Along those lines, I’ve been looking at Mom Blogger Conferences, I checked out Blog-Her and would have loved to have gone but Baby C was too little (in my opinon) so I scrapped that and looked around a bit. After checking out several different options, keeping in mind that Baby C is still exclusively nursing…not wanting to take a bottle, I thought Type-A Mom Conference may be a good option for me. It’s about 2 hours from home and near Biltmore, which the family and I have been interested in visiting anyway.

So now….I’m in a quandary, I’d really like to go to the Type-A mom Conference but me being the worrywart that I am so many, “what if’s” are popping in my head. I’m actually not going to type them all out because I think that would just perpetuate my worrying which is not productive for anyone. Hubby would be going with me and watching the girls while I’m at sessions and in between sessions and during breaks I’ll be with them either nursing Baby C or hanging out. He’s such a great hubby! He actually was one of the people encouraging me to attend.

So we’ll see what I end up doing, but I’m more than likely attending. I’ll be the nerdy newbie in the corner. I’m actually pretty outgoing but just the thought of being in a room of accomplished mom bloggers for some reason freaks me out a little. The hotel block is gone, but I’m hoping to work something out so I can still stay in the same hotel at a reasonable rate and hopefully get my business cards printed up and shipped to me in time too. Did I mention I have still not “officially” registered…again my nerdy apprehension overtakes me.

If you are attending Type-A Mom Conference I’d love to hear from you, feel free to leave me a comment, I’d love to hook up with some great mommas!

In no particular order here is my, “Where Are They Now?? Product Reviews segement #1.

Bebe Au Lait Hooded Towel – I still love this towel, it’s the only baby towel that we have that fully covers Colbie and is so thick even after so many washes. No fading, I am looking forward to buying more so I don’t have to keep washing the one I have over and over again to avoid using Baby C’s other towels.

Tommee Tippee Sippy Cup – Sad to say but after I wrote this review I’ve had a horrible experience with this “spill-proof” cup. Number one after washing the cup it was very difficult to put the valve back in place. For some reason it wouldn’t snap back into place. Secondly the plastics were very thin which was nice, but makes it hard to screw the top on the sippy cup, so I am a little disappointed now that I’ve had longer to test it out.

Japanese Weekend Clothing – Even though it’s been almost 5 months since I had Baby C, the nursing wear that I received from Japanese Weekend has really held it’s own. I am still loving how comfy the pajamas are and enjoy seeing myself shrink in them as my baby weight is slowly coming off.

Chelsea & Main Diaper Bag – When I first got my Chelsea & Main diaper bag I thought it was so huge, now that I’ve filled it up with goodies for Baby C and even a few things for Little Miss A I wish i had something a little bigger. If you’re the kind of mom that likes to travel light it’s definitely a great bad, but I like to have anything and everything I can possibly fit in there.

That’s all for now, have you had any afterthoughts about products you’ve purchased?

This time I was sent their Master Reader program for children ages 7 and up that is so packed full of learning goodness that I could barely lift the box when it arrived on my doorstep. I was hoping they didn’t just fill it with bricks and much to my delight there were several great Hooked on Phonics Master Reader materials.

Master Reader sets come with 4 Interactive CD-Roms, 4 easel books, 4 hardcover books, 64 story cards and a progress poster with fun stickers. Hooked on Phonics has wisely color coated all of the materials with bold colors of blue, green, orange and red. Each color correlates with a level in the Master Reader program.

I first installed the blue CD-Rom on my computer, the install was very fast and super easy, just a few clicks of the next button and we were in business. (Remember you must have a Windows operating system that is compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP in order to use the program.) After installation 4 easy steps are all you need to get the Master Reader program working for your child.

The easel books have great step-by-step instructions that would be easy for any 7 year-old to follow as well as some nightly parent tips on how to further your child’s progress in the program. I love how the story cards are contained inside the easel books so they’re never out of place and don’t need anything extra to hold onto them. A great way to keep track of what your child has done aside from the progress chart would be to flip the card upside down.

Lessons on the story cards not only teach reading, but also have lessons about personal qualities, like manners, and morals. Who would have thought a reading program would also instill great values? I love that the cards also feature amazing people like Lance Armstrong, historical figures, adventurous people and great places in time and on land.

The amount of story cards in each lesson increase as they complete exercises, so your child may be reading one story card or may have to complete three depending on the level they are on. Once they’re done with all of the exercises in the easel book your child gets to read one of four hardcover mystery series books.

Hooked on Phonics is an amazing program when it comes to reading and I would highly recommend them and the Master Reader program. Don’t forget to use Myhookedonphonics.com to enhance learning with fun, interactive games.

