The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

Keeping It Real

I was perusing a blog this morning and I happened to notice this: "Based on the high volume of requests we have for giveaways, we charge $x."

Red flag.

Charging for a giveaway or review is not a novel idea.  There are tons of websites that do ask for a fee to place your product on their blog, as it is, in essence, a form of PR.  But here's the thing - by charging for reviews and giveaways, are we poisoning the objectivity one would associate with a fair review? 

I review products that are mostly mom-made or mom-sold.  Not all, but most of the time, the item being reviewed and/or given away is the product of a mom who is trying to stay home with her kids while earning a bit of a living.  I know this because I am one such mom.  And I also know the way I felt the first time I was asked for money from a blogger to put my products on her blog.  In short, it felt icky.  (and no, I didn't do it.)

In order to do a proper review and/or giveaway, I always ask for just one thing: a sample of the product being featured.  How else could I properly give my opinion on a product?  Pictures don't really do it justice, and a description only goes so far.  I feel that taking money in place of actually seeing the product compromises the integrity of my review.  So you can be sure that if I'm recommending a product to you, I've not only seen it, touched it, and (my kids) played with it, but my review is real and honest.  Sometimes I receive a product and it doesn't get reviewed because I can't find anything nice to say about it.  Had I taken money from the company, no doubt I'd feel compelled to review it anyhow.  Essentially resulting in lying to my readers.  Unless of course, your review and/or giveaway is clearly labeled that it is a paid promotion.

Look to your left.  Those are paid spots.  Ads that you readers have allowed for simply because you visit The Daily Grind.  My readers click through to the ads and take time to notice them, and I like to think it's because you trust my judgment.

I don't begrudge any mom looking to earn a few bucks.  I just think there's a way to do so while maintaining the highest level of integrity in your work.  I am thrilled that the reviews, giveaways, and just plain old blog posts have kept so many of you returning day after day.  I hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Ok, so I'm proud...

I just finished a customized photo album order for a repeat customer and these designs, which she requested, are just too cute to keep to myself.  Here are two reasons why customizing is worthwhile:

 

Get $5 off yours for a limited time (automatically) - be sure to email me if you have a special design in mind!

Lollipop Rascals Makes Gift Giving SUH-WEET!

I'm a reader.  From the time I was small, I could always be found with a book in hand and I read the same books over and over again, until they literally were as fragile as antiques.  So I bet you can guess what my favorite gift is - yup!  BOOKS!  But a great way to really capture a child's attention is to couple a book with a toy.  And the folks at Lollipop Rascals are in on this secret.  And to satisfy parents like me, they created Storybook Gift Sets, and let me tell you, they're worth a second look.

They really are the perfect gift.  Carefully selected hardcover books are thoughtfully combined with at least one story-relevant toy, all packaged together for lovely presentation.  We received the It's Me Gift Set which consists of the wonderful book (and CD) by Eric Drachman, a doll which transforms from a good witch to a bad witch, and a glittery tiara for my daughter to wear.  While this book can certainly stand on its own (especially with such beautiful illustrations), the "reading buddy" or props just add a little more excitement to the story-telling process.  And at $49.95, it's a no-brainer.

If that set doesn't do it for you, you'll find the Lollipop Rascal website simple to peruse.  Divided by gender and product category, there's no confusion.  They offer other high quality imagination-provoking toys like a Pirate Play Mat, Princess Magnetic Figures and dozens of great costumes for dress-up.  I'm sure I spotted several other favorite brand toys over there.  See something you like?  Save 15% off your order using promo code "DG" at checkout.

Win it!  One lucky reader will receive a Storybook Gift Set of their choice (up to a $49.95 value).  Simply visit the Lollipop Rascals website and choose your favorite item.  Let us know what you've chosen in comments below.  For an additional entry, subscribe to this blog.  A winner will be drawn on Monday, March 2nd.  Sorry US residents only!

Mabel's Labels

  We lose alot of stuff in our house.  I'm talking sweatshirts that end up in other kids' closets.  Snow boots that are mistakenly put on the kid who occupies the neighboring cubby.  Books that somehow escape backpacks never to be seen again (in our house at least).  It was time to find some solution to this unending problem and fast.  So I decided to find some kind of cute way to label my kids things.  And this is when I was introduced to Mabel's Labels.

Created by a group of four moms who were tired of their kids' stuff constantly disappearing, this Canadian company offers all different types of labels meant to simplify your labeling experience.  Sound funny?  Check out their website.  These ladies have thought of everything.  From plain old sticky labels that adhere to basically anything, to clothing labels that include iron-ons, tag-mates (they stick to clothing labels - how easy!), shoe labels and bag tags, you can be sure that nothing will go missing for long ever again.  After receiving mine, I went on a labeling frenzy, sticking my daughter's name on everything from her backpack to her lunch bag, even the backs of her snow boots (and they stayed put)!

