A Happy Hippy Mom » Rants and Raves and Stuff

My Butt Is Big!

ahappyhippymom — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:45:02 +0000

I love this ad and wanted to share it! The words are inspiring and gives us girls with rounder posteriors a positive voice. Not everyone can be a size 0 and we shouldn’t be made to feel less for it. “My butt is big and thats just fine!” Thank you Nike for coming up with such an ingenious advertisement!

Report Card!

ahappyhippymom — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:43:44 +0000

I usually don’t post too much personal stuff on my website, but I’m so proud of my daughter that I had to share! This is her report card for the 7th Grade. She had a rough attendance year from having the flu and strep throat. I was so worried it was going to affect her grades and she would fall behind. However, she picked herself up and worked hard to maintain her grade point average. I LOVE you Kylie! You are the ultimate best kid any parent could ask for!

Do Actors Die In Threes?

ahappyhippymom — Sat, 29 May 2010 18:37:29 +0000

I have heard that actors die in threes, but always thought it was some weird superstition. However, I’m starting to wonder if there isn’t some truth to this myth. Gary Coleman (1970s TV sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes) died yesterday at age 42 from an intercranial hemorrhage. TODAY there is breaking news actor Dennis Hopper dies at age 74! He was battling prostate cancer which unfortunately took his life. Extremely sad! My question is who is next? VERY SCARY!

Under Construction – New Theme Soon!

ahappyhippymom — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:33:44 +0000

I will be changing the look of ahappyhippymom.com… AGAIN. I believe the current theme might be causing some lag and load issues for some readers? I’ve received a few comments that the site was not displaying correctly in a couple of browsers so I’m on a hunt for a premium theme or might try to even design one. Be on the look out in the next couple of days for the site being down during the construction for a few hours.

Tips and Tricks For Getting Your Kids To Bed On Time

ahappyhippymom — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:35:06 +0000

During the exciting holiday season it becomes harder to get kiddos to go to bed on time and to actually stay in bed. It can become a nightmare for parents and a huge challenge to deal with the overtired cranky child the next day who fought to stay awake beyond their sack time. With a few simple tricks and positive coaching the bedtime battles can be alleviated.

Tips & tricks for getting your kids to bed on time and getting them to stay in bed.

Try and stick to a bedtime routine. Give your child a good 30 to 45 minutes to settle down and get all the night time requests satisfied. If its having a sip of water, hugs and kisses, or a trip to the potty make sure its done before he/she is expected to fall asleep.
I always include a bath or shower in my kids routine to help them settle down. It helps calm the nighttime nerves and it is a reminder the day has ended and been washed away.
Read a bedtime story to your child or allow 10 minutes of magazine time before turning out the lights.
Have the room a nice cool temperature of no more than 70 degrees to help get your child snuggled in and cozy. If the room is too hot it can cause them discomfort and keep them awake.
The dark can be frightening to some children, but the room should be dark enough to discourage extra added stimuli. All video games, televisions, or radios should be out of reach when the lights are turned off.
A reward system can be a great motivator to get your child to go to bed on time. Have a chart visible with the times he/she fell asleep without giving you trouble and at the week’s end reward with some extra game time or possibly a night time pass for an extra hour on the weekends.
Most importantly be consistent. Children have a built in manipulative nature and can sway the best of us. Don’t give in to the demands of extra fiddlings or nighttime romps.

These are my suggestions and they seem to work for my family. Do you have a routine to get your kids to bed and to stay asleep till morning?

Twittermoms and Drama U Contest

Do you have your own tips and tricks to getting your child to bed and staying there? Twittermoms and Drama U would like to hear about your routine and will reward the first 100 bloggers who share their stories a pink Cozy! Additionally they will give you a pink Cozy to giveaway to one of your lucky blog readers! Go here to read how to enter. (The St. Eve Kids Cozys are one size fits most girls sizes between 6-9)

Happy Thanksgiving To All Of You!

ahappyhippymom — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:37:38 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving to all you wonderful peeps out there! I hope your having an exceptionally great turkey day and you are building new traditions to be passed down to your kiddos!

