Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

PureLYFT has new flavors and gives you energy!

The folks at PureLYFT came out with new flavors. We were sent some samples of the new flavors and they give any beverage you add them to a kick of clean caffeine and flavor.

PureLYFT is made from green coffee extract and a teeny amount of Stevia to make a powder that you can stir or pour into any beverage. It's great for people constantly on the go or parents who were up all night with the kids and just need that quick pick-me-up in place of the daily coffee in the morning.

For starters, you open the package and they used to have you peel a sticker back and stir the power into your beverage of choice. Now you can either do that or you can pop the bottom off and pour it directly in to the drink and stir that way too. I kind of messed up and spilled a bunch on my hand and licked it - I wouldn't recommend doing that!  Also, if you're mixing it into a cold beverage I would recommend putting it in warm water to dissolve it first then dumping that into the cold beverage - also something I learned on the second time trying it!!

All in all I found that this was an easy way to get a quick boost of energy.

NOTE: We were provided with the sample sticks to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are our own.

Monday, January 16, 2017

My paternity leave...

So, my paternity leave ends this Wednesday. Our son was born last August, but my wife went back to work at the beginning of the year. I'm truly fortunate because I was able to move my leave to coincide with when she went back to work. So, I've been off of work, taking care of my son since the start of the new year (the past two weeks) and it's been incredible. I have a whole newfound respect for stay-at-home parents and single parents. I have learned a whole bunch of new things for taking care of my son and daughter and trying to coordinate drop-offs, pick ups, diaper changes, feeding, doctor appointments, rides to after school activities, etc. I now have gained an appreciation for trying to do it all, while trying to keep the house in some form of shape and not a disaster. Sidenote: I wasn't able to keep the house in any form of neatness. It's a total mess. 

What I've learned most and am most thankful for is that it truly takes a village to raise a child. I've been thankful to be able to lean on my family and close friends for assistance for the duration. I've learned from watching my parents and how excited they are and how much they care. I've also been able to balance a few commitments and also was able to take my daughter to her after school programs which was really special.

I truly enjoyed each moment I was able to have with my kids and am looking forward to going back to my day job, knowing that I had this time to bond with my kids. It truly is a gift.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

American Girl Night Recap and August 2016 Red Sox Promotions

Last week,we went to Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox first ever American Girl night. We had the VIP treatment which gave us early entry to the ballpark and a special all-you-can-eat buffet in the Champions Club (hot dogs, chicken tenders, salad, friends, peanuts, cracker jacks, etc.) set up like the American Girl CafĂ© so you can eat with your oll. 

We also had the chance to have her hair done at the American Girl mobile doll hair salon and even a red carpet that you could take photos with your doll! The best part of it was that everyone with a special ticket got a limited edition Red Sox/American Girl doll shirt.

After the game started we went back to Wally's Clubhouse which also was taking place in the Champions Club, which had special American Girl crafts, air conditioning (since it was still hot!) and fun games. We also got to take pictures with Wally and Tessie and even tried out the #FriendlyFenway twitter vending machine sponsored by CarMax located out in the center field concession area just by the Green Monster stairs.

For the month of August, the Red Sox have some great promotions coming up!

Tuesday, August 9

Friday, August 12

August 26-31 Homestand
  • Game tickets, each with a hot dog and soda voucher
  • Free parking in the Prudential Center Garage
  • Free Boston Duck Tours ride between the garage and Fenway
  • Wife Ball Bat for kids 12 and under


Sunday, August 28

Tuesday, August 30

Wednesday, August 31

Monday, August 8 - Faneuil Hall, Boston
Wednesday, August 10 - Boston Parks & Recreation Fenway Challenge (Ramsay Park)
Thursday, August 11 - Boston Parks & Recreation Fenway Challenge (Dorchester Park)
Sunday, August 14 - Putnam, CT
Saturday, August 20 - Wakefield, MA
Sunday, August 28 - Faneuil Hall










NOTE: We were given tickets to this event as being part of the RedSoxMoms and RedSoxDads parent initiative. No other compensation was provided. As always, all opinions are our own.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

How much screen time is too much?

One of the things I’m struggling with is how much to limit our 3 year old’s exposure to screens. We seem to be in front of one screen or another for much of the day and they say that your child will learn from what you do. I’ll be the first to admit that I probably spend a little too much time in front of the TV and computer. I work in IT for a living so I’m in front of a screen at work, I enjoy the occasional TV program as a way to unwind at night and I check my phone/tablet quite a bit during the day/evening. All totaled up, our child sees this and realizes they can play games on the tablet, watch TV on the TV/tablet and take it in the car. We try to limit the amount of time spent in front of these devices but I wonder at what point is it too much? They spend time outside and at play dates with friends, but we find that watching some type of screen is starting to get to the norm of the day whether it be as part of a “getting started in the morning” or “going to bed” or “traveling in the car” routine.

