Look what was lurking in our backyard...

It rained last night...heavily. It was the first time in 2 weeks. I was so happy for it. I just didn't expect this...

You should have seen how many birds were lined up on the fence and flying down close to the snake. I guess they thought they were going to catch a big worm? I get chills every time I look at this photo.

This cements my dislike of the Summer months. Thank goodness for husbands. I don't know what I would have done without Dwayne! He sent me back in the bedroom and he made it go away. I know I talk a lot of smack about him but today... he is royalty!

Has anyone had any encounters with snakes this Summer?

What’s in Every Mom’s Beach Bag? {Giveaway}

**Contest Closed**
Winner #135 kathy pease

We are in the thick of the summer and most of us are packing up the family and heading for the beach. Of course if you are a mom you pack as if you are going away for the entire summer, especially when you have babies or small children. You plan for those "just in case" moments as well as the usual drinks, snacks and entertainment items. We are going to the beach in a couple weeks and I have already started my checklist. Of course I know I will overdo it as always but hey, a mom must be prepared! Check out some of these products below that are great for throwing into your beach bag (or bags if you are like me!)

USANA Usanimals vitamins: Usanimals comes in fun animal shapes while providing a phytonutrient blend of blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, and wild blueberry fruit flavors. The vitamins contain a comprehensive array of antioxidants, and minerals, in amounts designed especially for active, growing children.

Smart for Life protein bars: Eliminates post-exercise hunger, so you gain muscle not fat. Supports healthy cardiovascular function, helps promote weight loss, boosts metabolism and controls hunger.

Inky Perfume: Used after showering or as a pick-me-up during those hot summer days, these body sprays refresh and revive the senses, with just the right amount of scent. The Tattooed by Inky collection offers 5 distinctive scents for every personality---two men’s, two women’s, and one unisex. Inky is available at Big Lots and Target stores.

Star Rock for Kids CD: A CD of fun and age-appropriate music that is perfectly “in tune” with the whole family, featuring hits from past decades and today. Beyond being a rockin’ CD series sung completely by kids, Star Rock for Kids! Presents an exceptional opportunity for budding singers to show off their talent and realize their dream by becoming a “Star Rock Kid” and appearing on the next CD.

Kids-EEZE Allergy Soft Chews: Kids-EEZE® is a children’s symptom reliever specially formulated to ease the symptoms of hay fever and upper respiratory allergies. The convenient chew form makes dosing easy with no measuring or messes.

BornFree Eco Classic bottle: BornFree leak proof BPA-Free baby bottles come in plastic or glass and feature an innovative venting system designed to promote ActiveFlow™ and help minimize the painful symptoms of colic. After use, the bottles can be returned to BornFree where they will be recycled into other products such as toys and furniture.

Medifast Parmesan Cheese Puffs: Provides just the right balance of fiber and high-quality protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied, plus your daily requirement of 24 vitamins and minerals!
____________________________________

Giveaway:
How would you like to win all of these *items? All you have to do is tell us what top five beach essentials you would pack for baby. Please leave your list of five products in the comment section as your mandatory entry.

If you would like additional entries you can do any or all of the following:

~ Follow Momfiles via Google Friend Connect
~ "like" Momfiles, Medifast, StarRock for Kids, Smart for Life, Kid-EEZE, BornFree, USANA
(each one counts as a separate entry)
~ Follow Momfiles, USANA, BornFree, Medifast, Smart for Life, StarRock for Kids, Kid-EEZE on Twitter (each one counts as a separate entry)
~ Tweet this giveaway (once daily):

Win some great goodies from @momfiles to put in your #beach bag http://tinyurl.com/3wmjhfd #giveaway

Note: Prize quantity or variety may vary from what is pictured.

