First Time Mom and Losing It

My daughter had a great summer playing with her cousins. School is almost back and my niece will be starting Pre-K and my nephew will be starting Kindergarten. Since they live in a different boroughs my daughter won't be seeing her cousins as often as she did in the summer. She was kind of blue that she didn't get to go to school so I got her a book bag and school supplies for us to use while I home-school her for the year. I also got her excited about collecting Box Tops for her cousins.

Since my sister has two kids going to school and I have one going in next year we know how important and easy it is to collect Box Tops to help get much need money. For each little Box Top that you collect and give to your school you will be giving them $0.10 in spending money that they can use for whatever they need. As my sister and I were collecting them we wanted to find a way to keep the Box Tops safe while the kids transferred them to their schools. I came up with a cute little pouch that could go right into the binder and not get lost.


All I did was get a little binder pouch that they could easily clip into their binders. I printed this LOGO resized it and cut it out. Then I used some packing tape and pressed two layers on top to fully cover with the edges of tape going outside of the logo. Then I centered it onto the binder pouch and pressed it on. Now the kids know that this binder pouch is just for Box Tops.


It is super easy to just go to Walmart and pick up the items like the ones for General Mills® that participate with the Box Tops program. Now you can collect even more with Bonus Box Tops in select items like the General Mills® Cookie CrispsTM, Lucky CharmsTM and Cocoa PuffsTM. To get 5 Box Tops for your school with one item all you have to do is purchase the products with the logo below. Then you cut out the regular box top and then cut out the 4 bonus points certificate in the back of the cereal and you get $0.50 for your school.


How do you keep your Box Tops Organized? 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Years ago when I was a teacher I always saw the PTA going around collecting Box Tops. Since I didn't have a child at the time I really didn't know much about the Box Tops program. I just collected them whenever I saw them and handed them to the PTA volunteers. Now that my daughter is almost in school and I have a niece starting Pre-K and a nephew starting kindergarten I finally know how important these Box Tops are to schools.


Did you know that Box Tops for Education has raised over $525 million to participating schools since it started the program in 1996? Each Box Top that is collected is worth $0.10 for your child's school. It is one of America's largest school earnings loyalty programs and has over 80,000 K-8 schools participating. I love that schools can use the Box Tops cash to buy whatever they need. I remember being a Teacher in the Bronx and having to buy supplies myself because my school just didn't have the budget for it. I love that Box Tops is helping schools, students and teachers with much needed money every day supplies.


It is so easy to find and purchase products that have the Box Tops. While shopping at Walmart I noticed all of the great General Mills® products that participated with the Box Tops. Now they have bold graphics with some having bonus Box Tops for even more cash for your child's school. All you have to do is purchase and use the Box Top products like the General Mills® Cereal or Hamburger Helper. Once you use the product you can just cut the Box Tops and collect them. I like to put them into a little mason jar. To get my nephew and niece excited about collecting and helping out their school, I created a little Box Top case they can clip into their binders. (Tutorial coming soon!)


Click on the link to learn more about Box Tops at Walmart!

Do you collect Box Tops for your kid's school? 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills®. The opinions and text are all mine.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I was pretty nervous and wanted to learn everything I could. I read countless books and drilled my mom and sister on a million questions. I was never really around babies before my daughter was born so I was nervous about knowing the right things to do when she was here.


Every time my daughter got sick as an infant it was just a feeling of helplessness. As a parent you want to just take the sickness away and not see them feel uncomfortable or in pain. I remember one particular time when she was about a year and a half and she had a bad cough that would not go away. We were just about to go to the emergency room because it was the weekend and the doctor's office was closed. Thankfully the cough subsided and the fever went down soon after. Now that I think about it and look at the symptoms she might have had RSV.


