my blog Life with my little loves. Look on the right hand side where is says I Love my Followers and sign up to follow me!
Step 2. Comment on this post letting me know that you are following my bog, AND leave a comment telling me why you would like to win a free sample of TriCalm
Step 3. Please make sure you leave your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner.
You have until 11:59pm January 20th to enter. Two winners will be randomly chosen the morning of January 21st.Good luck!!
*This giveaway is limited to US residents only.
I have to thank Moms Meet for this wonderful opportunity. I have to admit, I probably would have over looked this product if I saw it in the stores. So thankful I now know what a great product it really is. For more information about Moms Meet please visit their website greenmomsmeet.com



** Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of

the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received

it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet

SM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My

opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media

Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

**This giveaway has ended. You can find the winners of the giveaway here**

Christmas was here and gone.....

December was a crazy month for our family. We had so much going on, so many events and activities. I look back on it all and it is all just a blur. We had a great Christmas month. Made a ton of memories, continued on with many of our traditions, started some new ones as well. This year has been the best Christmas yet. It was beyond exciting and magical waking up Christmas morning and seeing the kids faces and their excitement. I still haven't had a chance to download pictures from Christmas Day. Maybe by Easter they will be up! So for now enjoy a mas upload of what a little bit of our month of December looked like and what we were up to.

Visiting Daddy at the Fire Station on Thanksgiving Day

Chippy the Elf showed up!

Putting up the tree

Kailyn and Mom got their Christmas crafting on!

Went with Nana and Kappa to the Christmas Parade. The kids loved it and were amazed by it all as you can tell in the picture.

Christmas Party with good friends.

Santa came to visit the kids at the Fire Station.

We went driving around looking at Christmas lights. Went to our regular neighborhoods, and discovered a few new good ones as well.

Got to take pictures with Santa. The kids reactions were complete opposite. Kailyn was in heaven and mesmerized by Santa. Colton......well the picture says it all.

Last minute Christmas Eve food shopping with mama.

Veterans Day

Being that Ryan is a Veteran, we teach our children the importance of supporting, honoring, and remembering members of the Military. Ryan happened to have Veteran's Day off this year, so we decided that it would be fun to attend one of the parades. We thought it would be so much fum for the kids to take their first trip on the Coaster and go downtown for the parade. Veterans were free that day, and family could ride for a discounted price. Nana (Ryan's mom) joined us too.The ride down was great. it wasn't too crowded, we got great seats on the second level, and the kids were well behaved. Once we arrived downtown we used the restroom, grabbed a snack and found a spot to watch the parade. The parade was great. I have to admit I got teary eyes a few times. I am so proud of our Military and all they do to protect our freedom. After two hours, the kids were getting restless and we were all hungry. So we decided to leave a little early. We took the trolley back North a few miles to Old Town for some lunch. After lunch (which was delicious) we walked around and visited some of the landmarks, and let the kids run around and burn off some energy. Soon it was time to load back on the Coaster and head home. Both kids passed out on the trip home. We all had such a great time getting to see the parade and visit Old Town. But it was also nice to get to spend the day as a family. With our busy schedules, that doesn't happen often. Can't wait for next years parade.

Pumpkin Patch

We have a local farm about 7 miles from our house. They have lots of fun stuff for the kids to do around Halloween time. We were so busy during this time, but we managed to squeeze in an hour after Kailyn got out of school and took a trip to the farm for some pumpkins and fun. The kids had a blast, Colton cried and protested when it was time to go. This little guy, I'm telling ya, knows how to show you he is not happy. He was in heaven and had so much fun. The kids got to ride the ponies, play in the hay pit, sit on and explore tractors, and best of all picked out the perfect pumpkins. Next year we will make sure we have a little more time to stay a little longer, there was some fun things that we didn't get to do but we will next year.

 Colton's First Pony ride!! He wanted to go again so bad that he walked all on his own and got back in like. He screamed and cried when we picked him up and took him away. Little stinker.

 Always has been, and always will be Daddy's little girl.

Kisses from my boo boo

Are the best kisses ever!!!

Just because.......

I love my Sugar Bear soo soo much!!!

Dinner for 3

When Ryan works, I dread having to cook dinner. By the end of the day both kids are running out of patience and energy. I am lucky if I step two inches without a kids under my feet. It definitely does not make cooking easy. So I try to plan simple, easy dinner ideas that will make my life easier, but give the kids a good meal as well. One of my favorite go to meals is pizza!! Homemade pizza that is. It is easy, fast, and oh so good. I even have the kids help me put the toppings on. I designate my own corner of the pizza since I like a little more items on mine. The kids just like cheese and pepperoni. They at least "think" that is all they are getting. You can't notice but underneath all the cheese, are cut up zucchini piece. Muuahahahah!!! They are eating their veggi's and they don't even notice.

I use whole wheat dough from Henry's, it's delicious! There is never a piece leftover, and the kids are happy, their bellies are full, and mama still has a smile on her face!

Little Diva

Kailyn had some birthday money and gift cards left from her birthday so we decided to make a trip to the mall for a little bit of shopping. She wanted new clothes, and she was in desperate need of new warm stuff, so it worked out perfect! She got tired very quickly of trying all the clothes on. I use to be able to just grab things off the shelves and knew they would fit. But now I have to try everything on her. Everything fits so differently on her now that she is growing and growing. In the end she bought a bunch of fabulous clothes to add to her wardrobe. Many skirts of course, can't get this girl away from them. Plus mama had fun teaching her about sales, and coupons, and how to get the most for your money. Once I showed her that she could get 1 shirt not on sale, or 5 other items on sale for the same price, she was hooked!! Whoohoo teaching her the importance of wise money decisions already. This picture about sums up our day of fun, shopping, learning, and success!! Although I have to admit she enjoyed the shopping a little more than I expected, am I in for it when she is a teenager?

Housekeeping

I vacuum(ok TRY) to vacuum our house everyday. Between 3 dogs, 2 kids and 2 adults, the dirt can get ridiculous. However, a certain little person in the house began making this process very difficult. He took such an interest in the vacuum that I could not finish without him in my arms helping, or just giving up and handing the vacuum over to him.

I knew I had to get him his own vacuum. So I searched and searched until I found the perfect one! A blue and green dirt devil with a dust buster that actually works!! Are you kidding me? I can keep him entertained AND he can really help mama? Score! He loves it! He played with it for about an hour straight the first day. He still loves the real thing, but he will at least let me vacuum for about 5 min now before he starts asking for it.