Even more awesome is that these moms know that other moms constantly strive for organization in their lives (I do, for sure), so they developed a line for home.  You know those pesky eclectic cords that constantly clutter  your rooms?  Label them with cord controls and easily identify which is which.  Label spice jars, even your recycling and garbage bins!   Seriously, this doesn't get any smarter.

Start organizing your family's life today - head over to Mabel's Labels and pick your style.  Feeling lucky?  Simply visit their site, and choose your favorite labels.  Come back here and tell us what you choose, and be entered to win a pack of Sticky Labels.  For an additional entry, subscribe to this blog.  Only one entry per person, CANADIAN ENTRIES WELCOME!  (US as well, of course...)  A winner will be chosen on Friday, February 27th.

25 Random Whatevers... About Me.

1. I hate being called "hun" and am not a fan of "LOL." (Matter of fact, I coined my own abbreviation - ABNL = "amused but not laughing" which is more indicative of how I really feel.
2. I used to have so many "bff's". I now have one and she's a better friend to me than all those "bff's" combined.
3. Moving cities (and/or going through a rough patch) really does show you who your true friends are.
4. I feel genuinely grateful for my situation in life.
5. I can't imagine my life without my girls and I can't imagine that I was ever as funny as my own kids (when I was little).
6. I'm too often at odds with myself, but I still strive to be better friends with me.
7. I really have only one true regret. Everything else was just good life experience.
8. You know that state that lurks just between sober and drunk? If I could remain in that state 24/7, I'd be more fun.
9. 25 random facts is starting to feel like a chore...
10. I am not proud of the way I always conducted myself in my teens.
11. I am a huge fan of FB. I feel like it's a Friday night at Vol, on a holiday weekend. (without the br breaks ;)
12. I am afraid that my daughters will have my wild streak. At the same time, I'm afraid that they won't.
13. I think street smarts often outweigh school smarts.
14. I really abhor people who constantly pimp themselves.
15. I don't join FB groups. I'm a self-proclaimed FB minimalist.
16. Some of my best memories and friends are from my time at Dunmore. I can be away from them for years at a time and have SO MUCH to talk about when I see them.
17. I watch TV shows that I don't always care to admit (ie, Real World, Celebrity Rehab Sober House...)
18. I took a break from a bunch of f'ships a few years ago and am grateful to have found my way back to them.
19. I secretly LOVE bumping into my skeletons. They are mostly balding and fat. I think this is hilarious.
20. If I could have one wish (aside from world peace and complete control over my kids), I know what it would be...
21. I have learned more about myself in the last 8 years than in the preceding 25.
22. I eat so much sushi I'm going to turn into Jeremy Piven.
23. I am not the most patient mom, but I think I'm the most fun (and my kids think so too). They get too much ice cream and chocolate but then I don't have the patience to deal with their bouncing off the walls. The irony.
24. I have an aversion to noise and can be woken by a feather hitting the floor.
25. If I could say what I really think in this list without running the risk of offending people, it would be so much better...

My Mom Went to Florida and All I Got Was...

One really good time.

I've been MIA, but not without good reason.  My family took a much needed vacation to Florida.  Far from relaxing (we do have 2 kids under 3), it was really fun and I definitely come back bearing tips, tricks and places to hit should you decide that you need a break from the cold. 

Let me start by saying that the beginning of February is the *perfect* time to go on vacation.  There are no crowds and if you're like me, you're sick of snow and desperate for a getaway.  And if you have kids, Florida is an easy, East-coast convenient destination.  And while I was excited about the prospect of warmth, the week before we took off, I dreaded travel day.  But you know how the anticipation is always worse than reality?  Here's how I made that true in our case:

