It Starts With A Playground: KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding and creating play spaces within walking distance for every child, has embarked on a nationwide mission to help communities build playspaces. MomCentral has teamed with KaBOOM! to help map online 100,000 playspaces in 100 days. Here's what counts as a playspace: a playground, field, a skate park, roller hockey rink, lake, dog park, community center, basketball court or ice rink - any place where kids can engage in unstructured play for free or a nominal fee. A playspace listing on KaBOOM! consists of an address or cross street and a description, one photo and one rating. It's easy and fun to do on their website or a twitpic from your cellphone!

For every play space entered into the KaBOOM! database on behalf of the Mom Central team, $1 will be donated to Jumpstart, a non-profit that brings at-risk preschool children and caring adults together to improve literacy. Wow!

This will be a great resource for every community member - imagine being able to now go online to the KaBOOM! site and in a few clicks identify a number of fun places to visit when family or friends come to visit or when you go on a vacation to a new location.

Visit their website today at http://playspacefinder.kaboom.org/teams/2761-momcentral to enter a playspace or visit with your little friends!

Amazon Kindle 2 prize package offered again this week!

by alynsen

This week in the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder 100,000 Playspaces in 100 Days campaign, you could win an Amazon Kindle 2 and an autographed copy of Julianne Hough's debut album!

Just as a refresher, if you:

• Join a team, and
• Add a valid new playspace (including a photo and a rating)
• OR complete an existing playspace listing

Before 10 a.m. Eastern time Monday, May 4, then you’ll be entered to win:

• An autographed copy of Julianne’s debut album
• AND an Amazon Kindle 2 as well!

.Every playspace you add or complete counts as an entry into the sweepstakes, so the more you add, the better your odds of winning!

Join a team and add playspaces today!

Something New From Ragu~Feed Our Kids Well!

Dinner time can be challenging since I work full-time - creativity can sometimes elude me after many years of the nightly, "Mom....what's for dinner?" yelled across the house the minute I walk in the front door!

A favorite "go to" in my dinner kit toolbox includes Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauces. Ragu values family time, and the importance of family meal time together. We're a perfect fit! I toss in a home made touch now and then and serve over our favorite pastas with a fresh, green salad and toasted breads for a quick and nutritious meal without a lot of fuss. Our entire family loves it.

Now Ragu has introduced two new flavors of Old World Style sauce - Sweet Tomato Basil and Margherita! MomCentral.com provided me with the opportunity for us to sample these recently. They are readily available at the local grocery stores - great value pricing, especially with a coupon!

Both sauces contain more than a full serving of veggies in every 1/2 cup of sauce and carry the "EAT SMART" logo on the label. The Sweet Tomato Basil tastes like my homemade sauce - smooth with lots of great flavor...sweet but savory, and mellow. The Margherita is a delicious blend of tomatoes, pizza seasonings, and mozzarella cheese - great for homemade pizza-style meals or snacks and this makes the perfect dipping sauce!

Ragu is a part of Unilever brands - don't forget to gather your receipts and submit for the rebate program I posted earlier this month!

Mold and Mildew? X-14 Saves the Day!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW MASTER BATHROOM!
We recently finished a huge project of gutting our old master bath and designing a new one complete with a beautiful, new SPA SHOWER! Yes, Mamma is a happy girl!
Thanks to X-14 Mold and Mildew Stain Remover, we'll keep it looking beautiful. Unfortunately, mold and mildew can develop aplenty here in Florida, even with vigilance in cleaning routines...
Like many of you, I'm a busy mom with lots to do and very little time - X-14 The Bathroom X-pert Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is a quick way to combat these dirty little nasties!

MomCental.com and X-14 Mold and Mildew Stain Remover provided me with a sample bottle to try around the house, and I was very pleased with the results! We've had a stubborn problem with yucky mold/mildew growing just inside our washing machine door around the vinyl basket. I sprayed on the areas and didn't need to scrub. I just applied the X-14 spray in a well ventilated space on the mold areas and rinsed. It was fast and very effective! Independent lab studies (Shuster Labs, Sept 2006) revealed that X-14 works up to 2 times faster than the leading competitor!


X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is a strong solution designed to tackle mold and mildew stains - one of the toughest cleaning problems around the home, RV or boat. It's safe for use on sealed grout, tile, vinyl and plastic surfaces when used as directed, and keeps the treated areas stain-free for up to two weeks! I'm glad to now have X-14 "The Bathroom X-pert" on hand in my cleaning product tool kit!

Thanks to MomCentral.com and X-14 for providing the sample to try at home!

NATIONAL MOM'S NITE OUT - TYRONE SQUARE MALL, ST PETE

National Celebration of Motherhood Set for May 7, 2009

(St Petersburg FL/Simon Mall-Tyrone Square)–– Look out America, mom’s taking the night off! The first National Mom’s Nite Out is scheduled for May 7th, 2009 and includes special events, virtual communal celebrations and the common goal of celebrating motherhood. More than 200 mom bloggers, 50 mom websites, and a dozen companies have committed to giving Moms a well-deserved night off.

