My latest Pinterest find

I love Pinterest. I can sit on the computer all day and Pin all sorts of things. A lot of times I Pin "wish list" items. On occasion I find things that I actually make or try. My favorite one recently was this recycled watering can. I was just nagging... informing my husband last week that I really needed a watering can for all of my plants I have on my deck and inside the house. I was thrilled to find this DIY idea that took no thought and cost nothing!

There are my office houseplants. Now watering them is so much easier.

I took a milk jug and rinsed it out thoroughly. I pierced holes in the cap with a corn holder. Since they have 2 sharp points, it made the process fast and easy. The result is a FREE watering can that may not be pretty but is environmentally friendly and does the trick. I have one in a half gallon size for my indoor plants and one in a gallon size for the outdoor plants.

What things have you found on Pinterest lately that you have tried or plan to try?

Is my what nasty?

The other day my son was doing something that really annoys me to no end that I think every member of the male species does... touching his 'man parts'. I told him I thought it was nasty what he was doing and he responds "Is your penis nasty too?". I told him that girls don't have a penis and that our private parts were different. I realized that we have not had the conversation yet about the differences between boys and girls. Being the active, typical boy William is he just sort of moved on to the next thing. My husband heard our brief conversation and starts to laugh at me. He says that maybe it was better I explain that to him since I might handle it better. MEN!

Children's Claritin® Mom Crew

Hey guys! I wanted to let you all know that I am a Children's Claritin® Mom Crew Member. All of my kids are seasonal allergy sufferers and we depend on Claritin®to get us through the super high pollen days. I love that it does not make you sleepy and lasts all day with just one pill. Although our middle child gets allergy shots, she still has those sniffly and sneezy days especially at this time of year. She has to take Claritin® daily to get her through. I remember growing up as a child sneezing the entire way to the bus stop. Back in that time the only allergy medication my mom gave me made me want to sleep for days! Thank goodness for non-drowsy Claritin® today, raising my own kids. It is so convenient to have the option of liquid or chewables.

Here are some great Spring Allergy Tips:

It's not surprising that in the season notorious for allergies, we have the most tips to share! Beginning as early as February, invisible pollens from hardwood deciduous trees are big troublemakers for many allergy sufferers. But there's no reason to be miserable. These tips can help you minimize your exposure to allergens, and be prepared as possible for the pollen storm that's on the horizon.

~Start taking Claritin® allergy products as soon as symptoms start. Having medication on hand will help you prepare for allergy symptoms. 

~Know your nemesis- When you understand what triggers your allergy symptoms, you can make an extra effort to avoid them. For example, grass pollen levels rise when grass is disturbed, so if that's one of your triggers, wear a mask when mowing or avoid mowing altogether. 

~Beat the clock- Peak pollen production can occur in early morning, so try to plan outside activities at other times of the day. 

~Check the forecast- Avoid going outdoors when pollen counts are high. Also, heavy rains wash pollen from the air, making post-shower outings more comfortable. Beware of dry, windy days when pollen can be particularly intense. (Get the pollen counts and weather forecast for your area and sign up for the Claritin® Allergy Forecast.)

Stay connected with Claritin on Facebook and I will also post information from time to time about helping to manage your children's allergies with Claritin®. You can also print out a coupon here. 

Disclosure: As a member of the Children’s Claritin® Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Prize Pack Giveaway

Who loves home-baked cookies? *raises hand* I do! My family appreciates the scent of freshly baked cookies and of course eating them! Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies are ready to enjoy in 8-10 minutes and can be found at your local grocer. It is a convenient way to give your family the home-baked taste they love in the easiest way possible! Right now in time for Easter, you can find your family’s favorite Disney characters including Lightning McQueen from Cars and Minnie Mouse. We bought the Cars version and they came out so cute! The fact that 2 dozen cookies were all eaten within about 36 hours might be a good indication that they were yummy. 

