kids

When Life Gets Crazy…

Abby H.

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Oh, God.. I won’t lie. I had this entire post written, hit save, and it disappeared. Further proof that life is totally crazy right now.

I’ve got 3 weeks left of school, then (fingers crossed), I will graduate from college after a 17-year hiatus. So, I’ve got a lot of stress right now, between my regular responsibilities, studying, and getting ready for a huge almost weeklong camping event with my friends and a lot of my family.

I wanted to share some tips for how I keep it together when life is just crazy. These may not all apply to you, but they definitely help me.

Ask for help. I’ve been relying a lot on family, friends, and our respite hours through San Diego Regional Center so I can get out of the house without the kids to get stuff done. I love them, but sometimes shopping without them is just easier. Having a few hours alone to study in the library is nice. It’s hard to study when Legos are being played with right next to you.

Keeping to our schedule. Granted, there have been some changes to accommodate my schooling, but we are trying to get the kids to bed at night on time (sometimes that doesn’t happen), and out the door in the morning for school.  This includes my visits to the YMCA 4-5 times a week. I really believe that exercise helps me maintain a positive attitude and helps me manage my stress. I also have been continuing to meal plan, even though I sometimes forget to post it.

Be Flexible. This is a tough one for some of us (myself included). Sometimes life gets crazy, and you need to go with the flow. Sometimes that means cereal for dinner, sometimes it means going to bed the same time the kids do because everyone is tired.

Give Yourself Grace. Remember that this portion of your life won’t last forever. It won’t always be stressful, busy, or this hard.

Do What is Right for Your Family. This one can be hard, especially since we live in the era of Pinterest worthy, social media one-upmanship. I’m a fucking hot mess and I’ll admit it. As long as my family is loved and cared for- that’s all that matters. And sometimes that means cereal for dinner!

 

Talk Back: What do you do when life gets busy/crazy/unpredictable? 

 

Free Concerts this Weekend from Mainly Mozart!

Abby H.

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Mainly Mozart has a great trilogy of concerts this weekend at Bread and Salt in San Diego. The best part is that all three concerts are FREE. You need to register here for tickets.

Cello Meets Guitar
Friday, May 3 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights | 7:00pm – Concert

Crossing Borders
Sunday, May 5 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights | 2:00pm – Concert

Music, Inspiration, and Autism
Sunday, June 2 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights |7:00pm – Concert

Mainly Mozart has a great series called Mozart & the Mind- and they are having an event on June 1st featuring Key Note Speaker- Temple Grandin. If you are a Regional Center Client, click here for information on how you can attend The June 1st or June 2nd Mozart & The Mind Symposium for free.

STORM BOY Opens Nationwide on Friday, 4/5/19!

Abby H.

Have you or your kids read Storm Boy? We started reading it about a week ago, and both kids are hooked. It’s really best suited for ages 10+, but my 8 year old loves stories featuring animals. It’s now a movie- starring Jai Courtney, Geoffrey Rush & Finn Little.

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Check out the trailer here

The movie is a beautiful and contemporary retelling of Colin Thiele’s classic Australian tale. ‘Storm Boy’ has grown up to be Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman and grandfather. When Kingley starts to see images from his past that he can’t explain, he is forced to remember his long-forgotten childhood, growing up on an isolated coastline with his father. He recounts to his grand-daughter the story of how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an extraordinary orphaned pelican, Mr. Percival. Their remarkable adventures and very special bond has a profound effect on all their lives. Based on the beloved book, Storm Boy is a timeless story of an unusual and unconditional friendship.

The Storm Boy is a wonderful book and movie about selflessness, courage, perseverance, and love. I cant wait to finish the book so we can go see the movie in theatres. In addition to the book (for sale on Amazon here), there are printables available for download to help continue the message from the book, including:

Talk Back: Have you Heard of Storm Boy? Do you think it’s a movie your kids would enjoy?

Ready for MommyCon 2019?

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2019-03-29 at 12.20.20 PM.pngJoin me at the largest natural parenting convention EVER!

I can’t wait for MommyCon San Diego on November 23rd. MommyCon is being held at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley.

This multi-day event features amazing shopping, interactive workshops, inspirational speakers and so much more. I loved the goody bag that I got last year! And of course, no event for moms (and dads) is complete without a snack station with all kinds of tasty snacks and drinks from some of the sponsors.

To view the schedule, buy tickets and get more info go to MommyCon.com and use code “MTAH19” for 10% off!

Are you or a family member in the military? Check out their Military Ticket  Program.

Would you like to attend but need a discounted ticket? Please learn about their Complimentary Scholarship Ticket Program.
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I’ll be posting more about MommyCon over the next few months, with more details and fun stuff!
Talk Back: With MommyCon all over the US, which one is closest to you? IF you have kids, will you be attending?

New Spring Deals are Blooming at Schoola.com!

Abby H.

Schoola.com

Schoola has a rocking sale for the next 4 days! Starting today (3/20) through 3/24, you can get $25 off $50+ orders with code 25SPRING  or if you are planning a bigger shopping trip, get $35 off $70+ orders with code 35SPRING!

And as always, FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25 or more on the first 10 items. If you are new to Schoola, you’ll save $10 off your first purchase when you sign up here.

I love Schoola for buying clothes to tie dye! I feel good knowing that my purchases help schools earn money!

Fine Print: Not valid on previous purchases. Discounts and credits do not apply toward shipping or promotional minimums. Discounts are applied to the post-credit order value. New-with-tags items are not eligible for purchase with discounts or credits.