National Mom’s Nite Out is being orchestrated by Maria Bailey, Host of Mom Talk Radio and author of “The Ultimate Mom Book” as well as top Mom Websites, Newbaby.com, www.newbaby.com, BlueSuitMom.com, www.bluesuitmom.com, and MomSelect.com, www.momselect.com.

“Our goal in hosting National Mom's Nite Out is to unite Moms all over the country prior to Mother’s Day,” says Maria Bailey, Author of “The Ultimate Mom Book” (HCI, 2009) and Host of Mom Talk Radio. “Most moms spend Mother’s Day taking care of the other mothers in their lives so we hope to give moms a well deserved night off right before Mother's Day."

The evening will consist of over 400 local events held across the country, as well mom-organized parties and virtual activities. Retailers such as Simon Malls, Children’s Orchard stores, and Giggle will be hosting special Mom’s Nite Out celebrations, complete with refreshments, entertainment and special offers. Family destinations Pump it Up and BounceU are even offering discounts to dad and caregivers in selected areas who want entertain the kids while Mom is enjoying her evening. Food and beverages at many of these events are being provided by corporate sponsors, such as Jose Cuervo.

Top mom bloggers and highly respected mom experts are also getting in on the fun by hosting their own events. Hundreds of mom-organized parties and gathering will be taking place that evening, including a Boston-area comedy show hosted by popular mom podcasters, Manic Mommies, a New York City “Daycation” themed party at Giggle and book signing party in Los Angeles with Mom authors and experts such as Kimberley Clayton Blaine, Romi Lassally, Megan Calhoun, Michelle Lamar, and Mallika Chopra.

I've been invited to participate in the Simon Mall/Tyrone Square St Petersburg event! Come see me - we're gonna have a blast!

If Moms can’t attend an event at a physical location, they can still take part in the festivities. To allow moms everywhere to participate, mothers will be invited to throw their own Mom’s Nite Out event by downloading party ideas and elements from the National Mom’s Nite Out website, www.momsniteout.com. On the evening of the event, thousands of moms will be socializing virtually through online chats, Skype and Twitter tweet-ups.

· What: National Mom's Nite Out is shaping up to be the largest cooperative effort of Mommy groups, Mom-focused organizations, bloggers and vloggers- all coming together for one great night in support of motherhood.

· When: Thursday, May 7, 2009 (Thursday before Mother’s Day)

· Where: Online, On Twitter, In Social Network Sites, In-home and in Sponsoring Retail Locations

· Official Song: Mothers Day Today, available on iTunes and the National Mom’s Nite Out site
Performed by: Jill Gioia
Written & Produced by: Jim Papoulis Conceived by: Alignment Enterprises
In Partnership with: MAMAPALOOZA: Mom-Branded Entertainment

· Official Drink: Mamatini, Momopolitan and Mamajitos

· Official Food: Chocolate

For event locations and a complete list of partners, visit http://www.momsniteout.com/.

Fishful Thinking...Nourish Their Possibilities (TM)

I am pleased to have been selected as a Fishful Thinking Ambassador. I received my Resource Kit in the mail today! I will be using these materials as I work with the Girl Scouts, YMCA, Our Savior Lutheran Church and School, Parenting Groups, friends/family/neighbors, and other community activities to share these great messages of inspiration and positive parenting! The Program even provides some incentives each week, and I'm pleased to say that I have achieved Top 15 Status for the past three weeks! If you live in my area, please be sure to contact me to find out how we can work together to share this wonderful opportunity with your family or group...

Click on the linky to learn more:
http://fishfulthinking.repnation.com/Log.ashx?a=2&i=91&r=de6d0f24-c6e5-42a7-8a1a-8a45535e05ad


Fishful Thinking is comprised of five Key Ingredients:
Optimism: Focusing on the positive things in life.
Emotional Awareness: Expressing and controlling your feelings
Goal Setting/Hope: Finding ways to achieve your goals.
Resilience: Coping with life's ups and downs.
Empowerment: Identifying and using your strengths and skills.

Spring Cleaning - Bag It Up! My daughter Kristen and I worked together to identify our personal negative self-talk as discussed in the Week 2 Activity. I really loved this activity so much. It was great launching point for she and I to talk about how young ladies (especially) can slip into negative self-talk and mental clutter! We talked about her math experiences at school earlier in the year when she was really beating herself up unnecessarily about her math grades and comprehension. Now, she is doing much better and understands the current concepts (all A's!!!). She was tickled to be able to write it all down, ball up the paper, and toss it into the "Giveaways" Bag. We'll hold on to the bag for future use!
My favorite comment from Krissy during the activity:
"I've been beating myself up about my math work, but now "SO WHAT" - I'm all good!"

Baby Einstein Premiere Party - Discover Our World Together

Wow, I was in for a treat when I was recently able to host a fun, interactive celebration featuring the new Disney's Baby Einstein World Music DVD and CD for some of my favorite little friends! Special thanks to my friends at www.momcentral.com to providing us with the DVD, CD, and Baby Einstein-themed party goods to share for our event.

