Guest Post: Sisterly Support?

Sisterly Support?

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays

My sister is the sweetest girl in the world but she has possible the worst time management capabilities of any human being I’ve ever met. I love her to death, don’t get me wrong, but I really, really wish she would just sit down one day and try and learn all the things she should know by this point in her life. We fight a lot about it because I’m super responsible and it’s realy frustrating for me when she’s all willy nilly – people like me always seem to pick up the slack for her so she never really feels like anything’s out of her control.

ANYWAY, off my soapbox, she bought her first house which I am REALLY proud of her for because it’s step in the mature adult direction. I’ve been helping her with paint colors and finding out electricity companies in dallas she should call to see about her utilities and even went to the post office for her to find out about forwarding her mail. I love my sister to death but sometimes I feel like if I didn’t do these things for her, they’d never get done. Who wants that? My mom and dad have their hands full with the twins (they were a surprise and are now 3!) so I don’t really expect them to teach my sister anything new. She’s 27 years old, afterall, so it’s time for her to start taking responsibility for the things she doesn’t know and learning what she needs. I never would have told you I wanted to be a mom until she has gotten older. Now taking care of her life makes me think I can’t wait to have kids of my own who I can help and nurture until they become better people. My sister is a wonderful person she just needs a little kick in the pants sometimes when it comes to doing things the right way from the get go. But honestly, don’t we all?

Tis' the Season for Illnesses

Tis' The Season For Illnesses

The cold and flu season is upon us.  It seems like every where we go be it family gatherings, school, and work we are surrounded by people with some sort of illness.

My full time job is in the human resources field.  I manage the benefits and leaves for a large company.  Handling medical leaves day in and day out, I see many illnesses both short term and long term.  Some cases where I know that the employee or their family member will be good as new soon and some where the illness is much more serious and there is no cure.

These cases make me wonder what I can do to help.  In my job, one of the only things I feel I can do is be supportive and help them with benefit questions and issues.  If I were a doctor or scientist , I would hope that I was smart enough to help sick people or even create a cure for an illness. Another way the average Joe (like me) can help is to fund clinical trials and medical research projects through cureLauncher.   

I had a grandmother that passed many many years ago of cancer.  I know that illnesses like cancer are complex but there have been a few big breaks in the search for the cure.  I have no doubt that there are great scientists available to work on cures so why is there still is no good cure for cancer.  I suppose the easiest answers would be time and funding. 

Mom's Help

Mom's Help

Thanks for the post from Sylvester Campbell

My mom is the best person I know. She’s brave, strong and she always has the best advice which are just a few of the reasons I love her. She was so helpful over the past year when I was buying my first house and it was all at the same time she was battling cancer. She’s had breast cancer twice, actually, and now she’s in remission and I couldn’t be happier. Mom knows about things like who to talk to when I need to get my water meter recalibrated and how to go to ElectricityCompaniesinDallas.com when I needed to find a better rate on my electricity. Mom’s my best friend and when she got sick I was so unprepared for the flood of emotions it would bring on. It was like I went from an all-time high (I had just graduated from college at the time) to the worst day of my life all within a couple of weeks…who knew? And the funny thing is that this time around the day she went back to the doctor to find out her cancer was in remission was the exact same day I closed on my house. I totally believe in fate and karma, I can tell you that! Mom’s really excited for me to get settled into my new place and it’s her support I cherish most of all. Though I do have to say, the way she knows about so MANY different things is really useful, too. It’s like having a life coach and real estate agent rolled into one without having to pay for it, you know what I mean? My mother is my best friend in the world and when she’s healthy and happy, I’m healthy and happy. I’m an only child which is part of the reason we’re so close but mostly I just think it’s because my mom raised me to be the kind of woman she is, too.

We Have Moved!

We Have Moved to Wordpress

Please visit us at our new home: http://over30mommy.com

I have known for sometime now that I would have to make make the decision to stay with Blogger or move to a self hosted Wordpress blog.  I actually made it one of my New Years Resolutions for 2011 but hesitated and chickened out every time I got ready to make the change.  Better late than never, right?

Last week I decided that I was ready and I finally bit the proverbial bullet and made the switch to my very own blog.  Thanks to the assistance of Jodi at Freetail Therapy, (she will probably regret ever contacting me as I have already sent her a dozen or so messages freaking out!) I made the move over the weekend.

