Life Lately

I realize that a lot of my recent posts have been about sponsors and/or advertisers. This is wonderful -- I am loving the opportunities to share about some awesome businesses or help entrepreneur's get the word out about their product(s). While I want More Skees Please to be a place where I primarily write about our family, vent my parenting frustrations and share every day ordinary stuff, I'm starting to dip me feet in the "how to make money from this" side of things and I hope y'all will bear with me as I work out the kinks. I promise to only share products and/or businesses that I have direct experience with and hope to always do so with a genuine personal twist.

So on to what has been going on with us lately...

Ethan is in the last 9 weeks of kindergarten. I mean, really? How did that happen so fast? He has completely blown us away this year with his love of school and learning. Oh how I wish it stays that way. He was tested a few months ago for the Talented and Gifted program and we will find out how he did next week. With his abstract thinking and creative drive, I don't think anyone can argue the kid is both talented AND gifted but whether he needs the extra challenge at school is yet to be determined.

He has also been represented by a local talent agency for the past year and has gone on an increasing amount of auditions lately. I promise you I am not trying to live vicariously through my child in this regard. He  asked me how he could "be on tv like those kids on Good Luck Charlie". And come on, he was born to perform. Even if nothing ever pans out, the skills he is learning by composing himself enough to talk to a roomful of adults in front of a camera will serve him well. That takes guts. Could you do it?

Aiden - oh my sweet Aiden - where have you gone??? I do believe that the ONLY area this little spitfire is delayed in has been the arrival of the terrible twos. He was never terrible at two. But at 5...he is...how shall I put this nicely? A HANDFUL. And a half. The stomping of the feet. The talking back. The use of mean language (words like hate and stupid are a regular part of his vocabulary). This boy tests me day in and day out. With big brother Ethan at school every day I do believe some of this behavior stems from boredom. So I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm counting down the days until both boys are in school and on the same schedule.

Medically, things have been pretty quiet. Ever since last summer's cranial vault, we have just been keeping regular check-ups and dealing with normal little boy stuff (like a broken clavicle a few months back). Nothing is on our radar surgically and I hope we can keep it that way. The time off has been a blessing.

As for Hudson, he is growing like a weed. He started sitting up at 7 months and is "army" crawling now at 8 months. This baby was born to smile. All you have to do is look at him and he wiggles and squirms in delight. He says "mama" and sometimes we catch a "dada". He loves being outside and in water (bathtime and swimming lessons are his favorite thing to do!) And so far, I've managed to take as many pictures as the other boys (thank you iPhone) and keep up with his baby calendar recording his milestones. Who says the 3rd kid always gets the shaft?

Other "stuff" that has been keeping me busy that I hope to write about in more detail soon:
- I lost a ton of videos and pictures when my old laptop bit the dust...
- a passion of mine is coming to life...can't wait to spill the beans!
- my engagement ring was stolen...oh this story just gets more unbelievable every day
- Aiden is officially registered for Kinder {I'm both excited and anxious about this}
- Hudson's "bump" update
- my summer plans...does anyone want to come pack for me??? {I mean how exactly does one go about packing for 4 people for a 6-week trip?}

And since I haven't been too good about writing about it all here, be sure to keep up with all the everyday stuff on Instagram and Facebook :)

Minted: Paper Goods and Design

If you know me, you know that I love to create. My "Things I've Actually Tried" board on Pinterest is getting bigger by the minute. I designed this blog and take pride in making things look pretty. I rarely order pre-made Christmas cards or birth announcements, preferring instead to create them myself.

BUT -- when the friendly folks at Minted.com asked me to take a peek at their site and let them know what I thought, I was happy to do it. And WOW. I spent about as much time looking around as I do in any one time-waste session on Pinterest. Everything was just so...beautiful.

At Minted, we love the idea that our products will find their way into your most personal celebrations, and we don't take that honor lightly. That's why we only use fine paper stock, rich inks, and crisp printing methods. We guess you could say that quality is an obsession for us. We stand behind our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are proud to offer a stunning and exclusive assortment of holiday cards, Christmas cards, and wedding invitations sourced through our global community of indie designers. Whether you're looking for non-photo or photo cards, modern or vintage designs, Minted allows you to customize a design to be uniquely yours.

