Oreo Croissants | Recipe

So tonight I was really craving something sweet and a little savory, and after raiding the kitchen I decided to whip up some Chocolate Croissants.  Then I realized I still had Oreos left and I figured that they would taste much better than just chocolate! I mean what is better than combining two of my favorite treats: bread and Oreos!  By the way the reminded me of Fried Oreos...my guiltiest pleasure.

Ingredients

Oreos

Croissants

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pan or lay down wax paper.

2. Pop open your can of croissants and roll out.

3.  Place half an Oreo per each roll.

4. Roll up croissants and space evenly on pan.

5. Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and enjoy!

I've been a Naughty Girl this year!

Well life has been keeping me busy and I have severely neglected this blog.  I decided to redesign it slightly for now, and in the future I plan to redesign again. I also plan on not neglected this.  I mean if this was my child, they would have all ready turned me in and taken it away!  I have been very bad.  I guess working on starting my own business has drawn me away from here.  But for this new year, I plan to come back full forced...well as much as I can allow.  I mean...Hello.  I have a crazy one year old, a business I am working on launching, a house to take care of, and trying not to lose my mind!  Wish me luck!

The Day Baby Was Born

I recently stumbled upon a new web app (thanks to Social Moms)  called "the day baby was born" and it is presented by tommee tippee.  I am so jealous this wasn't available when I first got pregnant.  It is basically a storybook that you create and share digitally.  I, for one, am all about the digital age.  And when I got pregnant, I attempted to write in one of those pregnancy journals, but I just couldn't keep up to date with it.  It is something I regretted.  However I am definitely using this app for the next pregnancy.

The first thing you need to know is that you must have a Facebook page in order to create a storybook, because that is the only sign in option.  Luckily most people have a Facebook page so that isn't a big deal.  The reason behind having the Facebook page is that you are able to share your posts on Facebook and this app will save all the comments made and capture them for you.  I know some people may not want to share their pregnancy journal with the whole Facebook community...and that is fine because this app is so customizable and easy to work with.  You get to pick what you want to share and you also choose what content you would like to have in the storybook.

This is such a great idea that really streamlines the whole pregnancy journal and I can't wait to get pregnant again to be able to use it to it's full potential.  This app is designed to use with newborns and not everything works with older children but it was still fun to try out and see what all it was capable of.  When you are done with your storybook you can share it with everyone on Facebook or you can simply download a PDF file so you can keep it forever.  The Day Baby Was Born actually hosts your storybook up to a year after you are last inactive...because we all know that after having a baby, sometimes we get a little sidetracked.  I would highly recommend at least trying this app out, since it is free, to help track your pregnancy journal!

My Storybook Example

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tommee Tippee blogging contest for a chance to get a gift pack worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here

A Baby, Breakup Rumors, and a Big Shake

What's going on in today's world?

Ben Afleck & Jennifer Garner are expecting a third child! I was so happy to hear this news, as I am a fan of this gorgeous couple, and their even more gorgeous children. So it is such great news to hear they will be adding another one to their brood. They all ready have two little girls, Seraphina and Violet, so I am hoping for a mini-Ben.

Also a story regarding a split between the Hollywood Power couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, started to circulate. As soon as I saw this pop up on my Twitter feed, I was almost in disbelief. They seem like such an amazing couple and to hear that their marriage was dissolved was disheartening. Although there was no official word from either couple that his story was true, it was still a hot topic. However the couple did release a statement later on sating that their marriage was "intact". I was thrilled to read that because they are definitely my "married couple role models."

And the top story today would be the earthquake that hit the East Coast earlier this afternoon. Actually the story broke out on twitter before other news sources, sign of a media age. According to USA Today, the earthquake lasted 45 seconds, measured 5.8 magnitude, and the epicenter was in Mineral, VA. It came as a shock since the East Coast is somewhat virginal in the earthquakes, although in West Coast standards, it was a "baby" quake. I am in the MidWest and we rarely have earthquakes here also. However about 3 years ago, there was 5.2 that's epicenter was less than 20 miles from where we live and it shook enough to wake this sleeping baby up. I thought at the time my husband fell out of bed because he wasn't by me, but he was up getting ready for work...hehe! It was definitely an interesting experience and I can't imagine how the West Coast handles them so well. They really put a shock in your system!