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on August 3, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST. One winner will will be chosen at random and contacted via email. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post

My girls are gone :-(

I woke up this morning at 4:30 so I could take the girls to meet up with their volleyball teammates to board the bus to Charleston for a 3-day camp. You would not believe the amount of stuff 2 teenage girls carry along for such a short time! I tell you what though, I miss them already. As a matter of fact I started missing them since Monday. William woke up this morning and gave his usual good morning greetings. He then asks to go downstairs so he can see his girls. Yep, he refers to his sisters as "my girls". I told him that they were not home and he got teary eyed. I am sure he will be missing them a whole lot too. I know the girls will have a blast and at least they can get away from the mountains of summer work they have for a few days. The upside to all of this is that we will actually have food in the house for the next few days!

Oh, one last thing...Chardie got her score from her AP European History exam she took in May for college credit. You get scored from 1-5 (5 being the highest) Guess what? My girl got a 5!!!! We are so proud!!!

A lower food bill in the summer?

One of the first things that was on my mind with the end of the school year was feeding the kids and not wanting to spend a fortune. I was really afraid of what I might encounter. Strangely, it has been costing me LESS with the kids being out of school. I didn't think it was possible but I figured out why... When school is in session I always have to be sure that the kids have a variety of quick options for breakfast since we leave the house at 7. This means no time for home-cooked big breakfasts. I buy things like bagels, cinnamon toast, granola bars etc... Both girls took lunch from home as well as extra snacks. I am one of those moms who goes above and beyond to make sure they have quality things to eat. This is where it costs me a whole lot. Yes, school lunch would be cheaper but my kids don't eat it plus I don't want them to. There would also be the numerous times that they stayed after school for sports, activities and projects so I always made sure they had extra snacks and drinks.

Being home makes it so much easier. I can cook a good breakfast and even make ahead items like pancakes, waffles and bacon. Lucky for me my kids can eat just about anything so they tend to have whatever was leftover from last night's dinner for lunch. They drink water ALL day long (not that they don't ever drink anything else).

I think I am spending about $30-$50 less per week in food. Not bad huh? I really did not think it was possible! Perhaps since they are so busy they are not thinking about eating as much.

Has you food budget changed with school being out?

Yep, I'm the mean mom

Today marks the first official day of Summer break for the girls. Most of the nicer parents let their kids sleep in as late as they would like. Not this mean mom. I expect both teens to be up no later than 9 AM. I remember the days when Dwayne and I were first married (even right before) when his grandmother was still alive. She would start knocking pots and pans around and also turn up the volume on the TV to wake us up. I will never forget how each and every day she would tell us that young people have no business staying in the bed late. That made no sense to me at the time. She would express how important it was for us to do something, be productive. After all, we were young, healthy and energetic. Why waste it sleeping until noon? I think from listening to her tell us these things for 2 years that it somehow got stuck in my brain. I have the same feelings about young people getting up and getting out early. My kids tell me all the time how their friends get up at 1 in the afternoon! No way, not my kids. Thankfully my girls are pretty good at getting up and at 'em. I do have some days that I give them a free pass to stay in bed longer but for the most part they still get up out of habit. Call me old-fashioned~~ That I am!

Time to get it together

School is officially out for the Summer. This does not mean anything to me since my kids still have busy schedules. Chardie got a job at the law firm her dad works at a couple days a week. This should be a great experience for her and I am sure she will learn some valuable life lessons along the way. Both girls have volleyball twice a week. They also have 3 books each to read over the break that have assignments to go along with it. They have tons of other reading and writing~ AP European History for Brie and AP US History for Chardie. They both have doctor, dental, orthodontic, orthopedic and chiropractic appointments in between. Something tells me they won't have time to breathe!

I am going to have to buckle down and get William potty trained (I hope). It has been so up and down. Still no poo-poo in the potty yet. I just try to go with the flow and encourage him. I keep telling myself not to stress out and that he will get it [one day]. I also really need to have a more organized teaching style. He is learning how to use the computer mouse but I still prefer to teach him the old-fashioned way with paper and pencil and out of books. I do not think I will be putting him in pre-school. If I did, it would be for "other people" who think I should. I am going to buy some colorful bins to pack away all of his random toys so he has a neater area to do his school work. I will refrain from frequent social networking and more than likely fewer blog posts. My kids are the priority and they need me now more than ever. I also want to have some fun time with them before school starts back. We have a couple short out-of-town trips planned as well as some pool time at a friends house as much as we can. The Summer will be busy but we will be sure to take time to enjoy it.