More Than A Day

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we’re poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We’re wealthy, when push comes to shove.So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you’ve got;
Realize it’s a lot,
And you’ll make all your cares go away.

By Karl Fuchs

Reviewing Products and Blog Sponsorship Programs

ahappyhippymom — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:57:19 +0000

I’m sure most of you know I review products and like to share my candid opinion about items here on my website. When I first started writing my blog my sincere intentions were focused on sharing my personal parenting experiences and connecting with other stay at home blogging moms. My motives still remain the same, but I also realized there was a need for unbiased product evaluations! Being a mom is rewarding in so many different levels but lets face it—it can also be frustrating, stressful, and emotional draining. The last thing I want to have to worry about is if a product lives up to its description. Is it truly green or is it a greenwashed product? Does it perform as it promises? How about- is it actually a good value compared to similar items on the market? Who can benefit by using the product? All these questions can be answered by moms who have tried and tested a wide array of products. In return, their hard work to bring you the truth saves you money plus time. Don’t be fooled, it is not always easy to write up reviews. It takes research, putting yourself out there to be criticized, and then after all your efforts you wonder if anyone actually read the review.

Compensation

Yes, sometimes (not always) mom reviewers are compensated with a free sample for their reviews. Why shouldn’t we be? It takes time out of our schedules to assess and write opinions about a product. In return a company receives attention and gets their product noticed via social media marketing. They recognize how influential a mom’s opinion can be and the spending power behind us motivated moms. The mom and PR partnership can be a beautiful beneficial relationship for everyone IF honesty is portrayed on both sides.

Expect Rejection

When I first began taking an interest in reviewing products I was a lost lamb in a jungle. I did not have a CLUE on how to contact companies to request a product for evaluation. To be honest, I am still ignorant in this procedure and usually let companies approach me first. I have made a few pitches in the past and never heard back from the companies. I know this is all part of the review process, but rejection is never fun!

Join a mom blogger club.

I have learned an abundance of information on how to connect with PR and request products by joining several mom blogger clubs. My favorite of these clubs is Momdot, since Trisha brings a professional but relaxed personal atmosphere to the table. I have been a VIP member there for quite a few months and would highly recommend the Momdot forum to anyone who is interested in starting a blog or wanting to hang out with a terrific group of knowledgeable ladies.

Blog Sponsorship Programs and Networks

Get involved with authentic blog sponsorship programs. This is an important step in maintaining to keep your review possibilities steady and offer your readers exciting giveaways. If you happen to enjoy toys (I LOVE toys), GrowingTreeToys.com has a wonderful blog sponsorship program. The educational toy company has a list of several QUALITY toys you can request for a review. For example, I will be reviewing a cute Dress Up Pirate Toy in a couple of weeks. If you are interested in reviewing toys you can apply for the GrowingTreeToys.com blog sponsorship here.

Check out the pirate…

Uprinting.com is another great company who sponsors blogs. The online printing company consistently provides my readers with free product giveaways and happens to be an eco-friendly business. Would you like to be sponsored by Uprinting.com? Click here.

MyBlogSpark supplies you with exciting new products for review and innovative ways to share the info with your readers. The network was developed by General Mills (an outstanding company) and is made up of hundreds of bloggers. MyBlogSpark is supreme for offering bloggers opportunities that match their interest. Products may include food and beverage, beauty, home, electronics, and more. If you would like to join the network go here.

Search around! There are several more programs out there in the blogosphere that will match your interests.

Be Sensible

If your just starting off writing your blog traffic might not be adequate enough to request prime expensive products. It takes time to build a reader base. Be prepared to give companies your blog statistics and please be honest with the numbers. Lying is unethical and only hurts you in the long run.

Blogging Skills

If you would like to learn how to increase your traffic and broaden your blogging skills try listening to ProBlogger Darren Rowse. He is a full time blogger who makes a remarkable living by blogging. In my opinion he is a blogging genius and has tons to offer.

Competition

Competition can be healthy, but it can also negatively consume you. There is nothing wrong with trying to better yourself, but don’t do it on the expense of others. If all your energy is geared towards competing with other blogs, you have lost focus on why you started writing and need to reevaluate yourself. Most importantly, remember to keep your content original!

