The Lost Art of Family Dinners

Having 2 littles forces us to slow down. I'm an on-the-go kind of gal and after Jude was born it was a big adjustment for me to not be going ALL THE TIME. 

Three years and 1 baby later I'm only beginning to learn how to take it easy and enjoy life along the way.

One of the perks of slowing down is the family dinner. Food is a big part of our lives and almost every night we sit down together to enjoy a home cooked meal. There's no hurry. We sit, eat and just enjoy each others company. Some of my fondest memories from childhood were made sitting around the dining room table. Life can get pretty busy and I find that I miss a lot of memory making opportunities along the way. Our family dinners help me to pause and soak in life. 

In twenty years when they boys are grown I want to be able to look back and remember more than life in the fast food lane. I want to remember the time Jude discovered he like butter beans or when Noah eats his first solid food. 

I think every family should slow down and eat together as often as possible. It's good for your soul and also your wallet.

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Personalize your Greetings with CardsDirect - A Review

Even in this digital age I think most people would agree that getting a handwritten note in the mail is far better than an email. I'm generally pretty busy but on occasion I like to send out Thank You cards to people I connect with via The B Keeps Us Honest. 

I recently ordered a few personalized Thank You Cards from CardsDirect. I was able to personalize the entire card including the picture. I was pleased with how the card turned out. It was a fairly simple process to upload the image and edit the content. The only error I encountered was my first uploaded picture was too small and I had to upload a larger file. I appreciate that CardsDirect lets you upload your own image and notifies you when it doesn't meet print quality levels. Nothing is more disappointing than receiving a pixelated print.

In additional to creating your own card, CardsDirect offers a wonderful array of pre-designed cards that make it quick and easy to buy cards in bulk. This is a great resource for businesses that need a large quantity of cards or even for individuals that like to keep cards on hand for special occasions. They even had birthday party invitations, baby shower invites and photo birth announcements.

Thank you to CardsDirect for providing the products for review.  I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.

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Wordless Wednesday: A Wookie at The Beach

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Shopping Online? Save Money with Brads Deals.

I hardly ever buy anything full price. I always go straight to the back of the store to shop the sale racks and more often than not I have a coupon. With two small kids I don't get out much to do shopping so I rely heavily on online deals. Did you know that you can often get a better deal shopping online than by shopping in a brick and mortar store?

There is almost always a deal to be found so when I shop online I always search for a sale or coupon before I buy. Why spend more money when you don't have to, right? That's why I like using Brads Deals. Brads Deals is a great resource for online shopping providing most recent deals and coupon.

What I really like about the Brads Deals site is that it's a comprehensive site that combines online coupons, printable coupons and sales all at popular stores. They cover deals from brands like Gap, Apple, Pottery Barn, Sears and many more.  You can search by category, store, or type of deal. It's an easy site to navigate which makes getting a great deal even sweeter.

If you shop online I highly recommend you check out Brads Deals first, you'll probably save a little money by doing so.

I received a gift card in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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Flying Baby

Yesterday Noah had a belly ache.

I tried everything to soothe him.

Nursing. Belly Rolls. Burping. Rocking. Swaying....

Nothing really seemed to help.

The Joe came home. Joe has the magic touch.

We like to call it flying baby.

Whenever I try to do flying baby it doesn't work. There's something special about Joe's flying baby hold that soothes an upset tummy.

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Blogging Should Be What You Want It To Be

I've recently read a lot of posts about "what blogging should be" and everyone has an opinion. 

You should write for you. 

You should write for money. 

You should write for a cause.

Yadda, Yadda...

Well, I think you can write about whatever you want for whomever you want. Its your blog, it should be what you want it to be.

I initially started blogging because I wanted to share tidbits of my life with friends.

But, I started The B Keeps Us Honest to get free stuff. 

There I said it. I like free stuff. (But as most bloggers will tell you it's not actually free.)

The sole purpose of The B Keeps Us Honest was to be a review and giveaway blog. After Jude was born we went from a dual income family to a single income family and our finances were tight, in fact they still are pretty tight. I was looking for a way to help provide for my family yet still be a stay at home mom, so I started this blog.  I constantly sought out brands to review, meticulously kept track of my stats, promoted anywhere possible and I got some great free stuff in exchange for my efforts. I have no problem writing up a review in exchange for free stuff. I also have no problem accepting money from a company that wants me to write a post for them or advertise on my blog. And I also have no problem writing about my life just because I want to.

