Autumn Rose Reo

Mom to Mom: Healthy Baby Food Delivery You’ll Both Eat

July 19, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Food Fridays:

Disclaimer: I was provided products for the purposes of this review; however, no compensation was received. All comments and thoughts disclosed here are my own.

We all have grandiose visions of what amazing things we are going to do for our children to be “good parents.” One of my biggest goals was to create my own baby food for my son so he would enjoy healthy eating and ate more than chicken nuggets, goldfish and strained peas.

Unfortunately, my good intentions were ruined with work, unplanned obligations and pure exhaustion of just getting the absolutely necessary things complete – much less the things I wanted to achieve like whipping up some pureed carrots.

Now, three years later, I’m here again, with a toddler and a wish to feed her healthy food BUT with even less time than I had with one child.

Thankfully, this time I actually have an option: Half Pint Palates.

Created by mom/chef/owner/amazingly cool gal Tara Anderson, HPP creates and delivers clean, non-processed, globally insprired baby and toddler foods to doorsteps across the metroplex (within a 30-mile radius of her Deep Ellum kitchen.) Packaged in either a three-day or five-day plan, a single day’s menu includes: breakfast, an entrée style lunch, light dinner, two dry snacks, a fruit puree and a juice all for only $17.50 per day. Basically everything you need for your kid’s menu but milk.

Since as children we are born with more taste buds than you’ll ever have, priming a kids palate is important to appreciate and enjoy certain flavors and textures rather than the bland ingredients that processed baby food presents. So by using local and sustaintable producers, Tara handcrafts her proportionally appropropriate meals by introducing spices, herbs, grains, local meats and legumes (she opts not to use nuts in her foods, although the line is not totally nut free.)

A sample menu of Half Pint Palates:

BREAKFAST
Passionfruit Oatmeal
Summer Tomato and Aji Grit Casserole
Caramelized Banana Pudding
Arroz con Leche
Quinoa with Guava-Lime

LUNCH
Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tamale Pie
Vegetarian Chili Verde
Sancocho de Pescado
Fresh Corn and Quinoa Casserole with Chorizo
Argentinean Bistek with Chimichurri Rice

SUPPER
White Beans with Chimichurri
Sauteed Sweet Plantains
Potato Causa
Stewed Yuca and Collard Greens
Calabaza and Carrots with Coconut

SNACKS
Tomatillo, Celery, Lime, Cucumber
Carrot Pineapple Puree
Pan de Queso
Coconut Cinnamon Shortbread

And remember, this is for your KID!
I was elated to share a week’s worth of Half Pint Palates with my daughter in efforts to try to change her finicky habits until I took out the container from the freezer and took a bite to try it myself. It was so good, I didn’t want her to have it. I mean I wanted to trade my dinner for hers. (Yes, I was chowing down on baby food that was full of flavor and took all of 1:00 to cook.) However, I made the sacrifice and ler her half it with me.

No longer was making healthy food my challenge. It was opening the homemade crackers, freshly squeezed juices with fun flavors like prickly pear cilantro juice and pimento cheese grits and letting her have them before I decided to eat them for my own meal. (Yes, really it was THAT good.)

How it works:

Clients of HPP go to www.halfpintpalates.com to order their food style preference (purees or ‘stews’), their desired amount of weekly meals and can choose from a selection of HPP snacks and juices as well as some adult treats.

HPP shops for seasonal ingredients, prepares them by hand, administers a taste test and freezes the fresh meals all within a week of the client’s delivery date.
All your food is packaged up and delivered to your home in a refrigerated bag in handy plastic containers that are easily placed in the freezer and pantry for quick cooking throughout the week.

Like many momprenuers, Half Pint Palates was developed out of Tara’s own want to provide her daughter healthy food options and merging her own professional experience as am executive chef with Pepsi. And considering her husband also works with Wolfgang Puck Catering, preparing great food from local sources is a priority for this Lakewood family.

Lucky for you, Tara also hosts monthly cooking classes and this month a special FREE Cooking Demonstration hosted by Dallas Moms Blog THIS Tuesday, July 23 at 11 AM at Central Market! However, you must register for this incredible event and reservations are limited.

