Jumpin-Beans

I am all about saving time... and money. I mean, at the end of the day, I have always heard... "Time IS money." Also, our washer and dryer seem to be on their final days... I love them and will hate when they leave, as they are sentimental to me... (I know, you are thinking a washer and dryer, sentimental? I will blog about that another day!) Anywho ... I have been reading online about these things called Wool Dryer Balls . Now, I am not a genius or anything, but if it says it will cut down on time... and eliminate the need for dryer sheets... I want to try it out! I received the Wool Dryer Balls from The Willow Store . They are said to help your clothes tumble dry... (You know since there are balls in there fluffing them.) It says for best results... use 2 -3 balls. Of course that meant I was using 3!!! Quite honestly, I noticed a very small reduction in drying. Now, it could be because our dryer is about to die... but I do not know. What I have noticed is that the clothes ...

Remember when I posted a couple of Healthy Summer Nutrition Tips from Funky Monkey ? I told you I would be reviewing their snacks... I am SO GLAD that I did! OH MY GOODNESS! I originally wanted to review the Funky Monkey fruit line, as I want to try healthier options for all of us... Now that I tried them, they are going to be a staple in our pantry for me! Yes!!! I will share with everyone else, but these are just so good!!! I love that they come in individual packs. They tell you on each package how many servings of fruit are in each one. The best part... They are not messy! I really, REALLY love that they are individually packed versus big bags, because I know it would be hard to limit myself on these! I love that Broxton likes to eat fruit, but I am not going to hand him a banana to eat in the car. Well, with the Funky Monkey foods, I can! Why? Because they are freeze dried! First off, we tried the Bananamon . (Cinnamon and Banana) Delicious! Then, we tried the Purple Funk. (Bana...

Week Two - Photo Challenge - Refreshing So, this week's photo challenge is Refreshing... Growing up in Georgia... Home of Coca Cola... Nothing beats a coke!!!!!

We all know that this house is one that loves to eat and drink. Luckily for us, Broxton loves a bit of everything. Ha! The other day, we were at a BBQ and Broxton took it upon himself to try and eat all the cherry tomatoes that they had out. Yeah, he almost succeeded... But then it turned into others eating with him and everyone laughing... Anyways, we were sent a new treat for Broxton to try out. Go Go Squeez applesauce. We were sent the apple apple and the apple strawberry. Hard to decide which is liked more... We also can not decide WHO likes it more! I love it and Broxton can not seem to get enough. He immediately wanted to try it when it first arrived. The other day, I was packing a cooler to take to the pool. We were only going to be gone for a little bit, but it is just too hot to not go with drinks! Well, as I am packing the cooler with waters and juice.. Broxton throws in 2 GoGo Squeez ! He said he needed one and we needed to take one for "baby porter!" Well, ...

With everyone planning vacations, I just thought I would share this with you... I hope that NONE of us ever have to experience this fear... I’m Lost! How to Prevent and Handle a Lost Child Situation By: Keith Kepler A lost child is a parent’s worst nightmare. And, as families plan to spend more time outdoors, on vacation and in busy public places this summer, it is important to be prepared. A survey of parents by the Center to Prevent Lost Children showed that 90 percent of families will experience losing a child in a public place at least once, and 20 percent said it has happened more than once. The United States Department of Justice reports that more than 300,000 children become temporarily lost for at least one hour, but the good news is that a majority of those children are quickly found and not harmed. It is important to try to prevent a child from getting lost but even more important that the child knows what to do if they do get lost. Preparing yourself and a child can make thi...

It is FRIDAY!!! Time to link up with Kailani ... And then relax and enjoy... It is the WEEKEND!!!!!! Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. My question this week: Have you ever donated your hair to LOCKS OF LOVE or WIGS FOR KIDS? My answer: I have donated to Locks of Love two times... I actually have a ponytail now that I need to mail... and I am getting ready to cut it all off again... My hair is just toooooo thick and it makes me way to hot to keep long... Besides, if a child can use it, why cut it and throw it away?!

Yet another email I thought would be nice to share... I promise, I will not post every single email that comes my way, but for some of these, I will... I mean, it could save the life... Of a loved one to either one of us! Because 1 person’s donation can save up to 3 lives Who: All Americans eligible to donate blood What: Tuesday, June 14 th is World Blood Donor Day-- an opportunity to donate blood and receive limited edition give bandages from Nexcare to help you show off your commitment to the cause. Your readers can go to www.nexcaregive.com to sign up to receive free samples of the limited edition 2011 Nexcare give bandages Where : The America’s Blood Center and American Red Cross affiliates located in your community. Please contact us for specific location details When : Tuesday, June 14 – Sunday, June 19 Why: Because 1 person’s donation can save up to 3 lives! Less than 10% of Americans donate blood each year, but if just 1% more donated, the national blood shorta...

When Marc was deployed, I tried to send him care packages full of anything and everything to let him know he was loved and missed... I wish I would have known about Gourmet Gift Baskets Care Packages back then! Today, I do know about them and I want to share with you! Gourmet Gift Baskets has every type of gift basket that you can think of! We have reviewed for them before and they did not disappoint this time either! This time around, I chose to review the Sports Enthusiast Care Package . Why? Well, with Fathers Day right around the corner, what better gift to send to your loved one? If they are home, they would love to receive a package of goodies that is all for them! Much better than a tie they shove into the closet... But then, we need to remember that there are still so many loved ones that are deployed and in harms way. If you have a deployed love one, why not send something like this to them? The sports enthusiast has a little bit of everything to satisfy each and every cravi...