I like blogging.

I like my blog.

I like that I can provide for my family through my blog. (Even if it's just a few boxes of macaroni and cheese)

And I really like all the wonderful bloggers I've met along the way.

With the recent addition of Noah to our family I've decided to write more family posts and be more selective about review/giveaway post. I think it will be beneficial for everyone.

That's where I am right now, but if you want to blog about rainbows and unicorns. DO IT. DO IT WELL. It doesn't matter how many page views you get or how many unicorn brands support your blog, if you are having fun you're doing it right.

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Limited Edition Schick Intuition Razor Review + Giveaway

I like the feeling of freshly shaved legs but hate to shave. It's time consuming and always awkward in the shower, especially our tiny stall shower. I am lucky just to get a shower most days much less shave my legs. However, now that I've been using the Schick Intuition razor I find it's much easier to go a quick shave without always cutting myself.

See the Intuition has this cool built in moisturizing bar around the four-blade razor which basically eliminates the need for shaving gel or cream. It also has a larger handle which makes it easy to hold while wet.

And for a limited time Schick has Limited Edition Razors with three different fun designs and Pomegranate Extract, Naturals for Sensitive Skin and the Moisturizing Care Pack with Soothing Milk & Honey and Shea Butter. The Limited Edition Razors are available through September so get them quick.
 
GIVEAWAY

Win - Three lucky readers will win a Limited Edition Schick Intuition 
US ONLY

How to Win - Maximize your chances of winning. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Only valid after you complete the first mandatory entry:

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment telling me a what age you think girls should start to shave or what age you started shaving.

Extra Entries:

• Follow in GFC, Subscribe via email or RSS feed to The B Keeps Us Honest in GFC. (1 Entry for Each)
• Follow @bkeepsushonest on Twitter.
• Tweet this (can be done daily): "#Win a Schich Intuition Limited Edition Razor (3 win) via @bkeepsushonest 9/6 http://tinyurl.com/3jce9rf #giveaway"
• "Like" The B Keeps Us Honest on Facebook
• Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered)

Please leave a valid email in the comments if your Blogger profile is private so that I can contact you if you win. Giveaway ends 9.6 at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. See giveaway rules for more information.
US ONLY

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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Dating a Nerd - Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD

Watching The Big Bang Theory is a bit like watching my husband and his friends. Joe is a little be nerdy and that's one of the many things I like about it. He has this fine balance of rock star and nerd. Not really sure how he pulls it off, or that he is even aware of it.

Before we started dating thought he was this cool introspective musician, which he is, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan, B-movie buff and sci-fi enthusiast. Now I appreciate all of those things in small quantities but Joe is borderline obsessive about somethings. Lucky for him I find it kind of endearing. He's dedicated but not crazy and I can totally live with that.

The Big Bang Theory is funnier because I can totally relate to some of the comedic situations. I love the relationship drama between Leonard and Penny because I feel it's much like mine and Joe's relationship. Joe is well educated, witty and smart in so many areas. But then I realize how we complement each other so well, just like Leonard and Penny.

I'm glad I'm past the dating scene but if there was one bit of dating advice I'd give to the characters of The Big Bang theory is don't over think it, which of course would be hard for mega-geniuses to do.

Check out the Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD now!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

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The Calm After the Storm

It all started last Sunday. We were on our way back home from Charleston, SC driving 35 mph in the pouring rain down I-95 with our windows cracked because the AC in our van went out that morning. I was so anxious to be home and to have "normal" week, with the exception of dishing out some serious cash to fix the van's AC. (God totally blessed us and we were able to get it fix for a fourth of the cost quoted to us in SC!) But this week was anything but "normal". 

First there was the bizarre east coast earthquake. I was home alone with two fussy children when a I heard low pitch hum and the house began to shake. I was confused as to what was going on but I knew something wasn't right so I quickly gathered the boys until it stopped. I thought, "Is this an earthquake, no way could that be an earthquake, it's probably a bunch of low flying helicopters passing by." But Twitter quickly confirmed it was indeed an earthquake. (Thanks Twitter friends for being more awesome than the news.)