The music was lots of fun for little ones ages birth and up for the CD and recommended from 3 months and up for the DVD. The DVD is great to enjoy with your child and friends. The music truly is a global perspective, "...a concert for little ears!" and even includes the lyrics to sing a long. I loved that several of the songs are in the native languages - fascinating for little ones to gain exposure to new sounds and experiences...

World Music is a great introduction to those sweet, little ears to amazing songs and music from around the world. What a treat for the senses! Our group of little folks completely enjoyed it from start to finish - it certainly was a fresh, new perspective to watching the DVD in a group setting, but it held everyone's interest for the full 37 minutes of the show as we explored new cultures together.

My daughter Kristen (age 10) was excited to check it out and we had some fun "shakin our groove thing" to the beat!

I encourage you to share this with your family soon - it's readily available at all retail outlets (B&M and online).

Disney Baby Einstein World Music CD Playlist:
1. Baby Einstein World Music Overtune
2. African Savnna Morning
3. Eagle Song (Hopi Tribe)/Billy Boy -North American Medley
4. Piruliot (lollipop) - Brazil
5. Londonberry Air/Garry Owen Jig (traditional) - A Celtic Medley
6. I am Happy - Africa
7. Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower) - China
8. Pilsen Polka (melody from Remembrances of Pilsen Polka, Smetana)
9. Aradiban Dance (meldoy from Peer Gynt, Grieg)
10. Bonnie
11. Trepak, Tchaikovsky - Russian Dance
12. Rainstick Joey - Australia
13. Anila Ghungroo - India
14. Golden Trompong - Indonesia
15. Bard, the Piper - Trinidad
16. Rainforest Dance
17. Shoo Fly - US
18. Arroz con Leche (vocal in Spanish) - Puerto Rico
19. Alouette (vocal in French) - France
20. Kogame, Kogame (vocal in Japanese) - Japan
21. This World, Our Wolrd
22. Ho Watanay - An Iroquoi Lullaby

Fishful Thinking Sharing Activity for Your Family

http://fishfulthinking.repnation.com/Log.ashx?a=2&i=134&r=de6d0f24-c6e5-42a7-8a1a-8a45535e05ad

Click on this linky to learn more about Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers Fishful Thinking Program!




I joined the Repnation Ambassador program last week and was in the Top 15 for Week 3 to earn a $50 gift card!

Unilever Helping By MakingLifeBetter...and Contest

Be sure to check out your Sunday Newspaper this weekend (April 5):

Unilever brands are offering a sweeeet deal for your holiday meals....

In full color insert in our St Petersburg Times today had a pull out with up to $11 in savings on pantry staples including Bertolli, Breyers, Lipton soup mixes, Knorr mixes, Knorr Pasta Sides, Country Crock, Skippy Peanut Butter, Ragu plus several health/beauty products such as Caress, Vaseline, and Axe.

BEST OF ALL:
There's a mail-in rebate offer for up to a $20 value free ham or turkey if you purchase any ham or turkey and $40 worth of Unilver products:

The coupon Unilever is offering where you can get up to $20 back on your ham or turkey purchase by mail when you buy $40 in Unilever products during the month of April. The coupon will be in Newspapers this Sunday, April 5th.

For more information, visit http://www.makinglifebetter.com so you can also check out the site.
Also be sure to visit my good friends at MomCentral: http://www.MomCentral.com to get additional tips and information about parenting and other relevant topics.

SPECIAL CONTEST OPPORTUNITY:

Post a comment on my site between now and end of contest April 20, 2009 12 Midnight EST. Provide your favorite Easter or Passover holiday family meal memory including your contact information. One winner will be randomly selected from all posts received to win a $25 Target Gift Card to help with holiday shopping! Winner will be contacted via information provided and prize will be mailed to winner via US Mail.

Thank you for reading and participating - Good Luck and Have a Wonderful Week!

NEOSPORIN First Aid Products to the Rescue!

OUCH!
Every mom's worst nightmare is when a child gets a nasty scrape, scratch, itch, or cut!
My son Cameron and daughter Kristen get their fair share of them....pretty much weekly!
I have always trusted Neosporin brand products to help, and now I've got some additional items to add to my Dr. Mom Toolkit:
MomCentral kindly provided me with some samples to try recently of NEOSPORIN + Pain Relief Ointment, NEOSPORIN + Pain Relief Cream, and the newly available NEOSPORIN NEO TO GO! First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Spray.

These products are truly a blessing. As you can see above, Kristen found another invisible whatever to stumble over at school last week and really tore up her knee (photo below with Boo Boo Bunny, too)! It was great to have these amazing healing and pain relief items immediately on hand to put them to work and help her feel better right away. That's just what our kids expect from their caretakers, right?

I visited NEOSPORIN's web site recently and they have some great info and resources:
www.NEOSPORIN.com
They have coupons available and great first aid tips, etc.