Products we Love Archives - Busy Moms Helper

When You Need a Doctor On-The-Go

November 18, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Compensation was provided by Amwell via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Amwell or Momtrends.

As a busy mom of 5, we have plenty of reasons to need a doctor throughout the year. Right now it’s for that insane flu season – all but one of my kiddos has already gone through it (plus hubby – that was a challenge!). Other times, it’s for their eczema acting up, or my daughter’s asthma – maybe a possible ear infection, strep or allergies being unusually bad. Or the first time one of my kids got stung by a bee and I had no clue what I was suppose to do to help it. Whatever the reason, it’s not always possible to go in to your regular office – so I’m grateful for access to the Amwell app for when you need a doctor on-the-go.

You heard right – an APP that gives you access to a doctor! What’s great is that you can use your desktop OR mobile device, so even if your kid gets sick during a road trip or something, you can still pull out your phone and get help from board-certified, licensed doctors. My biggest worry is if/when my kids have a medical need, but it’s outside of normal office hours – if it’s not emergency room level, but still something I don’t want to wait until the next day or so to have addressed, I can sign on to Amwell and meet live with a doctor. Plus you can CHOOSE the doctor from their list! Okay, here’s how it works…

First, you create a log in. After your info is entered, they give you a list of doctors online right then – and even shows if they already have a patient at the moment so you may have to wait, or if they’re available! I like this option because I know there’s certain situations my girls would feel more comfortable talking with a female. Or, if you don’t have a preference of the doctor, you can just click for next available. And they give you the price first, so no surprises! You put if the patient is you or if it’s someone else (like your child), then input your concern.

One neat feature is the ability to invite others to join in the ‘meeting’ – this is great if a parent is somewhere else but still wants to be there to see what’s going on with their child’s sickness or concern.

I love that they also allow you to input any allergies, medications (and if you don’t know medication spelling, you can just start inputting the name then search for it – much easier!), and even a spot for IF you know vital signs and want to put those in as well. They give you the option to put in your insurance, then make sure you know the amount.

Here’s the great part – on this page (below) you can input a promo code, and I’ve got one to share with you! In that spot, just enter AMWELL50 for 50% off an urgent care visit with Amwell!

It’s also nice that they cover a wide range of needs – from minor sickness and injuries to wellness-type concerns. They can even assist with prescription refills! I heard they also employ behavioral therapists and registered dietitians, so really can assist with pretty much anything our kids throw at us. 😉 Did I mention they’re available 24 hours a day, all week long?

This week was a perfect example of when Amwell was a great resource for us – my daughter has had a weird rash on her chin (JUST her chin) for a couple of weeks now. She’s always had eczema, but never had an issue here – and no other spots on her skin were acting up. I didn’t want to take her clear in to an office plus pay a hefty price, so we pulled up the Amwell app on our phone and chatted with one of their pediatricians. This was one occasion when the ability to upload photos to the app (before you even begin talking with the doctor) was very helpful, since we got a shot of the exact spot of the rash and what it looked like.

It ended up just being a bad case of eczema, probably because her chin is more exposed to all our changing weather – but it was a relief to know it wasn’t something more, and he was able to give us some ideas on how best to get it healed quicker.

Like I said before, you can access them on your desktop at www.Amwell.com – or download it to your phone via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (where’s my fellow Android users?!) Don’t forget to use promo code AMWELL50 for 50% off an urgent care visit with them!

There’s plenty of times in the past I wish I’d known about Amwell, because kids can certainly spring all sorts of concerns, sickies and hurts on us when we’re not quite sure what we’re doing – and I’m sure you fellow parents can definitely relate! Now you can have more peace of mind and flexibility by using Amwell for access to a doctor on-the-go. Because you know that the times you may need it most won’t be the most convenient – that’s just the reality of parenthood!

Start Your Discounted Doctor’s Visit, Get 50% OFF a $69 Urgent Care — CLICK HERE.