What sets Minted apart from your average invitations and paper goods shop is this: They built their company by organizing "a global community of independent graphic designers" where their best designs are printed and then sold online. And believe me, these are some talented people. Even better? The prices are reasonable and the quality is great.

As a blogger, I use business cards to pass out info about my website. I designed the below a few years back, but since we have added to our family, I have been meaning to order some new cards.


This time around I plan to get those from Minted. I mean I've got 3 boys on my hands now...which unfortunately means less time for creative endeavors.


Okay so maybe I won't save much time by having Minted do it...because it'll be so hard to choose from all of their amazing designs! But they will be cute for sure :)

Head on over to Minted.com to check out all they have to offer. From Wedding Invitations to Birth Announcements -- Business Cards to Personalized Gifts -- Minted.com has you covered!

DISCLAIMER -- I WAS GIVEN A CREDIT FOR PERSONAL USE ON MINTED.COM. AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS ARE MY OWN AND 100% GENUINE. 

Groupie: Children's plate inspires healthy eating habits

The past few months I have been really focused on improving the healthy eating habits in our household. I've done the Dr. Oz 3-day detox not once, but twice and I have been trying to buy less processed stuff and more "clean" foods. Now I am not going to say that you won't find a box of Lucky Charms or a bag of Cheetos in our pantry still. This transition is a slow one, but one that I'm more and more motivated to do each and every day.

One of the most frustrating habits my children have is that they like to snack. All.Day.Long. My Aiden is a bean pole so when he says "I'm hungry SO BAD mommy" looking at me with those big hazel eyes, I usually give in to his incessant desire to graze figuring he could use the extra calories. At his 5-year checkup I spoke to his pediatrician about this and she suggested offering only high fiber, high protein snacks between meals to help curb the habit and keep him fueled longer. Let's just say...we're trying. You see he LOVES healthy food -- the kid asks for me to buy brussels sprouts for goodness sakes -- so that's not the issue. But what he WANTS is the junk. (Which is why I'm working on getting rid of those temptations...)

Meal time is also a challenge. Mostly for me as I try to come up with new, healthy, well-balanced meals for everyone. Sometimes that means making an entirely separate meal for the kids to accommodate Ethan's pickiness (total 180 from Aiden...the kid won't touch anything that's green or has specks of black or brown in it) and/or the later time that Ricky and I tend to want to eat. It's hard to keep things new and not just give them chicken nuggets, corn and applesauce every night.

I so wish I had a personal concierge who would stock my fridge with healthy groceries every week. Better yet, a family chef. Sigh...maybe when I'm rich ;) But in the meantime, I have been introduced to an efficient tool that will help make mealtime planning a little easier for my kids.

The Groupie - Children's Healthy Eating Plate was developed with a two fold concept in mind:

First, it serves as a reminder at meal time for the 'good eater' to continue to practice balanced habits. Additionally, it serves as a tool for the 'picky' eater and encourages balanced eating all while working toward...a small treat section.

• The bright colors and unique shape make it visually appealing for my kids (they argued over who got to use it first). 
• Ethan, who is in kindergarten, was able to read the words printed in the divided sections describing what kinds of food goes into each which in turn led to an opportunity for my boys and I to discuss the different sizes of each section and why it was important to eat something from each of the food groups listed. 
• It works as a guide as to proper portion sizes.
• As an added incentive for eating healthy, my boys were allowed to eat the treat only if the rest of the food was eaten first.
• Most of all, I liked that I was able to open my fridge and use the plate as a guide as to what to prepare for a meal.  Seems easy enough but as a stay-at-home mom who makes a zillion trips to the kitchen throughout the day, it was nice to have a little "cheat sheet" to keep things in check.

DISCLAIMER: Groupie is a paid sponsor of More Skees Please. I was given a Groupie plate to review for this post. Opinions are always my own and always 100% honest.

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Just wanted to say hello to all the new readers and let you know of all the ways you can keep up with this little ol' blog of mine.

BabyComfyNose: a better snot sucker

Those are actually their words, not mine! ;)

If you've ever used a bulb or battery-type aspirator to clear the mucus out of your little one's nose, you've probably said to yourself: "There has to be a better way!" Well, I just found a better way and it's called the BabyComfyNose Nasal Aspirator.

