Most mommas I know, including myself, struggle with weight issues. Unless you’re like some of the amazing skinnier-than-before-they-were-moms that I know {not to name any names.} Whether it’s weight gain in general or problem areas, it’s hard to lose the weight after we’ve had kids. Even after I lost the baby weight I had gained when I was pregnant with Miss A I still had some lingering jiggly bits around my middle that no amount of Jillian Michaels workouts or Weight Watchers programs could take off {and I loved both}.

Perhaps like you, there were times when I wished I had a magical machine in my closet that I could step into really quick and just tone up that area. While I don’t personally own something like that or know any magic tricks, not even the basic ones, I am excited to find out that there are machines like the ones in my daydreams that are non-surgical and reduce the fat in trouble areas of both women and men.

CoolSculpting® is the safe, effective and non-invasive way to reduce fat in common trouble areas that tend to be diet- and exercise-resistant. It is an FDA-cleared procedure that gently and effectively reduces fat in problem areas of the body. This results in noticeable, natural-looking fat reduction in the treated areas. What makes CoolSculpting® different than other fat reduction procedures is its patented cooling technology that targets and eliminates fat cells.

During the procedure, a non-invasive applicator delivers precisely controlled cooling to target and eliminate fat cells in specific areas of your body. When fat cells are exposed to cooling, it triggers a process of natural removal, which gradually reduces the thickness of the fat layer. The result is a reduction in fat bulges that is visible in most patients in two months. Isn’t that cool?

Here’s a video that breaks down the CoolSculpting® Treatment process:

In case you were wondering, it is a medical fact that fat is uniquely susceptible to extreme cold. Basically CoolSculpting® turns the fat cold, the fat cells crystallize, break down, and then naturally eliminated by your body.

The treatments are about an hour per treated area and typically are very calm, people have been known to check email, read, and rest while undergoing treatment. It’s nice to know that there is minimal discomfort, and most patients resume their regular activity immediately after treatment. Being a mom there’s no time for pain and resting, so it’s a great alternative to surgical methods.

Just like any program results are long lasting and sustainable with a healthy lifestyle. CoolSculpting® is a premium procedure, only offered through top doctors across the country. Go to CoolSculpting.com to locate a treatment center and join the conversation on Facebook.

I have not personally tried the CoolSculpting® procedure but it sounds great for after I lose some of this baby weight from Baby C and I would definitely consider it, again in conjunction with a healthy diet and being active. All those things go hand-in-hand.

The best part is… you can win a CoolSculpting® Treatment! This contest is being held on 14 other blogs. One winner from the group will receive a CoolSculpting treatment (valued at $1500). Use the form below to enter!!!

*Disclaimer: CoolSculpting® is not intended as a weight-reduction program or for overweight individuals. The grand prize winner must first be assessed by a CoolSculpting® provider of ZELTIQ’s choosing to ensure he/she is a good candidate for the procedure. If the grand prize winner is not assessed as a good candidate, he/she will not be eligible for the treatment portion of the grand prize. The best CoolSculpting® candidates are near their ideal body weight with bulges of diet- and exercise-resistant fat.

This is a sponsored post, I have received compensation to write for CoolSculpting® however I think it’s a really great program and my honest opinions of the program are expressed above. Yours may vary.

Well, maybe not every single little detail, but the important ones like who I met, why I was in San Jose, and of course what the flavor of my martini was.

Let’s start from the beginning-ish….

I first met with the amazing PR company for Invisalign at Bloggy Boot Camp Atlanta. Although I had heard of them well before. I signed up to attend their Invisalign Teen Mom breakfast for more information on their program and was excited at everything I was hearing, I immediately thought, ” I need to be a part of this program.” And to be candid I do not feel that way about every opportunity that is presented to me.

After touching base a couple more times throughout the conference and through emails after the conference I was given the opportunity to write this sponsored post: Invisalign – The Real Tooth Fairy. Which, mind you, was a really fun post to create and I loved the little Tooth Fairy I produced as well. From that post I was hoping it would not only showcase my fun writing skills and passion for what I do, but also let Invisalign and their PR reps know that I was interested in their Mom Advisory Board program.

