2016 Mini Cooper – A Family Car

Guest post by Stephanie from Where in the World Am I?.   Source: Miniusa.com I chose a Mini Cooper as a family car. A 4-Door Mini Cooper Hardtop, to be exact.  Here's why. Sizing It Up About six months ago, I mused to a friend that I should get a Mini which may be enhanced with the help of companies like Auto Glass Replacement Plano, since my husband travels for work all the time it’s mostly our young daughter and me driving together. I started noticing other parents getting their kids in and out of Minis in parking lots and approached a few of them to see what they thought of it. For daily use people thought it was perfect. Some joked it wasn’t a problem until their children became teenagers and wanted to drive the car themselves. While the back seat is tight for three people … [Read more...]

My Elementary School Age Kids Eat Baby Food

  My kids may be beyond actual babyhood but that doesn't mean that baby food is no longer in my house. Yes, the rice cereal went with the bottles and rubber nipples but the squeezable fruit and veggie pouches  stayed along with other assorted foods and here's why.  Baby Food is Portable. Whether you have a full day of errands or fun activities (hello, beach trip!) ahead of you and your family or you are on the road; baby food like GoGo Squeez pouches, Peeled dried fruit or Jammy Sammy bars are easy to pack and take with you when you are on the go. I can pack a full days worth of snacks and drinks in a flash in non-leaking, biodegradable packaging, All those flat, squishy square and rectangular shapes fit nicely into my "mom-sized" purse or beach bag. So while I no longer … [Read more...]

Shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for Under $50

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is almost done!  If you are like me then you are scouring it for more great deals and maybe even a few back to school items for the kids.  Trust me, it is worth it! I put together a few of my favorite finds calling it the 'Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for Under $50'.  We like to keep it simple here at TMC, know what I mean? At the top are my picks for women followed by a few things for back to school for girls and then boys. It's simple, gives you a taste of what the sale is like and has to offer and why you can totally find a good deal. … [Read more...]

Share-A-Haircut this August

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation was received and all opinions are my own. It's that time again!  Heading back to school means we are teaming up with Hair Cuttery again this year to Share-A-Haircut this August. Yes, the girls are already getting ready for back to school. I totally ordered all their school supplies off Amazon this year.  No more fighting in the back to school aisle this year!  Not this time. We did it last year and we are back at it because honestly who can resist taking part in the 17th year of this campaign?  Did you know that 55,000 haircuts were donated to victims of domestic violence by Hair Cuttery this past spring? Yes, ma'am!   Seriously, when did she get this big? Now Hair Cuttery is giving free haircuts to … [Read more...]

Cool Skincare Tips for the Hot Summer

Getting ready for the summer is an exciting time with the swimming, barbecues, outdoor activities and spending quality time with the family. However, getting the family, especially the kiddos, excited about proper skincare isn’t always fun and games. And to add to it, us, the hectic mommies, often forget about protecting our own skin. As a busy mom, you’re always looking to save a little time, so I want to help you have one less thing to worry about and want to provide you with some skincare pointers that I use for my own family. Cover Up Summertime means shorts and tank tops and extra skin, right? False, not if you want to protect your skin, that is. Exposing too much skin could put you in harm’s way with dangerous UV rays that can penetrate the skin to not only put you and your … [Read more...]

2016 Kia Sedona SX-L

Source: Kiausa.com The 2016 Kia Sedona SX-L seats seven passengers, offers a dashboard designed with the driver in mind and is a slightly better version than its 2015 redesigned model.  How did it perform for a woman who has always been loathe to drive this family friendly mode of transportation?  Let's find out! Source: Victoria Mason I have a theory about minivans.  It's a new one because despite having three kids and tons of activities we have stuck to our SUV.  Not only do I love it, but H and I made a pact back in our early days of dating that we would never buy a minivan.  Never.  Yet, I really wanted someone to give me on to test drive. My friends adore them.  Would I?  No one dared to send one, it seemed.  Until earlier this month when Kia stepped up to the plate with the … [Read more...]

Summer Gems with Garnet Hill

*Disclosure: TMC was not compensated for this post.  Products received are for review purposes only. Opinions are 100% my own.   A Rhode Island specialty: the clamcake Growing up in the southern part of Rhode Island meant a lot of things.  Summer was a golden time abundant with summer gems.  Pristine beaches punctuated with salty air that blew warm and damp after long frigid winters.  Everything tastes better in summertime, am I right? One of my favorite parts of summer in Rhode Island was and still is the crunchy on the outside doughy and soft on the inside: clamcake.  Fry up the white cornmeal mixture tossed with quahogs (that's a clam to you non-RI folks) and add a little bit of salt before noshing.  Bliss! To me, it is a bite of summer each and every time I eat one.  Now that I … [Read more...]

DC Super Hero Girls: Final Crises

Looking for something for your tween to read this summer?  Does she like super heroes like my girls do?  Check out the newest series from DC Comics, DC Super Hero Girls! Available and for sale 7/5/16! The DC Super Hero Girls is an exciting new universe of stories created to empower girls as they grow and discover their potential.  Designed for girls aged 6-12 (we definitely have that trio in my home!) the DC Super Hero Girls features DC Comics’ most diverse array of female characters as but as relatable teens.  That means Wonder Woman, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy, Super Girl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn (YES!) and more are now all in their own storylines depicting life as a teen and a Super Hero. The first volume, Final Crisis has the girls fighting a mysterious villain while studying for … [Read more...]

Making a Break for It

Source: thebellemethod.com It's been brewing in the back of my brain and at the forefront of my heart for a long time now. I need to start making a break for it. For a few months there's been this cadence thrumming along telling me that I need to take time some time off.  That what is really important is for me to slow down.  To take the summer off (OK, maybe not the WHOLE summer) and just be with my family, stop feeling run down and just be more present, which sounds like a whole lot of BS, but it is true. #simplify #icantbelieveijusthashtaggedthat #bless   Truthfully, it scares the living daylights out of me.  I've never done it. I've been blogging and working from home for 10 years now and I can't quite wrap my brain around how this will work but... Source: … [Read more...]

The #writegift this Father’s Day

*Disclosure: TMC was compensated for this post.  Products received are for review purposes only and opinions are 100% my own.  Translucent Titian red lacquer featuring Iron Man design details and 23KT gold-plated appointments. It is of no surprise to anyone that many gift-giving opportunities in our family end up including a super hero of some sort.  The girls and I are giving H the #writegift this Father's Day. It is his own Iron Man ballpoint pen from Cross. A #superpen, if you will.  The man is #teamironman vs. my #teamcap and H is no ordinary father and a Cross pen is no ordinary pen. Available in rollerball, ballpoint and stylus versions you can choose from one of three designs: Captain America, Iron Man and Spiderman.  The choice is yours and there is a Tech II version as well … [Read more...]