My advice: sign up for Half Pint Palates and order two plans – one for your kiddo AND one for you.

Half Pint Palates
http://www.halfpintpalates.com
214.208.7908

The Best Places to Find + Post Garage Sales

July 18, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 4 Comments

To-Do Thursdays:

Last weekend the rain convinced me to face up to a task that had been looming for a long, long time.

I finally had to clean out my kids’ rooms.

My youngest was getting ready for potting training so she was ready to move up to a big-girl bed and the oldest recently announced to me that it was time to move out the Thomas the Tank Engine and bring out the Legos. (There were tears when he told me.)

But to be honest, there was a lot more to do than that. I needed to pull out those old toys, clothes, shoes and whatever else that we had finally outgrown and send them to storage. You see I hadn’t gotten rid of anything from either of kids since they were born. (Shame, right?)

So before people started to make a call to the show Hoarders, I moved out the old stuff and put them in storage with all the other stuff we were holding on to. Except this time, I couldn’t close the door. And there wasn’t enough Rubbermaid to organize all this craziness. I needed to make like a cheerleader and purge (just kidding.)

And since all the junk was a big eye sore each time I walked by, I needed to rid my house of the crap quickly (especially before I began to think about keeping that “one” outfit that would without a doubt turn into 20.)

Considering there was that much stuff, everything pointed to the idea that I needed to host a garage sale. But since I don’t go to garage sales and the only one I ever had made like $20, I went on a mad search for how the age of technology had changed garage sales.

Seven online sites you can find (and post) a garage sale in your area:

Craigslist.org
Yardsalesearch.com
Gsalr.com (this one even has a cool app that maps your garage sales!)
Yardsales.net
Atgaragesale.com
Online Private Facebook groups (you may have to research these, but they are controlled groups on Facebook that keep the “Craiglist experience” more local.)
And don’t forget to look at your local newspaper. (Many of them offer really cheap online ads for garage sale listings that can be both print and online!)

Good to Know:
I also needed to add that BEFORE having a garage sale, make sure you check your city’s rules on hosting a garage sale. Some request a permit, some don’t and there may be other rules for signage, ordinances, etc. For instance in Arlington, Texas, we have all kinds of rules on garage sales like where we can post a sign and that you can only host a sale no more than twice a year.

AND of course, if you are looking for GIRLS & BOYS BABY/KIDS CLOTHES,FURNITURE AND TOYS for ages 0-4, then come on out to see me on Saturday!

HOTDOG! Mega Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan

July 17, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 45 Comments

Every child usually requests at least one Mickey Mouse birthday. So we’re sharing our Mega Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan for a real HOTDOG time!

I don’t pretend to be a crafty woman. I wish I was. However, I’m one heck of pinner and can find pretty much anything on Pinterest. Especially party ideas.

So as we approached two monumental birthdays for my kiddos, with my daughter turning 2 in August and my son turning 5 in June, planning began by February 1. However, when my son was granted his wish to go to Disney World from A Wish With Wings, everything became Mickey Mouse. I mean everything. So of course, so did the birthday party.

Thankfully, with just a little help from some lovely bloggers on Pinterest & Etsy, some Amazon purchases, a local party rentals and 1 lovely neighbor who happened to have some leftover Mickey Mouse decor, we had a party to make Walt Disney proud – or at least make my little ones excited!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan

Since the party was at 10 AM, we had a lot to put up and get up early that morning. So to keep all the details in check, I took a template from Vertex42 and reformatted it to my own needs! Feel free to use this Mickey Mouse Birthday Plan downloadable as a PDF or in Google Docs for a plan to manage everything from invitations to day-of birthday deliveries, pickups and must-dos.

PDF // Google Docs // My Actual Completed Version

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Invites

Oh Etsy, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…Thanks to MyCelebrationShoppe, I had these adorable invites made!

Then using the following graphic and downloading a similar Disney font I downloaded online, I addressed the invitations.

