Truckin' Around

Ok, so it's been forever since I've posted anything on here about myself. I've just been super busy! But things are finally easing down so I will be posting a lot more!

In the meantime, I thought it would be funny to post a short vlog on me driving a tow truck! An 11 ton flat bed to be exact! Yup, little me driving a huge truck! Very funny!

I actually had a lot of fun and I'm thinking about doing a lot more of these vlog things...

What should my next one be on?? Any suggestions? What would you like to see me do? ;o)

Teething Bling: Review

Any of you who have children and went through the "teething" phase know how much our little ones love to grab and chew on whatever we have around our necks! And for those of you who have not entered that phase yet...brace yourself.

Right now Kalina is in that phase, which oh so fun! I love wearing jewelry, but since she started teething I haven't been able to because she immediately grabs on to my necklace and puts it in her mouth. So I just stopped wearing them. Insert sad face here.

I came across this great company called Smart Mom Jewelry that was launched in 2002 by 2 stay-at-home moms. I checked out their Teething Bling products and fell in love. Not only was this a solution for Kalina's teething habits but a solution for me to still be fashionable and wear jewelry.

Their products are made by the same material that most teething toys are made from. They are also non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC and lead free! Totally safe for your precious one.

There is a variety of different products, colors and styles. I, of course, got the turquoise pendant. I have said in a previous post that is my color for the summer!

I love it! Kalina immediately was drawn to it! This is a great idea, totally hip as you can see all the celebrity mamas are wearing them and they make for a great gift!!

Teething Bling is a must have! Don't think just because it's a new thing and celebrities are wearing it that it's so expensive! They are totally affordable!!

And to top it off, Smart Mom Jewelry is granting all my *MOM*ents readers an additional 20% off!!

Use the code: S-SMJ at checkout!

Don't forget to check them out on Facebook & Twitter!

Get your teething bling on today!!

-Natalie

Price Products: Review

Price Products was kind enough to send me these two products to review. Ever since I've tried the Dwink Box and the Dripstik, they have not left the diaper bag! I take it with me every time I go out.

Dwink Box- Every parent out there can agree the anxiety we get when we hand our small children a juice box or pouch, especially when we are out in public and they are in a nice outfit. We all know what's going to happen as soon as we hand them that juice....

Well, with the Dwink Box worry no more! You can fit the juice box (even the small ones) or juice pouches right in there. It has comfortable grip handles, non skid bottoms and it's dishwasher safe. It's also available in 4 different colors!

Dripstik- This product just has been the best! You're actually getting two products into one! On one side, it holds frozen treats such as popsicles and the other holds the ice cream cone. Now here in Philadelphia, it has been SOOO hot and humid outside that anything frozen doesn't stand a chance. The melting process starts almost immediately. Again, the anxiety feeling of knowing what's soon to become of this frozen treat just takes over. With the Dripstik, I don't need to worry about the mess because it catches all the mess for me! No more chasing around with numerous amounts of sticky napkins and wipeys to catch every drip! This product is also dishwasher safe and is available in 6 different colors!

Check out Price Products to see all of their products that are made by parents, for parents. They have unique products that are so useful for us parents. It would also make for great gifts!

Also don't forget to follow them on Twitter and Facebook for awesome discounts!

Thanks to Price Products for providing me with these great products to review!

-Natalie

FREE Slurpee Day @ 7-EVELEN

HAPPY 7-ELEVEN DAY!!

Today is 7/11 so stop by a participating 7-ELEVEN store today for a FREE 7.11 oz. Slurpee drink! Can't think of a better way to cool down!

Visit www.slurpee.com for more information and locations.

Enjoy!

-Natalie

Iron Cupcake Challenge

Ok, it's that time again where bakers and cupcake lovers will come together for a very worthy cause and a goal to raise funds and awareness for the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation. Bakers will compete in this challenge to see who will hold the title of Iron Cupcake Challenge Champion!

Kati's Kupcakes will once again host this great event. This month's event will be CANDY themed and they will be presented to several judges to decide who will be the next champion. Bring all of your friends and family to participate in this wonderful event with a great cause.

