Like most kids, my children are fascinated by nature. Their little eyes light up when they learn about the wonderful world around them. They love animals, insects, and of course sea life. We watch a lot of educational documentaries, and my 3 year old is always asking me what kind of fishy that is, or if we can go catch them at the river. (Sorry, Sophie, I don't think we can reel in some dolphins or barracudas from our local river!) So when I got the opportunity to check out the brand new book, "Shimmer & Splash: The Sparkling World of Sea Life", I knew my kids would be very excited. This great book by Jim Arnosky is loaded with bright, vibrant illustrations as well as a wealth of information about all of the different forms of sea life. The really neat part is that many of the pages fold out, "centerfold style" so kids can enjoy panoramic views of life under the sea.
93 Comments
***Disclosure: I received an all-expense paid trip from Disney/Marvel to cover the Hollywood premiere of Iron Man 3. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** You might recall that my Iron Man 3 red carpet experience was held at the El Capitan Theater, located on fabulous Hollywood Blvd. This venue was the perfect location for this star-studded event, since it features so many larger than life details...Bright lights, grandiose architecture, rich colors, and even a vintage looking theater room that is fit for royalty.
The El Capitan Theater is one of the things that makes Hollywood, well....Hollywood! This iconic theater has been around for quite some time, and has been lovingly restored to its original splendor. This building screams 1920's glamour, so when you go inside, it's almost as if you've been transported to a bygone era. Old school Hollywood...When names like Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, and Bob Hope were household names that made fans swoon. ***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** Party season is upon us! (Do I hear a collective cheer?) I know we're planning to have several get-togethers during the summer months. In our town, every weekend there is live music on the riverfront, which happens to only be a couple of blocks from our home. (Which is just one of the zillion reasons I love my hometown more than any place I have ever been.) So naturally, we intend to invite friends and family over to enjoy food and drink, and then head over to check out the bands that are playing. We just bought new patio furniture, a grill, and one of those huge wooden playsets for the kids. We also have a relaxing hammock and a fire pit for bonfires. So we're pretty excited to finally start entertaining in our new home. But with party planning comes stress....and lots of it! There is menu planning, decor to find, invitations to get out, and even music playlists to create. For a busy mom like me who already has a ton of responsibilities, it's enough to make me want to scream at times. That's why I choose to be calm and relax after a busy day using essential oils from Aura Cacia. I am a firm believer in the mood-enhancing properties of aromatherapy, and different essential oils have different effects. When I am trying to calm down and de-stress, I like Ylang Ylang. ***I received an all-expense paid trip from Disney/Marvel to cover the Iron Man 3 premiere. I also received a complimentary cookbook from Gwyneth Paltrow. As always, all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** As you may recall, I recently got the awesome opportunity to chat with Gwyneth Paltrow about her role as Pepper Potts in the Iron Man series. (If you haven't seen Iron Man 3 yet, it's in theaters now. Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this!) Chatting with Gwyneth was a lot of fun, and she was very down to earth and easy to relate to. She was also very enthusiastic, not only about her acting career, but about an even more important role she plays...her role as a mother! (And let's face it...While the pay for this particular role may be low, the rewards are endless!) Gwyneth is the mom to 2 amazing kids, her daughter Apple and her son, Moses. Like many moms out there, she has had to learn to create menu plans that not only offer the best nutrition, but are also in sync with her kids' food allergies and sensitivities. In Gwyneth's home, there are several factors to consider, including dairy and gluten allergies. Luckily, she is a whiz in the kitchen and a self-proclaimed foodie, so finding meals that her kids could safely eat that taste amazing was a challenge she happily took on. Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow released a brand new cookbook called "It's All Good" that have loads of healthy, tasty recipes that are easy to make and a pleasure to eat. The recipes in the cookbook also fit seamlessly into many different diets, including the elimination diet, gluten-free diets, and even vegan diets. Gwyneth generously gave us each a copy of the book, and she personalized them for us while we chatted. She talked to us candidly about her love for food and family, and even shared some very personal struggles she has dealt with when it comes to her own health and dietary needs. Here are some of the highlights from this interview. We all need to adapt our skin care routines during the hot, humid summers. 1. We all sweat more during a sticky July day. To keep your face looking fresh, your summer cleanser and moisturizer should be a touch more drying to control oil production. Look for cleansers that contain drying and acne fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid, and moisturizers that are lightweight. For acne prone individuals, oil control for the rest of your skin is also important so be sure to use a body cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. 2. No sunscreen is truly "waterproof" or "sweatproof," since all sunblocks will dissolve in water eventually. In fact, these labels will soon be a thing of the past since the FDA has ruled that only the term "water resistant," with a time limit, can be used on a label. If you are swimming, exercising, or even just sweating from a day of walking around, you should reapply your sunscreen every 1-2 hours for continued protection. 3. Sunscreens with an SPF below 15 do not protect against skin cancer or premature aging. The FDA will now require these products to state that they only protect against sunburns, but not against the carcinogenic effects of the sun. Make sure you pick a sunscreen with enough SPF. 4. Swim shirts and brimmed hats with UV protection are very popular right now. You see every toddler and young child at the pool or beach wearing them. If adults are mindful enough to protect their children from large doses of sun exposure, shouldn't the same rules apply to big people? Protecting yourself with a swim coverup that contains SPF and a wide brimmed hat means you will be stylish and safe at the beach! 