Family Movie Time

Movies

Of course, with a growing family we find ourselves staying in a lot! We love Blockbuster Total Access! This online service has provided my husband and I many “date nights” and “family nights.” One feature we love with Blockbuster Total Accessis the ability to either just pop movies back in the mail at no cost or swap movies that you receive in the mail with those in your local store at no charge. Now that is a deal!

If we do go to a movie theater we look for the first showing (which is usually uncrowded) and we also have found a few “mommy and me” cinemas, which sponsor an early morning showing of films for parents and babies or toddlers.

Smart Snacking on the Go

Soon we are going to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend, and many times those long road trips lead to unhealthy eating all day long.  However, recently we revamped our snack strategy for the whole family – no matter where we go.  We take a little time to make sure we are armed with healthy snacks which can be just as convenient. What are mom’s favorite smart snacking ideas? Grapes, carrots, pretzels, laughing cow cheese (which doesn’t need to be refrigerated), cut apples, rice cakes, organic animal crackers, and of course peanut butter & jam sandwiches still work well. We also have found some great “grab and go” drinks and snacks from Horizon, Health Valley and Clif Bar. We tend to buy these items in bulk from Amazon because we can stock up and buy more for less.

May Getaway

For Memorial Day, our family is going to hit the road. Yes, with gas prices so high we thought of staying put, but it has been a long winter and we are ready for a break away. So “mom’s favorite” Memorial Day idea is to head away to see family. Believe it or not, we actually rented a more fuel efficient car from Priceline
because this is probably going to be cheaper than driving our “soccer mom” gas guzzler.

Gifts for Grads

It is that time of year where you keep buying gifts for almost everyone around you. Recently we attended the college graduation of a family friend and wanted to give her something special. Of course, there was always the option of cash, but we feared that the card would be misplaced. So what is mom’s favorite gift for a grad? Well, we opted for two gift cards. We ordered one on-line through Barnes & Noble because they personalized it, which we thought was a nice touch and the other we ordered through Apple iTunes. What is more appropriate for a new grad than books & music?

Children’s Book Week

May 12-May 18 is Children’s Book Week. What a wonderful way to celebrate the gift of reading. For more on Children’s Book Week click here. Kids all over the country have chosen their favorite books including:

For more of mom’s favorite books, loved by my children, click here.

Online Stores

If you haven’t noticed, this mom loves online shopping. In some ways, I never thought I would. I remember a few years ago when there was an advertisement for refrigerators that would keep track of groceries that were running out and then order them online for you. To me, that just took it too far. But honestly, lately our house is akin to “Cuba.” Why? Because we are trying to make what we have last and we try not to replace things at a whim. So why list so many products here? The reason I am always blogging about mom’s favorite products is because when we spend money I want it to go far. I don’t want to keep purchasing diaper bags, children’s toys, clothes, or other products because the fads have changed or because the item I purchased wasn’t up to snuff. That is how I got into online shopping. I started researching the prodcuts before I bought them instead of impulse shopping, I have found that this mom has had a high success rate in making her budget go further for less by having a little patience (big surprise!). So which online stores have mom’s seal of approval?

Of course, the one and only Amazon where you can buy almost everything you need! But also dvd rental companies such as Blockbuster and Netflix. We also now do all our travel booking through Kayak, Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, or Hotwire. We even buy our clothes with discount coupons from Target, Gap or Banana Republic (because you can exchange them or return them in the store). We also started to do a bit of online grocery shopping with Peapod and Amazon. And of course, we now have ordered almost all of our gifts online (where we have found more unique and personalized items through Acorn, PBS, iseeme.com). Not to mention we save on gas, shipping, and time, as most of these retailers ship for free. See my quick links to go directly to these sites.

As always, please share what your favorite online stores are!

Post Mother’s Day Blues?

Moms’ Favorite hopes all you moms out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day! Hopefully, the post Mother’s Day blues aren’t hitting you (even with those dirty diapers, cranky children, and dirty dishes piling up). If they are – a word of advice – continue the spirit of Mother’s Day, by taking a little “time out” for yourself! I love getting lost in books, magazines, cd’s and dvd’s. A recent favorite of many of me and my “mommy friends” are books on cd, so that when there is no time to read, you can still keep your brain active. Personally, I love this 5 star rated non-fiction best seller – Three Cups of Tea:

A Healthy Mom

As summer approaches, so too do those fears of wearing shorts, skirts, and yes, maybe even that dreaded bathing suit. So, how does mom stay healthy, and keep her family healthy too? Check out the “Eat This, Not That” quick reference guide to cut calories in places you didn’t even know existed! All the moms I know are reading this book – and it is teaching us to think differently before we order that latte and muffin in the morning!