Family * Travel * Food

Meet Puppy

Little William has a best friend named Puppy. Puppy is.... a puppy. He got Puppy when he was a newborn from our neighbor. Of course Will had no interest in toys or stuffed animals for quite some time. About 6 months ago he really started to to show an interest in wanting to play with Puppy. Now Puppy gets included with all of his day-to-day activities. He travels in the car, he goes to the playground, he goes to the store and even into the bathroom.
 Yep, Puppy had been EVERYWHERE! Puppy became so filthy it wasn't even right. Every time I asked Will if I could give Puppy a bath he would say "Um, no thanks". He does not like parting with Puppy for any reason. Of course I was getting tired of seeing a blue puppy turn gray.
I had to be sneaky and throw Puppy in the washing machine when Will was watching Caillou. Of course he noticed that Puppy was missing after about 5 minutes. He searched high and low and called for Puppy throughout the house. It was so cute and funny at the same time. After about an hour I was able to reunite the two of them. I told Will to smell Puppy and he was all smiles :)
Is your little one attached to a particular toy or item?
Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Being like dad

Every time Dwayne is around William tends to want to hang around him and in some cases imitate his daddy. This can be a great thing and other times... it can be a very bad thing! Thankfully the good outweighs the bad and Will gets to learn a lot of things from his dad. Dwayne has taught him how to cast a line out in the water, catch a fish, take out the trash, throw a football and so many other neat things. I love when he sees his dad reading and wants to do the same. When I see the two of them together I realize how important a father's role is most especially for boys. After all, a boy can only learn how to be a man from a man.
Now some days Will takes his manliness too far. Yesterday I caught him pulling the cushions off the couch and destroying the family room so I asked him why he was doing that. He responds with "Go back in the kitchen and wash the dishes!" I tell you what, he is lucky he is so adorable or else.... Now you know Dwayne was proud and pulled the old "That's my boy!" Men!!!

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Go Dwayne!!


I just had to share that Dwayne won some trophies in a recent Toastmasters speaking contest that was held locally. He took home 2nd place for Humorous Speaking Contest & 2nd place in Evaluation Contest Division D. He also won 2 first place trophies in the same categories last week! He has made it to the finals that will be held in Charleston, South Carolina next month. My hubby certainly has the gift of gab! We are all so proud of him!! :-)
Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Raising teen girls

I was having a phone conversation with a good friend the other day and the main topic of discussion was raising teenagers. Having 2 teenage girls at one time has been quite interesting to say the least. Lucky for them I remember very well what it was like to be a teenage girl. I would never want to go back to those years! So far so good with my girls though. They do go through all the emotional stuff and you watch their eating habits flip flop regularly. It is funny how when you are a teenager you think even the littlest thing is the BIGGEST thing in the world. It's as if life is going to end as you know it. I have to constantly remind them that obviously life goes on (I'm still alive and kicking!) They will look back at their teenage years many years from now and wonder why they were so worried over the most insignificant things. History truly repeats itself doesn't it? Some days I feel like choking them but most days I am beyond grateful to have such extraordinary girls! I often wonder what it will be like when William is a teenager. Then again, I can wait! Just let me get through the next few years...
Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

When confusion strikes...

Move your furniture around! It is amazing how well changing things up can improve your focus. I have been having a hard time staying asleep in recent weeks. I know that my mind races but normally it shuts off enough for me to get a solid 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. We took time over the weekend to do some small house projects as well as replace air conditioning filters, floor vent filters and light bulbs. I even dusted and vacuumed the nooks and crannies that you don't get to all the time. I think it helped because my sleep was ah-maaaayzing! I feel so rested and refreshed. Let's see if it carries on for the rest of the week!

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Hey mom, what's for dinner?

This has become a question that I cringe when I hear it. I am going through a loss of creativity when it comes to cooking dinner in recent weeks. The teenagers go through phases of where they eat like models and then other times that they eat like football players. This can mean that either I cook and the food wastes or they want to eat everything other than what I cooked. I ask my husband every time I go to the store~ "Do you want anything?" The answer is almost always the same... "No".  When I ask the family for suggestions on what I should cook it seems like no one can come up with anything realistic. We all get tired of chicken, fish, shrimp.... One wants pasta and the rest feel ill at the thought of pasta. I myself love vegetables...all kinds. The rest of the family doesn't always care for what I like. What to do?? *DEEP SIGH* I need some new ideas of what to make because I am fresh out. I see why so many people eat out. I know I can't be the only one that feels this way...

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Moon Dough Review

We received the Moon Dough Breakfast Kit for ages 3 and up to check out. I have heard of Moon Dough before but this was my first time getting to play around with it hands on. The kit came with 2 colors of Moon Dough (pink and yellow). Moon Dough is a "magical modeling dough" that never dries out, is hypo-allergenic and wheat-free. It has such a cool texture and is really quite addicting to play with! The kit included some push & pop tools that you can use to mold your Moon Dough in breakfast shaped items like waffles, pancakes and bread. Seriously, I am thinking about keeping the pink Moon Dough next to my computer to play with when I need some stress relief!
William really had fun with this! He enjoyed pressing the Moon Dough out as well as breaking it up in smaller pieces.
We thought the play mat that was attached to the packaging was a neat thing. William made a cute little breakfast!
Moon Dough has improved their modeling dough making it less crumbly... meaning less mess! That is a big plus for me! I will however suggest that you keep a close eye on younger children while playing with it. Don't ask :)  Learn more about  Moon Dough products on the web and stay connected on Facebook & Twitter.

