Products we Love Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Birthday Invitations the Way YOU Want Them!

June 24, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post about totally customizable birthday invitations is sponsored by Basic Invite. Photos courtesy of Basic Invite. All opinions are mine alone.

Is it just me, or is one of the most frustrating parts about planning a party the invitations? I mean, I don’t have much time anymore to design exactly what we want, yet most sites you’re stuck with the one option – maybe a couple variations – but that’s it. Luckily I found out about Basic Invite, where you can completely customize your invitations – colors, designs, envelopes and more! Now you can get Birthday Invitations the Way YOU Want Them with hardly any hassle!

Because I know the first thing many of you will wonder is what type of invites they have – there’s tons! Not just awesome birthday ones, but also for weddings, baby, holidays and more. Being busy moms, though, I think the birthday ones are probably are biggest focus year-round. They have plenty of simple party invitations, but also awesome ones your kiddos will go crazy for – such as space themed, circus, candy land, sports, monsters, watermelon, and so many others!

So how can you customize your invite? After you’ve selected which awesome one you want – perhaps like these cute mustache birthday invitations – the real fun begins. Change the color – and not just from a handful of choices. You have over 180 different color options, so you can make the card exactly the way you want it – and since you can change colors on each element on your card, even the littlest detail is your choice!

Another great thing – especially for us moms who really want to see EXACTLY how things will print out, and how they feel (paper quality is hard to tell without having it in your hands, right?) – is that Basic Invite gives customers the ability or order an actual printed sample of the invitation before placing their final order. That means you get to see and feel YOUR invitation, that you customize – so you have no doubt it’s the way you want it.

Once you have your incredible invitation – whether it’s a fun shark themed one or one of their more classy birthday invitations – you also get to customize it even more by choosing from over 40 different colors of envelopes. That’s right, Basic Invite is as colorful with their envelopes as with their invitations! With this, you can set your card to stand apart even before it’s opened! Plus, an extra bonus for us parents, all of the envelopes are peel and seal, making it quick to close them securely.

I don’t typically invite a ton of kids because – well, sanity – but I still appreciate their address capturing service. With this, you can simply share a link on social media to request friends and family’s addresses. It’ll then store them in your account, and you can select which ones to include during the design process. Basic Invite even offers recipient address printing at no cost on all Christmas card orders, which can save a bundle during the holidays!

If you like to get fancy or make your invitation stand out even more, foil cards are an option in gold, silver and rose gold. Plus, all of their foil designs have the choice of flat or raised foil!

Since we parents LOVE saving money (and parties are expensive, anyway) you can save an extra 15% on Basic Invite with Coupon Code: 15FF51

Be sure to ceck out Basic Invite on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter for more invitation ideas and fun!

Benefits of Music Lessons for Kids

June 22, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

School of Rock provides us complimentary lessons so we can fully review this program. All opinions are mine alone.

I grew up taking piano lessons, and for a long time I was so frustrated that my mom wouldn’t let me quit. Now that I’m a parent, I look back and realize all that I gained from that – not just learning more piano, but also real life skills. Now that two of my boys are taking lessons for guitar and drums, I enjoy watching their growth and excitement each week. Many parents don’t realize how valuable taking lessons can be for their children – so today I’m sharing 5 Benefits of Music Lessons for Kids!

When I say music lessons, I’m not talking necessarily just guitar and drums (that’s just what my kids are doing right now) – I mean any instrument, vocal lessons, or even just learning how to read or write music! They all have these same benefits, just with varying methods. Here’s some of the benefits of music for kids – and just some of the reasons I’m thrilled my boys are taking lessons at School of Rock!

Learning Hard Work to Reach Their Goals

In real life, things don’t come easy to most of us. If we have goals we want, we need to make hard work towards them, sticking to it even when it gets hard or frustrating. It’s best for kids to learn this when they’re younger, so it’s not a ‘rude awakening’. By working towards mastering a certain song on their instrument, or having a goal to play drums at a certain tempo with no mistakes, they’re learning this process at a younger age so that when it’s the ‘big things’, they’re ready.

Time Management Skills

Just like with any skill, it takes practice – which means making time regularly to work on the music, practice their instrument, and really build up those skills. Just like when they’re adults needing to manage their time with tasks at work, they’re learning to do so not only with something they’re passionate about, but also how to overcome those slump days when they just don’t feel like making it a priority – but doing it anyway!

Improving Their Music Skills

Who knows if my boys will grow up to be in a world-famous band, write record-breaking tracks or just simply enjoy breaking out their guitar or drums for some fun time with friends. Perhaps they’ll teach lessons to others when they’re grown, passing on the skills they acquired from their own amazing instructors at School or Rock. Whatever they choose to do with these specific talents and knowledge of music and their instruments, they’ll have plenty options and enjoyment!