I enjoyed my time on Blogger, having experienced no problems with their service but personally felt that I needed to move out on my own to be taken more seriously as a blogger (even if only by myself).

I hope that none of my regular readers and subscribers were lost in the transition but if you were I truly apologize.  Please come visit us at our new home http://over30mommy.com and subscribe again if I lost you, we have some big things coming in the next few months that I would hate for you to miss!

Thank you for making us who we are and we look forward to growing with you in the future.

Starting a New Business

Starting A New Business

When you become a new mom, you find ways to simplify your life and get creative in how you use things.  Some moms even come up with ingenious ideas for new products that make other moms say "Why Didn't I think of that"

I had one of those great ideas about a year and a half ago while playing stay at home mom. I thought it would be a fantastic way to work and still get to stay home with my little one so I started the process of developing a business.  I created product templates, made some prototypes to iron out the kinks, I purchased supplies and started making inventory.  I got my license and registered my business with the state but then got stalled when it came to figuring out  how to sell online. 

I bought my domain name and set up a hosting account but since I was just trying to get the business started, I did not have the money to pay to have an e-commerce site set up.  I attempted to figure it out on my own and spent countless hours struggling and getting no where.  I finally gave up, put the entire business on the back burner and ended up going back to work outside the home.

I still want to make the business work and recently found an interesting site that takes care of all the online e-commerce site set up for you.  For a low monthly fee and small transaction percentage you can get a free site template and start selling your products in no time at all.  They even let you try it free for 4 weeks to get a feel for it. 

Once I build my inventory to an acceptable level, I will be checking out this great option.  No more frustration with trying to figure out HTML coding or whatever they call that programming stuff.!

Fall Fashions with Carter's Watch the Wear Review and Giveaway

Fall Fashions with Carter's Watch the Wear

 

My daughter is not only an only child but one of only 3 girls from all the children that both my husband's and my siblings have had and the other 2 at 17 and 18 so needless to say she is a bit spoiled in the clothing, shoe and accessory departments.  She has a large closet that is bursting with shorts and dresses and a full size dresser that is packed full of pants, shorts and skirts but for some reason she never seems to have enough outfits.

Carter's has been a household name for over 150 years and could be found in stores across the country.   They are now moving to the online shopping world with their children’s clothing and Carter’s Watch the Wear.  

My daughter is very opinionated when it comes to clothing so we sat together to look at the new fall line of clothing Carter's Watch the Wear.  I showed her the adorable legging sets and she said, "those are cute" but when she saw the boy hoodie and denim sets  she said "those are awesome".  I knew right there that there would be no swaying her from an "awesome" hoodie that was just like one her cousin has (she loves those boy cousins "her boys" as she calls them).

When it came time for ordering, we had to get the Hoodie and Denim set in Heather Grey but I was also able to pin her down on an adorable "cute" Wild Lime Stripe Top Legging Set.

She wanted to start wearing them right away when they arrived but we were (up until this week) still having great summer like weather and it was just too warm for long sleeves and pants.  She asked every day to watch the weather report to see if it would be sunny so that she could wear one of her new "school outfits". 

Last week we had a day that wasn't in the 80' and she insisted that she was able to wear the hoodie and denim set.  We put on a short sleeved shirt under the hoodie for when the afternoon sun came out.  After getting dressed, she ran around the house saying "I look like my cousins, but with long hair".  Sometimes that girl says the funniest things.

  She was beyond excited this morning when I told her it was going to be chilly and cloudy all day, I was a little confused as she loves playing in the sun. As I was preparing lunches for my husband and I to take to work she disappeared out of the living room.  I could hear her in her bedroom but had no idea what she was up to.  A few minutes later she came running out exclaiming, "I am wearing this today, is that alright" and there she stood fully dressed in her stripe top and leggings.  After getting my approval (which I am sure she did not really care if I gave to her) she requested assistance with the buttons on the back.  She went on and on about her favorite features, the pockets and the sparkles.  She thought the rhinestones around the neck area were the best, exclaiming "look, it is like I am wearing a necklace but I'm not" "that is so cool".

The quality of product we received from the Carter's Watch the Wear clothing was exactly what I expected from the Carter's brand.  The material used are both durable and comfortable.  The seems appear to be sewn with extra care to stand up to even the toughest of kids, which is a plus as she is rough on her clothing and enjoys playing in the dirt as much as playing with a doll.