Best of call, since we had the invited printed before our trip to Disney, Jackson was able to personally give his invitation to Mickey Mouse at Disney World during his wish trip. It was such a precious opportunity!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Look

Like any good mama going to Disney, I had personalized clothes made for my kids. We then repurposed them for their birthday outfits! Adorable and affordable from ThePolkaDotLollipop (she was amazing, quick and so easy to work with!)

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Decor

As I mentioned I had a neighbor who had balloons, a Mickey cardboard standout, and some banners to start with, so I was already in good business.

But mama never stops at that.

I then ordered the essentials – plates, napkins, tablecloths, including this little polka dot one, and even a photo backdrop to stick up on the fence to welcome families when they arrived at the party.

Borrowing an idea from the Mickey Mouse Playhouse attraction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, we added a balloon drop to pull after signing “Happy Birthday.” I mean, who doesn’t love balloons? And it’s was less than $12.

So I wasn’t selling out completely, Jackson and I spent an afternoon making a Mickey centerpiece for the refreshment table from a post I had found from The Simple Life using styrofoam, a terra cotta pot, a dowel rod and spray paint.

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Food

My favorite part of the party is always the food! We we made it easy serving hotdogs of course (Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!) and chips along with lots of snacks!

Since we always do AM birthday parties (key to a successful party when you have littles), we needed a little something healthy, my grandparents sent over this adorable Edible Arrangements (perfect!)

At this age cupcakes are a mandatory since cake + 2 year-olds just makes a big, sticky mess on me. Just purchasing cupcakes from our neighborhood market, we put cute Mickey Mouse toppers and then this adorable cupcake stand from Wilson.

I tried to make our drinks easy, but it actually took a little tracking down. Langers actually let me know where to find these Mickey Mouse apple juice pouches, so I bought around five cases just to make sure I didn’t run out!

But I had to do one more thing when I came across some photos of some cute cake pops and cupcakes featuring Oreo cookies for Mickey Mouse ears. While I found several different versions of how to do them Mickey Mouse Oreo Cookies on a Stick, I ended up with my own shortcut version. But, let’s face it, if I can do it, anyone can!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Games and Fun

On to the fun! Since bounce houses are the way to go with kiddos at this age, we were able to find a everything Mickey Mouse 5-in-1 combo playhouse for a great price from a local bounce house company in Fort Worth. They did everything from set up to breakdown. We kept it dry while the party was happening, but afterwards I let the kids go crazy when we hooked up the hose to slide for a little water action!

But the real entertainment of the part was a special visit from Mickey Mouse himself! A sweet invitation from Jackson (and a call to It’s a Party Today) made sure Mickey was available to come by for a special birthday treat! After the party had started, Mickey showed up with his own DJ to play fun birthday games and music to get the whole party going for around an hour. He even stayed for birthday cake, photos and passed out restaurant gift cards to the kiddos! We had a blast with Mickey and his friend and the kids couldn’t get enough of him either! (Even if you aren’t doing Mickey Mouse, don’t worry, they do a little bit of everything!)

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Favors

What’s a Mickey Mouse party without ears? Unfortunately, most the ones I found rather expensive ($5 at least a pair.) Thankfully I found an international online company called AliExpress.com that was able to send me a package of 30 Mickey and Minnie ears with bows for less than $1 a pair! While I had to order these well in advance of the party (two months), they sent them over in no time and with no issues.

The whole party was so much fun and we are so thankful to everyone who came to celebrate!

You can find more Mickey Mouse party ideas on my Pinterest page.

Follow mamachallenge.com’s board All Things Disney on Pinterest.

Don’t miss these #mamachallenge birthday plans:

SleepingBeautySpaParty#DisneyBeauties#Cbias#shop

Get Your Body into Warrior Shape with Camp Gladiator – FOR FREE

July 16, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 4 Comments

Try-it Tuesdays:

It’s been way too long since I got out there and did a Try-it Fitness Tuesday. I could make all kinds of excuses like I’ve been sick, I’ve been busy, etc. but to get to the point: I’ve been a lazy mama and it’s time to get things going again – especially before it’s fall and those sweat pants and sweaters make it so much easy to cover up all that blubber.

Mama needed to get her rear in gear and that meant I needed something to go full-speed ahead and wouldn’t leave any prisoners (or tolerate any fat-girl whining.)