Building Friendships/Relationships

Not only do they build respectful relationships in their teacher-student situations, but with their group band lessons they’re making friends, learning to work and grow together, and acquiring great teamwork skills. They get to see the results when everyone puts in the hard work, and how all the parts fit together for a rockin’ good time!

Improve Memory & Cognitive Skills

I loved this article that School of Rock shared about how important it can be for children. Not only does learning the music, the parts and workings of their instrument, and the parts to various songs help their memory skills, but it makes strong connections in different parts of their brain. This development can keep their mind sharper for longer, and make it easier to learn other information or skills because their brains already have experience building those networks.

BONUS: Build Confidence

Confidence is something that’s of high importance to many parents, since it can be the foundation for a happy, healthy life for their kids. It’s one of my favorite benefits of music lessons! With all of the hard work, managing their time, working together, sticking with it even when they want to quit – then seeing the amazing results at the end, they can help strengthen their confidence because THEY did that. They put in the work. They progressed in their skills. They took the steps to go further and further, and now can look back to see how far they’ve come since the start – and how far they can go if they continue.

I love seeing the growth my boys have had already, both with the music AND the life skills. I can’t wait to see how much more will happen as they continue their music lessons with school of rock, and where these important life skills will take them in their lives!

Show Your Love for Toy Story 4

June 21, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post featuring incredible Toy Story 4 themed items sponsored by shopDisney. All opinions are mine alone.

Call me crazy, but I’m a HUGE fan of Toy Story characters – they’re fun, spunky, and always full of surprises. I mean, how likely is it that you can go anywhere and say ‘to infinity, and beyond’ and people won’t know exactly what you’re quoting? With the latest movie hitting theaters NOW, it’s the best time to Show Your Love for Toy Story 4 with awesome clothes, toys, games, accessories and much more! And seriously, who could resist stuff that has that adorable, derpy spork “Forky” on it?

A talking forky toy, I mean come on – that should be top of most kids’ birthday lists, right? Ok, maybe I’m just dorky (like forky – hah, get it? Ok, I’ll stop), but I really love this little guy in the new movie. But this toy is super cute and fun, plus unique. Plus the pjs saying ‘get me outta here!’ are totally adorable! I have to say that despite the many options of cool Toy Story 4 clothes, though, the one I want the most is this Forky flannel shirt – I’d wear it on all my Disney trips. And for any baby showers, totally getting them this sweet Rex outfit.

Now there’s not JUST clothes at shopDisney featuring your favorite toys – there’s tons of other items, too! I wonder if I could convince hubby to let me get this Forky MagicBand for our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World…

For the kiddos, it’d be really fun to take in not just a regular ol’ pencil case to school – but a Pizza Planet Claw one! Man, school stuff sure is more cool now than when I was a kid.

The whole family can enjoy plenty of Toy Story 4 themed games – but the one that stands out to me the most is their version of Kerplunk. This old favorite has a whole new twist inspired by Toy Story 4 – you’ve gotta try not to let Bunny and Ducky (once you see the movie, you’ll know why people love this dynamic, slightly crazy duo) fall down the tower – themed after the carnival!

One of my girls has a birthday coming up, and since she collects Pop! Vinyl Figures by Funko, I know she’d absolutely love getting this Forky one to add! Ok, I admit that I would want this as well – but I could still enjoy seeing it on her shelf in my house 🙂

These are just my top picks from the HUGE assortment of Toy Story 4 stuff at shopDisney. After you see the movie (which you should do asap – it’s hilarious, plus so sweet with some real life lessons), see which character you liked the most then go online to shopDisney.com to pick out something to show your love for this childhood favorite film!

Boston Market Lunch Date You Won’t Want to Miss!

June 20, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Boston Market

We’re only a few weeks into summer break, and already the lunch routine is getting stagnant at our house – but luckily, the other day I got to surprise the kiddos with a special trip to try the NEW Boston Market Lunch menu! Trust me, this is one lunch date you won’t want to miss out on. Plus, it was a fun bonding time for my kiddos and I to just have fun together!

And guess what – you can try it FREE with their ‘Sandwich Throwdown’ happening Friday, June 21st! From 11am – 2pm, Boston Market wants everyone to really put it to the test pitting their sandwiches against the regular corner cafe or bakery. Stop by your nearby Boston Market during those hours on June 21st for a FREE SANDWICH – just bring in your current favorite sandwich, then you can taste the difference of Boston Market’s fresh, never frozen rotisserie chicken. You’ll be hooked! After you try it out, guests are invited to vote for the superior sandwich and ‘throwdown winner’ with an online survey. *Free sandwich upgrades offered while supplies last.

As busy moms, y’all know how hard it is to find something the whole crew will enjoy. Varying tastes (and attitudes!) make it a challenge, but I love that Boston Market’s brand new lunch menu has the same quality proteins that we all love and that made them a go-to dinner destination. Life’s busy, so as moms we’re looking for healthy, quality meals for our family – but that are QUICK! That’s one great thing that sets Boston Market apart from other lunch places.