The Mom Challenge - Mascara & Eyeliner

Today's Mom Challenge was to put on mascara and eyeliner.  I wear mascara a couple time a week but eyeliner only comes out on special occasions.  I have a fear of poking my eyeballs out.  I actually have to take about 10 minutes to put contacts in because I blink like crazy when something comes near my eye.  Needless to say eyeliner can be a bit of a challenge!  All that aside I did it anyway and I always feel so much more productive and definitely prettier when I doll myself up a bit!

iDee 5.0

iPhone + iPad + iMac = iDee

The first time I saw an iPhone, it was love at first sight. I couldn't believe all of the capabilities that is was able to achieve. The iPhone was way ahead of the current market, and since I am kind of a tech junkie, I dreamed of owning one. Eventually I did, after recycling through one bad phone after another. I originally got an iPhone 3G since that was the newest one available and I was so excited to play with it and test it out. While it does have some kinks (i.e. apps that crash, camera takes a while to load, freezes sometimes), it still was the best phone I have ever owned. And with Apple constantly updated their operating system, the phone is always improving. The phone is one of the easiest and most streamlined phones I have ever owned. No extra buttons to find menus and such, just click "Call" to make a phone call, and "Messages" to text, so it is super simple. It's unfortunate that some people think it is complicated because of the touch screen and all of the icons, but it is perfect for all age groups. I believe if they would try it, they would love it. I have obviously upgraded since then and now own the iPhone 4 which is such an improvement on it's predecessor.

After the iPhone came out, Apple manufactured a tablet called iPad, and after seeing the first advertisement, I thought I would love to own one! And to my amazement my husband bought me one for Christmas, even though I never asked for one and wasn't expecting it. I was so excited to play with it and test it out. I loved how similar it was to the iPhone, which made it easy for me to figure out. I mainly use the tablet to write(I'm writing on it as we speak!), to sketch or edit photos, read books and magazines, and play games. It is so convenient to just flip it open and play with it. Shortly after Apple introduced their iPad 2, with the addition of the camera, and although I would love to have one, I am content with my iPad.

During all of these Apple love, I had converted my husband into a Apple user, so he felt we needed an iMac. We have heard so many great things about their computers and since we loved their phones and tablets, we knew it would fit perfectly. We got an iMac less than a year ago, and it is so easy and simple to use, but being a PC girl it has been so hard to make the switch. I have grown accustom to using Windows and leaving it behind has been hard, so I still use the PC for designing and editing. But my husband is in love with the iMac. He hated all the extra "junk" on the PCs and loves how clean the iMac is. He is the primary user of it but I still like to jump on and do other stuff when I am working on the other computer. The biggest bonus is how secure the iMac is compared to PCs. It gets far less "baggage" from the internet than it's competitors.

The Mom Challenge - Favorite Song

I joined a facebook page called The Mom Challenge  and I thought it was such a cute idea that I couldn't resist.  They describe it as "Reminding moms to take care of themselves... one small step at a time."  Well today's challenge was to find your favorite song as a teen and sing like no one is listening.  Although this song is actually older than I am, it was in my parent's CD collection, so I stumbled upon it and instantly fell in love with this song.  You better believe if I hear it on the radio I will belt it out(despite my horrible off key singing voice).

Journey- The Wheel in the Sky

Holiday World...Round 2

So for the second time this summer, the entire family went to Holiday World.  I was going to...then I didn't want to...but we ended up going and it was a blast.  My little man can't ride many rides yet but that doesn't stop us.  He rode the carousel and he semi-enjoyed it.  He hated when it wasn't moving, but once it got going , he was all smiles.