Here's the amazing part (or gross part - depending on your perspective) it uses your own suction. And that's why it's superior to standard aspirators. Think about it: your own lungs are a really strong and natural vacuum cleaner - much more powerful than a tiny bulb or battery-powered motor. And the result is just a more effective method of clearing your baby's sinuses. But have no fear; you won't suck boogies into your mouth because of the design of the receptacle and the tissue filter that you insert into the body of the aspirator. This is why pediatricians are recommending BabyComfyNose to moms and dads.

Recently, Dr. Sears of The Doctors TV Show recommended the BabyComfyNose as the best way to clear babies' noses. Take a look at the video 'How to Use the BabyComfyNose' here www.babycomfynose.com to see how well it works.

The folks at BabyComfyNose are offering all More Skees Please readers a 20%-off coupon. Details are here: http://www.babycomfynose.com/usfamilyguide. 


Disclaimer - I was offered a complimentary BabyComfyNose in exchange for this post. I'm excited to try out this product. Thank you BabyComfyNose and US Family Guide!

Dr. Oz Detox (Round 2) Review: Tips for Success

I feel like a pro at this detox now that I have done it more than once. If you missed my initial review be sure to read that first. Go ahead...I'll wait :) I Survived the Dr. Oz 3-day Detox: A Review

Now that you've learned all about what it takes to start the detox and how I felt after round 1, I'm back to share with you tips from my second time doing the Dr. Oz 3-day detox.

Let me start by saying that I am definitely still a fan of this program. I once again lost 5 lbs and feel like my tummy "pooch" is much smaller. In fact, I started the detox this month smack dab in the middle of my "monthly visitor". My husband was scared it was going to magnify my grouchiness (I don't know what he's talking about, I'm never grouchy), but I think it actually had a positive effect on my mood because I didn't feel so bloated.

While this detox is intense for someone who loves her bread and sweets (me), I was surprised yet again by my eagerness to dive in and drink my meals for 3 days straight. On day 4, you would think I would have wanted to start my day with a stack of starch like pancakes or french toast, but I found the opposite was true. I wanted to eat light - I made some scrambled eggs with Egg Beaters and 2 pieces of turkey bacon. I almost made my breakfast smoothie instead! So, more than ever, I am a believer that using this to kick-start healthy eating habits is a major bonus of completing this program.

Okay, now to the good stuff. Here are some things I did the 2nd time around to help make this a success:


1} Enlist a friend to do it with you - When I told my neighbor about it, she wanted to join me this time and it turned out to be such a good thing for many reasons. Not only did it give us each someone to share our experience with and keep us on track (misery loves company, right?), we were also able to share the cost. I already had leftover items that came in large packages like the coconut oil, flax seed, etc. So I packed up whatever I had enough of in small Tupperware containers and sent it on down to her with a list of what else she would need to buy on her own. I was out of a few things too, so when she grabbed her stuff from the store, she picked up extra bananas, almond milk and coconut water for me.

My best 6 years

While it is usually true that a mother doesn't admit to love any one child more than another, there is a special something there for the baby that came first. Is that bad to say?

There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a mom. If I could have fast-forwarded through middle school and high school to be married and starting a family, I so would have. I could.not.wait. to start that chapter of my life. I probably scared off a few guys back in the day with the "how many kids do you want" and "I want a BIG family" talk.

I thank God every day that a) I suckered a guy into marrying me and b) my dreams of becoming a mother came true.

I'll be the first to tell you that my Ethan? He is destined for greatness. This kid is every mother's dream. As an infant, complete strangers would stop me in public to comment on what a beautiful baby he was and how his eyes just radiated happiness. As he grew older his sweet little voice and contagious belly laugh would leave me beaming with pride.

This boy has wit and charm. A huge heart and a sensitive soul. He is creative. Busy. Intelligent. Compassionate. He's got a sense of humor beyond his years. He is an amazing brother to Aiden and a huge helper with Hudson. It's easy to see why I am so beyond proud to have been chosen as his momma.

And BOY oh BOY this kid is handsome. Amiright?


I can honestly say that these past 6 years have been my best. Not necessarily always happy. And Lord knows not always easy. But definitely my best. And Ethan is one of the main reasons why.

"Do you feel like you're about to be six?" I asked Ethan in the car.

"Yes." He responded. "Because I'm bigger. I'm a lot smarter. And I just feel six."

Well there ya go. Happy birthday sweet boy. We love you SO very much!