**Don't forget your appetite, because onlookers get FREE samples of all of the cupcakes and also bid on the auction items!!**

I'm SUPER excited to attend and judge my first Iron Cupcake Challenge. That's right! I'm one of the judges!! That means that I just HAVE to try every single cupcake, it's part of my job. They're forcing me!! ;o)

The event takes place TONIGHT @:

PLACE:

The Pop Shop (Famously featured of the FoodNetworks "Thrown Down with Bobby Flay" for their amazing grill cheeses).

729 Haddon Avenue

Collingswood, NJ

TIME:

6:00pm - 8:00pm

For more information click here!

PrintArtKids: Review

By now, you should know how much Lyla enjoys coloring, drawing, anything that has to do with art! Kalina will soon be following her big sister's footsteps. It's only a matter of time before their artwork takes over the house! My fridge is only so big and therefore I can only hang so many drawings...

If you're having this same issue that you do not know what to do with your kid's artwork, then I have a great idea for you!

I came across this company called PrintArtKids. They are not a franchise and is solely owned and operated by a mom, who was inspired by the multitudes of artwork created by her kids. PrintArtKids uses this artwork to enhance and bring cheerfulness to our lives! I think that is great! As a mom, I can totally relate and I think it's awesome that Abbe had the creative idea to start up this company.

will transform your kid’s vibrant flower painting into Notepads, handy for writing notes to teachers or for making to-do lists. The favorite Christmas ornament that your son made in 3^rd grade can be made into this year’s Holiday Card. Your daughter’s finger painting from kindergarten can become a one-of-a-kind Note Card. Imagine the excitement and pride your children will feel when seeing their artwork celebrated and enjoyed by family and friends!

In addition to superior print quality, PrintArtKids offers unmatched Personal Service and Attention to Details!! Abbe reviews and inspects every single order! You can't ask for better customer service than that.

By ordering from PrintArtKids, you support an independently owned and operated mom-owned business. As a way to "give back to the community", PrintArtKids frequently sponsors school and community fundraising events.

I got a chance to take a peek into some of the samples that they offer and the quality is superb. I can tell you first hand that their products are really cute. I think this is a great idea to turn your children's artwork into something very useful and unique, instead of just keeping them boxed away forever. It also makes for a great gift! I'm already gathering up my ideas and getting Lyla's artwork together for upcoming events that we have.

So go to PrintArtKids and check out what they have and start recycling your photos and artwork by turning them into useful things and great gifts for everyone!

You can also find them HERE on Facebook!

-Natalie

*CLOSED* Magic Bumpers: Review & Giveaway - Congrats to Juliana!

There comes a time where us parents have to decide whether or not our "baby" is ready for a big girl or boy bed. Well, that time has come for us here in the Dempster household.

Lyla is 22 months today! It's been a few weeks now that she has lost complete interest in her crib and tries to get out of it. Since her crib turns into a toddler bed and a full bed for later on, I have been on the prowl for bed rails. I came across a great company called Magic Bumpers.

Magic Bumpers are firm foam wedges designed to go under the bedding (mattress pad, fitted sheet) as a safer and easier alternative to traditional children's bed guards. Just place bumpers together in a straight line to make a bed guard rail any length you need.

Magic Bumpers are child friendly, there is no entrapment space between bed and bed bumper. It's light weight, which is great for traveling. You don't have to worry about sleeping arrangements for your toddler because this is your solution. It fits ANY size bed. It's versatile, very secure and stable. And you can't forget how affordable these bumpers are!

I'm so glad I found this product because it has been great for Lyla. We can now sit there and read stories to her without having this rail in between us. I LOVE the fact that we can take it anywhere with us. We actually slept at my parents's house last weekend and took our bumpers with us. We had no problems! I'm also very relieved to have found this because we are traveling to Brazil at the end of the year and I was concerned how we were going to accommodate her. Kalina will still be in a crib so I wasn't worried about her. Now I can take the magic bumpers right in my suitcase and lay her in any bed! No more worries for us!