I really didn't ride much rides this time.  I was too busy playing with Colton.  We went to the Hollidog land and there is a water spouting area in the middle that the kids run around in.  Well since my son isn't exactly the best walker right now(He's a weeble wobble), he crawled around in it and loved it.  The only downfall is that the ground rubbed his toes and feet almost raw and it bled!  EEk!  He didn't even seem phased by it.  So we decided to go to the water park area after that.  And that is my son's favorite place.  We went to the wave pools and he just enjoys it so much.  He will definitely be a swimmer because he tries to jump in the water and paddle right now....too cute!  We left pretty early because my husband is on call and he was thinking he may have to go to work soon.  But we ended up snapping a picture with the Santa Clause statue before we left.

The best part is that my son is always worn out and sleeps like...a baby!

Shame on Me!!!!

I promised myself I would not be to hard on myself if this happened...but oh well.  Shame on me!  I haven't kept up with my postings!  I just have been so busy and invested in other ventures right now that I neglected my poor blog.  So sorry blog!  I promise to you and myself I WILL POST MORE OFTEN!

Weigh In Wednesday [Inspiration & Motivation]

My Workout Inspiration Board

I created an inspiration board to help motivate me when I feel like giving up.  I picked out pictures of bodies that had a quality that I wanted to work towards.  My goal is not to be stick thin, but to be healthy.  And most of the people who motivate me have some bit of curve to them.  I think my body was definitely made to be an hourglass shape, which I used to have not that long ago.

I had done really good on my diet, and making sure I was tracking what I was eating.  Then I got an overwhelming craving for sugar and sweets and carbs (Oh they are my weaknesses)!  One of the many downfalls during my monthly visit would be these cravings.  I succumbed and now I feel super guilty.  But I won't beat myself up over it because that usually leads me to want to give up.  I will just accept it and try harder.  Hope everyone else is leading a healthy life!

My long-term goal:  Start eating healthier and exercising more, encompass a healthy lifestyle.

My short-term goal: To lose 10 pounds within the next two months.

Previous Weight: 201.0 lbs.
Current Weight: 197.6 lbs.
Amount Lost: 3.4 lbs.

Accomplishment: I kept my food journal for over a week.  I also did pretty well on my diet...
Problem: Until I started craving sugar and carbs...realized it was time for Aunt Flo's visit.


Monthly Measurements: Taken on 7/13
Bust: 45 in
Waist: 41 in
Hips: 46 in

Weekend Wrap Up [To Be to Not To Be...]

Luckily for us, this weekend was definitely one to relax.  We have been so busy that it was nice to spend the weekend at home.  There was a little drama, but luckily that is over with.  I am not one to cause drama, but sometimes you can't help the way someone interprets what you say.  I just try to difuse the situation.  Life is such a precious gift to waste on pettiness.  Things go wrong, but life will always go on, so why was time dwelling.  The details are irrelevant. To say it quickly, my sister-in-law wants to start a wedding planning business, something I have been interested in a while, I was kind of hesitant, but instead of telling her, I did kind of lead her own, well I told her on Friday I was a no-go, and she was upset.  She thought I wanted to go behind her back and start my own business.  This is the number one reason you never mix business with family.  It's too personal.

To be honest, I do want to start my own business.  Event planning is my forte, that and designing paper goods for the parties.  I love every aspect of planning, from concept to reality.  When I plan something, I have every detail written out and drawn out on how I want it to look, plus a back up plan for a mishap.  Plus I deal well with stress and I am a quick thinker.  Every time I throw a party, everyone always tells me I should do this for a living.  I would love to do that.  Right now I am a stay at home mom, but I hope to one day start my own event planning business.  But for now it is on hold for a couple of reasons: I don't want her thinking I am betraying her, and I want to be more educated on it.

This weekend I also dropped off some invites to my son's 1st birthday!  I can't believe it is all ready time!  His birthday is in a week, but we are having his party the weekend after, that way my husband will definitely be off of work.  I went over to his aunt and uncle's and dropped off a couple and hung out with my bestie (my husband's cousin).  Our boys were having fun blabbing to each other.  It is too cute to watch.  Then I got a phone call from my brother.  Our mom, who hasn't talked to either of us in months (I haven't seen her since Christmas), was in a car wreck.  She needed a ride, so she called my brother, who doesn't have a reliable car.  And I found out she had changed her number and never even told me. It is a sore subject and I may elaborate more one day.  I digress....After I visited my brother, had to drop off his invite, I went to hang out with my aunt-in-law.  We chit chatted and let our boys play.  My poor guy was worn out when he got home, so Sunday was a lazy day.  We hung out at home and played until later that night, we visited my in-laws who had just got back from their vacay in Florida.  It was a pretty boring weekend, with a couple bouts of drama.