After the media buzz about the earthquake died down everyone refocused on Hurricane Irene. I didn't drown myself in the news because I knew it would produce unnecessary worry but I was constantly aware of the storm and took precautions to keep our family safe. Luckily, here in Raleigh, we didn't see much impact from the storm. We didn't have any trouble at our house and it actually turned out to be a peaceful and relaxing day at home with my boys. We even had some friend come over for dinner. (I made some awesome Cuban food.)

Today we took it easy, recovered from the crazy week and just enjoyed the day. I finally went to the gym for the first time since Noah was born. It felt good. I'm ready to get back into the habit of working out and to finally lose this baby weight. We spent the evening eating, playing at the park and just enjoying life and giving thanks for all that God has provided us.

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Kraft Veggie Mac & Cheese Review

We eat Macaroni and Cheese at least once a week for lunch. It's quick and easy and just what I need to stay sane with 2 littles. I try to add a side dish of veggies to our meal but more often than not the veggies get pushed aside for a second helping of Mac and Cheese. It seems that Kraft has been watching my family's eating habits and has developed a solution for our lack of vegetable consumption by creating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Dinner Pasta.

The New Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Veggie Dinner Past is available now at your local Target or Walmart, your family will get a half serving of cauliflower per cup of product while still taking pleasure in the creamy, cheesy flavor of the original blue box dinner. The cauliflower is baked right into the macaroni, so your kids won’t fuss over eating their veggies and instead will smile!

As soon as I started to cook the pasta I could smell the difference. It smells like cauliflower! I was a little concern that it would be a weird texture or have an odd flavor but it still has a normal pasta feel and taste. Jude didn't even bat an eye when I sat it down in front of him. In no time flat he was asking for a second helping. I think we have have winner!

Now when I need a quick and easy meal I feel a little better knowing that there are some veggies making their way into my family's diet, even if they are hidden.

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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InstaFriday

 

I missed last Friday because we were on Vacation so a few of these images are from last week.

All packed and ready to hit the road to Charleston, SC.

 Watercolor Painting Project.

Joe and Jude sharing an ice cream at Chick-Fil-A during our weekly lunch date with daddy.

 Jude took a nap after spending the morning at the beach. He NEVER naps.

 My new iphone case from iskin, I LOVE GREEN.

 Building Castles in the Sand with Daddy.

 Just hanging out with Great Grandma.

Building his Ice Cream Sundae with the Ice Cream Robot at the Charleston Creamery in Mt. Pleasant.

 Charleston Sunset. We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends.

 Nighttime cuddles with my favorite 2 month old.

 A freshly made cherry lemonade from the NC Farmers Market.

The most amazing chocolate cake from the Lettered Olive at Wild Dunes.

While in Charleston the AC on our van broke. They wanted A LOT of money to fix it. So we drove back to Raleigh with NO AC. Our mechanic friend is currently fixing it for 1/2 the price and doing so in our driveway!

That was our week. What did you do?

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Vacation at The Wild Dunes Resort - Isle of Palms, SC

We just returned from a brief trip to the Charleston, SC area where we visited family and friends. While there we were able to enjoy the wonderful Wild Dunes resort. On Friday morning we relaxed on the beach and enjoyed the amenities of the resort. Then on Saturday night we went on a double date to the Wild Dune's fabulous Lettered Olive restaurant.

Wild Dunes is a beautiful resort. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, buildings well maintained and the staff are very welcoming. Pretty much everything you need for the perfect beach vacation is right there. You can rent one of the many vacation homes or a room at the Boardwalk Inn. We utilized The Wild Dunes beach access and pool on Friday morning and had the best time. 

There are two beach front pools and The Grand Pavilion Cafe and Bar to help keep everyone happy, fed and hydrated. It was nice to spend a few hours playing in the sand and waves then move to the pool and grab some lunch at the cafe. 

The next night we enjoyed dinner with friends at The Lettered Olive. The food was just magnificent. We tried the Lowcountry Gazpacho, which was our first time eating gazpacho and it was awesome. We also tried the Triple Seared Ahi Tuna appitizer, which was probably our favorite part of the meal. For our entrees I had the Crab Topped Grouper and Joe had the Red Curry Stained Yellow Tail Snapper. Yum and Yum. And we finished off with the Chocolate Lovers cake for dessert. Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and went home stuffed!