Thinking about Cutting the Cord?

Abby H.

file1201268366483With the price of cable going up, and dish offerings that can be sort of… meh depending on where you live, cutting the cord may be right for you. If you are one of those people that has to watch “their shows” as soon as they are available, or you need a specific kinds of sports ball, this may not be for you. In that case, try shopping for a better deal with your cable provider or check out a dish provider.

We’ve been without cable for about 15 years, and Mr. Husband has been without cable for almost 20 years! My kids have never had cable. They don’t miss out, we’ve got an Apple TV, so they can still watch PBS Kids, and we’ve got Hulu too.

With Apple TV, we can watch YouTube (Once the big kid learned about Rube Goldberg machines, it’s all we watched on TV for a week), Hulu, Netflix (we also have a streaming only subscription). We also have an antenna (like this one), so we can watch local over the air TV.

Depending on how strong the signals in your area are, you should be able to receive:

  • ABC
  • CBS
  • NBC
  • CW
  • Fox
  • PBS (We get three PBS channels)

There are additional networks that are available in various areas of the county.  Here in So Cal, we also get:

Plus we get a few more Spanish language channels, and one Korean language channel.

The thing I like about not having cable is that the kids are not bombarded with commercials for toys, junk food, basic consumer shit that a lot of us were exposed to as kids on TV.  I like that the commercials on Hulu are 30 seconds or less and it’s usually only 1 or 2 per break.

And we spend time doing other stuff. Crafts, science, playing with toys, etc. Yesterday we played stuffed animal clinic and built a Lego zoo.

Kids Obstacle Challenge Comes to San Diego!

Abby H.

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I love the Kids Obstacle Challenge! It’s a super fun challenging event that gets kids moving and thinking! And, it’s coming back to San Diego County at Kit Carson Park in Escondido on April 20th.

From their website, “Our mission is to inspire and challenge kids, and forge family bonds, through adventure and obstacles. We are committed to helping foster a more active, adventurous, and perseverant younger generation.”  I am happy to partner with Kids Obstacle Challenge this year! They have offered my readers a 15% discount with coupon code ADVENTURE15 at checkout.

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I love that parents run for free- it’s a great way to get out and participate in an activity together without breaking the bank.

There are waves starting all morning, so there is no need to get up at the crack of dawn. Waves are done by age, so everyone has a chance to play and go at their own pace.

I hope to see a lot of you there!

 

Giveaway: Influential Summit Box of Goodies!

Abby H.31 Comments

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you saw all my pics last weekend of the fun (and food) from Influential Summit!

As always, attendees get hooked up with all kinds of goodies and snacks. I picked up a few extra to share with one lucky reader!

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And this isn’t all of it!

There are all kinds of goodies, treats, and snacks! The awesome people at Boiron USA hooked me up with an awesome selection of homeopathic remedies, There are Probiotics from Lifeway, Lolleez Soothing lollipops (great for kiddos with sore throats),KIND Bars, KIND Kid’s bars, Hippeas, Runa, Ammo Bars (caffeine and granola together- RAD) and my personal favorite: One Bars!

Entering is SUPER EASY! All you have to do is comment on this blog post with what your favorite snack is, and I’ll choose a winner on 2/24/19! This contest is open to US Residents only!

And you missed Influential Summit, but wanna check out another cool conference, MommyCon is coming back to San Diego November 23, 2019 for the second year at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley. Tickets are available for sale here. The goody bags are great!

This is NOT a sponsored post, I am paying to ship this package to the winner. I just want to share the goodies with you guys!

 

$5 Apron Sale at Flirty Apron!

Abby H.

www.FlirtyAprons.com**This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

APRONS! I love aprons! I have about a dozen of them- in different fabrics, colors, and themes. When I got the email yesterday that Flirty aprons was having a $5 sale, I jumped at the chance to pick up a few more. I had $25 in my Paypal Account from completing some Pinecone Research Surveys recently. MUAHAH!

$5 Apron Sale at Flirty Home, No Code Necessary, While Supplies Last. The part I like is that no coupon code is needed, and if you happen to go a little apron crazy, Spend $50 or more and get free standard domestic shipping with code FREESHIP50.

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This would cute for any little helper!

Aprons make great gifts too, so if you’ve got some birthdays coming up, Valentine’s Day, housewarming parties, or heck start your holiday shopping early (you know I have). Not only do they have feminine aprons, but chefs/grilling aprons, and kids sizes too!

 

 

 

Here are a few more of my favorites:

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Adorable Girl’s Apron
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A perfect Apron to add embroidery to, iron on patches, or paint!
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Such a Cheeky Apron!

I can’t wait for our new aprons to arrive!

Talk Back: which apron is your favorite of the $5.00 sale selection?

 

Treat Yourself to 70% Off at Schoola!

Abby H.

Schoola.comAmidst the chaos during the holiday season, Schoola wants to help treat you to a little luxury at Schoola.com! Now through December 16th, Schoola is offering 70% off orders. Check out the details below:

And as always, FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25 or more on the first 10 items. If you are new to Schoola, you’ll save $10 off your first purchase when you sign up here.

I love buying clothes from Schoola to Tie Dye! I’m helping schools and saving money!

Fine Print: Valid 12/14-12/16 only. Limit one promotion code may be used per order. Not valid on previous purchases. Discounts and credits do not apply toward shipping or promotional minimums. Discounts are applied to the post-credit order value. New-with-tags items are not eligible for purchase with discounts or credits.