How do you feel about starting a business with relatives?

Say What? [Crazy Celebrity Baby Names]

One of the current trends seems to be naming your child an outlandish name, especially those who are celebrities.  I for one am not a fan of making my child have a unique and different name.  I believe my child's personality will do that for him.  As William Shakespeare once said "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Maybe the reason I have for this is because I have a unique name.  Deitra is not one you will ever find on the top 100 or even top 1000 baby name lists.  I had to deal with people spelling it wrong, pronouncing it incorectly, and the teacher always pausing when she got to my name.  In time I have grown to adjust and ignore.  Anything that remotely sounds like my name, I will answer too.  I think most parents want to have a name that no one has heard or seen that they forget about what a child has to go through with that name.

Recently I read about Kate Hudson's boy, Bingham Hawn, and the Beckham's girl, Harper Sevin, which really got me interested in all the recent names that celebs have decided.  Some more are Natalie Portman's son, Aleph; Ashlee Simpson's son, Bronx Mowgli; and Mariah Carey's son, Moroccan Scott. It seems like this has become overplayed.  They all have a reasoning for it, but I just love a good old simple name.  Let the personality speak for the child, not the name.

Do you have a weird name?  Do you like the unique name trend?

REVIEW [Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teething Toy]

Photo Credits: Julie Hope Photography

The picture above is from my son's nine month pictures.  We brought along one of his favorite sidekicks and trusted companion: Sophie the Giraffe.  Unfortunately Sophie is no longer with us after an accident at the zoo (refer to the last weekend wrap up).  Still I wanted to share with you my review of this beloved teething toy.

The website describes it as follows:
Sophie Giraffe
In natural rubber 0-12 months+
The famous giraffe 'Sophie', who has been part of babies; lives for more than 40 years.
Slender, flexible, and soft, baby can squeeze and chew her in complete safety. Made of 100% Natural Rubber (phthalates Free) and food paint.  Lovable and amusing, she makes a happy sound when her body is squeezed: stimulate baby's hearing and helps him to understand the link between cause and effect.  She is perfect for soothing Baby's sore gums when teething.

After reading many reviews online, I decided to splurge (price ranges from $18-$23) and buy this toy before my son began teething.  It was definitely a great investment.  My son loved this toy and really gnawed her once he started to teethe.  It really is stimulating to all five senses of the baby.  The colors are high contrast, which really caught my son's attention.  It makes a squeak when you squeeze her, which sounds similar to a dog toy, but my son loved to do it anyway.  Once he figure out that it made that noise when she was squeezed, he did it all the time.  The rubber is soft to the touch and feels great on the teeth (I tried it first).  It also had a clean smell to it.  Another bonus is the safety of the rubber and paint, especially with all the fuss over lead based paints.  I guess they didn't care as much as I was a child, because we ate just about anything!

The only pitfalls would be that it is quite pricey, but definitely worth the investment.  The paint seemed to also chip off easily.  Guess it was fine since it is food based paints, but when I saw it peeling I would cut it off.  Another big concern is the choking hazard.  I do not have personal experience with this, but I can see how it could potentially be a choking hazard.  The legs and head are slender and long and could easily get lodged into the throat.  So I would always make sure your child is supervised.

I really did enjoy this product.  It was a lifesaver in my time of need.  I think it may have some problems, but none of them were significant enough to affect my recommendation of this product.  If you have a child who is having a hard time teething, I would try out this product.