5 Tips for a Multi-age Family Halloween

October 18, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thanks to shopDisney.com for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Even though we have 5 kiddos, they’re not too far apart in age (8 to 13). I have many friends, however, who struggle to do Halloween as a family because they have a wide spread of ages. What works best for a toddler isn’t exactly exciting for a preteen. You can still have a spooktacular holiday with the 5 Tips for a Multi-Age Family Halloween!

5 Tips for a Multi-Age Family Halloween - how to handle a big age gap during Halloween #ad #shopdisney #halloween

#1 Too Scary or Just Right?

This seems to be what parents bring up first – how do I keep it mild for my littles but ‘scary enough’ for my older kids? While this can be tricky, it’s totally doable by finding themes that ‘scream’ Halloween without the terror. For example, skeletons can be just as thrilling while still being adorable – such as these Mickey Mouse Light-up Hoodies.

Or how about these cute PJ Pals?

#2 Pick Their Favorites

Little ones may be all about Buzz Lightyear or Tinkerbelle, while older kids probably prefer Descendants characters or Black Panther. Whatever they’re into, you can get each child their own favorite costumes, accessories and more! This also helps them feel unique and have more fun with ‘their’ Halloween.

#3 Costumes for Everyone

Help your kids feel more ‘together’ despite the age differences by joining them in dressing up! Yes, I’m encouraging grown adults to have some fun *gasp* – but seriously, it shouldn’t just be the kids choosing their favorites and participating in the activities, the parents should be included to make it really feel like a family event. This is particularly helpful for the ‘older’ kids who may be worried it’s childish to dress up. If they see you in costume, they’ll feel like it’s just fine to enjoy it!

And yes, include the more furry family members, too!

#4 Share in Decorating

Get input from everyone – big or little, young or old – on your family’s theme for decorating this year. Maybe the younger ones can help with plush characters or yard signs. The older kids may be trusted with things that require a bit more care and responsibility – such as garlands or glass figures. This way everyone feels a part of the process, but still have tasks geared to their level.

#5 Matchy?

What better way to bring the entire family – regardless of age – together than with fun matching Halloween outfits? I know some people are very much in the ‘each person needs something different’ group for their family Halloween clothing, and I agree with that sometimes. I’m a huge lover of awesome matching pjs for my crew, though! Or go for something more basic, like these cool and CUSTOMIZABLE tshirts.

Another option, for those that want to mix it up a bit, is to pick a matching THEME then each person gets their own character. I’d love to go as Jack & Sally, maybe with a little Oogey Boogey or Zero!

There’s also picking the same movie – like Toy Story – or go with a ‘universe’ such as Marvel or Star Wars! There’s so many options to choose from, you’re bound to find something that works for every family.

Final Tip

Overall, the important thing is to consider each of your child’s interests (no matter the age) and include that in some way for our family’s Halloween activities. Age gaps can be difficult, and you may end up putting some kids to bed earlier than the teens – but that just means some extra time you can do more ‘older kid’ things with them, after doing some things the little ones would enjoy.

Hope everyone has a spooktacular family Halloween this year!

Comfy & Cute Styles from NYFifth

October 9, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thank you NYFifth for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

The other day I made a realization about a habit of mine – and it’s one I bet many of you fellow mamas have struggled with, too. I love buying clothes for my kids, and I’m really good at making sure they stay in well-maintained, fitting and season-appropriate wardrobes. However, my closet and drawers consist mainly of clothing I’ve had for YEARS! What is it with this habit of being so on-the-ball with clothing our kids, but overlooking ourselves? Let’s make a change, starting with these cute & comfy styles from NYFifth!

Comfy & Cute Styles from NYFifth #ad #nyfifth #giftideas

When NYFifth reached out to me about trying out some of their clothing (and guys, there is SO MUCH to choose from!) I was thrilled! Not only were there plenty of cute choices, but the pricing was definitely worth celebrating. Come on, mama needs new clothes every now and then, too, right? 😉 After chatting a bit about what I wanted to try the most, it was clear that I really wanted some new, comfy pj pants – because, let’s be honest, something new and cute to relax in is just what the doctor ordered.

