Mommin' It Up!

September 26, 2013September 25, 2013

Big boy steps

Yesterday Bobby and I made a big decision for Jonah. We decided that in January, shortly after he turns 3, he will go to preschool. It’s a decision that I am all kinds of mixed up about. He is currently receiving developmental services through our county’s arm of Help Me Grow; however, they kick you out of that when you turn three. And they start the transition process to the local schools fairly early so everyone has plenty of time to get ready for the next step.

So, about three weeks ago, Jonah was evaluated by a team of professionals from our local school district, and yesterday we got their results. They agreed with us that he is speech-language delayed and that he qualifies for services. He could either get services once a week at home one-on-one or go into a classroom where he’d be taught by and Intervention Specialist and receive speech once a week from a Speech Language Pathologist. Because we are able to get him into the same school and the same classroom with the same teachers that Sophie had, we opted for school. Starting in January, just three weeks after he turns three, my baby will be going to preschool 4 mornings a week!

I really cannot believe it. Part of me feels very nervous about sending him out the door 4 days a week at such a young age. Honestly, if I would not have been able to get him in that classroom, I might have opted for the home intervention. But I LOVED Sophie’s teachers and I feel genuinely happy that Jonah will get to be with them. And also? Jonah needs some FRIENDS. Not many of my friends kept having babies when I did, and Jonah has not had a ton of opportunity to interact with peers. He really, really, really needs that social experience and I think it’s going to do wonders for his speech.

Now, I have 3 months to get him to be cooperative in a classroom setting. Yikes! That is what I’m most worried about. He has class for one hour at Help Me Grow, and he does not like to go with the flow. He likes to do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. But, he’s only been in the classroom setting 4 times so far, and one hour a week makes it hard for him to adjust. Twelve hours a week of preschool I think he’ll catch on to much more quickly. I’m praying fer-vent-ly that he does!!

In addition to all this, he’s still seeing his private speech therapist once a week and he’s doing really well with her. And, he’s doing great at home. He’s really starting to let the 3-and-4-word phrases slip out a lot now. He has made some great progress, but he still has a long way to go.

Thus, preschool!

I’m usually the mom who’s thrilled to kick her kids out the door to school, but I think this is going to be hard on me. I’m not ready to let my baby go out that door yet! I think I’ll be crying for a few weeks and nervous for a few more.

In the mean time, I’m going to enjoy the moments I still have with him at home, and keep working with him on his speech. I sure am proud of my sweet little guy!

September 23, 2013September 23, 2013

What you don’t know CAN hurt you

batterycontrolledgraphic — This conversation is sponsored by The Motherhood and The Battery Controlled. All opinions are my own.

You learn something new every day.

Is that a cliche? I don’t know if it is or not. I think it’s just one of those sayings that we blow off but that is actually very, very true. Especially if we pay attention. If you’re like the majority of people who read this post, you are about to learn something new today – something new I learned just a couple of days ago and I am compelled to pass on because it’s important for our kids’ safety.

You guys, you know those little batteries in your car key fob, your watch, and those books with sound that your kiddo loves? They can be really dangerous if they aren’t secured properly. And if swallowed, they can seriously injure or even kill your little one.

I will be honest with you. As soon as I read through the materials I was given to help facilitate this post, I got up and ransacked my house like a mad woman, looking for items we own that contain coin-sized or button batteries, and making sure all those batteries were secure. Because this? Is serious business.

Before last week, I had NO idea about this – none. I thought the major danger from swallowing a battery was choking! I remember once when Joshua got a battery when he was small, and popped it in his mouth. He dropped a toy, the battery cover popped out, and by the time I could get to him, he had it in his mouth. It was a AA, and I got it right away, but it was scary. But I’d never considered anything beyond the battery being a choking hazard.

Small lithium-powered “coin” or “button” batteries pose a very different and much more frightening danger. If swallowed, these batteries can cause severe burns inside a person’s esophagus. The dangers are real, mostly because most parents don’t know the dangers, and kids have easy access to devices that use this kind of battery. Please take a minute to learn about Emmett, one sweet little guy who swallowed one of these batteries and the struggles he now faces.

Aren’t Emmett’s parents courageous? I so admire their efforts to spread awareness about these batteries. And I admire The Battery Controlled, an effort from Energizer and Safe Kids Worldwide for bringing them on board to educate parents and caregivers about the hidden dangers of coin-sized button battery ingestion.

