With a mid-winter vacation to Florida and Spring Break quickly approaching I’ve been stocking up on fashionable and innocent finds finds for my 6 year old Kenzie’s and 4 year old Kyle’s summer  ”swimsuit” wardrobe. I love the youthful yet trendy picks from Crazy8 – the less expensive but equally adorable sister store to Gymboree. Here’s a few of the finds we’ve purchased and or coveted as we prep for the upcoming season. Kids grow fast so nothing from last summer works anymore – the good news is it means we get to go shopping!

The Moms loved these guys and we think the feeling was mutual since we suspect our “Parent Blogger roundtable” is more relaxed, less intense, and just more fun, than the more stressful interviews they need to do with mainstream journalists during the day. So the actors truly seem to just like the break & be willing to spill fun tidbits with us – which we of course devour and love.

When we asked them about their family life they were quick to share details and jest away with us upon our inquires if their wives or children visited frigid Alaska during the filming of Big Miracle. Ted was quick to quip that although Dermot’s 3 children didn’t make the trek to Alaska (given it’s dark there half the time not to mention freezing) that Dermot did enjoy a conjugal visit from his wife but that he had to travel for his. I felt like I was watching a mini comedy act with the 2 guys joking with each other.

Ted’s thoughts on being a Grandfather

Ted reported he had just become a proud grandfather 9 days earlier for the very first time.

Ted Danson: “And I think the reason why I took CSI, which is what I’m doing now, which is in town, with this great cast, great crew, but, to be here in Los Angeles and to be able to be at the birth and to be able to hang around and babysit and do all of that and not be in Anchorage, Alaska. And to be able to work in town at my age is such a treat. I’m so grateful.”

Dermot Mulroney Juggles the Kids like the rest of us

Dermot certainly seemed down to earth when it came to figuring out child care for his 3 young kids as he didn’t report having live in Nannies but instead said that with his crazy schedule – sometimes traveling 10 out of 12 months in a year, that he is lucky to rely on their mother -in-law for extra support.

Dermot: “In the last 14 or so months since the start of this, these are the places that I had to go for work reasons: Anchorage, Toronto, Vancouver, Nashville, Pittsburgh, New York, Bangkok, Thailand for a month, Washington, D.C., and back to Bangkok, Thailand to finish.”

Dermot:  ”I have a mother-in-law who’s young and vital, so she’s indispensable. She only has a six-month visa, though. So, she can only be in this country precisely six months a year.

So, we use it like it’s gold. And I had all this business, and this job came up. So, we get her for three weeks and send her back to Italy, because later, if I’m working, I’m going to need her to come back so that we don’t go over the 180 days or whatever it is.

So, the whole thing is this incredibly intricate Web, like I’m sure most of you also have to deal with. I don’t separate myself to any higher plain of complexity.”

The Moms hanging out with the guys below when our interview ended.

On a more serious note, Ted Danson, who plays the “Big Oil” guy in Big Miracle, is actually an incredible advocate for our Oceans.

Ted Danson’s tips on how we can help save the oceans:

His first tip was to download the Seafood Watch app for our smartphones & his second was to sign up for Ocean.org, an organization he founded in 2001,  to become an advocate for our oceans.

Ted Danson: “This app will tell you, wherever you are, it’ll see where you are in the country. It’ll tell you what’s good to eat, what’s not, and why. So, if you start educating yourself on what’s sustainable, you will end up having an impact on the markets, which will have an impact on the fisheries, hopefully.  (Note: You can download Seafood Watch free from the iTunes store here.)

But, the truth is, you need to be international advocate. And the best way to do that, from my opinion, is to go to Oceana.org, click here, and say, “Yes, I will become an advocate.”

And then, in your busy, crazy, insane week, you can spend five minutes a week by looking at your e-mail and clicking here and clicking there, and you will send letters that Oceana directs you to that have a huge impact, because this is such an out of sight, out of mind subject, the oceans.

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Pictures for paying for my travel expenses for this lovely stay in Santa Monica to attend the Big Miracle Press junket. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

And besides getting to go lab crazy testing out new products to see just how they worked, I also got to spend time with some of my closest blogging friends – Audrey McClelland (also my co-author!), Vera Sweeney, Danielle Smith and also Ashley Nuzzo – couponing star who I had never met before but became a wonderful kindred spirit.

Here’s the girls and I hitting the beach before we took to the Media event. What a perfect day with girlfriends. Miami is stunning – I feel like it’s a combination of New York City & European culture but set on the beach.