When they arrived, hubby laughed at me because I was so excited – but it felt almost like Christmas, geting something for myself for a change. The timing was PERFECT, as we’ve been in a hotel for several weeks (don’t worry, that crazy story is yet to come) and something I can just lounge and be comfortable in was welcomed – especially since both these pajama bottoms were adorable! Yes, we can have comfort and style at the same time – mama win!

Just look at the cute fake buttons for a stylish accent, or the nice pockets. Even though it’s fall, here in Texas has been HOT as usual, so these 100% cotton lightweight pants with covered waistband and cute satin tie were a great choice. I still felt cool, but totally comfortable ‘chilling’ in the hotel room with my kiddos.

There’s a cold-front coming (or if the weather’s in that strange in-between stage where you need light but a bit ‘more’), so these fashion flannel pants WITH POCKETS are fantastic. These come in several color choices – of course I picked my favorite, purple – and have a drawstring so you can adjust for the perfect fit.

Is it bad that I used the excuse of ‘trying these out for work’ to be a little bit lazy the other day? I mean, we moms don’t often get a break, so any excuse is a relief! I love how comfortable these are, and they’re just the right amount of thickness to stay a bit warm when it starts cooling down, but still ‘cool’ enough for hot Texas. I love flexibility!

Even when the limited hotel room seats were taken by the kiddos while we watched some shows, I didn’t mind as long as I could be in my new comfy pants. I’m a huge fan of feeling like I can move, sit, and relax however I choose without having to adjust my clothing – and these were exactly right.

I love the little accent stripe along the bottom of the pant legs on this one, too. Makes it kind of stand out, be a bit more fashionable. Even if they are just pj pants, doesn’t mean we can’t look great, right?

And seriously, POCKETS! How many pajama pants for women have actual, decent sized, usable pockets? Love it!

As if you needed even more reason to check out NYFifth, you can choose logo embroidery or screen printing on ALL of their apparel and accessories! That means for fun family matching tshirts on your next trip, or embroidered hats for all your employees. The possibilities are endless with so many choices of comfy and cute styles from NYFifth!

Ultimate Time Saver App for Busy Parents

August 23, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thank you Medici for sponsoring this post. Medici connects doctors and patients in an easy to use app!

Who else is struggling to get through back to school season? There’s so much to take care of, and then once school starts we’re back to insane schedules between classes, homework, sports, and activities! Phew, it can be exhausting, but at least now we can save quite a bit of stress, time AND money with this Ultimate time Saver App for Busy Parents — Medici! It’s not your ordinary app, and let me tell you why…

First of all, Medici is an app you can download to your phone for free, and then connect with doctors, psychiatrists or even the vet without having to make an extra trip. That means skipping the waiting room the next time you or your kiddos need to see a doctor, so you can spend more time with your family. It can be super stressful for parents who are already busy with all life’s demands to try to fit one more thing into their schedule, especially when the office hours aren’t always when we can fit it in! With Medici, you can text, voice or video call with a doctor (or vet) over a secure HIPAA-compliant platform.

It’s easy for doctors to sign up, so if your preferred one isn’t already on Medici (there’s a lot on there) it’s not difficult to find the type you need. One of my favorite things about this is that when my kids are feeling miserable, I don’t have to load them into the car for a drive only to sit waiting at the office. Now they can rest at home while we figure things out with their pediatrician over Medici. That means they’re more comfortable, I can get them the help they need without the hassle, and the faster they can get feeling better and back to play!

If medicine or a more advanced look is needed, you can get ePrescriptions, eReferrals (for those time a specialist may be needed) and even Lab Results right there in the app. Nice and convenient, right? This will be handy for that once a year when at least a few in our family get strep, because our doctor knows this happens and now we don’t have to drive all the way to the office when the second or third person gets it!

