The life of the SAHM

We have less than 2 weeks of the school year left. Time has flown by. The girls have been immersed in studying, exams, SAT's and volleyball conditioning. Of course I am in overdrive as a mom making sure they have all the necessities to make their days go smoothly. I have been spending a lot less time online and a lot more time on the floor playing dinosaurs, camping, blocks and flashcards. I am really working hard at giving little Will the same head start that the girls were given. You really do get to see the big differences between boys and girls! It does seem a little more challenging getting the boy to sit down long enough to learn something new. I think he does better absorbing information as long as he is moving. This sometimes means practicing numbers while doing jumping jacks! Needless to say, I am in great physical shape!

I still go through those days feeling mommy guilt wondering if I am doing enough for the boy. At the end of the day, he displays a lot of what he has learned through his actions. He is listening and paying attention. You better believe if anyone does something they shouldn't be, William will be the first one to let you know that you are not making a good choice. Those are the times that I think he is listening a little too well :)

I already have the Summer calendar prepared and it looks like the kids will be very occupied. I have some family trips I am planning as well. This Summer, we will take day trips or very short trips to close-by cities. No big vacations for us. I just hope that gas prices will continue to decline. I am also getting back into couponing so that we can maximize our cash.

Have you started getting your Summer family calendar set up? Do you have any fun plans?

Remedies for the Spring Cold

A lot of people assume the common cold is an illness people catch during the fall and winter months. The truth is a cold is a virus that is prevalent during every season, year round. Below are some great Cold Remedies to help the entire family with the Spring Cold.

1) Make sure you drink a lot of Vitamin C. Try drinking cold drinks such as orange juice or grapefruit juice

 2) Keep Cold-EEZE Oral Spray or lozenges in your purse. It’s clinically proven to shorten the duration of a cold by nearly half.

 3) Try using a humidifier. These are great in the summer time because they do not add any additional heat to the room and it cleanses the air.

 4) Honey is one of the best remedies if you’re having a sore throat along with a cold. Try adding honey to every day meals such as pancakes or to your ice tea.

 5) Get plenty of rest. Whether you are sick or not, a good night’s sleep will always improve a person’s overall health.

Honey Bunches of Oats [Review & Giveaway]

I don't know about your family, but my family loves Honey Bunches of Oats. Who can resist those yummy little Honey Roasted Granola Bunches? We have tried most of the varieties and love them all. As a mom, I especially love the fact that this cereal is not your typical sugar covered cereal. The great part is there is just enough sweetness and only has 6 grams of sugar (*per serving). Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted contains 10 grams of whole grain per serving, provides *9 essential vitamins and minerals, and contains 0g Trans Fat, 0g Saturated Fat and 0mg Cholesterol. My teenage daughters love this cereal so much that they have asked to to purchase the "Just Bunches" variety to put in snack bags for them to stash into their gym bags for volleyball season. Sounds like a smart snack to me!

How would you like to win a coupon for a FREE box of any variety of Honey Bunches of Oats? I have 5 coupons to give away to 5 lucky Momfiles readers. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest is open to US Residents only and will end on May 28, 2012. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. 5 winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. If you do not follow the rules by completing the mandatory entry first, all of your entries will not count. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats-Honey Roasted so I could review them. However all opinions expressed here are my own.

What motherhood has taught me

My life changed forever when I became a mom. From the moment I heard the cries of my firstborn child, I felt differently inside. I instantly became very protective. I felt fear, anxiety, happiness, sadness and so many other emotions all at once. I knew from that day that my life was never going to be the same. Of course this feeling repeated itself 2 more times. I went through days that I wondered what to do about certain changes my kids were going through. Am I doing enough? So many times I just had to figure it out, even try different techniques. I have made many mistakes along the way. At the same time I have made many strides in my mommy role. I have gained a great bond with each child. My children show me daily how much love, respect and appreciation they have for me.  They have shown me how much my hard work as a mom has paid off through their actions, personalities and more importantly through their hearts. I have learned how important unconditional love is and showing my children how important they are. I embrace how different each child is and praise them for it. I want to make sure my kids all have a memorable childhood. It took me almost the duration of my years as a mom to know that I am doing enough. I am more than enough.

The best advice I ever got about being a mother came from one of the greatest and most inspirational women that ever walked the earth, the late Mrs. Emma Stevenson. She told me that the most important thing you can ever do as a mother is to talk to you kids. Even if you are not sure they are mature enough to understand, you still talk to them. You give them all the knowledge you can about every subject. Teach them before their peers or others get to them. To this day, those words carry on in my actions as a mother. It is truly the most valuable thing I have ever learned.

I want to wish all my mom friends and family a very Happy Mother's Day. Celebrate your great contribution to the world... being a GREAT Mom! xoxo

JĀSÖN® Pure Natural Shampoo Review

I recently received a Klout Perk from the JĀSÖN® Naturals. If you are not signed up for Klout, I suggest you check it out. I have received many great 'perks' from them. I have used a couple products by this brand in the past and was very pleased. This time around I tried out the Restorative Biotin Shampoo. It is supposed to strengthen and repair damaged hair. I have been going through a phase of bad hair days since the weather warmed up. I really want to grow my hair out a bit for the Summer but it has been looking so rough.

I figured I have nothing to lose so let's see what happens after using this shampoo. First off, I am glad I opted not to use a conditioner. I found that the shampoo gave me all the moisture my hair needed. I did blow dry and was so pleased with how luxurious my hair felt. For some reason it felt fuller than normal. My hair was so shiny and smooth. I am so happy with the results. I think I will look into getting the matching conditioner so my daughters can try it on their biracial locks. I have found that using natural shampoo and conditioner products makes a big difference in how my hair comes out. I highly recommend this product!