• Curb-side check-in.  While I'm typically pretty certain that airlines are all run by monkeys without kids, this is one evolution that is invaluable.  We hopped out of our cab when we got to the airport and from the cab, put our bags down at the check-in counter.  From there, they were whisked away, not to be carried (by us) again until we landed.  This left two free adults to look after two rowdy kids.
• Use the Family-Lane at security whenever it exists.  You finally get to cut the line, legally!!
• Bring a portable DVD-player on the plane.  Whatever if they watch 3-hours of Dora.  It's better than 3-hours of running up and down aisles.  Oh, and I took all my own advice.  It (pretty much) worked.
• Rent car seats from your car rental company AND HAVE THEM PLACE THEM IN THE CAR prior to your arrival.  You don't want them to install it (who knows if they will do it properly) but having them in the car at least expedites the car rental process (which is typically excruciating after a plane ride).
• RENT ALL YOUR BIGGER ITEMS!  The days of traveling with a portable crib, high-chair and stroller are over!!  Now there are companies who specialize in renting everything from double strollers to sand toys to baby bath tubs and cribs.  For the last several years, we have used The Baby Travel Company and let me tell you, the service is second-to-none.  You can order online, or call Clara, the wonderfully helpful owner, and tell her what you need.  Their brand-name items are spotlessly clean, in perfect condition, and new (unlike other rental companies who are offering strollers from the dark ages).  They drop-off wherever you are and pick-up at your convenience.  For a few dollars, this is the way to go.  I can't say enough about the Baby Travel Company.

As for activities, we discovered some new ones, based on the fact that our first week of vaca was COLD and the beach was not an option.  Here goes:

• Miami Seaquarium.  It doesn't happen often, but once in a while I find myself pleasantly surprised by one of these attractions, and the Seaquarium was one of those unexpected experiences.  You can walk around and just view the animals (like at a zoo) but the best part is that they have shows that start every few minutes.  We saw all of them.  We watched the dolphins perform from the top-deck of the giant tank (but we stayed out of the "splash zone" to avoid being soggy for the rest of the day).  Another dolphin show featured Flipper (from the show, Flipper), and it was performed in the lagoon used as the set for the original show.  The Sea Lion show was the best but all had one thing in common - healthy looking animals performing with humans who were really into it.  It was clear they weren't merely going through the motions.  But rather, they appeared to really love the animals and did a a great job performing with them.  A must-see. 
• Monkey Jungle.  I wasn't looking forward to this excursion.  After a rather lame visit to a similar type place last year (with parrots), I was expecting the worst.  The trip there was long (it took about 1.5 hours from North Miami) but once we arrived we had THE best time.  Essentially this place is a 30 acre reserve where monkeys roam free.  Throughout is a cage for humans.  The concept is that the monkeys live in a natural environment and visitors can observe them as such.  You can feed the monkeys (see video below) and there are short "shows" during which the monkeys are fed real food, so they come running from every which direction giving visitors a great opportunity to really view them.  We were even treated to a monkey fornication show - not my choice in entertainment, but entertaining nonetheless. 

 

We played in the park at South Beach, the playground at Aventura Mall, and tried to hit Wannado City in Sawgrass.  A very cool concept, Wannado is an indoor "theme park" where kids can be anything they want to be like a fireman, a TV director, a doctor, a chef or an actor, and they actually perform their roles using scaled-down real-life tools.  Kids can ride the fire truck or the ambulance and they even get paid for their jobs.  Keep this in mind though - parents are discouraged from participating so your child should be at least 4 or have older sibs to keep him or her comfortable.  My almost-3 year old wasn't ready for the independence needed to really get into it.

In all, a really fun trip.  Even though my 16 month old didn't sit down the entire trip home, even though American Airlines lost our luggage, even though Mother Nature didn't cooperate until week #2, it was a successful trip.

And now I need a vacation from my vacation.

  

Got Kids? Then Boogie Wipes are for YOU!

  We just returned from vacation.  As is typical, everyone got sick while we were away with colds, coughs, sneezes - the works.  Seems this happens every time we travel, however this time was a bit different.  Before we left, I had received a little shipment of Boogie Wipes, towelettes meant to wipe runny noses, and I had tossed a bunch into my diaper bag figuring they might come in handy while in Florida.

I was right.  Ok, so the name might make you think these mucus wipes are gimmicky, but the truth is, they're terribly handy and incredibly useful.  The wipe itself is a very good-size, not some dinky little wet-nap, and they are moistened with saline in order to help dissolve mucus.  They won't leave your child's nose red and chapped, since Boogie Wipes are formulated with vitamin E, aloe and chamomile and are even lightly scented.  Choose from Fresh Scent, Magic Menthol, or Grape (my personal fave!). 

The truth is I whipped out the Boogie Wipes even before the colds came on.  A pre-flight meal left my toddler's face a mess, and I actually cleaned it with a grape-scented wipe.  Bottom line - this is a great product and it's fun to say.  Obviously, it's mom-invented.  :)

Want to win some?  One lucky reader will receive a package of the Fresh Scent and a package of the Grape, along with a Boogie Mom and Boogie Kid t-shirt.  Simply visit their website and tell us what about this product catches your eye.  For an extra entry, subscribe to The Daily Grind.  A winner will be chosen at midnight on Saturday, February 21st.  Only open to US residents, one entry per person please!