With several new, tasty and fresh sandwiches (on a really delish ciabatta bread) plus some flavorful salads, there was something for everyone on our lunch date! The girls’ favorites were the Caesar Salad with romaine lettuce, 3-cheese blend, croutons and Caesar dressing (with chicken, of course) – as well as the Chicken Avocado Club on ciabatta with bacon, avocado, Tillamook cheddar cheese, lettuce, red onion and herbed mayo. That herbed mayo, by the way, is phenomenal!

The boys had different favorites – one loved the Southwest Chicken BLT on ciabatta with Cholula bacon, avocado, Tillamook pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and chipotle aioli. The other two enjoyed the more simple (yet still amazing) Turkey on ciabatta with smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion and that same tasty herbed mayo (you can also get this with chicken instead of turkey).

With our varying favorites, we were able to try several of the new Boston Market lunch options, but two I still want to try are the Chicken Salad on multi-grain hoagie roll with sliced tomato, lettuce and mayo. My salad-loving girl can’t wait to try the Southwest Cobb Salad with romaine and leaf lettuce blend, bacon, avocado, corn relish, pico de gallo, red onion and chipotle ranch dressing. Yum!!!

This is like THE place for us busy moms to take our families for a lunch date, not only because Boston Market lunches are super quick and convenient when we’re in a hurry (which seems to be too often!) – but because of the amazing quality. Their lunch options feature the same rotisserie chicken and meats we’ve come to know (and totally love), making Boston Market a healthier lunchtime option than other places! It’s like their home style rotisserie meals that we expect at dinner are now available even at lunch.

Be sure to enjoy $3 off any sandwich, salad (or choose two) using Promo Code: 39175 so you can give Boston Market’s new lunch menu a try for yourself!

Fun Summer Learning

May 31, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by Carson Dellosa Education as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #CarsonDellosaEducation #IC

Summer break is finally here – woot woot! The kids are excited for days full of swimming and sunshine, and I’m eager for some breaks from our homeschooling, as well as a more relaxed schedule when we do fit some in during the summer months. One thing I’m not stressed about is keeping their minds sharp, not letting all they learned during the school year fade out – because they actually enjoy some fun summer learning with these amazing Summer Bridge Activities workbooks!

My favorite thing about adding these learning books into our summer schedule is that it’s just a quick 15 minute learning session – not a ton of time, but it keeps them sharp and completely prepared when the next school year begins. Instead of spending a few weeks re-adjusting, they can jump right in where they left off and keep on running!

Despite all the crazy activities, pool days and more during summer vacation, it’s super simple to include 15 minutes of learning with these fun daily activities to help fight off the learning loss that can occur during the long break. Let your kids change things up by allowing them to do their activities in somewhere new – the park, by the pool, in a comfy bean bag chair, or wherever makes it seem extra special. Sometimes my boys even sport their superhero costumes while tackling the activities!

My kids really enjoy the Carson Dellosa Education workbooks, with my younger ones often not even considering it ‘school work’ because it’s just fun! They also have a great variety inside, from math to language arts, even some bonus science experiments – because we all know how much fun learning kids have while doing interactive activities.

Helping my mom with her in-home daycare while a teen and a young adult, each summer she’d include these Summer Bridge Activities Workbooks. She could see how well they helped the kids keep their minds ready for the upcoming school year, while still having a fun time. Even I could see the difference they made for those kids as opposed to their fellow classmates (since I subbed at the school often), so have kept it up with my own kids once they each hit their school years!

As a parent, we want our kids to have amazing summers playing, getting outside and just being free – and know that 15 minutes a day of a creative activity from their workbooks will also ensure their summers are complete with learning. I love that we can trust Carson Dellosa Education as a top resource outside of the classroom for continued education, even during the long and exciting summer vacation!

Grab Summer Bridge Activity workbooks for your kids in K-5 for fun summer learning!

Intro to School of Rock

May 17, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thanks to School of Rock for providing complimentary lessons to facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone.

If you’ve been looking for an awesome music program to try for your kiddos – whether it be drums, guitar, keyboard/piano or even vocals – you’ve got to check out the School of Rock. They offer several different options, and are very experienced with all ages from young kiddos and even adults, making them a great program to get you through all the years! Two of my boys just started their lessons with them last week, so I’ll be sharing lots more in the coming months, but for now here’s a little intro to School of Rock in case you’re considering it for your own kiddos.

First of all, School of Rock takes all levels – from just starting out on up through those ready to submit auditions for a major record label. How it works is with individual lessons each week – about 45 minutes each – then each week they also participate in a group rehearsal with their ‘band’ (divided by age/level). For Rock 101 (ages 8-12) they receive a 90-minute rehearsal each week. Once they hit age 12, they move up into the performance level program and receive a 3-hour group rehearsal each week! That’s a lot of good, quality learning from experienced musicians who love sharing all their knowledge and skills.