So is school out in your neck of the woods? Do you have any big plans?

Swimsuit season is coming

It's getting to be that time of year for some of us depending on what part of the country you live in...Swimsuit season. I have not worn a swimsuit in over 3 years. I promised myself that this year I will get one that is flattering to my rounder body. I looked at a few from Target and so far I like the first 2. I have to go with something that covers my tummy because I don't think anyone wants to see my stretchmarks aka 'the rays of the sun'.

I also actually liked this swim dress. It doesn't look like an old lady one. It would be great to cover my buns but I really think I might go with one of the 2 first ones.

Are you ready for swimsuit season?

Introducing STOP BUGGING ME!™

With Summer Camp season just around the corner you want to do all you can to protect your family.
The First Line of Prevention and Last Line of Defense Against Bed Bugs~ STOP BUGGING ME! is 100% proven - tested in an independent laboratory

• Proven 100% effective in killing bugs by an independent laboratory.
  
• In studies, fast acting formula kills 100% of bed bugs within 15 minutes; kills more than half of bed bugs within 30 seconds
  
• Each application may prevent bed bugs and dust mites for up to two weeks

STOP BUGGING ME! is safe and pesticide free

• Safe for use around the entire family, including pets

• Naturally derived and 100% biodegradable

• Designed for use on mattresses, bedding, sofas, clothing, stuffed chairs, carpets, rugs, luggage and any detergent safe upholstery

STOP BUGGING ME! is easy to use

• Spray directly onto bed bug prone and infested areas including bedding, carpet, walls, cracks, crevices, interior of nights stands and dresser drawers

• Follow-up in 1-2 weeks after application in same areas

• Convenient travel size meets TSA requirements and can be carried wherever your travels take you

STOP BUGGING ME! has environmentally friendly ingredients

• A natural insecticide called 2-phenethyl propionate, eugenol, sodium lauryl sulfate, geraniol and cinnamon oil with aromatic bark

• Pleasant, botanical scent

STOP BUGGING ME! is a practical solution for everyone

• Available online at www.StopBuggingMe.com and at select retailers

• 3 oz Travel Size retails for $7.99

• Treats approximately two queen-size mattresses or 55 sq. ft.

• 12 oz Spray Bottle retails for $19.99

• Treats approximately seven queen-size mattresses or 215 sq. ft.

• Wholesale industrial/commercial sizes are also available Price upon request
  

* Look for STOP BUGGING ME! Max and STOP BUGGING ME! Laundry Additive coming soon

Here are some tips from Stacy DeBroff: Sleep-away summer camp represents an epic moment for both kids and parents – a time for kids to take a big step toward independence and a time for parents to begin letting go.
Amidst the frenzy of planning for this childhood milestone, Moms need to turn their attention to one important area to ensure that these best-laid plans don’t spiral into disaster: bugs! These little pests represent a natural part of summer camp but left unchecked, bugs – including mosquitoes, bees, ticks, horseflies, chiggers, ants, lice, and bedbugs – can render even the most outdoorsy kid into one who crosses summer camp off his list for good.

Here are Stacy’s mom-friendly tips to avoid the summertime swarm:

•Include STOP BUGGING ME!™ – a proven safe, green product that kills bedbugs on contact – in your child’s camp trunk and show them before they leave home how to spray their camp mattress when they arrive.

•Make sure kids bring an adequate supply of insect repellent to camp and know to use it each morning before activities and re-apply after swimming.

•Send kids to camp with an assortment of lightweight long-sleeve tops and pants so they can better protect against bug bites while hiking and backpacking, yet remain cool during the summer heat.

•Find out if counselors or the camp nurse regularly check kids for ticks and teach older kids how to check their own scalp and body for possible tick infestations.