Carter;s Watch the Wear clothing is also extremely affordable, the outfits we selected are only $12.99 and $10.99.  They have top and bottom sets as low as $8.99 for infants and $10.99 for toddlers, you will be hard pressed to find outfits of this quality for these prices from other brands.  They even still have some summer steals on their site, so hurry over for cute summer clothing to save for next year or winter family vacations to sunny destinations.


I’m excited to announce that I get to give 2 Over Thirty Mommy readers each a $25 gift card to use at Carter’s Watch the Wear!  Simply enter the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win. Contest ends 9:01PM PST October 6, 2012

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY, Please visit us at our new home: http://over30mommy.com/fall-fashions-with-carters-watch-the-wear/

 
**Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Other people may have different experiences with the products.**  

Monkeying around with Liberty Bottleworks

Monkeying around with Liberty Bottleworks

We are big on reusable bottles around our house.  We make our own soda and do not drink bottled water so that we are not contributing to the landfills.  We moved metal water bottles while I was pregnant and learned about all the bad effects of BPA, contained in many plastic bottles. 

Then, just when I thought I was doing the best thing for my family, out came information that some metal bottles can leach BPA. Apparently aluminum water bottles with an epoxy-resin lining may include BPA.  BPA can leach from the lining and hot water increases leaching from these epoxy resin-lined aluminum bottles. The best way to tell if your aluminum bottle has a lining possibly containing BPA is to look inside the bottle for a gold-orange lining.

With this new information, I was now on the hunt for replacement bottles again.  This search lead me to Liberty Bottleworks.

 Liberty Bottleworks, founded in 2010, was created out of the belief that the best products are made in America by American workers.  Liberty Bottleworks makes the industry’s only completely BPA-free metal water bottle from 100 percent recycled aluminum.

 

Their bottles are dishwasher safe  and lined with a flexible coating that does not leach.  Liberty Bottleworks uses a patent pending 1/4 turn on/off design top.  Along with these great features, the bottles feature \ one-of-kind art commissioned from artists across the country.  

While I found the 1/4 turn lid to be easy to use, it was a bit tougher for my 3 year old to manage, the new Liberty Bottleworks Sport Cap should fix that problem easily (and is now standard on Kid bottles) , and it is made in the USA to boot!  My daughter is loving her No Evil bottle and calls it hew monkey banana bottle.  The designs are fun, they have something for everyone (even some plain solid colors).  I love the Abigail design, they have some interesting Topo and map image bottles that my husband would appreciate and you can even make up custom bottles with company logos and images. 

This past July, Liberty Bottleworks held a Back to School Art Contest where students ages 5-13 submitted designs for a chance for their work to be featured on a limited edition Liberty bottle.  This year's winner was Klay Koler, age 6, from the Yakima Children's Village.  Liberty Bottleworks will donate $7 of each winning design bottle purchased to his school's art program.

**Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Other people may have different experiences with the products.**  

2012 Halloween Costume: Pink Power Ranger to the Rescue

2012 Halloween Costume: Pink Power Ranger to the Rescue

One time many months ago my daughter watched one episode of Power Rangers with her cousins (who she adored) and ever since then has talked non stop about how she loves Power Rangers and how she is the pink Power Ranger.

We were recently browsing Costume Discounters looking at their selection of costumes brand new for 2012 Halloween, I tried to guide her towards a new princess dress (Rapunzel or Merida from Brave) to add to her collection but the moment she saw the Pink Power Ranger she wouldn't look at anything else and was determined that was her costume for this year.
  
When the package arrived, the day after labor day, she was beyond excited and had that costume out of the box (giving me instructions to open it) and was stripped down to her undies in about 3 seconds (faster than I could get it unwrapped).  The exterior box was a bit squashed, I spoke with the UPS guy that delivered it (at almost 8:00 at night) and he said they were slammed from the holiday so I figured it ended up on the bottom of the stack. 

Even with the damage to the packaging, the costume and sword were in great condition but the mask was dented and cracked on one side.  The mask was still usable and I doubted that my three year old will keep it on very long anyway so I was not too concerned. 

She jumped and hopped around the house for hours, saying things like HI-YA and KA-CHOW, swinging her sword around, kicking and punching imaginary Nylock monsters.  Her daddy was out of town visiting his parents at the time so She HAD to wear it when we skyped with him, grandma and grandpa M, and uncle George later that evening.  She waited with costume and mask on until the video went live and then ran up to the computer shouting, "Guess Who is in here?"  She wanted to wear the costume to bed but after much pleading, she relented to only wearing it during awake time.