Magic Bumpers are high enough to keep most children from rolling or scooting out of bed, but small enough to fit under a standard sheet. The foam is comfortable and easy for little ones to climb over. It has a non-slip surface that stays in place when under a fitted sheet. They can also be used for Infant Co-Sleeping (L-Shape or U-Shape) or as a Bed Divider.

If Magic Bumpers wasn't amazing enough, we decided to team up and grant one lucky winner a 2 pack of the bumpers!! Isn't that awesome?

Winner will receive two 24-inch bumpers at a value of $16.99!

Contest will end Thursday, July 8th at 11:59pm (est.) One winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, July 9th!

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

1. Go to the Magic Bumpers website and leave a comment here on how you would use the magic bumpers and who would use it.
2. Like my *MOM*ents on Facebook
3. Follow my blog through Google Friends Connect

Extra Entries:

1. Follow my *MOM*ents on Twitter
2. Refer to friends
3. Post giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or Your Blog

**Don't forget to include your Name and Email address in your comment. You may leave individual comments for extra contest entries.**

Big thank you to Magic Bumpers for providing me with this awesome review & giveaway!

Check out my other giveaway here!

Good Luck,

Natalie

*CLOSED* ZOOCCHINI: Review & Giveaway - Congrats to Leigh!

I recently came upon an awesome company called ZOOCCHINI. They have so many cute plush friends, very soft hooded towels, adorable area rugs, and great dinner sets! Everything is very unique, well made and totally affordable!

Meet Casey the Cow! Lyla is in love with her new, hooded towel, as am I. It is very big and comfortable. It's really soft and cuddly, perfect for after a nice bath or in the summertime, after a nice swim. I'm so glad we got this because this is the first towel I came across that has everything we need.

Check List:

• Big enough to cover her completely, so she's not cold. CHECK!
• Soft & cuddly enough, so she is comfortable. CHECK!
• Adorably cute, so she thinks she is a moo-moo cow. CHECK!

She loves her moo-moo cow so much that she now insists on using it as a blanket at night. She can't go to sleep without it, NO JOKE! It's really cute.

I also got a chance to review Jilly the Giraffe! Jilly comes packaged in her own designer Safari bucket. She is so soft and cuddly. The material is amazing. I got this one for Kalina to play with. She loves holding on to her. Lyla has been having fun with the little bucket that she comes in. When Jilly has to go "night-night" that's where we put her. It's a great idea because it keeps her protected from getting smashed in with all the other toys. This product is great! Kalina loves her new friend!

Both of these items make fabulous gifts for birthdays, baby showers, or holiday gifts! This is very unique and useful which makes any parent appreciate it more!

ZOOCCHINI is giving one lucky my *MOM*ents reader a summer prize pack of a hooded towel (Elsie the Elephant) AND a plush friend (Jilly the Giraffe).

Contest will end Thursday, July 1st at 11:59pm. (est). One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, July 2nd.

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

1. Join the ZOOCCHINI Mailing List on their website
2. Like ZOOCCHINI and my *MOM*ents on Facebook
3. Follow my blog on Google Friends Connect

Extra Entries:

1. Follow my *MOM*ents on Twitter
2. Refer to friends
3. Subscribe to my *MOM*ents mailing list
4. Post giveaway on Facebook or Twitter or Your Blog

**Don't forget to leave a separate comment for each entry so that you have more chances to win. Make sure you include your Name and Email Address.**

ALSO, ZOOCCHINI is offering all my *MOM*ents readers 20% off your entire order for the next 30 days!! Use coupon code: ZOOC203

Thanks to ZOOCCHINI for provinding this awesome giveaway!

Good luck-

Natalie

*CLOSED* Bubble Planner: Review & Giveaway - Congrats to Cate!

With a busy schedule like mine between juggling kids, work, school, errands, home, etc. I bet you wonder how I can manage it all? I get asked at least once a day, how do you do it? How do you keep yourself organized?

My answer: BUBBLE PLANNER!

I'm a list maker! I love to make lists of things I need to do and need to get. If you're like me than you need to get yourself a Bubble Planner.