Every year, about 3,500 incidents of button batteries being swallowed are reported to Poison Control centers in the U.S. In 2012, 17 serious injuries and even 2 deaths were reported. Because the dangers are so real and so serious, The Battery Controlled has created this super-helpful infographic to teach about how we can safely handle these batteries in our homes. (You can also download a PDF of this infographic here.)

I think the most important part (to me) of this infographic is the 4 “S’s” of battery safety:

STORE devices that use coin lithium batteries out of reach of children
SELECT battery packaging that complies with the child-resistant packaging standards and recommendations made by the staff at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, such as Energizer coin lithium battery packaging
SECURE the battery compartments of devices and look for devices that contain a child safety feature for their battery doors, such as a screw or child-resistant mechanism.
SHARE this information with your friends and family. A recent survey revealed that 62 percent of parents are not aware of the dangers of coin lithium battery ingestions; Energizer and the National Safety Council hope to change that.

If your remotes use these button batteries, secure those battery doors with strong tape if they don’t already have a screw in them. Most remotes seem to have battery compartments that are really easy to open (at least in my house).

I sincerely hope you read every word of this post and watched the video. This is so, so, so important. In fact, I had a conversation with my husband about it immediately after I read through all the info on the Battery Controlled website, so that he would be aware of the dangers that button batteries can pose and so that we would be on the same page about taking precautions in our home. Like me, he didn’t know about the risks. So, in addition to reading this, I hope you also have a conversation with your spouse or other caregivers and make sure everyone knows how to keep our kids safe!

To keep the conversation about battery safety going, I hope you’ll join us tomorrow at noon EST on Twitter for a battery safety Twitter party with the Motherhood and the Battery Controlled. Please come to learn and to share your own battery safety tips! To join in, just use the hashtag #BatteryControlled and follow @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, and @TheMotherhood25. You can win some great prizes – one of five $50 Target gift cards – and learn some important battery safety info to share with your family and friends. I look forward to tweeting with you then!

Did you know about the dangers of coin-sized button batteries? What steps are you going to take to keep them out of the reach of your kids?

September 20, 2013September 20, 2013

#doyourmakeup: The Great Mascara Compara-thon

Those of you who follow me on Instagram and see my #doyourmakeup posts know that I typically pick up 3-4 new cosmetic items a week during drugstore sales. I just love trying out new things for #doyourmakeup, and because of the way I use coupons and drugstore rewards, I pay very little for my makeup. Trust me, I wouldn’t be doing it if it were gonna put me over budget! One of the reasons I’ve been buying product so frequently is because I’ve been searching for the very best drugstore mascaras. After a LOT of testing, I think I’ve found them…and some of the worst, too! In total, I tested 16 different mascaras. Here they are, and I’m saving the best for last! I decided to rate them on a typical school grade scale – A+ – F.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear FakeOut™ mascara

I feel bad writing this, because I have loved every. single. product I’ve bought from Physicians Formula, except this one. There are a lot of good reviews for it on their website, so if you’re interested in organics, you might want to try it for yourself, but my experience was this: great length, great volume, but it would not STAY ON my eyes. It ended up giving me major raccoon eyes, and I am not going to wear it again. Plus, it cost about $10 so I expected more! But, since it did do great with length and volume I won’t give it an F…it gets a D.

Wet ‘n Wild MegaVolume Mascara

This only cost $2.99, so I feel bad complaining….but I didn’t like it at all. It colored my lashes black but didn’t do anything for length or volume. I had to put on another mascara over top of it immediately. So, I give it an F. For FAIL. In fairness to Wet ‘n Wild, I have loved 95% of everything I’ve ever bought from them.

Wet ‘n Wild MegaLength Mascara

wnwMegalength mascara

This also costs $2.99, and it’s waaaaaaaaaaay better than the one in the yellow tube. It doesn’t get my stubby lashes quite as long as I’d like, but if you have half-decent lashes you might be ok with it. It wears well, too. No raccoon eyes! So, I’m giving it a solid B.

Rimmel ScandalEyes™ Flex Mascara

I was really excited to try this mascara because, well, I LOVE THE NAME! ScandalEyes?? Genius! Sadly, I don’t love the brush. It’s a bit too hefty and got in my way. It does provide good length & volume but it’s a little thicker than I like, which makes it prone to clumps, and sad to say, it did dribble down below my lash line to where it’s not supposed to be a little. With all these cons, I’m going to give it a C. I’ll still be trying other Rimmel mascaras though, because I hear good things!