We ordered a size small (4-6X) knowing that it would be a little big but it would have room to grow and she would get plenty of use out of it.  She is pretty tall for her age but as you can see in the photo above, she has plenty of room to grow taller and still be able to wear it.  The mask, like I figured, only stays on for a few minutes before being put on top of her head or cast aside so she has better viewing capabilities.  The costume allows for extra clothing to be worn under it so that your little Ranger stays warm while out trick-or-treating (a plus for the Pacific northwest!).  It is made of durable Polyester (hand wash only) and has Velcro closure up the back for easy on and off needs.  The Power Ranger Samurai Sword (not included with costume) is the perfect accessory for completing the costume.  It is made from High-density polyethylene (HDPE) (think Nerf type material) so it does not hurt as much when your little Power Ranger goes into Super Samurai mode and mistakes you for the evil Master Xandred.

**Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Other people may have different experiences with the products.**  

Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair Review and Giveaway

Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair 

 Being of the female gender you would think that I would some ability to style hair but I was apparently not given that gift.  Growing up I always (with the exception of a brief period in the second grade)  wore my hair shoulder length or longer but 95% of the time, it had it tightly secured in a basic pony tail.  I was not one to spend extra time on my hair when I could spend it sleeping and being in multiple sports, it was just easier to tie it back and not think about it.

Now that I am a mother to a little girl, it seems  I am expected to know how to style her hair.  Basically, I have 3 go to styles for her: down, in a pony tail or in pig tails.  That is the extent of my hair styling abilities.  I attempted to braid her pony tail once and while she thought it was cute, I could see that it needed help.

 As she gets older, she is asking for me to do more with her hair.  I need all the help I can get, the Cozy's Complete Guide to Girl's Hair is just what I needed.  I spent some time reading through the first few chapters of the book where it talked about Hair types, tools, accessories and products then my daughter and I sat ans looked at all the pictures of the different styles trying to pick one that she wanted me to try.

After looking through all the pictures many many times, we finally decided on the "The Bow Trio".  She loved it for the bows and I was thrilled that it did not look too difficult.   She loved it and I even thought it turned out pretty cute, that last bow could use some straightening out but she can not keep her head still for more than 5 seconds so this is about as good as it gets. 

I have frizzy hair and with riding my bike to work, I tend to use more hair gel now than I ever have before (except my gymnastics days when you plaster your hair so stiff that it wouldn't move in a tornado).  My little one is becoming more aware of my morning prep routine.  She now wants to wear eye shadow and use hair gel but I am not a huge fan of her putting those chemicals in her hair.  Along with the Cozy's Complete Guide to Girl's Hair,  we also tried the Styling Cream Kooky Kiwi.  It is great for taming those pesky flyaway's and it is free of harsh chemicals.  It also smells amazing! 

With a bit more studying of the Cozy's Complete Guide to Girl's Hair and some practice (O.K. a lot of practice), I might even brave the adorable heart braid that is shown on the front of the guide. 

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY, Please visit us at our new home: http://over30mommy.com/cozys-complete-guide-to-girls-hair-review-and-giveaway/

  **Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Other people may have different experiences with the products.**  

Guest Post: Christmas Gifts for Teenagers

Christmas Gifts for Teenagers

I’ll just whisper this… “Christmas is getting closer”. The countdown continues and for those of you who like to be prepared when it comes to shopping (I am of the school of panic buy around the 21^st of December) here are a few tips for shopping for teenagers.

Choosing presents for teenagers can be tricky and finding something that can engage and interest them is not always easy. Here are a few tips and ideas for gifts (suitable for birthdays too) to browse over and maybe help you plan ahead!

The Science Enthusiast

If the teenager in question shows an interest in science and the natural world then there are a few gift ideas that could help nurture this interest and also get them out and about.

The wonders of the universe lie above our heads and remain a fascinating area for exploration, from NASA to your back garden! A telescope makes a wonderful gift for the budding scientist and amateur astronomer, and provides the necessary magnification to explore the moon, constellations and moving bodies of our night sky.

Telescopes come in a variety of types and the budgets can range dramatically, so I do recommend some planning, research and to get in touch with an online store who will be happy to help you out. Dobsonian telescopes (one of the types – find out more from Wikipedia) make ideal scopes for beginners and their prices reflect this and are a good choice as somebody’s first telescope.