Weigh-In Wednesday [My Story]

Growing up I never really had any issues with my weight.  It was when puberty hit that all hell broke loose!   I was starting to develop in areas I wasn't ready for.  I had a very skinny brother who did nothing but eat what he wanted and played video games, while I would work out and eat healthy and still it seemed like I was expanding.  I think what really stuck to me the most and probably affected my self-esteem the most would be a comment that my step-mother made.  I still remember it.  My brother had got a Yoo-Hoo out and I asked if I could have one.  She told me that I probably shouldn't have one because I don't want to get any bigger than I all ready was.  That was the moment that I really become conscious of what I looked like.  All through high school I felt like I was fat and ugly.  Now I look back at those pictures, and I really wasn't big at all.  I would love to be that weight again.  My senior year I was 150 pounds, which is quite a bit, since I am only 5'2". 

Fast forward five years and I was at my heaviest at 220 pounds! I guess happiness does make you fat. (I met my husband and got married.) I got pregnant over a year and a half ago and was so afraid to get any bigger.  I actually ended up losing over 20 pounds, a combination of horrible morning sickness, and being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 20 weeks.  I had to be on a strict diet, which was hard for me, but worth it, to make sure my little one was healthy.  So now here I am almost a year since giving birth and I am still stuck at 200 pounds!

I have decided to really get going on this weight loss journey, and the best way for me is to hold myself accountable.  I debated about whether I would include my actual weight, and decided that actually seeing it, will motivate me. So I have decided to join in and make today: Weigh-In Wednesday!  Every Wednesday I am going to document my current weight, previous weight, amount lost, goals, accomplishments, and problems I face.

My long-term goal:  Start eating healthier and exercising more, encompass a healthy lifestyle.

My short-term goal: To lose 10 pounds within the next two months.

Previous Weight:
Current Weight: 201.0 lbs.
Amount Lost:

Accomplishment: I decided I was going to do this and really try to stick with it.
Problem: I sometimes forget to eat a meal, usually breakfast or lunch, which results in mindless eating later in the day.


Monthly Measurements: Taken on 7/13
Bust: 45 in
Waist: 41 in
Hips: 46 in

Weekend Wrap Up [A Zoo-riffic Time]

Another fun filled weekend in our household!  We wasn't really sure what we were doing this weekend, but it turned into a blast.  Friday night we grilled out at my husband's uncle's (who also happens to be my husband's best friend; they work together and he is only nine years older than us).  It started out just us and a couple of our cousin's, but slowly more family trickled in.  Almost the same crew that spent the day at Holiday World with us.  We had all ready decided that we were going to the zoo in the morning, as long as my husband got off of work in time, which he did.  Well they were wanting to go to the zoo too, so we decided to go together again!  We wanted to go to the St. Louis Zoo, but that is a three hour drive and we really wanted to get there when it opened, so we all headed home pretty early to get some rest.  We planned on leaving about 5 in the morning and we were car pulling with his uncle.  I have no problem getting up and early and ready to go as long as it is somewhere I want to be.  I was ready to leave at 5!  The van was packed, with four adult, two babies, and a three year old, who decided he was not going to sleep on the car ride over.  The babies did pretty good on the ride and slept most of the time.  We did make a pit stop at a resting place so we could stretch a little and change some diapers.  I knew my little squirt made a stinky! 

We arrived almost exactly when they opened, with some help from Google maps (thank God for my iPhone, because men can not be trusted with directions).  Everyone showed up, looking a little tired, but still excited to start the day.  I must say that I think I was more interested in to Zoo than my son, but that's okay, since he really doesn't know what he is even looking at.  I have not been to the Zoo since I was a young child and had also not seen their penguin exhibit ( I am a BIG penguin lover)!  It was another long, tiring, and yet completely fun filled day.  We saw a lot of the animals.  Only downside was the heat!  It was so hot.  And as a result I was so dehydrated..  It also doesn't help that I can go almost a whole day and only have one glass of fluids!  Another bad thing that happened was that my son dropped Sophie the Giraffe at some point and my husband looked forever but couldn't find it!  It was somewhere near the lions, so maybe they ate her for lunch.  Oh well, we can always buy another one.

What's your favorite exhibit at the zoo?