I have never been a fan of feet... You can ask people that know me... I can not stand them, please keep them away from me! But, there is something about the feet of a baby. I love them, the cute little toes... The little feet that have yet to travel this crazy world... You get where I am going. Most of all, I love Broxton's feet! Although he is not technically a "Baby" anymore... He will always be MY BABY! I always crack up when Broxton grabs a pair of my socks... I used to wear the funky designed socks most of the time, so I still have some... Broxton will come in and hand me a pair asking to wear them. How can I say no? I don't... He wears them and I laugh... I was so happy to hear about kidssocks .com They not only have cute and fun socks... They also have plain white socks for when we are in shorts and tennis shoes... Kidssocks has such a wide variety that they are sure to capture just what you are looking for! If you are looking for cute socks for your little...

Just a couple pictures I enjoy... They make me smile... Broxton picked the flower for me!!!!

I know school is out, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop preparing for next year... Also with so many people planning day trips, vacations and everything else under the sun... Why not pack nice and refreshing lunches for those occasions? The BrightBin - The New Generation Lunchbox is just what we all need! Think of the minimum amount of room being taken up, while keeping your food fresh and ready to eat!!! This is just the coolest and cutest thing! It is a small lunchbox that is ready to go! It is all in one, but it has two different levels/sides. One one side, you have the area for your sandwich... (See the above photo with the red lunchbox.) Then, there is a small plastic divider type that latches and under that is the other compartment. Perfect for storing chips, fruit, veggies or whatever snack makes you happy! (See the above photo with the blue lunchbox.) The great thing about it is that it is all together, meaning no worries about losing any parts to it! It is even ...

Having the boys here, we watch plenty of movies... When the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid came out, I watched it... and thought it was cute! Then, when the boys came to visit, we watched it as well. As soon as I saw that I could review Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Roderick Rules, I immediately said YES! I knew that the boys would enjoy it, so why pass it up? Now, the boys are not here yet... But that did not stop me from watching it! Of course, it is in typical boy humor... and this does not disappoint! Poor Greg, you know... The middle brother. His younger brother seems to get away with everything and his older brother spends his time trying to torture Greg in every way possible. Diary of a Wimpy Kid has Greg going into 7 Th grade... and dealing with a crush, a new girl named Holly! Between Rowley's magic act and Roderick being, well, Roderick... Is Holly going to notice Greg? Can Roderick actually be a nice big brother and give advice, or be the mean torturous one and make life even mor...

My grandmother had this beautiful corner TV stand in her living room. It was there for as long as I could remember... When she moved into her apartment, she did not take it with her. I asked my mom if I might be able to get that from her, as it was something that I would always remember her by. Then, we got to thinking about it. It was for the corner, I have our TV on the main wall and I would hate to think that I got this from her and would never have anywhere to put it. So, I ended up not worrying about it and she sold it in an Estate Sale. After that, I found out that she had it custom built all those years ago. Granted, I would have loved to have had it, but as I said... We have our TV on the main wall... Top it all off, Marc REALLY wants to get a flat screen TV and I know that means mounting it on the wall, so a corner TV stand would really be useless then! We have this basic TV stand that I bought umpteen years ago... Hey, I even put it together myself, pretty proud accomplishm...

I have to admit something to you... I LOVE infomercials! Good thing we are not rich, or we would own everything I see! They all look like they are JUST THE ITEM that we HAVE TO HAVE. Luckily for Marc, I do not order them... But watch them? YES I DO! Back when I worked in the sports bar, we would have the TV on in the morning before we opened, that meant INFOMERCIALS. A friend and I would watch and talk about how we really needed this... Oh, but then again, we really needed that... On and on and on... I knew that I saw some sort of air thing for the car... You know, so that after it was parked all day, you could actually get in and not fall over from a heat stroke... That thing! Once I became a mom, I knew we would need to figure out what it was, I did not want Broxton suffering in the heat of a hot car seat! Well, I looked and looked, but could not remember what it was called. Then, I remembered, it was one of those As Seen On TV items that I was addicted to! It is called Auto Cool!...

It seems like every month... or week is dedicated to something... This week, it is National Tire Safety Week. (June 5-11, 2011) I received an email with a few tips... Now, I don't know about you, but I can always use pointers! That being said... I just wanted to share the email with you... Hey, with everyone planning vacations and day trips... This is good information to know! This National Tire Safety Week (June 5-11, 2011) tire expert and Michelin subjective test driver, Sarah K. Robinson can share her tips for tire safety. She can explain some of the simplest steps you can take to ensure you have a smooth, and most importantly safe, ride this summer travel season including: Check you tire pressure – Check your tire pressure at least once a month and before and after a long trip. Tires can lose 1-2 psi per month. Examine your treads – Always make sure your tires have at least 2/32” of tread depth (the penny trick). Examine the wear patterns; the wear patterns can tell you whet...

Are you planning a Father's Day Meal? If you remember, I have two giveaways going on right now from the Real Food Moms . Simple Foods For Busy Moms and Best Food for your Baby and Toddler Well, I just wanted to share with you a couple recipes from them that might help with your Father's Day planning... ******************** Strawberry-Peach Smoothie : Ingredients: o 1 cup Peaches, Frozen sliced unsweetened o 1 cup, unthawed Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened o 1/2 cup(s) 8 oz Greek 0% Yogurt o 1 1/2 cup(s) Almond Milk Original, rice milk or organic skim milk (preferably organic grass-fed o 2 tbsp ground Flax Seeds (sprouted) (Optional)- High in Omega 3s, good for digestion o 2 teaspoon Honey o Cinnamon sprinkle (Optional) o Whey Protein 1-2 tbsp (Optional)- Brain power, curbs appetite Directions: Gather all ingredients Place in high speed blender Mix for 1-2 minu...