I received a product sample for review purposes and received no compensation. All opinions are 100% mine as always.

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Big Boys pee standing up. Yep.

If you are a regular reader you would know that I have been trying hard with my boy to get him potty trained. It has been hell quite a journey to say the least. We are not fully there but we are making progress. It seems like out of the blue William has figured out when he has to go to the potty. Dwayne has been working with him standing up to pee like a "big boy".


Apparently this has worked in helping him to want to go voluntarily. He is very fascinated by seeing and hearing what is going on when he goes to the big toilet. Now he says that he wants to go to the white potty and not the frog potty. Hearing the words "I need to pee pee" makes me a very happy mom! Now if only we can get him to do the rest of his business in the potty we will be straight!
Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Boys like fast cars!

We received this very cool Ferrari 458 Italia remote control car in red (Will's favorite color) from a great toy store called TrendTimes.com. The minute I put the batteries in and handed it over to my husband and son they were completely sucked in. It was amazing how fast that tiny car (7 inches) could go! Although William is a bit young for a remote control car, it did not stop him from enjoying himself. Even our dog got in on the action!


I was happy that the car came with the batteries in the box. This makes it a great gift idea since it would be ready to go! I also discovered that this car is very durable to be so small. Let's just say that it can withstand a 3 year old and I will leave it at that!! It also comes in a bigger size.

The bad part? I get nagged all day by the kiddo to "play race car"! I know William will get many hours of fun from his new car. I won't even get started on how much fun the husband had ;-)

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Natural IS Better!

I have been slowly incorporating a lot more natural and organic products in my household including everything from food items to cleaning supplies. I was sent a bottle of Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Cleanser from Sibu Beauty to test out. Check out what Sea Buckthorn is here.  I have been using it for about 5 days/nights now. All I can say is WOW! I can't believe how noticeably radiant and smooth my skin is.
The texture of the cleanser reminds me of a gel-like honey with a little sugar scrub in it. It does not lather up like traditional facial cleansers but it sure does remove every bit of my make-up! I keep touching my face all day long and even my husband has noticed how beautiful my skin looks and feels. He wants to start using the facial cleanser as well. I told him he better get his OWN bottle! I need to order the moisturizer to go with it since my skin is normally a bit on the dry side. To learn more about this product check out the site as well as the Facebook and Twitter pages.

Do you use any natural beauty products?
Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Denim Done Right

 I wanted to pass along some great information:

Shopping for jeans that fit perfectly can be frustrating. Before you head to the dressing room yet again, follow these guidelines from Senior Designer for Jockey Person to Person, Sunil Ramchandani to help you find your perfect denim (without all the bells and whistles.)

1. Fabric: A poly cotton blend will help retain the shape and color much longer. Hand washing will allow the material to last much longer as well. A mid weight, 8 to 11 ounces per yard, will be perfect for year round wear.

2. Fit: The waist should have enough room to fit one finger in between the pants and yourself and the denim must be fitted through the thigh and knee. The rise should be 1” below your belly button but no more than 3”.

3. Length: If you are wearing flats, your jeans should touch the floor. With heels, the pant leg should be ¼” above the floor on your back heel. Make sure to have separate pairs to wear with heels and flats.

4. Leg Shapes and Body Types: Bootlegs work best on Pear and Hourglass body shapes. Straight legs work best on Apple and Pencil body shapes. Wide legs work best on Strawberry shapes.

5. Camouflage Your Flaws: If you have a slight belly, you should go for a stretch fit and wear it with longer length, un-tucked boots. If you have a large bottom, go for a slightly lower rise with simple back pockets. Big Hips, the boot cut is your friend as it will help rebalance your figure.

Be sure to check out the Jockey Person to Person denim collection and remember you have to feel good in your own skin in order to look great in a good pair of jeans! Jockey Person to Person® is one of North America’s premier direct sales companies offering extraordinary women’s apparel and accessories, created for today’s on-the-go woman. To find out more, visit JockeyPersontoPerson.com 

SHARE:

Wordless Wednesday


Homemade Cheddar & Potato Soup



Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Interesting...

This morning I had an appointment for my annual pap... fun times for women all over the world I tell ya!  Well my doctor informed me of a change that was made in regards to getting one done each year. She said that as long as you have never had abnormal results over the years that you only have to get it done once every 3 years. I was like Whaaaattt??? I dared not argue about that one. She also mentioned that it is no longer recommended for any females under 21 years old to have one even if they are sexually active. I don't know how long this has been in effect for but I will take it! Not having to get scraped and brushed for 2 years in between works for me. My doctor did mention that you can still get one done annually if you want to.

Have you heard about this? What are your thoughts?

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:

Living, Laughing, Enjoying

I realized that I have barely been posting anything personal here on Momfiles. I have been busy taking care of my family and taking time for the little things. The girls have birthdays coming up this month and we have been very focused on them. Teenagers require so much! I always used to hear when the girls were just born that I should enjoy them while they are young. I did not really get the full understanding of what that meant until they got around 10 and 12. Having little William has given me another opportunity to take even more time to enjoy every single moment.
Every time that William makes me want to yank my hair out I stop and smile. I realize that he won't be 3 for too much longer and I have learned to find something good out of what might have been a bit naughty. He is thriving with his language and still lagging behind with the potty training thing. I have chosen to not stress out over it. I just know that one day he will be his sister's age and I will enjoy all the littlest things NOW. Having babies when you are older really makes you look at things from a much different perspective!

So what has everyone been up to lately?

Shelly, Mom Files
SHARE:
Blogger Template Created For Mom Files All Rights Reserved