Mama needed to a mamachallenge. And I think I’ve found it: Camp Gladiator!

Just the name says you-are-gonna-be-a-warrior-at-losing-weight-and-getting-healthy!

Camp Gladiator is more than a fitness boot camp, it’s an experience they say. One of the fastest growing and most dynamic fitness program in the nation, Camp Gladiator is a four week, adult fitness boot camp that promises a motivating and challenging environment, where men and women of all ages and fitness levels can push themselves and hopefully be pushed too!

Campers as we are called should expect a total body workout. A typical session could include interval training, sprint and agility drills, stations, plyometrics, body weight strength drills, cardio mix, and much more!

In the words of RuPaul, “You Better Work!”

Designed to increase your functional strength, speed, stamina and, most importantly, to deliver results, Camp Gladiator works to not just be about exercise, but positive energy and connect people to who they want to be.

And since I want to be a healthier and leaner mama, I’ve enrolled for the upcoming August camp. Yep, for four weeks I’ll be going at it like a mad woman and you are going to be here to help me make it to the finish line! And you can actually get in on the fun too with a special FREE offer! (Keep reading for more details.)

So to prepare me for the challenge, here are 10 Rules to Get Me (and You)

Ready for Camp Gladiator:

Rain-outs? Never! Every location has a covered area where camp can be held if needed due to weather. Camp Gladiator is rain or shine!
Go at your own pace. Camp Gladiator is for all fitness levels. Do the best you can at camp! No one is ever holding anyone up and no one is being held up by others. Do what you can and always try your hardest. Kick your own butt!
Modifications are available if needed. Ask a trainer or just keep moving on your own. The goal is to keep your heart rate up for the entire hour, so ask your trainer for an alternate exercise as needed.
Stay positive! This is not an easy workout. Don’t get discouraged if you are not able to do something well. Keep working at it and keep coming to camp. Your body will adjust and you will see great improvements.
Warm-up properly. Don’t go 100% unless you are fully warm. Stretch on your own before and after camp.
You may attend ANY and ALL locations as much as you want!
Each day is different and you might like some workouts more than others. We encourage you to continue coming to camp to experience the entire program.
You always need to: be on time, sign-in, wear a nametag, and bring dumbbells, water and a mat.
Always drink plenty of water! Partner good nutrition with exercise for the best results.
Have FUN! Get to know other campers, be loud, encouraging and energetic!

And now that I’m sufficiently scared and excited, I couldn’t be happier to get things moving in the right direction.

So are you ready to get your body in gear with Camp Gladiator? They’ve got a special offer just for you!

Try Camp Gladiator for FREE throughout the month of July!

Camp is held at the following locations in Arlington:
Woodland West Church of Christ – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5:15am
Woodland West Park (Dottie Lynn) – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm

All you have to do is contact Amber Dean at amberdean@campgladiator.com to get signed up for camp for the next 2 weeks!

I Like How It Feels Video from campGladiator on Vimeo.

And make sure to follow my progress on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for my results!

Introducing Dallas New GoGoSqueeZ Squad Leader, Me!

July 15, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 7 Comments

Mama Mondays:

I am so excited to start this week with a BIG announcement!

Recently, I was named a member of GoGo squeeZ Squad for Dallas. I was already a huge fan of the products, but a couple of months ago at Blissdom 2013 I had a chance to get to know the brand and I love ’em! So now as a part of the team, I really couldn’t be more excited and proud to take on this role and help promote the fun, healthy, convenient and playful lifestyle that GGS is all about here in Dallas-Fort Worth!

(Hey, I loved them so much I even included them in my Gourmet Pancakes segment on Good Morning Texas!)

If you are mom who packs lunches or a fitness geek, you probably know exactly what GoGo squeeZ is. However, if you don’t, let me just fill you in:

Happier Healthier families

GoGo squeeZ is proud to be the leading squeezable, re-sealable, 100% fruit in a pouch. GoGo squeeZ’s products are crafted with high-quality natural ingredients to provide wholesome goodness for sipping, squeezing and enjoying, wherever life takes you.