If you know somebody who is already showing a strong interest in astronomy and would like to upgrade their scope then there are a number of options but I think that GoTo telescopes are brilliant advancements in the world of telescopes and great for younger astronomers! GoTo telecopes (some examples here from PicStop) are a form of computerised scopes which through the use of digital technology and computerised mounts can be used to help locate planetary bodies and objects as well as constellations quickly and easily. Costs are a little higher so this needs to be a factor but computerised scopes are great to help focus your time on investigating the night sky rather than hunting down the objects.

The Outdoor Enthusiast

You may struggle to get some teenagers to “unplug” themselves from games consoles or the TV but for those who already love the great outdoors and exploring the countryside there are some great gifts.

If you go camping together or know a camping fan there is a whole world of camping accessories to explore as potential gifts but here are some top gifts:

·         Wind up mobile phone charger

·         Outdoor speakers for a MP3 player – you can even find solar powered speakers which are great for if the sun is shining

·         Multi tool – a great gadget for campers – do carefully assess the age of the person you are buying for and the type of multi tool as some do contain sharp blades

·         Head torch – stop losing your torch by keeping it on your head!!

Camping is great fun, perhaps not ideal for the winter months, but these are gifts that will last and be used over and over again.

The Music Fan

Buying music for somebody can be tricky, unless you have a list of what albums they already own and a good understanding of their tastes you can easily end up buying the wrong album! Instead of wandering around music shops looking for an album you can’t quite be sure they will like here are some of my top ideas:

·         MP3 player accessories – some new headphones can make a great gift, particularly for the fashion conscious teens

·         Music gift card – a gift card (such as an iTunes card or card for a record store) can leave the decision making up to the person you are buying a gift for. This way you can help them get hold of new music but not have to worry about making the tricky decision

·         Band merchandise – there is a whole world of merchandise to explore, from posters and t-shirts to hoodies and accessories such as iPhone cases!

Don’t panic yet about Christmas shopping there is still plenty of time. I hope that you have found a few ideas here to get you started and help find some great gifts for teenagers.

Wordless Wednesday: Camping Cutie

Wordless Wednesday: Camping Cutie

Dirt? this isn't dirt! It's Camp Essence!

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Yoplait Greek 100 - Review/Giveaway

Yoplait Greek 100 - Review/Giveaway

A few months ago I tried Greek yogurt for the first time.  I was afraid to try it at first but found out quickly that I really liked it.  I found Yoplait Greek yogurt to be rich, creamy and oh so tasty.  

Not only is Yoplait Greek yogurt high in protein and lower in carbohydrates but now it is only 100 calories per serving, WELCOME YOPLAIT GREEK 100!

Yoplait Greek 100 is available in six delicious flavors including Strawberry, Black Cherry, Mixed Berry, Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime.   Not only is it only 100 calories per serving, Yoplait Greek 100 is the only Greek yogurt endorsed by Weight Watchers^®.

As part of my review, I had the pleasure of trying the vanilla and black cherry (one of my favorite flavors!) and found them to be full of flavor and a great snack for any time of day.  They can satisfy the mid-afternoon sweet tooth attack and afterwards I do not feel guilty for indulging.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY, Please visit us at our new home: http://over30mommy.com/yoplait-greek-100-reviewgiveaway/

 

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails #SSCheers

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails Review

Summer might be winding down but there is still plenty of time to enjoy some tasty summer beverages and I have the perfect one for you!

I am not a big drinker but when I do indulge, I prefer wine over beer (even though I have family in the beer industry) and I like frozen fruit flavored beverages.  

Rarely do I have all the necessary ingredients to make a tasty concoction.  We are not ice type of people so the ice drawer in the freezer is empty 90% of the time and since ice is a key ingredient in frozen beverages, I usually do not get the chance to have one when I want one.  Another problem with making frozen beverages at home it timing.  I usually wait until the little one is in bed before indulging in an adult beverage and the blender is a bit on the loud side. So even if I did have all the ingredients, I would have to take them to the garage or string an extension cord out to the backyard to blend up a drink and that is just too much of a hassle so I usually give up the whole idea and have water or soda. BORING!!!