The symptoms are:

• Coughing or wheezing that doesn't stop.
• Fast or trouble breathing
• A fever (especially if it is greater than 100.4°F in infants under 3 months of age)
• A bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
• Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved-in chest when trying to breathe
• Gasping for breath

RSV or respiratory syncytial virus is a contagious viral disease that may infect a person's lungs and breathing passages. Preemies are especially susceptible because their preterm lungs are not fully developed. Most babies recover from the disease in a week or two. Premature infants or those with lung or heart problems that have had severe RSV disease can get a serious lung infection and/or require hospitalization


The RSV Prevention website makes it super easy to learn all about RSV and how to prevent it. They tell you what months are the highest risk for RSV in your state, allow you to take an interactive risk assessment for your baby and gives you an easy way to start a dialogue with your Pediatrician.

I learned the best ways you can prevent RSV are to:

• Wash your hands carefully before touching your baby, and ask others to do the same
• This one is obvious: no smoking in your home or anywhere near your baby. 
• Wash your baby's clothes, toys and bedding regularly. 
• Keep your baby away from areas with crowds, young children and people with colds. 

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Living Proof. I received product samples to facilitate my review and to thank me for my participation.”



I am living proof that the Living Proof hair line really does work! I have been using the Living Proof PhD hair line for over a month now and really love the results. My hair is healthier than it has ever been and super soft and shiny. I was seriously thinking about getting my hair permanently straightened before Living Proof came into my life because I couldn't keep my hair looking good after going to the gym. I am so happy that I gave Living Proof a chance to help my hair and now I don't have to go through the super expensive, time consuming and chemical heavy permanent straightening treatment. I can truly say that I am finally happy with my hair!



The more I used the shampoo and conditioner the stronger and healthier my hair looked. I love how much faster my hair air dries and how long it feels clean. I really don't have time nor do I want to wash my hair everyday so having this extra bit of cleanliness in my hair really helps.


For the past week now I haven't even using my flat iron. All I have been doing is using the shampoo, conditioner and a little bit of either the 4-in-1 treatment or the style enhancer. I then comb my hair straight and put it under a microfiber towel to let it air dry. Then when it is damp I put my hair in a low ponytail to continue to dry. As soon as my hair is completely dry I take out the pony tail and my hair looks and feels so much healthier and like I have used a styling tool. This is my go to everyday routine, when I have a date night or want my hair to look extra special I use a large curling iron on the ends to flip them up and that's it!


I am truly amazed at the quality of the Living Proof PhD hairline and also love that it is sulfate-free, oil-free and silicone-free. I will continue to use the Living Proof line and will be making a trip to my local salon store to get some more soon. Are you ready to take the Living Proof challenge? Head on over to the Living Proof website for more information and to learn about their other products. Now through November 8th, with an order of $20 or more, you can enter the exclusive code below to get a free Perfect hair Day (PhD) 5-in-1 Styling Treatment in travel size. With this order you will also receive free samples and free shipping! Just use Shopping Code: NOV2014

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence-Central for #AveenoEczemaTherapy. I received a sample to facilitate my review and a thank you item for participating.


I have been dealing with Eczema for a while now and get bad flare ups on my neck. Things get worse when it's hot outside or when I sweat at the gym. I used to get some relief when the fall and cooler weather came along but now that I go to the gym my flare ups have been year-round.

When I heard about the AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Collection I was excited to try it. The AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Collection was created with leading dermatologists and awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance because it provides gentle, superior ingredients to soothe skin with eczema. The collection uses the best ingredients in nature to help with the four symptoms of eczema: itch, roughness, dryness and irritation.


The first product I used was the AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream. I loved how thick it was and the great coverage on my neck that lasted a long time. I put it on in the afternoon and it lasted my entire workout until I went home and showered. I also loved how it soothed my skin and didn't get irritated. I had experiences with other creams where it would itch and sting right when I put the cream on.


Next I used the AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Hand Cream which was perfect for my super dry hands. With a toddler around I am constantly washing and sanitizing my hands. This makes my hands really dry and sometimes scaly. I loved how smooth  and soft it made my hands feel. I can't wait to try it during the winter time when my hands are at their worst.


