The gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom have invited me to participate in a compensated campaign with Genworth Financial. This campaign is to raise awareness among moms about the importance of taking an active role in planning for their financial futures.

Do you take an active role in the planning of your financial future?

My grandparents were married for over 50 years. They owned a restaurant, travelled across the country and overseas, and raised eight children. Just before my grandfather passed away, my grandmother got a crash course in their finances, having never paid attention to any of it before. Can you imagine having to learn all about your insurance policies, financial institutions, and mortgage and refinance history, all while knowing that you are about to lose your best friend and companion of so many years? Even now, over 10 years later, my grandmother has a member of the family handle all of her finances.

I have heard many a story about a financial decision – big or small – being made by the man of the house, without including his wife – whether it be intentional or not – and it never ends well. Either bitterness, anger and resentment build, or a great divide is created – no real cohesion and harmony is achieved.

Although I pay most of our bills online, and write the occasional physical check and drop it in the mail, Ray and I have always made financial decisions – big and small – together. I think it’s important for stay-at-home (and work-at-home) moms to stay in the know when it comes to the income and expenses of her home, even if she is not the one who brings home the paycheck.

In fact, just today Ray and I met with a financial advisor and it sparked something in me. I am interested now, more than ever before, about where our money goes and how we can prepare for tomorrow. Heaven forbid anything should happen to either of us while we have young children, just knowing that we are making decisions now that can impact our future – and the future of our children and grandchildren – is incentive enough for me to stay in the know.

I remember like it was yesterday…

It was a particularly rough day. Noah was a wee baby and I was tired. I could not find my 6-year-old twins anywhere. I searched and searched, calling their names as I ran through the house. Noah woke up and began screaming and still I could find Ethan and Zach.

Out the front door I called, and still nothing. I walked around to the backyard and that’s when I saw them.

Ethan and Zach were beating the ground with small shovels, huge grins on their faces.

“Mom! Mom! We’re killing them!” they shouted.

As I walked closer I saw it – open, POOPY diapers all over the side yard, with Ethan and Zach’s little feet right in the middle of them.

I think I screamed, but I can’t be sure. How gross!

The clever little boys explained that they wanted to attract all of the flies that we complained about, and kill them for us.

It worked. But, not without a huge mess.

Huggies Every Little Bottom Campaign

Some mothers can’t afford diapers for their babies, and have to chose between cleaning out and reusing soiled diapers and going without other necessities like food in order to purchase diapers. Diaper banks help collect and distribute diapers to families in need, but there are simply not enough diaper banks in the US to fill the need.

Huggies’ Every Little Bottom Campaign is supporting diaper banks across the US. So far, 22.5 million diapers have been donated, but that is just the beginning. You can find out more about the Every Little Bottom campaign and how you can help on Huggies’ website.

The fab ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting a Diaper Disaster giveaway, to highlight the Huggies Every Little Bottom campaign.

How can you help?

Here are the 4 ways to donate diapers online and in-store via Sam’s Club:

Donation Option #1: Visit www.samsclub.com/huggies and make your baby a
cover model and help diaper a baby in need!

Donation Option #2: Share your fashionable cover baby via Facebook and share with your friends.

Donation Option #3: Buy the summer exclusive Huggies Little Movers Jeans Diapers at Sam’s Club. For each package purchased, one diaper will be donated to the Huggies® Every Little Bottom Campaign.

Donation Option #4: While at Sam’s Club, scan QR code located on specially marked packages of Huggies Little Movers Jeans Diapers.

And DON’T MISS your chance to pick up Huggies Little Movers Jeans Diapers at Sam’s Club, only available this summer!

I was compensated to tell my worst diaper story. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do your kitchen appliances leave something to be desired? Do they need rescuing? How would you like to win a brand new, sparkling kitchen?

Let KitchenAid come to the rescue!

From now, until November 2nd, you can submit a photo of your old kitchen appliances for a chance to win a new suite of appliances from KitchenAid, including an under the counter beverage center – how cool is that?! The winner of the Rescue My Appliances contest will also receive Service Live Credits toward remodeling (worth $1,000) and even a phone consultation with Susan Serra, KitchenAid’s kitchen design expert (worth $200)!

Then, come November 3rd, you can vote for the most rescue-worthy appliances and for each vote you cast, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a new KitchenAid mixer! I know how much I love the KitchenAid mixer Ray bought me a couple of years ago, so this is definitely a prize worth voting for!

So, go. Take your best (or worst?) shot of your old, tired appliances. KitchenAid just may come to their rescue!

This is a compensated post, through a Mom Bloggers Club member program.
All opinions are mine… Always have been. Always will be.

Now that my pregnancy nausea has somewhat subsided, I am just always hungry. It seems as though I am always eating, whether it be fruit, crackers and cheese, or a nice big bowl of noodles.

The worst is when I’m up in the middle of the night, staring in my pantry, without a single clue as to what I want. Have you ever done that? My mom used to sing the old Cracker Jack jingle when she felt this way. “What do you want when you gotta have something… and it’s gotta be a lot?” Sometimes I find myself breaking out in song, too.