And here we are at the Media event in Miami – yes we posed for this silly picture as we tweeted away but no joke half the time we were together we were all non stop on our smartphones or ipads. In any other company this would be considered the most RUDE behavior but with each other, since all of our careers really do rely on our social media updates, this works and we all get it each. Sometimes it is just AMAZING to be amongst others who are just like us in every way – particularly when it comes to our “digital addiction”.

Ashley & I spent the evening together sampling and testing everything. Product experts from the brand and industry experts like Dentists, Doctors, and Scientists were on hand to answer questions and explain just how the P&G products innovate for top performance.

P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? Brands that we tested and experimented with included:

Crest Complete with Scope dual Blast
Scope Dual Blast mouthwash
Vicks Nature Fusion
Charmin Freshmates Cleaner (aka toilet paper wipes!)
Dawn Power Clean
Downy UnStopables
Gillete Fusion ProGlide
Olay Regenerist
Olay Professional ProX Acne Protocol
Cover Girl Mascara, Eyeshadows, and Lip products
Swiffer 360 Duster Extenders
Duracell Ultra Power

Here’s my friend Vera getting beautiful as we received makeovers from Olay & Cover Girl.
Seriously our jobs are so much fun. I can’t believe this kind of stuff is part of my work. You better believe we all love our jobs as blogger correspondants!

As a fan of Dawn’s Power Foam, I was especially impressed with Dawn Power Clean, a new product from Dawn.

This liquid dish wash rocks with overnight soaking power in 5 minutes. We all put it to the test to see how the unique enzymes in Dawn enable it to beat out the competitors with it’s ability to cut the starch & grease to help us Mamas clean our dishes as fast and easy as possible.

Here’s Dawn Power Clean a few minutes in……. on the left and already beating out the competitor.

And here’s Dawn Power Clean again a few minutes later. I knew there was a reason I loved Dawn!

We also put Charmin to the test. Here’s my video showing Charmin’s strength. Impressive as this TP doesn’t break when put to the test with coins or lots of wetness as shown below. I felt like a scientist doing these tests – it all seems so practical but by testing the products I really learned just how much the innovation of P&G helps consumers like me every day at home. Awesome.

Olay. What more can I say as the name just speaks to me since I’ve been obsessed with Olay for years. Love their anti wrinkle Regenerist line and all of their moisturizers too.

Disclosure: Thanks to P&G for paying my travel expenses to attend the “Have You Tried This Yet” media event in Miami. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Big Miracle opens in theaters on February 3rd, 2012 and is based on the true story from 1988 about the media blitz that ensued as both the US & even the Soviet Union attempted to rescue 3 whales trapped under the Arctic Ice during the height of the Cold War.

Honestly, there is so much more to movie than just the whale rescue. Yes, the desperate attempts to rescue these whales as time was running out had me on the edge of my seat – and this will be super exciting for the kids too. However,  it was everything else that totally won me over. Think comedy randomly spread throughout the movie. A beautiful frigid setting in small town Alaska -and yes the ENTIRE movie was filmed in Alaska too. The 1988 time period of the film that was  complete with Walkman’s, big hair, Lee press on nails, tv dinners while watching the news, and even the inclusion of real news footage with the likes of Tom Brokaw and many other familiar faces. For those of us who lived the 80′s this piece will just speak to you in a way I can’t quite explain.

And let’s not forget the stellar performances of a top cast ranging from Drew Barrymore as the fanatical environmentalist desperate to save the whales, the comedic guy next door John Krasinsk as the Alaskan News reporter who first breaks the whale story – who also just happens to be Drew Barrymore’s ex-boyfriend, Kristen Bell as the ambitious and beautiful news reporter who heads to Alaska from LA hoping for fame but is totally unprepared for temperatures that are 50 below zero, Dermot Mulroney as the “hottie” National Guard military man trying to break the ice to save the whales, and Ted Danson as the money hungry oil man who ends up trying to save the whales – both to get some good PR and then because you can’t help but care once you see those beautiful creatures trapped under the ice.

Kids ages 5-6+ will likely love this movie for the sheer “whaleness” of it all. My kids didn’t see this movie with me as I saw in Los Angeles for the press event,  but I have friends who took their children (aged 5 and 8 ) to an early preview last weekend and the kids were thrilled declaring it their new favorite movie.

And yes this flick is a bit of a tear jerker but in a feel good kind of way. It will leave you wanting to rescue the whales, do more for the environment and read the book by Tom Rose, Big Miracle, also based on this same true story.

Learn more about Whales and enter a few Big Miracle Giveaways

Brush up on your whale facts by visiting the Big Miracle Infographic. Plus check out the very special Twitter Sweepstakes featured within where 100 randomly selected Twitterers who follow @UniversalPics and include the hashtag #everybodyloveswhales will win a Big Miracle T-shirt!

