Last summer my husband checked-off a bucket list must-do with a trip to Italy – from Rome to Venice. It was truly a life-changing experience and almost daily I am reminded of something from that journey. That’s why I was so excited by the Meadow Museum’s special Family Day event this weekend, June 8. What a great way to share just a little bit with my kids and what mom and dad did on their special vacation and to commemorate our special trip.
A little iPhone shot I took this summer on the boat in Venice. (Photo credit: Autumn Reo.)
Families are invited to be immersed in the spirit of Venice at Meadows Museum at a special free family event, from 11 am – 2 pm. You’ll be able to stroll through the galleries featuring vibrant works in their special exhibition Impressions of Europe: Nineteenth-Century Vistas by Martín Ricoas well as other activities and performance for visitors of all ages.
I received product for the purposes of this review. However, all the comments and information here are mine. I’m always on the hunt for something good to drink. While I enjoy my wines and cocktails, sometimes I prefer a great recipe for healthy juice for my kids, a fun water alternative or tea. Oh, yes – me and my tea fixation. I chalk it all up to be southern and the fact that I worked at a Chicken Express in high school and they have delicious sweet tea (and yes, I still eat there.)
Anyhow, as I get older I can’t go through four glasses of sweet tea a day. Besides the fact it isn’t healthy, I just don’t want that amount of sweetness. I want something with a hint, but not like a whole bag of cane sugar got dumped into my glass. So I was stoked to find some new BOTTLED teas that were just the right amount of sweet and healthy. Now before we get into all the coolness of why you should try this tea, I have to preface this with: I don’t like bottled tea. At all. Like I send it back at restaurants if it’s not freshly brewed, so I’m a total snob about the taste of my tea. And now that I have kids, I am becoming a snob about the things I put in my body and theirs. Enter Rooibee Red Tea, a family-friendly USDA-certified organic bottled rooibos tea. This tea is made with pure waters, organic ingredients and is available in five flavors including Watermelon Mint, Peach, Unsweetened, Cranberry Pomegranate and Vanilla Chai.
If you’re not familiar with rooibos, it is a bush that grows only in South Africa. Tea made from rooibos has been enjoyed by South Africans for generations and has recently gained popularity in other parts of the world, including the US, because of its health benefits and inherently sweet character. All Rooibee Red Tea varieties are USDA organic, high in antioxidants, naturally caffeine free, gluten free and low in calories.
Thanks, Wikipedia for this lovely shot of Rooibos.
Best thing about Rooibee Red Tea? Those behind the company are moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers who want to live right and take care of their families, community and the planet. They created this family-friendly, caffeine free tea as a healthy alternative to high-sugar juices and sodas that rejuvenates without stimulants and refreshes without anything artificial. Gotta love that. Rooibee Red Tea is available at local DFW Whole Foods Market. For more information about Rooibee Red Tea, check their website and Facebook.
This is a sponsored post on the behalf of Invisalign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Everyone (except maybe Heidi Klum) has had their ugly duckling period. Normally it is also the time puberty kicks in around junior high and to make your self-esteem really go downhill, your parents decide this is the right time for braces. Then thankfully about your senior year of high school you get your braces removed just in time to show your new perfectly straightened pearly whites for graduation photos.
I wasn’t that lucky. Although I was so glad to get braces, I didn’t get mine “installed” UNTIL the end of my junior year of high school. To make it even more fun, I got my first pair of glasses the following week. While my top row were “clear” ceramic braces, my bottom set were the traditional metal braces and my graduation photos would definitely have me with my braces and so would my first year of college… Super. (That’s not what I said at the time, but you can imagine what I was thinking, right?)
While I wasn’t happy to be “Braceface” and “Four Eyes” all of a sudden, I didn’t mind it near as much as the pain I had when my wires needed adjusting and started poking me in the sides of my mouth. I can still remember the feeling now as well as the huge amounts of wax I just kept sticking into my braces so it would stop hurting just for a little bit. During the first four months I had those babies on, I ate nothing but egg drop soup because it hurt too much to eat and/or would probably get stuck in my teeth anyhow. Thankfully technology has changed and made days of throbbing teeth, ugly graduation photos, and wondering “what’s stuck in my teeth” a thing of the past. For instance with Invisalign, patients can watch their winning smile evolve instead of waiting to see the final result when the traditional metal brackets come off. Invisalign patients can start to see improvements and progress in as little as 90 days. And best of all, no more wires and brackets required – Invisalign is the clear alternative to metal braces that uses a series of virtually invisible and removable aligners that gradually move teeth over time. The benefits include no food restrictions, ability to easily maintain healthy dental brushing habits, minimal interference with sports or other activities, and teeth get straightened without most people knowing you are in treatment.
When compared to metal or even ceramic wire bracket braces like I had, a clear aligner option like Invisalign has many advantages. Although the cost is roughly about the same as traditional braces, the Invisalign treatment usually requires fewer office visits, shorter appointments and no “emergency” visits for broken wires or brackets. Oh, if I could only do it over again. Oh wait, I get to – in just about 8 years with my kids. At least they’ll have Invisalign.
I received product for the purpose of this review. However, all the information and comments are my own.
A few months ago my beautiful little girl’s perfectly peach and unmarked skin became red, whelped and dry all over her poor little, chubby legs. Since she didn’t complain and thinking she just had a reaction to being out in a field of bluebonnets (a spring Texas requirement), I let it go for more than a week without doing much than amp up her lotion use. It was only after her school became scared the condition may be contagious and it wasn’t going away, I realized it might be eczema. But just in case, I needed to take her to the pediatrician.
