Scrubbing Bubbles

If there is one thing I hate the most about cleaning, it would have to be scrubbing my shower. Hate. It.

I know I'm not alone. According to a Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber Survey, 80% of women admit they dislike cleaning the shower and bathtub. (Ummm...who are the 20% who actually like cleaning them???) More than half of women (58%) clean their shower or bathtub at least once a week, and more than one in ten (14 percent) do so at least once daily (they must be part of that "love to clean my shower" group).

23% of women would rather pay household bills than clean their bathtubs, 11 percent would rather write thank you notes, and another 11% would rather sit in traffic.

Now for the top reasons why we despise cleaning our showers so much. From the 80% of women cited above, 34% can't stand chapped hands or chipped nails, 23% hate the muscle soreness and 38% hate how often it needs cleaning.

If you think you can skimp on cleaning, consider these juicy statistics: More than two in five women (44%) admit to having peeked around the bathroom when visiting someone else's home (most often looking inside medicine cabinets and drawers, but about 19% also admit to peeking around the shower curtain!!!!)

I have discovered a lifesaver for cleaning my shower and am amazed at how well it worked. New Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber is an easy-to-use, and effective, shower scrubber that saves your hands and your energy.

The scrubber is made of foam and has a handle to grip that keeps you from having to touch the cleaner. You simply push the foam holder onto a cleaning pad and wet it slightly.



I was able to quickly scrub down my shower in five minutes! And it does an amazing job. With hardly any effort, my shower walls were actually sparkling (I'm totally serious) and I could see my reflection in the walls. I've gotten far less results with much more effort with traditional cleaners and brushes.

Click here to learn more about this fabulous product, here for a $2 coupon, and here for some really good cleaning tips.

Thank You to Dawn!

Many thanks to Dawn at Coming to a Nursery Near You! I was the lucky winner of a $25 gift card to Outback Steakhouse in her Father's Day giveaway.

The card arrived today and my family and I can't wait to use it. Thanks, Dawn!

Beauty Best With Suave Giveaway

As moms, we often take care of others before taking care of ourselves. Beauty becomes a low priority when you're chasing toddlers and are lucky to get a five minute shower in!

Suave understands this and has created a line of affordable products to help. As their site says, "Motherhood Isn't Always Pretty." Click here to see moms who used Suave to "get themselves back." You can see videos of which products were used and how they accomplished their makeovers.

I was able to test and review several Suave products myself and I cannot say enough good things about them. My favorite is Suave Skin Therapy Advanced Therapy Moisturizer. Not only does it make my skin silky smooth, it smells delicious! (I keep sniffing my hands after I put it on at bedtime because it smells so good).

Their shampoos and conditioners are just as wonderful. I use both the Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine shampoo and conditioner as well as the Suave Professionals Vibrant Blonde shampoo and conditioner (I alternate them on different days, which is really good for your hair).

My kids love Suave Kids 3 in 1 Shampoo-Conditioner-Body Wash in Splashing Apple Toss. And I love how economical it is. Plus, having three uses in one bottle is good for the earth (fewer bottles means less trash to dispose of).

Thanks to Suave and Weber Shandwick, I have a HUGE bundle of goodies to give to one lucky reader!

The winner will receive all of these fine Suave products:

• A copy of The Hot Mom’s Handbook by Jessica Denay
  
• Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo & Conditioner
  
• Suave Skin Therapy Daily Exfoliating Body Wash
  
• Suave Skin Therapy Body Lotion in Cocoa Butter with Shea
  
• Suave Professionals Extra Hold Gel
  
• Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray
  
• Suave 24-Hour Protection Invisible Solid in Unscented
  
• Suave Kids 3 in 1 Shampoo-Conditioner-Body Wash in Splashing Apple Toss
  
• Suave Kids Double Dutch Apple Detangling Spray

To enter, simply leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite Suave product is, or which one you'd love to try. One entry per person, and please be sure that there is an email address that you can be reached at should you win.

