My son is Mr. Independence.  He wants to do everything all by his 4-year-old self.  He doesn’t want any criticism about the way he does things, either.  I have this innate need to offer feedback (e.g. nag) about just about everything my kids do.  Maybe it’s the teacher in me, possibly it’s just because of my upbringing, but I have to often bite my tongue not to make a comment or suggest a better way to do things all the time.  I’m having a hard time drawing the line between nagging and suggesting.  My daughter takes this to heart much more than my son.  Is that a girl thing, a firstborn thing, or both?  I’m just not sure.  In any case, my son can find a loophole nearly every time.   Here’s the most recent example…… [Read more…]

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Have your older kids ever said, “The baby gets all the good stuff”?  In most cases, it’s TRUE!!   Especially these days because there is just so much adorable baby EVERYTHING wherever you turn.  If you haven’t been to a baby shower in a while, count yourself lucky.  Yes, babies are blessings, but honestly their stuff is just so dang cute.   I think the main reason for having a baby shower is for the new mom to get to touch and coo at all the soft beautiful things before the baby arrives (‘cuz she sure as heck ain’t going to be enjoying it once the baby arrives!)   So if you are planning a nursery overhaul right now, go for it.  Make it something that you absolutely adore.  Not only are you going to be spending a lot of time in there, but you want pictures of it so that when your first baby sees what the second baby gets, you can prove that every baby gets the good stuff.

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Once upon a time, children were out of school for a solid 3 month break.  During that time there was much playing, laughing, splashing, and other fun kid stuff.  It seems like the summer vacations have been shrinking more and more with each passing year.  I’m spoiled because, as a public school teacher, I get to be on my children’s schedule and I get to spend the summers with them.  It’s really the best of both worlds for a working mom.  Since we get out of school in late May and go back in late July, it’s  important for me to take a breather in the weeks that I’m off.  So when I start seeing the back-to-school ads, it kind of freaks me out.  A lot.  Mostly because I realize how much I just goofed off during the month of June, and then I wear myself out in July trying to catch up.  One thing I won’t have to worry about this year is personalizing my kids’ stuff.   My kids can take their Mabel’s Labels and stick their little names on their own stuff.  Mommy is in the pool. [Read more…]

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Today we had one of those crazy storm patterns come through the region.  It was the kind that swept through a beautiful sunny day and suddenly drenched everything.  Our power went out for a few minutes before the second storm started.   My husband and I were so caught off guard that we just looked at each other, dumbfounded, for a moment or two before we started thinking, “Should we get the flashlights?”   As a testament to their generation, my children just sat there without blinking an eye.  Both of them were looking at a tablet screen and didn’t even notice that the power had gone off.  About 30 seconds after the power was restored, my daughter commented, “Looks like the power went out.”  Wow, nothing gets by her!   [Read more…]

Let’s talk about kids and swimming.  Few things make a child’s eyes light up in the summer as much as a cool pool on a hot day.  The splashing, the laughing, and the blissful exhaustion of a swim day are the glories of childhood.  Unfortunately inexperienced swimmers can nearly give their mothers a heart attack by dipping into the water just a millimeter.  We have an inground pool so my kids swim daily, sometimes two or three times per day.  My daughter is a little mermaid and needs only adult supervision to stay safe.  My son has a false sense of security in the pool.  He took a swim class and now is completely fearless.  The water is still too deep for him, so I rely on swim aids to help keep him afloat.  He’s quite determined that he no longer needs “baby” floaties or water wings.   I had to rely on some sneaky mom maneuvers to convince him that he’s being a big boy in the pool, but also to provide me with a little peace of mind.  I have enough gray hairs, after all!!  Thankfully i.d.i. gear sent me a Swimeez swimsuit to try.   Floatability swim protection from Swimeez — plus 60% off discount for savings?!  Bingo!!

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Let’s make a splash this summer with a fun giveaway!   When Kathy from I Am A Reader Not A Writer emailed about this hop, I knew that Savings in Seconds had to participate.  After all, who doesn’t love a little bit of Wendy’s to make the summer just a little sweeter?   Wendy’s sent me a gift card for my family to enjoy the new frosty waffle cones, and also sent 3 gift cards to share with my readers!!!   So 3 lucky Savings in Seconds readers will receive a $5 gift card to enjoy a summer treat while you read a good beach book.

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There are so many wonderful things about summer that I just cherish.  One is the summer wardrobe.  Getting to wear breezy summer dresses, flip-flops, and messy ponytails all summer long is such a treat.   I don’t shop at the beginning of summer because my kids usually hit a growth spurt somewhere in the middle of June or beginning of July.  It’s perfect timing because their clothes still look rather newish when it’s back to school season.  So I’ll definitely be hitting the summer sale at Tea Collection.  Beginning 6/23, Tea Collection is offering an additional 25% off sale items with promo code 25SAVE.  That “additional % off” gets me every time.    Another thing I love about summer is having the time to read books that I WANT to read.  During the school year I feel both driven and obligated to read academia.  In the summer, though, I allow myself mind candy like Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter . I got a copy of this to participate in the book tour and was so excited. Doesn’t it just look like a sweet read?
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Thanks to MamaNYC for hosting the Summer Solstice Giveaway event!   The bloggers in this hop are working together to bring you (and those you love) some great items to make summer a blast.  Be sure to enter by June 30!    The summer solstice is always an exciting time at our house.  We love these long summer days filled with sunshine.  We spend our time outside in the pool or riding our bikes.  I finally have time to learn something new.  I could take a Fine Arts class with Craftsy  and do some painting with my artsy daughter.  There are chances to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.    We can’t forget our pets in this summer heat, so this giveaway is for your furry friend.  Welcome to the Summer Solstice giveaway hop featuring Best Bully Sticks.

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There are certain things I like about having a little boy.  He is completely no-fuss.  When he was younger, he had a few sensory issues about his clothing but now he’s just grab and go.   The other thing I love is the fact that his clothes are so easy to coordinate.  I mean, there’s just really one combination — a top and bottom of some kind.   When we get to swimwear, though, there are some issues.  First of all, he is such a little bony thing that his swim trunks tend to billow out around his legs when he jumps in the water. When he rises out to jump again, the legs of his trunks are bustled up like a bubble skirt.  It’s comical but not exactly trendsetting.   Also, he won’t stand still long enough to apply adequate sunscreen.  He squirms away after a nanosecond, so I’ve gotta be quick and thorough.  The areas that often get neglected are his ears and neck.   I’m glad that we finally found Solartex sun gear that protects sweet skin.  They sent us a cool new SPF suit to try out and it’s rocking the pool this summer!

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This post is brought to you by Teespring.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Think of your favorite t-shirt.  What does it look like?  Where did you get it?  No, I’m really serious.  I want you to answer those questions.   I’ll bet that whatever it’s for, that t-shirt is worn like a badge of honor.  It brings back good memories or proclaims something you feel passionate about.  Maybe it’s just really soft and comfortable.  When you pull that shirt out of your dresser, you wear it loud and proud.  Don’t you just want to shake the hand of the person who made that shirt, giving you so many moments of sheer joy just putting it on?  With Teespring you can design your shirt and wear it too — at no risk.  Be creative, maybe even make some money, unite the world.  All with a t-shirt idea.

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