Did You Know? [Things I Didn't Know Until After Giving Birth]

It has been almost one year since I gave birth to our first son, and it sure has went by fast.  It's hard to even remember most of the details of that day.  I went into to labor almost six weeks early; after working the whole day, my husband asked if I wanted to go swimming.  I thought, "Sure!"  My feet were swollen, my back hurt, and I was hot and tired, so a dip in the pool sounded fantastic.  Little did I know I would be going into labor soon.  After I got out, I felt like I was peeing, but I had a weird feeling it wasn't pee.  Still I dried off, got dressed, and headed in town to get something to eat.  We got to the restaurant and as soon as I stood up again, that small rush of fluid came out, and I knew my water had broke.  So we hopped back in the car, and I called my doctor.  I was crying and trying to explain (I was scared out of my mind!).  We quickly packed a bag and headed to the hospital.  They ran some tests, and sure enough my water had broken.  After almost 10 hours of labor, and just 30 minutes of pushing, I gave birth to a healthy but tiny baby boy.  It was overwhelming, stressfull, scary, and extremely joyful.  Who knew you could feel so many emotions?  There were a couple interesting things I learned after giving birth.  Books seem to only focus on the pig picture, not necessarily the little surprises that can go hand in hand with childbirth.
Expect to bleed...a lot.  And sometimes for quite a while.  It felt like I was never going to stop bleeding.  I think it was almost 6 weeks of a constant period.  The hospital provides you with their massive pads and "Mesh-tastic" underwear.  When I got home I purchased the overnight pads, and they were lifesavers.  As far as the underwear are concernes, I defintiely kept with the mesh during the hospital stay.  Some people prefer to wear their own, but those were so much more comfortable and I didn't have to worry about ruining them.  Also I know some books recommended you bring your own gown...how about not!  It was a mess after giving birth, might as well use theirs instead of ruining one.  Trust me, no one is here to see what you look like or what you are wearing...it's all about the baby!  And since you will be bleeding, your lovely nurse will come in every couple of hours, usually once you get comfortable, and push on your uterus, making sure everything is doing good.  Oh the lovely parts of birth.

Before going into labor, I decided I was defintely going to be an epidural type of gal.  Why put up with the pain, when I don't have to?  So once the pain reached unbearable, I asked for one.  I was so excited to see the anesthesiologist, but as they were preparing me, it felt like forever, because everytime I had a contraction, they had to stop and wait for it to pass.  All I thought was just stick me all ready!  At the hospital I was at they lower or stop it a little before the pushing, so that you are able to actually feel the pressure and are able to push.  The esperience that I had as well as a few others, was that one of our legs was completely numb while the other one we could still move.  I didn't think this was going to happen.  I thought I would get it and not feel a thing.  I was somewhat surprised by this and wish I would have known this beforehand.
I am generally a hot natured body, but during labor, I got the worst case of the shakes and shivers.  I was hot and yet I couldn't control my body from shaking.  They say that is your bodies way of relieving stress, so I tried to breathe slowly and focus.  They eventually subsided.

Luckily for me this did not happen, but my best friend, who gave birth a few months after me, experienced this: vomitting.  Sometimes during labor, you may end up vomitting.  She had little bowels by the bed in case she felt it coming.  Some people experience it as an effect from the epidural or pain, and some doctors believe it may be related to a drop in their blood pressure.  I'm thinking it may have been a combination of all three for her.  I do remember her blood pressure dropping dangerously low at one point (She was the opposite of me...mine was dangerously high).

The very last and definitely most important thing I wish someone would have told was to make sure everything is well documented.  We did remember to pack a camera, but because our circumstance was a little different we were not prepared.  I said earlier that I don't really reember much of the details and it's only been a year.  Try to take as many pictures during your labor, and make sure you document or write little thoughts in a journal.  That is such a great way to record your labor and I wish I would have done this. 

Hopefully that provided a little insight into labor that you may not have known.  What are you most afraid of regarding giving birth?  Or if you all ready have a little one, what is something you wish you knew beforehand?

REVIEW [Downy UNSTOPABLES™ In Wash Scent Booster]

I was recently lucky enough to receive a full size sample of Downy's newest product UNSTOPABLES, from Vocalpoint.  Vocalpoint is a great website with lots of opportunities for freebies and samples.  Vocalpoint is a community of moms who love talking to other people, get energized when they are asked for their opinions, like searching for new knowledge and sharing it with others, and enjoy making a difference in people's lives.  You should at least try it out.