Winner must claim prize within two weeks of notification or prize is forfeited. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, July 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Good luck!

MatchMaster Winner

Congratulations to Samantha who has won two MatchMaster hand-held, electronic games! Thanks to all who entered and for sharing your favorite physical activites.

Many thanks also to Rogers and Cowan for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway.

Stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon!

Stay-At-Home Survival Guide

There are plenty of books on the market that give advice on raising children. But what about you? Want to know how you can survive those child-raising years?

Melissa Stanton shares excellent advice on just that topic in her new self-help book The Stay-At-Home Survival Guide - Field-tested strategies for staying smart, sane, and connected while caring for your kids, published by Seal Press.

Stanton is a former editor of People (my dream job) and LIFE magazines who decided to leave the workforce to raise her children. She shares the lessons and skills she's learned along the way in the book, with advice on topics such as creating time for yourself, making friends, getting your partner more involved in child rearing, and more.

The book includes interviews with stay-at-home moms, discussions with experts and has checklists to help you make the most of your time and keep you balanced. Stanton also shares her own experiences on leaving a career to become a stay-at-home mom herself.

I am so happy to have found a book that not only understands the struggles stay-at-home moms go through, but that gives us a guide to surviving those struggles.

My absolute favorite part of the book is a little excerpt titled, "What Do You Say When You're Asked 'What Do You Do?'" Before I became a freelance writer, I would always answer that question with, "I'm a stay-at-home mom."

When I began writing and answered, "I'm a freelance writer," I was amazed at the difference in the responses I'd get! Their faces would light up and they would suddenly be so interested in what I had to say. As if being a mom isn't more important than putting words on a piece of paper.

In this particular excerpt in the book, Stanton shares responses from mothers across the country on how they handle this question. Reading these two responses made me grin from ear to ear:

"...I've realized that once most people figure out you stay home, they don't think you have anything important to say." -Jen

"I always give it to them straight and say I'm a homemaker. I tend not to say I'm a lawyer or a cellist unless it comes up. I watch their reactions. It's no loss to me to not spend time with a person who's so stupid as to actually think that because someone cares for the most important asset society has, she has nothing to offer the conversation." -Sandra

Wow! It felt SO good to read that!

I highly recommend this book to all stay-at-home moms, dads, or those who just want to understand what it's like to be in our shoes. You'll feel an instant camaraderie with Stanton and the moms who share their experiences in the book. And what stay-at-home mom couldn't use a little camaraderie?

Find The Stay-At-Home Survival Guide at Amazon by clicking here.

MatchMaster Giveaway

What kid doesn't love video games? Most days, I have to make my kids stop playing them so they can get outdoors and get some exercise.

Now, there's a hand held video game that teaches kids the importance of exercise, healthy eating and discipline! MatchMaster, associated with The David Beckham Academy, is an interactive soccer game that combines fun with fitness.

The lightweight, easy-to-use electronic game is available in royal blue and sky blue with a retail price of $19.96 and is sold at Wal-Mart. The game offers seven virtual soccer games and four Infra Red games, allowing players to challenge others to become the ultimate MatchMaster.

Players must select their “Daily Routine Planner” during select time frames, which includes choosing meals, training and sleep to cultivate a stronger virtual player. These key elements encourage children to maintain a healthy “Lifeline”, which can be directly related to their daily lives, but in a fun and interactive way.

The better coached player will perform at a higher level during the seven interactive training games allowing them to accumulate more points. Once the player masters the training games they can test their skills against another player using one of the four Infra Red challenges.

My 7-year-old daughter Natalie, and my 11-year-old son Matthew, both LOVE their games! Here's what they had to say about MatchMaster:

Natalie: "I love that you get to play against other people with the infrared."
Matthew:"I love that you get to create your own player and tell him when to eat, sleep, train and play."

They play head-to-head games all the time by simply aiming their games at each other (so that the infrared recognizes the other game).