There are 9 School of Rock locations in the DFW area and 24 in Texas, with tons more all over the country. My boys just started at the Mansfield location, and they were super excited for their first lesson – nagging me for weeks ‘how many more days?’ and ‘practicing’ at home. Their first lesson was last week, and right from the start they felt right at home with the School of Rock staff! One of them is learning drums, while the other is doing electric guitar. Once they get a good feel for their instruments, they’ll join in their ‘band’ with the new semester (June) and not only get to be part of a team, but also make friends and even try new instruments if they choose!

At School of Rock, they offer programs for drums, guitar, bass guitar, singing and keyboard/piano. Like I said before, the kids are welcome to try out a variety of the instruments within their band to see what they really enjoy the most – or even just to give them a taste of different tools to create music!

View this post on Instagram
These two are so excited to start learning at @sormansfield #partner One on drums, one on guitar! @schoolofrockdfw #schoolofrockdfw #sormansfield #guitar #drums #music
A post shared by Danielle (@busymomshelper) on May 9, 2019 at 1:01pm PDT

I’ll share a lot more as the boys progress in their program, but I couldn’t wait to share about the amazing music program at School of Rock that is fantastic for kids of any age (and adults, too!). Even after the first lesson my boys were well on their way on their chosen instruments, and can’t wait to learn more.

Check out School of Rock online or on their Facebook here!

Pet Owner Life Hacks

May 13, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by our friends at Swiffer & Febreze. All opinions are mine alone. #SwifferFanatic #DontSweatYourPet

We all love our pets – they make our families complete! Since it’s National Pet Month, it’s time to show some extra appreciation for our fur-ever friends, as well as pet owners, by sharing some Pet Owner Life Hacks. Along with all the benefits to having a furry pet in your life, there do come some challenges – but thankfully there are some great tricks and tools to make it much easier and so you don’t have to sweat your pet!

#1: Make Clean-up Easier

Especially with the Springtime rain, muddy paw prints have become a regular occurrence – especially on pretty wood floors! It used to frustrate me to no end, having those little prints all over – but not anymore thanks to the Swiffer Sweeper Dry & Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense that Trap + Lock! I love how easy it is to put on one of the wet pads, wipe across the muddied floor a bit, and then my floors are back to looking beautiful. Plus, that Febreze Odor Defense really helps with the muddy (or wet dog – ugh) smell! Just grab some of the refills next time you’re shopping at Kroger.

#2: Easy Storage for Pet Supplies

Nobody wants a bunch of dog toys or leashes and such laying all around the house, right? Especially at night, I don’t want the dogs to be playing with their squeaky toys or leaving a ball at the top of the stairs in the dark. We use a couple of different storage options – a big tote for items that we only get out occasionally (like dog nail clippers, or ‘special’ toys) and also a cute basket tower where we store their daytime toys during the night, and also leashes so we can grab them easily for a walk. It keeps them out of the way, so the pups can’t get them, and looks nice in the house which is a great bonus!

#3: Bathtime Fun

If your dogs are like mine, they do NOT like bath time. Even my kids, when they were younger, didn’t put up as much of a struggle! I heard this trick, and it’s actually helped quite a bit – smear some peanut butter on the far wall of the bathtub to keep your dog occupied while you wash them. Easy, rewarding for them, and hopefully less of a battle for you.

#4: No More Bad Pet Smell

While we all love our dogs so much, sometimes their smell makes us less eager for those warm snuggles. Especially when guests who aren’t use to dogs come over, I want my home smelling fresh – which is why I keep my Febreze Air Heavy Duty Pet Odor Eliminator handy in that storage basket I was telling you about! Just a few sprays around where my dogs have been the most, and that dog smell is gone.

#5: Protect The Furniture

Our dogs nap a lot during the day, but at night they’re spending extra time lounging on our couches. To help protect the fabric a bit more, we have some cheap bed sheets that we use to cover our couches at bedtime, then fold them up and put them away in the morning. It provides a little layer between the dogs and the couch, helping a bit with the odor and the shedding. You can also help keep your couches smelling fresh with the Febreze Fabric Pet Odor Eliminator – especially great when you have company coming over that may be seating on the couches!

#6: Tackle Shedding

For carpets, did you know that you can use a regular squeegee rubbed along it to lift up all that pet hair? It works like a charm! For the tile or wood floors (I love my wood floors!), use your handy Swiffer Sweeper Dry & Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense again, but this time start with the dry refills to sweep up and trap all that shedded hair easily. My kids have a lot of fun using our Swiffer Sweeper, which makes it nice for me not having to battle to get the floors clean! After all, we don’t want to ‘sweat our pet’, right?

What are your best pet owner hacks?

