Friday Fun Pic: Week 20

When things are quiet in my house it is usually because my toddler has gotten into something he knows he is not supposed to have gotten into. My little peanut is so incredibly sneaky! He will go upstairs, pick a room to prowl, and close the door to whichever room he has chosen if he knows that he is going to be doing something that he is not supposed to be doing. This usually entails rummaging through drawers to play with jewelry or makeup, unraveling the entire roll of toilet paper, or climbing the shelving in his closet. Yes all of this has been done at one point in time or another. Needless to say I was more than a little surprised when I found my toddler quietly sitting on his bed reading Curious George instead of climbing the walls. I love that I can be pleasantly surprised sometimes.

Written by: Laura Andry
http://mommart.blogspot.com/

A Stroller with Options: The Joovy Ergo Caboose Product Review

I am absolutely addicted to strollers! I love them. I love looking at them, playing with them, and using them. I simply cannot help myself. I love strollers!

When I was given the opportunity to review the Joovy Ergo Caboose Stroller I did my happy dance and jumped at the opportunity! I was in the market for a double stroller that I could use for running errands and shopping trips. I was specifically looking for a stroller that would fit through standard doorways and have a lot of storage space. I wanted something that would work for both of my children.

I have a 6 month-old baby boy and a 2 ½ year-old boy. I needed a stroller that I could use with an infant car seat, as well as something that could contain my rambunctious toddler. The Joovy Ergo Caboose completely delivers. It is easy to navigate both on and off road, it is easy to open and close, and it is compact without giving up storage capabilities. I am completely in love with this stroller and all of its amazing features! As an added bonus, my boys love to ride in it too.

My First #WordlessWednesday

This is my very first ever Wordless Wednesday post and I am so excited!!!!

Well… not completely wordless. This is my son discovering bubble wrap for the first time. Tons of fun!

http://mommart.blogspot.com/

Quick and Easy Crock-Pot Tortilla Soup

As the weather continues to cool and my thermometer keeps dropping degrees; the ease of making crockpot meals gets factored into my weekly menu planning! Crockpot meals that are quick and easy to make save me time and stress in the kitchen. Last week I decided to make crockpot tortilla soup and it was a smashing success! I have decided to share my recipe for quick and easy crockpot tortilla soup with you. I throw this together right after I put the kids down for their afternoon nap.

Preperation Time: 15-20 minutes

Total Time: 6-8 hours and 15-20 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Monday Meet & Greet #9 Mom Mart

It is just another manic Monday and that means that it is once again time for the

Monday “Meet & Greet”.

Each week the featured blogger is chosen at random and a Q&A is created so that we get to learn a little more about the featured blogger and the blogs that they write.

Week 9’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Me!

Unplugged for the weekend:

I don’t think that I have mentioned this officially on Mom Mart quite yet; my baby sister is getting married!

The baby of my family, my little sister Katy, is engaged! She is planning on being a June bride and has asked me to be her matron of honor!

I am incredibly excited about this. Weddings are so much fun. I love my family and love spending time with them; they are some of my very favorite people. I also LOVE planning and organizing!

This weekend I took a trip with my two children to visit my family and do some wedding planning. I completely unplugged from my email, my blog, and my social media networks for the weekend. I had a relaxing-ish weekend trying on bridesmaid dresses, freaking out about losing weight, and looking through bridal magazines for invitations, favors, décor, and bridal bouquets. It was fun!

I am sure that there will be many more posts about weddings and party planning in my future.

As for this past weekend, if you were visiting Mom Mart looking for new posts or an updated Friday fun pic or the weekly Social Media Monday Hop I apologize for the inconvenience. I took a long weekend to rest relax and plan plan plan!

I will choose next week’s spotlight blogger from the September 19th hop, so don’t forget to come back and link up next week!

I hope you as much fun this weekend as I did. It was a nice change of pace to unplug and unwind for a weekend.

Written by: Laura Andry
http://mommart.blogspot.com/

Day of Play

I love spending time outdoors with my sons, especially now that the weather is cooling off and the leaves are beginning to change. During the summer there are pools and parks, sweat and sippy-cups. But during the fall there are orchards and pumpkin patches, sweaters and hats!

Fall weather makes me want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. I want to soak up as much good weather as I can before the first snow fall. I know that once the snow starts coming it will be a very long winter. My favorite family friendly outdoor activity is going to an orchard with my boys.

