Mommin' It Up!

May 23, 2011May 22, 2011

Never say Never

I am about to do something I never thought I’d do.

And I’m not sure exactly why.

You see, there’s a crazy movement going on this week started by Lands’ End and the Curvy Girl Guide – a movement about being comfortable with your body – a movement inspired by the many, many choices of swim suits for every body type that Lands’ End offers. Swimsuit Confidence!

There’s a whole bunch of crazy ladies from the Curvy Girl Guide going to NYC to strut their fine Lands’ End Swimsuit-clad bodies on national television to show their Swimsuit Confidence. I am not THAT crazy, but I was crazy enough to say yes when Lands’ End asked me to join the movement. They told me to pick out a swimsuit I could be confident in, then they sent it to me – but the catch – I had to post my picture in it!

Seriously, I am still not sure why I said yes. I am still 10 pounds overweight and have ginormous nursing bewbs (which I am NOT fond of), and pretty much hate to see pictures of myself right now.

But I am what I am. And, this swimsuit DOES really help me feel better about what I am right now. I love it! AND I have a daughter that needs to know that what she is on the inside is more important than how she looks on the outside. So, I decided she and I would show our Lands’ End swimsuit confidence together. (And, as it turns out, our broken front porch step. Oops. We’ll get right on that as soon as it stops raining constantly.)

So, here we are. Sophie and I in our swimsuit confidence. I was so busy trying to get her to look at the camera that I forgot to suck in! So that’s the real deal, baby!

There’s a lot going on this week to celebrate Swimsuit Confidence! Here’s how you can get involved:

Get the Twibbon – Click here and display the “I have swimsuit confidence!” Twibbon on your Twitter profile photo. Send a tweet to @LandsEndPR proclaiming “I have swimsuit confidence!” #landsend for a chance to be entered to win a $500 Lands’ End gift card – winner announced May 27.

Participate in a Week of Tweets – Mark your calendar each day May 23 – 27, 2011 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CST so you can join in the series of National Swimsuit Confidence Week events on Twitter. Follow @LandsEndPR and tweet at #landsend. We will be announcing exclusive swimwear promotions, giving away great prizes and inspiring women to embrace their swimsuit beauty.

Thanks to Lands’ End and the Curvy Girl Guide for this great idea (and for the swim suit)! I may be crazy, but I’ve conquered a big fear today!

May 21, 2011

Twist my arm & I’ll try a pot pie

Ok, you don’t really have to twist my arm. Because I loooooves me some pot pies. They are like the dinner equivalent to my love of Cadbury Creme eggs. So when the Motherhood and Marie Callender’s asked me to try and review a Marie Callender’s pot pie, I was like, “let me think about it….YES!” (Seriously, they had me at “free pot pie”.) There’s just something about crust, meat, veggies, sauce…all together…dinner that’s shaped like dessert…I love it!

The reason Marie Callender’s wanted me to try their pie is because recently their pot pies were featured in article called “8 Grocery Store Products that are Better than Homemade (really)“. And they wanted me to try one and see if I thought it was better than homemade.

So I tried it. And since I have previously devoured Marie Callender’s pot pies, I decided to try a flavor I’d never tried before, so I got a Creamy Parmesan Chicken pot pie.

It was scrumptious! I absolutely loved the flavor! And it was definitely better than anything I could have ever made. Maybe some of you crazy Martha Stewart types could try, but I don’t see how anyone could make a pot pie that was any better. It was perfection. Flaky crust, flavorful veggies, tender and well-seasoned meat – I could not have asked for anything more! And yes, I did eat the WHOLE thing. Just to make sure this review was thorough. *Ahem.*

So – that’s my verdict: are they better than homemade? YES! After all, the Marie Callender’s people make them from scratch – so why should I?? 🙂

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I received a coupon for a free Marie Callender’s pot pie and a stipend from the Motherhood and Marie Callender’s for my review of this product. The opinions expressed are solely my own and not edited by the sponsor in any way.

May 20, 2011May 19, 2011

Saved by the belles

So this week has been super-crappy weather-wise AGAIN. Let me just do a little mathematical re-cap of our “spring” for you here in Dayton, OH.

6 weeks of rain

1 week of near-90s hellish humidity

1 more week of rain

I’m abouttofleepingjumpoffaBRIDGE.

Yesterday morning it was NOT raining, and I was all, “oh if it stays like this we are going to the PARK when Joshua gets home.”

Such a fool. Such a little FOOL. It was raining by about 2.

So my suicide prevention scheme was to head to the mall play place as soon as he got home. I packed up those kids, threw ’em in the van, and we headed to the mall.

{Robin Sparkles break. C’mon Jessica, c’mon Tori…let’s go to the mall, you wont. be. soar-y!}

My stir crazy children went crazy at the play place.

Sophie ran up to every kid there saying “Hi, I’m Sophie (or Sophia, she was using alter egos apparently). What’s your name?” and she was STALKING the babies and toddlers in the place. “Mom, I found a BABY!” Um…Sophie you may NOT PICK UP THE BABY! Oy.

Joshua on the other hand, was climbing atop anything climbable and jumping off as FAR as he could, causing me to shout again, “WATCH OUT FOR THE BABIES!” Strrresss. Maybe I should have stayed at home!?

After I got my kiddos away from the little ones (my own baby was safe in his stroller, thank goodness!), who do I see strolling by but my favorite (ok, I only have one but I L-O-V-E her) OB-GYN, Dr. P. So I flagged her down so she could see my big kids since she hasn’t seen them since they were, oh…a few minutes old.

Joshua stared at her mutely while I introduced him while Sophie piped up with “Hi! I’m Sophia!” as snot dripped freeeely from her nose. Look, Dr P., look! Look at these beautiful babies you brought into this world!

*Sigh*. Sophie’s nose, which had been stuffy for days, had all of a sudden became a ginormous runny mess! SO here she is sticking her face in all the toddlers’ faces, while I am trying to talk to my girl crush Dr. P., and of cooouuuurse I have nary a tissue. I start digging frantically through my purse to try and find a tissue before Sophie’s snot reaches her chin, but I just switched purses and all I could come up with was a clean pair of Sophie’s old purple socks.

So I had her blow her nose into the socks. Repeatedly.

I am sure everyone in the play place was regarding me with horror, but then, a Knight in Shining Armor came through to save me.

Or rather, a large tattooed woman in a “I Heart my big Ta-Ta’s” t-shirt strolled into the play place and made me and my snotty socks look not so shabby, after all.

Thanks lady! Or should I say, girls?

You three really did me a solid!