Why Moms May Need an Iron Supplement

May 2, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thanks to Active Iron for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Where are my soul sisters at – the fellow ladies and mamas who struggle so hard with energy each day? With all we have to tackle – from meals to budgets, cleaning to raising our kiddos, plus hopefully somewhere in there take care of ourselves, how the heck can we manage it while feeling so tired and fatigued?! That’s just one of several reasons Why Moms May Need an Iron Supplement. And this is coming from someone who was very unsure about supplements – now I know that sometimes they can make a HUGE difference in my health and my life, especially as a busy mom. Check out these other reasons you may want to consider Active Iron, as well…

Helps Reduce Tiredness & Fatigue

This is probably my favorite thing about getting enough iron – I don’t feel nearly as tired throughout the day, despite the busyness and crazy schedules! Years of talking with my friends and other moms, it seems exhaustion and just feeling worn out all of the time is one of our biggest struggles. Why not give NEW Active Iron a try to see if it can help your energy levels? We need every bit of energy we can get to keep up with our kiddos, no matter the age 🙂

Most of Your Iron From Food Doesn’t Get Absorbed

I didn’t know this, but for most people only about 10% of their daily iron is absorbed from their diet. That means that even if we are very focused on what we eat, choose all the best foods, avoid all the additives (who has time for that, honestly) then we would be lucky to get even close to our total recommended amount each day. Taking Active Iron, which gives 2X the absorption rate versus other iron supplements*, can help ensure that you’re getting what your body really needs, giving you the energy you need for your busy mom life! Plus, each Active Iron tablet has 25mg of iron, about 138% of the recommended daily amount (keep in mind yours may vary depending on your body).

**offers twice the absorption of standard ferrous sulfate Wang et al Acta Haematologica 201;138:223-232

Healthier Muscles

Whether you’re big into exercise and working out – or your workout is an exhausting day full of chasing a 3-year-old around the house – getting enough iron helps your body transport oxygen to the muscles, keeping them healthy and working. I wish I’d known that when I was lugging around my baby twins many years ago, as my arm muscles needed all the help they could get!

Healthier Organs

Not only does it help carry oxygen to your muscles, but also to your other vital organs – which, as we know, take a beating from pregnancy and motherhood.

Helps with the Many Moments of Womanhood

As women, we have some extra needs for iron – such as when our ‘friend’ visits every month (I know I’m not the only one who feels extra low-energy at these times), or when pregnant. I remember with all my pregnancies, my OB kept recommending iron supplements – but I just couldn’t stomach them! I wish Active Iron was around then, because it probably would’ve helped in so many ways. Nowadays, it’s helping me keep up with my kiddos and all of the demands of parenting life – and I know it’ll help as I start making exercising a priority again because my muscles will need all the assistance they can!

So why choose NEW Active Iron?

I’ve tried other iron supplements, but they were just too harsh on my stomach. I’m the type of person that needs food in my stomach to take medicines and such anyway, but even if I had recently eaten a good meal, they left my stomach feeling pretty gross. That’s one reason I was nervous to try Active Iron – but it’s incredible! It can be taken on an empty stomach – even for me who has never been able to do that with a supplement, vitamin or meds!

So what makes Active Iron so different? Well, they use a unique technology that actually binds iron to a whey-protein complex. This makes it so that the iron doesn’t get released until the small intestine – where it’s absorbed better and has less side effects – instead of releasing in the stomach like most iron supplements. I also love that it features a high potency iron, but in a non-constipating, sugar-free AND gluten-free (for my gluten sensitive friends) protein formula. Plus, no artificial preservatives, of course.

Learn more about NEW Active Iron

Or try it for yourself – buy it on Amazon HERE!

Connect with Active Iron on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Youtube

Spring Means Muddy Paws

April 19, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by our friends at Swiffer. All opinions are ours alone. #SwifferFanatic #DontSweatYourPet

Y’all know how much we love our pets – but I will say that Springtime can be one of the most frustrating parts of the year with them. Why, you may ask? Because Spring means muddy paws – which then get tracked in all over my floors! Add to that the fact that they’re bringing in all that pollen or other plant stuff as things begin to grow, just adding to the mess. Luckily it’s not really a big deal, because I can clean it up super easy with my arsenal of supplies.

I like to call it my ‘arsenal’ because it practically ‘attacks’ the mess, cleaning it up super quickly and with hardly any effort. Heck, my kids even ENJOY using our Swiffer products for their chores, meaning less fights getting them to check them off! All I need to do is make sure I stay stocked up on everything – if we run low, I just nab some during our next trip to Kroger – and the mess almost takes care of itself (so to speak). For those muddy paws all over our dark wood floors, we’re loving the Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense that Trap + Lock all that yuck. A quick swipe across the floors and they’re clean once again! I also like that they smell so fresh, thanks to the Febreze Odor Defense, so our house smells great – without smelling like cleaner 😉

Some of my dogs get the ‘what ME?’ look when I jokingly ask who left all the muddy paw prints – but some of them couldn’t care less! At least I don’t have to stress about it, and can just ask one of my kiddos to nab our Swiffer Sweeper to wipe it up quickly.

