oneluckymom

I had a great time speaking to the moms at WMBC in Houston yesterday about this year's Favorite Things. Here they are:

Ebates - All online shopping websites receive a commission when you make a purchase thru them. Ebates shares that money with you. Sign up on Ebates.com and search for stores you want to shop with online. You will see the % of your purchase that will be returned to you via a check or paypal every three months. It is 100% free. And you get $5.00 each time you refer a friend and they use Ebates for the first time. Your friend also gets $5.00. Sign up now using this link and we will both get $5.00! http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=KlwSABkxnZ4zOyJy1W%2FxWA%3D%3D

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun. I love this book. Paula reviews all brands of cosmetics from drugstore to department store brands. You can see if you are getting your money's worth from your current products or get recommendations for her favorite products at any price point. She also has a website www.cosmeticscop.com but it does not give you access to all the info unless you subscribe and pay. So go to the library and check this book out for free!

Maybelline Full and Soft Mascara - around $5.50 at Target - I tried this "Paula's Pick" and love it. My lashes are really seperated and long.

Madison Sloan Placemats. These laminated placemats are stylish and will last forever. They are also super cute and they can be monogrammed. Check them out at www.madisonsloan.com. They are $18 each or if you buy 4 or more $15 each

Laminated kids educational placements - around 3.00 each. I love the idea of using these at home or take them to a restaurant to keep your child entertained. They come in numbers, animals, abc's, president's, states, etc.

Chinaberry.com - this company sells predominantly books but also some toys. They sell awesome audio tapes/cd's which offer a nice alternative when driving in the car for a length of time. They have everything from princess stores to pirate stories, to adventures in american history and tales from the bible. They do an amazing job at reviewing each product they sell.

I love my public library for two reasons: (1) I can walk to it and (2) it is FREE. Three of my favorite reads from the past year are: Glass Castle, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle & Double Bind.

Games for Kids - Blokus is an amazing game of strategy for kids and adults that is easy to play. It comes in a regular size and a travel size. It has won numerous awards. Both sizes are available at Target.

My kids also love Doink it Darts. It is a super magnetic dart board that is just really fun to kids. Replacement darts are also available. Both on amazon.com or we bought ours at our local Striderite.

Photo book of kids artwork. Unfortunately I save everything my kids ever do. It caused us quite a problem when we moved and i moved all that paper with us. I heard a great suggestion to take photos of your kids artwork and make them into a "coffee table" type book. I did mine on Shutterfly and it turned out great. Take your photos outside in a covered area and stand directly over the artwork to get the best picture (my awesome friend the photographer Nicole told me this tip). I made my book in 8 x 8 format and so i had to have a border around most of my artwork when i really wanted the art to take up the whole page. So having done this, I would suggest making the 8 1/2 x 11 format. But now i can throw away all that paper with is a good thing!

Canvas on Demand - There are other websites that can turn your photo into a work of art on canvas but I like this one because they can use a digital image as well as a photo or negative from film cameras. They can remove date stamps, change the image to black & white or sepia. I love this company if you want to make a real photo keepsake. www.canvasondemand.com

Real Simple Magazine & Website - Real Simple really gives me something I can use each month. The website is great because you can look up just about anything and find the solution. My microwave was so gross and I looked up how to clean on the website and it is not something I would have ever thought of. They really do the work for you and pass it along. They also have different emails you can sign up for like recipes, thought of the day, etc.

I love family devotional books. We have an awesome book that we do with our kids at night that consists of a story with a dilemma of a moral nature and then multiple choice answers. You then look up a scripture verse that ties it all together. We also have books for our boys that are age specific and involve reading a short story, looking up a scripture and then have a quick activity for them to complete. I wish I had started doing something like this younger so it would come easier to me to incorporate into my life as an adult.

VRBO.com - if you are taking a vacation check out this website. You can rent houses, condos, etc directly from the owner and save alot of money because they are not paying a management company. We have done it several times and it has worked out great each time. One of our favorite destinations where we have done this is the Destin, FL area.

Canton First Monday Trade Days - from trash to antiques to new cool stuff, this place has everything. It is held each month and starts the Thursday before the first monday of each month. If that is as confusing to you as it is to me check out www.firstmondaycanton.com. It is located in north east texas. A great girls day or weekend out! I go with my oldest friend several times a year (not older in years but in time known--she knows who she is :)!

Orleans Candles - I buy mine in the Dallas area at the Sample House. My favorite is Creme Brulee. I have never had a candle that burned so evenly--all the wax is off the sides and virtually all off the bottom when I am thru burning it. And it is a super smelly candle (in a good way) in that you will still smell it the next day when it is not even burning. Contact them at www.orleanscandles.com to see if they sell them in your area.

Mom Tshirts - I may be a stay at home mom but i still like to look cute. I'm also proud I'm a mom. So combine the two and get yourself a cute mom tshirt. Check out these websites: www.peacelovemom.com, promomcouture.com and onehipmom.com

Yummie Tummie - Expensive but worth it--'nuff said. Oprah says it hides the muffin top; I say it hides the whole jelly roll. It is a shapewear tank top but the unique thing about it is that the top fabric and the bottom fabric are meant to be seen so it is a great layering piece. Or you can tuck it in. Either way I feel better when I wear mine and it is the item in my house that gets washed the most because i do wear them almost every day. www.yummietummie.com. They currently have a thing going on where you tell your worst/most embarassing undergarment moment and you can get $25 off a purchase. I just got mine yesterday!

Scout Bags - super sturdy, lots of shapes, sizes and really cute patterns. I use the baguette style because i carry alot of prepared food to school since i'm on the hospitality committee that feeds our teachers once a month. This particular style would also function great as a grocery bag. www.pineandivy.com carry them and you can good "scout bags" for other shapes/sizes