Mommin' It Up!

September 24, 2013September 24, 2013

Make Your Home Safe for Baby during Baby Safety Month

See this guy here? He is my baby. Sure, he’s closing in on three years old (waah!!), but he’s my littlest, and he’ll always be my baby. And in some ways, due to his speech delay, he does seem younger than his years. I still call him “baby” all the time, and I also tell him he’s a “big boy”often, too – confusing much? He’s definitely at that place where he’s some of both.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to talk with child safety expert Kimberlee Mitchell, and we were discussing the fact that I’d re-arranged my laundry-storage habits because Jonah can get the kitchen gate open now. I was thinking, “Well, he’s getting older, he can get it open now, I need to make the kitchen safer and take my laundry supplies to the basement as soon as I bring them into the house.”

It didn’t occur to me until after my conversation with Kimberlee had concluded that I should’ve been thinking, “Yeah, I know he’s almost three, but the kitchen leads to the basement stairs where the laundry room is and I don’t want him down there, plus you know, the oven is hot, so I should get a new kitchen gate.”
I was thinking, “He’s almost three! We’re almost out of the baby gate stage!”

I was wrong, and thankfully I realized that before we had a safety snafu. I got a new kitchen gate.

Now Jonah is safe from our basement, our laundry supplies, and anything I don’t want him getting into in the kitchen.

Jonah may be getting older, but he still needs to be safe and protected from things that he’s not ready for yet. September is Baby Safety Month, and there’s no better time to think about safety for your babies, whether they are still teeny or are getting big. It’s also a great time to think about laundry safety once again. Laundry safety is important, y’all!!! Laundry products are definitely things our kiddos are not big enough to handle, and they should be stored out of kids’ reach and sight. As I’ve mentioned, Emily and I are proudly working with the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) to spread the word about laundry safety— it’s an issue that’s really important to us.

September may be Baby Safety Month, but honestly, we need to make every day child safety day in our homes. But in the frenzy most parents of young children call life, things can easily slip through the cracks. Things like a worn-out safety gate, for instance. That’s why it’s important to stop and make some safety policies and guidelines for your home. One way you can do that is by taking the ACI KEY Pledge for laundry safety. It’s as easy as heading to the KEY Pledge website and learning about simple steps to ensure a safe laundry room and routine:

Keep single-load liquid laundry packets out of the reach of children

Educate your family and friends about the safe use and storage of these new laundry products

You serve a key role in laundry safety.

Head on over to take the KEY Pledge and then make today the day you choose to make any necessary safety adjustments in your home. I promise this is something you will never regret doing.

Just like I don’t regret our new gate!

What plans do you have in place to keep your babies safe at home?

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!