After dinner we walked down the boardwalk to the beach. At the Grand Pavilion they had a DJ playing pop songs and little kids were dancing with their parents. It looked like they were having a great time.

The Wild Dunes offers so many more amenities in which we didn't have time to partake. However, I would have loved to visit the Sand & Sea Salon or try my hand at Tennis. We aren't big on golf but the Wild Dunes offers a top notch golf course any player would enjoy. Through Island Adventures you can set up just about any family fun activity like, chartering a fishing boat, parasailing, or renting bicycles. 

I hope we get to return to Wild Dunes soon. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. 

I received the featured product/services in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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PEEK at MY Desk

When I'm not caring for the kids, cleaning the house or running errands you will most likely find me at my desk. That's where all the blog "magic" happens... and bill paying, and freelance work, and interneting.


The desk was Joe's old desk from his childhood. 
I have a great filing system set up thanks to Deborah from Order In The House.
I love this system because it keeps me organized and I don't have to file every day.
I like to keep my desk pretty organized but it very easily gets overrun with papers and such. 

 

Do you have a desk/home office? How do your organize your important papers?

 


PARTICIPATE
Each week there will be a different PEEK theme. I'd love for everyone to join in the fun.
Write a blog post and link up below.
Leave a comment on one/all of the posts listed.
Add the PEEK button to your post (coding located to the right)

Next Week's Theme: PEEK in My Car

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Capture the Everyday: FEET

Baby Feet are irresistibly adorable.

These are Noah's toes during his first bath so they are super clean!

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HINT Water Review

The average person needs 1.9 (8 glasses) of water a day. However, pregnant women need 2.3 liters (10 glasses) of water a day and breastfeeding moms need 3.1 liters (13 glasses) of water a day. That's a lot of water. With the crazy heat we've had this summer I'm sure I haven't been drinking nearly enough water to meet my daily 13 glass quota. 

One of the hardest parts about drinking enough water is the taste, or rather the lack of taste. I appreciate an icy glass of water after strenuous activity or being in the hot day but just for my day-to-day consumption it just doesn't have that appeal. Now I don't drink sodas or really that much juice but I do like a little flavor added.

HINT water offers just a "hint" of flavor to pure water. There is no juice or sugar added. It's just pure water with the essence of flavor. It's pretty good too. I really like the blackberry flavor. I found that I was much more willing to drink an entire bottle of HINT water over a regular bottle of water. I really like that there isn't a strong flavor just a small pleasant taste that lingers after you have finished.

HINT water is available at various retailers across the US including Whole Foods and Starbucks.

Connect with Hint:

Follow @Hint_Water on Twitter

Like Hint Water on Facebook

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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Great Giveaway Links

Every Thursday The B Keeps Us Honest offers a place to promote your giveaways, Great Giveaway Links. Be sure to link directly to your giveaway and not your homepage. Links that are not directed to the giveaway will be deleted.

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Things You Take for Granted Before You Have Kids

Kids are great. I really love being a mom but there are a few things I wish I would have savored before I had kids. Simple things, really. But now that I have kids I find myself reminiscing about the "old" days over some pretty silly things.

So if you don't have kids yet here are a few things you shouldn't take for granted:

1. Running a "quick" errand. With small children there are never any "quick" errands. A simple trip to the post office requires advance planning. How will I carry my purse, the box I need to mail, the baby and wrangle the toddler? Loading and Unloading kids from car seats. We're talking at least a 30 minute trip here. Basically, double the time it takes you to do a task when you have kids.

2. Showers. Any new mom will tell you how a simple shower can completely rejuvenate your day. And they are harder to come by than you might think. Early mornings with crying babies and needy toddlers are tricky, much less sneaking in a quick shower. But when you do find a few seconds to hop in a hot shower and rinse off the spit up and sticky it's all the more AMAZING!

3. The Double Date. Or really any outing without the kids. Babysitters are expensive. So when we have that rare opportunity to go out alone, without the kids, we usually just want to be alone... in the quietness.

4. Spontaneity. We don't just jump in the car for a spontaneous trip out of town or even to go out to dinner. Having kids requires at least some level of planning. Did we pack enough diapers? Is it bedtime? And when we do decide to be spontaneous anyway there are blowout diapers and temper tantrums.