Comfirmed by her pediatrician, we decided it was time to take her for a dip in an oatmeal bath and slather on the lotion. Why oatmeal? As a skin protectant active ingredient, oatmeal can help restore skin’s normal pH and aid in the maintenance of skin’s moisture barrier to prevent and protect dry skin.
Of course, that meant only one brand would do – Aveeno. Since both my husband and I had our own issues with eczema, we already were big fans of their products. But for our little girl we wondered if the treatments might be too intense for her tender skin.
The Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Care Kit is a two-step regimen formulated with colloidal oatmeal to help soothe eczema-prone skin. Eczema Therapy Bath Treatment gently cleanses and relieves irritation due to eczema. The convenient kit helps to improve the four symptoms of eczema—itchiness, dryness, irritation and rough skin. When dispersed in water, the hypoallergenic powder forms a tear-free milky bath that soothes as it naturally cleanses without soap. After bathing, baby’s skin is softer and smoother, and dry, irritated, sensitive skin is relieved.
While I loved that there was a kit including the lotion and treatment, I still needed a wash to clean her body when we didn’t have time for a bath. Thankfully there was a solution for that too…the Aveeno Baby Cleansing Theraphy Moisturizing Wash. awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. Best of all everything we needed was purchased at our local grocery store, didn’t need a prescription and didn’t break the bank. And neither will you with this special giveaway from Aveeno! Are you looking for a nighttime ritual to From AVEENO®, the leader in ACTIVE NATURALS® ingredients and recommended by Pediatricians for over 60 years, comes the AVEENO® Baby Bathtime Solutions Gift Set, which includes products to nurture baby’s skin and pamper mom!
One lucky reader will win the AVEENO® BABY BATHTIME SOLUTIONS GIFT SET (great gift for you or a great baby shower gift) with:
Baby Wash & Shampoo: blends natural oat extract into a rich, lathering, soap-free cleanser that cleans without drying
Baby Daily Moisture Lotion: non-greasy formula contains natural colloidal oatmeal to help soothe baby’s delicate, dry skin
Baby Calming Comfort Bath: tear-free, soap free cleanser contains soothing scents of lavender and relaxing vanilla
Stress Relief Body Wash: formulated with natural colloidal oatmeal to clean and moisturize skin, and scented with lavender, essential chamomile and ylang-ylang oils to help calm and relax you in the shower
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX. However, all the comments here are my own.
When I was a kid I waited all week long until Saturday mornings so I could get my cartoon fix. Now fast forward to today: my kids never have to wait for cartoons to come on one day away because NETFLIX gives them the accessibility to watch what they want, when they want. All mama has to do is turn them on whatever device makes sense like my iPad, computer and of course, the TV. Gotta love streaming video, right? All I have to do is hit up the dedicated kids section (designed by Common Sense Media for kids ages 2- 12) on NETFLIX and press play.
Happy kids means a happy mama. In the mornings to get the kids ready for school they request always ask for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally. When they get home and we have snack time, it’s always a little Jake and the Never Land Pirates for both of little sweeties. The four-year-old boy dominates the watching choices for both of them – at least until the 20-month girl can talk. And then it’s all over! Until then she seems to enjoy Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Takes although her brother “lets her watch” Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue – even though I know he secretly likes it, too!
But the favorite show of both of them is without a doubt Thomas & Friends: Go Go Thomas. We are definitely a “Thomas” family since everything from my son’s room, all his toys, even his lunch box are all Thomas. So no doubt we treat Thomas like a special occasion everytime we watch it. His presence on the screen is like Friday night at the movies. And until my kids get a little older, Netflix makes it possible to have Family Movie Night without paying an arm and a leg. And of course, begin the movie at 6 pm so we can still make bedtime AND bathroom breaks WITHOUT missing the movie! What are you watching on TV with your family? Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.
And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.
This is a sponsored post. I’ve received a gift card as an incentive for writing this post. However, the opinions stated here are all my own.
I. HATE. TO. RUN. However, when I get finally get passed that first 10 minutes (or longer) of running and self-doubt, I hit my runner’s high and remember why it’s so effective to create a more healthy me. I’ve tried so many things, but when I lost 35 lbs. before I was married it was totally due to a good diet and a lot of running. And nothing has been as successful since. I just have to get passed that first part to get going…
Funny enough, Dallas has been full of fun ways to get motivated this spring. From zombies to zebras, there’s been a run for everything, but there’s one more you need to add to your list: The Pretty Muddy. (Bet you can figure out what happens at this one, right?) The Pretty Muddy on June 1 in Dallas is a 5k adventurous obstacle course mud run for any woman who wants to get outside, spend time with friends and have fun. Still a little uncertain about how a mud run? Check out this video.
Best of all, post race women will be treated to a fashion show by Old Navy showcasing the latest in the active wear fashion trends. (Which is going to really make you want them since you’ll be covered in mud.)
Since I’m already a huge fan of Old Navy Active Collection, I can’t wait to see the show. From personal experience, I know if you don’t like what you are wearing to work out, you won’t put it on and if you don’t put it on…well, then you don’t do much exercising. But that’s not the only reason to keep your mouse on “click” – this wear makes you look skinnier while you’re trying to get skinnier!
The Old Navy Active Collection offers an assortment of styles and colors at affordable prices including the Compression line that features everything from solid color leggings to color block capris, sports bras, tanks, shorts and jackets, and offers performance fit for added support and a slimmer silhouette. Made with cotton, spandex and GoDry Fabric it helps to keep you dry and comfortable. Best of all Old Navy Active pants offer fuss-free storage of keys, iPods and all that other necessary stuff you need on you!
Pretty Muddy 5K Obstacle Course Mud Run June 1, 2013 Skyline Ranch 1801 E Wheatland Rd Dallas, TX 75241 $ 69.50 – Get $10 off with CODE: BLOGON for $59.50 registration Website