Try Master Reader out for your child for just $14.95 (trial price) here: http://www.hookedonphonics.com/master-reader-deluxe-edition and receive FREE U.S. shipping.

What programs do you use to help your child read? Have you ever tried Hooked on Phonics programs? What are your thoughts?

Hooked on Phonics is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader a chance to win their very own Master Reader program.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry/entries you are submitting all at the same time. There is no need to fill out separate entry forms for each item you complete. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be typed into the form before you can qualify for additional entries.

Giveaway ends September 2nd @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

As I (and secretly Daddy B) was watching this past week’s episode I noticed the baby nurse giving Bethenny a Blue Moon, no this is not an advertisement but I do really enjoy a good Blue Moon, I did a double take and quickly said to Daddy B, who was blogging on his own blog at the time, “You HAVE to look that up, right now!” I was intrigued! I know many people have found it to be controversial and here are my thoughts on the matter considering that it is World Breastfeeding Week today through the 7th! So, Daddy B looked it up and initially we found this article on BabyCenter.com that basically says beer contains some ingredients that may increase a mom’s milk supply, but the alcohol can inhibit milk prodution. So, if you are going to drink in conjunction with nursing do it in very small doses and only on occasion. So in regards to the Bethenny Beer Scandal of 2010 there’s no reason to get huffy over a nursing mother choosing to have a small drink.

Though there are ways to do so safely like drinking the beverage while you are nursing so the alcohol levels are sure to drop (so long as you only have a small dose,) by the time you are ready for the next feeding, and if you really want to be safe you can check out Milkscreen, a product designed to test the alcohol content of breastmilk. Some mothers prefer to pump and dump, thinking this will rid their milk of alcohol. This in fact is a little known fact that alcohol reacts the same way in breastmilk that it does in the bloodstream and no amount of pumping and dumping, coffee, drinking water will eliminate the alcohol from your system but time.  So, if the reason for your drinking is to increase your supply then pumping and dumping milk that will be free of alcohol in just a hour or two is pointless.

If you really want to increase your supply there are a ton of alternatives than a glass of beer. A few ways are pretty easy lifestyle changes, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, stay hydrated, eat well, or pump to increase the demand and hopefully in turn increasing the supply. Then, there are things you can ingest like non-alcoholic beers (even though they taste gross) contain the same milk producing ingredients as alcoholic beer. Also in the category are oatmeal, Fenugreek, and prescription medications.

So when it comes to breastfeeding and any alcohol know your limitations and have a back-up plan in case of an alcohol overload.

Have you or someone you know drank alcohol while breastfeeding?

The only problem was that I didn’t know where to start. So I found The Couponizer and founder, wife, and mother, Amy Bergin and began my couponing ways. When I opened up my package I spread everything out so you can see what The Couponizer comes with. Here’s a picture of my Couponizer goodies:

Now I know you’re wondering what comes with The Couponizer, okay ready, here’s what you get:

- The Couponizer binder, with 18 category pockets for your coupons from Bakery to Household and more

- Customer Loyalty Sleeves, this is where you put your member cards, punch cards, and any gift cards you might have.

- The Couponizer Shopping List, handy dandy pull out pad where you can write and check off items you need

- CoupTracker where you can track your savings each time you shop, kind of like a scoreboard, go you!!

- Scissors everyone could use a “just for coupons” pair, these aren’t the cheapo dull ones either.

- CoupStacker is like a bingo board for coupons, you lay it out and as you clip your coupons you can put them on the appropriate box so you have everything neat and organized when it goes into your Couponizer.

- Carrying Bag a clear small baggie to hold all of your items in one place.

Here’s how the Couponizer works:

Now that you’ve heard all about The Couponizer, how about a real life experience?? Frankly, I found it all pretty helpful in organizing myself for my shopping trips. I love that each coupon has a home and there are  so many great coupon sections that if I made my own I might not have thought of. Now, at first I was a little disappointed because I’m the type of person who shops at Super Target and BJs and unfortunately those two places do not accept competitors coupons and I like to save them in their own spots, well I was bummed because I didn’t have a space for them in my Couponizer, but I looked through the Products Page on The Couponizer and guess what I found?? If you’re the type of person who likes to do it yourself or shop at certain stores with their own coupons there’s an option for you too!  The Couponizer offers a Customizable Couponizer which is basically the Couponizer with additional labels for you to use for just a few extra bucks.