BIG MIRACLE is now on Pinterest! Check out the film’s boards at http://pinterest.com/bigmiracle PLUS take time to enter the BIG MIRACLE “Pin To Win” Sweepstakes for a chance to win FUN prizes. Find out more details at: http://on.fb.me/Af2jg9

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Pictures for paying for my travel expenses for this lovely stay in Santa Monica to attend the Big Miracle Press junket. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Convenient. Simple. Easy to set up. And you can literally print to this machine from ANYWHERE in the world from your smartphone or tablet – think grocery store, airport, while away on a business trip, from the carpool lane or whenever the mood strikes.

Take a peek at our video demonstration of the HP Wireless Deskjet 3052A e-All-in-One Printer.

Key Features we loved about the HP Wireless Deskjet 3052A e-All-in-One Printer:

1.Wireless printing. I do not want to connect my laptop to a printer with a cord. I’m always moving about my house. I love Wireless printing – it’s the only way to go.

2.Mobile printing. You can print from any smartphone or tablet to your printer – and you can do this from ANYWHERE in the world. You just get a special email address for your printer – you create it yourself during a simple set up process that literally took me only 5 minutes!

3. Price point – I can’t ignore that this e-Printer sells for only $69 at Walmart. Honestly this seems like a steal to me for such an easy to use and convenient high tech gadget.

4. You can print color photos – the quality looks great. And once again you can print your favorite pics right from your smartphone to the printer. No need to download them to your computer first. Just press print right from your phone.

Overall, we were thrilled with this printer. Inexpensive yet it totally works and is a high quality gadget. Obviously, if you need to print copious amounts of documents, a laser printer would better fit your needs but for busy Moms or entrepreneurs on the go, this HP Wireless Deskjet is perfect and will fulfill all your day to day printing demands of both your personal life and your business life.

Available at Walmart and Walmart.com. 

Disclosure: This is post is sponsored by HP. They provided me with this sample printer to facilitate to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

My Mom friends and I are always looking for fun activities during the day to do with the kids – so I turned our gathering into a Valentine’s Day themed Pizza Playdate.

The kids went wild playing dress ups while us Moms chatted, laughed, and of course browsed through the photo book I created inspired by my Disney Trip.

Here are my 6 tips for creating a photo book at Snapfish:

1. Choose a black background instead of white. We found our photos stood out much better this way.

2. To save time, use the Magic Layout option. It is simplistic to use and gives you a great starting point. Photos generally roll out into the layout in chronological order and then you can alter and edit the layout to your liking with 1-4 pictures per page after the initial “Magic Layout”

3. Maximize the full page for an entire photo option on all your favorite pictures. It looks stunning!

4. After all that hard work to make your photo book – be sure to order more than one copy. I waited to buy until there was a coupon code that let me get 2 free with 1 purchase. So the kids each now have their own memento from our Disney vacation too!

5. Pick a design for your photo book specific to the theme of your photos – from 1st birthdays to travel to weddings to holidays and tons more – Snapfish has lots of unique specific photo book designs that will likely be a match for your project.

6. Wait for a coupon code. They are always changing, but there are lots out there so be ready to purchase once you find the right offer to save you big bucks.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored. Snapfish provided me with credit to create my own Photo Book and provided all of my guests credit to make their own photo books too. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think of the Olympics and literally just FEEL for the athletes and families dreaming of competiting in the games and those who ultimately get there to represent their country. I remember my dreams of the Olympics as a little girl when I was a competitive swimmer. And now, my own daughter is 6 years old and on the swim team for the very 1st time. I see her following in her Mother’s footsteps with her own athletic dreams.

Here’s Kenzie holding her very first swimming awards – ribbons for placing 5th in the 25 yard Backstroke and 6th in the 25 yard Freestyle. She is so thrilled with herself and I feel so proud of her accomplishments – but most of all proud of the hard work and dedication she has shown to improve her skills as a swimmer. Just last summer she could not even swim 1 full lap of the pool! And now here she is RACING and COMPETING in swimming. Diving (or should i say belly flopping?) off the starting blocks. Incredible.

And here’s me….. in 1983 and 1984 holding some of my very first hard earned swimming awards. I can remember feeling so proud of myself and I love knowing that my daughter is experiencing those same feelings of accomplishment.

Here is me with my 5th place medal – the very first prize I ever won.

And a year later winning the gold medal – 1st place – at our Championships after a year of practice at my sport.