What are your thoughts?

Friday, June 20, 2014

Our review of the MOPA Show 2014




It took a little while to write this post, but last month we went to the Modern Parenting show at the Hawthorne Country Club in Dartmouth, MA put on by Dennell Pepin, founder of MOPA (ModernParent).

This show was for new and expecting parents and even included brunch with your admission. When we arrived we were greeting and asked to fill out an entry form which entered us into the raffles they were holding for all of these great prizes (a deluxe crib, photography session, containers from The Container Store and others).

We were given a gift bag which contained a few advertisements along with some goodies. We had the chance to eat brunch from a buffet, walk around to the 10 or so exhibitors who had tables and we had the chance to shmooze and learn about items you should have on your baby registry (if you have one) and how to organize the nursery and decorate it easily.






We got to sample some great new products from Happy Family foods (we LOVE the yogurt minis as well as the cookies) and some great cupcakes from the Artisan Bake Shop. We also got some information from the Old Colony network of YMCA's about some membership specials they were running.




All in all this was a great way to spend a few hours of the day learning about some of the latest trends in the baby world. Dennell really has some great insight into what it means to be a parent in these modern times.










NOTE: We were given complimentary admission to the MOPA Show 2014. There was no guarantee of a positive review. However, we did enjoy ourselves (as you can see)!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Modern Parenting Show This Weekend

We're excited to be attending the Modern Parenting MOPA14 Show this Saturday, May 17 from 11-2 pm at the Hawthorne Country Club in Dartmouth, MA. Tickets have been selling fast and they are almost sold out of general admission tickets (which include a MOPA Tote bag with various deals and some products).

The event will have live demonstrations, pop-up shops and a delicious brunch. You will have the chance to hear advice from experts to learn tips about registering, decorating and designing. You can also win amazing giveaways.

Registration is still open and you can even take $5 off your ticket using the code "BUMP".

NOTE: In exchange for writing this post we were provided with complimentary tickets to attend the event. No other compensation was provided. There was no promise of a positive posting.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Free Car Seat Check and Healthy Kids Day this weekend!

There is a great event happening this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The Hockomock YMCA along with Patriot Place is hosting a Healthy Kids Day from 10 am - 2 pm on Saturday May 3. We went last year and there was lots to see and participate in. Everything from bouncy houses to fun activities and games were to be hand. One of the key things that we liked the most was a free Car Seat Check sponsored by Safety1st and Dorel Juvenile Group. 

The great people at Dorel (also based in Foxborough) were on hand along with local police officers and firemen from surrounding towns who inspected any car seats to ensure they met proper installation standards as well as were properly secured. They made sure that we were well educated in how to install and remove a car seat as well as how to place our child in it properly and ensure that the restraint system was properly configured.

I cannot stress enough how much this part of the event helped me to feel better and calmer about how our child was riding in the car properly.

Monday, June 3, 2013

SimpliSafe: A unique home alarm system

We were fortunate enough to be able to review the SimpliSafe alarm system. This easy-to-setup system is easily expandable to fit any house situation. The kit we received included a base-station, three sensor units for doors and/or windows, a wireless keypad and a keychain remote which doubles as a installation USB flash drive for your computer.

To start, we opened the box and followed the instructions for setting everything up which was very easy. All of the pieces came with the appropriates batteries. I went around and figured out what we wanted to alarm and tested out each sensor as I connected it. One great thing about the system is you can set it to make a chime noise when one of the sensors are triggered. This happens when someone opens or closes a door, which is a great bonus feature since we have a two year old who can find her way out of the house easily now.

The setup process for the base station was easy and works with any web browser and computer. We set up a few codes for ourselves, a master password and some codes that we could give out to contractors. The base station connects to the internet and SimpliSafe has a monitoring company that will watch for notifications from the base station if anything is triggered and the alarm isn't disabled. The monitoring service starts at $15/month and goes up to $30/month at the high end which includes the ability to enable and disable the system from an iOS app.

This system is great and unique because you install it yourself so people don't need to be traipsing around your house putting in tons of equipment and wires. It is also wireless and in addition to the internet connectivity, has a cell-phone network backup (which is included in the $15/month monitoring cost) in case your phone/internet lines get cut. If the power happens to go out, the system has a battery backup that will last for a few hours so your house will stay monitored even if someone tries to cut the power and phone lines to your house or rob you in the event of a natural disaster.

The best thing about this system is that it is fully removable (they use special double stick tape that doesn't appear to damage walls) so if you move apartments or houses, you can take it with you. This is great for people and families who live in apartments, condos, houses, really any living situation.

NOTE:  We received a base-station kit from SimpliSafe to facilitate this review. We did not promise a positive review, but rather an honest review. All opinions are 100% our own.