And who here has pets that LOVE laying in the window areas in the springtime when the sun shines in nice and warm? I have a few that will hang out in the sunny spots constantly – meaning more of their shedding gets left behind. Another fun tool in our cleaning arsenal is our Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Pet Refills – which is probably my family’s FAVORITE cleaning tool!

I mean, they get a ‘wand’ of fluffy cleaning-ness to go ‘trap’ all that hair and dirt left behind. Swipe it around on the ledges or wherever your pet tends to chill out, and it grabs all the fur up quickly. Check out everything it got up from just ONE swipe along this window seat ledge that my Leia girl loves laying in during the sunshine!

Even though Spring means muddy paws, shedding and all sorts of other pet frustrations, you don’t have to worry about anything other than loving your pet thanks to a trusted supply of Swiffer products to help clean up the mess quickly, easily and even enjoyably!

Check out items for your Swiffer cleaning arsenal!

10 Reasons to Choose Michael’s VIPs Tour Guides

April 17, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I was provided tour guide services to facilitate this review. All opinions are entirely my own.

Want to know what one of my favorite things about vacations is? The memories – whether they’re good, bad, hilarious or down-right embarrassing! And yes, I have plenty of those 🙂 One of my least favorite things, on the other hand, is the stress and hassle involved. That’s one of several Reasons to Choose Michael’s VIPs Tour Guides for your next Orlando vacation! (originally shared March 2017)

May contain affiliate links that help support this blog. See our disclosure.

If you’ve been on a family trip in Orlando, I bet you can remember seeing the people who were just DONE with their ‘magical vacation’. The grumpy group arguing over everything, or the family that’s shoving through crowds to get to the next ride first. That’s NOT the best way to spend a vacation – and yes, I’ve been there and done that. After experiencing an absolutely amazing trip last year, though, I’m now convinced that my family needs a tour guide for all our future trips – for our own sanity and happy-memory-making sakes! And I know who I’m calling every time – Michael’s VIPs offers so much more than just showing you around. Here’s TEN reasons they’re my go-to Orlando Tour Guide service…

#1: Saves Time, Saves Money

Time is money, or that’s what everyone says. Vacations are expensive enough, so why would you add the cost of a tour guide? Because it not only saves you the stress, but also can SAVE YOU MONEY overall! With their expertise, you get so much more done in a day, meaning you can go for less days. That’s fewer park tickets and hotel nights, less food and snacks you have to buy, less missed work or school. They’re able to get you places faster in the parks because they have it memorized. They know which ways to walk during what times of day due to traffic, which rides get busiest at what times, and when dining fits into the schedule to miss less actual park time. Time = Money, and these guys can save you a LOT of it!

#2: More Affordable than Other Groups

Yes, another one that comes down to money – because I’m sure that’s likely the top reason most people are hesitant to hire a tour guide. The prices for a private guide directly from places like Walt Disney World cost you between $400-$600 an hour, while Universal Orlando is about $2,800-$3,200 per day. Ouch! Michael’s VIPs is only $125-$150 an hour depending on the time of year.

So they’re not only saving you a TON of money in that fee, but you get all these other perks that you may or may not get with the other guys…

#3: Planning Help from Beginning to End

Whether it’s help with hotel or dining reservations, transportation from place to place, getting tickets, or fast passes, Michael’s VIPs handles all of that for you – before you even get there! I loved not having to wake up super early to nab my desired dining times when they opened 180 days before our Disney World trip, because they took care of it for me. We discussed ahead of time what we wanted from our trip – where we wanted to eat, things we wanted to do, the types of rides we were most eager to try – and they took care of all the reservations. They helped us figure out which transportation worked best for different days or situations, which saved us a LOT of time. They even texted (yes, I had their actual cell phone numbers to text before, during and after our trip) to see how we enjoyed our trip!

#4: Goes Beyond the Parks

I loved that for our whole trip – that included Walt Disney World AND Universal Orlando – we could use the same company and guides. We didn’t have to switch when we went to a new place, making it much easier for them to really get to know us and our likes or dislikes as far our vacation. If we had wanted to go try something else in Orlando, they’ve got you covered for that, too! They go beyond the parks, so whether you need a fun shopping venture, or a fancy evening out for business, they know the place and can guide you where you need to go.

#5: Honest Input & Recommendations

If you hire a private guide directly from the parks, they kind of HAVE to promote their own company’s stuff. Even if a restaurant outside the park is better, they’re likely to encourage you to eat inside the park because it helps their bottom line. With Michael’s VIPs, they cover everything and have nothing extra to gain from promoting certain things or places over others – so you know they’re going to give completely honest input or recommendations for your trip.