What Does it Mean to be a Member of the squeeZ squad

The squeeZ squad is a team of passionate GoGo lovers that also love being out in their own community. Whether it’s a mom of 4, an adoring aunt, or a former TV producer, our team mission: get GoGo squeeZ to families at work and at play. From field trips to 5k Fun Runs, the squeeZ Squad does it all with a little GoGo. These amazing women (and men) are on the front lines spreading THE playful message.

To get to the core (tee-hee), I will be popping up around the area at events – small and large – to share a little GoGo squeeZ love with you, your family and friends. So if you have an event, activity, party or opportunity you think that is a good place for Go Go squeeZ sampling or gifting, please drop me an email to see if it’s a good match!

Every Time You Squeeze, We Please!

GoGo squeez has teamed up with Life is good® Playmakers, a non-profit that heals and strengthens kids whose lives have been deeply impacted by trauma. They work to ensure that all children grow-up feeling safe, loved and joyful. All you have to do is share this video and we’ll donate $1 to Life is good Playmakers!

See why I’m thrilled to be a part of the squad?

I hope you’ll join me too in living life playfully with Go Go squeeZ!

Break Bread, Drink Beer, Make Friends with #WholeFoodsAddison – Sneak Peek Friday, July 12

July 12, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Food Fridays:

Opening the fringe this morning, I found there was no milk. Half-asleep and pretty-peeved, I was able to make a mess pouring juice, so I reached for the paper towel supply that also seemed to have diminished. It was only when I went to clean my daughter’s diaper and had no wipes left that I knew someone was trying to tell me something.

We were out of groceries. #crappymom alert

Yep, mama needed to go to the store, but all the other stuff (like my leaking ceiling from my clogged A/C and the never-ending ring on my phone today) was making it hard to just stop the madness and take an hour to hit the grocery store.

If only I had someone to do that (and no, I don’t mean my husband.)

And like a little fairy, I found out that the Whole Foods Addison that was opening this TUESDAY, JULY 16 totally has a personal concierge. Yes, someone who will do my shopping for me…but that’s not all folks.

They’ll shop while I drink a beer at the bar or coffee (depending if I need an upper or downer with my day.) That’s amazeballs.

Hold on. There’s more.

Your first shop is free. So at least one time you can come in and get someone else to do the work. Awesomesauce.

So how do you get in on the Whole Foods Addison fun?

Sneak Peek, June 12:
While they are still finishing up on the place, they are inviting everyone – yep, you, me, and all of Dallas, to come on by – have a drink, eat some food, listen to some music and take a look at their “COMMUTER STORE.” (And since Addison technically only has about 15,000 residents, then most of us are considered commuters.) You can’t buy anything, but you can plot your first experience.

Opening Day, July 16:
What’s also awesome? They are giving away 100 gift cards to the first 100 people who show up to “break bread” with them on Tuesday at 7:30 AM. See, Whole Foods doesn’t do ribbon cuttings. Nope, they break bread as a community. And pass out gift cards from $5-$250. Sweet.

THEN – all 1% of profits that day go to Addison’s own WaterTower Theatre, who will be putting on a performance from their latest show, XANADU (yes, the disco, roller-skating-Olivia-Newton-John-one.)

More awesomeness.

However, the coolness didn’t stop there. Nope, they just keep dishing it out with 550 cheeses, a “squeeze and grind” coffee and juice bar,” Korean BBQ, “flying bananas,” and lots of beer and wine to choose from.

Like Kinky said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.”

And I think Whole Foods Addison is beautiful.

See you there folks!

I’ll be the one on the bar stool – grocery shopping.

Family Drive-In Movie Night with Netflix

July 10, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 22 Comments

Wow-Mom Wednesday:

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

When I was growing up I always had drive-in theatre in my own hometown. I have many fond memories of our family watching movies, sitting in the car with the crackle of the attached speaker on the window and a bucket of popcorn in my lap.

Fast forward to now. While drive-in theatres are back in vogue even in the big city, my kiddos are still not ready (or at least I’m not) to take on the summer fun adventure of two children under 5 in the car for two hours plus and at least $40 out for refreshments.