Whether you’re a busy parent, pet parent or even just a couple (because we know us parents can get sick just as easy — but who has time for that?), Medici has you covered from pediatrician to vet to OBGYN, so you can have all of your family’s doctors just a text away!

This is seriously the ultimate time-saver app, because most busy parents know all too well that having to switch up schedules and driving to the doctor’s office can really throw a wrench in our already full day. Nobody likes it when someone in the family gets sick, but at least Medici helps take some of the stress and hassle (and even cost!) away with their convenient, easy-to-use app. If you’re looking to conveniently get your basic healthcare needs met without having to change your schedule, I encourage you to download Medici and try it out for yourself!

School of Rock: The Band

August 9, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thanks to School of Rock for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Woohoo – my boys just completed their first ever concert since starting their lessons at School of Rock, and learning their instruments! One of the great parts about having them attend this place is that they get to participate in a band (at their level) and get actual experience performing together. Here’s a bit of our experience with School of Rock: The Band.

I’ve shared a bit of our awesome experience at School of Rock so far, but wanted to share more details about the band aspect. That’s right, along with their weekly private lessons with qualified and experienced instructors who are passionate about music, the kids also get one 90 minute lesson (or 2 hours, for ages 12 and up) with others at their level to make their own ‘band’! They practice their specific songs together, and learn how to work as an actual band – then they get real life experience at popular venues in the area to perform.

I admit, I was nervous at first because how could my boys do well in a band format starting in June when they just started learning their instruments in mid-May? Luckily the staff at School of Rock know exactly how to work with the youth to help them progress at a good pace, and find a good fit so that the band is a positive learning environment, not stressful.

Right from the start, my kiddos loved playing in their band! They felt more motivated to practice even harder, since there were now others depending on their development and not just themselves. Even though they just started lessons in mid-May, and the band in early June, they did fantastic at their concert last week! Leading up to it, they worked extra hard because they were so excited, and my Thor kept calling performance day his ‘special day’. They were thrilled to get this opportunity, and felt so proud of themselves for a job well done!

And yes, my youngest was nervous, but had no hesitation for getting up there on stage and doing his best on the guitar – and can’t wait until their end of semester performance so he can do it all again!

I’ve been so proud of my boys for their progress on their instruments while at School of Rock, and can’t wait to see how far they go from here on out!

What instrument would your kids choose at School of Rock?

Family Home Binder Printables

August 5, 2019 by Danielle 1 Comment

Isn’t it such a pain to sort through a ton of documents and files to find the information you need, especially when you’re in a rush? Now you can keep all your family’s important info in one, easy place with these Family Home Binder Printables! We’ve got everything from medical forms and emergency contacts, to shopping lists and babysitter sheets, plus budgets and more to make your life as a busy mom much easier and organized.

Family Home Binder Printables - keep all your family's important information in one, simple place with this helpful printable pack perfect for busy moms! There's pages for emergency contacts & plans, birthdays, medical and school information, budgets, weekly tasks and to do lists, menu and shopping lists, babysitter sheet & more! #printable #homebinder #familybinder #busymoms #homemanagement

After lots of asking around as to what people preferred, we made our home binder printables simple and clean-looking, while still being stylish with some pops of color. It goes perfectly with our 2018 Free Printable Planner, as well as our awesome 52 Weeks of Meal Plans (with recipes) Book! We tried to include the majority of lists and documents that a busy family would need, helping you keep track of everything in one, convenient place. Once you have the PDFs, you can print off as many as you’d like (such as with the monthly budget sheet or weekly menu and shopping lists) – for personal use only, of course 🙂 We even included several cover options, so you can print off whichever you like best.

What’s included in the Family Home Binder Printable pack?