Yes, the Olympics are a beautiful pipe dream – but the competition and training is really about the journey and the life lessons you learn along the way. From dedication to perseverance to a commitment to train.

The lessons I learned from being involved in sports gave me my self confidence in all aspects of life – in the classroom and on the field – as a runner, swimmer, tennis player, and more as a youth. Those same lessons shaped the person I am today as a Mom, Wife, Daughter, and Entrepreneur.

I want to give those feelings & lessons to my daughter – and someday to my son when he’s old enough to participate in competition. Asa Mom myself, I now realize so much of that journey is about the Mom’s role to make it all happen for her children. And the sacrifices Mom makes to juggle her schedule – and dinner – literally be a chauffer driving her children to practice, missing her own engagement to instead drive to practice or watch a competitive meet, match or game for their kids. I’m seriously feeling wildly grateful to my Mom & Dad now for all they did for me over the years to help me find success in athletics and life.

That’s why I love the “Thank You Mom” campaign from P&G. Check it out here. I love it! Follow them on Facebook and take  a peek at this video from “Carole Brady”.

Iconic TV mom Florence Henderson sharing some of her best mom wisdom gained from years of playing TV mom Carol Brady as well as being a real-life mom of four and grandmother of five. Florence is partnering with P&G’s Thank You, Mom campaign, which celebrates and thanks moms for everything they do for their families and communities.

In addition to passing along some sound advice, Florence also encourages viewers to share their favorite mom wisdom on P&G’s Thank You Mom Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thankyoumom). And everyone can participate — whether you are a mom or want to share your own mom’s wise words. You can also just stop by and enjoy all the great advice we’ve already collected. Simply “like” the page and click on the Words From Mom tab to get started.

Crazy but tis the season for RSV, the flu, respiratory infections, and all that yucky junk that is a part of childhood.

So if you’re kids are sniffling and hacking like mine, I’m sure you could use a new Humidifier and stock up on some more Vicks VapoRub. I swear just saying the word VapoRub makes me feel like I can smell it. I’ve been rubbing this on Kenzie’s chest before bedtime- I also heard on Facebook that some Moms swear by rubbing it on the soles of their children’s feet too. Have you ever tried that?

Enter to win by leaving a comment below by February 15th, 2012. Feel free to share your tips on dealing with winter coughs & colds.

We’re giving away a prize package to 1 lucky winner. Here’s what’s included 

                VapoRub: 2 jars

                VapoRub Lemon: 2 jars

                VapoRub Cream: 2 bottles

                BabyRub: 2 jars

                Warm Mist GermFree humidifier: 1  

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I’ve teamed up with Vicks this cold and flu season to share news and healthy tips from Vicks VapoRub. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My favorites are the hair accessories for girls – complete with all kinds of charming hearts – and the graphic tees for both boys & girls.

Take a peek at our video to see Kyle in his “Ladie’s Man” t-shirt and Kenzie wearing this adorable Jean skirt and top. These samples were sent to us to review but I went out and bought matching heart leggings and another headband in the exact pattern as the skirt – I just can’t resist these Valentine’s Day Outfits!

Enter below by leaving a comment by February 14th, 2012 for a chance to win a $25 gift card to the Children’s Place. 

Disclosure: Thanks to Children’s Place for sending samples for us to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

We do all those things to tend to our kidlets aches & pains so I’m extra excited about this cuddly “Bed Buddy” bear that also can be used as a heating pad or cooling pad. The kids loved our sample bears ! Now we’ll be quick to use these adorable ThermaTherapy bears we received to review that work actually as either a heating and/or cooling pad – or in this case a heating or cooling super soft cuddly bear. Basically the paws on the hands & feet along with the belly will warm – if you heat in the microwave for 1 minute or chill – if you cool in your freezer.

Mom’s view: Super cute and totally convenient to warm for the kids or myself to sooth my aches & pains. Compared to the effort to wait for hot water to finally come out of my faucet, heating in the microwave for 1 minute is a total cinch and causes zero mess. Great for sore muscles, arthritis, growing pains, ear aches, and even fevers for kids if you keep it chill the bear for them.

The bear is totally adorable and soft too – which I never would have expected.

Kids’s view: The kids are in love with this cozy critter – which certainly makes Mom happy too and they are very impressed with his ability to heat up in the microwave. Perfect for cuddling with in bed on cold winter nights and the kids are now actually hoping for growing pains in the middle of the night so we can heat up their new bear for them at 3 AM.

Here’s our video – take a peek at the quality here:

The Bed BuddyWarming Bear is available online and at select retailers, independent pharmacies and drug stores for an MSRP of $19.99.

Disclosure: Free samples were provided to facilitate our review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.