Mommin' It Up!

July 16, 2014July 15, 2014

#ExtraSavings for Summer Vacation

I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy for the next three weeks for this #ExtraSavings at CVS campaign. Please join in the fun by posting to your own website, Facebook page or Twitter feed and use the hashtag #ExtraSavings. While I am being sponsored to help lead this campaign, all opinions expressed about CVS/pharmacy are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.

Let me tell you something that probably won’t surprise you if you know me. Every year, I go on vacation to my mom and dad’s mountain-top home in Virginia, and every time I am there, whether it’s in the summer, at Thanksgiving, or at Easter, I have been to the little CVS at the bottom of the mountain at least once. Believe it or not, it’s not JUST because I am a CVS-a-holic, it’s because I always manage to forget something or run out of something while I’m on vacation. And even though I also do CVS shopping BEFORE vacation, I of course think of a million other things I need once we arrive. This year, in about 10 days, I am once again going to the mountains. And my dear Emily is going to the beach. Last year, I went to the mountains AND the beach on the SAME vacation,which was pretty crazy, so I can attest to the fact that CVS has everything one might need for both these destinations. Such as:

Last year, we bought our beach chairs at CVS while on vacation and they were on an ExtraBucks deal. It was an epic moment in vacation savings for this coupon-loving lady! Here are some other vacation essentials you can buy at CVS:

Sunscreen! Sun hats! Flip-flops! Beach Towels! And a necessity for us on the mountain, BUG SPRAY. Bugs think my kids and I are delicious (natch). Now, as I mentioned, I always try to hit CVS before my vacation, but it’s nice to know there’s always a CVS nearby when we are at our destination, because life happens and things always come up. Two years ago while we were vacationing, Jonah got sick and got an extra-bad diaper rash – it was horrible! He cried so hard every time we changed him. I was so glad to have a CVS nearby so we could go get the STRONG diaper rash cream to help soothe him. He was always prone to bad rashes and seeking a remedy, I turned to the internet and found a recipe for a diaper rash cream made out of three different ingredients. They are not things I’d normally bring on vacation so I had to run down the mountain to CVS to get the things I needed to make this special concoction – it worked and was such a relief.

Other things I’ve bought at our mountain CVS include: baby wipes, children’s benadryl, toddler toothpaste and toothbrush, hats to keep the bugs off our heads on the mountain, shoes (knock-off Crocs for the kids!), beach toys, bubbles, and so! much! more! It really does have everything. Including, as I noticed the other day, coolers for the beach or a picnic and snacks and drinks to go in them. Oh, and ICE! So take note, Emily! If you forget your beach chairs or anything else under the sun (see what I did there?) you can just open up your CVS app on your phone to find out where the nearest CVS store is and get yourself some beach gear and ExtraSavings on your way.

So tell me, friends, where are you going on vacation this year? And what gear are you going to need to take with you?

July 15, 2014

Tomorrow’s the big day.

So, here we are. Tomorrow, I ~~go through puberty~~ get braces.

Jenny offered to go with me and live-tweet the whole thing, but I politely declined. Now that I think about it, though, she let me do that while she was having a c-section, so I probably should have returned the favor.

Anyway… It’s been a long two and a half months of wearing my lovely Frankel device, and while it’s gotten much better than it was (in terms of how it feels, not so much in terms of how it looks. Which is still awful.), I am ready to get moving on the next step.

I left the orthodontist a couple weeks ago with rubber bands between my back teeth (which has been a blast, let me tell you) and a purse full of instructions on how to brush my teeth (17 times a day), what to not eat (to paraphrase: everything), and advice on mainlining painkillers for the next 18 months.

And, now that I’m reviewing the literature, a stern warning about something called Lingual Arches potentially becoming embedded into my gums.

This is going to be awesome.

So I’ve read all the materials from my orthodontist, and I even watched their instructional YouTube videos. But I want the real scoop.

What do I need to know about having braces? What are the foods I should for sure avoid? Or, more importantly, what foods will I be able to actually eat?

Should I plan to come back to work after having them put on tomorrow, or will I want to just go home?

I would appreciate any tips, tricks or advice you have!

July 14, 2014July 13, 2014

Flying High (locally!)

This is not a sponsored post, just FYI for my local friends!

A couple weeks ago the kids and I were invited to a media day at the new Sky Zone location that opened up here in Dayton. Funnily enough, the first time I had even HEARD of Sky Zone was about two weeks before that, when Joshua had been invited to a birthday party there. But, the Dayton location wasn’t open yet so they went to one closer to Cincinnati. Joshua raved about how awesome it was, so I was quite excited to hear that they had one in our city!

The kids and I headed out quite excitedly for our tour. If you aren’t familiar with Sky Zone, it’s basically an indoor trampoline park with dodgeball courts, basketball hoops, and a foam pit as well as wall-to-wall trampolines. And it’s SO FUN!’

Joshua Sky Zone — Joshua LOVED the dodge ball court!

The owners, Joel and David, gave us a tour and let the kids have the run of the place. We had an awesome time. I was very impressed with their friendly staff and the spacious birthday party rooms they have. And also, I really just had a blast jumping with my kids. They have sky-robics there every week and I am seriously considering going! I can’t even believe I just said that!

sophie sky zone — This gives new meaning to “jump shot”.

If you are in the area you have to check out Sky Zone Dayton. I really cannot wait to take the kids there again. The owners told me morning is usually less crowded, so we are going to try another morning soon! Check out all the fun we had! Even though I am an old lady, I loved it! They even have a “Toddler Time” on Friday mornings that I hope to take Jonah to before summer is over.

For more info on hours and pricing and special events, check out their Facebook page – and then take the kids in to burn off some energy. It was a blast! Thanks for having us, Sky Zone Dayton!