I am giving away TWO games to one lucky winner (so that the winner will be able to play against others).

Simply leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite physical activity is. Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Winner has two weeks to respond to prize notification or prize is forfeited. One entry per person. Please be sure there is an email address that I may reach you at should you win.

To enter MatchMaster's separate sweepstakes, click here. The sweepstake prizes range from a trip for ten to London to trips to Los Angeles and training courses at the David Beckham Academies.

Purely Decadent Ice Cream Winner

Congratulations to Misty from Planet Misty and Bern! Both have won two coupons each for free Purely Decadent Ice Cream! Enjoy!

Thanks to all who entered and thanks to Turtle Mountain for the great giveaway. Stay tuned for another fabulous giveaway coming this week.

Breathe Green With AccuClean

With all of the attention on living green these days, one thing that tends to get overlooked is the air we breathe in our own homes. Did you know that indoor air is four to five times more polluted than outdoor air? And all of those indoor allergens can aggravate conditions like asthma, which my kids have, so clean air is very important to our family.

American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning's AccuClean™ whole home air filtration system is by far the best system on the market for reducing indoor air pollution. It attaches to your existing furnace or air handler, so there is no need for major work on install. Once installed, AccuClean™ removes allergens from the air in every room of the house.

Unlike other systems, AccuClean™ removes 99.98% of allergens as well as 99% of the common flu virus. Allergens like mold, dust mites, pollen, even pet hair and animal dander, are filtered before they can land on your rugs, floors and upholstery. The system also removes odors as the majority of irritating particles like cooking grease, even smoke from burnt food, can be removed from the air. Standard 1" throwaway filters and ionic-type room appliances cannot come close to comparing to that!

For two years, Hannah Keeley (consulting principal of Mom Central's and founder of www.TotalMom.com), has been working closely with American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning and has talked with moms about the difference AccuClean™ makes. Here is what Hannah had to say about AccuClean:

"Keeping the dirt and dust out of your house is easier said than done, and cleaning every day is simply not an option for today's busy families. AccuClean prevents unwanted dust and dander from continually circulating in your home, ensuring the indoor air your family breathes is cleaner and healthier."

To learn more about AccuClean™ and to read more of Hannah's tips, click here.

Anonymous Mom

Psst....do you have a secret to tell? Visit Anonymous Mom to spill it, or read others' dirty little secrets!

From Anonymous Mom:

"No judgements, no advice, no husbands,
children or even your own mother finding you.
Simply your own place to let it all hang out!

Anonymous Thoughts
Anonymous Dreams
Anonymous Stories

Your secrets are safe with us
Share your story.

Enjoy!

Coconut Milk Ice Cream = Heaven

Years ago, after having my third child, I suddenly developed an intolerance to lactose. Eating regular ice cream makes me very sick, so I had to sit and watch others enjoy my favorite food.

Then, I discovered lactose-free ice creams such as Purely Decadent by Turtle Mountain(my favorite). I can't begin to describe how happy I was to eat ice cream again!

Now, Purely Decadent has created Coconut Milk Ice Cream that comes in five flavors: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip and Coconut. All are made with organic coconut milk instead of dairy or soy milk and contain fewer calories, less sugar and less fat than most super-premium ice creams. All five flavors are also 100% gluten-free.

Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream will be available at Whole Foods Markets in June and nationwide at select grocery and natural foods stores in the months following.

I was able to try the Vanilla Bean and the Coconut flavors, and oh my gosh! It was the best ice cream I've EVER had, even before my lactose intolerance. My favorite was the Coconut. I'm embarrassed to say I ate the entire pint in one sitting. It's so good, you just can't stop!

Click here to sign up for coupons, contests, and more.

Two lucky readers will each win two coupons for Purely Decadent Ice Cream! Simply leave a comment here to be entered. One entry per person, and please make sure you have an email address that I can contact you at should you win.

Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, June 8. Winner has two weeks to claim their prize or another winner will be selected.

Good luck!