Clear Remedy Giveaway Reminder.

ahappyhippymom — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:09:04 +0000

The Clear Remedy Giveaway will be ending in a few days so please make sure to get your entries in! You can tweet daily on Twitter for an extra chance at winning the whole system valued at $165!

Don’t forget, there is also a discount coupon for 30% off your order (no minimum) and free shipping! To get your discount use GETCLEAR30 upon checkout.

If you have any questions on how to enter please email me at michelle@ahappyhippymom.com, and I will help you.

Yesterday- Only human

ahappyhippymom — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:35:29 +0000

I was having one of those days yesterday where you want to stick your head in the nearest sand pile and wait for it to pass. Aiden my sweet but extremely demanding tot was bouncing off the walls and winging his food across the room onto my rug. No BIG huge deal since this has been a usual daily activity but the constant throwing himself down and banging his head on my floor was enough to make me crazy! He is not even quite two yet and I’m scared to see what his behavior is going to be when he supposedly reaches the terrible two stage. I swear he had me shaken by the days end.

Kylie my almost teen daughter went to school acting fine, but when she came home-WOW she was freaken miserable! The backpack went whipping across the kitchen and she stamped upstairs to her room without a single hello. I gently knocked on her bedroom door asking her if everything was ok and received a stern FINE for a response. Hormones right? They have kicked in on the same day Aiden decides to flip out.

Even the pets were acting oddly. My cat was biting my dogs back. The poor dog was running around the house with him attached to her side. They usually play nice together but something ruffled their fur. AWFUL!

Hubby was actually the only sane individual residing in my house yesterday. He was calm, sweet, and helpful. Hmmm…something is definitely off balance here. Who snatched my husband and replaced him with this guy?

I’m only human and I was about to crack. I could not wait to jump into my pajamas and pull the covers over my head!

Hopefully everyone will be back to their normal selves today and yesterday was just a passing moment!

HAPPY EASTER!

ahappyhippymom — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:20:00 +0000

A HAPPY EASTER FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS!

I hope everyone is enjoying Easter Sunday and all the blessings it brings!
The picture above is the reaction of Aiden when he was given his Easter Bunny! I would say he is unquestionably enjoying Easter !

The Easter Bunny

There’s a story quite funny,
About a toy bunny,
And the wonderful things she can do;
Every bright Easter morning,
Without warning,
She colors eggs, red, green, or blue.

Some she covers with spots,
Some with quaint little dots,
And some with strange mixed colors, too
– Red and green, blue and yellow,
But each unlike its fellow
Are eggs of every hue.

And it’s odd, as folks say,
That on no other day
In all of the whole year through,
Does this wonderful bunny,
So busy and funny,
Color eggs of every hue.

If this story you doubt
She will soon find you out,
And what do you think she will do?
On the next Easter morning
She’ll bring you without warning,
Those eggs of every hue.

poem by
M. Josephine Todd, 1909

Feedburner Dropped You…?

ahappyhippymom — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:52:00 +0000

If you were subscribing to my RSS feed you might not be getting my updates anymore. I apparently offended Feedburner with my last lengthy post and lost close to 3/4 my subscribers. I also slipped in some nasty character coding by using Wordpad to compose my post. Feedburner punished me by further informing my feed was invalid. Sorry Feedburner, I will be more careful next time!

If you would like to still receive my updates please subscribe again.

Thank You!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009!

ahappyhippymom — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 04:33:00 +0000

The Ultimate Blog Party of 2009 has started!

Thank you for visiting me here at my blog where
you will find lots of pictures of my two sweet angels, my breathing
floor mop(Pepper), mention of products my family enjoys, ramblings
of everything and anything, and some links to some other wonderful blogs/sites.

Please make yourself at home and have a look around!
I am currently having a giveaway for a cute Webkinz Tie Dye Frog that
you can enter and have some other real great giveaways planned for the
near future so please keep checking back!

Thank you again for stopping by from 5 Minutes for Mom’s and please
don’t make yourself a stranger at Ahappyhippy mom’s!