I know some of you may be thinking why buy The Couponizer when you can make something similar. I’ve heard of mommies with their binders and baseball card holders, but my favorite part about the Couponizer is that I didn’t have to make it. I don’t have the time for clipping coupons, taking care of the house, the girls and my blog and a million other things that I do, but if you’re one who wants to take on that challenge best of luck.

I feel like The Couponizer is definitely worth the cost though. I love that it’s compact and not this whopping book that I have to whip out each time I’m in front of the meat section or at check-out, I’ve even been known to leaf through it with one hand, Baby C in the front-carrier, Miss A reaching for all things breakable, now that’s talent.

I also love the tips that TheCouponizer.com offers links to print e-coupons, and tips on how to organize and even a downloadable  guide to learning the ways of couponing, and all that is free to the public. What I would still love to try out though is the Super Smart Saver Package that features Amy’s “Save More Than Money DVD,” with tips on shopping and discounts. I know I could use that DVD for sure!

So, overall if you’re the kind of person, like me, who wants to save some money (I typically am saving around $20 a trip now,) and not spend time creating a coupon catalog of your own The Couponizer is the best way I have found to go. I can’t recommend this enough to people.

Want to buy one of your very own? Today and tomorrow only you can use code: SUMMER10 to receive $1 off any purchase at The Couponizer there are some great products to be had and if you and family or friends are interested there’s a cool buy 2 get 1 a little more than half-off…just a thought!

What do you do to save money in your household??

The Couponizer (and Amy Bergin), are giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best Reader a chance to win their very own Couponizer!! Don’t want to wait to see if you win? Buy your Couponizer now and if you win they’ll refund your purchase!

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Giveaway ends August 13th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

There are any number of things that can put a damper on your vacation: lost luggage, high-priced restaurants, overcrowding at attractions and bad weather are some common culprits. But illness is probably the worst; getting sick during a fun time can be a serious roadblock for all your plans, and dishearten the most optimistic of tourists.

If you get sick, all the time, money, and preparation you put into your trip may have been for nothing, and there will be nothing to do but hole yourself up in a hotel room and try to get better before the flight home.

But it doesn’t have to be like that! There are a few quick, simple things you can do to stay away from sickness during your vacation.

Most Common Sources of Viruses on Vacation

Unsurprisingly, the two biggest sources of vacation virus are airplanes and hotel rooms, so it’s important to take extra precautions when flying and when settling into your room.

In a plane, all of the air in the cabin is continuously re-circulated. This means that any germs that other passengers may have brought on board stick around, and gradually spread through the cabin as the flight progresses.

As you can probably guess, longer flights present the greatest risk of germ exposure; the longer flight gives germs more time to spread, permeating all the corners of the cabin, and to infect passengers.

When flying, remember to wash your hands frequently, and try as best as you can to keep them away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Frequent hand-washing is hard on airplanes, so bring some alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your carry-on, and use it every hour.

Stay hydrated during travel, which means drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeine and alcohol. These substances contribute to dehydration, which is bad for your immune system.

On a normal day, at home, you should be aiming for drinking 60% of your body weight in ounces of water – in other words, if you weigh 100 pounds, drink about 60 ounces of water every single day. But, while traveling, your body tends to get dehydrated much quicker due to stress and activity – aim for drinking 70% of your body weight in ounces of water during trips!

Viruses can linger for up to 18 hours, which means that if a sick person has recently stayed in your hotel room, there may still be virus in the room when you check in, particularly on faucet handles, remote controls, light switches, telephones, and doorknobs. If the hotel staff doesn’t do a good enough job of cleaning up your room, there’s not much you can do.

What you can do is wash your hands frequently. Also, it’s a good idea to leave your room for a few hours immediately after checking in. Leave a window open. Hopefully, by the time you return, the room will be virus free.

Avoiding Other Illnesses

Motion sickness is a problem for many first-time cruise passengers. For some, it lasts only a couple of hours, while for others it doesn’t go away until they get back on solid ground. Most cruise ships have doctors who can give you motion sickness medication, and you can also use anti-histamines or motion sickness disks. Also, some sufferers of motion sickness say that green tea and ginger can be helpful.

E. coli, or traveler’s diarrhea is no fun, but fortunately it usually passes within a day or two. If you want to avoid it, only eat food that is thoroughly cooked, drink bottled water, and – stay away from ice cubes.

If you’ve ever had a severe sunburn on vacation, you already know how crippling it can be. The key is prevention: Any time you’re going to be out in the sun, slather on as much sunblock (SPF 30 at least) as you possibly can. Repeat application regularly throughout the day, and if you do get burned, drink plenty of water and use aloe lotion until the pain passes.