So we’ve opted for the next best thing – our own drive-in movie night at home using Netflix.

Rolling out the TV to the back patio, the kids rolled up their cars and mama brought out the popcorn.

Now to choose what to watch!

Using the NEW Netflix.com/Families features, we were able to look through so many categories on our Apple TV including Family Movie Night, Are We There Yet and TV for Curious Kids. While there were so many to choose from, the love of Mickey Mouse won them over with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally. (And at only 48 minutes and no commercials it was ideal for my two-year-old!)

And just for the occasion, we broke out the ears! Even our Lab, Birddie, got in on the fun.

We had so much fun with just changing where we were watching TV with Netflix, we decided to make it a double-feature and watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

What an inexpensive night of fun – and all for $7.99 a month. (That’s still less one ticket to the movies!) And doing the math for a family of four and treats, it’s a big budget item for only two hours out of the house when with Netflix, you can get it unlimited!

I’ll admit I don’t know if we will roll the TV out come August in Texas, but it doesn’t matter where we watch Netflix. Between our iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and the good ole laptop, Netflix is just a few clicks away for family night fun.

About Netflix

Netflix.com/Families is a new destination designed to meet your family’s summertime entertainment needs. On Netflix.com/Families, parents can find lists of movies and TV shows for all kinds of special summer moments.

Visit www.Netflix.com/Families for more information on the best ways to stream as well as videos from families using Netflix.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

Healthy Summer Crock Pot Recipes To Keep You Out of the Kitchen

July 9, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 5 Comments

TV Tuesday:

This morning I made a visit over to Dallas’ WFAA 8 Good Morning Texas to cook up some of our favorite take out recipes – done healthy! And best of all making them in the slow cooker, you aren’t slaving away in the hot kitchen! So bust out that crock pot and let’s get cookin’!

Check out my healthy crock pot recipe redos for Carnitas Tacos, General Tso’s Chicken, and Chicken Parm!

I have lots more healthy slow cooker recipes where those came from on my Pinterest!

Do you have any healthy recipes you’d like to share? I’d love to test them out!

Got Bugs? 5 Tips for a Bug-Free Summer 2013

July 8, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 6 Comments

Does it seem like your house has been taken over by gnats and flies? I know I’ve had out my fly swatter every day and have been like a mad woman trying to clean up every crumb after my children in hopes that I wouldn’t wake up with some new friends swarming my sink. I mean we aren’t gross people, so what’s with all the bugs?

After I had this same conversation with about five different people in one day, I figured it was time to go to the professionals. But who? It was easy to find the answer: www.gotbugs.com.

Arriving right on time after only making my appointment only about 48-hours before, my friendly “bug man” came out and take a look to give me some tips I could do my self on what I could do to not feel like I lived in Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can.

I had several questions for him, but went straight for the biggie:

“What’s with all the bugs?”

He explained that since we had such a mild winter season with very few cold storms, the bugs from last year never died. “Basically, there was no kill season – so they had an extended mating opportunity.”

Oh gross. But now it was on to finding a way to get rid of the little buggers.

With just a quick walk around my yard, he was able to give me a few thing I could actually do.

{This is the part you take notes.}

TIP #1: Move the trash away from the door.

One of the common places for people to put their trash and undoubtedly one of the easiest ways for bugs to get in the house is to leave it next to the back door. While it may not be as convenient, moving our trash just a few feet has greatly changed the number of bugs we’ve seen.

We all remember last year we were all on West Nile watch. While there have been cases this year, it’s nothing compared to the issues we had in summer 2012, thank goodness. But there are things we can do to prevent as much risk as possible.

TIP #2: Avoid going outdoors from 7-9 pm (dusk) to alleviate your risk for mosquitos.
One of the things I learned was that mosquitos like to perch on the underside of bushes – so basically, you can’t get to them by just spraying them yourself. (Super, right?) That means you have to take other precautions to keep those pests away. But since I’m not going to put a timer on my summer entertaining, he also suggest another tip:

TIP #3: Whoa on the water.

Not only does watering your yard too much add to water shortage issues, but it also makes it a nice environment for the skeeters to live.