#6: The ‘Little’ Extras

Everyone know that the little things can make or break a great vacation, right? Well these guys want you to have the best experience possible, and the guides have fun ways of ensuring that. Take Renee for example – she brings little fake jewels to ‘toss’ to the kids during certain Little Mermaid shows or rides! Chris made sure to bring us ponchos for Kali River Rapids, and new right where to take our picture from the bridge. And Rob had learned enough about us to know my love of Star Wars, so he made sure to wear a Millennial Falcon shirt. It’s the little things, guys, that can make a world of difference and let you know that they really care about YOU!

#7: More Photos with Your Group

How many of us moms do a great job getting photos of the kiddos while on vacation, but often overlook getting ourselves in the photos? It’s super nice having a guide there to take photos of your whole family (or just you – because, why not?!) and really catch those fun memories. And yes, they’re happy to nab some with their phone and email or text it to you if you don’t want to shove your phone or camera at them constantly 🙂

#8: Extra Set of Hands – help with kids or bags

If you have multiple kiddos, you know that having another adult around can be a life-saver. They can help keep them safe and close to the group, and even keep them happy skipping along so you and hubby can enjoy walking holding hands with each other for a change! Another thing is trying to figure out seating on rides – there’s another ‘big person’ to help the younger ones. Or if you want to sit off a ride, the guides are happy to go with the kids for a second round – or third or fourth or…. (yes, my kids do this on rides like Flight of the Hippogriff at Universal). And Jason was awesome helping us with our MANY bags from Universal that day – and they were HEAVY bags!

#9: They KNOW All The Things

If you’re like me, you don’t want to just randomly pick a bathroom and hope it’s a decently clean one at busy public places. Luckily, Michael’s VIPs know where the bathrooms are located and which are the best (and check whenever you’re near, in case someone needs to stop). They know where the entrances are to all the rides, and where to head for the best seats for performances.

At Universal, we suddenly really wanted Pumpkin Juice – but wanted to try the carbonated version – and Jason took us right over to the correct place to get that. They also know which rides have the best ques for entertaining kids who may be getting restless – although you won’t wait in many lines with this skilled crew! When kids need to get rid of some of their energy, they know right where to go for the play areas in the parks.

And they know the RIDES super well, like where the camera is if there’s a photo, and also how to score the best on Buzz Lightyear – check out my score following their trick!!!

The only thing they DIDN’T know and were unable to find out for me, was why at Magical Express at the airport arrival there were lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 – where did line 7 go?!

#10: They Work While You Rest

Some rides the guide had us go on while they went and took care of other work pieces, like scheduling more fast passes. We also enjoyed watching a short bit of Jedi Training Academy while resting in chairs in the shade, while Rob went and grabbed some waters. While we were enjoying lunch, even when they joined us because we LOVED their company, the guides would still be working – reorganizing the schedule on their phone to make up for a random ride closure (Hogwarts Express – so sad!) or seeing about switching up dining reservations because you changed your mind on what type of food you want. Guys, they work HARD – but make it all look like all fun and play!

I seriously can’t WAIT to go back to Orlando again, because I know Michael’s VIPs will make it a wonderfully fun, stress-free vacation for my whole family!

Our goal is fall-ish 2018 taking EVERYONE in my family – when are YOU going to go and give these tour guides a try?

To know more about each guide we got the pleasure of vacationing with last October, read HERE

Check with Get Away Today for the best prices on tickets and hotels for your vacation – and use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for even more savings!

Tour guides for couples – is it worth it?

Tour guides for families – what you need to know

How to avoid lines at Walt Disney World

7 things to NEVER bring to Disney World – and 10 you MUST!

Fly with Toothless at iFly

March 2, 2019 by Danielle 1 Comment

We received a complimentary visit to try this flying adventure. All opinions are mine alone.

We’ve all dreamed of flying with dragons – and now you can really experience the adventure and Fly with Toothless at iFly! Dreamworks and iFly have teamed up for the release of How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World to offer you an unforgettable experience that the whole family will be talking about for a long time to come. Our family had the opportunity to try out this unbelieve Virtual Reality experience, and we’re still on cloud 9!

Our family was a mix of excitement and nervousness, as we had no clue what to expect from our exciting evening. Despite a few fears, even the littles couldn’t wait to try it out and were talking about it for many days leading up to our appointment! We went to the Dallas location, but the How to Train Your Dragon virtual reality experience is available nationwide (there’s over 30 locations in the U.S.) exclusively at iFly.

First of all, the basics: While you can enjoy iFly indoor skydiving as young as 3 years old, the Virtual Reality (VR) experiences are for ages 6 and up and for weights up to 260 pounds. As first time flyers (but now definite repeats!), our package included a short training to start – so they could explain how it works and the various hand signals used in the wind tunnel – as well as two 1-minute flights each before the VR.

They provide the jumpsuits (can fit over regular clothes, just don’t wear something bulky), helmets, goggles and foam ear plugs. You do need to wear closed-toe shoes that won’t slip off.