This last weekend my family took a trip to Champaign Illinois where we spent the afternoon playing at Curtis Apple Orchard. It was like Disney World for my toddler. There were bounce houses, pony rides, a miniature golf course, an obstacle course, a corn maze, goat feeding, and more. There seemed to be an endless supply of fun right at our fingertips! We simply couldn’t decide what to do first.

Baby Gender Confusion?

My youngest son is five months old and has been blessed with the most beautiful eyelashes I have ever seen. I am talking thick dark lashes that just keep going and going and going. He is truly a beautiful baby boy. Of course I may be a little biased.

We are an on the go type of family. We are always out and about running errands, playing at the park, going on play-dates, or visiting family. Lately I have noticed a lot of people commenting on my beautiful baby GIRL?!?

Umm. No.

Fun Toddler Activity: Goop!

As a stay at home mom I am always trying to find fun and exciting family friendly activities that I can do with my children.  I especially on the lookout for toddler activities that are appropriate for my 2 ½ year-old son. I have found that the best projects for us are projects that are geared towards chilren 3 and under and work on developing motor skills.

Monday Meet & Greet #8 And The Little Ones Too

It is time for the Monday “Meet & Greet” again. I feel like time is flying!

Once again it is just another manic Monday, and what better way to kick off Monday than to make a new friend?  Each week I introduce you to a new bloggy friend of mine and the blogs that they write. 

Each week the featured blogger is chosen at random.

Week 8’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Ashley from And The Little Ones Too

No Rules Social Media Monday Blog Hop #11

Join Mom Mart every Monday for a Twitter, Facebook, & Blog Hop!

I’M BACK!
Sorry for the delay in getting this hop going; I just got back from a trip out of town.

Guess what time it is? Blog/Facebook/Twitter Hop time!

  

While it is not required, it would be appreciated if you could spread the word about the Social Media Monday Hop by grabbing the button for your blog. Feel free to send out a blog post, a tweet, or share the news on Facebook! After all, the more people that participate, the more blog traffic and potential followers there are.

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Ladies Night Out with Zumba

I recently took my first ladies night out since the birth of my son Steven. By the way, Steven is now five months old. I cannot remember the last ladies night out I had. I know I was pregnant and ice cream was involved, but I cannot put my finger on an actual date.

Needless to say, it had been a while since I was able to get out of the house and spend some time with the girls. Here is where I think my ladies night gets comical… My ladies night is a weekly Zumba class that I am taking with two of my favorite people, Ammie and Wendy.

A month or so ago I asked my readers to help me chose which fitness class I should take. I wanted to get out of the house and get back into shape and I needed the motivation of a structured schedule to help me. My readers (YOU) unanimously commented that Zumba sounded like the most fun and should be the class that I enrolled in. So I did!

Friday Fun Pic: Week 19

My little man is getting so big. I cannot believe he is already five months old! He is my little cuddle machine. His favorite thing to do is cuddle up close and talk. He is a talker! If he is not trying to eat his hands or a toy he is talking a mile a minute. He is rolling over, using his hands to find things, and putting absolutely everything he can reach in his mouth! One of MY favorite activities to do lately is to sit back and watch Steven. With those ridiculously long lashes and incredibly sweet demeanor he is going to be quite the heartbreaker. I love every precious minute I get to spend with my boys. I am blessed.

Written by: Laura Andry
Http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Quick and Easy Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe

I love crockpot dinners! I especially love crockpot meals that are quick and easy to make. Last week I decided to make crockpot lasagna and it was a big hit! So… I have decided to share my recipe for quick and easy crockpot lasana with you. I make this meal early on in the week and then serve the leftovers for dinner on another night.Without further ado here is my quick and easy crockpot lasagna recipe.

My Toddler the FLIRT

My son is a ladies’ man. He is two-years-old and already he is a complete flirt.

On our recent trip to the zoo my son thought that he would cozy up to another toddler on a boat exhibit in the Swamp. Because nothing says romance like an imaginary trip through the bayou.

Children do eventually get potty trained, right?

I hear all the time that my son will eventually be potty trained.

I am told not to stress about it; that eventually he will get it. It will just *CLICK* one day.