But, I’ve made it a habit of packing tons of snacks for when we’re out and about. Not for the kids, but for me! Crackers, dried fruit and nuts are my favorite, so I was happy to try the new Ritz Crackerfuls. These crunchy crackers with rich creamy cheese filling are just what I need to hit the spot when on the go.

Crackerfuls come in four different varieties – Garlic Herb, Four Cheese, Classic Cheddar, and the newest Cheddar Cheese & Bacon. Not only are they individually wrapped, which makes it perfect to just throw in your bag and go, but they are actually a smart snack choice since they are made with 6 grams of whole grains and real cheese.

Head to the Ritz Crackers Facebook page now to get your $1 Off Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Crackerfuls coupon, which can be downloaded through August 31, 2010 (or until 33k coupon prints).

I received free product samples, from the One2One Network, along with compensation for this post.

As most of you know, I’m very particular about what I eat these days. On most nights my family holds their breath as they ask what’s for dinner because, quite honestly, most often it’s pretty much up to them {“them” meaning Daddy}. Except for when I have a hankering for something specific.

Well, lately I’ve been craving fresh green salads. Throwing together a salad takes very little time and energy, both of which are very limited for this pregnant mama. Of course we need our protein, too, and that’s where Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken comes in. As the name suggests, this chicken is fully cooked, making it quick and easy to throw on a salad.

I recently purchased a bag of Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Strips from my local Walmart and created a mouth-watering salad that we all thoroughly enjoyed. {Well, not all of us – I have yet to convince my youngest kiddos that salad actually does taste good!}

Unfortunately taking a picture was an afterthought, and who really wants to see an empty bowl? You’ll just have to use your imagination… Here’s what I threw together::

I tossed together a Spring Green Mix, sliced strawberries, honey-glazed walnuts, and Feta cheese, in olive oil and vinegar, with a squeeze of fresh lemon. I then topped off the salad with Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Strips and served it with our favorite Roasted Garlic Sourdough Bread from Costco.

A quick, easy, and delicious dinner, thanks to Tyson. One that satisfied my every craving!

Collective Bias & Tyson provided me with a gift card and free product coupons to share a recipe and my thoughts on the Grilled and Ready products.

~~~~~

It often seems like having kids and a clean, beautiful home are at war with each other.  We love our families, but not the spills and spots they leave behind on our carpets and sofas.

Call a cease fire with these kid-safe, environmentally-friendly and economical tips to keep your carpets and sofas clean.  These cleaning tips utilize natural ingredients found around the house, so there is no need to buy yet another chemical.  In fact, buying consumer spot removal chemicals is not only a waste of money, but if used improperly, may not remove the stain at all and can make it harder for a professional to get the job done.

Here are some of the most common types of spills and the best way to treat them:

Blood – At some point, we all will experience blood on the carpet or sofa.  If you have light-colored carpet (tan or grey to white), take a Q-tip and dip it in a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide.  Dab the Q-tip on the blood spot until the color changes or the spot is gone.  Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry.

If you have dark-colored carpet (blue, green, brown or dark grey), use a mixture of one teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide with four teaspoons warm water.  Follow the same steps as above.

Coffee or Tea – Make a mixture of ¼ teaspoon laundry soap and one cup warm water.  Soak your towel in the solution and dab at the carpet.  Continue dabbing for about five minutes and then switch to a mixture of vinegar and water (¼ cup white vinegar and one cup warm water).  Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry.

Soda, Fruit Juice and Sports Drinks – These beverages can be tricky.  They have two components that need to be removed: the color, if it’s a cola or fruit beverage and the sugar, if it’s not a diet brand.  Blot up as much as the moisture with a dry terry cloth or paper towel.  Next, if there is color in the beverage, use vinegar and water (¼ cup white vinegar and one cup warm water) to blot area.  Soak your towel in the solution and then place the towel on the spill.  Do not pour directly on the carpet or sofa, as you may over saturate the area.  Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry.

Urine or Vomit – Everyone gets sick.  Although urine and vomit can be some of the hardest to remove, it’s still possible to get the spots and sometimes the stains.  I recommend blotting up as much as the area with dry towels and as fast as you can.

• If the area is small (less than 6 inches), try the above vinegar and water solution steps.
• If the area is larger (more than 6 inches), dry as much of the area as you can and then sprinkle a small amount of baking power over the spot to absorb the odor.  This is one spot that you need to call the professionals in – Delight Cleaning.  If treated improperly, these stains have the ability to spread and may cause irreversible damage to both the carpet and the carpet pad.

©Delight Cleaning 2009.  All Rights Reserved.  Duplication not permitted without permission.

Ray provides monthly cleaning tips and how-to advice, for the entire house, on his blog at DelightCleaning.com. Check it out… I’m sure you will find some great ideas for keeping your home spic and span!

Do you have any special time-saving tips you can share with me? I’d love to hear about them!