4 Cover Designs – front and back (front has choice of ribbon decor or plain in that blue label piece)
Weekly Tasks and To Do Spread
Page for listing household Utilities & Services information
School Information
Weekly Menu & Shopping List
Medical Forms
Family Emergency Plan, Map (fire escape route) & Contacts
Emergency Contact Sheet
Monthly Budget – one blank and one with some general expenses filled in
Babysitter Helper Sheet
Birthday List

Family Home Binder Printables

That’s a LOT of pages, but super important to have handy when your family needs them. You can nab the entire set now for just $1.99 – what a deal! Let’s talk about the individual sheets now, shall we? Since many of us need help getting our tasks organized – otherwise we try to keep all our to do’s in our head – here’s the Weekly Tasks & To Do’s spread:

It has the days listed out along the top, and then to the left it’s divided into AM, PM or Eve (evening) so you can spread it out a bit by times, as desired.

One that many people forget to have on-hand is a list of their utility companies, contact information and account numbers – because we don’t really think about it until something happens and we need it RIGHT THEN. Now you can have them all neatly listed out on this sheet. We pre-filled some of the lines with the general types of utilities many people have, but it still has plenty of lines for adding in others as needed.

I never really thought to have a sheet of all my kids’ school information until we took a ‘parents only’ vacation and my uncles were watching them for almost 2 weeks.

Now you can print off a sheet for each school child, and have everything on there – from their homeroom teacher’s info, to their schedule (including bus) and more.

Along with having that easily accessible when you have a sitter, how about a BABYSITTER HELPER sheet? You can add the details for that particular time, plus things like what they should eat and what times. So useful!

For a long while I was using plain, boring paper to write out our family’s weekly menu – now it’s much more fun (and not such an eye-sore on my fridge) with this cute weekly menu that I can fill in.

This is the same design I use in our Meal Plan on a Budget Book, along with the fun shopping list page.

I’m crossing my fingers and knocking on wood right now as I type this (you know, just in case I jinx myself) – but we’ve only had to take a child to the emergency room ONE TIME. With 5 kids, that’s such a lucky blessing! When that did happen, though, I wish we had this medical form so I could have all of his information in one spot to take with us instead of trying to dig it all out and call hubby back home to find the stuff I just didn’t remember. Super stressful!

You can even use it when going to new doctors and such, since you can put all of their allergies, medications, past surgeries and the like on there. This page alone would’ve been well worth the mere $1.99 cost when we had our ER ordeal – and you can nab the whole set for that cost! Woot woot!

To go right along with that form – other emergencies can, unfortunately, happen to our families. Times like this, we don’t have a moment to spare – so it’s extremely important to have a plan. These emergency pages allow you spots to input your family’s emergency plans…

…including a sheet of more emergency contacts. We also included a mostly-blank page where you can draw out a rough idea of your home escape plan, for instances such as a fire.

This is great to practice with the kids regularly, so they know what to do should the worst happen.

Okay, now that we’ve covered those very urgent, hopefully-won’t-be-needed forms, let’s move on to something a little more fun – a place to put all those birthdays we try to keep in our minds constantly! Whether you just track your immediate family’s special days, or include every aunt, uncle and second-cousin-twice-removed, there’s spots for each month!

I know not everyone likes keeping a budget (I’m actually in love with budgeting, so for me it’s fun), but in case you do there’s a sheet to track all of your monthly finances!

We’ve included a sheet that’s partially filled in with common expenses, but also have one blank in case you really want full control over the items and order 🙂

Phew, that’s quite a ton of papers – but when you’ve got an entire family and household to care for it can be SUPER helpful to have all that information in one place. You can either put it in folders, staple it together, place it in a binder, or even just spiral-bind the packet yourself. Whatever you choose, this family home binder printable set is great for any busy mom, dad or family!

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Why Extracurricular Activities are Good for Kids

July 19, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

We received complimentary lessons to help facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Parenthood is exhausting, especially with multiple kids and all of their additional events. We already have so much going on each day, so fitting in their dance, karate, music lessons or whatever else can seem daunting. Sometimes, we may even wonder why the heck we’re allowing anything more, when even school and homework can be overwhelming! While I’m a firm believer that children shouldn’t be OVERLY scheduled, here’s some reasons Why Extracurricular Activities are Good for Kids.

