Heading to NYC for #BlogHer12

This is my first time attending BlogHer and I could not be more excited. I am thrilled to be able to meet some of my blogging besties face to face. I am delighted to connect in person with fantastic companies and PR people that I have only ever worked with through emails and telephone calls. I am also tickled pink about having the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends that are a part of this wonderful community.

Kitchen Remodel Progress

I have to admit that our new kitchen does not need a lot of work. We didn’t have to get new appliances and the cabinets and granite countertops are in great shape. In fact there is a lot about my new kitchen that I love.

I love my new double oven. Holidays with a big family just got that much easier. I also love having an island with a range. Even the range is super cool with a built in air vent that whisks away those not to savory smells. But there are also some things in my new kitchen that need a little tweaking.

 

To clip, print, or code? That is the question…

I love coupons. In fact I rarely leave home on a shopping trip without a coupon in hand. I even attended an “Extreme Couponing” seminar with my sister-in-law last year and was impressed by the time and dedication some people are able to put into the collection and organization of couponing.

I tried the extreme couponing for a couple months. My husband was not happy with the amount of time I spent couponing each week. I cannot say that I blame him. I was spending a couple hours in front of the computer looking for specific coupons and where I could then locate them in my Sunday ads and then I spent even more time clipping said coupons and organizing them for my trip to the grocery store. It was a production of epic proportions.

I finally sat back and asked myself “how much is my time worth?” Was I saving enough money doing this extreme couponing to justify the amount of time and effort I was putting in? The answer was no. While extreme couponing is not something I am very good at, I do know people who are phenomenal at it. I am envious of their ability to coupon so efficiently.

Painting the town RED... or at least the room.

When you find a color you love, you go with it! Yes, even when that color is red. 

A Train-tastic Day!

There is something about trains that make children stand up and take notice. I have no idea what the draw is, but it is there. My children simply love trains! They love Thomas the Train and they love all things Chuggington as well. We do not discriminate in our house, we love all Trains! 

Wordless Wednesday {with Linky}: It must be a good book.

I was watching my little guy play with his toys when he decided all of a sudden that he no longer wanted to play. Instead he wanted to sit down, relax, and read a good book.

I was able to snap some pictures of him slipping into his reading spot. You can see him slowly sinking in until he just…. plopped right down. I think he was originally trying for the first step, but decided it was not worth the effort of aiming where he was siting.

By the way he is ready one of the Toys Story board books we have {thanks grandma!}. He is a HUGE fan of board books and will spend hours – yes hours- reading.  

http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Voluntary recall of the Contours LT Tandem Stroller

As of today July 24, 2012 Kolcraft announced a voluntary recall of the Contours LT Tandem Stroller. Please note that not all Contours strollers are being recalled; only the Contours LT Tandem Stroller with model number ZT012 is part of this recall.

Not sure if your stroller is part of the recall? You can find your model number on a paper label found on the top, rear edge of your stroller seat pad or on a sticker on the rear leg of your stroller frame.

While there have been no reported injuries to date with this product, Kolcraft has noticed that the wheels can crack. This can be a hazard to children riding in the stroller.

 You can get more information about this on the safety notification page.

Http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Sick little monkeys and a barrel full of tasks

This weekend was filled with sick children and chores. Although neither one is very fun, my weekend was still somewhat productive.

Making our house a HOME!

If you have been keeping up with Mom Mart, then you know that we have recently sold our old townhouse and bought a new single family house. We scoured the internet and met with our real estate agent {hi Sandy!} to look at homes, and we found a house that was perfect for us.

We wanted a house that had room for our family to grow and that was located near relatives. Our new home is right around the corner from both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law and her family – this is a good thing. The new house has more than enough space for our family and an unfinished basement to boot {hello nail gun and air compressor!}. I could not be happier.

Wordless Wednesday: To Infinity and Beyond!

Toy story is HUGE in my house. We love all of the Toy Story movies and frequently quote them in our everyday life. Toy Story 1, 2 or 3 can always be found playing somewhere in our home or in the van. My youngest son, Steven, is especially smitten with the characters from these films.

Getting ready for #BlogHer12 in NY... What to wear?

I am super excited about attending BlogHer12 in New York in a couple weeks. I have my plane tickets, BlogHer12 tickets, and a room to crash in all lined up. I have my new blogger business cards ordered and they should be at my door any day now.

I have been invited to some fantastic sounding parties by some great companies and I have mapped out my agenda for the duration of my trip. I know the Geek Bar schedule as well as when Martha Stewart is going to be speaking {I love Martha}! I am even hoping to catch a Broadway show; I hear Harvey is supposed to be pretty good.

Now that the itinerary planning part of attending BlogHer12 has been completed I am ready to start thinking about what I am going to be bringing with me to New York. What am I going to wear?

To Los Angeles and Back…

If you have been keeping up with me lately you know that my grandma passed away last week and I have been on the road making my way to LA and back ever since. Today is the first day that I feel somewhat myself. I have no luggage to pack or unpack and I am able to finally sit down and take a breath

In doing so I thought that I would recap my trip to LA and back for you. This was my first time ever flying by myself and I was very nervous about it. I feel that a majority of my trip was spent either on an airplane or hanging out in an airport looking out a window… but not ALL of it.

Wordless Wednesday: Wellness Checkup

My little guy is 15 months old now and I cannot believe how quickly time seems to fly by. We spent the morning this morning at the doctor’s office for my baby’s 15 month wellness checkup. 

The boys played with the chalkboard and the wall of marbles while we waited for the doctor to arrive. Some measurements and a couple shots later and we were out the door heading home. My boys are troopers and although they may cry a little, they recover rather quickly with some snuggles and hugs. 

http://MomMart.blogspot.com

Coping with a curve ball…

Life has a tendency of throwing curve balls. What you do with those curve balls is what makes you… you. The months of June and July have been insanely busy for my family and we have had a couple curve balls thrown our way.

The month of June was here and gone in the blink of an eye. I taught Vacation Bible School, took my nephew for a week of vacation, threw my little sister a destination bachelorette party, watched my little sister get married, packed up my entire home in a matter of days, sold my house, bought a new house, and moved! There were a few hiccups here and there, but everything eventually sorted itself out. To say that June was a busy month is an understatement.

Once in the new house we unpacked some boxes and set up some furniture; only enough to get the house somewhat livable. Then we hit the road for our annual family July 4^th vacation in Wisconsin. The kids had a great time at the beach and loved the water park area even more. This vacation is always fun for everyone. And then life threw us a curve ball.

An amazing Ribfest experience with Sears #GrillingIsHappiness #CBias

This year Ribfest started off with a bang. I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a pre-Ribfest soirée hosted by Sears on Friday evening where I was able to meet the people behind #GrillingIsHappiness and hear all about what goes into making, purchasing, and marketing the products that I drool over. We discussed grills and outdoor living products as well as what we could expect at Ribfest the next day. I left the get together with a little swag and a lot of anticipation for the next days festivities!