Our National Walmart Ad for Johnson & Johnson #SmartSavings

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on May 3, 2012

A couple of weeks ago my youngest boys and I got to participate in something very exciting… We had a photography crew, a hair and makeup artist, and a team from both Johnson & Johnson and Walmart take over my master bathroom, transforming it into a studio, for almost a full day.

You may be wondering why we agreed to this invasion. Well, we were asked to make an appearance in an National ad booklet for Walmart, featuring our favorite Johnson & Johnson baby care and oral care products. Of course I was more than eager due to the simple fact that Johnson’s Baby products were included!

Here’s the exact shot chosen for the Johnson’s Baby products ::

photo credit: Mark Jackson, markoshoots.com

Timmy was touted as being an awfully adorable model! I agree.

As part of my assignment as a “model” I was to go to my local Walmart (not hard being that I’m a Walmart Mom) and purchase the products that were featured with us in our part of the ad. So, I set out to find the Johnson’s Baby Lotion, Johnson’s Head to Toe Baby Wash, Listerine, and Reach toothbrushes for my older kiddos.

I discovered that the Johnson’s Baby products were in the Personal Care section of Walmart, as well as the Baby section. This was something I hadn’t paid much attention to before and was kind of puzzled by. I guess it makes sense though…

Not only have my babies always bathed in these fabulous products, but my older kiddos use them and I’ve even been caught using them. The Bedtime Bubble Bath & Wash is one of my favorites! The Baby Lotion has been a part of our nightly bedtime routine for years.


Not too long ago I wrote about our trip to the dentist and our commitment to good dental hygiene. Listerine and Reach toothbrushes are helping us build stronger and healthier teeth.

Anyhow, with the coupons, all of the items I purchased were quite a steal!

We took lots of pictures of the whole shopping experience and share them on our Google+ page. The ad will be mailed this week, so keep an eye out for it. However, if you do not receive the ad booklet in your mailbox this week, you can print some great coupons to save on Listerine, Johnson’s Baby Lotion, and Desitin products.

“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric” As always, all opinions are my own.

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A Visit With The Dentist

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on April 16, 2012

It had been way too long since my kiddos had been to see a Dentist, so last week I bit the bullet and spent quite a bit of time at the Dentist’s office with them. SIX appointments in one day is enough to make ANY mama pull out a few handfuls of hair. Oy!

After six sets of x-rays, six exams, and six mouths full of teeth to clean, we managed to leave with some happy kiddos. And, some not-so-happy kiddos.

Three of my boys became a part of the No Cavity Club, but we discovered there are 17 – yes, seventeen – cavities between the other two boys and Julz.

photo credit: Mark Jackson, markoshoots.com

So, what’s the plan?

Well, I know good oral care is a must. Making sure the kids floss at least once a day, and brush twice a day is super important. But beyond that, a diet rich in calcium and vitamins D and K – foods like milk, eggs and broccoli – help strengthen the teeth enamel, while carbonated beverages and sticky sweets do nothing but harm.

None of this was news to me. Ray and I make sure the kids clean their teeth daily, and we have a pretty healthy diet.

Bottom line is that I am convinced that genetics play a huge role in my children’s dental health. Ray has great teeth, with not a single cavity. I, on the other hand, have a mouth-full of bad teeth. Seems our kids are split down the middle.

I feel bad for the half who have my teeth.

 

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Hot Pockets, Drumsticks, and DiGiorno. Oh my!

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on April 11, 2012

Being on camera is something I love to do. Feeling the lights on my face, with cameras surrounding me, makes me feel… giddy. Bring my family or a couple of my friends onto the set and I’m a happy girl. Add good food and it just makes for a really good time.

This week I had the privilege of working with Lunchbox Studios, Nestlé, and a couple of good friends to create a fun video for Nestlé’s micro site on Walmart.com. Erika, Aracely and I found ourselves eating and gabbing all day long.

What did we eat and why? Well, we got to try over a dozen brand new items from Nestlé – pizza, casseroles, ice cream, and more. The idea was to capture our real, initial reactions to these new products. It was a long day, and none of us wanted to see another morsel of food when we were finished, but we all had a blast!

I’ll let you know when the micro site is live!

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I’m Off to Embark on a Magical Adventure

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on March 25, 2012

I have been a Disney fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve played in Disneyland a number of times, I’ve visited DisneyWorld a few, and I’ve even explored Disney’s Aulani on Oahu. But. This week will be a first for me. I AM GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE!!

One of my bestest friends has invited me along with her on the Disney Fantasy media cruise. I wasn’t invited as media this time, so technically I’m going as Janice’s guest – which is kind of odd for me, to be honest – but I AM GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE!!

Can you tell I’m a little excited?

I’m sitting at the airport in Phoenix waiting for my flight to Orlando, and I can.not contain my excitement. I have this urge to turn to the person next to me and tell them why I’m on this flight with them…

Don’t worry. I won’t.

Stay tuned as I bring you photos, video, and my thoughts on the magic and wonder of the Disney Fantasy.

(For the record, this is not a “free” trip for me. I paid for my airfare to get to Orlando, as well as the taxes and gratuities for the cruise.)