All of these dilemmas of enjoying a nice frozen drink when I want one are exactly what drew me to the new Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails.  Simply toss a few in the freezer (approximately 5 hours before you desire one), pull one out when the mood hits you, gently massage and squeeze to pour and enjoy in a glass.  It is that simple! No mixing, measuring or blending required. Best of all there is almost zero cleanup!  Just rinse out your glass and toss the package in the garbage/recycling

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails come in three delicious flavors: Blackberry Merlot, Strawberry White Zinfandel, White Pear Pinot Grigio.  The single 10oz serving packages are perfect for those times you want one drink or after that one drink want to move on and try another flavor!  My personal favorite is the Blackberry Merlot!  I am usually not a red wine drinker but I have a thing for blackberries and Arbor mist did a great job with the flavoring of the wine, black berries and guava for a sweet but not too sweet combination.

What are you waiting for? Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails are available at these retailers in your neighborhood. Run out and get some and toss a few in your freezer today!  You can be enjoying an Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktail in no time.

  You can keep up with the latest product offerings by following Arbor Mist on Twitter. Additionally, SheSpeaks is on Twitter

Disclaimer ~ Over Thirty Mommy received product from SheSpeaks to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% Over Thirty Mommy's.

Decorating Ideas for a Toddler’s Bedroom: Guest Post

Decorating Ideas for a Toddler’s Bedroom

Decorating a toddler’s room is great fun and as kids get older they begin to develop a sense that a bedroom is their room. Below are a few ideas for decorating a new room, I’ve stuck to ideas for the walls – the floor will quickly fill with toys!! I’ve included a mix of ideas, some that you can do yourself and some ideas you buy the products either online or at a local DIY store. Decorating a kid’s bedroom does not need to be a costly affair and I always recommend getting the child involved in the choosing of the theme and designs and the decorating (where it is safe to do so).

Wall Mural

For the artists amongst you a mural on one bedroom wall can provide a great way to show off your art skills and to create a beautiful feature wall. One of the best murals I ever saw painted on a kid’s room wall was a jungle scene. The wall was a colourful mix of jungle animals, brightly coloured birds and a mix of foliage. This theme was then continued throughout the room, creating a wilderness retreat in the bedroom!

If art isn’t your “cup of tea” then you’re in look and you can now buy wall art and murals which you can stick up on the wall to create that feature. With so many designs available you will be able to find one suitable for your child (or children) and they are fairly straight forward to put up; if you can put up wallpaper you’ll be ok with a wall mural. There are plenty of brands out there producing wall murals for a kid’sbedroom but Walltastic is a brand that I have seen plenty of beautiful designs from farmyards to princesses they are colourful and engaging for kids.

 Kid’s Art

I love to make room in a bedroom for a space to hang a child’s artwork; colouring, drawing and crafts are such great activities for kids and being able to hang the end results up in their bedroom is a great way to encourage them to develop their skills and to take pride in what they have created.

With a pad of paper and some colouring pens or a box of craft supplies your kid can create their own Mona Lisa which I’m sure they’ll show off to visitors if you provide a space for their own mini-gallery. For hours of colouring fun you can also buy doodle art postersonline which are larger sized and have a printed design for children to colour. These are really great fun and once finished look great up on the wall.

Height Chart

We all know how quickly a child grows and a height chart is a superb way to track their growth and for the child to see how they are growing. For parents it also acts as a little memento of the development of their child, so many houses have corners, walls and doors marked with little lines and dates that remind them of how little their children once were!

Height charts are super simple, you can either make your own by keeping an area of the wall free from other decorations or you can buy a wall chart online- if you’ve got a jungle theme room like the one above then the giraffe height chart is a classic!! These height charts are often available as stickers so are easy to put up.

Blackboard

My favourite idea for decorating a kid’s bedroom involves picking up some blackboard paint from a DIY store and creating a wall of the room which can act as a doodle area for a child. The great advantage of a blackboard is that the wall can be used for any type of doodles and it can be easily cleaned and the doodling can start all over again! You can make the blackboard area as large as you want so whether it’s a full wall or a smaller defined area it’s great fun and there’s less with chalk than there is with felt tip pens.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and ideas, all you need now is a free weekend, roll up your sleeves and get decorating!

Finding Nemo 3D in Theaters September 14th

Finding Nemo 3D in Theaters September 14th

This past weekend my daughter and I had the great pleasure of being invited to the Portland preview showing of Finding Nemo in 3D.   She was beyond excited, I am not sure if it was because she loves Nemo or if it was because I was taking her to see it at a theater.  It could have also been because I promised her popcorn for breakfast (it was an early movie).