Now, in our house we limit each of our kids to just one extracurricular activity at a time (with a few very rare exceptions). Three of my kiddos have been taking latin ballroom classes for a few years now, and two of my boys just started doing music lessons at School of Rock for the summer semester – and that’s been a huge blessing! When those two had nothing to do, they felt left out – they didn’t know WHAT they wanted, but knew they were missing out on something. Once they started learning their drum/guitar skills, though, they’ve really blossomed and their daily attitude is much happier and more positive. It truly shows that extracurricular activities are good for kids!

Helps Build Their Passion

Many adults nowadays don’t even know what they’re passionate about – they just focus on getting a good-paying job. Not that that’s BAD, necessarily, but even outside of work they don’t know what they really enjoy. By letting kids try different things as they’re growing up, they can learn what they’re really excited about, what makes them eager to put in the practice/work for. This can help them decide not only what to do later in life, but also leave the option for an ‘extra hobby’ as an adult, too.

Future Benefits

Along with that, they can build up their skills in whatever their hobby is – such as my boys’ guitar or drums – and use that to provide a living for their family when they’re older. Their instructors at School of Rock really enjoy their ‘work’ teaching kids music, and I can almost guarantee they grew up building their knowledge and experience so that they COULD do that. Not only do they get to share what they love, but get to earn a living spreading those skills. Likewise, one of my girls has a dream of being a dance instructor on the side when she’s an adult, and is working hard to make sure she has the skills and experience necessary for that. Think long-term!

Teaches Them Responsibility

We all know that school homework can be a struggle – big time! But when your kids have something fun to do, especially something that they CHOSE to do, it can be a whole different story. I fight with some of my kids about school daily, but never have to nag about practicing – they just do it every morning like clockwork! With my two boys doing instruments, since they have only been working on this for a little over a month, they’re still learning HOW to practice more productively – such as dividing their practice time between their different songs for band, or knowing to spend more time on a certain skill their struggling with. If they don’t practice, they learn to be accountable for that with their class or fellow band members.

Also check out the Benefits of Music Lessons for Kids!

Gives Them an Outlet

One of my boys has SPD (sensory processing disorder), so he’s always bouncing and needing movement. Some days it’s hard to make sure he gets enough of that stimulation he needs, but once he started playing the drums – getting to bob his head to the beat, hit the drums with sticks and the foot kicker, and move back and forth between the different drum/cymbal pieces, you could really tell a difference. It’s been great not only for that motion he needs, but also all that extra energy that kids can get! When my other son is driving me bonkers because he has too much built-up energy in the house, I suggest he goes and does a few dance rounds – works like a charm!

Healthy Social Environments

My kids have been both public schooled and now homeschooled, and in both situations I can honestly say that I’m super grateful for the friends they have during their outside activities! Friends at school (or in homeschool groups, or whatever) are great, but they don’t seem to be quite as close. I think part of that is within the class or band, they share that same passion and are working on it together, already giving them something to connect with. I’m not saying our kids are friends with EVERYONE in their activities, but their best friends have certainly come from their extracurricular activities. They learn to get along better, work together and to help each other progress in their skills, which is such a blessing for kids.

How else are extracurricular activities good for kids?

Learning & Building with Circuit Blox

July 15, 2019 by Danielle 1 Comment

We received a free kit to facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Y’all know how much kids love building – creating figures, robots, towers, castles, vehicles and so much more with their wonderful imaginations. Now what if they could also learn about electricity, radio waves and more while playing? Now they can have a blast Learning & Building with Circuit Blox! I couldn’t wait to see how much they enjoyed this kit, and wasn’t disappointed – they’re already begging to try some of the other hundreds of projects it can do!