Added March 22 2009

I just wanted to tell everyone who was nice to leave a comment that I plan on stopping over to your blogs and getting to know you more! I want to visit each and every 1193 currently listed family blog! I am getting busy accomplishing this starting NOW! I’m sure it is going to take me ALL week so if your blog is listed on the bottom…I will see you Friday! Thanks again and Happy UBC!

Added March 23 2009

Ok…This might take a lot longer than I expected. I’m only at 101 on the list and think I may have missed a few blogs in between! I’m having a blast!

Plus, I forgot to add the prizes to my post! I guess I better check them out too! Woo Hooo!

Prizes
#7 , 89, 19 , 102 , 58 (for my mom)

My Wonderful Walls.com.

ahappyhippymom — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Have you ever taken a peek at the Kids Murals and Nursery Murals at My Wonderful Walls.com? They are absolutely beautiful! I really like the Farm Theme Canvas Wall Art Decor. I have been planning on giving my sons nursery a makeover and think that the “Friendly Farm” Stencil kit and the personalized Canvas Wall Art Decor is just perfect for specializing his room. The stencil kit comes with 30 stencils, 15 free brushes, and a detail guide giving tips and ideas. I do not have a lot of artistic ability so this is ideal for me. The cost is $99.95 for the stencil kit which is rather inexpensive considering how extensive and detailed the mural is.

I like to support a store that actually cares about making a difference to children that have special needs. The husband and wife team of My Wonderful Walls.com do just that. They give their murals to children who are medically or physically challenged and to brighten up the hospital rooms. What a great way to spread some love and sunshine to children who need it the most.

If you would like to help a child receive one of My Wonderful Walls.com fantastic murals for their room, head on over to 5 Minutes For Special Needs. They give all the details on the steps you need to take to help make a difference to a deserving child.

ROSES A Poem by Kylie

ahappyhippymom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:07:00 +0000

7 SIMPLE STEPS

ahappyhippymom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Well its that time of year again where I dread going into the stores and grocery shopping is more like playing dodge ball except the ball happens to be the nasty flu virus coming at me from the coughing, sneezing, flu infected individuals who are also shopping. If I hear someone cough or sneeze in the same isle as me, I fast dart my kids and self as far as possible from that area. If I could dress my children and myself in a biological chem suit and not look like a nut case I would!

Avoiding the stores and crowded areas are the best way to not come in contact with the nasty virus but becoming a hermit all season just isn’t practical or sensible. I still have to buy the groceries, attend school concerts, and maintain the household activities so becoming sick or letting the flu bed rid me is not an option.

There are some steps I can take to help avoid getting the flu, strengthen our immune systems to help our body’s fight the virus or recover faster from illness.

1. Get plenty of Vitamin A. Bacteria and Flu can be fought with Vitamin A and it has shown in several experiments conducted by the National Institutes of Health to enhance the immunological response of the body. It actually works by stimulating the body’ s own immunity system. Eating foods such as Spinach, Collards, Kale, Mixed vegetables, Turnip greens, Instant cooked and fortified ready to eat cereals are all great sources of the protective vitamin A.

2. Wash your hands frequently with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Washing your hands helps prevent spreading the virus. Using paper towels to dry your hands can alleviate passing the virus on to others and also prevent those who are getting over it from becoming re-infected.

3. Exercise regularly. Exercising regularly, at least 30 minutes a day helps increase the body’s natural virus-killing cells.

4. Get plenty of sleep. Poor sleep lowers your immunity making you more vulnerable to infections. Most adults need between seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Older children and teens need more rest and should get between nine and 10 hours every night.

5. Avoid sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system. Try to maintain and control proper blood sugar by avoiding added sugar and highly refined starches such as pasta, rice, potatoes and breads.

6. Use saline nasal spray to keep your passages moist. Keeping your nostrils moist can help in warding off a cold and flu.

7. Eat Garlic. Garlic contains hundreds of minerals and nutrients that are beneficial to your body. It has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal characteristics. Garlic has been found to be as effective as many antibiotics, without the dangerous side effects.

Hopefully taking these simple steps will combat the nasty viruses! If my children, husband or I do get attacked there is several homeopathic remedies for cold the flu and some great websites that offer information on to relieve the symptoms safely!.