Maybelline Volum’Express The Falsies™ and The Falsies Flared™ Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline’s “Falsies” product has had a lot of buzz around it so I wanted to give it a whirl. Plus, I needed a good waterproof mascara because sometimes you just KNOW you’re going to cry and you have to be prepared, right? I liked both of these very much. I could tell a difference in the Flared version, although I think I prefer the regular Falsies. I can’t say why, I think it’s just a matter of preference! I did have to work a little harder at applying these – the brush isn’t quite my fave. But, I think it works great for length & volume. And they were both definitely waterproof. The only downside besides the brush is that it’s a bit thick for my tastes, but it’s still a great mascara and I give both products a B+.

Maybelline Illegal Length™ Mascara

Although this didn’t knock my socks off like I wanted it to (I’m not sure, but I think maybe I was expecting it to actually change my eyelash anatomy), BUT it is a very good mascara. I like it a lot, I like the brush, it wears well, and looks great. I had a *slight* clumping issue (might be those “fiber extensions” it claims to have) but no big deal. This is a good one, and I give it an A-! If you have short lashes like I do, you’ll like what this mascara does for them.

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara

Umm, hellooo!! I would’ve bought this solely based on the packaging. Is that pretty or what?? I really love this mascara. Really, really, really. It’s a great value. Great length, great volume, great brush, great, great, great! It is, (are you tired of hearing me say this yet?) a little thicker than I like. Meaning, my lashes don’t feel soft when it’s on. I know, that’s a lot to ask. But when comparing so many mascaras, I have to look at every last detail. Most of you aren’t as OCD as me, so go get some. I still love it anyway!! It’s awesome! It gets an A!

Almay intense i-color volumizing mascara

Although Almay could use some help from it’s big sister Revlon on the packaging here, I must say this is a dynamite mascara! I like it so much I bought it in two colors, Sapphire and Mocha. The brush is a little bulky for me, especially when I’m working on my bottom lashes, but other than that it’s pretty much perfect. If you buy this mascara you will not be disappointed! And I love that it comes in more colors than just variations of black and brown – you can get it in the aforementioned Sapphire and Plum, too! LOVE IT! I always know my lashes are gonna look great and stay looking great when I have this on. It gets an A!

CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara

I was wondering what all the fuss was about the CoverGirl Flamed Out line, so I decided to try this mascara (also love the packaging on this one.) I am happy to report that it is delightful! I love the cool curling brush. I think it really does curve lashes up and out. And it wears really, well – stays on your lashes where it belongs! It gets an A! If you pick up a tube of this I am sure you will not be disappointed.

L’Oreal Paris Telescopic™ Shocking Extensions™ Mascara

This was the first drugstore mascara I tried when I decided to give drugstore makeup a whirl again after almost six years of using exclusively Mary Kay. And honestly, I could’ve just stopped here (but you know, I’m obsessive, so I didn’t!) This is an absolutely fabulous mascara! I love the brush, which has shorter bristles that are close together. It gives great length and volume, separates lashes well, and stays on all day. You can’t go wrong with this mascara! It gets an A+!

Neutrogena Healthy Volume® Mascara

I picked up this Neutrogena mascara because Jennifer Garner shills for them and I want to BE HER when I grow up. (Seriously, Jen? Call me!) Well, I’m glad I decided to be all stalker-y like that because I LOVE this mascara! Volume is RIGHT! It makes my lashes so much thicker. The brush is JUST the right thickness, and the mascara itself gives lots of boost to my lashes without being thick, so my lashes still feel nice and soft even when they are coated with Neutrogena goodness. It gets an A+!

CoverGirl Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara

Clump! Crusher! Rules! This baby recently won an Allure Best of Beauty award, and I can tell you why. It’s awesome! The brush is curved so it curls lashes upward, and the bristles are really short and close together to make clumps an impossibility. It leaves me with beautiful, long, full, separated lashes and I love it! It wears really well, stays on alllll day. Get some! You won’t be sad! I love the way CoverGirl often has good coupons out for their mascaras, too.

CoverGirl LashBlast 24 Hour Mascara

This was the 2nd drugstore mascara that I tried, and I could’ve stopped here as well. It has a weird-looking fat brush with those short bristles that I love so much, and it works great at building long, full lashes that are lightweight and not clumpy or sticky! Plus, this mascara MEANS it when it says 24hr. This stuff is majorly long-wearing, and at the very least sweatproof. I did not buy the waterproof version but I wore it to the pool all summer and it served me very well! It’s an absolutely fabulous mascara and if you buy it you are sure to love it.

Well, that’s it for the great mascara compara-thon! Which ones(s) are you going to run out and buy?

Want to see more drugstore makeup comparisons? Leave a comments and let me know what you’re interested in!

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to see my #doyourmakeup looks every day!