I have introduced my son to the potty. He seems genuinely interested in the potty. He likes to flush the potty.  He likes to sit on the potty and read stories. He loves to pee pee in the potty and get M&M’s and Curious George stickers. He enjoys the excitement and celebration of going potty in the potty. You would think that potty training would be a breeze… It is not.

No Rules Social Media Monday Blog Hop #10

Join Mom Mart every Monday for a Twitter, Facebook, & Blog Hop!

This social media hop is designed to create more traffic, more followers, and more unique page views for your blog, twitter, and Facebook pages & to help you meet other amazing bloggers.

It is all about sharing and having fun!

While it is not required, it would be appreciated if you could spread the word about the Social Media Monday Hop by grabbing the button for your blog. Feel free to also send out a blog post, a tweet, or share the news on Facebook! After all, the more people that participate, the more blog traffic and potential followers there are.

<br /><a href="http://mommart.blogspot.com "><img src="http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z424/LauraAndry/SocialMediaMondayHop-2.jpg" border="0" /></img src="http:></a>

Monday Meet & Greet #7 Rockin' Deals 4 You

The Monday “Meet & Greet” is up and running! Once again it is Monday, and what better way to kick off Monday than to make a new friend?  Each week I introduce you to a new bloggy friend of mine and the blogs that they write. 

Each week the featured blogger is chosen at random.

Maybe next week it will be ME!

Week 7’s featured Meet &Greet blogger is:

Amy from Rockin’ Deals 4 You

I remember September 11th

Ten years ago today I was getting ready to head over to Parkland Community College to attend my Political Science class when the September 11 attacks took place. I, like most if not all of you, remember exactly where I was and exactly what I was doing when the United States of America was attacked on September 11.

I will never forget September 11, 2001.

Friday Fun Pic: Week 18

The time is flying! We are already two weeks into September and Halloween is just around the corner. This means that I will need to get going on putting together my family’s costumes. As I was brainstorming on costume ideas I ran across this picture of my oldest son William in his little Yoda hat. We did a Star Wars theme for William’s very first Halloween and I made everyone dress up. William was Yoda, daddy was Luke Skywalker, and Mommy was Princess Leia. The Star Wars theme was a big hit. This year we are planning a Peter Pan theme. I am getting so excited!!!

Written by: Laura Andry

Http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Coupon Cabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz

Mom Mart is participating in another HUGE giveaway Event!

Grand Prize: MacBook Air (11-inch, 128GB; ARV $1,199)

First Runner Up: iPad2 (16GB, with Wi-Fi +3G; ARV $629)

Second Runner Up: $250 VISA Gift Card

Other Prizes: $100 VISA Gift Cards will be given out to four (4) additional winners

Total Value of Prizes: $4,300!!

Thomas the Train Teaching Developmental Milestones

In case you missed it, my son is bananas over Thomas the Train!

One of our go to toddler activities is playing with our Thomas the Tank Engine. We play with the wooden railway system all day long! We will spend hours upon hours building train tracks and interconnecting railways. After we have built our train track it is time to line up the trains and race our engines on the track.The tank engines and tracks have become too numerous for our train table alone. It is a Thomas the train takeover!

Now if only I could find the Chuggington Wooden Railway. We LOVE Chuggington and have spent several hours searching for the Chugginton wooden railway system in Toy’s R Us, Babies R Us, and Target to no avail. I guess we will just have to make do with what we have for now.

I have recently made the discovery that this toddler activity is another great opportunity to work on my two-year-olds developmental milestones.

Product Review: Hoover Presto 2-in-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum

I am the mother of two little boys who are 100% boy 100% of the time. I spend a large part of my day picking up toys and cleaning up one mess after another. My oldest son has discovered dirt and loves to pick it up, throw it, and decorate our home with it. My youngest son is a five-month-old little boy who spends his tummy-time playing on the floor, so having a clean floor is a must in our home.  

Recently my old vacuum cleaner decided to stop working. It was time to find a replacement. I had some criteria for the new vacuum I was going to get. I needed a vacuum cleaner that could keep up with my family and our active lifestyle, something that was easy to use and would last a long time. Our old vacuum cleaner was loud and scared my toddler to the point of tears whenever I used it. The new vacuum needed to be a quiet vacuum that wouldn’t terrify my children. I needed a vacuum that would give me some peace of mind as to the cleanliness of my home. This seems like a lot to ask of a vacuum, right?