A February Picnic

ahappyhippymom — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:43:00 +0000

I always look forward to Valentines Day and all the little special goodies that it brings. I want to be able to enjoy the holiday this year with minimum costs but plenty of memories. This year I have decided to bring a favorite summer activity inside into the frigid cold month of February and warm it up with the sweet smiles of my little angels. The afternoon can be spent doing simple fun crafts found on Familyfun.com. I found several fun craft ideas and printable decorations there to assist in our card making. In the oven, heart shaped sugar cookies will bake filling the air with their sweet aroma. I am going to use the Pillsbury Ready To Bake Heart Shaped Cookies for easy preparation and to save time.

Then later in the early evening we can all take a quick trip out to the local Redbox and rent a movie the whole family can enjoy. Redbox has a wide variety of movies available in a vending machine that only cost $1 per rental. Its definitely a money saver, really fast and user friendly.

Dinner is going to consist of wide variety of well liked snacks that will be prepared by my daughter and myself. This way we all have are favorite food to share and enjoy. I’m going to pack the snacks in my picnic basket, spread a blanket out on the floor in front of the TV, and have a picnic in February while watching the movie together. After the movie we can exchange our homemade cards!

Up and Moving!

ahappyhippymom — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:43:00 +0000

My daughter has begged me for a Wii for MONTHS and I really did not want to encourage her coach potato behavior. She already has several other game consoles which keep her bottom glued to the cushions and exercise has become an ancient practice and rarely takes place.

Statistics show that obesity in children is fast becoming an epidemic in
America today. There are many contributing factors such as high fat, high calorie diets, excessive TV watching and playing video games instead of playing outside or getting physical activity. I really want her to remain healthy and adapt a good attitude towards eating right and getting some exercise.

I had to some how make the thought of exercising fun to her to get her up and moving. I did some reading and it seems as the Wii does help incorporate some physical activity during game play so I broke down and bought her the console and a few games. WOW is it ever fun! I’m not sure if it can help her get really fit but it does make her get up and move around. She has been playing it instead of the other consoles and even I have been enjoying playing the games with her. I hope to eventually buy the Wii Fit board and add even more activity!

Check Those Product Labels and Go Green!

ahappyhippymom — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:25:00 +0000

I’m always worried about introducing new bathing products to my son since his skin is so sensitive and precious. I try my best to look at the label on the bottle to identify any harsh irritating ingredients that might cause him any discomfort, but being a mom and not a Dermatologist, sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish these unhealthy chemicals. There are some chemicals you should be aware of and to be able to recognize on the label such as Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) which is a detergent that is commonly used as a cleansing agent in all sorts of personal care products. It appears in toothpastes, shampoos, bubble baths, shaving creams or mostly any other product that requires suds. It is to strong of a cleansing agent and tends to strip to much oil from the skin and hair. SLS makes such great bubbles and because of its inexpensiveness manufactures tend to use to much of it in their cleaning formulas resulting in skin irritation from over exposure. I want to keep his skin healthy and clean without the concern of dealing with the hypersensitivity and dryness that often occur from using regular skin products. I believe by using organic products from a trusted company I can diminish the exposure to these harmful substances.

The Cool Mom Guide ecostore USA Giveaway!

The Cool Mom Guide is going “Green” over the next few weeks and will be reviewing environmentally friendly products for your baby and you! They are currently having a giveaway which one lucky winner will receive the entire Baby Care line, including Baby Wash, Massage Oil, Moisturizer, Nappy Balm, Shampoo, Sleepytime Bath and Soap sponsored by ecostore USA!

Ecostore USA is a “Green” company that produces natural or organic products and eliminates those nasty chemicals by using plant and mineral based ingredients that are free of toxic chemicals. Their product line consists of Baby Care, Bath and Body, Hair, Household, and even Pet Care! They offer more than 100 items that are good for you and the planet. They have even found a way to safely super concentrate their formulas, so a little goes a very long way, resulting in saving you money by cutting down the cost of each use.

Head on over to The Cool Mom Guide and enter for this terrific giveaway! The giveaway ends before 8:00PM EST on 1/26/09.