•To lessen the likelihood of lice, encourage kids to adopt a shorter hairstyle before camp, or pull hair back with a ponytail or braid. Advise kids to never share hats, combs, brushes, swim caps, or helmets while at camp.

•Consider sending kids to camp with their own bike or riding helmet. Likewise, make sure they know to cover heads with a bandana or camp-provided disposable hair cover before using camp helmets.

•Consider sending kids with zippered mattress covers and bedding from home to further combat bedbugs.

•Keep camp trunks off the bed, where bedbugs lurk – instead encourage kids to place them on the floor or on surfaces provided.

Background on Stacy DeBroff : Stacy DeBroff is founder of Mom Central a best-selling author, and renowned parenting expert. In addition to launching her new celebrity parenting blog, The DeBroff DeBrief, Stacy also contributed as lead parenting expert on two films, the feature-length Her Best Move and the star-studded animated DVD Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman.

Stop Bugging Me!™ is available this spring/summer at over 15,000 chain drug, mass retailer & grocery stores nationwide, at www.StopBuggingMe.com and at CVS and Walgreens.

Brie's new look and my 700th post!

Here is a new photo of Briahnna without her glasses. At first I did not like it. I have been used to seeing her in glasses for over 5 years. It was too much change so fast. It has been over a week now and it has grown on me. I think the fact that she looks so much more grown up makes me a little sad *sniff*. Funny thing is every so often you see her pushing her "glasses" up higher. Of course there are no glasses to push up! It's out of habit. One thing she has been enjoying is wearing her cute new sunglasses when we go out :)

Feeling some kind of way

I have been so consumed lately. Really deep in thought and reflection about myself and my family. Don't get me wrong, life is good and things are going great. I guess I am thinking ahead since my oldest is now a sophomore in high school and soon after the next one will be in high school. I am faced at acknowledging my age. I will be 37 this year. I don't feel that old though. I will be putting William in school in 3 years. Wow. I am really excited about it. I know William will truly get the best of me just like his sisters did. I guess seeing that life is changing so much and I am so sad that school starts back next week has me feeling some kind of way. I have actually been very down to the point of tears and anxiety. I really enjoyed having the kids around all summer. Well I better get myself in gear because this momma has a lot of work- carpool, games, volunteering, practice and all things kids awaits. Better get some new tires on the mom-taxi pronto!

Updates/Random

It's Monday!! My favorite day of the week. It has me thinking a lot. Before long school will start back and I am already missing my children. Strangely it seems that the summer has been cheaper than when the girls are in school. I have spent less on food. Can you believe that? I guess with things being so laid back, there was no real need for a whole lot of extras. During the school year I buy breakfast items, snack stuff for before they go to lunch, lunchbox items, volleyball practice drinks and snacks and everything in between. I will have a lit of adjusting to do! Both girls have volleyball tryouts in the upcoming weeks. I have been scheduling a bunch of doctor and dental appointments so we can get the bulk of that stuff taken care of while they are off from school.

I have a bunch of giveaways going on right now. Check them out if you are interested:

• Bummis Diaper and baby items (ends Aug 2)
• Energizer Emergency kit (ends July 27)
• 250 count stickers (ends July 25)
• Febreze gift pack (ends July 23)

Other than those few things I hope everyone has a really great start to their week!

Random

It's supposed to be summer break for the kids. They have summer assignments that consume a good bit of their day, everyday. It's as if school did not end. They still have practices and camps so I still drive them all over the place each week. So much for saying good-bye to the carpool line. I'm not complaining. I have not heard the "I'm bored" bit as yet. Of course I am one of those old-school moms that will put your butt to work if you feel you have nothing to do. I think my girls have caught onto that pretty well. Also I have noticed that I am spending less on food. Yes, you read that correctly LESS. I guess since the days aren't as structured as school days I am not forced to buy as much stuff to accommodate breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afterschool snacks and game snacks. I can get used to this. So how is summertime coming along in your home?