I was given the opportunity to test and review the new Hoover Presto 2-in-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum and I could not be a bigger fan of this vacuum!

This vacuum is ultra light and easy to maneuver. It is incredibly slim and easy to store anywhere. This vacuum is quiet enough that my toddler likes to help mommy use it! Needless to say, this vacuum was a big hit in our home. 

I used to be a people watcher, now I watch strollers.

This weekend my family and I were once again on the go. We went to a Bears football game, a Cougars baseball game, a wedding, and even had time for a visit at Grandma and Papi's house. We are an on the go type of family!

Last weekend my family and I took a trip to the Brookfield Zoo. This is one of our favorite places to visit when the weather is nice.

When we visit the zoo we spend all day outside walking around checking out all of the different animals. We have a picnic and play on the jungle gym that they have set up for kids near the picnic area. All in all it is a family fun filled day. Part of the enjoyment of walking around all day used to be the people watching. This is no longer the case.

Monday Meet & Greet #6 Mama Chocolate

I joined up with a group of awesome bloggers and formed a “Monday Meet & Greet” group.  Each week I will introduce you to a new bloggy friend of mine.  You might find another blogger that you will love to read. You may even make a few new bloggy friends. 

Each week the featured blogger is chosen at random. Maybe next week it will be ME!

Week 6’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Johanna from Mama Chocolate

No Rules Social Media Monday Blog Hop #9

Join Mom Mart every Monday for a Twitter, Facebook, & Blog Hop!

This social media hop is designed to create more traffic, more followers, and more unique page views for your blog, twitter, and Facebook pages and to help you meet other amazing bloggers.

It is all about sharing and having fun!

While it is not required, it would be appreciated if you could spread the word about the Social Media Monday Hop by grabbing the button for your blog. Feel free to also send out a blog post, a tweet, or share the news on Facebook! After all, the more people that participate, the more blog traffic and potential followers there are.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

There are some things about summer that I thoroughly enjoy. Taking my kids to the park and letting them run off their excess energy is one of them.

This summer I have spent a lot of time at different local parks. I like to rotate which parks we visit, so that playing at the park doesn’t get old. We visit water parks, toddler parks, sand pit parks, and some really neat jungle gyms throughout the summer. If it is an especially nice day, I will pack a picnic for us to eat.

My kids and I will spend an hour or two running around the playground before we sit down long enough to scarf down food. We munch on PB&J sandwiches and we drink apple juice from sippy cups. After eating a nicely packed picnic outdoors, we are off the play some more. We are on the go and going non-stop!

Since I have a two year old and an infant, moving around the playground can be cumbersome with a stroller. So if it is not too hot, I strap on my baby carrier and buckle in my baby. When baby-wearing I am able to interact and play with my toddler more than when I am pushing the stroller around the park.

Both of my boys love to be outside. William, my toddler, loves to run and jump and swing and slide. He is 100% boy 100% of the time! My baby boy, Steven, loves to snuggle close and feel the wind blow through his hair. After a morning spent outdoors both of my little peanuts give me great afternoon naps.

As much as I love the cooler weather and beautiful colors that fall brings; I will miss the sunshine and sippy cups of summer.

Written by: Laura Andry

Http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Product Review: Heelys

As a mom of two boys I like to try and stay on top of what is hip and cool for kids. I am an open-minded individual who is always willing to try something at least once. I was given the opportunity to review a pair of Heelys shoes through a Buisiness2Blogger campaign. I, of course, jumped at the chance to try out these shoes.

In case you have never heard of Heelys shoes, let me enlighten you. According to Heelys website, “Heelys are the two-in-one shoe that lets you take life at your own pace. With the wheels out, the stylish designs perform and look just like any other shoe. When you easily put the wheels in, you roll at a different speed. Heelys are about exploring your freedom, unleashing the fun and empowering you to be fearless.”

Friday Fun Pic: Week 17

OMGoodness!!!! Yesterday my husband and I took our boys to Soldier Field to see their very first BEARS game. We had so much fun. We arrived at the stadium early so that we could walk around with the kids and let them really see Soldier Field. We showed William where his Grandpa’s name is written on the wall. We walked around saying hello to everyone and handing out high-fives left and right. This picture is of my husband with his boys at their first ever Bears game. I see a lot of Bears games in the future for my boys…



Written by: Laura Andry

Http://MomMart.blogspot.com