First of all, let me tell you what Circuit Blox even are: they’re interactive building blocks made with patented technology by E-Blox, making it possible for electricity to flow safely through the pieces. It’s even been named Stem.org AuthenticatedTM! We tried out the Circuit Blox™ 395 – E-Blox® Circuit Board Building Blocks Toys Coding Kit for Kids to get a good feel of the variety of these kits. You can get smaller, more specific ones – or get a few and mix and match for all new projects. Our particular set contains 68 pieces that can make a whopping 395 different projects!

Our girls (13 and 12) enjoyed it, as well as our boys (youngest 8), so I think they’re good for a wide range of ages. Hubby was just as excited as the kids, and helped teach them about how the flow of power works, what happens if you switch certain pieces, and all sorts of fun STEM themed topics. They had fun making a fan spin…

…and lights switch between different parts of the build…

…and the girls even made a basic FM radio!

Some projects take longer than others, so you can pick and choose either what type of thing you want to learn or base it on how much time you have to focus on it. It’s fantastic for homeschool, supplemental STEM education or just for a cool, interactive playtime. The pieces are sturdy, which I appreciated, and the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. It shows the colors, layouts and even the numbers of the pieces so all the kids could follow along with issue. The girls did theirs entirely on their own (we just stayed by to discuss some of it), and the boys needed minimal supervision on theirs.

Check out Circuit Blox for amazing interactive STEM learning!

Back to School Snack Dips: S’mores Dip & Cookie Dough Dip

July 5, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PackSnacksTheyLove #CollectiveBias

We started school this week – crazy! It’s such a mad-dash to get them all ready and out the door in time in the mornings, and I’m eager for when we get it to a smoother routine. After school isn’t much better yet, as we need to find a good groove for homework, rinsing out lunch boxes, signing their folders and hopefully some play time. Luckily, I have some awesome recipes I can rely on to make the afternoon a little easier, like these Back to School Snack Dips: S’mores Dip & Cookie Dough Dip! I just whip them up when I have time, then store them in the fridge so they’re ready to go when the kids are. originally shared August 2016

These snack dips are perfect to go with crackers, cookies, even fruits for a variety of tasty things! I made sure to stock up on our favorite snack packs from Kroger when I was doing our weekly grocery shopping there – I can rely on them to have the variety I need, and do well to keep their shelves full so I’m not missing anything from my list. I found some awesome (and convenient – yay!) snacks for the kids’ lunches and after school snacks – NABISCO Multipacks like RITZ, Teddy Grahams, OREO, Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butter, Barnum’s Animal Crackers and even Honey Maid crackers are perfect! Not only do my kids love the taste, but the portable packs make it SUPER easy to just toss in a lunch bag, or pull out when they get home from school. Even when we’re racing to dance lessons, we just grab some packs and go.

As I was filling my cart with these, determined to stay prepared for several weeks of back-to-school adjustment ahead, one of their friendly workers asked if I wanted him to grab more from the back. We laughed a bit (you should’ve seen how many I already had in my cart) and he totally understood how crazy this time of year is. I was tempted to say ‘yes’ to his offer just to see if his eyes would get big 🙂

Another great benefit of these snacks are that they’re easy for my kiddos to open, plus bite-sized. Definitely a bonus for my younger ones! They go great with our snack dip recipes, which are already REALLY simple to whip up! Just grab your ingredients next time you’re at Kroger, mix them together, and you’re all set for snacks!

S’mores Dip

Ingredients

1 cup Marshmallow Creme
1 cup Chocolate Pudding
8 oz. Whipped Topping
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Mini Marshmallows
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Directions

Beat the marshmallow creme, chocolate pudding and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 – 2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Milk
Chocolate Chips, as desired

Directions

Beat the butter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla until creamy. Whip in the milk until smooth.
Slowly add in the flour until desired consistency (I did about 1 1/2 cups). Stir in chocolate chips and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

It was a mix in our family as to which of these dips were the favorite. Personally, I prefer the cookie dough dip – but really enjoyed the s’mores one, too. Dang, can’t really choose!

Which snack packs and dip would YOUR kids enjoy the most?

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!