hooray, hubby just found a camera we’d thought was lost for sure!   here are three kidlets on Valentine’s Day!

I’ll admit it,  in our house the tv is on a lot!  I personally love tv and the kids and I share a lot of time watching things together.   Some people would say it’s seasonal but we watch tv when it’s too cold to go out and when we get too tired or hot to be outside.  Luckily, the kids and I tend to agree on programming — most of the time that is.

A current selection has been Animal Atlas on DVD.  If you like to learn something from your entertainment then this is a great choice.  It’s been great to keep all three kids AND me from walking away. 

Lots of current facts, this dvd was just released in April 2009.  I’ve noticed with boy2001 he’s really into non-fiction, like most kids his age he loves to know things.  His favorite thing lately has been, “I know that…” Facts and figures are like gold to him, I’m often surprised by what he retains and spurts out in conversation.  Of course I want something that he likes but I also want to entertain and inform my younger two.  Animal Atlas fits the bill for all three!

Animal Atlas: Animals and Us

1. Who Needs Our Help? is very informative, of course it is a little sad to talk about extinction but of course it’s a great time to talk about what we can do to help reduce man’s effect on wildlife
2. Who’s At the Aquarium?  starts out at the ocean and gives some great history facts about aquariums.  I found the stories on how the animals came to the aquarium very good.  I have the domestic vs wild talk with the kids every time they find a creature on the beach.
3. Who’s At the Zoo?   lots of endangered creatures that’s who!  zoos have become a refuge for animals with nowhere to go.

Animal Atlas DVDs are available at many retailers or shop online.  It looks like there’s a lot of fun stuff coming up with this series, I’ll be sure to keep you posted as I know more.  Check out www.animalatlas.tv has great animal info that will keep your little one on the edge of their seat. 

Check your local listings!

I LOVE giving and getting DVDs because they are one size fits all, last forever, are a great family gift for one low price. 

The Mom Bloggers Club recently recruited people to try out Oscar Mayer hotdogs.  I was sent $15 to make a meal.  I ended up making 2 videos…

Boy2001 was most excited about the project and was a big help.  Girl2004 isn’t crazy about hotdogs but she had lots of other stuff to choose from.  Girl2006 was loving it, she had a blast making the vids and made sure to put on her party dress for the first one!

I don’t consider hotdogs, no matter how well made, “good” for you by any stretch so I always make sure to have a couple of healthy sides to go with them.  That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed eating our hotdogs!

Don’t miss it! October 8, 2009 is the date for the next Read for the Record, the goal is to get 1 million people reading! You can always count on a fun event at Starbucks. 

The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle will be read all over the world on this day, pledge to read to your group.

The event benefits www.Jumpstart.org  Pledge to read

I’m posting this in response to Mom Central’s call for posts alerting people to some tips for breathing easier this season.    Spring is a beautiful time when everything comes alive outdoors, at least it’s beautiful for those of us that don’t have allergies! 

For allergy sufferers, spring can be a very frustrating time, those who can, head indoors for relief.  But that may be the worst thing they can do – indoor air quality can be even worst.  My husband sometimes has trouble breathing, we’re not sure if it’s dust, pet or pollen but there is often something that gets to his throat. 

I’m always careful to clean without kicking up the dust but what would be the biggest help would be to upgrade to a laminate floor… our carpet is the major dust/allergen keeper in the house.

Dr. Neil Schachter, M.D., past president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York, suggests a “home health check-up” to help make your home a healthier place to live.  He recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain ammonia or chlorine, and limiting your pet’s access to certain areas of the home, including the bedroom.

We do keep the dog out of the master bedroom (also carpeted – boo) but we don’t have a filter, I really would like to get one but I hate to be disappointed.  So, for now I’ve joined the Clean Air Club.  I like to get informative newsletters, they promise to have special offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more.  Plus, the first 50 people to sign up each week will receive a free bamboo plant – a natural air purifier.

If you’d like more information, please visit www.Filtrete.com  there’s also a chance to win a home inspection by Steve Ramos from HGTV’s House Detective.

My top 3 favorite Dr. Schachter tips:

1. Houseplants…a clean air ally – Common indoor houseplants, such as bamboo plants, English ivy and peace lily, can provide a natural way to help fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution by absorbing some potentially harmful gases. A six-inch potted green plant can clean a room of excess carbon dioxide in eight hours².
2. Lay area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting – Wall-to-wall carpeting can attract and hold indoor dirt, pollen, pet hair and mold spores and many contain chemicals.  Vacuuming can remove some surface dirt, but often, the vacuum can actually push pollutants deeper into carpet fibers.  Area rugs are best since they can be picked up and cleaned thoroughly.
3. Leave shoes outside – Avoid bringing contaminated outdoor pollutants indoors by removing your shoes before entering the home.  Wearing shoes indoors can track particles that can become airborne, including animal dander, mold spores, pollen and bacteria. 

I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few good books lately, one of the them is The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick D. Niece.  It’s a great read and really makes me think of how much I take for granted… I guess most of us do but it really hits home when you see how other people have to live. 

I always find it interesting to see what people remember from the past.  Each of us defines our own history which makes me think about my own kids, what will they remember? what will be a fond memory and what is making the biggest impression on them?  Only time will tell but this book has me thinking about all that.  My guess is that they’ll remember a lot of the little things and our daily routine.

The author moves to small-town DeGraff, Ohio when he is 4 years old but was never really accepted as a full fledged resident.  I can totally relate because it seems like that in Maine.  If you’re not from Maine you’re “from away” and even my kids, who were all born here are not true Mainers.  One lady told me, “just because a cat has kittens in the oven doesn’t mean they’re biscuits.”  I guess I could have been offended but I’m not, people in small places tend to be close and be all up in eachothers business, as we see in The Side-Yard Superhero.