The following is the description from Downy's website:

Downy UNSTOPABLES™ In Wash Scent Booster

You love the softness of Downy. Now add the feisty freshness of new Downy UNSTOPABLES, an in wash scent booster that goes beyond everyday freshness to keep active wear, towels, and other fabrics smelling “wow” right up until the next wash. So every day, you can indulge in the freshness you crave. Just pick a scent below. Then see how to use UNSTOPABLES—and what makes it so fresh, easy, and fun.

Downy UNSTOPABLES Fresh

Ready to shake things up with freshness that really lasts?  Pair your favorite Downy fabric softener with Downy UNSTOPABLES Fresh, an in wash scent booster for clean breeze freshness that just won’t quit.

The first thing I noticed after opening the package, was the scent.  I received my sample in Fresh, and it really lived up to it's name.  It had a light, airy, somewhat floral fresh scent to it.  They also have it in Lush, which is lavender scented.  I also loved the packaging of the product.  The colors they chose, as well as the design and shape of the container, were all appealling to the eye.  It would really pop out next to other products.  I love that they used black, because not that many brands dare to venture into that color palette.  It really works here.  In addition to these factors, I absolutely adore the name UNSTOPABLES.  It really is unique and describes the goal of the product: to leave an unstoppable scent. As far as the product's usage, I found it to be easy to use.  Just shake into the cap, toss into water before clothes, and enjoy a lasting scent.  The scent was also lasting.  The towels I used it on a week ago, still smell Fresh!

I did, however, have an unfortunate problem with the product.  I used one of towels I washed with it, to wipe off my son.  I laid him down for a nap, and when he woke up, he had broken out all over his face and body.  He had an allergic reaction to the product.  It was the first time he has ever had that happened (At first I thought "Oh Lord...chickenpox! Which I have never had so I thought I was screwed).  We ended up giving him Benadryl and it subsided.  Another thing I think that Downy could improve on the packaging would be the lid.  It really is unnecessary.  I didn't use it, I just flipped and shook.  It would be much easier to have just a flip top and no cap.  Another downfall is the fact that it seemed like I needed quite a bit of product in order to really smell the scent. 

I would definitely recommend this to a friend, even with it's shortcomings, it is a great product with a wonderful idea behind it.  I will unfortunately not be able to use it myself because of my son's reaction to it, so it looks like someone is going to get some smell goods in the family.

Weekend Wrap Up [Happy 4th of July]

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend.  It sure has been a crazy busy weekend, at least for me.  It started off with my husband's family reunion on Sunday.  We arrived around noon, ate some yummy food, talked and laughed a lot, and enjoyed wonderful company.  My only peeve about going somewhere and being gone all day is that our 11 month old thinks he can not nap, because he may miss something.  Well a no nap baby equals a fussy baby which ultimately means a stressed mommy.  One thing I do think I am blessed with is the fact I can lay my son in his crib, shut the door, and he falls to sleep (after entertaining himself for awhile).  But unfortunately it is not so easy outside of the house.  Even when he is dead tired, he will still fight sleep.  I can't blame him, because I am the same way!  I tried to go for a walk, play with him, pass him around, let him play in his play yard, but he was having none of it.  I finally decided to just hold him down and rock him.  It usually only take a couple of minutes for him to fall asleep, but he fights and yells.  I hate doing it, but I hate having him not sleep also.  Besides all of that, the rest of the day was pretty fun.  What is so great about my husband's side is their sense of family.  They are very close and do a lot of stuff together.  Something I completely lack from my side.  We stayed until after 4, talking and just having a great time.  We also discussed our 4th of July plans.