I knew they worked with younger kids, but was still nervous if they’d have something that fit my littles – but they had quite the variety and had the right thing for all 7 of us! Don’t we look adorable in our gear? 😉

I’m so glad we got to try out the regular flight before, because you can really get a feel for the wind blowing and the instructor guiding your body around as you fly. Especially for the kiddos, I don’t know how they would’ve done having a VR set on without knowing their ‘real’ surroundings first. Plus we could experience the VR better as we weren’t as ‘flingy’ as the first flight!

If your kiddos are a bit unsure like some of mine were, don’t worry – the instructors are incredible, preparing us with all the information beforehand and guiding us every step of the way. Ashley was with our crew, and I can’t speak highly enough of her. She kept it extremely fun, safe and was super patient with some of my littles that were more CLINGY….

If you’re wondering – after this first flight of his, he had his arms fully out for the second, so we were thrilled at his progress and feeling more at ease! Just from the flights, the kiddos were begging to come back again soon – and we hadn’t even done the awesome VR, yet!

Now it was time for the BIG event – flying like a dragon! We raced Toothless and Astrid, but you can also pick Hiccup if you’d rather him. They get you all equipped with the VR headset outside of the tunnel, making sure it’s working and you can see. Then you begin your race in a fully-immersive and exhilarating adventure through the world of Berk from the new film How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World!

The instructor has you the entire time, moving you around so your flight is totally life-like. They have a screen so the instructor can see exactly what you see, so they can move you perfectly around the mountains, hills or other obstacles you may encounter.

Feel free to look around as much as you’d like, because there’s stuff to see ALL AROUND YOU, not just in front! It was so incredible to soar right along our beloved dragon Toothless, and really feel what it’s like to fly. This breathtaking journey is unforgettable, and it’s truly a family experience I recommend for everyone that’s able. My kids are STILL talking about it, and can’t to go back as soon as we can. Be sure to ask them about return pass deals when you’re there, because that’s when you can get the best prices!

Of all the exciting things I’ve had the privilege of doing for this site, I can honestly say that this was definitely in my top 10 favorites! Hurry and schedule your time to try out this incredible VR experience to feel and see for yourself what it really is like to fly like a dragon!

Who’s YOUR favorite from How to Train Your Dragon?

Love and Pet Messes

February 18, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thanks to Swiffer + Febreze for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone. #DontSweatYourPet

With Valentine’s Day so recently, I loved seeing all of the local shelters and rescues posting their holiday specials so you could adopt your new furry Valentine. Sweet dogs and cats holding little signs such as ‘Be My Valentine’ or snuggling heart-shaped pillows? Melt my heart! For those of you still stuck at the thinking stage – whether or not you should adopt a new furry friend – here’s some of my thoughts about how to tackle at least some of the things that may be causing hesitation. Because really, adopting comes with Love and Pet Messes – but we can help with that last one!

We’re long past the thinking stage, but I still remember that amongst the excitement and desire to get a pet, there were concerns. Will we have enough time to pay adequate attention to our new pet? What are the costs involved? Are we going to be able to keep and care for her long-term? And of course – what about the PET MESSES?! I know animals shed, and it can be super frustrating – but the great news is that it doesn’t actually have to be a hassle! If the messes are the last thing keeping you from enjoying the amazing friendship and love of a new pet, you can rest assured that Swiffer + Febreze can save the day with a swish and a spray. You can nab both during your next trip to Kroger!

I was thrilled to learn that my favorite cleaning helper – Swiffer – now has special pet-specific products to really give us pet-owners some help. I’m talking about the awesome Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Pet Refills, as well as the Sweeper Dry and Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense that Trap+Lock all that pet hair and dirt. I’ve always loved how easily I can sweep up all the dead grass and yuck on my floors, then making them fully clean and shiny. Plus the Swiffer Dusters are AMAZING for getting all the nooks and crannies around the house where my dogs’ shedding seems to come to rest.

Along with the ‘pet messes’ is the smell – we all know that dogs and cats don’t always smell like roses (despite rolling around in them often, it seems!). But that ones even easier, because Febreze AIR Heavy Duty Pet Odor Eliminator can freshen up all around your home with a quick spray. If you’re worried about your couches – my pups LOVE laying around on our couches – then never fear, because there’s also Febreze Fabric Pet Odor Eliminator that helps to quickly freshen those up, which is particularly great before having guests over.

While there may be other reasons you’re not ready to commit to a pet, if you’re at the point where you ARE ready, it’s truly an incredible bond between pet and owner. We love our pups so much – they truly complete our family! There’s ups and downs in all love stories, but Swiffer + Febreze can help make sure you don’t sweat your pet because of the mess or odor. No matter what stage you’re at – thinking, plunging, or loving (that’s us!) – you can enjoy the fact that Swiffer + Febreze help clean and freshen up pet messes quickly AND efficiently. That means you can spend more time with your new fur-ever friend!