I have one Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Prize pack to give away to one lucky Momfiles reader. The prize pack includes:

~A VIP coupon to purchase a package of Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies 

~Cookie Jar 

~Cookie Spatula 

~Oven Mitt  

Enter in the Rafflecopter widget:

New fish, Happy kid and the Pet Store Mafia

For William's 4th birthday we purchased him an aquarium. He has a slight obsession with fish so we figured it would be a great thing for him to have. We kept it simple and went with a 10 gallon tank but opted to get the better filtration and lighting system. When we purchased everything to set the tank up, the customer service people at the pet store were very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions and give advice. We always had an aquarium for the girls when they were younger and had great success with it. As a matter of fact, the fish would sometimes get so big that we would have to donate them to the classrooms at the school. We went ahead and started off with all of what we needed to set the tank up and get the water ready to add fish. Back in the day we added fish within 24 hours. Nowadays they recommend 3 weeks! 3 weeks?? Try telling that to a 4 year old!

How happy does he look? 

We went yesterday to purchase some fish and boy was William excited. He made up his own song about going to the pet store to buy some fish. Too funny! We decided on a few glofish in cool, neon colors, a couple "Mickey Mouse"platys and a couple fancy tetras. When I asked the person in that area for help in purchasing the fish he immediately had that "look" on his face. This is how the interrogation... um conversation went...

Fish guy: Do you have your tank set up?
Me: Yes.
FG: Are you sure it is done properly?
Me: Yes
FG: How many fish do you want?
Me: 6
FG: What size is your tank? (At this point he is in my face looking at me like he is a prosecutor or something)
Me: 10 gallons
FG: Hmm, okay. But remember the rules... 1 inch of fish per gallon. Then he stares at me all scary.
Me: Uh, okay

If you could have seen his body language and heard his tone you would have been afraid of even breathing the wrong way. Like the husband says, they are like undercover PETA representatives or something! DANG! I mean come on, they are just fish. If I choose to buy 50 of them then I should be allowed to do so.

In the end, our boy is completely happy and enjoying his new pets. He is so curious and asks a lot questions about his fish. We look forward to adding some more fun friends as time goes on. We might have to rethink where to buy them from so we don't feel like we might catch a beat-down from the pet store mafia! :)

COOL WHIP "What you add makes it" campaign update

Some of you might remember reading a post last month about my trip to New York City for a photo shoot for a campaign with COOL WHIP. This campaign is based on the notion that “what you add makes it.” As a mom, the little things you do, like adding a dollop of COOL WHIP to an otherwise simple cake or pie, turns ordinary into extra special. I am so happy that I was chosen for this campaign just for that reason! Everyone that knows me personally or through my online social networks know that this is all me. I really love the fact that COOL WHIP is doing a campaign using real moms. I'd say that is extra special!

I wanted to share the latest updates with you. If you go to the COOL WHIP Facebook page and click on the "Real Moms" tab you might see a familiar face or two.

I can't even describe what I felt like when I saw this. My family is thrilled and are looking forward to the ad launch in magazines due to hit newsstands in May for June issues. I will be featured in Every Day with Rachael Ray, Food Network, Cooking Light and Parenting Magazine School Years. To say I am excited is truly an understatement! Here is what my actual ad looks like:

You all have to check out one of the featured recipes for Strawberry Pie. It is so simple and does not require a whole lot of ingredients. This is a very impressive dessert and you will have your family and friends raving about it!

Strawberry Pie

Prep Time: 25 min. plus refrigerating | Total Time: 3 hours 25 min. (incl. refrigerating) | Makes: 8 servings.

What You Need:
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup ice cubes
1-1/2 cups strawberries, halved
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup milk
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Make It:
POUR milk into medium bowl. Add 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Instant Pudding. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread onto bottom of crust. Add boiling water to gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted. Let stand 5 min. or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in single layer in center of pie. Cover with gelatin. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

If you try this recipe (or other featured recipes from the Facebook page) please let me know! I would really appreciate your feedback.

Be sure to stay connected on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for great recipe ideas using COOL WHIP.

I am working in partnership with the COOL WHIP brand and I am receiving compensation for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.