"Why didn't someone think of this before!"  That's pretty much went through my head when I first saw this product.  Quick acting on-the-go medicine that requires no liquid and comes in a cute little compact.  Yes and yes.

I forgot to mention that I also think this is brilliant for those 12 and older kids who are too big for children's liquid pain reliever, but still have trouble swallowing pills...like MINE.  My 15 year old gets frequent headaches and it often takes half a bottle of liquid pain reliever to do the job.  Not cool.

I'll definitely be introducing this to him.

You can find Urgent RX at Walgreens, Amazon, and Drugstore.com.  Also, check out their website HERE to see other major retailers that carry this awesome product.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to tell you about Urgent RX, but I do intend to use the lovely little sample they sent me and enjoy it fully. 



   

In our busy busy, everybody's eating at different times, kinda motherhood, the crock pot is the new fast food drive thru.

 Like I said, cooking is not a thing I do for excitement or enjoyment, unless there's a party attached.  I like parties.  But I can't stand feeding my kids garbage.  We are not the McDonald's sorta bunch. My problem is mainly that I have pretty much relied on the same 5 dinners over and over and over. My dinner table was the Groundhog Day of gastronomy.  

Thanks to a few great cookbooks in my life...The Crockin' Girls being one of them, my kids now get a bit more variety at mealtime.  I forgot to mention that this cookbook also includes fast and yummy desserts!  Again, I can not bring myself to buy boxed cookies, cakes, pies, etc. My kids rarely have dessert because I can't stand that stuff, but don't take enough time to make my own.  That's a' changing too.

If you too are in need of some fast and yummy grub, I recommend giving The Crockin' Girls a go.

Here's to Dinner, ya'll!
M 





You can find The Crockin' Girls cookbook, and much more about them right HERE. 


* I was not compensated for my review of The Crockin' Girls cookbook, but I did get to keep my book:) 

It's usually not too difficult to get my boy Truman to be a part of my vlogs, especially when it involves taste testing cookies.

 But he's also the kind of kid that will tell you if something tastes heinous and he makes the best "this is disgusting" face I've ever witnessed. So it's kind of a risk when you're asked to do a video review.

Thank God these were yummy.

 Skeeter Snacks are a totally peanut and tree nut free treat.  I think they're not only fabulous for your nut allergic kids, but as a mom of boys without nut allergies, it's a good idea to have something for their friends with allergies to have when they're here for a playdate...or as they're called once you're past 5th grade, a "hangout" session.


I also love that this product's mascot is a funny little squirrel names "Skeeter" who happens to be allergic to nuts.  Thus, these are his snack of choice.  I like that they've given kids with a similar allergy a spunky little character to relate to.  Sweet, indeed.

If you are looking for good tasting, nut free treats, then I think "Skeeter Snacks" are your solution.  

You can check out their website and products right HERE! 


#cookiesRULE

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review, but was given some yummy cookies to eat.  Nom Nom Nom. 

That is all.
M 

First off, I want to offer my sincere apology for possibly scarring you with my make-up free, baggy eyed appearance this AM.  It's not all smoke and mirrors all the time. 

I felt compelled to do this vlog because as mentioned above, my sweet pooch is getting a bit of a pouch mainly due to the fact that I spend the day running around doing errands, working, working, working on line, trying to keep my house from imploding, and just being all things work-at-home mom.  I know ya'll can relate.

Every morning I wave goodbye and scamper inside just after Truman leaves for the bus and then try to check off those to-do list boxes as quickly and efficiently as possible.  And it's just not workin' for me.  SO today was day one of "taking a beat" and gifting myself with a moment to set my intentions for the day. To be a little more patient with those children(whom we often expect to act like adults), to look my husband and boys in the eyes when they are speaking to me, to take a few risks and be bold in my work, to be a better friend, to simply notice the world spinning around me and enjoy the messy, unpredictable, silly, chaotic beauty of it all.  And to give a little thanks for a brilliant new day.  

My hope is to make this 30 minute walking meditation a part of my daily routine.  So that when Tru walks out the door to the bus, I walk out the door with the dog.  

I know that as our lovely Chicago winter approaches it will become more difficult to kick myself out the door, but I'm up for the challenge.  We all know in theory that is GOOD for us to take a pause in the morning to run, walk, pray, meditate, breathe deeply, and simply set our minds and bodies for the day ahead.  But how many of us actually DO it?  Not me,  Until now. 

SO I encourage you, super moms of the world...take a beat in the morning and set up your day for goodness.  You deserve it.

Play on!
M  

As soon as Chicago Cutlery asked if I'd like to learn how to properly use knives, I was all in.  I have long admired those Iron Chefs with their mad skills, chopping a mile a minute and never loosing a finger.  Usually.

Being able to take a beat and spend a couple hours really learning about these most valuable of kitchen tools, and then getting a chance to try them out, was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. 

I quickly realized that having the right tool and knowing what to do with it, makes cooking, dare I say....FUN.

If you need a new set of blades for your kitchen island, I highly recommend this new Design Pro line by Chicago Cutlery.  Great performance, low cost.  Win/win.

 


*While I was not compensated for this review, I did receive a few wicked knives, and some MAD knife skills.  (I can't stop saying that).