Lastly I used the AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Bath Treatment a couple of times a week. It was easy to sprinkle into my bathwater and dissolved easily. I soaked in it for about 20 minutes and loved how soothed and soft my skin felt.

I have been using these three products for about 3 weeks now and they really do work. It has helped my skin, especially in my neck immensely. I will continue to use these products and highly recommend them to anyone who suffers from Eczema or has really dry skin.

October is National Eczema Awareness Month, Did you know that approximately 35 million
infants, children and adults suffer from eczema?

You can learn more at the AVEENO® Eczema Therapy Website: http://www.aveeno.com/category/our+products/collections/eczema+therapy.do. Be sure to follow Aveeno on Facebook for all of the latest news on their products and tips on skincare.
https://www.facebook.com/aveeno

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.


Last Month I introduced the Baby Got Moves Campaign where Pampers is helping keep babies happy by keeping them dry. Their diapers are so absorbent that they keep babies dry and happy even over night

During the campaign parents were able to upload videos or photos of their happy dancing babies to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using hashtag #BabyGotMoves. Some of the videos had a chance to be included in the compilation video below created by Pampers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5-o67rIccg&list=PLEO5ZutnaN0OoisKlld9b3OqyIY1o0vbG&index=1

You can continue celebrating with Pampers and their #BabyGotMoves campaign by attending their upcoming Twitter Party on Thursday October 2nd at 9pm EST.

You can easily RSVP here: http://twtvite.com/BabyGotMoves

Please also follow your hosts @DoubleDutyDivas, @BridgetteLA, @CeceliaMecca @AngieKcom @WhatMommiesNeed @RamblingChick, and our sponsor @Pampers.

Twitter Party Prizes Include:

• 1 Pack of Baby Dry Diapers, a $15 iTunes GC and a VTech Learn and Dance Interactive Zoo
• 1 Pack of Baby Dry Diapers and a Zoo Tunes Mobile Blue Tooth Speaker (owl)
• 1 Pack of Baby Dry Diapers and a $100 Gift Card to Little Gym/ Gymboree/ My Gym
• 1 Pack of Baby Dry Diapers a $25 iTunes GC and an iPad Mini ($350 value)
• RSVP: 1 Pack of Baby Dry Diapers

I know I am not alone when I say I love Jennifer Aniston's hair. I love how sleek and shiny it always looks. I know she has a professional team behind her look but when I heard that she is the co-owner of the Living Proof Hair Line that she uses I had to try it.

I was picked to do the Living Proof Hair Challenge and got:

• 2 PhD Shampoos
• 2 PhD Conditioners
• 2 5-in-1 Styling Treatments 
• 1 Mask Treatment
• 1 Style Enhancer

The 5-in-1 Styling Treatment creates smoothness, volume, strength, conditioning, and
polish as well as heat protection, UV protection, and static control. It is oil-free and
silicone-free.


When I first used the shampoo and conditioner I loved the exotic fruity smell. The shampoo gave me so much lather with just a little bit of product so I feel that the bottle will last a long time. I love how soft and smooth the conditioner made my hair feel when I put it on. When I rinsed it, it didn't leave my hair greasy or heavy.

The 5-in-1 treatment gave my damp hair some smoothness. It had the same exotic fruity smell that I liked from the shampoo and conditioner. After using the combination of the three products I felt that my hair dried a lot faster and it was smooth and full of body. I first dried my hair with a hair dryer and then passed the flat iron through the top pieces. I usually don't flat iron my hair because it leaves my hair too flat but this time my hair had volume and a bounce to it.


I am already enjoying these products and anxiously awaiting the results of the challenge after using them for a couple of months. To take your challenge yourself and enter for a chance to win some amazing Living Proof  products click here: http://www.livingproof.com/mc You also can check out the Living Proof website for more information and learn about their other products.