We arrived early for special seating and patiently (as patiently as a 3 year old can wait sitting in a chair) waited the 30+ minuted for the movie to start.  I met my first in person blog friend, Krista from Mostly Mommyhood, and two of her children. 

As the lights dimmer, we donned our 3D glasses (hers were much cooler than mine!) and munched our popcorn in anticipation for the main feature.  We were treated to a spectacular Pixar short Partysaurus Rex, which will play before Finding Nemo 3D in theaters 


Here is a sneak peek video. Too funny!

Now I have seen Nemo a time or two (or a hundred, I lost count) but Nemo 3D is not to be missed.  I am not usually a huge fan of 3D movies, the 3Dglasses do not fit over my regular glasses very well and I can never get my daughter to keep hers on for more than a few minutes but WOW, Nemo 3D was awesome. 

 The images truly appear to be leaping (well swimming) off the screen at you, not in a way that will scare smaller children (a shark will not jump off the screen and eat you) but in a way that leaves you open mouthed in amazement at the brilliance of the difference between the original and the 3D version. Aside from the addition of 3D, enhancements have been made to the clarity and colors of the film, and let me say the colors are spectacular.  

Finding Nemo was originally released in 2003, so most people have seen it, but just in case you have been living in a coral reef for the past 9 years here is a summary

Synopsis:               

Academy Award®-winning film “Finding Nemo” returns to the big screen in thrilling Disney Digital 3D™ for the first time ever. Teeming with memorable comedic characters and heartfelt emotion, this stunning underwater adventure follows the momentous journey of an overprotective clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his young son Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould)––who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef when Nemo is unexpectedly taken far from his ocean home to a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, Marlin embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic effort to rescue his son––who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home.

“Finding Nemo” will be released in Digital 3D™ for a limited theatrical engagement on Sept. 14, 2012, and will be released for the first time ever in high-definition Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 3D™ on Dec. 4, 2012.

Now you can take the fun home with you and your family with these Finding Nemo coloring pages:

or these Finding Nemo activity pages

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I was given the chance to see an advanced screening in order to facilitate my review.

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Submit Your Products

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Submit Your Products

The new school year just started last week but the Holidays will be here before you know it.

Even though they might be a couple months out, now is the ideal time to get your products out in front of the eyes of potential buyers, before they’re ambushed with over the top store displays. 

Over Thirty Mommy is accepting submissions to its third annual holiday gift guide! The Gift Guide will go live in October and remain active through December 15th.

Benefits of featuring your product or service in the Over Thirty Mommy Gift Guide

• featured blog post for your product and link in the gift guide summary.
• A Pinterest pin of our photo of your product under our “Holiday Wish List” board
• At least one Facebook, Google + and Twitter update
• If you choose to also provide a giveaway item to increase exposure, giveaway will be promoted on multiple linkies and databases.

2012 Gift Guide Categories

• Gifts for babies and toddlers
• Gifts for Kids (Ages 5 – 12)
• Gifts for teens
• Gifts for her
• Gifts for him
• Gifts for the whole family
• Gifts for pets
• Unique gifts (for those hard to shop for people that have everything!)
• Stocking stuffers

Basic Guidelines for Submission

• Fill out the form or email over30mommy@gmail.com
• If you are submitting an item for review, there is no fee for inclusion. If you prefer to just have your product featured (no review item sent), the fee is $25 if you provide the copy and $45 if Over Thirty Mommy writes the copy. 
• Although not required, giveaways are recommended to give you maximum exposure and social media follows.
• Minimum value for a review item is $20. If you are applying for the stocking stuffer category, it is acceptable to send multiple items that total up to the $20 minimum. I will talk about all of the items in a single post. Items below the minimum value will be considered on a case-by-case basis, if it is something I feel would benefit my readers and the gift guide.
• Submitting the form does not guarantee inclusion in the gift guide.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are unsure if the item is a good fit for the Over Thirty Mommy Holiday Gift Guide.  It doesn’t hurt to ask and if Over Thirty Mommy is not the right place for your product, I might be able to point you in the direction of a better fit.

We anticipate the Over Thirty Mommy 2012 Holiday Gift Guide to be a huge success and hope that your product, event or service will be included!  please fill out the form below.