Well, I guess it worked. A few months later I was contacted by email to visit Invisalign headquarters in San Jose to learn more about the process, discuss more details, and best of all, meet my co-horts in the program.

Here are a few pictures of my visit to Invisalign :

Joining me on this new round of bloggers are (in order from the photo above): Ciaran from Momfluential, {me}, Carmen from Mom To The Screaming Masses and Trisha from 24/7 Moms. I had a great time getting to know these ladies, the founder and one of her great PR staffers, and some welcoming folks at the Invisalign Headquarters. I look forward to working with everyone I met this weekend and hope you’re just as excited as I am!

Since I’m on the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board I’ve been educated on Invisalign and know quite a bit about everything from how the aligners are made to who make good candidates and more. In order to help parents and teens even more, I’m going through the process myself so I’ll have first-hand experience to speak on. How cool is that?!?!

Occasionally you’ll see some posts, tweets, videos, and maybe even giveaways from me for Invisalign, I hope that you feel free to ask me questions in my comments or if you’re shy like me {yeah right!}, you can email me any questions you may have as well. If I don’t know I have access to the amazing people at Invisalign who do.

Thank you for always supporting me with my projects. I’m very excited to see how I can help you find out more information to make the best, most educated choices for family. I’ll be posting information from my consultation in the next post so subscribe to my feed if you want to be alerted when it posts on my site.

Also check out Invisalign on Facebook and Twitter:

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board, I receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but am posting my own, personal opinions. 

In 1926 historian, Carter G. Woodson and some other influentials created, “Negro History Week”, however the beginnings of what is now, “Black History Month,” began years before. His goal was to educate people about African-American history, their cultural backgrounds and reputable achievements. In 1976, February was proclaimed “Black History Month” and continues to be observed each calendar year.

As you know DaddyB and I have two beautiful girls, who are almost 2 and 5. He is African American and a smidge Native American and I am Caucasian (Anglo-Saxon) and that makes our girls AMAZING!! Oh yeah, and they’re multi-racial. We are very blessed to be living in the world today, as opposed to several years ago, and while we’ve seen our share of racism displayed in many ways, we are thankful to those who paved the path for where we now stand.

This time of year last year I got to visit an amazing exhibit called, “RACE: Are We So Different,” and it was amazing, I learned so much and really enjoyed it, definitely wish I could have bottled all of that information to show the girls as they grow since some of the material was way over their heads. Miss A did get to play with some puppets from different races and check out some other aspects and Baby C was thrilled to sit in her stroller and people watch.

We may be naïve, but we see each person as they are and love our family just how we are too. Because I do not know as much as I would like about Black Culture both in the states and around the world, I have spend some hours online educating myself and trying to figure out how to best celebrate this month, Black History Month with my family. Since my girls are still quite young we want to make sure we engage in activities and practices that are age appropriate and family appropriate.

I have always said, and will always say that as a parent or caregiver, you have to do what you think is best for your own family, so while we may not choose to celebrate how another family celebrates that’s what makes us unique and our very own family of four. We don’t want race to be the only determining factor in their life, however we do want them to embrace and celebrate their background. I know many African-American people who do not celebrate and also some who are very diligent about it, would love help figuring out the best fits for our family to introduce our daughters to this side of their heritage.

We want our girls to have a balanced life and most of all to love and honor God, each other and others.

If you have any tips, blog posts or ideas on how you and your family celebrate, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advance for the support.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: User dbking

 This little er, big girl is breaking my heart. This year Miss A turns….5. Ack, I get agida when I event think about that number. For me, being a stay-at-home mom and extremely hands-on with my girls from birth, “5 years-old” means she’s growing up. The older she gets the less she needs mommy, she’ll be in Kindergarten in the Fall and inevitably I’ll see her less during the week, and that means that some day, she’ll be grown, hopefully go to college and have her own family.

Now before I get too far ahead of myself, because I often tend to do that, {I’m a worrywart you see} I know this is the normal progression of parenthood, however it seems like a big leap to me. Before she turns five, and goes off to Kindergarten I want to enjoy the rest of this school year and summer celebrating four!

We have decided make a checklist of 4 big/new things to do before she goes to Kindergarten.