Stay hydrated

It's summertime and this means warmer temps. Of course despite the hotter days you should always stay well hydrated. My daughters and I have started a bit of a water drinking competition. Each night we "brag" about how much water we drank over the course of the day and declare the unofficial winner. I was the loser yesterday so I have to get to it today. Hey, whatever works right? I have noticed that nobody seems to be drinking very much of anything else. Can't beat that!

PSA: Watch where you step!

I was watching the news the other night and they did a story on the vast amounts of snakes that have emerged this season. It is due to the higher rainfall and warm temperatures. I swear I see a snake every couple days on the street. That is a couple times too many for me. I don't mind watching them on Animal Planet and learning about the different ones and their habitats- Just don't let me be face-to-face with one of them. I don't do snakes (my arm hair is raised at the moment thinking about it). Like they advised on the news, you better watch where you step!

School's out!

It's official that school is out for the summer and I am kinda sorta happy about it. Happy because I have great kids that are fun to be around but not so happy because it takes me off of my regular schedule. I am one of those planning, scheduling and list making type of moms. I get crazy when things are out of whack or if there are too many people in my face while I am working. I also really like driving the kids to school and picking them up. There is something about the calm of the carpool line aka Willie's nap time. I guess Willie will have to adjust to having his sisters around more. He is usually perfectly calm when it is just the two of us. Oh well, I am glad to have my kids around regardless of how they act ;-) Happy Summer!!

Summer is near

It dawned on me that school will be over in just two weeks! I have been in planning mode for the past couple weeks. My girls have a pretty busy summer coming up. They have trips, camps, pre-season volleyball training, summer reading and a long list of teenage-related things to do including some family day-trips. I am sure that the time will breeze on by. I am not looking forward so much to the heat of the summer but I will be happy to have my girls around. Does anyone have any big plans for when school is out?

Here are a few photos of Chardie and Brie at their best friend Haley's house. They have thoroughly enjoyed their Summer and are trying to get prepared for back-to-school. Lucky for me they LOVE school so this it's really easy!

They both went through a growth spurt this Summer.

William and I are officially the shortest people in our house!

I will surely miss these girls when they go back to school. Chardie is starting high school...YES high school! She's even talking about getting her driver's permit *gulp*

Summer weekends are not always good

I am sure no matter what part of the United States and depending in what part of the world you live in you would agree that it is HOT HOT HOT! I really don't know what it is but it seems as if weekends are getting lazier and lazier and we sometimes get nothing done. Nothing.

This weekend the only accomplishments that were made was that Dwayne swapped out an old light switch in William's room that took all of 10 minutes. The hardest part of that was being sure when Dwayne shut off the power that he did not shut down the AC or kitchen appliances. He was successful. The only thing I really did was I purchased some weed eater trimmer string which was not actually used and is still in the bag on the kitchen counter.

Now one really bad part of the weekend was all the unnecessary snacking. As long as all of us are home we eat. ALL day long. Dwayne and I think we need to spend a part of the weekend away from each other in order to be more productive. Being together means being lazy. This much comfort can be a bad thing!

Does anyone find this happening in their household or are we just lazy slobs? Please tell us you are like this too!

Home for the Summer

The kids are officially out of school for the Summer. Even though we get just under 3 months it breezes right by. Both girls have activities scheduled throughout the next couple months as well as preparations for the new school year. They have a lot of Summer reading along with written assignments that go with each book.

I would like to think that I will not hear "Mom, I'm bored!". Seriously, if they pull that I will make them clean baseboards, cabinets, closets, and anything else that cure boredom. I'll take it old school if I have to!!


We purchased a membership to our State museum recently so that will be a good cool, indoor thing to do during the blistering months we will endure. It has already been in the 90's and I don't like it at all. The girls love to be outside and I only let them go before 10 am and after 7 pm. William still does not understand what "outside" is and something tells me it won't take long before he does! Happy Summer everyone :)

why do kids remind you all the time

Okay, it's like 90 something degrees and steaming hot. You know this. We all know this. Why do the kids have to complain and remind you like fifty eleven times that it's hot? Ah Summer, I so don't like it for the weather!