While we are also talking about water, make sure that you have all leaks and sprinklers fixed as well as any water sources at a minimal so the mosquitos don’t have a place to nest. Keep gutters clean and unclogged so it is unable to hold water as well as make sure your downspouts drain properly, without leaving puddles in the drainage area.

Tip #3: Mind the gaps.
Bugs are always looking for places to live – including the cracks in your walls. So by filling in the cracks with sprayable insulation or even using a small square of folded window screen can help from bugs taking home in your home.

But there are a couple of gaps you actually should increase between you and infestation. First, make sure to trim back your shrubs trimmed back from the walls (basically overgrown plant life just help build easy road ways for critters to get around.) And thinking you’re being so smart to trim your trees and then pile them close to the house to use for firewood? Think again. Your pile just become an apartment complex for termites.

Oh, how fast can I move those limbs, right?

TIP #4: Keep your yard mowed and the garden mulched.

A manicured lawn is actually an unhospitable place for critters – including ticks, ants, fleas and mosquitos. Basically, if they don’t have a comfortable place to hang out, they won’t (as much at least.) So keep those blades at bay with a weekly whacking.

And one more helpful tip he offered is if you find tick or fleas in your yard, you probably have another problem – a much bigger pest that is keeping them happy and fed. (That’s a whole other discussion that includes rats, squirrels, opposums…)

TIP #5: Go green and plant your own insecticides.

There’s a whole industry built on sprays, fogs, powders and more to help cope with your yard. Unfortunately most of them don’t work (I say that from my own experience.) So consider natural options. While sage, jasmine, and mint are good for your herb garden, they aren’t good for bugs. So bring on the fragrant plants to help get rid of the bugs.

While of course, there are many things I need to leave to the professionals, I was so appreciative of just the couple tips he shared for me to help get rid of my guests. And when you Got Bugs, then call the guys at Metroguard Termite Pest Control.

Disclaimer: There was no compensation or services rendered in exchange for this post. Metroguard Pest Control provided only their time and knowledge for the purpose of this review.

Make Your Own Fireworks Fun with Monthly Kids Craft Program Kiwi Crate

July 3, 2013 By Autumn Rose Reo 5 Comments

I received a free product for the purposes of the review. No compensation was provided. All the comments are my own.

Are you one of those moms that is totally crafty and makes all kinds of cute things for the holidays and then posts a how-to video on YouTube?

Well I’m so excited you are, because I’m not. I wish I was, but at this juncture in life all I can say is Thank goodness for Pinterest!

And thank goodness for Kiwi Crate! Launched in 2011 by executives from eBay, PayPal, YouTube and BabyCenter, Kiwi Crate sends you fun, hands-on projects for kids ages 3-7 monthly. Kiwi Crate’s arts, crafts and science projects are developed by parents, reviewed by child development experts and tested by kids. Projects are created around themes like gardens, space or colors, and designed to encourage creativity, exploration and discovery and conveniently in this cute little box.

I was so happy to share craft time with son when all the thinking was out of it with my Rocket Party Pack from Kiwi Crate. Celebrating Independence Day, the simple packet gave us everything we needed to make 10 rockets that my kiddo could blast off in the air by just blowing on the straw. Best of all, I didn’t have to research a craft idea, get all the materials together and figure out how to do it. It was all in the box and we just opened it and went straight to having fun!

Kiwi Crate has received multiple awards honoring quality and creativity, including a Gold Seal Best Toy Award from Stephanie Oppenheim’s prestigious Toy Portfolio, the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and Academic’s Choice award. Kiwi Crate was also named by Dr. Toy as a “Ten Best Creative Product” and “100 Best Children’s Products” of 2012.

Kiwi Crate’s monthly subscription service available at www.kiwicrate.com, starts at $16.95 per month with free shipping. Kiwi Crate also offers single crates available without a subscription for $19.95 each; as well as party favors and activities, starting at $5 each at www.kiwicrate.com/shop. Additionally, Kiwi Crate offers a collection of over 1,500 free hands-on project ideas at www.kiwicrate.com/diy.

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