1. Get her hair straightened {temporarily} for her birthday party.
2. Take a family trip to SeaWorld, she loves exploring new things.
3. Sign her up for a semi-competitive sport.
4. Invite one of her friends over for a sleepover.

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What’s your next, “Big Leap” in life? What do you want to accomplish before that leap?

Compensation was provided by Honda via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Honda.

Leaving the “yellow shirt” slot open, Sam Moran stepped in. Sam had been a part of The Wiggles show since 1998 and was a great addition when he stepped up to take the lead singer position for The Wiggles. Now that Greg is rejoining The Wiggles, Sam will be taking time to continue working on his own personal music ventures, (he released The Colour of Love in 2010) and also to spend time with his family.

Thankfully, there was a great person who was able to step in for a time and also step back from this position. Sam has been praised for continuing the success of The Wiggles during Greg’s leave. Yet when the day comes for Greg to rejoin the group and appear in his yellow shirt this year, there may be some confused or upset children.

With any television show there is a chance that characters will need to be replaced. I featured this story on The Fresh Beat Band replacing their, “Marina” character: What Happened to the Fresh Beat’s Marina? And with all of the traffic and comments it has had you can tell the change certainly struck a nerve in viewing homes. Recently other children’s television shows that have replaced characters or voices have been Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, and one who did it well, Blues Clues.

Not all shows give such great transition to a new character as Blues Clues with their switch from Steve to Joe, so as parents we need to learn the best ways to deal with these changes, because like it or not, they will happen. You may adapt these tips for your own child depending on their age and maturity.

1. Watch TV with your child – this gives your child an opportunity to discuss with you and you and opportunity to ask them questions, gauge their comfort with the changes and opens lines of communication.
2. Do your homework - if your child has a favorite show, why not set it up for a Google Alert or receive newsletters from that show so you can be abreast of changes before they even appear on the tube.
3. Explain TV vs Reality - of course this depends on the show and your child’s age, but in an age appropriate manner discuss what they think differences between television and real-life are and have fun with it.
4. Keep a positive attitude - so many of us parents are upset when characters change even when often, our children move on easily. When we aren’t disturbed by things, occasionally it will help our kids deal as well.
5. Choose different programming - if your child is very upset and no amount of discussion will ease their minds choose to watch something else on TV, but keep in mind characters in some shows may change. You can always opt to watch recorded versions of that show as well to keep with the consistency however boredom is a factor there.
6. Turn off the TV - when all else fails, or if TV seems to be more of an issue in your household, perhaps it’s time for a break from shows and the television in general. Get your kids interested in puzzles, coloring books, imaginative play, and if it’s nice weather head outside for some fresh air.

Do you have any tips to add?

Have any children’s television character switches effected your home?

I’ll admit, I haven’t been consistent, but I’m making more of an effort. With a 6 month old and a 2 ½ year old, it’s not always easy to get to the gym.

Workout DVDs are a great option for home and the shorter they are with an effective total body workout, the better.

Thanks to Mommy B, I had the opportunity to try 28 Day Boot Camp with SparkPeople’s Coach Nicole.

SparkPeople.com is a free online resource that allows you to plan meals and track nutrition, find recipes, watch exercise videos, and much more. Coach Nicole, a certified personal trainer and exercise instructor, is an editor and fitness expert at SparkPeople.com.

Coach Nicole has a calm, straight forward approach to cueing you for each move and motivating you to stick with it. I know from personal experience that’s how she really is – I took some spinning classes that she instructed.

What I like most about Coach Nicole and the two ladies who are in the 28 Day Boot Camp video is that they are real. They look fit and healthy and you can relate more easily to them than the super fit, extremely thin women that often appear in exercise DVDs.

The DVD includes Coach Nicole’s 28 Day Plan which outlines how many minutes and the intensity in which you should work out along with the type of exercise (cardio, cardio-sculpt, tone and burn, and total body challenge). You simply go to the calendar and the appropriate day and play the workout from the calendar.

Or you can mix and match the workouts how you like. The DVD is set up so you can choose each of the segments individually for a 12-, 20- or 30-minute workout as well as a warm up and cool down. Check out a few clips from the SparkPeople – 28 Day Boot Camp video:

28 Day Boot Camp is one that can work for anyone. Coach Nicole and the two trainers in the video show you the moves at three different levels – beginner, intermediate and advanced. You can modify the moves to continue challenging yourself as you become more fit (or to make yourself work harder if you’re already in great shape). The only equipment needed are hand weights and a mat.