5. Calling in Sick. If you are a stay-at-home mom you don't get ANY sick days. When you are sick you still have to change diapers, make lunch, and entertain your child. And if they are also sick that makes it even more challenging. Although sick cuddles are pretty nice.

There are many more things I wish I hadn't taken for granted before the kiddos came along. Like the opportunity to give someone my undivided attention while holding a conversation. Or being able to go to the bathroom whenever I want and without interruption. 

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade having kids for any of these things. I'll gladly give-up my morning shower for a big gummy smile from my 2 month old and cuddles from my 3-year old.

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Breastfeeding and Pumping #Medelaparty

Recently I was given the opportunity to host a Medela Party. I was thrilled to share some wonderful Medela products with my friends because Medela basically saved my breastfeeding relationship with Noah these past few weeks.

When we were having so much trouble with breastfeeding we sought out and purchased many Medela products that were extremely helpful, especially the Medela Pump In Style Advance double breast pump. Because I was pumping every feeding for Noah this was a HUGE life saver.  I was able to get twice the amount of milk in half the time.

I recently had a group of mom friends to my house for a play date. We talked about all sorts of mommy things including breastfeeding and pumping. Several of my mom friends work part-time or have busy schedules so a good pump is a must-have for them. Everyone pretty much swears by Medela products. 

The day before the party my good friend Andrea gave birth to her baby boy. At the party everyone unanimously agreed that Andrea should be the winner of the Medela prize pack I was sent from Medela. (Included: Medela Pump In Style Advance On-the-go Tote, Pump & Save Breastmilk Bags, Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags, Quick Clean Wipes, Disposable Bra Pads, Tender Care Lanolin and Tender Care Hydrogel Pads.)

Since Andrea was unable to attend the party I didn't get a picture of her with the Pump, but I know she is super excited about it and will use it often. 

Even now that Noah has started to nurse I still use my pump several times a week to keep a nice supply of pumped milk on hand. Purchasing my Medela pump was probably the best decision I made and I highly recommend any new moms to invest in Medela products.

I received no product or compensation in exchange for this post. Medela did provide the raffle prize for the party. All opinions are my own.

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Reason Number 238975 I wish I lived near the beach.

A few hours of jumping in the waves and building castles in the sand...

= a self administered nap for my non-napping child.

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Get Organized with AboutOne

It's that time of year, back to school. While my kids aren't in school yet I see this time as an opportunity to reorganize my family's day-to-day life. I consider myself pretty organized but there are always areas where I just can't figure out how to get organized. For instance, my desk is almost always riddled with papers that need to be filed or acted upon. I seriously need to learn how to declutter.

I'm slowly getting together a paper filing system but what I really need help with is all of out digital files. So much of our lives are online I sometimes get lost in all the emails, websites and electronic documents. Luckily, I've been given the opportunity to try out AboutOne.com About one is an online productivity management tool designed by moms for moms. It helps you easily manage your family wherever you are with it's digital filing system and more.
 

My favorite feature of AboutOne is that I can scan in important or sentimental documents to be stored to my account. This ensure that I won't lose them if there happens to be a catastrophic event such as a fire or flood. They are stored on a secure server which enables me to access them from anywhere.  

Learn More AboutOne

FREE Trial 

AboutOne offers a FREE 17 day Free Passport that gives you 17 full days of usage with no expiration date (requires no credit card information). Use each of your 17 days whenever you like. Their Yearly Plan gives you a full year of access to AboutOne for the low price of $30 per year.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a $500 AMEX gift card and an upgrade to a free subscription to AboutOne.com AND a $250 donation to the school of your choice

• Mandatory contest entry: sign up for AboutOne free trial (absolutely no credit card info required) Then fill out the form below.
  

Contest Details: One winner will be chosen at random from all entries across all blogs to receive the following prize: $500 AMEX gift card and an upgrade to a free subscription to AboutOne.com to 1 grand prize winner + a $250 donation to the school of their choice.  All other entries will receive an email with a code for 25% off a one year subscription to AboutOne.com.  This giveaway ends September 9th at 11:59 p.m. ET and is open to U.S. residents age 18 or older.

I received the featured product and compensation by the Global Influence Network in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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