Moms

Our writer, Connie, attended the Bridgetsone “Your Time to Perform Ride and Drive Event” awhile back. Her travel expenses were covered for this event. All opinions still remain her own. As parents, there are a lot of ways we can work to keep our kids safe, but have you ever considered that the tires you choose can be one of those ways? No? Me either, until I participated in a Bridgestone Your Time to Perform Drive & Learn Event. After a day of driving in identical cars with comparable tires, I learned that what you drive on is as important, if not more, than what you drive in.  That’s because your car’s safety features, like the anti-lock braking and traction systems work better with the right tires. Stopping, starting, braking, corning, and more are affected by the tires you choose. But sadly, most of us don’t give a second thought to the tires on our cars or worse, like me, shop just by price with little knowledge about the potential for better handling, safety, and even gas mileage!  Yes, your tires affect how your car performs even when it comes to gas mileage and all it requires to make sure they’re performing optimally is for us to check our tire pressure monthly. But how do you know what the right pressure is for your tire? That’s the easy part! Most cars have the recommended tire PSI posted right inside the driver’s side door on a metal placard. If it’s not there, check your owner’s manual. But remember, that’s the MAXIMUM PSI recommended for your tires so don’t overfill them. Also, if you’re relying on that fancy dash indicator light to tell you when your tires are low, you’ll actually be giving up performance and gas mileage for some time before it gets low enough to activate the warning light, so manually checking monthly is a much better option. So how do you know which tire is right for your car and driving conditions? Thankfully Bridgestone has an online Tire Advisor that helps you choose the tire that fits your lifestyle. Whether it’s a touring tire that’s meant for passenger comfort, or a performance tire  that has a rougher ride but which really sticks to the road, you can easily find out what’s perfect for you. My personal favorite tire after driving on all of them? The Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS tires – they have performance and ride in mind. Test driving Bridgestone Tires at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway – the smoke is from the Thunderbirds who were flying overhead. Want to learn more about the event? Check out my 4-post Bridgestone series. Connect with Bridgestone §  Store Locator §  Bridgestone Tire Catalog §  Bridgestone Tire Performance Technologies §  Teens Drive Smart Program – car care, driving experience, video contest §  Tire Safety – driving tips, maintenance help, and more.

I don't often talk about my work on my blog, but today I thought I would share one of the many letters we get every week. I have THE best job in the world. I am so very, very fortunate to do the work I do.  (Posted with permission) " Hi Tertia, On the 20th October 2010, I emailed you at the Nurture web site in regards to organising a egg donor. Today I am looking at the hard work that our struggles we have overcome, our daughter now 17 months of age time has flown by and we have never been happier, our little family now is complete. 16 cycles and 1 miscarriage, and losing my daughters twin during the first trimester was worth every jab of a needle, every discomfort of bloatedness , every negative thought towards myself, every negative word from that absent minded friend, every envious look towards your pregnant friends and strangers at work parties and the shops, every tear that was shed. I am so lucky to have a beautiful daughter who adores her daddy and me.  It the one and only thing that my husband and I wanted was to be parents, to hear my name not called by your first name but the word that melts your heart  mummy. I want to thank you for all the emails and encouragement that you have given not only to me but to all women that are struggling with infertility, I have been so busy with being a mum work and life, I am sending this email to you to let you know you are a inspiration and a wonderful person. I know it’s a little late. Thank you for your blog and in time we intend to return to South Africa with our daughter to let her know what a wonderful country she started from and that she was very very wanted,, and always will be unconditionally loved. Thank you Tertia We are sending you big hugs to you and your colleagues at Nurture S&G, Australia" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I am going to use this opportunity to ask for help!     * If you are under 33 and healthy, please consider becoming an egg donor - you could be giving the gift of life to a couple like S & G above. Visit this page to find out more:  http://www.nurture.co.za/donor-application/ * If you between the age of 21 and 42, healthy and you already have a child of your own, consider becoming a surrogate mother.  We have such a looong waiting list of people who need a surrogate.  Visit www.surrogacy.co.za for more information. For more information about the egg donor program in South Africa visit the Nurture page www.nurture.co.za.

When my sister and I were kids, an oft-repeated breakfast was a bowl of milk with sliced bananas and sugar. It brings back fond memories, and if I recall, my Mom also ate it herself when she was a kid. So far, my kids are going to be a break in that tradition, but there is still time. Lots of it. So when the folks at Fiber One wanted another mix-in idea for their cereal, I wanted to do a riff on our memorable bananas with milk and sugar. And with that, Maple Granola Cereal Bowl with Bananas was born. Healthier and filling, but still just as tasty. Crunchy, slightly creamy, and the perfect way to start your morning off right. For another Fiber One mix-in idea, this trail mix is super simple to make and will take care of your sweet and savory cravings. One more mix-in idea coming next week! Happy weekend! xo Maple Granola Cereal Bowl with Bananas Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley Ingredients: 3-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 4 teaspoons vegetable oil 5 tablespoons maple syrup 1 banana, sliced Fiber One Honey Nut Clusters cereal milk Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first four ingredients together and lay the mixture flat on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let it cool. In a bowl, pour your milk, add your cereal, sliced banana, and yogurt. *Extra granola will keep in a sealed container. Note: The maple granola is a great topping for yogurt or ice cream too! *I was compensated by Fiber One to create this recipe, which is three-part series.