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

Now in a perfect world I’d get up at 10:30 and the whole family would be ready to head out the door by 11:00 right? Not with us, not only did I need to get myself around, I needed to feed Baby C, get her dressed, dress Little Miss A, and then, dum…dum…dum…Mis A’s hair….this is an entity in itself. Often times I find myself wondering why I prayed for daughters with curly hair, and I love the look when it’s all pretty and done up, but it sure does take some energy, time, and product! After all of us getting ready plus 30 minutes for two puffy piggies, we were finally out the door…at lunchtime?!?!

What were we, as parents thinking…we ended up giving Miss A a snack to tide her over. Once we got to the Farmer’s Market we were excited to check out all of the goodies we were going to score. There were a few different areas to shop around, we saw trees and plants, crafts and wood carvings, a fruits and veggies (with preserves,) and a flower area. If I could give anyone advice, when going to your first farmers market you may want to choose something a little to start off with. I for one was a little overwhelmed with all of the sellers choices, so many people had the same items and we had to stroll up and down the aisles looking for the freshest, best priced items.

Overall though we had a really great time, I learned a few things about produce, we got a chance to discuss healthy options with Little Miss A, and got some exercise, although it was pretty warm. Luckily, I have a little hand-held fan that Miss A used to keep the sweat from dripping down her face. We spent about $30 but got a great amount of food, and here it is, our bountiful harvest, $30 later, we filled our fridge with God’s Goodness!

There were some ideas of tips that came to my head while we were shopping.  Now that I’m well seasoned after just one farmer’s market *insert eye roll here.* I would go back and tell myself, being a first-timer.

1. Get there early, but not too early, you’ll miss the crowds but not the late arriving sellers.

2. Bring your own reusable bags, to save from using plastic AND it’s easier to carry than flimsy plastic handles.

3. If you have children strollers are a MUST, there are a lot of adults and many opportunities for your little one to wander off, it’s a great place for your child to rest from all of the walking, plus it gives you a good place to store your finds. – Just make sure your goodies don’t outweigh your child…or everything will be on the ground (no this did not happen to us,but that would have been funny, er horrifying  )

4. Haggle, haggle, haggle. Daddy B begs to differ with me, but I told him most things in the world you can bargain down, plus it can’t hurt to ask right???

5. In the Summer be sure to bring drinks and hats to keep cool.

6. See what is in season, and remember supply and demand when it comes to prices. Check this list to see what’s in season in NC: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/chart.htm, if you’re not in NC check out google for the fresh finds near you.

7. Bring snacks for you and the kiddos, the fruit and veggies have not been washed, if you’re like me I’m not a believer in the “a little dirt never hurt,” saying, that’s the overprotective mommy-type A in me.

Here are a couple of pictures of the rows of preserves we had to choose from, Daddy B got us Strawberry Rhubarb, because apparently they don’t sell just Strawberry preserves…is that weird or just me?

And some yummy berries, we ended up getting 2 pints of the organic, homegrown, insecticide-free blue berries and they are tasty. That’ll be another post

So back to how we ended up at McDonalds…well we were all starving, and in a hurry, Miss A was upon rest time, with the heat we weren’t sure leaving our new goodies in the 100 plus degree car would be a good idea, Baby C needed to nurse and we were hot and tired. So, we opted to go to McDonald’s which for some reason keeps drawing us back. At least next time we’ll be a little more prepared. Lesson learned.

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!!

I had no clue where to sit so I grabbed a seat next to three great women, Kathy from Kath Eats Real Food, Emily from The Front Burner, and Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point, right away I noticed these ladies were total foodies, I felt a little weird sitting there, being a stay-at-home-mom who usually eats standing and often with my fingers, but again I don’t think anyone really noticed. From what I gathered I think I may have been the only mom blogger there, which was pretty cool. The girls and I talked a little about Virginia and DC as two of them are moving away very soon.

I got to meet Chef Keith Snow from PBS’ Harvest Eating who was really down to Earth and seemed very nice. Once the presentation began the yummy food from Charlotte’s Mimosa Grill arrived on the table. Everything I tasted was very delicious, of course I had my favorites of a goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and tomato and mozzarella tower, and you can’t forget dessert, I was offered two, but the Carolina Mountain Cherry Cheesecake was my favorite by far, so rich and creamy…..yum…oops back to what you all came for, Ball Canning…

I learned so much I hadn’t already known about Ball as a company and their products. I don’t want to overwhelm you with all of my newly acquired knowledge but I will say that I did not realize that Ball is made in the US and was started over 125 years ago, that means my grandma’s grandmother could have used Ball canning goods. CRAZY! Chef Keith Snow’s grandmother used Ball so not only does he love using Ball for his own canning needs, but it carries a personal attachment to his family as well.