5. During the summertime, sun spots can darken with sun exposure. Being vigilant about sun protection and using a prescription strength lightening cream containing hydroquinone at night can help keep those sunspots light and your skin tone even. Okay, so I am completely, over-the-moon excited about Disney's new animated film, PLANES, which is soaring into theaters on August 9, 2013. You see, we are huge Disney fans in my home. (With 2 toddlers and a teen, how couldn't we love all things Disney?!) My kids love cheering on Lightning McQueen in the Cars movies, they adore Disney princesses, and they even want to be professional "scarers" like Mike and Sully of Monsters, Inc. fame. So I just KNOW they will flip over Dusty and his high-flying pals in the new movie, PLANES! To get their jet-engines all revved up and ready to see this movie, I downloaded these fun coloring sheets and connect the dots for them to enjoy. They're totally FREE, and are a great way to get kids in the mood for some jet-setting fun this summer! To download your own fun activity sheets, just click the image below! “Like” Disney’s PLANES on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyPlanes
"Follow" Disney’s PLANES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures Visit the website: www.disney.com/Planes Disney’s PLANES releases in theaters everywhere on August 9th! Every year we as a family try to come up with some quirky activity that we can all enjoy
with our little and adult friends. It’s a day of coming together so we invite our closest friends and their kids for a backyard grill and organise a fun, no stress group activity. We’ve had water-slide races, playdough house building competitions, bread baking competitions in the outside wood fire, even a dancing competition where we split up into groups and choreographed a dance routine with our kids to perform in front of an hysterical crowd. It’s mandatory that all adults participate, I mean, let’s face it, how often do you get the day with your hubby and your kids and your friends? If you’re all together, i.e. a no babysitters event, then why not enjoy the day together? It’s in our human nature to want to play and I’m telling you it’s so much fun!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love my adult time (and I’ve tried to incorporate some into this years activity don’t you worry about that!) but just letting yourself be a kid for a day, relating to them on their level is immensely freeing. As adults, it’s part of our human nature (that insecure side of ourselves) that we worry too much about the things that aren’t important - like behaving like cool adults, keeping up the only partial truth that we’ve got it all together—great house, successful career, spunky husband who still finds you irresistible even when you’ve got baby vomit caked into your scalp. Sometimes you’ve just got to say “Screw it, I’m going to have some good, clean, wholesome fun!!” So, this year we are face painting. Everybody’s name goes into a hat and each person, adult and child (even toddlers can participate) has to paint someone else’s face, and legs and arms if they so wish. We’ve actually done this before at a relative’s adult birthday party and it was loads of fun. If you buy water-based paint you shouldn’t have to worry too much about your clothes but leave your finery at home for this day. You can build a board of photos with suggestions and have prizes for the winners. Good music is always a great idea to keep everyone in a festive mood. As the day goes on more and more funny, colorful faces appear in the crowd. It really makes everyone drop their serious side for a day of play and it’s fantastic bonding time for parents and kids. Now for the really good bit: I’ve said it’s in our human nature to want to be silly little kids, well it’s also in our human nature to want to be naughty grown-ups. Once everybody has gone home, the kids are in bed and the mess is cleaned up it’s time to put on some steamy music of your choice, hop in the shower or bath with your loved one and help each other get rid of all that paint! The perfect end to a perfect day… Author Bio: Sam loves being a mom and is a passionate writer! She loves to study the world – and it’s a big wide world to find out about! There is so much fascinating knowledge out there – ideas and reviews are everywhere and they will get you inspired! Sam has recently discovered the work of biologist Jeremy Griffith which she is finding extremely interesting regarding human nature. Here in Ohio, the weather is finally getting nice. Along with the sunny skies and warmer temperatures come bugs. Thankfully, I haven't noticed any in my house, but we did see a pretty large colony of ants outside in the yard. We're basically gutting our whole yard and redoing it, and my husband kicked up a huge ant-hill nestled among our flowerbeds. Not good. Not good at all. So now, we're going to have to treat the outside perimeter of our property to make sure these buggers don't make their way inside the house. Sure, ants may seem non-threatening, but check out this infographic from Moxie Pest Control. It's pretty eye-opening! How do you combat bug problems during the spring and summer months? I'd love to hear your tips!
***Disclosure: Chick-fil-A supplied these materials to me in promotion of their new salads and wraps. No compensation has been provided. *** I have to admit, I don't eat a lot of fast food. I love to cook, so my family usually eats at home. I am not opposed to the occasional fast-food indulgence, but I always try and find options that are better than the average burger. I usually go for grilled chicken, wraps, and salads with fat-free dressing on the side.
Surprisingly, I have never tried Chick-Fil-A, although I hear they have delicious food. We have one right down the road, and now that they have new salad and wrap options, I know we will be making a trip there soon! Check out these new product offerings: ***Disclosure: I received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Marvel to cover the Iron Man 3 Hollywood Premiere. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** When I was in Hollywood for the Iron Man 3 red carpet premiere, I got to hob-nob with celebs like Robert Downey, Jr., Justin Bieber (AKA "the Biebs"), Robert DeNiro, and my favorite actress of all time, Betty White. Forrest Gump also made an appearance, although he did look more than a little bit lost. Maybe he got misdirected on one of his infamous runs across the country. Before you all get too jealous and excited, I have to make a confession: Yes, I did get to meet a few celebs. Gwyneth Paltrow was amazing, and Ty Simpkins charmed the socks off of the Iron Man 3 bloggers. But the stars listed above? Well...I did hang out with them, but they had no choice in the matter. They were the super-realistic wax figures at Madame Tussaud's in Hollywood! |
PR Friendly Mama!
I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com Links We Love :Archives
June 2023
|