Today is my dad’s birthday. As I think of him today and the many odd and unexpected blessings that were gathered to me in this last year of his life, the blessings that I am trying to capture here for Sean and for me so that we might recall them on some distant day, what [...]

Susan here… I’m in Disneyland and I just saw the premiere of “Mickey and the Magical Map” and visited the recently opened Fantasy Faire. For disclosure I’d like to let you know that I’m at a media event and my travel, hotel and park pass expenses are being covered by Disney. As always, my opinions and love for Disney are my own. Disneyland is sparkly extra brightly this weekend after the fabulous premiere of “Mickey and the Magical Map” last night and today the ‘Monstrous’ 24 Hour party is in full swing. It was clear that the first audience to see the new live musical performance Mickey and the Magical Map at the renovated Fantasyland Theatre loved the show as they wildly tweeted and shared instagram photos with the world. I was honored to be amongst the lucky group to see the premiere and have a chance to interview a Disney spokesperson after the show. Watch my interview with Eddy Collins below to see why you and your children will love watching “Mickey and the Magical Map” at the updated Fantasyland Theatre… Join me and hundreds of others enjoying Disneyland this weekend on Twitter with the hashtag #JustGotHappier. Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom Pin with me at http://pinterest.com/5minutesformom/ Photo Credit: Disneyland Resort

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My husband is having a stressful week. I think he’s over-analyzing a situation and has nothing to worry about, and he thinks I’m glib and annoying. Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe. The problem is that when you’ve been with someone for 18 years (our relationship is officially an adult!) their pain becomes your pain; it’s like you’re stressed-out by proxy, but in our case my husband is feeling queasy and I am eating all the guacamole. I have some experience with this anxiety stuff. Just ask my fingernails, my waistline, and my bar bill. What I don’t have experience with is someone I love going through it. I talk to strangers all day long for a living, but I have no idea what to say to my soul-mate other than, “Pass the chips.” What I cling to is knowing that the most horrible, poop-inducing, anxiety-ridden moments of my life resulted in something great. Two premature births, all of my son’s surgeries, and speaking at a keynote in front of roughly 4,000 people stand out in my mind, but they were all necessary and wonderful in the grand scheme of things. Shaking Like a Leaf at the Voices of the Year Community Keynote, BlogHer ’11 These events have taught me one very important lesson; good stuff happens to those who don’t die of dehydration from their nervous poops. So, see? I am not glib. I put forethought into donning my rose-colored glasses. Even if my husband wants nothing more than to rip them off my face and throw them into the street.

As the students filed into the sanctuary for their preschool graduation, the mom sitting in front of me turned around and nodded toward Jackson sleeping in his infant carrier, “I remember when Lucy was the one in the car seat.” Her older daughter had been in Julia’s preschool class and her youngest was standing on stage with Lucy. “Those four years went fast.” Now, half my kids are through preschool. Lucy, the 2013 graduate. Julia, 2009. Yes, that’s the same dress, same shoes. It won’t be long until Phoebe will be stepping into them. I wrote about Julia’s last day of preschool four years ago. I re-read it this morning and realized I could have written it for Lucy today. I hope you’ll read it, too.

I’m trying out a bit of a new thing today, so would be interested to know what you think and if you’d like to see more. I don’t host a lot of video on my site, but when Beauty and the Boutique approached me to see if I wanted to work together, I had a look and really liked the natural, accessible style of their videos. Plus doesn’t Katie have amazing white teeth?? I was hypnotised. So, hands up who wakes up in the morning wishing for a less ‘mother of young children’ type complexion, not to mention a little help with the dark circles? If you’re hand is up, then read on. My first video from Katie, who is a professional make-up artist, stylist and founder of the awesome fashion and beauty online store that is Beauty and the Boutique, is all about improving your complexion. It also demonstrates what happens if you bring a cat to work with you. If you like the look of Katie’s secret weapon for creating a complexion to die for – the 3 Custom Colour concealer palette – you can click here to view it in-store. Katie has searched the globe for those special one off style pieces and amazing beauty solutions that promise to enhance your own unique sense of style and everything you see in store has been personally chosen by Katie. If you’d like to see more from Katie, let me know!  The post Amazing concealer tricks to transform a tired complexion appeared first on Slummy single mummy.

This post has been sponsored by Evolve Media on behalf of Seventh Generation Diapers. All opinions listed are my own. When my kids were little, I only used one name brand of diaper. Honestly, it was the only brand I trusted. I had heard so many horror stories about the other brands and how my friend’s children had suffered severe diaper rashes and more. I did not want my kids to go through that, so I made sure to use something that I knew and trusted. There was no other brand for me at that time. Now — if Seventh Generation Diapers had been around when my kids were little, I would have made the switch without even thinking twice. Seventh Generation’s newest diapers are helping the toxin-free generation go au natural. Incredibly absorbent and naturally kind, they are free from fragrances, chlorine-processing, and conventions. They make childhood an incredibly joyful place to be. Watch this video to learn more about the Au Natural! These diapers are Designed to be Kind™ to baby’s sensitive skin, with everything you need in a diaper and nothing you don’t. Seventh Generation diapers are made with chlorine-free processing and fragrance free material and are incredibly absorbent and naturally kind.  To learn more  about Seventh Generation Diapers, be sure to visit: www.toxinfreegeneration.com So — as a mom — answer this question for me: Have there ever been products in your life that you loved more than any other because of the great benefit they had for your family? We would love to hear your thoughts!