I have these 3 things to help me remember half of what needs to be done throughout my day! I have the:

• Bubbles for Busy Women- This has different sections for calendars, birthday keepers, address book, family goals, intellectual goals, social goals, health goals, economic goals, spiritual goals, projects, task management and lists! YES, it has a little bit of everything that you need to write down in one little book!
• Homework Helper: This has 3 sections. One is a calendar. Two is the Homework Keeper, which helps you to keep track of assignments and projects that are due and what is required for them. And finally, it has an Idea Explorer sections, which helps you to gather your ideas for a certain project or essay paper.
• Grocery List: This is pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn't make a grocery list when they go to the supermarket? But this one is so much more organized and you won't be all over the place once you're at the store.

I have found all 3 of these items to be so helpful to keep me organized. I feel lost without my Bubble Planner because I have numerous lists and important appointments in there. Because my kids are not school aged yet but I am (LOL) I use the Homework Helper for me. I used to have my assignments all over the place and not remember what was due and when it was due. This helped me to keep track of all my homework and tests and not miss a thing! And of course, the grocery list has helped us to just jot down what we need and check off on our list as we go.

This is great for any busy person out there, especially us parents! That is why Bubble Planner and I decided to team up and give one of you a chance to win ALL 3 items, a total value of almost $40!

GIVEAWAY:

One winner will be selected at random for a chance to win (1) Bubble Planner Busy for Women, (1) Homework Helper and (1) Grocery List.

Here is how to enter:

Mandatory entries (make sure to include your name & email address in the comment):

1. Follow my blog on Google Friends Connect
2. Like "my *MOM*ents" on Facebook
3. Follow "my *MOM*ents" AND "Bubble Planner" on Twitter
4. Refer at least 10 friends

Additional entries:

1. Share this post on Facebook (make sure to tag with @my *MOM*ents)
2. Tweet about this post (make sure to tag with @myMOMentss)
3. Share this giveaway on your blog (make sure to include your site on your comment)

I will be using a random generator to pick the winner. So leave a comment for each entry that you do for more chances to win!

Contest will end on Wednesday, June 23rd at 11:59 pm.(est) One random winner will be chosen and announced on Thursday, June 24th!

Thank you to Bubble Planner for providing me with the opportunity to review these products and for the prizes for this giveaway! Make sure you check out their website for other great products!

Good Luck!

-Natalie

Canvas4Life: Review

PERFECT FATHER'S DAY GIFT ALERT!!

Are you looking for that one special Father's Day gift?? Well, look no more! I have the perfect gift for that special "Dada"!

Canvas4Life is an exciting and innovative company that uses the very latest in technology. They are committed to being the industry leader and are always looking for new developments such as their unique simulation software.

Take a look at the canvas I ordered of my girls for the hubby!! I'm so in love with it that I can't stop looking at it. I ordered a 30 x 20 in black & white. There hasn't been one person that took a look at it and did not love it as well!

Ordering from Canvas4Life was so easy! All you do is upload your photo and start building your canvas. There are so many different sizes and styles to choose from. Once it's complete, they have an awesome "Room Viewer". I thought this was the coolest thing and it definitely helped me decide what size and shape to pick it from. You can select a type of setting that you are planning to hang your picture such as over the couch, or by a shelf, etc. You can also select different color walls to get the right perspective of your canvas.

Did I mention that it's FREE SHIPPING!!! You can't beat that. I received my canvas in no time! It was very well packaged. I was very impressed by everything. You know how sometimes those "delivery" people ignore the FRAGILE sticker on your package... well, no worries with this one because nothing was getting through it!

I'm mostly amazed by the quality of their work. It is superior quality! At first I was a little worried that due to the size I had selected, the quality wouldn't be so great. But Canvas4Life definitely surpassed my worries. I even had one professional photographer look at it and he too was amazed by the quality and said he wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect.

I obviously had to give John one of his Father's Day presents early because he would see this and plus, I couldn't wait until this weekend to give it to him. I was too excited about it and couldn't wait to hang it up! First impression = WOW! He LOOOOOVES it!

So stop wondering what you're getting that special DAD and go to Canvas4Life! Turn that special moment of your life into a canvas!

Special thanks to everyone at Canvas4Life for the wonderful customer service and for sending me an awesome canvas!

-Natalie