I loved all the descriptions and especially the relationship between the author and Bernie.  This book has me longing to play non-competitive croquet and possibly a hot chocolate (minus the butter).  

Happy reading! The Side-Yard Superhero @ Amazon

The Side-Yard Superhero favorite quote:

“Mr. Bethel smiled the kind of smile adults do when they think they know more than you know but don’t want to embarass you.” (pg. 36)

*Update at the bottom*

I have so much stuff to post but I’m just too aggravated, please please forgive me…

This started last night, I call it at 9:45 p.m. fifteen whole minutes before they “close”.  All the associates were helping other travelers, or so the message said so I was on hold, finally there’s a couple of weird beeps and “have a magical day” *hangup*

I was so mad!  I don’t think of been that mad even when I nick myself shaving!!  Fast forward to this morning, my mom and husband are calling me off the hook to make sure I’m up to deal with all this as I’m already on the phone with Disney.  Like a good girl I woke up at 0657 to start calling but it doesn’t matter, I’ll be punished with the incessant *beeps* from their attempts to get through to me. 

I get through quickly to Disney travel this time, go through ALL My info, what I have, what I want, etc… they tell me that they can’t change existing reservations, call back in a few hours, the system is being upgraded!!  WHAT!?! you’ve got those commercials going full blast with no mention of system upgrades right on the day I need to call.  Oh yeah, that’s for the people you still care about, the ones who haven’t laid down that deposit! 

I need to change my reservation so I can change the airfare because it’s already gone up $40/person since last night!!

930 I call back, systems still down, can’t make changes to existing reservations but they can make a new reservation for the room, at least I’ll have a room but they won’t guarantee that we can get the free Disney Dining Plan which is what makes it worth it.  The new time to call is 1130…

1130 I call once again… straight to the point, our system is down, call back at 130 p.m.  I’ve wasted this gorgeous day dealing with all this! not to mention JetBlue selling out the cheap fares.

I so considering cancelling everything and getting my money back!  I’ll live blog my next Disney World Travel call at aproximately 1:28 p.m. est

*Update*  I finally got through, changed our hotel reservation and bought tickets on JetBlue.  I also did 2 sessions of Taebo yesterday and participated in a #gno on twitter.  Not without going through a meltdown yesterday first but it’s done, now on to the reviews…

You may remember we reviewed Zoobies a while back.  I was very happy to see the  latest offering, Lilly the Ladybug.  Zoobies are great for travel and play, an all in one blanket, pillow or fuzzy friend. 

Check out the Zoobies website some time soon.

Super sweet headbands and clips for your little ones at Lemonhead Kidz accessories.  When I read that they made non-slip headbands, or as they call them, Bandeez… I thought to myself, yeah right, these will surely slip through their hair like all the rest. 

Both girls have been enjoying these two products for almost a month but you wouln’t be able to tell, both pieces are in great shape. 

Lemonhead Kidz Bandeez

The Bandeez headband has a velcro that keeps it in place, no slipping at all, seriously it stays put no matter what.  We’ve worn it in very windy conditions and even with a hood over it in inclement weather and it won’t move!  The downside for my girls was that their hair got stuck in the velcro so it hurt a little to remove but that’s the price you have to pay sometimes for hair that doesn’t move! 

Lemondhead Kidz Clipeez

The clipeez are super cute and fun to add to any outfit of hairstyle.  We received a felt flower which is darling but be sure to check out the butterflies and silk flowers.  The most important fact about Clipeez is that they are virtually indestructable.  My girls can be very rough, when they’re tired or bored their favorite past time is pulling things apart.  They have been unsuccessful with these Clipeez!  They are created using a patent pending secret process so you are on the cutting edge with these hair clips!

Enjoy lots of new hairstyles, thanks to the Lemonhead Kidz sponsors and the FRN for the great opportunity.

Has anyone seen my ME time?!  That’s what I think as I dash around the house, loading the dishwasher, checking the dryer to see if it actually dried the clothes… oooh maybe I left some ME time on the ironing board… or maybe one of a hundred other little things.

Frigidaire is keeping all that in mind with 250 new appliances with time saving features to lighten mom’s load!  What I wouldn’t do to save some time on daily chores.  The laundry is particularly frustrating.  No matter what I do, I’m ALWAYS behind on the laundry. 

Confession: I have to get the kids to pick out their clothes the night before to be sure we’ve got enough socks and undies.

Our set is in the basement so it’s easy to overlook the run down, top-loading,  rusty old thing.  Sometimes I don’t even turn on the lights its so depressing.  We always talk about getting a new washer/dryer but something else always comes up! 

Frigidaire’s recently released “Motherload Index” revealed that moms spend most of their waking lives – 200 hours each month – doing the activities they least enjoy rather than the things they love.

I must admit the time saving features make buying a new set all the more attractive as well as the thought of saving energy and getting clean clothes!  I’m sure more ME time would make me a better mom, I wouldn’t have to be up past midnight and I’d be pumping blog posts like crazy if I got a Frigidaire washer and dryer.  Who am I kidding… I’d probably spend more time reading another picture book or story while philosophizing about life with my little laundry soilers.

What would you do with found free time?  Fill out the survey @ Frigidaire for your chance to WIN a bunch of Frigidaire appliances.  Check out the More-Me-Time guarantee!  8 hours a month or you can return your appliances within 30 days of purchase.

This post may actually give ME a chance to win a washer/dryer set!