Although I don’t recollect details, I do remember people in my family canning, but from what I remember I remember a long, tedious, process with lots of steam, and tongs which at the time was sort of scary for me being so little. Definitely not something I would think I would be considering when I grew up, but here I am, mother of two beautiful little girls, trying to make healthy decisions for my family and not wanting to spend hours in the kitchen because trading off time spent with my girls is just not an option for me.

It seems like a lot of people are in my position, and if not, I know there are a bunch of you who are trying more local foods or better yet growing your own gardens, (go you!!), and canning is a great option for you. For those of us who are afraid of canning I learned at this luncheon how easy canning really can be (no pun intended, unless you want it to be,) an easy process.

Chef Snow showed the luncheon attendees, bloggers, retailers, consumers, how simple it is to make a Zesty Salsa from scratch, using just a few ingredients he cooked up a fresh, vibrant salsa that was ready to be canned. After cooking up the salsa and heating his Ball glass canning jars he poured the mixture in, put the lid on top and screwed on the band and set the jars in the water to heat up and cool. Voila you have a great dish, or even a fun gift and the nice thing is you can make batches to save for future use. There are some items need to be pressure cooked, but water boiling is a great option for canning simpler items.

Ball introduces it’s newest Canning Discovery Kit. This kit is amazing for anyone who wants to learn how to can on a budget. At $10 to $12 you really can’t go wrong, and you get 3 pint-sized Ball Home Canning Jars, with lids and bands, plastic canning rack with lifter, and a step-by-step beginner’s guide to canning and recipe booklet. As long as you have pots, pans, water, and ingredients you’re all set. Not too shabby!

The recipe book that comes with the Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit gives mouth-watering recipes for Dill Pickles, Corn Relish, and more. I’m most excited about trying to make some Blueberry Syrup, but that’s if I ever get enough time to do so.

Check out the Ball Website for more great items here: http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/ and get your Home Canning Discovery Kit at Ball, at Lowe’s, or Walmart. I have yet to see the products on the Lowe’s or Walmart online and noticed it’s back ordered with Ball but you can be emailed through the Ball website.

Have you ever tried canning? What are your memories or experiences with canning?

Ball Home Canning is giving away a Discovery Kit to one lucky MommyB reader.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this paragraph (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entryentries you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Giveaway ends July 27th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

So for those of you who were bummed that I wasn’t doing a Sand Gone giveaway, you’re in luck, you have until July 21st to enter and win and 8 ounce container of Sand Gone.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Giveaway ends July 21st @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

Unfortunately for me Little Miss A loves the beach, so I put on a happy smile and enjoy taking her, even though I know I can expect sand coming out of my ears for days. Or maybe not…with Sand Gone.

I found Sand Gone on another mommy blog and thought with my love *eye roll* of all things sand, that I should try it out. Tiffany Smith, creator of Sand Gone has two children of her own and was nice enough to send a sample my way.

I love that Sand Gone is easily portable, I just popped my family size, (8 ounces) container in my beach bag and away we went. I kept it nearby for moments when Little Miss A would want to sit on the beach towels, trying to keep as much sand away from Baby C as possible is quite the task. Luckily, we had Sand Gone. While I’ll say I was a little apprehensive trying it out at first, (I think the included powder puff threw me off a little,) I was pretty surprised at how well it took the sand off from Miss A’s feet.

I know this is weird, or maybe not, but I love the smell of beachy stuff, mainly coconut and tropical fruits. Sand Gone has a hint, not too overwhelming or girlie, of coconut that I could just smell all day long. I also love how Sand Gone is a non-toxic, non-talc based powder, that means it’s safe for the kids, I’d probably even use it around and on Baby C it’s so gentle.

Two things that I didn’t love were that the powder left a little powdery residue that was a little hard to rub off, but better than having sand all over. If you have darker skin you may want to keep that in mind. Also I’m pretty picky when it comes to things mixing, (with a few exceptions) and after using Sand Gone only a couple of times I have little bits of sand in along with the powder.

All in all, I’d recommend this to use at $12.00 per 8 ounce container I think you’d get a large number of uses, we didn’t even put a dent in ours really and I’m not sure if there are any other alternatives out there, plus it smells like coconut and leaves your skin silky smooth.

Buy your Sand Gone here: http://sandgone.com/Order.html or check out their blog to see what they’re up to: http://sandgone.com/Blog.html in June they participated in a charity event for autism, how cool. I love when companies give back.

So tell me, do what do you LOVE or HATE about the beach?