I wasn't sure what we were doing, because I figured my husband would have to go to work.  Well we all decided to go to Holiday World, sort of last minute.  Family that had to work, were calling in to work, including my husband.  So after that came the hard part: deciding what time we all wanted to get up.  Some of them were wanting to be there when it first opened.  However the couple of us that have young children, did not feel like bringing our children that early.  The only reason we really wanted to go was to see their fireworks display, so we would have to stay until after they closed, leaving us not wanting to arrive too early.  We got there around noon, about 20 of us. The first thing we did was hang out in kiddie land.  The little ones seemed to really enjoy it.  My wonderful husband was pushing our son around, since it was his nap time (we seem to always leave around that time), so I could take pictures.   We kind of wandered around the park, stopping here and there at rides for the kids.  I am a big theme park enthusiasts, and grew up riding roller coasters; having a child changes everything.  Luckily my wonderful mother-in-law took him for a little while so my husband and I could ride the rides.  However I like roller coasters and he likes the spinning rides, so we didn't ride together much.

Growing up I had horrible motion sickness, so bad in fact that just a short ride in to town would cause me to feel nauseous.  Which is why I despise all things that spin me in circles, especially in the summer heat, when my motion sickness is heightened.  We did have a blast that day, and everyone enjoyed it and had fun.  I got some great pictures of my little man's first theme park trip.  And I can tell you that no one regretted calling into to work either!

So have you visited a theme park this summer?  Or maybe you have had family reunions also? Tell me about it.

Flashback Friday [ Imagination ]

Imagination.  Childhood is one the most amazing times for our minds.  We have no barriers or limitations and anything is possible with just a little imagination.  I grew up in the middle of nowhere and the closest children lived three miles away, so to occupy our time my brother and I really exploited our imaginations.  I want to reminisce some of the imaginative games we played as children.

Cops & Robbers

My brother, who was my best friend growing up, and I would ride our bikes everywhere.  Obviously that can become a little boring after awhile, so we took our love for riding and injected a little imagination into it to come up with our version of Cops & Robbers.  It was a role-playing game, in which one would be a cop, the other a robber.  Our "high-speed" chase took place on our long driveway.  To make it fair, the robber had about five or ten seconds of getaway time. However I really dreaded when I would be the robber for the simple fact that my brother really knew how to commit.  I think there were moments that he thought he was a cop.  He would jump off his bike and tackle me to the ground, while twisting my arm around my back (painfully I might add), all the while he would be yelling at me to "calm down" and I was "under arrest."  I was generally scared for my life!  But that adrenaline rush made it so much more entertaining.  It was like a mini version of "Cops."

Lava Floor (or Shark Infested Waters)


On the days it would rain, our imaginations were really put to the test.  We didn't have the outside to work with, just confined inside the house.  As a result we would play a game called Lava Floor, or Shark Infested Waters, depending on the day.  It was a simple game that could be played throughout the house, room to room.  The rules were simple: Don't step on the floor!  You can use the couch, coffee table, throw pillows on the floor, or any other inanimate object, as long as your body didn't touch the floor.  Of course we imagined that the entire floor was covered in lava, or full of sharks.  If a part of your body hit the ground...you lost it!  So you would have to hobble around on one leg.  It got really interesting trying to move from the living room to your room and to the bathroom.  Of course our mother always told us "She was dead" when we told her to "get out of the water!"

Booby Trap

The last game I want to discuss is a game we names Booby Trap.  This may be more for the demented children. (We turned out fine!) I want to talk about this game because unlike the other two, which are more universally played, this one seems to be limited to my brother and I.  We usually played this at night time in the house.  Basically on person would go into their room and set up a "booby trap."  After that was done, the other poor person, the "victim", would walk into the booby trapped room and try not to have a ball hit them, or a book fall on them, or trip on string.  The twist on this game was that the "victim" would walk into a pitch black room without any lights!  It was definitely fun and painful, an "enter at your own risk" type of game.

George Bernard Shaw once said: "You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream thing that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'"  The mind is limitless, as long as you allow it to be.  We probably imagined more than forty different games to play growing up.  Of course we didn't play video games all day, we had not internet, and it was unheard of for a child to have a cell phone.  I believe more children should utilize their imagination rather than depending on technology.  It's amazing how much technology has changed the world, in both positives and negatives.  

So tell me, what kind of games did you imagine as a child?