The background music is almost monotonous and doesn’t interfere with your ability to follow the DVD. I almost wish it was a bit more energetic to encourage me to keep moving. Also, there’s a clock on each segment that tells you how much time you have left. I have a love/hate relationship with counters like that – it’s nice to know how much longer you have but it can also be distracting.

Most of the moves seem fairly uncomplicated and include the usual suspects – squats, crunches, side steps, kettle-inspired moves, etc. Be careful not to overexert yourself though – there is one move that involves positioning your legs to the side and turning into the move. That particular move caused me to aggravate my lower back which resulted in pain for several days (disclaimer – I tend to have lower back pain issues that flare up here and there). Just listen to your body and choose the appropriate effort level.

Also included with the DVD are eight recipes (baked lemon rice, blueberry flaxseed muffins, and miso vegetable soup among others), tips to burn more fat and seated ab exercises (you can sneak a little exercise in while you’re working or watching TV).

Overall, I enjoyed the video and plan to include it in my rotation of home exercise DVDs. It’s a little lighter on cardio than some other videos I’ve tried, such as Jillian Michaels, but it has a great combination of cardio and sculpting moves. It also seemed that the instructors “rushed” through some of the moves and I found it difficult to keep up with their pace at times.

Regardless of which workout I selected, I found myself lightly sweating and experiencing that little bit of muscle soreness the next day that lets you know you worked hard, but didn’t overexert yourself.

You can find 28 Day Boot Camp ($16.99 list price) at Target and other retailers as well as Amazon. Visit SparkPeople.com here: http://www.sparkpeople.com to get a $3 coupon to purchase the DVD at Target.

After a 13+ years PR/communications career, Jamie K. recently took on her most challenging job yet – as a fulltime CFO (chief family officer). Currently, she lives in Alabama with her husband, an officer in the Air Force, and her toddler son and infant daughter. She’s a big fan of deal sites, attempts to be eco-friendly, and struggles daily with the great balancing act of being a super mom.

Although products were provided for this review, the opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

In order to complete my goal of being the first college graduate I couldn’t do it on my own. I had to ask several people for help.

• I asked my mother to cosign on a student loan with me
• I inquired with my employer about working extra hours to make a few more dollars
• I applied for a few scholarships through my school
• I asked teachers for their recommendations to show what kind of a student I was

H&R Block is encouraging people to, “Never Settle for Less.” Customers who complete their taxes using H&R Block at Home can instantly win one of the hourly drawn cash prizesand be entered to win a $100,000 grand prize refund. To enter, complete a tax return online via computer or tablet device using H&R Block At Home tax preparation. Check out more information here: H&R Block Contest

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by H&R Block® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of H&R Block®”

Make sure I have daily devotions, if I can’t do them in the mornings then at least sometime throughout the day

-It’s very important for me to have time with God and to make Him more of a priority this year.

Take time for me. As a mom who puts herself on the back burner {can you relate?}, I am promising myself to work less, get more sleep, drink more water, eat healthier, and, dare I say it, even pamper myself once and a while.

Be the best mom I can be. Having more silly moments with the girls, creating and maintaining a close circle of healthy, supportive, fun, good friends for them to play with, and also making sure they are healthy inside and out as well.

Which brings me to mention Trop50. Baby C has never took to the bottle, unfortunately when I was nursing hubby did not get to help feed her, and I made sure I was always somewhat close-by in case she needed to be fed. She never took formula and more importantly when I weaned her she did not want to have anything to do with cow’s milk. We tried everything, bottle, sippy cup, and even medicine dropper, she just wasn’t going for it. Because Calcium is such an important vitamin we consulted with our pediatrician and he suggested other ways for her to get the nutrients she needed. One way was to introduce Calcium enriched orange juice (among other ways).