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A Timely Reminder From @daddysweeney

March 24, 2012

Tweet In the middle of my world of chaos, with the daily routine of life as a mom of many, it’s so easy for me to get bogged down with my to-do lists and busy calendar, what I lack in comparison to others. I tend to lose sight of the blessings in my life and [...]

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Caught Red Handed

March 1, 2012

Tweet Remember the photo that Ray posted the other day? He asked you to create a caption for it and you did not disappoint! Check out what y’all came up with. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what happened. Well, rest assured that Timmy was not harmed. Nor did he harm anyone. He did, however, find [...]

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What happened?

February 28, 2012

Tweet Take your best shot and add a caption for this photo… – Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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New Year, New Wardrobe, New Earth

February 16, 2012

Tweet I just spent the entire afternoon folding and hanging up clothes, putting pairs of shoes in their proper places, and emptying out the purses I’m not currently using. I decided mid-way through that I should do some purging. I am amazed at how much “stuff” I have. Or, had, rather. Part of the reason [...]

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The Cutest Little Man Ever

January 22, 2012

Tweet Our littlest man in training. Kicking back, watching the game. Go Niners!!

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Not Just An Ordinary Day

January 9, 2012

Tweet Today was an ordinary Monday. Early morning. Rushing to head off for school on time. Readjusting to the weekly routine. And then a forced breath and a soft whisper — Slow down. Snuggles. First words. Story time on the floor by the fire. Bounces on the trampoline. Time out to watch our favorite Disney [...]

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Incredibly Easy to Make Rolo Turtles

December 12, 2011

Tweet I haven’t made much time for baking lately. Creating pies, fun cakes, cookies and other sweet deliciousness has taken a backseat to, well… just about everything else. Well, some baking time was long overdue and I was ready to get my hands in some dough. I invited a few friends to join me in [...]

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*UPDATE* Working hard…

December 6, 2011

Tweet Or, hardly working. You pick. Here’s what’s up… The peeps from Fox40 are here shooting a piece on mom bloggers, so right this very minute do I have to look like I’m working hard at my ‘puter doing what I do best. heehee Lesley Miller from the Social Media Club and Keilah from Sacramento [...]

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Our October

October 31, 2011

Tweet October was a crazy busy month for us. To borrow a favorite saying of my Mom’s, some of the days were long, but the month sure seemed short! We’re still adjusting to our new school schedule, and soccer is consuming a lot of our time. But, if that wasn’t enough, Ray was out of [...]

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly {Our First Two Weeks of School}

September 15, 2011

Tweet Well, our second week of school is just about at it’s end, kicking off our busy weekend with a half day tomorrow. Did I mention that my kids have a minimum day every Friday? Seems to somehow make up for the crazy busy, hectic chaos that is Monday through Thursday. But, I digress. Where [...]

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Today Was The First Day of School…

September 6, 2011

Tweet And, the Young kids ROCKED it!! Two things did I learn today: 1. My kids are better able to adapt to change than I am. They loved their first day of school, seemed to take everything in stride, and can’t wait to go back again tomorrow. Me? Well, let’s just say I’m still getting [...]

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T’was the night before school starts…

September 5, 2011

Tweet My oldest four children begin a new adventure tomorrow morning. Away from my watchful eye. Like me, they are nervous and anxious. But mostly they are just excited, I think. They’ve been in bed for hours already, getting a good night sleep before the big day, no doubt dreaming of their first day of [...]

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Our Morning With @11dy

August 11, 2011

Tweet The folks from Elevendy had been chatting with Ray for some time about a photo shoot they wanted to do for us. At first I think there was talk about just shooting Ray and me. After all, the kids brought an element that just screamed work. So, when Dave and Wil showed up on [...]

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From Dates to Blow Out Diapers

August 7, 2011

Tweet It happens to the best of us. You’re out on a nice family lunch date… and it’s interrupted by a nasty blowout. Baby has to take a bath in the restaurant sink… but, it’s all good! – Posted using BlogPress from Ray’s iPhone

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21 Reasons Our Life Is More Entertaining Than Any Reality Show

June 7, 2011

Tweet A note from Christine – Ray has this way of keepin’ it real – very real – when it comes to talking about our family’s adventures and mishaps. Sometimes I wish he was exaggerating. Anyway… You may be able to relate. Or, you may think we’re crazy. Or should be. This is just life. [...]

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Sick

May 31, 2011

Tweet It would seem that Timmy is, in fact, sick. Apparently the sleepless night we had this last week was just a prelude of things to come. I am also sick. Miserably sick. Snotty, sneezy, raw throat, body aches, and more sleepless nights have made up our last couple of days. Mamas should never be [...]

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No Sleep

May 26, 2011

Tweet All of my babies are sound asleep. I really should be sleeping, too. After all, my best piece of advice for new moms is to sleep when Baby does. In all honesty, I was about to call it a night when I realized that it had been five (maybe four – I’m too tired [...]

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Noah Rides Again

May 21, 2011

Tweet As I mentioned yesterday, we recently received an Early Rider balance bike from TykeRider.com, as well as a Little Nutty helmet, to review. Tyke Rider specializes in top design balance bikes and children’s helmets. Balance bikes are quickly growing as a very popular way for toddlers to learn balance and the ability to ride [...]

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