{The Trop50 version below is not the Calcium, Vitamin-D version they also sell.}

That’s where Trop50 comes in. Tropicana is a well-known brand that produces a great line of juice beverages and have recently created Trop50, the juice beverage that offers 50% less sugar, and 50% less calories with no artificial sweeteners. Which, for a mom who is trying to make sure their child gets enough Calcium, but not overdo the sugar intake, is perfect. I am happy with this new line that I can easily purchase in my local grocery store and that helps me accomplish part of one of my resolutions for 2012.

What are your resolutions? Head over to Trop50′s Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/Trop50Resolutions to enter their True Resolutions contest and celebrate the real reasons behind New Year’s resolutions. Share your secret motivation and earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for yourself and $.50¢ off coupons for up to 50 of your friends! Whether you submit a resolution or not, you can also enter their sweepstakes to win a $1,000 gift card!

Happy New Year!!!

This post is sponsored by Trop50, I received compensation for this post, however all thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own. Your opinions may vary.

Now you may be familiar with 2 chix from your own experience or from one of my first ever posts here: http://www.mommybknowsbest.com/2-chix/. They are known as a fun line of maternity shirts made mostly for moms, but some for dads too. Well, recently I found out that they not only carry bump-themed gear, but they also carry kids clothing, and it’s just as cute as their other lines.

Of course I had to try them out, especially after I saw that they had this bee shirt:

I am, afterall, MommyB and have a whole bee family on my site. I thought it was appropriate, and the girls loved it, especially Miss A because she goofs around sometimes calling me, “MommyB”.

We also got to try out their “Suh-weet” t-shirt which was a white fabric, and the girls honestly looked adorable in both. The first thing I noticed after I received the shirts was the amazing shirt quality. The fabric was thick and soft too. So many of the kids clothing stores today offer cheap prices but the fabrics are so thin you have to layer so they’re not see-through, or they just don’t hold up. Having two girls, namely Baby C who’ll inevitably end up with hand-me-downs, I have to make sure that their clothes can survive the daily wear-and-tear.

When I saw the fun designs were, “velvety accents”, I must admit I was really skeptical that these t-shirt adornments would soon be ripped off by my washer and dryer. Much to my surprise, {and delight}, the shirts have held up wash after wash. No pilling, the bee and ice cream cone have stayed put, and the shirts have kept their size too.

The shirts are a little pricey for what I would normally buy the girls at $32.00 a shirt, but with the way it holds up and the fun velvet accents as opposed to normal print, I could definitely see this being a decent purchase, especially if it’s going to be handed down to one or more child in the future. Weird to call a shirt, “an investment”, but that is exactly what came to mind.

My one disappointment in 2 Chix Chicklets line: they only make them in size 2T-5 and 2T-6 in organics. I don’t dress the girls identical a lot, but once and a while is cute, {in my opinion}. What’s your opinion? Cute or not???

Check out 2 chix Chicklet line here: http://www.2chix.com/products/toddler__kids_tees/index.asp and don’t forget they also have maternity clothes for moms and fun shirts for dads, not to mention cute onesies for the wee babes too. Check them out on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/2chixMaternity

What is your favorite 2 Chix Chicklet shirt design?

I do like to get him presents from the girls though, it not only is exciting for our girls to shop for daddy, but again teaches them that we are supposed to give to others on Christmas. They love their daddy so much that asking them to help was a guaranteed, “YES!!”

I have bought a few things here and there, trying to be creative. I wanted to add one more stocking stuffer for him {hoping that he doesn’t read this, or if he does that he pretends that he didn’t.} When I was a child I remember making coupon books as gifts for my mom. I loved doing this and I think my mom liked it too, I’m sure some of you have also done this and it’s super simple. Lucky for me since my, “proverbial plate” is full.

Miss A and I sat down and brainstormed what would be fun to coupon to daddy. We mostly thought of “things that you can’t hold in your hands,” – this was the easiest way I could describe intangible gifts to her. Then, I used Picnik.com {my favorite photo editing program} and “jazzed” up the girls Christmas pictures, and switched over to paint.net {a free “paint” program.} I added some text in a fun font and put our unique gift ideas on the tags, and here’s what we came up with:

With a few easy, free programs, some cute photos, and a little bit of time on the computer you can make these for your favorite recipient this Christmas. They can “cash-in” the coupons whenever they want, or keep for sentimental reasons. Enjoy!!!

Have you made coupon books before? What is your favorite coupon for?